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Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

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Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#631

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if you buy a second phone that you always leave at home?

Don't repair shops like to record mileage? I'd imagine there'd be questions if something happened and that was wildly off from what your ~~ankle monitor~~ phone app says it should be.

I don't think they bother to do this comparison, because after all you can drive other people's cars too. That counts towards your driving record with the insurance company, but wouldn't reflect in your cars odometer.

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#632

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My only experience with touchscreen cars is with the Model 3. You don't need the screen for operational stuff needed for driving. Off the top of my head, these are all on the steering wheel/stalks: - Blinkers - High beams - Gearbox - Climate control temperature up/down - Cruise control enable/disable, speed change - Media volume, media next/previous - Phone call answer/hangup/volume - Windshield wipers On the next Mo…

That's great that Tesla puts those (physical) controls on the steering wheel. But, think about this comment in context. As a reminder: I was replying to someone who was arguing that the anti-touch-screen crowd is not justified in their hatred of touch screens in cars. My position is to agree with that crowd that touch screens in cars are bad UX. With that in mind, your comment actually vindicates my position. Touch s…

Physical knobs and buttons are great for muscle memory. How much of a muscle memory do you have for the controls setting mirror position? For setting fade/balance on the stereo? Enabling valet mode?

The UI question is only valid for controls used frequently. For everything else, I think it is already settled that they are better in the screen. At the very least, for the sake of UI simplicity. I can't imagine a physical interface for enabling or disabling every driving assistance option in a Tesla. It'd become an airliner button panel.

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#633

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know about their markups, but Mazda has been pulling out touchscreens and putting back buttons for audio and climate control purposes. Not sure how far it's made it through their models.

Mazda always refused to go fully touchscreen. Instead they have somehow rationalized that a control wheel and featureless buttons down in the center console are safer for people to use while the vehicle is active. It's idiotic.

I really like most of the hardware buttons. But when I need to make adjustments to the map with CarPlay, the wheel control just takes too much attention with driving. "How many rotations, ohh to far too, okay zoom out, ohh okay reset the view". I wish in these cases it also allowed touch.

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#634
post #341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if the controls are "fine" that doesn't mean they're not worse than physical controls. Just because they haven't caused a problem yet doesn't mean they won't under less than ideal conditions.

I guess it depends? If it's something I fiddle with all the time while moving (volume, wipers, lights, etc.) then sure. (Though does anyone put those controls on the touchscreen?) Probably environmental. But lots of settings are basically set and forget. My car has physical buttons for various modes that I rarely touch and would likely never touch while driving at speed.

Tesla put the windshield wiper controls on the touchscreen and a driver ended up in court over it

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53666222

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#635

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Predictable, usually. Lag free? Not in my experience. Most of the time there’s a good quarter to half second between requesting the shift and the transmission acting. For me at least, that lag is very effective at disconnecting me from the experience of driving.

I challenge you to dual clutch a shift change in 135ms like an RS 5 does in semi auto.

Oh, I don't dispute that maybe very modern cars have addressed this. I don't swap cars too often and have been pretty happy with my "one transmission, a planetary reduction gearbox" car (maybe there are 2 transmissions, one on the front motor and another on the rear motor? Regardless, there's a static gear ratio that's always engaged).

The lag is only part of the issue -- it's the determinism of the lag -- the 125ms lag between "more power please" and getting more power is actually more lag than the instant ka-chugachug of asking for more power and getting feedback of "you're in the wrong gear, bubba" if you're in a manual transmission car.

As far as "I won't change gears for you unless you ask" transmissions -- I've never driven such a car, I'm sure they're quite nice. I somewhat dislike the gear changers with no affordance to indicate what gear you're in (this applies to wingding manumatic cars, motorcycles, and modern bicycles with thumb / finger triggers) -- I don't use them often enough to have the muscle memory of "up for lower gear ratio" or whatever, I have to think about it and look at an indicator and fiddle with it to get the right ratio for what I want.

I'm sure with practice it would eventually be fine; but in actuality I've found that the electric car is actually exactly what I want.

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#636
post #405

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How can it have no screen? They even forced Mazda to put a back up camera in the Miata - which is beyond idiotic.

it really does have no screen at all! the backup camera shows up on the rear-view mirror, taking up about ~40% of the width. it's really the jankiest thing and is shockingly bad for a 2020/2021 car! (edited for clarity)

Ahh interesting! Ive never seen or heard of a car manufacturer putting the backup camera screen in the rearview mirror (probably bc, for the reasons you mentioned it's a terrible idea!)

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#637

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have to agree, at least to a point. Nine times out of ten a person buying a car doesn't need it right away. Therefore if they don't like the mark-up they can just come back later when the market changes. If everybody did that then demand would go down and then so would the mark-up.

What? Apparently car accidents aren’t a thing near you. “Nine times out of ten” is a wholly made up and entirely inaccurate estimation. “Sure, someone just totaled my car but I can “just come back later when the market changes”.”

If you think my numbers are made up, take the effort to refute them.

Are you saying 9/10 people who buy a car are buying it because they got in an accident? There were 13.7 million new cars sold in 2022. I doubt you'll find 13.7 totaled cars in 2022.

And it still stands to reason that if somebody got in an accident, why would they turn around and buy a new car with a big mark up and massive waiting period when they can just walk onto a lot and get a good used car for much less?

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#638

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's great that Tesla puts those (physical) controls on the steering wheel. But, think about this comment in context. As a reminder: I was replying to someone who was arguing that the anti-touch-screen crowd is not justified in their hatred of touch screens in cars. My position is to agree with that crowd that touch screens in cars are bad UX. With that in mind, your comment actually vindicates my position. Touch s…

Physical knobs and buttons are great for muscle memory. How much of a muscle memory do you have for the controls setting mirror position? For setting fade/balance on the stereo? Enabling valet mode? The UI question is only valid for controls used frequently. For everything else, I think it is already settled that they are better in the screen. At the very least, for the sake of UI simplicity. I can't imagine a physic…

Fair point. We don't need dedicated, physical, buttons for infrequent or unimportant things.

But, to be fair, I don't think that most people who vocally hate touch screens in cars are upset that the car manufacturers are making them set their clock via touch buttons. I assume (and I could be wrong) that they're talking about things like A/C settings, radio tuning, etc. If they aren't, then at least I am. Being able to reach over with my muscle memory to change the radio to one of my presets (yeah, I'm some old-school weirdo who still listens to FM radio when I drive) is something I appreciate.

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#639
post #387

A lot of people are making comments about defeating the telemetry, but it's not just about selling ads this time. This is about actual surveillance and (eventually) control, and the governments of the world will make this a requirement, and make circumvention of it as illegal as copyright infringement. In the US, the government will throw up it's hands and say it's not us; it's the "free" market, and this must be wha…

just wait until insurance companies demand access to your telemetry or they triple your rates.

The telsa insurance already does this.

remember, the dark pattern of this is to raise the price, then discount for access.

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#640

This is the first "Mozilla" thread I've seen in awhile where HN isn't getting all up in arms about them. So I take it we're cool with this type of stuff? Beyond FF? Because honestly I really appreciate this work.

I’m not. Mozilla “foundation” is a cancer on the browser I used to love.
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