I just bought a new car with a nav package that adds $2k to the price of the vehicle. On a three year lease, that's about the cost of a new iPad, a mounting bracket, and the charge for monthly wireless for turn by turn navigation while driving.
So no, the current model is not sustainable. It's worth noting that there is considerably more value in an iPad than a dedicated in-dash turn by turn system.
Where do I start?
I’m a huge financial nerd, and have spent an embarrassing amount of time talking to people about their money habits.
Here are the biggest mistakes people are making and how to fix them:
Not having a separate high interest savings account
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Where do I start?
I’m a huge financial nerd, and have spent an embarrassing amount of time talking to people about their money habits.
Here are the biggest mistakes people are making and how to fix them:
Not having a separate high interest savings account
Having a separate account allows you to see the results of all your hard work and keep your money separate so you're less tempted to spend it.
Plus with rates above 5.00%, the interest you can earn compared to most banks really adds up.
Here is a list of the top savings accounts available today. Deposit $5 before moving on because this is one of the biggest mistakes and easiest ones to fix.
Overpaying on car insurance
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Consistently being in debt
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Having bad credit
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How to get started
Hope this helps! Here are the links to get started:
Have a separate savings account
Stop overpaying for car insurance
Finally get out of debt
Start investing with a free bonus
Fix your credit
I don't believe the two statements are mutually exclusive. Mid price range cars is an increasingly competitive market. Infotainment is a key differentiator.
1)Yes onboard systems will be commoditised. It will become increasingly difficult to justify expensive onboard navigation units when Google Maps Navigator is free.
2) Car companies will move to open APIs replicating a sort of Facebook model. Ford is probably in the lead and has already begun enabling Inrix Traffic App and Pandora. GM, BMW and others have chosen Nokia's Meego OS platform. Automotive is naturally conservative howev
I don't believe the two statements are mutually exclusive. Mid price range cars is an increasingly competitive market. Infotainment is a key differentiator.
1)Yes onboard systems will be commoditised. It will become increasingly difficult to justify expensive onboard navigation units when Google Maps Navigator is free.
2) Car companies will move to open APIs replicating a sort of Facebook model. Ford is probably in the lead and has already begun enabling Inrix Traffic App and Pandora. GM, BMW and others have chosen Nokia's Meego OS platform. Automotive is naturally conservative however in the future people will increasingly think about number of compatible apps when choosing a car, in the same way they do choosing a smart phone.
The following might be the sort of experience to expect in the future: A punctuality app like Proxpro's Prompt, interprets your calendar, is aware of unexpected traffic, and tells you it "time to leave" and then posts the destination address to the car navigation system so your car knows where you are going when you hop in; Prompt also warns you that severe weather that will impact your journey and that an old friend will CrossPathz near your destination; other diagnostics integrated apps might be aware of the fuel in the tank and estimated fuel consumption and able to choose the optimum gas station for price and convenience, 140 miles on your intended route.
All this technology is available today.
I personally think there's a huge opportunity for someone like Johnson Controls (the maker of the Homelink universal garage door opener that is standard on virtually all luxury cars) to create a universal dock for portable devices.
At a minimum, offering bluetooth/audio/power in a convenient place on the dashboard with a dock standard that allows for snap in device specific adapters would do a lot for making portable navigation devices and telephones feel more integrated.
The next step would be to provide a basic API for sending text and graphics to the instrument cluster or heads up display.
I personally think there's a huge opportunity for someone like Johnson Controls (the maker of the Homelink universal garage door opener that is standard on virtually all luxury cars) to create a universal dock for portable devices.
At a minimum, offering bluetooth/audio/power in a convenient place on the dashboard with a dock standard that allows for snap in device specific adapters would do a lot for making portable navigation devices and telephones feel more integrated.
The next step would be to provide a basic API for sending text and graphics to the instrument cluster or heads up display. But even step one would be a huge convenience for car buyers, and would allow for the telematics to get updated faster than the car itself.
It's my belief that the availability of free turn-by-turn navigation applications will actually drive down the cost of integrated navigation systems and lead to greater innovation and takeup within the vehicle itself.
Integrated-navigation certainly has its disadvantages - there's a very long product development lifecycle (2-4 years) and can at times seem outdated compared to what's on a smartphone or Personal Navigation Device (PND).
However, with more and more cars integrating a cellular connection (due to potential legislation around E-Call/E911 and lack of ubiquitous alternative delivery cha
It's my belief that the availability of free turn-by-turn navigation applications will actually drive down the cost of integrated navigation systems and lead to greater innovation and takeup within the vehicle itself.
Integrated-navigation certainly has its disadvantages - there's a very long product development lifecycle (2-4 years) and can at times seem outdated compared to what's on a smartphone or Personal Navigation Device (PND).
However, with more and more cars integrating a cellular connection (due to potential legislation around E-Call/E911 and lack of ubiquitous alternative delivery channel) then a lot of the disadvantages integrated-navigation experiences disappears.
