Topping instapundit in auto tech Tom Smith

I am thrilled to discover that I am ahead of the InstaGlenn in at least one techno-nerd area.  We are referred to this digital tire pressure monitor.  Oh, puh-leeese.  How quaint.  How retro.  Last week I signed up for the free service with OnStar, by which The Man or somebody, GM maybe, monitors various critical systems in my Suburban and emails them to me periodically.  Including, and this is my point, the pressure in each of my all terrain tires, which rarely, if ever, leave a paved surface.  But I’m ready, just in case of a break down in civil order.  To wit, I have just recently received an email telling me my tire pressure is fine.  Of course, the gas mileage in my Suburban sucks (14 mpg) but at least there is room for everybody.  When filling up the tank on this thing, a good book is recommended, however.

WELCOME Instapundit readers!  As long as you are here, let me just relay an interesting conversation I had at an otherwise excruciatingly boring event for people interested in start-ups, venture capital, etc. etc., that is sort of related.  I spoke to a guy who had a start up whose business model was to put GPS trackers in automobiles, which could then keep track of your speed at every location, and thus whether you were speeding and by how much.  This information would be reported to your insurance company, which could then discount (or not) your rates accordingly.  My contribution was to suggest that it also keep track of inertial information, which could detect the very annoying and dangerous weaving and lane changing that a lot of idiots do on San Diego freeways. I would be all for this, and as for the privacy concerns, I basically don’t care.  I would be more than willing for The Man to know I just spent 3 hours at Starbucks instead of the gym, if it reduced the number of slammed Hondas scaring me out of my wits on the I-8.