Author: Serkadis

El piloto ruso Vitaly Petrov de Renault F1 a realizado unas interesantes declaraciones en las que afirma que durante la pasada temporada se le ofreció pilotar para la escudería gala pero finalmente rechazó dicha oferta.

“Tenía mucho que perder y poco que ganar, sobre todo con un coche del cual Alonso no sacaba nada bueno. Un equipo me pidió ir con la temporada ya en marcha a mediados de 2009 Yo me negué, y mi padre me apoyó en la decisión. Una temporada, hay que empezarla, no entrar en ella a medio camino”, citó Petrov.

Esta claro que no es fácil llegar a mitad de temporada y realizar una buena actuación pero Romain Grosjean aprovechó dicha oportunidad aunque no le saliera bien.

Related posts:

1. Vitaly Petrov se asegura un puesto en Renault F1
2. Vitaly Petrov nuevo piloto de Renault F1
3. Robert Kubica podría correr para Renault en la próxima temporada

The story of the school district that supposedly spied on some students keeps getting odder and odder. While the school district claims that it used the secret remote webcam activation technology 42 times — and only to track down stolen or lost laptops — it still hasn’t explained why this particular student was punished. He claims his laptop was not stolen and there was no reason to turn it on. The school claims that the assistant principal who supposedly confronted the student with an image from the webcam is being unfairly tarnished.

But here’s where it gets even odder. Apparently, the “improper act” that the student was disciplined for was an accusation of either drug use or drug selling. For what? Well, the image showed the student with Mike & Ikes candies, which do have a passing resemblance to pills, but (last we checked) do not appear to be controlled substances.

Now, there certainly could be more to this story, but the school has not done a particularly good job explaining its side of things.

Permalink | Comments | Email This Story

Filed under: Sedan, Hyundai, First Drive

Imagine, for a moment, that you’re forced to invent a new candy with the specific objective of taking a bite out of the market segment comfortably satisfied by M&M’s, Skittles and Reese’s Pieces. Sounds daunting, right? With that in mind, the all-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata is being placed right back into the middle of the hotly-contested family sedan segment, already occupied by such established players as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu, to name just a few.

Completely redesigned for 2011, the Sonata is freshly styled and more spacious than its predecessor. It brings a few innovations to the game, including a new direct-injected four-cylinder powerplant mated to a six-speed automatic – yet it has no V6 option. We put a couple hundred miles on the new Sonata in San Diego. The weather was nice, but how was the car? Does Hyundai’s all-new family sedan have what it takes to be an outstanding sweet in the candy dish? Find out after the jump…

Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: 2011 Hyundai Sonata a sweet addition to mid-size sedan segment

Review: 2011 Hyundai Sonata a sweet addition to mid-size sedan segment originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

In the second part of his appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning, Ron Paul asserted that the world would be a lot safer if the US government didn’t start so many wars and continually tried to meddle in the affairs of other countries.

He explained that Iran poses no credible threat to America and that Obama’s policy of assassinating US citizens on secret charges demonstrates that something has gone terribly wrong with American foreign policy.

Ron Paul supports regaining US security through diplomatic and economic engagement backed by military deterrence instead of aggression, murder and perpetual warfare.

Show: Squawk Box
Channel: CNBC
Date: 02/22/2010

Transcript coming soon

Related posts:

1. Ron Paul: Suspend The Income Tax For 3-4 Years! In his appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning, Ron…
2. Will Isolationist Sanctions on Iran Lead to War? Iran Sanctions are Precursor to War by Ron Paul…
3. Ron Paul and Glenn Beck on the CIA and Foreign Policy Show: Glenn Beck Program (Radio) Date: 01/25/2010 Transcript: Glenn…

WASHINGTON (AP) — Making a last-ditch effort to save his health care overhaul, President Barack Obama on Monday put forward a nearly $1 trillion, 10-year compromise that would allow the government to deny or roll back egregious insurance premium increases that infuriated consumers.

Posted Monday morning on the White House Web site, the plan would provide coverage to more than 31 million Americans now uninsured without adding to the federal deficit. It comes just four days before Obama’s one-of-a-kind, televised health care summit with Democrats and Republicans.

