Top Speed

The new, true handfree BlueAnt S4

Alexander@topspeed.com(Alexander) — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:00:00 GMT

The advocates for eliminating cell phone usage in vehicles have reason to rejoice due to the newest product delivered by BlueAnt this past Monday. The new S4 allows the driver to operate their cell phone with only their voice. To activate the S4 the driver only needs to say, “BlueAnt speak to me”. Not the most original phrase, but easy to remember. To make a call, all the driver has to say is, “Phone Commands” and the S4’s will activate your phone’s voice dialing feature.

Receiving calls on the S4 is just as easy as making them. When the phone rings, the S4 will announce the name of the person calling or the phone number that is calling. The driver can easily answer or ignore the call by stating his choice. The S4 goes a step further by operating with the Vlingo Safereader installed on a Blackberry or Android to read out the text messages sent to your phone. The phone also works with the Microsoft BING 411 to connect the driver with stock quotes, movie times, directions, weather forecasts, sports results, news and traffic updates.

Full story after the jump.

The new, true handfree BlueAnt S4 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 20 May 2010 14:00 EST.

Video: Add some Jedi touch to your TomTom with these new Star Wars voices

Kirby@topspeed.com(Kirby) — Sat, 15 May 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Ever get tired of that monotonous voice that comes out of your sat-nav? You know what we’re talking about; that voice that could just as easily lull you to sleep as it can give you directions.

TomTom has an idea; their actually bringing in some voices you might be familiar with, that is if you’re a Star Wars fan. For only $13, you can customize your TomTom by adding the voices of no less than Darth Vader to serve as your official voice-over. Now, if you can take that baritone, heavy breathing sound as in your TomTom, then you won’t have any problem with Darth Vader. However, if you can’t, you can opt for other Star Wars characters, including Yoda, Han Solo, and C3PO.

If you haven’t a clue as to how the whole thing works - or how you can use Darth Vader to direct you to the nearest K-Mart - check the video out and see how the folks from TomTom recorded Darth Vader’s voice.

Video: Add some Jedi touch to your TomTom with these new Star Wars voices originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 15 May 2010 12:00 EST.

Jay Leno has a 3D printer that can replace old parts

Kirby@topspeed.com(Kirby) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:30:00 GMT

We all know that Jay Leno loves his cars. After all, he probably has enough cars – modern and vintage – to make his own showroom. But despite owning a fleet of some of the most expensive and prestigious vehicles in the world, we still don’t know as to how much of a car fanatic Jay Leno is. That’s until we found out that our favorite ex-late night talk show host has his own 3D scanner, which he uses to scan and print rare and irreplaceable car parts from his vintage classics. Now, that’s something you’ve never heard before.

Leno’s revolutionary gadget is a NextEngine 3D Scanner, which can scan a fully-functioning auto part in 20 minutes at 160,000 dots per inch resolution. After doing so, he takes his scanned image and prints it into a plastic 3D model using his Dimension 3D Printer. While the resulting part isn’t the final piece of the exercise – he takes the plastic, which can be scanned and printed in three hours, and uses it to make a mold that will eventually produce the metal, which he uses on the car.

We know a lot of car aficionados the world over that would go to great lengths to restore their precious vehicles, but we’ve never seen anyone that has an device that can actually make a 3D image of a vintage car part. But that’s why Jay Leno is who he is.

Jay Leno has a 3D printer that can replace old parts originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 14 July 2009 14:30 EST.

Nike Air Max Light GT3 RS

Simona@topspeed.com(Simona), Myles@topspeed.com(Myles) — Mon, 5 Jan 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Posted on 01.5.2009 06:00 by Myles
Filed under: | Porsche GT3 | Cars | car accessories

Can’t afford a afford a Porsche GT3 RS? or just sick of telling people the color of your Porsche GT3 RS and wish there was something that could represent it it? Do you walk a lot?

For the person who has everything but taste, now there is a company called Purchaze that has mimicked the color scheme from the high performance 911. If you do purchase a pair of these Nike Air Max shoes, you will at least be in good company. The maintenance team from one of Porsche’s racing crews will also be sporting these kicks.

Nike Air Max Light GT3 RS originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 5 January 2009 06:00 EST.

