Differences

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--- transportation:autos [2026/06/20 19:04] – [Technology] timb
+++ transportation:autos [2026/11/09 01:53] (current) – [Technology] timb
@@ Line 407: / Line 407: @@
 Some automakers are moving toward a voluntary commitment by 20 companies to make the braking technology standard equipment on 95% of their light-duty models during the current model year that ends next August.
-[[https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-3a3816bd26418cc612d5b9b56d86f3a8|https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-3a3816bd26418cc612d5b9b56d86f3a8]]
+https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-3a3816bd26418cc612d5b9b56d86f3a8
 == The Top 6 Accessories to Always Keep in Your Vehicle ==
@@ Line 433: / Line 433: @@
 So, what do you do after your car is stolen?
-[[https://www.makeuseof.com/what-to-do-after-your-car-has-been-stolen/|https://www.makeuseof.com/what-to-do-after-your-car-has-been-stolen/]]
+https://www.makeuseof.com/what-to-do-after-your-car-has-been-stolen/
 == Gas-Powered Cars Won't Die Off Any Time Soon ==
@@ Line 444: / Line 444: @@
 It'll likely take until at least 2050 – and possibly longer – before most gas-powered cars are off the road, Campau says.
 </blockquote>
-[[https://tech.slashdot.org/story/23/05/16/2114214/gas-powered-cars-wont-die-off-any-time-soon|https://tech.slashdot.org/story/23/05/16/2114214/gas-powered-cars-wont-die-off-any-time-soon]]
+https://tech.slashdot.org/story/23/05/16/2114214/gas-powered-cars-wont-die-off-any-time-soon
 == American Cars Are Huge And Unsafe, But Automakers Don't Want The Simple Solution ==
@@ Line 459: / Line 458: @@
 Wired spoke with the chief engineering and technology officer for Stellantis recently, Ned Curic, and discussed this exact problem — how to make bigger cars safe. While he mentioned the prospect of shrinking cars, he stopped short of suggesting it for the States:
-[[https://jalopnik.com/american-cars-are-huge-and-unsafe-but-automakers-dont-1851126751|https://jalopnik.com/american-cars-are-huge-and-unsafe-but-automakers-dont-1851126751]]
+https://jalopnik.com/american-cars-are-huge-and-unsafe-but-automakers-dont-1851126751
 == Why do we have right-on-red, and is it time to get rid of it? ==
@@ Line 477: / Line 476: @@
 By 1972, 13 states allowed ROTR, according to a legislative history of the practice in Connecticut. By the end of the decade, nearly every state in the country had it. (Although not New York City - and the patchwork of municipalities which do or don't allow it only adds to the behind-the-wheel confusion.)
-[[https://abc7.com/red-light-right-on-traffic-turn/14343661/|https://abc7.com/red-light-right-on-traffic-turn/14343661/]]
+https://abc7.com/red-light-right-on-traffic-turn/14343661/
 == The Beginning of the End of Private Cars in American Cities ==
@@ Line 489: / Line 488: @@
 Then the car became a portal to survival with young kids. You literally can’t leave a hospital after giving birth unless your newborn is buckled into a carseat, an indicator of just how intertwined young parenthood and cars are. I felt uneasily grateful to have a car, but it made life so much more convenient than schlepping strollers on transit or figuring out how to strap a carseat into an Uber. But I always imagined we would return to our less car-dependent ways once our kids got older. Among the milestones of parenting – Done with diapers! Done with strollers! – I waited for the Done with Car Ownership! milestone. I think we’re just about there.
-[[https://thenewurbanorder.substack.com/p/the-beginning-of-the-end-of-private|https://thenewurbanorder.substack.com/p/the-beginning-of-the-end-of-private]]
+https://thenewurbanorder.substack.com/p/the-beginning-of-the-end-of-private
 == Why the $25,000 car is going extinct ==
@@ Line 507: / Line 506: @@
 In February 2025, the share of overall new auto sales under $25k was 4.8%, according to the automotive pricing source Edmunds, down from 23% during the same month in 2019.
