Yesterday I test drove the new Ford Transit Connect, which is might I say a darling design and keen concept small delivery van. It looks like a PT Cruiser married a small half bus/truck. See photos at www.ford.com “Transit Connect.” Having been successfully used in Europe for several years, it is now invading the shores of the United States. As a delivery van made especially for small business owners, and priced around $22,000, the Transit Connect is selling like hotcakes.
It handles well, has a basic interior, and has options for detailing the inside with every configuration of drawers and bins you can imagine. The demo video shows it in use with a produce company, a child home protection company, and a kayak company, which is what drew me in. In the back of my PT cruiser I have a “bin” for my journal stuff, a “bin” for my swimming gear, a “bin” for my biking gear, and a bin to hold some of my smaller bins. I have a bin for “dry cleaning” and a bin for “Donations.” I also have a bin for “library books.”
While this may sound almost compulsively organized for a wind, I assure you that it is not. It is an attempt to organize the stuff of my life, and keep it with me in mobile fashion. Who knows, for example, when I may get an urge to create a leather journal at the beach? And right after that ride my bike and then go for a swim? Having my things together with me allows me to live a larger life, I say to myself. It also saves times and energy. So….why not a delivery van? Then I could get bigger bins and buy bigger toys, or even maybe set up a small office in it, like Georgia O-Keefe did when she took out the backseat of her car and turned it into a mobile art studio.
(My therapist appointment is coming up, I assure you.)
The Transit Connect brochure says it is an ideal van for florists, caterers, dry cleaners, handymen, etc. The salesman who showed it to me says he is thinking about buying one to set up a mobile embroidery business on weekends. He and his wife could take it to trade shows in the area and do on the spot custom embroidery. The possibilities are ENDLESS!
Besides all that, I really like the way it looks. It is different. I could do a full graphic vehicle wrap and then have a traveling billboard, PLUS having all my goods with me. When I shared this with friends at dinner one of them asked “Are you sure you want people to know what you do, and where you live?”
I paused. First, I would have to figure out exactly what I do, and what I would put on it. “The Path. Find it. Live it. Love it.”
“How is my driving?”
Or “LBJ Journal Making. None for sale.” Or “Author driving. May make sudden stops or u-turns.”
All I am telling you is that Ford is on to something here. Like the millions of small business entreprenurs who can do it all, wherever they are.
Now, if they just make sure the brakes work, they may have themselves a winner.
Nebraska-born in 1886, Earl Cooper became a star just as the Golden Age of auto racing was dawning. Cooper’s illustrious racing career, in which he racked-up three National Championships (1913, 1915 & 1917) and 11 top 10 points finishes, all started in 1904– in an ironic and bittersweet twist.
It was 1904, and Cooper was on the West Coast working as a mechanic at a Maxwell auto dealership. Cooper was bitten by the racing bug, but when he appealed to the Maxwell dealership for sponsorship in a San Francisco race, he was refused. Turns-out his own boss was competing in the same race and did not welcome the friendly competition. So Cooper scoffed at the dealership’s snub, and somehow was able to convince a kind old woman to let him enter her brand new Maxwell in the race. Cooper soundly beat his boss– and just as quick, found himself unemployed. With nothing left to lose, he went on a racing tear, up and down the West Coast, where he was at times unstoppable.
Cooper joined the Stutz racing team in 1912, and just one year later went on to win the National Championship– racking up 2,610 points. Cooper dominated the scene that year, winning five of the eight major road races, along with one 2nd place finish.
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Earl Cooper and his riding mechanic in the Stutz car. Picture taken at Indianapolis 500 qualifying in 1919. (Indianapolis Motor Speedway photo. Noel Allard collection)
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In 1913, Cooper’s Hell-bent rival, Barney Oldfield, was driving for the Mercer team. The two battled fast and furious in a battle of skill and will on the track–
Cooper and Oldfield would run head-to-head at the Santa Monica Road Race, held on an eight-mile macadam course near the ocean. Oldfield blasted away from the starter’s flag and held a sizeable lead, but Cooper passed Tetzlaff for second and began running Oldfield down. With a 4-minute lead over Oldfield, one of Cooper’s tires blew out and he had to coast into the pits. As his riding mechanic struggled to get the wheel off, Oldfield roared past. Cooper jumped out of the driver’s seat and wrenched the wheel off, the tire was changed and the car back on the track to begin running down Oldfield once more. In his exuberance to stay ahead, this time Oldfield blew a tire and bumped into the pits as Cooper whisked past and on to the checkered flag as the winner.
