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Post imported by Google+Blog. [...]]]> Spoiler alert! If you plan on catching up on Breaking Bad and haven't yet, don't watch this video. If you are caught up check out this re-imagining of the series so far as an old-school RPG video game.

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Only 9% of Romney's donations were from small dollar donations of less than $200. Meanwhile 47% of Obama's donations were from donors [...]]]> It turns out 86% percent of the donations to Mitt Romney's SuperPac were in amounts of over $100,000. The Republicans and especially Romney and Gingrich are indeed the party of the 1%.

Only 9% of Romney's donations were from small dollar donations of less than $200. Meanwhile 47% of Obama's donations were from donors of less than $200.

#indecision2012

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Anyone comparing their real world mileage to the new car sticker must remember this, Your Mileage WILL Vary!

Both cars met or [...]]]> Ben Wojdyla does a good job of explaining how EPA fuel economy estimates are determined and testing a couple of todays more efficient compact cars, the Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra.

Anyone comparing their real world mileage to the new car sticker must remember this, Your Mileage WILL Vary!

Both cars met or exceeded the label estimates but the conditions during the test were also pretty optimal with temperatures in the 40s that meant no air conditioning, heat or window defoggers were needed. The tests were also run during the day negating the need for headlights. All of these factors reduce the drain on the engine and the lack of traffic during the mid-day testing also eased the load.

I just have one small nit to pick with Ben's explanation of the EPA test procedure and it also affects real world efficiency. Ben described the fuel used during EPA testing as 100% gasoline. While Ben meant that there is no ethanol blended in as there is with most pump gas sold in the US, there is in fact no such thing as pure gasoline.

Gasoline as we know it is a blend of primarily heptane and octane (hydrocarbon compounds with 7 and 8 carbon atoms respectively) along with a number of other chemicals such as detergents and stabilizers. The exact blend of gas you get from the pump in various parts of the country varies depending on the location and time of the year. The blends are adjusted for factors like altitude, humidity and temperature to ensure easy starting in cold weather and thin air. The specific blend affects the mileage you get. However, the EPA uses a specific standard blend for all certification tests so that the results can be compared.

#fuelefficiency #mileage

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Mileage Moment of Truth – We Put 40 Mpg Claims to the Test
The 2012 Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus SFE are among 20-plus cars that now claim 40 mpg highway. But given the peculiar way in which the EPA calculates its fuel economy estimates, do those mileage nu…

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However, given the general state of the Italian economy, what Fiat has done actually looks like a very reasonable business decision. While most consumers love to say "sure I'd like [...]]]> Italian environment minister Corrado Clini has called out Fiat for failing to jump on the electric vehicle bandwagon but I think this unwarranted.

However, given the general state of the Italian economy, what Fiat has done actually looks like a very reasonable business decision. While most consumers love to say "sure I'd like to buy an EV," that statement is usually followed by a caveat "as long as it doesn't cost more than $X,000 more."

The problem is that the cost differential between an EV and conventional equivalent is usually several times what people are willing to pay. We're still very early in the plug-in vehicle era and it remains to be seen just how truly successful these vehicles will be in the market. The people buying the Volt and Leaf still largely fall into the early-adopter crowd. Sales of both cars were in the 600+ range in January.

Rather than create a whole line of dedicated plug-in vehicles, Ford has gone a different route by designing new platforms with the flexibility to accommodate multiple powertrain configurations. http://fordfusionstory.com/mpg/

Given the need to re-engineer the entire Chrysler lineup in the wake of bankruptcy, Fiat clearly made a strategic decision that is now paying off with rising sales. Those same vehicles are coming to market with better fuel efficiency than the models they replace and this is a trend that will continue with other models as Chrysler aims to meet new CAFE standards.

Once it finishes addressing its near-term product needs, I wouldn't be surprised to eventually see Chrysler follow a similar path to Ford by incorporated new flexibility into future vehicles. That will give them the ability to quickly respond to shifting consumer demand. Ford is obviously in a better position today because both its compact (Focus) and new mid-size (Fusion) platforms already have this capability.

#rechargingthecar #electric #electricvehicles

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Italy Environment Minister:Fiat Missed Electric Car Opportunity – WSJ.com
Facebook; Twitter. MarketWatch · MarketWatch · Barron's · Barron's · SmartMoney · SmartMoney · AllThingsDigital · AllThingsDigital · FINS · FINS. More. BigCharts · Virtual Stock Exchange · Fin…

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Reshared post from +Jeff Gilbert

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Chevy Uses Barry Manilow, Twinkies and the Apocolypse to Poke Fun At Ford Chevy unveils it's new Super Bowl ad, which highlights its Silverado pickup, and pokes fun at the competition.

Google+: View [...]]]> OK, that is kind of funny, particularly the ending

Reshared post from +Jeff Gilbert

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Chevy Uses Barry Manilow, Twinkies and the Apocolypse to Poke Fun At Ford
Chevy unveils it's new Super Bowl ad, which highlights its Silverado pickup, and pokes fun at the competition.

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Reshared post from +Lance Ulanoff Why interview a tech exec when you can try and get out sound-bite out of a hawk?

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Post imported [...]]]> Pretty rare for one to stay on the ground that long with people around unless it was already eating some prey.

Reshared post from +Lance Ulanoff

Why interview a tech exec when you can try and get out sound-bite out of a hawk?

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With all the delays to the [...]]]> Sometimes out of curiosity I like to browse around on the satellite images on Google maps. I was taking a look at Paine Field in Everett WA, which is where Boeing has its main assembly plants for commercial aircraft including the 737, 747, 767, 777 and 787.

With all the delays to the 787 test program, there are currently 40-some examples in various stages of rework to incorporate changes that came out during testing. Those planes are parked all over the airfield along with a couple of dozen 747-8s. Sitting near one of the 787s is an old B52 bomber.

In and of itself the presence of a B52 at the factory where it was built back in the 1950s was no big surprise. What was surprising was how small it was. Seeing photos of the 8-engined B52 in isolation gives the impression that it is enormous. In fact, it's smaller than the mid-sized widebody 787.

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Audi hasn't announced any technical details yet but there at least a couple of options open [...]]]> It looks like Toyota won't be the only automaker running a hybrid drive race car at Le Mans this year. Audi has just announced that two of the four R18 TDIs will also feature a hybrid drive system.

Audi hasn't announced any technical details yet but there at least a couple of options open to the ten-time winners. They could go with either a battery system like that used in some of their newest production vehicles or get more radical.

At the Petit Le Mans a couple of years ago I asked Audi Motorsport boss Dr Wolfgang Ulrich if they would use the flywheel based system that has been proven so effective by corporate cousins Porsche in the 911 GT3R Hybrid. Dr Ulrich was non-committal but didn't rule out the flywheel system either. We should know more at the end of the month when Audi unveils the new car. http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/alternative-fuel/hybrids/porsche-911-gt3r-hybrid-flywheel

#audi #lemans #hybrid

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Based on the January sales figures released yesterday it appears he was right as a mere 54 customers drove off [...]]]> A couple of years ago, while I was driving the Acura ZDX for a review http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/29/2010-acura-zdx-review/ a product development executive from another automaker that I was talking to labeled the odd crossover-coupe as "Sales-Proof"

Based on the January sales figures released yesterday it appears he was right as a mere 54 customers drove off Acura lots with one. Although I liked the shape of the ZDX and some aspects of driving it, the overall packaging just never made any sense.

