Another idiot roams the world in his speeding car. The world being the squarish state of Arizona. This guy has avoided 37 tickets totalling $US6700 using a monkey mask. Still, not a match to Animal in Germany. [Thanks gitemstevedave]

The Mail has assembled the above infographic to explain how the ISA system works, but it’s fairly simple: Cars are outfitted with computers loaded with speed limit data for public roads, and monitored via satellite. In “Advisory” mode, the dash readout indicates if you need to slow down, and smiles at you if you do. In the hilariously named “Voluntary” mode, the computer will actually seize control of your throttle, letting off the gas until you ease back down to the speed limit.

You can’t blame people for having a mid-scale privacy freakout over this one, but a few crucial factors keep it from being downright Orwellian: First, it’s being deployed in London cabs, government cars and buses, so it’s not being expressly imposed on private citizens; second, the system is local—as in, it reads its own GPS data to calculate speed and decides on a course of action without remote input—and has an override switch, which, based on my experiences with London cabbies, I suspect will get plenty of use. (And serve as a brilliant rant subject conversation piece).

But still, satellite speed control? That’s worse than speed cameras. And the mere existence of this technology—not to mention the government’s involvement in its development—certainly feels like a step in the wrong direction, even if this particular use is relatively benign. [Daily Mail]

Basically, students from Richard Montgomery High School are copying the licence plate numbers of their “enemies” (’cause high schoolers lead such vicious, angsty lives) on glossy photo paper in a font that looks just like the one Maryland uses for its licence plates. They tape the crappy fake licence over their own, and intentionally zip past a stupid speedtrap camera, and a couple days later, their victim receives a ticket in the mail. The really clever little bastards are borrowing cars that are the same model as the one their victim owns.

This should pretty much seal the deal on how speeding cameras are. I mean, the whole program is being effortlessly de-constructed and re-purposed by high school geniuses who call their prank speed camera “pimping.” And this is the future of public safety? Right. [The Sentinel via Slashdot]

[HSW.cn via Weird Asia News via Neatorama]

Top Speed tested out the parking sensors that come with Laser Star, and in a word they worked perfectly. The tester was able to detect cars and other objects at roughly 6 metres, and after some tweaking got the system tracking objects within a few inches. Good to know if you’re evading the police and have to park in an alley in a hurry.

Lastly, some wise words from the testers themselves:

Laser jammers are built to jam police laser guns, but they’re not built for you to be stupid about it. If you’re targeted by a police officer the buzzer inside the car will alert. Slow down, drop to the posted speed limit, and then shut off jammer. Once you turn off the jammer the officer will instantly get a reading. He will then see you’re driving at the posted speed limit. No suspicion will arise if you use a laser jammer correctly. Never jam a police officer all the way to the gun. Slow down to the speed limit, then turn off the jammer.

[Laser Jammer Tests]