Automatic is a really cool product that has been in private testing for quite some time. A little dongle attaches to your car’s onboard computer and communicates with a beautifully designed iPhone app. The app tells you things like when you’re braking or accelerating too hard, a report of your gas mileage and more.
Today Automatic announced that it is delaying shipment of its Link hardware again. Instead of shipping to non-beta testers by late August or early September, the release has been pushed back a few weeks.
The reason for the delay was explained today in an email to customers who have preordered the device:
Our team has been working hard all summer to get everything ready for Automatic’s public launch: testing and improving car compatibility, finishing up the app, and building out the infrastructure needed to support the avalanche of customers who pre-ordered.
In June we began a Private Beta program for our earliest customers, in which volunteers receive their Links before the public release and help us by reporting any bugs they encounter. We were a little overwhelmed by the number of volunteers, but we’ve shipped to thousands of them and have made great progress with their help.
Unfortunately, we recently experienced a production delay, which has temporarily affected our ability to ship Links to Beta customers. We’re working around the clock (literally!) to fix the issue and our hope is to ship to all remaining Beta customers by the end of the month.
The Automatic iPhone app is also undergoing updates and adding new features to prepare for the public launch. Crash alert, a feature that automatically notifies authorities when you get in an accident, is currently being implemented alongside the ability to share one car with multiple drivers.
Automatic is available for preorder online for $70.
Source: Automatic
