I think it's getting pretty common with new cars. USB ports are starting to show up now too.

I love my radio with USB port. Aftermarket radio in that case. I threaded the USB port into my glovebox when I installed it. In our Sentra I threaded it into the ashtray, which is a cool setup (for non-smokers like us).

We have a cassette adapter for our car radio and use it to play the iPod. We got ours at Radio Shack (now apparently known as The Shack) for really cheap, and while we don;t use it very often, we've had it for ages (like, since before iPods existed - we used to use it to play CDs using a CD walkman).

Once upon a time I had a Radio Shack cassette adapter for 8-track tape players. I wonder if I could use that, and then instead of a cassette use a cassette adapter to play an iPod through a car's 8-track tape deck....

It would probably sound like crap....

I can't find my iPod dock online, I guess that they don't make it anymore. It's a cool one that plugs into the lighter, but holds the dock up so that you can see it/manipulate it easily. It has a system of interlocking pieces so that you can tilt it up, down, driver's side, passenger side.

Can you get an adapter for the cassette player, I believe those are more reliable.

My cassette player actually developed a quirk a couple of years ago wherein it will only play what's on the "bottom" side of the tape -- you know how car cassette players have the button where you can choose whether the top side or bottom side is playing? Well, it only wants to play the bottom side, and when the top side is selected, it squeals this unholy demon-escaped-from-hell sound.

I have a cassette adapter for the iPod, but the problem is that it only has a "top" side and I can't physically flip it over. So if I try to use the cassette adapter, all I get is the horrible squeal sound.

I have a cassette adapter for the iPod, but the problem is that it only has a "top" side and I can't physically flip it over. So if I try to use the cassette adapter, all I get is the horrible squeal sound.

The obvious solution to your problem is to punch a hole in the universe, and then switch your car with your doppelganger's mirror-universe car, which can only play the "top" side of cassettes.

The obvious solution to your problem is to punch a hole in the universe, and then switch your car with your doppelganger's mirror-universe car, which can only play the "top" side of cassettes.

You know, I always miss the easy solutions!

My solution would probably be aftermarket radio with rear USB. Put the USB port in the glovebox and play music off a flash drive or attach an iPod in the glovebox and control it through the radio controls. Simple except for the expense of the radio, the potential ugly factor depending on the dash of the car in question, and having to do or pay for the installation.

It's a cool one that plugs into the lighter, but holds the dock up so that you can see it/manipulate it easily. It has a system of interlocking pieces so that you can tilt it up, down, driver's side, passenger side.

I had the same one (until I sold my car). It was a fun design.

I have a tapedeck adapter (my car is 10 years old, before carrying MP3 players in the car was commonplace); it plugs into the dataport on the bottom of the iPod (or iPhone) and it's pretty good sound (a little tape-hissy, but really...I'm not expecting audiophile silence in the CAR) - and if I want to, it also has a cigarette-lighter power adapter module.

Alas, it's all pointless in the now-dead car. Poor EEEgor.