* ACTUALLY…what I mean by this is…in this competitive market place, give 100% and you get only an okay career.
If you want a truly fabulous and fulfilling career you gotta give 150%.
ALWAYS give more than what the client/market expects.
In summary:
Get known in your industry as the 150% person!
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Article Tags: Headline Story, John Christy, Piers Corbyn, Video Link
The Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions which came into force five years ago has failed in its goals and is now largely redundant.
It took years of complicated negotiations and compromises and many hoped it would prove a major breakthrough in bringing climate change under control.
It was supposed to herald a brave new cleaner world where carbon emissions were reduced and everyone benefited from it. Even after five years problems are still unresolved. Arguably, the deal is now even further behind than it was at the opening stages.
The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December 2009, where a new deal on climate change was supposed to be signed, also turned out fruitless.
Source: rt.com
When America’s proverbial nipple is dried up from too much milking, what do you do? If you’re Citigroup, you head to Korea.
Asset Backed Alert is reporting that Citigroup is currently assembling a $500 million mortgage securitization with the underlier being Korean mortgages. Mortgage activity in Korea is apparently on the rise, making the deal lucrative to investors.
Asset Backed Alert claims the pools of mortgages will be provided by the state run Korean Housing Finance Corp., Kookmin Bank and Shinhan Bank.
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Press Release: Leading mobile GPS navigation developer ALK Technologies has announced that its CoPilot® Live™ v8 GPS navigation mobile app will now include integral access to local Internet search as standard across all supported smartphone platforms.
Previously available as a premium option, CoPilot Live v8’s integrated access to local search enables users to quickly and easily find whatever they are looking for, whether it’s the nearest service, product, brand or shop. Search results are displayed in the on-screen map or as a list. Make your choice and CoPilot Live will guide you right there, with on-screen and spoken turn-by-turn directions.
Michael Kornhauser, Managing Director at ALK Technologies said "Smartphone-based navigation offers a significant advantage over non-connected dedicated systems by providing seamless access to useful real-time information about your journey or location. With fully integrated local search, all CoPilot Live v8 customers can now use their phone’s mobile Internet connection to find the places they need and be guided straight there.
Live Local Search is included as standard within CoPilot Live v8 navigation for Android and Windows Mobile, and as a free upgrade for existing customers.
Live Local Search is available in CoPilot Live in USA, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium and Netherlands.
More at ALK here.
Daimler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche has received a three-year contract extension from the board today, securing him in the post through 2013, though some inside the company believe that it could eventually go beyond that.
Whether Zetsche gets a contract extension beyond 2013 depends by and large on how he navigates the company through the current crisis facing the premium car market. Recent appointee to Daimler’s board of management Wolfgang Bernhard stands to inherit the reins should Zetsche not be able to get the job done. Zetsche and Bernhard have a long-standing history dating back to 2000 when they first met at Chrysler.
The pair must work towards a solution for Mercedes’ lack of scale and cost-competitiveness in the compact segment, as BMW is hammering Mercedes-Benz with its fuel-efficient line up and Audi receives immeasurable advantage as part of a unit with Volkswagen.
Click through for the press release.
Press Release:
Supervisory Board of Daimler AG extends contracts of Dr. Dieter Zetsche and Dr. Thomas Weber and appoints Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard to the Board of Management
– Daimler Board of Management again consists of six members
– Dr. Bernhard assumes responsibility for Mercedes-Benz Cars Production and Procurement and for the Mercedes-Benz Vans division
In its meeting today, the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG extended the contract of Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, until December 31, 2013. The contract of Dr. Thomas Weber, Board of Management Member for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, was also extended until December 31, 2013. Furthermore, the Board of Management will once again consist of six members. Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard has been appointed to the newly created position for Mercedes-Benz Cars Production and Procurement as well as the Mercedes-Benz Vans division with immediate effect, meaning as of February 18, 2010. He is appointed until the end of February 2013.
Dr. Dieter Zetsche has been a member of the Daimler Board of Management since December 16, 1998 and Chairman of the Board of Management since January 1, 2006. He is also Head of the Mercedes-Benz Cars division. Dr. Thomas Weber has been a member of the Daimler Board of Management since January 1, 2003, with responsibility for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development since May 1, 2004.
