I love it when someone takes an item that we all use everyday and reinvents it to make it more convenient. For example, when was the last time you thought to yourself that you love the design of the everyday ordinary keychain split ring? Probably never… More likely, you swear under your breath every time you break a nail or pinch your fingers when you need to remove or add a key to your keychain. The FREEKEY is a reinvention of the split ring and it’s awesome. Trust me, I don’t say the word awesome very often.

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

I’ve been using the FREEKEY for a few months now, but didn’t post a review because I was unable to find any stores that sell them here in the US (or anywhere else for that matter). I don’t like posting reviews of products that you can’t buy because that’s just mean… so I held off until today. Something told me to google FREEKEY and I happened to find out that this Swedish made product is now being carried by Fenix Outfitters. So here we go…

What is the FREEKEY? It’s a sandblasted finished stainless steel split ring key holder that has been redesigned to make it much easier to use. In the image above, you see the FREEKEY on the Left and a regular split ring that we all know and love on the Right. The regular split ring has been around for years and years and does its intended job well. The only problem is that to add and remove keys, you have to wedge something between the two pieces of the ring to lift one end. Usually the thing we use as a wedge is our fingernail, which often ends with pain and suffering as nails break or finger tips get pinched.

That’s where the redesigned FREEKEY shines. It’s still the familiar circular shape, but instead of the layers of metal being flat, there’s a curved layer that creates a spring effect.

Squeezing the FREEKEY in a specific spot on the ring causes one end to lift up.

The squeeze takes much less effort than using your nail to pry the two layers apart on a normal split ring.

Just squeeze…

…and slide a new key on or off the ring. Simple! No broken nails, pinched fingers or swear words needed.

Put all your keys on one FREEKEY…

Or use the included group rings to organize your keys. Keep all your house keys on one group ring and all your work keys on another.

I absolutely love the FREEKEY and plan to never use an old fashioned split ring for my keys ever again. The only problem with the FREEKEY right now is availability and price. One FREEKEY (with 3 smaller organizational group rings included) is about $9. I know that’s very pricey. But once you use a FREEKEY, I think you’ll be hooked. Here’s hoping that this product will take off in a big way and we’ll never have to deal with those old style rings again.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Car, EDC, Keychain, Keyring

FREEKEY Press to Open Keyring Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 19, 2012 at 2:45 pm.

When you live in Southern Indiana like I do, seeing a celebrity is a rare event. Lucky for me, I work for Cummins Inc. and our Cummins Turbo Diesel engine just happens to power the Tornado Intercept Vehicle 2 (TIV 2), featured on the Discovery Channel television shows “Storm Chasers” and “Mythbusters”. This vehicle has been designed to withstand 150MPH winds and I got a chance to see it up close and personal this afternoon when film maker and reality TV personality Sean Casey brought it by for a meet and greet.

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

About Sean Casey (from Discovery Channel website):

For the past 12 years, Sean Casey has been roaming the country chasing the shot that will end his IMAX film about tornadoes. With the guidance of leading tornado scientist Dr. Josh Wurman, Sean’s mission has been to get a one-of-a-kind shot from inside a tornado. To accomplish his goal, Sean built the TIV, or Tornado Intercept Vehicle. This 16,000-pound armored tank is outfitted with wind-resistant flaps and anchor spikes to keep him safe while filming inside a twister. Last season, Sean split from long-time partner Josh, and with the help of his own team of meteorologists, finally got The Shot he was looking for. But he isn’t satisfied. Passionate about making the best film possible, he returned to Tornado Alley in 2010 with a new team, determined to get a better intercept. With medic Marcus Gutierez driving the TIV and meteorologist Brandon Ivey navigating, Sean will continue to pursue his goal, as well as document Vortex 2, the largest tornado research project in U.S. history.

Powered by a Cummins Turbo Diesel, the TIV 2 has logged over 100,000 miles across the US, chasing tornados and severe weather. The Spring chase season is here and Cummins has been helping owner Sean Casey prepare for it by getting the TIV 2 road ready. The season lasts 8-10 weeks, with the TIV 2 logging over 35,000 miles.

This year, Sean and his TIV 2 crew will not only be capturing film for a sequel to his IMAX film currently in theaters “Tornado Alley”, but will also be capturing scientific data for a national Science Foundation grant to better understand the dynamics of tornadoes to increase warning times.

The TIV 2 is built like a tank and weighs over 14,000 pounds. Sean and his team started building it back in 2007 and based it around a Dodge Ram 3500 which was converted to 6×4 wheel drive. It may look cumbersome, but the Cummin’s engine produces 625 horsepower with a top speed of 100mph.

When Sean and his team do catch the storm they are chasing, six hydraulic skirts around the TIV 2 drop down to deflect wind over the TIV to stabilize it and protect the underside from debris. Four hydraulically operated anchoring spikes plunge into the ground to keep it in place.

The vehicle has bullet-resistant windows and a layer of armor made of a combination of steel, Kevlar, polycarbonate and rubber which covers a steel frame.

There’s a turret on top to allow for Sean’s IMAX filming.

The TIV 2 even has a siren so it can act as a mobile alert system.

I had to smile when I saw the picture taped on the dash next to the mess of wires, dials, knobs and levers in the Mad Max-esque cockpit inside the TIV 2. I guess even macho storm chasing guys with a vehicle that can withstand 150 mph winds will welcome a guardian angel’s protection.

It was really cool getting to see the TIV 2. My only regret… I didn’t get it for a week to test drive it!

Filed in categories: Articles, Car Gear

Tagged: Car, gadget diary

Julie’s Gadget Diary 05-02-12 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 2, 2012 at 5:43 pm.

Recently I had the opportunity to spend 4 hours test driving the new 2013 Ford Escape small SUV through Northern California’s wine country.  Ford has come a long way since the first Ford I bought, a 1956 Fairlane.  The Escape is quiet, solidly built, fuel efficient and loaded with tech and convenience features, none of which attributes could be used with the ’56. Then again, my 1956 Fairlane cost me $200 used and the Escape starts at $23K new.  Is it worth the price?  I was looking forward to the test drive to find out.Firstly, I am not a professional car reviewer, although I met several during the Ford program for the test drive and picked their brains for some pointers.  Also, in the interest of full disclosure, I have owned several Ford products so far, including a 1958 convertible, 1960 Fairlane, 1979 Turbo Mustang, 1982 Escort, a 2000 Taurus, the 1956 Fairlane already mentioned, and one of my current vehicles is a 2010 Fusion Hybrid.

