Neither getting the boot from Activision’s nor the lawsuit they’re currently involved in with their former employers aren’t going to keep Vince Zampella and Jason West from making games. EA has announced that the former Infinity Ward
Author: Serkadis
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Changemakers Competition Invites Entries of Innovative Community Change Projects From Northeastern States
Changemakers Competition Invites Entries of Innovative Community Change Projects From Northeastern StatesGreen Mountain Coffee and Ashoka’s Changemakers have launched “Revelation to Action: Your Place. Your Idea. Your Change,” a new competition designed to identify and help fund innovative ideas that strengthen and improve communities in Maine, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.Innovative solutions for motivating local citizens to build a better community may be submitted or nominated until April 21, 2010. The competition will consider all entries that reflect the theme of the competition, that demonstrate groundbreaking solutions that inspire others to help make their community a better place to live, and that indicate growth beyond the stage of idea, concept, or research. At a minimum, entries should be at the demonstration stage and indicate success. Entries must be submitted in English.The competition is open to all types of individuals and organizations operating in the eligible states. Individuals or organizations not from the region must have local operations or partners on the ground in these states.The three Changemakers competition winners — the finalist individuals or organizations that receive the most votes during the public voting phase — will each receive a cash prize of $5,000. The seven state winners — the best entry from each of the eligible states — will also receive cash prizes of $5,000. Nominators are also eligible for prizes. Visit the Changemakers Web site for complete program.Green Mountain Coffee and Ashoka’s Changemakers have launched “Revelation to Action: Your Place. Your Idea. Your Change,” a new competition designed to identify and help fund innovative ideas that strengthen and improve communities in Maine, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
Innovative solutions for motivating local citizens to build a better community may be submitted or nominated until April 21, 2010. The competition will consider all entries that reflect the theme of the competition, that demonstrate groundbreaking solutions that inspire others to help make their community a better place to live, and that indicate growth beyond the stage of idea, concept, or research. At a minimum, entries should be at the demonstration stage and indicate success. Entries must be submitted in English.
The competition is open to all types of individuals and organizations operating in the eligible states. Individuals or organizations not from the region must have local operations or partners on the ground in these states.
The three Changemakers competition winners — the finalist individuals or organizations that receive the most votes during the public voting phase — will each receive a cash prize of $5,000. The seven state winners — the best entry from each of the eligible states — will also receive cash prizes of $5,000. Nominators are also eligible for prizes. Visit the Changemakers website for complete program.
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Is There A Bias In Expertise? Or Is The Problem Just In Silencing Discussion?
Jay Rosen points us to a worthwhile read by Lane Wallace in The Atlantic, concerning “the bias of veteran journalists.” The basic concept is that veteran journalists think they know so much about a story that they have an angle going into the story, and only ask questions to support that story. It is not claiming that this is a political bias — which is the usual charge thrown out at reporters — but that the bias is in the fact that they think they know the story before they really know the story. As an example, she points to her own recent experience on a certain piece of technology:
A few weeks ago, I attended the public launch of a company’s product that had, until that point, been kept tightly under wraps. The product involved a breakthrough approach and new technology that had the potential of having a revolutionary impact on its industry, as well on consumers around the world. Unlike most of the journalists covering the event, I was not an expert on that particular industry. It wasn’t my normal “beat.” The reason I was there was because I’d been interviewing the company’s CEO over the previous several months for a book project. But that also meant that while I wasn’t an expert about the industry in general, I was in the odd position of knowing more about the company’s “secret” product than any other journalist in the room.It was an eye-opening experience. A lot of major news outlets and publications were represented at the press conference following the announcement. A few very general facts about the product had been released, but the reporters had only been introduced to details about it a half hour earlier. There was still a lot about how it worked, how it differed from other emerging products, and why the company felt so confident about its evolution and economic viability, that remained to be clarified.
But the reporters’ questions weren’t geared toward getting a better understanding of those points. They were narrowly focused on one or two aspects of the story. And from the questions that were being asked, I realized–because I had so much more information on the subject–that the reporters were missing a couple of really important pieces of understanding about the product and its use. And as the event progressed, I also realized that the questions that might have uncovered those pieces weren’t being asked because the reporters already had a story angle in their heads and were focused only on getting the necessary data points to flesh out and back up what they already thought was the story.
