Chevrolet to offer unlimited data plan with cars
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Everything is managed by OnStar through their device that's factory installed into every new Chevy vehicle. They have had security breaches and had to fix white-hat reported vulnerabilities in the past[1]. This system isn't just "4G wifi as a hotspot", it has almost full access to every system in the car.
Chevy offers this mobile app called MyLink which lets you remote-start, lock, unlock your car using this same connection.
History shows that car manufacturers have not given near enough thought to the security of access to a vehicle. I'm afraid that it's only a matter of time before we have a bot net either using cars, a bot-net that attacks and takes over cars, or both, with the potential of lots of damage and loss of life.
As such I immediately told OnStar to disable service to my car and will be finding and disconnecting the OnStar box (as it still phones home periodically) as I just have no reason to trust such a thing at this time.
[1] https://www.wired.com/2015/09/gm-took-5-years-fix-full-takeo...
Now it is finally making it to normal cars. My 2014 Passat has it as well. However, I didn't activate it since it is tracking my location.
On the other hand, stuff like Onstar can save lives.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2014/10/14/san-jose-mount-hamilto...
Before that experience I used to laugh off the idea of a weaponized mp3 file or people taking control of cars remotely. Now I think about that auto-boot USB port and the fact my driver's side door is a toggle to God-knows-what.
Bigger car companies prefer stability over features and don't design everything in-house like Tesla. Their shareholders also expect them to turn profits, which leads to risk adversion and slower product cycles.
But what really, really annoys me, is I have to push buttons on the screen to update/fix the time.. How the hell does it not have NTP, or get a radio signal, etc?
This offset is limited to 255 seconds though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Positioning_System#Leap...
Given that leap seconds have been added at a rate of approximately 1 every 1.6 years, we are still good for another 376 years.
Over 6000 posts. Have fun. :-)
Someone put together an app which allows you to select the hacks you want, then generates a few scripts that you write to a USB drive. You then put that in the car and turn it on, and it patches the system:
You can brick the system, so be careful. I haven't touched my system yet, and I wouldn't do so w/o understanding exactly what each of these hacks do.
She brought it to the dealer, who initially claimed it had to be done by the dealer, which to their dismay wasn't true. They had no idea what to do, and my coworker ended up talking to the tech, looking at the screens they figured it out -- another bug that froze the update process if the battery was below some level. They charged the battery, everything finished, and the car was back.
She ended up getting a part time gig with them helping folks with these problems, which may become a bigger thing.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/01/15/polic...
Here's how GM could beat Tesla, along with why it won't happen. GM could just take a look at what Tesla is doing, and do all of the same things, then do certain key things better. From a sheer resources and capability standpoint, GM could beat the pants off of Tesla. I think Tesla is counting on: 1) GM and other big automakers being too set in their ways and 2) GM and other big automakers getting some key things very, very wrong. Security is probably a key example.
It's an oft-cited insurgency move to use the big power's culture against itself.
RIM knew who their market was, and frankly should have been fine if there hadn't been a hype panic. Heck, their top market cap was a year after the iPhone.
I cannot help but think of a world where there was an actual "consumer" Blackberry device. I think the Bold form factor with the Passport keyboard UI and advances would have been a pretty nice machine. It was even thick enough for a really good camera and battery. I can even see the shooting video commercial tag line "Live Life in Widescreen" with snark about vertical video.
Sure, that's why I said the truth was in the ideas, not the statement itself. :)
> Heck, their top market cap was a year after the iPhone.
Sure, Apple added exchange support in early-to-mid 2008[1]. Add to that incomplete coverage of features initially, and the fact that Enterprises don't move as quickly as consumers, and it makes sense. I remember there being some hope RIM could pull off a good touch phone, but it was too later (I judge this by the fact that when they finally delivered a touch phone nobody really cared enough to give it the time of day).
1: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2537517/apple-mac/apple...
Then they rolled out a really good OS (bought QNX) but it took too long and delivered too late. By most reviews it was a quality product, but 3 years too late.
They should have bought Palm in 2010 when it was up for sale and built on their existing product.
But they bought QNX that year instead, and released their mediocre tablet a bit year later. Anybody who saw how flubbed that was could see the writing on the wall.
If there's a practical path to GM doing the same things Tesla is doing that's in line with GM's observed practices and capabilities, that would be much more interesting — but the fact that Bizarro World GM could beat Earth-1 Tesla doesn't tell us much of anything.
So, I'm an Australian. We don't have OnStar but I've heard about it via the net. I keep getting emails for 2 different people's OnStar accounts to my Email address... and OnStar won't do anything about it.
I have a pretty short Gmail address because I signed up early (6 characters), and Gmail's autocorrect/fuzzy email receiving means I get emails for all sorts of people that have mistyped their email and mine is "close" to what they typed.
