Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

So, Junior just got his license and you’re worried about how fast he’s going to be ripping around the neighborhood, huh?  Well, Ford just may have the solution you’re looking for.  They’re coming out with the new MyKey and it is aimed to help parents both monitor and limit certain areas of their children’s driving habits.

With MyKey, drivers won’t be able to go over 80 miles an hour, and a warning chime will go off at 45, 55 and 65 miles per hour.  Kids won’t be able to turn on the radio until they are nice and safe and secure by fastening their seat belt.  Even once they can turn the radio on, there isn’t much danger of them blasting it, since the volume is limited to 44 percent of the maximum allowed. 

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So, most of us probably already use the easy route of auto locks for our vehicle and the familiar “beep-beep” as we walk away is nothing new.  The thought of actually having to fumble around and (gasp!) insert a key in the lock is an almost foreign concept these days.  But the new smart key offers oh so much more than that.

From as many as several hundred yards, drivers are able to send information to their vehicle to set their seat position to just where they like it, program the radio to their favorite station, even exchange navigation destinations downloaded from a computer.  The key has a mini-screen which can display information like whether the vehicle doors are locked, if the alarm is turned on, how your tire pressure is doing, and whether you soon need to stop for gas.  Nice little reminder for those who tend to forget that rather important little tidbit.

What else does this thing do?  Find out after the break.

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Product: Jabra SP700.
Price and Availability: $99 out now
Pros: Doesn’t make you look like a tool.  Easily answer calls in your car.  Makes not upgrading to the expensive new cars “tech package” a lot easier to live with.  Sound is great, surround sound through speakers is even better.
Cons: no air of superiority that comes with a headset (wait, maybe that should be in the Pros?)
Overall: I’ve already ordered two for my cars.  I give it 10/10

If you are like me, you’ll go to almost any length no to wear your bluetooth headset.  An incoming call when I am in the car sends me fumbling around my front seats for the tiny headset, the awkward install into my ear and then my eyes are back on the road.  Surely that is safer than just answer the phone?

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This new concept car is, to say the least, odd. In fact unless you were briefed beforehand it might take you a while to work out what it is; a concept car from Peugot cleverly disguised as a squashed drinks can. Nevertheless this façade is complimented by some very savvy specifications, some of which are given away by its name, the ‘Ozone’.

It’s name derives from the fact that its powered by ‘environmentally friendly’ hydrogen fuel cells which power the two electric motors, and in turn the large wheels which sit either side of the cabin. This two person cabin is both spacious and luxurious, and it goes some way to epitomizing the contemporary world in which we live today, which is only emphasized by the fact that this is controlled by a joystick!

However it is probably a good job that very few concept cars ever make it to mass production because this has many flaws that would make this very impractical. First, although the cabin doesn’t move when the car is moving when you brake hard, surely you would get at least a weird sensation? Also it would be somewhat disconcerting going at 70mph with two massive wheels 20cm away from your head, and these wheels surely also cause a safety issue if you were to hit someone? And also there are very few roads that would be wide enough to accommodate this car.

In conclusion: its a good concept, but little more than that due to its great practical shortfalls.

Via [GearFuse]

Leaves have taken color, trees filled with luster and shape again. There’s a smell to spring that is unmistakable, and a hunger to venture out beyond our own borders that cannot be ignored. For those explorers who answer the call, the road sings. A car, the company of good friends, and a destination that has yet to be determined, the iconic American journey. The road trip is an entity that hasn’t evolved, hasn’t been exploited or stripped of its romance yet. Even now as we tie ourselves to cell phones, MP3 players, GPS, laptops, and PDA’s the road trip remains unvarnished, and true.

It remains that way now through our dedication to its principles, rejecting our newly instilled primal urge to be connected to every inch of this world. In it’s embrace we must run away from the comforts technology has provided us. That means using a radio, being guided by a paper map, and hiding from email, text messages and the like for a short breath of untethered freedom. An exercise more in rediscovering something organic and true, then a Thoreau like abandonment of controlled civilization.

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Let’s face it, our lives are busy. Some of us need reminders to remind us to check our calender who’s sole purpose is to remind us of a meeting or an important phone call we should make--so it comes as no surprise that future technological concepts are being created to make our lives easier, faster, and maybe more convenient.

From the moment we wake up technology is in our face. Today, you can have an alarm clock that will wake you up according to your favorite scents and sounds. How about a toothbrush that you just turn on and stick in your mouth, the brushing is all done for you, and if you’re really letting tech take over the morning rituals you might even have a heated towel rack.

My Gadgetell friends if this sounds like you we have some wishful thinking for you. According to the 2005 Nespresso Design contest for future innovations in coffee distribution you may soon be able to equip your next car with its very own espresso machine, which of course, doubles as an arm rest. The idea is that you will be able to have your very own custom coffee creations while your cruising down the coast. So, dare to be dreamers because the next time you realize their must be a faster way to enjoy your life well, its only a thought process away from reality.

Read [Gizmag]