Wireless Home Networking - Index of
Wireless Home Networking - Index of
Wireless Home Networking - Index of
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270<br />
Part IV: Using a <strong>Wireless</strong> Network<br />
Are navigation systems the hub <strong>of</strong> the car?<br />
Earlier in this chapter we discuss the car PC —<br />
it’s a neat way to add a lot <strong>of</strong> information and<br />
entertainment (<strong>of</strong>ten called infotainment) features<br />
to your car. Of course, not everyone is ready<br />
to put a PC in their car (at least not on their own).<br />
If, however, you look at what car navigation systems<br />
can do today, you’ll see that a lot <strong>of</strong> what<br />
you might want from a car PC is easily available<br />
in today’s fancier navigation systems.<br />
What can a nav system bring to your car? Well,<br />
<strong>of</strong> course they bring GPS-based navigation<br />
(they’d be pretty useless if they didn’t). They<br />
also bring a nice big color screen (again, a<br />
no-brainer). But what else is available in the<br />
nav-based infotainment realm? Try these features<br />
on for size:<br />
� Music servers: Many navigation systems<br />
have hard drive or flash memory systems that<br />
not only hold map and POI data but also provide<br />
room to store your own media. MP3 and<br />
other music files can be synced to your navigation<br />
system when it’s connected to your<br />
PC, and then played back in the car through<br />
an FM transmitter or auxiliary audio connection<br />
into your car stereo.<br />
� Document viewing: A number <strong>of</strong> nav systems<br />
can be uploaded with detailed travel guides,<br />
reference materials, and even dictionaries.<br />
Going on a trip? Upload a travel guide and<br />
quickly pull up a description and guide to the<br />
tourist highlights for your location!<br />
� Hands-free calling: Most nav systems,<br />
beyond the least expensive, include a<br />
Bluetooth hands-free phone system (like the<br />
ones we discuss in Chapter 15). You can<br />
leave your phone in your pocket and make<br />
and receive calls using the built-in microphone<br />
on your nav system and either a<br />
speaker built into the system or your car<br />
stereo’s speakers.<br />
� Text messaging: A few navigation systems,<br />
when connected via Bluetooth to your<br />
mobile phone, can display incoming text<br />
messages (SMS messages) on your navigation<br />
screen. Most systems don’t let you type<br />
replies (for safety reasons), but this is a<br />
great way to have your friends in the convoy<br />
to the big alumni homecoming game let you<br />
know they’re pulling over in two miles for<br />
some BBQ.<br />
Navigation systems may also have a built-in DVD<br />
or other video player (MPEG, WMV), or even a<br />
photo viewer so you can upload pictures <strong>of</strong> the<br />
kids and have them up on the screen when you’re<br />
not actively navigating. As we’ve mentioned, a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> navigation systems can also receive<br />
traffic information broadcasts and automatically<br />
route you around the worst traffic (though if you<br />
live in Southern California, like Pat, there’s really<br />
no getting around traffic!).<br />
What this functionality needs to become really<br />
useful is network connection that brings a live,<br />
real-time element into the equation. The Dash<br />
Express system we discuss has this built in. We<br />
suspect that other manufacturers will take<br />
advantage <strong>of</strong> the Bluetooth connection to mobile<br />
phones to add this functionality by simply taking<br />
advantage <strong>of</strong> the fast 3G connection built into<br />
many <strong>of</strong> today’s phones.<br />
Choosing wireless gear for your car<br />
The integration <strong>of</strong> external wireless connectivity options to cars is in its<br />
infancy. However, if you’re shopping for auto-based audio and video gear,<br />
look for the following: