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Mazda Switches To USB Keys

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the now-thats-just-wierd dept.

kv9 writes "The new Mazda Sassou while being 'cool and promoting a positive state of mind' has a most important feature, that every geek will love. Instead of the classic key it uses a usb flash drive for starting up. The key can also be used to transfer things like driving instructions or music to the car's hard drive."

9 of 623 comments (clear)

  1. great, another point of failure by hqm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Now you don't have to lose your keys, just have to get them in salty water, or rub your feet on the carpet and touch them, or ....

    1. Re:great, another point of failure by Saven+Marek · · Score: 5, Insightful

      ...or take them to work. many many it workplaces ban the bringing of usb keys into the premises just as they do cell phones and ipods because of being a security risk.

      so you can't drive this car to work people

    2. Re:great, another point of failure by Anonymous+Custard · · Score: 4, Insightful

      How about running over it with a grain truck when the ambient temperature is -40 (celsius or fahrenheit, your pick)? I can do that with my keys right now and they still work.

      At -40 I'd be more worried about that little car even working than about crushing your keys.

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  2. Start the clock by Limburgher · · Score: 5, Insightful
    How long before someone hacks it to:

    A: Start multiple cars that they own

    B: Start other people's cars

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  3. Security? by BlackCobra43 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How secure is this compared to a traditionnal key?

    Really, "keygens" could be given a whole new meaning...

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  4. This is a BAD idea. by Tuxedo+Jack · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What if someone uses something like Ghost to dupe the USB key to a key of their own? Unless this is a chip-based key, it won't be secure at all - and I don't know about you, but I don't want someone going to Best Buy and buying a $20 USB key to dupe my car key onto.

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    1. Re:This is a BAD idea. by Piquan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      As opposed to today, where they can go into any hardware store and buy a $1 blank and $3 service to dup your key onto another key?

  5. Drives? Hard Drives? by Lead+Butthead · · Score: 4, Insightful
    The key can also be used to transfer things like driving instructions or music to the car's hard drive.
    So when the drive crashes, what happens? Are the vehicles owner permitted to make "archival" copies of the drive content? What sort of information are kept on these hard drives? Can the content of the drive be used against the owner in some way? Questions, so many questions...
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  6. If by "Mazda switching to USB keys" by spyrral · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...you mean Mazda experimenting with using USB drives as a key in a concept car, then yes.