A Look at the Future of In-Car Internet Access
At TechNewsWorld, USA Today's Chris Woodyard looks at the imminent arrival of the Internet-enabled car.
In-car Web access, Woodyard says, will initially be provided over cellular networks, then eventually via WiMax.
"Three decades after they began appearing on desktops, PCs are about to start showing up in vehicles," Woodyard writes. "They will let people check e-mail, avoid traffic jams or make restaurant reservations via the Web while on the job or at play."
A recent CNW Marketing Research survey found that 14 percent of prospective buyers under 30 want in-car e-mail and Web access, more than twice the number who said so in 2004.
"We're going to see a lot of explosive changes," says Robert Wray, CEO of mobile software company StreetDeck.
Some examples of upcoming in-car access:
Ford F-Series Pickups can now be equipped with FordLink, which places a PC in the dashboard, as a $3,000 option.
KVH Industries' TracNet 100 displays Web pages on your navigation system screen, and creates an in-car Wi-Fi network — price is $2,000 for the equipment plus $79 a month.
Microsoft is working with Azentek to offer two types of in-car PCs in the coming year.
Jim said:
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