Author: Serkadis

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Lotus

It’s been a long time coming, but the Lotus Elise has finally gone under the knife and gotten a new nose inspired by its 2+2 sibling. Available in both standard (189 horsepower) and SC (218 hp) guise, the 2011 Elise also benefits from a new engine cover, improved aerodynamics and LED daytime running lights and indicators.

It’s not a huge makeover, but depending on who’s looking, it’s a subtle improvement over its predecessor, lending a bit more familial cohesion to Lotus’ entry level model – something that’s going to be more important when the next-generation Esprit finally hits the roads in two years time. Sales of the facelifted Elise are set to begin later this summer and you can get all the details about the updates in the press release below the fold.

Continue reading Geneva 2010: Evorified 2011 Lotus Elise shows its new nose

Geneva 2010: Evorified 2011 Lotus Elise shows its new nose originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Computer Entertainment has acquired leading game developer Media Molecule, which will join as part of SCE’s global development operation, SCE Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS).Media Molecule, based in Surrey, England, is the award-winning developer of LittleBigPlanet, one of the best-selling titles for PS3, a game that introduced gamers to the unique ethos of Play, Create and Share. Having seen over 2m user generated levels created for the community to download and play for free, LittleBigPlanet has completely changed the way people interact with games, whilst revolutionizing the longevity of game play.

Having won over 90 awards for , including 2 BAFTAs and 8 AIAS Interactive Achievement Awards, Media Molecule brings a wealth of experience and a highly talented staff into the SCE WWS family that will further strengthen the PlayStation first party studio.

“Since they burst onto the gaming scene, Media Molecule have proved to be a truly exciting and innovative studio, who have proved their world-class credentials with the creation of the incredible LittleBigPlanet,” said Shuhei Yoshida, President, SCE Worldwide Studios. “SCE WWS is all about creating ambitious, innovative and ground breaking games, traits that Media Molecule clearly have. To bring them into our family proves our dedication to creating fantastic new experiences that we believe will cement our position as industry leaders.”

“Since Media Molecule’s inception, we’ve had a uniquely close relationship with SCE. Over the years they have consistently shown their dedication to Creative Gaming and Media Molecule, not only through their support of the company, but their willingness to take risks and embrace our often unusual approach and ideas,” said Alex Evans, co-founder of Media Molecule. “What we’ve achieved already with LittleBigPlanet has proved this to us and we’re excited by this new chapter of innovation and creative gaming, for all involved.”

Studios across SCE WWS share technology, production methodology and creative goals to build the best possible experiences for users to enjoy the most from the PlayStation family of hardware platforms and network services. With over 2,500 employees, SCE WWS combines the talents of 15 game development studios in Japan, the USA, the UK and The Netherlands.

As 3D technology and content continue to change the way consumers experience their entertainment, Sony Electronics and CBS today unveiled “The Sony 3D Experience.” This research center and screening facility will focus on consumer preferences and perceptions toward 3D programming, as well as how broadcasters and studios can best deliver 3D content for viewing both in and out of the home. The Sony 3D Experience will be located within the expanded CBS Television City research facility at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The new center is also being supported by RealD, which is providing its advanced 3D filters and eyewear to help complete the 3D experience.

“Just as Sony and CBS led the way to establishing some of the most compelling HD programming for consumers, the time is right for a dedicated resource devoted to studying 3D in all its forms,” said Mike Fasulo, Sony Electronics’ executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “3D is a reality, as shown by the success of 3D movies and alternative programming like live events and sports, and we expect more 3D content and delivery options to emerge.”

The facility is divided into two primary zones: 3D theatrical entertainment; which will preview and promote the latest 3D motion picture releases; and 3D home entertainment, which will highlight and demonstrate the newest trends for 3D in the home, including 3D compatible HDTVs, PlayStation3 systems and upcoming Blu-ray 3D players and titles. Additionally, consumers will be able to learn about the latest 3D developments, such as the upcoming launch of the ESPN 3D Network and the new 3D channel resulting from a joint venture among Discovery Communications, IMAX and Sony.

