Author: Serkadis

Sony has lofty goals for this fiscal year. Banking on the recent success of the PS3 Slim and the round of PS3 price cuts, Sony executive vice presiden…

Big Game Week is meant to remind students of the pride we have in our school and our athletic program. Events ranging from the impaling of the Bear in the claw to the Big Game Hourly Countdown and Rally bring students together across disciplines and dorms to support our football team. The Axe Committee and the students with the points to gain priority seating into Big Game seem excited through the first game week in recent memory that finds Stanford favored. However, our quick ascendancy seems to be lost on many students on the Farm.

Current seniors on the Cardinal football team will still recall the abysmal 1-11 they were forced to endure as freshmen. From the student perspective, many underclassmen attended Big Game simply because engagement in the rivalry is a Stanford tradition, not because they actually believed Stanford could win. In 2007, when we upset Cal here at home, the victory sent shockwaves through campus. The mere consideration of the tearing down of goalposts here at Stanford is a foreign one, but such sheer displays of exaltation were on the minds of many. Our upset of formerly perennial power USC that same year prompted a Maples Pavilion courtyard-filling rally, greeting players upon their return, and a large Quad bonfire.

This year, as the Cardinal team enjoys its most extraordinary season in recent memory, a similar outpouring of camaraderie seems to be missing from campus. Currently ranked number 14 in the nation–with a plausible chance at the Rose Bowl–we seem to have been unable to muster the same kind of campus-wide vigor as when we were less than impressive and surprised everyone. Though many students made the trek to USC and proudly stormed the field after our victory, little of that energy translated to campus enthusiasm later that night. The crowd that met the returning players at Maples Pavilion was meager compared to the one from two years ago, even though the Cardinal completely trounced USC this time around. Only a few seasons ago, we celebrated small victories against Pac-10 powerhouses as if we had won the conference. Now, when we actually have the chance to be conference champions, our expression of support seems to be lacking.

The team’s success in Big Game, and through the coming weeks, has positive repercussions not only for our football program, but also for the whole institution. Highly respected academically and for our Director’s Cup-winning athletics department, our football success helps focus even more attention on our campus and community. A recent New York Times piece on Heisman hopeful Toby Gerhart is just one of the lights currently being shined on the Cardinal football team, and thus on Stanford as well. The article noted we have seen four alumni become Supreme Court justices since our last Heisman winner in 1970. The Editorial Board hopes our continued success on the football field will help hasten the day when Stanford is envied as much for its football program as for its academic departments and faculty.

While Big Game week invokes feelings of nostalgic pride regarding our recent upset of Cal and of “The Play,” our increasing fervor for our team should also stem from an understanding of how far we have come in such a short time. Coach Harbaugh sent coaches and assistants to every house meeting his first year on campus as one of his many efforts to remind students of our program’s storied history. The Editorial Board hopes all who are part of our campus community reach back to the program and find a way to support our team this weekend. Whether you are at the game or not, have pride in the Stanford football team, and remember how far we have come.

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Sedan, Videos, Audi, Luxury

We still have a bit over a week until Audi officially pulls the wraps off its next-generation A8 flagship sedan in Miami. As a holdover, however, they have released a teaser video, and we’ve got it for you. The operative word here is tease. As usual, very little of the car is actually shown, although a variety of phrases are overlaid on the imagery which feature terms like “creativity,” “aesthetics,” and “art factory.” From a couple of the images (including the one captured above), it appears that the new A8 will probably be more sculpted than previous models, and it will likely feature elements like the so-called “tornado line” used on the side of the A4 and A5.

