Coolest gadgets to take your current car high-tech

Thursday, July 30, 2015
Trick out your ride with cool car gadgets
Trick out your ride with cool car gadgets

Many of us aren't in the market for a new car, but we still want the bells and whistles that a new car has to offer. Well, now a few gadgets can have you on the road to high-tech in no time.

First, we know fiddling with our phones while behind the wheel is dangerous. So, a car mount is a good option. A magnetic strip goes on the back of the phone and on the dashboard to keep the phone, especially while using navigation, in eye's view. Mounts range in price from $19.99 to $34.99.

Hands-free talking is also a popular feature in vehicles today. Alex Santos with Car Toys Corp. said, "If you don't have bluetooth in your car, we can take out your factory radio, install this that gives you bluetooth for hands-free talking, audio streaming, and HD radio."

Hands-free talking systems range from a couple hundred dollars up to $600 for a platinum version.

"It's got bluetooth for hands-free talking, audio streaming, and if you have an iPhone, it will mirror your iPhone onto your screen. It's got navigation," Santos added.

Also, consider your car's security. "We can install alarms and remote starts into any vehicle. You can actually remotely unlock, lock, and remote start vehicle here in Texas, and you can be in Florida, as long as you have a smart start system," explained Santos.

The coolest part? You can start your car, even set your alarm from an app on an iPhone, Blackberry, or Android. It's a bit pricy but for many, well worth it, says Santos. "It starts at $199 and goes up to $749, with security and remote start."

Finally, to keep the kids occupied and you connected, consider a hot spot for your car. A hot spot is a mobile Wi-Fi device that becomes part of your mobile phone coverage. No matter what provider, your device will hook up to Wi-Fi just like a phone would. A mobile hot spot can hold up to 10 devices and will add $10 to $30 to your current phone bill, depending on the size data plan you choose and use.