Drivaware announces LaneFX - The First Active Blind Spot Exposure System

Ann Arbor, Mich., June 5, 2006 - Drivaware® Inc. today announced the production release and immediate availability of  its debut driver awareness product: LaneFX™.  LaneFX® is an innovative automotive product that transforms a vehicle's power side mirrors into an on-demand Active Blind Spot Exposure System.

Whenever a turn signal is activated, or at the press of a button, LaneFX® moves the corresponding power mirror outward to sweep and expose the vehicle's blind spot. It pauses long enough for the driver to scan for any objects that may be lurking in the blind spot zone. Then, it reliably returns the power side mirror back to its original, driver-set position.
LaneFX™'s Patent Pending technology is designed from the ground up to be entirely universal. LaneFX® works with any vehicle equipped with power mirrors, new or pre-owned, domestic or import, including the most ECU-intensive and multiplexed vehicles on the market today. LaneFX® is packed with driver awareness features and is highly-customizable to the driver's preferences. Drivers can personalize how far each mirror expands, how long it pauses, and how fast it should move altogether. All customizations can be made separately to the driver-side and passenger-side power mirrors.
Khaled Malhas, Drivaware Founder & President said: "According to NHTSA, 1 out of 25 collisions on America's highways today is due to improper lane changes/merges. Further, J.D. Power & Associates has reported that blind spot systems were the second-most requested automotive technology by consumers in 2005. We recognized that the driver awareness / lane change segment is gaining significant momentum. As a result, we designed LaneFX® as a sensor-less blind spot exposure system that is truly universal and that we can drive through multiple channels including: auto dealers, mobile electronics / aftermarket retailers, as well as the OEM and tier-1 supplier channel."

"We're always looking for added revenue opportunities from a every vehicle sale." says Jeff Scott, Principal and General Manager, Dick Scott Automotive Group based in metro Detroit, Mich., "it's always challenging to introduce aftermarket products after a customer has decided on a vehicle. We signed on with the LaneFX® Pilot Dealer Program because I was impressed with how simply the product can be demonstrated to vehicle buyers and how quickly our customers see value in its impact on their daily commute."

"We've all been taught to turn our heads away from the traffic ahead to check our blind spot. During an average blind spot check, a vehicle travels more than half of a football field, unattended!" adds Khaled Malhas, "With LaneFX™, we allow drivers to stay focused on the road ahead while showing the contents of their blind spot zone using a comfortable, familiar interface: The vehicle's side mirror."

In recently-announced OEM blind spot detection systems (such as ValeoRaytheon Systems' LaneVueT and Volvo's BLIST systems), a computer and a sensor make the critical decision on whether an object is present in the blind spot zone. Further, such systems report these results through an interface that is entirely new to the driver. In contrast, LaneFX® is a blind spot exposure system, not a detector. LaneFX® simply exposes the contents of the blind spot zone to drivers allowing them to make their own informed driving decisions. By using the vehicle's power side mirror, drivers use a familiar interface that has no learning curve as it is already associated with the act of changing lanes. 

LaneFX® is available now through select auto dealers, aftermarket retailers and directly through LaneFX.com. The current production release of the LaneFX® product line features a number of Patent Pending innovations, including:

1. Mirror Speed Boost: safely accelerates power mirror motor speeds up to 200% of OEM speed for maximum responsiveness,

2. Turn Signal Link: with "Normal" and "Sticky" turn signal modes to suit any driving style,

3. Merge Mode: holds a mirror outward for as long as the driver needs to merge into traffic,

4. Intelligent Installs Technology: LaneFX® can self-learn the electrical configuration of the host vehicle with no need for complex programming,

5. ParkFX - Park Assist & Curb Exposure System: tilts one or both side mirrors downwards when the vehicle is engaged in reverse, and

6. "Mirror-in-Motion" LED indicators.

Media Contacts:
Kimberly Simpson
Drivaware Inc.
+1.734.649.3949
kimberly.simpson@drivaware.com

#   #   #

Gadget Gifts: The Must-Have Gadgets of 2006 Holida Season

Looking for great tech gear? Check out these magnificent seven.

