GPS tracking capabilities as viewed from system computer console. - Contributed

Today, Automotives begin a new series of articles showcasing innovations and products within the auto market. If you have discovered a new product that works for you, don't hesitate to share it with us.

Email:editorial@gleanerjm.com.

Pit bull security

It is really hard to come to terms with the fact that your vehicle has been stolen. The feeling of violation, loss and inconvenience really hit home when you realise that your car is not where you parked it. If you come back to your beloved and your key finds a place to fit, consider yourself more than fortunate.

But if you can afford to, why take a chance? For just under $30,000, you can ensure protection for your pride and joy. Global positioning is one of the many ways you can do this. This tracking technology has been around for decades, and is available right here.

Through the miracle that is satellite technology, you can track your vehicle's whereabouts by employing the truly addressable, fully controllable ECU, offered by Island Navigation Systems Ltd.

This ECU will do everything but tie your socks. It will open your doors if you have locked your key inside your car, turn on your headlights, sound the alarm, open/close windows; all this wherever your car is in the WORLD. More important, it will initiate a sequence of events that will lead to your car's recovery, for the monitors can accurately determine its position within metres of its physical location. So you, too, can do your part against crime, wear a cape and all that. Island Navigation Systems Ltd also offers personal tracking services with packages starting at a shade under $27K.

Goodyear to offer Kelvar tyre

Now, this product has been out for a while, but we still heard of it first. Goodyear Jamaica earlier this year launched a product for SUVs that should really be at home on Jamaican roads. Called Silent Armour, it basically is like adding a bulletproof vest to your tyre.

Says Damien Satterthwaite, Goodyear Jamaica executive, "This new tyre technology will give consumers another Goodyear cutting-edge product ... Silent Armour has kevlar embedded in the tyre as one of the plies. It is a steel belted radial with 50,000-mile tread life that has the rest of the industry on its ear. The kevlar layer not only adds strength, it also contributes to quieter running tyre. Goodyear calls this new breed of Wrangler tyre 'the strong silent type' and it, too, is subject to our limited road hazard warranty." Prices start at around nine-10 grand per doughnut.

Scan tool

Automotive repair centres take note: the Asian invasion is about to affect the industry in a positive way. Deryck Gibson now has a universal scan tool that sells for roughly $261K that a lot of people in the know are turning on to. It is Internet-upgradeable; the upgrade modules will be available up to a year after purchase free of cost, and the unit will do Japanese and European spec vehicles, with data available up to the current model year, and has data for American vehicles up to 2003!

The unit is small enough to be called a hand-held device, yet carries much of the features that the big boys carry (such as Snap On and Launch) at a fraction of the cost. The kit comes with a carrying case loaded with most of the interface doodads that a shop proprietor will ever need. It has 128 MB onboard RAM, built in back light, sturdy shock-resistant rubber case, and lots more features that will endear it to the vehicle repair industry.