You're tired of those cables tangled around your console, your stick shift, or your emergency brake. But you're not ready or able to put a whole new deck into your car. Or you already sacrificed mega-bucks for your neat iPod or MP3 player. You now drive around with earplugs in your ears listening to your chosen tunes.

Well, driving around like that opens an entirely different matter of the "never do that" subject, but I'll stay away from that for now.

The Why's

Wires swimming around in your vehicle is a hassle and a nightmare while driving. Many cars still have only a cassette player in the deck - like my 2003 car.

I look at these new decks and think, I just don't need all that. I don't have an iPod or an MP3 player. I do have a flash drive so I don't have to send my stuff from my computer to my laptop by e-mail, or through a floppy disc or CD. As far as music, well, as K said when a tiny new music disc was introduced in "Men in Black" - "Guess I'll have to buy the White Album again".

I've lived through vinyl records, 8-tracks, cassettes, and CDs. Frankly, I'm tired of having to download, reload, upload, re-record, and re-purchase things I already have. Yeah, the technology keeps getting better and as a classical musician, I do admit I like the increasing clarity.

But, why can't I have that without having to purchase yet another gadget that is well into the hundreds of dollars? Well, I can.

The Hows

For those like me, and for those who have the newer gadgets, like MP3 players, SD cards, and thumb drives, there are FM transmitters. These things are pretty cool. They just plug into your power portal (in the past, these were called cigarette lighters, but those are becoming extinct, too).

You tune into an FM channel, then hook up to a device, like a CD player or MP3 player. It then plays through your car stereo system. Simple. No more wires flopping around.

There are a variety of different kinds. They are usually small and stealthy. Most have outputs for a CD player and a one-eighth inch audio plug. Some have iPod, and MP3 connections. Some have connections for your flash drive, DVD player, and SD cards. Some have Bluetooth capabilities. Some are fancy with LED displays. And they won't be another major investment, unless you want them to.

The Benefits

I tend to be resistant when I'm happy with what I've got. I don't dash out and buy the newest gadget. I remember the short war between VHS and Beta. A lot of people got stuck with video players they couldn't use. I like to see what will stick. What will hold up. When I see something that's passed the tests, then maybe I'll buy, if it will greatly benefit my life.

I love to drive and I do a bit a traveling. Switching to FM transmitter use lets me dig in my heels a little longer and move forward at the same time. Mostly it makes it easy for me to have as much music as I want on the road.

So, there is compromise. I don't have to keep starting over. I can keep using the players I have. You can, too. Well, at least until they become obsolete and are too old and incompatible.

I wonder how many times I'm going to have to buy "The White Album"?