After facing pressure from Congress and the U.S. automotive industry, Japan today opened its version of Cash for Clunkers to U.S. branded vehicles. The Japanese Embassy defended its program as nondiscriminatory but said that it agrees to allow Detroit’s Big Three to take part.
“More details regarding how to apply for the subsidy will be decided soon and available through the Web site of Next Generation Vehicle Promotion Center, dealers of imported cars,” the embassy said.
Japan is providing a tax break of up to $2,830 for scrapping a car that is at least 13 years old. The money is good for purchasing a new vehicle as long as it meets the 2010 fuel efficiency requirements. The country is also offering a $1,130 incentive for new vehicle buyers who do not scrap an old vehicle.
Japanese brands manage to grab 319,300 out of a total of 677,000 in sales in the $3 billion U.S. Cash for Clunkers program last year.
Raymond James strategist Jeff Saut, generally a bullish analyst, continues to sound concerns over a correction in his latest note:
The call for this week: The solar eclipse came and went in “Neverland” between 11:06 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. last Friday with an attendant stock slide that should have stopped participants out of our remaining index recommendations. And, despite all the “Tinkerbell clapping,” the SPX is virtually no higher now than it was after the “opening day” rally on January 4th. Moreover, the number of stocks above their 10-day moving averages (DMAs) continues to shrink, which is the type of action typically seen preceding a stock market correction. Also, the 25-day put/call ratios are at levels consistent with short-term negative conditions, while Friday’s close left the SPX below its recent reaction lows, not to mention below its 10-DMA. Then there is “Dr. Copper,” the metal with a Ph.D. in economics, which recently recorded a 12-month rolling rate of return in excess of 150%. Historically such a “copper cropper” has marked a “trading top” in copper and telegraphed caution for the equity markets. All of this raises the question, “Is this the week participants quit clapping their hands and Tinkerbell falls back to earth?”
Sony still hasn’t said anything final regarding the name of their upcoming motion controller.According to a VG247 report, however, it’s allegedly going to be called “Arc.”
Wouldn’t it be spectacular if we promoted nonproliferation talks the way we promote Monster Truck Rallies, Metal concerts and the other staples of my Midwestern upbringing?
Houston Wood is giving a talk at the Woodrow Wilson Center tomorrow on the role of gas centrifuges in nonproliferation. Which, to my mind, is even more exciting than when Metallica opened for Ozzy Osbourne at the Peoria Civic Center. (YouTube is really letting me down, here.)
And, the event is free, so you won’t feel bad about only using the edge of your seat.
Uranium enrichment capability and its proliferation are among the most important issues for arms control specialists today. Thanks in part to the network of Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, the gas centrifuge has become one of the most widely used uranium enrichment tools in the world. University of Virginia Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Houston G. Wood will discuss his ongoing research on the history of the gas centrifuge and its role in nuclear proliferation. Joining him will be David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, and *Jeffrey Lewi director of the Nuclear Strategy and Nonproliferation Initiative at the New America Foundation.
Houston Wood is professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Virginia. His areas of expertise include centrifugation, nuclear non-proliferation and heart pumps. He has published more than 100 articles in books, journals, conference proceedings and reports. Before joining the UVA faculty, he worked as a development engineer (1967-1973) at Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) in the area of uranium enrichment, and then as the manager of the centrifuge physics department (1977-1981). Wood earned his B.A. and M.S. degrees in mathematics from Mississippi State University, and his Ph.D. in applied mathematics from the University of Virginia.
David Albright is president of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) in Washington, D.C. Prior to founding ISIS, he worked as a senior staff scientist at the Federation of American Scientists and as a member of the research staff of Princeton University’s Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Albright has many publications, and received a 1992 Olive Branch Award for a series of articles he wrote, along with Mark Hibbs, on the Iraqi nuclear weapons program for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Albright cooperated actively with the IAEA Action Team from 1992 until 1997, focusing on analyses of Iraqi documents and past procurement activities, and was the first non-governmental inspector of the Iraqi nuclear program in June 1996. Albright holds a Masters of Science in physics from Indiana University and a Masters of Science in mathematics from Wright State University.
