Author: Serkadis

Some recent posts at the 37signals Product Blog:

Highrise
Free tool lets you create forms that write to your Highrise account
HighriseWidgets.com lets you “easily create custom forms that post directly to your Highrise account.”

New York Times readers suggest Highrise as better C.R.M. solution than Salesforce or ACT
“We traded down from Salesforce.com to Highrise by 37signals and feel it was the best move we ever made. The product runs smoothly, has a crisp user interface and is simple. It is what it is and does the trick.”

PowrFone brings your Highrise data to iPhone caller ID screen
A few seconds before the call reaches your iPhone, a push notification will pop up on your iPhone. The screen-pop provides a full display of caller name, phone number, deal, next task, and tags so you’re prepared to take the call or forward to voicemail.

Basecamp
ReadWriteStart: Basecamp will help “kick-start your company and keep it organized without breaking the bank”
“We here at ReadWriteWeb use Basecamp on a daily basis for managing ongoing projects and reviewing edits of our stories. Developed by 37signals, Basecamp offers a great interface with an easily read dashboard of the latest activity, as well as to-do lists, milestones and email alerts.”

New version of Agile Agenda’s Basecamp Edition released
Agile Agenda, which integrates with Basecamp, is an app that helps you plan a project schedule by calculating start/end dates, GANTT Charts, and estimated project and milestone completion dates.

Beacon is a new Android app for Basecamp
Beacon is an Android app for Basecamp. It offers full offline viewing of all your projects, messages, people, comments, to-dos and milestones. It also gives you the ability to add a message, comment, or milestone. And lots more.

Campfire
Campfire API now available
Attention developers: Campfire now has an official API (Basecamp, Backpack, and Highrise also have APIs).

Getting Real
How “Make It! Mid-Century Modern” was inspired by Getting Real
“Under-did our competitors: other books in the same niche include more than 50 projects; we chose 12 we knew we could do really well, really quickly.”

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Rebecca Romijn is flaunting her milk moustache for charity. The Golden Globe-winning actress unveiled her second Got Milk? ad and kicked off the “Great Gallon Give,” a partnership with Feeding America to give away hundreds of thousands of gallons of milk to raise awareness of the important role milk plays in building strong families, in Beverly Hills Monday.

This time, Becks’ is joined by her adorable one-year-old twins, Dolly and Charlie!

While this might look like something found on Tatooine, it’s actually a new Israeli drone designed for rescue and cargo operations. It just had its first hovering test, so it may be in the field before too long. [Danger Room]

It’s no beefier than last week’s line-up, but there are a few good games coming out this week. There’s Army of Two: The 40th Day, for one. And the downloadable versions of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and

Over the holidays I saw at least two lists dueling it out as to why electric cars may or may not be in your future. Those lists spanned the gamut from “Dude, they’re too expensive!“, to “Oil’s peaking, get off petroleum now!” But, although they brought up some food for thought, what those lists didn’t cover were the practical reasons to consider buying some kind of electric car (pure electric or extended range electric) in the next couple of years.

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Bentley

Bentley was the only ultra-luxury marque to have a stand-alone display at the Detroit Auto Show and the British brand came strong with its upcoming Mulsanne flagship in the flesh and this special edition Continental to pique our interests. The Continental is already a stunner in its “base” trim, but not everybody is content with an “ordinary” Bentley.

The ultra-exclusive Continental adds a new Series 51 trim for 2010, named after Bentley’s first official styling department in the 1950s. Series 51 trim will be available for the entire Continental lineup and offer exclusive exterior design cues and a unique color palette. We’re talking three-tone leather with contrasting piping and stitching here, folks. Check the Series 51 box and you’ll also get 14-spoke, 20-inch wheels and a Series 51 badge on the front wings.

The new trim, which will be available throughout the Continental lineup, starts at $192,750 for the GT coupe. Click below to peruse our high resolution gallery of the Series 51 Continental GTC and hit the jump to read over the Bentley press release.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Detroit 2010: Bentley Series 51 Continental GTC

Detroit 2010: Bentley Series 51 Continental GTC originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bruce V. Bigelow wrote:

San Diego-based Quidel (NASDAQ:QDEL), which makes medical diagnostic tests used at the point-of-care, says it is paying $130 million in cash to acquire Athens, OH-based Diagnostic Hybrids, a privately held maker of medical diagnostic tests for hospitals and laboratories. Diagnostic Hybrids, founded in 1983, was spun out from Ohio University, and the university’s fund-raising arm stands to collect about $41.5 million for its $1 million-plus investment. Diagnostic Hybrids, which sells almost entirely in the U.S., generated $38 million in sales in 2008. The Ohio company makes tests for a variety of diseases, including viral respiratory infections, herpes, Chlamydia, and expects to boost sales by utilizing Quidel’s larger sales and marketing network.

