I have reviewed some very cool and unusual devices, items and accessories here at the Gadgeteer. Everything from building lightsabers to lasers that can burn thru Legos to handmade leather bags from the far reaches of the Globe. But my latest assignment may be the most exciting and cool thing that I have done so far.

Lexus is flying me to Las Vegas this weekend to celebrate their lineup of 2013 vehicles, particularly their all-new, redesigned GS. The highlights of this trip will be seeing and driving the latest Lexus vehicles (and the integrated tech within), meeting and greeting other tech and auto folks from around the country, and viewing Lexus’ first ever SuperBowl commercial during the actual game (in Vegas no less).

For those of you who can not wait to see it during the game, on the big screen…here is the commercial, that Lexus is calling ‘The Beast’.

It is my plan to take lots of pics and report back to you all on tech, cars, and fun of this weekend .

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged: Car

It’s Vegas Time, Baby… originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 2, 2012 at 10:00 am.

Extreme is right!  The Monaco Extreme Charge Car Power Adapter, simply put, is the best money you’re going to spend for car charger.  And you’re not going to spend that much. WirelessGround sent one of these chargers to The Gadgeteer for review, and you’ll find that their price of $14.95 isn’t going to break the bank. You can pay more and you will do worse.

If you’re anything like me, you’re running low on juice for ALL of your electronics.  You see, I’m not a nerd, I don’t even play one on TV.  But I love them.  I love nerds, geeks, smarty pants…whatever you want to call them.  Some girls like rogues who speak in flowery (read: B.S) words.  I like a guy who can sing the Periodic Table of Elements to me.  What can I say…I’m weird like that.

But for all my quirks, I just don’t recharge my toys with the same fervor as say…my husband the software engineer.  For him, everything gets plugged in at night before bed religiously.  Like brushing his teeth, he plugs in his laptop, tablet, phone, Sprint Overdrive…whatever…if it’s electronic and he needs it to get 3 to 4G coverage, it’s plugged in at night.   So you can imagine his consternation when I get into the car and my phone is dead or my laptop is powered at 15% or I just don’t get that the Overdrive needs to charge.

The Monaco Extreme is the Bang for your Buck that you’re looking for.  At 3.1 amps (2.1 and 1.0 respectively for the two USB outlets), you will charge and charge fast, and you can charge two devices at the same time.  If you’re like me…you’ve got electronic devices running on fumes.  You want that second port.  You NEED that second port.

Your 2.1 AMP port is going to charge your tablets, iPads etc., while your 1.0 AMP port will charge smart phones, iPods, iPhones etc.  Totally compatible with just about everything.  ”Compatible with the (but not limited to) Apple iPad, Apple iPad 2, Apple iPhone, Apple iPhone 3G, Apple iPhone 3GS, Apple iPhone 4, Apple iPhone 4 (White), Apple Verizon iPhone 4, Apple iPhone 4S, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 devices and other USB supported smartphones, tablets and devices.”   No kidding.   It’s sleek, it’s sweet, it’s inexpensive, and it just works.

Easily in the Power Outlet in your automobile. No fussing around.

In the photo just above, notice my power outlet with the Monaco Extreme Car Charge Power Adapter plugged in. (And please look past the obvious need to vacuum my SUV.)   And let’s face it, those of us who run TeleNav or other GPS applications from our smartphones know full well what a juice suck those apps are.  It helps to have a cool charger with 3.1 AMPS to power up your gear when you’re mobile.

It’s normally priced at $29.95 but theWireless Ground currently has them priced at 50% off.  I’d stock up.

Filed in categories: Android related, Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: car gear, USB charger

Monaco 3.1 AMP Extreme Charge Car Power Adapter Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 25, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Winter snows will soon be here for many parts of the country – assuming you haven’t been hit already.  Keep the Auto Safety Kit and Sport Utility Shovel in your car’s trunk, and you’ll be ready for emergency snow removal if you get stuck somewhere away from home.  The kit comes from L.L. Bean and includes a blinker, forever flashlight that never needs batteries, safety vest for visibility while shoveling out your car, gloves, a travel blanket, and a shovel.  The blanket has a water-and-wind resistant side and a fleecy side for warmth.  Everything folds up and stores in a pocket on the blanket.  It’s a $59.95 insurance policy to keep you and your family safe this winter.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged: Car accessories, Safety

L. L. Bean Auto Safety Kits originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 24, 2011 at 10:45 am.

Plug the 45,000 Station Car Radio from Hammacher Schlemmer into your car’s 12V power outlet, connect it to your iPhone via Bluetooth, and you can stream any of 45,000 AM/FM and internet radio stations to an open FM station on your car’s radio.  A free iPhone app streams the stations, including nationwide NPR stations as well as Pandora and Grooveshark stations.  The buttons on the transmitter can control the iPhone’s app for scanning for stations.  And if your car’s radio has an auxiliary input, you can connect the transmitter directly so you don’t have to worry about radio interference.  The transmitter is $99.99, but I’m thinking the real expense will come from data plan overages.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Car Gear, News

Tagged: car accessory, Internet Radio

The 45,000 Station Car Radio originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 22, 2011 at 9:00 am.

