Chrysler To Offer Wireless Internet In 2009 Models

sunny in Seattle writes "'Have you ever thought rush hour on the 405 Freeway might be more bearable if you could check your e-mail, shop for a book on Amazon, place some bids on EBay and maybe even, if nobody is looking, download a little porn? Then perhaps you should be driving a Chrysler.' LA Times reports that the nation's third-largest automaker is set to announce Thursday that it's making wireless Internet an option on all its 2009 models. The mobile hotspot, called UConnect Web, would be the first such technology from any automaker."

wardriving

Kind of defeats the point of wardriving though doesn't it.

Re:wardriving

Nope. From TFA:

Users get download speeds of 600 megabits to 800 megabits per second.

Holy shit. I'd love to know how they're getting that over a 3G connection.

Re:wardriving

Yeah, they corrected that; it's supposed to be 600-800K, not 600-800M.

Tag

If ever there was a time for the "whatcouldpossiblegowrong" tag, this is it.

Re:Tag

Because that was the number one problem plaguing the good people of New Orleans?

Re:Tag

"No, because it was the number one easiest way to votepander in a city that was trying to lose its reputation as a den of thieves."

No..I think it had to do with things that happened during some of the 'fests' that happen down here...that in traffic coming into the city, that some big SUV's that had lots of screens that were playing some hardcore stuff while in traffic, well other cars that had kids in them were seeing what was going on pretty clear in the cars. I think it blew some parents' minds.

They're pretty lenient what goes on in the Quarter, but, outside of that and the surburbs coming into the city, well there are normal families living normal lives and they don't put up with stuff like they'll allow in the Quarter. I remember driving downtown a few years ago with all the traffic coming in for the Essence festival, and you saw that type of thing happen a LOT. I saw many cars decked out with screens playing porn. Not that it bothers me, but, I saw that this wasn't an isolated incident.

We're a party city, but, there is a place and time for different behaviors...and while a lot goes on ok...not everything goes.

Re:Tag

"Yeah, the city with drive through daquiri stands. Let's stop the porn but encourage drinking and driving."

So...what's your point?

:-)

We also sell alcohol (beer, wine and liquor) 7 days a week, we have 'to go cups' at bars and restaurants so you can take your drink to go (I really miss that in other cities, you have to chug your last drink before you leave), and sales of booze aren't only in liquor stores...you can buy all 3 at grocery stores, convenience stores...etc.

It is kind of nice to be treated like an adult to have the choice to drink responsibly...key word there being personal choice. If you get busted driving drunk, it is as bad as anywhere else in the country. I personally feel the new DWI blood alcohol levels are too low at .08....it should have stayed at the old levels...but, that's a different soapbox.

Anyway, I'd dare say down here alcohol is a part of life much like it is in other parts of the world....no big deal. Most of the people that really overbinge and all are the visitors here who go apeshit seeing how liberal it is here with the drinking laws...and they're just not used to not having the govt. tell them how to regulate themselves in a more permissive environment.

streaming music!

I don't know about shopping on Amazon, but oh how I'd love to listen to somaFM, WOXY, or Beyond the Beat Generation while I'm driving. Cuz the music broadcasters in LA choose is the suxors.

2010 news flash:

"Recent studies show that tailgating has increased over 170% near certain Chrysler vehicles."

Teen drivers will become a nightmare

...when they all start checking their myspace while attempting to change lanes.

Do they really think this is a good idea?

New meaning to "internet crashed"

This will give new meaning to, "My internet connection crashed"

Re:New meaning to "internet crashed"

Cry "cheetos!" and let slip the car analogies of slashdot.

If magnets were attached to Shakespeare's corpse and his casket was wound with copper wire, he would now be generating enough electricity to light his Globe theater.

I'd rather just get where I'm going.

That's why I ride a motorcycle. You can sit there in traffic for two hours surfing and shopping and viewing porn all you want. I'll be at home.

