Author: Serkadis

Filed under: Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Toyota

Hypocrisy is again the order of the day as Congress continues to look into the actions of Toyota following a report earlier this year claiming that a fault had been found that could trigger unintended acceleration. Using polling data to help craft a message to manipulate public opinion is standard political procedure, so it should come as no surprise to anyone in on Capitol Hill that Toyota would consider doing the same thing.

When Southern Illinois University professor David Gilbert purported to demonstrate how unintended acceleration could happen in Toyotas, he and Sean Kane went before Congress to testify about their findings. Toyota investigated Gilbert’s test procedure and then later proceeded to debunk it. However, it also hired pollster Joel Benenson to gather data that could potentially be used to discredit Kane and Gilbert, possibly via an ad campaign.

No such campaign has been initiated to date, but it certainly seems disingenuous on the part of anyone in Congress to criticize Toyota for doing what it can to defend its reputation. If Gilbert and Kane had motives that went beyond simply finding the truth behind what was happening with these vehicles, then Toyota surely had a right to expose them. Likewise, if Toyota is hiding information, Gilbert, Congress, or anyone else has the same right to seek and reveal the truth.

[Source: The Washington Post]

Report: Toyota had ‘attack plan’ to discredit congressional testimony witnesses originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 May 2010 20:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trend-Setting Shrinking Technology
During the last couple of years, the technology used
to apply shrink-sleeves on bottles has changed. While
steam tunnels were primarily used for shrinking in
the past, today’s producers of beverage and dairy
products tend to use more cost-effective hot-air
technology.

Missler Software, an international CAD/CAM software developer of integrated CAD/CAM solutions, recently opened a new development centre in Delémont, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. The new subsidiary is called Missler Software Switzerland and will be in charge of the development of CAD/CAM solutions for the Swiss turn market, an activity which Missler Software believes to be complementary to its core CAD/CAM TopSolid range. 4 employees will be based in the new offices. The creation of Missler Software Switzerland also reinforces Missler Software’s partnership with company JINFO, who will distribute the TopSolid product range in the French-speaking region of Switzerland.

St. Louis – Watlow®, a designer and manufacturer of electric heaters, controllers and temperature sensors, has expanded the EZ-ZONE® ST integrated controller family to include phase angle power switching and increased load current. The EZ-ZONE ST now features single phase solid state relay output up from 40 to 75 amperes and phase angle power switching with soft-start to prevent high in-rush currents, load failure or blown fuses.

Watlow’s EZ-ZONE ST with new phase angle control and higher current capacity is perfect for the production of PV cells where size and temperature uniformity are required to reliably produce a cell with high conversion yields. Radiant quartz (tungsten) lamps are commonly used in the manufacturing of PV cells to deliver a variety of specific thermal profiles rapidly. To overcome inherent limitations (low resistance / high in-rush currents), these heating lamps require phase angle power to function properly. These lamps are also usually ganged into small banks for improved temperature uniformity. For these banks, the requirement is temperature control, power switching, current monitoring, over-temperature protection and field communications yet remain small and compact. The EZ-ZONE ST meets all of these requirements.

This expanded offering improves thermal uniformity, temperature repeatability and provides the functionality of multiple components and footprints collapsed into one. The newer size takes up less overall surface area inside the panel than an equivalent solution assembled from discrete devices. The design of the EZ-ZONE ST provides a complete thermal system kit to reduce project and engineering design time and is already tested and validated for the specified ampacity.

The EZ-ZONE ST comes complete with a free internal communications bus (standard bus) which provides a single entry point for configuration and monitoring or location to access multiple controllers on the bus. For those applications requiring a display or remote user interface (RUI), the EZ-ZONE ST has the option of adding a 1/16 DIN RUI as a stand-along device or combining the RUI with gateway functionality. The gateway will access higher level field buses (PROFIBUS, Ethernet/IP™, DeviceNet™ or Modbus®) by converting standard bus to the field protocol once instead of outfitting each controller with an independent protocol card, and all at a much lower cost point.

For additional information call your nearest Watlow representative.

Be EBN’s Guest at Computex Taipei 2010

Taipei, Taiwan- EBN Technology Corp., the POS (point-of-sales) solution provider, sincerely invites you to visit us at COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2010 from June,1st to 5th.

