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Autonet Mobile puts a new twist on the car key (video)
Remember Autonet? The company -- which is best known for providing manufacturers like Chrysler with in-car WiFi hotspot solutions -- is launching a new product designed to replace the key fob and enable low-latency remote vehicle control and diagnostics from any smartphone. Of course, this is nothing new -- car makers have been featuring apps to unlock doors, start the engine and monitor vehicles for some time now. Still, most existing solutions rely on satellite or 2G connectivity and often require the car's computer to be fully booted before responding to commands, which makes for a slow and unreliable experience. Autonet's new system combines in-vehicle hardware, mobile software and cloud services to streamline this process for both manufacturers and owners. More after the break. %Gallery-195223%
Chrysler signs deal with Sprint for Uconnect (updated)
Chrysler's in-car Uconnect EV-Do system allows you to stay connected over WiFi on the go, with your vehicle acting as a 150-foot wireless hotspot around your whip. It's been announced (in what is quite possibly the world's shortest ever press release) that Sprint is becoming an infrastructure partner with the service. Now you'll be able to tweet while doing 90 on the interstate thanks to the company's Emerging Solutions Group which will have direct responsibility for the partnership.Update: We've been in contact with Autonet Mobile and Chrysler's partnership with Sprint is in addition to car maker's existing partnership with Autonet. The companies are all working together on the Uconnect product line. We apologize for any confusion or damage the mix up caused.
2011 Subaru Outback gains in-car WiFi option, strange Maine birds not included
Slowly but surely, the future is creeping up on us. In-flight WiFi is getting there, and in-car WiFi is following suit. Autonet Mobile already sunk its teeth in at General Motors, and now it's doing likewise over at Subaru. The automaker that insists it's all about love is about to give prospective buyers of the 2011 Outback an option to install a router within their ride for a one time fee of $534 (including activation). Of course, it's on you to pay that $29 / month premium that keeps the signals flowing, and yes, you're still better off buying a MiFi and just bringing it along. But hey, there's nothing like factory integration, right? Well, aside from seagulls checking their Twitter accounts while you explore Acadia National Park... freeloaders.
Seven Chevy models eligible for $199 Autonet Mobile WiFi router
Slowly but surely, General Motors looks like it's pushing Autonet Mobile's in-car WiFi option to each and every one of the vehicles it sells, and while we recently heard that it was making its way into a few other autocars for the not-at-all-appealing price of $500 (up front), this offer sounds a wee bit more palatable. Dubbed "Chevrolet Wi-Fi by Autonet Mobile," the add-on is now certified for installation in the Equinox, Traverse, Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Avalanche and Express, and if you get in before December 31st, you'll be able to add internet to your ride for $199 after mail-in rebate -- though a 2-year service agreement (at $29 per month) is also required. Just think how silent your kids will be on that cross-country trek to visit the in-laws this Christmas, though. Totally worth it. %Gallery-80286%
GM to offer $500 Autonet Mobile WiFi option in select vehicles
First came Cadillac (naturally), and now some of General Motors' other remaining brands are finally scratching the WiFi itch. Beginning next month, Buick, Cadillac, GMC and Chevrolet dealers will all begin offering up Autonet Mobile's $499 WiFi router as a dealer-installed option, though it's on you to pony up the $29 (or more) it takes to get said device online month in and month out. As always, you'll also get a docking station to take it from one GM vehicle to another, though (at least initially) it'll only be offered in SUVs, crossovers and trucks, which are whips most likely to be used by internet-addicted families. 'Course, those looking to do a little retrofitting need only head to gmextras.com to snap one up themselves, but don't say you heard it from us. [Via Autoblog]
Autonet Mobile in-car WiFi router goes national with Amazon availability
So, what does a company do when the two major outfits hired on to install its wares go belly-up? Why, put the power in the hands of the people, of course! After spending entirely too much time with Chrysler and General Motors, Autonet Mobile has decided to give consumers another option for having an in-car WiFi router installed: Amazon. Starting now, those interested in shoving a hotspot in their vehicle can purchase the router for $299.99 after rebate and handle the install themselves, but none of this makes that $29 monthly charge any easier to swallow.