“This new extension of our research facility in Las Vegas was designed to provide visitors with hands-on access to the most cutting-edge home entertainment technology available and while doing so, offer content and technology providers continuous user-feedback and research,” said David Poltrack, Chief Research Officer and President of CBS Vision. “We are pleased that a company as distinguished as Sony has stepped up to be the first player not only because the company has long been a leading innovator but also because it is focusing on the most exciting and talked-about new technology which is 3D.”

CBS Television City at MGM Grand is a well-established research facility that incorporates traditional qualitative and quantitative methods like focus groups and surveys, as well as advanced bio-metric techniques such as eye tracking and brain scanning using NeuroFocus technology, in a transparent research environment. The facility provides singular, organic access to more than 1.1 million visitors annually, representing a geographic, demographic and psychographic cross-section of the US consumer population. As a result, highly specific consumer samples can be easily recruited from a visitor population that has historically been highly inclined to participate in media, entertainment and advertising research efforts.

The Sony 3D Experience is one of several recent Sony initiatives in the 3D arena. The company also just unveiled its new 3D Technology Center on the Sony Pictures Entertainment lot in Culver City, Calif., which will offer industry professionals the opportunity to learn more about the techniques and equipment for 3D production and content creation.

By Edwin Colfax

On March 1 Texas Governor Rick Perry officially pardoned Timothy Cole, who was wrongfully convicted over two decades ago. Tragically, the DNA tests that proved Cole’s innocence came too late: he died in prison in 1999 while serving time for a rape he did not commit. A faulty lineup led to inaccurate eyewitness evidence in Cole’s case, which serves as a reminder of the urgent need for eyewitness identification reforms that increase reliability and reduce the risk of mistakes. Cole’s case was one of the thirty-nine Texas wrongful convictions exposed by DNA profiled in The Justice Project’s report Convicting the Innocent: Texas Justice Derailed.

Eyewitness identification reform is one of the issues being addressed by the Timothy Cole Advisory Panel on Wrongful Convictions, created by the Texas Legislature in 2009 to make recommendations on the prevention of wrongful convictions. One reality the Cole Advisory Panel is confronting is the complete lack of statewide standards for the conduct of identification procedures in the vast majority of jurisdictions in Texas. The numerous eyewitness mistakes that have been identified so far have led to a great deal of scientific research on eyewitness memory and how it can go wrong. The upshot of this research is that we must collect eyewitness evidence with the same care that we collect trace physical evidence, according to carefully designed protocols, in order to prevent the evidence from becoming tainted or ruined. Researchers have identified a number of changes to lineup procedures that can substantially cut the risk of misidentification and produce more reliable evidence. Unfortunately, most police departments and sheriff’s offices have no written policies for conducting lineups at all, and of those that do, only a small fraction include best practices that increase accuracy.

As the Cole Advisory Panel and our legislators once again grapple with this issue, there are two key benchmarks for a successful solution they should keep in mind. First, the state must require that scientifically sound best practices are followed in the conduct of lineups. To merely suggest, educate or recommend changes has proven inadequate and the accuracy of eyewitness evidence is too important to be optional. Second, the solution must address all known sources of inaccuracy in existing procedures, including: suggestive lineup composition, inadvertent cueing of witnesses, and the natural tendency on the part of some witnesses to identify someone in the lineup based on the assumption that the perpetrator must be present. In short, we need to be sure that the solution is comprehensive and is strong enough to ensure that good procedures are enacted and followed.

Governor Perry’s pardon is long overdue because of technical legal concerns related to pardoning a deceased person. Those concerns have finally been addressed. Now is the time for all stakeholders in the criminal justice system to work through the remaining details of eyewitness reform. They must do so in a way that guarantees that police across Texas implement the changes that will increase the reliability of evidence. Until then, pardon or not, we will not have fully honored the memory of Timothy Cole.

