Next-gen Ford Sync adding WiFi hotspot capabilities, you provide the 3G modem
By Paul Miller 
posted December 21st 2009 11:05AM
posted December 21st 2009 11:05AM
posted December 21st 2009 11:05AM
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Hmmm.... I dunno... but I see the benefit for the people in the car aside from the driver.... I think this will just add more dangers to the road. I have seen people with their docked video players watching ball games while driving.... :S
@TikiTeko What type of "ball" games? I hope those drivers know how to work with two sets of gear shifting, (that is if they are driving manual)
like baseball, basketball, volleyball, football
@TikiTeko
Woooshhh....
(the sound of a joke flying over your head)
oh my god the photoshop hurts my eyes. (made me smile though :D LOL)
@Ghen But Engadget now has a talented Photoshopper in staff.
Perfect woman/smile for that shop, very amusingly done
RIP Satellite radio
@ydenyse :
agreed! And that is coming from an avid Sirius listener.
@(Unverified) unagreed, and that is coming from a non sat listener... try and find a device like sat radio online... go ahead, try
I think this is a better approach than forcing you to pay $60+/month for 3G data that can be used ONLY while you're in your car.
With their approach, you have the option to unplug the modem or mifi, and take it with you, at no extra cost.
girl: face .. tooo handsome... can't watch... road.... CRASH!
@va jj :
Peter Griffin.... haha love that episode!
Nice. That's an easy way to get Pandora playing through the Ford Sync.
I would never drive a Ford!
Having to plug in my phone every time I get in the car would be a dealbreaker. Do it with Bluetooth or don't do it at all.
@spin cycle
Is it really that unpleasant to plug your phone in? Does it look ugly, stowed away in your center console? Are you too busy to spend the 3 seconds required in order to physically plug it in?
Different strokes for different folks, but more than anything, I prefer CHARGING my device while I drive, as opposed to killing the battery life by streaming Bluetooth stereo. One option means that you exit your car with a fresh charge, and the other option pretty much ensures that you won't have a fresh charge.
@crawdad689 It wouldn't seem like it would be, but from my experience, yes, it is too big a hassle. As you mention, charging is desirable and my car has a charging port for my phone already, but I don't bother plugging it in. Why? Because it's a hassle.
This is your phone, a device you want to have with you all the time. So if you go on an errand run and go into 3 places, that means you are plugging in and unplugging your phone 4 times so that it is with you in each store. Stop at Starbucks too? That's another time. I know in theory you could leave your phone in the car while you go in to get that coffee, but in my experience people won't do it, they feel naked without their phone now.
@spin cycle you already have a charger for your phone? I take it you mean one that plugs into the cigarette lighter, well if you can plug it into a USB port that has a device with all kinds of uses then why not? Sure you may take it with you to go into the store real quick or whatever but you are not going to be hurt to plug it in again. Not to mention that if you are not planning to use anything on the Sync that requires that internet connection then there is no biggie. I can see them using bluetooth connectivity for the Sync apps themselves but require the phone to be plugged in to use your vehicle as a wifi spot, which is a good thing I believe...
@spin cycle Please take a look at http://www.syncmyride.com. Ford's SYNC system has worked on Bluetooth since 2007. No plugging in requried.
This latest development is for making the car a wifi hotspot for other devices, like passengers' laptops or gaming devices.
Scott Monty
Global Digital Communications
Ford Motor Company
@spin cycle Yes, I have a charger for my phone. And I never use it. That was my point. I'm not plugging it in already, because it's a hassle.
Let me put it another way. Is it all that big a deal to just put the key in the door of the car and turn it? It only takes a few seconds. It's easier than opening the console of your car and plugging in a phone. So you wouldn't mind if on your next car it didn't have wireless unlocking, right? No biggie. But actually, turns out people love and demand wireless unlocking now. In fact, the rage now is not even having to put the key into the ignition, you just sit down and start the car with a button. People seem to like that too.
I do agree people would only sometimes plug the phone in, which means ideas like using Pandora become less likely, unless you like using it only part time.
This is going the wrong direction. And to be honest, it isn't even a real option for most phones. Most smartphones won't tether in the US because the wireless carriers disallow it. If they do allow it, it is $60 per month ($30 more than without the tether feature). And a lot of dumphones won't tether because they don't have the capability.
