Category: News

Wade Roush wrote:

The Rocket Racing League game coming to the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad early this summer is a rare beast: a futuristic video game that’s based on real life.

RRL Games, a wing (or should I say fin?) of the Orlando, FL-based Rocket Racing League, is expected to release its game for the iPhone and iPod Touch this month and for the iPad in June. Judging from previews, it’s a high-octane simulation of the even higher-octane real-world sport of rocket racing, in which pilots fly four-seat, delta-wing airplanes modified with rocket engines that burn liquid oxygen and ethanol.

Rocket racing, which CNN reporter Miles O’Brien has called “a mashup between Stars Wars pod racing and NASCAR,” is the co-creation of investor Granger Whitelaw and X Prize Foundation founder Peter Diamandis, who will give a keynote presentation at the Xconomy Summit on Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (XSITE) on June 17. Their Rocket Racing League organization raised a $5.5 million venture round last year to advance its vision of a rocket racing circuit that would take place at airfields around the country, with fans watching military, acrobatic, and test pilots competing in four-lap heats around a 5-mile raceway.

The league is recruiting teams for the competitions now, and the first races are tentatively planned for 2011. But meanwhile, eager fans will be able to experience rocket racing on their Apple mobile devices. In screen shots from the game, rocket planes zoom through course markers that define the race course—essentially virtual tunnels in the sky. In actual rocket races, pilots will have heads-up displays showing them much the same information, and fans will be able to watch their progress from the ground on jumbotrons running augmented-reality software. (You have to watch this video from a demonstration in Tulsa, OK, to fully grok this.)

The organization says that eventually, it would like iPhone- or iPad-toting spectators to be able to race virtual planes alongside the actual ones in real time. But that’s a ways off. In the nearer term, gamers will be able to use the apps to compare race times with their friends on Facebook, as Diamandis explained in the following e-mail interview.

Xconomy: Do you hope that the rocket racing video game will help to generate increased interest in rocket racing as a real-world sport?

Peter Diamandis: In the development of any business, especially a sports league, it’s vital that we give our fans as many ways to get involved and be a part of the action as possible. The RRL game allows our fans to design and pilot their very own …Next Page »

UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS

No matter how bad life gets, you’re just one crippling coke addiction away from turning it all around.

Full Disclosure: This probably won’t work and probably will kill you.  Just enjoy the damn video, please.

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Refugee – Arts – batman-arkham-asylum – Australia – Television

below, from Kirk campaign…

***Media Advisory***

Illinois Chamber of Commerce to Endorse Kirk for Senate

State’s oldest and largest business advocacy group represents Illinois employers of all sizes from all sectors of the economy

WHO: Congressman Mark Kirk

Doug Whitley, Illinois Chamber President and CEO

Calvin Butler, Chairman of Illinois Chamber Board of Directors

WHERE: Cardinal Colorprint Printing

2532 W. Irving Park Rd.

Chicago

WHEN: Tuesday, May 18th

10:00 AM

WHAT: The Illinois Chamber of Commerce will announce its endorsement of Congressman and Navy veteran Mark Kirk for U.S. Senate due to his strong support for policies that create jobs, help small businesses grow and spur economic growth.

The Illinois Chamber is the state’s oldest and largest broad-based business advocacy group representing small and large employers across all sectors of the state’s economy.

We recent illustrated in a handy chart of sold Android phones in the market the issue of Android fragmentation, most phones were on Android 1.5. In a chart just released by Google showing Android Platform Versions; we can see there are more users on Android 2.1 at 37.2%, followed by Android 1.5 at 34.1 then Android 1.6 at 28%. With Google I/O starting tomorrow we expect to see Android 2.2 (Froyo) debut, which could add to more fragmentation, however it is rumored this version makes updating easier hopefully easing the scattered pains.

See the Stats:

Data collected during two weeks ending on May 17, 2010

[Via AndroidGuys via Android Platform Versions]

Look, I love my iPad as much as the next guy and, just like the next guy, if I had to make the choice between food and water and the iWork suite, I’d probably go for the iWork suite. However, I would not tattoo the Apple logo onto my shoulder.

Billy Hime, a self-professed “iPhone Owner,” “shameless flirt,” and “Youtube Video Blogger” filmed himself getting his tattoo with his mom. He also wrote on Twitter that “Lotion=burning my Apple,” a comment on what we can only assume to be the effects of the antiseptic on his tattoo and not a euphemism for something else.

Regardless, let poor Billy’s example be a lesson and a warning to all of you of how far a young man will go to satisfy his Apple addiction and, next time you get the urge to call us fanboys, I’ll remind you that my only tattoo is of Ernest Borgnine circa Airwolf on my left upper thigh. It’s for religious reasons.

