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Was this a lucky guess from Piers Corbyn? See Earthquakes Volcanoes & Solar Activity – 18-24 April new DANGER for quakes, volcanoes & weather by Piers Corbyn
See yesterdays dramatic Earthquake story below
New York Times: Greenhouse gases emitted by human activities help trap more heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, warming the planet. But a new analysis warns that scientists don’t fully understand where all that heat is going.
They can’t explain where about half the heat that has built up on Earth in recent years 
has gone, warn Kevin Trenberth and John Fasullo, researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
That inability to balance the Earth’s “energy budget” will make it harder to weigh the merits of policies to fight climate change and determine which natural events are driven by warming, the pair say in a “Perspectives” essay published in the latest issue of the journal Science.
Researchers are able to track overall changes in the amount of energy coming in and out of the Earth’s atmosphere using satellites. They know that the amount of energy coming to Earth outweighs the amount leaving — and the leftover energy is driving global warming.
But the problem, according to Trenberth and Fasullo, is that researchers have trouble pinpointing which parts of the Earth are storing heat.
The planet’s oceans absorb about 90 percent of incoming energy in the form of heat, but measurements collected between 2004 and 2008 show that the rate at which oceans are absorbing heat is slowing, even as emissions of heat-trapping gases have risen
Audi has released a new game app for its new A1 compact hatchback called “Audi A1 Beat Driver.” Available for the iPhone and the iPod Touch (and your iPad with 2x zoom), the game can be best described as what we’ve come to know as “Rock Band” – but instead of singing, playing the guitar, or banging on drums, you’ll be steering an Audi A1 through the beat of the music.
“The aim of the game is to collect objects and avoid obstacles while driving. Bonus symbols help to pile up the points,” Audi says. “The levels vary with the song, with bands like Torpedo, La Roux, The Rakes and Lo-Fi-Fnk supplying the music. What will be the smallest Audi ever is easily steered with just a finger and the touchscreen of the iPhone or iPod Touch.”
Audi A1 Beat Driver is available with different rock songs (check out the full list after the jump).
Oh, and did we mention it’s free?
Click here for more news on the Audi A1.
Refresher: The 2011 Audi A1 will go on sale in Europe later this year with prices starting around 16,000 euros ($22,062 USD). Power will come from a lineup of 4-cylinder engines, which consists of two TDI diesels and two TFSI gasoline units with output ranging from 84-hp to 122-hp. Mated to a 7-speed S tronic transmission, fuel-economy will range from 44 mpg and 62 mpg.
Track Listing for “Audi A1 Beat Driver”:
“Accelerate” by Torpedo,
“I’m A Rope” by Tommy Sparks
“Strength In Numbers” by The Music
“Farewell To The Fairground” by White Lies
“Gold Guns Girls” by Metric, “1989” by The Rakes
“Bulletproof” by La Roux
“Digital Age” by The Fall and “Want U” by Lo-Fi-Fnk.
– By: Kap Shah
Pouco tempo depois de sua apresentação, a Ferrari anunciou que seu mais novo e potente superesportivo 599 GTO, teve todas as suas 599 unidades comercializadas. De acordo com a companhia italiana, agora só resta entrega-las aos felizardos proprietários, o que deve acontecer a partir da metade do ano.
O superesportivo é considerado o modelo mais potente da Ferrari, e utiliza o motor V12 de 6.0L da Ferrari 599 normal, mas recebendo novas melhorias que elevaram sua cavalaria de 612 para 670 cavalos de potencia. Além disso, o seu peso também foi aliviado com a utilização da fibra de carbono em diversas partes do modelo, melhorando seu desempenho e comportamento dinâmico.
Seu cambio utiliza a tecnologia desenvolvida pela companhia na formula 1, onde as trocas de marchas da Ferrari 599 GTO são feitas em apenas 3,35 segundos. Dessa forma, o superesportivo acelera de 0 a 100 km/h em apenas 3,35, desbancando até mesma a Ferrari Enzo, sendo 0,3 segundos mais rápida. Sua velocidade final fica nos 335 km/h.