Sportscar office chairs

Panait@topspeed.com(Panait), Myles@topspeed.com(Myles) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:57:00 GMT

Posted on 11.20.2008 12:57 by Myles
Filed under: Ferrari Lamborghini | car gift ideas | Cars | car accessories

Sports car seats are soooooo comfortable on long trips that they must work well in cubicle too, right? (can you detect the sarcasm?)

For those who want to add a little zoom to the boardroom, RaceChairs utilizes restored car seats from different car makers such as Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Porsche and Corvette. The donor cars these seats come from aren’t exactly cheap, so neither are the office versions. For instance, contingent on the condition of the original seat, a Ferrari 360 office chair can fetch around $6,000 and a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 chair up to $11,000.

Since these seat are reconditioned, some may have come from famous first owners. Part of the allure of owning one is that your butt may be taking up the same space as Paris Hilton’s or Michael Shumaker’s once occupied.

Sportscar office chairs originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 20 November 2008 12:57 EST.

HRE Carbon Fiber Wheels

Panait@topspeed.com(Panait) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:40:00 GMT

Posted on 11.14.2008 15:40 by Panait
Filed under: | Accessories | car tuning | Cars | car accessories

Wright is the enemy of speed. So these wheels featuring an outer portion made of carbon fiber and a magnesium wheel face my be the next big thing. HRE/Dymag introduced these at SEMA last week as the first production carbon fiber wheels.

These should come in 19 inch and 20 inch sizes with pricing expected to be between $2,500 and $4,000 per wheel (or around $10,000 to $16,000 for a set of four wheels). They will be available for sale early next year, and each should weigh about 21 pounds.

HRE Carbon Fiber Wheels originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 14 November 2008 15:40 EST.

Gear Head shampoo the solution for you hair

Panait@topspeed.com(Panait) — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 13:27:00 GMT

Posted on 11.5.2008 13:27 by Panait
Filed under: | funny | car gift ideas | Cars | car accessories

A real man doesn’t need a steady reminder of his manliness. Consider for example, Gear Head Shampoo ($6), combining all kinds of manly ingredients in its manly recipe, such as Aloe Vera gel, oils of lemon, orange and basil scents, and Jojoba oil, all mixed into an all man motor oilesque container. If you are not a man, this recipe is apparently not for you.

Gear Head shampoo the solution for you hair originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 5 November 2008 13:27 EST.

Navigon releases 5100 Max, 2090S GPS systems

Panait@topspeed.com(Panait) — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 11:50:00 GMT

Navigon, the leading innovator in the navigation market, released today its latest products: the 5100 max and 2090S, two new GPS systems to help you arrive faster where you’re heading. Both of these systems are delivered with a FreshMaps package , which means that you will be able to make eight updates over a two year period. The 5100 max features a 4.3-inch widescreen, has real-time Traffic updates for life, Reality View Pro, a system that displays 3D views, Bluetooth Hands-free, advanced text-to-speech guidance than announces the directions and street names and DirectHelpSM system which provides directions to nearby emergency service providers including hospitals, pharmacies and road-side help. The smaller 2090S comes with the same features but includes a 3.5-inch display. The cost is between $199.99 and $299.99 for the systems.

Navigon releases 5100 Max, 2090S GPS systems originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 3 November 2008 11:50 EST.

Nextar to introduce Q4-MD navigator at SEMA

Panait@topspeed.com(Panait) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:02:00 GMT

Usually at SEMA Show we see plenty of customized cars but this year we will see also the Nextar Q4-MD, a new GPS fitted with MSN Direct support, and a 4.3-inch touchscreen display. For those who don’t know, the MSN Direct is an online service that delivers important data to your device such as traffic conditions, fuel prices or weather data.

The new device will feature also a 2d or 3d map viewing, an SD Card slot for additional memory, will be capable to play Mp3s, will have USB connectivity and a receargable Li-Ion battery. For those interested the device will be available from 2009 and priced at $329.99.

Press release after the jump.

Nextar to introduce Q4-MD navigator at SEMA originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 31 October 2008 02:02 EST.

Remote License Plate Cover, the ultimate tool for speeding cameras

Panait@topspeed.com(Panait), Myles@topspeed.com(Myles) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:55:00 GMT

Since most of us don’t have a muppet to take care of our speeding tickets, this little gadget may be useful for defeating speeding cameras. This RF license plate cover features motorized panels which can cover your license plates. Now with the push of a key fob button you can drive as fast as you want. So far we’ve only seen it for international style long plates, but for those who are interested it can be found here.

