Author: Serkadis

Deflation: Back with a Vengence – Dr. O – …  Except for a couple of monetary blips here and there it’s been deflation all along. Or, should I say the underlying theme of the 2000s has been deflation, offset to some degree for part of the time by governmental-induced inflationary episodes. … It’s now clear to me that regardless of 0% interest rates and stimulus spending the US is already on the same deflationary collapse trajectory that Japan has been on since 1989. Thus, the US dollar and cash will be king for a while, again, just like during the 2007-2009 collapse, and, I would anticipate falling commodity prices, and falling stock prices. … – Seeking Alpha 
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The Fed’s Anti-Inflation Exit Strategy Will Fail – By ALLAN H. MELTZER – Sooner or later the pressure to lend out excess bank reserves will be unstoppable. – WSJ Opinion

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Does Sound Money Feed Credit Excesses? – By RANDALL W. FORSYTH – Stable money may induce lenders and borrowers to go overboard. – Barron’s

Filed under: By the Numbers

Toyota Motor Company falls 16%, FoMoCo up 25%

How do you know if a recall has affected your sales? If you find yourself below the Chrysler Group in sales performance. That’s exactly what happened to Toyota Motor Company in January 2010, as the early effects of its sticking pedal recall sank sales 16 percent versus the same month last year. And the recall was only announced on January 21, directly affecting only about a third of the month’s selling days. We’ll be watching closely to see if Toyota can recover those lost sales in February, which may depend on the outcome of two House hearings scheduled to investigate how its recalls have been handled.

Ford Motor Company, meanwhile, continues to ride a wave of positive press and industry accolades to higher sales. Its group rose sales some 25 percent last month to beat all auto-making companies. Sales for the Ford brand itself rose 26 percent by volume alone. General Motors also has something to smile about, as Chevrolet roared back with sales up 36 percent and sales overall (including non-core brands that are still clearing out inventory) that jumped 14 percent.

Perhaps the single most surprising result is Kia, which for months has stood atop the sales performance charts with fellow Korean brand Hyundai and Subaru. While those two continued their winning ways, up 24 and 28 percent respectively, Kia sales remained flat. That said, there were only 24 selling days in January 2010 versus 26 in January 2009, so Kia did sell more vehicles per day in January than it did last year.

*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 24 selling days in January 2010 and 26 selling days in January 2009, so the change in monthly sales volume will be less than the change in the average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company.

By the Numbers – January 2010: Total Recall Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While Sylvester Stallone may not have good taste in movies, he certainly has a good taste in cars. The man showed up at a recent celebrity award dinner with his new supercharged Hendrick 25th Anniversary Chevrolet Camaro.

Fellow car lover Jason Statham also seemed to be impressed by Stallone’s choice of wheels.

– By: Kap Shah

Source: Camaro5

February is American Heart Month. Since Hepatitis C has been proven to be a risk factor for coronary artery disease, the usual ways to reduce heart disease risk is insufficient for those with the virus. However, there are five strategies specifically for Hepatitis C that can reduce the likelihood of impending cardiac problems.

by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

Besides the damage it can do to the liver, Hepatitis C also jeopardizes the heart’s health. Since cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the U.S., people are increasingly taking steps to address heart disease’s primary risk factors. Through efforts unifying medications and lifestyle changes, many have successfully tempered the two biggest indicators of future cardiac problems: blood pressure and blood fat levels. Unfortunately, these measures are likely not enough to protect the heart of someone with Hepatitis C.

Lowering blood pressure and improving the ratio of fat in the blood is sufficient for many wishing to protect their heart from harm. Although a healthy blood pressure and lipid profile is crucial for optimal wellness, these factors are likely not responsible for the high incidence of cardiovascular disease in individuals with Hepatitis C. In fact, those with Hepatitis C appear to have a unique risk for developing cardiovascular disease requiring them to take extra steps toward cardiac protection.

The Recent Study
Although clinicians have reported a higher than usual incidence of heart disease in their patients with Hepatitis C, the association between these two health conditions has been poorly understood. However, new information helps us better realize why these problems commonly coexist.

Published in the July 15, 2009 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, researchers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania conducted a large-scale study to evaluate the relationship between Hepatitis C and coronary artery disease. Involving over 160,000 individuals receiving care at Veterans Affairs health facilities, approximately half of whom were infected with Hepatitis C, the researchers found the following:

· Study participants without Hepatitis C were more likely to have high blood pressure (50 percent) than those with the virus (42 percent).

