This TomTom Car Kit for iPhone uses the EasyPort suction cup windshield mount.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)Any automotive GPS device worth its salt will come packaged with some sort of suction cup mount that will allow users to stick their unit to their vehicle's windshield. For most users, this is where road ends where GPS device mounting is concerned. But is this the best way to keep your navigation device in place while you drive? And what about that weird plastic disk that was also in the box? Let's take a look at the pros and cons of the different GPS mounting options.
Pay attention, because what you learn here can also be applied to mounting your GPS-enabled smartphone.
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(Credit:
Who-Rae)
GPS sales have risen more than 700 percent in recent years, according to Who-Rae, an Australian company that develops and manufactures a range of consumer products. With increased popularity and usage comes crime, however--GPS are now the most commonly stolen item from vehicles, the company says.
Who-Rae is reacting with Maplock, a security device that latches onto a GPS unit and cables it to the steering wheel.
The Melbourne-based company suggests that suction cup marks or empty mounts left on the windshield are signs that criminals look for, so even if a GPS is removed from the car, thieves will cause expensive damage looking for it.
No Fear and Performance Motorsports are just a couple brands by Who-Rae, whose products primarily include automotive and travel accessories. Although the company doesn't vend its products online, they are available at international retailers. Maplock retailers and pricing aren't out yet. Until then, a video demonstration is available on the Maplock site.
If Japan-based NEC has its way, people who act as language translators could one day be replaced with head-mounted displays that project translations onto a retinal display. Come again?
(Credit:
NEC)
The Tele Scouter system is composed of an eyepiece with a front-mounted camera and a mic that picks up conversations and sends the data to a small computer worn on the user's waist.
The computer then transmits information to a remote server, which does the heavy processing work converting the foreign speech to text, translating it, and wirelessly sending it back to the tiny eye display for viewing. That seems like a whole lot of work to get to, "He said, 'Welcome to my country!'" but we'll roll with the idea for now.
Truth is we could use a translator to help us make complete sense of the English on NEC's product page, but we do know the TeleScouter isn't ready to show up at the U.N. just yet (or maybe ever).
Instead, NEC initially plans to market the device as a wearable hands-free display that could be used to show engineers and on-site and off-site technicians high-resolution user guides and manuals while they install or repair equipment.
In another workplace use, it could let a single expert simultaneously deliver text, video, and audio messages to multiple personnel--in real time.
NEC says it expects to start shipping the Tele Scouter next year, with a system that could serve a staff of 30 costing around 750 million yen ($8.16 million). Despite such exorbitant pricing, the company is aiming to sell 1,000 systems in three years.
How do you say, "We're intrigued, but we'll believe all this when we see it" in Japanese?
(Credit:
NEC)
(Via Gizmag)
(Credit:
Photojojo)
I really like Photojojo, and its new collection of photography projects and DIY ideas for cameras is definitely worth checking out, but I don't know that I feel the same about the Happy Helmet Camera Mount.
For $20 ($36 for two), you, or someone you'd like to make fun of, can strap a tripod mount through the vents of a helmet. Press record on your camera and start riding, skating, taking punches.
The only downside I can think of (other than the pointing and staring) is that compact cameras generally do a poor job of handling wind noise and I don't see it improving once one's strapped to your head. Helmet cams can run a couple hundred dollars though, and the video results likely won't be any better, making this an inexpensive alternative to the higher-priced gear.
(Credit:
Sanus)
Nowadays, it's not just about skinny HDTVs, it's also about similarly thin accessories for these panels. Take the latest Sanus Super Slim wall-mounting brackets, which enable an HDTV to be installed less than an inch away from the wall. They come in two flavors: the ML11-B1 for 26 to 46 inches/110 pounds and the L11-B1 for 37 to 65 inches/165 pounds.
Besides horizontal and vertical adjustments, these Sanus brackets offer quick release and ClickStand functions. The former unlocks the TV from the bracket easily, while the latter lifts the panel to deliver 3.08 inches of clearance from the wall for extra work space. The ML11-B1 and LL11-B1 retail for $119 and $149, respectively.
