Okay, so no daily updates.

Yea, i know. Very disheartening. I just can’t remember to do it every day. Stupid A.D.D.

Anyways, DHID is coming along nicely after a restart. I need to stop with the restart crap, but this one has actually made the story come along faster than what it was. It’s hard to decide how exactly to begin a story with a death without alienating too many readers.

I know, i should write for myself first. But i guess i’m not as hardcore as i use to be. Or maybe i’m just more sympathetic towards this topic because i’ve lost enough people in my life to know death can be a sad thing. I really want to strike a balance between “Danny misses his mom” and “Danny’s a bit of a smart ass”.

There’s a swerve coming in the next book that’ll eliminate Danny’s ability to be a smart ass, so i wanna fully convey it in this book. Why? Cause there’s a bit of me in the Danny Hush character. Just a natural thing, with this story being in first person and all.

POV is another pain in my bum. I switch from first to third and couldn’t seem to get comfortable with either one. I’m really getting into the first person groove with this latest restart, so hopefully it keeps going as quickly as it is. I should have a meaty part of this first draft done in two weeks if i stop effing around.

AKA, updating blogs.

Good day.

J.

[Via http://dannyhushisdead.wordpress.com]

Toyota recall isn't an issue in Japan

In America and China many 「トヨタ」 (Toyota) cars are being recalled because there’s a possibility that an ill-fitting floor mat can cause the accelerator pedal to stick which could cause an accident.

I heard that Toyota dealers in those countries are losing a lot of potential business because the public has become hesitant to trust the safety of a Toyota car now.

This issue isn’t an issue at all in Japan.

Most Japanese feel that the cars being recalled overseas are different because they were made in America or China.
Japanese cars in Japan are made here…and anything “Made in Japan” is seen as superior in quality and safety.
So, Toyota dealers here in Japan are feeling the affects of the recall overseas at all.

In fact, Toyota is the best-selling car in Japan…and has been for many years.

Has your image of Toyota changed because of this recall?

************************

On a totally unrelated subject…
I found out that Gene Simmons (of the rock band KISS) did a TV commercial in America for the Dr. Pepper soft drink.
His son is also in the commercial.

As I don’t live in America, I don’t normally watch America TV…but thanks to the internet in general, and YouTube specifically, I was able to see it.

It’s here:

Do you live in America? Have you seen this commercial on TV before?

In Japan, KISS has done a few TV commercials too.
I wrote a post about them last year. Click here to see that post.

[Via http://tokyo5.wordpress.com]

GM offering extra incentives for Toyota & Lexus Owners.

With the recent recall woes of Toyota, GM has announced that through the end of Febuary, owners of any Toyota or Lexus vehicle 1999 or newer will be receiving a little extra incentive to pick up a new Chevy, Buick or GMC.

The three options available to potential owners are: Waive up to $ 1,000 in lease payments, Receive another $ 1,000 in Customer Cash or take 0% interest for up to 60 months.

This is definitely a great program to look at especially if you are considering a new GM vehicle.

[Via http://johnsonautoblog.wordpress.com]

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Signs MoU with SBI

It seems like all the major car makers in the country are tying up with one or the other banks so that they can sell their wares quite effectively in the country. Bucking this trend is Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd which has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Bank of India to provide auto retail financing to their prospective customers.The State Bank of India will be one of the preferred financiers for the entire range of vehicles marketed by Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited (TKM) in India.
The agreement was signed by Mr. Sandeep Singh, DMD of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited (TKM), and Mr. P. Nanda Kumaran, Chief General Manager, State Bank of India Personal Banking Business Unit in Mumbai in the presence of Mr. Anup Banerji, DMD & Group Executive (NBG) of SBI and Mr. H. Nakagawa, Managing Director of TKM. Among those present on the occasion were the officials of both SBI and Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited (TKM).

The MOU aims at targeting high end customers who will be availing car loans from SBI above Rs. 5 lakh onwards. SBI has come out with a special scheme called SBI Advantage Car Loan Scheme for this niche segment.

This scheme is applicable to individuals – Salaried, Professionals, Self employed, Businessmen and Proprietary /Partnership firms, who are income tax assesses and whose income/net profit or gross taxable income is Rs.2.50 lakh and above. This scheme will be implemented in all RACPCs, all PBBs, all District Head Quarter Branches, Project area branches and Branches specially authorised by AGM (Region). Maximum loan amount will be 48 times of NMI or 4 times of NAI.

