Genius Impatience » Entrepreneurial Spirit http://geniusimpatience.com/blog For those that can't wait Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:33:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Quotes from Sid Meier’s keynote GDC speech http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/13/quotes-from-sid-meier%e2%80%99s-keynote-gdc-speech/ http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/13/quotes-from-sid-meier%e2%80%99s-keynote-gdc-speech/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:59:55 +0000 Douglass C. Perry http://venturebeat.com/?p=167807 Veteran game designer Sid Meier delivered the keynote speech at the Game Developers Conference today and during his hour-long session on the “Psychology of Game Design: Everything you Know is Wrong,” the creator of the Civilization franchise produced a series of key points, mantras, and worthwhile quotes captured here. Meier is the creative director at Firaxis and director of this fall’s Civilization V. (You can catch the full news story here.)

“Gameplay is a psychological experience: I base my games on things like railroads, pirates, and history, and I try to make the games I design true and real. The more historical, the more realistic, and the more factual, the better. The more railroady and piratey, the better. But what I thought I knew was wrong. During the early days of my career, I hadn’t taken into account what was in the player’s head. By acknowledging that simple concept–that gameplay is a psychological experience–it can make your games better.”

“People who play games are egomaniacs. It says on the box you get to control armies, discover new technology, and create entire civilizations. So, right away, you’re an egomaniac.”

“Games produce a ‘winner’ paradox. In real life you don’t always win. Only one football team gets to win the Super Bowl each year, all the others lose. In games, you always win. I never get complaint letters from fans and gamers saying, ‘I win too much.’ This is fundamental to entertainment; the player is looking for a satisfactory conclusion.”

“There is a basic dichotomy in games: When you reward players for winning a war and give them 100 gold pieces, the player never really questions rewards. If something bad happens, if there is a setback to the player, the react much differently. They complain the game is broken, the AI is cheating, or something in the game is wrong. You have to be careful with setbacks. It’s important to explain why these things happen, and how to avoid these things in the future. If gamers believe the game is cheating, of you haven’t explained something well, the will leave. I see a big value is replayability. Whenever there is an opportunity to plant the seed of replayability, you’re on your way to a satisfied customer.”

“One of the key rules of game design is the first 15 minutes. These introductory minutes have to be fun, satisfying, and exciting. You are letting players know they’re on the right track, you should reward them, and let them know cool stuff will happen later. This doesn’t negate increasing difficulty levels later on, by the way.”

“I once gave a talk on how games should be split into four different difficulty levels. I was wrong. Now, Civilization V has nine difficulty levels. As players move on they continually get better and receive rewards. You want to feel they are above average.”

“When you build a game, you and the player enter into an ‘unholy alliance.’ I missed on the phrase ‘the uncanny valley,’ I never trademarked ‘interesting decisions,’ but I want to trademark the phrase ‘unholy alliance.’”

“Having worked on older games that had crude graphics, designers, old timers like me, actually have an advantage over younger designers because we have worked hard to make people believe things despite the graphics. Part of the unholy alliance is that you need to create a suspension of disbelief. It’s your part of the bargain, and it’s the gamers’ part, too.”

“There needs to be a certain moral clarity in your games. With Civilization, our testers told us we had opposing leaders who were very cranky and aggressive. Their opinion was that the enemies, who were about to die, didn’t seem like they should be surly and aggressive. It didn’t seem right. But you know, it’s Genghis Kahn for goodness sake. Do you want them to say, ‘Oh please don’ hurt me, there are women and children here.’ That doesn’t seem right to me.”

“Player psychology has nothing to do with rational thought. My background is in mathematics. In CIV REV (Civilization Revolution, the console-only Civilization game), we found interesting reactions to what seemed to me vary rational situations. For instance when we pit civilized militia against uncivilized barbarians, and their points were 1.5 to 0.5, respectively, we heard players complain. Even when players were in a battle with 1: 3 odds, they felt they could win. I watched these testers and players, and they would say, “I had the lower number, and I felt I could win in a 1:3 battle. It made sense to the player that they could win. I thought, “Something is going on there. But it’s not mathematics.” Right around 3:1 to 4:1 area, the player felt like he or she should have the chance to win.”

“In early Civilization games, I made Civ real-time, which meant everything happened in real-time: My first mistake was to make it real time. I modeled some elements of the game from Sim City, which was real-time. It was inspiring. But what we found was that in real-time gaming the player becomes the observer. Our mantra is that, “it’s good to be king.” When we made Civ a turn-based game, the player became the star, they made things happen.”

“In the Civ games you can research tech. I thought it would be an interesting path, and I made it so that there was a certain amount of randomness in it. You would never know where it would go.  We made the process mysterious. Once players realized they wanted to get the gun powder during the tech path, they didn’t want it to appear randomly; they wanted it quickly. They were like, ‘I know there is gunpowder out there; you can’t fool me.’ Players want to be in control. So, we learned that randomness has to be treated with a lot of care. When random things happen, paranoia strikes the heart of the gamer. The computer is all of a sudden ‘after them.’ If they feel insignificant, or there is too much random play, then the players will somehow come up with the most paranoid and worst possible explanation or the game’s reasoning.”

“We came up with the Civ network: In it, one idea was to give gold to other players. Cool, right? You could give gold to another player. You could bargain for it, use it to trade, help other characters out. You could use it as a bargaining chip. Fascinating dynamics would arise, we thought. What we found is that nobody ever gave gold to other people. Not sure what this says about the human condition; it’s really sad, really. But that was a bad idea that I had.”

]]> Veteran game designer Sid Meier delivered the keynote speech at the Game Developers Conference today and during his hour-long session on the “Psychology of Game Design: Everything you Know is Wrong,” the creator of the Civilization franchise produced a series of key points, mantras, and worthwhile quotes captured here. Meier is the creative director at Firaxis and director of this fall’s Civilization V. (You can catch the full news story here.)

“Gameplay is a psychological experience: I base my games on things like railroads, pirates, and history, and I try to make the games I design true and real. The more historical, the more realistic, and the more factual, the better. The more railroady and piratey, the better. But what I thought I knew was wrong. During the early days of my career, I hadn’t taken into account what was in the player’s head. By acknowledging that simple concept–that gameplay is a psychological experience–it can make your games better.”

