Author: Serkadis

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedan, Performance, Wagon, Subaru

The Subaru press conference at the New York Auto Show isn’t until tomorrow, but with the new 2011 Impreza WRX sitting out in the open, we headed right over to snap a few photos. Just as it has done the past few years, Subaru couldn’t resist tweaking the looks of the WRX and has given it a broader stance thanks to a 1.5-inch wider track both front and rear and flared fenders like those seen on the current generation STI model. The visual upgrades are rounded off with a reworked front fascia and bumper as well as standard 17-inch wheels.

Powertrain options remains the same as the 2010 model – 265 horsepower and 244 lb-ft torque is nothing to complain about – and the interior remains unmolested as well. Check back tomorrow for more Subaru updates when the 2011 Impreza WRX STI is unveiled (the wing is back!). Until then check out the high-res gallery below or read through Subaru’s press release after the jump.

Live photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading New York 2010: Subaru Impreza WRX flaunts new widebody flares for 2011

New York 2010: Subaru Impreza WRX flaunts new widebody flares for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite a boatload of recalls and runaway Priuses, Toyota’s deep discounts lured plenty of shoppers in during March.

———————————————-

AP: A top Toyota executive says U.S. sales surged 40 percent in March, powered by some of its deepest discounts ever in the wake of millions of recalls.

Toyota Group Vice President Bob Carter says some of the incentives will continue past March, including an offer of free maintenance for return Toyota customers.

Carter made the remarks during an interview at the New York International Auto Show. The Japanese automaker is coping with recalls of more than 8 million vehicles worldwide — about 6 million in the U.S. — by offering incentives such as 0-percent financing on recalled models, low-priced leasing and free maintenance.

Carter says Toyota dealers have so far repaired about 2 million recalled vehicles in the U.S.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• The Complete Round Up Of February Auto Sales
• Can You Identify This Uber-Volatile Commodity That’s Affected By The Car Market?
• Now Nissan Is Recalling 500k Cars Due To — You Guessed It — Brake Pedals

Google’s obsession with speed is well documented and there isn’t one Google service or product that doesn’t put performance at the top of its priorities. This is also true for products Google has acquired along the years, like YouTube, which is getting a major revamp very soon, but it’s also true for Blogger, one of the most popul… (read more)

For the past five years, one of the points we’ve raised repeatedly in discussing the problems with the patent system is the simple fact that patent examiners don’t scale. The system we have today where every invention needs to be reviewed and approved by examiners at the Patent Office is inherently unsustainable given the general pace of innovation, which increases rapidly. And for a patent office to actually handle that kind of thing, it would need to keep increasing its staffing levels, while hiring the absolute top of the top. That’s simply impossible. Honestly, the very idea that you would have a group of people “certifying” every invention is pretty absurd when you think about it — and it’s a point we’ve brought up a few more times over the years, because it’s important, and doesn’t get much attention.

So, it’s great to see others are starting to make this point as well. Red Monk analyst Stephen O’Grady has a great post explaining that it’s because of that scalability issue, that he’s against software patents (he limits it to software given that being his own experience area):

The reason I am against software patents is, by contrast, very simple. It’s not rooted in philosophy, it doesn’t involve theories of good or evil; it’s not even about debating what is likely to spur more or less innovation.

I am against software patents because it is not reasonable to expect that the current patent system, nor even one designed to improve or replace it, will ever be able to accurately determine what might be considered legitimately patentable from the overwhelming volume of innovations in software. Even the most trivial of software applications involves hundreds, potentially thousands of design decisions which might be considered by those aggressively seeking patents as potentially protectable inventions. If even the most basic elements of these are patentable, as they are currently, the patent system will be fundamentally unable to scale to meet that demand. As it is today.

In addition to questions of volume are issues of expertise; for some of the proposed inventions, there may only be a handful of people in the world qualified to actually make a judgment on whether a development is sufficiently innovative so as to justify a patent. None of those people, presumably, will be employed by the patent office. Nor are the incentives for fact witnesses remotely sufficient. Nor will two developers always come to the same conclusions as to the degree to which a given invention is unique….