· Study participants without Hepatitis C were more likely to have hyperlipidemia (72 percent) than those with Hepatitis C (39 percent).

· On average, study participants without Hepatitis C had higher blood plasma cholesterol (198 mg/dL) than those with Hepatitis C (175 mg/dL).

· On average, study participants without Hepatitis C had higher LDL cholesterol – “the bad cholesterol” (119 mg/dL) – than those with Hepatitis C (102 mg/dL).

· On average, study participants without Hepatitis C had higher triglycerides (179 mg/dL) than those with Hepatitis C (144 mg/dL).

Even though the traditional heart health indicators of blood pressure, plasma cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides favored the Hepatitis C patients, the researchers found that having Hepatitis C was associated with an approximately 25 percent higher risk of coronary artery disease. The researchers suggested that this elevated cardiovascular risk could be due to increased inflammation, immune activation and blood clotting in people with Hepatitis C.

Reducing Hepatitis C Cardiac Risks
While maintaining a healthy blood pressure and blood fat ratio is crucial for preventing heart disease, the research described above demonstrates that those with Hepatitis C have more work to do. Since scientists believe that events associated with flaring of the virus (inflammation, immune activation and increased blood clotting) are also responsible for increasing cardiovascular risk. Thus, all attempts should be made to minimize Hepatitis C viral load. Such efforts may include:

1. Abstaining from alcohol (alcohol causes the virus to flare-up)

2. Battling the illness with antiviral combination therapy (approximately half of those infected can conquer the virus)

3. Keeping cells healthy with antioxidants (like NAC and/or Alpha R-Lipoic Acid)

4. Supplementing with milk thistle to protect the liver from viral replication

5. Taking Nattokinase to dissolve dangerous blood clots

Many are discouraged upon learning that it may not be enough to keep your blood pressure within normal limits and your blood lipids balanced to avoid cardiovascular disease. However, there are ways to control your health instead of letting Hepatitis C dictate your heart’s future. First, following your physician’s suggestions to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease is an important component to longevity. In addition, making choices to inhibit the Hepatitis C virus will benefit both your liver and your heart.

References:

http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/FEE39D43-0C66-4EA4-8DC1-0ED557146A6D.asp, Hepatitis C increases risk of cardiovascular disease, Michael Carter, Retrieved July 26, 2009, aidsmap, June 2009.

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hiv_hcv_co_inf/2009/071009_a.html, Hepatitis C Raises Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Liz Highleyman, Retrieved July 25, 2009, hivandhepatitis.com, 2009.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18957787?ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum, Hepatitis C infection is associated with increased coronary artery atherosclerosis defined by modified Reardon severity score system, Alyan O, et al, Retrieved July 25, 2009, Circulation Journal, December 2008.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19508169?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum, Hepatitis C virus infection and the risk of coronary disease, Butt AA, et al, Retrieved July 25, 2009, Clinical Infectious Diseases, July 2009.

I love when something comes out, let’s say the MacBook Air, and everyone crows about how thin it is. Great, it’s thin. But that’s not the whole story. It still takes up the same footprint in your bag, still has the same size screen, and so on — now it’s just that much more likely to snap in half. This chart, by Rosscott Inc., presents a method for determining the true impact of a gadget on your livelihood.

The final figure will be in smug-feet.

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When Google announced the Nexus One at an event early last month, one journalist asked, “Why doesn’t this have multi-touch? When is it going to get multi-touch?” Andy Rubin, VP of Engineering at Google, said, “It’s something we’re looking into. It’s just a software thing right now.” Well, today our prayers have been answered via an over-the-air update for the Nexus One. It also has some critical updates and fixes, too.

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Oh I like this very much. Very much indeed. The Mantys (or “MANTYS” as the company shouts) is a personal motorized golf cart that’s steered simply by shifting your weight. It weighs just 45 pounds, has a top speed of 12.5 miles per hour, and can go for 36 holes before needing to be recharged. At the end of the day, the Mantys folds down for easy transport.

Rob Hayashida over at Golf Views got some video of the Mantys in action at this year’s 2010 PGA Merchandise show. It’ll apparently be available for purchase sometime in the spring of this year for around $3,250. I’d think that certain courses would rent these things, too.