“People who play games are egomaniacs. It says on the box you get to control armies, discover new technology, and create entire civilizations. So, right away, you’re an egomaniac.”

“Games produce a ‘winner’ paradox. In real life you don’t always win. Only one football team gets to win the Super Bowl each year, all the others lose. In games, you always win. I never get complaint letters from fans and gamers saying, ‘I win too much.’ This is fundamental to entertainment; the player is looking for a satisfactory conclusion.”

“There is a basic dichotomy in games: When you reward players for winning a war and give them 100 gold pieces, the player never really questions rewards. If something bad happens, if there is a setback to the player, the react much differently. They complain the game is broken, the AI is cheating, or something in the game is wrong. You have to be careful with setbacks. It’s important to explain why these things happen, and how to avoid these things in the future. If gamers believe the game is cheating, of you haven’t explained something well, the will leave. I see a big value is replayability. Whenever there is an opportunity to plant the seed of replayability, you’re on your way to a satisfied customer.”

“One of the key rules of game design is the first 15 minutes. These introductory minutes have to be fun, satisfying, and exciting. You are letting players know they’re on the right track, you should reward them, and let them know cool stuff will happen later. This doesn’t negate increasing difficulty levels later on, by the way.”

“I once gave a talk on how games should be split into four different difficulty levels. I was wrong. Now, Civilization V has nine difficulty levels. As players move on they continually get better and receive rewards. You want to feel they are above average.”

“When you build a game, you and the player enter into an ‘unholy alliance.’ I missed on the phrase ‘the uncanny valley,’ I never trademarked ‘interesting decisions,’ but I want to trademark the phrase ‘unholy alliance.’”

“Having worked on older games that had crude graphics, designers, old timers like me, actually have an advantage over younger designers because we have worked hard to make people believe things despite the graphics. Part of the unholy alliance is that you need to create a suspension of disbelief. It’s your part of the bargain, and it’s the gamers’ part, too.”

“There needs to be a certain moral clarity in your games. With Civilization, our testers told us we had opposing leaders who were very cranky and aggressive. Their opinion was that the enemies, who were about to die, didn’t seem like they should be surly and aggressive. It didn’t seem right. But you know, it’s Genghis Kahn for goodness sake. Do you want them to say, ‘Oh please don’ hurt me, there are women and children here.’ That doesn’t seem right to me.”

“Player psychology has nothing to do with rational thought. My background is in mathematics. In CIV REV (Civilization Revolution, the console-only Civilization game), we found interesting reactions to what seemed to me vary rational situations. For instance when we pit civilized militia against uncivilized barbarians, and their points were 1.5 to 0.5, respectively, we heard players complain. Even when players were in a battle with 1: 3 odds, they felt they could win. I watched these testers and players, and they would say, “I had the lower number, and I felt I could win in a 1:3 battle. It made sense to the player that they could win. I thought, “Something is going on there. But it’s not mathematics.” Right around 3:1 to 4:1 area, the player felt like he or she should have the chance to win.”

“In early Civilization games, I made Civ real-time, which meant everything happened in real-time: My first mistake was to make it real time. I modeled some elements of the game from Sim City, which was real-time. It was inspiring. But what we found was that in real-time gaming the player becomes the observer. Our mantra is that, “it’s good to be king.” When we made Civ a turn-based game, the player became the star, they made things happen.”

“In the Civ games you can research tech. I thought it would be an interesting path, and I made it so that there was a certain amount of randomness in it. You would never know where it would go.  We made the process mysterious. Once players realized they wanted to get the gun powder during the tech path, they didn’t want it to appear randomly; they wanted it quickly. They were like, ‘I know there is gunpowder out there; you can’t fool me.’ Players want to be in control. So, we learned that randomness has to be treated with a lot of care. When random things happen, paranoia strikes the heart of the gamer. The computer is all of a sudden ‘after them.’ If they feel insignificant, or there is too much random play, then the players will somehow come up with the most paranoid and worst possible explanation or the game’s reasoning.”

“We came up with the Civ network: In it, one idea was to give gold to other players. Cool, right? You could give gold to another player. You could bargain for it, use it to trade, help other characters out. You could use it as a bargaining chip. Fascinating dynamics would arise, we thought. What we found is that nobody ever gave gold to other people. Not sure what this says about the human condition; it’s really sad, really. But that was a bad idea that I had.”

]]> http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/13/quotes-from-sid-meier%e2%80%99s-keynote-gdc-speech/feed/ 0 Communities on Lunch lets you build your own Yelp http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/13/communities-on-lunch-lets-you-build-your-own-yelp/ http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/13/communities-on-lunch-lets-you-build-your-own-yelp/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:19:45 +0000 Anthony Ha http://venturebeat.com/?p=167802
When Lunch.com launched a year ago, I was slightly baffled about why it existed — did the world really need another review site? But J.R. Johnson, the Los Angeles, Calif. company’s founder and chief executive, says he didn’t just want to create a place for reviews. He also wanted to use those reviews as a way to connect people with common interests, and to create a “similarity network.” Now he has taken the next step in realizing that vision, with a new feature called Communities on Lunch.

Previously, the site focused on making individual connections, i.e. helping you find people who are interested in the things you’re interested in and like and dislike the same things you do. But as the name implies, the new Communities tool expands that idea to groups of people. So you could create a subsite for reviews around things like strollers, green living, and foreign films — basically a Yelp for any topic.

What’s promising about the idea is that these sites are easy to set up, but also give their creators a lot of control to sett the tone of the discussion. You can boot people out of a community if they’re being a jerk, and you can also create the templates for the reviews, so that people are nudged towards the kind of discussion that you’re interested in.

The Communities on Lunch launch comes at the beginning of the South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, and in fact, one of the currently featured communities is for South by Southwest. You can review panels and parties, make lists of tips, and so on.

Lunch.com is self-funded.

Companies: Lunch.com

People: J.R. Johnson

]]>
When Lunch.com launched a year ago, I was slightly baffled about why it existed — did the world really need another review site? But J.R. Johnson, the Los Angeles, Calif. company’s founder and chief executive, says he didn’t just want to create a place for reviews. He also wanted to use those reviews as a way to connect people with common interests, and to create a “similarity network.” Now he has taken the next step in realizing that vision, with a new feature called Communities on Lunch.

