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iPhone, the New Car Key

A new feature, this time intended for motorists, is getting ready to join the gazillion applications already developed for the iPhone: the Viper SmartStart. This one can turn your iPhone into a car key, allowing you to unlock and start the car remotely. A neat gadget, giving the approaching winter...

Still it is not the system itself which is somewhat ground breaking. We already seen countless remote ignition systems, more or less effective. But they all had one major glitch: you had to be somewhere near the car, within a range specified by the manufacturer, to be able to start it up.

Not the case with SmartStart. Provided there's enough signal for both your iPhone and your car, you could start the engine from the moon... And not only your car, but your wife's and your 17-year-old daughter's, as SmartStart can be used for a bunch of different cars from a single iPhone.

"We think customers will find all sorts of unique and personal value in Viper SmartStart," Mike Simmons, DEI Holdings vice president said in a release. "Whether helping out her husband who's locked his keys in the car, or securely locking her keys and purse in the car while she takes a jog with some music on her iPhone, we expect to hear about some uses we never anticipated."

Viper SmartStart will be offered in two versions, one for those who already have a Viper module and one for those who have not. The entire Viper system costs $499, while the upgrade module alone is priced at $299.

The application can be downloaded from the Apple App Store.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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