This time we have some neat accessories for and around your car. First we’re going to start over here with what’s called the SideWinder. You never have to worry about a dead cell phone battery again, because with a SideWinder you can crank it and actually charge the dead battery on your cell phone. It does a great job.

Next, we have what’s called the HotShot. Now the HotShot, well, it doesn’t make any difference what part of the country you live in. If you life in the north, this is wonderful in the winter to melt ice and snow off of the windshield. In the south, well, bugs are a problem, and what does this do? Well, it heats the windshield washer solvent so that the bugs or the ice and snow, they go away almost immediately. What a neat idea.

Here’s something if you have a short bed pickup, or even a long bed for that matter, and you need to extend the load carrying capability, as far as the length goes. This is called a HITCHHAND, and it fits into the receiver on the back of the truck, and it’s adjustable. You can adjust it in a number of different ways. And it extends your ability to carry long loads. It’s a very, very clever idea there.

All right, here we have TripGrips. Now these fit on your steering wheel and they’re gel filled, so it makes it more comfortable to drive. It reduces vibration in the steering wheel and so on. But even above and beyond that, you can squeeze these for exercise while you’re driving. How about that?

Well, here’s something, if you have an older pet, or even if they aren’t older, this is the PetSTEP, and it makes it real easy for your pets to climb up into the vehicle, especially if you happen to have a sport utility or a pickup that sits a little higher in the air. Very, very handy.

And over here we have Auto Tats. Now Auto Tats are decals that go onto the vehicle. We’ve applied the red one on this truck. It looks pretty neat and come in a kit. Many, many different designs, so you pick a design that you like, and there you go. They’re real easy to install, too.

Last but not least, this is a very clever idea. This is a belt, and they come in different shapes and so on, different materials. But the real part of it is that they’re made from old seatbelt buckles. So you get a classic seatbelt buckle built onto a belt. They’re from Waisted Designs. Very neat.

If you have a question or comment, write to me.  The address is MotorWeek, Owings Mills, MD, 21117.