Iran Agrees to Ship Uranium to Turkey
Iran agreed Monday to ship most of its enriched uranium to Turkey in a nuclear fuel swap deal that could ease the international standoff over the country’s disputed nuclear program, just as pressure mounts for tougher sanctions. The deal was reached in talks with Brazil and Turkey, elevating a new group of mediators for the first time in the dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities. There was no immediate comment from the United States and the other world powers that have led earlier negotiations as to whether the new deal would satisfy them and stave off a fourth round of UN sanctions.

For a moment, at least, the world seems calm.

The violence in Bangkok has settled down, and for now Europe does not look as though it is on the verge of collapse.

So let’s take a look at InTrade.com to get the odds on what’s going to happen next in the worlds of politics, pop culture, and businesses.

Note the way Intrade works: Each contract is based off some kind of a question that can resolve in one of two ways. (E.G. “Will Barack Obama win re-reelection”). If the outcome is affirmative, the contract ends at 100. Otherwise, the contract ends at 0. In the meantime, traders trade the contracts back and forth, and the current price, represents the odds, more or less.

Sen. Arlen Specter has only a 20% chance of winning his primary race today.

Source: Intrade.com

Rand Paul, on the other hand, appears to be lock to win his race.

Source: Intrade.com

The next Supreme Court Justice (probably Kagan) is likely to be sworn in by Jul 31

Source: Intrade.com

It doesn’t look like Lloyd Blankfein is going to resign anytime soon.

Source: Intrade.com

But it seems very likely Goldman will pay a fine to the SEC before the end of the year

Source: Intrade.com

Crystal Bowersox is the slight favorite to win American Idol

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is unlikely to be the next Senator from Florida

Source: Intrade.com

The GOP still isn’t quite the favorite to win the US House of Representatives come November

Source: Intrade.com

Odds of any current Eurozone nation to leave the union has fallen to 17%.

Source: Intrade.com

There’s only a 5% chance that Twitter announces an IPO by the end of June.

Source: Intrade.com

There’s just a 5% chance the US experiences any credit rating event by the end of the year.

Source: Intrade.com

There’s a 10% chance New York defaults by the end of the year.

Source: Intrade.com

Odds of a California default are 20%.

Source: Intrade.com

Odds are still against the so-called “Volcker Rule” from becoming law by the end of the year.

Source: Intrade.com

California slightly favored to legalize marijuana by the end of the year

Source: Intrade.com

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The Radar: 10 brewing stories you need to start paying attention to >

Join the conversation about this story »

Eco factor: Zero-emission car powered by electric motors

Miika Heikkinen has recently proposed a new sports car design for Bently, which in his opinion is just perfect for driving freaks who like driving to extreme. Dubbed the “TEN11”, the concept derives its name from Bentley’s logo itself, which sports ten feathers on the left and eleven on the right side. The project, a collaboration between Miika Heikkinen and EXA aims to come up with a vehicle that is low on emissions.

(more…)

Late Late Night FDL: My Own Sinking Ship
Featuring new videos by The Drive By Truckers and Good Old War.

Featuring new videos by The Drive By Truckers and Good Old War.

What’s on your mind tonight?

?

Germany might be able to handle the current Eurozone bailout, but it’s longer-term problem is how to prevent recurrences.

That’s why Germany’s finance ministry is reportedly preparing new potential rules for the Eurozone, whereby nations would be requires to pass ‘debt brake’ laws similar to what Germany already has.

A debt brake is simply a law that caps a country’s budget deficit to a certain percentage of GDP. For Germany, a debt brake was enacted during the financial crisis whereby the nation is limited to budget deficits of no more than 0.35% by 2016.

The hope is that debt breaks could replace the timid budget restrictions existing currently under the Eurozone’s ‘Stability and Growth Pact’, which has of course proven completely ineffectual.

Reuters:

“Behind this is our belief that we cannot have a repeat of the Greece crisis. We think the Stability and Growth Pact (on fiscal standards) has been insufficient,” spokesman Michael Offer told a regular news conference.

“Firstly, we want to prevent budget crises, we want better supervision of economic policy and thirdly the introduction of a group to fight euro zone crises,” said Offer, declining to give details on individual proposals.

…

Chancellor Angela Merkel sang the praises of Germany’s debt rules in a speech on Sunday but stopped short of proposing that the euro zone should adopt a similar model.

“I believe that a brake on debt is the right thing,” Merkel said, adding Europe’s high debts were an “alarm signal.”

Obviously the hard part is getting other nations to enact debt brakes, and then follow them.

Thus perhaps Germany could use debt brakes as a stipulation for the financial support it provides. In a sense, it could its bailout money to strengthen the Eurozone not just through raw financial support, but through tough regulatory reform at the same time. Kind of like a mini IMF within Europe, providing money, but with austerity strings attached. It’s a long shot, but perhaps there’s a way Germany can enforce austerity measures within other countries whose governments are too weak to do so. Even if they’re half successful, ie. only half of Eurozone countries accept German-style restrictions, it could be a major improvement from the current situation.