Despite the lackluster sales of both the ZDX and BMW X6, Audi and Mercedes-Benz both seem to be intent on creating similar vehicles of their own. Is there something that they know that customers don't?
#cars

In album Acura ZDX (17 photos)

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Reshared post from +The Onion

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'Huffington Post' Employee Sucked Into Aggregation Turbine NEW YORK—Shocked and saddened witnesses at the Huffington Post's news-aggregation facility have confirmed that employee Henry Evers, 25, died Wednesday …

Google+: View post on [...]]]> Sadly, the best satire is always grounded in truth

Reshared post from +The Onion

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'Huffington Post' Employee Sucked Into Aggregation Turbine
NEW YORK—Shocked and saddened witnesses at the Huffington Post's news-aggregation facility have confirmed that employee Henry Evers, 25, died Wednesday …

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Like many (although not all by any means) drivers of hybrid cars he didn't come anywhere close to matching the [...]]]> Way back in mid-2007, I interviewed John True after he first filed what would eventually become a class action lawsuit against Honda alleging that they misrepresented the fuel economy of the Civic Hybrid. http://green.autoblog.com/2007/07/07/autobloggreen-qanda-civic-hybrid-owner-john-true-hes-the-guy-su/

Like many (although not all by any means) drivers of hybrid cars he didn't come anywhere close to matching the EPA estimates published on the window sticker. That lawsuit eventually resulted in a settlement that awarded owners a discount worth $50-100 off a new Honda. No doubt the lawyers involved were much more handsomely rewarded.

Heather Peters decided a measly $100 didn't come close to a reasonable settlement. Instead of signing the claim form for the settlement, she opted to sue Honda on her own in California small claims court and remarkably today she won her case.

If other Civic Hybrid owners follow Ms Peters' lead, Honda could end up losing a lot of money on this. It will be interesting to see if this ruling has any impact on the class action settlement.

#honda #hybrid

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Civic Hybrid Owner Wins $9,867 In Small Claims Case Against Honda
Heather Peters was successful in her small claims case against Honda, in which she alleged that the car wasn't getting anywhere near the 50 MPG she says the company advertised her car would get.

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I'd say the answer to this question is almost certainly no. The 9-4x was developed while GM still [...]]]> Reshared post from +Sam Abuelsamid

Now that the Saab brand is probably down forever, Rick Kranz of Automotive News ponders whether the 9-4x crossover could be rebadged and sold under one of General Motors brands.

I'd say the answer to this question is almost certainly no. The 9-4x was developed while GM still owned the Swedish brand and was briefly built at the same Mexican factory that builds the mechanically identical Cadillac SRX and formerly built the very similar Saturn Vue (and now the fleet-only Chevy Captiva).

Kranz posits that with a new fascia, the 9-4x could become an overseas Chevy or Opel crossover. That would be a great idea if GM didn't already have Chevy and Opel crossovers of the same size that are sold elsewhere. The Opel Antara is a re-badged version of the defunct Vue and the Captiva fills Chevy showrooms. While it's a shame to discard the Saab body and interior tooling, it really doesn't seem like there is a viable option.

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Could GM resurrect the Saab 9-4X under a different badge?
DETROIT — General Motors has a perfectly good crossover that's waiting to be produced. Actually it was produced — several hundred were assembled before production was halted. I'm talking abo…

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I'd say the answer to this question is almost certainly no. The 9-4x was developed while GM still owned the Swedish brand and [...]]]> Now that the Saab brand is probably down forever, Rick Kranz of Automotive News ponders whether the 9-4x crossover could be rebadged and sold under one of General Motors brands.

I'd say the answer to this question is almost certainly no. The 9-4x was developed while GM still owned the Swedish brand and was briefly built at the same Mexican factory that builds the mechanically identical Cadillac SRX and formerly built the very similar Saturn Vue (and now the fleet-only Chevy Captiva).

Kranz posits that with a new fascia, the 9-4x could become an overseas Chevy or Opel crossover. That would be a great idea if GM didn't already have Chevy and Opel crossovers of the same size that are sold elsewhere. The Opel Antara is a re-badged version of the defunct Vue and the Captiva fills Chevy showrooms. While it's a shame to discard the Saab body and interior tooling, it really doesn't seem like there is a viable option.

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Could GM resurrect the Saab 9-4X under a different badge?
DETROIT — General Motors has a perfectly good crossover that's waiting to be produced. Actually it was produced — several hundred were assembled before production was halted. I'm talking abo…

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Unfortunately Netflix is playing along with the studio which will hurt them on the [...]]]> Bravo to Redbox for telling Warner Brothers where to stick its 56-day DVD rental window. I posted about this ridiculous new new plan from Warners recently https://plus.google.com/114133424228405038490/posts/drcQRBQgPk3 and explained that it certainly won't convince me to buy more disks.

Unfortunately Netflix is playing along with the studio which will hurt them on the physical disk side since Redbox will rent Warner DVDs the same day they come out for sale. Redbox is getting around the delay buy just buying disks at retail instead of waiting 2 months to get them wholesale from the studio.

Since we don't watch any more DVDs anyway, it makes no difference in our household but anytime someone sticks a finger in the eye or Hollywood, it's a good thing.

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Redbox breaks with Warner Bros. over 56-day waiting period
Redbox customers will no longer have to wait 28 days after a DVD release to rent Warner Bros. movies like A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas. Redbox has allowed its deal with Warner Bros. to expire,….

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Reshared post from +Nick Seabrook Love it, the prefect focus group! ~ Cincinnati, Ohio-based identity designer Adam Ladd asked his 5-year-old daughter her impressions on some popular logos / http://www.ladd-design.com/

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A 5-Year-Old's First Impressions of Brand Logos | Adweek Can [...]]]> This clearly demonstrates that kids do absorb advertising

Reshared post from +Nick Seabrook

Love it, the prefect focus group! ~ Cincinnati, Ohio-based identity designer Adam Ladd asked his 5-year-old daughter her impressions on some popular logos / http://www.ladd-design.com/

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A 5-Year-Old's First Impressions of Brand Logos | Adweek
Can I review advertising better than a 5-year-old? AdFreak commenters and my performance evaluations have been saying no for years. And after listening to these pithy appraisals of famous logos by the…

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[...]]]> Not allowing a condo resident to plug in an EV is just plain idiotic, especially if they are willing to pay for the juice. The only viable excuse for not permitting residents to charge would be if the wiring was not up to the task, but then it should just be upgraded.

