I'm wondering how they're getting access to data from cars all over the world "except Cuba and North Korea."

Does one database actually exist or are they tapping in from a number of sources. It all feels a little too sci-fi.

Well, it has to be advertising on apps on a phone. You need more than the cell towers from the phone, if you could get them.

Cuba and North Korea have no traffic layer on Google maps. But there's a few other that don't as well like Yemen and South Korea which is interesting. But I remember watching the protests in Iran on Google maps, which does have the layer.

This would be useful, matching traffic speed to user speed would help with motos and bikes. Other countries might be on Waze or similar.

Or it might only be legal issues their end dealing with data from those countries.

https://developers.google.com/maps/coverage

Maybe they are lying or maybe it's all crappy fleet cars. Which no one would care about, until after they buy the access I guess.

Ulysses actually say what the headline claims "Nearly Any Car in Real-Time" - https://strangesounds.org/2021/03/car-location-gps-privacy-d...

> Vehicle location data is transmitted on a constant and near real time basis while the vehicle is operating

So they are obtaining it from connected cars.