If you're a "techno-geek" you'll love this...

I was just looking around on my computer and clicked a technology article related to traffic... and holy Bat Man! There are now search engines for cars! Who would have thought?

Actually, I know that there are GPS units in and on many cars but what I'm talking about here is something that's NOT optional... but appears to be Standard Equipment!

If you've read this particular post before, I had to come back and add in this paragraph... because... MY 20+ year old car does NOT have GPS. It does have a radio however (AM only) and I do have one of those things you can plug into your cell phone so you can talk and listen while driving and have BOTH hands on the steering wheel! I just wanted to clear that up...

That's right, FORD (YES, that big American Company, up in Michigan) has been testing and now I read that they have deployed these and I'm guessing that if not already... these systems will be in everything from the Focus on up to the top of the line by Spring.

So, you're asking what has me so excited? OK... you're driving along and you're getting sleepy and you ask yourself... Where's the nearest Starbucks? Instead, ask your system... by speaking to it... and it finds one for you and gives you turn by turn directions. How does it know?

First off, All these new Fords are GPS equipped and the system knows where YOU are! So it knows what area to look in for the nearest Starbucks for you. Or, if you want a pizza or a hamburger or whatever... just ask and that information is sent to you... all hands free so you're not using YOUR cell phone or PDA or whatever to look these addresses up.

The big deal here is that FORD see's this as a "make the customer happy" issue and also a BIG safety issue for their customers. If you can have your hands on the steering wheel and your eyes on the road instead of dialing your phone or texting... you're MUCH less likely to wind up in an accident... or at least that is the hope.

Want to read all about the "bells and whistles" of this system, just click the article's title above and it will whisk you right over to the blog where I found the article I mentioned earlier.

More neat car stuff soon,

Dave Perkins (aka: the HyperMiler)

A Great Source of Pollution FREE Mobility

We tend to think of our cars and trucks in terms of the sounds they make, especially if we're the "racing" kind of guys or gals. The light turns green and we want to hear that rumble that translates to being pressed back in the seat as we rush forward... Or do we?

There will be a day, and it may be sooner that YOU or I think... that will offer all of us a very quiet trip to the store, work or the playground (whatever that means to you or me).

Because our forefathers never conceived of the sheer volume of vehicles that come off production lines each year, from so many different companies on so many different continents... we have built what could be the end of us all... if we don't QUIT polluting the air with the emissions from petroleum product powered vehicles. Clean air is essential to OUR existence and clean air is getting tougher and tougher to find... so what's the fix?

One of the latest proposals I've found is the AIR CAR. That's right, cars that run on compressed air. Instead of using the pistons in the engine to do the compression... the air is already compressed in tanks and that compressed air runs the "engine" that powers the car. You can watch the video(s) on YouTube from our link below and make your own decisions... but for my own use, especially since most of my trips are much less than 200 miles, this little car would work perfectly... and contribute ZERO pollution to the air we breathe!

Does this sound exciting to you? Would this car compete in a racing programme? Is auto racing destined to the history books, as are many things that we once took for granted but may have to give up in order to survive on Planet Earth? Although I once drove a race car in the Sports Car racing circuit and enjoyed it immensely, it just seems like maybe racing and all the pollution that comes from the event (as a whole) may have to become a thing of the past. Any comments? They will be welcomed.

See the YouTube video of the Air Car HERE

More again soon from,

Dave Perkins (aka: the HyperMiler)