Drop me a text and let me know what you think of this episode!
Revolutionary solar paint technology from Mercedes could transform how we power our vehicles. This breakthrough innovation promises to deliver enough energy annually to drive nearly 8,700 miles without plugging in—eliminating range anxiety and potentially reshaping the entire EV landscape. With current photovoltaic cells functioning at just 20% efficiency, future improvements could push this technology to power 15,000, 20,000, or even 30,000 miles annually. Imagine never needing to search for a charging station or worry about electricity costs.
Meanwhile, Duolingo has become the first major company to announce explicit plans to replace current contract workers with artificial intelligence. This marks a disturbing shift from companies merely slowing future hiring to actively eliminating existing positions. When Duolingo's CEO states that "making minor tweaks to systems designed for humans won't get us there," alarm bells should ring. Without federal guidelines limiting AI implementation, how many middle-class knowledge workers—people who invested years in education and training—will find themselves replaced? And when AI eliminates too many jobs, who remains to purchase the products and services these streamlined companies offer?
Beyond cutting-edge technology, America harbors remarkable communication systems that have quietly served communities for decades. Since 1969, specialized radio reading services have broadcast newspapers, magazines, and books to visually impaired listeners nationwide. Operating via FM subcarriers through public radio and TV stations, these volunteer-staffed services read everything from front-page news to grocery advertisements, providing critical information access particularly for older Americans unfamiliar with screen readers. Today, approximately 79 such services continue this vital work, adapting to streaming technology while maintaining traditional broadcasts for rural communities with limited internet access.
Join us as we explore these fascinating intersections of innovation, ethics, and accessibility. From solar-powered vehicles that promise unmatched freedom to the concerning pace of AI workforce replacement to hidden broadcast services keeping Americans connected, the technological landscape continues to both inspire and challenge us. Have thoughts on these developments? Call our TechMobility hotline at 872-222-9793 or email talk@techmobilityshow.
Be sure to tell your friends to tune in to The TechMobility Podcast!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the TechMobility Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Ken Chester On the agenda dual lingo to replace
contract workers with AI, thelogistics of Made in America and
secret radio stations.
To add your voice to theconversation, be it to ask a
question, share an opinion orsuggest an idea for future
discussion, call or text theTechMobility hotline, that
(00:31):
number, 872-222-9793, or you canemail the show directly.
Talk at techmobilityshow.
Be sure to subscribe, like andfollow us on social media our
YouTube channel and our twopodcasts, the Tech Mobility
Podcast and Tech Mobility Topics.
(00:52):
You can also find me onSubstack as part of the Iowa
Writers Collaborative and youcan reach me there at Ken C Iowa
.
So that's Ken, the letter C andIowa spelled out I-O-W-A From
the TechMobility News Desk.
(01:13):
What if I told you that anautomaker has developed a paint,
a paint that can absorb solarenergy and turn it into
electricity?
What would you say to that?
This article comes from one ofthe automotive pieces that I
(01:38):
subscribe to and it says, and Iquote Mercedes solar paint could
give EVs thousands of miles ofrange.
Every year we talked abouthydrogen, We've talked about
fuel cells, We've talked aboutthe challenges of EV batteries
and up to recently, we've kindof nibbled at the edges of solar
(02:00):
panels on cars and up till now,solar panels gave incremental
power, but not so much that itwould even be a game changer,
not so much that it would extendthe range, kind of just enough
to maybe power some auxiliarylike a heater or a radio or
something like that from time totime, but nothing really earth
(02:22):
shattering till now.
Mercedes is working on a solarpaintwork that can give EVs
thousands of miles of rangeannually.
Known as solar paintwork, thecompany is researching new types
of solar modules that can beseamlessly applied to the bodies
(02:43):
of electric vehicles.
These efforts could eventuallypave the way for a wafer-thin
layer of paint that couldgenerate enough electricity to
cover 8,699 miles per year.
Think about that, I want thatto sink in year.
(03:10):
Think about that, I want thatto sink in.
For many years it was consideredthat the average amount of
mileage the car traveled used tobe was 12,000 miles.
Today we consider averagemileage over a course of a year
and the key word there isaverage to be 15,000 miles, to
be 15,000 miles.
Mercedes is coming with a planand a product that will give you
(03:30):
almost half that mileage insolar energy, meaning you
wouldn't have to, theoretically,if you were doing average
mileage, you wouldn't have toplug the thing in, but maybe
half the time, and if you wereout, all you had to do was park
the thing, you wouldn't have tobe as worried about finding a
public charger at all and itwouldn't matter where you were,
(03:54):
because if you're getting thatkind of mileage, even though
it's maybe 10, 20 miles a day,that could very well make the
difference to you gettingsomeplace.
If you had to go, If you forgotto plug it in or whatever.
Sunny day boy, park it outthere, Get that juice and, like
any technology, you can count onthis technology to get better
(04:20):
and better.
If Mercedes can take it fromliterally incremental and when I
mean incremental I meant likemaybe 20 miles a year to over to
this kind of mileage to over8,700, almost 8,700 miles a year
.
What's to say that in threeyears, five years, ten years and
(04:45):
I don't believe it would takethat long that continued working
on it doubles the range We'veseen.
Batteries continue, batterypacks continue to increase range
, increase range, increase range.
For comparison's sake, bear inmind when the Nissan Leaf first
came to the market 2009,2010, ithad a range of 98 miles.
(05:07):
98 miles, that's it 98.
Today, the most efficientvehicle, the EV that you can buy
in the United States of Americais the Lucid Air, and it will
give you 520 miles out of itsbattery pack between charges.
(05:28):
And it's not the only one TeslaModel S, the brand new Chevy
Silverado EV in a work truckconfiguration will give you 450
miles A truck right now for sale.
You could buy one today withthat kind of range right now.
So what's to say that thissolar, quote-unquote paintwork
(05:52):
that Mercedes is developing thatgives you almost 8,700 miles a
year wouldn't be 15,000 in twoto three years, 24,000 within 10
years, heck, maybe even 30,000miles.
And at that range, Imagine anEV that you don't need gasoline
at all because it's not a hybrid, you don't need hydrogen at all
(06:16):
because it's not a fuel cell,that you can get typical mileage
and in fact double typicalmileage From the sun.
Let that sink in At the speedthat technology is moving right
(06:36):
now EV batteries, batterychemistries, changing out rare
earth metals in batteryconfigurations with cheaper,
more stable, less flammablealternatives.
This is happening right now, inreal time.
If you recall to take you backmaybe six months or more we
talked about Toyota's EV plans.
(06:56):
Toyota, in the next two years,is expecting to have a battery
pack that will go 600 miles.
They said between now and theend of the decade they expect to
have a battery pack that willgo 600 miles.
They said between now and theend of the decade they expect to
have a battery pack that willgo 1,000 miles between charges.
So is it so far-fetched thatsolar technology, solar charging
(07:19):
technology, you know,photovoltaic cells would not get
that much more efficient,because right now the average
cell has a 30% efficiency.
Imagine if they increased it to50%, 60% efficiency.
What kind of range would youhave Then?
(07:40):
What does that do for vehiclepropulsion?
You don't need to ever chargeit.
Then what does that do forvehicle propulsion?
You don't need to ever chargeit.
You don't need gasoline for ahybrid, you don't need a network
to plug it in.
You talk about freedom,ultimate, freedom, ultimate.
