The is nothing new. One might argue that the public's first exposure to what the marriage of driving and computing could be came in the form of KITT, the star of the hit 1980s action/adventure show Knight Rider. But the technology at that time was purely science fiction.

Fast-forward almost 30 years, and although we're still not anywhere close to having a car like KITT, things are certainly progressing. Whereas last year about 4.5 million cars were sold worldwide with "" (information systems joined with telecommunications), by 2015 that number will increase fivefold to about 22.7 million vehicles, according to IHS iSuppli.

Connected cars will come in a variety of flavors. Some may have a purely entertainment function--say, in-car video. Others may allow for interaction with the vehicle, such as through voice-activated commands. Yet others could have a purely , knowing when to send for help in the event of an accident. Regardless, the connected car is coming.

In-car entertainment can be considered the earliest form of car connectivity: For years, auto enthusiasts have been building elaborate entertainment systems within their vehicles. In the past, such systems could handle only prerecorded content. That has now changed.