Comcast and others plan on overage fees for using the connection you’re already paying too much for. Even as bandwidth nears commodity status, the big providers are still charging like it’s the rarest mineral on earth. Now they want to cap your monthly transfers and charge you exorbitant fees for going over. All I want is a reasonable connection that isn’t monitored or shaped or capped, etc. Is it too much to ask?
A lot of this is driven by the old telco-minded companies and entertainment-minded companies moving to block competition for their services, like miro, BitTorrent and IPTV. Remember: a natural monopoly is still a monopoly.
So close. Actually, I hit 40.0 MPG on the road there, but it went down .1 after I shut the car off.
How did I do it? I follow the basic principles of hypermilling, a practice that you’ve probably heard about lately with gas prices being where they are.
- My tires are at 44 PSI. This decreases rolling resistance.
- When I’m going up hill, I try and maintain speed but resist the urge to accelerate.
- Once I crest a hill, I shift into neutral and let gravity do its thing.
- I do something called “Pulse and Glide”, where I accelerate 10 MPH over a target on a flat or downhill area, and coast until I’m 10 MPH under that target.
- I can monitor my car’s essential performance functions, and it teaches me to keep my throttle lighter than I normally notice myself pushing it.
- Red light ahead? coast in neutral.
- Pulling out is not a drag race.
- The speed limit is something I now take seriously.
Route planning helps. My destination was on an average -0.4% grade. My daily commute is +0.2% in the morning and -0.2% in the afternoon, both directions ~11.5 miles.
By the way, my car’s EPA combined rating is 21 MPG. Today I beat that by 100%. I’m proud.
It appears that Honda has two possible new hybrids out in 2009. First, Global Small Hybrid, the current name for a test platform seen in Japan that may be a ‘Prius killer’. Also, the CR-Z, ’spiritual successor’ to the CR-X in both looks and fuel economy.
Toyota has a rumored updated hybrid system, capable of better regeneration, and possibly a bi- or trifurcation of the Prius line.
Of course, mum’s the word as the hybrid space is very competitive, even ruthless, between Toyota and Honda.
More hybrids in 2009
What a strange choice of words:
- P.F. Chang’s Asian Bistro
- Greek Fiesta
- Baba Ghannouj Mediterranean Bistro
I can only think of a few off the top of my head:
- So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright by Simon and Garfunkel
- Timothy Leary by The Moody Blues
- He Knew (about Einstein) by Kansas
Anyone have more?