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• Key Competitors: None, it’s only a concept… for now.
• Power: 1.6L direct-injected 4-cylinder mated to 100kw electric-motor.
• Transmission: Continuous Variable Transmission.
• Production: Nothing confirmed.

After showing us the BLUE-WILL Concept at the Seoul Motor Show last year, Hyundai today held the North American debut of the new four-seat ’sedan’ that it says “explores future design direction of compact cars.”

Known as the company’s first plug-in hybrid, the BLUE-WILL is powered by a gasoline direct-injected 1.6L engine mated to a CVT transmission and a 100kw electric-motor, which is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that sits under the rear seats.

Will we ever see the Hyundai BLUE-WILL on the roads? Well, for now the concept is just making rounds at auto shows and Hyundai says that it “demonstrates to eco-conscious car buyers everywhere that Hyundai has practical hybrid solutions that will appear on the next generation of vehicles.”

2010 Detroit: Hyundai BLUE-WILL Concept:

All Photos Copyright © 2009 Stephen Calogera – egmCarTech.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Nearly 70 participants attend IEMA’s 7th Annual Radon Networking Day in Springfield

Nearly 70 public health officials, contractors, extension educators and other radon partners are attending a day-long meeting in Springfield Monday to learn how they can increase public awareness about radon.

The 7th Annual Radon Networking Day is sponsored by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) Radon Program.

High levels of radon, a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas, have been found in more than 40 percent of homes tested for radon in Illinois.  According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the nation.

However, for non-smokers, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer.  It’s estimated that nearly 1,200 lung cancer deaths each year in Illinois are related to radon.

“We’re very fortunate in Illinois to have a strong network of partners throughout the state who are devoted to increasing public awareness of radon’s health hazard,” said IEMA Director Andrew Velasquez III.

“Radon Networking Day provides a unique opportunity for these partners to hear from various experts and share information with their counterparts from around Illinois.”

During the conference, IEMA will recognize Calvin Murphy of Mount Vernon with the Illinois Excellence in Radon Award for his efforts in radon education and outreach.

Murphy, a professional radon mitigation contractor for the past 20 years, was instrumental in the formation of the Southern Illinois Radon Awareness Task Force, and recently worked with the American Lung Association of Illinois on the Southern Illinois Radon Initiative.

He has also served as an officer with the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists.

“Calvin has been an instrumental partner in raising radon awareness throughout the state,” said Pat Daniels, manager of the IEMA radon program.

Representatives from the following health departments and other local government agencies are scheduled to attend Radon Networking Day:

• Christian County
• Cook County
• Ford-Iroquois
• Glenview
• LaSalle County
• Logan County
• Macoupin County
• Naperville
• Sangamon County
• Shelby County
• Southern Seven
• St. Clair County
• Tazewell County
• Winnebago County

Other participants in the event include representatives from the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, Blessing Hospital (Quincy), Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Human Services, SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University, USEPA Region 5, University of Illinois Extension, AARST CANSAR and several radon contractors.

IEMA and its partners encourage everyone to test their homes for radon and to have a radon reduction system installed if the levels are at or above 4.0 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/liter), the action level established by the USEPA.

A study conducted by IEMA found that 42 percent of Illinois homes tested by homeowners or professional measurement contractors had high levels of radon.

More information about radon, including lists of measurement and mitigation professionals, is available on IEMA’s radon Web site (radon.illinois.gov) or by calling the Radon Hotline at 1-800-0325-1245.

Filed under: Audio, Reviews, Music

Relative pitch, let alone perfect pitch (some people are born with it, everyone else has to learn!) is an invaluable skill required when it comes to playing an instrument and understanding the music you are hearing. Thankfully, Easy Ear Training has developed a nifty little app to help you along with all your pitch training needs.

The idea is to learn how to hear the difference between two musical notes in a given key / octave, and be able to identify what that difference is, based on the root note. This is otherwise known as an interval: the space between two notes. For example, a minor 3rd, or a perfect 5th (think the Star Wars theme tune!).

