I don't think there is any question that we are at the dawn of smart cars. Soon the frustrations of forgetting where you parked, unknown car troubles, and poor driving habits will be in the past thanks to new advances in automotive technologies--including vehicle locators, fuel efficiency tracking, and mobile car care.

Mobile technology is driving auto innovation, from Android-powered cars to augmented reality.

With most manufacturers making connected cars by 2015, what are drivers looking for in auto tech? They want their vehicle to be an extension of themselves--an extension of their smartphone and all generations and both genders show high potential to purchase connected and app-linking technologies but safety must always come first.

Augmented Reality can now deliver important information to drivers in a way that’s accessible and consumable, but also less intrusive or distracting than previous methods. And the dawn of the “Android Car” might not be as far off as you think – we could be buying cars running entirely on Google’s mighty mobile OS before the end of the decade.

To read about these future of automotive technologies plus cyber attacks on cars, automated driving, and more, check out this trend report by Mutual Mobile you can ready about how car manufactures are using mobile to drive auto advancements and what that means for your future.

This trend report is really a broad overview and crash course into automotive tech. It's pretty simple and not too technical. I highly recommend it for people who just have a general curiosity for technology but don't know much about cars.

Click here to download Mutual Mobile's Automotive Trend Report: Volume 1.

And if you enjoy this report, look out for the follow-up issue coming soon. The future issue will go even deeper, covering advances like how you'll use your smart phone to buy a car, how Mercedes-Benz is using scannables to aid first aid responders, and why Ford is moving away from touchscreens.