Just when you thought the world of gadgets for your ride was slowing down...

MSN's Robert E. Calem reports, "Live DIRECTV service to the car is available with the TracVision A5, a roof-mounted "hybrid phased-array" satellite-TV antenna from KVH Industries, Inc. of Middletown, RI. The TracVision A5 attaches to the rails on either side of the car roof, and is five inches tall. It must be professionally installed and works with any video system currently available for a car by plugging in to the video system's auxiliary video input. The TracVision A5 works only with DIRECTV Total Choice Mobile service, and it is not compatible with high-definition TV (HDTV) channels. The price for the antenna is $2,295 plus installation. The DIRECTV Total Choice Mobile service costs $4.99 per month if you already subscribe to DIRECTV service at home, or $39.99 per month if you don't. The TracVision A5 debuted last September."

Also in the article, Calem introduces the Pioneer AVIC-N1 aftermarket navigation system has some unusual features, including the ability to tap the car's electronics systems to calculate the vehicle's forward, backward and lateral G-Forces.

There's also the XM Satellite Radio that is about to launch a new real-time traffic information service named NavTraffic that will display the locations of traffic congestion and use the data to calculate an alternate route.

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