Car gadgets can make travel safer, easier or just plain more fun.
Lets look at a few of the newest ones:

Bury CV 9040 Mobile Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit (Bury Technologies, www.bury.com, $260) provides voice control and touch screen control in a neat 2.75 x 3.5 x 0.75 inch package. Using the AutoConnect function, pairing and connecting the device with our Bluetooth cell phone was simple. A flexible system of car mounting allows for visor, dashboard, or console placement in your car or even freestanding on your desk. Since the unit is self-contained, complete with rechargeable battery (500 hours standby, 3 hours talk time), integral microphone and speakers, there’s no need for dangling power cords or such when in use. The kit includes a handy carrying case, external mike and a power socket (cigarette lighter socket) charging cord (optional AC charger available). The display brightness auto adjusts for ambient light.

Incoming calls to your Bluetooth connected cell phone are voice announced, and the name and number (if available) are displayed on screen. You’re asked if you want to accept or reject the call; you can say "accept" or "reject" or touch the green or red phone on the touch screen to reply. At any time you can change to private mode, with the conversation carried on your cell phone only. Other calling features include transferring calls to Caller ID and conference call mode.

Calling from the device couldn’t be easier, since the CV 9040 will download your contact phone list from your cell phone on initial pairing and will automatically re-sync the list every few minutes, or you can manual re-sync the list any time. To make a call, just say "call Joe home," and the unit looks up and dials the number. You can also search the list using voice commands. If you want to dial a number not on the list, say "Dial Number," followed by the number. Incoming and outgoing calls and the phonebook can all be handled via the touch screen as well.

Other handy features let you opt to have your voice commands read back to you for verification and/or have the device read text messages to you. You can change the color of the display to coordinate with your car’s interior (or whatever) and select from any of four languages for speech. Some features are dependent on the kind of cell phone you use.

iTrip Auto Universal + (www.grifintechnology.com, $40) is a multi-function device that lets you listen to your MP3 player or iPod through your car FM radio and also provides a USB port for charging the players as well. The iTrip consists of two parts: a thumb-sized plug that plugs into the car’s power socket and provides power for the device, and a control unit that is attached to the plug via a 20-inch cord. Another 20-inch cord extends from the control unit to plug into the 1/8 inch earphone jack of your iPod, MP3, CD or cassette player. A handy extra is a USB port on the back end of the plug for charging your player or other USB chargeable devices.

Once all are appropriately plugged in, just push the "Smart Scan" button on the control unit, and in a few seconds the control unit displays an unused FM frequency. Set the car radio to that frequency and enjoy music from your player. If there’s interference, push "Smart Scan" again for the next unused frequency. You can save the best ones as presets, so you won’t have to re-scan each time you use the device. Set one of your radio’s presets to the same frequency(s)to simplify the setup for next time.

The Flash Light-ER (flashlighter.com, $30) is a thumb-sized flashlight that plugs directly into the car’s power socket and lights automatically when removed. Its three bright white LEDs provide enough light to read by or check the tires for flats. And the Flash Light-ER packs a surprise: a powered USB port that can be used for charging devices such as iPods, cell phones, laptops and any device that uses a USB port for charging. A standard USB-to-mini-USB cord is included. A dual powered model is also available so you can use the device as a power socket extension for those devices whose charging cord uses a cigarette lighter type plug.

To help keep your earbud cords or other small cords from tangling, the Earbud Yo-Yo (www.covington-creations.com, from $11) provides a simple solution. This squarish 1.25 x 1.25 x 0.5 inch device serves as a holder when you wrap the cords around it. A tiny internal hook holds one end of the cord to keep it from slipping when you wrap or unwrap the cord. The cord is stored inside the Yo-Yo and is held in place by soft rubber fingers at the corners. The device is available in solid or translucent colors and a range of cool funky designs.