The Sync system will let you plug in your own USB mobile broadband modem, and that's it—no additional hardware or subscriptions needed from Ford. Ford uses the wirelss broadband to turn your car into a Wi-Fi hotspot on four wheels. It's also a secured (WPA2) wireless connection, requiring a password to safeguard against other drivers munching on your bandwidth. It should be available sometime next year, hopefully in time for me to stream "It's Always Sunny..." on my next road trip.

FORD SYNC GOES WIFI TURNING CAR INTO MOBILE INTERNET HOT SPOT FOR PASSENGERS WHILE ON THE GO

* Next-generation SYNC® system to incorporate in-car WiFi system powered by customer's USB mobile broadband modem, turning entire car into hot spot

* New capability will be standard on select SYNC-equipped vehicles with no additional hardware or subscriptions required beyond the user-supplied mobile broadband modem

* Standard WiFi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) security protocols will be in force, and only owner-permitted devices will be able to access the network, helping ensure secure, robust connectivity for in-car users

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 21, 2009 – Ford Motor Company will turn vehicles into rolling
WiFi hot spots when it introduces the second generation of its popular SYNC® in-car connectivity system next year.

Inserting an owner's compatible USB mobile broadband modem – sometimes called an "air card" – into SYNC's USB port will produce a secure wireless connection that will be broadcast throughout the vehicle, allowing passengers with WiFi-enabled mobile devices to access the Internet anywhere the broadband modem receives connectivity.

"While you're driving to grandma's house, your spouse can be finishing the holiday shopping and the kids can be chatting with friends and updating their Facebook profiles," said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. "And you're not paying for yet another mobile subscription or piece of hardware because Ford will let you use technology you already have."

Studies by the Consumer Electronics Association show that as many as 77 million adults make up the so-called technology enthusiast drivers population, more than half of whom express the desire for a connected communications and information system in their vehicles. Even among the general population, more than one third of Americans would be interested in the ability to check email and access Web sites in their vehicles.

Upgradeable and secure
The USB port provided by SYNC lets owners leverage a variety of devices, including the mobile broadband modem. And through simple software updates, SYNC can be adapted to connect with the latest devices.

"The speeds with which technology is evolving, particularly on the wireless front, makes obsolescence a real problem," said Doug VanDagens, director of Ford's Connected Services Solutions Organization. "We've solved that problem by making SYNC work with just about any technology you plug into it. By leveraging a user's existing hardware, which can be upgraded independent of SYNC, we've helped ensure ‘forward compatibility' with whatever connectivity technology comes next."

The SYNC WiFi capability is a simple solution for bringing internet into the vehicle, versus competitive systems on the market. Being factory-installed, the hardware is seamlessly integrated into the vehicle, whereas competitor's systems are dealer-installed and require a bulky bolt-in receiver and transmitter that take up cabin space. Also, competitive systems cost approximately $500 for equipment and installation, not to mention the monthly subscription fee.

"Using SYNC with existing mobile devices helps Ford provide the most value, the most flexibility and the most convenience for owners," said Fields. "Constant connectivity is becoming a routine part of our customers' lives, and we're making existing technology more accessible without adding costs: That's the kind of value Ford drivers have learned to expect."

Using the SYNC WiFi system, a signal will be broadcast throughout the vehicle. Default security is set to WiFi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), requiring users to enter a randomly chosen password to connect to the Internet. When SYNC sees a new WiFi device for the first time, the driver must specifically allow that device to connect, preventing unauthorized users from "piggybacking" on the SYNC-provided signal.

[Ford via All Things D, Image via All Things D]

The first, above, is a collaboration between Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg and watchmaker EDOX. The hinged flaps are supposed to make one think of the gullwing doors on Koenigsegg CCR supercar. However, priced at a cool $21,000, it makes me think of how poor I am. Only 30 will be produced, which is fitting given the number of CCR's there are out on the roadways today.

The second specimen is the spawn of James Bond's go-to ride maker, Aston Martin, and prestigious Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre. Called the AMVOX3 Tourbillon GMT, this watch is limited to a run of 300 pieces. No price was given, but if you have to ask... [Classic Driver via Born Rich]

[CarScoop via BornRich]

This Subaru was spotted on the 405N freeway in California by Gizmodo reader "the duck," sporting all manner of dishes, antennae and gear strapped to its roof. He wants to know what's going on with this contraption, and so do I.

Radio? Weather station? Google StreetView for the hobbyist sect? Female repellent? You tell me.

Editor's Note: I'm loving all the ham radio email I'm receiving today. You guys are great, and I'm basically learning something cool and new with each one. Thanks! - j.l.

While other systems require the driver to focus away from the road—either by selecting letters from endless menus or on a touchscreen keyboard—the new Audi MMI touch allows for blind typing: The driver just writes naturally with a finger on the touchpad. The pad is strategically located next to the steering wheel and in front of the gear shift, so the writing can be done in a comfortable position, without having to focus on any screen.

