auto parts: December 2011

Fighting Comment Spam

Ugh, I am being inundated with comment spam.

I am tightening the policy for comments, from now on, only users with an OpenID or other form that Blogger accepts can comment.

HTML5 and the software engineer

HTML5 appears to have a number of benefits for consumers and car manufacturers. But what is often good for the goose is not necessarily good for the developer. Talking to the guys in the trenches is critical to understanding the true viability of HTML5.

Andy Gryc and Sheridan Ethier, manager of the automotive development team at QNX, pair up for a technical discussion on HTML5. They explore whether this new technology can support rich user interfaces, how HTML5 apps can be blended with apps written in OpenGL, and if interprocess communication can be implemented between native and web-based applications.

So without further ado, here’s the latest in the educational series of HTML5 videos from QNX.

This interview of Sheridan Ethier is the third in a series from QNX on HTML5.

SOLD - JZX 90 - Mark II - Half Cut

SOLD To Local Customer
This Half Cut Model is JZX 90 - Mark II - Engine 1JZ - GTE - Auto , Selling Together With Long Shaft , Petrol Tank With Fuel Pump Attached And Rear Axle With Complete Frame

Selling As Is Where Is Basis

To View Engine Revving, Click Video Below :-

General View Of The Half Cut

General View Of The Speedometer

Mileage Reading :- 132027 Kilometers Or 82037 Miles

Engine Tag Information

Chassis Number

Front View Of The Engine Bay

Side View Of The Engine Bay

Side View of The Engine Bay

Inner Part Of The Engine

Front Turbo

Rear Turbo

Front View Of The Undercarriage

Side View Of The Auto Gear Box

Rear View Of The Undercarriage

Boonet - Good Condition

Driver Side - HeadLamp With Signal Lamp - Good Condition

Driver Side - Fender - Good Condition

Passenger Side - HeadLamp With Signal Lamp - Good Condition

Passenger Side - Fender - Good Condition

Petrol Tank / Long Shaft And Rear Axle

Long Shaft

Petrol Tank With Fuel Pump Attached

Rear Axle With Complete Frame

General View Of The Half Cut

Is HTML5 a good gamble?

As the consumer and automotive worlds continue to collide, HTML5 looks like a good bet. And not a long shot either. In fact, the odds are all automakers will eventually use it. But since the standard won’t be mature for some time yet, should you take a chance on it now?

To answer this, Andy Gryc talks to Matthew Staikos of RIM. Matthew is the manager of the browser and web platform group at RIM, and has over 10 years of software development experience with a strong focus on WebKit for mobile and embedded systems. Matthew co-founded Torch Mobile, which was acquired by RIM for their browser technology.

Andy’s conversation with Matthew is the subject of the following video, the second in an educational series designed to get an industry-wide perspective on HTML5.

This interview of Matthew Staikos is the second in a series from QNX on HTML5.

Fisker Suspension

Edmunds has a very nice photo review of the Fisker Karma suspension.

My takeaway: heavy car, expensive chassis, very complex. But also very impressive, considering the complexity of the machine. Tesla, for its Roadster, let Lotus take care of the chassis and suspension design and had to focus mostly on the powertrain.

I will be amazed if Fisker makes enough money to stay in business with this model.

Cadillac 4 Cylinder

This is what the world has come to. GM is putting a four-banger in a Cadillac.

But this isn't the I4 of old, this is a modern, direct injected turbo with variable cam timing. The GM 2.0L Ecotech makes 270HP and 260lb-ft of torque. It is a similar engine to the Ford 2.0L Ecoboost which is now the fuel economy option for the Explorer.

By comparison, the FWD versions of the famed Northstar engine family (LD8) made 275HP and 300ft-lbs, out of a whopping 4.6L of displacement.

More at GM's web site.

What’s HTML5 got to do with automotive?

