Watch out as our friends in Japan are still pushing car electronics to greater heights. While everyone’s still fussing over Xenon HID headlamps as the coolest and brightest headlamps this side of the universe, Ichikoh Industries just showcased a white LED-based adaptive front lighting system (AFS). Fancy name for a system that allows control over light angles of right and left headlamps independently.

Each of the fixed units and the swivel unit is loaded with a white LED. The fixed units are projector type and the swivel unit is rotated by a stepper motor. The white LED loaded on each unit has four LED chips. The swivel unit lights up the area ahead of a vehicle by reflecting the light generated from the white LED twice. The headlamp has a total luminous flux of 12,000lm, which is equivalent to that of a HID lamp. The luminance efficiency of the LED is about 100lm/W.

Now those light should really brighten up nighttime driving. The system is even adaptable to various driving conditions. So whether it’s straight-lane cruising, negotiating a winding road, clear or rainy weather, the new lamps are capable of giving you the best lighting scenario.

Source: Far East Gizmos

Well, this might not apply to the new Ford Shelby Mustang GT500KR. But for all those who loved the old Hoff-era Knight Rider, then this is a nifty GPS unit that would give a touch of K.I.T.T.-ness to your ride even if you don’t drive an old school Pontiac Trans-Am.

This here is a Mio GPS system with a Knight Rider theme. It also has a voice-playback capability that goes “Hello Michael. Where do you want to go today?” a la K.I.T.T. when you start the car. And yes, the theme is complete with the blinking LEDs at that.

Aside from these basic features, not much is known about this unit but the price is approximately $270. But trust us when we advise you not to grow you hair like Hoff in those days.

Source: Gadgetizer

Aftermarket parts and doohickeys can swing both ways. Either they work like a charm (prompting questions like why would a billion dollar enterprise never thought of that) or they don’t work at all. My policy has always been to try them out myself and run some tests that more or less follow the scientific method. Double-check the theory and run some experiments to prove or disprove them.

I don’t know if Auto Channel posted this as a news item or as a paid feature but it is interesting enough to write about. My skepticism prompted me to place a “?” on the title.

Anyway, this here’s a Pulstar Pulse Plug. According to tests, these plugs when placed inside their test Toyota Prius boosted fuel efficiency by a range of 6-8% (that’s an added 3 mpg provided that the Prius runs 50 mpg). It also gave a 5% boost in acceleration (40-80 mph) to the already green car. Test results can be found here.

The pulse plug works (compared to the ordinary spark plug) by using a capacitor to boost the spark improving fuel burn. Pretty much like with how a camera flash works.

Biting on this? Well… They’re $24.95 each. I just wouldn’t readily trade my factory specs for stock cars (provided that they work and keep your car in good running condition) motto.

Sheesh. Technology today. You can’t even know where a toy, a phone, and a car now even stops and starts. Today’s cars are so packed with technology that they make the old Knight Rider K.I.T.T look like a pansy. And with all those connectivity options, your MP3 player and mobile phone and your car can just slap on together as one tech package.

No this probably redefines the term “car phone” – a Ferrari-shaped phone. Just costs £96 and it already packs a good set of features worthy of a real Ferrari.

It packs a 2.2-inch touch-sensitive LCD 260k color display, a media player, a video recorder, a 1.3-megapixel camera, a firewall, an expansion slot, a document viewer, GPRS, USB connectivity, and pre-installed games to boot! And yes, it’s got the core functionalities of a mobile phone.

Source: Special Phones

We have to give it to Apple and their design team(s?). They have really created a revolution that changed the face of interfaces that even popular culture may have elevated Apple’s designs to an iconic status. Some may even have observed how cars may have taken some inspiration to the streamlined designs of Apple as with the case with Audi.