A few days ago I was given the opportunity to review a 2011 KIA Optima SX Turbo. This is undoubtedly the biggest and most expensive “gadget” that I’ve ever been offered to review and you all know that I didn’t even have to think about it for more than a second before agreeing to a 7 day test drive period. I’ve been having a blast driving this car around for past week and will be sorry to see it go.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Before I get started, I have to tell you that this won’t be a typical car review.  If you’re expecting a highly detailed article about engine performance, gas mileage specs, etc, you won’t get it here. I’m going to approach this review from more of a styling and overall driving experience angle.

The 2011 KIA Optima is a winner of the Best Red Dot Design Award. The only other vehicle to receive this award in 2011 was the new BMW 5-Series. The Red Dot is an international competition that has been recognizing innovative styling and inspiring design since 1955. More than four thousand products entered the competition in 2011. Among the other winners are Apple’s 13” MacBook Air and HTC’s EVO mobile phone.

I can understand how it won because it’s a nice looking car. I’ll admit that the KIA Optima hasn’t been on my radar though. I never really knew that KIA offered a luxury mid-sized sedan. It’s interesting to note that my family owns 2 KIAs. My partner has a 2007 KIA Sorento that she really likes and my Dad just bought a brand new 2012 KIA Sorento that just happens to be the same color as this KIA Optima that I’m writing about – Snow Pearl White. I’d never considered buying a White car in the past. I always thought White was a really boring choice of car color. I have to say though that the White used on the Optima is really nice. It has sparkles in the paint like an opal, so it shimmers in the light.

This isn’t your grandma’s 4-door sedan. The Optima has a very sporty design and the 6-speed Turbo Sportmatic transmission had me totally forgetting about my Zoom Zoom 2006  Mazda 3.

This car offered a lot of firsts for me…

When they drove it down from Chicago last week and dropped it off to me at my workplace, I was excited to see the key fob. Or I guess I should say keyless electronic fob that allows you to open doors and the trunk without a key. My Mazda has a key fob that will do this too, but I still have to use a key to start the car. Not with this Optima, no key is needed…

Opening the door reveals a roomy interior with leather bucket seats in the front. The driver’s seat can be adjusted electronically and then the settings can be saved in case you have 2 drivers. Just get in the car press the button for setting 1 or 2 to reconfig the driver’s seat to your personal preference, and just like Goldilocks, it will feel just right.

There’s also a large leather bench in the back.

The front seats can be individually heated or cooled depending on the temperature needs of your tush.

The gas and hood latch buttons are located in the driver’s door along with the normal set of window, lock and mirror adjustment switches.

Being the geek that I am,  the things that make me like the KIA Optima most are all the electronics and connectivity features that are built into this car.

There’s an iPod, iPhone cable that charges and routes the audio of your iPhone through the KIA’s speakers.

It also has Bluetooth so that you can make and answer calls by using the car’s LCD touch screen.

In addition to regular AM/FM radio, Sirius satellite radio is also built into the car and a GPS.

Another first for me is the back up camera that automatically displays on the LCD when you shift into reverse. It shows zones to help you determine how close objects are to the back of your car.

Other cool features are the rear view mirror with an LCD compass display in the upper corner and built in garage door opener buttons that will learn the codes from your existing opener.

All the bells and whistles won’t mean much if the driving experience is bad. I’m happy to say that driving the KIA Optima was very enjoyable. This car has a lot of spunk for a 4 door sedan. You’ll notice the – and + paddles on the steering wheel. They let you shift up and down through gears like you might on a manual transmission. My Mazda has a similar feature on the automatic stick shift.

Driving felt smooth and effortless in this car. It’s definitely a car that I could get in trouble with. The ride is so smooth that you don’t realize you’re driving 80 mph in a 65 mph zone till you look down at your gauges and suddenly notice.

I can’t really comment on gas mileage as I didn’t have the opportunity to drive it long enough to keep track. I’d be happy to test one for an extended period of time if the folks that let me borrow this car would like

I like everything about the car – looks, feel, features, etc. It was hard to find any faults in it, but I do have one small thing that I can’t even call a complaint… It’s that the leather seats feel a little too firm to my buns. Maybe that’s how all leather bucket seats feel though… I guess I’m just too used to the cloth seats in my Mazda.

Other than the seat issue, I’ll be very sorry to see this car go back to the dealer. When I switched cars tonight to put my Mazda back in the garage in anticipation for driving it to work tomorrow, it felt really klunky compared to the KIA. The doors didn’t feel as nice to shut, the stick shift didn’t feel as smooth to move, etc. Sniff… Oh KIA Optima, I hardly knew ye…

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Car

2011 KIA Optima SX Turbo Test Drive originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 13, 2011 at 8:07 pm.

Ford is set to introduce their MyKey – Do Not Disturb technology into their cars  in 2012.  This innovative system is a further attempt to reduce the accident rate involving teenagers. Parents can have a special MyKey for their teenagers which restricts a number of functions while their own key has none of the restrictions. The technology allows parents to block their teens from receiving phone calls and deter text messages while driving with a new MyKey® Do Not Disturb technology.