-[[https://media.hubspot.com/why-the-25000-car-is-going-extinct|https://media.hubspot.com/why-the-25000-car-is-going-extinct]]
+https://media.hubspot.com/why-the-25000-car-is-going-extinct
 == Trump wants tiny Japanese-style cars for US even as he cuts mpg goals ==
@@ Line 519: / Line 518: @@
 Yet at the very announcement of that rollback, surrounded by compliant US automotive executives, the president decided to go off piste to declare his admiration for tiny Japanese Kei cars, telling Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to make them street-legal in the US.
-[[https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/12/trump-wants-tiny-japanese-style-cars-for-us-even-as-he-cuts-mpg-goals/|https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/12/trump-wants-tiny-japanese-style-cars-for-us-even-as-he-cuts-mpg-goals/]]
+https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/12/trump-wants-tiny-japanese-style-cars-for-us-even-as-he-cuts-mpg-goals/
 == 10 Hacks Every Car Owner Should Know ==
@@ Line 529: / Line 528: @@
 America is a car-centric culture—more than 90% of U.S. households have at least one vehicle. There are a lot of different kinds of cars, from old classics being maintained with love, to snazzy new electric rides, or luxury cruisers filled with cutting-edge tech. Whichever kind you drive, getting the most out of your vehicle demands regular maintenance and sensible driving practices, but you can also goose just a bit more out of any vehicle with these universal car hacks.
-[[https://lifehacker.com/home/car-hacks-everyone-should-know|https://lifehacker.com/home/car-hacks-everyone-should-know]]
+https://lifehacker.com/home/car-hacks-everyone-should-know|https://lifehacker.com/home/car-hacks-everyone-should-know
+== New Report Says Car Market Will Have to Shrink Significantly by 2040 ==
+It's almost as bleak out there for car companies as it is for car buyers.
+Mike Pearl - June 28, 2026, 4:19 pm ET
+A new piece of analysis by Bain & Company, as reported by CNBC, paints a picture of a US car market contracting between now and 2024 as market forces make the auto biz uncomfortably competitive.
+Bain cites declining fertility as a cause, along with decreased immigration—in other words fewer people to buy cars to begin with. The auto industry matured, the report says, amid the expectation of 1% population growth per year, and population growth is now just about flat. But Bain says there’s also the issue of changing “behavior” among transportation consumers. Oh, and Bain also acknowledges that cars are just too damn expensive for many people now.
+A different forecasting firm called AutoForecast Solutions told CNBC it expects flat sales for about the next seven years, and told that publication, “When you look into the future, younger people are more likely to use Uber or Lyft when they’re going somewhere.” If this is meant to be a projection about the future, it might be a fanciful assumption in its own right, since inflation keeps hitting ride-hailing apps, and riders seem to be cutting back to save money.
+https://gizmodo.com/new-report-says-car-market-will-have-to-shrink-significantly-by-2040-2000778724
 ===== 4WD / AWD =====
@@ Line 554: / Line 568: @@
 [[https://www.makeuseof.com/3-car-gadgets-i-take-on-every-road-trip/|https://www.makeuseof.com/3-car-gadgets-i-take-on-every-road-trip/]]
+===== Car Keys =====
+== Why are car keys so expensive to replace? ==
+Alison J. Stein - October 29, 2026
+The answer lies in a complex game of cat and mouse between carmakers, thieves and technology.
+The search was frantic and intense.
+It started one evening, when my partner asked me if I knew where the car key was. I’d been the last one to use it, but it wasn’t where it should be. My purse, pockets, all the usual places – empty.
+Twenty minutes later, we were outside, desperately hunting around until we spotted the key: lying on the ground, right next to the driver’s side door. I must have dropped it while juggling grocery bags and our dog.
+The real shock arrived the next day.
+Determined to prevent a repeat, I called the dealership to find out what a spare key would cost. The answer was ~$400. My internal reaction was a saltier variation of “you’ve got to be kidding.”
+As anyone who has had to replace their car key recently can (and likely will) tell you, the cost of doing so comes as a gut punch. According to car pricing specialists Kelley Blue Book, new keys generally start at $125.
+Depending on make and model, they go way up from there. Some modern BMW keys cost over $1k to replace. Replacing all the keys for a standard Subaru can run you $1.5k at the dealership.