Even with the latest changes, it’s highly uncertain such an ambitious proposal can get through Congress. Republicans are virtually all opposed, and some Democrats who last year supported sweeping health care changes are having second thoughts in an election year. After a year in pursuit of what was once his top domestic priority, Obama may have to settle for a modest fallback.

Weeks ago, the president and congressional Democrats were on the verge of an historic step — a long-sought remake of the nation’s health care system after a half-century of unsuccessful attempts by scores of politicians. Then Republican Scott Brown stunned Washington with an upset win in the Massachusetts Senate race, denying Democrats their 60-seat majority and reversing any political momentum.

Determined to avoid facing voters empty-handed, Obama offered a fresh proposal based on Democratic-passed bills.

The plan conspicuously omits a government insurance plan sought by liberals and viewed as a non-starter by conservatives and some congressional moderates. It includes Senate-passed restrictions on federal funding for abortion adamantly opposed by abortion foes as well as abortion rights supporters.

The new White House plan would give the federal government the power to regulate the health insurance industry much like a public utility. The Health and Human Services Department — in conjunction with state authorities — would be able to deny egregious premium increases, limit them or demand rebates for consumers.

Obama, who deferred to Congress on the specifics for more than a year, has finally put forward a detailed plan of his own. By and large, it follows the bill passed by Senate Democrats on Christmas Eve, with changes intended to make it acceptable to their House counterparts.

It would require most Americans to carry health insurance coverage, with federal subsidies to help many afford the premiums. Insurance companies would be barred from denying coverage to people with medical problems or charging them more.

The plan dramatically scales back a Senate tax on high-cost health insurance plans objected to by House Democrats — and labor unions. Instead of raising $150 billion over 10 years, it would bring in just $30 billion, the administration said. A Medicare payroll tax increase on upper-income earners would help plug the revenue gap. For the first time, Medicare taxes would be assessed on investment income, not just wages.

Like the Senate bill, the Obama plan would create competitive insurance markets in each state for small businesses and people buying their own coverage. But it would strip out special Medicaid deals the Senate bill granted to certain states, gradually close the Medicare prescription coverage gap, make newly available coverage for working families more affordable. Those changes move in the direction of the House bill.

Estimated to cost about $1 trillion over 10 years, Obama’s plan would be paid for by a mix of Medicare cuts, tax increases and new fees on health care industries.

Oversight of insurance companies has traditionally been a state responsibility. Obama’s proposal for a new federal role calls for setting up a seven-member Health Insurance Rate Authority to monitor insurance industry practices and issue an annual report. States that beef up their consumer protection programs would be eligible for a share of $250 million in federal grants.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., declined to say that House leaders have the votes now to pass the new plan, but said some of the concerns of House members were addressed by the changes Obama is proposing.

“So I do believe that there is more fertile soil today than when we first took this up,” Clyburn said.
Democrats, who now hold 255 of the House’s 435 seats, drew only one GOP ally when the House passed its health care bill, 220-215, last November. Since then, one Democrat who voted for the bill has resigned, one has died and a third plans to leave office Feb. 28.

On the Web

whitehouse.gov

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

NEW YORK (AP) — The key suspect in an alleged plot to attack New York City with homemade bombs has begun cooperating with investigators and is preparing for a possible plea deal, two law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation said Monday.

Najibullah Zazi, a Colorado airport shuttle driver, has begun talking to authorities and plans a guilty plea that could come as early as Monday, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation into the terror plot is ongoing.

As important as a plea would be, Zazi may be far more valuable to investigators as a source for information about co-conspirators in the United States and Pakistan.

Three people with inside knowledge of the investigation confirmed that the jailed Zazi volunteered information during a recent sit-down with his attorney and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn. The sit-down, known as a proffer session, typically signals that a defendant has begun cooperating in a bid for a plea deal.

Zazi’s attorney, William Stampur, didn’t immediately return a telephone message Monday.

Zazi — accused of receiving explosives training in an al-Qaida terror camp in Pakistan — told prosecutors that he was armed with bomb-making components while en route to New York City last year, but got rid of them along the way, the people said.

Zazi’s account, if true, could explain what happened to explosive materials authorities suspect were meant for a possible attack on the New York City transit system.

