The insurance companies use the cooperation clause (written into most auto policies) to assert access to the data. The government can get what it wants--I wouldn't be surprised to see future models support remote query for law enforcement and investigators. No physical contact with the vehicle would be required. The simple serial interfaces used now are too hackable, and once one person figures out the proprietary interfaces, it'll be game over for the current models.
No mention at all in the article of what has to be one of the biggest reasons for the push to change the boot process: Digital Restrictions Management/Trusted Computing/Palladium/Next Generation Secure Computing Base. (Notice how the name gets changed every time it becomes obvious what it really is.)
And your wife gets the notice from the insurance company, and realizes that you live in ZIP code X, work in ZIP code Z--so what's your car doing in ZIP code Y so much? Hmmm...
It's quite possible, even likely, that an arm of Subaru is carrying the financing if it was obtained through a dealer. Although it may well be a case of one hand not knowing what the other is doing between two divisions of a large company, his wrath at Subaru in general may not be misdirected.
Right--the argument is directly analogous to the concern over public records at the moment. Everyone was fine with public records of a private nature when you had to know something about the system or know someone who did to get at them. Now that Joe Average can trawl the county property tax records to see who in the county owns a Buick from the interweb, people are concerned.
They're public records, right? Joe Average doesn't have access to any new information. What's the problem?
OnStar isn't the only potential problem. Newer vehicles, GM in particular, carry fairly extensive data logging in the airbag unit (which, conveniently, altering or disabling is a violation of federal law).
The only company that makes a device (the Vetronix CDR system) to extract the data from it charges thousands of dollars for it--there's a secretive Yahoo group of "accident reconstructionists" that make their living extracting data from these devices and testifying for those willing to pay expert witnesses (e.g. insurance companies).
Those who don't value their privacy will say that people should be held accountable for their actions. Fair enough--but these data are open to interpretation, and only those with the cash will be able to pay one of these people to get the interpretation they want.
This is assuming the recorder is infallible, and the accident reconstructionist interpreting the data from it is scrupulously honest (even though being paid by the insurance company) and technically competent.
The accident reconstruction industry is a very secretive bunch, and they are no doubt salivating at the possibility of creating new "value added" services using the proprietary interfaces into OBD, air bag, and other data logging systems on newer vehicles.
Every example you cite, except for a PVR, has some legitimate reason for an ongoing cost, as opposed to an ongoing fee to prevent a piece of equipment from being crippled.
Electricity and other utilities consume real and finite resources and require the maintenance of generation and distribution facilities. Cellular telephony requires maintenance of routing and signal distribution infrastructure (and is available without a monthly fee in the form of per-minute prepaid service).
Cable TV is a content subscription (as opposed to payment for metadata and for not crippling a machine's intrinsic abilities as TiVo and ReplayTV do)
If the TiVo/ReplayTV didn't require a guide data subscription simply to operate as a simple PVR, I would consider buying one. I suppose.
Thoughtful post, but I have issue with this analogy:
The last time you wanted a new computer did you grab a fistful of ICs & a soldering iron? No, you drove down to the computer store & bought one. Did some corporation profit from your action?
Do you pay a monthly fee to keep your computer working? I don't. And I didn't solder it myself:).
An insightful reply and good breakdown of the calculus of the value of money vs. that of time. I can't say I make $385 per workday (if I did, I'd be working three day weeks:>), but are you counting time you would otherwise not really be working in your opportunity cost calucations?
I am gratified to hear that TiVo offers one real lifetime subscription that doesn't mean the "lifetime" of the unit.
Interesting. While my information isn't current, you can use a series 1 TiVo without a subscription as just a VCR--but series 2 and later don't work at all without a subscription.
It seems that loading any kind of guide data without a sub is a "forbidden topic" on the TiVo forums (which is understandable--they're one TiVo C&D letter from oblivion at any time), so it's interesting to see that it can be legally (or at least ethically--not grabbing TiVo's guide data without paying.
Thanks for the interesting link and non-flaming reply:). Merry Christmas!
Because it's the only way for lowly customers to punish corporations who could otherwise do things like this with impunity, since no one individual is going to be able to get a lawyer to take his little case on contingency. The fact that the lawyers are the ones that make the big bank doesn't change the fact that these suits rightfully cost the defendant big money and provide a disincentive to deceitful or dangerous practices.
No subscription means your VCR becomes a paperweight--you don't truly own the equipment; you rent it (and modify it to operate without paying under the pain of the DMCA). It truly amazes me that people buy into this when there are alternatives that don't require becoming a lifetime corporate cash cow.
That's the reason I've only recently parted with a 386 and 386SX I'd been harboring. I still have several 486 and low end Pentium machines. I figure low end beats "trusted computing" any day.
This kind of scam probably serves the greater purposes of law enforcement. Think about it--if some middle class folk try to play the games of the rich by hiding assets overseas, the word gets out that "all those offshore banks are scams," and the taxes keep rolling in. Meanwhile, the truly rich keep their money in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands.
Being that it's cold in many parts of the world and many are without heat, I imagine an old PC with even a vintage Intel or AMD chip would add welcome warmth to homes in which natural gas service has been disconnected.
The politician in your second scenario is still corrupt. An honest politician (oxymoron, I know) would refuse the money because of the appearance of quid pro quo that would be created by his having accepted it.
