Car Tech at CES

Goodness there's a lot to cover from the Consumer Electronics Show, here's a list of what was shown from the automotive sector:
 
AT&T Cruisecast, a rear-seat TV delivery system which is due this spring, is a satellite TV system that at launch is expected to deliver 22 channels of TV and 20 of satellite radio to vehicles equipped with a receiver roughly a foot. Setup cost is estimated at $1299, while monthly service fees will run at $28.
 ATT_Cruisecast_Receiver.jpg
MediaFlo, the less expensive version of AT&T Cruisecast is a service that broadcasts on UHF channels and is available on some AT&T and Verizon Wireless cell phones. The channel selection isn't as huge, but setup is expected to run about $500. Monthly fees haven't been announced but the phone services run about $15. The photo shows an actual installation that was on the CES show room floor. (Photo taken by Yardena Arar.)
 MediaFlo.jpg
Entertainment system prototypes, by Visteon shown here, are based on the new ATSC Mobile DTV standard candidate announced last month. The Mobile DTV standard not only supports in-car reception of over-the-air DTV signals, it provides a framework for additional services to be delivered via the Internet.
 visteon_car_infotainment_system.jpg
The AVN (for Audio, Video and Navigation) in-dash models from Eclipse are capable of playing DVDs, CDs, and digital audio from iPods and other sources. The $850 AVN4430 features a detachable TomTom GPS unit that you can use in another car without removing the rest of the entertainment system/hands-free Bluetooth phone kit; the AVN726E (due in April, no price announced) will have a 7-inch high-def screen.
 Eclipse.jpg
Pioneer's DEH-P710BT let's you also tag songs you hear on FM radio (or at least the more than 450 stations that support RDS, the technology that lets FM stations send text info along with their regular music signals). The DEH-P710BT goes for $360.
 Pioneer.jpg
TomTom's Go 740, comes with a built-in SIM card and a year's worth of free connected services (cheapest fuel prices, map and point of interest database updates, etc.) included in the $499 purchase price. Due this spring, it will have a 4.3-inch touch screen and TomTom's elegant interface. What's missing is support for user destination data entry via the Web.
 tomtom.jpg
Garmin's $800 Nuvi 885T, with speech recognition, lane assist (detailed guidance on freeways) with junction view, and Doppler weather maps and flight status information on top of existing MSN Direct content (traffic, movie schedules, gas prices, basic weather, local events, stock quotes, news, and support for Web data entry). MSN Direct uses radio airwaves to deliver data to a range of devices. Also available: the $700 Nuvi 855, which has the same on-board features but lacks Bluetooth and MSN Direct support.
 Garmin.jpg
Also from Garmin is route calculation based on fuel cost. The new EcoRoute feature can be added to Nuvi 205 and 705 models.
 
There's also a less expensive GPS navigation device from Mio Technology, the Mio Moov 700s, with a 7-inch touchscreen display for a very reasonable $300. Other features include text-to-speech directions (it tells you the names of the roads), lane guidance, and an AV input so you can use the screen with other display-ready devices such as a blind-spot view camera.
 Moov_S700.jpg
From Cobra Electronics: The AURA (Advanced Universal Road Alert) updatable database of GPS coordinates for speed and red-light cameras and other known driving hazard locations. Cobra's new high-end models, including the top-of-the-line $439 XRS R10G shown here, come with lifetime subscriptions to AURA updates, to be offered starting this spring.
 Cobra.jpg
Nextar introduced two solar-powered hands-free Bluetooth speakers: The $70 NXBT-002, shown, is rated at 150 hours of standby and 6 hours talk time when fully charged; it features caller name and ID on a super-bright screen. The NXBT-1 offers 250 hours of standby time and 10 hours of talk time (but doesn't do caller name/ID).
Nextar.jpg
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