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 Posted: Jun 15, 2018 06:08PM
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I am guessing it is just an RFID chip. So no battery or way to switch it off. Maybe put it a lead lined bag to kill the signal.

"How can anything bigger be mini?"

 Posted: Jun 15, 2018 03:37PM
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Is it possible to take the battery out?  Or will it loose all remembered info?

 Posted: Jun 15, 2018 10:19AM
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For a free T shirt, there must be something fun you could do with it, add it to a GEO cash somewhere, attach it to someones car you don't really care for, with a description of things they like. Attach it to some abandoned car in a field. leave it on a commercial flight, tucked well into a seat, with a full description of a 767, um no that one's not a good idea.

 Posted: Jun 15, 2018 09:10AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SCUM

Wonder if you can then drive down the street and find cars in locked garages this way too?
New technology/too much information......
You guys have got me thinking... maybe I've been too careless. In the future when attending car shows I'll be passing out my newly modified and secure business card and will submit a suggestion to Gas Geek for an ON/OFF switch for their transmitters.  

 

Michael, Santa Barbara, CA

. . . the sled, not the flower

      Poser MotorSports

 Posted: Jun 15, 2018 08:56AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thebluepotato
You have to wonder how GG is capitalizing on the data they collect by you showing your car and people who want to see more (clearly they are monitoring via advertising).
Gas Geeks's primary market is used car lots and dealerships—that's where the revenue stream comes from. They're supporting the car show crowd because the CEO is a car guy himself. As for someone poking around a car lot, they can see details about the car and similar cars, blue book info, Carfax info, Consumer's Digest ratings, links to lenders and insurance companies, etc. Bonus: No need for a salesman breathing down the back of your neck. Makes sense to me.


BUT - You can do the same thing with a printed QR code... This way, you can control what is seen, shown and not be a part of a larger monetization effort by the fruits of your labor.
He's also passing out t-shirts w/ a QR code and QR decals for the windshield. Yeah, you could do all this stuff yourself. But why would you? I have no problem with someone making a buck off this, particularly if the car dealerships are paying for it. We could put together our own Mini forum too, but we're happy to let MiniMani do it for us. Win/win.

 

Michael, Santa Barbara, CA

. . . the sled, not the flower

      Poser MotorSports

 Posted: Jun 15, 2018 08:19AM
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The QR code linked to a web page with your car "book" on it, OK. The always live locator/transmitter? Bad idea. 

 Posted: Jun 15, 2018 08:17AM
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CA
Wow....don't like that idea one bit !

 

"Everybody should own a MINI at some point, or you are incomplete as a human being" - James May

"WET COOPER", Partsguy1 (Terry Snell of Penticton BC ) - Could you send the money for the unpaid parts and court fees.
Ordered so by a Judge

 

 

 

 Posted: Jun 15, 2018 06:17AM
 Edited:  Jun 15, 2018 06:18AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rosebud
I was at my local Cars & Coffee gathering last Sunday when this fellow approached and told me about a new company called '"Gas Geek." It's a hardware/software thing and the way it works is that the car owner puts this Gas Geek transmitter in his car and whenever a spectator launches the free Gas Geek app on their smartphone it displays detailed information about the particular car they're looking at. Cool, huh?

There's no ON/OFF switch on the transmitter, the battery lasts 4 years and it just sits in the glovebox. Its range is about 150 feet, so as you go up and down an isle of cars, more cars come into view on your phone. The information on each car that gets displayed is from Gas Geek's website and you can include as much or as little info as you wish, including pics & video and a link to your car's own website if you should have one. Mine's linked to Poser MotorSports.

He gave me a free transmitter that's linked to my car and a t-shirt. The shirt has a QC code on the sleeve that's also linked to my car, so you don't even need to use the app. Just snap a pic of the QC code and there you are! This is the Gas Geek link to 'Rosebud.' [link]

There's a couple of big car shows in town this summer w/ 1000+ cars. I hope a significant number of them have this gizmo onboard. Should be fun. 
This IMO seems a bit overboard and having/now working in this type of industry (for 20+ years), you have to wonder how GG is capatalizing on the data they collect by you showing your car and people who want to see more (clearly they are monitizing via advertising).  More power to them.

BUT - You can do the same thing with a printed QR code (there area TON of free QR apps available) on your window or even an @tag for directing people online via their mobile device to see more about your car (i.e. Instagram).  This way, you can control what is seen, shown and not be a part of a larger monitization effort by the fruits of your labor.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Basil - 1974 Mini 1000 /// THE BLOG: www.thebluepotato.net/blog
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 Posted: Jun 14, 2018 03:10PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rosebud
Quote:
All that on-line data would certainly provide an easy menu of custom parts etc. for the unscrupulous. 

Hmm… maybe I’m missing something. So a car thief who has the Gas Geek app on his phone and is within 150’ of my car which is in plain view, can see technical information about my car on a website who’s URL I freely display on my business card?

Or perhaps the car thief could randomly cruise my neighborhood, locate my car using the Gas Geek app and discover my car, again in plain view parked in the driveway?