Other MyKey functions include:

•  Ford’s Belt-Minder system typically provides a six-second reminder chime every minute for five minutes. With MyKey, the Belt-Minder chime continues at the regular interval and the audio system is muted until the safety belt is buckled. A message center display, “Buckle Up to Unmute Radio” also appears on the instrument cluster
• Earlier low-fuel warning. Rather than a warning at 50 miles to empty, MyKey provides a warning at 75 miles to empty
• If MyKey is in the ignition, features such as park aid and BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with cross-traffic alert cannot be deactivated

Additional MyKey features that can be programmed through the vehicle’s message center setup menu:

• Limited top speed of 80 mph
• Traction control system, that limits tire spin, cannot be deactivated
• Limited audio volume to 44 percent of total volume
• A speed alert chime at 45, 55 or 65 mph

These features should go a long way to keeping our teenagers safer on the road in their early driving years. However having just returned from a trip with my 17 year old son, it’s a pity that the system can’t do anything about their road awareness. “Didn’t you see that car parked in the middle of the road?” “No!”  :(

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged: Car, Safety

Ford’s MyKey Do Not Disturb Technology Prevents Distracted Teenager Driving originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 7, 2011 at 9:00 am.

Ever wonder where your employees drove the company car?  Or if they are driving recklessly?  I’ve always wondered that so I thought a review of the CarChip Fleet Pro would solve all my problem.

The CarChip Fleet Pro has an option for a GPS add-in which I’ve asked Julie to request from Davis Instruments but they didn’t send it to me.  This review will be purely just the CarChip Fleet Pro.

The CarChip Fleet Pro came in a small cube box and the DriveRight Fleet Management Software came in a plain white box with a label showing the system requirements and package contents.  My first impression is that this packaging wasn’t really appealing to a customer that just bought it.  The CarChip Fleet Pro costs $149.  One would assume it would come with the software for free, right?  Wrong.  The DriveRight Fleet Management Software costs $395.

The DriveRight Fleet Management Software requirements list that it’s compatible with Windows 2000, XP or Vista.  Luckily the installation wasn’t a problem and the program runs on my Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit.  The box also lists that there are 2 CDs, but it only came with 1 CD.

The package contains one CD, a serial cable for DriveRight (different equipment not reviewed here), USB cable for CarChip, starter guide, and database selection guide.

The CarChip is a small device that gets plugged in your car’s OBD-II port, which is usually located under the the steering column, about half way between the steering wheel and your gas/brake peddles.

The CarChip must be configured before usage.  Installation went without a problem on my Windows 7 PC despite it not listed as being supported.  But the tricky part comes when you first run the program.  It begins by asking a lot of technical information which might confuse the average end-user.  It asks you to choose a type of database, ODBC driver, port number, username and password, etc.  The problem is that the manual doesn’t describe in detail on how you should fill these out.  Not very user-friendly for the average user.

After the initial setup, you’ll get a plain looking screen with the menu and a row of icons on the time.  The manual included with the $395 DriveRight Fleet Management Software doesn’t provide any information on how to use the DriveRight program at all.  Using trial and error, I found out that I would need to add and setup the CarChip in to the DriveRight program.

Adding the CarChip will require answering a lot of questions.  For example, is it assigned to a car or driver, car type, VIN number, license plate, make/model, driver names, odometer, etc.

It also asks what type of parameters I would like to set for speed, hard breaking and acceleration.  These are the default choices that the CarChip will monitor on its own.

Then you’ll get to choose 5 different parameters for the CarChip to monitor.  There’s an option for GPS logging as well.

On the settings review page, you’ll get an option to have the CarChip beep or blink a LED light if any one of the default parameters are met while the vehicle is being driven.  Click on the “Set” button to program the CarChip, and then you’re ready to plug it in to the car’s OBD-II port.

Plugging in to the car’s OBD-II port was easy.  My only question is why the CarChip gives an option to blink the LED light because the OBD-II port is located so low and out of the driver’s view that it’s pointless to include such option.

DriveRight Fleet Management Software came with a lot of options because this software handles both the DriveRight and CarChip systems.  I wish they had an option to disable the parts of the program that are specific to the DriveRight system.  It does get confusing when you click on a functionality and find it doesn’t work because it’s not available for the CarChip system.  Or it would be better to have separate programs for the DriveRight system and the CarChip system.

I plugged the CarChip in to one of the company vans used for onsite work.  At first I left the beep notification sound on and the employees started to complain that it gets pretty annoying – which means they’re driving the van recklessly.  So I decided to turn the beep off and have the CarChip record data for a month.

