Last Summer Toyota showed off its Window to the World technology created in partnership with the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design. It turned a rear window into an augmented-reality screen that would keep kids interested in something other than asking “Are we there yet?” Now General Motors has showed off a similar bit of kit called Windows of Opportunity, developed with the Bezalel School of Art and Design in Israel.
GM’s Windows concept is aimed just as much at kids as adults. The team came up with four different apps that provided interactivity ranging from a virtual take on drawing on foggy windows to checking what was on other augmented windows on cars around the world. We’re probably a long way from seeing something like this in production, but you know you can look forward to the day when your kid monitors your driving style from his child seat. Follow the jumpfor the full press release and a short video on GM’s new tech.
Well shutdowns prompted by fracking-induced seismicity may inspire technology tweaks.
Geophysicists are increasingly certain that expanding production of shale gas is responsible for a spate of minor earthquakes that have upset some communities and prompted authorities in Arkansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, and the U.K. to shut down some natural-gas operations. The question now, say the experts, is whether the underground operations causing the trouble should be scaled back or more closely monitored to minimize future quakes—and whether the relatively small quakes may yet have the potential trigger truly destructive ones.
The following video is NOT for the faint of heart! Some are created and some footages are REAL! DO NOT let kids watch this and if you have kids, you may NOT wish to see this! If you don’t drive safely, or pay attention while driving ’cause you are texting or whatever, consider this your last and big warning…
I myself am going to slow down and pay attention more from now on… This video can be very traumatic! So you’ve been warned!
If you haven’t been watching news lately, Toyota has announced the biggest, if not one of the biggest, recalls on vehicles… EVER! Evidently it’s a pedal that seems to get stuck. It has already claimed lives… and its luxury sibling, Lexus isn’t immune to this defect either.
Picture courtesy of NY Times
According to the NY Times article, four people died in a tragic accident that shouldn’t have happened in last August in a Lexus ES 350! How the hell does this kind of stuff happen?! Well, from my sociology class from yonder years in college at WPI, I am reminded of the ethics falling behind the curtains of schedules and costs. Ford & GM had similar safety issues but with gas fuel tanks in the ’60s and the ’70s.
Back then, I thought Ford and GM had made one of the worst choices by choosing not to recall the cars and leave it to statistics and chance and paying out lawsuits rather than spending millions in repairing the dangerous defects. I still hesitate because such an inherently terrible oversight makes a consumer think twice and buying such product. Only recently (since 2005) have I actually thought that Ford has come a long way and made the cars actually decent and safe. So in essence, it has taken about 30 to 40 years to erase the reputation damage that were burned into the minds of the consumers.
So I was rather shocked and disappointed to find out that Toyota has been so slow in doing something about this recall and dealing with its defects! It applies to millions of cars including the best-selling Camry! When you choose money over people, you are telling the consumers that you don’t care about us and only care about money. Well, that will always be true to certain degree because of the nature of for-profit companies. However, if you look at things in long-term perspective, you think Toyota would have learned from the lessons of Ford and GM. Come on! Toyota is repeating history!
Today’s headline in Business Weekly shows that their decision to recall and repair was too slow. Trying to hide it or ignore it (or whatever they call it) is definitely the worst business AND ethical decision they have made EVER!!!
I will say this… Toyota, welcome to my black list. I will buy your cars in maybe 30 years or so… when that terrible stigma of poor decision making process wears off from me, your typical consumer. Sheesh… Just the picture of this Pinto makes me shriek and reminds me of some of the terrible decisions made from the past…
Courtesy of Motherjones.com
UPDATE: Now, though fixed somewhat more or less, 2010 Prius have had some brake issues as Toyota admits its problems. Like I said in the last comment, Toyota is at best becoming like Sony, just big in its head and riding on its popularity.
UPDATE 2: This lady was driving a ’07 Tundra pickup….
I may not remember a whole lot about my childhood, but I remember lots of little adventures. It’s in men’s nature to seek adventure. We like going to new places, seek new challenges, and find out what is out there. I realized that when we lived in England. First few months in Harlow, once I had learned how to ride a bike, I used to ride around the little town trying to find out where each roads led to. That sense of adventure never left me. I think that’s why I loved driving. Even in my four years of college in New England area, I drove to Vermont by myself before school began to take in the countryside.
Now, I am a parent and every area and people seem like dangers to my kids. It’s true. Fatherhood changes you. The world is truly scary place. Ok, it probably has always been that very same scary but we just never knew about it. Now, thanks to the media and the Internet, we know bit too much. No, way too much. 🙁 I want my kids to be able to play wherever and whenever they want. However, part of me says it’s too dangerous. The book review of The Adventures in Childhood points out the very same things I worry about and what the kids would miss out on…
I hope that I will do well in keeping the balance on kids’ safety and allowing them to develop sense of adventure and their imagination. Sometimes, we just have to say “No, I won’t deprive them of what is due them as kids!” Say it with me!!
