BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the Grinch hated Christmas, click here.

Scrolling LED Message Sign With Remote: There's so much to say to your fellow drivers on the road that the finger, two signal directions, high beams and horns don't cover. Can you really put a price on the ability to articulate "YOU DRIVE LIKE SHIT", "PLEASE SIGNAL", "DO NOT TAILGATE" and "PLEASE LEAVE THE FAST LANE IF YOU ARE DRIVING 50MPH". $40 [Thinkgeek]

Valentine One Radar Detector: It's still the best radar detector. With sensors forward and aft and an increasing frequency of beeps correlating to strength of signal, you can tell if smokey was passing you on the highway, is creeping up from behind or is sitting dead forward in a speed trap. $400 [ValentineOne]

MiFi Wi-Fi 3G Wireless Router: Car internet was but a dream. Then people started cludging together routers and 3G cards, and it was a little bit more of a nightmare. The little MiFi runs on Verizon's reliable 3G network, supports a few clients and has more than enough Wi-Fi range for your car (or a giant RV). Since it fits in the palm of your hand, stashing it under a seat or in a glovebox is easy. We don't recommend hard wiring these things, either, since they run off batteries for awhile, too. $100 with two year $60 contract [Mifi on Giz]

Duracell Powerpack 450 Talking Portable Power Unit: This portable battery has enough 110v power to run a laptop for 8 hours, jump start a car and inflate tires with its built in air compressor. It also has built in voice prompts to walk you through the process of jump starting, in case you or your loved ones don't remember if its black before red or the other way around. $120 Bonus: Black and Decker's 200-watt inverter turns your 12v cigarette adapter into a 110volt plug for $35. [Duracell Powerpack on Giz]

Wagan Ergo Comfort Rest Heated Massage Car Seat Cushion: The good doctor has made this 12v car seat cover that heats and massages. Knowing the power output a 12v plus is capable of, I'm doubtful this thing will do anything but get warm and vibrate a little bit. But if you need a car cover, a few degrees and some artificially induced butt modulation never made a long car ride any worse. And for $33, it's not such a big risk. [Amazon]

Wavebox Car Microwave/cooler: I don't think this is a good idea. I just think it's kind of cool to be able to make popcorn while you drive. I mean, with the proper in-dash DVD system, I'm halfway to feeling better that drive-in movie theaters are dead. Halfway. I wouldn't rank this a do not buy, but I wouldn't want you to ignore the 1.5 star Amazon rating, either. $300 [Wavebox on Giz, Amazon]

DON'T BUY My Pee Pee Bottle: A nalgene-style bottle for peeing in on road trips. Bad idea. Just pull over — you're not on the Cannonball Run nor are you some trucker late for his interstate Ikea drop off. Just pull over! [Jalopnik]

DON'T BUY Top of the Line Garmin GPS: The Nuvi 1690 is great. It has wireless search and traffic, lane suggestion and a Bluetooth speakerphone with dialing for your cellphone. It's also $500 and is a total waste of money. Smartphones are going to replace these sorts of connected GPS. One day. For now, a good touchscreen GPS should be bought from Garmin by checking prices to see what's on sale for a little over $100. Like this Nuvi 260W that is on sale for $117. For GPS apps, we recommend the free and built-in Google Maps Navigation program on Android, and Motion X GPS for the iPhone, which is a great value at $25 per year. (But not a very visceral good gift, as an app, especially since there are subscription fees after awhile.)

Don't forget to recommend your own favorite Car Gadget in comments-include pics and pricing if possible.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

The Micro Auto Charger has a 1-amp USB port that promises to charge gadgets super quick. Other than that, there's not much else to say about the thing, except that it charges pretty much anything you can shake a USB cable at. Belkin also released the dual-port Dual Auto Charger, which adds an extra 500 mA USB port, but it's fat and ugly and has one port too many.

You can get the Micro Auto Charger for $15 alone, or if you want an iPod/iPhone cable packaged in, it's $20. The Dual Auto Charger comes complete with iPod/iPhone cable for $30.

