IntoNow: The Shazam of TV Shows

IntoNow launched its iOS application today which is able to identify 2.6 million broadcast TV airings. IntoNow will listen to what you’re watching and in four to twelve seconds the app returns the exact episode and whether or not the content is live or a re-broadcast.

Additionally, IntoNow allows one-touch access to show info, IMDb, iTunes and Netflix, and app notifications alert you to activities and comments from friends. IntoNow can optinally share what you are watching with your friends on Twitter and Facebook.

Learn more at IntoNow’s website or grab the app from the iTunes iOS App Store.

via Star Padilla and Mashable

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MPG (Miles Per Gallon) is a Stupid Metric

Give me my MPGs!  Everyone wants more MPGs because more is better.  By itself the unit is easy to understand; simply, it tells you how many miles you can go on one gallon.  It makes sense, but because of the nature of this ratio it causes some unusual misconceptions?

Answer the following:

1. Does a five MPG improvement (from 20 to 25) give you the same gas (money) savings as a five MPG improvement (from 25 to 30)?
2. Does comparing a SUV/Midsize Sedan (18 MPG versus 25 MPG) is the same as comparing a Midsize Sedan and Midsize Hybrid (25 MPG versus 32 MPG)?
3. Does every time you improve one MPG you save the same amount of gallons/money?

Let’s assume the following:

• On average you drive 12,000 miles a year.
• The price for a gallon of gas is $3.339.

Question 1:

A 20 MPG car means you will use 600 gallons in a year.  (12,000/20=600)

• 600 gallons at $3.339 a gallon will cost you $2,003.40

A 25 MPG car means you will use 480 gallons in a year.  (12,000/25=480)

• 480 gallons at $3.339 a gallon will cost you $1,602.72
• You saved $400.68 in gas by driving a 25 MPG car versus a 20 MPG car.

A 30 MPG car means you will use 400 gallons in a year.  (12,000/30=400)

• 400 gallons at $3.339 a gallon will cost you $1,335.60
• You saved $267.12 in gas by driving a 30 MPG car versus a 25 MPG car.

The higher the MPG the less incremental savings you gain by moving up one MPG.

Question 2:

A 18 MPG car means you will use 666.67 gallons in a year.  (12,000/18=666.67)

• 666.67 gallons at $3.339 a gallon will cost you $2,226.00

A 25 MPG car means you will use 480 gallons in a year.  (12,000/25=480)

• 480 gallons at $3.339 a gallon will cost you $1,602.72
• You saved $623.28 in gas by driving a 25 MPG car versus a 18 MPG car.

A 32 MPG car means you will use 375 gallons in a year.  (12,000/32=375)

• 375 gallons at $3.339 a gallon will cost you $1,252.13
• You saved $350.59 in gas by driving a 32 MPG car versus a 25 MPG car.

Each car is 8 MPG better than the other but your savings moving from a mid-size sedan to a mid-size sedan hybrid is only half the savings moving from a SUV to a mid-size sedan.

Question 3:

• Moving from a 9 MPG car to a 10 MPG car saves you $445.20 a year
• Moving from a 39 MPG car to a 40 MPG car saves you $25.68 a year

Gallons per Thousand Miles (G/TM)

Most of the world uses “Liters per 100 Kilometers” or “L/100km” and this is the US unit equivalent.

• 100 G/TM = 10 MPG (1,200 gal/year)
• 50 G/TM = 20 MPG (600 gal/year)
• 40 G/TM = 25 MPG (480 gal/year)
• 30 G/TM = 33.3 MPG (360 gal/year)
• 20 G/TM = 50 MPG (240 gal/year)

In this system, lower is better.  Assuming gas prices of $3.339 per gallon, each time you lower 10 G/TM you will save $400 a year.  This makes it very easy to compare the relative fuel costs of cars. 

Plug-In Vehicles

Now, how should we compare plug-in vehicles?  I don’t know.  Electricity costs vary so widely and do not fluctuate in tune with gas prices, so what is true today may not be true tomorrow.

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Change Your Amazon.com Password Today

Lifehacker and The Consumerist are reporting a flaw in Amazon’s login authentication system.  Now is a good opportunity to change your password.

