2008 October | Auto Moto Gadgets

Posted on 28-10-2008

In-car margarita maker isn’t a good excuse for drunk driving

Filed Under (Accesories, Auto, Car) by Bobby

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A full-fledged toilet is the only car accessory someone hasn’t invented yet. Probably. Everything else is out there, as long as you have the money for it.

Coffee on the go is not enough anymore; how about a margarita? The Margarator just needs a power supply, some ice, margarita mix and tequila and it’s ready to pour out some exquisite booze. And it can use the car plug, in addition to AC/DC power… but we hope that no one takes that as permission to drink while driving.

Margarator

Actually, a margarita maker in a car makes little sense regardless of details. Yes, the passengers could drink, or it could be used at some sort of high-class tailgating party… but why?

Either way, it’s $110, which is not that expensive. There’s bound to be buyers.

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Posted on 24-10-2008

Coffee cup-shaped car charger powers your gadgets on the go

Filed Under (Accesories, Auto, Car) by Bobby

Having a car means that, inevitably, you’ll make longer trips. And if a gadget lover has to spend a lot of time in the car (especially if s/he is in the passenger seat) it means they need entertainment. Laptops and mp3 players are easy enough to carry, but tend to run out of juice pretty quick.

Coffee Cup Inverter

This is where the Coffee Cup Inverter steps in. It’s a regular car charger (we all know them), but it offers 2 AC outlets and 1 USB charging port via 200/400-watt inverter, so there’ll be plenty of room for everyone’s gizmos.

And the shape is not just for design’s sake: a coffee cup-shaped object fits perfectly in the car’s cup holder, which means it will stay put at curves and sudden brakes, not go flying with gadgets in tow.

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Posted on 22-10-2008

Truck antlers make your car look stupid, reindeer-killer

Filed Under (Accesories, Auto, Car) by Bobby

The latest in car fashion is here. Dubious fashion, that is…

Truck antlers

The Truck Antlers will definitely get attention on the road, but we can’t guarantee that it’ll be the positive kind. After all, your car will look like it ran over Santa’s reindeer… and you wouldn’t want to do that to poor Santa, would you?

Is $30 too much to pay to look silly?

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Posted on 20-10-2008

Wake up to the sound of your dream car with the Motor Clock

Filed Under (Accesories, Auto, Car) by Bobby

If you love cars so much that the sound of an engine is the first thing you want to hear in the morning (the voice of your loved one? overrated), then the Atomic Cherry Red Motor Clock is the perfect thing for you. It comes with 4 alarm sounds: V8 muscle car, V-Twin motorcycle, Turbo, and Door ajar alarm… and that last one just might be the most annoying noise in existence, so it’s bound to wake anyone up.

Atomic Cherry Red Motor Clock

Beside this, it also features a weather forecast display, temperature display (via a wireless sensor) and a dimmer button. And then, of course, the awesome looks.

But it doesn’t come cheap: it’s $72, and that’s on sale.

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Posted on 19-10-2008

R/C hand lets drivers express their feelings with the push of a button

Filed Under (Auto, Car, Funny, Gadgets) by Bobby

99% of the people interact with their traffic partners in 3 ways: flipping the bird, honking and motioning to indicate the other can pass. Maybe they would like to express more things in a simpler way?

The Hand

Fiddling with a remote while driving isn’t a bright idea, but when stuck in the city traffic everyone’s got plenty of time… enough to operate “The Hand” R/C Window Sign, at least. The gadget uses electroluminescent technology combined with animation, controlled by a visor-clipped remote, and can display 7 different gestures.

Although most of them have positive messages (“I love you”, “Hang Loose”, “Peace”), who wants to bet the others will get much more usage? “Loser” or the all time-favorite middle finger are much more appropriate when dealing with those drivers who think rules are something that only happens to to other people.

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Posted on 17-10-2008

60-foot slot car racetrack will delight your inner kid

Filed Under (Auto, Car, Toys) by Bobby

Who said toy racing cars are for kids? Someone who didn’t know what he was talking about, for sure. The World’s Greatest Shelby Slot Car Racetrack features more than 60 feet of track and two beautiful Daytona Coupes, and is sure to make any racing fan very happy on Christmas day. (It ships on December 1st, just in time.)

Shelby Racetrack

The set comes with the impressive track, a power pack, two cars, two controllers, grandstand and pit, and is a bit pricey at $249. But oh, the joy of two cars zipping down the tracks…

Shelby Racetrack Cars

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Posted on 15-10-2008

Carcade uses actual scenery for scrolling shooter

Filed Under (Auto) by Bobby

This is not exactly a gadget (yet, at least) but it’s too cool to pass up.

Carcade is a form of in-car entertainment designed by Berlin University of Arts students Andreas Nicolas Fischer, Martin Kim Luge and Korbinian Polk - in short, an arcade game to be played by passengers as the car is running. With the help of a webcam and a laptop with camera tracking software, the buildings the car is passing by are turned into obstacles for the player-controlled spaceship, basically allowing you to play a scrolling shooter with the actual scenery as background.

Carcade

Game play is influenced by car speed and camera angle, which is both good and bad (what happens when the car stops?) but for a project the results are already impressive. Just how much? Check out the video below.

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Posted on 14-10-2008

Another one for the control-freak parents: the Ford MyKey

Filed Under (Auto, Car, Services) by Bobby

If you want to know what your children are doing at all times (and destroy any self-reliance they might have), Ford has something especially for you. This new technology is called MyKey and will be available at first only for the 2010 Focus Coupe, then for the whole range of Ford cars.

Ford MyKey

What does it do exactly? It allows parents to control the car’s speed (80 mph max), the stereo’s volume (not higher than 44%) and to set the car to make an annoying beeping if the seatbelts aren’t fastened.

Would teens stand for it? When asked, most of them (67% to be exact) said they hated the idea. However, the numbers change if the system would allow them to use the family car more often: only 36% protested in this case.

Doesn’t seem like such a bad idea if you put it like this. In the end, it’s up to the parents to decide on the appropriate way to deal with their kids, and sometimes extra precautions are necessary. Annoyed at mum is better than wounded or dead in an accident.

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Posted on 13-10-2008

Don’t have a cat? Get a car to run after the laser pointer.

Filed Under (Auto, Car, Toys) by Bobby

One of the joys of having a cat is watching it chase a laser pointer.

You can never have too many remote controlled cars.

Infrared Tracker Remote Control Car

What do these two sentences have in common? The Infrared Tracker Remote Control Car. Yes, another RC car! But this one doubles the fun: the remote is actually a laser pointer, so instead of controlling your car the usual way you have it follow the red dot. If you’re bored of the “old” style of RC toys, $50 will be nothing for the entertainment this will offer.

P.S. Potentially destructive suggestion: bring a cat in the same room as the car… Just don’t hold me responsible for the results.

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