I wonder if there are ways to ... improve the aesthetics of the files in the infotainment system.
A CBP contract shows the risks in connecting your vehicle and your smartphone
151–160 of 253 posts
Re: A CBP contract shows the risks in connecting your vehicle and your smartphone
#152Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really, really hate this. Why not just require an annual odometer reading and multiply by vehicle weight to determine how much should be owed to cover road and transportation infrastructure costs? Far easier than maintaining a complex system to track every drivers' location over time. Ugh.
Because the next logical step is to allow jurisdictions (cities/counties/whatever) charge more tax on their roads.
Oh boy just wait until the ultra wealthy realize they can lobby to have a $50 per mile road tax going into their community to discourage the poors from using their parks/beaches/public areas.
Re: A CBP contract shows the risks in connecting your vehicle and your smartphone
#153Earlier quoted context omitted.
My Volvo has a cellular radio in it that I cannot disable with pulling a fuse for a bunch of things. I've always assumed that the car uploads everything to Volvo without my knowledge or permission. I'll bet law enforcement can just ask Volvo for my data without needing a tool.
Wirecutters. Find the antenna and clip the wire.
Ill be buying a new car this summer and seriously considering doing this or other hardware mods to disable any modems/telemetry. Does anyone know of any forums or something similar dedicated to these types of car hardware mods?
Re: A CBP contract shows the risks in connecting your vehicle and your smartphone
#154Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Unfortunately, modern regulations forbid manufacturers from easily making a "dumb car". This is not true.
In the US, it's absolutely true as of May 2018. https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/driver-assistance-technologi...
A backup camera does not make a car smart.
Re: A CBP contract shows the risks in connecting your vehicle and your smartphone
#155So do I have to ride horses to get my privacy back now? I would totally buy a brand new car without all the "visible" electronics (by visible I mean all the screens and doodads. I don't mind ABS and other "invisible" electronics as long as they are reliable which is not a given nowadays). I don't get the point of turning the interior of a car into a smartphone experience. I watched a YT video of a Mercedess class S r…
Unfortunately, modern regulations forbid manufacturers from easily making a "dumb car". For example, backup cameras are required in new cars. It's the same deal with avoiding wire insulation that rodents enjoy eating. Your only option is to buy a car from before 2000-ish. I'd actually like to find a DIY subculture of taking old car frames and swapping in newer features a bit at a time. People do it with electric moto…
Absolutely insane. I wonder how much cheaper and better a modern car could be if I didn't have to pay for legally-mandated safety features that A) are probably not utilitarian B) I don't even use.
For example, I am 100% certain that the benefit of having an airbag between my legs does not outweigh the monetary cost plus the comfort cost of not having an AC vent under the steering wheel.
Re: A CBP contract shows the risks in connecting your vehicle and your smartphone
#156“Your phone died, you’re gonna get in the car, plug it in, and there’s going to be this nice convenient USB port for you. When you plug it into this USB port, it’s going to charge your phone, absolutely. And as soon as it powers up, it’s going to start sucking all your data down into the car.” That used to be just something seen in hostile devices. Now it's standard equipment.
You can get a USB Condom [1] for this purpose. [1] - https://www.amazon.com/PortaPow-3rd-Gen-Data-Blocker/dp/B06X...
Buying a USB Condom for a piece of equipment you own is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable.
This is like having sex with your wife through a condom because you're worried about STDs.
Re: A CBP contract shows the risks in connecting your vehicle and your smartphone
#157Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I don't mind ABS and other "invisible" electronics as long as they are reliable which is not a given nowadays These are pretty damned reliable, IMO, in absolute terms (before even giving credit for the fact than an automobile is pretty harsh environment for electronics with temperature and humidity swings, large voltage transients, poor grounds, mechanical shock/vibration, road salt, corrosion, etc). I've probably…
I've never had an EFI fail (knock on wood) but my main car right now has had a failed ABS for several years (too expensive to repair vs. value of the vehicle).
or cheap, vs the cost of running someone down.
Re: A CBP contract shows the risks in connecting your vehicle and your smartphone
#158Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Unfortunately, modern regulations forbid manufacturers from easily making a "dumb car". This is not true.
It is true as of 2018: https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/driver-assistance-technologi... Does NHTSA recommend rearview video systems? Yes. As of May 2018, NHTSA requires this lifesaving technology on all new vehicles. We recommend you look for RVSs that meet NHTSA’s performance specifications when shopping for a vehicle.
The actual requirement is a series of rear visibility tests that are done on a vehicle through the full range of seat adjustability.
A rear view camera allows any vehicle to meet the regulation regardless of vehicle styling and design. They are cheap, too.
But they are not strictly required. Your average 1980s sedan probably would meet the requirement as long as it had mirrors on the driver and passenger side.
Here is the regulation: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/571.111
Re: A CBP contract shows the risks in connecting your vehicle and your smartphone
#159Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've never had an EFI fail (knock on wood) but my main car right now has had a failed ABS for several years (too expensive to repair vs. value of the vehicle).
or cheap, vs the cost of running someone down.
ABS does not significantly shorten stopping distances. It does provide improved steering control during brake applications that would otherwise exceed available traction, but I think it's extremely rare that ABS would be the difference between a pedestrian collision vs not. (They could just as easily choose a car that didn't have ABS as originally equipped and no one would say anything about the omission.)
Re: A CBP contract shows the risks in connecting your vehicle and your smartphone
#160Earlier quoted context omitted.
I mean, most people wouldn’t suspect all their contacts would get copied over to the rental car. Before CarPlay I’d routinely “just hit okay” my way though pairing my phone to the rental car.
Agreed, this seems more like a UX problem than a "people don't value privacy" problem. No reasonable person would ever expect that connecting your phone to a car's wireless audio system would transfer all your contacts -- but that's Bluetooth for you!
I agree that it's primarily a UX problem driven by the context. Someone designing the UX might not fully appreciate this, or be told to optimize for the best experience in particular situations.
Someone has just rented a car and is likely in unfamiliar surroundings. I guess some renters will renting regularly, but let's assume not. The want to hit the road while getting their seat in the right place, fixing mirror positions, familiarizing themselves with the dash, etc.
They also want to listen to some podcasts and in the back of the head they think they need to let someone know of their arrival time when they are closer to the destination. The fumble through the BT connection menu while multi-tasking. They are always going to do what's most expedient unless they are security conscious and know about this issue. Their contacts get picked up.
This is the manufacturer optimizing for the car being a single person machine. They often don't support multiple family members sharing a car. It's interesting to see how some sales people handle this situation when giving a test drive. Many are aware of the issue because there was one customer who spent time clearing things up before the test drive.
Can this be fixed? Technically, yes. It won't be fixed because manufacturers don't seem to care. The only option is for Apple or Google to make it part of qualification of some kind for CarPlay or the Android equivalent.