Second Thoughts: Automatic

I ran across this Engadget post a couple of days ago and it inspired me to write a bit more about what I think of my experience with Automatic.  This post is intended to be read after my First Thoughts.  Generally thinking, I have the following complaints, which are organized from most to least significant:

• No generalized access to my data
• Limited insight into their presentation of data
• No ability to customize anything
• Missed rides / failed trip processing
• No Real-Time Statistics
• Access to Child Automatics
• Provide Actionable Feedback

While the list is reasonably wrong, this should not be read as me totally dissing the product.  I'm not totally dissatisfied and will continue to use it for the foreseable future.

No Generalized Data Access

I can't get to my own data.  Until Automatic fixes this, I won't be satisfied with this product.  I should be able to develop either my own tools to examine how I drive, or load the data into an app that will let me do this.  Unacceptable limitation of using Automatic.  This has to get fixed, Automatic makes no commitment to its users to have access to their data.  Anybody figure out how to hack this information out of the app?  Looks like people are using other devices to do this, I'd rather like to avoid the hassle.

Limited Insight Into Data Presentation

Automatic won't share specifics of how they calculate cost per trip except by saying general things like:

Automatic also detects fill-ups and even tracks local gas prices to show you how much you're spending.

While they may think that is helpful, I don't really think that it specific enough.  This system should smart enough to ask me if I've filled up if the GPS coordinate of my car is at a gas pump.  I should prompt me to take a picture of the gas pump before I leave and then process the information.  Ultimately, the system should be able to correct for inaccurate information being reported via the OBD port and calibrate for actual gas usage.  It can't be that hard, though a quick scan (or here), suggests that this doesn't exist yet for purpose built apps, but still.

Also, as the comments on the Engadget post suggest, there is a wide range in the Automatic's estimated mileage calculations.  This could be fixed relatively easily.  Also, prompt the user to enter their odometer reading every so often to help calibrate the GPS data versus what the car thinks.

Lack of Customization

Some of this may be due to a misguided notion of keeping the interface simple, but I don't think that Automatic is making a good choice by not allowing its users to customize the interface.  Hide the complexity, but allow users that care to make changes.  I think all of the following ought to be allowed:

• Customized chirps/sounds: let the user pick the noise when events occur (hard acceleration, etc.)
• Let users define their own events (e.g., X mph over local speed limit, crossing a predefined geographic boundary - also resulting in an email to a parent)
• Let users open trips up in Maps
• Show more trip information, including average speed and traffic conditions

I'm reasonably unimpressed with the current interface, shown for a trip from my office to Reagan National Airport shown here:

The displayed information is too limited.

Missed Trips / Failed Trip Processing

This has already happened a couple of times to me and it doesn't make any sense.  A couple of thoughts here:

• Automatic should alert you if you are moving at a car-level speed and it is not receiving information from the OBD device (but be smart about it, don't send me an alert if I'm taxiing on a runway).  Given me an alert and then try again to reconnect to the device.  Give me some trouble-shooting tips.
• When a trip fails to process - open up the feedback panel right away - Automatic should hear about all of these, not just a random set of failures.
• Recognize failures by the fact that a car is not where it was last time Automatic connected!  This seems obvious.  Allow the user to estimate usage based on best available information (if a commuting route, there will be plenty of information, if non-standard route, then just overall average driving behavior on similar roads).

No real-time statistics

I'd like to see a dashboard similar to other programs out there like Torque.  Should be an additional screen that won't pollute the main Automatic screen.  Should be customizable up to the limits of the information that my car provides.

Access to Child Automatics

This is probably the most vague comment on my list, but still one that could be quite powerful.  Let me install an automatic in the car that my son drives, force him to run the application, and provide me with the ability to:

• Monitor the car's location and velocity in real time
• Set up geographic fences, which if crossed will result in an email or text message sent to me
• Send me a weekly digest of all of the locations that the car went to over the last week

This sounds big brother-ish, and it is.  But we are dealing with a teenage drivers who aren't as mature as we'd all like them to be.  Knowing that they are constantly monitored has to be a helpful incentive.

Provide Actionable Feedback

Give me a weekly e-mail digest of my driving behavior, how it compares to other weeks and three things that I can do to improve my mileage or the safety of my driving.  Think Fitbit.

Update 2013-11-02:

I'm less convinced that its wholesale missing trips.  I've noticed that trips that weren't on the list seemingly pop back up on the list at a later point.  Perhaps this is just an app issue.