Keep in mind that many diesel truck owners, the first thing that they do once they buy it is, rip off the emissions control devices (in itself, not an awful idea for long-term reliability and efficiency, if everything is tuned properly afterwards) and turn up the fueling so that they can make clouds of smoke, the fucking idiots.
The options don't cost the carmakers much at all, they're almost pure profit. So, the trim changes are used to mask the additional cost of the diesel drivetrain while still making a profit. If they sold a version without the higher trim, it would cost almost the same, or they would lose money on it.
The fuel costs in the US generally do end up at the same price per BTU, for gasoline versus diesel.
However, that's not the intent. The intent is that diesel is taxed at a higher rate to compensate for the additional road wear caused by 80,000 pound semis - by far the largest users of on-road diesel fuel. (And, with that intent, diesel isn't taxed enough, unless you remove that tax, and tax directly based on odometer mileage.)
Well, that's why you have glow plugs to preheat the combustion chamber, and winterized fuel (usually 50% "diesel #1" - read: kerosene, but in very cold climates, it's 70%) to prevent gelling.
ADSL is still quite common in the US... in semi-rural areas, your options are often the local cable company's DOCSIS service, and the local telco's ADSL.
What if I'm playing music while browsing the web, and stumble on a Flash ad that blasts me with sound, and has no mute button? Or, worse, some ancient site that's blasting MIDI music?
On XP, my options are:
1. Block Flash (which, yes, I do already) - but that doesn't work if it's one of those ancient sites blasting MIDI music 2. Mute ALL sound, including my music 3. Navigate away from the page
On 7, I can pause my music, bring up the mixer, and mute my web browser only.
The problem is, trying to force this by incrementing version numbers too quickly means that businesses will just target IE instead, because Microsoft is contractually bound to provide security updates for the version of IE bundled with the OS, until the OS's support ends.
IE6, which came out in 2001, and was obsoleted in 2006, still gets security updates, and will until 2014.
Now, if you get MS to treat IE10 as a separate product from Windows 8... things get interesting.
Well, there's the factor that, right now, to make it big, you have to do it through the established system - all major media is controlled by the established system. So, if your goal is to make it big...
I had a ThinkPad X21 from 2001 that actually underclocked below even the SpeedStep minimum speed when overheating. Which, I think, is what this patent describes.
A gyrocopter is an aircraft with an unpowered rotor instead of wings.
A flying motorcycle would be a vehicle that the NHTSA would legally class as a motorcycle (which is 1749 pounds or less, and three wheels or less), and a vehicle that the FAA would class as something that could fly legally, regardless of how it flies. However, I was going for a vehicle that's classed as both an airplane and a motorcycle, rather than a vehicle classed as a light sport airplane and a car, so that it could be heavier, and so that it could have far lower safety standards for road use.
See, what they're doing instead is getting the FAA and DOT to compromise.
Of course, another way to go would be to not make a flying [b]car[/b], but rather a flying motorcycle of sorts - three wheels, and there's a hell of a lot less DOT regulations to deal with. And then, rather than go for a light sport aircraft, go for a normal airplane - that restricts who can fly it to a smaller set, but makes for a far, far better combination vehicle.
Well, part of their problem is that they're actually NOT going for a class that requires a full pilot's license. They're going for the Light Sport Aircraft class (and have had to get exceptions from both the FAA and NHTSA due to that), which has much less stringent requirements for licensing, with the downside that there are more restrictions on when and how you can fly.
Well, it depends on where you are and what connections you have. I was able to get P3s for free in 2007, but even last year, in this area, it was hard to get a P4 for $100 if you couldn't get one that your employer was giving away. (Ended up that shipping one in from elsewhere.)
And, a 1960s BMW 2002 versus a new one... what about a theoretical 2011 BMW that's the size of a 2002, with modern aerodynamics, materials, and engine management, but with 1960s safety and emissions standards?
I've got a 1999.5 Golf TDI. The Polo BlueMotion isn't available here, but a Lupo 3L (also not available here, about 13 more years before I can bring one into the US) is closer to the size, but still significantly more weight.
If it had a modern engine, it would probably get 75 mpg. As for safety, the original Mini was known for extremely good handling, and light weight means that modern brakes and tires can get a car stopped DAMN fast.
So, if a Mini were built with modern technology, but to the same crash safety standards and space as the original, it would probably weigh LESS, and have extremely good active safety, and get extremely good fuel economy.
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Keep in mind that many diesel truck owners, the first thing that they do once they buy it is, rip off the emissions control devices (in itself, not an awful idea for long-term reliability and efficiency, if everything is tuned properly afterwards) and turn up the fueling so that they can make clouds of smoke, the fucking idiots.
Actually, that's not true.
The options don't cost the carmakers much at all, they're almost pure profit. So, the trim changes are used to mask the additional cost of the diesel drivetrain while still making a profit. If they sold a version without the higher trim, it would cost almost the same, or they would lose money on it.
The fuel costs in the US generally do end up at the same price per BTU, for gasoline versus diesel.
