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Posts Tagged “

Driving

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driving wisely

How To Use The New IRS Mileage Rate To Deduct The Cost Of Your Car

Unless you're an accountant or a salesman, you may not have noticed the IRS just upped the mileage deduction rate for privately owned vehicles to 58.5 cents per mile. Sounds like the perfect time to find out how far we could turn our daily driver into a government tax rebate on wheels. We've decided to use my daily driver as an example to see if we could, hypothetically of course, deduct as much as we're actually spending to drive it. Without further ado, here's our quick guide to deducting the cost of your car. More »

Feature

1:00 PM on Wed Jul 9 2008
By Andrew Stoy
24,511 views, 34 comments

Latest by n/a: Spent a college summer pushing business memberships for Sam's Club, getting reimbursed for miles. Used my motorcycle, at 55 mpg. Nice to stick it to the Wal-Mart man for a change... made big bucks for cruising between small towns. more »

gadgets

Big Brother Parenting: Tiwi Blackbox Monitors Speeding Youngsters

Helicopter parents rejoice! The Tiwi Blackbox is on the scene to prevent hoonage of any sort. The Tiwi monitors the speed of the vehicle in which it is installed; if the driver exceeds a pre-set speed threshold, it will issue a verbal warning to slow down. If your little hooligan continues to exceed the speed limit, the Tiwi uses an integrated GPS along with cellular technology to notify parents — or anyone else, like your probation officer — via e-mail, calls or text messages. The Tiwi Blackbox goes for $550 and has a $35 monthly fee, plus a personal apology from the manufacturer for stealing your childhood. [Tiwi via Giz]

1:20 PM on Wed Jul 2 2008
By Travis Hudson
552 views, 22 comments

Latest by n/a: its called a Faraday cage... no radio signals in, no radio signals out more »

news

The Facts About California, Washington's Cell Phone Bans

We hate to be the bearers of bad news, California and Washington state, but today, July 1, is the day that a new hands-free driving law goes into effect. Luckily for you, we're here to break down the new rules and explain what you can and can't do, along with providing some alternative options. Don't live in California or Washington? Check out our guide here to see what's happening in your state. More »

Feature

1:20 PM on Tue Jul 1 2008
By Travis Hudson
2,172 views, 34 comments

gadgets

Passenger Desk Setup Redefines Telecommuting

Don't tell your boss, but now there's a way to be even more efficient, without being at the office. The CarGo Desk Mobile Laptop Desk mounts on the passenger side of your vehicle and includes a laptop stand, a miniature file cabinet, 400-watt power inverter, GPS mount, PDA mount, cell phone mount, printer mount and enough security devices to keep it all locked down, supposedly. More »

2:30 PM on Thu Jun 26 2008
By Travis Hudson
1,541 views, 20 comments

gadgets

LG Solar Handsfree Speakerphone Is Greener, Safer

All right, Californians, we know you're saddened by the new mobile phone law that will come into play next month, but there are other options out there to help you comply with the law without looking like a Bluetooth headset-wearing tool. One interesting option is to select one of the increasingly popular Bluetooth speakerphone systems. And one of those in particular seems to cater to popular Californian sentiment: The LG Solar Hands-Free Bluetooth 500. This small and simple Bluetooth speakerphone suction-mounts onto your windshield. But wait Johnny, there's more... More »

2:20 PM on Fri Jun 20 2008
By Travis Hudson
1,127 views, 20 comments

Latest by om nom de plume: @NovaloadMissesPolar: late on this post again, but.. I kinda had it pop into my head last night... it may becasue of slow times, but the only "fanboy" stuff goin on right now is re: Transformers. I am remembering when more »

gadgets

IBM Steering Wheel Takes In-Car Entertainment To A New Level

The normally stuffy suits at IBM must've raided the ex-Xerox PARC labs for their latest project, as it's a bit out of left field. IBM is working on a steering wheel that has the ability to read a driver's lips and also serve as a drum machine. It does have some practical uses, as well — as if anything could be more practical than a lip-reading in-car drum machine. More »

