Here’s one of those stories that serves as a great endorsement for Android and its applications. An Oregon man recently had his house broken into and some of his possessions stolen. Among them was his Motorola Droid. Unbeknown to the thief, this handset was equipped with an app called Lookout, which routinely backs up user information. Once the owner logged on to his account, he noticed a couple of pictures that he hadn’t taken. The images were then downloaded and turned over to the police. We’re sure you know what happened after that.
While the economy has shown signs of a rebound, one place it has yet to show up is on state ledgers. As you can see from this chart from the Rockefeller Institute, state tax revenue is doing a true cliff dive, with little end in sight.
Or is there?
One hopeful sign, from history, is that state tax revenues bottom very shortly after recessions end. That would be great news for troubled states like California, Illinois, and New York, though whether a rebound can come fast enough to avoid insanely brutal spending cuts is another matter.
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Situated in the rural English county of Lincolnshire, the Woolsthorpe Manor is a site of profound importance to the history of science. It was at this house and farm that Sir Isaac Newton was born on Christmas day in 1642, only eleven months after the death of Galileo Galilei. The manor also served as the backdrop for the physicist’s famous experiments with light, optics, and gravitation.
In 1665, while Newton was at Cambridge University, an outbreak of the bubonic plague swept through London and threatened the rest of the country. As a precautionary measure, Cambridge released its students and faculty. Newton then spent the remainder of the plague years 1665-1667 at Woolsthorpe developing his theories on nature. Some argue that if it weren’t for the London outbreak and Cambridge’s subsequent dismissal, Newton would never have accomplished the work that made him one of the most influential scientists in history.
At Woolsthorpe, Newton worked on a variety of problems. It was here that he discovered the nature of white light, and that it could be split into its component colors through the use of a prism. Considerable work was also done on his theory of “fluxions,” or what is today called calculus. In fact, by a rather extraordinary coincidence, he German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz was developing his own calculus around the same time. While a bitter dispute later arose from Newton’s and Leibniz’s competing claims to be the first to develop calculus, both men are credited today for its formulation.
Of the work done at Woolsthorpe, however, the most famous was Newton’s effort to explain gravity. According to contemporary accounts from the physicist’s friends, Newton was first inspired to develop a theory of gravitation upon witnessing an apple fall from a tree in the manor’s orchard. There is no evidence, however, that the apple fell on his head. Astonishingly, visitors can see the very same tree today, which continues to produce fruit.
At over 350 years old, the rare ‘Flower of Kent’ apple tree has had its share of misfortunes. Despite the care given to it by many generations of Woolertons (the family that occupied the house between 1733 and 1947), a storm knocked the tree down in 1816. However, as most of it lay intact, the tree was able to be rescued and is now healthy and stable on its third set of roots. The tree also has many offspring that grow at various sites around the world. Descendants of Newton’s tree live in places such as Trinity College at Cambridge, the University of York, and even Tufts University and Babson College in Massachusetts.
The home is currently operated by the National Trust and is open to the public. Period furniture, including some original shelves built by Newton, help recreate English life in the 1600s. Visitors will also have the chance to learn about Newton’s childhood and replicate some of the physicist’s key discoveries.
Gobierno anuncia para marzo construcción de parque inundable en zona sur de Santiago
SANTIAGO.- Continuando con los anuncios del Gobierno a días de la segunda vuelta presidencial, el ministro de Obras Públicas, Sergio Bitar, dio a conocer que la construcción del parque inundable La Aguada, en la zona centro sur de Santiago, comenzará en marzo próximo, con una inversión inicial de $3.600 millones, de un total de $39 mil millones.
El megaproyecto mitigará las crecidas del Zanjón de la Aguada en periodo de grandes lluvias, evitando que se produzcan inundaciones que puedan afectar viviendas, calles e infraestructura, tales como la Autopista Central y la Línea 2 del Metro.
Al mismo tiempo, gracias a sus 41 hectáreas de áreas verdes (de un total de 60 hectáreas), generará un espacio urbano para la recreación y el esparcimiento, beneficiando a los habitantes de la zona centro sur de la capital, específicamente a las comunas de San Joaquín, San Miguel, Pedro Aguirre Cerda y Santiago.
Al realizar el anuncio, Bitar afirmó que "hemos puesto en marcha una de las obras más importantes para Santiago, un parque de 5 kilómetros de largo en el Zanjón de La Aguada, que siempre significó una división de la capital entre los sectores menos acomodados y aquéllos con más recursos".
"Este parque entrega más igualdad y más calidad de vida, pues se eliminarán estos sitios eriazos y la basura", destacó el ministro, quien hoy recorrió los terrenos donde se emplazará la obra, en compañía del intendente Metropolitano, Igor Garafulic, y alcaldes de las comunas beneficiadas.
