Using the Gas Cubby iPhone app to increase your fuel economy and keep your vehicle properly maintained can save you money and help the environment… but, if you’ve learned anything from CrunchGear, it’s that saving money isn’t much fun unless you can blow it on something cool and completely over the top. Well, one lucky CrunchGear reader gets to have their cake and eat it too. App Cubby, the developer of Gas Cubby, is giving away a Viper SmartStart kit to one lucky CrunchGear reader. If you own a car and an iPhone, surely you’ve heard about and have been lusting after Viper’s new technology that allows you to lock/unlock, open the trunk, and even start your car right from your iPhone.
And for those still behind the curve on using your iPhone to improve fuel economy and keep track of maintenance, Gas Cubby will be on sale for only $4.99 until Cyber Monday.
To enter, leave a comment below with your vision of “car 2.0.” How can mobile apps better integrate with vehicles to make your driving experience more fun, safe, efficient, and economical?
Note: CrunchGear and App Cubby will be awarding the winner a $500 gift certificate (the retail price of Viper’s SmartStart kit) to Best Buy. The winner will be have to handle compatibility, installation, etc.
We’ll pick a winner on Wednesday.
Congrats to Emanuel, our winner.
Yay more contests! Car 2.0 would be a car that would work seamlessly with a smartphone.
Car 2.0 shows us how close we are to a seemless lifestyle where everything you own will work together making even the simplest of tasks even easier, all while giving you the convienence of being able to not just keep tabs on you net life, but your home and now your auto. Can’t wait to see what next year has in store for us
I think that a fantastic integration/improvement would be the ability to be notified if the Car Alarm goes off that I would be notified instantly via my iPhone. Also to activate/deactivate the car alarm via the app.
great contest! Car 2.0 would be a car that would have lots of tech wow factor and work well with pc and smart phones.
I would love it if your car could sync with your systems in your house and/or apartment. Instead of having to take your mp3 player or phone into your place of dwelling to add new music, you’d be able to it wirelessly from your vehicle.
Also, I’d like to see GPSs that can track other GPSs. For instance, you’re going on a road trip and have a caravan of 3 cars. It would be great to be able to see on your screen where they other cars were. This would eliminate those calls of “what mile marker are you at?”. Of course to establish a connection both users would have to agree to be tracked, etc.
Just some ideas…
SmartStart + Car + iPhone = SciFi 2.0. I think the most important aspect of using a mobile kit like SmartStart in or with a car is safety. Just focus on making the user interface so damn easy to use that you don’t have to look at the iPhone while inside the car.
A good car kit is one that becomes a machine equivalent of a human navigator and companion. I could certainly fall in love with that.
Car 2.0 would have built in wireless network infrastructure with front and rear connectors for external antennas. USB connectors throughout the interior for charging and sync. Stationary server in the car with wireless display and keyboard. Firewall to tunnel back to your home/office for constant seamless connectivity. The car’s server would replicate data from your home machine where you can still update your mobile device or even get work done in the car. Updated your mobile device on the road? Replicate back to the machine over the established tunnel. Can you say redundancy?
Car 2.0 would allow you to pair it with you phone, integrating all functions such as calling, music, repair alerts, fuel economy, remote lock/unlock, security and other functions natively.
Car 2.0 will be an extension of my Life 2.0: everything seamlessly integrated: my iPhone is the GPS for the car, has the playlist for the stereo, the contacts for the built-in phone system, voice-activated maps to favorite places: and then the iPhone goes with me for the rest of the day when I park the car.
car 2.0:
clean-diesel or hybrid
integrated internet w/ voice activated web browsing, location services, mapping, ability to stream music – running android underneath
Car 2.0 must…MUST be able to fly!
Car 2.0 would have integrated paintball guns to blast cars that swerve into my lane while fiddling with THEIR cell phones. You spent $50K on an SUV, buy an earbud, for pete’s sakes. /rant.
Car 2.0 would also have a drink holder that chills or heats my bevvy, I could send a msg to my car via my phone to prep the holder for which bevvy I am bringing, it can begin chilling or heating as I am walking to my car.
I would also like auto tinting windows, much like the eyeglass lenses that darken in bright sunlight. Car 2.0 can access the current weather via my smartphone and tint my windows accordingly.
Car 2.0 has a totally voice operated GPS, no more causing swerving to try to push a button while driving.
Car 2.0 will tell me if I have left my child in the car via an alert to my smartphone.
Car 2.0 would not only start my car and keep it warm and fuzzy but also notify me with all the cars needs (oil change, tires pressure, windshield washer fluid, and alarm with kill switch). It would also find my car in a shopping mall.
Car 2.0 would be versatile, efficient and safe. It should have fully integrated audio, video, GPS, phone capablities with power/charging and syncing functionality for each passenger and their gadgets. You should be able to tell it (verbally) what your errands are and have it tell you the fastest/safest route to those places having it take into account the traffic conditions along the way and the business hours of your various stops.
