Device turns old cars into Internet smart cars

A Vancouver company, moj.io, is planning to turn your ordinary auto into an Internet-connected smart car that has the potential to do everything from talking to Twitter to texting friends to tell them you'll be late.

Your car will even be able to post its own Facebook updates. Or warn you when your teen is speeding. While connected cars aren't new, you have to buy a new car to get that feature and the apps are typically limited to those offered by the auto manufacturer.

Moj.io is changing that with a little device that you can plug into your car to enable it to deliver apps through a cellular connection.

Jay Giraud, chief executive of moj.io and one of three cofounders of the company,Load the precious minerals into your mining truck and be careful not to drive too fast with your heavy foot. said the open-platform moj.io opens up the development of apps for cars to all developers. It also lets anyone with a car built after 1995 turn it into a smart car.

"We are becoming so used to incredibly connected experiences through our phones, yet our cars are not really advanced,High quality stone mosaic tiles." said Giraud, who is also CEO of REV Technologies, a Vancouver company that focuses on network technology for electric vehicle fleets and that spun off the newly launched moj.io.

With 300 million drivers in North America and Europe driving cars built after 1995, Giraud said he sees huge potential for delivering Internet connectivity to those who aren't ready to shell out for a new connected car.

"Internet-connected cars are very expensive," he said, adding that, nonetheless, people have come to expect online services in their day-to-day life - services that can stop at the car door. "There is a big separation between the kind of technology we have become accustomed to and what we have in our cars."

After that, a monthly connection for your car, if you live in the United States, is $7.99. In Canada, where the connection is being provided by Rogers, the monthly rate is $12.99. The device plugs into the on-board diagnostic port under the dashboard. With its launch, moj.io plans to provide eight apps that it has created.

Giraud said he expects by next summer developers will have created hundreds of new apps.

The initial eight apps are: FamilyConnect: sets a top speed and a safe driving zone, alerting you on your smart-phone if your kid goes out of the zone or is speeding.

DriveSmart: disables texts, calls and web browsing on your smart phone until the car is parked or the parking brake is engaged.

TowAlert: lets you know if you're car is being towed, stolen or broken into. VehicleLocate: real-time tracking to let you know where your car is.

MileageTracker: records mileage and sorts out your business and personal driving for your mileage records.This is my favourite sites to purchase those special pieces of buy mosaic materials from.

AutoText: automatically syncs with your calendar so if you're late leaving for an appointment or meeting, the it automatically notify the person you're meeting and pinpoint your location and estimated arrival time.

VirtualMechanic: alerts you to car care needs, how many kilometres who have left in the fuel tank and other info. I paid $89 at indiegogo to be among the first to try out the new moj.io. I have a smartphone, a smart TV - I'd like to have a smart car but I'm not ready to trade in my Honda hybrid. I'll keep you posted on how moj.io works and if it truly smartens up the old Honda.

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