accessories
Mercedes-Benz is getting hip with the youngsters by announcing that it will support the Apple iPhone by way of a center-console mounted cradle. The good news about this is that the switching between audio and telephone functions seems to be pretty seamless using the center display and steering-wheel controls. The bad news is that the iPhone's dock is in the center console, between the seats. Even if all of the interface controls can be operated using the vehicle's controls, having the phone in the center console still makes it a pain in the ass to easily remove and replace. Oh, and forget about using the
iPhone's GPS. Full release after the jump.
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auto branding adventures
Since
Motorola is the phone of Ferrari, Sony Ericsson has decided to jump on the rest of the dentist-anesthesiologist demo with a Ducati-branded Z770 cell phone. The big difference here is that Ducati bikes are
appealing and svelte, while this mobile phone isn't. Like most
auto-branded cell phones, the Z770 will include the usual array of screensavers, backgrounds, themes and more featuring the Ducati namesake. The Ducati Sony Ericsson Z770 should be hitting the Italian shelves soon and should make a great companion to the completely unecessary
Ducati USB flash drive [
TechDigest]
safety
Not a day goes by without a local news report discussing the dangers of driving while talking on a cell phone, but now researchers at the University of South Carolina are taking things one step further by analyzing what goes on in the brain that makes cell phone use while driving so damn dangerous. A series of experiments by Dr. Amit Almor demonstrated that preparing to speak or actually speaking was four times more distracting than simply listening. Another experiment by Almor lead to some findings that could definitely change the landscape for the future of communicating while driving.
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auto branding adventures
Motorola isn't one to shy away from
shilling for Ferrari and this latest cellphone-sports car mash-up is further proof. Motorola has taken its previously boring RAZR 2 V9 cellphone and slapped Ferrari branding on it therefore increasing the sexiness level 10-fold. Normally in our
Auto Branding Adventures, we're not one to easily give in to these types of products, but the Ferrari'd version of the V9 is mighty pretty. The checkered metallic patterns and red-everything is a tad drool-worthy for the gadget-fiends out there.
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safety
A recent study by Erie Insurance points out a lot of factors that anyone under the age of 60 probably already knows. The insurance company conducted a study surveying 2,127 licensed teenage drivers and came to the
shocking conclusion that teens like to talk on the phone, text message and listen to loud music while driving.
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gadgets
GPS Snitch, on one hand, could be viewed as a device for an over-protective parent. But on the other hand, it could be extremely useful for busy metropolitan areas where you never park in the same spot. GPS Snitch attaches anywhere in your car and only needs to be connected to a 12V power source. It then uses GPS and cellphone technology to pinpoint the location of the vehicle.
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news
You should be
well aware of your own state's laws regarding use of cellphone while driving, but how about those Aussies? A recent report shows that police in Victoria have managed to wrangle approximately $5 million worth of revenue from silly drivers talking on the phone. They way the Aussies take the fines is an interesting one.
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auto branding adventures
The Lamborghini-branded Asus ZX1 smartphone
finally made its debut at the
truly badass European trade show going on. No, not the
Geneva Motor Show, but CeBIT, the consumer electronics show. This smartphone looks much sexier than I originally imagine and is loaded to the gills with features as well.
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gadgets
The NASCAR season is well under way and Sprint is gifting its NASCAR-fan subscribers with a free mobile service. NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile is an application that displays all kinds of NASCAR information including rankings, video clips, live audio, driver statistics and more. Forget about my NASCAR, opinions, pro or con—this is a pretty nice service and Sprint deserves some credit, especially since they're sponsoring the whole damn NASCAR Cup thing, anyhow. Don't you just love brand leveraging?
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novelties
Nokia is
the latest manufacturer to try its hand into the traffic tracking and communication area. Unlike the other methods, Nokia's traffic shenanigans uses an existing gadget: your GPS-enabled Nokia cellphone.
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