Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration dates?

Re:Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration d... by winternett on Friday February 07, 2020 @02:50PM (#22270106)

In the past aftermarket parts makers came in to support popular cars after OEMs retired replacement part making for older model cars. Now if you so much as breathe on an aftermarket mod for your brand new software driven EV ( I won't name names here of course but you know who), the manufacturer may brick your car, or worse yet declare your warranty and/or any future support null & void.

My 2017 Volvo XC 90 somehow begins to casually malfunction whenever I drive it beyond a few service warnings. The car is HEAVILY software dependent. It can technically drive itself and park itself too. This behavior somehow disappears once the dealer performs software updates. It's pretty strange, and I worry it's a ticking time bomb for when I reach the end of my warranty on the car.

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Re:Software-dependent devices: do they now need expiration d... by LeftHandPath on Friday February 07, 2020 @03:50PM (#22270777)

I am definitely against the newest measures taken by car companies, e.g. Porsche completely covering the engine (and voiding warranty should you access it) save the oil reservoir, on the newest 911s.

There is also something missing from my metaphor which is that even when the parts no longer exist, the car can still continue to run until it breaks down, rather than being remotely killed due to an external signal separated from the car itself (e.g. servers shutting down and triggering some switch in the code).

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