In-carTv
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South Korean taxi drivers win right to watch TV in cabs, for now
You know, we've made plenty of jokes about the DMB mobile TV functionality found in seemingly every GPS unit released in South Korea, but it looks like taxi drivers in the country take their distractions seriously -- serious enough to go to court. That issue apparently came to a head recently when one cab driver challenged a $500 fine he received for watching TV while on the job, which had apparently become a relatively common means to beat boredom during traffic jams but was banned last year by a local regulation in the city of Seoul. While the court obviously didn't go so far as to condone the practice (watching TV while driving was apparently a factor in upwards of 200 accidents in the country last year), it did rule that the regulation in Seoul was illegal because it was based on a 1961 law that's been superseded. Cabbies shouldn't get too comfortable with their in-car rigs just yet, however, as we have a sneaking suspicion this won't be the final word on the matter. [Thanks, Badison]
AT&T CruiseCast in-car TV finally launches nationwide
Look, we know all about desperate -- those youngsters are cute and all, but any self-respecting parent starts having some seriously evil thoughts about three hours in to any road trip. In a presumed effort to keep you off of the evening news and in good standing with your relatives, AT&T is launching its CruiseCast in-car TV service today. If you'll recall, we knew the in-car satellite TV solution was being tested in various spots, but today marks the first day that the proverbial beta badge has been ripped off. Of course, such a unique offering ain't running anyone cheap, with the initial hardware package totaling $1,299 and the monthly fee ringing up at $28. If those numbers have yet to faze you, hop on past the break for a look at the channel lineup.
AT&T slowly begins rollout of CruiseCast in-car satellite TV service
It's a bit off its target pace, but it looks like AT&T is now finally starting to roll out its CruiseCast in-car satellite TV / radio service, however slowly. According to OrbitCast, AT&T is now working with "small groups" of car audio specialists and distributors to get the service into the hands of a "few dozen customers" in order to test the service in advance of the full roll-out, which is now somewhat ambitiously promised for early June. In case you missed the announcement back at CES, the service itself consists of 22 live TV channels and 20 radio stations, plus all the necessary, non-user-installable hardware, which will set you back $1,299 up front and $28 a month thereafter. That obviously doesn't pose much of a threat to basic satellite radio just yet although, as OrbitCast points out, it is actually more affordable than some of the current in-car satellite TV options out there, like KVH's $3,000 DirecTV-based system
Audiovox in-car MediaFLO hands-on
Qualcomm's MediaFLO tech was originally intended for screens so small that resolution, artifacting, and wholesale crappiness don't really matter, but when you're building out a whole new wireless network for this thing, monetization is a high priority wherever you can find it. To that end, Audiovox is lending a helping hand with a new receiver launching later this year that'll plug into most in-car video systems and deliver MediaFLO programming straight to your back seat, your front seat, or whatever bizarre place (engine compartment, maybe?) you've mounted a display. We weren't terribly impressed with the video quality; generally speaking, DVD is probably the better entertainment option here, but if live shows are a must-have for you, this is just about the only cheap, easy way to roll. We're told 10 to 15 channels will be available at launch -- but unfortunately, Audiovox says that neither AT&T's nor Verizon's exclusive channels will be part of the lineup. Pricing hasn't been announced; if we had to guess, we'd figure on something like $20 per month, so you'd better really desperately need blurry TV when the drive gets boring.%Gallery-41366%