On September 9, 1913, Cooper and Oldfield again met head-to-head on a 3-mile paved track that circled the town of Corona, California. Cooper, after experiencing the tire problem at Santa Monica, had cannily practiced on the course to find what maximum speed he could drive in order to not make any tire stops at all. He determined that if he drove 75 mph. for the entire race, he could do just that. Oldfield, hell-bent-for-leather, predicted that the race average would go to 90 mph. Oldfield set the pace from the start, over Cooper, Tetzlaff, DePalma and Spencer Wishart. He clocked an awesome 98 mph on one lap, but the track had started to break up from the pounding it was taking from the heavy cars. Oldfield burst a tire and Cooper inherited the lead. Oldfield was back on the track and again at speed when again, a young spectator ran onto the track in front of him. Oldfield swerved to avoid the lad and crashed heavily, injuring several people and himself. Cooper won again and would go on to take his first AAA National Championship.
–Noel Allard
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Earl Cooper in action at the start of a race in 1925, Laurel, Maryland.
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1915 was another banner year, as Cooper battled back from health issues that had kept him largely sidelined in 1914. He won the first race of 1915 at Point Loma, California, then was forced to take time off from racing due to his health for the early part of the season. He scored points at Indianapolis with a 4th place finish, along with another 4th place finish at Maywood, IL, and two 2nd place finishes at Tacoma, WA. Cooper also managed 2nd in a 50-lap invitational on the Chicago board track. He followed that with a win in one of two events at Elgin, IL, and at a 500-mile race on the cement speedway at Fort Snelling, MN, outside Minneapolis. He also won three 100-mile non-points-awarding races in the West to close the season.
On May 26, 1925, Earl Cooper became the first driver to exceed 110 mph at the famed speedway in Indianapolis when he drove his Junior 8 to 110.728 mph in an official qualification lap. The record didn’t last long. He was eclipsed later in the day by Harry Hartz with a speed of 112.994 mph and again the same day by Peter DePaolo at 114.285 mph in a Duesenberg.
He also set a four-lap qualifying record at 110.487 mph in 1925, but was topped by Hartz, DePaolo and eventual pole sitter Leon Duray in a Miller at 113.196 mph.
Earl Cooper’s impressive racing career lasted until 1927. But retirement did not mean an end to racing– Cooper spent several years as a team manager. Along with his loyal mechanic over the years, Reeves Dutton, they built three front-drive Cooper racing cars, one of which competed at Indianapolis into the 1940s. Earl Cooper died on Oct. 22, 1965 in Atwater, CA, at the age of 79.
To get to the bot screen, you must launch the game.
1. Type Bot ID and PW that you have created, then click login.
2. Load: Load a saved Configuration File.
Save: Save the current Configuration File
Start: Start botting
Training Arrange: Botting range round the current coordinate.
No KS: Don’t kill steal.
3. Potions, back town condition setting, type, and the amount of potions you want to buy.
4. Set the priority skill, recommend “intelligence release”, then it will auto-estimate the attact range and overtime.
5. Set the saved coordinate as botting spot when there is not script. When there is a script, it will bot based on the script.
6. When the long range occupation release skill – we recommend that you set the pick up range up to 30.
7. The pick, storage, sell setting support the search and the search range setting.
8. Choose the script you’ve recorded.
9. Record script.
1) Run to the relive spot, click start
2) Run from the relive spot to sell spot, click “set the current as sellspot”. Copy the content of A(NPC’s name) to the input box.
3) If you want to store, you have to run to the storage spot, click”set current spot as storage spot”, copy the content of A(npc’s name) to the input box.
4) Run to the botting spot, click stop and saved. Record script is done
notice: Use your mouse to run when record script. Pick next destination when your character stops.
AUSTIN, TEXAS (Press Release) March 16, 2010 – AIAT has a long standing reputation of standing for the independent insurance agent since 1993. Our association has a commitment to provide independent agents a forum for open discussion, formulate educational programs, and provide legislative representation. As a demonstration of that commitment, we have launched a completely redesigned, interactive website at www.aiat.org.
The new design was specifically devoted to provide a more comprehensive source of insurance information and services for prospects and our current membership. In-depth information for the insurance industry professional can be obtained through the useful articles, events section, and a news center posted on the site. The site features a modern look and streamlined site navigation.
