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Posted by: Cinderella

The sat nav that allows you to lock the doors of your home, switch off the lights and check on your pets...
from the front seat of your car





Checking up on the pets, switching off the bathroom lights and double locking the front door are rituals normally confined to the whirlwind rush before leaving for work every morning.

But a futuristic new device is taking the art of multi-tasking to new heights – by enabling people to take care of the household chores from the comfort of their car. A new navigation device to be launched next month creates a wireless connection between domestic appliances in the home and cars.

From switching on the heating to setting the DVD timer, the device enables drivers to carry out an array of domestic chores in their homes while driving their cars.
Locking doors and flicking lights on or off to deter burglars are other uses for the Strada F-Class, to be launched by Panasonic in Japan next month.
Real-time footage of the interior of the home can also be obtained via the device, enabling owners to quite literally keep an eye on their property – as well as their pets or other family members.

Meanwhile, an “on the way home” message can be sent from the car to family members at home, who can also track the location of the vehicle and estimate its arrival time.
Drivers merely touch an icon on a seven-inch flat screen installed in their car in order to activate a variety of pre-programmed commands in their home.
A remote control also enables drivers to use the commands from immediately outside the vehicle.

The new device, launched in two different sizes, aims to transform the car into a “second living room”, according to Panasonic.
“The two new models of the F-class are at this point the world's first car navigation system that includes the function of linking cars with homes,” said a spokeswoman.

“The F-class ranks as a high-end car navigation product in that it emphasizes on design, image quality, and a variety of features and functions.”
Having a second living room, however, comes with a hefty price tag. The device itself costs from around £1,750.
Further costs include its installation as well as the establishment of compatible technology connected to appliances in the home to create the home-car link.

To set up the system, homes must be wired up to a specific internet link with a specific server in order to create the connection between the home and the car' s navigation system, which is based on Bluetooth technology.
More conventional features of the new Strada F-Class models include GPS, DVD and MP3 playback, a mobile digital TV tuner, iPod link and a seven-inch plasma screen.

Panasonic is hoping to sell 8,000 devices a month in Japan following its launch and if it proves successful the company will consider exporting the system overseas to countries such as the UK - as long as the necessary wireless communications technology is in place. “Any place that has the network infrastructure that can support this kind of technology would be capable of enjoying the similar devices,” the spokeswoman added. “As long as the environment is set, these technologies can be introduced to places outside of Japan.”





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