The government alleges the airport driver and others bought beauty supplies in Colorado to make peroxide-based bombs before he tried to mix the explosives in a hotel room there and then set out cross-country by car in September. Searches of his car after he arrived turned up bomb-making plans on a laptop computer, but no actual devices or materials.

The cooperation by Zazi suggests prosecutors hope to expand the case and bring charges against other suspects in his case and possibly other terror probes. At the time of Zazi’s arrest, Attorney General Eric Holder called the case the most serious terrorism threat since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Amid the debate over whether alleged al-Qaida and other terror suspects should be tried in civilian courts, federal prosecutors have sought to demonstrate that they can persuade suspects like Zazi to cooperate and provide more reliable information without coercion.

One of the people familiar with the Zazi case told the AP that Zazi decided to offer the information after being warned that his mother could face criminal immigration charges.

Zazi’s father was charged earlier this month with trying to get rid of chemicals and other evidence. But it appears he was cut a break: After initially demanding that he be jailed in Brooklyn without bail, prosecutors agreed to a deal on Feb. 17 releasing him on $50,000 bond and allowing him to return to his home in suburban Denver.

By contrast, bond for a Queens imam charged with lying to the FBI about phone contact with Zazi when Zazi was in New York was set at $1.5 million. A friend of Zazi, New York cab driver Zarein Ahemdzay, was jailed without bail on a similar lying charge.

Another one of the people said that Zazi told prosecutors that he made roughly two pounds of a powerful and highly unstable explosive called triacetone triperoxide, or TATP.

Court documents indicate that Zazi and others bought acetone — nail polish remover — and other ingredients that can be used to make TATP. The same explosive was used by would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid in 2001 and the terrorists who carried out the London bombings in 2005 that killed 52 people.

In those instances, TATP was not the main charge; it was the detonator. The 1.5 grams in Reid’s show was supposed to help detonate the plastic explosives aboard a jetliner, and it was used to set off a mixture of black pepper and hydrogen peroxide in London.

Experts has said the TATP in the Zazi case was most likely going to be just the detonator.

But in each of those earlier instances, TATP was not the main charge — it was the detonator. It was supposed to help detonate the plastic explosives in Reid’s shoe aboard a jetliner, and it was used to set off a mixture of black pepper and hydrogen peroxide in London.

The FBI’s New York office and the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn declined comment on Monday.
Authorities say Ahmedzay and another New Yorker charged in the case, Adis Medunjanin, traveled to Pakistan with Zazi in 2008. Medunjanin has pleaded not guilty to charges he conspired to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and remains jailed.

The three men, former high school classmates in Queens, are scheduled to appear in federal court in Brooklyn on Feb. 25.

Officials earlier confirmed reports week that Zazi’s uncle had been arraigned on a felony count in secret — a sign that he also could be cooperating.
 

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama prodded states Monday to raise their school standards by using his best leverage: money.

Obama told governors he wants a change in law that would allow states to receive federal aid for poor students only if they adopt academic standards that are deemed to truly prepare children for college or careers out of high school.

The move would require a change in the nation’s main elementary and secondary education law, which became known as the No Child Left Behind Act during the presidency of George W. Bush.

Traditionally, the federal government is a marginal player in the financing and control of education, but its role has expanded as educators and lawmakers at all levels worry about slipping U.S. competitiveness.

Many schools count on a key source of federal aid, known as Title I, to help out their poorest students. That’s the money that Obama wants to make contingent upon the setting of more rigorous standards across the nation. It would remain up to states, not Washington, to choose their specific standards.

Many states are already working on a united effort to coordinate and improve their standards. Yet Obama took a swipe at how some states responded to this challenge under No Child Left Behind, saying 11 states lowered their standards in math between 2005 and 2007.

“That may make those states look better relative to other states,” Obama said, “but it’s not going to help our students keep up with their global competitors.”

Obama spoke to governors of both parties during their yearly gathering with the president at the White House.

The White House said the governors have been working on the president’s Race to the Top program, which rewards school systems that raise standards and demonstrate commitment through tougher student assessments.

At the same time, the White House said that too many states are churning out graduates who are unprepared either for college or career.

