Recent Comments:
Author Nick Hornby not feeling the fever pitch over e-books {Engadget}
Jul 6th 2008 10:18AM Ebooks will not take off until there is essentially one standard ebook format across the industry or until the top three ebook format companies agree to read each other's formats.
Ebooks will also not take off until there are do-it-all devices with large screens (about like the iPhone at a minimum) on which you can read your ebook. My Treo 680, for example has such a small screen that I can read the entire block of text on the screen in an ebook in 5-10 seconds, depending on how focused I am. That is a whole lot of page flips to get through a book.
Battery life must also improve for the do-it-all devices with the screen running.
Forget MPG - let's move to GPM {Autoblog Green}
Jun 24th 2008 3:45AM After reading Second Opinion's post, I need to clarify why I agree with flipping the order in which the type of units fall (from distance per volume to volume per 100*distance) and why I suggest that we take the opportunity to start using metric (liters and kilometers rather than gallons and miles).
For me, it's not so much "Euro-worship" as it is respect for simpler means of measure and comparison.
To clarify, I would rather that US vehicle buyers be able to EASILY compare our efficiency to vehicle efficiency in other markets. This means using both the order and the units used by most car markets: L/100 km.
To refer/respond to Second Opinion's response on his(?) own blog: while we in the US tend to be used to "bigger is better" we are also used to "smaller is better" such as when we see gas sold at two stations on opposite street corners at $3.95/gal and $3.99/gal.
From reading a few posts on the blog blog, Second Opinion seems to be a smarter and more thoughtful shopper than the average person (as classical liberals tend to be). However, Second Opinion does not seem to take into account that most shoppers buy on emotion rather than hard numbers or the meaning of numbers. It is easy to tell someone that going from 75 mpg to 100 mpg is as significant a gain in efficiency as the 25 mpg to 50 mpg jump. To most consumers, 25 mpg is 25 mpg. When you use the volume/100*distance model, the buyer sees that that ton of extra money that goes into the 75-100 mpg jump has a lot less effect than the 25-50 jump or the 10-35 mpg jump. Second Opinion, remember that you are the exception to the rule: most people are easily snowed by logarithmic scales and inverse scales; most people do not have the math skills that you have. Second Opinion, remember that it's easy to forget that not everyone is as smart as you.
And so, for easier comparison between our market and others and for easier comparison on a flat scale, I say we should go to L/100 km for fuel efficiency.
Forget MPG - let's move to GPM {Autoblog Green}
Jun 24th 2008 3:08AM If this were to happen then we might as well make the switch to metric measures for fuel economy, too.
My car averages 8.4 to 9.4 L/100 km. But I would prefer one that averages 2.5 to 3 L/100 km.
VIDEO: Bob Lutz is "Super-Pumped" about the progress on the Volt {Autoblog Green}
Jun 7th 2008 7:41AM Based on his body language, it seems that Maximum Bob is not being entirely truthful:
- This is probably not the first time he's driven an eFlex mule. He seemed to indicate that this wasn't really his "first impression."
- The car probably doesn't behave like a normal car. Or at least that's what El Jefe body language seemed to indicate. That doesn't mean it's bad, just not "much like a normal car."
- The car probably doesn't "go very well" (of course, with Max Bob being in charge of the company he's in charge of, he's probably had some really wild rides in Corvettes and other excitingly overpowered vehicles so his opinion of normal everyday cars might be a little lacking).
After the "goes very well" comment with the associated "this isn't true" body language, everything else seemed to be accompanied by body language that indicated that he was on the up and up.
How would you change the Dash Express? {Engadget}
Apr 7th 2008 5:42AM I understand that their first focus is on getting the collaborative live traffic algorithms rockin and rolling. But to compete with other devices on the market, I would need to see most of the following features. For me, traffic jam avoidance is a lesser used feature (just because of the nature of my sleep schedule). However, traffic jam avoidance is precisely when I might pull out the GPS device. Because the software on the Dash is upgradable, I will mostly concentrate on physical features I find important. So, here are my suggestions for a Dash Express 2.0:
Firstly, I want audio throughput. I want to output my iPod or XM radio to the GPS device and then broadcast the audio, auto-muted for directions, output via an option of audio out or FM transmission. Please note that I am NOT looking for my GPS device to be my mp3 player - that's why I have an iPod and an XM radio.
If they add a Bluetooth transceiver, I would want the same auto-muting features as above with bluetooth speakerphone capability. And speaking of antennas, how many GSM frequencies does this thing pick up; if it's not could the next one have all of the world bands?
I'd like more maps as a no-cost OTA software upgrade. I'd like to be able to take all of the above features to Europe, Canada, Mexico, Japan, etc.
I'd like the software features beefed up a bit with waypoints, detours, advanced routing updates for new traffic, constantly updated alternate routes based on current location.
Please make sure that the interface is compatible with large blunt fingers (aka ham-fingers) and/or leather gloves (have to do a considerable bit of driving year-round and glove compatibility is a must).
I haven't had a chance to try the Dash but please make sure that the interface is the least distracting possible interface. Example: in menus, could up/down arrows (or something like that) be designed in the side of the interface (where a scrollbar might appear) and each menu item read aloud via text to speech following the menu item highlight (this would be handy for keeping driver's eyes on the road where they belong)?
