Author: Serkadis

Conflipper, Windows Mobile driver hacker extraordinaire, has managed to get his hands on the firmware and the ‘Image updater’ for the Microsoft Pure phone.

Disassembling the software revealed quite a bit about the enigmatic series of devices.

Revealed was that:

• ‘Turtle’ = GSM version; ‘Pride’ = CDMA
• ‘Pure’ = GSM version; ‘Lion’ = CDMA
• ‘Turtle’ = 320×240 resolution
• ‘Pure’ = 480×320 resolution
• Strong connection to Nvidia Tegra
• Looks to be CE6
• References to ‘PMX’ (“Premium Mobile Experiences”) throughout

He also concluded with "With reference to Silverlight and Visualizer feeds with a heavy background to social networking I don’t think these phone are all that "dumb".

As leaked last week, we did not see anything involving Microsoft’s Sidekick replacement at Mobile World Congress, suggesting we would need to wait till March for more information and confirmation.

Via WMExperts.com

From Green Right Now Reports

Who says the federal government isn’t moving in response to climate change? A proposed new service is designed to help businesses adapt to global warming and to encourage development of new technologies to cope with it.

“Even with our best efforts, we know that some degree of climate change is inevitable and American citizens and businesses, and American governments … must be able to rise to environmental and economic challenges that lie ahead,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke says.

NOAA Climate Services requires a reorganization at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is part of the Commerce Department and includes the National Weather Service. Locke said new private second industries could develop from information generated by the service, just as industries based on data from the National Weather Service and U.S. Census Bureau have done.

“In the process, we’ll discover new technologies, build new businesses and create new jobs.”

Concentrating NOAA’s expertise and information on climate change in one place would help these industries and others, including renewable energy like wind power, infrastructure and architecture planning and disease prevention and control. The service would help plan for sea level rise, coastal erosion, longer growing seasons, increases in heavy downpours and other severe weather events.

Congress must approve the transfer of funds to the new service. Locke said he hoped it would be operating by the start of the 2011 fiscal year.

Copyright © 2010 | Distributed by GRN Network

Fiat SpA’s new Compact vehicle architecture, which will debut on the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta hatchback, is scheduled to underpin 700,000 Chrysler group vehicles a year in the United States and 300,000 in Europe by 2014. Fiat and Chrysler are currently working on a widened version of the architecture, known as Compact Wide, which will underpin at least seven new models for the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands.

According to Automotive News, the first Chrysler Group vehicles to get the Compact Wide architecture will replace the PT Cruiser and the Dodge Caliber in 2012.

“In developing the Compact architecture, we looked for best-in-class performances in terms of handling and steering response, weight-to-power ratio; noise, vibration and harshness, active and passive safety,” said Stefano Re Fiorentin, Fiat’s head of advanced engineering.

Sergio Marchionne plans for the combined Compact/Compact Wide architecture volume to exceed 1 million units annually within four years.

2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta:

– By: Kap Shah

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Nissan, Suzuki, Volkswagen

Nissan got turned out of the Chrysler house after Fiat bought the Pentastar, which ended Nissan’s hopes for a jointly developed replacement for the Nissan Titan. while it’s busy doing the O Solo Mio routine on the coming 2014 Titan, another potential blow to the Japanese brand is coming at the other end of the market: superminis.

Suzuki provides its Indian-market Alto for Nissan to sell in Europe as the Pixo. But with Volkwsagen recently taking a majority stake in Suzuki, many are wondering if the Pixo spigot will be turned off. The Pixo competes with Volkswagen Lupo, seemingly giving the German firm a bit of motivation to end the deal, but nevertheless, no one at Suzuki or VW has spoken on the matter.

Nissan knows it can’t give up the shallow end of the market, especially with the supermini segment getting more crowded and more popular with buyers. However, Nissan already receives fewer Altos than it wants, and with VW already considering 35 joint projects with Suzuki – and Nissan certain to benefit from none of them – now could be a good day to start looking for a new small car partner regardless of the Pixo decision.

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Nissan small car program left out in the cold after VW-Suzuki deal? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The 2011 Toyota RAV4 will make its world debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show next month and the first image of the SUV was released earlier today. As you can see from the image, the 2011 RAV4 will get a more sophisticated front-end design along with a more refined interior.

Thanks to its range of Toyota Optimal Drive powertrains, Toyota RAV4 will be one of the cleanest competitors in the compact SUV segment, says Toyota.

