Can't seem to pry your eyes away from your smartphone, even when you're behind the wheel? Nissan might have a solution.
The automaker on Tuesday showed off the Smart Shield, an armrest in the Nissan Juke lined with a Faraday Cage. "Once a mobile phone is placed in the compartment, the Nissan Signal Shield creates a 'silent zone,' blocking all of the phone's incoming and outgoing cellular, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connections," Nissan explained.
Invented by physicist Michael Faraday in 1836, Faraday Cages are shielded metal enclosures that block electric fields. In this case, just place your phone in Nissan's compartment and it will basically be like the device is in airplane mode. When you reach your destination, open the compartment to see all your messages and missed calls.
Nissan said the Signal Shield is just a prototype, but the carmaker hopes it could one day offer a real solution to reduce driver distractions. Sure, you could always rely on your own willpower or desire not to die and/or kill someone as motivation to quit looking at your phone while driving. On the other hand, the lure of an unread message is sometimes hard pass up; that's where the Signal Shield comes in.
Related
- How to Make Your Own Faraday CageHow to Make Your Own Faraday Cage
Distracted driving is a huge problem. A study released last month by analytics firm Zendrive found that "Americans use their phones nearly every single time they get behind the wheel," or during 88 percent of trips.
"Every day, that's the equivalent of people behind the wheel talking or texting on 5.6 million car rides from our sample alone," Zendrive wrote in a blog post. "When extrapolated for the entire US driving population, the number goes up to roughly 600 million distracted trips a day."
Meanwhile a separate study released last month by the US Governors Highway Safety Association found that pedestrian deaths increased 11 percent last year, and smartphones are partially to blame.
Nissan's best-selling SUV just happens to share a name with the iconic Rogue One movie, and the company is doing everything it can to milk it.
Leaked documents show that Uber's autonomous vehicles can't even go a mile, on average, before a human safety driver needs to assume control.
Google's parent company is learning how to identify bad comments so publications can foster better conversations.
The FF 91 might be more than the fragile company can deliver on right now.
Relax Nissan Fights Distracted Driving With Faraday Cage Armrest stories
It runs Android 7.0, costs $109, uses a 2.5-inch display, and is already fully-funded on Kickstarter.
A new report from market research firm eMarketer reveals that US adults are now spending more than half their day — a total of 12 hours and 7 minutes, on average — consuming media.
The speed boost is made possible by optimizations to AT&T's existing data network, and will roll out to additional cities this year.
The app store will also shutdown in December, but devices should continue to function.
Samsung is insisting this is not a design fault and can be fixed with some settings tweaks, but some owners disagree.
The study, released today by analytics firm Zendrive, found that 'Americans use their phones nearly every single time they get behind the wheel.'
Qualcomm is also the recipient of a lawsuit from Apple and the subject of multiple government investigations into its business practices.
Nissan's best-selling SUV just happens to share a name with the iconic Rogue One movie, and the company is doing everything it can to milk it.
Who makes the best phones? What's the best mobile operating system? Which carrier do our readers like best? Our latest Readers' Choice survey reveals all.
Artificial intelligence will make the electronic devices of tomorrow smarter, but not if their processors—made by companies like ARM—aren't up to the task.
Pro tip: Don't play around with your charging iPhone while taking a bath, or you might die.
It took Microsoft five years to become a full-fledged competitor to Dell and HP.
The company gives a little more information about its plans to the US Senate.
Microsoft built a walled garden for Windows 10 S -- with a $49 emergency exit.
Software doesn't have to be expensive for small to midsize businesses (SMBs). To help you celebrate National Small Business Week, here are 20 free tools to get your SMB up and running.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company will be adding 3,000 employees to 'review the millions of reports we get every week, and improve the process for doing it quickly.'
If you're in LA, this interactive map can help you pick a safer route to work.
A Facebook staffer said 'code written by women was rejected much more frequently than code written by their male colleagues.' Facebook says she's working with incomplete data.
HBO ends its long-standing deal with Amazon as it concentrates on its own streaming service.
If you get annoyed by Steam's slow customer service, Valve wants you to know there are 75,000 other folks waiting in line.
Sprint's free box magnifies signals from its high-speed towers for better coverage inside your home.