Hot Gadgets For Your Car -:¦:- Plus Polls
The latest and hottest!
The past few years have seen an explosion of various car gadgets, and some people are just as likely to have in-car sandwich makers as they are to have fuzzy dice these days. Some gadgets, however, have distinguished themselves -- these gadgets are useful and cool, trendy and functional. They are the top gadgets you'll want to consider with your next car purchase.
Photo By nagel60
This car is probably one of the most electrically sophisticated cars ever driven. With more than 2 miles of wire and more gadgets than in the sharper image catalog, this bad boy is insane. Full desktop computer inverter driven, in dash floppy drive, cd-rom, one-off mini keyboard by Fujitsu, sunlight readable display lcd display, in dash cell phone, wheel mounted touch pad with 300,000 volt seat tasers and a system that will spray mace out of the window posts. Not the car to steal or carjack. Three different alarm systems using sonar, infrared and motion. If you get to close it will talk and tell you to back up or get maced. A real James Bond car. This car stops traffic it is so cool.
LOOK WHAT'S HOT NOW - Well .. maybe not this one .. but others are .. I promise.
**Car Wrap
What's wrong with having crystals or sponge dice hanging from your rearview mirror? What's wrong with having smoochdolls bobbing on the rear window ledge or a collection of teddybear, dinosaur or monkeys (as long as they're not the real deal) arranged so you can recall your more youthful days.
I hope that you will enjoy my collection of useful and not-so-useful car gadgets. I've spent many days seeking, for something you may not have seen and if you are a gadget person, just have to have.
2008 Top 5 Gadgets - Popular Mechanics Top 5 Gadgets
Gadgets get better as the years go by.
Harry Smith and Julie Chen get a demonstration of the 2008 hot inventions by Glenn Derene, senior technology editor of Popular Mechanics magazine.
Have you got any of these?
If not .. just wait .. there is something better coming up in 2011.
2008 Top Car Gadget Poll - I'm really interested in what you like.
Car Quote: When buying a used car, punch the buttons on the radio. If all the stations are rock and roll, there's a good chance the transmission is shot. ~Larry Lujack
What was your favorite gadget of 2008 top gadgets?
Car Gadgets
2009
2009 Top 10 Gadgets - Automotive Street Style
size:14px;background:#339933;">Have you purchased any of these gadgets?
Just wait ... maybe 2010 gadgets will be even better.
Gadgets can save their lives. - Please read to see how.
DEER are animals of outstanding grace and beauty. Large, peaceful eyes peer from the sides of the creature's head. The short, shiny hair lies flat and, therefore, contributes to the deer's streamlined appearance. Whether standing motionless, running or jumping, this slim, long-legged creature never looks awkward or out of place.
The "Disney Syndrome"
There is an anti-hunting sentiment growing in urban United States, Canada and other countries, which wildlife management fears will be counterproductive.
Why is hunting coming under attack? "Very simply," answered the editor of Montana Outdoors magazine, "many people today grow up without direct ties to the land and the wild creatures it sustains. Understandably, they derive most of their knowledge of wildlife from television and movies, which all too often present a distorted view of wildlife . . . and ignoring natural processes such as predation, disease and starvation."
One wildlife service director referred to this view as the "Disney syndrome." "After watching Disney movies of animals and birds in the forest," he said, "some people, particularly children, get the idea that animals can talk." They think they are just like people.
I do not condemn those who kill animals for food. If, however, someone kills beyond the allotted number specified by the laws of their land, or if he kills for the thrill of it and uses the meat as an excuse, then it is to God that he is answerable. He is overstepping the stewardship that has been entrusted to mankind. And even though man is permitted to use animal skins for clothing, to hunt these creatures to extinction for unnecessary luxuries is an even worse abuse.
Many of the problems related to the wild kingdom seem to be unsolvable. As human populations grow, and wildlife is squeezed into smaller and smaller areas, the managing and preserving of that wildlife will become more and more difficult. And it is hard to see how governments with limited means will stop the poaching of disappearing species in this greedy, commercial system of things.
There is one way that we can help the deer population. See the handy gadget: The Electronic Deer Alert, below.
A "Must Have" gadget for country driving. - Electronic Deer Alert
Avoid Hitting Deer and Other Animals!
Reported car-deer collisions account for half a million to one million accidents per year. An estimated 15,000 people are injured and over a hundred are killed in vehicle collisions with animals each year.
Unintended acceleration has a simple solution: A "smart" gas pedal that recognizes the brake takes precedence over acceleration. This means if they're both depressed simultaneously the software forces the engine to respond to only to the brake and decelerate.
A few European automakers already have such a system in their vehicles. BMW made the feature standard in all of its vehicles beginning with the 2005 model year. It uses a drive-by-wire accelerator and BMW's own software, but the feature only works when the vehicle is in motion in case tough guys want to rev the engine while holding down the brake.
