Wired wheels: New technology for your car

By Michael V. Copeland

LAS VEGAS — I am not saying it’s safe or smart (and it’s probably illegal in most states), but I’ll be damned if a little driving is going to keep me from checking e-mail on my BlackBerry. And if I already have driving directions on my laptop screen, why not prop it up on the passenger seat next as a sort of ad-hoc navigation aid?

The point is, all the things we do, and all the gadgets we use as part of our work and fun, are steadily finding their way into our cars. So far, we’ve mostly been the ones who are initiating that migration, not the automakers. People were watching movies on laptops in the back seat, and hacking their car stereos to use their iPods, long before they could get a factory-made LCD screen in a headrest or an in-dash dock for their favorite digital music player. But based on the miles of auto tech on display at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, that’s about to change, and fast.

I’m not talking about the usual CES assortment of monster speakers, neon-lit amps and GPS units that if placed in a pile would become their own geographic feature on a map. The new trend is the ability to bring your entire digital life — not just music and driving directions — into your car.

Auto parts maker Delphi is showing off a device by partner Autonet Mobile, a Bay Area based startup that has developed a mobile WiFi kit for your car. Screw the base station into your trunk, connect the power, fire up the cellular-based broadband to bring in the Internet signal and your ride is bathed in WiFi. Passengers can update their Facebook profiles, stream a YouTube video, or check restaurant reviews while on the road. Anything that can connect to WiFi will work. “It’s all about extending the Internet lifestyle into the car,” says Autonet Mobile CEO Sterling Pratz. When you are in range of your home WiFi network you can even send music or video wirelessly back to whatever is in the car.

The Autonet package will include the hardware to bring in the signal and a monthly or annual service fee for the cellular broadband service. You can try it now for $10.95 a day at certain Avis rental locations, but the ultimate plan is to roll it out nationwide as an option in new cars. That begins in two weeks when two Bay Area car dealerships, one Volvo the other Toyota (TM), start selling the in-car Internet gear. Pratz would not say what dealers are going to charge, only that it would be “much less than an in-car DVD system,” and the monthly fee would be at a discount to a typical $50 per month cellular broadband contract.

Pratz and his team have taken the approach that it’s far better to let people bring the gear they already have into the car. The logic is that it offers flexibility and no risk of obsolescence as long as WiFi is around.

One gadget that would be a perfect complement to Autonet, essentially an in-dash computer, hits the auto parts after-market in April. Developed by Grand Blanc, Mich.-based Azentek, the Atlas CPC 1200 amounts to a $2,800 PC cum GPS unit that fits in your car dashboard. For that price, the Atlas CPC 1200, has all the bells and whistles you can imagine. Up to 160 gigs of storage, DVD/CD drive, Bluetooth, 6.5-inch LCD touch-screen. The pricey PC, which starts shipping in April, uses an Intel Core Duo processor, and runs Windows Vista Ultimate. What it misses, however is connectivity. But since it does sport Wifi, you could bring in the signal via Autonet and boom, have your e-mail and you buddy list up while you drive.

Microsoft was making noise this year at CES with its Sync partnership with Ford (F). And while slick in execution, the Sync technology, which will be an option on every Ford 2009 model, it mostly offers voice-activated cell-phone calling and music. One cool feature is the ability to have incoming text messages read aloud by the computer. But if it can do that, surely audio e-mail wouldn’t be too much of a technical hurdle. Give me that, and I’ll bet not only would Sync be a hit, but the roads would be far safer without all the BlackBerry reading drivers out there — myself included.

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Filed under CES, Gadgets, auto tech

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What, no hot tub in the trunk, no surround-sound system, no microwave? The more of this crap that they put in the car, the more worthless the car must be.

Posted By Anonymous : May 13, 2008 3:39 pm

Just what we need more idiots texting, talking and surfing the web while drinking coffee at 75 mph. Do we really want more fatalities? Because that is what we will get.

Posted By Frank A. NY,NY : May 9, 2008 10:24 am

what a bunch of bullcrap. All we want is a car that runs and gets good gas mileage. Quit adding crap to it that just makes it more expensive.

Posted By sally, san diego, ca : May 8, 2008 10:55 am

sure all of you are right bt itd just human nature that makes us do these things some days you driver right and the next day your tailgating its human so deal with it. we all do this but were quick to point the finger if your phone rings in the car while your driving your telling me your not going to pick it up be seriouse and be honest 7134259959 houston, tx

Posted By Layton : March 30, 2008 12:38 pm

Drive and pullover. Cell phones are not needed by anyone except someone in an emergency….but then again, I guess nowadays, passer-bys wouldn’t be paying attention and notice some in distress waving for help

Posted By Molly, Austin, Tx : January 15, 2008 12:12 pm

You wrote:

“The new trend is the ability to bring your entire digital life — not just music and driving directions — into your car.”

Absolutely right on. But that’s just the beginning. There’s another, perhaps even more interesting trend that is just on the cusp of emerging: bringing your car into your digital life.

We already have mapping services, and web sites, and email/calendaring applications, and phone numbers, and gas price checkers, etc. But today they are largely disconnected. Adding a computing and communications platform to the vehicle that can extend the intelligence on the vehicle beyond the boundaries of our vehicle itself, can help us better manage the vehicle ownership and usage experience.

For example, if our cars can tell us how much far we can go before running out of gas, and our calendars can tell us where we need to be, why not tie those together so our Outlook can tell us if we have enough gas to get to our appointment, and if not, where to stop on the way, and based on current traffic conditions, how much time we’ll need?

That’s just one simple example, of course, but it presents an opportunity for Automotive OEMs to empower their consumers in new, value-creating ways — and drive higher loyalty at the same time. Why higher loyalty? Because an automotive OEM on this path is providing differentiating value to consumers, and also because it means switching between auto makers requires more than switching cars, but also switching habits and conviences.

http://blogs.msdn.com/johnmullinax/archive/2007/10/27/i-m-so-excited-about-ford-sync-aka-windows-automotive.aspx .

Posted By John Mullinax, Canton, MI : January 10, 2008 11:53 am

Great, even more distracted drivers. It’s a car…if you want to use it for your office then at least pull over and park.

Posted By Joe Brown Wichita Ks : January 9, 2008 1:27 pm

You said: “I am not saying it’s safe or smart (and it’s probably illegal in most states), but I’ll be damned if a little driving is going to keep me from checking e-mail on my BlackBerry.”

And you should be _______ for it.(pick your own punishment.

This attitude, of its my car, my road, and my time is insane.

I was waiting to turn left across traffic and following somebody, (was it you??), who kept threatening to jump in front of other cars when there was no room. Once it was clear, that person was to busy typing on their phone to turn (while in the middle of the intersection with the light about to change). So I beeped my horn, rightfully so. This idiot then turns, stops in the middle of the road, and gets of of his car to share his (and your) attitude with me on his right to do what he wants in his car on his road and the heck with anybody else.

You and he, same attitude; shame on you. You should be _____.

Posted By Pat McCarthy, Cary, NC : January 9, 2008 12:53 pm

The only thing you should focus on when driving a car is driving the car. Intentionally distracting yourself from that task is grossly negligent and irresponsible. If you can’t survive your commute without checking email, take the bus.

Posted By Earl Jr., Richmond, VA : January 9, 2008 9:13 am

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