Car Gadgets

My husband and I just got got back from a trip to North Carolina.  We flew there but then after landing got a rental car and drove the 20 or so miles to the convention center to the conference I was attending.  This was new unchartered territory for us, so we had taken my husband’s TomTom GPS system along.  Boy, was I glad we did.  The ever familiar, robot like voice of the TomTom assuredly telling us which left or right to take was a welcomed sound in the tiny little rental car.

I have been repeatedly impressed with this gadget as we have used it on a couple of family vacations, and other trips around.  We purchased it after I had a horrible experience getting lost in New Orleans, and after returning there with good ole Tom, I was glad to have made the purchase.  Tom will definitely not allow you to get lost.  Its touchscreen and easy use features are a must for anyone who travels.

In fact, the only issue we’ve had with Tom is keeping him charged up so that we can enjoy his presence throughout the trip.

Do your kids have a DVD player in your family vehicle?  Is it a lifesaver for you on long road trips.  Whether your vehicle came with an in-house player or you purchased a portable you may be one of the millions of families who enjoy this family entertainer.

Not long ago my friends and I took a group of our kids to the zoo about two hours away.  It was wonderful to turn around and see 6 happy faces as they watched a fun movie on the DVD player. It sure helped from having to answer, “Are we there yet?” every 2 minutes of this two hour trip.  Plus, on the way home, they all zonked out after just a few minutes of another movie.

My husband and I also use this as a treat for my son, helping to reward him for good behavior in a restaurant.  If he doesn’t behave in the restaurant he can’t watch his movie on the way home.  So, it can be a great tool to use with your kids.

Whichever way you choose to use this great gadget, having a family entertainer or DVD player can be beneficial to the whole family.

I am a woman who often travels alone.  More than that I am a woman, who often travels alone and is clueless about the mechanics of my vehicle.  I know, I should try to learn, hey I can change my oil isn’t that good enough.  That is if I HAD to.  My dad taught me long ago.

However, if my vehicle were to loose battery power on a cold night on the side of the road I would want to be a little safer than my knowledge of cars and my abilities.  That’s why I own a Jumpstarter.  A Jumpstarter like the one Duracell sells is a great lifesaver for those of us who don’t want to be caught stranded, alone on the side of the road.

Now, though I’ve never had to use mine on the side of the road, I have used it in the comfort of my garage and it was still a lifesaver when my battery had lost its charge.  I highly recommend every mom and dad out there get one.  In fact, my dear ole dad was the one who bought mine for me!

There’s nothing yuckier than drinking lukewarm coffee or tea. I like mine piping hot but sometimes that’s hard to achieve when you’re on the road. So, in comes the fully programmable thermal auto mug. This sleek and stainless steel 16 oz mug with integrated heating element and insulated interior construction is powered by your car’s lighter adaptor. It is safe and convenient to use with an automatic shut-off function. It comes with a sure-grip handle, safety sip lid and a non-skid bottom. You can preset temperatures and it has an easy-to read digital LCD display for you to monitor the temperature and it also alerts you when your desired temperature is reached.

I have always been curious about one of these things. Being the somewhat germaphobic person that I am, the XJ-800 Car Air Purifier sounds like a dream come true! This air purifier uses 3 stainless steel needle points to produce a high concentration of negative ions to reduce airborne pollutants and odors including allergen, cigarette smoke, bacteria, etc.

The XJ-800 also works as an air freshener with six fragrances to choose from – Vanilla, Apple, Pine, Forest, Lavender and No Scent. Since it only uses 3W of electricity, the XJ-800 will not drain your vehicle battery. The XJ-800 is also virtually silent. All you hear is just a very soft “hissing” sound.  

The XJ-800 is compact and fits virtually anywhere, thus, making it extremely portable. I really like the sleek and modern design. You can just put it on the dashboard of your vehicle. Or, you can also purchase a separate A/C adapter that allows you to plug the XJ-800 into any wall outlet in your home or office making the XJ-800 an air purifier and air freshener for a small space of up to 50 sq. ft.  

Have you ever wondered how car commercials create those great commercials of the cars driving down long and winding roads? Well, check out this nifty little gadget. It’s called a Sticky Pod. It mounts on your car with strong industrial cups. Then you can strap your video camera to it. You can make some videos with this gadget.

For more information, click the image below to visit the Sticky Pod website.

Here are a sample of the Sticky Pod in action. It’s a little pixelated… but you get can get the idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL2m4z3MSCM

One of the irritating things about cars nowadays is the lack of a decent dash board. 

My Ford Focus is positively useless as far as keeping my personal gadgets within arms reach.  The dashboard is too slanted to be of use.  The tiny little indentation that someone had to create just to aggravate me is – well – aggravating!  Nothing fits in it except a bit of change – and everyone knows that is what the ashtray is for anyways.

I want to keep my phone in easy reach.  Is that too much to ask? 

I guess not - I found this nifty gadget helper.  You stick the pad on your cell phone, iPod or whatever and it grips your dashboard and holds it it in its spot.

I wouldn’t trust it through a major sudden stop, but for the most part, it’s pretty cool.