Slashdot Mirror
Internet-Ready Car
bark76 writes: "Volkswagen is going to be selling VW Golfs with an MP3 player, a computer and a mobile phone, it will be the first mass-produced car that is internet ready. You can see the car and read the specks here here (warning, it's in German) or you can read an article over at abcnews.com." Another submitter sent in a gas-electric hybrid minivan from Toyota, so if you liked the hybrid vehicles but didn't like the subcompact form factor, there's hope yet. Your grandchildren will never know a gasoline-only car or one without internet access.
Redmond, WA Microsoft announced they were working with Volkswagon on a joint venture where WindowsXP would be used to power the Internet car of the future. Announced as possible features:
- MicroCarSoft would use two forms of gasoline. One of the standard format, and another developed by Microsoft. Due to licensing agreements with the auto manufacturers, though, the standard format will burn far less efficently then the Microsoft format. Microsoft officials are even toying with the idea of going strictly with the Microsoft format gas. Microsoft gas will be available from common retailers such as CompUSA and Best Buy.
- In beta test, the MicroCarSoft has been found to be fairly stable with only 1 out of 500,000 testers reporting system crashes which led the engine core dumping on the pavement right on the highway.
- Finally, the MicroCarSoft will not accept gas from retailers that do not adhere to the P3P standard, as the car accepts cookies to allow Microsoft and Volkswagon to track where your family has been on vacation.
As you can see, the future is now. Be prepared.Bryan R.
Bryan R.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, or $12.50 as seen on eBay.....
As if cell phones and driving didn't spell enough danger now we have to worry about people driving and getting into an accident for typig fp
Want Root?
Computing and sensors will ultimately solve this problem (except, perhaps, in the US where the tort legal system will make them impossible to deploy).
I hope that the fallout from the military, always useful to the personal technology industry, will bring autonomous vehicle technology before I am too old to enjoy it!
Furthermore, once robotic cars are working (and not on those silly, very expensive automatic highways), mileage will go up, pollution down, safety up (which means I may not need my monster SUV to protect me from other drivers), etc. All around... good stuff if it ever gets done!
The only good weather is bad weather.
I think they should have went with beige.
Need a website host? Try out http://WebQualityHost.net
When will the care industry stop trying to make vehicles more like mobile homes? They spend all that time and money in crash tests, but then turn around and add distractions that can only be detrimental. Certainly people can do without these features while they're commutting from place to place.
Sooner than later, we're going to start clogging the courts with lawsuits involving people in accidents where these toys were involved. Cell phones included. When the time comes, I say they do the same thing they did with the tobacco industry. Slap them with a hugh lawsuit. It's not like anyone can't see it coming. Of course, the people using these devices are equally as guilty.
The new car, available only in a German pilot program, comes only in blue.
I suppose when these crash we can say it was a Blue Jetta of Death. Sorry, but I just had to say it. (:
Keep Austin Weird!