In addition to supporting ongoing state efforts, the White House said the president will commit an additional $350 million to the Race to the Top challenge to back “state-led partnerships to develop new, state-of-the art assessments aligned to college and career-ready standards.”

According to the White House, the president’s 2011 budget will call for the reauthorization of the 1994 version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which would require states to meet six tough standards to help high school graduates prepare for college or jobs. The White House said schools need to focus on better teacher preparation, improved teaching and tougher student assessments.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was first passed in 1965 and has been routinely reauthorized every five years. Under the measure, federal money is sent to the states to pay for teacher development, instructional materials, educational resources and promotion of parental involvement.

Obama’s reauthorization would:

—Require the states to “adopt and certify that they have college- and career-ready standards in reading and mathematics” to be eligible for the federal money.

—Establish a $405 million outlay to help states “align teacher preparation practices and programs to teaching of college- and career-ready standards.”

—Provide grants totaling $400 million to states that adopt tougher student assessment program.

—Dedicate $1.35 billion to the Race to the Top program in addition to stimulus money for the program.

—Allot $2.5 billion in the 2011 budget to a state grant program to support better teaching and leadership in the schools.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – Space shuttle Endeavour and its six astronauts closed out the last major construction mission at the International Space Station with a smooth landing in darkness that struck many as bittersweet.

Only one flight remains for Endeavour, the baby of the shuttle fleet. Overall, just four missions remain.

“We’ll go into it with our heads held high,” launch director Mike Leinbach said early Monday, a few hours after Endeavour landed in Florida. “A little bit sad note, but a great ending to a great mission.”

During the two-week, 5.7 million-mile journey, commander George Zamka and his crew delivered and installed a new space station room, Tranquility, and a big bay window with commanding views of Earth. Their success resulted in the virtual completion of the space station, described by NASA as 98 percent finished.

For a while Sunday, it seemed as though Endeavour’s homecoming might be delayed. All morning and afternoon, forecasters said rain and clouds probably would scuttle any touchdown attempts. But the rain stayed away, and the sky cleared just in time.

“It’s great to be home. It was a great adventure,” Zamka said after the shuttle rolled to a stop on the 3-mile-long runway, awash in xenon lights.

Upon touchdown, Mission Control immediately relayed congratulations to Zamka and his crew for connecting Tranquility and opening those new “windows to the world.”

Tranquility already is serving as a base for life-support equipment, as well as a gym and restroom. It also holds the seven-windowed dome, quite possibly the most anticipated addition ever made to a spacecraft.

At least one of the space station residents, Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi, watched Endeavour’s atmospheric re-entry from the new observation deck. “The view was definitely out-of-the-world,” he wrote in a Twitter update.

The two new compartments were supplied by the European Space Agency at a cost of more than $400 million. It took three spacewalks to hook everything up.

Endeavour was reported to be in good shape, with no noticeable damage aside from a few dings. “My goodness, what a machine,” Zamka said. “She was perfect throughout the flight.”

The four remaining shuttle flights will stock the space station with more experiments, spare parts and supplies, all critical to the long-term success of the program, said Mike Moses, a NASA manager. Discovery will make the next trip in early April.

As for Endeavour, it’s due to fly one last time at the end of July.

NASA intends to wrap up the shuttle program this fall, after which the space station will be supplied by craft from Russia, Europe and Japan. Astronauts will hitch rides exclusively on Russian Soyuz capsules, while cargo will arrive on unmanned carriers. The Obama Administration is proposing that commercial rocket companies take a crack at the U.S. ferry side of it, once the three remaining shuttles are retired.

As if to signal the end, Endeavour had no returning space station crew on board.

Leinbach noted that “a whole series of lasts” are coming up. On Monday, workers already had begun the final processing for Endeavour’s last flight.

NASA is being extra careful now when referencing all those “lasts.”

When Endeavour blasted off in the wee hours of Feb. 8, it was advertised as the last scheduled nighttime launch for a space shuttle. That was before Discovery’s upcoming flight was delayed, from mid-March to April 5. Now liftoff will be shortly before sunrise – technically in darkness – assuming the schedule sticks. And landing will be in the middle of the night.

