| As a friend pointed out to me it's | | | | hide, excuse me reside. Further they all have the same |
| "Consumer"Electronics Show. Meaning, there were | | | | processor/detector, if you will. What you are paying |
| consumers as to opposed to Professionals/Retailers. | | | | for is the bells and whistles, like better illumination, |
| Also, the moniker "Nerdstock" has been used and | | | | speaker, compass etc., which makes sense as it now |
| appropriately so. As I went to report the Automotive | | | | grows out of the early twenties group to a an older |
| aspect of it, I realized that they were pretty much the | | | | group. |
| same as the SEMA show as far as electronics and | | | | Don't speed or don't get caught, at least until you see |
| computer related products were concerned. | | | | the next issue of Consumer Reports. |
| One thing that has been hot is Real Time Traffic | | | | Lastly, computers are an area where there will be |
| Navigation/GPS systems. If you are familiar with or | | | | huge advancements over the next few years. Ford |
| Sigalert they operate off a satellite and heat (from the | | | | and Microsoft have joined forces and created SYNC. |
| exhaust). Translation...they update the traffic every five | | | | They also have similar creations in the new Alfa |
| minutes. Well, they have incorporated that feature as | | | | Romeo and Fiat, so it will be global in no time. The term |
| well as the history the commute/location. If you ever | | | | infotainment center is something I need to write up on. |
| have used a Mapquest or something similar it never | | | | Essentially, it's the heart of all your fun, music, GPS |
| factors that in and is pretty much off, if there is no | | | | navigation, cell phone(blue tooth) connections, etc.; and |
| traffic. So, the combination makes it much more | | | | Lexus has pretty much been the standard to which all |
| accurate. However, the three that I did see went about | | | | others are compared to. With SYNC it makes it |
| it a little different in the approach and had different | | | | expandable and of course is windows based. In other |
| features. Also, and I'm not sure if this was because it | | | | words, you have all those other features that they |
| was in a building or Vegas, because the lag time was | | | | have in Lexus's Infotainment systems, but with SYNC |
| noticeable in their smaller units. My final comment is | | | | you could operate with just a thumbdrive. |
| look for the features, monthly costs and actually look | | | | This IS the future. Most households have all the basics |
| at the processing speed of it. After all that's usually the | | | | -computers, cell phones, ipods etc., but in cars this is |
| guidelines in the electronic world-smaller, faster and | | | | virtually untapped. So basically there is so much that |
| cheaper. | | | | can be expanded upon that other companies can |
| Radars, a subject that I haven't researched for many | | | | create new products to accomodate this new found |
| years. As in the mid-90's I received more tickets with it | | | | concept. Remember, when the ipod came out...there |
| than without it. My thought process is that, at the time, | | | | were other companies making new docks, speakers, |
| the radar/laser guns cost 70k and how would | | | | containers/covers etc. This is just the start of it. |
| something from $70-$300.00 beat out a $70k unit. | | | | In closing, with the technology moving so fast that last |
| That's just logic, but as the majority of the buyers are | | | | years lastest and greatest are becoming has beens. |
| males in their late teens and early twenties. Those are | | | | Intel is working on computers/chips where basically it |
| the highest group of speeders and accidents. So, in | | | | would create an instant wifi connection. So would that |
| other words you market to that group and it's pretty | | | | effect Starbucks/T-Mobile, you won't need hotspots. |
| much sold. As the rep from Cobra explained to me | | | | Verizon, Sprint, etc. wouldn't sell their wifi cards, which |
| that the officers and guns of the world operate at | | | | are usually around $100 per month. With SYNC I could |
| certain frequencies and basically bypassed it by going | | | | see an application being downloaded to a thumbdrive |
| to another frequency. It's much more technical than | | | | that accomodate some sort of traffic monitoring |
| that, but that's the gist. And since their guns have gone | | | | system, which would eliminate fees from Navigation |
| down in price the equilibrium is greater. However, | | | | GPS companies. In other words, the sharks eat the |
| because they are cheaper, police radars, there are | | | | barracudas as the shark is higher on the food chain. |
| many of them. Just on my trip to Newport Beach, | | | | This will be frightening fast how these things will be |
| there were a group of motorcycle cops and most of | | | | incorporated in our lives and because we are trying to |
| them had a radar gun close by. I would recommend | | | | eliminate driver error-this will go hand and hand with |
| doing your research on this by way of Consumer | | | | going driverless in the next few years. |
| Reports, an unbiased resource. As a guideline radars | | | | Ladies and gentlemen start your engines...I mean |
| operate on distance, around the corners and over the | | | | computers. |
| hill and as you may have guessed that's where they | | | | |