[Via http://gratiscarconnect.wordpress.com]

Toyota recall shows why PR is important

The massive recall Toyota Motor Corp. definitely deserves a page in public relations textbooks.

The automotive industry leader recalled 270,000 vehicles for sticking accelerator pedals.

But it gets worse. Customer complaints are flooding in. Consumer deaths occurred in the U.S. And some of Toyota’s competitors, such as GM and Honda, are trying to profit from the opportunity with incentives for customers.

It’s a PR sh*tstorm. It definitely joins the ranks of some of the classics like Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol recall, Exxon Valdez, Mattel and Pepsi.

But it shows us why effective strategic planning and reputation management is important in light of crises like these.

[Via http://samdunsiger.wordpress.com]

Camber II

If your worried about wear. Buy cheap tires. Try Pick & pull they have thousands. For cheap too.

[Via http://tailoutsx.wordpress.com]

Set of 2 Toyota Matrix

I was browsing Alezada’s Photostream and I came across this awesome set of Toyota

[Via http://loveitlow.wordpress.com]

Who drives a Prius?

Or, should I say — who would want to drive a Prius? These cars suck unbelievably. Here’s the situation:

My 1999 Alero is deteriorating. I busted the power steering about 2 years ago but couldn’t afford to get it fixed. Recently, the shock (or something like it) broke on the passenger side, front. The guys who fixed that somehow made my power steering worse, so now the car is practically un-drivable. Plus, the muffler system has rusted out, and is now hanging on by a hanger (literally) — thanks Michigan weather.  After a lot of back-and-fourth with my parents, we came to the decision that I need a new car, but I should rent something in the meantime.

I called Enterprise, and rented the cheapest thing they offered: an economy car. My friend Cecilia came with me (she actually was really great and woke up at the crack of 8 AM to take me to the rental place) and we joked about a little red Prius sitting in the parking lot. I knew that somehow, even though there was a perfectly good looking Colbalt sitting next to it, I would end up with the Toyota.

The Enterprise employee, Tom, showed me how to start the car…and that was pretty much it. As soon as I put in the key, and pushed the button, I realized that Prius’ suck! The thing beeps if you don’t have on your seatbelt, it beeps when you put it in reverse, it beeps if the bright lights are on. Aside from those annoyances, when I drove it around, the engine was louder than the 1993 Cavalier that I had (Gossamer — he was a beast!). It also didn’t help that it took me 5 minutes to figure out how to make the air conditioning shut off, the radio stations were weird, and the heat smelled like poots.

Plus, the rear windshield was split in two – very annoying.

All in all, I really hated the car. I returned it immediately and searched all of the Enterprises in the area for an Economy-size General Motors car, and I ended up with a Chevy Colbalt. Thank the Lord for William C. Durant, and all of his great acquisitions.

The Colbalt handles like a dream! Even though it’s only 4-cylinders, it picks up faster than a Monte Carlo, and drives pretty smoothly too. I have to admit, the car is basic. It doesn’t have power doors or windows — just one key. It does, however, have a cd player, which is more than I can say about my Alero.  I feel pretty cool driving it, and ecstatic that I can make sharp turns, and effortless parking moves.  I imagine that in 5-7 years, when I can afford to buy a brand spanking new car, this is how I’ll feel.

[Via http://naidranaidra.wordpress.com]

Smart cars, smart people?

I bought a new Prius last year. When I went to the Toyota dealership to test drive a car, my heart was set on the RAV4. But I was disappointed by the drive. With no thought of buying a Prius, I asked if I could take one for a spin – just to get a sense of the feel of a hybrid. I wanted to know what happened when you pressed on the gas/battery pedal.

Sitting in the Prius, my first impression was how cool the dashboard display is. It sits feet way from the driver - out near the base of the very slanted windshield - perfectly within the eye’s vision when the driver is looking ahead at the road. Nice. Smart engineering.

When the salesman told me how to start the car - ”Put your foot on the brake and press the Power button.” – I think was the moment I was sold. “How cool is that? A car that starts just like my computer! No learning curve here.” I said to myself.  And the ride was great. The car was responsive, in fact it had very nice pick-up. And the drive was smooth and the steering, tight. I bought it.

