TechMobility Topics

I got to spend some quality time with the new Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport.  Riding on the same length platform as the 3-seat Atlas SUV, the Cross Sport offers more sport with the same utility.   I share my driving impressions. 

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When it comes to EVs, it appears that a niche category called electric Purpose Built EVs or PBVs for short, may be the next hot thing.  Kia recently announced collaboration with Uber to build PBVs to optimize the Uber driver and customer experience. 

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Clunky Old Software, better known in the industry as technical debt, promises to undermine most legacy systems of America's largest organizations.  Modifications to legacy software which were designed to be temporary have been absorbed into the foundation of many  legacy computer systems, with outdated code and vulnerabilities galore.  We take a look under the hood. 

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SAF, sustainable aviation fuel, is an important part of the commercial aviation industry's push to decarbonize.  Southwest Airlines alone is investing $30 Million in a company that produces SAF and will become its primary customer when the fuel becomes available.  We take a look at what SAF is and its potential impact. 

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With news of Ford's production cuts of the F-150 Lightning EV, much has been made about consumer sentiment and interest in the purchase of pure EVs.  Was it a fad, or can this puppy hunt?  We discuss. 

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Project Titan is officially dead.  For real this time.  HONEST!  After ten years of on-again, off-again speculation about the development of an Apple EV, the company has finally pulled the plug on the venture.  We discuss. 

Tell your friends to tune into TechMobility Topics. New episodes are posted every Tuesday!

Over 220,000,000 pounds of space debris is circling the Earth right now, in various orbits.  NASA and the European Space Agency is tracking over 35,000 separate items.  Can this mess with your cellphone or internet access?  We take a look. 

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Why would a large Chinese EV manufacturer that is bankrolled by Berkshire Hathaway introduce a six-figure EV performance car?  To get your attention of course!  Introducing the Yangwang U9.  We discuss. 

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Lexus has introduced the all-new TX 350 crossover SUV, a seven-passenger vehicle with actual ROOM behind the third row seats!  I spent a week with this one and share my impressions. 

Tell your friends to tune into TechMobility Topics. New episodes are posted every Tuesday!

The development of electric vehicles is not just for the mass market automakers.  Land Rover has stepped into the fray with an all-new electric model.  To quote the automaker: "The Range Rover Electric will offer performance comparable to a flagship Range Rover V8, thanks to its powerful electric motors."  But can I get it charged up though?  We discuss. 

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Believe it or not, birds pose one of the greatest threats to themselves and to the reliability and resiliency to the electrical power grid.  Ironically enough, its the neighborhood distribution lines, not the interstate transmission lines, that pose the most risk.  We discuss. 

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A new cybersecurity rule passed by the United Nations and implemented by 53 countries, spells out the protections that automakers must built into their vehicles to shield motorists from cyber attack.  Although the United States is not a party to the new rule, it will impact those American vehicles that are sold in these countries.  Chances are, Americans may benefit from the added protections as Detroit works to adopt the requirements into the vehicles they sell abroad.  

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VinFast, a Vietnamese automaker, continues to expand its offerings, recently taking the wraps off of two models at opposite ends of the automotive marketing spectrum, the VF3 and VF9.  The automaker has also unveiled a midsize electric pickup truck called the VinFast Wild.   We take a look. 

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Is a pregnant woman safe in a seatbelt?  What about the child she is carrying?  Seems that even after all these years that there is a dearth of information available to automakers about this very important topic.  Toyota, through its Collaborative Safety Research Center and the University of British Columbia, decided to tackle this issue and make the results available at no charge to the rest of the automotive industry. 

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Railroads have been around for almost 200 years.  Despite the advances of technology during that time, they still play a major role in the transport of the basic commodities that America needs to run its 21st Century economy.  I review it by the numbers.  Nikola, the Class 8 hydrogen truck manufacturer, has announced the delivery of 35 trucks into private fleets.  We talk about the importance of that achievement. 

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Over the past year, technology companies have been scrambling to integrate AI into their software and apps at a breathtaking pace.  Conversational AI is awesome, until it isn't.  During this segment I share a cautionary tale. 

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Its the automaker's most popular vehicle, with over 3.5 million sold world wide.  I get to spend a week with the capable and comfortable Subaru Crosstrek, and share my impressions. 

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The title is NOT clickbait - in at least fourteen American cities, the total cost of ownership for an electric vehicle is about the same as an internal combustion engined vehicle.  This according to a recent study by the University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems and the Responsible Battery Coalition, who funded the study. 

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Better for the environment, more fuel efficient, better overall.  hydrogen fueling and hydrogen propelled motors for recreational boating have come to the forefront of the next chapter in managing climate change.  The environment will be better off because of it. 

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In the aftermath of the toxic train derailment at East Palestine, Ohio, there has been a renewed focus on just what kind of hazardous chemicals and compounds are traveling through the heart of many of America's cities and towns.  More importantly, are first responders and emergency personnel trained in how to deal with these substances safely?  I discuss. 

Tell your friends to tune into TechMobility Topics. New episodes are posted every Tuesday!