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And in general "concierge services" fail.

I've gotta believe that this concierge service is mostly GM's OnStar. I think the biggest surprise for me in the statistic that 43% of the people never use it is that 57% have. Though I guess just trying it out one time to see how it works would no longer qualify you for the "never used it" category.

The simple fact is that most people don't want to be hit with a $100 (lowest tier paid annually) to $420 (highest plan paid monthly) per year bill on top of their car payment*. I have a vehicle that has OnStar built into it and I would much rather rip the whole thing out (including the buttons they spread through-out the car) and replace it with a simple BlueTooth connection to the stereo.

* https://www.onstar.com/us/en/p...

I think we can consider it pretty much inevitable. In fact I'm amazed they haven't already started installing them. Hell, maybe they have. It is such a wonderful tool I'd be shocked if they could possibly resist the temptation.

OnStar?

https://www.onstar.com/web/por...

Let's see... what are the first things we'll see this used for?
1. Automated speeding tickets.

You see this with some rental cars agencies installing GPS locators and adding penalties for out-of-state or exceeding the speed limit.

2. Insurance company logging of all your activity as an excuse to jack your rates up.

Again, some insurance companies are pushing GPS tracking for "rate reduction possibilities"

3. Data subpenaed in lawsuits.

Black box crash info is already being subpena'd in court.

4. NSA will be all over it. Reporters will be plowing into palm trees all over the place.

Remember the lawsuit against the FBI for using OnStar to eavesdrop and track "suspects"

6. Law enforcement can remotely turn off your car... a few months later criminals will have the same ability...

Already doable via OnStar https://www.onstar.com/web/portal/securityexplore

Done right, this technology will make car theft a thing of the past. Being I am getting older myself ( and saw my neighbor succumb to a heart attack away from home ), it would be comforting to me to have a "emergency" button in my car that would hail law enforcement for me in the event I needed them.

GM already has that; it's called On Star: https://www.onstar.com/web/portal/landing

You realize, I hope, that your car will testify against you in court.
Don't piss it off - it WILL Rick-roll your ass.

See: On Star

http://www.onstar.com/us_english/jsp/equip_vehicles/current_vehicles.jsp

Y'all like that commercial where On Star shuts your motor off and allow the Police to have their way with the driver?
(it's in the context of a stolen car)
Can't wait for the first person mistakenly tazed to death for blowing by a cruiser.
Misuse of this will soon be news.

Having spoken to a commercial truck driver, I can tell you that the computer often knows about mechanical problems before the driver does, and their systems are pre-programmed to alert a dispatcher, who will send a rescue/repair vehicle out in situ.

You can get this today with OnStar. (Beware buying used; a lot of vehicles are about to drop off the map...) Information from the various onboard computers (including the one for yaw control, when equipped — scroll to the bottom) and of course the SRS (e.g. airbag) sensor is piped to a dispatcher. If your OnStar-equipped (and -subscribed) auto quits on the side of the road someplace with cellular coverage (heh heh) then someone will call you up and get you a tow truck or what have you.

Given the constantly decreasing costs of electronics manufacture, even if not now, there will be a point where it becomes possible to constantly monitor large part of the population without extraordinary expenses.

You mean like OnStar(GM), BMW Assist(BMW), TeleAid(Mercedes) or Lexus Link(Toyota)?

And of course there is the ubiquitous cellular phone...

Actually it seems to be closer to OnStar by GM's Information/Convenience Services or Virtual Adviser options than Apple. I'm guessing the Zune tie in will be closer to what Apple has done with HD radio devices to allow for "tagging" content for later purchase.

No.

How about ADT and Brinks, are they going to retrofit home security systems for free?

ADT is subsidized. Brinks does not sell systems, they only lease them so they've already switched over.

You're hungry. You want a place to eat. You go to your [smart device]. It could be a cell phone. It could be a Nokia N800 like device. Yes, it could be built into your car like your existing GPS mapping device. It already knows where you are (and shows your position on the default screen). You query (not through a web browser, but an integrated interface) for a nearby fast food restaurant. With me so far? You didn't go to a web page Yahoo! Local or Google Maps. Your map application was built into the device.

This already exists. OnStar does it. They even have ads on tv telling everyone drivers can get turn by turn driving directions.

You're hungry. You want a place to eat. You go to your [smart device]. It could be a cell phone. It could be a Nokia N800 like device. Yes, it could be built into your car like your existing GPS mapping device. It already knows where you are (and shows your position on the default screen). You query (not through a web browser, but an integrated interface) for a nearby fast food restaurant. With me so far? You didn't go to a web page Yahoo! Local or Google Maps. Your map application was built into the device.

This already exists. OnStar does it. They even have ads on tv telling everyone drivers can get turn by turn driving directions.

Have you never heard of OnStar? That fits exactly what you describe - a perceived additional sense of security and safety by having a corporate entity (or a law enforcement or other governmental agency with or without a warrant) track your every move and even listen in on your conversations remotely. The courts have sided with disallowing OnStar's use for listening in on conversations inside the vehicle, but all it will take is one judge and that's out the window. OnStar's just one more good reason not to purchase a GM vehicle.

