Tune Your Car with a Gameboy Advance

An anonymous reader writes "A company named Turboxs has created an interface for the Gameboy Advance that plugs into your car. It appears to allow for tuning as well as data logging. The Turboxs Dtec lets you use your Gameboy as a Boost Gauge, Exhaust Gas Temperature Gauge, Air Temperature Gauge and Tachometer. Future plug-n-play sensors will allow everything from Knock Indication to Vehicle Acceleration. Previously this was only available via a laptop or pda, but bringing this to the gameboy may open up performance tuning to the masses without the expensive peripheral hardware."

How about driving

[CrazyJim1]

Can I use a handheld to drive my car?

Re:How about driving

[Phisbut]

Well now... is there anything a GBA can't do?

Oh, Come on!

[Rev Wally]

I have a Geo Metro, my car's already a toy!

Re:Oh, Come on!

[Rethcir]

"Faster, Neddy, he's gaining on us!!!" -Maude Flanders

"I can't! It's a GEO!!!" -Ned Flanders

Oh Great

[TheOnlyJuztyn]

Now what if those little kids sitting in the back with their gameboys aren't as innocent as they seem...? Coming to a stop at a red ligh--TURBO INJECTOR TO FULL!!!

This Is Crap

[Anonymous Coward]

Actual information from actual people who aren't dumb.
http://www.team-integra.net/forum/display_topic_th reads.asp?ForumID=10&TopicID=103301&SearchPagePosi tion=1&search=%22gameboy%22&searchMode=allwords&se archIn=Topic&forum=0&searchSort=dateDESC&ReturnPag e=Search [team-integra.net]

Gameboy Advanced Replaces Slashdot Editors

[Beatbyte]

Original Story [slashdot.org]

Now all we have to do is wait until October 2004 for it to ship! errr....

Been reported before

[Akira1]

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/08/09/ 2148257&tid=207

This is great for gamers... I mean tuners...

[Datamonstar]

This is cool. It's fairly often that a amatur tuner will need access to computer data in order to diagnose/tune their cars. And with this approach, you get a handheld bonus! I've been thinking of ways to mount a laptop in my car where it would look good, not get in the way, and be accessable from the driver's seat, but this approach is by far more practical and probley more economical.
And not only that, if you see someone who has a PS2 or Xbox in their car at the tuner show, you can one-up them by showin

*thumbs down*

[th3space]

I read this and quickly ran it by my brother and some of his cronies (a bunch of spoiled kids in their tuner domestics), and their response was all the same, "That's cute, but I'll stick to my laptop."

I had more to say, but it is lunch time, and I want a burrito!

The only thing it could do...

[Pig Hogger]

The only thing it could do, with a name like Gameboy Advance, is tune the ignition advance...

yeah..

[gl4ss]

because gba is so much more inexpensive than a pda when compared with usual car parts.

and that's..

[Goeland86]

forbidden under California law. You're not allowed to keep a powered screen other than for navigational aid ahead of the driver's seat headrest, unless you're driving a cab or an emergency response vehicle. So unless you can add GPS as well as other statistics coming on it, CA won't let you use it.

Re:and that's..

[Grey Ninja]

What about a speedometer? I used to have a digital speedometer in my car, and because I had that, I couldn't drive it in California? I think when a law is unjust, it's your duty to break that law. ;-)

Re:and that's..

[GigsVT]

California likes to pass silly laws, because the people keep electing idiots.

The problem this law intended to curb, people watching TV while driving, is well enough handled by the current tort system. Anyone installing such a TV in the front seat would have a hell of a time proving they weren't at least partially liable for any accident they were involved in.

They fail it. EOF

Re:and that's..

[gl4ss]

it's a normal driving instrument..

the ban seems like it's on EXTRA screens, which is understandable(people are NOT smart enough to figure out that they shouldn't watch tv while in traffic, and if you think so you're one hell of an optimist).

Re:and that's..

[Goeland86]

hey, don't blame me, I think the thing is silly by itself, it'd just be a matter of insurance companies changing their policies if I were in charge, but what can I say, they were smart enough to elect the governator. I didn't have a say in it. Just reporting what I read on /. a while ago.

Re:and that's..

[Bios_Hakr]

Just about every car audio head unit has a powered screen.

The government exists to keep people in line. What better way than to ensure everyone is violating some law at all times.

Then you can just arrest anyone at any time for any reason and have a valid law to back it up.

Re:and that's..

[mink]

Toyota Prius has one and they get sold in California.
It displays navigation, system performance, environmental, and audio information/interface.

Racing your own car

[_iris]

It's now almost obligatory for someone to make a racing game for the GBA in which you drive your own car and/or race a in-game car against someone driving your real life car.

Re:Racing your own car

[00null00]

Hey, I've played that game! The graphics are AWESOME but the cars don't respawn.

iCard

[vasqzr]

There's also an iCard reciever for Gameboys that lets you tap into a live feed of information while you're at a track that supports it.

http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisp lay?prrfnbr=208068&prmenbr=361 [jegs.com]

slim on the details

[Deanasc]

The article is short on useable facts like what cars this is good for. I doubt it'll be available for my car. None of these tuner or chip gadgets ever are.

Re:slim on the details

[jimi the hippie]

It will work with any OBD-II car. If your car is '96 or newer, it has OBD-II. If it is older, you will have to check for your individual car.

Oldest dupe I can think of..

[Baikala]

This was reported ages ago.

Can't wait until...

[bucket74]

...I can tune my car to the specifications of the racers I've unlocked in F-Zero X. Finally my Nissan Pathfinder will be able to drift around corners!

sweet now i just need everything else

[bird603568]

unless i would drop a turbo in my 99 ford taurse wagon. If i did it would be perty sweeet.

That's great!

[MatW]

Being a car enthusiast myself, this is great news as standard MOTEC(ECU modification and enhancement e.g. HONDATA) prices are off the roof. Though I'm wondering what kind of tuning options one can do with the Gameboy's limited interface as MOTEC has a laptop computer w/ keyboard to fine tune fuel curves and such. But it's a good step in the right direction. I'm looking forward to the development of this technology. Now if they would only creat a mod so that you can plug your XBOX to your cars ECU!

this is crap...

[j4ck50n]

look on any *serious* tuner forum out there discussing this.