You may find that I reference the Stuff Magazine site quite a bit, as it's just a geeks paradise. Today I saw this very cool gadget that Siemens have developed that finds an empty parking space for you and your car and then even parks it for you.

The system theoretically works like this.

Step one: you’re cruising down the street that you need to park in, so you engage the Park Mate and it starts mapping the area.

Step two: when it’s found a suitable space it chimes, prompting you to stop the car and wait. Step three: the steering wheel turns of its own accord, moves into the space and stops in an inch-perfect position.

Step four: an intense feeling of smugness and an affectionate tap on the roof for your car.

Unfortunately, this is all a little way off yet – a recent trial by the Daily Telegraph resulted in the test car, a BMW Estate, going up the curb twice and nearly shunting the car behind. This was apparently due to cold conditions, and a road-safe version should be with us by 2008.

You can find the full article here.