For many people, in-car entertainment doesn’t have to be more than a decent head unit to pick up the local radio station.


Even today, just being able to listen to your favorite song or listen to the news on the way to work can be enough.


However, if you’re into auto electronics and a one-channel radio is prehistory itself, then you’ll know that car video and audio technology have come a long way since the radio/tape combo.

From flip-up screens to Playstation 3 consoles in the glove compartment, things have been taken to incredible places in the last few years.

Pioneer has been at the forefront in the development of high-tech car entertainment, and this year they’ve delivered yet another little toy that’s sure to have the tech-heads bouncing off the walls.

This time they’re introducing the AVIC-F500BT LINC (Lifestyle Innovation Network Console), or just the LINC.

This nifty piece of technology is a lot more than just the screen it resembles. This is what’s known as “hybrid” device: it’s a navigation device you can carry around with you as well as an in-dash audio-visual control centre.

Whether you keep it in your pocket or have it installed as a component in your car’s sound system via an auxiliary jack, you can tell it exactly what you want to hear or see without touching it.

Besides it being the cleverest of its kind, the LINC also prevents that the driver has to look away to touch buttons and dials on the head unit.

See, the LINC is activated and manipulated by advanced built-in voice recognition software that will carry out iPod commands or make phone calls for you from your Bluetooth-connected cell.

Thanks to the VoiceBox Conversational Voice Search Platform, you can be casual about requesting your favorite song too. Whereas other voice recognition gadgets require that you use a specific word order, the LINC will recognize and process a loosely phrased request, like “How about that Yellowcard track again?”

It’s an attractive piece of gadgetry in black with a 5.8-inch WVGA touchscreen. It’s slim, lightweight and comes with a rechargeable battery for walkabouts. It also accepts SD cards and features USB ports for downloading your favorite MP3s and videos.

Never lose your way again with the onboard GPS navigation system. Look at maps in overhead view or 3D. Find out what’s playing in the movie theatres in over 100 cities across the US and Canada via subscription-based access to MSN.

The LINC also assists the driver by providing traffic information and the latest on gas prices. The Pioneer LINC is compatible with most makes of cars and their audio systems. According to the big boys at Pioneer, the idea with the LINC is to encourage the driver to bring his or her lifestyle habits into the car they drive.

All in all, the LINC is a really great way to add a bunch of new features to your car’s entertainment system without any modification to your current set-up.