GM has announced that some of their 2006 line will include a standard minijack, allowing you to plug in your MP3 player using its headphone jack. I've seen a few stereo units with this functionality, but GM is the first to announce it as a built-in, universal (read: not iPod-exclusive) feature across the product line. I really think we should have seen these years ago, when portable CD players first became popular, but I obviously don't work for a major auto manufacturer. The new jack will be available on radios in their new Chevy HHR, Impala and Monte Carlo as well as the Cadillac DTS and a few others. The downside to opting for a standard mini-jack instead of using iPod's Dock Connector, of course, is that your car can't charge your iPod nor control it through your steering wheel's buttons.

Press Release [GM via MacCentral]

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