Ideas for ICBC

New year , Gas prices up and second commuter car ? Insurance Up :-(

Thought may propose some ideas to ICBC to reduce the carbon foot print and using things efficiently.

First thing i looked at my office cars. 95% comprised of midsize cars, minivans / suv/ crossovers ,

All of them coming to office with one person on morning and one person back home. So why they need big cars - because they work for family and for family they want big cars. If they go for a 2 seater commuter car, insurance will be greater than adding extra gas on a big car.

So increase insurance cost on big vehicles ? already we pay double than US.

Another idea ?

Allow people to register multiple cars on same plate ( ex: a commuter car and a minivan), with say an increase of storage insurance cost .

Advantage : when people are going alone or only carrying one person with them, the commuter cars will be used. So normal office less cost drive , less gas, less pollution and no compromise on convenience.

Ok, so what should define a commuter car : This is a the key : Set 70 mpg (US) combined mileage for ICE , Hybrids etc. Add range extenders/EV from 60 kms EV kms (say 40 mile EV range ). No other qualifies for commuter car. Make the mpg and EV miles a moving standard , so this is for 2011 and 2012, 2013 standards will be announced nearing to that time and so on . Similarly emission restrictions, 4x4 class ( as we are a snow belt ) etc also other than mpg can be added.

This will force automakers to bring fuel efficient technologies and cars from different parts of the world as well as produce new (ex: japan - kei cars ) .

Wondering on the inputs.

© yankandpaste®

Netflix - facts on streaming

I do hear a lot people commenting on Netflix , I have an account and my view.

Likes :

1) I like its streaming quality
2) Nice price ( $8 unlimited streaming)
3) Kids content

Dislikes :

1) Interface - specially the PS3 interface. I will explain later what's the problem.
2) Targeted contents

OK, so now i explain the dislike on the interface.

The problem i think is vision less or non creative UI designers. People just follow whatever others do. So Netflix changed its interface just following windows mobile style. You may think why its bad ?

So lets look at the new GUI trend.
This GUI design trend is called Every thing in single window. So people doesn't need to switch interfaces. Just get every thing in one page. Like New Movies, New TV and then recommendations based on the content you watched.

Problem ? Single window GUI is nice if i can configure what content i can watch, ex: i like to see all the Hindi movies available but now no way in GUI, same happens for a french or any other language. So single window GUI is good if i can configure what i want to watch. If some one is deciding its sad :-(. Now you know the problem, no way to get the content we want. Search is there but its not giving what i want.

So if they change some more power to consumer to configure the interface, It will be great :-)

Second dislike :

Look for some movie, you don't get it. You will get some content ( its like dollar store, watch what they have at cheap price ).


Not something great, just another stuff so that if you have a kid and Internet connection is home its entertainment for 8 bucks.


© yankandpaste®

Chevrolet Sonic : photos

Most blogs seems not giving the pics of GM's expected Sonic. The pics are out at GM canada web site.

You can see them at : http://www.gm.ca/gm/english/vehicles/chevrolet/sonic/feature-2011-Chevrolet-Sonic



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Welcome 2011

To 2011 :-)

So i was disconnected from the blog for some time but i was mostly tracking

1) Volt - GM Volt - i loved its news and was expecting an affordable commuter car ( its expensive for me now but i am sure it will come to affordability some time after )

2) Android : Kool yet another linux from Google with more focus on mobility, user experience and cross platform

2011 predictions :
1) A lot of Apad ( Android Pads ) to market

This is going to be a flood.

2) Hologarmic phones, You will be see person and talk ( those tiny pop ups in 3d ).

3) Ultra/super capacitors to market - may be this year or next year but its very close. We mostly will have battery break troughs which may make EVs cheap and fast chargeable.
I am not sure but the buzz looks graphene based stuff may do a sweep ( already they have graphene supercapacitors which stores as much energy per unit mass as nickel metal hydride batteries). so expecting it to find place in EVs

4) I think cars will changed a lot , small cars will switch to EVs and trucks to range extenders/Phevs - this is one of the big possibility. May not every one come with a prototype but i think for sure , tests will start.

5) TV - this is again going to be full internet based. The traditional cable companies are going to be looking more of home phone operations /wireless operations to provide connectivity. Even the concept of home phones are going to be less. more switching to mobile. 3D - no big sales till hologramic ones are out. Expectations on a glass using 3D is much less compared to a hologram one.


And me , will try to post at-least one post per month :-)

© yankandpaste®