When we try to justify the price we pay for a game console, we rarely think back past the last generation. At just $400, the PlayStation 4 is a steal compared to its $600 predecessor, yet Microsoft has received plenty of flak for launching the Xbox One at $500. What’s interesting is that when we step back just a few generations further, prices suddenly plummet to $300 or less.
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Ford’s been a supporter of EAA AirVenture, a huge, annual air show held in Oshkosh, WI, for several years now, with one of its most notable contributions being a modified Ford Mustang, designed to look like one of America’s great fighting aircraft. There was an SR-71 Mustang, based on the legendary spy plane, a Red Tails edition, which honored the ground-breaking Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, as well as Blue Angels and Thunderbird Mustangs, based on America’s two great military aerial demonstration teams.
Each car is auctioned off, with all proceeds going to the EAA Young Eagles program, which introduces kids to the joy of flight. For the 2014 AirVenture, which runs from July 28 to August 3, the one-off pony car is based on the new-for-2015 Mustang, and America’s latest fighting aircraft – the controversial F-35 Lightning II.
The unique Mustang sports titanium paint scheme, with both glossy and matte sections, as well as yellow-and-blue trim and decal elements inspired by CF-1, the first F-35 test plane. A carbon-fiber front splitter and rear diffuser add some visual eye candy, while the interior boasts a set of Recaro seats. Ford also opted to fit unique wheels and a brawnier rear spoiler, to tie everything together.
Considering previous versions of the custom Mustang crossed the block for as much as $400,000, there’s little reason to think that this latest example, based on the eagerly anticipated sixth-generation Mustang, will be a cheap buy. The fighter-jet-inspired muscle car will be auctioned off at the Gathering of Eagles charity event, on July 31.
Ford auctioning off F-35-themed 2015 Mustang for charity originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jul 2014 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Ford’s been a supporter of EAA AirVenture, a huge, annual air show held in Oshkosh, WI, for several years now, with one of its most notable contributions being a modified Ford Mustang, designed to look like one of America’s great fighting aircraft. There was an SR-71 Mustang, based on the legendary spy plane, a Red Tails edition, which honored the ground-breaking Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, as well as Blue Angels and Thunderbird Mustangs, based on America’s two great military aerial demonstration teams.
Each car is auctioned off, with all proceeds going to the EAA Young Eagles program, which introduces kids to the joy of flight. For the 2014 AirVenture, which runs from July 28 to August 3, the one-off pony car is based on the new-for-2015 Mustang, and America’s latest fighting aircraft – the controversial F-35 Lightning II.
The unique Mustang sports titanium paint scheme, with both glossy and matte sections, as well as yellow-and-blue trim and decal elements inspired by CF-1, the first F-35 test plane. A carbon-fiber front splitter and rear diffuser add some visual eye candy, while the interior boasts a set of Recaro seats. Ford also opted to fit unique wheels and a brawnier rear spoiler, to tie everything together.
Considering previous versions of the custom Mustang crossed the block for as much as $400,000, there’s little reason to think that this latest example, based on the eagerly anticipated sixth-generation Mustang, will be a cheap buy. The fighter-jet-inspired muscle car will be auctioned off at the Gathering of Eagles charity event, on July 31.
Ford auctioning off F-35-themed 2015 Mustang for charity originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jul 2014 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Read more here: Mustang News
You know all the time and trouble you put into making and memorizing unique strong passwords for every website you visit? Well, Microsoft says a lot of that was likely misspent energy. The Guardian informs us that new research from Microsoft (PDF) shows that we probably shouldn’t use strong passwords for all our websites and that having weak passwords will suffice in many circumstances.
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Chattanooga, Tennessee’s municipal broadband network offers affordable broadband service that just happens to deliver the same 1Gbps peak speeds as Google Fiber. Given this apparent success story, you would think that state government officials would be happy to see other municipalities experiment with building their own fiber networks or to at least let Chattanooga expand its fiber service to more areas. But you’d be wrong.
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Self-driving cars, such as Google’s experimental vehicles, will be available to buyers in coming years, but the FBI is not particularly thrilled about their arrival, The Guardian has learned from a restricted report obtained under a public records requests.
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What’s better than enjoying the high-speed action of the 2014 Honda Indy Toronto this weekend? Going for free of course! On Fan Friday, Ontario Honda Dealers (OHDA) will cover the cost of admission for everyone to check out the spectacle and excitement of the Honda Indy Toronto on Friday July 18.
On Honda Fan Friday, there is no regular reserved seating, so attendees can access all grandstands and choose their seats on a first-come/first-served basis. Throughout the day, attendees can enjoy a jam-packed schedule of on-track action, watching the 2014 IndyCar series qualifying for Saturday’s race. Stunt shows, contests, autograph sessions and all kinds of off-track entertainment will be in full gear from gate open to close across the event site, providing something for everyone, race fan or not!
“We love Fan Friday because it supports an important cause and it provides the public with a great chance, and the extra incentive, to experience the excitement of IndyCar racing,” said Charlie Johnstone of Honda Indy Toronto. “It’s hard not to become a fan after experiencing the thrill of racing and all that the Honda Indy has to offer.”
