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https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-4bs-inside-spin-scooters
When things don't work out for scooter rental companies and they shut down or pull out of a city, they usually take spare stock with them. However, when Spin backed out of Seattle, many locals discovered unused scooters scattered throughout the city. Upon closer inspection of these abandoned devices, or should we say dissection, it was uncovered that they each have a Raspberry Pi 4B inside.
This discovery was recently shared on social media. Legally, if the scooters are abandoned then snagging one for the Pi inside is fair game but it's not clear if Spin has plans to recover their remaining assets.
The Seattle city government official website confirm that Spin originally arrived in 2021 as a fourth scooter rental option. However, the company did not renew its license for the most recent cycle. Because of this, you can find a few remaining Spin scooters around the city.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 09 2023, @12:23PM (5 children)
So what they are saying is that all those scooters strewn about the city are just unguarded Pi:s. Time to get my hoodie and take a midnight stroll ...
(Score: 5, Insightful) by epitaxial on Wednesday August 09 2023, @02:03PM (4 children)
Take the entire scooter. Salvage the Pi and buy a new speed controller from AliExpress. Free working scooter.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Reziac on Wednesday August 09 2023, @02:29PM
Yeah, I was just wondering about that. I suppose the legality hinges on local laws about abandoned property.
But we might expect to see a surge in "used scooters" in the near future.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Wednesday August 09 2023, @04:15PM (2 children)
Note that the ebikes/etc around here have a GPS/phone home capability, so may need a handy faraday cage. If the parent outfit is out of business, likely there are credit agencies involved who are not well known for benevolence or leniency when it comes to legal matters.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by epitaxial on Wednesday August 09 2023, @05:50PM (1 child)
That's why I said to buy a new speed controller. The old one has the LTE modem and payment software.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by anubi on Thursday August 10 2023, @02:09AM
I figured all permissions and accounting would be in the Pi.
Not the motor controller.
RF commlinks usually don't like to be around inductive PWM motor controllers.
Anyway, one of the first things done to a salvaged reprogrammable device is to delete the old program and replace it with yours.
Last time I checked, abandoned property left on someone else's real estate was considered "illegal dumping" or "littering", unless the storing was previously agreed on, usually invoking storage fees or property rental.
However, once lawyers and moneyed interests get involved, anything goes.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]