Go to Windows 7 Insider GuideChrysler's Peapod car uses iPhone as a car key
(Credit:
Peapod Mobility)
A new electric car from Chrysler called the Peapod sounds cute, but it may be surprisingly innovative. According to Chrysler, the car's included iPhone docking station turns your iPhone into a key, too.
According to a report on Autobloggreen, "simply dock your iPod for a fun, cutting edge way to start up. Exclusive software designed exclusively for Peapod turns your iPod into a key. Both options are interchangeable and secure." Sound familiar? The Rinspeed concept car was first to suggest the iPhone-as-key trick at the 2009 Geneva auto show.
(Credit:
Peapod Mobility)
The Peapod will be the first production car with the iPhone/key technology, however. Docked in the Peapod, your iPhone will also work as a green meter showing your energy savings while driving an all-electric car, as an interface to the vehicles sound system and as a navigational system--all of which are shown in this brochure.
As for the iPhone part of it - syncing the phone up with the cars systems isn't a bad idea (though a larger, in dash LCD is usually easier for most things, especially navigation), but there's no way in hell I would ever want my car key to be connected to the internet. As it is right now, this is just a massive security risk waiting to happen. If this came out, I would just be waiting for the news about the new iPhone virus that steals your car's startup code and simultaneously locates your iPhone/car via GPS.
http://gizmodo.com/5054016/peapod-electric-car-makes-us-smile-even-while-it-may-eat-people
The three hours you're sitting there waiting for your jailbroken iPhone to correctly guess the password while also spoofing the correct MAC address should leave you vulnerable to cops or bystanders seeing you or the owner returning and finding you in the car.
As for remotely controlling the vehicle, I don't think a car like the Peapod would be equipped with drive-by-wire technology. But even if it is, there's nothing to suggest that the two systems, steering and iPhone connected system would be connected. From what I know about drive-by-wire technology, the system would be closed off from all external manipulation for safety reasons. You don't want to drive by a radio tower and electromagnetic interference causing the vehicle to careen off the road. And, as smart as I am, I would think that an engineer would have thought about this long before any of us did and would have to prove that the car would be invulnerable from external manipulation to even make it on the drawing board. Anything that forces the company to recall their vehicles or be subject to lawsuits stemming from stolen vehicles or injuries or death due to the someone remotely driving the vehicle would be a bad thing for them.
Agreed though about remote control - no one would be able to steal it remotely. Remote controlled cars on the road just isn't going to happen anytime soon (safety issues). I'd be more concerned about having your iPhone's car key info stolen from it (whatever it might be - MAC address or something else) then any other info on it (likely GPS) used to locate you and your car.
The three hours you're sitting there waiting for your jailbroken iPhone to correctly guess the password while also spoofing the correct MAC address should leave you vulnerable to cops or bystanders seeing you or the owner returning and finding you in the car.
As for remotely controlling the vehicle, I don't think a car like the Peapod would be equipped with drive-by-wire technology. But even if it is, there's nothing to suggest that the two systems, steering and iPhone connected system would be connected. From what I know about drive-by-wire technology, the system would be closed off from all external manipulation for safety reasons. You don't want to drive by a radio tower and electromagnetic interference causing the vehicle to careen off the road. And, as smart as I am, I would think that an engineer would have thought about this long before any of us did and would have to prove that the car would be invulnerable from external manipulation to even make it on the drawing board. Anything that forces the company to recall their vehicles or be subject to lawsuits stemming from stolen vehicles or injuries or death due to the someone remotely driving the vehicle would be a bad thing for them.
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by Digiboy
July 1, 2009 9:44 AM PDT
- Is there an option to synch the speed of the car to the BPM of the music you're listening to?
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