Author: Serkadis

Filed under: Government/Legal

Remember that insane list filled with great cars that were reportedly crushed under the Cash-for-Clunkers program? We were wondering if and when the federal government would thoroughly audit dealers who cashed in products like a 2006 Cadillac STS, an Audi S6 or a 2008 Foose F-150. That still may or may not happen, but apparently isn’t the chief concern of Iowa Senator (R) Charles Grassley.

The senator has reportedly asked Department of Transportation chief Ray LaHood to look for evidence of fraud in the C4C program’s $110 million administrative costs only. Grassley noted the exceptionally quick turnaround time of the program in his letter to LaHood and added “the DOT had only 30 days after the date the legislation was enacted into law to engage contractors and stand up the Program before the first rebates were issued.” Grassley added that the original clunkers program accounted for $50 million in administrative costs but no additional money was allocated when the government approved an additional $2 billion for the program. It’s clear Grassley wants answers, and he may have a point.

“To date the Administration has not provided an accurate accounting of the administrative costs related to the Cash for Clunkers program and I believe that the American taxpayer deserves more information, not less, and that information needs to come sooner rather than later.”

The U.S. government contracted several agencies to handle C4C administrative duties including Citibank, Vangent and the IRS. The program reportedly accounted for a total of 690,000 transactions at an administrative cost of about $144 per vehicle.

[Source: The Washington Independent | Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]

Report: Senator calls for audit of Cash-for-Clunkers program originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Japan, Nissan, Tokyo Auto Salon

With everything going on in January (Detroit Auto Show and CES, just to name two), it’s easy to overlook one of the largest tuning expos in the world: The Tokyo Auto Salon. As it’s done in previous years, Nissan will have have a large presence at Japan’s aftermarket extravaganza, bringing nine vehicles in various states of tune, along with a new variant of the venerable GT-R.

Nissan hasn’t divulged exactly what’s included in the updated NISMO Club Sports Package for the GT-R, only saying that it boasts “a high level of sports performance.” It’s safe to assume that a tweaked ECU, reworked suspension, new aerodynamic components and a set of wheels are part of the package, but the most compelling part is a new data logging system. Developed by Nissan’s in-house tuning arm, the NISMO Data Logger Kit allows drivers to download performance data from the GT-R to their computers via a USB cable. Nissan hasn’t released pricing or availability yet, but this strikes us as something that could make it to the States in due time.

Joining the tweaked GT-R, Nissan will show off the Roox Highway Urban Selection concept, a sport-pack equipped Skyline coupe and sedan, a few Autech-tweaked models and the NISMO 370Z (known in Japan as the Fairlady Z). You can get a sneak peak at Nissan’s booth, along with some of the models it plans to display, at Nissan’s Tokyo Auto Salon minisite, and make the jump for all the official details.

Continue reading Nissan to display nine cars at Tokyo Auto Salon including GT-R Nismo with data-logging

Nissan to display nine cars at Tokyo Auto Salon including GT-R Nismo with data-logging originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A study released today by security software maker Symantec raises an alarm: One in three American businesses doesn’t have basic anti-virus software installed.

Last week, the FBI and the American Bankers Association partnered on an advisory to small businesses: Dedicate a separate PC from workers’ machines, and use that machine alone for online banking.

The idea is to prevent the installation of “banking Trojans” on workers’ desktops and laptops. Workers unwittingly install the malware while Web surfing. If they also bank from that computer, the Trojan program may capture account numbers and passwords. Small businesses are at risk, the ABA warned, because they can be held accountable for financial transactions conducted surreptitiously from infected PCs.

Even then, it’s shocking that 33 percent of businesses don’t even have anti-virus software installed on their PCs. Small businesses on a budget don’t need to spend tall dollars on security. They can install the free AVG software, one of Download.com’s more popular titles. Symantec sells both individual and corporate solutions. The easy way to buy in is Norton Internet Security 2010, which lists for $70.

I got a lot of grief from New York Times readers last year for uninstalling Symantec’s software to speed up my PC. But it sure did get a lot faster. A Symantec spokesman told me that in response to customer feedback, they’ve made the latest version of the all-encompassing Norton 360 suite much less of a system hog than its predecessor.

