Wearable technology was one of the bigger deals at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It took center stage so much that it even found a way to blend into another tech trend that's been emerging since the latter half of 2013, driving tech.
According to USA Today, BMW has announced that its i3 electric car will feature a special app for the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch. Already, i3 drivers could check how much battery life they have left or send navigation directions to their cars from a smartphone using the BMW iRemote App.
Now the iRemote app is available for the Galaxy Gear and will allow i3 drivers to check vital vehicle functions like remaining range, with a simple glance at their wrist while they're driving. This will drastically reduce the number of times the driver needs to check his or her phone, which can be incredibly unsafe while driving. If you tap the smartwatch you'll get a sub-menu for turning on the heat or air conditioner. You can also use this function to tell if your windows are open or closed, which can be helpful from a distance.
While BMW's integration of the Galaxy Gear smartwatch is impressive, it's far from the first wearable tech device for driving that's been debuted at CES 2014. Mercedes-Benz unveiled a similar partnership with the Pebble smartwatch that lets owners of the vehicle find where they parked their car and determine how much fuel they have. It will vibrate to tell drivers when there is traffic hazards ahead of them on the road. You can customize the buttons on the side of the watch to do different functions like enable Siri, control audio or set a navigation destination.
In a similar wearable technology vein, Hyundai announced that the 2015 Genesis will let drivers unlock their doors, plan routes and even start the car using the Google Glass. Another feature on the Hyundai will have users get a notification pop-up on their Glass whenever the car needs service.
Tell us what you think, do you enjoy the concept of wearable technology to augment your driving experience? Comment and share your thoughts on some features you'd like to see transposed from your car's functions to your smartwatch.
