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Automotive presents Yule love: Globe gadget guru Ted Kritsonis's suggestions for that car nut on your Christmas list

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Yada Blind Spot Assist $149.99 ($49.99 for installation) Available at: Canadian Tire Lane guidance systems may become standard in future car models, but for now aftermarket products like this fill the gap for everyone else. Using this will require having two sensors drilled into the back bumper that covers a 120-degree angle on either side. Flick the turn signal on and the small display module in the car beeps if another car is in the driver’s blind spot.

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Mastercraft Maximum Inspection Camera $249.99 Available at: Canadian Tire The 17-millimetre waterproof camera is attached to a four-foot flexible cord that sends images over to the LCD screen, which is just under three inches. The LED light at the end has three different intensities, and the macro lens is good at focusing, providing you keep it as steady as you can. Runs on four AA batteries (included) and comes with a five-year warranty.

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Magellan RoadMate 9055-LM with Wireless Back-Up Camera $259.99 (for RoadMate 9055-LM) $199.99 (for Back-Up Camera) Available at: Amazon.ca The big seven-inch screen of the RoadMate 9055 and its lifetime map and traffic updates is complemented here by Magellan’s own wireless Back-Up Camera for a one-two punch. The camera doesn’t have to work with a Magellan product, specifically, but when it comes to the company’s portable nav units, the 9055-LM looks to be the only truly compatible one.

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Sirius Sportster 6 Between $99.99 and $199.99 Available at: Future Shop, Best Buy, Amazon.ca, The Source, London Drugs This isn’t a huge leap forward from the Sportster 5, but PowerConnect+ makes for a stronger and cleaner signal. The unit can integrate with local FM stations, as well as pause, rewind and replay up to 60 minutes of content. You can save up to 30 presets and use the S-Seek feature to scan for favourite artists, songs or sports. It’s a detachable portable unit that can work with other Sirius docking systems.

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Bracketron Grip-It Universal Handheld Holder $29.99 Available at: Best Buy, London Drugs It could be a GPS unit, smartphone, iPod or any other portable gizmo that fits into the Grip-It. The difference here is that rather than mounting it to the windshield or the dash, you make use of one of your air vents instead. The adapter in the back can also rotate 360-degrees, so there is some flexibility in placement and posture, but the key is that it stays solidly in place.

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Verbatim Store’n’Go USB Audio $24.99 Available at: The Source Plugging in an iPod or smartphone through an AUX-In connection is easy enough these days, but for those who like to have a deck, this could be a useful alternative. The Store’n’Go is tiny, but has 8GB of storage capacity, which you can fill with music and video to playback on a system with a USB port that supports either one or both. Compatible with Windows PC, Mac and Linux computers.

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Scrape-a-Round Windshield Ice Scraper $9.99 Available at: Canadian Tire This cone-shaped item is pretty basic in its design, but can be effective in getting pesky ice to come off a vehicle’s windows. Whether it does this better than a traditional scraper is up for debate, but the spikes on the top of the cap are meant to chip away at harder ice first. The cap also plays a dual role as a funnel for windshield washer fluid when you twist it off.

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Attitude Jay Manuel Leather Driving Gloves $19.99 (Sale price) Available at: Sears For ladies who like to show a little style while driving in the winter, this pair of Attitude genuine leather gloves comes in either black or red. In keeping with fashion trends, the knuckles are slightly exposed, along with the back part of the hand above the wrist.

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