Reinventing The Radio

I'm cruising along the New Jersey Turnpike with the music cranked up loud. We're in the middle of nowhere, but you'd never guess it from the crystal-clear reception on the radio. With a friend at the wheel, I'm flipping from Latin jazz to African pop to '80s hits, intent on finding the perfect station for our New Year's road trip to Washington, D.C. I'm not wild about working vacations, but since this one involves testing out a high-tech radio system in a brand new Cadillac DeVille--complete with built-in seat warmers and back massagers--I'm not complaining.

Two months after its national debut,...