Wish you had all the fancy bells and whistles that come in new cars (built-in WiFi, infotainment systems, theft detection, etc) but don’t want to dish out big bucks for a brand new car? Vinli is here to help. It’s a mobile hotspot that plugs into your car, equipping it with all the smart features you’ve ever dreamt of.

Vinli plugs into your data port under your car’s dash, and needs no other screws or mounts. Since it’s designed to work via the OBD II port, it should work with any car or truck made after 1996. With 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Smart, it’ll give your old car a connection to the web via a 4G LTE subscription.

And that’s not all. Under the hood, Vinli boasts a 3-axis accelerometer for collision detection, GPS for location tracking, and SMS for emergencies. It runs on Linux, and developers can sign up for access to the open developer portal to create their own apps.

With all this tech at its disposal, Vinli does all kinds of cool tricks. The built-in GPS lets you easily find your parked car, or even monitor your car while it’s in use — say, by your kids or visiting family — and lets you track your car’s location if it’s ever stolen. The mobile web connection offers a connection to roadside assistance — although it’s worth mentioning that Vinli tries to avoid those situations entirely by periodically reminding you of maintenance issues before they become problematic. The service department even includes emergency notifications, and can automatically call or text someone for you if you get into an accident.

For the hardcore racer, you can connect Vinli to your on board camera and track your footage. Even without a camera, you can see your average fuel efficiency, speed, and more.

Vinli also has its own app store, where you can download apps for the web, Android, or iOS, and connect to handy programs like Dash, which, in addition to the standard map and directions, can do nifty things like show you where to find the cheapest gas. It’s also a driver tracker, and will display your driving stats over time so you can see how to save a few bucks by changing your habits. Other supported apps include Otto, a car diagnostic program, Flo, and Safedrive, two different apps that aim to make you a better driver by making a game of it, giving points for good behavior.

The device is expected to retail for $150 once it’s officially released, but you an grab it on Indiegogo right now for $100. The subscription costs $30 a year. To use the hotspot feature, 1GB goes for $15, 3GB for $40, with unlimited and shared family plans in the works. If the crowdfunding effort goes according to plan, Vinli expects to finish production and begin shipping sometime in August.

Related Posts

Tesla Model 3 got outsold by an EV from a Chinese smartphone brand

The Chinese smartphone maker delivered 258,164 units of its first EV. Meanwhile, Tesla sold only 200,361 Model 3s, marking the first time since Tesla's Chinese launch that another brand has overtaken it in the world's largest EV market.

Your future BMW electric M3 will still sound like a real M car

Instead of trying to invent a new "sound of the future" filled with abstract spaceship hums and digital warbles, BMW’s Motorsport division is digging into its own history books. New videos from the development team reveal that the upcoming electric M3 will feature a synthetic audio system built from high-fidelity recordings of the brand’s most iconic internal combustion engines. We aren't talking about generic engine noises here; BMW is literally sampling the legends.

This is the tech that makes Volvo’s latest EV a major step forward

The 2027 Volvo EX60 boasts engineering improvements in a package that’s likely to have mass appeal. It’s based on a new architecture that offers improved range and charging performance, backed by software with now-obligatory AI integration. And as a five-seat SUV similar in size to the current Volvo XC60 — the automaker’s bestselling model — it’s exactly the type of car most people are looking for.