Where's the app for this?

Design teams are seeking solutions to the many challenges that come when they link apps to vehicle electronics. These include adopting standards such as HTML5 and MirrorLink for simplified software development.

Now that smartphones are a centerpiece of many infotainment strategies, developers are devising ways to better leverage their capabilities. Design teams are analyzing security and safety issues as they race to find ways to let smartphone apps run on vehicle systems.

Many issues must be resolved before apps truly make an impact. Many feel that there must be some standards that let software developers write a single program that will run on any vehicle. Some of these standards are already used in smartphones and Web browsers. Those that focus on vehicles are emerging slowly.