Interesting, but there are a lot of products like this already on the market. I have to wonder what makes this company any different than these other devices already found on the market. Perhaps the bundling of the software apps that do more than just data-log the ODBII port. But is that enough to differentiate them from their competitors?
Vinli plugs into a car’s ODB II port — a data interface equipped standard on cars since 1996. From there a smartphone connects to the device through Bluetooth and serves up a multitude of apps, anything from a safe teen driving app to an OnStar-like service to an Automatic clone. The whole platform is open and Vinli hopes developers latch onto the system.
Automobiles have been slow to gain true smartphone integration. The auto industry just rolls at a different pace than the consumer electronic world. Several attempts have been made, from the Ford Sync system…
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