Author: Serkadis

Article Tags: Nigel Lawson

The revelation that the decision to close Europe’s skies following last week’s eruption of an unpronounceable Icelandic volcano, and the spewing of ash into the sky, was triggered by advice from the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre of the UK Met Office, based not on all relevant empirical evidence but on their computer model, has led to no small controversy. IATA, representing the airlines, has condemned the advice as absurd and unnecessarily alarmist, while others have noticed the parallel with the drastic decarbonisation policies promoted by the climate change lobby, similarly based largely on alarmist interpretations of the projections generated by Met Office computer models.

However, the folly of everyone relying on Met Office computer modelling is only half the story. An even more important read-across concerns our old friend the precautionary principle.

What the Met Office/Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre model does is essentially to provide short-term predictions of the extent and location of the clouds of ash. It may well do this (not a very difficult task, after all) pretty accurately. It is clearly a very much simpler and hugely less uncertain task than predicting the likely temperature of the planet a hundred years from now. It is, however, a very limited model, which does not even pretend to predict the intensity of the ash within the cloud, or in different areas of the cloud. Nor, of course, does the VAAC have any knowledge at all of what level of ash intensity is a serious hazard to jet aircraft and what level is not a serious hazard. When tackled about the intensity issue by the BBC, the Met Office spokesman claimed that this was irrelevant, since the policy in force was one of ‘zero tolerance’. This, of course, is complete idiocy (and is conspicuously not the policy in the US, whose air safety record is as good as Europe’s). It is, however, the so-called precautionary principle again – and indeed only a few days ago the Eurocontrol spokeswoman was explicitly justifying the original blanket flying ban on the grounds of the precautionary principle.

Source: thegwpf.org

Read in full with comments »   

Social networking sites are gaining pace these days, and the competition in the area is increasing accordingly. Among various social media destinations, Facebook and Yahoo are detaching from rivals and are steadily taking over the social web, shows recently unveiled data from comScore, a leader in digital analytics and intelligence, according to M… (read more)

At the eComm Conference in San Francisco, Skype’s CTO (Chief Technology Officer), Mr. Jonathan Rosenberg waived the 560 million users mark that Skype has recently passed, offering some general statistics about Skype’s usage among Internauts.

The figure  leaves Facebook in the dust for web supremacy, at a distance greater than 160 million … (read more)

sceptic writes:

“A motorcyclist was showboating and recording himself doing it using a helmet cam. While stopped at a stop light, an off duty police officer stepped out of his (unmarked) car with his gun drawn. The rider received a citation and posted the whole episode on YouTube. 4 days later MD state police seized his computers and helmet cam and threatened to arrest him because it is illegal to record someone without their consent.”

You can see a long version of the events (without any sound) which shows the 3 minutes leading up to the incident here:

Or if you want to just see the part where the off duty cop pulls the gun (with sound), it’s here:



The laws against audibly recording someone without their permission are not designed for situations like this one. They’re designed for eavesdropping or things like recording phone calls. Using such a law to crack down on a guy showing an off-duty police officer totally overreacting to a traffic stop by drawing his weapon seems like a clear abuse of this sort of law.

However, now that we’re reaching an age when everything anyone sees will soon be able to be recorded — and for years, various research groups have been working on tools to make that easier — these kinds of laws may need to be revisited. If many people are wearing devices that record everything they see and hear, suddenly such laws become a bit ridiculous — even outside of the clear abuse above when such laws are being used to punish a whistleblower.

Permalink | Comments | Email This Story

Dealing with Hepatitis C infection is more challenging when you can’t sleep. Before using a pharmaceutical sleep aid, you might want to first try eating these five insomnia-easing foods before bed.

by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

At some point or another, most of us have struggled from not getting a good night’s sleep. When such a problem happens regularly, the implications of chronic sleeplessness can be devastating. Whether due to the health of their liver, a side effect of combination therapy or some other reason, over half of all those with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) suffer from sleep problems. Although it may appear to be an overly simplified solution, many people have realized that dietary approaches can help promote a restful slumber.

To address insomnia, physicians often prescribe some kind of sleep aid drug. Although the newer sleep aids are generally non-habit forming, every drug comes with a list of warnings and side effects. As the primary organ that must process drugs, the liver’s burden is increased with every chemical substance ingested. A mainstay of managing chronic HCV is supporting the liver by reducing the quantity of chemicals it must process. Thus, finding natural ways to ease insomnia should always be attempted before someone with chronic Hepatitis C resorts to taking a sleep aid drug.

