Tag: car

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Automotive Connected Objects

Vinli brings apps, cellular connections to your ride

There have been several onboard diagnostics (OBD) devices for cars introduced already. Some have focused on a single main function. In the case of GoFar, for example, it was fuel efficiency.

Vinli seems a bit more ambitious, coming with a wide range of apps. It’s an OBD-II device that’s been designed to quickly transform any older vehicle into a smart car. The device adds Wi-Fi to a vehicle using T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network, allowing the car to always be connected. Like other OBD-II devices, its maker is stressing how easy it is to set up, saying it takes only seconds to connect it to a car’s data port located under the dashboard. Drivers can then use the connection to stream media and send data.

 

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Automotive

Gleamfire saves water for washing cars, may save California from dusty rides

Washing your car is a great way to keep it clean and preserve its paint job. Frequent trips to the car wash can be costly, though. And washing it yourself uses a lot of water.

patent-claimedGleamfire hopes to save water while also delivering a super clean car. This product goes beyond the bucket, as its campaign says, and uses only one and half gallons of water to get the job done. The clear cylinder holds the water and no-rinse car wash soap. To use, insert the washing mitt into the cylinder and pump up and down to rinse it. The pump contains a filter so it keeps the mitt in clean water eliminating the need for additional fresh water. The special soap doesn’t require an additional rinse, so washing the car with the mitt is enough to get it sparkling clean.

Gleamfire offers a great way to save water, especially important right now in California with its epic ongoing drought. It uses simple innovation to cut down on the water usage and cost associated with washing one’s car. Those who would like one will need to donate $97 for delivery in April 2016. Gleamfire is looking to raise $129,000 on Indiegogo.

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Kids/Babies

Lullafi bably sleep aid is the next best thing to creating a cribmobile

Lots of new parents know that sometimes, when their baby won’t go to sleep, they have to try the car. For whatever reason, babies love sleeping in the car. Parents have been known to embark on trips to nowhere in the wee hours in the hopes of quiet slumber.

patent-claimedLullafi has figured out why the car works for getting babies to go to sleep. In order to save parents the hassle of late night driving, Lullafi mimics the soothing effects of the car for babies. This small device clips onto cribs and produces soft vibrations and soothing sounds to get baby to fall asleep. In addition, it has Bluetooth integration which lets parents stream whatever they want to the device, whether it’s ambient noise or their child’s favorite lullaby.

Most parents welcome any solution to restless babies. If Lullafi really performs as promised, it’ll make a welcome addition to the baby product market. Parents interested in this product will need to donate $55 for estimated delivery in September 2015. Lullafi is hoping to raise an ambitious $190,000 with the help of Kickstarter.

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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

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

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.

Categories
Automotive

GroUrban puts a small bit of plant life in your nearest cupholder

For those who don’t like the plant life growing in that travel mug that they keep forgetting about and leaving in their cupholder, GroUrban allows commuters to enjoy their favorite plant life in their car’s cupholder instead.  No specific measurements are noted for the size of the planter.

While there is a built-in reservoir to help keep plants watered, the extreme heat and cold that usually goes with remaining parked outdoors for extended periods of time may make for a short life for plants unless one is able to park in a garage both at home and work, or is willing to carry around the plant to keep it out of the extremes. In addition, GroUrban fits in a car drink holder, so one may need to choose between that java and their favorite plant unless the car has multiple drink holders. But who knows? Maybe the travel mug will finally be remembered if it has some pretty plant life around it. This campaign seeks to raise £50,000 (~$78,500) by December 14, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for £10 (~$16 USD), with an expected delivery of January 2015.

Categories
Automotive

Visor Twin flips out to turn drivers, passengers into shady characters

There are days when the angle of the sun is just perfect for causing drivers the visual obstruction that can cause accidents. That’s when having a front and side visor such as Visor Twin can be a great travel benefit. Visor Twin clips to the car’s existing visor and can be positioned to swing to the front while the existing visor swings to the side. That particular feature really sets it apart from other products that just extend horizontally or vertically. It can be an extra sun visor for front and side coverage.

This is a nice idea as long as the concern is just diminishing the visual strain from the angle of the sun. Existing car visors are going to cause a partial visual blockage whether they are used with the windshield or to the side, because side usage blocks periphery and a portion of the side visual field. However, the product seems like it could be worth looking into further if designed well. This campaign seeks to raise $58,000 by January 10, 2015. Early bird backers get one product for $29, with an expected delivery of March 2015.

Categories
Food and Beverage

Tailmo keeps party cups in place even as the world starts to spin

Whether it’s coffee, soda or otherwise, being able to take one’s choice of beverage on the road is comforting for any long trip.  While there are multiple cup holders out there, Tailmo was created with party-goers in. The special feature here is that everyone’s favorite little red cup fits nicely in something that’s magnetized. So whether it’s a tailgate party or outdoor sporting event on those really uncomfortable metal bleachers, the beer has a better chance of staying put until drinking it commences. And oh yeah, it’s insulated so that it stays cold, too – or the coffee stays hot when it’s time to sober up.

While this is a nice idea, perhaps some sort of lid reminiscent of a travel mug’s should also have been included so as to further minimize spills when walking or staggering from place to place. This campaign seeks to raise $75,000 by December 24, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $8, with an expected delivery of February 2015.