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Audi New MMI Touch Input System Makes Perfect Sense
Car Cam Dually Records The Wreck Outside and Your Screaming Face Inside
Car Gifts Too Dangerous To Actually Use While Driving
No, This Is Not Another Slow Shutter Photography Trick
This Car Will Run at 1,000mph
Electric Rolls Royce Phantom Coming in 2010, Priced Just Around Half A Million Dollars
Student Plans to Mod Old OutRun Cabinet Into a Car
Specialized DVR For Cars Could Make Teens Better Drivers
The G-Bound RC Car Drives On Water
The World's Most Efficient Electric Car Is Destined to Fail

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not_a_virus.exe.vbs
12/01/09

In reply to Audi New MMI Touch Input System Makes Perfect Sense
I wish the companies would keep redundant controls on the dashboard. Yeah., it is nice to control everything with one knob but if they left the redundant controls on the dashboard people would be more apt to learn the controller. And I should NEVER have to scroll through menus to operate the radio.
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Voyou_Charmant
12/01/09

In reply to Audi New MMI Touch Input System Makes Perfect Sense
Voice recognition would seem like an easier, safer option than drawing letters on a touch pad. Sure, you have to stop talking to the people in the car for a moment, or, you might have to turn down the music for a moment, but really... Wouldn't the passenger (unless it's a woman! Am-I-right, guys?) be the person to take care of inputting whatever it is you need to find/lookup/etc.. anyway?

This seems just as silly as the others to me.
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Edited by Voyou_Charmant at 12/01/09 2:20 PM Voyou_Charmant was starred Voyou_Charmant was unstarred

Noobs-R-Us
11/30/09

In reply to Car Cam Dually Records The Wreck Outside and Your Screaming Face Inside
The real question is where was Tiger's wife? When the cops came he was lying on the ground in and out of consciousness. No mention of where the wife was. So did she just leave him there to die?
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Gann
11/30/09

In reply to Car Cam Dually Records The Wreck Outside and Your Screaming Face Inside
A couple of months ago, a drunk driver threw a bottle at my truck and cracked my windshield. I gave the police the license plate #, but nothing happened since it was basically my word against his. Since then, I've been really considering something like this.
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MrEvil
11/25/09

In reply to Car Gifts Too Dangerous To Actually Use While Driving
I wouldn't say a radar detector is a good gift either. Ask any cop who does speed enforcement and he'll tell you he catches more people with radar detectors than without. Not only that cops NEVER cut you slack if you have a radar detector. The two times I've been pulled over for speeding I got off with a warning and I've never in my life owned a Radar detector.

It's much cheaper to just not speed. Besides speeding nets you no substantial gains in time saved on shorter jaunts.
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UnderLoK
11/25/09

@MrEvil: "Ask any cop who does speed enforcement and he'll tell you he catches more people with radar detectors than without."

That is a load of bs... Most people don't have detectors so how is that even possible?

I haven't been caught speeding in 11 years and my radar detector has saved me more times than I can even begin to remember. If a cop is sitting on the freeway with his gun on (which is normally how they do it) you will get plenty of warning. Don't kid yourself, if you have a decent one, they do the job, but if you ignore it going off then you will get popped.

The main exception is a laser detector. If it goes off you just got hit with it so it's of little use, but radar detectors are worth every penny.
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drstein
11/25/09

@UnderLoK: They forgot to mention that the devices are actually illegal in some areas.
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UnderLoK
11/25/09

@drstein: That is true, I live in MI and they are legal here, but I did get a ticket in Windsor years ago for having one.
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dragon:ONE
11/24/09

In reply to Car Gifts Too Dangerous To Actually Use While Driving
Isn't #7 just a Nalgene bottle in itself that some individual/group just went to one of those promotional items companies and had them slap "my pee pee bottle" on the side of it?
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Edited by dragon:ONE at 11/24/09 10:59 PM dragon:ONE was starred dragon:ONE was unstarred

JTX
11/24/09

@dragon:ONE: It had to have been a joke.

