Author: Serkadis

A key natural gas drilling technique, known as hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking', is under fire due to environmental concerns in North Texas.

Dallas News: Hydraulic fracturing involves shooting a high-pressure mixture of water and chemicals underground to crack rock and allow more natural gas to flow out. Environmentalists argue that it can lead to contamination of groundwater supplies, while gas producers say that won't happen.

Most North Texans use surface water and wouldn't be affected by groundwater contamination, although some residents of rural areas such as Wise County rely on well water.

The technology is so important that Exxon (XOM) has even threatened to walk away from their acquisition of natural gas producer XTO Energy (XTO) should harsh regulation be enacted.

Hydraulic fracturing has become a necessary method to produce natural gas in so-called unconventional fields, which have been discovered in Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and New York. Exxon is buying XTO to gain a big presence in unconventional fields.

If hydraulic fracturing becomes illegal in the U.S., that could shut down operations in the Barnett Shale and other big natural gas fields around the country. Such laws could wipe out profit for XTO and hundreds of other natural-gas drillers and could limit domestic gas production.

As shown in the picture above, unconventional gas, mostly via shale, can provide the U.S. with a massive source of domestic, relatively clean energy. Thus one hopes that additional fracking regulation can be avoided. Read more here.

See Exxon's natural gas outlook and why they spent $41 billion on XTO >>>

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The latest data out of the Officer of the Comptroller of the Currency is not promising. Seriously delinquent mortgages increased in every category in Q3. Regular prime mortgages haven’t exploded higher, but good old fashioned subprime and alt-A continue to blast to new heights.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari

There are hearts breaking all over Italy, and the biggest one of all is that which beats in the chest of Ferrari head Luca de Montezemolo. Michael Schumacher is still under contract to The Prancing Horse as a global ambassador and consultant for their road cars. However, given the opportunity to return to a Formula One cockpit and prove a thing or ten, he appears keen on racing no matter the color of the car.

Neither Schumacher nor the Mercedes F1 team is revealing anything public about the German’s chances of driving, but it’s been in the press for a few weeks now. Last week, Schumacher phoned Montezemolo and told him there was a “very, very, very strong possibility” he’d end up as a driver for Mercedes. Speculation is that the final say is only waiting on Schumacher’s neck to be declared fully healed after his motorcycle accident earlier this year.

If the 41-year-old Schumy does race again with Mercedes, it will be with the company that put him on the road to becoming one of the greatest racing drivers ever. And it will come at the expense of a muy doloroso de Montezemolo, who is so torn up about Michael switching camps that he has taken to calling the former Ferrari driver “the real Michael Schumacher,” and the potential Mercedes pilot, “the new Michael Schumacher.”

If it comes to pass, we’ll play a sad song for de Montezemolo on the jukebox, but we’ll do a dance for the coming F1 season: Rosberg and Schumacher in Mercedes’, Alonso and Massa in Ferraris, Hamilton and Button in McLarens, Vettel in his Red Bull. There hasn’t been a field like that in that kind of machinery in more than a decade. Please let it be March already…

[Source: Autosport | Image: Juergen Schwarz/Getty]

Schumacher Says It Himself: driving for Mercedes F1 is a “very strong possibility” originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Recruiter: Domini Clark ([email protected])

Battelle Energy Alliance, Idaho National Laboratory (www.INL.gov), is involved with a major growth phase and we are currently looking for a talented Commercialization Manager supporting our Nuclear Science and Technology Directorate, contributing to the advancement of our mission in research science and national defense. With 3,500 world-class scientists, researchers and support staff, the laboratory works with national and international governments, universities and industry partners to discover new science and develop technologies that underpin the nation’s nuclear and renewable energy, national security and environmental missions.

