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Audi A8 Gets Factory Integrated Mobile Hotspot
adeelarshad82 writes "Audi's A8 luxury sedan will be the first vehicle with a factory integrated mobile hotspot when it ships this fall with an adapter capable of connecting up to eight devices via WiFi or Bluetooth. Audi integrates a WLAN module and antenna on the roof, using technology from chip-maker Marvell and Harman Automotive. The company says its WiFi software architecture is optimized for extremely low power consumption on battery-powered consumer electronics, enabling passengers to connect to the vehicle's network without affecting the battery life of their connected devices. The Audi system, called the Marvell Mobile Hotspot, will support any combination of smartphones, tablets, laptops, digital cameras, and gaming devices."
You're doing it wrong.
I don't think the kind of people that buy an Audi R8 are going to be all that concerned about cellular costs, which in any event might be negligible depending on their country of residence. Everyone that I know who owns a car comparable to an A8 either has at least one other vehicle for more mundane use like shopping, taking the kids to school etc., or is quite well paid and single.
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
*five years into the future*
CxO#1: damn, i wish audi would get their shit together and write a driver for my A8, so i can use it with my windows 8 laptop...
CxO#2: oh, you went with the USB option? My A8 has the wifi hotspot, my kids love playing with their DS through nintendo-online on long trips you know? and my laptop also works flawlessly.
People, what a bunch of bastards
Data radios in gadgets usually ramp up their power if the signal they receive from whatever they are connecting to is very weak, causing massive battery drain. That's why a cellphone in a busy city (with a strong signal from the many close cell towers) will last considerably longer than a phone in an area with very weak service. I guess if they fit their antennas in a sensible manner (ie not blocking the signal with chunks of metal and lots of leaky wires), they'll be able to bathe the inside of the cabin with sweet, sweet radio waves, allowing all the devices in the car to essentially whisper to each other.
People with an Audi A8 are most likely to be driven around by a driver, while sitting in the back with their laptop
It's a very expensive car, but not necessarily I-can-afford-a-chauffeur-expensive.
-- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose