Sharp Builds Wireless Electronic Car Keys Into a Phone, Finally

In collaboration with Nissan and NTT DOCOMO, a Japanese mobile operator, Sharp has developed what they claim is the first mobile phone that also functions as a keyless entry and ignition device for cars. Rather than building a new system from the ground up, Sharp has simply opted to include Nissan’s existing Intelligent Key technology in a phone. The system will function like any of the many other wireless keyfobs on the market today, authorising the driver to enter, exit and start his or her car without ever poking any keys around.

Since most popular keyless entry systems depend on radio raves (and have since the early 2000’s, when they first rose to prominence) and likely won’t be using the phone’s includes radio, this pairing is less of a technological integration than a lets-strap-another-piece-of-hardware-on-a-phone. In any case, hackers, the obscenely rich and the Chinese have been doing stuff like this for a while now, so it’s about time that this obvious path for convergence was taken. [NTT DOCOMO]