Car Gear - The Gadgeteer

Satechi CD-NT Universal CD car mount and SCH-121 Cup Holder Mount reviews

We Gadgeteers carry our phones everywhere. Even using wearable tech, we still want a phone with us, especially when we’re driving. The GPS/Mapping apps and constant connectivity your phone gives you can be the difference between sitting at a confusing intersection, trying to unfold that stupid gas station map and breezing through, confident of your […]

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Never wander the parking lot searching for your car again

By Janet Cloninger / June 24, 2015 / News / Car Gear / 1 Comment

The shopping malls around here are always busy, and sometimes they are so jammed you’re lucky to find a parking place. After a few trips around the giant lot looking for an empty space, and it all starts to look alike. If you don’t make a concerted effort to find a landmark, you may find

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XPower E1 3-port USB car charger review

By Andy Chen / June 9, 2015 / Reviews / Batteries and Chargers, Car Gear, USB charger / 1 Comment

You can’t have too many USB charging outlets when traveling, I say. Today we look at the XPower E1, a rather unique take on the 12V to USB accessory with 3 ports, a built-in voltage display and a long power cord.

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TYLT RIBBN 4.8A Car Charger with flat ribbon cable review

By Andy Chen / June 7, 2015 / Reviews / cables, Car Gear / Leave a Comment

I love flat charging cables. Ever since I came across the flat micro USB cable that came with the Logitech Ultimate Ears Boom speaker, I’ve been snapping up flat cables if there’s a choice. Now, there’s a car charger with a flat cable!

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Chamberlain MyQ Garage Universal Smartphone Garage Door Controller review

By Bill Kuch / June 6, 2015 / Reviews / Car Gear / 16 Comments

Have you ever driven down the road and wondered if you closed the garage door when you left? Unfortunately, it happens to me a lot, and then I’m in the situation where I can worry about it until I get home or drive back to check. Sometimes I’m 150 miles away when I think about

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Caseco’s Core 360 is one of the smallest smartphone car mounts I’ve ever seen

By Julie Strietelmeier / June 5, 2015 / News / Car Gear, Device mount / 7 Comments

The Caseco Core 360° is a car mount that will put your smartphone right where you need it without a lot of unsightly plastic holders, Velcro or unreliable suction cups. The mount is made of an anodized aluminum alloy and features a neodymium magnet that keeps a secure hold on your device. The mounting part

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BlueDriver OBD2 Bluetooth Scan Tool review

By Kathleen Chapman / May 27, 2015 / Reviews / Car Gear / 33 Comments

Cars have become more advanced, and along with the new computer and emissions controls have come the warning indicator lights or “idiot lights” that will go off if the computer detects something wrong with a system in your vehicle. Thankfully, a standard port for accessing that information in the car’s computer system was developed, called

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Automatic announces next generation OBD-II car adapter and app store

By Margaret Dornbusch / May 20, 2015 / News / Car Gear / 1 Comment

Car adapter maker Automatic just announced version two of its car adapter plug as well as its new Automatic App Gallery. The Automatic adapter plugs into the standard diagnostics (OBD-II) port hidden under the dash in most cars since 1996 and helps users diagnose their own check engine lights and gathers data on driving habits.

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Scosche MagicMount XL Dash/Window car mount review

By Bill Kuch / May 12, 2015 / Reviews / Car Gear, Device mount / 10 Comments

I’ve been searching for ways to attach my phone and tablet to the dash of my car. Up until now, the options have been either destructive to the dash or I had to use a device that extended from the windshield. Neither of these were satisfying, so the MagicMount from Scosche seemed to be a

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Turn your car’s cupholder into a USB charging station

By Janet Cloninger / April 22, 2015 / News / Batteries and Chargers, Car Gear, Charging station / Leave a Comment

It’s nice to have a place in your car to set your drink, but it’s even nicer to have a place to keep your phone where you can see it while it’s navigating for you or while it’s charging. With the Cupholder Charging Station, you can convert one drink holder in the center console into

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A118-C Novatek 1080p HD dashcam review

By Julie Strietelmeier / April 10, 2015 / Reviews / Camera gear, Car Gear, dash cam / 17 Comments

