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Electrify America’s first cross-country EV charging route is complete
Electrify America's first cross-country EV charging route stretches from Washington DC to LA.
Spotify's latest feature creates a playlist for your road trip
It's no secret Spotify wants to give you as many playlist options as possible, and today it's adding one more. Only this time, the streaming service wants to help you create a list for a specific activity: a road trip. With "Soundtrack your Ride," Spotify will make a playlist for your drive based on the duration of your journey and your answers from a short quiz.
Tesla’s Navigate on Autopilot was my CES road trip companion
I love a good road trip. I've spent hundreds of thousands of miles in cars during my life, and the best times were when I knew it would be hours or even days before I reached my destination. Typically a friend (or friends) or family members would accompany me, but on a few occasions, it was just me, my music collection -- and scenery screaming past me at 70 miles per hour.
Zuckerberg plans to tour all 50 states to meet Facebook users
Given how often Facebook was in the news last year (and very rarely for anything positive), its commander in chief Mark Zuckerberg has a pledge for 2017: Mix it up with commoners. In a post on the social network, Zuckerberg says that his personal goal for 2017 is to "have visited and met people in every state in the US" by year's end. By his count, he has 30 states left. Man, he travels fast.
Biggest US total solar eclipse in decades happens next year
Lunar eclipses are pretty amazing, but statistically speaking, they aren't really all that rare. Catching a full solar eclipse, on the other hand? That's hard. The moon blocks our planet's view of the sun about ever year and a half -- but these eclipses can typically only be seen from extremely remote locations. Next year, things will be different. On August 21st 2017, a total solar eclipse will be viewable from 14 US States in North America -- marking the first time Americans have been able to see the phenomenon since 1979. If you're reading this from the USA, that means you're only one year and a short road trip from seeing an exclusive celestial ballet.
Google Maps pit stop feature arrives on iOS
Back in October, Google Maps rolled out a new feature for finding pit stops along your route. Today, the handy tool is making its way to the iOS version of the app. If you missed the news the first time around, the feature allows you to add a detour to your road trip without leaving navigation mode. Tap the magnifying glass in the top right and you'll be given a list of options like gas stations, restaurants and more. If you need to search for something else, you'll be able to do so. You can also use voice search to find a specific place or another category. You know, so you don't have to futz with your phone too much.
Best gear for your next road trip
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. A road trip can be a memorable adventure, but all adventures require a little planning. At The Wirecutter, we spend dozens of hours on each of our reviews to find the best gear for every part of your life. This year we drove 1,500 miles through four states to bring you our essential recommendations for your next road trip. Here are eight of our favorites.
This interactive map crams in American literature's greatest road trips
People love road trips. Some like 'em more than others. And some like them perhaps a little bit too much. This interactive map from Richard Kreitner and Steven Melendez crams the locations mentioned in twelve road-tripping books including Mark Twain's Roughing It and Jack Kerouac's On the Road. That total's 1,500 entries, paired with the most appropriate coordinates the author could assign. You might take issue with some of the book choices, but we'll only accept complaints after you've tackled the entirety of this cartographic labor of love. You'll find the bibliography after the break.
The 2015 Winnebago Brave's retro flair makes for one stylish roadtripper
At some point, you've likely encountered the iconic stylings of a Winnebago from the '60s and '70s. For the 2015 fleet, the company is looking to pay homage to those motorhomes by bringing back the "eyebrow" on the Brave. In addition to the classic look of the camper's exterior, the inside is loaded with tech. There's a pair HDTVs (28- and 32-inch displays), digital TV antenna system and LED lighting throughout. In the event you find yourself with extra house, er... RV guests, a StudioLoft bunk bed and its powered lift can accommodate, and the vehicle's GPS/rearview mirror display slides across the dash so the co-pilot can dial in destinations. If you're looking to hit the road, you may need to empty that piggy bank as the base model starts at $95,199.
