Starting next month, GM will join the get-internet-in-your-car bandwagon via an option package that includes a router and 1GB of downloads per month. For just $500, you can have the package installed, and then just another $30 per month gets you Web service, which you can't encrypt (meaning anyone can steal it from you), from up to 150 feet away from your car. One word to describe this option (also available from Chrysler/VW): Ack!

Sure, there are folks who can afford this and who will pay for it. They're chumps, probably, if-but-not-only-if for the sheer price they're willing to pay for a service you can easily obtain via a smart phone. Tethering is all the rage these days — it doesn't cost anything more, is secure and doesn't require any additional equipment (the Palm Pre, for example, can give your laptop Web service wirelessly).

So, why is a blogger bitching? Because it shows that GM doesn't understand what consumers really need right now. Think of it like the auto-parking feature — an over-indulgent, resource-wasting technology that just makes us dumber, less capable beings. When you're in your car, just fucking drive. The kids can deal with not having access to whatever they do online while they commute to school, and you, sirs, can manage without it.

The point: just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

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Autoblog via AutoNews

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