Chevrolet's Silverado pick-up offers an Internet connectivity package that's aimed at contractors. An in-truck router enables multiple users to connect to the Internet as far away as 150 feet from the truck. (Photo courtesy of GM.)
You have a point, Old_Curmudgeon. However, is that really any different from the fact that everything you might do on your work computer is already being monitored, even checking your stocks from a hotel room with a company laptop? I would guess that the same answer would apply. The way I look at it is that I really don't care if my company knows what I'm doing or where I'm driving when I'm using their equipment while doing their work. On the other hand, although it is not the topic here, I'm not really a fan of MY car reporting my driving habits to anyone but me - under any circumstances.
I hate to rain on any parade, but does it not make sense to have an interlock device that would disable any driver's seat connection when the vehicle is in Drive or in gear on a stick shift? All we need on today's highways are more distracted drivers.
I agree TJ, USB ports and AC outlets would be great. I have been carrying around an inverter in my vehicles for years to run laptops and even a small guitar amp. (so I could practice while sitting in traffic)
From the text above: "A separate application called "Geo Fence" allows owners to define virtual geographical areas to ensure that vehicles follow approved routes. If a designated boundary is crossed, a notification with time, date, and location stamps is made available over the Internet."
GEE! folks..... just what we all need is MORE Big Brother! Where the heck is GEORGE ORWELL now that we really need him???????? God forbid a delivery truck makes a wrong turn OR his cab-equipped GPS device sends him down a one-way street. Then what? "Hey, Lucy, 'you gots lots of esplanin' to do!'"
I'd rather use devices that free me from the vehicle, and components that I can upgrade at will.
What would make more sense is to provide 5V USB ports throughout the vehicle (front seats, back seats, trunk), as well as some reasonably powered 120V outlets for those computer devices that need more than USB power.
Don't tie me down with what you THINK I need, Detroit. Put outlets in the vehicle that use the cords I already have, and let me decide what I want to plug into them.
This sounds like a good idea for contractors who can make use of the multiple connections. I have been using wireless internet service for years and enjoy being able to work on the road and while traveling out of town.
A new book by Thomas Edison's great-grandniece takes on the notion that he was a lone-wolf inventor and replaces it with an image of a man who ascribed great value to the ideas of colleagues.
In response to rising interest in autonomous vehicles, the federal government has called upon states not to authorize operation of self-driving cars, except for the purpose of testing.
With LEDs dropping in price virtually every year, automakers have begun employing them, not only on luxury vehicles, but on entry-level models, as well.
Using almost 200 light-emitting diodes in the front and back of the new 2014 CTS, Cadillac designers are showing how LEDs can change the character of a vehicle.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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