Sleep is as important to liver health as are a healthy diet and regular exercise. Insomnia effects tend to be cumulative, with chronic insomnia often leading to:

· severe fatigue
· cognitive difficulties
· depression
· anxiety
· metabolic disturbances
· chronic pain disorders

Because sleep rejuvenates the psyche and immune system, it is especially needed to wage the battle against chronic Hepatitis C. Alternatively, long-term sleep deprivation will increase the severity of chronic HCV. According to Alan Franciscus, executive director of the Hepatitis C Support Project in San Francisco, many of the vague symptoms of Hepatitis C – such as fatigue -are also symptoms of not getting enough sleep. Since the two conditions go hand in hand, insomnia can compound symptoms.

When it comes to Hepatitis C, the following could be a culprit for insomnia:

· Stress or Anxiety – Worrying about health may keep the mind overly active, making relaxation and, therefore, a restful sleep difficult.

· Interferon Treatment – Insomnia is a common side effect of interferon therapy, the current standard treatment for HCV.

· Cirrhosis – Those who have an advanced case of Hepatitis C infection may have cirrhosis, the permanent hardening and scarring of the liver. In those with cirrhosis, histamine levels in the brain are often altered. Histamine regulates the sleep-wake cycle, so if levels of this chemical get out of balance, so too can sleep patterns.

Besides taking drugs to help you sleep, there are a variety of approaches to promote slumber. Non-pharmaceutical solutions for insomnia span eliminating caffeine, taking a hot bath in the evening, reducing your bedroom’s temperature, turning off the TV early and setting aside time for unwinding before bed. While all of these factors can help insomnia, diet can also have a profound impact on sleep.

“If you don’t eat right, you lose sleep; and when you’re sleep-deprived, your eating habits suffer,” says Sally Kravich, a holistic nutritionist and author of Vibrant Living: Creating Radiant Health and Longevity (SPK Publications, 2003). “It’s the ultimate catch-22,” she says. “A lack of sleep causes leptin, an appetite-regulating hormone, to crash, which causes you to eat more,” she says. “Not only does eating more eventually lead to weight gain and an increased risk of obesity – both of which can affect how well you sleep – but the foods you’re most likely to reach for when you’re tired will keep you up at night.”

In an effort to improve the quality of your sleep, the following five foods show promise:

1. Whole Grains – High fiber grains (like brown rice, oats and quinoa) keep you full (so you don’t wake up with hunger pangs), contain large amounts of tryptophan (an amino acid that increases the calming neurotransmitter serotonin) and boosts melatonin (a sleep-inducing brain hormone).

2. Pecans – Pecans help diminish insomnia because they are rich in B vitamins, particularly Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is known to help calm an overactive nervous system. Pecans also contain pyridoxine, which produces serotonin and stimulates the production of melatonin.

3. Cherries – Instead of just boosting the production of melatonin, cherries are one of the few known food sources that actually contain melatonin. Experts suggest eating a bowl of cherries one hour before bed to help induce sleep.

4. Bananas – Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have found that potassium may be one of the elements responsible for deep, slow-wave sleep. Their research on fruit flies identified a gene regulating potassium flow as essential for fruit-fly sleep. While a link between potassium and sleep in humans has not been firmly established, foods like bananas, which contain both tryptophan and potassium, may be doubly good for sleep.

5. Warm Milk – There is sound logic behind this folk remedy for insomnia. Besides containing tryptophan, milk contains calcium, which has a natural calming effect on muscles and the central nervous system. Warming up milk reduces the energy required to digest it, ideal for convincing the body to unwind and do less work.

Not getting enough sleep can have a big impact on one’s quality of life and on the progression of Hepatitis C. To reduce the toxins the liver must process, those with HCV are urged to refrain from taking pharmaceutical drugs whenever possible. If home remedies and lifestyle changes are not helping you get a decent night’s sleep, then a physician’s prescription pad may be necessary. But make sure you give these five foods a chance to alter your body’s chemistry in a way that could have you sleeping through each and every night.