The Commercialization Manager to maintain and establish strategic, long-term relationships with external customers and with INL management and technical teams in order to promote access to INL facilities, capabilities and intellectual property in a manner that benefits the American economy and competitiveness. Under the strategic direction of a Senior Commercialization Manager, manage assigned portfolio of deployable technology and intellectual property (IP) to advance INL’s Nuclear Science and Technology mission objectives, including:

• Securing, building strategic intellectual property (IP) assets and identifying the best use of IP and deployable technologies supporting lab-wide and nuclear mission strategies;
• Providing recommendations and valuations on potential IP;
• Defining and executing marketing strategies for the strategic portfolio of technologies and IP;
• Identifying, communicating and mitigating risks of technology transfer decisions for stakeholders/decision makers within the company;
• Managing the agreement life cycle, e.g., modifications, compliance, performance, termination, etc.;
• Understanding and ensuring compliance with policies, procedures, and regulations associated with IP and licenses and related contracts (including conflict of interest and fairness of opportunity);
• Oversee technology and IP deployment projects carried out by junior staff members; and
• Training INL professionals involved in Nuclear Science and Technology mission accomplishment in technology management and intellectual property aspects.
• Developing and carrying out nonfederal technology transfer strategies that support Nuclear Science and Technology mission strategies;
• Preparing for and representing the INL in negotiations in a manner consistent with INL’s mission objectives and policies;
• Understanding and complying with policies, procedures, and regulations related to Copyright Assertion, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA), Work for Others (WFO) and other technology transfer contractual mechanisms used at the INL.

Qualifications:
Baccalaureate and seven (7) years relevant experience or advanced degree and five (5) years experience in relevant technical, legal and/or business field. Strong preference towards advanced degrees in technical/science/engineering, business, or law. Experience in commercialization of technology, including experience in contracting, technology transfer and/or intellectual property management highly desired.

Skills & Abilities:
The Commercialization Manager must:

• Understand and appreciate complex legal issues, understand technical issues, manage multiple tasks and projects under time constraints, and communicate and interface and interact effectively with relevant Laboratory personnel (technical and managerial) and multiple external customers.
• Represent the INL professionally during external negotiations.
• Possess a knowledge and ability to understand financial information and intellectual property valuation techniques, and be willing to assume responsibility for activities of considerable fiscal significance.
• Initiate tactical actions to accomplish strategic goals, work independently with limited oversight from the Senior Commercialization Manager.
• Engage cross-organizational and cross-disciplinary teams to accomplish technology deployment project goals.

Special Requirements:
Certified Licensing Professional status or willingness/ability to obtain certification preferred or equivalent training

Apply:
To be considered for this position, please apply on-line at www.inl.gov/careers to position #5153 prior to January 21, 2010.

Additional Information:
*The INL is located in Idaho Falls, Idaho (www.visitidahofalls.com)*
*Position requires relocation to Idaho Falls, Idaho – Full Relocation Package offered*
*Bachelors Degree is a minimum qualification in addition to the specific requirements*
*To view openings individually and apply go to: (www.inl.gov/careers/index.shtml)*
*To learn about the INL History and our strategic plan please go to: (www.inl.gov)*

The INL is located in Idaho Falls, ID (www.visitidahofalls.com). The area is in the heart of some of the most outstanding, outdoor recreation areas in the world. Access to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Sun Valley Idaho, scenic Shoshone Falls, Jackson Hole Wyoming, Salt Lake City Utah and areas of Nevada.

Equal Employment Opportunity
INL is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V

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A portable oxygen concentrator has become a “must” for the many people with COPD and who need to receive supplemental oxygen. At the same time this type of machine is also a godsend for those who assist or live with them.
For both the patient and the caretaker, a lack of oxygen saturation is difficult – the patient has to live with either a shortness of breath and all that this entails, or must receive extra oxygen. Those who assist, and this could be a family member or someone from the medical profession, must also provide help and to do so must know their way around the oxygen machine, in this case a portable oxygen concentrator.
There are some basic differences between an oxygen concentrator and an oxygen tank (either liquid or compressed oxygen) that make for a different approach.