After a month I plugged the CarChip in to the computer, started the DriveRight software, and selected the trip summary report.  It showed me a complete list of vehicle trips, showing date, start/end time, trip duration, idle time and distance driven.  It’s pretty good data to determine if the employees are driving more than they are charging our customers.

The vehicle activity report shows a bunch of statistics on the vehicle.

The graphical day report shows it all graphed out which is pretty nice since it gives a nice overview of the van’s usage throughout the day.

The odometer report was pretty simple and shows the miles driven.

All in all, the CarChip does what it needs to do by providing statistics on the car’s usage.  It’s definitely not for the home-user or small/medium sized business.  The CarChip Fleet Pro and DriveRight Fleet Management Software are geared toward huge corporations with many company vehicles (think Verizon or Cablevision-sized company).  It was more than what I needed for my store, and the user experience could’ve been better.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: car tracking, carchip

Davis Instruments CarChip Fleet Pro Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 21, 2011 at 11:00 am.

Install the Parrot Asteroid receiver in your car, and you’ll be connected to the internet, GPS, telephone, radio, and your mobile device.   Main functions are accessible using the jog wheel, but you can also control the unit with voice commands.  The Asteroid comes with a GPS dongle, so you can navigate without requiring a separate GPS device.  If you supply your own 3G service, you’ll be able to access the internet via Android apps.  The unit can connect to your Bluetooth-enabled phone to make calls, and you can connect MP3 players directly to the unit and control playback with voice commands.  Connect devices to the Asteroid via Bluetooth, USB, iPod/iPhone cable, or audio cable.  There’s much more information on the Parrot website to help you learn if the Asteroid is right for you.  The Asteroid will be released later in 2011, and there is no pricing information on the Parrot site yet.

Filed in categories: Android related, Car Gear, News

Tagged: car audio, GPS

Parrot Asteroid – Apps, Web, Phone, and Music in Your Car originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 30, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

If you’re an iPhone user that also happens to be shopping for a new head unit for your vehicle, you might want to check out Oxygen Audio’s new O CAR stereo which has been designed specifically for the iPhone. The O CAR features a built-in RDS-enabled AM/FM tuner, Bluetooth connectivity and a 4-channel, 55-watt amp that links to a vehicle’s factory or aftermarket speakers. The iPhone slides into a special dock that turns it into the radio’s faceplate, allowing you to control standard car stereo functions like volume and tuning, as well as browse and play your iTunes library and internet radio station apps. The O CAR also provides hands-free calling and battery charging. It has an MSRP of $299.95, which seems a bit steep, but I’d still love to try this in my 2006 Mazda 3. I could then do away with cigarette lighter chargers, FM transmitters and other connection methods since my car doesn’t have a built in AUX-in jack.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Car, iPhone, Radio

Oxygen Audio O CAR – Car Radio Built for the iPhone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 25, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

One of the worst things about summer is hearing the news report of a child’s death because someone forgot their infant was in the carseat.  They go in to work for hours, and it’s too late for the child when they finally remember.  A grandfather who suddenly became a care-giver for his grandchildren was determined no harm would come to his grandkids because of a minute of forgetfulness, and he created the Suddenly Safe ‘N’ Secure Systems car seat alarms.  There are two versions of the car seat alarms.  Each has a receiver fob for your keychain.  The B-101 Safety Seat Alarm System ($44.95, left) has a transmitter that attaches to the car seat; press a button to “arm” as you are buckling the child into the safety seat.  The D-201 Deluxe Padded Safety Seat Alarm System ($69.95, right) has a weight-sensitive pad that goes under the safety seat that automatically arms the transmitter when the child is placed in the seat and disarms it when the child is removed.  When you move more than 6 feet away from the car, the armed transmitter will cause the receiver to emit an 80dB alarm and vibrate.  If my daughter was still small enough for a car seat, I would buy two of the Deluxe Padded Safety Seat Alarm Systems – one for each car.  Russ, the inventor, says you can buy extra receivers so each driver can have one.

(via WFMY in Greensboro)

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Kid Gadgets, News

Tagged: Child, Safety

Keep Your Child Safe in the Summer Heat originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2011 at 7:57 am.

We all know that using a hands-free device (speaker or headset) in our cars is great safety advice, not to mention the fact that not using one can be illegal in some states. The FoxLV2 Hi-Fi Bluetooth Speaker will work fine in your car, but it will also work on your bike! Hey, it’s important to be hands-free on them too right? The FoxL (pronounced fox-ul) is a pocked-sized rev 2.2 Bluetooth speaker that features:

“foxL’s patented “Twoofers,” “BassBattery,” and other technologies.  foxL provides amazingly smooth deep bass and an “open & airy” listening experience that provides iPhones, iPads and other Bluetooth devices with the superior sound quality”

The FoxLv2 Bluetooth hi-fi speaker is priced at $199 and the mounts are priced at $65 for the Vehicle Bracket Mounting System and $49.95 for the Universal Bicycle Mount from Soundmatters.

