(1) Press release: Acer CEO and President Gianfranco Lanci resigns. Acer, Mar 31. 2011.
http://www.acer-group.com/public/News/corporate_news.htm
My comment: News reports do not add much. More will come out in the near future.
(2) Press release: The future of manufacturing…on two wheels. EADS, Mar 7, 2011.
http://www.eads.com/eads/int/en/news/press.8d764849-d439-475b-93b3-3cc9a7d2ba20.70472f39-dd6f-4428-a792-91d82cb9791b.html
(Airbike; Made of nylon but strong enough to replace steel or aluminium; Additive Layer Manufacturing (or ALM), similar in concept to 3D printing)
(3) Randy Saltzman, Electric-assist bikes, or e-bikes, gaining toehold in U.S. market
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/electric-assist-bikes-or-e-bikes-gaining-toehold-in-us-market/2011/02/16/AFsr5gqB_story.html
Quote:
"His $1,800 Giant Twist Freedom model is one of two e-bikes the city [Charlottesville, VA] provides to its zoning officers to increase efficiency while diminishing congestion and greenhouse-gas emissions.
"The city considered Segways, but e-bikes were cheaper and allowed officers to get across town almost as quickly as they could by driving.
"The switch between pedals and battery differs depending on the model: Some can be ridden on pure battery power; others, including the Twist Freedom, made by Giant Bicycle, are “pedal assisted,” meaning the electric boost kicks in only if the rider is pedaling.
Note:
(a) Charlottesville, Virginia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlottesville,_Virginia
(home of the University of Virginia; named for Queen Charlotte, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom)
George III (1738-1820; reign 1760-1820)
(b) Giant is a Taiwanese company