Mobile Apps and the Open Car

Lyle on GM-Volt reports that the Volt will have a BB and iPhone app. The idea captured in the image here suggests controlling the charging functionality of the Volt via a BB app.

He goes on to say,

GM sources have indicated that there will be applications at least for the iPod [EB: I assume this is iPhone, and iPod Touch] and the Blackberry. These will soon be unveiled along with their potential functions.

What's really interesting is to read down the (many!) comments of the article, with folks chiming in with other ideas about Mobile App / auto integrations. Aside from some snark, and the you-probably-saw-this-coming references to our old friend Kitt, one commenter had 26 different ideas, including:

Be able to set reminders that are triggered by a location so that if you drive within a certain radius of that location, the reminder will play through the Volt sound system via text-to-speech. For example, “Reminder to pick up some batteries at Circuit City”

and

Be able to opt in to receive an in-car notification if you are about to drive past a gas station who’s prices are in the best 10% of the nearest 10 gas stations.

Will the automobile industry figure this out fast enough? Will they build in communications to allow clever integrations? Will someone else come along with clever after-market products that expose the data that's likely already sitting in the computers onboard most cars?

This is going to be fun...