Monthly Archives: January 2013


In typical Hollywood fashion, they treat intellectual property as "do as I say,… 2

In typical Hollywood fashion, they treat intellectual property as "do as I say, not as I do"

Reshared post from +Mike Vardy

This is a note-for-note and word-for-word ripoff of the arrangement that +Jonathan Coulton did of "Baby Got Back" years ago. And +GLEE just used it without contacting him. Unbelievable.

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You need to read this.

Reshared post from +Joshua Topolsky

You need to read this.

After Aaron: how an antiquated law enables the government’s war on hackers, activists, and you
One day back in the early 1970s, two young computer miscreants named Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak exploited a hole in AT&T’s phone system to prank call the Pope. The call — made using a…

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Another old media Luddite blows his top against Google

Harper’s publisher doesn’t understand how the internet works, blames Google
Many publishers are trying to adapt to the way media works in a digital age, but some still see Google and the web as parasites — and Harper’s publisher seems determined to stay in the latter category…

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One of several reasons I opt not to use iOS devices is Apple's insistence on…

One of several reasons I opt not to use iOS devices is Apple's insistence on total control

Apple certainly has the right to limit what they will allow to sold or distributed through their store, but I want the ability to select what I want to load on the devices I buy regardless of the preferences of the late Steve Jobs or current CEO Tim Cook. That's part of why I use Android where I can load whatever I want including experimental or beta software. 

Apple can run the business how it wants and I have the option to take my business elsewhere which I do.

Reshared post from +Tim Bray

I think it’s perfectly OK for Apple to have policies about what they will and won’t sell (every online store does).   The problem is that Apple reserves the exclusive right to provide apps. So, in effect, the policy isn’t “We won’t sell X”, it’s “You can’t have X”.

Which is why, back in 2008, I decided that the iPhone, an otherwise wonderful product, wasn’t for me.

Apple: ‘Want to criticize religion? Write a book’ — don’t make a game
Editor’s Pick Apple doesn’t believe games are capable of social criticism. What do developers have to say about that?

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How times have changed for Roll-Royce 2

Rolls-Royce issued a press release this morning to announce that "MOST DYNAMIC AND POWERFUL ROLLS-ROYCE IN HISTORY SET FOR DEBUT AT GENEVA MOTOR SHOW".

Up until +BMW took over Rolls-Royce 15 years ago, the venerable British luxury brand would never, ever tout the most powerful anything. In fact its spec sheets meerly listed output of its engines as "adequate," never being so gauche as to talk real numbers in public. Now the upcoming Wraith is said to have upwards of 600 hp.

I'm sure it will move more than adequately. 

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New Cadillac ELR retains current Chevy Volt powertrain with software tweaks including… 4

In album

New Cadillac ELR retains current Chevy Volt powertrain with software tweaks including Regen on Demand

Cadillac finally revealed the ELR coupe to the world yesterday and as expected, it hasn't really diverged much from the original plan. It looks almost exactly like the original and stunning Converj concept from 2009 although the wheelbase and track have grown ever so slightly. 

Contrary to some wild and unfounded speculation last spring it also doesn't have a new powertrain or 2.0-liter turbocharged range extender. https://plus.google.com/u/0/114133424228405038490/posts/3vNw81KUr3T

In fact, the hardware bits are essentially identical to the slightly updated hardware that debuted in the Volt last summer including the revised battery chemistry that upped the capacity from 16 to 16.5 kWh. However, all the expected amenities that make this a Cadillac including the 20-inch wheels, mean this car weighs 300 pounds more than a Volt. In order to provide the performance boost people expect from a Cadillac and still maintain the electric range they would want from this type of car, the engineers took advantage of the real world experience they have gained with the Volt over the past 2.5 years.

The traction motor has been recalibrated to provide some extra output, now 117-135 kW depending on the mode the driver selects including the available sport setting. Now that the GM has more confidence in the durability of its battery system, the ELR is now also using more of the available capacity to retain a 35 mile electric driving range. In fact, I would be surprised if GM doesn't make those latter adjustments to the 2014 Volt software to boost it's range by a few more miles. 

One other aspect that is exclusive to the Cadillac is Regen on Demand. Most cars in this segment with automatic transmissions have steering wheel mounted paddle shifters that the driver can tap to downshift and get some extra engine braking going into corners or downhill. With its single speed gearbox, this obviously isn't an option on the ELR. However,tapping its paddles allows the driver to get some short pulses of regenerative braking when desired, providing a similar effect to quick downshift without touching the brake pedal.

Definitely a rather nifty touch although for a likely price of $65-70,000 such details are needed. #NAIAS  

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"Maximum Bob" Lutz announces his latest venture, VL Automotive

The very last press conference at the 2013 North American International Auto Show media preview today, featured none other Bob Lutz, "retired" vice chairman of +General Motors (also formerly of +Ford Motor Company, +BMW and of course +Chrysler). During his long and storied career in this industry, Lutz has sheparded some amazing machines onto the road including the +Chevrolet Volt and the +Dodge Viper. 

Despite being technically retired, the 80-year old Lutz remains more active than many people 1/3 of his age. At #NAIAS  today, Lutz and business partner Gilbert Villarreal announced their new venture, VL Automotive. VL has struck a deal with +Fisker Automotive to purchase Karma gliders straight from the Valmet factory in Finland and have them shipped to a facility in Auburn Hills, MI.

For those not familiar with automotive jargon, a glider is a vehicle that is partially complete but missing a powertrain. When +Tesla Motors was building Roadster, Lotus built Elise gliders that were shipped to California where Tesla installed the battery and electric drive system. This deal is different because Fisker is supplying it's car minus the A123 lithium ion battery or the electric drive system. 

At the VL facility, technicians will install a supercharged 6.2-liter from a Corvette ZR1 and the 6-speed automatic transaxle (along with other assorted driveline components. The result is a car with the stunning good looks penned by Henrik Fisker along with a durable, reliable conventional powertrain. Best of all, without the battery, it weighs about 1,000 pounds less than the rather portly stock Karma. 

What makes this deal particularly interesting is some of the players involved. When Lutz and Jon Lauckner conceived the extended range electric vehicle (ER-EV) architecture that eventually became the Volt in early 2006, one of the first people they brought onto the team to lead the engineering effort was Tony Posawatz. Tony was appointed Vehicle Line Director for the Volt and remained with the program until after it finally went into production in late 2010.

During the Volt's gestation, Henrik Fisker started to start his eponymous car company and designed his luxury sports sedan around a similar ER-EV powertrain concept to the Volt. He agreed to a deal with with GM to buy 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder engines for range extenders. 

Posawatz retired from GM about a year ago and several months later he was hired as CEO of Fisker. Fisker now has a problem because it can't build and sell Karmas until battery supplier A123 Systems comes out of bankruptcy. This deal at least gives Fisker the opportunity to sell some partial cars. 

When I learned about this car, one of the first things that occurred to me was another car from Lutz's past, the 1991 Chrysler 300 concept. Two years after showing the original Viper concept, Chrysler was looking at other uses for the chassis and V10 engine it was developing for the production version. The 300 was luxury four-door sedan with similar proportions to the Karma. http://www.amcarguide.com/concept/1991-chrysler-300-concept/

Ultimately, Chrysler where Lutz was president opted not to build that 300, but the VL Destino is in many ways its spiritual successor. VL hopes to sell a few hundred units a year at a price of $180,000. Hopefully, they will succeed. http://vl-automotive.com/

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