Author: Serkadis

Hyped about the Tekken movie? Depending on your expectations, you might want to steer clear of this trailer. If you like mediocre acting and crazy headache-inducing editing, though, then click right on through to the full article.
 

Combined Donations To Total At Least $1 Million

To help the victims of Haiti’s devastating earthquake, McDonald’s Corporation today announced a donation of $500,000 USD to be matched with donations from Arcos Dorados, the company that operates nearly 1,700 McDonald’s restaurants in Latin America.

These combined contributions are estimated to total at least $1 million.

“McDonald’s has a long legacy of being a dependable corporate neighbor in times of need, and helping the people of Haiti during this crisis is absolutely the right thing to do,” said Jim Skinner, McDonald’s Chief Executive Officer.

“While we don’t have McDonald’s restaurants in Haiti, our contribution reflects our commitment to people all over the world.”

The funds will be channeled through the International Federation of the Red Cross to be used for its disaster relief efforts.

Along with McDonald’s $500,000 USD matching donation, the team in Latin America has developed a grassroots program to raise funds.

From Jan. 16 until Jan. 22, all McDonald’s restaurants operated by Arcos Dorados in 19 countries will donate 50 cents from the sales of individual Big Mac sandwiches and Big Mac Extra Value Meals.

Arcos Dorados estimates that these fundraising efforts will generate a minimum of $500,000.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 32,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. Approximately 80 percent of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by franchisees.

Please visit our Web site at aboutmcdonalds.com to learn more about the Company.

Funding for onsite relief efforts; Allstate employees and Agency owners also giving

Recognizing the urgent need for aid to Haiti, today The Allstate Foundation has made a $50,000 donation to the American Red Cross to assist with humanitarian relief efforts.

Additionally, with Allstate employees and Agency owners wanting a way to give to the relief efforts in Haiti, the Foundation has created the donation Web site american.redcross.org/allstate-emp in partnership with the American Red Cross that allows employees to make a personal donation directly to the relief organization.

The Foundation will match every dollar that employees contribute up to an additional $50,000, for a total commitment of up to $100,000.

“We are an organization made up of people who truly care and help those in need,” said Vicky Dinges, assistant vice president for Public Social Responsibility at Allstate.

“Just as we would help our customers in their time of need, we are reaching out a hand to the victims in Haiti whose lives have been uprooted by this catastrophic earthquake.”

The Foundation’s donation ‘is part of ‘Allstate’s annual charitable and philanthropic contributions that totaled more than $18 million in 2009 to communities across the United States.

About The Allstate Foundation

Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation ( ALL).

The Allstate Foundation sponsors community initiatives to promote “safe and vital communities;” “tolerance, inclusion, and diversity;” and “economic empowerment.”

The Allstate Foundation believes in the financial potential of every individual and in helping America’s families achieve their American dream.

For additional information, visit Allstate.com/foundation.

Filed under: Convertible, Hatchback, BMW, Mini

Over in Europe, Mini has rolled out a thing or two to keep its offerings fresh. There’s some model jiggering and new colors, but the biggest news is under that peewee hood. The four-cylinder engine is receiving a displacement bump from 1.4- to 1.6-liters. In naturally aspirated and turbocharged configurations, the engine is now torquier and more efficient. Output ranges between 75 and 184 horsepower, and carbon emissions are improved; Mini is calling it “more poke with less smoke.”

Turbocharged versions get a new twin-scroll huffer with an overboost function, while all versions of the engine are equipped with a Valvetronic-derived system that aids the engine’s better torque delivery and reduced fuel consumption. Delving deeper inside the crankcase, there are polished main bearings to reduce friction, and the camshaft bearings follow suit. The oil pump, vacuum pump, and water pump are computer controlled and can now be pulsed to save energy and reduce drag. It all adds up to a tiny engine that makes the most of its muscle and delivers gains in fuel economy and emissions. The best detail about the whole shooting match is the absence of a price increase.

As you can see from the photo above, there are some new paint colors available as well, including a series of “Rainbow” finishes that include Sunlight Metallic, Asteroid Metallic and Nightlife Metallic. Neat-o. The brand may be called Mini, but in typical German fashion, there’s a massive press release posted after the jump with the full rundown of EU-market changes.

