Things I learned lately - 2 February

• Mercedes Benz and Nissan have both promised to bring computer-controlled cars to market before 2020.
• Mars rover Opportunity - designed to work for 90 days. As of 24 Jan 2014, it has lasted 3563 days (10 years) and counting.
• You can sum up what Microsoft was trying to accomplish with Windows 8 this way: They bet that the future of all computing was touch. Not just tablets, but PCs too. That may still come to pass eventually, but I think they placed their bets too soon. Apple on the other hand, thinks the computing experience (no touch) and the tablet experience (touch) will stay as separate activities. The world won't divide us into tablet or computer people. Many will be both. In fact, the phone, tablet, and computer (even laptop) will remain distinct tools. I agree with Apple on this one.
• Bold & Naked Yoga studio in New York is now offering co-ed naked yoga classes. This could only happen in NYC....
• It is predicted that a lot of retail store locations will close in the next year and retail floor spaces will begin to shrink.
• A survey by Nielsen found that 17% of US Internet connected TV users plan to decrease or cancel their cable subscription in the coming year.
• According to the IMF, global fossil fuel subsidies (oil, gas and coal) combined with electricity subsidies total $1.9 trillion a year. Why are governments worldwide subsidizing the most profitable industry in the world?
• According to UNICEF, the world could meet basic human needs for everyone on earth with just $80 billion. This is equal to stopping military spending and fossil fuel subsidies for just 8 days. If you added schooling for every child, reproductive health care, safe drinking water and sanitation and basic health needs you only add $42 billion to that amount. So 12 days of no subsidies to energy and no military funding, and the world's needs are met.
• The Department of Homeland Security oversees movie theft in the US. That's right. Can you say 'overkill'?
• Target is going to try different sized stores in the US. CityTarget will be designed for urban sites and be about 2/3 the size of a regular store. TargetExpress will be even smaller, more like a Walgreen's. The first TargetExpress will be in Minneapolis.
• Amazon has patented a system that will predict what you're going to order and have it packed and ready at a nearby distribution hub before you even log in and click 'order'.
• The US spent $502 billion subsidizing fossil fuels in 2011 alone.
• SodaStream's Super Bowl ad is banned because it mentions Coke and Pepsi by name. An ad that mentions its competitors? The nerve.....