In lieu of admission, and to take part in various onsite games and activities, Honda Fan Friday attendees are encouraged to donate to Make-A-Wish. With generous support from fans, Honda Canada and the Ontario Honda Dealers have raised more than $200,000 for Make-A-Wish Canada during the previous two seasons, helping to make the wishes of children who are living with a life-threatening medical condition come true.
2014 Honda Indy Toronto offers free admission for race fans
2014 Honda Indy Toronto offers free admission for race fans originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Wed, 16 Jul 2014 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google’s social network is now much more troll-friendly than it was when it launched three years ago, as the company is finally ready to offer users the one feature they have been asking for: choosing whatever username they desire for Google+. The company announced in a post on Google+ that, henceforward, it will let users select their desired username, which doesn’t have to be their real name, as it was the case before.
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Verizon IndyCar recently hosted a double-header race in Houston which provided a platform for co-sponsors Shell and Pennzoil to connect with race enthusiasts and discuss its first-ever motor oils made from natural gas.
Shell announced the creation of its highly innovative PurePlus Technology back in March. Since then, Pennzoil has been engaging consumers, OEMs, techies and performance enthusiasts about the benefits of this new technology when combined with the Pennzoil additive package. Speedville and Engine Builder were invited to the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston as part of a media technology tour. The Grand Prix provided the perfect backdrop to showcase what exactly goes into the making of its full synthetic motor oils.
We were invited on a comprehensive behind-the-scenes lab tour with access to Team Penske drivers and other IndyCar leaders, and it didn’t disappoint. We got to talk shop with top Shell chemical engineers as they tried to bring the ideas and processes behind turning natural gas into engine oil down to a journalists level (and that was no easy task!). Shell engineers said that this new concept of gas-to-liquid actually came about 40 years ago when their scientists at that time were thinking about ways to create the perfect engine oil and what it would take to manufacture it. So it has been a long process from concept to reality, but the end result should be a better, more refined engine oil with fewer impurities and less need to add detergents or other additives which may reduce the wear properties of the oil.
“Pennzoil is paving the way for our industry by offering modern and inventive synthetic motor oils made from natural gas,” explained Chris Hayek, Global Brand Director, Shell Lubricants Passenger Car Motor Oil. “What we like about PurePlus Technology is that it starts with a base of pure, crystal clear base oil made from natural gas with fewer of the impurities found in crude oil, which is the traditional base for many other conventional and synthetic motor oils. Using this technology in our products helps Pennzoil provide motorists with one of the most advanced, premium motor oils on the market.”
During the Grand Prix of Houston race weekend, media were allowed to take an inside look at the new lubes line and the tests and process involved with making the oil at the Shell Technology Center Houston. Team Penske No. 3 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Chevrolet driver and three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves also joined the group, sharing his personal take on Pennzoil Platinum with PurePlus technology motor oils along the way. Shell scientists demonstrated the testing of: engine cleanliness, fuel economy, conservation of horsepower, wear protection, and performance in extreme temperatures.
“The engines used in the Verizon IndyCar Series are designed to deliver extremely high power outputs and reach very high engine speeds in each race,” said Paul Bastien, Shell Senior Motorsports Engineer. Testing has demonstrated that Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Full Synthetic 0W-40 motor oil with PurePlus Technology provides the top-tier lubrication performance that the engines require.”
At track, Shell and Pennzoil showcased PurePlus Technology via interactive demonstrations and discussions with on-site technology leaders. And many IndyCar fans remember Rick Mears’ “Yellow Submarine” from his popular 1988 Indy 500 win. His iconic car was on display and part of the larger exhibit focusing on the company’s contribution of technology and innovation to global mobility.
Houston Grand Prix Recap
The Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston was the second of three doubleheaders on the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. Drivers had to two 90-lap races Saturday and Sunday on the 1.69-mile temporary street circuit at NRG Park. Last year’s race was marred by Dario Franchitti’s career-ending crash at the end of Race 2 and Helio Castroneves’ gearbox failure which effectively put him out of the championship hunt. This year, things were looking good for Helio when he qualified on the front row for both races but the results didn’t come. Instead, Race 1 was won by 23-year-old rookie Carlos Huertas driving for Dale Coyne Racing. Team Penske’s Juan Pablo Montoya almost got his first win since coming back to IndyCar but had to settle for second place. Rain was the big factor in the first race, as the changeable conditions caught a number of teams off strategy or worse – into the fence. Race 2 was another 90-lap event, only this one was run under sunny conditions throughout. It still came down to strategy for the teams to get the most out of the tires and to time the cautions just right. In the end it was Simon Pagenaud in the Schmidt Peterson stable taking the checkers over the young Russian rookie driver Mikhail Aleshin. This was street racing at its best. Dogfights were going on all over the track and the many passing attempts kept fans and drivers on the edge.
Article courtesy of Speedville.com.
The post Talking Oil During Shell Technology Tour at Grand Prix of Houston appeared first on Engine Builder Magazine.
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How is it possible that Comcast’s customer service is so relentlessly terrible? Hint: It’s not because it’s hired a disproportionate number of people who are psychotic. If you look at reviews of Comcast on Glassdoor, we can see that even current and former employees of the company think it does an absolutely terrible job of delivering quality customer service. What their reviews basically boil down to is that Comcast doesn’t offer enough resources or training to its staff to prepare them to deliver quality service and it puts too much emphasis on trying to upsell customers on more expensive service bundles at all costs rather than addressing needs and concerns.
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