Pi connected to a Cell modem, mobile hotspot, and "bait phone" ... and a separate GPS.
All powered by wall warts off an inverter to the car's 12v system.
This makes me feel better about my own systems designs.
I hate this phrase.
Leaded gasoline worked, but it was so stupid it actively made people stupid.
Storing passwords plaintext works, but the first time your system gets broken into it's a massive problem.
Driving at 80 mph in a rainstorm is stupid and it works until it rather spectacularly doesn't.
Door motion detector broken? a human hitting a manual door open button when they see people is "stupid but it works".
Need to build a bridge but don't have an engineer? Piling rubble in the water until you get a path across is "stupid but it works".
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Quotes/SchlockMercena...
Yeah and airborn nickel causes cystic fibrosis with the highest concentrations found in the home in built up areas, blown in like dust, and inhaled Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl causes but doesnt cause Parkinsons.
Surprising what the scientists can find but wont put their names to it.
Does that actually matter? Probably not, but I find the comparison to Docker apropos. Sometimes it's just easier to add/keep abstraction/isolation simply on the small off chance that it's lack does get in your way as long as that abstraction/isloation itself doesn't get too much in your way.
Hotspots often support NEMA GPS protocol to use them as a GPS receiver. All those devices could be powered more efficiently with a DC to DC power supply.