Author: Serkadis

Article Tags: Comment, Copenhagen Conference, You could not make it up

Although this article is a few weeks old, you should take note that just before the Copenhagen Conference a NEW study was issued to show an even worse effect of “global warming” and CO2……….these guy’s tried everything in the book to persuade delegates to come to an agreement…….this so called “scientific” study should be seen as a blatant use of scare tactics, and undermines the entire “Man Made CO2 industry”.

Carbon dioxide indirectly causes up to 50 percent more global warming than originally thought, a finding that raises questions over targets for stabilising carbon emissions over the long term, a study said on Sunday.

In a paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, British scientists said a tool commonly used in climate modelling may have badly underlooked the sensitivity of key natural processes to the warming caused by CO2.

As a result, calculations for man-made global warming on the basis of carbon emissions may be underpitched by between 30 and 50 percent, they said.

Source: breitbart.com

Read in full with comments »   

AT&T is apparently not alone in struggling to cope with the demand that data hungry devices like the iPhone have placed on its network. Ronan Dunne, CEO of O2 UK, has publicly apologized to Londoners for the poor performance of its network over the past 6 months, blaming the explosion of demand for data by smartphones such an Apple’s iPhone for its woes. Londoners on O2 have struggled with intermittent data outages and occasional periods where they could not make or receive phone calls, a scenario all too familiar for AT&T customers in the US. To cope with this surge in usage, O2 UK has dumped 30 million pounds ($48 million USD) into its network and has added 200 mobile base stations. O2 is also working closely with Nokia Siemens to help better equip its network infrastructure and is in talks with both RIM and Apple to help identify data-intensive applications, a strategy which sounds a bit troubling. With a bit of good news, Mr. Dunne claims O2’s London network has shown improvement in the month of December and that any  “short-term blip” in their network reputation will be ameliorated by these efforts.Read

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

Read Original Article

Christmas is a holiday that brings people together, so perhaps it should be no surprise that Facebook has become a part of millions of peoples’ Christmas experiences. For the first time in its history, Facebook was the #1 most visited website in the United States on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year, according to traffic analyst firm Hitwise today.

That’s worth noting. HitWise reported last year that Facebook was #2 behind Google on Christmas. People say that Facebook vs. Google will be the web’s biggest battle of coming years – but it looks like Facebook has already won the battle for Christmas.

Sponsor

Throughout 2009, Google and Yahoo! Mail were both bigger than Facebook, Hitwise says. Facebook was the most popular search query of the last year across all search engine use by US users, however. It’s a social network’s world these days.

One Christmas gift Facebook users may not have expected: December’s major shift away from Facebook’s initial nature as a privacy-centric social network. Apparently that didn’t slow people down from visiting the site on the holidays.

Discuss

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

Read Original Article

Starting in 2010, Ford will become the first automaker to offer HD Radio with iTunes Tagging capability. The feature will allow Ford owners to tag a song they hear on their HD Radio receiver and download it later onto their iPhone or iPod.

iTunes Tagging  is currently available on a couple of aftermarket HD Radio receivers, but Ford will be the first automaker to offer it as a factory-installed option.

“Up to 100 tags can be stored on SYNC until the iPod is connected to receive the download of metadata,” Ford says. “When the iPod is then synced to iTunes, a playlist of “tagged” songs will appear. Customers then can preview and, if desired, purchase and download tagged songs from the iTunes Store.”

Click through for the press release.

Press Release:

FORD FIRST TO ENABLE iTUNES TAGGING WITH LAUNCH OF NEW HD RADIO CAPABILITY IN ITS LINEUP

* Ford is the first auto manufacturer to offer HD Radio™ technology with iTunes® Tagging capability; this new functionality will be available next year
* HD Radio technology captures free digital radio broadcasts, which eliminate static, fadeout and other problems associated with conventional analog radio signals; the result is FM audio that’s comparable to near-CD quality and AM audio that sounds like today’s FM broadcasts
* HD Radio digital technology provides a number of advanced services not available with an analog radio. Extra FM channels, called HD2/HD3 channels, are delivered, as well as useful on-screen Program Service Data such as artist name and song title

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 29, 2009 – iTunes Tagging and crystal-clear radio sound through HD Radio technology are the latest features on Ford’s growing list of factory-installed customer conveniences and technologies that will be newly available in 2010.

HD Radio receivers pull in digital radio signals and play them with dramatically improved sound. FM stations, for example, have near-CD quality, making it convenient for customers to select songs they want to download and purchase.

“iTunes Tagging and HD Radio technology are strong new additions to the growing collection of Ford convenience features and technology we’re offering customers to make driving even more enjoyable,” said Mark Fields, president of The Americas. “This is another example of Ford’s commitment to bring the widest variety of factory-installed customer-focused technology, features and conveniences to millions of people.”