If we acknowledge that this is the case, which I believe one must if the available evidence is considered, then it is no longer possible — whatever your philosophical viewpoint — to be in favor of software patents.

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Filed under: Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, GM, Toyota

One of the highest-rated shows on National Public Radio is This American Life, which does deep-dives into weekly themes, exploring subject matter from different angles while always leaving the listener enriched. This past Sunday, the show spent an hour going over the Toyota/General Motors joint venture in California, the NUMMI facility that will be shutting down this week.

On the eve of its closure, TAL takes a look back at what brought about the joint venture in the first place. Things were bad at the former Fremont GM plant, so bad that the company closed the factory. Shortly after the closure, GM and Toyota decided to learn from each other and implemented the Toyota production system in a U.S. plant for the first time.

Ira Glass and Frank Langfitt turn the lens of radio upon the outcome of that move, and what it meant for the workers and industry at large. Head on over to This American Life to download the show. That is, if TAL’s not already on your required listening list. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: This American Life | Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]

This American Life tells the NUMMI story originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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From Green Right Now Reports

FedEx announced Tuesday that it will put the first all-electric FedEx parcel delivery trucks to be used in the United States on the road in the Los Angeles area starting in June.

FedEx electric truck

The four new trucks will join a fleet of 1,800 FedEx alternative energy vehicles, hybrids and all-electrics, already operating around the world.

John Formisano, vice president Global Vehicles with FedEx Express said the move should help “speed the  transition to a cleaner transportation system.”

The company is buying the all-electric trucks from two suppliers to test their efficiency.

Frederick W. Smith, president, chairman and CEO of FedEx Corp., called on the U.S. Senate last month to support an electrification of the country’s transportation network to build energy independence and reduce greenhouse gases. In testimony to a Senate subcommittee, Smith urged Senators to come up with a comprehensive and affordable way to help consumers travel the country in electric vehicles.

Although the Primal Blueprint leaves ample room for individual determination, I do try to offer folks a clear picture of the impact different dietary and lifestyle choices have on their overall health picture. At times I even offer specific recommendations or ranges that readers can tailor to their particular needs and situations. I’m often asked, however, about the upper ceilings I would set for various elements of the PB (fat, fish oil, etc.) I thought I’d take on those questions today and cover good ground by applying a rapid fire approach for several of the most common “excess” inquiries. Enjoy, and be sure to share your thoughts!

Protein

My general recommendation is one gram per pound of lean body mass on an average day. If you IF, it might weigh in at half that or less on your fasting days, whereas special occasions like Thanksgiving or your uncle’s annual steak fry might tip the intake scale at 1.5 grams per pound or so of lean mass. For the average active person, these amounts will be well utilized and fully sufficient. Any more than that, however, and you run the risk of excess protein being converted to glucose, which of course defeats the purpose of a low/lower carb diet. If you’re adequately hydrated (which doesn’t take much), eating an overall alkaline diet and ensuring adequate intake of bone supportive nutrients like magnesium, calcium and vitamins D and K, the common (but generally outdated) concerns about kidney load and osteoporosis aren’t significant issues.

Fat

Eating Primally will almost always mean that more than half of your calories will come from fat, and there’s no reason to be concerned about that – in fact it’s a reason to rejoice. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate at least that and, in some cases, considerably more. There isn’t really an upper limit for fat intake. For the vast majority of us, a useful way to approach the fat question is to first dial in your protein intake and then look at what carb intake you’re shooting for. (Check out the Primal Blueprint Carb Curve for a good summary of ranges.) You could potentially go zero carb – although the prospect is extremely impractical (and boring) for most people and must be well thought out and rather meticulously executed. After accounting for adequate protein and desired Primal carbs, you can fill out the rest of your caloric needs with fat, prioritizing the cleanest saturated fats you have financial and logistical access to, then monounsaturated fats and then healthy, intact polyunsaturated fats like certain nuts and fish oils.

Conveniently, that brings me to our next category in question….

