Breaking News (or Twitter notifications) on My MP3 Player.

I consider myself a news junkie.  If there is some breaking news occurring, I want to know what it is, immediately.  While on my computer, I get breaking news alerts by subscribing to @cnnbrk and @breakingnewson on Twitter.  Even when I am out-and-about, I have breaking news sent to my mobile phone via SMS text messages.  The one place where I have no access to breaking news is while driving.  If I get an SMS text message notification, I will not read it because it is very distracting to keep checking my messages while driving.

The technology I have in mind that will fix this problem is very simple: include in internet-enabled MP3 players the ability to speak breaking news as they happen.  The process will work as follows.  I am driving down the highway listening to my MP3 player.  When breaking news is occurring somewhere in the world, my music player will be notified.  When the unit gets notified, it will gradually lower the volume of the music that is playing and then speak the breaking news to me, preferably a short snippet ala Twitter.  After the breaking news has been spoken, the music volume will return to its original state.  Technology-wise, it seems very simple.  So simple that I think something like this may have already been created.  Anyone?

To extend on this idea a bit further.  Maybe I can send selected twitter notifications to my MP3 unit and not only will I get breaking news, but friends’ updates, as well.  Pretty cool, ha?