There’s a ton of ill-advised things you can do with your iPhone while in your car: Text, watch a movie, or play Angry Birds, for instance. Finally, there’s something you can do with your iPhone (or iPod Touch or iPad, for that matter) while the car is running that’s actually a good idea – using Innovate’s OT-2 module and Logworks Mobile app, you can wirelessly access OBDII data. Here’s how it works:

The OT-2 module plugs into the OBDII port under your dash, and transmits information to your iWhatever via WiFi, connecting just like you would to a wireless hotspot. The free Logworks Mobile app lets you use your device as a gauge for pretty much any OBDII data parameter – RPM, throttle position, MAP data, intake air temperature, or spark advance, for instance – and log that information to analyze or share via email.

It also acts as an OBDII scan tool, allowing you to read and clear diagnostic trouble codes, and a dyno simulator allows you to measure performance and calculate estimated horsepower straight from your phone. Finally, an efficiency meter function shows you real-time fuel economy to help you stay “in the green” while on the road.

Better still, the included serial port on the OT-2 allows you to add an LC-1 wideband controller and oxygen sensor to wirelessly monitor and log air/fuel ratio data. The OT-2 system has a MSRP of only $179, and the complete wideband bundle including the LC-1 is just $349.