Author: Serkadis

  • Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has been in development since ’08

    Capcom, through the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 trailer, said that the game was brought on by a decade of demand. But was it? VG247 reports that that’s not entirely true, considering that the game has

  • Bentley Continental Supersports tuning pela Wheelsandmore

    Bentley Continental Supersports Wheelsandmore

    A empresa de afinamento de carros ou tuning Wheelsandmore, resolveu apimentar ainda mais o Bentley Continental Supersports, a versão mais esportiva do cupê Continental que originalmente vem com um motor mais potente de 630 cavalos e com uma redução de 110 kg em seu peso final, acelerando de 0 a 100 km/h em apenas3,7 segundos.

    Mesmo assim a Wheelsandmore não estava satisfeita com sua versão esportiva e apresentou a sua versão do Bentley Continental Supersports. O cupê recebeu um ajuste fino em vários equipamentos garantindo agora uma potencia de 702 cavalos e a possibilidade de atingir a velocidade máxima de 336 km/h contra 329 km/h do modelo original.

    Isso foi possível com a reprogramação de sua central de injeção e um novo escapamento confeccionado em aço inoxidável. Pra garantir um melhor ajuste em sua condução, o Bentley Continental Supersports by Wheelsandmore conta com um modulo eletrônico de controle de altura em seu sistema de suspensão, podendo rebaixar ou levantar a altura do veiculo.

    Seu visual também foi personalizado e em conjunto com seu novo jogo de rodas aro 21 pintada de preto fosco e com bordas vermelhas e com pneus Dunlop Sport Maxx dianteiro e traseiro impõem respeito, e com toda a razão. Confira abaixo a galeria de fotos do modelo.

    Bentley Continental Supersports Wheelsandmore
    Bentley Continental Supersports WheelsandmoreBentley Continental Supersports WheelsandmoreBentley Continental Supersports WheelsandmoreBentley Continental Supersports Wheelsandmore

    Bentley Continental Supersports WheelsandmoreBentley Continental Supersports WheelsandmoreBentley Continental Supersports WheelsandmoreBentley Continental Supersports WheelsandmoreBentley Continental Supersports WheelsandmoreBentley Continental Supersports Wheelsandmore

    Fonte: TopSpeed


  • EA details Madden NFL 11 demo

    Drew Brees may appear on the cover of Madden NFL 11, but the Saints and their QB aren’t going to be in the game’s demo. Like the boxart, EA left it up for fan voting. Guess who

  • Beijing 2010: Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept, HHR goes future tech

    Filed under: , , , ,

    Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

    While Chrysler has failed to find a way to update or replace the retro-styled PT Cruiser, we can definitely see this as a forthcoming replacement to the Chevrolet HHR. The Volt MPV5 is slightly larger than HHR, but fills a similar market niche. While Chevrolet hasn’t announced a firm production commitment, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the MPV5 built in both conventional and ER-EV forms to help jack up GM’s light truck CAFE numbers. The roomy interior will likely find a bigger audience than the smaller Volt while still yielding a 32 mile electric range, and if we had to guess, we’d see the Orlando-inspired plug-in EV hit the market by 2013.

    Photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

    Beijing 2010: Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept, HHR goes future tech originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Could Copyright Have Made A Difference In Custody Battle Over Kids Photos?

    The Grumpy Hacker writes in to let us know of a story about a couple in the midst of a divorce who went to court over who gets to own the family’s photographs (found PopPhoto.com). Over the 21-year marriage, apparently, the family amassed 7,000 photos, and part of the dispute was over who got to keep them. The judge made the following decision:


    The husband gets 75% of the photos or three out of every four on each page of 75 photo albums, DeStefano wrote. His wife gets what’s left.

    “The court finds that the husband was intricately involved with taking, compiling and cataloging the thousands of photos at issue,” DeStefano wrote in a case in which the spouses were identified only by initials.

    “He equated his collecting of photographs of family with the hobby of collecting rare books.”

    If you’re wondering why not just make copies, apparently the couple had already paid over $2,000 to scan all the images and have them put onto a CD, but both sides were “unhappy with the quality and demanded originals.” It seems like they could have just gone back to whoever scanned the images and demanded higher quality scans, but that’s neither here nor there.

    What struck me about this is you sort of wonder why no one brought up copyright. Technically, whoever took the photos most likely owned the copyright on those photos, and could claim that the photos were his or her right to own. This is one of the more annoying parts of copyright law, but whoever takes the photo often has a strong claim on the copyright, even if the camera is someone else’s (remember that the next time you ask your friend — or, I guess, spouse — to take a photo for you). So, I would imagine that if the guy took most of the photos, he could just claim copyright on them and keep them from his ex-wife. In the meantime, though, perhaps we should be thankful that copyright was not used in this particular case — even if the result seems a little silly. There are services that can duplicate photos (not just scan them), and it seems like this whole situation could have been solved without involving a court at all.

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  • Japan orders for Nissan Leaf exceed half of sales target for FY2010

    2011 Nissan LEAF

    Nissan announced yesterday that pre-orders of its 2011 Nissan Leaf have reached 3,754 units in three weeks in its domestic market after launching the pre-order process in Japan on April 1.

    “This exceeds half of its sales target for FY2010, which is 6,000 units, thanks to the highly positive feedback from customers for its “remarkable environmental performance of zero-emission,” “affordable pricing for an EV” and its “advanced IT system,” Nissan said in a statement.

    Nissan started taking reservations for the 2011 LEAF on April 20 in the United States. It said that more than 115,000 people have formalized their interest in driving a Nissan Leaf or have signed up for more information at the company’s website.

    The reservation process will give priority to the 115,000 registrants first who will have to pay a $99 reservation fee, which is fully refundable. Prices for the 2011 Nissan Leaf will start at $32,780 or $25,280 with a federal tax-credit. That works out to a lease payment of $349 a month.

    Click here to read news on the Nissan Leaf.

    Refresher: Power for the Nissan Leaf comes from a 107-hp electric-motor that runs on power supplied by lithium-ion cells. On a full-charge, the Nissan Leaf allows for a driving range of 100 miles with a top speed of 87 mph. A full charge takes up to 8 hours on a standard 200V outlet. Buyers can opt for the DC 50kW quick-charger, which recharges the battery up to 80 percent in under 30 minutes.

    2011 Nissan Leaf:

    2010 Nissan LEAF EV 2010 Nissan LEAF EV 2010 Nissan LEAF EV 2010 Nissan LEAF EV

    – By: Kap Shah


  • Video: BMW 1 Series M prototype makes an appearance at the ‘Ring

    Filed under: , , ,

    BMW 1 Series M prototype on the ‘Ring – Click above to watch the video after the break

    The BMW 1 Series M is getting ever closer to production, and what appears to be a real production prototype has made its first appearance at the “Green Hell.” The previously seen tacked-on rear fender flares of the previous mules have been discarded in favor of enhanced sheet metal. All of the metal from the side character line is covered in the standard-issue BMW swirly prototype wrap. Based on the new nose, this car has some serious air ingestion requirements as evidenced by the large openings below the bumper.

    Within the wheels, the BMW engineers have wasted none of the available space, filling the fronts with as much brake hardware as could be squeezed in with only slightly less going into the back corners.

    If the production car sounds like what we hear in the video after the jump, driving this 1 M/M1/135is/whatever will be a glorious audio experience. Tip of the hat to Luis!

    [Source: 1addicts.com]

    Continue reading Video: BMW 1 Series M prototype makes an appearance at the ‘Ring

    Video: BMW 1 Series M prototype makes an appearance at the ‘Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Review: 2010 Mazdaspeed3 is a solid hot-hatch, but how does it compare to the VW GTI?

    Review: 2010 Mazdaspeed3

    This past September, we were fortunate enough to spend a week with the 2010 Mazda3 and were very pleased to say the least. The Japanese carmaker’s compact offering is practical, fuel-efficient, modestly priced, and drives much better than most of its competition. With this in mind, it was with great excitement that we got behind the wheel of the 2010 Mazdaspeed3, a high-performance version of the Mazda3 that competes with the likes Volkswagen GTI, Subaru Impreza WRX 5- door, Honda Civic SI and the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart.

