2011 SEMA Editor's Choice Awards

Price: $8.99 per can

Silicone-based tire-shine products give that polished look many people like, but the shine often doesn't last, and the products have an unfortunate tendency to rub off on your hands and clothing. Dupli-Color's Tire Shine Coating is a non-silicone formula that bonds to the tire surface, forming a glossy finish that can last three months or longer. Good news for your hands and clothes, and a pretty sweet value.

Price: Four for $24.95

The common wisdom says that drivers should check their tire pressure once a month, but how many of us are that diligent in practice? Yeah, we didn't think so. And it's a shame, since low-pressure tires can be hazardous to your safety and cost you extra gas money. Right PSI provides a simple solution to this with a small gauge that replaces the cap on your tire valve. As you drive, a pressure-sensitive piece within the gauge will show one of three colors to let you know whether your tire-pressure level is lacking, just right, or excessive.

Price: $95 to $150

A textile manufacturer searching for other applications for its ultra-durable fabrics recalled an old trick from childhood: putting socks over shoes for better traction in the snow. The company adapted the concept for cars and called it the Snow Sock. They may not be stylish, but Snow Socks are better than chains in snow, available with studs for ice, and easy to install. They're a great solution for drivers who need to survive snowy conditions.

Price: $799

Smartphones are becoming an integral part of our lives, and Directus thinks they should also become an integral part of your driving experience. At the forefront of mobile integration into vehicles, Directus has come up with hardware that allows any Android phone (and hopefully Apple next) to sync via Wi-Fi with an aftermarket head unit that has a touchscreen display, via an app you download once the hardware is installed. You can access your contacts, calendar, and approved apps such as music and GPS while driving without even touching your phone. At $799, the system isn't exactly cheap, but consider the cost for simply a GPS upgrade in a brand-new car and this deal sounds better and better.

Price: $39.95/year for the app

Flashing your headlights to warn other drivers about speed traps is so old-fashioned. These days the locations of speed traps and red-light cameras can live on the cloud, thanks to Escort Live. The system takes advantage of more than a million Escort radar detectors, storing the data they collect in the cloud and making that data accessible to all Escort customers via any Apple or Android tablet or smartphone. To use Escort Live, you must own an Escort radar detector, and you'll need to purchase the SmartCord Live power cord ($99.95) and the Escort Live app ($39.95 for a year).

Price: TBD

You need flare-nut wrenches to properly loosen brake- and fuel-line fittings. But using them is difficult because you have to constantly remove and reposition the wrench. The GearWrench ratcheting flare-nut tool makes the tedious job much easier. The lower jaw is hinged and spring-loaded, so once it's on the nut, it works like a ratchet socket.

Price: $449

Roof racks can get noisy when highway wind rushes through them. Yakima's new Whispbar sports-rack system has been designed to be significantly quieter. Yakima says wind-tunnel testing has shown that the Whispbar provides a 40 to 70 percent reduction in drag compared to traditional racks. That saves fuel too.

Price: Starting at $11.99

There are countless wiper blades on the market, but how many effectively clear squashed bugs or thick road grime? The Scrubblade uses two blades that have small knobbies molded into the rubber, which can cut through the nastiest windshield gunk.

Price: $499

Cordless impact tools are not new, but they just don't have the muscle for the toughest jobs, like unscrewing a rusted axle nut on a 1968 VW Beetle. That has changed with the new Ingersoll Rand W7150 cordless impact wrench. It applies more than 700 foot-pounds of reverse torque. It's pricey, but it out-powers even pneumatic impact wrenches.

Price: $299

GoPro's tiny video cameras have been a boon for anyone wanting to record high-quality HD video with a compact camera. The company's HD Hero 2 camera is available with Wi-Fi connectivity. The Wi-Fi Bac Pac allows you to control and adjust the camera from your cellphone via Wi-Fi and stream the videos right to the Web.

Price: $1499

Garage space is tight. And if you need to find room for a utility trailer, there won't be room for much else. The Snowbear Strongbox trailer folds and transforms from a 6- or 8-foot flatbed into an enclosed towable box or a compact lockable storage box that fits into small spaces.

Price: $499

Fist Enterprises' new Bio Smart Start vehicle access system, the latest in automotive antitheft tech, uses fingerprint scan-and-swipe technology to recognize authorized operators. It can store up to 24 prints. If a fingerprint isn't recognized, the car simply won't start.

Price: $49.99

No need to carry around that old wood block for your trailer anymore. The Flip Automatic Jack Foot folds down as you crank the jack, providing an additional 6 inches of height and a stable platform for the trailer when you're disconnecting it from the vehicle.

Price: $466

Why fuss with a speedometer cable when building or restoring your older car, truck, or 4x4? Auto Meter's new Universal GPS Speedometer Module uses a GPS receiver to provide the correct speed to the gauge. It will also offer trip-meter functions, GPS coordinates, peak-speed recall, and even a compass.

Price: TBD

Eastwood's new solvent canister puts the cleaner exactly where it's needed. Instead of a simple tube, it uses a tapered nozzle that can be plugged into a brake line, for example, and send pressurized cleaner down the hose. Plus, the siphon has holes at the top and bottom of the canister so it can be used at any angle.