[raccoonradio]

Wifi for the car

>>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?!

[raccoonradio]

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.

[chrisser]

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?

[bassmaner]

One great advantage to this: listening to streaming audio of talk shows that local radio affiliates PRE-EMPT for friggin’ sports!

[mountainlion]

Cell phones do not work here. Onstar would not work. I get one TV station now because of the Government HDTV shutdown of TV. I have DSL though, imagine that. Internet will not come in on the deck let alone all the way to my truck.

[ShadowAce]

[CholeraJoe]

My Pontiac sends me an email every month just to tell me everything is working fine.

[papasmurf]

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.

[envisio]

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.

[DYngbld]

I have a Sprint Air card, and router that I mount in the van when we take trips. The kids can get on the net, or what ever while we are drive cross country. I found it helpful when I couldn't find a good talk radio station, in WV, or WY. I just streamed Beck, Rush, and Hanity’s shows.

[BraveMan]

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!

[KevinB]

I've had this for several years. I mounted a touchscreen monitor in my dash and put a computer in the trunk. I added a wireless router and a Sprint air card and now I and all my passengers have Internet access. The Internet is nice for checking traffic (Traffic.com), getting phone numbers and addresses, Internet radio, etc. Firefox has some plugins - especially Speed Dial - that can make in-car navigation easy and safe.

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.

[webschooner]

So ... TMZ will soon have new pics of Maria Shriver ... this time surfing the internet whilst driving.

Is that like ... illegal in Kalifornia?

Bummer!