New license plate technology being put to the test in Dubai could benefit drivers but not be too helpful to car thieves. Among their myriad high-tech features, the plates can flash the word “stolen” in lieu of a registration number to quickly notify authorities. The digital plates go by...Read More»
For historians, the 16th century was the height of the Renaissance. The 18th century was all about the Enlightenment. And the 2000s may one day be described as the Great Networking: the era in which people, communities, and corporations became linked to one another via a series of online networks...Read More»
Specialty license plates have become big business in recent years, but they've brought their share of troubles, too. While some plates feature innocuous school crests or happy, friendly natural landscapes, others court controversy with politically charged slogans. That's made things tough for DMVs...Read More»
Technology does awesome things. It lets us communicate with loved ones, no matter where they are on the planet. It lets us collaborate with colleagues and entrepreneurs thousands of miles away. And of course, it lets us lounge on the sofa in our threadbare, monogrammed Snuggies and order brand-new...Read More»
Few people like license plate readers, or LPRs. Despite the safety they promise, they're at best imperfect, and at worst, a grievous invasion of privacy. If you're one of those folks who's wary about LPRs, you might want to steer clear of an article recently published in Wired. It makes abundantly...Read More»
We've written before about licence plate readers, or LPRs, which can be found in cities across America. But like all high-end technology, once-pricey LPRs have become more affordable, and now they're being used by mom and pop businesses -- especially repossession companies -- to keep tabs on...Read More»
Few of us pay much attention to license plates. They're just slices of metal printed with numbers and letters -- useful for identification purposes, but little else. But like everything in our manufactured world, license plates are fully designed objects. People spend months, if not years, choosing...Read More»
Several months ago, news feeds were buzzing about Compliance Innovations, a South Carolina startup hoping to bring electronic licence plates to cars across the country. According to ArsTechnica, such plates will soon be a reality, but they'll probably appear in California first. If you've not heard...Read More»
Last fall, we told you about the widespread use of license plate readers -- cameras deployed by government agencies to scan and track plates as cars move across town and across the country. License plate readers can be put to great use finding stolen vehicles or hunting down kidnappers. The problem...Read More»
UPDATED: See below Specialty license plates can raise big bucks for schools and advocacy organizations, but they can also raise a good bit of controversy -- just think of the anti-abortion license plate recently proposed in North Carolina or the religious plate approved by Texas' Department of...Read More»
Another week, another license plate controversy. California has offered drivers a whale-themed license plate since 1997, when a Wyland-designed plate went on sale. The artist, famous for his marine-themed artwork, loaned his whale-tail image to the state for use on a plate funding coastal...Read More»
This Saturday Marilyn Monroe's car will roll across the auction block. This car graced the backsides of Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher, Cary Grant, and Marilyn Monroe. [MotorAuthority] Women drivers protested the Saudi driving ban by circling the embassy in Washington, D.C. [TheCarConnection] Have...Read More»
Times are tough all over, but in Illinois the state is considering selling ad space on license plates. That’s not to say that vegan residents from the Land of Lincoln will soon be forced to drive around with a “Sponsored by Whattaburger” tag. Instead, the state is considering the...Read More»
Deadbeat parents can be jailed, have their wages garnered, can lose their business licenses and even their passports--but should they lose their car tags, too? In metro Atlanta, the DeKalb County District Attorney's office has decided that license plates are fair game when it comes to getting...Read More»
Last week we wrote about New York State's plan to issue new license plates, ostensibly to replace old ones whose reflective material may have worn off. The new and clearly retro design was meant to evoke the bright yellow plates used from 1973 to 1986. But in reality, the sole purpose of the $25...Read More»
Obviously you have to replace license plates now and then. Among other reasons, the reflective material wears off. And besides, that way cops can tell if a car hasn't been re-registered in, ohhh, several years. Like many states, New York is grappling with major budget deficits. Now it has turned to...Read More»