This is the beginning, which iswhy I'm making a big deal about
(08:03):
it, Because if they can getthis, they can double it.
If they can double it, they candouble it again.
Computers used to have somethingcalled Moore's Law, which meant
the speed of these computerswould double every 18 months,
and for many years that was true.
We're seeing something elseright now in the EV battery and
EV propulsion industry, withmaterials and equipment and
(08:28):
power getting more and moreefficient, less and less cost.
And I told you this wouldhappen, because I told you that
once traditional automobilemanufacturing companies scale up
in the EV segment, that theywould wring out costs, they
would get rid of expensive partslike lithium, cobalt, manganese
(08:52):
would go away and they wouldcome up with more stable, lower
cost, longer duration solutionson the way to EV power, and this
Mercedes solar paintwork is onesuch solution.
We're not even talking aboutammonia or other
(09:13):
non-carbon-based fuels,synthetic fuels, e-fuels We've
talked about that in the past.
There's a lot of things on thetable here.
I wanted to share this with youand I need to correct this.
The article says, in Mercedes'case, they are looking at an
active photovoltaic surface withsolar cells that have an
(09:33):
efficiency rating of 20%.
They are expecting to get thiswith 20% efficiency.
What if they were able todouble the efficiency of the
cells?
That puts you at 15,000 miles,16,000 miles.
What if they were able toimprove it yet again, and I'm
figuring that would be five to10 years?
(09:54):
Would it be unreasonable tothink that 30,000 miles out of
photovoltaic cells on a carwould be unreasonable.
We didn't even think this waspossible, but here we are.
Here we are.
It is an exciting time to be inthe car business.
It started.
(10:15):
A company is replacing workerswith AI.
We have the details.
Next you are listening to theTech Mobility Show.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Are you tired of juggling multiple apps and
platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
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(10:47):
It's time to simplify your lifeand boost your productivity.
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communicate.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Social media is the main place to be these days, and
we are no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Facebook videos, from my latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary of a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight.
You.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Facebook.
(11:19):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
Be sure to subscribe to ourFacebook page.
Social media is the place to bethese days.
And're no exception.
I'm ken chester of the techmobility show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
(11:41):
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight.
You be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
For those of you that listen topodcasts, we have just the one
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
(12:01):
Tech Mobility Topics is apodcast where I upload
topic-specific videos each week,shorter than a full show.
(12:34):
These bite-sized programs arejust the thing, particularly if
We'll see you next time.
You could never wear a suitagain.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
You could not laugh when it's not funny you could go
off and write that novel, climbthat mountain, buy those shoes.
You could fly in the face ofconvention or drive there.
The Saab 9000, named the safestcar in Sweden three times in a
(12:59):
row Very eclectic commercial fora very eclectic car.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
For those of you that may not remember, sweden had at
one time two car companies.
There was Volvo, which isChinese-owned but still has
plants and facilities in Sweden,and then there was Saab, a car
company that evolved out of anairplane manufacturer and Saabs
were phenomenal cars for manyyears.
(13:28):
So if this is a little bitbeyond you, what happened?
Saab got bought by GM, gotcaught up in the recession of
2009.
Gm tried to sell.
It didn't quite work and Saabended up shutting down, along
with Hummer, saturn, pontiac.
All GM subsidiaries got shutdown Within a couple of years.
(13:52):
After that, ford added Mercury,and Oldsmobile had already been
shut down almost 10 years prior.
So Saab pretty cool, car quirky.
They had one of the Subaruquirk, I'm sorry.
One of the Saab quirks is thatthe starter key was actually in
the center console as opposed toon the steering wheel or on the
(14:15):
dashboard.
Weird but true, just a sob-ism.
I guess it's official.
Duolingo, the language learningtech company, will, and I quote,
gradually stop usingcontractors to do work that AI
can handle.
Unquote.
If you think that AIdisplacement of workers is years
(14:39):
in the future, guess again.
This is topic A.
The reason why I am revisitingthis issue we just talked about
it last week is, unlike Shopify,that said, we're going to
(15:01):
impact hiring.
Duolingo is talking aboutcurrent employees of the company
, contract employees, temporaryemployees that currently work
with the company, now that theywill be phased out.
So this is the next step.
This is not a case of we'regoing to use AI as an example.
If AI can't do it, then we'llconsider hiring.
This is, we are phasing outpeople who currently work for us
(15:24):
now to replace them with AI.
This is happening in real timeright now.
The thing we had talked aboutwhen I visited this subject
before was the ethical challengeof going overboard with AI.
Could companies, in their questto be efficient, in their quest
(15:47):
to be cost effective, in theirquest to be the best they could
be, go so zealous to eliminatehuman workers that there is
nobody left to buy the productsor services that the AI infused
companies are producing withouthumans?
Let that sink in.
(16:07):
If you're not working, you'renot buying.
If AI is producing it in placeof you, the products are there,
but there are no customers.
Ai doesn't use cell phones,they don't watch Netflix, they
don't buy cars.
What happens?
(16:28):
How far are we going to go withthis?
Because right now, pleaseunderstand, there are no federal
guidelines in the united statesof america regarding ai and how
far a company can go.
We reported here, maybe now twoyears ago, about radio GPT and I
(16:49):
bring it up again because aparticular company, particular
radio chain, who shall remainnameless, at one of their
stations in Oregon a few yearsago launched it with radio
talent and it was replacing thetalent, theoretically, according
to the company, so that free upthe talent to do other stuff
(17:09):
and face, you know, and publicstuff.
But people in any radioprofession will tell you right
now that is not how radio works.
Right now we are in the midstof a reduction in force across
(17:30):
big and small stations.
The big deal with the writer'sstrike a couple of years ago in
Hollywood was the use of AI todo their jobs.
Will AI replace them?
That was their major concern.
And anybody who creates content,anybody who crunches numbers,
that's, accountants andengineers and planners and all
sorts of middle management, folk, marketing people, unlike
(17:54):
previous automation initiativesdown through the years, which
were mainly factory-based andreally were a benefit because
they improved productivity butallowed workers not to have to
do the heavy, dangerous stuffthat they used to have to do.
Now they were freed from thatWelding, painting, things that
(18:16):
were dangerous, that wouldconsume your life or end you up
in the hospital over time.
Most of that's automated now.
That's one thing.
What we're talking about now iswhat used to be called middle
class, middle management, techsupport or technological the
(18:36):
stuff that you went to schoolfor, the things that you were
educated for, your ability.
Now your very knowledge is atstake, because AI can process
way more than you can, can makea variety of suggestions, plans
(18:57):
of action in real time, and,unlike us, it may take us hours.
Ai will do it in seconds withthe right prompts, and even now
they talked about promptengineers in another article.
Even that's going away becauseyou don't need to do that
anymore.
Here's what Duolingo's chief,the CEO, said.
(19:19):
That was very chilling.
I thought he said that being AIfirst means the company will
need to rethink much of how wework, and and this is the part
that makes me nervous that quotemaking minor tweaks to systems
designed for humans won't get usthere.
(19:41):
Making minor tweaks to systemsdesigned for humans won't get us
there, meaning that they'regoing to rethink everything, and
if they're rethinking for asystem that doesn't need
vacation time, sick time,doesn't have to be paid overtime
(20:01):
, can crank this stuff out somany ways in seconds.
Now I'll give you an example,full disclosure.