The site is provided and hosted by Insurance Technologies Corporation through their Insurance Website Builder. Insurance Website Builder, the premier insurance agency website, was designed specifically for insurance agents to have a fully interactive, lead generating online presence. We want to extend our thanks to ITC for their continued commitment to our association and the independent agent.
AIAT aims to provide a social network for independent agents, carriers, and vendors to meet and explore avenues to make our industry better. Visit our site at www.aiat.org for more information.
Gama pe deplin completă de sarcini produse de curăţare specifice pentru sectorul de transport commercial. Echipamentele profesionale sunt o condiţie esenţială pentru rezolvarea sarcinilor rapid şi eficient. Acest lucru este, de asemenea, relevant atunci când vehiculele rutiere sunt curăţare. Din acest motiv, VIKAN a dezvoltat cea mai cuprinzătoare, pentru folosinţă îndelungată şi la preţuri competitive o serie de sarcini si instrumente de curăţare specifice pentru sectorul transporturilor. Fiecare instrument este unic creat pentru intervalul sau – şi în colaborare cu – utilizatorii profesionişti în sectorul de transport. Cu instrumente de curăţare mai multe de 70 la numar, VIKAN permite tuturor sarcinilor de curăţare să fie efectuate într-un timp mai scurt şi cu cele mai bune rezultate posibile. VIKAN oferă o gamă largă de produse atractive de calitate, inovatoare şi desene sau modele funcţionale pentru curăţenie: - Vagoane Touring, Oras Autobuze, Camioane Comerciale & Vans, trenuri de căi ferate, aeronave comerciale şi de autoturismele personale
Ke kesukaan mengembara terus-menerus tidak ada pilihan lain tetapi untuk dibawa ke jalan. Yah satu juta orang lain akan dealer pulsa termurah mengatur untuk transit jadi saat mobil menjadi rumah sementara kadang-kadang bahkan Dealer Pulsa Electrik dibaptis dengan sebuah nama itu harus dilengkapi dengan aksesori hanya sebagai kebutuhan rumah yang harus disediakan. Biarkan perusahaan Anda diketahui ke kerumunan pemilik mobil. Browse melalui dealer mobil pilihan penawaran promosi untuk mendapatkan promosi yang otomatis aksesoris mobil utama kebutuhan. Produk pemasaran Anda akan berada di sana untuk mereka ketika kunci hilang ketika sebuah ban berjalan datar atau ketika mobil hanya perlu Daftar Dealer Pulsa deodorized. Dealer mobil pasokan promosi bahkan dapat berbagi dengan teman-teman. Lebih dari Bisnis Dealer Pulsa sekadar iklan bisnis Anda aksesoris mobil promosi ini menunjukkan bahwa Anda adalah sebuah perusahaan untuk berbelok ke bila ada sesuatu yang penyaradan. Billboard klien hanya menangkap amp perhatian namun Dealer Pulsa Telkomsel bermanfaat aksesoris mobil terpercaya pengalaman ini membuat pelanggan merasa bahwa Anda mendapatkan mereka kembali saat mereka keluar di jalan.
Promosi besar situs-situs seperti jaminan Branders.com perintah anda dealer promosi otomatis penawaran dan promosi aksesoris otomatis akan kapal Dealer Pulsa Tronik pada tanggal kami dijanjikan atau mereka Dealer Isi Pulsa akan GRATIS. Pembelian dealer pulsa termurah lebih dari layak untuk mendapat GRATIS sampel otomatis pasokan promosi dealer pilihan Anda. Anda juga mendapatkan off jika pertama kali Anda untuk mendapatkan barang-barang promosi dari kami.
Waktu berikutnya Anda berencana untuk membeli grosir grosir perlengkapan promosi otomatis selalu mencari penawaran yang terbaik yang merupakan item yang sempurna pada harga terendah.
