Posted on 10/13/2009 6:41:02 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Internet hot spots are already available in some models of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge, the Volkswagen Routan and Cadillac CTS vehicles as a dealer option. Autonet Mobile, maker of a Wi-Fi hot spot for the car, has created an OEM developer kit to allow its “hotA” spot to be embedded in new cars. According to Reed Business Informaton’s Twice Magazine, the Autonet hot spot produces an EV-DO cellular connection that is then converted to Wi-Fi, allowing anyone in your car access to the internet on a number of devices. Users in a car can watch YouTube, check Facebook and listen to internet radio, all at the same time.
>>allowing anyone in your car access to the internet
Hint to driver: Keep your eyes on the road.
I still remember reading in TV Guide, back in the 70s, that someone had a portable TV in their car (they were driving alone) and he was distracted and died in a crash. They were wondering what show he was watching on that Thu. evening: The Waltons, or What's Happening?!
I know talk radio host Howie Carr has mentioned that “wifi for the car will soon be available” and people would be able to hear streaming of his show that way.
I can text, talk and surf the web while driving? Cool. NOT.
So, we can’t have horsepower, torque, speed, size or style in a car anymore.
But we get the Internet.
Oh boy.
People drink and drive.
People drive under the influence of all sorts of illegal substances.
They talk on their phones.
They eat.
They text.
They dress, put on makeup, and otherwise don’t pay attention.
And now we’re going to give these same morons who can’t control themselves and focus on the task at hand (sorry) access to internet porn?
Anybody else see a downside to this?
I have always wanted the net in my car,,just for google. Hubby and I talk constantly and every ten minutes we wish we had google. Driving makes us speculate. Like we drove thru Virginia and suddenly had all kinds of questions about Washington and Jefferson and no google.
We are google addicts. And it is too expensive to get one of those phone dealies that plug into the puter,,and I don’t understand them anyway. Net would obviate the need for all kinds of things including the garmin, the radio, the dvd player, etc.
For sure.
Like command and control functions exerted on your vehicle from govt traffic controllers.
It's only a few years away, I fear.
One great advantage to this: listening to streaming audio of talk shows that local radio affiliates PRE-EMPT for friggin’ sports!
I had dreamed of a GPS based database that would show your interests and display nearby historical sites, geologic maps, native plants. I think the GPS systems on the market now just show where to eat, sleep, fuel, museums, commercial entertainment.
This would of course be used while stopped or the second passenger only.
As it is recently an 18 yr old just died because she was texting someone at 11 pm, driving about 45-50 in a 30 zone.
That text message was really important. Now net surfing while driving? Whoa...
Exactly! I do have XM radio for some shows...
My Pontiac sends me an email every month just to tell me everything is working fine.
I also can see an upside, as long as it isn’t a distraction for the driver.
And certainly, I’m not suggesting any sort of ban or government intervention.
Just pointing out that there’s a sizeable minority of people (who you can observe every single day on our interstates) who are irresponsible, stupid, or both. Giving them another shiney distraction is just going to make those people more dangerous.
Of course, if law enforcement was more concerned about people who were actually distracted while driving (or driving poorly) instead of hiding on the side of the road waiting for some hapless soul to drive by doing 5mph over the speed limit, I wouldn’t feel so worried.
Nothing new here, we’ve had it for years. The difference is, the automakers are desperate and now have opted in build it in and hype it as “new”.
And remember, built it means locked in. Carrier goes belly up, changes their plan, starts imposing limits, force feeding ads, you can’t switch. YOU belong to THEM. hahaha
And, let me tell you, it’s a great tool and resource to have, if used responsibly. Need directions, waiting for an email, traffic advisory, or just have a few minutes to kill? It has many beneficial uses.
DeLorme has had that feature since 2004. ;)
I talk to cars and their technicians from this computer 700 miles away on a daily basis.
Take your car to a reputable dealer, I can talk to it too.
How about an officer that can kill the ignition on a running vehicle. Some have argued that is good.
A plant and geologic database?