The contracts of Dr. Zetsche and Dr. Weber would have expired in December 2010. In accordance with Section 84, Subsection 1 of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG), the Supervisory Board makes a decision on reappointment after the beginning of the last year of office. The three-year extension effective as of January 1, 2011, reflects Daimler’s general policy to conclude contracts for a period of three years, in case of both initial appointments and reappointments.
Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard has been appointed as an additional member of the Board of Management. Dr. Bernhard, who became Head of Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz Vans division in April 2009, assumes Board of Management responsibility for Mercedes-Benz Cars Production and Procurement as well as for the Mercedes-Benz Vans division. A successor for his current position will be appointed soon.
– By: Stephen Calogera
A Batavia man was acting in self-defense when he fought with two pedestrians who wouldn’t give him money, his attorney said Wednesday.
Danny L. Kaminski, 37, of the 1200 block of Brandywine Circle, pleaded not guilty in Kane County Circuit Court to one count of robbery and two counts of aggravated battery in the May 24, 2009, incident in Geneva.
Kaminski’s attorney, D.J. Tegeler, said his client had “no intent at any time to commit a robbery” when he went up to two men walking on the 0-99 block of North Second Street and asked for “money for a ride home.”
Tegeler said the situation didn’t turn violent until one of the men told Kaminski he had only a credit card – and Kaminski asked to see it.
“They got mouthy, he got mouthy. They all ended up in a fight,” Tegeler said. “This was self-defense.”
Geneva police have said Kaminski punched the men when they refused his demand for cash, then ran to the 200 block of James Drive, where he was later arrested.
If convicted of the most serious charge, a Class 3 felony, he could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and $25,000 in fines, said Judge Allen M. Anderson.
Kaminski is free on bond and returns to court April 8.
Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services
Infomercial pitchman Kevin Trudeau has been sentenced to 30 days in jail for unleashing a flood of e-mails that crashed a federal judge’s computer.
Judge Robert Gettleman imposed the sentence Wednesday, saying the e-mails amounted to a deliberate attack on the court. However, he ruled Trudeau may remain free for 24 hours while his lawyers appeal.
Gettleman is presiding over a lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission which says Trudeau’s ads for a weight loss book have been deceptive.
The e-mails from Trudeau’s supporters flooded Gettleman’s computer last week after the pitchman used his Web site and a radio broadcast to urge fans to contact the judge.
Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services
Filed under: Sedan, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat
New products seem to be a scarce commodity at Chrysler, but a recent raft of reports emanating from Auburn Hills and, perhaps more importantly Turin, Italy, shows that storm clouds are gathering near The Pentastar’s new product desert.
Chrysler brass recently gave members of the Economic Club of Chicago luncheon a sneak peak at the new Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, along with information about the arrival of the Fiat 500 by the end of 2010. Now the Detroit Free Press reports that Fiat/Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is talking major refresh for the Dodge Avenger and the Chrysler Sebring by the end of the year. And that’s not all.
The Freep quotes Chrysler’s multi-tasking CEO as saying that the Avenger/Sebring architecture has been torn apart and “You’ll see a completely different animal. We’re having a discussion about what name this animal should have. The jury is still out.” The report goes on to say that it will be the Sebring that receives the name change, which makes sense considering the fact that Avenger sales have held up considerably (and relatively) better than the Sebring since both vehicles launched. Chrysler claims that the goal is to make changes where midsize customers will notice.
Stephanie Brinley at AutoPacific Group in Troy reportedly told the Free Press that Chrysler is somewhat limited in what it can accomplish with a refresh, but changes to ride and handling could be significant – and there’s plenty of room for improvement. Another positive change could come under the hood of both vehicles, as Chrysler is working with Fiat on new engine technology, including the Italian automaker’s Multiair tech, which may or may not find its way into the downtrodden sedans.