#ev #volt #rechargingthecar

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Can Condos Coexist With Electric Cars? Volt Owner To Be Cut Off
Ask any automaker, and they'll tell you they believe most early electric cars will be charged at night, in garages attached to private houses. That would seem to cut out residents of multiple dwelling…

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In album To hell and back (1 photo)

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Neil Young sings BluRay blues, asks Bill Ford for help As Ford's chairman, Bill Ford is used to famous people ringing him up to pitch ideas. So when one of his musical heroes came calling, Ford was happy to lend an [...]]]> Yeah, we'll get right on that Neil!

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Neil Young sings BluRay blues, asks Bill Ford for help
As Ford's chairman, Bill Ford is used to famous people ringing him up to pitch ideas. So when one of his musical heroes came calling, Ford was happy to lend an ear.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/business/ieconomy-apples-ipad-and-the-human-costs-for-workers-in-china.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

One of the recurring reasons that Apple executives give for using Chinese manufacturing is speed and flexibility at the Chinese plants. They adamantly deny that it is about [...]]]> If you haven't already read the two pieces in the NY Times last week about Apple and its manufacturing operations in China you should.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/business/ieconomy-apples-ipad-and-the-human-costs-for-workers-in-china.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

One of the recurring reasons that Apple executives give for using Chinese manufacturing is speed and flexibility at the Chinese plants. They adamantly deny that it is about low wages and benefits paid to the hundreds of thousands of workers in those Foxconn factories. Unfortunately if you know anything about modern high-volume manufacturing this simply doesn't ring true.

The authors of the articles provide an anecdote about the weeks leading up to the launch of the original iPhone. The late Apple CEO Steve Jobs had made a last minute decision to switch from a plastic to a glass screen. As the first glass panels were arriving at the factory in China, 8,000 employees were roused in the middle of the night from their dormatory, given a biscuit and a cup of tea and put to work. The only way to get the kind of instant flexibility to change direction in a manufacturing operation is to use masses of human labor to do the assembly.

This sort of work could definitely be done in the US and it could also be done by automation. However, in the US labor regulations would make it much more difficult to get people working multiple 12 hour shifts and living in dorms where they could be sent to the assembly line at the drop of a hat. Automation requires more effort to program for such drastic changes. Both are substantially more expensive than "disposable" Chinese laborers.

Apple simply could not get the sort of flexibility they like to tout if Chinese labor were not so cheap. It really does come down to money and nothing more and that's why Apple is sitting on a $100 billion cash horde.

#apple #china #cheaplabor

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Apple, America and a Squeezed Middle Class
Building Apple’s iPhone in the United States would demand much more than hiring Americans — it would require transforming the national and global economies.

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#indecision2012

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Daily Kos: Rick Santorum wants to limit medical malpractice payments, except for his own family Isn't the whole idea of "do as I say, not as I [...]]]> To paraphrase Captain Renault "I'm shocked! Shocked to hear that there is a hypocrite running for the Republican nomination for president!"

#indecision2012

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Daily Kos: Rick Santorum wants to limit medical malpractice payments, except for his own family
Isn't the whole idea of "do as I say, not as I do" in the Bible? For a devout Catholic like Rick Santorum, it should be one of the key tenets for life. But he's also a Republican, so…

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#indecision2012

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In Nevada, [...]]]> Is this really the guy you want buying your next president for you? Sheldon Adelson's financing of Newt Gingrich's campaign makes the Koch brother's efforts in 2010 look tame by comparison and it is the direct result of the supreme court's Citizens United ruling.

#indecision2012

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In Nevada, Sheldon Adelson Gets His Very Own Caucus
The next primary contest after Florida is shaping up to be a confusing mess — and one billionaire is getting a very special accommodation.

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Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel [...]]]> Forget all those bogus chemical treatments, botox injections and operations, this is the ultimate secret to perfect skin and shape. Via commndn 251 http://commandn.tv/videos/commandn-251/

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The menu features a variety of different sausages [...]]]> Just came back from our first visit to the Wurst Bar in Ypsilanti, down the block from the water tower. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ypsilanti_Water_Tower Now that I think of it, it's highly appropriate to have a joint where the menu specialty is sausages right near the Ypsi dick.

The menu features a variety of different sausages including 2 different veggie types if you are so inclined. I had the rattlesnake chorizo on a pretzel bun with sauteed onions and sweet peppers on top. The sausage is made from blend of rattlesnake, pork, chipotle, oregano, red wine and the usual spices and it was great. There's also a wide range of beers including the numerous micro-brews and craft beers.

It's definitely worth stopping if you're in Ypsi and you're in the mood for a beer and a sausage or just the latter.

#yspilanti #wurstbar

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Home Page
Check out http://wurstbarypsi.com! Home Page

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Take a look at the list of the 25 cable channels listed by the fees they get from the cable companies. In my household we only watch [...]]]> If sports fans want to see Prince Fielder get paid $214 million to hit a ball with a stick, let them pay $25-30 a month for ESPN.

Take a look at the list of the 25 cable channels listed by the fees they get from the cable companies. In my household we only watch 3 of those 25 with any regularity and 2 others even less frequently. None of the Disney/ESPN or Viacom channels are among those 5. The channels we watch most are not listed here at all.

That's why I want someone to offer me some kind of a la carte package where I can pick the channels I want. I'll gladly pay $30-35 a month for 20 or so channels and pick up the local network stations over the air with an antenna. Or just let me buy channels through my Roku for a couple of bucks. I don't feel any compulsion to subsidize ESPN, MTV, Fox News and any number of other channels just to get BBC America, AMC, Current and IFC.

#alacartetv #cablesucks

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Like Sports on Cable? Pay Up. Don’t Like Sports on Cable? Pay Up, Anyway.
Here's how your monthly cable bill gets split up. Spoiler: Disney and ESPN get a really big chunk.

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This month WB decided to double that [...]]]> A year ago, Warner Brothers decided that Netflix and its competitors would have to wait four weeks after a movie came out on DVD before they could start renting it. The idea is that impatient viewers would rush out and buy the movie rather than waiting.

This month WB decided to double that window to 8 weeks plus Netflix users can't even get in line and put a movie on their queue until 4 weeks after it goes on sale.

I hate to disappoint the boneheaded executives at Warners (actually I quite enjoy disappointing these nincompoops) but this ridiculous tactic isn't going to work. In my household we haven't actually bought a commercial DVD in several years and we sure as hell aren't going to start now. If we can wait 3-4 months after a movie is in theaters, I don't see the problem with waiting 2 more to rent or stream it. Frankly WB and it's Hollywood cohorts doesn't create anything that compelling that I need to go out and buy it. We'll just wait thank you very much.

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Netflix bows to Warner Brothers, creates four week delay before allowing new releases in your queue
Earlier this month, Warner Brothers negotiated a new agreement with Netflix, Redbox, and Blockbuster that prevents customers from renting new titles until 56 days after physical copies hit retail….

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Michelin [...]]]> Despite the loss of Peugeot, this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans is shaping up to be a fascinating race. In addition to the new Toyota TS030 LMP1 with an ultra-capacitor hybrid drive system, Highcroft Racing is teaming up with Dan Gurney's All-American Racers and Michelin to run the new DeltaWing prototype. http://www.highcroftracing.com/

Michelin just delivered the first set of tires for this new dart-shaped race car and the fronts in particular pale next to the massive tires used by last year's winning Audi R18 TDI.

