This is no small part due to the high cost of the system and its limited capabilities compared to the conventional versions and even the EcoBoost-powered +Ford Motor Company F150.

If a report from GMInsideNews is to be believed, GM has shelved the new hybrid system. If true, GM will have to come up with other solutions to meet future fuel efficiency requirements with its big trucks. GM has already acknowledged that it is working on a fifth generation version of the classic small-block V8 with direct injection and 8-speed automatic transmissions. 

The more intriguing possibility is that GM might revive its mothballed 4.5-liter diesel V8 program. Back in 2007-8, every company building full-size trucks was working on diesel engines for the light-duty versions. Following the great recession, all of these programs were cancelled in favor of lower cost alternatives like EcoBoost.

Fortunately the engines didn't entirely go away, especially the ones being developed by GM and Ford. The Ford 4.4-liter V8 found itself a home in overseas market Land Rover products.

It turns out the GM engine was within months of launch when the program was cancelled. Almost all of the tooling was ready to go but GM management decided to mothball it instead of scrapping it. Two years ago a media drive for the 2011, GM heavy-duty pickups, the chief engineer on the engine told me it could be revived in fairly short order and in testing, engineers were seeing at least 25 mpg combined with the engine. http://green.autoblog.com/2010/06/11/general-motors-4-5l-light-duty-diesel-v8-was-on-track-for-25-mpg/

That's 4-5 mpg better than the hybrid with better towing and payload capability. Combine that with the new 8-speed and the numbers could be even better. Given GM's recent renewed interest in diesel with the upcoming launch of the Cruze diesel, I wouldn't be surprised to see the new Silverado and Sierra offer this impressive diesel as an option. http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/25/details-of-gms-new-4-5l-duramax-diesel-v-8/

The remaining $86 million came from state and local governments, the same way that almost every big arena/stadium project of the last 30 years.

Yes WE built it, collectively through our tax dollars.

"This is the plain, stark reality that has somehow eluded America's top political journalists for two consecutive presidential campaigns: Mitt Romney is one of the greatest and most irresponsible debt creators of all time. In the past few decades, in fact, Romney has piled more debt onto more unsuspecting companies, written more gigantic checks that other people have to cover, than perhaps all but a handful of people on planet Earth."

In theory, public opinion should be able to change the system, but given the corporatocracy we live in today, opinions are unlikely to have any real effect anytime soon. Juries on the other hand do have the power to have some real immediate impact. If the jury in this case had actually taken the time to more thoroughly examine the patents in question rather than hammering their way through the 700+ questions on the verdict form, it's possible they might have come to a different decision on the validity of the patents.

Juries do actually have the power to change the system by invalidating patents. If that happens often enough, we might see companies file fewer patents and fewer suits. 

Given the difficulty of determining exactly what most of these patents even claim, it's no wonder examiners can do a proper prior art search to determine if claims have already been done. Unfortunately instead of rejecting unclear applications, examiners seem to have just thrown up their hands in the face of the deluge and just granted everything. 

Over at +The Verge, +Nilay Patel takes a look at Apple's pinch-to-zoom patent. Many other writers have given up trying to decipher it, just assuming  it gives Apple all rights to pinch-to-zoom. After a careful reading, Nilay explains that it is actually pretty easy to work around. 

Reshared post from +Mathew Ingram

http://gigaom.com/2012/08/30/fact-checking-politics-why-we-need-open-journalism-more-than-ever/