Onstar Navigation System to Deliver In-Car Spam

pneuma_66 writes: "According to the New York Times (Free reg, don't cha know) navigation systems, like OnStar, are planning to deliver ads based on the car's location. For example, the system will 'notify' the driver of sales in nearby stores. The vp of OnStar says "The privacy and the confidentiality of our subscribers are of the utmost importance", well lets see how the big companies play with this new wealth of information."

Comments

Well Well Spam even while travelling!

[itsnotme]

Well, apparently now you cant run to your car to hide from all that spam you get from the USPS and your email and your AOL email.. They've now got you! you go camping with your car, you're still going to get spammed.. seems to me that they've got every corner of the earth to be now non-spam-free.. unless you do go hiking into the wilderness.. but heck.. maybe they've got some trees hooked up to the net so you'll be spammed in the wilderness now too!

Isnt there any end to this spamfest?

Moderation Totals: Funny=+1 Insightful=+1 SpamComplaint=-1

Pay them, and STILL get spam?

[EvilStein]

I bet they're going to try the same tired line of "Well, in this dynamic market, we need to experiment with sources of revenue..blabla..."

They're *already* charging people something like $399/yr, in addition to the stuff being installed on your vehicle,and NOW they're going to try throwing ADVERTISEMENTS at you?

Screw *that* - I'll just drive around with my happy Garmin eTrex GPS unit. At least it doesn't feel the need to inform me of a sale at Macy's.

On the flip side, Onstar really CAN find most anything. Our crazy friend Bill called Onstar and asked "Where's the nearest tittie bar?" and we had the answer within seconds. Gotta love that kind of service. :-)

Re:Pay them, and STILL get spam?

[Lostman]

Oh my god.. what a new concept... how original..

These guys want you to pay for their service AND serve advertisements to you? I am betting in a few weeks we will see how AOL has filed suit against Onstar for stealing their business practices... they would be right of course -- who could claim prior art against AOL's practices?

Let's see here...

[trilucid]

This might not be all bad... take an example scenario for instance:

1. VA Linux, err... Systems... err, whatever they are nowaways sells all customer information on every /. user in existence to the OnStar folks.

2. Geeks everywhere are suddenly constantly notified (in that pleasant feminine voice) of valuable chances to spend their money:

• "There is a strip club off to your left. Those women like geeks."
  
  
• "Adult video store just around the corner!"
  
  
• "That iMac girl is real, and she's giving out table dances at the Fun Club downtown at eight o'clock!"
  
  
• "Your boss just installed Windows XP across the company network. Your BSD server is gone. Wouldn't you like to purchase a firearm at Ed's Discount Sawn-offs tonight?"
  
  

The possibilities are limitless. :)

AOL/OnStar collaboration

[Man of E]

Drive by the post office... You've got mail!
Drive by Harvard University... Get your PhD degree!
Drive by the bank... Make $$$ Fast!
Drive by the swimming pool... Get wet pussy now!

Thanks to OnStar and AOL, my daily commute is finally going to become fun again!

Driving By Spam...

[Cylix]

Lost again! Drat!

Oh please OnStar gods help me!

"Hello, OnStar BOFH here"

Yeah, I'm lost, I'm trying to find 1234 Bovine...

"No Problem Sir..."
""
"Up on your right there is a WalMart, do you see it?"

Uh, yeah, sure... but what...

"Pull into the parking lot so I might give you some indepth instructional proceedures."

OK...

"WalMart is having a special on Remington Pump Shotguns, they normally retail for..."

Wait, I need to get to...

"Sure, proceed north for 3 miles and I'll alert you when you reach THAT destination."

"On your right is a StarBucks giving a special discount to OnStar Customers!"

I really really need to get to 1234 bovine...
There is a really important meeting that I must attend, if I don't make it, it could mean the end of my career and all dreams!

"Oh that sounds important..."
""
""

Um, sir, this looks like the same walmart I was at an hour ago. My god, the meeting is over... I'm ruined! What is your problem!

"You've reached WalMart, home of the Wally arsenal collection! Your profile suggests this would be perfect"

AAAAARGG!

How much were those shotguns?

Re:Driving By Spam...

[Black Rabbit]

First thing I would have done after pulling into the Walmart? Go in a buy something, of course!

A map and a pair of sidecutters.

They had that on Knight Rider

[selectspec]

.

K.I.T. Michael, there's a 40% discount sale at the "Spank Your Pants" Adult Bookstore in that strip mall to the right.

M. Knight Excellent Kit! Go to "pursuit" mode.

Re:Well Well Spam even while travelling! -Addition

[ncc74656]

your new bicycle at this rate will probably have spam too, and it'll be powered by you pedalling!

...and who's under the impression that no costs are incurred by receiving spam? "It took me forever to get across town on my bike because of all the goddamn spam that kept flooding in on my Acme bike computer..."

How long before procmail gets ported to OnStar? Hey, Linux has been ported to everything under the sun; why not procmail?

Information you can use!

[Junior J. Junior III]

Judging on the areas I have to drive through to get to work, I'll be receiving lots and lots of ads for where I can buy the purest heroin and the cheapest automatic weapons...