Deliver the latest touch concepts into the industrial panel PC and POS business at COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2010, EBN presents you the new generation touch POS solution, complete retail POS solution and full range industrial Panel PC series.
Come to visit EBN!

EBN brings more ideas about the complete solution for you which is focusing on the retail ¡Bhospitality industry and self-service technology to offer you the more convenient life. It is giving you the widest range of choices to enhance your life and cut down your cost at this recession.
EBN Technology Corp. is dedicated to provide the best POS solutions for worldwide customers. In the COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2010, you will find EBN’s excellent product lines such as advance self-service technology, all-in-one POS terminals, advanced fanless industrial Panel PC and embedded Computer BOXPCs., EBN presents you the significant and potential contrivances to help your business growth in 2010 and beyond.

Product Topic

Launch the lateest all-in-one POS Terminal with the high-level Intel ATOM Dual Core CPU
Advanced self-service technology to empower your better life and friendly touch experience. Ć
All-in-one fanless touch POS solution delivers stable high performance for daily operation. Easy affordable complete POS solution enhances your retail business straight away. Ć
Handheld POS terminal with wireless connection helps you build up a mobile working environment.
8.4″~15″ ultra slim industrial Panel PC with excellent touch interfaces for the growing industrial market
Fanless Embedded Computer BOXPCs with high performance and stable operations fit space-constrained applications.
Modularized design POS terminals with high performance technology ensure you save the maintenance cost and down time.

Date & Venue
Date : June 1-5, 2010 (Open Time¡G09¡G00-18¡G00)
Venue : TWTC Nangang Exhibition Upper Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
Booth Number : M1320

TEL :886-2-26969292 FAX : 886-2-26969393 Mail : [email protected]
Address:10F, NO. 90, Sec. 1, Sintai 5th Rd., Sijhih City, Taipei County 221, Taiwan
www.ebn-pos.com

With all the changes Microsoft is bringing to our favorite OS… Windows Phones, Pocketnow had some time to do a video demo. The video is a very detailed version of what we already know from our last post. My buddy Brandon takes you through the newly activated Dialer, to show you how it looks, and how it works in the background.

He follows that with a preview of the Office application, HUB, and more. Thankfully, I do not like being a spoiler, so watch the video and comment below on these new changes Windows Phones has, and if its good enough for you.

Download the emulator

We have a special place for Hennessey Performance Engineering in our hearts. While we eagerly look forward to the company’s Venom GT, we’ll have to satisfy our taste with this Hennessey modified Porsche Panamera Turbo, which gains a total of 50-hp or 23-hp at the wheels.

Click here to get prices on the 2010 Porsche Panamera.

Hennessey also offers a 800-hp upgrade. Modifications include a stainless steel exhaust systems, air induction modifications, computer upgrades, Hennessey wheel upgrades, turbo upgrades, intercooler upgrades and more.

Check out the video after the jump and make sure you turn up your volume.

Refresher: The $89,800 Porsche Panamera S is powered by a 400-hp V8 allowing for a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds with a top speed of 175 mph. The $93,800 Panamera 4S is powered by the same 400-hp V8. The $132,600 Porsche Panamera Turbo is powered by a turbocharged V8 making 500-hp allowing for a 0-60 mph time of 4.0 seconds with a top speed of 188 mph. The Porsche Panamera V6 and Porsche Panamera 4 are powered by a 3.6L V6 engine making 300-hp and a peak torque of 295 lb-ft.  Prices start at $74,400 for the base V6 Panamera and $78,900 for the V6 Panamera 4.

2010 Porsche Panamera:

2010 Porsche Panamera:

– By: Omar Rana

The gear heads over at CoverEFX decided to take good and make it better with their recently released and upgraded version of the Volkswagen Touareg W12. Along the way upgrading both the style and performance in a way that only CoverEFX can. This being one installment of VW tuning we’ve been graced with from CoverEFX, they have showed us their skills with this tuned Touareg. The VW Touareg W12 Sport Edition SUV was styled with an aerodynamics package including roof spoiler, front and rear bumpers, and side skirts. The exterior sports new 20-inch Kahn RS light alloy wheels along with lowering the suspension.

Under the hood the Touareg tuning experts at CoverEFX replaced the ECU, installed custom air filters, and also a high grade steel exhaust silencer from Cargraphic. With all this, the VW Touareg managed a power output of 500 HP. Going one step further, the tuners removed the speed limiter, but have not released the performance figures for the tuned Touareg. Be ready to hand over 140,500 euros for these modifications, which includes the price of the new car.