The day I picked up my new blue Prius, the sales rep gave me a 30 minute tutorial on the use of the controls. Some instruction was intuitive. Some was conceptually new. Like, the Power button was a no brainer. But the Park button would take some getting used to. And the concept of where the keys had to be (my pocket, my purse), was counter-intuitive to my 30 year driving history. It sounded as if it would be easier, but what about the summer to winter purse changeover? Or the daytime to evening purse change-over? I’d have to remember to move the keys with my wallet and lipstick. I just figured I’d adapt. I’m a smart person.

Soon, however, I was to learn that my car was smarter than I. One day, within two weeks of owning it, I had a business meeting that I had to drive to. Arriving at my destination with just minutes to spare, I hurried out of my car, taking my purse and my briefcase with me. The door handles of the Prius have a little black button for locking them. The car registers the proximity of the key that is on the owner’s person, and locks or unlocks the car. So I pressed the black button on the driver’s door to lock the car. Rather than hearing the confirming one “beep” that tells me the doors are locked, I heard three quick “beeps.”  I tried again, and again heard three beeps. In my haste I was impatient and decided I’d figure out what was wrong when my meeting was over.

And 45 minutes later I did. What was wrong was that I had left the car running. When I got it in, that display I love so much was all lit up. My car had sat in park, running silently off the battery, for the duration of my absence.

Wow, I pondered. Perhaps I was not smart enough for this car….

My Prius had tried to tell me, with its beeping talk, that the “car is running” – beep, beep, beep.

Just as I have come to know that when my computer is acting up, it is really responding to some human error – do I have too many windows open? Have I not run the virus scans or the defrag recently, etc. – well, so too the Prius.

A few days ago, I was enjoying the handsfree phone feature, chatting while I drove along a country road. When my call was finished, rather than press the hang-up-phone icon on the steering wheel, I pressed the Park button on the dashboard. Why? I don’t know.  I suspect it’s the same mind-boggle that has caused me press the Publish button, when I’ve meant to hit the Preview button when I’m working on a website. Who puts these two-syllable P-words within a half inch of each other on the screen? Don’t they know how my mind works? Actually, yes, I think they do. Because when I press the Publish button (which launches the site to its URL), I get one of my favorite messages: “Do you really want to Publish your site now?”

Fortunately, whoever designed the Prius, must have known that smart people like me would, on occasion, not be so smart and might hit the Park button while driving. The engine seemed to go into something like neutral, and kept rolling along. But I had to mannually put it back into Drive in order to get the gas/battery pedal working again…. 

I’m a little nervous about fully adapting to my smart vehicle. The main reason being, the Park button is within a couple of inches of the Power button. And after my little mishap this week, I just hope I never Power-off a phone call…

[Via http://marymcavoy.wordpress.com]

Toyota Production System sebagai Nenek Moyang Lean Production

Toyota Production System (TPS) adalah pendekatan unik yang digunakan oleh perusahaan mobil Toyota dalam berproduksi. TPS merupakan dasar dari berbagai gerakan “lean production” yang telah mendominasi tren berproduksi selama kurang lebih 15 tahun belakangan ini, serta merupakan evolusi besar dalam proses bisnis yang efisien setelah sistem produksi masal yang diciptakan Henry Ford.

Dalam buku Lean Thinking, James Womack dan Daniel Jones mendefinisikan lean manufacturing sebagai suatu proses yang terdiri dari lima langkah, yaitu mendefinisikan nilai bagi pelanggan, menetapkan value stream, membuatnya “mengalir”, “ditarik” oleh pelanggan, dan berusaha keras untuk mencapai yang terbaik. Dengan demikian, untuk menjadi sebuah perusahaan manufaktur yang lean diperlukan suatu pola pikir yang berfokus untuk membuat produk mengalir melalui proses penambahan nilai tanpa interupsi (one-piece flow), suatu sistem tarik yang berawal dari permintaan pelanggan, dengan hanya menggantikan apa yang diambil oleh proses berikutnya dalam interval waktu yang singkat, dan suatu budaya di mana semua orang berusaha keras melakukan peningkatan secara terus menerus.

