Bill Ford Seeks Federal Help

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Sholnn Freeman:

Ford Motor Co. Chairman William C. Ford Jr. urged the government yesterday to help struggling U.S. automakers by expanding subsidies for companies that make components for hybrids and other fuel-efficient vehicles, as U.S. automakers race to close a widening technology gap with the Japanese.
In a speech at the National Press Club, Ford asked for more incentives, such as tax credits, to prod consumers to buy hybrids and other vehicles with fuel-saving technology. He also asked Congress for money to retrain workers, and to consider tax incentives to help manufacturers outfit old plants with new equipment. In the speech, Ford said a national strategy is needed to respond to the pressures of globalization, which he called the “economic challenge of our time.”

Fascinating. Ford, along with GM and to a lesser extent, the others, gorged on highly profitable SUV sales for years. That strategy does not have legs any longer…

Tracking You: TIVO & RFID

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New Scientist:

“working on a PVR that will recognise one of several individual users, and respond to their personal preferences.” The patent application describes the invention as “a multimedia mobile personalization system provides a remote control that detects a user’s electronic tag, e.g. an RFID tag.” It also promises personalized viewing at a variety of locations, detailing how TiVo might forward stored shows from home to a TV in a hotel room, for example. It remains to be seen whether hotels will be eager to help TiVo undermine their pay-per-view video revenue.”

New Mexico’s Rock Art

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Doug Fine:

Some anthropologists now believe that more human beings lived in Southwest New Mexico 1,000 years ago than live there today.
How do they know? Because the region is covered with thousands of archaeological sites. Some areas are positively littered with rock art and artifacts from long-gone ancient cultures.

Posted in Art.

GM’s Plant Closings

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AP:

General Motors Corp. will eliminate 30,000 jobs and close nine North American assembly, stamping and powertrain plants by 2008 as part of an effort to get production in line with demand and position the world’s biggest automaker to start making money again after absorbing nearly $4 billion in losses so far this year

Mark Tapscott has more.

The EFF and Google’s AutoLink (AdLink)

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There are many positive aspects to the EFF’s work.

However and unfortunately, they have been silent (or apparently supportive) on Google’s land grab as Dave Winer points out this morning. More from Dave on the Google Toolbar

Google’s toolbar places their links on top of the original author’s hyperlinks (“Autolink”).

I’ve not been a financial supporter since the EFF remained silent on the AutoLink “feature”. Ironically, as Google Watch points out, the guy behind Microsoft’s similar scheme “Smart Tags” now works for Google.

I wonder how far Google will push the envelope when they have to support their sky high 117B market valuation (P/E of 88.6!)?

Senate Committee Passes Anti-Spyware Bill

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Grant Gross:

A U.S. Senate committee has approved a bill that would outlaw the practice of remotely installing software that collects a computer users’ personal information without consent.
In addition to prohibiting spyware, the Spyblock (Software Principles Yielding Better Levels of Consumer Knowledge) Act would also outlaw the installation of adware programs without a computer user’s permission. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved the bill Thursday.
Spyblock, sponsored by Senator Conrad Burns, a Montana Republican, would prohibit hackers from remotely taking over a computer and prohibit programs that hijack Web browsers. The bill would protect antispyware software vendors from being sued by companies whose software they block.