Car Insurance

Tips used for Top Tips come from the ExtremeTech forum and are written by our community.

Question from kelceylehrich “ok after reading the first 4 or 5 pages of a useless google search, here i go again.

what would it involve to put a full comp. in ur car?

use say a 5′ LCD and a wireless KB and mouse, etc

maybe even a printer in the trunk, control the car audio system, add a wifi card to grab mp3’s from your homw wlan. would it work? what would it involve?

how about power suppiles, etc? ”

Answer from gothitbycar “It is feasible though i would say a 5″ screen is a bit small. You should, if any try to get at least a 10 inch screen. It would be easy to put the components in your car if you have a large center console.

A wireless keyboard and mouse would work and everything else sounds fine. You can get a converter that will plug into your ciggarete lighter but you should put an extra battery in your car or be wary of battery drain. Computers continually use the power supply even when they are off. As of the audio aspect, they sell these cassettes that have a hook up to attach a stereo input which you can use with your soundcard. If you have a cd player then they have something that works with FM stations though i dont know much about it.

All you have to be careful about is how powerful the converter is (some may be rated at 100 watts, 200 watts, etc.) so keep your computer power consumption as low as possible. Also, dont use cd’s in bumpy areas. They arent made like normal car stereo cd players or discmans (considering they are supposed sitting at home.) Also, dont forget about labtops, that may be even more sutable and haves a bigger screen than 5 inches. Don’t forget if you get a 5 inch tv make sure it has a vga or that other connection for the video card.

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications announced Monday the launch of a fourth Walkman music phone.

The W900 multimedia device is the company’s first UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) handset in its Walkman lineup.

The W900 3G phone has a 2.2-inch QVGA 262K TFT screen and offers several functionalities, including music player and imaging device, according to a recent news release.

“The W900 will establish a new lifestyle habit of enjoying … music and video and a full Internet Web experience on the move, from a single device,” said Rikko Sakaguchi, senior vice president of Product and Application Planning at Sony Ericsson, in a statement.

The phone features BluetoothTM and Infrared connectivity. It includes 470MB user free memory and a Memory Stick PRO Duo slot, which increases storage capacity up to 2GB. The W900 also boasts an HTML browser and support for push e-mail, SMS and MMS messaging.

With the Walkman music player, W900 users can transfer and manage various music file formats, including MP3, AAC, MIDI, WAV and XMF.

Music tracks can be imported as OTA (Over-the-Air) downloads, when available, or through the PC using the included USB cable.

Supplied Disc2Phone PC software also enables drag-and-drop transfers of music tracks from audio CDs or stored personal collections.

The W900 features FM radio access, PlayNow ring tones and games and is the first Sony Ericsson phone to include a stereo portable hands-free HPM-80 with remote control, the company said.

Adobe PhotoShop Start Edition 2.0 software comes packaged with the W900 for picture and video transfers to the PC, via a USB connection.

Users can access imported files for editing and sharing with the Adobe software or with Apple QuickTime Player for PC, according to the release.

“The W900 will not only appeal as a music phone,” said Sakaguchi, in a statement. “The superb communications, multimedia and imaging functionalities will appeal to all those wanting a true multimedia-capable device.”

The W900 will be available in black and white. Pricing details have not yet been released; however, Sony Ericsson says it expects to make the phone commercially available by the end of Q4 2005.

With the launch of its W900 mobile phone, the company also announced that it will release a Home Audio System and FM Music Transmitter for use with its line of Walkman devices.

The new MMR-60 Walkman FM Music Transmitter can be linked to a Sony Ericsson mobile device with the system connector Fast port.

From there, it transmits stored music files from the phone to be played on any radio receiver within a 10-meter range, according to a news release.

“This Walkman phone accessory is a must-have for anyone who wants to unleash the music from his or her phone and share it with friends, at a party or even in the car,” said Per Helander, product manager at Sony Ericsson, in a statement.

“You can now use any radio receiver to listen to your favorite tracks in stereo loudspeakers, wherever you happen to be.”

Finding the ideal way to use GPS technology in tourism can be as tricky as booking the perfect vacation. Companies across the globe are popping up with useful devices for visitors, and location-based services are now available at many of the most popular attractions. Many are handhelds, some are for autos, and some come with an entire car of their own.

Go, Car! On a recent Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the NBC talk show host took the three-wheeled GoCar for a spin with guest Bob Saget. But the little two-person stalled on one of San Francisco’s famous hills. After Saget pushed O’Brien to the top, the duo ditched it by the curb.

