Technology has also helped us immensely when it comes to ease of communication as well. Who would have imagined centuries ago that we would have the means to communicate with anyone anywhere in the world in real-time?

Who would have imagined that technology would make it possible for people to switch to working online? Or celebrating the birthday of a loved one in real-time despite living on different continents?

So to connect? Or to not disconnect? Is technology making us more or less social? Researchers have been debating this question for quite some time now. Let’s delve into the up- and downsides of modern tech.

The upsides of technology

Technology is helping us be and feel more social. Compared to decades ago, we now can communicate with hundreds of people every day. It doesn’t matter if we know everyone we interact with or not. And that’s the beauty of technology: it gives us the opportunity to see and explore different and often contrasting viewpoints. It makes us more open to a conversation with people we do not know and welcome change in different areas of our lives.

Social networks also may help us be more proactive and take action. Various political, social, and climate strike movements were made possible and gained exposure and popularity thanks to technology and the power of social media.

The downsides of technology

Nevertheless, there are several downsides to any advances in technology. Remember the discussion on the pros and cons of autonomous cars?

Since social media started gaining popularity in the last decade, discussions on its positive and negative effects are still ongoing. As social networking apps pop up every day, borderline addiction to these networks, as with any type of addiction, is becoming more and more harmful.

While we might be mindful that social media is wasting our precious time, at the same time, it may be hard to stop the infinite scrolling. We’ve all been there. Sometimes even on auto mode without even paying attention to what we are looking at.

Technology has the power to draw us back in and “force” us to pay less attention to our real, physical world and the real people in front of us.

Have you ever asked yourself if it is more important to reply and socialize with the person or people next to you, in real-time, or respond to that message, to that email, or that sweet comment on your Instagram feed? Are the people sitting at the same table with you more important than anonymous social media followers or strangers on the internet? To whom do you pay attention first? Who and what gets the priority in your life?

Finding the golden middle

Being responsive on social media at all times is tempting. Checking your notifications is tempting. However, it is essential to be mindful of these actions and limit online time as much as possible. It is the only way to make space for real-life interactions. Enjoying nature, exploring new places, connecting with fellow human beings, making plans and creating projects, and completely forgetting about checking our handheld devices are also important for our wellbeing.

Yes, technology is enriching our social relationships. We are being more social than we ever were before. But at the same time, we are being less social and communicating less with people we know and meet in person.

Taking a break from our devices from time to time is also recommended. It might be refreshing and give you the chance to come back with a new perspective and take back control of how you spend your valuable time on a day-to-day basis.

The post Is technology making us more or less social? appeared first on Altered Steel.

What data does your car gather about you?

Try to remember your actions the last time you were in your car. Did you connect your phone to make and receive calls, or listen to music and news? Did you use the different temperature options or navigation system?

Probably, now that I am asking these questions, you are realizing how much your car might know about you. And by your car, I mean the auto manufacturers and possibly other entities as well. They have information on your interaction with other people, your music taste, regular routes you take, and even health conditions.

Now imagine driving an autonomous vehicle. Yes, it may be convenient not to worry about the actual act of driving. But the price you pay is giving up terabytes of personal data. Autonomous vehicles need more devices that capture information on the inside and outside of the car in order to operate smoothly without a driver.

For example, Tesla has already received criticism about the potential usage of the amount of data it is gathering from the in-vehicle camera monitoring services. These cameras are running even when the autopilot is off, gathering information on driving habits and even the frequent charging places used. This is quite an extensive range of personal information that Tesla collects. Being aware of this fact is only the first step towards addressing the issue.

How can your car be a surveillance tool?

The classic issue with collecting private data circles around the entities that own it and the way they use it. Continuing with the case of Tesla, how the company uses the collected data is still unclear.

On the one hand, the automaker can be using the data to improve the existing tech. But on the other hand, the company may even be sharing it with other interested parties.

All can happen, as long as there is no current federal law that can regulate this type of data usage. The legislative loophole implies that the data can be shared with insurance companies, telecommunication companies, or even the police.

The next time you apply for car insurance, you might get a higher premium because you have driven faster than usual a couple of times, or because your blood pressure was up during the last week. This may sound dystopian, but it is increasingly becoming more realistic and probable.

The surveillance concern has gone beyond the individual level, to the point when it is a matter of national security. The most recent case is with China banning Tesla vehicles from entering its military facilities due to concern about the vehicles’ built-in cameras. Even though Tesla has stated that the data from cameras overseas are not collected by the company, the scrutiny remains at high levels.

What is the ethical concern about the use of AI in the auto industry?

The function of the car has changed dramatically during the last couple of decades. Before it was perceived simply as a transportation means to take people from point A to B. However, with technological progress, the concept of a car has shifted to a set of offered services, where transportation is just one of them. You may think that you have privacy in your car but as we have shown in this article, the privacy line is blurry.

Does it have to be this way, though? Do we have to sacrifice our privacy for the sake of progress or is there a more ethical way to balance both? I think that the key to managing this issue lies in establishing stricter laws on disclosure of data collection and usage. These laws should be strictly enforced and followed by penalties when violated.

After all, information, like any other tool, can be very useful or can become a weapon in the wrong hands. If there is an already existing legislature on confidentiality in traditional business settings, why not raise awareness and push for high standards in information security in the automobile sector? What are your thoughts on this matter? Feel free to initiate a conversation below.

The post Could you car be a tool for surveillance? appeared first on Altered Steel.

Of course, people enjoy vintage autos for various reasons. If you talk to them though, almost all of them have a sense of respect for the car’s past. We cannot really say classics are objectively better than modern vehicles. And yet… it often feels like they are, even if it is in a sense that we cannot describe.

