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Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

automatic.com

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181–190 of 305 posts

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#181

Post by thejo »

dlokshin wrote: post #177

Out of curiosity, why does it matter what Android or iPhone I have. Is the unit actually different? What happens if I get a different phone in a month?

hi dlokshin, we support the iPhone 4S and 5 because those are the only models that support Bluetooth 4.0. I'm sure we can theoretically support every Android phone out there, but as a small team, we'd rather focus on a smaller set and provide the best experience possible. Our goal is to support as many Android phones as possible over time.

The Automatic Link supports both classic bluetooth and bluetooth 4.0, so it will work with both iPhones and Android phones.

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#182

Post by machfive »

patrickk wrote: post #143
zdw wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last I looked, none of these were iPhone compatible, as they were Bluetooth Serial profile (SPP), which isn't supported for app use. This may have changed, so for now the conventional ELM### devices are Android/Jailbreak only. As an iOS user, this alone makes me interested in Automatic's product.

Rev, linked above, has been around for a few years and is iPhone compatible. See the hardware page on their site for bluetooth info.

Rev only advertises/supports wifi dongles, for the reasons listed above

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#183

Post by crapshoot101 »

jrbran wrote: post #59
kerbs wrote: post #46

Wait, so this 69$ little contraption can read the code behind a check engine light? That's $100 in savings that would otherwise go to the Car Mechanic Mafia. Pre-ordered.

You can take your car to nearly any auto parts store -- autozone, oreilly, napa, etc -- and they will read the code for you for free too.

California law is really finicky about this - the usual rent-seeking behavior means that only "auto shops" can do code-reads, and they charge. If you go to Pep Boys, they will wink-wink, nod-nod and give you a code (that they officially charge for, which is waived if you get the service through them).

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#184

Post by jonknee »

dsr_ wrote: post #121

The privacy policy seems to boil down to "We're not planning on selling your information to anyone, but if it leaks or someone hands us a subpoena, tough noogies." That makes me itchy, and I'm not even planning on doing anything illegal.

What information will they have that won't already be a subpoena away? It's tethered to your phone's data plan which means your phone company already has your location info

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#185

Post by frogpelt »

jpxxx wrote: post #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.

I'm right there with you.

At this point, I'm driving a beater with close to 200k miles on it and I want this product badly. I guess I just love collecting data.

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#186

Post by shurcooL »

On the pre-order page, it says only the iPhone 5 and 4S are supported. Why isn't 4 supported?

I have an iPad mini with LTE as my only mobile device, is there any reason Automatic wouldn't work with it? I'm ok with it running in a smaller window (the way iPhone-only apps run on iPads).

It also asks you to pick a car. Is that just to verify that it'll be compatible? I mean, is there anything stopping me from changing which car I use this device in or is it locked to use with the one car you pick?

At first I wasn't really interested in this device (I didn't see any uses of it for me), but then I realized that sometimes I like to drive super-economically, and if I had some sort of efficiency score to show off for that trip, that'd be pretty neat. That way, I could compete with other drives in who can drive the most efficiently.

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#187

Post by jonknee »

freehunter wrote: post #167
ceejayoz wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

911 is free, but you foot the bill for services rendered and face a fine for false 911 calls.

Who says it's a call?

> Automatic uses your phone's data connection to immediately report the crash to 911 with your name, location, and vehicle description.

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#189

Post by frogpelt »

jessriedel wrote: post #159
pc86 wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find any company that would willfully disobey a subpoena.

I think the idea is that the company could take steps so that they never had access (either physically or cryptographically) to the data in the first place, making a subpoena useless. There are a few industries which are obligated by statute to keep certain types of data at hand in case the government wants it, but I'm sure that wouldn't apply here.

Your idea presents two problems: 1. Automatic cannot do any expansion of capabilities using customer data without first changing their policy so that they can access that data.

2. If/when Automatic changes their policy it will create a negative reaction from customers that the policy is being changed.

It's a lot easier to promise protection of the data and let the customer decide whether they believe the promise or not before they sign up.

Re: Automatic: Your Smart Driving Assistant

#190

Post by perishabledave »

Well done! I'd actually consider ordering one. I'm sure you've given these out to friends and family as testers; are there any examples of them saving on gas that you could tell us about? The other features seem more neat than useful, at least on a daily basis. I'd consider purchasing the device on gas benefits alone.
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