Car & Caboodle: Surf and Drive with Internet Access in Your Car

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Surf and Drive with Internet Access in Your Car

In Car Entertainment, News | Share Your Opinion

April 25, 2008

Wish that you had internet access in your car? The last time my family drove to the beach, my mind was whirring with ideas from an ongoing project. As we hit the road I found myself jonesing for an internet connection.

Imagine riding down the interstate while doing online research and updating your blog (from the passenger side please!). Think of the convenience of having another option for entertaining the kids in the back seat.

Chrysler is set to roll out their in-car Wi-Fi later this year, as part of an off-road navigation system for the Jeep Wrangler. Those of us with multiple kids, gear and dogs to haul may have to wait a little longer for an in dash system. But not much. Chrysler promises to equip many 2009 model cars with this technology.

BMW's timeline for Wi-Fi installation are less concrete. As of now their concept has only been seen at the Geneva Motor Show. BMW also promises an in-dash multimedia system that includes streaming music and video content through cellular or Wi-Fi connection. Files will be transferred to the 20GB hard drive from your PC or mobile phone.

Can't wait till 2009? Mobile internet is already available in the form of an in-car router from AutoNet Mobile. This technology is an aftermarket solution. Routers will cost you $595, plus a $39 monthly charge. This service turns your car into a Wi-Fi hotspot. No need to rely on cellular towers to guarantee continued connectivity.

At the moment, I'll still have to rely on my slower smart phone to surf the web. But we are not too far away from being able to surf the internet on the road.

Tell Us:Do you miss your connectivity while on the road? What would you use your on-the-road internet connection for? Leave us a comment below.

Links:

Web Portals on Wheels (Edmunds)

Chrysler Plans In-Car Web Access This Year (The Washington Post)

BMW to offer full in-car Web access (Crave)

Chrysler's new technology for 2009 (Autoblog)