# State Farm beacon **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [May 21, 2017, 12:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165 "2017-05-21T00:34:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kurtwm1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/13edae/32.png) [@kurtwm1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kurtwm1)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/21 "2017-05-22T18:07:52Z")
> [@shadowfax](#): > > require around 1 trillion hard drives, Not really. The Utah Data Center’s data storage capacity is rated in exabytes and not everything that is captured is permanently stored. Here is a link to some interesting facts: > **[NSA Utah Data Center - Serving Our Nation's Intelligence Community](https://nsa.gov1.info/utah-data-center/)** > > NSA Utah Data Center: Site plan, technical specs, photos, and map. Supporting the Intelligence Community's efforts to monitor, strengthen and protect the Nation. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/22 "2017-05-22T18:09:06Z")
That’s the more accurate rating. The exaggerated ones I was talking about were on the order of yottabytes. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/23 "2017-05-22T18:30:44Z")
At any rate I just thought the intrusion was excessive for the little money saved. We need to take a stand on the collection of personal information at some point and not be so easily bought out. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/24 "2017-05-22T19:33:17Z")
> [@andrew\_kennedy7](#): > > And it would take many personnel to analyze all the data. People don’t analyze the data. That is all computerized. They are NOT collecting everyone’s phone calls…just the (Who, when and length of call). There are times where they may put tracers on people of interest and start recording all of their phone calls. > [@bing](#): > > At any rate I just thought the intrusion was excessive for the little money saved. We need to take a stand on the collection of personal information at some point and not be so easily bought out. I agree 100%…but that has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the Government…but has EVERYTHING TO DO WITH Big Business. It’s called data collection and data mining. Companies want to collect as much information on as many people as they can. It’s a HUGE business. And don’t be fooled into thinking they don’t sell the data. Almost every company does. Many companies will deny they ever sell their data, but they do. Very large companies will do a lot of analysis to determine peoples buying habits and where they travel to…what activities they do, where they work and income. Insurance companies are now using the data to determine peoples life-style health habits. Trust me it’s NOT to help you in any-way-shape-or-form…it’s to increase premiums for people they believe to make unhealthy choices. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/25 "2017-05-22T19:43:47Z")
Just in case you are still wondering, I was completely serious. I won’t repeat the responses from @MikeInNH or @shadowfax as to who disagreed with you. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 7:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/26 "2017-05-22T19:46:22Z")
I agree that the CIA nor the NSA has the capability to monitor all our conversations. But the US Government does collect data on us for large corporations. The census bureau does that “community survey” that is supposed to catch everyone about every 7 years. They only tried it on me once. I refused to cooperate in any way. I would not even just put down the number in the household and return it. I received many threats from them in the mail, over the phone and even visits to my house. We both knew they would back down first. They haven’t sent me another one since. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/27 "2017-05-22T19:51:14Z")
Corporations and the government are both spying on us. I have no illusions that what I do on the internet isn’t getting stored into several government and business databases. Government and corporate cars roam the streets with license plate scanners, and every plate they scan gets put into a database. Get scanned enough time, and there’s a clear record of where you go and when. Sometimes that’s great - if you can put the same license plate at the location of 4 suspicious fires just before they started it gives you a great jump on narrowing down the suspect list. Sometimes it’s not so great - since I’m not a criminal, no entity, corporate or otherwise, has any right to track my movements, especially in light of the fact that being in the wrong place at the wrong time has gotten people arrested, and even in some cases sentenced to death. What if it were _my_ car that happened to be near those 4 fires, only I didn’t set any of them? Especially in light of the fact that inauguration day protestors are facing felony charges, for exercising their first amendment right to protest, that carry in some of the cases upwards of 70 years in prison, I’m really not interested in helping the government assemble dossiers on people who are not criminals. J. Edgar Hoover proved beyond any doubt that blind trust in the government to behave responsibly with the powers and abilities it possesses is foolish. That conclusion shows no signs of becoming less true as time and technology advances. ---
**Author:** ![GorehamJ](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/gorehamj/32/24103_2.png) [@GorehamJ](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GorehamJ)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/28 "2017-05-22T21:01:46Z")
Yes, I do. I bought and installed a similar device for my teen to use in the car I let him drive. [Here is an overview at a partner site of CarTalk’s if interested](http://bestride.com/news/safety-and-recalls/cell-control-test-distracted-driving). It has been a great teaching tool and it keeps him from texting. I mention it because it also provides the driver info that your insurance company is going to be looking for. My device, Cell Control’s Driver ID, has a detailed overview available for every trip he makes (or that I make when I drive). I first asked my insurance company, Safety, if they had a device, but they do not. Ironic, given their name. My two cents on privacy in cars: Every new automobile in America has a cell phone of sorts built into it. It is the basis of the telematics system cars all come with now. You don’t have to subscribe, but that GPS locator, datalogger and transmitter are still in your car. However, its abilities pale in comparison to the sophistication of the cell phone you carry. ---
