Autoblog

Here's another iPhone application that demonstrates that soon there is nothing you won't be able to know if you have just one device. DevToaster has created an app called Rev that reads information straight from the OBD-II port on your car and displays it on your iPhone. When it's fully operational, Rev can display things like vehicle speed, RPM, fuel consumption, calculated engine load, and a host of other parameters. You'll even be able to check and reset engine and error codes.

The only hitch is that you need an OBD-II/WLAN interface that can beam the information from the port to the phone. DevToaster is working on that now; in the meantime, you can download Rev Lite at their site and we have a feeling California's going to work on more phone-centric activities to ban.

[Source: DevToaster via WRX Fanatics]

The coding wizards at 3rd Dimension, Inc. have released an iPhone app that provides a live video stream of traffic in selected areas, allowing commuters to view conditions before they make the trek to and from work.

Currently, the application is only available for Detroit, Harford, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Knoxville, LA, New York and Washington D.C., but more cities will be added in the future.

The application is a free download through the iTunes store (search for "traffic" and you'll see the available cities), and after checking out the New York feeds, we're astounded at how many traffic cameras are available in the Big Apple.

[Source: 3rd Dimension via TCC]

One day after spotting the "inexpensive" auto performance measurement tool Dynolicious for the iPhone, we've found another, and it's much cheaper. Liberty For One has released its own automotive measurement tool called g-tac, and its going for just $4.99. For less than half the cost of the Dynolicious tool, you get times and trap speed for the quarter mile, as well as times for 0-60 and 60-0. The g-tac utilizes the iPhone's (and iPod Touch's) accelerometer to determine velocity, so the phone doesn't have to be plugged into the car. The tool also graphs out your last three runs so you can hone your launch technique over time.

g-tac's feature list doesn't appear to have the robustness of the Dynolicious app, which also features metrics for Lateral Gs and horsepower, and there isn't much documentation to detail what g-tac can actually do. The early reviews aren't so hot either, as the first seven purchasers have averaged a rating of just 2.5 stars compared to the four star rating for the Dyonlicious app. Since cheaper doesn't typically mean better, we intend to test both apps against an even more expensive hardware unit, and we'll let you know if either iPhone app is worth your hard earned digital dollars.


[Source: Liberty For One]

The world has gone iPhone crazy since Apple released v2.0 of its sleek mobile device, and while GPS and 3G have been big draws, the multitude of available software apps in the new App Store has been the real wild card. One app that has us really psyched is a new automotive performance meter called Dynolicious from BunsenTech. It uses the accelerometer inside the iPhone to let you record 0-10 through 0-100 times, quarter mile and trap speed, Lateral Gs, horsepower and more. Results are also displayed in real-time on the phone itself with graphs and a speedometer. You can also configure the tool with updates to your car, weight, before and after performance measurements, and keep a complete history of all your runs. The kicker is that you don't even have to plug in your iPhone anywhere, just set it in the cup holder and drive. The folks at Dynolicious promise 0-60 accuracy to within .08 seconds and a quarter mile speed to within 1.5 mph. The performance meter software should also work with the iPod Touch.

The Dynolicious performance meter is now available on iTunes for $12.99 despite its own website saying that it's coming soon. The app has an average rating of four stars out of five so far with 11 user reviews and counting. We're going to purchase the software ASAP and take it for a spin, so we'll let you know soon if it delivers on its lofty promises. Check out more screen shots of Dynolicious in the gallery below. Thanks for the tip, Fooman!


[Source: Dynolicious, iTunes]

Yes, we were among the suckers who endured the idiotic lines, activation woes and intermittent service that you've undoubtedly read about after the iPhone 3G's launch this past Friday. But our reason for suffering through myriad hassles to get our hands on Apple's newest hotness wasn't purely selfish. We wanted to see whether the iPhone 3G's new GPS functionality was worth the cost of admission or if we'd be better off buying one of the many stand-alone navigation units currently on the market. Make the jump to find out if it's worth your hard-earned cash and a place on your dash.

