It seems taking over consumers' mobile devices, wristwatches and homes isn't enough for Apple - now the company is taking aim at our cars, according to a newly revealed patent.
The "vehicle accessory", as the device is called, lets users control a multitude of in-car functions, such as opening the doors, turning on climate control or seat warmers, or selecting music, using their smartphone or other mobile device.
Users don't have to activate these commands manually either: they can be sent automatically when their smartphone crosses a "geofence", a virtual perimeter generated by a device using GPS or RFID data.
This, Apple said, could be particularly helpful if you have your hands full of shopping bags, as you wouldn't need to search for your keys in order to open the boot.
It also means the smartphone won't try to ping the car until it crosses the geofence boundary, which will save battery life, the company claims.
When in range, the unit can also tell the user where their car is, which could be particularly handy in a car park.
The accessory can be embedded into the car, for example under the rear passenger seats, or connected to a power supply such as the cigarette lighter, and will also work with petrol, electric, solar-powered or hybrid vehicles.
Although the patent in question has been awarded in the US, the same paperwork has also been submitted in the EU, where it's still undergoing examination.
It's no secret that Apple is looking to enter the Internet of Things market. HomeKit, which was unveiled by Apple in June, allows compatible home electronics, from lights to garage doors, to be controlled by iPads and iPhones running iOS 8.
The idea of incorporating this kind of technology into vehicles, while novel, isn't that much of a surprise.
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