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6 Gadgets you should have in your car for winter emergencies

ARTICLE – Winter is just around the corner, and most people can’t completely avoid driving in the treacherous conditions that typically characterize the season.

In addition to being extra cautious behind the wheel, it’s wise to invest in these six winter-ready gadgets.

1. The Trac-Grabber

There’s nothing quite like the heart-sinking sound of car wheels spinning in the snow because the vehicle is stuck. Trac-Grabber is a portable traction device that helps a car wheel get the grip it needs to move freely again. It has straps and a block of material that grips the snow. A user loops the Trac-Grabber straps around an affected wheel, then secures them.

Then, they get in the car and try to drive out of the spot where the vehicle is stuck. In some cases, it’s necessary to repeat the process for all wheels. An included Trac-Grabber pouch allows for quickly stashing the accessory in a console or seat pocket until the next use.

2. The Zone Tech Heated Ice Scraper

Many people already have the hard plastic ice scrapers in their cars during the winter, but this product goes beyond what those accessories offer. It plugs into a car’s outlet to heat up and has a cord that’s over 12 feet long. The gadget also features an LED light that makes it easier to see the surface of the windshield and find the areas with the most buildup even in the dark.

3. The STABILicers Original Maxx Cleats

Ice and snow make it difficult to stand or walk outside without slipping. Then, it’s challenging to assess the extent of the winter weather emergency while on the road. These easy-to-use cleats strap onto boots and give snow-gripping capability via the studs extending through the forefoot to the heel. The replaceable cleats also make these accessories a good value for multi-year use.

4. A Portable Air Compressor

A flat tire disrupts a road trip at any time, but especially when you’re subjected to harsh winter conditions. A portable air compressor allows inflating the tire quickly and resuming the journey instead of spending time shivering in the driver’s seat while waiting for roadside assistance.

People should look for portable air compressors with tanks no smaller than three gallons. Also, the compressor should ideally offer 0.5 CFM and 90 PSI, so it’s smart for buyers to read the product specs before finalizing their purchases. The CFM is cubic feet per minute, and it represents the air output or flow level of the compressor. The PSI is pounds per square inch, and it’s a measure of force given by the compressor.

Some portable air compressors come with carrying bags, making them easy to pack into the car before a trip or keep in the vehicle until needed.

5. The Resqme Quick Car Escape Tool

Seatbelts and door locks are designed to keep people safe, but sometimes they malfunction, leaving individuals trapped. Some people wonder if they should drive with their doors unlocked to prevent a door lock malfunction. However, experts say that even when people don’t engage the locks, the impact of a crash could make the door not work as expected.

Being trapped in a car is dangerous at any time, but the risk of severe consequences goes up if a person is in a collision during subzero temperatures. The Resqme Quick Car Escape tool fits on a keyring and has attachments that break window glass and cut through seatbelts. The effective yet compact design also means it won’t get in the way of a house key or other things on a keyring.

6. A Heated Travel Blanket

Once the thermometer plunges below zero, it’s possible to suffer from frostbite after only minutes of exposure. The risk is still present at higher temperatures too, especially when people don’t prepare for the weather. A blanket carried in a car is a multipurpose item because a person could kneel on it while inspecting the underside of a vehicle, use it for a pillow while waiting for rescue and, of course, rely on it for warmth.

A heated travel blanket is even better, provided that the car’s 12-volt outlet still works during an emergency. Some blankets come with cords long enough to reach the back seat and are wide enough to cover two adults. Besides the potential threat to one’s well-being for not being ready for the cold, frigid temperatures make waiting for help substantially unpleasant. A user-friendly blanket offers practicality and comfort.

Get Prepared for Winter Auto Emergencies

Some people who anticipate crises happening while driving won’t ever need to use the tools they buy.

However, circumstances could change in seconds during an otherwise uneventful journey. That’s why it’s essential to stock up on these gadgets and anticipate winter’s ferocity.

Image by Chris Peeters

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6 Gadgets you should have in your car for winter emergencies originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 11, 2018 at 10:30 am.

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Tile Mate and Tile Pro Bluetooth trackers review


REVIEW – Tile’s family of Bluetooth trackers make it easy to find your important items. I was hesitant to try them because I’ve never had very consistent behavior with Bluetooth tracking devices but read on to find out how the newly updated Tile Bluetooth trackers worked.

What is it?

The Tile Pro and Mate Bluetooth trackers are a small device that you attach to your important items and make it easy to find or track them via your smartphone. Tile sent me one of each, so I gave them a go.

