Apps For Your Car

Top 5 Apps for your Car
By Josh Briggs

These days, technology has evolved to the point where imagination is the only thing slowing the gadget world down. Yet it seems like even our imaginations are running more and more rampant. The result: smartphones.

In this article we will look at iPhone applications available for your car. We know that you're probably thinking, "What's the big deal? Any app on an iPhone is accessible in the car." However, these five apps are specifically designed around motor vehicle operation. They cover a wide range of features and functions. Some are practical while others are just downright fun. So here are, in no particular order, the top five iPhone apps.

#5 - Carticipate
Carticipate brings fellow commuters together into a large social network of individuals looking to save money on fuel while also contributing to the environment by emitting less CO2 into the air in the form of emissions.

#4 - iGasUp
For just $2.99, iPhone users can download the iGasUp application and have updated gas station locations and fuel prices at their fingertips. The app gives users the 10 closest gas stations based on the phone's current location. This app is for US gas stations only.

#3 - Trapster
Have you ever driven down the road only to have an oncoming vehicle flashing its lights as you approach? Chances are someone is trying to warn you of a speed trap. If you have an iPhone, you won't have to rely on these visual signals from other drivers. With Trapster, you can scan your area for any known speed traps, police hang outs, speed cameras or even stop-light cameras.

#2 - TripAlyzer
TripAlyzer will let you know how well you're doing with your eco-friendly driving skills. After each trip, TripAlyzer can also give you a bottom line cost of how much you spent.

#1 - Dynolicious
If you have a hot rod, or at least you think you have what it takes to be the next John Force, Dynolicious may be the right iPhone application for you. Similar to other performance meters (some that cost hundreds of dollars) Dynolicious is the equivalent of having a radar gun, a drag strip timing mechanism and a dynamometer in the palm of your hand.

Source URL: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/automotive/5-iphone-car-apps.htm

Will electric vehicles survive Canadian winters??

Above is a photo of the MiEV - the Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle. Alternatives like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt offer options to consumers looking for non-gas-guzzling vehicles

An important question to ask is how these electric vehicles will fair over the course of a frigid Canadian winter. Batteries can lose 20-50% of their charge due to cold temperatures.

Websites like http://www.evcanada.org/ represent interest-group campaigns that promote the uptake of zero-emission vehicles by Canadians. But if these vehicles lose half their range for six months during the year, do they become impractical?

What do you think?

Dirty air box??

Does Your Air Box Need Cleaning?

By Matthew Wright, About.com Guide  May 5, 2011

Gunk is the enemy of your engine both inside and out. Your air filter catches lots of dust and larger particles that could potentially harm your engine, and you replace your air filter when it's dirty. But is that enough? The roads are unleashing an unending barrage of sticky stuff. Some of that is being sucked into your air filter housing, or air box. As this gunk builds up, it can adversely affect your car's performance. If you've never cleaned your air box, now's the time!

http://autorepair.about.com/b/2011/05/05/does-your-air-box-need-cleaning.htm

Boyd's new website a great success!

We’re very excited about the reception of our new website which went live last week! We’ve taken strides to improve our customers’ online experience and we are confident that the new site allows for easier navigation and new features!

Customers can now locate their nearest Boyd location through Google Maps by inputting their Address or Postal Code.

Our site now offers direction to help customers understand and move efficiently through the collision repair process. Employment opportunities with Boyd are accessible online as job postings will be updated regularly. We also share car care tips, a customer feedback channel, and highlights of some of Boyd’s community enrichment projects!

Finally, our new site now allows customers to book appointments online quickly and easily. Boyd’s Lifetime Guarantee continues to maintain confidence amongst our friends and visitors, assuring them of an excellent autobody repair experience. We invite you to visit our new site and look forward to serving you!

Myth or Truth: Does bird poo ruin the paint on your car? The answer is slightly more complex than you may think…

Study: Bird poo does not destroy your car's paint... at least not by itself

by Chris Shunk (RSS feed) on May 4th 2011 at 4:01PM

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/04/bird-poo-does-not-destroy-your-cars-paint-...

