I've been considering developing an ECU/PC interface and consult software for quite some time now. Reading this post has encouraged me to begin writing an application for the linux platform, mainly out of curiousity.
Which may or may not interest anyone on this forum, however if successful; linux would potentially allow me to offer a freely available in-dash ECU management + multimedia + navigation package, that will be able to take advantage of existing technology (i.e. mini-PC, touchscreen LCD, consult<->RS232 cable, GPS receiver)
For now though, it's still a pipe dream!
PS. Any idea where to read the G-sensor from the ECU? That'd be neat!!