VW Polo coming to US

Oh, and while I'm on the subject, the VW Polo is slated to come to the US too.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/16/confirmed-vw-polo-coming-to-the-u-s/

Neat. Hope they include a TDI option.

Fiat 500 coming to US via Chrysler

Very cool. Hundreds of pounds lighter than Miata or Mini.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/26/fiat-chrysler-partnership-will-bring-7-new-models-to-u-s/

Apple iPhone documentation

A press release for a new iPhone SDK book says:

You’ll gain a complete understanding of objects such as view controllers, navigation controllers, and how to build professional looking user interfaces - explained in English, rather than the obfuscated language Apple writes their documentation in.

Hm, I think the Apple documentation is rather good. Not that I don't want to get a book or two as well.

Vista bake sale

There is an irony to Apple broadcasting an ad about Microsoft spending too much on an ads.

OpenOffice 3.0 released

OpenOffice 3.0 is officially available for download. The biggest thing (for me) is it has a full version for the Mac! (No X11 necessary.) Among other things, it supports Microsoft's OOXML document format, so you can open MS Office 2007 files. And the Mac version supports VBA script, which the current version of Mac MS Office doesn't even do. (Though I hear MS is restoring it for the next release.)

But the Mac version appears to be a little buggy. Hopefully those bugs will be fixed soon. Or we can wait for NeoOffice 3.0 to arrive.

Sweetening the bailout bill

After one spectacular failure, the $700 billion financial industry bailout found a second life Wednesday, speeding toward passage in the Senate and gaining ground in the House where conservative opposition seemed to soften.

Senators loaded the economic rescue bill with tax breaks and other sweeteners for the right and left, hoping to secure approval in the House by Friday

Lovely. So instead of just a $700 billion bill, we now have one with added "sweeteners". (Read: pork.) I'm sure glad we have politicians looking out for us. :\

Microsoft hiring Seinfeld

Microsoft's answer to Apple's "Get a Mac" ads.

Unhappy Android developers

Given the bumps in the road I've encountered developing for the iPhone, I can't say I'm entirely disappointed that Android developers are having a bit of a rough time as well.

But mainly because Android developers are wont to express what a bad idea it is to develop for a "closed environment" like the iPhone. Not because I'm into schedenfreud or anything. Really!

Liberal church shooting

Knoxville's police chief says the man accused of a shooting that killed two people at a Tennessee church targeted the congregation because of its liberal social stance.

Chief Sterling Owen IV said Monday that police found a letter in Jim D. Adkisson's car. Owen said Adkisson was apparently frustrated over being out of work and had a "stated hatred of the liberal movement." (AP)

Beautiful. I wonder what radio programs this guy regularly listened to. (I can guess.) If it is important to know what media teen shooters consume (playing shooters, listening to NIN, whatever), why not this guy?

End of an era

The Ford F-series pickup truck, which has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States for 26 years, was outsold by four fuel-efficient Japanese sedans in May.

NY Times