OnStar Brings Out Video Chatting & Streaming Via 4G Connection [OnStar Looks To Release Video Chatting & Streaming Systems Via A 4G LTE Connection, Safety Worries Already Emerge From Some Quarters]

Posted on TFTS by Steve Anderson on Wednesday, 21. December 2011 under: Cars, Internet Highlights, Transportation Tech

There’s been a lot of furor of late about distracted driving–driving while talking on cell phones, while texting, while surfing the web (yes, some drivers out there are actually checking their Facebook pages while they drive)–but now, the folks out at OnStar are looking to ratchet the distraction possibilities clear through the roof thanks to their newest offerings: video chatting and streaming in dash-mounted displays.

On the surface, this is a great idea. The folks out at OnStar have made devices to mount in your car that use 4G LTE connections to allow you to not only stream video, but also make video calls from your car. They actually previewed such a system out at last year’s CES show, but will be bringing back a full version to display at the 2012 show. But the possibilities for dangerous misuse with something like this are pretty substantial in their own right.

While we don’t have many specifics as far as the tech package in these–things like screen sizes and available memory and the like aren’t on hand–we do have an idea about the system itself. They’re gearing it toward back seat passengers, which is certainly a plus for the safety-minded (plus actually takes care of a lot of those “dangerous misuse” possibilities), and will be making appearances in the Chevy Volt. Whether you’ll need a 4G enabled smartphone to get in on this, or your car will have a built-in 4G modem is as yet unclear, but either strategy would certainly fit the bill.

Personally, I like this idea myself. The idea that I could start streaming Pandora in my car is an untrammeled delight, though this will likely do some deeply unpleasant things to the revenue streams of local radio as a result. And if you’ve got kids, you’re probably already calling a Chevy dealer near you to find out how you get a Volt, or failing that, at least one of these systems installed to keep the kids busy on long car trips.

But what do you guys think here? A terrific advance for automotive travelers? Or a series of accidents waiting to happen? No matter what your opinion, we welcome it down in the comments section below!