6:40 PM on Wed Jun 18 2008
By Travis Hudson
3,320 views, 24 comments

news

Dallas Implements Unenforcable Cell Phone Driving Ban

With just two weeks left until one of the most car-crazy states in the US bans handset usage while driving, it seems other places are taking note. Dallas, Texas has announced it will be banning handset use in all 651 area school zones. The idea behind the ordinance is understandable, with crosswalks, bus stops and roaming bands of children adding to the usual targets for distracted drivers. But we think enforcing this law may prove challenging. More »

2:00 PM on Mon Jun 16 2008
By Travis Hudson
1,308 views, 14 comments

safety

Car Infotainment Turns Med Center With Diabetes Tracking

Using a Lincoln MKZ with an interior that looks an awful lot like the 2010 Ford Fusion (mostly due to the gigantic screen), a company by the name of Medtronic is developing an in-car system capable of monitoring blood-glucose levels specifically for diabetics. The diabetic-driver will wear a continuous glucose-monitoring system that will communicate wirelessly with the in-car infotainment system via Bluetooth. More »

1:00 PM on Fri Jun 13 2008
By Travis Hudson
805 views, 10 comments

safety

Teenage Drivers Ignore Cell Phone Driving Bans, Arby's, Zune

A study released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reiterates a fact made apparent by James Dean in the classic Rebel Without A Cause: teenagers are some rebellious bastards (for no apparent cause). In 2006, a law was enacted in North Carolina that completely banned persons under the age of 18 from using any type of cell phone device, including hands-free Bluetooth headsets, while driving. A study was conducted before the law went into effect, and again after the law was enacted, and yielded some alarming results. More »

6:40 PM on Wed Jun 11 2008
By Travis Hudson
2,135 views, 45 comments

Latest by FuzzyPlushroom: @charles_barrett: About 36 hours late, but... I know. Someone proposed a "shield" that would block phone reception - that's what I responded to. I think. more »

novelties

Why We Love The Community Of Drivers

If you read both the 2008 Mazdaspeed3 and 2008 BMW 128i review, you may have noticed that a couple of pictures looked similar. There's a reason, Mark and I were out driving together. When doing a review it helps to have someone to go with you for assistance in setting up photos and, you know, it's a chance to drive twice the cars. It just so happens that we were near a particularly twisty stretch of road taking pictures when a gentleman in a black Z3 pulled up. Maybe he knew some other great places to drive.

More »

12:30 PM on Fri Jun 6 2008
By Matt Hardigree
1,173 views, 33 comments

Latest by layabout: That Z3 looks pretty good,never liked them when they first went on sale,they were too much of a fashion car,they have aged well & good value now. more »

novelties

Antique Analog Aussie Traffic Signals

No matter how much technological mumbo-jumbo is put into modern traffic signals, nothing will top these analog beauties of yesteryear. Used from the 1940s to the 1970s in Australia, these signals are much more efficient because you can tell how much longer you have to wait before commencing hoonage. Despite being relatively small, hard to see and pretty much useless at night, they're still fantastic for impatient drivers (like damn near all of us). Either bring these back or change the illuminated traffic light into an illuminated countdown number. Now there's a hell of an idea. [Infosthetics via Giz]

2:40 PM on Tue Jun 3 2008
By Travis Hudson
1,070 views, 34 comments

Latest by n/a: Why install trafficlights when you can have rotary intersections? Saves a lot of time and gas too. @Adamskiiiiiiiiy Nice country. You'll go to jail for shaking a womans hand but driving sideways is fine. Cool. more »

gadgets

WheelNavi Calculates Degree Of Turns

It's not often that we come across a gadget for which we can't possibly divine a use. At first ponder, you'd think the WheelNavi might have some purpose as an aid to impossibly technical driving — like the kind found on an Autocross course or through a field of boulders — but then you realize that its data — the degree of turn — is displayed so far out of the driver's line of site as to be totally useless. Could it be a learning aid for really dim driving students maybe? We just don't' get it. [Product Page via TFTS]

3:40 PM on Mon Jun 2 2008
By Travis Hudson
516 views, 15 comments

Latest by DustinTarditi: We mocked cup holders when they came out, too... ;-) Seriously, yellow or white tape at 12 o'clock - all you need. more »

safety

The Science Behind Cell Phone Use While Driving

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. More »

2:40 PM on Mon Jun 2 2008
By Travis Hudson
1,477 views, 40 comments

Latest by n/a: After threatening to kick a cell-phone using driver's ass loudly enough that he had to discontinue his conversation (despite the fact he was behind a rolled-up window) after he nearly collided with the side my girlfriend was on, and then more »

video games

Homemade Driving Sim Cockpit Made of E30 Parts, More Realistic Than Modern BMWs?

The cockpit of many modern cars may make the driver feel like they're in a video game, what with drive-by-wire steering, floppy-paddle gearboxes, and an array of electronic nannies. But what about a video game that makes you feel like you're in a real car? Thats what one Bimmerphile over at r3vlimited was apparently going for with this: a driving simulator cockpit that utilizes the ergonomic interior of an old E30 BMW 3-Series. But, this isn't just some junkyard seat sitting in front of a TV, everything is actually functional. The steering steers, the shifter shifts, the gauge needles pivot, the vents blow, the radio cranks out tunes, you even have to twist the key to restart the car if you stall out. Don't believe us? Check out the video.
More »

1:20 PM on Thu May 29 2008
By Mark Arnold
20,612 views, 66 comments

Latest by n/a: "call me when the seat moves and I can feel the G-forces. Until then it's just a mock-up toy" but we can drive drunk, and not worry about the cops :-D yes it's a logitech steering wheel. the gauge cluster is more »

ad watch

Toyota's Drunk Driving Ads Put Everything On Wheels

Though we sort of question the effectiveness of clever advertising as a way to combat drunk driving (at the end of the day it comes down to good friends and personal responsibility), we have to give Toyota credit for commissioning the "Everything on Wheels" campaign. Developed by Saatchi & Saatchi, the ad makes a nod to the fact that when you're drunk everything appears to be moving as if on wheels. All of the photoshops are from the point of view of the driver, hinting at the danger ahead.

More »

11:20 AM on Wed May 28 2008
By Matt Hardigree
2,722 views, 34 comments

Latest by Volvo144: Wait. If I am on wheels while driving, and everything else is on wheels when I'm driving drunk, doesn't that mean we're living in a world of wheels? What if I pop a wheelie? What about Wheelie and the Chopper more »

safety

California To Allow Windshield-Mounted GPS, Finally

California is really going balls to the wall with laws regarding driver distractions. The hands-free requirement is inching closer to being implemented and that animal petting law is still going through the ringer. But in an odd move, California is now proposing a law that would allow drivers to have windshield-mounted GPS units. Oh, you didn't know? Yeah, having a windshield-mounted GPS is illegal in California and punishable with "obstructed view" citations. The specifications behind this new law isn't being accepted well among the GPS faithful. More »

3:20 PM on Thu May 22 2008
By Travis Hudson
2,101 views, 33 comments

Latest by Ribald: @iamjames: At least the V1 is up top where it should be. I see people put radar detectors down at the bottom of the windshield, robbing themselves of precious early-warning time when coming over a hill, and it makes me more »

safety

Survey: 80% Of Americans Use Cellphones While Driving

A recent survey by the Nationwide insurance company has shown some surprising results in regards to cell phone usage among Americans.
  • 80% of cell phone owners talk while driving
  • 40% of cell phone owners between 16 and 30 text message while driving
  • 60% of teens use cell phones while driving
  • 65% of baby boomers between 45 and 61 use cell phones while driving
  • 78% of users between 18 and 30 use cell phones while driving
  • 80% of users between 31 and 44 use cell phones while driving.

The report cites some of the strict usage laws as the reason the teenagers are the lowest cell phone users while driving. The survey also cites American's need and pressure to always stay in touch as the reason behind these high numbers. You know what should be done to curtail this problem? More »

3:00 PM on Tue May 20 2008
By Travis Hudson
935 views, 64 comments

Latest by iamjames: did they ask if they're using a headset while driving or not? that's kind of important, I know that talking with a bluetooth head and driving is much easier than holding a phone to your head more »

gadgets

Anti-Sleep Driving Alarm Shuns Tilted Heads

There's been some pretty high-tech solutions to the on-going problem of sleeping drivers, but this device tries to simply the process. The Anti-Sleep Driving Alarm is an alarm worn around the ear. If it senses the head tilting 30 degrees or more it will sound a high-pitched alarm. It's as simple as that. The funny part is how this product is being marketed. More »

3:40 PM on Mon May 19 2008
By Travis Hudson
1,230 views, 22 comments

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