3 ms·

Tesla fights back against owners hacking their cars to unlock performance boost

17 points by ra7 6y ago

salawat 6y ago
Those that impose software barriers to utilization of purchased hardware are doomed to people doing what people who paid good money for something do. Yet still these business models propagate. Something about the definition of insanity being doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
- Mountain_Skies 6y ago
  Brings to mind the ongoing battle between John Deere and the Ukrainian hackers. I haven't kept up with the fight but if I were a gambler, I'd put my money on the Ukrainians. Non-tech companies tend to write dreadfully poor software. Can't imagine their software locks are any better.
ksaj 6y ago
Couldn't they decide on a mechanism that does not have the code in there by default, and then electronically deliver it as a module when a customer pays for it? Maybe the problem is harder than that, but I doubt there is no solution. It's not a new problem, as we've seen with John Deere already.
throwaway189262 6y ago
Modding cars has been a thing since time immaterial. Tesla is fighting against a long tradition I enjoy, and I hope they lose. I don't want every piece of tech in my life to become "look but don't touch". There needs to be a right to repair and tinker with the things you own. We're slowly becoming serfs to our own possessions and the giant tech monopolies that control them from afar
- belval 6y ago
  I understand and respect that point of view, if you buy something it os your property and whatnot, but the counter point to that is that Tesla when not running still pack +70kWh on 400v busbars so this isn't your typical iPhone repair either. Yesterday I saw a video of a few people in a garage from what I assume is a garage in the US, salvaging the cells in a Tesla battery pack and not one of them had decent protective gear. Again I don't disagree with you, but I understand why it might bea serious liability for Tesla.
  - swiley 6y ago
    I’ve seen videos of teenagers being careless with angle grinders but you don’t see homedepot freaking out. Label things and write decent manuals don’t write broken software with safety as an excuse.
  - throwaway189262 6y ago
    They're not liable for anything you tinker with. Same with gas cars which are just as dangerous

17 points by ra7 6y ago

Those that impose software barriers to utilization of purchased hardware are doomed to people doing what people who paid good money for something do. Yet still these business models propagate. Something about the definition of insanity being doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

Mountain_Skies 6y ago
Brings to mind the ongoing battle between John Deere and the Ukrainian hackers. I haven't kept up with the fight but if I were a gambler, I'd put my money on the Ukrainians. Non-tech companies tend to write dreadfully poor software. Can't imagine their software locks are any better.

ksaj 6y ago

Couldn't they decide on a mechanism that does not have the code in there by default, and then electronically deliver it as a module when a customer pays for it? Maybe the problem is harder than that, but I doubt there is no solution. It's not a new problem, as we've seen with John Deere already.

throwaway189262 6y ago

Modding cars has been a thing since time immaterial. Tesla is fighting against a long tradition I enjoy, and I hope they lose. I don't want every piece of tech in my life to become "look but don't touch". There needs to be a right to repair and tinker with the things you own. We're slowly becoming serfs to our own possessions and the giant tech monopolies that control them from afar

belval 6y ago
I understand and respect that point of view, if you buy something it os your property and whatnot, but the counter point to that is that Tesla when not running still pack +70kWh on 400v busbars so this isn't your typical iPhone repair either. Yesterday I saw a video of a few people in a garage from what I assume is a garage in the US, salvaging the cells in a Tesla battery pack and not one of them had decent protective gear. Again I don't disagree with you, but I understand why it might bea serious liability for Tesla.
- swiley 6y ago
  I’ve seen videos of teenagers being careless with angle grinders but you don’t see homedepot freaking out. Label things and write decent manuals don’t write broken software with safety as an excuse.
- throwaway189262 6y ago
  They're not liable for anything you tinker with. Same with gas cars which are just as dangerous