CES 2009

Our heads are still spinning a bit from the onslaught that was the in-car electronics hall of CES 2009. From every direction, there were speakers the size of extralarge pizzas and flashy video displays vying for your attention. Amidst the cacophony, our (ahem) skilled Car Tech editors were able to spot a few gems and a few diamonds in the rough.

(Credit: CBS Interactive)

As evidenced by our Car Tech category Best of CES finalists, we predict that the next big thing in in-car entertainment is connectivity. Our winner, Gracenote CarStars, puts a star's avatar in your reasonably priced car by pairing a music concierge service with a subscription-based music service and beaming it all into your dashboard.

Our runners-up, AT&T CruiseCast and Ford/Microsoft Sync 3.0, also use their own forms of connectivity to the vehicle cabin experience. CruiseCast, which we got a peak at during SEMA 2008, captures 25 channels of satellite television using only a roof-mounted receptor about the size of a large mixing bowl. Sync 3.0 utilizes the ubiquitous Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone to deliver turn-by-turn directions with Internet-based traffic, weather, and point-of-interest searching.

(Credit: Blaupunkt)

While we were there, we also took note of Blaupunkt and MiRoamer's Internet radio streaming service, which also makes use of a Bluetooth-paired mobile phone with data connection.

Just announced during the show was Audiovox/Jensen's partnership with MediaFLO to bring the live mobile TV service FLO TV to Audiovox ceiling- and headrest-mounted displays. Details of the service are still coming together, but so far it looks exciting.

Don't forget to check out our First Look videos from the Car Tech Mobile Testing Lab in the center of the Car Electronics Hall, where we test the lastest from Alpine, Audiovox, JVC, Kenwood, and Sony. We even had a celebrity guest to drop by!

AT&T stopped by the Car Tech booth at CES 2009 to give us a look at its CruiseCast mobile satellite TV service. The details of the service haven't changed much since the unveiling just a few months ago at the 2008 SEMA Show, but today we received a bit of news that means you may be able to experience CruiseCast for yourself sooner than you think.

RaySat Broadcasting Corp. (co-creator of CruiseCast along with AT&T) and Avis Budget Group are teaming up to offer Avis and Budget Rent A Car customers the use of AT&T CruiseCast's news, family, sports, comedy, and music channels while traveling.

AT&T's CruiseCast satellite antenna mounted in the Car Tech CES 2009 booth.

(Credit: CBS Interactive)

Starting in the second quarter of 2009, Avis and Budget customers can rent AT&T CruiseCast at select locations for $8.95 per day or $62.65 per week. The unit uses the same hide-away receiver and compact, low-profile external antenna offered on the consumer unit to provide 22 satellite television channels and 20 satellite radio channels to a rear-seat entertainment unit.

AT&T CruiseCast utilizes about 1GB of video-buffering technology to automatically store up to 3 minutes of content so that viewers can continually watch programs even if there are obstructions such as an overpass, a cluster of tall buildings, or when passing through a tunnel. The channel line-up includes the Disney Channel, Disney XD, Discovery Kids, Animal Planet, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network Mobile, USA, Comedy Central, MSNBC, CNN Mobile Live, and CNBC.

The CruiseCast service will be sold though auto dealerships and 12-volt retailers when it debuts in Spring 2009 at an estimated MSRP or $1,299 with a $28 monthly subscription.

The Moto Tundra is built to last.

(Credit: Motorola)

Motorola Nextel's phones have long shown that the company has a talent for making rugged handsets, which is why we aren't surprised to see the Tundra VA76r for AT&T. Introduced on the eve of CES 2009, the Tundra is a flip phone with a durable design that should meet all the usual military specifications. It should be good for construction workers or even dog sledders speeding across the tundra.

Features include 3G, a 2-megapixel camera, support for AT&T's TeleNav GPS Navigator, Bluetooth, personal organizer applications, push-to-talk, 100MB of internal memory, and a memory card slot. You'll be able to run multiple applications simultaneously and the Tundra is one of the first Moto phones with CrystalTalk Plus. Like CrystalTalk, the feature will screen out background noise for a a better audible experience. But CrystalTalk Plus adds a second microphone for enhanced performance.

The Tundra should hit stores January 13. You can get it for $199 with service.