High Tech Hits the Road

Why shouldn't your car be as tricked out as your entertainment room? Here's a look at today's awesome auto features--and their equally awesome price tags.

Dan Tynan

For many people, their cars have become an extension of their homes--and we're not just talking about all the food wrappers on the floor. In fact, the evidence was all over this month's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas: High technology is hitting the highway in a big way. What does that mean exactly? It means if there's a high-tech device in your house, you're likely to find a version of it for your car--if not this year, then soon after.

Case in point: In 2006 we'll see navigational devices that not only tell you where to go when you're lost, but also play satellite radio, movies, and MP3s. We may even see the first true off-the-shelf car PCs, though whether you'll want to buy one is another story.

At CES, AudioVox unveiled its $2999 ICNAVT3PC, a fully functional Microsoft Windows XP system that squeezes into your car's dashboard and sports a 7-inch touch-screen LCD, a 40GB hard drive, a 1-GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and a Global Positioning System receiver, plus navigation software. The computers are supposed to be available this spring. Just make sure that when Windows inevitably crashes, the car doesn't.

A PC may be the last thing you want to put in your car. If you've got the cash, though, there are plenty of other high-tech ways to impress your neighbors. Here's a view of the road ahead.

If This Car Is Rockin'...

DVD players and little LCD displays are already de rigueur if you want to travel with kids without losing your sanity; satellite radio has gone mainstream; and a slew of gadgets can connect your favorite MP3 player to your car stereo. But you ain't seen nothing yet.

JVC's $400 KD-SH1000 car stereo, slated to be available in March, comes with a USB drive and an SD (Secure Digital) memory card slot in its faceplate so you can bring your favorite MP3s on the road. Blaupunkt USA, Clarion, Kenwood, and other major manufacturers also plan to roll out USB-compatible audio systems later this year.

Pioneer's $2250 AVIC-Z1 in-dash system goes a step further. Slide in a CD, and the AVIC-Z1 rips the tunes to an internal 30GB hard drive. A preloaded Gracenote music database lets the AVIC automatically identify the artist, album, and songs; a voice-controlled mode lets you request your favorite tracks while keeping your hands on the wheel. Not enough bling? You can plug in an optional adapter for your Apple IPod and the AVIC-Z1 displays the player's familiar interface on its 7-inch LCD screen. Heck, the AVIC-Z1 is also a DVD player and a navigational system.

For some families, one entertainment option just isn't enough. That's why some systems, like the AVIC-Z1, can multitask: Theoretically, you could listen to the radio, play a CD, and view navigational information all at the same time. That sounds a bit dangerous in a moving car. So to cut down on the din, you'll need headphones--special headphones.

Unwired Technology's $499 WhiteFire wireless headphones let four users listen to different programming at the same time. That way your sullen teen can rock out to the White Stripes while your toddler enjoys Finding Nemo in the back and you listen to Howard Stern up front.

Can't survive a long road trip without television? Seven-inch LCD TVs are plentiful and can be had for less than $200. But if you want reliable reception or more than a handful of channels, you'll need a satellite hookup and a dish for the top of your car--and those things don't come cheap.

Companies like KVH Industries sell cargo-carrier sized satellite receivers that you can have installed for around $2300, but cheaper options may soon be available. Sirius continues to work on a plan with Microsoft to deliver satellite video service to cars using a much smaller antenna, which may show up in some 2007 model cars.

Lost and Found

If the high-tech industry has its way, you may never need to stop for directions again--or, for that matter, buy another map. Once limited to fancy telematics systems like General Motors' OnStar, affordable GPS navigation units are popping up everywhere.

Starting at around $500, you can get an in-car navigation system that will display a map showing your precise location, find the fastest or shortest route between two points, recite turn-by-turn directions, and tell you where to find the nearest gas station, restaurant, or ATM. But some do a little more.

Pioneer's aforementioned AVIC-Z1, for example, offers real-time traffic updates via XM Satellite Radio. For about $17 a month you can get the skinny on accidents, view traffic-flow conditions on a color-coded map, and hear alternate routes when things get really nasty--plus, of course, enjoy 100-plus stations of static-free music, news, and talk.

Garmin's $1616 StreetPilot 7200 also provides live traffic information (from XM or Clear Channel) on its 7-inch touch screen, along with an SD Card slot and internal memory for storing MP3s.

Like Pioneer and Garmin, other makers of GPS units are branching out into entertainment. For example, Magellan's $1100 RoadMate 800 lets you plug in an SD Card or MultiMediaCard and play music or display photos (but not, probably, while driving). XAct Communication's $699 Navi Portable GPS offers similar functions but also sports a Sirius satellite radio. So even if you manage to get lost, you'll have plenty to do while you try to find yourself again.

Safety Last

Cars built after the mid-1990s feature a simple onboard computer that mechanics can use to diagnose what's ailing them. Many also have an event data recorder (aka a "black box") that can record the car's speed, acceleration, braking, and other settings just before an accident--information used mainly by insurance companies.

But why should grease monkeys and claims adjusters have all the fun? Gadgets like Road Safety's $280 RS-1000 (which I reviewed for PC World) and Davis Instruments' $219 CarChip E/X With Alarm plug into your car's computer and record everything it does. These devices then let you upload the data to your PC and analyze it. They'll even sound an alarm if the car exceeds a certain speed or slams on the brakes--a handy way to warn the youngest drivers in your household to ease off when you're not in the car with them.

If you drive an SUV or other urban-assault vehicle with a huge blind spot, consider investing in a product like Magna Donnelly's $800 VideoMirror. The VideoMirror uses a small video camera installed above your rear license plate and a 3.5-inch LCD display to show you whether there's a pet or small child behind your car before you start backing up.

And that's barely the beginning. Whether you want it or not, automakers are turning to technology to create more-intelligent vehicles. For example, Toyota is developing a system designed to detect when your eyes wander from the road, and flash a warning signal to get your attention. The system, which relies on computer image processing and a camera embedded in the steering wheel, will be built into select Lexus luxury models sold in Japan.

Not sufficiently impressed? Delphi has developed a system that uses heat sensors to detect when you're too close to the car next to you and issue a warning before you change lanes too quickly.

It used to be James Bond who had the sweetest ride around. But 007 would be jealous of today's high-tech autos.

Contributing editor Dan Tynan writes the Gadget Freak column for PC World magazine. He is author of the best-selling Computer Privacy Annoyances (O'Reilly Media, 2005), a guide to protecting your privacy online and off.