Tire pressure caps keep you informed

All vehicle owners should make sure that their tires are properly inflated (and I don’t mean the spare tire around your waist that’s hanging downwards) if they have maximum mileage and optimal road safety on their minds. Unfortunately, most people don’t take the trouble to check their tire pressures regularly, which results in faster wear and tear on their wheels that could compromise road safety as well. With these special pressure valve caps, you can check your tire pressures at a glance without having to use those pesky tire pressure gages. Available in 32 psi and 36 psi color-coded caps, they will retail for $7.98 each.

iStation T3 is a nice little PMP

It is nice to see some healthy competition in the Portable Media Player (PMP) market. The iStation T3 from Korea coincidently has the small “i” in front of it, but could easily give the iPod a run for its money.

The super-sized screen is one extra bonus at 4.3 inches, and has a 480 x 272 resolution. Other features include TV Out, USB connectivity, an SDHC memory card slot, an integrated FM radio tuner, as well as voice recording capability.

Of course, as with most PMPs, it is all about what formats it can play. In this case, the iStation can play quite a bit of audio files with WMA, MP3, OGG, FLAC, APE, AC3, and WAV. As for the video formats, it covers MPEG-4, AVI, DivX, XviD, and WMV.

As far as the memory is concerned, you will find them available in many sizes including 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB capacities. As for the battery life, it has 10 hours worth per charge.

Did I mention that it also has Windows CE 5.0 OS? Well, it has it. Did I mention the price? Well, that’s because there is no word on it. There is also no word on an availability date either, but if you want a bit of a taste, check out this nifty video.

Fusion CA-IP500: Next Generation of iPod Compatible Car Stereos?

It is not surprising that most new car models come complete with iPod compatibility on their stereos. However, most of these iPod compatible stereos usually just have a place to plug in the cable, which makes it awkward for the driver.

After all, many countries have laws that allow only hands-free phones, to prevent accidents from distraction. Yet what is more distracting for a driver than changing tracks on their iPod while behind the wheel? Another issue with this type of iPod cable set-up is theft. If a driver parks his or her car and leaves the iPod attached to the cable, it makes a tempting target for thieves.

I suppose this is why Fusion created the CA-IP500, which will literally swallow your iPod whole. This will allow the iPod playlist to be broadcasted through the car’s stereo system, and it can be accessed via the minimally distracting CA-IP500’s controls, which resemble iPod controls.

Other features include a dot-matrix OLED display, SRS Wos sound shaping, AM/FM tuner, 7-band equalizer, and it has a security code so only the driver can access his or her iPod. By the way, the CA-IP500 can also charge your iPod when it sits inside.

The CA-IP500 is priced at about $349, and is compatible with the iPod Touch Gen1 and Gen2, the iPod Classic Gen5, Gen6, Gen7, and the iPod Nano Gen2, Gen3 and Gen4.

iBreath iPhone/iPod accessory could potentially save lives

I’m not certain if there is a huge market for personal breathalyzer tests, but I definitely think the iBreath is on the right track.

For starters, it is designed to plug right into your iPhone or iPod, which serves as the power source for this electronic breathalyzer. All the inebriated needs to do is blow into the whistle-shaped end there, and he or she will get an automatic readout of his or her Blood Alcohol Level, without an officer ever being present.

There is no doubt that the iBreath could easily save lives, and the life that it saves could be the driver’s. Yet this main feature is not enough for designer David Steele, who took it a step further at put an FM transmitter on it. This will enable the driver to listen to some music off their iPod/iPhone from their car radio. Maybe that will sober him or her up.

Tenqa SP-01 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker

Bluetooth technology is a real boon IMHO, as it helps free us from the tyranny of tangles and a wired mess, especially where headphones are concerned. Well, the Tenqa SP-01 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker comes in an extremely compact design that makes it a snap to fit into just about any home, and there is no need for you to live in a mansion since it would do very well in a cramped apartment. Perfect for those who want a personal audio system sans wires, as they get to enjoy wireless music from a suitably-equipped iPod, MP3 player, personal computer or a cell phone. There is no word on pricing, but these should hit the market pretty soon.

Logitech G13 Advanced Gaming Keyboard

Take Darth Vader’s head, mix it with the buttons on his chest, and then merge them into one gadget. The result would be the Logitech G13 Advanced Gaming Keyboard.

Actually, Logitech reveals in a recent Press Release that the G13 is really a combination of the Logitech G15 keyboard and G9 Laser Mouse. In this same release, the company promises that the G13 is a more superior model than other gaming keyboards.

“Unlike other gameboards that focus only on programmability, the G13 advanced gameboard incorporates the principles of our award winning Comfort Wave design…the G13 gameboard gives you a powerful advantage over those forced to work with less.”

Logitech also states that the G13 has three game modes, 25 programmable keys, and a programmable analog stick. This allows for over 87 ways to control your game, and even allows for custom button profiles as well as creating macros without having to pause the game. Another prominent feature is the 160 x 43 pixel GamePanel LCD to show live game stats, system info, or messages from other players.

