Top 5 Geek Gadgets for Your Car

So you’re a geek and you want some geek gadgets? I’m with you mang. Too long I’ve hidden my science and electronic loving ways. It’s time I wore my geek-itude on my sleeve, like some kind of sleeve based pocket protector for a pocket that’s on my sleeve. Right?

Whatever, here are the top five awesome whiz-bangs 4 your car:

1. 400 Watt Power Dome Mini Generator

Every car should have a jumpbox - a battery box that lets you jumpstart your car even if no one is around. That’s what this is, a 600 cranking amp jumpbox, in addition to a bunch of other things.

It has 2 AC outlets and 2 DC outlets, a 400 watt inverter, with a level indicator, AND, the best part… a built-in 275 psi air compressor.

2. Digital Wi-Fi Detector

Autonet mobile is supposedly coming out with always on wi-fi for your car. If so, I can wait for that to come out, shell out $399 up-front and 50 bucks a month for their untested service. Or I can pay 50 bucks once for the ability to find free wi-fi as I drive. Easy choice.

Your typical WiFi detector will only show you if the signal is there, and it’s relative strength. Not that helpful. This Digital WiFi Detector has a backlit LCD screen that provides information on signal availability and strength as well as network information, like SSID, security status and channel. When multiple networks are present, the LCD will allow you to scroll through information for each network.

3. Mini Fridge/Warmer - For Your Car

It’s a fridge AND warmer for your car, you shouldn’t need convincing.
It has a 20 liter capacity and a digital LCD display with the current inside temperature. It goes down to 44 degrees Fahrenheit and warms up to 140 degrees. Come on. Awesome

4. Automotive ECM Scanner

Getting your car’s brain scanned and reset at an automotive shop usually costs a few hundered dollars. Now you can do it yourself. Most people don’t realize, theres a plug on your car’s ECM/ECU computer (called the “brain”) that’ll let you access that computer.

You can read engine trouble codes and can reset the “check engine” light, read all sorts of tracked data (fuel economy, battery voltage, coolant temp., etc.). You can even start to get involved in the whole engine ECM turner subculture.

Pretty cool stuff that used to be only available to diagnostic and repair shops.

5. Smart AC 120 USB Power Inverter

I’m always in need of converters in my car. With this gadget, I can just plug it into the cigarette lighter… then plug in any standard AC powered device. Screw all those old adapters.

300 Watt peak output, 120 Watt standard use, so that’s plenty of power for anything I’m using.

You know of any gadgets I miseed? Let me know in the comments.

Related posts:

• AutoblogGreen for 11.21.08
• The World’s Smallest Car: The Nanocar
• UK Geek Squad gets smarter with the Smart ForTwo
• Car Buyer’s Remorse
• Automated Cars To End Traffic Jams

Related posts:

• BMW is Looking at Smaller Engines for its M Lineup
• AutoblogGreen for 12.18.08
• Shiny Side Up: Reynard hits the street with the Inverter
• VIDEO: Pontiac G8 Goes Head to Head with the BMW 550i in a Funny Ad
• Hybrids Are The Wave of the Future

New Must-Have Car Gadgets from CES

Every year at roughly the same time as the Detroit auto show, technology companies gather in Las Vegas to show off all the hot gadgets for the upcoming year at the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES. This year we found four products worth mentioning via Engadget, so anyone in need of upgrading their current ride should check these out.

Alpine showed off its new iDA-X001 head unit (above) that was developed with Apple to complement the popular iPod. Check out its display screen flushed to the right of all the buttons. That’s pretty nifty. You connect your iPod via a UBS port — and we’d assume you could connect other MP3 players as well — and there is actually a digital music converter that basically makes your MP3s sound better than they do on the portable player itself. The Alpine also features Bluetooth connectivity and HD radio. It’ll be in stores next month, attached to a hefty $450 price tag.

Clarion’s SD FB275BT is the best-looking gadget we found. The head unit has no moving parts — no CD player, no hard drive, no nothing. It uses a SD card slot, just like your computer, and has an input for your iPod, Zune or other MP3 player. It also features Bluetooth so you can go hands-free with your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. We’d still like more features, but for the stylish iPod user this certainly ranks high on the good-looks meter. Price is $250 and it should arrive in stores in April.

Harman Kardon introduced the second generation of its plug-and-play MP3 adapter called the Drive + Play II. It allows drivers to use an iPod or other MP3 player without a new head unit and displays everything on a separate 3.5 inch screen. The second-gen system comes with a plug-in FM transmitter as well, so those without an auxiliary plug can use it right out of the box. As with most Harman Kardon products, it’s not cheap — $399.95 will be the cost of entry when it arrives this spring.

GPS systems made a strong showing at CES this year, but there isn’t much new to that technology. Eclipse aimed at integrating the often-hard-to-place portable GPS with a double-sized in-dash head unit called the AVN 2210p — catchy name, no?

It houses a TomTom One-sized GPS unit that can be removed and taken to other vehicles, but when docked uses the car’s sound system to provide turn-by-turn directions. It downloads maps via the internet but can also use TomTom’s real-time traffic service. There are plenty of other gizmos, like a USB port, hidden CD player and satellite radio tuners. It won’t come cheap, though — $900 when it becomes available this spring.

Related posts:

• Video Recreation: Robert Kubica’s Canadian Grand Prix Crash
• 4×4 ‘Cuda Comes to a Sad End

Related posts:

• Hippy Transport in Nimbin
• There are a half-dozen or so types of material used in the car’s ashtray, ...
• It’s Gotta be a Hemi!
• Showdown: First Cars
• Lamborghini delivers final Reventon to British customer