The Butt Ugly Weblog

Fortum Espoo already allows you to read your meter every second month, and SMS them the reading. Then they send a bill for exactly the amount you've actually used. This works of course only if you have access to your own meter.

--Terje Bergström, 27-Aug-2007

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I would really like to have it read every second :-)

--JanneJalkanen, 27-Aug-2007

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Actually, standardized plugs with standard protocols to every car's onboard computer have been mandatory in the States since '96 or so, and in Europe after 2001. There are cheap converters from OBD protocols/connectors to simple RS-232, and there's at least one Linux program that can read and parse the codes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Board_Diagnostics

Yeah, I've been looking for a new car :-). I just testdrove a Toyota today and easily found the connector just above my left knee on the driver's side. The Toyota also had plenty of extra compartments for small embedded computers and screens....

--Kim, 28-Aug-2007

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Ooo, nice. Thanks for this info! :-)

--JanneJalkanen, 28-Aug-2007

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