Jeffrey Lewis is director of the Nuclear Strategy and Nonproliferation Initiative at the New America Foundation as well as a research scholar at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy (CSSIM). He is the author of Minimum Means of Reprisal: China’s Search for Security in the Nuclear Age, and founded and maintains the leading blog on nuclear arms control and nonproliferation, ArmsControlWonk.com. Before joining the New America Foundation, Lewis was executive director of the Managing the Atom Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Lewis earned his Ph.D. in Policy Studies (International Security and Economic Policy) from the University of Maryland and his B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.
I will be making comments along the lines of those in my Bulletin article, A Crisis of Confidence, in which I argued the rapid diffusion of gas centrifuge technology has resulted in a self defeating panic about the future of the nonproliferation regime.
Microsoft has long claimed that its mobile strategy is to provide a software solution, not devices. As Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told attendees of a McGraw-Hill (MHP) media conference last spring,
With Windows Mobile, we want to permit a range of hardware innovation, and yet, still have a pretty good experience end-to-end, with good applications, and we want the ability for software developers to target both a very high-end and a lower range or mid-range phone. And the ability to scale up and down, to work with multiple hardware vendors, to get a range of competition and innovation and price competition amongst the hardware guys is a big asset. It is certainly what our strategy is.
That being the case, it’s intriguing to see that talk of Microsoft’s (MSFT) long-rumored ‘Pink’ phone project has started up again. In a note to clients today, Jefferies analyst Katherine Egbert claims that Redmond is gearing up to launch a phone based on WindowsMobile7.
“Our recent industry checks indicate Microsoft will be debuting its own phone sometime in the next two months,” Egbert writes. “We expect the new phone to debut soon, at either the Feb 15-18 Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona Spain, or possibly at CTIA in Las Vegas one month later.”
The device — “a Zune-like phone” according to Egbert –is likely result of an OEM partnership similar to the Google (GOOG) -HTC alliance that produced the Nexus One. She believes it will boast a 5 megapixel camera and support 720p HD video and some music subscription/purchasing scheme. Beyond that, Egbert is at a loss. “We don’t have any information about the cost of the Pink phone, nor do we know what service providers might be partnered with Microsoft,” she explains. “Revenue from the phone is also very unlikely to be meaningful for many years. However, the new phone might explain why Microsoft has allowed WinMo to dwindle to <10% mobile OS market share. Pink would be the 'third screen' (after Windows and Xbox) and final component in Microsoft's "3 screens and a cloud" strategy.”
General Motors spokesman Dave Darovitz confirmed to Green Car Reports that GM CEO Ed Whitacre’s recent statement that the Volt would be priced “in the low 30s” and be profitable was misleading/inaccurate. The reality is that the car will cost around $40,000, and a possible $7,500 tax credit from the federal government would move the price into the low 30s. Specifically, Darovitz confirmed to GCR that, GM “has not officially announced final Volt pricing, a price in the low 30’s after a $7,500 tax credit is in the range of possibilities.” We knew that. Why would we think it was anything else?
Mitsubishi ASX – Click above for high-res image gallery
Last month we told you a new compact crossover is on its way from Mitsubishi that will be called the RVR when it goes on sale in Japan. Today the Tri-Star automaker announced that the little CUV will wear the ASX badge in Europe and make its official debut at the upcoming 2010 Geneva Motor Show in early March. We’ve been told the RVR/ASX will eventually make it to American shores, but whether or not it gets yet another name is up to Mitsubishi.
In Europe, the ASX will be offered with a wide array of engines including a 1.8-liter diesel that can be combined with a six-speed manual transmission and what Mitsubishi is calling “Automatic Stop & Go,” which we assume is their label for stop/start technology. Considering the CUV’s small size and presumably light weight, that combo should yield impressive results at European pumps.
Dark Void seemed to be the cure for what ailed us. A new intellectual property featuring jet packs, Nikola Tesla, flying saucers, and a void… that’s dark. This is the sort of story that plays well in trailers and in a demo, but when you’re playing the actual game you’ll be forgiven if it all jumbles together. The girl has a past with your character? You’re a lovable rogue played by Nolan North? You don’t say!
Slap a jet pack on Nathan Drake, and let’s get started with this review business.
Newsflash: birds see a LOT of stuff thanks to the fact that they can fly. Garmin wants to give you the same sensation (minus the flying part) with its new “BirdsEye Satellite and Aerial Imagery” feature, “an annual subscription service that gives users the option of loading highly-detailed photo-based maps to select Garmin handheld navigators,” according to a recent press release.