Marketing Guy 1: "We can't sell these things for the life of us..."
Marketing Guy 2: "Haha, yeah, they're useless. We have too many of them. Everybody who wants one, owns one. All we can do with them now is piss in them."

They both laugh, their boss laughs. He approves it for shits n giggles.

At least, that's how we hope it went.
The alternative is unthinkable...
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Lizard_King promoted this comment Edited by JTX at 11/24/09 11:57 PM JTX was starred JTX was unstarred

Lizard_King
11/25/09

@JTX: What did you think happened to all those bottles recalled during the BPA scare?
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Segador
11/24/09

In reply to Car Gifts Too Dangerous To Actually Use While Driving

No description needed, really.
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jdale
11/24/09

@Segador: Description not needed, but the reviews are well worth a read. Also be sure to check out the product photos....
[www.amazon.com]
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Segador
11/24/09

@jdale: Yup. My review from a while back had close to a thousand views last time I checked. =D
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twoeightnine
11/24/09

In reply to Car Gifts Too Dangerous To Actually Use While Driving
Does anyone have problems with the Motion X apps finding a signal? I downloaded the free version to see if I wanted to replace RunKeeper with it, I do a lot of off road hiking and riding, and I'm constantly having signal problems.
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lpranal
11/24/09

@twoeightnine: just curious why you wanted to replace runkeeper. I've been using it for over a year now and it works almost flawlessly
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twoeightnine
11/24/09

@lpranal: Don't get me wrong, I love RunKeeper but I'm digging the mapping and waypoints of Motion X. I lead cross country adventure travel trips most of the year and it's a great way to map hikes, viewpoints and places to visit. The same thing with my photography.
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Lizard_King
11/24/09

In reply to Car Gifts Too Dangerous To Actually Use While Driving
Standalone GPSes have an edge over phones in that you have much more control if you want to map out specific routes on the computer. Using Garmin's Mapsource for specific road routes for uses like road rallies is a benefit to some. Having a bank of 500 waypoints that I can create a route from is still an advantage to me.
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fuchikoma
11/24/09

@Lizard_King: They also enjoy the advantage of not running down the batteries on your phone, and not pulling your phone out of a windshield mount to use it - assuming you don't have Bluetooth. It's also nice not subscribing monthly to being able to see my map, but I'd assume that's changing since the iPhone? (but can the iPhone store the whole country's map on it so it doesn't use data while roaming? My Nuvi came with all of North America circa 2009...)
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meow-mixer
11/24/09

@fuchikoma: I know the TomTom app has North America downloaded. It's over 1gb in size, though.
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Joe Valasek
11/25/09

@Lizard_King:
I can use google maps and send it to my phone.

Oh the joy of android!
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Lizard_King
11/25/09

@Joe Valasek: Yeah, I've played around with one. Still not as flexible as using Mapsource (550 waypoints following one course across the U.S. in a race...but people that need that are few and far between) .

As google and garmin release more stuff for phones, that advantage will certainly shrink. And damn, motorcycle GPSes are WAY to pricey - three times as much for a Zumo that does not much more than a Nuvi, but with a water resistant case and big buttons.
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GitEmSteveDave_DefinesTurgid
11/24/09

In reply to Car Gifts Too Dangerous To Actually Use While Driving
I actually HAVE #1. I've since upgraded to the newer model, but I used the old one in my car to make it a rolling singles ad for myself. And no, it didn't work.
[s165.photobucket.com]

I'm currently hoping RoofCoffeeCup, [RoofCoffeeCup.com] , will help me hook a girl. Already gotten me 2 interviews!
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JTX
11/25/09

@GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag: Why aren't you marketing/selling this?
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GitEmSteveDave_DefinesTurgid
11/25/09

@JTX: What, RoofCoffeeCup? I made an Instructable, [instructables.com] , if you want to make your own.
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JTX
11/25/09

@GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag: I saw it, it was great. My question still stands, why are you not raking in the dough for this idea? It's genius, haha.
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kickace
11/24/09

