American cars have a standardized data port connector under the dash

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Paul Julien <p.julien () centurytel net>
Date: August 11, 2004 12:20:42 PM EDT
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: American cars have a standardized data port connector under 
the dash
Reply-To: Paul Julien <p.julien () centurytel net>

Dave:

Did you know that

1)   All American cars since 1996 have a data port connector under the 
dash
that is standardized?
2)   The data it provides from chips inside the car is not limited to
diagnostics of engine problems, and
3)   This data can be extracted in readable format by devices sold in 
the
open market to the public?

A sensor has been installed in all American cars since 1996.  It is not
restricted to just fleet or commercial vehicles, this is ALL cars,
including, presumably, yours.  It is wired to a standardized connector
accessible under the dashboard.  Collecting/Transmitting devices can be
purchased and attached to the connector to collect and/or broadcast 
data on
your driving habits.  From a website shown below:

"... Locate your car's OBDII connector. It's found in the passenger
compartment of all cars sold today, model-year 1996 or later, no more 
than
three feet from the driver's seat. "

An insurance company is already luring customers into providing this
driving-habits data to the company.  See below.


Paul Julien

*

 From http://www.familysafemedia.com/carchip_-_car_chip.html  :

  CarChip
A Black Box For Your Car


The CarChip package consists of a tiny "black box" data logger (about 
the
size of two 9-volt batteries stacked together), a CD with software for
analyzing the data, and a connecting cable and power adapter. The data
logger plugs into the OBDII connector in your car, and continuously 
collects
and stores data from the car's computer control systems. Later, you use 
the
cable and power adapter to download the information to your PC.

 Ideal For...

Parents with Teen Drivers
Fleet Managers
Do-It-Yourselfers
Professional Mechanics
Cost-Conscious Consumers
Time-Pressured Commuters
Environmentally-Aware Drivers

Features:

Store up to 75 hours of trip details. If you drive, on average, two 
hours a
day, that's over a month's worth of driving data!
Time and date for each trip
Distance traveled
Speed at which you drove (recorded every five seconds)
Number of times you either braked hard or accelerated quickly.
View all of this information graphically on your computer screen, 
giving you
a moment-by-moment picture of how you -- or perhaps your employees or 
the
teenagers in your household -- are driving.
View the check engine light's diagnostic trouble code, get 
"freeze-frame"
sensor readings telling you the status of various engine parameters at 
the
time the problem occurred, and reset the light.
30-day Satisfaction Guarantee
One Year Warranty

CarChipT
Price: $139.95

Includes:

Includes the CarChip data logger
Software on CD
Download cable and power adapter
The software requires Windows 95 or above, at least 5MB free hard disk
space, and one free serial port.


How It Works:

The CarChip plugs into the OBDII connector in your car, and continuously
collects and stores data from the car's computer control systems. 
Later, you
use the cable and power adapter to download the information to your PC.


Easy Plug-and-Go Installation:

Locate your car's OBDII connector. It's found in the passenger 
compartment
of all cars sold today, model-year 1996 or later, no more than three 
feet
from the driver's seat.
Plug the data logger in. A gentle push is all it takes.
Start driving. That's all there is to it! The data logger will start
collecting data as soon as you start driving.
Install the software, connect the CarChip and download the data to your 
PC.
Find the OBDII Connector in Your Car
Not sure where the OBDII connector is in your car? Check the interactive
database maintained by the National OBD Clearing House at Weber State
University.  Will not work on Diesel cars or trucks.

 800.828.4514
info () FamilySafeMedia com

Family Safe Media's Privacy Statement

© 1998 - 2004 Family Safe Media


*



And from http://www.startribune.com/,
see story "Big Brother under the dashboard?"


Last update: August 10, 2004 at 10:11 AM

Big Brother under the dashboard?
Chris Serres,  Star Tribune
August 10, 2004 CARTRACK0810

Each time Adam Gordon climbs behind the wheel of his 2000 Acura 
Integra, his
movements are tracked.

A tiny device under his dashboard detects each time he slams the brakes,
accelerates suddenly or drives above the speed limit. Each month, Gordon
unplugs the gizmo, downloads the data onto his computer, and sends it 
to his
auto insurer, Progressive Corp.

"My insurance company probably knows more about my driving habits than I
do," said Gordon, 40, a vice president at an area technology company.

Gordon is among hundreds of Minnesotans who have surrendered some of 
their
privacy in exchange for lower insurance rates.

Earlier this year, Progressive offered 250 drivers across the state $25 
to
plug a matchbox-size device, TripSense, into their cars to collect
information. The test worked so well that, beginning next week, 
Progressive
will offer the device to 5,000 Minnesotans.

Those who participate will be awarded discounts of up to 25 percent.

But is this level of surveillance a good thing for consumers?

Some privacy groups fear that Progressive, Mayfield Village, Ohio, is 
waving
a carrot in front of its customers in order to gather more data on their
driving habits. Once enough people have adopted the device, those who 
don't
could face higher insurance premiums.

Others are concerned that the information gathered by the tiny boxes 
could
end up in the wrong hands.

"This just shows how much of a surveillance society this has become," 
said
Charles Samuelson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties 
Union
of Minnesota. "Ten years ago, you would have heard screams of protest 
about
something like this, and not just from the lefties."

Progressive, which is the nation's third-largest auto insurer, says 
that the
device is designed to give its customers more control over their 
insurance
rates. Those who obey speed limits and drive only when necessary can 
save
money on their insurance.

"When I get to 75 miles per hour, I know [the device] is there," said 
Jim
Haas, Minnesota direct product manager for Progressive and a user of the
device. "If nothing else, it gives me a financial incentive to drive
safely."

Customers who register their vehicle in the program plug the device 
into the
on-board diagnostic port under the dashboard. The port is on all models 
sold
in the United States since 1996. Through the port, the device tracks how
much, how fast and when they drive.

At the end of each policy term, customers download the data and see what
discounts they can get. In Minnesota, where the highway speed limit is 
70
mph, those who drive above 75 mph less than 0.1 percent of the time 
receive
a 5 percent discount. Drivers who avoid the most dangerous times, 
including
midnight to 4 a.m., get even larger discounts. Customers receive a 5 
percent
discount just for sending the data to Progressive.

They can also decide not to send the information, and not get any extra
discounts.

Gordon said he used to think he was a patient driver -- that is, until 
he
took a look at the data collected by the device under his dashboard. He 
was
surprised how many times he broke the speed limit and made abrupt stops.

"This is a clever way to give me some control over my rates," he said.
"Before, you had no choice but send in the check and take it like a 
man."

Chris Serres is at cserres () startribune com.



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