Road trip! Visiting Apple's North Carolina data center
Looking for an exciting geek adventure this summer? You may want to follow in the footsteps of GigaOM's Katie Fehrenbacher, who recently took a one-day road trip to visit the sites of some of the world's largest data centers. These facilities, all of which are located in a small area of North Carolina, include Apple's new Maiden data center as well as facilities belonging to Google and Facebook. Fehrenbacher started her trip in Maiden, NC, which she refers to as a "sleepy, and economically depressed, outpost." The town of 3,000 won't see a large number of permanent jobs from the work, since data centers are usually quite lean in terms of staff. Fehrenbacher did manage to wrangle up a lunch of "black-eyed peas, fried okra, and baked beans" at one of the few open businesses in town, Scottie's Bar-B-Que (sounds like Katie's a vegetarian). The Maiden data center is getting a 20-megawatt solar farm and 4.8 megawatts worth of biogas-fueled fuel cells to provide clean electricity at the facility; according to Fehrenbacher, the only sign of the solar farm at this time is a grid of hundreds of poles upon which the photovoltaic arrays will sit, and signs for Holder Construction (which is building the farm) and the Project Dolphin Solar Farm (the data center was known as Project Dolphin). You won't get to see much on your driving vacation of the North Carolina data centers. All of the locations are hidden behind massive fences and are well-guarded. But at least you can stop in at Scottie's and get some barbecue... If you're too busy to hop in the car, at least take a look at a 2012 satellite image of the plant on Google Maps.
Magellan announces RoadMate RV9145 GPS device, offers campground navigation for $350
Looking to get a jump start on your summer road trip? Magellan wants to help out, with the RoadMate RV9145. This latest addition to the RoadMate family of GPS devices features an "extra-wide" seven-inch display, which drivers can use to locate campgrounds and navigate the open road, even in low light conditions. With the RV9145, you'll have access to the Good Sam Trailer Life RV Parks & Campground Directory, which offers information on more than 11,700 campground locations across the US and Canada, including those with WiFi and other amenities. Each route, moreover, can be tailored according to your vehicle's height, width and weight, as well as your own preferences for scenic or expedient traveling. The device also comes packed with Magellan's Smart Detour, which offers alternate routes whenever traffic gets unexpectedly thorny, and offers both 2D and 3D mapping capabilities. No word yet on when this device will hit the market, but when it does, you'll be able to grab it for $350.
AeroVironment to light up I-5 with EV chargers, add 'Oregon Trail' to the Green Highway
Retire your oxen and sell your wagon, the Oregon Trail just went electric. Okay, not the real, historic Oregon Trail, but a respectable 150-mile stretch of Interstate Five. The Oregon Department of Transportation is teaming up with AeroVironment to dot an undisclosed number of 480-volt Level 3 chargers between the California / Oregon state border and the Willamette Valley area as part the West Coast Green Highway initiative. The project aims to cover the entire I-5 corridor with electric vehicle chargers, spanning from the tip toe of the Golden State, all the way up to Washington's hat. Oregon's leg of the project should be ready for drivers this fall, making roadtrips to the Beaver State accessible to EV owners -- dysentery free. Hit the break for dry, but factual press release.
ifoAppleStore celebrates Apple Store anniversary with a road trip
As you may have heard, Apple's retail arm is celebrating 10 years of existence this May, and the guys at ifoAppleStore.com are doing something special to celebrate. Gary Allen will be driving from California all the way out to Virginia for the opening of the Apple Store at Tyson's Corner there, documenting his trip both on the blog and on his Twitter account. It's a great trip, both because of the Apple tie-in, and because it's Gary just experiencing America first-hand. I've driven from the Midwest out to California a few times (and many times from St. Louis up to New York for my college career), and there's nothing more fun than exploring out on the open road. Gary also says that while he's not sure if Apple will do anything official to celebrate the retail anniversary, he does hear that the stores will quietly be doing something on the 19th or 20th of this month. So stay tuned -- if we hear about anything special next Friday, we'll let you know. In the meantime, you can follow Gary on his trip, and check out the recording of our TUAW Talkcast -- Gary was our guest on the show Sunday night, and he chatted about his trip and the anniversary.
