• Mercedes Benx S-Class 2007

No doubt this is a high-performance car with luxury status which would attract the interest of the most mainstream petrolhead. But it’s also got some features with particular geek appeal.

The big one is an automated braking and control system. When you’re on the open road you set your desired speed and, well, that’s it. The car uses radar sensors to detect the speed and distance of the car ahead, then speeds up or slows down as necessary to maintain a safe distance. It’s said to work well, though it can be disarming and drivers find it difficult to avoid the natural implication to hit the brakes manually. Unlike previous incarnations of the technology this system can slow the car right down to a complete halt, meaning it’s even suited to congested city driving.

There’s also a night vision camera which displays an image on a screen mounted behind the steering wheel so that you can spot otherwise hidden upcoming obstacles:

And there’s even built in massaging on the seats, controlled via the dashboard:

(Pics courtesy of Mercedes via Wired.com)

• Digital thermometer frying pan

Baking is simple: you switch the oven to a precise temperature, and if you aren’t convinced the dial settings are right, you can use an oven thermometer. But when it comes to frying pans, it’s tough to get much more accurate than “do I dare prod it with my fingertips?”

Well, that was the case until somebody came up with the idea of building a digital thermometer into a pan and having the temperature displayed on the handle:

So once you do figure out exactly the right temperature to get your bacon and eggs just so, now you can be assured that next time you fry you can get exactly the same level of heat… to a degree of accuracy which only a geek could appreciate.

For more details: http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/a7a9/