Chrysler is poised to offer in its 2009 models a new entertainment option for the children: Wi-Fi and Internet connectivity. The problem is that the entire car becomes a hotspot. The signals won’t be confined to the Nintendos in the rear seat; front-seat occupants will be able to stay online, too.
Bad idea. As drivers, we have done poorly resisting the temptation to move our eyes away from the road to check e-mail or send text messages with our cellphones. Now add laptops…
On Chrysler’s Web site, Keefe Leung, a manager in the company’s advanced connectivity technology group, explains the rationale for the service: “People are connected in their lives everywhere today. They’re connected at home, they’re connected at the office, they’re connected at Starbucks when they go for a cup of coffee.” But, he says, “the one place that they spend a lot of time that they’re not connected is in their vehicle, and we want to bring that to them.”
Clearly, for safety reasons, Mr. Leung cannot condone use of the service by drivers. When he is shown in the videos demonstrating the service, called UConnect, he always occupies a rear seat.
When I asked him last week about possible misuse of the service by drivers, he said that…the company would provide instructions to owners about its intended use.
Let’s face it. Here’s a wonderful new opportunity to expand the ever-growing number of candidates for a Darwin Award.
Let’s look at the bright side. This could make car pooling viable. If people can surf the web while they travel, they may be willing to put up with riding with others.
The onboard internet connection could be used to send an email/text message to the owner if the car gets broken into.
…I am also wondering what SSIDs people will come up with.
I’d be afraid that I would miss seeing signs like this:
http://tinyurl.com/6ox2om
There’s a problem here, other than inattentive driving (which is bad enough with cell phones).
There’s the Internet, there are stationary hot spots, and then there are moving cars containing UConnect receivers that can connect to laptops and other car based viewers like Mr. Leung is demonstrating. How does someone that’s not the driver get to the Internet if the car is moving? Only feasible answers I can figure are hot spots on satellites, (expensive because of the antennas needed) or hot spots located on cell phone towers, which I presume is what UConnect will use.
In the West (and rural areas in the Midwest, South and the Appalachians), cell phone coverage doesn’t extend everywhere. It’s mostly available in towns and along major highways (which often have gaps in coverage). Chrysler needs to think about this.
All we need are more doofuses behind the wheel with more distractions. In 2005, I got rear-ended by a lawyer yakking on his cellphone, so just imagine the accidents that will be caused by people surfing for porn!
#4
Considering GM already has OnStar with its voice/data connection provided through cellular service, I’m going to take a wild guess and say Chrysler will use the same type of mechanism.
With 3G and other high speed cell transmission technologies I think this would work “most places” that average people buying wifi equipped cars are going to go.
The technology that should be a priority is auto-navigation so all these crappy drivers can text their way from place to place without having to pay any attention to driving.
“Here’s a wonderful new opportunity to expand the ever-growing number of candidates for a Darwin Award.”
And to take us with them…
Imagine the scene where someone, want’s to stay on line, and he needs to keep up with his Fiat 500 to a, let’s say 4.0 lt Chrysler which has open WiFi, in order to be able stay connected while browsing the web with his Laptop/iPod Touch/iPhone etc.
Can’t wait for this tech to become cheap. Of course low quality connection, as the European 3G network coverage is today, is expected. It would be fun neverthelessss!
Here’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. Not only will people not obey the law and not read their e mail while driving. But they will certainly blame Chrysler when they kill someone. Except in big cities, I really don’t see this technology being that reliable anyway.
Don’t most states have laws banning video screens in the front seat where the driver can see it ? They were enacted to ban TV watching while driving, but should apply to computer screens as well …
There should be a way to only allow passengers to use this wifi. I mean, if you put this in a taxi or city bus…
Just another way to charge people $50 a month for something they do not need, and hopefully they will forget that they have it, and the Car ISP will rake it in.
#11: you would think so, but somehow navigation and other such screens are okay. Go figure.
This is real and we’re part of the bid to build it. I think the car pool scenario as being a high runner and the long family car rides. Drivers will have to go out of their way to use it – not much different than putting a 3G card in your laptop and attempting to use it.
Note that every cop in the country has a laptop in his cab. Oh, yeah, they are highly trained, I forgot.