Charge Your iPod and iPhone in Your Car with Belkin's New Micro Auto Charger and Dual Auto Charger

* Keep your iPhone, iPod, BlackBerry®, or other USB charging device, charged while in the car
* Micro Auto Charger's design adds no extra bulk as it sits nearly flush with your dashboard

(Compton, CA) – April 20, 2009 – Belkin's new Micro Auto Charger and Dual Auto Charger charge your iPod or iPhone battery in your car, making it convenient to power up a dead phone or iPod.

Micro Auto Charger is packaged in a compact design and adds no extra bulk to your dashboard. Sitting nearly flush with your dashboard, the Micro Auto Charger still allows room on its lip for you to easily detach it from your dashboard. It also charges at 1 amp-ideal for iPhone devices and certain GPS systems in that it will charge at the device's fullest power.

With its two USB ports, the Dual Auto Charger lets you charge your iPod through one port while charging your cell phone in the other, simultaneously. One quick-charge port powers at 1 amp for your iPhone, and the second port charges at 500 milliamps, which will support iPod devices and cell phones such as BlackBerry phones.

AVAILABILITY

* Dual Auto Charger – Currently available
* Micro Auto Charger – Available in early May 2009

Micro Auto Charger with Charge Sync Cable for iPod and iPhone (F8Z446) - $19.99

* Quick-charge port for fastest possible charge
* Sits nearly flush with car dashboard
* Charge Sync Cable for iPhone and iPod, 3 ft.

Micro Auto Charger (F8Z445) - $14.99

* Quick-charge port for fastest possible charge
* Sits nearly flush with car dashboard

Dual Auto Charger (F8Z280) - $29.99

* Charge-and-sync cable for iPhone and iPod, 3 ft.
* Works with Motorola®, BlackBerry, and any mobile phone using a mini-USB connection
* Features 2 USB ports (one port at 1A and one port at 500mA)
* Quick-charge port for fastest possible charge

I worked 30 hours a week during college and more during the summer. I worked at some computer help desk in Boston, but I spent a great deal of spare time hanging out in a local car-stereo installer's garage, talking to them about what exact set up I should install. They weren't the cleanest or best installers, looking back, but they did recommend some kick-ass gear.

Two giant Phoenix Gold amps, I forget the designation, painted white with clear windows for viewing the ICs. One was attached to a three-way system for everything above bass; 5-inch drivers in the door, and the tweeters and mids in the side foot panels, aimed through the dash to bounce off the windshield of my shitty little Acura Integra, lowered and ricey before that shit was played out. (It was also white.)

The car-stereo guys let me cut the wooden mounts which would give the deep speaker in the narrow door frame. I actually remember the amp names now. That was a ZX450 and it was pushing 450 watts through four channels, two to the midbass drivers, and two to the high/mids. I ran the 8-gauge wires myself, too. The other amp was the more interesting story, a ZX500, run in mono for I think close to 1000 watts, driving an 18-inch across, 9-inch deep JL Audio 18W6 (which was discontinued, presumably, because it was insane). The sub was mounted where the spare tire should have been, in a custom-built fiberglass tub, which raised the floor of my trunk so that it would barely hold a suitcase, on top of the sub's grill and half an inch of MDF fiberboard.

The system was played through an Eclipse CD head unit without MP3 capability (this was 1997 or something) which was made by Fujitsu and was very clean. It had an anti-theft system which consisted of a 1-800 number that tricked thieves into calling it to reactivate once they'd tried to get in a few times, which would instead summon the police to your door if you were calling about a reportedly stolen unit.

The first time I powered it up, the car shook so violently the clip on wide angle rear view mirror fell off, and I had to close my eyes because my eyeballs were itching from the vibration. I could also feel the sub pulling the moving the air in and out of my lungs.

I played lots of Biggie Smalls through it, and some Tupac and Mary J Blige when no one was around, and it was pretty gross. I mean, I didn't have to ring the doorbell when I visited friends, they could hear it a block away.

It forever changed the way I listen to music, because I am definitely unable to hear music with the same nuance that I did before the car stereo. The car was so loud, so notorious on campus, I am surprised it took so long for the setup to get stolen. But it did.