Of course, as soon as I get there I'll just be web surfing, shopping, and viewing porn. But at least I'll be at home.

Too close for comfort, but not for signal...

I know what brand of car I'll be tailgating from now on, laptop in hand! I can just see one now, struggling to get over to its exit with a knot of fifteen or so Priuses clustered too close to let it move.

Or instead of tailgating, perhaps I'll try to anticipate where the driver is going and maintain a short lead with my Pringles Can exhaust mod pointed square at it.

Wow, it must be a bad idea...

...if even geeks think it's stupid...

Another way to get yourself killed

1. Check www.darwinawards.com while driving
2. Drive off a 100m bridge
3. Irony!!

Missing the point

Most of the posts I've seen here are short sighted because they only consider drivers doing what would normally be done at home in front of a computer.

Having a reliable internet connection will enable applications that we have not dreamed of yet but someone will. I'd like VOIP, using the car's built in microphone and speaker. How about a GPS system uses the IP connection to warn of upcoming traffic jams on the proposed route? How about setting the thermostat in your house when you are 30 miles away?

Come on people! Dream big!

Will a drivers surf history be evidence?

Because if someone crashes into me, I would like to subpoena their cell phone and auto-internet records to see if they were doing something else instead of driving.

Drivers are for driving

Isn't it obvious? This feature isn't for the driver to distract themselves, it's for your moms to lure you out of their basements and keep you distracted while they drive you to the countryside, boot you out of the car at the edge of the woods, and leave you to your own devices in a cloud of exhaust and smoking rubber. Your final Twitter message will be "Mom? Mom? I fell out, Wh&*(%#@*&($ ###NO CARRIER"

Dumb, dumber, senator

Sen. Joe Simitian [...] introduced legislation prohibiting drivers from using any "mobile service device" [...] while driving.

I guess that description would include GPS navigation devices and the car radio ?

Re:Web surfing drivers...just what we need

Considering the amount of shaving, texting, make-up applying, eating, and calling that already goes on in vehicles during rush hour, I'm not sure this feature should even be legal.

Considering the amount of shaving, texting, make-up applying, eating, and calling that already goes on in vehicles during rush hour, I'm not sure anyone will notice the additional impact of this feature.

Re:Web surfing drivers...just what we need

I'm not sure anyone will notice the additional impact of this feature.

No pun intended, right?

Re:Web surfing drivers...just what we need

As a fireman, I responded to a car wreck a few years ago where a young woman was putting on makeup while driving (she did every morning), and she was late for work. She failed to make a turn, flipped the car, and left a husband and two young kids behind.

I agree with 2cute2kill - Do we really need to create yet another distraction in the car? Putting on makeup only takes a certain amount of time, yet you could drive and surf the web at the same time from LA to NYC (assuming coverage) with no restrictions.

A very bad idea.

Re:Yeah but it's a Chrysler

It's typical recently of American automakers to offer this kind of gimmicks instead of making decent quality cars.

I'm not sure it's a gimmick, but to the extent it is, I'm sure that Chryser will, in typical American automaker fashion, implement it badly.

That means owners will get probably end up with a square woodgrained plastic panel insert emblazoned with a metal "The Intarweb" logo (in a cursive script and painted to resemble chrome), that contains a few oversized cheap-ass rocker switches, only the one of which can be reached without leaning far out of your seat, and possibly some light indicators that glow too brightly at night. Luxury model owners can opt for a foot pedal switch, an extra steering column lever, or an in-dash touch screen that displays garishly coloured pie charts, columnar graphs that update every second.

In similarly typical fashion, the rest us will have to sit back and wonder why they just didn't buy a Honda.

Re:On the one hand

I'm buying/building a jammer, illegal or not. I'd rather not have J. Random Asshat trying to read his email or check his eBay auction at 60mph next to me. Cellphones are already too bad. I'll turn his stuff off.

So...you'd rather have J. Random Asshat trying to troubleshoot why his connection isn't working at 60mph next to you?