So, as it is with anything sacred, modernizing it will always be controversial. We explored part of that with our article on cars that have the classic look with a modern heart. However, it is still not clear: how can you preserve those vehicles? Is any modern solution going to work? Should we even want it to work? Join me in exploring just one such solution to see if saving the classics is an impossible task!

An introduction to vehicle-related 3D printing

The uses of 3D printing have spread across multiple domains already. It was only a matter of time before they also hit the car industry. And yet, most people have a pretty skewed view of 3D printing. We have been bombarded with examples of 3D-printed plastic objects, so we assume this is all there is to it. Not the case!

Firstly, 3D printing can now use a large variety of materials. Secondly, when we talk about 3D printing use in cars, we do not mean printing out an entire car. While likely viable in the future, the practical uses of 3D printing are currently a bit different.

Instead of producing an entire car, 3D printing takes on a simpler task. Through it, we can print out parts or even pieces of parts that are necessary to manufacture a vehicle. This is especially useful in situations, where a car manufacturer has no financial incentive to keep producing parts for their older vehicles. Though it goes even further than that.

Here are some examples of how 3D printing is currently being used by auto manufacturers:

• Faster prototyping. To anyone familiar with the vehicle design process, prototyping is one of the key steps. In the past, it happened fairly slowly and had many drawbacks. Nowadays, it allows for much faster vehicle development through the help of 3D-printed prototypes (often up to scale!)
• Experimenting with specialized parts. To cut down on costs, manufacturers have to re-use platforms and parts throughout their lineup. With 3D printing that may become unnecessary. Right now, they are mainly employing it for high-performance small-batch parts, but it can one day be extended to virtually all vehicle components.
• Custom vehicle additions. 3D printing gives us the freedom to fit an already existing car with custom parts. Or in other words – it allows for easy bodywork tunings. Considering how much we care about customizing our vehicles, it will probably become a serious selling point soon.
• Metal artwork. Believe it or not, manufacturers are relying on 3D printing to create pieces of art. Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 is a concept model that serves as the perfect example. Many of its decorative pieces have been impossible to make prior to 3D printing in metal.
• Making manufacturing easier. Aside from printing out components, manufacturers also print out tools for manufacturing. This is one step removed from actually affecting the cars, but still allows for cheaper construction.

Obviously, 3D printing goes beyond what most of us have seen. We can easily recognize its merits in modern-day manufacturing. The issue comes when such practices become commonplace when dealing with classics. Let’s have a look!

How 3D printing can affect classic cars

What makes the classic car market special is the scarcity. Not only of the vehicles but also of the parts. That requires you to think twice about how you treat your vintage car. You cannot simply drive it around in bad weather with complete disregard for it. Or at least you should not.

Sadly, regardless of how careful you are, parts eventually break. Through a bit of ingenuity, people have come up with solutions for many such occasions. Sometimes it comes down to salvaging parts from other cars. At other times experts would tweak things a bit to make a different part work with your model. No matter what you do though, you are not relying on newly made components. Until now.

With 3D printing, we can virtually stop worrying about any given part breaking. We can print everything – from the biggest bumper to the smallest bolt. Has your classic car been hit? No worries, print out a new fender. The brakes are acting up? You have 3D printing for that. Vehicle maintenance has never been easier!

This has plenty of positives about it. It makes the classics niche more accessible to people. No longer does it need to be such an exclusive hobby. As for the veteran enthusiasts – they get to enjoy their cars without having to worry too much about them. Sadly though, as with many other things, this also has its dark sides.

When 3D printing devalues vintage cars

Knowing that your classic vehicle has a chance to live another day is exciting. It shaves away the subtle worry that something might happen to it. Even if it does, now you can easily take care of it. Sure, it may cost you a bit, but so what? At least you have your car back!

However, that begs the question: how far can we go with that? At some point, we are bound to cross the line of manufacturing a completely new “classic”. What does that say about the future of automotive history? If we can fabricate vintage cars so easily, their value becomes less apparent.

If you have a nice old Studebaker you know those cars will no longer be made. That makes it special, even more so than when it came out. In fact, cars that have been considered “duds” are now an excellent addition to any classic car collection. Yet with such an easy way to get them anew… Will they remain special?

Even if you put eccentric examples aside, the same applies to any old automobile. I imagine that at some point we will have to put in some legislation to keep things in line. It should not be hard to justify it either, considering car design is also intellectual property. Yet even if we do not print out entire vehicles, there is one more giant problem coming…

Does 3D printing jeopardize the authenticity of classic cars?

When such issues occur, many people like to play the nonchalance card. They may enjoy the classic car niche, but see nothing wrong with what people do with their cars. Fair enough. However, we do not live in a vacuum.

If you think that using such technologies will not become an issue, you may be wrong. You can learn how to use 3D printing to save our classic cars. So can anybody else, even if you do not want to personally engage in such things. What does that mean? The classic car market will likely face vehicles with 3D-printed parts soon.

At first glance, there is no issue. Your car, your rules, right? What happens if you want to resell it though? If people know that 3D-printed components will reduce their vehicle’s value, they may not want to mention it. Plus, we will likely not be able to tell that easily. This may open a whole new can of worms…

The classics market has always run on mutual trust. While all markets do so, there is a sense of camaraderie with vintage vehicles. I know that you likely share my passion and deep care for such vehicles. This is why I expect you to treat them properly. And yet… It is tough knowing that a part broke with no “traditional” way to fix it. In that sense, I understand why some people would like to keep their cars running through modern means.

