Technology On Wheels

Ford GT Convertible Mustang

2009-12-08T22:05:00.001-08:00

The Ford GT Convertible Mustang revolutionized the concept of affordable, compact, highly-styled, sporty-looked cars. The car's long hoods and short rear decks of this sport-like coupe has led to the car being known as a "pony car" in the American car culture.

Being around in the automotive industry for over 30 years, this model has been pioneering the Mustang line around the business and in the process, developed a lot of variations for its own line as well as spin-offs for other car companies. Some notable cars that were created based on the GT Convertible Mustang are GM's Chevrolet Camaro, AMC's Javelin, and Chrysler's revamped Plymouth Barracuda. In addition, this GT Convertible model also stirred the design of other coupes such as the Toyota Celica and Ford Capri.

In the span of its existence in the world of automotive, the image of the GT Convertible Mustang has gone through several redesigns. It became larger and heavier after every change. But this soon changed when GT Convertible fan boys requested Ford to revert the size of the car to the original 1964 design, size and concept.

Presently, the GT Convertible Mustang is on its 5th generation. Amidst the different remodeling and criticisms from car experts, this model has remained to be the godfather of Mustangs and at the same time one of the most promising cars around.

Tesla Is Taking Over The World With Their Model S

2008-10-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

It’s okay to be excited over some things. Things like your first date, first sexual encounter or first car will always fill every cell in your body with excitement. And speaking of your first car, we’re sure that you’re going to drool all over the place once you’ve seen a glimpse of this baby.

Sure, the Tesla Model S may not be your first car but the excitement it generates will make you remember the feeling you had back then. This sports sedan is apparently running on an all-electric platform designed solely by Tesla. What does this mean for you? Well, it only means you can have the adrenaline rush every time you drive it without any burdens bought by soaring fuel prices.

Speaking of fuel prices, you’ll be glad to find out that the Tesla Model S has a mileage of 240 miles in just one charge. If you can’t believe what you’ve just read, we’re going to repeat it to you – 240 freaking miles in just one charge! Just imagine if you had to use fuel to cover that distance. Wouldn’t your wallet scream and shout at you for all the gas money you’re going to be spending? With the Tesla Model S, we don’t think so.

And that’s just the inside folks. When it comes to its body, you can be sure you’re seeing a supermodel made into wheels. Tesla hired Franz von Holzhausen to come up with a drool-worthy body and come up with it he did. Just take a look at those flowing lines and that smooth curves and you’ll come to the conclusion that the Tesla Model S is a sexy beast waiting to be unleashed. Plus, here’s a pop quiz about the Tesla Model S’s chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen. Holzhausen was formerly the Mazda’s director of design for its North American branch. If you take a look at the last models of Mazda, you’re going to conclude that this guy has what it takes when it comes to designing cars. Now what can you say about that?

Of course, the Tesla Model S has some drawbacks too. Those who’re planning to get one of these electric cars will still have to wait for 2010 to make an order. And if that’s long enough for you, you haven’t heard the worst part – a $60,000 price tag! Heck, think of all the cars or whatnot you can buy with the money! But hey, if you’re one of the chosen few who can burn some spare money, the Tesla Model S is worth every penny you’re going to pay for it.

Audi’s New Green Plan: The A1 Hybrid

2008-10-28T19:17:00.000-07:00

When it comes to cars, green is definitely the only way to go! We’re not talking about some dirty stuff, mind you. We’re talking about the elimination of oil as a vehicle’s power source and the use of alternative fuel as its replacement. With the likes of Toyota spearheading this technology, it looks like our planet has found a new hope against the forces of pollution.

Of course, Audi won’t get left behind in this fight. That’s the reason why Audi took some time and effort to come up with an environment-friendly car without taking away the adrenaline rush in our everyday driving experience. We present to you the A1 hybrid concept:

This bundle of amazement Audi has invented is confirmed to run purely on electricity. It’s got a lithium-ion battery that can send you running to 62 MPH in just 7.9 seconds. If you ask us, that’s way better than most gas-guzzling machines we have right now. And the mouth-watering thing about the A1 hybrid is it can travel 60 miles before its charge runs out. Imagine all the places you could just go to with this baby. And add the fact that you won’t have to spend tons and tons of hard-earned money for gas anymore.

Sounds enticing, doesn’t it?

Of course, that’s not everything to the Audi A1 hybrid concept. You’ll also be glad to find an adjustable drivetrain/ driveshaft/ shock absorber system that’s going to allow you to choose between two modes: sport mode (or kick-the-dust-on-other-driver’s-faces mode, as we’d like to call it.) and efficiency mode (or sometimes called the-best-way-to-save-gas-money mode). With just a push of a button, you can outrace other wannabe racers on the road without breaking a sweat or get the bang for your buck as you drive to your office like you do everyday. Plus, there’s also a feature that allows to use your mobile phones and make them act as a control unit for WLAN access. What is this WLAN access for? Well kids, they’re for controlling the A1’s navigation, audio and remote monitoring of the security systems. Cool huh?

The only sad thing is there’s still no confirmation from Audi on when the A1 hybrid concept vehicle is going to be released. We guess it’s going to take some time before our garages would have this baby onboard.

Get Shocked By The All-Electric MINI E

2008-10-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

So, you always had the hots for the Mini Cooper huh? That’s okay because you’re only one of the many thousands, if not millions, who’d want to have this sexy ride. And you’ll be gladder to know that the Mini is coming out with a better variant to satisfy nature-friendly people and budget-conscious car owners. Take a look at the electric Mini Cooper people.

Dubbed as the MINI E, this ride boasts a range of 150 miles from its 35 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. With this power source, the MINI E is capable of reaching 62 mph in just 8.5 seconds. Plus, the charging time for the battery pack only takes a mere 2.5 hours. And there’s also a regenerative braking system that helps toughen up the MINI E while its cruising on the road.

The word is this baby will be released to the lucky people of California, New York and New Jersey around early 2009. Those folks too at Europe could also have the MINI E sometime after that. But if you can’t wait a second longer, pack up your things and be prepared to stalk the MINI E at the LA Auto Show this November because its full details might leak out.

Drool Over The 2009 Toyota Prius

2008-10-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

We all know how much impact the Toyota Prius made ever since it launched way back in 1997. And throughout the years, this amazing hybrid vehicle from the giant Japanese car maker never failed to capture the hearts and minds of car aficionados, critics and the everyday-joe with its ability to give you a quality ride without emptying your wallet.

Of course, the Toyota Prius won’t win any awards for being the fastest car or the one with the most mind-boggling features but this baby delivers the results where it counts – fuel efficiency. These days, it’s a mortal sin to waste gas for mundane things and the price to pay is much heavier than before. Well, if wasting gas is a sin, consider the Prius to be your one-way ticket to salvation. And that’s why hordes and hordes of people have nothing but respect for this five-door hatchback. To give back that respect to these people, Toyota has released some photos of the new Prius to tease us. Here’s a sample.

We know that’s not enough to satisfy your curiosity. Too bad we still have to wait for a couple of months to pass by before we could get our hands on this amazing hybrid. Well, patience is a virtue we have to practice in this case.

The Future Looks Good With The Mercedes Benz SilverFlow

2008-10-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what the future of automobiles is going to look like after a couple of decades? Mercedez Benz has an idea and it’s going to be legendary. See the future unfold today with the SilverFlow.

The Mercedes luxury coupes exemplify forty years of design that has made Mercedes Benz to become one of the most distinguished luxury brands in the world. Now, we have with us the future of Mercedes-Benz vehicles and it has been named SilverFlow, Well, the 2057 Mercedes-Benz SilverFlow is Mercedes’ design car for the future showing sleek lines inspired by Mercedes racers of yesteryears.

The Mercedes-Benz SilverFlow utilizes micro-metallic particles that can be arranged via magnetic fields in many different forms based on pre-selected models. You could wet your pants in excitement now geeks because this is the genuine article. The vehicle, which can be completely dissembled into a pool of ferromagnetic material for easy storage, can adapt and transform its shape to best suit its required purpose. And who said that only superheroes can have the coolest rides?

The magnetic assembler, activated by a simple key fob, creates whatever vehicle its user needs. All of the programmed modes for the SilverFlow are inspired by the Mercedes Benz Grand Prix cars from the golden era of motorsports with distinct low slung shape, tall thin wheels and dramatic open-wheel design.

Any damage can be self repaired and any color/configuration/size is possible depending on the amount of source material available. Now that makes customizing your car a heck lot easier. And you don’t have to worry about scratches anymore too. A sweet deal huh?

The Amazing MyKey From Ford

2008-10-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

The people at Ford never cease to amaze us. And here they are again, out to capture our imaginations. What’s Ford got under their sleeve that’s going to wow you? Well, Ford has something called the MyKey to make your lives a tad but easier.

We know you might be wondering – what’s the big fuss about Ford’s MyKey technology and how can it make my life any easier than it is now? Well for starters, Ford’s MyKey is designed to do three basic, yet very useful tasks: to limit the Ford vehicle’s speed to 80 mph, limit the stereo’s volume to 44% and warn people inside the car if any of the seatbelts aren’t being used. This technology allows the Ford car owner to have control of these things from the convenience of the key itself.

But before going through with this technology, Ford conducted a survey to determine if people would like it. It turns out 67% of teens don’t see this as a good idea for them. The number fell to 36% after parents decided to let their cars be used by their children with a MyKey on it. Hey, nothing in this life comes for free and those teens would have to accept that. A little price to pay for a taste of freedom, eh?

Ford utilized an off-the-shelf technology to manufacture its MyKey system. This technology is particularly the SecuriLock passive anti-theft system and it functions by identifying what kind of keys are in the car’s ignition. Once it has determined which keys are in the ignition, the car owner can then decided which driving mode to use. And this is all from a single push of a button. A great idea isn’t it?

Have A Bentley? Well, This Keeps Your Other Tresures Safe

2008-09-25T22:56:00.001-07:00

We know that only a small percentage of the world’s population own a Bentley. And we all know that if we collect all the Bentleys on the road right now, they could probably feed an entire third world country for many years to come. But don’t imagine that thought just yet because Stockinger, a leading German brand when it comes to luxury safes, is adding another element to this insanely expensive car.