For the record, this was the 23rd space shuttle landing in darkness, out of 130 flights. The last time was in 2008, by Endeavour as well.

“We’re back as we came,” Zamka said after he stepped out onto the runway early Monday. “It’s dark outside.”

On the Web

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

BELLEVILLE (AP) – Authorities say a small plane that slammed into a house and hangar in a southwestern Illinois subdivision built for aviation enthusiasts never sent out a distress signal before crashing.

St. Clair County Sheriff’s Capt. Steve Johnson says authorities believe two people were on board the plane that went down Sunday evening while approaching St. Louis Downtown-Parks Airport, just east of St. Louis. He says those people haven’t yet been identified.

Airport director Bob McDaniel says the plane was a single-engine Piper Malibu that was flying from Vero Beach, Fla.

Johnson says no one on the ground was injured and that the occupants of the home in the Aero Estates Court subdivision were out having dinner when the crash happened. Neighbors rescued two dogs from the home.

Federal aviation and transportation officials are investigating.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Desde hoy ya se encuentra a la venta en los concesionarios españoles la nueva Fiat Dobló. Sin duda, Fiat ha realizado un restyling un tanto profundo para poder afrontar este nuevo año. También ha sido renovada las versiones Combi y Furgon.

 

Los precios también han sufrido unos leves cambios siendo de 14.573€ para la versión Cargó y 20.520€ para la versión Panorama. En lo que respecta a las motorizaciónes, tendremos disponibles tanto motores de gasolina como diésel.

En gasolina podremos elegir un motor 1.4 litros de 95 CV mientras que en diésel tendremos tres variantes de 90, 105 y 135 CV respectivamente.

Related posts:

1. Fiat Dobló, imágenes oficiales
2. Fiat Punto Evo ya disponible en España
3. Fiat Qubo Trekking disponible en España

In his appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning, Ron Paul talked briefly about his CPAC Presidential Straw Poll victory, his intentions for 2012, and his growing support among young people.

The Congressman offered an affordable alternative to the government’s wasteful bailouts and stimulus plans: simply suspend the income tax for 3 or 4 years and let the people decide how the money is spent.

He explained that monetary policy and foreign policy can’t be separated because the Federal Reserve is the chief enabler of foreign adventures and aggressive wars.

Show: Squawk Box
Channel: CNBC
Date: 02/22/2010

Transcript coming soon

Related posts:

1. Ron Paul: America Is With Me On Foreign Policy In the second part of his appearance on CNBC’s Squawk…
2. Ron Paul: Income Tax = Involuntary Servitude In his latest column, Ron Paul talks about Tax Freedom…
3. Ron Paul Co-Hosts CNBC’s Squawk Box Congressman Ron Paul’s message of freedom, peace, and prosperity…

By now we all know the benefits of fish oil and its omega-3s: lower risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer, less systemic inflammation, lower risk for depression, better skin, and so on. Although fish and fish oil supplements are the best sources for these omega-3 benefits, there are nonetheless scenarios that rule out these sources.

Dear Mark:

I’m sold on the benefits of a Fish Oil Supplement and I’m interested to start taking one. However, I have had serious allergic reactions to Shell Fish in the past, and an allergist has shown me to be reactive to most fish in general. As such I have avoided anything and everything that swims for a very long time. Maybe it’s possible my allergies were due to inflammation caused by my CW diet, but I’m still wary to test my theory now that I’m eating Primal. I feel like I’m missing out on a huge variety of food and supplement options. Question: I know anything can cause an allergic reaction, but is there any scientific basis for Fish Oil Supplements causing allergic reactions in people who have demonstrated allergies to fish/shellfish? And if so, what are my options for proper Omega-3 supplementation?

Thanks to DJK for this week’s question. First, let me expand on the allergy subject. Fish allergies are most commonly set off by fish proteins and less commonly by fish bones and skin (found in gelatin products). Even if you’ve shown a sensitivity to finned fish, you don’t need to rule out fish oil just yet. Although processing varies considerably between brands, true purified fish oil shouldn’t contain anything that would incite an allergic reaction. For those with a sensitivity but not full-blown allergy to fish, I’d recommend giving a high quality purified supplement a careful but fair try. A very small study showed that purified fish oil supplements were safe for those with fish sensitivities.

