Author: Serkadis

As more information comes to light in the SEC vs. Goldman Sachs (GS), the case looks more and more porous. Actually, not just porous but partisan.

We can’t help but wonder whether this has something to do with the fact that the market has totally reversed itself, overcoming earlier losses, as traders realize that this case probably isn’t the end of the world.

Not only is the Dow up 50, but even Goldman Sachs itself is in the green, suggesting that at least for now, Friday’s panic is gone.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Not Only Was The Goldman SEC Vote Split, It Was 100% Partisan
• Here Are The Three Key Points Goldman Is Using In Its Defense
• GOLDMAN TO SEC: All Firms Had Same Disclosure, All Buyers Knew Someone Was Betting Against Them, And All Parties Had Input

UPDATE: Just before going to D.C. GM Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre will hold a press conference at the company’s Fairfax, Kansas Assembly Plant.

General Motors’ CEO Edward Whitacre Jr. will make his first trip to Capitol Hill on Wednesday since taking the leading position at the Detroit automaker. Whitacre, who become permanent CEO of GM in January, will meet with Michigan’s congressional delegation during his visit to Capitol Hill.

According to the Detroit News, Whitacre’s aides have reached out to congressional leaders to schedule meetings.

A GM spokesman declined to comment on Whitacre’s visit.

All we want to know is if Whitacre will drive the Volt to D.C. or take a private jet? And if he’s taking a jet, will AT&T be paying for the trip?

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Detroit News

A while back Mark Proffitt sent in an interesting blog post that I’m just now getting around to writing up. In it, he wondered what an “abundance-based intellectual property” system might look like:

We already have systems that work like this. The X Prize is a bounty for achieving a desired technological goal. That can provide a one-time payment. But often the value of a new discovery is not realized until some time later. So we might make a slight change to the intellectual property laws.

Instead of the government granting the person that discovers an idea a temporary monopoly, the people as a whole through the government own the right and license it to everyone. Of course the government collects taxes so good ideas would increase tax revenue. The government would pay the inventor a small percentage, maybe 5 – 10% of the taxes collected on income from the idea.

This would eliminate wasteful intellectual property disputes. If you use the idea, you owe the tax and the government has the ability to collect it. And the tax is only collected if the idea is being vigorously promoted. The business and government share the same goal of promoting the idea. Society benefits because new ideas are discovered and brought to market. The inventor benefits because the government is collecting the royalties for them.

This system would drastically reduce the cost of medicine because every medical discovery would be generic from the first day. Companies would compete based on their ability to provide the highest quality products and service at the best price. Researchers could operate independently from manufacturers. This could become a great revenue source for universities.

There’s more to the idea than that, but that’s the basic summary of the concept. I’ve seen similar suggestions in the past as well, but I’m not convinced that it makes much sense. Would it be better than the existing system? Perhaps, but even that would require a lot more analysis and modeling. The problem with it, in general, is that you’re adding a tax where one probably isn’t needed, and the tax is too early in the system — taxing the use, rather than the income. We already have an income tax and taxing on top of that just seems problematic, taking away the incentive to actually innovate. On top of this, such a tax sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare. How would it be tracked? Who would know when to pay the tax and how it would be distributed? The traditional tax system doesn’t involve the government figuring out who to pay as well, and this would add a lot of overhead that makes this whole thing quite inefficient. I guess I just don’t see the need for such a system at all, if we can let competition in the marketplace itself focus on rewarding innovators.

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CHICAGO (CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM)  — A Chicago Public Schools teacher was arrested and charged with felony possession of cannabis after she was stopped for a traffic violation Friday night on the South Side, police said.

In an unrelated incident involving a CPS employee, a vice principal of a Rogers Park elementary school was arrested for driving while his license was suspended late Friday on the North Side.

Jacqueline Hobbs Brown, 58, of the 10100 block of S. St. Lawrence Avenue, was charged with felony possession of cannabis and cited with failure to stop at a stop sign, according to police.

Hobbs Brown was driving a 2004 Dodge Neon east on 85th Street when she allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign at 334 E. 85th St., according to a police report.

In the report, Hobbs Brown told police she was a CPS teacher at an unidentified school.

A woman named Jacqueline Hobbs-Brown is listed as a teacher at Julian high school in the 10300 block of South Elizabeth Street, according to the school’s website.

Officers curbed the Neon and an officer saw a medicine bottle on the front passenger seat containing several white hand rolled cigars containing a green leaf substance that was suspected to be cannabis, according to the report.

The Neon was searched and officers found another cigar box in the same area with three brown hand-rolled cigars — each allegedly containing cannabis, the report said. She was arrested at 10:25 p.m. at 357 E. 85th St.

In an unrelated incident, Brian Metcalf, 35, and Vice Principal of George Armstrong Elementary School, 2110 W. Greenleaf Ave., was arrested at 11 p.m. Friday at 1327 W. Pratt Ave. and cited with failing to yield right of way and for driving on a suspended driver’s license, a police report said.

Metcalf was driving a 2004 BMW that was pulled over by police after failing to give right of way.

Metcalf, of the 5200 block of North Winthrop Avenue, was unable to provide a driver’s license and officers learned that he had an outstanding warrant issued by the Illinois State Police for driving while on a suspended license, according to the report.

A CPS spokeswoman was not immediately available.

Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Article Tags: ClimateGate, World Temperatures

Spinmeister Michael Mann is quoted in this article from the Telegraph as follows:

Prof Hand (Head of the UK Royal Statistical Society) praised the blogger Steve McIntyre of Climate Audit for uncovering the fact that inappropriate methods were used which could produce misleading results. “The Mann 1998 hockey stick paper used a particular technique that exaggerated the hockey stick effect,” he said.

Prof Mann, who is Professor of Earth System Science at the Pennsylvania State University, said the statistics used in his graph were correct. “I would note that our ’98 article was reviewed by the US National Academy of Sciences, the highest scientific authority in the United States, and given a clean bill of health,” he said. “In fact, the statistician on the panel, Peter Bloomfield, a member of the Royal Statistical Society, came to the opposite conclusion of Prof Hand.”

Mann has been repeating this arrogant duplicitous spin continuously since Climategate and refuses to acknowledge any problems whatsoever with his infamous doomsday hockey stick graph. Mann always refers to the subtly worded US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report as his ally because he knows McIntyre & McKitrick, the Wegman Report, Hans von Storch, et al, and now the Head of the Royal Statistical Society have minced no words debunking his hockey stick. But what did the NAS report and the authors actually say about the Mann hockey stick? In fact, the NAS report validated all of the significant criticisms of McIntyre & McKitrick (M&M):

Click source to read FULL report

Source: hockeyschtick.blogspot.com

Read in full with comments »   

CHICAGO (CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM) — Police who were called to an apartment Sunday afternoon for a domestic incident got more than they bargained for when 12 sticks of homemade explosives resembling dynamite were discovered — prompting a response by the bomb squad, police said.

Marcello DelCarlo, 36, of 1645 W. Ogden Ave., who identified himself as a assistant professor in biochemistry, was charged with felony possession of an explosive or incendiary device and misdemeanor domestic battery, according to police who said DelCarlo was arrested at his workplace.

DelCarlo is expected to be in Cook County Court later Monday for a bond hearing.

A person named Marcello DelCarlo is listed on the Rush University Medical Center’s Web site as an Assistant Professor assigned to the biochemistry department, 1735 W. Harrison St.

Police were called to the Ogden Avenue address about 3:50 p.m. Sunday when a woman called police to say she needed assistance in retrieving her belongings from her ex-boyfriend’s apartment, police said.

Inside his apartment the police found 12 “improvised explosive devices’’ which were rendered safe by two police  bomb squad technicians, according to a police report.

DelCarlo allegedly  admitted he had purchased aluminum powder and potassium chlorate over the internet and allegedly admitted the he mixed these chemicals together to make “flash powder,’’ which he filled at least 14, 8-inch long cardboard tubes with before capping the ends of the tubes with plaster, the report said.

