The Coolest New Car Tech for 2009

Lane Departure Warning

Designed to help people who fall asleep at the wheel, inattentive drivers or those simply incapable of staying in their lane, lane departure warning uses cameras to monitor the white and yellow lines on the road. If the vehicle crosses a line without the turn signal being activated, an audible alert warns the driver.

Some systems take a more active approach by actually attempting to steer the vehicle back into the lane or applying the brakes just slightly. Versions of lane-departure technology are available from Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Infiniti and Volvo.

In-Car Internet

This new service turns a vehicle into a secure Wi-Fi hotspot using cellular telephone technology, providing passengers with secure Web access for their laptops, video game devices and other equipment.

Chrysler's uconnect Web is expected to be the first of many Internet offerings. It is compatible with 2009 Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles, as well as earlier models. Consumers can order new cars with the device, or they can take their car to a Chrysler dealer for installation. BMW and Mercedes are also expected to offer similar systems soon.

Blind Spot Monitoring

Using camera and/or sonar technologies, blind-spot systems scan a driver's no-see zone. If a car or motorcycle lurks in a driver's peripheral vision and the steering wheel turns, a warning light or audible alarm sounds to warn of the hidden danger — possibly preventing unintentional paint swapping.

The most sophisticated version of the technology is Volvo's Blind Spot Information Systems, or BLIS. Found in the S80, BLIS uses a camera on each side-view mirror and indicators in the corners of the front windows alert the driver to the presence of vehicles.

Other versions include Side Assist in the Audi Q7 and Side Blind Zone Alert in the 2009 Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS and STS. All three work in much the same fashion, except the General Motors systems use radar to scan the rear and sides of the vehicle outward 11.5 feet and 16 feet to the rear. And finally, Ford's Blind Spot Mirror has an integrated convex spotter mirror aimed directly at the vehicle's blind spot.

Discuss:  Have cars crossed the too-much-tech threshold?

Round-View Cameras

Cameras strategically located around the vehicle project rear, front and side views on the navigation screen to aid parking in tight spaces. This one is a Nissan and Infiniti exclusive, and can be found in the all-new Infiniti EX35 and Nissan Murano.

Night Vision

The latest automotive night vision systems use thermal imaging cameras to create a moving video image that helps a driver recognize people, animals and other objects beyond the reach of a vehicle's headlights. Some systems generate information about the depth of the scene in real time, codifying the distance of every object — warm colors for close objects (reddish and more dangerous) and cold colors for distant objects (bluish and safer).

Some also process real-time movements, indicating the direction in which the object moves in the scene and how everything changes due to the movement of the car. If the system determines a person ahead of the vehicle is at risk, the driver will receive an audible or visual warning. BMW and Mercedes-Benz are on the forefront of this technology. Acura also offers a system.

For nearly two decades, New York-based writer and editor Chuck Tannert has covered everything from automobiles to gadgets to travel. Before leaving to join the MSN Autos team, Tannert served as senior automotive editor at Popular Mechanics, and his work has appeared in many outlets, including Cargo, Men's Journal, Penthouse, PopularScience, and Wired.

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