Apple is scaling back its secret car development project, but its work has already led to some intriguing technological concepts – including the ability to unlock your car via Touch ID.
It’s a feature that Apple engineers had evidently envisioned for the company’s own car, which was meant to be at least primarily self-driving. The idea was that a user could unlock her car from her iPhone’s Touch ID fingerprint scanning system, and the car would then automatically take her to a predetermined destination; in other words, a user could hit the road with just the touch of a button.
But Project Titan has been spinning its wheels, with Apple backing away from the development of its own manufactured vehicle to the development of connected car software. It still might get its Apple car plans back on track, but for now the company is hiring staff to the project to help steer it in a new direction after numerous engineers have reportedly quit the project, according to a Bloomberg report.
Other companies have been working on connecting the smart car to the smartphone. Hyundai, for example, recently announced a new Alexa skill that would let Amazon Echo owners interact with their Genesis G90 sedans by voice command, for example starting the engine from the living room; meanwhile Gemalto has been working with car technology supplier Valeo to develop a smartphone-based virtual car key. But Apple has already built a strong brand in user authentication via its Touch ID system, and as such it could really help the concept to find traction if and when a Touch ID virtual car key does reach the market.
Sources: Bloomberg, Business Insider, Mashable
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October 18, 2016 – by Alex Perala
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