Audi A8 Gets Factory Integrated Mobile Hotspot

adeelarshad82 writes "Audi's A8 luxury sedan will be the first vehicle with a factory integrated mobile hotspot when it ships this fall with an adapter capable of connecting up to eight devices via WiFi or Bluetooth. Audi integrates a WLAN module and antenna on the roof, using technology from chip-maker Marvell and Harman Automotive. The company says its WiFi software architecture is optimized for extremely low power consumption on battery-powered consumer electronics, enabling passengers to connect to the vehicle's network without affecting the battery life of their connected devices. The Audi system, called the Marvell Mobile Hotspot, will support any combination of smartphones, tablets, laptops, digital cameras, and gaming devices."

Re:Tethering

[Vectormatic]

People with an Audi A8 are most likely to be driven around by a driver, while sitting in the back with their laptop

And having in-car wifi just is a bit more stylish then having that usb dongle hanging out of your laptop.

Not to mention the fact that the kids nintendo DS wont work with a 3G dongle, but will connect to the in-car wifi

Re:Something I don't understand

[dave420]

Data radios in gadgets usually ramp up their power if the signal they receive from whatever they are connecting to is very weak, causing massive battery drain. That's why a cellphone in a busy city (with a strong signal from the many close cell towers) will last considerably longer than a phone in an area with very weak service. I guess if they fit their antennas in a sensible manner (ie not blocking the signal with chunks of metal and lots of leaky wires), they'll be able to bathe the inside of the cabin with sweet, sweet radio waves, allowing all the devices in the car to essentially whisper to each other.

Re:Tethering

[Alarash]

If you own an A8, I don't think the "exorbitant data rates" for cellular access to Internet is a problem for you.

Re:Tethering

[SydShamino]

That really depends on how you choose to spend your money though, right? My car has about the same base price as an A8, and I got it by saving money, such as by using a pre-paid phone (average cost $8 per month) instead of $120 a month or whatever that a lot of folks blindly shell out.

It really depends on priorities. I spend a lot of time in my bed, in my home office chair, and in my car, so I'm going to spend money to enjoy those places. I don't spend that much time wandering around looking for internet access in public, so it's not worth the cost. Others may make different choices.

Re:Tethering

[mzs]

The fact of the matter is that you bought a car for $35K and cannot afford to be chauffeured around in it. In Europe big Audis like these are in fact commonly used to chauffeur around politicians. The people in the back are not the ones paying for the cars and in many European countries you might want to tack on 40-80% to the US price for a car "The 2011 Audi A8 L prices tarts at 79,000 Euro" 79,000 Euro is about $102K. You are not getting the same options and engine though for those prices. The price discrepancy is the biggest though on Japanese cars in the countries with high tariffs.

Two questions

[Locke2005]

1) Is the hotspot password encrypted?
2) How closely do I have to follow the Audi to tap into it?