Picking wireless gear for your car

Picking wireless gear for your car
The integration of external wireless connectivity options to cars is definitely
in its infancy. However, some things to look for when shopping for auto-based
audio/video gear include the following:
PC Card (PCMCIA) slots: You get the ultimate in flexibility with PC Card
slots because you can put any card that you want into the system. You
need these for connecting to the home when parked in the yard and
accessing the Internet when traveling. Ideally, you’d have two PC Card
slots because it’s probably going to be a while before a lot of dual-mode
Wi-Fi/cellular cards are on the market.
FM modulator: Some systems have an optional FM modulator that
enables you to merely tune into an unused FM band in your area and
broadcast your music from the server to your stereo system. Because
some audio and video systems require you to have specific receivers
(that is, your actual audio component where you will listen to the music)
for your car to make full use of the new functionality, it can get expensive
to install a system. FM modulators make it easy to put in a system
without changing out your stereo; you do lose some of the onscreen
reporting that comes with a hard-wired installation, but you still get
access to the music (which is the important part).
Upgradeable storage hard-disk space: Look for systems that allow you
to add storage space when you need to. Storage is getting cheaper and
coming in smaller form factors all the time. You’ll probably want to keep
adding storage space as your audio and video collection increases.
Lots of interfaces: After your system is installed, you’re going to want
to plug a lot of things into it. Make sure that you have a good supply of
Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, Ethernet, PC Card, serial, and RCA
ports. You might have already installed a VHS tape deck or DVD player
in your car; if you did, you might be able to easily install an audio/video
server right beside it and use available In jacks on the video player to
feed your existing screen and audio system.
All in all, expect a wireless LAN in your car soon — it just makes sense.