Fascinating stuff. She then backs this up by pointing to a recent study on “experts” and how they tend to be worse at predicting things, often because they’re so certain of the outcome that they miss key elements of why something is different, or why what they expect won’t happen. That is, they approach the scenario with a knowing viewpoint, and therefore don’t understand why it’s a big deal. This leads her to quote an anecdotal claim by a friend who’s an editor, saying that new beat reporters ask the best questions, because they don’t assume they already know the answers to stuff.
I’ll admit, after reading the column, my first thought was total agreement. It makes a lot of sense, right? And it certainly fits in well with Rosen’s concept of the Church of the Savvy, which involves reporters who are more focused on using their soap box to make people think that they’re connected to the inside and “savvy” with how everything works, that they focus more on describing the process, rather than reporting the facts (and debunking the non-facts). I tend to agree with that general sentiment, and this concept of “expert bias” initially felt right as well. In a different arena we see it all the time — when we present stories about the economic impacts of copyright law or patent law, we often get lawyers who stop by to insist that this is ridiculous — and we should trust them because they’re the expert lawyers, in spite of the actual evidence.
And, no, I’m not claiming I’m above this kind of bias either. Everyone falls into this kind of trap at some point as well — assuming you know more about a story than you really do. If you’re crafting a story, you have a general model of “what the world looks like” and you certainly build your story based on that. But no one has a perfect crystal ball. No one can understand what variables will really be key in the future. No one can always get it right. At the very least, I try to learn from my own mistakes, and look back at why I was wrong (though, of course, no one gets that process right all the time either!).
Still, even after nodding my head through Wallace’s column, after thinking about it a bit, I’m no longer sure I really believe it makes sense. Go back to her opening anecdote. In that case, she’s actually as guilty as the reporters she’s mocking. The reason she thinks they’re missing the story is because she does think she’s an expert: because of her time with the company, she felt she was more of an expert about that “secret” product, than those who knew the industry. And so she got upset that they didn’t follow her pre-conceived storyline. Really, it’s a bit of a kettle/pot scenario. What if those other reporters, who knew the industry, actually were right — because they knew the wider industry and the wider impact of this product, rather than only getting the one side of the story from PR people over an “insider” session (savvy!).
On top of that, I’m not convinced about the “cub reporters ask better questions” claim either. I’ve been to plenty of press events, where those reporters don’t ask any questions at all — because they’re not comfortable enough to do so — and I’ve also been to events where clearly unknowledgeable reporters ask really bad questions — or are more open to being “fed” press releases as stories, because it’s nicely packaged up for those who don’t know how to ask the hard questions.
So where does that leave us? Yes, there is a problem in the bias of expertise, where people are so sure of their opinion going in that they may miss some underlying key point. But I don’t think that means that you want want naive folks covering a story either. What’s needed is that convergence of voices. It’s the discussion that comes out after all of this which presents the real value. It’s one of the reasons why we tend to value the discussions on this site so much. If I say something stupid, people will call me on it, and there’s a good discussion in the comments — from which we all get to learn.
In thinking about it some more, it seems that the real issue is not the fact that one person has too much or too little expertise in a particular subject. It’s that the whole spectrum is valuable — and that spectrum comes out in discussion, not in positioning a single person as being the only person who can report on/talk about a particular subject. The problem comes in the idea that any particular situation involves “the word from on high,” rather than the starting point for discussion.
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Sony Updates Vegas Pro Software To 9.0d With New Broadcasting and Creative Tools
Sony Creative Software has updated its Vegas Pro software to 9.0d and now features superior closed captioning support for broadcast editors, in addition to multi-layer PSD file support and timeline burning to DVD for enhanced editing flexibility and efficiency for creative professionals.
The Vegas Pro 9.0d software update is available now for download online at Sony Creative Software and is free for existing registered Vegas Pro 9 users, or $234.95 for owners of Vegas Pro 8 or prior. Vegas Pro 9 software is available in English, German, Spanish, Japanese, and French. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for Vegas Pro 9 is U.S. $699.95.
“As professional video editing workflows are in constant evolution, the Vegas Pro 9.0d software update provides new tools that allow editors to efficiently produce outstanding results across a wide range of targeted delivery platforms and formats,” said Dave Chaimson, vice-president of global marketing for Sony Creative Software. “With the significant additions of closed captioning support, enhanced PSD support and timeline burning to DVD, along with enhancements to the Device Explorer, Vegas Pro 9.0d software provides maximum user control for creative production.”