Bentley and Stockinger have joined forces to keep the rich people’s riches safe and secure. How did they do just that? Take a look at the picture of the Continental and the Arnage safe above.

Done drooling over the picture? Well, here are some additional facts about this baby. This Stockinger product features two limited edition lockbox variants that exemplify style, security and extravagance to the highest level. For watch lovers, there’s the the Continental while jewelry aficionados have the Arnage for them. These limited edition safes also mean that there is only a couple made in the entire world so getting your hands on a Bentley with this feature is close to impossible. Forget the previous line if you own a ship-load of cash, precious stones or oil.

But wait there’s more to this Stockinger and Bentley brainchild. The lockbox also has Arnage features where you can store expensive watches safely. And if someone does make their way inside the Bentley, that someone would be sorely disappointed. Why is that so? This lockbox is designed to be impenetrable to keep those naughty hands off your treasure. Plus, there’s an addition of built-in alarms and a Global Positioning System (GPS) to keep you informed about your jewelry or whatnot.

Going back, how limited are these Stockinger-equipped Bentleys anyway? Why only 200 of them are made, my good friend. So if you think you can have this car in your garage, just be prepared to shell out all of your life savings and everything you own because it will cost you more than an arm and a leg.

In the meantime, let’s fill our mind with imaginary things we know we can’t have. Here are some things you could keep in these lockboxes:

- Your last will so no relative or loved one can illegally change whatever it is you’re going to leave behind. If you just want your 12-year old nephew to have complete control over your financial empire without any jealous relative out to scam you, then this is the place to keep your last will.

- Your comic book collection. Over the course of time, their prices will eventually grow until you can’t count the zeroes anymore. Plus, if you have a first appearance of a popular character and you managed to keep the book in mint condition, you can be richer than any other comic book geek out there.

- Along with comics, you can also keep your trading cards safe until their prices reach their highest point. Who knows? Your old Michael Jordan rookie card can topple even Bill Gates himself.

- Your old high school sweetheart’s picture. This safe is the best place to keep this picture away from your wife/husband/fiancée/significant other’s prying hands. But if you do have your old flame’s picture, you’ve got some serious issues buddy.

- Your treasure chest key. If you’re not confident enough this lockbox can keep your beloved possessions, then you could just use it store your other lockbox’s key. Now that’s safety and security doubled!

- Your collection of dirty magazines. That’s reason enough but we think this Stockinger is too much. Well, that’s the price of protection eh?

All You Need To Know Comes With This Genera Motors Display

2008-09-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

General Motors has a surprise in store for Cobalt and HHH SS owners this 2009. What’s the surprise about? No, it’s not a flying car or some groundbreaking device to eliminate the use of fuel in their cars. To be honest, it’s rather simple but very useful for every car owner. Read on and find out.

By 2009, GM will give you the option to have a reconfigurable performance display in their 2009 Cobalt and HHH SS. This will give the driver an easy access to configurations such as traction control and stability control. Plus, you’ll also get to view the tachometer, boost, air fuel ratio, cam phaser angle, engine torque, horsepower, temperature, battery voltage and barometric pressure. In this way, you won’t have to step out of your car and look like a fool inspecting your car in every point for these details. All you have to do is activate the performance display and all the information you need will pop out.

This will be a big help for GM Cobalt and HHH SS owners to keep track of their car’s performance. And for only $295 as a factory option, this is a steal. Unfortunately, GM didn’t find a way to include a way to see the future or watch television in this device. But hey, you can’t have everything in life right? Plus, the things this GM device will let you view in its display are enough to make your driving experience easier anyway.

Getting Lost Isn't An Option With The Sony NV-U94T

2008-09-19T22:08:00.000-07:00

Do you always lose your way whenever you’re driving your car? Do you always get confused by the crazy road schemes of your city? Do you always get pulled over by the cops because you entered a one-way street?

If you answered even one of the questions above, here’s something that might help you out with your woes. Sony is planning to unveil its new GPS navigator, the NV-U94T, this coming September 2008. This gadget boasts of a 4.8 inch touchscreen, simple portable media player (PMP) applications, accelerometer, barometer, Bluetooth and an expadable memory slot. Just install this new Sony gadget inside your car and making your way through any city will be a certain breeze.

Just be prepared to shell out $400 when the new Sony NV-U94T comes out in September. But hey, isn’t that a lot cheaper than paying fines whenever you get pulled over by the cops? Or isn’t this Sony gadget more practical than wasting gas whenever you get lost? The choice is still yours but you’ll have an easier time having this GPS navigator inside your car.

Autopartswarehouse.com | iPhones

2008-09-06T00:05:00.000-07:00

We really love gadgets that can do it all right? Gadgets that can make life easy and enjoyable. Now, we have iPhones.

There are several applications located on the Home screen: Text (SMS messaging), Calendar, Photos, Camera, YouTube, Stocks, Maps (Google Maps), Weather, Clock, Calculator, Notes, Settings, and iTunes (store). Four other applications, docked at the base of the screen, delineate the iPhone’s main purposes: Phone, Mail, Safari, and iPod.

The YouTube application streams videos over Wi-Fi, 2G, or 3G after encoding them using the open H.264 codec, to which YouTube has converted about 10,000 videos. As a result, the YouTube application on iPhone can currently view only a certain selection of videos from the site.

At WWDC 2007 on June 11, 2007 Apple announced that the iPhone will support third-party “applications” via the Safari web browser that share the look and feel of the iPhone interface. On October 17, 2007, Steve Jobs, in an open letter posted to Apple’s “Hot News” weblog, announced that a software development kit (SDK) would be made available to third-party developers in February 2008. Due to security concerns and Jobs’ praise of Nokia’s digital signature system, it was suggested that Apple would adopt a similar method.

The SDK will also allow application development for the iPod touch.The iPhone SDK was officially announced on March 6, 2008, at the Apple Town Hall facility.The SDK will allow developers to develop native applications for the iPhone and iPod touch, as well as test them in an “iPhone simulator”. However, loading an application onto the devices is only possible after paying a Apple Developer Connection membership fee. Developers are free to set any price for their applications to be distributed through the App Store, of which they will receive a 70 percent share. Developers can also opt to release the application for free and will not pay any costs to release or distribute the application beyond the membership fee. The SDK was made available immediately, while the launch of applications had to wait until the firmware update which was released on July 11, 2008. This update is free for iPhone users and there is a charge for iPod touch owners.

Many third-party Safari “applications” and un-signed native applications are also available. The ability to install native applications onto the iPhone outside of the App Store will not be supported by Apple. Such native applications could be broken by any software update, but Apple has stated it will not design software updates specifically to break native applications other than applications that perform SIM unlocking.

Autopartswarehouse.com | 2008 Lamborghini Reventon

2008-09-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

Lamborghini Reventón is the most extreme and the essence of the marque: just 20 examples of a design masterpiece
Obviously a Lamborghini, but nothing quite like it. A super car without equals: the Lamborghini Reventón is a road vehicle with an extreme specification and, at the same time, a limited edition masterpiece – a coherent style, angular with sharp lines, inspired by the very latest aeronautics.

With just 20 produced, each 1 Million Euro (without taxes) Lamborghini Reventón is a symbol of extreme exclusivity, yet still offering the extraordinary performance that makes the Reventón so unrivalled: under the completely autonomous design, the Reventón possesses the entire technical and dynamic capability of the twelve cylinder Lamborghini.

At autopartswarehouse.com, Lamborghini prides itself on being the extraordinary manufacturer of extreme super sports cars without compromise. Sensuality and provocation characterise every Lamborghini, with an aggressively innovative style. ‘However, the Reventón is the most extreme of all, a true automotive superlative. Our designers at the Lamborghini Style Centre took the technical base of the Murciélago LP640 and compressed and intensified its DNA, its genetic code,’ affirms Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.

Autopartswarehouse.com | A Car That Parks Itself

2008-09-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

Thinking of the future like in the movies that cars can drive itself is really possible. We have now cars that can park by itself.
When I heard the new Lexus LS460 flagship sedan could park itself, I knew there had to be a catch. Maybe it would only do half the job, or require a parking space twice the length of the car — or some other unreported disclaimer. I went to Detroit yesterday to try it myself, determined to discover and report the ugly truth. The truth, it turns out, is that the car freakin' parks itself. It really does it. Line it up, and the optional Advanced Parking Guidance System does the hard part. This is the coolest spectacle any of us jaded automotive journalists has seen since the retractable-hardtop convertible.

Here's how it works, starting with parallel parking: You pull up alongside a space, making sure to pass the rear car before aligning next to the front car. A sonar sensor on the front fender measures the length of the space and your distance from the cars. Put the car in Reverse, and the rearview camera, which comes with the required navigation system, presents a wide rear view on the in-dash display. (This feature comes with the optional navigation system, which is a prerequisite for APGS.) Pressing the parallel-parking icon at the bottom of the touch-screen places a simple green square roughly over the parking space.

Arrows let you adjust its position.
Once it's centered, you press OK, take your hands off the wheel and use only the brake to ease the car backward.

The steering wheel flings itself around under control of the electric power steering, angling you in. All you have to do is keep the speed low enough and stop the car when the display shows that you're closing on the rear car's bumper.
Then you put it in drive, square the car and you're done. Basically, the car controls only the steering. If you let it, it will drive into the car behind you. Though it may change in the future, APGS doesn't tell you when a space is too small for the car. For now, it lets you try, no matter how small the space.

A few conditions can interfere: If you pull up too close alongside the front car, the box appears red instead of green, which means you're too close to make the cut, and the system won't work. If you go more than 2 mph, grab the steering wheel or step on the accelerator, it defeats the system and you're on your own. An incline of 4.5 degrees or greater may prevent APGS from working because the car won't reverse up a steeper hill under idle power alone.

If you push the back-in icon on the screen, APGS will guide the car backward into a parking-lot space, too. The only difference is that it lets you rotate as well as slide the target box, to adjust for whatever angle you're at when you begin. Overall, I was impressed by how close to perfectly the system placed the target initially.