After about 12 sleep-deprived hours, I arrived at the old Ford Plant in Richmond California to take my turn at driving one of the test vehicles Ford had provided.  Because I arrived late, I missed the presentations on the engines available, so I wasn’t sure which vehicle I wanted to drive.  I had heard about the EcoBoost option, so I picked a vehicle with the 2.0 liter engine.  Happily, this was the Titanium model where the only missing option was a built-in blender.

The 2013 Escape is easy on the eyes.  Somewhere in the grill there are louvers that open and close. Ford calls it Active Grille Shutter System, helping aerodynamics and fuel economy.  I couldn’t really check it out at speed, so I’ll have to believe it works.

Here’s a shot from the rear.  A feature on these cars, as I have on my Fusion, is the capless gas filler.  You just have to open the gas door and stick the nozzle in.  No losing a gas cap or forgetting to put it on.

The front seating area and drivers position have leather seats and a soft material for the dashboard and other surfaces.  The steering column is adjustable in and out plus up and down.  I found the driving position comfortable and easily adjustable.  After the 4 hour test drive, my backside was no worse for wear.

In the center of the dash is a touch screen that controls the cellphone, entertainment, climate and navigation systems.  I was able to play with most features of the touch system with the exception of the voice control interface.  However, I do have the Ford Sync on my Fusion, and over the past 2 years I’ve had mixed results.  When we first purchased the Fusion new, it would recognize my and my wife’s voice commands 9 out of 10 times.  Today it’s getting dumber, and I’m lucky if it recognizes either of us 4 out of 10 times.  Hopefully my case is an isolated one, because when it works, it’s great.  I’ll be bringing it in to the dealer soon to have it looked at.

The display also acts as a backup camera.

And when you’re lost, the navigation system comes in handy.  On my 4  hour test drive, the NAV was on for the whole trip.  The spoken directions were spot on and the only time it was wrong was when we hit San Francisco during a time when certain roads did not allow left hand turns, which I’m sure would have confounded any navigation device.

The back seats are serviceable, but for comfort on long trips, 2 adult passengers would be my suggestion.

There’s plenty of flat cargo space, even with the back seats up.

It’s a snap to drop the seats down,

increasing the amount of treasure you can carry.  The piece across the top comes out.  I was too lazy to remove it.

Here I’m all ready to go. There is no ignition key in this trim level.  You carry a fob that is recognized by the vehicle.  As you walk up to the door, it unlocks.  Once in the vehicle, you put your foot on the brake and hit the start/stop button and the engine comes to life.  I adjusted the mirrors, familiarized myself with the controls, and put on my seat belt.  We were off.  The learning curve for operation of the Escape was very short.

The course that was laid out by Ford was 140 miles of mixed roads.  Some was city, some was Freeway and some was scenic twisty hill road.  I liked the latter the most, but I don’t think my riding companion from Ford felt the same as evidenced by the white knuckles.  However, the curving roads demonstrated to me the  road-holding capability of the Escape.  I felt very comfortable attacking the turns and feedback from the steering was positive.

We also drove over potholed roads and the Escape did an excellent job of soaking them up.  Which brings me to road and wind noise.  There wasn’t any to speak of.  I was amazed being used to the noise of my 2005 PT Cruiser where I have to turn the radio volume to max to overcome the wind noise at highway speeds.

Power in the Escape was plentiful for our road trip.  Although it’s only a 2.0 Liter 4 cylinder engine with the EcoBoost technology, it puts out 240 hp @ 5,550 rpm.  This is better than the 168 hp for the non-EcoBoost 2.5l four and 178 hp for the EcoBoost 1.6l four.  Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to drive the 2.5 or 1.6 liter variations, so I can’t personally compare.

Ford’s EcoBoost uses several techniques to get more horsepower and better fuel economy from a 2.0 liter engine, the main component being turbocharging.  I’m very familiar with turbocharging, having had it in my 1979 Mustang.  At that time, a turbo was plagued with something called turbo lag;  you would punch the accelerator and power wouldn’t kick in until the turbo spun up to a certain speed.  The EcoBoost in the Escape exhibited none of the turbo lag and whining noise of turbos from the past.  I punched the accelerator and the power was delivered instantly and smoothly.  Also, it delivers the power at an EPA-certified  30 mpg highway.

In my opinion the 2013 Ford Escape is a solid, fashionable, and practical vehicle.  It can be the family sedan and the weekend utility vehicle.  Personally, I would opt for one of the EcoBoost engines to realize both moderate power and reasonable fuel economy.  As for the gadgets (options), I’d be inclined to load it up and, as a matter of fact, I’ll be in the market for a new vehicle in a couple of years.  If the Escape at that time is as good as this, I’ll buy it.  The 2013 Escape comes in several models with the S: starting at  $23,295, the SE: starting at $25,895, the SEL: starting at  $28,695 and the Titanium starting at $31,195.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Car

2013 Ford Escape Test Drive originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 29, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

For the past 2 weeks I’ve been lucky enough to test drive a new car. The first car was a 2012 Mazda Mazda 3 and this past week it was a KIA Rio EX 5-Door. I loved the KIA Optima I test drove last year, so I was excited to try the smaller, more economical Rio.

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

I want to start this “review” out like I’ve done the other 2 test drive articles, by letting you know that this isn’t going to be a super detailed vehicle review like you’d read in a car magazine or see on a car show. I don’t know much about engines and don’t care. I just like to drive cars and know what I like and don’t like about them. If you want more info about gas mileage, horsepower, torque and all that, you’re going to be disappointed in this article. But if you want to know what it feels like to sit in and drive the 2012 KIA Rio, you’ve come to the right place.

Style, Fit and Finish

The Rio is a cute compact car with a style that is familiar to me because it has the same hatchback shape as my 2006 Mazda Mazda 3 5-door. They brought me the Signal Red version of the Rio and the color is an eye turner.

