Car Gear - The Gadgeteer

Gone Are the Days of Remote Start From a Key Ring

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 […]

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CoulVue iPad 2 Headrest Mounting System from TouCoul Review

By Janet Cloninger / June 3, 2011 / Reviews / Car Gear, iOS / 17 Comments

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

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Jabra Extreme Bluetooth Headset Review

By Jackie Cheng / May 31, 2011 / Reviews / Bluetooth, Car Gear, Headset / 3 Comments

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.

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Make Parking the Car Easier with a Laser Guide

By Janet Cloninger / May 27, 2011 / News / Car Gear, Father's Day / 7 Comments

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

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Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM GPS with Free Map Updates

By Janet Cloninger / May 11, 2011 / News / Car Gear, GPS / Leave a Comment

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

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Win a CarCam from Etronixmart!

By Julie Strietelmeier / May 6, 2011 / News / Car Gear, contest / 25 Comments

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.

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Keep a Grip on Your Gadgets with the Nano-Pad

By Janet Cloninger / April 25, 2011 / News / Car Gear / 9 Comments

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

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Remote Starter for Your Car from Bulldog Security

By Janet Cloninger / April 14, 2011 / News / Car Gear, Do-It-Yourself / 7 Comments

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

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Portable Car Camcorder Review

By Bill Kuch / April 10, 2011 / Reviews / Audio, Video, TV, Camcorder, Car Gear / 23 Comments

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.

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Cobra iRadar – Radar/Laser/Safety Camera Detection for iPhone/iPod Touch

By Janet Cloninger / April 5, 2011 / News / Apps, Car Gear, iOS, Travel Gear / 13 Comments

Cobra is a company long-known for making radar detectors. Now they are offering the iRadar system, which combines a Cobra detector unit with an app for iPhone and iPod touch. The detector unit provides 360-degree protection from all radar and laser guns, and a city/highway mode prevents false alerts. The iRadar app for iOS devices

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NewPotato TuneLink Auto Now Available for Android Phones

By Janet Cloninger / March 29, 2011 / News / Android, Audio, Video, TV, Car Gear / Leave a Comment

A few months ago, The Gadgeteer told you about TuneLink Auto from NewPotato Technologies that allowed you to play audio from your Apple iOS device through your car’s stereo. Now, NewPotato has made the TuneLink Auto system available to Android phone users. You plug the TuneLink Auto into your car’s power port and pair it

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BodyGard 5-in-1 Emergency Tool is a Real Lifesaver

By Janet Cloninger / March 18, 2011 / News / Car Gear, Gear, Security / 2 Comments

You’ve seen those big emergency tools designed to help you escape your car in an emergency. They have a glass-breaking hammer, seatbelt cutter – and they’re as big as a small hammer and hard to keep within reach in your car. The BodyGard 5-in-1 Emergency tool is small (1¾”W x 3”L x 5/8”H) and comes

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Arkon Rear Seat Headrest Mount and Custom Fit Protective Holder for Apple iPad Review

By Janet Cloninger / March 7, 2011 / Reviews / Car Gear, iOS / 7 Comments

Going on car trips with kids can be rough. Hearing “are we there yet” too many times can make the trip seem endless. Electronics companies, and even car manufacturers, recognize this and make a variety of entertainment devices to keep those little backseat passengers occupied and entertained. If your car doesn’t have the built-in DVD

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Talk to the Hand with the Earzee Bluetooth Wristband

By Julie Strietelmeier / February 17, 2011 / News / Bluetooth, Car Gear, Hands Free, Spotlight Gadgets / 6 Comments

If you’ve tried Bluetooth headsets and speaker phones before and didn’t find them to your liking, I have another option to try for hands free calls. It’s the Earzee Bluetooth Wristband from MobileFun. This wristband pairs with your phone and vibrates when it detects a call. You can then pull the earphone speaker between your

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Plantronics K100 In-Car Bluetooth Speakerphone Review

By Janet Cloninger / January 26, 2011 / Reviews / Bluetooth, Bluetooth speaker, Car Gear / 6 Comments

plantronics k100 in car bluetooth speakerphone 1

There is no state in the US that bans all phone use while driving. (Texting while driving is different, and many states do ban texting by all drivers.) Several states ban all cell phone use by certain types of drivers – like novice drivers or bus drivers – and several states require hands-free devices. North

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GoSmart Clip Smartphone Steering Wheel Mount Review

By Julie Strietelmeier / January 23, 2011 / Reviews / Car Gear, holder / 21 Comments

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

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BlackBerry HS-700 Bluetooth Headset Review

By Dave Rees / January 16, 2011 / Reviews / Blackberry, Bluetooth, Car Gear / 8 Comments

Over the years, I have tried/reviewed many bluetooth headsets designed to free you from the hassle of having to hold your cellphone to your ear. Since they first came on the market, bluetooth headset technology, capabilities, and reliability have come a very long way. BlackBerry has recently introduced three new bluetooth headsets and a visor

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Away put your map! Star Wars voices for TomTom

By Andy Jacobs / December 28, 2010 / News / Car Gear, GPS / 1 Comment

A GPS navicomputer can be a powerful ally when eating up highway miles in your beat-up old freighter. But the stock voices can get a bit stale. Oh dear! Spice it up with Star Wars voices for TomTom. The strikingly spot-on voices can be downloaded directly to your TomTom device via home desktop software. Listen

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NewPotato TuneLink Auto Brings Bluetooth Audio to Your Car

By Andy Simmons / December 16, 2010 / Uncategorized / Audio, Video, TV, Car Gear, iOS, Music Gear, Spotlight Gadgets / 3 Comments

While portable audio has been making major strides, and home audio has been doing its best to keep up, car audio has had a difficult time keeping up. Most cars still include CD players, and who listens to CDs anymore? NewPotato Technologies hopes to help get us out of the antiquated audio rut with their

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Kiwi Bluetooth Android Car Diagnostic Kit

By Bryan Sherman / December 13, 2010 / Uncategorized / Android, Car Gear, Do-It-Yourself / 3 Comments

Kiwi e661 bluetooth car diagnostic kit for android

Here is a cool car gadget for Android owners. The Kiwi Bluetooth Android Car Diagnostic Kit connects to the OBDII port of your car (works on any car model 1996 or newer) and allows your Android phone to get the information via bluetooth from your car. There is even a power switch to turn it

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