
California debuts ‘digital’ license plates - arunc
http://amp.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/back-seat-driver/article211828814.html
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tomcam
Let me get this out there first. If they are not already equipped with GPS,
they will be. They will then be used to track your speed and give you speeding
tickets automatically. They will also be used for per-mile taxing purposes.
Eventually, access to the best roads will be auctioned off, so that in the
name of “traffic management“, the highest bidders will be given access to
Rhodes first, making it even harder for the poor to get by in California.

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soared
Do you have anything at all to back up your claims? Because I could just as
easily say:

"Let me get this out there first. If they don't already allow custom images to
be displayed, they will. They will then display gifs and moving images. They
will also get wifi and LTE connections. Eventually, full movies will be
streamed on these license plates, making it even harder for me to avoid
spoilers for the avengers."

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tomcam
Fine if you don't believe me. I pray I am wrong. Reason to write this: I'm an
American. The American government never just steps when it can overstep.
California is the most taxed state in the country and spends like a banana
republic. They want more more more, and they will get it. Once they iron the
kinks out, it will spread to other states. Probably Washington, Oregon, and
New York on that order.

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acct1771
All via private contractors, of course.

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oliv__
As much as I love tech, things like this make me hate this industry. All that
technology seems to be used for these days is to collect more data, chip a
little more at your badly bruised privacy, track you, and overall make
everything more square, rigid, and controlling.

At first computers were designed to empower and free you and now it's all
being turned on its head and the computers control you. This is terrible.
Please, everyone, keep the free spirit alive, even if it's by doing something
as small as sharing your code on the internet.

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foxyv
I think it would be really cool to have cars driving without visible license
plates. They would just look better that way. Not to mention if the car is in
an accident we could automatically record the plate to track down hit and run
drivers. Usually a pedestrian or cyclist that is hit isn't able to see and
memorize the plate. A lot of people in California already have radio
transponders for toll roads, this wouldn't be much different than that anyhow.

Then again though, there are plenty of horrible things you could do with this
tech too. Mostly, it is the same as what they are already doing with plate
readers. Tracking the innocent and guilty alike...

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arcaster
This seems like something that should be blocked by California's own proposed
privacy legislation...

Also, who on earth would choose this over a plate of screen-printed metal for
$699 with a monthly fee...?

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Fins
Not sure why any _sane_ person would want them (and why taxpayers would allow
Sacramento to purchase those for their own fleet), but the same people who
bought Juiceros or stand in line for the latest iPhone would snap these up.