References:

http://journals.lww.com/jcge/Abstract/publishahead/A_Review_of_Sleep_Disturbance_in_Hepatitis_C.99511.aspx, A Review of Sleep Disturbance in Hepatitis C, Sockalingam, Sanjeev MD, FRCPC, et al, Retrieved December 19, 2009, Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, September 2009.

http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/best_foods_to_beat_insomnia, Best Foods to Beat Insomnia, Hilary Smith, Retrieved December 19, 2009, suite101.com, 2009.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/five-foods-for-better-sleep.html, Five Foods for Better Sleep, Monica Bhide, Natural Solutions Magazine, Retrieved December 19, 2009, care2.com, 2009.

http://www.choosecherries.com/health/sleep.aspx, A Natural Way to Fight Jet Lag, Retrieved December 20, 2009, Cherry Marketing Institute, 2009.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5654384_cure-insomnia-naturally-food.html, How to Cure Insomnia Naturally with Food, The Armchair Herbalist, Retrieved December 19, 2009, eHow, Inc., 2009.

http://www.liversupport.com/wordpress/2008/09/nightcaps-insomnia-and-liver-disease/, Conquering Insomnia, Nicole Cutler, L.Ac., Retrieved December 19, 2009, Natural Wellness, 2009.

http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/hepc-guide/managing-hepatitis-c, Managing Hepatitis C, WebMD, LLC, 2009.

From Green Right Now Reports

Many Americans believe a renewed United States effort in space exploration could yield a timely benefit: Increasing understanding of climate change.

That was one of the findings from a recent independent “space poll” conducted by the Everett Group, an opinion and market research organization located just outside Washington, D.C. In the days before President Barack Obama’s speech vowing continued commitment to explore the solar system and land astronauts on Mars, Everett surveyed 1,200 randomly selected adults by land line and cell phone.

Among the results:

• One-third said it is very important that the U.S. continue to explore the solar system, while another third considered it “somewhat” important.
• Among those who believe the space program is needed, 63 percent cited protecting the Earth from comets and asteroids as a primary objective, while 57 percent listed understanding climate change as a significant benefit.

Finding extraterrestrial life was not a priority: Only 18 percent of those surveyed listed it as important.

Obama’s Kennedy Space Center speech came amid debate about jobs and national status that might be lost if NASA’s Constellation program were to be discontinued. Poll respondents’ concerns about possible changes in NASA’s direction included job losses and threats to national security (both at 54 percent). Even more (63 percent) worried that changes would cause a loss of inspiration for America’s youth to study science and math.

The poll’s findings have a maximum margin of sampling error of 3.7 percentage points, plus or minus. A summary of the findings can be found on the Everett Group’s “Space Poll” Web site.

With a gross estimation of 25% of all US online money transfers going through one of CyberSource’s services, the company’s management opted to sell their stock to Visa Inc., a worldwide known credit card company.

CyberSource is mainly known for running Authorize.Net, but has a big presence in developing and running e-payment platf… (read more)

The History Channel and BBC Worldwide announced today that they have begun work on the new American version of TopGear. Former plans to bring on Adam Carolla and Eric Stromer have been dropped and the show will now be hosted by comedian Adam Ferrara, NASCAR racing analyst Rutledge Wood and stunt driver, X-Games rally gold medallist Tanner Foust.

The History Channel will air the first series of ten episodes this fall, though exact dates have yet to be finalized. Also, no word on whether the U.S. will get its own version of The Stig.

We are eagerly awaiting Jeremy Clarkson’s comment on this.

– By: Kap Shah

Source: TopGear

Mesmo com seu lançamento previsto pra ocorrer apenas em 2013, o futuro design da futura BMW Serie 3 já desperta a curiosidade. Dessa forma, para tentar matar um pouco dessa ansiedade, veja as primeiras projeções do modelo divulgados pela publicação MotorAuthority.

A projeção trás um visual realmente muito parecido com o protótipo flagrado do modelo, onde reparamos varias semelhanças com o CS Concept e do novo BMW Serie 7. O futuro BMW Serie 3 será maximizado ao máximo, aplicando a sua tecnologia EfficientDynamics, que consiste em aplicar uma reduzida resistência aerodinâmica, motores menores e a alta aplicação da tecnologia eletrônica.

Além disso, a BMW estuda todas as possibilidades e soluções para reduzir o custo de produção de seu sedã, e consequentemente reduzir seu preço de venda. Apesar disso, a companhia alemã pretende construir um veiculo mais confortável, potente e econômico que o atual.

Projeção BMW Serie 2013

Fonte: MotorAuthority

Weight : 1.8Ton 3Tons,4Ton, 5Ton, 6Ton, 8Ton, 15Ton, 21Ton, 23Ton, 30Ton,
Bucket capacity : 0.06m3,0.08m3,0.12m3,0.2m3,0.4m3,0.6m3,0.8m3,1.0m3,1.4m3
Engine : Yanmar,Perkins,Mitsubishi
Rexroth Hydraulic pump and valves, Kawasaki Valves, Toshiba Pumps, Italian made pumps, valves,swing and travel hydraulic motors, all by your option.

