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A Wireless Hotspot For Your Car — Why Not?

Posted by timothy on from the not-wijacking-just-drafting dept.

nk497 writes "UK mobile operator 3 has unveiled a wireless hotspot for cars. It's essentially a repackaged version of their MiFi wireless router, which lets users create their own wireless hotspot using the 3G network. While drivers will hopefully steer away from using the web at the wheel, 3 predicts the mobile hotspot will let passengers entertain themselves as well as offer a hookup to email, music and traffic data."

42 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. Car hotspot? by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not 'Why not?', but rather 'Why?'

    1. Re:Car hotspot? by eln · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you've got people at your beach party asking where they can go to check their email, you're doing it wrong.

    2. Re:Car hotspot? by garcia · · Score: 2, Funny

      Why? Because when I'm driving 27 hours to the beach from Minnesota I'll want true Internet access in my car, not just my iPhone?

    3. Re:Car hotspot? by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Hey, don't knock on us if we want to have a beach lan party.

    4. Re:Car hotspot? by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Minnesota has that effect on people.

    5. Re:Car hotspot? by LWATCDR · · Score: 2, Informative

      1. RVs
      2. Passenger

      If you are in a car with a bunch of kids it may be useful for them to entertain themselves.
      Also when my wife and I evacuated from Hurricane Frances it would have been great if one of use could have hit nhc.noaa.gov to get updates.We where in a panic that some friends of ours where going to get trapped in their cars by the storm. It would have been a comfort to know that it slowed way down and weakened. Frankly the radio wasn't a lot of help with info.

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
    6. Re:Car hotspot? by BobMcD · · Score: 2, Funny

      If you've got people at your beach party asking where they can go to check their email, you're doing it wrong.

      What if they're livestreaming the video and vlogging it to all their Facebook pals?

    7. Re:Car hotspot? by AvitarX · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Yeah, because pandora would be useless in a car only occupied by the driver.

      This is not marginal, it is good that a non-manufacturer is working on this, as however much they charge, it's gonna be less than GM would for the same thing. Once internet in car becomes available like that, things will start to take advantage of it. Something like a iPad, or an Android device would be great to have instead of a stereo in a car. Just a flat screen 5-9 inches where my disk changer is. I wouldn't even need to look at it while driving to gain immense value.

      GPS navigation, Radio, MP3 Player, Traffic alerts, AND passengers would be able to use internet too.

      I hope this catches on, because I would line up as a sucker in no time. Though hopefully less than $60/month, as I won't be hitting it that hard (unless an hour or two of radio is what they consider a lot).

      --
      Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
    8. Re:Car hotspot? by zach_the_lizard · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Then the carrier is probably going to be angry that they went over the unadvertised bandwidth caps, charge them more, and cut them off.

      --
      SSC
    9. Re:Car hotspot? by BobMcD · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe, maybe not, but it says nothing about the quality of the party at all.

    10. Re:Car hotspot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why you ask?

      Because I'm rarely outside of wifi distance from my or my wife's car.
      Because my car has it's own battery and backup generator.
      Because I want to access my car's door locks, alarm system, etc.. directly without paying a 3rd party like On-Star.
      Because I want to connect my car to my home automation for too many new capabilities to list.

      But most importantly.... Because it's cool!

    11. Re:Car hotspot? by garcia · · Score: 2, Interesting

      No, we stuff people in wood chippers and call casseroles 'hot dish'. This, this is how the Internet has affected me ;-)

    12. Re:Car hotspot? by twisteddk · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Admittedly, having internet access in your car is "nice" on occasion.
      However, The article isn't about internet access, but about a mobile hotspot. Essentially connecting a wireless router to a wireless internetconnection (3G, UMTS, sattelite, whatever).

      I believe this is the "why" the original poster is asking. Because if you have a wireless internet connection already..... Why would you WANT to turn it into a hotspot ? Exactly how often do you feel the need for attaching 2 or more computers to the internet while driving your car ? I'd wager not very often.

      Now for busses, public transportation (we already have that here in Denmark), trams, etc. I can perfectly understand the need. But with majority of carmiles driven being with only a single occupant in the car, even the tought of a personal mobile hotspot seems rediculous.