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Car Gear, News

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Speaker

FoxLV2 Hi-Fi Bluetooth Speaker Now Available for Cars & Bikes originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 7, 2011 at 10:00 am.

Are you like a bazillion other people that use their car keys to open boxes? Don’t you hate it when tape particles stick to your car key. The Key Knife can solve that problem because it has a retractable snap-off blade built into the key shaped holder. The Key Knife is available from World Tools for a whopping $1.35 each.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Gear, News

Tagged: Keychain

Key Knife Opens Boxes Without Annoying Tape Residue originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 4, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

The guys that brought us the Keybrid Key have a new product due out this Fall. It’s the Carabiner Key and it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a key with a carabiner clip built into the top for easy attachment to a belt loop, backpack loop, keychain, etc. The Carabiner Key comes as a blank. Just take it to almost any shop that sells keys and they can grind the key for you. This product will be available via Amron Experimental in the Fall for $7-$10 each.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Gear, News

Tagged: Keychain

Carabiner + Key = Carabiner Key originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 18, 2011 at 5:30 pm.

What's in the box - actually, there's a power plug as well.

I’m a huge consumer of music while on the go. If I’m not doing something that requires concentration, I’m likely to have earbuds shoved in my ears or headphones on. When driving, however, I don’t like to use earbuds/headphones because of the safety issues. I drive an older model car usually, so have been using a tape adapter to connect to the sound system. When Julie offered the team the Bluetooth equipped Jabra Freeway, I jumped at the chance.

I have seen these types of gadgets before, that connect to your phone via Bluetooth and serve as a speakerphone. I’ve talked to some folks that had them in their cars, and sometimes the sound quality was – um – less than stellar. I wanted to see if this could be a way to get better sound, safer handsfree telecommunications, and a hint of style in my ancient ride.
The unit itself is a smallish black box, roughly 4×5 inches and an inch to a half inch tapered top to bottom. On the front, there are six buttons hidden under touch-friendly locations: the two lower corners are volume controllers, the top center activates the phone, and the center two sides allow for voice input or connection to an FM unit. (More on these later.) The bottom center has a mute button for turning off the mic while on a phone call.

Charging port, on/off switch, and detail of visor clip.

Setup is simple – turn it on, and it’s in pairing mode. You’re given voice instructions on how to pair, and it works with every phone I tried, as well as my iPad. Right out of the box, my unit had good battery charge, so I could test it walking around the house. It was quite nice to just take it to another room while my iPhone was charging. It was during this time that I began to explore the other buttons. I clicked the one labeled “Voice” and the friendly voice instructor said “Say a command.” “Go get me a beer” came to mind, but I figured that may be difficult. Not knowing what else to do, and the manual being waaaay back on my desk (two rooms away) I held the voice button down to see what would happen. Sure enough, a menu of options was relayed. I tried “Battery” and was told I had three hours talk time remaining. Crazy.

As luck would have it, one of my daughters called about then. The music paused and I heard the phone ring through the device, plus I heard my iPhone vibrating on the desk across the hall. I hit the button with the phone handset on it, and said “Hello?” My daughter’s voice came through just as richly as the music had been a few seconds earlier. We talked for a minute or two, and then I asked her how the sound was. She said it sounded just like normal. When we finished talking, I hit the phone icon again, and the music resumed right where it had faded out. Just like I expected. Nice!

There are other commands, like “Next Track”, “Redial”, and “Make a call.” These worked as promised in most road conditions. Sometimes, however, there would be enough background noise or interference or something to prevent the command from working, or the unit just didn’t understand my accent. (I tried to enunciate. Really, I did.) Usually, I could just repeat the command and it was fine.

The FM button can be used to find a blank spot on the FM dial to use for broadcasting to your in-car stereo. I tried this several times, but it’s not worth the hassle. Our area has a huge number of local radio stations and repeater transmitters, so there is no single band that will stay unused driving more than 5-10 miles. The setup is easy (hit “FM”, then tap the volume up button, and it’ll scan. Tap FM to stay on a frequency, then tune your stereo to that station.) Since my antenna is right outside the post that the visor is mounted on, it’s nice and close, for fairly good reception, but it’s still spotty enough that I prefer leaving it in the built-in speakers of the Freeway.

Using the Freeway for music playback over a few weeks, I found that the eleven hours or more that a full charge promises in talk time is about half what playback from your phone will get you. It’s still good enough to last most long commutes and short trips, but if you’re going all day in the car, you may need a charge midday. Charging is done through an (included) USB to mini USB cable, either with your computer or the included car power port plug. The only thing that I found that really irritated me is that the power plug doesn’t recharge my phone.

The voice options included are pretty neat, but there are ways to extend this through services on your phone. This will vary by operating system, your budget, and what you want to do, but I tested several services for my iPhone. One let me dictate a note to Evernote, which was pretty cool. (It took three hours to post, which made me think it hadn’t worked, but I was pleased when it finally showed up, word perfect, in both text and audio format.) Jabra has a page of apps and solutions linked from the device homepage. (Beware, the site is a Flash and cookie-crazy place! Things jump around on every page.)

