Dummies, Wireless

Chapter 19: More Than Ten Devices to Connect to Your Wireless Network
people that police speed traps are ahead!) Expect cars to become outfitted
with at least a Wi-Fi bridge on board as a standard offering, driven in part
by the increasing availability of Wi-Fi at the city level and at hotspots. The
same capabilities that would allow a car to log into a citywide Wi-Fi network
would also enable cars to establish peer-to-peer networks, communicating
constantly. Once car-to-car communications are established, group viewing,
talking, and listening can’t be too far away. That’ll make those college road
trips to the beach more interesting! Products such as Pepwave’s CarFi
(www.pepwave.com) have no wide area data connections (like the mobile
routers we discuss in Chapter 14). They just do Wi-Fi well.
Look for the following near-term applications for wirelessly linking your car
to your home:
� Vehicle monitoring systems: These devices — usually mounted under a
seat, under the hood, or in the trunk — monitor the speed, acceleration,
deceleration, and various other driving and engine performance variables
so that you can determine whether your kids are racing down the
street after they nicely drive out of your driveway. When your car is
parked in your driveway, the information is automatically uploaded to
your PC over your wireless home network.
Devices such as Davis Instruments Corporation’s DriveRight (www.
davisnet.com, $375) and RoadSafety International’s RS-1000 Teen Driver
System (www.roadsafety.com, $295) can link to your home’s network
via any USB wireless client device.
� E-commerce: It’s iTunes meets Wi-Fi — you hear a great new song on
your radio. Maybe you didn’t catch the artist or song title. You push the
Buy button on your audio system, which initiates a secure online transaction,
and a legal copy of the song is purchased and downloaded to
the car at the next wireless hot spot your car senses. From now on, you
can listen to the song over and over again, just like you would with a CD.
When you get home, you can upload it to your home’s audio system.
Currently there are home HD Radio systems (see Chapter 14 for more on
HD Radio) that can support this functionality with an attached iPod and
the Apple iTunes Store — we expect that this functionality will move to
the car before too long.
� Remote control: Use remote controls for your car to automatically
open minivan doors or turn on the lights before you get in. A remote
car starter is a treat for anyone who lives in very hot or cold weather
(get that heater going before you leave your home). Fancier remote
controls, such as the AutoCommand Remote Starters and Security products
from DesignTech International (www.designtech-intl.com, around
$200), have a built-in car finder capability as well as a remote headlight
control. AutoCommand can be programmed to automatically start your
vehicle at the same time the next day, at a low temperature, or at a low
battery voltage.
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