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• Bracketron Universal USB Power Dock Pro Flex Offers Ideal Solution for Cradling & Charging

  In Gadgets / By Ari Cox / 7 May 2012

  

  After awkwardly switching between the cup holder and the change slot in my Acura (depending on beverage usage or lack thereof) to hold my Galaxy S for months, I have been yearning for a solution that would allow for both cradling and charging. I held off on getting another unit with a windshield suction cup mount as most of the time the generic ones seem to inevitably pop off and end up on the floor rolling precariously close to the pedals. Until I came across the  Universal USB Power Dock Pro Flex ($34.95) from Bracketron, I was both unaware of the brand and the fact that there was an ideal solution for my particular dilemma.

  Bracketron actually has a whole host of mounting solutions for lots of mobile and handheld devices. This particular unit has a universal holder with an adjustable slider that easily accommodates the Galaxy S. I actually chose not to engage the upper clamp as the device is designed so that the bottom section of the phone can be held snugly in place while the top sits against the release latch for the phone. I like to pick up the phone a fair amount to check traffic and whatnot and not having to disengage it makes things much easier.

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• SuperTooth HD: The Bluetooth Car Speakerphone We’ve Been Waiting For

  In Gadgets / By Ari Cox / 20 March 2012

  

  Bluetooth is one of those old technologies that somehow still seems cool. I don’t know if it’s the name or the fact that anything wireless seems to be a huge win, but Bluetooth has always seemed cutting edge even though it came to market back in 1994, originally developed by Ericsson to eliminate the need for computer data cables. Fast forward almost two decades and, after many attempts to put Bluetooth to use for practically every application under the sun, it still primarily functions in hands-free call devices, either via a headset, speakerphone or some kind of integrated wireless hardware inside a vehicle.

  The SuperTooth HD is a device that takes Bluetooth technology (now on Version 3.0) and truly makes it seem like it’s version 2012. The noise-cancelling microphone does an excellent job of removing wind and road noise as well as errant sounds. Incoming calls benefit from spoken caller ID and you can even answer or decline based on spoken commands. But things really get interesting when you access capabilities such as Tweeting, updating your Facebook status or checking e-mail, all via your voice. It even offers multi-point pairing, so you can have two phones connected to it at once. This is all pretty awesome for a visor-mounted speakerphone.

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• Top 25 Coolest Gadgets at CES 2012

  In Gadgets / By Tom Anderson / 14 January 2012

  

  For the second time in about three months, the Las Vegas Convention Center is buzzing with the activity endemic to a major international trade show. And while November is when the automotive aftermarket has its annual pow-wow, January is reserved for the consumer electronics industry’s biggest get together or the year: The Consumer Electronics Show, or CES for the abbreviationally-inclined.

  Ironically, the Consumer Electronics Show is, like SEMA, not open to consumers. However, thanks to the seemingly limitless (unless SOPA and/or PIPA pass) power of the Internets, there are plenty of interesting words and pretty pictures pertaining to all the cool new gadgets and services debuting at the show floating around. But you’re not interested in reading one article for hours and hours, right? Of course not. That’s why we’ve limited the following list to the 25 gizmos we think are the coolest and most likely to attain “gotta have” status.

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• Porsche Design Makes its Mark on the BlackBerry P’9981

  In Gadgets / By Tom Anderson / 2 November 2011

  

  While BlackBerry smartphones have largely been eclipsed on the popularity front by the iPhone and the swarms of Android phones on the market, the ‘ol “CrackBerry” still has millions of addicts, er, fans. Why else would Porsche Design – the German sports car (and sedan, and SUV, and…) builder’s industrial design subsidiary – create a Teutonically chic new phone running the BlackBerry 7 operating system?

  Sure, this isn’t Porsche Design’s first smartphone rodeo , but this latest communication Wündergizmo – called the P’9981 – is the most advanced smartphone to emerge from the firm’s Zell am See, Austria studio. So what else do you get besides BlackBerry OS 7 and all those shiny metal buttons?