Join the conversation about this story »

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By Cam Cardow, The Ottawa Citizen

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The conservative media’s religious test

Conservative media have invoked Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan’s Judaism in order to suggest that she may be a radical or that the court would not represent mainstream America if she is confirmed.

Constitution prohibits religious tests for judicial nominees

Constitution says that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office.” While it’s obviously not unconstitutional for conservative media to invoke Kagan’s Judaism while criticizing her nomination, such comments are particularly noteworthy in light of the tradition of religious tolerance in this country, as exemplified by the Constitution’s prohibition of religious tests for public office. Article VI of the Constitution stated: “Pat Buchanan is a recidivist anti-Semite who never misses an opportunity to show his fangs. His remarks about the Jewish background of Elena Kagan and the religious makeup of the Supreme Court are bigoted and unacceptable in a pluralistic society such as ours.” He added, “Kagan’s nomination for the Supreme Court should be considered on its merits. She is a highly qualified candidate for the judiciary, an exemplary Solicitor General and a great legal mind.”

Sen. Lautenberg: Buchanan’s “outrageous” comments make it sound like he “longs for the days when religious quotas kept people out of high-ranking positions in government.” From Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) statement responding to Buchanan’s column:

“It is outrageous that Mr. Buchanan is using Elena Kagan’s religion as kindling to enflame opposition to her nomination to the Supreme Court,” stated Lautenberg. “Elena Kagan was chosen by President Obama because of her ability and knowledge, and Mr. Buchanan’s comments undermine her significant legal achievements. It sounds like Mr. Buchanan longs for the days when religious quotas kept people out of high-ranking positions in government.”

The Tattlesnake – Goodbye Specters of Doom Edition
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What to Watch in Kentucky
In Kentucky, Jack Conway (D) and Dan Mongiardo (D) face off in what has turned out to be a very close Democratic Senate primary. Polls close across the state by 7 pm ET.

1. Jack Conway is from Louisville and is expected to do quite well there. Louisville has a tendency to report its results earlier in the evening, and Conway should lead early in the count. Dan Mongiardo is counting on a strong performance in the rural areas of Kentucky and should be able to close the gap with Conway as those results come in. If Mongiardo leads with 50% of the precincts reporting, he’ll likely win.

2. Will voters actually pull the lever for Darlene Price? This former US customs drug agent and Democratic candidate for US Senate has been pulling about 5% in recent polls. In polls, her vote tends to be among Conway’s constituency of liberals and females. If the support Price falters at the polls, Conway is likely to be the beneficiary and it may put him over the top.

3. Does anybody actually show-up? Most of the media attention in Kentucky (and nationally) has been focused on the Republican Senatorial primary between likely winner Rand Paul and Trey Grayson. The Secretary of State, who happens to be Trey Grayson, predicts only a 30% turnout statewide. Conway has vastly outspent Mongiardo on television and is likely to benefit from a large turnout. If more than 500,000 votes are cast statewide in the Democratic primary, Conway is likely to win.

— Guest contributor Harry Enten writes Margin of Error and is an intern for Pollster.com.

What to Watch in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) faces a tough primary challenge from Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) for the Democratic Senate nomination. Polls close at 8 pm ET.

1. The early returns will come from Philadelphia where Specter is widely seen as having an advantage. Specter started his political career as Philly’s district attorney and is counting on a large turnout among African-Americans. While polling differs on how well Specter and Sestak are doing in Philadelphia, Specter better jump out to a large lead early or his night will likely be a long one.

2. Speaking of the black vote, Specter’s fate may be tied to Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Anthony Williams. Williams, who is African-American, has, like Specter, been endorsed by most of the major politicians and political organizations in Philadelphia. While Williams is likely to lose to front-runner Dan Onorato, a strong Williams performance (20%+ statewide) probably indicates a high African-American turnout and is good for Specter.

3. Suffolk University pollsters have pegged York County as the “bellwether” county. That is, the county most likely to predict the results statewide. While Suffolk University does not always get the results right, the winner of their chosen bellwether county almost always wins statewide.

— Guest contributor Harry Enten writes Margin of Error and is an intern for Pollster.com.

Backstory: A Nintendo suit said a while back that the company hasn’t announced the official name yet for its upcoming handheld 3D gaming device. This of course suggests that 3DS isn’t the official name.

Well, that might not be true if Nintendo’s recent trademark filings have anything to say about it.

Apparently the company a trademark for not only “3DS”, but also “3DSPlay” and “3DSWare.” 3DSWare sounds an awlful like DSiWare, the online gaming distribution system currently employeed by Nintendo for the DSi.

Maybe the official name is 3DS. It is kind of a clever name, combing the 3D moniker with the dual screen notation currently used by the last couple generations. Plus, we already have a bunch of posts tagged with the 3DS name. Let’s keep it as 3DS, m’kay? [Siliconera via Kotaku

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