A Ferrari não divulgou a que preço foram comercializados as 599 unidades da F599 GTO contudo, a estimativa é que elas forma comercializadas por um preço superior que 400.000 euros.
Fonte: AutoPortal
When the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze hits the market later this year, General Motors will tout its new compact sedan with a long list of standard safety features.
“We are very confident of the safety performance of the Cruze and believe it will prove to be one of the safest vehicles in the segment,” said Chuck Russell, vehicle line director. “To benefit our customers, we went way beyond requirements to exceed government safety mandates.”
GM performed a long safety test on the Chevrolet Cruze at its rollover test facility. It is the only manufacturer-owned rollover test facility in North America.
Some highlights of the Chevrolet Cruze’s safety list include, ten standard air bags (the most in the segment – including frontal, head curtain side air bags, front and outboard rear-seat side-impact air bags and new knee air bags); StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover sensing, traction control and anti-lock brakes; Collapsible pedal system, which allows the pedals to detach during a crash to reduce the risk of leg or ankle injuries; and OnStar with Automatic Crash Response.
Pricing details will be announced closer to launch.
Click here for more news on the Chevrolet Cruze.
Refresher: The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze’s base LS model is powered by a 136-hp 1.8L 4-cylinder engine, while the Eco, LT and LTZ model get a 1.4L turbo 4-cylinder Ecotec engine making 138-hp and a maximum torque of 148 lb-ft. The 1.4L turbo models are expected to have a cruising range of more than 500 miles and the Cruze Eco is estimated to get an EPA fuel-economy rating of 40 mpg on the highway. All 2011 Cruze models will be available with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Press Release:
Designed To Protect: Chevrolet Cruze Provides Consumers With The Most Standard Safety Features In Its Segment
DETROIT – The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze’s class-leading safety features and structural strength were demonstrated today in a blunt manner – engineers crashed it. It was a planned test that highlighted the active and passive safety features, as well as the technology, of Chevrolet’s new, fuel-efficient sedan.
Cruze enters the market in the third quarter of this year with more standard safety features than any vehicle in its class, each contributing to Chevrolet’s goal of protecting passengers before, during and after a crash. Highlights include:
* Ten standard air bags – the most in the segment – including frontal, head curtain side air bags, front and outboard rear-seat side-impact air bags and new knee air bags
* StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover sensing, traction control and anti-lock brakes
* Collapsible pedal system, which allows the pedals to detach during a crash to reduce the risk of leg or ankle injuries
* OnStar with Automatic Crash Response.
The comprehensive list of standard safety features on all models includes:
* Dual-stage frontal air bags
* Roof rail-mounted head curtain side air bags that help protect the front and outboard rear seating positions
* Seat-mounted side-impact air bags (front and rear)
* Front knee air bags
* Front passenger seat occupant sensing system
* Rollover sensing and protection system
* Collapsible pedal assembly
* Three-point safety belts in all five seating positions
* Safety belt retractor pretensioners and lap pretensioners in the driver and front-passenger positions
* Safety belt load limiters (with pretensioners) in the front safety belt retractorChild seat latching system in the rear seat.
Along with the standard safety features on all models – including a tire pressure monitoring system, daytime running lamps and automatic headlamps – LT and LTZ models include four-wheel disc brakes and offer rear-parking assist.
A strong foundation
The Cruze has a strong, unitized body structure that incorporates high-strength steel (HSS) in key areas to enhance strength and crash protection. It is used to help prevent intrusion into passenger compartment. The Cruze also features underbody main rails that extend from the front of the structure all the way to the rear, further enhancing the body’s strength and stiffness. A cross-structure beam behind the instrument panel anchors some vehicle features, while supporting the body during side-impact crashes.