One of the coolest things about Le Mans is the willingness of the organizers to let teams try out new technology. For the past half dozen years, Audi and Peugeot have demonstrated the benefits of diesel power and the DeltaWing will run unclassified as a proof of concept for more efficient, downsized racers.

I can't wait for June!

#alms #lemans #deltawing #highcroft #michelin

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MICHELIN DELIVERS FIRST TIRES TO DELTAWING
Michelin today unveiled the first set of specially designed race tires for the 24 Hours of Le Mans-bound Project 56 DeltaWing team. One look at the unique sizes of the tires makes the radical nature o…

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120126/AUTO01/201260478/1148/rss25

I'm a fan of modern diesel [...]]]> Bosch marketing exec Lars Ulrich (not the one from Metallica) remains bullish on the prospects for clean diesel cars here in the US. While only Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Volkswagen are currently offering diesel cars here right now, the models they sell are generally doing well.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120126/AUTO01/201260478/1148/rss25

I'm a fan of modern diesel engines and I love the way they drive, so much so that I put my money where my mouth is. Sitting alongside my Mustang in the garage is a 2010 VW Jetta TDI wagon. The American market diesel ranks will be growing in the next couple of years with new models from the existing players plus entries from at least Chevrolet in the form of the Cruze and the new Mazda CX-5 compact CUV.

If you haven't driven a modern clean diesel recently, it's worth trying out.

#diesel

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First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI – Cick above for high-res image galleryThe state of California has the toughest vehicle emissions regulations in the world

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Reshared post from +Alexander Howard "Only a Smarter Congress Can Make Better Internet Policy," writes +Daniel Schuman at the +Sunlight [...]]]> At the time the house of representatives was controlled by republicans swept in during the 1994 elections on the back of the "contract with America." Who was their leader? One Rep Newt Gingrich (R-GA)

Reshared post from +Alexander Howard

"Only a Smarter Congress Can Make Better Internet Policy," writes +Daniel Schuman at the +Sunlight Foundation.

If you're still wondering how the problematic tech aspects of #SOPA & #PIPA made it into the bills, much less how they almost passed, Schuman lays it out for you: a "congressional technology lobotomy" in 1995, when Congress defunded its Office of Technology Assessment and made it very difficult to attract and retain top technology policy staffers.

If you're wondering why Congress doesn't get tech, start here.

Schuman: "The Office of Technology Assessment [http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/ota/Ota_5/DATA/1972/9604.PDF] was created in 1972 to equip Congress with “new and effective means for securing competent, unbiased information concerning the physical, biological, economic, social, and political effects” of technology. OTA “was intended to facilitate congressional access to expertise and permit legislators to consider objectively information presented by the executive branch, interest groups, and other stakeholders to controversial policy questions,” in the words of a CRS report. It was a runaway success.

OTA’s small staff of experts (around 140 at its maximum) generated hundreds of reports http://www.fas.org/ota/otareports/ at the relatively modest cost of $20 million annually. Unfortunately, it was defunded in 1995 as part of a broader effort to make the Congress appear more efficient. Despite repeated calls for OTA’s reinstatement, nothing has filled the void, and policymaking has suffered."

Indeed. As we say here on the Interwebs, read the whole thing.

#opengov #gov20

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Only a Smarter Congress Can Make Better Internet Policy
Recent calls for technologists to hire lobbyists to educate Washington on internet issues miss a significant part of the big picture. Congress makes bad technology decisions because it has dismantled …

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Of course it's not going to happen but a diesel wagon lover can dream, right?

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That car was powered by a twin-turbocharged version of BMW's marvelous 3.0-liter inline-six diesel that cranked out 286hp and a massive 428 lb-ft of torque. It was both quick and fuel [...]]]> One of my all-time favorite cars that I reviewed was the BMW 535d that Bosch loaned me a few years ago. http://green.autoblog.com/2007/12/17/in-the-autobloggreen-garage-2007-bmw-535d-yes-its-a-diesel/

That car was powered by a twin-turbocharged version of BMW's marvelous 3.0-liter inline-six diesel that cranked out 286hp and a massive 428 lb-ft of torque. It was both quick and fuel efficient achieving 27 mpg during a week of hard driving.

Yesterday BMW officially launched the first of its long-rumored diesel M models with an even more powerful variant of the 3.0L diesel. The addition of a third turbocharger has bumped up the bottom line to 381 hp and 546 lb-ft which is sufficient to drop the 0-60 time from the 6.4 seconds I recorded in the 535d to just 4.7 seconds in the M550d. The new tri-turbo engine is available in the 5-series sedan and wagon as well as the X5 and X6. I'll take a M550d Touring wagon in Dark Graphite please!

#diesel

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BMW M550d xDrive and BMW M550d xDrive Touring
BMW M550d xDrive and BMW M550d xDrive Touring: Technical features, information and photos

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I'm guessing that the production of this new Chevy Volt commercial also involved the hanging of a lot of green screens along the assembly line at the [...]]]> A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a video that showed the behind scenes visual effects work involved in making the HBO series Boardwalk Empire https://plus.google.com/114133424228405038490/posts/RRMNZ5nR8Yu

I'm guessing that the production of this new Chevy Volt commercial also involved the hanging of a lot of green screens along the assembly line at the Detroit Hamtramck factory where they are built. I can't imagine actually setting up those conveyors along residential streets.

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Reshared post from +Hillel Fuld What Angry Birds Would Look Like on a BlackBerry- Laughing so hard, it hurts!

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Skyline High School bus crash: 'It was terrifying' Skyline High School students Martha Spall, left; Natalie Lovell; and Scott Haddlesey after the bus Natalie and Scott were riding overturned Monday.Photo courtesy of Christina …

Google+: [...]]]> When best intentions go horribly wrong! Thankfully no one was seriously hurt

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Skyline High School bus crash: 'It was terrifying'
Skyline High School students Martha Spall, left; Natalie Lovell; and Scott Haddlesey after the bus Natalie and Scott were riding overturned Monday.Photo courtesy of Christina …

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For years I've been a proponent of the idea of using ebooks for school texts to [...]]]> After seeing Apple's earnings yesterday of over $13 billion for the last quarter of 2011, I'm even more troubled when I think of last week's announcement of iBooks 2 and the company's move into distributing text books.

For years I've been a proponent of the idea of using ebooks for school texts to reduce costs and make it easy for kids to keep information close at hand without lugging huge books around all day.

The first thing that bothered me about the iBooks announcement was the idea of a proprietary format for school books. If we are to use tax dollars to buy texts, I'd much rather see them distributed in an open format like Epub3. Using iBooks locks us in to Apple as a vendor just as using MS Office, locks us in to paying Microsoft. iBooks means buying Apple iPads for every student and then buying books through Apple's store.

