Connect2Car Anywhere G2 Giveaway Contest -- Get Your Ideas In Now!

**Jensen2000** · 02-28-2011, 01:10 PM

After spotting some discussion of this product on the forums, we looked into it further. If our forum members are interested in it, then it’s usually worth some follow-up. We discovered an amazing product that is as useful as it is impressive. It’s a software/hardware combination that allows a user to remotely control major functions of their vehicle from anywhere via a mobile device or computer. Anywhere G2 can turn your car on or off from anywhere you have access to your smartphone, allowing you to warm it up in the morning before you get in it, or to cut the power if an unauthorized driver is operating it. Other functions include the ability to lock and unlock doors and to track the vehicle’s position and speed. That’s already an impressive lineup of features, but we thought we’d put our forum members to the test (again).

About the contest:

Connect2Car has partnered with mp3Car to give one Anywhere G2 device to 1 lucky winner willing to do an in-depth review and short video blog about the product. The prize will include:
- Connect2Car Anywhere G2 Device
- professional installation by a local install shop
- 3 months free service ($19.99 per month service) See details here.

This prize is valued at over $700 (including the installation service)!

In order to enter the contest, please draft your response to the following three items:

1. Please draft creative, innovative, or particularly valuable functions for this product. Real world examples are great!

2. What specific need to you have for the product (i.e. do you need to roll up the windows of your car to trap a thief or prevent your poodle from escaping? Do you need to be able to shut down the vehicle when your teenager takes your car for an extended period of time? Do you need to keep tabs on someone in your life?)?

3. What in-depth work logs or how-to documents have you posted on the mp3Car forums? Please provide strong examples of your technical expertise and ability to clearly document a product or process.

If you think you can make the best case for needing this product and show us your ingenious brainchild, we’ll go ahead and give it to you.

You can either reply to this thread or PM me to enter the contest.

Here’s the not-so-fine print requirements for the contest:

Must go into a year 2000+ car
Winner must live in the continental United States
Winner must do a review of the product, focusing mainly on the user experience once the product is complete, but also on the installation process (done by the professional)
Review must me in a similar format to other mp3Car reviews
Winner must do a basic video showing the primary functions of the product
Winner must have a access to a Blackberry Smartphone to document the new Connect2Car Blackberry app.
Entries must be submitted by March 18, 2011
A winner will be announced Monday, March 21, 2011
Installation must occur within 2 weeks of the winner being announced
The review must be completed within two weeks of installation

We’re looking forward to seeing what you come up with—let the contest begin!

**David Durrant** · 03-03-2011, 01:33 PM

I am very interested in this product, and therefore this prize. I've been building a car computer for my 2004 Mazda RX8 for some time. If it were not for a bad motherboard, it would have been installed some time ago. My final stereo mod (to get aux in to my stereo) was installed last weekend, so now I just need to fix the motherboard and get my Nav LCD removed and replaced with the handy touchscreen I have - and ta da - car computer set.

I'm very interested in exploring the possibilities of this device coupled with my car computer (which already has full time mobile 4G built in. Since I am going to an installer for the touchscreen anyway (custom fabrication is needed), it would be easy to add on this device at this time.

With all the work I have put into my car recently, I'm very interested in the added security this product provides. I use a Blackberry Curve for work and have a Palm Pre (WebOS) and HTC EVO 4G for personal use. I've been developing software for 16 years and have recently delved into the mobile environment. I am building applications for WebOS and Android now. I would like to see how these devices work with the product as well.

As far as manuals and documentation, if you check out the documentation for the EnyWare project on Sourceforge (www.sourceforge.net/projects/enyware), I wrote all of it - as well as the actual product itself.

David

**xpingux** · 03-03-2011, 02:09 PM

No love for Canadia?

Eh : c

**bakerunc** · 03-04-2011, 08:41 AM

I would like to be entered in this contest.