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." --attributed to Benjamin Franklin

Q: Does OnStar continuously monitor my car's location?
A: No, OnStar does not continuously or routinely monitor, update or otherwise track the location of OnStar-equipped cars. OnStar only knows the location of a car when a user initiates a request for service, there is an Air Bag Deployment, an Advanced Automatic Crash Notification occurs, your OnStar equipment calls OnStar with data updates or when required to locate a car by a valid court order in criminal procedures or under exigent circumstances. OnStar requires police involvement for Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance and missing person requests.

"how many without a cell phone will be tagged because they have On Star."

More importantly, what's GM going to do about this? There's big money in OnStar, costs $200-$300/yr if you pay yearly. GM's just going to roll-over and take this?

What about all the bluetooth headset providers? Most people bought the headsets specifically for driving.

What about the National Association of Realtors? I can't imagine they're taking this sitting down and believe it or not they do have a pretty powerful lobbying group. Realtors live off their cellphone, business would be nearly impossible without being able to answer their phones 24/7.

This is already happening but not by google.

1 - It won't be accurate as GPS

It's actually more accurate, and more robust.

As others have pointed out, all current cellphones have network-assisted GPS in them. The intent is to be able to locate you if you call 911. The way most of the cell networks work nowadays, you can only get an accurate location if a phone call is in progress, i.e. the 911 dispatcher wants to know where you are.

The networks can triangulate on cell sites at any time. Cops have used this data for years. This is also how the network can tell the assisted GPS in the phone approximately where it is, so it can listen to satellites and figure out exactly where it is. With this help from the network it can work in environments (particularly urban canyons) where a conventional GPS might not be able to hear enough satellites to get a fix.

To get an accurate location without your knowledge or cooperation has significant privacy issues, and it's correct to expect The Authorities to jump through hoops to get such information. You can buy boxes from various companies that you can put in a vehicle (some vehicles come with these gadgets anyway) or package and follow it around. Some of these boxes use cellphone networks, but since you have, in effect, given permission for your location to be known, there are no privacy issues. I don't know what would happen if The Authorities came around later with a warrant and asked where somebody had been.

Yes, I do this for a living. Hence the AC post.

Telematics is the transmission of data communications between systems and devices. OnStar's in-vehicle safety, security, and information services use Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite and cellular technology to link the vehicle and driver to the OnStar Center.

Goldman Sachs was right; a super-spike in oil prices to over US$100 bbl was not ony was possible but it has had far-reaching consequences for the economy and our culture.

After they signed an agreement with OnStar and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Google can now track private vehicles willing to be part of a car pool in this era of $5 gal gasoline. Registered users can offer or receive rides and collect or provide instantaneous electronic payments for their cost of the ride, minus a few percent for the new consortium.

Onstar's website claims otherwise:

Q. How does OnStar work?

A. OnStar uses existing emergency service providers, cellular telephone and satellite technologies. It operates alongside the electrical system in your vehicle and is powered by your vehicle's battery. If your vehicle's battery is damaged or disconnected, our service will not function. Onstar currently uses the analog cellular network maintained by separate cellular companies. This provides the broadest geographic coverage of any current wireless system in the United States and Canada.

Why not just pay for Lo-Jack installation? Or what about On Star?

Actually, accourding to their website, OnStar is currently available on certain models of Acuras, Audi, Buicks, Cadillacs, Chevrolets, GMCs, Hummers, Isuzus, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Saabs, Saturns, Subarus, and Volkswagons.

So, unless some deal gets done with Ford before an implementation of the Mars GPS, you'd be absolutely correct. A bit off-topic, but correct.

The car should be programmed to discover any problems under the bonnet, then send a message to the garage to let them know.

For $420 a year, you're also getting a call to emergency vehicles instantly when your air bag deploys, a Lojack-like tracking system, remote door unlocking when you lock your keys in the car, and more. That seems like a pretty good deal.

It seems to me that if you've bought OnStar with your car, it's not for driving directions. Or at least, not just for driving directions.

For $420 a year, you're also getting a call to emergency vehicles instantly when your air bag deploys, a Lojack-like tracking system, remote door unlocking when you lock your keys in the car, and more. That seems like a pretty good deal.

It seems to me that if you've bought OnStar with your car, it's not for driving directions. Or at least, not just for driving directions.

For $420 a year, you're also getting a call to emergency vehicles instantly when your air bag deploys, a Lojack-like tracking system, remote door unlocking when you lock your keys in the car, and more. That seems like a pretty good deal.

It seems to me that if you've bought OnStar with your car, it's not for driving directions. Or at least, not just for driving directions.

For $420 a year, you're also getting a call to emergency vehicles instantly when your air bag deploys, a Lojack-like tracking system, remote door unlocking when you lock your keys in the car, and more. That seems like a pretty good deal.

