IMS announced the availability of iLane, which the company is billing as the first in-car device that connects to smartphones and lets cellular subscribers manage their e-mail inboxes hands-free using simple voice commands. It also controls other smartphone functions such as managing phone calls, text messages, and calendar appointments.

In addition to the above voice-controlled functions, iLane offers daily news, sports, and weather updates on-demand from both the Associated Press and the Weather Network. It works with the iPhone and BlackBerry platforms, and comes with a dedicated Bluetooth headset. And now, the bad news: iLane costs a whopping $599 Canadian (about $481 US) plus $7.99 per month. It also looks like a wireless router, which may or may not be difficult to mount in your car.