If they don't want to make the source open, then they can quit using sf.net's resources. Seems simple enough to me. It'd be nice if they'd also quit geeksquealing about it. They're lucky SourceForge doesn't slap them down for theft of services.
Now HDTV will enjoy the popularity and success in the marketplace previously reserved for SDMI! Bottom line--if "Joe Sixpack" figures out that the shiny new TV won't let him do what he does now, he won't buy it. So get out there and let him know.
Slashdot Mirror
The insurance companies use the cooperation clause (written into most auto policies) to assert access to the data. The government can get what it wants--I wouldn't be surprised to see future models support remote query for law enforcement and investigators. No physical contact with the vehicle would be required. The simple serial interfaces used now are too hackable, and once one person figures out the proprietary interfaces, it'll be game over for the current models.
No mention at all in the article of what has to be one of the biggest reasons for the push to change the boot process: Digital Restrictions Management/Trusted Computing/Palladium/Next Generation Secure Computing Base. (Notice how the name gets changed every time it becomes obvious what it really is.)
And your wife gets the notice from the insurance company, and realizes that you live in ZIP code X, work in ZIP code Z--so what's your car doing in ZIP code Y so much? Hmmm...
It's quite possible, even likely, that an arm of Subaru is carrying the financing if it was obtained through a dealer. Although it may well be a case of one hand not knowing what the other is doing between two divisions of a large company, his wrath at Subaru in general may not be misdirected.
They're public records, right? Joe Average doesn't have access to any new information. What's the problem?
I hope we all enjoy living our squeaky clean lifestyles free of petty crime or peccadilloes.
The only company that makes a device (the Vetronix CDR system) to extract the data from it charges thousands of dollars for it--there's a secretive Yahoo group of "accident reconstructionists" that make their living extracting data from these devices and testifying for those willing to pay expert witnesses (e.g. insurance companies).
Those who don't value their privacy will say that people should be held accountable for their actions. Fair enough--but these data are open to interpretation, and only those with the cash will be able to pay one of these people to get the interpretation they want.
The accident reconstruction industry is a very secretive bunch, and they are no doubt salivating at the possibility of creating new "value added" services using the proprietary interfaces into OBD, air bag, and other data logging systems on newer vehicles.
Electricity and other utilities consume real and finite resources and require the maintenance of generation and distribution facilities. Cellular telephony requires maintenance of routing and signal distribution infrastructure (and is available without a monthly fee in the form of per-minute prepaid service).
Cable TV is a content subscription (as opposed to payment for metadata and for not crippling a machine's intrinsic abilities as TiVo and ReplayTV do)
If the TiVo/ReplayTV didn't require a guide data subscription simply to operate as a simple PVR, I would consider buying one. I suppose.
The last time you wanted a new computer did you grab a fistful of ICs & a soldering iron? No, you drove down to the computer store & bought one. Did some corporation profit from your action?
Do you pay a monthly fee to keep your computer working? I don't. And I didn't solder it myself :).
I am gratified to hear that TiVo offers one real lifetime subscription that doesn't mean the "lifetime" of the unit.
Merry Christmas!
It seems that loading any kind of guide data without a sub is a "forbidden topic" on the TiVo forums (which is understandable--they're one TiVo C&D letter from oblivion at any time), so it's interesting to see that it can be legally (or at least ethically--not grabbing TiVo's guide data without paying.
Thanks for the interesting link and non-flaming reply :). Merry Christmas!
So, where can I download the open source devkit for TiVo, Mr. AC? Merry Christmas, jackass indeed. Risk some karma and we'll talk, pussy.
Because it's the only way for lowly customers to punish corporations who could otherwise do things like this with impunity, since no one individual is going to be able to get a lawyer to take his little case on contingency. The fact that the lawyers are the ones that make the big bank doesn't change the fact that these suits rightfully cost the defendant big money and provide a disincentive to deceitful or dangerous practices.
No subscription means your VCR becomes a paperweight--you don't truly own the equipment; you rent it (and modify it to operate without paying under the pain of the DMCA). It truly amazes me that people buy into this when there are alternatives that don't require becoming a lifetime corporate cash cow.
subscription-based digital VCR makes you a TV sharecropper. Just say no.
That's the reason I've only recently parted with a 386 and 386SX I'd been harboring. I still have several 486 and low end Pentium machines. I figure low end beats "trusted computing" any day.
Merry Christmas!
This kind of scam probably serves the greater purposes of law enforcement. Think about it--if some middle class folk try to play the games of the rich by hiding assets overseas, the word gets out that "all those offshore banks are scams," and the taxes keep rolling in. Meanwhile, the truly rich keep their money in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands.
Merry Christmas!
The politician in your second scenario is still corrupt. An honest politician (oxymoron, I know) would refuse the money because of the appearance of quid pro quo that would be created by his having accepted it.
If they don't want to make the source open, then they can quit using sf.net's resources. Seems simple enough to me. It'd be nice if they'd also quit geeksquealing about it. They're lucky SourceForge doesn't slap them down for theft of services.
Car analogies are weak--the Audi really does go faster than the Kia. The iBook does NOT run faster than a comparably priced Intel laptop.
Now HDTV will enjoy the popularity and success in the marketplace previously reserved for SDMI! Bottom line--if "Joe Sixpack" figures out that the shiny new TV won't let him do what he does now, he won't buy it. So get out there and let him know.
If the company treats its employees right, they wouldn't need anything but the text on top that says "Confidential."