Slide show roundup: Custom earphones, tech for summer road trips, and CUVs
CNET has pictures of the process of getting custom earphones, tech for summer road trips, and crossover SUVS.
Summer has officially arrived, and our Car Tech editors have put together some photos of cool tech to take on the road. We also have some pictures of crossover SUVs, or CUVs, which you also can take on the road. Well, you could take the pictures on the road, but I really meant the cars.
Something you may not want to take on the road (or at least not while you're in the driver's seat) is the futuristic-looking MyVu Personal Media Viewer. Finally, Donald Bell shows us what it's like to get custom-molded earphones. It involves pink goop, and anyone who has ever had a retainer is probably familiar with that pink goop. Donald Bell explains, "It's like a prolonged wet willy." Eeewwww.
Photos: Getting fitted for LiveWires
John Diles from EarPeace Technologies stopped by CNET to take impressions of Donald Bell's ears. The impressions were used to create a custom pair of LiveWires dual-driver earphones. Getting fitted for custom-molded earphones (or earplugs) seems like a big hassle, but the process is actually painless and quick.
Photos: MyVu Personal Media Viewer
The MyVu Personal Media Viewer is an interesting iPod accessory that will let you enjoy content on a "larger screen," but the design and video quality could use some tweaking. They're not particularly attractive when worn. Can't something techy still be stylish? Plus, some users may find the glasses uncomfortable when worn for long periods.
With the ascendancy of the crossover SUV (or CUVs), auto designers have a new category to play with. While the crossover segment was originally accepted to refer to unibody platform, car-based vehicles with better handling and fuel economy than traditional SUVs, the term has been increasingly used as a catchall. From vehicles such as the Subaru Forester, which would have been called a station wagon 10 years ago, to the Mazda CX-9, which is an SUV in all but name, we have seen our fair share of crossovers here at CNET Car Tech over the past year.
Boredom busters: Tech for summer road trips
The summer driving season is upon us, and with it comes hours after hours of weary road trips, complete with back-seat bickering about which local FM station to tune into. But, wait, it doesn't have to be this way. With the right tech in your car, the miles and the hours will just fly by as you listen to your digital audio libraries or watch videos on portable devices or rear-seat entertainment screens. Here's our roundup of in-car gadgets that will get you there quicker.