Car 2.0 includes: Viper iPhone system, hands-free social media connectivity through the vehicle, turn-by-turn nav (runs simultaneous with social media connectivity), more accurate vehicle dianostics (fuel economy, other car vitals) and finally, Car-to-Car Sharing.
I would like to see a car contain its full service history that technicians could view and could be accessed with an app. No more, “When did I get my brake fluid changed last?”
Car 2.0 would connect via Bluetooth and turn on the lights inside the car when you get in range (for safety). You could unlock the doors or start your car from your phone as well. An app would also give you maintenance info and reminders on when to do certain things like rotate the tires or change the oil.
car 2.0 would go 0-60 in 3 seconds, and run on urine.
I think the next best innovations in car tech will have a lot to do with preventative safety and a combination of the “SmartCar” with the “SmartKey”. I believe parents would happily attach their loyalty to a car company who could manufacture the following:
Imagine a family with a car that they share. They have two teenagers. Each family member has a “SmartKey” for the car. The SmartKey identifies the specific driver and ties back to specific settings that the parents identify through some kind of web app. The settings are transmitted to the car through a wireless connection (perhaps similar to the Sprint connection on the Kindle for example).
Imagine this scenario:
A teenager in the house is using the car – he turns his SmartKey and the car immediately knows that its him and applies the configuration created for him:
- Parents set the maximum speed for their teenager to 55 MPH. Whenever he’s engaged the car using his SmartKey, the car will not accelerate past 55.
- Car has weight sensors that detect how many people are in the vehicle at once. Parents can then limit the number of passengers their teenager is allowed to have.
- Car radio has volume controls which control how loud their teenager is allowed to blast music.
- Seatbelt sensors will not allow the engine to engage until all seatbelts are fastened.
- Set “off hours” during which the car cannot be used.
- etc, etc.
Parents could activate dozens of these settings, and specify each configuration per SmartKey, and then distribute the SmartKeys to their kids to tie up against their configuration. I think parents would jump at the chance to keep their kids safe by setting certain restrictions.
Parents could modify these settings from a mobile app and even get immediate, real-time alerts if for example, the car is in a collision. The mobile app could provide summary reports of how much each driver has driven, speed averages, etc.
The possibilities in this space are endless and very exciting.
I am glad that I didn’t grow up during this era.
Car 2.0 – iPhone controls everything! Bluetooth, WiFi, etc. Bring it on.
I envision that in “car 2.0″ the current “luxury amenities” with regard to providing traffic,weather,concierge, dare I say mobile web will be standard in all vehicles (through the navigation system).
Finally, apps like the Viper Smart Kit, and Gas Cubby will no longer be a tech junkies wet dream, but will be ubiquitous like the cell phone.
Now where is my Smart Kit =)
Cheers!
I think the car 2.0 would be one that allows full integration of future phones into its electronic content. This would mean you could control the radio, see tire pressure, check oil quality and control the navigation all from your phone.
Heck, atleast create an open source computer in the thing so it can be modded easier.
Car 2.0 should be able to be controlled by the iPhone, shift it into different gears, start the car, and even be able to back it out or pull it into a tight parking space all from the iPhone
I just want my Car 2.0 to seamlessly integrate my iPhone so that I can listen and talk, hands free wle powering the phone.
car 2.0:
I think instead of honking… we should be able to tweet at someone… Get it… Tweet Tweet… You suck, jackass…
I’m a loser… Back to bed
My vision of Car 2.0 is one where it can take in multiple feeds – from satellites, radio warnings, traffic buildups, nearby tweets, car internals etc and make necessary intervention e.g. sensing wet conditions ahead based on weather forecast, it can determine whether the tyre pressures will provide correct handling and then figure out the nearest petrol station where you can top up the pressure. Same thing with traffic conditions, it can determine an optimum course depending on how congested the road is or is likely to become.
For it to truly earn the moniker “Car 2.0″, said automobile must include a jetpack.
Car 2.0: 2 important things. First, see through hologram with all of cars stats right on the windshield (distracting and dangerous?, nah). Second, must steer car with iPhone controls–tilt phone=turn car=win.
They are getting closer to being able to drive your car with your phone. Check this youtube video out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x5IziyOcAg
Car 2.0 will be intelligent (or attempt to be) in all of the major aspects of driving. Hand’s free integration with phone calls and music is here, but imagine hands free highway driving. Pull on the interstate and his auto pilot and the car takes over controlling speed, lane changes, etc until pulling off the highway when it will return control to the driver.