Cruze’s safety has been recognized in markets around the globe where it is already sold. For example, it earned the top rating of five stars in European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) testing. According to EuroNCAP, the Cruze scored 79 points out of 100, making it one of the safest models in the passenger car class. The Cruze achieved 96 percent in adult occupant protection, making it the runner-up this year and beating all tested premium brands. The Cruze received a maximum 16 points in the frontal offset collision test and a maximum eight points in the side-impact crash test against a moving deformable barrier. The Cruze is the first passenger car to receive maximum scores in both tests since EuroNCAP began providing crash test ratings in 1997.
OnStar with Automatic Crash Response
OnStar is standard and includes Automatic Crash Response and its latest enhancement, Injury Severity Prediction. This feature helps OnStar advisors alert first responders when a vehicle crash is likely to have caused serious injury to the occupants.
With Automatic Crash Response, OnStar uses data from a collection of built-in vehicle sensors that can signal an advisor for help if the vehicle is involved in a moderate to severe frontal, rear or side-impact crash, regardless of whether an air bag deploys.
Injury Severity Prediction uses an algorithm based on critical crash details, such as severity and direction of impact force, air bag deployments and whether there were multiple impacts or a vehicle rollover, to inform an OnStar advisor if there is a high probability of severe injury to vehicle occupants. Advisors can then relay this to the 9-1-1 operator, helping first responders prepare for what they may likely encounter at the crash scene and provide faster, more tailored help for the injured.
With more than 14 years of experience, OnStar has provided assistance in nearly 140,000 Automatic Crash Responses and received more than 1 million emergency calls for help.
If you’re going to produce world-class sports cars, you’re going to need the timepieces to go with them. It’s a time-honored rule that’s been followed by Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche and Bugatti, to name just a few. And now that the Saab takeover is out of the way, Spyker is preparing to join their ranks.
The collection will be crafted by Expressions d’Artistes International, based in Geneva. Limited details have been revealed at this point, but the range will include pieces crafted in steel, white gold and rose gold, and feature such complications as date indicators and power reserve meters. They’ll all bear Spyker’s trademark steampunk-style decor, from the machine-turned metal found on Spyker dashboards to the Hulshof leather from their bucket seats, which will be used for the wrist-straps.
Special editions exclusively for Spyker owners will feature their cars’ VIN digits. Prices will range from €8,000 for the steel model to €20,000 for the rose gold (that’s $10,700-$27,000 USD), with the official unveiling to take place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Details in the press release after the jump.
[Source: Spyker]
Continue reading Spyker gears up to launch line of wristwatches at Le Mans
Spyker gears up to launch line of wristwatches at Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Ah, those politicians. We’ve noticed a trend in politicians who support stronger, more draconian copyrights, quite frequently discovering that they don’t think those same laws apply to themselves. This happened multiple times in France with Nicolas Sarkozy — and recently in the UK with the Labour party — who put forth the Digital Economy Bill — apparently infringing on copyrights in a campaign poster. Of course, to push the DEB through, Labour did a deal with the Tories — so is it really any surprise, as reader Rabbit80 submitted, that apparently the Tories used a Keane song without permission during their manifesto launch.
It would be great if we could just take this as a “teaching moment” to remind these politicians just how easy it is to infringe upon copyright laws. But considering how quickly the Digital Economy Bill was shoved through Parliament recently with the help of the Tories, perhaps it’s time to turn off the Tories’ internet connection. Or maybe they can hope that their ISP is one of the ones that refuse to comply with the law.
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With photos.
A new tomb was discovered by an SCA mission at Tell el-Maskhuta in the Ismailia governate, announced Farouk Hosni, Minister of Culture. The tomb dates to the 19th Dynasty (1315-1201 BC), is constructed of mud brick and consists of a rectangular room with a domed ceiling made of stone, and a deep square-shaped shaft. The interior is decorated with scenes depicting the owner of the tomb, whose name was Ken-Amun.Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, reported that this is the first Ramesside tomb to be discovered in Lower Egypt. The tomb is very high quality, and is beautifully decorated and inscribed with scenes known from the Ramesside Period, added Dr. Hawass. In addition to this tomb, the excavation has found 35 tombs dated to the Roman Period.
