Author: Serkadis

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Porsche

Bonkers is a relative term, when you think about it. Case in point: the 9ff GT9. With 973 horsepower and a 409 km/h top speed – that’s 254 mph, friends – this was already one bonkers supercar. And then 9ff comes along with the GT9-R, an even faster version with – wait for it – 1120 horsepower and a claimed 414 km/h (257 mph) top speed. That’s enough to outgun the 412 km/h (256 mph) record set by the SSC Ultimate Aero TT to claim the top-speed crown. That’s right: pending outside verification at least, this is the world’s fastest car. On the way, it’ll hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.9 seconds, 200 km/h (124 mph) in 7.4 and 300 (186 mph) in 14.9. Right, bonkers.

Although – like 9ff’s tuner cars – the GT9-R is loosely based on a Porsche 911, it only bears what could barely be described as a passing resemblance. Just about the entire thing is built from scratch, with a 4.0-liter boxer six all but completely rebuilt.

Only twenty examples of the range-topping GT9-R will be offered, although the *ahem* lesser versions with 750 or 987 horsepower are also available, each built to order to the customer’s specifications. We’re just afraid to ask how much many euros that entails, especially when the existing GT9 went for half a million. Details in the press release after the jump and photos in the gallery below.

[Source: 9ff]

Continue reading 9ff reveals even more bonkers GT9-R – is this the world’s fastest production car?

9ff reveals even more bonkers GT9-R – is this the world’s fastest production car? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Published Dec. 11, 2009
Tri-City Herald – AtomicTown

Jody Graves performs a piano concert starting at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 in the theatre at Columbia Basin College in Pasco.

The concert features the works from Beethoven, Gershwin, Albeniz, Rachmaninoff as well as improvisations on American tunes.

Admission is free.

Additional news stories can be accessed online at the Tri-City Herald.

We’ve seen it over and over again in the press. They love to assume that the number of patents being filed is a proxy for innovation. There’s just one (large) problem with that. Multiple studies have shown no connection between patents and innovation. But, don’t tell that to the reporters at CNN who are fretting about how the “recession” has taken its latest victim: US Innovation. This is ridiculous on so many levels that even patent system defenders are disagreeing with CNN. First, CNN bases this on a minuscule 2.3% decline in patent filings, despite a massive growth in patent filings over the past fifteen years.

But, more importantly, there is no indication whatsoever that this means anything in terms of US innovation. No one at CNN seemed to think it was even worth trying to actually back up that claim with any evidence whatsoever. If innovation were really declining in the US, you would think there would be some sort of tangible evidence of it, but CNN and reporter David Goldman never bother to even look for it. Tragically, USPTO boss David Kappos — who should know better — perpetuates the myth that the two are directly connected. In commenting on the decline in patent applications, he notes:

“That’s unfortunate because [patent filings] are a reflection of innovation,” said David Kappos, director of the Patent Office. “Innovation creates so many jobs and so much opportunity for our country. It is absolutely key to our long-term success in the global economy.”

But, of course, there is no indication that this tiny drop in applications is reflective of anything at all when it comes to innovation. It could be a whole variety of factors, from firms recognizing what a waste it is to patent certain things, to companies deciding not to waste money on patents during a recession, to the various court rulings that have finally put a tiny pushback on what is considered “patentable.” But none of that suggests any limit on US innovation or ingenuity. And, it’s even more ridiculous to claim, as Kappos appears to do in that quote, that this drop in patent applications could represent a decrease in jobs and opportunity. That statement is even more laughable, since Kappos must know that the number of jobs created is not even remotely related to the number of patents granted or held (just ask some patent hoarding firms that hold many patents but employ just one or two people). What a shame that Kappos would repeat such myths. As boss of the PTO, perhaps he feels it’s his mission to overstate the importance of the organization, but his claims should have at least some basis in reality.

