January 26, 2019, T+26, Part 2, Day 1 Of Negotiations

Nissan. Wow. For quite some time now, I've been talking about Nissan making inroads across Texas. Huge inroads. Nissan seems to have a model in absolutely every niche. Three times out of four when I'm rending from Enterprise, I get a Nissan and am always impressed. Most recently, the Nissan Altima and before that, Nissan Rogue. I loved the Nissan Rogue. Could be my next car but I doubt I will give up the Honda Civic for a Rogue. If I lived in the mountains, no question.

Diesel truck battle: look at this. Diesel truck battle between F-150 diesel and the Nissan Titan XD. Nissan has an entrant in literally every niche. My hunch: Ford will come close to losing its braggin rights to most pick-up trucks sold in its F-150 class sooner than later. Even if I'm wrong, it's an open-book test. Best time to buy an F-150 -- just before the annual sales figures come out. Ford will do whatever it takes to keep those bragging rights. At the linked story:

• the 3.0-liter diesel V-6
• years ago in the Winnebago Via, an RV built on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis
• that RV engine in a Ram EcoDiesel some years later; how now disappeared
• but now, two new pickup trucks with huge diesel engines: F-150 and Nissan Titan XD
• the new F-150; uses a UK-built 3.0 liter diesel V-6, basically the same one used in the Range Rover
• 250 HP,  440 lb-ft of torque
• not as powerful as the standard-issue 3.5 liter EcoBoost V-6: 375 HP and 470 lb-ft
• hooked to Ford's excellent ten-speed automatic, co-developed with GM
• the Nissan Titan XD
• elaborate Fender audio system (new feature introduced in 2019)
• 5.0-liter Cummins V-8: 310 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque
• no wonder it's called a Titan
• but Titan's towing capacity limited by Titan's massive weight
• towing capacity:
• Nissan Titan XD: 12,710 lbs; payload, 2,490 pounds
• F-150 diesel: 11,400 lbs, 1,940 pounds

Measles outbreak, a US declaration of emergency. Gee, I wonder how this happened? Link here. Data points:

• Washington state; state of emergency; two dozen people affected (actually 26); mostly children
• disease was eliminated in the US in 2000
• comeback tied to imported cases (thank you Mr Obama) and anti-vaccine movement (thank you Mr Hatch)
• outbreak began near Portland, OR (wow, color me surprised)

Apple: an op-ed on the iPhone in The New York Times; interesting reading; not sure what to maek of it; premise:

Mr. Jobs seemed to understand the iPhone as something that would help us with a small number of activities — listening to music, placing calls, generating directions. He didn’t seek to radically change the rhythm of users’ daily lives. He simply wanted to take experiences we already found important and make them better.

The minimalist vision for the iPhone he offered in 2007 is unrecognizable today — and that’s a shame.

Alexa: it would be interesting to see some good metrics comparing all aspects of Alexa vs Siri. I don't use Siri at all. I use Alexas. I don't use Apple maps; I use google maps. And I'm Apple's fan boy #3.

Echo Dot. I love the Echo Dot. Our daughter gave us two at Christmas, and then gave us a third when her husband said four in their huge house was one too many. In fact, I would argue that in their huge house, four is two too few.

The next big thing: I think nursing homes should put an Alexa in every private room. And, now, I learn Echo Dot has "drop in" capabilities. Apparently I can ask Alexa to "drop in" on friends or family that have an Echo Dot. If they happen to be within voice range of their own Alexa, we essentially have "intercom-connectivity" even across the country, or around the world. Years ago, Sprint marked "intercom-capability." That seemed to have gone by the wayside; the concept was resurrected by Amazon. The "drop-in" feature would be perfect in nursing homes for untold number of reasons.

Mothers-in-law: would love the "drop-in" feature. LOL.