One of the most unique blends of cutting edge technology marries Global Positioning System (GPS) technology with wireless telephone service and a personal concierge to bring a full menu of services to the driver’s seat. That technology is called OnStar.

At the touch of a button, OnStar, which is available exclusively in General Motors products, can summon emergency help or make a restaurant reservation for you. It has access to over five million active service listings including hotels, restaurants dealerships, hospitals, airports, gas stations and over 250 other services.

OnStar is unique in that it tracks your vehicle and knows exactly where on the planet it is at any given moment. Pushing the blue button to reach the OnStar center in Flint, Mich. opens the door to a wide array of services, many keyed around your location.

In the event of an accident that deploys an air bag, OnStar will immediately attempt to contact you directly to see if help is needed. If so, or if you don’t respond, it will contact emergency help and give them your exact location. There is also a red emergency button that you can push to do the same thing.

OnStar’s MED-NET securely stores your personal medical history, including the name of your doctor, your blood type, allergies and medications and allows emergency personnel access to it by providing your MED-NET identification number to the OnStar advisor.

Roadside service is another benefit of OnStar. If you have a flat tire, a dead battery, run out of gas, or have other mechanical problems, OnStar can send help to get you back on the road. Remote diagnostics that cover vital engine functions is another service offered. If your “check engine” light illuminates for example, an OnStar advisor will provide information about the problem and try and assist you. If the problem can’t be rectified remotely, the advisor can call help and schedule an appointment for you at the nearest dealer.

If you lock your keys inside the vehicle, calling OnStar’s number and giving the advisor your personal PIN will send a remote signal that will unlock your doors.

OnStar doesn’t just protect you, it looks out for your vehicle as well. If it’s stolen, one simple call to the OnStar center will track your vehicle and put you in touch with the appropriate authorities.

OnStar offers more than all this though. Information and convenience services like restaurant recommendations in a strange town and hotel reservations are also available. I had a personal experience with this last year, while in Bend, Ore. on business. My wife and I were looking for a suitable restaurant for dinner, but didn’t know what was available.

I pushed the blue button and the advisor came on the line and asked what kind of food we were looking for. We said something like Tony Roma’s, or Red Lobster, or failing either of those, as a last resort, the Olive Garden. The advisor promptly told us there none of those restaurants located in Bend.

What to do? He then asked what kind of food did we want? We settled on Italian. He said there was an excellent Italian restaurant called Ernesto’s not far from where we were. He added that it was located in what had been a church, and gave us some other information. “Sounds good,” I said. “How do I get there?”

He replied without hesitation, “Turn around at the next intersection and head in the other direction for about a mile, You’ll see it on your left.” Sure enough, there it was. Amazing when you think about it. The advisor was in Flint, Mich. I was in Bend, Ore., Neither of us had ever been there before. By the way, the food was excellent.

OnStar also offers Concierge services such as helping you get tickets to a hard-to-get Broadway play or help plan your next vacation. The Concierge advisors are well trained and well connected to help you make arrangements from home or on the road.

And who said all this technology was a bad thing?.