Automatic parking won't come cheap. The car itself will cost roughly $60,000, and the parking feature requires the navigation and rearview camera option, which are sure to cost at least a couple grand. (On the current LS430, navigation comes only in option packages, the cheapest of which is $5,000.) Lexus says only that APGS will be a stand-alone addition priced "under $1,000" — which in marketing-speak means something like $995.

I have mixed emotions about automated parking. We've already bred a generation of drivers who can't stop short without ABS, can't stay on the road without a stability system and can't drive at all without an automatic transmission. As a Midwesterner, I pride myself on my ability to parallel park almost anything almost anywhere. Shouldn't everyone be required to pass that part of the driving test before they get licensed? ... Come to think of it, maybe automated parking isn't such a bad idea. The bumper it saves could be your own.

Parking lot screens
Sonar sensor

Source: blogs.cars.com

Autopartswarehouse.com | Information About Amplifiers

2008-09-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Amplifiers makes sound larger. They get the signal from the source and enhance it to make it loud. Some disadvantages of amplifiers are amplifying signals without causing distortion, you should have enough power supply to keep them going and it must store enough current to deliver all of the transients in the music.

Some Features of Car Amplifiers:

• Bridging amplifiers are very flexible because they can be used in different system configurations. One amplifier can be used to power one, two, three or four speakers.

• Speaker-level inputs are the only way your car amps can get signals if your radio doesn't have RCA-type output jacks.

• Preamp outputs are very useful when creating a multi-amplifier system because they allow an un-amplified signal to pass out of one amplifier to another.

• Remote bass control is available in some amplifiers that have a port to add an optional control knob. This varies the amount of power going to the subwoofer driven by the amplifier.

• High-pass filters, low-pass filters and crossovers give you the flexibility to remove the frequencies you don't want to send to the speakers powered by the amplifier.

• Bass boost is available in some car amplifiers. This lets you boost the bass significantly up to 18dB through a circuit.

An amplifier can have one channel of output or as many as eight channels. The most common amplifiers are two and four channel models but mono amplifiers are also becoming popular.

Classes of Amplifiers:

Class A amplifiers gives the least distortion, but are terribly inefficient. They are rarely used in commercial amplifiers because they produce too much heat and give too little output power for the effort. In class A the output transistor(s) are always conducting, even at idle with no signal. The power draw of a class A amplifier is roughly constant and they are most efficient at full-output. If the load ends up drawing too much current the amplifier can wind up leaving class A (one transistor switches off in a push-pull, for example) during a cycle.

Class A/B is what most commercial amplifiers are. They are much more efficient, but do produce more distortion. A class A/B car amplifier is formed when a class B style output stage is biased so that around the crossover point both transistors are conducting. This yields more distortion than either a proper class A or class B amplifier, however the bias point is much less critical.

Class B amplifiers have two transistors, one per supply rail. In properly-biased class B, only one conducts at a given time, but there is always one conducting. Much of the bad name class B has is due to amplifiers actually being underbiased into class C where there's a portion of the cycle around the crossover point where neither is conducting.
Furthermore, Class B proper biasing may be made very difficult to achieve due to thermal stability issues (especially proper thermal coupling and tracking between the biasing circuit and the output power devices). Class C amplifiers are useless for audio. They are used in RF applications where the harmonics can be filtered out. Nonetheless, the so called "Class G" is just the plain combining of a normal Class AB car amplifier output stage with a Class C "booster" enabled to operate only if high power peak are required by the load. If properly designed they performances are equivalent to that obtained by normal class AB amplifiers.

Class D amplifiers are a rather new phenomenon in the hifi world. They are extremely efficient (80%) and can give a very good result. They use pulse width modulation to amplify the signal; this lets them use the output transistors in switch mode where they're most efficient and dissipate the least power. Originally only for subwoofers, newer designs have since surfaced making this technology capable of sounding very good as a full-range amplifier.

See more info at: caraudioproductreviews.com

Autopartswarehouse.com | Microsoft Into Car Wi-Fi

2008-09-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, most people enjoy surfing the net, playing online games, doing business. But how can they do that while driving? Microsoft made an amazing job getting internet and car side by side.

Dubbed Vi-Fi, for vehicle Wi-Fi, Microsoft’s latest endeavor into car technology looks promising. In a partnership with the University of Massachussettes and the University of Washington, the software giant is working on making Wi-Fi connections in cars a steady and reliable experience, unlike current offerings from cell phone manufacturers and their laptop cards.

The new system will allow multiple Wi-Fi signals to come and go at one time in order to keep the signal strong and avoid “hand-offs,” which often fumble, leading to spotty service.

The real question is, “Why?” Why do we need in-car Wi-Fi? Do we really want to surf the net while driving? Oh, ye of little tech understanding. The real reason Wi-Fi would be a terrific addition to in-car technology is two-fold: It would replace expensive satellite subscription services like XM, and it would allow for an almost unlimited variety of applications. Think of how the iPhone has hundreds of applications. With in-car Wi-Fi, an iPhone-like onboard system could display not only weather and movie times (like many satellite systems do today), but it could also display live stock quotes, internet radio, instant messaging and virtually anything else you can access on a laptop computer.

There still needs to be a larger Wi-Fi infrastructure to get this to work for the everyday driver, but Microsoft has shown it can produce terrific in-car technology, like its Sync system.

Soon people can do their job while stuck on traffic so they will not be bored.

Source: Daily Tech

Autopartswarehouse.com | Solar Powered Bluetooth Headset

2008-08-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today, most of our car phones are relying on batteries. Mostly they need about 6V - 8V and they need to be recharge. It's a little bit time consuming right? Now, They have solve the problem. Visor SUN developed the Bluetooth headset powered by sunlight.

Not content with making the world's first solar Bluetooth headset, mobile tech company Iqua has developed a solar car kit for your phone. Let's take a look at how Iqua's new Visor SUN compares to the Daddy of solar car kits, LG's HFB-500.

Both gadgets will set you back around £55. Both recharge from sunshine flowing through your windscreen and theoretically they'll never need a mains socket if the weather's bright. The key difference: Iqua's kit is designed to clip onto your sun visor, while LG's kit suckers onto your windscreen.

Battery life is rated at 20 hours of talktime -- better than LG's 16 hours -- although the Vizor SUN is a lot heavier than LG's model at 160g versus 72g.

There appears to be just one glaring problem with this new self-charging gadget: when your visor's up, it looks like the solar panel doesn't get any sun! Check out the photo below. I'm checking with Iqua to find out if that's true. If so, it'd mean you'd have to manually place the car kit on the dashboard to recharge it.

The Visor SUN's due on sale later this September via IQUA and its partners.Update: Tesco Direct is stocking it for £50.

Source: smartplanet.com

Autopartswarehouse.com | 10 Weirdest Car Gadget

2008-08-29T00:55:00.000-07:00

Most of us got bored and invents something weird but actually it can sell. Here are some weird car gadgets.

Well-Insured Wheel Covers
These cardboard cutouts of empty wheel wells can be used to deter thieves who like cheap knockoffs.

Ozone Air Purifier
This nifty air purifier by OKI supposedly "eradicate[s] all disgusting smells from you car" by releasing UV rays while producing ozone. It plugs right into your car's cigarette lighter socket and has blinking LED lights to let you know its working.

Alert Driver Wristband
The Alert Driver wristband is a flexible rubber device that detects -- by communicating with an RFID tag placed in the car -- if a driver is suffering from fatigue, based on reaction time. If fatigue is detected, the device will start vibrating.

Tesla Coil Car Alarm
This could quite possibly be the "coolest security alarm ever" for your car. It basically consists of a giant Tesla Coil mounted atop the car's roof, emitting an electrical forcefield to fend off would-be thieves.

Shotgun Turret
Introduces the "HAMMER" unmanned weapons system and H2X-40 turret for law enforcement/military use.

For a demonstration, the firm fitted a turret with two 12 gage shotguns to the roof of an SUV. Such a system could be used to breach a door or gate, expose a hidden device, destroy a roadside bomb, and more

Michelin's Tweel Wheels
The Tweel sports a flexible spoke/wheel design that replaces the need for air pressure, deforming to absorb shocks.

Autoloc Car Flamethrower
Shown at SEMA 2006, the Autoloc Car Flamethrower could be one of the most useful (coolest) auto accessories we've come across, enabling drivers to shoot up to 20ft. flames from their car's exhaust.

High-Tech LED Rims
Spinner rims are so yesterday. Rims with built-in color LEDs become reality with "PimpStar". These fully programmable wheels can display any image, logo, or text using the included software. Prices range from $12,500 (22" w/tires) - $19,500 (26" w/tires).

Automatic License Plate Blocker

This gadget/device was created specifically for 2006 Bullrun, a 3,000-mile road race, to prevent red light cameras from snapping pictures of the Lamborghini Gallardo's license plate.

Parallel Parking Device
A group of college students demonstrate a strange parallel parking device that attaches to your car's rear bumper and "uses hydraulics to lift the rear end of the car -- enabling it to slide sideways into the parking spot."

More info at: techeblog.com

Autopartswarehouse.com | Cool Gadget for you and your car.

2008-08-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

Some of us are putting lots of mod on our car. Then lets get ourselves cool gadgets.

Anti Sleep Driving Alarm

It's a pretty typical situation. You've been gaming for sixteen hours and downed plenty of Bawls and Foosh Energy Mints, but the inevitable has begun to happen - you're starting to get the dreaded drowsy head tilt. Maybe this means it's time to quit your session and get some rest. We think not. The better answer is to put on the Anti Sleep Driving Alarm and keep on going.

A device designed for long distance truck drivers or professional drivers who run the risk of falling asleep behind the wheel, the Anti Sleep Driving Alarm rests comfortably behind your ear. If your head tilts forward more than 30 degrees a high-pitched alarm will sound and bring you back to reality. Great for gamers, students, security guards, late-night coders, secret underground bunker employees, convenience store nightshift, pilots, etc.

AlcoHawk

The AlcoHawk offers an incredibly compact breath alcohol screener at an affordable price. The compact design makes it easy to carry in your pocket or even on a keychain. The AlcoHawk features a folding mouthpiece design and two digit LED display and contains a highly accurate semi-conductor oxide sensor. It also contains an advanced electric exhale pressure monitor to ensure that an accurate breath sample is obtained. All these professional features rolled into a unit this small and portable make it a great choice for alcohol screening on the go.

