High-speed 4G connectivity comes to cars

The age of the 4G wireless connections comes to the car -- and with it the promise of a whole new level of personal computing while driving.

Audi says it will be first automaker with 4G connectivity when its new A3 arrives soon in showrooms and General Motors says it will follow this summer with a raft of models. Other automakers are working on systems as well that turn the car itself into a mobile device.

The quick connection speed afforded by 4G will allow drivers to create wireless hotspots inside their vehicles for multiple handheld devices and will allow quicker and clearer updates for everything from navigation to making dinner reservations. And it will allow automaker to broaden the kinds of apps they offer. Most of all, it will allow the auto industry to give its cars the kind of digital response times that many consumers expect, thanks to the newer smartphones they carry around in pockets or purses.

[March 10]