I fell asleep on my couch with my car outside my parking lot, on the street, and when I woke up to go drive home for Thanksgiving, it was gone. I called my mom to say I would miss dinner, and two days later, the insurance company wrote me a check when the car showed up, stripped, in Newton, Massachusetts. I used that money to move to California and to buy a motorcycle, which would eventually snap my leg in three places.

Somehow, this post turned into a note about how stupid of a 20-something I was.

It occurred to me, yesterday, on a long drive, beating on my steering while like a snare drum and my dead pedal as a bass, how much faster I drive as I listen to music. (Even if now I drive a boring station wagon with a stock stereo.) I'm not a music nut, but who can deny how much better our lives when there is song in it?

Music is arguably the most powerful medium, despite its often subtle delivery. Perhaps its power comes from how it can be enjoyed passively, while enhancing the things you're focusing on. Things from work, to running, to sex, to sleep, to skiing, driving, or just spending time with friends. Video, words, pictures require your focus, but you stand attention to these things. Audio and music go with along with anything well. A soundtrack.

Over the last few decades, since the birth of recording, technology's changed how we relate to music. In ways that go beyond the white earbuds. Everything in the last twenty years has changed, from how we discover new songs, to how we buy (or steal) it, to how we carry or trade it, to the very fidelity of the recording (which seems not to matter too much to anyone except audiophiles—a dying breed).

The only thing that hasn't changed is how the music makes us feel, no matter what the volume.

So, this week's Gizmodo is dedicated to music and the technology that helps us enjoy it. Let us know what you think of the stories, and let us know if there's anything we should post.

Listening Test: It's music tech week at Gizmodo.

Listening Test: It's music tech week at Gizmodo.

Neat freaks will rejoice at this retractability, because god forbid they stick their chargers in the glove box or something. The Recoil uses a magnetic docking mechanism to pull the cable back in place while not in use, but that's about where the feature set ends. No FM transmitter, no adapters for other gadgets. And at $30, its priced higher than other, generic retractable iPhone chargers out there. [Scosche]

The in-dash computer has a wireless keyboard and mouse, a 6.5 inch touchscreen. No word on screen res or if the kb and mouse can be swapped with a media center type model for easier lap usage. The setup has 4GB of memory, and a stylus for the touchscreen. It can even output via bluetooth to an optional battery powered printer.

You've got all these upscale marquees, like Lexus, and Audi and BMW and ok, Acura who haven't done it. Never mind the Astons and Ferraris of the world. And none of them can keep up with Ford. Ford is clearly kicking ass in the tech department.

Do we need this kind of thing with the rise of smart phones? Will car computers die like car phones before they've ever born? I hope not, because of the inherent advantages to heavy car integration. Imagine car telemetry, and more advanced connected GPS and media library sharing with the home, as well as road worthy friend finding functions. Stuff like this is best done when fully installed in the vehicle.

Nevermind that this tech will make your car a totally unsafe place to drive, because you are browsing
Fleshbot instead of driving. I mean, the Explorer roll over issues are going to look like child games after this. But I wouldn't say no. Update: For safety, the system only works when the car is not in motion.

April 2, 2009 – Mountain View, CA and Las Vegas, NV –

Owners of Ford F-150, Super Duty, E-Series and Transit Connect trucks and vans will now be able to access the full Web from the convenience of their vehicles, thanks to Opera and Ford Work Solutions. Opera will be the featured browser on Ford's industry-first, broadband-capable, in-dash computer.

With this technology, truck and van owners (contractors, farmers, construction workers, business owners, etc.) will be able to use the in-dash Opera browser to access essential information and applications including sales information, contact databases, job-site plans, inventory lists, calendars, e-mail, or even the weather. The in-dash computer, combined with the Opera browser, Bluetooth printing capabilities, and other features transform Ford's new lineup of trucks and vans into true mobile offices.

"Opera's vision has always been about giving people access to the full Web anytime, anywhere," explains Rod Hamlin, Senior Vice President Americas for Opera Software. "No example showcases this better than delivering a fast, feature-rich Web browser to a vehicle. This solution will allow Ford truck and van owners to maintain a virtual work environment with access to all of the important files, information and applications they need on a daily basis. "

Ford Work Solutions is a collection of factory-installed affordable technologies-including "smart" features that provide full Internet connectivity, tool/inventory tracking, remote computer access, fleet management telematics and security to support Ford customers with mobile office and business needs, even on the job site.

The Ford Work Solutions in-dash computer is integrated into the vehicle's center stack, filling the same space normally occupied by the standard radio. It is equipped with a 6.5-inch, high-resolution touch screen, four gigabytes of memory, a secure digital slot for added memory, a USB port and a wireless keyboard and mouse. A stylus, stored next to the CD slot, is included for use on the touch screen, as well as an available Ford-certified, on-board, Bluetooth-enabled, battery-powered inkjet printer.

All four Ford Work Solutions technologies, including the Opera browser, are available on the new 2009 Ford F-150 XL, STX, XLT trucks; F-Series Super Duty XL, XLT and FX4 trucks; and all 2009 E-Series vans. The 2010 Transit Connect van joins the lineup in mid-2009 and will be available with Ford Work Solutions in-dash offerings.

For more information, visit www.fordworksolutions.com.

To see Opera in action on the in-dash computer, click on the "In-Dash Computer" link and then press "play" on the video (Opera, 1min, 38sec).

What's most interesting to tech enthusiasts is the fact that the middle panel seems to be one gigantic screen. Is it touchscreen? I damn well hope so.

The pure electric car manufacturer has already delivered $100,000 Roadsters, which are fun to drive, but get into accidents easily. (I saw one myself last week.) Even Governor Schwarzenegger wants to return his, but only because he's slightly too big to fit. The S, on the other hand, can be quite an interesting step in electric car design and manufacturing of Tesla actually manages to deliver enough of them to service more than just a niche market.

By the way, the price is only $50,000 once you factor in the $7500 in tax credit. It actually starts at a base price of $57,400.

By the way, Jalopnik has some great (if a little autosnotty) analysis on what chassis the car is built on.
[Kevin Rose's Twitter]

The rumored MR2 Hybrid is said to be built around the Prius design, but would go 0-60 in under 7 seconds and come equipped with paddle shifters. Jalopnik thinks that the engine would be similar to the FT-HS's 3.5-liter, V6 Hybrized innards from a few of years ago. The price? Supposedly it's would only be around $24,000. I think I'm starting to get hot flashes. [Auto Express via Jalopnik]

Maybe I'm exaggerating just a little bit, but the tech here is really cool. Sentience will analyze the best route to get you to your destination, and then will handle all the acceleration and braking for the trip. Using GPS and mapping data, It recognizes roundabouts, speed bumps, corners and even speed limits. Sentience will know when a light is about to turn red and slow down accordingly.

Even better is that this new intelligent cruise control can save anywhere from 5%-24% of fuel on any given trip. And the best part is that it could be available as soon as 2012 for "minimal additional cost." [Sentience via Gizmag]

Yanko says the Dynamic Augmented Wheel System are guided by a magnetic guide rail on the inside that hold's the wheel in place while driving straight, and moves to let it shift with the car's center of gravity while turning. The current design is inspired by motorcycle wheels and the human foot, making uses of servos, a drive gear and embedded magnets in each segment to pull this feat off.

Currently, the prototype wheel works on a 1:2 scale, but no word on actual implementation plans. [DAWs via Jalopnik, Yanko]

[Break via Jalopnik]

A study by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that in south west US states, lightning strikes near major roadways increased up to 25% during weekdays, coinciding with pollution increases. Look for next next next gen Prius's to have lightning rods on their rooftops. [New Scientist via BLDGBLOG , image from Garry''s]

As previously mentioned, the car also has a solar panel used in the roof used to ventilate the car while parked, reducing AC usage once in motion, and LED taillights and daytime running lights.