When I post my podcastinginformation, one of the services
that I use has something calledAI Copilot.
Now, it does not write my textand it does not produce content
(20:24):
per se, but it does take theprogram, summarize it and gives
a transcript Unprompted, inliterally seconds, plus some
other suggestions, but it'sbased on what I've already
written and it's based on whatI've already produced, so it's
helpful for that.
Could I take it to the nextlevel and do the whole show?
(20:46):
From what I understand, that isquite possible, in my voice,
with my likeness, in my tone andcadence.
That's how far AI has come.
Duolingo may very well be thecanary in the coal mine, and we
need to do something about it.
We need protection legislationso that there's some guidelines
(21:09):
and not everybody's standing inthe unemployment line Thanks to
AI.
While it's true, domestic autoplants have excess capacity,
moving production to America iscomplicated.
This is the tech mobility show.
Do you listen to podcasts?
(21:30):
Seems that most people do.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
If you've missed any of ourweekly episodes on the radio,
our podcast is a great way tolisten.
You can find the Tech MobilityPodcast just about anywhere you
can enjoy podcasts.
Be sure to follow us from ApplePodcasts, iheart Radio and many
platforms in between.
We are there.
Just enter the Tech MobilityPodcast in the search bar.
(21:53):
Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place
to be.
We're no exception.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Several times a week, I post toTikTok several of the topics
that I cover on my weekly radioshow.
It's another way to keep up onmobility technology news and
(22:13):
information.
I've built quite a library ofshort videos for your viewing
pleasure, so be sure to watch,like and subscribe.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon TikTok.
Check it out.
(22:43):
Engineering and building avehicle line starts with years
of planning, thousands of globalsuppliers and available workers
, millions of square feet offactory space and billions of
dollars in capital expenditures.
It takes years to bring a newfactory online, assuming you
have the people and theengineering staff to run the
factory.
It's not something thatautomotive companies do quickly
or on a whim.
There are financial andlogistical concerns that must be
taken into consideration, oftenover a large number of years.
(23:04):
We're talking about thelogistics of the American auto
industry.
Talking about the logistics ofthe American auto industry, this
is Topic B.
All right, let's start with theobvious.
I know you have heard newsstories that said there is
excess capacity in the Americanauto industry right now and
you're thinking in your mindprobably well, if there's excess
(23:25):
capacity, they can easily moveproduct in from overseas to
build here in America right now.
No, no, here's the challenge.
Let me back you up a little bitand tell you what I've been
telling you for years about theAmerican auto industry.
Well, actually, the global autoindustry.
(23:46):
I'm not going to just pin thison America.
Let's start with the obvious.
There are reasons, people, whycertain vehicles, parts and
equipment are not manufacturedin the United States of America.
Because the automakers, withtheir hundreds, if not thousands
, of suppliers and thousands ofparts that go into every vehicle
(24:07):
they make, thousands of partsto go into every vehicle they
make has to be made a financialbusiness case for that whole
program.
And in order to do that, thesefolks fight over tens of a cent
per unit built.
That is how laser-focused theyare.
Every single job.
Why?
Because the average automobileassembly plant has an output
(24:36):
straight time of 250,000 units.
Let me give an example If theywere to change one part or one
process, that added a dollar aunit.
That's a quarter of a milliondollars a year.
Right there, that's a dollar.
Things get big real quick in theauto industry because they
scale, and it's a little moredifficult because here's
(24:59):
something else to think about.
Let me give you an example.
Major auto manufacturer has aplant, let's say, in the Midwest
.
Their building will make iteasy.
They're building a particularsize SUV for their market and
they're building it at volume.
So they're running 250,000 pluswith overtime.
Right now, to support that plantyou've got a supplier park of
(25:28):
suppliers from around the worldand something called
just-in-time inventory.
This is something that theyhave fine-tuned over the last 40
years 45 years to be exact thatallows them to synchronize and
sequence incoming partsjust-in-time, on the line, right
before they need them.
(25:48):
It saved the auto industrybillions of dollars of work and
process inventory, in otherwords, inventory that was
partially made, that they kepton the factory floor to put into
the vehicles.
Part of the problem with that,in addition to tying up billions
of dollars, was if there was adefect buried in there.
(26:09):
They wouldn't find it untilthey pulled those parts out, and
by that time it's a big problemBecause if it started then I
may have 300, 500, 1,000 unitsof that sitting on the floor of
my plant With just-in-time Iknow the minute it shows up.
If it's a problem and I cancorrect it right then.
That increases quality,improves everything.
(26:33):
The average automobile programhas 2,000 to 3,000 suppliers
globally.
The average automobile assemblyplant employs anywhere from
2,500 to 5,000 people.
You've got trucking companiesdeliver this stuff, rail
companies deliver this stuff,steel companies all of that that
(26:55):
has to be coordinated.
There are logistics companiesthat do nothing but sequence all
of this material for deliveryto the plant in real time.
It's not that easy.
And if the vehicle I'm buildingoverseas is a different vehicle
, a different vehicle familythan the plant where I have
(27:19):
available capacity, I can't dothat.
And there are other reasons whythis plant may look
underutilized.
I may have, or in my plans, anunannounced vehicle replacement
for two years, three years, fiveyears out.
One, that requires negotiationwith the union.
Two, I got to line up all mysuppliers.
(27:41):
Three, there is someproprietary information.
I don't want everybody knowingthis just yet, because I'm
trying to get a head start onthe marketplace, so I may want
to keep under the wraps as longas possible.
It's not that easy.
And let's just say, for example, everything is right, will I be
(28:01):
able in that community to hirethe two, three, 400 more workers
I need to train to bring thatplant up to speed for the added
capacity?
The problem we're seeing in theUnited States in some factories
is they can't get enough peoplethat they need with certain
(28:21):
skill sets to run the plant.
It's a little more complicatedthan that.
And then, like I said, thesuppliers complicated than that.
And then, like I said, thesuppliers would do.
The suppliers in the supplierparks serving this plant have
the added capacity because mostof those suppliers don't just
serve one company.
They may be running theirplants in certain different
(28:43):
lines to serve two or threedifferent automakers.
Now you're coming and saying,gee, hey, wow, I want to
increase output in this plant by50,000 units a year.
Do you realize that could take?
Depending what the part is,depending where the plant is and
everything else, that couldtake two, three years, literally
could.
(29:03):
It's not that easy and,honestly, because these are
businesses, this is capitalismfolks.
They're looking at the numbersand they're looking at the
long-term numbers, because anymoney they invest now they're
looking at a 10, 15, 20 yearpayback.
They're not looking at the nextthree years, four years.
(29:24):
They got to look long-term.
Is it worth to our globalbusiness to disrupt it, to move
this back Now?
If I'm building somethingsimilar on the same platform in
another plant overseas, thatmight be possible.
But even that, six months to ayear and that's assuming
everything goes right and that'sassuming my suppliers can step
(29:45):
up.
Because there are other issuestoo, because you've signed
contracts guaranteeing thesupplier a certain volume up or
down and there's a little bit oflatitude.
But these suppliers are in anindustry where they're playing
close to the vest.
Their markup, their profitisn't that big and they did
their business plan based onvolume.
(30:07):
So now you want to up thevolume.
That changes things.
If I'm running a supplier plantserving three different
manufacturers and I'm running ata 98% efficiency, I'm running
everything hard and you'recoming and said, okay, I need to
increase this order by onefourth.
