EDR's Coming to a Car Near You

[W1RKW]

It looks like car dealers are now required to notify car buyers that their new car will be equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR).

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/08/21/event_data_recorder_rule/index.html

[John Holotko]

Sounds like a good idea to me.  I thing the data should be downloaded regularly and then analyzed by  law enforcement computers which can then flag irregularities in driving patters. Additionally, as  it is recorded the data can be analyzed in real time. If certain recognizable patterns can be matched thatmight indicate drunkor  impaired driving the car can do one of two things. Either disable itself  and/or transmit it's exact location via GPS coordinated so that Police can apprehend the vehicle BEFORE it engages in an accident.

Privacy advocates would have a field day with this one but, it  might not be such a bad idea to record conversations within the vehicle. Computer recognition could be used to pick out specific keywords that might indicate dangerous or criminal behavior. At that point the conversation could be uploaded to the cops so they can make a decision as to whether or not to intercept and apprehend the vehicle.

Even better, if voice recognition or facial recognition were employed police could match it to known criminals or terror suspects  and would actually know beforehand if a dangerous criminal is in the vehicle. Think about the advantages this can have during routine traffic stops. Police would know if the person they are stopping is a terrorist, kidnapper, escaped convict, murderer, or just Joe average with no criminal record.

Attention Criminals !! You may want to think twice before hopping behind the weheel of a car  in the near future...

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Yep, they should have the same thing in houses and businesses too.

[John Holotko]

Yep, they should have the same thing in houses and businesses too.

Well, SOME houses and SOME  businesses...

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Make it universal. This way no criminals can sneak by.

[K1JJ]

The way technology is inter-weaving with everyday life, I can see the day coming when everyone simply accepts the fact that they are being monitored in most parts of life. 

Already there are cameras watching every corner of the major cities, cell phones are easily monitored, bank transactions are watched. Credit card habits are watched as well as certain internet activity. The airports are getting to be a symbol of the ultimate submission: "Sir, please look straight ahead while the security officer probes around in your underwear for awhile".

Is everyone familiar with the current federal AML regulations as a result of the Patriots Act? (anti money laundering)  You will not believe the hoops they make financial institutions jump through these days. The days of moving hot money through banks, brokerage firms and the like are over. Then there's the Disaster Recovery Plans every financial institution needs. They now require back up office control centers at remote locations, duplicate this and that... a lot has changed since 9-11. I've had to write up programs for compliance in both areas. It was not easy to get them approved either.

How about this one...  Last year I spotted a CT State Cop walking around my property taking pictures,  looking at the towers and opening the military shelters. I axed him what was up and he said new fed regs require them to document and register every tower in the state. Sure enuff, I had to submit all the global positioning info, tower size, use, etc. It is now in a master listing on a govt website. Even though everything was properly zoned with the town, the feds wanted pictures and all the data. I do look a little like a young Muslim spy, huh?


I think it will get to the point someday where we all say to ourselves... "If I have nothing to hide, then let them listen in".  Sad but true. It will not happen without a fight, but it appears to be moving this way simply because of the monitoring ease permitted by technology and the "reasons" given as a result of the terrorism fears.

Personally, it doesn't bother me.  So far it hasn't affected my life other than going to the airport. I mean QTF? Things are changing quickly. I wonder how this point in time with all the paranoia today will all look 20 years from now?

T

[KB2WIG]

When I was cashing a check drawn on KeyBank, there was a little cup at the tellers window. I was asked to put my little finger in the cup, and then press the finger onto the check. They refused to honor the check  (a payroll check )  unless a print was taken.......  Anyone remember finger painting???  Friction ridge impressions dont take to smearing to well.  I hope the camera caught me swirling my finger on the check......   

The purpose of all this???   They have a payroll check, my signature, my photo ID and more cameras than the local CBS affiliate....  what good is the print going to do for them???   Morons .....

[KE1GF]

I remeber something a while back about breathalyzer ignition disablers. I guess some state was experimenting with the technology on repeated DUI offenders.

[John Holotko]

I think it will get to the point someday where we all say to ourselves... "If I have nothing to hide, then let them listen in".  Sad but true. It will not happen without a fight, but it appears to be moving this way simply because of the monitoring ease permitted by technology and the "reasons" given as a result of the terrorism fears.

Personally, it doesn't bother me.  So far it hasn't affected my life other than going to the airport. I mean QTF? Things are changing quickly. I wonder how this point in time with all the paranoia today will all look 20 years from now?

T

Even worst is that none of this stuff will stop crime or terror. It may reduce the likihood in some cases and  thus might be a good thing if used inteligently. But just look at all the measures that were taken to curb the drug trade and yet it still flourishes. Just bring the money and you can get the strongest stuff in whatever amounts you want. Ultimately were are headed in the direction of a heaviilly sureveilled world with a "nothing to  hide, nothing to fear" attitude. And  while it may be true that most people have nothing to hide, those  that do have something to hide will learn to become that much more stealth  and/or will learn how to use this increased surveillance and technology in their favor. Or learn to avoid it. And over time those who feel that have "nothing to hide"  will probably come to the realization that they have quite a bit  more to hide than they ever realized. Our system is far from perfect and in day to day living  many people depend on the reality that someone will look the other way, something will go unnoticed, etc. even if it's something very minor  like not paying a bill on time or leaving a car parked a bit beyond when the meter runs out or, driving a slight bit over the speed limit, etc. . In a society where surveillance is paramount and absolute there is no concept of "letting something slide", or "something going unnoticed". Everything will be noticed, recorded and must be accounted for. Our lives will eventually become a big  mess of trying to account for things we have never accounted for before. Yet, there will still be those who will always be able to pay someone to look the other way or to have the surevillance systems temporarily disabled  or turned off. Ultimaterly I think surveillance society will work for a while but ultimately will fail. It's so unnatural that it will be self  defeating.