+https://thehustle.co/originals/why-are-car-keys-so-expensive-to-replace
 ===== Applications =====
@@ Line 660: / Line 702: @@
 [[https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/01/behind-the-scenes-of-waymos-worst-automated-truck-crash/|https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/01/behind-the-scenes-of-waymos-worst-automated-truck-crash/]]
+== Feds Demand Autonomous Vehicle Companies Stop Interfering With First Responders ==
+Posted by BeauHD on Friday July 10, 2026 02:00PM
+NHTSA is ordering autonomous vehicle developers to explain by the end of the month how they will stop driverless cars from interfering with police, firefighters, and paramedics. TechCrunch reports:
+<blockquote>
+[NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison] noted in the letter (PDF) that the agency has "identified a clear pattern of driverless AVs interfering with law enforcement and other first responders," citing instances in which these vehicles drove into active emergency scenes, blocked the paths of ambulances and firefighters, or failed to recognize and respond to basic safety conditions like flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and traffic cones. The agency has demanded that AV developers present their "solutions" to this problem by the end of the month.
+"Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency," Morrison's letter reads. "Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme 'edge cases.' As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue." The agency doesn't explicitly call out any particular company in the letter; however, the details suggest it is directed at robotaxi operators like Waymo.
+</blockquote>
+https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/07/10/1947248/feds-demand-autonomous-vehicle-companies-stop-interfering-with-first-responders
 ===== Buying / Purchasing (New) =====
@@ Line 925: / Line 982: @@
 [[https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/07/26/2029236/automakers-sold-driver-data-for-pennies-senators-say|https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/07/26/2029236/automakers-sold-driver-data-for-pennies-senators-say]]
-===== Manufacturer Location Data =====
+==== Manufacturer Location Data ====
 == Carmakers Will Give Your Location to Police Without a Warrant, Senators Say ==
@@ Line 938: / Line 995: @@
 [[https://www.thedrive.com/news/automakers-will-give-your-location-to-police-without-a-warrant-senators-say|https://www.thedrive.com/news/automakers-will-give-your-location-to-police-without-a-warrant-senators-say]]
+==Ford Promises Not to Sell Your Driving Data as GM Pays $220 Million to Settle Claims It Did Just That ==
+Ford’s new privacy pledge arrives as automakers face growing scrutiny over how they collect and share drivers' data.
+Bruce Gil - November 2, 2026, 12:40 pm ET
+Ford seems to be taking a lesson from rival General Motors, which recently faced legal trouble over how it handled customers’ driving data.
+The automaker announced Monday a new initiative it’s calling the Ford Privacy Promise, which aims to give customers more transparency and control over the data collected by its increasingly connected vehicles.
+As part of the initiative, Ford is promising not to sell information about how customers drive their vehicles to data brokers or insurance companies.
+The announcement comes just days after GM agreed to pay $220 million to settle allegations brought by a coalition of 36 attorneys general that it illegally sold drivers’ personal information to third parties.
+According to the attorneys general, GM sold driving behavior and location data to data brokers, which then sold the information to insurance companies.
+https://gizmodo.com/ford-promises-not-to-sell-your-driving-data-as-gm-pays-220-million-to-settle-claims-it-did-just-that-2000833849
 ===== Digital License Plate =====
@@ Line 1410: / Line 1488: @@
 [[https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/01/07/2339221/how-bright-headlights-escaped-regulation|https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/01/07/2339221/how-bright-headlights-escaped-regulation]]
+== How headlights got brighter, whiter, and more blinding after dark ==
+Automotive lights are better than they’ve ever been, but there’s a trade-off.
+Matthew MacConnell – Aug 3, 2026 4:00 AM
+Every so often, I’ll be piloting some sensor-laden, software-defined press car down a dark stretch of highway when an oncoming driver’s high beams arrive like a targeted retinal strike, an involuntary reminder that modern automotive lighting has entered its own lumen arms race.
+Anyone who has driven at night in the last few years knows what I’m talking about: A modern crossover crests a hill in the opposite lane, and the cabin briefly fills with enough cold-white light to suggest a police helicopter has joined traffic. The obvious assumption is that drivers are simply leaving their high beams on more often, but the reality is more complicated.
