Laptop-DRV » Cars

A Motorized Specie Sorter That Fits Completely In Your Car’s Cup Holder

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:25:37 +0000

There are two p laces my change goes: in my junk draw or in my carR 17;s cup holder. The Motorized Coin Sorter for your Car fits perfectly in most cup holders and automatically sorts your change so you don’t have to. Now the next time you roll up to that toll window you won’t have to fumble through an endless array of sticky coffee pennies.

A retailer on Amazon sells it for about $11 including shipping.

[via Craziestgadgets]

Read

Lexus LF-A Crystallized Breeze Is A See-Through Motor vehicle

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:08:28 +0000

No, seriously–a transparent car. I’m talking about the Lexus LF-A Crystallized Wind, a car made entirely out of ACRYLIC GLASS.

It was apparently being exhibited at the Tokyo Auto S how, and may well be the first car ev er made out of glass.

Now, chances are, this is just one of those awesome “concept cars”, the ones where automakers prove their design prowess and take advantage of an opportunity to get some dirt cheap advertising by having everybody in the press go back to their readerships and ta lk breathlessly about “Lexus’ transparent car”, just like I’m doing right now.

Well, it’s entirely too interesting not to bring up, either way, because this car would probably cost a fortune anyway. And even if you COULD afford it, you probably couldn’t buy it. Somehow I doubt that a car made from acrylic glass could ever be called street l egal. And I can’t even imagine what this thi ng would look like if it ever got in a wreck!

Read

Motor vehicle Blackbox DRS-1100 Motor vehicle Video Recorder Survey

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:55:54 +0000

Every time you fly in a commercial jet plane, a blackbox records everything the plane does. In case of an accident, recovering this blackbox lets authorities determine what the plane was doing up to the time of the accident.

With the DRS 1100 you can add similar blackbox features to your car. The DRS 1100 consists of a video recorder with a Secure Digital (SD) card reader (and an included 4GB SD card), a mounting bracket, and a lengthy power cord for plugging the unit into a cigarette lighter.

The idea is that you fix the mounting bracket to your windshield using its adhesive backing, attach the video recorder to the mounting bracket, and plug the power cord into the cigarette lighter and video recorder.

To allow you to mount the recorder on the windshield or dashboard, the camera lens swivels up or down, allowing you to aim the lens forward no matter what odd position you mount the device. When you’ve mounted the device, you’re ready to start driving.

The moment the video recorder detects a sudden impact such as rapid deceleration from braking or a jolt from getting hit (or running into an object), the video recorder automatically kicks in and starts recording video footage, approximate car speed, and GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates on to its SD card.

Pop this SD card out, plug it into any Windows PC, and run the X-Driven program that lets you access and view the saved video footage. Now you can view data that shows the speed of the car and location, which can help clarify exactly what happened at the scene of an accident.

Rather than wait for a car crash to start the video recorder, you can also press an On button to start the video recorder manually. This can be useful to track where a vehicle has been and how fast it might have gone. Anyone in charge of commercial vehicles (or teenagers borrowing the family car) can appreciate having this information available to review at a later date. This lets you verify not only where the driver went, but how fast and whether he (or she) drove carefully or recklessly.

The included 4GB SD card can hold a surprising amount of video, but you could easily substitute a much larger SD card if you wish, up to 16GB. The video camera isn’t top of the line (just 1.3 megapixel), which captures VGA (640480), QVGA (320240), or Mega (1280960) video resolution. Such a variety of video resolutions lets you capture the quality you like best.

Now here are the drawbacks. According to the manual, turning on the unit and waiting a few minutes will allow the device to start capturing GPS coordinates, but my unit never managed to do so, even after 20 minutes of driving around.

Beyond this flaw, which might have been limited to my particular unit, another problem is that you need to use the company’s X-Driven software to view the recorder data, which gets stored as a proprietary .ub1 format. Unfortunately, the X-Driven program only runs on Windows so if you’re using Linux or a Macintosh, you can’t use the X-Driven program and thus you can’t view any recorded data from the recorder.

