The 5 Coolest Hacks of '07 145
ancientribe writes "Nothing was sacred to hackers in '07 — not cars, not truckers, and not even the stock exchange. Dark Reading reviews five hacks that went after everyday things we take for granted even more than our PC's — our car navigation system, a trucker's freight, WiFi connections, iPhone, and (gulp) the electronic financial trading systems that record our stock purchases and other online transactions."
GPS (Score:4, Insightful)
Driving has gone from a scary oddysey where I pray I don't miss some tiny sign to an easy journey that is boring at worst.
It's amazing how a little windshield mounted device can so change your life.
Re:Number one is FUD (Score:3, Insightful)
Better have a diesel engine in this case. Nothing electric to be hacked.
The iPhone hack was a little funny IMO... (Score:5, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:3. Eighteen-wheelers (Score:5, Insightful)
Seems a bit cheap... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:GPS (Score:3, Insightful)
I agree. Being able to find your way around a place and actually find a place on your own seem to engage a completely different part of the brain than simply following directions on a GPS. The only way I can describe it would be it's like the difference between "solving" a math problem by knowing the answer and working the steps to get it, versus actually having confidence in your knowledge of the steps and being able to apply them to solve the problem.
I think that GPS devices and automated directions tend to seriously supress one of our survival instincts. When you can always refer back to a cheat sheet, you never really develop true skill.
Now before I get a whole of responses from people saying, "I love my GPS but I can still find my way around." Keep in mind that you've only had a GPS for a few years and you spent probably decades doing things the old way. The new generations are the one who are danger of having their innate abilities dumbed down.
Re:Number one is FUD (Score:2, Insightful)