How soon can you do it?
That's a whole nother issue,because now, either I got to
(30:28):
spend the money to expand myplant, hoping that your contract
is solid and that's millions ofdollars plus hire the people,
order the equipment.
That's lead time, no guaranteesthere.
And, to be blunt with you inthis day and time, if I was
going to build in the UnitedStates right now, I'd automate
that plant as much as possiblebecause I got to make my return
(30:50):
on the money and automation andAI, I hate to say it is the only
way to go right now.
If you're going to spend thatkind of money, you need to get
that turnaround.
You need to make it profitable.
You can't stay at a loss.
Just to say made in AmericaDoesn't make economic sense for
anybody.
So we'll see.
But it's way more complicatedthan you're hearing.
(31:12):
There are secret radio stationsnationwide that are legal and
perform a valuable service.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Yet most people have never heard of them.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
country.
(31:40):
Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
visiting techmobilityshow.
That's techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobility dot show.
Did you know that TechMobilityhas a YouTube channel?
(32:01):
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe TechMobility show.
Each week, I upload a few shortvideos of some of the hot
topics that I cover during myweekly radio program.
I've designed these videos tobe informative and entertaining.
It's another way to keep up oncurrent mobility and technology
news and information.
Be sure to watch, like andsubscribe to my channel.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon YouTube.
(32:23):
Check it out.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Are you tired of juggling multiple apps and
platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
Look no further thanAONmeetingscom, the all-in-one
browser-based platform that doesit all.
With AONmeetings, you caneffortlessly communicate with
clients, host virtual meetingsand webinars and stay in touch
with family and friends all inone place and for one price.
Here's the best part you canendure a 30-day free trial.
(32:47):
It's time to simplify your lifeand boost your productivity.
Aonmeetingscom, whereinnovation meets connection.
Get started today andrevolutionize the way you
communicate.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Social media is the place to be these days, and
we're no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
(33:20):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar on secret radio stationsnationwide.
A decades old news service hassurvived the move to digital.
They're called radio readingservices and they perform a
(33:42):
vital function.
This is topic c.
They've been around for over 50years and if you are visibly
impaired, if you are visionimpaired, then this service is a
lifeline for you, particularlyif you are my age or older, and
(34:05):
it's been going on for years.
And and what it is?
It is actually an audiosideband to TV, believe it or
not.
And I didn't even know aboutthis.
I thought it was way cool andwanted to talk to you about it
Because I didn't even know sucha thing existed, really.
But yeah, yeah, let me get intoit.
(34:28):
This is from Neiman Lab, whichis kind of a nonprofit radio
sort of outfit, and their pointis local news is declining and
AI is on the rise, but an oldschool form of accessibility
exists Little perspective, letme help you.
A little perspective, let mehelp you.
(34:52):
When color television arrived inthe United States, and this is
about 60 years ago, it was quiteliterally transformed the way
we saw the world.
It's a product of manytechnological breakthroughs, but
one most relevant to this storyhere is what they call the
sideband or subcarrier, which isa modulated radio wave that can
, in essence, carry moreinformation on the same
(35:13):
frequency.
Color TV worked by sending ablack and white picture in the
main band of frequency and acolor picture in a sideband.
The two bands would then berecombined in the tubes of Color
TV.
Radio read services work on thesame premise, except instead of
pictures, they transmit a radiobroadcast, when color TV
(35:36):
brought more vibrant pictures inthe living rooms around the
country.
Radio reading services, whichare also known as audio
information services, havealmost the opposite audience.
Every day, and even now, acrossthe country, hundreds of
volunteers read newspapers,magazines and books on the radio
(35:57):
for thousands of listeners withblindness or vision loss,
bringing them access to local,national and international news
around the clock around theclock Bet you didn't even know
such a thing existed.
There are roughly 39 audioinformation services that are
(36:20):
mostly based in the UnitedStates, and these stations, as I
mentioned at the top of thesegment, are super secret
because they are designed to beused with people with vision
impairments and otherdisabilities that can make
reading difficult or turningpages difficult.
Thanks to a provision incopyright law, copyrighted
materials like books, magazinesand newspapers can be reproduced
for free for the sake ofaccessibility.
(36:42):
What's so cool?
The first radio reading servicedebuted actually north to here
in Minnesota in 1969 as a sidechannel on KSJR, the birthplace
of Minnesota Public Radio.
That first radio talking bookschedule included two hours in
(37:03):
the Minneapolis Tribunenewspaper in the morning and two
hours at the St Paul Dispatchin the evening, with readings
from magazines and books in theintervening hours.
More than 50 years later, thisis still happening, and it
happens live every day.
The morning paper reading isnow Minnesota Star Tribune.
The St Paul Pioneer Pressremains the service's most
(37:25):
popular programming.
And I need to stop right herehere, because it just dawned on
me that when I had my automotivenews service, where I wrote
columns both for the starTribune and the pioneer press at
the same time.
It means because they readcover to cover, including
advertising and everything thatthey were reading my car reviews
(37:47):
to people who were visionimpaired on these secret
stations, which I think isincredibly cool.
I had no idea Today there are79 services like this across the
country, most partner withlocal public radio or TV
stations to carry theirbroadcast hid in a little side
(38:07):
pocket of their airwaves.
Now, in the past listenerswanted to tune into those
stations but have to send in anapplication for a radio that
could pick up their signal orswitch their audio language on
certain TV channels.
But you know, technology comesto everybody and streamings come
for these just as it for TV, sothey're able to do this online.
(38:29):
These just as it for TV, sothey're able to do this online.
Niagara Frontier Radio ReadingService in Buffalo, new York,
went online three years ago andthey said it did wonders for the
listenership because the bigrestriction they had was that
the listeners needed one oftheir radios, so they were
managing a large inventory ofthese special radios, picking
them up and dropping them offall the time.
But now anybody with aninternet connection can play our
(38:53):
live feed on a tablet or cellphone or computer, meaning that
even vision impaired folks nowhave more options.
Majority of the listeners forthese services are over the age
65 and have aged in a visionloss or other disabilities that
prevent them from reading thenews on their own.
(39:14):
That means they often don'tknow how to use the technology
like screen readers, which don'tplay well with many websites.
Anyway, the radio readingservices provide their listeners
with an experience that's hardto replicate with a computer
listeners with an experiencethat's hard to replicate with a
computer Reading a newspaper ormagazine from cover to cover,
including the comics and thegrocery ads.
(39:40):
I wonder, if you're reading thecomics, how they can visualize
what's going on.
But yeah, the comics otherwiseknown as the funnies back in the
day.
Many of them read local papersbecause their listeners are
interested in local news.
But guess what?
But the local news downturn hasforced the reading services to
(40:00):
adjust their programming as well.
So, because they can't get theentire paper, they're supplying
local papers with things likethe Wall Street Journal because
both of the local papers in thiscase were owned by the same
paper.
They're supplying local paperswith things like the Wall Street
Journal because both of thelocal papers in this case, were
owned by the same people, sothere was a lot of crossover and
content.
When a cyber attack disruptedthe operations of Lee
Enterprises, one of my clientsback in the day, the Niagara
(40:24):
Frontier Service had to figureout how to fill an extra hour of
time after the Buffalo Newsdelivered a smaller paper than
usual.
Here's a part I want you to payparticular close attention to
again.