However, that's not the intent. The intent is that diesel is taxed at a higher rate to compensate for the additional road wear caused by 80,000 pound semis - by far the largest users of on-road diesel fuel. (And, with that intent, diesel isn't taxed enough, unless you remove that tax, and tax directly based on odometer mileage.)
Well, that's why you have glow plugs to preheat the combustion chamber, and winterized fuel (usually 50% "diesel #1" - read: kerosene, but in very cold climates, it's 70%) to prevent gelling.
My TDI starts at -10 F just fine.
Well, there is always changing the rules to react to the violation of the spirit...
Wait a sec. Filed in 1996?
Prior art, from 1993, from Apple themselves.
Newton MessagePad. (In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple simply filed that patent late and snuck it past the examiners.)
ADSL is still quite common in the US... in semi-rural areas, your options are often the local cable company's DOCSIS service, and the local telco's ADSL.
If they come after you, make sure you're living in a state with a good castle doctrine, and have a firearm?
Oh, wait, that's death.
What if I'm playing music while browsing the web, and stumble on a Flash ad that blasts me with sound, and has no mute button? Or, worse, some ancient site that's blasting MIDI music?
On XP, my options are:
1. Block Flash (which, yes, I do already) - but that doesn't work if it's one of those ancient sites blasting MIDI music
2. Mute ALL sound, including my music
3. Navigate away from the page
On 7, I can pause my music, bring up the mixer, and mute my web browser only.
The entire US, if the transaction is $25 or more? (Unless it's at a gas pump, or is a card-not-present transaction.)
The problem is, trying to force this by incrementing version numbers too quickly means that businesses will just target IE instead, because Microsoft is contractually bound to provide security updates for the version of IE bundled with the OS, until the OS's support ends.
IE6, which came out in 2001, and was obsoleted in 2006, still gets security updates, and will until 2014.
Now, if you get MS to treat IE10 as a separate product from Windows 8... things get interesting.
Hey, I didn't say that trying to make it big made sense...
Tell me one major (in the US) artist in the last, oh, 50 years that hasn't signed a contract with a RIAA label sometime in their career.
Well, there's the factor that, right now, to make it big, you have to do it through the established system - all major media is controlled by the established system. So, if your goal is to make it big...
The $4000 Rolex crowd, that's pretty easy to explain.
It's jewelry for men, at that point.
I had a ThinkPad X21 from 2001 that actually underclocked below even the SpeedStep minimum speed when overheating. Which, I think, is what this patent describes.
A gyrocopter is an aircraft with an unpowered rotor instead of wings.
A flying motorcycle would be a vehicle that the NHTSA would legally class as a motorcycle (which is 1749 pounds or less, and three wheels or less), and a vehicle that the FAA would class as something that could fly legally, regardless of how it flies. However, I was going for a vehicle that's classed as both an airplane and a motorcycle, rather than a vehicle classed as a light sport airplane and a car, so that it could be heavier, and so that it could have far lower safety standards for road use.
See, what they're doing instead is getting the FAA and DOT to compromise.
Of course, another way to go would be to not make a flying [b]car[/b], but rather a flying motorcycle of sorts - three wheels, and there's a hell of a lot less DOT regulations to deal with. And then, rather than go for a light sport aircraft, go for a normal airplane - that restricts who can fly it to a smaller set, but makes for a far, far better combination vehicle.
Well, part of their problem is that they're actually NOT going for a class that requires a full pilot's license. They're going for the Light Sport Aircraft class (and have had to get exceptions from both the FAA and NHTSA due to that), which has much less stringent requirements for licensing, with the downside that there are more restrictions on when and how you can fly.
The problem here is that there's no real alternative to driving for most of the US, to the point that it can literally be drive or die of starvation.
So, they hand out driver's licenses like candy, and even when they take them away, people just drive illegally.
There is a workaround, but it's not guaranteed - have a politician run on the platform of doing absolutely nothing.
Well, it depends on where you are and what connections you have. I was able to get P3s for free in 2007, but even last year, in this area, it was hard to get a P4 for $100 if you couldn't get one that your employer was giving away. (Ended up that shipping one in from elsewhere.)
I don't have a Maxima, must be someone else.
And, a 1960s BMW 2002 versus a new one... what about a theoretical 2011 BMW that's the size of a 2002, with modern aerodynamics, materials, and engine management, but with 1960s safety and emissions standards?
I've got a 1999.5 Golf TDI. The Polo BlueMotion isn't available here, but a Lupo 3L (also not available here, about 13 more years before I can bring one into the US) is closer to the size, but still significantly more weight.
OLPC XO-1 full-scale production started in November 2007. Eee 701 launched October 2007.
So, a high-spec new system was a Core 2 Duo or even a Core 2 Quad, by then.
A $100 PC was well into Pentium III territory, for a desktop, and may have even shipped with XP, if you got lucky and got a late P3 system.
If it had a modern engine, it would probably get 75 mpg. As for safety, the original Mini was known for extremely good handling, and light weight means that modern brakes and tires can get a car stopped DAMN fast.
So, if a Mini were built with modern technology, but to the same crash safety standards and space as the original, it would probably weigh LESS, and have extremely good active safety, and get extremely good fuel economy.