Dearborn (ip-192.com): Did you ever dream about your own Wi-Fi hotspot on wheels? Well, your dream can become reality in 2010. Ford says that the upcoming next generation Sync service will include the capability turn your car into a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Sync is a factory-installed, in-car communications and entertainment system developed by Ford and Microsoft. It is based on the Microsoft Auto platform. The current system allows drivers to bring nearly any mobile phone and some digital media players into their vehicle and operate them using voice commands, the vehicle’s steering wheel, or radio controls. The next generation of its Sync system designed to let Ford owners plug a USB modem directly into a car's built-in Wi-Fi, creating broadband Internet access to all passengers. Those in the car can jump online through any Wi-Fi-enabled device, from Smartphone to laptop.
The factory-installed system will be available in 2010 on certain Sync-equipped cars and include WPA2 security, according to a Ford press release.
"The speeds with which technology is evolving, particularly on the wireless front, makes obsolescence a real problem," said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford's Connected Services Solutions Organization. "We've solved that problem by making Sync work with just about any technology you plug into it. By leveraging a user's existing hardware, which can be upgraded independent of Sync, we've helped ensure 'forward compatibility' with whatever connectivity technology comes next."
Next-generation Sync can be powered by most USB equipped mobile broadband modems, turning entire car into hot spot. When SYNC sees a new Wi-Fi device for the first time, the driver must specifically allow that device to connect, preventing unauthorized users from "piggybacking" on the signal.
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