What’s in the box?

  • Tile Tracker
  • Getting started sheet
  • Warranty Information

Design and features


I normally don’t lose things because I tend to always leave them in one of two or three locations. However, when I do lose them or someone moves them I panic because I normally go right to the “it’s stolen” scenario in my head.

The Tile Pro and Tile Mate trackers are great little Bluetooth trackers that do exactly what they say, and they do it well.

 

The Tile Pro is a metal framed tracker with a range of 300ft (90m) and also has a louder speaker, whereas the Tile Mate is plastic with a range of 150ft (45m). The Tile Pro comes in black or white whereas the Tile Mate comes in white. They use replaceable CR2032 and CR1632 batteries respectively.

The smartphone app is available for both iPhone and Android. Once you install the app, you sign up for a Tile account via Facebook or Email. The app is simple but does everything you need it to do.



Setup is easy, simply follow the steps in the app to connect to a new Tile.



I placed the Tile Mate on my key ring and the Tile Pro on my camera bag. I was able to attach it to the tripod pocket, which not only keeps it somewhat outside of the bag and easier to hear but also makes it more difficult for someone to find. My office is in my basement and I have used it several times to determine that my camera bag was in my office and not left in my truck.


Simply put, the Tile app never failed to locate my Tiles each and every time I tried to locate them. Even from all the way across my house and from the upstairs to the downstairs. I’ve honestly never had a Bluetooth device work so well.

The app will also tell you how many other Tile users are near you. This could come in useful if you lose an item. When your Tile is out of the range of your phone’s Bluetooth, it will have a “Notify when found” option instead of the normal “Find” option that rings your Tile. When this option is enabled, when any Tile user comes within range of your Tile device, it notifies you of the device’s location. This works seamlessly and without the other user’s knowledge or interaction.

Another nice feature of the Tile devices is that you can double-click the button on the Tile device to locate your phone. Your phone will even ring when on silent mode.

There is also the ability to set up a “Left Behind Alert” that will alert you when you leave home without an item.

What I like

  • It simply works as advertised
  • Replaceable battery
  • Discounts when purchasing packs
  • No maintenance, it just works
  • Find your phone feature

What needs to be improved

  • I didn’t really find anything that I thought could be improved with the Tile products.

Final thoughts

It’s refreshing to review a product that simply works just as it should. Tile also offers great discounts when you purchase packs of Tiles, saving up to 40% when you purchase a 4-pack (Pro 4 for $100, Mate 4 for $60). Check out the Tile website for all of their products and discounts.

Price: $35 Pro, $25 Mate
Where to buy: Tile and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Tile.

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Tile Mate and Tile Pro Bluetooth trackers review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 11, 2018 at 9:30 am.

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Lighten up with the YaYwallet

NEWS – This ultra-slim wallet is barely bigger than the credit and ID cards it’s designed to carry.  The YaYwallets are made of durable polyester woven elastic.  The smooth edges are double-stitched for strength with bonded, fray-resistant nylon thread for smooth edges that protect your pockets or bag.  The wallet is designed to take up only a small amount of room in your pocket or every day kit while holding up to 10 cards.

The YaYwallet is available in a leaf print, multi dot print, or in solid black.

YaYwallets are available for $9.99 at The Container Store.

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Lighten up with the YaYwallet originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 11, 2018 at 8:23 am.

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Folding straws, backpacks, Bluetooth earbuds, and more – Weekly roundup

Hey Gadgeteers, it’s time to make sure you didn’t miss any of our excellent content this week. Here’s a handy list of all of our articles, reviews and news from the past seven days. Enjoy!

ARTICLES

REVIEWS

NEWS

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Folding straws, backpacks, Bluetooth earbuds, and more – Weekly roundup originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 10, 2018 at 4:30 pm.

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Nonda ZUS Wireless Smart backup camera review

On a recent vacation, we were not able to get the usual tiny car we like to rent, and instead were “upgraded” to a crossover SUV. While initially irritated, the Gadgeteer side of my nature soon kicked in and I started enjoying the bits of tech that our cars don’t have. A backup camera was possibly the nicest of the lot, so when the offer for the ZUS Wireless Smart backup camera from NoNDA came to the team, I scrambled to volunteer. I’ve had it for a few weeks now, so it’s time to report.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

What is it?