London police evaluate diesel Mitsubishi Lancer {Autoblog Green}
Mar 21st 2008 2:31AM For most US departments, the Holden Commodore family of vehicles would make fine beasts-of-burden.
The Commodore would be ideal for urban departments that don't need to carry a ton in the trunk and don't feel the need to provide a ton of room for the cage.
The Commodore SportWagon would provide an excellent vehicle for both standard patrol units and some specialized units such as K9, Highway Patrol, supervisors, detectives/CSI, and other units that might require slightly more cargo room than the sedan.
The Holden Ute would provide a nice basis for a multitude of special duty functions requiring mostly cargo room: traffic control units, CSI units, K9 units, paddy-wagons (with a paddy-wagon camper shell in the bed).
The Holden Stateman would provide an excellent vehicle for units requiring decent trunk space and ample rear seat room such as standard patrol for taller-than-usual officers, Highway Patrol and rural county units, supervisors, departmental executives required to transport VIPs, detectives, and etcetera.
If I were designing a cop-car family from the ground up, it would be much like the Holden Commodore family in terms of available models and handling. One of the available powertrains would be either a series hybrid (a generator charges batteries which supplies electricity to an electric motor which spins the wheels; no gas is used to spin the wheels through direct mechanical links) or a range-extended electric vehicle (REEV) (a series hybrid with a larger battery pack for about 40 miles of electric-only travel plus a generator under the hood to extend the range).
I would include the series hybrid or (REEV) for torquier acceleration, smoother and more even acceleration curves, more efficient use of required gasoline, easier maintenance, and etc. Gasoline is a huge part of police fleet budgets.
Bill
Detroit 2008: Jeep Renegade Concept {Autoblog}
Jan 14th 2008 10:37PM I am not at all a fan of the exterior.
The drivetrain, though? Heck, yeah. I'd like to see the drivetrain ASAP on a Wrangler and/or Gladiator.
Electric motors for torquey trail use, diesel for steady power regeneration. Now if only they'd include the ultracapacitor technology like on the AFS Trinity Extreme Hybrid XH-150.
Well, we won't see it any time soon... Oh well.
Video: Jeremy Clarkson says Porsche 911 Turbo cleans LA's air {Autoblog Green}
Nov 11th 2007 5:31PM Considering that Clarkson has pistons for lungs and oil in his veins, the air coming out of the Porsche or any other vehicle probably IS cleaner ... to him.
Spy Shots: Production Jeep JT pickup caught testing! {Autoblog}
Aug 15th 2007 10:38PM This is probably one of the units testing the military hardened Jeep being developed for the Egyptian and presumably Israeli militaries.
dygituljunky
Temps Over 100! But What Units? {Autoblog Green}
Jul 22nd 2007 5:26PM Randy, we don't have to switch. We can continue to be befuddled by measurements and seemingly random conversion factors. We can continue to make costly mathematical errors because of our conversion factors. We can continue to be inconvenienced by our stubborn Yankee pride.
I'll have to look up the figures, but NOT going metric actually costs us a great deal of money each year.
MikeW, how does miles per gallon represent our values? If you want units that get larger for better efficiency, how about km/L? The reason that L/100km makes sense is that you can determine, through very simple math, how many liters of gas (or other fuel) it will take to go 200 km ... or 250 ... or whatever. Either way the conversion factors are easier to work with in metric.
My foot, in a shoe, is usually 12 inches on the dot. My ex-wife's foot is closer to eight or nine inches so she has alot more "feet" in a mile. But seriously, do you really want to put your feet all over stuff to measure it?
When you get down to it, the metric system is human in scale, too. My hand is 100 mm wide. My stretched stride is 1 m long. It's also a meter from my hip to the ground. I mass roughly 115 kg (currently) and I'm working on getting down to roughly 100 kg. My foot is close enough to 300 mm for estimation purposes (although I try not to put my feet on stuff to measure it). To say that the meter is not human in scale is to ignore the power of the easy metric conversion factor: just find a unit or multiples of a unit that fit the measurement task.
The average human cannot tell the difference in a 1 degree C change in temperature, some of us can; but, again, to say it is less accurate is to be inaccurate in your argument. The primary difference between C and F is C's relation to the other metric units.
And Abe Simpson? I'm pretty sure that the writers of "The Simpsons" were illustrating the silliness of the US Customary units with that quote. Sarcasm is one of the primary humor devices used by "The Simpsons." Quick, without looking up the conversion factors and without using a calculator, what is 40 rods to the hogshead in miles per gallon? Ironically, through advocating metrication, I've become much more familiar with the US Customary unit conversion factors and I couldn't tell you how large a hogshead is or how long a rod is.
Here's my favorite example conversion factor: feet in a mile. Think to yourself how confusing that number is to a dyslexic. Think how hard it is for said dyslexic to not only learn what numerals are used but which order they go in. Now, go from inches to miles. (Do it without a calculator) Now, think how much easier it is for a lysdexic to go from mm to m (* 1000) and then from m to km (* 1000). There are 1 000 000 mm in one km. Easy.
And, as for the British pint: keep it as an authorized unit for alcohol sales at a pub. But I'd rather buy a 500 mL of ale at a US pub than 1 US pint.