No matter how we look at it, we will soon have to face this problem. I have not found a single solution to it. The most likely outcome seems to be a simple acceptance. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, smells like a duck, and walks like a duck… Well, let’s agree to call it a duck. Or a classic vehicle part, in our case. Though even so, some of us will never be okay with that.

Should we use 3D printing with a classic vehicle?

As someone who cherishes the spirit of old vehicles, I can see both sides of the issue. On the one hand, I realize that we are bound to hit time with hardly any spare parts. Such shortage has already been noticed for some vehicles. On the other hand, if we keep modernizing the classics, are they even classics anymore?

Of course, much of this discussion relies on the type of philosophy we want to employ. Perhaps we should disconnect ourselves from the idea that classics can never be restored through modern means. Though some may say that the value lies in the very fact that we cannot bring things back to life. Or does it?

What do you think? Is 3D printing an answer to preserving our classic cars? Would you like a classic vehicle, even if it is modernized? What about a completely 3D-printed one? My only concern is that we will devalue the entire segment in the eyes of future generations. To me, that seems like quite the loss. But let us hope that I am wrong!

The post Saving our classic cars with 3D printing appeared first on Altered Steel.

Wheels can spark interesting conversations in the domain of automotive, mechanics, toys, and even linguistics. Join us in this post, as we uncover exciting facts about the wheel. Before you know it, you will find yourself equipped with some engaging conversation starters.

How was the wheel invented?

Humanity had to wait until the Bronze Age, around 3,500 years ago, to witness the invention of the wheel in ancient Mesopotamia. This might come as a surprising fact considering how important the wheel is for the transportation of food, commodities, and eventually people.

Copper and other materials were used to build the wheel axles. The wheel-and-axle concept was simply genius, and the axle had to be of perfect diameter to create a nice balance between friction and load support. Smoothness and roundness were also very important for the wheel to turn. All these components are so inter-connected and complex that many anthropologists suggest that the wheel could not have been invented in phases. It must have been created all at once.

What were the early uses of the wheel?

Early wheels with a wooden disk and a hole for the axle had multiple uses in the early times. And transportation was not initially one of them. Instead, wheels were used for pottery, which had gained importance in the religious context. Irrigation and milling were also among the practical uses of the wheel. It would be around 300 years later that the wheel would be used for the first chariots.

The wheel was also used as a form of death punishment in the Middle Ages. The sentenced person would have an iron-rimmed wheel across their bones while being hit with a hammer. In fact, breaking on the wheel was quite common at that time.

Who manufactures wheels today?

In the early days, the wheel was an artisan product. As transportation was gaining its momentum, especially during the industrialization period, the wheel became a product of mass production in different parts of the world. Nowadays, you may think that automakers also manufacture wheels. Yet, that rarely happens. Wheels are a necessity and simultaneously so complex, that specialized tire producers have become prominent in the market.

For example, Bridgestone Corp, Continental AG, or Group Michelin are among the largest global tire producers. According to the Global Industry Analysis, “The global tire market value is expected to reach of around US$ 150 Bn by 2027”. Who would have thought that the wheel would make such progress from the early days of pottery?

The wheel as a metaphor?

Humanity took the wheel so close to the heart that “wheel-phrases” became part of our daily conversations, as well as literary works. Most likely you have heard the famous “wheel of fortune” phrase, which takes origin from Greek and Roman mythology. Goddess Fortuna (or Fortune) liked to rotate the wheel with her hands, thus playing the fate of the people. One day you are on top, and the other, – you fall to the bottom.

Shakespeare makes use of the wheel, too, in his plays: ““Fortune, good night, smile once more; turn thy wheel!” says a disguised Earl of Kent in King Lear. In addition, Dante’s “wheel of flame” or John Lennon’s metaphorical song lyrics about wheels going round and round reflecting the time that passes by are other examples of the wheel being omnipresent in our social jargon.

What would have happened if the wheel had never been invented?

“What if” questions can be tricky at times. This one is no exception. During this post, I have shown that the wheel has become an intrinsic part of our life and even language. Now, let’s play. I dare you to name all everyday objects that include the wheel or gears. I can list a few just now: your car, bicycle, electric fan, your watch, CD, the inner plate of the microwave, roundabouts, among many-many others.

Can you imagine the world without all these things? Without transportation and gears? Would there have been another invention to substitute all these instead? Humans have the ability to create genius solutions when faced with a necessity. What could there have been instead? As a matter of fact, science and technology rely extensively on circular and wheel-related concepts. Mobility and traveling would not be the same without the wheel.

What are your thoughts? Do you think we can ever re-invent the wheel? Feel free to share with us in the comments below.

The post Facts about the wheel: All you need to know appeared first on Altered Steel.

Understanding the autonomous driving levels is important in order to be able to fully grasp the evolution of driverless cars and how they will change mobility as we know it. How much control are we giving up at each level? Join me in this post as I explore these questions.

What are the different autonomous driving levels?

As driving gets enhanced by various levels of technology, our cars become less and less dependant on human drivers. Based on the automated features, there are 6 levels of autonomy – from 0 (fully manual) to 5 (fully autonomous). Below is a breakdown:

Level 0

This is a fully manual level. The driver needs to be all eyes and ears and hands-on, in order to drive a vehicle. There might be some warning signals from the car, such as for the fuel level or battery, but it is up to the driver to ignore or to keep going. Usually, classic cars and other older vehicles fall under this category. And although there’re talks of modernizing classic vehicles, most still fully depend on their drivers.