P.S. When the cops catch you, and they will, you didn’t get the idea from us.

Remote License Plate Cover, the ultimate tool for speeding cameras originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 29 October 2008 19:55 EST.

The remote rear window hand, the latest gadget for cars

Panait@topspeed.com(Panait), Myles@topspeed.com(Myles) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:10:00 GMT

Not since Calvin relieving himself on your least favorite car brand has been so easy for a driver to show his/her feelings. "The Hand" remote controller window sign is a funny and useful gadget that signs how you feel towards the other drivers. For $40, this electroluminescent gesturing hand will allow to focus your attention completely on the road.

Just make sure you always have some expression always on. To correctly fit all the different gestures, the blank hand has six fingers.

The remote rear window hand, the latest gadget for cars originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 22 October 2008 17:10 EST.

iPod integration almost obligatory in the future vehicles

Panait@topspeed.com(Panait) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:45:00 GMT

Posted on 10.15.2008 17:45 by Panait
Filed under: | technology | Cars | car accessories

Say good-bye to in-car conversation. 2009 will be the first year when more than half of the vehicles manufactured in America will be offered with support for iPod. So now on your trip to the local store, you will likely packing enough music for days. In 2008, 39 percent of new cars offered iPod support, but that number will jump to 58 percent next year.

According to Phil Magney, vice president of automotive research for iSuppli, the future sales of the vehicles will be seriously influenced by in-vehicle technologies. For example, due to the fact that Bluetooth technology is integrated in every phone, more than 82% of the 2009 vehicles will have it as an option or as a standard.

iPod integration almost obligatory in the future vehicles originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 15 October 2008 17:45 EST.

GPS navigation incorporated with 8-bit games

Panait@topspeed.com(Panait) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:17:00 GMT

Posted on 10.10.2008 21:17 by Panait
Filed under: | technology | Cars | car accessories | GPS

The are people that usually prefer having one thing good for everything, for example the 2 in 1 shampoo, the cleaner for glass, bath and floor and the list continues. But it is not a precisely a good option for gadgets cause sometimes more systems combined in one gadget may not be as useful as it seems. For instance the GPS system combined with a built-in gaming unit can’t be very useful. Let’s say you’re on a long trip and it’s one of the best time to play games but in the same time you need the GPS more than ever to guide. Not being able to do both actions in the same time what is the use of the complex gadget in the end? There is another device that tried to combine both systems, the PSP which now has also the GPS. And as a solution, the new PSP is smarter than GPS due to its Multilanguage GPS, the SD/MMC memory card, Bluetooth and a Samsung ARM9 400MHz processor.

GPS navigation incorporated with 8-bit games originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 10 October 2008 21:17 EST.

Carcade, the new in-car videogame concept

Panait@topspeed.com(Panait) — Thu, 9 Oct 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Have you ever seen your kids bored in your long family trips? Well, today we have the solution: Carcade, a concept for an in-car videogame designed for the passengers, which actually captures the landscape and uses it as a videogame environment. For example trees and houses on your window will be recognized by the incorporated camera connected to a laptop, and then it will enter your game. Also, when the car accelerates, the game will become more difficult (that’s got to be safe.)

The bad news is that for the moment the game is only a concept. But who knows, maybe in the future you will be able to play you’re own live version of Midnight Club!

Carcade, the new in-car videogame concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 9 October 2008 17:30 EST.

RDM presents the new Road Mice for muscle car fans

Panait@topspeed.com(Panait) — Wed, 8 Oct 2008 23:25:00 GMT

Some people don’t want to be away from their muscle cars, even if its buying more parts for them online. For people like this, “Road Mice” provides a wireless computer mouse in the shape of different models such as Ford Mustang, the new Chevy Camaro, Dodge Charger or Chevrolet Corvette.

The funny accessory is compatible with both PC and Mac and features the latest RF and optical technology with a high resolution of 800 dpi. The scroll button is placed on the hood while the 4-wheels mouse received also a pair of working headlights.

RDM presents the new Road Mice for muscle car fans originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 8 October 2008 23:25 EST.