Passion For Cars And Gadgets
With
the fast rhythm technology is taking lately, more and more gadgets appear on
the market in all fields. This is also the case for cars. Let’s browse a little
through the offer of gadgets available for cars today.
The MPG Meter
Mile Per Gallon meters aren’t that new, but with time, they have also suffered improvements, with Scan Gauge II being the most popular model. It now has a smaller size, a larger display, multicolored LED’s to match the interior lightning, data logging, and a full year warranty. It works by telling you the MPG figures that your car is making in real-time as you drive. This means that you can actually see the difference certain situations make in your car’s fuel economy, like stop and go in traffic, how much it consumes going up-hill, in cold / hot weather etc. The average price for an MPG meter is $150.
Solar Power GPS Navigation
Lately, it seems that everything has to be as eco-friendly as possible. So why not make a solar-powered GPS unit? Take the i-Trek Z1 model – it can also be used for hiking, biking and camping, so after you park your car, you can take it with you further on your trip. It also accepts turn by turn software for those of you who like to be told exactly where they need to go. The price for a solar-powered GPS varies from $60 to the hundreds.
Solar Battery Charger
Keeping on the path of solar-powered gadgets, did you think of getting a solar battery charger? It often happens that you have to charge something while driving, so in order not to drain your vehicle’s battery, a separate charger comes into play and the best option is to get a solar one. The prices for these chargers begin from $35.
Televisions
Mini built-in TVs are becoming a favourite for parents, as they are they allow you to enjoy the ride and not look at the children constantly. Some of the television models you find incorporated in some cars have a better quality than the TV you have at home. They could be 15-inch, flat-screen LCD TVs, built into the back of each front seat. Some expensive cars even offer broadcast TV via an antenna that picks up the local signal.
Sound systems
We all like to listen to music while driving and would rather we had a good sound system. Some even spend thousands of dollars on upgrading their car’s audio system. Car makers took this into consideration when they thought of offering from the start a better audio system that will not take too much from the storage space in your car. For example, Audi offers a Bose surround sound system with 14 speakers, including a subwoofer. There is even a microphone that picks up the noise level in the car so that it can automatically adjust the volume louder to compensate for background noise. Also, Lincoln started incorporating THX-certified, which is movie-theatre quality, audio systems in their cars.
Massage and Climate-controlled Seats
For the last gadget presentation, we thought we would leave you with a nice image and a good idea if you’re feeling stressed. This only goes for the passengers though. Today, there are seats that offer you a shiatsu or a shoulder massage. The backseat of the Lexus LS 600h L includes such a feature. Also, we all know how uncomfortable it is in summer and winter when it’s just too hot or too cold and you either get out of the car completely soaked or you freeze in your seat until the car heats. This goes especially if you have leather upholstery. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have seats that are ventilated with channels through which air can move, preventing the chair from becoming too hot or too cold? This has also become a regular feature for the interior of new cars.
With years of experience as a car audio specialist Chris is an expert in providing car stereo and video systems, headset monitors, backup cameras and subwoofers. Chris’s passion for audio has been immense and much of his life's work in both audio and consulting for various clients has been in multiple-loop high feedback systems. His author contribution can be seen on Tcacaraudio.
