Categories
Automotive Connected Objects

SafeNet helps keep you and your family safe on the road

The car monitoring services offered by some car companies are useful, though they typically tend to be costly and can’t always be always be used with every car.

SafeNet aims to remedy this with a simple solution. SafeNet is a portable tracking and monitoring system that simply plugs into a car’s accessory jack. Once plugged in, it allows users to track, monitor and communicate with their vehicle. SafeNet is a small, square device that can be placed anywhere in a car where cellular reception is available. With no additional fees, SafeNet will even alert users when a car has been taken out for a spin by an adventurous teenager or an elderly parent. The device can even alert users when their car is being driven too fast. What’s more, if the car is an accident, SafeNet will automatically contact individuals on an emergency contact list. A 3G version of the device with just data costs $214. A 3G version with data and voice functionality is just an extra $5. While a 2G version is available for $199, the device’s maker recommends that U.S. based customers spring for the 3G model. The device is slated to ship in May provided it can raise $130,000 by May 3.

SafeNet holds promise as it features functionality that not all on board diagnostics (OBD) devices offer. For example, unlike Truvolo, SafeNet doesn’t require an app. Further, SafeNet offers users free access to its SkyNet service which hosts free online mapping software on its website. As an aside, the SkyNet name might not have been the greatest choice considering its association with the villainous intelligence system from the Terminator films.

 

Categories
Automotive Connected Objects Imaging Safety

CarVi driving assistant lets you keep more eyes on the road

editors-choiceMany folks have been tempted by the high-tech safety features in newer cars, but wish there was a way to get them into their existing vehicles economically.

That is the goal of the makers of CarVi, a small, circular black driving assistance device that attaches easily via a bracket onto the windshield of just about any car. The device adds an extra set of eyes, monitoring a driver’s position in a lane and the location of the car in front of it. CarVi warns drivers if they are too close to the car in front, and if it senses any potential trouble will issue audible and visual warnings.

The device comes equipped with a camera capturing 720p HD video that CarVi analyzes in real time. Owners can set it to record 40-second to one-minute video onto a memory card whenever certain events occur, such as tailgating incidents. The user can then transfer that video to an Android or iOS smartphone for viewing later. Alternatively, CarVi can function as a full-time recorder if the driver desires. CarVi can also provide suggestions via the accompanying app on how to improve driver skills after the car is turned off. CarVi will cost $299 when it ships in August. Its makers are hoping to raise $100,000 by March 20.

The device holds some promise, especially for elderly drivers and the parents of new drivers. But similar products, such as Truvolo and Zubie, have already offered the same kind of functionality with varying degrees of success. While the warnings could indeed help drivers avoid accidents, it remains to be seen if many drivers will actually be willing to hear tips about how to improve their driving once they turn the engine off.

 

Categories
Automotive

Tail Gater Plus lets you attach stuff to your truck with one hitch

Everyone wants to be friends with the person who has the truck. Not only do trucks offer the convenience of being able to haul stuff from place to place, but the right attachment can provide seating at a tailgate party, or a quick and easy work station when building or camping.

The Tail Gater Plus is a hitch attachment that is working toward being a multi-functional item with the potential to include future attachments for a multitude of tasks and leisure activities. There isn’t a great deal of information about this product as of yet, and it seems that it is really still in progress.

Backers might also like to check out Alltera and Rapid Hut. This campaign seeks to raise $25,000 CAD (~$20,100 USD) by March 1 of this year. For $500 CAD (~$400 USD), backers bet the Tail Gater Plus Base Model with one seat, with an expected delivery in June.

Categories
Automotive

Smart Lite enhances truck safety, does so with mirrors

Big rigs have lots of mirrors to help reduce blind spots, but the one area that isn’t covered is in between the door and front bumper. This means that cars and motorcyclists in that area are invisible to them. So Smart Lite was created to enhance road safety.

The description regarding how this works isn’t entirely clear, but as best as can be deciphered, the driver replaces the original backup light with a Smart Lite. This includes a convex mirror on the opposite side. When the driver looks into the truck’s side mirrors, any object in the area of the front bumper blind spot is then visible in the side mirrors because of the product’s backup light or turn signal on one side and convex mirror on the other.

The product seems like it may have potential, but when it comes to safety, one always wants to be sure. Backers interested in the trucking industry might also want to check out Dudad, Cargo Net Tie-Down, and U-Wake. This campaign seeks to raise $60,000 CAD (~$48,300 USD) on Kickstarter. For $200 CAD (~$161 USD) backers get a set of Smart Lites with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Automotive

Easy Breeze car cooler keeps parked cars the coolest during summertime

Getting into the car on a hot sunny day can be torture. The air of the car’s interior is impossibly hot and the leather seats and seatbelt buckles can burn. Some opt to crack a window, but that doesn’t always do the trick for ventilating the car while it’s parked.

Easy Breeze is a way to keep the parked car cool. This ventilation system runs on a battery that can be charged through a USB cord. Each charge lasts for about a week. Included in the system is a vent, a powerful LED light and weatherstripping for the doors. Easy Breeze is designed to pull the hottest air from the roof out through a crack in the window to cool things down. The product itself looks a little bit like a black mailbox. For extra convenience, the battery pack can also charge any smartphone with a USB cable.

Easy Breeze is a cool product for a number of reasons. First of all, it cuts down on A/C usage when back in the car saving on gas and helping out the environment. Second of all, there have been a number of recent products, like the Babeep, that combat leaving children behind in hot cars. While it’s never advisable to leave a child alone in a car, Easy Breeze is a product that can fend off the heat if this mistake is made, keeping the child safe.