For many people here's theunderline especially in rural
areas with poor internet access,the reading services, radio and
(40:48):
TV broadcasts are essentiallifelines to the outside world,
and for some folks, some of theservices even allow people to
listen by dialing a phone number.
Can you imagine being so far inthe country with no internet
service at all that that is theonly way you can get it, that
you can't even get a broadcastsignal?
There are some parts in theUnited States that are that
(41:09):
remote, and for these people,this is the United States that
are that remote, and for thesepeople, this is the only way
they get their news Throughsomething you didn't even know
existed before.
A radio reading service, alsomanned by volunteers, I might
add.
None of this.
They do not get paid to do this, none of them, and, like
everybody else, they've beenstruggling to to raise money,
(41:35):
but it's a worthy service andit's a worthy activity and it's
something that they're verypassionate about, and I can
totally understand why.
Welcome to the TechMobility Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Ken Chester On the agenda dual lingo to replace
contract workers with AI, thelogistics of Made in America and
secret radio stations.
To add your voice to theconversation, be it to ask a
question, share an opinion orsuggest an idea for future
discussion, call or text theTechMobility hotline, that
(00:31):
number, 872-222-9793, or you canemail the show directly.
Talk at techmobilityshow.
Be sure to subscribe, like andfollow us on social media our
YouTube channel and our twopodcasts, the Tech Mobility
Podcast and Tech Mobility Topics.
(00:52):
You can also find me onSubstack as part of the Iowa
Writers Collaborative and youcan reach me there at Ken C Iowa
.
So that's Ken, the letter C andIowa spelled out I-O-W-A From
the TechMobility News Desk.
(01:13):
What if I told you that anautomaker has developed a paint,
a paint that can absorb solarenergy and turn it into
electricity?
What would you say to that?
This article comes from one ofthe automotive pieces that I
(01:38):
subscribe to and it says, and Iquote Mercedes solar paint could
give EVs thousands of miles ofrange.
Every year we talked abouthydrogen, We've talked about
fuel cells, We've talked aboutthe challenges of EV batteries
and up to recently, we've kindof nibbled at the edges of solar
(02:00):
panels on cars and up till now,solar panels gave incremental
power, but not so much that itwould even be a game changer,
not so much that it would extendthe range, kind of just enough
to maybe power some auxiliarylike a heater or a radio or
something like that from time totime, but nothing really earth
(02:22):
shattering till now.
Mercedes is working on a solarpaintwork that can give EVs
thousands of miles of rangeannually.
Known as solar paintwork, thecompany is researching new types
of solar modules that can beseamlessly applied to the bodies
(02:43):
of electric vehicles.
These efforts could eventuallypave the way for a wafer-thin
layer of paint that couldgenerate enough electricity to
cover 8,699 miles per year.
Think about that, I want thatto sink in year.
(03:10):
Think about that, I want thatto sink in.
For many years it was consideredthat the average amount of
mileage the car traveled used tobe was 12,000 miles.
Today we consider averagemileage over a course of a year
and the key word there isaverage to be 15,000 miles, to
be 15,000 miles.
Mercedes is coming with a planand a product that will give you
(03:30):
almost half that mileage insolar energy, meaning you
wouldn't have to, theoretically,if you were doing average
mileage, you wouldn't have toplug the thing in, but maybe
half the time, and if you wereout, all you had to do was park
the thing, you wouldn't have tobe as worried about finding a
public charger at all and itwouldn't matter where you were,
(03:54):
because if you're getting thatkind of mileage, even though
it's maybe 10, 20 miles a day,that could very well make the
difference to you gettingsomeplace.
If you had to go, If you forgotto plug it in or whatever.
Sunny day boy, park it outthere, Get that juice and, like
any technology, you can count onthis technology to get better
(04:20):
and better.
If Mercedes can take it fromliterally incremental and when I
mean incremental I meant likemaybe 20 miles a year to over to
this kind of mileage to over8,700, almost 8,700 miles a year
.
What's to say that in threeyears, five years, ten years and
(04:45):
I don't believe it would takethat long that continued working
on it doubles the range We'veseen.
Batteries continue, batterypacks continue to increase range
, increase range, increase range.
For comparison's sake, bear inmind when the Nissan Leaf first
came to the market 2009,2010, ithad a range of 98 miles.
(05:07):
98 miles, that's it 98.
Today, the most efficientvehicle, the EV that you can buy
in the United States of Americais the Lucid Air, and it will
give you 520 miles out of itsbattery pack between charges.
(05:28):
And it's not the only one TeslaModel S, the brand new Chevy
Silverado EV in a work truckconfiguration will give you 450
miles A truck right now for sale.
You could buy one today withthat kind of range right now.
So what's to say that thissolar, quote-unquote paintwork
(05:52):
that Mercedes is developing thatgives you almost 8,700 miles a
year wouldn't be 15,000 in twoto three years, 24,000 within 10
years, heck, maybe even 30,000miles.
And at that range, Imagine anEV that you don't need gasoline
at all because it's not a hybrid, you don't need hydrogen at all
(06:16):
because it's not a fuel cell,that you can get typical mileage
and in fact double typicalmileage From the sun.
Let that sink in At the speedthat technology is moving right
(06:36):
now EV batteries, batterychemistries, changing out rare
earth metals in batteryconfigurations with cheaper,
more stable, less flammablealternatives.
This is happening right now, inreal time.
If you recall to take you backmaybe six months or more we
talked about Toyota's EV plans.
(06:56):
Toyota, in the next two years,is expecting to have a battery
pack that will go 600 miles.
They said between now and theend of the decade they expect to
have a battery pack that willgo 600 miles.
They said between now and theend of the decade they expect to
have a battery pack that willgo 1,000 miles between charges.
So is it so far-fetched thatsolar technology, solar charging
(07:19):
technology, you know,photovoltaic cells would not get
that much more efficient,because right now the average
cell has a 30% efficiency.
Imagine if they increased it to50%, 60% efficiency.
What kind of range would youhave Then?
(07:40):
What does that do for vehiclepropulsion?
You don't need to ever chargeit.
Then what does that do forvehicle propulsion?
You don't need to ever chargeit.
You don't need gasoline for ahybrid, you don't need a network
to plug it in.
You talk about freedom,ultimate, freedom, ultimate.
This is the beginning, which iswhy I'm making a big deal about
(08:03):
it, Because if they can getthis, they can double it.
If they can double it, they candouble it again.
Computers used to have somethingcalled Moore's Law, which meant
the speed of these computerswould double every 18 months,
and for many years that was true.
We're seeing something elseright now in the EV battery and
EV propulsion industry, withmaterials and equipment and
(08:28):
power getting more and moreefficient, less and less cost.
And I told you this wouldhappen, because I told you that
once traditional automobilemanufacturing companies scale up
in the EV segment, that theywould wring out costs, they
would get rid of expensive partslike lithium, cobalt, manganese
(08:52):
would go away and they wouldcome up with more stable, lower
cost, longer duration solutionson the way to EV power, and this
Mercedes solar paintwork is onesuch solution.
We're not even talking aboutammonia or other
(09:13):
non-carbon-based fuels,synthetic fuels, e-fuels We've
talked about that in the past.
There's a lot of things on thetable here.
I wanted to share this with youand I need to correct this.
The article says, in Mercedes'case, they are looking at an
active photovoltaic surface withsolar cells that have an
(09:33):
efficiency rating of 20%.
