Tech Companies Vs. Car Companies

[david_827]

This article is pure speculation at the moment, but who's to say it can't happen?

As the amount of technology in cars increases whats to stop the likes of someone like Google from buying a car company? I mean, when they decided they wanted to make phone hardware they went out and bought Motorola. Addiotionally with google testing their self driving cars (btw have any members seen them in person?), i personally feel that it could be a real possibility.

What are you guys' thoughts? Would you buy a Google Car?

http://money.msn.com/technology-investment/post.aspx?post=28f26104-c287-434a-b522-39cb610b02c3

[Jabro]

I don't want to sound old fashioned, but in my opinion the more tech you add to a car (electronically speaking), the more liable it is to break. Its relatively easy to take a car from the 1940's and determine how everything works, not so much with the cars today because of the ever increasing software and technology involved. Personally, I trust a hand dial air conditioning system in my car over a touchscreen one any day.

Not to go on a rant, but I saw an article on Yahoo News the other day about a camera being found with photos on it from WWI, I can bet you that flash memory on our camera's today isn't going to be able to be recovered ninety years from now.

We have to go back to our roots and build things to last, not just crap that makes things convenient for the moment.

[david_827]

i agree with you on the fact that software sometimes makes things tougher to fix.

The one thing i worry about. especially with driverless cars and all the software and tech that goes into them, is how suspectible are they to hackers? Whats to stop someone from hacking into your car and forcing to drive somewhere else?

[david_827]

We have to go back to our roots and build things to last, not just crap that makes things convenient for the moment.

Convenience always trumps longevity in todays world, just look at smartphones, its always convenient when you first get it, but its practically obsolete after a year

[nookandcrannycar]

This article is pure speculation at the moment, but who's to say it can't happen?

As the amount of technology in cars increases whats to stop the likes of someone like Google from buying a car company? I mean, when they decided they wanted to make phone hardware they went out and bought Motorola. Addiotionally with google testing their self driving cars (btw have any members seen them in person?), i personally feel that it could be a real possibility.

What are you guys' thoughts? Would you buy a Google Car?

http://money.msn.com/technology-investment/post.aspx?post=28f26104-c287-434a-b522-39cb610b02c3

No. My 'Anti-Googleness' might be considered by some to be almost a passion...for many reasons but two of them are paramount -- 1. Google storing their searches forever (too Orwellian for my taste, plus I just think it is wrong) and 2. I think Schmidt's comment during an interview with CNBC - "If you have something you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place" is PROBABLY THE MOST ARROGANT PUBLIC STATEMENT EVER MADE BY THE CEO OF ANY PUBLICLY HELD COMPANY. Other people share my feelings re #2, at least to some degree. The Electronic Frontier Foundation referred to this comment as a "dangerous and dismissive response".

[nookandcrannycar]

i agree with you on the fact that software sometimes makes things tougher to fix.

The one thing i worry about. especially with driverless cars and all the software and tech that goes into them, is how suspectible are they to hackers? Whats to stop someone from hacking into your car and forcing to drive somewhere else?

^^^^^ This. I'm a glass half full person, but I'm also EXTREMELY cynical. I feel the same way re potential hackers and the linked project. Plus, I just love to drive. It relaxes me. Almost no matter what is going on outside the car. The focus of the project just isn't appealing to me, even if it were under the auspices of a different corporation.

[why?]

If Google bought out all of GM, paid the taxpayers back every penny, then I would love it, because Google wouldn't abide by putting out shitty noncompetitive models decade after decade.

The problem though is car makers just don't work like other companies. It would take a dedicated team to really understand the ins and outs of car manufacturing and sales before it could become feasible. And as we just saw, even Apple, late king of smart phones, was too dumb to even check international laws on what is and is not considered 4g in each country before putting out an add campaign. If they won't even do that little bit of research, do you really think they would do all the research into a totally new industry?

[nookandcrannycar]

If Google bought out all of GM, paid the taxpayers back every penny, then I would love it, because Google wouldn't abide by putting out shitty noncompetitive models decade after decade.

The problem though is car makers just don't work like other companies. It would take a dedicated team to really understand the ins and outs of car manufacturing and sales before it could become feasible. And as we just saw, even Apple, late king of smart phones, was too dumb to even check international laws on what is and is not considered 4g in each country before putting out an add campaign. If they won't even do that little bit of research, do you really think they would do all the research into a totally new industry?

This post of yours reminds me of another realistic post on a past thread. The past thread was about (and prior to) the Space Shuttle Endeavour's move through the streets of Southern California. I wrote a post, essentially wondering if there was any coordination between the Shuttle people and the government entities. Member tk1971 replied that he works in a large, professional environment where big money is at stake and that in his experience people do the 'minimum possible' (I forget his exact terminology, but that was what he was trying to convey. He was right. During the move, the Endeavour people ran into the problems (trees in the way, etc.) that I was wondering if they would plan for. They obviously didn't do the planning.