Fish Oil

I generally recommend 1-3 grams of fish oil each day to counter inflammation and balance out dietary omega-6 content toward a healthier ratio approaching 1:1. The more Primal and clean you’re eating, the less you need. As for upper limits, it depends. More than three grams a day on an otherwise healthy diet (and/or in conjunction with certain medications/high alcohol intake) can thin your blood too much and impair its necessary clotting ability. Keep in mind not everyone is affected equally by a higher dose. Some people do fine with higher amounts. Other people notice excess thinning at well below three grams. For people with certain medical conditions, dosages above three grams have served as effective therapeutic treatment options. Of course, just because a certain dosage has been used in scientific studies doesn’t mean it’s necessary or advisable to take that much if you have a given condition. Talk to your doctor, and keep in mind that quality fish oil isn’t the cheapest thing in the world. One-three grams is nothing to sneeze at. It’s potent stuff. There’s no use taking more than you’ll fully benefit from. Better to take an adequate dose and spend the extra money on better quality food than to down megadoses of fish oil you don’t need.

Chocolate

I don’t want to rain too much on anyone’s parade here, chocolate lovers being a uniquely passionate lot. Nonetheless, I’ll be straight with you. First, there’s the obvious: carb content. (Check the sugar and total carb content on your respective package and decide how it will figure into your Primal plan.) Those of us who have a penchant for the highest cocoa contents (or even the raw nibs) have a longer leash so to speak. Less sugar equals fewer carbs equals more chance to enjoy more chocolate. Yes? Well, yes, but there’s a little more to the story. One small study found that cocoa powder elicited more insulin release than other flavorings – irrespective of the macronutrient breakdown of the food. Researchers didn’t know what to make of the results, but postulated that the Pavlovian principle may be at work here. (I’m seriously not making this up.) The more we love our chocolate, the more our bodies evidently betray us. Although it’s hardly enough to get me to forgo a good piece of chocolate, it does underscore the need for personally instituted moderation.

Bacon

There’s no such thing as too much bacon.

Butter

Ditto.

Fruit

The above principle applies here as well. Fruit can play a healthy role in the PB, but too much can backfire. This is one area to watch – especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Tailor your fruit intake to your desired Primal carb intake. As luck would have it, higher ORAC level fruits also tend to be lower on the glycemic scale. Berries and cherries generally offer the most antioxidant bang with the least carb buck. Check out this carb chart (PDF) for useful carbohydrate estimates on all your favorites.

Alcohol

I say none is best. However, research generally supports the health benefits of 1-2 drinks a day (1 for the average woman and 2 for the average man). More than that, and the benefits begin to plummet pretty quickly. Certain alcohols can be reasonable Primal indulgences, and some like red wine can offer unique and potentially therapeutic health benefits. That said, moderation is key. That extra indulgent Saturday night at your cousin’s wedding won’t do much harm beyond that splitting headache the next day, but making a habit of it won’t do you any favors. (Think impaired brain and liver functioning.)

Sleep

The Definitive Guide last week got people talking about the suggested ceiling for sleep. A number of studies connect several downsides, including higher obesity and diabetes risk, to longer sleep duration (9-10 hours or more). The consensus seems to support the average of 7-8 hours a night as optimal. However, people have legitimate differences in sleep need. The vast majority of folks probably fall into the average need range, but there are always outliers. If you keep a healthy lifestyle and a genuinely good sleep schedule, but have to drag yourself through the day with less than nine hours of shut eye, you’re likely in this group. I think the key here is quality over quantity. Remember that college roommate who slept through his classes until noon or later? He was likely up well past midnight (doing who knows what). When you miss out on those early hours of deep sleep, it’s tempting for the body to stay in bed and try to make up for the deficiency. If you’re healthy and consistently in tune with your circadian rhythm, you’re likely in tune with what your body really needs.

Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think. What are your upper limits for the above – and other – Primal matters? What logic and experiences tell you how much is too much?