The excavation discovered a limestone stela inscribed with hieroglyphs containing the name of the capital of the Hyksos, Avaris (Het-Waret). The stela depicts the god Set in front of a king of Dynasty 19, whose name is not written. This stela shows the relationship between the site at Tell el-Maskhuta and the Hyksos capital Avaris, located at Tell el-Daba in Sharqiya.
Dr. Mohamed Abdel Maqsud, the supervisor of the Department of Antiquities of Lower Egypt, said there was a large limestone sarcophagus found inside the tomb that belonged to the owner, Ken-Amun. He was the overseer of the royal records during the 19th Dynasty. The sarcophagus contained inscriptions on its inner and outer surfaces. The tomb walls were inscribed with the titles of the deceased and the name of his wife, Isis, who was a singer of the god Atum. The tomb is decorated in sunken relief with different religious and funerary scenes; the most important scenes were one from the Book of the Dead Chapter 125, as well as one of women mourning the dead. Other important scenes include a depiction of the goddess Hathor in the shape of a cow, emerging from the Delta marshes, as well as a scene of the four sons of Horus. The scenes and titles in the tomb show that Ken-Amun was an important man, who was in charge of keeping the royal records.
The Boston Globe (Hadeel Al-Shalchi)
Ken-Amun’s tomb is that first Ramesside tomb to be discovered in Lower Egypt and is built from mud brick, consisting of a rectangular room with a stone-domed ceiling. Hawass said the inscriptions would aid in the understanding of Egypt’s relationships with its neighbors to the east.Inside the tomb, the walls are decorated with reliefs of funerary scenes, including Chapter 12 of the Book of Dead — an ancient text intended to help the deceased in the afterlife — and a scene of women mourning.
The wall’s inscriptions tell that the scribe’s wife was called Isis and worked as a musician for the God Atum. A large limestone pillar also was discovered depicting the God Set, the god of darkness and chaos, in front of the 19th Dynasty king of the time, whose name was not written. On the same pillar, the name of the capital of the Hyksos — an Asiatic people who invaded the eastern Nile Delta in the 12th Dynasty was found.
Discovery News (Rossella Lorenzi)
Beautifully decorated, the tomb features scenes from the Book of the Dead, culminating with the famous vignettes from Chapter 125, which depict the critical judgment ceremony.Called “Weighing of the Heart,” this symbolic judgment involved weighing and comparing the deceased’s heart to a feather of Maat, goddess of Justice, Truth and Order.
If the heart is lighter than the feather, the deceased is judged worthy the company of the gods. If it fails, the heart is devoured by the crocodile-headed monster Ammit and the deceased is condemned to an existence between worlds.
Other important scenes in the tomb include a depiction of the goddess Hathor in the shape of a cow, as she emerges from the Delta marshes, as well as a scene of the four sons of Horus — Imsety, Duamutef, Hapi and Qebehsenuef.
According to our source, BMW Group is planning a five-door version of the Mini Cooper for the United States. The source said that BMW recently held a consumer study group around the United States where they showed visitors a prototype of what a future 5-door Mini Cooper would look like.
We’re not sure if Mini plans on using the standard chassis for the new 5-door Mini or plans on sharing components with the new Mini Countryman crossover. However, like the Mini Countryman, the 5-door Mini hatch is expected to remain a four-seater.
It was reported last year that Mini is planning a 5-door Volkswagen GTI fighter. If given the green light, the 5-door Mini hatch would be built alongside the Mini Countryman at the Magna Steyr factory in Austria and won’t appear much before 2012.
– By: Omar Rana
According to three company sources, Fiat will offer a four-door version of the 500 subcompact in North America. The four-door version of the Fiat 500 will arrive in Europe at the end of 2011 but timing for the United States is still uncertain.
