Belkin is back with the Belkin TuneCast Auto Live FM transmitter alongside their very own ClearScan Live software application that will allow both iPhone and iPod Touch owners to gain easy access to their FM transmitter, picking out the most suitable radio frequency to play music in the car.

ClearScan Live allows the iPhone to display the FM frequency and the controls on its screen. This hardware-software combination is the first to utilize an iPhone application to control FM transmission and utilize GPS coordinates to determine the clearest FM frequency at the user’s location. TuneCast Auto Live capitalizes on the ability of iPhone OS 3.0 to enable application control of hardware accessories, with ClearScan Live as the first application to interact with an iPhone FM transmitter accessory. Together, the Belkin hardware and software provide a powerful tool for people to easily control and listen to their music in their cars.

The Belkin TuneCast Auto Live FM transmitter will arrive across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia later this Fall, retailing for $79.99 a pop.

Press Release

Getting lost is no fun, not when you have a bunch of kids sitting in the back row who can’t stop asking the question, “Are we there yet?” Having a GPS navigation system is more or less indispensable these days, especially when driving around has gotten so much more convenient. For folks who tend to drive out of state frequently and head off to unfamiliar places, toting a GPS navigation system is a God-send since you don’t have to worry about folding up any maps once you’ve got your bearings, and there is always the software to blame before your wife lets loose on you a verbal tirade on how you are too stubborn to stop by and ask someone for directions. Hey, you asked the GPS software, didn’t you? TomTom is offering yet another model for the masses – the White Pearl, which is a special edition navigation product with a twist.

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I have a bike, but right now it is out of commission. At this present time, I would be a good customer for Bixi, a bicycle sharing program.

It works by going to one of the bike stations that you see in the picture here, and borrowing one of the bikes. All a user needs is a credit card, and then the user can ride around freely as they normally would with their own bike. Once the user is done, he or she simply returns it to another bike station.

I am not certain how Bixi keeps track of all of its bikes, but I’m told that the setup is “computer-chip based, solar-powered, and Wi-Fi enabled”.

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Electric vehicles will no doubt be more and more commonplace in the future, and you know what this means? More and more gas stations would have to learn to co-exist with these types of vehicles, resulting in each pump offering both electric charging as well as regular fuel. I do think that this isn’t such a good idea after all, since a slight spark in an electrical charging system could result in all that high octane fuel catching fire, blowing up in some Hollywood-style explosion. Well, that could just be my imagination getting the better of me, but what we have here is the first billing system in the world for electric vehicle charging posts.

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I remember reading Brave New World in high school, and the mode of transportation in the future was helicopters. I remember thinking that the writer Aldous Huxley had a pretty unenlightened point of the world of tomorrow, because most modern science fiction writers picture the future skies full of rotorless flying cars.

It would appear that the “Muecke” single seater lightweight sport helicopter concept could prove Mr. Huxley right, especially since he was right on many other things. Read the book if you don’t believe me.

As you can see, this helicopter has no tail rotor, but has two rotating blades. Apparently, the blades rotating in opposite directions are enough to give the mini-copter lift and balance.

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I’m sure all of you remember the movie Total Recall, where Arnold Schwarzenegger rides in a cab that drives itself. It would appear that someone has taken inspiration from science fiction with this Robotic Taxi Service.

It looks a lot like the “Slimos” that we reported on a week ago. Designer Kubik Peter’s automated transport is electrically powered, and can seat about two. That may not sound like much room, but there is a trunk in the back for some luggage.

Now I’m sure you’re wondering: how does the passenger tell the robo-cabbie where to go? I believe the user just makes a selection of cross-streets on a touchscreen controller. I would imagine that the touchscreen would have internet access, so maybe the passenger can watch a little YouTube video while he or she is waiting to get from Point A to Point B.

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Ah, strollers. For those of you who don’t know the fun of wheeling a baby around all day, you are in for quite a treat. Welcome to days of wearing both your arms and legs out as junior gets pushed around to places that may or not be compatible for wheels.

When my wife and I had our second child, we decided to buy one of those double strollers. Although they “conveniently” hold two kids, they really are hard to get around. What I would have given for the Taga stroller/trike. As you can see, the parent sits in a seat behind the tykes and pedals them to places.

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As information becomes easier to disseminate these days, it is no surprise that more and more people are taking up the environmentally friendly route, making choices that will affect our eco-system positively. While there has been some progress, there remains a whole lot more work to be done in the long run. One of the ways to do your part is choosing green forms of transport, and the GoCycle electric bicycle is a decent option if you do plenty of intra-city travel. This is the world’s lightest production electric bicycle, tipping the scales at just 16.2kg. Despite its small size, it is able to move you for around 20 miles before requiring a recharge, and at a top speed of 15mph to boot. Recharge time currently stands at 3.5 hours, and the £1,158 price point will come with a sealed-for-life chain, a decent suspension system to prevent sore buttocks and three-speed gearing.

Product Page via TRFJ