Car tech app-tacular (photos)

JVC's new generation of video receivers features the ability to interface with the MotionX-GPS Drive navigation app for iPhone, displaying turn-by-turn directions and street maps on the large 7-inch screen.

Griffin's CarTrip hardware and CleanDrive app work together to peek into the mind of your car.

Pioneer announced compatibility with the Aha Radio app for iPhone, which provides audio streams of a user's social network and RSS feeds, podcasts, and local Yelp reviews in a nondistracting format.

Contour plans to unlock Bluetooth functionality in its ContourGPS and has built an app that can take advantage of that feature to allow your smartphone to act as a wireless viewfinder.

Garmin leaps into the smartphone navigation app with its new StreetPilot navigator for iPhone.

Spot's new hardware and software turns a smartphone into a satellite messenger, allowing users to send short messages and update their social networks from almost anywhere around the globe. More importantly, the system allows users to send an SOS for help, complete with GPS position data.

Navteq demonstrated its natural speech guidance engine. This allows the software to give directions using landscapes, such as "turn left at the red barn," as opposed to "in 500 feet."

Viper's SmartStart app gets an iPad version for users who would rather use that hardware, as well as a SmartStart GPS function that keeps track of your vehicle's position--great for finding your car in a large parking lot or recovering it after theft.

Ford announced its Electric Focus and unveiled the new MyFord Mobile app, which gives users control over the charging of the EV, the ability to plan routes, and lets them track driving achievements.

Finally, Toyota unveiled its Entune telematics system, which brings apps such as Pandora, iHeartRadio, and OpenTable to the dashboard.