We’ll have more details on the 2011 Toyota RAV4 in a couple of weeks.

2011 Toyota RAV4:

– By: Kap Shah

“Acesta e vechiul si misoginul moto al burlacului: de ce sa cumperi vaca, atunci cand poti avea laptele pe gratis? O referinta evidenta la casatorie, nu foarte politic corecta. Asteptati-va, deci, la un film obraznic, cu o doza substantiala de libidinosenii. Evident, e vorba despre o comedie sexuala care iti poate increti fruntea a mirare dar care, daca abandonezi toate prejudecatile, iti aduce o noua si amuzanta perspectiva asupra fricii de angajament.

Fara complicatii face un lucru la care comediile romantice actuale se incumeta atat de rar: risca. Si castiga: te face sa razi. In repetate randuri. Povestea e simpla: desi Sarah e minunata sub multe aspecte, David ezita sa se insoare cu ea. O experienta mai veche il face sa se intrebe daca ea e cu adevarat sufletul sau pereche sau daca acesta salasluieste pe undeva, inca in libertate…

Are doua luni de ragaz ca sa ia o hotarare. Meritul principal pentru prospetimea filmului ii revine regizorului si scenaristului Walt Becker pentru ca reseste sa-i dea filmului look-ul potrivit si pentru ca are energia sa re-construiasca o farsa pe care am mai vazut-o si in alte filme. Adaugati la acestea muzica in voga si chimia dintre actori principali.

Desi O’Connell e mai mult decat o alegere inspirata pentru rolul principal, cele mai multe rasete le smulge Ryan Reynolds incarnand un afemeiat care se confrunta, brusc, cu oripilanta ipoteza ca ar putea fi gay. Alyssa Milano isi continua seria rolurilor riscante cu acrobatica aparitie a lui Amy, stripteuza. Fara complicatii e recomandat celor care poftesc ceva usor si funny si pe care nu-i deranjeaza o poveste superficiala, atata timp cat situatiile sunt amuzante. Veti recunoaste, cu un zambet larg, ca v-ati aflat, nu de putine ori, in aceleasi posturi incomode.”

Trimite si prietenilor:

Related posts:

1. Because I Said So
2. Sweet November
3. Definitely,Maybe
4. One Fine Day
5. No Reservations
6. Til There Was You
7. Confessions of a Shopaholic
8. Just Friends
9. Chasing Liberty
10. The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold

Ontario, Canada | Unique Collections

Sonja Bata, the founder of the Bata Shoe Museum, has been collecting shoes since the 1940s. Mrs. Bata’s hobby began while traveling on business trips around the world with her husband, Mr. Thomas J. Bata. While her husband attended business meetings for his company, the Bata Shoe Company, Mrs. Bata was shopping for traditional footwear.

By the late 1970s, Mrs. Bata’s shoe collection grew too large for her private storage space. To accommodate her growing footwear collection, Mrs. Bata’s family decided to establish the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation, an organization dedicated to footwear research and a place where Mrs. Bata could share all her beloved shoes.

The extensive collection was on display at various offices in Toronto before moving to its present location in 1995. Designed by architect Raymond Moriyama, the museum building is shaped like an open shoe box, and is meant to reflect the notion of a museum as a “container.” Indeed, the museum contains over 12,500 pairs of shoes that span 4,500 years of history, making it the world’s largest collection of shoes and footwear-related objects.

The museum’s tagline, “For the Curious,” seems appropriate for its visitors, given that the comprehensive collection ranges from Sixteenth-century Venetian velvet platforms to Elvis Presley’s famous “blue suede shoes.” Exhibitions have included French artist Thierry Agnone’s paper shoes, “The Charm of Rococo: Femininity and Footwear of the 18th Century,” as well as “Bound for Glory: Cutting-Edge Winter Sports Footwear.”

Mrs. Bata insists that her shoe collection is more about history than mere aesthetics. Throughout each exhibit, the shoes on display present a story about the region from which they came. The shoes not only indicate simple truths — such as a region’s climate or the style of the period — but Mrs. Bata argues that, viewed chronologically, they can also signify a society’s shifts in technological development or changes in the attitudes and values of the time.

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Sedan, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, MISC

In what’s assuredly the shortest press release we’ve ever received, the I.DE.A. Institute has sent out a teaser of its Geneva Motor Show-bound concept, and if it’s anything like last year’s ERA design study, we’ve got plenty to look forward to.

