this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2024
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Okay, so then who or how are you supposed to pay for the infrastructure for the remote start command to reach the car? The “free” option was using a Mazda developed API, on Mazda owned servers, with a cellular connection (again 3rd party has to pay for the infrastructure) to reach your car.
Yes it was an asshole move to remove the remote start from the key fob, but charging for the remote app is not an incredulous action since you have to pay for that infrastructure.
You can choose not to pay it, not use the anpp features and your car still perfectly functions as a car. If you think all that infrastructure should be included free, all that will cause is an across the board price hike for everyone’s car as they bake that maintenance cost into the price of the car, even if you don’t use the app.
The key fob remote start would be fine and for free. Or you could use local wifi instead of the open internet which is a security risk. This is anti consumer bullshit made to get a subscription where one is not required.
That’s the part I said was an asshole move. Removing it from the key fob. WiFi really isn’t feasible anywhere outside of your house, and even then only if it’s close enough to the house. How would you connect if you’re at work, in a parking garage or the far end of a parking lot?
The car can put out its own ad hoc wifi network or be added to your work network. Fobs have decent enough range too and so global access to my car via the internet is only marginally more convenient at best (and not sure I want it to be connected at all for security reasons tbh).
“Added to your work network”. Tell me you work at a mom and pop shop.
I work somewhere where my car is easily 2-300 yards away through multiple building and support structures in a garage. Adhoc WiFi isn’t reaching that far.
And for anyone in an apartment, there’s a good possibility they’re not near their car either. Or when they’re out shopping, or after a movie, etc.
There’s a multitude of places where BT or WiFi just doesn’t have the range, and you want to start your car early enough to warm it up or cool it down in more than the 20 steps line-of-sight that a fob, or one of those technologies can do it in. But ultimately it’s all a #firstworldproblem that we’ve created anyway.