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Comment Re: No Shit! (Score 1) 308

I think that has more to do with using due process, actually focusing on the criminal element, not roughing up and shooting citizens, and having ICE agents un-masked, trained, and properly identified.

Not losing track of where the kids went probably helped too. That and not making stupid claims about eating people's pets.

Comment Re:First you pay, then you pay and pay and pay aga (Score 1) 170

They probably spent more in development cost making sure locked features stay locked than they did on the features.

I'm trying to find out the needed codes to be sent on the CANbus for unlocking so I can add a cheap and secure embedded device to let my phone unlock the car. If I get the right codes, it will cost less than $50 to implement as a one-off. They could do it for a lot less in volume without involving a server in the middle at all.

The thing is, they WANT to maintain a server in the middle so they can force subscription fees.

Comment Re:Not only BMW (Score 1) 170

When I need GPS, I generally start it before leaving my driveway. I don't need to touch the phone while driving.

I would do the same with an in-dash GPS. I find any touch screen interaction distracting since it can't be done by feel.

At least with my phone, there's a better chance of voice commands being implemented before the car is worn out and replaced.

Comment Re:Explain (Score 1) 170

It's not short sighted though. It's a failure of market competition writ large.

In theory, stiff competition should force manufacturers to keep margins low. This represents just throwing additional manufacturing cost at it and providing no benefit to the buyer in the case they don't take the option. They could have, and competition should have forced them to either leave out the hardware to get the manufacturing cost down OR make the feature always on to justify the higher cost driven by the higher manufacturing cost.

That should also apply to programmable engine performance or any consumer electronics where the high end features are always there but disabled either by flags in the firmware or jumper settings.

Value pricing == market failure.

Comment And naturally (Score 1) 46

The various manufacturers are doing everything in their power to avoid switching once and for all to propane as a refrigerant because that one isn't patentable. Zero ozone depletion and 3x warming vs. CO2 (while R32 is 675x warming). And, of course it's much easier to dispose of. Capture it as usual and then cook burgers with it.

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I never cheated an honest man, only rascals. They wanted something for nothing. I gave them nothing for something. -- Joseph "Yellow Kid" Weil

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