Bringing an older car into the 21st century
Q. I purchased the VicTsing Bluetooth adapter you recommended and it felt great to bring my older car into the 21st century. Are there any other products you have tested that can add safety features to my car, like blind spot warning?
— J.T., Flushing, N,Y. A. I have not tested any aftermarket blind spot warning systems, but I did try a product called Hudly Classic ($299) that allows you to add a head-up display to a vehicle. A head-up display projects information on your windshield (or on to a display on the windshield) allowing you to get remaining fuel speed and navigation information without diverting your eyes from the road. Hudly works with smartphone apps such as Waze and Google Maps, and is compatible with iPhones and Android phones that support MHL.
TheHudly unit has some weightto it, but mounting it doesnot present much of a challenge.It is powered by anordinary power socket or thecar’s OBD2 port. If you tryHudly and like it, I suggestfinding a car stereo shop toconnect it to the OBD2 portand hide the wires, makingfor a cleaner, more permanentinstallation.
Hudly is fun, useful and works well. Customers are raving about it also, so apparently it has found a niche to fill. The success of Hudly has led the manufacturer to introduce new versions such as Hudly Wireless for $219 and Hudly Lite, which is only $59. (gethudly.com)
ROCCAT Kahn AIMO 7.1 High Resolution RGB gaming headset: I have had a few requests for affordable gaming headset recommendations, and the ROCCATKhan AIMO fits the bill. I enlisted the help of a J.D., a friend who is an avid gamer, to assist me in the evaluation.
Theheadset is lightweightand comfortable, thoughthe light weight keepsthem from having a totally solid feel. The braided USBcord feels strong and flexible.The mic mutes whenyou flip it into an uprightposition, and the headphoneshave a built-in sound card that creates virtual 7.1 surroundsound. Having a built-insound card adds to thevalue equation and eliminatesthe need to buy anotherpiece of hardware.
J.D. had this to say: “I used the headphones for a few hours with two of the top first person shooter [FPS] games, Fortnite and Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds. The main things these headphones do well is allow you to pinpoint where a sound is coming from via the 7.1 virtual surround. That is arguably the most important thing in any FPS, and the Khan AIMO does an admirable job.
“TheROCCAT Swarm software provides an equalizer with presets for different genres. When selecting ‘FPS’ in the settings I could notice a difference. The ambient noise in the game was reduced, and the sounds that matter like shots and player movement were clearer and easier to pick up. I noticed no discomfort during a 6-hour session of play and like any good headset, once you are engaged in the game it’s hard to even tell you have a headset on.”
The headphones are a great value at $100 to $120 street price. (roccat.org)