The GoCar’s gotten more favorable (if less humorous) coverage from media ranging from the Today Show to Time magazine, which named it “One of the Coolest Inventions of the Year” for 2004.

“The car continues to generate a lot of buzz, but in reality we see ourselves as a technology company pioneering in the GPS tourism space,” said Alasdair Clements of GoCar Franchise Services. He said that as far as he knows, GoCar was the first commercially operated GPS-guided tour company.

“GoCar was originally concieved as a consumer-oriented application of our GPS Tour software, which we began developing in spring of 2003,” Clements said. “We wanted to enter the sizeable tourism market in San Francisco, with an automated tour guide experience, using the full power of GPS to entertain and inform tourists. We had to develop our own system, as surprisingly there were no devices or software on the market at that time.”

Introduced onto the streets of San Francisco in April 2004, the little yellow GoCars imported from Holland are equipped with GPS and proprietary tour software. The cars are now also in San Diego, with a Miami franchise coming soon. The audio tours provide driving directions and a running commentary of the sights.

“Our technology hit a cultural nerve and sparked the imagination of our customers,” said GoCar CEO Nathan Withrington. “They love the freedom it gives them.”

Founder Anthony May incorporated Alabama-based IntelliTours’ GPS-powered audio tour system into half his 16-car fleet of rental coupes. An Alcorn McBride GPS box in the car’s trunk triggers as the vehicle passes places of interest, delivering prerecorded narration, music, video, and maps.

May said Tour Coupes offer an independence that GoCars lack, because riders don’t need to follow a set route with turn-by-turn directions. Instead, his company will design a tour for visitors depending on their ages and interests. “We deemphasized the tour aspect and emphasized GPS,” May said. “With us, when you explore the city and if you see something you’re interested in, you can hear about it. A light comes on when it has something to tell you.”

uture Now. The U.K.’s Telegraph likened one GPS tourism device to a tool the hero used in Douglas Adams’ sci-fi classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

“I’m standing on the vast southern lawn at Ashton Court, a stately home on the edge of Bristol, clutching a tiny electronic machine that mimics Adams’s device quite eerily,” wrote reporter Nicholas Roe, who tested a prototype. “It’s the size of a postcard and has a small colour television screen with earphones snaking to a slot in the bottom. When I walk a few yards to my right … ping! A bell shrills in my ear and the screen bursts into life. A cheery voice declares, ‘You have walked into an interactive area.’ And what begins is a visitor experience like no other I’ve had.”

The Node Explorer uses a proprietary receiver based on the SiRFStarIII chipset. It communicates over Wi-Fi with a nearby Node Server to present information on a location through sound and a high-resolution display designed for use in sunlight.

The Node Explorer and its platform partner Go Moving Media launched its location-based media experience in May at the historic Stourhead Gardens in Wiltshire, the first of several planned National Trust sites.

Oh, Canada! Drivers who tour the Canadian Rockies can rent the GyPSy Guide, which installs in any RV or car stereo for audio commentary of points of interest (POIs) along the way. Banff-based GPS Tour Guide Inc. launched the guides last summer.

Measuring 3.3 x 4.6 x 0.9 in. and weighing 7.8 oz, Models GO 920 and GO 920T portable navigators come with Map Share(TM) Technology, RDS-TMC traffic receiver, voice prompted address entry, hands-free kit, and safety features. They incorporate FM transmitter, voice instructions, and free software application. Features include 4.3 in. widescreen 16:9 format LCD, 400 MHz CPU, 64 MB RAM, 4 GB internal flash memory, SD card slot, GPS receiver, Bluetooth(TM), and lithium-polymer battery.

o Premium TomTom GO 920 Range comes complete with most extensive maps of Europe and North America, and comes complete with Voice Prompted Address Entry and Enhanced Positioning Technology.

TomTom, the world’s largest portable navigation solutions provider, today revealed its new high-end flagship models, the TomTom GO 920 and TomTom GO 920T. The devices come preinstalled with complete maps of the United States, Canada and Europe* on the 4 GB of internal memory. The range includes the new Enhanced Positioning Technology for a more continuous navigation experience and comes complete with voice prompted address entry. The GO 920 is compatible with an RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver** to receive up-to-date traffic information. The GO 920T includes the RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver in the box and a one year traffic subscription.