If, on the other hand, you’re one of the few with a serious, life-threatening allergy to fish I’d recommend a different omega-3 route. Your best bet is to come at it from multiple angles.

• Decrease omega-6 intake and inflammation inciters in your diet. Although omega-3s are essential in their own right, they’re also needed to balance out the high levels of omega-6 in our modern diets. A clean Primal Blueprint diet free of processed foods, grains and omega-6 based oils will cut go a long way to reducing the numbers needed to maintain the golden 1:1 omega ratio.
• Eat grass-finished and wild game meats (especially organ meats). Both offer a much better omega ratio (1.6:1) than factory farmed meats.
• Increase your ALA omega-3 intake. Although the body’s conversion of ALA to EPA and especially DHA is limited (for men: 8% to EPA and 0-4% to DHA; for premenopausal women: 21% to EPA and 9% to DHA), a good wallop of ALA offers its own benefit and a leg up in the EPA/DHA department. Ground chia and flax seeds are great sources, as are the green purslane and omega-3 enriched eggs.
• Finally, add a “vegetarian” DHA supplement that is fully derived from algae sources. Health food stores and co-ops are the most likely places to carry them, but plenty of well-known Internet suppliers offer them as well. As with fish oil supplements, look for a trusted brand and refrigerate them to ensure the best quality and freshness.

Thanks for reading everyone, and be sure to weigh in with your thoughts for DJK. As always, thanks for all your great questions and comments, and keep em’ coming!

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

Related posts:

1. Dear Mark: Encore on Omegas
2. Friday Food for Thought: Sounding The Alarm On Children and Food Allergies
3. Dear Mark: Vegetarian Protein Possibilities

The Internet as we know it may not be the same even a year from now, at least, if the current secret negotiations between the US, EU and several other countries turn out to be successful, as it looks very likely they’ll be. The Internet changes all the time, it’s part of its nature, mostly though, it’s for the bette… (read more)

Here we go again. That $1110 line continues to ack like a magnet, pulling gold back towards it with fury.

The strong gains of the last couple days are vanishing.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Broker: Buy Gold At Any Price And If You Lose, Blame ‘Them’
• Gold Survives Body Blows From IMF And Bernanke And Is Now Above $1120
• Gold Laughs In Bernanke’s Face, Shorts Freaking Out

The Mercedes Benz F 800 Concept vehicle is set to rollout at the Geneva Auto Show next month. Unlike some automakers who like to unveil “surprise” vehicles, Mercedes has chosen a different tactic and have tipped their hand way in advance as a way to drum up excitement before the show.

The Mercedes Benz F 800 Concept is not strictly a hydrogen fuel cell automobile as Mercedes’ head company Daimler points out that this vehicle has been built with flexibility in mind as it. One the one hand it can accept a plug-in hybrid and gasoline power train and on the other hand, hydrogen fuel cell.

This intentional design flexibility makes is possible for the vehicle to share parts. According to the Mercedes engineers, “The modular system makes it possible to efficiently utilize shared parts in all electric vehicles. These components range from the electric motor and transmission to the battery, high-voltage safety systems, high-voltage wiring, and software.”

The Mercedes Benz F 800 Concept uses the same fuel cell as the Mercedes B-Class F-Cell. The 800 Concept uses a 100 kW (136 hp) electric motor and has an electronically limited top speed of 112 mph.

The Mercedes F 800 Concept also uses 4 onboard high pressure tanks that stores hydrogen at 10,000 psi. This gives the F 800 Concept a driving range of around 372 miles, exceeding the 300 mile range barrier that most fuel cell car makers are trying to exceed. This Mercedes F 800 Concept can hold 5.2 kg of compressed hydrogen gas, which means it is able to achieve around 71.5 miles per gallon equivalent.

Historically I have always been a loyal Safari user. Sure, I’ve flirted with Firefox occasionally, but I always came back to Safari eventually. I’m afraid, however, that I’ve finally found a browser that has led me to leave Safari for good: Google Chrome.