DelCarlo told police he exploded one of the tubes by inserting a fuse and lighting it in south suburban Lansing and also allegedly admitted the he made the devices to explode for July 4th, according to the report.

Ogden Avenue was blocked until at least 8:30 p.m. in both directions near Ashland Avenue, according to police.

Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Management to Host Conference Call Today after Close of Market

HOUSTON, April 19 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Best Energy Services, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BEYS) announced today its results for the year ended December 31, 2009. The results reported herein reflect continuing operations only. In the fourth quarter of 2009 Best discontinued operations in its housing division, geological services and at Bob Beeman drilling division. Accordingly, these results reflect only the operations of our wholly owned Liberal, Kansas-based subsidiary Best Well Service (“BWS”).

Revenues declined 73% from $16,905,372 for the eleven months ended December 31, 2008 to $4,502,555 for the year ended December 31, 2009. The decline reflects the significant decline in workover activity that in January of 2009 resulted in the Company’s 25 rig workover fleet decreasing from 100% utilization on January 1 to less than five rigs by the following month. This decrease was in line with an industry wide decline precipitated by significant declines in commodity prices and the general turmoil in credit markets and markets in general.  During 2009, as a result of Best successfully implementing a strategy to increase market share in the Hugoton Basin, activity levels increased gradually but meaningfully with fleet utilization growing from 15% at the low point of the first quarter of 2009 to 45% by yearend.

Direct operating expenses decreased in line with revenues from $9,166,375 in 2008 to $2,498,611 in 2009. Direct operating expenses include direct labor, fuel and materials. During 2009, Best’s gross margin improved from 22% in the second quarter of 2009 to 61% by the fourth quarter.

Indirect operating expenses for 2009 were $1,729,341, a $347,877 decrease from $2,077,218 in the short year 2008. Indirect operating expenses include all other costs associated with operations at BWS.

Corporate G&A for 2009 decreased 56% from $5,314,916 in 2008 to $2,356,277 for 2009. G&A for 2009 also included non-cash stock based compensation expense of $930,794. Cash G&A for 2009 was thus $1,425,483. During the year Best continued to decrease its cash G&A, which is now less than $80,000 per month.

Interest expense for 2009 totaled $1,610,467, a $1,444,221 decrease from 2008. Cash interest expense for 2009 was $1,486,074, with non-cash interest of $124,393 in amortization of deferred financing costs and of the discount on convertible debt.

Cash net operating loss was $1,184,794 in 2009. As a result of significant cash G&A reductions, strict cost management at BWS and growing revenues in the third and fourth quarters of 2009, cash EBITDA loss was trimmed from $693,062 in the second quarter of 2009 to $160,994 by the fourth quarter of 2009. Based on preliminary results of the period January through March of 2010, Best believes it will report a positive cash EBITDA from continuing operations for that period.

The Table below summarizes results for the years ended December 31, 2009 and the eleven month ended December 31, 2008.

The table that follows reconciles Best’s 2009 Net Operating Income to Cash EBITDA from continuing operations.

As noted above, impairments and discontinued operations in 2009 totaled $12,683,961.  Included in this total are: write-down of assets at its Bob Beeman Drilling facility $4,569,824; write-down of housing assets $797,770; and an impairment of goodwill at Best Well Service $5,638,327.

Best began undertaking a program of deleveraging its balance sheet in late 2009 with the sale of equipment from discontinued operations. To date those sales total $1.3 million. Best believes it will realize proceeds from the sale of discontinued assets equal to their current reduced book value.

Also during the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010 Best embarked on several new revenue generation mechanism for 2010 which are further described in the company’s Form 10-K for the yearend December 31, to be filed shortly after the date of this announcement.

