Tag Archives: surveillance

Motorsport

Future Hyundais May Hear You Scream And Alert The Police

A future surveillance state seems inevitable. Law enforcement agencies are already accessing user data shared with Google, Facebook, and other digital service providers, often getting the information by purchasing it from the companies concerned, bypassing any constitutional concerns. If Hyundai Motor Group’s Orwellian vision of the future becomes reality, that data could soon be coming from your car as well.

The company highlighted the winners of its 2023 Ideas Festival, a program designed to foster and produce creative research concepts from its employees. This year’s theme was “Technology with a Heart that Changes the World,” and one of the bronze prize winners was an idea called “H-SOS.”

The concept imagines a future where a car equipped with external microphones could always be listening for signs of distress, like a person screaming or an explosion. If it detects such an occurrence, the car could activate its headlights, hazards, and horn and begin using its cameras to record its surroundings.

It would then alert police, sending officers the vehicle’s location and video footage. For cases of extreme crimes or disasters, the car could alert nearby vehicle owners to stay away from the area.

Much of the technology for such a connected car already exists. It’s the implementation and integration that is lacking. Tesla’s Sentry Mode is famous for catching vandals and thieves of all varieties, and Rivian’s vehicles feature a similar video security system.

Shazam and Google can listen to a few seconds of a song and identify it, while SoundThinking Inc.’s technology, formerly ShotSpotter, uses algorithms to listen for gunshots across several American cities. While a human does listen to the audio before alerting the authorities, there are ongoing debates about the technology’s efficacy and usefulness.

Many modern cars are already connected to the internet in some capacity, capable of receiving over-the-air updates via cellular network or WiFi. General Motors has been offering connected services through OnStar for nearly 30 years, which can track and remotely slow down stolen vehicles and alert police to their location.

The proposed implementation is an “idea for building a social safety net to prevent crimes and accidents in blind spots,” which sounds hopeful. Technology like this is not nefarious on its own, but without robust privacy protections for consumers, it makes it even easier for corrupt governments and companies to surveil whomever they want with few barriers.

Connected cars and their digitization make it easier for governments to mandate these new nanny systems in vehicles, and US regulators seem eager to test the surveillance waters. The hardware – cameras, sensors, and microphones – will only get cheaper, and software can live in the cloud thanks to 4G and 5G connectivity.

The National Transportation Safety Board recently recommended that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration require automakers to implement intelligent speed assistance technology to alert drivers when their vehicle exceeds the speed limit. Having the car log your speed and alert the police to any infractions seems like a logical next step for safety and feels easily feasible in 2023.

The feds also asked automakers in 2021 to explore integrating drunk driver detection technology that would prevent an intoxicated person from operating a vehicle. HMG also awarded a bronze prize to “Drunk Hunter” this year, which imagines using AI-based technology to predict and prevent drunk drivers and analyze their real-time behavior.

Motorsport

Ford Mustang Crashes Into Home After Speeding Through Intersection

A surveillance camera captured the moment when a Ford Mustang crashed into a home in California. The incident occurred at around 7 p.m. on Thursday in Grand Terrace when the Mustang, a fifth-generation model, failed to stop at an intersection.

The footage shows the Mustang approaching the T-intersection at a high speed. It is unclear when the driver applied the brakes, but the car’s momentum was too much. As the Mustang entered the intersection, it bottomed out, causing sparks to fly as the suspension rebounded and sending the back tires into the air.

The Mustang, believed to be a 2010-2012 V6 model, crashed back down on the other side of the road, hitting the curb. This impact launched the car into the air, causing it to fly into the front porch of a home. The car reached a considerable height before crashing back down to the ground.

Depending on the year, the Mustang could have a 4.0-liter or a 3.7-liter V6 engine. The fifth-generation Mustang received a significant styling update in 2010, but new powertrains were not installed until 2011, when Ford introduced the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 along with a smaller base engine.

Fortunately, there were people inside the home at the time of the incident, but no one was injured. The driver of the Mustang also escaped without any major injuries, freeing themselves from the vehicle and refusing medical treatment. The cause of the accident remains unclear.

The driver did receive two citations from the police: one for running a stop sign and another for driving without a license. It is possible that the vehicle experienced a mechanical failure, but it was also observed that the Ford was traveling at a high rate of speed for a residential street.

This incident serves as a reminder to always pay attention when driving. The driver should consider themselves fortunate, as things could have ended much worse. They were fortunate not to collide with another vehicle or pedestrians. We hope that the damage to the home is minimal and are grateful that no one was seriously harmed.

Motorsport

Nissan Investigating Allegations That CEO Spied on COO: Report

Nissan is currently looking into claims that its CEO, Makoto Uchida, conducted surveillance on Ashwani Gupta, the company’s departing Chief Operating Officer (COO). Hari Nada, a senior adviser for Nissan, has alleged that Uchida was attempting to gather information to remove Gupta, whom Uchida saw as an obstacle to reaching a new agreement with Renault.

The allegations of surveillance were first reported by the Financial Times and were brought to light by Nada in a letter dated April 19, addressed to the independent directors on Nissan’s board. Reuters, who also obtained a copy of the letter, states that Nada mentions Uchida monitoring Gupta for a “long period of time.” The letter also reveals tensions within Nissan’s senior management regarding the relationship with Renault and concerns about intellectual property transfers.

Gupta, who became COO of Nissan in 2019, had raised questions about the terms of the revised agreement with Renault. Uchida, seeking to finalize the deal, reportedly placed Gupta under surveillance in an attempt to gather information that could be used against him. Gupta announced his departure earlier this month. Previously, Gupta played a crucial role in Nissan’s efforts to streamline its operations and was seen as a potential candidate for the CEO position.

When asked for a comment on the investigation, a spokesperson for Nissan stated, “Independent third parties have been retained to verify facts and carry out appropriate actions.” Nissan neither confirmed nor denied the surveillance allegations and did not provide details about the individuals conducting the investigation. The company also declined to provide further comments on the matter.

Ashwani Gupta’s departure from Nissan raises concerns about the future leadership of the company and its alliance with Renault. The accusations of surveillance and internal disagreements further contribute to the perceived instability within Nissan. The company intends to disclose details of its leadership changes in an upcoming announcement to shed light on the direction it plans to take.

This scandal comes at a time when Nissan is already dealing with the aftermath of a tumultuous period involving its former CEO, Carlos Ghosn. Ghosn was previously accused of concealing income and faced other financial charges five years ago. He was placed under house arrest in Japan but managed to escape to Lebanon with the assistance of a private security firm by hiding in an instrument box. Currently, Interpol has issued a red notice for his arrest.