How Not To Design Car Software

SF author Charlie Stross has described cars as computers that drive you around. Modern cars are full of sensors and computerized systems, even the dashboard displays are now screens instead of mechanical dials. But there's another layer that can be added to that – a cellular data connection.

Apparently this is now the thing with some car rental services, at least in parts of the United States. You might think that it wouldn't impair the use of the car, but you'd be wrong, as some of these systems won't let you start the car without a data connection. I find this rather mind boggling myself, as it's not hard to find areas in metropolitan Toronto that have dead spots, and certainly if you drive 100 km. outside of the city the odds are you'll lose connectivity, even on some major highways.

Apparently whoever designed the software for Gig Car Share assumed that cellular service is now universal, as Kari Paul found out the hard way.

today in sharing economy struggles: our app powered car rental lost cell service on the side of a mountain in rural California and now I live here I guess

it appears that although I do not have enough cell service to start up my only means of transportation I do have enough to live tweet my struggle so thanks for tuning in I will be here indefinitely

apparently in 45 minutes to an hour a tow truck will come to move us three miles down the road where there is cell service so we can start our car the future is dumb