The results of my testing? Well, I obviously like it, and had no real issues using or living with it. It’s certainly nice to walk out to the car, click a switch, hear the nice lady say, “Power On. Connected.” and then hit another button and say “Play” to start my iPhone for a drive. Ending a session is as easy as sliding the switch off – “Power Off” – the phone pauses playback automatically, never leaving my pocket. What’s the sound like? Well, it depends. When I want to crank up a song on a cool summer evening and roll down the windows and sing along – this is not the unit you want. It will not match playback of even my ten-year-old factory standard Toyota sound system. But with it right in your face, it’s pretty full, and far better than your phone’s built-in speaker.

Being on the visor means it can get overheated when I fold down the visor, and this position also causes the sound to go into the windshield, rather than my face. What’s worse is if someone calls while you’re driving into the sun. You have to flip the visor back up for the duration of the call. You could clip the unit on the underside of the visor if you had to drive a long way, I guess. But this is just one of the limitations of a basically fine design. (Operating temp range recommendations also mean taking it out of the car if you park in the sun for long periods or during the winter. Basically, treat it the same way you would your phone or laptop and it’ll work just fine.)

Overall, I give it 4.5 stars – it’s well designed and constructed, works as planned and expected, but the sound is just a little thin for use in a car if you want to “experience” music, and sometimes the visor mounting can be an issue. Worth the price, as long as you’re not expecting arena-quality sound.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Bluetooth Gear, Car Gear

Tagged: Bluetooth speakerphone, Bluetooth speakers, jabra

Jabra Freeway Bluetooth Speakerphone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 17, 2011 at 2:00 pm.

Last week, I was invited to Dearborn, Michigan as part of a media event called Forward with Ford, sponsored and funded by Ford Motor Company and their various partners. This is the first such event Ford has done, and the first media event I have been to, so be easy on us both as the report unfolds – we’re new to this PR-thru-Social-Media thing.

Malcolm Gladwell kicks off the event

Trends affecting an Aging Population

Ed Begley, Jr. talking about activities we can do today to help the environment.

Linking your devices to your vehicle through Applink

Paul Hochman led the diccussion of Ford Engineers talking about Emerging Technologies

Filed in categories: Articles, Car Gear

Tagged: Applink, CarGear, FordTrends, Future, GreenLiving, Sustainability

Forward with Ford Event Trip Report (Overview) originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 1, 2011 at 5:28 pm.

It’s summer time, and that means people all over the country are setting out on vacations. For those of you that aren’t flying to your destination, the Energizer All-in-One Air Jump Power looks like it might be a wonderful traveling companion to stow in the trunk of your car. This 12-Volt system can jump start your car and inflate your tires. It also provides a flex-neck work light and two 12-volt DC cigarette sockets for powering 12V accessories, which might come in handy for recharging your mobile phone when you’re out in the wild. You can find the Energizer All-in-One Air Jump Power on Amazon for $149.99

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged: Car

Take the Energizer All-in-One Air Jump Power on your Next Road Trip originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 30, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

The jury is still out on the verdict regarding the usage of 3D TV’s at home. In the meantime, Sony has showed additional usage for the capability of showing a different image to each eye — Dual-View. Dual-View enables two players to watch one screen, but to view two different images (instead of the split screen implementation in some games). The 24” display Sony presented at E3 can provide dual view in 3D to two players. It achieves this by supporting a 240Hz refresh rate, when each of the 4 separated pictures are being presented in 60Hz.  Providing a dual view might be a good reason to wear the special glasses.

The dual view idea is not new. Philips had presented a 3D TV with Dual-View capability in March. While this technology can enable two people to watch two different shows on the same TV, the sound track cannot be separated and therefore gaming is a good application. An even better application, and this time without the special glasses, is to enable the in-dash screen in a car to show different view to the driver and to the passenger. Several car manufacturers have presented the usage of a dual view capability in cara, including Mercedes SplitView technology (see picture below), which enable the driver to see the navigation instructions while the passenger can watch a movie. It will be interesting to see what additional use models the capabilities of the new displays will bring us.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Car Gear, News

Tagged: Car, TV

Sony shows 3D displays with Dual-View capability originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 21, 2011 at 10:00 am.

Viper has created technology that allows you to start your car from virtually anywhere with your smartphone.  Viper SmartStart works with iPhones, Blackberrys, and Android.  SmartStart allows you to heat/cool your car, lock/unlock doors, control multiple cars, personalize settings, and start remotely from practically anywhere.  There are three configurations:  VSM200, VSS3000, and VSS5000.  The configurations range from a stand alone keyless entry/remote start module to a fully loaded remote start/security system bundle.  You can learn more about Viper SmartStart at http://www.viper.com

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged: Car

Gone Are the Days of Remote Start From a Key Ring originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 8, 2011 at 9:00 am.

