Gadgets

Vehicle data recorders are designed to store information about acceleration, speed, and mechanical faults inside your car and over 60% of 2005 year models in the US are currently fitted with this type of device. Now, a Korean company is developing black boxes that also store images just before and...

FoMoCo has penned a deal with Microsoft that will see all Ford vehicles from the 2008 model get optional Bluetooth handsfree and Microsoft’s automotive operating system. The new system will be called “Sync” and will include the ability to receive email directly to the car. It will...

With cities getting ever more populated and people buying more and more cars, it’s no wonder that traffic jams are out of control in some places. Honda’s wacky solution is to place tiny camera into wing mirrors that would transmit images of the traffic to a central server using a mobile...

We’ve always found heads-up displays to be incredibly cool, giving us the feeling of being in a fighter jet without any of the long hours of training or the threat of being killed. The one built into the latest BMWs not only shows you the speed, but can also convey satellite navigation...

You’re driving along one day and you hear your favorite song on the radio. You then press a button and the car automatically detects what song is playing, connects to an online music store and requests to purchase it. You insert your credit card into a small slot on your dash and the song is...

GM will introduce a remote-control key fob next April that provides drivers with information about their car’s tire pressures, odometer and fuel levels, whether the doors are locked and even the ability to change the radio station, all remotely. The device will cost $150, and will initially...

The usual methods of winding down the window or turning up the volume to stay awake on long journeys are mediocre at best, but a new system designed by Japanese company Denso Corporation may be the answer. It monitors drivers for drowsiness and responds by vibrating the driver’s seat and then...

For the next DARPA Grand Challenge, an event where cars compete in a rally with no human input whatsoever, Team-LUX will be contending with its latest VW Passat 2.0 TDI race car. Run by laser technology company, Sick AG, and its subsidiary, Ibeo Automobile Sensor GmbH, Team-LUX will demonstrate...

Nokia’s luxurious Vertu series of mobile phones has added another two units to its range of Ascent high-end mobile phones that celebrate the classic racetracks of the world by featuring a small map of the track on the outer casing. The latest two tracks include the Le Mans and Indianapolis...

Audi’s Q7, A8 and A6 vehicles can now be equipped with an iPod connection that works in conjunction with its MMI computerized control system. The set-up includes a storage compartment for the iPod plus an adaptor, and is housed inside the vehicle’s glove box for the sedans and the rear...

Volvo’s 2007 XC90 SUV will feature DivX playback with its optional Rear Seat Entertainment System. Sourced from Visteon, the new player will be the first factory installed unit to support the DivX certification and allows you to play all your downloaded videos, legal or not. DivX is a video...

Siemens VDO has developed a Traffic Sign Recognition system that’s set up to alert drivers if they’re driving too fast. A camera is installed that constantly monitors the road ahead and can recognize speed limits on traffic signs. Information is then relayed to the driver, warning them...

Sometimes, doing things yourself can be extremely worthwhile and fun as well. Nowhere is this truer than when it comes to tinkering with your car. Nowadays, there are a multitude of cheap electronic gadgets that you can install in your car, and most of them can be done over a single weekend. One of...

A car that communicates with you isn’t that far away. We've already reported about Seat’s intelligent León concept that monitors you whilst you’re driving and can even block incoming calls to your mobile if it wants to. Now there’s talk of an in car system that can warn you...

SEAT is displaying a prototype vehicle at the Intelligent Transportation Systems show that’s currently running in London. The vehicle, which is based on the SEAT León, will showcase the latest breakthroughs in driver and vehicle interaction. In development for over two years in...

We’ve produced several posts now on Tesla’s unique electric car and the amazing performance numbers and low running costs of its electric motor. However, few details have been mentioned about the unique safety and abuse-prevention features that’s included with the roadster. A...

Volkswagen’s American division has created a new concept vehicle with the help of its Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL) facility in Palo Alto, California. The new concept is based on a 1964 Deluxe Microbus that’s been decked out with the latest electronic gear and labelled the...

It seems that Nissan is testing a new car-to-car communications system in Japan – but before you get excited, not the sort where you can curse out the guy who just cut you off, or try to pick up the women in the car next to you. Instead, the system will be much more safety oriented, giving...

IBM and Magna Electronics have struck a deal to jointly develop technologies that will improve vehicle safety and functionality. Magna Electronics specializes in vehicle electronics systems and IBM’s expertise in the computer world is well known around the world. The collaboration between the...

Though researchers have been working on technologies that allow you to see two different images depending on the angle you’re sitting at, we didn’t expect these screens to be so close to production. Alpine is showing off one such display that allows the dash mounted display to show the...