Level 1

Level 1 cars offer some driving assistance, but the driver still needs to be hands-on all the time. The automated features come in the form of adaptive cruise control, which helps maintain a safe distance between vehicles applies breaks when the distance becomes too dangerous. Other features include lane keep assist and parking assistant. Most cars produced within the last 5 years have this level of automation. One example is the 2018 Toyota Corolla, equipped with different sensors to avoid pre-collision or lane deviation.

Level 2

In addition to the previous level features, level 2 cars can also do the steering. However, the driver still needs to be alert when to intervene. Tesla Full Self-Driving Autopilot system is one of the Level 2 vehicle examples. It is important to remember that even though the vehicle can adjust its speed, know when to change lanes, or when to stop, the driver still needs to keep their eyes on the road, to avoid any accidents. Tesla sometimes is treated as a level 3 or even 4 car, but remember that technically, it hasn’t reached that driverless level yet.

Level 3

At this point, the car knows how to monitor the environment, and the driver can relax a bit, maybe even read a book or answer messages on their phone. The “co-driver” will be in charge. This can be considered a conditional autonomy. The vehicle can’t be driver-independent in all circumstances, but only when traffic is sufficiently slow.

When the Japanese government announced in 2019 that it would allow level 3 autonomous cars in the streets, Honda took heed. The automaker promised a level 3 model before this year ends. Even though the pandemic has slowed the development, we are all curious to learn about Japan’s experience with level 3 cars on the road.

Level 4

By this level, your car will already be highly automated. Your intervention will be minimal, limited to certain driving modes, or in difficult situations. Otherwise, you can expect to stay hands-off the steering wheel, eyes-off the road most of the time, and you can even watch a movie meanwhile.

As we move up the levels, it is harder to find car models that fully reflect high autonomy. In this case, one of the best representatives is Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Waymo offers self-driving taxi service in Arizona, and during the last 5 years has been continuously increasing the autonomy features of its fleet. For example, currently, the autonomous taxis can freely drive on the road in Arizona. However, they are not yet prepared to drive in areas with harsh weather or rough road conditions.

Level 5

This is the ultimate level of full autonomy that tech companies and car manufacturers are aiming to achieve. If your car reaches this level, then it will know how to drive at different speeds, choose lanes, and respect traffic signs the same way or even better than you would (ideally, if nothing goes wrong!). A fully autonomous car in all drive modes and conditions is still not legally operating in the US market. However, continuous tests and improvements on existing models are in progress in order to reach level 5 soon.

The path to autonomy is complex, in every aspect of life. In the automotive sector, it is the same. Reaching autonomy presents challenges from the regulatory and safety perspective, which ultimately will require innovative hardware and software solutions.

How do you feel about riding a level 5 car one day? Are you ready to get hands-off and let your car make decisions for you?

The post Understanding the autonomous driving levels appeared first on Altered Steel.

At first glance, the whole question sounds ridiculous. As if you are asking “Will taking away your ability to drive kill the joy of driving?”. Of course, it will!

But let us take a step back since things get a bit more complicated than most of us think. To actually understand the whole issue, we have to answer three questions:

• What does it mean for a car to be autonomous (and will it ever happen)?
• Can autonomous and non-autonomous cars coexist?
• What is the joy of driving worth?

What is an autonomous car?

Honestly, most of us do not even understand what “self-driving” even means. To clear things up, engineers have proposed 5+1 theoretical levels of autonomy. However, the definitions are rather fluid, so take them with a grain of salt.

Level 0 means no autonomy at all, and the drivers have to do everything on their own. You may be surprised, but most cars no longer fall into this category. They are actually Level 1: some driver assistance present. Think of this as adaptive cruise control, sensors for emergency braking, or park assistance, among other features.

Then comes Level 2, which some luxury models have already. They can keep you in your lane, steer in certain situations, and even accelerate if necessary. From there we get to Level 3, where you can take your eyes of the road in certain conditions. At this point, the car has some self-driving capabilities, but you need to be present for navigating more complex situations (e.g. traffic jams, maneuvering). As of now, no cars are truly Level 3, and anything above that still lies in the future.

Think of Level 4 cars as “drivers in training”. They are autonomous, for the most part, but you still have to handle emergencies. Finally, we get to Level 5: full autonomy. At this point, the vehicle does not even need a steering wheel.

Although Elon Musk has said Tesla is close to level 5 autonomy, I remain skeptical. In order for Level 5 cars to actually work, we need to solve more things than just automation. Such vehicles will need fast internet, stable networks, standardized communication, and other crucial details. That leads us to our second question.

Can autonomous and non-autonomous cars coexist?

If both types of vehicles can work together, driving enthusiasts will have nothing to worry about. In other words, we can have our cake and eat it too. Or can we?

Most of the arguments for self-driving cars require us to go to the extreme. That means getting rid of any traditional vehicles. Though that sounds harsh, it is a logical conclusion.

Let’s look at the self-driving vehicles’ case. Autonomous cars will supposedly reduce accidents, alleviate road congestion, minimize traffic overall by improving efficiency, cost you less, and the list goes on. Even if we accept these benefits at a face value, the only way to get them will be… to do away with conventional cars. Why? Because autonomous vehicles rely on near-perfect data sharing and AI reactions.

If you are a fan of driving, this news sounds horrible. Some folks have proposed compromises, but we still do not know if they will work. For instance, we can have “driver” and “driverless” roads. Or we can just vote whether we even want Level 5 everywhere. Though it comes down to one final thing…

What is the joy of driving worth?

According to official data, more than 12 people per 100,000 die in a traffic accident in the US. Many more get severe injuries. If self-driving vehicles can halve that, will it not be worth it? Even a 25% accident reduction translates to millions of lives saved worldwide. Or do we care more about pleasure?

