Small device turns old cars into smart cars

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SAN FRANCISCO — Do you wish your loyal old car had more modern perks?

A popular new device on Kickstarter aims to provide drivers with the opportunity to upgrade to a connected car without actually purchasing a new vehicle. Voyo connects cars to smartphones and the cloud, providing drivers with the ability to remotely perform tasks like immobilizing the engine and checking diagnostics through an app.

"Current products on the market only track a small number of available vehicle parameters and at a very slow rate, which significantly limits their usefulness," Voyomotive CEO Peter Yorke told TechCrunch. "Voyo can collect 100 times the amount of information from a much wider selection of vehicle data and process it at a dramatically faster speed that enables a powerful suite of apps."

Voyo easily plugs into a car's OBD-II port and relay to access relevant information, according to the company. It should work in any car made from 1996 on, although the features available for specific vehicle models can be checked online.

The device's features include hands-free locking and unlocking, anti-idling capabilities and vehicle location. With Voyo, cars can even send alerts to owners via email or text message.

The Kickstarter campaign runs through Saturday, with basic Voyo controller packages starting at $90. The fundraising campaign has raised more than $80,000 so far, with devices expected to ship in February.

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Natalie Crofts

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