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--- transportation:autos [2026/06/28 21:39] – [Articles] timb
+++ transportation:autos [2026/08/24 22:38] (current) – [Dashcam] timb
@@ Line 674: / Line 674: @@
 [[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 1424: / Line 1439: @@
 [[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/
 ===== Security =====
@@ Line 1466: / Line 1494: @@
 [[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 1670: / Line 1714: @@
 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/
@@ Line 1749: / Line 1806: @@
 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 1779: / Line 1836: @@
 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 1793: / Line 1850: @@
 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 1858: / Line 1949: @@
 [[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 ====