JVC hitting the pavement with summer road trip
The company soon to be known as JVC Kenwood Holdings is kicking off its six month long summer road trip this month to show its wares to the masses. There are 30 pushpins on the "JVC Hi-Def Experience" map, spread across 19 states. That's a lot of ground to cover, so there are two teams -- one for the East and another for the West. The stops will coincide with local events, such as NASCAR races, fairs and festivals. This looks to be a JVC-only event -- Kenwood car stereos which seem like a natural fit for NASCAR events aren't featured. Check out the event web site and see where to go to get some quality time with Everio camcorders, P-series LCDs (with iPod docks and no longer available in Japan), or the Pioneer Kuro doppelganger HD100 projectors. If you catch it, share the details in the comments below! [Via TWICE]
Griffin uncorks PowerDock and 2008 iPod accessory lineup
Has it really come to this? Are consumers' homes so overrun with iPods that Griffin's $70 PowerDock is now a necessity? Seems so. Four iPods can charge simultaneously in a dosado of swirling volts and amperes... eureka! Griffin's newly announced 2008 lineup also includes updated iTrips, RoadTrip, PowerJolt and PowerBlock (or PowerDuo for combining that AC/Car charging), and more. But Griffin, a $30 iPhone case made of cork... seriously?[Via Mobile Tech Review]
Hands-on / roadtest with the TomTom GO 720
Before we tell you about the TomTom GO 720, let us impart one piece of advice which we're pretty sure most GPS enthusiasts know already: if you're going through the Lincoln Tunnel into Midtown Manhattan late at night with your GPS fired up and ready for action, make sure you know by heart what to do when you come out the other side -- because GPS simply ain't happening in New York City. That said, TomTom's slickly designed and elegantly executed 720 is a seriously welcome addition to our navigational world, and frankly, we'll be sad to see the little guy go.
Griffin releases TuneFlex for iPod
I use a Griffin RoadTrip as an iPod charger/FM transmitter in my car. It works wonderfully, but there is one thing I don't like about it. While it allows me to swivel the iPod up and down, I can't move it left to right. The power outlet in my car is situated so that the iPod is essentially facing the passenger's seat, making it very difficult for me to read its screen. This is aggravating and dangerous at 65 m.p.h. The TuneFlex looks like it addresses this issue.It's a charger that mounts your iPod on a fully flexible arm that includes a line out port (if you have one of those cassette adapters) as well as room enough to attach an iTrip. Sure, you've got to buy two products to get auto charging and FM transmission, but that's much more desirable that hitting a telephone pole.The TuneFlex ships with a wired cassette adapter and a trial version of iFill. Check it out for $49.99US.
Report: iPods stealing radio listeners
When I read this article at Podcasting News, I immediately saw myself. The very first iPod accessory I really fell in love with was my original iTrip FM transmitter, which I bought a couple of years ago. I have since replaced it with a RoadTrip, but one thing remains the same: It comes with me each and every time I get into the car. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've listened to terrestrial radio in the past 2-3 years. I don't know about your town, but where I live, radio programming stinks. Why should I sit through six or seven songs I don't like, not to mention all those extremely annoying ads, just to hear one I do? Plus, thanks to podcasting, I can get many of the great NPR shows that I enjoy.Apparently, I'm not alone. According to Bridge Ratings, terrestrial radio's penetration could drop from 94% to 85% by 2010. Nearly 30% of respondents between the ages of 12 and 24 stated that Mp3 player use accounted for their abandoning radio. While I'm not in that demographic, I certainly share the sentiment. My iPod blows radio away.So, what's your take? Do you still listen to radio when your iPod is around?[Via Micro Persuasion]
