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 >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> --------------------------------------------------- >>>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list: PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>>>> https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>>> --------------------------------------------------- >>>> PLUG-discuss mailing list: PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>>> https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> PLUG-discuss mailing list: PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >>> https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >> --------------------------------------------------- >> PLUG-discuss mailing list: PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: >> https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list: PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list: PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss