Where are the bills being introduced?

The states with bills to limit Google and Uber’s self-driving cars are Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, and Maryland.

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What Do the Bills Entail?

Lawmakers in these states modeled their bills after Michigan’s SAVE Act, the first of its kind, which only allows a fleet of self-driving cars onto the road if they are owned by an automaker. Tennessee’s bill echoes Michigan’s, saying that only motor vehicle manufacturers can drive on the road and only if the manufacturer ensures that these cars are safe.

However, these four states’ bills have gone a step further than Michigan. Michigan’s bill was revised to allow companies like Google and Uber to launch their self-driving car fleets if they worked with an automaker or got the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to approve their designs. The four newly-introduced bills don’t even allow these companies to take this route to approval.

Why Do These Stipulations Mean for Uber and Google?

These companies are developing self-driving car technology, but they’re not manufacturing the cars themselves. That means that their cars will not be covered under the “vehicle manufacturers” language in the proposed bills.

Why Are These States So Critical of Google and Uber?

According to some sources, General Motors was behind these rules. GM denied involvement, but they do say they support the lawmakers’ bills.

Who Opposes These Bills?

The Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets, which represents Uber, Lyft, Volvo, and Ford, suggests that instead of limiting self-driving cars in the way these states do, states should focus on creating laws that ensure safe testing of driverless vehicles.

Are you skeptical about the number of self-driving cars that should be on the road? What would make you feel more secure about this new technology? Let us know in the comments.

Share a Ride
Ridesharing has become an increasingly common form of transportation over the years — and it looks like it’s the way of the future. Some benefits to ridesharing include shared costs (so that you pay less for transportation), the luxury of a commute via car versus public transit, and reducing our carbon footprint. Ridesharing can also help to reduce the number of cars on the road, which will hopefully lead to less traffic congestion. Uber has its own ridesharing service in the form of uberPOOL, and Tesla recently announced plans for a ridesharing program in 2017.

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By offering a more efficient transportation method and a reduced need for parking spaces, self-driving cars will be a huge asset to the ride sharing business and community. This option will be especially welcome in cities, where there is limited space. Limited space calls for fewer parking spaces, and thus more expensive parking options. Just think of all the money you’ll save once this future of ridesharing is realized.

More Efficient Trains
You may have heard of bullet trains, which offer high-speed transportation. Beyond that, there’s the Shanghai Maglev Train, which can go at a speed of 270 mph. But in the future there will be trains that can go into hyper-speed. Just ask Elon Musk about his idea for the Hyperloop train. His vision for the Hyperloop includes train travel that’s faster than a bullet train, and even faster than an airplane with speeds of more than 700 mph. A faster train means a more weather-resistant train, in addition to a quieter and smoother experience.

Airplanes and Flying Cars
Flying cars are in the works, too. Some of the best options currently include Skycar and AeroMobile, and they could be available for commercial use within the next five years. To take this further, Uber wants to eventually have a self-driving flying car rideshare service. As for the future of airplanes, they could become electric, according to Elon Musk. Otherwise, like future trains, these airplanes will be quieter, smoother, and greener — but not necessarily faster. According to NASA, they may also include folding wings and virtual reality windows.

Some cars have something called an Electric Control Unit (ECU). This ECU system is contingent with several other devices within the vehicle, so once the hacker has access to the ECU, they can gain control of several vehicular functions. Some of these functions include windshield wipers, air conditioning, and most disconcertingly, the engine, brakes, and transmission.

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Motives
So what are the motives behind car hacking? While no one can put a finger on the single cause of car hacking, there are a few reasons why someone would want to perform an act that is this malicious. On the one hand, people can hack cars for the sake of recreation, while others can use this act as a way to wreak some serious havoc.

Recreation
Hacking can be a fun hobby for those who are well versed in computer coding. As a result, hackers are constantly trying to find a new challenge to help hone their hacking skills. As computer viruses have been out for over 30 years, one could imagine that hackers are looking for a new electronic device. What better opportunity is there than cars? Keep in mind that this does not always have to be a malicious act. For instance, some people might just try to see if they can successfully hack a car for bragging rights.

Cyber-terrorism
Unfortunately, car hacking can be utilized to cause some serious damage to many people. Thus, this act of hacking can be a medium used by terrorists to commit heinous acts. As a result of this threat, car companies are finding ways to protect the internet systems in their cars. For instance, recent reports reveal that Tesla Motors Inc., Fiat Chrysler, and General Motors Co all had to reprogram their cars’ electronics due to their vulnerability to hacking.

For anyone that’s had to utter that often ignored word, or failed to flag down taxi after taxi, it’s no wonder that the new self-driving taxis in Singapore and Philadelphia are making big news.

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Self-Driving Taxis in Singapore from nuTonomy
Singapore company nuTonomy launched its new self-driving taxi service just days before US company Uber was able to get their cars on the road. The six, shiny new nuTonomy cars are located in “one-north,” a small business district.

Since this is a trial period, nuTonomy is equipping the cars, Renault Zoe and Mitsubishi i-MiEV, with a backup human driver, in addition to a computer engineer. This way, the company can be prepared for any mishaps along the way.

The Singapore government has outlined a series of milestones for the nuTonomy test to achieve before it will be allowed to expand. Still, nuTonomy already has its eye on the surrounding area. It’s only a matter of time.

