On the Move by Tallahassee Democrat

Monday, October 3, 2011

For Advertising Information Contact Your Local Cars.Com On-The-Move Sales Team at 599-2329

Thieves can send a text to disable car alarms

By Jordan Robertson

FIND MORE ONLINE

The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Texting and driving don’t go well together — though not in the way you might think. Computer hackers can force some cars to unlock their doors and start their engines without a key by sending specially crafted messages to a car’s antitheft system. They can also snoop at where you’ve been by tapping the car’s GPS system. That is possible because car alarms, GPS systems a nd other devices a re increasingly connected to cellular telephone networks and thus can receive commands through text messaging. That capability allows owners to change settings on devices remotely, but it also gives hackers a way in. Researchers from iSEC Partners recently demonstrated such an attack on a Subaru Outback equipped with a vulnerable alarm system, which wasn’t identified. With a laptop perched on the hood, they sent the Subaru’s alarm system commands to unlock the doors and start the engine. Their findings show that text messaging is no longer limited to short notes telling friends you’re running late or asking if they’re free for dinner. Texts are a powerful means of attack because the devices that receive them generally cannot refuse texts and the commands encoded in them. Users can’t block texts; only operators of the phone networks can. These devices are

n Video demonstration of attack: http://bit.ly/n6axTv

GPS systems and other devices are increasingly connected to cellular telephone networks and thus can receive commands through text messaging. That capability allows owners to change settings on devices remotely, but it also gives hackers a way in. assigned phone numbers model of the device can be a particular vehicle — but cellphone network security, just like fax machines. So deduced. Hackers can use in many cases it’s easier to also found that similar techif you can find the secret that information to craft take a car that doesn’t have niques can be used to get phone number attached to a attacks against devices they an alarm. a certain type of GPS sysparticular device, you can know are vulnerable. (In The research from Don tem to cough up its location throw it off by sending your this case, the researchers Bailey and Mat Solnik is data. Such information can own commands through text bypassed these steps and unsettling because it shows be used by stalkers or home messaging. simply took the alarm sys- that such attacks are pos- burglars, for instance. Although these numbers tem out of the car to identify sible on a variety of other The type of GPS system he are only supposed to be the secret phone number.) devices that use wireless studied is known as assistknown by the devices’ operActually stealing a car communications chips. ed GPS, which means that ators, they aren’t impossi- wouldn’t be so easy. Those include ATMs, med- it uses cellular signals in ble to find. Certain networkYou’d have to ensure that ical devices and even traffic addition to the usual sateladministration programs the phone number you found lights. Hackers have already lite signals. That makes the allow technicians to probe is attached to the car you’re sent specially crafted texts system vulnerable. networks to see what kinds standing in front of, for with commands to instantly The research isn’t just of devices are on them. instance. There are hacking disconnect iPhones from the about taking off with someBased on the format of the tools to do that — they listen cellular network. one else’s car or finding responses, the type and even for cellular traffic around Bailey, whose specialty is out where that person has

been. It raises the possibility of other, more sinister dangers, such as those potentially affecting braking and acceleration, said Scott Borg, director of the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, a group that studies hacking threats. That becomes possible as networked electronics are more tightly coupled with physical machinery. “Doing one that is harmful is quite hard, but we need to prepare for people doing that,” Borg said. The research got the attention of a trade group for electric utilities, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. After the pair showed off the techniques at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas this month, the group warned that the types of wireless chips exploited by the pair are also used at power plants and said that more caution is needed in their use. The vulnerable GPS system was made by Zoombak Inc., which promotes its products’ usefulness in tracking children and automobiles. The company said it has made changes to its devices so that outside parties can no longer get location data without passwords. Bailey and Solnik are working with the manufacturer of the car alarm system to fix its vulnerabilities. Bailey said the unidentified manufacturer has fixed many of the security issues.