STFU

STFU is our favorite institution, and though many of us attended other universities around the world, we're encouraging as many people as we can to embrace STFU and its ideals. Tuition is cheap at STFU, in fact it's free. There are no books to buy, and since there's no physical campus, you can study as little or as often as you like; though we think you'll find the more you immerse yourself in the STFU lifestyle, the happier and more fulfilled all our lives will be.

Make your own statement by driving around with this STFU car flag prominently displayed. This is particularly effective in towns with large sports franchises in which everyone else will have their own car flags hanging out their windows. The STFU car flag features a one-sided imprint with the school name and crest on a durable polyester fabric. For those of you not familiar with the crest, it's "STFU" and "Subsiste Sermonem Statim" with a strangely-gagged mascot in white, orange, and blue. There is a 'distressed' effect on the whole design for maximum University appeal. For the non-Latin-inclined, the motto translates to "Stop Talking Now." The flag itself is 11 x 16, and the vinyl pole is almost 19 inches long, providing an excellent source of thwacking passersby when it's not actually on your car.

MagnoGrip

The MagnoGrip is a magnetic wristband guaranteed to securely hold nails, screws, drill bits, fasteners and tools. It allows professionals and do-it yourselfers to finish jobs in less time and with less frustration. The magnogrip is built to handle the most rugged of jobs. Its fabric construct consists of durable heavy duty canvas, industrial grade velcro and high-powered magnets that are strong enough to hold a hammer.

All those cool gadgets are available at thinkgeek.com.

Autopartswarehouse.com | New Technology For New Cars

2008-08-27T00:35:00.000-07:00

New technologies will improve fuel efficiency, increase safety, aid navigation and repair. Automobiles industries are doing want they can to get more easy to drive cars. Cost efficient car are manufactured right now.

Here are some of the new technology expected to hit the marketplace within the next decade:

1) Active safety systems will include radar and cameras that watch for danger. “We’ve put airbags just about every place you can.” Says Toyota Product-planning Manager, John Weiner, “Within the next five years the car will use algorithms to anticipate hazards and intervene or warn the driver.

2) Keyless entry has already been implemented on certain Cadillac, Infinity and BMW models and will be introduced to approximately 40 different vehicles in the next three years. Credit card style systems will replace car keys.

3) Navigation systems such as computer-like screens on the dash, displaying navigation systems that employ global positioning satellite and onboard DVD’s to provide the driver with distractions, maps, and information on businesses such as hotels, hospitals and restaurants. The video screens will also have the capability to connect to PDA’s and cellular phones.

4) Wi-Fi hook-ups in almost every vehicle will provide weather, news, and other information. “We’re going to see hot spots in places like gas stations and restaurants,” says Peter Wengert, marketing manager for automotive products at Microsoft.

5) Data collection will give vehicles the capability to collect pertinent data that can be shared with dealers, manufacturers, and other vehicles helping service personnel perform remote diagnostics and help troubleshoot for a broken down motorist.

6) Onboard cameras will help detect blind spots, while helping parents watch their kids. Many recreational vehicles already have this technology at the rear and in front to “see” around corners.

7) 40 Volt Electrical Systems will become standard to accommodate the many new electric devices.

8) Voice commands are already in certain BMW’s, Jaguar and Lexus models and will become common and necessary in order to operate the various functions in cars.

9) Electronic pedals already in use in Mercedes, Chevy Corvette and all recent Audi vehicles, brake-by-wire and accelerate by wire pedals send an electronic signal rather than activating a physical connection to the engine and brakes. Emergency brake handles will also be replaced by electronic controls.

10) Programmable vehicles will let you use electronics to express your choice of vehicle you wish to drive, says Stanford professor of mechanical engineering Chris Gerdes. “You can have it be as sporty or luxurious, as you choose.” Drivers of the new Audi A8, for example can change the car’s ride by raising and lowering road clearance.

More info at: motorpoint.com

Autopartswarehouse.com | Most Useful New Gadgets For Your Car

2008-08-26T00:42:00.000-07:00

Its not the latest car colonges. They are the names of some of the most innovative multifunctional electronic devices available for your car.

It’s enough for a gadget to do just one thing well. The latest trend is to combine multiple functions in one compact unit, to improve convenience and safety for drivers. Example of this device are the Alpine eX-10 is an Apple iPod adapter that doubles as a Bluetooth receiver. The Kenwood DNX8120 is a navigation system that also works like a radio. And yes, it has Bluetooth too. Then there are the in-car computers that let drivers navigate, email, and store MP3s.

Aftermarket accessory manufacturers have been devising ways for drivers to bring their favorite music along for the ride. Some radio uses tape adapter or radio trasmitter to play IPod through car speakers. Now Alpine eX-10 allows drivers to play their devices through their car speakers without using a radio transmitter or tape adapter, both of which compromise sound quality.

Todd Ramsey of Ramsey Consulting Group in Phoenix, Ariz said “The iPod is clearly the leading application for portable media player integration in cars,” He also said, “But the industry will continue development of support for more ubiquitous USB-based devices like thumb drives, portable hard drives, and a wide range of competing portable media players.”

With some devices, drivers can leave the iPod home using a Azentek Atlas CPC-1200, a personal computer that can be install in the dashboard. It has a 120-gigabyte hard drive that can store enough music for any road trip.

As is the case with the verbal route guidance, luxury cars have been offering voice-command functionality for some time, but now it's trickling down to the masses. The Ford Sync and Scosche Blue Fusion both take advantage of wireless technology (like the ever-popular Bluetooth) to make operating cell phones and audio systems safer and easier. If you want to make a phone call, simply say the word. The stereo even knows to turn the volume down so you can hear the person on the other end.

More info at: ForbesAutos.com

Autopartswarehouse.com | Top Mobile Electronics Cars

2008-08-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

The SEMA show is a car show for audio installers. A show for who got the better audio design and how loud it is. Here are the top cars with nasty audios.

Cool Caddy

The Orion Dragillac by Auto Core Customs of Phoenix greeted SEMA attendees when they entered into the North Hall—and stopped many dead in their tracks at the Directed Electronics booth where it sat. The slammed ’60 Cadillac sports a chopped convertible top, rear suicide doors and shaved cowl, front bumper, door handles and side moldings, all coated with a Candy Yellow Fade paint job. On the audio/video side, the cool Caddy houses five Orion amplifiers and pairs of 10- and 12-inch subwoofers, along with two Directed Electronics 17-inch LCD monitors hanging from the trunk lid and another 17-inch in the center of the dash.

Pickup Game

The other Caddy that caught our attention was a 2002 Escalade EXT pickup in the MTX booth. The interior was gutted to make room for two massive 22-inch subwoofers, and it also sports eight amplifiers that produce 18,000 watts of power. To supply enough current for all of those amps, the truck has five alternators under the hood—four that supply 1,800 amperes just to the amplifiers. A Windows-based computer accesses audio and video files mounted on a hard drive, all controlled via a 15-inch touch-screen in the middle of the dash.

Mad Max Mobile

As a fitting display for the company’s new Warhorse 10,000-watt amplifier, the folks at Kicker turned an ordinary 2006 GMC Savannah 3500 van into something straight out of Mad Max. Two Warhorse amplifiers bolted to the driver’s side wall of the van power four Kicker SoloX 18-inch subwoofers with an extraordinary 22,000 watts of power. It takes 10 Kinetik HC2400 Power Cell batteries housed in a diamond-plate aluminum box and two Powermasters XS Volt racing alternators just to keep the Warhorse amplifiers supplied with current, while the van’s electronic goodies consist of Clarion CD and DVD players, a 17-inch monitor and two backup cameras.

Pseudo Lambo

No one in the right mind would cut up a 2008 Lamborghini Murcielago Superleggera to install a bunch of car audio gear, so we were somewhat relieved to find that the one in the Sony booth was a replica. That would explain the 7-inch monitors installed in the pop-ups in the rear side scoops in each rear quarter panel and the 17-inch LCD monitor under the hood, along with a 10-inch subwoofer.

Pony Expressive

There’s no lack of cool pony cars at SEMA, but the one in the Metra booth had to be the coolest with a car audio system. The fiberglass dash holds a trio of 6.5-inch midranges and a pair of 1-inch tweeters, as well as a pair of 7-inch video monitors. Each door also got the fiberglass treatment and houses an 8-inch woofer, 6.5-inch midrange and 1-inch tweeter. The trunk has its own tricks and treats, including two JBL amplifier and four 12-inch subwoofers.

Center-Drive Scion

A stereo system’s “sweet spot” is typically right in the middle of the speakers, but the driver and passengers are usually sitting too close to the speakers on one side of a vehicle and too far away from the ones on the opposite side. Which is why Chris Roberts created his center-drive ’05 Scion xB, with a single front and rear seat in the front in the middle of the interior, and the steering wheel and pedals are positioned accordingly. On each side of the steering wheel is a teardrop-shaped panel with instrument cluster on the left and the shifter and air-suspension system on the right, while on the floor is real marble tile. Flanking the centered rear seat are four Alpine amplifiers, while four 10-inch subwoofers are arrayed behind the rear seat.

A Tiburon With Bite

It’s a drag when you work hard at getting a vehicle ready for SEMA only to have it damaged in transit. That’s what happened to Mike Edens of Colonial Heights, Virginia when he showed up to find the front bumper, hood and right front fender his ’04 Hyundai Tiburon smashed up. But luckily it didn’t affect the vehicle’s interior, which features a pair of Boston Acoustics 12-inch subwoofers in a hatch-mounted enclosure that’s connected to a custom center console that flows through to the front of the car. The center stack was also reconfigured to hold five gauges and a Pioneer AVIC-D3 head unit.

Not-so-Simple Civic

At first glance, Jason Syner’s 2005 Honda Civic looks like just another slick car stereo showcase for a half dozen amplifiers, a trio of 12-inch subwoofers, 24 other speakers and a total of 13 video screens. But look closer and you see details that make the car stand out. For example, while many cars sport a gauge cluster on the driver’s side A pillar, Syner’s Civic has one that runs down the middle of the windshield. The layout of the custom-built door panels forms the outline of a car, with speakers constituting the wheels and LEDs making up the headlights and taillights.

