Posted on 07/19/2011 12:17:51 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
General Motors was on hand at this years Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas where it announced a number of new high-tech products including the OnStar FMV (For My Vehicle) kit. The automaker just announced that the first batches of OnStar FMV units are set to arrive at Best Buy on July 24.
The kit will allow owners of non-GM brands to retrofit the rearview mirror module into their own cars and enjoy all of the features the system offers. Likewise, owners of older GM vehicles will be able to purchase the kit as well. GM has priced the kit at $299.99 with service plans that start at $18.95 or $199 a year. The partnership with Best Buy will also allow customers to have the system professionally installed at the store for $75.
The wait is over, said OnStar President Linda Marshall. Since we announced OnStar FMV at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, thousands of people have signed up to be notified when this innovative product is ready to buy. Now, through Best Buy, they can enhance their Fords, Toyotas, Chryslers and other brands with the power of OnStar.
The OnStar FMV will offer all the same features found on GM cars such as automatic crash response, turn-by-turn navigation, stolen vehicle assistance hands-free calling and roadside assistance.
on star: corporations crawling up your butt.
I always seem to be out of cell phone range out here when something goes wrong (assuming that’s how OnStar notifies) so it is of little use to me. Hell, half the time the GPS doesn’t work because of canyons or mountain obstructions.
Some days, I'd love to do that! Have the air conditioner going for about 10 minutes before I get in on hot days; the heat on cold days. :-)
Dang. Seems like everybody's saying everything better than I can these days.
Thanks for the link. :)
You welcome. Thank you for not just pulling the thead as unsourced. I wasn’t thinking enough when I posted it, and then I got to thinking how this thread could be looked at as me shilling for GM and Best Buy and thought “Oh, No”... and posted the disclaimer in Reply #2.
Satellite, not Cellular
Understand that Onstar is purposed primarily as a tracking and surveillance tool. As a firefighter we were cautioned on our conversations during rescue/extrications as interior audio is remotely and automatically recorded and uploaded. Can you imagine this tool in the hands of the government owned GM?
"The OnStar service relies on CDMA mobile phone voice and data communication, primarily via Verizon Wireless in the United States and Bell Mobility in Canada, as well as location information using GPS technology."
It is conceivable they could incorporate an ELT-type transmission to notify via satellite but I see no evidence they do.
Could you point to some documentation on this ? Local FDs would be interested if true.
I bought a car where it came standard, I promptly unplugged the box in the trunk and never activated the service. Funny thing was about a year later, I filed an insurance claim with for hail damage, when the claims adjuster came out to look at it, she noticed the unit was unplugged and tried to tell me I HAD to keep it plugged in. That was two years ago and it’s still unplugged...
My wife is always telling me where and how to go, and if I wake her up at 3am...
“As a firefighter we were cautioned on our conversations during rescue/extrications as interior audio is remotely and automatically recorded and uploaded.”
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lolol. That is hilarious. I never thought of that. But I can just imagine some OnStar operating hearing... “Better get the jaws of life. This drunk (bleep) is so (bleeped) up, we may not get his sorry (bleep) out of there before he dies.”
Living in Alaska, we found our remote starting key chain rather useful. When it is -20°F it was nice to not have to wait 20 minutes for the engine to heat up enough to actually produce heat inside the truck.
The problem was at work, where I could not park close enough to the building for the range of the remote starter.
like starting your car from your cell phone. Why would anyone ever want to?I take it you don't live in a climate that gets either very hot or very cold.
It would be very nice to be able to be able to start the car (in the parking lot at work, for example) from the office, and let it warm up (or cool down). In particular, in cold climates, it could take 10-15 minutes to clear the ice, frost and fog from the windshield, and I would prefer not to have to sit in the freezing cold car to do so.
bttt
Oh goody. On Star in my car so everyone can track me wherever I go. Well at least it will be easy to find me when they decide to send me to the FEMA camp for being a low level domestic terrorist. I think I’ll pass.
I was standing in a friends office and his wife called claiming she was locked out of the car. Could he come with the spare key and let her in.
He asked “Are the keys inside?”
No.
“Then where are the keys?”
In my hand
“So why can’t you open the door?”
It won’t unlock
“So is it jammed or did you try the passenger side?”
I don’t think walking over to the passenger side will make it work.
“Did you stick the key in the lock and turn it?”
Nevermind.
*Click.*
We both rolled laughing for about 5 minutes. She stood there in the cold, frantically pushing the unlock button on the remote...but the battery was dead. It never occurred to her to just stick the key in the lock and turn it.
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