    Click here to get prices on the 2010 Mazdaspeed3.

    Despite the powertrain being left virtually untouched, the 2010 Mazdaspeed3 sees some significant improvement over the previous generation which improve the hot-hatchback overall. Also upgraded for the 2010 model year however, is the Volkswagen GTI, a staunch competitor to the Mazdaspeed3. We’ll take a look at how the two measure up against each other during our review.

    Hit the jump to read more and to view our high-res image gallery (at the bottom of the post).

    Review: 2010 Mazdaspeed3:

    2010 Mazdaspeed3 Specifications:

    Base Price: $23,945.
    Price as Tested: $26,165.
    Engine: MZR 2.3L DISI Turbo – 263-hp / 280 lb-ft of torque.
    Transmission: 6-speed manual.
    Curb Weight: 3,221 lbs.
    0 to 60 mph: 6.4 seconds.
    Top Speed: 155 mph
    Fuel-Economy (city/highway): 18/25 mpg.

    All Photos Copyright © 2010 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.

    Review: 2010 Mazdaspeed3

    Exterior:

    The Mazdaspeed3 has always been derived from the Mazda3 5-door hatchback, but this generation sees a bold and aggressive design enhancement that adds a certain level of functionality.

    Points of design differentiation on the front of the vehicle include a lower air dam, round fog lights, and an organic, metallic black grille. The hood has been altered to house the intercooler scoop in order to improve charge air cooling, and the front-end fenders have been flared out so as to make room to contain the wider tires featured on the Mazdaspeed variant.

    The rear sees the addition of larger dual exhaust tips, a valance painted with the same metallic black as the front grille, and a larger, roof-mounted rear wing. All pf this sits atop 18 x 7.5-inch aluminum wheels that complete the look.

    Mazda outdid themselves in terms of exterior design, as the Nagare inspired design of the Mazdaspeed3 gives the car a tremendous amount of sex appeal over the competition.

    Review: 2010 Mazdaspeed3

    Interior:

    Use of better quality materials and a more ergonomic design signify a dramatic enhancement in interior design as well as exterior. There are not many features optionally available on the Mazdaspeed3; the $1,895 Tech package is the only available upgrade. The package includes keyless entry, push-button start, compact full-color navigation system, Sirius satellite radio (six-month trial subscription included), a perimeter alarm, 6-CD changer, and Bose Centerpoint surround sound.

    Don’t panic though, because the car also comes standard with plenty of options; variable intermittent windshield wipers, a roof-mounted aerodynamic antenna, illuminated vanity mirrors, electroluminescent gauges, aluminum pedals, ‘Mazdaspeed’ branded black and red cloth seats, door trim, interior trim, floor mats, scuff plates with ‘Mazdaspeed’ decoration panel, and dual-zone climate control are all included as standard equipment.

    There were only two bones to pick with the interior; the navigation screen is extremely small and fully-controlled through the steering wheel – which made for very difficult operation – and the vehicle is not offered with a moonroof option.

    Review: 2010 Mazdaspeed3

    Performance:

    The ’10 Mazdaspeed3 derives its power from the automaker’s award-winning MZR 2.3L DISI Turbo which puts out 263-hp at 5,500 rpm and 280 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm. No automatic transmission is available, and the Mazdaspeed3 comes mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. As Mazda pointed out themselves, they felt no need to tinker with the engine but instead focused its attention on the more effective harnessing of power.

    Mazda has added a hood-mounted intercooler scoop, which improves airflow significantly over the grille-mounted intercooler duct of the previous generation. Gear ratios have also been revised in the compact , three-shaft gearbox; gears 2 through 5 have all been made slightly taller to make better use of the engine’s impressive torque. Mazda’s Advanced Torque Management system is also at play; it minimizes torque steer by adjusting torque output based on gear position and steering angle. The car still retains the significant torque that it has always been known for; it is just better managed and slightly improved.

