Category: News

Seems that Louisiana lawmakers aren’t the only ones downplaying the size of the Gulf oil spill this month. BP CEO Tony Hayward told the Guardian on Friday that crude oil still gushing from the ocean floor is insignificant relative to the size of the sea it’s contaminating.

“The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean,” Hayward said. “The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume.”

The shrimpers, crabbers, hoteliers and ferrymen of the region would likely disagree.

BP reportedly made some progress over the weekend, inserting into the gusher what’s effectively a big straw that’s pulling about 1,000 barrels a day to barges floating on the Gulf’s surface. That’s a start, but it does nothing to plug to leak.

Shell Oil Company was all set to begin exploring the petroleum-rich arctic waters off the northwest coast of Alaska. But then the major spill in the Gulf of Mexico happened.

In response, President Obama issued a 30-day moritorium on new drilling permits and environmental groups sued to permanently block the plans. The moritorium is set to expire at the end of May.

The administration had already approved Shell’s plan to drill five exploratory wells this July in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. And the Justice Department defended that decision to a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Portland. Late last week the panel denied a request from Alaska Natives and environmental groups for an injunction to halt the drilling.

Residents of Point Hope, Alaska say a major spill would destroy their way of life. For thousands of years the eskimos have been living off what they can catch in the Arctic ocean. Bowhead whales, seals and fish comprise 75% of their diet.

Shell officials say while the ice and harsh winter conditions do present challenges in the Arctic, drilling can be done safely. In fact, Pete Slaiby, Shell Alaska V.P., tells Fox News the drilling depth in the Arctic is far more manageable than exploration in the Gulf of Mexico. The B.P. blowout happened at 5,000 feet, whereas the deepest exploratory well in either the Chukchi or Beaufort seas would be 150 feet. 

Also, Slaiby says Shell has promised to have an oil spill response vessel in place for the duration of the drilling. Given the disaster in the Gulf, environmentalists are unswayed. The Center for Biological Diversity has given the Interior Department notice it plans to sue arguing the need for more research into the impacts of a major spill in the Arctic.

What’s at stake? According to the Minerals Management Service, there are 27 billion barrels of recoverable oil in the U.S. portion of the Arctic ocean. That’s 11 billion barrels more than has been produced on Alaska’s North Slope over the last 3 decades.

Shell has already spent over $3.5 billion on leases, equipment and research for its Arctic exploration. Now it must wait to see what the courts and Obama Administration will do next.

fonte de consulta: http://www.kiwifruta.hpg.ig.com.br/beneficios.htm

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) was a key force behind the austerity riots that exploded around Athens. The Communists are gaining in popularity, as 10% of Greeks support KKE and 50% support the establishment of a coalition government.

So, how would KKE solve the Greek Crisis?

They want to quit the EU and default on international debt, according to an interview with KKE’s Dr Isabella Margara:

That is also why the working class should not be trapped in a discussion about bonds or interest rates, the simple reason being that it has nothing to gain from this discussion. The international loans will end up in the capital’s pockets, not the working class. The Greeks have suffered when the rates were down, they suffer now that the rates are up. We do not intend to share the capital’s ‘anxiety’ about the bourse, because it is becoming clearer every day that if plutocracy does not go bankrupt, then the people will.

Margara defends early retirement and other socialist aspects the Greek state. The problem here isn’t government, she says, but the contradictions of capitalism that are driving Greece (and the rest of Europe) toward a miserable future:

Massive and drastic cuts to public and private sector salaries and pensions, further cuts of benefits, reduced overtime payments, increase of the VAT up to 23%, increase of the indirect taxes, abolishment of collective labour agreements, massive redundancies to public services and merges, right of unrestricted redundancies to private companies, and increases to the retirement age: Huge masses will be condemned to unemployment and extreme poverty. Health and Education will become a privilege only for a small minority. The recovery phase will lead to new concentration of wealth to the capital, to an increase in the degree of exploitation. The recovery, when it happens, will not have a positive impact on the people on one hand, and will lead relatively soon to a new crisis on the other. That is why we oppose the measures.

Think La Revolution will never happen? Check Out The Greece-Like Riots Exploding in California –>

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Sources say that BMW will offer its X6 vehicle with an optional third row. Currently, the BMW X6 is fitted with a pair of rear bucket seats that are divided by the center console that runs all the way to the back – making the X6 a 4-passenger vehicle.

Click here to get prices on the 2011 BMW X6.

According to sources that spoke with BMWBlog, this has been one of the major complaints from X6 owners that say a longer-journey in the X6 can be very uncomfortable.

The third-row option in the X6 will most likely be offered when BMW gives the X6 a facelift when the vehicle reaches its mid-way into the production cycle.

Of course, we’re wondering how this will be possible since the rear seats of the X6 are already cramped and give little head-room due to the sloping roofline of the crossover.

