CES: Audi is secretly improving infotainment processors.

Audi was lurking quietly away from the garden margaritas and casino "war" tables at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The latest version of Audi's modular infotainment system, dubbed "MIB," made its official debut this week in Las Vegas, called MIB 3, which uses a processor 10 times more powerful than the current generation system in Audi vehicles. Forward-looking improvements include faster map loading, improved voice recognition, and sharper displays.

What is happening at our fingertips may prove more exciting. Audi's latest infotainment system features dual touchscreens with tactile feedback to control nearly every function of the car. With more horsepower from the processor (pun intended), natural voice commands, augmented reality displays, cloud-based services and smart feedback from the onboard computer may become possible.

Processor speed is limited in part by the high power demands the computer places on the vehicle architecture. The non-engine wiring is the second heaviest component in the vehicle due to legacy hardware that controls everything from the ignition to the engine control processor to the sensor array. Power from the alternator/battery combo is limited.

An Audi spokesperson said the hardware will eventually be spread throughout the lineup, but did not say when exactly it will appear or what it might offer.

Last year, Audi chief designer Marc Lichte said the evolution of Audi's infotainment system would include augmented reality apps. The upgraded MIB 3 system may supply enough processing power to make them a reality.

Stay tuned.