Vehicle – Science, Technology, Society

Automatic: Fitbit for cars

Posted on March 19, 2013June 19, 2013 by timbatchelder

Track Fuel Economy, Kill Check-Engine Lights With the Fitbit for Cars
Damon Lavrinc, wired.com

Everyone knows that mashing the gas, slamming on the brakes and cruising at high speeds kills fuel economy. And considering the average driver spends upwards of $3,000 a year on gas, you’d think people would be more inclined to change …

Damon…

Track Fuel Economy, Kill Check-Engine Lights With the Fitbit for Cars http://flip.it/QJQi3 http://flip.it/geyqP

What does “EPA Estimated Fuel Economy” mean? (kenwilsonford.wordpress.com)
Fuel Economy for the 2013 Ford Escape – Engine Options (kenwilsonford.wordpress.com)
Many people want to obtain better fuel economy in their car (fremmingwu.wordpress.com)
Fuel Saver Tips for June 2013 – Easy, Quick and Free Ways to get better Fuel Economy (kenwilsonford.wordpress.com)

Automatica makes your car smart

Posted on March 19, 2013June 19, 2013 by timbatchelder

Gadget Review: Automatica Makes Some Cars Into Smart Cars
Tony Sims, wired.com

In the past few years, we have seen the addition of Bluetooth connectability, communication via rear view mirror (OnStar), and integrated on-board computer entertainment systems. All these things are great, but what if your vehicle is a little bit…

Gadget Review: Automatica Makes Some Cars Into Smart Cars http://flip.it/0ACdK http://flip.it/7b1sA

Apple’s redesigned iOS 7 (abinayaneethirajan.wordpress.com)

Use written estimates to save on repairs

Posted on March 3, 2013June 17, 2013 by timbatchelder

Use Written Estimates to Shop Around and Save Money on Car Repairs
Alan Henry, lifehacker.com

If you take your car to the shop for regular maintenance or even a small repair, odds are the mechanic will come back to you with a laundry list of things they want to convince you to do before you leave. It’s a difficult situation, since your car…

Use Written Estimates to Shop Around and Save Money on Car Repairs http://flip.it/8oqxg http://flip.it/sBDfK

Useful Car Repair Tips For Your Automobile (cdltrainingschool.wordpress.com)

Bits Blog: Car Insurance by the Mile

Posted on January 13, 2013June 9, 2013 by timbatchelder

The standard California state route marker consists of a white numeral on a green shield (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By QUENTIN HARDY, nytimes.com

A California company is selling car insurance by the mile, using in-car sensors to log data. The longer plan is to have a running monitor of the car’s health.