“The new flagship TomTom GO 920 range offers the best in satellite navigation,” said Jocelyn Vigreux, President of TomTom Inc. “Pre-installed maps of multiple continents and innovative technologies such as voice prompted address entry, the new Enhanced Positioning Technology, TomTom Map Share(TM) and plug & play traffic information, offer outstanding quality and performance. The TomTom GO 920 range is the most advanced navigation solution on the market today.”

st complete set of maps

The new TomTom GO 920 range offers the most-up-to-date maps of the United States and Canada and a seamless map of 41 countries in both Western and Central Europe preinstalled on the 4 GB internal memory of the device. This makes the TomTom GO 920 the personal navigation device with the most complete set of pre-installed maps available in TomTom’s entire portfolio.

Traffic

The TomTom GO 920 range allows users to receive up-to-date traffic information via the RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver or through TomTom’s own subscription-based traffic service. The RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver and a one year subscription is included in the box in the GO 920T model. The traffic receiver is sold as a separate accessory for the GO 920 model.

Voice Prompted Address Entry

Voice prompted address entry gives users the option to speak the address to which they want to drive. Users can simply speak the city, street name and address number they would like to travel to, and the device will automatically calculate the route.

he TomTom GO 920 range comes with the latest version of TomTom’s award- winning software, and includes TomTom Map Share(TM) technology. TomTom Map Share(TM) enables users to make easy changes to the map and to share map corrections with other TomTom customers so that users always have the most up- to-date maps available.

TomTom’s new Enhanced Positioning Technology uses movement and gravity sensors to calculate drivers’ positions when GPS signals are unavailable. TomTom GO 920 range users will have a much more continuous navigation experience as the Enhanced Positioning Technology ensures the device continues to navigate to its destination, even in circumstances where there may not be a direct line-of-sight connection to a satellite .

TomTom NV is the world’s largest navigation solution provider. TomTom’s products are developed with an emphasis on innovation, quality, ease of use, safety and value. TomTom’s products include all-in-one navigation devices which enable customers to navigate right out of the box; these are the award- winning TomTom GO family, the TomTom ONE XL and TomTom ONE ranges and the TomTom RIDER. Additionally, independent research proves that TomTom products have a significant positive effect on driving and road safety. TomTom offers a portfolio of content and services for TomTom’s navigation products, which are easily available through TomTom HOME. TomTom also provides navigation software products that integrate with third party devices; the TomTom NAVIGATOR software for PDAs and smartphones. TomTom WORK combines industry leading communication and smart navigation technology with leading edge tracking and tracing expertise. TomTom’s products are sold through a network of leading retailers in 30 countries and online. TomTom was founded in 1991 in Amsterdam and has offices in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. TomTom is listed at Euronext, Amsterdam Stock Exchange in The Netherlands.

The fragrance of pine trees permeates your national park campground site. After savoring the trout you caught this afternoon, your family toasts marshmallows over the glowing fire pit. In the background, someone gently strums a guitar. Tomorrow you’ll go on a ranger-led hike and watch a slide show at the amphitheater. You’ re at peace with nature, and it doesn’t matter that your site lacks hookups.

ANOTHER SCENARIO: YOU’RE spending a busy week visiting an area’s tourist attractions. However. you’ve decided to stay at the campground today. Your youngsters are delighted to try out the swimming pool. grab a hamburger at the snack ban and play a round of miniature golf. You’ve checked out the campground grocery store for those hot dogs you forgot. Tonight a band will perform. Next weekend, if you decide to stay, they’re having Christmas in July, when everyone decorates their RVs.

Maybe it’s winter, you’re retired and want to defrost. The desert warmth sounds good. You check in for the season at one of Arizona’s huge resort campgrounds catering to the 55+ market. You’ll enjoy state-of-the-art exercise centers, whirlpool spas, indoor and outdoor heated pools, lighted tennis courts, the putting green. But they offer lots more–craft shops for woodworking, silversmithing, and ceramics, on-site restaurants, card and billiards rooms, computer centers, grand ballrooms for dances and dinner theater, and hundreds of organized special events. A few days on site. and you realize the hype you heard is true. You’ll never get bored.

America’s more than 15,000 campgrounds come in many sizes and personalities. A park exists to fit every budget and wish list of activities. Keys to finding your favorite campground are recognizing where you want to go, deciding the style of camping you prefer, and knowing how to do a little research.

National park campgrounds are ideal for those seeking spectacular scenery and plentiful activities. Campers find these campgrounds at most national parks with the exception of metropolitan areas and historical sites. Some, such as Yosemite and Yellowstone, contain several busy campgrounds.

Most provide picnic tables, grills, flush toilets, individual parking spaces, and waste dump stations, Some have electric or water hookups, hot water, and showers. What you’ll also find at most national park campgrounds are evening and daily activity programs, particularly during weekends or summer months.