CarKnow Allows Unlimited Apps and Useful Car Hacks
Boston-based CarKnow and its founder, Josh Siegel, have a vision: a world where vehicle data can be utilized to create unlimited open source apps and allow drivers to have the most intimate relationship possible with their vehicles.
In a video posted on Translogic, Siegel explains to host Bradley Hasemeyer that CarKnow pulls data from vehicles to digitally mirror it in the cloud for the use of creating applications. CarKnow can access data from the Controller Area Network (CANBus) and other OEM networks to mimic actions normally reserved for drivers and passengers, including turning lights on and off, rolling up power windows, and popping the trunk from the comfort of a smart phone.
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Siegel states that the goal is ultimate customization and leaving no stone unturned when it comes to what can be toyed with via app. The video shows what happens when CarKnow technology is used to hack a Buick Regal, creating the ability to remotely apply the electronic parking brakes, turn on instrument panel lights, and pre-set radio tuner options.
For those worried about security, Siegel is sure to point out that while not impossible, hacking a vehicle that is not your own is typically incredibly difficult to accomplish.
Some of the apps displayed in the video include a windshield bump sensor that triggers the wipers, Realtime Virtual Dashboards to show vehicle statistics in your browser, and a Cloud Car app that rolls up windows automatically when rain is being predicted in the area in which you parked.
CarKnow’s crowdsourcing potential could open a lot of doors, literally and figuratively speaking, and we are certainly excited to see how this technology adapts over time.
This post brought to you by Lake Chevy, Buick, GMC of Devils Lake, ND.
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