Verizon Retrofits Vintage Legacy Vehicles With Smart Features

An anonymous reader writes: Verizon have released an after-market system called Hum that can bring 'smart' features to 150 million existing cars of various vintages going as far back as 1999. The system consists of an on-board diagnostic (OBD) reader plugged into the vehicle's OBD port and a Bluetooth-enabled device clipped to the visor. It's the presence of the ODB port that limits the maximum age of the car to 1996. Hum comes with an app, and enables features such as automatic accident reporting, roadside assistance services and the tracking of stolen cars. The service will cost $14.99 per month via subscription.

Comments

Just what I need for an old car!

[__aaclcg7560]

Another monthly payment on top of everything else. Thanks, Verizon!

Re:Just what I need for an old car!

[Anonymous Coward]

Another monthly payment on top of everything else. Thanks, Verizon!

Don't worry. You'll feel better when it's not Verizon offering you an optional monitoring service for a small monthly fee.

Soon it will be your auto insurance provider demanding you install this standard monitoring service that comes with your new insurance policy.

Of course, they'll sell this concept under the guise of making everyone safer and thus lowering insurance claims. Odd part is somehow this will cost you the consumer more in the end.

Re:Just what I need for an old car!

[GoodNewsJimDotCom]

Nothing makes an old car feel like a new car again quite like a monthly payment.

Vintage, eh?

[ickleberry]

I thought a car would have to be 25 or 30 year old to be called vintage, and only a Subaru could be called Legacy. I suppose ye Americans are living in a faster-paced consumerist throw-away society. If it's not this year's model it's considered old.

Re:Vintage, eh?

[Penguinisto]

Thinking the same thing here... I don't consider anything made after 1980 to be "vintage".

Stupid headline had me thinking how they managed to stuff all of this into a 1963 Chevy II Nova SuperSport...

That Verizon?

[MiniMike]

Hopefully they didn't use the code from their tech dispatch system- I don't want my car to give me a two hour window for a drive to the corner store, and then miss it anyway.

So now even old cars can be hacked!

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope nobody retrofits bicycles... Otherwise everything is lost!

Ask this: Will you accept liability?

[ameline]

Will they accept liability for any damages caused as a consequence of commands on the CAN bus originating from or passing through their device? If yes, put it in writing. If no, it's not getting on the CAN bus of my vehicle.

Vintage?

[rossdee]

"as far back as 1999"

Thats not vintage

A vintage car is one made between 1919 and 1930.
1918 and earlier then its a veteran
1931 to WWII and its post-vintage

Vehicles made in the latter half of the twentieth century may be considered 'classic' but certainly not vintage.

Or you could...

[roc97007]

....buy a Torque (that's an Android app) compatible bluetooth ODB reader for around $20 with no recurring costs.

I drive an older car because it ISN'T smart

[Irate Engineer]

I have a 10 year old Honda Civic, base model, power nothing. I really am not looking forward to buying a new car as it seems they all have some Smart (TM) enabled tracking computerized bullshit that does nothing to enhance driving safety or performance, it just adds more shiny stuff to the sticker price.

I need a reliable set of wheels. Period. It has been my experience that adding computers to things does not make my life any simpler or easier, it simply adds a new layer of headaches.

Please, everyone, fuck off with the IoT shill - some of us don't want it or need it.

Re:Two possibly useful features and one useless on

[roc97007]

The accident reporting and roadside assistance features could be useful. As soon as these become readily available, though, one of the first things that a car thief would do is pull the dongle out of the OBD II port and throw it and the visor widget out the window, making it impossible to track the car. As a built in module, it works, because it's difficult for a thief to remove, but if it can be removed in 30 seconds without tools, it's worthless for tracking a stolen car.

Thing is, accident reporting and roadside assistance features can be had with any cell phone. And also some aftermarket in-dash radio/gps units.

Having these features as an add-on to the car would be convenient, if not for the monthly cost. It seems like Verizon is really reaching here.