They are expecting to get thiswith 20% efficiency.
What if they were able todouble the efficiency of the
cells?
That puts you at 15,000 miles,16,000 miles.
What if they were able toimprove it yet again, and I'm
figuring that would be five to10 years?
(09:54):
Would it be unreasonable tothink that 30,000 miles out of
photovoltaic cells on a carwould be unreasonable.
We didn't even think this waspossible, but here we are.
Here we are.
It is an exciting time to be inthe car business.
It started.
(10:15):
A company is replacing workerswith AI.
We have the details.
Next you are listening to theTech Mobility Show.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Are you tired of juggling multiple apps and
platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
Look no further thanAONMeetingscom, the all-in-one
browser-based platform that doesit all.
With AONMeetings, you caneffortlessly communicate with
clients, host virtual meetingsand webinars and stay in touch
with family and friends all inone place and for one price.
Here's the best part you canendure a 30-day free trial.
(10:47):
It's time to simplify your lifeand boost your productivity.
Aonmeetingscom, whereinnovation meets connection.
Get started today andrevolutionize the way you
communicate.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Social media is the main place to be these days, and
we are no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Facebook videos, from my latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary of a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight.
You.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Facebook.
(11:19):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
Be sure to subscribe to ourFacebook page.
Social media is the place to bethese days.
And're no exception.
I'm ken chester of the techmobility show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
(11:41):
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight.
You be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
For those of you that listen topodcasts, we have just the one
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
(12:01):
Tech Mobility Topics is apodcast where I upload
topic-specific videos each week,shorter than a full show.
(12:34):
These bite-sized programs arejust the thing, particularly if
We'll see you next time.
You could never wear a suitagain.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
You could not laugh when it's not funny you could go
off and write that novel, climbthat mountain, buy those shoes.
You could fly in the face ofconvention or drive there.
The Saab 9000, named the safestcar in Sweden three times in a
(12:59):
row Very eclectic commercial fora very eclectic car.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
For those of you that may not remember, sweden had at
one time two car companies.
There was Volvo, which isChinese-owned but still has
plants and facilities in Sweden,and then there was Saab, a car
company that evolved out of anairplane manufacturer and Saabs
were phenomenal cars for manyyears.
(13:28):
So if this is a little bitbeyond you, what happened?
Saab got bought by GM, gotcaught up in the recession of
2009.
Gm tried to sell.
It didn't quite work and Saabended up shutting down, along
with Hummer, saturn, pontiac.
All GM subsidiaries got shutdown Within a couple of years.
(13:52):
After that, ford added Mercury,and Oldsmobile had already been
shut down almost 10 years prior.
So Saab pretty cool, car quirky.
They had one of the Subaruquirk, I'm sorry.
One of the Saab quirks is thatthe starter key was actually in
the center console as opposed toon the steering wheel or on the
(14:15):
dashboard.
Weird but true, just a sob-ism.
I guess it's official.
Duolingo, the language learningtech company, will, and I quote,
gradually stop usingcontractors to do work that AI
can handle.
Unquote.
If you think that AIdisplacement of workers is years
(14:39):
in the future, guess again.
This is topic A.
The reason why I am revisitingthis issue we just talked about
it last week is, unlike Shopify,that said, we're going to
(15:01):
impact hiring.
Duolingo is talking aboutcurrent employees of the company
, contract employees, temporaryemployees that currently work
with the company, now that theywill be phased out.
So this is the next step.
This is not a case of we'regoing to use AI as an example.
If AI can't do it, then we'llconsider hiring.
This is, we are phasing outpeople who currently work for us
(15:24):
now to replace them with AI.
This is happening in real timeright now.
The thing we had talked aboutwhen I visited this subject
before was the ethical challengeof going overboard with AI.
Could companies, in their questto be efficient, in their quest
(15:47):
to be cost effective, in theirquest to be the best they could
be, go so zealous to eliminatehuman workers that there is
nobody left to buy the productsor services that the AI infused
companies are producing withouthumans?
Let that sink in.
(16:07):
If you're not working, you'renot buying.
If AI is producing it in placeof you, the products are there,
but there are no customers.
Ai doesn't use cell phones,they don't watch Netflix, they
don't buy cars.
What happens?
(16:28):
How far are we going to go withthis?
Because right now, pleaseunderstand, there are no federal
guidelines in the united statesof america regarding ai and how
far a company can go.
We reported here, maybe now twoyears ago, about radio GPT and I
(16:49):
bring it up again because aparticular company, particular
radio chain, who shall remainnameless, at one of their
stations in Oregon a few yearsago launched it with radio
talent and it was replacing thetalent, theoretically, according
to the company, so that free upthe talent to do other stuff
(17:09):
and face, you know, and publicstuff.
But people in any radioprofession will tell you right
now that is not how radio works.
Right now we are in the midstof a reduction in force across
(17:30):
big and small stations.
The big deal with the writer'sstrike a couple of years ago in
Hollywood was the use of AI todo their jobs.
Will AI replace them?
That was their major concern.
And anybody who creates content,anybody who crunches numbers,
that's, accountants andengineers and planners and all
sorts of middle management, folk, marketing people, unlike
(17:54):
previous automation initiativesdown through the years, which
were mainly factory-based andreally were a benefit because
they improved productivity butallowed workers not to have to
do the heavy, dangerous stuffthat they used to have to do.
Now they were freed from thatWelding, painting, things that
(18:16):
were dangerous, that wouldconsume your life or end you up
in the hospital over time.
Most of that's automated now.
That's one thing.
What we're talking about now iswhat used to be called middle
class, middle management, techsupport or technological the
(18:36):
stuff that you went to schoolfor, the things that you were
educated for, your ability.
Now your very knowledge is atstake, because AI can process
way more than you can, can makea variety of suggestions, plans
(18:57):
of action in real time, and,unlike us, it may take us hours.
Ai will do it in seconds withthe right prompts, and even now
they talked about promptengineers in another article.
Even that's going away becauseyou don't need to do that
anymore.
Here's what Duolingo's chief,the CEO, said.
(19:19):
That was very chilling.
I thought he said that being AIfirst means the company will
need to rethink much of how wework, and and this is the part
that makes me nervous that quotemaking minor tweaks to systems
designed for humans won't get usthere.
(19:41):
Making minor tweaks to systemsdesigned for humans won't get us
there, meaning that they'regoing to rethink everything, and
if they're rethinking for asystem that doesn't need
vacation time, sick time,doesn't have to be paid overtime
(20:01):
, can crank this stuff out somany ways in seconds.
Now I'll give you an example,full disclosure.
When I post my podcastinginformation, one of the services
that I use has something calledAI Copilot.
Now, it does not write my textand it does not produce content
(20:24):
per se, but it does take theprogram, summarize it and gives
a transcript Unprompted, inliterally seconds, plus some
other suggestions, but it'sbased on what I've already
written and it's based on whatI've already produced, so it's
helpful for that.
Could I take it to the nextlevel and do the whole show?
(20:46):
From what I understand, that isquite possible, in my voice,
with my likeness, in my tone andcadence.
That's how far AI has come.
Duolingo may very well be thecanary in the coal mine, and we
need to do something about it.
We need protection legislationso that there's some guidelines
(21:09):
and not everybody's standing inthe unemployment line Thanks to
AI.