The MMI system—which recognizes Latin, Cyrillic, Chinese, Cantonese, Japanese, and Korean characters—also has a rotary pushbutton for old school people, as well as voice control, but only the touch system allows the driver to enter commands while talking on the cellphone or playing music. You gotta love those Audi smartypants. [Autospies and Jalopnik]

Of course, it would have also proven whether or not your wife was using the golf club on your face before the incident. The point is that, unlike most vehicle accident cameras, the Car Cam Dually offers a more complete picture of how an accident went down, making it easier to prove who was at fault and what kind of injuries were sustained. To that end, the device also keeps track of your GPS location and the g-force of the impact. [Spy Gadgets via TRFJ via DVICE]

BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the Grinch hated Christmas, click here.

Scrolling LED Message Sign With Remote: There's so much to say to your fellow drivers on the road that the finger, two signal directions, high beams and horns don't cover. Can you really put a price on the ability to articulate "YOU DRIVE LIKE SHIT", "PLEASE SIGNAL", "DO NOT TAILGATE" and "PLEASE LEAVE THE FAST LANE IF YOU ARE DRIVING 50MPH". $40 [Thinkgeek]

Valentine One Radar Detector: It's still the best radar detector. With sensors forward and aft and an increasing frequency of beeps correlating to strength of signal, you can tell if smokey was passing you on the highway, is creeping up from behind or is sitting dead forward in a speed trap. $400 [ValentineOne]

MiFi Wi-Fi 3G Wireless Router: Car internet was but a dream. Then people started cludging together routers and 3G cards, and it was a little bit more of a nightmare. The little MiFi runs on Verizon's reliable 3G network, supports a few clients and has more than enough Wi-Fi range for your car (or a giant RV). Since it fits in the palm of your hand, stashing it under a seat or in a glovebox is easy. We don't recommend hard wiring these things, either, since they run off batteries for awhile, too. $100 with two year $60 contract [Mifi on Giz]

Duracell Powerpack 450 Talking Portable Power Unit: This portable battery has enough 110v power to run a laptop for 8 hours, jump start a car and inflate tires with its built in air compressor. It also has built in voice prompts to walk you through the process of jump starting, in case you or your loved ones don't remember if its black before red or the other way around. $120 Bonus: Black and Decker's 200-watt inverter turns your 12v cigarette adapter into a 110volt plug for $35. [Duracell Powerpack on Giz]

Wagan Ergo Comfort Rest Heated Massage Car Seat Cushion: The good doctor has made this 12v car seat cover that heats and massages. Knowing the power output a 12v plus is capable of, I'm doubtful this thing will do anything but get warm and vibrate a little bit. But if you need a car cover, a few degrees and some artificially induced butt modulation never made a long car ride any worse. And for $33, it's not such a big risk. [Amazon]

Wavebox Car Microwave/cooler: I don't think this is a good idea. I just think it's kind of cool to be able to make popcorn while you drive. I mean, with the proper in-dash DVD system, I'm halfway to feeling better that drive-in movie theaters are dead. Halfway. I wouldn't rank this a do not buy, but I wouldn't want you to ignore the 1.5 star Amazon rating, either. $300 [Wavebox on Giz, Amazon]

DON'T BUY My Pee Pee Bottle: A nalgene-style bottle for peeing in on road trips. Bad idea. Just pull over — you're not on the Cannonball Run nor are you some trucker late for his interstate Ikea drop off. Just pull over! [Jalopnik]

DON'T BUY Top of the Line Garmin GPS: The Nuvi 1690 is great. It has wireless search and traffic, lane suggestion and a Bluetooth speakerphone with dialing for your cellphone. It's also $500 and is a total waste of money. Smartphones are going to replace these sorts of connected GPS. One day. For now, a good touchscreen GPS should be bought from Garmin by checking prices to see what's on sale for a little over $100. Like this Nuvi 260W that is on sale for $117. For GPS apps, we recommend the free and built-in Google Maps Navigation program on Android, and Motion X GPS for the iPhone, which is a great value at $25 per year. (But not a very visceral good gift, as an app, especially since there are subscription fees after awhile.)

Don't forget to recommend your own favorite Car Gadget in comments-include pics and pricing if possible.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

Neon (or more likely, fiber optic) framing aside, the Artikcar sounds like it'd actually pretty fun to ride. Powered (obviously) by pedal, the Artikcar is steered by passenger leaning, rather than any kind of hand-control mechanism.

Be the star of your very own rolling neon sign. It's what you've always wanted. [Deezen]

Of course, the car has yet to be built, let alone break that record. But the effort is quite serious, these people are not amateur, and they have serious sponsors. It will use one EJ200 jet like the one used by the Eurofighter—hopefully a real one, unlike the one I got into at Dubai two years ago—alonside a one 18" hybrid rocket, and a V12 piston engines. The 6500-kilogram Bloodhound—which is being built in Bristol—will have a 47,000lbs trust, with a top speed of 1050mph.