Closed Captioning Support
All new closed captioning support in Vegas Pro 9.0d provides broadcast editors with a workflow that enables the importing, editing, and exporting of CEA-608 captioned data in high definition Sony XDCAM MXF material.
Multi-layer Adobe Photoshop Document (PSD) Support
Multi-layer PSD support in Vegas 9.0d provides a highly flexible model for professionals to quickly create complex animation and professional results from a single PSD image. This new feature enables more creative compositing when working with PSD files by providing individual control over the separate file layers.
Enhanced Device Explorer Support
Improvements to the device explorer in Vegas Pro 9.0d significantly increase support for additional cameras and devices, including hard disk and memory recording devices. The extra support provides customers with a more powerful and adaptable system for unparalleled video editing.
Burn Timeline to DVD
Timeline burning to DVD, like the current Vegas Pro “Burn to Blu-ray” process, allows editors a more seamless final output method for their video editing projects.
PreSonus FaderPort Control Surface Driver Support
The PreSonus FaderPort control surface offers additional flexibility for controlling and automating Vegas Pro 9.0d via hardware other than mouse and keyboard. The touch- sensitive device is perfect for controlling volume and pan parameters, as well as play, stop, start transport functionality and managing markers for fast and easy audio and video editing.
Official changelist:
* Added closed captioning support (reading and writing of XDCAM HD and HD422 closed captions, as well as .SCC file import/export).
* Added support for the PreSonus FaderPort control surface.
* Added Device Explorer support for CompactFlash-based memory recording units such as the HVR-MRC1 and hard-disk-based recording units such as the HVR-DR60.
* Added support for AVCHD Lite video.
* Added support for timecode in XDCAM EX AVI/DV files.
* Tools > Multicamera > Lay Out Tracks Using Media Timecode and Lay Out Tracks Using Media Date/Time Stamp now use unique tracks for media without tape names.
* Added support for importing layered PSD files across tracks.
* Added White Balance video plug-in.
* Added scripts: Remove Letterboxing, Render Audio Tracks, Resize Generated Media, and Stereo To Mono.
* Copy Snapshot to Clipboard and Save Snapshot to File now deinterlace interlaced images and operate at Best (Full) resolution if the Video Preview is set to (Auto) size and Good quality if set to Draft or Preview.
* Copy Snapshot to Clipboard now performs pixel-aspect correction like the Save Snapshot to File command.
* Added Copy Snapshot to Clipboard and Save Snapshot to File to the Trimmer.
* Added timeline DVD burning (Tools > Burn Disc > DVD).
* Updated to latest RED SDK, including support for 4.5K images and FLUT color science.
* élastique Efficient is now the default time stretch mode.
* MPEG-2 smart render across formats now supports MPEG-2 video streams intended for Blu-ray Disc (only available when operating points are identical: e.g. resolution, framerate, video data rate, color resolution).
* The Mastering Effects Bundle 2 plug-ins (available with Sound Forge Pro 10) can now be used in Vegas Pro if they are installed on your system.
* Implemented various compatibility improvements to XDCAM MXF files.
* Improved support for reading AVC/AAC (.mp4) video.
* Improved image sharpness on Windows Secondary Monitor display when Apply deinterlace filter is not used.
* Improved Trimmer Fit-to-Fill behavior when the source is a still image.
* Implemented various additions and improvements to Interactive Tutorials.
* Fixed a crash that could occur during startup when using the 64-bit version of the application with certain RAID controllers.
* Fixed a crash that could occur when adding certain audio effects to the Master Bus FX chain.
* Fixed a hang that could occur while changing FX parameters with an external DV monitor enabled.
* Fixed a hang that could occur when using 32-bit VST audio effects in the 64-bit version of the application.
* Fixed a hang that could occur after capturing HDV clips.
* Fixed field order in reader for certain H.264 files.
* Fixed Import Stereo as Dual Mono when dragging media from the Device Explorer window.
* Fixed a smart render issue with XDCAM HD.
* Fixed a smart render issue with MXF PAL DV rendered to AVI PAL DV.
* Fixed timecode reading for 50p and 60p XDCAM MXF media.
* Fixed an issue with waveform drawing accuracy when very quiet events are normalized.
* Fixed an issue that could prevent audio from appearing for certain AVI files.
* Fixed a crash that could occur when rendering many markers to Sony MXF format.
* Fixed a bug that could cause clicks when using certain Track EQ automation settings.