[Source: Mini]

Continue reading Mini announces engine enhancements ahead of 2011 redesign

Mini announces engine enhancements ahead of 2011 redesign originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

We were just explaining why it appeared that Alan Ellis, the admin for OiNK had not actually violated any UK laws, and it looks like the jury agreed. Ellis has been found not guilty. I have to admit that I’m really surprised by this, but it is certainly a good thing. You shouldn’t be found guilty of actions done by others, and if people were using OiNK to violate copyright law (as, certainly, some were) that shouldn’t fall on Ellis. Separately, as has been noted previously, OiNK really highlighted where the recording industry itself failed to fill the demand that was there.

Of course, it will be interesting to see what comes next. My guess is that the entertainment industry will use this to support Mandelson’s Digital Economy Bill as necessary, or to push for even more draconian copyright laws, such as adding in “contributory” copyright infringement into the law in some manner. This was a good ruling, but it may be used to push through bad laws in response.

Permalink | Comments | Email This Story

Earlier this week, Spiceworks took a big step in proving that ad-supported network management tools provide a new world of social IT services that are Web-based, free and even well-liked in the IT community. The company closed $16 million in Series CS funding from Institutional Venture Partners (IVP.) The round included participation from existing Spiceworks investors Austin Ventures and Shasta Ventures.

With most online applications, the model works like this: You sign up for a free, Web-based trial. You give it a go for 30 days. If you like it, then you pay for the service on a per-user basis.

Sponsor

Almost every SasS provider we talk to uses this model. The model is so predominant that you could end up paying thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in monthly fees for Web-based services. The best plan is to know exactly what you need so you can be efficient with your use of these services. Still, the costs can become substantial when you consider your business requirements.

That’s what’s interesting about the Spiceworks approach. It’s a free Web-based application that is supported by advertising. You can pay if you prefer and block out the advertising. The model seems to work. IT users get an application that helps manage their networks and in return are served with relevant advertising.

More than 850,000 people have signed up for the service from 196 countries. It’s attracting 1,000 users per day.

Technology companies seem to be interested. Spiceworks has thousands of partners developing plugins such as the Intel power manager released last year.

Does the Spiceworks approach make sense for Web-based application providers serving the enterprise market? Maybe so. If the advertising is relevant and helpful, perhaps application providers can extend past the free-now-pay-later model that is now so predominant.

Discuss

Orange County Housewife Tamra Barney won’t be an attached socialite much longer, and Barney’s upcoming divorce battle has been a hot topic of conversation among ‘Crunchers. The reality star’s stormy marriage to soon-to-be ex-husband is a recurring plotline on the latest season of The Real Housewives of Orange County, yet despite allegations that Tamra cheated, the blonde denies Simon’s claim that she was unfaithful.

“No I did not cheat on my husband,” she said. “He’s hurt, he’s angry and he did that just to make a statement,” she said during Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live on Thursday night.

MarketSci Blog gives five reasons why leveraged mutual funds are his 'weapon of choice'.

Note leveraged mutual funds aren't the same as leveraged ETFs -- they're basically like regular mutual funds, with once a day end-of-day pricing, but use leverage.

The five:

#1 They track their index very well: "because these funds (unlike ETFs) track the underlying index so closely, I can designed my strategies using index data (such as from the S&P 500) rather than a specific fund. This is important because more data means a potentially more robust solution."

#2 They don't have per-trade transaction costs: "many of the advantages we trade are so small, that trading friction (i.e. execution costs and slippage) would effectively kill them. Having no per-trade costs means that we can pursue short-term swing trades that might not be available to other traders."

#3 They can scale well for different amounts of money: "Another advantage of no per-trade transaction costs is that every account we manage achieves more or less the same results regardless of account size. The young investor placing $25k gets the same benefit as the financial advisor placing $25m. Call me a softie, but to me that just seems right."

#4 They are leveraged to their benchmark index returns: "during those less-common times where our models believe a real competitive advantage exists, I want to be able to throw leverage at that day to maximize the impact on the portfolio."