Super Supra

Jojo Pagulayan’s ’98 Toyota Supra would look hot even without all of the audio gear he installed. Under the hood is a turbo-charged engine that produces close to 500 horsepower. Audio firepower comes from two Phoenix Gold 12-inch subwoofers and other PG speakers scattered throughout the yellow-accented, carbon-fiber swathed ride, and all powered by a pair of Phoenix Gold amplifiers. Peeking out the rear side windows are two 6.5-inch video monitors.

Restrained RSZ

While Wayne Watkins’ 2003 Acura RSX can’t exactly be called subtle, it definitely had restrained sense of style compared to many of the other wild car audio creations at SEMA. The four JL Audio amplifiers and the two Focal 12-inch subwoofers were integrated into the hatch and rear seat with sleek silver-colored fiberglass, while the speakers are covered with stainless-steel grilles. The same cosmetic theme carries through to the door panels, and below the radio is a custom switch panel to activate many of the vehicle’s accessories.

More Images at: autoshow.autos.msn.com

Autopartswarehouse.com | Getting Your Car iPod Ready

2008-08-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

Getting your car IPod ready is very simple. You just need three basic options - RCA cable, go wireless with an FM transmitter, or connect via cassette tape. If you use a FM transmitter, just follow the instructions that come with it. Sometimes they involve installing software on your PC, downloading the radio stations to your iPod, finding a station with no feedback at all, and matching the station on your stereo to the station on the iPod.

Here are the Steps:

1. Buy a cassette adapter at your local Radio Shack or Best Buy store. They generally run about $15 dollars, and it's an easy way to have a good quality hookup to your car. You simply plug a standard plug into the earphone jack of your iPod, and a cord runs from that to a cassette which you place into the cassette player. Tune your car stereo to cassette, and you're ready to go (any cassette adapter at those stores should work with the iPod, so don't get suckered into buying the most expensive name brand). It is worth noting that the cassette tape is an analog medium, and therefore suffers some loss in audio quality.
2. Buy a wireless transmitter- these devices usually attach to your iPod, and require you to tune your radio to a designated FM frequency. While this is certainly the quickest and easiest fix, wireless transmitting has it's drawbacks. First, you will notice a slight decrease in your overall battery life. Second, FM radio transmissions do not usually exceed 96 Kbps, which means that any high-quality audio files (128 Kbps MP3 or higher, AAC, FLAC, MP4, etc...) are down-converted before being transmitted to the radio. This loss in quality is irrelevant to the untrained ear, but intermediate and advanced listeners may notice a drastic difference, especially on high-end stereos.
3. Try using RCA cables for better sound quality.
4. Remove the stereo from your dash. If it's a newer vehicle, you may need a special tool which usually just looks like 2 U's. The pointed ends are inserted into small holes on either side if the stereo. Pull the handles away from each other (pull the left one to the left, and the right one to the right). Pull, and the stereo will slide right out. If you have an older car, you will have to find out how to remove the dash and/or stereo. Sometimes it is just a couple of screws, and the rest is held on with clips. On others, you have to figure it out with trial and error (but remember, the more errors you make, the worse your car will probably look in the end). Ask some friends who may have the same car as you, or look it up online so it's done right.
5. Be sure that your stereo has some type of input in the back. If your stereo has a CD changer input in the rear with RCA inputs, you aren't out of luck - but you may be out another $50 because you need an adapter that changes the CD changer input into simple left and right RCA inputs. If you already have RCA inputs, there will be 2 of them (left and right audio). Usually, one is red, one is white, and they may or may not be covered by small rubber caps (depending on how old it is). If there are caps, you can remove them.
6. Decide where you will be putting your iPod and where you want the wire going. Once you've done this, drill your hole. For a way to make sure the wire never falls through the hole (forcing you to take everything apart to get it), go to step 7. Otherwise, skip to step 8.
7. If its RCA then the RCA to 1/8th inch jack should be fine, get an extension for the 1/8th inch if you need it but don't go splicing wires! Don't drill any holes; instead, find a way to run the cable under the dash.
8. Check that everything works, which usually requires switching to an "input" mode or "auxiliary" mode on your stereo. If it works, you're all set. Replace your stereo and dash. You're done.

Reminder: Check if there are no metal is exposed on the wires when you're done. If yes, removed or do it again because it will damage your iPod, car stereo or both.

Source: wikihow.com

Autopartswarehouse.com | Positioning Without GPS Signal

2008-08-21T00:32:00.000-07:00

Its Navison that developed the software-only positioning system that relies on wi-fi and phone positioning plus it shares the GPS data from other Navizon customers who own a GPS device! They came up with a version that is compatible with Windows Smartphones.

When GPS signals are available Navizon uses this information to build an accurate map of the WiFi and Cellular “Landscape” around a user (it determines the exact Latitude/Longitude of Wireless Access Points and Cellular Towers within a city, neighborhood or territory) and then stores this positioning information locally on your device. While Navizon is building this “Wireless Map”, you can still access and operate your favorite Pocket PC GPS applications (as you would normally) since GPS Positioning Mode is totally transparent to your device and its GPS applications!

GPS POSITIONING MODE is popular for active GPS users… but Navizon “kicks it up a notch” for you GPS geeks and gadget fans by extending and enhancing the functionality of your devices — and your entire GPS user experience. Since it “works where GPS doesn’t”, especially when “line of sight” is obscured or blocked in dense cities, urban canyons, indoors, underground, etc.

Navizon is the ultimate Pocket PC companion to have when GPS signals or devices aren’t available.

Because Navizon users ALWAYS have access to accurate positioning information in urban areas they can navigate almost anywhere using a WiFi or Cellular Pocket PC and the Navizon Wireless Positioning System (Software Only GPS). When GPS devices or GPS signals aren’t present, Navizon automatically engages to deliver accurate Positioning Data to your Pocket PC applications & maps — which are totally oblivious to the absence of GPS!

With this new system you will not need a GPS Signal.

Detailed info: Navison

Autopartswarehouse.com | USB ports in Cars

2008-08-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

Considering that many of our mobile electronics have USB ports for charging, it is very convenient to have a USB port while traveling in the road.

Previous in car chargers have only 1 USB port. You can actually charge anything on it too but how can you charge 4 gadget all in the same time. The new in car charger 4 USB port is the answer. You can charge all your gadget in one device using the power of your car.

Now travelers can charge their IPod, Mobile Phones, Digital cameras and other USB port charging device. With the new in car charger you can use four USB Ports to charge your gadgets.

The charger is located near the cigarette lighter. It works within a range of 12-24 volts, and a fuse that can be changed out. It is very useful for people always on the road except people that do smoke a lot. Just try to imagine lighting a cigarette when you’ve got four cords plugged in to this In car charger. Worst case scenario you will burn the plugs.

If you have all the gadget using USB ports and always travel a lot you can get it on the USBFever website for about $22.99. USBFever nailed this one, it give the motorist their cigarette outlet back with 4 USB fort.
_________________
*Any fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction. - Albert Einstein*

Have You Ever Wondered The Importance Of Your Mobile Phone?

2008-07-29T18:14:00.001-07:00

With the advent of new technology the way of communication is also changed. In very early days of history, pigeons were used as means of communication. Later, written messages are sent through letters by post. As the time passed, telephone came into existence and today is the era of wireless communication which gives rise to mobile phones. Mobiles are the latest invention and common way to communicate now-a-days.

Mobile phones are long range, portable and wireless electronic device of communication. A few years back, when mobile phones were not so common, the device was expensive and communication costs pretty good to the user. But in last a few years as the use of mobiles increased, their cost is decreased considerably and this factor helped a lot to make them available for common men. Mobile phones are now inexpensive, easy to use, and comfortable and equipped with almost every latest feature we desire.

Mobiles are now every one’s first choice gadget, either an elderly person or a younger one. It is like a status symbol now. Every persons hand is equipped with latest mobile models and everyone has its own reason to have this magic gadget in his hands. Every day new models of mobiles come replacing the older ones to lure the users. The interested users especially the young generation is very fond of the latest features provided in new handsets. People like the new ring tones, hello tunes and wallpapers. With this, mp3 and video recording facilities, MMS and Internet facilities are attracting the users to mobile world. Mobile users can’t even imagine their world without their handset. The importance of mobiles can be imagined by the reaction of people if they are asked to leave their handset separate from them for a day. Their life got a comma if they are keeping apart of their mobiles.

In Japan, mobile phone companies provide immediate notification of earthquakes and other natural disasters to their customers free of charge. In the event of an emergency, disaster response crews can locate trapped or injured people using the signals from their mobile phones or the small detonator of flare in the battery of every cell phone; an interactive menu accessible through the phone's Internet browser notifies the company if the user is safe or in distress.

There is no doubt that the mobile phones have made the life more easy and comfortable. Everyone is in touch with their family members, friends and other known. If we want to talk with anyone, there is no need to write a letter and have to wait for days to send the message to receiver, just we have to pick the phone and press a number and start talking. Mobile phones are comfortable way of communication over a long distance. Life becomes so easy and fast by holding the mobile phones.

Mobile phones proved to be a big help in emergencies. Mobile phones are also known as lifesavers as helping people in emergencies. If you get stuck in the middle of the road and find no one for help, you can just use a mobile phone and call for help. Along with the obvious convenience and quick access to help in emergencies big and small, mobile phones can be both economical and essential for travelers trying to stay connected.

Like every coin have two sides, mobiles phones providing a lot of advantages also shows off few disadvantages. Mobile-phone use while driving is common. It is generally agreed that using a hand-held mobile phone while driving is a distraction that brings risk of road traffic accidents. So we need to use hands free sets to avoid such hazards.

A little attention is received recently towards the potential impact of the kind of electromagnetic fields generated by cellular phones on the human brain. Accumulating evidence indicate that microwave radiation from mobile phones may cause serious diseases and disturbances in the physiology. This includes an increased cancer risk and genetic damage, disturbed brain function and other effects. Mobile phone radiation and health concerns have been raised, especially following the enormous increase in the use of wireless mobile telephony throughout the world. Hence, the head set should be kept at reasonable distance from our head and prolonged use of mobile phone should be avoided.

