According to a new study by Strategic Vision, these are the top 5 vehicles most popular with Democrats:
Honda Civic Hybrid
Volvo C30
Nissan Leaf
Acura TSX Wagon
Ford Fiesta Sedan
Here are the top 5 vehicles most popular with Republicans:
Ford Mustang Convertible
Audi A8
Mercedes GL
Ford Expedition
Ford F150
Now, there is a very interesting trend here. Only one of the Democrat picks is built by an American automaker, and NONE of them are built in UAW plants (the Fiesta is built in Mexico).
On the Republican side, 3/5 are Fords, and all 3 are built by UAW run plants in MIchigan-Flat Rock MI, Rouge MI, and Wayne MI.
I think some re-evaluation of stereotypes may be in order here. Democrats will fight tooth and nail to increase union power--but don't necessarily buy the products they produce.
Another EV maker down. Azure Dynamics is filing for creditor protection after Canada's investment regulatory agency denied their request to issue new shares, which Azure needed to do to generate operating capital.
That's because Azure wasn't selling many electric vehicles, not enough to support operations.
I am somewhat disappointing, because Azure is a relatively mature player, and wasn't going after exotic 3-wheel cars or anything fancy, they are in what should be a solid business: retrofitting existing designs with electric powertrains.
The problem remains, that the EV conversions are so expensive (batteries!) that few businesses can afford to buy them in lean times, even though they do save a lot of money in the long run, in fuel savings.
I hope Azure survives, but the future for small EV players looks dim.
At work today, the company posted a notice in the coffee room that it was pursuing an H1-B sponsorship. I have not seen an H1-B notice in a while. The engineering market is definitely tightening up again, in Michigan.
Paul Leroux interviews Tim Neil, a director of product management at RIM, who is building his very own Batmobile™. This project might sound like fun (and Tim assures us it is), but it also demands a wealth of skills, from welding to HTML5 programming.
Tim Neil
Tim, could you give us a quick overview of the BatBerry project? The BatBerry combines my love of cars, Batman, and technology. I’ve always wanted to build this car and I’ve had a couple of unsuccessful attempts at creating a carputer. When RIM started creating a 7" tablet, I knew the time was right to bring all of these interests together.
How did you get started on this project? I started my research about 15 years ago, trying to determine how and where to get started. For instance, I needed to track down the shifter, which is a throttle quadrant from a WWII US Navy bomber.
By 2010, I had finished modifying my custom Subaru WRX, and I needed to get started on something new — working on cars is my way of escaping and relaxing. The time was right, and I got the green light from my wife. Luckily for me, she knew of my desire to build this car when we met and it didn’t scare her away. :-)
The BatBerry, about a year after Tim launched his project
Reading your blog, I’m totally impressed by the scope of the BatBerry project — be it creating dashboard panels, writing control software, or building a retractable license plate. Do you do most of the work yourself?
Yes, I try to do as much of the work myself as possible. I leave important things that I don’t have experience in, like doing the frame stretch, to the professionals. I did the same thing building up my Subaru over the past 7 years: learning how to do body work, interior, stereo, engine modifications, etc. I like to learn things as I go and I’ve always had a knack for figuring out how things work. I always figure, what’s the worst thing that can happen? If screw up, I just have to try again.
To pull this off, you need to be a jack of all trades. I’m sure you had skills to begin with — but did you also have to pick up any along the way? Welding is one of the biggest skills that I’ve picked up so far. I bought myself a welder, watched a couple of YouTube videos, and got to work. I can tell you, my welds look MUCH better now than my first ones. From all the welders I’ve talked to, it’s a skill that simply takes patience and practice.
Since I was a kid I have always been able to figure things out. When I was 8 years old I was wiring my bedroom up to have a switch on my headboard automatically open the door. The best way that I can describe to people how I see the world is by watching the movie Iron Man. When you see Iron Man’s computer JARVIS take an object and expand it out into a million pieces to show how it works, that’s what I see when I look at something.
Tim's other project — a highly modified Subaru WRX
What kind of power plant does the BatBerry use? Have you modded it? The car currently has a 305 4.3L L99 V8. I haven’t really modified it yet. I will likely go with a re-built version of the same engine so that I can re-use the ECU. I’m not looking to make this car into a high-performance hot rod — that’s where my Subaru comes in. Plus, it’s nice to drive distances not always looking for a gas station that serves 94 octane. :-)
The V8 puts out 200hp, which should be pretty good for the BatBerry, considering it is basically a frame with a 400-pound fiberglass body mounted to it. As long as it sounds nasty I’ll be happy. I have a couple of Flowmaster 40 series mufflers for it.
