With Wi-Fi already available in many coffee shops and coming soon to some airplanes, it was only a matter of time before a US carmaker started offering Wi-Fi access for automobiles.
Thursday, Chrysler unveiled UConnect Web, an accessory that provides an in-car hot spot that will be available from Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers starting in September, according to Chrysler's blog site.
The UConnect Web, a wireless router, will connect to a 3G cellular signal allowing passengers in the car to connect to the Internet with Wi-Fi capable devices, including laptops, handhelds, music players and cameras, according to Keefe Leung, manager of advanced connectivity strategies at Chrysler in a video accompanying the blog.
Although Chrysler stressed that the UConnect Web is aimed at passengers, nothing prevents a driver from using the Wi-Fi access as well, causing some concern about another potential distraction for drivers. Already, drivers can be distracted by car radios, cell phones, GPS devices and other hardware, analysts noted.
"I don't think driver distraction by Wi-Fi is a major issue," said analyst Craig Mathias of The Farpoint Group. "It's up to the driver to know his limitations for being distracted. It's like Dirty Harry said, 'You have to know your limitations.'"
The suggested price of the UConnect Web will be US$449, plus about $35 to $50 for installation. Chrysler said Autonet Mobile will offer wireless Internet account service for $29 a month.
Mathias said price will be an issue for some customers, as well as deciding whether it is better to have a Wi-Fi hot spot in the car instead of using a cellular data card for laptop. A cellular data card in a laptop means you can roam beyond the car. "There's no single answer for what's best and it depends on the user," he said. "With so many choices in technology, it is becoming baffling."
Leung said in the video that broadband cellular cards only really work in laptops, but with a Wi-Fi hot spot, a user can connect a wide range of smaller devices, including Wi-Fi capable cameras and music players.
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. Email Archiving 101—Customer Case Study
Best Practice in Building an Integrated Information Management Strategy
Strategies for Eliminating .PST Files
Business Intelligence and Enterprise Performance Management: Trends for Emerging Businesses
Solve Exchange Storage Problems Once and For All: A New Approach without Stubs or Links
The state of Middleware
Solve Exchange Mailbox Storage Issues Once and for All
Gaining Competitive Advantage Through Enterprise Planning
Zones provide focussed content from Computerworld and leading technology partners.
Discover how SOA can create smarter outcomes for your business.
Attend and learn:
- How SOA is helping leading companies to become more agile
- Where you should be applying SOA processes in your company
- The top SOA implementation mistakes to avoid
Click here for more information.
- +
Computerworld Live Podcast #98: The Future of Datacentre IP 18/12/2008 10:33:00
CW Live speaks withLin Nease, Director of Emerging Business for HP ProCurve, to discuss the future of networks, including the effect of IP-based storage on datacentres, new capacity requirements generated by the use of 10Gb Ethernet, and how an efficient network design can slash energy and cooling costs, and help enterprises build a "green" image. - +
Computerworld Live Podcast #97: The Future of Enterprise Networking 25/07/2008 09:45:36
This week CW Live chats with Mark Thompson, global sales and marketing manager for HP ProCurve, on the future of the enterprise networking. Mark discusses the trends we can expect to see in the near future and how the right infrastructure can ensure your enterprise network is secure. - +
Computerworld Live Podcast #96: Security at the Edge 11/06/2008 09:22:22
CW Live speaks with Amol Mitra, HP ProCurve Director of Marketing for Asia Pacific and Japan. Today's topic: how enterprises are starting to shift away from simply controlling security via server logins, firewalls and moving to more adaptive security frameworks. - +
Data Management Edition #10: Multi-Petascale Systems 02/05/2008 09:12:33
This week we look at sustainability and the development of multicore technologies to build multi-petascale systems. - +
IT Security Edition #11: How to poison the Storm botnet 01/05/2008 08:51:55
This week CW Live presents a case study on how to poison the notorious Storm botnet . Plus we take a look at Cisco's plans for Ironport.
F-Secure Warns About a Worm Affecting Corporate Networks 2009-01-08 16:42:00+11
Research software developer appoints Susan Dart to new Business Development Director role 2009-01-08 09:08:00+11
Research software developer appoints Susan Dart to new Business Development Director role 2009-01-08 09:08:00+11
Anyware Introduce Two Powerful PCI TV Tuner Cards with S5 Power Up and Windows Media Center Remote 2009-01-07 17:30:00+11
Fortinet Cures Mobile Phone “Curse of Silence/CurseSMS” Attack 2009-01-07 16:30:00+11
Wireless LANs: Is my enterprise at risk?
Achieve an overall understanding of the risks associated with wireless LANs. Discover their inherent properties, as well as what makes them different from wired networks. Read on to uncover a list of recently published articles on real-life breaches and incidents illustrating the need for proactive measures to mitigate wireless security risks.