+https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/08/how-headlights-got-brighter-whiter-and-more-blinding-after-dark/
+===== Sales =====
+== Cars, Cars, Cars, Cars ==
+General Motors vehicles sit in a parking lot in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China(Stringer/Reuters)
+Share
+Andrew Stuttaford - October 16, 2026 7:11 PM
+According to BloombergNEF, around 85 million new cars will be sold worldwide this year, a number that looks a little optimistic and a number that looks more than a little worrying.
+Bloomberg’s Liam Denning notes that globally, car manufacturers’ capacity is estimated at 142 million cars, meaning that, treating the industry worldwide as an integrated whole, it is only operating at 60 percent capacity, far below the 80 percent rule of thumb required to break even (automaking is a capital-intensive industry).
+The industry should not, however, be seen as a single whole. Much of the reason for the excess capacity is to be found, surprise, surprise, in China, which is responsible for around 80 percent of the new capacity (28 million vehicles) put into operation over the last decade, a time when global auto sales increased by only around 5 million, a figure that will decline if car sales in China turn down.
+Denning describes them as having plateaued, but, again, that may be too optimistic. Chinese new-car sales have risen steadily over the last few years, reaching 30 million last year, but that number is falling as the Chinese economy goes through tough times. According to the China Passenger Car Association, new-car sales in China in September slumped by 28 percent, the twelfth consecutive month of decline. Exports, however, have risen by 76 percent over the past nine months, as Chinese manufacturers attempt to dump their excess production somewhere, a shift that is creating panic in, perhaps above all, Europe.
+The EU has now succeeded in agreeing to a “shared understanding”  with China on exports of hybrid cars somewhat reminiscent of the “voluntary” export restraint agreements between Japan and the U.S. in the 1980s. According to Denning, in 2025 European automakers operated at 57 percent of capacity (a number roughly in line with other estimates, and one that is unsustainable) compared with 73 percent in the five years before the pandemic. Part of that will be due to Chinese competition, but broader economic weakness, as well, I suspect, as the direct and indirect effect of the “green transition” should take good portions of the blame. It’s hard to see how a major crunch can now be avoided at, to put mildly, a politically tricky time.
+https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/cars-cars-cars-cars/
 ===== Security =====
@@ Line 1452: / Line 1567: @@
 [[https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/02/09/0030214/carmakers-rush-to-remove-chinese-code-under-new-us-rules|https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/02/09/0030214/carmakers-rush-to-remove-chinese-code-under-new-us-rules]]
+== Are There Cybersecurity Risks in Over-the-Air Tech Used in Autos? ==
+Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday July 19, 2026 04:34AM
+CNBC reports:
+<blockquote>
+The automotive industry's increasing use of over-the-air technology to update vehicle systems makes it more susceptible to cyberattacks, analysts say, urging more intervention in the sector... Its use represents "a unique national security concern," Gabriel Lim, senior analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told CNBC. "Aside from data privacy concerns, the potential of a foreign actor sabotaging the controls of a moving vehicle is a possibility that countries like Norway, Denmark, and Britain have expressed concerns about," Lim added.
+In May, the American Enterprise Institute warned that safeguarding the automotive sector was crucial to limit foreign governments' espionage capabilities. "To protect against foreign espionage threats, the US should consider additional security reviews, implement restrictions on certain foreign-made hardware and software in vehicles, and mandate increased data-collection disclosures," the report said. The concerns come as real-life tests reveal vulnerabilities. Late last year, Norwegian bus company Ruter conducted tests on two buses and found that one had potential risks linked to OTA technology. "There is access to the control system for battery and power supply via mobile network through a Romanian SIM card. In theory, therefore, this bus can be stopped or rendered inoperable by the manufacturer," the company said. The investigation by Ruter then sparked the U.K. and Denmark to conduct their own investigations...
+</blockquote>
+https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/07/19/046258/are-there-cybersecurity-risks-in-over-the-air-tech-used-in-autos
 ==== FOB ====
@@ Line 1656: / Line 1787: @@
 Read More: https://www.engadget.com/2197854/why-car-manufacturers-ditching-android-auto-explained/
+== Does charging your phone in your car waste gas? ==
+The short answer is no, not really.
