Comments(1)

|

E-mail

|

Print

“In the real world, it absolutely doesn’t work,” concluded Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson in a 2008 review of the all-electric $109,000 Tesla Roadster.

The hit BBC show is known for its quirky, sarcastic tone and when they reviewed the blistering-fast Tesla, the Palo Alto-based car maker didn’t escape the snark. But what do they expect from Clarkson and company?

I’m sure Top Gear didn’t see a lawsuit coming; they’ve said much worse about many other cars in the nine years they’ve been on the air (in their current incarnation), but this time Tesla is calling it libel. And taking them to court:

USA TODAY: Top Gear executive producer Andy “Wilman admits that Top Gear wrote the script before filming the testing of the Roadsters. The script in question, concluding with the line ‘in the real world, it absolutely doesn’t work’ was lying around on set while Top Gear was allegedly ‘testing’ the roadsters. It seems actual test results don’t matter when the verdict has already been given — even if it means staging tests to meet those predetermined conclusions,” Tesla writes [in a blog post]…

The automaker disputed the TV show’s claims that its roadster gave out after little more than 50 miles of hard driving even though its claimed electric range is more than 200 miles. It also disputed a claim about a brake defect. Tesla says it waited so long before taking action because it thought the report would sort of disappear — and it never did. It continues to dog the company, especially in Europe. Tesla is now trying to use Top Gear‘s defense of the show to prove the point that its claims are phony. (Read more)

But Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman is coming back swinging:

Automobilemag.com: He starts with the Roadster’s range, claiming the show never refuted the company’s advertised range of 211 miles, but instead boasted a short 55-mile range based on hard track use.  He points out that Tesla engineers back in California confirmed their calculations.  And when the engine overheated from their testing, Wilman says the show stated the car had “reduced power” while Tesla maintains that they said it was “completely immobilized.”  Lastly, Tesla claims that Top Gear lied when they stated the brakes were broken.  Though a failed vacuum pump fuse required the driver to push the brake pedal harder than normal, the brakes were still operable.  Wilman argues that broken is broken, especially if something requires a visit to the shop for repair. (Read more)

BELOW: Watch the Top Gear review.

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

We all know that viral YouTube videos often feature a dog or a kid — but this one has both.

Watch below as a bossy dog refuses to let a young girl drink from a water fountain. Even when she pushes its head away, the dog weasels its way back in. And the girl’s reaction is hilarious.

Eventually, though, the dog steps aside and gives the kid her turn. But she gets the last word, bluntly saying, “That dog’s mean.”

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

I’m all for social networking. But I’ve always been opposed to apps that track my location, so more than once I’ve had Facebook friends ask me to change my privacy settings so they could “check me in” to various locations.

It just seems smart not to tell all of cyberspace where I’m at or what I’m doing. Plus, let’s face it: Nobody cares if I’m at Taco Bell or which of my university’s buildings I’m yawning my way through class in.

But with the advent of a new app suitably called “Creepy,” your location can become visible to potential stalkers even if you don’t constantly inform your friends of your every movement, Thinq reports. Explained simply, users of the software simply have to enter any person’s Twitter or Flickr username and click “Geolocate Target,” and it will scour every Tweet or photo ever posted for that user’s location at the time. The software will then produce a map of that user’s locations over a span of time, potentially revealing where a person lives or spends a lot of time.

The app was developed by Yiannis Kakavas, a graduate student who was concerned about the quickly disappearing concept of privacy online. Kakavas cited the increasing transparency found on social networking sites  like FourSquare, which allows users to check in to local business, and Facebook, which recently developed a similar feature. Kakavas wanted to draw attention to how easy it is to stalk users based on their online posts.

The software gets this information from Twitter users who have not disabled the “geolocate” feature for their Tweets — and most Twitter users haven’t, Kakavas says. And since cell phones now have GPS trackers, pictures taken and posted from smart phones store locational information, which many users don’t realize.

Is this information troubling? It should be, Kakavas says. “Users should be educated and warned about the risks before they choose to use any location aware service,” he told Thinq. “It’s a constant fight between our right to be ‘left alone’ and our need for exhibitionism. Let’s see which one wins.”

If you still aren’t convinced, download it for free on  Kakavas’ Web site and try it out.

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

Bill Cosby, following Donald Trump on the Today show, show limited patience for The Donald’s fake presidential run and birther nonsense.

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

Glenn Beck. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Huffington Post is reporting that Glenn Beck and Fox News are splitting.

From the story:

Fox News and Glenn Beck announced Wednesday that Beck will “transition off of his daily program” later this year.

Beck’s production company, Mercury Radio Arts, will instead work with Fox News to produce programs for the channel.

In a joint news release, Fox News and Mercury Radio Arts, Beck’s production company, said that they will “work together to develop and produce a variety of television projects for air on the Fox News Channel as well as content for other platforms including Fox News’ digital properties.”

Beck, the statement said, would “transition off of his daily program, the third highest rated in all of cable news, later this year.” It is not clear what the programs will be, or how many of them there will be.

The news does not come as a surprise. Beck has been hinting at a split since last month.

Comments

|

E-mail

|

Print

Tween heartthrob Justin Bieber intended to celebrate his mom’s birthday over the weekend with a cake.

But the candles set her hair on fire, People reports.

The pop star, 17, surprised Pattie Mallette with a birthday cake at the end of the concert at Berlin’s O2 World arena. But as she leaned over the cake to blow out the candles, a few strands of her hair caught on fire.

Bieber quickly put out the flames, and then said, “Mama, I’ll always be your baby,” according to Germany’s Bild newspaper.

Mother and son both later joked about the incident on Twitter.