With Apple's cash horde now just shy of $100 billion I'd like to make a modest proposal. If Apple wants schools to use iBooks and iPads they should give every public school student in America a free iPad. If the company set aside just $20 billion and we assume its cost for a $500 iPad is about $350 or less that would cover about 55 million tablets. Data from the 2010 census indicates that there were about 51 million students aged 5-18 enrolled in the US. This would be a great time for Apple to get into philanthropy in a big way. Free iPads and lower cost books from the publishers (since they don't have to actually print and ship books anymore) and we will indeed be further ahead.

Yes it will cost Apple a bundle of cash up front, but they would also be developing a huge population of future customers. On the other hand we could just go with open standards and forget about iBooks.

Thoughts?

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#ypsilanti #ypsi

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The Wurst Bar… good meat trumps trough urinals As you know, I have a policy against recommending establishments [...]]]> I haven't been to The Wurst Bar yet, but if my friend Mark recommends it, I'll second the motion. If you're in Ypsi, go check it out.

#ypsilanti #ypsi

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The Wurst Bar… good meat trumps trough urinals
As you know, I have a policy against recommending establishments that force men to haul out their penises and dangle them over trough urinals. In spite of that, though, I’m going to encourage all of you to visit Ypsilanti’s newest watering hole, The Wurst Bar. While homemade bratwursts seem to be their speciality, I just tried the burger they call The Southerner, which is served with bacon, pimento cheese and a slice fried green tomato, and it was awesome. I’d like to say more about this plac…

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Reshared post from +DLD Conference Breaking News: Sebastian Thrun launches Udacity.com, a new free online education platform:http://dld.tumblr.com/post/16346331252/breaking-sebastian-thrun-launches-udacity-com

Reshared post from +Koushik Dutta Our politicians are so dirty that they're reneging on bribes!

Chris Dodd is threatening politicians that went [...]]]> This is why it's more critical than ever to pass a constitutional amendment that explicitly eliminates the idea of corporate personhood and reverses the ideas behind the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" ruling.

Reshared post from +Koushik Dutta

Our politicians are so dirty that they're reneging on bribes!

Chris Dodd is threatening politicians that went back on their support for SOPA.

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MPAA Directly & Publicly Threatens Politicians Who Aren't Corrupt Enough To Stay Bought | Techdirt
Reinforcing the fact that Chris Dodd really does not get what's happening, and showing just how disgustingly corrupt the MPAA relationship is with politicians, Chris Dodd went on Fox News to explicitl…

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'Star Wars Uncut: Director's Cut' crowdsources Episode IV, 15 seconds at a time Star Wars Uncut is a global project [...]]]> This is absolutely amazing and if either Fox or Lucasfilm makes any moves to take this offline, both companies should be boycotted by all people for all time.

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'Star Wars Uncut: Director's Cut' crowdsources Episode IV, 15 seconds at a time
Star Wars Uncut is a global project to re-record the original Star Wars movie in 15-second chunks. Anybody from the internet could submit a fan-made scene and, though you've been able to view these……

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The current tax cut plan being proposed by Mitt Romney actually amounts to [...]]]> According to Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein on Up with Chris Hayes moments ago the Bush tax cuts of a decade ago amounted to 1% of GDP. When those tax cuts were passed the federal government was running a surplus.

The current tax cut plan being proposed by Mitt Romney actually amounts to 3.3% of GDP and at the same time it actually lets current tax cuts for lower income Americans expire. It's estimated that Romney's own taxes would probably be cut in half if his own plan were passed. Given the push by Republicans to cut the deficit such an enormous tax cut would mean even more cuts in spending. Given that congress can't even agree on the cuts they mandated in last summer's bill that raised the borrowing limit, this is just completely unworkable.
#taxes #indecision2012

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Up with Chris Hayes
Up with Chris Hayes

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Reshared post from +Patrick Beja Very cool… Go Microsoft!

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Microsoft Calls for Gay Marriage in Washington State The company argues that it's hard to hire the best people in [...]]]> Good to see a company as big as Microsoft come out in favor equal civil rights for everyone

Reshared post from +Patrick Beja

Very cool… Go Microsoft!

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Microsoft Calls for Gay Marriage in Washington State
The company argues that it's hard to hire the best people in the world when the state where it's based discriminates against them.

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The major flaw from NAS is in saying that there are untraceable electronic faults that can cause problems. Having spent 17 years working on automotive electronic control [...]]]> Automotive News managing editor Phil Nussel provides an good analysis of the announcement from the National Academy of Sciences on the closing of its Toyota investigation.

The major flaw from NAS is in saying that there are untraceable electronic faults that can cause problems. Having spent 17 years working on automotive electronic control systems, I have to humbly disagree. Hardware and software bugs can be enormously difficult to diagnose. But given enough time and effort, they can eventually be traced. Software and processors are discrete systems that can only do what they are instructed to do. Stuff doesn't just happen. Sooner or later a systematic approach will determine the root cause.

Where we have a real problem is on the regulatory side where NHTSA has not kept up with the rapid pace of development in the auto industry. They need more experienced engineers to conduct investigations. They also need to be given complete access to source code for all control software in new vehicles. While I'm a proponent of open source, for a number of reasons that isn't a viable option in the auto industry. But outsiders do need to be check out the code as part of an investigation. Investigators also need to understand the development tools used to produce and test code.

Unfortunately the current fiscal state of the US government and republican resistance to any additional spending or expansion of government operations means none of this is likely to happen. Oh Well.

#automotive #safety #automotivesafety

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Why auto electronics remain a concern after the Toyota recalls
Let's say it one more time: Electronics or software glitches played absolutely no role in Toyota Motor Corp.'s recall of some 8 million vehicles in 2009 and 2010 after reports of unintended ac…

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When I read a story put together by someone claiming to be a journalist or even just a [...]]]> If all I wanted from my news outlets was just a straight regurgitation of the "facts" from a single source, I would simply peruse sites like PRNewswire and corporate media sites to read press releases.

When I read a story put together by someone claiming to be a journalist or even just a humble blogger, I want some actual honest analysis of what it means and some fact checking. When I got involved in online media several years back, I always tried to provide some of that analysis even when just aggregating stories that originally appeared elsewhere. Unfortunately many online outlets are increasingly getting robbed of a truly unique editorial voice as they grow larger, effectively making them pointless. Much to my chagrin a former employer of mine is among them with a recent story being robbed of all analysis by an editor so that it is now nothing more than a precis of the press release.

So sad.

#badediting

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Reshared post from +Alexander Howard At day's end, +ProPublica reports more Congressmen publicly oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act and the PROTECT IP Act

What has happened online today is unprecedented. As a result of the stand that that O'Reilly and many other organizations took, I saw stories about [...]]]> Where do your "representatives" stand?

Reshared post from +Alexander Howard

At day's end, +ProPublica reports more Congressmen publicly oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act and the PROTECT IP Act

What has happened online today is unprecedented. As a result of the stand that that O'Reilly and many other organizations took, I saw stories about SOPA and PIPA bills on the evening news (along with the Daily Show and Colbert Report, on now) for the first time today.