Santa isn't the only one who's been making a list and checking it twice. Over the last year hundreds of gizmos have passed through Chez Freak, but only a handful inspire sincere gadget lust.

These devices all share certain traits: They serve a real need (read: not yet another iPod accessory). They're innovative. Most important, they're simple to use. Plug them in, turn them on, and they work. The way it should be.

iRobot Dirt Dog
Meet man's new best friend. iRobot's Dirt Dog is a sweeper designed for use in basements and garages. Just push the "Clean" button and stand back. It scuttles about picking up wood shavings, loose screws, and other weekend workshop detritus. The $130 price is worth howling about, too.

MusicGremlin
With the Wi-Fi-enabled MusicGremlin, you can download songs from any hotspot and then legally swap them with your buddies online. Sure, navigating through songs could be easier, and $300 (plus $15 a month for the music service) is pricey for a device with only 8GB of storage. But being able to download virtually any song, anytime, anywhere, is wicked cool.

Pure Digital Point and Shoot Camcorder
This pocket-size digital videocam lets you capture 30 minutes of decent-looking video in its 512MB of flash memory and then transfer the clips to your PC via a clever USB "arm" that swings out from the base of the unit. The camera's built-in software allows you to manage videos, e-mail downsized clips to friends, or share your masterpieces on Google Video with just a few clicks. The features are bare-bones--only 2X zoom, 640-by-480 clips, and minimal playback options on a 1.5-inch LCD--but then again, so is the $130 price.

PowerSquid Surge3000 Calimari
Even I find it odd how excited I am about this $80 power strip. Yes, it really looks like a squid: Six tentaclelike plugs extend to handle power bricks without blocking other sockets, and its surge protection (up to 3240 joules) keeps your pricey gear from getting fried. Two plugs even light up so you can find them in the dark. It's ideal for geeks with too many gadgets and nowhere to plug them.

Sony Reader
This device redefines the electronic book. Sony's glare-free screen and E Ink technology are amazing, the unit is push-button easy to use, and its 7-by-5-inch size strikes the perfect compromise between a PDA and a laptop. The $350 Reader can hold around 80 books in its 64MB of memory, and more when you add a Sony Memory Stick or an SD Card. Sony launched with about 10,000 titles in its proprietary e-book format (the unit also reads text, Acrobat, and Word files). Pricing and availability of titles will vary, but the gizmo itself is terrific. (For details, see our review.)

Zvox 325
One wire--that's all the Zvox 325 ($349) needs to produce booming audio from your TV, MP3 player, or DVD machine. Just plug in this VCR-size speaker unit and connect it to the device's headphone jack. Two knobs let you control volume and switch from stereo to surprisingly good surround sound. It's simplicity itself.

PicoCricket
I got this robotics kit for my 7-year-old daughter, but soon I was fighting her for it. PicoCricket ($250) combines Lego pieces and fuzzy pipe cleaners with sophisticated light, motion, and sound sensors. Kids build their own toys and then program them to respond to stimuli by dragging and dropping "PicoBlocks"--brightly colored shapes that represent different chunks of object-oriented code. So, for example, you can build a flower that plays music when the sun rises, or a birthday cake that lights up when you touch it. You'll need about 30 minutes with Pico's quick-start guide to master the basics, but far longer before you're willing to let your kids have at it.

A Merry Geekmas to all, and to all a good night.

• High-tech fitness gear
• Gear of the year: Popular Mechanic's annual wish list

Car-Savvy Gift Ideas for Drivers & Commuters

Mobile Electronics Retailers - Get the Hottest Car Gadget This Year

LaneFX is a great addition to your store's new product selection. It's a brand new automotive safety system that drives new customer segments to your store, like senior citizens and first-time drivers. LaneFX beats blind spot mirrors, radar detectors, and virtually any car gadget out there! Don't be blind to cheap aftermarket blind spot mirrors, driver safety is affected by distorted side view mirrors. Check our the LaneFX retailer program today.