Commenting on the results of 2009, Mark Harrington, Chairman and CEO of Best stated, “This past year was an extraordinarily difficult one for Best and its shareholders. Operationally, we have made it through what appears to be the worst of the down cycle through significant reductions in corporate G&A, discontinuing lines of business that could not carry their own weight, improvements in our gross operating margin, and increasing revenues through our program of building market share in the Hugoton Basin.  Of at least equal importance is the support we have received from our shareholders and our senior lender, PNC. Over the last nine months, our shareholders have added $2.4 million in equity and sub-debt to our Company. During the same time, PNC has increased its exposure by $2.25 million. We are truly fortunate to have the support of our shareholders and our lender, and to have turned the corner operationally.”

Commenting on the year ahead, Mr. Harrington continued, “Our core business at Best Well Service provides us a solid platform to now build on. BWS has always been a customer-focused group. By continuing to provide our customers value pricing in up and down markets, an exceptional safety record, and performance in the field we have a base to begin to build values for our shareholders. We are undertaking new initiatives in seeking out basins where our reputation, customer connectivity and value pricing will provide us a good entry point. We are undertaking other initiatives that will be made public in the near future to further expand our customer-centric focus.”

Mr. Harrington concluded, “Neither our survival through an incredibly challenging 2009 nor our new initiatives for our customers would be possible without our people. BWS enjoys the lowest turnover rate in employees in the industry at less than 5% versus a norm of 35%+. Our shareholders and our lender have placed their bet on the right group of people to build Best in the coming years.”

About Best Energy Services, Inc.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Best Energy Services, Inc. is a leading well service/workover provider in the Hugoton Basin. For more information, please visit www.BEYSinc.com.

Certain statements contained in this press release, which are not based on historical facts, are forward-looking statements as the term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are subject to substantial uncertainties and risks in part detailed in the respective Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, that may cause actual results to materially differ from projections. Although the Company believes that its expectations are reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its businesses, expectations, representations and operations, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from their expectations. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the Company’s ability to execute properly its business model, to raise additional capital to implement its continuing business model, the ability to attract and retain personnel – including highly qualified executives, management and operational personnel, ability to negotiate favorable current debt and future capital raises, and the inherent risk associated with a diversified business to achieve and maintain positive cash flow and net profitability. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information contained in this press release will, in fact, occur.  

SOURCE Best Energy Services, Inc.

http://www.BEYSinc.com

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, BMW

A volcano in Iceland has caused a world of hurt for European airliners and travelers alike, as thick ash in the atmosphere has caused the cancellation of an estimated 63,000 flights. A new report from BusinessWeek suggests that even the auto industry could be affected by the hazardous ash if airlines continue to stay grounded. BMW spokesman Mathias Schmidt has told BW that the German automaker may need to shut down its Spartanburg, South Carolina, which produces the X5 and X6 crossovers if planes remain on the ground more than two additional days.

So, how does the April 14 eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano control the fate of manufacturing in South Carolina? BMW ships transmissions and other components from Germany to its sole U.S. plant via air. If BMW can’t get parts to Spartanburg soon, the plant will be temporarily shut down. A bit of good news has come in the past 24 hours, though, as scientists say the volcano currently isn’t shooting any ash into the atmosphere, though seismic activity in the area of the eruption is still said to be very high.

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Report: BMW could hault U.S. production due to ash cloud originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A study by The Diffusion Group has found the PS3 to have the most number of consoles connected online in the US. According to Microsoft, that’s no biggie. What matters is “the level of activity”, and in

Nissan announced today that it will begin taking reservations for the 2011 Nissan LEAF starting tomorrow, April 20. Nissan said that in the United States alone, more than 115,000 people have formalized their interest in driving a Nissan LEAF or have signed up for more information at NissanUSA.com.

“Early interest in the Nissan LEAF has been highly encouraging,” said Brian Carolin, senior vice president, sales & marketing, NNA. “People from across the country have raised their hands to be among the first to drive home a Nissan LEAF. Consumers are pledging broad support for the first affordable electric vehicle for the mass market.”

The reservation process, which will give priority to the 115,000 registrants first, will be the first step in securing a place to purchase or lease the LEAF when it goes on sale in December in select markets. To reserve a Nissan LEAF, consumers will be asked to pay a $99 reservation fee, which is fully refundable. After placing a reservation, a customer will be able to indicate a preferred dealer.

