Automakers Want to Outlaw Gearheads From Working on Their Own Cars

[Stoic Joker]

From tomos' link above:

You bought it, you should own it. Period. You should have the right to use it, modify it, and repair it wherever, whenever, and however you want. Defend your right to fix.

Damn Straight!!!

-Stoic Joker (November 24, 2015, 03:43 PM)

It's towards the top of the page on your farm equipment link.
is that quote from the podcast? source (cbc radio - I hadn't listened to that...)

-tomos (November 24, 2015, 04:05 PM)

[IainB]

I was wondering about this (vehicle manufacturers blocking owners' access to computerised monitoring/control systems) when I posted this:

Re: Interesting "stuff" - VOYO OBDI port adapter to upgrade post-1995 cars.

OBDI = On-Board Diagnostics Interface

I have wondered for years why some bright spark hadn't done this, and had suspected that the auto manufacturers could have suppressed the technology with patents/copyright. I suppose they may yet suppress this initiative.

VOYO Connected Car Device | Pictures, Specs, Kickstarter | Digital Trends |
(Copied below sans embedded hyperlinks/images.)

By Andrew Hard — October 17, 2015

In the car world, it turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks.

San Francisco-based firm Voyomotive has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund its new VOYO connected car device. Using the OBDII port on cars of vintage 1996 and newer, the small plug allows owners of older vehicles to enjoy a variety of modern tech features like fuel-saving Start/Stop, advanced diagnostics for engine codes, and vehicle immobilization.

Through the Voyomotive Cloud and companion phone applications, users can also lock and unlock their doors automatically just by having their phone on them, track vehicles and traffic in the network a la Waze, and log individual trips to analyze mileage, driving time, gas used, and even CO2 produced.

“If a consumer wanted to add all of the functionalities provided by the VOYO to their car individually on their own, it would cost well over $2,000,” said Peter Yorke, CEO of Voyomotive. “The VOYO provides all of these functionalities at approximately one-tenth of the cost, and will continue to expand on these capabilities.”

VOYO’s Start/Stop feature — called EcoStart — is definitely one of the highlights of the device, as it allows the driver to turn off their engine at a stop simply by adding additional pressure to the brake pedal. When they wish to set off again, just relax the brake and the vehicle will start by itself, all while staying in drive. VOYO also crowd-sources stoplight information through the companion app, so motorists will know exactly how much wait time they have left. However, EcoStart, as well as some other features, requires the purchase of additional relays.

Related: Movimento’s ‘On-The-Air’ software: a vision of the truly connected car

The VOYO controller will initially go on sale for $100, with extra relays available for $50 each. If its goals are met, Voyomotive will ship the first 2,000 units out by the end of 2015, with a full U.S. product launch planned for the first quarter of 2016.

According to the company, setting up VOYO takes just two minutes.

-IainB (October 17, 2015, 09:39 AM)

[MilesAhead]

I want one of those little boxes used by Ghost Dog in Ghost Dog, Way of the Samurai

Then I don't have to worry about losing my key chain, or waking somebody up at 4:00 AM just to ask to borrow their car.   

[40hz]

The more "connected" things become, the more some people are going to want to erect fences and install controls to manage "the herd."

"Command & Control" is the new drug. And a far more addictive for some people than crack or heroin will ever be.

Maybe they should try outlawing that instead? Or would that just be too paradoxical for them?

Control freaks generally have a very low tolerance for either irony or humor. 

[MilesAhead]

"Command & Control" is the new drug. And a far more addictive for some people than crack or heroin will ever be.

-40hz (November 25, 2015, 02:31 PM)

When news reporters wondered how Henry Kissinger, a short dumpy guy with kinky hair and a big nose, could date Hollywood starlets he explained:  "Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac."  I guess it never goes out of style. 

[IainB]

...Control freaks generally have a very low tolerance for either irony or humor. 

-40hz (November 25, 2015, 02:31 PM)

Just what exactly do you intend to mean by that?   

[Renegade]

Here's the same basic issue reflected in electronics:

http://www.newburypo...63-28466d6bbb83.html

Consumer groups, repair shops want open book on electronics 

BOSTON -- Makers of electronic devices, from smart phones to coffeemakers, are keeping repair plans secret and limiting access to parts, a veil that forces many small repair shops out of business, consumer advocates say.

Electronics repair business and consumer groups now want lawmakers to intervene, forcing manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard, Samsung and Apple to openly sell parts and provide diagnostic manuals to independent repair shops.

Limiting access to plans and parts gives manufacturers reign over the secondary repair market, said Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of the Digital Right to Repair Coalition, based in New Jersey.

"Repair is a big profit for a lot of companies, and sometimes it's more profitable than selling hardware," he said.

Manufacturers are pushing back against the right-to-repair proposal, arguing that controlling repairs keeps their products working safely. In addition, they note, copyright law lets them protect their intellectual property against unscrupulous operators who might pirate it.

"This is the kind of thing that stifles innovation in the tech sector," said Matt Mincieli, Northeast region executive director for TechNet, which advocates for technology companies. "When you take away the ability of a high-technology company to control their products, you open up trade secrets and intellectual properties to potential infringement."

Mincieli said requiring device-makers to hand over sensitive diagnostic information would hurt Massachusetts' competitiveness at a time when it's compared to Silicon Valley as a hub for high-tech research and development.

"This is being driven by mostly people who want to get into the secondary repair market but don't want to pay the money to become a certified dealer - not consumers who are clamoring to get their devices fixed," he said.

To get certified to work on Apple computers, for example, technicians need to take college-level training courses online, pass several exams and pay a licensing fee of about $150, according to the company's website.