It used to be Agent 007 enjoying the sweetest ride on the road. But that was before. Nowadays, each driver is given the opportunity to ride high-tech autos. That fact makes James Bond jealous for sure.
Spectacular auto features are now made available by automakers but they also come with awesome price tags. Nonetheless, these gadgets are worth it. From push-button parking to night vision systems, today’s auto and car features are simply fascinating.
A few years ago, a vehicle could show the driver the location via digital map. The car could take control when it begins to skid. It could also automatically maintain a set of distance from the car in front. However, these auto features are becoming increasingly common. Hence, there has to be something more interesting and useful.
What’s next? How about a car that parks itself? Drivers who are oftentimes faced with parking problems will find the Lexus Intelligent Park Assist system pretty much beneficial. The said feature is available on the Toyota Prius and offered as an option on the redesigned LS models. Essentially, the system enables the driver to pull up to an available parking space by just pressing a button. According to Lexus, the driver only has to apply a little braking pressure.
If you find the Intelligent Park Assist system not that beneficial, you may find a system that keeps an eye on blind spots interesting. According to statistics, many road accidents occur when the driver tries to change lanes without being aware of a vehicle in his “blind spot.” This is the reason why Audi and Volvo formulated their versions of systems that answers this quandary.
Audi’s Side Assist system, launched in the new 2007 Q7 SUV, uses radar to detect other vehicles. Volvo’s Blind Spot Information System, available on the new S80 sedan, uses cameras. The systems are not complicated. It does not need the assistance of Audi rotors or of a Volvo head gasket to function well. It could function just with the rearview mirror. Both systems utilize LED displays near each outside rearview mirror to warn a driver that he should not try to change lanes because a car is in or is rapidly approaching a vehicle’s blind spot.
Another high-tech auto feature is called the sophisticated night vision. BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz introduced updated versions of the Night Vision system, which was initially offered by Cadillac. The systems allow a driver to detect objects and passersby beyond the reach of a vehicle’s headlights. The system uses infrared technology to sense heat from people, animals, stopped vehicles, and other objects up to several hundred feet in front of the car.
The precollision system is also awesome. The system is engineered to detect an impending collision and automatically adopt measures to avoid it. Some automakers use radar to detect and alarm and warning lights to alerts drivers of a possible crash. If the driver did not respond immediately, the system take the necessary steps like applying brakes, shutting windows, adjusting seat positions for maximum air-bag effectiveness, and activating safety-belt pretensioners. Lexus has formulated the Advanced Pre-Collision System (APCS) to avoid “preventable” collisions.
On-the-road entertainment is also booming. Portable audio systems like iPods and MP3 players are now auto compatible. Mercedes-Benz, for one, offers a glove-box-mounted iPod-docking station. It gives power for the iPod and enables the driver to use the car’s steering-wheel to operate it. High Definition (HD) Radio systems and Bluetooth technology are also offered as part of the auto package.
Watch the video related to tech gadgets
CNET’s Natali Del Conte shows Chris Wragge some of the latest and most innovative hi-tech gadgets for kids this school year, from an inexpensive and efficient laptop to a light-weight book bag.
Help answer the question about tech gadgets
What are the hi-tech gadgets that you can buy at duty free?It is located at Subic, Philippines.
It's too bad most high school kids have never played a real video game, and don't have any high-tech stuff.
I love kseigal's idea about the bed! I want to make love in a bed like that! 8^)
We are seeing a lot of integration now–cellphones with cameras and GPS, GPSs with MP3 players, etc. I think we'll see a lot more of that. TVs, computers, media players, GPSs, cellphones, internet terminals, etc. etc. will all come together into general 'electronic devices'. They'll probably come up with some good name for them, like iGizmo.
Notice how small cellphones and MP3s have gotten in just the last few years. It's just a matter of time before we're wearing them on the ear like a bluetooth earpiece, and then -inside- the ear like a hearing aid. These could also have GPS and guide you to your destination with voice commands. ("Now turn left up there by the gas station. It's the fourth house on the left, with the birch tree. Watch out for that kid on the bike!")
I have seen 'glasses' that have little TV screens on them. They could be made into real glasses that you wear all the time. You could watch TV on them, or other kinds of media, or use them as computer monitors. They are always with you, always connected to the Internet, integrated with your phone and your GPS and your MP3 player and video camera and. . . well, you get the idea.
We are now only starting to realize remote-control devices. I mean calling your phone and entering codes on the keypad to turn on your heat, record stuff on your TV, thaw something for dinner, warm up your bed, etc. We'll see a lot more of this integrated into the Internet and your personal in-ear phone/media device/Internet terminal.
WiFi will die, and good riddance! It will be replaced by something more universal. Wireless Internet that you can carry with you anywhere. Maybe a satellite-based system that you can use anywhere in the world, like GPS is today.
elmo looked like he had a seizure lolz
cool gadget ….. impressive
I’d burn that creepy ass Elmo thing, but the rest is cool stuff dude!
All these battery things are driving me nuts. they always seem to “run out” of power at the most inconvenient times. What happened to the old reliable plug in stuff??? grrrr…
I agree, however the actual number may even be lower.
I think there are multiple reasons for failure:
- product does not address a "need" that anyone can identify with
- product is too expensive
- product is too complex
- too much competition; profit margin too slim
- developer can't find a mass producer for product, even it's a good one
- developer(s) didn't have enough business savvy
- poor marketing
There's likely other reasons too.
You can give anything you want but the deduction for business gifts is limited to $25.00 per person.
OLOLOLL ELMO IS DYING
elmo….lol what a crack up when my roomate’s elmo starts laughing hysterically in the middle of the night when everybody is sleeping…lihiiihihihi what a stupid laugh too, actually thats whats funny about the hairy red dude..lol
While many people do by the new (and expensive) tech items to make themselves 'feel richer', I believe that most people are more like my husband and I … while we can certainly 'afford' the best and newest, we choose to wait, to see what happens next, and when we do buy, we buy what we NEED for our uses. We have 'top of the line' computers that are 'home built' (my husband is a web developer with the proper skills), and are now looking into getting an HDTV … but we want one about 32" and we want to get the least expensive way to get the shows we usually watch … and we'll also have great DVD play, too, of course, even though we have only a 'normal' DVD player … we have many (over 100) DVDs and we won't get any 'HD' (probably Blu-Ray at this point, but it's still early) player until that has 'settled down' and we can see which will be the one that 'survives' longer than a year or two. We do NOT have the fanciest cell phones (we do carry 'pay as you go' phones for emergencies and to tell time), and we don't own a car and won't own a car because we live in the city, and we don't want to 'pollute' the world any more than is absolutely necessary. As long as we're HAPPY then we'll continue to make our purchases according to our own schedule, and not to the 'schedules' many companies use to keep people BUYING when what they've got is 'good enough' for at least 2-5 years more.
around abour 60 – 70 metres
Processing power is out, massive storage is in. Having an in-dorm room media server configured with a terabyte of storage space, 8GB of RAM on a wired gigabit ethernet router is as cool as it gets. Composite video out from your server to your plasma HDTV will rock completely.
lmfao Elmo
C – also found in flourescent light bulbs
22" Widescreen flat panel display (1680×1050 res)
Hi…those men can be difficult to buy for, huh? My husband is one of them too. I would recommend buying him a gift card for one of his favorite stores. You could then buy him a nice Christmas card and right a sweet message to let him know how much you love him and put the gift card in the card. Merry Christmas…early:)
that toy was pretty disturbing