Distracted driving isn’t the only problem brought by telematics. All those automobile computers communicating wirelessly with outside world can be hacked! This is the story about how researcher at the University of California, San Diego and the University of Washington infected a car with a Trojan horse virus embedded in a song on a CD.
http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/35094/?a=f
Monthly Archives: April 2011
The Outback is a car and a WiFi hotspot.
Is mobile internet access enough reason to buy a car? Maybe. The 2011 Subaru Outback comes with the option to integrate a subscription for Autonet Mobile, which creates a WiFi hotspot inside the car. After a $35 activation fee, the $499 Subaru Mobile Internet system connects to 3G internet on the go for a subscription fee of $29 or $59 per month, depending on data plan. Subaru also offers in-dash TomTom navigation and a USB port for piping input from audio devices such as iPods through the car sound system.
http://www.subaru.com/engineering/electronics-audio/mobile-internet.html
Translogic keeps us up-to-date on car tech
AOL Auto blog Translogic keeps us up to date with the latest in transit technology, everything from high-speed rail news to reviews of Ford’s in-car WiFi.
Make your car a WiFi hostpot with Autonet Mobile
Turns out, you don’t need to buy a particular car to get internet access on the road. Autonet offers routers that pull 3G signals from mobile phone towers to create an in-car WiFi zone. These routers list at about $600 and require a monthly data plan: $29 for 1 GB or $59 for 5 GB.
How does GM’s OnStar system call for help?
Shanna Freeman reports the back story about how OnStar actually works. She details the gathering of satellite data, the connection to one of three North American operator centers, and the telemetry that accompanies voice transmissions from OnStar. Freeman details concerns with privacy and the OnStar system. Can its telemetry be used against drivers in an accident? Can operators listen in on private car conversations?
The Case Against Distracted Driving
GQ’s Automotive Editor Jamie Lincoln Kitman suggests that the new in-car communication gadgets pose dangerous distraction for drivers. “I fear that the inundation of drivers with ever-mounting possibilities for multi-tasking distractions is inevitable, a malevolent genie that will not be put back in the bottle,” he writes, with the result that “the carnage must surely mount.” Kitman suggests that an imperfect solution lies in completely automating highways, freeing drivers to play. This will work until the master computer hits a glitch, whereupon, he predicts, “1,300 cars exit the Jersey Turnpike at the same time at high-speed to hit the same space in the parking lot of the same McDonald’s, to visit the same bathroom.”
Time to pre-order the Internet Book of Life, available June 1
If you like the blog, order the book! The Internet Book of Life: Use the Web to Grow Richer, Smarter, Healthier, and Happier will be published on June 1. Pre-order today.
http://www.amazon.com/Internet-Book-Life-Smarter-Healthier/dp/0910965897
Connect to your BMW with your iPhone
Unfortunately, BMW in the United States is not as advanced as in Germany. There, owners of the BMW 6 Series Convertible have had full access to the web in the dashboard of their cars since 2007. Still, when you buy a BMW in America, you will get an advanced package of communication options, particularly if you also use an iPhone. The BMW audio system is designed to be compatible with Apple products either through a Bluetooth connection or a USB port.
BMW’s iDrive system brings GPS-based navigational help, Bluetooth cell phone connectivity, vehicle diagnostics, and audio management along with a connection to BMW Assist. BMW Assist is a subscription service that connects to a call center. Operators will send help in event of a crash or a breakdown. They can also remotely unlock your doors for you if you forget your keys and even track the car if it is stolen. BMW Assist is free for four years after purchase. After that, it runs about $200 per year.
http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/content/owner/idrive/default.aspx
Get live help with Lexus Enform with Safety Connect
Say! Lexus has live operators just like OnStar does! Lexus’ Safety Connect offers live response center assistance in emergencies and can track the car when it is stolen. The additional Enform service connects to a human advisor to help users find restaurants and other locations. Lexus owners get a free year of these services. Additional years of Safety Connect alone cost about $140; to have both will set you back about $265.
Entune will stream internet to Toyota vehicles.
In 2004, my Prius offered the latest in dashboard infotainment. It features a six CD changer, a cassette player, and plenty of free radio. I control the interior car temp with my voice, talk on my cell phone through the rear-view mirror, and get GPS navigation on my display screen.
Still, the maps in my dash are pre-loaded, not live. The latest service offered by Toyota brings the internet into the car via an app on the driver’s web-enabled cell phone. The Entune app communicates through Bluetooth to stream music from Pandora, get live traffic and news, and purchase movie tickets or make restaurant reservations. You can even search the web through Bing, although not while the car is moving.
According to Toyota, the Entune app out yet but will be available later in 2011.
The Internet Book of Life 