Very cool. I’m not sure I’d be able to swing the $3,250 to buy one outright but I definitely wouldn’t think twice about renting one.

MANTYS Motorized Golf Cart for One [Golf Views]

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Really, folks? Are you really going to complain about multi-disc games now? Of all the injustices in the world, of all the legitimate issues you can have with technology, you’re going to rally around this stupid issue? Good God.

I’m referring to, of course, the story that Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIII will ship on three discs, at least for the Xbox 360 version. This is a giant inconveience to gamers, apparently, who dread the idea of having to get up from the couch for 20 seconds to push the disc open button, open the game’s case, remove the new disc, put in the new disc, then put away the old disc. Twenty seconds of your life, gone. That’s twenty seconds you could have used to complain about having to switch the disc in the first place.

Like, what would you prefer Square Enix do? The game is huge. All those textures and pre-rendered movies take up a lot of space, and the Xbox 360 disc can only hold so much data.

Let’s put it another way: if the worst thing you can to face on any given day is switch from disc one to disc two in Final Fantasy XIII, I think it’s safe to say you’re living a pretty good life.

Now, there may be one legitimate complaint against the scourge of multi-disc games: it prevents you from accessing all of the game’s content at the same time. Say you’re level 99 and want to return to a town from early in the game to, I don’t know, buy a bunch of Potions or Tents or Phoenix Downs. You might not be able to, and that’s tragic. But what are you gonna do? Until all console makers include a spacious hard drive with the console—and really, the only hold out here is Microsoft, what with its Xbox 360 Arcade holding back innovation (Nintendo, with the Wii, is a mystery unto itself)—developers will have to struggle with creating multi-disc games.

And what would you prefer: a rich, detailed game like Final Fantasy XIII where you have to change the disc twice in a 40-plus-hour game, or feel smug with your victory of a single-disc game, and yet are playing something that’s been several hampered by storage.

The beauty is, this is a wonderfully pointless debate, and one that will be forgotten by the time dinner rolls around.

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Consider this a PSA from one person with a jailbroken iPhone to another: Don’t upgrade to the just released iPhone OS 3.1.3.

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While the technology world continues to focus on Apple’s yet-to-be-launched iPad, it seems iPhone sales may be slowing. Apple lost market share in the global smartphone market in the fourth quarter, ABI Research reports.

Apple’s share fell from 18.1 percent in the third quarter to 16.6 percent in the fourth quarter, according to ABI’s data. This comes despite the fact that Apple posted record iPhone sales for the quarter of 8.7 million units, up 100 percent from the year-ago quarter and up 18 percent from the third quarter.

“2009 may have started with a whimper, but by the fourth quarter of 2009 the global mobile handset market ended with a pretty reasonable bang,” said Jake Saunders, vice president for forecasting at ABI. “We estimate 336.5 million handsets were shipped in the fourth quarter of 2009, up 15.1 percent quarter over quarter.”

Nokia vs Apple

Despite market leader Nokia’s weakened position in the smartphone segment, ABI said the company still managed to maintain 37.7 percent of the overall handset market. Korea’s influence on the handset market is underscored by LG Electronics and Samsung. With 10 percent of the market, LG ranks behind Apple. LG has been counting on its S-class smartphone series to help it secure a bridgehead in the market, ABI said.

Nokia has another advantage over Apple. While Apple’s App Store is still the most popular worldwide, Nokia’s Ovi Store has overtaken Apple in crucial high-growth emerging markets in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, according to the newly released Wireless Development Survey from Research and Markets. Microsoft’s Windows Marketplace for Mobile and apps sold directly through a carrier were also popular channels.

“The app-store model is now an expected part of any wireless developer program,” said Janel Garvin, CEO of Evans Data. “And while Apple’s iPhone App Store set the pace in North America and…

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Filed under: Apple

Do you use a bottom-connector battery extender? Have you been bothered by the awkward phone geometry that involves? For me, I’ve found it really hard to deal with the added length, especially with the (tiny!) storage compartment on the top handle of my Jeep stroller. For me, the longer phone-plus-battery length simply doesn’t work, which means I can’t fit the phone in.

That’s awkward because I like to use TrailGuru as I walk to go pick up my youngest from school in the afternoon. After a bit of hunting, I’ve located a way to detach the battery from the phone to create a bending solution that does fit.