Get Free Health Tips, Recipes and Workouts Delivered to Your Inbox

Related posts:

1. How to Succeed with the Primal Blueprint
2. The Definitive Guide to the Primal Eating Plan
3. Dear Mark: Beans/Legumes

Moral amnesia is one of those signs of a telltale bubble that doesn’t show up in official statistics.

When people become indifferent or ignorant about actual human suffering, that might be all you need to know.

So it is with that in mind that we present this Shanghai Daily piece (with key parts bolded by us) that’s just chock full of moral amnesia in real-estate crazy China.

Behold:

FARMER Tao and his 92-year-old father set themselves on fire when a
100-strong team led by a township chief set out to tear down their home
and their pig farm.

The farmers had found the compensation they were being offered far too
low.

The son died and the father was injured – but, according to Beijing
Times, that did little to distract the team from their destructive
mission.

Yes, the incident caused a two-hour delay, but the home and the farm
were pulled down while the remains of the victim were still lying
nearby.

The job was certainly carried out in a professional manner.

For instance, prior to the assault, a curfew was announced immediately
around the affected area, and other members of the family had been
escorted out of harm’s way.

This happened on Saturday in Huangchuan Township, Donghai County,
Jiangsu, but it can be happening anywhere today.

One report suggests that officials there wanted to have the demolition
completed before April 1, when a new relocation law would make forced
relocation more difficult. This is likely an exaggeration of their
respect for law.

That a villager chose to end his life in such a violent way can only
dramatize the futility of any resistance. 

The futility of their resistance. Classic.

Join the conversation about this story »

Filed under: New York Auto Show, SUV, Japan, Infiniti, Luxury

After a quite entertaining piece of both gravity and physiology-defying strangeness from some smiley Cirque de Soleil performers (Infiniti is the official sponsor of Cirque de Soleil), Infiniti’s product boss Carlos Tavares took the wraps off the all-new QX56. Based not on the Nissan Armada chassis (like the previous QX56) but instead on the heavy-duty Patrol, the new QX56 is a large, eight passenger “5-Star Luxury” body on frame SUV. That said, Infiniti managed to shed over 100 pound of flab compared to the 2010 QX56.

Speaking of the 2010 iteration, the previous QX56 is roundly regarded as one of the most awkward and ungainly looking luxo-barges, well, ever. In fact, if we were to put together a museum exhibit about the uncontrolled and obnoxious wild excesses of the just-ended SUV craze, the old QX would get top billing right next to a Hummer H2 and the Cadillac Escalade EXT. The new QX56 changes all that. It’s world’s better looking. We’d even go so far as to state that it has a certain Middle Eastern chic to it. Put it like this: if you had to cruise around your kingdom checking oil wells what would you rather be driving?

Infiniti is billing the QX56 as an eight-passenger private jet. Mr. Tavares must have said the word “luxury” a dozen times in his ten-minute presentation. Judging by our time with the all-new 2011 M37 and M56, we can declare then when they want to, Infiniti is fully capable of building a world-class interior. In the 2011 QX56, even the third-row reclines. Oh, they’ve also seen fit to stuff seven-inch color displays into the backs of the front head rests.

Hardware-wise, the QX56 is a body-on-frame full-size SUV sporting the same 5.6-liter variable-timing, direct-injection V8 as the M56, although in QX-trim it “only” makes 400 horsepower. However, while Infiniti had no official word on torque, they did explain the new QX56 can tow 8,500 pounds. And the big boy’s seven-speed automatic allows it to get an almost, kinda respectable 20 mpg on the highway.

Most noteworthy is the inclusion of a Hydraulic Body Motion Control system that Infiniti claims reduces body roll by 40%. It uses an X-corner fluid distribution system (similar to how the Audi RS4 is suspended) that moves suspension fluid from the left front damper to the right rear, and vice-versa. Infiniti also claims the system is so effective that new QX56 has less body roll than the BMW 5 Series. Either way, the QX56 goes on this sale this summer, starting at the exact same price as the old one, $56,700. Make the jump to read the press release.