In 2010, Ford vehicles will offer familiar terrestrial radio, HD Radio technology, SIRIUS® Satellite Radio as well as Internet radio through Ford SYNC® from a Bluetooth®-streaming audio-capable smartphone.

“Ford continues to lead the market in bringing advanced capabilities to popular vehicles. We are very pleased that HD Radio technology is an integral part of Ford’s broad offering of new features,” said Jeff Jury, COO of iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer of HD Radio technology.

Like the song? You can tag it
The world’s first implementation of iTunes Tagging in a factory-installed HD Radioreceiver will launch in 2010 on select Ford vehicles. Through the SYNC system, iTunes Tagging will provide Ford customers with the ability to capture a song they hear on the HD Radio receiver for later purchase. With a simple push of the “TAG” button on the radio display, the song information will be stored in the radio’s memory.

All HD Radio-enabled receivers in Ford vehicles also will provide Program Service Data – information that appears on the radio screen and includes song title, artist name and more.

Familiar controls with better quality
HD Radio technology enables more listening options and increased sound quality by using the same radio interface customers are used to as well as the same antennas and analog tuners with an added digital decoder inside the radio. Additionally, HD Radio-enabled receivers provide listeners with unique advanced services.
To operate, there’s no difference from today’s radio operations – customers just tune in their favorite stations. If the station is broadcasting with HD Radio technology, the system automatically picks up the signal and will transition to digital audio once decoded.

Exclusive to HD Radio receivers are HD2/HD3 channels, which resemble mini-stations that could be spun off the “mother” station or completely new content for the local market. HD2/HD3 channels are found directly adjacent to the main (HD1) channel on the dial if available.

If additional HD2/HD3 channels are available, the radio will indicate how many on a multicast information bar. Users may tune up to the new available channels like they would tune to any other analog station. Users also may store HD2/HD3 presets, just as they do with today’s radio.

HD Radio technology enables better audio and exclusive unique content choices
One significant benefit of HD Radio technology is that the sound quality of the broadcast is dramatically better because of the digital transmission – FM sounds like a CD and AM sounds like terrestrial FM broadcasts. Also, the sound itself is much clearer and more consistent, without issues such as pops or hisses. Unlike analog broadcasts, digital broadcasts aren’t susceptible to interference, fadeout and other issues.

Most stations use the additional HD2/HD3 channels to provide more unique coverage of sports, music or other niche programs often tailored for their individual markets – all for free. For example, in Dallas there is now a dedicated 24/7 Cowboys channel on 105.3-HD3. In Pittsburgh, there is a dedicated 24/7 Penguins channel on 105.9-HD2.Broadcasters may choose any genre they wish for their additional channels.

Nearly 2,000 radio stations in the U.S. currently broadcast in digital HD Radio sound, with more than 1,100 stations also airing HD2/HD3 channels. Approximately 85 percent of the U.S. population is served by a station broadcasting with HD Radio technology.

– By: Kap Shah

Well, it seems like South Korean companies aren’t fooling around when it comes to getting us riding that newly minted Mobile TV bandwagon. In the wake of LG announcing its first Mobile DTV devices this morning comes Cydle with the P29A PMP. It sports a 2.9-inch touchscreen (see what they did there?), an accelerometer for automatic reorientation, a world clock, and voice recording via a built-in mic. That’s a somewhat disappointing goodie list, considering the currently available HD radio-playing P29H (pictured for illustration purposes) also has GPS onboard. Still, you can snap up the A model in Q2 2010 for $199, which seems like a keen price when compared to the $499 Mobile DTV car tuner we’ve seen before.

Cydle P29A spices up mundane spec sheet with Mobile TV capabilities originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Business Wire  | Email this | Comments

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

Article

The Daily Telegraph has recently published the results of its research, and what came out may be of some interest to any gamer. According to the results, gaming is now bigger than films in the UK. Talk

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Recalls, Safety, Chevrolet

Do you own a Chevrolet Corvette? If so, is it a 2005 to 2007 model? If you answered “yes,” does your ‘Vette have a removable top? If (again) yes, have you noticed a snapping noise while driving over speed bumps? What about extra wind noise? Does your roof panel move when you slam the door or rear hatch? Have you noticed water beading down on your head during wet weather even though the removable roof is in place? If you answered “yes” to three or more of these questions, Chevrolet has a recall for you.

Seems as if the glue holding that holds the outer portion of the panel to the Corvette’s roof frame has been failing. Full, worst case scenario consequence would be the outer part of the panel separating completely and flying away where it “could strike a following vehicle and cause injury and/or property damage.” Seems as if we’ve heard something about this adhesive problem before… way back in April of 2006.

According to General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration, all 22,090 2005-2007 removable roof Corvette owners would be well advised to go down to their local dealer and get a new roof, gratis. Also: special bonus props to whomever can name the special edition Corvette pictured above. There are a couple of clues if you look hard enough.

[Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]

Chevy recalls 2005-2007 Corvettes over possible roof panel separation originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Horizon Wind Energy, the U.S. unit of Portuguese clean energy company EDP Renováveis (EDPR), has secured a $90 million equity financing from Dallas-based JPM Capital for an undisclosed stake in Horizon’s 101 megawatts Lost Lakes Wind Farm, which went live this month in Dickinson County, Iowa.

With this investment JPM Capital will access the stimulus-funded cash grants that the farm is expected to receive in lieu of tax credits, in effect securing a lump of cash backed by the U.S. government.

This is the second such deal between JPM Capital and Horizon. In September the Dallas investment fund paid Horizon a little more than a $100 million for a stake in the 100.5-megawatt Rail Splitter wind farm in central Illinois.

In the U.S. Horizon oversees 3.4 gigawatts of wind development. In November, parent company Energias de Portugal (EDP) pledged a $4bn investment in new US wind projects over the next two years.

.

Kolkata, Dec 28 : West Bengal is facing difficulty to get the required technologies essential for producing renewable energy which is necessary to reduce the emission level of green house gasses, state Information Technology Minister Debesh Das said …

This doesn’t look dangerous

As more people move away from lucrative Windows desktops (OK, more is a relative term, but it’s definitely a countable number) folks like McAfee have to find new threats for us to fear in order to ensure that we purchase their products.

The latest scare? McAffee is warning us that HTML5 in Chrome OS will be able to hack us even when we’re not online. They have no proofs of concept, no actual data… it’s just conjecture.

That BusinessWeek picked this up with a delightfully alarmist headline is also a testament to McAffee’s success. Oh well. Folks like McAffee have to eat as well, so stay scared, web users!

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

Read Original Article

It has been one great year for Twitter with the service seeing huge growth, especially in the first half of the year. It rose from a microblogging service used by the hip, tech-savvy crowd to one used by millions of regular people, as well as the latest trend for celebrities and companies. Lately though, it looks like some of the shine may be fading and traffic numbers have stayed flat since summer. Despite this, cofounder Biz Stone is more confident than ever that the site will continue to grow and that 2010 will see more significant changes for the service, which it now dubs an “information network,” and Twitter will become an essential tool for keeping the world updated with the latest news and trends.

In a piece published by the British newspaper The Times and written by Stone, Twitter’s cofounder looks back at the past year and at what he sees as the company’s promising future. “For us, it has been a year during which we realised that no matter how sophisticated the algorithms get, no matter how many machines we add to the network, our work is not about the triumph of technology, it is about the triumph of humanity,” he writes.

Stone dwells a lot on the Iran elections during which Twitter really came to be known as an information source being used by people in Iran, as well as those outside … (read more)

AT&T (T), O2 feels your pain. It too has seen its network overtaxed by Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone, particularly in London where a massive surge in data traffic has been causing network congestion since the summer. In an interview with the Financial Times, O2 CEO Ronan Dunne said the company has seen an 18-fold increase in data traffic since the beginning of the year, most of it driven by super-smartphones like the iPhone. “Where we haven’t met our own high standards then there’s no question, we apologise to customers for that fact,” Dunne said. “But it would be wrong to say O2 has failed its customers en masse.”

Well, that’s one way of looking at it. The thousands of smartphone users who lost data service just a few days ago might see things a bit differently, though. Anyway, O2 — like AT&T in the states — is doing its best to contain the PR damage arising from such outages. Dunne says the carrier has added an additional 200 mobile base stations in London to help it meet data demand and has been working with its infrastructure suppliers on network tweaks to improve data service. A wise move. Best to act quickly and get out ahead of issues like these which can become public relations nightmares very quickly. As AT&T recently learned network congestion issues make great fodder for the advertising campaigns of rivals. Wouldn’t want Vodafone running its own version of Verizon’s nasty “There’s a Map for That” commercials, now would we?

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

Read Original Article

Well it seems there have been many variations of this Handheld Keyboard and Touchpad that resembles a BlackBerry from 10 years ago…this latest version offers Bluetooth. All previous models have been either wired or wireless but with a dongle or cable required. This version requires no dongle but just a computer or gadget that has Bluetooth connectivity available. The Bluetooth Handheld Keyboard and Touchpad is a palm-sized keyboard which consists of 48 key + touchpad. The Bluetooth feature controls your computer or PS3 with distance about 10M and is available in white or black and retails for $62 bucks.

Pushed by recession and the constant degradation of our planet, most automakers are trying to figure out one of the most complicated questions yet: what to use for replacing the internal combustion engine?

