Book: Hoffa is buried beneath the GM Building

Detroit— Some say Jimmy Hoffa is buried somewhere under the west endzone at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. Others say he was cremated in a Hamtramck garbage incinerator or dumped in the Florida Everglades.

But a new book penned by a man who was Hoffa's driver and a Canadian journalist says the legendary Teamster boss is still in Detroit, buried beneath General Motors' headquarters at the Renaissance Center in Downtown Detroit.

The book — "The Weasel: A Double Life in the Mob" (Wiley; November 2011) — is the latest tome to expose what really happened to Hoffa. The book's authors are Marvin Elkind, a self-described "chauffeur and goon for mob bosses" who turned police informant, and Adrian Humphries, who has written two other books about the mafia.

Elkind claims he learned Hoffa was buried under the RenCen during a Teamsters conference in Detroit in 1985. Reputed mob boss Anthony Giacalone told him and a group of delegates, Elkind told the New York Post.

As the group left the hotel across the street from where the Renaissance Center was under construction, Giacalone nodded toward the new building's foundation and said, "Say good morning to Jimmy Hoffa, boys."

Source;
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20111227/METRO/112270331/-1/archive/Book-Hoffa-buried-beneath-RenCen

2013 Chevrolet Impala Imagined by Casey/Art and Colour

I've got to say, this looks really good....
"2013 Impala—The next large Chevy sedan will be based on the same architecture as the new Cadillac XTS. I've created a Chevy version of that car, and I'm guessing it's pretty close to the real deal. I've used classic Impala logos and wheels, as well as very 1961-like Chevy lettering on the hood. Compared with the XTS, I've simplified the bodysides and given it a late-model Impala greenhouse, as well as smoothing out the trunk shape."

Source (via www.woodyscarsite.com);
http://artandcolourcars.blogspot.com/2011/12/2013-chevrolet-impala-sedan.html

GM Gets Pranked at Chevy Event

By SHARON TERLEP

DETROIT—General Motors Co. officials were red-faced on Wednesday after software on a network at its headquarters was programmed to insert a derogatory remark on computer browsers after any mention of Chrysler Group LLC and several other competitors.

The prank came to light at GM's unveiling of a battery-powered version of its Chevrolet Spark small car at a five-day event marking the 100th anniversary of GM's Chevrolet brand. The event drew more than 200 journalists from around the world.

Selim Bingol, a GM spokesman, said the auto maker had nothing to do with the prank. GM has since corrected the problem.

GM officials said computer technicians found an unauthorized software program had been installed on a wireless router, and the program was altering the way Web pages were displayed to insert the word "sucks" after any mention of certain rivals on computers linked to the network.

Later in the day, GM said it had identified the culprit—a subcontractor who had helped set up the wireless network. GM didn't identify the company but said the subcontractor had admitted its role and intended the prank to be humorous.

"These guys are learning the definition of sucks," Mr. Bingol said.

Computers accessing the Internet via other networks at the company's headquarters were unaffected.

The word "sucks" appeared after mentions of Chrysler, Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., and Honda Motor Co. on any searches or references to those companies conducted on computers using the GM network. Web references were not permanently altered because the word was inserted only onto the displays of computers using that one network.

The word did not appear after mentions of Nissan Motor Co., Hyundai Motor Co., or Volkswagen AG.

Source;
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204002304576626982322048592.html

GM to produce all-electric Chevy Spark

(Reuters) - General Motors Co confirmed it will make its first all-electric vehicle, a version of the Chevrolet Spark minicar that will debut in 2013 and take aim at Nissan Motor Co Ltd's Leaf.

"Chevrolet will produce an all-electric version of the Spark minicar for selected U.S. and global markets, including California," Jim Federico, Chevy's global vehicle chief engineer for electric vehicles, said at the company's Detroit headquarters on Wednesday.

Electric cars have been slow to catch on. In the U.S. market, demand has been held back by the lack of models to choose from, skimpy infrastructure for charging the vehicles, high sticker prices, and low gasoline prices compared with other industrialized nations.

News of the electric Spark continues GM's push to seize the mantle of "greenest automaker in the world" from Toyota Motor Corp, which makes the popular Prius hybrid car.

GM, like other major automakers, also needs more fuel-efficient cars as the industry pushes toward more stringent U.S. requirements that will be in place by 2025.

Further details about the electric Spark, including driving range and price, will be released closer to introduction.

The Volt has a 400-pound lithium-ion battery that provides an electric-only range of up to 50 miles. After the battery is depleted, a 1.4-liter gas engine provides power.

Nissan launched the five-passenger Leaf in Japan and the United States in December 2010. The vehicle has an EPA-certified driving range of 73 miles.

Marketing an all-electric vehicle will mark a break for GM. It has emphasized the Volt's ability to continue driving under gas power even after its electric charge has been used as a way to prey on consumer anxiety about being stranded while driving an all-electric car.

Leaf's U.S. sales through September were about 27,500, seven times higher than the larger Volt. The Leaf's U.S. price starts at $32,780 before a $7,500 federal tax credit.

