OnStar and Verizon reveal camera-laden Buick

OnStar and Verizon are debuting a prototype Buick LaCrosse at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that offers a range of futuristic technologies.

The spy-tech features include cameras that monitor activity around the car which can be viewed from a smartphone and a computer, and an impact-detection system that can replay a video clip of fender-benders.

There also are enhanced voice commands to access Web sites, including YouTube, Twitter and Wikipedia, and an electronic owner's manual for the car that's streamed onto the dashboard. There's also a way to make a video call with Skype and a navigation system with images of live traffic.

And the new technologies aren't limited to being within the Buick prototype. Another feature allows OnStar to connect to home-security systems to control the thermostats and lights from the car.

Most of the elements only work with the car in park. OnStar and Verizon teamed up on the Buick, which will be shown at both companies' displays at CES.

Meanwhile, in other OnStar news, the company is amid a period of growth and is looking to craft its own identity within parent General Motors. OnStar says it gets 3 million button pushes a month and has 6 million subscribers around the world.

“It's become a major profit center for GM, and one we need to keep building on,” OnStar president Chris Preuss said.

Look for connectivity features in the highly touted Chevrolet Volt to expand to help owners' awareness of the technology and capability of their cars.

By Greg Migliore