The fore mentioned Ford dash, here:

Full details of the new Prius are over at Jalopnik.
[NetCarShow via Jalopnik]

According to the Grist, the F3 Dual Mode began selling this week with a $22,000 price tag, aimed initially at the Chinese government agencies and other corporate entities. The hybrid plugs into any normal wall outlet, and has a range of 60 miles on a full charge. According to the New York Times, it charges fully in 7 hours, and at special stations, can be charged halfway in 10 minutes.Keeping in the spirit of a hybrid, it also has a 1.0 liter gas engine that is used to recharge the batteries when a power outlet isn't nearby.

While numerous other car makers have announced plans to sell a plug-in hybrid, none have actually brought one to market, with the nearest release date not until 2010. Worth noting is that BYD started in 1995 manufacturing cellphone batteries until they acquired a bankrupt auto company in 2003. Now they have Warren Buffet as a 10% shareholder in the company. [Grist via NYT]

The car charges in under 3 hours using a 240 volt [fixed...Jalop had it wrong, and I neglected to fact check at 3am, but good catch people!] power source at 50 amps. I like the yellow trim. [Jalopnik Review]

The Tesla dealership is quiet as a cage of sleeping panthers. A pack of the electric Roadsters, in varying degrees of gray, are strewn across the show floor looking like 120mph standing still. I imagine most of them are waiting for a venture capitalist to pick them up and take them from meeting to meeting for the rest of their uneventful lives. But outside is a bright blue one ready for the 10 minutes Tesla and God have handed me. This is my long awaited drive in the Tesla Roadster.

Studying her lines, it is clear to me this car has Lotus DNA, even though the car is much cleaner and classically beautiful-looking than any bug eyed Elise or Exige, and more technologically advanced than the submarine Lotus James Bond drove in The Spy Who Loved Me. The British car maker helped to design the aluminum chassis, which weighs less than 200 pounds, and they handle early stage manufacturing. Tesla stresses that the Roadster is not just an electric Lotus, and it shares no more than 10% of the parts. Much more thought went into this car to simply dismiss it as such. But Tesla's engineers did choose to work with Lotus for a reason, the same reason why most auto journalists consider the Elise one of the last pure sports cars around and a great deal. The low-power, lightweight car is simply one of the best handling and thrilling drives out there, described as some as a street-legal go-kart, and I'd agree that it's one of the best driving experiences I've ever had. With shared genetics, this is perhaps the best way to judge the limits of electric performance as compared to their gas counterparts.

It's rare that Tesla lets people drive the car without a company copilot, so we'd be tailed by a Lexus chase car since I'm sitting copilot to Tim Ferriss, the guy who set up this ride, for the first shift. Starting the car is silent, and we kept trying to turn it over because we're idiots. If you don't step on the gas accelerator, there is no idle; the car does not move forward even when your feet are not on the brakes. When Tim takes off from the lot, before I hear road noise and wind, I hear the odd purring of the transmission, which can almost be described as turbine-like. With one gear and no engine noise, it's surprisingly hard to gauge speed except by the pressure applied to the headrest by the back of your skull, the churning in your stomach or the unintended roller-coaster face of your passenger. Looking at the speedometer would be idiotic at these rates, in local traffic, but somehow we make it to about 60 for brief bursts on our way to the highway.

Zero to 60 is rated at 3.9 seconds by virtue of the electric motor's 248 HP and 280 torque. By comparison, it bests the fastest road-legal Lotus by a 10th of a second, but the power-to-weight ratio is on par with the standard Elise because the battery pack brings it to 2700 pounds (over 700 pounds heavier than the Elise). The key here is that the car doesn't have to take the time to switch gears, and electric motors deliver 100% of their torque at start. That power curve caused some problems earlier in two previous transmissions, which were being destroyed after a few thousand miles. To overcome that problem with the latest, more durable single-gear tranny, Tesla wisely used a motor with a 14000-RPM redline that could keep rotating faster in a low gear to achieve a top speed of 125 MPH while improving on the earlier transmission's zero-to-sixty time of 5.7 seconds.

