Cars
today come with factory fitted GPS systems and fancy touch screens, but nothing
beats a single point source for your music,videos and navigation built by none
other than Apple! iPhone and iPad custom
fit on to your dash is the way ahead. Seamlessly integrate your iPad or your
iPhone/iPod touch(iDevice) and transform your drive into a 'carputer'
experience. There are plenty of applications that can help your driving
experience besides the obvious benefits of google map enabled navigation and in
car Internet radio streaming.
Although
a host of car companies today are providing iDevice integration, none of the
manufacturers provide an iDevice on your dashboard. Most often you are left
with cords dangling dangerously to connect your iDevice. At Speed Freaks we
custom create a neat dashboard that retrofits an iDevice (see images below).
The advantages are obvious, the iDevice is securely fit in a nice compartment,
that is aesthetically matched to your cars interiors.
Here
are some of the apps that will transform your driving experience:
Siri:
With Siri you can call upon your iDevice to play music, direct you using GPS,
stream video or radio. All this while you can drive away with out getting
fidgety with all those buttons. You can also ask Siri to read you messages,
emails and type out messages or emails while you drive in peace. It's almost
like driving with your personal assistant.
GPS:
There are several navigation assistance available on your iDevices, one of the
most useful applications in India, is still the google maps. Google maps in
India can even suggest traffic updates, so you can choose not to take one route
vis-a-vis another. MapMyIndia also provides reliable navigation with voice commands
application on App Store.
iTunes/music:
Are you in a mood for some good music and don't have it readily in your car,
don't fret! You don't have to go searching for a music store to get the cd.
Just download it on the go and enjoy the music. Or simpler still, just stream
it through YouTube or an Internet radio station.
Find
Places: Running out of fuel? Or Running out of money? Find out where is the
closest petrol pump or ATM with Google Places. This useful app can also show
you the nearest restaurant, coffee shop or pub with user ratings, besides
closest boarding options. Another useful app is trip adviser.
Max
my speed : Have you ever been caught for overspending wrongly? There's no way
to prove to a cop that you weren't overspending, until now. Max my Speed app
lets you set up max speeds you don't want to breach and then provides
consistent data of your speeds, while cautioning you if you are exceeding your
limit. The app utilises the iDevice's inbuilt accelerometer to asses your
speeds.
Measure
your G's: Here's an app that measures your G forces, also calculates the
horsepower, using the accelerometer. G-Tac, records 0–60 mph, 0–100 mph, and
quarter-mile times, as well as braking and cornering forces.
Track
Fuel Consumption: Accufuel can keep track of what you spend on all of your cars
and gives you instant feedback while driving. You can switch between SAE,
imperial, and metric fuel use, and the app also includes a resettable odometer.
Fuel-fill records can be stored for multiple cars too.
Have
you customised your car's deck to accommodate an iDevice? Let us know how you
use your iDevice to improve your driving experience.