But, of course, a good explanation for why this is happening is explained (though, not by the CNN reporter who appears to miss it entirely) later in the article: the USPTO is entirely funded by patent application fees. Thus, it has every incentive to get more people to file, and to play up the prestige and value of a patent, even when the evidence is to the contrary. So, now it appears that CNN becomes the PR arm of the Patent Office, rather than actually looking to find out what’s going on.

Permalink | Comments | Email This Story

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Toyota, Australia, Humor

Controversy’s rearing its tawdry head Down Under as a Toyota film contest has got some laughing, others crying foul play. The Clever Film Competition solicited contestants to come up with 30-second commercial clips for the Toyota Yaris, awarding $7000 (well, Australian dollars anyway) to the winning entry. And while the rules stated that the entries cannot be “immoral” or “contain any obscene language,” one contestant evidently felt the boundaries ought to be pushed a little. And the judges evidently agreed.

The winning entry – entitled “Clean Getaways” – portrays a young Yaris driver picking up his date and encountering her father at the door. The exchange between them is packed with more innuendo than a porn star’s Lamborghini, and though Toyota’s local spokesman says they’re not distancing themselves from the clip, public outcry has resulted in it being pulled from the contest website. Fortunately, we’ve got it posted after the jump for your enjoyment… just don’t watch it with the boss hovering around. Or the wife, for that matter. On second thought, better watch it when no one’s around. But watch it just the same. Cheers to Mark and Oleg for the tips!

[Sources: news.com.au; Toyota via YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Australian Yaris ad gets banned for being raunchy

VIDEO: Australian Yaris ad gets banned for being raunchy originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

MobileSyrup have published their video review of the LG IQ, Telus’s version of the LG eXpo on AT&T.

The reviewer seemed quite impressed with the device, lauding the user experience, speed in multi-tasking, the S-class user interface and even the picture and video quality.

Read their full review at MobileSyrup here.

A YouTube post early on Monday explains why Exxon Mobil’s “Outlook for Energy: A View to 2030” may have inadvertently revealed a future plan to get into the nuclear power business.

Check out the video to see if you’re ready to buy into this conspiracy theory. (via Houston Chronicle)

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Exxon: Here’s Why We Love XTO (XOM, XTO)
• Exxon: Here’s Why We Just Spent $41 Billlion On Natural Gas (XOM, XTO, UNG)

As I gear up for the Holidays and my trip home to my parents I think of our old Victorian home and how cold it’s going to be. Then I remember that my Mom always reserves the left over turkey to make some traditional Old-Fashioned Turkey Soup. Not only does this soup warm me up and destroy any chill I have it’s a green recipe. You end up using the entire carcass of the turkey from your Christmas dinner to make the tastiest turkey broth. There is barely any waste and that’s something to brag about.

To warm up your loved ones over the Holidays try this hearty recipe.

Old-Fashioned Turkey Soup

Prep: 25 minutes Cook: 2-3/4 hours

Ingredients:

1 leftover turkey carcass (from a 12-pound turkey)

5 quarts water

soup:

3 cups cubed cooked turkey

1 can (28 ounces) stewed tomatoes

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, shredded

1 cup chopped celery

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

3/4 cup fresh or frozen peas

3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice

4 chicken bouillon cubes

2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:

1. Place the turkey carcass and water in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; slowly bring to a boil over low heat. Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.

2. Remove carcass and discard. Strain the broth through a cheesecloth-lined colander. If using immediately, skim fat or refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, then remove fat from surface. Stock may be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 4 to 6 months.

3. For soup. return strained broth to pan. Add the turkey, vegetables, rice, bouillon and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until rice and vegetables are tender.

Yield: 22 servings (5-1/2 quarts)

***

Because this recipe yields so much it is meant to be put away and stored in your freezer. That’ exactly what my Mom does so that when it’s really cold or if someone is sick she has some great soup on hand.

