Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars • Hacker News Board

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#51

Post by pjc50 » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 8:52 PM UTC

chrisper wrote: post #10

jameskilton wrote: post #8

I recently picked up a Volt which includes this OnStar 4G setup and have to say I'm extremely concerned at how quickly this "my car is on the internet" feature set is spreading. Everything is managed by OnStar through their device that's factory installed into every new Chevy vehicle. They have had security breaches and had to fix white-hat reported vulnerabilities in the past[1]. This system isn't just "4G wifi as a…

Stuff like this has been around forever. I once drove a 2007 BMW 7 series which let me unlock/lock my car from my phone. I also got weather data etc. on my dash. Now it is finally making it to normal cars. My 2014 Passat has it as well. However, I didn't activate it since it is tracking my location. On the other hand, stuff like Onstar can save lives. http://www.mercurynews.com/2014/10/14/san-jose-mount-hamilto...

The EU is trying to make something like Onstar - "eCall" - mandatory for all new cars. I'm concerned how that's going to turn out.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#52

Post by js2 » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 8:55 PM UTC

tclancy wrote: post #18

jameskilton wrote: post #8

I recently picked up a Volt which includes this OnStar 4G setup and have to say I'm extremely concerned at how quickly this "my car is on the internet" feature set is spreading. Everything is managed by OnStar through their device that's factory installed into every new Chevy vehicle. They have had security breaches and had to fix white-hat reported vulnerabilities in the past[1]. This system isn't just "4G wifi as a…

Obligatory story: I bought a Camaro when the new ones first came out (2009). I ran into some issues with the radio, found out via forums I was 3 firmware versions behind and then slowly found out car dealers were ill-prepared to be software vendors. They had no idea about the radio updates and their system showed nothing for me against my VIN. This was a common enough experience across the country that one of the cod…

The Mazda infotainment system can similarly be updated via a USB stick. In the Mazda case, it's JavaScript code running in Opera on top of Linux. The code is written by Johnson Controls. Enterprising hackers (of the good sort) have made available a variety of customizations.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#53

Post by pjc50 » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 8:55 PM UTC

myowncrapulence wrote: post #28

h4waii wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh? Most people in North America (who can't afford phones) lease-to-own their phones. They pay for it in a monthly rolled up price, and at the end of their contract they own the device outright, obviously with all caveats surrounding leasing any asset.

I'm talking about the monthly data, not the phone.

This makes no sense - you have X monthly cost of the data and monthly repayments of Y, and if X > Y your outstanding loan will only grow.

You can't sensibly pay for a recurring expense on credit.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#54

Post by caleblloyd » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 8:56 PM UTC

vvanders wrote: post #25

tclancy wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Obligatory story: I bought a Camaro when the new ones first came out (2009). I ran into some issues with the radio, found out via forums I was 3 firmware versions behind and then slowly found out car dealers were ill-prepared to be software vendors. They had no idea about the radio updates and their system showed nothing for me against my VIN. This was a common enough experience across the country that one of the cod…

Yowza. I don't see how all mfgrs don't move to Tesla's update model. Knowing how things go it'll probably be 10 years before we're there.

Probably because they would have to support tens of models and tens of millions of vehicles. Big car companies contract their head units out per body style, so one company may design the 2008-2012 head units and another 2013-2016. They likely have wildly different sensors, firmware update formats, etc.

Bigger car companies prefer stability over features and don't design everything in-house like Tesla. Their shareholders also expect them to turn profits, which leads to risk adversion and slower product cycles.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#55

Post by js2 » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 8:58 PM UTC

massysett wrote: post #27

Do their cars come with decent in-car entertainment that can actually use the Internet? When I got my new 2016 Honda Accord I was looking forward to some good streaming music in the car. I read that the built-in stereo comes with Pandora. I also knew that the built-in stereo can also access the Internet. "Cool," I thought. "I can fire up the hotspot on my phone, connect the car to the Internet, then the Pandora will…

The infotainment system in my new Volt beats the pants off the system in my new Mazda. Those are the only two I have direct experience with, but based on a bunch of reviews I read, Ford and GM appear to have the best infotainment systems, at least for the US market, Tesla excluded most likely.

