Secret Global Positioning System tracking is a violation of the Fourth Amendment, says a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The amendment protects against unreasonable search and seizure. All nine justices ruled that a warrant is necessary to use GPS when tracking suspects in a criminal investigation.
Getting an aftermarket stereo used to be straightforward. Head down to the electronics store, pick a new unit, yank out your old stereo and install the replacement in a same-size dashboard cavity. Installation professionals could do it in a jiffy — and the resulting unit fit snugly, looked OK and brought you up to speed with the latest technology: a tape deck, a CD player and eventually an MP3 jack.
That's hardly the case today. Cars from the Ford Fiesta (above) to the Honda Accord integrate cutout-free stereos into ever-more seamless dashboards, but audio technology continues to improve faster than car companies update models. Market researcher NPD Group reports nearly a third of people already listen to music in their cars off a smartphone or MP3 player, and near-future systems boast complete smartphone integration. Today's new-car buyers don't have the easy ability to upgrade their stereos like they once did.
We’re still waiting for a navigation device that shows you where the open parking spots are, but until then, we’ll have to make do with the stuff tech companies showed off at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Maybe companies haven’t quite figured out that dream device yet, but some gadgets at the show did pique our interest. Here are some of the highlights.
On Wednesday, we laid out plans to take several navigation systems — the pricey factory systems in an Acura TSX, a BMW 3 Series and an Infiniti G37, plus a $180 handheld Garmin Nuvi 255W — and see how they dealt with a range of simple and challenging routes. We started easy, then threw in everything from pit stops and missed exits to recently constructed highways and brand-new housing developments.
The results were illuminating. By day’s end, each of the systems had stumbled at least once. But when we tallied the evaluation, BMW’s Harman-supplied system won the day.
We’ll explain.
Garmin International has issued a recall for about 796,000 GPS units in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The affected units are both aftermarket systems and factory-installed units placed in some Volvo, Volkswagen, Suzuki, Smart, Land Rover, Mazda, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz vehicles. One of the units is labeled Mopar as well, which is the replacement and accessory part maker for the Chrysler Group. A full list of the affected units is provided below.
A potential overheating issue triggered the recall. The batteries, in combination with a specific circuit board layout, can overheat, possibly causing a fire in the car. No reported failures have caused significant property damage or injuries yet, according to Garmin.
Garmin will notify owners of the affected systems, and technicians will repair the GPS units for free by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery. Owners can contact Garmin at 913-397-8200 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hot line at 888-327-4236.
Subscribe to our feed
Email us your tips!