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Montreal Parking Meters Run Linux
jbecherv writes "According to LinuxDevices.com, new-fangled Montreal parking meters run embedded Linux (Google Cache). The City of Montreal is planning to roll out 500 to 800 wireless, solar-powered parking payment stations based on embedded Linux. There is even a
device profile
(Google Cache) that show some details about the meters... These meters run kernel 2.4.19 on a 206MHz StrongARM SA-1110. Each system has 64MB of RAM, boots from a CF device, and is networked wirelessly via GPRS."
Poor parking meters now they'll be the target of drunk geeks as well as drunk frat boys.
"If you're flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit." - Mitch Hedberg
Lemme get this straight..
Solar powered, in MONTREAL???
Guess the StrongARM takes less power than I thought...
http://www.masturbateforpeace.com/
Software should be free as in Free Parking.
My metamoderation cancels your moderation
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of those! Hours of parking time could be finished in minutes!
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living."
- Seneca
So what is going to happen when someone comes along with a thick black Sharpie Permanent Marker and mark the solar panel all black?
...but does it run Windows?
You'll know they switched when you come to Montreal and the streets are bathed in an eerie blue light.
Wireless, takes credit cards, covers 12 spots, and deals with goverment bureaucracy.
Seems a bit underpowered when you add that last part in.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!
"I can't recall where it was, but some other city tried using solar powered parking meters. They never worked due to insufficient light."
Oh, lemmie guess... Seattle.
Evolution or ID?
But that seems like a lot of RAM. Is it?
Well, it is now. But once they start clustering them...
One man's -1 Flamebait is another man's +5 Funny.
Excerpt from SCO's reactionary press release: "Anyone who parks at one of these meters is in effect using Linux, and therefore owes SCO $699 + 25 cents per half hour."
-Darl
Somebody e-mail me the free parking exploit
How long did one have to put his/her hand on top of the meter before you could get free parking?
That would be nice for Canadiens games. But if you want me to attend an Expos game, you'll have to set the parking meter to pay me.
This sig intentionally left blank.
where do you think it holds all the quarters?
.
Just try getting those things to play sound. Even parking meters that ran Windows 95 could find the sound card with no problem.
We have 'parking meters' here. Near as I can figure they need to know exactly two things:
- How much that coin you just put in was
- How much time is left, now that you put in that coin.
What's that, two bytes? Hell, have three.64MB CF? I can't wait for these to get hax0red.
Or does a 206 MHz processor with 64 MB of ram seem like DRASTIC OVERKILL for a parking meter?
Nah. But admittedly the nVidia GeForce 6800 they put in each one may be a bit much...
Here are some more fun hacking ideas:
-Program the meters to play "We're into Money" in beep tones whenever somebody swipes their card.
-Program the meter to prompt the user to find out what class of car they drive. If it's a SUV, the meter will refuse to let them park because the gargantuan heap blocks out the sun the meter needs to run.
-Program the meter to randomly scramble PIN numbers that users input.
-Program the meter to randomly pop up Microsoft error messages. We wouldn't want parking meters to give Linux a bad name now would we?
remember, we burned down your white house once, no reason we can't do it twice *grin*
With its cache.
*ba dum bum*
___
It's the end of my comment as I know it and I feel fine.
How long until they start getting ripped off for people to use in their digital cameras?
It's good to use your head, but not as a battering ram.
Yes. 64M of RAM ought to be enough for anyone.
Or does a 206 MHz processor with 64 MB of ram seem like DRASTIC OVERKILL for a parking meter?
It runs Java.