Gadgets Blog » Car Electronics

Navigating the numerous freeways and streets of a large city can be daunting, especially if you’re not familiar with the area. A great way to counter-act this road-related frustration can be through a GPS navigation device. Many of these units provide other features as well, including traffic alerts and directories with all sorts of buisnesses in them. The GPS unit has become so widepsread that many companies, including BMW, are including them with their automobile. BMW, however, took the concept to a whole new level of style with a fancy unit that projected an HUD, or Heads Up Display, onto the car’s windshield.

Now, a manufacturer by the name of Springteq has brought the same technology to any automobile. Dubbed the WeGo, their GPS is no larger than ordinary units, but instead projects the information onto the windshield of the automobile. This is advantageous for several reasons: first of all, it allows the driver to keep their eyes on the road even while consulting the device for instructions. It also keeps the full range of the windshield clear, not blocking any part of the view. And, of course, it just plain looks awesome. The unit can plug into any automobile, making it easy to install.

Part of Springteq’s rationale is safety related. According to the source article on The Car Connection, a staggering six million accidents occur each year due to driver inattention. Many of these accidents involve the operation of not just the car, but some sort of electronic device. Many states are enacting bans on texting and driving simultaneously. In response to many of these concerns, the WeGo unit comes with a small remote that can be affixed to the steering wheel, allowing for the GPS device to be operated without the need to fiddle with the projection box itself.

I get a great deal out of enjoyment from driving in my car, something that doesn’t necessarily appeal to everyone. Recently, I drove from Los Angeles all the way to Seattle, Washington, a three-day trek I completed entirely by myself. I’ll admit this endeavor took a fair amount of patience on my part, but the trip was made quite nice by a steady supply of good music. I’m lucky enough to have some nice speakers in my car, so the quality of sound is always nice while listening to music on the drive. Today we’re going to compare two different subwoofers, the MTX Audio TR4512-04 and the Audiobahn AW121T Flame Excursion. Both of these subwoofers are designed for optimal car use.

BEST: MTX Audio TR4512-04

The MTX Audio subwoofer provided the best sound quality of the two. While installation and wiring for car stereos is best handled by a professional, unless you really know what you’re doing, the quality of this unit is well worth the price of installation. Crisp bottom end provided loud and deep bass lines, with lower frequencies penetrating the audio mix but never overwhelming the trebles. On a variety of different styles, from rock to rap, the MTX Audio subwoofer was solid and clear. The 12″ speaker can handle up to 400 watts, and it’s stylish polypropylene cone was free from volume-related distortion at some serious noise levels. Priced at just over $100, it’s a great deal, meaning you won’t have to break the bank to have quality bass from your in-car audio system.

I’d like to start today’s article by shamelessly bragging about my winter break from school, which actually has some bearing on today’s topic. I’m from Missoula, Montana. When fall started, I drove from Montana to Los Angeles for college. This wasn’t as bad as it seems, as there was a week-long layover in Lake Tahoe. However, for winter break, I decided it was time to embark upon the ever-alluring college road trip, driving up the Pacific Coast Highway, to Sacramento, to Eugene, to Portland, to Seattle, and finally home. It was a remarkable week of travel, with the only damper coming two weeks later when I had to make the return trip. It was a great trip, and I was able to spend a lot of time exploring the west coast, bonding with Interstate 5, and hanging out in my car.

For that third reason, I feel incredibly qualified to write about some great car electronics that can improve the quality of your vehicle. If you’ve got a long trip in your future, or if you have a regular commute, a few additions to your automobile can greatly improve the use you get out of it. Here are three great kinds of electronics for your car:

Car Speakers:
While many cars on the market already have serviceable audio systems installed, there are always upgrades available if you find your stock system lacking in volume or quality. Most of these speakers require professional installation, making them more expensive than their price tag would indicate. If you have an older model, purchasing a stereo upgrade can be great for your commute. I almost always listen to music while in the car, and it’s a great way to relieve stress while on the road and pass the time on long trips. Some speaker systems are affordable, allowing you to expand your car audio easily. Check out this Pioneer speaker componant package for a great starting point.

GPS Navigation:
If you live in a big city, one of these units can be a great asset. While companies like Garmin and Tom Tom make devices that have many high end features (such as business directories built into the device), a less expensive model will still be a great asset. By having step by step directions to virtually any destination, it can take much of the stress out of driving to a new locale, or driving in a new city. Be forewarned, though, that some units suffer from confusing menu organization, making them downright dangerous to operate while driving. Always exercise caution, and never operate one while in motion. A great deal can be found on some of the entry-level models in the Garmin StreetPilot series.

One really has to pity the civil engineers in charge of making modern American cities traffic-efficient. Its a difficult, if not impossible task, and regardless of the outcome, people will be frustrated. Not even the keenest of city planning can make up for the oppressive onslaught of cars that hit the road come Monday morning. The result can be a disorienting traffic jam, which is bad enough for locals but can be a downright nightmare for tourists or those unfamiliar with the city. When I moved from sleepy Missoula, Montana to Los Angeles, California for college, the difference in driving “across town” was like night and day. But today’s gadget of the week has made my driving experience excellent recently, and it has the capability to do the very same for yours.

Garmin arguably makes some of the best GPS navigation units, and the Nuvi 1390t is in my opinion, the best of their bunch. With an innovative touch-screen interface, extensive battery life, and an extensive host of additional features, it has the ability to get you where you need to go, and fast.

The basic premise of a GPS navigation unit is simple: plug in a destination, and the GPS uplink provides you with maps and directions to reach your destination. Obviously though, a high-end unit like the 1390t has a host of additional features. First and foremost, there are a number of ways you can locate your destination. If you know the address by memory, simply punch it into the device on the easy-to-use touchscreen and you’re on your way.

This is where the device has some tricks up its sleeve. If you’re not sure of the address, you can search for the location by a variety of criteria. While using the device in the Los Angeles area, a search of an In-N-Out Burger brings up the locations of the nearest burger stands (much like a search on Google Maps would do). However, say if you’re craving a burger, but are unsure of what type, the Nuvi 1390t has categories for browsing. It’s a great asset on road trips, if you’re looking for a place to eat but are unsure of any particular location.

There are also some features especially handy for tourists. Other categories for browsing are filled with gas stations, lodging, emergency services, and even points of interest. While using the device, the points of interest feature had some great suggestions, with everything from hiking trails to football stadiums programmed in the device. There were some discrepancies when searching for local businesses that had shut down. Overall, the device performed excellently while searching for a variety of locales.

I have a very tender place in my heart reserved for concept cars, and in fact, I believe its located right next to the tender place in my heart reserved for Santa Claus. It seems like for these big Auto conferences, such as the ongoing Detroit Auto Show, car manufacturers roll out their craziest, science-fiction inspired autos that are never to see the light of day. But boy, are they awesome to look at, and the idea that one day we might be rolling around in a car that looks like one of these. . . well, a boy can dream I suppose.

Yet this morning, car enthusiasts are excited over what looks to be a very special concept car from German manufacturer Audi. The Audi e-tron, which is a variation on the Audi E8 coup, boasts one of the most promising designs for an electric car that could be readily available in a realistic amount of time. Additionally, the car boasts some remarkable engineering features that conserve energy. The E-Tron (which has been spelled with varying degrees of capitalization on several different websites) is an electric car, with no gasoline required. Better yet, it can be plugged into a standard wall outlet to be charged.

Now for the specifications: One of the greatest difficulties in engineering an electric car is battery life, and the e-tron has some impressive numbers in this respect. Lithium ion batteries, the same kind found in many new consumer electronics, are located directly behind the passenger compartment and in front of the rear axel, giving the car a driving range of up to 155 miles on a single charge. Along with that impressive number is the charge time: only two hours on an entirely empty battery. But much like other electric or hybrid cars, the e-tron’s batteries also charge while the car is in motion.

Herein is the e-tron’s most innovative feature: Braking while operating the car actually charges the battery. The e-tron’s alternator converts the kinetic energy generated while braking into electricity that is then fed to the batteries, enabling the car to juice up on the road. This extends the driving range of the vehicle, powering the auto during a motion that is utilized frequently in driving. Additionally, the engineers at Audi used the old “brake by wire” principal on the car’s rear brakes, meaning there is no electronic or hydraulic element employed on its electrically actuated floating-caliper brakes. This eliminates any residual friction generated on the rear axels when the brakes are not being employed, further increasing the efficiency of the car.