Car Gear – Page 20

Logitech ZeroTouch air vent car mount review

When I find a gadget that can make my life easier in some way, that gadget tends to stay in my life. And the gadgets that just look pretty usually don’t end up finding a place in my day-to-day routine. So when I ran across the Logitech ZeroTouch car mount (air vent model), with its plethora of features, I was willing to give it a try. I love my Kenu Airframe+ for its simplicity and ease of use, but I was willing to try another car mount if it could make my life easier somehow. So how did the Android-only Logitech ZeroTouch measure up? Let’s discuss.

First things first, let’s see the specs from Logitech:

Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth):

ZeroTouch Air Vent: 1.50 in x 1.50 in x 1.22 in
ZeroTouch Dashboard: 2.83 in x 2.56 in x 2.40 in
Inner case adapter: 1.50 in x 0.02 in
Outer phone adapter: 1.50 in x 0.78 in x 0.02 in

Package Contents:

ZeroTouch Air Vent or ZeroTouch Dashboard
2 metal adapters
Documentation

System Requirements:

Android™ device OS 5.0 or later
Bluetooth® Smart technology
For full functionality, an active mobile data and text message plan are required.
Carrier charges may apply.
For full music functionality, an active account with Spotify™, Pandora, Google Play™ Music, or SoundCloud® is required.

Setting it up

Setting up the ZeroTouch was a breeze. You download the free app and follow the instructions on the screen to connect the Zerotouch to the phone. You’ll need Bluetooth of course, and I was able to use both the ZeroTouch and my Plantronics Bluetooth headset at the same time with my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, which is good because that would have been a deal-breaker for me. The Zerotouch enables you to control many apps and services on your phone (more on that later), but I found that one minor hassle with the setup is that you’ll have to log into each one in the ZeroTouch app settings. So I had to add my login credentials and email settings for all my email addresses, Spotify, my home and work address, and Amazon Alexa. All of those things are already setup/specified on my phone, so I was hoping that ZeroTouch would recognize those automatically, but it did not.

The ZeroTouch comes with 2 adhesive metal pads to attach either to your phone or your phone case. I have a case, so I choose to attach the oval pad to the outside of my case. I should also mention that once you attach the pad, it ain’t coming off! You should also pay close attention to where you attach it because you can’t attach it in the same area where the wireless charging part is. So for me, I had to attach the pad to the bottom on the back of the phone. That means that my phone is somewhat top-heavy when I connect it to the ZeroTouch in my car, and attaching it in landscape orientation isn’t an option for me.

Finally, you have to attach the ZeroTouch to either your dashboard or the car vent in your car. I got the car vent model, and I can tell you that the gap between the rubberized fingers on the back of the ZeroTouch is very small, and it took quite a bit of force to get it attached to my car vent. I had to use both hands, but that isn’t a negative to me because that means there is no way it will ever just fall off the vent.

What I liked

As mentioned, the ZeroTouch only works with Android phones which is good for me, but not so good for iPhone users. I feel sure a ZeroTouch for you is in the works though. Connecting your phone to the ZeroTouch requires almost zero effort. (See what I did there?) The magnet inside the ZeroTouch snaps quickly and easily to the metal pad adhered to the back of my phone. And removing it is just as easy.

The app has big letters and drop-down menus, and lots of white space. It is pretty intuitive and easy to setup. There are options for setting the speed of the voice, the gesture that you use to activate the app, and how long the prompts are that are used to interact with you while using the app.

I liked how Amazon Alexa worked. I will admit up front that I don’t have any smart devices in my home, so I wasn’t able to control any lights or security systems. But I still used Alexa to give me weather updates, read my news, order Starbucks, and more. Basically, anything that Alexa can do for you at home, you can do in the car. Which is pretty nice. I can see the power of controlling things in the house before you get home or if you forget to set something. The ZeroTouch car mount can do those things for you, so if you are an Amazon Alexa user, this car mount will be pretty sweet for you.