After being announced at CES 2010, the bloggie camcorder/camera has been relatively successful for Sony but there are still many out there who don’t know about it yet. It’s basically the second generation Webbie, but with a new name and some new features. We think the bloggie is pretty great for the price and most certainly outperforms the Flip MinoHD in several aspects. There are two bloggie models, the MHS-CM5 and the MHS-PM5, and both offer 1920×1080i (at 30fps) and 1280×720p (at 60fps) HD video recording, which are modes not found in the Flip MinoHD nor the UltraHD.

Both models have a super quick startup time and built-in USB sticks that extend and allow you to connect it to a standard USB port. It is important to clarify that the PM5 has a 4x digital zoom, while the CM5 has a 5x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom. Furthermore, each model has the ability to take 5 megapixel photos, which is something most competitors don’t have either. We were also impressed with the large 2.4 inch LCD, removable battery and great storage card flexibility (Memory Stick Duo and SD – so awesome).

Here is our video hands-on:

The bloggie can also shoot video in nearly every shade of MP4 (H.264) possible, including additional 720p at 30fps, and SD at 480p at 30fps as well as the other modes listed above. The five megapixel CMOS sensor is about average in performance, but suffers in low light conditions and has seemingly slow exposure correction. We noticed that the MiniHD is much quicker at correcting exposure in frame by frame analysis and focus to light situations. The addition of SteadyShot image stabilization is nice, but is limited to certain modes (it doesn’t work on 1080p and 720p at 60 fps).

Another thoughtful feature of the bloggie that is seldom discussed is the embedded Picture Motion Browser Portable software that can automatically load whenever you connect the bloggie to a computer via USB. This small and handy software allows you to instantly upload your creations to popular websites such as YouTube, Photobucket, Twitter, Facebook, Picasa, etc. However, we were pretty disappointed that 64-bit Windows isn’t supported by this software.

There’s no question this is the best sub-$200 camcorder on the market – the quality is exceptional for the price. The bloggie’s auto focus is quick, colors are rich and accurate, and the built-in mono mic is actually decent. Face detection is solid, and the 5X optical zoom on the PM5 is a great touch and quite smooth. The build quality felt like it could last a while, very solid, not metal solid, but solid for its plastic construction.

Battery life is a little low in our experiences. The bloggie has no hardware lens open/close, and you must use a lens cap which is probably something I would lose over time. There is no manual focus, either. The view screen is a little hard to see unless it’s angled right at you.

I found it okay to hold until I wanted to use my thumb to press a button. There is just no way to hold this camera with one hand and operate the zoom or the record button without a lot of shaking going on. This is just a poor design, especially for the zoom. If you want a stable shot while zooming, you’ll need to put two hands on the camera. The same can be said when you want to snap a picture. If you want to video your kids’ sporting events, it better be a bright day or a bright gym. The low-light performance of this camera is terrible. I really hope the next version of this device has a Exmor R type lens that performs exceptionally well in those situations.

You can see aliasing artifacts when recording in 720p that are not present in 1080p mode. This seems to be because Sony is digitally scaling the video in the camera at something other than a multiple of the pixel size. Another gripe is that charging the camera depends on USB, and Sony doesn’t include a USB to Wall/AC adapter. You have to connect it to your computer and leave it on, which is a little eco-unfriendly.

One other thing I wanted to discuss was the 360 degree attachment that you get if you purchase the MHS-PM5K. The 360 attachment is actually called the VCL-BPP1. It’s a brand new accessory that Sony has never done before but I think it is pretty cool in theory, but there are several limitations that make it somewhat lackluster. As soon as you plug it into the bloggie, the resolution automatically switches to 720P at 30 fps; it doesn’t support 1080p nor the 720p at 60fps.

It records 720p at 30 fps 360 degree doughnut movies (click on the videos with the circle thumbnail), and within the built-in software you can warp the doughnut movie to a horizontal format that is rather odd looking. Unfortunately, when you look at the 360 degree videos the reflections from the lens housing are a bit distracting. It’s seemingly zooming to fill the frame with the mirror, but because the zoom is digital you end up with these aliasing artifacts. The unwarping software then compounds the problem by using a poor sampling method against the aliased video. If the camera could be convinced not to do this digital zoom thing the artifacts might go away and the picture could be usable.