For a great description of what an interval is, click here. I also came across this iTunes U video lesson by Shawn “Thunder” Wallace [iTunes Link] describing the difference between perfect pitch, relative pitch and something that Shawn calls true pitch. Very interesting!

This may sound rather complicated, but really you don’t need to know any of the theory when it comes to using the Relative Pitch app. At its simplest, it will help you to hear with more detail what it is that you’re listening too

Relative Pitch [iTunes Link] consists of two main modes: training and testing. When you open the app, you kick off with the first lesson (of which there are 14) in the training mode. Once the first lesson is complete, a corresponding test is unlocked to examine what you have learned. On passing that test the next lesson is unlocked, and so forth.

Relative Pitch will teach you to distinguish ascending, descending and harmonic intervals across four octaves. With in-app volume control, in-depth customization of the training mode, and even being able to choose the root note of the octave you want to train from, you’ll make strides.

Whether you are a seasoned musician or a complete beginner, Relative Pitch will have you listening with a sharpened ear and a greater appreciation of the music you love.

The Relative Pitch app costs £4.99, but there is a lite free version of the app here [iTunes Link] so you can try it out.

Also, keep an eye out for the revamped Easy Ear Training website launching in the coming weeks.

TUAWCount The beats: Training your ear with RelativePitch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google is extending Google Docs, allowing any kind of file to be uploaded up to 250 MB in size.

The move signifies how Google Docs is now a storage service as much as a collaboration platform. Enterprise customers may now store large files on Google Docs for free or a small cost. Additionally, the documents may be further backed up using third-party applications.

Sponsor

Google is promoting the service as a way for enterprise customer to store files without the need for a thumb drive. That’s a clear sign of how traditional storage devices may be bypassed for online alternatives.

Until recently, a thumb drive served as the best way to transport large files. But now, large files can be accessed from anywhere and be used in a collaborative context. For example, Google Docs users may store files in a shared folder for group collaboration.

The capability to upload large files will be ready within the next few weeks. Users receive 1 GB in storage. Enterprise customers will also have the capability to add additional storage at a cost of $3.50 per GB per year.

Companies may use the Google Documents List API to sync files and provide additional backups.

Google is partnering with three companies to provide additional services:

• Memeo Connect for Google Apps is a new desktop application that offers an easy way to access, migrate, and synchronize files to Google Docs across multiple computers.
• Syncplicity offers businesses automated back-up and file management with Google Docs.
• Manymoon is a project management platform that makes it simple to organize and share tasks and documents with coworkers and partners, including uploading files to Google Docs.

Google Docs is emerging as the strongest player in the storage and collaboration space. Competitors like Box.net provide similar services but are far smaller than Google.

This is a trend to watch as cloud computing becomes more predominant and the concept of collaborating online becomes more palatable. This will be especially true as it becomes apparent how documents can be accessed anywhere on any device with potential significant cost savings.

Discuss

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Caveat emptor: Purchase a subsidized Nexus One from Google (GOOG) and you’ll pay dearly if you cancel service early. According to the device’s terms of sale, the search company charges an “Equipment Recovery Fee” of $350 in the event users cancel service before 120 days have passed. This, in addition to the $200 in early termination fees that carrier T-Mobile assesses.

From the Nexus One Terms of Sale:

You agree to pay Google an equipment subsidy recovery fee (the “Equipment Recovery Fee”) equal to the difference between the full price of the Nexus handheld device without service plan and the price you paid for the Nexus handheld device if you cancel your wireless plan prior to 120 days of continuous wireless service. For example, if the full price of the Nexus handheld device without service plan was $529 USD and the price you paid for the Nexus handheld device was $179 USD with a service plan, the Equipment Recovery Fee you pay will be $350 USD in the event you cancel within the first 120 days of carrier service.

… You agree that the Equipment Recovery Fee is not a penalty but is for liquidated damages Google will incur as a result of such cancellation. These damages may include, but are not limited to, loss of compensation and administrative costs associated with such cancellation or changing of wireless service provider(s), market changes, and changes in ownership. Please note that the Equipment Recovery Fee is imposed by Google and not your chosen carrier and is in addition to any early termination fees that may be charged by your chosen carrier in connection with termination of your wireless plan prior to fulfillment of your chosen carrier’s service agreement term.