    60 mph comes in about 6.4 seconds; a tad slower than the previous generation, and top speed is electronically governed at 155 mph. Despite the 0-60 time loss and no power upgrades, the 2010 Mazdaspeed3 is an overall higher quality car than previous models.

    How does it stand up to the 2010 Volkswagen GTI:

    We drove the 2010 GTI back in December and loved every second of it. We described that car as ‘stonkingly fast, fuel-efficient, practical, and affordable.’ Lets see how the ’10 Mazdaspeed3 stands in comparison to the ’10 GTI.

    Although the Mazdaspeed3 has significantly more horsepower – 263-hp versus the GTI’s 200-hp, the GTI rides in a much more refined manner, almost like a miniature Audi. Considering the large difference in horsepower, the fact that the GTI reaches 60 mph in 6.7 seconds as opposed to the 3’s 6.4 seconds is also a trait to the credit of the Germans. The handling on the GTI is also far superior to that on the Mazdspeed3.

    If you’re the type for burnouts and a ton of noise and torque steer, then the Mazdaspeed 3 is your vehicle, but if you prefer a precise, sporty drive that leaves you with a sense of confidence, you want to opt for the GTI.

    Review: 2010 Mazdaspeed3

    Overall:

    The ’10 Mazdaspeed 3 comes with a starting MSRP of $23,945. Opt for the Tech Package and that number shoots to $25,840. With accessories such as all-weather floor mats, wheel locks, cargo net, and other options, the 3 could wind up costing you as much as $26,335. The GTI carries a starting sticker of $23,489 and increases in price to $24,089 for the 5 door model, and after a bunch of options can be as high as the low $30k’s. Pricing considered, shop based on your style and choose accordingly.

    Review: 2010 Mazdaspeed3:

    – By: Omar Rana and Stephen Calogera

    All Photos Copyright © 2010 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.


  • Square Enix announces DLC packs for Just Cause 2

    It ain’t over yet for Agent Rico Rodriguez Square Enix has just announced two incoming DLC packs for your strike against Panau. Extra extra, read all about it.

  • Beijing 2010: Ford Start concept

    Filed under: , , ,

    Ford Start Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

    As we were checking out the new Ford Start concept at the Beijing Motor Show, we ran into the head of Ford’s advanced studio in California, Freeman Thomas, and the mini car’s lead exterior designer, Jeff Nield.

    According to Nield, he wanted to create a vehicle that retained elements of Ford’s “Kinetic Design” language while at the same time create something more subdued, able to stand apart from the noise surrounding the show. Thus the Start has a cleaner simpler shape that’s slightly more serious than past concepts. Nield mentioned the Mini and how it’s always had a cute, happy demeanor about it. He wanted to create something different – a thing of beauty injected with very natural, organic elements.

    Thomas explained that the designers wanted to experiment with a hybrid construction consisting of a mix of aluminum, high strenght steel and composites. This allowed the creation of a very open, airy cockpit, with thin pillars for good visibility, while also providing occupants a feeling of safety with the high belt line.

    One of the more interesting interior details is the monorail front seat tracks that have the thrones on a central pedestal, thus increasing foot room for rear passengers. There are no production plans for any of this right now, but some of the ideas could shine a light on where to go next – and that turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder is definitely finding its way to market.

    Photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

    Beijing 2010: Ford Start concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Energy Answer Not Blowin’ In The Wind by Doug L. Hoffman

    Article Tags: Doug L. Hoffman, Windfarms

    Image Attachment

    The future look of the American coastline.

    The wind is notably capricious, varying in strength and direction in seemingly random ways. The output of wind turbines, which capture the energy of the wind and turn it into electrical power, also varies unpredictably. Leveling out these fluctuations is the biggest obstacle to wind power serving as an effective alternative to conventional power sources. A study, just published in PNAS Online, claims that wiring together offshore wind farms, from along the entire length of the US East Coast, could provide a steady power source for the area. This has led to proclamations by a number of green power advocates that America’s energy problems can be solved by wind power. Unfortunately, steady to a scientist is not the same as steady to a power grid engineer, or consumers.