Though most car manufacturer are pushing forward with the research to build electric vehicles, there are still automakers which believe in other possibilities. One of these automakers is Kia, who started in December the testing program for its Mohave FCV model, a vehicle powered… (read more)

So you may recall that last week, the story spread about how Demi Moore’s lawyers flipped out and sent ridiculous (laughably so) legal threats to a few blogs that were discussing whether or not Moore’s photo on the cover of W magazine had been digitally retouched and, if so, how poor a job the retouching was. Most specifically, there was the point that her hip looked out of place. None of the conversation (which had mostly died out a month before Ms. Moore’s lawyers got involved) suggested anything even remotely negative about Ms. Moore herself — but about the potentially poor editing job on the photo itself.

Of course, once the story was pushed back into the news by Moore’s lawyers, a second look at the evidence suggested quite clearly that the image had, in fact, been retouched (not that there’s anything wrong with that). And, now, the story gets even more bizarre. Anthony Citrano, one of the bloggers being threatened by Moore’s lawyers — and who has (reasonably) demanded a complete retraction and apology from Moore’s lawyers — got in touch to let us know that the Korea edition of W magazine just happened to have fixed the hip problem on their cover version of the same photo.

As Citrano points out, this leads to one of two possibilities:

1. Citrano was correct all along that the version with the funky hip a bad image edit or…
2. By Moore’s own lawyer’s explanation, W in Korea had defamed Demi Moore by editing her image (which the lawyers insisted needed no editing)

Either way, at least one of those images was apparently edited, and Citrano’s still waiting for that apology and retraction…

Permalink | Comments | Email This Story

For the second month in a row, the Case-Shiller numbers came in weaker than expected.

On a year-over-year basis, the 20-city index fell 7.3% in October, a bit worse than the 7.1% analysts had expected.

On a sequential basis, the price index was up .4%, though gains were only seen in 11 of the 20 cities covered.

But maybe there’s a bull case to be made. What we aren’t seeing is the huge drop-off in prices that many had predicted when the summer buying season ended.

Granted, we’re providing unprecedented support to the housing market right now in the form of quantitative easing, the tax credit, and at least 6 other programs. So all that has to be considered. But the index is obviously showing some signs of stabilization, even if our feverish v-shaped dreams from earlier this year aren’t coming to fruition.

 

Full Case-Shiller October Report –

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Case-Shiller: Home Price Recovery Stumbles, Results Worse Than Expected
• Actually, Case-Shiller Shows That The Housing Crash Has Already Resumed
• Case-Shiller A "Dead Cat Bounce"

Filed under: Safety, Technology

With the adoption of front-wheel drive as the mainstream power delivery system of choice, the semi-annual ritual of swapping snow tires has largely disappeared for most Americans. In many northern areas, all-wheel drive has become an increasingly popular choice when offered as an option. But as much help as putting power through all four wheels can be, it simply can’t substitute for a good set of snow tires.

Ultimately, grip comes down to four patches of rubber and if they’re unable to make solid contact, the number of drive wheels becomes irrelevant. This became abundantly clear this past weekend while driving a new 2010 Subaru Legacy. The Legacy is a plush, roomy mid-size sedan with excellent outward visibility and Subaru makes an excellent symmetrical all wheel drive. Unfortunately, its all-season tires lacked traction. Read on after the jump for more.

Continue reading PSA: Proper winter tires are more important than all-wheel drive

PSA: Proper winter tires are more important than all-wheel drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Windows: Yesterday we showed you how to remotely control a computer through Dropbox. Want to further automate your online syncing? MailDrop automatically grabs attachments from a particular email folder or label and stashes them in your cloud-based Dropbox storage.

Why would MailDrop be useful, beyond what a Drobox user can already do with their automatic folders and web access? Because it monitors only a specific label or folder in your email account, MailDrop makes it very easy to back up important files that get sent to your inbox. If you set that folder in your Dropbox account to be shared with others, it’s also a one-click solution for getting important files to collaborators and friends. Finally, if you’re on a device without a decent browser or a native Dropbox client (we’re looking at you, BlackBerry), it’s not too hard to set up a filter or folder rule that automatically shuffles files you mail to yourself into your Dropbox account.

What about the application itself? It’s self-contained and portable, and runs in the Windows system tray, periodically checking an email address, via IMAP connection, for activity in a folder you specify. It’s set up from the get-go for easy Gmail access, but you can manually tweak its server, port, and SSL settings for any IMAP-compatible service. If you find it helpful, you’ll want to add it to your Start menu’s Startup folder and set up your email with a unique folder or label for MailDrop to monitor.

MailDrop is a free download for Windows systems only.

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

Read Original Article