[geeks] Mac definitions (was: Smart phone data usage)

[Sandwich Maker]

" From: Jonathan Patschke <jp at celestrion.net>
" 
" On Thu, 7 Jul 2011, Sandwich Maker wrote:
" 
" > " My dad has tools older than me, which are just as useful working on my
" > " truck as they were working on his dad's cars.  Yet, the players in this
" > " industry can't hold direction for a decade at a time.
" >
" > not a fair comparison.  rate of tech evolution in the auto industry
" > has been more evolutionary than revolutionary since about 1930,
" > whereas the pace of change in computers has 5yo tech outdated.
" 
" It'd be an unfair comparison if modern operating systems weren't
" variations on 30-year-old themes.  This sort of junk is just change for
" the sake of change, though.

one could equally argue that modern auto operation was just variations
on 120-year-old [or at least 90-year-old [0]] 'themes'.

change for change's sake has been a 'feature' of every business ever
since they discovered it improved their cash flow.

" > having said that, the auto industry seems to be doing its best to
" > eliminate diy repairs.  a fellow jeep-lister who works at a gm
" > dealership told of replacing a door on a chevy pickup recently.  it
" > required reprogramming/updating the car security system;
" 
" The rest of the auto industry is thankfully nowhere near as insane as
" General Motors.
" 
" > and yet, they put entertainment systems on the canbus without any
" > firewalling between the bluetooth transceiver and the pcm.
" 
" Oh yes, you can sniff (and poke!) all manner of interesting things with a
" '232<->CAN bridge.

and hacking via bluetooth won't be far behind, if they don't get the
security word.  soon will come the day when the black hat in the car
next to you can shut your engine down, or firewall your throttle, mess
with your brakes wheel-by-wheel, unpower your steering and/or brakes,
lock you inside your car, or shift your tranny into reverse - on the
highway.

[0] 1st appearance of the modern steering-wheel-and-pedals was about
1920.  by 1930 it was virtually universal.  but the 1st mass-produced
car appeared in the 1890s.
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh at an.bradford.ma.us                       and think what none thought