The uses I would have for this product are mainly being able to warm my car up in the mornings on a cold day. A lot of my friends ask all the time to drive my car so being able to shut the car off on them would be excellent. It will also be great if my wife wants to take a joy ride one day, " sure honey I'll let you take out the Evo, as she's about to pull out the drive way, (the car cuts off)

I will absolutely post that video too haha. I feel that all the features of the connect2car's remote system is a great kit. Its like you have a alarm, remote start and low jack all in one. I think that the all the features that alert your smartphone are awesome and great to see technology advancing so much for us car enthusiast. I'm so scared of a scratch on the new Evo so this will be a great tool to tell me if the car gets bumped, Bring it on kids, shopping carts, and who or whatever else wants to test the Anywhere G2!

I have not done any detailed projects with my car as of yet so I have not submitted any detail topics or how to's on the forum. However, should I be the winner of this contest, the documentation and video demo of the product would be to the letter. I have done many detailed reports in my years of college for my Electronics engineering and Computer engineering degrees so it's not gonna be a issue. Car electronics are a second nature to me and have dealt with them all my life. A log of a CarPc I am working on will be put up as soon as funds come in and the project is complete. Details of the connect2car kit will range from the installation, all features of the product demoed and any problems that I may run into. I am very eager to try this product and feel that its going to change the face of the market and change the face of my 2010 Mitsubishi Evo.

Thanks.

**optikalefx** · 03-04-2011, 10:26 AM

It will also be great if my wife wants to take a joy ride one day, " sure honey I'll let you take out the Evo, as she's about to pull out the drive way, (the car cuts off)

Whoa - Thats kinda harsh lol. Hopefully she doesn't read the forums and see what mean awful things you could do with this product.

---------- Post added at 11:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:24 AM ----------

I use a Blackberry Curve for work and have a Palm Pre (WebOS) and HTC EVO 4G for personal use.

And I thought Ari Emanuel carrying 1 of everything was a bit much... But you sir take the cake. haha

**Jensen2000** · 03-08-2011, 01:33 PM

These are great entries.

Anyone else interested in this?

**Sonicxtacy02** · 03-08-2011, 06:45 PM

My use for the product beyond its detailed features is to see its potential to be connected to a low-power always on platform, such as the iGEP. I'd like to see if i can somehow connect iGEP to the connect2car and see if my visioned "always available car data" system can be achieved. I see the Connect2Car not only as a security device and a cool gadget, but also a potential car system communication interface.

**Jensen2000** · 03-10-2011, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by Sonicxtacy02

My use for the product beyond its detailed features is to see its potential to be connected to a low-power always on platform, such as the iGEP. I'd like to see if i can somehow connect iGEP to the connect2car and see if my visioned "always available car data" system can be achieved. I see the Connect2Car not only as a security device and a cool gadget, but also a potential car system communication interface.

Nice idea. I wonder if the Connect2Car people would be interested in opening up their code to allow additional development. I'll check on this once the contest is complete.

Any other interest?

**malcom2073** · 03-10-2011, 10:30 AM

I'm not eligible for this contest, but I want to comment anyway

. I think Sonic is on the right track for how this could really be useful to forum members. I think the main thing, if it had auxiliary I/O, or even an interface for you to hook up a low power PC such as the igep or sheeva, that would allow you to almost infinitively expand the uses for such a device.

Taking it a step further, you could use GPS proximity to adjust how your car would react to you. If you go shopping for instance, have it set that once you are outside the mall and within 50-60 meters of your car (well within the accuracy range of gps), you could have your car auto-start. If the weather report on your phone says that it is hot, turn on the AC. If it's cold, it can turn on the heater or defroster to melt off ice. Set timers, such that when your alarm goes off to wake you up (if you use your phone for it like I do), it would also start your car and get it ready for you. Know you're going to be carrying a big load out to your car? Have it roll down a window, or (if equipped) flip open the trunk lid at a push of a button. I think that the uses of this really have a lot to do with the expandability of it, and exactly how integrated you can get yourself with it. Since your phone often knows where you are and what you want, this can extend that functionality to your car.

**Jensen2000** · 03-10-2011, 10:43 AM

This is also great, Malcom.

One could also use GPS proximity to track local weather to automatically turn on/ off windshield wipers and vary their speed depending on precipitation amounts (although sometimes doppler radar maps seem to show relatively inaccurate or delayed information). It might be interesting to see how well the wiper speeds match real world conditions.

Heck, once we have more accurate adaptive speed controls and lane sensors, a product like this could help us all be "blobs' when we drive and fully automate the driving process.