GAMES & GADGETS

From the most powerful car speakers on the planet to Ferraris parked on plush carpet to in-vehicle entertainment systems that deliver live TV, the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) featured cutting-edge tech for any auto enthusiast. Whether you’re looking to start your car from your living room, find your way around town, or even set an alarm on the toolbox in the bed of your truck, Las Vegas was the place to be this past week.

On the show floor we saw rearview mirrors that provide speed, temperature and vehicle data, applications that automatically lock down your phone when you’re going more than 15 mph and unique bonds between firms looking to the future together. A primary example was the announcement of a partnership between Chevrolet and OnStar - with a smartphone application that allows drivers to have ultimate control over their Chevy Volt. The Volt - a plug-in electric expected to be in showrooms later this year - will be integrated so well with this app that you’ll be able to control the locks, cabin climate, charging settings and more right from your phone. One of the coolest functions is the application’s ability for you to schedule charging so you save money on your electric bill. OnStar and Chevy call this a “grid-friendly” approach to keeping your vehicle charged. The feature I most enjoyed was the ability to lock and unlock doors from anywhere, with an onscreen notification if the command was executed. There are more details in the AR story.

Other car manufacturers are also offering fingertip control of your ride via your smartphone or other device. These include the Ford/Microsoft Sync product and a cool new offering from Kia and Microsoft called UVO. Sync lets you operate Bluetooth and various other functions from the driver’s seat - as well as use Wifi devices to turn a vehicle into a rolling hotspot. UVO will be in the 2011 Kia Sorrento and features a built-in microphone and speaker system for driver calls, and connections for either a personal music device via USB or a slot for an SD card of your music.

Railing against in-car calling, ZoomSafer has taken smartphone/vehicle integration in another direction. The company’s service renders phones mute and inoperable for calling or texting when you’re going more than 15 mph. http://zoomsafer.com/  The technology was created to stem the increasing number of traffic accidents caused by drivers texting or phoning when they should be watching the road.

Being distracted by a ringing phone is one thing, but what about noise you want to hear in the car?  The CES was jammed - as usual - with speakers, sound boxes and in-car entertainment systems. The most intriguing of these was Audiovox’s FLOTV. The unit allows passengers to watch current programming much like passengers on airlines can watch live shows while in flight. http://mobile.audiovox.com/audiovox/  Audiovox said FLOTV will start to appear in vehicles soon as an option and that the technology already works with existing headrest screens. The main benefit is no need to lug around DVD players or other portable entertainment - it’s all built right into the car.

If you want to stay connected and personalize your driving experience, there’s no better way than either getting a configurable instrument cluster or adding to your connectivity. Visteon has brought both options to market in partnership with brands like Land Rover and with aftermarket solutions that put the Internet right into your car. http://www.visteon.com

Finally, if you’re done behind the wheel and want to chill at home, there are tech solutions for that too. We witnessed 3D TV with images so lifelike you’ll feel like you’re in whatever movie you’re watching. http://www.panasonic.com/3D/    http://pages.samsung.com/us/dlp3d/

So, if you’re looking to upgrade your car with some gadgetry, there’s plenty of cool tech out there for you to try.  Enjoy the ride!