Afterwards, my parents asked me about why Wikipedia and Google were protesting. Thankfully, I was well briefed: http://radar.oreilly.com/2011/11/sopa-protectip.html

Moreover, at day's end ProPublica's Web application, "SOPA Opera," told an important tale.

This morning, according to ProPublica, U.S. Senators and Representatives were 80-31 for SOPA and PIPA this morning.

At day's end, SOPA and PIPA now have 68 supporters and 71 opponents.
http://projects.propublica.org/sopa/

The +OpenCongress Whip count tells a similar tale.

33 for PIPA, 36 against it.
http://www.opencongress.org/wiki/Protect_IP_Act_Senate_whip_count

These bills have not been defeated — Senator Reid maintains that PIPA is slated to come up for a vote next week and Rep. Lamar Smith says he'll hold a markup of SOPA in February — but the context for their consideration is forever changed.

#sop #pipa #netfreedom

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Who in Congress Supports SOPA and PIPA/PROTECT-IP? | SOPA Opera | ProPublica
A comprehensive list of where members of Congress stand on the Stop Online Piracy and PROTECT-IP Acts.

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SOPA In A Nutshell SOPA In A Nutshell: Seems fair. ..

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Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel [...]]]> Reshared post from +Veronica Belmont

Food for thought.

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SOPA In A Nutshell
SOPA In A Nutshell: Seems fair. ..

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Reshared post from +Steve Quinn +Leo Laporte and the +TWiT network have a taken a different approach to the SOPA protest…I kind of like the new look They will be live and talking all things SOPA @ http://live.twit.tv/

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Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By [...]]]> Brilliant!

Reshared post from +Steve Quinn

+Leo Laporte and the +TWiT network have a taken a different approach to the SOPA protest…I kind of like the new look They will be live and talking all things SOPA @ http://live.twit.tv/

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Reshared post from +Greg Stolze

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End Piracy, Not Liberty – Google Millions of Americans oppose SOPA and PIPA because these bills would censor the Internet and slow economic growth in the U.S.. Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Sena…

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In album plm 2010 (35 photos)

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Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel [...]]]> #plm #alms #peugeot #enduranceracing

In album plm 2010 (35 photos)

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Over the past five years, the ongoing battle between the diesel powered Peugeot 908s and Audi R10s, R15s and R18s has provided some of the best competition anywhere. Seeing these prototypes running flat-out for 10, [...]]]> It's a sad sign of continuing tough economic times that Peugeot is shuttering its Le Mans race program.

Over the past five years, the ongoing battle between the diesel powered Peugeot 908s and Audi R10s, R15s and R18s has provided some of the best competition anywhere. Seeing these prototypes running flat-out for 10, 12 and 24 hours warms the heart of any race fan.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment is that we won't get to see the hybrid version of the 908 run in competition. Hopefully Peugeot will at least keep some of the engineering team together so that they are ready to comeback when things pick up.

#peugeot #lemans #alms #enduranceracing

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Peugeot brings down the curtain on its endurance programme so as to ensure the success of its numerous launches in 2012
After 14 victories in the last 16 races, including a double at the Le Mans 24 Hours 2009 as part of the ILMC championship won by Peugeot two years running, in 2010 and 2011, the Brand has decided to c…

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#cars

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2012 Scion iQ The 2012 Scion iQ is slow and tiny—but also surprisingly expensive. [...]]]> From the sounds of this review, the Scion iQ isn't going to be converted any more Americans to microcars than the Smart ForTwo did. At least the iQ has more cargo space.

#cars

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2012 Scion iQ
The 2012 Scion iQ is slow and tiny—but also surprisingly expensive. Read the review and see photos of Scion's little runabout at Car and Driver.

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Let’s cut straight to the nasty bits.

An `Internet site is dedicated to theft of U.S. property’ if [a portion of the site is US-directed] and is used by users within the United States and [...]]]> The author actually read through the proposed legislation and just one of the many dangerous passages goes like this:

Let’s cut straight to the nasty bits.

An `Internet site is dedicated to theft of U.S. property’ if [a portion of the site is US-directed] and is used by users within the United States and is primarily designed or operated for the purpose of offering services in a manner that enables or facilitates [copyright violation or circumvention of copyright protection measures].

Still doesn’t sound that bad, but consider this: Any site that allows users to post content is “primarily designed for the purpose of offering services in a manner that enables copyright violation.” The site doesn’t have to be clearly designed for the purpose of copyright violation; it only has to provide functionality that can be used to enable copyright violation.

Reshared post from +Pete Cashmore

Mashable's Chief Architect, +Chris Heald , dissected the SOPA bill section by section to help us understand why it's bad for the web.

Well worth a read if you haven't read SOPA in full or don't fully understand it.

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Why SOPA Is Dangerous
One writer discusses why we need to understand and oppose SOPA — immediately.

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#sopa #sopablackout #pipa

Reshared post from +Alexander [...]]]> I'm sure it's a complete coincidence that the last three CEO's (Jack Valenti, Dan Glickman and now Chris Dodd) of the MPAA all went directly from government to the Hollywood lobbying group that has done so much to destroy the concept of the public domain.

#sopa #sopablackout #pipa

Reshared post from +Alexander Howard

I am not a "corporate pawn" nor do I twist words.

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Movie Studio Association Chief Blasts Proposed Web Blackout | TechPresident
“Only days after the White House and chief sponsors of the legislation responded to the major concern expressed by opponents and then called for all parties to work cooperatively together, some techno…

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The fleet has been getting steadily older for a number of reasons. First vehicles today are more durable than ever so they just plain last longer. Bodies are less susceptible to rust and with proper maintenance, it's not [...]]]> vehicle fleet had hit 10.8 years, the oldest ever. That's bad news for plug-in vehicles.

The fleet has been getting steadily older for a number of reasons. First vehicles today are more durable than ever so they just plain last longer. Bodies are less susceptible to rust and with proper maintenance, it's not hard for engines to run 200,000 miles or more. That's means there is no need to dispose of a perfectly useful car or truck.

The second and more insidious reason is the economy. For the past two decades, real incomes for all but the very wealthy have been either stagnant or declining. That means it's harder for most middle and lower income people to actually buy a new car. Up until 2008, automakers got around this by using subsidized lease programs. The increased durability and reliability of cars meant their value at the end of a lease was higher and they brought in more dollars when re-sold.

Following the financial collapse, increased unemployment, tighter credit, more expensive gas, higher prices on new vehicles and other factors have made it nearly impossible for sales to climb back toward their peak of just a few years ago. Thankfully, that same improved durability and reliability has made it easier for many people to keep their existing cars on the road longer, especially after their loans are paid off.

An aging fleet is actually a multi-edged sword. For consumers it means that buying a new car is something that can more easily be put off for a time. For automakers, it means it's harder to grow sales and employ more workers. For the environment and fuel efficiency, it means older less efficient vehicles stay on the road longer before being retired while at the same time avoiding the life-cycle energy costs of manufacturing, delivering and disposal.

