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What does this button do? – My new car has a mysterious and undocumented switch

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Re: What does this button do? – My new car has a mysterious and undocumented switch

#251

Post by dmichulke »

valval wrote: post #249
afh1 wrote: post #25

The scary part is not the GPS installed by the fleet company that previously owned the car, which in all likelihood was just forgotten there, but the GPS and eSIM that comes with most (all?) new cars and that in most (all?) new cars cannot be disabled. Apart from privacy concerns of your data being used or sold by the car vendor, government outreach is also a concern. There was a bill announced in the US for all new…

I know your comment is just the traditional HN karma grab, but rejecting technological advancement in vehicles based on privacy concerns means missing out on significant improvements in safety, efficiency, and comfort. Would you also reject modern healthcare because hospitals use connected devices?

One is likely an emergency of a necessary system (body) and the other is not an emergency of a much less necessary system (car).

Not sure your analogy fits.

Re: What does this button do? – My new car has a mysterious and undocumented switch

#252

Post by ddingus »

afh1 wrote: post #25

The scary part is not the GPS installed by the fleet company that previously owned the car, which in all likelihood was just forgotten there, but the GPS and eSIM that comes with most (all?) new cars and that in most (all?) new cars cannot be disabled. Apart from privacy concerns of your data being used or sold by the car vendor, government outreach is also a concern. There was a bill announced in the US for all new…

I just picked up a low mile, garage kept Toyota sedan. V6 sedan, my favorite combo! This one has plenty of power, looks totally unassuming, and can get great economy when I drive modestly.

I plan on driving it a very long time. Same reasons.

It also predates the big infotainment systems. I really dislike the big screen and many functions turned into touch controls dangerous to use in motion.

Finally, it is easy to service. I will do that myself as long as I am able.

Re: What does this button do? – My new car has a mysterious and undocumented switch

#253

Post by wruza »

valval wrote: post #249
afh1 wrote: post #25

The scary part is not the GPS installed by the fleet company that previously owned the car, which in all likelihood was just forgotten there, but the GPS and eSIM that comes with most (all?) new cars and that in most (all?) new cars cannot be disabled. Apart from privacy concerns of your data being used or sold by the car vendor, government outreach is also a concern. There was a bill announced in the US for all new…

I know your comment is just the traditional HN karma grab, but rejecting technological advancement in vehicles based on privacy concerns means missing out on significant improvements in safety, efficiency, and comfort. Would you also reject modern healthcare because hospitals use connected devices?

What is the nature of karma grab?

Re: What does this button do? – My new car has a mysterious and undocumented switch

#254

Post by ddingus »

dclowd9901 wrote: post #35
afh1 wrote: post #25

The scary part is not the GPS installed by the fleet company that previously owned the car, which in all likelihood was just forgotten there, but the GPS and eSIM that comes with most (all?) new cars and that in most (all?) new cars cannot be disabled. Apart from privacy concerns of your data being used or sold by the car vendor, government outreach is also a concern. There was a bill announced in the US for all new…

I'm with you here. I have an 89 BMW (which is old enough to have an actual servo motor attached to the intake manifold for cruise control) and an 83 Land Cruiser (whose most advanced feature is that it controls its emissions using vacuum controlled pneumatic circuitry). I'm very glad I've put in the time to learn how to work on cars because I have zero interest in the tech direction of modern vehicles.

Right there myself.

One conversion I want to attempt, but am unfortunately unlikely to, is an electric rear wheel drive.

Front wheel can remain gas with transmission. Add more generating current capacity, and have that dumped into the rear drive system batteries.

With my current car, the V6 gets very good economy at speed, and poor economy in town or in traffic.

An assist from the rear can tackle the poor economy cases nicely, leaving the rest to the gas engine.

Depending on battery capacity, I suppose it could do most in town driving at say 40 and below.

Re: What does this button do? – My new car has a mysterious and undocumented switch

#255

Post by Kiro »

mikestew wrote: post #17
Kiro wrote: post #11

How do these things send the position? Don't they need their own cellular connection for that?

From TFA: and “can I get free data from the SIM card embedded in the device that I now technically own?”

Doesn't that mean each car has its own subscription? Why would they keep paying for it after the car has been sold?

Re: What does this button do? – My new car has a mysterious and undocumented switch

#256

Post by wruza »

Simran-B wrote: post #117
afh1 wrote: post #25

The scary part is not the GPS installed by the fleet company that previously owned the car, which in all likelihood was just forgotten there, but the GPS and eSIM that comes with most (all?) new cars and that in most (all?) new cars cannot be disabled. Apart from privacy concerns of your data being used or sold by the car vendor, government outreach is also a concern. There was a bill announced in the US for all new…

> Most people would have probably driven around for years with a foreign GPS tracker. So basically everyone with a smartphone? I'm not sure if it's really worse if the car has its own GPS and cell connectivity. How many people turn off their phone or leave it at home? And you can buy other people's location data, so...

The difference is in intent. People dislike intended tracking by a third party, that’s it. You cellphone company, your google, your govt can have it. Others can not. Even when they can, people actively don’t want that. What’s wrong with it?

Re: What does this button do? – My new car has a mysterious and undocumented switch

#258

Post by bigstrat2003 »

rglullis wrote: post #234
jaredhallen wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like maybe you don't need a car. That's good for you, and I truly mean that. But that doesn't mean it's the case for everyone. It's a big, diverse world out there.

Unless your idea of "diverse world" is confined to (suburban) North America, the need to own a car is the exception , not the rule.

That's not true. Most of the world (by land area) exists outside cities, and outside a city you will usually need to own a car.

Re: What does this button do? – My new car has a mysterious and undocumented switch

#259

Post by sgt »

volemo wrote: post #244
WarOnPrivacy wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 89 BMW ... and an 83 Land Cruiser I'm with you. Our daily drivers are 2011 Mitsu, 96 Toyota, 92 Buick and a 63 Dart. Also a 61 Sunliner for when it's not-summer. The Mitsu is unfortunately drive-by-wire; I mostly avoid it.

How large is your family? Why do you need so many cars?

People who have many cars usually don't do it because of necessity, but because they love tinkering with the old automobiles.

Re: What does this button do? – My new car has a mysterious and undocumented switch

#260

Post by ddingus »

lostlogin wrote: post #165
snowwrestler wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes but the point is, this technology is a blocker for people who might otherwise be interested in an electric powertrain vehicle. If you want an old car without all this crap, you can get one. But it pretty much has to be an ICE.

> this technology is a blocker for people who might otherwise be interested in an electric powertrain vehicle. This surely isn’t a large group.

Maybe in a decade or two, your assertion will evaluate closer to true.
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