Audi's Bond-style Mobile Concept

You’ve probably seen and drooled over James Bond’s Ericsson all-in-one mobile phone – the gadget that allows him to control his all-in-one Beemer via remote control in "Tomorrow Never Dies".

Car manufacturer Audi has now come up with something that could interest the likes of James Bond. The concept has been called the "Audi Mobile Device" (as of now) and it does apparently allow you take full control of the car.

The phone seems simplicity personified, with just three buttons for making and taking calls, and a menu key in the center. It has a touch-sensitive display, Wi-Fi capability and 3G support, and fits in a special niche just ahead of the gear stick.

The purpose – or should I say, function – of the phone is to allow the user to enter the car without using a key. Quite useful if you've left your key at home but are carrying your cell phone. It will also be able to control navigation, the car's AV functions and temperature.

The phone is wirelessly hooked up to the car at all times so you’ll know if someone tries to break in. If the intruder does make off with your car, a tracking function will be activated and an onboard camera will take a picture of your car thief and send it to your phone.

There’s no information on the cost of this car-and-phone combo yet, but the first car that will carry this technology is the Audi A1. So, while it isn’t an exact replica of Bond’s remote-control mobile phone for his car, it’s certainly a start in that direction.