Close up, the paint has tiny sparkles, with flat Black accents in the grill and around the windows.

For such a small car, it has a nice sized trunk. I had meant to test loading some of my luggage, but completely forgot about it. Sorry. That said, it I had no problem loading it up with groceries one night.

The Black interior which seems to be the norm for cars these days, feels roomy and comfortable. Although this Rio model lacks some luxury features like heated leather seats, I have to say that the cloth seats are probably the most comfortable that I’ve sat in. The driver’s seat felt like it was made just for me and really contributed to how nice it felt to drive this car.

The back seat has a nice roomy bench seat.

This is the first car I’ve driven that has a button that will automatically fold in the side view mirrors. I don’t park in many parking garages or other tight spaces, but that feature would come in handy if you do.

I liked the little extra bit of daylight offered in the front corner of the driver and passenger windows. I think it helps make the interior feel larger than it really is.

The optional leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob add some class and comfort.

The gauges for fuel and speed are easy to see day or night.

Tech Bells and Whistles

I found the touch controls for the stereo and cruise control to be laid out well on the steering wheel. But I didn’t like the location for the call start and end buttons because I couldn’t easily activate them with my thumb while my hands were at the standard 10 and 2 positions.

The temperature controls were easy to use and see in sunlight and darkness.

The week I had this car, the temps were pretty cool, so I didn’t get a chance to really test the air conditioner.

The SiriusXM stereo with CD/MP3 and 4 speakers is a standard feature on the Rio EX. New owners are eligible for a 3 month free subscription.

FYI, I have no idea what that square shaped slot is to the right of the stereo display. It’s not quite wide enough for an iPhone. I’m not sure what it is meant to be used for.

The standard radio didn’t have a GPS navigation system, but it did offer a rear view back up camera which automatically switches views when you back up and goes back to the screen you were on when you put the car back into drive.

Also included is a Bluetooth hands free speakerphone that is controlled through the steering wheel and an Aux In/USB jack with 2 12V sockets. There’s even an iphone sized tray in the center console area.

I made calls and streamed music using Bluetooth and my iPhone 4S and was very happy with the audio quality/clarity.

Behind the Wheel

All these switch blade style key fobs I’ve been seeing and using lately are making me jealous I want one for my 2006 Mazda <pout>.

Driving the KIA Rio was much more fun that I thought it was going to be. After being slightly underwhelmed with the 2012 Mazda Mazda 3′s performance, I didn’t think the Rio was going to be exciting. I was really surprised to find its 1.6L 4-cylinder engine to be nimble and peppy. I had a lot of fun driving it around town, on the highway and on the curvy rural roads I live on. I felt comfortable driving it in the day time and night time. It had accurate steering, good brakes and just enough get up and go to make trips enjoyable.

I didn’t have the Rio long enough to comment on gas mileage, but it’s rated for 30 city / 40 highway.

I think KIA really knows what they are doing when it comes to designing cars. My Dad loves his 2012 Sorento, Jeanne still loves her 2007 Sorento, I loved the 2011 Optima I tested last fall and I wouldn’t turn down the 2012 Rio EX 5-Door if someone wanted to give me one. When I decide to trade my 2006 Mazda for something new, I will definitely consider a KIA.

Filed in categories: Car Gear

Tagged: Car

2012 KIA Rio EX 5-door Test Drive originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 22, 2012 at 3:30 pm.

The Devium Dash is an interesting concept in car stereos. It’s a two component system that consists of a faceplate and a body. The body (shown above in Black) is installed in your dash in the spot where your current car stereo resides. It interfaces with your vehicle’s speakers. The faceplate connects to the body with magnets. It’s designed to hold (and charge) an iPhone 4/4S. Once installed, you can use your favorite music apps, calls, GPS, etc through your car’s speakers and you won’t be required to learn a brand new interface.

It’s a cool idea, but I am skeptical about the longevity of the product. Devium claims “No matter how frequently you update phones, Dash will be there ready to support you. Our innovative interchangeable faceplate design allows you to keep your phone at the center of your car.” That remains to be seen. I don’t believe that they will create a faceplate for every phone that comes on the market. Their iPhone 4/4S version is available for pre-order at $289. I have been looking for a replacement for my Mazda’s stereo, but I don’t think this one will be it.

[Via Gear Journal]

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

Tagged: Car, iPhone

Devium Dash – Turns Your iPhone Into an In Dash Stereo originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 21, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Last week the same people that allowed me to test drive a 2011 KIA Optima SX Turbo last Fall, contacted me with an offer to do another 1 week test drive. I had a lot of fun with the KIA, so I was happy to accept their offer to take  a look at a 2012 Mazda Mazda3 i Grand Touring 4-Door. I was anxious to see how this particular model has evolved in the last 6 years as I own and drive a 2006 Mazda3 5-Door which is essentially the same thing minus the hatchback. Buckle up and let’s go for a ride.

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

I’ve been suffering from a raging case of the “I want a new car, but don’t really need one” virus for several months now. Just when I think the symptoms have subsided, they come back again worse than before. So a 1 week test drive of a new car could not have come at a better time for me.

Like I mentioned above, my current vehicle is a 2006 Mazda Mazda3 5-Door. It’s in great condition and only has 36,000 miles on it. I like everything about it except for the radio and the anemic air conditioning unit. Getting a chance to see what improvements Mazda may have made to this model was an exciting prospect.

They dropped the Mazda3 i Grand Touring 4-Door at my house last Thursday and I’ve been driving it to and from work and around town during this time. Before I start talking about my impressions of this car, I have to make it clear that this is not going to be a super detailed car review like you would read on a car review website or magazine. I’m not going to spout a bunch of specs and jargon about engine performance and car parts. I’m just going to tell you what I think and feel about this car after having driven it for the past week. So with that little disclaimer out of the way, let’s get started.

Style, Fit and Finish

The shape and style of the Mazda3 is sporty and youthful. So, it’s probably not a car style that your 80yr old grandma would choose. The one I was sent is an eye turning Sky Blue Mica with flat Black accents.

