Hottest gadgets and accessories for your car

Other than apple pie and baseball, there's nothing more American than driving a car. Since Henry Ford proclaimed, "I will build a car for the great multitude," and sold the Model T to the masses for $950 in 1908, the masses have wanted cars and the freedom they bring.

Nearly 15,500,000 Model T's were sold in the United States, heralding the beginning of the Motor Age and moving the car from a luxury item to essential transportation for anyone.

Now, 100 years later, Americans are still in love with their cars and won't give them up. But beyond the simple joy of driving, many owners add to the fun by adding gadgets and accessories to their cars. Here are some of the hottest things to make your drive a bit more enjoyable.

A GPS device is a great addition to any car. Forget the old days of gathering maps, or even of printing out directions from the Internet. These global positioning satellite devices will get you from Point A to Point B without having to look down at a printed map or set of directions. They're easy to use and do a lot more than take you block by block to your destination.

Some, such as the Garmin StreetPilot 2730, can get current traffic conditions and alert you to alternate routes so you can avoid getting stuck in traffic. The 2730 also has XM Radio that is free of commercials and comes in with perfect reception.

GPS units can also find nearby restaurants, parks, gas stations and other attractions, turning them into in-car encyclopedias and making turning into a gas station and asking for directions a thing of the past.

Hands-free kits are another type of accessory to have in your car. There are all kinds, such as the Parrot CK3100 Voice Recognition Handsfree Bluetooth Car Kit that allows you to receive and place calls in your car without ever touching your mobile phone. As more laws restrict the use of cell phones in cars, this is a must-have if you want to talk while driving. The voice recognition system wirelessly connects with all Bluetooth phones. The display shows information such as called ID, carrier signal strength, or last calls received, all in well-contrasted numbers easy to read at a glance.

And instead of charging your hands-free car kit, there's a solar powered kit that has a solar panel that will collect enough sunlight in three hours of charging to provide 30 minutes of talk time. It also has a Lithium Polymer battery that provides up to 15 hours of talk time and can charge within two hours by the included car charger or a USB port. Store installation isn't needed since it comes with suction cups that can be easily mounted to the windshield.

The more accessories you use in your car, the more cigarette lighters you'll need. Almost everything requires a charger to connect to the cigarette lighter, so the solar powered kit above will come in handy. If you forgot to charge your cell phone before leaving the house, a good car charger to keep your cell phone charged is a good thing to have on hand.

Another accessory to plug in is an FM transmitter for your digital player. The Belkin TuneCast Auto lets you tune to radio frequency not being transmitted on, and use it to listen to your MP3 player. It's a great way to listen to podcasts without having to listen to them live. And instead of fumbling with the small controls on your iPod, buy an iPod car interface that has the same menu as an iPod and makes it much more easier to navigate. There are also transmitters that don't have cables and make connecting an iPod less cumbersome. The Griffin iTrip is great because it doesn't have a long cable to connect to, and uses a small wire that connects to any headphone jack and turns your FM radio into a receiver for an iPod or any other audio source. And for iPhone users, a car charger is a necessity. After all, what's the fun of having an iPhone with you while driving if you or a passenger can't use it because the battery is dead?

If you don't want to have only the music on your MP3 player in your car, and prefer to choose from hundreds of radio stations, then satellite radio is what you need. The Audiovox XM Xpress Receiver and Car Kit is one way to start getting satellite radio. Delphi has a tuner that it says is the best selling plug-and-lay satellite radio receiver around. Delphi's SKYFi2 can be used to get XM Satellite Radio at home or on the road with an FM transmitter that broadcasts directly to your car's FM radio. The receiver can save the names of up to 20 songs and alert you when any one of them is playing on XM. It also allows you to create a scrolling stock quote list and has other scrolling options, such as sports scores. And there's also the simple car stereo, a mainstay of cars that makes driving more relaxing that it was 100 years ago.

While driving and watching a movie at the same time don't go well together, an in dash DVD player will make a long drive a lot easier for your passengers. There are ones that rest in the headset, so at least the people sitting behind the driver are enjoying the ride, and some also play music and can hook up to satellite radio.

Another fun and practical accessory to have on your car is an LCD mirror monitor with camera. It makes backing up easier by being able to see exactly what is behind you. No more problems backing into parking spaces.

If only Henry Ford were around to see all of these gadgets. He might not want to get out of his car.