I liked how the app read my text messages to me and allowed me to send a response simply by speaking. The vast majority of the time it worked just great. It took me a little time to learn how to make myself understood, but I had to do that with Google’s voice service as well. The ZeroTouch shines in this area of reading and handling text messages and emails. It provides a truly hands-free experience in this regard, which is great if you want to use your phone while you are driving. I would often turn this off if I had other people in the car though because I didn’t want the phone reading texts and emails to everyone in the car. And you also have the option in the settings to automatically respond to texts and emails with a message to tell folks you are driving and will contact them soon. That’s pretty neat too.

What I didn’t like

Some folks have complained that the ZeroTouch doesn’t charge your phone like some other car mounts, but that doesn’t bother me. I am not crazy about the fact that the adhesive metal pad is pretty much a one and done setup. It isn’t coming off your phone/case, which isn’t going to bode well for resale value.

I experienced some spotty performance with the app voice prompts. For example, there were random times when I would ask it to play Pandora and the app would respond that Pandora wasn’t supported when clearly it is. I would reboot my phone and it would start working again. Same thing with Spotify, so maybe it has something to do with just music apps, I don’t know. I will also say that as an Android user, it is pretty easy to become spoiled with the various ways that Google is integrated with the phone, including their voice search. The voice recognition with the ZeroTouch just isn’t as robust or easy to use as Google’s.

In my daily use of the ZeroTouch for over a month, it has been my experience that my battery performance suffered greatly when I started using ZeroTouch. The Bluetooth inside the ZeroTouch as a low-energy Bluetooth 4.2 radio, and yet it is killing my battery all day. I found myself having to charge my phone multiple times a day. When I uninstalled the ZeroTouch to test out my theory, my battery life no longer suffered like it had been. I have always left my Bluetooth on 24-hrs a day because I use a Bluetooth headset all day, but I saw a noticeable performance hit to the battery after I started using the ZeroTouch. Maybe because my phone was constantly searching for the ZeroTouch all day, I am not sure.

Probably the main thing that I don’t like about the ZeroTouch has to do with how you activate the voice recognition. You can’t just speak out loud “Ok Alexa” and then Alexa responds. You have to wake the app first by waving/holding your hand in front of the proximity sensor in the upper left corner of the screen. Nothing happens until you do that. Then the app prompts you and you tell it what to do. The waving my hand in front of the screen is a little awkward when you are driving, but that isn’t really why I dislike it. The reason is that for Android users we spend a great deal of time swiping down from the top of the screen to pull down the window shade to interact with notifications. When you use your right hand to do that while driving, you invariably swipe your finger near the proximity sensor, activating the ZeroTouch app. I have lost track, literally, of the number of times that I have had to say “cancel” to the ZeroTouch voice prompt because I didn’t mean to activate it. It is driving me bananas. And before you comment, yes, I have tried to train myself to not do that. Trust me, I’ve tried.

The bottom line

I love the low profile and ease of use of the ZeroTouch. The app is easy to use and has many features. I also love the Amazon Alexa integration. That’s where the strength of this product really shines. Folks who are already Amazon Alexa converts will get some immediate benefit from this car mount even though it is $60, which is expensive for a car mount.

But for those of us who haven’t gone all-in with Amazon Alexa, I don’t think there is enough here to compel you to need the expensive ZeroTouch. The voice control, while you are driving, is robust, and for some folks that may be enough to justify the cost and the learning curve. But for me, the battery performance hit and the false-positives I get every time I try to use the pull-down notification tray will probably cause me to go back to my Kenu Airframe. If/when I get my Amazon Alexa device at home, and I start automating my home, I could see myself changing my mind. Amazon Alexa is pretty awesome.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Logitech. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Product Information

Price:	$59.99
Manufacturer:	Logitech
Retailer:	Amazon
Requirements:	An Android phone with a cellphone data plan, and Bluetooth.
Pros:	Ease of use/setup Outstanding Amazon Alexa integration Robust hands-free voice integration and features
Cons:	Proximity sensor false-positives Expensive Battery performance suffered

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Alexa, Device mount

Logitech ZeroTouch air vent car mount review originally appeared on on April 10, 2017 at 7:23 am.