Yesterday we made it out to Gastonia, N.C to meet with 3-time Cup Champion David Pearson and make for certain that there wasn’t any issues with the seat we had for him. The seat had been mounted in the car and equipped with Mitigator to help against the vibrations and impacts that come with racing at Bristol Motor Speedway. Only small changes were needed to the seats location. The steering column is a little closer to him then he would like. So we need to make a few small adjustments to make him as comfortable in the car as possible. Otherwise the car is pretty well ready for the SCOTT’s EZ Seed Showdown on march 20th. Pearson will be piloting the Mitigator Ford Fusion against NASCAR greats like Cale Yarborough, Harry Gant, Jack Ingram, Dave Marcis, and Tommy Houston to just name a few. The action kicks off March 20th at 5:30 on ESPN. Make sure you tune in and root on David Pearson in the Mitigator Ford Fusion!
by Acura Tustin, CA, March 10, 2010 – DCH Tustin Acura Sales Consultant Sean Lee was recently honored by the Acura division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., for achieving Gold Level status in the 2009 Council of Sales Excellence recognition program. In addition, Kalolo Toafa and Wolos Safi of the same dealership were awarded Silver Level status. These prestigious designations are bestowed only on Acura Sales Consultants who exemplifies professionalism in all aspects of their sales performance. The Acura Council of Sales Excellence program is an annual effort to promote the development of Sales Consultants throughout Acura dealerships nationwide. The program recognizes Sales Consultants who excel at enhancing the client buying experience. Sales volume, client satisfaction, and professional knowledge are the program measures used to judge Sales Consultants’ ability to best serve their Acura clients. The 2009 Gold and Silver Level members exceeded their given objectives in all three categories and serve as tested leaders at their dealerships. This is the fifth year Sean Lee has been named a Gold member of the council of Sales Excellence. He was one of the 189 out of nearly 2,000 Acura Sales Consultants to achieve Gold level membership in 2009. Sean Lee has been a part of the sales staff at DCH Tustin Acura in Tustin, CA for nine years. “Sean and his teammates Kalolo and Wolos have earned many repeat and referral business from their current clients because of their courteous and professional services. Many of them have become their trusted friends who would not buy cars from anyone else,” said Dick Hsu, General Manager of DCH Tustin Acura. The dealership itself is a repeat winner of Dealer of Excellence from J.D. Power, and Dealership of Distinction from the Acura franchise.
Just finished reading an AP article written by Elliot Spagat about the Toyota Prius that James Sikes claimed had suffered from unintended acceleration on a California highway. It was an interesting read to say the least!
According to the report investigators from Toyota and the federal government could not replicate the problem. Also reported was that the back up system that is supposed to return the engine to idle speed when the brake and gas pedals are pressed at the same time worked as designed.
Wonder how Sikes could drive with the gas and brake pedals depressed and hit over 90 miles an hour with the engine at idle speeds? Seems kind of fishy to me!
Another interesting item in the article was not that the front brake pads had been worn away, but looked like they had worn away from being appied intermittently. Would it have taken Mr. Sikes 20 minutes of highway driving and intermittent brake application to wear out the front brakes? Sounds plausible to me. Once the trooper showed up he put the car in neutral and shut the engine off. Yep, it took a whole 20 minutes to do something the 911 operator told him to do 20 minutes earlier. IMHO this guy was out to capitalize on Toyota’s recall and planned the entire event.
If you have time to do some additional research on the web you might come across a story about Mr. James Sikes is behind on payments to Toyota for the lease of his Prius. I don’t know if these stories are true or not, or if they are the same gentleman, but if they are, they open up a whole new can of worms. Did Mr. Sikes want to get out from under the lease payments by staging the runaway Prius event? Who really knows what the truth is except Mr. Sikes. If he did stage this event he should be prosecuted to the maximum extent provided by the law. Endangering other drivers and the trooper that responded to his call is not something to be taken lightly. I only hope that this was not a publicity stunt, but have my doubts.
The first winner in this year’s Porsche Mobil1 Supercup is René Rast from Germany. Competing for Al Faisal Lechner Racing, the vice-champion of 2009 claimed honours in a fiercely-contested season-opener with the new 911 GT3 Cup, and was handed the winner’s trophy from Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. Stefan Rosina (Lechner Racing) from Slovakia was awarded the trophy for second place by Wolfgang Dürheimer, Porsche Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development. Third place went to Jan Seyffarth (Germany) driving for VELTINS MRS Racing.
On the Bahrain International Circuit, pole-sitter René Rast edged clear of the field and controlled the race to the flag. Behind him, Stefan Rosina won the start sprint over Britain’s Nicholas Tandy (Konrad Motorsport) and caught the front-runner in the final laps to put him under pressure. Jan Seyffarth put in a spirited drive over many laps in a duel with the Dutch title defender Jeroen Bleekemolen (Al Faisal Lechner Racing), and after overtaking the double Supercup champion in a breathtaking manoeuvre Seyffarth then proceeded to pass the Supercup newcomer Nicholas Tandy.
