A second group of console-mount iPod adapters is adding color to their displays and Bluetooth phone links to cut down on gadget clutter in the cockpit. The Alpine eX-10, announced at the pre-CES press conference in New York, comprises a display module with a 2.4-inch color LCD, a remote control, and a microphone for hands-free calling.

The iPod connects through a dedicated cable; your Bluetooth cell phone connects, of course, over Bluetooth. You can send audio (music or a phone call) to the car radio via an FM modulator or by a line-out jack. You control the iPod with the remote control, and you can issue voice commands to your cellphone. If your phone plays music and supports the A2DP or AVRCP protocols, you can also issue commands such as Play, Pause, Track Up. And if your iPod tunes have album art, it shows on the LCD.

To get running in a hurry, you can draw power from your car's 12-volt socket, or you can hardwire the connection. Unlike other, similar devices such as the $130 Venturi Mini that focus on music players in general rather than only on the iPod, the eX-10 has neither a line-in jack for a portable navigation device or a USB jack for device charging, although your iPod charges through its dedicated cable connected to the eX-10. This Alpine device may be closer to the Harman Kardon Drive+Play 2, which runs $400 but has a larger screen, a separate controller wheel, and optional Bluetooth and satellite radio modules. The eX-10 ships at the end of November.