By Jim Bray Saturday, November 12, 2011
Livio Radio, who make the excellent smart phone/tablet apps that let you stream innumerable radio stations to your devices, is back with a new way to drag old cars kicking and screaming into the new millennium.
Orb Audio Mini-System Fits Music to a “T”By Jim Bray Saturday, November 5, 2011
The T-Amp is back, and that could be good news to those who want good sound in a tiny package.
Livio and Verbatim Make Car Tunes More FlexibleBy Jim Bray Saturday, July 16, 2011
People who want to take their own tunes into their cars have a couple of new opportunities, including one that’ll let you play digital files in vehicles that don’t normally have the capability.
Taking along your own tunes is nothing new, of course. People have been cooking their own programming since the days of tape cassettes and even 8 Tracks to a certain extent. But with the advent of MP3 files, which can pack lots of music into a tiny amount of storage space (at the cost of “dumbed down” sound quality if you compress them too much), there has never been more flexibility, especially when you add to the mix such things as hard drive-based car audio systems.
Acura, Toyota Showcase the Evolution of Quality Auto AudioBy Jim Bray Saturday, June 4, 2011
Car audio has come a long way since the 8-Track tape cartridge moved it beyond merely being a platform for AM and, if you were lucky, FM radio.
It’s been a long journey, through cassettes to DVD-Audio and digital file playback – including the newer capability of streaming via Bluetooth. The playback medium doesn’t necessarily equate to the quality of the sound, however – for instance, an MP3 file can sound really good or really lousy depending upon the quality of the original file or of how it’s processed.
Automotive Accessories Bring A Unique New Look & Feel To Auto DecoratingBy Online Sunday, January 23, 2011
(Scottsdale, Arizona) A company long known for having some of the most innovative car accessories on the market is launching a new line of creative, automotive products that are driving up retail sales in stores nationally. Bell Automotive has designed a unique line of Shaggy seat covers and steering wheel covers made of microfiber never before used on seat covers or steering wheel covers. Of course, decorative auto accessories like fuzzy dice or funky steering wheels are nothing new, but this new microfiber shag material from Bell has a unique, tactile feel that creates a whole new driving experience for motorists.
Networked Devices Spread Your Photos, Music Around
By Jim Bray Saturday, September 4, 2010
Media servers are becoming popular in this age of wireless home networks, delivering audio and video content from a computer or the Internet to whatever device you may want to use, within reason.
New Systems Help Monitor The Road Ahead – and the Driveway in FrontBy News on the Net Sunday, April 4, 2010
New Technology Proves Illuminating for Drivers
By Jim Bray Monday, March 15, 2010
Driving or working at night can be tough enough without having to worry about what’s lurking in the dark. Fortunately, today’s modern lighting fixtures are doing a better job than ever of not only banishing the darkness, but of ensuring that you can be seen by those around you as well.
Globalstar Announces Availability of Roadside Assistance for SPOT Satellite GPS MessengerBy Online Saturday, June 27, 2009
Globalstar Canada Satellite Co., a leader in satellite voice and data services for commercial and recreational users, today announced that the SPOT Assist Roadside service is now available to SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger™ customers in Canada and the Continental United States. SPOT Assist Roadside is the world’s only portable roadside service provider to operate solely on satellite communications, independent of cellular networks.
Not exactly your parent’s tune-upBy Online Wednesday, March 4, 2009
What is a tune-up? Go and ask 10 vehicle owners their definition of the term and chances are there will be 10 different answers. Certainly the classic tune-up was once the heart and soul of the automotive business.
Photo Radar Gadget and Plastic Work Seat Make Life Worth Living
By Jim Bray Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Whether high tech or low tech, there’s a gadget for just about every occasion these days. It seems that, wherever there’s a need perceived, there’s an inventor who wants to fill it.
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue – Say Goodbye to ProductivityBy Jim Bray Friday, May 23, 2008
If you’re a car nut and you buy this game, forget about getting any work done. You might as well start looking up marriage counselors in the phone book, too.
And this isn’t even the full game!
Groovy Gadgets for GearheadsBy Jim Bray Sunday, January 20, 2008
Horntones. I don’t know if it’s the greatest gadget for the car since the turbocharger – or the worst example of a company chasing profits at the expense of public good. One thing I do know is that it made me laugh so hard when I first discovered it that I just had to share it with you.