Car 2.0 will have 5 major areas of interaction: 1. Security, remote start, remote entry, etc (as in Viper) 2. Phone, video & MP3 via BlueTooth (as in Ford/MS) 3. Diagnostics (as in OBD II) 4. GPS and mapping (TomTom, etc) and, finally, 5. Comfort (remember individual seat/mirror/etc preferences & applying them when you sit in the car)
All of these functions (and many others) will be integrated into a single package and interact with IPhone or other mobile device to personalize the service and make it available before entry in the car.
car 2.0 would integrate diagnostics with radio,gps,and bluetooth…
Hmm, Car 2.0 could help me warm up my car in the winter, cool it during the Summer, and keep track of how secure it is, all via the iPhone. Can’t wait to see it integrate gps location and and kill switch from iPhone.
car2.0 (or the iCar how I call it) should have Android 2.0’s navigation system, iPhone’s Viper Smart Start and maybe .. Autopilot while I look at cool Asian girls on my iphone :D
Car 2.0 is detailed feedback on my vehicle’s performance sent to my phone in easy to understand language for me to maximize efficiency.
w00t! I have been watching this item, contemplating purchasing … such great stuff that would make my Buffalo winters a LOT easier!
Car 2.0: It just works.
my car 2.0 would have integrated gps and music selection, so that I could tell it what kind of music to play based on my destination and speed. Driving home music = mellow and relaxing. Driving to the beach at 85 = classic rock at full volume!
Car 2.0 is a change in mindset.
Today, you manually plan your day and think ahead about traffic patterns, gas, maintenance, soccer practice, etc.
Car 2.0 – Your mobile device will use your calendar appointments, GPS location, projected AND live traffic data, weather considerations and fuel efficiency/braking minimization practices to alert you to the optimal time to leave in order to arrive precisely when you mean to at cheapest cost and least hassle.
self driving/flying cars, world peace, will still be “10 years away”.
Car 2.0 will incorporate several technologies including integrated GPS & RFID for communicating with other vehicles. Innovations with fuel cells, electric and various hybrid technologies will play ever greater roles as we drive into the future. Also advancement with touch screen UI’s will start to show up in more vehicles providing important info to the consumer (i.e statistics about driving habits, car health, and important reminders).
Car 2.0 will by a seamless integration between your various media and data components facilitated by your smartphone.
Car 2.0 will sync data between your home computer, work computer, mobile phone and media center. New songs will be added to the stereo system automatically. Driving directions will go from your computer straight to your car. This will be done either via the internet / wifi or via your cell phone which will be recognized as soon as you get to the car. Car settings will be adjusted via the phone as well. Obviously cellular phone calls will be routed to the car and bounce to your phone when you leave the car. Car data will travel with your smartphone to your home computer to the web for analysis such as how mint.com analyzes your finances.
Car 2.0 is already here… remote starting, GPS navigation, massive mobile entertainment, access to any car at any time (zipcar’s app) and more; all from your phone. Pretty amazing.
Standardized bluetooth diagnostics is the next big thing, though.
Car 2.0 will save the car industry
Car 2.0 would need to be wireless enabled as a must. It would provide information to me just like a web 2.0 app could. To start, we’d need to be able to unlock, lock, start and locate our cards from out mobile device. But that’s not all. Car 2.0 should tell me what I want to know rather than me ask it. What was my gas mileage that last fill up? When do I need an oil change? (Stickers are so 80’s.) Do I have low tire pressure? I’d also want to adjust my heating and cooling remotely, because let’s face it, even with smart start we don’t remember to leave the A/C on or vice versa. Car 2.0 is about integrating the “services” a car provides into our on-demand, always on, and mobile life.
car 2.0 would let me send diagnostic info via my cell to the dealer, where they could tell me the urgency of my check engine light :p
Car 2.0 would allow me to interact with my Twitter feed verbally when paired with my iPhone, have a hot cup of coffee waiting when started remotely, and make its own appointment for detailing when it thinks I’ve gotten it too dirty.
Car 2.0 is a collaboration of technical, social and automotive integration. Car 2.0 will be equipped with video cameras in rear and front with nightision to assist in foggy weather. The video is displayed on the iphone adapted monitor.
That’s a wicked start to car 2.0- I wouldn’t have to carry my key with me :)
fuel economy linked to google navigation would be wicked.
Next- service intervals integrated with diary / usage so I can plan garage time better.
Car 2.0 would allow for the integration of GPS positioning, camera imaging, and data handling between phone and vehicle.
Phone features:
- bluetooth connectivity (proximity-based ignition control, communication of user profile preferences)
- data transfer (remote access to vehicle data/control)
- camera (snap photos of gas prices submitted to database via image analysis to extract price info)
- GPS (transfer speed and position information to traffic database with feedback to GPS for more efficient routing)
Clearly, there is a lot that can be done.
Car 2.0 is an app itself. Vehicles will become an API for the devices that we use. Getting on a subway? Just walk on with your RFID enabled device to pay the toll. Renting a car? Walk to the vechicle you want to rent, press the rent button and unlock it with your SmartStart enabled device. Need directions? Pick the destination on your device and the heads-up display will guide you to your destination in the vehicle.
car 2.0…fours wheels and a stick (plus viper smart start system…of course!)