[Source: CoverEFX]

Source: Fancy Tuning – the latest car tuning news

Article Tags: UK Election 2010

Vote of Confidence

The Conservatives offer an optimistic vision for the renewal of Britain. The electorate has made a call for change and they deserve the chance to answer it

The Times has not endorsed the Conservative Party at a general election for 18 years. For far too much of that time, the Conservative Party turned inward and vacated the ground on which British electoral victory is won — a commitment to the prosperity and liberty fostered in a free-market economy and a sense of justice in an open and tolerant society. Tony Blair’s Labour Party took up the promise of modernity, through its commitment to enterprise and the courage to stand tall in the world. Sadly, over the past 13 years that promise has faded. We all know that Britain can do better: it is surely time to regain our optimism.

This election offers a fundamental choice about the future of this country. It offers a moment to put old-fashioned tribal loyalties, class prejudices and social habits aside. We must choose. Either we are to be a country that has lost confidence in the ingenuity and potential of its people, and concludes that the State must continue to grow to protect us from ourselves. Or we can be a country that cares for the needy but reins in the ever-growing appetite of government and frees up people to grow their businesses, nurture their families and pursue their own hopes and happiness.

At an acutely difficult moment in our history, The Times puts its faith in the people rather than the government. It chooses a strong society, more enterprise and a smaller State. It chooses real, radical change. It chooses renewal.

Click source for more & also keep up to date on the UK election news with www.Elect10n.com

Source: timesonline.co.uk

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Article Tags: UK Election 2010

Nick Clegg: we have taken Labour’s place in UK politics

The Guardian Exclusive: Liberal Democrat leader rejects tactical voting, and says the race for PM is between him and Cameron by Patrick Wintour, Allegra Stratton and Aida Edemariam, The Guardian.

Nick Clegg today makes a bold pitch to Labour voters, claiming that the Liberal Democrats have supplanted Gordon Brown’s party to become the natural home of progressive politics in Britain.

In a Guardian interview, Clegg accuses David Cameron of having no agenda for progressive reform of the country and says the Lib Dems and Labour come from the same historical tradition.

He says he is rejecting all talk of tactical voting and is instead “going for broke” to maximise his party’s share of the vote.

Clegg insists that the tectonic plates of politics are shifting and the choice has distilled down to a vote for his party or a Conservative party that will “cast the country adrift”.

Click source for more & also keep up to date on the UK election news with www.Elect10n.com

Source: guardian.co.uk

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SCO really is quite the zombie of a company, isn’t it? It just never dies. It’s been a month since getting smacked down yet again and having a jury declare that Novell still owns the Unix copyrights, and they were never transferred to SCO (after a judge had already said the same thing). And yet, as Slashdot alerts us, SCO has now told the judge he should order Novell to hand over the copyrights anyway. Talk about getting desperate. When will SCO finally be put out of its misery?

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Compared to one year ago, Detroit’s big three automakers are showing a shocking turnaround. While Chrysler has only shown a slowing of their financial hemorrhage, Ford reported profits of $2.1 billion, and GM, despite not having yet reported a profit, has managed to pay off its $5.8 billion treasury loan early.

Though these numbers certainly paint a promising picture, experts remain skeptical. “I think for all three, this is a fragile recovery,” said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Edmunds.com. “We’re looking at an April where sales are down from March, and we don’t see the second half sales that robust. It’s going to be a little bumpy.”

The biggest challenge now for Chrysler is their lack of products in the pipeline; GM and Ford have considerably more vehicles set to rollout, while Fiat predicts that it will be a few years before we see a relevant influx of vehicles. Ford mentioned that its debt is still a weighing factor, as it was not able to clear the debt that GM and Chrysler did by declaring bankruptcy.

Experts agree that it is imperative for automakers to operate leaner than in the past. Recent factory closings have enabled the manufacturers to save large amounts of money, and one expert believes that Toyota’s recent problems will effect Perception of quality of domestics versus imports.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: CNNMoney

Uma das novas tecnologias no mundo automotivo, o pneu inteligente, poderá estar disponível no mercado a partir de 2013, de acordo com as ultimas noticias. Adotado de sensores, o chip Cyber Tyre conversará com o modulo central dos veículos e além de informações dos pneus e será capaz de fornecer dados das condições da pista onde o pneu estiver em contato.