En la oportunidad, Bitar explicó que la primera etapa del proyecto involucra a las comunas de San Joaquín y San Miguel y abarcará unos 900 metros de longitud, entre Gran Avenida y calle Pacífico.
El Zanjón de La Aguada es el principal cauce recolector de aguas lluvias de Santiago, al recibir los aportes de 20 comunas. El gran caudal que presenta en invierno producto de las precipitaciones será regulado tanto por la bóveda del Zanjón -reparada por el MOP- y por el futuro parque.
El parque -que replica proyectos construidos en ciudades como Barcelona, en España, y Denver, en Estados Unidos- se construirá entre 2010 y 2014 y se ubicará paralela a Avenida Isabel Riquelme, en una extensión de 4,7 kilómetros desde Avenida Vicuña Mackenna hasta Avenida Club Hípico.
Intorcandu-ma in Romania am facut niste poze pentru SSC-isti ca sa va arat si calitatea drumului. In Ungaria nu am facut poze pentru ca am prins in mare parte noapte si nu ieseau deloc bine.
Pe centura Ljublianei:
Indicator la Ljubliana: au autostrazi foarte bune si in maxim 4 ore treci toata Slovenia in conditii de iarna.
Indicatoare catre Maribor si Zagreb:
Trecand prin Sapanta m-am oprit la Cimiterul Vesel:
Urcand Prislopul am facut niste poze si catre natura:
Drumul de pe Prislop:
Am ajuns sus cam la 1450 de m inaltime:
Inainte sa intru in Pascani:
Romania – Italia:
Inainte de a ajunge la Sighetu Marmatiei, sunt foarte multe treceri peste cale ferata in timp ce in Ungaria pana la Nyiregyhaza treci prin multe sate si nu este ca pe la Szolnok unde le eviti:
Drumul pana la Sighet are oleaca de gropi dar e multe mai acceptabil decat pe Reghin – Toplita (scuzati-ma pentru banner) :
Calitatea carosabilului intre Sighet si Negreasti Oas:
Indicator in Sighetu Marmatiei catre Baia Mare, Satu Mare si Negresti:
Dealurile ucrainiene vazute inainte de intrarea in Sighet.
Satul Teceu Mic in trei limbi:
In Slovenia am prins ninsoare de la Ljubliana la Trieste:
Indicatoare inainte de granita:
Vara e cu siguranta mult mai bun drumul si v-il recomand pentru ca economisiti cateva ora fata de Szolnok – Oradea – Reghin – Toplita – Iasi.
Al igual que en el Foro italiano, me gustaría conocer vuestra opinión sobre las plazas mas hermosas del país, ya sean principales o rincones con encanto. Seguro que hay mas de una :cheers:
pd. si no es el lugar correcto para dicho hilo o tal vez ya existiera, pueden avisar y borrarlo.
Besides showing its new 2011 Audi A8, the German automaker today surprised the media with a new version of the e-tron concept. Smaller than its original e-tron sibling, this two-seater iteration of the e-tron measures 154.72 in long, 70.07 in wide and 48.03 in tall. Could this be our first look at the much-rumored R4? Don’t get your hopes up just yet.
Unlike the R8 sized e-tron, the two-seater e-tron will not be entering production (at least for now).
Power comes from two electric motors with a total output of 204-hp, allowing the mini e-tron to go from 0-62 mph in 5.9 seconds. A sprint from 37 to 75 mph takes just 5.1 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 124 mph.
Like its older brother, the two-seater e-tron can be charge in 11 hours, but in heavy current, the e-tron concept can hit full charge in just two hours. On a full charge, the small e-tron can travel 155 miles until the batteries run out.
Keep your browser here as we update you with more coverage from the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.
The Detroit showcar Audi e-tron shows another variant of an electric vehicle developed by Audi
DETROIT, Mi., Jan 11, 2010 – Audi is showing an uncompromising purist compact sports car with all-electric drive at the first major auto show of 2010. The Detroit showcar Audi e-tron is the name of this 3.93 meter (154.72 in) long and 1.78 meter (70.08 in) wide but just 1.22 meter (48.03 in) tall two-seater; just a few months after the debut of the Audi e-tron at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, this is now the second electric concept vehicle from the brand with the four rings.
Coupled with the Detroit showcar Audi e-tron’s low gross weight of around only 1,350 kilograms (2976.24 lb), high-torque power units driving the rear wheels guarantee commensurate road performance. Two electric motors with a combined output of 150 kW (204 hp) and 2,650 Nm (1954.54 lb-ft) accelerate the coupe with ASF-design aluminum body from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in just 5.9 seconds. The Audi e-tron accomplishes the sprint from 60 to 120 km/h (37.28 – 74.56 mph) in a mere 5.1 seconds.
