CES 2011: Hands on with Verizon's 4G LTE-equipped Buick LaCrosse

Even though Verizon rolled out its 4G LTE service early last month, CES was wireless broadband's coming out party. Along with unveiling a handful 4G-capable devices, Verizon approached General Motors' OnStar division to create a rolling showcase of what a wireless broadband-equipped vehicle could be capable of. The key word is could. While everything OnStar developed is feasible, it's not hitting the market anytime soon. It's simply a showcase of what's possible, if not probable.

As previously reported, a Buick LaCrosse was outfitted with a 4G LTE modem along with cameras both inside and out and a connection to Verizon's 4Home service which monitors what's going on inside your house and can control the lights, interior temperature and other systems. However, the majority of OnStar's efforts were focused on connectivity, specifically piping in Google web and map searching, YouTube, Twitter, Wikipedia, an online owners manual complete with video tutorials and Verizon's own VCast software. Navigation duties are handled by Google Maps and include links to traffic cameras, and OnStar even went so far as to work with Skype to bring video chat into the car. Check it all out in the video below.

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