De acordo com a Schrader Eletronics, fabricante de sensores eletrônicos, a companhia vem desenvolvendo em conjunto com a Pirelli o sistema, que também possibilitará o acionamento mais preciso e antecipado dos sistemas de controle eletrônicos, como o ABS, ASR e o ESP, que atualmente entram em ação após o motorista já estar perdendo o controle do veiculo.

A maior precisão do sistema é obtido através de um sensor acelerômetro triaxial que é capaz de medir as forças que atuam nos três sentidos dos pneus. Apesar de ainda estar em uma fase prematura, uma versão mais simples do chip já estará no mercado a partir desse ano e suas funções estarão limitadas em medir apenas a pressão, temperatura e características de construção do pneu.

Fonte:4WheelsNews

Article Tags: Jeffrey Bossert Clark

When did America risk coming to be ruled by foreign scientists and apparatchiks at the United Nations? The answer, it would seem, is ever since Lisa Jackson, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President Obama, chose to issue a rule determining that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger the public health and welfare.

Administrator Jackson acted to make her so-called “endangerment finding” on December 7, 2009, and befitting the historically tone-deaf selection of Pearl Harbor day for her announcement, the precipitous action embodied in the endangerment rule will also unleash immense negative consequences for the American economy entirely unexpected by most of the citizenry.

What would come as an even greater surprise to the public is that the endangerment rule is inextricably rooted in science performed by UN-designated scientists and reports written by UN bureaucrats. “I cannot think of any instance where the EPA depended so heavily on non-EPA synthesis reports to justify proposed regulatory action in [its] almost 39 years of existence,” noted Dr. Alan Carlin alarmingly.

Economist Dr. Carlin has been an employee of the EPA for 38 of those 39 years, performing complex risk assessments for EPA regulations. So his qualifications to look back with a keen eye across EPA’s history are tough to match. And yes, this would be the same Dr. Carlin that the EPA attempted to muzzle last spring and summer for arguing, within the halls of the agency, that the endangerment rule was unsupported. In an administration that congratulates itself for being the most transparent in history, Dr. Carlin was directly told to stop his work on the endangerment rule.

Source: pajamasmedia.com

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Soon after Tesla Model S’s launching in 2012, Tesla’s model lineup will expand quickly, according to Tesla chairman Elon Musk. The Model S will be priced at about $57,000, less than half the cost of the Roadster.

Tesla claims that the Model S has a 300-mile range and its battery could be switched in just one minute. Its features include an advanced 17-inch touch screen in the interior and an enviable amount of storage space. In an interview with US magazine Autoweek, Musk shared about the company’s plans to expand “at a rapid pace.” When the Model S starts selling, the Roadster will be discontinued. However, new products, such as the crossover, will be launched in 2013 and 2014. So far, about 1,200 Roadsters have been sold throughout 25 countries. Later on, a second generation mode that’s less expensive will be produced. Musk also disclosed that much of Tesla’s growth is expected to come from partnership deals. Daimler, which has an 8% share holding in Tesla, will provide batteries and chargers for the electric Smart car and electric technology for the Mercedes A-class.

[via autoweek]

Source: Car news, Car reviews, Spy shots

Acura has announced a recall that will affect 167,000 TSX models built between 2004 and 2008. The problem is found on models equipped with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine – which was the only available engine in the U.S.

Honda has announced that is luxury division, Acura, will be recalling 167,000 TSX models that have the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, over a power steering hose that has potential to prematurely deteriorate.

Acura says that the hose can fail due to its prolonged exposure to high under-hood temperatures, which can in turn cause the hose to develop a crack. Acura says that if the hose cracks it could cause the power steering fluid to spray into the engine bay, and potentially onto the hot exhaust system – which could create smoke or a fire.

Acura says it has only confirmed one fire as a result of the failure.

The automaker will begin mailing recall notices at the end of May, 2010.

