Between the EVO 4G, DROID Incredible, Ally, and more, it’s a great time to be an Android fan. With numerous form factors, customizations (Sense, MOTOBLUR, and the like), and Android builds, there’s a device out there for almost anyone. To that end, I have to ask – What current or future Android device has you psyched?
Be sure to vote for your favorite device, and defend it in the comments!
{Widget type=”poll” id=”3254687″ name=””What current or future Android device has you psyched?”}
Via Romenesko we learn that a judge in Wyoming has issued a temporary restraining order against two local newspapers, barring them from reporting about a trip by the local community college’s president to Costa Rica, saying that the report was stolen… and that publishing the info could cause the college to lose federal funding. At issue is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which prevents colleges from revealing private info about students (a good thing). But here it’s clearly being misused. Yes, the report may include some student info, but that should not, in any way, bar publishing a story about what happened. Furthermore, that the document was leaked shouldn’t bar publication either. If that were the case, there would never be any whistleblower stories out there, or stories like the one about the Pentagon Papers.
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Here. The paper is Coordinated Punishment of Defectors Sustains Cooperation and Can Proliferate When Rare. The blog post highlighted is Punishing Cheaters Promotes the Evolution of Cooperation.
It is probably obvious that I’m not on the internet as much right now. But I’ve been thinking on the topic of this paper for a few days, and plan on putting together a post when I have something interesting to say, and nothing interesting to do off-net.
P.S. We decided to bring Kevin Zelnio back on.
The financial world is coming unglued again. Greece has pushed the E.U. to the brink. Global stock markets are tumbling.
And yet, at the same time at least one economic indicator is soaring. The Baltic Dry Index.
Today, the BDI jumped nearly 9%. The largest daily jump in at least the last six months.
In fact, the index is up 40% since the end of April. A jump that has roughly coincided with the recent decline in global stock markets.
The BDI tracks global shipping rates. A rising index generally means more trade, as goods are sailed around the world.
So what’s going on? Are nations buying and selling more, even as the economy tailspins?
Digging a little deeper, the recent rise in the BDI is attributable mostly to a jump in rates for one particular ship type. Capesize.
Capesize vessels are amongst the largest in the world. Typically with capacity over 150,000 long tons of deadweight. (Back in the day, such ships were too large to sail through the Panama Canal. Therefore, they had to transit the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn. Thus the name.)
Interestingly, capesize vessels are the “weapon of choice” when it comes to transporting metal ores. This category also includes oil tankers.
Could the jump in Capesize rates be signaling more metals and oil floating globally? And if so, is this due to buyers hungry for product, or sellers desperate to unload?
This is a guest post by Dave Forest at oilprice.com
Join the conversation about this story »
Fox Business has made something of a splash claiming that Senator Casey has introduced a bill to bail out union pensions that will cost $165 billion. Media Matters lashes back, arguing that the bill will only cost $8-10 billion and isn’t a bailout. Who’s right?
As so often with these things, the truth is somewhere in between.
The bill in question will essentially let multi-employer union pension plans, like the Teamster’s plan that is currently causing UPS so much trouble, segregate out the workers of defunct companies and get the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp to pony up for their benefits. Media Matters says that the bailout won’t cost $165 billion, and they’re right; that’s the total liabilities of the plan. Theoretically, it could cost $165 billion if every single employer went bankrupt, but that’s not a very likely scenario.
However, Media Matters also says it’s not a bailout, which is silly. When you give someone money because they’ve gotten their finances into an untenable state, that’s a bailout. $8-10 billion is double the current level of underfunding in the PBGC, and that’s just the undoubtedly rosy number cited by Senator Casey. If the funding levels of the MEPs get worse (as is possible, even likely) it will cost more.
More to the point, the multi-employer plans have not paid any premiums for the benefits Senator Casey now wants to give them. The PBGC provides insurance (for which it does not charge adequate premiums, but that is another rant.) It is not a charitable institution.
The whole point of a multi-employer plan is to pool the risk, and ensure that workers do not lose benefits merely because they have transferred around. It is true that there are now big shortfalls in these plans, and the bankrupt employers are (definitionally) not around to help the going concerns make up their losses. That makes it difficult to convince firms that they should, say, employ teamsters.