[Image: CBC News]

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There’s a gap in the online video market in China: extremely high-quality videos for users looking for a better experience. Now Chinese search engine Baidu is stepping in to fill that role, launching an independent venture that will focus on delivering copyrighted, quality video supported by ads, like television shows, movies and sports broadcasts, through an array of different content providers.

With demand for online video going through the roof, especially in 2009, the number of companies looking for a piece of the market is also on the rise. But Baidu, the No. 1 search engine in the country — even trumping Google’s China property — has a definite leg up on potential competitors, enjoying the name recognition and customer loyalty built up over years.

The one hurdle standing between Baidu and total dominance of the Chinese online video space is rampant piracy. The country has been afflicted by intense video theft and copyright violations, especially when it comes to movies and television shows, almost since the technology became available. Enforcement measure so far have been completely unable to stem this tide — one from which many average Chinese citizens draw a un-taxable, unmonitored income.

The piracy has grown to such an extent that it’s becoming a problem on a national level. Even U.S. consumers looking for free, fairly high-quality versions of their favorite television shows, ranging from Friends to Fringe, can find them on through Chinese video platforms Youku and Tudou through English portals like TVShack and Project Free TV. But even lawsuits filed against these companies haven’t slowed them down.

As CNet notes, new technology that makes it easier to watch internet and streaming video on living room television screens will probably make this problem even worse. The opportunity is too great for people to simply watch free content like they would any other show actually broadcasted on digital cable.

In order for Baidu to be as successful at video delivery as it is at search, it will need to urge the government to take a stronger position on piracy. It can’t turn back the tide on its own. Until then, it will have to rely on the premium quality of its offerings, and its ability to monetize them with advertising,you to attract users and build as much cred as sites like Hulu and YouTube have here in the U.S.

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As we just noted, a jump in sales in December 2009 are creating optimistic outlook for this year. Sales in December totaled 1,010,003, up 1.9 percent from the same period in 2008. The top 10 best sellers list saw a little change from previous months; however, the Chevrolet Malibu did end up topping the Ford Fusion.

Here are the Top 10 sellers of December 2009:

1. Ford F-Series: 48,209
2. Toyota Camry: 34,946
3. Toyota Corolla: 34,220
4. Chevy Silverado: 33,301
5. Honda Accord: 28,238
6. Honda Civic: 22,319
7. Chevy Malibu: 19,374
8. Ford Escape: 19,156
9. Ford Fusion: 18,852
10. Honda CR-V: 18,686

– By: Omar Rana

Source: KickingTires

The NBA has seen enough of Gilbert Arenas’ gunplay. On Wednesday, the league suspended the Wizards’ hoopster indefinitely without pay after Arenas admitted to storing four unloaded and unlicensed handguns in his locker at the Verizon Center.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Arenas said he took the unloaded guns out of his locker on Dec. 21 “in a misguided effort to play a joke on a teammate.” He denied threatening or assaulting anyone. The New York Post reported that Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton drew guns on each other. A pair of league officials told The Associated Press that the incident stemmed from a dispute over card-playing gambling debts and a heated argument in the locker room.

“Joke or not, I now recognize that what I did was a mistake and was wrong,” Arenas said in a statement Monday. “I should not have brought the guns to DC in the first place, and I now realize that there’s no such thing as joking around when it comes to guns – even if unloaded.”

National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern issued the following statement on Wednesday, and it was posted on NBA.com:

“Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game. Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA.”

Do you have a bit of Palm Pre Touchstone envy? Powermat has finally evolved their product enough so that almost any phone can be turned into an inductive charging device simply by replacing the battery with one by Powermat that includes the charging receiver.

Powermat, who sold more than 750 000 units sunce October 2009, will be showing off their new technology at CES.

"It’s all about freedom and convenience," said Ron Ferber, President of Powermat. "While our initial line delivered on our promise to eliminate the hassle of plugging and unplugging allowing consumers to plug in their Powermat and simply Drop and Charge the assortment was limited to a handful of popular devices and charging environments. For 2010 we’ve taken our product line to a whole new level through the successful miniaturization of our technology to the ASIC level.

With this and other incredible advances we’ve increased the selection of devices that we’re able to wirelessly charge to include virtually every brand of handset or handheld device. At the same time we’re offering a full range of new mats that allow consumers to charge in every possible environment, no matter where they may be.

Our next generation of products takes Powermat to an unsurpassed level. In fact our technology is so mature that we are already working with many top tier OEM brands that will be launching Powermat-enabled models in 2010."

More than 10 models from HTC, Blackberry, Nokia, LG, Samsung, Motorola and Sony Ericsson will debut at CES, but the technology can be applied to virtually any phone ensuring access to the freedom and convenience of Powermat wireless charging to consumers worldwide. Devices without removable batteries like the iPhone will continue to have to use a charging sleeve, which can interfere with the ergonomics and style of the device.

Powermat will be launching a sleek new line of single, double and triple position mats for home and office use – Powermat 1X, Powermat 2X & Powermat 3X.

Read more at Powermat.com here.

Via Engadget.com

The automotive industry is emerging from the worst year it has faced since 1970 and automakers are cautiously optimistic that a recovery is under way for U.S. auto sales.

Executives and analysts said yesterday that they expect car and light truck sales to increase to 11.5 million or more in 2010 as compared to 10.4 million in 2009. Some very optimistic analysts are forecasting sales to exceed 13 million vehicles, still below the peak of 17.4 million at the start of the last decade.

The decline in sales started in 2005 and went on until 2008, forcing General Motors and Chrysler into bankruptcy and pushing Toyota into the red for the first time since 1950.

Sales in December totaled 1,010,003, up 1.9 percent from December 2008.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Detroit News

We feel compelled to add our comments about Bono’s recent New York Times column, in which he appeared to express a strange hope that ISPs would start spying on their users in the name of protecting America’s intellectual property. “We know,” says Bono, “from America’s noble effort to stop child pornography, not to mention China’s ignoble effort to suppress online dissent, that it’s perfectly possible to track content.” He continues by hoping that “movie moguls will succeed where musicians and their moguls have failed so far, and rally America to defend the most creative economy in the world, where music, film, TV and video games help to account for nearly 4 percent of gross domestic product.”

But Bono’s new-found embrace of tracking Internet activity is in direct conflict with his own positions (expressed in the same article) about global freedom and equity.

In discussing global freedom, Bono waxes about “the trouble an aroused citizenry can give to tyrants” and how the power provided to citizens “via cellphones, the Web and the civil society and democracy these technologies can promote, is being felt by those who have traditionally held power.” Surely Bono realizes that those technologies can only promote freedom when they are built so that the citizens using them cannot be tracked, censored and spied upon (and ultimately punished for expressing their views).

Indeed, when accused of violations of basic human rights, China and other authoritarian regimes are happy to equate the development of their apparatus of online repression with other countries’ censorship and surveillance systems.

And by far the best weapon they have in this global battle to erode the neutral role of service providers is the entertainment industry, which so regularly calls upon ISPs to actively police and censor the world’s networks. Perhaps Iranians, Chinese and North Koreans will find in the next decade, as he predicts, “their Gandhi, their King, their Aung San Suu Kyi.” But if all communications are built with the surveillance infrastructure and censorship policies he wants to force on ISPs, how will these emerging leaders protect their ability to motivate and inspire the world’s people?

As one of the world’s foremost champions in fighting global poverty, Bono has testified to Congress about the impact of excessive pharmaceutical patent enforcement on the availability of life-saving drugs. Given his understanding of the benefits of flexible IP reform, Bono’s new call to seize control of the Internet by embedding content tracking in the name of ensuring full payment for the movies, music, and media that are overwhelmingly produced by rich countries sounds especially off key. After all, the net transfer of wealth due to an excessive emphasis on copyright enforcement is overwhelmingly from the world’s poorest countries to the world’s richest. The flourishing of local art and the fair trade of native culture from developing countries needs the flexibility of the global copyright regime, not a war on piracy.

A free Internet plays a critical role in the global struggle for political and economic freedom. In lending his voice and reputation to the entertainment businesses’ radical demands, Bono risks silencing the global causes he otherwise so valiantly champions.

The City of Aurora Public Library has acquired the site for its new downtown main library.

The Aurora Public Library announced today that it completed the acquisition of property in downtown Aurora from The Vanstrand Group for its new central library.

The new main library site is at the intersection of Benton Street and River Street, just a block west of the site of its current downtown main branch.