    The potential energy of wind is tremendous. One estimate puts it at nearly five times as much as the world’s entire existing electricity demand. To environmentalists and climate change alarmists who fear the emission of CO2, wind offers a seemingly perfect energy source: it requires no dirty fossil fuels or hated nuclear power; no drilling, mining, or uranium enrichment; and wind’s carbon footprint is essentially zero. The catch is that wind is notably unreliable, and if there is one thing consumers cannot abide, it is unreliable electrical power. A study, to be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), and made available online, claims to have tamed the wind and smoothed out its inconsistent behavior. Motivation for the study is stated in the paper’s first paragraph:

    Source: theresilientearth.com

    Read in full with comments »   


  • Two-headed lizard whose heads hate each other discovered in Australia

    two-headed-bobtail-lizard.jpg
    Photos via Metro

    Check out this bizarre two-headed bobtail
    lizard that was discovered a couple of days ago in Perth Australia! Also, it turns out that the
    heads hate each other, and the larger one keeps attacking the smaller
    one.

    The bobtail lizard is a type of skink lizard commonly known as a
    Shingleback in the great down under. Occurrences of two headed large vertebrates surviving in the wild are infrequent to say the least — the lizard’s two heads are the result of a rare genetic mutation.

    It’s been rescued and is being
    cared for at a reptile park in Henley Brook. The
    wildlife biologists say it’s doing well, but note that two-headed
    lizards don’t typically have very long life expectancies. You know,
    because of the whole two head, one body thing. Here’s an x-ray of
    the creature:

    two-headed-lizard-x-ray.jpg

    The BBC has
    more details
    : the two headed lizard “apparently eats
    from both heads but the larger head has also tried to attack the
    smaller one, and its movement is difficult as both heads control its
    back legs. It also has a healthy sibling without any mutation. Bobtails
    give birth to live offspring, rather than laying eggs.”

    two-headed-lizard.jpg

    Given that we just had Earth Day, we’re all aware that global climate change is
    continuing largely unabated. Deforestation may have slowed some but is
    still a colossal issue, endangered species are dropping like flies and
    water is running out all over the place.

    But this two-headed lizard is still neat-looking.

    Brian Merchant covers politics for TreeHugger,
    where a version of this post originally appeared.

    More
    from TreeHugger

     Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

     

  • New Study Shows Gene Patents Stifle Innovation And Put People At Risk

    Following the recent ruling in the Myriad Genetics case, that gene patents are invalid, it was amusing (if it a bit frightening) to watch some patent attorneys, who specialize in the field, react as if the world had been turned upside down, and that major scientific advances in health and medicine were all going to collapse into a giant blackhole. Of course, they had no evidence to back that up. As we’ve seen time and time again, the evidence suggests exactly the opposite — and now there’s even more evidence, specifically when it comes to patents on genes and related processes. Justin Levine points us to an Economist article highlighting a series of recently released studies that found that gene patents are quite damaging:


    Even more striking is the claim made by the Duke researchers that patent exclusivity is not necessary to spur innovation in genetic testing. Dr Cook-Deegan argues that testing, unlike pricey drug development, has low barriers to entry and is relatively cheap, so a monopoly is not required to lure investors. As evidence, he points to the case of cystic fibrosis: unlike breast cancer, no monopoly patent blocks access to the relevant gene, and dozens of rival testing companies flourish.

    The research also found that thanks to gene patent monopolies, many people may suffer in being unable to get access to important tests, and worse (as was the case in the Myriad suit), the monopoly kills off the potential of getting any sort of second opinion — which can be incredibly important in properly judging the situation. Of course, I fully expect the typical group of patent attorneys to ignore this evidence yet again. The full set of studies, led by Robert Cook-Deegan, at Duke University can be read online. It was done in response to a request from the US Dept. of Health — so perhaps the US gov’t is finally starting to look at actual evidence in figuring out patent policy as well. The different studies look at the impact of patents on a variety of different diseases. The results definitely differed depending on the case study, but it’s difficult to see any evidence of patents helping with innovation in any of the studies.