Behind the wheel, I found that the entire system works together to deliver power like thick gobs of thick yogurt, with no drive lash on throttle or lift, but not too buzzy either. I have to admit it's the perfect amount of torque for a car of this weight, somewhere in between Detroit muscle and a peaky four banger in a rice rocket. With traction control off, something I was prohibited from doing, I hear you can do doughnuts in the car, something not too easy in many roadsters. That's what I heard, anyhow. In some ways, it feels automatic, without the third pedal, but when you lift off the throttle, the car's regenerative systems seize power through engine braking. It feels like you're lifting off after revving high in second or third gear in a manual transmission sports car. Tim often didn't have to use the brakes, preferring to wind down to almost nothing by engine braking alone. I'd test the brakes later. We'd entered the highway, and the car's acceleration to 80 was great, but power tapered off closer to 110 as aerodynamics of a open top car caught up to it and torque fell. Hypothetically.

I knew the acceleration was appropriate for a car of the future, besting many gas vehicles out there. But one thing I'd never heard about was what all the battery weight (again, 2700 pounds vs sub 2000 pounds) was doing to the car's handling; the Tesla would not likely turn and brake like a space-age wonder considering similar chassis, brakes, wheels and suspension. There's no escaping the laws of physics. Even magical electric cars want to stay in motion, when in motion.

I snaked the car through a set of S turns, but behind other cars, so I was not able to find much data other than that the car does not oversteer easily. Through a banked onramp to highway 280, the ghetto skidpad, I wasn't light on the gas accelerator, and on the smooth, 270-degree banked circle, I could feel the car's rack-and-pinion wanting to push a bit. I wasn't sure of my speed, so it's impossible to say when confidence was starting to fade. The chase car driver later implied they had to slow down to 60 on the ramp, but I doubt I was going much faster than that. I'll conclusively say that the car handles less confidently than an Elise, but will destroy many road-going sedans and coupes.

Back off the highway, with the chase car still catching up, I got a chance to try the brakes, quickly rounding a corner and heading towards traffic. With a second lane opening up, I slammed them. Warm tires chattered across the rough, slightly downhill road and I was forced to take the other lane or eat SUV. I felt the weight, and expected the car to stop shorter.

But here's something to chew on. I have no conclusive data of how fast we were going, given the single-gear, quiet propulsion of the vehicle. I could have been going 35, I could have been going 60, so it's not fair to judge the car's handling or braking. And neither Tesla nor the internet have any skidpad, slalom or braking distance test results for the car. Conspiracy? I can't say. None of this really matters. The Tesla Roadster is unique as a performance-oriented electric car and deserves heaps of praise for what it is. Its efficiency from battery to wheels hovers between 80% and 90%. Most gas engines sit at about 20%. Provided your public utility has some measure of efficiency in their electric production, you can do a lot of good in this car.

I wouldn't be describing this car properly without discussing the interior. The Roadster's insides look similar to its sister cars from the UK, but have been improved. Door sills have been lowered to make entrance easy (although still requiring some level of acrobatics), the leather seats are more comfortable and heated, and the premium stereo is a single-DIN JVC KD-NX5000 which features DivX and DVD playback as well as navigation, a 40GB HDD and an iPod dock. The position of the stereo is sort of low on the dashboard. The stereo's imaging is superb and there's a sub somewhere in the tiny cockpit thumping away. There's an electric touch LCD on the left managing battery charge, tire pressure monitors, etc. Your ass is dragging probably 8 inches from the ground.

I can't afford this car. If I wanted something similar to this in shape, feel and performance, I'd probably buy a used Elise for $30K, if I could get over the bug eyes. But I can assure you that a Tesla is still a hell of a car, by electric or gas terms, even if it's just a bit more portly and more expensive than a comparable Lotus. I mean, it's fast. It's electric. It's efficient. It's sexy. And you can actually buy it if you're rich. And while Tesla as a company may have had some problems in manufacturing at first, they didn't wait for old industry to get off its ass and build something revolutionary. Like Google's Android challenges the cellphone establishment, I hope the Roadster catalyzes the traditional fossil-fuel-dependent makers into a game of catchup, with cars that are just as fast and efficient, and hopefully a lot cheaper. And if that doesn't leave you somewhat impressed, then you belong with the dinosaurs.