1. The first difference has to do with storage. A tank holds or stores oxygen while a concentrator does not – it delivers the oxygen as it extracts it.
2. Another difference is delivery. A portable oxygen concentrator will provide oxygen as on as the machine is turned on and not, as in a tank or cylinder that depends on the amount of oxygen that is stored.
3. A portable oxygen concentrator on the other hand delivers the oxygen it is extracting from the air around it and this extraction is possible thanks to its power source that makes the extraction mechanism work. Electricity – be it from a battery or as a result of being plugged in. Portable oxygen concentrators use rechargeable batteries which increases dramatically its possibilities for oxygen delivery and by being plugged in, where many models can also be connected to the car lighter socket for example.

These three basic differences may appear small in nature but in reality are the reason why portable oxygen concentrators have not only become so popular but have also increased the amount and type of activities COPD patients are enjoying. From the point of view of caretakers – especially family members – they are experiencing less demands and have therefore less stress.
In short:

• Longer oxygen supply. Even when not plugged in, the battery option which can go from 2 hours onwards depending on the flow rate and the battery capacity. But with a change of battery the whole cycle begins again.
• The relationship between weight and amount of oxygen that is stored is no longer an issue.
• There is no need for a refill – this being one of the logistic problems and limitations that used happen to everyone on supplemental oxygen before the arrival of portable oxygen concentrators.
• Size and shape make these machines more portable.
• Travel, short distances, long distances or the equivalent in time intervals is much easier. This ease of travel is due to the durability of the oxygen supply and also because public carriers (airplanes, trains and buses) have less restraints than they do for oxygen containers.

University of Illinois
Office of Technology Management
Assistant Director, Business Development
Chicago Campus

The Office of Technology Management (OTM) at the University of Illinois in Chicago is seeking applicants for the position of Assistant Director, Business Development. The successful candidate is responsible for the management and execution of the business development activities of the Office of Technology Management (OTM) at UIC. The Assistant Director, Business Development and Technology Management will be responsible for conceptualizing, implementing and executing the business development strategy of the OTM as well as advancing the overall goals of the OTM. Other duties include:

1. Create, facilitate, implement and lead external business development initiatives to advance University of Illinois at Chicago’s intellectual property and maximize its financial results in both the short and long term.
2. Create and implement an external business development strategy to increase the OTM’s exposure to potential licensees.
3. Utilizing the Salesforce.com customer relationship management platform, create performance measurements for the business development strategy, create transaction summaries on all external business development activities and provide post-transaction reviews for all processes related to the external business development activities.
4. Keep all stakeholders regularly informed on status of pending external business development transactions and developing corporate relationships.
5. Create strategic relationships with other Universities to explore opportunities to bundle like technologies and go to market with complete business solutions.
6. Assist Director in the management of the unit. Develop, administer and evaluate major programs or projects.
7. Supervise Technology Management team.
8. Serve on OTM leadership team to ensure operating activities are within University policy.
9. Participate in conferences and seminars conducted by the University, Unit, or professional organizations specific to furthering the OTM’s external business development initiatives.
10. Participate in team project, with all other members of the OTM staff, regarding strategic planning and preparation of the Unit’s annual operating plan and budget.
11. Develop an annual Professional Development plan.
12. Act on behalf of the Director of OTM in her absence.
13. Serve on University, campus, and other committees/teams as assigned.

Minimum qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in a related field and five years’ relevant professional experience in business, academic, or government in business development and/or operational management; Master’s degree or professional degree (professional experience and accomplishments may be considered in lieu of the advanced degree requirement) preferred. Other required qualifications include: proven ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion to make sound decisions; strong organizational and prioritization skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously; demonstrated keen business intuition, results orientation, and interest in advancing business development activities for university technologies; outstanding teamwork and influence-management skills with the ability to successfully work with others at all levels; effective leadership skills with the demeanor, business maturity, intellect and integrity required to establish immediate credibility and establish results; exemplary skills and acumen to assume roles of greater responsibility over time; and proficient computer skills (e.g., PowerPoint, Excel, Word, etc.).