With the 911 GT3 Cup fielded by SANITEC/GILTRAP Racing, Christian Engelhart (Germany) occupied sixth place behind Nicholas Tandy and Jeroen Bleekemolen. Driving for the new Abu Dhabi by tolimit squad, Sascha Maassen (Germany), who has won many long distance races as Porsche works driver, saw the flag in seventh. The Porsche specialist’s younger teammate Sean Edwards from Great Britain followed him over the finish line in eighth. Rounding of the top ten was Supercup winner of 2005, Alessandro Zampedri from Italy competing for Lechner Racing, and Robert Lukas (V Racing Team) from Poland.
Drivers’ comments
René Rast (winner): “I’m naturally very happy to win the season-opener. I got away very well at the start and could pull away somewhat in the first two laps. Towards the end things got tight again because I had several problems with the car. We’ll have to do something about this before tomorrow’s race, but we’re making good strides.”
Stefan Rosina (second): “Second place is a great success that the team deserves. We worked very hard for this having tested a great deal and heading into the season very well prepared. I hope this start gives us even more motivation for a successful year.”
Jan Seyffarth (third): “My start wasn’t too bad, but I still lost a position. Nevertheless, I managed to achieve third place and I’m very pleased with this result. I had a similar duel with Jeroen Bleekemolen here two years ago when I didn’t manage to pass him, this time it worked. I hope that’s a good omen for Sunday.”
Statistics
Race result
1. René Rast (GER), Al Faisal Lechner Racing, 25:52.419 minutes
2. Stefan Rosina (SVK), Lechner Racing, + 0.331 seconds
3. Jan Seyffarth (GER), VELTINS MRS Racing, + 2.536
4. Nicholas Tandy (GBR), Konrad Motorsport, + 4.623
5. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED), Al Faisal Lechner Racing, + 7.788
6. Christian Engelhart (GER), SANITEC/GILTRAP Racing, + 12.089
Drivers’ classification after 1 of 10 rounds 1. René Rast (GER), 22 points
2. Stefan Rosina (SVK), 18
3. Jan Seyffarth (GER), 16
4. Nicholas Tandy (GBR), 14
5. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED), 12
6. Christian Engelhart (GER), 10
Round 2 of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup takes place on 14th March also as support to the Bahrain Grand Prix.
252 Ferry Porsche Prize Winners Honored at the Weissach Development Center
Stuttgart/Weissach. The Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, and the Baden-Wurttemberg Ministry for Culture, Youth and Sport jointly honored the 252 Ferry Porsche Prize winners at the Weissach Development Center yesterday evening. This prize has been awarded to the best students graduating from high school with majors in mathematics and physics/technology at general and vocational high schools in Baden-
Wurttemberg since 2001. The objective of the Ferry Porsche Prize is to increase the attractiveness of mathematics and natural sciences and to fill future university students with enthusiasm for studying engineering.
Michael Macht, CEO of Porsche AG, emphasized the importance of education, knowledge and qualification in his talk to the young women and men who graduated high school in 2009. “The raw material of ‘knowledge’ is the thing that drives the German economy, keeps the companies based in Germany competitive internationally and consequently ensures the prosperity of our society. This is the reason why it is imperative that young people prepare for the challenges of professional life with the best qualifications possible.” Mr. Macht emphasized that the technological and scientific knowledge is especially in high demand on the job market today.
Baden-Wurttemberg’s Culture Minister, Prof. Dr. Marion Schick, corroborated the significance of sciences and technology for German companies. “I am especially pleased to be able to honor young people for their interest and performance in the area of mathematics and science. Ideas and inventions are very important for the future of our country. Innovative and motivating science and technology lessons in schools are an important prerequisite for ensuring that we also have sufficient engineers in our country in the future,” the Minister stated. The Ferry Porsche Prize is a positive example for the joint efforts of educational policy and the business world: “Schools and companies do not stand separately alongside one another, but instead approach one another,” Professor Schick emphasized.
The Ferry Porsche Prize is named after the founder of Porsche Sports Cars, who died in 1998. Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, youngest son of Ferry Porsche and Chairman of the Supervisory Board, again congratulated the prize winners personally this year. In his speech, he appealed to the high school graduates: “We need young people who are willing to study engineering, so that we in Germany are also able to build internationally competitive cars in the future. And by “we” I do not mean Porsche alone, but instead the entire German automotive industry, including the innovative, small and medium-sized component supplier companies.”