Previously, the site focused on making individual connections, i.e. helping you find people who are interested in the things you’re interested in and like and dislike the same things you do. But as the name implies, the new Communities tool expands that idea to groups of people. So you could create a subsite for reviews around things like strollers, green living, and foreign films — basically a Yelp for any topic.

What’s promising about the idea is that these sites are easy to set up, but also give their creators a lot of control to sett the tone of the discussion. You can boot people out of a community if they’re being a jerk, and you can also create the templates for the reviews, so that people are nudged towards the kind of discussion that you’re interested in.

The Communities on Lunch launch comes at the beginning of the South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, and in fact, one of the currently featured communities is for South by Southwest. You can review panels and parties, make lists of tips, and so on.

Lunch.com is self-funded.

Companies:

People:

]]> http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/13/communities-on-lunch-lets-you-build-your-own-yelp/feed/ 0 Decision engine Hunch raises $10M (report) http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/decision-engine-hunch-raises-10m-report/ http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/decision-engine-hunch-raises-10m-report/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:16:03 +0000 Anthony Ha http://venturebeat.com/?p=167782 Hunch.com, the startup co-founded by Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake, has raised $10 million in a second round of funding, according to AllThingsDigital. Citing unidentified sources, the report says the funding was led by Khosla Ventures, with Khosla’s Gideon Yu (who was formerly chief financial officer at Facebook and YouTube) handling the deal.

A company spokeswoman declined to comment, except to say that she’ll let us know “if/when we do have a funding-related announcement.”

Hunch, based in New York City, helps users make decisions, often decisions involving products. After you hone in on the question you want answered, the site asks you a number of multiple choice questions, then makes a recommendation based on what people with similar answers were happy with. For example, one topic focuses on whether you should hack your phone, then asks a number of questions about how you use your phone and why you want to hack it. Another helps you choose the right DVD recorder based on your budget and interests.

Hunch previously raised $2 million. AllThingsD says past backers General Catalyst partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Ron Conway also participated in the funding.

Companies: Bessememer Venture Partners, General Catalyst Ventures, Hunch, Khosla Ventures

People: Caterina Fake, Ron Conway

]]> Hunch.com, the startup co-founded by Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake, has raised $10 million in a second round of funding, according to AllThingsDigital. Citing unidentified sources, the report says the funding was led by Khosla Ventures, with Khosla’s Gideon Yu (who was formerly chief financial officer at Facebook and YouTube) handling the deal.

A company spokeswoman declined to comment, except to say that she’ll let us know “if/when we do have a funding-related announcement.”

Hunch, based in New York City, helps users make decisions, often decisions involving products. After you hone in on the question you want answered, the site asks you a number of multiple choice questions, then makes a recommendation based on what people with similar answers were happy with. For example, one topic focuses on whether you should hack your phone, then asks a number of questions about how you use your phone and why you want to hack it. Another helps you choose the right DVD recorder based on your budget and interests.

Hunch previously raised $2 million. AllThingsD says past backers General Catalyst partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Ron Conway also participated in the funding.

Companies: , , ,

People: ,

]]> http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/decision-engine-hunch-raises-10m-report/feed/ 0 Despite advances, LED market probably volatile for two more years http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/despite-advances-led-market-probably-volatile-for-two-more-years/ http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/despite-advances-led-market-probably-volatile-for-two-more-years/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:05:08 +0000 Tom Slater http://venturebeat.com/?p=165085 Unquestionably, the major obstacle for indoor, or household-friendly light-emitting diodes is price. No matter how long a bulb lasts, nobody wants to spend $30 on one light. Exacerbating the situation, there are too many competing uses for LEDs, according to electronics market research firm iSuppli, slowing their development for home use.

Back-lighting for televisions is a huge growth market for LEDs, with 2.5 million LED-lit sets manufactured in 2009, and an estimated 25 million to be built this year. Estimates range up to 100 million LED-lit TVs to be made in 2014. All this demand has created a shortage of LEDs for other uses.

In response, LED makers are buying up the MOCVD (metal organic chemical vapor deposition) systems that manufacture LED materials. Aixtron and Veeco are two prominent MOCVD makers. Between them, an estimated 120 MOCVD systems will be shipped this quarter. With so much new production capacity being scaled up, one might expect the shortage to end quickly.

But this isn’t the case. Once Veeco or Aixtron ship a MOCVD system — already about five months after it is ordered — the purchaser must customize it for its own LED chip design. This takes an additional three to four months, as Jerald Kolansky writes. There is typically a ten-month gap between new production equipment being ordered and the actual start of production.

Since LEDs are growing so explosively (the prediction is double-digit percentage increases over the next three years), most LED companies are looking to boost production capacity. In two years or less, the LED shortage will be over, and the LED glut will likely begin, analysts say.

Kolansky writes that an over-supply situation “is likely in 2011″ — unless lighting moves into mass production. In order to do so, LED makers will want to satisfy their immediate customers first, which brings us back to LED-backlit televisions. TVs use up to 500 lights per panel, whereas a notebook computer uses 50. With demand so high in these areas, it may be difficult for lighting companies to drive prices lower.

This is especially true when one considers the bulk purchasing power that TV makers have. It would take an awful lot of light bulbs to equal the purchase of just one TV. If manufacturers have to devote resources to one of the two markets, one proven and one emerging, the new guy is likely to be left out. In other words, LED lighting is unlikely to take off until after the display market is stable. This could lead to a period of market saturation, with LEDs being overproduced for display applications and under-utilized for lighting.

Aixtron and Veeco are both planning to double production capacity by the end of 2010. The LED market itself is expected to more than double by 2014.

Companies: Aixtron, Veeco

]]> Unquestionably, the major obstacle for indoor, or household-friendly light-emitting diodes is price. No matter how long a bulb lasts, nobody wants to spend $30 on one light. Exacerbating the situation, there are too many competing uses for LEDs, according to electronics market research firm iSuppli, slowing their development for home use.