According to the Italian design firm:

“I.DE.A. Institute returns to the Geneva Motor Show with a four-seater sedan powered by a hybrid engine. This latest concept car is Italian to the core: its shape, its look, its elegance and name are instantly recognized as being synonymous with Italian styling and beauty.”

That and the image above is all we’ve got for now, but judging by the sweeping lines and low profile roof, we expect to see something akin to Fisker‘s Karma sedan. More details to follow when we hit the ground running in Switzerland the week after next.

Geneva Preview: I.DE.A. coming back to Switzerland with four-door hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I’m beginning to think that EMI is trying to commit suicide, given many of its recent actions. Its latest move is to force offline a wildly popular mashup, mixing The Beatles with The Wu Tang Clan., despite it getting rave reviews and lots of attention… and despite a history of similar actions backfiring massively for EMI.

Let’s take a look back. Apparently the folks over at EMI/Capitol Records have no sense of history. Back in 2004, DJ Danger Mouse put together “The Grey Album,” a fantastic mashup of The Beatles’ “The White Album” with Jay-Z’s “The Black Album.” EMI/Capitol, who holds the copyright on much of The Beatles’ catalog went nuts, and started sending cease-and-desists to pretty much everyone, leading to the infamous “Grey Tuesday” on February 24, 2004, where lots of websites posted the album in protest. Years later, EMI admitted that the Grey Album didn’t do any harm, but the company didn’t care, saying “It’s not a question of damage; it’s a question of rights.” Except, that’s not true at all. If no damage is being done — and, in fact, such a mashup is likely to attract a lot more attention to your back catalog from an audience who might not be that familiar with it, you’re making a pretty huge mistake. That’s just business.

Of course, EMI/Capitol refuses to learn. A few years later, when someone put together a Beatles/Beach Boys mashup, EMI/Capitol again sent out cease-and-desists and demanded the IP addresses of anyone who downloaded the album.

And here we are today, as EMI/Capitol (who, last we saw, was trying to bootstrap a fake word of mouth viral campaign, after its suits blocked a real viral campaign) is fighting to stay alive, as it is massively in debt, with little hope of getting out of it.

So what does EMI/Capitol decide to do? The same thing that’s helped fuel this downward spiral: send out cease-and-desists on wildly popular mashups.

Towards the end of January, word started spreading online of a mashup put together by Tom Caruana and Tea Side Records, called “Wu-Tang vs. The Beatles: Enter the Magical Mystery Chambers.” I have to admit, I’ve been listening to it a lot the last few weeks, and it’s really well done. It quickly started receiving rave reviews online. If you listen, this certainly isn’t just playing Wu Tang vocals over Beatles instrumentals. As many noticed, the beats are changed significantly to fit with the vocals.

But, apparently, that’s not going to satisfy EMI/Capitol. It’s not entirely clear what happened, but the album has been removed from where it was originally posted, and the only explanation is a short comment on February 10th:

Had to remove all Wu Beatles material at Capitol Records request

So, yes, as EMI/Capitol are battling for survival, its lawyers thought the best thing to do with their time was to send a cease & desist to an album that might actually get them some attention and sell some Beatles albums — and they do so knowing how badly this backfired with The Grey Album, leading many to swear off EMI releases. No wonder they’re going out of business.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Etc., Safety, Porsche

Porschephiles and automotive enthusiasts the world over recognize the name Gemballa. The German tuning house has been responsible for some of the most extreme creations on four wheels and has been a well-respected brand for decades. Now reports indicate that Uwe Gemballa, founder and head of the namesake aftermarket tuner, has gone missing.

According to the reports, the 51-year-old Gemballa was on a trip to South Africa when he went missing. The suspected site of his disappearance is Johannesburg, long known as one of the most dangerous cities in the world due to the rampant violent crime rate in its downtown core. Investigators in Germany are reportedly in contact with law enforcement authorities in South Africa in an effort to recover Uwe, and for our part, we hope his safe return comes as quickly as his record-breaking supercars.

[Source: Bilde (translated)]

Report: Euro tuner king Uwe Gemballa missing in South Africa originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CHICAGO — Surprising at it may seem, Toyota is unveiling a new-generation sedan at the Chicago Auto Show, under way at McCormick Place.