The Detroit showcar Audi e-tron is able to distribute its electric motors’ high torque between the wheels entirely as required. Its “torque vectoring” is the key to a thrilling level of active precision and excellent traction. Thanks also to its low weight, short wheelbase and perfect weight distribution for dynamic handling, the Audi e-tron has all the drivability of a go-kart – agile, good on bends and neutral right up to the very high handling limit.
Lithium-ion batteries, located for an optimal center of gravity behind the passenger compartment and ahead of the rear axle, make an effective energy content of 45 kilowatt-hours available. This makes an operating range of up to 250 kilometers (155.34 miles) realistically possible.
As previously with the first e-tron concept car shown in Frankfurt, Audi again bases all components in this electric vehicle on an integral concept with many revolutionary details: a heat pump as an efficient means of heating up and maintaining the interior temperature. The drive system, power electronics and battery have innovative thermal management – crucial for maintaining a high operating range coupled with outstanding interior comfort.
Design and package
Audi is presenting a further variant of an electric vehicle in the form of the Detroit showcar Audi e-tron. The vehicle body has a powerful, wide and muscular stance on the road, and looks extremely compact and puristic not least thanks to the typically short sports car wheelbase of just 2.43 meters (95.67 in) – a whole 22 centimeters (8.66 in) shorter than the R8.
The sweeping line of the front end and the flat curved roof immediately identify the two-seater as an Audi. The sides reveal familiar contours: The way the dynamic line is tailored above the sill and the prominent wheel arches, as is typical for an Audi R, combine the front, side and rear into a monolithic entity and strongly emphasize the typical Audi feature of round wheel arches enclosing the large 19-inch wheels. The highly tapered front end gives the Detroit showcar Audi e-tron distinctly wedge-shaped basic proportions.
1.78 meters (70.08 in) wide, just 3.93 meters (154.72 in) long and 1.22 meters (48.03 in) tall – those are the classic proportions of a sports car. That leaves space ahead of the rear wheels for the 399 kilogram (879.64 lb) battery unit, with converter and power electronics.
The two electric motors, which have their own cooling system, are mounted on the rear axle. This special package, featuring a 40:60 weight distribution, ensures perfect balance, which contributes to the driving dynamics of the Audi e-tron.
The trapeze of the single-frame grille dominates the distinctly wedge-shaped front end and is flanked by two large air intakes. The top of the grille merges into the flat strips of the adaptive matrix beam headlight modules with their clear glass covers. All light units use ultra-efficient LED technology.
The headlights are the core of a fully automatic light assistance system that reacts flexibly to any situation. The new technology recognizes weather conditions and adapts the illumination to rain or fog. The technology at the heart of the light assistance system is a camera that works together with a fast computer to detect oncoming traffic, recognize lanes and measure visibilities, such as in the event of fog.
If there is oncoming traffic, the high beams are turned off in the corresponding section of the illumination field. The cornering light system analyzes data from the navigation system and illuminates corners before the driver steers into them. The Detroit showcar Audi e-tron does not have conventional fog lamps that consume additional power. It intelligently varies the low beams instead; in fog, for example, it produces a wider, more horizontal illumination field, thus significantly reducing the glare from the car’s own lights.
The variability of the headlights is also reflected in their design. The LED elements change appearance and thus the character of the front end of the vehicle depending on the speed driven and the ambient conditions. The innovative lighting technology now offers the Audi designers almost as much design freedom as the shape of the body does.
One design element that is specific to electric vehicles developed by Audi – such as the Audi e-tron – are the air intakes in the single-frame grille and behind the side windows on the C-post. They are closed flush under normal circumstances and opened by retracting slats when additional cooling air is required. The slats above the drive unit then also open to provide a better through-flow of air. These measures, too, maximize efficiency – the concept car is outstanding for an already low drag coefficient that is further improved when the flaps are closed.
The ASF body
Systematic lightweight construction is an even more important prerequisite for efficiency and range with electric vehicles than for conventionally powered automobiles. Lightweight construction is moreover the key to thrilling handling characteristics. Audi developers focused on a core competence of the company when creating the Detroit showcar Audi e-tron: The body structure is based on Audi Space Frame technology (ASF), with a hybrid design approach adopted. All add-on parts – doors, lids, sidewalls and roof – are made of a fiber-reinforced plastic.
The combination of aluminum and carbon fiber-reinforced composite material guarantees supreme rigidity coupled with low weight. Audi will soon use this technology in a similar form for future production vehicles. Despite the complex drive system layout with two electric motors and a high-capacity battery system, the total weight of the Audi e-tron showcar on display in Detroit is only around 1,350 kilograms (2,976.24 lb).
Interior and operating concept
Visual and functional references to the new drive concept characterize the purist interior design. They establish a connection between proven Audi genes and new formal hallmarks. Typical for the Audi design idiom is the reduction of the architecture, controls and information output to the essentials in favor of visible lightweight construction and a tidy overall impression.