Back-lighting for televisions is a huge growth market for LEDs, with 2.5 million LED-lit sets manufactured in 2009, and an estimated 25 million to be built this year. Estimates range up to 100 million LED-lit TVs to be made in 2014. All this demand has created a shortage of LEDs for other uses.

In response, LED makers are buying up the MOCVD (metal organic chemical vapor deposition) systems that manufacture LED materials. Aixtron and Veeco are two prominent MOCVD makers. Between them, an estimated 120 MOCVD systems will be shipped this quarter. With so much new production capacity being scaled up, one might expect the shortage to end quickly.

But this isn’t the case. Once Veeco or Aixtron ship a MOCVD system — already about five months after it is ordered — the purchaser must customize it for its own LED chip design. This takes an additional three to four months, as Jerald Kolansky writes. There is typically a ten-month gap between new production equipment being ordered and the actual start of production.

Since LEDs are growing so explosively (the prediction is double-digit percentage increases over the next three years), most LED companies are looking to boost production capacity. In two years or less, the LED shortage will be over, and the LED glut will likely begin, analysts say.

Kolansky writes that an over-supply situation “is likely in 2011″ — unless lighting moves into mass production. In order to do so, LED makers will want to satisfy their immediate customers first, which brings us back to LED-backlit televisions. TVs use up to 500 lights per panel, whereas a notebook computer uses 50. With demand so high in these areas, it may be difficult for lighting companies to drive prices lower.

This is especially true when one considers the bulk purchasing power that TV makers have. It would take an awful lot of light bulbs to equal the purchase of just one TV. If manufacturers have to devote resources to one of the two markets, one proven and one emerging, the new guy is likely to be left out. In other words, LED lighting is unlikely to take off until after the display market is stable. This could lead to a period of market saturation, with LEDs being overproduced for display applications and under-utilized for lighting.

Aixtron and Veeco are both planning to double production capacity by the end of 2010. The LED market itself is expected to more than double by 2014.

Companies: ,

]]> http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/despite-advances-led-market-probably-volatile-for-two-more-years/feed/ 0 Nissan gets 56K pre-orders for Leaf EV, challenges Tesla http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/nissan-gets-56k-pre-orders-for-leaf-ev-challenges-tesla/ http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/nissan-gets-56k-pre-orders-for-leaf-ev-challenges-tesla/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:22:32 +0000 Tom Slater http://venturebeat.com/?p=166341 Nissan says it has more than 56,000 pre-orders for the Leaf, its fully-electric model set to be released to the mass market in 2012. Just last November, the Nissan-led Electrification Coalition lobbied the U.S. government to fund electric vehicle projects. CEO Carlos Ghosn plans to sell the Leaf to fleet first to operators like taxi companies and governments as well. By 2013, Nissan will build a half million Leaf vehicles globally, he told BusinessWeek.

For the first time, it looks like Tesla Motors should be worried. Nissan’s manufacturing and buying power are already in place. The company also plans to have it’s EV on the market two years before Tesla brings its more affordable Model S to market. The Leaf will cost around $25,000, while the Model S will be priced over $50,000. When the Leaf is released, it will be in a class of one: the entry-priced electric, if you will. And in the luxury segment, Tesla will soon have the likes of Audi to contend with.

The French government is interested in electrifying 100,000 of its vehicles. No papers have been signed. But there seems to be only two realistic candidates: Nissan or Norway’s Think Global. Think’s vehicle, called the City, costs about $50,000 without battery-leasing in Holland. In the U.S., it will be available for about $20,000, with an $80-a-month battery lease. Nissan’s Leaf is estimated to cost $25,000 to $35,000 with a $150/month battery lease in the U.S. So far, Think is ahead in pricing.

Of course, Nissan could drive down pricing as production scales up. Tesla (the Roadster’s chassis is built by Lotus) and Think (the City built by Valmet) are both specialty cars built at a low volume. Boutique cars, novelties. In the same way that Henry Ford’s assembly line and economy of scale made cars cheap enough for the middle class, Nissan might be able to mass produce electric cars and make them marketable to those looking for a regular car — not an icon.

Ghosn seems to have unbridled confidence in the Leaf. He challenged BusinessWeek saying, “You draw the conclusion. We are going to come wtih 500,000 globally.” With manufacturing capabilities far exceeding Tesla’s or Think’s, we’d have to say the conclusion is obvious: Nissan looks like an early winner in the pure EV market. What is uncertain is whether pure EVs are ready to compete with hybrids like the Volt, Prius or Fusion.

Tags: Carlos Ghosn, Electric car, Leaf, Nissan, Nissan Leaf, Tesla, Think

]]> Nissan says it has more than 56,000 pre-orders for the Leaf, its fully-electric model set to be released to the mass market in 2012. Just last November, the Nissan-led Electrification Coalition lobbied the U.S. government to fund electric vehicle projects. CEO Carlos Ghosn plans to sell the Leaf to fleet first to operators like taxi companies and governments as well. By 2013, Nissan will build a half million Leaf vehicles globally, he told BusinessWeek.

For the first time, it looks like Tesla Motors should be worried. Nissan’s manufacturing and buying power are already in place. The company also plans to have it’s EV on the market two years before Tesla brings its more affordable Model S to market. The Leaf will cost around $25,000, while the Model S will be priced over $50,000. When the Leaf is released, it will be in a class of one: the entry-priced electric, if you will. And in the luxury segment, Tesla will soon have the likes of Audi to contend with.

The French government is interested in electrifying 100,000 of its vehicles. No papers have been signed. But there seems to be only two realistic candidates: Nissan or Norway’s Think Global. Think’s vehicle, called the City, costs about $50,000 without battery-leasing in Holland. In the U.S., it will be available for about $20,000, with an $80-a-month battery lease. Nissan’s Leaf is estimated to cost $25,000 to $35,000 with a $150/month battery lease in the U.S. So far, Think is ahead in pricing.

Of course, Nissan could drive down pricing as production scales up. Tesla (the Roadster’s chassis is built by Lotus) and Think (the City built by Valmet) are both specialty cars built at a low volume. Boutique cars, novelties. In the same way that Henry Ford’s assembly line and economy of scale made cars cheap enough for the middle class, Nissan might be able to mass produce electric cars and make them marketable to those looking for a regular car — not an icon.