      --
      --- To err is human... Am I more human than most ?
  2. Sign me up by quantumplacet · · Score: 3, Insightful

    will work great with this:
    http://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Office-WM-01-Laptop-Steering/dp/B000IZGIA8/ref=pd_sim_auto_1

    1. Re:Sign me up by FooAtWFU · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Which people like to make fun of, but it can be handy to have a desk in your car that you use while parked when you have a few minutes and don't have a coffee shop or something nearby to step into.

      --
      The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
    2. Re:Sign me up by __aasqbs9791 · · Score: 4, Funny

      It can even be more handy while you're driving. I mean, trying to hold the laptop with one hand, while typing with the other and steering with one knee while using the other to shift gears is such a pain in the ass!

    3. Re:Sign me up by Shakrai · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's also handy for keeping track of your beer cans and half smoked bowls of weed too ;)

      What's the difference between a stoned driver and a drunk driver? A drunk driver blows through the stop sign without even slowing down. The stoned driver stops at the stop sign and waits for it to turn green.

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  3. With the new UK legislation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Does "three strikes" shut off your car?

  4. Already Doing This On Sprint With Windows Mobile by meehawl · · Score: 2, Informative

    Been doing this for years.

    1. Plug HTC WM phone into charger outlet.
    2. Activate WMWiFiRouter app to share out Sprint 3G over USB, wireless, or bluetooth.
    3. ?????
    4. Profit!

    --

    Da Blog
  5. Extreme! by stimpleton · · Score: 2, Funny

    Awesome! You could steer your car with one hand while holding a game controller in the other while playing a friend. Double points if its a driving game.

    --

    In post Patriot Act America, the library books scan you.
  6. O goody by DeadDecoy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Now I can look forward to people driving and twittering and emailing and watching youtube. On second thought, the resulting mayhem might be fun to put on youtube. It has a sort of Escher-esc appeal to you it. Jackass recorded on youtube crashing while watching youtube.

    1. Re:O goody by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why 'now' and not years ago when people started buying smartphones that could do all that?

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    2. Re:O goody by Angst+Badger · · Score: 5, Funny

      I foresee people getting rear-ended because the idiot behind them was tailgating to get a better signal off their unsecured AP. It'll give "wardriving" a whole new meaning.

      --
      Proud member of the Weirdo-American community.
    3. Re:O goody by EdIII · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Already happened to me... in a way.

      Was driving with across the US with a buddy on my laptop with a Verizon Wireless EVDO card. We decided to test it by entering a $150 dollar online poker tournament and we were doing very very well... until the signal went out.

      I could have made a u-turn and went back to good signal, but that would have defeated the spirit of the test. So I sped up to about 105 mph. Right when we got back into the tournament (only lost about 10-15 hands) I looked up and noticed the state trooper behind us.

      He had been following with his lights on for about 10 minutes.

      To add insult to injury, the dipshit next to me went all in with 22's against a bigger stack while I was explaining to the state trooper that I was just tired and concentrating on the road in front of me.

      Net Loss: $325

      So yeah, there could be some distractions with a 3g/4g network available in the car.

  7. Dodge by captaindomon · · Score: 4, Informative

    This has been available for a year and a half or so on Dodge vehicles as an option: http://www.dodge.com/en/2009/ram_1500/innovations/uconnect/

    --
    Just because I can hook a shark from a boat, I do no offer to wrestle it in the water.
    1. Re:Dodge by oldspewey · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, but this means you have to drive a Dodge.

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    2. Re:Dodge by Pojut · · Score: 2, Funny

      "'Dodge' is the perfect word to put on the front of a van comin' at ya. If it says 'Ram' on the side, they're after your ass." -Gallagher

      --
      Living With a Nerd
  8. brilliant tracking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why put a GPS tracker on the car in a mandatory and inflammatory fashion, when you can simply embed it in a product that's too good for the masses to pass up?

  9. And if this was verizon by nurb432 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    They would chase you down with their black van equipped 'bandwidth compliance team' then charge you for 3 full connections, retroactively, for 12 months.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  10. Why?? by Itninja · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Anyone I've had in my car for the past several years, especially anyone who has an interest in being 'entertained' in a car, already had their own mobile internet and/or networkable device. Why would anyone want to splice an already-slow 3G connection between several people and/or devices?

    --
    I judt got a nre Kinesis keybiartf so please excusr ant egregiou typos.
  11. I need a bigger boat by maxrate · · Score: 3, Funny

    I've been waiting for the day where I can finally congest a road and a 3G network simultaneously!