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AIDOUT Car Handle helps you get out of your car

This past Thursday, Jeanne had surgery to remove an angry gallbladder. When we got home after the surgery, we had a little trouble getting her out of my MINI Cooper without causing her pain because my car sits so low to the ground and she had to use her core muscles to help her stand up. An extra handle like the AIDOUT would have come in very handy.

The AIDOUT is a handle that fits in the latch of a vehicle’s door without requiring modification to the car.

The handle features forged aluminum construction that is strong enough to bear the weight of up to 350 pounds. The handle has a non-slip rubber grip, a built-in flashlight, seat belt cutter and a window breaker.

The AIDOUT car handle would be a useful tool for anyone that has problems getting out of a car due to injury, illness, surgery, etc.

The AIDOUT is priced at $14.99 and can be purchased from Amazon.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged: Safety

AIDOUT Car Handle helps you get out of your car originally appeared on on April 9, 2017 at 3:12 pm.

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Berrolia No.2 Aluminum iPhone mount review

If James Bond was looking for an iPhone mount appropriate for his vintage Aston Martin, he’d probably pick the Berrolia No. 2 iPhone Mount. It’s classy. It’s beautifully constructed. Is it right for you? Let’s grab a martini (preferably shaken, not stirred) and check it out!

First Impressions

When I received the Berrolia No. 2 iPhone Mount for this evaluation, my first impression was… luxurious. Just look at it. Not only does it look premium, but it feels weighty and substantial in your hand. It even comes packed in a cool aluminum cylinder, with molded foam inserts for protection.

Looks aside, construction and materials are top-notch. The frame is made from premium-grade aluminum, which looks to be powder coated with a slightly rubberized surface. The wood is mahogany, with the Berrolia logo laser etched into the back piece. Everything is precision cut and the assembly is rock solid, with no noticeable gaps or cheap bits to be found. Even the clips are heavy & solid, and look like they won’t bend or snap after repeated use. All the finishes are smooth and pleasant to the touch.

This is no bargain-basement car cradle, folks. It just oozes style and quality craftsmanship.

Mounting the Cradle

The Berrolia mounts to the air vent on your car, and it requires that your vent employs horizontal fins to clip onto. There’s another quality twist here: there’s a leather (possibly leatherette) mounting pad included in the package. You place the pad on the fin of your air vent, then slide the clip over the pad. Not only does this add extra grip, but it prevents scratching from the beefy metal clip. In my car, I found that the cradle stayed put once it was mounted, and was not prone to getting knocked off by an accidental bump. Nice.

Once you have the mount in place, you can install your lightning cable. I found this to be another nice aspect to the design. There’s a knob on the front of the unit that you unscrew to allow the cable to pass through. The cable is inserted perpendicular to the unit. You pull the cable through, twist it to a position parallel to the mount, and pull the cable back down to lock it in position. Screw the knob back in place, and the lightning cable isn’t going anywhere.

The whole operation took about a minute to complete, at which point I could add my phone.

Daily Use

There are tracks on either side of the mount specifically designed for the iPhone, so it slides smoothly in and out of the cradle and plugs right into the lighting plug. It’s a silky smooth, one-handed operation that requires no wiggling or adjustment to get the phone in and out of the cradle.

After dozens of car trips, I’ve found that the construction continues to deliver. There’s no looseness anywhere in the unit. The lighting cable mount hasn’t loosened up. The finishes continue to look good after regular abuse, with no abrasions or scratches developing in the surfaces. It’s rock solid.

As far as on-the-road use goes, it’s a great mount. It stays firmly planted where you set it, even with the occasional bump or nudge. It’s nice to have the phone in a position where it doesn’t distract you from driving, especially if you are using Google Maps to get from point A to B. And one handed operation is a great for safety, so you are not fumbling around for your phone while trying to focus on the road. I really like it.

