Author: Serkadis

Bad news folks, a defense contractor just revealed that they have successfully tested an unmanned vertical take-off and landing drone. This is getting just a little too close to the hunter-killers seen in the Terminator movies.

All joking aside, the defense contractor Urban Aeronautics has been working on the AirMule. Intended to ferry supplies and rescue wounded soldiers, the AirMule project finally managed to complete a hovering flight.

[via Make]

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Renault has already announced plans to debut a new compact car in India and, according to the officials involved in the matter, the French manufacturer will make use of Nissan’s global platform for this particular goal. Renault Asia Africa Management Committee Executive Vice-President Katsumi Nakamura said that the company is currently studying several options, including the Sandero and Twingo but none of them fits the right profile for an Indian model.

"We have a partnership… (read more)

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., today announced two high-density memory solutions for mobile devices. The new storage solutions – a 64-gigabyte (GB) moviNAND^TM memory device and a 32GB micro secure digital (microSD) memory card – satisfy mobile handset designers’ requirements for advanced compact high-density memory.

“Samsung’s high-density memory solutions bring the storage capacity levels of computing systems to small, mobile devices,” said Dong-Soo Jun, executive vice president, memory marketing, Samsung Electronics.

He added, “The 64GB embedded memory, moviNAND, and the 32GB microSD card each greatly expand the data storage density of mobile devices, meeting customers’ memory requirements and ushering in a new era of mobile and IT device capacity growth.”

The memory solutions are based on Samsung’s advanced 32 gigabit (Gb) NAND flash. The 64GB moviNAND, which measures 1.4mm in height, consists of 16 30nm-class 32Gb MLC NAND chips and a controller. The 17-die stack was achieved by using 30-micron thick chips and advanced package technology. With the new 64GB solution, Samsung’s proprietary embedded memory, moviNAND, is now available in 64GB, 32GB, 16GB, 8GB and 4GB densities.

The 32GB microSD card, developed this month, stacks eight 32Gb NAND components and a card controller. The industry’s highest capacity, production-ready microSD card is enabled by the use of Samsung’s advanced 30-nm class 32Gb NAND flash memory technology. Previously, the highest density microSD card in production had a 16GB capacity and was based on 40nm-class 16Gb NAND. The new 32GB card is 1mm-thick. The portion of the card that is inserted into a handset measures just 0.7 mm in height.

Samsung’s new 64GB moviNAND has been in mass production from December 2009, while the 32GB microSD is now being sampled with OEMs, with mass production expected next month.

Comment: It has been extremely long in coming, and while our phones have had theoretical 32 GB capacity for years 16 GB has been the practical limit.  Here’s looking forward to finally carrying my whole music collection with me.

Via Phonescoop.com

The third special edition to be launched in the last year for Kia’s Soul model will enter dealerships with a price tag of $18,195 and some unique, yet not so impressive features.

When we first heard the name of the special edition, Shadow Dragon, we kinda hoped to see something very special that would make us jump from our seats. Instead, Kia used this rather cool name to portray a model which adds only a new color scheme, leather-trimmed seating or keyless remote entry…
… (read more)

Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella spent the entire day yesterday making the best of their ski opportunities in the Madonna di Campoglio ski resort in northern Italy. Being the first time they met under the red colors of Ferrari, the three have been the main attraction for all photographers present at the 20th edition of the Wrooom event.

With their boss Stefano Domenicali still to arrive to the resort in northern Italy – he is scheduled to make his appearance … (read more)

GT Academy Time Trial has been downloaded by over one million players, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) announced yesterday. The competition runs across 15 European countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand, trying to find a real-world racing driver. The overall winner of the competition will get behind a real Nissan 370Z race car to compete for a full season in the European GT4 Cup.

The Time Trial stage of GT Academy offers gamers a preview of the new Gran Turismo… (read more)

This is a guest post from Katie at Kitchen Stewardship.

I’d like to think of myself as a yogurt diva, if you’ll indulge me a moment.  Jenny has me beat in all other things probiotic, and I’ll gladly crown her Get Cultured Queen if she’ll allow me to be the Yogurt Fairy here at Nourished Kitchen.

I make a gallon of yogurt in each batch, about every week and a half or so.  My family is absolutely lost if we run out.  We eat it at breakfast, lunch, and snacks constantly as well as using it in some soaked grain recipes.  It’s imperative to have an easy system when you use a homemade food that often.  I’ve got it down to a science.