Whether or not the flaw actually affects you, it’s a good opportunity to think about how easy it is to break into your accounts.  While most well known companies have security experts that make it extremely difficult for someone (even an employee) to figure out your password, many companies do very little to protect your personal data.

This being said, unless you’re using different passwords for every account you have, it’s a really good idea to change your password on occasion (more often is better).  This way, if someone manages to grab your username and password, the timetable where he/she can do damage to your other accounts is minimized.

Of course, using different passwords for every site eliminates this security risk altogether, but most people do not.  If you are interested in a Password Manager to track the different passwords you are using for every site, check out Lifehacker’s Five Best Password Managers.  I use KeePass.

via Lifehacker and The Consumerist

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50,000 Miles for Continental MasterCard

Continental and Chase give generous terms for this MasterCard offer.  In 2012 the Continental OnePass and United Mileage Plus programs will merge, and this product will cease to exist.  If you have been waiting to grab many Continental miles to roll into the new United, here is your chance. 

If you wait until February 1^st you can register with Continental’s Mile-a-Thon offer and earn credits for applying for the card.  The more credits you accumulate, the more miles you earn.

The credit card is standard.  There is an $85 annual fee waived for the first year, and if you are not looking for a loan soon, you can cancel the card with very little determent to your longer term credit history.

You will get 50,000 bonus miles after your first purchase and 10,000 bonus miles if you spend more than $25,000 on the card for the year.  You earn one mile for every $1 spent and two miles for every $1 spent on tickets purchased directly from Continental.

You receive your first checked bag free every time you fly on Continental and two President’s Club passes every anniversary.

It is not a great card, but it’s a perfect opportunity to pick up some miles.

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45 Delta SkyMiles per $1 at 1-800-Flowers

Among other limited time offers for Valentine’s Day, you can get 45 Delta SkyMiles for every dollar you spend at 1-800-Flowers.

http://skymilesoffers.delta.com/dining_lto.php#1800flowers

via FlyerTalk Forums

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PBS Special Investigates the Outsourcing of Aircraft Maintenance

PBS FRONTLINE and the Investigative Reporting Workshop examined the growing trend of outsourcing major airline repair work to lower-cost independent maintenance operations in the special Flying Cheaper.

The segment points out issues at one facility, but the safety records of US airlines suggest air travel is safer than ever before.  What is the truth of the situation industry-wide?  Obviously, finding glaring issues is good for production and entertainment, but how many of the major airlines are turning to incompetent subcontractors?  Is this more of an issue for regional jet carriers?  International carriers?

Obviously, airlines are in the business of transporting passengers and cargo.  The aircraft, interiors, in-flight entertainment, avionics, engines, etc are all built by specialized sub-contractors.  It makes sense that the maintenance of all those items could be handled with more care and at a lower cost by a specialized subcontractor, and true free-market competition has always demonstrated benefits.  

As flyers we forget how dynamic the air transport industry can be.  We like to have a carrier you can trust to take you anywhere, whether that be Dubai or Jackson Hole.  Delta, United, and Continental provide that service, but to do it well they need to have a very diverse fleet of aircraft for all the different routings and passenger capacities.  This means lots of different training for pilots, flight attendants, ground crews, and maintenance crews.

Look at United’s mainline fleet.  Maintenance operations need to support the A319, A320, B744, B752, B763, and B772.  Scheduling the right crews to the right aircraft is inefficient.  For example, United only flies 24 B744s, so what does a B744 trained maintenance crew do when all the B744s do not need maintenance or FAA checks?  You could train them on another airframe, but it increases the likelihood of getting confused or having to more frequently look up information which wastes time.

Rather imagine a maintenance company that specializes in B744s and services United, Lufthansa, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana, and Singapore.  All are members of Star Alliance so there is a willingness to cooperate.  All operate B744s and some airlines only in the single digits.  The maintenance company would have facilities across the globe to support these clients so it makes relocating aircraft for repair significantly easier.  You have crews who become experts on one airframe.  It is better and cheaper for everyone involved.

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