* Fixed an issue where deleting one Track Motion preset could cause others to be removed.
* Fixed a slight artifact that could occur when using the Broadcast Colors video effect.
* Improved support for VST audio plug-ins written in Delphi.
* Fixed a problem that could cause summary data to be lost when using custom Windows Media Video rendering templates.
* Fixed a problem with enabling the audio stream when using custom Windows Media Video rendering templates.
* Fixed the ability to capture from HDCA-702 MPEG TS Adaptor.
* Fixed the ability to render to multiple mono files using PCA format.
* Fixed the ability to seek in files rendered using the MainConcept AAC/AVC format.
* Fixed a problem that could cause corrupt video when rendering to QuickTime format using the 3 Mbps Video template.
* Fixed the operation of the Proportional check box in the Checkerboard generator plug-in.
* Fixed an issue with media generators not using a changed pixel aspect ratio.
* Fixed an issue saving and restoring templates in the Command Properties dialog.
* Fixed an issue that prevented JPEG from being used to save image sequences.
* Fixed an issue with Trimmer Fit-to-Fill not creating the correct media start time.
* Fixed an issue with scrubbing in reverse past the media start time in the Trimmer.
* Fixed issue with Event Pan/Crop Match Output Aspect when Adjust source media to better match project or render settings applied to the source media.
* Fixed an issue that prevented markers from appearing in the correct position for rendered FLAC files.
* Corrected a problem that could cause black frames in MOV files after installing the QuickTime 7.6.6 update. -
Hesselbein Global Academy for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement
The University of Pittsburgh has launched an initiative called the Hesselbein Global Academy for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement www.hesselbein.pitt.edu. It aims to inspire, develop, and reward accomplished student leaders to meet the challenges of tomorrow.A core program of the academy is the Hesselbein Student Leadership Summit to be held July 10-13, 2010 in Pittsburgh, PA. Fifty students are selected to receive advanced leadership training from mentors who are distinguished professionals in the corporate, nonprofit, military, and social sectors.Students from New York Campus Compact member institutions are eligible to apply.If selected, the academy covers the cost of room, board, registration, and provides $200 in travel assistance. The online application is currently open at http://www.hesselbein.pitt.edu/student-leadership/overview.php. The application deadline is April 18, 2010. Please contact Angela Miller McGraw at angelamm {at} pitt(.)edu or 412-624-5203 if you have any questions.The University of Pittsburgh has launched an initiative called the Hesselbein Global Academy for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement http://www.hesselbein.pitt.edu. It aims to inspire, develop, and reward accomplished student leaders to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
A core program of the academy is the Hesselbein Student Leadership Summit to be held July 10-13, 2010 in Pittsburgh, PA. Fifty students are selected to receive advanced leadership training from mentors who are distinguished professionals in the corporate, nonprofit, military, and social sectors.
If selected, the academy covers the cost of room, board, registration, and provides $200 in travel assistance. The online application is currently open at http://www.hesselbein.pitt.edu/student-leadership/overview.php. The application deadline is April 18, 2010. Please contact Angela Miller McGraw at angelamm {at} pitt(.)edu or 412-624-5203 if you have any questions.
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Guess What, Americans Bought More Gas In March Than In Anytime In History

Think rising gas prices are going crimp American driving patterns?
Think again.
Here’s the latest from MasterCard, via Platts:
The Mastercard data, which we’ve written about before, is one of many imperfect ways of trying to measure US gasoline demand. It’s based on credit card swipes, and it comes out weekly.
The weekly information is subject to so many variables that it should probably be overlooked. But the four-week average is probably more accurate, since it smooths out some of the variables, such as a moveable holiday like Easter, or a big weather event that keeps everyone home.
And what the report the last few weeks has been showing is that Americans have been driving a lot.
The most recent estimate of the total weekly demand, based on the four-week average, put US gasoline consumption at 67.122 million barrels. That’s for the week ending April 2. It’s the second week in a row where the rolling four-week average topped 67 million barrels of total gasoline demand in the US.
Pretty impressive.
The last time we hit this level was last July. The time before that was in August 2008.
Here’s the really remarkable part:
Notice something? All those other times when the numbers exceeded 67 million barrels occurred during the summer driving season. So despite almost 10% unemployment, despite gasoline prices that are edging toward the $3/gal mark, despite the dumping of SUVs and the love affair with hybirds, the MasterCard data suggests that Americans consumed more gasoline in March than at any time in US history. The MasterCard data only goes back to 2004, but gasoline consumption in the US was higher in the middle part of this decade than at any other time in history, so these MasterCard numbers for last month are revealing something that is very surprising.
