Jalopnik: Cameras

Toshiba Smart Side Mirrors Claim To Gauge Distance; Accuracy Unknown

Travis Hudson — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:40:00 EDT

At the 2008 Automotive Engineering Exposition, Toshiba demonstrated a new technology with the potential to change how drivers view the lowly side mirror. By replacing a vehicle's standard side mirrors with cameras that feed live footage to monitors inside the vehicle, the Toshiba Smart Mirrors can display a yellow, green or red line when another vehicle is getting too close.

Just another added distraction while driving? Maybe, but Smart Mirrors could also be useful, especially in rental cars and trucks where a driver may not be familiar with the size of the vehicle. And it's not all vaporware: The technology behind Toshiba Smart Mirrors is the same silicon that powers the pedestrian recognition system. [Tech On!]

Unique Clause Gets Google Street View Banned From Minnesota Town

Travis Hudson — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT

The wacky and crazy Google Street View vehicles that manage to capture all of the perfect moments have gotten themselves banned from a United States city, again (kind of). The town of North Oaks, a northeast community and suburb of Minneapolis has chased the Google cars away. They were able to do so because the roads in this community are owned by the residents. The residents reportedly enforce a strict "trespassing ordinance," and per a letter sent to Google earlier this year, the search engine giant removed the pictures and banished the vehicles from ever returning.

A spokesperson for Google summed it up as "Oops, our bad." We guess that means the drug dealings, boob flashings and car accidents of North Oaks will never be seen by curious bloggers (you know, like us). [The Register]

Brits Give Crossing Guards Cams To Catch Speedsters

Travis Hudson — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:20:00 EDT

First off, are crossing guards in the U.K really called lollipop ladies and men? If it is true, is it because their signs look like lollipops. Or even more creepily, do they hand out lollipops to kids? Regardless, these men and women are now being equipped with helmet-mounted cameras to catch aggressive motorists. Apparently, drivers aren't as nice to these lollipop-passing-out guardians of the walkways. There have been 1,400 incidents of aggressive lollipop haters was recorded last year with dozens of crossing guards needing hospitalization.

The cameras are either mounted to a hat worn by the crossing guard or in their "lollipop." The camera is then attached to an Archos portable recording unit and the footage can be used in court to bust the offenders. Failing to stop for a crossing guard is punishable by up to £2,000 and three penalty points over the pond. Lollipops and video cameras? If this were a story in the U.S. it would be about a pedophile. [Giz]

Mounting Evidence Says Red Light Cameras Increase Accidents

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:30:00 EST

Absentee policing is always a contentious issue. Those for it argue that red light cameras increase intersection safety and act as a deterrent to law breakers. Folks against them get the itchy, big-brother-is-watching feeling and then talk about due process. Well, that or they just blow the things to kingdom come. It seems evidence against red light cameras is mounting. The National Motorists Association, an organization dedicated to protecting the interests of motorists, has collected an international group of studies that point to an increase in accidents and accident severity as a result of the cameras.

Studies from the US, Canada, and Australia are cited and one in particular caught our attention. A study out of Ontario showed a 49.9% increase in property damage, and a 4.9% increase in fatalities after the installation of the cameras. If we were cynical, numbers like that would lead us to believe cameras are only there to collect revenue. [Motorists.org]

Dumb British Hooligans Burning Traffic Cams in England

Travis Hudson — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:30:00 EST

MAD — no, not the drunk driving group, but the Motorists Against Detection — is a group in England that is actively burning and destroying traffic cameras and making sure everyone knows about it. The group claims to be responsible for 1,000 destroyed cameras in the past 7 years.

MAD has since announced that a new zero-tolerance policy will be initiated (what policy was active prior?) to eliminate every traffic camera in the country. All we've got to say is — stop being a baby about having to go the speed limit in your 1995 Volkswagen. [Engadget]

CarCam Voyager Keeps an Eye on the Road So You Don't Have To

Travis Hudson — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:15:00 EST

Here's a toy great for the amateur spy photographer or for the middle-aged gold digger needing to protect her Hummer. It's the CarCam Voyager from Brick House Security. (Disclaimer: Jalopnik does not advocate taking your eyes off the road unless it is to take good spy photos for us.)

The CarCam Voyager is an $80 camera capable of recording upwards of eight hours of video on a single 2 GB memory card. The CarCam Voyager's roughly the size of a cellphone and runs off a couple of carAAA batteries or a 12V DC power outlet. The fact that the camera is dash mounted could provide plenty of opportunity for different kinds of video. You know, of the hoon or NSFW variety (dragons need not apply). [Brick House Security via DVICE]

Backup cameras kinda suck. [Yahoo! Tech] ...

Ray Wert — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:30:00 EDT

Backup cameras kinda suck. [Yahoo! Tech]