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Popeye206

macrumors 68040
Sep 6, 2007
3,148
836
NE PA USA
Tons of people volunteer this information to get discounted insurance rates. Progressive Insurance has the Snapshot tool that collects some of the same information Google wants.

Yup... and I would never agree to adding this device to my car and it's not because I'm a bad driver, but I don't need Progressive or anyone watching my every move. I should get a discount because of 35 years of no claims and no tickets.
 
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dr4stic

macrumors member
Apr 28, 2014
38
25
Looks like full OBD2 data. What is Google's justification for this?! I'm guessing they want statistics for Google Maps or something.

They get those statistics from mobile data connections from both Android AND iOS devices. How do you think they manage the real time traffic predictions when you nagivate to somewhere using Gmaps? They don't need OBD2 to know your speed. Simple math and congestion patterns accomplish that.

It's more likely to alert users to imminent or existing car problems (that little check engine light) when problems occur.

OBD2 data is good for diagnostics and performance metrics, both are things you would think people buying a high performance sports car would want access to. I suppose the people commenting here wouldn't know about that and are either posers or simply talking out of their asses.
 

Popeye206

macrumors 68040
Sep 6, 2007
3,148
836
NE PA USA
They get those statistics from mobile data connections from both Android AND iOS devices. How do you think they manage the real time traffic predictions when you nagivate to somewhere using Gmaps? They don't need OBD2 to know your speed. Simple math and congestion patterns accomplish that.

It's more likely to alert users to imminent or existing car problems (that little check engine light) when problems occur.

OBD2 data is good for diagnostics and performance metrics, both are things you would think people buying a high performance sports car would want access to. I suppose the people commenting here wouldn't know about that and are either posers or simply talking out of their asses.

Ahhhh... my Corvette Grand Sport already does all this for me when I change the HUD to Race Mode. I don't need to transmit that to Google to have a red light on my dash and one on my phone too.

Besides... most of us "high performance" owners are just weekend drivers who like to drive and have fun doing so.

Google is in the business of making money from information. Those who don't know that are either posers or simply talking out their asses. :D
 
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OneMike

macrumors 603
Oct 19, 2005
5,814
1,795
Yup... and I would never agree to adding this device to my car and it's not because I'm a bad driver, but I don't need Progressive or anyone watching my every move. I should get a discount because of 35 years of no claims and no tickets.

I don't want it either, but won't be surprised if at some point in the future, the snapshot type of technology is included in cars by default.
 
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dr4stic

macrumors member
Apr 28, 2014
38
25
What???? I think you read too many conspiracy sites and I guess I'm just an idiot. :rolleyes:

No, I actually read about this stuff :)

Car companies (I think it was GM specifically) admitted to viewing it's driver data as a product and having a desire to monetize it with insurance companies. And if one of them is doing it, they're all doing it.

Car companies have also historically fought very hard to keep their control systems completely closed, sometimes even to their own developers. They assume they're secure just because they're cars. And this gives you issues like the recent car hacks that take over everything, including acceleration. These issues have been written up in car, engineering, and development mags for years. None of this is new.

I've worked in IT, and I don't mean as a Windows monkey. I have been asked to run metrics on users. Taking information, accessing geolocation databases, correlating data and creating graphs and whatnot. It is not hard. And if I have been asked to do it in the small companies I've worked for, I guarantee you that it's happening in much larger companies. They don't need OBD2 data to understand your private comings and goings. Unless you live in the woods off the grid without a cell phone, you have little to no privacy. It's just the way it is.

As for conspiracy? I don't believe the government at large has the organizational prowess to actually invade our privacy as much as people think they do. They still mandate companies collect it, though, and that applies to everyone equally regardless of your phone or car choice. Advertisers have the desire to work with this data, and they don't need your OBD2 info to accomplish their goals. Unless their goal is to help find you a mechanic when your engine drops below an expected efficiency threshold.
 

bobob

macrumors 68040
Jan 11, 2008
3,437
2,520
You're also the "product" in the same way on MacRumors and pretty much everywhere else online... big deal.
There is one notable exception - - hint: it has to do with the technology discussed on this site.
 

dr4stic

macrumors member
Apr 28, 2014
38
25
Ahhhh... my Corvette Grand Sport already does all this for me when I change the HUD to Race Mode. I don't need to transmit that to Google to have a red light on my dash and one on my phone too.

Besides... most of us "high performance" owners are just weekend drivers who like to drive and have fun doing so.

Google is in the business of making money from information. Those who don't know that are either posers or simply talking out their asses. :D

Don't get me wrong. I think technology in the car is the downfall of modern fun. I want my next car to have as little tech lock-in as possible :)

Computers in the dash, no matter who makes them, is a bad idea. It limits the lifetime of the car. This is also why I don't believe in smart TV's.

