Archive for the ‘Gadgets/Products’ Category

There are lots of ways to enjoy music from portable devices in your car. Many new vehicles come with built-in iPhone/iPod docks, but there are a range of other options,  including Belkin's popular TuneBase device. The TuneBase plugs into your car's cigarette lighter, keeping gadgets charged as you listen to music and take hands-free calls. Unfortunately, if you bought one of these devices in the U.S. or Canada, you might want to return it -- and pronto. Seems like a faulty washer can cause the TuneBase to melt your car's dashboard and possibly catch fire if left plugged in overnight. We're guessing that's not the sort of thing you want to...

Here at TheCarConnection.com, we see a lot of gadgets designed to enhance the driving experience. Like the Mercedes-Benz mbrace system we mentioned yesterday, most are telematics devices offering directions, traffic news, and other familiar data. But MIT's SENSEable City Lab envisions something different: an onboard robot capable of giving drivers feedback on their driving style, reminding folks to buckle up, and generally providing a more "symbiotic" relationship between vehicle and driver. Most curiously, the Affective Intelligent Driving Agent -- code-named AIDA -- also conveys expressions via its Wall-E-esque, stylized human face. MIT...

The intersection between technology and daily life became slightly more seamless yesterday with the launch of Mercedes-Benz's new "mbrace" telematics system. It features a lot of the bells and whistles we've come to expect from such gadgetry, like roadside assistance, real-time traffic, and the ability to sync smartphones with in-dash entertainment systems. As you might expect from Mercedes, however, mbrace also includes luxury amenities like a concierge service that can make dinner reservations and book hotel rooms. The system comes standard on most new vehicles and as an option on others; subscriptions run $280 per year, with an...