Cutting away the clear plastic cover from around the 360 lens greatly improves the image quality and removes the bad reflection problem. This does cause another problem though, stray light inters the lens without the flat black top on the clear plastic cover to block it. Shooting with the lens pointing down seem to take care of the stray light problem and the view is actually better this way. The clear lens cover was removed in this 360 degree video of Camels and a Zebra I found at India VR Tours. You can also see how the image is cropped at this setting, and how dramatically better it looks than the norm.

Filed under: Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Citroën

For those who may have yet to notice, Citroen‘s been dominating the World Rally Championship for the better part of a decade now. But notwithstanding the odd special edition C4 or Xsara, the French automaker hasn’t capitalized on its rally success in the same way as Subaru and Mitsubishi have. Soon Citroen Sport will be switching from the C4 to the new DS3 in line with the new WRC format, but they’re not waiting around to see how it fares before launching a rally-inspired version for the road. And this is it.

Called the DS3 Racing, the premium hot hatch is a limited edition packed with bits and pieces garnered from its WRC dominance. That means 200 horsepower from its 1.6-liter turbo four, a 15-millimeter lower sport suspension, upgraded brakes and the requisite trim enhancements. The result may look like a jack-o-lantern with a French accent, but make no mistake about it: the Mini Cooper JCW has been put on notice.

Unfortunately, this is one of those mouth-watering machines kept from American shores, but you can take a closer look in our gallery of live shots from the Geneva show floor (where it debuted alongside the Survolt and DS High Rider concepts) by click-clicking the thumbnails below.

Geneva 2010: Citroen DS3 Racing is no escargot originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors announced today made some big changes to its top North American management structure.

“It’s become extremely clear to me since taking this role that there is a better way to structure this organization,” said Mark Reuss, GM North America president. “The premise of the structure is simple — a clearer marketing focus to sell more vehicles, and freeing our sales and service experts to focus on customers and dealers. In order to be successful in North America, we need the right mix of product, people and structure. We’ve worked with a small group of executives to align this model and appoint the best candidates for each job.”

Among the key changes includes Bryan Nesbitt departure from Cadillac and return to the charge of advanced-concept design, reporting to design chief Ed Welburn. Kurt McNeil will replace Nesbitt.

Susan Docherty remains in charge of GM’s marketing, but has given up sales responsibilities.

Hit the jump for the press release to read about other management changes.

Press Release:

GM Announces New North American Leadership Team

• • Enhanced focus on customer and dealer support
  • GM North America business unit strengthened
  • Separate organizations created for sales and marketing

DETROIT – General Motors today announced a restructured North American organization with a number of key leadership changes.

Intense Focus on the Customer

GM North America is focused on strengthening consideration for the company’s brands and products, shifting from a combined sales and marketing organization to one that enables the company to engage experts in each respective role. With a flatter structure, accountability is elevated to the highest level.

All appointments are effective immediately.

Marketing Organization

As the single point for marketing, Susan Docherty is appointed vice president, U.S. marketing, reporting to Reuss. Senior executives reporting to Docherty, responsible for the marketing of their respective brands include:

• Jim Campbell, U.S. marketing vice president, Chevrolet;
• Don Butler, U.S. marketing vice president, Cadillac. Butler rejoins the company from INRIX; and,
• John Schwegman, U.S. marketing vice president, Buick-GMC. Schwegman was most recently Chevrolet product marketing director.

Sales Organization

Reinforcing the company’s intense focus on the customer, sales leaders for the brands also reporting directly to Reuss include:

• Alan Batey, vice president, sales and service, Chevrolet. Batey was most recently president and managing director of GM’s Holden operations in Australia. A replacement for Batey will be named at a later date;
• Brian Sweeney remains with the Buick-GMC as U.S. sales and service vice president;
• Kurt McNeil, U.S. sales and service vice president, Cadillac. McNeil was previously general sales manager, Chevrolet.

