McDonald's unveils first automated location

[techlists at phpcoderusa.com]

On 2022-12-30 15:19, George Toft via PLUG-discuss wrote:
> Pick-a-part is a great place to find brains :)  It helps to know where 
> the ECU is and how to remove it (automotive brain surgeon) otherwise, 
> you'll be paying someone else to extract it and ship it to you and pay 
> someone else at $175/hr to install it.  It rapidly becomes 
> cost-prohibitive to maintain old cars.  A good example in the Nissan 
> Xterra world is a metallurgical defect that exists in transmission 
> coolers from 2005-2009.  Here we are in 2022 and the radiators are 
> failing resulting in mixing antifreeze and ATF which destroys the 
> transmission.  It costs more to rebuild the transmission than the 
> vehicle is worth. 

I own a 2009 Xterra.  You are correct that the trans oil cooler would 
fail and allow coolant into the trans.  The trans would fail.

I received a letter from a lawyer asking me to joint the class action 
lawsuit maybe 8 years ago. I chose not to and replaced the radiator 
myself.

The settlement was Nissan would replace the radiator and trans for $2500 
only after the failure.

The same period of Nissans had a timing chain issue.

I like my Xterra and will take my chances with the timing chain.  I am 
told there defects were on earlier models. I assume the lawyers extended 
the years covered to make sure they were "covering" everyone.

It was a bad settlement for the consumer while the lawyers made 
millions.

> The same problem exists with EV's when the batteries near end-of-life - 
> a replacement battery pack is more than what the car is worth.  > And 
> the same will be true with these brain cars.
> 
> Another example that directly pertains to computers (to keep it 
> somewhat on-topic).  I needed to run some video editing software on my 
> 9 year old Dell computer.  The video card was unsupported. So now my 
> choice was buy a $1600 video card (remember the chip shortage of 2021?) 
> for a 9 year old computer, or buy a prebuilt Alienware system that 
> included the video card for $600 more.  I chose to refresh the whole 
> system.

My network needs a refresh too... holding out for a while.

To keep it Linux, my Xterra gives rides to a PHP developer who uses 
Linux and Open Source.

If I were a younger man I'd put an old school  350ci Chev in it and have 
some fun.



> 
> Regards,
> 
> George Toft
> 
> On 12/30/2022 7:48 AM, Keith Smith via PLUG-discuss wrote:
>> I assume you do not take part in the automated checkout because it 
>> reduces labor?
>> 
>> I do not go that far.  I think we are using too much technology and 
>> that is why I avoid the automated checkout.
>> 
>> I'm a programmer and I do not like the tech shift we making.
>> 
>> I do not like chips in cars. As the automakers increasingly put chips 
>> in cars I see that automation becoming obsolete far sooner that the 
>> car does.  Case in point, my wife drives a 2004 Toyota that only has 
>> 110,000 miles on it.  This car will last for 10 or 20 more years.  
>> Think if that car had technology from 2004 - Yikes!!  I drive a 2009 
>> that only has 65,000 miles on it.  It has a "brain" and I can make the 
>> car accelerate better than the drive by wire. Both cars were purchased 
>> new. I expect to drive my car until I die. What happens 10 years from 
>> now if my car needs a new brain?  Will that OLD technology be 
>> available.
>> 
>> They are making cars that will last 300k miles and putting technology 
>> in them that will be obsolete in 5 years.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On 2022-12-29 22:54, Jason Spatafore via PLUG-discuss wrote:
>>> I'm kinda with George here. I went to a Circle K today that had a 
>>> self
>>> checkout. It took 3x as long to checkout. I let the attendant there
>>> know that I did not enjoy the experience and won't return.
>>> 
>>> But, I will use Amazon and delivery services.
>>> 
>>> So I think the labor market will move away from going out to collect
>>> your food to just having food delivered. The self checkouts will
>>> accelerate that movement toward retail closures and warehouse
>>> openings. So, the "unskilled" labor market will just shift from
>>> assembling a burger to boxing product.
>>> 
>>> McDonald's has to be careful here. To quote an old McDonald's CFO...
>>> 
>>> "We are not technically in the food business. We are in the real
>>> estate business. The only reason we sell 15-cent hamburgers is 
>>> because
>>> they are the greatest producer of revenue, from which our tenants can
>>> pay us our rent."
>>> 
>>> On 12/29/22 19:43, George Toft via PLUG-discuss wrote:
>>> 
>>>> I'll pass on this for the same reason I don't go to Sonic and I
>>>> won't use self-checkout at Albertson's/Walmart/Home Depot.
>>>> 
>>>> Regards,
>>>> 
>>>> George Toft
>>>> 
>>>> On 12/28/2022 7:22 AM, Keith Smith via PLUG-discuss wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Thought you might find this interesting.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/mcdonalds-unveils-first-automated-location-social-media-worried-will-cut-millions-jobs
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
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