Wednesday, May 19, 2010

 

Remote control retribution

In what sounds like the preface to a sophisticated techno-thriller, scientists from university research teams in Japan and the US have succeeded in hacking into car control systems, even remotely controlling vehicles from the internet.

I don't mean to be alarmist, but it sounds really frightening. I once had a retributive ex-boyfriend who angrily kicked the hubcap of what was my pride and joy, a Peugeot 205, and I fear that if ever I have a similar break-up in the not-so-distant science fiction future, things could be far worse.

As a result, knowing how reckless and impetuous, even calculating, a spurned lover can be, from now on I intend only to date men who are computer illiterate and think that a laptop is some form of service they might receive at a strip club.

I also intend to buy a car that is made out of lead or some other similarly radio and electronic signal impermeable material. Think of it as a mobile faraday cage.

Well, at least until the motor industry responds to the threat by putting up better defences; sort of like a Norton Firewall, only for cars.

As one of the scientists involves comments, "This industry hasn't had to deal with adversarial pressure, so its defences haven't had to be that strong,"

Image © Tom Raftery via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

# posted by Fuse @ 3:24 AM 0 Comments

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

 

Pothole painting makes for good life philosophy

Since the heavy snow at the beginning of the year, pothole problems have never been far from the news. Likely to cause a surge in the number of car accident claims on women's car insurance, the pesky holes have proved a menace on roads around the UK.

While attempts have been made to fill in the craters by some councils, others have decided to try and disguise them by painting road markings across them.

This is true of council workers in Birmingham who were sent to repaint the white lines along a busy road in Birmingham. Being particularly conscientious, the workers even painted over a 3ft pothole.

Commenting on the decision to paint the pothole, a local resident said:
"The council should be doing something about it [the pothole] – not painting over them. Do they think we wouldn't notice?"

However, it seems that UK isn't the worst for covering up road problems as one British holidaymaker in France reported seeing a fallen branch on the road being painted over.

Perhaps instead of slating them, we should praise and encourage their diligence and determination to complete their work regardless of the hefty craters that stood in their way.

Their ability to complete what they set out to do despite the obstacles that stood in their way could almost make a good metaphor for how life's troubles should be tackled – like potholes, you can't avoid them, so you might as well get on with it and work right through them.


# posted by Fuse @ 6:35 AM 0 Comments