Electronic Gadgets

Temperature rules our lives. We dress according to it, cook our meals with it in mind and chronically complain about it at work. Isn't it about time you learned about the device behind measuring temperature and its peers?

By Robert Lamb

If your backpack were solar-powered, you could charge your cell phone, PDA and laptop in the middle of the desert. You might even be able to Google your way out of the searing sun.

By Charles W. Bryant

Watching a DVD of your favorite movie or television show is something that everyone enjoys. Why not take that great experience with you wherever you go? But how much is that luxury going to cost?

By Jamie Page Deaton

Sure, all iPhone apps are accessible from your car, but we're not really interested in those apps right now. Our list of 10 apps is specifically designed around your car's operation.

By Josh Briggs & Christopher Lampton

While head-mounted displays were once a novelty item for gadget freaks, video glasses offer a plausible solution for the crowd-wary traveler. Whether you want to enjoy a movie on a long flight or simply shut out the world, this technology is for you.

By Jane McGrath

Most automotive electronics can be powered using the cigarette lighter in our cars and trucks. Everything from mobile phones to heated air fresheners. But what if you wanted to power a blender or even a toaster?

By Ed Grabianowski

All-in-one recycling systems collect and compact your recyclables until you're ready to haul them outside to the curb. It seems like a simple invention, but it helps to save the environment and helps consumers save time.

By Josh Clark

If you've ever suffered the indignity of eating a bag of stale chips or freezer-burned leftovers, you may want to consider the FoodSaver System. It vacuum-seals food to keep air out and preserve freshness.

By Josh Clark

You can fine tune it all day, but here's the reality: Your old car stereo is simply not going to give you the level of performance you're looking for. So, what are your options?

By Patrick E. George

Are you ever tempted to install your own car audio or video equipment? After all, how hard could it be to tear out that factory-original car radio and replace it with a state-of-the-art stereo system?

By Christopher Lampton

You've made arrangements for a friend to feed your cat while you're away, but you forgot to leave a key. Don't call a locksmith, unlock it with your cell phone.

By Jonathan Strickland

If you use the computer a lot, you certainly are familiar with the feel of your fingers on the keyboard as you type. Could you type on a keyboard made only of light?

By John Fuller

WiFi access has become so prevalent that it's turned many people into laptop-toting, Internet hunters on the prowl for a signal everywhere they travel. What if there were a gadget that made it easier to find a signal?

By Jane McGrath

Cell phones help us stay connected and call for help in emergencies. But what do you do when your phone's battery dies and there's no power outlet?

By John Fuller

Factory-installed navigation systems have become a popular option on newer cars and trucks. But is this high-tech automotive gadget an affordable option for most car buyers? What options do new and used car buyers have?

By Jamie Page Deaton

Falling asleep at the wheel can be dangerous, if not deadly. Thankfully, anti-sleep alarms will help drivers stay awake.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Over the years, factory original car audio systems have become highly advanced. But for some car owners, these manufacturer-installed audio systems simply aren't enough. What are the options for an on-the-go audiophile?

By Patrick E. George

Connecting to the Internet in this day and age is pretty painless. But for really remote populations or frequent travelers, getting on the Web may take a satellite Internet receiver.

By Jane McGrath

The Taser can be used to subdue subjects at close range, but what happens when police need to stop large crowds at a distance? They use Taser shotgun shells.

By Jonathan Strickland

You're driving down a road when your GPS device suddenly urges you to turn right. The sign ahead suggests otherwise. As does the oncoming traffic. What makes your otherwise useful device so wrong sometimes?v

By Maria Trimarchi

A few auto manufacturers are adding night-vision systems to the vehicles they build in an effort to make driving at night safer. Will night vision become the next got-to-have-it gadget for the automobile?

By Josh Briggs

Most people like to stay connected -- even while on-the-go. It's not difficult when you have access to so many mobile communication technologies. Wouldn't it be great if your car was just as connected as you?

By Ed Grabianowski

There's more than one way to keep track of your teenage driver while he's on the road. But few of them will call you if he's driving recklessly.

By John Fuller

If your high-tech car can dial up your best friend at your command or navigate you out of a maze of city streets, then surely it can tell you what the applicable speed limit is. Or can it?

By Robert Lamb

You're packed and ready to go to Disney World, but you live in New York -- can you keep the kiddies entertained? Sirius Backseat TV relieves beleaguered parents by streaming video clips onto your car's television.

By Akweli Parker