This is a full-time 12-month Academic Professional, benefits eligible position. For full consideration, candidates must apply to and submit a letter of application, resume, and names/addresses/phone numbers of three professional references by January 11, 2010 at https://uajobs.hr.uillinois.edu/.

University of Illinois
Employee Relations and Human Resources
809 S. Marshfield Ave M/C 078
Chicago, IL 60612
Phone: (312) 996-5130
Fax: (312) 996-6005

The University of Illinois is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer dedicated to building a community of excellence, equity and diversity. University Administration welcomes applications from women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, sexual minority groups and other candidates who will lead and contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives.

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Last week saw the launch of new Christian-branded exchange traded funds. Basically, they screen investments for companies involved in controversial businesses, such as arms or alcohol companies.

They’re surprisingly niche, given that there is a Lutheran Values Fund (FKL), a Baptist Values Fund (FZB), a Catholic Values Fund (FCV) and a Methodist Values Fund (FMV), in addition to a broader Christian one (FOC).

Which is all fine, some people probably want to limit the kind of companies they invest in according to their personal beliefs.

What’s disturbing, as Lara Crigger at Index Universe highlights, is that once again it appears we have new ETFs that are niche-branded with pretty steep fees.

Index Universe: But FaithShares also charges a pretty penny for the privilege of investing according to one’s moral compass: Their Christian-based ETFs charge a 0.87 percent expense ratio, which makes them one of the most expensive ETFs on the market. (It should be noted, however, that each fund does donate 10 percent of its net income back to a denomination-specific charity.)

So far, religiously themed ETFs have yet to prove themselves more than just a neat PR gimmick. Investors might say they want morally themed funds, but so far, the one such fund available for any length of time has failed to attract many investment dollars.

We’re always disturbed by these kinds of products, since peoples’ good intentions, whereby they’re more likely to overlook high fees, are in a sense taken advantage of.

While this can be accepted at some level, these are ETFs not the small religious items one might buy from a gift shop. The managers can earn massive amounts of excess fees off of peoples’ good intentions here, thus you’d hope for fees more in-line with what funds of similar investment complexity would charge.

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See Also:

• This Austria ETF Will Be Slammed By A Crisis
• Investors Push Junk Bond ETF To Highs Of The Year
• The Most Ridiculous ETFs Of All Time

Jamie Love points us to the news that the UK is working to lower taxes on patent income in an effort to encourage greater patenting. Well, they claim it’s to encourage more innovation:

Darling said in his speech that the UK “has a remarkable record of ideas and innovation. We’ve won more Nobel prizes than any country of our size. We need to do more to support this ingenuity and ensure this creativity is harnessed in this country. I want to encourage research and development in the pharmaceuticals and biotech industries. So, following consultation with business, I will introduce a 10% corporation tax rate on income which stems from patents in the UK.”

But all such things really do is encourage more patenting, but less actual innovation. That’s because the tax rate on actual innovation — actually bringing these products to market successfully — remains significantly higher. So, if you do any research at all, you have every incentive in the world to try to just gain income from the patents directly (such as by threatening any company that actually does any innovation and demanding licensing fees) rather than doing the work of actually implementing the product yourself. After all, that’s exactly what the government is telling you to do. It’s saying that if you actually produce an innovative product, we’ll tax you at a very high rate. If all you do is patent it and then squeeze money out of others, we’ll tax you at a much lower rate. I don’t see how that encourages innovation at all. It seems like it would do the opposite.

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If your company is so big and impersonal that you call the people you have assets, resources, bodies, or any of the many other degrading terms available, you’re doing it wrong.

When you talk about people, it’s clear that they’re neither interchangeable or mechanic. When you talk about people, you’re almost bound to care. Who cares about an asset or a resource? Everyone cares about Peter or Amanda.