A leader in design, Bryan Nesbitt is leaving Cadillac and returning to his home organization as executive director, advanced concept group, reporting to Ed Welburn, vice president, global design.

Reporting to Reuss, Steve Carlisle is appointed vice president, U.S. sales operations, responsible for dealer network, retail sales support and fleet & commercial. Carlisle was most recently executive director, GM South East Asia Operations, and president, managing director, GM Thailand.  Carlisle will be replaced by Martin Apfel, who will report to Tim Lee, president of GM International Operations. Apfel was most recently executive director of global manufacturing and planning. Senior executives reporting to Carlisle, responsible for their respective functions include:

• Jim Bunnell, general director, network support; and
• Brian Small, general manager, fleet & commercial;
• A general manager, retail sales support will be named at a later date.

“This structure has been developed with as few layers as possible between me, the dealer and the customer,” said Reuss. “By removing layers and giving leaders increased accountability, we allow them to move faster and focus on what needs to be done.”

Other Key North American Organizations

In addition to direct lines for marketing and sales, the following key North American organizations will report directly to Reuss.

New appointments include:

• Chris Preuss, vice president and president, OnStar. Preuss was most recently vice president, Communications, reporting to Ed Whitacre. Preuss succeeds Walt Dorfstatter, who will assume an executive director role in global product operations. A replacement for Preuss will be named at a later date;
• Kevin Williams, president and managing director, GM Canada. Most recently, Williams was responsible for leading service & parts operations (SPO). He succeeds Arturo Elias, who will take a position in the company’s public policy center, reporting to John Montford, senior advisor, public policy;
• Steve Hill, general manager, GM customer care and aftersales. Most recently Hill was general manager, retail sales support.

The following executives continue in their current positions:

• Grace Lieblein, president and managing director, GM de Mexico;
• Diana Tremblay, vice president, manufacturing and labor relations; and
• Chuck Stevens, chief financial officer for North America.

Mary Sipes returns to portfolio planning as executive director, North American product planning, a key interface to the global engineering and product development organizations. In this position, she reports to Jon Lauckner, vice president global product planning. Sipes was previously executive director, corporate planning.

The North American team is also supported with executives from key functions including human resources, legal, information technology, and communications.

“This is my team. Leaders with exceptional talent from around the world, combined with strategic thinking from outside. They are the right team for GM North America now, hand-picked and put in place to win,” concluded Reuss.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Filed under: Podcasts, Geneva Motor Show, Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Kia, Lamborghini, Lexus, Porsche, Suzuki, Volkswagen

The Shunk, Nunez, Abuelsamid and Roth quartet reconvene for Episode #168 of the Autoblog Podcast with the Geneva Motor Show now underway. Our first order of business is a stop at the Autoblog Garage, occupied this week by the Suzuki Kizashi, Kia Sorento, BMW 750Li, and Cadillac SRX. Anticipating the massive auto show that’s just about to start, we dive right in. Starting us off is the awesome electric-green Lamborghini 570-4 Superleggera. Jumping from Italian exotics to the ultimate SUV, we talk about the 2011 Porsche Cayenne before segueing cleanly into a discussion of the crack-pipe pricing for the Volkswagen Touareg hybrid. Before we leave the VW/Porsche sphere, we talk about how insanely cool the Porsche 918 Spyder concept car is. The Ford Focus station wagon is one of those things we’ll see in Geneva, but likely not in the U.S., while the Lexus CT200h is making its way to the shores of North America. BMW’s 5 Series Active Hybrid Concept keeps up the cavalcade of alternative propulsion by the big Swiss lake, and it’s our last topic before calling it a night. Thanks for listening!

Direct fanmail to Podcast at Autoblog dot com, review the show in iTunes, fill out our survey or even leave us a voicemail on our Google Voice line 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763). Until next week, hit up Joystiq and Engadget when podcast loneliness sets in. Thanks for listening!