I’m feeling warm already!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Recipe Source: Linda Sand – The Taste of Home Cookbook

Image Credit: iStockPhoto

Post from: Blisstree

Let’s Stay Warm This Holiday: Turkey Soup

This video is a good reminder of the growing underclass in America — the formerly middle class that lost their fortunes during the bust and haven’t yet started recovering. It’s why Obama’s “fat cat” comments will play so well politically.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Obama Slams "Fat Cat" Bankers In 60 Minutes Interview
• You’re Making Less Than You Used To And 40 Million Americans Are Now Poor
• Gross: Fear And Poverty Will Clobber Returns For A Generation

Better start practicing your fist-bumping, people. EA Montreal has announced that an Army of Two: The 40th Day demo will be made available on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live this week. A PSP demo is also coming

The funniest Windows Mobile ads I have seen seem invariably to have come from India, and here is another one.

In this video the hero is the Acer neoTouch, which, besides bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Touch HD, of course also comes with the speedy and apparently lust-worthy Snapdragon processor.

Very Nice!

I get a lot of questions about differentiating fact from fiction when it comes to all the “healthy” labels out there. Spanning everything from “heart healthy” to “boost your child’s immunity,” these classic marketing ploys are just part and parcel for the food industry. And yet these companies wouldn’t get away with the games if their claims didn’t reflect conventional wisdom on some level. The industry’s marketing tactics simply manipulate already strained, twisted messages about health and nutrition. The consumer is left to wonder what’s truth, half truth and bold-face scheme. Unfortunately, it’s never safe to judge a product by its label. In fact, if it needs a label at all, it’s already subject to questioning. The safest assumption is this: there’s always more to the story.

Dear Mark,

I’ve been adapting my diet to the Primal Blueprint over the last few months. I like olive oil for salads but wonder about the bottle of canola oil sitting in my cupboard. I tend to use it more for cooking, but I don’t see canola oil mentioned on MDA like I do olive oil. The label says something like “good source of omega-3.” Is this true? I’m wondering what your take on canola is. Thanks!

Thanks to Deb for this week’s question. Canola oil isn’t part of the recommended Primal foods for a number of reasons actually. Of course, you’ll find it everywhere these days – in bottled mayonnaise, salad dressings, margarine spreads, etc. It’s the latest darling of the “heart healthy” food industry, and their marketing gurus splash “omega-3” all over the labels to catch consumers’ interest. The problem is, canola oil goes through more primping and processing than a dog at a Kennel Club show.

Canola was a hybrid derived from rapeseed to reduce the high erucic acid content of traditional rapeseed oil, which had a bitter taste and toxic effects from the acid. Canola oil is also called LEAR (Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed). Like most cash crops, the largest share of the market is by far GMO-based, and one corporate GMO giant, Monsanto, has been accused more than once of the release of unapproved GMO seed varieties. Despite all the genetic engineering, somehow canola remains one of the most heavily pesticide-treated crops. Hmmm – wonder how that all works.

Continuing on the canola’s journey now…. Once harvested and graded, seeds are heated to facilitate oil extraction. Most canola oil is chemically extracted using the harsh petroleum-derived solvent hexane. Even when expeller pressing is used, a process common to organic brands, the massive force of industrial presses still produces heat. True “cold-pressed” canola oil (extracted with millstones) does exist but can be hard to find and is more expensive.

Following extraction, canola oil must be de-gummed to remove unappealing solids that settle during storage. The process involves heat and sometimes the addition of acids. Next stop, the oil is then bleached and separated. Finally, the oil (known for its stench) must be deodorized through heating methods that use temperatures as high as 500 Fahrenheit.

(Frankly, the whole process is rather unappetizing if you ask me. Deodorized food? Seriously.)

This brings us back to the omega-3 issue. Polyunsaturated fats aren’t the most stable fats out there. In fact, they’re pretty sensitive to heat and will turn rancid quickly. Obviously, canola oil undergoes a good deal of heating and heat-related degeneration in its processing. Needless to say, this is no good. Whatever omega-3 benefit there might have been is gone – like keys in lava, as one of the old Jack Handey quotes put it. What’s more is, you end up with a small but damaging amount of trans fat in your “heart healthy” oil. How’s that for irony?