+Dave Meikleham - July 23, 2026 11:30 am EST
+Do you regularly leave home with a heavily drained phone? If you're a motorist, there's a good chance you're regularly charging said device in your car. That leads to a problem you may not know about: phone chargers technically consume fuel. Just how much gas is your smartphone guzzling each time you plug it into your car's charger? The actual impact on your vehicle's mileage is tiny. Still, in an era of skyrocketing gas prices, it all adds up.
+If you're particularly cost-focused, there are definitely cheaper and more effective ways to power your phone than hooking it up to a car charger. Context is important, though. Technically, every part of your car eats away at mileage to varying degrees. Compared to a phone charger, the average car's air conditioning has a much larger impact on miles per gallon. Here's a breakdown on why charging a phone affects a car's mileage, while also examining just how much fuel the process can eat up.
+Read More: https://www.engadget.com/2219809/car-charging-phone-gas-explained/
+== Those white cameras mounted above traffic lights serve a little-known purpose ==
+Unlike Flock cameras, they're only meant to keep traffic flowing.
+Robin Bea - Nov. 8, 2026 7:00 pm EST
+Automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) are nothing new, but reported abuses have made drivers understandably wary of the cameras made by Flock and other companies, to the point of wanting to find out where they are so they can be avoided. While that added attention has made intersection cameras seem more visible than ever, not every camera you see mounted above the road serves the same purpose. Most cameras on roadways aren't used to track individual drivers, but rather to monitor traffic conditions.
+Aside from ALPRs, cameras meant to track people running red lights are also controversial. They're banned in many states, and they're rare even where they're allowed. Far more common are cameras used to monitor traffic conditions in real time or automatically control traffic lights.
+Read More: https://www.engadget.com/2309304/white-cameras-mounted-above-traffic-lights-little-known-purpose/
@@ Line 1726: / Line 1883: @@
 [[https://www.kbb.com/car-news/jeep-owners-fed-up-with-in-car-pop-up-ads/|https://www.kbb.com/car-news/jeep-owners-fed-up-with-in-car-pop-up-ads/]]
+==== Cruise Control ====
+== The tech behind your car's adaptive cruise control ==
+A radar sensor and a camera, that’s it.
+Luke James - Oct. 12, 2026 9:45 am EST
+Somewhere in the world right now, a car that nobody's feet are actively in control of has noticed the truck ahead of it is slowing, and eased off by itself. That's adaptive cruise control. For most of the last three decades, it's a technology that has fundamentally come down to a hidden radar in the car's nose, joined over the last decade or so by a camera behind the rearview mirror.
+How it works in a Honda is a pretty typical example: A millimeter-wave radar and a camera measure the gap to the vehicle in front, and how quickly that gap is closing. Meanwhile, the car works the pedals to hold whichever of four following distances you've configured the car to maintain.
+But since its introduction in the late '90s, adaptive cruise control has come a long way in terms of the software wrapped around it. Ford's BlueCruise, for example, can slow your car ahead of a bend using map data, while Hyundai's Smart Cruise Control studies how you drive so it can copy you.
+Read More: https://www.engadget.com/2281470/tech-behind-adaptive-cruise-control/
 ==== Dashcam ====
@@ Line 1735: / Line 1909: @@
 Unfortunately, fender benders can turn into heated debates between both parties, leaving it up to insurance companies and law enforcement officers to determine what happened. When you install the WOLFBOX G900 4K+2.5K Touch Screen Parking Monitoring Dash Cam Smart Mirror, it will record both in front of and behind you, giving you outstanding views as you drive, as well as evidence if you should need to go to court. I took the dash cam for a test drive to ensure it performs exactly as needed to record driving footage.
-[[https://www.maketecheasier.com/review/wolfbox-g900-4k-mirror-dash-cam/|https://www.maketecheasier.com/review/wolfbox-g900-4k-mirror-dash-cam/]]
+https://www.maketecheasier.com/review/wolfbox-g900-4k-mirror-dash-cam/
 == We Spent the Last 3 Weeks Testing 24 Dashcams to Find the Best Option for 2025 ==
@@ Line 1765: / Line 1939: @@
 Modern dashcams offer WiFi, GPS tracking, and app integration for easy access to footage. We tested each model’s connectivity, voice control, and parking mode capabilities.
