The Driving Reporter Gadget: The Black Box For Your Car
October 30th, 2009 9:22 AM | by Steve Anderson | 1 Comment
Here’s a device that makes Big Brother look a lot more fun and accessible–the Driving Reporter Gadget.
It’s a USB device that’s also an in-car 16 channel GPS system that stores about 100 hours of your driving. All the data, all the activities are routed into this thing so you know exactly where you were, where you turned, and where you went. Not to mention your speed getting there. It’s a lot like the black box on an airplane, just for your car. Okay, granted, the Driving Reporter Gadget is also black in color, but that’s just a funny coincidence.
The device runs on a pair of AAA lithium batteries, and secures anywhere on your car via an attached magnet (doubly odd since this seems to at least have some limited memory right next to a magnet as part of the design.), and you can even watch your trip on Google Earth, which is awesome if you have a tendency to get lost and want to watch your own highlight reel to figure out how you got so abjectly butt-lost in the first place.
I’m a bit concerned about having a device tattle on you constantly, but for parents this may be a godsend. They cost $229.95 each, so finding out where your car’s been is pretty easy.
Tags: Driving Reporter Gadget, Google Earth, GPS, lithium batteries, USB
As an attorney I can tell you this is a terrible thing for any parent or anyone to get for their car. The information obtained will be used against you in the case of an accident and will not be used in your favor.
Basically you are giving away your right against self incrimination. And your children’s.
Worse, this gadget won’t be able to protect you. Cops will use it as evidence to go after you and prosecutors will use it against you to force you to make a deal. If you think you will be able to use it to show you weren’t at fault think again. (That is not how evidence works).
Don’t put more power in the hands of the government. Once the power is out of your hands you won’t like how it is used. Trust me.
I can’t tell you how many parents have ruined their children’s lives all in the name of “teaching them a lesson.” Kids die in jail because a parent turned them into the police to teach them something. Or, they are prevented from all kinds of employment from then on. Or, they get hurt. But mostly, once they are in the system you have no control over what happens and the results can get ugly.