It’s a cloudless night with a full moon and you’re driving along a deserted road in the middle of nowhere with thick forest on both sides of the road. With the windows rolled down you can hear your tires crunching over the gravel as you drive slowly. The sound almost puts you into a trance but

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Satechi Bluetooth Button Series (Home Button) review

By Andy Chen / March 23, 2015 / Reviews / Bluetooth, Car Gear, iOS / 1 Comment

Recently, Julie and I reviewed the iBolt Command Remote, a Bluetooth button that you can control various aspects of your smartphone. It was okay, but had some shortcomings especially for the iOS version. Today, I’ve got the Satechi Bluetooth Button Series (Home Button) to review.

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LyfeLens might be the ultimate dashcam for your car

By Julie Strietelmeier / March 16, 2015 / News / Camera gear, Car Gear, dash cam / 1 Comment

Although I don’t consider myself a dashcam expert, after reviewing three of these devices, I think I have a good idea which features make a dashcam stand out from the crowd. The LyfeLens dashcam looks to be the ultimate dashcam in terms of features. At least it looks great on paper. The LyfeLens features dual-facing

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mophie dual wall chargers work at home or in the car

By Janet Cloninger / March 13, 2015 / News / Batteries and Chargers, Car Gear, USB charger / Leave a Comment

We know that mophie makes protective phone cases with built-in backup batteries, and they also make battery packs that you can carry in your gear bag or on a keychain to charge all your mobile gear. Did you know that mophie also makes AC wall chargers? They have two models that you can use at home

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Satechi Bluetooth Button Series (Media Button) review

By Julie Strietelmeier / March 5, 2015 / Reviews / Android, Bluetooth, Car Gear, iOS / 13 Comments

Do you use your smartphone to stream music while you’re driving? If you do, you have probably struggled to interact with the music application while operating your vehicle. Especially during the winter months when you’re wearing gloves. The biggest issue is that you should not be focusing your attention to skipping music tracks or giving

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Keep that constantly chilly person warm without having to overheat the car

By Janet Cloninger / March 5, 2015 / News / Car Gear / 1 Comment

I used to be the cold one, but now my daughter is the family member who feels like she lives in an ice box. She always wants the heat turned up or the air conditioner turned off in the car, while her dad and I are sweltering. I need to get her the Trillium Worldwide Car

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iBolt Command Remote review

By Julie Strietelmeier / March 2, 2015 / Reviews / Android, Bluetooth, Car Gear, iOS / 9 Comments

The iBolt Command Remote is a stand alone button that can be programmed to perform a variety of functions for iOS and Android devices. The button is powered by a coin cell battery and pairs with your phone using Bluetooth. Andy Chen and I decided to do a dual review to talk about how the

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TYLT VÜ Wireless Charging Car Mount review

By Dave Rees / February 27, 2015 / Reviews / Android, Batteries and Chargers, Car Gear, Qi / 1 Comment

I truly believe charging your devices without having to plug them in is a great feature and the way of the future, that all cellphone/smart device manufactures should embrace. The TYLT VÜ wireless charger was one of my favorite review/tech products of 2014. It’s build quality, upright orientation and triple coil design make it the hands

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VicoVation Vico-Marcus 4 dashcam review

By Julie Strietelmeier / February 23, 2015 / Reviews / Car Gear, dash cam / 13 Comments

I’m a little obsessed with trying to find the best dashcam for my car. I’m relatively new to this type of gadget and have only reviewed two different units in the past year (see related links below). The latest dashcam that I’ve been testing is the VicoVation Vico-Marcus 4 dashcam. This one caught my eye because

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With this tarp, you won’t have to scrape your car’s windshield again

By Janet Cloninger / February 22, 2015 / News / Car Gear / 5 Comments

quick removal windshield snow removal tarp

If winter won’t go away and take the ice and snow with it, you can at least keep it off your car’s windshield with the Quick Removal Windshield Snow Tarp. The tarp measures 79″ wide X 47.5″ long X 1/8″ thick (56″ wide excluding the flaps), so it’s big enough to cover the windshield of most cars and

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