**Author:** ![Andy-Ke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/andy-ke/32/41664_2.png) [@Andy-Ke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Andy-Ke)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/29 "2017-05-22T22:12:16Z")
This company makes my beacon. Interesting results here about distracted drivers. > **[New data from Cambridge Mobile Telematics shows distracted driving dangers -...](https://www.cmtelematics.com/company-news/new-data-cambridge-mobile-telematics-shows-distracted-driving-dangers/)** > > CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 3, 2017 – Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), the world’s leading smartphone-centric telematics provider, has announced its latest findings on distracted driving. Data from a study involving several hundreds... ---
**Author:** ![Andy-Ke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/andy-ke/32/41664_2.png) [@Andy-Ke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Andy-Ke)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/30 "2017-05-22T22:13:46Z")
I agree with you. If it makes safer drivers, then I am all for it. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/31 "2017-05-22T22:48:24Z")
My understanding is the calls were screened for buzzwords then moved up the list for recording. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2017, 3:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/32 "2017-05-23T03:07:53Z")
> [@gorehamj](#): > > Every new automobile in America has a cell phone of sorts built into it. Ok, this looks like an opportunity for someone to sell a list of where the antenna is located, by make/model/year … 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Andy-Ke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/andy-ke/32/41664_2.png) [@Andy-Ke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Andy-Ke)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 2:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/33 "2017-05-25T02:52:30Z")
Does this bother anyone ? \< On drives that involved a crash, the average duration of distraction was 135 seconds That’s over 2 minutes. !! ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/34 "2017-05-25T03:06:46Z")
Interesting point, ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 4:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/35 "2017-05-25T04:56:23Z")
The benefits of not carrying a cell phone. When I am taking a pleasant walk by the river, no one can bother me, when my wife and I are out to dinner, no one can bother me, except the idiot at the next table shouting into his cell phone. We no longer go to movies because we got tired of listening to the idiots playing on their cell phones during the movie. When we go camping, no one can bother us. I live life unconnected and love it. I was required to have a cell phone to get a work call, 24 hours a day 7 days a week and then had 2 hours to get to work as a trucker. I gave the phone away the day I retired. In the interest of full disclosure, my wife has a prepaid phone for emergencies only, it is never turned on and no one has the number. ---
**Author:** ![Andy-Ke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/andy-ke/32/41664_2.png) [@Andy-Ke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Andy-Ke)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 5:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/36 "2017-05-25T05:22:55Z")
> [@oldtimer-11](#): > > The benefits of not carrying a cell phone. When I am taking a pleasant walk by the river, no one can bother me, when my wife and I are out to dinner, no one can bother me, except the idiot at the next table shouting into his cell phone. We no longer go to movies because we got tired of listening to the idiots playing on their cell phones during the movie. When we go camping, no one can bother us. I live life unconnected and love it. That’s is where complaining comes in. If folks do not complain, things do not change. It’s is all in how you express yourself. A request to talk to the manager works wonders. For example, “The volume of the movie is a little loud.” Could you please turn it down. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 12:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/37 "2017-05-25T12:09:53Z")
> [@oldtimer-11](#): > > When we go camping, no one can bother us. I live life unconnected and love it. We grew up in an age where there were no TV remotes, or car-phones (predecessor to cell phones), or VCR’s or GPS. Some people adapt to change…others don’t. Most people my age or older don’t adapt. I happen to be in a technology field, and I LOVE new technology. I see the benefits (and downfalls) to the new tech…but the benefits far outweigh the downfalls. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 12:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/38 "2017-05-25T12:28:46Z")
> [@oldtimer-11](#): > > no one can bother me, except the idiot at the next table shouting into his cell phone. At a little bagel take-out place in Bar Harbor, Maine, there is a sign that states, “Please go outside if you wish to use your **_YELL_** phone”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 1:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/39 "2017-05-25T13:42:36Z")
At least they don’t use that annoying “walkie-talkie” mode anymore. Nothing irritated me more than hearing their ENTIRE conversation at maximum decibels. When someone is yelling into a phone, sometimes I’ll say- if you pull the string tighter, you won’t have to yell. Unless they are old enough, I just get this quizzical look but they tone it down anyway… ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165/40 "2017-05-25T13:46:33Z")
> [@andrew\_kennedy7](#): > > \< On drives that involved a crash, the average duration of distraction was 135 seconds I don’t believe that. There’s almost no way you could go 2 minutes with your eyes off the road without hitting something long before the 2 minute mark passed. More likely they’d be distracted for 10 seconds at a time while replying to texts, then actually pay attention to driving for a little bit until their friend texted them back. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/state-farm-beacon/104165.md?page=3)