Author: Serkadis

We’ve heard talk about God of War III DLC before. It’s still a possibility, but don’t expect anything huge, though. According to Stig Asmussen, the most they can probably add are challenges and skins. Oh, and and probably an

Clash of the Titans has a 31% on Rotten Tomatoes, surely this would be an improvement? Just think of the CGI possibilities!

Come to say the day.

(College Humor)

Most people I think would answer real, but it’s a complex issue.

(Holy Taco)

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Hybrid, Porsche, Racing

Porsche’s new 911 GT3 R Hybrid is making rapid progress in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. After finishing sixth in its debut outing two weeks ago, it moved up to third place this weekend. Porsche factory drivers Joerg Bergmeister and Wolf Henzler praised the new flywheel hybrid car as they ran a trouble-free four-hour race.

The drivers were pleased with the extra 120 kilowatts of electric power available, especially as they accelerated out of corners. The electro-mechanical drive system also cut the car’s fuel consumption considerably, with the hybrid requiring one fewer pit stop than all the other 911s. Hopefully if the car keeps running this well, we’ll indeed see it run in the American Le Mans Series later this year.

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche 911 GT3 Hybrid podiums in second outing

Porsche 911 GT3 Hybrid podiums in second outing originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Apr 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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From Robert Shiller in the NY Times: Don’t Bet the Farm on the Housing Recovery

MUCH hope has been pinned on the recovery in home prices that began about a year ago. A long-lasting housing recovery might provide a balm to households, mortgage lenders and the entire United States economy. But will the recovery be sustained?

Alas, the evidence is equivocal at best.

The most obvious reason for hope is that, unlike stock prices, home prices tend to show a great deal of momentum.

Keep reading at Calculated Risk >

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Article Tags: You could not make it up

ONE of Britain’s most distinguished climate scientists is taking legal action to silence an internet campaign against him.

Houghton, former co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former chief executive of the Met Office, said the past six months, when the science of climate change had been through a battering due to the “climategate” scandal linked to the University of East Anglia, had been both “depressing” and “worrying”.

Source: news.scotsman.com

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Article Tags: Dennis T. Avery

CHURCHVILLE, VA – Trees in the U.S. are growing 2-4 times as fast as their long-term norm. The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center at Edgewood MD says it is because of global warming, according to a recent press release. Don’t bet on that.

Smithsonian researchers measured a series of forest plots at different stages of growth from 5 to 225 years of age. They found that more than 90 percent of the trees grew 2-4 times faster over the past 20 years than predicted from baseline growth rates.

Helpfully, lead author Geoffrey Parker tells us that there are three main possibilities why the trees might be growing faster:

A) the official temperatures in the region have increased about 0.3 degree C over the past 20 years;

B) There’s been a small expansion of the growing season; and

C) CO2 levels have risen about 12 percent over two decades.

Dr. Parker seems to have chosen A), higher temperatures, as the correct answer. But do facts support the choice?

Source: americandaily.com

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And the war rages on. Following the countersuit filed by Activision against ex-Infinity Ward heads, Vince Zampella via his lawyer, Robert Schwartz have released an official statement to the LA Times, calling it false and

Article Tags: You could not make it up

Proposal to declare mass destruction of ecosystems a crime on a par with genocide launched by lawyer

“Ecocide is in essence the very antithesis of life,” says Higgins. “It leads to resource depletion, and where there is escalation of resource depletion, war comes chasing behind. Where such destruction arises out of the actions of mankind, ecocide can be regarded as a crime against peace.”

Click source for a modern day version of burning witches at the stake! This article from the Guardian has now had some changes, it does not include the original comment Supporters of a new ecocide law also believe it could be used to prosecute “climate deniers” who distort science and facts to discourage voters and politicians from taking action to tackle global warming and climate change just goes to show the original mindset involved!

Source: guardian.co.uk

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Curious as to what you’ll find exactly in 3D Dot Game Heroes? Not to worry, the first ten minutes of the game is now up and circulating the web for your examination.
 
