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A year ago, Warner Brothers decided that Netflix and its competitors would have to… 2

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Google+ on by (updated 4664 days ago)

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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Despite the loss of Peugeot, this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans is shaping up to…

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged ALMS deltawing Google+ highcroft lemans michelin on by (updated 4664 days ago)

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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Bosch marketing exec Lars Ulrich (not the one from Metallica) remains bullish on…

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged diesel Google+ on by (updated 4664 days ago)

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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The Office of Technology Assessment was defunded by congress in 1995 2

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Google+ gov20The opengov PIPA SOPA on by (updated 4663 days ago)

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)

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"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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Here's a thought to set Lincoln apart in the American luxury segment 2

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Google+ on by (updated 4663 days ago)

Create shooting brake (aka sporty wagon) variant of the new MKZ and power it with the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 diesel that they build at their UK engine plant for Jaguar and Land Rover.

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

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The Lincoln MKZ Concept Car | An All-New Concept In Luxury | Lincoln.com
The New Lincoln MKZ Concept – Immerse yourself into the new Lincoln MKZ concept vehicle, view photos, read about new features & get the latest news, reviews & buzz.

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One of my all-time favorite cars that I reviewed was the BMW 535d that Bosch loaned…

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged diesel Google+ on by (updated 4664 days ago)

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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A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a video that showed the behind scenes visual… 1

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Google+ on by (updated 4665 days ago)

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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