Movies, maps, avoiding traps

Tag : detection range


Late Zune: Microsoft did itself a disservice in the handling ofits Zune portable media player. Launched to much fanfare in 2006,it only recently hit Canadian stores. In the interim, the buzzdissipated and the lack of supply did not bolster demand. Nowavailable, the product compares favourably with the iPod and, witha sold-separately car adapter, it merits consideration. The high-end 80-gigabyte Zunefeatures a colour screen, will play up to four hours of videoand/or 24 hours of audio on a three-hour battery charge and caneven connect to an Xbox 360 for reasons I still cannot comprehend.A sweet wireless sync function allows content to be loaded to thedevice without hardwiring it to a PC. As for the car Pack, it has the requisite charging cord and an FM transmitteralongside a dash holder that will keep it visible so people willundoubtedly know you're sporting the latest technology. $250 (CarPack: $80); visit www.zune.net

- Finally, a new Pioneer: I have long been frustrated by Pioneer'sCanadian operation, which never seems to offer the latest model ofthe company's heralded AVIC line. Somebody high up may have heardthis silent cry, as the new F90BT has found its way to Canada inlockstep with its stateside availability. An incredibly detail-richin-dash navigation AV receiver with built-in Bluetooth, the devicefeatures North American map data and sports a voice recognitioncapability that will understand "conversation" voices by amazinglyfiltering out your superfluous sounds. It also has iPodconnectivity, which is made much cooler by the fact that the voicerecognition interface will navigate your music. This puppy offers32,768 background colours to match any interior, a 5.8-inch touchscreen panel, SD card drive, built-in MSN direct access andapproximately 12 million points of interest. Of course, the bestpart is not what it has but the fact that Pioneer is lettingCanadians have it. $900; visit www.pioneerelectronics.ca.

For a select few: Last time I checked, radar detectors were legalonly in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. For citizens ofthese fine provinces, I present Cobra's XRS R9G IntelliLinkWireless Remote Maximum Performance Digital Radar/Laser DetectorWith Speed & Red Light Camera GPS Locator, which is not only thelongest product name in consumer history but also has just aboutevery feature a radar detector should have and more. The product'sincredibly elongated Super-Xtreme Range Superheterodyne technologyprovides top detection range. It also arrives with a built-in GPSprogrammed with every known speed and red light camera in Canadaand the United States.