You can see my whole tutorial on how to make homemade yogurt, photos and all, if you’re interested in my no dishes, no special equipment, simplified yogurt making method.  For now, here are the top 10 tips I’ve learned over the past four years of making my own yogurt:

1. Don’t burn the milk.  This is key for multitasking mamas and other busy people who have trouble standing around to stir milk.  You can avoid burnt milk by putting glass jars filled with milk into a pot of water and boiling them that way instead of putting the milk right in the pot.  This also saves on dishes, one of my favorite worthwhile pursuits.
   
2. Don’t cool your milk down in the refrigerator. Put it outside in the winter or in a sink of cold water and a few ice packs, or even on the counter if you’re willing to deal with inconsistency, not in the refrigerator which is taxing to the system and ultimately costly.
3. More starter is not better.  Two tablespoons starter per quart of milk is perfect.  Any more, and the bacteria will be too crowded as it tries to culture. Survival of the fittest = runny yogurt.
4. Incubate at around 100 degrees F for maximum creaminess. I used to shoot for about 110, but I have found that slightly less than that seems to get more consistent texture results.
5. Incubate 12-24 hours to allow the bacteria time to predigest the milk proteins.  Nearly all the lactose is converted to lactic acid at this time, and many lactose intolerant people  can eat 24-hour yogurt without repercussion.
6. Place jars in the freezer for the first hour or so after culturing.  This will stop the multiplying  of bacteria quickly, which gives you the best, delightfully creamy consistency.
7. Use free jars. I like to keep my jars from spaghetti sauce, etc. to use for making yogurt.
8. Eat your yogurt with as little sweetener as possible.  I’ve weaned myself down from sweetened yogurt cups to just needing a little bit of honey, or even no sweetener if I mix in homemade applesauce with LOTS of cinnamon.  (See 4 tips for eating less sugar in your yogurt.)
   

   My son demonstrates his love for applesauce and yogurt.

9. The no-thermometer method. I like having one less item to gather when I make my yogurt.  I can tell each temperature now without the thermometer:
   *Up to 180 when a skin forms on top of the milk.
   *Down to 100-110 when (a) I can hold the jar without pain and (b) a drop on my wrist feels warm, within a few degrees of body temp, not painful.
10. Freeze some starter. If you’ve tried Greek yogurt or have a special starter that cost you a lot, freeze some of the first batch right away in baby food jars.  Generally the yogurt will still culture just great after thawing, but I always like to have a few backups just in case.

I am a firm believer in the health benefits of yogurt, and the convenience of always having it on hand makes the never-ending question, “What is nourishing that I can offer my kids for a snack that won’t take long to prepare?” an easy one.  “Yogurt with…” is always answer number one.

My next goal is to figure out how to dehydrate yogurt-n-fruit rolls so I can take it in the car with us without the serious mess factor.

How do you take your yogurt?

Katie Kimball has been delving into the real food/traditional food movement for about a year.  She blogs her successes, failures and goals at Kitchen Stewardship, where the mission is to help people balance their time, money, nutrition and environment in the kitchen, baby step style.

Further Reading:

• The health benefits of yogurt
• Yogurt Recipes
• Jenny’s Homemade Yogurt post

http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/01/12/homemade-yogurt-recipes-so-you-can-eat-it-all-the-time/

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© Katie for The Nourished Kitchen, 2010. |
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Post tags: homemade yogurt, making yogurt, yogurt

It’s beginning to appear that some of the major labels’ strategy for dealing with the changing structure of the music business — in which overall money is up, but has shifted away from the record labels’ bank accounts — is to simply bleed the old market dry. How else to explain that as Warner Music continued to shrink and fail to respond to market changes in any reasonable manner, its two top executives took home $14 million last year. I guess you could argue that WMG’s stock was up slightly (from deathly ill to just really really sickly — but way, way down from just a couple years ago) over the year, but the company lost a tremendous amount of money each quarter this year (last quarter still hasn’t been reported), and Warner Music has shown little outward effort to suggest it’s adapted or has any idea how to adapt to the changing market.

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Michael Schumacher was unable to fully use his first day of GP2 testing on the Jerez circuit yesterday, as the weather had other plans for the day. According to a press release issued by the Formula One feeders series’ website yesterday evening, the rainy conditions that started to show after the morning session caused the whole testing day to be stopped before schedule.

