GM's OnStar is expanding beyond the car, with OnStar Guardian safety features now available for anybody willing to subscribe - regardless of which automaker's fob is on their keychain. Launched last year, OnStar Guardian brings services like crash detection to a smartphone, though until now you'd need to be a GM vehicle driver to access it.
We need to talk about Amazon Key In-Car Delivery, and not just because Amazon announced it formally this week. Today I'm going to run down 5 main points you need to be aware of, whether or not you'll be participating in Amazon's futuristic product delivery adventure. The first and most important point here is: Amazon doesn't get a copy of your car key - they don't need it.
Chevrolet and OnStar have announced a new prepaid unlimited data plan for drivers who have an OnStar 4G LTE hotspot in their cars. This announcement follows a larger shift within the wireless industry to essentially bring unlimited data plans back from the dead. TOnStar's new unlimited data plans will be available across Chevy's full retail line up beginning tomorrow, March 3.
GM is cutting the cost of its OnStar 4G LTE data plans, halving the price of data for its WiFi hotspot and connected apps services. The automaker began installing LTE modems in almost every car it sells in the US in 2014, and it's been a well-received move: Chevrolet, for instance, has sold more than 2.1 million such vehicles in the past two years.
As cars get more sophisticated and more connected to the Internet, they also become more vulnerable to malicious attack. That truth has been demonstrated before and will be demonstrated again at the DefCon conference next week. Hacker Samy Kamkar has developed a small box, made from three radios and a Raspberry Pi, which, when within Wi-Fi range, can snoop in on a GM car owner's communication with his GM OnStar, hack into the computer system, and do all sorts of mayhem short of actually driving away with the car.
Your Chevrolet will soon be able to warn you from afar if it's broken into, and even warn you if you're likely to face a repair bill soon. Alongside Chevy's RemoteLink app, which currently allows for remote engine start and unlocking, the company will add Theft Alarm Notification, it confirmed in Detroit today, alerting subscribers to any attempt made to tamper with, or steal, their car when the alarm is activated.
General Motors has just announced an update for its OnStar RemoteLink mobile app that brings it up to date with what most OnStar subscribers use the service for. This includes a revamp user interface that brings the most used information front and center, including those that were previously only available when you call support or through the website. Owners of cars with OnStar 4G LTE will also be able to access their data usage more easily with the updated RemoteLink app.
Our cars are getting smarter. Need some proof? This latest driver assistance technology is so smart that it can predict the future. Of course, not predicting the future like a fortune teller or psychic, but predicting when certain problems with certain components might happen, even before they have the chance to happen, allowing drivers to take preventive measures instead of just putting out fires Chevrolet calls this Driver Assurance and it will be coming in next year's models of the car maker's line.
GM has been talking about baking 4G LTE into its cars for some time, but the first examples are just now rolling off the production line and into dealerships. Upgrading OnStar with a 100x faster data connection, it adds support for mobile hotspot sharing, remote control by smartphone and smartwatch, and third-party apps and services. I jumped into some of the first Buick LaCrosse and Regal cars off the line with 4G to see if it’s a must-have or a gimmick.
GM has confirmed OnStar 4G pricing for the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac models getting baked-in LTE this year, including supporting tagging your car onto your existing AT&T Mobile Share plan. Plans for those without AT&T service but signed up for OnStar will kick off at $5 for 200MB of data per month, rising to $50 for 5GB.
Cadillac has unveiled the 2015 ATS Coupe, a compact luxury two-door based on the ATS sedan, and one of the first of the marque's cars to get "Connected by OnStar" 4G LTE integrated. Hitting showrooms this summer, the ATS Coupe will offer a choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and two engines, for what Cadillac claims is a "distinctive American alternative" to the BMW 428i and other rivals.
If you own a General Motors vehicle that has OnStar service, you will be able to use the OnStar button to keep track of Santa Claus again this Christmas Eve. OnStar has been tracking Santa during his Christmas Eve flight for the last several years. OnStar is collaborating with NORAD and the annual Track Santa program.