To give you an idea of how bad this OnStar situation is:
- The emails have all the personal details inside each one. Name, home address, car make/model and various ID/registration details, home phone number, etc.
- It gives me full access to the cars maintenance records via monthly emails with EVERYTHING in the email relating to the car, INCLUDING LETTING ME EDIT IT via a link.
- It gives me a link directly to their OnStar account, and the password is the persons postcode, WHICH IS IN THE EMAIL. There's quicklinks to access the full account, change vehicle details, remotely access various aspects of the vehicle's features, etc.
- I can send directions to their GPS from my browser, which comes up on their screen.
- ... lots lots more "could" be done if I was inclined.
I've emailed OnStar support about it a few times, they don't reply. The closest I get to any form of reply is an automatic message telling me to call them on a "toll free number" (not free for me to call from here!)
PS, Mr Buchner, your 'tires' on your GMC Terrain are low and your oil needs changing urgently. It's overdue by months.
It can be fun too though, like when someone signs up for a dating site with your email and you can login to what is effectively your account.
I had the same problem as you with a large bank... kept getting emails with someone else's balance in them. I kept responding and trying to get the bank's attention, but nothing. Eventually I tweeted at them publicly with a description of the problem and that got them to clear it up pretty quickly. ;)
Is this a widespread issue with Gmail?
There are companies that have been emailing me contracts for years now. I've gotten multiple divorce records, tax returns, all sorts of confidential information. I guess that's what all those legal disclaimers in the footer are for, because someone could do a ton of damage with the information I've gotten.
(I am not a lawyer.)
Sometimes it's funny because people send me Mails trying to recover their account but I tell them to speak to the companies because I have no way of verification that I'm actually turning over something to the right party, so I don't do it.
I have a 7-letter gmail address. Middle initial (I don't use my first name), last name. Every so often I'll get information mailed to me that's supposed to reach Terry Myname in Illinois, Tim Myname in Iowa, Tammy Myname in Florida, Todd Myname in Wisconsin, etc. A lot of times it's just mundane (oooh, I could cancel someone's Bath & Body Works order!) but on occasion it's legal paperwork.
I do at least try to get the important ones sorted out -- I reply with "it appears you're trying to reach [name] in [city] but you've actually reached [me] in [my city]. If you have a phone number for [name], you should give them a call and ask for their correct e-mail address." On occasion that even works :D
Until somebody finally listened to my responses of "These aren't the droids you're looking for", I was privy to lots of intriguing drama.
I regularly get people applying for loans, who send me A LOT of personal information, because of a typo in a spam mail. Contacting the responsible loan company, who looks pretty fake and shady, didn't lead to any success.
Once had a gentlemen in his 70ies contact me about my profile on a dating site for seniors and get lots of car advertisement addressed to someone with my initials, who sometimes does eBanking, is 40+ years married to a wife whoms father died 3 years ago, etc. etc.
Needless to say, I love mail filters.
1) determine the email pattern for gm employees, usually it is something like john.doe@gm.com 2) find the head of every major department related to my issue as well as the CEO and add their addresses to an email 3)provide documentation of all attempts to correct the issue and if you use outlook, request read receipts just to be 'that person', send an email highlighting your multiple attempts to correct this, how you are willing to escalate it to x,,y, or z. Media, government agency, etc. if it is not dealt with appropriately. 4) success
I've received gift cards, emails from CEO's apologizing, finally got removed (after 6 months of emails to regular staff trying to stop it) from an automated Dell email invoicing the wrong company, etc.
A MetLife VP keeps sending me confidential financial stuff. Several other people around the world too, bank stuff, car stuff you name it.
I've stopped trying to "fix" the situations and just mark them as spam and move on.
Yeah! No kidding!
I read last year about how Nissan's Leaf API was entirely unauthenticated, all you needed was the VIN to mess with people's climate control.
https://www.troyhunt.com/controlling-vehicle-features-of-nis...
You might say an internet connected head unit should just be disconnected from the vehicle bus, and there's some merit to that. But, customers want to be able to control the volume from their steering wheel or the head unit should control the subwoofer amp in the back of the vehicle, or change vehicle settings from the head unit display... so the head unit needs to be on the bus to do all of these things.
The goal is to limit what the head unit has access to on the bus. For example, there's no reason the PCM (powertrain control module) should be allowed to receive anything other than high level configuration information from the head unit (switching between standard and sport mode driving profiles for example).
http://www.bosch-mobility-solutions.com/en/products-and-serv...
When I got my new 2016 Honda Accord I was looking forward to some good streaming music in the car. I read that the built-in stereo comes with Pandora. I also knew that the built-in stereo can also access the Internet. "Cool," I thought. "I can fire up the hotspot on my phone, connect the car to the Internet, then the Pandora will connect and do its thing."
