By now, you’ve probably seen, or at least heard of, Automatic, a firm that is working to add smart technology to older cars with the help of a little device that plugs into your vehicle’s diagnostics port.
Earlier this year, Automatic released Automatic Pro, its most advance device yet, which added 3G connectivity to the already impressive lineup of features seen in its predecessor. At $130 though, the device was a bit pricier than previous generations, and not everyone needs the fancy features. For some, logging your miles and keeping up with detailed fuel mileage is more than enough.
For that reason, Automatic has released Automatic Lite, a more affordable option that drops application support and a few other features as a trade-off for a more affordable price point.
Automatic says the device is brand new, but you wouldn’t notice if from the looks of it — or even the capabilities. Automatic Lite features the same white and silver design as the first and second generation of Automatic devices and seems to have practically identical features.
When connected to its iOS or Android app and plugged into your vehicle’s OBD II port, Automatic Lite decodes engine issues in plain English, breaks down fuel usage, and tracks your mileage for either personal or business use.
As seen in the above comparison, it doesn’t feature the 3G connectivity or integrated app support. But at $80, a full $40 cheaper than it’s Pro counterpart, it represents a considerably fair trade-off.
If all you’re looking to do is keep your business miles separate from your personal miles, or get better stats on your vehicle’s fuel consumption, the Automatic Lite is your way to go. As we’ve said before, it’s essentially a FitBit for your car.
Once it’s in place, you’ll hardly notice it’s there and for $80, it’ll likely pay for itself over time by making you more aware of your driving habits and how they affect fuel use.
To order an Automatic Lite and to find out more, you can head on over to its product page.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.