about 12 years ago, when I bought my first GPS -- a Palm OS-based Garmin iQue 3600. It was a PDA with a flip-up GPS antenna and cost me a dear $400. This was more than a month's savings from my stipend as a Ph.D. student at the University of Pittsburgh.

But, I was so excited because this device could receive signals from satellites and had maps of the entire U.S. loaded into it. This meant I could go ANYWHERE with my 10-year-old Toyota!

Today, I rarely see people using a standalone GPS device and never see people using a PDA.

If this sounds familiar, then we shared some cool history (when Apple stock was $6 before a split and there was no such thing called Facebook).

We have witnessed the revolution of mobile computing in the past 10 years. Nowadays, everyone has a powerful computer in their hands – their smartphones. And, we never seem to put them down, whether we are eating, walking, driving or even taking care of personal business in the smallest room in our houses ;).

With apps for every need and occasion, our smartphones seem more inseparable from our fingers than ever before.

However, when I first saw the National Safety Counsel statistics that cell phone use while driving causes 1.6 million crashes each year, I was STUNNED.

If we average it out,

So, from the time you started reading this letter to the time you finished this sentence, it’s likely a driver was distracted by his/her cell phone and crashed. I was so shocked by these facts because more often than not, I had my phone in my hand while driving. After all, my smartphone has made my life so much easier – including behind the wheel.

Sometimes, I want to look for a gas station in an area I'm not familiar with. Sometimes, I want to find a good, last-minute dinner on the road. My smartphone seems to be the only source for this information. It also provides me with the most accurate directions based on real-time traffic and always gives me an updated map.

Simply put, nowadays, it seems impossible to be on a road trip without a smartphone. However, according to the statistics, we increase our likelihood of being in a crash by 400% when using our smartphones while driving.

One of the major reasons a smartphone is so dangerous to use while driving is because of how present and easily accessible information is. Our interaction with our phones was designed for “normal” use – but not for use while driving.

I’m excited to introduce you to Carloudy, an amazing invention inspired by the desire to see us drive with fewer distractions and still enjoy the benefits of our co-pilots – our smartphones.

Carloudy is a smart, portable, completely wireless head-up display system that works directly with your smartphone app, such as Google Maps, to present the most useful driving-related information. Crisply reflected on to a semi-transparent screen on your windshield, you see navigation, speed and speed limit, food and drink options, nearby gas stations, mechanical notifications and much more.

Carloudy is controlled by voice commands and the Bluetooth remote controller already on your steering wheel. Your hands and fingers never have to leave the wheel.

One common question people ask about a head-up display system is: “Does it work under sunlight”? Frankly, most head-up displays don’t.

Carloudy, however, is unique and works GREAT under bright sunlight. It even has very low power consumption. Once it’s charged, the battery can last more than two weeks. Also you never have to deal with messy wires in your car, as Carloudy operates with no wires!

Simply lay Carloudy on your dashboard, and you’re ready to go.

Please take a few minutes to watch our brief demo video about how Carloudy works.

You can find more information about Carloudy on this website.

If you have family and friends who use smartphone when driving, please share this message with them. There are few things more important than safe driving!

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season and safe driving!

Javy Kong PhD, Inventor of Carloudy, Founder of Cognitive AI Technologies Inc.