Later this week, Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Chrysler and Fiat, and other executives will outline Fiat’s 5-year plan in Turin, Italy. The plans for a four-door 500 may or may not be announced, sources say, but it has been approved.
The Fiat 500 will be available in North America with a 1.4L Multiair engine in the 4th-quarter of 2010. Chrysler recently announced that it will also offer a pure electric version of the Fiat 500 in the U.S. in 2012.
– By: Kap Shah
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
The toe of King Akhenaton, which was stolen in 1907 during an examination of the pharaoh’s bones, was returned during a signing ceremony for an agreement with Switzerland over the return of ancient artefacts, the council said.“The toe is now back in Egypt and will be displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo,” said the statement, which confirmed that it was from the skeleton of the pharaoh, which had been found in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.
The toe’s movements since 1907 were not disclosed.
Frank Ruehli, a scientist at the University of Zurich and a specialist in mummies, obtained it “thanks to his personal contacts” in “another European country,” a diplomat said without elaborating.
The return was thanks to the Ruehli’s “private initiative” and not carried out by the Swiss government, which is the 16th country to sign the accord on stolen antiquities, the diplomat added.
Discovery News (Rossella Lorenzi)
The terminal phalanx of his great toe, probably from the left foot, was taken away in 1968, when the Department of Antiquities in Cairo, under the supervision of the then director, handed it over to the late Professor Ronald Harrison of Liverpool University.“Since then, the specimen has been held securely in my laboratory, but I decided it had to ‘go home,’ particularly since very few people knew where it was,” Robert Connolly senior lecturer in physical anthropology from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Biology, told Discovery News. . . .
The toe has been returned safely to Egypt by Swiss anatomist and paleopathologist Frank Rühli, who personally handed it over to Dr. Zahi Hawass, the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, during a signing ceremony for an agreement with Switzerland over the return of ancient artifacts.
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Greenlings: Who will be the main players in the electric vehicle space? Who’s worried, who’s not. |
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Report: U.S. Postal Service says it might cut Saturday delivery to curb emissions Spend an extra $1,000 up front, get $3,000 later. |
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Shocked by your outrageous electrical bill? Electric vehile owners might be (for a while) We’ll get used to it, for sure. |
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AutoblogGreen for 04.19.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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YouTube made somewhat of a splash when it announced that it would be streaming all the matches from the Indian Premier League cricket 2010 season. It was a pretty big announcement, the first live sports event to be carried by YouTube, and it proved to be a very smart move. The IPL matches were very popular, attracting quite an audience … (read more)
Heritage Key (Owen Jarus)
A large new church, monastic burials and a vaulted room filled with Coptic wall paintings – new excavation work at the Monastery of Saint Apollo at Bawit is yielding a wealth of remarkable finds. One of the team members, Dr. Ramez Boutros of the University of Toronto, discussed some of the finds at a recent lecture and Heritage Key followed up with an interview.The Monastery of Saint Apollo was founded by the saint around 385-390 AD. It’s slightly north to the site of Asyut, which can be seen on the map below.
Saint Apollo was a hermit of sorts who lived out in the desert. Dr. Boutros told me that fourth century Palestinian monks record that they met with him and that he was “already surrounded by a few disciples.” Two companions were particularly close to him – Phib and Anoup.
Toyota is working hard and fast to seek a fix for the Lexus GX 460, which was identified as a “safety risk” by Consumer Reports last week.
The publication issued a “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk,” which is rarely given by the magazine. Shortly after Consumer Reports issued the warning, Toyota stopped sales of the large luxury SUV to come up with a fix.
Toyota said Friday that its engineers are reproducing the same “slide” that the magazine found in its tests.
“We’re going to work on a countermeasure” to eliminate the handling issue on the GX, said Bill Kwong, a U.S. spokesman for Lexus. “It’s too early to say exactly what that will be.”
– By: Kap Shah
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
With thanks to Tony Marson for sending the link.
Video coverage of the recent Bahariya Graeco-Roman tomb discoveries.
