Wi-Fi Based Computer Health Devices, Cars, Can Be Hacked To Cause Death

[From article]
Researcher Marie Moe woke up after emergency surgery in 2011 with a new pacemaker to correct a heart condition. What she didn't realize at the time was that the lifesaving device in her chest exposed her to a completely different kind of threat.
The pacemaker keeping her alive has wireless connectivity capabilities — a detail her doctors didn't tell her — meaning it could be hacked.
Moe was understandably disturbed that it never occurred to her doctors to tell her that her device had wireless capability, and they had not considered the security implications.
"They really had not thought about the pacemaker security at all," she said.
Vulnerabilities like Moe's are moving quickly from the rare to the extremely common.
[. . .]
Frustrated with her doctors and the manufacturer of her pacemaker, Moe has turned her life's work into finding out more on behalf of all patients.
She has testified in front of the FDA and worked with grassroots organization I Am The Cavalry to develop a Hippocratic Oath for Connected Devices. Her goal is to force transparency into an industry where doctors are uninformed, code is proprietary and third-party access limited.
[. . .]
"It's about time hospitals started worrying about computer viruses, not just ordinary germs," said Moe.
"That's what we have to look at today, to invest in the area to make sure we are solving those problems today, not four years from now when the problem is too heavy to be solved," said Google vice president, security and privacy Gerhard Eschelbeck at the RSA Conference on Tuesday.
[. . .]
Of course, it's not just medical devices that pose a threat. Well-publicized car hacks by researchers have shown just how easy it is for hackers to take remote control of certain car models.
[. . .]
The average GM car has 30 computers, all built by different partners and suppliers. (For example, a car stereo system may be integrated with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.)
[. . .]
Of course, when weighing the adoption of connected devices, it's important to take into account the risks and potential rewards, said John Stewart, senior vice president, chief security and trust officer at Cisco.
"For the most part, all of this is going to be beneficial more than it's going to be endangering and risky," said Stewart. "This security conference has a tendency to think the whole world's going to melt down by tomorrow. [But] We're still here 20 years after we thought it was going to meltdown 20 years ago."

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/04/how-the-internet-of-things-could-be-fatal.html

How the 'Internet of Things' could be fatal
Harriet Taylor | @Harri8t
March 4, 2016

Ex-Uber Driver Admits Raping Woman

ONE-WAY TICKET: Former Uber driver Alejandro Done, left, will spend at least 10 years in prison for kidnapping and raping a woman in December.
[From article]
A former Uber driver will spend at least 10 years in prison after he admitted he kidnapped and raped a woman he picked up as a passenger in Boston, authorities said.
Alejandro Done, 47, of Boston, pleaded guilty Friday to charges of aggravated rape, kidnapping and assault and battery, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said.
Done lured the woman, who was waiting for an Uber ride, into his car last December. He told her he would need to be paid in cash, and then drove her to an ATM. Afterward, he drove to a location the district attorney said was believed to be in Cambridge or Somerville, where he climbed in the back seat, hit and strangled the woman, and sexually assaulted her.
“The defendant preyed upon a young woman who trusted that he was who he portrayed himself to be,” said Ryan. “I encourage the public to take precautions when using any ride-sharing service. While these apps are a modern convenience, they are not without their risks. Customers should make sure to verify license plates and car make and models before entering any vehicle, and remain active and aware of their surroundings.”
Uber has said Done passed a background check. The company said it helped authorities track him down.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/10/ex_uber_driver_headed_to_prison_for_raping_woman

Ex-Uber driver headed to prison for raping woman
Sunday, October 18, 2015
By: Jordan Graham
Boston Herald

Uber Drivers Ruled Employees In California

[From article]
The June 3 ruling, which applies only in California, came to light on Tuesday after Uber appealed it in a filing in state court in San Francisco, where both the company and the driver in the case are based.
Classifying Uber drivers as employees could mean considerably higher costs for the company, including Social Security, workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance.
That in turn could affect its valuation, currently above $40 billion, and the valuation of other companies that rely on large networks of individuals to provide rides, clean houses and other services.

http://news.yahoo.com/uber-drivers-employees-not-contractors-california-labor-commission-144227418--sector.html

California pokes big hole in Uber's business model
By Sarah McBride and Dan Levine
June 17, 2015

UK Testing Driverless Cars, Google and Uber Too

Driverless cars trialled on UK roads for first time
Driverless cars are being officially trialled on UK roads for the first time as the Government considers changes to the Highway Code to allow them to be used by the public. By 2030, the technology is expected to reach a level of safety and sophistication to allow all drivers to effectively become passengers as cars take over, being able to work, talk to friends or entertain themselves on the internet as they are driven around.

And then there is this:

Google to take on Uber with car-sharing app, Uber to build its own self-driving cars
Google’s investment arm is invested in Uber and the two new projects are likely to be complementary. But Uber’s move into self-driving cars shows how important the technology is likely to become. While Uber did not mention practical uses of the technology in its announcement of the new project, the self-driving cars could ultimately replace Uber’s fleet of taxi drivers

More Eyes Make Parks Safer

Councilwoman Gale Brewer cites safety to ban traffic from Central and Prospect Parks. But pedestrians are safer with more eyes and more traffic. Jane Jacobs noted that neighborhoods are made safe by the people who live, work and pass through them. Unlike bicylists, pedestrians do not have a lobbyist, a voice or a seat at the Mayors dinner table.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/get_it_outta_park_x2GC5T4jUQDrn5Hd4RXhYK

Get it outta park! Bid to ban cars
By SALLY GOLDENBERG
New York Post
Last Updated: 2:50 AM, March 23, 2011
Posted: 12:52 AM, March 23, 2011