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One of the biggest questions concerning plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles is “Where will we charge them?”. A personal charger is one solution, but it limits range and requires the driver to have a garage or a driveway.
A California company called Coulomb Technologies says Smartlets is the future solution for this problem. According to Automotive News, Coulomb CEO Richard Lowenthal thinks that Smarlets could be placed in areas where people usually park their cars, making it more convenient to charge them while they go about their business.
Details about the technology are not yet known, but they will probably be announced at the Plug-In Car Show in San Jose, California, in July.
Wireless internet in the car is a great idea. You can do something useful on a long drive or at least be entertained. Of course, unless you’re the driver, in which case you should be watching the road, not your laptop.
Autonet Mobile is a wireless ISP which basically turns the car into a hotspot for the passengers, who can connect their various devices (like media players, gaming consoles, cell phones) to the broadband network. Perfect for internet addicts.
You’ll going to have a car dealer install this, however, and either way, you have to wait until later this spring. For more info, visit the Autonet Mobile website. via.
I do have problems with my electrical system from time to time. The main problem: I lose one of the head lights. So, since I am quite lazy, I don’t go to any mechanic shop until I really really need that fixed (or the police stops me).
This is probably the reason I understand this gadget: VisualEyes Rayzer. They say it triples the visibility while driving at night. I always needed something I can attach to my car (well, not really attach, I didn’t want to transform my Audi A4 in a crossover) and see the road more clearly. See more pictures after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Oh, yes, you have to be lazy to want one of these things: a mini remote controlled forklift to bring our beverages closer to the hand. Yes, it is easier and less time consuming to actually go and pick up the drink, but it isn’t nearly as much fun as this method. See the movie below to understand what I am saying (or go and buy it, if you want to):
While DUI and excessive speeding might be the main reason for accidents (well, not according to the guys at Top Gear, as you might know), a lot of people forget that falling asleep at the wheel is as much a reason for car accidents.
Mercedes, though taken a step further and presented a gadget that will make the driver aware that he is falling asleep. The system will be based on driving patterns usually assimilated to being tired and sleepy (slower reflexes, probably, but who knows, maybe even more).
Now entering the final stages of development and expected to go into series production in 2009, the Attention Assist system constantly monitors typical driving patterns to establish an individual profile and, taking into account factors like the time of day, the duration of the trip and steering behavior, makes a decision on whether the driver is becoming tired when there is deviation from this saved data.
Only once I was almost falling asleep at the wheel, but I am sure this kind of device will be good for any of the drivers, no matter how often they drive. After all, it only takes one time.
Google Maps is without a doubt one of the best applications Google launched and finding places and addresses in cities you don’t know has become even more simpler now: you can send the map and location you found out using Google Maps to your TomTom GPS device
The video below will show you exactly what it means: Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t have a fancy phone with GPS built in? Hey, don’t worry, we’ve got a solution for you. By using Dial Directions you can get driving instructions on how to get where you want to. All you have to do is dial 347-328-4667 (DIR-ECT-IONS) from your cellphone, tell where you are and where you need to go and you’ll receive a text message with the instructions.
The service is based on a speech recognition software and text messaging, and this makes it simple for just about anyone to use. As of now the service is currently available in New York, Los Angeles and the Bay Area with a promise of more to come.
Read the rest of this entry »