In my opinion this car hits a sweet spot as far as size goes. It’s not too small and definitely not too big. It’s just right.

Is it just me or does this car have a huge smile?

I like that the bottom skirting isn’t as low to the ground as my own Mazda, which I constantly scrape on parking curbs. Fortunately, I’ve not had that problem with this car.

The color of this car is very pretty, but it shows dust badly. I live on a gravel road and this is what the car looked like after 2 days.

The interior is Black with Black leather bucket seats. Again, the color does show dust easily and seems to hold in heat on hot days. Speaking of heat, the seats are heated, which is a wonderful luxury that I have had the pleasure of using this week due to mornings that have been in the 30′s (heated seats are not standard. They are an available option).

The seats are comfortable to sit in and the driver’s seat was easily adjusted with the 8 way power settings (this is not a standard feature, but is an available option).

Mazda has added some nice little touches that I don’t have with my older model. One thing I noticed the first morning I started it up, is that the floor area where your feet are is illuminated in Blue. It’s hard to tell if it comes on due to a light sensor or if it is on all the time. It’s not a feature anyone desperately needs, but it’s cool.

The backseat… There is a cup holder built into each door, both front and back. There are also 2 cup holders between the front seats. That makes a total of 6 holders.

Tech Bells and Whistles

This particular model has all the bells and whistles including Bluetooth, GPS navigation, CD and SiriusXM satellite radio. There are controls on the left side of the comfortable leather wrapped steering wheel  that let you control Bluetooth phone answering / hangup, volume and initiate voice commands. On the right side are buttons that control the GPS and also let you toggle through the color LCD modes.

There are two LCDs situated side by side on the dash above the center air vents. These displays are located in the perfect spot on the dash. You don’t have to look down, you can just flick your eyes to the right to see the info. The one on the right displays the radio info along with various status icons. The color screen on the left can be toggled between several views. Here you see the average fuel MPG info and average speed info. There’s also a screen that shows a live view of the current MPG that constantly changes as you’re driving. I’m not really sure how useful that particular screen is.

Here’s the GPS view. I apologize for the image quality. The screen’s background is white and I wasn’t able to get a very good snap of it. The GPS is pretty basic. I’m not sure if I had something turned off or what, but I didn’t notice any voice turn by turn directions. The directions were just on the screen.

You can also view a more detailed SiriusXM radio display that lists the genre, channel name, song title and artist name. The outside temp and time are also shown in all modes.

I’m getting spoiled by these cars with built in satellite radio and am going to have to pull the trigger on a new head unit for my car soon. The standard Bose speaker system in this Mazda3 was very nice. Satellite radio sounded good and when I plugged my iPhone into the Aux In jack, it sounded exceptionally good. The Aux In jack is located in the center arm rest storage area. Next to it is a powered 12v port, which makes it very convenient for stowing an audio player to keep it out of sight.

Behind the Wheel

Switch blade style keys seem to be in vogue lately. This car has one and so does the latest car I’m test driving (I’ll be writing about the KIA Rio soon…). I love this feature and wish I could get one for my own 2006 Mazda. Maybe I can buy replacement fobs with a built in switch blade key and I just don’t know about it…

When I first get behind the wheel of a new car, there is a short adjustment time where things just don’t quite seem familiar. You know what I’m talking about… your buns don’t feel like they fit perfectly in the drivers seat, the steering wheel feels wrong in your hands, the controls aren’t quite where your fingers are programmed to find them. That wasn’t the case with this Mazda. Everything felt very normal. Of course this is mainly due to the fact that I’ve been driving an older model of the car for the past 6 years.

The 2012 Mazda3 i Grand Touring model has a 155-hp SKYACTIV-G 2.0L 4-cylinder engine with a SKYACTIV-Drive 6-speed Sport automatic transmission that is rated for 28/40 mpg. My 2006 Mazda3 has a 160-hp 2.3L 4-cylinder 5-speed Sport automatic transmission engine. So it’s not completely fair to compare the two as far as driving experience. I’ve been really happy with how smooth and zippy my Mazda is. The newer model is also a smooth ride. The car feels somewhat heavier though. Mazda is long known for being zoom zoom peppy. I’d have to say that in my week of driving the 2012 model, that it felt more like 1.5 zooms instead of 2 zooms. I really only noticed the acceleration lag when pulling out onto the highway or when driving up a hill.

Driving around town felt normal as did turning, braking, driving in reverse, etc. I only had the car for one week, but during that time, the miles per gallon display showed it getting better gas mileage that my 2006 version. I also found the air conditioner to perform better than mine.

While this model isn’t quite as zippy as my older version, the 2012 Mazda Mazda3 i Grand Touring is a nice looking small sized car that gets better gas mileage and has a better set of standard features that enhance the driving experience. Prices for this model start at $15,200 and the price of the vehicle that I was given to test drive was $24,970.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Car

2012 Mazda Mazda3 i Grand Touring 4-Door Test Drive originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 15, 2012 at 3:32 pm.

Earth Day (April 22) not only reminds us to think about our impact on the Earth, it also signals the beginning of the travel season, so it is only natural to think about how to vacation in a more eco-friendly manner. How about a way to use your car, SUV, or mini-van instead of a big old RV? The SwissRoomBox is a series of modules that fit in your car and act as a kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and bedroom in one package.

The bright red unit sells for about $4,000, but includes everything you need, including the dishes! It straps into your car and can be installed or removed in minutes and just needs an electrical connection to be complete. The power adapter runs a pump, heater, and power outlet.

SwissRoomBox configurations

Filed in categories: News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Car, Earth Day, Travel

SwissRoomBox – A mini-RV inside your car! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 8, 2012 at 11:00 am.

The SoundFly VIEW Bluetooth FM Transmitter from Satechi is a car gadget for those of us that are not fortunate enough to own a Bluetooth enabled vehicle (like my 2006 Mazda 3). Here at The Gadgeteer, we’ve reviewed Bluetooth speakerphones before and we’ve reviewed FM transmitters. But I think this might be the first Bluetooth FM transmitter that we’ve reviewed. Let’s take a look.