   

Source: Leftlane

The hydraulic tapping machines from Gamor are unique in power, accuracy, speed, safety and equipment. Their patented systems, the electronic management, the stepless speed regulation, the mechano-hydraulic transmission, and the exclusive robust construction make these machines a product unmatched by any other brand. Where others dream of tapping power, Gamor unfolds smoothly, providing threading solutions adapted to all types of materials (aluminum, high strength materials, stainless steels) and sectors (automotive, wind, valve, rail, etc). Gamor offers the largest program of tapping solutions for M2-M8, M3-M12, M3-M16, M3-M20, M4-M24, M2-M30, M2-M36, M2-M39, M2-M45, M3 -M60, M3 and M3-M110-M130.

Chatsworth, CA – April 21, 2010 – Dytran Instruments has recently developed a new series of differential output charge mode accelerometers. The 3235C series are high temperature, high sensitivity charge output accelerometers designed to measure vibration of surfaces at temperatures up to +500°F (+287°C). These units are unique in that they feature high charge sensitivity while also offering a balanced differential output.

The 3235C series are available in three versions, which differ only in sensitivity: 50 pC/g (3235C1), 100 pC/g (3235C2) and 200 pC/g (3235C3).

Featuring a transverse mounted glass-to-metal sealed 2-pin connector and an industry standard 3-bolt mount, as well as being packaged in a hermetically sealed Inconel housing, the 3235C series are ideal for turbine engine vibration measurements and industrial monitoring in high temperature environments.

To learn more about 3235C series, please contact us at [email protected].

Company Information:

Established in 1980, Dytran Instruments, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of piezoelectric and DC accelerometers, force and pressure transducers, and associated electronics. Dytran products are used extensively in aerospace, test and measurement and industrial applications. Additionally, Dytran products are widely utilized for on-board measurements in a variety of aerospace, commercial, and military applications.

Dytran maintains a world-class manufacturing facility in Chatsworth (Los Angeles) California. This vertically integrated facility includes engineering, administrative, manufacturing, and automated machining capabilities. Dytran products are available worldwide via a network of distributors and representatives.

Safe, user and environment friendly

Features and benefits:
• suitable for both round and flat material
• available in lifting capacities between 125 and 1000 kg
• energized by a current surge
• zero energy consumption following activation
• magnetic force remains intact if main power fails
• maintains high holding force on rough of uneven surfaces
• effortless working practice thanks to push button operation
• optional remote push button station
• can be interfaced with robot control
• low maintenance, no moving parts

The range of BUX NEO-EP lifting magnets allow easy handling of flat and cylindrical loads up to 1000 kg.
They offer a high degree of safety as the holding force is ensured by powerful permanent, high energy magnets which keep “pushing” even when the contact between magnet and load is poor.
The NEO-EP magnets are supplied with an operating
instruction and CE-declaration of conformity.
Applications
• Load, unload machine tools
• Handling and transport of materials in storage rooms
• Lifting of medium sized structures in assembly and fabrication
• Repetitive handing in automated systems

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Because of their extremely high data transfer rates, integrated hardware management and optimised cooling, AdvancedTCA and MicroTCA have been chosen by physicists as technologies of the future. For their applications, however, physicists require special functions that are not defined in standard xTCA systems. To address this situation the xTCA WG1 working group for physics was set up in early 2009 under the aegis of PICMG. xTCA, originally specified for telecommunications, is finding ever wider acceptance in the market, for example in medicine, automation and, with the WG1 working group, also in research.

WG1 defines a yet higher power density on the AdvancedTCA blades and thus requires still more cooling. The group for MicroTCA also requires a rear I/O board cage. In both AdvancedTCA and MicroTCA special clock and trigger signals and identical dimensions for front and rear boards are required.

Schroff is an active member of this new working group and has already developed a first MicroTCA test system with rear I/O. This MicroTCA test system meets the first draft status of the new specification. The link between front and rear I/O boards is a board-to-board connection. With this system the user can test the board mechanics and the functioning of the rear I/Os, including the integration of these newly-defined boards into the existing shelf management, during normal operation.

The front slots of the test system, with one MCH slot (single or double, full-size) and six AdvancedMC slots (double mid-size) correspond to the MicroTCA specification PICMG MicroTCA.0 R1.0. The rear configuration consists of six rear I/O slots (double mid-size), conforming to PICMG Physics WG1. A 300 W PSU (double full-size) is inserted into the system from the front. The power switch module for voltage distribution to the AdvancedMC modules and the MCH is integrated onto the backplane as a plug-on module. The fans can be controlled via the private I²C bus of the MCH and thus ensure optimised heat dissipation.