They’ll pry my 2002 Astro from my cold, dead hands.
As Fowler writes, “My Chevy’s dashboard didn’t say what the car was recording. It wasn’t in the owner’s manual. There was no way to download it.”
To figure this out, Fowler had someone hack into the Volt. He discovered that the car was recording details about where the car was driven and parked, call logs, identification information for his phone and contact information from his phone, “right down to people’s address, emails and even photos.” In another example, Fowler bought a Chevy infotainment computer on eBay and was able to extract private information from it about whoever owned it before him, including pictures of the person the previous owner called “Sweetie.”
While GM was the subject of Fowler’s experiments, it’s not the only company collecting data on its drivers.
I inherited my father’s 2013 Dodge Turbo Ram pickup. A few weeks ago, I got a warning light on the instrument panel but I couldn’t figure out what the problem was. I took it into the dealer and it turned out to be a software bug. (The truck was overdue for some work anyway, so that gave me an excuse to have it all taken care of at the same time.)
It’s getting to the point at which I wonder if I should dare to do any basic maintenance on it lest I fry a circuit board.
By comparison, the fancy-schmanciest bit on my ’91 VW Golf is the electronic ignition. At least I don’t have to horse around trying to adjust the points like I had to do when I drove a 1977 Rabbit.
Or, go for a F-150?
My father liked his Dodge trucks, though this one didn’t impress him as much as it was frequently in the garage. One thing or another seemed to go cockeyed on it.
and pull the computer if you bang the sucker up some time. The operational computer carries a lot of info , of the last short time before an accident. Knowledgeable lawyers will advise this, as it may and will be used against you in a court of law
I heard about that. Unfortunately, I’d have to find the stupid thing first. I miss the days when I could open the hood on a motor vehicle and I could see where everything was, though not necessarily within easy reach.
B A, just google it and then carry tools to be able to uninstall the thing, I always carry tools in my truck, that’s why I changed to a X-cab
Quite aside from the ability to collect compromising information, the data collected allows tax authorities to cut out the gas station middleman and bill motorists directly for their alleged fair share of the carbon tax—and “brick” the car if it isn’t paid.
What about older cars? Never fear. Look forward to laws declaring them no longer roadworthy. That was how unified Germany finally got most of the last of the Trabant 601s off the road.
Laugh at the Trabi all you want—it was so simply designed that anybody possessing average intelligence and a basic toolkit could easily maintain it himself. A well-cared-for Trabi could last a lifetime.
Needless to say, west German auto manufacturers had a problem with that.
This is what government regulations are for.
yes, and the Nazis regulated 15-20 million to death, IDIOT
Freedom, how many here know just what that word means?
Not enough, Big Fella. That is for sure.
Lots of lefties know the meaning of ‘freedom’ nowadays, owg…. it’s just a different definition of ‘freedom’ than what you or I have ever known.
They are now completely ‘free’ to be overtaxed, ‘free’ to hand over the power of the people to the state, ‘free’ to give our nations up to invading foreigners, ‘free’ to not have to think for themselves, ‘free’ to destroy western civilization by countless means, ‘free’ to give up our personal rights, etc., etc., etc.. They carry more ‘freedom to destroy’ than they know what to do with.
Then there is the subset that can only comprehend ‘freedom’ as nothing more than meaning ‘getting free shit’ from government.
Crap, now I’m really depressed.
And the ultimate freedom for a leftist is when one who disagrees with their thinking and actions has the opportunity to have their head freed from their body. Resistance is futile, conformity is necessary.
I look forward to the effort to try and take mine.
We are being farmed like animals. Had an old retired high school math teacher one time working a nightshift for me as a spark watch on a welding crew. He could not stay awake. Very nice elderly man. So I played let’s pretend. Here is how it works. Let’s pretend that you are a young man again starting out working. And the government only collects 10% off you in income tax for 40 years. He works that all out. Then I said ok now lets convert that to compound interest. And this was to show the potential, they actually collect far more than 10% if you consider they take more than what you spend on food clothing and housing each year. A criminal level of taxation. I came back and he was very upset and called me a rotten name. I said ok last part is multiply that number by everybody that has to pay taxes in Canada. I came back and he called me evil plus a few other bad words. But he was wide awake and very angry all night.