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #168 – Geneva Eve

Autoblog Podcast #168 – Geneva Eve originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Empty bowls will mean full stomachs after a hunger fundraising event at the College of Lake County.

The second annual Empty Bowls event Tuesday on the Grayslake campus was a localized version of a national project. More than 1,000 ceramic bowls made by CLC students were selling for $10 each, with all of the money donated to St. Charles-based Northern Illinois Food Bank. The price included a bowl of chili.

CLC staff member Janet Giertych arrived late to last year’s event to find the bowls were sold out. She said that wasn’t going to happen this year. More than $5,000 was raised last year.

“I came an hour early this time. I didn’t want to miss out again,” Giertych said with a smile. “I really like original art and it’s a way to help others. It’s a win, win, for everyone.”

Hundreds of people browsed through three long tables covered with bowls in the college’s atrium.

CLC ceramics teacher Ben Bates, one of the event organizers, said his students started crafting the bowls in September.

“We had both students and staff members making bowls,” Bates said. “Some of them made 10 bowls, others made 100. At least 40 people were involved in creating them. It looks like we have twice as many people attending this year compared to last year.”

The North Carolina-based Empty Bowls Project was started by a high school art teacher in Michigan in 1990 and has grown to include events across the country. The group has a mission to raise money and awareness about hunger and food security, according to its Web site.

Northern Illinois Food Bank officials say they are grateful for the folks at the college.

“The generosity of civic-minded groups like the Ceramics Club from the College of Lake County ensures that the food bank will be able to continue providing much needed nutrition to the swelling lines of those requiring food assistance,” said H. Dennis Smith, the food bank CEO and president. “Although we are doing everything we can to feed 61,600 people each week, we cannot do it without the help of our community partners.”

The NIFB distributed more than 27 million pounds of food in 2009, officials said. Food was given to more than 520 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other food assistance sites.

Chowing down a hot bowl of chili, ceramics student Tom Andersen enjoyed watching some of his work getting snatched up by the crowd. He crafted 30 bowls.

“This is a great event. You get a bowl, you get chili, and all the money goes to the food bank,” he said.

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

LOS ANGELES — The Smithsonian Institution has rejected a donation of the suit O.J. Simpson wore when he was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and her friend.

The decision announced Tuesday comes a day after a judge approved the donation as the solution to a long court battle over the clothing. Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. James says the suit is not appropriate for the museum’s collection.

The agreement reached Monday between Simpson, Fred Goldman and Simpson’s former sports agent, Mike Gilbert, provided that if the Smithsonian turned it down, they would seek another museum or institution of higher learning. It was not immediately clear which entity would be offered the suit next.

Simpson wore the suit on Oct. 3, 1995, when he was acquitted of killing Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Cook County President Todd Stroger has quit his post as Democratic committeeman in Chicago’s 8th Ward, and he all but announced his retirement from politics after today’s County Board meeting.

“I’m going to continue to be involved in public service,” Stroger said, “but I won’t be running for office any time soon.”

Quitting the committeeman position was more than symbolic, as Stroger’s father, John Stroger, built the 8th Ward Democratic organization into his political power base as he became the county’s first black president.

Yet the younger Stroger never displayed the same political savvy after replacing his father in both positions in 2006, and the weakened state of the 8th Ward organization was apparent as Stroger finished fourth and last in the Democratic Primary in his run for re-election last month.

Stroger was replaced by Chicago Alderman Michelle Harris, as elected by precinct captains, and she’ll take part in the election for Cook County Democratic Party chairman Wednesday.

Board of Review Commissioner Joseph Berrios was expected to be re-elected. The same went for Lee Roupas as Republican Cook County chairman, as he is thus far unopposed.