#5 They are priced only once a day, so are 'Fire and Forget': "I spend very little time actually trading (about 10 minutes a day to be exact). Leveraged mutual funds work well for me because I can make my trades, walk away, and do something more fun than wondering where the next tick on the market is going."

Read the full post over at MarketSci >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• How Quant Traders Use American Holidays To Make Millions Trading The S&P500
• ROBOTS: They Kick Our Ass At Chess, And Next It's Trading
• Citi: Cost Cutting Is Over, Now Leverage Will Drive Earnings

In 2009, Scion sold a total of 57,961 vehicles in the United States, down 49 percent from 2008. Hoping to generate more buzz and increase sales, Scion is planning on having a stronger influence in the U.S. as it prepares to bring two new products to the market.

Apparently, the main problem with Scion is that only one of its three domestically sold models was designed and engineered in the United States – the Scion tC.

“Scion is pretty much a North American brand, so that is why it is very natural to think more development, more design work, should be done in North America,” said Yoshi Inaba, president of Toyota Motor North America Inc. “We all recognize the importance of Scion. It should be more locally developed. ‘Influenced’ — that is a better word,” Inaba added during an interview Tuesday at the Detroit auto show.

Inaba says that Scion will get two new models this year “that will rejuvenate the brand and bring additional younger buyers into the Toyota family.”

– By: Kap Shah

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

On the desk of Jim O’Neill, chief economist for Goldman Sachs, stand four flimsy flags. They look out of place among the expensive computer terminals of the investment bank’s plush London office, like leftovers of a child’s geography homework or cheap mementos from backpacking trips to exotic parts of the world.

But these flags hint at a more interesting story – of the latest way in which money and ideas are reshaping the world. The small scraps of fabric are pennants for big countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China. And almost a decade ago, O’Neill decided to start thinking of them as a group – which he gave the acronym Bric.

It was a simple mental prop. The bolder move was to predict – publicly, and in Goldman’s name – that by 2041 (later revised to 2039, then 2032) the Brics would overtake the six largest western economies in terms of economic might. The four flags would come to represent the pillars of the 21st-century economy.

Read more at the Financial Times –>

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Commodities Spell Major Potential For The MAVINS
• The Next BRICs: Six Surging Countries You Must Pay Attention To This Decade

For some people the camera quality of their smartphones are quite important. CareAce.net have pitted the Samsung Omnia 2 vs the new HTC Nexus One and compared the camera software and picture and video quality.

 

Nexus One          vs          Omnia 2

They note that they feel the Omnia 2’s colours are more vibrant, while the Nexus One’s pictures appear sharper.

See more comparison pictures and video at CareAce here.

We have almost $25 billion safely in the bank and zero debt. This provides us tremendous stability and the ability to invest our way through this downturn. This is what we did during the last downturn–we increased R&D investments and created some of our best new products and businesses, like the Apple retail stores, for one. This downturn may also present some extraordinary opportunities for companies that have the cash to take advantage of them, like Apple does.”

— Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Oct. 21, 2008

Apple made its first acquisition on March 2, 1988 with the purchase of Network Innovations. Since that time it’s made just 23 more, including its recent $275 million purchase of Quattro Wireless. Which isn’t all that many for a company with $23 billion in the bank (as a point of comparison, Google has acquired 11 companies in the last 18 months, alone).

But that may soon change, because Cupertino finally has a dedicated acquisitions specialist, Adrian Perica. According to BusinessWeek, the former Goldman Sachs banker — who was brought in after Apple reportedly lost AdMob to Google — is believed to have quarterbacked the company’s purchase of music site Lala in December and its subsequent purchase of Quattro Wireless earlier this month. Both were executed uncharateristically quickly for Apple, which suggests that company’s lackadaisical, ad hoc approach to M&A has been recast to make it, necessarily, more nimble. Said one Silicon Valley banker, “[Apple’s] always gone slow on M&A, but that’s changing.”

