A Cell Phone That Starts Your Engine

Add this to your list of really cool new gadgets -- a cell phone that doubles as a keyless entry remote for your car. <P> Nissan, DOCOMO and Sharp announced Wednesday that they've collaborated on the development of the world's first cell phone that also functions as a keyless remote for cars. The cell phone will work in conjunction with Nissan's Intelligent Key system, which has been installed in more than 950,000 Nissan vehicles over the past six years. <P> Nissan's Intelligent Key System automatically senses when the correct vehicle is nearby, and unlocks the car doors, and when the correct key is inside the vehicle, automatically starts the ignition. Now that this tech is embedded in a mobile phone, why even bother with a physical key? <P> "As mobile phones increasingly become a daily necessity, the integration of these technologies and the potential to further expand related functionality helped to bring together the three parties, who expect users to appreciate the seamlessly integrated features of their new handset," said Nissan, DOCOMO and Sharp in a joint statement. <P> DOCOMO, Nissan and Sharp will be demonstrating this phone on Sept. 30 at CEATEC Japan 2008. The three companies aim to release the phone to the market in early 2009.