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Small, low cost, and lightweight, the Aeroflex 3250 Series spectrum analyzers now include an optional 8 GHz tracking generator. Ideal for any kind of bench or lab environment, the new 3250 Series tracking generator has a frequency range of 100 kHz to 8 GHz and a level range from 0 dB down to -20 dB. An adjustable output level, with a setting resolution of 0.5 dB, provides additional flexibility when testing the frequency response and compression characteristics of amplifiers, filters, and non-linear devices.
The addition of the 8 GHz tracking generator broadens the appeal of the 3250 Series to include testing on higher frequencies used for popular wireless applications. Engineers working on WLAN, WiMAX, Wireless Broadband (WiBro), ground-satellite communications, television broadcast, military radar, and utilities, will appreciate the high performance characteristics at a cost that is thousands of dollars below competitive products.
About the 3250 Series spectrum analyzers
The 3250 Series is designed to provide affordable high performance testing for RF and microwave engineers. The compact design employs the latest digital processing and RF technology, providing accuracy, stability and measurement speed. With RF phase noise performance of -115 dBc/Hz, DANL -145 dBm/Hz, the 3250 Series provides power and flexibility to RF and microwave engineers. To support the constantly evolving wireless communication market, the 3250 Series incorporates a standard 30 MHz bandwidth digitizer and basic digital modulation analysis software. All models have a Windows® XP operating system, remote control capabilities via LAN, GPIB and RS-232C as well as a 7-inch touch panel screen, ensuring ease of operation and exceptional connectivity.
Optional measurement personality libraries for leading wireless communication technologies provide the 3250 Series exceptional measurement and demodulation capability for development and manufacturing engineers to optimize designs, improve throughput, or examine signals.
Price and availability
The 3250 Series is available immediately. Delivery is three weeks upon receipt of order, pending option configuration. Pricing depends upon selection of bandwidth and options. The 8 GHz tracking generator option is available for order on the 3252, 3253, and 3254.

For details on all of the 3250 Series hardware and software options, contact your Aeroflex sales representative at (800) 853-2352 or [email protected]

For high-performance, high-speed testing of RF and microwave devices, Aeroflex introduces the SMART^E™ 5300 general-purpose test environment. The DC to 40 GHz SMART^E™ 5300 is unique in its ability to test, monitor, and control any Device Under Test (DUT) within a single test environment.
“SMART^E™ 5300 eliminates a large rack of test equipment and replaces it with a compact test system that is quickly reconfigured and redeployed to suit any individual DUT or production line,” said Dr. Francesco Lupinetti, senior business development executive for Aeroflex’s High Speed Test Solutions. “The SMART^E™ 5300 also has the ability to emulate legacy and obsolete instruments. In this market, long-term support is a major concern. The fact that we can offer customers a ‘future-proof’ system gives customers peace of mind.”
SMART^E™ 5300 is designed for parametric and functional testing in the military/aerospace and high-performance commercial markets. The system is ideal for customers with one or more of these demanding RF/microwave test requirements: High throughput production; Large number of unique tests per DUT; Highly repetitive tests per DUT; Product lines requiring rapid software reconfiguration of test systems; Replacement of racks of older or obsolete equipment with a “synthetic” or software-defined test environment.
SMART^E™ 5300 test environment is the ultimate in flexible testing
The SMART^E™ 5300 is the highest performance, lowest life cycle cost, turnkey synthetic test environment for general purpose RF/microwave parametric and functional testing. Its many features reduce complexity and result in extending the life cycle of test environments.
All hardware modules and interfaces are based on widely used industry standards including PXI, LXI, cPCI, Ethernet, etc. Standard software interfaces are exercised through a full-featured Test Executive and National Instruments’ TestStand™ engine.

Armacell presents an extensive range of packaging profiles under the OleCell brand. The OleCell product range includes standard edge protection profiles in many shapes and sizes, customer-specific packaging profiles and tailor-made solutions for industrial applications. OleCell profiles are made of closed-cell polyethylene foam (LDPE). They are CFC-free, can be re-used many times and are 100% recyclable.

