Lowell Conn
Sun
The solBAT II is a solarpowered backup battery and charging device, charging electronic devices just as fast as a wall charger.
Dual AV’s XDVDN9131 single-DIN car stereo
1. Dual halves its competitors: It’s tough to discount Dual AV’s XDVDN9131 single-DIN car stereo, considering it’s already been discounted — costing about half the price of similar products from more established brands. Dual is obviously conscious of the fact its competitors are deemed more established, as the company’s 2010 marketing campaign is built around the fact it has been in business since 1935. The XDVDN9131 features a motorized seven-inch touch screen, front-panel USB and SD card reader complementing the DVD/CD slot, Bluetooth, iPod control and a navigation system with pre-loaded maps of Canada and the United States as well as two million points of interest. The navigation system offers a speed-limit alert that would have been a nice addition to our family drive two Saturdays ago. Admittedly, the feature set, while robust, is on par with many other flagship products in the marketplace, but one cannot ignore the major difference that is the XDVDN9131’s lower price. $550; visit dualav.com.
2. solBAT has the sun on lockdown: Times are tough for the gadget trade.
The economic malaise has halted production, so a first quarter usually ripe with new products has been slow. This means there are fewer new gadgets to write about, resulting in atrophy for car silicon writers. Therefore, we give a big shout-out to Scosche, whose new solBAT II solar-powered battery backup and charger is not entirely a car product but qualifies because its core product shot features the device in operation while affixed to a car windshield. Featuring a two-light indicator to let users know when the device is charging and when it is passing energy to an attached phone, MP3 and other USB-powered devices, solBAT II arrives with a windshield mount and is designed to soak up rays when the car is in commute mode and transmit them to your portable device. At its price point, it is a reasonable alternative for those looking to buy a car cigarette lighter adapter, so the choice becomes sapping car battery or using what Mother Nature has provided. $30 US; visit scosche.com.
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