This language of impersonality usually comes from visions of growth for its own sake. Not because Eric needs some help and Lindsey might be a good choice. It comes because you’re envisioning a project so big and complicated that keeping names in your head would just make it pop. That’s a bad way to hire.

Instead, push hiring down to the people who will actually care about names. So you might be building a 200-man mega project, but the team responsible for the design of the turbines are the ones in need of a few more hands. Not The Project.

 

Engadget has taken a look at the LG eXpo and has come away relatively satisfied.  Calling the device a serious competitor to the HTC Touch Pro 2, they found the construction solid, the keyboard quite good, the screen good and the on-screen keyboard pretty usable.

They were less happy with the fingerprint reader, finding the surround making the use an unpleasant experience, and marked the device down greatly for its lack of a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Lastly, they claimed the Snapdragon processor was overkill for the device, finding the basic Windows Mobile 6.5 UI not in need of the power latent in the processor.

They concluded:

Who is the eXpo for? Simple: if the Touch Pro2 / Tilt2 make you salivate and you’re on AT&T, the eXpo definitely deserves your attention before you make a purchase decision. The forgettable Incite had left a bad taste, but LG’s latest entry for AT&T totally changes course — it’s not just a far better device, it’s a serious competitor in the business power-user market segment with quality construction, good looks, and virtually every feature (and then some) that a 2009-spec phone playing this field should have. If you spend 8 hours a day wearing headphones or you can’t go more than a few minutes without Super Monkey Ball, look elsewhere — but if you live your life one PowerPoint presentation at a time, give it a serious look. And just remember — when that micro-projector accessory finally hits retail, we’ll all be insanely jealous of you anyway.

Read their full review here.

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, BMW

BMW Motorsport has announced a lust-worthy addition to its growing line of customer racing offerings in the form of the BMW Z4 GT3.

Although BMW hasn’t released pics yet, the factory-built Z4 will be powered by an uprated version of the M3’s 4.0-liter V8 currently fitted to the race-ready M3 GT2. Controlled by a Type-408 ECU and Power400 control unit, the 4.0-liter V8 is good for a claimed 480 horsepower and sends its ample grunt through a standard six-speed sequential gearbox. Central-locking wheels, ABS and a host of other kit will allow the Z4 GT3 to campaign in a number of sanctioned events, including the FIA GT3 European Championship, International GT Open, ADAC GT Masters and several 24-hour enduros.

Deliveries begin in the second quarter of 2010, with an estimated price of 298,000 euro, or over $425,000 on a straight exchange. Full details and ordering information available in the press release below the fold.

[Source: BMW Motorsport]

Continue reading BMW Z4 GT3 coming in 2010 with M3 powerplant

BMW Z4 GT3 coming in 2010 with M3 powerplant originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With Apple, you never know who is going to be evil next. Microsoft usually gets the grand prize, but as of late it appears that Google may be getting the cold shoulder for its forays into the mobile word.

Apple and Google have historically been very friendly. But in recent months, the tenor of that relationship has changed. Apple rejected Google Voice for the iPhone. And now it appears that the relationship may get a bit cooler with all the talk of a Google phone.

As that relationship becomes more distant, it appears that Apple and Microsoft may be warming up a bit, which may prove fruitful for the future of the iPhone in the enterprise. It may also prove beneficial for Microsoft, too, as it is also fighting off Google’s efforts to win over the enterprise with its Google Apps productivity applications.

Sponsor

As PCWorld points out, Microsoft may be smart to team up with Apple. The iPhone is a solid, smart phone. Microsoft could do well by developing applications for the iPhone that serve its customers. Its Exchange Server and Office products still dominate the enterprise. As it is platform agnostic, Microsoft can develop applications for the iPhone that support its customers and protects its market share.

Apple needs a good partner like Microsoft to make any significant dent in the enterprise. It does not have the enterprise infrastructure like Research in Motion does with the Blackberry Server. Without an enterprise management service, Apple will find it tough for the iPhone to make any deep play into the corporate world.