As a brand headliner, the A8 will surely feature an “intensive abundance of research and ideas“ such as the rumored touch pad interface with handwriting or gesture recognition for the controls. No doubt more details will be trickling out over the coming week, and we’ll be on hand in Miami to give you the full details as the car is revealed. In the meantime, you can check out the video now by clicking past the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading VIDEO: Audi teases the new A8 ahead of Sunshine State debut

VIDEO: Audi teases the new A8 ahead of Sunshine State debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is a really awesome video about oil drilling going on today in Hollywood and Beverly Hills. (via Houston Chronicle)

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See Also:

• How To Make Money Hoarding Oil
• Russia Gives Europe Yet Another Reason To Stop Buying Its Gas (UNG)
• ‘Tis The Season For Natural Gas To Rally

While WIND Mobile might never launch thanks to parent company Globalive’s illegal ownership structure, that didn’t stop its CEO Ken Campbell and his entourage from celebrating the completed renovation of one of its retail stores. It’s a departure from the typical Bell, Rogers or TELUS location to say the least. BG thinks it looks like a “New York subway car in white lacquer” and Andrew said it’s nothing but an “Apple store with mahogany”, so naturally we’re curious to know what you think. So hit the jump, check out the pics and give us your thoughts!

P.S. Anyone noticing the huge table cut-out where the Microsoft Surface might one day be installed?

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Lamborghini, Rumormill

So you like the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV, but you’re struggling to justify the price. After all, it may be just as fast as the Reventón, but it only costs a third of that range-topping bull. You like that it’s the latest limited-edition hypercar from Sant’Agata Bolognese, but will everyone think you’re slumming by not getting the most expensive bull in the barn? Come to think of it, maybe you can hold out for the Reventón Roadster, which should easily surpass the coupe as the ne plus ultra in the Lambo lineup. Of course, you could just stick with your ordinary LP640-4 or LP650-4 Roadster a little longer and wait for the Murcielago replacement in a year or two.

When that so-called Jota finally debuts, it will bring with it a new carbon fiber chassis and an equally new direct-injected 6.0-liter V12 thought to be good for at least 700 horsepower. Yeah, that’s probably the way to go. After all, the economy isn’t exactly the best right now and plunking down $1.5M for a new car might make others unnecessarily envious. Haters. Of course, if you wait too long, you might find yourself debating waiting a little longer still for the Jota-besting halo car from Lamborghini, the rumored Urus.

CARS UK is quoting “a source close to Lamborghini” when they talk about this new halo vehicle, which is expected to take on all comers, especially that “FX70” Enzo-replacement coming out of Maranello. Using a modified Jota chassis, the Urus will go on an even stricter diet to make it a featherweight lighter heavyweight. It will drop the few bits of aluminum that are expected to be used on the Jota and go all carbon fiber. That, active aerodynamics, and a nearly 800 horsepower version of the Jota V12 in its engine bay should allow the Urus to challenge even the Bugatti Veyron with a sub-3-second 0-60mph time. The real question becomes — Can you wait until 2012 for the Urus or will you buckle a year earlier and pop for the Jota in 2011? You know what, just get both.

[Source: Cars UK]

Range-topping Lamborghini Urus rumored anew originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Manufacturing has been one of the hardest hit sectors around, but the pain is going away.

Today’s chart shows the number of mass layoff events (at least 50 people whacked in one blow) per month in manufacturing, and as you can see, it’s way down from its peak, and now below the peak of the 2001-2002 recession.

Still, we’ve got to see a lot of improvement before we’re at pre-crisis levels.

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The successful candidate for this position will join a team of professionals acting as a corporate engagement portal for Michigan State University. Business-CONNECT is focused on creating MSU research relationships with corporate partners, connecting regional entrepreneurs to MSU resources, and engaging in regional economic development activities. Within this team, this individual will be responsible for maintaining his/her own portfolio of corporate relationships, with accountability to drive those relationships to productive outcomes, including: research partnerships, start-up business opportunities, access to research centers, institutes and programs, facilitation of student hiring and internships, connections to faculty expertise, facilities and equipment, professional training, advisory board opportunities, networking events and other University activities and programs which respond to corporate needs and interests. To achieve this goal, this role will include significant time spent in conversations and negotiations among the stakeholders to a contract, with an inherent objective of finding mutually beneficial terms for the sponsor, faculty, and University. Establishing and maintaining a productive network of connections across the University is a critical success factor for the job.

