Author: Serkadis

Continuing the Kitchn’s recent series of sushi posts, we spent some time in the kitchen with Rham Fenton, a very skilled, albeit unconventional sushi expert who gave us some techniques and inspiration for at-home sushi making.

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Love ’em or hate ’em, the gun-toting criminal duo of Kane and Lynch are back. Square Enix Europe has released a full-blown debut trailer for the upcoming action game, giving gamers a glimpse of the events prior

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, SUV, Porsche

Techart Porsche Cayenne Turbo – Click above for a high-res image gallery

There’s something magical about 200 mph. The double century has become a benchmark for modern supercars, although it takes just as much courage as pavement to do the deed. As we found out at World Class Driving earlier this year, sometimes that isn’t even enough. Techart, the well-known German Porsche tuner, recently headed to the Nardo test track in Italy to see if they could break the 200 mph mark in one of its more unlikely speed demons: a Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

Obviously, an SUV isn’t exactly the ideal vehicle to reach terminal velocity, but it seems to be a popular trend lately. Just last week we told you about the Brabus GLK V12 that reached 200.3 mph at Nardo thanks to its 750 horsepower twin-turbo V12. The Techart Cayenne Turbo with just 680 horsepower wasn’t quite as fast — 321.2 km/h or 199.5 mph, but seriously impressive nonetheless. Techart is still declaring a world record, though, claiming the title of the planet’s fastest “full size” SUV. Trivial? Yes. Pointless? Undoubtedly. But wealthy soccer moms that rejoicing during their daily commute on the autobahn. Learn more about the Techart Cayenne Turbo and its record-breaking top speed run after the jump.

[Source: Techart]

Continue reading Techart Porsche Cayenne Turbo closes in on 200 mph at Nardo

Techart Porsche Cayenne Turbo closes in on 200 mph at Nardo originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In September 2008 and a year later in September 2009, two chilling reports came out that Iceland was thinking of ditching its future hydrogen economy in favor of battery electric vehicles.

The first report asked the question, “Could the hydrogen dream be dying? At a Reykjavik conference this week, Driving Sustainability ’08, Iceland announced plans to team up with Mitsubishi Motors to supply the country with a fleet of tiny i-MiEV electric cars (which have a range per charge of about 100 miles with lithium-ion batteries).

The second and most recent report proclaimed, “Iceland Switching Gears from Hydrogen Fuel Cells to Electric Cars”. Iceland’s President Olafur Grimsson stated, “There seems to be a slowdown in the development of hydrogen cars from the big players. We believe that electric cars may be better suited to transform our transportation fleet in a short time than hydrogen.” Oh, really.

According to an article published today coming out of Reykjavík, Iceland, there are 10 more Ford Focus FCV cars coming to Iceland in December 2009. Iceland is part of the European Union Hydrogen Highway and when those fuel cell vehicles are delivered, Iceland will have a total of 22 hydrogen vehicles in that country, making it second only to Germany in the EU.

It’s true that Iceland has had a less than desirable economy starting with last year’s global banking meltdown. It’s also true that the automakers have had to temporarily pull resources. Even Mitsubishi had to delay sending their i-MiEV electric cars for testing because of economic problems with that automaker.

But, just as the naysayers try to keep killing off hydrogen cars from the future landscape, the automakers, fuel companies and government advocates fight back and put hydrogen cars right back on track. Is hydrogen dead? Far from it. This is only the beginning of a clean and green hydrogen future to come.

Friday I made the mistake to saying that I thought down payment assistance programs had vanished, going the way of the Ivory Billed Wood Pecker or the lavish mortgage banker Christmas party. It turns out that seller-funded DPA’s are a thing of the past (i.e. Nehemiah, Ameridream, etc.) but some programs are very alive and well.

One originator wrote and said, “In my opinion, those DPA’s were deceitful and enabled a seller to give money to a 3^rd party to give to an unqualified borrower to get the problem off the hands of the seller. In essence, they were creating smoke and mirrors for the seller to give the down payment to a buyer for 100% financing.” Another wrote, “As far as I know, the only acceptable DPA’s allowed today are government (local, state) or charitable organizations (i.e., Chase sponsored redevelopment projects) that do not allow for seller funded deposits.” And “DPA’s have not disappeared. They are on our rate sheet but these programs are not the ones of yesteryear.  Many programs are allowed – they are NOT the Nehemiah types with seller contributions, but rather government charity types.”

Lastly, “Housing assistance programs are being used widely and are not seller funded, but money available to thru the national stabilization program.  They are used with FHA loans and are purchased by Chase, BofA, and GMAC’s correspondent lending channel. $15k – 20k of free money in the form of a silent second at zero interest rate, and a maximum DTI of 41% makes the risk attractive to loan servicers.  Homebuyers go through an education process required by the program, and the money must be paid back if the house is sold or converted to a rental property.”

