Chrysler to Offer In-Car WiFi as an OEM Accessory
June 28, 2008
While listening to CNET’s CarTech Podcast Episode 73, I heard about Chrysler’s plan to offer dealer installed WiFi systems on virtually all its 2009 cars. A video of the system and Chrysler’s Press Release is included so you can learn about all the features.
This is another sign that automotive service technicians need to have strong digital literacy skills. Since the WiFi router is dealer installed, it is just a matter of time before a tech pulls a repair order with a customer complaint of the WiFi not working. In many cases it will likely be that the driver’s computer is not configured correctly to connect to the wireless router. I see opportunity here for an auto tech with digital skills!
Here is an audio clip about this system taken from the CarTech Podcast:
>>> Chrysler Press Release
Mopar® Launches Industry-first – uconnect web™ Bringing Wireless Internet Connectivity to Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge Consumers
Auburn Hills, Mich., Thu, Jun 26, 2008 - Mopar® announced today that it will launch uconnect web™, Chrysler LLC’s in-vehicle wireless Internet connectivity for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge consumers in the U.S. uconnect web, powered by Autonet Mobile, delivers continuous Internet connectivity to all vehicle passengers for entertainment and real-time information access on the go.
uconnect web will be available in August as a dealer-installed Mopar Accessory. Mopar is Chrysler LLC’s original equipment parts manufacturer and distributor.
The industry-first technology provides high-speed data transfer, combining WiFi and 3G connectivity. uconnect web transforms the vehicle into a mobile “hot spot,” delivering unlimited, reliable and uninterrupted Internet connectivity for all passengers in and around the vehicle. The “hot spot” connection radius is approximately 100 feet—making it convenient to access the Internet at a soccer field or family picnic.
Wherever cellular service is available, uconnect web enables all vehicle passengers to simultaneously connect with WiFi-enabled devices like a laptop, iPhone, Sony Playstation (PSP), PDA and more to:
- access the Internet for e-mail, chat and IM
- view streaming movies or television shows
- download music and download/upload images
- play online games
“Mopar’s uconnect web brings a new level of convenience and technology to our Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles,” said Rob Richard, Director – Mopar Part Sales and Service Marketing, Chrysler LLC. “With uconnect web, all passengers in or near the vehicle are continuously connected to the Internet. They can make dinner reservations, check directions or weather, make online purchases, surf Facebook, MySpace, Disney or Webkinz, watch the latest YouTube videos, upload photos to a Flickr account—all at the same time.”
“uconnect web goes beyond today’s DVD and GPS solutions, letting passengers extend their Internet lifestyle to the car,” said Sterling Pratz, CEO of San Francisco-based Autonet Mobile. “The Internet is the future of in-car entertainment. We’re delighted to be working with Chrysler LLC to deliver the first WiFi Internet access that lets families, business and leisure travelers stay connected.”
The U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the router module is $449. Dealer installation is estimated at approximately $35-50. Autonet Mobile offers wireless Internet account service at $29 a month, available in 12-, 24- and 36-month service plans. There is a one-time $35 service activation fee. Customer support assistance for hardware and service is available.
Run over integrated 3G and 2.5G (EVDO, 1xRTT) cellular data networks, the router module with antenna hard-mounts in any vehicle. High-speed Internet access ranges from 400-800 Kbps/sec., with upload speeds averaging 400 Kbps/sec. The WiFi connection is secured with WEP encryption, MAC address restriction or WAN port restriction. Compatible with all operating systems supporting WiFi including Windows, Mac, Linux and Solaris, no special software is required.
About Autonet Mobile
Autonet Mobile is the first wireless Internet service provider for vehicles. Founded by a corporate executive and former race car driver and a leading network architect and designer, the company is dedicated to enhancing the in-car experience, by bringing the power of the Internet to the 200+ million cars on the road in the U.S. Autonet Mobile currently provides Avis Rent a Car with the Avis Connect service and is used by Storm Chasers, NASCAR and others. For more information about Autonet Mobile visit www.autonetmobile.com.
70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.
Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s—the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “Special Parts” for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.
Today, Chrysler LLC’s Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components, restoration parts, accessories and performance parts for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.
>>> End of Press Release
When the Ignorance of Technology Can Go Very Wrong
April 5, 2008
So how could the ignorance of technology cause a problem? Here is a clip taken from the Julie Amero page on Wikipedia.