Pada awalnya, perusahaan mobil Toyota adalah sebuah perusahaan yang dikembangkan dari perusahaan produsen mesin tenun milik Keluarga Toyoda di Jepang. Perusahaan Toyoda produsen mesin tenun, Automatic Loom Works yang didirikan pada tahun 1926 oleh Sakichi Toyoda merupakan cikal bakal Toyota Motor Corporation. Pada masa itu, mesin tenun buatan Toyoda yang “bebas kesalahan” (fool proof) menjadi model yang paling populer, dan pada tahun 1929, Kiichiro Toyoda (putra Sakichi Toyoda) merundingkan penjualan hak paten mesin tenunnya dengan Platt Brothers (produsen utama peralatan tenun) senilai 100.000 Poundsterling. Pada tahun 1930, dengan menggunakan modal tersebut, Sakichi Toyoda mulai membangun Toyota Motor Corporation.

Kiichiro Toyoda meneruskan pembangunan Toyota Automotive Company berdasarkan filosofi dan pendekatan manajemen ayahnya (Sakichi Toyoda), namun ditambah pula dengan inovasinya sendiri. Sebagai contoh, Sakichi Toyoda adalah penemu Jidoka yang menjadi salah satu dari dua pilar TPS di kemudian hari, sedangkan Kiichiro Toyoda adalah menyumbangkan konsep Just-In-Time pada pilar TPS yang lain.

Dalam perjalanannya membangun perusahaan mobil, Perang Dunia II terjadi dan Jepang kalah. Amerika, sebagai negara pemenang dalam Perang Dunia II, pada saat itu menyadari bahwa Jepang akan memerlukan truk dalam jumlah besar untuk membangun kembali negaranya yang hancur karena perang. Amerika lalu membantu Toyota untuk memulai memproduksi truk kembali. Pada tahun 1948, terjadi inflasi yang sangat tinggi yang membuat uang menjadi tidak berharga serta sangat sulit untuk mendapatkan pembayaran dari pelanggan, sehingga pada tahun itu hutang perusahaan Toyota mencapai delapan kali lebih besar daripada nilai total perusahaannya. Keadaan yang ironis tersebut membuat Toyota memotong gaji para karyawannya untuk menghindari pemutusan hubungan kerja, akan tetapi perusahaan tetap tidak bisa bertahan, hingga akhirnya Kiichiro Toyoda mengundurkan diri dari jabatannya sebagai presiden direktur Toyota Automotive Company sebagai tanggung jawabnya atas kegagalan perusahaan tersebut, walaupun pada kenyataannya masalah itu berada di luar kendalinya atau kendali siapapun. Namun pengorbanan pribadinya tersebut membantu meredakan ketidakpuasan para pekerja di Toyota, sehingga makin banyak para pekerja yang mengundurkan diri dari perusahaan secara sukarela.

[Via http://kopirasaduren.wordpress.com]

Some low A60 Celica´s and Celica Supra´s

You don´t find these Celica´s lowered very often
Hope to own one of these some day!

[Via http://loveitlow.wordpress.com]

Used forklift 1.5 ton toyota

9000 hours around. Gear,clutch, all good condition fob Japan Yen170,000.- The photo taken 2 years agon, so now a bit run-down note.

It is running condition.

1.5 ton Gasoline. Only this forklift , please, no other forklift offered, because

I bught up another Forklift for my used car export job at which I run my yard.

Kuroyanagi Shouten Ltd Japan.
#510 Castle May, 3-1422 Ueda-Higashi
Tenpaku, Nagoya  Japan 468-0006
ks.nra30133@gmail.com
fax +81 52 803 1870
tel +81 90-1417-1403
http://111kuroyanagi1.wordpress.com/
http://nagoyajapan1.wordpress.com/
http://japancarexport.at.infoseek.co.jp/index.html
http://ukcanada.hp.infoseek.co.jp/GTR.html
http://kuroyanagikazuo.hp.infoseek.co.jp/index.html

If you need newer photos, let us know–I will send the photos of forklift-right now right away

[Via http://kuroyanagi1excavator.wordpress.com]

Keeping your car in Shape

Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent, though results vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done.

Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.

Fuel Economy Benefit: 4% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.11/gallon Keep Tires Properly Inflated You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.

The proper tire pressure for your vehicle is usually found on a sticker in the driver’s side door jamb or the glove box and in your owner’s manual. Do not use the maximum pressure printed on the tire’s sidewall.

Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 3% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.08/gallon Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives. Fuel Economy Benefit: 1-2% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.03-$0.05/gallon NEW INFORMATION:
Replacing a Clogged Air Filter on Modern Cars Improves Performance but Not MPG A new study shows that replacing a clogged air filter on cars with fuel-injected, computer-controlled gasoline engines does not improve fuel economy but it can improve acceleration time by around 6 to 11 percent. This kind of engine is prevalent on most gasoline cars manufactured from the early 1980s onward.

Tests suggest that replacing a clogged air filter on an older car with a carbureted engine may improve fuel economy 2 to 6 percent under normal replacement conditions or up to 14 percent if the filter is so clogged that it significantly affects drivability.

The effect of a clogged air filter on diesel vehicles will be tested in the near future.

Note: Cost savings are based on an assumed fuel price of $2.67/gallon. Data Sources

Information on the impact of air filter condition on fuel economy is based on a study by Kevin Norman, Shean Huff, and Brian West, Effect of Intake Air Filter Condition on Vehicle Fuel Economy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 2009.

Estimates for fuel savings from vehicle maintenance, keeping tires properly inflated, and using the recommended grade of motor oil based on Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc., Owner Related Fuel Economy Improvements, Arlington, Virginia, 2001.

**Some documents on this page are provided as Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. Any PDF file can be downloaded, viewed on screen, and printed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. This free software can be downloaded from the Adobe Web site. Installation and setup instructions are provided on this site.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.shtml

Peak Kia of Littleton
Toll Free (888) 606-5252

[Via http://peakkialittleton.wordpress.com]

Remember the 05 Hilux ad?

Watch the video here

Well I got this New Zealand personalised plate for my New Hilux after watching the advert. I did 11,000 kms touring the South Island chasing the Salmon run up and down the east and west coast and had heaps of comments, even had several photographs taken by various people who “got” the plate.

No longer have the Hilux, but still have the plate.

It’s for sale and could compliment your Hilux for $1000,00. If your keen leave  your details in the comment field below.. Cheers.!

[Via http://greggnotegg.wordpress.com]

LED Light solution for main compartment under center console

Since the main compartment under the central console is completely dark during the night and not even the reading lights can help, and since Toyota has thought that adding 2 LEDs for the footwell illumination was absolutely necessary, while instead digging with your hand in the compartment underneath the console guessing where your stuff is, while driving, is perfectly OK, I took matters in my hands and found a neat lighting solution, see pics for details. What do you think?
You can find more detail about the OSRAM DOT-it LED Light solution I used here.
I used the velcro solution to attach it (included from OSRAM), so that I can also use the light elsewhere in the car if necessary.
Where I put the LED light was the only section of plastic flat enough to keep the light stay put – everywhere else the plastic is too rounded and you do need a flat surface to put the DOT-it.

[Via http://prius3.wordpress.com]

Honda and Toyota: A number of World War I

Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are the two best-selling passenger cars sold in the United States. Who will be the first? Front draw and consumers have the opportunity to produce such results. Let us see what these car drivers to work with American pop look.

Regularly back up to 10 years ago, dominated by the Ford and Chevrolet top the U.S. auto market products. From the domestic giants series of moderate, poor quality of the modelForeign automobile manufacturers a unique opportunity to control the looting of the automotive market. Since then, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord have been fighting for a distant third to the first U.S. model.

Both the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry have noted the high quality, affordability, improve and durability. The agreement is two thin, although the Toyota Camry Solara cars such as stability, than the sports car version of the dynamic team-mate.

HondaAgreement: Year 2006, the Accord significant. Start over from scratch, the appearance of the agreement, even thinner than before, and she was inside a new instrument panel will update to upgrade a key factor in the cabin. Agreement on the base estimate of a 2.4-liter i – VTEC four-cylinder engine, 5-speed transmission. Double wishbone, front and side airbags and ABS only to the agreement of some default options. Base models start 18.225 U.S. dollarsAccord loaded with more than 20-year-old high retail.

Toyota Camry: 2006 Camry to l 16-valve DOHC 4-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual gearbox, coupled with a 2.4. Power windows, air conditioning, AM / FM / CD player, six speakers, is the most important function of a number of standard Camry. Base with a suggested retail price is $ 18445 full retail Camrys in the 20th century, the high 20s. Caramel in 2002, has recently been redesigned.