I firmly believe cars being connected is the future. No one likes searching an out of date database for a store and not finding it. When you select a destination on your NAV in the future, it will either come from a private database (contacts/friends you entered) or it'll come from the internet. So connectivity like this is the future and we'll have it ironed out at some point and every NAV will have it within a decade. But this particular method won't be how it is done, it's too inconvenient. I can't search for destinations, get traffic data or radio because I didn't plug my phone on? Not going to fly.
@spin cycle Scott: Then engadget's story seems a bit misleading. They say I provide the modem. Also, sadly, most phones in the US don't tether (at least not without paying $360/year to do it).
So it's just this then:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/28/gm-to-offer-500-autonet-mobile-wifi-option-in-select-vehicles/
except for how it is billed?
@spin cycle yea I can agree with where you are going, but like I said its one thing to use your ENTIRE CAR as a hotspot and another to allow Sync to connect using bluetooth so it has access to Pandora and other apps. From what I am getting here I could even get a 3G/4G Laptop dongle and just plug it into the car at a far cheaper cost than adding tethering to my iPhone(when it becomes available next year sometime). Sure it would be great to have the car be already CONNECTED to a provider, but then you run into the issue of what if you don't like the providers that are offered for the service. Then you would be stuck with that contract and not a huge list to pick from. At least the way they seem to have it work is, if I have Sprint I can get a Laptop dongle from them and connect to the net that way, or tether my smartphone if it allows it. ALWAYS net connect cars are still YEARS down the road, maybe even decades.
@spin cycle Autoblog has a better article on this, head over there. It doesn't work with cell phones, it works with those USB 3G modems. So if you have one of those USB 3G modems already, you don't need to pay extra fees to activate another 3G hotspot.
Nice.....I plan on getting an F-150 next year, but if they are having something like this coming in 2011 models then I will hold off on it, will really help on long trips
Wireless charging from car battery, why not connect to the car via wifi? no bluetooth necessary...
This technology is already on the shelves!
If you are going to put a 3g connection in the car, do it properly or not at all. "Its all about wireless stupid"
Ford, Missed opportunity methinks.
Funniest Photoshop'd image ever. Keep them coming Engadget!
dont those 3G modems usually come with wifi capability already?
OR you could just use your windows mobile handset combined with WMWifiRouter software -- and save tons of money on expensive tethering plans from greedy profiteering glutton cell providers, extra hardware, and even share your connection over bluetooth as well!
No need to purchase a MiFi or module if you already have a WM handset. WMWifiRouter Rules!!!! www.wmwifirouter.com
@(Unverified)
As some one who had a WM phone and WMWiFiRouter?
It was great. But it was about the only reason i preferred a WM phone over a Palm Pre. (unfortunately the new update killed tethering on the Pre.).
But I already have a 3G modem. So this works fine for me (provided, of course, it WORKS with my modem). Makes me wanna hold off on buying a Raptor until 2011
@CraniusLupus
Sorry about your WM loss :P
Haters can hate it all they want, but it's the most "open" mobile OS out there, in terms of what programs you can and can't run; the limits are limitless -- no limits :) I hate someone telling me what I can and can't do with a device that I paid for with my own money. Fuck that.
I have the Omnia2 now and WMWR works GREAT on it, no need for a tethering plan and no need to buy an external 3g modem.
Dear Ford....
I will NEVER... EVER... buy a car that depends on Microsoft software for ANYTHING... No Sync.. No Way
sorry charlie...
lol man,putting zune software in this thing would solve all music problems
Her shoulder was a victim of photoshop
can anyone say wardriving?
Ford Rocks !!! ...now all they need to change is the cheap materials used for the seats and side panels......
I just wish they would make it available as an aftermarket addon instead of being factory exclusive. I'd love a new F150, I really would, but it's just not in the cards.
If only they could put it in say, a 95 Chevy S10 that someone may have conveniently inherited from his grandparents, then that person would finally have a new stereo system that plays nice with his Zune. just sayin.
Although in reailty I'll take ANY new stereo that plays nice with my Zune at this point
i wanna bone that chick
But real smartphones provide this capability already (with WiFi sharing apps eg JoikuSpot) .. what is the deal with Ford?
I do like the emergency crash 911 call-automation..
When I scrolled down, I thought that visor was a witch hat.