“We are very excited about this site for our new library because it will accomplish all of our long-range goals for both expansion and modernization of the main downtown library,” said Library Director, Eva Luckinbill.

“We now have the site where we can develop a modern facility to efficiently and effectively serve Aurora’s fast-growing need for information and vital library services,” she said.

The Aurora Public Library chose this site for its proximity to downtown, its size and the ability to serve as both an administrative hub as well as a central library service center for the many residents of the populous Aurora downtown.

The site is one block from the new Waubonsee Community College main downtown campus which is set to open in early 2011. It is also adjacent to the new River Street Plaza mixed-use development which features 96 new riverside condominiums and 50,000 square feet of retail shops along the Fox River.

The Vanstrand Group, developer of River Street Plaza, was instrumental in the sale of the new library site.

“After almost a year of working with the library staff and board members during the thorough site selection process we are extremely pleased that the library chose this site for its new central library development,” said Joseph Vantreese, president of The Vanstrand Group.

He added, “We were one of four possible sites being considered and through our mutual work, analysis and meetings, the library board has selected the optimum site.”

“We welcome the intellectual and economic progress which this will bring to downtown Aurora,” said Robert Allan of The Vanstrand Group.

“We know that new library developments are excellent additions to communities and have the added benefit of being tremendous economic engines for downtown locations,” he said.

The new site acquisition culminates the Library Board’s thorough site selection process. The Mayor of the City of Aurora, Thomas Weisner, said “For decades, the downtown library has provided a central location for residents throughout our community to gather, read and exchange ideas.”

He added, “I am happy that the Library Board chooses to remain downtown. Along with Waubonsee Community College and our private sector partners, the library will be a major factor in our downtown’s bright future.”

Preliminary plans are for the new library building to be a state-of-the-art facility that will feature not only additional space for the library collections but also provide for modern educational space, cultural exhibit and programming space and advanced technology services for the community.

“I’m happy to see the City of Aurora taking the next step towards realizing its new central library branch downtown,” said Gov. Pat Quinn.

“I look forward to working with the people of Aurora to make sure the central library is a model of service and community education”, he added.

The new library design and development will now enter the planning phase. Acquisition of the site was the first step in the process.

“We will continue our process of careful planning as we move forward to the next steps of the new central library’s development,” said Ms. Luckinbill.

Mercedes-Benz may very well become the first automaker to produce and sell a diesel-electric hybrid. According to CEO and chairman of Daimler, Dieter Zetsche, the E-Class is in-line to get a diesel-electric hybrid system in 2011.

Known as the E300 Hybrid, the model will use the company’s modified twin-turbocharged 2.2L 4-cylinder diesel engine from the E250 CDI. The engine will be mated to an electric-motor and a lithium-ion battery pack similar to the one seen in the S400 Hybrid.

Don’t expect to get an electric-only driving range out of the E300 Hybrid since it will only be a mild hybrid, meaning the electric-motor will assist the engine rather than helping the E-Class drive on its own.

The Mercedes-Benz E300 Hybrid is expected to average more than 47 mpg.

No word on market availability yet. The diesel-electric drivetrain will also make its way into the M, GL, R, and GLK in the future.

– By: Kap Shah

Source: AutoCar

Los Angeles Police detectives investigating the death of Johnson & Johnson heiress Casey Johnson want to speak with the socialite’s fiancee, unstable reality star Tila Tequila, about statements she made on the social networking site Twitter.com, claiming Casey, 30, may have died of a prescription drug overdose.

Johnson was found dead by a housekeeper in her Los Angeles home on Monday. She had likely been there for days, police say. While officials don’t suspect foul play, they’ve begun interviewing Casey’s friends and family members and plan to talk to Tila about her alleged “fears” that her lover was an addict, FOX News has learned.

Warren Buffett is a large influential shareholder of Kraft and recently voted no against a potential takeover bid by Kraft (KFT) for Cadbury.

Conspiracy theories abound… does he really mean ‘No’, or is this a negotiation tactic to drive down Cadbury’s final acquisition price?

Telegraph: As befitting the Sage of Omaha, Berkshire Hathaway’s statement is canny indeed. First, it uses tough language in voting against Kraft’s proposal to issue 370m shares to facilitate the Cadbury bid. To vote yes, it argues, would be to give Kraft management a blank cheque in a bid process where they can still change the terms.

