Um... yeah.. I'm lost...

I have to admit that I am definitely a person that needs a GPS system. I get lost just trying to get home from work and the thought of listening to someone tell me to go South and then South West gets me a little panicky.

If you're at all like me, then you're completely on board for putting a GPS system in every car. At Pixideal, we're about to introduce a GPS system section, so I figured it would be a good idea to do a review on the Garmin GPS system, which is a cost efficient and high quality GPS sytem currently on the market right now.

Rather than do a boring, how much, what is it, etc review, I thought I would tell a little story.

About 4 months ago, my dad and I decided to drive to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario from Montreal in order to attend my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. Although we've driven this 12+hour route a ton of times, my dad and I are hugely into gadgets... so, we decided to check out the new Garmin GPS.

The perks: Garmin GPS systems work pretty much everywhere. We only had one moment where we had to wait for it to connect to the satellites... the rest of the time, it was running smoothly, giving us everything we needed to know from directions to travel time.

The downfalls: The only thing I have to say that's negative about this GPS system is the fact that it is battery operated. We had to stop and change batteries twice, which wasn't the end of the world (as we used it throughout the trip), but was an inconvenience.

All in all, I'm a huge fan and gadgets, once again, made the trip interesting and productive. We got into Sault Ste. Marie an hour early and even had time to stop at the trading post :)

Stay tuned for Pixideal's GPS system section... coming soon!

Have a great weekend,
- Katie

Want to buy George Jetson's car?

Okay, well it may not be exactly the same car as the flying wonder from the popular cartoon, The Jetsons, but it sure does remind me of it and better than merely a cartoon, this futuristic car is actually going into productions!

The Aptera electric/hybrid car is available for pre-order with an estimated delivery time of about a year. Customers who are willing to put down a fully refundable $500.00 deposit are likely to be able to be cruising in their electric car / hybrid car sooner than we all thought imaginable.

Although the Aptera Typ-1 offers techy environmentally friendly options like solar panels in the roof to assist the climate control system, this car also has all of the common features one would expect to receive in a new car including: airbags, review camera, GPS system, awesome CD/DVD/MP3 player with XM radio... and more. It basically offers every feature one could think imaginable and then some.

What really makes the Aptera Typ-1 a car of the future, is not its wide array of interesting extra features or its slick Jetsons-esque look, but rather its unique engine system. Aptera offers you two distinct options: the electric car or the hybrid car. If you select the electric car engine then the Aptera Typ-1 will get you around town functioning on batteries. Simply plug it in at night and then you've got 120 miles of driving during the day. The hybrid car engine option will get you much further as it works with both electric and a fuel-line system. This option claims to make the Aptera Typ-1 the most efficient passenger vehicle to date.

While there is a price difference between the two engines models, it really is only about $3,000 and the car in total runs less than $30,000 USD brand new.

It is a bold step towards furthering a more environmentally friendly car industry and I personally am excited to see what's next.

-Katie

PS: Please note that there are only 14 days remaining in the month of October, which means that our Win a Free Digital Frame Contest is almost up. Please get your entries in soon in order to be included in this fantastic offer!

They always say, safety first!

In a world filled with accidents, it comes as no surprise that safety is a chief concern among most people worldwide. While some of us (and no, I won't name names) do go out of our way to avoid safety, on average, the rest of us are satisfied with buying into concepts and new technology that keep our safety in the highest regard.


Parking safety has been the newest thing under the microscope and with huge strides in new technology, we have now come up with technogical ways to keep our parking safety in the forefront. The largest concern in the world of parking safety is backing up one's car from a driveway or parking spot. The majority of accidents caused by inability to properly see what's behind your car is a growing problem and many electronics creators have been creating new technology to counteract this disturbing issue.


Introducing, Haodi USA -- Parking Safety Devices



The product: the PAS-404


The purpose: To be a "third eye" for drivers who have checked their blind spots, but still could possibly be unable to see objects and people behind their vehicles.


The facts:


• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported collision avoidance systems can potentially reduce motor vehicle crashes by approximately 70%.

• An estimated 20% of accidents are backing related.

• Failure, by the driver, to see a vehicle, object or person in the number one cause of backing accidents.

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Association reports an estimated 390 people die each year from being backed over.

• Children aged 1-4 are most at risk

• Every 1.6 minutes, another driver backs into trouble.


(These facts are taken from http://www.haodiusa.com/)


The cost: $150.00 + depending on system choice.


At such a low cost and with such a high reward, this new product appears to be a fantastic answer to this growing concern. If these electronics can save the lives of children and adults alike, then I personally believe they should be placed in every car.


Should http://www.4pixideal.com/ sell this product on our website? Leave us a comment below. We'd love to know what you think.


-Katie

You NEED a digital frame!

Okay, so maybe telling you what you need (or don't need) isn't the most effective way to convince someone to do something (AKA, enter the Pixideal win a digital frame contest), but I figured it was worth a try anyhow seeing as it is October 15, 2007 and we only have 17 days left in the contest.

