Pipe your car's navigation system into your kid's portable DVD player

Eirik's brilliant road trip entertainment hack for GPS/navigation system users:

Our four year old son has been very interested in the navigation system I am running while we're out driving. He leans over to follow it closely and it's actually great entertainment for a little boy that sometimes finds it boring to drive for hours…

Because the Nokia N95 mobile phone is equiped with video out it was fairly easy to enhance the entertainment effect of my navigation system. I simply connected it to my son's small DVD screen. Wow! Seven inches of pure joy for the small ones in the back. Changing view, colors and the language of the navigation voice keeps them happy.

Check out Eirik's blog for details and photos. So smart.

Comments

[Farley]

At $759.89 for the phone this seems like one of the less practical hacks I have seen on this site.

[Parent Hacks Editor]

Farley: I'm not suggesting people buy the phone simply to try out this hack! More like: if you happen to have this phone, or one with similar features, here's a fun idea to try out. I'm impressed with Eirik's ingenuity.

[eirikso]

Yes. The main point here is the idea of a navigation system as something entertaining. If you have a N95 or N93, fine.

If you have another portable navigation system you could consider placing it in the back on trips where you don't need it yourself.

Or even let the kids help you out because they take part of the road trip when they feel in control of the navigation.

A hack that includes a computer isn't worthless because a computer would set you back at least $500,-

You know, some people already have a computer. Especially the ones that read Parent Hacks.