(Source: Crave Asia via Engadget)
It sure doesn't take these third-party add-on makers long to slingshot off the momentum of a new iPhone announcement. The latest company to step up to the plate is iLuv, which just announced the immediate availability of a new accessory line designed specifically for the iPhone 3G S. The selection is made up almost exclusively of cases, with one car accessory thrown in for good measure. Check out the gallery for pricing and details.
With the World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King being released in a couple of weeks, I'll probably be spending a lot more time in front of my computer, getting less sleep and probably gaining a couple of extra pounds. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this situation, which is why for the sake of significant others everywhere, I've made the decision to talk about the following product with a great deal of trepidation.
Available starting at $150, the Easy Chair Mount allows those of us who just can't pull ourselves away from our computers to not have to. The mount allows you to indirectly attach an LCD to a couch or chair by hooking it to a metal arm. The arm then attaches to a base that is inserted under the legs of the chair or couch.
Marketing-wise, it's not very surprising that the arm resembles aliens from War of the Worlds.
According to the maker, features of the mount include:
- Compatible with most LCD monitors
- Reversible--works on either left or right side of chair or couch
- Assembles in less than 10 minutes
- Powder-coated black satin finish
- Cables run through wire management conduit for neat appearance
- Quality aluminum construction
- Arm has 22 inches of horizontal range
- Arm rotates 360 degrees at three joints
- Monitor tilter mechanism can tilt more than 200 degrees
- Vesa-monitor compatible
- 75mm and 100mm Vesa bolt patterns are supported
Not that you couldn't just use a laptop, but this is a little more "control center-ish" and therefore more geeky. Also, the fact that the arm resembles the aliens from War of the Worlds doesn't hurt.
The upshot with this contraption is that it would allow you to join the family in the living room from time to time; unfortunately that's the bad part as well. When you're trying to be the first person to level to 80, the less distractions the better.
ZF Planar T* 85mm f1.4
(Credit: Zeiss)Zeiss, maker of a line of high-quality, single focal length manual focus lenses for SLRs, had been running a teaser ad on it's Web site alluding to a new lens mount, creating a lot of speculation as to what it might be.
Monday, it was revealed and, as I had hoped, the new mount is Canon EF. Making the lenses compatible with all Canon EOS auto-focus SLRs from the EOS film cameras to the all the EOS digital cameras. Considering Canon's market share, this was a smart choice by Zeiss. The new lenses will carry the ZE designation. They will support all automatic exposure modes such as program, aperture priority, and shutter priority. The camera's automatic focus confirmation remains available with these manual focus lenses. With digital cameras, lens information will be written to the EXIF data. E-TTL flash metering works as well.
The first lenses announced are the Planar T* 50mm f1.4, which will cost about $1,000, and the Planar T* 85mm f1.4 for about $1,500, and scheduled to be available at the end of the year. More lenses will be announced in the coming months.
(Credit:
Zeiss)
Zeiss, maker of a line of high-quality, single focal length manual focus lenses for SLRs, is running an ad on its Web site teasing the announcement of a new lens mount to be announced September 15. They are currently available in Nikon mount (ZF), Pentax mount (ZK), and 42mm screw-mount(ZS). See the ad here.
Internet speculation really runs the gamut, from wishes for it to be for Olympus, to rumors of the rebirth of the Leica R system. There's also talk of it maybe being for the Sony Alpha mount, which is a serious possibility, given the companies' current relationship. There are many, including me, who would like to see it be for Canon EF, also a serious possibility considering Canon's market share. What do you think it is going to be?
(Credit:
USB Fever)
Why should car drivers be the only ones to enjoy watching video on the road? As cyclists acquire more rights, they should also be able to distract themselves as effectively as their motorist counteparts.
The "iPhone Bike Mount" is supposedly designed to make it easier to control the device for music and phone controls on handlebars, but we fear that it might simply add to the growing list of eye-averting gadgetry that has made commuting a multi-tasking adventure for many afflicted with dangerously short attention spans. The bracket can rotate 360 degrees so the screen can be seen at any angle desired for optimal viewing of the iPhone, media player, or any other device that will fit in its adjustable arms. Just be ready with an excuse in case you get into an accident.
