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Tune Your Car with a Gameboy Advance

Posted by Zonk on from the first-you-have-to-know-how-to-tune-your-car dept.

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."

36 comments

  1. Alternate stoty title by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Void Your Waranty with your Gameboy Advance

  2. How about driving by CrazyJim1 · · Score: 1

    Can I use a handheld to drive my car?

    --
    God spoke to me.
    1. Re:How about driving by Phisbut · · Score: 1

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

      --
      After 3 days without programming, life becomes meaningless
      - The Tao of Programming
  3. Oh, Come on! by Rev+Wally · · Score: 4, Funny

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

    --
    LOAD "SIG",8,1
    1. Re:Oh, Come on! by Rethcir · · Score: 2, Funny
      "Faster, Neddy, he's gaining on us!!!" -Maude Flanders

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

  4. Oh Great by TheOnlyJuztyn · · Score: 4, Funny

    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!!!

  5. This Is Crap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    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

    1. Re:This Is Crap by Giffy_the_guy · · Score: 0

      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 so true.

      --
      I Hate Sigs
    2. Re:This Is Crap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually the thread on team-integra seems very ignorant to what the product does -comparing the dtec to a standalone em tool. That is not what the product is for. It is not even possible to tune the car with the dtec as it is now, only good for displaying information, basically an electronic display for various sensors. The whole idea of the dtec is to tie in with turboxs's utec engine managment system. I speak from experience since i have the utec in my car.

  6. Gameboy Advanced Replaces Slashdot Editors by Beatbyte · · Score: 4, Informative

    Original Story

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

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    Get paid to code OSS
  7. Been reported before by Akira1 · · Score: 1

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

    --
    Food: It's whats for dinner
  8. This is great for gamers... I mean tuners... by Datamonstar · · Score: 1

    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 showing off the practicality of your in-car gaming device of choice.

    --
    The eternal struggle of good vs. evil begins within one's self.
  9. *thumbs down* by th3space · · Score: 1

    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!

    --
    "How like you to drag your keyboard to a gun fight." - Aaron Bedard (BANE)
  10. The only thing it could do... by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 1, Funny

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

  11. yeah.. by gl4ss · · Score: 1

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

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    world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  12. and that's.. by Goeland86 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

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    ---- I am certain of only one thing : I know nothing else.
    1. Re:and that's.. by Grey+Ninja · · Score: 3, Interesting

      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. ;-)

    2. Re:and that's.. by GigsVT · · Score: 1

      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

      --
      I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
    3. Re:and that's.. by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      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).

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    4. Re:and that's.. by Bios_Hakr · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      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.

      --
      I'd rather you do it wrong, than for me to have to do it at all.
    5. Re:and that's.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good. I'm glad to hear someone finally outlawed cell phones in the front seat. Are you sure you explained the law correctly?

    6. Re:and that's.. by Goeland86 · · Score: 1

      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.

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      ---- I am certain of only one thing : I know nothing else.
    7. Re:and that's.. by mink · · Score: 1

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

      --
      Well I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years doctor, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
  13. Racing your own car by _iris · · Score: 2, Funny

    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.

    1. Re:Racing your own car by 00null00 · · Score: 2, Funny

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

  14. iCard by vasqzr · · Score: 2, Informative


    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

  15. slim on the details by Deanasc · · Score: 1

    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.

    --
    I've hit Karma 50 and gotten a Score:5, Troll... I win!
    1. Re:slim on the details by jimi+the+hippie · · Score: 1, Informative

      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.

  16. Expensive? You mean the serial cable? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    without the expensive peripheral hardware

    I can only assume by that they mean "the serial cable to go from the OBD port to the computer", since there's nothing else you need. There are tons of free and open source software packages for reading the obd port.

    1. Re:Expensive? You mean the serial cable? by Giffy_the_guy · · Score: 0

      yes while they're are open source progs that READ OCDB data. the actual software you want to use to actually change things are expensive. i believe uberdata is free/open source but cannot do some of the nice things say a program like hondata can do.

      --
      I Hate Sigs
  17. Oldest dupe I can think of.. by Baikala · · Score: 1

    This was reported ages ago.

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    16,777,216 comments ought to be enough for any forum!
  18. ALREADY BEEN SLASHDOTTED by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This thing is old innit? I remember reading and seeing the webpage for this thing MONTHS ago.

  19. Can't wait until... by bucket74 · · Score: 1

    ...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!

  20. sweet now i just need everything else by bird603568 · · Score: 1

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

  21. That's great! by MatW · · Score: 1, Insightful

    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!

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    http://www.iWebmasters.com -your offshore staff leasing services!
  22. this is crap... by j4ck50n · · Score: 1

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