Integrated navigation is also a far superior driver experience - safety and distraction are less of an issue and you don't have a cockpit (which costs millions of dollars to design) sullied by a piece of plastic suckered to your windscreen.
I once met a man who drove a modest Toyota Corolla, wore beat-up sneakers, and looked like he’d lived the same way for decades. But what really caught my attention was when he casually mentioned he was retired at 45 with more money than he could ever spend. I couldn’t help but ask, “How did you do it?”
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He then walked me through a few strategies that I’d never thought of before. Here’s what I learned:
1. Make insurance companies fight for your business
Mos
I once met a man who drove a modest Toyota Corolla, wore beat-up sneakers, and looked like he’d lived the same way for decades. But what really caught my attention was when he casually mentioned he was retired at 45 with more money than he could ever spend. I couldn’t help but ask, “How did you do it?”
He smiled and said, “The secret to saving money is knowing where to look for the waste—and car insurance is one of the easiest places to start.”
He then walked me through a few strategies that I’d never thought of before. Here’s what I learned:
1. Make insurance companies fight for your business
Most people just stick with the same insurer year after year, but that’s what the companies are counting on. This guy used tools like Coverage.com to compare rates every time his policy came up for renewal. It only took him a few minutes, and he said he’d saved hundreds each year by letting insurers compete for his business.
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He bundled his auto insurance with his home insurance and saved big. “Most companies will give you a discount if you combine your policies with them. It’s easy money,” he explained. If you haven’t bundled yet, ask your insurer what discounts they offer—or look for new ones that do.
4. Drop coverage you don’t need
He also emphasized reassessing coverage every year. If your car isn’t worth much anymore, it might be time to drop collision or comprehensive coverage. “You shouldn’t be paying more to insure the car than it’s worth,” he said.
5. Look for hidden fees or overpriced add-ons
One of his final tips was to avoid extras like roadside assistance, which can often be purchased elsewhere for less. “It’s those little fees you don’t think about that add up,” he warned.
The Secret? Stop Overpaying
The real “secret” isn’t about cutting corners—it’s about being proactive. Car insurance companies are counting on you to stay complacent, but with tools like Coverage.com and a little effort, you can make sure you’re only paying for what you need—and saving hundreds in the process.
If you’re ready to start saving, take a moment to:
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- Check if you qualify for safe driver discounts
- Reevaluate your coverage today
Saving money on auto insurance doesn’t have to be complicated—you just have to know where to look. If you'd like to support my work, feel free to use the links in this post—they help me continue creating valuable content.
The car navigation systems are evolving:
Thee car manufacturers could build a software platform for applications. The interface will be controls embedded on the steering wheel and in the main console. The digital screen could be touch-driven (though it can be hard to reach). In this case, the maps/navigation are one of many "apps" that can accessed. The reason/justification for someone like Ford to build out the software platform is to provide a consistent user interface.
I believe we will see cars become just another 'device' that connects to the cloud. So navigation (and many many other things) will just become apps accessed through your vehicle.
I think there are greater prospects for multi-modal inputs (voice, touch, gesture, etc) inside vehicles and hope to see the future taking advantage of these prospects.
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Here’s the thing: I wish I had known these money secrets sooner. They’ve helped so many people save hundreds, secure their family’s future, and grow their bank accounts—myself included.
And honestly? Putting them to use was way easier than I expected. I bet you can knock out at least three or four of these right now—yes, even from your phone.
Don’t wait like I did. Go ahead and start using these money secrets today!
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I think that integrated systems are the future. As much as I love my Waze app, if I had a similar app on my car dashboard that did the same, I would not drain my phone battery by turning on the GPS and using the app on a small screen.
The cost to change all the erroneous and illegal road markings to comply with existing laws would be horrendous.
Through lanes that suddenly turn into a turn only lane are one thing autonomous vehicles have no way to overcome yet.
If you think the number of errors in GPS units is way out of the ball park, but you still have control of the car and can read signs that might warn that the through lane suddenly ends, how can sensors in a car do the same thing?
Heck, just driving around our town here, I see many traffic control signs that insist on the drivers doing illegal things. As an example of
The cost to change all the erroneous and illegal road markings to comply with existing laws would be horrendous.
Through lanes that suddenly turn into a turn only lane are one thing autonomous vehicles have no way to overcome yet.
If you think the number of errors in GPS units is way out of the ball park, but you still have control of the car and can read signs that might warn that the through lane suddenly ends, how can sensors in a car do the same thing?
Heck, just driving around our town here, I see many traffic control signs that insist on the drivers doing illegal things. As an example of a simple illegal sign. The law reads keep right except to pass. When you approach the end of the passing lane, you will see an illegal sign that says, Merge Left. It is telling you to change lanes into the passing lane, which is in violation of the keep right law. The sign should read, passing lane ends, merge right into the through lane.
We do have several places that say lane ends keep right, which is as it should be.
But how would an autonomous vehicle know to break the law based on the instructions on an illegal sign?
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In contrast to the poorly reasoned answer from ThatGuy I’d say, “no”, the car’s value doesn’t decrease for a software reason. Even in an age with OTA (Over The Air) updates, no one expects continuing manufacturer updates forever.