The highlight of the ceremony in Weissach was the raffling of five scholarships for internships abroad. The lucky winners are: Susanne Hirsch (Erasmus Widmann Gymnasium, Schwäbisch Hall), Lara Angelika Gayer (Königin-Katharina-Stift, Stuttgart), Tamara Buck (Gymnasium Ebingen, Albstadt), Maximilian Ruhland (Kurfürst-Friedrich-Gymnasium, Heidelberg), Marcel Menner (Jörg-Zürn-Gewerbeschule, Überlingen) und Daniel Möhrle (Kreisgymnasium, Riedlingen). They have the chance in the summer of 2010 to complete a four-week internship at a sales subsidiary of Porsche in a foreign country.
Renato has posted another rare and interesting Porsche living in Brazil. This one is a 993 GT2 that was heavily modified for track use. The body has been lightened to 2,646 lbs and the twin turbo flat 6 has been increased to 3.8 liters and is putting out 669 hp. I’ll bet this thing is a hand full to drive.
To see more pictures and a couple of videos please visit: Garagen do Bellote
At this point, those of us with any knowledge at all of social media probably agree that it’s not going away. Therefore, ignoring social media is not sensible option. So for prudent insurers, the focus must be on how to make use of the information vortex swelling from social media networks. For now, it’s just a really loud, mixed conversation—a bit like standing in the middle of a large, outdoor concert crowd. How can insurers sort the wheat from the chaff in the cloud of noise resounding from social networks?
Early examples of insurers’ attempts to “listen” to the crowd appear to be haphazard, if not accidental. In 2009, a Canadian woman was denied future disability payments after her insurer found evidence on Facebook contradicting her disability. We will probably see more and more examples of insurers using information found on social media sites in claims investigations, and those that are dishonest will either find life harder or get more innovative.
Indeed, claims investigations and even underwriting, which are both information-collecting exercises will likely find valuable uses for information volunteered by individuals on the Web. Much like employers now do informal background checks on potential employees by looking at their social media profiles, insurers can be expected to do the same sort of reconnaissance on their current and potential and insureds. But will social medial information only be useful on an individual, case-by-case basis? Can we learn more about the crowd too?
Learning from the Crowd Today
The price of an insurance product (often referred to as the “premium”) is the result of many things. It reflects market conditions, the insurer’s expense scale, profit expectation, and information about the target market of insureds. The core part of the “information” component is based on the probability of outcomes. For a term life product, the probabilities are in the form of mortality rates, which are simply probabilities of death. For a health insurance product, morbidity rates reflecting the probability of illness or disability are used.
Conventionally, these probabilities have been determined by a combination of industry studies and the company’s own experience. Rates are developed based on patterns of outcomes. For example, by observing how many of their insureds have died year by year, a company can develop an idea of the future likelihood of death for various groups of insureds (males, females, smokers, nonsmokers, etc.). The higher the expected mortality rate, the higher the premium.
As you might have guessed, companies with the best information about their insureds make the best guesses about future outcomes, and consequently, price their premiums the most effectively. Good information is important not only to the financial success and solvency of the insurance company, but also necessary to provide sufficient benefits to claimants at a fair and competitive price.
Learning from the Crowd Tomorrow
A common joke describes an insurance company as a car: “the president is driving, marketing has its foot on the gas, underwriting has its foot on the brakes, and the actuary is looking out the rear view mirror screaming directions.”
While we’ll never be able to tell the future, we can try to tilt the rear view mirror closer to the present. This is where social media will be helpful. In fact auto insurers are just beginning to tilt their rear view mirrors by using crowd-listening tools like Telematics, a technology that allows the insurer to harvest valuable information about driving habits as well as provide customers with additional services on-the-go.
It’s not unreasonable to imagine a day when macro studies of human online social behavior might aid insurers in their quest for the best probabilities available. Social media profiles and interaction patterns among people online will provide an unprecedented view of human behavior at both low and high levels.
The “market information” component I mentioned above can also be augmented by social media information. Imagine if Company ABC notices that the customers of Company XYZ, ABC’s key competitor, are not very happy about some product feature or level of customer services. (People can be very vocal online if things aren’t going their way.) Services like Twitter make it possible to broadcast rants quickly and cheaply. ABC would be able to adjust their marketing efforts to capitalize on the opportunity.
