Garmin Unveils ecoRoute HD aka The Moving Mood Ring
Posted by Rod Blagojevich on Wednesday, January 06, 2010 in Industry News • Apps • Garmin • (1) Comments • Permalink
We've come a long way since carburetors and whitewalls, ToTo. Being the hip person that you are (you found us, right?), you're probably aware that your car has an onboard computer that keeps most of its systems in check. All those gauges on your dash get their information from this computer, and the cars of today would be two-ton paperweights without them. But what you might not have known is that there's a simple way for you (or your mechanic) to access the information output of this computer. Well, thanks to the clever folks over at our partners, Garmin, getting a realtime glimpse of your engine's status is just a plug-and-play connection away.
There's a hidden outlet on all modern cars called the OBD port. OBD: On Board Diagnostics. That's the port that outputs all sorts of realtime information such as the readings you see on that sweet display to the left. Engine load, RPM, and coolant temp are just a few of the internal readings that can be relayed to devices with an OBD hookup. But before you go off thinking that an OBD readout is a completely useless endeavor to a non-gearhead, consider this: Many OBD readers have the ability to diagnose fault codes and reset them.
Garmin has really elevated the game with this new product. From the limited information available, it sounds as though they plan on shipping a dongle that plugs into the OBD port and wirelessly relays the reading to the screen of your nüvi 1260, 1370, 1390, 1490, or 1690. This is truly a bold innovation and a great use of screen space that has, until now, been reserved only for navigation.
So, the next time you forget to put the gas cap back on after a fill-up and the 'Check Engine' light comes on, don't panic. Just reach for your Garmin ecoRoute HD, reset the light, and wave to 'Mikey's Auto Repair' with a smile on your face and cash in your pocket. The Garmin ecoRoute HD will be available in March 2010 at a MSRP of $149.
Via SlipperyBrick