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!

You can choose a music guide from your collection.

(Credit: CBS Interactive)

Imagine having your favorite recording artist talking to you from your dashboard, recommending new music that you might like. Now imagine the music available to you in your car extending to just about every track ever recorded. Let's take it a step further and say you can use your car stereo like an instant messenger, where you can recommend songs and playlists to people on your buddy list. Gracenote CarStars does all of this, and its slated to become available in a 2011 model car, with a release date sometime in 2010, although Gracenote currently isn't releasing details about which car company.

If you know about Gracenote, you're probably into music. This company maintains a database of song information, from ID3 tags to actual song signatures created by analyzing a track's waveform. Gracenote partnered with Voxonics, which does speech mapping, to create its recording artist guides. Choose your favorite artist, as long as Gracenote has created a profile for them, and you will hear their voice suggesting music you might like, in whichever language you choose.

The MusicStation lets you play music from a vast library.

(Credit: CBS Interactive)

Gracenote also partnered with Omnifone, a company offering a mobile music subscription network, to create a feature called MusicStation. Pay the monthly fee, and you have access to music from every major and many indie labels. In your car, you can search for new artists or browse others that aren't in your immediate collection. MusicStation also has a social network, which lets you maintain a buddy list, so you can share your music.

Find our more about Gracenote CarStars by checking out our photos.