In-Car Technology Rocks The House At CES

Remember when cars were just for getting from point A to point B? Well Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore. In-car technology -- basically everything that's not related to the engine -- is hotter than ever. CRN took a stroll around the show floor, and here's what most impressed us.

Up first -- ok, so we can understand the TVs inside the car thing. But c'mon. A TV outside the car, on the rear bumper? Who's going to watch it, small animals hanging out by the roadside as the car passes by? Roadkill?

Doesn't this car kind of look like a mobile Swiss Army knife fully deployed, with all its gadgets extended? We also thought it looked like a speeding ticket waiting to happen.

Some people save the trunk of their car for things like luggage and spare tires. But at CES, every single inch of every trunk in every car was devoted to some sort of entertainment.

Well, the audio systems weren't the only impressive thing at CES. This old school pickup truck attracted enough attention to prove that big block engines are still in vogue.

Humans haven't been to the moon in more than 35 years. But apparently, that hasn't stopped some companies from developing vehicles that can operate on the lunar surface. That's really the only way any rational person could look at a contraption such as this.

Yes, Virginia, there actually is a steering wheel and an engine at the end of this vast expanse of speakers and sub-woofers.

Another example of how the back of an SUV can be used to maximize one's auditory appreciation.

Whatever you do, just make sure NOT to give the finger to whoever is driving this monstrosity if you encounter it along the nation's roadways.

Oh, you thought that only cars and trucks could be tricked out with crazy sound systems? No sir, the in-vehicle accessory industry extends to the waters as well.

Delphi shows that in-vehicle technology doesn't always have to be used for human pleasure, but can also help improve safety.

A police officer actually gave this car a speeding ticket while it was parked in the North Hall of the CES show. No, seriously.

Car dashboards have come a long way since the days of Henry Ford, haven't they?

A conference attendee reminisces about the days of his youth, when having such a vehicle could have changed the entire course of his life.

Despite the complex array of controls, a pilot's license isn't required for operation of this vehicle.

Some people buy pickup trucks so that that can load them up on weekends with building supplies from Home Depot. Others just want to rock out with their favorite music videos and movies. These days, both scenarios are equally plausible.

This truck had a decal on the front that read "Doesn't Play Well With Others". Well, perhaps that's not surprising considering that the damn truck appears to be about to tip over.

Another example of a vehicle that would make most peoples' grandparents shake their heads and long for the good old days, when life, and cars, were so much simpler.

The interior of this car is bigger, and frankly, more comfortable, than many apartments in the larger cities of the U.S.