I recently picked up a Male-to-Female dock extender from DealExtreme for under four bucks (with shipping included). The cable lets me “fold” the battery into place for afternoon walks or stick it into my pocket while using the iPhone on a tether.

As far as stroller and backpack use goes, it seems to be working quite well. As for tethering, it’s a fairly thick cable, and brings with it all the standard tethered irritations. Frankly, I’m not a big fan of tethered use but when you need that extra battery charge, it’s a slight improvement over having the battery pack stuck directly into the bottom of the unit.

DealExtreme ships from HongKong, so it generally takes a week or so for packages to arrive. I’ve bought lots of things from them and they’ve been reliable shippers. When purchasing from Chinese suppliers, do keep in mind that the individual item fail rate is going to be higher than you might expect: not a constant issue, but something you should factor into your purchases, and something I’ve certainly experienced.

TUAWBending the battery: Using a dock extender to flex your iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Physically expressing the love that you feel for your Android-powered device can be difficult — hugging and caressing the phone gets old after a while, truth be told. Good news, though: artist Andrew Bell has teamed up with Google to release a series of authorized Android robot figurines, starting with an initial run of 12 designs in blind boxes (collect ‘em all!). The statuettes of the cute little guy stand 3 inches tall, feature articulating heads and arms, and will be available starting the 10th of this month — just in time for that Devour, with any luck.

Dyzplastic’s authorized Android figurines not upgradeable, but guaranteed not to crash originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zune HD drops $30-$40 at Amazon, Newegg originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPhone isn’t the only handset getting bumped today — Google’s just outed a very, very significant update to the Nexus One that includes Google Goggles on board and a re-upped version of Google Maps that includes suggestions and a dedicated night mode. Much more significantly, though, they’ve capitulated and enabled multitouch in Browser, Gallery, and Maps — great news and a big win for the Android community at large. Finally, there are some 3G improvements in there, but you might have to wait a bit — Google expects to have it rolled out to pretty much everyone toward the end of the week. Seriously though, now that we’ve gotten that whole multitouch spat cleared up, it’s time for Engadget to rally around something else: ridding the world of tiny ninjas, perhaps? Follow the break for a video of the new firmware — in all its multi-fingered glory — in action!

Continue reading Nexus One gets a software update, enables multitouch (updated with video!)

Nexus One gets a software update, enables multitouch (updated with video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Spy Photos, Technology, Ford, Rumormill

Here’s some very exciting news, especially if you’re into that whole forced-induction cult thing: Ford is reportedly set to show off its new four-cylinder EcoBoost engine under the hood of the overhauled-for-2011 Edge. To refresh you memory, EcoBoost is Ford speak for turbocharging plus direct injection. In the case of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost found in cars like the Ford Flex EcoBoost, the forced induction, direct injected motor makes much more power than the naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 (355 horsepower compared to 262 hp), yet gets identical fuel economy (16 city/22 highway).

The 2.0-liter EcoBoost that The Detroit News promises is coming in the substantially refreshed Edge is said to be as powerful as a 3.0-liter V6. We’ll take that to mean about 240 or so horsepower. Sure, that’s not a very exciting power figure in the Edge, but it will probably make for some sexy fuel economy figures. And just image how thrilling this news will be when the 2.0-liter EcoBoost Focus comes out? Or, Mulally willing, an EcoBoosted Fiesta! Even a Fusion with this new motor (and a manual transmission) would be very, very welcome. We should know much more next week in Chicago.

[Source: The Detroit News | Images: KGP Photography]

Report: Four-cylinder EcoBoost Ford Edge coming to Chicago originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Figure skating? Please. The main attraction for many visitors to the Winter Olympics will be an installation letting them control the lights at Niagara Falls with their minds. That’s right: we’re all telekinetics now.

Of course, anything seemingly this amazing requires some hedging. The Bright Ideas installation by Toronto-based company InteraXon doesn’t let you decide what color the lights should be or how brightly they should shine, and it can’t tell if you’re specific thought is, say, “Lights, I command thee!” Instead:

The headset used in this installation measures the brain’s electrical output and reacts to alpha waves, associated with relaxation, and beta waves, associated with concentration. As the users relax or focus their thoughts, the computer will send a message over the internet to the site they are viewing. InteraXon’s custom software connects users thoughts to the lighting controls to change the display on the landmark site.