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

Hardware Specifications

Bluetooth A2DP & AVRCP
3.5mm auxiliary input & output
USB charging port
SD card reader

Package Contents

Satechi SoundFly VIEW Bluetooth FM Transmitter
IR remote
3.5mm patch cord
User Manual

The SoundFly has a sturdy construction. The main controls are on one end, while the other end has a standard 12V cigarette lighter connector. Between the ends is a 6 inch gooseneck that can be bent, twisted, turned and formed however you like.

The device has a 2 inch LCD display, 4 buttons and a jog button/knob. The buttons all have multiple functions that control phone features and audio features. The jog knob brings up menus and also allows for scrolling through them.

Below the jog knob is the microphone. However, there are no speakers built into the SoundFly itself. Audio has to be routed through the FM transmitter or the 3.5mm Audio Out jack which not pictured, but located on the left side of the device with the Audio In jack. More about this in a minute.

On the bottom of the SoundFly you’ll find a USB port that can be used to charge your phone or audio player. I tested this with my iPhone 4S and had no issues with it charging my phone. The USB port can not be used to play songs from a USB flash drive. It’s for charging only.

A full sized SD card slot is located on the right side of the device. If you load up the card with MP3 or WMA files, it will play them through the FM transmitter or Audio Out jack to your car’s stereo. The jog knob and buttons allow you to navigate through the songs. It recognizes up to 32gb (approx. 1999 files) and supports 99 folder directories with up to 5-level folder depths.

Also included with the SoundFly is a remote control. I guess it’s there for your passengers to be able to control music playback while you’re driving. As the driver, I wouldn’t use this remote and promptly stowed it in the glove box. It worked fine, but just seems odd to use a remote control in the car…

To start using the SoundFly as a Bluetooth speakerphone, you have to pair it with your phone, which is a simple task. You only need to pair it once and from then on, when you power up the SoundFly, it will connect to your phone if it is in range. An Asian female voice will announce “Bluetooth Connected” after a few seconds. You’ll only hear this after you’ve programmed in the FM transmitter frequency and/or connected the SoundFly to your car’s stereo via the Audio Out jack.

Like all FM transmitters, you have to find an unused FM frequency on your car’s radio and then set the SoundFly to that same frequency. Depending on where you’re located, it might be easy or difficult to find a frequency that isn’t being used. The SoundFly seems to work better than some of the past FM transmitters that I’ve tested. I haven’t noticed any bleed through sounds while using it.

After your phone is paired and you have an audio connection with your car’s stereo, actually using the SoundFly is pretty straight forward.

You can initiate a call using your phone or you can sync your phone’s contacts with the SoundFly and initiate the call from the SoundFly’s phone book.

I had no problems syncing my iPhone’s contacts with the SoundFly. Navigating to the desired phone number is just a matter of using the jog knob to first pick the letter and then scroll through the contacts till you find the right one.

My experience using the SoundFly’s speakerphone feature was not as good as using its MP3 player feature… As the call originator, I had to sometimes turn up the volume on my car’s radio in order to hear the other side of the conversation. That wasn’t too big of a problem, but after quite a few test calls over the course of a week, I was told that call quality on the other side of the conversations was the worst of any Bluetooth headset / speakerphone I’d ever tested. The first time I called Jeanne with it, she said I sounded horrible, like I was several feet away from the microphone and down a well. In fact, my mouth was approximately 24 inches away. Every subsequent time I’d call her with it, she’d say “Are you STILL using that thing? It sucks!” I thought moving my mouth closer to the microphone would improve things, but all my tests resulted in the same negative comments.

This device doesn’t work well as=s a Bluetooth speaker phone, but as an audio player, the Satechi SoundFly VIEW does a much better job. If you load up an SD card full of MP3s or WAV files and insert it into the slot, it will automatically start playing songs when it powers up. If you press the Call End button (Red handset button) before you turn off your car, it will set a bookmark so it will continue playing where it left off.

The display shows the artist and name of the currently playing song.

The buttons allow you to to move backwards and forwards through songs. You might notice from the images that the buttons are not backlit. This makes it hard to see/find them when you’re driving at night.

In addition to playing MP3s from an SD card, you can also play music on your phone and have it stream via Bluetooth to the SoundFly, which then will play the music using the FM transmitter or Audio Out jack. Playing this way will also display the song’s artist and title.

I even tested the SoundFly by playing Pandora and Slacker Radio apps on my iPhone. Both worked great and also display the artist name and song title.

It’s unfortunate that the Satechi SoundFly VIEW’s Bluetooth speakerphone feature is not up to par with other speakerphones I’ve reviewed. That said, this device is an above average FM transmitter that offers a SD card slot and a built in USB charging port. I can’t completely recommend it, but don’t think it’s a total waste of money either.

Let’s hear from you. What is your favorite speakerphone brand / model?

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Car, FM Transmitter

Satechi SoundFly VIEW Bluetooth FM Transmitter Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 4, 2012 at 3:00 pm.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I find myself with a conundrum.  I have a gadget to review,  but for the life of me, I don’t know what I would use it for.  Nevertheless, I’m going to take it on a ride and maybe I’ll have an aha moment.  It is available through Etronixmart.

Here’s the description from the retailer’s website:

Another new in car camera- Etronixmart010 Portable Car Camcorder. It allows you to take video recorder in Day/Night Selectable modes. Thus, Etronixmart010 carcam will help you capture clear images in low light environment once adjust to Night modes. At the same time, it will continue to record while being charging. With its 270 degree Swivel LCD display, it is very convenient to take video/photo in different situations.

Finally, it is alo a very good portable digital camera. Get one back home and find what other surprise you will get.

Now that we have that cleared up

Specifications:

• LCD display: 2.0inch LCD(4:3)
• Lens: 140A+High resolution wide angle lens
• Language selection: English. Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Russian
• Video resolution: VGA/D1/HD(1280×960)
• Video format: AVI
• Image resolution: VGA
• Image format: JPG
• Memory card: Micro SD  (not included)
• Microphone/Speaker: yes
• LED light: Dual super bright LED
• TV mode: PAL/NTSC
• Frequency: 50HZ/60HZ
• USB Port: USB2.0
• Power input: 5V 500MA
• Battery: Rechargeable Li-ion

I comes with most everything you’ll need to start recording your vehicle escapades, with the exception of a micro SD card.  The device has no onboard memory.  The windshield mount worked very well.

