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An “app store” for your car?

By
Michael V. Copeland
Michael V. Copeland
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By
Michael V. Copeland
Michael V. Copeland
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October 16, 2009, 7:56 AM ET

Every new  car is basically a computer. So where are all the cool apps?

In my rusted jalopy, a 1991 Volvo 240 sedan, I have installed the future.

A car that stalls at every stop sign now has turn-by-turn navigation. I can check my e-mail and monitor the stock market (or, let’s be honest, the day’s surf). There are applications at my fingertips that can point my sputtering car toward a burrito — or the remains of fossilized dinosaurs uncovered nearby. All it took was a friend whose iPhone came along for a ride.

Every car’s dashboard needs to take a cue from the iPhone. It doesn’t need to be sleek and well designed (though that wouldn’t hurt), but it does need to be connected, customizable, and open to thousands of software developers. Read the whole column here.

About the Author
By Michael V. Copeland
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