Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

This isn’t your grandmother’s car anymore. Stuck in traffic and tired of staring at the guy in the car next to you picking his nose?  Well then maybe it’s time to shop for a Chrysler.  Starting in 2009, Chrysler plans to include a new in-dash system called UConnect in all of it’s vehicles.  This technology will allow Bluetooth connectivity, satellite tv, and iPod integration...a veritable rolling hotbed of communication entertainment for consumers. The Internet connection is made possible through 3G cellular connection that allows download speeds of up 800 kilobits per second, and upload speeds of 200 kbps.

Laptops, gaming systems and handheld devices all will now be able to be hooked up and online. Obviously, several safety advocates are not exactly jumping up and down waving their Wii’s in readiness, but, that doesn’t seem to be stopping the engineers at Chrysler.  (And people used to think drinking coffee while you drove was distracting....soon we’ll be brewing it!)

No price is set to date for the UConnect, but one could probably expect a monthly fee to use this option, as with the satellite radio option.

Chrysler plans to roll out their new line including the UConnect in November of 2008. They are hoping it’s going to give them a much needed kick-start with some pretty sorry sales figures as of late. Rival Ford does provide a similar system with their “Sync"… minus the web access. Asked what was able to be downloaded from the web system in the car, Chrysler’s Leung said that anything was fair game. Hold on to your hats boys...it might be quite a ride.

Via [AutoBlog]

Suzuki has recently announced that they will be incorporating a free Garmin GPS in every 2009 SX4 as a standard option. Within the car will be a special compartment called “T.R.I.P”, in which the GPS will be housed. T.R.I.P stands for Travel, Real-time traffic, Information and Play, hey that’s clever, Suzuki. Otherwise, the GPS comes with Bluetooth functionality, for hands free calling, traffic updates, and MSN Direct, however, the MSN Direct feature is still unconfirmed as of now. Some speculation is that this Garmin GPS is a customized Nuvi 780. If you don’t want to purchase this car, and get another car, the same type of GPS will set you back $500 when purchased by itself. This sounds like a good plan to me to boost Suzuki car sales, however, I doubt people would be buying the car just for the GPS. Although, for customers on the fence about this car, throwing in the GPS might make people go for it. More important hopefully other car makers will see this as a good move and follow with similar offerings.

Via [NaviGadget]

Vehicular accidents due to sleepy drivers are a leading cause of death in the United States (or the world, for that matter). And it surprises me to know that not many people give thought or try to find ways to prevent such things from happening, even though the next person to doze off behind the wind shield could be them. But Mariana Figueiro and her colleagues at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York suggest that drivers take 30-minute blue light “baths” at truck stops and gas stations to keep them from falling asleep while driving. That would work, only you first have to find a way to build the blue LEDs in the cars to have the most efficient set up possible.

This suggestion is based on the knowledge that light has an indirect effect on our body’s internal clock. And research has found that short wavelengths have the strongest effect on people. That’s why Figueiro’s team is eager to find out how the body would be affected by blue LED light, in terms of alertness of people lacking sleep. When this concept materializes, I hope they remember this suggestion: build the blue LED lights on the tail lights of cars so that it beams directly to the driver right behind you, and would therefore keep him from falling asleep, just in case he felt sleepy.

Via [New Scientist]

If you’ve ever tried to score a date while sitting behind the wheel, you’ll appreciate what the CallMe Prism-I LCD display is trying to do for you. Performing its duties as an “artificial intelligence driving monitoring system”, it peruses as a 13-digit, automatically backlit LCD screen to show off to the girl behind/beside/ahead of your car just how long your “number” is, and hopefully, hook you two up on a date. It can store up to ten phone numbers in its unspecified internal memory and, well, it scrolls! I’m not sure how well this would work at night time though. I think the back lights could use a little brightening up. At any rate, I think this gadget is trying to bring the right concept, only with the wrong execution. But I don’t make my own gadgets anyway, so who am I to judge it, right? It currently retails for about $26.

Via [Nexus 404] Via [Jalopnik]

OnStar is going to go all-digital sometime down the road, leaving any analog system users out of luck. The change primarily affects anyone who owns a pre-2002 GM vehicle, some 2002-2004 GM vehicles and some Acura, Audi, Subaru and Volkswagen vehicles with built-in OnStar. It’s a result of a small 2002 FCC decision allowing cell phone companies to shut down analog networks beginning February 2008. Dealers will upgrade some GM 2002-2004 if customers buy a three-year subscription at $199 a year. Otherwise, analog OnStar users will need to convert to digital equipment, if it is even possible for their vehicle. About half of OnStar’s 4 million subscribers still drive vehicles that cannot be upgraded. And, oh yeah, the FCC decision will affect cell phone users, too. At least a cell phone can easily be replaced - Hey, it’s yet another reason to keep readin’ Gadgetell!

UPDATE: Analog OnStar owners furious: Class Action Lawsuit

Read [NY Times] via [Technoride]

What The Future Holds, a column written by Adam Berger, that introduces tomorrow’s technology and trends today, is published on Thursdays.

Heads-up displays or HUDs are a great feature for drivers, especially as the electronics in cars increase exponentially. While many car manufacturers have begun to add full function LCD screens in the center of the dashboard as opposed to having the drive look over to the center console LCD screen (found in BMWs, Audi’s, Mercedes Benz’s and more), there still a safer option.

When introduced by General Motors over 20 years ago, heads-up displays did not take off. Heads-up displays, project information such as speed, turn by turn directions, radio station navigation, and warning lights onto the windshield above the steering wheel; allowing drivers to always look straight ahead. GM started the trend by putting HUDs on Corvettes and a few Buicks. HUDs are easier on older eyes. Safer, too: It takes half as long to shift your focus from the road to an HUD as to look at the instrument panel.

Today GM and other automakers, like BMW, are pushing HUDs even more. You can get multicolored HUDs made by German supplier Siemens, right now in 5- and 6-series Beamers. German supplier Bosch will get its first HUD on the road in 2008. Japanese supplier Denso sells HUDs that give navigation instructions in Japan and is working on a system that creates three-dimensional images. They expect sales to boom to 2 million a year by 2010.

There really is not reason why heads-up displays should not take off, besides cost and the more they sell the less they will cost. Personally I think that car companies can start making more money if they offer less individual ala-cart options and more major all-in-one packages like Acura does. You can get a basic, basic plus leather, or leather plus tech. Easy options, easy to compare prices, and it will reduce their cost...and we also may all end up with fighter-jet like displays!
Read [Freep]
Via [Gizmos For Geeks]

We just caught wind that Griffin wants to make it easier to turn your PSP into a portable video player…

Want to watch movies or music videos as your travel (either in the backseat or on a plane)? Griffin will soon be releasing a new product called the Roaddock. This may not seem like an overly complicated device, but it will get the job done. From the image we got (yes we know it is a photoshop of a car, this is a tech design/prototype image) it appears that some sort of velcro or elastic strap will hold your PSP at eye level by attaching it to the headrest of the seat in front of you. We are excited to see this released so we finally have a reason to sit in the backseat as well as reducing our chiropractor bills from the gamers’ neck pain.

[Thanks Corey]