On one side are a set of function buttons.

On the back is the micro SD card slot.  You’ll notice that the image is inverted.  This can be flipped using one of the function keys, however, that also flips the graphics.

On the other side are some more function keys and the mini USB port.  The port is used to supply power and charge the internal battery as well as connect the device to a PC.

A look at the bottom reveals the slots for the window mount and shows the lens which has 180 deg of adjustment.  The 2 white dots on either side of the lens are L.E.D.s that provide illumination for the night mode.

The device is a car camera, so I stuck in one of my cars.  You’ll probably notice that I positioned it low on the windshield and there’s a reason to do so.  When I had it higher up, I would get underexposed video because the device appears to average the scene for exposures and when higher up, the frame has mostly sky, no matter how I adjust the lens.

The included mount seems very secure having a suction cup with a lever.  In the hundreds of miles I drove around with the camera, it never fell off.  I didn’t need the power cord plugged in for most of my tests, because the internal battery provided several hours of operation.  The battery can be charged with either the included 12v cable or the included USB cable and wall wart.  However, if you have the 12v cable plugged in , the camera will turn on and off when the 12v power is switched on and off.

Movie sample

The above clip was shot on an overcast day in the camera’s HD mode and demonstrates some of the issues with the camera.  Firstly, you’ll notice that the exposure changes dependent upon how much of the sky is in the frame.  Also, the sound has a consistent buzz and it’s not the engine of my hybrid car.  It was in battery mode for the entire clip.

When recording videos, one selects a recording time of 2, 5 or 15 minutes.  If set in motion sense mode, these clips will be repeated until the memory is full and then stop with a memory full message.

It took a while for me to get acclimated to the buttons on the camera, especially when it was mounted on the windshield.  When mounted the graphics are upside down.  Another issue is the night mode, which when enabled turns on the L.E.D.s.  They were rather bright, but all they did was glare on the windshield.  Perhaps I’m using this thing wrong and should be recording myself driving because then the L.E.D.s are quite effective.

The camera can also take still photos and above is an example.  I won’t be replacing my still camera anytime soon.  I did notice when uploading this photo that I have the date wrong.  It should be 2011, which brings up another point.  The menu structure on the device is a learning experience.  The manual that came with the camera leaves a lot to be desired.  With some patience and lots of time, I was able to figure out most functions.  For the picture mode these include a self time and burst mode, which take 3 shots at a time.

Using the display, the videos and stills can be previewed without attachment to a computer.  Again, figuring out the button sequences kept me busy for awhile.  If you wish to download the files to a computer, the device can be plugged into a usb port using the supplied cable and it will look like a removable drive.

After using the Portable Car Camcorder for several weeks, I’ve come up with some ideas how this might be practical.  It could be used as a security device to video someone who might want to vandalize your car.  You could keep and eye on your teen when he/she takes the family car out for a spin.  If you’re prone to frequent moving violations, you could record your interactions with law enforcement while they are writing a ticket.  Of course, if someone takes the micro SD card or the camera, you’ll have nothing

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

Tagged: Camcorder, Car

Portable Car Camcorder Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 10, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

When I first learned about the GoSmart Clip a few months ago, I thought it was a great idea for putting your smartphone’s display right in the center of your steering wheel, for easy viewing. They sent me one to review and now that I’ve had a chance to actually use it, here’s what I think…

The GoSmart Clip is made of plastic and is available in Red or Black. The Clip has two curved areas that hug the top and bottom edges of your 4-5″ tall smartphone. I tested the GoSmart clip with a Droid X and an iPhone 4.

To use it, you unhook the attached rubber strap, wrap it around the 12 o’clock position of your steering wheel and latch the strap the plastic post at the top of the clip to hold it in place.

The clip can be lengthened to accommodate your phone. Here you see it with the Droid X.

And here it is with an iPhone 4. Depending on the phone that you use with this clip, it may or may not cover important buttons. The clip worked better with my iPhone, since the power button and home button were not obstructed.

When used with my primary phone, the Droid X, the top part of the clip covers the power button. After attaching the GoSmart Clip to my 2006 Mazda 3′s steering wheel at the suggested 12 o’clock position, I immediately realized that it wouldn’t work well for me. In this position, the phone completely blocks my view of the speedometer. Ever since getting a speeding ticket a year ago, I tend to keep a very watchful eye on my speed. Not being able to see how fast I’m going makes me feel really uncomfortable. The FAQ on the GoSmart site says you can also place the clip in the 11 or 1 o’clock position, but I didn’t like that placement either because it felt in the way of my hands on the steering wheel.

Besides the placement issue, I was also annoyed by the fact that sunlight on the phone’s display would reflect glare in my eyes while I was driving. When the phone’s display was off, I could see my own reflection in the display like a mirror. The clip would shake with the vibration of the car, which was distracting. Since the clip is only held to the steering wheel from the top, it tends to wiggle around a bit as you steer and / or drive on bumpy roads.

I originally thought this holder would be a good idea to keep the phone’s display within easy view, but the more I think about it, the more I think it’s actually a bad idea. I think it might encourage or tempt people to use their phone even more while driving since it’s so easy to see. I can imagine that it would be really tempting to view and answer a text message with the phone in this position.

The only advantage that I can see for using the GoSmart is for GPS usage… But I personally wouldn’t use it since it blocks the view of my speedometer and feels awkward and in the way of my hands while driving. I think I’ll just stick with keeping it in my cup holder.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Car, holder

GoSmart Clip Smartphone Steering Wheel Mount Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 23, 2011 at 3:56 pm.

Why haven’t we seen something like this before? The Go Smart Clip is an adjustable holder that places your smartphone exactly where you can see it. Right in the center of your steering wheel. It’s designed to accommodate almost any smartphone that is between 4″ (100mm) to 5″ (125mm) tall and less than 0.75″ (20mm) thick and can be used with any car that has a conventional steering wheel. The Smart Clip is available in Red or Black and can be purchased individually for $25.95 or in packs of 2 for $39.95 from Amazon starting Dec 1st. I’d love to try this with my Droid X!

