Comments

That's a great looking car. NJDEVIL is right; they would be great in big cities. True, some people in big cities have to park on the street. However, most people live in the suburbs and commute (less than 100 miles round trip). Heck you could even equip parking garages with plugs if needed. The "Big 3" auto companies in America have a problem. They have become too large, and they can’t get anything accomplished quickly. Labor unions are also a part of the problem. They have become so entwined in the decision making of the company that they cannot operate efficiently. They can get great looking to car shows, but they never come to fruition. They have become such large bureaucracies that nothing can get done. I think the best possible way to fix the problem is to break each company into about 4 or 5 smaller companies. The cream will rise to the top.

I've heard of voting machines that don't even print a receipt of who you voted for. Who thought up this design? I'm all for a paperless society, but some things scream for redundancy! A simple receipt for the voter and one for the registrar seems like it would be a major requirement. Barcode them, and in the event of a recount you could simply scan them. It might not solve tamper problems or paper jams, but it would provide peace of mind. If people working cash registers can switch out a paper roll, it can’t be rocket science. I’m all for advancing the way we vote. Whether it be voter cards that are issued with a chip in them, secure web sites, or whatever… Let’s just use some common sense. Please!

The Atom is small… you can't argue that! However, Tom's Hardware (www.tomshardware.com) recently compared the Intel Atom to AMD's old Athlon 64. This is what they had to say, "Conclusion: Athlon 64 Is More Economical, Faster, And Quieter". Intel does a great job of advertising their products (even the ones that really are not any great break through). They did pick a catchy name though. VIA also has the NANO chip that beats the Atom in many benchmarks, but I think it uses a few more watts. Once AMD is able to shrink their die, maybe they'll launch a smaller version of the Athlon.... Oh oh, they could call it the electron! AMD, remember you saw that name here first. Call me :)

If you've seen the movie Legend, you know where I'm going. I think the idea of using microbes to work for us is great. It would actually be a great symbiotic relationship. They get to eat/reproduce, and we get the byproduct (fuel). However, it goes without saying that the testing must take into careful consideration possible consequences. Such as a “Microbe Locust” that complete destroys everything organic in its path. Especially when you are talking about creating something that is hard to kill, “Making the bugs hardy enough to survive the brutal life of a fuel-manufacturing microbe is key”. While you are "programming" these microbes, be sure to program an easy off switch that doesn't require harsh pesticides. :)