All of this also means that it it going to be extremely difficult for plug-in vehicles to gain any traction in the market place soon. The cost of batteries remains stubbornly high while energy capacity remains low. With less need to replace vehicles and less financial wherewithal to do so, I don't see electric vehicles getting beyond a small niche in the market any time soon.

#cars #automobile #EVs #electricvehicles

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Average age of U.S. light vehicles reaches record high, Polk says
DETROIT — The average age of light vehicles on U.S. roads keeps rising, reaching a record high of 10.8 years in 2011, according to an analysis released today by automotive research firm Polk. Polk&#3…

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#lookaroundyou #laughs

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Post [...]]]> The British have always created some of the best educational TV programming and Look Around You is easily one of the most informative. This particular episode investigates a new phenomenon known as computer games. I'm going to have to check this out.

#lookaroundyou #laughs

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Reshared post from +Adam Pash Really, really cool way to securely log into your Google account on a computer you don't trust.

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Sign Into Your Google Account on Public Computers Without Typing Anything If you ever want to log into your Google account when [...]]]> This was very cool!

Reshared post from +Adam Pash

Really, really cool way to securely log into your Google account on a computer you don't trust.

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Sign Into Your Google Account on Public Computers Without Typing Anything
If you ever want to log into your Google account when you're at a public computer, where you're unsure whether or not there's a keylogger installed, there's now a simple solution.

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#politics

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Reshared post from +Will Shetterly

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#2013FordFusion #newFordFusion #Fordfusion

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Ford Fusion Story "Ford Fusion Story", a playlist created by fordvideo1

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Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By Daniel [...]]]> Lots of videos about the new 2013 Ford Fusion from engineers, designers and executives.

#2013FordFusion #newFordFusion #Fordfusion

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Ford Fusion Story
"Ford Fusion Story", a playlist created by fordvideo1

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A project that I recently completed began its life as something quite different by trying to use a modern [...]]]> +Tim O'Reilly really nails something at the heart of the SOPA/PIPA debate, what is it we're really trying to fix? Before you try to implement a solution, make sure you truly understand the problem.

A project that I recently completed began its life as something quite different by trying to use a modern "solution" to address a non-existent problem. Once we identified something that could be done better, the whole direction of the project was changed and the result was that we produced something really cool and innovative.

While the politicians and industry supporters of these proposed bills talk about preserving jobs by curtailing piracy, no one has yet actually proven a real economic harm. As O'Reilly says, there is no arguing that fact people are consuming content that hasn't been paid for. However, there is a presumption from the supporters of these bills that in the absence of piracy, everyone of the people, watching, listening or reading would pay for that content. There is no evidence to actually support that theory.

If that is true, then breaking the internet and imposing a new censorship regime, would solve nothing and potentially create many new problems. Instead, we need to look at how to build upon the strengths of technology to create new business opportunities and jobs.

#sopa #pipa

Reshared post from +Tim O’Reilly

Before Solving a Problem, Make Sure You've Got the Right Problem

I was pleased to see the measured tone of the White House response to the citizen petition about #SOPA and #PIPA

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#/!/response/combating-online-piracy-while-protecting-open-and-innovative-internet

and yet I found myself profoundly disturbed by something that seems to me to go to the root of the problem in Washington: the failure to correctly diagnose the problem we are trying to solve, but instead to accept, seemingly uncritically, the claims of various interest groups. The offending paragraph is as follows:

"Let us be clear—online piracy is a real problem that harms the American economy, and threatens jobs for significant numbers of middle class workers and hurts some of our nation's most creative and innovative companies and entrepreneurs. It harms everyone from struggling artists to production crews, and from startup social media companies to large movie studios. While we are strongly committed to the vigorous enforcement of intellectual property rights, existing tools are not strong enough to root out the worst online pirates beyond our borders."

In the entire discussion, I've seen no discussion of credible evidence of this economic harm. There's no question in my mind that piracy exists, that people around the world are enjoying creative content without paying for it, and even that some criminals are profiting by redistributing it. But is there actual economic harm?

In my experience at O'Reilly, the losses due to piracy are far outweighed by the benefits of the free flow of information, which makes the world richer, and develops new markets for legitimate content. Most of the people who are downloading unauthorized copies of O'Reilly books would never have paid us for them anyway; meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of others are buying content from us, many of them in countries that we were never able to do business with when our products were not available in digital form.

History shows us, again and again, that frontiers are lawless places, but that as they get richer and more settled, they join in the rule of law. American publishing, now the largest publishing industry in the world, began with piracy. (I have a post coming on that subject on Monday.)

Congress (and the White House) need to spend time thinking hard about how best to grow our economy – and that means being careful not to close off the frontier, or to harm those trying to settle it, in order to protect those who want to remain safe at home. British publishers could have come to America in the 19th century; they chose not to, and as a result, we grew our own indigenous publishing industry, which relied at first, in no small part, on pirating British and European works.

If the goal is really to support jobs and the American economy, internet "protectionism" is not the way to do it.

It is said (though I've not found the source) that Einstein once remarked that if given 60 minutes to save the world, he would spend 55 of them defining the problem. And defining the problem means collecting and studying real evidence, not the overblown claims of an industry that has fought the introduction of every new technology that has turned out, in the end, to grow their business rather than threaten it.

P.S. If Congress and the White House really want to fight pirates who are hurting the economy, they should be working to rein in patent trolls. There, the evidence of economic harm is clear, in multi-billion dollar transfers of wealth from companies building real products to those who have learned how to work the patent system while producing no value for consumers.

P. P.S. See also my previous piece on the subject of doing an independent investigation of the facts rather than just listening to the appeals of lobbyists, https://plus.google.com/107033731246200681024/posts/5Xd3VjFR8gx

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We the People: Your Voice in Our Government
WhiteHouse.gov is the official web site for the White House and President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States. This site is a source for information about the President, White House …

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Reshared post from +Leo Laporte What do you think: should TWiT go dark Jan 18 to protest SOPA? Listen to my blog post then let me know what [...]]]> What do you think? My site is going dark on Wednesday, but +Leo Laporte is in a different position where he could actually help educate people.

Reshared post from +Leo Laporte

What do you think: should TWiT go dark Jan 18 to protest SOPA? Listen to my blog post then let me know what you think.

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Should TWiT blackout on Jan 18 to protest SOPA? : LOL: The Life of Leo

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Reshared post from +Scot Hacker Want to join the SOPA #blackout on January 18th? Running WordPress? Here's how to have your [...]]]> I was working on a special page to replace my blog at sam.abuelsamid.com on Wed, but this makes it a lot easier and automates the switchover with a redirect to the americancensorship.org page.

