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posted by janrinok on Saturday February 24 2018, @02:42AM   Printer-friendly
from the surprise! dept.

OEMs aren't just connecting cars for the fun of it; the idea is to actually improve their customers' experience with the cars. But right now, we're still missing an actual killer app—and to be honest, data on how many customers renew those cell contracts for their vehicles. A survey out this week from Solace that polled 1,500 connected car owners found that they still don't really trust the technology.

[...] But the bit of Solace's survey I found most interesting was the widespread ignorance regarding data collection. Only 38 percent of connected car drivers knew that their cars could store personally identifiable information [PII] about them, with 48 percent unaware this was the case. And that's important because that PII is being viewed as a goldmine.

[...] "[The fuel companies] want to offer you more than fuel," [Ben] Volkow said. "Many times, the fuel stations are also interested in anonymized data—why do some people always stop, do they take whatever's available or a specific brand, places to build new stations, and so on."

What's more, unlike selling cars, selling data is a high-margin business—between 80- and 90-percent profit. "A big part of the investment is already done," he said. "The databases are built, SIMs and modems are in the cars; they've crossed the Rubicon."

[...] Volkow thinks that drivers will be happy to share this data, as long as they get some value out of it, like free servicing or micropayments per mile traveled. But he also thinks consumer education is vital. "People tend to be more demanding when it comes to cars; they don't think of them as the same as mobile devices. You have to convince them there's a benefit," he told me.

Source: ArsTechnica


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  • (Score: 1) by anubi on Saturday February 24 2018, @07:04AM (2 children)

    by anubi (2828) on Saturday February 24 2018, @07:04AM (#642924) Journal

    I will pay you $10/year for exclusively using my .MP3 player.

    Terms of Business:

    1) You have no other program capable of playing .MP3. You hold this application harmless for any damages resulting from going through your computer to delete any programs it finds that may abrogate this agreement.

    2) You agree to always have internet connectivity so my player can report to the MPAA what song you are playing and if it is licensed to you.

    3) You agree the party receiving the premium is totally responsible for any copyright infringement we may suspect.

    For a limited time only, the hand of business is extended. Act now while available. In a few minutes, the hand will retract and you will have lost out on the opportunity to shake the hand.

    --
    "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
  • (Score: 1) by tftp on Saturday February 24 2018, @07:33AM (1 child)

    by tftp (806) on Saturday February 24 2018, @07:33AM (#642939) Homepage
    Sure, you can say that. Let's say it applies to cars, and let's say there is no universal boycott of these things - people dislike being told what to do. A lot. Where is my motorcycle then? That argument can be downshifted as necessary to electric bicycles and then human-powered bicycles. At some indices of this array the GPS receiver will not be surviving the trip. Also, geeks will start selling GPS simulators (expensive today) - the little black box will be receiving whatever the owner wants it to receive. For some a micropower jammer will suffice. Speeding? Take the cable and feed it through a simple D (or JK) flip-flop. Speed halved!
    • (Score: 1) by anubi on Saturday February 24 2018, @08:47AM

      by anubi (2828) on Saturday February 24 2018, @08:47AM (#642961) Journal

      I have trackers on some of my stuff. ( actually Android primitives. ). They are for MY use.

      I have seen them for quite some time to tell parents where their kid is... ( or where their spouse is! ).

      If you have an account with TING, you can add extra SIM cards cheap. They have a modest - something like $6 monthly "cover charge" per active SIM, and additional services, calls, SMS, internet is extra, with all activity from all sims lumped together to make the bill.

      --
      "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]