Networked cars

What about itunes, podcasting, one button voicemail, maps, weather maps, traffic, maps from google that in my car that I surfed on the web, location based services (like where is the closet gas station when my gas light goes on? where is my favorite gas brand/or the cheapest 91 Octane on my side of the road, when my gas level is 1/8 of a tank), how about arming my security system to away, and chaning my thermostat settings, changin my sprinkler settings at my home. what am I asking too much????

Needs traffic software, tracking of 'routine routings' so that means can be generated and evaluated.

Why aren't cars networked??

Think of a Minimac, a touch screen and a Apple remote, voice rec/and a bluetooth keyboard. Move the SuperDrive of the Mac to CD player location, and add a wireless broadband EVDO or UMTS radio module and a GPS antenna, add fan and its done. Minimac would be modifed by removing the DVD drive (moving it to the dashboard), adding a fan and radio module, moving antenna for 802.11n/GPS/cellular to a roof mount, and adding a heat sink in steam in a vent.

Cost:

• $700 Mac or IPX system
• $700 Screen
• $300 Radio
• $100 antenna and coax
• $50 cooling
• Harness for wireing and harness for connecting to ECU $100

Say a 4 hour install time

Apple, cell phone guys, software guys, networking guys, computer guys, retail (Best Buy) and the auto companies all win...

Everyone wins.... computer guys get another enviroment, cell phone guys sell another device, service providers sell another account at at least $10/mo plus data, people like Vonage win because they can use it as a launch point for converged voicemail, people like Sony/Clarion/Pioneer etc. get a new aftermarket category, BestBuy wins.... pod casters win