Maybe the thief could drive down the freeway until he receives a Gas Geek signal coming from my car and then follow me home, club me on the head and steal it? Da*n that Gas Geek app!

I had an uncle who kept his credit cards in his wallet wrapped in aluminum foil to prevent someone from stealing his credit info from space. Just sayin’… 

Well, I'd assume that a person would want to use this with a specialty or collectors' car for car shows. Anything I own that seems to fall in those categories, I keep in the garage or out of view unless necessary. And to make it worthwhile for the spectators, I'd have to be including some decent details about the car(s) on the information page.

So I wouldn't want to make it easy for strangers to know about my car(s). It's already known that thieves can scan for, interrogate and decode the locking key fobs for many modern keyless entry cars. At least my old British cars don't have that weakness, but adding a gadget like this, that can't be turned off, is the worst of both worlds. Advertise its presence, and then they can be stolen easily via numerous old fashioned techniques if they wait for me to park it outside for some reason (or even break in if they think the car is worth it.)

No on/off button seems like asking for trouble. If you can take the battery out readily, that's no big deal though. I can see that for something they give away, they'd want to keep the production costs as low as possible and skip an on-off switch.

DLY
 Posted: Jun 14, 2018 02:43PM
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Quote:
All that on-line data would certainly provide an easy menu of custom parts etc. for the unscrupulous. 

Hmm… maybe I’m missing something. So a car thief who has the Gas Geek app on his phone and is within 150’ of my car which is in plain view, can see technical information about my car on a website who’s URL I freely display on my business card?

Or perhaps the car thief could randomly cruise my neighborhood, locate my car using the Gas Geek app and discover my car, again in plain view parked in the driveway?

Maybe the thief could drive down the freeway until he receives a Gas Geek signal coming from my car and then follow me home, club me on the head and steal it? Da*n that Gas Geek app!

I had an uncle who kept his credit cards in his wallet wrapped in aluminum foil to prevent someone from stealing his credit info from space. Just sayin’… 

 

Michael, Santa Barbara, CA

. . . the sled, not the flower

      Poser MotorSports

 Posted: Jun 14, 2018 08:58AM
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I too would have concerns with no on-off switch, but I like the concept of providing information at a car show.

Also Michael, I must say that I absolutely love your car and the tasteful upgrades you've done to it. Can't think of a nicer car to drive up to Cold Springs Tavern or cruise the beach in!

 Posted: Jun 14, 2018 06:38AM
 Edited:  Jun 14, 2018 06:39AM
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CA
Quote:
Originally Posted by SCUM
Wonder if you can then drive down the street and find cars in locked garages this way too?
New technology/too much information......
All that on-line data would certainly provide an easy menu of custom parts etc. for the unscrupulous. It at least needs an off-switch.

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Jun 14, 2018 06:20AM
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GB
It's sort of like the opposite of a Tracker... more of a Here It Is to allow unscrupulous folks to find your car...

 Posted: Jun 14, 2018 03:20AM
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CA
Hugh, of course l Zest 

Big AL

[email protected]

Niagara Ontario Canada

 Posted: Jun 14, 2018 02:55AM
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A proper Moke has 3 glove boxes! One on the left and 2 on the right, with lids that are Zeus fastened closed. ??

"Retired:  No Job, No Money, Wife and I!  Will travel anywhere for Minis"

[email protected]

 Posted: Jun 14, 2018 02:47AM
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CA
But SIR, “ I have no glove box in my moke”

Big AL

[email protected]

Niagara Ontario Canada

 Posted: Jun 14, 2018 02:37AM
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Wonder if you can then drive down the street and find cars in locked garages this way too?
New technology/too much information......

SCUM #2. "Life is too short to own just one classic Mini!"

 Posted: Jun 13, 2018 05:54PM
 Edited:  Jun 13, 2018 06:00PM
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I was at my local Cars & Coffee gathering last Sunday when this fellow approached and told me about a new company called '"Gas Geek." It's a hardware/software thing and the way it works is that the car owner puts this Gas Geek transmitter in his car and whenever a spectator launches the free Gas Geek app on their smartphone it displays detailed information about the particular car they're looking at. Cool, huh?

There's no ON/OFF switch on the transmitter, the battery lasts 4 years and it just sits in the glovebox. Its range is about 150 feet, so as you go up and down an isle of cars, more cars come into view on your phone. The information on each car that gets displayed is from Gas Geek's website and you can include as much or as little info as you wish, including pics & video and a link to your car's own website if you should have one. Mine's linked to Poser MotorSports.

He gave me a free transmitter that's linked to my car and a t-shirt. The shirt has a QC code on the sleeve that's also linked to my car, so you don't even need to use the app. Just snap a pic of the QC code and there you are! This is the Gas Geek link to 'Rosebud.' [link]

There's a couple of big car shows in town this summer w/ 1000+ cars. I hope a significant number of them have this gizmo onboard. Should be fun. 

 

Michael, Santa Barbara, CA

. . . the sled, not the flower

      Poser MotorSports