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  • Google Expands Transliteration Tools and Starts Testing a Virtual Keyboard

    We may think of the web as incredibly open and universally available, but, apart from the growing problem of governments blocking or censoring things they don’t like, the language barrier is as much of a problem online as it is in the real world. Google has been working to bridge this gap mostly with its increasing… (read more)

  • Hollywood Park Race 5 Horse Racing Betting Pick Friday 4-23-10

    With our free pick on Friday we will select from the night racing card from Hollywood Park and make a play in the 5th race. It will be a 1 mile turf event for 3 year olds and it has been set with an optional claiming tag of $80,000. With our horse racing pick we will play on #1 Hockley to win. The 5th race at Hollywood Park is scheduled for an 11:57PM Eastern Time post and you can watch it on TVG.

    Hockley is ridden by David Flores and is trained by Eoin Harty. This three year old colt was a $560,000 purchase and is by A.P. Indy. He is coming off a win against straight maidens on March 14th on the turf at this distance. He was sent near the lead and wasn’t asked to make up ground, as he was forced into doing in his previous races. Hockley’s mommy Penny’s Fortune won 3 of 10 races on the turf during her racing career. He has a first and a second place finish in two tries at this surface and distance.

    Play #1 Hockley to win race 5 at Hollywood Park 3-1 on the Morning Line.

    Post Time at 11:57PM Eastern Time televised by TVG

    Courtesy of Tonys Picks

  • Salão de Pequim 2010: Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 Especial

    Imagens da Edição especial do LP 670-4

    Uma das outras novidades do Salão de Pequim desse ano vem dos europeus. A Lamborghini apresentará no evento desse ano uma versão especial do seu Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce, especialmente para o público chinês. Serão 10 unidades numeradas e pintadas em cinza, com um belo contraste em faixas de laranja e preto.

    Essa nova versão SuperVeloce possui 100 Kg a menos que o Murciélago normal, porque possui uma carroceria de fibra de carbono e alguns de seus componentes internos. Por falar componentes internos, a versão limitada chinesa do SuperVeloce traz revestimentos em Alcântara e mais detalhes em laranja.

    Com um motor V12 de 670 cv, possui um torque máximo de 67,3 kgfm. Sua aceleração de 0 a 100 Km/h é feita em 3,2 segundos e chega ao limite de 342 Km/h. Mais novidades do evento virão a seguir. Enquanto isso, fique com as fotos da edição especial do LP 670-4.

    Imagens da Edição especial do LP 670-4
    Imagens da Edição especial do LP 670-4Imagens da Edição especial do LP 670-4Imagens da Edição especial do LP 670-4

    Via | Interpress Motor


  • Spyker: There is a strong desire to do a compact Saab, needs funding and partner

    Saab 9-X BioHybrid Concept

    Spyker Cars announced yesterday that Saab production is on track, two months after the supercar manufacturer bought the loss-making Swedish brand from General Motors.

    Saab CEO told Spyker shareholders that Saab would meet its target of 50,000 cars sold and nearly 54,000 produced this year and is on track to meet those numbers. Spyker’s CEO Victor Muller said that Saab’s break even point should be sales of 85,000 units a year by 2012. Analyst predict that Spyker must sell 75,000 units a year to have a positive cash flow.

    Muller also pointed out that there is a strong desire to develop a new compact model if it could find the right partner and proper financing to do so. He said that he would like to expand Saab’s lineup to something smaller than the 9-3 model.

    “The Saab 9-2 is clearly on the forefront of our priorities,” Muller said. He showed shareholders market data in support of producing such a car was “irresistible”. However, Muller did make it clear that Saab would new capital and a partner to design and produce the car.