The SAFE Act – some folks wish that it would just go away. But it won’t. A check of HUD’s website (and remember that HUD is responsible for enacting licensing standards) shows a proposed rule that sets minimum standards for state licensing of loan officers and mortgage brokers. “To comply with the Act, states must put in place a Loan Originator Licensing program that requires originators to take an education course, pass a test, and undergo civil, criminal and financial background checks.  States have until July 31, 2010, to have their loan originators licensed under the SAFE Act criteria, unless they already have them licensed under a different system.  If already using a different licensing system, they have until December 31, 2010, to bring them in line with the Act’s requirements.” Anyone interested should visit HUD’s site here.

more news on 125’s, FN-Freddie’s future, rate predictions, lock volumes, rates and economy, and joke of the day  … <<< CLICK HERE

The latest addition to the BEx beacon range from E2S is an ATEX approved high output 21 Joule Xenon beacon. Available with a choice of six lens colours (Red, Amber, Yellow, Blue, Green and Clear), it is designed to give a high output for areas where a brighter alarm signal is required. Certified for use in Zones 1 & 2 and 21 & 22, it is suitable for the great majority of hazardous areas and its powerful beacon is especially suitable for use in outdoor areas in bright sunlight. Utilising a twin Xenon tube, it can be configured to produce a single full power flash, a double strike flash or an alternate flash; a 2nd stage alarm is available if required.

Manufactured from corrosion resistant, copper free LM6 aluminium, which is phosphated and powder coated, it is sealed to IP66/67, and therefore suitable for both onshore and offshore applications; the twin xenon tubes are mechanically secured to provide protection against shock and vibration. 24 and 48VDC and 115 and 230VAC voltage versions are available.

E2S is the world’s leading independent signalling manufacturer. Based in West London, England the company designs and manufactures a comprehensive range of signalling products for industrial, marine and hazardous area environments. Visit www.e2s.com to download detailed specification sheets.

Jet Edge’s patented Dual Pressure Valve® greatly increases waterjet cutting productivity by allowing waterjet operators to control water pressure independent of the waterjet pump.

With the remotely-mounted Jet Edge Dual Pressure Valve, waterjet operators can run multiple waterjet tables simultaneously at various pressures with a single pump. Operators also can perform low-pressure piercing operations without waiting for the water jet pump to raise or lower to the desired pressure, saving time and reducing wear and tear on pump components.

The Jet Edge Dual Pressure Valve will operate with any manufacturer’s waterjet pump, cutting head, or waterjet cutting system, and is fully configurable for pressure change ratios. Connection points are standard 60,000 psi-type. The Dual Pressure Valve is pneumatically operated and must be used in conjunction with another normally closed on/off valve or cutting head.

More Information
For more information about the Jet Edge Dual Pressure Valve, visit http://www.jetedge.com, call 1-800-JET-EDGE (538-3343), 763-497-8700 or e-mail [email protected].

About Jet Edge
Established in 1984, Jet Edge is a global designer and manufacturer of waterjet systems for precision cutting, surface preparation and coating removal. Jet Edge systems are used around the world in a broad range of industries, from the world’s leading airlines to automotive, aerospace, industrial manufacturers, machine and job shops. Jet Edge waterjet systems are proudly made in the U.S.A. For information about Jet Edge, visit www.jetedge.com, e-mail [email protected] or call 1-800-JET-EDGE (538-3343).

Abrasive flaps on a solid resin center, which mounts directly onto machine shafts.
Centers with recesses can be supplied on request.
The flexibility of the abrasive flap wheel allows unexperienced operators to obtain optimal grinding results.

Ø 100 – 800 mm
width 20 – 100 mm
density loose and elastic (P5) to dense and hard (DOP)
grit 60 – 500

applications:
manual and automatic grinding complicated,
contured or flat parts of pots,
door handles, hollow-ware,
food containers, sinks, tubes

When high production and superior cleaning are at the top of your priorities list, Viking’s Rubber Belt Blasters are the clear choice.

Available in standard 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 16 and 20 cubic foot capacities, with custom sizing also available to fit specific applications.
These machines are ideal for high speed processing of parts that can be gently tumbled in the blast mill’s cushioned rubber cavity.

STANDARD FEATURES:
“Viking Guard” belt braking system stops belt rotation in the event of a jam to keep parts from tearing the belt
Utilizes VK PowerMax high velocity, center-fed blast wheels
Pneumatic blast cabinet door (Models 600 and 1200 only)
5-30, HP blast wheel configurations
Fully adjustable lip type airwash separator ensures optimal abrasive cleaning

When was the last time you checked into PlayStation Life? Y’know, that icon on your XMB that’s right next to Home? Now that it got this nifty little update, you might have more reason to access the

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Audi, Celebrities

All we really want to do at this moment in time is make a never-ending series of N’Sync jokes. But we don’t know any. So instead, let’s talk about how Audi has just picked Justin Timberlake to be their new spokesman. What’s JT doing specifically? Seems as if the four interlocking rings folks are gearing up to do some sort of “extraordinary Internet campaign” for the A1 and “That’s where Timberlake will play a leading role.”