We have no idea if changing the name of the Sebring will wash away all the pain inflicted by a truly bad sedan, but we’re thinking that at this point no changes could hurt more than the status quo. We’re hoping the refresh is thorough enough to get us interested in The Pentastar’s midsize offerings, but we’re going to have to take a Missouri-style “show me” stance before believing it.
Gallery: 2010 Chrysler Sebring
[Source: Detroit Free Press]
That’ll Fix It: Chrysler may drop Sebring name at next refresh originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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PEORIA — He didn’t have an invitation, or even ring the bell. But the beast that barreled through Sally Joyner’s front door definitely left a mark.
Joyner heard a loud crash in her Peoria home and looked downstairs to find a full-grown bull in her foyer Saturday, one of apparently three that apparently roamed loose in north Peoria that morning, according to a report from Peoria County Sheriff’s Department.
The report didn’t say what Joyner’s bull weighed, but an adult bull can weigh 1,200 pounds or more.
“I was screaming,” Joyner told the (Peoria) Journal Star. “I went down a couple stairs and then I thought, ‘What am I doing?’ “
Joyner called her husband, who barely believed her.
“He was just saying, ‘What?’ I told him, ‘You need to get home.’ “
And she called the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department, pleading that she wasn’t full of, well, bull.
The bull barged his way back outside after a short while. He left behind $1,500 in damage, and a trail of fresh bull prints through the snow outside, but didn’t hurt anyone.
The Sheriff’s Department says he was found a short time later nearby.
According to the sheriff’s report, two other bulls were seen running in an area park about the same time.
The report didn’t detail where any of them came from, but said that a man named Gary B. Wessels of Galesburg — about 45 miles northwest of Peoria — was in charge of the bulls when they escaped.
And Wessels isn’t saying anything about how it happened.
“It’s none of your business,” he told a reporter.
Joyner’s just glad her visitor didn’t stick around.
“I don’t know how a bull thinks,” she said. “With me being as hysterical about it as I was, he probably wanted to get out of here.”
Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Inspired Inventions
With the highest sustained top speed of 35 knots, the SS United States is the worlds fastest ocean liner.
Launched in 1952, it’s maiden voyage set the record for the fastest transatlantic trip by an ocean liner. This honor, known as the Blue Riband, was previously held by the Queen Mary. The ship uses an extremely powerful steam turbine engine and it is hailed as a fireproof ship. The only wood on board is the butcher’s block and a specially designed, flame resistant grand piano.
SS United States Conservancy is working on plans to buy and restore the ship.
Harvard Design Magazine’s Fall/Winter 2009-2010 edition is all about landscape architecture and its relationship with sustainability (and pleasure). A number of articles focus on urban design, agriculture, and green infrastructure. Just a few full articles are available online, but this volume can also be purchased.
Michael Sorkin, Distinguished Professor of Architecture and Director of Graduate Program in Urban Design, CCNY, discusses the history of utopianism and its relationship to urban design in “Eutopia Now!”, and argues that ”Green urbanism – eutopia – sees cities as habitats. Placing and maintaining ourselves in healthy environments is central to this task.”
Elizabeth K. Meyer, FASLA, Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Virginia, explores “Slow Landscapes: A New Erotics of Sustainability.” Meyer reviews Nick’s Heads Station, a New Zealand homestead and working sheep farm (and rehabilitated landscape), in the context of “beauty, pleasure, and sustainability.” She writes: “Can the pleasure and desire evoked through the experience of a designed landscape increase one’s concern for the environment?”
In “Design Against Nature,” Eelco Hooftman, Founding Partner of GROSS. MAX. Landscape Architecture, asks how do we turn to a “new landscape architecture? Landscape architecture as masterly, correct, and magnificent play of vegetation under light..Landscape not as moral crusade (nature protected) but, once again, an aesthetic experiment (nature perfected). Landscape architecture as the ultimate public realm of the senses.” In the end, Hooftman argues that “nature is no longer natural; to survive, nature will need to be artificially constructed, man-made, and mass-produced.”
Gilles Clement, a French horticulture engineer and landscape designer, discusses the “Natural History of Foresaken Places,” a project which proposes “an ecological strategy for the future which man can be considered an integral part of the global ecological exchanges.” Clement argues for a “third landscape” in which it’s important to “foster and achieve an equilibrium in which no one species has the upper hand.”