This is undoubtedly true and gives the impression that Kraft’s biggest shareholder is queasy about the deal, helping Kraft’s shares go up on the view that its chances of winning Cadbury have diminished while Cadbury’s shares go down as expectations of a bid premium also falter. But this is exactly what Rosenfeld wants over the next few weeks, and it’s what Buffett wants too. The value of Kraft’s currency goes up while Cadbury’s falls, helping the Kraft board structure a deal that eventually minimises the use of shares and maximises cash. Buffett’s and Rosenfeld’s interests are entirely aligned – he is, after all, the company’s biggest shareholder and he’s never questioned the industrial logic of the Cadbury approach.

Thing is, A) There is nothing wrong with a shareholder’s interests being aligned with a company managements interests (that’s the ideal after all) and B) there’s nothing wrong with hiding your ultimate intentions, and how badly you want to make a deal, during a negotiation process. Even if Cadbury shares get slammed. If you think he’s truly bluffing, well then here’s an opportunity:

(Via FTAlphaville)

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Whitney Tilson: Relax, Warren Buffett Didn’t Screw Up The Kraft-Cadbury Deal
• Warren Buffett Just Delivered A Death Blow To Cadbury
• Teflon Buffett Has Fired 21,000 People This Year

This is Part Two of a three part interview with Jay Rogers, CEO of Local Motors. They recently displayed their Rally Fighter at the 2009 SEMA show and look to change the way cars are designed, and built. Read Part One here.

On Monday we covered how Jay Rogers, CEO of Local Motors, had a vision for a new kind of car company. He wanted the people to design and vote on the car they wanted. That is how the Rally Fighter came to be.

Of course, drawing a car is a lot easier than building one. This is the same reason concept cars rarely make it into production unscathed. The Rally Fighter evolved substantially from Sangho Kim’s first rendering, though the resemblance to the famous World War II P-51fighter plane (where the Ford Mustang also got its name, before going to the equine imagery) remained intact. What came next was actually building a car, based on Sangho’s design, without the benefit of a factory or an army of robots.

This meant it was time to make some hard decisions. But Jay would get help from his community of designers for that too.

Read more of this story »

After suffering a 36 percent drop in U.S. sales last year, Chrysler today announced that it has named individual advertising agencies to manage Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and its Ram Truck brands.

“To establish a distinct identity and build upon the current brand equity, it is important that the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram Truck brands retain individual agencies that fit with the brand direction. This includes helping to further identify each of the brand’s specific values and culture. Individual agencies also will enable us to deliver unique ideas and broaden our reach to existing and potential customers,” said Olivier Francois, President and CEO, Chrysler Brand and Head of Marketing, Chrysler Group LLC. “We have completed a thorough search and have selected these specific agencies to communicate the true essence of our vehicle portfolio.”

Dodge has been assigned to Wieden + Kennedy, a Portland, Oregon-based agency responsible for Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign.

Click through for the press release.

Press Release:

Chrysler Group LLC Announces Advertising Agencies of Record for the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep® and Ram Truck brands

– Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep® and Ram Truck brands to have individual agencies to re-establish identity and enhance reputation in the automotive marketplace

Auburn Hills, Mich., Jan 6, 2010 – Chrysler Group LLC announced today that it has named individual advertising agencies to manage the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep® and Ram Truck brands. The announcement comes as the contract with BBDO Detroit, the company’s current agency, ends this January.

The following agencies will lead the advertising development for each of the brands:

* The Chrysler brand has assigned, Fallon, a Publicis Groupe agency, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as its creative agency of record
* The Dodge brand has assigned Wieden + Kennedy, a Portland, Oregon-based agency, as its creative agency of record
* The Jeep brand has assigned GlobalHue, a Southfield, Michigan-based independent agency, as its creative agency of record
* The Ram Truck brand has assigned The Richards Group, a Dallas, Texas-based independent agency, as its creative agency of record

Last month, Chrysler Group also announced that UM will be the company’s new agency of record for media planning and buying, as well as retail advertising trafficking for the Ram Truck, Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep brands in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and Meredith Integrated Marketing will manage CRM initiatives for both the U.S. and Canada.

– By: Stephen Calogera