Anyone who reads this blog knows we are bullish on HTML5. So I was fascinated to hear that the BatBerry project has an HTML5 connection. Could you tell us about it? As the former development manager for BlackBerry WebWorks at RIM, I wanted to show what could be done with HTML5 technology. I wanted to build an interface on my PlayBook and BlackBerry Smartphone that could control some of the systems of the car.
I also wanted to share as much code as possible between the Smartphone and PlayBook, and using WebWorks and HTML5 allows me to do this. These devices pair with a Bluetooth connection on an Arduino board to control a series of relays that raise and lower the 30-cal machine guns, open and close the canopy, raise and lower the suspension, and perform other functions.
All the source code for the project, including Arduino microcontroller code, is being shared in my BatBerry repo on github.
Sample screen captures of the BatBerry user interface
What has been your greatest challenge? And what are you most proud of, so far? My biggest challenge has been finding time! I’ve been travelling for work more on weekends and while this winter was pretty mild, it was still a bit hard to head out into a freezing cold garage to put in a couple hours of work during the evenings.
I would say the two things I’m most proud of so far are my welding skills and my dash panels. I really wanted to give back something to others who have been building their own versions of this car. Screen-accurate dash panels were something missing from the community. In general, I really like to share what I’m doing so that others who want to do something similar can see what worked, and what didn’t work, for me.
The Discovery Channel has been tracking the BatBerry project. Do they plan to broadcast anything soon? Nothing to air at the moment. The next step will be to get updated footage of some of the technology integration points. I’m getting close to being able to show the combination of HTM5, Arduino, and the machine guns to get some new footage. Once we reveal the car, filming will wrap up and go into post-production for airing sometime in the future on Daily Planet.
When you aren’t working on the BatBerry, what do you do? I spend my spare time hanging out with my family, doing something with cars, or playing with technology. My daughter is a big Star Wars fan so she and I have been having some epic lightsaber battles lately. I’ve done a lot of car shows in the past with my Subaru and I really like meeting up and trading experiences with the car community around Toronto. At RIM, I direct the product management group responsible for developer tools, APIs, and SDKs — our focus is on removing barriers and adding features to make developers successful.
One more question: Which Batman character do you most identify with? I would say Batman himself. While I’m not on the tipping point of insanity and looking to be a vigilante, I identify with the desire to make a difference. I also relate to the do-it-yourself attitude and the love of cool tech and cars. Plus, I’m just a geek at heart. :-)
To track the progress of the BatBerry project, check out Tim’s blog. You can also follow him on Twitter.
And while you’re at it, visit Tim’s YouTube channel. Here, for example, is a video showing the BatBerry’s replica machine guns:
Neither Tim Neil, his vehicle, nor Research In Motion (BlackBerry) are licensed by, endorsed by, sponsored by or affiliated with DC Comics or the owners of the “Batman” properties.
Welcome to the third installment in my Q&A series on HTML5 in the car. In Part II, we looked at web servers, native plug-ins, instrument clusters, and display updates. This week, we turn our attention to tools, touch gestures, UI performance, and vehicle resources.
Are there any HTML5 HMI builder tools available? Most of the well-known IDEs, including Eclipse, Dreamweaver, and Netbeans, support some flavor of HTML5 in their latest release. Adobe Edge, a new tool now available in preview, also lets you create animated HTML5 content. I suggest you check out the HTML5 Tools site, which publishes up-to-date tool reviews.
Often, automotive customers will ask system designers to make an infotainment system work "like an iPhone,” with the popular gesture controls. Does HTML5 support "inertial" menus and two-finger zoom? Multi-touch is handled at the app level; here’s an example. Pinch zooming at the browser level is browser-dependent — the QNX browser handles it, but not every browser does. As for physics-based scrolling, HTML5 doesn’t support it “out of the box”; it needs to be added. Frameworks like Sencha Touch provide these types of controls.
Will the performance of HTML and JavaScript be adequate for critical user interface components or computations, such as safety-related notifications? This has to be tested on a case-by-case basis. For the UI elements, yes, the performance should be adequate. Our testing indicates you can build HMIs that are surprisingly responsive. Also, our WebKit port lets you do things things like run JavaScript code in other tabs, threads, or processes to ensure those ocmponents aren’t being thread-blocked by something less critical.
I do get a little gun-shy recommending HTML5 for safety-critical components, because JavaScript isn't inherently real-time. If you wouldn't feel comfortable using Java for a critical coding task, you shouldn't use HTML5 either. If you want predictable, real-time performance for a lower-level computation that cannot tolerate any delay, the code should execute in a non virtual-machine environment. Most code doesn’t really fit that description, so most of the time JavaScript should work just fine.
How do you call vehicle resources — vehicle HMI, vehicle diagnostics information, etc. — on a HTML web app in the car? What's the process in plain words? In plain words, it’s kinda hard. :-) But here’s my best take on this question: we solve this by creating a vehicle-bus driver that exports data through a publish/subscribe mechanism. The HTML5 layer talks to that piece through a JavaScript interface.
