Is it safe to assume that any person who is in the forefront of technology already owns an iPod of some sort? Never mind the generation nor type (Mini, Shuffle, nano, etc), but the iPod has truly taken over the mantle of being the Walkman of the 21st century (in the first few years at least – we still don’t know what will happen 93 years down the road). As for the recently launched iPhone, it has certainly made a splash across the world, wowing everyone more than Windows Vista ever could with its sleek user interface and huge display albeit shortcomings in terms of battery life and the lack of 3G connectivity. Recently, the head of Volkswagen, Martin Winterkorn traveled to California to meet up with Steve Jobs, swapping ideas about the possibility of an intelligent Beetle. Word has it that Mr. Winterkorn will be making yet another trip to meet up with Steve Jobs next week in order to develop the project further.

The iBeetle (or could it be the iCar?) would definitely be a marriage made in heaven as both the Volkswagen Beetle and iPod portable media player are popular icons in their own right. There is a connection with Steve Jobs as he sold his VW Bulli minibus more than three decades ago to fund his company, while Mr. Winterkorn himself wants to create a working man’s car just like how the original Beetle was built for, where the starting price for the most basic model would stand at an affordable €6,000 (£4,000 or approximately $8,000). This new car would definitely be environmentally friendly as with other vehicles released these days. I just hope the release of such a vehicle won’t see the rise of another modern day Hitler.

Imagine owning a car where you’re never offline, transferring your digital audio library from a home computer to the car with the ability to download and edit photos. I know I’d be lining up for one.

Source: Business Times Online