Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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."

9 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. 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 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.
    2. 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.

  3. 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?
  4. 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!

  5. 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.