Join the conversation about this story »
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Flagra: Ford Fiesta reestilizado é visto nas ruas de São Paulo

Perto de seu lançamento oficial, o novo facelift do Ford Fiesta nacional já foi visto na rua por uma pessoa com olhos atentos a tudo! Conforme foi divulgado no site Auto Data, a nova frente do Fiesta foi flagrado em São Paulo e já estava emplacado, logo, o veículo já foi entregue para avaliação.
Aproveitando o
vacilodescuido que a pessoa teve ao deixar o carro no meio da rua, dá para ver algumas mudanças na nova frente do carro, que geralmente está mais equipada que o normal nessas versões de teste. Podemos ver faróis de neblina e rodas novas de liga leve.Estima-se que o Fiesta 2011 reestilizado apareça nas concessionárias em maio, e o verdadeiro novo Fiesta vai aparecer apenas em 2011 mesmo. Vamos ficar atento a mais novidades.
Via | Blogauto
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Pimp Your iPad Safari With Quix
Quix lets you create and manage bookmarklets for doing all sorts of cool things from within the browser. Want to find text within the current page, send the current page to services like Pinboard or Tumblr, search the current domain with Google, load Firebug lite to peek at a sites markup, shorten an URL with Bitly, or do anything else you can imagine? Quix is the answer.
I first heard about Quix a few months back when Merlin Mann was talking about some clever stuff he was doing with it. I remember having a look, but at the time it didn’t make much sense to me. Partly because when I’m on my Mac I already have established systems for quickly activating the type of functions Quix would be useful for. Add to that the fact that my main use of mobile Safari on the iPhone was pretty much limited to sending pages to Instapaper for later use and the whole notion of Quix left me unimpressed.
Now that I’ve got the iPad though, it’s making a lot more sense. At the moment it’s more iPhone than it is Mac, but that won’t stop folks from trying to push it towards the more fully functional Mac side of things. Quix is a good step in that direction, giving you access to the same type of in-browser functionality that you’re used to having on your desktop.

Quix works through the use of a “meta bookmarklet” which when activated launches a command prompt allowing you to initiate any other commands stored in the quix.txt file. The easiest way to get started is to just add the bookmarklet to the Safari Bookmarks bar on your Mac and then sync it to your iPad. Tweak the settings for mobile Safari to display the bookmarks bar, and now Quix will always just be a tap away. With almost 100 commands included by default, you’re well on your way to being able to do just about anything you want from within mobile Safari.

No need to stop there though, you can also host your own quix.txt file and fill it up with your own set of cool commands. The syntax is pretty straight forward, each line being made up of a command, the executable, and a short description. For some inspiration have a look at Merlin’s custom list to see the kind of tricks he’s come up with. If you have some of your own custom bookmarklets please share them in the comments.

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Sony Optiarc Shows Off Stylish External And Speedy Internal Drives
Sony Optiarc America today unveiled two new optical disc drives – a new portable, slim external DVD/CD recordable drive and the second generation half height internal 24X DVD/CD recordable drive.
DRX-S77U The DRX-S77U drive boasts a sleek, lightweight design with awesome colors such as black, white, pink and gold. It supports to 8X DVD+/-R recording speeds, delivering a full 4.7 GB disc of video, data, music or images on standard 8X DVD+/-R media.
Here’s a really cool animation I found of this external drive matched with the VAIO P. Love at first sight..
Additionally, the drive can record on 8.5 GB DVD+/-R Double/Dual layer and 4.7 GB DVD-RW discs at 6X speeds, DVD+RW at 8X, DVD-RAM at 5X and CD-R/RW at 24X. The drive comes in a retail package bundled with the Nero 9 DVD/CD mastering software suite and is compatible with Windows 7. Connectivity is a snap with a Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) digital interface.
The AD-7260S internal DVD/CD recordable drive continues to provide the same 24X max speed and high quality performance set by the predecessor model AD-7240S, which was the world’s first 24X speed half height DVD-RW drive. The AD-7260S is a conservatively priced speed demon at only $28.99 on newegg, and supports up to 24X max DVD+/-R recording, 12X DVD+/-R Double/Dual layer recording, 12X DVD-RAM, and 48X CD-R performance. The latest auto write strategies and proven buffer under-run protection enhance the reputation of optimal quality and reliability. The AD-7260S is available with black and beige bezel colors. LightScribe direct labeling technology is also available with this drive that allows creation of personalized, professional looking labels using LightScribe DVD/CD media (available separately).
