Comments on The Urban Country: Skymeter to End All-You-Can-Eat Buffet?

Hi Jim, I usually like to counter some of your po...

2009-11-30T20:15:19.379-05:00

Hi Jim,

I usually like to counter some of your points (fairly I hope:)) but this article is a welcome change for me on Urban Country. I know one of the lead software developers on the SkyMeter project, (he did some amazing custom work for me on my engine management system)

And I have to say, I can't wait for SkyMeter to go live and reach it's full potential. I've experienced so-called rush hour in London under the new Conjestion Charge, and if we can get that bliss on our roads I'll be super happy! The 407 is just the beginning - bring on pay as you go roads!

I'm not to concerned about privavcy issues. The de...

2009-11-30T14:23:52.607-05:00

I'm not to concerned about privavcy issues. The device is for voluntary use, [presumably if you purchase one, you are not concerned about this, as with the On Star system that also knows where you are), and its purpose is for invoicing convenience (presumably you can turn it off when you don't want to bw billed) and pay to park in the usual way.

Agreed, as a technology consultant, I'm well aware...

2009-11-30T12:55:12.279-05:00

Agreed, as a technology consultant, I'm well aware of the kinks that will need to be worked out with the technology. From what I understand, if there is a discrepancy, you could dispute a charge and the data on your device could prove/disprove an incorrect bill.

I believe the device is also tamper proof (e.g. if somebody opens the device it will render itself "compromised").

The security layer between the device and the provider/billing service would need to ensure that signals can't be intercepted/manipulated.

There's also a valid logistical concern regarding enforcement. I assume it would be a manual effort at first(e.g. police enforcement), but eventually every car sold in the country could come equipped with this device.

I'm a bit less concerned about privacy as long as I know that the GPS data cannot leave the device without physically being confiscated.

To me it's actually less infringing than our current cellular phone model. My cell phone provider could track my exact steps if they wanted to using cell tower triangulation.

At least with this device I would know that the data stays on the physical device that I personally own.

This would probably be good material to investigate for a follow-up article. Stay tuned.

Good article on an interesting topic. While you m...

2009-11-30T09:58:58.289-05:00

Good article on an interesting topic. While you mention some of the benefits for government and people, I'm concerned about the downsides of this technology. The downsides range from trivial (correct billing: ex. if I'm travelling on a road that runs under a toll road, do I still get charged) to frightening (invasion of privacy: governments [hackers?] having access to the movements of an entire population [through subpoena?]).