MacRumors

A new combination of iPhone app and plug-in adapter from Automatic to read data from your car's onboard diagnostics (OBD) port turns virtually any car manufactured after 1996 into a connected car, providing detailed data on your driving habits and cost of driving (via The Verge).

The OBD-II data port is a standard feature on all modern cars, providing access to fuel, mileage and engine data. Plugging in a small $69.95 reader allows this data to be transmitted via Bluetooth to your iPhone as you drive. The app then analyzes this to log a range of data, including fuel efficiency, driving style and engine performance. The app then combines this data with GPS info and an online database to tell you the cost of every journey you make.

The hardware unit connects to a car's OBD-II Data Link Connector — an often-overlooked data port that's been standard on every car since 1996. Through the data link, Automatic has access to fuel, mileage, and engine information, which it sends to your phone through its Bluetooth antenna. From there, the app pulls in GPS, fuel pricing, and map data to build a comprehensive picture of every drive you take. When you stop to fill up, Automatic uses geolocation data to determine which gas station you're at, then uses its own database of stations and daily prices to calculate how much you paid.

Audio pings tell you when you are braking sharply or accelerating hard, driving behaviors that can increase gas mileage by a third. The app can also read and reset "engine check" codes, allowing you to determine whether that annoying light on your dash is something serious or trivial, and allow you to switch it off again without the need to visit a mechanic.

Automatic also includes a "crash alert" system, using the iPhone's accelerometer to detect certain types of crashes and automatically call 911 to report name, location, and vehicle description.

Automatic Link is not the first product to offer access to ODB data on iOS devices, but it does appear to offer a more complete feature set and polished user interface than has been seen on products released to date. Automatic Link launches in May, with pre-orders available now.

Tumblr today updated its iOS app to version 3.3, adding a redesigned camera interface that simplifies in-app photo taking and integrated Photoset capabilities.

Previously released as part of a standalone app, the new Photoset feature allows users to create photo collages with customized layouts.

Tumblr has also been updated with the ability to double tap posts to like them, easy one-tap avatar changes, and new URL linking functionality.

Brand new camera!
Create photosets straight from the app.
Double-tap posts to like!
Tap the avatar in your profile to change it.
Link posts: Copy or enter a URL and we'll fetch the title!

Tumblr for iOS can be downloaded for free from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Google has updated its Gmail experience when using mobile browsers like Safari. The company is aiming to replicate the experience users have using the Gmail for iOS app, updated back in December.

Since launching the rebooted Gmail app for iPhone and iPad in December (http://goo.gl/2m7pd), we’ve heard from many of you that you like the redesigned UI, along with new features such as improved search and integration with Google Calendar. Today we’re rolling out a similar refreshed look to the Gmail mobile web app as well as Gmail Offline (http://goo.gl/0f1ae) that includes many of these same changes. Try it out at gmail.com in the browser of your Android, iOS, Blackberry or Kindle Fire device

Syntellia, the company behind popular alternative keyboard app Fleksy, is developing software that will allow the app to work with the upcoming Leap Motion Controller. Syntellia is demoing the Fleksy and Leap Motion combo at SXSW this week.

Fleksy is a text-input system that implements advanced predictive text algorithms to allow users to type without looking at the screen of the iPhone or the iPad. Though it offers a traditional tap typing interface, it also supports simple gestures for space and delete.

In combination with the touch-free Leap Motion, Fleksy offers gesture-based typing that can be done in the air. Air typing with Fleksy functions much like the iOS app, with error correction on the fly.

Syntellia is also debuting an iOS SDK, allowing third party apps to use the Fleksy keyboard, as explained by TechCrunch.

It offers developers to use Fleky's signature foolproof typing engine, as well as customization options around theme, layout and more. Devs can even use the "invisible" Fleksy keyboard if they want to get all the chrome out of the way while still allowing for text entry. Interested developers can email Fleksy direct for more info.

Fleksy's iOS SDK will be available this week. The Leap Motion Controller is set to ship in May and is currently available for pre-order for $79.99. The Fleksy iOS app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

As part of a South by Southwest promotion, Marvel has announced (via The New York Times) that it is giving away more than 700 of its No.1 issues through its Marvel Comics iOS app and web store.

"This is the perfect way to show everyone how much we believe in our material by letting them try the first issues for free, because we're sure once they start, they won't stop," says Marvel SVP – Sales, Digital & Print David Gabriel. "Week in and week out we ask fans to come check out our new releases—both in print and digitally—with the promise that we'll bring them the best comics made by the best talent and managed by the best editorial team in the industry. Now, existing and news fans [alike] can discover the heroes they know and love and learn about new ones all at the same time."

The inaugural issue of each comic book line can be downloaded for free, a significant discount from the standard $1.99 to $3.99 price. Marvel is running the promotion in order to attract new readers, offering recent comics like Uncanny Avengers and All-New X-Men alongside classics like Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four.

Marvel's sale began on Sunday night and will last through Tuesday at 11 p.m. Eastern time. The comics can be downloaded via the web or through the Marvel Comics app.