You’ll be able to access the imagery on Oregon, Dakota, and Colorado series GPS units for $30 per year. It’ll be available starting in March. As for the imagery itself:
The images are among the most highly-detailed available – offering 0.5 meter per pixel resolution in many areas of the United States. Users can also view imagery at every zoom level – from 12 miles to 20 feet – unlike other offerings that force users to stay at pre-determined zoom levels. BirdsEye Satellite Imagery also lets users overlay vector maps, to get a better idea of terrain contours and points of interest.
It’s being pitched at hunters, hikers, geocachers, and tourists.
More white-hot World of Warcraft movie news to share with y’all. Did you know that it’s in production? Of course you did; you have a pulse. But did you know what stage of production it’s in? Hmm, did ya, smart guy?
Eh, you probably knew that, too. For you see, the World of Warcraft movie is in the earliest stage of development, the part where the writers are still coming up with a basic story. (The technical term is “outline/story/script” phase.) Don’t be too quick to assume the movie will take place on Azeroth, for by the time the script is finalized it could well take place in a swanky part of New York City. I’m thinking Jamaica, Queens.
Watch out, a Rogue!
So there: the World of Warcraft movie is so early in development you (yes, you!) could reasonably claim to have already written a more fleshed out story than what’s currently sitting in some dude’s Final Draft folder on his MacBook, aka the official script.
Sam Raimi is a long, long way off, in other words.
Hullo, Mr. Orc. What brings you ’round these parts today?
That’s right, y’all. We’re back at it, and this time we’ve received some exclusive iPhone OS 4.0 details from one of our trusty Apple connects.
Here are some iPhone OS 4.0 features, according to our guy:
• There will be multi-touch gestures OS-wide. (Would make sense for that as the rumored OS for the iTablet is close if not the same as the iPhone)
• “A few new ways” to run applications in the background – multitasking.
• Many graphical and UI changes to make navigating through the OS easier and more efficient. We haven’t had this broken down, but we can only hope for improved notifications, a refreshed homescreen, etc.
• The update will supposedly be available for only the iPhone 3G and 3GS, but will “put them ahead in the smartphone market because it will make them more like full-fledged computers” more than any other phone to date. Everyone is “really excited.”
• The last piece of information is the most vague, but apparently there will be some brand new syncing ability for the contacts and calendar applications.
That’s all we have for now! Who can’t wait for next Wednesday?
Thanks, Lindsey!
BGRfeatures the latest tech news, mobile-related content and of course, exclusive scoops.
Pricing for the 2010 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible will start at an eye-watering $135,800 and while that may seem like a significant increase over the $117,500 pricing of the base GranTurismo Coupe, keep in mind that the GranTurismo Convertible is powered by the company’s 433-hp 4.7L V8, which powers the $135,000 GranTurismo S Coupe. So really, you’re only paying $800 more to go topless.
Not to mention you can go from 0 to 62 mph 5.4 seconds with a top speed 176 mph and it comes with a huge list of standard options. Not too shabby.
Hit the jump for the press release and the high-res image gallery.
2010 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible:
Press Release:
Maserati North America Announces US Pricing For GranTurismo Convertible
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ — Maserati North America is pleased to announce a base MSRP of $135,800* in the United States for the highly anticipated 2010 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible.
This four-seat convertible demonstrates Maserati’s expertise in the production of exclusive hand-built automobiles by providing an unprecedented level of personalization choices as standard equipment including:
– 9 Exterior colors standard with 5 optional hues
– 10 shades of Poltrona Frau leather for the interior
– 6 different soft top colors (Black, Burgundy, Blue, Dark Gray, Beige and Dark Brown)
– 3 wood trim options, Rosewood (standard), Walnut and Wenge (no cost options)
– 20″ Birdcage design wheels
– Skyhook active suspension system
– Rear Park Sensors
– Chromeline exterior trim
– Dual-Twin Sport Exhaust system with chrome outlets
– Bose Surround Sound System
– Red Brake Calipers (5 other colors available as options)
A modern heir to generations of legendary open-air Maseratis, the GranTurismo Convertible breaks ground as the first four-seat convertible from the house of the Trident. The 433 hp, 4.7 liter V8 engine and six-speed adaptive automatic transmission with standard paddle shifters deliver thoroughbred performance, with the unmistakable Maserati exhaust note now unfiltered to the pilot and passengers.