The slim dash has a curve that extends laterally into the door panels. With no need to allow for a transmission, shifter and cardan tunnel, the designers took advantage of the opportunity to create a particularly slim and lightweight center tunnel and convex, arching center console. The flush gear selector, with which the driver chooses between the modes forward, reverse and neutral, emerges from the tunnel when the vehicle is started.
The Audi e-tron’s cockpit, which represents a further development in an electric vehicle, is also oriented toward the driver – a further characteristic Audi trait. Instead of the classic instrument cluster, the concept car is the first Audi to be equipped with a large built-in central display with integrated MMI functions. It is flanked by two round dials.
The MMI is controlled via a scroll pad with a touch-sensitive surface on the steering wheel (”MMI touch”) – an element inspired by modern smartphones. The steering wheel itself is clearly flattened off at both the top and bottom, in a clear reference to motor sport.
A smartphone that can be integrated into the front section of the center console interfaces between the vehicle, the driver and external information sources. The driver can use a suitably equipped conventional smartphone as a car phone, address database, navigation system and video player. At the same time they can also use it as an operating unit for many specific on-board systems in the Audi e-tron. Many phones that are suitable for these functions are already available from various manufacturers.
The driver can then enter their route plan or adjust the sound system to their individual preferences, all from the comfort of their own home, for example. The Smartphone and vehicle communicate via the mobile communications network, even over considerable distances.
The system also provides a security function for the owner; within the range of the WLAN it can constantly monitor the current status of the vehicle, for instance whether all windows and doors are closed. If the Audi e-tron showcar on display in Detroit is parked at a charging station, for example, it also sends details of the current charge status to the driver’s smartphone.
While an analog speedometer on the driver’s right provides speed information, the instrument dial on their left tells them how much power is being drawn. The central display shows the range in the status bar and presents all key information from the infotainment and navigation systems. It also provides the driver with relevant data from the vehicle’s communication with its surroundings. The instruments combine the analog and the digital worlds into a single unit.
Characteristic for the concept of the Audi e-tron – and therefore also characteristic for a further development in an electric vehicle – is the near total elimination of switches and small components such as the ignition. The climate control unit is located to the right above the steering wheel. The display provides temperature and ventilation information. Again drawing inspiration from a smartphone, the system is controlled by means of a touch-sensitive sliding control.
The equally racing-inspired lightweight bucket seats combine excellent lateral support with comfort. Two contrasting colors delineate the various zones of the interior. The colors and the high-quality materials combine elegance and sportiness.
Drive system and energy supply
Two asynchronous electric motors with a total output of 150 kilowatts (204 hp) give the Detroit showcar Audi e-tron the performance of a genuine sports car. The concept car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0 – 62.14 mph) in
5.9 seconds if necessary, and goes from 60 to 120 km/h (37.28 – 74.56 mph) in 5.1 seconds. The torque is distributed selectively to the wheels based on the driving situation and the condition of the road surface, resulting in outstanding traction and handling.
The top speed is limited to 200 km/h (124.27 mph), as the amount of energy required by the electric motors increases disproportionately to speed. The range in the NECD combined cycle is approximately 250 kilometers (155.34 miles).
The energy storage unit is charged with household current (230 volts, 16 amperes) via a cable and a plug. The socket is behind a cover at the back of the car. The charging time when the battery is empty is around 11 hours, but heavy current (400 volts, 32 amperes) cuts this to around just two hours.
The battery is charged not only when the car is stationary, but also when it is in motion. The keyword here is recuperation. This form of energy recovery and recharging of the battery is already available on many Audi production models. During braking, the alternator converts the kinetic energy into electrical energy, which it then feeds into the on-board electrical system.
The Detroit showcar Audi e-tron in its further developed version goes one decisive step further into the future; an electro-mechanical brake system means the potential of electric motors for energy recovery can now be exploited. A hydraulic fixed-caliper brake is mounted on the front axle, with two novel, electrically actuated floating-caliper brakes mounted on the rear axle. These floating calipers are actuated not by any mechanical or hydraulic transfer elements, but rather by wire (”brake by wire”). In addition, this eliminates frictional losses due to residual slip when the brakes are not being applied.
By virtue of being isolated from the brake pedal, the Audi e-tron’s electric motors can convert the entire deceleration energy into electric current and recover it. The electromechanical brake system is only activated if greater deceleration is required. These control actions are unnoticeable to the driver, who feels only a predictable and constant pedal feel as with a hydraulic brake system.