– By: Kap Shah

Source: BMWBlog

There’s one up high in this morning’s New York Times piece on the Iran/Turkey/Brazil uranium enrichment deal:

According to a Western diplomat who spoke in return for anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters, the amount of low-enriched uranium that Iran was prepared to ship to Turkey was believed to represent a little more than half its current stockpile.

“The situation has changed,” the diplomat said.

If you read on in the piece, you’ll see that Iran’s move may not be enough to satisfy the so-called P5+1’s concerns about an Iranian weapons program:

In Tehran, the Foreign Ministry spokesman told a person attending the news conference that Iran would not, for example, suspend its program to enrich uranium to 20 percent — which brings it closer to weapons grade.

Still waiting on an actual official reply from the Obama administration here. But in the meantime, Amb. Susan Rice’s next few weeks are going to be consumed with shepherding a sanctions package through a Security Council that at the very least would rather not pass a new round of sanctions on Iran. The Iranian negotiating posture to date has been to bust up punitive-minded coalitions at the last minute with the prospect of cooperation, so it’s diplomatic malpractice if this comes as a surprise. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t wavering nations who’d want to get off the sanctions bus at the first sign of Iranian openness to a longed-for enrichment deal. What the administration says — and Rice does — today in reaction to the new offering will be crucial.

We don’t have a whole lot to say about this other than we’re really happy it exists. Also, we wanted to post a picture of Indiana Jones, so there you have it. Mission accomplished.

UPDATE: There are TV commercials.

[Harrison Ford Mercury]

There are a wave of iPhone apps that are being ported to Android in hopes of building on the success the developers have had in Apple’s App Store. One of the more popular of these apps released in recent months is Doodle Jump, a game developed by Lima Sky.

Doodle Jump is a platform game where your bounce your doodler onward and upward from platform to platform to earn as many points as you can. Several bonus items such as propeller hats and jetpacks can be found along the way for an extra boost. You will also encounter bad guys and you must tap on the screen to shoot them with green balls that fly out of your nose, which is equally gross and awesome at the same time.

Where Doodle Jump really stands out for me is the way it makes you feel that this is really something that could be going through a kid/teenager/college student’s mind as they’re sitting through another boring class. The background is set on graph paper, and the Doodler and foes alike are simple sketches that anyone really could have drawn. This game just feels like something I would have doodled while sitting in 9th grade algebra, or even college level calculus for that matter. The graphics, though simple, are just done well and have this way of making the gamer relate to it in some way.

In addition to standard single-player, Doodle Jump also has a multiplayer option where you and up to 7 others take turns trying to get your doodler as high as you can, and the highest score wins. That being said, the multiplayer option can only be done on a single phone, there is no option for online multiplayer.

Before getting your hopes up too much, there are a few significant drawbacks to the game. First, though this game will work on most Android devices, several users are reporting it to be extremely laggy on all but the newest snapdragon-powered devices (Nexus One, Droid Incredible, etc.). I reviewed this game on a Nexus One, and had no issues with lag nor had any problems with gameplay in general, but users with other phones should be wary.

Second, the Android version simply does not have as many features as its iPhone counterpart, and Lima Sky does not seem too intent on updating the app since it is still sitting at version 1.0 a few months after release. iPhone users enjoy features such as additional bonus items and new/different scenes, which would add tremendous value for this game.

Third, and speaking of value, Doodle Jump is listed on the Android Market at $3.99, which is four times the $.99 it’s currently going for on Apple’s App Store. It’s a bit tough to swallow paying four times the amount of money for something that has half the features, especially when there are free and/or cheaper alternatives currently on the Android Market.

Pros

• Addictive gameplay. I sat down for several hours without being able to put this game down.
• Graphics/graphical theme is phenomenal. The student doodle concept really works well for me.
• Bonus items are pretty dang fun and a nice addition to this game.

Cons

• Only works well on the newest devices (Nexus One, Droid Incredible)
• $3.99 price point
• Lacks several features from it’s iPhone counterpart.

Final Verdict: Though this game is very addictive, I simply don’t think this game is worth $3.99 until several features are added and bugs are worked out. Once some of these things are fixed, I would definitely recommend giving this addictive game a try.

The Mayor of London, yes, they have a mayor, revealed the long-awaited new London bus today. For those of you unaware that the Old London Bus needed updating, I can assure you it did. And the long bendy ones favoured by other countries just would not do for Ye Olde London – aside from their habit of killing cyclists on tight corners and bursting into flames.

The old Routemaster bus is an icon on London, but the iconic 1954 design needed a revamp. It needed that crucial Fifth Element look cities really ought to be buying into in 2010.

Here’s a fun logic puzzle (see also here; originally found here). There’s a family resemblance to the Monty Hall problem, but the basic ideas are pretty distinct.

An eccentric benefactor holds two envelopes, and explains to you that they each contain money; one has two times as much cash as the other one. You are encouraged to open one, and you find $4,000 inside. Now your benefactor — who is a bit eccentric, remember — offers you a deal: you can either keep the $4,000, or you can trade for the other envelope. Which do you choose?

