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--- transportation:autos [2026/10/19 04:13] – [Security] timb
+++ transportation:autos [2026/11/09 01:53] (current) – [Technology] timb
@@ Line 568: / 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 967: / 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 =====
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 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/
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 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/