An automotive first: the heat pump
The heat pump, too – which made its first appearance in an automobile on the Audi e-tron concept car shown in Frankfurt – helps to boost efficiency and range. Unlike a combustion engine, the electric drive system generally does not produce enough waste heat to effectively heat the interior. Other electric vehicles are equipped with electric supplemental heaters, which consume a relatively large amount of energy. The heat pump used by Audi – and commonly used in buildings – is a highly efficient machine that uses mechanical work to provide heat with a minimum input of energy.
A high-efficiency climate control system is used to cool the interior. It works together with the thermal management system to also control the temperature of the high-voltage battery. This is because the battery, power electronics and electric motors must be kept at their respective ideal operating temperatures to achieve optimal performance and range.
As soon as the vehicle is connected to a charging station the vehicle is preconditioned as appropriate by the thermal management and other associated systems. In cold conditions the drive system is preheated, and in hot conditions it is cooled. This preconditioning can also be extended to the interior, if necessary, so that the passengers can step into a cabin that has been heated or cooled as appropriate for their comfort.
Driving dynamics
The drive system’s power is transferred to the road by the rear wheels, reflecting the Audi e-tron’s weight distribution of 40:60.
Both the individual motors, which are installed behind the wheels close to the vehicle’s center line as wheel drives, also enable the Detroit showcar Audi e-tron’s lateral dynamics to be intelligently controlled. This also boosts traction. Similar to what the sport differential does in conventional Audi vehicles, torque vectoring – the targeted acceleration of individual wheels – makes the newly developed electric drive of the Detroit showcar Audi e-tron even more dynamic while simultaneously enhancing driving safety.
Understeer and oversteer can be corrected by not only targeted activation of the brakes, but also by precise increases in power lasting just a few milliseconds. The concept car remains extremely neutral even under great lateral acceleration and hustles through corners as if on the proverbial rails.
The chassis has triangular double wishbones made of forged aluminum components at the front and rear axles – a geometry that has proven in motor sports to be the optimal prerequisite for high agility, uncompromising precision and precisely defined self-steering behavior. A taut setup was chosen for the springs and shock absorbers, but it is still very comfortable.
The direct rack-and-pinion steering gives finely differentiated feedback. Its electromechanical steering boost varies with speed, so that the Detroit showcar Audi e-tron only has to provide energy while steering, but not while driving straight ahead.
As befits its status, the Audi concept car rolls on 19-inch wheels of 35-spoke design. 235/35 tires up front and 255/35 tires at the rear provide excellent grip. Another special feature of the tires: Audi designers created the profile specifically for the Detroit showcar Audi e-tron.
Jamendo, servicio que plantea hacer negocio con música Creative Commons, ha quemado la inversión recibida y busca compradores (Tc Europa). Es una noticia a analizar por lo que supone de fracaso en lo que a ejecutar un modelo diferente alrededor de la música, en el que se hace negocio sólo a partir de los usos comerciales de la misma y la publicidad en el sitio y en la que se comparten ingresos al 50% entre artista y distribuidor. De hecho tienen un servicio para bares con música disponible 24 horas pagando menos de 100 euros al año, una alternativa mucho más económica que pagar SGAE.
No está claro que Jamendo vaya a desaparecer, pero sí que está lejos de las expectativas que había desde su gestación. Y si hay que buscar un culpable de ello no señalaría a la ejecución del servicio o en la calidad de los artistas que utilizan la plataforma, más bien apuntaría a quien está eclipsando a su mayor herramienta de marketing: la música gratis en la red. La propuesta de publicar en Jamendo o en servicios similares bajo licencia Creative Commons es invertir para tratar de conseguir atención, eliminar barreras entre creador y oyentes. Pero cuando toda la música está disponible gratis y es fácil de compartir (redes P2P antes, Spotify y Youtube más tarde), esta ventaja se evapora. Cierto que quedan sectores en los se sigue viendo a Jamendo como una opción valiosa – los podcast y videoblogs que necesiten música que admita usos comerciales, esos bares que no quieren pagar SGAE – pero al oyente medio no le interesa la licencia de una canción.
Os dejo con una de las canciones más escuchadas en Jamendo, “Painted Dream” de “The Dada Weatherman”
Principal Cuts on More Lender Menus as U.S. Foreclosures Rise – By John Gittelsohn and Prashant Gopal – Bloomberg – BusinessWeek
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Irrevocable Trusts and the Reverse Mortgage Opportunity – Reva Minkoff – Irrevocable trusts can now be used for reverse mortgages, according to Paul N. Lovegrove Esq., President of Attorney Trust Review. …. “Nothing in the HECM guidelines that says you can’t use an irrevocable trust.” Although lenders cant sell a reverse mortgage with an irrevocable trust to Fannie Mae, the recent growth of Ginnie Mae’s HMBS program has provided an opportunity for HECMs. – Reverse Mortgage Daily
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Subprime Mortgage Securities Projected to Return Two Thirds of Their Original Principal on Average – Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has released its most recent assessment of projected principal recoveries for residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) in prime, Alt-A, and subprime transactions. These show that in the most likely scenario, subprime securities would return two thirds of their original value, while Alt–Securities would return almost 80%. – Research Recap ————
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FOMC Minutes: … The housing sector has shown some signs of improvement over recent months. Household spending appears to be expanding at a moderate rate, though it remains constrained by a weak labor market, modest income growth, lower housing wealth, and tight credit. … With substantial resource slack likely to continue to dampen cost pressures and with longer-term inflation expectations stable, the Committee expects that inflation will remain subdued for some time. …Read if all here.