Every summer we're stuck with the same dilemma. We can park the car out in the sun, which will inevitably will lead to scorching hot interior temperatures. The alternative is to park under a shady tree, where birds will undoubtedly poop all over our freshly washed ride. We usually opt for the sun out of auto vanity, but at least we don't have to worry about bird poop messing with the paint.

We've heard that acid from the bird droppings is the reason for the doo-doo perforations, but a study by UK car care experts Autoglym reveals that the excrement is only part of the problem. The real culprit is the sun, which expands and warms the paint on your vehicle. When the sun hits that bird poop, the poo hardens at the same time the paint expands. When the sun sets and the vehicle cools, the paint then contracts and forms itself around the hardened crap.

If a bird does his or her business on your vehicle, the best thing to do is remove it, and fast. A moist cloth will do the trick in most instances, or if you're not into close encounters of the rectal kind, you could also hit the car wash. We would go into more detail, but we're thinking that's enough excrement talk for one day. You can, however, hit the jump for more detail via the Autoglym press release.

***The following is from a Press Release by Autoglym, a UK leader in vehicle care products***

Show full PR text

New research from Autoglym, the UK's leading car care experts, suggests that the familiar sight of car bodywork 'etched' by bird droppings are not the result of any corrosive property in the deposit, as is commonly believed. In fact, damage instead results from the paint lacquer contracting upon cooling and moulding to the uneven texture of the hardened deposit.

As paint lacquer warms – in the direct summer sunshine for example – it softens and expands. At the same time, that heat dries and hardens any bird droppings on the surface. Autoglym's researchers discovered that as the paint lacquer cools, overnight for example, it contracts, hardens and moulds around the texture of the bird dropping. To the naked eye, this moulding at a microscopic level appears as dulled or etched paintwork. The light's reflection is interrupted by the imperfect surface, unlike the undamaged paint surrounding it which gives a clearer reflection.

Autoglym's tests with strongly acidic, neutral and strongly alkali bird dropping substitutes highlighted negligible differences in the damage caused. However, differences in paint damage were noted when the substitute bird deposits had varying degrees of grain-to-liquid content. A grainier texture caused greater light distortion (dullness) when the paint moulded around it.

Wax and polish treatments – that protect against chemical attack from acid raid and UV sun damage, for example – provide limited protection from the paint moulding to bird droppings, although they will make them easier to remove. The longer the deposit remains on the bodywork, and the higher the temperatures, the harder the dried deposit will be, and the greater the propensity for the paint lacquer to mould to it as it cools. Bird dropping damage can only be prevented by motorists remaining vigilant and removing the deposit as soon as possible.

Autoglym's has outlined some tips for minimising the risk of damage from bird droppings:

- Remove the deposit at the earliest opportunity

- Motorists should use a moist cloth – Autoglym's Bird Dropping Wipes are ideal – to gently lift the deposit from the surface

- If the deposit is dry or doesn't lift easily, place a moist cloth over it for ten minutes to soften the deposit

- Dispose of any cloth or wipe used to remove bird droppings immediately and carefully wash your hands, as bird lime can harbour diseases

Paul Caller, CEO of Autoglym, said: "It's a great shame when an otherwise fabulous-looking car is blighted with a tell-tale patch of dull paint. As a result of this new research by our R&D team in Letchworth, we now understand why bird droppings are a frighteningly potent hazard to bodywork.

"As bird droppings become ever more prevalent through spring and into summer, motorists must be extremely vigilant to avoid permanent damage, especially those who park their cars under trees at home or at work. The only way to prevent the paint becoming noticeably tarnished is to carefully remove deposits as swiftly as possible."

Autoglym's Bird Dropping Wipes (RRP £5.25) – in a handy compact pack to keep in the car – are impregnated with a cleansing formulation to remove bird droppings quickly and safely.

More information about Autoglym's range of premium vehicle-care products, and details of nearby retailers, is available at www.autoglym.com or by calling 01462 677766.

[Source: Autoglym | Images: MyFavoritePetSitter – CC 2.0]