I started using Chromium, the open-sourced branch of the browser, a few months ago and switched to the developer branch of Chrome when it got support for extensions. Even though the Beta version of Chrome for the Mac now has extensions support I’m sticking with the developer branch just because I like getting new goodies before other people.

Whatever version of Chrome you’re using on the Mac, you now have access to most of the features that people will want from a browser, so if you’re ready to take the plunge and make Chrome your default browser here, are a few hints and tips from you from someone who’s been using it for a while now.

Set up custom search engines

A feature that’s been available on other browsers for a long time but was always missing from Safari is the ability to set up custom search engines. This allows you to directly search websites, Google Images, Yahoo etc., by using keywords in your search. In Google Chrome you can set this up by right clicking on the address bar and select Edit Search Engines… from the list. If you’ve been using Chrome for a while you’ll notice that several websites have already been populated, this is because Chrome automatically adds any search engines you use to the list.

To make any search engine easily accessible double-click on it and change its keyword to something easy to remember, such as fb for Facebook. From now on you can use that specific search engine by entering the keyword first in the address bar and then entering your search query.

Sync your bookmarks with Safari and the iPhone

If you’re an iPhone user, one of the problems with switching away from Safari is that your new browser doesn’t synchronize bookmarks with your phone. Thankfully the Xmarks extension offers a handy workaround since it will synchronize both your Chrome and Safari bookmarks with the cloud. Thus when you make a change to your bookmarks in Chrome it will automatically synchronize with Safari and by extension the iPhone.

Get 1Password into Chrome

1Password is my go to password manager and not having it in Chrome was a pain. Thankfully the helpful folks over at Agile are working on an alpha as we speak, and even though it’s not perfect yet, it’s good enough for me to use it on a daily basis. To use the extension you’ll need to download the latest beta build of 1Password, which you can do from your update settings in the program. You can get the 1Password alpha extension here. If you’d prefer to avoid alpha software, which is certainly something to consider, there’s also this workaround available until we get a final shipping version.

Keep track of your tabs

If you’re anything like my wife, your browser windows quickly become crowded with tabs. Finding the exact page you’re looking for is difficult when those tabs shrink down to the size of a thimble. Thankfully there are a variety of tab management extensions available for Chrome. I’ve gone through almost all of them, and have found some unstable and some just plain ugly, but I can heartily endorse VerticaTabs, which is both simple and stable.

Get rid of unresponsive tabs

One of Google Chrome’s most interesting features is that each tab is an independent process. With Safari when a tab became completely unresponsive I was often forced to relaunch the entire browser. With Chrome, however, you can use the built-in Task Manager to get rid of a tab, even if clicking on it does nothing.

Simply go to View > Developer > Task Manager to see a list of all processes, including your extensions. Pick the offending tab from the list and press the End Process button. Please note that you may need to be on the developer branch of Google Chrome to use this feature, as I’m not sure it’s been added to the Beta version.

Get on the developer channel of Chrome

Speaking of the developer channel, if you’re willing to put up with some risk and want Google Chrome goodies before the more stable Beta channel gets them, then you can switch to the developer channel. The developer channel is a bit more stable than the Chromium nightly builds, which include all the latest updates to the open-source version of Chrome, but I can’t promise it won’t crash on you.

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, Mitsubishi

While we have known for some time that Mitsubishi will introduce a new compact crossover dubbed RVR in Japan and ASX in Europe, what we didn’t know was what designation the car would carry when it hit North American showrooms. We do now. A source at Mitsubishi tells Autoblog that the inexpensive four-cylinder crossover will be called Outlander Sport, a nod to Mitsu’s larger and more-established three-row Outlander CUV.

Astute carspotters will note that this isn’t the first time that the Japanese automaker has used the ‘Sport’ moniker in this capacity, attached to the name of another more expensive and well-known model in its lineup. Back at the beginning of this decade, Mitsu marketed its Montero Sport (a vehicle that was eventually supplanted by the slow-selling Endeavor), a body-on-frame SUV that rode the coattails of the more established and luxurious Montero.

