In Pictures: Beyond the smartphone - Emerging platforms developers should target next

Emerging dev platform: Your car

The computers buried in your car are better platforms for developing software than your smartphone. While car batteries do run down and cars do run out of gas, they're still more reliable sources of electricity than that tiny battery in your smartphone. The dashboard is already engineered to be at the driver's fingertips and much of the car is already accepting digital commands through the OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostics) interface built into all new cars. And though you can forget your smartphone when you go on a car trip, you can’t forget your car. Cars are made for apps, and their manufacturers know it.