Dec 30, 2013 02:52 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Apple and Google are set to take their technology rivalry in the automotive industry as both have plans to unveil new connectivity features with future car models.

Next week marks the beginning of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where Google and Audi will supposedly announce a joint in-car information and entertainment system, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The German automaker and Google are responding to a similar initiative from Apple, integrating the iOS mobile operating system into the dashboard of a car. Apple currently has support from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Daimler, General Motors and Honda.

Both Google's and Apple's systems are aimed at providing music playback, GPS navigation and access to apps without requiring the driver to take his/her hands off the wheel or eyes off the road.

"The car is becoming the ultimate mobile device," in-car technology specialist Thilo Koslowski, an analyst at the research firm Gartner Inc., told the WSJ. "Apple and Google see that and are trying to line up allies to bring their technology into the vehicle."

Google and Apple have brought their technology to smartphones, tablet computers, the app market and more, resulting in a fierce rivalry. Cars are an untapped field for the two technology giants to explore and, naturally, it becomes a new area for their rivalry to expand.

Apple announced its auto partnerships in June then released iOS 7 in September, which featured "iOS in the car." The feature offers a hands-free driving experience to control one's device while driving a car.

Audi is also expected to reveal other new technologies at the Las Vegas show, according to the WSJ. Audi will set timetables for the release of future car models and will also unveil an automated control where the car can drive itself for short periods of time and in certain situations.

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit