TO PARAPHRASE an old song and perhaps betray this writer's age in the process, getting lost is hard to do.
That's certainly true in this day and age where the satnav is fast replacing the ubiquitous KL street map guidebook.
In fact getting lost has stopped being a problem, trying to find the address you're looking for on a GPS unit's database has become a bigger headache.
Perhaps, Gophers Technologies Sdn Bhd had that in mind when they launched their Quatr-O Plus GPS unit with its whopping 4.3-inch monitor.
Punching in incorrect addresses is still a hair-tearing inducing event but at least you can see where you've typed wrong in larger, clearer fonts.
And speaking of seeing things, the Plus has an added plus - built-in FM audio transmission and wireless AV-in - allowing the Quatr-O Plus to be connected to a wireless camera, which, by the way, it comes with.
Now, for the DIY-inclined, it's an apparently simple wiring job and, when you engage reverse on your car, you get to see what's behind you.
Of course, that's for the DIY-inclined, which this writer is not. For best results, get an expert to install the wireless camera.
As an interesting aside, apparently, because of the wireless nature of the camera, a colleague who tested the unit previously discovered that, sometimes, the camera picks up nearby CCTV signals.
Freaky, yet cool, in a Rear Window or Disturbia sort of way.
For those looking for all the mod cons, Pioneer Electronics USA has launched the AVIC-U310BT,a 2-DIN ICE system that incorporates sounds, satnav, built-in Bluetooth and iPod/iPhone control.
Not sure if it will be available here but the AVIC comes with a 4.3-inch touchscreen display and 2GB of flash memory as well as a database with over 500,000 points of interests (POIs) across North America and Hawaii.
Apparently, that is the basic unit. Users can add an additional 12 million POIs and a Mexico map via updates available from Pioneer USA.
The AVIC even comes with an advanced Drive Report function, allowing drivers to see the fuel costs for trip routes and estimate a car's CO2 emissions. Cool and green, we like.
iPhone and iPod users in need of some hands-free relief while on the road should check out two new products, which are already available in the EU and are expected to hit American stores soon.
Called TuneBase FM and TuneBase Direct, both allow iPhone users to pick up calls on the smartphones hands-free.
The units also link up iPhones and iPods to a car's ICE system, the Direct via a 3.5mm audio cable and the FM via the system's FM radio frequencies. And, here's the best part, you can use them to charge up your iPhone and iPod. Definitely something to look out for.
Guess what, the MINI is now 50 years old and to celebrate the occasion two special models, the MINI 50 Mayfair and the MINI 50 Camden will be launched in September this year. For such special MINIs, MINI pulled out all the stops for ICE systems for the cars.
The Camden, especially, will come with a top of the line audio system from Harman Kardon and the next generation in ICE, what MINI is calling Mission Control.
Mission Control is what the copywriters are calling interactive ICE, an entertainment system that processes and evaluates a wide range of vehicle, driving and ambient signals and prompts the driver with relevant information and instructions. It's not KITT of Knight Rider fame but it's as close as we're going to get to for now.
The Pioneer AVIC-U310BT
In America, telecommunications giant AT&T is introducing the CruiseCast in-car satellite TV service apparently very soon. Subscribers, tired of satellite radio and in-car DVD players, can now choose from 22 TV channels and 20 radio stations.
It won't come cheap. Subscribers are expected to plonk down US$1,299 (around RM4,600) to install and pay about US$28 (RM98) per month for the service but it will be the first mass-marketed system of its kind and will be cheaper than alternatives already in the market.
As a bonus, the system apparently does not suffer from line of sight and tunnel issues. More news on this as it rolls out across the United States this month.
And, lastly, before we sign off, here is a word of warning to the wise. Read the small print in your satnav instruction manual, the one that says GPS instructions are just guidelines and not meant to be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth or words to that effect.
Apparently, some ambulance drivers in Britain were not aware of this small print. They trusted their satnav unit and took an ill old-aged pensioner to hospital the wrong way, twice, in three days.
According to the British press, the ambulance drivers, who were merely following standard operating procedures, were misled by a faulty satnav. In that time, the patient was taken to Southampton and got a tour of the country lanes.
Still, perhaps Mr Palmer and the ambulance drivers got lucky.
A 74-year-old cab driver in Britain took a right turn that his satnav told him to take, which took him and his two passengers along an electrified railway line with an on-coming train mere minutes away. Fortunately, all survived.
Until the next time then. --The Star/Asia News Network