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) promise to deliver many benefits, from increased road safety to better traffic flow. It’s no surprise, then, that when people talk about ITS, it is often within the context of the auto industry. But is the auto industry alone big enough to attract the businesses needed to innovate and deploy ITS?
This question came up repeatedly at the Fully Networked Car Workshop held at the Geneva Auto Show, for the simple reason that auto is dwarfed by the telecom industry. Car volumes are measured in millions, whereas mobile phones are measured in billions. (In fact, evidence suggests the world may contain more mobile phones than toothbrushes.) It is likely, then, that businesses will focus on ITS-related applications, services, and infrastructure for phones — not cars.
Workshop panelists also pointed out that ITS extends beyond the auto or other transport industries; it is about enabling a connected society on the move. Consumers want mobility solutions that enable them to stay connected to all aspects of their lives in meaningful ways — not just optimize the efficiency and safety of getting from point A to point B.
The need for global standards Regardless of whether auto or telecom drives ITS, we will need global standards for how these systems work. The good news is, major international standards development organizations (SDOs) are already trying to collaborate on the global standards needed to make ITS a reality. In fact, the Fully Networked Car Workshop was jointly sponsored by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
The ITU has also started a collaboration on ITS Communications Standards. The next meeting of this collaboration will take place at SAE Headquarters in Troy, Michigan, USA on April 3, 2012.
A non-starter without industry participation Mind you, success of ITS standards cannot solely depend on cooperation of the SDOs. Industry involvement is just as important.
Some workshop participants argued, however, that standardization inhibits product differentiation and thereby acts as a barrier to industry participation. But others felt this could be managed by standardizing on the lower layers (i.e. communications layers) and differentiating at the higher layers (i.e. application layers). The one caveat raised was that some aspects of the higher layers need to be standardized for safety reasons. But even then, it is possible to standardize on safety and still differentiate on user experience.
Panelists also discussed the threat of government regulation as a motivation to develop and deploy ITS. Someone pointed out, however, that competition often acts as a bigger motivator for companies than the threat of regulation.
Wagging the dog? So what will drive innovation and deployment of ITS? It seems that global standards created with industry participation are crucial. Perhaps even more important, the auto industry must start working more closely with other industries such as telecom and consumer to develop ITS solutions that not only help people get from point A to point B efficiently and safely, but also deliver value in other ways to consumers on the move — unless of course you believe that the tail can wag the dog!
Stiff Ring made of special formula aluminium which used in aircraft frame building. It used to correct the car body basic geometry by filling the gap between the sub frame bolts, sub frame and the car body bolt hole. Car engine, transmission, suspension and the body shelf are mounted on the sub frame. Thus, correcting the geometry setup with Stiff Ring, the car handling will be improved significantly.
Obama's reelection team likes to promote the fact that oil and gas production is up during his tenure. This is great news.
However, this cart from the American Petroleum Institute tells an interesting detail.
Production is up on private lands. On Federally controlled lands, production is in fact down. And much of that is due to Obama's policies and regulations.
Production may be up, but it isn't as large as it could be.
SOLD To Local Customer This Half Cut Model Aristo 161 - Engine 2JZ-GTE - VVTI - Auto , Selling Together With All The Parts Shown In The Photos
Selling As Is Where Is Basis
To View Engine Revving, Click Video Below :-
General View Of The Half Cut General View Of The Odometers Mileage Reading - 149050 Kilometers Or 92,615 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 Bottom View Of The Rear Turbo Front View Of The Auto Gear Box Side View Of The Auto Gear Box Side View Of The Auto Gear Box Back View Of The Auto Gear Box Front Bumper - Good Condition Driver Side - Head Lamps - Good Condition Driver Side - Original Absorber With Brake Caliper And Rotor Driver Side - Fender - Dented Driver Side - Fender Dented Passenger Side - Head Lamps - Good Condition Passenger Side - Orignal Absorber With Brake Caliper And Rotor Passenger Side - Fender - Dented Passenger Side - Fender Signal Lamp - Broken Rear Bumper / One Set Original Side Skirts And Tail lamps Tail Lamps - Scratches Trunk Lid And One Set Front And Rear Doors Trunk Lid With Original Spoiler Trunk Lid - Reflector Light - Good Condition Front Doors - Minor Dent And Scratches Front Doors - Cover - Good Condition Rear Doors - Minor Dent And Scratches Rear Door - Visor - Broken Rear Doors - Cover - Good Condition Long Shaft Rear Axle - Centre Gear Rear Axle With Complete Frame General View Of The Half Cut
What is Stiff Ring ?