For Toyota's 3.8 million recalled vehicles, a smart gas pedal system is a potential fix. Toyota has said it won't redesign the floor mats, and new software is an option.
Other automakers that use a smart pedal system include Audi, which had its own rash of unintended acceleration cases in the '80s, and Volkswagen. Nissan will have a similar system for the 2010 Infiniti M, and Chrysler says most of its vehicles include the technology, as well.
For those who have said this is an unnecessary invention:
What's the problem with designing a safety feature into a car? When I was a kid I worked on my car all the time, Now, I open the hood and can't find the dip stick, but hey, my car practically drives itself, lasts for 150,000 miles and requires no tune-ups. So, where's the problem???? Moral of the story? Get with the 20th Century, and don't be mired in the 19th century of wagon trains. Stop longing for the days when your 442 belched oil smoke past the rings, got 10 miles per gallon and required two quarts of oil between 3,000 mile changes.
Mexico relies heavily on speed bumps to control traffic, but they lead cars to use more fuel and emit more pollutants, according to a study by Mexico City Autonomous University. This has led Decano Industries of Mexico to develop "smart" speed bumps.
The device makes driving smooth and hassle free for those traveling the speed limit. The bump is made from two steel plates; if a car is moving slowly enough, its weight triggers a patented device under the metal causing the plates to collapse for a smooth path. Cars going too fast fail to trigger the mechanism and the bump remains in place.
The device is still in the prototype stage, but Mexico City - the central part of the city contains 18,000 speed bumps alone - is hankering for ways to reduce pollution and congestion, no matter how small.
**These tires are made in South Carolina , USA .
SEE THROUGH TIRES
Yes, those are spoke-like connections to the inner part of the tire from the outside tread 'wrap!'
How odd they look in motion.
How does the ride feel?
Smooth Ride!
These tires are airless and are scheduled to be out on the market very soon.
The bad news for law enforcement is that spike strips will not work on these.
Just think of the impact on existing technology:
A. no more air valves...
B. no more air compressors at gas stations...
C. no more repair kits...
D. no more flats...
I'm going to be the first in line for these!
Popular Car Gadgets - Won't blow your budget.
Whether it's for safety purposes or convenience, Amazon has the latest car gadgets available for purchase. Check these out.
Funny Car Videos - Fifth Gear's Gadget Car
When Fifth Gear wanted to outfit a vehicle with all the latest hi-tech gadgets, they turned to Connect2Car's MFC System to control various electrical functions on the vehicle with a cell phone via Bluetooth wireless technology!
Infiniti's Around View Monitor - A good idea!
When it first debuted I thought Infiniti's Around View Monitor was a good idea. However, for the typical suburbanite with a garage I figured it would be a bit useless as the suburbs usually host two-car garages and everything - and now I have a really narrow driveway. The Around View Monitor has its place in the burbs, too.
The mix of overhead and front camera angles with the proximity alert will be very helpful in tight squeezes.
On the 2010 model, the monitor is part of the $2,150 option package, which is not a small amount of money. But at least it's part of a more popular package than the $2,250 Technology Package which includes a lane departure warning, forward collision warning systems and other safety features many drivers may not want.
Stop Car at Red Light - Really?
Mercedes-Benz is working on a Smart Stop system that would automatically halt a car at a red light if the driver fails to see it. The wireless safety system would coordinate with intersections and other vehicles using wireless receivers.
The vehicle's "conversation" would include a network that shares real-time local traffic data; it also would give a warning if a driver is accelerating when coming to a red light.
Don't count on seeing this technology any time soon, though. It will require the installation of smart intersections that can communicate with the vehicle. This will mean a fundamental reinvention of German or U.S. intersections, which would require action on the federal, state and local levels as well as a ton of dough.
Funny Car Gadget - Talking gadget commercial
Motorcar fun
CoPilot Live - An affordable iPhone Navigation App
Even with the storm of iPhone navigation apps that have hit the iTunes App Store recently, there's yet to be an app that's both fully functional and affordable. Those woes end today with the latest update to ALK Technologies' CoPilot Live North America. While it's more expensive than the usual sub-$10 game or news app, the $34.99 price tag is far below that of its navigation competitors such as Navigon and TomTom, which charge $90 and $100, respectively, for their apps.
The latest CoPilot Live update has detailed text-to-speech capability, which allows street names to be read by the application; improved contact integration for directions to any contact in your phonebook; and monthly updated maps. Additional features from previous versions include 3-D and 2-D maps, portrait and landscape views, weather information, access to LiveLink (CoPilot's own location sharing social network), gas prices and access to a point-of-interest database.