Currently, statistical models show that autonomous cars will reduce deaths by more than 90%. Of course, you may not agree with such estimates, but real-world data will start piling up at some point, and then we will have to face the results. Still, I will be happy to hear the opposing argument. Unfortunately, even enthusiasts agree that autonomous cars will reduce accidents if they take over.

Plus, it looks like most people are not that fond of driving anyway. In fact, folks in Europe are now fighting for car-free zones. Maybe giving up on driving will not be that big of a problem for most of us.

That does not mean driving should cease to exist altogether. Maybe it can be a hobby for special tracks or off-road routes. You can manually do plenty of other automated things for fun nowadays (e.g. woodworking). Why should driving be different?

So, yes – in a sense, autonomous cars will kill the joy of driving. But hopefully, they will make it harder for driving to continue with its actual killing spree. Or maybe they will not? That would be a topic for another day.

The post Will autonomous cars kill the joy of driving? appeared first on Altered Steel.

Imagine a vehicle that knows you as well as you know it – a car that seizes to be just a car, it becomes your partner. Imagine that it knows your driving habits and daily routine and uses that information to suggest routes; it knows your music preferences and is capable of holding a conversation. This is also the path towards fully autonomous cars.

However, as you expose more personal data to your car, you may want to be aware of what happens with that information, and who ultimately owns it.

Join me as I explore this subject and learn how we can protect ourselves from revealing too much.

What information is my car gathering?

The car’s onboard sensors and computerized systems gather information on your driving patterns such as speed, routes, and destinations, and keep track of your climate control preferences. Furthermore, if you connect your phone to your car, then you have automatically shared your contacts, emails, music, messages, browsing history, and sometimes photos and financial information too.

Interestingly, we are aware of the huge amount of personal information that platforms such as Facebook or Google collect and store. Many would agree that their control of our digital lives undermines the very essence of privacy. Thus, we demand accountability from the tech giants, as well as ownership of our private data. Yet, when it comes to the information that auto manufacturers are obtaining from the vehicle infotainment systems, by offering highly connected cars, we still have to work on spreading awareness among car drivers.

What happens to the information collected by my car?

Often times, we think that once we disconnect our phones from our car’s infotainment platform, we automatically erase all the data from it. However, this is wrong! The car computer systems continuously record data – on average, 25 gigabytes every hour. This data is processed and stored in the cloud afterward, becoming a matter of interest for other businesses.

Moreover, as cars are converting into big data centers, automakers have many incentives to further monetize this data. For example, information on your driving patterns helps insurance companies determine your premium. Data on the most frequented streets can be helpful to coffee chains, gas stations, or other stores for their marketing and network expansion strategy. Online purchasing data can further indicate your spending behavior pattern and be of use for fintech companies or other businesses to give you personalized offers.

Who owns the data my smart car collects?

Ideally, this data should be yours, and yours only. After all, it is private information, and you need to be aware of what your car knows about you and how it is used. However, unfortunately, there is no specific federal legislation that regulates car manufacturers on data processing and sharing.

It means that the whole picture on who ultimately gets to use your data, and even monetize it, is still blurry. There are some privacy policies that you sign at the time of the car purchase. However, the language is too technical, and usually, people do not bother to read and understand them fully.

How can I protect my smart car data from unauthorized sharing?

In the absence of a well-defined legal framework, it is up to you to follow a more proactive approach in protecting your data.

• Increasing your awareness is a good first step in making you more cautious about what you share.
• When you connect your phone to your car, try not to have saved passwords on your phone or make any online purchases.
• If you rent a car, avoid connecting your phone to it. However, if you decide otherwise, take some time to delete whatever information you can on the car computer, before returning your rental.
• If you decide to sell your car, take it to an authorized maintenance shop and ask for help permanently deleting your data from the car’s systems.
• When you buy a new car, get as much information as you can on the manufacturer’s data security policy and how to turn off certain data connection features so that you can control what gets stored.

Even though these tips can help you minimize the risk of unauthorized data sharing, they still won’t fix the privacy issue.

Proper fully-developed cybersecurity legislation should be implemented on a federal and state level in order to limit data mining applications within the auto industry and increase transparency.

However, until that time comes, the only thing we can do is grow awareness of our private data usage and try to preserve it as much as we can.

What is your stance on this issue? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The post What your car knows about you appeared first on Altered Steel.

When you buy something, you own it and, theoretically, you should be able to do whatever you want with it. Yet in practice, things get a lot more complicated.

Currently, a number of organizations are fighting for the so-called electronics right to repair. But did you know it extends way farther than that? It actually started with the automotive industry, and this is what we are going to explore today. Is your car really yours? Surprisingly, it is not a clear-cut answer!

What is the right to repair?

In today’s world, the repairs niche suffers quite a bit. We are more eager to buy something new when the old breaks (or just gets too old) than fix it. That said, you can still opt for repair… usually.

Think of it like this – if your coffee machine breaks out of warranty, you can get it repaired wherever you see fit. You can try it yourself, or have a specialist do it. The manufacturer of the appliance should not have a say in your decision. Or to put it simply – they cannot require you to only use their repair services. However, things often play out differently.

To get technical, a general “right to repair” does not exist to apply wherever you want. Some say it is implied by the nature of ownership. And while this has rarely been an issue in the past, our world is now split on it. Why? Because the products we use are no longer just “a product”. You buy the hardware, but you also need software to use it. Here things get complicated!

Companies say that while you do own the hardware, you only license the software. Want to break your phone? Go ahead. Want to repair it? Well, that involves a lot of software tinkering as well, and that is often proprietary. It does not stop with phones either – all that also applies to cars!

Do you have the right to repair your car?