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged: Car, holder, Spotlight Gadgets

Go Smart Clip helps keep your hands at 10 and 2 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 24, 2010 at 6:00 pm.

I know this isn’t exactly a gadget, but it sure is eye catching. It’s a collection of 3D car replicas that double as shelves for your wall. Made of resin and glass, these colorful front bumbers of some classic car models from the 50′s, 60′s and 70′s would be perfect for any man cave (or hey, a girl cave if you’re a female car nut). The price isn’t bad either at $89.95. They are available now from Gadgets and Gear.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Home Tech, News

Tagged: Car, Home, Spotlight Gadgets

Hang a classic car on your wall originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 19, 2010 at 9:00 am.

The new SafeDriver by Lemur Monitors. This device monitors and reports distance traveled, average speed and records hard braking.

“When you can’t be with them…” is the tag line for the SafeDriver monitoring device from Lemur Monitors.  Some might say “Or when you can’t trust them,”…either way, the SafeDriver wireless monitoring device is a sweet little “don’t even think about it” mechanism for that new driver in the household.

The second in a series of monitoring devices manufactured by Lemur and I’ve already had three friends with new teen drivers ask if they can borrow it.  The SafeDriver monitor plugs into your car’s OBD II port and once the fob is synced, will report how far the auto traveled, the average speed of the trip and a nifty little feature that tells you whether or not there were any “sudden brakes” applied.  Yep.  Sudden braking.  As in, “OMG, I totally almost hit that car in front of me!  Thank God my parents weren’t here, they’d kill me.”  Well, ‘fess up because they’re going to ask you about it.

The device does not record the severity of the braking but does record how many times the vehicle braked hard.  And Lemur is fair and defines this as “a sudden brake is counted when the vehicle speed is reduced by 15 mph in less than two seconds”.  In other words, a hard brake.   Put the texting away because SafeDriver is going to rat you out.   And don’t even think of resetting or trying to mess with the fob.  Lemur is already two steps ahead by programming in a special tamper proof pin number so the results cannot be changed.  And if you really want to dig your hole further and attempt to remove the sensor from the OBD II port , the fob’s battery removed or an invalid pin number has been entered then the words TAMPER appear on the fob that can only be reset by entering the valid pin number.

SafeDriver Sensor and SafeDriver Fob

While new drivers or kids who really want to head out somewhere else instead of the library “like they told their old man now”, will not really like the SafeDriver, I know parents who love the idea of it.   One friend in particular is not so interested in catching her daughter out as she believes the SafeDriver is a useful tool to help her daughter navigate the perils of being a new driver.

“My idea of a hard brake and her idea of a hard brake are easily two different things,” she told me.  “If I am out driving with her, she hits the brakes and the fob doesn’t record it, that’s one thing.  But if she hits the brakes hard and the fob does record it, there could be several reasons why she had to brake hard and it’s a good training tool to sharpen her reflexes. It also helps define what a hard brake is and since I was there, she’s really limited on the “it was not a big deal, Mom.  The fob is just sensitive,’ remarks.  The device isn’t sensitive because I was there the first time she did it.  Like it or not, driving is not learned overnight.”

I am not a fan of hard braking and since I live in Indiana, I have to pay serious attention because most of the drivers here are basically clueless to anyone on the road besides themselves.   When I tested the SafeDriver, it worked perfectly in all respects and was very useful but I did not employ any movement that would cause it to record a brake.  This is surprising since I was sure the soccer mom in the minivan in front of me, who was far more interested in texting than in driving, would definitely cause me to score a brake.

With the good, comes the not so good.  It’s necessary to sync the device after inserting the sensor but  before you start the car according to the instructions.  If you’re trying to catch your new driver in a lie, it’s a little suspicious to go out there to start the car for them and attempt to hide the fob.  I’m not sure if this is really a “con” or not.  All new drivers should be prepared to accept and discuss the results of the SafeDriver and adjust their driving habits accordingly.

This is a very useful device for parents and new drivers alike and at $69.95, it’s a reasonable price to have this in a house with new drivers.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Car

Lemur Monitors SafeDriver Wireless Vehicle Monitor Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 3, 2010 at 9:51 am.

Scosche has announced the motorMOUTH II, plug and play Bluetooth handsfree car kit and streaming audio receiver. This is a compact device that plugs directly into the front Aux-in/MP3 jack on your car’s stereo. If you don’t have a front jack, Scosche provides a relocation cable along with a Y adapter for users that prefer to directly connect their music. The speaker phone features DSP echo cancellation and support profiles: HFP and A2DP. The motorMOUTH II is available now through Frys.com for $79.99.

Filed in categories: Bluetooth Gear, Car Gear, News

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Car, Spotlight Gadgets

Scosche Launches the motorMOUTH II Bluetooth Handsfree Car Kit originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 27, 2010 at 12:23 pm.

I drive a 2006 Mazda 3 5 Door and love it except for two things. The A/C is crappy and so is the stock stereo. I keep toying with the idea of replacing the stereo and these new Sony Xplod in-dash units might make me finally pull the trigger. Sony has introduced 4 different radios that range in price from $80 up to $160. So pricing isn’t really an issue. The top end model (CDX-GT650UI) has several features that appeal to me, including the ability to customize the illumination color to match the color that your car already uses. There are 35,000 color choices, so I don’t think I’d have a problem picking one to match. It also has a front USB connector for use with an iPod or other MP3 player, as well as a front aux-in jack. It even has an application called SenseMe that automatically organizes your music library into custom playlists to match your mood.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged: Car, Radio, Spotlight Gadgets

Sony Announces New Xplod In-Dash Car Stereos Designed For Connectivity and Customization originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 18, 2010 at 1:58 pm.

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of the Check Engine Light (CEL) in your car come on then you are stuck there wondering what the heck is wrong. You could take your car to your dealership or even to an auto parts store but you don’t even know if your car can make it that far. What a hassle. Or you could just pop in the handy and helpful device called the CarCheckup.