and Mortgage Program Splits Fed Officials – By JON HILSENRATH – … with some saying a weak economy could warrant expansion and at least one arguing for scaling back, according to minutes of the meeting released Wednesday. The minutes show some officials worried the housing recovery could be cut short next year when the Fed stops buying mortgage debt and when other federal support programs — such as a government housing tax credit — expires. … – WSJ Economy and FOMC Hints at MBS Purchase Program Extension. GSE Reform is Real Issue – by Adam Quinones – Mortgage News Daily
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Walk Away From Your Mortgage! – Roger Lowenstein – John Courson, president and C.E.O. of the Mortgage Bankers Association, recently told The Wall Street Journal that homeowners who default on their mortgages should think about the “message” they will send to “their family and their kids and their friends.” … He was speaking about the rising number of folks who are voluntarily choosing not to pay. … – NY Times
and Go Ahead, Walk Away From Your Mortgage! – Henry Blodget – Roger Lowenstein gives Americans permission to do what companies do every day: … By the way, one advantage of this move, aside from saving underwater homeowners from pouring money down a rat hole, is that it will help fix the housing market faster. If underwater homeowners walk away, the banks willl be forced to take a writedown on the bad loan instead of pretending that it’s worth what they say it’s worth. This will help the bank clean up its balance sheet faster. So think of walking away as helping to force banks to do what the government refused to make them do–take their losses! … – Business Insider ————
Out Of Work Americans Clear Out Of Apartments, Driving Vacancy Rates To 30 Year High – John Carney – Unyielding job losses and a renewed government push to expand home buying dealt owners of rental apartments a savage blow in 2009. – Money Game at Business Insider
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Foreclosure.com Files for Bankruptcy – (HowIronic.) – “The parent company of Foreclosure.com and a stable of more than 150 other Web sites says its doors will remain open after two lawsuits forced it to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.” – Surly Trader ————
Fannie Mae to bend rules for some Florida condos – By Al Yoon – annie Mae, the largest funder of U.S. home mortgages, on Thursday said it is making it easier for some Florida condo buyers to qualify for loans in a bid to stabilize one of the worst-hit real estate arkets. The housing finance giant said it is reassessing hundreds of Florida condo projects to see if they are “sufficiently stable” enough to qualify for funding, even if they don’t meet current requirements, Fannie Mae said in a statement. – Reuters ————
Ginnie Issues $130M BofA Reverse Mortgage REMIC – by DIANA GOLOBAY – Ginnie Mae guaranteed and issued its first real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMIC) composed of Bank of America (BofA) (BAC: 16.93 0.00%) reverse mortgage securitizations late last year, a spokesperson tells HousingWire. – HousingWire
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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Implement More Than 405,000 – HAMP Mods; Refinance 4 Million Loans Through November 29 pages – FHFA Press Release and Report
I have been “discussing” (read: arguing) with a friend who recently got a Nexus One the benefits and disadvantages of Windows Mobile and Android. One of the things that often crops up is OS updates. Android gets lots of updates (they’re on version 2.1 already!) but do they actually add anything
The thing is, the changes between most Android OS versions are fairly minor (the same is true for the iPhone with things like copy and paste added, which really should have been there in the first place), and the same can be said of WM6.0 to WM6.1 and WM6.5, but Windows Mobile is actively evolving.
We’ve seen lots of the WM6.5.3 goodness, with what is in essence a brand new UI, and WM7 is essentially a rewrite of the OS, which as far as I know, neither Android nor iPhone are likely to get. The frequency of updates may be less, but the substance is more.
My point is, it’s not necessarily the frequency of updates that matters, but the substance. Which would you prefer? Frequent (if unsubstantial) OS updates, or occasional significant updates? Let us know in the coments!
Oh, and Windows Mobile natively supports on device updates with full user data retention. More on that soon!
Speaking at the launch of Fife Council’s report on its Renewable Energy Opportunity on Friday (8th January), Alan Dickson, ScottishPower’s Clean Coal Integration Manager at Longannet Power Station, said: “ScottishPower is at the forefront of …
UPDATED Automakers got their green on today at Day 1 of the North American International Auto Show at Detroit’s Cobo Center, unveiling new hybrid concepts and announcing manufacturing plans for electric vehicles. Government officials and citizen protesters showed up too, respectively issuing praise for the industry’s efforts to boost fuel economy and criticism for the […]
If you’re a designer with a need for three-dimensional printing and $20,000 to spare, the uPrint Plus is right up your alley—it’s 33% bigger, 69% faster, and 40% more efficient than its predecessor.
