Keep your teenage child safe with Lemur Autovision, a smart gadget that ensures road safety.

Features:

• Real-time feedback
• Reports speed, distance, brakes
• Convenient keychain LCD
• Easy to install
• Affordable - no monthly fees
• Tamper Proof and PIN protected

The gadget is available on the market at $99.95.

Nissan plans to create a system that will warn drivers if they are going the wrong way. The computer-aided information system will use a GPS unit and Telematics that will alert drivers if they are nearing a heavily congested area or if they should slow down on a downhill stretch. It will enable drivers to use their mobile phones to determine if a dangerous situation lies ahead. The details regarding the system are not out yet, but the news is that the Japanese auto maker is going to team up with West Nippon Expressway Co. (or West NEXCO)

The Audiovox wireless rearview camera promises to enhance the safety of your SUV, van, or truck when you’re backing up or parallel parking. (The features of this product can be found in my previous post.) Does this camera deliver? Yes, according to a review made by CNET. It’s an easy, convenient way to ensure safety for you and your passengers while backing up or parallel parking-only if you can put up with a few kinks of this gadget.

Cheers: Easy installation and clear image

• Only needs simple hand tools when mounting the camera on the rear of the vehicle
• Easy to use as the monitor is always functioning and detecting signal from the camera
• Clear vision of the rear area even at night because of infrared illuminators
• Image on the 2.5-inch monitor is clear and in full color, allowing the user to easily find out what is directly at the back of the vehicle.
• 100-degree wide-angle lens of the camera provides wide field-of-view (but depends on the placement of the camera)

Jeers: Distracting interference

• Main issue with this camera is that it can get interference from other wireless sources when the camera is off, which is distracting during nighttime driving
• Easy target for theft because it’s easy to install

Photo and Info: CNET

Backing up is difficult and risky if you’re driving a van, SUV, or a large truck because these vehicles have big blind spot at the rear. Fortunately, more and more auto companies have come up with backup cameras as a standard feature of the latest models of large vehicles. And another good thing is that if you own a vehicle that doesn’t have a factory-installed backup camera, you can get an Audiovox ACA250 wireless backup camera that’s easy to install on your vehicle.

The Audiovox ACA250 wireless backup camera system consists of a monitor and a camera. Designed for DIY installation, the camera is mounted at the vehicle’s rear. It has 110-degree wide-angle lens, which has six infrared LEDs.

It’s a dependable electronic assistant especially when you’re in the vehicle alone with no one to assist you when you’re backing up or parallel parking.

This camera costs from $81.80 to 94.19.

Next week, I’m going to feature a review made by CNET on the Audiovox ACA250 wireless backup camera. Stay tuned!

Photo and Info: CNET

Call for help, and you shall be SAVEd.

A wireless Java-enabled car crash call system called SAVE is currently in the works, according to a report from the United Press International.

Being developed by researchers at Georgia Southern University, the SAVE system will serve as a communication device during emergencies such as accidents, floods, fire, and explosions. With this installed in a vehicle, drivers and passengers can call for help when such unfortunate events happen. The SAVE system will detect the nature of accident and then call emergency medical services in an instant. It is like having a reliable messenger in times of need. Most likely, rescue will arrive in no time.

Using low-cost sensor technology, the system can keep track of vehicle temperature, incline, airbag deployment, and deceleration. The Sensor technology consists of a powerful wireless technology to evaluate weather conditions and an inclinometer to determine rollover. Rescuers can easily locate the accident because the system is equipped with a GPS device.

Photo: Totalcarcrashes.com

Info: UPI

Last Friday, I posted some tips on keeping your focus while driving. It’s good to know that some gadgets manufacturers take the pains of creating devices that ensure driver focus and enables multitasking at the same time. Here’s one great gadget that can make you stay focused on the road: the wireless car speakerphone (AB900) from Sony Ericsson.

The AB900 works just like your hands-free phone and audio player in one sleek and classy package. You can make or receive calls safely while playing your favorite tunes. This wireless speakerphone offers a convenient call-handling display and an accessible voicemail. It even provides you with an easy access to your five favorite mobile phone numbers. With the AB099, you can stream your favorite songs from your cellphone using Blutooth. The gadget will then broadcast your songs in high quality over your car’s audio system.

This cool Sony Ericsson gadget, which can be strapped on to your car’s sun visor, features 26 hours of talk time and 40 hours of standby time. Amazing, isn’t it?

Photos: Engadget

Info: Sony Ericsson press release

Are you sure you’re always safe on the road?

Cellphone, GPS, iPod, and DVD players are the most common devices that can keep you distracted while you’re behind the steering wheel. Research shows that drivers who are heavy cellphone users are just as prone to car crashes as drunk drivers.