Inside, the Maserati GranTurismo Convertible offers best in class rear seat room, allowing comfort and space for two real adults unmatched by other grand touring convertibles. The triple insulated soft top exactly maintains the coupe’s iconic roofline, and retracts fully in 24 seconds leaving the rear seat and trunk space unchanged with the roof open or closed; its light weight helping to maintain the vehicle’s low center of gravity, optimal weight distribution and precise handling.
Befitting the uniquely Italian coach built tradition defined by its Pininfarina styling, the GranTurismo Convertible further enables the owner to select from a vast array of colors, materials and trim to create a spectacular and unique expression of style including a tailored set of luggage by Ferragamo.
The 56 North American Maserati dealers are accepting preliminary orders now with deliveries anticipated for late spring. Full details are available at www.maserati.us.
*MSRP does not include taxes, title and other fees. Dealer prices may vary.
Just in time for tax season, online bookkeeping service Outright.com is announcing it will begin providing 1099 tax filing service for entrepreneurs and sole proprietors on top of its current W-9 service. The site is also announcing the launch of what they say is the first community for the self-employed where startups and entrepreneurs can find bookkeepers.
For most of us tax day is April 15th, but for entrepreneurs required to meet the February 1st deadline for providing 1099 forms to contracted employees, the madness starts now.
Sponsor
“Startups working with contractors should have collected form W-9 by now and can automatically do that with Outright.com today,” Outright’s Paul O’Brien told ReadWriteWeb. “Starting Wednesday, we’ll take care of everything else.”
All Outright needs is W-9 forms from the user and their contractors, and they do the rest – automatically filling out 1099’s, e-filing them with the IRS and sending copies directly to the contractors. For an entrepreneur or startup managing a team of contracted employees, the time saved from filling out countless 1099 forms is invaluable.
Starting tomorrow, the new 1099 service will cost users $5 per filing, though for each contractor that joins Outright after their 1099 is filed, the site will refund their $5 fee. What’s more, the fee for the 1099 can be deducted as a business expense on the user’s personal tax return.
The site will also be rolling out a social directory for their site to help connect entrepreneurs and startups with Outright’s expanding community of bookkeepers. O’Brien says that there are a few thousand bookkeeping professionals using Outright, and this new directory will help them find businesses who need help around tax season.
Outright claims they are tracking over $1.2 billion worth of self employed and startup business, an increase of 21% from just three months ago when they announced tracking $1 billion. Self-employed individuals make up 75% of Outright’s users, and the majority of the remainder employ fewer than 10 people, making Outright a popular solution for entrepreneurs and startups.
Slip-Up? You be the judge: Mike Greenberg, best known to sports fans as host of ESPN’s “Mike & Mike In The Morning,” has come under fire after he referred to late civil rights legend Martin Luther King Jr. as “Martin Luther Coon” during the intro to yesterday’s MLK Day broadcast.
Greenberg issued the following statement of apology.
“I just came home from the Knicks game and found out about the mess that was created by my garbling a sentence on our show this morning; I apologize for not addressing it sooner,” he says. “And I’m sorry that my talking too fast – and slurring my words – might have given people who don’t know our show the wrong impression about us, and about me.”
“I feel horrible about that, because nothing could be further away from who I am and what our show is about,” Greenberg continued. “I would never say anything like that, not in public, or in private, or in the silence of my own mind, and neither would anyone associated with our show, and I’m very sorry that my stumble this morning gave so many people the opposite impression.”
The latest twist in the search-engine wars is revisiting privacy policies. Pressure from the European Commission is behind the latest industry move as Microsoft agreed to rework Bing to discard user data after six months.
Microsoft’s Chief Privacy Strategist Peter Cullen framed the change as an ongoing evaluation of the company’s Internet search privacy practices. That evaluation, he said, led to the change in Microsoft’s data-retention policy that will see the company delete the entire Internet Protocol address associated with search queries at six months.
Microsoft has been deleting the information after 18 months. The software giant lagged behind Google, which cut data-retention times to nine months from 18 months in August 2008. In December 2008, Yahoo announced a data-retention policy that promised to anonymize user log data within 90 days, with limited exceptions for fraud, security and legal obligations.
Accommodating the EU
“This change is the result of a number of factors, including a continuing evaluation of our business needs, the current competitive landscape, and our ongoing dialogue with privacy advocates, consumer groups, and regulators — including the Article 29 Working Party, the group of 27 European national data-protection regulators charged with providing advice to the European Commission, and other European Union institutions on data protection,” Cullen said.