Although the morning session started in dry conditions and under grey skies, the rain soon came and upset the p… (read more)

Following rumors that Nissan and its luxury brand Infiniti might say pass to the 2010 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), representatives of the Japanese companies stepped in front of the media and denied reports, saying that both brands will attend the show.

Furthermore, Nissan revealed that it will display the new QX56 SUV at the show, alongside some other models to be sold in the United States.

"Infiniti will unveil the all-new QX56 full-size luxury SU… (read more)

American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is displaying at the 2010 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) the 1,000th Roadster ever produced. To give it the proper anniversary stance, Tesla badged the Roadster with the unique Vehicle Identification No. 1,000 and gave it a Millennial White paint finish, with a unique interior and carbon fiber accents.

"A year ago right here in Detroit we had delivered about 150 Roadsters, so VIN 1,000 is a humble but important mile… (read more)

Facebook unveiled an exclusive partnership with McAfee to give its 350 million users–those that use PCs, that is–a free six-month subscription to its security software.

The deal with McAfee (MFE) come at a slightly odd time–yesterday’s three-ring circus in the blogosphere about an alleged employee at Facebook, who claimed in an anonymous interview that the social networking powerhouse was rife with internal security abuses.

BoomTown thought the report specious at best, but it certainly brought up valid concerns that pop up regularly about consumer security–especially viruses and spam–on Facebook and on the Internet at large.

That’s been especially heightened by the privacy controversies over the service’s new policies of broadening the availability of Facebook users’ data to the wider Web, unless action is taken.

As Facebook grows, those worries will obviously only get more pronounced.

In any case, the offer with McAfee is also an interesting one, in that Facebook certainly has a great audience for all kinds of companies to market to. It’s nice the first one is so sensible.

According to a McAfee press release, its software “will be available to Facebook users in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. Numerous additional countries will be added throughout Q1.”

Here is the Facebook blog post on the deal, as well as the McAfee press release below it:

Better Security through Software

One of the best defenses against security threats is a good offense, and we want to help you take the offensive by having the latest security software installed on your computer. Today, we are announcing a one-year partnership with McAfee to offer all 350 million people who use Facebook the ability to download a six-month subscription to McAfee security software at no cost, along with a special discount once the six months are over.

You can take advantage of this offer by visiting the “Protect Your PC” tab on the McAfee Page on Facebook.

We’re committed to doing everything we can to help you protect your account and make your experience on Facebook as safe and enjoyable as possible. We invest in dedicated teams and advanced technical systems that detect and block suspicious behavior. When we find a message with a link to a fake login page or other malicious website, we prevent it from being sent and delete all instances of it from the site. We also work with third parties to get malicious sites added to browser blacklists or removed completely.

For the rare case in which an account is compromised, we’ve developed a unique process that requires the account owner to take steps to secure the account and learn security best practices. We’ve also incorporated custom McAfee software into this process for people identified as having infected computers. Now, if your computer is infected, you will be asked to run a scan and clean it before accessing Facebook. We’re not aware of another free Internet service that takes this much responsibility for helping its users keep their accounts secure.

We have a lot of control over security measures on Facebook. However, we don’t control other websites and services you visit that might infect your computer. For this reason, we recommend that you install updated security software, which you can now do at no cost through this partnership, and that you always follow these safe practices:

-Don’t open attachments in emails that look suspicious or come from an unknown or untrustworthy source.
-Don’t open attachments unless you know what they are, even if they’re from friends.
-Delete chain mail and spam from your email and Facebook inboxes.
-Be cautious when downloading files from the Internet.
-Be cautious of any message, post or link you see on Facebook that looks suspicious, requires an additional login, or asks you to download or upgrade software.
-Use an up-to-date browser that features an anti-phishing blacklist. Some examples include Internet Explorer 8 and Firefox 3.0.10.
-Choose unique logins and passwords for each of the websites you use.
-Check to see that you’re logging in from a legitimate Facebook page with the facebook.com domain.

Become a fan of the Facebook Security Page to receive more tips, updates on the latest threats and other information to help you protect your computer and online accounts.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(Business Wire) Today McAfee, Inc. (NYSE:MFE), the world’s leading dedicated security company, and Facebook announced an unprecedented collaboration that will provide additional security protection to a significant portion of the Internet population. Through this partnership, the two companies have jointly created security solutions that include McAfee security software, a custom scanning and repair tool, and consumer friendly education materials that Facebook will make available to its more than 350 million users. In total, this is a first-of-its-kind security offering that represents a major milestone in the fight to secure the Internet and reduce global cybercrime.