While useful and interesting, the DRS 1100 is definitely not a must-have product, but more of a gee-whiz product. Still, if you don’t mind spending $299, the DRS 1100 can be invaluable when you need it the most. With its ability to capture video immediately during and after an accident, the device can capture crucial video evidence to protect you legally.

Leave the device running continuously may not always be practical due to the storage space long video recording sessions would gobble up, but doing so could also help you prove your case in court if stopped by a police officer for running a stop sign or traffic light. With video evidence supporting your case, you could spare yourself a traffic ticket and higher insurance rates, which could make the device pay for itself.

Ultimately, the DRS 1100 is a luxury item, but an extremely useful and desirable one. After seeing the DRS 1100 in action, you may want one just for the novelty, but also because you recognize its potential for capturing video footage when you might need it the most. You might never need the DRS 1100, but you’ll certainly want one.

Pro:

Captures decent-quality video at various resolutions Captures GPS coordinates Automatically turns on when jolted during a car accident

Cons:

Requires Windows, can’t view recorded data using Mac OS X or Linux GPS coordinates didn’t seem to work on my unit Recorder stores video in files only readable by the X-Driven program

You can buy it here for $299

Place Sash Atmosphere Bags Coming Next Year To An SUV Close by You

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:54:24 +0000

Oh air bags, how I do appreciate them, especially after getting in a head on collision. Over the years, it seems like vehicles get more and more of them. First it was the driver side air bag, then passenger, then curtain and side air bags, so what’s next? The Seat belt Airbag, but of course.

Ford will start to install them in their SUVs sometime next year and according to them inflate in about 40ms. The airbag belts, which deploy using a rush of cold compressed air, are designed to more evenly distribute the impact of a crash. Often in crashes, even while wearing a seat belt you can experience bodily harm due to the belt’s tight grip, such as broken or bruised ribs.

Personally, I’d just prefer a giant bubble around me or fill the car with some sort of protective foam.

FORD INTRODUCES INDUSTRY’S FIRST INFLATABLE SEAT BELTS TO ENHANCE REAR SEAT SAFETY

* Ford introduces the auto industry’s first-ever production inflatable seat belts, which are designed to provide additional protection for rear-seat occupants, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to head, chest and neck injuries
* Ford’s inflatable rear seat belts will debut on the next-generation Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle, which goes into production next year; Ford eventually plans to offer inflatable seat belt technology in vehicles globally
* Ford’s inflatable rear seat belts spread crash forces over five times more area of the body than conventional seat belts; this helps reduce pressure on the chest and helps control head and neck motion for rear seat passengers
* More than 90 percent of Ford research participants indicated that Ford’s inflatable seat belts are similar to or more comfortable than traditional belts, which could help increase the lower rate of rear belt usage

Visit our Rear Inflatable Seat Belt minisite for fact sheets, profiles and multimedia content.

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 5, 2009 – Ford Motor Company is bringing to market the world’s first automotive inflatable seat belts, combining attributes of traditional seat belts and air bags to provide an added level of crash safety protection for rear seat occupants.

The advanced restraint system is designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries.

Ford will introduce inflatable rear seat belts on the next-generation Ford Explorer, which goes into production next year for the North American market. Over time, Ford plans to offer the technology in vehicles globally.

“Ford’s rear inflatable seat belt technology will enhance safety for rear-seat passengers of all ages, especially for young children who are more vulnerable in crashes,” said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environmental and Safety Engineering. “This is another unique family technology that builds on our safety leadership, including the most top safety ratings of any automaker.”

Safer and more comfortable
Advances in air bag inflation and seat belt construction methods have enabled Ford and its suppliers to develop inflatable seat belts that are designed to deploy over a vehicle occupant’s torso and shoulder in 40 milliseconds in the event of a crash.

In everyday use, the inflatable belts operate like conventional seat belts and are safe and compatible with infant and children safety car and booster seats. In Ford’s research, more than 90 percent of those who tested the inflatable seat belts found them to be similar to or more comfortable than a conventional belt because they feel padded and softer. That comfort factor could help improve the 61 percent rear belt usage rate in the U.S., which compares to 82 percent usage by front seat passengers, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.