Vehicles used to be mostly hardware. You could go to any old mechanic and they could do wonders on your ride. They did not have to know programming, microscale electronics, or software diagnostics. For better or worse, this is changing.

Now Elon Musk calls his vehicles “computers on wheels”. Thanks to the EV revolution he sparked, you can apply the same description to conventional cars too. They are filled to the brim with electronics and proprietary software.

So, what happens when your vehicle’s sensors shout out “ISSUE”? You go to an authorized shop, of course! Only they can decipher what that even means, thanks to the closed source software that runs your car. At least, manufacturers want it to be that way.

What you need to know about the automotive repair rights

Because of legislation passed back in 2012, car companies have agreed to provide third parties with their diagnostic tools. That means that in theory, you do have the right to repair your car.

As you would expect, there is still a catch. Official diagnostics are available… for a hefty fee. That leaves smaller shops to rely on aftermarket tools, which may or may not work. Furthermore, your local mechanic will likely not be able to fix software problems.

This raises the question: Which problems are considered software? Here is how we can classify issues after running diagnostics:

• Mechanical – Those would be your regular part failures. Any repair shop should be able to take care of them without too much trouble.
• Electronic – Those have to do with the electrical system of the car, often related to sensors that talk to the software. Here you might run into repair problems if you opt for aftermarket solutions. Though on paper you can fix such issues anywhere, you may still have to rely on OEM parts.
• Software – While some repair shops can probably handle certain software problems, the “official” way of handling them is to go to authorized shops.
• Mixed – Such issues involve a mechanical/electrical and a software system. Here we get into murky waters. This may be the loophole for companies to go around any further legislation.

Where are the limits of the right to repair your vehicle?

Thanks to current laws, you have the right to repair mechanical and possibly electrical issues. But that may also change. If the modern trend continues, cars will become more and more like computers. How long until car manufacturers start labeling themselves as IT companies? Tesla is halfway there already.

The more vehicle repairs get tangled up with software the harder they will become. Manufacturers can complicate the process, label their software as intellectual property, and gatekeep any further repairs.

To make things worse, they can actually make a good legal case. With more complicated systems, driving safety becomes even more important. Sure, a simple battery change may not amount to much, but what if it disrupts some signals, which compromise the safety features of the software? Dress that up in more technical lingo and you have a recipe for denial of any repair rights.

Put all of this together and you can see how companies can start working towards labeling all issues as “mixed”. Meaning they would all require some sort of software calibration. Where does this leave us then?

Do you really own your car?

According to Apple, you own your iPhone, not its operating system. The tech giant is licensing it to you. In simpler terms, you are renting the software. That renders the device virtually useless on its own.

Could we be heading the same way with vehicles? Of course, you own the car, but you have no rights to the software systems that make it move. For all intents and purposes, all your car’s functions have to be rented. And repairing them? Well, that is messing with the intellectual property!

Do you think that is going to happen soon? Or does it sound a bit too far-fetched for you? To be honest, I think the future of mobility does not favor car ownership.

The post Right to Repair: Is your car really yours? appeared first on Altered Steel.

See, there are many rich folks in the world. Being in the right place at the right time has worked out for people like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. Of course, it also took grit, ambition, and talent. However, few can brag that they have been through countless failures just to fulfill their childhood dream. Actually, I can only think of one.

Elon Musk is the perfect example of what it means not to give up. Regardless of what you think about his business savvy, one thing is certain – it works. We only have to look at his recent Tesla Cybertruck marketing success. But the most interesting thing about him is not his entrepreneurship per se. Instead, it is the driving force behind all of his endeavors – the dream of colonizing Mars!

Elon Musk’s fascination with the Red Planet

You don’t need to look hard to find all kinds of ideas about life on Mars. They have been around for decades – just check out classic sci-fi! Stories about colonizing the Red Planet have been popping up since the ’60s. One of the most recent examples is The Martian by Andy Weir, which was also turned into a movie.

In light of that, we can hardly call Musk’s dream unique. Yet he might as well be the first person to have taken the idea seriously. While others speculate, he puts actual efforts in achieving that goal. He even has an entire plan. Why does he want that, though? It all depends on who you ask.

According to Musk himself, he decided to work on his dream when he had realized humankind needed a backup plan. So, what really fuels him is an interesting form of philanthropy. Or is it? Some of his critics have another explanation. Many see his endeavors as a way for him to become a major historical figure. He wants not only to be remembered for a few companies but a great achievement. In other words – with his colonization goals, he tries to pull the biggest publicity stunt ever.

Such criticisms are not without merit. People have questioned his decisions, pointing to seemingly better ways to “back up” humanity. But whether Musk wants to protect us from a possible third world war, or just wants to get even more famous, that hardly matters. At the end of the day, he is working on getting us there anyway. This is where we ask the real question – can he do that?

Musk’s ideas about colonizing Mars

Although SpaceX continues to draw attention, results are yet to be seen. If we look at Musk’s timeline, the first people to set foot on Mars will do so in 2024. Is it too optimistic? Maybe. Yet even if we see that happening, it tells us nothing about the actual colonization of Mars.

The eccentric entrepreneur has admitted that SpaceX is not really a colonization project. That seems to be far too grand a goal for the company. Instead, he aims to inspire governments and other companies to follow in his footsteps. In fact, he might already be doing just that. For example, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has its own goals, while NASA plans to send people back to the Moon in 2024.

Nevertheless, having people on the Red Planet does not mean much. Without proper plans and resources, they will just be stranded there. Doesn’t sound a lot like colonizing, does it? But let’s say that we participate in a team effort to transform Mars. What will that look like, according to Elon Musk?