Turnover so far this yearShows that the fighting is very intense, and there may be only a few thousand sales, finally, between the two models. With the updated agreement is already mixed, Honda this year's battle to win the best opportunity.

[Via http://transmissionrepairmanual.wordpress.com]

Toyota Supra Information

Toyota Supra

The Toyota Supra is one of the greatest cars to ever come out of Japan and is internationally recognized as a sports car icon. Produced from 1979 until 2001 in Japan (only produced until 1998 in North America), each generation has remained a choice platform for tuners around the world. Every generation came with a high horse power inline six engine either naturally aspired, turbocharged or twin turbo charged. The Toyota Supras engines include the 5M-GE, 7M-GE, 7M-GTE, 1JZ-GTE, 2JZ-GE and the notorious 2JZ-GTE. Even today there isn’t a more popular generation, sure everyone wants a MK4 Toyota Supra but the MK2 and MK3 Supras have HUGE followings!

MKII Toyota Supra
Produced from 1982 until 1986 the second generation Toyota Supra (still known as the Celica Supra) came with a inline six 5M-GE with 175 horsepower. It had a boxy shape, flip up headlights and wide fender flares.

MKIII Toyota Supra
The Mark III Supra was introduced in mid 1986. In the first year it was only available with a 200HP 7M-GE engine. In 1987 the Toyota Supra made a Turbocharged model with a 230HP 7M-GTE, the new model came with turbo badges, R-154 transmission, rear spoiler and other accessories. In 1989 the Supra was semi-updated with a new front bumper, 3 piece tail lights, new trim, 3 piece rear spoiler and other minor accessories. In Japan, 1989 was also the year the Twin Turbo R edition was released, it sported a twin turbo high revving 1JZ-GTE power plant with 280HP. The 1JZ was downgraded to 2.5L which didn’t give it as much torque to power as the 7M did, but its the “smooth power” what won its owners over. Today, the 1JZ is a common swap for MK2 and MK3 Supras alike and are becoming more and more difficult to find a decent imported 1JZ. The MKIII Supra was made from 1986.5 to 1992.

MKIV Toyota Supra
Without a doubt the Mark IV Toyota Supra is one of, if not the car what defines the term “Japanese Sports Car”. It has the looks, control and the POWER. In 1993 the latest model Supra was released and has since been the poster car for the higher class import scene. Its been in countless movies, Its won many drag race series, show series, dyno challenges and has stolen the life out of countless muscle car owners on the highway. There is no denying how potent the 2JZ power plant is with its 320HP stock – remember this was in 1993 when most cars came with not even half of that! The twin turbo’s are usually the first list on the upgrade list for most tuners, there have been plenty of powerful twin turbo supras out there, but the easiest way to make power on the 2JZ is with a huge single turbocharger. Its a fairly simple task to pull out 700+HP on the 2JZ-GTE and there are quite a few Supras over 1000-1500+HP. The MKIV Supra continues to go up in value and many think its not fair, but simply put, its a SUPERCAR and for 30K+ its a steal. The Supra, sadly saw its last day in North America in 1998.

[Via http://bestautocar.wordpress.com]

Lowongan 2010 - PT Astra

PT.ASTRA International Tbk – TOYOTA ( known as AUTO 2000 ), the biggest Toyota Main Dealer in Indonesia with more than 70 branches around Indonesia, opening vacancy as :

INDUSTRIAL STAFF

Main Job :

• Handle Legal Law Compliance
• Handle Termination Management
• Maintain Employee Relationship

Qualification :

• Education background : Law Degree with GPA min. 2,8
• Preferably having experience in Law Firm for minimum 1 or 2 years
• Having Avocado License (SK Advokat) will be added value
• Must be proficient in English (written & active speaking)
• Excellent Communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills
• Willing to do work trip out of town

If you are interested, please send :

• Complete CV with your latest picture
• Your previous & current JOB DESCRIPTION in English

Before January 24th, 2010 to : recruitment, subject at your email : IR STAFF

[Via http://ragamkerja.wordpress.com]

Imitation is the sincerest flattery... NOT! How China elevates it to an art-form... ??