Under the terms of the partnership, McAfee is Facebook’s exclusive provider of consumer security software, and Facebook users will be eligible for a complimentary six-month subscription of the McAfee Internet Security™ Suite software. Following the six-month period, Facebook users will be eligible for special discount subscription pricing. Facebook is applying all financial incentives from this partnership to the benefit of its users and will not be taking a share of any revenue from user subscriptions. McAfee Internet Security Suite software protects users’ PCs from online threats, viruses, spyware, hackers, online scammers, identity thieves and other cybercriminals, and includes award-winning McAfee® SiteAdvisor® site rating technology.

In the rare instance a Facebook account is compromised, Facebook has developed an innovative process that requires users to take steps to re-secure their Facebook account and learn security best practices. As part of this partnership, this process will now also include custom McAfee technology to clean users’ computers. There is no charge for use of this tool.

To keep users educated about the latest threats, Facebook and McAfee will work together to develop educational content for the Facebook Security Page (http://www.facebook.com/security), Facebook’s principal resource for security-related information with more than one million fans. McAfee will also continuously update its own Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/mcafee), which features the offer on the “Protect Your PC” tab as well as security information on “Protect Your Kids” and “Security Notes” tabs.

“Facebook is very serious about security and has made significant efforts to protect its users and service by investing in dedicated teams and sophisticated systems, and this partnership with McAfee furthers that mission,” said Todd Gebhart, executive vice president and general manager, McAfee Consumer, Mobile and Small Business. “We believe our partnership will make a real difference in the battle to secure the Internet by giving so many more people access to industry leading technology from McAfee.”

Facebook selected McAfee after a competitive review process among the leading security vendors. McAfee is rated the number one vendor in threat detection,1 and McAfee Active Protection™ technology provides protection by blocking both known and unknown online threats almost instantly.

Research has shown that up to 78 percent of consumers do not have updated anti-virus, an enabled firewall and anti-spyware, and 48 percent of them have expired anti-virus, the most fundamental protection2. So many people without even the most basic protection for their computers are an obvious risk to themselves, but also to people with whom they interact online. Thea greement between McAfee and Facebook is designed to address this problem.

“By partnering with a market leader like McAfee, we are taking an unprecedented step towards making the entire Internet more secure and reducing the possibility of threats being brought onto our service by unsuspecting users,” said Elliot Schrage, vice president of global communications, marketing and public policy, Facebook. “Keeping the Internet secure requires that users, security vendors and Internet companies all work together. We think we’ve developed an excellent model for this collaboration, and to ensure the greatest possible value to our users, Facebook will not accept any revenue from subscriptions. We hope this is something that other services will emulate.”

Upon launch, McAfee Internet Security Suite software will be available to Facebook users in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. Numerous additional countries will be added throughout Q1.

1 Av-Test.org malware detection results published in Computerbild magazine (Issue 26 12/05/09)

2 Source: 2007 McAfee-National Cyber Security Alliance Online Safety Study

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Sally Benson, head of Stanford University’s Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP), said today that the world can meet its future energy needs and control climate change — but the strategy for achieving this goal will inevitably include the use of fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

“We need a fresh look at our energy system,” Benson said at today’s SDForum conference titled “The State of Clean Energy: Global Challenges and Opportunities.”

At current rates, global demand for energy is expected to double to 30 terawatts by 2050, up from 15 terawatts today, given projected population and economic growth, she explained. For context, 30 terawatts is the amount needed to power 30 billion American homes.

By transforming the types of energy used, how it is developed and how emissions can be reduced or contained, the world community will be able to meet its growing needs while simultaneously cutting down on greenhouse gases, Benson asserted.

“At the end of the day, solving the climate change problem is more about transforming our energy systems than limiting greenhouse gas emissions,” she said. “If we successfully transform our energy system we will achieve those reductions.”

Benson laid out plans for a new energy mix, and explained how a combination of different sources, on top of conservation efforts, will slow the growth of energy demand while fueling the economy and protecting the environment.

Behavior-based conservation, like deciding to ride a bike instead of driving a car, could reduce the predicted 30 terawatts by 20 percent to 24 terawatts, she said. Improving energy efficiency in designs for buildings and transportation systems could cut projected demand by another 20 percent to 20 terawatts.