Ghosn seems to have unbridled confidence in the Leaf. He challenged BusinessWeek saying, “You draw the conclusion. We are going to come wtih 500,000 globally.” With manufacturing capabilities far exceeding Tesla’s or Think’s, we’d have to say the conclusion is obvious: Nissan looks like an early winner in the pure EV market. What is uncertain is whether pure EVs are ready to compete with hybrids like the Volt, Prius or Fusion.

Tags: , , , , , ,

]]> http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/nissan-gets-56k-pre-orders-for-leaf-ev-challenges-tesla/feed/ 0 Pike Research: Energy managment market still largely unexplored http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/pike-research-energy-managment-market-still-largely-unexplored/ http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/pike-research-energy-managment-market-still-largely-unexplored/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:15:23 +0000 Tom Slater http://venturebeat.com/?p=165111 Despite everything the U.S. Department of Energy, President Barack Obama and common sense say, energy efficiency just isn’t very sexy. Energy management systems have fantastic rates of return — saving thousands, if not millions. And Cash upfront for installation yields much lower energy bills in the future. But energy management systems are still only penetrating 14 percent of the potential market, according to a new report from Pike Research.

For context, energy management systems do not have to be elaborate. They can be as simple as installing efficient light bulbs, caulking windows, or adding installation. Or they can be as sophisticated as EcoFactor’s thermostat software that optimizes energy savings while automating heating and air conditioning.

One big obstacle to efficiency measures: winning over landlords. Most tenants pay their own electric bills, but renovations are still property owners’ responsibility. As a result, most buildings’ energy systems are antiquated, to be kind. Many tenants will find, if educated, that it is worth their while to pay for installation of home or commercial energy management systems themselves. This is another hurdle for system vendors: average consumers simply don’t know how much they could be saving.

Pike predicts that people will catch on, and that energy management for commercial buildings will be a $6.3 billion industry in the U.S. by 2020.

Climate control and lighting account for 57 percent of the energy consumed in commercial buildings, which themselves account for 20 percent of the U.S.’s power consumption. Improved efficiency through grassroots measures and energy management technologies could save as much as 10 percent of energy costs annually. In residential buildings, there is an even greater potential for energy savings, on a per building basis.

It seems like Obama’s Cash for Caulkers program and similar San Francisco initiatives are on the right track. Grassroots efficiency measures — like weatherization, retrofits and equipment updates — can save enormous amounts of power and money with limited upfront costs.

It also strikes me as more renter-friendly to take a grassroots, rather than corporate approach. Anything that involves a guy in a truck installing products tends to make a landlord curious. Heavy curtains, adding some caulk, and wearing a sweater instead of turing up the heat are all pretty non intrusive.

Still, Pike’s research shows that energy management is a vast and relatively untapped market. As awareness of the Smart Grid and money saving potential increases, more people will be on board with with simple energy management recommendations.

Companies: Pike Research

]]> Despite everything the U.S. Department of Energy, President Barack Obama and common sense say, energy efficiency just isn’t very sexy. Energy management systems have fantastic rates of return — saving thousands, if not millions. And Cash upfront for installation yields much lower energy bills in the future. But energy management systems are still only penetrating 14 percent of the potential market, according to a new report from Pike Research.

For context, energy management systems do not have to be elaborate. They can be as simple as installing efficient light bulbs, caulking windows, or adding installation. Or they can be as sophisticated as EcoFactor’s thermostat software that optimizes energy savings while automating heating and air conditioning.

One big obstacle to efficiency measures: winning over landlords. Most tenants pay their own electric bills, but renovations are still property owners’ responsibility. As a result, most buildings’ energy systems are antiquated, to be kind. Many tenants will find, if educated, that it is worth their while to pay for installation of home or commercial energy management systems themselves. This is another hurdle for system vendors: average consumers simply don’t know how much they could be saving.

Pike predicts that people will catch on, and that energy management for commercial buildings will be a $6.3 billion industry in the U.S. by 2020.

Climate control and lighting account for 57 percent of the energy consumed in commercial buildings, which themselves account for 20 percent of the U.S.’s power consumption. Improved efficiency through grassroots measures and energy management technologies could save as much as 10 percent of energy costs annually. In residential buildings, there is an even greater potential for energy savings, on a per building basis.

It seems like Obama’s Cash for Caulkers program and similar San Francisco initiatives are on the right track. Grassroots efficiency measures — like weatherization, retrofits and equipment updates — can save enormous amounts of power and money with limited upfront costs.

It also strikes me as more renter-friendly to take a grassroots, rather than corporate approach. Anything that involves a guy in a truck installing products tends to make a landlord curious. Heavy curtains, adding some caulk, and wearing a sweater instead of turing up the heat are all pretty non intrusive.

Still, Pike’s research shows that energy management is a vast and relatively untapped market. As awareness of the Smart Grid and money saving potential increases, more people will be on board with with simple energy management recommendations.

Companies:

]]> http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/pike-research-energy-managment-market-still-largely-unexplored/feed/ 0 Facebook turns out to be a pretty good friend to Foursquare, Hitwise data shows http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/facebook-turns-out-to-be-a-pretty-good-friend-to-foursquare-hitwise-data-shows/ http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/facebook-turns-out-to-be-a-pretty-good-friend-to-foursquare-hitwise-data-shows/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:00:45 +0000 Kim-Mai Cutler http://venturebeat.com/?p=167770

Facebook may not turn out to be so much of a Foursquare killer.

In fact, the world’s largest social network drives the largest share of the location-based game’s web traffic, accounting for 33 percent of all upstream visits last week, according to web research firm Hitwise. Google follows closely behind, with a 22 percent share, and then Twitter clocks in at 8 percent.

Foursquare, the location game from Dodgeball creator Dennis Crowley, has been on a tear as of late, breaking past 500,000 registered users and logging 275,000 check-ins yesterday alone.

Although some blogs have speculated that Facebook’s forthcoming location features may spell the end for smaller startups, we hear that the social network is inclined to serve as a platform for a whole host of location-related applications.

Tags: geolocation, location, location-based games, social networking, Social networks

Companies: Facebook, Foursquare

]]>

Facebook may not turn out to be so much of a Foursquare killer.