The Nissan LEAF will be widely available in 2011. Prices for the 2011 Nissan LEAF will start at $32,780 but with a federal tax-credit prices will come in as low as $25,280, or for a lease payment of $349 a month.

Click here for more 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:

Press Release:

NISSAN LEAF RESERVATIONS BEGIN APRIL 20

– Pool of 115,000 registrants gains first priority –

In response to strong consumer demand, Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) will begin taking reservations for the Nissan LEAF zero-emission, all-electric vehicle on April 20. The reservation process is a first step in securing a place on the list to purchase or lease a Nissan LEAF. The Nissan LEAF begins rolling out to select markets in December, and will be widely available in 2011.

In the United States, more than 115,000 people have formalized their interest in driving a Nissan LEAF by signing up for more information on NissanUSA.com. These registrants will be given priority in the reservation process. Consumers must be registered on NissanUSA.com by the end of today in order to be eligible for the early reservation process. Reservations will open to the general public on May 15.

RESERVATIONS

* Priority reservation instructions will be sent to early registrants by email between 1-6 pm EDT on April 20. The email will include an exclusive link enabling each person to start the reservation process.
* Through the link, the customer will create an account, configure his or her vehicle, and answer questions to complete a driving profile.
* Consumers will be asked to pay by credit card a $99 reservation fee, which is fully refundable.
* After placing a reservation, a customer will be able to indicate a preferred dealer.
* Consumers who reserve a Nissan LEAF will receive confirmation numbers. Nissan will provide individual updates for their reservations by June 30.
* Reservations are limited to one per household.
* Consumer inquiries about the reservation process can be answered at the Nissan LEAF call center, 1-877-664-2738.

April 20 also marks the date for the debut of a new website on NissanUSA.com to support the launch of the Nissan LEAF. The website will continue to serve as a resource about the most up-to-date information for the Nissan LEAF, including upcoming special events.

Including the $7,500 federal tax credit for which the Nissan LEAF will be fully eligible, the consumer’s after-tax net value of the vehicle will be $25,280. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price *(MSRP) for the 2011 all-electric, zero-emission Nissan LEAF is $32,780. Additionally, there is an array of state and local incentives that may further defray the costs, and increase the benefits, for owning and charging a Nissan LEAF. For example, a $5,000 statewide tax rebate is offered in California; a $5,000 tax credit in Georgia; a $1,500 tax credit in Oregon; and carpool-lane access in some states, including California. The lease price for the Nissan LEAF begins at $349 per month.

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive design, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on the Nissan LEAF and zero emissions can be found at www.nissanusa.com.

MSRP excludes applicable tax, title and license fees. Dealer sets actual price. Prices and specs are subject to change without notice.

– By: Kap Shah

Customers Gain Enterprise Version Control and Automated Deployment Capabilities for Compliance and Audit Needs

RADNOR, Pa., April 19 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — QlikTech, a provider of business intelligence software and NOAD, a leading provider of high-performance, enterprise platform management software for BI applications, today announced NOAD’s EQM product suite support for QlikView. NOAD’s EQM product suite provides QlikView customers with solutions to cost effectively control change management, automate and monitor business intelligence life cycle processes, conserve resources, and control costs on an enterprise scale. With businesses becoming more regulated, NOAD EQM4 will help these companies move toward mandatory compliances such as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPPAA, Basel II and GxP.

“As QlikView is increasingly deployed across the enterprise, it’s important for IT departments to have control over its use within their organizations,” said Anthony Deighton, Senior Vice President of Products, QlikTech.  ”Business users enjoy using QlikView for their ability to gain quick answers.  By adding NOAD’s capabilities to an organization’s use of QlikView, IT can gain the same quick answers on matters of consistency, compliance and security.”

