Congress May Force Revealing of Car Computer Secrets

marksven writes "The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting that there is a bill with 86 co-sponsors in the House to force automakers to open up their proprietary interfaces to car computers. Small car repair shops are more and more becoming locked out of the repair business because most late model cars can only be fixed by accessing their computers with codes that are secret."

overclock time !

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe we can overclock them :)

Stupid Lawmen

[whoda]

Car companies will just encrypt everything with some stupid XOR scheme, and then claim DMCA protections.

Of course it runs NetBSD!

[RLiegh]

and gets great gas mileage, even under heavy loads!

Stealing is stealing

[Anonymous Coward]

I can't believe congress would force car makers to give up their most valuable IP. How would you like it if some guy could just walk up and take your laptop? Woudn't like it, would you? Hippies, as usual, have their hearts in the wrong places. Maybe it's because they're all atheists.

woo

[Anonymous Coward]

Congress to Automakers: "G1bb0rz u5 j00r l337 c0d3x0r5555!"

Oh Goody! Now I can install Linux

[myownkidney]

Once they release the interfaces to these car computers, we can install Linux on them. [mithuro.com]

I'm sorry, Dave...

[rasafras]

...I'm afraid I can't do that.

Re:I don't get Congress.

[dspfreak]

Because in this case, politicians were actually able to make the mental leap necessary to understand the analogy "Would you buy a car with the hood welded shut?"

Apple ./. IBM Microprocessor

[Star_Gazer]

... Territo said. "It's like the difference between an Apple microprocessor and an IBM microprocessor."

Hmmh, and I thought Apples G5 Microprocessors come from IBM...

Re:Small car repair shops - and my car

[Paulrothrock]

So by giving us fewer choices to get our services, they're protecting us from evil people outside of their organization!

Oh what a silly sheep I've been, servicing my car myself for so long!

Re:First Post!

[Anonymous Coward]

Cool! I've always wanted to Slashdot an Acura!

Re:This has been done before

[cgenman]

This really isn't much different than open-source vs closed-source though, is it...if the person selling it wants to lock you out of the internals, well, your choices include not buying from them.

#:apt-get install camaro
No package by that name.
#:apt-get install thunderbird
Try "apt-get install firefox"
#:apt-get install mini
Downloading "mini-dinstall" from repos
Ctrl-C
Process interrupted

#:apt-get install pinto
Warning: you are about to install package "pinto" from repository "www.ford.com/unstable" Do you wish to continue?

Ctrl-C

Problem Solution existed in the 80's

[FerretFrottage]

...it was called Knight Rider. Just have all the automakers create autos that can talk and tell you the diagnostic/problem information. Take it a step further....sell advertising in the information.

"Michael, the left tire is running low and I've already told you 10 times. Why do you ignore me Michael? I let you into my hood on the first date. Oh look Michael, a Discount Tire shop; that would hit he spot, plus the tire tech has a nice big wrench...can we stop?"

Re:First Post!

[deacon brown]

Use 89 octane or above to avoid excessive 'pinging'.


Sorry ;)

Re:I don't get Congress.

[reanjr]

Actually there is a Volvo concept car designed for women that does not allow you to open the hood without a special tool. It has a hole for gas, and a hole for windshield washer fluid. Anything more than that and you have to take it into the mechanic.

It also has a pony-tail hole on the headrest, and an ungodly amount of storage room for a car its size.

Re:This is big brother for cars

[cyberlotnet]

And tommorow they are going to pass a law that requires us all to buy new fridges with item monitors so they can monitor our protien intake and arrest us prior to commiting crimes based on all the bad food we eat..

Get a grip, I think the tin in your foil hat has started to rot your brain

Re:I'm sorry, Dave...

[EvilTwinSkippy]

DAVE: CD player, HAL.

HAL: Dr. Chandra has taught me a song, would you like to hear it?

DAVE: No, I want disk one in the CD player.

HAL: Here it goes: Daisy, Daisy,...

Re:Cars, DVDs, what's the difference?

[Anonymous Coward]

Um, a $20 turbocharger? Where?

Re:Cars, DVDs, what's the difference?

[skaffen42]

Mmmhh... I'd say this [egarrett.com] is more than a software patch and $20 in parts...

Re:About 10 years too late

[Cro Magnon]

Long story short though, one day, the engine started having RPM fluctuations

Well, that's what happens with a RedHat car.

Wow!

[dentar]

If this passes, then congress will make history by ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING SMART!!

Twilight zone

[sukotto]

Someone made a pro-patent comment on slashdot and got +5 Insightful?

It's not April 1st yet... what's going on here?

Re:I really miss....

[nomadic]

I foresee some argument along the lines of "If we do this, will be able to soup-up the performance of their cars, and escape capture.

Too late. [theonion.com]

Clueless

[4of12]

Doesn't Congress realize the security implications of this? Have we had enough burdensome regulation and government red tape mucking up the best of the free enterprise sysetm that made this country great?

Hackers could hijack my car for illicit purposes, such as terrorism and kiddiepron!

Not to mention that original parts go through quality inspection processes that cheap aftermarket flybynight outfits don't do!

</pre-emptive shill from lobbyists>