Kongjian Yu, International ASLA, President of Turenscape and Dean and Professor, Graduate School of Landscape Architecture, Peking University, outlines a “new landscape aesthetic” in “Beautiful Big Feet.” Yu, a leading Chinese landscape architect, says China must guard against useless decorative landscapes. “As China has become more urbanized and ‘civilized,’ this vernacular landscape has gradually been deprived of its productivity, its support to and of life, and its natural beauty. Like the peasant girls whose footbinding crippled them, it has gradually been adapted by the minority urban upper class and transformed into artificial decorative gardens. The aesthetic of uselessness, leisure, and adornment has taken over as part of a larger overwhelming urge to appear ‘modern’ and sophisticated.” Instead, Yu offers a range of projects in China that are examples of productive, sustainable (and beautiful) landscapes, including his famed Red Ribbon project.
Yu also calls for an end to monumental projects and the rise of new “ecological cities.” “Future cities will be “new garden cities,” emitting low or no net carbon, productive and conservation-minded. Rainwater will no longer be discharged from municipal pipes but will be retained in local ponds and supplement groundwater. Green spaces will be full of crops and fruit trees, instead of ornamental flowers and fruitless trees. Rice and broomcorn will ripen in the fields of communities and schools. In the harvest season, animals and humans
will take pleasure together. Architectural surfaces will support photosynthesis. The roofs will be fish-raising ponds, with the functions of heat preservation, energy saving, and food production. Cellars will be great mushroom factories.” Read the full article and also a recent interview with Kongjian Yu, which also touches on many of these issues.
Stefano Boeri, Professor of Urban Design, Politecnico di Milano, and Francisca Insulza, a Milan-based architect, write about their firm’s ”Vertical Forest” design, a high-rise building encased in an “ecosystem of terraces.” They argue that it’s through ”this symbiotic effect between the trees and plants and the hardware of the building that the most comfort and pleasure is produced.”
In “Green Pleasures,” Constance Classen, a Lecturer in Sociology at Concordia University in Montreal, asks what pleasures can be found in a sustainable city? “At first glance, ’sustainability’ and ‘pleasure’ seem at odds. ‘Green’ practices are commonly thought to involve an almost puritanical restriction of pleasures: shivering in frosty interiors to save on energy consumption, forgoing exotic foods in favor of homegrown staples, or walking weary miles to work rather than riding in comfort in a car. Surely ‘green’ living describes an ascetic rather than aesthetic lifestyle. Beyond the satisfaction of feeling virtuous, what pleasures, what sensory enjoyments might living in a sustainable city offer?”
She concludes: “The aesthetic of sustainability is not about recovering preindustrial ways of life or making cities green machines for living. Rather, such an aesthetic calls for new ways of perceiving and interacting with the Earth and its inhabitants based on justice, compassion, and cooperation — the sharing of pleasure.”
Dorothee Imbert, Associate Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, Harvard Graduate School of Design” offers a new design proposal for Harvard’s Allston campus — urban agriculture. “In addition to improving the faculty’s diet, farms on the Allston campus would support the green mission of Harvard University, expand teaching and research possibilities, and offer an opportunity to connect academic and residential communities. Agriculture as a tool for education is not unprecedented, as is demonstrated by the ‘Edible Schoolyard’ in Berkeley and Yale farm. But integrating agriculture into campus planning would be remarkable.”
Gary Hilderbrand, FASLA, Principal, Reed Hilderbrand and Adjunct Professor of Landscape Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design, says major U.S. cities in the future will be much shadier. “New York plans an increase of one million trees by 2020. Chicago projects an increase of 500,000, doubling Daley’s efforts by 1989. Boston plans to increase canopy coverage citywide from 28 percent to 35 percent.” Unfortunately, while planting “makes good politics,” urban trees have an average lifespan of only seven years. Hilderbrand asks: “Will we eventually need legislative protections for urban shade trees?”
Also, urban trees provides “performance value” in the form of ecological services, but what about qualifying their aesthetic value in cities?