Some Caveats

There are three important issues that you should aware of in the middle of all of this luxury precision goodness. First, the mount is designed precisely to fit your iPhone. You can’t use it with a cover or case. I don’t like my iPhone to go naked, so this required me to take off my case every time I got in the car. I get that this detracts from the whole look and slick performance, but it is kind of an annoyance (especially if you have a complicated cover). Berrolia does make the leather versions of the mount that we have reviewed here, and they appear to have some tolerance for accepting a thin case on your phone.

Second, the cable mount is precisely machined to fit the Apple lightning cable. Third party cables are not likely to work with this setup. I found this out the hard way, as my car has a MIDI port that requires a third party MIDI-to-lightning cable. It would not fit in the mount, so I needed to acquire a lightning-to-USB adaptor, then I could plug the Apple-supplied cable into that. Most newer cars have a USB port so this won’t be an issue, but it’s a bit of a bummer if you use third-party lightning cables.

Finally Berrolia only provides this particular style of mount in the black/walnut finish, specifically for the iPhone 6, 6s and 7. They do offer a range of leather covers in different colors and styles which also accommodate iPhone 5 models or the larger iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 7 plus. You’Il want to check your iPhone model and car interior to find the right match for you.

Conclusion and Pricing

There’s no doubt that the Berrolia No. 2 iPhone Mount is a classy upgrade from a cheap plastic car mount. Not only does it deliver on style, but it is impeccably constructed and sure to stand up to years of abuse. Retail price is placed at 79 Euros (about $85 USD) which seems in line with the quality of the unit. If you are OK with the caveats, I feel its a luxury upgrade that’s worth the price. Happy motoring!

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Berrolia. For more info visit their site.

Product Information

Price:	€79 (~$84.50 US)
Manufacturer:	Berrolia
Pros:	Luxury look and feel High quality materials and construction Easy to install
Cons:	Does not work with iPhone covers Requires original Apple lightning cable Sized specifically to the iPhone 6/6s/7, though leather options are available for other models

Filed in categories: Car Gear, iOS, Reviews

Tagged: Device mount

Berrolia No.2 Aluminum iPhone mount review originally appeared on on March 31, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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CARLOCK advanced real time car tracker & alert system review

Aside from a house, a vehicle may be one of the priciest purchases a person will make. That being the case, most people want to make sure they protect their investment. One of the easiest ways to protect that investment is to know where the vehicle is at all times.

Carlock is a small device that fits into your vehicle’s On-board Diagnostic port (OBD) and tracks your vehicle by GPS. It can send alerts if your engine is started, someone’s tampering with the car, or the vehicle is moved while you’re away from it.

Design

Carlock is a very simple device.

It’s a small, square device, with a 16 pin plug. It has branding on one end of the device; other than that it’s an extremely plain device.

The entire device is about the same length and width as a debit/credit/gift card.

There isn’t much to the design of the Carlock. It’s a very plain device, but that doesn’t matter much because it will be tucked away under the dashboard and won’t be seen.

Setup

Of all the devices I’ve reviewed for the Gadgeteer, this has to be one of the easiest installations I’ve ever encountered.

First, you’re going to locate your vehicle’s OBD port. It’s going to be located somewhere under the driver-side dashboard.

If you’re having trouble locating it, you can use this OBD locator site.

Once you’ve located the OBD port, you plug the Carlock device into it.

That’s all there is to physically installing the device.

Once the device is physically installed, you download the app and create an account with Carlock.

This is also a simple process.

First, you enter the activation code and serial number that came with your device. Then you enter some biographical information and the make/model of your vehicle.

Once that is complete, you’re ready to use the device.

Use

The first time you open the app, it will instruct you to drive for a bit before it can detect your location.

After about 5 minutes, the app should find your location. Your location is updated approximately every 30 seconds while driving, and every 30 minutes while stationary.

For most people, the most important aspect of the Carlock is its security features.

In the picture above, the vehicle is “disarmed”. You can drive the vehicle and you won’t receive any movement alerts.

As you can see in the diagram above, arming your vehicle is simple.