Note: Impressions from a 10 minute drive are going to be impressions from a 10 minute drive, nothing more.

Special thanks to Tim Ferriss for facilitating this drive and donating half of his drive time to me, and for photographer Monica Laipple for the better shots above. Check out more videos over at Tim's site.

New cradle allowing full integration into the vehicle architecture: Mercedes-Benz makes in-car iPhone® connection even easier

Stuttgart - Whether it be a quick call to a business colleague for an important discussion, listening to favourite music tracks or checking home and office e-mails whilst on the move - the Apple iPhone® is a leading-edge business tool with multimedia capability, available in Germany and other markets. Now Mercedes-Benz allows the iPhone® connection to be fully integrated into the vehicle architecture for the first time - once again pointing the way ahead for the automotive industry. The new Apple iPhone® cradle allows simple switching between the telephone and audio functions. What's more, thanks to the location of the cradle in the centre console, the iPhone® is within easy reach of both the driver and the front passenger. For ease of use, the iPhone® is controlled via the multifunction steering wheel, while the vehicle display is used to indicate the phone status or music functions and information such as the track title and artist.

Over 100,000 people in Germanyhave already purchased an iPhone® - made by US electronics giant Apple - since its launch in November 2007. By introducing the new cradle for the Apple iPhone®, Mercedes-Benz has made it even easier to enjoy the special benefits of this trend-setting multimedia application, even when on the move in the car. This fully integrated solution - the first of its kind - enables either the phone functions or the audio functions on the iPhone® to be activated. As ever, the device is easy to use thanks to the controls on the multi-function steering wheel, all of which enhances road safety, as the driver's hands remain on the steering wheel, leaving them free to concentrate on the traffic and the other controls in the cockpit.

Perfect reception is assured as the iPhone® connects to the vehicle aerial automatically when inserted into the cradle. A further advantage is the automatic recharging of the iPhone® battery whilst the phone is sitting in the cradle.

This function means that the iPhone® stays fully charged, which is ideal if the user has to leave the vehicle.

New design to influence the style of further cradles

As well as impressing on a technical level, the Apple iPhone® cradle's exclusive design allows it to be integrated seamlessly into the interior of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The all-new design is based on a black-and-silver colour scheme that adds hallmark Mercedes-Benz touches. The leading-edge design will be used in future cradles for mobile phones available from Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH.

The iPhone® cradle can be inserted into the centre console - where it is within easy reach of both the driver and the front passenger - with a single click and without the need for any tools whatsoever. The portable device is therefore easy to plug in and unplug.Optional convenience telephony (Order Code 386) must also be specified. The cradle connects to the audio system either via the optionally available Media Interface or the retrofittable iPod®Interface Kit available from the range of genuine accessories. Both variants use an integral adapter lead that has to be installed by a specialist workshop, ensuring an ideal connection between the cradle and the Media Interface or iPod® Interface.

The fully integrated iPhone® is available now for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E‑Class, CLK-Class, CLS-Class, S-Class, CL-Class, SL-Class, M-Class and R-Class. The product will also be offered for the new GLK-Class when this model is launched in October. In Germany, the Apple iPhone® cradle retails at € 249 (including VAT) and is obtainable from all Mercedes-Benz dealers.

The adapter leads for the Media Interface or iPod® Interface are available for € 39 (including VAT) in Germany.

[eMercedesBenz]

The two cushions on the hood are supposed to protect the pedestrian's head and waist. There's no saying if and when Toyota will implement them in their vehicles. The system also includes an inbuilt radar and camera for pedestrian detecting, but my personal opinion is that too much "helping-hand" tech turns drivers into lobotomized eejits. If you don't use it, you'll lose it. [FarEastGizmos via Technabob]

First of all you have to test the paint on the roof, as a reference point, before going for areas that look like they might have had a shunt. If there's evidence of one, then I guess you can either pull your bargaining pants on and haggle like the geezer you are, or walk away. The paint-thickness tester costs just under $20, including battery. [Westfalia via Red Ferret]