All that being said, there are tons of devices out there that are used to collect performance metrics during that weekend driving. It gets loaded on computers after runs using usb ODB2 adapters on laptops and analyzed and shown off to friends. It's already happening, so why not have it available to mobile apps meant to run in a car environment?
 
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ksuyen

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2012
772
141
Google is in the business of making money from information. Those who don't know that are either posers or simply talking out their asses. :D

I concurs. The problem is people who accept this practice as ethically correct, and gives argument based on blind assumptions (regardless if any car company collecting your data is a moot point). Apple is not in the business of selling people information, and THAT is not a blind assumption.
 

YoitsTmac

macrumors regular
Aug 30, 2014
220
385
But from the data Google collects, they could provide user-specific driving recommendations: "based on how often you drive 40 miles per hour, you might enjoy driving 39 or 41 miles per hour."

I believe it's more as someone else said, taking the secret sauce. Asking for information such as throttle position and engine speed could reveal what makes a cars pedal feel good or bad. With more powerful cars, throttle's aren't linear in the sense that 10% throttle gets you 10% power. That wouldn't be good in day to day. In economy cars, it's the other way around, where 50% throttle could get you 30% throttle. This is done so that if a user demands more power, they still get an economic drive. They could also see what % throttle the car chooses the downshift. If they're building a car, they could just take the data from Toyota's to see what makes the car so economic. If they make a sports car, they could use data like Porsche's to see how to make a practical powerful car with good throttle response.
 

bellang

macrumors member
Jun 22, 2005
92
135
Seems like its debunked by Android Police:

UPDATE: 2015/10/06 11:06AM PDT

As you might have predicted, Google is calling "pretty much bullsh1t" on this one:

Steering this story straight - we take privacy very seriously and do not collect the data the Motor Trend article claims such as throttle position, oil temp and coolant temp. Users opt in to share information with Android Auto that improves their experience, so the system can be hands-free when in Drive, and provide more accurate navigation through the car’s GPS.


http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/1...-dump-from-cars-when-android-auto-is-running/
 

citysnaps

macrumors G4
Oct 10, 2011
11,884
25,799
They get those statistics from mobile data connections from both Android AND iOS devices. How do you think they manage the real time traffic predictions when you nagivate to somewhere using Gmaps? They don't need OBD2 to know your speed. Simple math and congestion patterns accomplish that.

It's more likely to alert users to imminent or existing car problems (that little check engine light) when problems occur.

OBD2 data is good for diagnostics and performance metrics, both are things you would think people buying a high performance sports car would want access to. I suppose the people commenting here wouldn't know about that and are either posers or simply talking out of their asses.

And to present ads of nearby auto repair shops ready to fix your car, offering a 10% discount if you stop by in the next couple of hours.
 
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dr4stic

macrumors member
Apr 28, 2014
38
25
And to present ads of nearby auto repair shops ready to fix your car, offering a 10% discount if you stop by in the next couple of hours.

You're right... except, oh wait. That isn't allowed per Google's guidelines.

"Your own app-specific design elements must meet the following criteria when running on a device connected to Android Auto." [...] "App does not display any form of visual or text advertising on the Auto screen. Only audio ads are acceptable."

From: https://developer.android.com/distribute/essentials/quality/auto.html
 

macs4nw

macrumors 601
So Porsche doesn't want Google stealing its trade secrets? But isn't Apple supposedly working on a car as well? If that's true, then it wouldn't surprise me that one day an article surfaces which states that Apple's CarPlay collects data as well. Then Apple will dismiss it as a "bug", and patch it, just like the location issue on the iPhone a few years ago.
And yet, with their track record of transparency, I'm much more likely to believe Apple when they make such a claim. As for Google's data collection practices, let the record speak.
 

dr4stic

macrumors member
Apr 28, 2014
38
25
And yet, with their track record of transparency, I'm much more likely to believe Apple when they make such a claim. As for Google's data collection practices, let the record speak.

They have a track record of transparency? When did that happen? I know for sure they have a track record of having press conferences to talk about how transparent they are, but until they release the source code for iOS, the only thing you know for sure is that they're claiming they are transparent.
 

sir1963nz

macrumors 6502a
Feb 9, 2012
738
1,217
Porsche could not give a damn about what information you choose to share with Google.

What Porsche has no interest is giving Google THEIR data, effective a large chunk of the engine/car analytics.

This would be like Google saying to Apple, to have our apps we must be ALL the log files from your IOS devices, this is not going to happen.
 

macs4nw

macrumors 601
Finally people and corporations are starting to realize what Google is all about, data collection. Google is the real ‘Big Brother’ all those science fiction novels obsess over, the all seeing all knowing eye that watches.
Your comment is giving me a glimmer of hope for the future, that perhaps maybe as a society, we'll wake up before we've reached that point of no return.

