tech e blog

5. Bluetooth Car Starter

With Connect2Car's MFC you can "start your car's engine, roll down its windows, or activate any other electric auto part" via Bluetooth. Product page here.

Here's a video of a 2006 Toyota Solara getting the remote start, window rolldown, and ragtop drop by Verizon AudioVox XV6600 PDA

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4. Ozone Air Purifier

This nifty air purifier by OKI supposedly "eradicate[s] all disgusting smells from you car" by releasing UV rays while producing ozone. It plugs right into your car's cigarette lighter socket and has blinking LED lights to let you know its working. No word yet on pricing. [Source]

3. Driv-e-mocion

Driv-e-mocion is a nifty device that attaches to your rear window and can be programmed to display a variety of messages -- in form of smiling/frowning faces or words. Best of all, it's priced at just $20 here.

Given, the four letter words may anger the person behind you even more, it is still cool to put them in their place, geekily

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2. LED Rims

Spinner rims are so yesterday. Rims with built-in color LEDs become reality with "PimpStar". These fully programmable wheels can display any image, logo, or text using the included software. Prices range from $12,500 (22" w/tires) - $19,500 (26" w/tires).

"The included software allows you to create your own images and send them to each wheel individually or all wheels at the same time as you drive! You can even pre-load up to six images into each wheel and program them to change automatically at the time intervals you select."

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1. Michelin's Airless Tires

First introduced last year, the Tweel sports a flexible spoke/wheel design that replaces the need for air pressure, deforming to absorb shocks.

...vertical stiffness (which primarily affects ride comfort) and lateral stiffness (which affects handling and cornering) can both be optimised, pushing the performance envelope in these applications and enabling new performances not possible for current inflated tires

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Honorable Mention - Alert Driver Wristband

The Alert Driver wristband is a flexible rubber device that detects -- by communicating with an RFID tag placed in the car -- if a driver is suffering from fatigue, based on reaction time. If fatigue is detected, the device will start vibrating.

The device can be bent to fit your wrist, and has memory to stay in position, to ensure it will not fall off.

[Source]