 
 
 

I was going through security at the airport the other day, and tossed my beeper into one of those gray bins — along with the device that should make the beeper superfluous, a cell phone.

“I didn’t know anyone used beepers anymore,” said the 30-something guy behind me.

What could I say?  That doctors also use typewriters, buggy whips, and ice boxes?

But those are really the wrong comparisons — better is something more early-90s, like this “mobile phone.”  For a while back then, beepers were a quite the status symbol among the junior high school set — especially if they were made of clear, teal-colored plastic.

And while teenagers have long ago moved on, virtually every doctor I know still carries a beeper.  One of my un-named colleagues (at and un-named hospital in an un-named city) became so frustrated by having to carry two devices that he hacked into his hospital’s paging system so that now he gets his pages on his cell phone as a text messages.

(He says texts over cell phones are sent via the same technology as pages.  Who knew?)

This article discusses some reasons why beepers have some advantages over other wireless systems.  But that was two years ago, and given advances in cell technology, I find it hard to believe those advantages wouldn’t be quickly be overshadowed by all the obvious benefits of a cell phone, particularly a modern smart device.

I, for one, would be happy to trade mine in.  Just say the word.

Aguardado pra chegar nos próximos anos, o novo sedã de luxo Audi A6 ainda não foi flagrado na sua rotina de testes. Enquanto isso não acontece, novas projeções revelam o que podemos esperar do novo Audi A6, além de conferir as ultimas noticias e especulações a seu respeito.

Visualmente, com exceção de sua grade dianteira, não existe tenta diferença dessa projeção com a publicada anteriormente do futuro Audi A6. Deixando seu visualmente de lado, as maiores novidades ficam por conta de sua estrutura ASF, que é baseada em quadros de chassis e composto de materiais de baixo peso e de ultima geração proporcionando um rigidez torcional 1,5 vezes maior que os de estrutura tradicional de aço.

Ainda no campo das especulações, e expectativa é que o novo Audi A6 receba uma variedade de motores que inclui um V6 de 2.8 litros e/ou um V8 de 4.2 litros/TFSI de 3.0 litros contando com a ajuda de um compressor ou turbo. Aprofundando ainda mais no campo das especulações, ainda é cogitado a inclusão do modelo no mundo dos veículos híbridos.

Fonte: TheMotorReport

Filed under: Etc., Videos

The man on the right is a Turk named Fevzi. He hails from the city of Gaziantep which, according to Wikipedia, is the sixth-largest in Turkey. So it isn’t because there’s nothing else to do that Fevzi has developed a full-featured repertoire of automotive sounds that he can bust out at a moment’s notice.

As you’ll see in the videos after the jump, these include a diesel Ford Transit and diesel Mitsubishi Canter; a tractor; Suzuki and Yamaha literbikes; a Yamaha 115cc bike; a boat; and a hometown favorite in the form of a Tofas Sahin car. Follow the jump to rock the noise – the first video is the original, the second is from Fevzi’s leap to Turkish television. Hat tip to Ozcan!

[Source: YouTube, YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Turkish ‘sound effects’ guy takes on bikes, cars, tractors

Video: Turkish ‘sound effects’ guy takes on bikes, cars, tractors originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Minivan/Van, Volkswagen, Misc. Auto Shows

Overseas, Volkswagen offers a tall wagon known as the Touran. Somewhat like a shrunken Routan, but way cooler, we didn’t think it was possible for VW to improve on this already stellar vehicle. After all, the Touran is the reincarnation of K.I.T.T. despite what that goofy Mustang will tell you. In Leipzig, VW took the wraps off a refreshed-for-2011 Touran that now features the design DNA common across the rest of the vee-dub lineup. Since the Touran is already the best-selling MPV in Germany, with a fifty percent market share and 1.13 million units sold worldwide, VW wisely chose not to mess too much with the successful package.