It is however touch screen based. And I'm thankful for CarPlay since Mazda doesn't support CarPlay nor Android Auto and Mazda's UI is awful.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#56

Post by toomuchtodo » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:05 PM UTC

briffle wrote: post #39

tclancy wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Obligatory story: I bought a Camaro when the new ones first came out (2009). I ran into some issues with the radio, found out via forums I was 3 firmware versions behind and then slowly found out car dealers were ill-prepared to be software vendors. They had no idea about the radio updates and their system showed nothing for me against my VIN. This was a common enough experience across the country that one of the cod…

My 2015 pickup has a stereo/setup that can get Satellite radio, GPS signals for the mapping program (not activated on mine), regular radio, and a 4G LTE hotspot. But what really, really annoys me, is I have to push buttons on the screen to update/fix the time.. How the hell does it not have NTP, or get a radio signal, etc?

Our 2011 Lexus CT200h (no longer with us I'm sad to say) would set time via GPS. I don't understand why every car doesn't do this (especially if it has navi, which requires the GPS chipset regardless).

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#57

Post by gydfi » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:07 PM UTC

p49k wrote: post #12

jandrese wrote: post #9

I have to wonder how useful this unlimited data plan will be in 10-15 years when you're still driving the vehicle. What are the chances Chevy is going to even have an option to upgrade the radio when the one built into the car is obsolete?

If they had offered it 10 years ago when 3G was available in most places, it would still be pretty useful today. 3G is good enough for 95% of what I use mobile data for.

Ten years isn't that long in a car's life though.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#58

Post by protomyth » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:08 PM UTC

empath75 wrote: post #46

stcredzero wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

History shows that car manufacturers have not given near enough thought to the security of access to a vehicle. Here's how GM could beat Tesla, along with why it won't happen. GM could just take a look at what Tesla is doing, and do all of the same things, then do certain key things better. From a sheer resources and capability standpoint, GM could beat the pants off of Tesla. I think Tesla is counting on: 1) GM and…

Here's how Blackberry could beat Apple, along with why it won't happen. Blackberry could just take a look at what Apple is doing, and do all of the same things, then do certain key things better. From a sheer resources and capability standpoint, Blackberry could beat the pants off of Apple. I think Apple is counting on: 1) Blackberry and other big phone makers being too set in their ways and 2) GM and other big phone…

To be fair, Blackberry (RIM) was not bigger than Apple on the day of the iPhone announcement. Also, RIM was kind of forced to build something like the iPhone by Verizon according to Losing the Signal by Jacquie McNish https://smile.amazon.com/Losing-Signal-Extraordinary-Spectac...

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#59

Post by jameskilton » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:14 PM UTC

js2 wrote: post #50

jameskilton wrote: post #8

I recently picked up a Volt which includes this OnStar 4G setup and have to say I'm extremely concerned at how quickly this "my car is on the internet" feature set is spreading. Everything is managed by OnStar through their device that's factory installed into every new Chevy vehicle. They have had security breaches and had to fix white-hat reported vulnerabilities in the past[1]. This system isn't just "4G wifi as a…

Also a new Volt owner, and I plan to detach the antenna from the OnStar unit in mine. You can't disable it entirely or the car gets angry.

I tried pulling the OnStar fuse from the fuse box and the only change I noticed was that the in-car microphone stopped working! Makes one wonder just how ingrained OnStar tech is in these vehicles.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#60

Post by in_the_sticks » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:14 PM UTC

nradov wrote: post #37

in_the_sticks wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure. I suspect the expense of new car batteries and the inconvenience of having them run down twice a day or so might make it a less optimal choice than just buying internet service.

The picture in the article shows a Volt. If it's in your garage then it's plugged in.

That's what's in the picture but that's not the only type of vehicle Chevy makes and their electric offerings are not the only ones that are eligible.

Unless there's an electric Silverado I don't know about?