CobraElectronics
Latest
Cobra Electronics Joyride hands-on
We checked out CES Unveiled tonight and Cobra Electronics was there to show off the goods it announced a couple days ago. Among the items of interest was the JoyRide, a car charger that, with its companion app (available for free on the Android Market), allows you to maneuver around aspects of your phone without even touching it. Here's how it works: there's a button on the charger that can be quick-tapped or long-pressed, and by going into the app you can assign a specific program to either of those actions -- in other words, you can tell the app that you want to go into your music player just by long-pressing the JoyRide button. Additionally, you can tell the app to perform tasks whenever you connect or disconnect your phone to the charger; for instance, you can tell the phone to automatically hook up to Bluetooth as soon as you plug it into the JoyRide. The app is still in beta status at the moment and should be ready to hit the mainstream for $40 sometime in Q2. Look underneath for screenshots and images.Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Cobra Electronics unveils Cobra Tag G5 ahead of CES
In advance of the official start of CES 2012, Cobra Electronics has introduced a follow-up to its Cobra Tag dubbed the G5. The latest iteration of the Tag, which is a bluetooth device that pairs up to your phone and triggers alarms of your choosing when the two items become separated, now takes advantage of the Bluetooth 4.0 Low-Energy standard. This means the Tag will now offer more than six months of use before requiring another charge, and is interoperable with the Bluetooth 4.0-capable iPhone 4S in addition to its usual list of Android devices. Cobra expects to begin shipping the G5 sometime in Q2, and will maintain its predecessor's asking price of $60. Look below to read the full press release.
Cobra JoyRide car charger automatically flips your phone into Car Mode when you get on the road
Most Android phones offer a Car Mode app, either built-in or at least through the Market. Going into this Mode, however, can often take additional steps that slows you down if you're trying to get on the road in a hurry. Cobra Electronics has announced a way to get around this hurdle: a car charger. More specifically, it's the Cobra JoyRide, and should be available in Q2 of this year for $40. Here's how it works: as soon as you climb into your car and plug your Android phone into the JoyRide, it automatically triggers a companion app that pulls up your own customized Car Mode with several options you can switch around yourself. We're hoping to have some hands-on time with the JoyRide next week at CES, so stay tuned. In the meantime, feel free to check out the press release below. Update: Check out our hands-on here.
Cobra iPhone radar detector useful for dodging tickets, driving recklessly
Your iPhone or iPod touch can handle a lot of tasks in your car. We use them as GPS navigators, MP3 players, and as a way to keep the kids from killing each other in the back seat. Now Cobra, that long-time creator of automobile radar detectors, has come up with a very useful device and app that might keep you from getting your driver's license revoked. Cobra iRadar (US$169.95) uses Bluetooth to link an iOS app running on an iPhone or iPod touch and an iRadar detector unit. The app alerts drivers to speed and red light cameras, speed traps, and intersections with a history of accidents. Visual alerts show up on the iPhone, noting the type of radar or laser being used to track your speed. From the app, drivers can also control the settings on the radar detector. Cobra touts the iRadar as the "most user-friendly detector device ever created," and the iOS interface seems intuitive to use. The iRadar could be the perfect Christmas gift for the iPhone-toting leadfoot in your family. Please note that radar detector use may not be legal in some jurisdictions. TUAW reminds all our readers to always avoid distractions, focus on the road and drive prudently and safely. [via iLounge, Engadget]