The costs of canceling a T-Mobile Nexus One contract within the first four months after purchase, then, are as follows:

• $179 USD, the purchase price of the device.
• $200 USD, the early termination fee T-Mobile asesses for contracts cancelled with more than 180 days remaining on term
• $350 USD, Google’s “Equipment Recovery Fee”

Grand total: USD $729.

That’s $200 more than the cost of the device unsubsidized.

So if you’re unhappy with the Nexus One you purchased on contract, do yourself a favor and wait at least 4 months before terminating it.

What was it Google VP of Engineering Andy Rubin was saying last week? Something about making the cellphone purchasing process simple and worry-free? If that really is the goal here, implementing ETFs that make canceling a Nexus One contract more expensive than the price of the unsubsidized device itself hardly seems a good way of going about it.

I’ve asked Google to explain the rationale behind its $350 “Equipment Recovery Fee” and will update here if I’m given one.

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Performance, Cadillac, Luxury

At this morning’s XTS Platinum and CTS-V Coupe debut here at the Detroit Motor Show, newly appointed brand manager Brian Nesbitt announced to the media that that all Cadillac models will receive V-Series and Platinum models. However, during the media scrum that followed the conference, we sought clarification from Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell, and he stated that future Cadillacs will receive a V-Series or a Platinum model. Thus, if you had visions of an Escalade-V dancing in your head, well… don’t.

The prevailing logic behind which models will get a V or a P will depend on the model’s market segment and inherent sportiness. As Caldwell explained it to us, a model like the CTS has a foot in both worlds (and could probably pull off both), but models like the SRX or Escalade lend themselves more to the heightened creature comforts of the Platinum experience. Some Autobloggers remain a bit foggy on why General Motors’ luxury brand needs what is effectively a double-prestige trim level (shouldn’t all Cadillacs be posh by definition?), but we do appreciate the added accouterments all the same.

And as to the possibility of a CTS-V Sport Wagon? Well, we got a wink-wink, nudge-nudge when we suggested to Cadillac that we’d like to see it, and judging by the smiles all ’round, it’s all but certain that we’ll be seeing its debut on the show circuit later this year.

Detroit 2010: Cadillac commits to V- or Platinum editions for all models, CTS-V wagon all but certain originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Cadillac, GM, Luxury

Let’s just call this one the Cadillac XTS Platinum “Concept.” For reals y’all, this is one of, if not the most production ready “concepts” we’ve ever seen. For its part, Cadillac stuck to the “It’s just a concept” mantra. Though they might as well have all been nodding, elbowing and winking. If When the new XTS sees production it, will replace both the STS and the DTS.

For you tech geeks out there, this new Caddy is fairly intriguing. The all-wheel-drive powertrain is motivated by a plug-in two-mode hybrid consisting of the brand’s 3.6-liter direct-injected V6 coupled to an electric motor. Cadillac was tight-lipped on the power rating, hemming and hawing before saying “around 350 horsepower.”

That may not sound like buckets of oomph, but when compared to the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid – the XTS’s probable direct competitor – makes 295 hp. The XTS theoretically makes 295 pound-feet of torque, too. For those of you not geeked on the hybrid bandwagon, Cadillac’s general manager Bryan Nesbitt posed an interesting hypothetical question, “Is the largest displacement engine the only symbol of luxury?”

As for the XTS itself, it looks like a big Cadillac., which if you stop and think about is is a good thing. Cadillacs should be big, and this sucker is large – within a couple of inches of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, according to both Caddy and our highly unscientific eyeball-based measuring system. We also thought the XTS was significantly better looking in person than in the preview pictures that broke last night. Supposedly there are lots of design cues borrowed from Cadillac’s legendary Sixteen Concept, but aside from the grille we’re not seeing it.

The XTS has its own mojo going on, especially when it comes to the interior. Here’s where the Platinum part comes in. Nesbitt explained that Cadillac intends the XTS Platinum to be a “personal headquarters.” We’re not going to buy into the CEO and wannabe CEO pandering, but lordy is the interior fabulous. Featuring intricate laser-perforated stitching on the leather and synthetic-suede bits with sharp looking burled wood covering everything else, we have to say that with the exception of the Bentley Mulsanne, the XTS Platinum Concept has the best interior at the show. Call it the Cadillac of interiors. Video of the live reveal is available after the jump.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Detroit 2010: Cadillac XTS Platinum concept is anything but [w/VIDEO]

Detroit 2010: Cadillac XTS Platinum concept is anything but [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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