My thinking is this: why bother with something so processed and unhealthy when there are umpteen other, better options out there? Olive oil, coconut, palm oil, lard and ghee are suitable for most cooking applications. And for salads and other “no heat” dishes, you have dozens of tasty (non-deodorized) choices, including avocado and nut oils. As for canola, who needs it?

For more on canola oil check out The Great Con-ola by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig and join the discussion in our forum.

I’m sure many of you have something to say about this oil. Share your knowledge and thoughts in the comment board, too. Grok on!

Get Free Health Tips, Recipes and Workouts Delivered to Your Inbox

Related posts:

1. Dear Mark: Cooking Omegas
2. Dear Mark: Arachidonic Acid
3. Dear Mark: Is Flax Bad?

Filed under: Sedan, Nissan, Reviews

Front-wheel drive is a funny thing. When originally introduced during the Thirties in the Cord 810 (then later in the awesome supercharged 812) and the Citroën Traction Avant, FWD was hailed as a major breakthrough, a wondrous technological innovation that allowed for lower ride height and greatly increased passenger space. Postwar consumers got a taste of the wonders of FWD with the iconic Citroën DS. At the top of its game in the Sixties, General Motors reintroduced FWD to American consumers with two remarkable luxury coupes: the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado and the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado. Come the Seventies, Citroën produced what is arguably the greatest GT coupe of that decade, the impeccable (and FWD) SM.

Roll the clock forward to the Eighties and suddenly everything was being tugged around by its front wheels. Honda, Toyota, Nissan, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all jumped head first onto the FWD bandwagon and, for the most part, they haven’t looked back. Granted, Cadillac has rethought which wheels get driven, but with the exception of a dinosaur livery-mobile, there isn’t a single rear-wheel-drive Lincoln to be found. Even Volkswagen got in on the transversely-mounted engine madness. This left only the Germans – namely Mercedes-Benz and BMW – to seriously carry the rear-wheel drive passenger car torch for nearly a decade. Sure, Lexus and Infiniti brought out some heavy hitting RWD sedans along with a raft of FWD offerings (M30 I30, G20 anyone?), but Acura never bothered.

The average gearhead hates FWD for all the right reasons (weight distribution, steering feel, the front tires being asked to both propel and turn, etc.), and during a recent discussion we had with a half-in-the-bag PR guy, [NAME REDACTED] exclaimed, “Front-wheel drive sucks!” So, how can a technology go from the penthouse to the doghouse like that? One answer (of many) comes from the Minnesotan economist/social philosopher Thorstein Veblen and his book The Theory of the Leisure Class. Here’s a quick, ten-cent Cliff Note version: When electric lighting first appeared, only the rich could afford electric lights. As such, electrically lit dinners were considered romantic and desirable. However, once electrification trickled down to the unwashed masses, only the rich could afford both bulbs and candles. Hence, candlelit dinners became en vogue. Which – believe it or not – leads us very nicely to the 2010 Nissan Maxima SV Sport and its $38,384 asking price.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2009 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: 2010 Nissan Maxima SV Sport is a lot of car for a lot of coin

Review: 2010 Nissan Maxima SV Sport is a lot of car for a lot of coin originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Google is doing so many things right now that it’s hard to keep track of them all. At the same time, the company seems to be greatly focusing in several directions sometimes vaguely related. Yet, despite all this, the search engine is still very much the biggest and most looked after product, something that’s not likely to change any time soon. The search engine itself has seen some very big announcements lately, from real-time search to an upcoming major redesign and they’re all overseen and led by one woman, Marissa Mayer, Google’s VP of Search and User Experience.

The Telegraph caught up with her before last week’s Le Web conference in Paris and asked her to detail the company’s overarching plan regarding the search engine. The biggest focus for Google at the time and for the short to medium term future is apparently language, the ability to search through and get results from any site in any language in the world.

