Viper has launched Viper SmartStart for the iPhone. The app works with Viper remote start systems to start a car, lock or unlock its doors, and open its trunk. It can also be used to find a car, or set off a panic alarm. The app can control more than one car, and allows for multiple users to control the same vehicle.
Nissan is developing an iPhone app to accompany a trio of electric cars, according to sister site Leftlane News. The cars are expected to be announced on August 2nd, at which point the iPhone app may be announced as well. Taking advantage of Apple's iPhone 3.0 firmware, the app should be able to monitor a car's battery level away from the display.
GM-owned car maker Cadillac has announced an April introduction for its first in-car Internet service. Dubbed Cadillac WiFi, the service is actually based around a device from Autonet Mobile, which is portable between vehicles and should allow computers and similar devices to access the Internet via a local network connection. The first car to come with the option will be the CTS sport sedan; the Autonet device will sell for $499, while maintaining service should cost $29 per month.
As iPod integration becomes a standard option, the iPhone is next in line for car-audio upgrades. Mercedes is preparing to offer a $400 iPhone integration as an option on 2009 model-year cars, according to Leftlane News. First announced last week, the device is an iPhone cradle integrated into the console between the driver and passenger seats, and can be operated from the car's steering wheel-mounted controls. The cradle should offer full connectivity to all the iPhone's audio options. A retrofit for older Mercedes models will also be available. It is expected in August for about $400.
Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz this week revealed that an integrated iPhone cradle is now available as an option on all its vehicles. Allowing drivers to easily switch between standard radio and iPhone functions, it offers full iPhone functionality through the vehicle's driver display and multifunction steering wheel. In addition to helping drivers comply with traffic legislation specific to mobile telephone usage in cars, Mercedes believes that the cradle "enhances road safety, as the driver’s hands remain on the steering wheel, leaving them free to concentrate on the traffic and the other controls in the cockpit."
Negotiations between Apple and Volkswagen are at a halt, a German business publication suggests. The companies' respective CEOs, Steve Jobs and Martin Winterkorn, are said to have met in August to discuss the prospect of an "iCar," which would integrate Apple products directly into the design; now however, Capital magazine claims that although Volkswagen later confirmed exploratory talks, these have suddenly stopped. "The project is shaky," say the magazine's business sources.
Looking to grow the market for in-car computers, Toshiba today introduced the largest-ever hard drive built specifically for vehicles. The MK8050 series stores just 80GB but includes the shock tolerance to handle engine vibration or the jolts from the road underneath. These new 2.5-inch drives are 50 percent more resilient than past models despite the size increase, Toshiba boasts. The company also creates a cushion of air around the read head that prevents it from scratching the platters during a car trip, even at altitudes as high as 3.4 miles above sea level where the pressure would otherwise not be enough to prevent an accident.