Qualifications for the position include an advanced degree preferably in business, engineering or the sciences (Master’s degree required; doctorate preferred); 10 years experience working in research management, business development, corporate relations, or government relations with at least 5 years of this experience in private sector research and development.

For a detailed description & requirements of this position, click here and view position Number RES-63. Close date 11/30/09. Late submissions will be considered if a suitable candidate pool is not identified by the deadline.

Location: East Lansing, MI.

For a full description of this job, visit the MSU HR website at http://www.hr.msu.edu

Michigan State University is committed to achieving excellence through cultural diversity. The university actively encourages applications and/or nominations of women, persons of color, veterans and persons with disabilities.

MSU is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer.

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The older entries in the Sonic series have been re-released so many times that hardcore collectors probably have whole rooms dedicated to them by now….

Over the last few weeks people who are actually concerned about individual rights have done a decent job sounding the alarm about the problems with what little we’ve seen of the ACTA negotiations. In the last week or so, those who work for the entertainment industry have suddenly started scrambling to respond, after realizing that more and more people are starting to pay attention and to worry about ACTA. However, it’s been pretty funny to watch the desperate attempts by industry lawyers to try to paint this all as much ado about nothing (with gratuitous swipes at those of us who have called attention to what’s going on).

One of the points they make is to say that the “secrecy” is no big deal, because it’s “normal” for such negotiations to happen this way. This was what the USTR stated earlier this year when the question was raised, but unfortunately, the facts (and common sense) simply don’t support that claim at all. If you look at the transparency level on many other international agreements, including well known ones concerning WTO, WIPO, WHO, UNCITRAL, UNIDROIT, UNCTAD, OECD, Hague Conference on Private International Law and many others, you see that they are significantly more transparent and/or have clear procedures in place for concerned parties to take part in the discussions. That is not the case with ACTA.

A second point they make is that if the end result is really bad, countries can simply decide not to sign it and not to participate. Yes, stop laughing. It’s as if they think that we’re all idiots who haven’t seen how lobbyists have historically relied on the line “but we must live up to our international obligations” to push through all sorts of laws the public does not support.

A third point raised is that this isn’t a “treaty” but a “sole executive agreement,” so we shouldn’t worry since it can’t change the law. Except, by categorizing it as such, it’s actually a loophole that could potentially take Congress out of the process of reviewing or approving anything that’s in the agreement, and then just wait for the “but we must live up to our international obligations” to start pouring out of lobbyists and industry lawyers’ mouths.

A fourth point of attack is that some of the descriptions of what’s being discussed are inaccurate. Well that’s funny since a big part of the problem is that we’re not even being shown what’s being discussed. So, yes, as we’ve been clear, this is an ongoing negotiation, and the final results may differ from what bits and pieces have been leaked. But, what is leaked has suggested that some very, very bad things are at least on the table, and making that clear and opening up the discussion is important, no matter how much the lawyers don’t want anyone interfering. Separately, as you would expect, some of the language used to date in the leaked reports suggests the usual legal games are being played, so that when people point to something and say that opens us up to a bad thing, the lawyers can say “oh, that’s no different than what we have already.” Just like the RIAA did back when they wiped out musicians rights to reclaim their music (thankfully, only temporarily). But if you actually understand the details, you know that the subtle language choices are all chosen very carefully to drive future legislation. You can see this by simply monitoring what’s happening in South Korea now, since that’s what the new agreement is supposedly “modeled” on. And, it’s not pretty. Various user-generated content sites are severely limiting what users can do, to the point that they’re barely recognizable as UGC sites any more. Liability pointed at service providers are scaring them into massive limitations. That’s not the sort of world most of us want to live in.

Finally, the ACTA supporters claim that because the administration showed a very small group of consumer rights folks, such as Public Knowledge, a draft of the document, that consumer groups are “a part of the process.” That doesn’t take into account the level of access. Whereby industry lobbyists had a large hand in drafting ideas and suggestions for parts of the legislation, a Public Knowledge representative was involved on “very short notice” in an initial hour-long meeting whereby they were allowed to look at the text, but not copy it, and then a further short discussion about a revised copy — but the process included NDAs that prevent much discussion about what was seen. That’s not serious involvement.