When the manufacturer stops sending out updates or introducing software updates to their shop computers, it means nothing more than that they have actively stopped making changes, and that the software is in its final approved state. An older, out of production vehicle is just that, older and no longer being made. It’s not getting more attention unless there’s a major
In contrast to the poorly reasoned answer from ThatGuy I’d say, “no”, the car’s value doesn’t decrease for a software reason. Even in an age with OTA (Over The Air) updates, no one expects continuing manufacturer updates forever.
When the manufacturer stops sending out updates or introducing software updates to their shop computers, it means nothing more than that they have actively stopped making changes, and that the software is in its final approved state. An older, out of production vehicle is just that, older and no longer being made. It’s not getting more attention unless there’s a major issue like an airbag recall.
The registered owner of a vehicle should be able to sign on to get any over-the-air updates that the vehicle needs and can still access for a long time. The dealership should generally do any required updates for free if the vehicle is brought in for service. Check the manufacturer’s update policies to be sure.
Most authorized dealerships will also let you know for free if any software updates are needed or recommended, and in many cases do those updates gratis since it helps keep the vehicle working properly and builds customer goodwill.
A smart buyer of any used vehicle checks on whether any recall work needs to be done, or whether there might be software updates that might make the car perform better or add features or improve the user experience. If the software is a navigation map disc that is no longer being updated, that’s just what happens to old vehicles.
It’s not something that’s encountered very often at this time, but something to keep an eye on in the future. Phone manufacturers certainly do this to manipulate customers into buying a new phone (they stop offering security and OS updates so that you’re compelled to upgrade). To date, I’m not aware of any auto manufacturer deciding that it will stop updating their cars, but they COULD do so.
If they did, it would not only decrease the resale value of that specific car, but I would expect mass consumer revolt against that company, and decreased resale value across their entire lineup.
You mean aside from the fact it won’t work? (That’s a pretty big drawback!).
If a car has an actual mechanical problem, IE something is broken or worn out, all the software in the world isn’t going to fix that. In some cases it can provide a workaround, such as when a sensor goes bad. The software will generally work around that, but the check engine light comes on and of course the problem isn’t fixed. There could also be a problem where it’s found something like a sensor or fuel injector is out of spec, then it is possible that software could adjust for that and there is no further problem.
BU
You mean aside from the fact it won’t work? (That’s a pretty big drawback!).
If a car has an actual mechanical problem, IE something is broken or worn out, all the software in the world isn’t going to fix that. In some cases it can provide a workaround, such as when a sensor goes bad. The software will generally work around that, but the check engine light comes on and of course the problem isn’t fixed. There could also be a problem where it’s found something like a sensor or fuel injector is out of spec, then it is possible that software could adjust for that and there is no further problem.
BUT, a bad water pump, an injector stuck open or closed, worn out brakes, and a myriad of other things, all the software in the world isn’t going to fix those.
Typically yes, mainly due to the fact that if no new releases are available, it’s an indication the vehicle is aged a bit. With age comes depreciation. That said, an older vehicle is great condition with low miles could still demand great money. Specific models would give you more insight to the value they’d command, but in general, speaking vaguely about the car industry as a whole, age would factor into the lack of software releases more than anything.
I have installed updates in vehicles over 20 years old before for various recall concerns and the like. So you may occasionally get some rando
Typically yes, mainly due to the fact that if no new releases are available, it’s an indication the vehicle is aged a bit. With age comes depreciation. That said, an older vehicle is great condition with low miles could still demand great money. Specific models would give you more insight to the value they’d command, but in general, speaking vaguely about the car industry as a whole, age would factor into the lack of software releases more than anything.
I have installed updates in vehicles over 20 years old before for various recall concerns and the like. So you may occasionally get some random update years down the road. The updates also apply to many areas of the vehicle. Audio updates are most common because of the ever changing way we listen to music. Engine and brake updates are less common due to the fact that usually they have them pretty well sorted out from the factory with a few exceptions. Hope this helps in some way. Sorry for how vague it is.
Of course! Many problems on cars can not be fixed by updating the software. Often, this is just a ruse for car manufactures to avoid a recall by saying that will fix it “by updating the software” - updating the software is not generally going to fix bad quality parts or worn parts.
CAN or Controller Aero Network, is a basic communication bus protocol. In its basic form it doesn’t do a lot. It provides a foundation on which more complex protocols are layered such as J1939, OBD2 and CANopen.
A software update to fix a software problem is fine. A software update to fix a mechanical problem not so much. Some of these fixes would be like turning up the volume on the TV when your hearing goes bad. You can hear what people are saying but your hearing is still bad.
Question: Why might self-driving cars never become a commodity?
Answer: The only possible reason would be legislation preventing it. Self-driving cars will definitely be a commodity soon.
Probably CAN bus - Wikipedia
A computer bus that allows vehicle components to communicate with each other over common wires, rather than have a rats-nest of cables connecting everything to everything and custom communications protocols everywhere.