Forelle, M. (2022). The material consequences of “chipification”: The case of software-embedded cars. Big Data & Society, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517221095429 “Today’s modern car is an assemblage of mechanical and digital components, of metal panels that comprise its structure and silicon chips that run its functions. Communication and information studies scholars have interrogated the problematic aspects of… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Transportation
State of the Air 2024 report
“The State of the Air 2024 report finds that despite decades of progress cleaning up air pollution, 39% of people living in America—131.2 million people—still live in places with failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. This is 11.7 million more people breathing unhealthy air compared to last year’s report. Nearly 4… Continue Reading
Cost of Living by County, 2023
Via Reddit: “Map created by me, an attempt to define cost of living tiers. People often say how they live in a HCOL, MCOL, LCOL area. Source for all data on cost of living dollar amounts by county, with methodology: https://www.epi.org/publication/family-budget-calculator-documentation/ To summarize, this cost of living calculation is for a “modest yet adequate standard… Continue Reading
Wyden, Markey Reveal Automakers Provide Detailed Location Information to Law Enforcement Without a Warrant
Washington, D.C. – “Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., requested the Federal Trade Commission investigate major automakers for breaking a pledge to protect their customers’ location data, in a letter to Chair Lina Khan sent today. The automakers had deceptively pledged that they would insist on warrants or other court orders before… Continue Reading
Whistleblower Laws That Protect Lawbreakers
American Prospect: “The late whistleblower John Barnett described Boeing as a psychological torture chamber for anyone who cared about safety. A 2000 law makes fighting back nearly impossible.” Continue Reading
The Historical Marker Database
The Historical Marker Database – “A catalog of public history cast in metal, carved on stone, or embedded in resin. This website is an illustrated searchable online catalog of historical information viewed through the filter of roadside and other permanent outdoor markers, monuments, and plaques. It contains photographs, inscription transcriptions, marker locations, maps, additional information… Continue Reading
The reckless policies that helped fill our streets with ridiculously large cars
Vox – Dangerous, polluting SUVs and pickups took over America. Lawmakers are partly to blame. Cars, you might have noticed, have grown enormous. Low-slung station wagons are all but extinct on American roads, and even sedans have become an endangered species. (Ford, producer of the iconic Model T a century ago, no longer sells any… Continue Reading
‘World’s Largest Wildlife Crossing’ Will Help Animals Walk Safely Over 8 Lanes of California Traffic
Smithsonian Magazine: “When freeways are built through their natural habitats, animals often end up suffering—and so do humans on the road. Every year, more than one million wildlife-vehicle collisions occur across America, resulting in 200 deaths and 26,000 injuries to drivers and passengers. Now, an ambitious project in California aims to help address this problem. Crews are… Continue Reading
Nearly 2 in 5 Americans breathe unhealthy air
Washington Post: “A rising number of Americans — nearly 2 in 5 — has been living with unhealthy levels of air pollution, while the United States experienced a record number of days between 2020 and 2022 with very unhealthy or hazardous air, according to a new report. More than 90 million people are living in… Continue Reading
How G.M. Tricked Millions of Drivers Into Being Spied On
The New York Times – “Kashmir Hill is a technology reporter who has been covering the privacy implications of connected cars, including her own. Automakers have been selling data about the driving behavior of millions of people to the insurance industry. In the case of General Motors, affected drivers weren’t informed, and the tracking led… Continue Reading
Why are American roads so dangerous?
FT.com [no paywall]: “Bad driving is probably playing a bigger role in the fatality rate than larger cars and longer journeys. Car-centrism in the US is clearly part of its road safety problem — it’s about culture more than geography. So committed are Americans to their cars that 63 per cent of people choose to… Continue Reading
If you’ve got an EV, Google Maps is about to become much more valuable
Washington Post [no paywall]: “Google has announced new features in its Maps app designed to help electric car drivers find a charge. The updates include a tool to help drivers find nearby chargers with real-time information about availability and charging speed, the ability to find charging stops on longer road trips and more detailed instructions… Continue Reading