Finally, as I was writing this, Jamie Love pointed out that the MPAA has sent a letter in favor of ACTA, which is chock full of laughter inducing falsehoods (such as claiming the entire motion picture industry is at risk, even as it’s having its best year ever). But the most ridiculous is this:

“Outcries on the lack of transparency in the ACTA negotiations are distraction.”

Yes, that’s right, making sure that the public knows what the hell its government is signing up for is a “distraction.” Could the MPAA’s lawyers be any more obvious in brushing off the concerns of the public than by calling it “a distraction.” To the MPAA this is all about propping up its business model and stopping competition from online sources. The public doesn’t matter. As Jamie Love notes, “transparency isn’t a ‘distraction.’ it is an obligation of governments, to those it wants to govern.”

So, yes, perhaps some of the discussion has suggested things that will go beyond what’s actually in the document, but it’s hilarious to see industry lawyers suggest that those concerned about our rights are “creating a moral panic” when the only reason there’s concern at all is because the public is not even allowed to see what’s being discussed. Want to end the rampant speculation? Release the documents and let the public take part in the process. The MPAA’s letter and the sudden whining from industry lawyers shows what this really is: yet another attempt by one particular industry that refuses to adapt to a changing marketplace, looking to governments to prop up their existing business model at the expense of innovation, consumer rights and upstart competitors.

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It’s a Saturday night, you just had your S4 detailed, and your Bedazzler sits spent in the corner, overheated from a busy afternoon spent jazzing up your new collection of Ed Hardy tees. You’re just dying to strut your stuff in front of the ladies but your gym closed after the owner was popped for possession of cocaine and you’ve already exhausted the local club scene. What’s a Miami bro to do? How about you give your juice the night off and inject some culture into your life instead?

In honor of its 100th anniversary, Audi has launched the “Art in Progress” exhibit as a collaborative effort between Audi, Design Miami/, Tom Dixon and the Rubell Family Collection. The display itself will feature artistic interpretations of the motivation behind the aesthetically pleasing design language used by Audi and will culminate it’s week long run with the inaugural debut of the Audi A8. “Since our inception, Audi has embraced progress in the quest to create groundbreaking technologies and deliver new ideas to the road. Just as artists make it a mission to work for the untold future, so does Audi design to be relevant not just today, but for many years to come,” said Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management, Audi AG. “The new Audi A8 embodies everything Audi stands for: fascinating innovation, uncompromising perfection, consummate craftsmanship, iconic design and new ways of thinking. This is why we chose to present this car in this progressive environment while continuing our commitment to fostering design culture and the arts.”

In layman’s terms, this means you’ll have to feign interest over a lot of weird arsty crap before you get to the final reveal. Judging by Audi’s track record for breathtaking redesigns though, it’ll definitely be worth it.

It’s all devices, all the time at the BBGeekcast. Or at least it is this week. We’ve seen a few new releases over the past few weeks, including the Storm 2, the Bold 9700, and the Curve 8530. Never the types to be satisfied, we run down what’s in the near future for RIM.

So click on over here to hear the BBGeekcast (10 min, 7 sec)

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you won’t miss future episodes!

You can also subscribe to the BBGeekcast in iTunes.

Highlights include:
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This farmland near Lockerbie, Scotland could become one of the world's largest data center developments. Construction is slated to begin next year on a $1.5 billion project by Lockerbie Data Centres.

A massive $1.5 billion data center project near Lockerbie, Scotland is a step closer to reality after receiving the blessing of local planning officials. Lockerbie Data Centres Ltd. proposed building the £950 million project, which it says may generate a total of £3.5 billion in investment in the region. 

Planning officials at the local Dumfries and Galloway Council have recommended the company’s application be approved by the town council, which will meet Nov. 25 to discuss the project. The developers hope this will lay the groundwork for construction to begin in mid-2010 and opening for business in late 2011.

