Read (ieee.org)
65% of 2004 model year cars now have event data recorders built in. In other words, your car has a flight data recorder and you probably did not even know about it. The contents of the recorders are already being used in legal cases.
It’s a chore that can quickly chill the warmth of the holiday season: Trudging outside each winter night to unplug the lights, deflate the blowup snowman and shut off the rest of the outdoor extravaganza.
I’ve used X10 modules and remotes to control the Christmas lights for years. The kids love using the remotes to turn the Christmas lights on and off.
Big Brother In Your Car (charlotte.creativeloafing.com)
The National Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Plan: A Ten-Year Vision Document was created in 2002 by the US Division of Transportation. It’s a chilling tale of big business
and big government tracking your every move in your vehicle by 2012. Officials say that the system will be used to track traffic patterns and allow cars to talk to the infrastructure in major metro-areas.
Originally posted by Walter J Keegan Jr. from Autoblog Home
Read The Article (nytimes.com)
Congress has cut the budget for the National Science Foundation, an engine for research in science and technology, just two years after endorsing a plan to double the amount given to the agency.
Originally from memeorandum
Truckstop.net has halted operations, filed suit against Sprint Communications: A press release arrived out of the blue from highway-side Wi-Fi operator Truckstop.net that they had suspended operations due to equipment problems that the company alleges are the responsibility of Sprint Communications. Further, Truckstop.net has filed a suit against Sprint seeking $75,000,000. Full press release follows:…
Originally posted by Glennf from Wi-Fi Networking News
Dumbing Down a Smartwatch (wired.com)
Researchers are developing an RFID-enabled watch system to help the memory-challenged find their stuff. But making sure it doesn’t track too much is a big privacy concern. By Michael Bradbury.
FCC Crackdown Could Spread (wired.com)
Look out Howard Stern, satellite radio might not remain the safe haven that it currently is, because the FCC might try to expand its jurisdiction into cable TV, satellite radio, and the internet. It would appear that no method of transmission is safe. When is Michael Powell going to take a cue from his father and resign?
TiVo to add banner ads to service when fast forwarding (pvrblog.com)
Coming soon to the standalone TiVo OS: when you hit fast forward to skip past commercials, small banner ads will show up on your screen. Luckily I don’t have a standalone TiVo. I have a DirecTivo, and I don’t use fast forward to skip through commercials. I use the 30-second skip Easter egg.
Top 10 Ways to Steal a Car And How to Defend Against Them (edmunds.com)
Edmunds has a list of some of the ways thieves steal cars and what you can do to try to prevent your car from being stolen.
via Autoblog.
Under the Hood, with Big Brother (autoweek.com)
While AutoWeek was testing a Chevy Malibu Maxx, the car “thought” it was going to crash so it made a call to OnStar. OnStar called the vehicle’s cell phone to see if the driver was hurt, and AutoWeek had to tell OnStar that they did not have an accident. The only thing they were doing was running a slalom.
If you have a newer car, it has a silver box that is spying on you, and you can’t shut it off or manipulate it. It records data every 5 seconds while your car is running. If it it thinks is a crash is imminent, it will save the data for up to 250 ignition cycles and probably make a call to your service provider.
Can this data be used against you by the police or your insurance company if you have an accident? There’s currently not a clear answer. It’s not even clear who owns the data – you or your service provider.
via Autoblog.
Disposable DVD Is Part Of Indie Film’s Release Strategy (omaha.com)
The Independent film Noel is a Christmas movie that’s being released in theaters in 5 cities, shown on TNT on Sunday, November 28 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT), and released on disposable DVD through amazon.com for $4.99.
The disposable DVD is a Flexplay DVD. The Flexplay DVD is sealed in an airtight package, and it will last for approximately 1 year in an unopened airtight package. Once the package is opened, oxygen causes a chemical reaction in the Flexplay DVD. The Flexplay DVD will turn black 48 hours after the airtight package is opened, and it stops working after it turns black. So, you have 48 hours to watch the DVD after opening the package.
According to Yahoo, the critics gave Noel an average of a D+, and regular viewers gave it a B. Is it worth $4.99? I think I’ll have my Tivo record the record the TNT showing, and if it’s worth saving, I’ll transfer it to video tape.
Sharp Owners Manuals Can Be Found Here (sharpusa.com)
Sharp has owner’s manuals for many of its products available for download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format. You can either search by model number or select the product category and drill down until you find your model.
Samsung Owners Manuals Can Be Found Here (samsung.com)
Samsung has owner’s manuals for many of its products available for download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format. Select your product group and drill down until you find your manual or search by the model number or name.
Yamaha Manual Library Can Be Found Here (yamaha.co.jp)
Yamaha has manuals for many of its Audio/Video products, Electronic Musical Instruments, and Professional Audio products available for download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format. You can search by model name or select the product group and drill down.
Click Here For harman/kardon Owners Manuals (harmonkardon.com)
harmon/kardon has owners manuals for some of its products available for download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format. You will need to select your product, and if an owner’s manual is available, a link to the manual will be provided on the results page.