So basically, as long as you’re thinking hard about something, you’ll be able to control a light show thousands of miles away. In addition to Niagara Falls, displays will also be featured at Toronto’s CN Tower and Ottawa’s Parliament Buildings.

Someone, please, if you make it out to Vancouver this month, let me know what this is like. And don’t worry! I’m sure the headset’s not simultaneously recording your brain waves to somehow remotely manipulate your every thought down the road. At least, I’m pretty sure. [InteraXon]

HARTFORD — If Connecticut wants to create more jobs and improve the economy, Democratic lawmakers say the state needs to focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, decide what investments to make and educate a work force for in-demand jobs.

Since October, Democrats have discussed job growth with academics, economists and labor and business leaders. The group released its recommendations Tuesday, and lawmakers said the ideas will be drafted into bills that will be considered during this year’s legislative session.

“We need to make Connecticut competitive again,” said House Majority Leader Denise Merrill, D-Mansfield.

The majority leaders’ job growth round table says the state should focus on improving its transportation, water and energy infrastructures, while making Connecticut more business friendly.

It recommends that the state bond about $12 million to support all stages of business growth and use $75 million of state pension money to support growing companies that currently leave Connecticut. Other money to support business retention would come from qualified private equity funds.

In addition, the group says to create a tax credit program that would leverage private investment by creating a network that would support start-up companies, and it wants Connecticut to renew support of industry clusters, such as manufacturing and financial services.

It also encourages the state to redirect existing tax credits to invest in clean technologies and energy innovation, and it wants to provide incentives to increase energy efficiency and the manufacturing of green energy products — suggestions that please groups like the Connecticut Fund for the Environment.

Emphasizing science, technology, engineering and math in school is another idea, the group says, adding that Connecticut should consider a program like Michigan’s No Worker Left Behind. In Michigan, unemployed workers are given free tuition to community colleges if they are pursuing high-demand jobs.

Sen. Gary LeBeau, D-East Hartford, stressed that the report released Tuesday is not a political document, but rather a document for the future.

No Republicans, however, were part of the job growth group — a fact that disappointed Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Southport.

The Democratic majority passed a budget without the support of Republicans last year and now they are looking to tackle the job growth issue without Republican input, McKinney said, noting that Republicans have proposed many of the group’s suggestions in the past.

McKinney said he is willing to work with Democrats on the matter because he supports many of the recommendations, but he said he hopes Democrats recognize the need for repealing measures, such as the corporate tax code, that hurt businesses, and he said he wants the state’s budget deficit addressed.

Connecticut is currently facing a projected $500 million deficit for this fiscal year.

A retired Los Angeles County judge who ordered that a lawyer be paid in $10 gift cards from a women’s fashion store as part of a legal settlement was censured Tuesday and barred from presiding over future court cases.

The Commission on Judicial Performance accused Brett C. Klein of showing bias, abusing his authority and “grandstanding to the press” in a class-action lawsuit that he briefly presided over last year.

The lawsuit was brought by a woman who accused a clothing store chain of violating privacy laws by asking for personal identification information when customers used credit cards to make purchases. As part of a settlement, which had been given preliminary approval by a different judge, the two sides agreed that Windsor Fashions would pay the customer who brought the suit $2,500 and her attorney $125,000.

Other customers who came forward as part of the suit would each be given a $10 gift voucher, according to state disciplinary records. But Klein, who was asked to preside over a final hearing in the case when a colleague fell ill, made sarcastic remarks to the attorneys and changed the terms of the settlement after the hearing, disciplinary records show.

The new settlement required the store to pay both the customer who brought the suit and her attorney in gift certificates. Klein sent a copy of his order approving the altered settlement to the Metropolitan News-Enterprise, a local daily legal newspaper, which published a story about the case, the commission said.

Reached at home, Klein said he was disappointed by the commission’s decision. He said his role at the January 2009 hearing was to decide whether the settlement was fair. He noted that customers who claimed $10 gift certificates were required to buy something at the store in order to take advantage of the settlement.

“I thought that the settlement would only be fair if the lawyer was paid the same way,” Klein said.

He defended his decision to alert the legal newspaper about his decision.

“I’m a bit startled to be criticized for furnishing a public document to a journalist,” he said.

The commission said its discipline was the maximum possible for a former judge. Klein, who retired in November, was publicly admonished in 2004 for allegedly displaying bias and abusing his authority in an unrelated case.

— Jack Leonard