Live photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading New York 2010: 2011 Infiniti QX56 priced identical to 2010 model at $56,700

New York 2010: 2011 Infiniti QX56 priced identical to 2010 model at $56,700 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acaba de ser confirmado el precio del nuevo modelo eléctrico llamado Nissan Leaf. Recordemos que este vehículo es fruto de la colaboración entre la marca gala Renault y la propia Nissan.

Estará disponible a un precio de 32.780$, unos 24.000€. Sin embargo, si deseamos cargarlo nosotros mismos, debemos adquirir el cargador ya que se vende por separado y su precio ronda los 2.200$. Si no compramos el cargador, podremos cargar las baterías en Estados Unidos por unos 3$.

En lo que respecta a este modelo, las baterías pueden cargarse en media hora a una capacidad del 80% y obtendremos una autonomia de 160 km. Tiene un motor que desarrolla 107 CV de potenia y tiene un par máximo de 280 Nm.

Related posts:

1. Nissan Leaf será fabricado en el Reino Unido
2. Nissan presenta el Leaf, su primer vehículo eléctrico
3. Nissan NV200 disponible en España apartir de Noviembre

From Green Right Now Reports

We’d all like to have our cake, and eat it too.  But while that’s impossible, it may soon be true that we can eat our cake with fewer calories and have it taste as good.

Possibly.

The USDA’s National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria is developing cake mixes that zap fat and calories, but without stripping the dessert of its flavor and texture.

What a cake! This is not a low-fat or FANTESK cake but is made with local and sustainable ingredients by True Confections in the Bay Area.

The key is a product called FANTESK – which a USDA news report describes as “microdroplets of trans-fat free cooking oil, encapsulated in corn starch or wheat flour”. FANTESK was patented by the USDA in the mid 1990s and has been used as a coating for shrimp and as lubricants in medical applications. See more on it’s history at this USDA webpage.

To foodies who just want the chemists to stay away from our fruits, vegetables and grains, it will all sound a little suspicious. But according to the research center in Peoria, low-fat cake mixes made with FANTESK don’t need added oil and they still produce cakes that have volume and a pleasing texture.

Food technologist Mukti Singh and chemical engineer Jeffrey Byars are also creating frostings that have half the fat of regular buttercream icing, but still taste great – or so the USDA reports.

The USDA hopes that such a development would be helpful in fighting obesity. But FANTESK cakes have yet to be tested on the open market (which explains why we have a picture of a regular, and luscious, cake, above). And while the consumer market is clearly hungry for low-fat foods, the promise of getting a free junk food fix has, in the past, exceeded the delivered, chemically concocted product.

Remember Olestra – the fat substitute that raised hopes we could have Cheetoes without consequences? Turns out the downside – let’s just call it gastrointestinal upset — was significant. Olestra lost its luster. So good luck USDA, but we’ll have to wait for the evidence before we declare FANTESK fantastic.

We got sick of our RSS reader.  So we built a more convenient web-based one.  And you can use it, too!

It’s called “The Tape“.  There’s a link to it toward the right of our navigation bar above (also illustrated at the far right of the image below, in the black link bar).  The link says “TAPE“.

The Tape works like a Bloomberg terminal.  It pulls in headlines from a boatload of sources that we like to read, broken down into the different subject areas.  Each of our verticals (SAI, Clusterstock, etc.), also has its own Tape, so if you’re only interested in tech news, you can just read SAI’s.  The main TAPE rolls up all the headlines in the verticals.

See SAI’s TAPE in the sub-nav below (right, bottom)?  Click the image to see the live version.

Some headlines in The Tape link to stories on Business Insider (our stories and those of our content partners).  The rest of the headlines link directly to the source sites.  The headlines appear in chronological order, as on a Bloomberg.  Right now, you have to refresh to get new stories.  We’ll roll out an automated version at some point soon.

See an interesting headline?  Just click and you’re there (on the site where the story was published).  If you have something you want to say about the story here on Business Insider, you can click the comment bubble at the end of the headline and speak your piece.  (And if enough people click on a particular story, we’ll put an excerpt on one of our rivers, where everyone else will see it.)

