We’ve seen a drastic push in technologies in recent years, with the iPod taking the world by storm and then the smartphone. Now it is 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 have internet capability, allowing you to search online for any song you want to play.

The Parrot Asteroid was unveiled to the world at the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas and has caused much excitement in the car audio scene as the first of its kind to search online and via your iPod via voice-activated control. 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 your iPod for the requested artist, and then searches online on streaming sites like Spotify, allowing you to play the 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 as it changes the way we use our car audio equipment forever. Like its counterpart, the smartphone, applications have been developed for the asteroid. For example, there is an application 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 car apps, from address location to available parking space location.

The French manufacturer’s Parrot will launch its Parrot Asteroid in the coming weeks in Europe, while a launch in America is planned 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 allege that in order to compete with the rest of the market, this device will be available in the normal car audio price range.