PIM2401 is a Technosoft intelligent plug-in minidrive specially designed for motion control applications where space is dramatically limited. Its miniature size (50 x 44 x 14 mm) and weight (15 g) allow it to be mounted horizontally or vertically, inside the machine or near the motor. The drive is manufactured with simple pins; this architecture reduces the time needed to assemble it. PIM2401 controls DC, brushless, linear and step motors up to 25W (24V, 1A).

With its small dimensions, PIM2401 embeds a digital drive, a powerful motion controller and PLC functionalities in the same unit. One of the key advantages of PIM2401 is its ability to execute complex motions without requiring any external controller. Complex movement sequences can be programmed directly on the PIM, while system control functions are handled from the supervising PC or PLC. Motion modes as contouring, profiling, gearing, electronic camming, PVT are easily executed in stand-alone or multi-axis configurations.

PC and PLC motion libraries are available for the drive’s quick industrial integration. Starter kits will help users to evaluate it and develop specific projects. PIM2401 supports DS-301 and DSP-402 CANopen profiles. Incremental encoders, digital and linear Halls are incorporated by default.

All these benefits plug-in design, embedded intelligence and miniature size make PIM2401 a valuable motion control solution for all industrial applications where space is critical and the machines / PCBs need to be kept uncrowded.

Eaton Corporation has added a hydro-mechanical torque control option and several performance upgrades to its 420 open circuit piston pump product line. The 420 pump with hydro-mechanical torque control automatically senses heavy loads and adjusts hydraulic fluid flow accordingly.
It is intended for moderate-flow, medium-pressure mobile applications such as compact wheel loaders, telehandlers, rough terrain forklifts, telescopic booms, sweepers, backhoe loaders, and refuse trucks operating up to 280 bar continuously.
To accommodate the new torque control, the pump housing was redesigned and a case-to-inlet check valve was added to improve cold weather operation and provide added protection to the seals and rotating group. The new torque control works in parallel with the standard compensator, using a special mechanism to replace the control piston. Other design changes have decreased airborne noise to a typical 76 dBA at 1,800 rpm and 207 bar, providing an environmental benefit both to the operator and those working around the vehicle.
“In compact and mid-size equipment, torque almost always needs to be controlled,” said Eaton’s John Taylor, Product Manager, Power Products. “Limiting the torque at the pump shaft across a wide range of engine speeds provides operators with the benefits of increased productivity, greater efficiency and fewer engine stalls. The result is lower engine emissions and improved fuel economy.
Productivity is enhanced by increasing the speed with which the vehicle function is performed due to flow rate changes made by the torque control system. For example, raising a heavy load with a set of forks on a telehandler places a significant amount of demand on the hydraulic pump and system. To prevent engine stalls without limiting the telehandler’s lifting capacity, manufacturers not using torque control would be forced to use a smaller displacement pump that significantly slows the operation of the forks. Torque control automatically senses heavy loads and adjusts flow accordingly. Limiting the flow in high pressure situations limits the torque the pump can apply to the engine and, as a result, avoids the corner horsepower point and prevents the engine from stalling. It also allows for higher flow and quicker operation when the set of forks is empty, which means higher productivity.”
Eaton’s 420 pumps offer outstanding power density that is not compromised by the use of torque control.
For more information: [email protected]

Fiat SpA and Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne is in Turin, Italy today presenting his 5-year business and product plan. One of the exciting things Sergio announced was that Ferrari will introduce a “new special series Enzo” in 2012.

He said that special-edition Ferrari Enzo will follow the upcoming 458 Italia Spyder in 2011. Also, we can expect a refreshed California in 2013.

Sergio also said that Maserati is working on a sub-Quattroporte sedan that will compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the BMW 5-Series. Hey, if Aston Martin can do a subcompact based on the Toyota iQ (Aston Martin Cygnet), than Maserati should be allowed to compete with luxury mid-size sedans.

Marchionne also confirmed that a new Quattroporte is in the works.

Click here for prices on the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: WOT

A credible report from content analytics network PostRank highlights that Internet bots are posting around 89% of all Google Buzz’s content. The percentage is overwhelming, but more curious is how it falls around on categories.

From all the content automatically posted in Google Buzz, Twitter amasses for 62.57%, transforming Google Buzz into a… (read more)

I was a PC for the longest time. In the late 90s Apple caught my attention as Macs were all we had in grade school. Then, in 2001, the iBook G3 was released, then iTunes and then the iPod. After spending an hour on Mac OS X 10.1, I was hooked and decided it was time to switch to Mac. Soon after switching, I started blogging about Apple but given that I was only 13 years old, the content was less than readable. That didn’t stop me from writing about Apple nearly every day.

