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In-Car Video Chat and 4G Streaming From OnStar
thecarchik writes "At the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, OnStar will reveal the latest on their system. This time, the system will be equipped in a Chevy Volt research vehicle, which seems to be a more appropriate vessel than a Buick for previewing your latest technology. In a press release teasing the appearance, OnStar said the system will offer such features as cloud-based streaming of information and entertainment, rear-seat infotainment management and video chat. Video chat may sound like a terrifying feature for any car, but OnStar said in last year's CES press materials that the feature would only be enabled when the car is in park. Other features like video streaming would also be limited to the rear seat or to a parked vehicle."
Yes, because the only thing anyone would ever need more than to make a phone call whilst they are driving, would be to have a video of it so they can be completely disconnected from the watching the road.
It needn't even be cell based... satellite radio systems such as some bus companies use for stop timetable information using transponders on the vehicles are proven tech, it's just a matter of safely delivering that information to the driver. Score one pro point for transponders on private vehicles.
Operation Guillotine is in effect.
Uh huh. Video 'chat' in the back seat of a parked car.
Add a pair of teenagers, sit back with some popcorn and watch the movie.
(If you're into that sort of thing).
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
all GPSes stream traffic info. most have free services for that. even google maps can do it for cellphones.
In a press release teasing the appearance, OnStar said the system will offer such features as cloud-based streaming of information and entertainment...
...directly to local law enforcement.
I can understand why you wouldn't want to have video chat going while driving. What I can't understand is why build anything into a car that is not useful while driving? Wouldn't your smart phone or laptop be a much better device to use for a video chat, especially since you are NOT driving? Another point to consider - how many people here still using their cell phone from 4 years ago? Well, 4 year old car still considered "gently used", with most cars lasting 8-12 years. How this vendor-locked technology going to get upgraded?
Just like every other "technical barrier" the simple undoing will be technical as well... Probably a snip of a line then a soldered in resistor...
Can we please have driverless cars already? Preston please with cheery on top? Even if it's only for clear weather days.
About time, people have been needing many features introduced here forever; mp3car.com community makes a good case for that.
o_O
http://pioneer.jp/carrozzeria/cybernavi/ That's the only kind of video a navigation unit should ever be displaying.
Where are they going to get the BANDWIDTH for this? It's not like OnStar's satellites have a lot of it. Are they going to launch new comsats?
At least in cars it's fairly easy to make a big phased array antenna (roof!) which is a plague for portable satellite data phones.
I really wish automobile manufacturers would focus on building quality cars before jumping on the smartphone/tablet bandwagon. Seriously, who uses a carphone these days? It's like the car the turned into a tent. A tent is $100. That is not a good reason to buy a car, nor is a built in phone/tablet/computer. How about a head gasket that doesn't wear out at 20,000 kms?
Look at Bruce McCall's "Fully Loaded".cartoon. That was supposed to be a joke, not a design document.
At some point, around 20 years ago, they stopped advertising the car part of the car. It's black, it has eyebrows, it gets good mileage, it has 8 music players, 12 bluetooth devices, phones, and video everything.
You know why it's all necessary? Because the car itself is just no fun to drive.
Instead, I bought a brand new, relatively inexpensive sports car about two year ago. It has none of the above said features. It has a radio, and a cd player, neither of which I can hear when the roof is down -- which is always, including throughout the winter, and in the rain when on the highway. And there's no road rage, no matter how bad the traffic -- and I'm in a city with an average commute time of 2 hours per day.
It's fun, because it's a joy to drive. The seats can't recline, there's no back seat, there's a small trunk, and a great engine. And lots and lots of mountain roads. Oh, so many mountain roads.
Is it good on gas? That depends. Sure I save money at the pump. But I drive it three times as much.
In most places, video like this on the screen is illegal(whether it's videos, pictures, or anything else). Unless the vehicle is stopped, or is only used for backup purposes, and the vehicle is only going forward less than 10ft. Not sure how they're going to get around the law on this, but in most of Canada the vehicles couldn't be sold with the "feature" working as demonstrated.
Om, nomnomnom...
Sorry, there have been to many invasions of my privacy by various governments and corporations in the past two years for me to even consider this. Put a bug in my vehicle? Why would I do that? Nope, this tin foil hat looks much better in a vehicle of a more classic mint. I would never have OnStar, it's expensive, unnecessary and a huge invasion of privacy.
I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. - Hunter S. Thompson
> video streaming would also be limited to the rear seat or to a parked vehicle
This will interfere with backseat driving. May result in a tail-on collision.
2 Short? I had no idea you were /. regular. And apparently you are into alternative energy vehicles.
A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
Why not sell it for the home?
A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
What, there is some standard way to do video chat over 4G? Or will this only work with other Onstar subscribers?
Why? You have people in the car all the time? How is it any more distracting then a person sitting there? Granted drivers distracted by a passenger is the leading cause of accidents but this wouldnt be any different...
so if you are near the Canadian border and roam on to a Canadian tower (yes it can happen if you are still in the USA) who will be hit with the insane data bill?
What about if you are driving in Canada is there away to trun off on star data so that background data does not go out at costs that can hit $20 pre meg?
In most states, its illegal to drive around with your foglights AND headlights on... its the same as driving around with your brights on.
However, many cars come out of the factory wired in such a way that if the headlights are on... so are the foglights.
These cars absolutely should not be given inspection stickers... they would fail a proper inspection. But ive never heard of that happening.
I guess the solution is to take a tablet or netbook and tape it to the dashboard:)
Organization: alphabetical, sometimes numerical or messy
Video for the person on the OTHER side of the conversation would actually add to driving safety. If the other side could see the driver's view (windshield, looking out) then they would know to be quiet and let the driver concentrate if there's a near-accident or obstacle in view. Even better if they could see expressions on the driver's face as well as the view out from the windshield. One reason cellphone conversation is more dangerous than conversation with car passengers is that the other participant doesn't know when to pause for the driver to focus.
I don't know why everyone is ignoring this post. He got it, guys. He figured out the key. Alert the media, we've got a scholar here.
in the immortal words of socrates, "i drank what?"
It's "Too $hort". Even when he writes his name, he's got money on his mind.
in the immortal words of socrates, "i drank what?"
Not a problem here, removed onstar from the vehicle completely, they can do what ever they want I dont use the service.