In another piece on the value of urban trees, Henry Lawrence, Professor of Geography, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, explores the multiple benefits of urban green infrastructure in ”City Trees for Sustainability and Delight.” Lawrence examines the history of urban trees and changing perceptions of their value, concluding that “[trees] have become active participants in the environmental sustainability of cities.” Starting in the 19th century, “trees and their spaces also played an important role in the social sustainability of cities by providing places for the reduction of social tensions.”
Michael Nairn, Lecturer of Urban Studies, University of Pennsylvania, and Domenic Vitiello, Assistant Professor of City and Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania School of Design, write in “Lush Lots: Everyday Urban Agriculture” that local food production is critical to the future sustainability of cities. ”As cities face the environmental, economic, and social challenges of the 21st century, including hunger, diabetes, and dependence on global industrial food systems based on fossil fuels, local food production will be more and more important for building food security. How do we achieve this? What do the hundreds of community gardens and farms we recently studied in Philadelphia tell us about the sustainability of urban agriculture and urban life?” Read the full article.
In “Local Food Is Not Always the Most Sustainable,” Bill Rankin, PhD candidate, Harvard University, Department of Architecture and History of Science, isn’t that big on a mass movement towards local food production. He argues “the best forms of strict localism, if expanded to become more than niche options, would inevitably involve drastic restrictions in food choice. As a universal solution, local food production is simply impossible.”
Check out the most recent Harvard Design Magazine, or purchase a copy online.
Image credit: The Red Ribbon, Kongjian Yu
Article Tags: iPhone App, Reply To Article
There has been a reply to our recent article WARNING! New Site set up as an iphone app to put down “Climate Realists” from The Guardian by Leo Hickman iPhone app pitches climate change science against scepticism
Leo had this to say……and we have highlighted what we consider to be the skewed logic of a AGW supporter in bold green.
Deniers queue up to lambast Skeptical Science application developed by solar physicist John Cook. Now there’s a surprisep
I’m not sure this is going to quell the climate wars raging at present, but it’s an interesting development nonetheless. An Australian solar physicist called John Cook, who runs the popular Skeptical Science website, has developed an app which “lets you use an iPhone or iPod to view the entire list of skeptic arguments as well as (more importantly) what the science says on each argument”. So the next time you’re caught at the fag end of a wedding reception in an interminable one-way conversation with a reactionary uncle who’s boring on about how “the climate’s always changed”, just switch on this app, hand them your iPhone, and proceed to the bar.
In reality, of course, this is hardly likely to win round any sceptic, least of all your worse-for-wear uncle who, with or without the evidence presented to him by this app, will still continue to swear blind that climate change is a fiction made up by a clandestine world government-in-waiting because he’s read about it all on his favourite blog, which just so happens to be frequented by an army of other reactionary uncles. One suspects this app will only act to increase the polarisation between the two sides of this “debate”. (Still think a debate’s going on? When was the last time you heard someone from either side say, “Thank you for this information. Actually, I’d never thought of it like that before. I’m now prepared to change my mind on climate change.”)
Source: guardian.co.uk
Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has made comments hinting at the possible exclusion of the Sebring name from the lineup and structural revision for the Dodge Avenger. He also hinted last month at the possible convergence of Chrysler and Lancia – last month on the floor of the Detroit auto show Chrysler exhibited a modified Lancia Delta.
“In Europe, Lancia is an undersize, underdeveloped brand, with nothing bigger than the Delta,” Marchionne said. “Chrysler, which has a true global reach, has nothing smaller. Put them together and you have a full line-up.”
Daimler and Cerberus Capital Management left the Sebring and Avenger open to much superior competition, and that is one major issue that continues upon the poor management scenario that Marchionne must fight to combat. Although they have a midsize car set to be built from a Fiat underbody, it won’t see showroom floors until 2013.
Get pricing for the 2010 Chrysler Sebring.
Marchionne has alluded to a complete rebuilding of the midsize vehicles, claiming that we will “see a completely different animal.”, though that animal remains currently nameless. Right now, Chrysler is working on increasing horsepower and fuel-economy – which they say they can improve by 10% – and delivering better low-end torque.
– By: Stephen Calogera
Source: Free Press
Dow: Up 43 points to 10,312.
NASDAQ: Up 11 points to 2225.
S&P 500: Up 5 points to 1099.
Commodities: Mixed. Oil is up $0.41 to $77.42 a barrel. Gold is down $2.80 to $1117 an ounce and silver is down $0.12 to $16.03 an ounce.
Commodities are generally down, with softs, grains, and metals taking a hit. Palladium, cotton, and meats remain positive.
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Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Videos, Nissan
Past generations of the Nissan Micra have done well for the company, garnering accolades and proving its worth in the marketplace. There’s a new compact Nissan coming, which we’re likely to see for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show.
Nissan has released a video covering some of the new car’s details as a way to whet our appetite. There’s a sharp-looking rendering at the very end of the video, after you’ve learned about the 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine, which Nissan claims has NVH levels equivalent to a four cylinder. There’s a new constantly variable transmission, and the V platform, as its named, is also a clean sheet design and developed for flexibility and packaging. Sounds like every other press release lately – “better performance, more efficient, more flexibly packaged, cures warts!” We’ll see. Make the jump to watch the video.
Video: Nissan teases new compact global compact car, Micra replacement ahead of Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’re huge fans of the 2010 Volkswagen GTI – we actually consider it one of the best bangs for your buck in terms of overall exhilarating performance driving for a vehicle priced under $24,000. Of course, we’re looking forward to getting the 2010 Volkswagen Golf R on the stateside as well, however, we’re a bit disappointed that the Scirocco R has no plans of coming here. Today, Volkswagen is hurting our feelings a little more with the introduction of the 2011 Polo GTI, which will debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.
Power for the 2011 Volkswagen Polo GTI comes from a 1.4L TSI that uses a supercharger from 0 to 3,000 rpm, after which a turbocharger cuts in to provide extra boost. That results in 178-hp with a maximum torque of 184 lb-ft. Mated to a 7-speed twin-clutch DSG gearbox, the 2011 Polo GTI goes from 0-62 mph in 6.9 seconds with a top speed of 142 mph.
Click here to get pricing on the 2010 Volkswagen GTI.
Volkswagen also added something called the XDS differential, which is an electronic cross-axle traction control system that improves traction and handling. The small hot-hatch is also fitted with new springs and dampers that drop the ride height by 15 mm when compared to the conventional Polo.
Like the base Volkswagen Polo, the Polo GTI has no plans to come to the United States.
Click here for our review of the 2010 Volkswagen GTI.
Hit the jump for the press release.
Press Release
FAST, CLEAN AND SHARPER THAN EVER: NEW POLO GTI UNVEILED
The new Polo GTI has been unveiled, promising to be the fastest, most focussed and cleanest performance Polo yet produced.
The original performance variant of the Polo was unveiled in 1986 in the form of the G40 Coupé – a car that mixed a fast-revving, 113 PS, supercharged engine with a low kerbweight and sharpened responses.
Fast forward 24 years and the new Polo GTI bears similarities with the G40. At its heart is a 1.4-litre TSI engine that uses a supercharger from idle through to 3,000 rpm at which point the turbocharger cuts in to provide boost. The result is an output of 180 PS at 6,200 rpm and 184 lbs ft of torque from 2,000 rpm which, when aligned with a 1,184 kg kerbweight, allows the Polo GTI to accelerate from rest to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds before reaching a top speed of 142 mph.
Despite a keen focus on performance, the new Polo GTI is capable of delivering 47 mpg on the combined cycle while emitting just 139 g/km of CO2.
The TSI engine is linked to a compact seven-speed, twin-clutch DSG gearbox that channels drive through the front axle. In addition, the Polo GTI is fitted with the XDS differential, an electronic cross-axle traction control system for improved traction and handling. The XDS system is a functional extension of the electronic limited slip differential (EDL) which is a part of the standard ESP system.
In order to sharpen responses, the Polo GTI is fitted with new springs and dampers which results in a 15 mm lower ride height than the conventional Polo.
Like its Golf GTI sibling, the Polo GTI features significant aesthetic changes. A new front bumper featuring a deep airdam is joined by a honeycombe grille element with horizontal red strips and a simple GTI badge. New headlight units complete with the option of LED running lights lend the Polo GTI an imposing new look.
Further back, a subtle sill extension wraps around the lower edge of the body while at the back a new rear bumper features a small diffuser and a pair of chrome-tipped exhausts. The Polo badge is replaced by a simple ‘GTI’ version.
Finally, a set of 17-inch wheels identical to those fitted to the Golf GTI are fitted along with a set of red brake callipers.
The changes continue inside the Polo GTI with revised dials, a new, flat-bottomed GTI steering wheel complete with small gearshift paddles and contrasting red stitching, aluminium pedals and new, heavily bolstered front sports seats finished in tartan trim. Subtle gloss black trim covers the centre console while the headlining is now finished in black.
The new Polo GTI is due to arrive in the UK in the summer at which point pricing and specification will be announced.
– By: Omar Rana
Powermat at MWC 2010 from pda.pl on Vimeo.
Another great video from our friends at PDA.pl. This one shows Powermat’s wireless charging solution in action. It starts slowly, but gets exciting towards the end.
After seeing the system in action, are you tempted to buy it? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: PDA.pl
Wow. Doesn’t the NY Times have some of the world’s most famous and accomplished economists writing for them at times? You would think that, at some point, as they tried to figure out business model ideas, they would think to actually run some of these ideas by an economist. We’ve already explained why the NYT’s decision to put up a paywall makes little sense from an economic standpoint, but now it’s getting even worse. You see, there are still some folks who bizarrely believe that tablet computers — or, really, just Apple’s iPad — represent the savior for journalism because suddenly people will pay for apps. Already, this suggests a rather tragic misunderstanding of the economics of apps, but apparently it’s even worse than that.
Rumors are flying that there’s a battle within the NY Times on how to price their app for the iPad. Those on the newspaper side of the house apparently believe that it should be priced at $20 to $30/month to avoid cannibalizing the print product. By the way, if you want a simple tip for how to fail at business, it’s to make a decision to avoid cannibalizing your own business. When you do, you’ve just made it clear that a competitor is going to cannibalize your business for you. The folks on the interactive side of the house think that $10/month makes a lot more sense and believe that pricing it at the $20 to $30 range is suicidal. Of course, if you thought that the management at the NYT’s was really crafty, you might believe that this whole story was floated to reset the anchor price, though I have trouble believing that’s true.
The problem, of course, is that the NY Times is pricing based not just on trying not to cannibalize the physical product, but without regards to basic economics, and the fact that everyone knows that without a physical product, the costs of the paper actually go down. Yes, of course the costs of all the reporting and editing remain — no one is denying that. But you no longer have the printing and delivery costs, which are substantial. And reasonable people would expect that, at the very least, the cost of the app will reflect that. Either that, or (more likely), they’ll realize that other, more well managed news providers will step in and offer up news for free in order to get the market share that the NY Times once had.
Oh, and one final word for the NY Times. I recognize that you’re a better paper, with a much better reputation, than your neighboring competitor, Newsday, but remember what happened when Newsday tried to charge $20+ per month for access to its digital version? It got a grand total of 35 people to sign up. I’m sure more would sign up for a NY Times’ app, but how many more?
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Article Tags: Marc Morano, Video Link
To Watch 24 minute ABC News Nightline TV Debate Go Here:
ABC News Global Warming Debate Part 1
ABC News Global Warming Debate Part 2
Anchored by Vicki Mabrey – ABC News Correspondent – Original Air Date: February 15, 2010
Marc Morano, Executive Editor, Climate Depot Versus Daniel Weiss, Director for Climate Strategy, Center for
Source: climatedepot.com
Speaking with the LA Times, Jimi Hendrix’s stepsister Janie revealed that a Rock Band game based on the legendary wielder of the Stratocaster is in the works. Hendrix: Rock Band, anyone? Harmonix has commented on the matter,