Further, Google is showing signs that its plans to dominate the Internet is dependent on having hardware to go with its enterprise services and cloud-based operating systems.

Google is reaching out to handset and netbook manufacturers. This suits Google’s designs on the enterprise. Google Apps are gaining acceptance as an enterprise suite. The Android OS finally seems to be gaining some momentum. And the Chrome OS is a strong contender for the netbook market, especially as Windows Mobile 7 shows yet more signs of delays.

We expect the enterprise will serve as the place where the battles intensify between Apple and Google. Microsoft has nothing to lose in teaming with Apple to fend off Google, a common rival and current evil force du jour.

Discuss

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Minivan/Van, Performance, Toyota, Luxury

This is our last Sienna post. We promise. Until we have something else we think is worth sharing. Toyota just released pricing details for the 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan and as expected it will indeed start lower than the 2009 model. Whereas the cheapest version of the current model rang in at $24,600, the newly available four cylinder allows Toyota to offer the significantly upgraded ’11 model at a starting price of just $24,260 plus delivery. Hey, $340 is lower.

We recently had a chance to drive the whole range of Siennas and were quite impressed with their road manners, clever use of space, smart safety and infotainment features and yes, even their styling. But the model we came away most impressed with was the sporty new SE. Stepping up to this stiffened, carbon-fiber trimmed SE brings the asking price up to $30,550, while the range-topping Limited with AWD starts just short of forty grand at $39,770.

When Siennas start reaching dealerships next February, V6 models will only be available initially, with the four-cylinder base Sienna and LE joining the lineup in April, along with the SE. It looks like the V6 will add between $1,250 and $3,555 to the price of the base Sienna and LE, the only models available with the Venza’s four-banger. In fact, the four-cylinder LE undercuts the V6 base Sienna by a few bucks.

Although Toyota expects to sell just two percent of Siennas equipped with all-wheel drive, the feature is available on LE, XLE and Limited models with a premium of $2,230, $2,340, and $1,270 respectively, over the front-wheel drive versions. Part of the AWD package is those great new Bridgestone runflats we’d love to see standard across the entire Sienna range. Prices, unfortunately, were not released for the options, so there might just be another Sienna post in our future. For now you can read all of the details after the jump.

Photos copyright (C)2009 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading 2011 Toyota Sienna pricing announced, starts at $24,260; sporty SE $30,550

2011 Toyota Sienna pricing announced, starts at $24,260; sporty SE $30,550 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For those of you who are obsessed with gold accounting — and there are a lot of you; rumors about improper counting of gold bars in Ft. Knox are legion — a fresh report from the Royal Canadian Mint about how it miscounted .3% of its gold, and lost $20 million should be interesting.

The Times Colonist (via JohnLothian.com): A series of miscalculations and blunders in the mint’s gold refinery dating back to 2005 were responsible for 17,500 troy ounces — a system of weights for precious metals — of gold going missing from the mint’s Ottawa inventory count last October, the mint announced in a 12-page report.

That’s the equivalent of almost 44,400-ounce bars, worth more than $20 million in today’s prices.

The mint said a 14-month hunt to find out what happened to the precious metal now “fully accounts” for the missing gold, though it admits almost 3,500 ounces unwittingly sold off in slag to U.S. re-refiners will never be recovered.

The mint blames the situation on an explosion in the demand for gold in 2008, which pushed sales up by 250 per cent and placed a huge strain on its gold refinery, one of the largest in the world.

Read the whole report below:

Management Report Final Eng –

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Is Gold Missing From The Vaults?
• The "Tungsten-Filled Gold Bar" Conspiracy Gets Discussed On CNBC
• The World’s #1 Miner Succeeds By Completely Ignoring Gold

This seems to be poking fun at the hardcore tech community, but whatever. It’s quite funny!

Via Windows Phone Thoughts.

Turns out we posted this two weeks ago… It’s still funny, and I didn’t see it before.