It’s a great thing to be able to hook your MP3 player to your car stereo.  Most of the time it beats listening to the radio by a whole lot, because you have so little control over the radio.  You don’t control what songs are played, when they’re played, when they break for commercials, anything like that.  You’re at the radio’s mercy.

But controlling your iPod while driving, now that’s a dangerous, and possibly even deadly, task.  After all, you really can’t take your attention off the road just to fiddle with some device, right?

Well, that’s where the AI-talk Voice Controller comes in.  Hook this to your iPod, then plug it all into the car stereo.  Now you’ll be able to TELL your iPod what you want to hear.  Search by artist or song title, or just order a general search to hear snippets of every song on your player.

You can get one of these gadgets for seventy bucks, which is a small price to pay if you do a lot of driving.

Tags: car gadget, car stereo, gadget, iPod, ipod nano, voice control, voice controller

Continue reading...

If you’ve been on  a job interview at any point in your life–which I used to do before I discovered writing as a career option–then you know how tough it can be to even get there.  Driving in a suit jacket isn’t exactly easy, and the compression of the driver’s seat doesn’t make it any easier.

Well, now there’s a car gadget that costs just ten dollars but will go a long way toward keeping your jacket looking crisp and sharp–the Maxsa  Double Hanger.

It’s basically just a compact coat hanger with two hooks, made out of plastic, which as you know can be extremely strong if it’s used right, and in this case it looks to be.

Of course, it’s not just limited to keeping your jacket in good shape–you can hang anything else you like from there.  Get some extra cargo room by using some of the dead space above your back seat.  Hang your hat.  Whatever!

It’s a smart little invention whose time has most definitely come.

Tags: Car, car gadget, car hanger, Driving, gadget, jacket, Maxsa double hanger

Continue reading...

It seems that the rush to avail the Cash for Clunkers program is slowing down despite the additional funding provided by the U.S. government. Compared to the consumer response during its inauguration last July 27, it seems that the sense of urgency by the people to avail of the program has sorely diminished.

Apparently this is because of the additional funding. With the new influx of funds for the program, there is no rush needed to avail of the said deal. People are taking their sweet time or may have decided to forego the said car rebate program due to financial weights. So does this mean that the motorists have set aside the Cash for Clunkers program opportunity?

For now, it seems that people feel no rush to avail of the program. The scenario is the same for a new gadget released in the market. Rushing to get one is the only thing in any consumer’s mind. Now however, with an abundance of resources in the form of funding, people don’t have to worry about running out of funding. There is plenty to spare so why bother to be affected by it?

(Source) Press

Tags: abundance, car rebate, consumers, gadget, Inauguration, influx, motorists, program opportunity, rebate program, rush, sense of urgency, sweet time, weights

Continue reading...

The use of remote controls to disarm alarms or offer car owners a keyless entry to access their car is a familiar site we see today. There are a lot of these modern day car remotes, generic and branded, offering added security and taking away the pain of using the usual car keys to open vehicles.

However, while some may not even care, here is one person who happens to open his car using a Nike+iPod device which he calls the iFOB.

The device was created by a hacker named Nate who hacked together a Nike+iPod device and key fob, with an Arduino Pro Mini.

(Source) Gadget Review

Tags: alarms, car keys, car owners, gadget, hacker, iPod, keyless entry, Nike, remote controls

Continue reading...

If there is one effective device that can truly be called an effective GPS system, it is a gadget that should know a driver as well. Today, we see a lot of GPS devices offer the tactical maneuvering for easier routes and better fuel consumption. However, with the NAVIGON 4300T max and 3300 max units pack NAVIGON MyRoutes(TM), aim to deliver personalized route recommendations based on individual driving habits.

As an industry-first, the NAVIGON 4300T max and 3300 max both include the new intelligent NAVIGON MyRoutes(TM) feature that takes individualized navigation to a new level and allows a unique way of personal route planning.

The feature provides up to three route choices with distance and ETA calculated for all entered destinations, factoring in speed limits, construction and traffic as you’re driving. All routes are clearly displayed on a map with ETA and driving time giving the driver a choice. The system continuously saves the driver’s individual driving data in order to provide the best individual route possible and recommends a route based on the user’s driving habits, the day of week and time of travel.

NAVIGON offers a variety of additional content and upgrades for both devices. NAVIGON’s optional FreshMaps accessory provides up to 8 map updates over two years for $79.99 (MSRP). If the user activates FreshMaps within 30 days after purchasing the device, the price is only $39.99. Zagat(R) Ratings and Reviews showing where to wine, dine, and unwind are available as an upgrade for $19.99 (MSRP). The NAVIGON 3300 max is also compatible with NAVIGON’s new Real-Time Spoken Traffic Updates and Rand McNally Scenic Routes accessories, with respective prices of $99.99 and $19.99 (MSRP).

