Hyundai's Blue Link Now Supports Remote Start, Unlocking With Android Wear Smartwatches
If you were a fan of the 80s TV show Knight Rider, Hyundai hopes to bring up some old memories with the newest update for its cloud-based Blue Link telecommunications package. Blue Link allows Hyundai owners to perform a variety of tasks from a smartphone app including remote start and locking/unlocking doors.
At CES 2015, Hyundai will launch a new Blue Link app that will be compatible with Android Wear-based smartwatches. The app communicates with the Blue Link mobile app on your smartphone using via Bluetooth and gives Hyundai owners the ability to access Blue Link functions from anywhere in the U.S. as long as they have an Internet connection.
All Blue Link functions can be accessed via your Android Wear smartwatch using voice commands. So in addition to starting (and stopping) your vehicle’s engine, you’ll be able to honk the horn, flash your lights, call for roadside assistance, or locate your car by using your voice.
Hyundai’s new smartwatch app is compatible with all first generation Blue Link vehicles including the 2012 Sonata and most 2013 model year vehicles. The next generation of Blue Link, which will is available on the 2015 Sonata and 2015 Genesis, will add Google destination search and maintenance alerts.
“This new app expands Hyundai’s exploration into how wearable technology and Blue Link fit into a customer’s lifestyle,” said Hyundai’s Barry Ratzlaff. “Connecting to your car through a smartwatch and voice recognition was previously something seen only in science fiction movies. Now, we can provide this capability to owners of Hyundai vehicles equipped with Blue Link.”
As the Knight Rider theme song plays in my head, I can’t help but think about how far this technology will progress in the coming years. Hyundai has just scratched the surface on what’s possible with smartwatch-vehicle interactions, but BMW is looking to go full steam ahead by using your smartwatch to park (and summon) your vehicle via a smartwatch app.
