Chrysler with Wi-Fi Car Surfing

Beginning in August, Chrysler LLC customers will be able to get in-vehicle wireless Internet as an option in all models. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Chrysler will announce today that it will offer Internet access in its 2009 Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep models. As someone who has been chided for texting while driving, I’m not sure I need the temptation.
The UConnect Web service uses cellular technology to access the internet, and Wi-Fi in the car to allow passengers to log-on. Pricing is likely to be on a monthly subscription basis. “It is a notion of always wanting to be connected wherever you are,” Scott Slagle, Chrysler’s senior manager of global marketing strategy, told the LA Times. “There’s a demand for that.”

The uconnect system will link cellular telephones and personal music players to the car’s onboard electronics, with the ability to control an Apple iPod with radio and steering wheel controls. The system also has navigation and real-time traffic features, controlled by voice recognition or a touch screen.
It also includes the company’s in-car 30-gigabyte hard drive, with options for three-channel satellite television service and satellite radio. The hot-spot connection has a radius of about 100 feet around the vehicle. It works wherever cell-phone service is available, and all passengers in the car can connect wi-fi-enabled devices, including laptops, PDAs and video-game consoles.

In addition to equipping cars with Wi-Fi under uconnect, Chrysler will package a variety of technologies under the uconnect name, including satellite radio, a literal “car phone,” an integrated GPS, and streaming TV. Other automakers have been moving quickly to place more consumer electronics in vehicles. Last year, Ford Motor Co. launched Sync, which allows drivers to use spoken commands to control mobile devices.
“We set out to connect customers to the things that matter most to them,” said Deborah Meyer, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer - Chrysler LLC, in a statement. “The role for ‘uconnect’ in the 2009 model year places the focus on the customer experience and how the features will make their life easier.”

The example given in the L.A. Times story is that it will be great to be able to “check your e-mail, shop for a book on Amazon, place some bids on eBay and … download a little porn” while you’re stuck in bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic on the freeway. Are you kidding me? Drivers will be able to be distracted by doing their thing on the Web while we’re stuck behind them? Is there anyone other than Chrysler officials who thinks this is a good idea?