5. Conclusion
Car tech at CES inches forward this year, with better controls, 3D GPS systems, syncing features, and smart phone integration.
Over the last few pages, we’ve shown how car tech at the CES show revolved around improving media and GPS performance, as well as connectivity to our cell phones and applications. Side benefits include better diagnostic tools, so non-auto savvy drivers can better trust their vehicles to determine any trouble, such as low tire pressure or the need for an oil change.
The biggest hold on improved technology for cars is maintaining a low cost for such complicated systems. Cars are notorious for including built-in GPS and other features for incredulous prices. In today’s market, consumers are more likely to purchase external devices to save money, even if it disrupts convenience.
We believe that car tech is perhaps one of the biggest areas of today’s technology sector that needs improvement. As futurists, we hope that the car will one day be as potent as your laptop and cell phone. Why can’t it come standard with a built-in phone with a decent speakerphone? Why can’t music be stored in vast quantities? Why can’t it connect wirelessly to the Internet, either at home over WiFi or on the road over cellular networks? Why can’t we make purchases of songs we hear or stream podcasts directly?
The answer to all these questions is simple: people who need cars get them and people who need all those other functions need them outside of the car, so they use different devices. But just like many of us use desktop computers and have home phones and wired Internet, there’s no reason our cars can’t complement our technological growth instead of driving us to the nearest Best Buy and back.
The process to change that is slow and tedious, but it’s doable. However, with over a billion cars in circulation worldwide today, while the majority of cars purchased are used models, it’s hard to imagine that such technologies will be able to increase and remain inexpensive when so few people are buying them. Why can’t these improvements be installed on older models?
We may never get an answer to that question, but one thing is for certain: cars are about taking us from point A to point B, but there’s no reason we can’t enjoy the ride. All this new technology is being made to keep us safe, and to keep us happy. That’s a great start to a brighter future for the automotive industry.
That application for the OnStar looks amazing. I hope there is some sort of intent to actually do that with any OnStar subscriber.
OnStar can do all the functions on your car that the phone allows (perhaps not the car charging since that's specific for the Volt), but all of the other functions should be available pretty soon for all OnStar-enabled vehicles.
Considering this article is about "Car Tech" and Verizon Mifi is mentioned... what about Autonet? I believe they attended CES this year. I know its a similar service, but their goal is to be statically installed in cars like OnStar is for its services. Where Mifi is limited to 5 users, I think Autonet is unlimited. $29 a month for 1GB data, $59 a month for 5GB to have a Wifi router service in your car.
www.autonetmobile.com
Autonet currently has minimal true applications, as most people who drive don't really use Wi-Fi in the car since most drivers drive alone. Obviously, there is a reason to want Wi-Fi, but currently it isn't worth it for car companies to install in vehicles. Why it isn't even an option, I don't know, but the point of enabling Wi-Fi in Ford's vehicles isn't to actually connect to the internet, but rather through the car's intranet. That way, users could connect their phones or devices via the car's Wi-Fi instead of individually.
I agree that people who are driving don't particularly use Wifi and I get that Ford's approach is interesting. I was a little confused on how you described their method but I re-read the Ford article and it mentions the ability to use your phone's internet connection to pull data to the user interface in the car. Neat stuff. Autonet does have some positives to it though. Its cheap for browsing purposes. Mobile hotspot for $29 a month isn't bad. People that don't have 3G on their phone but do have Wifi can use this, or carry a laptop and have a need to get on the internet. Its capability to reach 100-150ft (according to their site). This would be useful in cases where you could be on a trip and multiple parties can get online from a hotel room, (definately not a hotel room in vegas, heh!) Or a restaurant. I am just thinking outside just the car here. Having a mobile hotspot has value. So with the multi-user in car, you also get it outside of the car.
There are applications for Autonet in the marketplace. I believe it hasn't yet been realized. OnStar at one point was only an option with different car manufacturers. Autonet is currently is going through this phase.