Page 2 / Monday, October 3, 2011

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

Hitting the road? Make sure you have proper fuel By Larry Printz The Virginian-Pilot

The bags are in the trunk, everyone’s buckled in and you’re all gassed up. You’re ready to roll, right? Guess again. What about your own fuel? “People go out on the road, and they’re not prepared for the boredom and the hunger,” said Peter Moore, editor of Men’s Health magazine. “That makes it so easy to hit the drive-thru.” And that’s when you eat way more calories than you need. Jim White, a registered dietician and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, says that women should limit their food intake to 1,500 calories daily, while men should eat just 1,800-2,000 calories daily. “Eating small, healthy meals every three hours will keep the metabolism going without gaining weight,” he said. Of course, if you’re spending the day driving, you’re burning more gas than calories. According to the Harvard Medical School, a 125-pound person burns 60 calories during 30 minutes of driving, while a 185-pound person burns 89 calories in 30 minutes. But with a little planning, you can avoid gaining weight on your next road trip. Here are some tips. n Make your car your refrigerator. “Pack conve-

Healthy choices for on-the-road snacks include, fruit, pretzels, whole-grain crackers and granola bars — although you have to watch the sugar content. nient snacks that will keep you satisfied until you can have a proper meal,” Moore said. “Roasted almonds, apples, apricots are snacks that are going to give you energy.” Other healthy choices include fruit, pretzels, whole-grain crackers and granola bars — although you have to watch the sugar content. n By pass t he d r ive through. “Whatever happened to a family picnic? When I was a kid, my mom would pack a lunch and we’d stop at a state park and have a picnic,” Moore recalls. “It gives you control over the food.” Afterward, your chil-

dren can run around for a half-hour, providing good exercise and tiring them out before they get back into the car. n Check nutrition information in advance. There are so many apps where you can see the calories of everything on the menu. You’ll be alarmed. Some of the food you might have thought would be low in calories could be 500-800 calories per choice. Even wraps, which you might think will be just 200 calories, can be 500 calories. To burn it off, you’d have to jog an hour at a moderate pace. n Not all fast-food joints

are created equal. “Wawa has everything,” White said. “They have whole-grain wraps, they have yogurt, they have cottage cheese, they have protein bars, they have almonds. So you can eat very healthy if you needed a snack.” He also said that Chick-fil-A, Subway, Schlotzsky’s and Quiznos are the better choices among fastfood joints. n Watch what you order. “A lot of salads are allegedly healthy until you look at the ingredients,” Moore said, noting that some salads can have 1,500 calories. “There are healthy salads that are anything but. It’s

the classic bait and switch.” So look at what’s in the salad. Skip the cheese, Craisins, walnuts, bacon bits, anything fried and creamy dressings — always look for an oil-based vinaigrette. n Avoid super-sizing. “It’s really fun to order a Monster Thickburger, but you’ll pay for it the rest of the day, and the rest of your life,” Moore said. When it comes to a burger or a chicken sandwich, White advises that the meat should be the size of your fist or a deck of cards. “I would never order a double stack or a triple stack,” he said. n Split an entree. White says that it’s not only what’s in food; it’s portion size. “The portion sizes at some restaurants are enormous. If you only eat half of it, or split it with a family member or among friends, that’s going to save a lot of calories.” n Skip the soda. “I don’t think that people realize what a horrific calorie bomb they are,” Moore said. White agrees. “The American Heart Association recommends that women should not get more than 100 calories a day from added sugar and that men should get no more than 150 calories a day from added sugar. So that’s about 25 grams for women and about 35 grams for men. One 12-ounce soda is over the limit.” n Bypass the frappuccino. “Caffeinated drinks are a

