Open Source Car Hacking Kit will be announced in BlackHat Asia Conference

Eric Evenchick is a former intern at Tesla who has developed an open source CANard from Phyton language which enables the users to carry out a proper diagnostic over the CAN (Controller Area Network). CAN is a network which can be found in most of the modern automobiles which is normally used to send data around the vehicle. He is going to announce the CANard tool in the BlackHat Asia conference.

The purpose of him developing this open source is to enable the users to understand how their connected cars work in order to see if there is any tweak that they can make to enhance the system further. It also can be used to check whether there is any security vulnerabilities that hackers can do. On top of that, it also can be used to modify the data to an insurance OBDII port device as well as to change the emission test results which can break the law.

Apart for the source code, hardware is also necessary. Evenchick is selling 100 CANtact, CAN to USB devices for $59.95 which the USB and OBDII cable not included. The device can be connected to Windows, Linux or Apple computer. When you plug into the OBDII port of a car, you can see what is going on in the car. However, this is only applicable for cars manufactured after 2008.

Eric Evenchick is a freelance embedded systems developer. He has worked on automotive firmware at Tesla Motors before as well as he has worked with University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team to design and build hydrogen electric vehicle for EcoCAR Advanced Vehicle Technology Compeition while studying electrical engineering at University of Waterloo. He also a contributor for Hackaday.com

Open Source Car Hacking Kit will be announced in BlackHat Asia Conference

Android Auto Introduced at Google I/O that Turns Your Car"s Dashboard Into a Smartphone

Google just unveiled Android Auto-its in-car interface service at Google I/O 2014. It is developed by the Open Automotive Alliance (comprising of Google itself, Audi AG, General Motors Co., Honda Motor Co., Hyundai Motor Group and NVIDIA Corp.). The idea behind Android Auto is to ensure that users aren’t switching between the mobile and the steering wheel while driving.

Android Auto is the Google’s answer to Apple’s CarPlay which also supports Siri-based contextual voice commands for making calls, sending and receiving messages.Well, note that your car will not run Android OS. Android Auto runs on your smartphone and provides users with a simplified Android user interface directly on the dashboard of their cars. It allows them to access features like navigation, communication, and listening to music.

Android Auto is absolutely voice-enabled utilizing Google’s Voice Search feature. It brings “the right information right when you need it” directly on your car’s dashboard. Users should just tap a button on their steering wheel for enabling Android Auto’s voice search. However, they can also control Google’s auto-centric service by pressing the touchscreen buttons on their dashboards. Speaking of navigation, Android Auto also supports full Google Maps experience, turn-by-turn navigation, and also gives personalized suggestions about possible destinations.

Similar to Google Now,users can also send text messages by tapping a button and verbally interacting with Android Auto. They can also access their Google Play Music playlists and curated music libraries. Google is also bringing some music-streaming apps to Android Auto such as Songza, Pandora,TuneIn, iHeartRadio and others. radio and music streaming apps.

Google has also introduced Android Auto APIs, where app developers can ensure that an app designed for smartphones runs on Android Auto as well. The SDK for Android Auto will be available later this year. Google is now partnering with over 40 car manufacturers including Bentley, Ferrari, Audi, Ford, Nissan, Mazda, Suzuki and others, which will support Android Auto.

 

 

Android Auto Introduced at Google I/O that Turns Your Car"s Dashboard Into a Smartphone