in-car electronics
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Apple's iPad 2 has only been around for a week or two but already audio installers SoundMan Car Audio has completed their first installation of the tablet PC in a vehicle. The vehicle chosen was a Ford F-150, which has a convenient large center stack just the right size for an iPad 2. The installation sits in place of the standard stereo system and essentially lets you do anything you could always do with an iPad, such as storing music, video and TV, browsing the internet, making FaceTime video calls or used as a large satellite navigation system. The app opportunities are endless too, and...
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Personal Sat-Nav Devices No Longer A Hot In-Car Gadget?Not so long ago, companies such as Garmin and TomTom were enjoying strong sales in the PND, or 'Personal Navigation Device' market. Offering inexpensive personal satellite navigation systems for use in your car, they were a popular choice for those not willing to spend sometimes ten times the price...
Antony Ingram -
Consumers Want Simpler Gadgets; How About Simpler Cars?
They say that the simple things in life can bring the most pleasure. Though not everything simple automatically brings happiness to your life, there's certainly a joy to be had from machines and gadgets that operate with economy of movement. A recent survey by Accenture has revealed that more than...
Antony Ingram -
In-Car Entertainment Is A Real Pane With Window Subwoofer
Audio firm Magna International Inc has come up with a novel way of improving your car's sound system: using the rear window as an enormous subwoofer. The concept is fairly simple, turning the entire rear window into a speaker with two exciters sited at the bottom of the glass, using the window...
Antony Ingram -
Slacker To Partner Car Firms, Offer In-Car Personal Radio?
On-demand entertainment is all the rage these days. You can fill your personal MP3 player with playlists and video clips or use your smartphone to watch television clips wherever you are. Personal radio is doing the same, with companies like Pandora and Spotify allowing you to create your own radio...
Antony Ingram -
Ford Counting On In-Car Technology For New 2012 Focus
Ford is aiming to prove that you don't need a big car to enjoy big car technology when it launches the 2012 Ford Focus in March. We've already taken a look at Ford's 'Torque Hole Filling' auto transmission which should make the six-speed auto quicker, more efficient and more refined than ever...
Antony Ingram -
In-car cameras have a variety of uses and not all are just 'Big Brother' style surveillance. We've recently looked at equipping new drivers' cars with 'nanny cams' so parents can make sure their teenage son or daughter is driving responsibly and safely, and they're also popular in a world of ever increasing legal battles following road accidents. If your car is equipped with a camera, it's much easier to establish fault. Other uses include driving school recording, automotive testing and as an in-car security camera should someone from the shadier reaches of society ever break in to your car...
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Cellcontrol: Kick The In-Car Cell Phone Habit With New Device
Whilst not illegal in many states, taking a call or texting whilst driving can be very dangerous since it can take your eyes and mind off the road and if you're not using a hands-free device, occupy one of your limbs, too. American Auto Sales in Fremont is one of the first retail outlets now...
Antony Ingram -
Visteon Looks To Emerging Markets: Interiors For India
You might have some preconceptions about cars sold in emerging automotive markets such as India. The overriding impression is probably one of cheapness, befitting of a nation whose population are still significantly poorer of those in more developed markets. Another might be durability, since even...
Antony Ingram -
Cars That Won't Let You Drive Them Home When You're Drunk
Many of us in the past may have taken the car keys off a friend to prevent them from driving after a few too many drinks. Now, a new piece of technology will leave them high and dry even if you're not there to walk them home. Known as the Driver Alcohol Detection Systems for Safety (DADSS), sensors...
Antony Ingram -
Apple 'Office On The Go' With Vogel iPad In-Car Kit
If you feel your car is a small environment of potential office space you're not making the best of, then Vogel's new iPad mounting system might be of interest. We'd never condone using an iPad whilst you're actually driving, but if you're caught at a rest stop or some business partners are getting...
Antony Ingram -
High-Tech In Car Gadgets Can Be Distracting For Drivers
It goes without saying that certain things can be pretty distracting when you're driving - talking on a cell phone, kids kicking the back of your seat... What might be less obvious are some of the in-car gadgets found in many modern cars. Satellite navigation systems, touch-screen climate control...
Antony Ingram -
As we understand it, Andy Rooney is still alive. We haven't personally verified those shocking allegations, but like certain terrorist masterminds we could mention, Rooney appears on TV at regular intervals, and he references enough current events to make us think he's still breathing. Andy Rooney used to be funny and entertaining. (Again: we're going on hearsay.) However, over the past decade or nine, he's become a parody of himself and every crotchety old person to grace screens big and small. Frankly, we think Rooney enjoys being the Granny Clampett of the 60 Minutes set -- in fact, we...