Here we have the new K.I.T.T. of the upcoming Knight Rider TV-Movie comeback. While we know that it’ll be a pimped out Ford Mustang, we haven’t had a clue on how the darned interior would look like. We just have an assumption that it will have a boatload of buttons and gadgetry that would put any Bond car (even the Casino Royale Aston Martin DBS, which only has a hand gun and a defibrillator) to shame.

But lo and behold, the interior is undoubtedly taken from the iPod’s simple interface design. Here’s what producer Dave Bartis has to say:

You look at the iPhone and you go – thats the coolest phone out there. It’s just a flat screen that you can touch and access anything. So the iPhone interface was actually a big inspiration for the way the interior of this car would look because its very simple, it’s very streamlined, it’s very clean. It doesn’t make sense to build something that looks like the inside of the millenium falcon cause that’s not high tech anymore.

I might not be a Mustang fan (partly the reason why I’m not too hot about the new K.I.T.T.) but the interior? I’m liking it.

Source: Apple Gazette

Ever wondered why cars came with cup holders? Because car manufactures are just waiting for the day when they’d get to deliver not only cars but coffee to you. Nope, it’s not a car with an espresso machine strapped to it, it way better and much hotter than that – a state-of-the-art espresso machine designed by BMW (and Saeco, the leading coffee machine manufacturer) that you can purchase at Starbucks.

Be your own barista with BMW. No more trying to find a parking spot for your BMW and queuing to get your daily dose of Sulawesi at Starbucks, you can have both at home. Dubbed as the Serena, it’s a semi-automatic espresso machine that’s built using technical components worthy of whatever new car’s going to be rolled out in factories this coming year.

So what’s next? I’m up for a Bugatti designed sandwich maker. So quick, so hot, even has 10 radiators strapped on to it.

Source: BMW via Autoblog

I’m not really sure whether to put this up over at LifeSpy or here. But in any case since it’s also car related might as well share this news bit over here.

Geek gearheads looking for some nostalgia trip might get something out of these cute USB memory sticks shaped like old school Volkswagen Beetles and Kombis (Camper Van). How’s that for a retro geek trip?

The USB sticks are all measly 256 MB ones but contain some more interesting twists in them. The cars flash their lights and beep horns when transferring data. Too bad, they don’t have a Kombi in a trippy hippie design.

Source: GeekAlerts via Gadgetizer

There’s so little that you can do to a Ferrari to make it a bit more interesting. Still, for Ferrari did just that with their featured 612 Scaglietti by giving it some oomph with the latest offering from audio expert Bose. And it’s not just some wimpy set-up, the entertainment package features the latest audio gadgetry.

Being equipped with a hard drive to store gajillions of songs is just one feature of the darned thing. The system features a proximity sensor that does the task by predicting the action you want done as you move your fingers towards the unit. It also comes with a DVD movie with SACD support, rip CDs to the hard drive and connectivity with the iPod and hands-free functionalities with Bluetooth.

All in all the Scag’s packed with 11 speakers including 80 mm speakers and 255 mm subs.

Source: Auto Motto

Yes! The idea of slapping the ultimate multi-tasker in cars is finally taking off. I’ve always wondered why the heck one needs to have all sorts of gadgets and accessories in their car if you can actually use a device that can consolidate all your media concerns like a computer.

I mean why spend a lot on individual electronic accessories like an LCD display, DVD players, sat-nav units and other whatchamacallits on the dash when you can have a computer to do all of those things. All of those the In-Car PC promises to have and get this – voice activated.

It also offers online connectivity with a high-speed 3G connection which means you can actually browse the web or check your mail in the comforts of your car while in traffic without touching a single button.

What is really an interesting deal about it is that the company offers on-site installation. The set-up can be readily mounted without much fuss and comes with the all important warranty. And what’s really cool about the idea is that the system can be upgraded both system and software. Yeah, a bit of future-proofing makes in an investment that you can really consider.