The Gadgeteer has reviewed a variety of mounting solutions for the iPad.  Most of them were designed specifically to hold the original iPad, so there are a lot of redesigned accessories coming on the market after the iPad 2 was released.  TouCoul makes accessories for both the original and the new iPads.  They sent us a CoulVue iPad 2 Headrest Mounting System for review.  Let’s give it a look.

The CoulVue iPad 2 Headrest Mounting System is made of black plastic.  The interior of the iPad 2 snap-on holder is coated with a soft, rubbery layer that should prevent scratches to the back of the iPad 2.  This holder is a very snug fit on the naked iPad 2.  It won’t work if your device is in any cover.  It did work with my iPad 2, which was covered with the ZAGG invisibleShield back skin.  The photo on the box shows the Smart Cover is attached to the iPad 2, but I found it was difficult to snap the iPad 2 into the holder while the Smart Cover was on.  The holder snaps over all four corners of the iPad and holds it very securely.  All the ports and controls are uncovered and accessible.

You attach the CoulVue to the metal legs of the car’s front seat headrest.  It will install on either the driver or passenger seat.  Unlike a headrest mount I reviewed earlier, I didn’t have to remove the headrest from the seat to attach the mounting system.  The CoulVue comes with an Allen wrench for installation.  Use the Allen wrench to open the two screws on the mounting bar.

Click to enlarge

Simply sandwich the metal legs of the headrest between the two sides of the mounting bar, and then tighten the screws.  The installation is probably best described as semi-permanent.  You can easily remove the CoulVue with the Allen wrench, but it’s not something your kid will be able to quickly install/remove whenever he wants to watch a video or play a game as you’re driving down the road.

Click for an enlarged view.

The arm has 4 ball-and-socket-type joints.  It is very flexible and adjustable.  The arm attaches to the back of the holder with a joint that that rotates 360 degrees.  All these joints and the rotation point means you can put the iPad 2 into landscape or portrait orientation, and you can adjust it in a variety of angles and locations relative to the backseat passengers.

As you can see in the pictures, the CoulVue folds back against the headrest, but it doesn’t fold completely away or fit flush against the seat back.  As some readers noted on an earlier headrest mount review, hard devices like this intruding in the passenger area can pose a danger.

It’s easy enough to snap the iPad 2 into the holder, even when the mount is installed in the car.  Just make sure each corner snaps into place, and the iPad 2 will be held tightly enough that it won’t fall out even on bumpy roads.

Once the iPad 2 is in place, you can tilt it up and down to find the correct viewing angle.  You can pull it close to you for playing games, surfing, or checking email.  You can push it against the back of the front seat for watching movies.

If you have multiple backseat passengers who need to share an iPad 2, you’ll like the Share Mode.  You can extend the flexible arm to position the iPad 2 near the midpoint between the two seats.

The CoulVue iPad 2 Headrest Mounting System is easy to install.  Its adjustability makes it easy to use in a variety of ways for a single person or multiple people.  Because it can’t be easily popped on and off the seat, it will always be intruding into the passenger area.  You’ll have to make up your own mind about the safety risks, but you’ll find the CoulVue a convenient way to hold your iPad 2 for movies or for hands-free surfing/gaming in the car.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: iPad 2 headrest mount

CoulVue iPad 2 Headrest Mounting System from TouCoul Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 3, 2011 at 12:03 pm.

I recently reviewed the Jabra Wave Bluetooth headset, which I totally love.  But before that, Jabra had sent me the Jabra Extreme by accident.  The Jabra Extreme has great features and works just as well as the Jabra Wave.  Let’s give it a look, too.

Inside the package, you’ll find the Extreme headset, 2 Ultimate-fit Eargels, 2 ear hooks, AC charger, USB charger, car charger, and the manuals.

An added advantage of the Jabra Extreme is that it includes a car charger.  Just plug in the charger to the cigarette lighter port in the car , attach the USB to micro USB adaptor, then attach the Extreme headset.  It’s a pretty convenient accessory to use if you’re on the road a lot.  The AC charger on the other hand has a very short 10 inch cord which doesn’t make any sense at all.  Using the AC charger with a standard house outlet will force you to put the headset on the floor.  I, for one, don’t feel comfortable sticking things in my ear after they sat on the floor while charging.

Pairing the Extreme headset was pretty straight forward.   This headset has the standard bluetooth range of about 30 feet away from the cell phone.  The Jabra logo on the headset is the Answer/End button, and on each side of that are the volume up and down buttons.  Enlarge the picture (above) and you’ll see 2 noise cancellation microphones hidden beneath the grill.  There’s also a dedicated on/off switch on the bottom side.