The Things You Should Have For Your Car Audio System

2008-07-29T18:12:00.001-07:00

Are you having trouble finding out what you need for your car audio system? Maybe you should take a look here first. Car audio accessories can relate to a number of things including:

Ipod and portable MPR music player accessories
Remote controls
Antennas
Speakers
Amplifiers
Subwoofers

Ipod and portable MPR music player accessories

These accessories will let you use an ipod in your car simply by plugging your Ipod into your car CD player head unit. Some modern CD players now come with inbuilt Ipod support and can even access ITunes as well.

Remote controls

You can get wireless remote controls for many types of cd players. These are inexpensive - around $10 to $20. The wireless remote lets you operate your car stereo from a distance inside the car. Although many CD players come with a remote, it's good to have a back up for a spare as they are quite small and can be easy to misplace.

Speakers

Car speakers can in a vast array of types, sizes, styles and output ratings. Yes it is true that the better brand and more expensive speakers will generally give better sound, however most people will be happy with a good mid range speaker rather than buying from top of the range.
The most popular front speaker size for a car is 6"x9" - these are the round speakers that fit in the front doors. Alpine, Blaupunkt, Pioneer, Kenwood and Sony all make good quality 6"x9" speakers.

Subwoofers

A subwoofer in your car will allow you to hear bass more so than if you simply had speakers in the car. Subwoofers give your car that well known thumping sound that you may hear from miles away (when it's played too loudly!). IN reality, most people want a subwoofer not to be heard in the next suburb, but just for that extra bass which can really do wonders for your music.
You can choose from component subwoofers which is just the speaker on its own, or you can buy pre made enclosed subwoofer boxes which can come with one or two subwoofers in them and can be placed in the trunk or your car. Subwoofers should be carefully matched to some quality speakers and a good amplifier.

Amplifiers

Once your have your speakers and subwoofer chosen, its time to get an amplifier. The majority of people will require a simple amplifier, whilst real audio enthusiasts will need to also look into crossovers, equalizer and even using multiple amps. Amplifiers will do just that - amplify the sound allowing you to reach greater volumes and clarity. They also give better control over individual speaker output, especially when combined with a high quality head unit. Alpine, Kenwood, JBL and Clarion all make excellent amplifiers in the mid-high quality range. Amps can cost anywhere from $100 right up to $2000 or more.

Here we have outlined just some of the car audio accessory possibilities for your car. If you are still unsure of what will fit in your car, please see a car audio specialist for specific advice.

A Few Facts About The Car Audio System

2008-07-29T18:10:00.001-07:00

In the last decade or so, automakers have placed increasing importance on in-car entertainment systems.

The core of these technologies has always been the audio system -- the noisemaker, if you will. What appeared in our dashboards more than 50 years ago as a tube radio the size of a breadbox now rivals the technical complexity of a 767.

This series is not written for aficionados, but for the average consumer who wants to gain a working knowledge of the basics of car audio design. By the end, we trust you'll have a better understanding of this technology.

What are the basics of car audio systems? How does each of the separate components operate? In the series to follow, we'll address these questions in a user-friendly and approachable format.

One note before we get started. This series will cover only original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) systems, the ones that come in your car from the factory. Unfortunately, in our limited space for this column, we're unable to deal with the vastness of the car audio aftermarket, which changes every day. Perhaps in future Tech Center articles we'll delve into this area. The good news is, most of the design concepts we're discussing here apply all the way up the line to really loud and pricey systems.

A car audio system is composed of four different groups of components. These are: head units, amplifiers, speakers, and auxiliary input devices (such as a CD changer or a graphic equalizer). Let's take a look at each.

The Head Unit
This is the heart and soul of your system. Without this component, your car audio system can't and won't work. The head unit, or, more simply, the radio, is the central processing device in the system.

Consider the way your mind works. Let's say you want to shout at somebody. Your brain tells your vocals chords to raise to a certain volume level. The words form in your mind, your mouth opens, and out comes a shout.

In a similar fashion, the head unit controls all the functions in your car audio system. Music too loud? Turn down the volume. Too soft? Turn it up. Want more bass? Add bass input.

All changes and controls come through the head unit. If you could see behind the radio in your dash, you'd find a dozen or so wires going off in all different directions to other systems in the car. These are like the nerves in your body, transmitting signals to and from the various components.

In addition to volume, bass, etc., the head unit may contain other systems within its casing. These include: tuner, cassette, equalizer, CD or amplifier. Some of these words look familiar? That's because we mentioned them above.

You see, in a home music system, where you have much more room, many stereo setups will include a separate box for each one of these components -- CD, cassette, etc. You may have a home system like that yourself. In a car, with its space limitations, these components are often crammed into one box -- the head unit. This depends upon a number of factors, such as heat, space, cosmetic design and other concerns, and every car is different.

The Amplifier
All car audio systems have an amplifier, even if it's a small one (and based upon the factory systems we've been listening to lately, a lot of them are really dinky).

Occasionally the amplifier will be attached to the rear of the head unit; however, in most systems it is hidden elsewhere in the car to better dissipate heat.

Signal amplification is actually a two-stage process, handled by two separate components. These are the preamplifier and the power amplifier.

The preamplifier (preamp, for short) is like that little voice whispering in your ear not to eat ice cream at midnight. It's a very tiny signal coming directly from the radio (in fact, the preamp resides inside the head unit). Whether it's reproducing a cassette signal, a CD signal, or an FM broadcast, the preamp puts out a signal inaudible to the human ear. This is where the power amplifier takes over.

It's the power amp's job to take the signal from the preamp and boost it into the audible range. We'll cover this in more depth in our Amplifier column in this series. Again, because of heat, most amplifiers are located away from the head unit.

The Speakers
The speakers take the boosted signal from the power amp and deliver it to your ears. The way loudspeakers work is a fascinating process and will be dealt with at length in our Speaker column in this series. Essentially, loudspeakers transform electrical energy (the amplified signal) into mechanical energy (the motion of the speaker cone).

For now, know that all sound is vibration. When you snap your fingers, this action sets off a chain of frequencies in the air that eventually vibrate the membranes in your eardrums. You hear: "Snap!"

Sound energy is measured in wavelengths, known as hertz, and goes from 20 to 20,000 cycles. A cycle is the distance from the top of one wavelength to the top of the next.

Traditional loudspeaker design calls for three components to reproduce sound energy: woofers, tweeters and midrange drivers.

As the name implies, the woofer reproduces the lower frequencies, such as a large dog barking. The tweeter, also aptly named, replicates the higher register -- a bird singing. The midrange handles the frequencies in between.

Car audio manufacturers use various assortments of these drivers to achieve the sound they want. We'll go into this at length in a future installment.

Auxiliary Input Devices
Components such as CD changers and equalizers, not to mention cell phones, navigation systems, MP3 players and many of the newer technologies, interface with the head unit for amplification and signal processing. We'll delve into this area in our final installment.

We hope this helps you gather a basic understanding of car audio technology. Look for an in-depth view inside the head unit in our next column.

Are You Thinking Of Using Water On Your Car? Here's A Few Facts To Help You Out

2008-07-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

With the raising gas prices a new question on everyone's mind is how to save money on gas? Well how about a water hybrid conversion? You don't need to purchase a new vehicle and you can covert the one you currently own to save on gas and get better gas mileage by utilizing a water hybrid car kit or making your own from one of the many plans available online for purchase. So how exactly does your car run on water?

Well, it is not actually the water that the car will replace the gasoline with, it is a byproduct you create using the conversion kit. HHO or Browns Gas is produced through the electrical stimulation of water from a current obtained from your car's battery. By utilizing the power of browns gas you can cut your fuel consumption by up to 40%. Now thats a big savings on the pocketbook. Now I know you may be questioning the safety of using a hydrogen product, but Browns gas is quite safe and in either manner you will only be creating small quantities at a time, so any risk would be very minimal.

For $60 or so you can purchase all the components you will need to do the conversion. It is also great because it is an easy do it yourself project so you won't have to pay a mechanic or anything and the initial outlay of $60 will save you a lot at the pump. Water hybrid car kits essentially contain electrical wiring, baking soda, a sealed container, vacuum hose and obviously, the water. Nothing too scary to deal with. Basically the wiring is used to obtain a current from your cars battery that will convert the water into Browns gas, which is then introduced into your cars manifold.

Experience Convenience While Driving With The New ECS G10IL

2008-06-07T05:33:00.000-07:00

A laptop is one of a car owner’s best friends while he/she is on the road. Rather than shifting back and forth to where a Personal Computer is, a laptop offers a much more convenient and comfortable way to access you data. Plus, with the rise of wireless connectivity, a laptop is more in demand due to the convenience it offers you.

But most laptops these days often weigh a ton and its maintenance doesn’t come easy at all. Fortunately, some genius invented ultra portable mini laptops to address this concern. One notable model is the new Elitegroup Computer System (ECS) G10IL.

The ECS G10IL is equipped with a 10.2 inch display and is powered by an Intel Atom processor. Along with the Intel processor, 1 GB of RAM handles the memory chores of the ECS G10IL. Other features of the ECS G10IL are three USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, modem, VGA port, and a 4-in-1 card reader. A 1.3-megapixel webcam sits on top of the screen. The unit was locked to the table, but it weighs no more than 3 pounds.

With a laptop like these in your car, wouldn’t you want to stay in it all the time?

Oklahoma City Dealys The Use Of Their WiFi Network

2008-06-07T05:32:00.000-07:00

Driving through Oklahoma City is made more exciting with the installation of the world’s largest WiFi network… or so we thought. Oklahoma City officials have released a statement saying that the Wifi network is reserved exclusively for public safety and other city operations and it won't be used soon. That’s too bad because the network itself covers 555 square miles with over 95% service coverage. This WiFi network took two whole years to make and $5 million was used. What’s bad about this is these funds were taken from public safety capital sales tax and city capital improvement funds. What a letdown people.