The driver will be former RAF Wing Comander Andy Green, who broke the landspeed record in 1997. [Bloodhound via Techradar]

If you're having trouble getting over the price tag long enough to daydream, just think of how much you're saving with the standard HD radio. Or think about a Tesla, which is dirt cheap in comparison. [Autocar via Dvice via Geekologie]

A project of Garnet Hertz of the Pasadena Art Center College of Design, this is a classic OutRun arcade cabinet that's been placed on an EVT America Electric Trike with electric motors that can go up to a whopping 20MPH.

Check out the below video to see a bit more about how this thing will work.

[ConceptLab via Jalopnik]

At least, that seems to be the safest route, if some amazing test results from a study into teen driving and accident prevention are any indication.

The test involved an in-vehicle data recorder (IVDR) system that monitors unsafe driving events, such as sharp turns, heavy acceleration and abrupt braking. Originally developed by GreenRoad, a San Francisco firm that specializes in trucker safety, the system takes this information and "grades" the driver. Red, yellow and green lights inform drivers how well they are driving at any given time.

The system sounds pretty simplistic, but the data suggests something remarkable. In those cars with the system, dangerous driving events were cut in half.

Impressive, but we imagine angsty teens will still find some way to complain about "the man" and mom and dad's snooping. Fortunately, there's an app for that. The system is accelerometer-based, and the software could easily make the jump over to smartphones, said Swedish engineer Per-Olof Svnesk in an article at New Scientist. You're already secretly looking at your kid's cellphone anyway, parents, so why not install a safety app in there while you're at it? They may even think it's cool, so no snooping necessary. [New Scientist]

Unfortunately, the maximum range on the G-Bound is only about 33 feet, so I wouldn't take it out to the lake unless you don't mind swimming after it. Not that it matters—it appears to be a Japan-only release for the moment. [G-Bound via Hobby Media via Coolest Gadgets]

The T.27 is designed to be driven in the city. Since it's ultra-light, Murray says it will be the most efficient car in its class, which probably sits somewhere between golf carts and failed European mini-cars from the 60s. The most innovative aspect is that it's made using a process called iStream: Instead of stamping metal sheets like in normal car factories, this manufacturing method welds metal sheets together.

That results in factories that are one-fifth the size of traditional ones, less energy consumption, and a car that looks like crap. And that, my friends, it's the problem with the T.27: If something looks like crap, people won't buy it, no matter how green and efficient it is.

Update: And yes, it looks like crap even with the fiber covers. People want real cars that feel solid. Not glorified golf carts painted in bright colors. [Daily Mail]

The module relays this information to your GPS unit via Bluetooth where you will be able to view a set of customizable gauges that provide details on things like fuel economy, RPMs, throttle position, intake manifold pressure, coolant temperature, intake air temperature, and emissions.

Awesome? Yeah, sure. Will it save Garmin from destruction at the hands of a possible Google navigation juggernaut? No, probably not. [Cnet via NaviGadget via Ubergizmo via DVICE]

The next-generation Ford Explorer will come with rear seatbelts that inflate in an accident, just like an airbag. But the intent isn't to absorb a body hurling through the car, softening the blow into a seat or steering wheel. Instead, the airbag simply multiplies the surface area of the belt against your body during an impact by five times.

It makes crashes more comfortable on the body, reducing "head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries," according to Ford. I can't argue with that lest I sound like I hate humanity (which I do, but kids and old people are OK with me). However, I CAN argue with their second point:

Ford claims that, since these belts are naturally more comfortable in trials, they should have a positive impact on the low 61 percent rear belt usage rate in the US.

If all we need is a softer seatbelt to fix that stat, I have a feeling that can be accomplished for a lot less than America will spend on 60-millisecond-deploying seatbelt airbags. [Ford]

* Also of note, any child that's still smiling in panels 2 and 3 is too heavily medicated.

By "there" I mean that I would be driving snowboarders up and down Lake Tahoe's hills. And by "driving snowboarders up and down" I mean racing up to the mountain top and back to the mountain base. And with "mountain base" I really mean bar.

I guess I won't be driving the Trax—with its 400hp engine, cat tracks, and four-snowboarder sleigh—a lot, after all. [Autoblog via Techeblog]

The team that created it wants to see if they can really push performance in such a challenging environment. The modded Audi TTS—which is already the fastest autonomous car in the world, running at 130mph—will have to face gravel and paved dirty roads, with 7% grades that will take it from 4,721 ft to 9,390 ft high.

I'm glad I won't be inside, testing. Although after a near-crash experience in a car this Sunday, I think this will actually be kind of fun. Not as fun as getting trapped into the space shuttle cargo bay without no safety straps, but fun nonetheless. [BotJunkie]