What life on Mars should look like

The founder of Tesla and SpaceX has quite a few ideas on how we should go about these things. His ultimate vision is to have around one million people on Mars. Looking at his estimate, we can see that it should take us no more than 100 years to achieve that. But hear this – 100 years is the conservative number. Actually, Musk plans to have a self-sustaining city on Mars by 2050!

That seems nigh impossible, right? Well, Elon wants to use the power of capitalism to make the project feasible. He will work to significantly reduce the overall cost of the trip, while also figuring out specific jobs on the planet beforehand. To put it, he wants to make relocation there enticing. Plus, he thinks many will gladly move anyway.

Even though the details of his vision are sparse, we can infer a few other things. The first people to go there will probably not be able to do all that much. Calling it a virtual suicide mission may not be too far off. The most I see them doing is making it easier for other people to land, adjust to the place, and get to work. Not that this is anything small, but hardly a significant step.

Eventually, life on Mars should look somewhat like life on Earth. We have one problem, though – nobody is sure how the actual terraforming process is going to happen. In fact, it presents us with many unique challenges. Let’s see what those are!

What does science say about life on Mars?

If you think that Musk is the only one thinking about landing on Mars, you are wrong. NASA’s human exploration mission has set its goal to 2030. However, they only plan on visiting it for research purposes. As far as eventual colonization goes, a significant number of scientists are concerned with some very real problems in the face of it.

I have some bad news for the Mars hype train. It could turn out that a mission of that scope is impossible, at least with our current technology. In any case, 2050 may be way too early for such an endeavor. At this point, I suspect that Musk says his spectacular stuff just to gain attention with little regard to the issues. Here are some of them:

• Atmosphere. Since Mars has quite a different air composition than Earth, this is a serious challenge. It barely has oxygen or nitrogen, and CO2 is sky-high. That means known life forms from our planet cannot thrive there. Now, consider how difficult it is to control our climate here on Earth. How can we expect to fix that on Mars? Scientists are yet to figure that out.
• Temperature. The Red Planet challenges us with its drastically colder temperature (-81^oF) as well. That being said, if we manage to figure out the atmosphere problem, this one will be a much easier thing to solve.
• Gravity. This might as well be the most challenging issue to figure out. If we don’t manage to invent artificial gravity, life on Mars will be a nightmare. The human body is just not adapted to such conditions. Weak gravity leads to weak bones and muscles. Essentially, our bodies would deteriorate.
• Water. Though there might be frozen water on Mars, extracting it can prove a challenge. If we do not succeed in that, we will have to make it synthetically somehow. Still, if we terraform the atmosphere, water might not be such a pain.
• Plantlife.  Artificial sunlight will likely be a necessity if we want to make plant life possible. Even if we manage to get plenty of water, sun energy substitutes are a must. That may also be a necessity for humans since the sun is tied to many of our biological rhythms.

On top of all these issues, many scientists have come out saying the colonization is a futile project. Instead of spending resources on it, we should focus on fixing Earth right now. In fact, Musk’s other project – Tesla – is actually better in that regard. Since it spearheaded the EV revolution, we are at least moving in the right direction there.

With that said, we may still achieve some sort of compromise. Even if we let the Mars idea rest for a while, space colonization may still be feasible. We have the Moon, right? Not only is it closer, but there are already ideas of how to do it. There are also ways to get it integrated directly with Earth. To be honest, this would make for an interesting article on its own. Keep an eye out for it!

Will Elon Musk make life on Mars a reality?

In my day-to-day life, I am usually an extreme optimist. Yet, even so, I still don’t think that we will be colonizing Mars anytime soon. If you are paying attention to the tech field, you know that progress has been slowing for a while. That does not mean breakthroughs cannot happen, but they will likely be fewer and far between.

Plus, we can learn one thing from past generations’ predictions of the future – they rarely come true. Folks expected flying cars in the 21^st century. Not many of those around, are they? What about the robots that should have taken every human job ever? I guess my smart vacuum cleaner will have to do.

I am still an optimist, but I like to be cautious with such grand predictions. Will we colonize Mars at some point? It seems inevitable to me, just not as soon as they say.

Where do you stand on that? Are you more of an optimist, or do you think I am right to be skeptical?

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The disruption happened when the iPhone hit the market. From using our phones to talk we went to using them as pocket computers. Calling someone is even seen as “primitive” in many circles. Just imagine how other phone manufacturers at the time were in panic mode because of Apple’s move.

Uber did something similar and caused many “steady state” businesses to reconsider their strategies. Amazon also scores in that department both with bountiful digital books that outsell printed ones and with Audible – their audiobook platform. Think about how just a decade ago our way of consuming media was vastly different.

Why am I telling you all that though? Because I believe we are on the cusp of a new disruption event. Today we will look at what vehicle subscriptions are, whether they are worth it, and what they tell us about the future of car ownership. Even if this business strategy does not succeed, I believe it will still push us further away from traditional car buying. So hang tight, and join me in figuring out what vehicle subscriptions are all about!

What is the vehicle subscription model?

Currently, you have two long-term options for owning a car and a single short-term one. The first and most obvious is buying the car straight away. Many people do not have the money to do that though, do they? Which is why the second option is so popular – financing or leasing.

Many of our fellow Americans finance or lease their cars for a certain period. Whether that is three, five, or seven years, it does not matter – you are still paying for it in time. At the end of the period, it will be yours (in case of financing) or return the car to get a newer model ( in case of the lease). But during your finance or lease term, it kind of feels like you are paying car rent. That leads us to the short-term option, which is renting a car.