Uber Launches Self-Driving Taxis in Philadelphia
On the other side of the world, Uber is the first stateside company to launch self-driving taxis, currently with “safety drivers.” These four Ford Fusions are equipped with sensors, cameras, and radar to help the cars maneuver, brake, steer, and accelerate. Volvo XC90s should be making an appearance soon as well, with a recent deal between Volvo and Uber paving the way for the new addition.

Why self-driving taxis? Uber co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick and Otto founder Anthony Levandowski made the following announcement on the company website:

“But we know that self-driving Ubers have enormous potential to further our mission and improve society: reducing the number of traffic accidents, which today kill 1.3 million people a year; freeing up the 20 percent of space in cities currently used to park the world’s billion plus cars; and cutting congestion, which wastes trillions of hours every year.”

Those are some really big numbers. Are self-driving cars the wave of the future? According to nuTonomy and Uber, the answer is “Yes!” With big players including Tesla Motors, Google, General Motors, and then some each hopping onboard, many believe the time is now to embrace this new technology.

In fact, Ford plans to have self-driving cars available for consumers out and available by 2021. The way we travel will be forever changed.

Google’s Android Auto app is free to download from the Play store. There are two options for the app, depending on your car model. If you have a newer car model, you can connect your phone to your digital display for easier viewing and access. For older car models, there’s now the option to receive all of the benefits of the app without requiring a car that supports Android Auto. The app works with phones running 5.0+ (also known as Lollipop, Marshmallow, and Nougat) and newer car models with digital displays that can support the app. The app will, of course, still use your phone’s data.

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For Cars That Support Android Auto
The app was originally created to work with newer car models. It’s meant to offer an easier way to connect your phone to your car, without the hassle of a phone mount or the distraction of reaching elsewhere to check your phone. Simply download the app, and connect your phone to your car through a USB cable. Follow the prompts on the screen to set it up and then you’re ready to go. This app will alter your car’s display by presenting your favorite phone apps in an easy-to-use, minimal design. By accessing your phone through the digital display, you’ll be able to quickly glance at your route on Google Maps, or use Google Now to tell your phone to make a call, send a text message, or change the music.

For Cars That Don’t Support Android Auto
A recent update to the app allows the Android Auto interface to work on your phone without connecting it to your car. Download the app and mount your phone to your car to use it like a built-in display screen. You’ll still receive many of the same benefits, such as an easier-to-use interface and a focus on voice commands to keep distractions to a minimum.

In recent experiments, hackers took control of several vehicles to demonstrate how it easy it could be for them to gain access. Here, we’ll talk about the experiments, and what you can learn from them to better secure your own vehicle.

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What were the experiments?
Automotive hackers took control of a Ford Escape and a Toyota Prius. The hackers took control of the cars by breaching the car’s security system software. They stopped and started engines, took over the steering and brake, and changed the speedometer readings — all virtually. In the Prius, for example, the hackers red-lined the engine, eventually forcing the car to stop.

Today, computers control all of a car’s major functions. Most cars have 50 to 80 computers — called electronic control units.

What was the response?
These hackers published a paper describing the methods and code they used to take control of the vehicles. The goal of the experiments was to open the conversation about the topic. The research paper described how they accessed and transmitted code by hacking into cars’ networks.

What can you do to protect your vehicle?
The news, sadly, is you can’t do much. Overall, most car security systems are mysterious. Other research teams have also conducted studies on how cars can be manipulated virtually — while ignoring driver controls. This could be a real concern to drivers — someone could take control of their car to crash it or otherwise maliciously manipulate it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also opened a 12-member coalition to deal with increasing cyber threats against vehicles.

While these threats could be a concern, you don’t have much to worry about. Cases of cyber hacked cars are rare — if entirely unheard of outside of these experiments.

We might not be able to secure your car, but we definitely can protect your phone from hackers. PSafe Total’s unmatched Anti-virus system scans your phone files and SD cards 24 hours a day to make sure hackers can’t get hold of your information.

Viper SmartStart allows you to start your car during those chilly winter days, lock or unlock your car remotely, and locate your car when you can’t find it in a parking lot—all from the convenience of your smartphone. If your car already includes a Viper-compatible remote start system (a list of compatible systems is available on their website), then all you need is the Viper SmartStart module and the free app from the Play store.

Viper SmartStart’s Features

If you don’t have a compatible system, you can purchase a remote start system and a remote security system from their website. This package also includes keyless entry, remote lock/unlock, vehicle alerts, trunk release, and access to your car alarm, among other functions. There is virtually an unlimited range for controlling your car; all you need is a cellular or Wi-Fi signal.

Another perk includes membership in the Viper Motor Club, a flat rate 24/7 roadside assistance network, which you can access from the SmartStart app whenever needed. You can also purchase a SmartStart GPS module, which allows you to locate your car, receive alerts on excessive speed or the status of your car’s battery, and receive a notification if your car has been moved without your permission.

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The Service Plan

In addition to a Viper system and module, you will need to pay for a 1- or 3-year cellular plan in order for your Viper system to communicate with your phone. The prices range from $69.99 for one year of the basic SmartStart plan and $99.99 for one year of the GPS premium plan.

Download the App to Get Started

Now that you know more about Viper SmartStart, you’re ready to download the app and try it out. Luckily, Viper SmartStart offers a 60-day free trial, so that you can figure out if this service is for you or not before investing in it further. Nonetheless, once you have a SmartStart system installed in your car, all you need to do is set up your account, which you can complete in the app.