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There are a few problems with bumper stickers. First, the glue (they’re a b*tch to get off!). Second, sometimes our opinions are far less static than a sticker on our car (if you’ve seen someone still driving around with a Bush/Cheney sticker on their car, you know what I mean). Third, they can draw unwanted attention to your car in a parking lot or on the road.
But y’all. Talelight’s electronic bumper sticker fixes all of that with one simple idea – turning the classic bumper sticker into a 2×8 inch electronic billboard that affixes to your bumper and is controlled by your smartphone.
Which means not only can you change it with your political opinions, but you can tell the person riding your bumper exactly what you think of their driving skills in real time.
I’m not saying that, given the state of gun violence in America, that this is a particularly good idea. Only that it’s possible, if you’re brave or wear a Kevlar best behind the wheel.
Talelight does use industrial-strength adhesive to stick to your bumper, but that’s where the similarities to a traditional bumper sticker end. This one plugs into a USB port and uses Bluetooth to sync to an app on your phone, so you can change it easily and as often as you want.
It should be noted, then, that this is just as easy to steal as a bumper sticker is to peel off (though it only works for the user registered to it, so a thief isn’t going to get much fun out of your cool, confrontational gadget).
Also, just don’t change the message while you’re driving. Looking down at your phone is a deadly habit, one we all need to quit ASAP.
It does have some pretty sweet positives, though – it turns off with your car to save battery and so that it doesn’t attract unwanted attention, and it holds up to 25 different messages (pick your favorite at the next stoplight!). Plus the Talelight app has 200 premade “stickers” available for purchase if you’re lacking inspiration or creativity.
Of course, all of this cool gadgetry will cost you – around $130 in this case – so you’ll have to decide whether or not it’s worth it.
If you’re someone who’s totally into bumper stickers, though, I don’t see why not.