Whether deployed in one department, across several geographies or across the enterprise, QlikView customers who take advantage of NOAD EQM can leverage:

• Change Manager – automatically track all QlikView instances within a company, including originator and listing of all changed versions with associated authorizations.  This tracking provides a means to easily keep compliant, from design through release to production, so passing an IT audit is never a problem. For each application, management can define a process to ensure that components automatically pass through the defined phases, and that company policies and government legislation are enforced. NOAD EQM4 Change Manager’s security features provide powerful authorization and authentication. Users are grouped into roles, and are granted varying levels of authority, providing more control over access usage.

• Deployment Automation – automatically distributes QlikView components or other QVD files to designated target locations at each stage of the development lifecycle. NOAD gathers, distributes, and installs the components as specified by an organization’s IT policies and protocols. This eliminates the security concerns and inconsistencies of manual file transfers, and coordinates arrival regardless of location or system type, logging all application objects and content. Development managers and auditors can review distribution history, analyzing project productivity, failure recovery and compliance with technology change regulations.

“NOAD EQM4 will allow QlikView customers to expand their business intelligence needs to the enterprise level by providing greater control with confidence supported by easily produced evidence,” said Andre Grift, CEO and President of NOAD.  ”In QlikView’s spirit of simplicity, NOAD EQM4 can be deployed within days, have users trained in hours and bring control, quality and security instantly.”  

About NOAD

Founded in 2000, NOAD has become the leading provider of software solutions that enables companies to manage business intelligence (BI) securely, guaranteed and effectively. With more than 250 customers in over 19 countries and across all industry sectors, NOAD has established a blue chip, worldwide customer base. NOAD with its dual headquarters in the Netherlands and New York, NY, is working with worldwide partners and resellers, supported by an experienced and certified field force. For more information about NOAD and NOAD EQM4 or becoming a partner, please visit www.noadbi.com.

About QlikTech

QlikTech’s powerful, accessible business intelligence solution enables organizations to make better and faster decisions. Its QlikView product delivers enterprise-class analytics and search with the simplicity and ease of use of office productivity software.  The in-memory associative search technology it pioneered makes calculations in real-time enabling business professionals to gain insight through intuitive data exploration. Unlike traditional business intelligence products, QlikView can deliver value in days or weeks rather than months, years, or not at all. It can be deployed on premise, in the cloud, or on a laptop or mobile device—from a single user to large global enterprises. QlikTech is headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, with offices around the world and a network of over 1,100 partners to serve more than 13,000 customers in over 100 countries worldwide.  

SOURCE QlikTech

http://www.noadbi.com

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

According to a Kia source, the Korean automaker is planning to do an estate version of the 2011 Kia Optima for the European market.

When asked about a station wagon version of the 2011 Optima, Kia’s design chief Peter Schreyer said: “I would love to do station wagon and coupe versions of the car. The station wagon would only really work for Europe but the coupe would work in the US.”

Heck, we’d love the coupe but we’d love to see a station wagon version of the Optima in the U.S. just as much.

The 2011 Kia Optima sedan made its debut at the 2010 New York Auto Show earlier this month. It will go on sale in the fall of 2010 with three engine choices including a 200-hp 2.4L GDI 4-cylinder, a 274-hp 2.0L GDI 4-cylinder turbo and a 2.4L hybrid variant due out in early 2011.

2011 Kia Optima:

– By: Kap Shah

Source: AutoCar

Filed under: Concept Cars, Europe, Work, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Misc. Auto Shows, Electric

Volkswagen is unveiling a new compact battery-powered taxi concept called the Milano at the Hanover Trade Show in Germany this week. The styling draws heavily on the Space Up! Blue concept that debuted at the 2007 LA Auto Show. One big difference, however, is that VW designers have eliminated the rear door on the driver’s side so that passengers can only get in and out at the curb. The curb-side portal has likewise been expanded with a large forward-sliding door and the front passenger seat has given way to luggage space. The Milano Taxi concept also features a similar touch screen monitor setup to those already being used in some New York City cabs.

