Team USA

[Gabriel92]

'MURICAView attachment 138143 View attachment 138144

Luckily,America is much different than 'MURICA. (I hope at least )

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Hey @Peter C would you be willing to do a segment on US infrastructure projects and spending (assuming you haven't and I'll admit I haven't checked each page of this thread)? While our infrastructure is often mentioned as being in decline, and to be fair a lot of it is in need of maintenance, the US is also undergoing an infrastructure building spree, though it isn't balanced and is more skewed towards energy and urban development.

I feel there's too much false information floating around about the state of the US infrastructure and would welcome any sanity or realism that you can offer.

I didn't mention any specific projects. But I have talked about water/sewer treatment plants, highways, trains, airports, etc. Just general stuff.

Trying to not turn this thread into a troll fest of "Nice...BUT in our country we do it better...check this out..."

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

American retro Muscle cars

2015 Dodge Challenger 305 - 707hp. $26,995- $58,295

1970 Dodge Challenger 145 - 390hp

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

American Retro muscle cars

2015 Chevrolet Camaro 323-580hp from $23,705

1968 Chevrolet Camaro

American retro Muscle cars

2015 Ford Mustang 300-435hp from $23,800

1970 Ford Mustang

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Environmentalism in the USA

In the Chinese documentary "Under the Dome" some common anti-pollution policies of the US (and other countries) were highlighted.

Vapor recovery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stage 2 vapor recovery gas pump nozzle. Collar collects vapors and drains them back into the underground gas tanks.

Typical truck in the US (Optimus Prime type). They run on diesel and are all over the place (that's why driving a sub-compact is suicide in the US).

Double trailers too

Air pollution was simply referred to as being "fog".

Coal Pollution. She points out how the people of the U.S.,England, and others know FULL WELL of the dangers of coal and how they stopped it. The number of homes in the US using coal was down to 0.1% in 2000 (that's from 55% using coal in 1940!!!!).

 

[Pukhtoon]

American retro Muscle cars

View attachment 199005
2015 Dodge Challenger 305 - 707hp. $26,995- $58,295

I always wish i hav enough money for this beast

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

I always wish i hav enough money for this beast

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Quality of Life Index by Country 2015

Top 10

US ranked #4.
Saudi Arabia #12
Japan #13
UK #16
France #22
Israel #30
Taiwan #43
Hong Kong #49
Turkey #50
India #51
Russia #72
Pakistan #74
China #76

 

[KingMamba]

American Retro muscle cars

View attachment 199006
2015 Chevrolet Camaro 323-580hp from $23,705

View attachment 199007
1968 Chevrolet Camaro

American retro Muscle cars

View attachment 199009
2015 Ford Mustang 300-435hp from $23,800

View attachment 199010
1970 Ford Mustang

The 02 camaro is my favorite.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

The 02 camaro is my favorite.

Well I'll always have a soft spot for my old '94 Firebird which looked like this one (minus the front license plate).

 

[KingMamba]

Well I'll always have a soft spot for my old '94 Firebird which looked like this one (minus the front license plate).
View attachment 205047

Nice, you could still get some of these babies for a few thousand. Although since the brand is no more it probably would cost a lot in terms of maintenance.

 

[SvenSvensonov]

The Last 200 Years Of U.S. Immigration In One Chart

Just how much has the United States depended on immigrants to build itself throughout its history? This chart lays out the last few hundred years of the nation's immigration rates to show how pivotal it was.

The work of Natalia Bronshtein of Insightful Interaction, this chart uses data from the Department of Homeland Security's Yearbook of Immigration stats, and it shows not just immigration growth and contractions, but where that immigration is occurring from.

It's also an interesting look at the ways that global history has changed the tide of immigration.While immigration continued through the first World War, you can see a brief chocking off of the flow of new Americans extending through the second World War. When it kicks off again, the points of origin of those new Americans has shifted, with several countries that previously had populations too small to show up on the graph (India, China, the Philippines) now taking a prominent place.

You can see the full chart right here.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Smart Homes:

Nest Labs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Smart Thermostats

Smart Fire/Carbon Monoxide alarms

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Smart Homes: Wink

Wink | A Simpler Way to a Smarter Home

Smart Homes: SmartThings

SmartThings - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Meet the smart hubs competing to control your home - CNET

Meet the smart hubs competing to control your home
Compatible with today's most popular smart home devices, these gadgets promise to cut through the chaos and bring a little gravity to your connected universe.

