Car Accessories

Who says car owners are the only beneficiaries of navigation devices - the TomTom Rider is a cool new GPS for the two wheeled set. Great for motorcycles, scooters even bikes, just plug in, switch on and ride: no installation or activation necessary. It’s water resistant, fits motorcycles, bikes and provides clear spoken instructions in your helmet. Easy to use: drive mode tailored for simple touch-screen operation with gloves on. $599.95 www.tomtom.com

Garmin just announced several new widescreen navigators -- the nuvi 600, nuvi 650, and nuvi 660FM.

With its large, 4.3-inch (diagonal) touchscreen, the nuvi 650 offers cost conscience consumers the benefits of a widescreen Personal Travel Assistant without compromising the features that have made the nuvi popular. This device makes navigating to a destination easy thanks to the simple to use interface and turn-by-turn, voice prompted directions.

In addition, the nuvi 650 offers applications such as the Garmin Travel Guide, Garmin Language Guide, and Garmin SaversGuide. These optional guides are available on SD card and provide helpful and thorough information: restaurant and hotel reviews and recommendations, audible language translation into five different languages, the first geo-coded "coupon book" that notifies users of nearby discounts at restaurants, hotels, automotive repair, and more. Read more

The Sirius Stiletto SL100 portable receiver for Sirius Satellite Radio is one of the most advanced Sirius receivers. The SL100 has a built-in antenna that allows reception of Sirius signal without the need for an external car or home docking station. Best of all, this receiver has up to 100 hours of storage capacity and can handle MP3 and WMA files, enabling you to mix Sirius content with your own personal collection. It also has WiFi capabilities, enabling you to stream Sirius content from a wireless hotspot.

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Coming this Spring is the Jensen Rock and Road-- the world’s first portable combo/ GPS and XM satellite radio. Offers full XM satellite radio capability XM Mini-Tune Real-time XM traffic with weather, sports and 4-inch color touch screen with channel FM modulation-- Oh, did I mention full GPS capabilities-- so toss your paper maps and your traditional radio. What’s best: Rock and Road combines two state-of-the-art technologies for what used to be the price of one. $999. www.audiovox.com Read more

Have your children asked why do you say "Roll down the window?" or "Crank the motor?" Hopefully this will provide a glimpse into the future of all automobile starting.

Ever wish you could wave a magic wand and rid your car of the stifling heat or ice covered windshield? How many times have you jumped inside your burning hot or freezing cold vehicle and thought "Next time I'm going to start it up early and leave it running so I can get the climate right - before my passengers and I mount up for short uncomfortable ride."? Read more

At only $499, TomTom's new ONE portable GPS digital map is loaded with millions of points of interest. It fits in your pocket and gets you from point A to point B verbally straight out of the box -- no need for messy programming or complicated instruction books. What's nice about the TomTom ONE is you can go from moms car to dads car and use the GPS. Read more

Winter is upon us, bringing many much anticipated seasonal activities and trips to see loved ones. But along with the fun comes the danger of the ice storms, blizzards and slippery roads.

Start by taking enough time to clear away any frost, ice or snow from all your windows. Don't forget, you need a 360-degree view from your vehicle so be sure to clear mirrors and any frost inside as well. But what else can drivers do to stay safe? Read more

If you own a car, chances are you've found yourself 500 miles into a roadtrip with the " Check Engine " light looming on your dashboard, at a used car lot with a slick salesperson trying to sell you a lemon, or at the mechanic's wondering if you're getting a fair quote. Enter CarMD (www.CarMD.com)--a new, automotive diagnostic tool that lets drivers take control of their vehicles' health. Read more

The new Roadmaster Wireless Backup Camera is essential for every large car, SUV, mini-van, and truck. It protects children, pets, and pedestrians from being hurt by providing a completely unobstructed rear view of the vehicle.

Priced at $149, anyone can install it in a few minutes without the hassle of visiting your car dealership to set it up. The camera’s 2.5-inch color LCD screen quickly mounts on the car’s dashboard or visor and the lens easily fits along the bottom of the rear license-plate for safe rear-viewing while backing up. Read more

There's a unique new way for Porsche owners to give their car its own special identity. Where the model type normally goes, you can now have the wording of your choice in the same style of lettering.

Normally, instead of the model names such as Cayenne, Turbo, Carrera, Cayman or Boxster, the name of any owner, his or her girlfriend or boyfriend, dog, company or anything at all can be put on the car: from Bruce to Michelle, from David to Roxanne to Jade and so on. Furthermore, creative thinking can lead to all sorts of amusing phrases, with endless possibilities. Phrases like: 'My Seventh' or 'Thanks Daddy' 'Not Leased' and 'Follow Me' are just some examples. Read more