Like the production electric vehicles that Volkswagen will start building from 2013, the Milano Taxi uses lithium ion batteries. A 45 kilowatt-hour pack is mounted in the floor and provides a claimed 186-mile driving range on the EU driving cycle. The Milano Taxi is purely a concept at this point, but since it appears to be based on Volkswagen’s “New Small Family” of low- and zero-emissions vehicles, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the German automaker put a similar vehicle into production as an easy way to get more electric vehicles into the field a few years from now. High-res shots below, press release after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Volkswagen unveils electric Milano Taxi concept in Hanover

Volkswagen unveils electric Milano Taxi concept in Hanover originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The new ceradis system is used to process single component materials, requiring only the addition of a suitable material supply system and metering computer.

Multi component materials can be accommodated by using the ceramix system, which due to its modular construction simply comprises of two or more ceradis systems, connected by a mixing block with the addition of a disposable static mixer.

When controlled by the Hilger u. Kern MR20 metering computer, precise flow rates as well as shot sizes can be preprogrammed. Speed proportional material dispensing can also be achieved for use with robotic application if required.

Designed to be used in such industries as automotive, automotive component, aerospace, medical and many others where materials need to be metered and applied in a high precision and repeatable way, these advanced systems make use of lowwear, high performance ceramic technology.

In order to easily process filled and abrasive materials without causing damage to the parts that are in contact with the material, neither seals nor valve technology is used, resulting in exceptionally low maintenance requirements and greatly increased service intervals.

Cogelme starts a manufacturing of very cost efficient glass recycling plant in Eastern Europe country.
Recycled material is glass bottles collected from municipal glass containers, which will be turned to 25 mm sizes glass pieces for further reuse by glass manufactures.
Glass plant will be semi equipped – all what is hardly possible to do manually will be processed with machinery: transportation, crushing, screening, separation. Some separation part will be made manually to do remarkable savings and reach the best separation efficiency, and value from materials processing.
The model of the plant is already tested with more than 20 years successful experience in similar projects.
Cogelme has an important name in the field of recycling equipment manufacturing and is operating for worldwide clients in all recycling markets.

Founded in 1969, Dynabrade® is a Global Leader in Abrasive Power Tools in the Automotive Aftermarket, AOEM, Aerospace, Industrial and Marine market. Dynabrade® tools are used in applications such as cutting, grinding, deburring, filing, sanding and polishing materials like metal, wood, plastic, rubber, stone, glass, fibreglass and composites.

Thanks to continuous research and development, Dynabrade® produces reliable, long-lasting and ergonomic tools that are available through distribution networks worldwide. Together with our customers, we define the best solutions for their production processes, achieving perfect results and improving productivity.

Dynabrade’s original Two-Step Polishing System is a proven method for repairing surface defects on clear coats in only two easy steps without leaving any residual holograms. Step One: Removal of minor surface defects by sanding. Step Two: Polish the working area using the Dynabrade® polishing compound. Our Two-Step System gives perfect results in less than 20 seconds!

Our latest Electric Right Angle Polisher Kit is suitable for perfect finishing on lacquers, paints and clear coats. This new Kit includes the latest Electric Polisher and the Dynabrade® patented Random Orbital Head Kit that allows conversion from a rotary to a random orbital movement! Efficient for all your polishing and finishing applications this Dynabrade® Kit offers a hologram-free finish in a single step using only one polishing compound.

For any further information, please contact us on [email protected], or visit us at JEC Paris 2010, Hall 1, Stand J50 and on our website www.dynabrade.com.

Extending their range of more than 50 cases, Peli Products, S.L.U., the global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced lighting systems and virtually indestructible cases, has introduced the 1170 Case.
Designed as watertight/crush-resistant armour for handheld electronics and any small, delicate items, this case features a high-impact, heat and chemical resistant polymer shell that will stand up to some of the harshest conditions known to man.
As additional protection, the case offers stainless steel hardware and double-throw latches that can stand up to 182 kilos of pull force, yet open with a light pull. The case’s tongue-and-groove lid construction and polymer o-ring creates a watertight seal and its built-in, automatic pressure equalization valve keeps moisture out and makes it easier to open the case at any altitude.
The 1170 Case is available in black, silver, orange and yellow. Desert tan and OD green are available by request.