Some might say that it takes a certain amount of fortitude, given the bad press that has dogged Toyota in recent weeks as it has recalled more than 8 million vehicles.

“But new products are what drives this industry,” said Toyota Group Vice President Bob Carter.  “They’re what people want.  It’s what they expect.  And it’s what they need.”

Carter said new products underscore the automaker’s commitment to its customers.

Carter admits he almost canceled the Avalon’s world debut but decided in the end that it would not be tarred by the #1 automaker’s hard luck elsewhere.

“The Avalon offers a wide array of safety features that were obviously planned long before these current events took place,” he said.

The front-wheel drive Avalon will have both the redesigned accelerator and the brake override system.

Styling overall remains conservative, with a 3.5 liter, 268-horsepower V-6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, delivering fuel economy in the 20s.

The 2011 Avalon will have Bluetooth capability, steering-wheel controls for a wireless phone, audio and climate control, USB connectivity and an available navigation system.

Rearview cameras will be offered in all models, improved headrests and airbags for the knees in addition to the usual front, side and curtain airbags.

It goes on sale late this spring.

By Bob Roberts

Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

CHICAGO — Betty Loren-Maltese was expected Monday to arrive at a Salvation Army halfway house on South Ashland Avenue.

She will be there to finish out the rest of her 120-day probation after spending almost seven years behind bars.

Loren-Maltese and five co-defendants – including purported mobsters – were convicted of racketeering in 2002 for using a bogus insurance company to bilk taxpayers out of more than $10 million from 1992 to 1996.

Prosecutors said they used the money to buy a horse farm and a golf course among other things. Loren-Maltese always maintained her innocence.

Among the others convicted with Maltese were alleged Cicero mob boss Michael Spano Sr. and Emil Schullo, one-time head of the Cicero police department.

At one time, Loren-Maltese had houses in Cicero and Las Vegas, but the government seized those properties.

Now, friends Loren-Maltese is broke, homeless and in need of a job.

As part of her probation, she has to give the Town of Cicero at least 20 percent of any paycheck she gets, until she pays back $8 million in debt.

Before the racketeering conviction of Loren-Maltese and five others, federal agents spent years investigating the small, blue-collar suburb just west of Chicago that was known as a haven for corruption since the 1920s, when Al Capone made it the hub of his bootlegging empire.

Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

A northwest suburban man has been charged with the fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old man during a drug done gone wrong Sunday afternoon in his home.

James E. Lewis of 26938 Rte. 134 in Ingleside has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s office. Lewis is accused of fatally stabbing John Herres.

Herres, of the 1000 block of Wellington Avenue in Libertyville, was pronounced dead at Condell Health Network in Libertyville at 11 p.m. Sunday, according to Lake County Coroner Dr. Ricard Keller.

Police, however, said Herres lived in Riverwoods.

Police responded to Lewis’ home about 1:30 p.m. and discovered Herres with a stab wound to the abdomen, the release said. He was flown by Flight For Life to Condell, but later died of his injuries.

Investigators interviewed witnesses and learned an argument over a small amount of marijuana happened between several people, including Herres and Lewis, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.

Herres and a witnesses accused Lewis of shorting them a small amount of marijuana that Lewis had bought for the group.

Lewis allegedly became “enraged” at the allegation, pulled out a 5-inch blade from his waistband, lunged at Herres and stabbed him once, the release said.

Lewis was taken in further questioning and the murder charge was approved.

Herres appeared to have been stabbed once but an autopsy was scheduled for later Monday, Keller said.

Lewis will appear for bond hearing Tuesday at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan.

Read the original article from FOX Chicago News.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Chrysler Group LLC dealers recently left the first large meeting with the company’s new management team encouraged by the executives’ commitment to reviving the struggling Auburn Hills automaker. Nonetheless, many are still concerned about surviving the lack of new products coming from the company.

During the meeting, held at the National Automobile Dealers Association annual convention, Chrysler executives did not push dealers to buy new cars; rather, they reinforced the company’s intention to stop producing excess units of poor-selling vehicles. They said that the poor selling models will later need to be loaded with high incentives to get them out of the door.

The executives urged dealers to hold on for new products.

“We’re the toughest fighters. We’ve always been three or four (in the marketplace). We’ve never been spoon-fed,” said Chuck Eddy a Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealer in Youngstown, Ohio. “We have to fight for every piece of ground. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, I just don’t like the length of the tunnel.”

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Detroit News

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal, Recalls, Toyota

In light of the litany of recall-related problems Toyota is facing right now, executives at the Japanese automaker are predictably being very selective about what they say – and when they say it. But while Toyota brass is playing its cards close to the vest, dealers are apparently starting to spill the beans about the automaker’s plans to spur sales. Bloomberg is reporting that three executives from retailer groups with Toyota franchises reveal that the Japanese automaker is mulling the idea of extending warranties to as long as 10 years to gain back customer trust. If the extended warranty materializes, the Hyundai-like coverage could add quite a bit of money into Toyota’s warranty costs, but that cost could be made back in augmented consumer confidence and higher sales totals.

Toyota is also reportedly looking into ways to get metal moving again, and cash incentives of thousands of dollars may be used to accomplish the feat. Toyota sales suffered in a big way (down 16 percent for the month of January) in part because it couldn’t sell eight models affected by a stop sale related to the recall of 2.3 million vehicles covered under the sticking gas pedal recall. Toyota will reportedly wait until after its meetings with Congress from February 24 though March 2 to make any announcements.

Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Toyota reportedly mulling longer warranties, cash incentives to rekindle consumer confidence originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If there is one star device so far of Mobile World Congress it would be the Toshiba K01. The 4.1 inch capacitive screened device has all the specs where it matters, and may even be upgradable to Windows Phone 7 series.

See a collection of pictures below after the break.

 

 

See  more pictures at Engadget here.

A northwest Indiana man was arrested Sunday after calling police to report his girlfriend battered him during a fight over a Valentine’s Day gift.

Indiana State Police found the woman walking on eastbound I-80/94 just east of Ripley Street (Route 51) about 4:12 p.m. Sunday with a fat lip, a scratch below her eye and a fresh bite on her left arm, according to a release from police.

Police learned Deaundre J. Gray, 20, was taking the woman to a buffet restaurant in Michigan City when she told him she didn’t like the Valentine’s Day gift he gave her, a stuffed animal with balloons attached, the release said.

Gray began to hit her, but she defended herself, and in so doing, kicked the front windshield, putting a crack in it. She was also bitten during the attack, the release said.

The woman attempted to call 911 on her cell phone, but Gray broke it in half, the release said. He then stopped his 1999 Oldsmobile Alero in the right lane and pushed the woman out of the car.

She picked something up and threw it at the car, putting a dent in the bumper.

Gray went to a gas station at U.S. 20 and Route 249 in Portage, where he called to report being battered.

Instead, he was arrested and charged with one misdemeanor count each of battery, interfering with reporting a crime and criminal mischief, the release said.

Further charges are pending and the incident remains under investigation.

Read the original article from FOX Chicago News.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Toyota Motor Co. is planning on a heavy incentive program and a new warranty campaign to combat consumer concerns about the company’s recall crisis.

“It won’t be a fire sale like people thought GM and Chrysler had when they were in trouble,” Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations at Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., said in an interview with Automotive News. “But we will be competitive.”

Esmond said that executives met with the dealer ad committee this week and is finalizing the marketing push for March.

No details were given but one dealer with knowledge said that Toyota “will try to win back customers at all costs.”

The dealer said that Toyota will be extending new-car warranties to give Toyota the best in the industry, will offer owner loyalty cash, perhaps in the thousands of dollars, add a warranty for used vehicles, assist dealers to pay for floorplanning of used-car inventory and will provide cash to dealers to allow them more discretion in making repairs not addressed by the various recalls.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Michael Scott points us to a story over at IPKat about how singer Beyonce (or, rather, her label, Sony) is in trouble in Germany for infringing on the copyright of a designer due to a bikini she wore in a video. Seriously. In the US, we (for the time being, at least) still don’t allow copyrights on clothing design, but apparently in Germany they feel differently about that sort of thing. Still, there are two disturbing aspects to this case. First, after ruling that the bikini infringed, the judge put an injunction on the entire video in Germany, though, since we’re not in Germany, here it is:

But what’s more troubling is the fact that the two bikinis really are not the same. Remember, copyright is supposed to be about the specific expression and not the idea. But that doesn’t seem to be the case here. The two bikinis are obvious inspired by similar ideas — or one was inspired by the other — but the actual expressions of those ideas are quite different:



Finally, even if the bikini is infringing, shouldn’t the problem be with whoever made the infringing bikini, not who wore it (or who paid for the video including someone wearing it)?

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