A Projector That Fits Your Palm

2008-06-07T05:28:00.000-07:00

You can now have the chance to watch movies in your car? And you don’t need to spend tons of money for an expensive theater system. All you need to do is search gadget shops well for a new Foxconn PD-W1001 projector. The Foxconn PD-W1001 features a 0.3-inch Texas DlP chip, WVGA (854 x 480) resolution in a 55 x 46 x 26 millimeter casing. This amazing gadget weighs just 65 grams, making it light on your pockets literally. We know that hardcore movie fanatics won’t appreciate this gadget’s function but cash-strapped people will find the Foxconn PD-W1001 very useful. Now if this baby suddenly upgrades to 1080p, we’re looking at a different story.

The New Bose Media System

2008-05-21T18:57:00.001-07:00

I am drowning in drool right now because of this techie toy. It makes me want to splurge all of my savings just to get one for my car.

Big-time audio company, Bose, has unveiled its Bose Media System car stereo. This one-of-a-kind baby has the ability to incorporate music, satellite navigation, hands-free phone use, satellite radio and voice commands. Yes, it can do all of those things without breaking a sweat.

But wait, there’s more! (I can’t resist the urge not to use those lines.)

The new Bose Media System also has a 30 GB hard drive where you can store all your tunes, videos and every other thing you need whenever you’re driving your car. What this means people is that you can store over 200 CDs inside this baby and you have the freedom to access them whenever you like. It also has controls that have proximity sensors that can tell you're reaching for a knob before you even complete the motion.

According to The Detroit Free Press, the designers wanted to limit distracting controls that take drivers’ eyes away from the road. The system has the simplicity of a car radio circa 1955, with only a few buttons and knobs to worry about.

The unit is only available in Ferraris, but the Free Press speculates it may soon appear in a GM vehicle (perhaps a Cadillac or Corvette), based on Bose's long history with GM.

The Night Vision Black-Rimmed Glasses: Love It or Hate It

2008-05-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

You’ll love this one or you’ll downright hate it.

The new Night Vision black-rimmed glasses make you look something out of the ordinary or it makes you look like you’re welding two pieces of metal together. Yep, wearing these glasses help you get the job done while you’re driving at night but at the same time, it helps lower your cool factor. The guys who made these glasses could have done a better job of making you look snazzy every time you’re driving and not make you look like a geek working in a construction site.

The price for this one is $9.95 people.

The New Tummy Shield Seatbelt

2008-05-21T18:54:00.001-07:00

Pregnant women all over the world need not be hassled by uncomfortable seatbelts anymore! Yes, some thoughtful people have actually cooked up a special kind of seatbelt that allows a woman carrying a child to experience no discomfort every time they’re riding a car.

The new TummyShield is designed without a lap belt for maximum safety and comfort. The exclusion of a lap belt removes the potential to hurt or even kill the unborn child inside the tummy of its mother. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, four out of five deaths of unborn infants occur because of vehicular accidents, and many of these accidents are

Replacing the lap belt are two straps that buckle across the pregnant woman’s thighs. These straps secure the pregnant mommy in the best manner possible without the risk of hurting her and the unborn child. All you need to dish out is $188 and you’re ensured to have a safer ride for your wife, friend, mom or whatever she is to you.

The Importance of the Security System

2008-05-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

Let’s discuss one of the most essential tools you’ll need in your car: the security system. A car’s security system functions by guarding your car from people with bad intentions for it. Old cars require your to stick the key to your door in order to lock it. When someone forces your door open, that person won’t have to worry about your car from reacting because older cars aren’t equipped with an able security system.

All car models nowadays are now equipped with a security system to help you guard your precious ride. Every time you leave your car, you just press a button on your car keys that activate the security system. Once it is activated, anyone who tries to open your doors will be greeted by a blaring noise emitted by the car. This will alert anyone close to your car that it is being tampered with by unknown forces.

Imagine this kind of situation. You leave your car at the parking lot and you stick your keys to lock the doors. You slowly walk away and spend your day at work. The moment you come back for your car, you see signs of forced entry all over it. You then discover all of your possessions are gone. You can avoid this situation from coming to reality by having a security system installed to your car rather than using your keys to lock it.

Such is the importance and value of a capable security system to you and your car. It helps you sleep better at night and helps you ease your concerns every time you leave your car. If you find yourself in a constant state of paranoia over your car, get a new security system and install it right away. Believe me, you’ll be saving a lot of trouble by getting one.

Tips On Taking Care Of Your Gadgets

2008-05-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

There’s no point in buying a techie toy for your car if you’re not going to take care of it. All you’re going to do is waste precious money on that gadget and see it slowly rot away until you can longer use it. If you’re a sane person then by all means give your car’s gadgets the care and attention it deserves from you.

You need to do the whole shebang in taking care of your gadgets. This doesn’t mean you have to shell out additional cash just to ensure your toys survive your daily use and abuse of it. It’s a common misconception nowadays. Don’t be fooled people because more money doesn’t guarantee the longevity of your gadget.

You don’t have to apply rocket science when you’re taking care of your gadget guys. All you have to do is make sure your toys are in tip-top shape every time you use them. How do you do this feat? It’s simple. Just clean it from time to time and make sure nothing ever harms it. This means you shouldn’t drop your gadget or accidentally spill coffee on it. It’s as simple as that.

Another tip on taking care of your gadget is cleaning it from time to time. Your gadget isn’t covered with laminated so you may find some specks of dust in places where the sun don’t shine. All you need is a simple piece of cloth and you’re good to go. A quick look at your gadget’s user manual could help you go a long way too.

You’ll have to raise the standard with more complicated gadgets like your in-car entertainment system or LCD monitor. These kinds of gadgets require utmost attention and are from you. In this case, you may have to shell out some cash to have the most efficient system in taking care of these things. When you think about it, a few dollars is worth the life of your gadget in the long run.

When all things fail, there’s always the repair shop to go to. First you have to check the warranty of your gadget so you can save some money for its repair. A regular check up of your gadgets at these shops wouldn’t hurt either. Remember, it’s better to practice preventive measures rather than spending more money on repairs.

Like every important possession you have, you should invest time in these matters. You may be holding a gadget that’s going to outlive you because of your care or you’ll have a ticking time bomb waiting to explode in your hands.

Park Better With The New Ford Rearview Camera

2008-05-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Ford is raising the standards of your driving experience with its new rear view camera. Yes people, Ford is installing this clever baby as an added option whenever you buy the 2008 F-150 King Ranch, F-Series Super Duty and Lincoln Mark LT pickups, as well as the Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator and Mazda CX-9 SUVs. But what does it have to offer to you anyway?

You’ll have better control of your car by using a rearview camera. You can have a better view each time you park your car in the safest and smoothest manner possible. And what’s good about it is you won’t have to install it anywhere inside your car because you’ll automatically see it in your rearview mirror. You can now say buh-bye to the hassles and inconveniences of parking your Ford vehicle in tight spots. Clever isn’t it?

For only $450, you could get a new rearview mirror as a stand-alone option for your Ford vehicle. Don’t waste any more time and get one now.

Getting Lost All The Time? You Don't have To With This Steering Wheel

2008-05-08T19:45:00.000-07:00

Have the future in your hands right now. Seriously, you can have the future at the palm of your two hands every time you drive your car with a new steering wheel that can actually give you directions.

Japanese technology company Takara has taken the old steering wheel we all know and love and packed in it a wonderful add-on for your car. Takara has partnered with Navigon to have this steering wheel help you find your way on the road. The system uses a Navigon 7100 GPS system to handle all your needs when it comes to finding your way thru traffic. This will be a lot of help for those who aren’t comfortable with using a LCD screen on their cars.

As of now, there are still no absolute plans to use this steering wheel in any car. But with the promise Takara and Navigon has shown us, it could be a good starting point for further improving our driving experience.

The Smart Brake Light

2008-05-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

You might have a hard time driving on the road if you’re using a defective brake light on your car. The brake light is an essential part of a car as it warns the drivers behind you to either slow down or stop right away when you’re in traffic. When the quality of your car’s brake light starts to diminish, your safety will be compromised.

A wise driver always puts the safety of the car and the passengers inside it above everything else. You should never compromise that safety for anything else unless you have a peanut for a brain. Always have the right parts on your car and take some time to visit your neighborhood-friendly mechanic once in a while. These two tips can help your car go a long way.

If you’re out looking for a new brake light, perfect choice would be to use the new Smart brake light. Not only does it fulfill the function of a brake light well but it also helps your car to stand out from the crowd

The Smart brake light actually warns drivers how fast or slow you are going. This clever invention from some engineering students at Virginia Tech glows orange to warn others that your car is just slowing down. The Smart brake light will then glow a shade of red to warn others that you are stopping immediately. This function allows a better exchange of information between your car and other drivers on the road.

The New Toyota Prius

2008-05-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

We know it’s not related to our blog but with all the technology used in this car, it should be featured nonetheless.

The new Toyota Prius is heaven’s gift to nature-lovers all around the globe and to those who are planning on making a statement when it comes to driving a futuristic car. This hybrid vehicle from the world’s number one car maker employs the use batteries and a plug-in option to easily charge the car. This means you won’t have to worry about its fuel consumption and wasting tons of money on gas anymore.

The new Toyota Prius will come with a larger 1.8 engine displacement and will increase its fuel efficiency by 10 percent. This hybrid vehicle may also be released in a wagon variant and a compact version in the near future. There’s still no word on when the new Toyota Prius will be relased but when it does, expect a lot of people lining up to get one.

Laser-guided Wheelchair is A Definitie Proof of the Future

2008-05-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Maybe in the future, we’ll have flying cars and computers that drive our ride without any assistance at all. Maybe we’ll get to travel the farthest reaches of outer space in no time at all. Maybe we’ll reach that point soon or maybe not at all. But here’s proof that the future is slowly creeping into our cars and slowly assimilating our society from within.

Some guys from Lehigh University and Freedom Sciences have invented a laser-guided wheelchair that you can control and dock from your own vehicle. Although it’s sill in its early stages of development, this invention s already showing a lot of promise. This laser-guided wheelchair can be controlled from the car although it is not entirely automated at this time. It uses an on-board LIDAR system and loads itself into a vehicle by itself.