If this can be done, a combination of new and existing sources of power could be used to meet the 20 terawatt quota. Here’s Benson’s plan for that future, roughly sketched:

• Petroleum-based fuels would still be needed to provide 4 terawatts of energy. “We have lots of fossil fuels left,” Benson said, along these lines.
• Natural gas could also generate about 4 terawatts in 2050 if production were increased 20 percent over the next 40 years.
• Solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal sources could generate 5 terawatts, but would require a tenfold increase in investment over today.
• Biofuels could contribute 1 terawatt.
• Coal could contribute 3 terawatts of energy, though Benson’s plans call for coal generation generation to be reduced by 17 percent from 2000 levels. She also emphasized the need to invest in carbon capture and sequestration techniques to control emissions. This is a large part of the research she conducts at Stanford.
• Nuclear power could generate 3 terawatts, but would require an eightfold increase in global generation of nuclear power. Benson understands the controversial nature of nuclear power, particularly in the U.S., but says her students are more open to considering it than those in years past.

These sources add up to the 20 terawatts Benson believes the world will need by 2050 if measures are taken to tighten efficiency and trim demand. The world needs “a diverse and robust energy supply,” she said. “The environmental and health benefits will follow.”

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Venture capitalists looking for clean energy investments say that the billions in stimulus grants, tax credits and loan guarantees distributed by the U.S. government, particularly the Department of Energy, have taken a lot of risk out of investing in early-stage startups. While VCs remain skittish following 2008’s economic downturn, this money could go along way toward establishing big companies in solar, wind, and other renewable industries.

“We have a new partners, and that’s the Department of Energy,” said Bruce Pasternack, a venture partner at CMEA Capital during the SDForum’s “State of Clean Energy: Global Challenges and Opportunities” conference hosted today at AMD’s campus in Sunnyvale.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the stimulus package, passed during the early weeks of the Barack Obama administration, earmarked $36.7 billion for energy-related investments, according to the Energy Department. Solar, wind, and the Smart Grid have been the major beneficiaries of these programs so far. Biofuel, battery and experimental carbon capture projects have also received healthy amounts of financing.

The government money has proved especially vital in the cleantech sector, where the majority of projects, like power plants, wind farms and fuel refineries, are extremely capital intensive. The stimulus funds have made much more money available for startups and private companies than they could ever cull from private investors. At today’s event, Robert Walker, a principal at Sierra Ventures, estimated the amount of money venture capital firms have invested in clean technology companies to be less than $10 billion.

“The amount of money the federal government has swamps anything we’re doing,” Walker said. “It’s huge.” At the same time, though, it’s unclear how long this federal largess will continue, he added. A venture capital firm may invest in a company for five to seven years — grants and other incentives from the government could easily be changed or discontinued during this time.

“I don’t know who the president is going to be in five to seven years,” Walker said, to this point.

Asked if federal funding mitigates risk for venture capitalists who have shied away from more far-fetched opportunities, Dylan Steeg, a director at Intel Capital, said, “It’s just another variable,” among all of the variables VCs consider when assessing the advantage of one investment over another. “The impact of the federal stimulus remains to be seen in the long-term.”

CMEA’s Pasternack, who has worked with the federal government on energy issues since the mid-1970s, said he is impressed with the caliber of the people making financing decisions in the Department of Energy.

“They have a DOE team there who have a real deep expertise in the technology, and that gives me hope,” he said.

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Underwater Scuba Mask Camera does photos and videos, lets you breathe originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey humans! So Hastings was telling us the truth after all — the Nintendo Wii will be joining the other two game consoles to stream Netflix starting some time in early Spring. Like the PS3, a special Netflix “instant-streaming” disc will be required for the Wii, and it goes without saying that HD’s out of the question since the Wii itself can’t push above 480p. There’ll be no additional fees beyond Netflix’s usual monthly subscription. Time for a game of Mario Kart to celebrate, no?

Wii gets Netflix this Spring, disc required for streaming originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spartoo.com, the Europe’s version of Zappos.com, has closed a $17.4 million Series B round of funding round led by Highland Capital Partners and Endeavour Vision with A Plus Finance and CM-CIC Capital Privé participating. This brings the online shoe retailer’s total funding to $25.4 million.

Launched in 2006, Spartoo claims over 4 million unique visitors per month (Nielsen, November 2009) and a base of 600,000 regular customers. Spartoo operates sites in France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg.

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