Audi and Qualcomm's 3G car system early review: Web on wheels
Audi and Qualcomm have supercharged sat-nav by sticking a 3G Web connection in the Audi A8. We took it for a spin
Qualcomm and Audi are bringing the information superhighway to the actual highway. The chipmaker has developed a 3G Web connection for the carmaker's Mobile Media Interface Plus in-car navigation and entertainment system, supercharging your sat-nav with the power of the Web. We took it for a spin.
Well, we sat in it and pressed some buttons, as the demo car was parked on the Qualcomm stand at Mobile World Congress. The system is being shown off at MWC in an A5 Cabriolet, but it will be available in shops on the A8. We got in and went "Brrrrrmmmm" until someone from Qualcomm agreed to talk us through the technology.
Qualcomm's UMTS Web connection opens what looks like a sat-nav into a world of wireless wonder. Live traffic updates can be displayed over 3D maps courtesy of Google Earth. Because the car knows where it is, it can tell you what the traffic, news and weather are like where you are or where you're going.
The driver doesn't get to have all the fun. The car shares its 3G connection as a Wi-Fi hotspot, so passengers can use laptops or other mobile devices. In the back, passengers can watch broadcast FLO TV on head-rest screens.
Click 'Continue' to burn rubber through our gallery of the system in action, showing off the different technologies in the car -- including a prototype feature that'll give your phone a jolt. Vorsprung durch technik, and all that.