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Ford patents in-car system that eavesdrops so it can play you ads

motortrend.com

71–80 of 160 posts

Re: Ford patents in-car system that eavesdrops so it can play you ads

#71
post #56

I only listen to ad free radio while driving. The thought that the tranquility of Radio 3 would be interrupted by an advert disgusts me. I would never buy a car that had this, no matter how smart it was.

You may find you have no choice with new cars in a few years time.

I think my choice will be to buy an old one!

Re: Ford patents in-car system that eavesdrops so it can play you ads

#72
post #15

How can you design a car with safety in mind and then propose this? Driver's attention is not available for anything but the road in principle. At anytime. Ford is Boeinging or what?

I’m no fan of ads, but by your logic this would also mean no radio/music, no cup holders, or anything else that could shift attention off the road. Where does the line get drawn?

Ads are designed to grab your attention, whatever the cost. having your carplay suddenly light up and blast advertisement, that's dangerous.

Cupholder ? You decide if when you want. Radio ? Yes there are ads but you expect them when the music ends.

Re: Ford patents in-car system that eavesdrops so it can play you ads

#73
post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> still easy to repair By the time you get to 2019 and the GM T1XX platform the entire drivetrain is as complex as any modern vehicle: AFM/DFM, VVT, E85, Active Thermal Management, Start/Stop, 10L80/90, dynamic stability, etc. In other words, once it starts breaking down out of warranty, repair is uneconomic: non-dealer shops and owners don't have the tools, can't get affordable parts and aren't qualified to do the w…

Mid-2000s era car technology seems to have been the sweet spot across most brands for technology improvements while still having practical serviceability and maintainability.

I'd agree with that timeline with regard to US domestic truck platforms, which famously lagged cars in complexity by about a decade. A lot of 2000's cars definitely do not qualify.

The notion of a "sweet spot" is valid. All the classic safety and reliability problems were solved, yet the vehicles (again, truck platforms) are tractable in terms of service.

Re: Ford patents in-car system that eavesdrops so it can play you ads

#74
post #57
post #30

Everything is becoming about ads. Ads, ads everywhere. On phone, on computer, now even car. This despite everyone knowing that consumers HATE ads. It's like companies are using ads as a ransom. Pay us more money on a regular basis else we will make your life miserable with ads and more ads.

I disagree. I hate irrelevant ads, I enjoy relevant ads. This is unrelated to the aforementioned topic though.

Relevant ads is functional search, is it not? Ideally, search without the need to query.

Re: Ford patents in-car system that eavesdrops so it can play you ads

#75
post #30

Everything is becoming about ads. Ads, ads everywhere. On phone, on computer, now even car. This despite everyone knowing that consumers HATE ads. It's like companies are using ads as a ransom. Pay us more money on a regular basis else we will make your life miserable with ads and more ads.

Off-topic:

Eagerly waiting for the potty bowl to start playing ads depending on the chemical composition of the particular waste… it would go: “Your zinc ratio is low, have you tried blah blah? After my doctor prescribed blah blah I can focus on my life more and is more productive and …”

Re: Ford patents in-car system that eavesdrops so it can play you ads

#76
post #42
post #30

Everything is becoming about ads. Ads, ads everywhere. On phone, on computer, now even car. This despite everyone knowing that consumers HATE ads. It's like companies are using ads as a ransom. Pay us more money on a regular basis else we will make your life miserable with ads and more ads.

And then, once everyone is paying more, they pull the coup de grace, and show you ads again! Netflix and Prime and Spotify started with this a while ago; I guess the temptation is just too big to let corporate greed run free. I guess we’ve come full circle, and the next iteration will see people pirating stuff again. It’s going to be interesting to see what we can do against ads on devices like cars though…

Ads are a cancer. They take valuable resources from legitimate functionality just to multiply and multiply, until the host is starved to death.

Re: Ford patents in-car system that eavesdrops so it can play you ads

#77
post #15

How can you design a car with safety in mind and then propose this? Driver's attention is not available for anything but the road in principle. At anytime. Ford is Boeinging or what?

I’m no fan of ads, but by your logic this would also mean no radio/music, no cup holders, or anything else that could shift attention off the road. Where does the line get drawn?

I'd argue the line gets drawn when the driver is barred from stopping the distracting element themselves. Everything else can be stopped, disabled,refused, or removed by the driver. If an element is designed to be another source for focus (the entire infotainment system is this) it must be able to be turned off by the driver. In theory simply disabling the infotainment system should cover this, but now you have to argue if removing things like modern navigation is an acceptable option, and frankly, these ads only serve to line pockets. This isn't a radio situation where the feed is free, the car is (in theory) already paid for. (and don't try to argue that the car is cheaper because of the ads. TV manufacturers already turned that argument into swiss cheese when they stopped bothering to sell TVs without preloaded ads.)

Re: Ford patents in-car system that eavesdrops so it can play you ads

#79
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m no fan of ads, but by your logic this would also mean no radio/music, no cup holders, or anything else that could shift attention off the road. Where does the line get drawn?

Music is something people want. It can help people concentrate and stay alert. Cup holders allow you to have a good place to put your drink without being distracted. They help you keep attention on the road by not spilling your coffee on your lap. Ads don't help anybody with staying alert or doing any other tasks in the car. They're meant to capture your attention for selling you something.

If ads jolt the driver awake because they're so jarring, doesn't that help with the staying alert thing? Though if the ads cause the driver to go into fits of rage, that's probably negative on the car being driven safely, though that would again help them with the being alert thing.

If driver alertness is the key factor, cars should have inward facing cameras that can detect the drivers eyes so it can play a horrible noise when the driver starts micro-napping. Or ads for nearby hotels. I think Teslas already have such a camera. New revenue stream!

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