CoPilot Live's $34.99 price makes it easier to purchase a navigation app than ever before.
The Latest "WOW" Gadget - World's First Picture Taking Car Alarm
Now, here's the gadget I've been waiting for.
2009 Top Car Gadget Poll - Any of these strike your fancy?
There certainly were some interesting gadgets in 2009.
Car Quote: Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves. ~Albert Einstein
Do you have a favorite gadget that came on the market in 2009?
Car Gadgets
2010
New Gadgets For 2010 - At Amazon.com
Hot, new, cool, high tech and best electronic gadgets for 2010. Gadgets for your car and perhaps gifts too.
A Gadget that every vehicle should have. - A Trunk Monkey
I had to add this bit of humor .. Just couldn't help myself.
Results of New Study on Multi-Tasking
from the Journal of Experimental Psychology
New studies by Mei-Ching Lien, an assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University and her colleagues at the NASA Ames Research Center in California said that "Even with a seemingly simple task, structural cognitive limitations can prevent you from efficiently switching to a new task." Results of their study on multi-tasking have been published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.
Lien said the study can be applied to the real world, especially to drivers who talk on cell phones. On the surface, she said, it appears that drivers are trying to accomplish just two tasks - driving and conversing. But each task is complicated and multi-faceted, greatly increasing the "cost" of switching. The result: inattention and slow reaction times.
"A lot of people think talking on the cell phone while driving is natural, but each time someone asks a question or changes the subject, it's like taking on a new task," Lien said. "It requires a certain amount of thought and preparation. It's actually quite different than listening to the radio, where you don't need to respond.
"And it's also different from talking to a passenger in the vehicle," she added. "In most cases, a passenger can observe when there is a dangerous traffic situation and keep quiet. But someone calling you on a cell phone won't have a clue."
In her lab studies, Mei-Ching Lien has yet to test any volunteers who are immune to delays in multi-tasking.
Cell phones and driving don't mix - For Safety's Sake Get the handsfree 'Soltix'
Most people can rather efficiently walk and chew gum at the same time, but when it comes to more complicated "multi-tasking" - like driving and talking on a cell phone - there is a price to pay.
2010 Top Car Gadget Poll - Some of these are "Hot" ... pun intended!
Car Quote: The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self-Reliance," 1841
What is your favorite gadget of 2010?
Car Gadgets
2011
2011 gadgets for your car - The jury is in.
Have you purchased any of these gadgets?
This year there is some debate as to the top 10 gadgets for your car but here are some of the ones that I have picked.
A Gadget that's not a gadget! - Super Bright LED Car Lights
More and more people have upgraded their cars with the aftermarket LED turn signal light bulbs.
A frequent problem is the LED bulbs will flash much quicker. To bypass the LED bulbs "hyper flash" or "rapid flash" problem, add external load resistors to raise up the total wattage.
For more information on this please go to: iJDMTOY
My favorite 2011 gadget
Fits easily into the palm of your hand, pockets, backpacks.
Weighs less than one pound.
Water and weather resistant.
Quad-band for worldwide coverage.
2011 Top Car Gadget Poll
Car Quote: No one should be able to enter a wilderness by mechanical means. ~Garrett Hardin, The Ecologist, February 1974
What is your favorite 2011 car gadget?
Car Gadgets
2012
Car Gadgets for 2012!
Hot, new, cool, high tech and best gadgets for 2012. Latest technology news and upcoming gizmos. Great for gifts or spruce up your own car!
MLB POWER DECAL - For Sports Fans
I just stumbled onto the best gift idea for sports fans and country-loving fans! It is called a "PowerDecal" and you apply it to your car window.
Made of sturdy plastic and motion sensitive, it lights up very, very bright at night. It doesn't light up in the daytime only at night so it doesn't waste energy. When you park, it turns off within two minutes
Which would you buy?
Car Quote: The shortest distance between two points is under construction. ~Noelie Altito
I have given you a few new gadgets to choose from in 2012. I would like to know which is your favorite.
What gadget/s would you choose if you could afford it/them?
Coming some day .... - It's on my wish list.
I guess this isn't really a gadget but I think that it is something that all night drivers will appreciate having on their cars.
This YouTube video is self explanatory.
COMING SOON - 2013 GADGETS
Worn out by all the shopping? Please sit down, relax and let me know what you think of all of these gadgets. I'd appreciate a thumbs up also if it pleased you. Thank you from this Car Gadget Girl.
This lens used:
Funny, Red and Green ... - How to make cheap power windows
Time for a little humor.
If you want to create a lens .. - Follow the directions below.
If you are interested in publishing a page like this, please don't hesitate, it is really quite easy. Start your own "lens" here on squidoo on a topic of your choice. Click Here to begin/open a free account.