“Auto” collection
Explore in-depth vehicle evaluations and automotive technology reviews from a unique family-focused perspective. From testing the latest electric vehicles to practical DIY maintenance guides, these articles provide the essential details needed for modern drivers and tech-savvy parents.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →October 20, 2010
Ok, I Bought A New Car, Now What? But First, A Little More About The Buying Process
A few weeks ago our 2001 Honda Odyssey died. The transmission on our 10 year old family shuttle that had "only" 130,000 miles conked out, for the second time. It had served us really well until the last year or so, and then it had developed an expensive habit of relentlessly having to visit the repair shop every few months.…
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October 18, 2010
An Interview with Ford: Understanding Safety Advances in Ford Vehicles & the Ford Focus 2012
Recently, I have been very focused on the car industry lately as I have been shopping for a new car. One of the primary items that made me want to consider a new (or newer) car as opposed to and older model is the advancement of safety features that many manufacturers have made. While many car brands have worked hard…
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October 11, 2010
Cougars, Cars, Dirty Diapers, Fighting & Shooting Pool with a Rope – Cast of Dads Podcast #33
You gotta love unscripted recordings. And how we are all at the beck & call of technology. During our live podcast, Skype decided to act like a misbehaving child and refused to let us talk. But we worked through this and just kept going with a fairly "loaded" series of topics. The result is Cast of Dads Podcast #33 "State…
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October 4, 2010
“Safety, Security and Splash?” – Hot Topics from Cast of Dads Podcast #32
We are definitely back into the swing of things with the latest episode of the Cast of Dads Podcast. And personally, I believe that the topics we covered in Episode #32 should be one that is of interest to parents across the country. Note: we are always looking for sponsors! If you would like to sponsor an individual episode or…
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September 29, 2010
Buying A New Car? Here’s My Shopping Strategy with my own Dealer Incentive!
This past weekend, the transmission of my 2001 Honda Odyssey died. The car has over 130,000 miles on it and has done a fairly good job raising our family. It sort of reminds me of the latest "Modern Family" episode (see "The Old Wagon") where they just can't seem to part with the old family "junker", at least until it…
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September 23, 2010
Blazing New Trails with the TomTom XL 340S GPS
Earlier this summer, my family and I headed out on a week long family vacation up to a Dude Ranch in Northern California. As part of the trip, we had a new traveler with us, someone who would guide us on our way, let us know when we were going to arrive and provide a source of tech for the…
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August 27, 2010
More Funny Car Videos: “Mom My Ride” & the “Swagger Wagon”
On Wednesday, I posted a couple of funny advertisements coming out from Nissan. It turns out, obviously, they aren't the first to do this. A co-worker, and mom, pointed me to a couple of other really funny videos that are specifically focused on "the family mini van." These two particularly hit "home" with me as we have a mini van…
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August 25, 2010
Funny New Ads Coming from Nissan – Dads, Kids and the Nissan Maxima & Altima
I don't normally post articles about advertising campaigns but this new campaign coming out from Nissan got my attention for a few reasons, but mainly because they are "family oriented" and funny. The first of these ads depicts a couple who just found out that they are going to have a child. The (typical?) dad's brain starts racing as his…
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July 21, 2010
HTD’s Tech News Snippets – July 21, 2010 (Ford, Skype, Antennagate, Facebook, Apple & Blackberry)
Once again, scouring the web for the latest tech news that grabbed my attention. Below are some links to some Amplify.com posts. You can see the beginning of my commentary below. Clicking through the links gives you the rest of the commentary as well as the article that I snipped. I LOVE the NEW Ford Motors - 2011 Explorer Unveil…
Read more →April 28, 2010
The Ford Sync – a “Knight Rider” for the Rest of Us
Remember way back in the 80's there was a TV show called Knight Rider where one of the two main characters was a car that talked to you and responded to your voice commands? Of course K.I.T.T. (the name of the car which stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand), did a lot more than just answer commands, he drives "himself",…
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April 20, 2010
My First Days with the 2010 Ford Flex – Beginning to Explore the Technology
I have not had a new car in over 10 years. And, I had always thought that American Cars were lagging behind foreign autos in so many ways: design, styling, features and especially, technology. My perspective has now flipped about 180 degrees, especially around the technology factor. Here's why… This is an on-going series about the 2010 Ford Flex. Ford…
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