Navdy is the Heads Up Display (HUD) for Older Cars That Want to Upgrade

This is Navdy's first heads up display design. There might be minor cosmetic touch-ups before the final product is released.

Preorder Now - $299US (Full Price $499US)

Release Date - Early 2015

San Francisco-based company Navdy is offering a solution for people with older cars since. For $499, it's come up with a flat projector you can mount to the top of your dashboard with a heads-up display that shows you key information like navigation and caller ID. It combines that with an infrared camera and microphone that watches and listens for hand gestures and voice commands so you can control your phone without taking it out of your pocket. Think of it like eyes and ears for your phone, and one that you can use with multiple cars.

Navdy's big sell is to let you see certain apps and notifications in a single or split view, something you might not get on your smartphone. If you're driving with directions turned on and get a call, Navdy splits those things up on its screen. You don't miss out on where the next turn is supposed to be, and avoid having voice commands interjecting into your call from your navigation app. The same goes for texts and emails: if you get either, they'll pop up on the right while directions continue to run; and if you want them read out loud, you just speak a voice command or use a gesture.

Now you can be more aware of your surroundings while interacting with your smartphone contacts.

"We think this is the first time head up display technology has been combined with touch-less gesture recognition, and also a real head up display that works in cars offered on the market. There's kind of a lot of things that we've had to pull together, and the combination of those things really creates a magic experience that's far better than the individual pieces." 

-Doug Simpson, Navdy chief executive 

By Josh Lowensohn

HP Teams Up With Designer Michael Bastian For A Luxury Smartwatch

The current batch of smartwatches are boring rectangular slabs lacking in excitement and style. HP is looking to change that by teaming up with renown designer Michael Bastian and Gilt, a designer retail site.

Potential Features:

• Round watch face
• 44mm stainless steel case
• Inlaid button controls on the bezel
• Primarily function: notification hub; alerts about stocks, the weather and sports; see incoming calls, texts and email; and relay reminders about calendar appointments from the phone. It will also work as a remote control for music apps.
• Compatible with both iOS and Android phones
• 7 whole days of battery life (would compete with the Pebble and Sony Smartwatch 2)
• Release date Fall 2014
• Price: US $300+

"A watch like this should provide men with quick, simple, accurate information at a glance, much like the displays and dials of a car dashboard — you can almost think of it as a personal dashboard for your digital life.The watch's interchangeable straps in perforated leather, nylon and rubber even reflect this inspiration." -Michael Bastian

Startup Seeo Creates Safer Next-Gen Lithium Battery

The unnerving capability of lithium ion batteries to catch on fire emerged as headline news last month, as Boeing was forced to ground its futuristic 787 Dreamliner FLEET after two batteries caught on fire. But the next generation of lithium ion batteries are promising to be safer, and a few of them are already starting to be used in real-world situations in the power grid, electric vehicles and gadgets.

Six-year-old startup Seeo — which is backed by Vinod Khosla, Google Ventures and others — has installed its first battery system to act as energy storage in conjunction with a solar panel system developed by SunEdison, according to Seeo CEO Hal Zarem, who I interviewed last week. The solar battery installation is a trial for now, but a sizable one: on the level of kilowatts and tens of kilowatts, explained Zarem. For comparison’s sake, the Nissan LEAF uses a 24 kilowatt hour battery, while an average cell phone will use 2,000 to 3,000 milliamp hour batteries (far smaller than a kilowatt hour of capacity).

Batteries, like the one Seeo has installed for SunEdison’s solar system, can act as storage for the energy produced by solar panels, so that when the sun goes down (or behind a cloud) the battery can then offer up the stored power. Utilities, building owners and even home owners are starting to see the benefits of having battery storage systems connected to solar systems, because power can be far more smooth and reliable. Likewise solar installer SolarCity has been working with Tesla’s batteries to sell a home battery system with its solar panels in certain markets.

THE NEXT GEN-TECH