Word: evens
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...serious issue, because the computer module has gradually taken over many functions once controlled by mechanical cables. In fact, electronic controls now handle all the engine functions of modern automobiles, including the opening and closing of the throttle, the injection of fuel, the firing of spark plugs, even the operation of the catalyst limiting the engine's pollution. The same software also controls electronic stability by modulating the vehicle's throttle to help keep the car under control on slippery surfaces without any kind of input from the driver. Motorists aren't even aware that the software adjusts the throttle...
...electronic controls used by automakers today have helped make cars dramatically safer, notes Chris Gerdes, a Stanford University expert in automotive engineering, who has volunteered to defend Toyota. But engine software codes are closely guarded secrets, even within a company. "It's the vehicle's DNA," says Michels, echoing a sentiment expressed by other automakers. "But it's more like a calculator than the software in your PC. You are not going to get a [blank] blue screen," he says, adding that the computer inside a vehicle is a secure, sealed system that can't be contaminated from the outside...
...read a couple reviews that say, "Vuic doesn't lay off the Yugo." But I'm not really calling it anything. I'm trying to examine why Americans have made it such an icon for failure. I wanted to understand why we hate this car so much, even though most Americans have never seen a Yugo, let alone driven...
...1980s with a Darth Vader-like zeal, predicting box-office receipts would collapse if consumers were allowed to freely share and copy VHS tapes of Hollywood movies. A decade later, the MPAA fought to block the DVD revolution, mainly because digital media could be copied and distributed even more easily than videocassettes...
...contrast, studios and music labels have experienced limited success and even less profitability in the few instances when they have grudgingly embraced the Internet bogeyman. The prospect of tying their future success to online distribution scares them because it means they will need to develop new distribution and pricing models. (For example, Netflix can stream an unlimited number of Hollywood films for a monthly subscription fee, but this does not include new releases.) They will also need to figure out how to stop people from setting up clone video and music stores with pirated content...