Directed Electronics has introduced a new iPhone app that is getting a lot of attention this week for being both cool and practical. As we know, lots of apps tend to be just one or the other.
Dubbed Viper SmartStart, the free app lets users to control their Viper SmartStart-enabled vehicle from their iPhone or iPod Touch.
The SmartStart module allows for such basic functions as locking and unlocking your car, arming and disarming its alarm, and even heating up or cooling off your ride long before you even set foot outside.
If you’re thinking there has to be more to this than just a gratis app, you’re correct. You will also need Viper’s SmartStart system in your car. That runs about $499 – or $299 if your ride already has a Viper alarm system. An active subscription to Viper’s Smart Start service is also required, which costs $29.99 a year (the first year is free).
If you’re wondering, you don’t have to be within a particular proximity to your vehicle to control it. You can activate any feature from the app wherever you get a 3G signal.
An aggressive marketing push is planned for the service, which obviously does as much to promote the Viper’s SmartStart system as it does the much-publicized iPhone app.