Lockerbie Data Centres plans to build 250,000 square meters (about 2.6 million square feet) of data center space at the Peelhouses farm property, which is adjacent to the Steven’s Croft biomass power facility. There is also a wind farm within 8 kilometers of the site, and the developers hope to have these renewable sources provide approximately half the energy used by the facility. Waste heat from the Lockerbie data centers will be reused in other facilities on the campus, and the cool Scottish climate will support using fresh air “free cooling” throughout the year.  

The development will include a new business park providing around 18,000 square meters (about 195,000 square feet) of hi-tech office space, as well as a horticultural research and commercial greenhouses park that will bring additional jobs. The data centre itself will create 50 jobs with another 10 jobs for estate management.

The master development plan (PDF, 33 MB) calls for a series of modular one-story data centers that will be partially built into the landscape the facilitate “green roofs” to make the design more appealing in its aesthetics and sustainability. The data center will be developed in phases as dictated by market demand.

“We are delighted that planning officers have recommended for approval one of the most exciting projects currently taking place in Scotland,” said David King, Project Director of Lockerbie Data Centres Ltd. “This is a major enterprise program that will be of considerable benefit, not only to Dumfries and Galloway, but to the whole of Scotland, creating thousands of jobs.

“Feedback from the local community has been extremely positive and this development will put Dumfries and Galloway firmly on the map as world leaders in data centre provision,” King added.

In case of accidental deletion, there are sufficient choices on the market that can give you a hand with recovering data. The rule of thumb is to refrain from storing any sort of data on the partition you are going to recover files from. If you manage to do this, there is even free software that can be used for the job. Piriform’s Recuva is an excellent choice for this type of job.

However, in case of corrupted data on media discs or even hard disks, the range of possibilities to pull you out of the jam are quite limited. The latest Nero suite, just like the previous version, comes with Rescue Agent application, specially designed for this sort of trouble. It has been developed to recover data from scratched discs or files that cannot be read correctly due to storage media’s ageing.

But RescueAgent is also useful for recovering deleted information off storage devices such as memory sticks, or hard disks. The rule of thumb expressed at the beginning of the article is essential for getting back the lost files.

Compared to the last edition, Nero RescueAgent’s looks have undergone some changes, although the same ease of use and wizard-like interface have been preserved. The latest release features two types of scan, fast and deep, the former for FAT formatted storage devices, the latter for NTFS.

From the drop-d… (read more)

Electronic Arts will be shifting to a higher gear this December with the release of the first downloadable add-on pack for Need for Speed: Shift’s PS3…

Filed under: Wagon, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Crossover, Hatchback, Honda

We’re not so sure about the Honda Accord Crosstour. It’s definitely a Honda, so at least from a marketer’s perspective, that”s a big plus, but the big crossover/hatchback//wagon/thing isn’t exactly what we’d call pretty, and worse, it isn’t even as functional as its competitors. We’re not alone in our criticism of Honda’s latest, as the Japanese automaker has heard more than its fair share of Crosstour complaints on the Internets. Like it or loathe it, though, the Crosstour is upon us, and Honda dealers need to sell it. We were curious as to how Honda might try to ply such an odd duck, and we have at least a preliminary answer waiting for you after the jump.

The commercial starts off with about 15 seconds of oddly animated polygon characters playing some smooth, Cosby Show-style jazz. Between 15 and 20 seconds we see the band’s instruments fitting in the Crosstour’s hatch (though oddly, they don’t play up the car’s chief storage trick, its hidden storage box). At the 20 second mark, we finally see the Crosstour in the flesh, and the spot wraps up with a few words from actor Kevin Spacey as always. We’re far from convinced, but you’ll want to hit the jump to judge the 30 second spot for yourself.

Photos copyright (C)2009 Chris Paukert / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Honda]

Continue reading VIDEO: The answer to how Honda will market the Accord Crosstour? Animated jazz

VIDEO: The answer to how Honda will market the Accord Crosstour? Animated jazz originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Following yesterday’s Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition announcements, here’s a trailer for Lost in Nightmares, the first new episode to be release…