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Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

automatic.com

131–140 of 305 posts

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#131
post #55

So it's a $10 elm327 ? http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=elm327&_sacat=0 With a Torque clone? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torq...

Only if you could call the ipod a clone of all previous mp3 players. Technology != Customer Experience.

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#132

Prediction: No one will buy this. It does not solve an actual problem. It's a toy for data geeks. How the hell much did that domain cost?

I'm with you. Pay $70 for an app that tells me how much money I spent on gas? If I cared that much about my money I wouldn't pay that much for an app when I have paper and pencil.

How about I just make an app that uses GPS to check your speed and flash "SLOW THE FUCK DOWN" on quick acceleration, repetitive deceleration or anything over 65mph? Do it over a weekend, charge $5. You'll make more with lots of fish than a handful of whales.

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#133
post #28

I feel like the Beta flag next to Crash Alerts gives a new twist to what you can expect from a beta version.

I'm just hoping there's a way to turn it off without losing any other functionality. I really don't want to be hit with the bill from an accidental 911 call, I'll take my chances that if there's an accident someone around (or I) will be able to call 911 without a $70 app deciding it for me. I would also be concerned (this seems to be an extreme edge case) that off-roading may trip the sensor. I try not to break my eq…

Where do you live that you get a bill for 911 calls?

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#134
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We're paranoid about not running your car's battery down. When the ignition is off, we consume less than 1 mA. By itself, the Automatic Link would take 3-4 years to drain even a cheap battery.

Could you detect a drop in voltgage when the engine turns off and automatically turn off your device?

The ScangaugeII (similar use case) works is that it shuts off if engine RPM = 0 for >30sec.

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#135
post #99

This is a great start to what I hope will be an awesome product. One of the other commenters mentioned fleet/enterprise customers -- let me raise my hand (as one of those customers) and say how SORELY needed this sort of approach to tech is in the fleet space. I actually predict (hope?) this will take off more on the business side than the consumer side. Here's the problem: Fleet managers (that is, people who are res…

https://www.getlocalmotion.com/ has a solution with a connected box, which integrates with existing corporate RFID badges to open the car.

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#137
post #99

This is a great start to what I hope will be an awesome product. One of the other commenters mentioned fleet/enterprise customers -- let me raise my hand (as one of those customers) and say how SORELY needed this sort of approach to tech is in the fleet space. I actually predict (hope?) this will take off more on the business side than the consumer side. Here's the problem: Fleet managers (that is, people who are res…

There might be a few challenges in evolving this product to an iPhone|Smartphone-free future. 3G modems are notorious for their energy inefficiency, and if one were to include them in this device, the drain on the car's battery will be significantly higher.

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#139
post #62

I've seen these before. There are several companies working on similar products (and things like HUDs you can get off of eBay which show you OBD-II information). The main problem with these (all of them!) is that the OBD II was never designed to be used like this. It will run the device 24/7 even when the car is turned off. So it will run down your battery in a similar way to leaving the cabin light on would do... No…

We're paranoid about not running your car's battery down. When the ignition is off, we consume less than 1 mA. By itself, the Automatic Link would take 3-4 years to drain even a cheap battery.

At what voltage?

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#140
This is egregiously well done, all of it. I have zero interest in my car or how it works, and yet I'll have one.

Crystal clear website, crystal clear video, an unaggressive logo, they precisely explain what the product does, and you know exactly how much it costs up front.

So well done.

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