Don’t risk your life just because you need to answer an urgent call. To make sure you’re safe while driving and being surrounded by a bunch of gadgets, you can follow these tips:

• Refrain from using your gadgets while driving. If you really need to make an important call, then do it when the stoplight turns red or before you begin driving.
• If you really need to attend to an important call, it’s best to postpone answering the call. Just make a return call when your vehicle is stopped. Better yet, use your phone’s voicemail feature.
• Don’t rely too much on your hands-free devices-they are just as dangerous as the handheld ones.
• It’s a wise idea to bring someone with you in the car, if possible. He or she can monitor the direction on GPS, take the calls for you, and attend to other important gadget related stuff.
• You can put gadgets like MP3 players and cellphones in a cradle or store them in a safe place so that they don’t slide around inside your car. Likewise, GPS devices should be installed in an area where they don’t hinder your view of the road.
• Set your GPS travel routes and playlists before you drive.
• Of course, focus on the road and resist the temptation of touching any of your gadgets while driving.

Photo and Info: MyCES News

So you want something better than your car phone; something that you can directly use without pebbling on smallish headset that you might misplace somewhere in the car. Doing so might even risk your safe driving or might send you to a state of ignoring every call whenever you are on the road. That’s not efficient driving, isn’t it? Well, nobody wants to be in that position. Good thing that the industry has now come up with an easy talk answering machine with built-in speaker and FM radio! It is very useful and handy, you can use it anywhere you go with its no-installation, plug-in style!

The EZ-Talk: FM Hands Free Car Kit comes with a built-in push button so you can talk in its compact size. Its flexible microphone holder is just perfect for you so you need not jerk off your seat anytime you need to talk. It also has a stable hands-free radio frequency which adopts the PLL IC. This gives even better functions than that of using crystal. You can easily plug it into your cigarette lighter voltage or any 12 volts direct current supply and you already have a complete 2-in-1 hands-free answering machine and radio!

$34.95 is pretty meager for a functional auto electronic gadget as the EZ-Talk: FM Hands Free Car Kit. It is even comparably small with the amount you will need to shell out for a good kind of speaker, the more it becomes small when talking about an entire car kit. And since it will also be another form of a safety technique for you, this amount is not important. Complete car kit and no-install auto electronic gadget, is there anything else you want to ask rather than the EZ-Talk: FM Hands Free Car Kit? I certainly do not think so.

Photo & Info: Gadget Bargain

Merry Christmas…HO! HO! HO!— Hearing those lines already? Then, its time you start gift shopping for all your family and friends; and don’t forget to be very creative. Get something unique for each of these important people in your life. A digital alcohol breath tester would be great, wouldn’t you say!? This is the perfect present for all your driving friends and loved ones as these holidays will always start and end with good food and drinks that may go beyond the limits. Show your care then by giving them something that will inform them if they are still capable of driving or not.

The Safe-Mate digital alcohol breath tester features LP gas detector that can prevent them from driving under the influence of liquor; thereby keeping them safe and from the meticulous land transportation officers around town. This way, they can surely enjoy the holidays in the comfort of their homes or in places they really want to—but not jail. And this is not only useful these holidays but all through out the years of driving. You can even take it with you after switching vehicles year after year because this is handy—no installation! This will also depend on how keen you are in maintaining this auto electronic gadget.

This Safe-Mate digital alcohol breath tester from Dream Quest also has a 20-stage display LCD for your ready reference. It is handy in its 8.95 x 3.0 x 1.65 centimeters or 3.5 x 1.18 x 0.65 inches dimensions and approximately 45 grams weight. It comes with triple A batteries and can be calibrated manually by its owner to whatever function he or she wants it to perform at a certain time and condition. Isn’t this just the most wonderful gift you can receive these holidays? The better it will be if you will be the first to send it out to your immediate kin and friends!

Photo & Info: Gadget Bargain

Winter is fun, but not when you are traveling down the road. It can fall onto the driveway and even accumulate on your automobile; but the worst will be when it starts to block your windshield and produce fogging effect inside. Sure you can add a variety of heaters, glass heaters to take them away, but what about the other parts of your vehicle. All you can just hope for now is that the industry and its geniuses find a good auto electronic device or gadget that will also keep it off the falling snow. So for now, you just have to settle to something very useful; in such situations–the Ice Scraper Mitt. You just have to suit your hands with its water proof elastic wrist band and scrape to the last touch of ice on your vehicle.

The Ice Scraper Mitt is actually a two-in-one protection for your sensitive hands against frost bite, which can actually happen whenever the cold gets into you. This does happens when you are cleaning or scraping the ice off your vehicle and you only have gloves to keep it from direct contact with the frosting ice. It doesn’t necessarily mean that gloves are no better protection, but the Ice Scraper Mitt is made exactly for longer exposure; thus is best. It has 12 inches long nylon mitt which is water resistant so your hands stay dry and warm even at longer scraping expeditions.

Enjoy the full benefits of this Ice Scraper right before the winter is at its full swing. Add it into your tool box or better yet, into your compartment; somewhere within your arms reach from the driver’s seat. Doing so will keep you prepared at all times, especially now the holidays is just around the corner and who knows just how many times you need to go back and forth the groceries and malls?

Photo & Info: Gadget Bargain