It’s only a matter of time before we will be told to take our cars into a shop once a year so they can figure out how many speeding tickets we should pay based on our recorded driving habits. No ownership renewal until you’ve paid up
If my mechanic could read the speed history of my automobile, I’d be serving 5-10 years in San Quentin under the “laws” of Gavin Newsom. Gavin has arbitrarily abolished the death penalty, but I’d be serving hard prison time … for my “sins against Gaia”.
Yah, kenji, my sports car would be my undoing, I didn’t realize the pup was capable of what it is:-)))
I’m constantly amazed at the control of my fine “sedan” (it has two tiny rear seats) can go without even trying hard. Without any loss of stability or control. Guess I just haven’t pushed it hard enough yet 🙂
LMAO…pulling a Trailer no less..! Hmm… “YOU CRaze” like my mom in law would say with a thick Italian accent. lol
Given the way our NAZI govt is going, having a spare (wiped), ECM could be a damned good investment.
I should have never sold my 1980 Plymouth Volare sedan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXV_QjenbDw
First it was driverless cars. Now its barberless haircuts:
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/19/you-may-trust-driverless-cars-but-do-you-trust-driverless-barbers/
I like the woman with the big tits who cuts my hair.
MM, BIG tits would work for me as well:-))))
Years ago, I used to go to a certain hair stylist in a nearby shopping centre as barbershops, by then, were nearly extinct. I remember one at that place who not only dressed like a streetwalker, she behaved like one in the hope of getting a nice tip out of me.
Soon after that, I bought a home barbering kit and started cutting my own hair. All I need is a guard and the clippers to get the brush cut that I prefer. I’ve been doing it for more than 20 years and I saved a lot of money by doing so. Compare, say, $20 for a home kit compared with the same amount at a stylist every month.
Pretty soon they will be removing your appendix and performing triple bypass surgeries. Given Teslas record and reliability as an example what could possibly go wrong!
The Washington Post is complaining about an unmonitored invasion of privacy by an always-listening software box that once you buy you can’t turn off? The same WaPo owned by Jeff Bezos of Amazon/Alexa infamy? Hmmm. I feel like I should be a bit suspicious, here.
What did folks think would happen with computer tech integrated fully into vehicles. If “they” wanted to and its been shown as possible, someone – anyone could hack into your late model SUV and literally drive you off a cliff….never mind “monitor” your diriving habits & contact info.
(Now where can I find Sock Puppets VIN…?)
Swapping out an ECM takes me about 5 min all told. Plug n play. Spare sits under my back seat.
As to monitoring. I recently changed Ins. Companies – AVIVA were being total Dicks…my new Insurance co. (Intact), wanted me to install an app on my phone to scrutinize my driving habits with the promise of discounts up to 25%.
I Tried it for bout a month and found it was worse than useless. The criteria were: “Hard: Braking – “Hard” Acceleration and driving after Midnight. It would pick which trips to record and after a while it didn’t record anything that I could see… also, ZERO info on what actually constituted “Hard”, to me it was just total arbitrary BS. Nor was there anything said in regards to Recording anything else given it was a PHONE app..
I Deleted the app after a week. (Intact Insurance) …and told them point blank why.
I’m with you on the 2002 Astro comment, Kate. I’m told they have a cult following in Japan.
Ours is an ’01, bought it new 19 years ago and it still runs like new. A few very minor issues – heat is slow coming, had to fix the ABS light problem using the GM approved method (remove the instrument panel bezel and stick a piece of black tape over the light) but it still runs like new. And the ABS works.
But instead of having it pried from my cold dead hands, if it weren’t for the limited space in the typical graveyard plot, I’d ask to be buried in it.
B A, just google it and then carry tools to be able to uninstall the thing, I always carry tools in my truck, that’s why I changed to a X-cab