(Bits&Pieces.us)
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
As Are More Accidents Because Of This
More head-up displays are coming to a dashboard near you
HUDs are in more new cars, and they're about to get more sophisticated
Features like driver assists and surround-view cameras that were once exclusively available in luxury vehicles now come standard even on some economy cars.
The same thing is slowly happening with head-up displays (HUD). For example, the 10-inch HUD in the 2018 Toyota Camry is one of the largest and best HUDs I've seen in any car. And a big improvement on the much smaller HUD in the latest Toyota Prius.
Mazda is another mainstream brand that offers HUDs in several of its vehicles. But instead of embedding expensive components in the dash and using a special windshield, the HUDs in the Mazda3 and Mazda6 use a thin plastic lens that folds down when not in use. MINI has a similar solution, but this low-cost approach has limits in terms of size and position of the images compared to traditional HUDs that use the windshield as a screen.
We're also starting to see similar lens-based aftermarket options that can be added to any car. Last year I tested a portable HUD called Navdy that taps into a car's OBD-II port to provide info on speed and RPM and uses built-in GPS and Google Maps to show the surrounding area, display speed limits and route you to your destination.
(AutoBlog.com)
HUDs are in more new cars, and they're about to get more sophisticated
Features like driver assists and surround-view cameras that were once exclusively available in luxury vehicles now come standard even on some economy cars.
The same thing is slowly happening with head-up displays (HUD). For example, the 10-inch HUD in the 2018 Toyota Camry is one of the largest and best HUDs I've seen in any car. And a big improvement on the much smaller HUD in the latest Toyota Prius.
Mazda is another mainstream brand that offers HUDs in several of its vehicles. But instead of embedding expensive components in the dash and using a special windshield, the HUDs in the Mazda3 and Mazda6 use a thin plastic lens that folds down when not in use. MINI has a similar solution, but this low-cost approach has limits in terms of size and position of the images compared to traditional HUDs that use the windshield as a screen.
We're also starting to see similar lens-based aftermarket options that can be added to any car. Last year I tested a portable HUD called Navdy that taps into a car's OBD-II port to provide info on speed and RPM and uses built-in GPS and Google Maps to show the surrounding area, display speed limits and route you to your destination.
(AutoBlog.com)
Monday, March 5, 2018
I'm Now Curious About This Road
2/21/18 4:43pm
Great secret driving road:
AZ-89A (Arizona 89 Alternate) between Prescott Valley and Jerome. Incredible road that hugs the side of the Mingus Mountains. Roughly 2,000ft climb and then 1,000 drop between a cattle guard on the Prescott Valley side, and a scenic lookout on the Jerome side. Also a good idea to eat at The Haunted Hamburger after a run.
(Jalopnik.com)
Great secret driving road:
AZ-89A (Arizona 89 Alternate) between Prescott Valley and Jerome. Incredible road that hugs the side of the Mingus Mountains. Roughly 2,000ft climb and then 1,000 drop between a cattle guard on the Prescott Valley side, and a scenic lookout on the Jerome side. Also a good idea to eat at The Haunted Hamburger after a run.
(Jalopnik.com)
Go Figure
Traditional packaged goods sales
continue to stagnate, while the pet food category continues to grow,
spurring General Mills’ expansion into kibble. In 2017 alone, consumers
bought $20B worth of pet products, with $10B of that being spent on dog food.
(BroBible.com)
(BroBible.com)
It's Better To Be Lucky - Pizza Hut Edition
HUT, HUT, HIKE
Just a day after announcing that Papa John’s would no longer be supplying its “better ingredients” pizza as the official pie of the NFL, the league announced that Pizza Hut will become its new provider of diabetes-inducing game day snacks.The deal was delivered hot-n-ready into Pizza Hut’s lap thanks to some unfortunate comments from John Schnatter, Papa John’s (former) CEO. Schnatter criticized the NFL for its handling of player protests and blamed the league for poor sales.
In retrospect, that probably wasn’t a good idea. The criticism led to support that was, well, unwanted. At one point the Papa became the unofficial pizza partner of alt-right white supremacists.
While Pizza Hut boasts 7,200 stores nationwide with 150,000 employees, like its pepperoni providing predecessor, it isn’t a go-to Sunday spot for football fans. But the Hut is betting that the deal will translate to an uptick in takeout orders.
Water Cooler Talking Point: “Gotta love when you’re sent an earthly blessing from the pizza gods above. The C-Suite at Pizza Hut must have done some seriously good deeds in a past life. Still can’t believe the Papa, though. Criticizing the NFL?! C’MON MAN!”
(BroBible.com)
A Sophisticated Machine For The Sophisticated Individual
Autoblog Classifieds Finds: 1991 Bentley Turbo R
A classic
British bruiser lurks in our reader classifieds section.
Back in the day, a 1991 Bentley Turbo R would set you back the equivalent of $332,000 or so in today's dollars (around $170,000 at the time). And yet, while some cars have appreciated beyond their as-new sale prices, this Turbo R is listed for just $12,995. The difference from new is staggering, but perhaps not unexpected.
The Turbo R was a different sort of monster. A monster in a pinstriped suit, with exquisite tastes and a quiet, menacing air. Despite weighing more than 5,000 pounds, its turbocharged six-and-three-quarter-liter V8 made 325 horsepower and 450 lb-ft when new. Car and Driver tested one when new, and it hit 60 mph in 7.7 seconds – legitimately quick for the time. Like any Bentley, it'll ride that torque wave like a classic steam locomotive cruising across a European valley.
That is, if it's running right. There's no denying that these hand-built and complex cars require specialized and expensive attention. While the purchase price is less than a new subcompact, the car is still more than 25 years old — and parts, well, they haven't depreciated along with the rest of the car.
(AutoBlog.com)
British bruiser lurks in our reader classifieds section.
Back in the day, a 1991 Bentley Turbo R would set you back the equivalent of $332,000 or so in today's dollars (around $170,000 at the time). And yet, while some cars have appreciated beyond their as-new sale prices, this Turbo R is listed for just $12,995. The difference from new is staggering, but perhaps not unexpected.
The Turbo R was a different sort of monster. A monster in a pinstriped suit, with exquisite tastes and a quiet, menacing air. Despite weighing more than 5,000 pounds, its turbocharged six-and-three-quarter-liter V8 made 325 horsepower and 450 lb-ft when new. Car and Driver tested one when new, and it hit 60 mph in 7.7 seconds – legitimately quick for the time. Like any Bentley, it'll ride that torque wave like a classic steam locomotive cruising across a European valley.
That is, if it's running right. There's no denying that these hand-built and complex cars require specialized and expensive attention. While the purchase price is less than a new subcompact, the car is still more than 25 years old — and parts, well, they haven't depreciated along with the rest of the car.
(AutoBlog.com)
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