Lucas123 writes: While some carmakers today offer over-the-air software upgrades to navigation maps and infotainment head units, Tesla became the first last week to perform a powertrain upgrade overnight. But as the industry begins adopting internal vehicle bus standards with greater bandwidth and more robust security, experts believe vehicle owners will no longer be required to visit dealerships or perform downloads to USB sticks. IHS predicts that in the next three to five years, most, if not all automakers, will offer fully fledged OTA software-enabled platforms that encompass upgrades to every vehicle system — from infotainment, safety, comfort, and powertrain. First, however, carmakers must deploy more open OS platforms, remove hardened firewalls between vehicle ECUs, and deploy networking topologies such as Ethernet, with proven security. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Excerpt from:
Automakers Move Toward OTA Software Upgrades
What if you approached your life like a video game, treating your tasks as monsters to be battled and your daily goals as quests? That’s the idea behind HabitRPG , a site and community designed to be a role playing game for your to-do list. Read more…
You’ve heard it a lot, but it bears repeating: you need to back up your computer , because your hard drive will fail one day. Beyond those file backups, though, are many other things we need to have a backup for—ranging from work and finances to personal needs. Read more…
Rosetta’s lander lasted just 60 hours on a comet before bouncing into the dark shadows of a cliff, where its solar panels couldn’t power the spacecraft. Why didn’t it carry a more reliable power source, say a nuclear battery like one that’s unfailingly fueled Voyager for decades? It’s a simple question with a fascinating answer, one that begins with the Cold War and ends with the future space exploration. Read more…
You probably know that heat is bad for your computer, and you might even know how to monitor its temperatures . But how hot is too hot? Linus from Techquickie explains in this video. Read more…