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Cringely, Cars, and Networks

Posted by timothy on from the black-boxes-have-ups-and-downs dept.

Boiled Frog writes: "Cringely's latest article talks about Telematics, the art of putting computers in cars. However, the more interesting part is near the end where he talks about mesh networks where every car would have a router in it. I could see this extending digital cell service and mobile network connectivity far into rural areas."

1 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. Who is going to pay me for carrying the signal? by gewalker · · Score: 3, Troll

    Let's see, GM (and the rest) sell me a car and with part of the profits, throw in a "free" transmitter/receiver.

    Then, 4 years later, GM throws a switch and my car is now part of a mesh network worth $100 billion.

    Now, why would I waste any time filing a class action suit againt GM, claiming damages for using my resources without my permission. 1) They could have sold me the car for $30 less, 2) They use up energy that I have to pay for to run the node and to haul it around whereever I go, 3) They steal the use of my resources to make huge profits.

    Yep, this class action suit is going to be fun.

    Oh wait, all is disclosed in the EULA, and I'm not allowed to resell me car anymore either. It all makes sense now. The only part I have not figured out yet is where Microsoft is involved here.