While it's true, domestic autoplants have excess capacity,
moving production to America iscomplicated.
This is the tech mobility show.
Do you listen to podcasts?
(21:30):
Seems that most people do.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
If you've missed any of ourweekly episodes on the radio,
our podcast is a great way tolisten.
You can find the Tech MobilityPodcast just about anywhere you
can enjoy podcasts.
Be sure to follow us from ApplePodcasts, iheart Radio and many
platforms in between.
We are there.
Just enter the Tech MobilityPodcast in the search bar.
(21:53):
Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place
to be.
We're no exception.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Several times a week, I post toTikTok several of the topics
that I cover on my weekly radioshow.
It's another way to keep up onmobility technology news and
(22:13):
information.
I've built quite a library ofshort videos for your viewing
pleasure, so be sure to watch,like and subscribe.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon TikTok.
Check it out.
(22:43):
Engineering and building avehicle line starts with years
of planning, thousands of globalsuppliers and available workers
, millions of square feet offactory space and billions of
dollars in capital expenditures.
It takes years to bring a newfactory online, assuming you
have the people and theengineering staff to run the
factory.
It's not something thatautomotive companies do quickly
or on a whim.
There are financial andlogistical concerns that must be
taken into consideration, oftenover a large number of years.
(23:04):
We're talking about thelogistics of the American auto
industry.
Talking about the logistics ofthe American auto industry, this
is Topic B.
All right, let's start with theobvious.
I know you have heard newsstories that said there is
excess capacity in the Americanauto industry right now and
you're thinking in your mindprobably well, if there's excess
(23:25):
capacity, they can easily moveproduct in from overseas to
build here in America right now.
No, no, here's the challenge.
Let me back you up a little bitand tell you what I've been
telling you for years about theAmerican auto industry.
Well, actually, the global autoindustry.
(23:46):
I'm not going to just pin thison America.
Let's start with the obvious.
There are reasons, people, whycertain vehicles, parts and
equipment are not manufacturedin the United States of America.
Because the automakers, withtheir hundreds, if not thousands
, of suppliers and thousands ofparts that go into every vehicle
(24:07):
they make, thousands of partsto go into every vehicle they
make has to be made a financialbusiness case for that whole
program.
And in order to do that, thesefolks fight over tens of a cent
per unit built.
That is how laser-focused theyare.
Every single job.
Why?
Because the average automobileassembly plant has an output
(24:36):
straight time of 250,000 units.
Let me give an example If theywere to change one part or one
process, that added a dollar aunit.
That's a quarter of a milliondollars a year.
Right there, that's a dollar.
Things get big real quick in theauto industry because they
scale, and it's a little moredifficult because here's
(24:59):
something else to think about.
Let me give you an example.
Major auto manufacturer has aplant, let's say, in the Midwest
.
Their building will make iteasy.
They're building a particularsize SUV for their market and
they're building it at volume.
So they're running 250,000 pluswith overtime.
Right now, to support that plantyou've got a supplier park of
(25:28):
suppliers from around the worldand something called
just-in-time inventory.
This is something that theyhave fine-tuned over the last 40
years 45 years to be exact thatallows them to synchronize and
sequence incoming partsjust-in-time, on the line, right
before they need them.
(25:48):
It saved the auto industrybillions of dollars of work and
process inventory, in otherwords, inventory that was
partially made, that they kepton the factory floor to put into
the vehicles.
Part of the problem with that,in addition to tying up billions
of dollars, was if there was adefect buried in there.
(26:09):
They wouldn't find it untilthey pulled those parts out, and
by that time it's a big problemBecause if it started then I
may have 300, 500, 1,000 unitsof that sitting on the floor of
my plant With just-in-time Iknow the minute it shows up.
If it's a problem and I cancorrect it right then.
That increases quality,improves everything.
(26:33):
The average automobile programhas 2,000 to 3,000 suppliers
globally.
The average automobile assemblyplant employs anywhere from
2,500 to 5,000 people.
You've got trucking companiesdeliver this stuff, rail
companies deliver this stuff,steel companies all of that that
(26:55):
has to be coordinated.
There are logistics companiesthat do nothing but sequence all
of this material for deliveryto the plant in real time.
It's not that easy.
And if the vehicle I'm buildingoverseas is a different vehicle
, a different vehicle familythan the plant where I have
(27:19):
available capacity, I can't dothat.
And there are other reasons whythis plant may look
underutilized.
I may have, or in my plans, anunannounced vehicle replacement
for two years, three years, fiveyears out.
One, that requires negotiationwith the union.
Two, I got to line up all mysuppliers.
(27:41):
Three, there is someproprietary information.
I don't want everybody knowingthis just yet, because I'm
trying to get a head start onthe marketplace, so I may want
to keep under the wraps as longas possible.
It's not that easy.
And let's just say, for example, everything is right, will I be
(28:01):
able in that community to hirethe two, three, 400 more workers
I need to train to bring thatplant up to speed for the added
capacity?
The problem we're seeing in theUnited States in some factories
is they can't get enough peoplethat they need with certain
(28:21):
skill sets to run the plant.
It's a little more complicatedthan that.
And then, like I said, thesuppliers complicated than that.
And then, like I said, thesuppliers would do.
The suppliers in the supplierparks serving this plant have
the added capacity because mostof those suppliers don't just
serve one company.
They may be running theirplants in certain different
(28:43):
lines to serve two or threedifferent automakers.
Now you're coming and saying,gee, hey, wow, I want to
increase output in this plant by50,000 units a year.
Do you realize that could take?
Depending what the part is,depending where the plant is and
everything else, that couldtake two, three years, literally
could.
(29:03):
It's not that easy and,honestly, because these are
businesses, this is capitalismfolks.
They're looking at the numbersand they're looking at the
long-term numbers, because anymoney they invest now they're
looking at a 10, 15, 20 yearpayback.
They're not looking at the nextthree years, four years.
(29:24):
They got to look long-term.
Is it worth to our globalbusiness to disrupt it, to move
this back Now?
If I'm building somethingsimilar on the same platform in
another plant overseas, thatmight be possible.
But even that, six months to ayear and that's assuming
everything goes right and that'sassuming my suppliers can step
(29:45):
up.
Because there are other issuestoo, because you've signed
contracts guaranteeing thesupplier a certain volume up or
down and there's a little bit oflatitude.
But these suppliers are in anindustry where they're playing
close to the vest.
Their markup, their profitisn't that big and they did
their business plan based onvolume.
(30:07):
So now you want to up thevolume.
That changes things.
If I'm running a supplier plantserving three different
manufacturers and I'm running ata 98% efficiency, I'm running
everything hard and you'recoming and said, okay, I need to
increase this order by onefourth.
How soon can you do it?
That's a whole nother issue,because now, either I got to
(30:28):
spend the money to expand myplant, hoping that your contract
is solid and that's millions ofdollars plus hire the people,
order the equipment.
That's lead time, no guaranteesthere.
And, to be blunt with you inthis day and time, if I was
going to build in the UnitedStates right now, I'd automate
that plant as much as possiblebecause I got to make my return
(30:50):
on the money and automation andAI, I hate to say it is the only
way to go right now.
If you're going to spend thatkind of money, you need to get
that turnaround.
You need to make it profitable.
You can't stay at a loss.
Just to say made in AmericaDoesn't make economic sense for
anybody.
So we'll see.
But it's way more complicatedthan you're hearing.