  12. Does this mean by British · · Score: 3, Funny

    Will people be moving their houses around parking lots to scan for open Wifi spots?

    1. Re:Does this mean by catbertscousin · · Score: 3, Funny

      What the - my car battery is dead for the third time this week?? Man, I gotta change my MiFi password again. I guess "cowboynealzcar" just won't do it.

      --
      No good deed goes unpunished. - Avon, Blake's 7
  13. Why? by Locke2005 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    One word: kids. Drop one of these in place, hand each of 5 kids a Nintendo DS, and watch them play games and leave you alone for the entire trip (At $190, even the new DS XL is cheaper than a netbook, as well as traveling better.) I already have an AC inverter plugged into the "cigarette lighter" DC plug for the purpose of recharging Nintendos and cellphones.

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  14. I think it's time for the self-driving car by dr2chase · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Because it's pretty clear that the humans aren't paying attention to the road anymore.

  15. Took them long enough.. by kyhwana · · Score: 2, Interesting

    They're a bit late.. Tugrik did this what, almost 10 years ago?
    http://www.stompboxnetworks.com/

    --
    My email addy? should be easy enough.
    1. Re:Took them long enough.. by mweather · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And Autonet has had a commercial product on the market for at least two years. Plus this had been an option on Chryslers since last year.

  16. Re:Dangerous Driving by geekpowa · · Score: 2, Informative
    Your post demonstrates the complacency I take issue with.

    I never said driving requires one's full attention,and I agree that under some certain circumstances, distraction while behind the wheel is not a significant risk as it is at other times. But this is not the issue.

    Just because you have the basic motor functions down pat doesn't make driving a trivial task. It is a very intsensive activity. Ask any professional driver, an inner city truck driver

    People regularly underestimate the complexity of the task. I saw a survey once where respondents where asked to answer if they were above or below average drivers. Over 70% said above average. Given that mathematically only 50% can be above average, it demonstrates that a significant number of people are overconfident and complacent behind the wheel of a car.

    With all due respect, your comparision to aircraft pilots is nonsense. Maybe aircraft are sophisticated machines (my understanding is that modern craft pretty much fly themselves), but it is only half the picture

    . How would you feel if the air traffic controllers were busy facebooking and texting away and not keeping their eyes on the task at hand?

  17. 1993 LAN in a car with wireless data service by billstewart · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The first time I saw a LAN in a car was San Diego Usenix in ?1993?. It was Phil Karn's (KA9Q) car, and it was really just a thinwire Ethernet neatly installed from the front seat to the trunk. Laptops were much bigger then - he had a large clunky 386 machine in the front seat, and the alpha and beta versions of the Qualcomm cellular radios in the trunk. We were able to connect to a cell site at something like 9600 baud, and telnet to the Bell Labs firewall, which happily rejected our attempt to log in as "berferd".

    --

    Bill Stewart
    New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
  18. Not new by Nerdposeur · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I work in the cellular industry, and this isn't new, other than being kinda small like the MiFi. If you wanted WiFi with a cellular backhaul in your car, you could have gotten that from Linksys, Cradlepoint, or JBM (now Sixnet) and others anytime in the last few years that I've been in this industry, probably much longer. If you were content to get an Ethernet connection and add your own WiFi hotspot, the list expands to Airlink, Bluetree, Digi, etc. And that's just off the top of my head.

    Of course, geeks will always find a way. A friend of mine in high school created a dash-controllable MP3 stereo system for his car in 1999. He had an entire PC running Linux in the trunk and the display was re-purposed from a home security system. But that's not exactly a consumer-friendly setup.

  19. Re:Dangerous Driving by phantomfive · · Score: 2

    People regularly underestimate the complexity of the task. I saw a survey once where respondents where asked to answer if they were above or below average drivers. Over 70% said above average. Given that mathematically only 50% can be above average, it demonstrates that a significant number of people are overconfident and complacent behind the wheel of a car.

    I generally agree with the point of your post, but this is a non sequitur. There are a number of possible reasons 70% of the people think they are better than average, and the most likely is that people are bad at statistics and in their mind equate "above average" with "good." Thus what they are saying is that they consider themselves good drivers. Being complacent and overconfident is something completely different.

    --
    Qxe4
  20. The most practical use I can see for this: by Max+Threshold · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Uploading audio to your car while you're sitting at your desk.