GE Plastics is so bullish on its potential, though, that the company is already devising ways to make Sollx mimic the odd imperfections of paint, so that a Sollx-coated fender will look indistinguishable from the painted metal body panel next to it. As Margaret Blohm, a research scientist at GE who headed Sollx's development, explains, "We could look better than paint. But right now, we have to look like paint."

Dumb.

While this might have an impact on the automotive market years from now, I don't see this happening any time soon for the following reason:

o The article already points out the cost is 3x. When you already have sunk cost in paint fab, you're not going to pay 3x for ANYTHING.
o As Saturn found out, plastic body panels are nifty for marketing, but actually more expensive in terms of production, assembly, and repair than metal. It's hard to compete with stamping metal, since we've been doing it that way since the 20s.
o Yes it reduces weight and provides for a more resilient finish, but hello? Safety? You ever see a Saturn get broadsided? Not pretty. Even if you reinforce structural integrity in the monocoque, you're still going to have higher repair expenses and definitely more damage per accident.
o It's from GE. GE is not exactly at the top of the list in terms of friends of the automotive business.
o They need to figure out a way to combine this process with carbon fiber, so that we can have strong *AND* pretty materials. Especially for my motorcycles.

A Glint in Detroit's Eyes

Innomedia has launched the MTA 3368 IP Videophone. It's 4-inch TFT color LCD can deliver video up to 768 kpbs and with a Linux based OS it supports video streaming, gaming, IM, HTTP, SNMP, TFTP, FTP and Telnet

Linux Based IP Videophone

crankymessiah wrote:
] "Speed kills. But it is not only the speed at which people
] drive that is the problem: the speed of the music they are
] listening to also has a hand in their fate. An Israeli
] researcher says drivers who listen to fast music in their cars
] may have more than twice as many accidents as those listening
] to slower tracks."

which reminds me of flying through a windshield while listening to Love & Rockets 'It Could Be Sunshine' in high school.

RE: Fast music linked to car crashes

This article is chock full of interesting information, most of which I don't know if I agree with or not. One thing is for sure, I stand corrected on metered services. The industry is moving away from metered and towards flat pricing, and the reason is that they need stable revenue streams and there's no cap ex to build metered accounting for digital services.

Here Comes the Real Fun for Telecom

All you need is a GPS, a car, and a printout, and it's off to treasure-hunting you go!

Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site

The war in Afganistan is being waged daily and without much news from the media. There have been very few actual video displays of combat or combat photography. Here is one of an actual combat mission. I don't know whether to be in awe or petrified in fear.

** WARNING! The Video may be disturbing due to violence! **

Your tax dollars at work

Canadian Olympic star Hayley Wickenheiser became the first woman to score a goal in a men's pro hockey game, sending a backhander past goaltender Antti Kauhanen on Saturday.

Wickenheiser first woman to score in men's pro game

Check out Bubb Rubb and L'il Sis talkin bout whistlers.

Humor, on so many levels

] Fuel Cell Store.com is the nexus of the fuel cell
] industry. We provide the market place where fuel cell
] stack, component, and hydrogen storage manufacturers come
] together with consumers.
]
] Within our site you will find the widest array of fuel
] cell products from around the globe. If your fuel cell
] requirements are for demonstration, portable, or
] stationary fuel cells, the FuelCellStore can help you
] determine the best system to meet your needs.
]
] Consumers will find a variety of fuel cells,
] electrolysers and hydrogen storage products, allowing
] them to choose a system that best meets their
] requirements and budget.

Fuel Cell Store.com offers fuel cells and related products

Plus, generating hydrogen typically produces the very greenhouse gases fuel cell power is supposed to reduce or eliminate. Eventually, backers hope to produce "clean" hydrogen using water and electricity generated from the sun or wind. For now, natural gas remains the main source.

but the whole point is that WE'RE GETTING THERE!!!

Wide use of fuel cell technology is decades away, experts say