In fact, the world’s largest social network drives the largest share of the location-based game’s web traffic, accounting for 33 percent of all upstream visits last week, according to web research firm Hitwise. Google follows closely behind, with a 22 percent share, and then Twitter clocks in at 8 percent.

Foursquare, the location game from Dodgeball creator Dennis Crowley, has been on a tear as of late, breaking past 500,000 registered users and logging 275,000 check-ins yesterday alone.

Although some blogs have speculated that Facebook’s forthcoming location features may spell the end for smaller startups, we hear that the social network is inclined to serve as a platform for a whole host of location-related applications.

Tags: , , , ,

Companies: ,

]]> http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/facebook-turns-out-to-be-a-pretty-good-friend-to-foursquare-hitwise-data-shows/feed/ 0 YouTube’s live sports broadcast deal is watershed moment for online video http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/youtube%e2%80%99s-live-sports-broadcast-deal-is-watershed-moment-for-online-video/ http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/youtube%e2%80%99s-live-sports-broadcast-deal-is-watershed-moment-for-online-video/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:26:40 +0000 Subrahmanyam KVJ http://venturebeat.com/?p=167751 YouTube is taking a major step today with its first live sports broadcast deal. It will be streaming live the Indian Premier League Championships. Such live broadcast deals have hitherto been the bastion of traditional pay TV operators. The Google-owned site signed an agreement with the organizers back in January and retains rights for two seasons.

The IPL is a tournament of a short-form of cricket that has become extremely popular in the last couple of years. The tournament spans 60 matches over the next 45 days. The IPL is currently in its third season, and has already seen runaway success in attracting eyeballs. By acquiring global rights (other than the US market, where Willow TV has the rights) for online streaming, YouTube is testing out a whole new business territory.

The IPL constitutes what are called Twenty20 cricket matches between eight teams made up of players from multiple cricket-playing nations. Revenues from advertising and sponsorship will be shared between Google and IPL, with YouTube offering the content free to consumers. The tournament itself is big money. TV broadcasting rights for 10 years were reportedly purchased by India’s Sony Television Network and Singapore’s World Sports Group for over $ 1 billion. In previous years, while online streaming was available on the official website of the tournament, however, it was geo-blocked in nations where the IPL had TV broadcast deals. That is changing this year. YouTube’s deal with IPL requires them to delay the stream by 5 minutes in countries where they have simultaneous TV broadcasting. Moreover, the online streams promise significant interactivity and customization. Viewers will be able to select their camera choice and freeze and fast-forward footage.

YouTube is reportedly going to stream the match at four quality levels. Google is also bringing its social network Orkut into play here through IPL-branded communities while engaging in both print and outdoor advertising promoting the event.

The timing also appears to be right. Comscore reports that by end of January 2010, over 10 million Indians had visited a sports site in the month, an increase of over 97% year-on-year. Viewer engagement also recorded strong figures, with both total minutes spent and total visits recording growth in excess of 100%. Google is expecting over 10 million unique visitors, and over 40 million cumulative viewers through the duration of the IPL. To put this in context, India had over 8 million broadband subscribers [PDF] (defined as speeds >256 Kbps) at the end of January 2010. Sponsors too are looking to cash in on the latent demand. One of the sponsors on YouTube, telecom operator Airtel is upgrading the access speeds of all its fixed broadband subscribers who wish to watch the matches to 2 Mbps, although fair usage/tiered limits still apply.

What does this deal mean for YouTube? Google is stepping on the pedal when it comes to generating revenue streams on YouTube. This tournament, when viewed in the context of YouTube’s tryst with legal content is interesting. YouTube has, to date, been primarily a forum for user-generated content, but it’s been trying for a while to increase the proportion of content that it can sell advertising on. User-generated content is great for pulling in the numbers, but it is deals such as this that will likely help YouTube make money. Already, large name-brand advertisers including Coca Cola, Samsung, HSBC, and HP are said to have signed up for advertising in India, with each of them said to be purchasing between 5-10 million ad impressions. YouTube will also be producing over 20 clips per match, which will be up for sponsorship, and it is likely to deploy several ad formats including homepage ads, pre-roll and mid-roll ads, and banner ads next to the video player. Advertisers get an opportunity to target a global audience. In the UK, which has a sizable cricket audience as well, local advertisers are being brought aboard.

YouTube is no stranger to live/high-traffic events. Its live streaming of U2’s concert last year attracted over 10 million viewers. The site had also hosted highlights of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, but only in geographies where digital rights could not be negotiated. Experience from such major events could ideally help YouTube refine its pitch for streaming other sporting events. While the current agreement offers content free, YouTube could indeed explore paid subscriptions of such events at a future date. Again, all of this depends on how successful the company is at hosting the event without technical hiccups.

For pay TV operators, who traditionally have paid significant broadcasting license fees to gain exclusive access to sporting events, YouTube’s entry is sure to shake up the scene. There are not many ways in which broadcast TV can compete with the interactivity offered by online viewing. In markets such as India, where cable and satellite subscription is still growing and broadband penetration is very low, migration of ad dollars might be limited. However, in a market such as the UK, YouTube will likely eat into the potential ad revenues that ITV4 looks to generate. And if you take into account that set top boxes that allow YouTube content to be streamed to large-screen TVs are also making their presence felt, pay TV operators definitely have reason to be concerned.

For Google, the imperative of making YouTube profitable is becoming more pressing with every passing day. By gaining rights for online streaming of major sporting events, YouTube gets a solid chance of trying to position itself as a comprehensive online video destination. One comprised of user-generated content, video rentals, on-demand premium clips, and live events. Viewed in that context, YouTube’s current deal with the IPL indeed appears a step in the right direction. If YouTube succeeds in creating a compelling usage experience for the viewer, one that betters broadcast TV, then rest assured, Google is going to be a regular fixture at event rights auctions around the world.

For those of you based in the US that want to watch the IPL matches, YouTube has clarified that you’ll be able to view them 15 minutes after they have ended.

Tags: Indian Premier League

Companies: Google, Orkut, YouTube

]]> YouTube is taking a major step today with its first live sports broadcast deal. It will be streaming live the Indian Premier League Championships. Such live broadcast deals have hitherto been the bastion of traditional pay TV operators. The Google-owned site signed an agreement with the organizers back in January and retains rights for two seasons.