It may not play Daft Punk like the MakerBot—and it costs a whoooole lot more— but Dimension’s uPrint Plus is professional grade, small enough for desktop use and gives users resolution settings of either .010 inches or .013 inches and prints materials in nine colors. It’ll ship in March, hopefully by which time they’ll have figured out how to get me that 4D support I’ve been holding out for.
World’s Best-Selling 3D Printer Line Expands
Dimension uPrint Plus offers material colors, larger build volume, resolution options, and more
MINNEAPOLIS—(BUSINESS WIRE)—One year after introducing what has become the world’s best-selling 3D printer – the Dimension uPrint – Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) says it has expanded the product line with the uPrint Plus – an enhanced version with lots of new features – while still keeping the price under $20,000 (USD).
Like the Dimension uPrint personal 3D printer, the uPrint Plus has a small footprint for true desktop use [25 x 26 in (635 x 660 mm)]. uPrint Plus can print in eight colors of Stratasys ABSplus material, making it easier for designers to differentiate individual assembly components and better depict their product. The printer has a build envelope of 8 x 8 x 6 in (203 x 203 x 152 mm) – 33 percent more volume than the uPrint, enabling larger models. uPrint Plus offers two resolution settings – 0.010 in (0.254 mm) and 0.013 in (0.330 mm) – to give users additional print options.
uPrint Plus also features two support-material enhancements that reduce material consumption and modeling time. The first, Smart Supports, is a software enhancement that reduces material usage by 40 percent, cutting costs. The second, SR-30, is an improved soluble support material that dissolves 69 percent faster, to speed the modeling process. Smart Supports and SR-30 enhancements are available for both uPrint and uPrint Plus.
“When the uPrint was introduced one year ago, it quickly became the best-selling 3D printer worldwide, with 1,000 units sold in the first 9 months,” says Dimension Product Manager Mary Stanley. “Based on its success and customer requests for expanded features, the uPrint Plus was created. Now designers, engineers and architects have expanded options for building models based on proven FDM technology.”
uPrint Plus material colors include red, blue, olive, black, dark gray, nectarine, fluorescent yellow, and ivory. The new 3D printer will be available for shipment in March through authorized Stratasys resellers.
It’s not exactly the most scientific test ever conducted, but a very practical experiment conducted by Softpedia’s Filip Truta reveals that the new Apple Magic Mouse pales next to its predecessor in at least one significant way. That area of weakness is power management, and the new slick interface device could be as much as 40 percent less efficient than the clumsy old Mighty Mouse.
Reports have been flooding in that the new mouse is a power-hungry little guy, both internally among staff here at TheAppleBlog and over at the Apple Discussion boards. At least one discussion thread deals with the problem that the Magic Mouse has when working in conjunction with the Apple Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard. Apparently, using both together will result in significant battery drain in the latter.
On its own, the Magic Mouse is no energy superstar either. Many users report a much shorter battery life than they got with the Bluetooth Mighty Mouse. Truta was finding the same thing with his new pointing device, and so went about testing his theory to see what he found. Rather than timing the life of the batteries during regular continuous usage, as a lab might, Truta came up with an easy to perform exercise that you can try for yourself, too, so long as you’re in possession of both models of Apple mice.
The trick is to use a fresh set of batteries in the Magic Mouse until they run out of steam. Apple’s redesigned the mouse preferences pane to tell you when you need to change them, and even provides instructions on how to do so in case you can’t figure it out for yourself. Once the batteries are depleted, all you have to do is switch them back into your old Mighty Mouse.
Using this very simple method, Truta discovered that while the Magic Mouse saw the batteries as devoid of anymore usable energy, the Mighty Mouse would in fact report that the batteries weren’t even close to empty. In fact, his tests show that under the Bluetooth devices menu it would report as much as 41 percent battery remaining in the supposedly dead batteries. That’s not an insignificant margin by any count.
Battery issues aside, I sill love my Magic Mouse. I should qualify that by noting that I use it as the primary means of control for my home theater Mac mini, which means that I use it quite sparingly. I’m still using the same batteries I put in when I got it, which was almost immediately following its release. And my keyboard doesn’t seem to be running down with any unusual speed, either. But again, I almost never use them really, except to set up a movie or TV show or start a playlist in iTunes. I’m still planning on testing out Filip Truta method when the batteries do eventually run down, though. What are your experiences?