Two hundred years after the death of Rameses II, one of the greatest pharaohs of Egypt, his high priest Iufenamun decreed that his mummified body be moved to a secret location to keep his tomb safe from robbers.Now the priest’s own coffin, snatched from its last resting place, is to be displayed in public for the first time since he died 3,000 years ago. Inside is Iufenamun’s mummy and a cast of his face.
These relics of one the world’s greatest civilizations have been uncovered among the collection of the Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, as its £46 million refurbishment continues. For conservators and curators, their encounter with the priest has been not only a professional challenge but almost a supernatural experience as the ancient remains of Iufenamun began to take human form again.
Lynn McLean, head of textile and paper conservation at the National Museum of Scotland, said: “That was the only moment I felt slightly odd – when I saw his face.”
She had spent weeks stabilising the delicate linen tape wrapped round the priest’s body. Ms McLean, who usually deals with costume or clothes, said: “It feels different, handling a mummy. It’s not just an object, it’s a person. You have to treat him with respect.”
Archaeology Magazine (Mark Rose)
It was all settled. CT scans revealed that Tutankhamun had a nasty leg fracture, and in 2007 Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, rendered his verdict: “He was not murdered as many people thought. He had an accident when he was hunting in the desert. Falling from a chariot made this fracture in his left leg and this really is in my opinion how he died.” Septicemia (blood infection) or a fat embolism (release of fat into the blood stream) was to blame, and science had, through Hawass, spoken.Everyone duly recalibrated their images of Tut. Long dismissed as a minor, ineffectual child pharaoh, the “Boy King” was reimagined as an avid sportsman. Now, further analysis of Tut’s CT scans, those of close relatives, and DNA studies may require another image makeover, thanks to results just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by Hawass, Carsten Pusch (a DNA specialist from the University of Tübingen), and colleagues. But did the researchers get a little ahead of the evidence in some of their interpretations?
Egypt Today (Nadine El Sayed)
Egypt owns two thirds of the world’s monuments.” So says the government’s state information service. It doesn’t go into detail. But when you consider the abundance of national icons — the Pyramids, the Sphinx, Abu Simbel, the Valley of the Kings — that draw thousands of visitors every year, the richness of the country’s past can be overwhelming.It is precisely this illustrious history, in the form of exquisite relics, excavated ruins and secrets yet to be unearthed beneath the sands, that is the subject of a new amendment to the antiquities law that has caused much debate in the People’s Assembly (PA).
Approved early last month after a year of discussion in Parliament, law 117/1983 is being amended in a bid to preserve the nation’s documented archeological heritage and prevent the expatriation of any future discoveries.
Bryn Mawr Classical Review (Reviewed by Lucia Criscuolo)
Paul McKechnie, Philippe Guillaume (ed.), Ptolemy II Philadelphus and His World. Mnemosyne Supplements 300. Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2008.
Table of contents available at the above address.
The volume offers the proceedings of a conference which took place in Auckland in July 2005, with two later additions, by S. Burstein and S. Pfeiffer. The topic chosen by Paul McKechnie and Bridget Buxton was strikingly new, as stressed in the preface: despite the importance of the character and the strategic leading position kept by Ptolemy II in the political chessboard of the second generation of Alexander’s successors, no monographs have been dedicated to him until now. Moreover, as the title reminds us, Ptolemy Philadelphus was also the protagonist of the remarkable period of building up and developing that exceptional cultural centre which made Alexandria the capital of the Mediterranean for at least two centuries. The conference and consequently the proceedings were conceived under the sign of interdisciplinarity, as the editor McKechnie declares in the Introduction, the aim being to look for and find out the different “facets of the gem”, Philadelphus’s world, a paradigm of the multiculturalism which represented and included the main features of the Hellenistic world.The result of such an enterprise is uneven, though the intention of balancing the issues is well expressed by the subdivision into five chapters named by the districts of Alexandria, from Alpha to Epsilon.
