New Panasonic Nav System - and More!

Glenn Swanson
by Glenn Swanson
According to the AP [via Yahoo News!], Panasonic Japan is offering a new in-car navigation system that interfaces with internet-capable mobile phones, that allows drivers to surf their favorite porn sites. Just kidding. They can use it to check-up on their homes. The "Strada F-Class" system– which sounds like a Chinese knock-off of an Alfa-Mercedes– can keep an eye on pets (I'm sorry Rover, I'm afraid you can't do that), turn lights on and off (to freak out the neighbors), adjust the A/C ('cause a thermostat just isn't web 2.0 enough) and lock the front door (cause you remembered that you forgot). Of course, all this "convenience" comes at a cost: $3.4k. While you could just use your cell to communicate with a "web-enabled" home, Panasonic claims their "Strada F-Class" system is way safer. Oh, and user-san must have a web-enabled camera and front door, along with other plug-in shit. For some reason, Panasonic is hoping to sell 8k of Strada F-Classes each month to early adopters. The line forms on June 13. While we're one with Stevie Wonder on that whole superstition thing, we'd like to point out that the 13th of June falls on a Friday. Just sayin'.
Glenn Swanson
Glenn Swanson

Glenn is a baby-boomer, born in 1954. Along with his wife, he makes his home in Connecticut. Employed in the public sector as an Information Tedchnology Specialist, Glenn has long been a car fan. Past rides have included heavy iron such as a 1967 GTO, to a V8 T-Bird. In between those high-horsepower cars, he's owned a pair of BMW 320i's. Now, with a daily commute of 40 miles, his concession to MPG dictates the ownership of a 2006 Honda Civic coupe which, while fun to drive, is a modest car for a pistonhead. As an avid reader, Glenn enjoys TTAC, along with many other auto-realated sites, and the occasional good book. As an avid electronic junkie, Glenn holds an Advanced Class amateur ("ham") radio license, and is into many things electronic. From a satellite radio and portable GPS unit in the cars, to a modest home theater system and radio-intercom in his home, if it's run by the movement of electrons, he's interested. :-)

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  • Raymond Hieber Raymond Hieber on May 15, 2008
    ...allows drivers to surf their favorite porn sites. Just kidding. A new place for wifey/girlfriend to look at web history at... my g/f LOVES looking at mine, she says she can create a psychological profile from that information. She hasn't pegged me down yet, although she's leaning in the direction of some sort of sociopath who loves puppies. This sounds neat, but wouldn't it be cheaper just to velcro a laptop to the top of the dash to do 75% or more of what they claim? I bought a used laptop years ago for that purpose. I'm not tech-savvy, but I hate a lack of a real keyboard. Give it a real keyboard, I'll consider it.
  • Jkross22 Jkross22 on May 15, 2008

    Yet another driver distraction. Thanks.

  • Dangerous Dave Dangerous Dave on May 15, 2008

    I can see lots of guys that own these things in a ditch after they lose control of their car trying to figure out how to spy on rover.

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