In 2008, EU privacy regulators asked Google, Yahoo and Microsoft to delete user data, including text entered into search-engine boxes and the computer’s IP address and location, after six months. Microsoft moved last year to make searchers’ unique IP addresses anonymous after six months, and with the new announcement Bing becomes the first company to fully cooperate with requests from EU countries.
“Under our current policy, as soon as Microsoft receives a Bing search query we take steps to de-identify the data by separating it from account information that could identify the person who performed…
Pocketnow have published this video overview of the latest build of Windows Mobile 6.5, build 23518, showing an overview of the new features in the updated OS.
Overall these does not seem to be anything stunningly new, but the OS does seem to shine up well.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting this morning that Apple is in talks with Harper Collins regarding ebooks for the new tablet. They suggest that the publisher will set the prices of the books with Apple taking a cut, in similar fashion to the 30/70 split currently in place for the App Store (but percentages not determined). The most interesting line notes that the ebooks “…will have added features.”
Back in December, HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray noted that “…e-books enhanced with video, author interviews and social-networking applications” were a possibility. Just watch this demo from Sports Illustrated to get an idea of the potential. While consumers love the über-cheap prices being offered on the Kindle and the Nook, publishers would undoubtedly like to bump them up a little. These additional features will serve both the consumer and the publisher: Shoppers get a more interesting ebook experience, wrapped in Apple style, while publishers receive a bigger payday.
The Wall Street Journal notes that other publishers have been talking with Apple without offering any additional details. Now that we have a firm date for the tablet’s introduction (probably, maybe) the rumors are going to swirl ever faster. Hold on to your seats.
MSI’s just outed another in its X-Slim series laptops, this one dubbed the X420. The 14-inch, ultra thinny boasts a choice of Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 or SU4100 CPUs, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5430 graphics with up to 1GB of DDR3 VRAM, an up to 500GB SATA, and a choice of 4 or 8-cell batteries. Other features include Bluetooth and a 1.3 megapixel webcam, but the real conversation piece here is looks, in our opinion — we’re really digging the translucent, coffee brown profile of this Windows 7 thin and light. No information on pricing or availability yet.
Sony Computer Entertainment Asia announced that the company has formally started PlayStation business in Socialist Republic of Vietnam, making the one of the world’s popular computer entertainment systems and services available to the PlayStation fans and consumers in the country. Vietnam will be the 8th country and region in the SCE Asia territories.
Along with the initiation of the PlayStation business in Vietnam, SCE Asia will introduce to the market the PlayStation 3 (CECH-2006A) computer entertainment system featuring an extremely streamlined form factor with a 120GB Hard Disk Drive (HDD), PlayStation 2 (SCPH-90006CB) computer entertainment system, the world’s most selling computer entertainment system and PSP (PlayStation Portable) (PSP-3006) handheld entertainment system. The PS3, PlayStation 2 and PSP system are available now at very attractive suggested retail prices of VND 9,990,000, VND 4,490,000 and VND 5,990,000 respectively (including tax). With the launch of the PlayStation platforms, users in Vietnam will be able to enjoy a wide variety of entertainment content including games, music and movies on the favorite entertainment systems.
According to All Things D, we shouldn’t expect the music industry to play a major—or minor—part in Apple’s presumed tablet announcement next week. That’s not as surprising as it may sound.
No one expects the tablet to replace your iPhone or iPod Touch, much less the Nano or Shuffle. It’s not, primarily, a music player. The iSlate (or whatever it’ll be called) is going to useful for the content that takes advantage of its larger screen. So think e-books, newspapers, and of course video. The iTunes LP format might find a happy home on a tablet, but it’s hard to see how that would become tablet-specific.
I’m sure eventually the music industry will find a way to make more money off of tablet devices, and that Apple will happily dictate the terms and take a big chunk of whatever that turns out to be. But for now, it’s a safe bet that you won’t see any Sony BMG execs lurking around at the Yerba Buena Center next week. [All Things D]
Microsoft has long claimed that its mobile strategy is to provide a software solution, not devices. As Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told attendees of 
That’s right, y’all. We’re back at it, and this time we’ve received some exclusive iPhone OS 4.0 details from one of our trusty Apple connects.
BGR
Just in time for tax season, online bookkeeping service 
The Wall Street Journal is 
According to