AT&T just gift wrapped a gift for tech enthusiasts, parents, and anyone else that owns a 1996 car but wants to “smarten” it up. Yes, that Ford Probe with the 6-CD exchanger in the trunk can now get hip to the high tech world post Steve Jobs.
The mobile carrier just announced its release of the Harman Spark, an OBD-II dongle that adds diagnostics, tracking and LTE data to cars from 1996 and beyond.
What’s that you say? You don’t need Internet in your car? You catch all the Pokémons you need from the comforts of your living room? Well, this technology delivers much more than just driver console Internet. It provides a complete range of car diagnostics for data driven insight and car troubleshooting. You’re alerted to issues like car trouble or if somebody just jacked your ride.
A Gift for Parents of Teenage Drivers
And for parents of teens, this tech is a God-send. It’s a character building tradition to give high school drivers beat up old cars. This tech essentially transforms those 1990s beaters into data driven smart tech. Create Geofences that let you know if their car drove where it shouldn’t, know how fast they’re driving, where and how late.
You can purchase the Spark for $80, though the exact price for service could depend on your carrier and data plan.
“You can spend $5 per month if you’re not interested in a hotspot, or buy a data plan (either stand-alone or attached to your phone service) if you want to get your kids’ tablet online,” reports Engadget. “Although this won’t be a slick as buying a car with cell data built-in, it could serve as a valuable tool if you aren’t in a rush to replace your existing wheels.”
Internet connected Wi—Fi – pretty slick for a ‘90s beater.
