New In-Car Hot Spot/Server Shown

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A new in-car “server” just plugs into the cigarette lighter to deliver all the computing power, Internet, and media storage you could want.  Movies can be served up to the rear seat screens, and you get 3G, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and more.

Luxoft in-car media server The wallet-sized device was shown as a prototype at Telematics Detroit 2011 last week and it gives a glimpse of what may lie in car audio’s future.

The in-car server can stream media to your back seat.  It can upload movies from a smartphone or other device to stream to the rear screens.  In fact, it can work wirelessly with the devices in your home because it’s DLNA-ready (it uses a common wireless home network platform).   It also acts as a WiFi hotspot for in-car devices.

The in-car server doesn’t seem to have a name yet, but it’s the work of Russian software group Luxoft and Finnish device maker Elektrobit.  Luxoft produces software for Azentek, Harman and others.

The server uses a 456MHz ARM9 processor and offers 64MB SDRAM and 128MB flash, plus Ethernet, and USB, reports eWeek.

It’s intended as a reference platform that other manufacturers can use to build products under their own name.

Source: eWeek



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2 Comments

  1. Barry, I would think this is already using 3G as it’s main source for the streaming/Internet content. There is no mention of this working on another frequency band to bring the content into the vehicle. Then it basically repeats the 3G and has WiFi hotspot characteristics.

    So the same strained 3G band will be taxed with non-3G devices in the car using the WiFi hotspot for 3G Internet, laptops, netbooks, etc. multiplying each vehicles usage of 3G services 2-3 times more.

    Add this to the insane 12V manufacturers promoting and making streaming radios for Pandora and IHeartRadio, and there goes our precious diminishing 3G bandwidth that we’d REALLY like to use to make a phone call once in a while….

  2. This would seem to be a practical approach to addressing the less than perfect 3G or better signal that many areas experience today. The more we want to stream content from smartphones and the like, the more stressed our already stressed wireless band will become. This will not be the permanent solution, but it can be a viable stop gap until bandwidth and coverage issues are finally resolved.

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