Thanks to technology, there’s no reason your time in the car has to be spent lost in thought, staring aimlessly out the window or actually talking to fellow passengers. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)
I just got through testing five products that should make any road trip more enjoyable. These gadgets are not necessarily the best in their class, but they should give you a good idea of what’s out there.
I tested a navigator from LG Electronics, which is new to the GPS market. The LN735 ($300) is the midpriced unit of LG’s three navigators. It has a 3.5-inch touch screen and an easy-to-use interface. If you don’t know the address of your destination, you can choose from millions of “points of interest,” such as restaurants, shops, parks and attractions that come preloaded in the device.
If you’re thinking of buying a GPS navigator, I’d suggest getting one that gives text-to-speech directions (“Turn right on Main Street”), is small and portable, can be easily viewed during the day and at night, and can be used for directions when you are on foot, like the LN735. It’s also a good idea to get a navigator that has a way to update its maps and points of interests.
A Bluetooth hands-free car kit will solve that. I tested a kit from Iogear ($90) that clips onto your car’s visor so the buttons are easy to access while driving. You can make calls, answer calls and have long conversations while never touching your phone.
This kit lacks a screen to show who is calling. Roadmaster USA makes a similar car kit with a Caller ID display, for $20 less.
Sharper Image’s Hot+Cold Mini Fridge ($100) plugs into your car cigarette lighter or power outlet and doesn’t need ice to keep food and drinks cool. You can also use it to keep items hot by flipping a switch.
Disney’s Dual Screen Portable DVD Player ($180) comes with two screens that you mount on the back of the front headrests so two children can comfortably watch a movie from their seats.
Conventional headphones can’t block out all of the other noise in the car. Sony’s MDR-NC6 Noise Canceling Headphones ($50) have little microphones on the outside that filter out ambient noise so all you hear is the sound coming through the headphones from an iPod, video game console or other listening device.
