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Congress May Force Revealing of Car Computer Secrets
marksven writes "The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting that there is a bill with 86 co-sponsors in the House to force automakers to open up their proprietary interfaces to car computers. Small car repair shops are more and more becoming locked out of the repair business because most late model cars can only be fixed by accessing their computers with codes that are secret."
Maybe we can overclock them :)
Car companies will just encrypt everything with some stupid XOR scheme, and then claim DMCA protections.
and gets great gas mileage, even under heavy loads!
I can't believe congress would force car makers to give up their most valuable IP. How would you like it if some guy could just walk up and take your laptop? Woudn't like it, would you? Hippies, as usual, have their hearts in the wrong places. Maybe it's because they're all atheists.
Congress to Automakers: "G1bb0rz u5 j00r l337 c0d3x0r5555!"
Once they release the interfaces to these car computers, we can install Linux on them.
Indefinitely Detained US Citizen
...I'm afraid I can't do that.
webpage
"Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions." -- G. K. Chesterton
... Territo said. "It's like the difference between an Apple microprocessor and an IBM microprocessor."
Hmmh, and I thought Apples G5 Microprocessors come from IBM...
So by giving us fewer choices to get our services, they're protecting us from evil people outside of their organization!
Oh what a silly sheep I've been, servicing my car myself for so long!
I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
Cool! I've always wanted to Slashdot an Acura!
This really isn't much different than open-source vs closed-source though, is it...if the person selling it wants to lock you out of the internals, well, your choices include not buying from them.
#:apt-get install camaro
No package by that name.
#:apt-get install thunderbird
Try "apt-get install firefox"
#:apt-get install mini
Downloading "mini-dinstall" from repos
Ctrl-C
Process interrupted
#:apt-get install pinto
Warning: you are about to install package "pinto" from repository "www.ford.com/unstable" Do you wish to continue?
Ctrl-C
The ______ Agenda
...it was called Knight Rider. Just have all the automakers create autos that can talk and tell you the diagnostic/problem information. Take it a step further....sell advertising in the information.
"Michael, the left tire is running low and I've already told you 10 times. Why do you ignore me Michael? I let you into my hood on the first date. Oh look Michael, a Discount Tire shop; that would hit he spot, plus the tire tech has a nice big wrench...can we stop?"
"Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a fat white guy who is threatened by change."
Use 89 octane or above to avoid excessive 'pinging'.
;)
Sorry
Actually there is a Volvo concept car designed for women that does not allow you to open the hood without a special tool. It has a hole for gas, and a hole for windshield washer fluid. Anything more than that and you have to take it into the mechanic.
It also has a pony-tail hole on the headrest, and an ungodly amount of storage room for a car its size.
And tommorow they are going to pass a law that requires us all to buy new fridges with item monitors so they can monitor our protien intake and arrest us prior to commiting crimes based on all the bad food we eat..
Get a grip, I think the tin in your foil hat has started to rot your brain
Personal Website
Um, a $20 turbocharger? Where?
Mmmhh... I'd say this is more than a software patch and $20 in parts...
People couldn't type. We realized: Death would eventually take care of this.
Well, that's what happens with a RedHat car.
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
If this passes, then congress will make history by ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING SMART!!
-- I am. Therefore, I think!
Someone made a pro-patent comment on slashdot and got +5 Insightful?
It's not April 1st yet... what's going on here?
Come play free flash games on Kongregate!
I foresee some argument along the lines of "If we do this, will be able to soup-up the performance of their cars, and escape capture.
Too late.
Doesn't Congress realize the security implications of this? Have we had enough burdensome regulation and government red tape mucking up the best of the free enterprise sysetm that made this country great?
Hackers could hijack my car for illicit purposes, such as terrorism and kiddiepron!
Not to mention that original parts go through quality inspection processes that cheap aftermarket flybynight outfits don't do!
</pre-emptive shill from lobbyists>
"Provided by the management for your protection."