If you like the idea of being able to start your car remotely, locate it via GPS, check its tire pressure, and so on, but aren't particularly enthused about putting all of that information in the hands of a third-party like OnStar, AutoPage's C3 RS-1000 OLED is for you.
Using a simple web interface on your iPhone or via a downloadable Java application that works on any phone with a four-directional control, you can lock/unlock your car, start it remotely, check the location (using a Yahoo maps mash-up), speed, temperature, tire pressure, or any other statistic provided by your car's network.
You can also use it to set a speed limit that your kids can't exceed, or apply geofencing, which sends you an alert if your car moves more than 10 feet from its current location. If someone steals your car, you can turn off the engine, call the cops, and tell them where it is.
According to AutoPage VP of engineering and operations Oliver Grunhold
(pictured here controlling the system using his iPhone), the cellular nature of the system solves one of the major problems with remote starting (say, to warm up your car in the winter): the car isn't in range. And according to him, the system is so reliable that he often leaves his keys in the car and opens the doors with his phone.
All of the communication is only between you and your car, and it's encrypted so you needn't be paranoid that someone has hacked into the system. Each command is a mere 15 bytes in size, so the average response time for each command is only around 2 seconds, according to
Grunhold.
The Autopage C3 RS-1000 OLED costs $429, plus a $129/year subscription fee (Grunhold points out that this is way cheaper than LoJack). The average installation costs between $75 and $150, and if you prefer yesterday's chrome-enhanced beauties to today's bubbly
Civic lookalikes, you can get most of this stuff installed in an older car.
