We have seen a drastic push in technologies in recent years, with the iPod taking over the world and then the smartphone. Now it’s the turn of smart consoles to revolutionize the way we use entertainment. The so-called smart console, called the Parrot Asteroid, launched in early January and is one of the first car stereos to be Internet-enabled, allowing you to search online for any song you want to play.

Introduced to the world at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Parrot Asteroid has caused a lot of excitement in the car audio scene as the first of its kind to be found online and through your iPod via voice-activated control. The Android uses Google’s Android software, allowing this smart car audio system to find more music and media sources than ever before!

The Android is voice activated, allowing you to indicate the artist you want using a voice command. It then searches through your iPod for the requested artist and then searches online at streaming sites like Spotify, allowing you to play songs of your choice from wherever you want. Of course, for the stereo to search online, you will need a 3G dongle to access the Internet.

The Parrot Asteroid is set to take in-car entertainment to a new level, changing the way we use our car audio forever. Like its counterpart, the Smart Phone, applications have been developed for the Asteroid. For example, there is an app for Parrot Apps, which allows you to zoom in on locations. Although there are only a few apps, the developers believe that car apps could be a huge market as there are thousands of apps for in-car apps, from locating addresses to locating available parking spaces.

French manufacturer Parrot is set to launch its Parrot Asteroid in the coming weeks in Europe, while the American launch is scheduled for a later date. The Parrot Asteroid will be able to perform the usual tasks, from playing music from iPods/USB to providing services such as traffic information and maps. Pricing is still unknown, but rumors indicate that to compete with the rest of the market, this device will be available in the normal car audio price range.