Archive for the ‘Gadgets/Products’ Category

It feels like summer just ended, but another round of mini-vacations lies just around the corner. Holiday road trips aren't usually as fun as the summertime variety, since they typically involve moms, dads, and eggnog-scented aunts, but a few precautions will make them slightly more enjoyable. We suggest flipping through The Official Shotgun Rules, which clarifies once and for all who is truly entitled to call shotgun. That may not sound like "fun", per se, but it might ward off a couple rounds of backseat noogies when you're heading over the river and through the woods. Peace of mind has to count for something, right? [ShotgunRules via ...

Back in the 18th century, British philosopher Jeremy Bentham came up with a nifty way to keep prisoners in line: as long as the incarcerated thought they were being watched, they behaved, even if they couldn't see the guards. The same "big brother" philosophy has been used ad nauseam since then, even in automobiles. Its newest iteration comes via GreenRoad's in-vehicle data recorder, which takes notes on unsafe driving habits like quick stops and sharp turns and records them for later review.

GreenRoad's difference, however, is that it also grades drivers in real time with red, yellow, and green lights. And the technology is...

Here at TCC, we cover a lot of applications for mobile devices, and at the risk of sounding like shills for Apple, we've stumbled across another one that could come in handy -- especially for mall mavens during the coming holiday season. The app is called "Car Finder", and it's designed to help you, well, find your car in a parking lot. After taking a photo of your vehicle, the app uses GPS and a digital compass to help you find your way back. We haven't given this one a test run yet, but at just $.99, chances are pretty good that'll happen -- as soon as we upgrade to the necessary 3GS handset, of course. [BoingBoing]