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Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

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Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#111

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…

I've posted this before, but it's relevant so I'll post it again. Not sure if this has changed since I last posted, but it's a hell of a warning sign on how they practice: So, I'm an Australian. We don't have OnStar but I've heard about it via the net. I keep getting emails for 2 different people's OnStar accounts to my Email address... and OnStar won't do anything about it. I have a pretty short Gmail address becaus…

Unrelated to OnStar but similar issue here. I have a common name @ gmail from 2004 and get all sorts of information.

A MetLife VP keeps sending me confidential financial stuff. Several other people around the world too, bank stuff, car stuff you name it.

I've stopped trying to "fix" the situations and just mark them as spam and move on.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#112
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh brother, I know your pain. I too have a 6 character gmail address because I signed up in 2004 when it was in beta and I too get email for all sorts of people (both accidentally and because people just give out my email address as a fake when they sign up for something stupid). It can be fun too though, like when someone signs up for a dating site with your email and you can login to what is effectively your accoun…

WOW! I was also an early adopter of Gmail and have a six-letter gmail address as well that I got all sorts of emails that were from other people (but with the same name as mine). In inspecting the raw email content, the "To:" field is correctly spelled with my gmail address but the email content have been nothing to do with me: someone else's group invite, account registration that was clearly not me, flight confirma…

I'm part of some family's mailing list. They seem to go on fun vacations each year.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#113
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh brother, I know your pain. I too have a 6 character gmail address because I signed up in 2004 when it was in beta and I too get email for all sorts of people (both accidentally and because people just give out my email address as a fake when they sign up for something stupid). It can be fun too though, like when someone signs up for a dating site with your email and you can login to what is effectively your accoun…

WOW! I was also an early adopter of Gmail and have a six-letter gmail address as well that I got all sorts of emails that were from other people (but with the same name as mine). In inspecting the raw email content, the "To:" field is correctly spelled with my gmail address but the email content have been nothing to do with me: someone else's group invite, account registration that was clearly not me, flight confirma…

widespread enough that there's an xkcd about it:

https://xkcd.com/1279/

I have a 7-letter gmail address. Middle initial (I don't use my first name), last name. Every so often I'll get information mailed to me that's supposed to reach Terry Myname in Illinois, Tim Myname in Iowa, Tammy Myname in Florida, Todd Myname in Wisconsin, etc. A lot of times it's just mundane (oooh, I could cancel someone's Bath & Body Works order!) but on occasion it's legal paperwork.

I do at least try to get the important ones sorted out -- I reply with "it appears you're trying to reach [name] in [city] but you've actually reached [me] in [my city]. If you have a phone number for [name], you should give them a call and ask for their correct e-mail address." On occasion that even works :D

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 sharehold…

The head units can also be vastly different by region - which doesn't really make much sense to me. Sure in US you have satellite radio which is unheard of elsewhere, but that's about it. I have a 2010 Prius and the US model has a DVD for navigation, where as the EU model has a HDD and needs to go to a dealer for €€€ updates.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#115
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…

One of my coworkers had some weird bluetooth bug fixed by firmware in her car. Being the hacker she is, she found the firmware, installed it per instructions.... and it bricked the car! She brought it to the dealer, who initially claimed it had to be done by the dealer, which to their dismay wasn't true. They had no idea what to do, and my coworker ended up talking to the tech, looking at the screens they figured it…

Kudos to that dealer for being able to admit their shortcomings and then grab a talent when they see one, instead of knee-jerk scorn for a customer showing they didn't know about their stuff.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#116
post #2

I don't get it, though. The article makes it seem like the primary use case is to connect your phones to the car via WiFi, so they can all use the car's 4g connection. But don't most people that can afford this already have unlimited (or close to it) data direct from the phone? Or is the data connection used by the car in some other way?

I think the main use case is for other devices, like tablets and laptops, that don't have their own radios. Even though most people can in theory tether to their phones, most people also either don't know how to do that, or have data plans that make it difficult or impossible.

With an in-car hotspot, my kids could bring their tablets with them and stream movies, even when I'm not in the car to set up a hotspot on my phone.

I'd also think this would be a big hit for road warriors - the kind of people who live out of their car, and today tend to post up at Starbucks in between meetings to grab some free WiFi. Now, they can just sit in their comfy cars with their favorite music, use the car's hands-free for calls, and work from their laptops.

(Incidentally, one of the things I love about EV's and hybrids is the ability to leave the climate control and entertainment on when parked indefinitely without having to run the engine)

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#117
post #18

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…

Can you link me to that update stuff? I have a 2010 Camaro and the BT is super buggy.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#118
post #18

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…

Can you please share that c# code?

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#119
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Yeah, I can see that, but GM and Tesla are so different in size that the comparison is a bit problematic. Sure, that's why I said the truth was in the ideas, not the statement itself. :) > Heck, their top market cap was a year after the iPhone. Sure, Apple added exchange support in early-to-mid 2008[1]. Add to that incomplete coverage of features initially, and the fact that Enterprises don't move as quickly as con…

They flopped around trying to bolt touch features into their shitty legacy OS. Then they rolled out a really good OS (bought QNX) but it took too long and delivered too late. By most reviews it was a quality product, but 3 years too late. They should have bought Palm in 2010 when it was up for sale and built on their existing product. But they bought QNX that year instead, and released their mediocre tablet a bit yea…

When I worked at a mobile gaming company, we joked about how terrible it was, pretty sure I saw one getting kicked around the office.

Re: Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars

#120
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Until your battery dies.

Just sit in your car in the garage with door closed with your laptop plugged into the charger and your car running. Disclaimer: Don't do this. You will die.

Don't do this. You will die.

...Unless it's an EV.

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