If your vehicle is moved while armed, an alarm on your phone will go off and the app will show your vehicle’s current location and path it took to get there.

Along with notifying you when your vehicle moves, Carlock can also alert you when the engine is started, if the vehicle vibrates excessively, and if Carlock is removed from the OBD port.

Most of us probably wouldn’t remember to always arm and disarm our vehicle; fortunately, the app has an “AutoLock Scheduler” that allows you to set the times you want the vehicle to be monitored.

Perhaps you’re not concerned with security, but rather the safety of those driving the vehicle.

Carlock is also able to monitor speeding, fast acceleration, sudden braking, and harsh cornering. If Carlock detects any of the above, it can send an alert to your phone.

Additionally, the app scores how the vehicle was driven over the previous month and keeps a log of trips and notifications.

This is an excellent way to keep tabs on younger drivers you may have in your household.

Cost

The device itself costs $59.94. That’s not a bad price for a security device with so many features; however, there is also a subscription that must be purchased in order to take advantage of the device’s abilities.

You have two options for the subscription service. You can pay $113 upfront for an entire year of service, or you can pay $9.60 a month.

In my opinion, neither price is too prohibitive; although, the savings for the yearly plan is negligible at $2.20.

Depending on your car insurance company’s policies, you may be able to get a discount for using Carlock.

Conclusion

Carlock packs a lot of punch for being in such a small package.

It’s incredibly easy to install and doesn’t require any upkeep, yet still manages to monitor your vehicle’s security and the driving habits of those using your vehicle.

Whether or not it’s a sound purchase depends on the user.

Is your neighborhood safe, do you have young drivers in your home, or are you looking for an inexpensive way to lower your insurance rates? These are all questions you need to ask before purchasing Carlock. Depending on the answer, Carlock may be for you.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Protectus Technologies, Inc. Please visit their site for more information and Amazon to order.

Product Information

Price:	$59.94
Manufacturer:	Protectus Technologies, Inc.
Retailer:	Amazon
Requirements:	Compatible vehicle with an OBD diagnostic port Check vehicle compatibility here: https://www.carlock.co/features-device/#will-it-work-in-my-car
Pros:	Easy install Generally affordable Great way to monitor young drivers Insurance discount?
Cons:	None

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Car accessories

CARLOCK advanced real time car tracker & alert system review originally appeared on on March 27, 2017 at 8:10 am.

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Autobrain review

If you are the parent of a teenager, a baby, or you are concerned about the driving of your elderly parent, the following review will probably be of interest to you. Autobrain has developed a device that you simply plug into your vehicle’s diagnostic port and it transforms your car into a connected smart car. Let’s take a detailed look…

Installation and Setup

Installation of the device itself couldn’t be more simple. You just plug it into your diagnostic port on your vehicle. Then you download the app, sign up for an account and then take it for a drive! You will see lights blinking on the device, sort of like the random blinking that happens on a modem. The directions say that it could take up to 12 hours for the app to sync with your car, but once my account was set up it only took about an hour. I did have to call because my account was partially set up already because of the fact I am reviewing it, so there was a bit of confusion, however, the gentleman on the phone was very helpful and got me going in no time.

Using the Device

There are 4 modes that you can choose from: Family Safety Mode, Teen Safety Mode, Senior Safety Mode, and Safe Baby Mode. You can switch between these modes using the mobile app (which is free from the App Store or Google Play) and your desktop computer. The program looks the same on the app and the computer, so switching between them is very easy to do.

All of the modes have settings that you can change to customize them to your specific needs. If you have a teenage driver that you’d like to keep track of and see how good they are driving then teen mode is the obvious choice. It will give you a driving score that is calculated by taking any instances of speeding, hard braking or hard accelerations and gives you a numbered driving score with 100 being perfect. The data that you can get from this program is amazing. For each trip you can see how many miles were driven, how long it took and what the fuel cost was. I could have used this to charge my kids a fee for having to make extra trips in the car when they forgot things for softball practice back in the day!