"Geeky and useful" What a Great Combination!

That's what the gadget and new mobile technology media has been saying about LaneFX. It's the ultimate gearhead accessory for your car or truck. The latest car gadget is now fully-customizable, guaranteed to be 100% universal and best of all, there is no car gadget that's cooler than the one that could save your life. LaneFX tops the latest and hottest car gadgets for its innovation, invention, wide appeal and novelty.

Gift Ideas for Car Lovers

Did you know that some folks use cars for reasons other than getting from one place to the other? Of course you did! For many owning a car, suv, or truck is an extension of their personality. It's about driving a vehicle and making a statement with it. Budget permitting some will choose the latest in suvs or trucks, while others will choose a more reasonable set of wheels.  Everyone loves their Freedom Machine and does their best to enhance and personalize it so a gift of automotive accessories is a great way to warm their heart.

So what exactly do you buy?

Well your final selection depends to some extent on your budget, but if you are short for vehicle accessory gift ideas, here are a few – a non-magnetic cell phone pad makes a great little car accessory for that dashboard – maybe an ashtray with some zing, for those who smoke and refuse to quit?, then there are the slightly more expensive accessories like seat covers, luggage carriers and removable steps for those hard to reach areas like the top of a truck. Ask yourself what kind of person you are planning to gift – you would be the best judge of that – remember when you are buying an accessories gift, or any kind of gift, try and get something that you know the person in question would love to receive, not something that you would like to get on your birthday! The dashboard cellmate in particular is a must have for every sports utility vehicle owner, who often go cross country across rough terrain. Nothing like a CellMate cell phone padto keep that mobile phone, ipod and maybe the ray ban glasses from being knocked all over the place! The custom made seat covers are a great way to personalize a vehicle. Going custom is the only way for hobbyists even if it means waiting an extra week.

Skis are one of the hardest things to fit in or on a sports vehicle. Maybe you could get your friend a ski rack if he or she is going on a ski trip with the vehicle. The ski rack goes conveniently on top of the car where they hold the skis parallel and over the vehicle, leaving ample room for other luggage. So you can see there’s something literally for everyone in terms of car accessories as personal gifts. Such a gift would no doubt be well appreciated from the receiver, and isn’t that what we want at the end of the day.

Compare Backup Sensors & Cameras to ParkFX

Get the Latest Information on the Most Reliable Backup Warning Technologies

Not all reversing aids are equal. The sensing technology and the indicating method are critical to your driving safety.

How a park assist system alerts you

One option is video, which at first seems like a great choice. But one major flaw with having a video camera affixed to the back of your car with a monitor on your dashboard is that it also forces you to look forward while backing up. That can disturb your perception, your reaction time, and feel very unnatural. They are also extremely expensive, and you'll pay thousands of dollars to have a video system attached to your car, whether from the dealer or an aftermarket supplier.

Compare that to other bargain basement devices which actually have LED displays (little red lights) on your dashboard. These are cumbersome -- almost useless -- for much the same reason as video: when you drive in reverse, you naturally look behind you, and you'll never see the little red lights. They are also hard to read in bright sunlight.

Some other bargain technologies use a tone which beeps more rapidly as you get closer to an obstacle. You can at least hear the relative distance just by listening to the beeps, but you have to practice a bit to really understand how far you are from danger.

That's why an audible voice sensor is best. It tells you in a spoken voice exactly how far away you are. Not only do you not have to awkwardly look forward at your dashboard, you'll know without guessing how much further you can safely back up.

How a reversing aid detects objects

If you've never seen or used a reversing aid, you might be surprised at how technically advanced they actually can be.

Reversing aids use a variety of technologies to sense an object behind the car. Some units use Doppler radar, and others use infrared sensors, but by far the most accurate method of detection is the one the U.S. Navy uses on its submarines: sonar.

Sonar can operate in any weather, including direct sunlight or rain. And it doesn't require that the car be moving in order to sense an obstruction.

LaneFX proven better solution to the blind spot problem than stick-on convex blind spot mirrors