    – By: Kap Shah

    Source: Reuters


  • Stop the voucher bill – Vote NO on SB 2494

    IEA Director of Government Relations Jim Reed calls on IEA members to contact their legislators to vote NO on SB 2494, a bill that would divert $100 million dollars in public money to private schools in Chicago.
  • India Introduces Draft Copyright Amendments; Some Good, Some Bad

    Michael Geist points our attention to the news that India has introduced a draft of proposed amendments to its copyright law, in an attempt to bring India’s copyright laws into alignment with those ever popular “international obligations” found in various (industry dominated) treaties. There were reports late last year that the proposals were likely to be draconian, as the negotiations had mainly been between the government and the recording industry with no input from the public. However, the actual proposal (pdf) is much more of a mixed bag — with lots of somewhat surprisingly good things included.

    For example, it extends the concept of “fair dealing” to cover “private and personal use” and makes sure that anti-circumvention rules only apply when the circumvention is used to infringe on copyrights. The US anti-circumvention clause in the DMCA makes no such distinction (so even if you circumvent copy protection for a perfectly legal reason — such as to make a personal backup — it’s still infringement just to circumvent). Also, the new proposal would allow more access to copyrighted works by “physically challenged persons.” However, it appears that some feel that those provisions don’t go far enough. It allows for the conversion of copyrighted works into Braille without having to pay a fee, but many visually impaired point out that it does not cover converting the works to audio formats with e-reading software or audiobooks. Some political parties are threatening to boycott the proposal if this part isn’t fixed.

    The part of the bill that’s getting the most attention in India is that it would create an additional right for content creators, which they would hold onto, rather than having the right transferred over to the producers and record labels. In other words, it seeks to make sure that the actual content creators don’t have their rights stripped from them by the industry. Not surprisingly, the record labels are up in arms about this, and find the whole thing to be terribly unfair. In their defense, it is a bit strange to set up a copyright where the rights are not transferable, even if the purpose is really to give more power to the content creators themselves.

    That controversial clause does seem like a mixed bag itself. Decreasing the control the industry has over actual content creators is a good thing, but I’m not sure layering on another “right” is the way to do it. There are some other questionable aspects of the bill as well — including (of course) extending the length of copyright, in some cases, for no good reason. It also sets up new statutory compulsory rights. While those sometimes are useful in clearing up confusion, it creates a totally arbitrary system for setting payment rates, rather than letting the market figure it out.

    Overall, it sounds like this is better than many of the proposed copyright law changes out there — and I’m sure that the entertainment industry, who had been pushing for India to put potential infringers in jail, won’t like this one bit — but it’s not that great either.

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  • Product life cycle analysis

    Environmental News Network: How good or how bad is a product from a green carbon footprint point of view? Several well known corporations like Airbus, Levi Strauss & Co., 3M, DuPont, and Kraft Foods are volunteering to road test a full life cycle greenhouse gas analysis on a wide range of products from blue jeans to manufactured steel.

    A life cycle analysis studies all the potential contributions to a carbon footprint and includes supplier, transportation, production and disposal. This concept is also related to environmental sustainability.

    he Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard and the Scope 3 (Corporate Value Chain) Accounting and Reporting Standard, provides innovative methods to measure a product’s full life cycle emissions is the planned method to be used. In all sixty corporations have been chosen to participate.

    The standard was developed with a multi-stakeholder, consensus based process to develop greenhouse gas accounting and reporting standards with participation from businesses, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and academic institutions from around the world.  This draft standard was developed between January and October 2009 by two technical working groups collectively comprised of over 70 members from a diversity of businesses, government agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions.

    “We are encouraged by the overwhelming response from the private sector seeking to road test the new standards. There were more than 120 applications across a broad array of sectors and regions worldwide. The road testing will provide critical input in ensuring that the standards generate credible and meaningful data for business and government decision makers, while considering the practical challenges that businesses and programs will face during implementation,” said Jonathan Lash in a press release. Lash is president of the World Resources Institute, which developed the standards along with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

    The new standards will also allow companies to look at the greenhouse gas emissions of their full corporate value chain, including supplier manufacturing, outsourced activities, and the products’ ultimate consumption.

    Read more>>