The NAVIGON 4300T max features include:

• Free Real-Time Spoken Traffic Updates
• Rand McNally Scenic Routes
• Bluetooth(R) Hands-Free
• Reality View(TM) Pro

Both the NAVIGON 4300T max and 3300 max devices feature:

• NAVIGON MyRoutes(TM)
• Clickable POIs
• Lane Assistant Pro
• Reality View(TM) for Exits
• Fast Destination Entry
• Advanced Text-to-speech
• Exit Guide
• DirectHelp(SM)
• Speed Assistant
• Multi-Destination Trip Planning
• Automatic Standby Feature
• Favorites as POI
• Coordinate Input
• Automatic Day/Night Mode

(Source) Press

Tags: driving time, fuel consumption, gadget, gps devices, gps system, msrp, rand mcnally, route choices

Continue reading...

Now here is a great little gadget that most car owner can find handy. At times when the car battery may go dead, the need to jumpstart or seek help from others is the only way to get a stalled vehicle up and running. But not with this Car Starter and Torch Device that can help you out of precarious situations.

This must-have car gadget provides emergency power to recharge your battery and start your engine – without going near the bonnet and without jump leads! The Car Starter uses a 12V lead that plugs conveniently into your car’s cigarette lighter and recharges a dead battery in less than 15 minutes. LED indicators show the charge status of your vehicle battery, as well as the charge condition of the Car Starter. There’s even a built–in 12V DC socket suitable for powering gadgets like your mobile phone, PDA, car vacuum and tire compressor!

Price: £49.95

(Source) Coolest Gadgets

Tags: car battery, car starter, car vacuum, cigarette lighter, dead battery, gadget, gadgets, mobile phone, phone pda, vehicle battery

Continue reading...

For the people who are not good in backing up their car, here is a great new gadget from Alpine Electronics of America. A good gadget to add to long and bulky vehicles, the HCE-C105 rear-view camera and new KTX-C10LP license plate-mounting kit can be easily installed into any car, giving drivers more visibility to what is behind their vehicles.

The new KTX-C10LP license plate-mounting kit is designed exclusively for the HCE-C105 and offers easy camera placement and optimum viewing when backing up, as well as simple, elegant installation. Constructed from cast metal with rust-resistant coating, the sturdy black license plate frame elegantly blends the rear-view camera with the rest of the vehicle for a discreet yet premium look.

The frame has built-in LED lights to illuminate the license plate in applications where the original license plate light may be blocked by the camera, and has an adjustable camera tilt angle of 45 degrees for optimal viewing angle positioning.

Price: $60.00

(Source) eCoustics

Tags: alpine electronics, camera placement, camera tilt, easy camera, gadget, license plate frame, license plate light, rear view camera, rear view camera system

Continue reading...

GPS technology has been slowly becoming a prime factor towards wiser and efficient driving. While we have seen a lot of new GPS tracking systems launched from the past days, add another one in the Magellan Maestro 4350 GPS. It boasts one of the best-looking and most usable touch screens of any GPS device and is actually number one in the Top 5 chart of GPS devices for delivering best routes.

The Maestro’s 4.3-inch screen features 800-by-480 resolution, resulting in crisp, clear images and text that’s easy to read. Launching the navigation features from the well-laid-out home screen is simple. You can see an overview of your calculated route as well as possible alternate routes; clicking a button shows you the estimated travel time and distance for three different possibilities (fastest time, shortest distance, or economical). This is a really nice touch, as most GPS devices make you select one type of route calculation in the settings menu before you begin navigating.

In this time and age you just have to pull out all the stops to know where you are going and how to get there. With Magellan Maestro 4350 GPS units, there is no question that this is a gadget add-on that will truly come in handy.

(Source) PC World CA

Tags: alternate routes, fastest time, gadget, gps device, gps devices, gps tracking systems, gps units, handy source, magellan maestro

Continue reading...

Feast your eyes on the future of motoring. Taking its name after the popular media gadget, the iPod, the iMo is a concept car that has been conceptualized by Anthony Jannarelly. This bubble car is a vision of the French designer which could hit the streets by 2024.

The fully electric vehicle, which can be charged wirelessly via electric induction or with a more conventional plug, seats three in a 2+1 configuration. But there’s no dashboard or driving controls – the iMo is fully autonomous. Its creator refers to it not as a car but as a robot, because of its ability to think for itself.

In short, feast your eyes of an iPod on wheels!

(Source) Auto Express

Tags: bubble car, concept car, Dashboard, electric induction, electric vehicle, french designer, gadget, iPod, robot, wheels

Continue reading...