Nope. Turns out that the stereo can connect to the Internet. It's got Android. But the most useful thing I can do is browse the Web on my car stereo screen. Something I have never, ever wanted to do. Apparently it also connects to some useless thing called Aha Radio, which hasn't been updated in years. The Pandora can't even use the Internet connection! It only works through Bluetooth or, apparently, though hooking up my phone via a cable.
So the stereo's Internet connection is practically useless, and my only streaming options work through the phone, which is generally a glitchy experience. Though I must say, the Pandora built in to the car is generally better than Apple CarPlay, which has been a huge disappointment.
So hopefully Chevy has something decent in their car other than an Android web browser on the car screen, and hopefully it's not just Apple CarPlay or Android Auto or anything like them, because in my experience the phone makers are all about stripping away hardware buttons. When I'm driving the hardware buttons are far superior to finicky on-screen buttons.
It is however touch screen based. And I'm thankful for CarPlay since Mazda doesn't support CarPlay nor Android Auto and Mazda's UI is awful.
CarPlay really seems to suck for any audio app that isn't Apple Music. It does seem to work _great_ for Apple Music, so if that's your preferred music app then you'd be pretty happy.
The only hope for it is the voice interface. The touchscreen interface is horrible, because there are no hardware buttons...which may be Honda's fault, as they stripped off all buttons except those on the steering wheel.
I wouldn't be surprised if Android Auto works better, as Apple's voice control has generally been bad. Also Google Maps still beats Apple, and I can't get Google Maps on Carplay.
But don't most people that can afford this already have unlimited (or close to it) data direct from the phone?
Or is the data connection used by the car in some other way?
[1] http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2468927,00.asp
"Verizon Enables Simultaneous Voice and Data for iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus", September 2014
Sprint still drops data connections during voice calls.
Also, this way you can add another middle man that makes money data-mining your browsing habits.
They pay for it in a monthly rolled up price, and at the end of their contract they own the device outright, obviously with all caveats surrounding leasing any asset.
You can't sensibly pay for a recurring expense on credit.
They probably will be collecting diagnostic data like Tesla does and it'll be written in the fine print. That is likely the real reason for the 4G modem installed in the car and the rest is just PR spin to encourage people to buy the always-connected vehicles. I fully expect this "free feature" to be paid for by these cars recording which parking lots you visit for Big Box store analytics as well as LEO per-request-fees.
They probably have some navigation stuff, radio, etc. built into the car that would use it as well for the dashboard.
The $20 a month, I suspect, covers Chevrolet's network costs so they can be paid on both ends.
Not sure where you got that idea, the article didn't even mention phones.
My thought would be more towards using the car's wifi for iPads and laptops. Makes total sense when I look at how my nieces and nephews use technology. They're obsessed with iPads, and thats the primary way they consume media.
Also, up until recently, one of the most expensive phone plans you could get (Verizon) didn't even offer unlimited data, and the rates are only 1/4th the price of my car lease. Even without kids, $20/mo for data usage in my car would actually make it so I could downgrade my plan and save money (lots of podcasts on my drive in to work).
But $20/month for unlimited data in my car? That would be worth it just for the 3-4 road trips I take each year. My kid could sit in the back watching numberphile videos the whole time? Yes plz.
With an in-car hotspot, my kids could bring their tablets with them and stream movies, even when I'm not in the car to set up a hotspot on my phone.
I'd also think this would be a big hit for road warriors - the kind of people who live out of their car, and today tend to post up at Starbucks in between meetings to grab some free WiFi. Now, they can just sit in their comfy cars with their favorite music, use the car's hands-free for calls, and work from their laptops.
(Incidentally, one of the things I love about EV's and hybrids is the ability to leave the climate control and entertainment on when parked indefinitely without having to run the engine)
...Unless it's an EV.
Wifi routers consume on average about 6 watts. The new Volt has an 18.4 kWh battery, which could run such a wifi router for about 4 months. Or, put another way, running a wifi router all day would use about 0.005% of the Volt's battery capacity.
Obviously a lot of other support systems would be powered on as well, but still, the point is, you're not really going to notice the battery drain from a little wifi transmitter relative to the battery capacity needed to move a 3500 lb automobile 50+ miles.
Teslas will top up the 12V battery from the main battery even when the car is "off," but I don't know how other cars do it.
Unless there's an electric Silverado I don't know about?
//Disclaimer: I work for GM, and I worked in the factory where Hybrid Escalades were made.
Another point of entry? Eeek. At least it keeps fiction writers like me busy, because, let's face it, creativity is what theorizes holes in systems, then followed by skill to test if they're really there.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/01/15/polic...
The TLAs use things like OnStar to spy on people.
//disclaimer: I work for GM, but not in this area.
Just make it simple to let my car use my phone's data connection. Volt support Apple Carplay and Android Auto so that shouldn't be all that difficult.