If you’re interested in this invention, you’ll have to wait a long time before it’s ready for a public release. Along with the time you have to wait, you might also need to shell out $30, 000 to have this laser-guided wheelchair inside your car.

Have The Party In Your Car With The New Hercules Mobile DJ

2008-05-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

If you’re one of the many people who prefer to have kick-ass sound system in your ride, you’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t get this baby. The Hercules Mobile DJ MP3 player promises to fulfill all you audio needs and more for just $99.

Its specification list is something to drool over it features a wireless digital mixing mini-controller, the first of its kind. The Hercules Mobile DJ MP3 player also throws away any confusion into the trash bin with its friendly user-interface that promises to help you navigate its system in the easiest manner possible. Now you could bring the party to your car without the hassles of purchasing and using complicated mixing gadgets available in the market today.

The Hercules Mobile DJ MP3 player is the most convenient and mobile of all mixing gadgets there is today. Using only two C* batteries to power this baby up, it helps you jumpstart the party from your ride by using a dual LCD display that effectively guides you through its system. It also employs the use of a mini-controller that houses two jog wheels. These jog wheels emulate vinyl/CD decks for the user to mix and scratch tracks like it was the real thing. All you need to get the crowd hyped is an ale sound system in your car and a laptop to maximize its use. Just for a $99 price tag, you can keep the crowd happy wherever you go.

"In light of the explosion in the popularity of MP3s, we have created a novice MP3 mini-controller that puts DJing within reach for all music and entertainment enthusiasts of all ages" explains François Garet, Development Director for the Hercules Music product line. "Our new portable controller makes mixing easy by giving everyone the tools to have fun putting their own touch on their digital music".

Jack Up Your Car With A Balloon

2008-04-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

If you’re one of the many people who find jacking up their car too strenuous then here’s the perfect tool for you.

What this baby does is it uses your engine’s exhaust fumes to raise the car. You can now change your wheels, check your car’s under chassis for problems or boast off to onlookers nearby. The balloon used to raise your car can handle up to three tons of weight for about 45 minutes. This time is enough for you to replace your flat tire with a spare one and you can do it with style to boot!

Just don’t over-inflate the balloon unless you want it to explode in your face and watch your ca suddenly bounce from its height.

The New Pioneer NavGate AVIC-F900BT Is God's Gift To Bored Drivers

2008-04-23T17:17:00.001-07:00

Come on, admit it. You’re getting bored of your car’s in-car entertainment system. You’d somehow wish you had an entire 42” of pure LCD action you can actually use while you’re driving on the streets. In this way, you know you’ll never get bored going to work ever again.

We don’t have a 42” LCD TV to install to your ride but we have the next best thing anyway.

The Pioneer NavGate AVIC-F900BT is the perfect solution to everything that concerns in-car entertainment. It has a built-in GPS, can play your tunes, lets you watch movies thru its 5.8 inch WXGA touchscreen display and supports Bluetooth for your phones. This baby also plays DVD, supports a number of video formats, has a slot for SD cards and can store 300 of your contacts’ numbers. I guess the only thing this gadget can’t do it drive your car automatically. But hey, you can’t have everything in this life anyway.

Never Get Lost With The GPS Capable Archos 605

2008-04-23T17:15:00.001-07:00

Are you always getting lost to Neverland every time you figure out how you’re going to from point A to point B? It sucks having no one to rely on when you’re alone in the middle of nowhere. In this case, you might resort to using your mobile phone and asking someone for directions to help you get out of the rut you’re in. But what would you do if your phone’s battery dies and you have no one to ask directions from.

You’re in luck because this portable media player not only dishes out tunes and movies, it can lead you to wherever you’re going in a manner anyone can simply understand and comprehend. But to be able to fully maximize the use of the Archos 605, you need to install a GPS add-on. This allows you to mount it inside your car and view it while cruising down the road.

Here are some of this media monster’s specs:

• Play all your digital entertainment: movies, TV shows, photos and music
• Record your favorite TV shows
• Stream and watch videos from your PC
• Download movies and music directly on your PMP using the ARCHOS Content Portal
• Enjoy the new high resolution 4.3" touch screen (800x480 pixels)
• Internet enabled to surf the Web, share content, and access Web video sites
• View, zoom photos and make slide shows with music and transition effects, for viewing on the PMP or TV
• Listen to all your favorite music in more formats than any other player
• 30GB to store up to 40 movies, 300,000 photos or 15,000 songs

Some Tech You Should Have

2008-04-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

You’re stuck in traffic and it might seem you’re going to spend a lot of time inside your car. Your mind then starts to wander off from the road because your car hasn’t moved an inch for the last 30 minutes or so. With the wonders of boredom coming about, you start to ponder about the latest technology and what kind you should have in your car.

With your boredom at hand, we present to you a partial list of some tech you should have for your car:

Like any responsible car owner these days, you should have a capable security system installed on your ride. It doesn’t matter if you have a kick-ass sound setup inside your trunk or a monster engine that churns out enough horsepower to circle the world under your hood because if you’re still using a defective or inferior security system, then so could start waving your car and all the things installed to it goodbye. If you REALLY are using a defective or inferior security system, you better have it replaced with a new one in order for you to sleep better at night.

Today’s car owner should always have some kind of sound-producing device inside his or her car in order to remain sane throughout the entire journey. Whether you’re still using the car’s stock CD player, an old but reliable radio or the most complicated in-car entertainment system money could buy; this technology can really help you a lot in your everyday driving experience. If you’re always driving long distances regularly, you’d agree with me that a good sound system is your best friend while you’re on the streets.

These days, most people who own a car also owns a mobile phone. The use of these mobile phones while on the road has greatly contributed to a steady rise in vehicular accidents all over the civilized world today. What better way to avoid contributing to this number of accidents than to use a hands-free set for your phone in order to be safe all the time? Would you rather have a phone conversation while cruising down the freeway and exerting more effort or would you rather have it easy by using a hands-free set for your phone and car? It’s a cardinal rule of driving people so get one now.

In line with number three, the modern car owner should have a mobile phone in his or her pocket whenever the use of a car is made possible. These mobile phones not only bridge us to our loved ones but they act us our lifeline to the people we need whenever car problems arise. Picture this: you’re driving in the middle of nowhere and your tire decides to explode. You stop and find your spare tire was left at home. The only thing you could do is call someone to bring some tools and a spare tire to your location or you could phone your neighborhood garage to help you out. Yep, the mobile phone could be your knight in shining armor during these situations.

This is just a partial list people so keep your pants on. When Tech on Wheels comes back, we are going to show you another list of yummy gadgets and amazing techie toys you don’t actually need but you really want for your ride.

Make A Statement With This Baby

2008-04-20T08:21:00.001-07:00

It’s hard to stand out from the rest of the crowd nowadays. You buy a cool shirt only to find some ordinary Joe at the grocery line wearing it too. When you step out of the grocery, you immediately spot a group of friends sporting the same shirt for some event. This makes you want to take off that shirt and burn it right away.

The same goes for your car. You always find something on your car that you can find on a gajillion other cars and you see your supposed “individual style” go out the window. Yes, it sucks but there’s something not yet used by many car owners and it’s a sure fire hit to make more heads turn in the direction of your ride.

We present the digital and oh-so-wonderful programmable license plate frame!

Find one now for your car and make your sentiments seen on the road without wasting a ton of money for expensive custom paint jobs!

Have A Different Driving Experience With The Tank Chair

2008-04-20T08:18:00.001-07:00

If you’re tired of driving your car down to work and you’re looking for something that could break the monotony of your everyday schedule, then here’s a solution for you:

See more people making way for you when you drive this bad-ass baby down the road and make them eat your exhaust dust. Plus, you could enjoy more of your travel everyday with what the Tank Chair could offer. Its specs are a far cry from a modified muscle car but the experience of driving one is priceless. Here’s a list of its specs:

One-Piece Steel Chassis (in order to survive any road condition it encounters)
Rubber Tracks w/ Lightweight Aluminum Struts (talk about maximum traction on the road)
4 - Optima Deep Cycle 12v Batteries
Battery access sliding tray
24V
1hp Continuous (a far cry from your usual car but still fun to ride to wherever you’re going)
127RPM
Variable Speed
22:1 Gear Ratio
Up 10% incline
All Weather Design
Sand, Sun, Snow, Gravel (now that’s what I call all-road terrain capable)
42" Wide x 42" Long

Now, if you’re looking for something that can drive the kids to school or a car that can fulfill your everyday needs, I suggest taking a look elsewhere. Now, if you’re looking for an awesome day on the road and the capability to live out your childhood war hero dreams, then I suggest you prepare your camouflage shirts and toy guns because with the Tank Chair, you’ll never have to worry about being stuck in traffic anymore.

Tech On Wheels Is Here To Help

2008-04-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

Let’s face it people. You have a car in your garage right now. Whether aftermarket parts are installed to it in order to make other people eat your dust or not, it still serves its purpose of bring you from point A to point B. Have you ever wished that you could have a magic carpet to use or you could have a Volkswagen Beetle transforming into a giant robot as your ride? Have you imagined talking to your car like the one in Knight Rider so you wouldn’t have to waste your saliva talking to one while you’re on the road?

Yep, we know all of those things are impossible to have and to operate on the road. Heck, you can’t even have those things in this lifetime but we’re bringing to you the next best thing anyway for you to have a fun time on the road.

If you’re wondering how you could make that travel any less boring, aside from lazily counting stop lights on the road or racing the minivan clogging up the streets, the only solution you have in your hands right now is to go and get some cool gadgets for your car.

Whether it’s a doped-up in-car entertainment system or a drop-dead gaming console for your ride, the use of modern gadgets could help you in maximizing your everyday driving experience. Even the most mundane gadgets like an air-conditioned shirt (This one is true people. We did find one on the net.) can help you spice up your driving life on the road.

We here at Tech on Wheels have taken the enormous responsibility of introducing you the widest range of out-of-this-world techie toys, made specifically for your driving experience, that could help you in staying awake during your driving time. Indulge in what we can find on the World Wide Web and make your choice in what new gadget or toy you’d use to ensure you’d have a fun ride from point A to point B.