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Would You Pay $700, Plus a Monthly Fee, For a Digital License Plate? (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: It's been a few weeks now since a Bay Area startup put a digital license plate on my car. So far, nobody seems to have noticed. I haven't yet been pulled aside by police or civilians asking what it is. At first glance, this electronic device looks exactly like a traditional, stamped metal license plate. The new digital plate has the same scripted CALIFORNIA icon up top and uses the exact same size and font to show the numbers and letters. But in actuality, what I have is an "Rplate," a $700 plate-sized Kindle-like screen on the back of my car -- high-contrast grayscale e-ink and all. The device also contains an RFID and GPS chip that allow me to see where my car is at any given moment, to voluntarily track my trips, and to even optionally display DMV-approved customized messages in a small font below the plate number itself.
Were I an actual paying customer, I'd be paying $7 per month in a service fee, too, mostly to offset the data connection to Verizon. The one-time $700 price tag alone is a bit high for me. To be clear, I have a loaner model, and by the time this story comes out, I'll soon be sending the plate back to the company, Reviver. The model I've been using is one of the first 1,000 such plates that are legally out on California roads right now. Still, after my experience of a few weeks, there's no clear and compelling case to be made as to why most of us non-rich individuals need this fancy plate. Also, there are still unanswered questions about its security and what it means to voluntarily hand over so much personal location data to a single company.
Were I an actual paying customer, I'd be paying $7 per month in a service fee, too, mostly to offset the data connection to Verizon. The one-time $700 price tag alone is a bit high for me. To be clear, I have a loaner model, and by the time this story comes out, I'll soon be sending the plate back to the company, Reviver. The model I've been using is one of the first 1,000 such plates that are legally out on California roads right now. Still, after my experience of a few weeks, there's no clear and compelling case to be made as to why most of us non-rich individuals need this fancy plate. Also, there are still unanswered questions about its security and what it means to voluntarily hand over so much personal location data to a single company.
NO.
Hell No.
Like *Pay ME* to wear it. You know - like like.
... optionally display DMV-approved customized messages in a small font below the plate number itself.
"Sucker on board."
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
You not only agree to be tracked everywhere you drive, but you pay $700 plus a monthly fee for the privilege? Are you sure you heard them right?
Seriously... Free e-ink display!! I would totally steal your number plate.
I just need like 20 plates to make one big screen. Then I can read my kindle from my sofa whilst it's on my wall. Perfect.
Or you know, you could just stop the ridiculous practice of applying licence stickers when the cops all have number plate scanners and can tell if your rego is up to date without them.
I'm trying to think of what other possible purpose is served for it to have an electronic screen at all, and am coming up blank
Suppose you manage a large vehicle fleet, like UPS, FedEx or a large trucking company. Having something like this would be very handy as it would allow you integrate some handy location tracking, along with perhaps the ability to blank the plate if the vehicle is stolen (makes it it stick out more to law enforcement, for example). You already have to track your vehicle locations and something like this has the potential to simplify the whole operation since the DMV-registered plate identifier would automatically be associated with the device providing the location data. No need to manually enter things like plate identifiers into the fleet management software any longer.
People are going crazy about the price and privacy implications, but I cannot really think that the maker of this is targeting individuals. That would simply not make sense.
You mean you're going to pay to have other people track you? If they want to track you so bad why not just make them pay?
I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
All good points, but ummm, why would you want that in the license plate? Put this inside the vehicle where itâ(TM)s secure, isnâ(TM)t exposed to the elements and wonâ(TM)t have accidental knocks. A digital screen is great if you need to change the contents, but s license plate never changes, so whatâ(TM)s the point?
Comment removed based on user account deletion
What's changed since '75 ?
Immigration.
You think immigration is the only think to have changed since 1975? I'm not even sure that's true. Has immigration changed since 1975? I can't be bothered to find out. But the fact that you jump to that idea says a lot about you.
Don't let fear control you. Look for ways you can make positive changes in your life to bring you more happiness or satisfaction. There have been and always will be immigrants. They are not your problem. Even if we closed all the borders and didn't let anyone in, your life would be largely the same. That's because your problem is your own mentality and outlook. But that's good news! You can change your outlook and see things differently if you choose to. You can't really do much about immigrants, except bitch about them on the Internet. So focus on yourself and what you are thinking and feeling. Any change in your life starts with you.
"What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)