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• Review: OnStar FMV Mirror Gives Aftermarket a Stellar Traveling Companion

  In Gadgets / By Ari Cox / 23 September 2011

  

  What if your mirror was more than just a reflective piece of glass that provided your eyes with visual cues as to your surroundings? What if it could connect to your phone and broadcast voices through tiny but perfectly audible speakers, offer hands-free calling, alert emergency services in case of an accident, provide you with turn-by-turn directions, and track your car in case of vehicle theft? Introducing the OnStar FMV, an aftermarket system that provides all of the same services once reserved for late-model GM cars and trucks.

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• Geek My Ride – Cyber Clean, LED Headlining, Remote Start, Android Power & More!

  In Gadgets / By Staff / 8 June 2011

  

  As technology progresses, so do in-car gadgets, and with such an array of rubbish, brilliance and innovation, which are the best to buy for your car? From cleaning products to internet on-the-go, there’s a gadget for every car. Here’s a helpful list of some of the best. 

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• CES 2011: The Top 10 Car Tech Trends to Watch

  In Auto News, Gadgets / By Tom Anderson / 18 January 2011

  

  The annual tech-geek powwow known as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES to its friends) may be over and done ‘til next January, but the impressions made by many of the products featured at this year’s show will remain for years to come. This should prove especially true in the realm of automotive electronics, where some truly game-changing gadgets, widgets and thingamabobs had their coming out parties. Which ones were able to compete with the swarms of booth babes when it came to drawing our attention? Click on through to the other side.

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• CES 2011: Look Ma, No Cord! Fulton Innovation Shows Off Wireless Charging for Electric Cars

  In Gadgets / By Tom Anderson / 10 January 2011

  

  If you’ve gone shopping for mobile phone accessories recently, you’ve probably seen or heard about Powermat, an Israeli company that sells electronic pads capable of charging electrical devices wirelessly. Do they use sorcery? No, it’s something called inductive charging, which utilizes an electromagnetic field to allow electrons to “jump” a short distance from the pad to the receiver attached to the phone, MP3 player or whatever it is you’re recharging.

  That’s pretty slick, yes, but would it be possible to scale it up to charge a bigger electrical device? Like, for example, a car? Turns out the answer is yes, and GM is already collaborating with Powermat on a system for wirelessly charging the Chevrolet Volt. Meanwhile, Fulton Innovation, one of Powermat’s rivals, is also working on a wireless vehicle charging system, and actually showed off the prototype seen here charging a Tesla Roadster at CES in Las Vegas.

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• Holiday 2010 Guide: Top 10 Gift Ideas for the Supercar Junkie

  In Gadgets, Gear / By Carl Weiss / 16 December 2010

  

  You may not be able to give your loved one a one-off Pagani Zonda or a Ferrari 599XX this holiday season (likely ever), but there’s no reason not to give him something with a “Lamborghini” or “Porsche” on the label. Top exotic car makers have an acute feel for just how much a name is worth, so many have licensed or leveraged their name for all kinds of gadgets, gear and gizmos. Think a little smaller than a V12-powered coupe and you can find the perfect gift that combines luxury, utility, sleek design and supercar branding.

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• Thrustmaster Hints New High-End Gaming Racing Wheel With High-End Pricing

  In Gadgets, Video Games / By James Pikover / 9 December 2010

  

  Logitech’s led the way for Gran Turismo official racing wheels for years now, with the acclaimed G25, Driving Force GT and G27. Hell, the GT in Driving Force GT stands for Gran Turismo, and it comes with special dials just for the Playstation 3 exclusive. Too bad, because after a few insightful gamers started asking questions about one unreleased wheel in Gran Turismo 5′s options menu, we found out that Thrustmaster is the new king of Gran Turismo hardware.

  Thrustmaster, a gaming peripheral maker, revealed the official racing wheel, the T500RS, as Gran Turismo 5′s official racing wheel. It’s not out yet, and we’ll undoubtedly get to try it out ourselves at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show, but Gizmodo is reporting that it will cost $500 for the wheel alone, not including pedals or a gearbox. 

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