That would be ideal; something of an Open Platform with fully interchangeable parts.

It’s not quite fully everything we’d want, but that Slate truck that was announced (launched?) last year seems like it’s a step in the right direction.

The issue at play largely is that customer demand needs to make such options not only viable for manufacturers - but an outright requirement in order for them to remain competitive and relevant.

Bring on an era where minivans are cool again, SUVs are tacky, and hot hatches + coupes reign supreme.

It probably wouldn’t meet the strict legal definition, as no copy (physical or digital) is left behind for any period of time - as RAM is volatile and its contents disappear on power cycle.

There is probably some technicality in that since it doesn’t record audio, but rather just keeps a transcription - that it might not fall afoul of two-party consent?

Are you sure? We have two OLEDs (a CX from 2020 and a C1 from 2021), and both have these remotes with microphones: