General Motors partners with mystery organization to bolster OnStar technology
By Sean Hollister 
posted May 10th 2010 10:11AM
posted May 10th 2010 10:11AM
[Thanks, Jub]
posted May 10th 2010 10:11AM
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CIA?
@Atkins
Why would it possibly be CI...oh... gotcha...
In other news, if that is the backside of the Volt, GM's gonna have to go back to the drawing board, because that is one ugly-as-hell backside.
@Atkins
"You can check driving statistics, honk the horn, lock or unlock the car, and even start it up, all from your handset."
Lol, most I love the part where you can honk the horn remotely. Can anyone tell me please what benefit that gives. Unlock the car... start it... What reason on earth would you have to do that when you are sitting in your office a block away?
@SeeKo
Umm I don't know, maybe if you live in Las Vegas and you don't want to climb into your 180 degree car after work (yes I've taken the temp inside my car).
Or vice-versa for cold climates.
As far as honking goes...gotta keep them pesky homeless drug addicts away from your ride, BEEP BEEP!
@SeeKo Maybe to find your car after a crazy night?
I hope nobody hacks the system or we'll have to call Bruce Willis to come to the rescue.
@Atkins
remote locking, charging and perhaps air conditioning
why doesn't it charge when you plug it into the power straight away?
isn't it much easer to press a button on your keys rather than go into an app?
the only time i would need air con is when the button to turn it on is right next to me...
@Scouse Pricey
I see the point with the AC and also the charging. You can program it to charge when electricity is the cheapest during the day.
But the rest of the features is still pretty silly.
@shadowj0 Your mom has a nice backside.
@SeeKo
Car lost in parking lot. Honk horn. Find direction of your car.
@SeeKo
Scenario:
You're walking around the mall parking lot for the 3rd time trying to locate your vehicle. You remember that your phone has the ability to honk the horn remotely. You take the phone out of your pocket, tap the "Honk if you're horny" button (which you renamed from "Honk horn" because it wasn't funny enough) and start tapping away. A few rows down, a car starts honking and you realize that you found your car. You also chuckle since you _are_ a bit horny.
:D
@shadowj0 Its got an ugly backside, but it might have nice RIMs...
Illuminati?
Google - Android.
having it tied to one handset or carrier would be really stupid on their part... carrier tied would alienate over half the country either way, handset tied would alienate even further...
@McHoffa
OnStar uses Verizon's network Because for me to add a monthly plan to the built in mobile phone in my GMC Truck, I have to use Verizon only, maybe that means that the iPhone is coming to Verizon, Just my thoughts.
They would license it for all smartphone platforms but the implementation on Blackberries would just work better.
According to Motortrend, GM is in talks with Google.
What are you all doing next to my car!?
@pankomputerek
HONK!
Ok. So when you plug the car in, it doesn't automatically charge. You have to later use your phone to enable charging? How convenient.
esplain to me why I would launch an app from my phone to adjust my A/C when there's a button in the dash to do that? Most new cars already have autolock if the key isn't detected in the car. Old, long perfected ideas regurgitated and made to seem cool and new...
@rhackin
Perhaps you'd like to warm or defrost your car while you're sitting inside your house. Or maybe you would like the cabin to be a bearable temp before you get inside when it's 105 outside. I suppose if you like sitting in a hot leather interior, sticking with "old, long perfected ideas" would be ok.
This is one reason that RIM just acquired QNX software in Canada
GOOGLE.
For the last time Engadget: The Volt is not a hybrid. Hybrids are cars driven by gas and electricity. The Volt's wheels are only ever driven by the electric motor, the engine only kicks in to generate electricity once the battery reaches 30% of charge. Unlike all-electric cars, you can actually drive as far as you want. GM can even swap out the gas engine for a diesel, like they are for Opel in Europe, or a hydrogen fuel cell. This is the future, at least until battery tech or room-temperature superconducting materials are perfected.
I know who the mystery organization is.......it is...Team Rocket.....
Looks like they took this idea from the nissan leaf. But the nissan can do 100 miles to a charge.
They still have a long way to go on this battery stuff.
Bought my last Govt Motors car 5 years ago. Unions can kiss my ass