Obviously, rent-a-car services are expensive and not worth it over the long haul. But I already mentioned that financing and leasing are a bit like renting, with the exception that you may end up owning the car in the end. Here is where vehicle subscriptions come in. They sit somewhere between renting and financing by offering lower long-term rent pricing, without the rent period ever ending… Sort of.

It is true that you will not end up owning the vehicle even after years of subscription. However, most of the time that is the only major drawback to the service. Pricing can also be an issue for some, although that is somewhat arguable. It all depends on the particular subscription model because they can actually vary. Some may be more expensive than others, but on the other hand, they may come with a lot of perks. Let me explain!

What kinds of vehicle subscription services are there?

The whole idea came to fruition in 2014. At first, a start-up company saw that the market could use something like this, so they offered it. Could you guess which other companies rose up as its competitors? Car manufacturers!

To be honest, that is hardly surprising. Such companies have both the infrastructure and the resources to offer something like this. Plus it only serves to validate the whole vehicle subscription idea. However, the only car companies that currently offer more diverse subscription options are Ford and Volvo. Though when it comes to the subscription package, every company does whatever it wants.

Some subscription services cover everything from insurance and maintenance, to roadside assistance. On top of that, Book by Cadillac, for example, gives you the freedom to swap vehicles. That means you can ride around town in a comfy sedan while hopping an SUV for your trip in the country on the weekend. They also do not have minimum subscription periods, unlike Volvo, which has a 2-year minimum.

The interesting part is that most vehicle subscription services by car companies are usually in the luxury segment. Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, and Jaguar have all jumped on the bandwagon. By offering luxury cars they can justify a slightly higher price than leasing while offering clients plenty of model options without having to think about their maintenance.

With that said, more affordable subscriptions have also hit the market. Ford and Volvo have some pretty cheap monthly subscriptions, and third-party companies also offer such. Their share is currently pretty small, but analysts are forecasting substantial growth. That may sound surprising to you. Who would give up their ownership for something like this? Frankly, it sounded weird to me at first too. Yet when I considered it for a bit, I saw why it made sense. Here we go!

Do you really own your car in the first place?

It is easy to fixate on ownership because we are living in a consumer society. Do not get me wrong, I find this perfectly fine. The problem comes when we fail to see that ownership is a really frail thing.

See, you may think you own something, but in the end, it almost always ends up in the garbage. It does not matter whether that is clothes, kitchen appliances, computers… or cars. It is not so much that you are paying for ownership, but rather for usage. Once the thing runs out of juice, you no longer need it, so to oblivion it goes.

Take a $50 shirt you have bought, for instance. It may go through two hundred wears before it tears. By doing the math it turns out you are “renting” it for $0.25 per wear. In reality, though, most people wear an item 7 to 10 times, before never looking at it ever again.

Of course, with cars, it is a bit different, because you use them every day. That being said, when you lease or finance them, you are essentially renting them. And many folks get a new car by the end of their lease period. So in a sense, you are on a constant subscription. Even if you sell your old vehicle, car value depreciation can be 60%. In light of all this, you can start to understand people who do not consider ownership to be such a big thing. To make it even clearer, I will summarize it for you below.

The pros and cons of vehicle subscriptions

The pros of vehicle subscriptions

• You do not have to commit to a single car over a long period
• Maintenance and insurance are often factored in the price
• When you consider all the costs of ownership, subscriptions are not unreasonably priced
• You do not have to worry about the car resale value

The cons of vehicle subscriptions

• You will never own the cars you are renting
• It is a bad option for car enthusiasts who like tweaking their vehicles
• Depending on your wants and needs a subscription service may get expensive
• Most current options are only for luxury brands and are limited to certain areas

You can weigh your options for yourself and decide whether subscribing to such a model is going to be worth it at some point. However, vehicle subscriptions are not the only alternative to ownership. Certain other options may prove to be much more desirable and make even subscriptions obsolete. Shall we have a look?

What other innovative solutions to car ownership are there?

For starters, there is a car sharing idea. Here a few people own one vehicle and use it together or on a schedule. This is not currently feasible, but with the advent of self-driving cars, it may turn out to be a decent option. Actually, the second alternative stems from it.

Option number two has also evolved into something similar to the first one, but not quite. Instead of sharing one car between a few people, you can actually allow your car to be a taxi when you do not use it. Some may say it is not unlike a self-driving Uber. Again, this can only be done if self-driving cars become a thing. Even if it does not sound too exciting now, this is the future in my opinion. Unfortunately, I do not think that it will be us, regular folks, who would own the vehicles.

I believe that most car manufacturers will storm the niche, much like the subscription model. They will offer self-driving taxi services with their vehicles.

If you do not believe this can happen, I can only point you to Uber and Porsche’s goal to create flying cars. Do you think they want to do it so that you can buy one? Of course not! They want to have versatile taxi services, which can take people everywhere in a much shorter period of time.

Of course, many of us enjoy having a car. Caring about a vehicle may even be a hobby – think about how many car enthusiasts there are. Then again, many of us do not really need a car per se. In fact, that may be the majority and we may not even realize it. In the end, owning cars will likely become a thing for collectors only. The rest of us will be just fine with mobility-as-a-service options like the ones already mentioned.

Is vehicle subscription the right model for you?

What do you think right now, can you see yourself jumping on a vehicle subscription? I would be glad to experiment with it, but something inside me is really drawn to that ownership idea.

Still, it may not really matter in the end. If the idea proves to be successful, it will take the market by storm, and ownership would become the niche thing. Think about the iPhone example again – you can still buy a regular cellphone, but most people will not do it ever again. Can it be that car ownership is heading in the same direction?

The post All you need to know about vehicle subscriptions appeared first on Altered Steel.