Until it malfunctions
Great, just great. Now instead of just dodging texters not paying attention behind the wheel while I’m on my motorcycle, I’ll have to worry about FReepers as well!
I'd rather take my chances as things are today.
I'll pass on that small remote chance of benefit to avoid the certainty of govt control.
We only use our "in van Internet" on trips, and not by the driver.
Great, now porn addicts can drive and get their internet porn fix at the same time. What could possibly go wrong?
If you could hack that kind of a system..... /evil laugh
Of course, the setup also gives me nav, satellite radio, email access, mp3 playback, on-board diagnostics, backup camera, video and much much more. (I do not watch videos while driving - usually only while waiting for my wife to finish shopping.)
There are actually quite a few people customizing their cars this way. Most of them, including me, use this site for guidance.
Would the delete key fire grenade launchers?
That’s actually an option in some vehicles today - I think it’s OnStar that does it, and it’s called ‘stolen vehicle slowdown’. Basically if someone steals your car, and doesn’t rip the Onstar unit and GPS out, you can call them up, they can find where your vehicle is, send the police out to get it, and then literally slow your vehicle down when the police have caught up.
I can’t remember about the plants, but a lady on the DeLorme forum was writing or was going to write a DeLorme “tool” for that specific purpose. Geologic, yes, Delorme has a wide array of digital maps for sale. Go to Delorme and search Geologic or GIS.
Even my old, (circa 98-99) Rand McNally Tripmaker program has most of what you mentioned, although not plants, but it does list ability to display falls, rapids, springs, and other geology and a lot of historical and tree stuff.
In either case, both had functions to allow you to place markers on your map, and route it for you.
BTW, I had Rand McNally saved in a folder on my storage drive and just loaded it up, and it works on Windows 7. woo-woo.
bttt
LOL, true-true.
Good thing for us old goats as we aged & our reaction times slower, we got smarter. LOL
A friend of mine out West sometimes parks next to a hotspot and uses his netbook or laptop in the car. (_Parked_) I have a netbook and could do the same (would never do while driving, I’d park...)
Sure, I use WiFi. Live wayyyy out in the country.
Have two neighbors within eye sight. Neighbor "Bill" & I tried an experiment. He took his laptop & was easily able to tap into my WiFi from the road. About 600' away.
But for the fact I'm so far out in the sticks, I'd have to use the security settings on my router, out of necessity.
My wife OTOH, is on a G3 (?) network for her business.
Can connect to the Internet from literally anywhere, receive/xmit email etc.
The technology, it's herrrrrrre. LOL
"I have a netbook and could do the same (would never do while driving, I’d park...)"
Yes but you nailed it, not while driving for crying out loud!!
In case you don't know "Braveman", he's a cycler's cyclist. The man's seen it all while out cruising on one of his motorcycles.
That he hasn't been collected-up is some kind of tragedy due to some himbo or bimbo on a cell phone by now is in & of itself a miracle.
If you can park close enough to it, every College Campus library I’ve encountered was wireless connectivity you can tap by just parking int he parking lot. Many large chain hotels/motels have it also.
So ... TMZ will soon have new pics of Maria Shriver ... this time surfing the internet whilst driving.
Is that like ... illegal in Kalifornia?
Bummer!
You are behind the times, cajungirl, I (and many others) have had the Internet in my pocket, and therefore in my car for years now — it’s called a smartphone with a 3G Internet connection. And as a matter of fact, mine is a so-called “Google phone”, an Android OS phone (Google’s OS for mobile phones).
So whenever we want to google something and look it up, we do it, no matter where we are. I can also wirelessly tether my smartphone to either my netbook or my laptop, thereby providing said netbook/laptop with an Internet connection, and my wife can surf the net on a full size screen and keyboard while I am driving if she chooses.
I am behind the times plus the service is expensive for me. I can barely use my laptop a new one with all the bells and whistles and I don’t know where they are to ring them or blow them.
I think it is my age. I am no girl and am pushing 70 so the fact that I can dial a push button phone is pretty good,,heh heh.
But the smart phone may just elude me,,the dumb one is hard enough for me.
I envy your googling ability!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.