Purchasing a brand new car is a luxury that many of us can't afford right now, but that doesn't mean your current vehicle has to stay out of the loop regarding current and upcoming technology. Beginning this week, AT&T has a new way for customers to add some advanced connected car features to their vehicle for a monthly fee.

Exclusively available at AT&T, the Harman Spark is an OBD-II dongle which gives you the option to turn your vehicle into a mobile hotspot that can connect up to eight devices simultaneously. It's capable of detecting if your vehicle is bumped or towed while you're gone and can even contact you after a crash to ask if assistance is needed.

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There are a number of other included features too such as a virtual mechanic which notifies you when the vehicle needs to be serviced, a Roadside Assistance Manager that makes it easy to pinpoint your location and request help any time of day, and GPS tracking that can be viewed using the Spark app on your smartphone. Best of all, it can add these features to most vehicles from as far back as 1996.

You'll be able to find the Spark in-store and online at AT&T beginning September 28th for $79.99. After purchasing the dongle itself, you'll then need to decide on a rate plan which start at $5 monthly without Wi-Fi. If you are looking to add Wi-Fi, you'll have the option of purchasing a standalone plan or adding it to a current eligible Unlimited or Mobile Share plan.

While you're sprucing up your vehicle, a Bluetooth receiver is always a great purchase allowing you to begin streaming music and calls to your car stereo wirelessly. Amazon's upcoming Echo Auto device would be a great product to have in your vehicle along with the Harman Spark as well.

See at AT&T

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