Cars, Security and a Peek into my Life
The above is a Conquest Evade, and the below Audi A8 Security.
The first one. And that’s Security through Obscurity
Same approach when securing your car in the city, and why you hide your WiFi network name (how to here).
Out of sight, out of mind.
All new 2014 vehicles now ship with a an EDR – Event Data Recorder, or, “black box.”
It constantly records information while the car is in motion, but only saves it in the event of a crash, a few seconds in total.
Information the EDR records: vehicle speed and acceleration, throttle and brake positions, ignition cycles, seat belt usage, velocity changes throughout a collision, and airbag deployment.
More sophisticated EDRs are arriving, which also record GPS data, seat position and steering, plus they continuously save the information.
Read it online at Autonet.ca
My Prediction – EDRs & Car Insurance – 2nd last paragraph
I predict insurance companies will start to use the data, something like, “connect your EDR to our system, and reduce your monthly cost by paying for insurance only when you drive!
Here comes the “Connected Car”. It’s going to be huge guys.
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Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index
When testing a new model, manufacturers disguise the cars from curious, long camera lenses… a leaked shot of an upcoming debut really sucks the drama away.
So many automakers keep a Camo Expert on staff.
The goal is to trick the eye into seeing something that’s not there.
How? The camo makes it difficult for a camera lens to focus, or sometimes an infrared-absorbing paint is used, B&W swirly paint can make convex appear concave, or the shape of the car is altered using styrofoam and fake body parts.
Read it online at Autonet.
There are different types of camo, but both always mask the two most important design features – the grille and tail lights.
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Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index
This year, our cars will be constantly connected to the internet. It’s going to be HUGE.
By 2021, the auto industry will have have the highest revenue that’s connectivity-related.
It arrived last year via Audi, and Chevy is a front-runner, with 10 of their models to be offered with 4G and LTE connections by this 2014 summer.
Read it online at Autonet.ca
It will be interesting to see how the data will be priced, because using the rule of thumb that at YouTube video is 1MB per minute, we’d all be driving down the road just hemorrhaging money.
Remember my column about War Driving? I wonder how this will affect things like that. I also wonder about the security aspect of an always-connected car. Remember, you are responsible for hotspot users.
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Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index
Two days before the race, Honda invited me on a backstage tour of the event. Like last year, it was awesome.
But unlike last year, this year’s tour included a stop at the security HQ come ON. I asked so many questions, the tour guide walked away.
Imagine securing 25,000 people, many of whom are drinking. And do it all in a way that’s un-obtrusive, so as to not create panic and alarm.
For more auto-oriented stuff from the race, here’s the tag – Honda Indy.
I purposefully waited to blog these photos, lest I accidentally reveal something of value.
Race teams – choose better WiFi network names; security through obscurity.
