Coolest Technology for Your Car: A Geek Guide

Car manufacturers are incorporating an inordinatepicks up on X band, so much the better, but
amount of technology into their vehiclesmake sure you can disable it. X band is a
nowadays. Despite their best efforts, however,common source of false alarms (especially near
there are a number of things you can do to geektraffic lights).OBD IIOBD stands for On-Board
your ride. From one little gadget to a full-fledgedDiagnostics. This system is built in to nearly all
car mod, there's always something else thatvehicles sold after 1996. If you have a laptop in
makes your car one step closer to theyour car, you can usually purchase a special cable
batmobile.GPS, OnStar and navigationthat will allow you to view a real-time stream of
SystemsHate being lost? GPS is the answer. Thedata from nearly every sensor in the car. Want
latest in-car navigation systems feature voiceto know the left front wheel speed in real-time?
recognition and touchscreen technology. GM'sYou got it. OBD II provides many different data
OnStar provides peace-of-mind in the case of anstreams. You can view the horsepower and
accident, but some say that the system enablestorque at any RPM, see how fast you can do
Big Brother to track your every move. More0-60mph, or find the actual gas mileage at any
advanced navigation systems can direct you togiven speed and save some money at the
the nearest gas station or pizza joint instead ofpump.OBD technology also helps to diagnose
requiring a specific address. Some can evenproblems with your vehicle. When the "check
provide you with other data like stock quotes,engine" light comes on, you'll be able to tell
news and sports scores.War drivingIf you haven'twhether it's a real problem or just a faulty circuit,
heard of war driving, it is the practice of drivingand you can even reset it yourself without having
around, locating wireless networks, and "sharing"to take the car in (make sure you know what
other people's bandwidth. Black-hat hackersyou're doing).Get things goingA feature typically
sometimes use war driving simply to findsought after in colder climates.Wouldn't it be nice if
vulnerable networks or as a method ofyour vehicle sat idling, heated and defrosted, in
anonymity. This practice obviously requires athe morning? You can install a remote starter that
portable computer which leads to our next tip...Putenables you to start the car from indoors and let
a computer (or two) insideHow cool would it beit warm up. This is a feature typically sought after
to have a computer at your disposal in the car?in colder climates, but it can also be used to start
Many police departments now outfit their carsthe A/C and cool things down.Creature
with a laptop computer mounted at an angle overcomfortsAssuming you've got the basics covered
the passenger seat. Hardcore geeks will do thelike power locks and A/C, there are many
same. Once you put one computer in your car,features that you should consider when buying a
why not add a file server for music and storage?new car. Heated seats, cruise control, dual-zone
You can fit it under the seat or in the trunk andclimate control, sunroof... A geek's ride may not
connect it to other devices in the car via ahave all the creature comforts, but if you're
wireless network.What do you do with abuying a new car, it only adds to the tech factor.
computer in your car? Bring your collection ofOther cool features to look for in a new car
music and movies along. Connect it to OBD (seeinclude:> Automatic tire pressure monitoring
below). Get online from anywhere. I can hear you> Adaptive cruise control
now: "Anywhere?" well, anywhere with a cell> Headlights that point in the direction of a turn
phone signal. Verizon has a service that enables> Backup camera
you to get online as much as you want for $60 a> Adjustable suspension
month (on top of your regular cell phone bill).Hold> Push-button start (No actual key required)
stillHere's a simple one. Get a grip pad to set on> Bluetooth to integrate with your phone
the dash or the center console. This gives you a> Side/curtain airbags
place to set your cell phone within easy reach.> Traction control
You can also set your iPod or sunglasses down.> Halogen/Xenon lightsIf your car has all these
The great thing is, you can usually take a cornerfeatures, well, you're probably a little too much of
fairly fast and your stuff won't move ana geek. But I'd sure like to check out your car
inch.Radar and laser detectors; jammersIf yousometime.Alex Smith is a technical consultant and
have a lead foot, it's worth investing in a radarweb designer based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
detector. There are many models available fromYou can visit for a complete overview of his
$40 to $400. Make sure to get a model that canservices.
detect K, Ka, and laser. If your chosen detector