Monthly Archives: October 2012

I attended a dinner with Bob Lutz several years ago before the sales launch of both… 4

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I attended a dinner with Bob Lutz several years ago before the sales launch of both the +Nissan Leaf and +Chevrolet Volt. At the time Nissan/Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn was laying out his aggressive plans to offer at least different electric vehicles and sell many hundreds of thousands a year. 

I asked Lutz if he thought Ghosn was a madman or a genius based on these plans. To my surprise, he replied that he thought it was a bit of both. If EVs took off, everyone would consider him a genius for jumping in with both feet. On the other hand, you have to be a bit crazy to make such a multi-billion dollar bet on battery powered cars. 

It's still way too early for a definitive judgement on electric vehicles, but I'm inclined to think that hybrids, plug-in hybrids and extended range EVs will be far more successful than pure BEVs. 

We Hear: Nissan Executives Disappointed By Slow Leaf Sales – WOT on Motor Trend
Nissan Executives Are Disappointed That Sales Of The Leaf Electric Car Remain Slow.

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UPS has been deploying alternative powerplant delivery vehicles for years 2

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It's now adding more hydraulic hybrids to its fleet. I first wrote about these back in 2007 http://green.autoblog.com/2007/04/20/sae-world-congress-ups-delivery-truck-with-fev-hydraulic-series/

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Green Car Congress: UPS to add 40 series hydraulic hybrid vehicles to its fleet
Online news, features and analysis

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This could get very interesting 2

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 I think most judges and juries in patent litigation are probably predisposed to assume that granted patents are valid. If this case gets overturned based on the actions and words of the jury foreman, it could (AND should) have far reaching implications going forward.

Reshared post from +Koushik Dutta

The foreman also told the jury to assume the patents were valid. Even though the judge had instructed to look into prior art claims and make a decision on the validity themselves.

Samsung claims foreman lied about his past to get on Apple v. Samsung jury
Juror defends himself to the press; Samsung wants him hauled back into court.

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With all the nickel and diming that Spirit does, why would anyone want to fly with… 2

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With all the nickel and diming that Spirit does, why would anyone want to fly with these guys?

Outrageous Or Smart? Spirit Airlines Raises Its Carry On Fee To $100 – Forbes
Spirit Airlines is known as the Ryanair of American carriers. It charges low fares, but has come up with fees that catch many travelers off guard. And here’s one that will make disorganized travelers …

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If Romney gets his way, we will likely have an additional 20 million Americans without… 2

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If Romney gets his way, we will likely have an additional 20 million Americans without health insurance 10 years from now

Reshared post from +Talking Points Memo

Romney’s Health Plan Leaves 72 Million Uninsured: Study
Mitt Romney’s health care platform would leave 72 million Americans without insurance by the year 2022, according to a new study by the Commonwealth Fund. President Obama’s approach, the researchers f…

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Judge Richard Posner tears into intellectual property law again and good for him…

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Judge Richard Posner tears into intellectual property law again and good for him!

Reshared post from +Linus Torvalds

I wish there were more people in the legal profession like Judge Posner. The man has his head screwed on right!

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Do patent and copyright law restrict competition and creativity excessively? Posner – The Becker-Posner Blog
I am concerned that both patent and copyright protection, though particularly the former, may be excessive. To evaluate optimal patent protection for an invention, one has to consider both the cost of…


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I mostly read my regular news sources using +Google Reader and +Flipboard and supplement… 6

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I mostly read my regular news sources using +Google Reader and +Flipboard and supplement with links from Google+, Facebook and Twitter. I also save off longer articles for later consumption (such as when I'm walking the dog) through Readability. I don't have any publication specific apps (from web sites or newspapers) on any of my devices. These apps clutter up my devices and lock me in without offering any added value.  What about you? 

Twice as Many Mobile News Readers Prefer Browsers to Apps [STUDY]
Nearly three times as many tablet owners and twice as many smartphone users access news primarily through browsers rather than apps.

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