Just yesterday, we published a report that the new Audi A1 will possibly not be coming to the U.S. Obviously, a star of Timberlake’s caliber will be able to effectively move metal outside of our shores. But we have to wonder if Audi’s naming Timberlake its brand ambassador doesn’t kick a little sand into the eye of the A1-is-not-for-here theory. After the all, the guy started his music career on Star Search and later as a Mouseketeer. It seems fairly apparent that Audi would make a move like this if us American types are in fact getting their small premium city car. Then again, we’re not really up on our star watching and our Significant Others tell us that JT is an international phenom. In any case, at this moment in time, we just don’t know what to think. Press release after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Justin Timberlake named new Audi “brand ambassador”

Justin Timberlake named new Audi “brand ambassador” originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RBS analyst Andy Chaytor is the kind of guy who cuts out the fat and gets straight to the story.

Hence, we were pleased to find his 10 predictions for the upcoming new year.

Andy covers everything from risk assessment, to M&A deals, to elections in the UK, to-well, you’ll just have to read for yourself and find out. All the following slides are 100% of Chaytor’s own words.

Click here to read 10 predictions for 2010 ->

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Bank Of America Analyst Discovered In A Closet Passed Out With A Nosebleed
• RBS Board Threatens To Quit Over Bonus Limits
• My 5 Consumer Internet Predictions For 2010

The search market is moving along, following the trend of the recent months, and it’s likely to be that way for the coming months as well, at least until the deal between Yahoo and Microsoft starts getting some real traction. Google continues its slow upwards crawl, Yahoo loses even more market share and Bing sees a small uptick, as usual for the last half of 2009.

The comScore numbers for November show Microsoft’s Bing going over the 10 percent milestone to get a 10.3 percent market share in the US, for the first time in quite a while, and showing that the new search engine can be considered a success by some standards. Bing is up from 9.9 percent in October and from 8 percent in May, the month before Bing’s arrival onto the scene. Microsoft’s Live Search, Bing’s precursor, had 8.3 percent market share in November 2008.

Yahoo dropped for another month and by a huge margin as well, managing to attract just 17.5 percent of the searches in the US in November, a full 0.5 percentage points lower than October’s 18 percent. The search engine, which has taken the back seat in Yahoo’s corporate strategy, has seen better days managing to get 20.1 percent of the market in May and 20.4 percent a year ago.

Google, in the mean time, is not only not feeling the ‘pressure,’ it’s actually gaining market share a… (read more)

By now you’ve probably heard that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was attacked with a statue last weekend. Apparently, his political friends have decided that Facebook and Twitter are to blame for this, and they’re now considering laws to crack down (even more than already) on what is allowed on such sites. Perhaps aware of how Italian prosecutors are still pushing forward with criminal charges against Google execs over a single video on YouTube posted by some kids, Facebook apparently was quick to respond that it will happily monitor and censor content on the social networking site that relates to Berlusconi.

As the CSMonitor article points out, Berlusconi owns a significant portion of the media business in Italy, and the internet is often viewed as a problem because he hasn’t been able to control it. Thus, this may just be another political move to try to gain more control over dissenting voices online — and it’s a shame that Facebook would so easily play along. Update: The politician in question has apparently clarified his remarks to say that there is no plan to introduce new internet legislation. Really. Of course, one could easily interpret the original statement as a trial balloon — and the resulting outrage leading to the “clarification.”

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Hatchback, Aston Martin, Toyota

Earlier this year, we saw photos of Aston Martin designers working on a clay-covered Toyota iQ in the studio and applying typical Aston styling cues to it. Creating a leather clad urban commuter car struck us as a dubious proposition for an upscale brand like Aston Martin, but nevertheless the Cygnet is now complete and Aston has released a fresh batch of photos.

While the Aston Martin face is well suited to the extended nose of a DBS or Rapide, we think it looks more than a bit overwrought on the front of the tiny Toyota. On the inside, virtually all of the available surfaces have been covered in red and black premium leather. For the time being, the Cygnet is a concept only, but Aston says it hopes to have it in production in 2010 for European and UK customers. There’s no word yet on price, but in the meantime, you can check out our high-res gallery below and brief press release after the jump.

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Aston Martin shows off completed Cygnet, Euro sales in 2010

Aston Martin shows off completed Cygnet, Euro sales in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A quick bit about Brazil and the demand for growth appeared in this morning’s Global Strategy newsletter from RBS. Here’s the breakdown of how they see Brazil as one of the fastest growing BRICs:

RBS: Demand is driving growth in Brazil. For example,  October retail sales jumped 1.4%, which was double market expectations, and  the general trend in consumption is accelerating. 

This confirms the view that the  BCB will start hiking in Q2 rather than Q3 despite the fact that the output gap will  remain negative. With Finance Minister Mantega keeping the accelerator on the fiscal stimulus and limiting the appreciation of the BRL, the only way for the Brazilian economy to cool off is via the monetary channel.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Jeff Saut: The Bad Economic News Is Already Turning Good Again
• Markets Completely Ignore Brazil’s Sudden Iron Export Slow-Down
• The BRICs Will Power A Huge Year For Base Metals