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Comment by bombcar | Hacker News Reader

I also like the implication that 15% of Americans without smartphones are just unworthy of continuing to live in disaster situations.

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They probably live with or around other people who have smartphones. The people without smartphones tend to be either really young children living with parents or really old living in nursing homes.

Or older people who dislike technology.

Maybe it's harsh but if you can't be bothered to get equipment necessary for survival why should anyone else care?

What I'd like to see is a polling effort to see what percent of people have and know how to use their AM radio, vs percent with smart phones.

A quick google suggests 87% of the world's population has a smart phone. Less than that percent of people own a car (cause kids dont have cars, maybe access to a car is sufficient?)

Of course all this also comes down to resiliency and the better question of "Why not both?" -- a quick search on alibaba suggests you can get an AM radio for about $2, I doubt it adds more than $2 to a car manufacturer's cost (fully loaded with engineers parts distribution etc)

Other articles on this topic I’ve read mention EMI being a problem, and so I suspect it’s more than $2. For example, from the Verge in March:

> Ford was joined by BMW, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen, and Volvo in staking out the position that AM radio is incompatible with EVs, citing electromagnetic interference from the powertrain. Indeed, Tesla made this same argument when it removed AM radio from its vehicles back in 2018.

> According to a Vice article from 2016, the problem is when the interference gets picked up by the radio:

>> EVs are powered by a rechargeable battery, electric motor, and a frequency converter that controls how much power the car’s electrical motors put out by turning voltage on and off thousands of times a second, basically chopping up energy. This process causes electromagnetic interference that gets picked up by the radio.

I’m in favor of AM radios in cars

Mitsubishi Electric failed to ship AM car radio. it seems that it's not very easy part. https://www.mitsubishielectric.com/news/2020/pdf/1106.pdf

If it requires more EMI shielding that's a good thing. EM interference isn't just a problem for the car itself. But whatever is around it too.

I have a Tesla from that timeframe and it has an am radio and it just works. Somehow they managed this in 2012. Others can do it too. Software is not always easy but we persist.

EM Shielding is not high-tech by the way, so it's something that could always be done.

What is needed is simply using quality metal cans, shielded cables, metal braided tape etc.

The problem is not the tech. It's cost savings.

If you've ever had to try to explain something to someone on how to use a smartphone in a rush, it can be absolutely painful.

Whereas in an emergency situation the cop can lean in the window, turn the car radio on to the correct AM frequency, and tell the driver to listen for updates.

If you need someone to explain to you why you should care about other human beings, you might be the problem.

That's not what I said though is it? I said if someone cannot be bothered to do the bare minimum to survive why should anyone care about that plight? I didn't say if someone (physically / mentally) cannot do the bare minimum. It's like if you're starving to death and there's a perfectly prepared meal right in front of you. It's healthy, free, and clean. All you have to do is eat it. Should anyone care if you don't eat it and suffer the consequences? No.

Smartphones are certainly not "necessary for survival" by any means.

I didn't mention smartphones. I said equipment necessary for survival.

Because you can't fucking afford it. Not everybody makes 7 figures.

I don't agree with previous post but I don't make 7 figures and still own both a car and a phone.

In the US, avg income is something like 55k - so 5.5 figures?, but most people manage a car and phone. But we can't design society assuming everyone has one of course.

The smartphone is a government spy device so its not surprising they want to make more reasons to get one.

So if a disaster strikes and we meet and i have more equipment than you do I will be sure to remind you of this post as i walk away leaving you desperate.

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