Open Source Car-Hacking Tool Successfully Crowdfunded (kickstarter.com) 54
An anonymous reader writes:
Two geeks are crowdfunding an open source car hacking tool that will allow builders to experiment with diagnostics, telematics, security, and prototyping. "Cars have become complicated and expensive to work with," they explain on a Kickstarter page. "Macchina wants to use open source hardware to help break down these barriers and get people tinkering with their cars again." After years developing a beta prototype, they announced a tiny plug-and-play device/development platform (that can also be hardwired under the hood) on an Arduino Due board with a 32-bit ARM microcontroller. They almost immediately reached their $25,000 funding goal, and with 24 days left to go they've already raised $41,672, and they're now also selling t-shirts to benefit the EFF's "Right to Repair" activism.
Challenging "the closed, unpublished nature of modern-day car computers," their M2 device ships with protocols and libraries "to work with any car that isn't older than Google." With catchy slogans like "root your ride" and "the future is open," they're hoping to build a car-hacking developer community, and they're already touting the involvement of Craig Smith, the author of the Car Hacker's Handbook from No Starch Press.
"The one thing that all car hobbyists can agree on is that playing with cars isn't cheap," argues the campaign page. "Open source hardware is the answer!"
Challenging "the closed, unpublished nature of modern-day car computers," their M2 device ships with protocols and libraries "to work with any car that isn't older than Google." With catchy slogans like "root your ride" and "the future is open," they're hoping to build a car-hacking developer community, and they're already touting the involvement of Craig Smith, the author of the Car Hacker's Handbook from No Starch Press.
"The one thing that all car hobbyists can agree on is that playing with cars isn't cheap," argues the campaign page. "Open source hardware is the answer!"
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I can tell you've never been in the military. Google Douglas MacArthur for an example of people in the military and how they feel about obeying presidential authority. He's just one in a long line of Generals and Admirals that had problems with Presidents. Ultimately the US military answers to the president as Commander in Chief but it's hardly a lickspittle relationship.
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He's in control of all the nuclear missiles. If he says "launch" the air force won't stop him.
Unfortunately, this is probably correct. Those guys are trained to turn the keys when the light goes on, and that's about it.
Sadly, the nuclear launch protocol was designed for speed, not debate. This means you could go into the bathroom, spend five minutes pooping and when you come out we could be well into the second round of nuclear launches.
Could Trump initiate a nuclear exchange? I wish I could say "no", but I'd just be kidding myself.
“You know what uranium is, right? It’s this thing called
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A really quick debate. Maybe 2 minutes. In reality, if Trump started giggling and ordered a nuke launch there's an almost certainty that someone will pump a bullet in his head. If the Russians are over the border into Poland and bombers are in the air then they'll probably go along with it. The guys in the silos have no idea what's going on. They get a launch order and it validates then they turn the keys. At the Joint Chiefs level things are a lot less automatic. The Chiefs have some latitude with a
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You must think they just give him a box with a button and when he feels like it he can just press it and the missiles leave.
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We are thinking for ourselves, which is making liberal idiots like you have fits.
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In states?
This is going to be an EPA regulation, nationwide. Lest some shade-tree mechanic decides he'd like to tune his car for performance and fuck the emissions up.
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It already is an EPA regulation. Companies, by law, have to make a best effort to avoid people trying to change anything that can affect emissions regulations.
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It already is an EPA regulation. Companies, by law, have to make a best effort to avoid people trying to change anything that can affect emissions regulations.
The automakers have to do that. The rest of us can sell auto hacking tools with impunity as long as they have substantial non-infringing use, and our right to develop them is actually explicitly protected by law (even through reverse engineering.) So the automakers might well be prohibited from giving us the information we need to tune the vehicle, but it's legal for us to sniff the bus while they do it.
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The automakers have to do that. The rest of us can sell auto hacking tools with impunity as long as they have substantial non-infringing use, and our right to develop them is actually explicitly protected by law (even through reverse engineering.) So the automakers might well be prohibited from giving us the information we need to tune the vehicle, but it's legal for us to sniff the bus while they do it.