(31:12):
There are secret radio stationsnationwide that are legal and
perform a valuable service.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Yet most people have never heard of them.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
country.
(31:40):
Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
visiting techmobilityshow.
That's techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobility dot show.
Did you know that TechMobilityhas a YouTube channel?
(32:01):
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe TechMobility show.
Each week, I upload a few shortvideos of some of the hot
topics that I cover during myweekly radio program.
I've designed these videos tobe informative and entertaining.
It's another way to keep up oncurrent mobility and technology
news and information.
Be sure to watch, like andsubscribe to my channel.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon YouTube.
(32:23):
Check it out.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Are you tired of juggling multiple apps and
platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
Look no further thanAONmeetingscom, the all-in-one
browser-based platform that doesit all.
With AONmeetings, you caneffortlessly communicate with
clients, host virtual meetingsand webinars and stay in touch
with family and friends all inone place and for one price.
Here's the best part you canendure a 30-day free trial.
(32:47):
It's time to simplify your lifeand boost your productivity.
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Speaker 2 (32:59):
Social media is the place to be these days, and
we're no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
(33:20):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar on secret radio stationsnationwide.
A decades old news service hassurvived the move to digital.
They're called radio readingservices and they perform a
(33:42):
vital function.
This is topic c.
They've been around for over 50years and if you are visibly
impaired, if you are visionimpaired, then this service is a
lifeline for you, particularlyif you are my age or older, and
(34:05):
it's been going on for years.
And and what it is?
It is actually an audiosideband to TV, believe it or
not.
And I didn't even know aboutthis.
I thought it was way cool andwanted to talk to you about it
Because I didn't even know sucha thing existed, really.
But yeah, yeah, let me get intoit.
(34:28):
This is from Neiman Lab, whichis kind of a nonprofit radio
sort of outfit, and their pointis local news is declining and
AI is on the rise, but an oldschool form of accessibility
exists Little perspective, letme help you.
A little perspective, let mehelp you.
(34:52):
When color television arrived inthe United States, and this is
about 60 years ago, it was quiteliterally transformed the way
we saw the world.
It's a product of manytechnological breakthroughs, but
one most relevant to this storyhere is what they call the
sideband or subcarrier, which isa modulated radio wave that can
, in essence, carry moreinformation on the same
(35:13):
frequency.
Color TV worked by sending ablack and white picture in the
main band of frequency and acolor picture in a sideband.
The two bands would then berecombined in the tubes of Color
TV.
Radio read services work on thesame premise, except instead of
pictures, they transmit a radiobroadcast, when color TV
(35:36):
brought more vibrant pictures inthe living rooms around the
country.
Radio reading services, whichare also known as audio
information services, havealmost the opposite audience.
Every day, and even now, acrossthe country, hundreds of
volunteers read newspapers,magazines and books on the radio
(35:57):
for thousands of listeners withblindness or vision loss,
bringing them access to local,national and international news
around the clock around theclock Bet you didn't even know
such a thing existed.
There are roughly 39 audioinformation services that are
(36:20):
mostly based in the UnitedStates, and these stations, as I
mentioned at the top of thesegment, are super secret
because they are designed to beused with people with vision
impairments and otherdisabilities that can make
reading difficult or turningpages difficult.
Thanks to a provision incopyright law, copyrighted
materials like books, magazinesand newspapers can be reproduced
for free for the sake ofaccessibility.
(36:42):
What's so cool?
The first radio reading servicedebuted actually north to here
in Minnesota in 1969 as a sidechannel on KSJR, the birthplace
of Minnesota Public Radio.
That first radio talking bookschedule included two hours in
(37:03):
the Minneapolis Tribunenewspaper in the morning and two
hours at the St Paul Dispatchin the evening, with readings
from magazines and books in theintervening hours.
More than 50 years later, thisis still happening, and it
happens live every day.
The morning paper reading isnow Minnesota Star Tribune.
The St Paul Pioneer Pressremains the service's most
(37:25):
popular programming.
And I need to stop right herehere, because it just dawned on
me that when I had my automotivenews service, where I wrote
columns both for the starTribune and the pioneer press at
the same time.
It means because they readcover to cover, including
advertising and everything thatthey were reading my car reviews
(37:47):
to people who were visionimpaired on these secret
stations, which I think isincredibly cool.
I had no idea Today there are79 services like this across the
country, most partner withlocal public radio or TV
stations to carry theirbroadcast hid in a little side
(38:07):
pocket of their airwaves.
Now, in the past listenerswanted to tune into those
stations but have to send in anapplication for a radio that
could pick up their signal orswitch their audio language on
certain TV channels.
But you know, technology comesto everybody and streamings come
for these just as it for TV, sothey're able to do this online.
(38:29):
These just as it for TV, sothey're able to do this online.
Niagara Frontier Radio ReadingService in Buffalo, new York,
went online three years ago andthey said it did wonders for the
listenership because the bigrestriction they had was that
the listeners needed one oftheir radios, so they were
managing a large inventory ofthese special radios, picking
them up and dropping them offall the time.
But now anybody with aninternet connection can play our
(38:53):
live feed on a tablet or cellphone or computer, meaning that
even vision impaired folks nowhave more options.
Majority of the listeners forthese services are over the age
65 and have aged in a visionloss or other disabilities that
prevent them from reading thenews on their own.
(39:14):
That means they often don'tknow how to use the technology
like screen readers, which don'tplay well with many websites.
Anyway, the radio readingservices provide their listeners
with an experience that's hardto replicate with a computer
listeners with an experiencethat's hard to replicate with a
computer Reading a newspaper ormagazine from cover to cover,
including the comics and thegrocery ads.
(39:40):
I wonder, if you're reading thecomics, how they can visualize
what's going on.
But yeah, the comics otherwiseknown as the funnies back in the
day.
Many of them read local papersbecause their listeners are
interested in local news.
But guess what?
But the local news downturn hasforced the reading services to
(40:00):
adjust their programming as well.
So, because they can't get theentire paper, they're supplying
local papers with things likethe Wall Street Journal because
both of the local papers in thiscase were owned by the same
paper.
They're supplying local paperswith things like the Wall Street
Journal because both of thelocal papers in this case, were
owned by the same people, sothere was a lot of crossover and
content.
When a cyber attack disruptedthe operations of Lee
Enterprises, one of my clientsback in the day, the Niagara
(40:24):
Frontier Service had to figureout how to fill an extra hour of
time after the Buffalo Newsdelivered a smaller paper than
usual.
Here's a part I want you to payparticular close attention to
again.
For many people here's theunderline especially in rural
areas with poor internet access,the reading services, radio and
(40:48):
TV broadcasts are essentiallifelines to the outside world,
and for some folks, some of theservices even allow people to
listen by dialing a phone number.
Can you imagine being so far inthe country with no internet
service at all that that is theonly way you can get it, that
you can't even get a broadcastsignal?
There are some parts in theUnited States that are that
(41:09):
remote, and for these people,this is the United States that
are that remote, and for thesepeople, this is the only way
they get their news Throughsomething you didn't even know
existed before.
A radio reading service, alsomanned by volunteers, I might
add.
None of this.
They do not get paid to do this, none of them, and, like
everybody else, they've beenstruggling to to raise money,
(41:35):
but it's a worthy service andit's a worthy activity and it's
something that they're verypassionate about, and I can
totally understand why.
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