It will be interesting to see if—or rather how quickly—insurers are able to glean information from the crowd that can be used to more effectively price insurance products and aid competitive strategies. It’s a data mining exercise of finding patterns and connecting the dots. For better or worse, technology will eventually arrive that makes the dot connecting easy, though it’s a seemingly impossible task today. A company called Narus is already working on an technology that will aid government in catching criminals who are operating anonymously online. It’s conceivable that the same technology could be used to data mine social networks for insurance and other intelligence uses.
From the Customer’s View
If you’re not an insurance company, but rather the customer of one, this may seem unsettling. The idea that insurance companies are “spying” on you is not comforting. I have two main thoughts to offer on this. First, more consumer education is needed to make people aware of the consequences of broadcasting their lives online. Insurance is the least of your worries if you tell the world everything about yourself. Second, the era we’re entering will not only shed more light on your behavior as a customer but also that of insurance companies.
Web 2.0 is not a one-way mirror. Increased transparency will reward the most ethical companies and be punitive for those that that the public perceives as exploitative.
One thing is certain to me: as the public becomes more aware of the economic consequences of publicizing their lives, habits will change. And this is by no means a bad thing. Much like people are incentivized today to adopt healthier life styles to qualify for more affordable health or life insurance, the Web 2.0 era could accelerate this even more.
For example, people who frequently discuss their exercise habits online can be expected to have better health than those that talk about eating cookies. People that like to update public social media sites while on vacation are probably more likely to be robbed.
By putting more of an economic spotlight on people’s behaviors, they may find more reason to change bad habits.
Insurance is very much a social necessity, and is arguably as old as humanity. Before we fully judge the era we’re entering, we should ask the question: is too much information a bad thing? Yes, it’s a loaded question and depends entirely on context, but with insurance, information can have powerful, positive effects: Companies are able to provide fairer, higher quality, more customized products and consumers are better informed on the choices.
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cosmosfan/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Wir haben unsere Fuehrerscheine!! Das sind gute Nachrichten. Denn jetzt koennen wir endlich Autos kaufen. Donnerstag haben wir nochmal die Reise gemacht. Zum DMV. Department of Motor Verhicles. Eine Nummer gezogen und erstmal gewartet. Die Geschwindigkeit, mit der dort gearbeitet wird, entspricht der in so mancher deutscher Behoerde. Zu guter Letzt hat uns ein netter Herr verkuendet, alles sei klar, und er entschuldige sich, dass man uns nicht schon frueher benachrichtigt hat. ????????? Waehrend er unsere Akten gesucht hat, die Unterlagen sortiert hat und alles elektronisch erfasst hat und wieder die Unterlagen sortiert hat und wieder etwas in den Computer getippt hat, haben wir uns ausgesprochen nett unterhalten, erfahren, dass es in Philadelphia einmal im Jahr eine Beer Week gibt, er alleinerziehender Vater ist, Motorrad faehrt und sehr nett ist. Dann hat er uns zum Fotoschalter geschickt, die haben Fotos von uns gemacht und nach 2 Minuten hielten wir unsere vorlaeufigen Fuehrerscheine in Haenden – richtige Ausweiskarten im Scheckkartenformat. So ganz ist die Geschichte noch nicht zu Ende. Denn innerhalb der naechsten zwei Wochen sollen wir die endgueltigen Fuehrerscheine zugeschickt bekommen. Wenn das nicht passiert, soll ich mich telefonisch melden………..
Nach dem anstrengenden Besuch beim DMV waren wir so ermattet, dass wir unbedingt eine Kohlehydrate-Fett-Infusion brauchten. Also sind wir in einen Burgerladen gegangen. „Cheeburger“. Motto dort: „Big IS Better“. Da gibt’s das Angebot, sich fotografieren zu lassen, wenn man einen Einpfuender isst (Kinder einen Halbpfuender). Davon haben wir dann doch Abstand genommen. Mein Mahi-Steak war richtig gut. Der Salat auch. Und alles Fleisch ist dort „All Natural“. Na, wer sagt’s denn.
