The rest of the photos…

The rest of the photos…

NP: What inspired you in the design process of the Atlas Concept?

Gordo: Ford has been a truck leader for over 36 years and we wanted to keep leading. We tested the waters on what the next-gen trucks could look like. To do so, we went on immersion events to design for customers aesthetically and functionally. We learned that trucks aren’t just for work, they serve a dual purpose as a tool for work and life. The customers want to be comfortable driving it with family and friends with uncompromised appearance and function. Before styling, it’s about getting the tough job done. Fuel efficiency is a key component. We took it from the sleek bullet train look to the locomotive and ended up somewhere in between.

NP: Is this a departure for trucks?

Gordo: This is a balance between a beautiful and functional truck. In the past trucks have looked fit for purpose, just nice, rather than beautiful. With the understanding of having a work and lifestyle vehicle, the aesthetics have been pumped.

NP: What is the most unique feature of the Atlas?

Gordo: There are two things. This is a show truck, so the ideas have been pushed to the extreme. The customer is interested in fuel efficiency and the aerodynamic features have gotten a lot of interest. The active wheel shutters close. There are shutters within each wheel space of the rim which operate dynamically. The active aerodynamic shutters in the grille work in conjunction. There is a cargo cradle that comes up from the tailgate to the height of the roof to carry long boards and canoes for people with active lifestyles.

NP: Is there a new “must” that will change trucks?

Gordo: A few years ago American trucks had to have a V8. Now, the V6 EcoBoost has been a very well accepted engine because of fuel efficiency. Weight and aerodynamics are playing a large role in fuel efficiency choices. Part of our DNA is tough trucks so we couldn’t make trucks look as slippery as our bullet train design (above), even though the truck is very aerodynamic. Trucks will continue to go more premium, though, I’m not sure if we’ve hit the ceiling yet. Vehicles, and trucks in particular, need to be more connected even more. The connectivity of trucks is becoming even more critical for the work that they are used for.

NP: What is one thing you saw in a competitor’s vehicle that you felt was a great idea?
 
Gordo: A corner bumper step is a really neat idea. We had integrated the step in our tailgate, so we both achieved similar results.

NP: What technology was new for this truck that might have not been possible in the past?

Gordo: The LED lighting inside the headlamps have played a strong role and will be in trucks of the future. The active grille shutters are a strong compliment for fuel economy, too. Fuel economy continues to be one of the key drivers for vehicles. The new EcoBoost will have the start/stop feature. Each of these features will carefully play into gaining extra mileage towards better fuel economy.

A wonderful thank you to Gordo for taking time to visit. If you’d like to see more, check out the video below and the Ford Atlas Concept page.

You made the mistake again. You’ve commented on some jerk’s status update that is getting a gazillion responses or you wrote “Congratulations!” after someone posted their first baby photo (you’ll be bored of their baby pictures in a week). Now you’re stuck because your stupid phone is exploding from all the follow up congratulatory nonsense making you regret your decision, but you’re away from a computer. As you watch your battery drain from the beating it’s taking from Facebook notifications, you swear that you’ll NEVER.COMMENT.AGAIN. I’m here to save your (battery) life.

Facebook offers the option to “Unfollow Post” so you stop getting harassed with follow up notifications you don’t care about on their website. It’s easy to do on your computer but it hasn’t been integrated into the mobile site yet.

Good news! There’s a magical link that Facebook stashes away deep deep in the internet that lets you access the full desktop version of Facebook from your phone. It works on Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and probably anything else. Except Symbian. Even Jesus hates Symbian. Save this link on your phone or tablet for full desktop access of Facebook: http://bit.ly/fullfacebook Hitting this link on your computer is just going to take you to Facebook, there won’t be anything special. Be sure you do this on your phone.

When you need to unfollow a facebook post or untag a stupid photo that your terrible friend tagged you in, hit the link above from your mobile device and correct the situation. Share this with your friends and happy facebooking.

In the book he covers the following 13 truths about happy people, 6 of which he discussed:

- Happy people are not lazy about happiness
- Happy people don’t wait for “someday”
- Happy people fully engage
- Happy people don’t compare themselves
- Happy people are grateful
- Happy people forgive
- Happy people have a calling

- Happy people connect
Look down. You have a belly button and you were connected from the beginning. Even after birth, babies must connect. Beyond shelter and food, studies show that love and relationship shapes the child. Connection happens when your needs are revealed. Cloud shared a story where a monkey was placed in a cage during a study. His cortisol levels were measured for a baseline. The monkey was then terrorized with loud noises and flashing lights. His cortisol levels were measured after being terrorized. The monkey then had his monkey friend added to the cage and they were both terrorized together, with a cortisol measurement taken again. When the two monkeys were terrorized together, the cortisol levels were split in half.

- Happy people are givers
People who give have positive physiological changes. Cloud warns that if you are miserable in giving, you might be co-dependent. Cloud points to Luke 3:11 where John the Baptist shares …”Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” When you give, the same pleasure centers light up in your brains as when you have great food or have sex.

- Happy people think well
It matters how you think about what you think about. Optimists say “there is a way towards good.” Pessimists will:
Personalize the situation – “it was bad me’s fault”
Pervasive – “it’s all bad, my life is just bad”
Permanent – “it will always be like this”
This thought process affords less happiness but it can be fixed. When we observe our thoughts, we grow new brain hardwiring to learn new ways of thinking.

- Happy people pursue goals
Your mind already has a vision and goals, it helps you move forward when you connect with it. Maybe one goal can be found by asking “How can we get closer to God and people?” Goals with milestones start a sequencing pattern in your brain. Entertain the concept of a life mission. Cloud’s life mission is to show how The Bible can bring health instead of showcasing crazy. You can try starting with a daily goal, this could be as simple as encouraging just one person. Then work on stretch goals. Do enough of a stretch goal to freak you out, but not overwhelm you. Check out the graphic. You don’t know what’s in your heart until you start digging.

- Happy people have boundaries
We often lose boundaries with the needy and defer to rageaholics to prevent an eruption. Happy people will instead let go of what hurts them and have a necessary ending.

- Happy people have faith
These people trust transcendance, they understand they aren’t the center of the universe. These are people who look for the light and are oriented in seeking it. Those people recognize that they are not the light, they are only responsible for the light that is given to them. It’s a spiritual movement towards God.

If you want to read this in more detail, check out Dr. Cloud’s book. It’s on my list of books to read!