Perhaps the most overwhelming thing about the smart home revolution is the fact that so many of these new gadgets come with their own separate apps and control hubs. If you buy more than one or two, you'll end up needing a whole bookcase to store all of the blinking control centers plugged into your router, not to mention the fact that your various automation rules and schedules will probably be scattered across several different apps and websites. Wasn't home automation supposed to make things easier?

It's a reality that's created a bit of a jump ball in home automation: whichever hub can best consolidate all of these smart devices into a single, dependable system -- complete with a killer app -- is going to be positioned especially well as the connected home continues to move into the mainstream. With several multipurpose smart hubs already out there, and even more coming on the horizon, here are the ones we've been keeping tabs on.

Homey
No clowning around -- this funny-looking gizmo wants to manage all of your connected devices, and it promises voice controls, to boot. A crowdfunding hit from Netherlands-based start-up Athom, Homey recently raised more than twice the amount of money it was seeking on Kickstarter from supporters around the world. Of course, it won't be shipping out to them until April of next year at the earliest, but still, Homey is a hub we'll be keeping an eye on. Read our first take of Homey.

Insteon Hub
We found a lot to like with Insteon's comprehensive, fee-free network of home automation devices when we reviewed the system last year, but we thought that the veteran smart home network needed more in order to remain competitive. Enter Microsoft. In May, the tech titan announced that it would be teaming up with Insteon to bring smart home controls straight into the Live Tiles of phones, tablets, and PCs running Windows 8, and to bring a plethora of kits and devices (pricing varies) directly into Microsoft retail outlets. It's a smart home marriage that has us intrigued, and it might be just the jolt this automation old dog needed. Read our full review of the Insteon Hub.

Lutron Smart Bridge
New this summer in the US, Canada, and Mexico, the Lutron Smart Bridge transforms Caseta Wireless plug-in lamp dimmers, Pico remote controls, and Serena battery-powered window shades into Wi-Fi-enabled home automation products. Moving forward, there's plans to support products like the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat, too. Read our review of the Lutron Smart Bridge.

Revolv Smart Home Solution
Revolv, currently available only in the US, scores big for its fun, funky design and its playful app. Plug one in at home, and you'll be able to control your smart lights, smart locks, connected thermostats, wireless cameras, and more, all from within a single ecosystem. We also love the way Revolv incorporates geofencing to trigger your automations as you come and go. The only problem: at a price of $300 (which converts to £175/AU$320), Revolv is competing with a new generation of hubs that make similar performance claims -- and cost a lot less. [URL='http://www.cnet.com/products/revolv-smart-home-solution/']Read our review of the Revolv Smart Home Solution.[/URL]

SmartThings
SmartThings is the rare crowdfunding success story that managed to live up to the hype. With a wide array of sensors for monitoring activity around the home and a robust, [URL='http://www.cnet.com/news/smartthings-adds-support-for-tcp-quirky-and-ecobee/']growing list of third-party device support, this is a powerful system with a lot to offer, especially if you're willing to get creative. International shipping beyond the US and Canada isn't available just yet. Read our review of SmartThings.[/URL]

Staples Connect Hub (D-Link Edition)
We liked what we saw from [URL='http://www.cnet.com/products/staples-connect-hub/']the original Staples Connect Hub last year, and this year, the retail giant is taking another big step into the smart home. The new D-Link version of the hub retails for $80 (which converts to £45/AU$85) and boasts a bold, eye-catching new design, along with added support for Zigbee and Bluetooth LE-based devices. Staples will roll out the new flagship device into 500 stores across the US, while cutting the price of the original Linksys model down from $100 to $50 (converted to £30/AU$55). Read our first take of the Staples Connect Hub (D-Link Edition).[/URL]

Wink Hub
[URL='http://www.cnet.com/products/staples-connect-hub-d-link-edition/']It's been a busy year so far for the Wink brand, with the launch of Quirky-branded smart home products ranging from [URL='http://www.cnet.com/products/quirky-aros-smart-window-air-conditioner/']connected air conditioners to app-enabled egg trays. Now, the Wink name is stepping out on its own from under the Quirky umbrella with the $50 (converted to £30/AU$55) Wink Hub, available now in Home Depots across the US. Along with controlling those aforementioned Quirky devices, the Wink Hub promises to wrangle popular third-party gadgets from big brands like Honeywell, Kwikset, and Lutron, as well as notable products like Philips Hue LEDs and the Dropcam Pro. Like the significantly more expensive Revolv Smart Home Solution, you won't need to keep it plugged into your router -- a nice flexibility perk over other hubs. Read our hands-on first take of the Wink Hub.[/URL][/URL]

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

LED Smart Bulb: Cree LED Bulbs | Start Cutting Your Energy Costs by up to 85% Today