Features of the Jabra Extreme :

• Eliminates background noise with dual microphone technology
• All day comfort with Ultimate-fit Eargels™ and ear hook
• Adjusts volume automatically
• Convenient car charger and headset holder in one
• Easy to use with dedicated on/off slider and auto-pairing
• Multiuse™ – connect to 2 devices at the same time
• Up to 5.5 hours talk time and up to 10.5 days standby time

Call quality to a land line sounded crystal clear with calls made both indoors and outdoors on a windy day in the busy Manhattan streets.  I got up to 5 hours of talk time before it turned off on me.

Wearing the Jabra Extreme wasn’t that comfortable for me.  This is just my personal opinion since I never liked the over-the-ear and in-ear style headsets.  And that’s the reason why I chose to review the Jabra Wave in the first place, which had the behind-the-ear style.  My cousins tried out the Jabra Extreme, and they said it was comfortable to them.  So I guess my ears are just a bit picky about earbud styles.

The Jabra Extreme is priced at $79.99 direct from Jabra.  It’s a pretty decent price since it includes the car charger also.

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headset

Jabra Extreme Bluetooth Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 31, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

The Laser Parking System from AutoSport can reduce damage to your car (or your garage) by letting you know when you’re in the “parking sweet spot.”  The system plugs into a power outlet or uses batteries.  Installation is easy with the included hardware.  Set it up by parking the car where you want it, then aim the laser to shine on a specific spot on your hood or dashboard so you’ll know when you’re parked correctly in the future.  A motion sensor turns the laser on and off so you don’t waste power.  The Laser Parking System is available in a single beam model for $29.95 or a double-beam model for $32.95.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged: car accessory, Father's Day

Make Parking the Car Easier with a Laser Guide originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 27, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

The RoadMate 9055-LM from Magellan has a large monitor and a unique retractable mounting arm that makes it ideal for use in larger SUVs and RVs, trucks, and minivans, but it works equally well for drivers with smaller vehicles.  The 7″ touchscreen makes navigation easy with Magellan’s OneTouch user interface.  You’ll also get traffic information without extra fees, and spoken street names and Highway Lane Assist’s realistic-looking signs make sure you take the correct turns.  You can connect your Bluetooth phone with the 9055-LM and make hands-free calls with the 9055-LM’s noise-canceling microphone.  If you’re a AAA member, you can access the built-in AAA TourBook guides for the US and Canada.  And perhaps best of all, you’ll get free map updates for the life of the 9055-LM unit.  The 9055-LM is now available at Best Buy with a MSRP of $299.99.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, GPS, News

Tagged: GPS

Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM GPS with Free Map Updates originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 11, 2011 at 10:30 am.

The generous people at Etronixmart are offering to give one lucky Gadgeteer reader their Day/Night CarCam device which Bill reviewed last month. The CarCam allows you to record your vehicle travels in the day or night. It even has anti-shake technology.

Full contest details after the jump.

Prize:

One Etronixmart CarCam

How to enter (read carefully – missed steps will disqualify you):

1. Between now and Tuesday 05/10/2011 11:59PM EST, sign up with twitter and follow @thegadgeteer

2. Go to Etronixmart and register so that they will have your shipping details.

3. Come back to this post and leave a comment on how you would use this CarCam with your car. Include the first and last name that you used to register on the Etronixmart site.

4. At some point on 05/11/2011, I’ll pick 1 random winner using random.org. The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hrs to accept their prize. If I do not receive an answer, I’ll do other random.org drawings till the prize is gone.

Rules:

1. Only one entry per person.

2. Contest is open to anyone worldwide except for writers and families of The Gadgeteer.

3. the-gadgeteer.com is not responsible for any lost packages or incorrect shipping addresses.

I want to give a HUGE thank you to Etronixmart for sponsoring this contest!

Update: The winner is #6 Bruce Brown.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged:

Win a CarCam from Etronixmart! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 6, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Don’t let the iPhone in the picture fool you – the Nano-Pad can be used with most any gadget.  The Nano-Pad is made of silicone in Germany, and Viacop Ltd of Winchester is the sole UK distributor.  The Nano-Pad uses no adhesives, but it grips your car dashboard and your gadget to hold it in place as you drive.  It’s about 3″ X 5.7″ X 0.1″, and it comes in 10 colors.  You can use it with phones, GPS units, coins, keys, sunglasses – most anything you carry. They cost about $16.50, and Viacop ships worldwide for free.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged: Car gadget holder

Keep a Grip on Your Gadgets with the Nano-Pad originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 25, 2011 at 11:00 am.

Bulldog Security has introduced a remote car starter that even works with cars equipped with immobilizers.  The RS82B remote starter lets you start your immobilizer-equipped car to warm it up or cool it down while still keeping it secure.  The RS82B kit comes with a remote fob with start/stop buttons.  It comes with everything you need to install it yourself, or you can search Bulldog Security’s InstallerNet listing of trusted installers.  The RS82B remote starter kit comes with one starter fob for $79.99.  You can buy additional starter fobs for $19.99.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Do-It-Yourself, News

Tagged: Car remote starter

Remote Starter for Your Car from Bulldog Security originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 14, 2011 at 1:00 pm.