It seems to me that if you've bought OnStar with your car, it's not for driving directions. Or at least, not just for driving directions.

Oh, give me a break. Here's the privacy statement from the OnStar site.

I assume you paid cash for that truck, since you must be equally concerned about being tracked through your credit history. You must have cut up all your credit cards and ATM cards long ago, too. Geez, you'd better not ever buy a new cell phone once E911 goes live.

Seriously, ask yourself if OnStar did share this data with law enforcement it would have been big news by now and they wouldn't have 3 million subscribers.

Yeah, nobody tell General Motors about this or they might invent OnStar.

-h-

Same fatal flaw as every free product info model - business-based info (ads) vice the info wanted by the user. Every form of this idea has the same problem.

My local newspaper web site has a business pages link, but only pulls up those who are paying to be there, so it is not usefull at all. The local yellow pages are only usefull in this way because almost EVERYBODY is listed. When shopping for anything, I don't wish for access to the vacuuous drivel on the products web site, I wish for instant lookup in Consumer Reports or other independant review. Ask your OnStar system for the nearest Mexican restraunt and it will drive you right passed three of them to take you to the one that paid to be listed in OnStar's system.

Stupid question of the day: How do you get Slashcode to not put the web site name in square brackets next to a link?

Yeah, if you want to secure your Rendevous, all you have to do is to lock the doors.

(OnStar helps, too.)

The service you are referring to is called "OnStar", and while heavily advertised on Cadillacs, is available on a variety of brands.

But I think the meaning of the original quote is that the brand of a "Mac" in the broadest sense is an experience, everything from the way the computer works, to the customer service, designs, and innovations in products. However, only Apple makes "Macs" in the same style, with a monopoly on this market. There are companies that try to get the same style, or same ease of use, but they all use Windows, which was complicated and counter-intuitive in those days.

Hate to do this to y'all, but OnStar has been carrying vehicle tracking capabilities on only one of a long list of available functionalities through their product line. They use it exactly for stolen vehicle recovery and routing assisstance (think MapQuest for your car).

The other features that they provide can be impressive.

As for the Big Brother problem of people being tracked by this type of unit. It doesn't happen. Sure their might be requests to give out the location on people, but they just don't do it. It's easier to tap a phone line or read someone's email than it is to track a vehicle.

I could see it beneficial, however, for company vehicles or the 16-year-old kid busting at the seams with testosterone.

I wonder how many times a question has to be asked before it'd end up in their FAQ...

OnStar does something similar; if you forget where your car is parked, you can call OnStar and they'll make the lights flash or sound the horn, as well as unlocking the car remotely (great if you lock yourself out!)

It's not quite on the same level as Bond's car (anyone remember his remote-control BMW?!) but still pretty neat, IMHO...

After that, its only a matter of time before the Patriot act is ammended to include access to this data...

It should also be noted that if you check the fine print of your OnStar paperwork, this capability already exists, with no significant privacy warrantees, including no promise to require any warrant to access the data. In fact, according to a broad interpretation of my paperwork, there's nothing to prevent any OnStar employee from calling into my car at any time and browsing data, including where I am via the integrated GPS, possibly even turning on the in-car microphone and listening in. If you think these capabilities don't exist, look up the 'in-car speakerphone' and 'unlock my car by telephone' (through call to OnStar, which then calls your car) features of the system...

Features like these are already available to the consumer. The technology, called OnStar, was not-so-long-ago featured in many Cadillac commercials. Here is a list of vehicles in which OnStar is an available feature.

OnStar's features (including GPS positioning to recover a stolen car) are also described here

Disclaimer: I am not an employee of OnStar or any vehicle manufacturer.

Features like these are already available to the consumer. The technology, called OnStar, was not-so-long-ago featured in many Cadillac commercials. Here is a list of vehicles in which OnStar is an available feature.

OnStar's features (including GPS positioning to recover a stolen car) are also described here

Disclaimer: I am not an employee of OnStar or any vehicle manufacturer.

are drooling so hard right now that they're wetting their pants over this. Onstar already does something similar and can bet that this will only be used to spam us while walking around. And can anyone explain why onstar uses Batman as its spokes person? Makes no sense to me.

$399 a year is not $39 a month..

The rates from the Onstar site, for those who'd rather post before Googling.

DoC

You can also sign up for two voice-activated services for an extra monthly fee: voice dialing and a TellMe-like personal portal type of thing. The voice dialing is kind of cool. I believe that the voice portal isn't so hot.

Here's their webpage with all the info.

All GM cars (Saabs included) come with one year of Premium service 'free'. I don't believe that the premium services are worth the cost currently. Most of the operators are pretty stupid.

Todd

Also, why don't people say the same thing about Chevy's NorthStar. They can track you in you car.

YM OnStar. Northstar is the engine in the Cadillac. Yes, it's confusing, because Northstar and OnStar are often equipped in the same vehicle.

It's operational expenses are paid by it's onStar division.