Gadgets to keep your eyes on

Tag : USB DVD Drive


This multimedia dynamo has a 10.2-inch screen and a built-inWindows XP-enabled PC, providing business productivity andentertainment in the backseat during the drive. Throw in a modemand data plan -- both are available from our nation's biggestInternet providers -- and you have Net access on the go with thebuilt-in router spreading cyber love to passenger laptops.

It arrives with a keyboard and mouse, a USB port to access filesvia thumb drive and an array of pre-programmed software. In fact,it provides so much drive-time distraction that you reallyshouldn't be doing any driving with this device installed. $1,300;visit www.ustelematics.com.



Wakey wakey

While the passage of time has not necessarily resulted in a bettermousetrap, it has brought forth a more esthetically pleasing sleepremedy.

ThinkGeek's Anti-Sleep Driving Alarm is a variation of an oldproduct -- a device worn on the ear that emits a high-pitched alarmif your head tilts forward more than 30 degrees, denoting noddingoff. While the result is the same, this new generation model issmaller and more compact, making it easier to shroud as some sortof Bluetooth device rather than the last resort after caffeine,sugar and loud music.

However, we should add that while this device will certainlyratchet your attention span when it goes off, it may also shockyour system into instantly veering into a ditch nevertheless. Thefirst cure for road sleepiness, I'd reckon, would be to pull off tothe side and take a nap. $15; visit www.thinkgeek.com.

Blue chip compromise

What I love most about Audiovox products is that they are easy touse, simple to install and arrive at a price point that isconsumer-friendly. The MMD7HRPKG, a mouthful of a name, is noexception.

Branded under the manufacturer's Movies2Go banner, this dualreplacement headrest system features integrated DVD players andseven-inch LCD monitors and arrives with two wired headphones, awireless remote control and everything one needs for easyinstallation.

Users need not get bogged down figuring out if a specific modelwill match their car's interior as the package arrives withinterchangeable headrest covers in black, tan and grey, whichshould mesh with most interiors. On the installation front, it canbe hardwired to the power supply or plugged directly into thevehicle's 12-volt power connector.