Solar Power Tire Pressure Gauge

I just got done playing with a nifty little automotive gadget, a solar power digital tire pressure gauge.  The auto gadget in question is from BudgetGadgets.com, which shipped from Hong Kong, so be prepared for a slighly longer lead time on your order.  That aside, this Digital Tire Pressure Gauge arrived in great condition and professionally packaged for the long haul.

As for the tire pressure gauge itself, it is a phenomenal little auto gadget.  It's well made, feels sturdy, and the plastic that it's made out of actually feels good in your hand.  Although a little large, it obviously would fit perfect in a glove compartment and since it's solar powered you never have to worry about keeping batteries changed.

Some features that I immediately noticed was the red LED light positioned right at the tip of the gauge.  This enabled easy finding of the valve stem in the dark or in poorly lit areas.  Likewise the digital screen is backlit with a low red glow which makes for easy reading in any light.

As for accuracy of the digital tire pressure gauge, it appeared spot on.  I checked pressures against a traditional tire pressure gauge and found no descrepancies, other than the digital being more specific.  Also, the readings were returned immediately, no waiting necessary so less of a chance to lose air when checking tire pressure.

All in all I would recommend this $7.34 auto gadget to anyone, even if you already have a traditional tire pressure gauge.  It definately makes a no brainer for my wife and serves as a pleasant reminder to keep our tires in proper pressure condition.  Visitors from The-Grayline.com are also able to get a coupon for their purchase by using the code CM5OFF4, which will give a 5% discount at checkout.

Looks like Toyota is taking another green move and will possibly be outfitting the Toyota Prius with a set of solar panels.  These panels would be equipped on a select number of Prius hybrids and would power things like A/C and other electronics on board.

"It's more of a symbolic gesture," said the person, who asked not to be identified because he was not allowed to speak publicly. "It's very difficult to power much more than that with solar energy."

It's a novel move to add the solar panels to the Toyota hybrid, but it really doesn't accomplish a whole lot.  Unfortunately, according to industry experts, technology has not come far enough to do a whole lot with solar energy.  The surface area required to produce significant energy is not condusive to cars and trucks yet, and it's barely suitable for homes.