Angry Birds Toons, Rovio's upcoming animated series, will be distributed through its existing line of iOS and Android apps to reach more than 1.7 billion users that have downloaded the games.

Angry Birds titles that are in the App Store will be updated with a new video channel that will allow access to the show. The cartoon will also be available on select TV networks, Samsung Smart TVs, Comcast’s Xfinity platform, and Roku boxes.

"We're delighted to introduce all this through our new channel, with easy and instant access to the stories in the palm of your hand. With over 1.7 billion downloads, we can reach a far wider and more engaged global audience than traditional distribution would allow. Launching the channel, and partnering up with some of the best video-on-demand providers and TV networks, is an important milestone for us on our journey towards becoming a fully fledged entertainment powerhouse."

Angry Birds Toons will feature a total of 52 episodes with a new episode airing each week. The show will hit televisions on March 16 and will be available within Rovio’s apps on March 17.

Apple has silently updated its Maps app in Japan after announcing similar changes in the first beta of iOS 6.1.1 back in the beginning of February. It appears that for many of the changes, Apple didn't need to expressly update the operating system and could instead implement changes server-side. The changes were first noted by Mac Otakara, via 9to5Mac.

The iOS 6.1.1 beta became iOS 6.1.3 after Apple released a pair of emergency bug fixes as version 6.1.1 and 6.1.2. From the original iOS 6.1.1 beta 1 release notes:

iOS 6.1.1 beta 1 includes the following improvements to Maps for Japan:

- Improved pronunciation of roads during turn-by-turn navigation
- Optimized directions to more strongly prefer highways over narrower roads
- Now indicates upcoming toll roads during turn-by-turn navigation
- Added labels for junctions, interchanges, on-ramps, off-ramps, and intersections
- Added indicators for transit station buildings, subway lines, and traffic lights
- Updated freeway color to green
- Updated icons for some location categories including fire stations, hospitals, and post offices Added 3D buildings including Tokyo Station, Japan Imperial Palace, and Tokyo Tower

The Apple iBookstore Twitter account accidentally retweeted an obscene message last night, reports 9to5Mac.

The account also favorited the tweet, adding to the embarrassment for the company which has sought to limit sexually-explicit content on its App Store although it has not placed similar restrictions on its iBookstore. It is likely that whoever operates the Twitter account intended to retweet it on their personal Twitter account but did so while logged into the iBookstore account.

(The offending word has been removed from the screenshot shown above.)

TechCrunch reports that Philips has created an official developer program for its Wi-Fi connected Hue home lighting system, which includes an SDK for iOS and APIs to allow hardware and software developers to integrate Hue into their products.

Hue, which is exclusive to iOS, allows users to control LED lightbulbs via the iPhone and an accompanying bridge that uses the ZigBee communication protocol.

"We're now at a point where there are already about 10 applications that have been shared and built from the unofficial developer community for new applications around Hue," explained George Yianni, Hue System Architect in an interview. "Now what we want to do as Philips is we actually want to help and grow and encourage this community, and give them tools and proper documentation. Also, we want to give them commitment that this is the API and we’re going to support it and it won’t change overnight."

Though Hue-integrated third party apps such as last week’s Ambify have been released, these solutions do not use official APIs. According to Yianni, the unavailability of official APIs is the main reason that the Hue has yet to be integrated into additional apps and connected home devices.

The new Hue tools are freely available for all developers interested in creating a product or an app that connects to the system.

Philips plans to add additional functionality to the Hue in the future, focusing on geofencing, scheduling, and other sensor capabilities. The company is also working on expanding the Hue line with new lightbulb types.

CNET reports that during a talk at SXSW, Jay Sullivan, Mozilla's vice president of product, said that the company has no plans to release an iOS version of Firefox because of technological limitations imposed by Apple.

The nonprofit Mozilla, which pulled Mozilla Firefox Home from Apple's App Store in September 2012, is not currently building a version of its Firefox browser for iOS, nor does the company plan to, said Sullivan, speaking on a mobile browser wars panel at South by Southwest Interactive moderated by CNET Senior Reporter Seth Rosenblatt.

The sticking point for Mozilla is not being able to carry over its sophisticated rendering and javascript engines to iOS. Essentially, the organization doesn't feel like it can build the browser it wants to for Apple's platform, Sullivan told CNET.

Mozilla's stance on a Firefox browser for the iPhone is not new. In 2010, the company announced that it did not plan to create a standalone browser for the iPhone, citing the same technical and logistical restrictions that would prevent the company from creating an acceptable mobile experience via iOS.

Apple's Safari uses the speedy Nitro JavaScript engine exclusively, while restricting third-party browsers to UIWebView, which gives Safari a significant performance boost over other browsers.

Mozilla did create an iOS application called Firefox Home, which allowed Firefox users to sync Firefox history and bookmarks with a Webkit-powered web viewer.

The company also experimented with a stripped down version of Firefox called "Junior," which was designed to simplify the iOS browsing experience. That project has yet to see a public release, and Mozilla ended up removing Firefox Home from the App Store in September.

Other major players continue to compete with Safari, despite the imposed limitations. Opera has long had the Opera Mini browser in the App Store, and Google released a Chrome app for iOS last summer.