As Charles Caleb Colton once said: “Imitation is the sincerest of flattery”, and in China, the world’s largest manufacturing plant, this adage is adopted wholeheartedly… and literally to build brands. Drawing inspiration from the myriad of global brands that have made a name for themselves, and ones that understandably doing well in China, and have a strong brand recognition.

As demonstrated impeccably by Chinese-made car brand: Merry, a division of Geely. A little tinkering with Toyota’s logo of intertwined eclipses gives you an instant car logo.

After all, imitation is one of the oldest tricks in the book! In our recent modern history of industrialization, it was the underlying force that drove countries like Japan to rise from the ashes of Post-World War II and innovate their way into global dominance in electronics and automotive, among other economic sectors. Stories of Toyota engineers shipping in American-made Chevrolets, Buicks and Cadillacs by the boatload just after the war, abound. Dismantling the precious cargo, down to the minute nut and bolt, to understand what made these cars tick. Determined to use them as a blueprint and find innovation to make better cars. Fuel efficiency and smaller sized cars are probably the two innovations they introduced early on to the global stage.

The little Tiger Economies across Asia (starting with South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong) followed suit, manufacturing everything cars and computer mouse, drugs to detergents, and refrigerators to roof shingles.

Of course, it wouldn’t be fair to box all the newly industrialized countries as imitators. But to a degree, all countries, at some point in their “building-its-foundation-of-an-industrialized-nation” stage, were culpable of copying something. It could be argued that perhaps this was all done with a certain elegant aplomb. Comparing this to what is happening in China is quite another story.

China is literally twitching with international brands, and adopting them for their own domestic markets. Unfortunately very little adopting is done, except make everything from cheaper materials, keeping the look of the product, from the brand name to the physical appearance. China likens it to the fast route to brand building, in what they believe is “borrowing” the positive attributes that are intrinsincally attached to major global (read: Western and Japanese) brands. And voila! … Puff! A Mercedes Benz look-alike magically appears… fooling the eye!

Nowhere is this more evident than China’s Automotive Industry. The need to provide cars fast to a huge domestic market of car consumers who’ve evolved from bicycle to bike to car, faster than the time it takes most countries to clear land to build roadways!

So, welcome to the new world of imitation, China style. Which is more in-your-face, sheer “copy and paste” mentality. Ridiculously silly, its almost seems like an art-form. Enjoy the visual ride of the many examples in this blog.

Inspiration: Friskodude

[Via http://dianhasan.wordpress.com]

What I Want For Augmented Reality in 2010

I was going to expand on my predictions that Rouli had posted on Games Alfresco because, frankly, they were pretty lame (mine and not the other nine, those were good.)  But decided that there have been enough predictions for 2010.  So instead, I want to go over the things I want to happen in 2010 in regards to augmented reality.   

1. I want the Nexus One phone from Google to be untethered, cheap and make AR apps fun.

2. I want to be surprised by an AR ready HMD.

3. I want to see fun, creative AR games that are across all platforms and come at an affordable price. 

4. I want the AR inspection assist project I’m working on with Metaio to go flawlessly and for it to revolutionize the way we do difficult inspection job at Toyota and make it easier on our team members. 

5. I want Google Goggles to be a database that other programs can use for pattern recognition and markerless tracking.

6. I want to attend ISMAR10 even though its all the way over in South Korea.

7. I want the ISMAR09 presentations to be put up on YouTube so we can see all the great things that happened.

8. I want Apple to free their live video API for better AR on the iPhone.

9. I want to know what Neogence Enterprises has been working on all these years. 

10. I want to continue to make Games Alfresco the hands-down, defacto source for all your augmented reality news. 

So for all you programmers and entrepreneurs working on the latest in augmented reality tech, even though I may put up your YouTube video or link to your webpage and make semi-snarky comments about its usefulness or how its so-2009, I certainly appreciate your hard work.  Unless you were just mailing it in hoping to capitalize on the AR buzz, then you deserve it and then some.  For all of you in the former category, I leave you with my two favorite quotes to keep you going when things get tough:

All courses of action are risky, so prudence is no in avoiding danger (it’s impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively.  Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth.  Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer. 

   — Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

IT IS NOT THE CRITIC WHO COUNTS: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again…who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. 

   — Teddy Roosevelt

[Via http://gamesalfresco.com]