We've grown accustomed to the creature comforts that technology -- from keyless entry to GPS to tire-pressure monitoring systems -- provides us in our vehicles. However, when it comes to the role of technology in the manufacturing and product features of vehicles, one former software executive and author believes that the auto industry has just scratched the surface.

"The advances in automotive engineering and design as well as IT will only continue to increase the amount of technology we embed in vehicles," wrote Jeff Papows, author of "Glitch: The Hidden Impact of Faulty Software." "A look into the future reveals that we've only just begun to explore the inclusion of massive amounts of technology in our automobiles."

A recent report by the El Segundo, Calif.-based electronics research firm iSuppli Corp., for example, predicted that 62.3 million consumers worldwide will have Internet access in their cars by 2016, up from 970,000 consumers at the end of 2009.

Jeff Papows, author of "Glitch: The Hidden Impact of Faulty software"

For the on-the-go business professional or tech-savvy teen, that might be welcome news. The question, Papows asks, is "whether we are using technology to add value on behalf of the consumer or simply doing it because we can."

Beyond the obvious driving hazards that in-car Internet use could create, Papows worries that the increasing presence of technology in vehicles has ratcheted up the risk of "life-threatening computing errors" and other glitches that are costing automakers millions of dollars.

Software Glitches Trigger Recalls

In his book, Papows points to Toyota Motor Corp.'s February recall of approximately 148,000 Prius and Lexus models to update the software in the vehicles' antilock brake systems (ABS). At the time, Toyota noted that some owners of 2010 Prius hybrids and 2010 HS 250h Lexus vehicles "have reported experiencing inconsistent brake feel during slow and steady application of brakes on rough or slick road surfaces when the ABS is activated in an effort to maintain tire traction." Since then, Toyota said it has performed 128,000 updates to the ABS software in the recalled Prius and Lexus vehicles.

On April 19, Toyota recalled 9,400 2010-model Lexus GX 460 SUVs to update the vehicles' stability-control software, noting that the vehicles could roll over when navigating sharp turns at high speeds. The safety risk prompted Consumer Reports to issue a "don't buy" warning for the Lexus SUV prior to the recall announcement.

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