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The cell phone: your other car key

The cell phone: your other car key

Posted Dec 11th 2005 1:00PM

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Richmond Design & Marketing (RDM) Group has made available in the U.K. a new car security system, Auto-txt. The system works by associating the car owner with his or her cell phone. If someone starts the car but does not have the associated cell phone, it immediately tags the car as stolen. Police who track down the vehicle can, remotely via Auto-txt, prevent it starting once its ignition has been turned off. Suddenly the presence of cell phones in cars might become a positive thing rather than the scourge they're accused of being now.

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DKB_SATX

Another incompletely thought-out European security system is phone-related. One of my bosses in Italy bought an RS6, and negotiated a significant break in his insurance company by having a security system that tied into the built-in phone system. Basically the system had to periodically contact the security company for authorization. If your car gets stolen, you report it and they can disable it. I'm not sure if it could report its position or had lo-jack. Anyway, he and his family were going for a vacation cruise on their boat (hard life, right? RS6 and a boat.) Claudio parked the car in an underground garage for 3 weeks or so. When they returned, the battery was flat (either from the system trying to call for authorization, or a pure coincidence.) No problem, right? Charge the battery and go... except the system can't phone home from underground, so it still refused to start. If you've never been in an Italian parking garage, you may not be able to imagine the ballet required to get a tow truck in at all, much less to get it out with a car on the back (flat-bed required, remember... AWD.) Claudio had the system removed and paid more for his insurance.

December 11 2005 at 9:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Evan

My car was broken into one time, and my cell phone was stolen from it. It was bad enough to come out to my car to find the window shattered and my phone missing. It would add insult to injury to be accused of stealing my own car upon starting up the ignition. I think this is an interesting idea, but it needs work.

December 11 2005 at 5:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Scott

So what happens if you want to let your spouse or someone else borrow the car, do they need to take your cellphone with them, too? This system just sounds ridiculous, like they didn't think of any possible scenarios that might come up.

December 11 2005 at 2:54 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Benson Leung

Uhm... Cell phones have batteries... batteries can run out, especially if you've got the Bluetooth radio running... I think this system is interesting, but it will cause a lot of false positives as somewhat careless people like me forget to charge their cell phone or leave their cell phone at home...

December 11 2005 at 1:53 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Kevin

Wow, as if misplacing your cell phone wasn't already an inconvenince enough! Soon we'll have a car that doesn't start unless you swipe your social security card through a reader and type in the last 4 digits of your credit card after you turn the key... I'm really not *that* opposed to it but it's not a feature I would pay extra to have...

December 11 2005 at 1:49 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply