The 2012 North American International Auto Show may be one of the biggest of its kind all year, but that doesn't mean it's where all of the hot auto-industry news is coming from right now. More specifically, Heritage Volkswagen and Subaru has been keeping its eye on the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, where many an automaker have announced ground-breaking partnerships with technological innovators in the past.

Such, happily, happens to be exactly the case with Subaru this year too. The Japanese automaker recently unveiled a partnership with Harman to integrate what the tech company refers to as the "fourth band" of radio into its lineup.

What is the "fourth band" of radio? If the first three are AM, FM, nad Satellite, then the "fourth band" that Harman refers to is web-based content, and it's set to be delivered to models like the 2012 Subaru Outback and 2012 Subaru Legacy in the near future by the new Aha platform. Aha is a new app by Harman that utilizes popular web services, including, but not limited to, music and news radio (MOG, Rhapsody, and NPR), social media (Facebook and Twitter), and even free audio books.

"Smartphone activity is at an all-time high and the consumer is looking for a safe interface to interact with the content in their vehicle.  Subaru has been evaluating connected car solutions for some time, and Aha is the first product that meets our criteria for safety, great design, and broad content options that can be personalized for each driver," explains David Sullivan, Car Line Manager, Subaru of America, Inc.  "Without having to touch their smartphone, Subaru drivers will safely be able to access content like traffic, nearby restaurant information, music, and a growing wealth of web-based information now available through their Subaru optional infotainment system integrated with Aha."¹

Subaru is even ready to demonstrate how the tech works. At CES (Consumer Electronics Show) booth #CP32, the company demonstrated a concept implementation on the production version of the upcoming 2013 Subaru BRZ.

Interested in staying connected in your Subaru? Then make sure to stay tuned. Heritage Volkswagen and Subaru, located at 9808 Reisterstown Road Owings Mills, Maryland 21117, is dedicated to keeping you informed, and promises to keep you up to date on this exciting new project from our favorite Japanese automaker.

Source: ¹http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/10/4176459/subaru-selects-aha-to-deliver.html