• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Tech

How to Make Your Dumb Car Smart

By
Katy Steinmetz/TIME
Katy Steinmetz/TIME
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Katy Steinmetz/TIME
Katy Steinmetz/TIME
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 27, 2016, 3:22 PM ET

TIME’s latest cover story chronicles the rise of today’s smart cars and imagines a future without pesky steering wheels. Makes at all price points are now coming with fancy infotainment systems produced by the likes of Apple and Google that can get better over time, as well as options for connecting a car to the Internet or turning a truck into its own wi-fi hotspot. But while that’s all good and well for people in the market for a new car, the vast majority of American drivers aren’t heading to dealerships this weekend. After all, the average car on American roads is the age of a sixth grader.

Happily for that vast majority, there are startups devising ways to make your dumb (a.k.a. screen-less) car at least kind of smart for prices ranging from $100 to about $10.

Are Internet-connected cars worth the risk?

Down with OBD

In the 1980s, California started to develop regulations that would help officials make sure cars weren’t spewing too much smog into the atmosphere. This led to a requirement that all new cars have a plug overseers could use to make sure vehicles were compliant. The federal government followed with similar rules in the 1990s, the net result being that most cars on American roads today (probably including yours) have a little port under the steering wheel that any mechanic or smog-checker can tap into in order to access the car’s data—the kind of thing that happens out of sight while you’re in the waiting room. This system is known as OBD, short for on-board diagnostics, and the devices that plug into the OBD port are often called dongles.

While most drivers are oblivious to it, cars have contained powerful computers for decades. It’s very possible that your Toyota Prius has more code than a Boeing 787 and several operating systems. That may be hard to imagine only because most people don’t have a way to see or benefit from the bazillion things that are being digitally managed under the hood, so these giant roving electronic devices still appear to be old-fashioned piles of valves and springs.

Enter the dongle-makers.

Screen shot from Automatic promotional video

Startups like Zubie, Mojio and Automatic sell dongles that act as a translator and analyst, taking data from the car and beaming insights to the driver. Some come with monthly costs for cellular service and some don’t, but the devices tend to run around $100.

Automatic, which uses Bluetooth (so there’s no monthly fee), has its own app, which uses the data from your car to show you how much your fuel is costing, how you can improve your driving and to keep track of all your trips. If you accelerate or brake too hard, wasting gas and possibly being a nuisance to drivers around you, the device will “tsk, tsk” you with patterns of beeps. (CEO Thejo Kote says some users have thanked Automatic for de-stressing their relationships, given that the beeps can stand in for the much more annoying admonitions of a finger-wagging spouse.)

IMG_1339

The company has partnered with several other app-makers that do other cool stuff with the car’s data, such as:

License +: To teach teens how to drive, this app awards badges for activities such as smooth braking and night driving. A parent can sign up as a “coach” to get general data about how their young driver is progressing without “spying” on every detail of where their kid has been.

Nest: The dongle can use a smartphone’s connection to the Web to communicate with smart home system Nest. A user could set up a rule that, for instance, would trigger Nest to start cooling the house whenever the car’s ignition was turned on between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the general vicinity of the driver’s office and timed to be cool when the driver arrives.

Unmooch: Dongles can access information about fuel usage to help estimate the cost of a trip. This app allows carpooling riders to split the cost of a journey through payment app Venmo, doing away with awkward cash exchanges, overly generous passenger offers to pay for a whole tank of gas and lingering bitterness among drivers who don’t get such offers.

Urgently: This D.C.-based startup provides on-demand roadside assistance when drivers break down or get a flat. The service can use information transmitted from a dongle to tell a tower where a vehicle is and what might be wrong with it.

Companies like Zubie do charge a $10 monthly fee for the cellular service the dongle uses to transmit information beyond the range of a Bluetooth connection (like telling you where your car is at any time or reminding you that it’s time to change the oil). Users can also pay extra to turn the dongle into a Wi-Fi hotspot, though that comes with additional activation and data costs via Verizon. Mojio has a similar partnership with AT&T.

BYOC

Courtesy of Drivemode

The most basic way that a car can get connected is by leveraging the connection that most drivers already pay for and carry around in their purses or pockets. Android Auto and Carplay, Google and Apple’s infotainment systems, rely on this “bring your own connection” method, so the cars don’t need to have their own cellular connection built in. Users plug their smartphone into the car via a cable and the driver’s screen is basically turned into a giant, limited version of their device with all their contacts and playlists in tact.

Smart cars, Meet Smart Signals

But you can’t just download Carplay or Android Auto and use them in any car with a screen: The car has to come both with a screen and with those systems built in. And many cars don’t have a screen at all. You could pay thousand of dollars to swap out that part of the car, known as a head unit, for an after-market version with those features. But there’s a much cheaper way to get a startup’s version of the experience.

Drivemode_MusicPlayer[1]

Drivemode makes a free app, now compatible with just Android phones, that has many Carplay and Android Auto-like features: It has an interface that minimizes distractions so the driver can keep their eyes on the road. It can work with apps like Spotify, so drivers can access their playlists within the Drivemode app. It will read texts out loud to drivers when they come in and allows the driver to respond via voice. To really get the benefits, you’ll need to buy a stand (starting around $10) that props up the phone on your dash like an in-car screen. Otherwise you’ll be doing the same dangerous glance-and-tap dance that many drivers now do with their phones lying in their laps or the passenger seat.

The U.S. government is mandating that all new cars have backup cameras by 2018, which means that soon every new car sold in America will have a screen. And once Google (GOOG) and Apple (APPL) have found their way into every make and model, it’s hard to imagine how Drivemode will compete.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

But that will take time and in many countries, points out cofounder HK Ueda, most cars do not and are not going have screens for the foreseeable future. The company has partnered with Honda (HMC) to build a proof-of-concept car that comes with a slot built into the dash that holds a smartphone and connects it to the car via USB, so neither the person buying the car nor the company has to deal with the cost of a screen but the driver can get an infotainment treatment using the screen that would otherwise be lying around, unused, on the way from A to B.

This article originally appeared on Time.com

About the Authors
By Katy Steinmetz/TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Man in a white shirt and jacket.
InnovationBrainstorm Tech
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
By Amanda GerutJune 9, 2026
6 hours ago
A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Wednesday, June 3, 2026
InvestingWall Street
Wall Street dumped nearly $1 trillion in tech stocks by midday—then clawed it back and bought peanut butter and paint
By Eva RoytburgJune 9, 2026
8 hours ago
AI isn’t replacing Hyatt’s salespeople—it’s freeing up a full day of work every week, according to the CEO
AIBrainstorm Tech
AI isn’t replacing Hyatt’s salespeople—it’s freeing up a full day of work every week, according to the CEO
By Sharon GoldmanJune 9, 2026
9 hours ago
America’s grid is reeling. General Motors offers itself as a distributed utility in disguise
EnergyAutos
America’s grid is reeling. General Motors offers itself as a distributed utility in disguise
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
9 hours ago
Tesla cofounder: ‘We should be really worried’ about the U.S. grid as China speeds ahead in the power race
EnergyBrainstorm Tech
Tesla cofounder: ‘We should be really worried’ about the U.S. grid as China speeds ahead in the power race
By Jordan BlumJune 9, 2026
9 hours ago
The AI industry spent years chasing bigger models. Now it’s chasing efficiency
AIBrainstorm Tech
The AI industry spent years chasing bigger models. Now it’s chasing efficiency
By Sharon GoldmanJune 9, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
13 hours ago
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.