We tried the $800 car gadget that vows to help you drive safer - here's what it was like

Navdy

Navdy, a tiny heads-up display you can pin to your car's dashboard, has gotten a lot of attention recently.

Harman, a major supplier of car infotainment systems, invested in Navdy in December for an undisclosed amount. As part of the investment, Harman will sell a co-branded device directly to automakers, meaning one day you could buy a car that already comes with some form of Navdy's technology.

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On top of that, Samsung is acquiring Harman in a deal worth $8 billion as it looks to pivot further into the automotive space following the withdrawal of its explosion-prone Galaxy Note 7 phone. That means a tiny startup's solution for distracted driving is getting backed by some of the biggest names out there.

I tested Navdy during a weekend visit to my childhood home on Long Island - here's what it was like to use: