Hasta La Gadget!

Slow Down is an iOS app which does just that: makes you slow down your car. Commissioned by OVK, a Belgian organization for parents of children killed in road accidents, Slow Down compares your current speed with the speed limit for the stretch of road you’re hurtling along and dickers with music to encourage you to obey.

It works like this. The app uses GPS to work out your speed. If you exceed the limit, then it slows down your music. If you break the limit by more than 10 km/h (6 mph), then the music stops until you get yourself back under control. This might lead to some odd moments, as GPS can be notoriously inaccurate when used to determine speed: When testing a bike GPS earlier this year, I was regularly hitting 40-50 mph.

And of course, you don’t have to use the app, so it is only good for keeping honest people honest. Those who think that the public roads are their own private racetracks will continue to be dangerous morons.

SLow Down app page [iTunes]

See Also:

• Speeding Ticket Pits Radar vs. GPS
• Will GPS Get You Out of a Speeding Ticket?
• iPhone App Helps Drivers Avoid Speeding Tickets
• Pocket Radar Measures Speed, Fits in Pocket

The Slow Down App from OVK on Vimeo.

While driving, it’s tempting to hit the gas when one of your favorite jams plays on the stereo, but a new iPhone app discourages music-induced speeding.

Shown in the video above, the app Slow Down uses the iPhone’s sensors to track how fast you’re driving. If you go a few miles over the speed limit, it slows down the tempo of any track playing from your music library. And if you exceed by more than 6 miles per hour, the music stops completely until you resume driving at a normal speed again. Goofy but clever, though I’d imagine it getting annoying when you need to pass people up on the freeway.

Slow Down is a free app [iTunes] in the App Store.

See Also:

• Zipcar iPhone App Makes Car-Sharing A Breeze
• RunKeeper Is a “Nike+” for, Runners, Cyclists and More
• Use Your iPhone While Driving. But Not While I'm on the Road …
• Two New iPhone Apps Go Beyond Navigation

General Motors may have gone through a teeny tiny bankruptcy problem, but that doesn’t mean it’s behind the times. The American motor maker’s just unveiled its latest crash test dummies — or anthropomorphic testing devices, to give them their highfalutin title — which are capable of beaming out status reports 10,000 times per second. Equipped with 70 to 80 sensors each, the new family of test devices spans a wide range of potential passengers, from fully grown males to toddlers, though it is slightly disappointing to see they all have washboard abs and perfect posture. Come now, GM, we’d hardly call a race of perfectly sculpted drones that can speak fast enough to converse with a hummingbird representative. Video and the full press release can be found after the break.

Continue reading GM’s new crash test dummies can say ‘ouch!’ 10,000 times a second

GM’s new crash test dummies can say ‘ouch!’ 10,000 times a second originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 06:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I’m not sure what’s my favorite part of this GPS-dongle for cars. Maybe its that it makes it impossible to misplace your car, or perhaps it is that fact that it’s called the AutoBot, clearly the most Transformer-tastic name for a car accessory ever.

Hooking into the car’s on-board diagnostic brain via an OBD-II-port, the AutoBot works with a partner-app in your Android phone or iPhone. From here you can get walking directions to the car, or tap into the diagnostics for in-depth info on what’s happening under the hood.

Even better, the dongle will also let you track a stolen car (or sound an alarm when your kids drive to the local make-out spot instead of going to music lessons), and will send your location to both family members and 911 should your airbags deploy. The AutoBot will be in stores early next year for “less than $300″.

There is one catch. The monthly service comes in exchange for spam. If you don’t pay to opt-out, you’ll get “offers” based on what it going on with your car. Ominously, “AutoBot knows when you need an oil change, tires rotated, and how many miles you’ve driven,” and will “share this information with our partners.” No thanks.

AutoBot product page [Mavizon Tech via The Giz]

See Also:

• Remote Control Your Car With Your iPhone
• Start Your Car From Your iPhone
• Car Thieves Use GPS Jammers to Make Clean Getaway

LoJack schmojack. You don’t need some spendy radio transponder to keep tabs on that new Escalade. Uplinking your wheels to the great eye in the sky without breaking the bank is easier than you think. More »