Security Experts: There is No Such Thing as Being 100% Secure
White hat hackers at Pen Test Partners were able to exploit critical vulnerabilities in popular 'smart' car alarm apps and unlock vehicles, listen in on driver conversations and even kill the engine while running.
Researchers were able to access profiles because one simple 'modify user' request in the code was not being correctly checked for validation. Cloning of the alarm key fob was possible using the app enabling any smartphone to unlock a car.
Read the article at Forbes.
Partnering Essential to Surviving the Auto Industry Transformation
At the Geneva International Motor Show 2019, discussions among executives have been dominated by collaboration and consolidation rather than new models.
Global automakers grapple with new technologies, stricter emissions standards and apps that have turned car buyers into renters or just riders.
Profit warnings, missed targets and falling stock prices at parts suppliers paired with the news that luxury segment archrivals BMW and Daimler are teaming up on autonomous driving, and Volkswagen is allowing a startup to share the electric-car technology, the industry’s new contours are taking shape.
Read the article at Bloomberg.
Volvo’s Plan to Keep Drivers Safe: Limit the Top Speed
Beginning in 2020, Volvo cars will be limited to 180 kph — or about 112 mph.
The change is part of an ambitious plan called Vision 2020, which seeks to eliminate all serious injuries and driving deaths in new Volvos by next year.
“Volvo is a leader in safety: we always have been and we always will be,” Hakan Samuelsson, Volvo’s president and chief executive, said in a statement released Monday. "Because of our research we know where the problem areas are when it comes to ending serious injuries and fatalities in our cars. And while a speed limitation is not a cure-all, it’s worth doing if we can even save one life.”
Read the article at The Washington Post.
The Hottest Tech Trends of the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show
The biggest names in auto were at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, bringing with them some of the newest trends and concepts which are heavily focused on their latest battery-powered cars.
This year's lineup shows that the industry is fully committed. Plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV) are visiting center stage for nearly every manufacturer.
Read the article at The Drive.
The 2020 Ford Transit Van Brings More Comfort, Power and Efficiency
For 2020, Ford says it listened to "recreational-vehicle customer requests" when refreshing the Transit cargo and passenger vans with new-to-it powertrains, improved safety, and higher-end options—regardless of how customers actually use them.
The Transit is already a city fixture, and among those who work, live, or do both in them, the van's dozens of space configurations, easy upfitting, and relatively low running costs have kept sales strong since Ford introduced the model in 2015.
Read the article at Car and Driver.