“Imagine what it would be like if there was a tool built into the search engine which translated my search query into every language and then searched the entire world’s websites,” she says. “And then invoked the translation software a second and third time – to not only then present the results in your native language, but then translated those sites in full when you… (read more)

The HTC HD2 has a difficult start in Iran, but with the latest ROM update appears to be rolling along pretty nicely.

Parsa has pinged us with the first Persian review of the now fully functional device, which can be read here.

If you are considering buying a device there, be sure to give it a read.

Jim Edwards at BNET pulls together a lot of interesting pieces to the puzzle in terms of rising drug prices, concluding that two major factors may be that A) some patients can't negotiate their drug prices given life or death circumstances and B) Medicare isn't allowed to bargain down prices.

 

BNET Pharma: Drug prices rose 9.3 percent a year, according to a study by the AARP. The House Commerce subcommittee is holding hearings into why drug prices seem only to go up, and never down.

...

Sure, some patients can negotiate drug prices. A patient with the flu ought to be pretty sensitive to the difference in price between TheraFlu and Robitussin. But one of the biggest buyers of drugs — Medicare — is currently forbidden from negotiating prices.

Now you can see why drug companies are so careful to develop rationales for drug price increases. They’re living in a Shangri-La of ever-rising prices, facing customers who are too sick or forbidden by law from negotiating, and the justification for it is that their drugs all have above-average effectiveness.

So then let's take a jaunt over to the October 30th Wall Street Journal:

WSJ: When Congress added prescription drug coverage to Medicare a few years back, the drug industry won a huge victory: The new law barred the federal government from negotiating on the prices Medicare pays for prescription drugs.

The big House health-care bill that landed yesterday would reverse that, and give the HHS secretary the authority to haggle for a better deal.

Healthcare reform is obviously an extremely complicated subject with a lot of moving pieces. Yet the Republicans are being disingenuous when they present themselves as the defenders of free and efficient healthcare markets.

By preventing healthcare reform, they are actually helping to prolong a huge regulatory inefficiency in Medicare which they themselves orchestrated not too long ago. So it's not that simple. Doing nothing means we're stuck with the current regulatory system -- it doesn't mean we don't have any regulations. Healthcare is massively regulated as it stands. Thus inaction is to continue with massive, broken regulation. Which should be fixed.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Lieberman Stuns Democrats, Now Says He's Voting Against Healthcare Reform
• How Health Insurers Are Using Facebook Games To Block Healthcare Reform
• The Healthcare Polling Data That Has Democrats So Freaked Out

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Porsche

The Porsche Panamera has only been on sale in other parts of the world for three months now, but the automaker has already cranked out the 10,000th production example. The Panamera is built on the same production line as the Cayenne SUV at Porsche’s Liepzig plant in northeastern Germany.

So far, Porsche has taken some 9,000 orders for the new five-door grand touring hatchback and it has yet to go on sale in the United States. Porsche is currently planning to build about 20,000 Panamera units annually at the Liepzig factory. The 10,000th car? A silver Turbo destined for Singapore.

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche cranks out 10,000th Panamera after just three months on sale

Porsche cranks out 10,000th Panamera after just three months on sale originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Some recent posts at the 37signals Product Blog:

Basecamp
How to win a client by including Basecamp in your pitch
“I created a new project, I generated a username and password and sent it to his e-mail which he immediately got via smart phone. I showed him how I had the Chieftent application on my iPhone and I went about creating milestones and to-do lists for his project. If we begin today, I’ll have the design document for you by this date, entered it into Basecamp, if we begin today, I’ll have a mockup via development server for you by this date, entered that into Basecamp too. He was clearly impressed.”

Give your customers Basecamp reporting without requiring them to login
“Want to give customers, partners, suppliers or other external users access to live reporting on specific Basecamp projects, but without giving them a login to Basecamp?”

Interior designer and client use Basecamp to collaborate on design of new baby room
Interior designer and client use Basecamp to collaborate on design of new baby room.

Encamp, a great iPhone app for Basecamp, renamed Insight
Use it and wherever you go you can stay connected with your projects and tasks.

More…