There’s been a lot of noise lately about HTML5. A September 2011 report by binvisions shows that search engines and social media web sites are leading the way toward adoption: Google, Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, and plenty more have already transitioned to HTML5. Some are taking it even further: Facebook has an HTML5 Resource Center for developers and the Financial Times has a mobile HTML5 version of their website.

It won’t be long before HTML5 is ubiquitous. We think automakers should (and will) use it.

To elucidate the technology and its relevance, we’ve created a series of educational videos on the topic. Here is the first in that series. Interviews with partners, customers, and industry gurus will soon follow.

This simple overview is the first in a series from QNX on HTML5. (Personally I like the ending the best.)

iDrive Prank Box

I was sent this prank gift box, which is hilarious.

It is designed to look like a believable (but crazy) product, the iDrive, which is a suction cup and claw mount to mount iPads and other devices on your steering wheel or other unsafe places. Photos on the back show it being used in cars, on a factory runabout and also on a jet ski. I wonder, though, how the box maker gets away with using "iDrive", which is a real trademark for a number of different types of products, including data storage and surgical staplers.

The actual product is the prank box itself, one of many that are sold by Prank Pack.

I am going to use it on a friend, who is both a car nut and a Apple cultist.

Seamless connectivity is for more than online junkies

As much as I’m not always enamored with sitting behind a computer all day, I find being off the grid annoying. Remember this email joke?

wake up at 3:00 am to go to the bathroom and stop to check your email on the way back to bed
rarely communicate with your mother because she doesn’t have email
check your inbox. It says ‘no new messages,’ so you check it again

Even though this joke circulated several years ago, it still strikes a chord. The big difference now is that there’s no longer a subculture of ‘online junkies.’ From the time we wake up in the morning to the time we go to bed, we all want to be connected — and that includes when we get behind the wheel. So to this joke I would add:

resent driving because it means going off the grid

At QNX, we’re working toward a seamless experience where people can enjoy the same connectivity whether they’re texting their spouse from the mall or checking traffic reports while driving down the highway. See what I mean:

For more information about the technology described in this video, visit the QNX website.

Old People Cars

According to the Detroit News, this is the list of most popular vehicles for senior citizens. I have added additional information: which models are discontinued.

1. Lincoln Town Car, 90%
2. Buick Lucerne, 87%
3. Cadillac DTS, 85%
4. Cadillac CTS, 74%
5. Cadillac STS, 71%
6. Hyundai Azera, 25%
7. Chevrolet Impala, 51%
8. Buick LaCrosse, 59%
9. Lincoln MKZ, 54%
10. Toyota Avalon, 54%

The interesting question to me is, what will the old folks buy now that the softly spring boats have mostly gone extinct?

Remember Pearl Harbor!

A momentous day in U.S. history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor

Video: The secret to making hands-free noise-free

Explaining a highly technical product to a broad audience is tough. To succeed, you must reach out to people on their own terms, without being condescending. Most people love a good explanation, but everyone hates being talked down to.

Case in point: The QNX Acoustic Processing Suite. This software runs in millions of cars and offers a benefit that everyone can relate to: clear, rich, easy-to-understand hands-free calls. But once you start explaining how the suite does this, it's easy to get mired in technical jargon and to forget the bigger picture — something that even a technical audience wants to see.

So we dropped the jargon and opted for a creative approach. It involves a marching band, a rock guitarist, and, for good measure, an electric fan with a really long extension cord. Seriously.

Intrigued yet? Well, then, grab some popcorn and dim the lights:

Interested in learning more about this technology? Check out the acoustic processing page on the QNX website.

BTW, companies that use the QNX Acoustic Processing Suite in their products include OnStar, whose FMV aftermarket mirror recently won a CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award.

Posted by Paul Leroux

Brand exposure

QNX has a knack for turning up where I least expect it. Sometimes, I'm even surprised by how our technology partners use it — and I head up strategic alliances at QNX Software Systems. In this case, at least, I can claim ignorance based on distance.