Honestly, one of my absolute favorite products for Sony at CES 2010 was the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10. It’s a powerful device with a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 processor, complete with a 4 inch capacitive touch display, 8.1 megapixel camera with LED flash and 8GB included MicroSD removable storage. However, the thing that truly stands out to me with the phone is display. It’s the type you just can’t stop looking at because it’s so lush and at four inches you can see so much. The who experience is pretty fluid 95% of the time, with occasional jitters here and there. Still, very impressive for an Android 1.6 build. We hope that it has an upgrade path to 2.1 sooner than later.
Regardless, there is no doubt in my mind that if you pulled this thing out in public it would get some attention. People were all over it at CES.
Here is a little extra review video showing off a little bit of Time Scape, Media Scape, and the dialing interface. We also briefly compare it to the iPhone 3G:
I have to reiterate the phone felt very natural in my hand, and even holding it up to my head wasn’t absurd. It’s really not that larger than an iPhone, but somehow has a larger screen and looks just bloody futuristic. I’ve owned an iPhone for quite a long time and I can honestly say this is the first device that makes me want to try something different. Designs like these totally blow away what Apple is doing right now. And Sony Ericsson is not the only person doing that now. I think a lot of the CE manufacturers are going to hurt Apple in 2010 because they are using advanced functionality such we found in the XPERIA X10, as it has Android, such a striking appearance, and embraces open standards (MicroSD, Mini USB, removable battery). Sony Ericsson could potentially ignite a turnaround if they continue to offer devices of this caliber. It’s just simply gorgeous.
I have a hard time believing many of you will resist this, if you have the opportunity to get it. Don’t mind the cord/attachment to the back of the phone in the pics, it was part of the booth.
We know it’s not headed for the US anytime soon, but that won’t stop us from fawning over it. Lenovo’s LePhone is one sexy droid. Maybe it’s the sleek, polished finished. Maybe it’s the shiny red paint job. Maybe it’s the keyboard/docking station that can snap on. Whatever the case is, we’re hooked. Check out the gallery below to see what Lenovo has done with our favorite mobile operating system. Without having any actual hands-on experience, we’re pretty confident that this holds its own against the likes of Sense UI and MOTOBLUR.
Last week saw a couple of reports with various tech sites playing with the phone. So far, the response has been generally favorable. We’ve seen more than one person say the device and UI remind them of a Palm Pre, iPhone, and Sense rolled into one. What’s your impression of the LePhone?
The FTC’s highly questionable disclosure rules have been in effect for a bit over a month now, and it appears that even the FTC doesn’t understand who they apply to or how they apply. And that’s the problem. Apparently, someone noticed that actress Gwyneth Paltrow lavished praise on a resort in Marrakech, Morocco, and wondered if Paltrow had paid for her stay there — noting that it was the grand opening of the place, with lots of stars — and Hollywood publicists asked about this said there was “not a chance in hell” that someone like Paltrow paid to attend. In fact, they wonder if Paltrow was even paid for her “appearance.” So, how do the FTC rules apply? She was pitching a place that most likely gave her something quite valuable for free. That should be disclosed, right? That was the whole point of the FTC rules, right? Well, maybe not. When asked about it, the FTC hemmed and hawed and claimed that “celebrity endorsements are different.” Why? Because consumers might “understand that celebrities are always getting free stuff.” Right, but wasn’t the whole reason that these new disclosure rules were instituted in the first place that bloggers and others were supposedly (though, I believe it to be exaggerated) “always getting free stuff” too? Basically, these FTC rules sound like the sorts of things that are totally subjective, whereby the FTC can crack down on someone they don’t like if they have nothing else to use, but will leave others untouched.
In Terminator 2,the T-1000 is made up of ”mimetic poly-alloy.” In the movie, Schwarzenegger explains how the T-1000 is more advanced than the terminator and is composed entirely of a mimetic metal alloy, making it capable of rapid shape changing by liquefying and taking the form of other things.
Well, it seemed like T-1000 was at the Mercedes-Benz stand today taking the form of the next-generation Mercedes-Benz CLS.
That’s all we really know about the CLS for now – that and it’ll share a new grille with the SLS AMG.
Our own Deputy Editor Joe Weisenthal was on CNBC’s Street Signs this afternoon, talking about the MAVINS with Erin Burnett. It’s not clear whether the markets of Mexico, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nigeria, and South Africa soared on the news, so we’ll just assume they did. See the original report here.
Here’s one of those stories that serves as a great endorsement for Android and its applications. An Oregon man recently had his house broken into and some of his possessions stolen. Among them was his Motorola Droid. Unbeknown to the thief, this handset was equipped with an app called Lookout, which routinely backs up user information. Once the owner logged on to his account, he noticed a couple of pictures that he hadn’t taken. The images were then downloaded and turned over to the police. We’re sure you know what happened after that.
It’s not exactly the most scientific test ever conducted, but a 