With its ease of charging and convenient uses, Easy Breeze is surely a product most will want come summertime. One will cost backers $38 at an early bird price for estimated delivery in June 2015. Easy Breeze is hoping to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Automotive

ArmRestor keeps road warriors focused on enjoying their drive

Driving can be one of the best parts of taking a vacation. ArmRestor was created with the road warrior in mind, providing a comfortable and convenient resting place for that left arm.  Since it attaches to the inside panel of the door and window, it can be used with either the window opened or closed. The latch system makes it compatible with most modern vehicles.

As for those creature comforts, ArmRestor provides easy access to one’s water bottle and a place for tissues and coins. The product’s one drawback seems to be the plastic-looking covering rather than cloth, which means that it may be hot on the arm during the summer and cold during the winter. Overall, the product seems like it has some quality to it, and that it’s a great idea – especially for those who spend a lot of time driving. This campaign seeks to raise $16,000 after having canceled their original campaign back in November. Early bird backers get one product for $24 with an expected delivery of May 2015.

Categories
Automotive Safety

Katasi Groove derails driving distractions, rewards focused driving with prizes

Driving while distracted happens to so many people more often than they’d like to admit. Our smartphones, although incredibly useful, can also be the reason why unfortunate and sometimes fatal accidents occur. This is the reason why phone manufacturers, along with third party companies, have attempted to offer solutions to the problem with different modes like ‘Do Not Disturb’ modes or in-car attachments.

The Katasi Groove is another one of those solutions, but this time it comes in the form of a unobtrusive dongle that attaches to a vehicle’s On-Board Diagnostic II, or OBD II, port. When connected, the driver pairs it with a smartphone and whenever the Groove senses it in the car, it works with carriers to limit what kinds of data connections are maintained. This means that mail and text messages are stifled for the length of the car ride while things like Pandora and navigation are let through.

While other phone modes or devices are manually set up, the Katasi Groove works without user input making it easier to have a real impact on driving behavior. To incentivize safe, distraction-free driving, the Katasi Groove also metes out points, named Gruves, that stack up the longer the device recognizes a driver’s self-control. These points can be redeemed for gas, food, and even concert tickets. Should the campaign’s $50,000 goal be met, a one-year subscription to the service can be had for $150.

The Groove is a promising piece of technology, but one that, frankly, needs to be made standard in all vehicles rather than a piece of consumer technology. With the OBD II port’s sudden increase of options, choosing between this or something like the Drivebot won’t be much of a choice. Unfortunately, it’s been proven that people will always choose day to day money-saving functionality over safety.

Categories
Automotive

SCIRT keeps snow and ice out of vehicle wheel wells

Some outdoor enthusiasts live for winter. Skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, ice skating and all the other snowy sports that are fun for winter lovers mean a car or truck is often necessary for getting to the best spots to enjoy the snow and ice.

While these are all fun, putting chains on tires is often a necessary evil. So SCIRT (Snow Chain Instillation and Removal Tool) was created to make said evil a bit more bearable. Even four-wheel drive vehicles need snow chains when traveling to mountainous and icy areas in the winter. The tool is specifically designed for diamond-pattern tire chains, and helps with the removal of snow and ice in wheel wells. The product seems to be aimed at more experienced outdoorsmen than hobbyists, and there is not a great deal of detail available on how the product works. This product seeks to raise £2,000 (~$3,120). For £17 (~$27), backers get one product with an expected delivery of January 2015.

Categories
Automotive

GloStep Truck Steps shed light on dark running boards

When forced to park one’s truck in a low light or no light setting, it can be painful to try to guess where to place one’s foot when entering or exiting – especially of one happens to be vertically challenged.

GloStep Truck Steps offers users the opportunity for a bit of light on those dark and perhaps stormy nights. There isn’t a great deal of information in regard to this product, and so the installation process, necessary tools for installation, and how the product works isn’t entirely clear. But backers looking for an easy way to have extra lighting at their fingertips may also want to check out the LureViewer or MuleLightOrb. Also, WakaWaka is a great emergency item to have in a truck or car.

This campaign seeks to raise $150,000. For $500, backers get one set of steps with an expected delivery of June 2015. Backers, however, may reserve their donation until they have a better idea of how the GloStep Truck Steps work.

Categories
Automotive Input

App Your Car wireless lets you keep your hands at ten and two

For the most part, a lot of the powerful smartphone and tablet features used on a daily basis become impossible the moment people hop into a car. Solutions exist that try to connect the phone to the car but they end up providing minimal interaction, usually focusing on music and calls at the most. With or without these solutions, though, it’s always pretty dangerous to use a smart device that requires drivers to take their view off the road. Voice-controlled options have offered a hands-free approach, but even those can be limited.

To maintain a driver’s tactile connection to their smart device and keep their eyes on the road, App Your Car was created. The in-car smart device input system is compatible with both iOS and Android, and features a wireless controller and a dashboard mount. The wireless controller features buttons on its front and back that can be used to access categories of apps and maneuver through them, all the while still keeping a driver’s hands on the wheel. The dashboard mount is meant to be placed within a driver’s field of view, providing strong magnets that keep a device in place, wirelessly charging devices, and facilitating the use of Bluetooth to stream music and audio. Its companion app makes selecting apps easier. For $99, backers can obtain their own App Your Car system with an expected ship date of June 2015. The campaign is looking for $40,000.

The company behind App Your Car claim they had safety on their mind while designing the product, but it seems a bit haphazard to focus on a physical device while driving to access and move through apps. Granted, it has its uses in music playing apps and navigating through calendars, but such small type on a smart device will make it more of a hassle. The real star of the show is the dashboard mount that wirelessly charges devices, something that can be combined with the more powerful voice features of a, say, Moto X. A focus on voice rather than physical control would’ve made the product reach much farther than it does.