There’s the signature new grille, LED taillights, new alloy wheels and chrome rub strips along the flanks. The interior changes are similarly minor, with new trim finishes, a three-spoke steering wheel, a new information display and white-backlit gauges. The center console gets chrome highlights surrounding the new controls for the ventilation system. Powering the three-row seven-seater is a range of force-fed engines that promise greater performance and economy with fewer emissions. A new 105 PS, 1.2-liter TSI engine is the entry-level gasoline unit, joined by a 1.4-liter lump producing 140 PS.

Diesel fans will have their choice of a 1.6-liter TDI with either 90 or 105 PS, while the 2.0-liter version is available with 140 or 170 PS. Better yet, the 1.2 TSI and 1.6 TDI engines can get the BlueMotion Technology treatment, with Start/Stop. Even the ParkAssist feature gets a makeover for 2011, now automatically parking in head-on spots as easily as in parallel situations. The new VW Touran will go on sale in the UK in September, with prices and final option details coming closer to the release date. Check out the gallery of images from Volkswagen below and the full press release after the jump.

[Surce: Volkswagen]

Continue reading 2011 Volkswagen Touran shown in Leipzig

2011 Volkswagen Touran shown in Leipzig originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So, how do stock values look now that the DOW is back to 11,000?

Not outrageous.  But certainly not cheap.

Measured using our favorite valuation technique, Professor Shiller’s cyclically adjusted PE analysis, the S&P 500 has a PE of 22X.  The long-term average (1880-2010) is about 16X.  The current level is actually close to the big bull market peaks of the past–with the exception of the gigantic one that peaked in 2000.

Check out the chart below, from Professor Shiller’s web site.  The blue line is the cyclically adjusted PE ratio for the last 130 years.  (The cyclically adjusted PE mutes the impact of the business cycle by averaging 10 years worth of earnings.  This reduces the misleadingly low PEs you get at peak profit margins, like the ones in 2007, and the misleadingly high ones at trough profit margins, such as the ones we had last year).

Note a few things:

• The long-term average for the cyclically adjusted PE is about 16X. 
• Stocks have spent vast periods above the average and vast periods below it, usually in multi-decade cycles
• We’ve just descended from the longest period of extreme overvaluation in history, suggesting (to us, anyway) that the next multi-decade cycle is likely to be below average
• At today’s level, 1200 on the S&P, stocks are trading at a 22X CAPE, about 30% above the long-term average

Now, you can also unfortunately see from the chart that valuation doesn’t tell you anything about what will happen next.  As the blue line shows, stocks can get a great deal MORE overvalued than they are today.  And they can stay even more overvalued for a decade or more.

But what the apparent overvaluation does tell you–or, at least, has told you in the past–is that your future long-term returns will likely be below average.  There’s a strong correlation between starting valuations and ending returns (high valuations lead to low returns and low valuations lead to high returns).  And today’s valuations can now be described as “high.”  (Not extreme, but high.)

Yes, you can argue that “it’s different this time.” You can argue that, since stocks have traded at an average CAPE of more than 20X for the past two decades, we’re in a new normal.  And you might be right.  But they don’t call “it’s different this time” the “four most expensive words in the English language” for nothing.

You can also argue that “interest rates are low, so P/Es should be high.”  That argument is in vogue right now, because there’s been an inverse correlation between P/Es and interest rates for the last couple of decades.

But take a look at the RED line in Professor Shiller’s chart.  The red line is interest rates.  As you can see, if you go back more than a couple of decades, there’s not much correlation.  (In fact, as the great UK economist Andrew Smithers has observed, there’s none.)

Again, Prof. Shiller’s chart doesn’t tell us what stocks are going to do in the near term.  As owners of index funds, what we’d like stocks to do is what they have been doing, which is keep going up.  We’re not expecting we’re going to get excellent long-term returns from this level, though.  And we’re really worried about that housing double-dip.

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