Like all Peli Cases the 1170 is covered by the Peli Guarantee of Excellence:
“You break it, we replace it… forever™”

Infolytica Corporation announced today the latest release of MagNet version 7 is now available. The update includes several new features and general improvements to the company’s electromagnetic field simulation software. These include additional support for multicore processors and modeling nonlinear surface impedances. The company has previously announced the updated MagNet v7 will include new capabilities for simulating the magnetization of a permanent magnet.

Further improvements to Multicore Processing

MagNet v7 introduced new parallel computing 3D solvers which are optimized to take full advantage of multicore processors. For computational intensive design problems, the simulation time is reduced significantly due to better management of the cores. The new release expands on the software’s support for multicore processing:

•Parallel computing 2D solvers (static, AC, transient and transient fields with moving components)
•Automatic Meshing and Re-meshing in 2D
•Running concurrent sessions of MagNet solvers in 2D or 3D

Engineering Efficiency

With this new feature, users can control the number of cores dedicated to a particular 2D or 3D solve, increasing the number for more computational demanding problems, or distribute the multicore processing to run several concurrent sessions of MagNet. For larger core machines, several concurrent sessions of multicore solves can be taking place.

Magnetization

MagNet v7.1 allows users to simulate the magnetization process; specifically the magnetic field strength inside the permanent magnet component will be determined by the magnetization pattern and source current in the magnetizing coils. The result will be a permanent magnet for which each point inside will have a different recoil loop depending on the flux density that it has reached during the magnetization process.

Modeling and simulation of a Halbach cylinder BLDC Servo Motor To demonstrate the potential of this new feature, a detailed example on simulating a Halbach cylinder for use in a BLDC servo motor has been published on the company’s web site and can be viewed at http://www.infolytica.com/en/applications/ex0176/.

Pricing and Availability

MagNet v7.1 is now available for PC’s running Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and 7. For information regarding pricing or to request an evaluation, please contact an Infolytica Corporation representative nearest you.

Maintained clients can visit support.infolytica.com to download this update.

CARMET® II from Carl Zeiss was developed specifically for suppliers and manufacturers in the automotive industry. This new horizontal-arm measuring machine is available in four sizes up to a measuring range of X = 7 m, Y = 1.6 m and Z = 2.5 m. It comes standard with the RDS-C stepping articulating probe holder featuring CAA (Computer Aided Accuracy). The FI (foam insulation) technology successfully introduced with the new ACCURA® is also used for CARMET II. CARMET II features an attractive price/performance ratio and low lifecycle costs. This measuring machine provides proven and reliable technology with the quality expected of ZEISS.

Compared to similar measuring machines, CARMET II has a considerably smaller footprint. This is the result of the onboard controller on the machine. Sensitive machine components are enclosed in a special high-tech material, thus providing CARMET II with high temperature stability. Availability is increased through the shortened maintenance time. All maintenance-relevant parts are easily accessible.

Robust and flexible
The horizontal-arm design makes it easy to load the measuring machine – even with the complex components that are commonly found in car body measuring. The design also facilitates access to the measuring location.

CARMET II is not only robust, but also flexible: numerous angular positions of the stylus system provide maximum flexibility. Thanks to RDS and CAA, users of touch-trigger sensors achieve shorter calibration times and thus increase their productivity. Hard-to-reach areas, such as in the wheel arch of a car body, can be easily accessed with different tough-trigger sensors and extensions up to 350 mm.

The FemtoTools grippers are designed to handle sub-mm sized objects ranging from 0.001mm-0.1mm. The opening of the gripper arms can be controlled with nano-meter precision.

Features
Handle sub-mm objects with nanometer precision High resolution electrostatic actuation High resolution gripping force measurement.

Air, liquid and SEM compatible No performance degradation over more than 100 million load cycles Sensors are individually calibrated.

Easily interfaced with your PC through USB and the FT-C01 control system
Seamless integration with SmarAct’s positioning system Tungstene tips or micropipettes as end-effectors available.