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The latest trend in car gadgets in the United States is to combine multiple functions in one unit.
The Alpine eX-10 is an Apple iPod adapter that doubles as a Bluetooth receiver. The Kenwood DNX8120 is a navigation system, complete with Bluetooth, that also works like a radio.
Then there are the in-car computers that let drivers navigate, email and store MP3s.
The Alpine eX-10 allows drivers to play their iPods through their car speakers without using a radio transmitter or tape adapter, both of which compromise sound quality. Similar gadgets are available in New Zealand.
And with some devices, drivers can leave their iPod at home. The Azentek Atlas CPC-1200 is a personal computer that's built into the dashboard and, with a 120-gigabyte hard drive, it can store enough music for any road trip.
Even products that have been around for a while are getting substantial updates.
The Escort 9500ci is a radar detector with a built-in navigation system so it can warn drivers of upcoming speed traps and keep track of locations that set off detectors even though no police radar is present.
New satellite-navigation systems issue spoken directions. Text-to-speech technology has become the latest buzzword in the navigation industry because of its emphasis on safety, said Joshua Landau, president of JML Audio in St Louis.
Since street names during guidance are spoken, the driver spends more time with their eyes on the road instead of their navigation display.
Most car controls need to be physically touched in order to be operated, which can be another distraction for drivers. But the latest gadgets are changing that.
Voice command is another emerging technology with an emphasis on safety, Landau says. Instead of manually typing route guidance on a touch-screen display, address information is simply spoken.
As is the case with the verbal route guidance, luxury cars have been offering voice-command functionality for some time but it's now trickling down to the masses.
The Ford Sync system takes advantage of Bluetooth wireless technology to make cell phones and audio systems safer and easier to use.
To use the phone, simply say the word. The stereo knows to turn the volume down so you can hear the person on the other end.
The Viper Responder LE combines a remote starter with an alarm system. And if you're warming up your car before leaving the house, it doesn't leave you to guess when the car is toasty. Lights on the side of the remote will signal that the car interior is at the right temperature for you.