The IPL is a tournament of a short-form of cricket that has become extremely popular in the last couple of years. The tournament spans 60 matches over the next 45 days. The IPL is currently in its third season, and has already seen runaway success in attracting eyeballs. By acquiring global rights (other than the US market, where Willow TV has the rights) for online streaming, YouTube is testing out a whole new business territory.

The IPL constitutes what are called Twenty20 cricket matches between eight teams made up of players from multiple cricket-playing nations. Revenues from advertising and sponsorship will be shared between Google and IPL, with YouTube offering the content free to consumers. The tournament itself is big money. TV broadcasting rights for 10 years were reportedly purchased by India’s Sony Television Network and Singapore’s World Sports Group for over $ 1 billion. In previous years, while online streaming was available on the official website of the tournament, however, it was geo-blocked in nations where the IPL had TV broadcast deals. That is changing this year. YouTube’s deal with IPL requires them to delay the stream by 5 minutes in countries where they have simultaneous TV broadcasting. Moreover, the online streams promise significant interactivity and customization. Viewers will be able to select their camera choice and freeze and fast-forward footage.

YouTube is reportedly going to stream the match at four quality levels. Google is also bringing its social network Orkut into play here through IPL-branded communities while engaging in both print and outdoor advertising promoting the event.

The timing also appears to be right. Comscore reports that by end of January 2010, over 10 million Indians had visited a sports site in the month, an increase of over 97% year-on-year. Viewer engagement also recorded strong figures, with both total minutes spent and total visits recording growth in excess of 100%. Google is expecting over 10 million unique visitors, and over 40 million cumulative viewers through the duration of the IPL. To put this in context, India had over 8 million broadband subscribers [PDF] (defined as speeds >256 Kbps) at the end of January 2010. Sponsors too are looking to cash in on the latent demand. One of the sponsors on YouTube, telecom operator Airtel is upgrading the access speeds of all its fixed broadband subscribers who wish to watch the matches to 2 Mbps, although fair usage/tiered limits still apply.

What does this deal mean for YouTube? Google is stepping on the pedal when it comes to generating revenue streams on YouTube. This tournament, when viewed in the context of YouTube’s tryst with legal content is interesting. YouTube has, to date, been primarily a forum for user-generated content, but it’s been trying for a while to increase the proportion of content that it can sell advertising on. User-generated content is great for pulling in the numbers, but it is deals such as this that will likely help YouTube make money. Already, large name-brand advertisers including Coca Cola, Samsung, HSBC, and HP are said to have signed up for advertising in India, with each of them said to be purchasing between 5-10 million ad impressions. YouTube will also be producing over 20 clips per match, which will be up for sponsorship, and it is likely to deploy several ad formats including homepage ads, pre-roll and mid-roll ads, and banner ads next to the video player. Advertisers get an opportunity to target a global audience. In the UK, which has a sizable cricket audience as well, local advertisers are being brought aboard.

YouTube is no stranger to live/high-traffic events. Its live streaming of U2’s concert last year attracted over 10 million viewers. The site had also hosted highlights of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, but only in geographies where digital rights could not be negotiated. Experience from such major events could ideally help YouTube refine its pitch for streaming other sporting events. While the current agreement offers content free, YouTube could indeed explore paid subscriptions of such events at a future date. Again, all of this depends on how successful the company is at hosting the event without technical hiccups.

For pay TV operators, who traditionally have paid significant broadcasting license fees to gain exclusive access to sporting events, YouTube’s entry is sure to shake up the scene. There are not many ways in which broadcast TV can compete with the interactivity offered by online viewing. In markets such as India, where cable and satellite subscription is still growing and broadband penetration is very low, migration of ad dollars might be limited. However, in a market such as the UK, YouTube will likely eat into the potential ad revenues that ITV4 looks to generate. And if you take into account that set top boxes that allow YouTube content to be streamed to large-screen TVs are also making their presence felt, pay TV operators definitely have reason to be concerned.

For Google, the imperative of making YouTube profitable is becoming more pressing with every passing day. By gaining rights for online streaming of major sporting events, YouTube gets a solid chance of trying to position itself as a comprehensive online video destination. One comprised of user-generated content, video rentals, on-demand premium clips, and live events. Viewed in that context, YouTube’s current deal with the IPL indeed appears a step in the right direction. If YouTube succeeds in creating a compelling usage experience for the viewer, one that betters broadcast TV, then rest assured, Google is going to be a regular fixture at event rights auctions around the world.

For those of you based in the US that want to watch the IPL matches, YouTube has clarified that you’ll be able to view them 15 minutes after they have ended.

Tags:

Companies: , ,

]]> http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/youtube%e2%80%99s-live-sports-broadcast-deal-is-watershed-moment-for-online-video/feed/ 0 Twitter helps spread Formspring.me hoax http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/twitter-helps-spread-formspring-me-hoax/ http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/twitter-helps-spread-formspring-me-hoax/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:05:37 +0000 Cody Barbierri http://venturebeat.com/?p=167696 Twitter is abuzz today with a story attributed to popular news wire service The Associated Press. The new trending topic spotlights Formspring.me, a social network that lets users create profiles to post and answer questions anonymously, and its CEO, who was supposedly arrested two days ago for an elaborate scheme to release private customer information to the public on April 1.

But the story was just dubbed a hoax by news site The Inquisitr, which points out numerous “mistakes” in the supposed AP story: there’s no record of the story existing on the AP’s web site, there’s no set date for the story and it doesn’t fit AP style guidelines. The Inquisitr also points out the most telling hint: the story wasn’t picked up by any other major news or technology outlets. Surely this would happen if it was put out on the real AP’s wire. That said, several major media sites did fall for it, including MediaBistro, which has since corrected the record.

Additional clues that the story is a hoax include that Formspring.me’s CEO isn’t named Mark Baxter at all, but rather Ade Olonoh. Also, the allegedly Los Angeles-based startup may actually be located in Indianapolis, Ind. according to the CEO’s Twitter profile.

The original image of the AP story includes a link to BenKling.com, who’s a Boston-based freelance animator, web designer, and writer according to his biography. But when you try to visit the link now, you’re forwarded to The Inquisitr’s recent article that the post is fake.