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EA formally announces Bulletstorm
EA has released a formal announcement for Bulletstorm, a new shooter from Epic Games and People Can Fly. We’ve already learned a bit about the game, so let’s check out some more details.
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Review: 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet speaks too softly, but carries a big stick
Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Audi, Reviews, Luxury
2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet – Click above for high-res image galleryTaking a great looking performance car and chopping off its roof is risky business – compromises are inevitable. That’s especially true in this modern age of unibody structures. Removing a big chunk of a vehicle’s architecture without adequately reinforcing what’s left can yield a chassis incapable of managing the position of the wheels, let alone result in a vehicle that loses its level of driver engagement and enthusiasm. On the other hand, reinforcements add mass – often lots of it. It’s a treacherous path, as both flaccid body control and weight are the mortal enemy of performance.
You can understand our trepidation, then, upon learning that Audi was planning on introducing its S5 Cabriolet at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. By our reckoning, the German debutante’s rollout was cause for both consternation and celebration. When the A5 and S5 coupes arrived in 2007, they were hailed as being among the best looking cars ever to wear the brand’s Four Rings. The new Cabriolet models would bring with them the euphoria of open-air motoring, but we had to wonder – would Audi’s rakish new hardtop be turned into a floppy flier just by giving it a roofectomy? Equally as important, would the model’s newly downsized engine drop the performance? There was only one thing to do: Put the range-topping S5 Cabriolet through a week-long test.
Gallery: Review: 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet
Photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
Continue reading Review: 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet speaks too softly, but carries a big stick
Review: 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet speaks too softly, but carries a big stick originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Adobe Photoshop CS5 Dabbles with Magic
Adobe announced the release of its latest and greatest Adobe Creative Suite 5 today. Adobe CS5 comes with 15 different tools aimed at various design or development tasks, but one of the best known and widely used programs in the suite is Adobe Photoshop. With Photoshop CS5, Adobe is bringing a number of new features and plenty of updates. There are a lot o… (read more) -
eBay Find of the Day: Court-siezed Brawn GP/USF1 transport trailers
Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Auctions, Work, UK, Racing
ex-USF1/ex-Brawn/ex-Honda transport trailers – Click above for image galleryWant to start your own Formula One team? There’s space on the grid next season since USF1 failed to make it this year, and we wish you better luck. But it takes more than luck to start a team from scratch. It takes a lot of know-how, a lot of money, and a lot of equipment. That’s where this auction comes in.
About half of the grand prix races on the calendar are based in Europe, so when they’re not flying around the world to far-off destinations, F1 teams spend a lot of time on the road. That’s why the spec out their own trailers, to shuttle their personnel and equipment from track to track across the old continent. When USF1 was gearing up for their ill-fated endeavor, they bought a pair of trailers from the World Champion Brawn GP team (having apparently been used by the Honda team beforehand) before they evidently got new ones through their acquisition by Mercedes-Benz.
The trailers – which were supposed to be repainted in red, white and blue – never made it that far in USF1’s hands. The team ultimately shut down, and this pair of trailers was seized by the courts in the UK. Now the local sheriff’s department has put them up for sale on eBay Motors. They come equipped with all the bells and whistles, including place for three race cars, elevator platforms to unload them engineering offices, generators, on-board metal lathe milling machine…the works. They don’t, however, come with the tractors to pull them, or the cars they’re meant to transport…or a matching Bugatti Veyron for that matter. Reportedly worth some £300,000 (nearly half a million dollars) apiece when new, each is selling without reserve to the highest bidder, with current bid prices at the time of writing standing at £16,100 ($25k) and £12,900 ($20k) respectively. Check ’em out in the auction listing for all the details. Thanks to everyone for the tips!