On October 19, 2004 Julie Amero was substituting for a seventh-grade language class at Kelly Middle School in Norwich, Connecticut. The teacher’s computer was accessed by pupils while the regular teacher, Matthew Napp, was out of the room. When Julie took charge, the computer started showing pornographic images.
On January 5, 2007 Amero was convicted in Norwich Superior Court on four counts of risk of injury to a minor, or impairing the morals of a child. Her sentencing was delayed four times after her conviction, with both the prosecution and judge not satisfied that all aspects of the case had been assessed. The felony charges for which she was originally convicted carry a maximum prison sentence of 40 years.
On June 6, 2007, a New London superior court judge threw out the conviction of Amero, she was granted a new trial and entered a plea of not guilty. The new trial date has not yet been set; it is unclear at this time if the State’s Attorney of Connecticut will pursue a second trial.
Since I too am a school teacher, this really got my attention. I could see this scenario playing out in many other situations. Imagine if malware popped up a porn advertisement in the middle of a presentation and a female from the audience wanted to make it a case of sexual harassment?
Leo Laporte provided some on-the-air commentary about this case during his “The Tech Guy” radio show. A clip of that is included below.
Leo Laporte On Julie Amero’s Case
Staying Safe While Web Surfing
April 2, 2008
When you take a computer online, you must be prepared for a hostile word. The bad guys are working hard to compromise your computer for a wide range of reasons. Some of which are:
- Acquire personal information from accessing your computer’s files or even installing a program that will monitor your keyboard input.
- To present advertisements to you via pop up windows (even if you are not connected to the Internet).
- To do malicious damage to your computer files.
- Present you with a web page or form that looks legitimate in hopes you will be tricked into providing your personal information, This scheme is called “phishing“.
- To “zombie” your computer by installing a hidden program on it that allows your computer to be used for malicious actions. Your computer could be used to spread spam or even be partnered with thousands of other computers to hit the same web page at the same time and take the site down.
Almost everyone is aware that you need to take some precautions; however, far too many people rely on anti-virus software to protect their computer. While software can help, your personal online behavior is actually more important. A person who follows a very strict regiment could actually surf the Internet safely without any ant-virus software.
On his weekly call in radio show, The Tech Guy, Leo Laporte covered the five most important things a person can do to keep safe while on on the Internet. The link below is a clip of this advice from his two hour show.
Leo’s Audio Clip
Managing Online Information Via Subscription
March 24, 2008
In the last couple of years I have had the opportunity to do technology presentations at various automotive/educational conferences. I often do a presentation titled “Mastering Online Information”. The Internet has grown to the point that we can’t effectively find and manage information just using the Google search feature we have to work smarter!
While there are many options (remember, I can easily turn this into a three hour presentation), in this post I want to cover managing information via a subscription. Often you will have certain web sites, blogs, or news searches that you want to closely monitor. This is when you need to utilize an RSS feed to push information to you automatically. As long as the site you want to monitor publishes an RSS feed all you need is a feed reader (officially called a news feed aggregater). I found a neat video that does a good job of explaining how RSS works, yet uses a simple explanation.
Take a look at the video below titled “RSS in Simple Language”.
The simplest way to subscribe to this blog is to right click on the “RSS” icon (a large icon is shown to the left) at the top right corner of the menu bar and “Copy Link Location”. That will put this URL on the clipboard: http://digitalliteracyproject.com/feed/rss/. Go to your RSS feed reader and use this link to manually subscribe to this blog.In my upcoming book, I have dedicated an entire chapter on managing online content.
CNET Car Tech Offers a Good Automotive Podcast
February 25, 2008
One of the best uses of computers in the automotive business is to manage all the automotive information that is made available online. In this previous post I talked about managing content using RSS/XML subscriptions. This same technology (RSS/XML feeds) can also be used to automatically send you audio and video content, and is often called a podcast. This post will focus on audio podcasts which can be played on virtually any computer or transferred to any portable MP3 player for mobile use.
A podcast is made up of individual audio recordings which are sometimes referred to as episodes. Most websites that publish an audio podcast will make the episodes available for individual downloads. One of the better automotive podcasts is produced by the guys on CNET’s Car Tech.
On the Car Tech Homepage you will find tons of information on how technology is being implemented in todays cars. You will also find a link to the CNET Car Tech Podcast page. From that page you can listen to the individual audio recordings or get information on how to subscribe to the podcast using iTunes or any other podcast aggregator.
Click here to hear the “Car Tech Episode 39: Are plug-in hybrids coming — or not?” If you like what you hear, go on over to CNET and subscribe to the podcast you you will automatically receive all future episodes automatically.
