Hasta La Gadget!

Inflatable seat belts. At a glance, that doesn’t seem like such a bad idea after all, particularly for those rear seat passengers who aren’t blessed with two huge bags or air right in front of their chest. We’re guessing the top brass at Ford feel pretty much the same way, as the outfit has just announced that these very devices will be making their debut in the next-generation Ford Explorer before rolling out across the fleet. Of course, Lexus is also planning to shove these into its ultra-luxurious LFA (which will probably make a grand total of 14 wealthy owners feel really, really safe), but it’s tough to tell which vehicle will hit the showroom first. Jump past the break for a vid.

Continue reading Ford’s inflatable seat belts headed to Explorer in 2010, other whips in due time (video)

Filed under: Transportation

Ford’s inflatable seat belts headed to Explorer in 2010, other whips in due time (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cartel’s CT-1000 brought about lots of laughs here at Engadget HQ, and frankly, we’re shocked and amazed (and glad) these guys are still hanging tough two years later. The newest in-car handset system is the predictably titled CT-2000, which includes a Bluetooth-enabled handset that’s meant to be permanently installed within your vehicle and wired to your audio system. Once installed, all of your mobile calls can be routed to this — because, you know, chatting on a corded phone circa 1992 is entirely more safe than chatting on your mobile or using a handsfree solution. The only difference we can spot between the new guy and the aged sibling is the addition of music control, a “slimmer” (albeit wider) design, room for your phone contacts and one-touch speed dialing. There’s no mention of a price, but trust us, you’re better off in the dark.

[Thanks, Martin]

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

Cartel’s CT-2000 in-car Bluetooth handset adds music control, can’t shake the retro originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You know that sweeping feeling of guilt that comes over you every time you’re pulled over as part of a “standard traffic stop?” Yeah, those natural emotions are about to make you look incredibly suspicious on the way to your next flight — or it will if the FAST project is ever turned into reality. The Homeland Security-funded Future Attribute Screening Technology effort, which has already ate away at $20 million in taxpayer dollars, essentially hopes to let flyers keep all of their clothes on while forcing them to stand on a Wii balance board (or similar) and have an array of sensors watch their every reaction to a battery of questions. The problem? Every innocent person on the planet’s going to start sweating and shaking just being in that kind of scenario, and only the trained terrorists of the world are apt to be able to put truth aside and fake the machine into thinking everything is cool. Oh sure, we’re being a little dramatic here, but seriously — maybe the TSA should just require a complete life history as a prerequisite to boarding.

[Via Popular Science]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals

Wii balance board could be used in fruitless airport security effort originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Tokyo Fire Department faces somewhat stiffer challenges than your run-of-the-mill blown battery or imploding workstation, so we’re happy to see them enroll the use of some hi-tech machinery into their arsenal. The latest entrant is a human extraction bot, designed to do the heroic fireman thing without risking the lives of any actual, uh, men. Operated by remote control, it gets into hot, wet or earthquakey zones, finds the unconscious humanoids and devours them for later regurgitation. What’s not to love? We haven’t got a name for it yet, though we know it has a bigger brother equipped with all sorts of cameras and environmental detectors, so we suspect this is a pretty intelligent little beast as well. Just mosey on past the break already, and try to keep the Soylent Green jokes to a minimum.

[Via Ubergizmo]

Continue reading Video: Rescue drone swallows humans, carries them to safety

Filed under: Robots

Video: Rescue drone swallows humans, carries them to safety originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Messenger Mirror is as about as simple as a gadget can get. It’s a small, half-inch glass mirror hanging on the end of a six and a half inch wire. You attach it to your specs or shades and you have instant rear-view, wherever your head might be pointing, at the flick of an eye.

It’s cheap, too, an important part of the design. Bruce, who makes them, came up with the mirror in response to the rather expensive solutions already out there. We like it, especially the simple homemade vibe it gives off. In crazy traffic when you’re speeding between lanes, it’s very handy to know what’s behind you, but not always so safe to turn your head. And bar-end mirrors just look dorky, so the head-mount is certainly our favorite way to go. US only, available now.

Product page [Messenger Mirror via Cyclelicious]