"We welcome competitors into the market," Mark Perry, director of product planning for Nissan Americas, told Reuters. "We're glad that GM has decided to go pure electric. This brings further validity to the segment."

Ford Motor Co will introduce an electric Focus by the end of this year, and ramp up production in early 2012. The small car's driving range has not yet been certified by the EPA, but the company expects it can travel up to 100 miles on a full charge, depending on conditions.

Toyota will offer a plug-in version of the Prius that can drive up to 15 miles on a charge starting next year. Other automakers also are rolling out plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Federico said the electric Spark's global rollout will be similar to that of the plug-in electric hybrid Chevy Volt, which started in the U.S. market and has expanded from there.

The gasoline-powered Spark is now sold only in China, India and South Korea. A new version of the gas-powered Spark will debut next year and be introduced in the United States and other markets.

Federico declined to say where the electric Spark will be built, but the gas version is currently assembled in South Korea.

GM Chief Executive Daniel Akerson has driven the company more aggressively toward electric vehicles since taking the top job about a year ago.

The U.S. automaker's push under Akerson has centered on rolling out plug-in hybrid technology in a broader range of vehicles to recoup its investment in the money-losing Volt. By using its electric-vehicle technology in more cars, GM could reap more profits and drive down the technology's cost.

In August, GM said it would build a Cadillac ELR luxury coupe based on Volt's plug-in hybrid technology.

A123 Systems Inc will provide the lithium-ion battery for the electric Spark, Federico said.
In August, GM said it had awarded A123 a contract to build battery packs for future electric vehicles, but it did not say which vehicles would use the batteries.

Sources told Reuters that GM executives were studying plans for an all-electric small car for the Chevy brand that included an A123 battery.

Source;

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/12/us-gm-spark-idUSTRE79B4I220111012

OnStar Discloses that it Will Track Customers Without a Plan

Wow, you've got to be kidding me, GM = Big Brother now?!?

by Mark Hackman

OnStar has begun notifying customers that it may continue to collect and use information about the vehicle even if the customer terminates his or her subscription.

In a privacy notice that will take effect this December, OnStar said that it would collect data as long as a data connection was active, including such details as the location and speed of the vehicle, as well as such fine-grained details as the odometer readings and tire pressure.

The privacy statement lists it as being effective as of Dec. 2011, although the statement also notes that the changes were made to the January 2011 privacy statement.

In the privacy notification, OnStar said that it will share the information it collects with credit card processors and data management companies, as well as roadside assistance providers, emergency services providers, law enforcement, and wireless and satellite service providers.

The data collection can be halted, however; OnStar must deactivate the data connection. "Unless the Data Connection to your Vehicle is deactivated, data about your Vehicle will continue to be collected even if you do not have a Plan," the privacy policy states. "It is important that you convey this to other drivers, occupants, or subsequent owners of your Vehicle. You may deactivate the Data Connection to your Vehicle at any time by contacting an OnStar Advisor."

What data does OnStar collect? The company provides a detailed list:
OnStar collects basic contact information, billing information with credit-card information, and details of the car, such as the make, model, and vehicle identification number (VIN);
vehicle information, including diagnostic trouble codes, oil life, tire pressure, and fuel economy, as well as when your fuel was last refilled;

crash information, including the direction of the crash, whether air bags were deployed, and whether the driver and passenger were wearing their seat belts;

anonymized location information, such as the location and speed of the car, via the installed GPS.
In the latter case, OnStar begins by saying that it only collects the GPS location of the vehicle in case of a crash, or lost vehicle. But it also adds that it may collect the information "when needed by us or our Service Providers for our quality, research or troubleshooting purposes" or simply "for any purpose, at any time, provided that following collection of such location and speed information identifiable to your Vehicle, it is shared only on an anonymized basis."

OnStar also collects information on the details of calls made by the associated Hands-Free Calling service.

In July, OnStar launched the OnStar FMV, an aftermarket rear-view mirror with the OnStar service built in. In July, OnStar also added the capability to track their own cars with a beta service. Ford, which competes against OnStar with its Sync service, also recently announced the capability to allow users to call its customer service centers from within the vehicle to inquire about business addresses and phone numbers.

Whether or not OnStar really anonymizes the data is irrelevant, according to Jonathan Zdziarski, a senior forensic scientist at Via Forensics who wrote about the change in the policy.

"This is too shady, especially for a company that you're supposed to trust your family to," he wrote. "My vehicle's location is my life, it's where I go on a daily basis. It's private. It's mine. I shouldn't have to have a company like OnStar steal my personal and private life just to purchase an emergency response service. Taking my private life and selling it to third party advertisers, law enforcement, and God knows who else is morally inept. Shame on you, OnStar. You disgust me."

OnStar also noted that customers with concerns can email its privacy manager at privacymanager@onstar.com, or call the company at (877) 299-1372.

OnStar representatives could not be reached for comment after hours.

Source;
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2393378,00.asp#fbid=8G2XIIvcyWG