Last week, Tokyo Weekender published a story on Freescale Japan from the perspective of David Uze, the company’s president. Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting David knows he’s super passionate about his mission. And arguably, it must be a challenging one, for the market in Japan has a long history of being dominated by national silicon suppliers. But, from an automotive perspective, recent consolidations of some of those suppliers, along with the trend towards standardized architectures, have opened the door for companies like Freescale.

The article talks about Freescale’s planned expansion in Japan, recovery from the earthquake, the advantages of being a global company, and the Freescale Cup, a robotics competition for university students that will be launched in Japan next year.

This, for me, is David’s most interesting comment:

“The reason I believe we must focus on Japan is because it is the most macro-economically focused culture in the world. Japan is the only country I know of where companies routinely create 50 -year plans to ensure they are a strong economic force in the long term.”

I find this incredible, especially if it applies to high-tech companies. Most would struggle with a concise 5-year plan, let alone 50!

But back to QNX. If you look at the article's opening photo (see below), you'll a car emblazoned with the logos of several Freescale suppliers, including a QNX logo that appears right below the Freescale wordmark. The QNX logo also appears in another photo, on a banner hanging above the head of Freescale CEO Rich Breyers, as he addresses the crowd at an FTF event.

Talk about international brand exposure! Thanks, David!

Bridgestone Airless Tire Concept

Cool. From PhysOrg.com.

Michelin has also been working on the Tweel airless tire for some time now, but it isn't ready for civilian commercial sale, yet.

Volt Battery Fires NBD

The blogosphere and news media have become somewhat excited about the Chevy Volt battery fires, and GM has been very defensive, going so far as to offer to buy back Volts from any skittish customers.

I don't see what the big deal is.

There zero cases of Volts having battery thermal issues after getting in an accident in the real world. There have been a couple of cases of garage fires, however the causes are not yet known and it is quite possible that the fault lies in poorly done 240V wiring, and not with the Volt.

There are four cases of Volt batteries having thermal reactions after being first disconnected from their liquid coolant supply, then damaged, and then overturned by NHTSA. This is like sideswiping a pole at high speed, at exactly the point where the battery extends out towards the sides of the car, then rolling over, and then letting the battery sit damaged for several days without being discharged.

Here's an experiment: smash a gasoline car in such a way as to rupture the gas tank. Then turn the car over and let the fuel run where it will.

Also, consider the number of gasoline vehicle fires that occur every year. In 1999, there were 288,000 highway vehicle fires, due to all causes (accident and otherwise), according to the NFPA. According to a 1990 study by NHTSA, motor vehicle fires due to accidents occurred at a rate of 2.86/1000 vehicles.

So if Volts had the same rate of accident caused fires as gasoline vehicles, we would expect to see about 14 Volt fires this year. But we haven't, even though Volts do carry gasoline on-board.

Aptera Dead!

I have been watching with morbid fascination the death spiral of Aptera, the designer of the electric trike that looks like a big spermatozoan, which didn't do well in the Progressive Automotive X-prize competition. To stave off death, Aptera was working on a traditional 4-wheel vehicle concept which they hoped would attract new investors and help them qualify for a DOE AVTM loan. Aptera stated that they needed $150 million in new money to start work on the new vehicle, but investors did not come to the table.

And that was a wise decision. Despite an interesting and aerodynamic design, the Aptera 3-wheel concept was not practical for any large market, and would have been very expensive to produce in small volumes. Like the other X-prize finalists running 3-wheel designs, Aptera was more of a design study than a marketable product.

To date, there are still no production-ready enclosed 3-wheelers for sale in the U.S. and I doubt there will ever be. The inherent safety and comfort trade-offs are too great for more than a few novelty-loving customers.

The question in my mind is, who is next to fold? Up-start auto companies funded by venture capital don't have a shining history (DeLorean, Bricklin...). Will Tesla and Fisker make it, financially, or will they burn through their cash before catching on?