Reshared post from +Alexander Howard

So… Facebook has "deprecated" frictionless sharing of what people are reading. Announcement from earlier today: "In order to provide users with experiences that meet their expectations, we will no longer approve custom actions that publish stories as people consume content. These apps must use the appropriate built-in actions or create a different sharing experience. "-Henry Zhang, Facebook http://j.mp/Rh5Tm6 

I've never used an app, particularly a newsreader, that did this. For me — and others, like +Mike Loukides, whose post I've share din this one  — automagically sharing whatever you read is quite problematic.

What this boils down to is that developers will now have to code in actions like “Watch,” “Read,” “Listen” or “Follow" to share something — adding some intentional friction.

That, I like.

http://radar.oreilly.com/2011/12/the-end-of-social.html

Then there are those segments that are empty because no one wants a vehicle like that. The poster child for this is the +Acura ZDX which has been an absolute dud since it arrived at about the same time. Acura has decided to discontinue the ZDX after the 2013 model year.

Reshared post from +Los Angeles Times

The campaigns are having some fun with Big Bird, and so is our own cartoonist David Horsey. In one of his latest columns, Horsey writes, "Apparently, [Mitt] Romney thinks America’s debt problem can be fixed by picking up pennies along Sesame Street." For the full commentary: http://lat.ms/RN0BkQ.

Reshared post from +Patrick Beja

This is a little freaky… "New Video Breaks Down How An Apple Patent Stomps All Over The 1st Amendment"

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-patent-government-control-phones-2012-10?op=1

"Last year, for the first time, spending by Apple and Google on patent lawsuits and unusually big-dollar patent purchases exceeded spending on research and development of new products, according to public filings."

Charging for software updates is ridiculous, no other automaker does this to my knowledge. Ford offers regular updates to its SYNC connectivity system through its website and earlier this year they shipped over 300,000 USB drives to customers to update the MyFord Touch system.  All automakers provide updates to powertrain and other control systems at no charge. 

Voiding a warranty for rotating the tires anywhere but a Tesla store is also unconscionable. 

Reshared post from +Green Car Reports

Will Tesla really void the Model S warranty if owners don't pay $600 a year for maintenance?

Now, more than four years after the first Tesla store opened in Santa Monica, CA, traditional dealers are realizing that the EV startup might be around for a while and they aren't happy about Tesla's retail strategy. Over the past century, dealer groups have influenced state legislatures to strengthen franchise laws that make it nearly impossible for automakers to compete directly with established dealers.

Tesla had an out because it had no existing dealers to compete with, but now dealers are concerned that other automakers might follow Tesla's path and eventually undermine the franchise system.

Frankly, I'm not sure that's such a bad thing. As the business environment changes, automakers like other companies need the flexibility to shift strategies.As we saw during the 2008-9 meltdown, having too many dealers makes it a lot tougher for automakers to make money but franchise laws make it near impossible to shrink the retail footprint to match sales.  

What do you think?