Thursday 23 January 2014

Technology in cars

I don't think we really know how we want technology to integrate with our cars just yet. There are some things that seem like good ideas (integrated GPS) and others that are boneheaded wrongness shoehorned in because the car manufacturer says so (DRM on batteries). Some are a mixed blessing, offering some benefit while keeping it locked up and adding unknown security vulnerabilities (Lojack/OnStar come to mind, that can track and remote control your car, including unlocking it with a phone call, but might be accidentally offering that capability to hackers). We're starting to see concept cars with computers that keep you up to date on social networks. Distractions are a terrible thing to build into a car, but apparently that doesn't occur to the designers.

Mokalus of Borg

PS - I think car technology should be halfway between real-time industrial monitoring equipment and mobile computers.
PPS - That's a lot to cram into a computer system.

No comments: