Neo1973 "Car kit" - some pittfalls due laws possible?

Robert Michel openmoko at robertmichel.de
Tue Jan 23 12:51:57 CET 2007


Salve!

Sean announced a Neo1973 Car Kit:
We have two more kits that will be available (in addition to the
standard kit): A "Car Kit" and a "Hacker's Lunchbox."
http://lists.openmoko.org/pipermail/community/2007-January/001006.html


I haven't a car (and if, I wouled be no question to choose th H-box)
but I have some doubts about the "Car Kit" because I heard that most
of cars sold the last 10 years have a "gerneal aproval" (Allgemeine
Betriebserlaubnis) that would expires when a radio transmitter 
(e.g. of a GSM mobil) is used inside during driving without using
an external antenna.

A German car driver club (BTW the association/NGO with the most members
in Germany) has an overview about law pittfalls in Germany around using
a mobil in a car:
http://www.adac.de/Recht_und_Rat/verkehrsrecht/verkehrsvorschriften_deutschland/handyverbot/default.asp

So I don't know if the expiring of the general aproval of the car is
a wrong alarm (just wron rumor...) or not.

Since last Dezember it is forbidden for the driver to touch a PDA/mobil 
computer with a radio(GSM)modul during driving with his fingers:
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/81970
The law which forbit using your fingers to pick up a call or dial a
inumber in a mobil phone is no expand to a gernal touch forbiddance 
due a judgement. 
Ok that point will be no problem to solve by software later:

you: "OpenMoko!"
Neo: "Yes :)"
you: "Music, Jazz with funk please"
Neo: "Ok, here comes Jazz with funk for you"

The same for dialing....or asking the calendar... ;)

While it has become allowed to use a mobil and GSM transmitter
during flying a plain I fear that the laws could be be missused 
some day to press the consumers to by new devices with external 
antenna for their car - just becouse that someone makes lobbing
to sell more....

Could check this somebody carfully - what risk exist today,
before starting to produce the Neo, especialy the Neo1973 car kit?
And of course the car kit (or all Neo1973s)  should have the 
"e" test symbol, right?

Some more pittfalls possible?

Thanks for taking care,
rob



















More information about the community mailing list