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OnStar rear-view mirror: On sale Sunday for non-General Motors cars

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Starting this weekend, drivers can replace their rear-view mirrors with an OnStar communication system, even if they don’t drive General Motors cars.

Once the OnStar FMV goes on sale at Best Buy stores Sunday, the celebrated OnStar service will no longer be exclusive to GM cars and trucks with built-in OnStar devices.

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The FMV -- the name stands for ‘for my vehicle’ -- is an aftermarket rear-view mirror that can be installed in 90 million vehicles from automakers such as Toyota, Ford, Honda and Nissan.

First announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, the $299.99 device will cost $75 to install. Service plans start at $18.95 a month or $199 a year. The product soon will be available at Fry’s Electronics and other retailers as well.

The system has the same core features as OnStar systems built into GM vehicles. For example, using hands-free, voice-activated calling, drivers can ask dispatchers at GM’s OnStar unit for directions, which are then downloaded to the vehicle and read aloud in the car. If a built-in accelerometer detects the sudden shock of a crash, the system will automatically call OnStar to send emergency help.

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-- Tiffany Hsu

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