The G13 also has pre-configured settings for many popular games including World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade, Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

The Logitech G13 should be available sometime this month in Europe and the United States for about $79.99.

So readers, do you agree with me about my Darth Vader opening comment, or what? Also let me know if there are other gaming keyboards out there that are truly improving your game.

Shiro SQ-S PMP is Solar Powered

I’m not sure if the world needs another type of PMP, but I will definitely give Shiro credit for trying something different.

Shiro has put a solar cell on the back of the SQ-S, which gives the user the option to charge the device with the power of the sun. Considering that power to PMPs is always an issue for mobile music, it is refreshing to see a PMP that does not require a wired charging method like an AC cord or USB cable.

The user has the option of using a USB cable if he or she wants to. Just to put it in perspective, it takes six hours with a “full sun” to charge the SQ-6, but only four hours with the USB. With a full charge, the SQ-S is capable of up to 38 hours of music playback and 10 hours of video playback.

The screen of the SQ-S is a 1.8 inch 65K color display, made for both video and photo playback. The SQ-S comes with 16GB of built-in memory, but does not have a memory card slot. It supports formats of MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, APE, OGG, and M4A. It also has an FM radio and is capable of FM recording.

My source does not have a price or availability date for the SQ-S, but the solar powered feature could really change the PMP market. Unless some other company has already tried this already. How about it, readers? What’s your opinion on solar-powered PMPs? If you know something that I don’t, feel free to leave a comment.

Nokia N97: The next cool smartphone

Our friends from Finland recently unveiled the Nokia N97 at the Nokia World 2008 conference in Barcelona this week. This quad-band world phone is HSDPA compatible, with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The N97 is designed for the social networking generation with Web 2.0 compatibility, which can support streaming flash videos. One of the most prominent features is what the company calls “social location” which can enable integrated A-GPS sensors with an electric compass to automatically update users’ social networks, or let them share their location via photos or videos with friends.

The home screen can be personalized with widgets of favorite Web and social networking sites. Also included in this little package is the Nokia Music Store, Nokia Maps, and the N-Gage gaming platform.

The phone has a 3.5 inch screen that is a touchscreen with 640 x 360 (16:9) display, as well as a slide out QWERTY keyboard. Other features include a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, plus dual LED flash that can shoot stills and record 30fps video. As for memory, it has 32GB worth of onboard memory, but if you want more, you can use the 16GB microSD card.

The N97 costs about $697, but probably won’t be available until around the second quarter of next year.

GPS Home Device

This is the simplest portable GPS locating device available, ideal for finding your car after shopping, returning to a favorite spot on the beach, or returning to camp. Simply push a button to mark your current location and the device points the way back. Nearly the size of a drink coaster, the compact receiver fits easily on a keychain, in a pocket, or in a purse. Unlike typical GPS units that are highly complex, this one only has two buttons: one for power, another for setting your starting point and two other destinations. It uses an advanced GPS receiver chipset that provides a high degree of accuracy–within five yards–in urban canyons or heavily forested environments thanks to its superior Time To First Fix for locating and locking onto satellite signals. It counts down the distance (in yards, miles, meters, or kilometers) as you approach your starting point and its self-calibrating digital compass displays your heading in degrees and indicates direction with an easy-to-read arrow.

Lemur Autovision to help increase road safety

If used correctly, that is. The Lemur Autovision is a device that is a snap to install in just about any vehicle, and it helps you get a clearer picture on your driving, recording important information like speed, distance and brakes while you tear up asphalt in your vehicle. Parents who review such data after their kids have taken out the family car for a spin will be able to better advise the younger ones on picking up life-saving pointers when driving.

Some of the features available on the Lemur Autovision include :-

* Real-time feedback
* Reports speed, distance, brakes
* Convenient keychain LCD
* Easy to install
* Affordable - no monthly fees
* Tamper Proof and PIN protected

You can pick up the Lemur Autovision for $99.95 a pop, and unless used responsibly, it will remain pretty much useless when it comes to cutting down the number of road accidents and fatalities. Still, a tool like this should not go unnoticed as any bit could go a long way in helping us make our roads safer for everyone.

The Start Your Engines Alarm Clock

If your love of cars isn’t being expressed quite enough in your current home décor, you might check out this alarm. There have been other alarms similar to this one, but luckily this one is a little cheaper than the others I’ve seen. If you’re on the lookout for a gift for a guy impossible to buy for and he has a love for cars this would be an easy gift to pick up. I’m sure he’d get a kick out of waking up to the sound of a high-powered V8 engine.

Although frankly I’m not sure how easy it would be to wake up to the sound of an engine. It’s not that it couldn’t possibly be loud enough. The issue more is if you live in the city, the sound of your alarm might blend into the traffic noise you’re used to hearing outdoors. Luckily the engine noise will grow in pitch and intensity until you turn it off. The clock also includes an AM/FM radio and can be powered by either the AC adapter or AA batteries. You can purchase it for $29.95 on Hammacher Schlemmer.