The ZUS wireless camera is built to be installed into the license plate holder that all cars in the US have as a standard feature. There are two pieces: one that mounts onto the car and holds the plate in place, and a second that has the camera, sensors, and battery. This allows the user to remove the camera module and take it somewhere to charge, even if that’s only in the trunk with a powerbank. Installation is simple, according to the package.

Hardware specs

  • Size: 1.29 x 10.74 x 1.14 in / 33 x 273 x 29 mm
  • Batteries: 2×18650（Total 5200mAh）
  • Weight: 8.48oz / 240.4g
  • Camera: Panasonic 34210
  • Size: 1.44 x 0.68 x 3.33 in / 36.05 x 17.36 x 84.64 mm
  • Storage Temperature: -40°F ~ 176°F / -40°C ~ 80°C
  • Operating Temperature: -4°F ~ 122°F / -20°C ~ 50°C
  • Lens: 170 HD Wide-angle Lens
  • Wireless Connection: Bluetooth4.0 2.4Ghz

What’s in the box?

  • Outer piece with the camera, battery, and weather-resistant charging port
  • Mounting plate
  • Mounting kit with 8 pairs of nuts and bolts in various sizes
  • USB charging cable
  • Foam mounting tape
  • Hex wrench
  • Star safety bolt screwdriver

Design and features

The kit itself is packaged securely but ecologically in a cardboard box with minimal anti-scratch film. The camera bar is in the center, with a long cardboard box holding all the mounting hardware bits and bobs, and a matching one with the mounting plate that holds your license plate to your car and has threaded screws for the camera unit. The mounting plate is a heavy gauge steel angle with a shelf on one side. (This thing is a much heavier gauge than any license plate frame I have ever seen anywhere!)

There are two sets of counter-sunk mounting holes on either side to align with your car and license plate. There are also two outer threaded tubes that will accept the captive safety screws from the camera unit. There is also a mounting pin that helps to prevent the camera from being inserted upside down. There is a hole in the rear of the camera unit that accepts the pin.


The camera unit has, obviously, a camera mounted in the center, with a pair of sensors to either side, about an inch away. On the far ends are the captive star screws for attaching to the mounting plate. The security star head, while not common, is used in many places where you don’t want folks to remove screws. It won’t stop a determined thief, but it’s going to stymie kids out being kids who say, “Look! There’s a camera on that car’s license plate holder! Let’s grab it!”

Setup

Despite the clear 4-step “Install and Use” diagram on the back of the box, the setup is fraught with issues. First of all, the instructions list installing on the car in steps 1 and 2 and pairing with your phone in step 4. In order to initiate pairing, you have to access the rear of the camera module where the reset button is. You’ll also have to have it fully charged as well, and the charging port is also sealed off when it’s fully installed.


The app goes through a much better and clearer process after you’ve downloaded it and created your account. To pair, you have to press the reset button and wait for three flashes of the light from the LED under the camera. The reset button is not a nice little pinhole, but a membrane button with a hard nub that you have to press. It takes quite a bit of pressure to make it engage at all, so holding it through three flashes to get pairing mode took quite a toll on my finger.

The app then states you need to connect to the wifi network of the camera. In order to do this, you have to totally remove any other saved networks from your device, because the wifi radio of the camera is a bit spotty, and takes a bit of work to join. (I found this out after my first contact with Tech Support.) I performed this step sitting in my office with the unit on my desk. Once I finally removed my home wifi settings from my phone, I was able to connect, and the camera went into an actual “Connecting” phase for several minutes. I checked with support, and they said I should move closer to the camera. I guess four inches is too far.

I finally did get to the “downloading image” screen but was never able to get an actual image, let alone a live video feed from the backup camera. I went through several rounds with support, and they finally said there are engineering issues they have been seeing with “certain mobile providers”.

Performance

Since I never got it to actually connect, I’d say performance is not acceptable.

What I Like

  • Kit contains all hardware and tools needed to install and use
  • Support is very helpful, if not successful.

What needs to be improved

  • Requires removal of all saved access points at any place you intend to use the backup camera.
  • Will only work with some cellular networks.
  • Requires launching app, waiting for a connection, and then viewing display anytime you back up.

Final thoughts

I really want a backup camera for my car that I don’t have to drill and thread wires for. This unit promised that, but never even got close. I’m sure it can be done, so the search is on. If you’re not on T-mobile, maybe this unit will work for you, but make sure the vendor has a good return policy.

Price: $96.00
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Nonda.

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Nonda ZUS Wireless Smart backup camera review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 10, 2018 at 2:34 pm.

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