Recent Comments:
Patent filing shows DVR for Apple TV {The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)}
Mar 16th 2008 11:42AM i am a long-time tivo customer and i absolutely *love* my tivo. i have a tivo s3 now, and it's fantastic. this is the only thing that could get me to give up tivo. even if they charge a monthly fee i'd do it in a heartbeat. and, to top it off, if they offered movie subscriptions--a la netflix--it would be the absolute ultimate device. i would gladly pay $30 a month to replace netflix and tivo with one device that also accessed my itunes library. and the whole remote concept in the filing, and the ability to use the iphone is brilliant. could integration get any better than this? just give me real web access and streaming capability (like a slingbox) and we're looking at complete domination of the home entertainment product space. i don't see how they could lose with that sort of functionality.
ExpanDrive: transparent remote file access {The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)}
Mar 5th 2008 2:20PM gee, someone seems to have an axe to grind. it's unfortunate that some people want to assume the worst. unless, perhaps, they have specific information about some wrongdoing? if so, it would be advisable to take it to the people who can do something about it. why not let panic and others worry about defending their copyrights and trademarks?
Tokyo Motor Show: Subaru WRX STI debut {Autoblog}
Oct 24th 2007 9:33AM in many ways this is a big improvement over previous versions, imho. going with the hatch vs. a wagon was a good choice, and i even like the 5 door format. the fender flares are sharp, and definitely much better integrated than the last generation which always looked tacked on.
subie still has some misfires with this one, though. the grille/headlamps/front end just doesn't work very well. looks like it was stolen from another car. the tail lamps are awful, too, and they don't seem to be addressing that issue. what really bothers me, though, is the way they've integrated the front fender flares int the bumper. it looks like a tug boat, with the big wrap-around bulge. the front overhang on these was already really big (i know, i know, engine position, boxer, etc etc.), but this design only serves to accentuate the long front overhang and makes it look like the front end might snap off where it meets the windscreen.
i guess what disappoints me is that they came really close on this, but didn't seem to get that they could push it a little further, design a little harder, and come out with a car that would leave a mark and set their direction for a long time to come. they're still casting about for an identity, is how it looks to me.
VIDEO: Rally-racing is easier than it looks... {Autoblog}
Oct 23rd 2007 9:27AM rally! rally! rally! rally! more rally! i can't get enough rally!
ahem... i like it.
2008 Scion xB stereo iPod controller can't pause! {Autoblog}
Oct 8th 2007 10:45AM i have an xd with this head unit and like a previous commenter noted, you can switch modes and turn it off to pause. not a big deal, but a bit odd for sure.
overall i'm extremely happy with the car and the stereo is pretty darn good for a basic factory unit.
Frankfurt 2007: Ford Verve Concept visits the stage {Autoblog}
Sep 11th 2007 9:38AM well ford, if you're listening, that thing has too much headlight, and all the sheetmetal above the rear wheels makes them look too small. it's ok to keep the greenhouse a little taller, and tone down the upward slope of the beltline. i'm also not a huge fan of the big second grille, and the fender flares are a little too cut for my taste.
i think this concept has potential, with the aggressive look, nice bulging fenders, and wide stance. overall i would say tone it down a bit and you have something.
Frankfurt Preview: 2008 Mazda6 breaks early {Autoblog}
Sep 6th 2007 12:57PM fantastic. the previous 6 was great, this is even better. mazda has hit a home run with this. can't wait to see the updated 3.
it is good enough to be a lexus or merc. great lines, and a very complete, well-integrated design. all other cars in this class have a new bar to jump over.
Greenies war on fun: CO2 limits might kill Ferrari, Porsche {Autoblog}
Jul 12th 2007 11:03AM this isn't about running out of oil. it's about climate change. now, we can debate until we're blue in the face about the science and whether climate change is real or not. i'm not interested in arguing about that. i think the evidence stacks up enough to the point that we have to do something. so does the mainstream science community. is the evidence perfect? no. is it a sure bet? no. but it is a bet. and we are going to roll the dice one way or another. for the sake of the human race i'd rather bet that climate change is real and do something now. the alternative is to bet that it's not real, and wait. the problem is it's like compounding interest. we can do something modest (in relative terms) now that will have a large impact later. or we can wait and lose the opportunity and be stuck with a much deeper hole to dig out of. in fact, if the science is right, we'll probably have a hole we can't dig out of and we'll just be stuck with catastrophic changes to the earth in the next centuries. sure, i won't be here, but do we really want to be that selfish and short-sighted?
now, as for freedom and the wealthy among us and all that, it's not about rich folks and ultra expensive cars either. it's about climate change and reducing the CO2 output of automobiles. they are one of the biggest producers and one of the fastest growing. yes we need to limit production from power generation and other sources, but that does not mean we shouldn't limit output from cars.
and in fact this does directly impinge on the rights of our neighbors. our neighbors are the rest of the world, and this is a global problem. applying 19th or 20th century logic (it doesn't hurt the guy next door so what's the problem?) is plain stupid. this is a global system being thrown out of balance and it requires solutions on a large scale. that's why we have governments in the first place. to solve problems on a collective scale that are not realistically solved individually or locally. so pushing the system towards greater sustainability seems necessary here. of course, ultimately it will be the innovation and the contributions of a lot of individuals and organizations that really solves this problem. the market will play its role, but the market has to be shaped sometimes and stimulated to move in a certain direction. that's what regulation does. is it risky? sure. can regulation go too far and stifle the market? sure. is that a good reason to do nothing? no.
Greenies war on fun: CO2 limits might kill Ferrari, Porsche {Autoblog}
Jul 12th 2007 9:45AM @david damn: exhaust apparently contains CO and CO2 (http://www.nutramed.com/environment/carsepa.htm)
as for such laws limiting these performance cars, i have to say it's hard to get too indignant about it being difficult for the ultra-rich to buy a super car. 99.9% of the population of the earth isn't going to care.
and the point is not to get these cars off the road. it seems the point is to get cars in general to pollute less. the high end sports car may be a casualty of that effort. but frankly it's like complaining that child labor laws in africa are going to make diamonds too expensive. um, excuse me, but forest and trees and all that.
ultimately, i think people will still want to spend excessive amounts of money to go really fast. luxury/performance companies will have to innovate to produce powerful cars that are much greener, and with all the money to be made, i have no doubt they will.
i know there are a lot of gearheads that love the internal combustion engine and its mystique and aura, and i'm sure it will survive in one form or another, but the sooner it dies as our primary means of transport, the better (particularly the gasoline variety--bring on the clean diesel!).
as for this type of regulation being aimed at the wrong thing, where the author said this, "they only consume 15 percent or 20 percent of energy." hello?! only 15 to 20 percent? being able to limit what is in effect one source that makes up 15 to 20 percent is HUGE. i doubt there are any other sources that make up that much of total CO2 output. sure, you can say factories and power plants, but that's actually a lot more complex, from the little i know. plus, i'm sure there's the political calculus in terms of which industry is going to be least able to fight such legislation. but minimizing it as only 15 or 20 percent is crazy talk.
Rendered Speculation: 2009 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ {Autoblog}
Jun 22nd 2007 9:34AM i dig it. they should have made it look like this from the start. the fusion definitely needs to get meaner. an awd model to compete with the wrx and lancer ralliart would be great. though i guess they'd already be doing that with the focus if they were interested.