We've known for a while that the new iPhone 3G would have the magic of GPS, but we didn't fully realize how that power might benefit car owners. While we've seen a few semi-cool, car-centric applications available for the device -- from mpg calculators to maintenance reminders -- this program could prove the most useful for the forgetful among us.

After parking your car at a crowded shopping mall, users of G-Park tell their iPhone where their car is. When they wrap up their shopping, the application will provide directions back to the car.

PosiMotion says their application will even work on the first-generation iPhone, though without the accuracy of GPS.

There's no word on when the application will be available or what it will cost, but avoiding the shame of wandering parking lots for hours looking for a tan Camry is worth any price.

[Source: Gizmodo via Gizmag]

The Internets are abuzz with the announcement of an all-new iPhone, and with features like 3G data connections, new applications and GPS navigation, we're excited too. If you've been making plans to produce your own navigation app for iPhone 2.0, however, you may not be all that thrilled. A closer look at the iPhone SDK agreement shows that creating software for "real-time route guidance" is forbidden. This may mean that the creative kids at Cupertino aren't going to let anyone compete with the the Google maps solution it's already settled on. If true, companies like Garmin and TomTom, the latter of which has already confirmed that it's created a navigation app, would be unable to create salable navigation software for the popular touch-screen phone. Then again, you also can't do automatic or autonomous control of vehicles, aircraft, or other mechanical devices; dispatch or fleet management software; or use the iPhone for emergency or life-saving purposes.

Our friends over at Engadget may be on to something, however, when they note that Apple may just be covering its rear-quarters in the event people start suing for bad directions. Lets hope it's just a liability thing, because competition is always a good thing when it comes to new technology, and we want some TomTom on our new iPhone.

[Source: Engadget]

For those living under a rock, you'll be surprised to learn that Apple announced a new iPhone today that, along with 3G support for faster downloads, features GPS built into the popular phone. While current iPhones can pinpoint your location and provide a Google Map to a destination, they can't hold your hand while traveling and let you know when to turn. The new iPhone available July 11th will be able to do just that like GPS nav systems from well known manufacturers like TomTom or Garmin. We don't know if the new iPhone will also provide voice prompts for directions, so it may turn out to be down a feature or two from a full fledged nav system still, and unfortunately the new case design, which is very similar to the current model but can now be had in white for the 16 GB model, does not come with a suction cup to affix Apple's gravy train device to your windshield. We're sure third-party providers are working on windshield mounts as we speak. The new iPhone will cost just $199 for an 8 GB model and $299 for a 16 GB model, though, which may help some stomach the mandatory contract with AT&T. Check out all the Apple coverage you could ever want at our sibling-site Engadget below.

[Source: Engadget]

The iPhone has been a hit since its release and Apple has ratcheted up the excitement the last couple of months, as the recently-released software development kit for the phone is already bearing fruit. In a short period of time and on what we'd guess is a very limited budget, one group of developers has designed a cool racing game called Raging Thunder that features quality graphics, a number of cars, and steering that utilizes the iPhone's revolutionary accelerometer. While the game isn't exactly groundbreaking, it demonstrates that we should see some very cool racing games when big-time developers really start to focus on the iPhone. Follow the jump to see the sweet-looking Raging Thunder in action.

[Source: Kotaku]

One of Delphi's major reveals during CES this week is surely to get the iPhone fanbois frothing at the mouth – even if it's just a concept. The software allows users to monitor and control several aspects of a vehicle's system, everything from unlocking doors to starting the car and getting the temperature just right.

The connection is made from the phone to a Bluetooth-enabled key-fob that then connects to the car. According to Delphi, that gives geeks the opportunity to connect to their vehicle from a mile away.

Beyond the aforementioned features, the system can start or stop the car, roll down the windows, check tire pressure, monitor oil and brake fluid life, as well as detecting if the car has been broken into. If and when the system is ready for primetime, Delphi expects it to be available for a number of smart phones.

Thanks for the tip Corinne!

[Source: PCMag]