231–240 of 272 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Did it for 100 years. Nkthing changed. They don't need to make cars into surveillance systems. That's a choice.
That's not entirely true. Most cars have revisions to software. Even ones from the 90s had ways to patch the ECU performed by dealers.
Now they are along for the ride no matter what.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Same. I start driving at a speed that is safe for the distance they're keeping (in stead of what should be the other way around). That is usually quite effective.
That distance is also a function of their speed though.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm hopeful that stuff like Android Auto or Apple CarPlay will continue moving some of the risky obsolete-able complexity away of the giant expensive machine I plan to keep for over a decade (the car) and into smaller easier-to-replace ones (my smartphone.) A quick outline for those who haven't used them: The car's head-display becomes mostly-controlled by your phone, which is what supplies any navigation, music, pod…
I can't figure out why car manufacturers insist on building whole parallel universes of UIs, media apps, nav apps et cetera. Doesn't it cost a ton? Do people actually use/want this stuff?
I had a device with wifi, and I figured I could disable the wifi by just disconnecting the antenna.
Nope.
Then I connected the antenna to a dummy load
Nope.
there are onboard antennas that take over and continue to work.
I suspect the same thing for cellular (though I have no actual data about the system in question)
I'm starting to think the short software support isn't a bug, it's a feature. They want the car to feel obsolete in 5 years so you're pushed into buying the next model. It's the smartphone sales model, but for a $50,000 purchase.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's arguably a violation of the CFAA.
It wouldn't be a very solid argument. Telematics are universally disclaimed in owners manuals. A good chunk of modern owners manuals are legally-required disclaimers of various sorts which are all deemed valid for those reasons. And a ruling that it doesn't matter because "nobody reads that" wouldn't be a good thing either -- basically that would make most SaaS engineer into criminals.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Live somewhere with snow or near an ocean. Your frame now has a very short life span. Swapping engines isn't the actual problem.
I live in a place with very harsh winters, and our used cars usually command a premium, simply because we get cold enough that road salt is no longer effective, so the municipalities generally don't bother in the first place.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm hopeful that stuff like Android Auto or Apple CarPlay will continue moving some of the risky obsolete-able complexity away of the giant expensive machine I plan to keep for over a decade (the car) and into smaller easier-to-replace ones (my smartphone.) A quick outline for those who haven't used them: The car's head-display becomes mostly-controlled by your phone, which is what supplies any navigation, music, pod…
I posted this above, but in new Lexus RX models at least, the Lexus vehicle management software trumps the AA interface so you're forced to setup their mobile app if you want to use AA (for things like navigation). On a related note, the Bluetooth stack in my F150 doesn't work very well with phone calls. I can place calls fine, but receiving calls will not route them through vehicle audio. I have to turn on speaker p…