By Andrew Liszewski

OnStar’s ability to provide directions or help find and recover a stolen vehicle are already well known. But recently the company has expanded the service’s capabilities with a mobile app that lets users do everything from remotely monitor their vehicle’s diagnostics, to remote starting and climate control. It’s an incredibly slick option, as long as you own a General Motors vehicle that is.

If you happen to drive something else, Mavizon’s new AutoBot device and app looks like it might be the next best thing. While no where near as comprehensive or integrated as OnStar is, the AutoBot hardware can do everything from automatically contacting help services with your location if you get in an accident, track a stolen or lost vehicle’s location and even monitor your vehicle’s diagnostics and provide alerts for things like oil changes. It supposedly works with most 1996 or newer vehicles, and relies on a dongle that connects to the OBDII on-board diagnostics port to harvest the pertinent data. When available sometime next year the AutoBot kit, including the app, should sell for under $300 with no monthly service fees, which is one major advantage it has over OnStar.

[ Mavizon AutoBot ] VIA [ SlashGear ]

By Andrew Liszewski

99% of the time an alarm isn’t a good thing. Whether it’s because of a fire, a robbery, or even having to get up in the morning. But the other 1% of the time, like when your car is reminding you to put your seat belt on, you should be happy to hear it. Apparently that’s not the case for everyone though, because someone has seen fit to make and sell a null seatbelt insert that tricks your car into thinking that every occupant has their seatbelt on, when they really don’t.

Yes, I can see the practical application if you happen to be transporting something heavy in the front seat that the car thinks is a passenger, but there’s nothing stopping you from doing up the real seat belt first before you put it in. A set of 2 is just $4.28 from BudgetGadgets.com, and if you’re thinking of ordering some I hope you enjoy your inevitable trip through your car’s windshield.

[ Seat Belt Null Insert ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The humble necktie once again claims the title of ‘perfect Father’s Day gift’ since it now even appeals to eco-friendly dads who commute to work on their bicycle. Designed by Jasna Sokolovic and Noel O’Connell, the Retroreflector Tie is the perfect mashup of fashion and safety. It’s your standard necktie that’s been made with reflective fabrics so in the daytime it’s all business, but at night it’s all safety, reflecting the headlights of oncoming cars making you highly visible. Of course there’s the small catch that it requires you to ride against traffic which is always a no-no, so hopefully the designers have got a reflective sports coat on the drawing table which should resolve that issue.

[ Design Indaba - Safe And Shiny ] VIA [ PSFK ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I don’t spend a lot of time on the sides of snow-covered mountains with frictionless sticks strapped to my feet, so forgive me if this idea isn’t that new. But I still think it’s rather clever. The Magnestick system is designed to prevent young winter sport enthusiasts from falling off of ski lifts, using a pretty simple idea.

Each child wears a light (just 200g) back protector while on the slopes, which not only protects them from collision injuries, but also features an exposed metal plate on the back. On the ski lift seats you’ll find a set of electromagnets which automatically activate once they make contact with the metal plate, ensuring the rider can’t accidentally fall off even if the safety bar hasn’t been lowered. And the electromagnets don’t deactivate until the rider’s skis touch the ground again at the top of the hill, even if the safety bar has been lifted. According to their website the Magnestick system is already in use in several ski resorts around Europe, but so far in the U.S. only the Alpine Meadows resort in Lake Tahoe has installed one.

[ Magnestick Safety System ] VIA [ Be Sportier ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Designed by a Canadian landscaper who suffered long-term injuries after having to heft a 22-pound trimmer for years, the Portable Support Tool Balancer might look a little unorthodox, but the harness will apparently reduce 95% of the weight of a heavy tool by transferring the load to the entire body. The swiveling spring loaded reel that hovers above the user’s head provides the lift for probably any kind of tool you can attach to it, and besides providing relief for arms and shoulders it also facilitates a bit more finesse since the operator can more easily move the tool about. Not particularly important for an activity like shoveling, but definitely appreciated when it comes to something like hedge trimming.

At the moment the Portable Support Tool Balancer is only available in a limited production run, but it recently appeared on the Canadian version of Dragon’s Den so hopefully it will soon be more readily available for purchase.

[ Portable Support Tool Balancer ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’m often disgusted at the appearance of my keyboards, and I’m the only one who uses them. So I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to deal with them in a multi-user environment like a hospital, which is probably the worst case scenario. According to Falcon Innovations, an average multi-user keyboard has 3,295 microbes per square inch, but thankfully their scare tactics don’t come without a solution.

Their Germ Genie is another germ killing keyboard sanitizer that uses UV light, but instead of having to remember to place it in some sanitizing box every night, it sits above the keyboard providing ‘always on’ protection. And of course by ‘always on’ I mean ‘only when someone isn’t typing’ since UV light can be harmful to skin, so the Germ Genie includes a motion sensor to turn off the light whenever someone’s actually using the keyboard. It retails for about $220, but the company seems keen on selling then en masse to large facilities, so I suspect it gets cheaper the more you buy.

[ Germ Genie ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Winner of a 2010 Red Dot Design award, the SEIL (Safe Enjoy Interact Light) bag concept was created by Lee Myung Su to provide a safer way for cyclists to signal. Technically when signaling with their hands a cyclist is only riding their bike with the other hand, which can be dangerous. So the SEIL fixes that problem with an LED-equipped backpack and a detachable wireless remote which can be mounted on the handlebars. And besides signaling your turning intentions, the SEIL bag can also be used to let others on the road know when you’re about to slam on the brakes, or even if there is an emergency.

[ Design You Trust - SEIL bag by Lee Myung Su design lab ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’ve never had the privilege of operating a motor vehicle in a country where they drive on the opposite side of the road, but I can imagine it would take a little getting used to. But I’m pretty sure the oncoming traffic would serve as a constant reminder of just what lane I needed to be in. However, if you don’t think that’s enough, and find yourself driving while traveling a lot you might want to bring this little contraption along. The Lanesafe is designed to suction cup to your windshield and project a green arrow/red X constantly reminding you which side of the road to be on. It’s got a built-in solar panel keeping it juiced up during the day for use at night, but a 12-volt adapter is also included. ~$33 (£21.23) from Wallace Cameron.

[ Lanesafe ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It might not make for great stage demos like the iPhone, but I’ll be damned if these low-tech silicone oven shields aren’t the cleverest invention I’ve seen all week. While you can get oven mitts made from silicone that do the same thing, I like that these oven shields stay permanently attached to the racks so they’re always there to protect your fingers from burns (if you’re the forgetful type) since they stay cool to the touch in temperatures up to 450F. Unfortunately at one point they were available from quite a few online shops like Amazon for about $10 each, but they seem to be disappearing or going out of stock. Anyone know a reliable place to buy these?

[ Silicone Oven Shields ] VIA [ CraziestGadgets.com ]