High tech car gadgets

KRISTIN AGOSTINELLI STAFF WRITER KMA724@CABRINI EDU

Increase in car sales among the popularity of bringing your personal life with you in your car has spawned a new wave of technology. Everything from hooking up your own iPod to your radio, Onstar navigational systems, touchscreen computerized navigational systems, XM radio and even DVD players have been slowly creeping their way onto the scene.

Getting these installed is an easy task if not already included in your vehicle. Bring your car into your dealership and they will personally install it for you, however, if purchasing a brand new car, most dealerships will ask if you would like to have any other personal features installed for you, although most equipment is installed upon request of the owner.

Most consumers looking to buy a new car do not specifically ask for features that are not already installed on their vehicle of choice, but they do inquire about the new installation of XM radio that is now available in your car as well as your home said Del Chevrolet car salesman Samuel Cappelli.

XM radio came onto the scene in mid 2002. Since then, GMC has been committed to establishing this system in its cars to better sales and consumer happiness. XM radio is offered in over 50 models including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn. Three trial months of the XM service are offered to customers at no charge or obligation to buy the product right away. A limited warranty also comes along with the product when purchasing a new vehicle and car dealers will be happy to demonstrate XM radio in your desired car if interested at no cost.

There are 68 XM channels and is completely commercial free. There is also a huge variety of channels including “the best in music, news, sports, talk, comedy, traffic, weather and more” according to Del Chevrolet.

On-star and touch-screen navigational systems have helped out consumers for years, yet are just now beginning to become popular. Among parents and those beginning to conquer the real world, such as us budding college students, On-star navigational systems are used to contact help if in an accident or for instances as simple as locking your keys inside your car, which most of us have done one time or another. Other features include roadside directions no matter what the destination and personal calling. Through a “virtual-advisor” there is a hands-free, voice-activated wireless cell phone that is automatically built into your vehicle.

On-star also offers personal calling plans to its customers as well. The plans range in price from 30 minutes and 12 months for $13.99 and 1,000 minutes and 12 months for $299.99.

According to onstar.com, by the year 2007, On-star will be standard on all cars and trucks sold in the United States and Canada.

On-star is a feature that most customers would like to have, and is considerably the most reliable if in an accident. If a person were in an accident and could not get to their phone, they could get through to an On-star advisor who could contact 911 in an emergency said Jim, head manager at Del Chevrolet.

Although this is an avid feature among customers wanting to buy a new car, and will soon become typical by the year 2007, the entertainment business has now completely taken over the car and truck business. Teens and twenty-somethings throughout the country are learning how to hook up their iPod to their radios in order to get access to even more songs than they already have.

One would think that On-star and touch-screen systems would be the most popular, yet Americans seem more interested in amusement while driving, than the actual safety of driving. Technology has enabled us not to be bored while on the road, thus creating a new market for product testers to create newer, marketable products that satisfy the customer. which is code for, “naked in front of the computer.” Parents should be aware of “POS,” or “parents over shoulder.” Perhaps the most startling is BOHICA, which means “bend-over here it comes again.”

The entertainment business is booming due to the new products that enable us to be entertained while driving. Radio is now a thing of the past, while iPods, MP3 players, and DVDs provide entertainment for long car rides.

“There would be a probability that I would buy a car that had features such as On-star, not so much the MP3 player, but there would be a bigger chance that I would buy a car with XM radio or On-star in it” said Lindsey Bullick, sophomore elementary education major. The market is mainly directed towards a younger age, as opposed to an older generation. The main idea is to make money, just as in any other market. While On-star is for safety features, XM radio and MP3 players provide enjoyment for the driver and their passengers.

Either inside or outside the car, MP3 players, iPods and XM radio still pull in millions of dollars for the business. While safety is not taking a backseat to entertainment, it is becoming easier for consumers like us to not have to worry about. Protection is the first thing in mind for parents wanting safety features for their children when buying a mini-van, but to young adults everywhere, bragging about having On-star in your new Lincoln Navigator or Hummer sounds “old” compared to having XM radio, MP3 player, or a DVD installed for your pleasure. In the next few years having these features will become more and more the norm, but for now they are a new trend that is all the rage.

Sophomore history major Charles Jaxel is a constant instant-messenger user. He admits to using online lingo, but is shocked at the new updated acronyms.

“I had no idea that kids were using such foul terms online. It is just sickening. It makes me not want to have kids. If I do though, I’ll definitely watch what my kids are talking about online,” Jaxel said.

The countless hours children spend chatting on their buddy lists has trained them to resist the normal rules of grammar, spelling and punctuation. Lately, the younger crowd has journeyed into the world of acronyms with their buddies.

Youths no longer exercise simple online lingo like “LOL, laugh out loud” or “BRB, be right back”; it has developed into a language much more sophisticated. Five and six letter acronyms are now used that substitute for an entire sentence.

The issue that has been raised recently is negative connotations that go side-by-side with the acronyms. Some new shocking discoveries of current online lingo reported by MSNBC: “GYPO,” means “get your pants off.” Talk dirty to me is substituted with, “TDTM.” Another acronym is “NIFOC”

Achild getting into trouble on the Internet has always been a top concern of the parents. The Internet can potentially be a breeding ground for sexual predators and explicit material that should not be viewed by younger eyes.

Alicia MacGregor is a gradeschool teacher and mother of three young children. She was completely unaware of this current online lingo. “This is just one more danger for my children to get into and for me to worry about. Maybe I’ll just hold-off on getting that new computer we were going to buy until they have matured,” MacGregor said.

The new codes that children use for communicating are vague and are tough for parents to regulate. In the hectic lives of parenting children, it may seem unrealistic to monitor everything a child does. For safety reasons, it is imperative that parents stay involved in their children’s lives and pay attention to what they are doing.