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Up until know a couple of separate services have existed to help you avoid costly traffic tickets, the two I’m thinking of being standalone radar detectors and smartphone applications like Trapster that rely on users reporting known speed traps and red-light cameras that your phone alerts you to based on location data. Cobra iRadar is the marriage of the two technologies twice better.
Not only do you get a full-service hardware radar that is completely controllable and programmable via your Android smartphone, but you also get access to Cobra’s database of known police hangouts and pesky traffic cameras. The best part is, unlike similar single-service applications, the iRadar automatically reports speed traps back to their database providing the most up-to-date and accurate map of traps without requiring the user to do anything.
At CES we got a little walkthrough of the app, though obviously we couldn’t get a full a demo on the show floor. The Android version will be out in the Spring, but there is some investment up front with the purchase of the required Bluetooth-connected radar detector. It still comes in cheaper in many cases than a standalone detector (the iPhone version costs about $100) and does a lot more, so if you are serious about being a reckless driver and getting away with it, this looks like a great route to go. Check it out below:
This looks like a good idea. The only problem is you have to have Bluetooth and it cost way to much. I can get cheaper units for far less and have it do what I want it to do.
I know a good way of avoiding tickets…
$129 is a good deal, that’s the price of one speeding ticket nowdays somewhere in Nigerlandia (Atlanta, GA) where I got my 1st ticket while sitting at a stop light after 15yrs of flawless driving.
Naturally, i’d only buy it after it comes out and reading some good reviews
@Brad, they make Android phones that don’t have Bluetooth?
I thought radar detectors were illegal? Or its that only in certain states? Where I grew up, if you got caught with one, you would get a hefty fine…
In which countries are radar detectors legal? Here in the Netherlands they’re illegal, as are radar detector detectors.
Teresa, they are legal in most of the states. I do know they are illegal in VA though
there legal here in arizona.
#3 Perfect Driver,
Nigerlandia? Really? You do know it’s 2011 right? Those opinions are the kind you should keep to yourself.
Hope you get pulled over and sent to Fulton Co. Jail so you can mingle with all the “Nigerlandians”. They’ll make your brown eye blue.
People like you are the reason we need some form of population control.
Virginia and DC are the only states that have criminalized the possession of radar detectors.
Its not illegal to posess radar detectors in va. It is illegal to use/sell radar detectors in va.
“Radar” detectors are pretty much useless these days as cops don’t use Radar anymore. They use Laser. And when you get hit by laser its too late. The only way around this is a laser jammer but I wouldn’t want to get caught with one.
Cobra radar detectors don’t have a anything on my Escort Redline. I’ve researched them a lot. Cops do use laser but the escort is so sensitive it picks up other cars being targeted
Radar detectors are very useful still if you butmy the good units like, Valentine 1, escort and beltronics. Cobra units however are crap! Some states do however just use laser, but most states both radar and laser.Don’t listen to Bandroid! Check out radardetector.net for real info
The concept is great. The radar detectors suck. I worked for years selling radar detectors and I can tell you that Cobra pales in comparison to Escort, Beltronics and even Valentine.
Here is a little additional education on radar detectors, etc:
Many police use laser which is virtually undetectable unless they are pointing it at your car and pulling the trigger. At that point it’s too late – they have your speed. Laser is so narrow and pinpointed that if they shoot the car ahead of you or next to you that you will not pick up the signal. If the cop is using laser, your ONLY defense is a laser jammer like the one sold by Blinder USA.
When it comes to radar, many cops use Instant On radar. This means that they sit at a bend in the road or just over a hill and when they see you, they pull the trigger. They see you and now they have your speed – too late to do anything.
You still have to be cautious when using a radar detector. Don’t jet out in front of everyone else and be aware of your surroundings. Also, don’t think that just because you got a warning for laser that slamming on your brakes is going to do anything – it’s too late.
Good idea but what if I want/need to use my handset in the car? Looks like the phone is pretty well locked in there so I’ll stick with my actual radar decetor and use my phone as a………..phone.
At $100, this looks like a bargain, and it also solves the biggest issue with radar detectors for me, namely having to have it mounted on the windscreen with the buttons out of reach. As usual, it’ll no doubt be worthless against laser, but the vast majority of cops, at least in my area, still use radar and routinely drive around with their forward- and rear-facing radar on. My little Rocky Mountain unit has saved me on numerous occasions.
I wouldn’t want to leave this device in my car awaiting thieves. It would be cool to have a USB plugin hardware module for Android phones to be used by a Cobra Android app.
Similarly, my phone is also my GPS device that goes with me when I leave my car.
Nevermind, I’m an idiot. It would help if I RTFA, eh?
@phil,
i was thinkin’ the same thing.
so obsolete in 2011.
I’m with Phil too, this is a place for hating on bad tech, nothing more.
@Phandroid – Is there zero moderation of these comments? “perfect driver” and “phil” have added nothing useful while offering only offensive and hateful remarks.
$100 for a device that is going to save you X dollar in POSSIBLE tickets? Waste IMO!
Very rarely do I ever get hit w/ laser. I can only think of 1 time out of the last 5 yrs when I was hit by a laser speedtrap. I hit the brakes and the cops did nothing. The vast majority of police, at least in my 5 state area, still use K and Ka band radar. My old detector has saved me numerous times. And yes, you should hit the brakes and scrub off as much speed as possible as soon as you get hit w/ radar. Some cops just want to see if you’ll slow down, and will either let you go or give you a warning if they see an attempt being made to slow down.
I’d like to see an Android based Valentine or Escort detector.
@Joe — I was thinking the same thing. I’d kill for this app integrated with my V1’s though. Time for a Valentine Two!
How radar detectors works:…Police radar consists of microwaves that travel in a straight line that can easily be reflected by a passing car. As your vehicle travels into the range, their microwave beam bounces off your car and the police radar antennas looks for the reflection. The radar equipment then calculates your speed by comparing the frequency of the reflection of your car to the original frequency of the beam sent out. The radar can monitor only one target at on time. If there is more than one vehicle within range it is up to the radar operator to decide which target is producing the strongest reflection. It is difficult for the radar operator to determine if the signal is from a sports car nearby or a semi-truck several hundred feet away. I was able to find the best radar detectors at:..greenlightradardetector.com For additional information, you can email inquires to …[email protected]