Hier haben einige den Winter ziemlich satt. Markus traeumt noch vom Skifahren (klappt aber sowieso nicht mehr, weil er gestern beim Joggen umgeknickt ist und jetzt einen dicken Knoechel hat), aber ich will jetzt keinen Schnee mehr, sondern gruen und warm und Blumen und Sonne. Zwei Freundinnen – Sharon und Jutta – und ich sind heute auf der 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show gewesen. Um einen Vorgeschmack auf den Fruehling zu bekommen. Das Motto war „Passport to the World“. Vieles war sehr, sehr schoen. Manches ganz wunderbar. Einiges merkwuerdig. Wie zum Beispiel der bayerische Biergarten. Die gruenen Pilsflaschen gehoeren da nicht wirklich hin. Aber immerhin gab’s Masskruege.
Zum Bier noch etwas: Wir haben hier in der Naehe, in einem Ort namens Kennet Square (hatte ich schonmal erwaeht, ist die Pilzhauptstadt der Welt), das „Half Moon Restaurant & Saloon“. Mit einer Bierkarte, die nicht so entscheidungsfreudige Menschen komplett ueberfordert. Mehrere Seiten lang. Wir haben jetzt mal angefangen, uns da durch zu trinken. Ich kann bisher vom Cider und vom belgischen Lindeman’s Framboise berichten. Beides schmeckt ausgezeichnet. Clarissa hatte das englische Young’s Chocolate Stout – der Name ist Programm. Ich hab’s probiert. Das bestell ich das naechste Mal. Schokolade macht gluecklich.
Astazi m-am plictisit al naibii de tare. Ma dadeam si eu pe net si nu gaseam nimic interesant. Pe stirileprotv.ro am gasit-o pe blonda Gina si nu orice Gina, Gina Pistol care povesteste despre primul ei sarut si despre viata ei amoroasa.. boring! give me a break tanti Gina! apoi tot la astia de la PROTv am vazut cum un meteorit i-a speriat pe cei din Slovacia, apropo pt nenea de la PROTv video cu meteoritul l-am vazut de 2 luni pe youtube, deci nu e actual. Pe evz.ro ne tot vrajesc cu drive test-ul de la Duster, au bagato si astia umpic in noroi si gata au zis ca acuma e SUV(doar suntem romani, ce pana mea?!) ahh si sa nu uita despre asa zisul “radar-minune” cumparat de politia romana “care nu poate fi detectat de nici un detector radar” se laudau ei, lasati-o moale fratilor asteptati sa treaca o luna, doua si vedeti cum noi si iara noi detectoare de radar o sa apara, deci nu faceti deja spume la gura.. lasati-o usor! ahh si sa nu uitam! Azi se implinesc 33 de ani de la cutremurul din ‘77, specialistii spun ca zona vrancei v-a putea fi lovita de un nou cutremur, parca ei ar sti cand o sa fie unul… loseri! Pe sport.ro si 9am.ro nici nu mai intru .. ele se pot lua fain frumos de manuta si sa se duca amandoua in cuba sa vanda mititei , bere si gogosi acolo! Mna asta e frate, ce sa-i faci?! Traim in Romania si asta ne ocupa tot timpul! Hai ceao!
Got this new idea. Just thought I’d throw it out there and see what you all think.
Introducing iDash. The revolutionary auto device from Apple. Forget having to connect an iPod via cable to listen to music in your car. All you need is WiFi and iTunes and of course, a car!
When you pull up in your driveway, the songs, albums, podcast etc… you have checked in your iTunes automatically syncs to your iDash, just like MobileMe for an iPhone.
I figure you can have a small add on on your dash like GPS that connects to your radio OR you can have a complete deck replacement kit so you have an actual iDash where your old car deck was.
There are only a very small handful of hybrid and/or electric vehicles that make my heart skip a beat. The new Porsche 918 Spyder concept car is one of those vehicles that simply is in a class all by itself. According to Chuck Squatriglia at wired.com,
…Porsche’s making some big big claims with the 918 Spyder, saying it will do zero to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds, top out at 198 mph and lap the famed Nurburgring in 7.5 minutes, beating even the incredible Carrera GT. All that acceleration comes from the aforementioned V-8 and an electric motor at each end putting down a combined 218 horsepower. Porsche cites 500 horsepower for the car, and we’re guessing that includes the engine and motors combined…
At this point, those of us with any knowledge at all of social media probably agree that it’s not going away. Therefore, ignoring social media is not sensible option. So for prudent insurers, the focus must be on how to make use of the information vortex swelling from social media networks. For now, it’s just a really loud, mixed conversation—a bit like standing in the middle of a large, outdoor concert crowd. How can insurers sort the wheat from the chaff in the cloud of noise resounding from social networks?