The CarCheckup is a portable device made to work with foreign and domestic vehicles from 1996 and newer.

A nice thing about having this device is that it can pull up the error codes from your cars on-board computer.  But more on that later.

The CarCheckup is excellent if you keep logs of your mileage and trip times for business and it is a handy tool for those parents who are concerned for their new teen drivers, also.

To use the CarCheckup, you connect the front of the device (the Data Link Connector or DLC)

to the cars OBD2 port, or the on-board computer. It is a port under the steering column usually directly underneath or off to the left. Then you drive around and let the device gather information. Unplug from your car. Connect to your computer. Upload to their website and voila!

All the necessary data is collected and displayed for you on your computer screen.

After you plug the device into your car a blinking green light on the back will let you know that it is ready.  When the device is recording data information the light will change to orange. Just be sure not to disconnect the device until the light starts blinking green again or you could damage the device.

It took me a few minutes to download all my data. I didn’t have to wait long at all. A Quick Start Guide pamphlet is included so you can get started but the CarCheckup device is fairly self-explanatory.

There is an impressive amount of data collected from the CarCheckup device and it shows. You’ll get information like miles traveled,speeds you were going,  what your RPM’s were, braking and acceleration. An all in one driving summary and report. It can even giveyou the date and times that the data was collected.

The CarCheckup device has a swing-arm USB connector that plugs in to any USB port on your computer.  It is nice having the swing-arm and not a USB cable that you have to attach later. So no messy wires and no misplacing the cable. However, the their website offers a USB extension cable if you need one for $20.00.

Having a device that can read your car’s error codes is a nice feature to have when you need it.  The CarCheckup read my car’s CEL and found a code that my mechanic found when I had my oil changed prior to using the device. So I felt that it did as good a job as a professional code reader like the ones that a mechanic uses.

Fortunately my code was nothing serious. Just a dirty valve that needs a shot of carburetor cleaner.

When you register with CarCheckup on their website you are allowed one year subscription for your car so if you have more than one car and want to use the device on another car you have to pay for another subscription.  Every car added is $25 for a year.

Unfortunately, this device doesn’t have a LCD readout on it which would be nice to pull up error codes so you wouldn’t have log on to the website just to view the codes. But this device is more of a data recorder/tracker with the ability to read codes as a bonus.

But it is nice to have all the data stored electronically so you can eliminate the paper mess and make a printout for a later time when you need one.

The CarCheckup has a MSRP of $149.97 and comes with a 30 day money back guarantee.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Car

CarCheckup Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 27, 2010 at 3:04 pm.

Starting in 2011, OnStar will begin offering a smartphone application at no extra cost as part of their basic subscription plan for all GM brands. Smartphone users will be able to use many of OnStar’s features right from their phone. Some of those features include the ability to remotely start their vehicle, activate horn and lights, and lock/unlock their vehicle’s doors from their phones. They will also be able to check vehicle information such as: fuel tank level and range, remaining oil life, current and recommended tire pressure and lifetime average miles-per-gallon. Watch a demo video after the jump.

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

Tagged: Car, iPhone, Spotlight Gadgets

OnStar to Expand Service to Smartphones in 2011 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 22, 2010 at 9:30 am.

The FuelDoctor FD-47 is a device that can help increase fuel economy by conditioning electrical signals (e.g., aberrant noise, harmonics, spikes).  It consists of a set of electronics filters encapsulated in a shell that is inserted into the cigarette lighter of the car.  The concept is sound:  filter out transient spikes and help the electronic control unit of the car function more efficiently and, ergo, improve fuel use.

The Fuel Doctor slips into the cigarette lighter of the vehicle

I’m not overly happy with the fuel economy of my vehicle so I was very interested in seeing how much improvement I could get.  I’m also amused by people who claim (very vocally, in fact) that there is no possible way that that thing could work and that there is no way they would allow it attached to their vehicle.  Whatever.  Let’s see how many big bucks this thing saved me.

The FuelDoctor is inserted into the cigarette lighter of the car.  A power indicator light and a battery charge light illuminate when the car is running, letting you know that signals are getting to the FuelDoctor.

Since many of us use the cigarette lighter for charging USB devices or brewing coffee, the company also sells a dual socket adapter and USB port (both sold separately).  (It’s important to note that these accessories do not contain the FuelDoctor electronics; that threw me off since the company sent all three items and I assumed that the accessories were also FuelDoctors.  Only after taking apart the dual socket did I realize that they were not actual FuelDoctors.  Just an FYI.)

Accessories -- these do not contain the FuelDoctor filtering hardware

I used the FuelDoctor on a standard transmission 2006 Subaru Baja.  I used it for both highway and city driving for 30 days (the amount of time provided for the product’s guarantee) but didn’t see any fuel-use improvement.  This could be because the car is still too new to have developed any electrical pollution that could affect the electrical system.  However, several newer vehicles were reported to have increased fuel economy according to the technical sheets on the FuelDoctor web site.  My normal fuel mileage is from 21-24  MPG city and from 25-29 MPG highway.  With or without the FuelDoctor, the mileage remained in that range.  Disappointing.

So a friend offered to use the FuelDoctor on his 2003 GMC Sonoma.  He commutes about 80 miles every day to and from work so we thought this would be an interesting test.  He too, however, reported that there was no significant difference in his fuel mileage.  He did report, though, that when driving at 55 MPH, his fuel economy went up significantly.  But I can’t drive 55.

For a final test, I cobbled up a PC oscilloscope probe and a copy of Visual Analyzer to monitor the voltage and frequency spectrum at the cigarette lighter port with and without the FuelDoctor.  This too was inconclusive since my diagnostic hardware didn’t show anything nearly as obvious as the photo on the FuelDoctor website.

From the FuelDoctor web site -- demonstrating the filtering capability of the device.

There are some compelling technical test results on the FuelDoctor web site, a summary of which is provided in the following table, but it appears that for the bottom line, your results will vary depending on your vehicle.  Since the product comes with a 30-day guarantee, it doesn’t hurt to try it out.

Table extracted from various technical sheets found on the FuelDoctor web site.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Car

FuelDoctor Fuel Saving Device Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 30, 2010 at 1:00 pm.