Perhaps it’s time for that long-rumored merger with Adobe (ADBE). Incidentally, Adobe’s market cap is $18.66 billion. …    

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Read Original Article

Filed under: Truck, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Australia, Rumormill, Specialty

As if General Motors hasn’t endured enough turmoil in the last year, Pickuptrucks.com is reporting that GM North America president Mark Reuss is championing the idea of a stateside Holden VE Ute. Pardon us for thinking this issue was dead and buried in 2009, interred in the graveyard of stillborn ideas. Reuss, who ran Holden for GM during the VE’s development, has a soft spot for the admittedly excellent platform that we only shortly knew as the Pontiac G8. While that dalliance was only marginally longer lived than Jay Leno’s move to prime time (the promised G8 Sport Truck was announced and then canceled before birth), Reuss thinks that GMC or Chevrolet could proudly park the Ute in U.S. showrooms.

Rather than let all the hard work done to bring the G8 to fruition go to waste, Reuss is also reportedly looking for a slot for that car, as well. If GM can get the Ute classed as a truck in North America, it might play a significant role in Corporate Average Fuel Economy ratings, and that may be enough reason alone to offer a neo-El Camino. A revised G8 popping up under another GM moniker would be welcomed by the auto punditry, though may still fail to move enough units to make an impact. There’s no denying that niche vehicles such as the Ute and G8 have a following, but we wonder how much focus these efforts are stealing from the pivotal vehicles that must launch and continue to sell without a hitch. As exciting as a Ute might be, a flawless and successfully marketed launch of the new Chevrolet Aveo is likely far more important to GM’s financial health at this point than some hoon sled.

[Source: Pickuptrucks.com]

Report: GM’s Mark Reuss ponders return of VE Commodore to U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Read Original Article

It’s Mila Kunis like you’ve never seen her before. The petite former star of That ’70s Show is stripped down and refreshingly real in a chat with the February issue of Esquire. Clad in lacy lingerie and decked out in a killer pair of pumps, Mila speaks frankly about her role in The Book of Eli, her love for The Huffington Post, and her thoughts on fellow sex symbol Megan Fox.

Actually, Mila’s not quite sure what to make of Meg and stopped short of suggesting public speaking classes and a better publicist: “She has a tendency to say absurd shit and then see what happens. I hope she’s fully consciously aware of what she’s doing, because if she is, she’s brilliant.”

Esquire Videos of Megan and Mila After the Jump…..

Megan Fox by Greg Williams for Esquire HD from Greg Williams on Vimeo.

Intel announced forth quarter earnings, and, to put it mildly, they killed it. Intel posted a net income of $2.3 billion dollars, which is up $2 billion from last year, or, for those PR junkies that like shocking statics, up 875% YOY. Intel’s earnings per share growth was also impressive, the chip giant posted an EPS of $0.40, up $0.36 from the previous year. Now, last year at this time our economy was in a shame spiral recession period of stagnant growth, however the vitals coming out of Intel are still very, very impressive:

•    Revenue $10.6 Billion, up $2.3 Billion and 28% Year-over-Year
•    Record Gross Margin of 65%, up 12 Points Year-over-Year
•    Operating Income $2.5 Billion, up $958 Million and 62% Year-over-Year
•    Net Income $2.3 Billion, up $2.0 Billion and 875% Year-over-Year
•    EPS $0.40, up $0.36 Year-over-Year

Read

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Read Original Article

The University of Chicago’s Edward Kolb and Michael Turner share the 2010 Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics, which the American Institute of Physics and the American Astronomical Society jointly award.

Kolb and Turner are cited “for their joint fundamental contributions to cosmology and their development of the field of particle astrophysics, which have resulted in a vibrant community effort to understand the early universe.”

Kolb, the Arthur Holly Compton Distinguished Service Professor and Chairman of Astronomy & Astrophysics, focuses his research on understanding the physical processes that occurred in the very earliest moments of the big bang.

In these very early moments, the density, energy and pressure of the universe resembled the conditions obtained in the collisions of particles at high–energy accelerators.

Turner, the Bruce V. and Diana M. Rauner Distinguished Service Professor in Astronomy & Astrophysics, applies modern ideas in elementary particle theory to cosmology and astrophysics.