-[[https://productexperts.review/top-5-dash-cameras-in-2025-nz/|https://productexperts.review/top-5-dash-cameras-in-2025-nz/]]
+https://productexperts.review/top-5-dash-cameras-in-2025-nz/
 == Road safety isn’t one-size-fits-all, so your dashcam shouldn’t be either ==
@@ Line 1779: / Line 1953: @@
 Modern road safety isn’t about a standard set of solutions, but about flexible solutions that adapt to your needs. This is at the core of 70mai’s latest dashcam models—the 70mai 4K Omni and 70mai 4K T800—which take two distinct approaches to ensure road safety. But no matter which you choose, the dashcams are available for less on Amazon with exclusive discount codes: 4K Omni: MUFOMNI26 and 4K T800: MUF70MAI26.
-[[https://www.makeuseof.com/enhance-road-safety-with-70mai-dashcams/|https://www.makeuseof.com/enhance-road-safety-with-70mai-dashcams/]]
+https://www.makeuseof.com/enhance-road-safety-with-70mai-dashcams/
+== Your car's dash cam might be illegal in some states — Here's how to check ==
+Before you head out on a road trip, make sure you won't be accidentally breaking the law.
+Christine Persaud - Aug. 14, 2026 12:30 pm EST
+Dash cams are useful for so many reasons. They capture footage while you're driving, and some record motion even when you're parked. The footage one captures can prove invaluable in the event of an accident or break-in, since the recording can be presented as objective evidence. Yes, dash cam footage that is captured in a public place and can be authenticated should hold up in court. That's the main purpose of using one. But along with safety and record-keeping, you could use one to monitor driving habits of teens, capture other incidents that happen to occur in its view, like road rage or fraud (think someone jumping in front of the car to claim injury), or even just record the beautiful scenery on your drive. While dash cams are legal in every state, there are specific rules about how you can use them, where to position them and even their size that vary from state to state.
+Even if you know the laws in your own state, if you're driving out of state for a road trip, it's important to know the laws in others. The last thing you want is to be driving with a piece of equipment positioned or being used illegally in your car.
+Read More: https://www.engadget.com/2234237/how-to-check-car-dash-cam-legal-usa/
+==== Digital Key ====
+== The biggest downsides to using a digital car key ==
+You can use your phone to access your car -- but should you?
+Christine Persaud - Aug. 24, 2026 9:30 am EST
+Digital car keys are so convenient. You can lock and unlock your vehicle from your phone instead of fumbling with a physical key or even a key fob. But like every technology advancement that touts convenience, they also come with risks. In many cases, these risks can be mitigated once you have a better understanding of how digital keys work and take the proper precautions.
+Digital car keys are available for Android and iOS phones; Samsung even has its own digital key technology that works with select vehicles. With compatible Android and iPhone devices and vehicles, you can use Google Wallet or Apple Wallet, respectively, to not only lock and unlock the vehicle but, with some cars, start it as well. The technology is built around criteria set by the Car Connectivity Consortium, which devised the standard for digital keys way back in 2018.
+There's no denying how easy digital car keys are to use and even share with others. But there are concerns. For example, what if your phone dies, malfunctions or is lost? Can you still get into and start your vehicle? It's important to understand these concerns around digital car keys.
+Read More: https://www.engadget.com/2240284/biggest-downsides-using-digital-car-key/
 ==== Touchscreen / Infotainment ====
@@ Line 1844: / Line 2052: @@
 [[https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/09/19/are-touchscreens-in-cars-dangerous|https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/09/19/are-touchscreens-in-cars-dangerous]]
+== Car touchscreens are cheap, not good ==
+Ben Stolovitz - 2026-07-06
+Touchscreens are simple, flexible, and seem ill-suited to controlling 4,000lb machines.
+But the auto industry fawns after them: every manufacturer seems to want in, at every price point. They replace knobs & dials with colossal touchscreens and bedeck every remaining surface in plastic capacitive buttons.
+I never felt qualified to comment. Maybe I was missing something. Touchscreens seemed dangerous, but crash deaths are down by over 40% since 1975 (although they have increased since 2010). Reddit discusses this multiple times a week without ever reaching consensus. Plus, people still buy these buttonless cars. Perhaps I was a luddite; other people could buy their touchscreens and I would stick to my Mazdas, with their rotary knobs.