When the five-passenger Outlander Sport arrives in North America this fall, it will carry a Lancer-derived 2.0-liter gasoline four-cylinder backed by a CVT gearbox, and it will arrive with electronically controlled all-wheel drive. Other drivetrains remain a possibility, but the focus of the 2.0-liter setup will be fuel economy, with Mitsu engineers targeting a highway figure of 30 miles-per-gallon or better (the larger Outlander achieves a maximum of 25 mpg). A front-drive, six-speed manual model will be available in other markets, but its fate remains undecided for North America.

Pricing will be announced closer to launch, but we expect it to undercut the front-drive Outlander’s MSRP of $21,605 (including destination) as it takes on vehicles like Nissan’s Rogue and Hyundai Tucson. The new model will be revealed at next week’s Geneva Motor Show.

Geneva-bound Mitsubishi ASX coming to America this fall as Outlander Sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Making a last-ditch effort to save his health care overhaul, President Obama on Monday put forward a nearly $1 trillion, 10-year compromise that would allow the government to deny or roll back egregious insurance premium increases that infuriated consumers.

Posted Monday morning on the White House Web site, the proposal would provide coverage to more than 31 million Americans now uninsured without adding to the federal deficit. It comes just four days before Obamas one-of-a-kind, televised health care summit with Democrats and Republicans.

Even with the latest changes, its highly uncertain such an ambitious proposal can get through Congress. Republicans are virtually all opposed, and some Democrats who last year supported sweeping health care changes are having second thoughts in an election year. After a year in pursuit of what was once his top domestic priority, Obama may have to settle for a modest fallback.

Weeks ago, the president and congressional Democrats were on the verge of an historic step a long-sought remake of the nations health care system after a half-century of unsuccessful attempts by scores of politicians. Then Republican Scott Brown stunned Washington with an upset win in the Massachusetts Senate race, denying Democrats their 60-seat majority and reversing any political momentum.

Determined to avoid facing voters empty-handed, Obama offered a fresh proposal based on Democratic-passed bills.

The plan conspicuously omits a government insurance plan sought by liberals and viewed as a non-starter by conservatives and some congressional moderates. It includes Senate-passed restrictions on federal funding for abortion adamantly opposed by abortion foes as well as abortion rights supporters.

The new White House plan would give the federal government the power to regulate the health insurance industry much like a public utility. The Health and Human Services Department in conjunction with state authorities would be able to deny egregious premium increases, limit them or demand rebates for consumers.

Obama, who deferred to Congress on the specifics for more than a year, has finally put forward a detailed plan of his own. By and large, it follows the bill passed by Senate Democrats on Christmas Eve, with changes intended to make it acceptable to their House counterparts.

It would require most Americans to carry health insurance coverage, with federal subsidies to help many afford the premiums. Insurance companies would be barred from denying coverage to people with medical problems or charging them more.

The plan dramatically scales back a Senate tax on high-cost health insurance plans objected to by House Democrats and labor unions. Instead of raising $150 billion over 10 years, it would bring in just $30 billion, the administration said. A Medicare payroll tax increase on upper-income earners would help plug the revenue gap. For the first time, Medicare taxes would be assessed on investment income, not just wages.

Like the Senate bill, the Obama plan would create competitive insurance markets in each state for small businesses and people buying their own coverage. But it would strip out special Medicaid deals the Senate bill granted to certain states, gradually close the Medicare prescription coverage gap, make newly available coverage for working families more affordable. Those changes move in the direction of the House bill.

Estimated to cost about $1 trillion over 10 years, Obamas plan would be paid for by a mix of Medicare cuts, tax increases and new fees on health care industries.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

A Chicago police officer was killed this morning when the squad car he was driving crashed into a tree in Chicago’s Uptown community.

A police squad car crashed into a tree at 5:06 a.m. in the 4100 block of North Lake Shore Drive, police said.

The officer was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about 7:30 a.m., police said.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP)  — Purdue University officials are considering whether to hire private contractors to handle the school’s vehicle maintenance, rental and charter bus services.

The possible change comes as Purdue looks to close a possible $67 million budget deficit and prepares for its transportation services building to be removed for a road-widening project.

Purdue buildings and grounds director Martha May says all services now provided by the school’s transportation department are being reviewed.

The department’s 17 full-time employees arrange ground transportation for faculty, staff and students traveling throughout the United States and Canada for school activities.

Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services