odb-ii
Latest
Automatic Link connects phone and car for better driving, we go hands-on (video)
Scanners that can read data from your car's OBD-II port (which is in every car built since 1996) aren't exactly new; they're on-hand at every mechanic's workshop and curious car enthusiasts can buy them from most hardware stores. But few port readers are consumer-friendly enough for the everyday driver to grok. Enter the newly announced Automatic Link, which uses Bluetooth 4.0 and a paired smartphone to deliver diagnostic info with a decidedly novel twist. Instead of just hard facts, it offers an innovative array of features that range from monitoring driving habits, dialing 911 in case of an accident and even letting you clear a check engine light if you can fix the problem yourself. Join us after the break where we give the Link a bit of a test drive, speak to Automatic's lead product guy and find out a bit more about the potential of this tiny plastic nub.
Griffin CarTrip will track efficiency and show diagnostic reports (video)
We mentioned the CarTrip when they announced it earlier in the week, but after seeing this thing in person at CES, I really want one. Primarily because the device will allow you to clear the stupid "check engine" light in most cars made after 1996 with an ODB-II port. You see, the CarTrip features a dongle that plugs into the ODB-II port in your car, and it communicates via Bluetooth with an iOS device (in your hand or dashboard). The CarTrip can then show you certain codes from your car's "brain" and alert you to problems or clear the check engine light. Plus, a little plant sprout on the app will show you how efficiently your car is driving, and the device will track efficiency even if you don't have your iOS device in the car. Check out the video on the next page; we had a chat with Eric Weisinger from Griffin about the CarTrip. It should be available in the second quarter of 2011 for US$89.99.
Superchips turns an Archos into a vehicle interface, dubs it 'Vivid'
We've seen the awful, terrible, hideous things that an iPad can do to an otherwise respectable car interior, and now it's time to see what horrors Android can unleash. Superchips, makers of chips and flash units to summon a few extra ponies under the hood, has announced the creation of the Vivid "vehicle performance programmer" -- an Archos 43 Internet Tablet that's been... augmented with some software. Thanks to this, and a Bluetooth OBD-II module, the car can monitor car performance in real-time and display data while also acting as a G-meter and even a back-up camera. No word on what any of this will cost when it ships in early 2011, but those who already have a little Android buddy will be happy to know that a standalone Bluetooth dongle called the AVID will be releasing in the summertime, enabling all the same functionality without the need for another device. What'll we stuff in our headrests then?
Hackers can remotely disable your car's brakes, create sensationalist headlines
We think you're going to be hearing a lot about this one over the next few days... or weeks. A team of researchers at the University of Washington and the University of California San Diego have determined that, with physical access to your car's ECU, a hacker could "adversarially control a wide range of automotive functions and completely ignore driver input -- including disabling the brakes, selectively braking individual wheels on demand, stopping the engine, and so on." For example, the team was able to connect a computer to a car's ODB-II port, access that computer wirelessly, and then disable the brakes in the first car while driving down the road in a separate vehicle. The conclusion is that these in-car systems have few if any safeguards in place and, with physical access, nearly anything is possible. The solution, of course, is to prevent physical access. So, if you see a hacker hanging around in your car looking all shady, or a laptop computer sitting in the footwell that totally wasn't there before, well, you know who to call.
SAM gives drivers the skinny on their ailing vehicle
Although Uncle Sam might not have the most pleasant plans in mind for your auto's garage, another form of SAM is most definitely looking out for your ride's well being. SAM, or Smart Auto Management, is a computerized system that is debuting at various Jiffy Lube, Speedemissions, Dekra Emission Check, Kwik Kar Lube & Tune, and gasoline stations around the country to give customers a quick, painless printout of precisely what's ailing their whip. Typical diagnostic procedures require a (usually pricey) trip to the dealership or knowing what all that mumbo jumbo means that comes flowing out of your ODB II reader, but SAM provides step-by-step instructions at each kiosk and prints out problems in laymen terms. So if you own a vehicle produced in 1996 or later, and feel that $15 is well worth knowing why all those lights and buzzers are turning your car into a low-rate K.I.T.T., be sure to hit the read link to find a SAM (hopefully) near you.[Via Gizmag]