But while there’s a certain amount of unfairness to this, I don’t see why it’s more fair to get the taxpayers to suck up the bill. The employers knew what they were getting into. So did the unions. The PBGC exists to shelter workers from total destitution in the event that their pension fund does not have resources to meet its obligations, and there is no going concern behind the fund able to make up the shortfall. It does not exist to make UPS more profitable, or more competitive with UPS.
Pension – Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation – Insurance – PBGC – Business
Twice this month, Senate Democrats have tried to pass their proposal hiking the oil spill liability cap from $75 million to $10 billion. And twice Republicans have objected, calling the $10 billion figure “arbitrary” (which is precisely what the Obama administration has called it).
Today, the bill’s sponsors tried a different tack, offering a version of the bill that removed the liability cap altogether.
It went exactly nowhere.
Objecting for the Republicans, Sen. Jim Inhofe (Okla.) said that putting oil companies on the line for unlimited liability would push all but the largest companies out of the offshore drilling business — the same argument he made last week in rejecting the $10 billion cap. In fact, Inhofe said, removing the liability cap could push even the giants of the industry — BP, Shell, Chevron, Exxon-Mobil and ConocoPhillips — out of contention for contracts, leaving only the big nationalized firms (like those in China and Venezuela) to do the drilling.
“If you take the 10 billion [dollar cap] off and make it unlimited,” Inhofe said Tuesday on the Senate floor, “that could very well shut out even the five [oil giants], and leave nothing but national oil companies in a position to be doing [offshore drilling].”
Back to the drawing board for Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) et al.
Starting Memorial Day, May 31, and lasting until Labor Day, September 6, more than 600 museums around the country are waiving admission fees for active members of the military and members of their immediate family. The Blue Star Museum program is a joint effort that’s being launched by the National Endowment for the Arts and a nonprofit group called Blue Star Families. The NEA has a map showing which museums are participating around the country.
“Blue Star Museums” [NEA] (Thanks to Mylinda!)
It’s hard out here at Disrupt for gadget geeks, but we just got lucky. Merel Technologies is showing off a very cool multi-touch web table that uses gesture recognition, object recognition, and multi-user multi-touch to create a new way to interact with media and kiosk apps.
The best thing? It costs $3,200 for the 32-inch model and $4,200 for the 42-incher.
The table is made by Merel Technologies in New York and it uses a stacked multi-touch layer (looks like IR) along with an LCD TV to display the interface. A built-in PC runs the whole thing and you can tear it down to create a coffee-table sized device. You can also customize colors.
Interestingly, the gear is assembled in New York.
The goal here, it seems, is to allow customers access to multi-touch displays for not much money. It’s no Surface, but the company is working on an App Store which allows you to browse devices via Bluetooth, browse photos and classifieds, or even access video and restaurant menus right from your table. We saw something similar in iTable, which was a little more PC and a little less Surface — but also going for the lower price point.
Maybe it’s because I ate too many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as a kid, but this Peanut Butter & Jelly Pouch is just too cute to resist. The soft fabric is stamped with a photo-print of a freshly made peanut butter and jelly sandwich that looks just as tempting as the real thing – […]
ExoPC has developed a Windows-based tablet PC which is larger and more powerful than an iPad, is WiFi-enabled and supports Flash. The Slate will be available with 32GB and 64GB SSD storage, benefit from 2GB of memory and has a built-in webcam… but will this be enough to make it a serious contender in the emerging tablet computer market?..
Continue Reading ExoPC Slate – the new Windows multi-touch tablet
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Every year, the Center for Science In the Public Interest releases their Xtreme Eating Awards list, where they single out the most carb-heavy, fat-saturated, salt-laden calorie bombs available on the market. This year’s round-up of gut-busters covers everything from breakfast through dessert and contains some items that may surprise you.
In no particular order…
1. Five Guys’ Bacon Cheeseburger
Before you put a single topping on it, the bacon cheeseburger from this rapidly growing chain will set you back 920 calories and 30g of fat. Throw in anywhere from 620 to 1,460 calories for Five Guys’ generous portions of fries and you’ve got yourself a calorie, fat and salt bonanza.