Not in California. We have a fucking stupid huge bureaucracy dedicated to making upgrades unaffordable, because the 3000 people who actively race cars are a huge threat to the environment. Fucking stupidities nirvana here where you can't buy a race cam without asking mother may I.
While I do take offense at the CARB equipment restrictions, you can have basically any kind of car you want in California so long as you build it yourself. It smogs as the engine donor. You only have to do a certain percentage of the work yourself.
Five bucks says they get sued (Score:3)
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Touch the ECU and they'll void the entire warranty.
Sure, they could do that. And then you could take them to court to cover the cost of repairs. And you'd do it in small claims court, unless you were into the big big money because you bought a big expensive automobile, in which case you can afford to go to real court.
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I'll take that bet. OBDII tools have been around for decades. The only thing this does is have better software support. I expect you to fork over that sweet sweet cash too, bro. ;)
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I've got a $5 bet that says automobile manufacturers file for an injuction against them and/or sue them and/or file for a DMCA takedown because they're violating copyright.
How long do we have to wait to collect our five dollars from you? They're not getting sued. There's already a ton of devices which do this.
Can't wait.. (Score:3)
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That requires too much effort; it's easier to talk idiots into doing it manually by promising them 72 virgins.
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
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ViewTool Ginkgo USB to CAN [amazon.com] isn't bad. They have drivers and libraries for OS X, Windows and Linux. It has 2 CAN lines and taking it apart they actually separated the CAN side from the USB side on the PCB. (Something not even Vector's CAN boxes do).
It's cheaper than any of the commercial tools.
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It has 2 CAN lines and taking it apart they actually separated the CAN side from the USB side on the PCB.
What, they included a $5 USB isolator IC, saving the user from buying a $20 USB isolator module? That's great, I wish Ross-Tech would do that on their VW interfaces.
OpenXC (Score:1)
OpenXC is a Ford sponsored open source hardware and software project that allows you to read and inject messages using the CAN. I have been using it for about 3 years on my Focus and then my F-150. There are several libraries available, including python. There is also a test client for Android.
For an example of what can be done with the device, check out http://connectedcars.splunk4good.com/en-US/app/connectedcars/overview
Scam Alert: Copy of an OBD2 Recorder (Score:3)
Here is an already commercialized project if you'd like to avoid the Kickstarter scam which has the same form factor as this project
http://freematics.com/store/in... [freematics.com]
Or you know, the hundreds of people that thought about this before and documented it.
https://www.google.com/search?... [google.com]
-or-
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tut... [sparkfun.com]
I should start a Kickstarter myself to develop some knock-offs.
Re:Scam Alert: Copy of an OBD2 Recorder (Score:5, Interesting)
And a cheaper one, you might add. These Macchina guys are anticipating $55 just for the interface board. But then they claim they made it as small as possible, which is bullshit because it's multiprotocol. They say they made it small so that you could fit it under the dash or hood, but then they went and put an OBD-II connector on it which just takes up a lot of space. If I'm permanently installing it, I can splice into the wires I need. I also don't need protocols I'm not going to use. Then they added an xbee module slot. xbee modules are primarily used for long-range communications. Up close, you use bluetooth or wifi. You can get an esp8266 module which goes into an xbee slot, but the module they specifically talk about is the new cellular xbee module. There's no reason to give the device a cellular uplink unless your plan is to use it remotely.
Which brings us full circle: this device was designed first and foremost to be used as a weapon. It's designed to be installed into a target's vehicle, and to be used to attack the vehicle remotely. We know this because of their choice of wireless interface module standard, which is oriented towards long-range communications, and because the broad multiprotocol support is otherwise at odds with the desire to make the device as small as possible. So is the addition of a soldered OBD-II connector, which is not desirable in many installation types. It is useful, however, if your goal is to connect as rapidly as possible.
Do WHAT to your ride? (Score:2)
I'm guessing these people have never talked to an Australian.
Fortunately, nothing to worry about (Score:2)