<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/tech/" rel="tag">Technology</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><div style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><small><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/#continued"><img vspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/pandoraskv9008opt.jpg" alt="Ford Sync Pandora app" /></a><br />
</small></strong></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Click above to watch the video <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/#continued">after the jump</a></small></strong></em></div>
<br />
We've seen <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/17/subaru-joins-the-in-car-wi-fi-game-with-2011-outback/">Internet-equipped</a> vehicles on more than one occasion over the past few years, but most connected cars and trucks aren't much more than a rolling hot-spot for passengers and (very) distracted drivers. That promises to change over the next decade as automakers and suppliers work to connect cars to the world around them. <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> has already begun to connect vehicles to the rest of the planet with SYNC and a smart phone, delivering information like traffic alerts, vehicle health reports, news updates and soon <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/20/2011-ford-fiesta-to-include-applink/">internet apps like Pandora</a> (above). Senior technology leader K. Venkatesh Prasad tells CNET that the automaker plans to keep the momentum going.<br />
<br />
Venkatesh says in a video interview (available after the jump) that in-car connectivity is currently "tuned to zero miles per hour," adding that there is an opportunity to connect vehicles to applications that enable the Internet to work <em>for</em> the occupants of the vehicle. Ford has been testing <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/13/fords-new-active-safety-initiative-hits-the-street-signs-w-v/">Smart Intersection</a> safety technology where vehicles communicate with traffic signals through WI-FI and GPS, and that could just be the tip of the iceberg. Electric cars, for example, could one day communicate with the electric grid and your home to find the optimal time to charge. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/#continued">Hit the jump</a> to watch the Venkatech interview.<br />
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[Source: <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20013074-56.html">CNET</a>]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Ford working to better integrate internet in its cars [w/video]</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/">Ford working to better integrate internet in its cars [w/video]</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20013074-56.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19589224/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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</small></strong></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Click above to watch the video <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/#continued">after the jump</a></small></strong></em></div>
<br />
We've seen <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/17/subaru-joins-the-in-car-wi-fi-game-with-2011-outback/">Internet-equipped</a> vehicles on more than one occasion over the past few years, but most connected cars and trucks aren't much more than a rolling hot-spot for passengers and (very) distracted drivers. That promises to change over the next decade as automakers and suppliers work to connect cars to the world around them. <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> has already begun to connect vehicles to the rest of the planet with SYNC and a smart phone, delivering information like traffic alerts, vehicle health reports, news updates and soon <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/20/2011-ford-fiesta-to-include-applink/">internet apps like Pandora</a> (above). Senior technology leader K. Venkatesh Prasad tells CNET that the automaker plans to keep the momentum going.<br />
<br />
Venkatesh says in a video interview (available after the jump) that in-car connectivity is currently "tuned to zero miles per hour," adding that there is an opportunity to connect vehicles to applications that enable the Internet to work <em>for</em> the occupants of the vehicle. Ford has been testing <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/13/fords-new-active-safety-initiative-hits-the-street-signs-w-v/">Smart Intersection</a> safety technology where vehicles communicate with traffic signals through WI-FI and GPS, and that could just be the tip of the iceberg. Electric cars, for example, could one day communicate with the electric grid and your home to find the optimal time to charge. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/#continued">Hit the jump</a> to watch the Venkatech interview.<br />
<br />
[Source: <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20013074-56.html">CNET</a>]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Ford working to better integrate internet in its cars [w/video]</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/">Ford working to better integrate internet in its cars [w/video]</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20013074-56.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19589224/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/11/ford-working-to-better-integrate-internet-in-its-cars-w-video/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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