In 2003, I attended my first Macworld and attended every expo from NYC, Boston and San Francisco until the most recent MWSF in January. I became a total conference junkie and even found myself at CES and Photoshop World finally earning the grand invitation and attending Apple Town Hall events and WWDC as press. All the while, I was a lone blogger with a passion for spreading the word about Apple and its products.

Today, at the ripe old age of 23 I’ve seen Steve Jobs speak nearly 30 times, have written over 5,000 articles and reviews about Apple and was even interviewed in the movie MacHeads which premiered last year. It’s safe to say that I am a Mac head and I’m happy to be joining the TAB team as a contributor among the ranks great writers like Darrell Etherington, Charles Jade and Nick Santilli.

I enjoy writing editorials that excite readers and inspire others to give their thoughts. When I’m not writing, I enjoy taking photographs, tweeting and blogging about food & life.

photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

Filed under: Technology, Hyundai, Kia

The Hyundai–Kia train and its full head of steam don’t look likely to give out any time soon. To wit, the company has been adding style to its price and fuel frugality, and technology isn’t being left out. The Sonata Hybrid is on its way for next year and will boast better mileage than the 35-mpg Elantra Blue, and now the company has announced it will be engineering stop/start ability into much of the H-K model line in America over the next two years.

We won’t see those cars until “the next product cycle” in 2012, but when we do, the projections are that it will yield three percent better fuel economy. True, that might only take the Sonata Hybrid up to 38/40 mpg, but who knows how much a gallon of gas will cost by then – we’re sure every little bit will count. CO2 reduction should be equally improved.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req’d]

Report: Hyundai to introduce stop-start tech in two years originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

A Hamman divulgou as primeiras imagens de seu mais novo trabalho, o Hamann Z4 E89 tuning. Utilizando como base a BMW Z4 sDrive35i, a preparadora germânica buscou maximizar o seu desempenho buscando alternativas para melhorar a potencia de seu motor e seu comportamento dinâmico, assim como um upgrade em seu visual.

De acordo com a Hamman, seu motor 6 cilindros de 3.0 litros com 302 cavalos originais ganhou o reforço de mais 54 cv e agora disponibiliza 356 cv de potencia. Esse resultado foi alcançado através da reprogramação da central e injeção do modelo. Além disso, seu sistema de velocidade máxima limitada foi destravado permitindo-o atingir a velocidade máxima de 285 km/h.

A suspensão do BMW Z4 tuning também foi retrabalhada para garantir uma melhor estabilidade, através de novas molas que rebaixaram o sistema em 30 mm. Em conjunto com essa mudança, foram adicionados um jogo de rodas de aro 20 e “tala” de 8,5 calçadas com pneus 235/30ZR20 nas rodas dianteiras e rodas de aro 20 e “tala” 10 com os pneus 295/25ZR20 no eixo traseiro.

Em seu exterior, o cupê Hamann Z4 E89 tuning recebeu um esportivo bodykit contendo saias laterais, aerofólio traseiro e spoiler dianteiro, além de contar com duas saídas duplas das ponteiras de escapamento e de luzes diurnas em Leds em seu para-choque dianteiro. Como opção, ainda existe a possibilidade de personalizar o seu interior com acabamentos de alumínio e revestimentos em couro.

Hamann Z4 E89 tuning

Fonte: WorldCarsFans

DS in the west owners can look forward to Chibiterasu spreading some stylish cuteness on their handhelds next year. Capcom has confirmed the DS title Okamiden for a North American and European launch no later than 2011.

As soon as we heard the General Motors’ CEO Edward Whitacre Jr. will be heading down to Washington this week, we started wondering whether he would take a plane or drive the Chevrolet Volt. Turns out, Whitacre will fly and will pay for his flight from Kansas City to Washington this afternoon out of his own pocket.

Whitacre is in Kansas City this morning at GM’s Fairfax Assembly plant where he is announcing new investments in the plants in Kansas City and the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant (more details on that later).

Whitacre will then fly to Washington to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Michigan congressional delegation. GM will also release a statement today that it has repaid U.S. and Canadian taxpayers for $5.8 billion in outstanding government loans plus $700 million in interest to the U.S. Treasury and an unspecified amount of interest to the Canadian government.

In late 2008, members of Congress embarrassed GM and Chrysler’s CEO for flying top executives to D.C. to ask for bailout money. GM dumped its corporate jets while in bankruptcy but Whitacre sometimes flies on private jets under an agreement negotiated with his former employer, AT&T.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Detroit News