[Source: eBay Motors (trailer 1, trailer 2) via Autosport]
eBay Find of the Day: Court-siezed Brawn GP/USF1 transport trailers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Urban Farming and Life Skills Support for youth with developmental challenges
The VISTA members primary responsibility will be to assist in a program that focuses on Dream Green Farm, a program that is designed to provide meaningful employment activities for youth with developmental disabilities. The participants of the program range in age from 18-21 years of age and participate in Life Skills Support classes throughout Luzerne County. Dream Green Farm will provide job training as well as provide the opportunity to give back to the community. Dream Green Farm (DGF) is located on The Lands at Hillside Farms (TLHF) in Dallas, PA. TLHF is a non-profit urban farm. Participants of DGF learn how to raise organic produce for sale at local farmers markets that accept the Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers. These vouchers allow low-income residents access to fresh and local produce to help meet the nutritional needs of their families.
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Video: 2011 Mustang GT wins against Camaro SS, Challenger SRT8 in Motor Trend test

The folks at Motor Trend did the first comparison between the new 2011 Ford Mustang GT powered by a 5.0L V8 against competitors including the Chevrolet Camaro SS and the Dodge Challenger SRT8.
Click here to get prices on the 2011 Ford Mustang.
Of course, we’re huge fans of the Camaro SS but we have yet to drive the new Mustang GT so we really can’t say anything here. However, Motor Trend giving the Camaro SS last place amongst the three muscle car kind of boggles our mind. Let us know what you think.
Refresher: The 2011 Ford Mustang V6 is powered by the 3.7L V6 Ti-VCT making 305-hp and 280 lb-ft. The 2011 Ford Mustang GT is powered by a 5.0L 4-valve Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) V8 engine producing 412-hp with a peak torque of 390 lb-ft. Transmission choices for both models include a 6-speed automatic with a 6-speed manual offered as standard.
Check out the video after the jump.
– By: Omar Rana
Source: Motor Trend
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2010 Race, Ethnicity, and Community Engagement in Higher Education Conference
The Race, Ethnicity, and Community Engagement in Higher Education conference at Texas Tech University will take place October 17-20, 2010 and has an proposal deadline of May 31, 2010. For more info and to apply online visit: http://www.educ.ttu.edu/edhe/conferences/recengagement/
The Race, Ethnicity, and Community Engagement in Higher Education conference at Texas Tech University welcomes submissions from academic professionals engaged in service-centered praxis, researchers in fields of applied or experiential education, regional, local, and international practitioners in service-learning and other forms of community engagement, undergraduate or graduate students with service-learning and other community engagement experience, and students, faculty, administrators, and agency personnel that support community-based research initiatives.
This conference encourages participants to address a wide range of issues related to research, curriculum design, assessment, institutional support, diversity, community connection, partnerships, and student development. The goal of the conference is to provide participants with multiple perspectives on critical issues, paradigms, and challenges related to race, ethnicity and community engagement in higher education.
The proposal deadline is coming soon, so please see the full call for proposals at:
http://www.educ.ttu.edu/edhe/conferences/recengagement/docs/Call%20for%20Proposals.pdfand the conference website at:
http://www.educ.ttu.edu/edhe/conferences/recengagement/ -
Volkswagen Phaeton, fotos espía
Interesantes fotos espías las que acaban de llegarnos a la redacción. Se trata ni más ni menos que de la segunda generación del Volkswagen Phaeton casi totalmente al desnudo. Por un lado nos parece algo realmente extraño ya que su nivel de ventas no es realmente el adecuado para un modelo de este tipo y por otra parte debido a la posición de Volkswagen sobre estos modelos en el mercado.

Sobre las novedades en el diseño, debemos destacar la calandra cromada de líneas rectas y las ópticas un tanto más afiladas. En la parte trasera nos encontramos con unos nuevos pilotos que hacen uso de la teconología LED.

En lo que respecta a la motorización, no hay nada confirmado pero se espera que reciba una gama completa de nuevos motores llegando a un máximo de 340 CV de potencia.
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Welcome to the IPS Asia-Pacific Classroom
The gender students from AIT
BANGKOK – IPS Asia-Pacific’s offices became a classroom twice in recent weeks as two classes of graduate students from the Asian Institute of Technology came to discuss issues of journalism, gender, environment as well as the media mindset.
On Mar. 30, a class of 16 graduate students in the gender and development studies module spent two hours at the IPS regional office in the Thai capital, with their professor, Babette Resurreccion. The students were from varied courses, backgrounds and countries, ranging from Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Nigeria.
IPS Asia-Pacific Director Johanna Son discussed the IPS news philosophy, including its approach to gender and the MDG-3 project. She began by presenting the findings of a survey IPS Asia-Pacific had done among media and development advocates on their perceptions of gender sensitivity and language, and then linked that to the ‘Talking Gender in the Mekong Media’ report the organisation released recently.
