SONG OF THE SMART CAR

The Consumer Electronics Show is in full swing, which means lots of stories about gadgets and gizmos. Unless you're us, in which case this time of year in Vegas is more about the porn awards. But hey, we’re up for getting our geek on.

A major narrative surrounding this year’s CES is automotive. In addition to the driverless-car craze—and what could possibly go wrong there?—nerds are nerding out over connected cars, with mondo deals to turn tomorrow’s vehicles into rolling phones. Google’s Android has a big lead among operating systems, with Apple’s iOS struggling for placement. More to the point: With all these systems crunching dashboard data, there’s a big opening for music.

In addition to its existing deals with GM, Chrysler and Toyota, Clear Channel's iHeartRadio has secured in-dashboard deals with Jaguar Land Rover, Kia and Volvo; it's also expanded its reach via an array of Web, mobile, smart TV, gaming and other devices. The streaming radio service's app has now been downloaded more than 260 million times.

What’s more, a new Mediavest-Clear Channel study found the car was users’ favorite listening location (broadcast radio remains the most popular platform)—and that nearly two-thirds of teens surveyed listen to more than two audio platforms per day. Those same teens also really enjoy texting while driving.

But back to the tech talk. Audi, Honda, Hyundai and GM have collectively formed the Open Automotive Alliance to speed the adoption of the Android platform in connected cars. Along with vehicle-to-vehicle communication, apps to plot your route and find a parking spot and associated car stuff, the OAA will make sure you can call up your road-trip playlists without taking your eyes off the road.

JVC debuted a new dashboard display that mirrors both iPhone and Android handsets, with tabs for streaming radio, iPod and other entertainment options, not to mention Siri voice command for iOS (enabling you to verbally order your car to play Led Zeppelin’s "Out on the Tiles," arguably a new peak for human civilization).

AT&T also rolled out AT&T Drive, a services suite designed to make cars smarter using coordinated mobile apps. "Our goal," President Glenn Lurie told the CES crowd, "is to be the best carrier for connected car innovation in the world." That’s why he gets the big bucks.

Ford, for its part, unveiled the new, presumably improved version of its Sync interface system, with your touch- and voice-controlled options for not only cuing music and adjusting lights, but also ordering Domino’s pizza. So if your car also happens to be a frat house, you’ll be totally set.

So who wins the connected-car sweepstakes? Which mobile OS will prevail? And which economic model will become the norm—tech firms paying to get placement in cars to get consumers addicted to their systems and apps, or car companies ponying up to add the gizmos that make their jalopies more desirable? We’ll have to see how these things shake out. The important thing is this: Now that you can instruct your Mustang to procure you a pepperoni and pop on some Pink, the future is truly here.

Just bear in mind that the smarter our cars get, the dumber we become. So drive defensively.