The demands made of edge protection profiles are as diverse as the goods from various sectors which required protection against transport and storage damage. Armacell provides a wide range of standard packaging profiles to protect and cushion products including those of the glass, metal and furniture industries. OleCell edge protection profiles are manufactured in many different shapes and a host of various sizes. Although most are supplied in 2-metre long lengths as standard; many items are also available on reels. Continuous-length profiles reduce waste to a minimum by enabling the customer to cut only the specific length required for the job in hand.

OleCell profiles can be perforated, manufactured with corner notches or equipped with various adhesive options and Armacell can produce customer-specific profiles designed to individual requirements on request . Individually shaped profiles can also be manufactured. Thanks to Armacell’s innovative computer-aided foaming process simulation, prototypes can be made at short notice. OleCell industrial profiles have come to be commonly used in many branches of industry.

United Barcode Systems introduces the next generation of high resolution inkjet printing systems conceived for marking and coding on all types of surfaces.

Developed for printing text, images, graphics and bar codes, complying with standards set by GS1 Identification International, the powerful range of printers APINK UV Series is designed for the identification / codification of secondary package in time real and in the same production line.

Its high performance ensures exceptional print quality on any substrate capable of printing upon paper and cardboard, on non-porous materials such as plastic, metal, and laminated surfaces. The Aplink UV Series product range outstands for its adaptability and easy integration into any production line thanks to the capability of printing in both ( R to L / L to R) directions, its modularity and advanced interface.

The generation of UV Series UBS is the result of the company’s commitment to developing new technologies with constant investment in R & D by providing an extremely stable printing system, versatile and reliable.

Key Specifications/Special Features:

–Base type: E27
–Input voltage: 85 to 260V AC
–Polarity: bipolar protection
–Aluminum housing
–Efficiency: >80%
–Output power: 7W
–Luminous output: 550lm
–Light source: 7 x 1W high-powered LED
–Operating temperature: -20 to +45°C
–Storage temperature: -30 to +65°C
–Brightness attenuation: 3 to 5%1kHz
–Correlate color temperature: 6,500, 4,000, and 2,800K
–Lifespan: 50,000 hours
–Total size: 135 x 75.5 ±1mm (including pins)
–Weight: 270 ±5g

Features and Advantages:

-Direct replacement of conventianal lamps;
-No Hazard of Mercury or lead entering into the enviroment;
-Solid-state,shock and vibration resistant light source run on;
-Major reduction in power costs,matainance free;
-Generate little heat;
-No fluorescent flickering;
-No danger of broking glass;
-External power supply with high power factor & low harmonic current.

Well, well, well. We’ve discussed recently how it seemed effectively impossible for any smartphone maker to survive the patent gantlet, as there are so many patents held by so many different parties, and they all seem to have recently started suing each other. The latest, sent in by a whole bunch of you (though Phillip was first) is that Apple is suing HTC, again both in the courts and using the ITC loophole. What’s interesting here is that, despite Apple playing up the fact that it had over 200 patents on the iPhone, for the most part, it hadn’t gone on the offensive with them. The recent patent lawsuits that Apple has been involved in have all been on the defensive side — which we thought was a smart move for Apple. The fact that it’s now going on the offensive on patents is unfortunate. It’s usually a sign that a company is worried that it can’t keep up with the competition.

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Adding to its already extensive lineup of concepts, Hyundai today added the new i-flow concept car to its list. Hyundai says that the i-flow concept “carries forward the company’s evocative new form language, ‘fluidic design’. The flowing, elegant lines not only create a futuristic shape, but also contribute to exceptional aerodynamics and help to reduce the car’s CO2 output to just 85g/km.”

Under the hood of the i-flow concept sits a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain consisting of a 1.7L two-stage turbocharged diesel unit mated to an electric-motor that gets its power from a lithium-ion battery pack. Hyundai says the system is extremely efficient since it is mated to a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. The concept also showcases new technology including flexible solar panel roofing and a thermo-electric generator.

As far as production goes, Hyundai says that the i-flow concept “looks and technology point the way to a new D-segment family car which Hyundai plans to launch in early 2011.”

Hyundai i-flow Concept:

– By: Kap Shah