Also taking part in the discussion to share their experiences was regional correspondent Marwaan Macan-Markar and media project coordinator Lynette Corporal.
Students from different countries asked about gender and media, after IPS Asia-Pacific Director Johanna Son made a presentation.
The questions asked by the students generated quite an interesting debate, ranging from how journalists approach objectivity, bias and fairness, how to translate academic-oriented writing to writing for general audiences and how to work on gender-friendly language. Son also explained that while it is common to assume that dropping all the suffixes of ‘-men’ makes news copy gender-friendly, such is not the case as there is nothing wrong about saying if a quoted source is a she or a he, for instance.
The second class, an environment class of six students, came on Apr. 7, as part of their course at AIT Extension programme for the Norway-based Fredkorpset exchange programme.
Son used a current story in the region that the students, from Vietnam, Laos and China, could very well identify with – the drought in the Mekong region and the just-finished Mekong summit that highlighted political, environment and development issues around China’s dam-building in South-east Asia’s longest river. For this she used material from the IPS news wire, including a slideshow by a Lao journalist on the Mekong drought, as well as reports on the Mekong summit.
The students, from Vietnam, Laos and China, are writers part of environmental organisations or federations in their countries. They will be assigned to different countries in Asia to work on environmental journalism.
Environment writers at the IPS office.
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Sony Refreshes B-Series Walkman
Sony has refreshed its B-Series of Walkman portable music players with the new NWZ-B150 series. 2GB (NWZ-B152) and 4GB (NWZ-B153) models will be available in black, blue, pink and red and around early June 2010. Despite the tiny size at three inches long, Sony notes that “its presence is felt with full, rich sound” and is compatible with WP3, WMA files. A 3-line LCD shows track and artist information amongst other settings. Apparently these also have a “Bass boost button” with flashing red LEDs, obviously intended for youths who like to feel the beat. For the rest of us, an EQ is available to fine tune your favored sound.
The built-in USB connection links the B150 directly to your computer with no cables or extra software needed: just drag and drop to load up your favorite tracks. I’ve always admired Sony’s simplicity in the last few years with this drag n’ drop method of transferring.
Returning once again in this series, ZAPPIN technology scans through stored tracks, playing a short sample from each song to help you pinpoint the right track. There is also a FM tuner (with 30 presets) and you can ever store voice notes or radio broadcasts with the on-board recorder. Neat.
Optional accessories for the NWZ-B150 series include the CKA-NWU10 sports armband – an ideal addition for keeping Walkman secure while you’re exercising or just hanging out.
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Lotus lança Exige S Type 72 em comemoração a seu lendário bólido de F1
A Lotus anunciou o lançamento da Exige S Type 72, uma versão comemorativa a um dos carros de F1 mais belo e conhecido no mundo automobilístico, inclusive por nós brasileiros, a Lotus F1 Type 72 “John Player Special” preta e dourada, pois ela também foi pilotada e deu um título mundial de F1 para o piloto brasileiro Emerson Fittipaldi.
Um dos ícones na historia da F1, o modelo também deu a Lotus três títulos de construtor nos mundiais de 1970, 72 e 73 da Formula 1. Dessa forma, a exclusiva Lotus Exige S Type 72 vem pintada com as exclusivas cores do F1, toda em preta e com vários detalhes em dourado em sua aberturas laterais, entradas do capô, para-choques dianteiros e traseiros e em seu aerofólio.
Além disso, a série especial do superesportivo ainda conta com um interior personalizado com bancos esportivos com costuras douradas, dois intercoolers de óleo, suspensão dianteira com sistema anti-rolamento e controle de tração ajustável. Com todos os equipamentos, essa série acrescenta mais dois quilos ao modelo, totalizando 935 kg brutos.
Sua motorização Toyota com supercharger não foi alterada, e possibilita uma aceleração de 0 a 100 km/h em 4,7 segundos e uma velocidade máxima de 233 km/h, além de um excelente consumo médio de 11,76 km/k no ciclo misto cidade/estrada. Como opcional o Lotus Exige S Type 72 conta um pacote opcional que inclui o sistema de freios AP Racing, entradas de ar no teto e o sistema de controle de largada.
Fonte: TheMotorReport
