If you believe in the axiom that "knowledge is power" then we collectively, as the populace of the world should be very concerned indeed about tech giants such as Google, at least if we value our freedom and independence in the future, and I'm not talking about next week or next year here.

Left unchecked, information gatherers such as Google will become so powerful in the future, that they will indeed become George Orwell's 'Big Brother' with the potential to rule and control the world of the future, including our minds as well as the freedoms we currently take for granted. And if you think that statement is overly dramatic and exaggerated, just remember the 'information providers' will also be able to control that data and its flow, then think the consequences of that thru for a minute.
 

sir1963nz

macrumors 6502a
Feb 9, 2012
738
1,217
They have a track record of transparency? When did that happen? I know for sure they have a track record of having press conferences to talk about how transparent they are, but until they release the source code for iOS, the only thing you know for sure is that they're claiming they are transparent.


Just like Android is full of Closed Source Google only code while claiming to be "open"
 

dr4stic

macrumors member
Apr 28, 2014
38
25
Porsche could not give a damn about what information you choose to share with Google.

What Porsche has no interest is giving Google THEIR data, effective a large chunk of the engine/car analytics.

This would be like Google saying to Apple, to have our apps we must be ALL the log files from your IOS devices, this is not going to happen.

Actually it's data that is mandated by the government to be available on vehicles built after 1996. And since it's performance data on a car you're spending $200k on, I'd think it was yours, not theirs.

What I think the disconnect is (and you see this a lot with really high end vehicles) is that they don't necessarily like comparisons and/or verification. While any company could buy these vehicles and do a test on a brand new unit, I doubt Porsche likes the idea of data collection and statistics being automated against, potentially, their entire stock, exposing stuff like performance degradation, real time efficiency metrics, etc.

The other problem might be that Porsche simply doesn't feel like doing the engineering required to get that data to the head unit. Like it or not, it isn't about money. These companies simply don't like to complicate their work.

None of this data is new or unavailable. Porsche just seems to be being stubborn.
 

sir1963nz

macrumors 6502a
Feb 9, 2012
738
1,217
You clearly have no understanding of what Google is doing.

Google wants the right to perform industrial espionage. The end customer has no right to grant that.

This would be like your bank handing over your entire banking history to anyone you pay your bills electronically. And the choice is being made by the other party as to how much information and how often they get it.

I am sured you'd leave you bank PDQ if they did that to you.
 
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citysnaps

macrumors G4
Oct 10, 2011
11,884
25,799
>>> And to present ads of nearby auto repair shops ready to fix your car, offering a 10% discount if you stop by in the next couple of hours.

You're right... except, oh wait. That isn't allowed per Google's guidelines.

"Your own app-specific design elements must meet the following criteria when running on a device connected to Android Auto." [...] "App does not display any form of visual or text advertising on the Auto screen. Only audio ads are acceptable."

From: https://developer.android.com/distribute/essentials/quality/auto.html

I'm not talking about others' apps - no apps involved. I'm talking about google having an ad inserted to get your car fixed from a repair shop that has paid google a fee.
 

Kroo

Suspended
Jul 17, 2015
222
307
I am afraid if I could afford a Porsche I would demand they fit an Android Auto head unit.

AA is a far superior solution to car play in that it provides on the go access to google search by voice.

I love Apple products but Google in my car is far more helpful. I understand Porsches reasoning but it sounds like that are scared of Google which is weird as they own VW (which is VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley).


You know if your post was about Apple CarPlay some people would call you a sheep. Not me though, I'm not calling you a sheep for a second.
 

wovel

macrumors 68000
Mar 15, 2010
1,839
161
America(s)!
They get those statistics from mobile data connections from both Android AND iOS devices. How do you think they manage the real time traffic predictions when you nagivate to somewhere using Gmaps? They don't need OBD2 to know your speed. Simple math and congestion patterns accomplish that.

It's more likely to alert users to imminent or existing car problems (that little check engine light) when problems occur.

OBD2 data is good for diagnostics and performance metrics, both are things you would think people buying a high performance sports car would want access to. I suppose the people commenting here wouldn't know about that and are either posers or simply talking out of their asses.
There is a big difference between me knowing it and Porsche sending it all to Google as a condition of using Android Play..
 

wovel

macrumors 68000
Mar 15, 2010
1,839
161
America(s)!
I am afraid if I could afford a Porsche I would demand they fit an Android Auto head unit.

AA is a far superior solution to car play in that it provides on the go access to google search by voice.

I love Apple products but Google in my car is far more helpful. I understand Porsches reasoning but it sounds like that are scared of Google which is weird as they own VW (which is VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley).


Well it looks like Porsche would tell you to put your own in...You can demand all you want. Apparently they don't plan on making gone. As an owner, you are free to do whatever you want though.
 
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