Source: Auto Express

Cars and the iPod can be quite a mix for geek gearheads. But let’s face it, investing on all the other gadgets to make your iPod be a car accessory can be quite expensive. If you have a new car then that wouldn’t be too much of a problem with interconnectivity of cars’ audio systems with portable devices have been available. But if your car is a bit dated, then you might have to look for other ways.

Now here’s one DIY iPod mount that would only require 50 cents worth of brackets and screws and a bit of crafting effort. It sure beats buying an iPod mount for anywhere from $20 to $120.

Visit the guide to making a home made car iPod mount over at Cloud Craft.

Apple seems to be jumping into a lot of ventures recently and it shows. Their design savvy has made their gear into status symbols. Many have also followed suit to the streamlined and white design of Apple products. While there is really no relation, just take a look at the Audi and the iMac. Coincidence or an acknowledgment that the way Apple designs its products really do appeal to the market. Years ago, white was not a popular color for cars, even dragging the resale value down. But it isn’t the case today.

Now rumor has it that Apple and Volkswagen are now looking into a possibility of an iCar – a car that exudes Apple’s appeal and most probably loaded with all the existing Apple gadgets – the iPod, iPhone, and quite possibly, a MacBook perhaps. Or a dash with a lot of touch screen interfaces. Or better yet, a scroll wheel a la iPod instead of a steering wheel.

A lot of these rumors have been going about recently. While I’m not too excited about this idea, it would surely be entertaining.

Source and Image Credit: Sueddeutsche (via Google Translate)

Talking cars. Well, that’s probably the novelty of K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider. The closest we have with regard to that would be the voice recognition of some swankier GPS navigation units. But what if you can make your car “talk” every time you pound on the horn. Imagine you car blaring “Want a piece of me?” whenever another driver cuts you. Well that’s what Horntones can do.

Horntones is a company that makes the Horntones FX-550, a system that allows you to change the sound of your car’s horn using any standard audio file. Make your horn blare an assortment of preset sounds including your own sound clips. It’s a plug and play device and retails at $250.

I would have to admit that this has got to be one of the car accessories that would make me raise my eyebrow. In terms of functionality, I really don’t see a point in this. Well, even if I’m more on car performance over luxury, I really still don’t see any “pimp” value on this one. Horntones or whistle tips? How about some strobe lights and a disco ball?

Source: PR Newswire

Last time, we pointed out the similarities between the Audi and the new iMac. Well, it’s not our own idea but hey, given the looks of those two babies, you can really point at similarities. But aside from those possible coincidences, here’s more good news for the Audi and Apple enthusiasts.

Audi and Apple have really been working on some collaborations to provide functionality and connectivity between the car and the mobile phone. Think about hands-free functionality inside the Audi and synchronization of music from your iPhone to the car’s sound system. Mobile telephony inside a car can’t get any better, huh? For now, at least.

This will be an optional feature for the A5, A6, A8 and Q7.

Source: AutomoPortal

Ferrari is now integrating satellite features straight out of the factory, equipping the 612 Scaglietti with XM Radio and XM NavTraffic. XM Radio is the leading satellite radio provider. Here’s one from the XM Radio press release:

“XM is now available from Ferrari, one of the most prestigious vehicle makers in the world,” said Steve Cook, executive vice president, Automotive, XM Satellite Radio. “Now Ferrari drivers can enhance their driving experience by discovering music and listening to sports, talk and news on the more than 170 channels of XM Radio. XM NavTraffic also enables Ferrari drivers to route around a jam so they can continue to enjoy the road.”

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Geek gearheads sure have a lot of time in their hands. Take this guy for example – took his Wiimote from his Nintendo Wii and used its built-in 3-axis accelerometer to measure g-forces, acceleration and 0-60 MPH reading.

Hooking up his Wiimote to a laptop and creating a script with a combination of drivers, he got himself a really geeky tool to translate speeds to numbers. The post-processing even uses plain ol’ Microsoft Excel to do the job. A laptop, a stable place to place your Wiimote and you’re good to go.