The other day I got a text on my iPhone while I was sitting in a meeting at work. Not an unusual occurrence for me, but the recipient was. It was from my car. Thanks, SmartStart.
Subject: Alert for Andrea's Rav
Message: Command received at vehicle. Speed: 0
My car was telling me someone (my son) had started it using the Viper SmartStart Remote. I hit the GPS button on the SmartStart app on my iPhone (also available for Android and Blackberry), and was able to tell he was driving from my house to where he works. Or in that general direction. If I wanted to, I could check back in a little while and see if he actually went there.
While this very notion instills fear in the hearts of teen drivers everywhere, the primary function of the SmartStart is to remotely lock, unlock and start my car. This comes in particularly handy when the weather gets colder and I want to start my car a few minutes before I leave the house. I can fire up the app, click start, and by the time my boots are on, the car is warm and toasty.
I call SmartStart the eyes and ears of my car, and now Viper has given it a voice. A new update to the app (3.0.1) adds Siri integration.
You need an iPhone 4S or 5 and iOS 6 to take advantage of this, but with Siri, you can just say "SmartStart" and the app will open. Users can preset a defined command, so when Siri launches the app, the car will automatically start and the doors can be set to lock or unlock. The app also brings in controls for SMS and email notifications.
I've been using SmartStart for about a year now, and I find I make the most use of the lock, unlock and start functions. I sometimes take advantage of the parking function when I'm in an unfamiliar place like a sports stadium or a mall, so it remembers my location.
Before it was updated, one of the downsides of the SmartStart app was that you needed to have a good cell signal to use it. There were times when I was quite close to my car, but unable to send the command because the signal was too weak. This was often a problem in areas like an underground parking garage.
Viper fixed this by adding Bluetooth connectivity to the system. After installing the module in my car, now I'm able to send commands to the car via Bluetooth using my Smartphone app. I was a little concerned about keeping my Bluetooth turned on all the time — possibly running down my phone's battery — but John Drbin, director of project management for SmartStart told me the device goes into power-saving or sleep mode after a period of non-use so the phone won't be looking to connect to it.
The update also builds in a Smart Scheduler, which means you basically tell it at what temperature you'd like to get your car pre-heated. It checks for local weather via third party sources, and if the temperature matches the criteria you set — time and temp — it sends you a message asking if it should start your car. I haven't tested this feature yet, but I'm looking forward to trying it on a cold winter day.
A couple of other features make this particularly useful for families. Sometimes my husband wants to leave a car for me at the train station if he's not going to be able to pick me up. Now, if I forget to take a spare set of keys in the morning, or he tries to figure out how to leave a key for me somewhere, he can simply lock the keys in the car. I can unlock the door using my phone.
Luckily for my son, he was already out of high school when I got my SmartStart installed, but this feature comes in handy for parents worried about their kids driving late at night, or not being able to reach them. One press of the GPS tab and you know exactly where the car is. You can even set a perimeter, so if your car goes out of a certain area on a map, it will send you a message alerting you.
I do suggest, however, telling your kids that you can track them, and having the conversation about trust and monitoring. Parents should rely on talking rather than tracking, but many do say it's reassuring to be able to locate your kid when he's not picking up his cellphone.
There's a variety of remote start systems available in a wide range of prices, but to track your car's movements, you need to have a separate GPS module installed. To get messages from your car, you'll need a yearly subscription.
Installation needs to be done by a professional and can add more to the overall price of the system, though some big box stores will install it free if you buy it from them.
The SmartStart app also runs on Android as well as Blackberry.
What do you think about starting your car with an app? Would you install a SmartStart remote in your car? Let us know in the comments.
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