Ford’s keeps a ‘Futurist’ on Staff

A real life pattern-recognition machine!  She predicts upcoming trends, then suggests to Ford how to best prepare for them. For someone with a blog section dedicated to Predictions ya, so into it.

Meet Sheryl Connelly, who was delightful.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

Trends move slower than we think, about three years at a time, while a fad comes and goes quickly. Example: jeans are a trend, while the style of jeans (e.g. skinny or bootcut) are a fad. 

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Driving in this Never-Ending Winter

Tires, braking, snow plows and sensors – tips for driving during this year’s never-ending winter. Check the sensors!

Read it online at Autonet.ca.

Favourite line:

When was the last time checked any of the sensors before climbing behind the wheel and relying on them? 

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Camouflaging Cars

When testing a new model, manufacturers disguise the cars from curious, long camera lenses… a leaked shot of an upcoming debut really sucks the drama away.

So many automakers keep a Camo Expert on staff.

The goal is to trick the eye into seeing something that’s not there.

How? The camo makes it difficult for a camera lens to focus, or sometimes an infrared-absorbing paint is used, B&W swirly paint can make convex appear concave, or the shape of the car is altered using styrofoam and fake body parts.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

 There are different types of camo, but both always mask the two most important design features – the grille and tail lights. 

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WiFi Hotspots are Coming to Cars

This year, our cars will be constantly connected to the internet.  It’s going to be HUGE.

By 2021, the auto industry will have have the highest revenue that’s connectivity-related.

It arrived last year via Audi, and Chevy is a front-runner, with 10 of their models to be offered with 4G and LTE connections by this 2014 summer.

Read it online at Autonet.ca

Favourite line:

It will be interesting to see how the data will be priced, because using the rule of thumb that at YouTube video is 1MB per minute, we’d all be driving down the road just hemorrhaging money. 

Remember my column about War Driving? I wonder how this will affect things like that. I also wonder about the security aspect of an always-connected car.  Remember, you are responsible for hotspot users. 

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Funeral Procession Etiquette

It’s not a hearse, it’s a “funeral coach.”

Read it online at Autonet.ca.

Favourite line:

Try this trick; imagine how the person in the casket would give anything to trade places with you, and be the one stuck in traffic. 

Two favourites this week.

It’s in your best interest to give the procession a wide berth, because this is a line of distracted drivers.

Really though, be kind to a passing funeral.  

I received a bunch of emails this week – when you honk and get angry at a procession, it can haunt someone for 20 years.

Thanks for taking the time Bruce, of Humphrey Funeral Home.

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