The content creators we read like The Tape because it spreads awareness of stories and offers an easy way for readers to get to them.  So if you’re writing great business content and think your stuff should be in The Tape, please let us know.

Here’s what The Tape looks like.  Click the image to see the real thing:

Join the conversation about this story »

Filed under: Performance, Hatchback, Subaru, UK

A couple of years ago, any mention of engine maker Cosworth was often greeted with “Oh, that’s right, Cosworth… I remember them.” Now the 52-year-old English purveyor of finely engineered goods is back in Formula 1 in a big way, and it’s got a Subaru planned that will make everyone take note. The Cosworth Impreza STI CS400 will have 395 horsepower (400 PS) and take 1.5 seconds off the WRX STI’s 0-to-60 time: from 5.2 seconds to 3.7.

We’ve only got teaser shots for the moment, but this thing should sear the eyeballs in more ways than one when we finally see it. Follow the jump for a little more info, and whet your palate for the super Scooby, on sale in June and limited to just 75 units, with the gallery of high-res photos below.

[Source: Subaru]

Continue reading Cosworth says its new Impreza will have “supercar humbling” performance

Cosworth says its new Impreza will have “supercar humbling” performance originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A mainstay in viral hepatitis treatment, several safety concerns about interferon alpha must now be prominently displayed. If you are taking this medication, make sure you know what problems to look out for.

by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

Used to treat Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and several types of cancers, interferon alpha is a potent and useful medication. Since this medicine is often associated with challenging side effects, it has never been assumed to be an innocuous drug. However, an accumulation of statistics finally led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require interferon alpha manufacturers to better label interferon alpha with some of its more serious safety issues.

The announcement to update label warnings on interferon alpha products was made by the FDA on September 1, 2009. Up until then, the labels on these drugs issued vague warnings for ophthalmologic and pulmonary disorders. In addition to listing several serious health conditions on its label, interferon alpha products must also provide detailed risk information in the Medication Guide.

According to the FDA, several serious events had been identified in previous months related to reported experiences with alpha interferon products. Each approved alpha interferon product will now include statements regarding possible risk of:

· Stroke
· Serous retinal detachment
· Peripheral neuropathy
· Pulmonary hypertension

The FDA also requires the following subsections be added under interferon alpha’s WARNINGS:

· Peripheral neuropathy has been reported when alpha interferons were given in combination with the drug Tyzeka.

· Ischemic and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular events have been observed in patients treated with interferon alpha-based therapies. Events occurred in patients with few or no reported risk factors for stroke, including patients less than 45 years of age.

· Alpha interferons may cause lung problems including: trouble breathing, pneumonia, inflammation of lung tissue and new or worse pulmonary hypertension, which can be severe and lead to death.

· Cases of weakness, loss of coordination and numbness due to stroke have been reported in patients taking alpha interferons, including patients with few or no expected risk factors for stroke.

· Changes in vision such as a decrease or loss of vision may happen in some patients. You should have an eye exam before you take alpha interferons. If you have eye problems or have had them in the past you may need eye exams during alpha interferon treatment. Tell your healthcare provider or eye doctor right away if you have any changes in your vision while taking alpha interferons.

While the FDA is to be commended on these steps to warn of interferon alpha’s risks, there may still be some uncertainty regarding what this caution is all about. Further clarifications of what these safety concerns mean to a person with hepatitis are provided below.

About Tyzeka and Peripheral Neuropathy
Tyzeka is an antiviral medication used to treat chronic Hepatitis B in adults. Peripheral neuropathy is a problem with the nerves that carry information to and from the brain and spinal cord. This can produce pain, loss of sensation and an inability to control muscles. Although more common symptoms include nerve pain, a lack of coordination and movement problems, the symptoms depend on which type of nerve is affected.

Symptoms of a Stroke
According to the American Stroke Association, one or more of these warning signs for a stroke constitute a medical emergency. Get immediate medical attention if you experience:

· Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
· Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
· Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
· Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
· Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

About Serous Retinal Detachment
A medical emergency, retinal detachment is a disorder of the eye in which the retina peels away from its underlying layer of support tissue. Initial detachment may be localized, but without rapid treatment the entire retina may detach, leading to vision loss and blindness. Serous retinal detachment results from fluid accumulation under the sensory retina without a retinal break. This is typically associated with moderate vision loss, a defect of vision in which objects appear to be distorted or a visual field deficit.

About Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension is a lung disorder in which the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs become narrowed, making it difficult for blood to flow through the vessels. As a result, the blood pressure in these arteries rises far above normal levels and strains the heart. Although symptoms of pulmonary hypertension do not usually occur until the condition has progressed, signs include shortness of breath with everyday activities, fatigue, dizziness, fainting spells, ankle swelling, bluish lips and skin and chest pain.

Since many people with chronic viral hepatitis are already on a course of interferon alpha therapy (Pegasys or PegIntron), they may not be aware of this new labeling regulation. Knowing the signs of a stroke, serous retinal detachment, pulmonary hypertension and peripheral neuropathy can help those taking interferon alphas recognize a potential problem – before it turns into an emergency.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinal_detachment, Retinal Detachment, Retrieved September 10, 2009, Wikimedia Foundation Inc, 2009.

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/pulmonary_hypertension/hic_pulmonary_hypertension_causes_symptoms_diagnosis_treatment.aspx’, Pulmonary Hypertension, Retrieved September 10, 2009, The Cleveland Clinic, 2009.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4742, Stroke Warning Signs, Retrieved September 10, 2009, American Heart Association, 2009.

http://www.drugs.com/tyzeka.html, Tyzeka, Retrieved September 10, 2009, drugs.com, 2009.

https://www.google.com/health/ref/Peripheral+neuropathy, Peripheral Neuropathy, Retrieved September 10, 2009, A.D.A.M., Inc., 2009.

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_b/news/2009/090409_a.html, FDA Requires Updated Labeling for Interferon Alpha Products Due to Recent Identified Safety Issues, Retrieved September 9, 2009, hivandhepatitis.com, September 2009.

http://www.revoptom.com/HANDBOOK/SECT5R.HTM, Retinal Detachment, Retrieved September 10, 2009, Handbook of Ocular Disease Management, Jobson Publishing LLC, 2009.

Mercedes-Benz today held the public debut of its new SLS AMG GT3 race car. The new racing model will be produced to comply with the GT3 specifications of the FIA and will be powered by the same 6.3L AMG V8 as the production model. However, the FIA will determine the SLS AMG GT3’s maximum output to ensure that all the racing cars taking part have an equal chance.

Sales of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 will start later this fall.

Click here for our original post on the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 for more information.

2010 New York: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3:

All Photos Copyright © 2010 Roman Bronfenbrener – egmCarTech.

– By: Roman Bronfenbrener

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Luxury

McLaren has pressed the “Start” button on another Internet time waster: its MP4-12C configurator is online and waiting to drain your imaginary Luxembourg account. There are 17 exterior colors, lots of carbon fiber bits, special brake calipers and tires, and a selection of varied cockpit mix-n-match options from which to choose.

McLaren F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jensen Button have already configured theirs, but of of course we prefer the Autoblog option. As if you needed more info, there’s a press release after the jump as well as a video and pics below. When you’re finished with all of that, you know what to do, work be damned.

[Source: McLaren Automotive]

Continue reading McLaren MP4-12C configurator goes online

McLaren MP4-12C configurator goes online originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It used to be when you bought a product, you owned it. Simple, right? And once you owned it, you could do what you want with it? But, lately, thanks to digital products and an always connected world, many companies have changed things around — so the products you thought you owned, you actually rent. But, it can go even further than that, where a product you thought you owned can be irrevocably changed without your permission, long after you bought it. Take, for example, the recent story of Sony deleting a feature on the PS3 that let users (not owners, apparently) install other operating systems, such as Linux. It’s going away. Sony announced that when the next PS3 firmware upgrade comes along, it’ll wipe out this feature, whether you used it or not. The only way to avoid that is not to upgrade, but that will also greatly limit what you can do with your PS3.

