The other day, my car crashed.
No, I don’t mean like in an accident. I mean the way computers crash. Really.
I have a lovely voice-activated bluetooth system in my car that my iPhone pairs with, so I can listen to music while I’m driving, and make phone calls and send texts, all without moving my hands from the steering wheel. The key to it is that there’s a button on the indicator lever that activates the system when it’s pressed. And the other day, it didn’t work.
Just didn’t work. I was very confused – it seemed like a simple enough function (press button – talk to disembodied voice), but for some reason it simply wasn’t working. The radio was playing, but I couldn’t get it off the radio and back to my iPhone’s music. I couldn’t even make a phone call.
Eventually I came up with the idea that maybe I should just turn the car off – you know, turn it off and turn it back on again:
And guess what? It worked! Effectively, my car’s computer had actually crashed.
It reminded me of when my wife’s car was recalled – for a software update.
Satis Writes 
It’s official. I’ve heard it all.
Crazy, right?
This post was both entertaining and frightening. So glad the highest technologicaal advancement on our van is power windows 😉
My first car had no power steering. Sometimes I wish it hadn’t been stolen for a joyride.
Oh dear, my car has no such technological wonders, but it did make me think – how long will it be before we need antivirus software for cars?
Ha – a wonderful thought! How long before the spam emails telling us our cars are infected when they’re not?
As everyone else said, makes you think about all the things that could go wrong with all this technology in everything.
The scary thing is that the “software update” for my wife’s car related to the timing belt (or something). Presumably there was a genuine danger of something going seriously wrong.
Inspires me to write “Ode to my 15 year-old work pickup with manual window rolley-thingees, and manual door locks”
IF I could find a way for it to get 100 mpg, everyone would want my truck….LOL
Love it. Certain things don’t necessarily improve with technology. I love my little car, but I have the sinking feeling it won’t be doing too well in 15 years. The software will be obsolete.