His work on inflation showed how quantum fluctuations seeded galaxies and other structures in the Universe and he predicted the existence of the mysterious dark energy that is causing the Universe to accelerate.

The National Academy report he led, Connecting Quarks with the Cosmos, laid out the vision for the field of particle astrophysics and cosmology.

Kolb and Turner wrote the handbook for the field, their monograph entitled The Early Universe, and initiated the Fermilab astrophysics group which has grown to a vibrant set of activities that link the University and Fermilab, including the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Dark Energy Survey, and the Pierre Auger Observatory.

Kolb and Turner, along with the late David Schramm, the Louis Block Professor in Astronomy & Astrophysics, helped to pioneer this field and make Chicago one of the world centers of cosmology.

A lot of readers sent in tips today about PS3 firmware update 3.15’s release. Now I found this weird since that update was released more than a month ago. According to the US PlayStation blog, however, Sony

Officials with the Rita and John Canning Women’s Program at Harper College began to notice something troubling in their daily interactions with displaced homemakers: Many didn’t know how to use a computer.

“The majority of these women have been home raising children for a long time, and for whatever reason, they have to re-enter the work force,” says Kathleen Canfield, Women’s Program director. “We realized they needed basic navigation skills as well as some fundamental business applications.”

Two years ago, they created Computer Skills JumpStart, a free course for Women’s Program participants. Funded through a grant from the Harper College Educational Foundation, the two-week intensive training takes place in the computer lab at Harper’s Professional Center in Hoffman Estates.

The latest session ends this week, when on Friday, students receive a free desktop computer, along with software and the confidence that comes with breaking down the technology barrier.

“I wish you could see their faces,” says Martha Karavitis, computer training coordinator for Harper’s continuing education department. “This is a huge confidence builder for them. They leave here transformed.”

Harper officials say these computers have been donated and refurbished, and they buy them for as little as $150 each through the “Pass on Your PC” program.

Teacher Cindy Miller covers the basics of word processing programs, firming up their keyboarding skills and navigating the Internet. On Monday, class members started out by learning to formulate business materials, such as a meeting agenda.

“We try to create a small, comfortable learning environment for these women,” Canfield adds. “It is a stress-free way to obtain these needed skills.”

Women in Monday’s class concurred, adding that in the safe setting of the Harper classroom, among women from the same background, including several who are domestic violence victims, they were not embarrassed to ask questions.

Arlene Villers, of Schaumburg, is a returning student at Harper and she found she needed computer skills just to actively participate in classes.

“I need to learn how to create papers,” Villers said. “The professors will not accept anything unless it’s in the right format.”

Yamini Notaria, of Palatine, completed the course last summer, and currently is studying at Harper with hopes of finding a job in the medical records field.

“Everywhere I went, they asked if I knew how to use a computer,” Notaria said. “Especially in my field, I needed to learn as much about the computer as I could.”

Janet Sears of Mount Prospect said simply that she loves coming to class. Surrounded by her classmates, she felt a camaraderie and kinship in learning to overcome their fears.

“Instead of asking my kids, now I’m the one answering their questions,” Sears said. “It’s the knowledge that I’m gaining. It’s something that will always be with me.”

One woman, who asked not to be identified, said she was coming off a 30-year marriage and that she did not even know how to turn on a computer. Now, she says, she not only can turn it on, but she can create documents, surf the Internet and e-mail with ease.

Currently, the free computer course is available to those who meet Women’s Program requirements, though Harper officials are hoping to offer a similar course for the wider community.

For more information on the class or the Women’s Program, call (847) 925-6558 or visit harpercollege.edu.

Comcast’s remote DVR scheduling is up and running, allowing users to manage DVR recordings online. Quick, you’ve still got time before One Life to Live!

The service seems to be available only to Comcast digital users with a Motorola set-top box, and will roll out across the entire subscription base over the next several months. It’s part of a larger Comcast UI overhaul that also includes filters, folders, and clean-up functions. If you’re eligible (and given the size of the initial roll-out, sad to say that you’re probably not), you should be able to start recording shows from your computer here. [Comcast via ZatzNotFunny]