danger zone,” said Moore, “So many of them have a ton of sugar in them.” He suggests opting for an iced coffee with cream — good for 40 calories — instead of a blended coffee drink — which can clock in at 500 calories. “Besides, we’re adults. It’s demeaning for an adult to walk out of a store with whipped cream.” n If you have high blood pressure, skip the drivethrough. “For someone who’s over 51 years old or who has high blood pressure, it’s recommended that they consume no more than 1,500 mg of salt a day,” said White. “Now, in just one teaspoon, there’s 2,300 mg of salt. Americans take in about 6,000 mg of salt a day. In fast food it’s everywhere. Fast food has to be a limited choice.” n Pay for gas at the pump. “Gas stations are now fast food places themselves,” White observed. “When you stop at a gas station, pay at the pump so you’re not tempted by bad nutrition choices while paying for gas.” n Target your indulgent meals. “Pick your demons,” said White. “If you know you’re going to indulge, the next day, do not skip meals. Get right back onto your eating plan.” — Larry Printz is automotive editor at The VirginianPilot in Norfolk, Va. He can be reached at larry.printzpilotonline.com.

Car Charging Group announces first Pennsylvania location Special to On The Move

MIAMI BEACH — Car Charging Group Inc., a provider of electric vehicle charging services, has announced that it has signed a contract with Lancaster Arts Hotel in Lancaster, Pa., to provide EV charging services there.

The company said. the installation represents Car Charging Group’s entry into the Pennsylvania market. “Cars spend 94 percent of their time sitting dormant,” said Michael D. Farkas, chief executive officer of Car Charging Group. “So installing car charging

stations at hotels, where guests leave their vehicles parked for extended periods of time, makes a lot of sense. The Lancaster Arts Hotel is able to offer their guests this added amenity while also generating revenue and being environmentally responsible.” Car Charging Group pro-

vides EV charging stations at no charge to property owners and managers while retaining ownership, thus allowing drivers access to convenient locations and partners to realize a percentage of the charging revenue generated. “We’re pleased to be partnering with Car Charging

Group,” said Darcy Novello, general manager of the Lancaster Arts Hotel. “We see the importance and benefits of offering EV charging services. Economically this makes sense because we are able to appeal to the environmentally friendly guest, and we receive a percentage of the revenue

generated.” Car Charging Group Inc. is an owner and provider of electric vehicle charging stations and is working to help establish a nationwide infrastructure of charging sites. An estimated 40 million plug-in electric cars are expected to be on the road by 2030.

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OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat

Monday, October 3, 2011 / Page 3

Page 4 / Monday, October 3, 2011

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

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Page 6 / Monday, October 3, 2011

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

Certifications reflect mechanics’ competency By Brad Bergholdt Under The Hood

Question: I’ve noticed some repair shops have a sign indicating they have “ASE-certified technicians.” Can you explain what this is and how it affects my chances of getting my car repaired correctly and at a fair price? If the rates are higher, is there a benefit? Answer: I think automotive technician certification is a good thing. Some states require technician licensing for general repairs, or more typically, emissions testing. This means the majority of auto techs nationwide are either uncertified or choose to voluntarily become certified via the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, or ASE. ASE has been around since 1972. It offers more than 40 certifications in car/light truck, collision repair, truck repair, school and transit bus, engine machining, parts and a few others. ASE has certified more than 350,000 technicians, with each certificate being valid for five years. The car and truck section consists of nine service areas plus advanced engine performance and alternative fuels. Technicians may obtain certification in one or more areas, such as brakes or transmissions, or the whole lot, grant-

Uner the hood ing them master status. To become certified, the applicant must have a minimum of two years experience and successfully pass a comprehensive written exam in a particular service area. How difficult are the tests? They’re about as good as any multiple-choice test could be. A book-smart automotive student with minimal experience can squeeze past them, as could an experienced tech who’s a bit behind on newer technology. The best questions are the ones that require a combination of theory, diagnostic ability, repair finesse and judgment gained from experience to answer. I think the L-1 Advanced Engine Performance Certification is a very good measurement of a tech’s ability to get the job done on a modern vehicle. The skills needed to diagnose a techie engine-performance problem are of considerable value at every corner of an electronically controlled vehicle. I’d also like a licensed emissions technician to be the one fixing my navigation or body-control system; the diagnostic skills and scan-tool competency they would have are just what’s needed for those tasks. Is an ASE-certified tech the one to choose? I say yes.

the national Institute for Automotive Service excellence has certified more than 350,000 technicians, with each certificate being valid for five years. the car and truck section consists of nine service areas plus advanced engine performance and alternative fuels. While no measurement of competency is perfect, this is the best thing going, and the fact that the tech goes to the trouble and expense of becoming voluntarily certified says good things about his or her professionalism. To fly the banner that says “We employ ASE-Certified Profession-

als” means the shop has at least two techs certified in at least one service area. Better yet is an ASE “Blue Seal of Excellence” banner. This means at least 75 percent of the shop’s techs are certified, and each area of service is covered. It shouldn’t cost more

for a certified tech to fix your car, but a repair shop that takes the high road with the best techs, tools and information systems will likely have a higher hourly rate than one that’s just cruising along. If I were shelling out $150 an hour — yes, it can be that high in many plac-

es — I’d have no problem asking, “Who will be my technician, and how are they credentialed?” — Brad Bergholdt is an automotive technology instructor at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, Calif. Readers may send him email at under-thehood@earthlink.net; he cannot make personal replies.

Monday, October 3, 2011 / Page 7

OnTheMOve / Tallahassee Democrat

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Page 8 / Monday, October 3, 2011

Tallahassee Democrat / OnTheMOve

Auto parts firm to pay $200M fine for price fixing

By Tom Krisher and Pete Yost The Associated Press

DETROIT — Carmakers were forced to pay more for auto parts because a group of suppliers conspired to raise prices for more than a decade, the Justice Department said Thursday. The scheme, revealed in documents filed with the federal court in Detroit, likely raised prices that consumers paid for cars. In the documents, federal prosecutors charged a Japanese company and three of its executives with conspiracy to restrain trade. Prosecutors said the com-

pany, Furukawa Electric Co. of Tokyo, agreed to plead guilty and pay a $200 million fine, while the executives also will admit guilt and serve prison time in the U.S. Furukawa, which makes automobile wiring, is part of a wider investigation into an auto parts cartel that rigged prices in the Unioted States and Japan, according to the documents. “This cartel harmed an important industry in our nation’s economy,” said Sharis Pozen the acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s antitrust division.

She called the fine “one of our largest.” It was unclear how many automakers were affected by the conspiracy, how many models were affected and how much the price-fixing scheme inflated parts prices. The Justice Department did not identify the other companies involved in the cartel. Starting in January 2000, Furukawa conspired with other cartel members to fix prices of wiring harnesses that were sold to car manufacturers in the U.S. and elsewhere “on a model-bymodel basis,” Pozen told

reporters at a Washington news conference. The harnesses are groups of wires that link electronic controls to everything from brake lights to transmissions. Pozen said the Justice Department is working with international authorities in the probe, though she declined to identify them. Asked if prices were fixed and bids rigged for other auto parts, Pozen responded that the investigation is “broad.” The company and the three executives have all agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department.

The three Furukawa executives, all Japanese nationals, will serve prison time in the U.S ranging from a year and a day to 18 months. It is rare for foreign executives to serve any U.S. prison time for price-fixing, much less serious felony time of more than a year behind bars. During at least part of the conspiracy, two of the executives who are pleading guilty — Junichi Funo and Hirotsugu Nagata — engaged in price-fixing in the Detroit area, the Justice Department said. Court papers identified the third executive as Tetsuya Ukai. Two of the executives worked in the

Honda sales division. Just ic e D epa r t ment Spokeswoman Gina Talamona said she did not know if the executives will have to be extradited from Japan. Honda alone has sold more than 15 million vehicles in the U.S. since January 2000, so the company could have been overcharged by hundreds of millions of dollars, said Jim Gillette, an analyst with the firm IHS Automotive, which advises auto parts suppliers. Most cars have at least four wiring harnesses that cost automakers around $100 each depending on their complexity, Gillette said.