“Ford is pioneering inflatable seat belt technology to help enhance crash safety protection, while encouraging more people to buckle up with a more comfortable belt,” said Paul Mascarenas, Ford vice president, Engineering, Global Product Development.

In the event of a frontal or side crash, the inflatable belt’s increased diameter more effectively holds the occupant in the appropriate seating position, helping to reduce the risk of injury.

Vehicle safety sensors determine the severity of the collision in the blink of an eye and deploy the inflatable belts’ air bags. Each belt’s tubular air bag inflates with cold compressed gas, which flows through a specially designed buckle from a cylinder housed below the seat.

The inflatable belt’s accordion-folded bag breaks through the belt fabric as it fills with air, expanding sideways across the occupant’s body in about the same amount of time it takes a car traveling at highway speed to cover a yard of distance.

The use of cold compressed gas instead of a heat-generating chemical reaction – which is typical of traditional air bag systems – means the inflated belts feel no warmer on the wearer’s body than the ambient temperature. The inflatable belts also fill at a lower pressure and a slower rate than traditional air bags, because the device does not need to close a gap between the belt and the occupant.

“It’s a very simple and logical system, but it required extensive trial and error and testing over several years to prove out the technology and ensure precise reliable performance in a crash situation,” said Srini Sundararajan, safety technical leader for Ford research and advance engineering.

The inflated belt helps distribute crash force energy across five times more of the occupant’s torso than a traditional belt, which expands its range of protection and reduces risk of injury by diffusing crash pressure over a larger area, while providing additional support to the head and neck. After deployment, the belt remains inflated for several seconds before dispersing its air through the pores of the air bag.

Ford’s safety leadership record continues to grow
The inflatable seat belt debuting on the next-generation Ford Explorer continues Ford’s record of safety innovation. Ford today has more 5-star U.S. government ratings and “Top Safety Picks” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety than any other automaker.

Ford was the first automaker to introduce seat belts in 1955 and led the way in making driver and front-passenger air bags standard in most vehicles by 1993.

This year, Ford introduced radar-enabled Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Warning with Brake Support and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA). These technologies – introduced on the new 2010 Ford Taurus and Fusion – help drivers avoid potential dangerous crash situations using radar to detect the relative position of other vehicles and warn the driver with a combination of visual and audio alerts.

Ford’s other recent seat belt and air bag innovations include the industry-first BeltMinder system in 2000, which the U.S. government credited with increasing front belt usage by 5 percent in Ford vehicles. On the 2002 Explorer, Ford launched the industry’s first rollover-activated side curtain air bags – called Safety Canopy – as well as Roll Stability Control technology that goes a step beyond traditional stability control systems by helping measure and prevent side-to-side skidding and dangerous situations that could lead to rollovers.

Ford also introduced on the 2009 F-150 and 2010 Taurus some of the industry’s first pressure-based air bag technologies that help deploy side air bags up to 30 percent faster.

# # #

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 200,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

Scion DJxBs near Five Axis At SEMA Are Contrivance Freaked

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:08:54 +0000

Chiggity check these decked out Scion DJxBs by Five Axis on display at this year’s SEMA auto show in Vegas. They’ve got TVs in the doors, a grill in the back with a sink, amps up the yin yang, slotted turn tables in the roof with dance floor and a whole bunch of stuff that truly does pop!

More pics after the ‘leap’

Instal A WiFi HotSpot In Your Motor vehicle With GM’s AutoNet

admin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:36:55 +0000

Available next month, GM’s AutoNet will let you literally install a WiFi hotspot in your car. The unit plus installation will cost $500 and there will be a monthly charge of $30 for a 1GB cap. There is also a 5GB cap offered but no price is known as of now.

The range will last up to a radius of 150 feet away from you car and would be great for camping, tailgating, and beyond. You could even have traveling video game competitions in your SUV while you drive from Inglewood to Compton. Anybody like this product?