This incident is yet another example of how Twitter holds the power to quickly spread news whether it’s true or not. An inquiry sent to the Associated Press California office has not yet been answered about whether the story is in fact true or fake. Once we receive confirmation, we’ll update this post.

Companies: Associated Press, Formspring.me

]]> Twitter is abuzz today with a story attributed to popular news wire service The Associated Press. The new trending topic spotlights Formspring.me, a social network that lets users create profiles to post and answer questions anonymously, and its CEO, who was supposedly arrested two days ago for an elaborate scheme to release private customer information to the public on April 1.

But the story was just dubbed a hoax by news site The Inquisitr, which points out numerous “mistakes” in the supposed AP story: there’s no record of the story existing on the AP’s web site, there’s no set date for the story and it doesn’t fit AP style guidelines. The Inquisitr also points out the most telling hint: the story wasn’t picked up by any other major news or technology outlets. Surely this would happen if it was put out on the real AP’s wire. That said, several major media sites did fall for it, including MediaBistro, which has since corrected the record.

Additional clues that the story is a hoax include that Formspring.me’s CEO isn’t named Mark Baxter at all, but rather Ade Olonoh. Also, the allegedly Los Angeles-based startup may actually be located in Indianapolis, Ind. according to the CEO’s Twitter profile.

The original image of the AP story includes a link to BenKling.com, who’s a Boston-based freelance animator, web designer, and writer according to his biography. But when you try to visit the link now, you’re forwarded to The Inquisitr’s recent article that the post is fake.

This incident is yet another example of how Twitter holds the power to quickly spread news whether it’s true or not. An inquiry sent to the Associated Press California office has not yet been answered about whether the story is in fact true or fake. Once we receive confirmation, we’ll update this post.

Companies: ,

]]> http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/twitter-helps-spread-formspring-me-hoax/feed/ 0 LG Chem does its part to resuscitate Michigan with new battery factory http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/lg-chem-does-its-part-to-resuscitate-michigan-with-new-battery-factory/ http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/lg-chem-does-its-part-to-resuscitate-michigan-with-new-battery-factory/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:52:00 +0000 Camille Ricketts http://venturebeat.com/?p=167738 Michigan is taking a lot of hits lately. Not only is its traditional automotive industry winding down, but new electric car companies are being lured elsewhere too, despite state efforts. Its one ray of hope has been the advanced battery business, with $300 million in tax cuts successfully attracting major companies to the region. Today, that ray just got a bit brighter, with Korea’s LG Chem announcing plans to open a $303 million battery cell factory in Holland, Mich.

The location is pretty advantageous for the corporation, which has a deal to supply battery cells to Detroit-based General Motors for its much-hyped plug-in Chevy Volt. The new plant is expected to churn out enough cells for 200,000 electric and hybrid vehicle battery packs, LG Chem says. It’s expected to come online by 2012 and create 400 much-needed, permanent jobs.

Half of the money for the 650,000 square-foot factory is coming from the U.S. Department of Energy, which granted LG Chem $151.4 million in stimulus funds last summer for the project. It will only be responsible for producing lithium-ion battery cells — which GM and eventually its other clients will assemble into bigger battery packs. Each pack contains about 300 cells and weighs 400 pounds. It is without a doubt the most expensive component of plug-in vehicles.

The plant will be operated on a day-to-day basis by LG Chem subsidiary Compact Power, based in Troy, Mich., which is providing the other $151.5 million.

This is a rare positive sign for Michigan and Governor Jennifer Granholm. LG Chem’s decision to locate the factory in Holland can be attributed to the $100 million in tax credits it received from the state, as well as the $25.2 million 15-year job-creation credit. It also had an easier time navigating zoning and permitting laws. It looks like the bold strategy to make batteries Michigan’s new core business is on its way.

Other big battery names like A123Systems and Johnson Controls-Saft (supplying Ford) have located in Michigan for the same reasons. Now if only it can score a big commitment from Panasonic, which is looking to compete aggressively in the electric vehicle battery industry, the state could have a real chance to turn its economy and high unemployment rates around.

Companies: Compact Power, General Motors, LG Chem

]]> Michigan is taking a lot of hits lately. Not only is its traditional automotive industry winding down, but new electric car companies are being lured elsewhere too, despite state efforts. Its one ray of hope has been the advanced battery business, with $300 million in tax cuts successfully attracting major companies to the region. Today, that ray just got a bit brighter, with Korea’s LG Chem announcing plans to open a $303 million battery cell factory in Holland, Mich.

The location is pretty advantageous for the corporation, which has a deal to supply battery cells to Detroit-based General Motors for its much-hyped plug-in Chevy Volt. The new plant is expected to churn out enough cells for 200,000 electric and hybrid vehicle battery packs, LG Chem says. It’s expected to come online by 2012 and create 400 much-needed, permanent jobs.

Half of the money for the 650,000 square-foot factory is coming from the U.S. Department of Energy, which granted LG Chem $151.4 million in stimulus funds last summer for the project. It will only be responsible for producing lithium-ion battery cells — which GM and eventually its other clients will assemble into bigger battery packs. Each pack contains about 300 cells and weighs 400 pounds. It is without a doubt the most expensive component of plug-in vehicles.

The plant will be operated on a day-to-day basis by LG Chem subsidiary Compact Power, based in Troy, Mich., which is providing the other $151.5 million.

This is a rare positive sign for Michigan and Governor Jennifer Granholm. LG Chem’s decision to locate the factory in Holland can be attributed to the $100 million in tax credits it received from the state, as well as the $25.2 million 15-year job-creation credit. It also had an easier time navigating zoning and permitting laws. It looks like the bold strategy to make batteries Michigan’s new core business is on its way.

Other big battery names like A123Systems and Johnson Controls-Saft (supplying Ford) have located in Michigan for the same reasons. Now if only it can score a big commitment from Panasonic, which is looking to compete aggressively in the electric vehicle battery industry, the state could have a real chance to turn its economy and high unemployment rates around.

Companies: , ,

]]> http://geniusimpatience.com/blog/2010/03/12/lg-chem-does-its-part-to-resuscitate-michigan-with-new-battery-factory/feed/ 0