Rather than write a huge post about how easy it is to win (it really is), how little time it takes to enter (seconds, really) and how happy it would make me (thrilled!), I'm going to tell you WHY you need a digital frame. Brace yourself...

Top Ten Reasons YOU need a Kodak Digital Frame

(yes you...)

1) Digital frames are a great way to display digital pictures.

2) You don't have to pay to have photos developed to show them off.

3) Owning new technology is awesome.

4) You want to be cool, don't you?

5) Kodak has been around since 1881. That's a long time.

6) Pixideal wants to GIVE you one... for FREE

7) It can display your digital pictures in a slideshow... with music!

8) It comes with its own remote control. Just like a TV!

9) You can print your pictures right off of it and give them to your friends.

10) Did we mention we're giving one away for free?

Need to know more about this fantastic opportunity? Join our Facebook group or drop me an email at contests@pixideal.ca

-Kate

Waterproof computers -- what's next?

Will wonders never cease?

Well, I can honestly say that I never thought I'd see the day when I could mix water and electronics together, but the Flytech K790 has proved me wrong. Amazing new technology allows the Flytech K790 computer to be the first in the new world of waterproof computers.


Although not much has been said about waterproof computers, or specifically the Flytech K790, I expect within not too long information about this new technology will be readily available. The Flytech K790 has a stainless frame and a touch screen display. It comes in 4 different sizes.

What do you think about waterproof computers? Is this a new technology you'd be interested in buying? Have some more information on the Flytech K790? Leave me some comments below. I'd love to hear from you.

-Katie

Gadgets for the Lazy Man

With obesity on the rise across North America, clearly what we really need is to make things easier for the lazy man, who spends most of his (or her) time on the sofa. Or not.

Regardless of the fact that our society continues to delve into more lazy habits every moment, we continue to release a number of gadgets which are specifically catered to the lazy man. These lazy gadgets do the mundane tasks we should be doing ourselves and help us to avoid getting off the couch. I mean, I am all for gadgets, but lazy gadgets? They may seem unbelievably attractive on the surface, but what they're actually doing is teaching us that we don't have to do anything for ourselves anymore. Have we not seen the movies where all of our technology dies and we cannot even make food for ourselves? Let us hope that we are not as reliant on our technology as we may seem. After all, gadgets should exist to help us make things simpler, not to make us idiots.

Recently, the Onion did an article on a new remote control for remote controls. Of course, the Onion is a satirical online magazine that writes fake news reports for laughs, but their point is clear. We are getting lazier by the day.

Let us take a look at some of the lazy gadgets we probably have lying around our houses. I will readily raise my hand to admit that I own three of the five listed items.

How reliant are you on your lazy gadgets?

The Top Five Lazy Man Gadgets

1) The Universal Remote Control
- Don't even bother getting up to change the channels. This gadget will do it all for you.


2) Electronic One-Touch Can Opener
- Crank a can open the old fashioned way? Never. Simply touch once and no more lid!


3) Electronic Toothbrush
- Moving back and forth with my toothbrush was such a pain. Now I just hold it.


4) Self Stirring Mug
- Stir my own coffee? Insanity.


5) Robomower
- Don't ever mow your own lawn again. Don't even pay the neighborhood kids to either.

Have a thought about lazy gadgets? I'd love to hear it. Leave me a note below.
-Katie

The Nintendo Gameboy taught me everything I need to know

Remember the Nintendo Gameboy? Recently I've been blogging about new gadgets and the insane world of things to come, but I thought this post I would reflect back on past gadgets, namely the Nintendo Gameboy. Handheld game consoles have come a long way since the Nintendo Gameboy was released in 1989. Sega Gamegear brought us coloured screens and Sonic the Hedgehog and now handheld game consoles have everything we could ever imagine or expect including the ability to watch movies, access the internet, play games with amazing graphics, save images and more.




I still think that everything I needed to know, I learned from the Nintendo Gameboy.

• Life is about sharing - When you don't share the Gameboy, no one gets to play.


• It is OK to lose sometimes - When Mario falls off a cliff and dies, he always gets another chance.
  
• Never give up - No matter how many times you fill the screen at Tetris, you can get to the next level with a little bit of perserverence.
  
• Good will triumph over evil - Maybe not right away, but if you wait for it, good always wins.
  
• Don't forget to stretch - There's nothing more painful then getting a cramp when you're in the last level of the game.
  
• No cheating - You cheat, you die. It's that simple.

If handheld game consoles have taught me anything over the years its that people love to play. We create gadgets to help us make work less difficult and fun more... well... fun. Nintendo Gameboy made a child out of all of us and taught us that there is more to life than work.

Have a Nintendo Gameboy memory you want to share? You know I'd love to hear it. Leave it in our comment section below.

-Katie