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Show High-tech gadgets, driving don't mix By John K. Omohundro correspondent The Signpost According to CNN.com, the Federal Government warned U.S. automakers about installing new high-tech gizmos and gadgets in new cars. In a study released in December, Harvard researchers estimated that one in twenty traffic accidents involved a driver who was talking on a cell phone. However, the data and the way they went about collecting the data was found to be faulty by the cell phone industry, CNN said. "General Motors and other car makers arc doing all that they can to make their new vehicles as safe as they can," John Kelly, said WSU's GM instructor with the automotive department. Kelly added that cell phones, which are incorporated into many of GM's top of the line models, are hands-free systems, which mute the car or truck's sound system while it Anderson recalled the rise of Atari and games such as Pac-man, Frogger and Donkey Kong. The Atari 2600 featured an 8-bit CPU with a clock speed of 1.19MHz, 16 color graphics, and 128 bytes of RAM. Next, in 1985 came the Nintendo "Entertainment System. The NES also featured an 8-bit CPU, but with a clock speed of 1.79MHz, 16 color graphics, and 2KB of RAM. It would become the highest selling video game system in history. The NES was followed by 16-bit systems such as the Super NES and Sega Genesis. The clock speed continued to increase up to 7.6MHz in the Genesis in 1989. RAM increased, as did color and sound capabilities. it.; 7 is in use, which reduces distractions while driving. Kelly also mentioned a new hightech gadget designed to help increase the driver's safety. A clear screen mounted in the windshield uses infrared vision to allow the driver to see approximately twice as far ahead as the headlight range. "This feature is awkward at first but it can detect an animal in your path or near it, allowing for a greater stopping distance," Kelly said. Additionally, an audio system combined with Global Position Systems can tell a driver how far a specific turn is and when to take it, allowing the driver to keep his or her eyes on the road. If a driver overshoot a turn, the GPS will recalculate the course. "Sometimes over the process of driving a certain routine, we gain more confidence in our driving ability and feel we can do more things while driving which is not what we would do while taking a driver's education test," said Robert C. Wadman, WSU assistant professor continued from page 5 The 1990s saw a rapid increase in technology as processors moved from 16-bit to 32-bit systems, and more recently, 64-bit systems. Now, the Xbox features a 1 28-bit processor with a clock speed of 733MHz, and 64 MB of RAM. The technology may have changed, but the addiction remains the same. Dixon recalls the weekend his grandfather passed away. "I went to bed at 3 to get up for the funeral at 7," he said about one Halo party. "We affectionately call the day after the Halo hangover." Dixon, however, doesn't have an Xbox of his own. "If I had an Xbox, I'd probably flunk out of school." You can leave a message for correspondent Spencer Hilton by calling 626-7624. of graduate studies. Also, safety depends on the type of call especially during an emergency. He mentioned that common sense should prevent people from doing or using things they know are unsafe while driving. The federal government shouldn't have to make laws to enforce what responsible drivers should be doing. However, Wadman said, if an automaker incorporates a specific device, high-tech or not, and it comes to pass that the device was found to be responsible for causing deaths or serious accidents, that particular automaker will find itself in litigation. "If high-tech gadgets get in the way of drivers safety and multiple deaths happen as a result, and the automakers don't fix the problems, we might see the federal government step in and produce legislation to regulate or ban such devices," said Travis C. Butler, WSU junior. You can leave a message for correspondent John Omohundro by calling 626-7624. mm mmmm mmmm 'iljlfiu mm m m msmmm New way By Hailey Watanabe correspondent The Signpost Satellite radios make it possible for travelers to listen to whatever music they want from coast to coast. The major companies marketing this new innovation are XM Radio and Sirius Radios. Brett Ward of Young Pontiac, Cadillac, GMCTruck in Layton, said that to order factory installation of a satellite radio on a vehicle would cost $325. The price of the satellite radio can be financed along with a car and paid in the same installments. There is also a service fee of $9.95 a month. The option to have satellite radio is available in twenty-three 2003 models. But it is too soon to tell if satellite radios will replace standard CD players in cars, Ward said. Isaac Maw, an Ogden resident who works at Ken Garff Motors on Riverdale Road.has never seen a "younger kid" buy one. The average college or high school student can't afford it. mmm I TIAA rj jCREFp to listen According to Maw, other options are available, such as the cheaper Pontiac line, which can include the satellite radios. The same system is also available in Cadillac models, which are popular with the upper middle class those aged forty to early fifty. Satellite radios come with 100 channels, 30 of which are commercial free. Because the music is captured digitally through satellite, the sound is as clear as possible. "It's just like the music channels on digital cable. You get all kinds of music without the hassle of commercials with most of them. It's a great car feature," Maw said. Jeff Thompson, WSU junior, recently purchased a . car and was offered the choice of putting satellite radio in his used Denali, but declined. "If they didn't cost so much, I 'would go for it, but until then, I'll take a CD player with anti-shock for when I go off-roading, or hit construction, whichever comes first," Thompson said. You can leave a message for correspondent Hailey Watanabe by calling 626-7624. |