In reply to Car Gifts Too Dangerous To Actually Use While Driving
escort 8500 x50 is the still raining champ for radar detectors, even years old....have used both. both are fantastic though - never buy a radar detector unless you get a good one. one of those 2 specifically.
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UnderLoK
11/25/09

@kickace: I've always had great luck with Bell. I know they aren't at the top of the heap, but for the last 12 years the Bell's I've had have been great.
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Edited by UnderLoK at 11/25/09 8:33 AM UnderLoK was starred UnderLoK was unstarred

Gary_7vn
11/24/09

In reply to Car Gifts Too Dangerous To Actually Use While Driving
Number 7 (or is it "number 1"?) could cause some problems if stored in proximity to the bottles of apple juice.
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D0rk
11/24/09

In reply to Car Gifts Too Dangerous To Actually Use While Driving
I highly recommend the V1 for a radar detector. Three years running and it has saved me multiple times. You can't rely on it (or any radar detector) completely for driving like a maniac, but it has more than paid for itself with those 15 mph over situations.
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Lizard_King promoted this comment D0rk was starred D0rk was unstarred

Lizard_King
11/24/09

@D0rk: +1. Won't drive my bike without it. It's not about speeding, it's about being safe, sometimes safe means outside of the speed limit (flow of traffic) or laws (lane splitting).

The only ticket it didn't save me from was a +4mph... heard the tone, thought i was good, I was wrong.
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cruzer555
11/24/09

@D0rk: Yeah, but thats a windshield type, not as good as a build in radar/lidar detector/shifter like the Passport 9500ci
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Lizard_King promoted this comment cruzer555 was starred cruzer555 was unstarred

Lizard_King
11/24/09

@cruzer555: It has a remote display, and many aftermarket ways to bury it in the car or bike (mine's in my tailsection, rear of it still gets laser hits through taillight lens).

It also outperforms the 9500 in my experience.
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Shamoononon: I shave my legs.
11/24/09

@D0rk: I own a black truck, nobody ever sees me anyhow.
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takeshi
11/25/09

@Lizard_King: There's no way the V1 outperforms the 9500ci. Perhaps you're thinking of the 9500i or 9500ix.
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Lizard_King
11/25/09

@takeshi: You're right, was thinking the 9500i. Ran it side by side on a trip up to Vermont.
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cruzer555
11/25/09

@Lizard_King: What kind of bike do you have?
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Lizard_King
11/25/09

@cruzer555: Suzuki Bandit 1200, with a bit extra work to it.

Definitely not gonna get a $1500 Radar detector for it, or the car. For the $500 range, I'd say the Valentine has the edge.
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cruzer555
11/26/09

@Lizard_King: Looks like a nice bike... I want to get a motorcycle some day...
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OCEntertainment
11/24/09

In reply to Car Gifts Too Dangerous To Actually Use While Driving
I'll take number one if I can get it in a bigger size than ride-my-tail-only-to-find-out-the-message-is-stop-riding-my-tail.

Seriously. Bumper stickers and billboards: big. friggin'. fonts. K?
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PurpleMonkeyDishwasher:
11/24/09

In reply to Car Gifts Too Dangerous To Actually Use While Driving
That scrolling LED light has always been an idea I've had as well. It would be a great way to tell people to turn on their head lights, to warn them about cops or deer, to tell them their gas cap is off or to tell them whether one of their lights is out or tire pressure is low. Of course, the method of inputting this text is very dangerous if it involves a keyboard. I always envisioned speech to text software though which would make it pretty safe. Of course it may still be risky/distracting for the other drivers especially when this is abused. If something like an extremely long message is displayed or if profanities are displayed (which undoubtedly be the only thing people use this for), this would be distracting/dangerous for the person reading this.
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GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag promoted this comment

GitEmSteveDave_DefinesTurgid
11/24/09

@PurpleMonkeyDishwasher:: I use a similar model made by Roadmaster and available at most PepBoys for 29.99. It's come in handy lately for the RoofCoffeeCup so I can get people and cops behind me to leave me alone.
[s165.photobucket.com]
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