(Credit:
Chinavasion)
As impressive as the GPS Bluetooth rear-view mirror may be, its functions are pretty boring for the most part. At least, that's how it looks when compared with something like this multimedia visor.
Other visors with built-in TVs and DVD players have been around for awhile, but this one is out of control--which, by the way, is exactly what the driver would be if he gets distracted by it. Even though it's on the passenger side, there's no way to completely ignore a visor that lets you play games on its 7-inch LCD and comes with two gamepad controllers with an assortment of retro titles, according to Newlaunches.
It also plays DVDs and CDs, of course, as well as MP3s and MP4 videos, all for $100. But remember, the cost will escalate in a hurry when you throw in traffic tickets, let alone the fender damage.
The Gold Lantern VisorTalk adds caller ID to the hands-free equation.
(Credit: Gold Lantern)There are plenty of Bluetooth hands-free speakerphones for the car out there, but the Gold Lantern VisorTalk distinguishes itself with a caller ID display--all the better to screen calls while you're on the road. Otherwise, the VisorTalk--so named because it clips to the sun visor--has all the standard features covered: It sports Bluetooth 2.0 (for pairing with any compatible cell phone) and a full duplex speakerphone, and the rechargeable battery is rated at 8 hours talk time and 200 hours standby (a car charger is included). And that "H" button centered below the display is a "hot-line" number that you can set for any favorite number you choose. Sure, it may not beat the text-to-speech caller ID feature on the Sony Ericsson HCB-150, but the $75 street price on the Gold Lantern is less than half what you'll pay for the Sony Ericsson. The VisorTalk is available now.
Solar radio visor
(Credit: Gearfuse)
Solar fan hat
Finally, the solar-powered fan hat has a mate. Let's have a round of applause for the "Solar-Powered Visor Radio."
Like its counterpart, this is a functional piece of headgear that makes use of the sun's rays to impress your friends, but for entertainment purposes as well as protection from melanoma and heat stroke. The visor has a speaker on each side, Gearfuse says, piping in tunes from a built-in AM/FM tuner.
It just goes to show that being green is no guarantee of immunity from the dreaded Date Repellant Syndrome.
(Credit:
iXoundWear)
If there's one thing we've learned in this world, it's that dorkdom knows no bounds. To wit: Barely weeks after posting an item on the "iXoundWear" iPod hat, a new version is already out.
The latest fashion accessory (cough) is made especially to fit the third-generation iPod, according to iLounge, along with an attractive pair of bendable plastic spools to keep your headphone wires from strangling you during the a particularly raucous DDR session. There is, however, one silver lining in this aesthetically challenged cloud: At least the new Nano is smaller so maybe not as many people will see it.
(Credit:
iXoundWear)
Silly us. It had been awhile since we'd seen an example of the ridiculous headgear flooding the market, so we naively thought companies had come to their senses and stopped making the ludicrous devices.
Then, of course, along comes something like "iXoundWear" to bring us back to reality. Although not quite as doofus-looking as the "iWalk," the iXoundWear line nonetheless is full of effective date-repelling products. And they can keep you free on Saturday nights all year 'round, because they come in styles that range from apparel appropriate for summertime (visors) through winter (knit caps), according to Cool Gadgets Zone.
All come in around $20, which means you can still save up for a solar fan hat or, if it's a really special occasion, a "Head Spa Massager."
(Credit:
Home Trends)
Wow. It's not often that we're left speechless by the sheer dorkiness of an item, but this one almost had that effect on us.
The very name of the "Lighted Head Magnifier" screams date-repellant, but it still can't come close to conveying the image in the photo shown here. In case anyone cares, Coolest-Gadgets says this piece of headgear provides 3.5x magnification, a spare light bulb and "non-slip fit." That may be so, but it still looks like a poor man's combination of a "Shade Blade" and an LED baseball cap, with the aesthetics of a solar-powered fan hat thrown in for good measure.
On the positive side, it could be the perfect accessory to wear while watching favorite episodes of the original Star Trek--again--on Saturday night.
(Credit:
Hollywood Gadgets)
The solar-powered hat fan taught us how to survive the summer heat, but what about the winter doldrums? Enter the "Feel Bright Light" from Hollywood Gadgets. A set of LED bulbs affixed underneath the brim of a visor bathe your face in happy light to help ward off seasonal affective disorder, for a mere $200. Our take: We'd rather stay in a permanent funk.
Well, at least the marketers of this in-car video system made some kind of attempt to make their product seem road-safe: They portrayed it on the passenger side, not the driver's.
(Credit:
Gadget Universe)
Nice try, but we seriously doubt that the "Sun Visor TV/DVD Theater" could be ignored by anyone in the car, especially the driver sitting right next to it. It's not that we have anything against video entertainment on the road; we'd love to have a 7-inch LCD and FM transmitter like this one seen on Red Ferret, especially for extended trips, and it even has a USB port so you can use it as a laptop monitor. And $300 isn't a bad price at all, especially considering that the cheapest portable DVD players were priced in that range only a few years ago.
But we believe that too many drivers have enough distractions already, especially those who insist on yapping away on their phones instead of paying attention to the task at hand. And, come on--take a look at the image on that screen. We defy anyone to multitask effectively with something like that within peripheral vision.
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