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California carpool exemptions expire, quashing yellow-sticker envy
It looks like it's time to kiss that sweet HOV goodbye for lone California hybrid drivers. No, there hasn't been a spike in Clean Air Vehicle sticker thievery -- this time it's official. According to the California DMV, those little yellow stickers that once gave hybrid owners the right to ride solo in carpool lanes have expired, leaving some 85,000 drivers to fall in line with the rest of the state's commuters. You'll forgive us if we don't shed a tear over this announcement.
IBM shows off Smarter Traveler traffic prediction tool
Traffic alerts on GPS devices may be old hat at this point, but there's obviously still plenty of room for improvement, and IBM now says it's managed to do just that with its new "Smarter Traveler" traffic prediction tool. Developed with the help of UC Berkeley's transportation group and the California Department of Transportation, the tool relies on predictive analytics software, GPS monitoring and sensors already on the roads to not only offer alerts, but build a model of each person's usual commuter route. Once the system is trained a bit, commuters are able to check out what's effectively a forecast of their entire route before they even leave the house, rather than simply be alerted to traffic problems before it's too late to avoid them. Head on past for the complete press release, and a quick video explanation of how it works.
London newspaper City A.M. coming to the iPad
If you aren't a Londoner, this news probably won't excite you that much. However, if you make the daily commute on the tube like the five million rest of us (well, 4,999,999. I work from home), a regular part of your morning is browsing though the City A.M. newspaper -- a staple of daily London business news. I've been reading the paper daily for the last three years, and I get irked when I walk to a tube stop and find the City A.M. bin empty. Well, no more! A little birdy told me that City A.M. is hard at work on a full-blown iPad edition. "We're working on a series of apps, including for the iPad...should be ready in the next few months. The iPad will include a digital reader with an exact replica of the print product, as well as html news updates." It's unclear at the moment if the City A.M. iPad app will be free like the print edition or a paid app. Either way, now fellow Londoners will never have to be worried about missing an issue -- or using the print edition as an umbrella on those rainy mornings.
BMW makes the awesome look SIMPLE with leaning three-wheeler (video)
BMW's latest concept isn't quite as far out as some of its earlier efforts, and the company has dubbed it SIMPLE, but don't let that fool you. Joining Nissan's Land Glider in a new trend toward leaning vehicles that have motorbike-like footprints, the "Sustainable and Innovative Mobility Product for Low Energy consumption" is said to have similar seating space to a BMW 3 Series coupe. Its space fighter appearance isn't just for show either -- with a drag coefficient of 0.18 and a weight of only 992 pounds, this bad boy is capable of harnessing a small internal combustion engine and electric motor to tear up the autobahn at up to 124mph. Zero to sixty in under ten seconds and 118 miles per gallon fuel efficiency fill out the sexy stat sheet, though sadly there are no productions plans as of yet. The concept is being exhibited in the BMW Museum in Munich, but if you can't make it over to Germany right now, there's a video for you after the break.
DS Daily: Best place to bust out the DS?
One of the best things about the DS is that it's just so darn easy to transport. That means you can get your game on wherever and whenever. Stuck on the train? Time to game! Visiting the relatives during the holidays? Find a lonely corner and boot that sucker up (or even get your elders in on the action!). Our question is: where do you find is the best place for you to game? Where do you find is the best place for you to spend some quality time with your favorite handheld?
The Daily Grind: Do MMOs belong on cellphones?
Author Michael Crichton's entire body of work can be summed up in the phrase 'Just because you can, doesn't mean you should'. Similarly, it might be possible to create an MMO that will operate on cellphones and be an interesting enough game to justify the cost of producing it, but why bother? Sure, Japan is famous for their cellphone usage, which includes all manner of non-call related diversions, but can you imagine trying to grind levels between home and work?Actually, depending on the length and duration of your commute, you might find that prospect intriguing. But if the scenario of having your call suddenly drop after wandering outside of the range of a tower, just as you're trying to take down a boss as part of a 10-player raid doesn't frighten you -- then you must work for John Carmack. Cellphone MMOs: need it, or pass it by?
Thieves swiping HOV exemption stickers from hybrids
For those of you enjoying the free-flowing high-occupancy vehicle lane on the Capitol Expressway (in your HOV-exempt hybrid, no less), stay sharp, as it looks like those oh-so-valuable stickers that reside on your ride appear as gold to thieves. Apparently, "two to three dozen" victims per month are surfacing in California, where the now-extinct stickers are presumably fetching a pretty penny on the underground markets. The labels -- which were handed out to some 85,000 hybrid owners in years past to give them the same speedy privileges are carpoolers -- are no longer being administered by the DMV, which means that those that were able to take advantage are now targets. Interestingly, hybrid vehicles that are up for sale in the area are fetching "nearly $4,000 more" than comparative models so long as they come with the coveted sticker pre-installed. Notably, the DMV claims that the "carpool stickers are treated chemically so they crumble apart if tampered with," but that wee tidbit isn't likely to slow down a desperate bandit.[Via Fark]
Apple employee blogs commute
Have you ever wondered what it is like to commute to Apple's campus at Cupertino? Neither have I. However, that hasn't stopped Andrew Lin from vlogging his morning commute to the Mothership.The videos are all in QuickTime (what else?) and they are sped up by 30, so you need not experience the commute in realtime.[via Valley Wag]
