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Mercedes EVs can go faster for $60 a month

cnn.com

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Re: Mercedes EVs can go faster for $60 a month

#41

Post by p0w3n3d »

alpos wrote: post #4

Possibly the stupidest day-one DLC play we've ever seen. >"Customers might see that as “a bit of a cheat,” Because it is a cheat. There is exactly zero chance this doesn't get bypassed and unlocked for free with the quickness. Better still though, just don't buy stuff from people willing nickel and dime you like that. Pay real money for real things that you actually own. You will be happier this way.

but we mustn't agree to such practices, because if this goes legal next step will be prevent from software hacking and/or police/MOT checks for illegal software tampering

Re: Mercedes EVs can go faster for $60 a month

#42

Post by userbinator »

GiorgioG wrote: post #2

It won’t be my interest in saving the planet that stops me from buying cars, it’ll be bullshit like this. I want to own my car. I don’t want it to be connected (beyond acting as a hotspot) to the internet or to some central service. Have we not learned anything?

Have we not learned anything?

The "you will own nothing" advocates will continue to keep pushing for stuff like this.

Re: Mercedes EVs can go faster for $60 a month

#43

Post by fnimick »

alpos wrote: post #14
foobarbecue wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The communist / capitalist symmetry is quite something. In communism, the individual doesn't really own anything; the state just lets the individual use things as they see fit. In our late-stage capitalism, the individual doesn't really own anything; the corporation just lets the individual use things as they see fit.

I keep trying to tell the socialists and communists out there that they can totally implement the way they want to live within any democratic capitalist system. Just make a corporation which all of your people are members of, give voting powers to all members to decide what stuff the corporation buys as well as how members get to use the things. Can even go as far as setting up an HOA or a town where the company is t…

Right, all you have to do is totally opt out of any modern society - no email, no phones, no internet, no media, no healthcare. It's easy!

Re: Mercedes EVs can go faster for $60 a month

#44

Post by jeffnappi »

p0w3n3d wrote: post #39

Coming up next year - your macbook might run twice as fast if you pay additional 100$ per month. In my opinion such behaviour should be treated as a direct consumer rights' violation, under accusation of malicious intentional degradation of product sold to customer. When hardware (engine/cpu) is created it has its by-design limits and there is no possibility to increase those limits by software, i.e. this is not incr…

Perhaps it makes sense to pay extra to be able to put extra strain on something (laptop, car, xyz) while it's covered under a manufacturer warranty, however after such a warranty period ends any such feature should be unlocked.

Re: Mercedes EVs can go faster for $60 a month

#45

Post by zamnos »

p0w3n3d wrote: post #41
alpos wrote: post #4

Possibly the stupidest day-one DLC play we've ever seen. >"Customers might see that as “a bit of a cheat,” Because it is a cheat. There is exactly zero chance this doesn't get bypassed and unlocked for free with the quickness. Better still though, just don't buy stuff from people willing nickel and dime you like that. Pay real money for real things that you actually own. You will be happier this way.

but we mustn't agree to such practices, because if this goes legal next step will be prevent from software hacking and/or police/MOT checks for illegal software tampering

This is already the case in California. Tapering with the ECU (in a detectable way), will cause your car to flunk the smog exam, which, unrectified, makes it illegal to drive your car.

Re: Mercedes EVs can go faster for $60 a month

#46

Post by indymike »

2rsf wrote: post #17
GiorgioG wrote: post #2

It won’t be my interest in saving the planet that stops me from buying cars, it’ll be bullshit like this. I want to own my car. I don’t want it to be connected (beyond acting as a hotspot) to the internet or to some central service. Have we not learned anything?

Don't you want software upgrades? cars are loaded with technology, some of it is for "fun" like navigation of music services, but a lot if for safety reasons and this requires frequent updating.

> Don't you want software upgrades?

Yes, but that doesn't require I give up freedom or control. The number of years a vendor provides upgrades adds value to the product (i.e. long term commitment or not). The cost of a car is so ridiculous any more that expecting a lifetime of software updates is probably a rational demand from a consumer.

> but a lot if for safety reasons

Yes, so? I wrote software for vascular ultrasound devices in the 80s. Those could do really bad things to humans. Upgrades were provided for free and accounted for in the price of the product because... SAFETY IS NOT OPTIONAL and should never be relegated to a subscription where if you stop paying YOU ARE UNSAFE.

Re: Mercedes EVs can go faster for $60 a month

#47

Post by GiorgioG »

FredPret wrote: post #19
GiorgioG wrote: post #2

It won’t be my interest in saving the planet that stops me from buying cars, it’ll be bullshit like this. I want to own my car. I don’t want it to be connected (beyond acting as a hotspot) to the internet or to some central service. Have we not learned anything?

We tech folk may have learnt the lesson the hard way, but for the non-tech population the lesson is still coming.

Have we though? AWS/GCP/Azure I'm looking at you...

Re: Mercedes EVs can go faster for $60 a month

#48

Post by 2rsf »

indymike wrote: post #46
2rsf wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't you want software upgrades? cars are loaded with technology, some of it is for "fun" like navigation of music services, but a lot if for safety reasons and this requires frequent updating.

> Don't you want software upgrades? Yes, but that doesn't require I give up freedom or control. The number of years a vendor provides upgrades adds value to the product (i.e. long term commitment or not). The cost of a car is so ridiculous any more that expecting a lifetime of software updates is probably a rational demand from a consumer. > but a lot if for safety reasons Yes, so? I wrote software for vascular ultra…

The current price reflects the expected software support, at some point it will be not economical and not feasible on the existing hardware. The best example is the interface- cellular 2G is not supported and 3G will go away one day. Vascular ultrasound devices are still supported because they were expensive, and support was probably paid on top of the initial price.

The Mercedes HP subscription is not safety related, but it is true that at some point stopping updates will have some affects on safety, but don't forget that "legacy" cars locked you with its initial hardware and software, many times only later models upgraded safety feature based on experience.

Re: Mercedes EVs can go faster for $60 a month

#49

Post by mrguyorama »

beebmam wrote: post #8
jackmott42 wrote: post #3

There is a sense in which this can make sense, in that unlocking the power increases the chance of failure during warranty. So you pay to hedge against that. But we can be certain car makers will not be giving you the option to unlock this for free post warranty. The fact that you aren't given control of your car when you own it is pretty awful and a terrible trend. I expect the trend will continue, I've not yet in m…

Aren't max speeds limited all the time on vehicles, with state mandated governors? I know some countries require them on all automobiles. Even the US requires them on ebikes.

It's not a legal requirement but most cars AFAIU are electronically limited to about 115 mph

Re: Mercedes EVs can go faster for $60 a month

#50

Post by barbazoo »

userbinator wrote: post #42
GiorgioG wrote: post #2

It won’t be my interest in saving the planet that stops me from buying cars, it’ll be bullshit like this. I want to own my car. I don’t want it to be connected (beyond acting as a hotspot) to the internet or to some central service. Have we not learned anything?

Have we not learned anything? The "you will own nothing" advocates will continue to keep pushing for stuff like this.

> The "you will own nothing" advocates will continue to keep pushing for stuff like this.

Who are these "advocates"?

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