Reshared post from +Scot Hacker

Want to join the SOPA #blackout on January 18th? Running WordPress? Here's how to have your site black itself out, then turn itself back on, right on time:

Make a backup copy of your index.php

Overwrite the contents of index.php with the code below. When the time comes, every page on your site will automatically redirect to http://americancensorship.org/infographic.html

<?php
/**
* Front to the WordPress application. This file doesn't do anything, but loads
* wp-blog-header.php which does and tells WordPress to load the theme.
*
*@package WordPress
*/

/**
* Tells WordPress to load the WordPress theme and output it.
*
*@var bool
*/
define('WP_USE_THEMES', true);

/** Loads the WordPress Environment and Template */

date_default_timezone_set("EST");
$start_time = mktime(8,0,0,1,18,2012);
$end_time = mktime(20,0,0,1,18,2012);
$timenow = time();
if (($timenow > $start_time) && ($timenow < $end_time)) {
header("Location: http://americancensorship.org/infographic.html");
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require('./wp-blog-header.php');
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?>

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American Censorship – SOPA InfographicAmerican Internet Censorship is Real and Happening — Stop it!
A bill that is very likely to pass will let government and corporations censor the internet, take down sites at the behest of corporations. My favorite sites and friends have to step up now to help st…

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Reshared post from +Dan Gillmor Over on Twitter, Rupert Murdoch is tweeting up a storm about SOPA, accusing Google (and other SOPA opponents) of all kinds of BS.

I'm wondering: Did he learn how to lie in 140 characters from his papers' headline [...]]]> As is so often the case, Dan Gillmor nails it

Reshared post from +Dan Gillmor

Over on Twitter, Rupert Murdoch is tweeting up a storm about SOPA, accusing Google (and other SOPA opponents) of all kinds of BS.

I'm wondering: Did he learn how to lie in 140 characters from his papers' headline writers, or vice versa?

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#indecision2012

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Colbert Report: Colbert Super PAC Ad – Attack In B Minor For Strings Mitt Romney has a secret.

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Post imported by Google+Blog. Created [...]]]> Stephen Colbert super PAC goes on the attack against alleged serial killer Mitt Romney in South Carolina

#indecision2012

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Colbert Report: Colbert Super PAC Ad – Attack In B Minor For Strings
Mitt Romney has a secret.

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#indecision2012

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Colbert Report: Colbert Super PAC Ad – Attack In B Minor For Strings Mitt Romney has a secret.

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Post imported by Google+Blog. Created [...]]]> Stephen Colbert super PAC goes on the attack against alleged serial killer Mitt Romney in South Carolina

#indecision2012

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Colbert Report: Colbert Super PAC Ad – Attack In B Minor For Strings
Mitt Romney has a secret.

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No wonder we are so screwed. [...]]]> John Oliver tried valiantly but ultimately fails to get the head of the Association of Opinion Journalists to recognize the irony of her campaign to restore civility to our discourse while pointing out that she recently called the congressional republicans "economic terrorists" during the debt ceiling debate.

No wonder we are so screwed. Let's just hope that John Oliver, John Stewart, Stephen Colbert and the rest of the crew keeping pointing this all out.

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Daily Show: Civil Disservice
John Oliver reports on the increasingly coarse tone of America's discourse.

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The Powerbag line was developed as a collaboration between wireless charging specialists Powermat and bag makers Ful. Ful makes great tough backpacks with lots of pockets and spaces [...]]]> I had the opportunity to test a prototype for a couple of months last spring and they are a great addition to a digital lifestyle.

The Powerbag line was developed as a collaboration between wireless charging specialists Powermat and bag makers Ful. Ful makes great tough backpacks with lots of pockets and spaces for all your gadgets. The Powerbags add a lithium ion battery and built-in charging cables. Each bag has four internal connectors, a mini-USB, micro-USB, Apple 30-pin dock connector and a female USB port that allows you to plug in any additional charging cable. All of these are fed from the battery which is available in 3,000, 6,000 or 9,000 mAh capacities.

The bags are available in tradition two-strap or single-strap sling styles or as messenger bags. There is a single plug-in port on the outside of the bag so that when you get home or to the office you can just plug in and top up the battery. Those that travel by plane regularly will also appreciate the TSA-approved butterfly style design that allows you to unzip and flip open the laptop compartment without having to actually remove your computer before going through the x-ray machine.

http://www.amazon.com/Powerbag-Designed-Charging-Smartphones-eReaders/dp/B005NCMXQ4/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1326550797&sr=8-13

#powerbag

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If private companies want to hang on to the results of research they paid for, they have every right to do so and profit from it under a capitalist system. However, given how often such companies [...]]]> Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for even considering it.

If private companies want to hang on to the results of research they paid for, they have every right to do so and profit from it under a capitalist system. However, given how often such companies whine about government interfering in business, it's ridiculous for them to take research funding from taxpayers and then expect them to pay for it again when they want to see results. If they want to charge to see results, they should pay for the work themselves.

If the government pays, the results should be freely available to everyone.

Reshared post from +Jeff Jarvis

Something else to get pissed about: putting taxpayer-funded research behind pay walls.

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New Bill Would Put Taxpayer-Funded Science Behind Pay Walls – ProPublica
Want to read the results of the biomedical research you helped pay for? You can find it for free. Now, two House members have introduced a bill — with the backing of big medical publishers — that woul…

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Apparently the party doesn't like all the discussion of private equity firms that buy companies and then pink slip tens of thousands of workers to pay for it.

Reshared post from [...]]]> So what's more important, sticking to the party line and defending corporate America at all costs? or winning the party's nomination for president?

Apparently the party doesn't like all the discussion of private equity firms that buy companies and then pink slip tens of thousands of workers to pay for it.

Reshared post from +Talking Points Memo

LEASH THE KRAKEN!

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Leash The Kraken! GOP Looks To Shut Down Bain Attack | TPM2012
Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry are getting a harsh reminder of what party they belong to as Republicans of all stripes demand they finally cool it with the Bain layoff talk. The message is loud and clea…

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Reshared post from +JR Raphael New rules for 2012:

1. If you aren't Apple, stop using the [...]]]> class=”proflinkPrefix”>+Phil Nickinson is a very wise man. I love my Macbook Pro and iPod although I'm not a huge iOS fan. Either way it's time to expand the vocabulary of adjectives used in press releases and announcements.

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New rules for 2012:

1. If you aren't Apple, stop using the word "magical" in your product announcements.

2. If you are Apple, stop using the word "magical" in your product announcements.

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#Ford #theverge

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Ford CEO [...]]]> Josh Topolsky editor in chief of The Verge is a very insightful interviewer and he had an interesting chat the other day with Ford CEO Alan Mulally and CTO Paul Mascarenas while they were at CES. They discuss mobile technology, connectivity and powertrain choice.

#Ford #theverge

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Ford CEO Alan Mulally and CTO Paul Mascarenas at CES 2012: The Verge interview
We just had an opportunity a few minutes ago to catch up with Alan Mulally and Paul Mascarenas, CEO and CTO of Ford, who are once again in Vegas to show off some of Detroit's finest steel at CES. In…..

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#FordNAIAS #FordFusionStory

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Post imported by Google+Blog. Created By [...]]]> Ford pioneered the use of soy foam in seat cushions starting with the 2008 Mustang. The new Fusion includes a number of different components made from either bio-based or recycled materials as explained by engineer Angela Harris.

#FordNAIAS #FordFusionStory

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#NAIAS

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