connected cars

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly dealing with unresolved questions about their security arrangements as the world marks the anniversary of Princess Diana's death. Coverage of the anniversary has revived attention on the couple's safety and their past concerns about protection, connecting their current situation to the circumstances surrounding Diana's fatal 1997 Paris car crash.

The Trump administration is moving to roll back US fuel economy standards, easing emissions and efficiency requirements for automakers. The policy shift is being reported alongside growing concern over cybersecurity in connected vehicles, as cars become increasingly software-dependent and vulnerable to hacking. The rollback is likely to reignite debate between industry groups welcoming looser rules and environmental advocates warning of higher emissions and fuel consumption.

IEEE Spectrum reports on an all-electric car that, according to the outlet, never needs to be plugged in. The claim points to charging without a physical cable connection, a topic drawing attention in the auto industry as electric vehicle adoption grows and charging convenience remains a key concern for buyers.

A comment from Australia suggests consumer group CHOICE should test cars for connectivity and examine what data they collect, where it is sent, and to whom. The remark cites findings that all connected cars tested contacted their manufacturer's own domains, raising questions about how much driving and personal data vehicles transmit and how transparent carmakers are about it.

Tech workers in San Francisco connected ChatGPT to a Toyota Corolla and had it navigate a parking lot using an off-the-shelf language model with no prior driving training. Only one model managed to complete the course. The experiment is drawing attention for showing both the potential and the limits of using general-purpose AI for real-world control tasks.

A growing warning says the most invasive device people own may be the car parked in their driveway. Modern vehicles collect large amounts of personal data, including location history, driving behavior, and even in-cabin activity, often sharing it with insurers, data brokers, and manufacturers. Privacy advocates argue cars track more than phones, and drivers are urging others to check what data their vehicles gather and how to limit it.

Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford Motor Company, has criticized the pursuit of 'technology for technology's sake,' arguing that innovation in cars should serve genuine practical needs rather than novelty. The remarks touch on ongoing debates in the auto industry over how much connectivity, screens and software belong in vehicles, and whether automakers are adding features drivers actually want.

A Grand Forks man arrested last Wednesday in connection with a car crash is now facing 12 charges, and attempted murder remains among them. The expanded charge list suggests prosecutors filed additional counts after reviewing the incident. The crash and the severity of the allegations have drawn local attention in the Grand Forks, North Dakota area.

Australia's peak electric vehicle body has argued that the ongoing controversy over connected-car data collection is unfairly singling out electric vehicles, when data-gathering practices are common across the modern car industry. The intervention comes amid public debate about what connected vehicles track and who can access that information, with EVs facing outsized scrutiny.