General Motors employees ratify new labor contract By Tom Krisher The Associated Press

DETROIT — Factory workers at General Motors have overwhelmingly approved a new four-year contract with the company that includes profit-sharing instead of raises for most workers and promises thousands of new jobs. The United Auto Workers union said Wednesday that 65 percent of production workers voted for the deal, while 63 percent of skilled-trades workers such as electricians

were in favor. Voting by GM’s 48,500 blue-collar workers ended on Wednesday. GM was the first company to reach a deal with the union, which is now negotiating with Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC. The GM pact is a template for the others, but there will be differences. The deal sets pay and benefits for more than 112,000 auto workers nationwide, and influences pay at foreign-owned auto plants in the U.S., auto parts supply companies and for other manufacturing busi-

nesses. The contract will lower labor costs to one-third of what they were in 2007 and hold pension costs flat for the first time in almost 60 years. It will also give GM a chance to clear out older workers and replace them with lessexpensive new hires, the company said. Under the deal, which runs through September 2015, most workers won’t get annual pay raises. But they’ll get $5,000 signing bonuses, profit-sharing checks and other

payments that total at least $11,500 during the next four years. GM also promised to add at least 5,100 jobs. The contract also compensates workers for meeting quality standards, a key priority for the company, CEO Dan Akerson said. Entry-level workers who now make a base wage of around $15.78 per hour will get 22 percent raises. GM currently has about 1,900 entrylevel workers who make about half the pay of longtime UAW members.

Pressure is now on for Ford and Chrysler to reach agreements with the union. A top Ford negotiator said Monday that he was optimistic about reaching a deal by the end of this week. UAW President Bob King is involved in the talks at Ford, the union has said. Negotiations with Chrysler also are continuing. The deal cuts GM’s factory worker labor costs to $5 billion per year, less than a third of the $16 billion the company paid in 2005, Chief Financial Officer Dan Ammann said.

The figure was $11 billion in 2007, as the company headed into bankruptcy protection and needed a government bailout to survive. GM also won’t have to pay a pension increase for the first time since 1953, helping the company shore up its under-funded pension plans, GM said. The automaker will save $50 million this year and $145 million in future years because the deal allows it to stop paying for factory workers’ legal services.

Company working on car button that could tell if you’re tipsy By Zlati Meyer Detroit Free Press

An Auburn Hills, Mich.based auto supplier has received funding to further develop a device that checks a driver’s blood-alcohol level through the skin for commercial use. The Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS), an industry group, awarded Takata and its partner,

TruTouch in Albuquerque, N.M., a $2.25 million grant to make its current breadboxsized device small enough, cheap enough and unobtrusive enough to be put on a car’s start button, said Kirk Morris, Takata’s vice president of business development. Another goal is to reduce the processing time from several seconds to 200 milliseconds and to be able to

function not just at room temperature, as it does now, but from 40 below to 85 degrees and with different humidity and vibration levels. The reader, which uses an infrared sensor to determine alcohol level, is as accurate as a blood test. Takata is aiming to get the cost down to approximately $200 each. “ The goa l is to take impaired drivers off the road,” Morris said. “Breatha-

lyzers are invasive. You have to blow into a tube. If this technology is to be used on a daily basis, we want it to be noninvasive, not intrusive. ... Drivers pushing a button wouldn’t even know it’s there.” In 2009, close to 11,000 Americans, or one every 48 minutes, were killed in drunken-driving accidents — 32 percent of the country’s total motor vehicle traf-

fic fatalities — according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s most recent data. NHTSA has a five-year, $10 million joint initiative with the ACTS called the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety. In a statement, NHTSA said that project “is seen as a potential tool for keeping drunk drivers from being able to operate their car if

their blood-alcohol concentration is at or above the legal intoxication limit (0.08 or higher). The technology could be voluntarily installed as an option for new cars and signal a new frontier in the fight against drunk driving.” Susan Ferguson, program director for Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, said she expects to see this alcohol screener go to market in eight to 10 years.