Category: Safety

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From Autoblog: Report: Disco ball-inspired side-view mirror eliminates the blind spot

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The view behind a Drexel University professor has never looked better, wider or less distorted than with his all-new rear view mirror that eliminates blind spots.

“Imagine that the mirror’s surface is made of many smaller mirrors turned to different angles, like a disco ball,” said R. Andrew Hicks, a mathematics professor at Drexel, who received a patent on his mirror in May.

Hicks developed an algorithm to control the angle light bounces off the mirror making his curved mirror not act like a curved mirror. The mirror has a field of view of 45 degrees, while most regular rear view mirrors on cars have a field of view between 15 and 17 degrees.

While offering a much wider view, the mirror will not make it onto new U.S. vehicles any time soon. Mirrors on the driver’s side must be completely flat. Ford has one solution for federal regulations with its blind spot mirror, which is regular mirror that includes a convex spotter mirror in the upper left-hand corner.

But judging by photos, Hicks’ mirror offers a much cleaner and less distorted view. It can be sold as an aftermarket accessory, and Hicks has had some interest from manufacturers in producing it.

 

from Autoblog

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From Lifehacker: DIY Automatic Wearable Turn Signals Make Sure Everyone Knows Before You Turn

When you’re biking, it’s important to signal the other vehicles on the road—cars and bikes alike—when you’re going to turn, change lanes, or make any other movements that may put you in harm’s way. Unfortunately, few people know hand signals anymore, so Instructables user CTY1995 decided to make hiw own wearable turn signals that he could put on his arms and turn on by lifting his arm up from his side. More »
 

from Lifehacker

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From Ars Technica: $422,000 to stream a movie? The continued “success” of phone cramming

If you were watching Mulholland Drive on your phone, it probably wasn’t through Streaming Flix.
Aurich Lawson

From July 2009 until December 2010, a Minneapolis-based company called Streaming Flix allegedly hit on a hugely profitable business model—slapping steep monthly fees for its online movie service on the phone bills of 253,269 customers. In total, $9.7 million was billed in that year and a half. How many movies did Americans watch after spending all that cash? 23.

That’s no typo—and it means an average of $422,000 was spent each time someone streamed a film. It also suggests that 99.99 percent of the people paying monthly fees for the service weren’t using it.

Perhaps that’s why the very first Google hit for “Streaming Flix” points to a question from one Barbara G. She wants to know what the company is and why “I am being billed for it with my AT&T bill but did not sign up for it?” The situation grew so bad that the FBI opened a probe of Streaming Flix and its related companies. In December 2010, the Bureau asked the public to send in complaints about the company.

 

from Ars Technica

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From Autoblog: Report: Texting Mass teen found guilty of vehicular homicide

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Texting while driving court ruling video

If for some reason you still don’t think that texting while driving is a bad idea, here’s a story for you. Aaron Deveau, age 17, was allegedly composing a text message when his car crossed the center line of a Massachusetts street, hitting a car head-on. In that car was Daniel Bowley, Jr. and his girlfriend, Luz Roman. Bowley Jr. suffered massive injuries in the crash, and after spending 18 days in a Boston hospital, died as a result of the injuries.

According to Boston.com, a Haverhill, Massachusetts judge sentenced Deveau to “concurrent sentences of two and a half years on a charge of motor vehicle homicide and two years for a charge of negligent operation of a motor vehicle causing serious injury while texting” earlier this week.

After noting Deveau’s age and lack of any criminal record, the judge later ordered the 17-year-old to serve one year in the Essex County House of Corrections, suspending the other sentences. Deveau was originally arrested in 2011, following the crash that took place in February of that year.

“If I could take it back, I would take it back. I just want to apologize to the family,” Deveau stated during the trial. During his testimony, Deveau reportedly claimed that he was not texting during the time of the crash and could not recall texting while driving.

Luz Roman (pictured above), who survived the crash, spoke out during the hearings, and spoke to Boston.com after the sentencing, which you can see in the video below. “This has been giving me a lot of pain, there are no words to describe,” Roman told Boston.com. Scroll downfor the rest of her commentary, as well as some thoughts from Bowley’s son.

 

from Autoblog