For Sale: Aptera, The Car of the Future

by Adrienne Markovic

Gas prices are up and rising. Human overindulgence and waste are escalating as the population continues to grow. Recently the clever people at Aptera have come up with a solution to at least one out of two of these issues with their futuristic ride. Just looking at the Aptera one would think that it is some far-out concept car millennia away from the production line and more apt to be in a live action movie of the Jetson's. The Aptera is taking the auto industry's talk about a more efficient car and putting into action.

The company's mission statement is "to make the most fuel-efficient vehicle the world has ever seen, and to make it stylish, incredible safe, and fun to drive". (Aptera.com 2008) Aptera began their mission five years ago and, in record speed, have two models of car ready for the production line this year. The Typ-1 is currently taking pre-orders now. Aptera currently comes in two versions, the hybrid and the all-electric. The electric only will cost $26,900 and the hybrid will cost $29,900. The Aptera will only be available in the state of California initially. This is because the only Aptera service centers are only in California currently.

The Aptera is a three-wheeled vehicle that looks like a bubble. This body was engineered to eliminate as much drag as possible. The most revolutionary aspect of the car is the performance. This is no mere glorified golf cart. This car can go up to 90 mph and can go from 0-60 in ten seconds. The battery can be charged in 2-4 hours or overnight at the approximate cost of $1 to $2. Perhaps the best thing about this car is that it gets 300 miles per gallon. The efficiency is the car 's major selling points, but the perks do not end there.

It is not just a car for those in the population under 5'. This car can comfortably fit someone up to 6'1". What's even better is that because this car is has three wheels, it is allowed to go in the HOV lanes as a single occupancy vehicle, just like motorcycles. However, you do not need a special license to drive as you would with a motorcycle because it is an enclosed vehicle. It is also equipped with all the modern conveniences such as a CD/MP3 player and a touch screen navigation system. It has a RFID keyless ignition just like the latest and greatest luxury cars on the market today too.

Aptera is harnessing the future and setting the bar very high for automakers everywhere. The Aptera is not only efficient but has all the bells and whistles and creature comforts of their gasoline counterparts. Aptera means wingless flight in Greek. The Aptera is so far advanced it looks like flying is the only thing Aptera cannot do... yet.

http://www.aptera.com/

When MySpace Ruled the World

by Adrienne Markovic

MySpace is the Goliath of Internet sites right now globally. Although not as prevalent for the US population above 30, its market presence and popularity cannot be denied. There is a story and method for their super-success and why MySpace is even making the national news! They have three powerful factors that have contributed to its quantum growth since it began. First is the rise of Web 2.0 and social networking. Second is the purchase of MySpace by megalo-mogul Rupert Murdoch. Third is the "teen factor".

The current stats on MySpace are astounding. Alexa.com has ranked them #3 web site, in terms of traffic, in the United States. The #1 site in the US is Google, followed by #2 Yahoo. They are ranked #6 globally for an English language site. According to Web Pro News (10/24/2007), "Datamonitor predicts that social networking sites will level off around the world in the year 2012....They're expected to reach 230 million at the end of 2007". The revenue projection in 2012 is $2.4 billion, compared to just $965 million currently. Web Pro News states that "MySpace dominates the US market by a long shot with Facebook at second, Google's You Tube and Orkut combined in third, and Flickr at 7.1 percent. Those are big numbers for a company who's spin doctor's would have us believe that it had its idyllic origins in a garage!

The actual story of MySpace is not quite so romantic. Wikipedia reports that MySpace was began in 2003 by eUniverse, now called Intermix. Brad Greenspan, Chris DeWolfe, Josh Berman, and Tom Anderson put the initial project together. In July 2005 Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation bought MySpace for $580 million. Murdoch owns much of the media, as we know it, at least in the US. Murdoch News Corp. is the parent company of Fox Channel in the US among other media enterprises. According to Journalist Trent Lipinsky in his well-known article "MySpace: The Business of Spam 2.0", the so-called American dream story of MySpace was a marketing campaign. He asserted that "Tom Anderson had originally been hired as a copy editor and his 'founder' and 'first friend' status was a public relations invention". (Wikipedia 12/13/07)

The most recent news coverage of all-things-MySpace has not been positive publicity. There have been many concerns over security of individuals and protection of minors to Web predators. Teens run many innovations and trends in the International Marketplace, like the cell phone tech driven by teens in Japan! MySpace's popularity is also teen driven. Teens have made MySpace a huge success with membership going from zero to 47.3 million in 2 years, largely attributed to minors. (Kornblum USA Today) Naturally, it would be good to protect this teen-o-phile site from the pursuit of potential offenders. Because the Internet is largely an unregulated industry the government has been trying to put major restrictions on access. Along with adult sexual predators, there is a potential for other abuse in cyberspace. In October 2007 the highly publicized story of a teen that committed suicide due to a relationship on MySpace shocked the press. 13-year-old Megan Meier was found dead in her bedroom from an apparent suicide because of a being turned on by a guy named Josh on MySpace. Josh, it turns out, was not even a real person but a sick concoction made up by the mother of a neighborhood girl who had previously been friends with Megan. They say that even bad publicity is good publicity, as MySpace has now been on the minds and computers of a far larger populace now.

The rapid explosion of MySpace is definitely not going to be slowing down anytime soon and it is becoming a part of many people's every day life all over the globe. Let's hope the world community can take the reigns of this wild stallion and make it safer. And if MySpace shares are still for the taking, it would be great time to invest NOW!

http://www.wikipedia.com

http://www.foxnews.com

http://www.alexa.com

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-01-08-myspace-teens_x.htm

http://www.myspace.com