For each mode you can set up parameters that will alert you when a person goes outside of what they call a “Safe Zone” that you create. To create it, you put in an address and then how many miles from that address a person is allowed to go. You will then get an alert on your phone when someone is out of the safe zone. You can actually drive yourself crazy with the amount of alerts you could get from this device. You can get an alert when someone speeds, when the car starts, when the car is driven between certain hours of the day/night, when it parks, when the car leaves and arrives home school or work, or any other address that you add.

The alerts are almost immediate. When I would park my car, I would have barely closed the door and I would get a notification that I had turned my car off. I would probably not set up all these alerts if I was monitoring someone’s driving because it would drive me nuts! Unless it was my grandma because she rarely goes anywhere.

The Teen, Family and Senior Modes are all very much alike, but the Safe Baby Mode is a tad different. While in this mode, you will get an alert to remind you to take the baby out of the car every time the ignition is turned off. This may seem like a silly thing, but apparently, this sort of thing happens as evidenced by the news reports, so better to be safe than sorry! You can turn this mode on in addition to any of the other modes.

Roadside Assistance and Car Health Detection

Another great benefit to having this gadget plugged into your diagnostic port is that it can detect mechanical issues with your car. If an issue is detected, an Autobrain mechanic would contact you and give you an estimate on how much the repair should cost. No more questioning whether or not a mechanic has overcharged you which allows you some added bargaining power at the repair shop.

You also get 5 free tows 35 miles or less each time, free lockout services if you lock your keys in your car, emergency battery boosts if your battery dies (which shouldn’t happen because you would get notified if your battery was getting low), emergency fuel delivery if you should happen to ignore the low fuel alert that Autobrain sends you, tire change services and most importantly, emergency crash response should you get into an accident.

Using the App

The screenshot below is what the main menu looks like on the computer and it’s identical on the phone. On the computer however, to the right side of this menu is a map that shows you where your car is (see next pic), and where it has been. It will tell you the places the driver stopped, and for how long. It will allow you to choose the specific day and you can follow along the route that the car was driven. You can even see where the driver had to brake too hard or accelerate way too fast.

Below is what the map looks like in the browser on your computer. You can see all this on the app on a phone or tablet too, it’s just you can only see half of it at a time. As you can see on this trip we took in Family Safety Mode, there were 2 hard breaks, and apparently I was speeding 5 times! Of course, I did all this to “test” the device and make sure I got the alerts My score is an F because if you speed….automatic F! Tough crowd.

Share the Love

You are issued a promo code when you sign up (it’s found in your app settings under Free Service) and if you give it to a friend and they sign up, they can get the device with a one month trial for only $19.97, plus YOU get one month of service for free as well. This is cheaper than you can get it through the Autobrain website, which is $49.97 with a one-month free trial. Also keep in mind that if you don’t like it, you can send it back and get a refund and they will even send you a postage paid envelope! With no risk and no contracts…it’s a no-brainer!

All in all, I am pleased beyond belief with the functionality and the ease of use of this product. It’s like having Onstar or AAA service, with all the control right at your fingertips. The only thing that I couldn’t figure out, and it’s not that big of a deal really is how they compute the driving score. I tend to be a perfectionist and a fairly good driver, and I get 93’s on my score and there are no alerts that I’ve hit the brakes or excelled too hard. Now that my girls are not really new drivers anymore, I plan on using this device (which they love) instead of Onstar because they are too far away now to rescue them if they have a flat tire or lock their keys in their cars. It’s a wonderful piece of mind for all of us!

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Autobrain. Please visit their site for more info.

Product Information

Price:	$49.97 plus 1 free month service. $9.97 per month thereafter.
Manufacturer:	Autobrain
Requirements:	A vehicle A diagnostic port A driver A computer, smartphone or tablet
Pros:	Easy to setup and install Cheaper than Onstar 24/7 roadside assistance included Low monthly cost and no contracts
Cons:	Difficult to figure out how the driving score is calculated.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Car accessories

Autobrain review originally appeared on on March 13, 2017 at 8:07 am.

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