Autonet Mobile bringing WiFi to Cadillac CTS sports sedan
Autonet Mobile just notched another one in its belt by scoring a deal to hook GM's Cadillac CTS up with integrated WiFi. Starting this April, folks who splurge on one of these sports sedans will be treated to WiFi (a $499 dealer-installed option) in the car, and best of all, it uses a new, smaller router than can be easily transferred to another vehicle that's equipped with an identical dock. The agreement is a first for Caddy and also the first luxury brand that Autonet Mobile has managed to invade. 'Tis a shame that monthly subscription still starts at $29 -- we get the feeling that even the affluent won't much care for that.[Via Gadling]
Chrysler's Web Edition vehicle package: includes WiFi, iPod touch and a Dell Mini 9
Chrysler has been toying with in-car connectivity for months now, so it's really no shock to see the next logical step being taken. At the San Francisco Auto Show this week, the automaker is set to showcase a "Web Edition" package, which would theoretically be available as a dealer-installed option for most Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge vehicles. The bundle would include an Autonet Mobile router (branded as Uconnect Web), a Dell Mini 9, 8GB iPod touch, Sony PSP and an Eye-Fi WiFi SD card; couple that with one year of internet service and you've got everything that makes up the $1,999 asking price. Reportedly, a slimmed down option will go for $1,100 and only include the router, service and Mini 9, though there's no indication of when it'll be hitting new whips. Nor if Chrysler will survive long enough to tell us.
Walt Mossberg reviews Autonet: spotty, but still distracting enough to be dangerous
Chrysler's in-car WiFi, Autonet Mobile, has been around for a little while now, and Walt Mossberg has helpfully reviewed it for us. He found the service (which is basically an in-car 3G WiFi router) to be great for email and basic web surfing, but it was too slow to handle anything much more demanding, like streaming videos. Speed test results ranged from 100 kbps to 500 kbps, with an average of 400-450 kbps... pretty average for 3G speeds, and Walt says the connection never dropped. On the plus side, it appears that Chrysler is willing to mount the ruggedized router in the trunk of any car -- not just their models -- which is great news if, like most people, you have no intention of driving a Chrysler around. The Autonet box runs $499 ($399 for the holidays) with a one-year contract and monthly fees of about $29. That may seem expensive, but can you put a price on your kids checking Facebook rather than asking "Are we there yet" every twelve seconds? Hit the read link for the full review.
Autonet Mobile now serving up music, movies, and games
The press release is pretty low on facts, but Autonet Mobile, the quirky car-centric ISP / EV-DO MNVO, has just announced that it will now allow customers to download music, movies and games to its routers and access them from any WiFi device. Of course, Autonet's EV-DO / WiFi routers don't have any built-in storage that we know of, so it looks like you're pretty much just downloading all this stuff to your laptop -- which isn't exactly press release-worthy, so we're assuming they forget to mention something that would actually make this interesting, like a content partnership or network storage. It's either that or CES PR fever is starting to hit a couple days early, but we'll optimistically read "passengers can access their personalized stored content via the unit's simple user interface" as meaning something substantial -- at least until we see this thing in action next week.
Avis rolls out in-car WiFi service
Avis announced today that it's begun the roll-out of its Autonet Mobile-based in-car WiFi service, now officially dubbed Avis Connect, with those paying a visit to the San Francisco International Airport able to drive off the lot with the added distraction starting today. They'll have to pay a somewhat hefty $10.95 a day (for unlimited usage) on top of the normal rental fee for the service, however, which makes use of either an EV-DO or HSDPA network (Avis isn't specifying exactly which carrier its using). San Jose, Los Angeles, and Newark, N.J. are apparently next in line, set to get the service in the coming weeks, with Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York, San Diego and Seattle on tap for the third quarter of this year. No word if you'll get a discount if you opt for both the in-car WiFi and the built-in DirecTV.[Via Physorg/AP]
Hands-on with the Autonet Mobile router
There's not really a lot to say about a car-based broadband router that's unplugged and sitting on a table, but if you were curious for whatever reason how this new Autonet Mobile thing looks in the flesh, then we've got you covered. We'll let you know if we somehow manage to get it up and running, but for now all we know is that the box feels solid enough for vehicle use, and that's about it. Peep the read link for a few more angles.
Autonet Mobile, the first ISP for your car
We always kind of thought it went without saying that the ISP we took with us in our car was whichever network powered our EV-DO or UMTS / HSDPA card -- well, not anymore. At least not according to Autonet Mobile, a new company claiming to be the first car-ISP; that is to say, Autonet is only concerned with getting your car (and the devices in it) online (although we really don't see why you couldn't just use one of these as an in-home backup connection). The Autonet wireless unit, which will run for $399, serves up the in-car WiFi using what they're claiming is Verizon's any EV-DO and/or HSDPA network; at the outset they claim Autonet will provide service on up to 95 percent of US roads for $50 a month when it's launched this spring on AVIS and for consumers. Eyes on the road, people!