+And then Mazda unveiled their new touchscreen-forward 2026 CX-5.
+So I looked into it, and I’m convinced: even though touchscreens are better in some ways, car manufacturers flock to them because touchscreens are cheap to assemble & install. There are many reasons to use touchscreens, but they are all dwarfed by a culture of cost-cutting. Car touchscreens are cheap, not good.
+https://ben.stolovitz.com/posts/car-touchscreens-are-cheap-not-good/
 ==== Head-Up Displays / Heads-Up Displays ====
@@ Line 2082: / Line 2308: @@
 [[https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/01/31/0428255/am-radio-for-all-vehicles-legislation-reintroduced|https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/01/31/0428255/am-radio-for-all-vehicles-legislation-reintroduced]]
+== Radio Broadcasters Support America's 'AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act' ==
+Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday October 04, 2026 01:37PM
+Last month, the U.S. House passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. They call it "a bipartisan effort to require AM radio in new vehicles," adding that the bill now "awaits action in the Senate, where a companion measure has already garnered support, according to public records."
+<blockquote>
+Broadcasters said AM radio remains a critical source of information, offering news and weather alerts, particularly when cell networks and internet service are disrupted or unreliable... "AM radio — all radio — has always been about connection, and in Chicago, especially, the connection is incredibly strong," Mary Sandberg Boyle, vice president and general manager of WGN-AM 720, said. "You don't need a subscription. You don't need a data plan or an app. You turn on the radio, and it's there..." Boyle said the accessibility of radio becomes especially important during severe weather and breaking news situations. "That's when local radio is really more important because we have the ability to stay live, pivot our content and what we're covering, and we can access a large amount of audience members very quickly and keep everybody safe," she said. Boyle also serves on the board of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters, which has argued that preserving AM radio access is an access issue rather than a matter of nostalgia.
+</blockquote>
+https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/10/04/208221/radio-broadcasters-support-americas-am-radio-for-every-vehicle-act
+==== USB (Port) ====
+== Your car's USB port is more useful than you realize ==
+Pankil Shah - Oct 17, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT
+USB ports have been a norm in cars for years now, but most people still use them for one of two things — charging their phone and using wired Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. But those USB ports can do a lot more than that, and all you need is the right gadget to plug into. These can make your car rides safer, cleaner, and a lot more fun. Most importantly, none of them will break your bank.
+https://www.makeuseof.com/creative-uses-of-car-usb-port/
+== Your car's USB port is probably killing your phone’s charging speed ==
+Pankil Shah - Oct 24, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT
+Most phones can charge from 0 to 80% in a matter of minutes, but only if you’re using a charger that can actually deliver the power in the first place. The USB port in your car is usually not that charger. It might deliver enough power to show a charging icon on your phone, but there’s barely any meaningful juice coming through. Sadly, it’s a problem most automakers haven’t bothered to fix, but all you need to get around it is a $10 accessory.
+https://www.makeuseof.com/skip-car-usb-ports-for-charging-phones/
 ===== Theft =====
@@ Line 2284: / Line 2545: @@
 ===== Rental Cars =====
+== Why you shouldn't sync your phone to a rental car ==
+Unless you pay attention, your contacts could end up forever stored in the car.
+Kari Paul - Oct. 4, 2026 9:45 am EST
+When renting a car in a new city, you're likely to sync your phone to its system to navigate around or play some tunes. But is connecting to car Bluetooth actually safe? Experts say this innocent move could cost you your privacy when the vehicle is returned.
+That's because linking your device may expose a variety of information to the next driver, including your name, stored contact information, and log-ins for music-streaming accounts. Phone and account names can reveal more than you might think: In 2015, a Baltimore man was able to track down the teens who stole his car via one of their phones, which had a name matching a public Instagram handle. Of all the data visible to a rental car, perhaps most sensitive is GPS and navigation history, which can give the next driver insight into where you were staying, or where you may work. There are ways to safely connect, but you have to be intentional before blasting your favorite tunes over the car system.
+Read More: https://www.engadget.com/2273912/why-shouldnt-sync-phone-to-rental-car/
 ==== Avis ====