2. The Cheesecake Factory’s Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake
Weighing in at 3/4 lb, this chocolate lover’s dream will cost you 1,670 calories and 48g of saturated fat. Yikes… and yum.
3. California Pizza Kitchen’s Tostada Pizza
The picture basically looks like a salad on a pizza crust. But even without any meat, this pie packs 1,440 calories and 2,630mg of sodium. Add grilled steak to the mix and ratchet up the calories to 1,680 and throw on almost another 700mg of sodium.
4. The Cheesecake Factory’s Pasta Carbonara
The Factory’s second entry on the list is another item where appearances could be deceiving to the undiscerning diner. It’s just spaghettini with chicken, peas and bacon in a garlic cream sauce; how bad could that be? Try 2,500 calories (blam!) and a whopping 85g of saturated fat. Finish that off with the Truffle Cake listed above and you’re in 4,000 calorie country.
5. P.F. Chang’s Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo
1,820 calories is a lot to consume. But where this dish really excels is in the salt department — 7,690mg of sodium! According to the CSPI, that’s 3 whole teaspoons of salt… for one dish.
6. Outback’s New Zealand Lamb
Equal to eating about 8 individual lamb chops, this entree from the not-Australian steakhouse packs a pretty hefty calorie punch. Including the garlic mashed potatoes and veggies (which have so much butter they alone bring 7g of saturated fat to the plate), you’re looking at 1,820 calories, 80g of saturated fat and 2,600mg of sodium. As the CSPI points out, you’d be better served ordering the 16 oz. prime rib at Outback which, even with the same sides, betters the rack of lamb in all three categories.
7. Chevys’ Crab & Shrimp Quesadilla
Again, a slightly stealthy calorie bomb here, as the cheese, flour, sour cream and guacamole greatly outnumber the titular seafood filling. At 1,790 calories, 63g of saturated fat and 3,440mg of sodium, the Crab & Shrimp Quesadilla even beats the restaurant chain’s Carnitas & 3-Cheese Quesadilla.
8. California Pizza Kitchen’s Pesto Cream Penne
Another entry from CPK. The menu says “Basil pine nut pesto cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese,” but the nutritional info says “1,350 calories, 49g of saturated fat, and 1,920mg of sodium.” And that’s before you add any chicken or shrimp to the mix.
9. Bob Evans’ Cinnamon Cream Stacked & Stuffed Hotcakes
Forget the IHOP wannabe. This here’s the real deal. This is how CSPI described it: “So he takes two pancakes and stuffs them with either good stuff (like blueberries or bananas) or garbage (like cinnamon chips made of sugar and oil). Then comes a layer of vanilla cream cheese (it’s more like cream than cheese) and a sugary topping (like cinnamon cream), with whipped topping as the coup de grease.” And all that will set you back around 1,380 calories, 27 g of saturated plus 7g of trans fat, and 27 teaspoons of sugar.
Can you think of a better way to start your day?
Xtreme Eating 2010 [CSPI]
By Scott M. Fulton, III, Betanews
When a massive Microsoft corporate reorganization on September 20, 2005 vaulted Robbie Bach into the role of President of the Entertainment & Devices division, the explanation at the time was to enable the company to focus on devices where the goal was to promote devices, and on platforms where the goal was to promote devices. Xbox was a device, whatever MP3 player the company would decide to produce was a device, and obviously cell phones are devices should Microsoft ever choose to enter that business in earnest.
Obviousness is highly susceptible to changes in perspective, especially over five years’ time. Today, with the launch of one of the company’s most important gaming initiatives, still called “Project Natal,” just months away, Bach has decided to leave the company, Microsoft confirmed this afternoon. Following in his wake will be Microsoft’s other high-profile gaming executive, J Allard, who leaves behind a real personal triumph in the form of XNA, the gaming platform that may yet unite development for Xbox 360, Windows, Windows Phone, and to some extent Zune.
Ironically, it was the consolidation of the Entertainment & Devices division that has led to the development in recent years of the most innovative and head turning (if not yet entirely game changing) platforms Microsoft has produced in a good many years. XNA is one. Windows Phone 7 may very well be the first mobile platform ever to come out of Microsoft that deserves, at the very least, the attention it’s received. And despite the fact that the Project Natal device looks like it could be a rejected candidate for the design of Marvin the Paranoid Android from the last Hitchhiker’s Guide movie, the fact that it’s injecting a new concept of user input into gaming development makes Xbox 360 once again a competitive platform.
So the mystery today is that Microsoft is bringing in a platform leader — Corporate Vice President David Treadwell, formerly the head of Live Platform Services — to report to Senior Vice President Don Mattrick, while Mattrick, who spearheaded Project Natal, will report directly to CEO Steve Ballmer. Andrew Lees, the Senior Vice President in charge of “mobile devices” but who led the development of Windows Phone 7, will retain his position but report directly to Ballmer as well.
It’s a development that indicates that Microsoft realizes the importance of these assets as platforms, rather than as mere devices — a realization made feasible by the work of Bach and Allard. And yet off they go to parts unknown.
Is there a message to be found in Microsoft’s relocation of its gaming and mobile development units back to the platform side of the business? Matt Rosoff, who researches the consumer and online side of the company for the analysis firm Directions on Microsoft, thinks…not.
“I don’t think it matters so much which division of the company Microsoft’s mobile platform group is in,” Rosoff told Betanews this afternoon. “After all, Windows Phone 7 is a very good step, and it was created when the mobile division was under Bach in E&D, and I tend to think smartphones are a consumer-driven purchase — especially since the release of the iPhone. But maybe it’s time to think of mobile OSs in the context of small form-factor computers, in which case it might make sense to move that group back to Windows. That’s a hard call for Ballmer to make, which is probably why he’s taking the reins for a while.
“The mobile space certainly has changed a lot in the last five years, hasn’t it?” said Rosoff. “I don’t think anybody at Microsoft (or many other places) would have predicted the iPhone and mainstreaming of smartphones and ‘apps,’ Google’s successful entry into the space, or Palm’s resurgence and acquisition by HP. Strategically, I think mobile is becoming far more important to Microsoft than it’s ever been — not only is there the opportunity of selling higher-margin software in tens of millions of devices per year, but there’s also the threat to desktop Windows from inexpensive dedicated hardware running competing mobile OSs, such as Apple’s iPad, HP’s planned slates, and possible Android or Chrome devices.”
Could the exit of two executives closely associated with Project Natal, and who are partly responsible for its creation — an exit announced prior to the project’s final unveiling — indicate that perhaps it’s not as big a deal as the entertainment device press made it out to be?
Rosoff sees a scenario where Natal infuses Xbox 360 with some of the “next generation” status that a full-scale successor to that console would have had, if Microsoft could afford to build one. So it’s a stepping stone in one respect, and a paperweight in another: “Project Natal could keep the Xbox 360 an active platform for another few years. That’s good because it helps Microsoft sell more games over the lifetime of each console so they can recover the initial costs of the hardware, and it delays the next generation of consoles, at which point they’ll have to subsidize the hardware again (at least that’s how it has worked with Sony, less so with Nintendo). So I don’t think it was ever viewed as a major business in itself.”
Should we read anything into the fact that Bach’s and Allard’s exit is aligned so closely with HP’s acquisition of Palm, and the likelihood of a webOS-based HP tablet device as a result? Rosoff thinks not, pointing out that Allard was a principal designer of Windows Phone 7. In maintaining an advisory role, as Microsoft said today he would, Allard may prefer to retain ties to his own creation rather than let a competitor use him to help sink it.
On the other hand, Allard’s “advisory role” could end up looking like the “advisory role” a TV show creator is bestowed by its executive producer after he’s been fired. “There are lots of companies who would value Bach’s and Allard’s experience in this space,” Matt Rosoff told Betanews. “Or, they might retire from the tech industry for good.”
Copyright Betanews, Inc. 2010
Microsoft – Apple – Google – iPhone – Sony
Washington D.C. — As many as 10 soldiers from the Army’s Stryker brigade in southern Afghanistan are under investigation for the murder of three Afghan civilians and illicit drug use.
The soldiers, based out of the 5th Stryker Brigade in Fort Lewis, Washington, were accused of the crimes by at least one member of their own unit who witnessed the drug use and learned of the murders from another soldier.
According to defense officials familiar with the case, the soldier who informed his superiors of the drug use was later beaten badly by the men he accused. While recovering from his injuries, another member of his unit approached him to say that the abuse went far beyond drugs, and that these men were responsible for murdering innocent Afghan civilians.
Defense officials refused to name any of the soldiers involved because the investigation is ongoing.
The injured soldier reported the alleged crimes to his senior officers and subsequently the Army Criminal Investigation Command began its investigation. A statement from the U.S. military released last week said one of the accused soldiers is being held in pretrial confinement in Afghanistan. The Army would not give the location of the other 9 soldiers.
Along with the murders, the soldiers are being investigated on allegations of “illegal drug use, assault and conspiracy,” according to statement.
The Stryker brigade has had one of the bloodiest tours in Afghanistan, suffering a high rate of casualties in some of the country’s most violent regions. The unit has been assigned most recently to help to secure the southern city of Kandahar, considered to be one of the most critical operations of President Obama’s Afghanistan troop surge.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited the unit’s headquarters at forward operating base Frontenac on March 9th. He made a point to applaud them for their sacrifices in person.
“You came into an area that was totally controlled by the Taliban,” Gates said to about 200 soldiers at Frontenac. “You fought for critical battle space, you bled for it, and now you own it. And you demonstrated extraordinary courage and determination in making that happen.”
The Army Criminal Investigation Command said the investigation began after it received “credible information from the Soldiers’ unit earlier this month.” Official charges are expected to come within the next week.
Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on whether or not current federal regulations protect automakers from being sued under state product liability laws. According to The Wall Street Journal, justices will examine a California lawsuit that claims that Mazda should be held responsible for the death of a passenger in a 1993 MPV minivan. The passenger was riding in the middle seat, wearing a lap belt, when an accident occurred. The belt caused serious internal injuries that eventually led to death. The plaintiff’s argument is that by not installing three-point seatbelts in the center row of the vehicle, Mazda failed to do everything in its power to protect the occupants of the vehicle.
It’s important to note that three-point seatbelts didn’t become a legal requirement in all seating positions until 2007. Before that time, regulations established in 1989 said that three-point belts were only required in outboard seats, so Mazda built the MPV to conform to the laws in place when the vehicle was built and sold.
The lawsuit was originally rejected after Mazda pointed to a 2000 Supreme Court case in which Honda was unsuccessfully sued after injuries occurred in a 1987 Honda Accord. In that case, the plaintiff said that Honda was responsible because it did not install airbags in the vehicle.
The Supreme Court will hear the case in the 2010-2011 term starting in October.
[Sources: The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg | Image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty]
Mazda seatbelt lawsuit headed to U.S. Supreme Court originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 May 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
I received an email that appalled me: the Royal Ontario Museum, an otherwise excellent establishment, has invited new age nonsense guru Deepak Chopra to speak there!
Here’s part of the announcement:
World renowned teacher, author and philosopher Deepak Chopra presents his latest concepts in the field of mind-body medicine bridging the technological miracles of the West with the wisdom of the East. He will show you how your highest vision of yourself can be turned into physical reality and discuss how you can become a living cell within the body of a living universe. You don’t join the cosmic dance – you become the dance.
If that doesn’t make sense to you, there’s a good reason for it: it doesn’t make sense.
Chopra is perhaps the largest purveyor of pseudoscientific piffling pablum on the planet, and here is a museum — a science museum — paying him to speak. Non-ironically! Worse, check out how much they’re charging: $25 to $175! You can guess how much they’re lining Chopra’s pockets.
<gag>
The Center for Inquiry (Canada) has written an open letter to the museum, and I think they have handled the situation well. I hope they can distribute a lot of flyers at the event. Of course, people who pay that kind of money to hear such nonsense are unlikely to want to hear arguments against it, but we’ll see.
Related posts:
What a week for alt-med smackdowns
Deepak Chopra: redefining wrong
Deepak Chopra followup
Deepak impact
Maybe moving $300 fans is harder than Dyson expected, or perhaps Dyson’s engineers are just flat out of things to do. Either way, this Rube Goldberg-ian balloon course, made from God knows how many Air Multiplier bladeless fans, is mesmerizing. More »
Mechanical – Business – Technology – Lincolnshire – James Dyson
Solar power plant developer SunEdison and energy-focused private equity fund First Reserve have formed a venture that will finance solar projects developed by SunEdison.
The two companies will first invest an initial $165 million in the venture. However, eventually the fund could hold up to $1.5 billion in investment capital.
As part of the venture SunEdison, a unit of MEMC Electronic Materials, will identify and develop projects and First Reserve will handle all financing efforts.
Regarding the venture SunEdison CEO Carlos Domenech said:
The industry needs efficient and scalable financing models to meet demand. We expect the joint venture to help facilitate the development of our existing backlog of project opportunities and prospective projects that meet our development criteria.
The venture is a catalyst that will help ensure that SunEdison’s project-pipeline gets funded.
This is not First Reserve first cleantech investment. Spanish solar developer 9ren Group, formerly Gamesa Solar, is a portfolio company.
Image: iStockphoto
Only connected IEA members can Save Our Schools, Save Our State
Between now and May 31st, and perhaps more than once, IEA members will be asked to drop everything they’re doing, contact their legislators, and urge those officials to either pass or oppose key legislation.
It is crucial that, when the “Call to Action” is announced, as many of IEA’s 133,000 members statewide as possible receive and answer it. Here are some suggestions to help members stay informed:
…and that’s not all
As many as 300,000 school employee jobs nationally could be lost next school year unless Congress steps in. The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are considering proposals that would provide dollars to states and eliminate the need for many of the pink slips across the country.
Politicians do care what’s important to their constituents, especially constituents who call them. So, NEA is asking all friends of education to call 866/608-6355 on Wednesday, May 26. Read more about this initiative on the NEA Today website.
Plan to make the call Wednesday. It’s important.
Back by popular demand, the Summer Leadership Academy will be held July 27-30 at Illinois State University. Online registration as available at the IEA website. Choose the training you want and come for one, two or all four days!
Recognize your students’ achievements and receive 250,000 points free!
Make your students feel good about their accomplishments with uBoost! Recognize positive behavior by awarding students with points redeemable online for prizes they want. Backed by behavioral research, the program is designed to engage students and ultimately drive learning outcomes.
Learn more about uBoost and other member benefits on the NEA Member Benefits website.
Looking for something different to give your dad this year? Check out the savings available when you use your membership card! You can save on electronics, sporting goods, magazines, apparel and more! Click here to save! Just enter your 10-digit member ID number on the membership card and click “go.”
Passports provides educational travel tours for high school and college students, their teachers and professors, and adults. Travel trips are scheduled year-round to Europe, Scandinavia, Africa, the Caribbean, Asia and Australia at low, guaranteed prices, and are normally accompanied by local teacher-organizers, who enjoy special benefits. Find out more on our Website of the Week.
Attention, toy instrument connoisseurs! Make room in your pretend studio for a new addition: the piano. Yes, Rock Band 3 is bringing the ivories to the video game world. More »
Rock Band – Music – Arts and Entertainment – Bands and Artists – Rock Band 3
Pork Tenderloin with cherry-Rioja reduction, spiced walnuts, piquillo peppers and crispy shallots (AJC Staff)
Have you been to the Iberian Pig in Decatur? Do you love it? Or is it not for you? I’m beginning to think the answer to this question says a lot about what you look for in a dining experience.
Three times this week people have told me how much they love this restaurant. When I ask them what they enjoy about it, they tend to respond globally. “The vibe is great,” or “It’s such a nice surprise.”
Do they love the food? Absolutely, even though one fan failed to recall a single dish from the place. Another loved the meatballs stuffed with dates and peppers. A third mentioned the pork tenderloin (above) in cherry sauce.
Then these people ask me if I’ve been to the Iberian Pig. Yes, I respond noncommittally. But only once, so I don’t know it well at all.
In fact, my wife and I live around the corner from the Iberian Pig. We walked over once for some wine and a few small …