So why is Sony retroactively taking away a feature that it sold to people? Apparently because some people might possibly use it in a way that Sony didn’t intend. The EFF has the whole backstory:

The backstory is that Sony provided the Other OS feature in order to support IBM’s Cell Project, which produced the PS3’s CPU and made it practical to use PS3 consoles as compute nodes for a scientific supercomputer. The U.S. Army did just that, buying more than 2,000 PS3s to build a supercomputer. Lots of hobbyists also made use of the Other OS feature, using it to write their own games and creatively repurpose their PS3s.

Recently, however, a hobbyist named Geohot announced that he was able to use the Other OS feature along with a bit of soldering in a manner that gave him more control over the PS3 hardware than Sony had intended. Sony responded with the “upgrade” that removes the Other OS feature.

This is, frankly, obnoxious — and I half wonder if there will be a lawsuit over this. People were sold one thing and then Sony retroactively decided to take away a feature that some found quite useful However, I imagine that in a world of interconnected devices, stories like this are going to become more common. Isn’t it time that someone created a movement to highlight what products you actually own once you’ve bought them?

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• Key Competitors: Buick LaCrosse, Lexus ES350, Infiniti G37 sedan… doesn’t really matter because they don’t offer hybrid versions.
• Power: 156-hp 2.5L 4-cylinder combined to electric-motor; net output equals 191-hp/136 lb-ft.
• Transmission: Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission (eCVT).
• Performance: 0-60 mph in around 9 seconds.
• Availability: Late 2010.
• Pricing: TBA.

FoMoCo is all about comparing the new Lincoln MKZ Hybrid to the Lexus HS 25oh. Here are just a couple of things Ford made sure to point out that are better in the MKZ Hybrid when compared to the Lexus HS 250h:

• Lincoln MKZ Hybrid’s projected fuel economy tops its nearest competitor – the 2010 Lexus HS 250h – by 6 mpg.
• Lincoln MKZ Hybrid can cruise up to 47 mph in pure electric mode – Lexus HS 250h battery-only mode allows just 25 mph.
• Lincoln MKZ Hybrid comes standard with features and technologies that are either not offered on the Lexus HS 250h or are available only at an extra cost.
• Lexus HS 250h prices start at $34,650 – Lincoln MKZ Hybrid starts at… well, we’ll have to wait and see if the the MKZ Hybrid wins here as well.

Click here to read our original post on the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.

Follow the jump for more high-res shots.

2010 New York: 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid:

All Photos Copyright © 2010 Roman Bronfenbrener – egmCarTech.

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid:

– By: Omar Rana

eHydrogen Solutions, Inc. has created its H2-Reactor hydrogen on demand system that uses only water and metal alloys. The H2-Reactor system uses aluminum or magnesium alloys plus water to create hydrogen fuel for cars or for stationary fuel cells for residential or industrial applications.

I’ve talked about eHydrogen Solutions once before when they developed their H-Solaris generator that uses the sun’s light to split water into hydrogen fuel cost effectively. Now, eHydrogen has found another cost effective method of creating H2 without sunlight.

The positive aspect of this process is that no outside energy is needed. Water comes in contact with the metal alloys and creates hydrogen and oxygen. During this process some oxidation of the alloys occurs.

Over time, the metal alloys have to be recycled and this can be done in a cost effective manner. According to eHydrogen, “By recycling aluminum oxide back to aluminum, the cost of producing energy both as hydrogen and heat will continually to decrease, and is expected to be well below 10 cents per kilowatt hour.”

Even though eHydrogen is mainly focused in the residential and industrial applications of this technology right now, this would also be a potential solution for creating hydrogen on demand at the pump and for home hydrogen fueling stations as well. The details of who would recycle, pickup and deliver the metal alloys would have to be worked out, but this is true of most new businesses selling tangible goods, especially recycled products.

YouTube’s massive overhaul is apparently just about to be launched having been in the works for several months now. The new design, which YouTube says is the biggest change in the site’s five-year history, is set to go live for everyone later today, according to an email sent to YouTube partners uncovered by TechCrunch.

“Dear Partne… (read more)