[Ed/KB1HYS]

Ultimaterly I think surveillance society will work for a while but ultimately will fail. It's so unnatural that it will be self  defeating.

Yep, worked great for The Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and others.
 
Personally, I'd rather accept the risk of an occasional attack than live in a police state.  I hate to think I wasted 22 years of my life in the military defending our way of life, just to have it pissed away buy a bunch of apathetic couch patatoes, how want things handed to them on a silver spoon... [\rant]

My Dad used to tell me that sometimes you take one on the chin for what you believe in.  I wish his generation was still around, (WWII Vets)  Those guys would have rolled up their sleeves and put things to rights...

 Seriously the more you give the Government the harder it will be to get it back.

The way we lose things isn't all at once, but just little bits taken slowly over time. By the time anyone gets over their apathy, it'll be too late.   Like some forms of cancer, slowly eating away at something that was beautiful and unique.

All this will last until a some people with guts remember what it means to be an American and that the price of Freedom has always been the Blood of those who would be Free.

[W1QWT]

Privacy advocates would have a field day with this one but, it  might not be such a bad idea to record conversations within the vehicle. Computer recognition could be used to pick out specific keywords that might indicate dangerous or criminal behavior. At that point the conversation could be uploaded to the cops so they can make a decision as to whether or not to intercept and apprehend the vehicle.

Even better have the car lock its doors and be programmed to then drive to the nearest constabulary.

The airports are getting to be a symbol of the ultimate submission: "Sir, please look straight ahead while the security officer probes around in your underwear for awhile".

This is ok with me as I have nothing in my uderwear!

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Just get it over with and implant a chip in everyone's head that allows the government to control their thoughts. Then surveillance won't be required. Much simpler and much safer.

[WD8BIL]

What we need is a posting on the Technical forum telling us how to remove or disable the EDR.

Perhaps a 64 pill Muddywater Slapper driving a sensor input would do the trick !!

[W1QWT]

Well put a scope on the input lines to the device and record the data when your driving reasonably
Then build a little microprocessor based device that will always generate this signature and hook it into the
device. The man will think your the best driver around. You might even get a good driver award.
I did this type of things a few years back for a job. This device recorded garage door opener type signals and regenerated them on demand.
Q

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

My mother's family came from a country that kept a close eye on its people with the intention of controlling crime. It is called "Germany". You know the rest...

All kidding aside, the thing to keep in mind here is that in Germany's case, it was the government keeping an eye on the people. This EDR thing is not the government. It's probably being pushed by car insurance companies.

[John Holotko]

Just get it over with and implant a chip in everyone's head that allows the government to control their thoughts. Then surveillance won't be required. Much simpler and much safer.

Now that would do the trick. Now need to worry about surveillance or anything else...  Anyone starts worrying they can just shut it off.

[WA1GFZ]

I put insurance company crap right up there with hitler.
Then they will want to raise the rates even more to pay for monitoring us.
All our products at work store fault codes so we can fix things easier and understand why they failed. To serve the customer not screw them.

[KB2WIG]

                             the next move is for "Duck Speak".. This is when the higher order section of  brain is not needed to communicate...   klc

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Wow. Genocide, world war, and live human medical experimentation (to name a few) are equivalent to higher insurance prices. OK, if you say so.

I put insurance company crap right up there with hitler.
Then they will want to raise the rates even more to pay for monitoring us.
All our products at work store fault codes so we can fix things easier and understand why they failed. To serve the customer not screw them.

[WA1GFZ]

Yup, In their strange little way. How about the way they deny coverage to a sick person needing special services. I like the way they stall you till you die method of saving money. I'm going through it with my OM and he has good insurance.
Delay and stall that is the American way of medicine.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

In Germany he would have been shot or sent to a camp. And probably you too. Hardly comparable to anything in this country.

[KB2WIG]

The Nazis killed the sick, mentall ill and infirm..anyone not "productive". It was done in the hospitals, by doctors. This was before the war.   

Some of the Naza programs were based on American research of the 1920's......  Check out the Tuskegee studies for starters .... klc

[W1RKW]

That's like the bill I received for my recent oral surgery.  Insurance paid for about 20% of it.  Why bother.

[LURD]

Hello,
     I have no problem with cameras, and monitoring devises. The martains have been monortering my brain waves for years (exept when I'm wearing my tin foil hat, of course.
     I await their comming, and bringing me on board their spaceship (flying saucer with a tracker beam. )
I think that they will use me for breeding stock, after of course they remove my kidneys, and liver with a laser.

Best Regards,

LURD

[W1RKW]

Hello,
     I have no problem with cameras, and monitoring devises. The martains have been monortering my brain waves for years (exept when I'm wearing my tin foil hat, of course.
     I await their comming, and bringing me on board their spaceship (flying saucer with a tracker beam. )
I think that they will use me for breeding stock, after of course they remove my kidneys, and liver with a laser.

Best Regards,

LURD

Surely, the aliens have better surgical instruments than lasers.  They can probably get organs and nobody would even know that they had them stolen.