If you’re a tiny bit mathematically inclined, but don’t think too hard about it, it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that you should definitely switch. After all, there seems to be a 50% chance that the other envelope contains $2,000, and a 50% chance that it contains $8,000. So your expected value from switching is the average of what you will gain — ($2,000 + $8,000)/2 = $5,000 — minus the $4,000 you lose, for a net gain of $1,000. Pretty easy choice, right?

A moment’s reflection reveals a puzzle. The logic that convinces you to switch would have worked perfectly well no matter what had been in the first envelope you opened. But that original choice was complete arbitrary — you had an equal chance to choose either of the envelopes. So how could it always be right to switch after the choice was made, even though there is no Monty Hall figure who has given you new inside information?

Here’s where the non-normalizable measure comes in, as explained here and here. Think of it this way: imagine that we tweaked the setup by positing that one envelope had 100,000 times as much money as the other one. Then, upon opening the first one, you found $100,000 inside. Would you be tempted to switch?

I’m guessing you wouldn’t, for a simple reason: the two alternatives are that the other envelope contains $1 or $10,000,000,000, and they don’t seem equally likely. Eccentric or not, your benefactor is more likely to be risking one dollar as part of a crazy logic game than to be risking ten billion dollars. This seems like something of a extra-logical cop-out, but in fact it’s exactly the opposite; it takes the parameters of the problem very seriously.

The issue in this problem is that there couldn’t be a uniform distribution of probabilities for the amounts of money in the envelopes that stretches from zero to infinity. The total probability has to be normalized to one, which means that there can’t be an equal probability (no matter how small) for all possible initial values. Like it or not, you have to pick some initial probability distribution for how much money was in the envelopes — and if that distribution is finite (”normalizable”), you can extract yourself from the original puzzle.

We can make it more concrete. In the initial formulation of the problem, where one envelope has twice as much money as the other one, imagine that your assumed probability distribution is the following: it’s equally probable that the envelope with less money has any possible amount between $1 and $10,000. You see immediately that this changes the problem: namely, if you open the first envelope and find some amount between $10,001 and $20,000, you should absolutely not switch! Whereas, if you find $10,000 or less, there is a good argument for switching. But now it’s clear that you have indeed obtained new information by opening the first envelope; you can compare what was in that envelope to the assumed probability distribution. That particular probability distribution makes the point especially clear, but any well-defined choice will lead to a clear answer to the problem.

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This is Thomas Salme, a maintenance engineer who became a Boeing 737 pilot by flying a few nights in a flight simulator and printing a fake airliner pilot license. Amazingly enough, he flew passengers for thirteen years without any incidents. More »










Boeing 737 – Aviation – Recreation – Simulation – Business

Question: Why do we need comprehensive clean energy legislation? What types of measures are included in the draft American Power Act? How will these provisions help American families?

CAP’s Daniel J. Weiss, Senior Fellow and Director of Climate Strategy, explains in this edition of Ask the Expert.

Related Posts:

• Senator Kerry explains the strategy and substance of the American Power Act: “It strengthens the Clean Air Act by expanding the authority of the EPA and making that authority permanent.”
• American Power Act to create millions of clean energy jobs, slash pollution and oil use, while boosting U.S. farmers and manufacturers

As we inch closer to its June 4th release date, the news about Sprint’s EVO 4G Android superphone continues to leak out.  This time we have the official retail packaging, which has drawn many comparisons to a microwave TV dinner, and a short description of the contents inside the box.  Alongside the EVO, users will get the usual peripherals like a charger and a cable to connect the phone to your computer as well as an 8 GB micro SD card to store all of your media.  Are any of you planning to pick up an EVO 4G on June 4th? Tell us below!

Via AndroidCentral

From Green Right Now Reports

With severe budget cuts looming ahead, San Jose Parks Foundation today announced the launch of “ParkForce,” a membership campaign that offers residents the opportunity to provide private sector support to protect and preserve city parks and trails.

San Jose Parks Foundation, a nonprofit organization,will begin fund raising through direct mail, online and in targeted public parks and plazas throughout San Jose. ParkForce memberships are available to anyone who donates to the foundation.

“The people of San Jose have a chance to act before the budget cuts have their impact. Parks have a profound impact on many aspects of our lives, from the health of children and seniors to the look and feel of a neighborhood to property values,” San Jose Parks Foundation Executive Director James Reber said in a statement. “The coming budget cuts could have a very negative impact on all city parks. By building a strong ‘ParkForce’ membership we can protect and preserve – and in some cases enhance – our parks and trails. The work of the Friends of San Jose Rose Garden proves that a community effort can be a force for good in our city parks.”

Residents and businesses in San Jose have watched as budget cuts have taken their toll on a variety of city programs. The current deficit projections mean even deeper cuts for San Jose’s department of Parks Recreation and Neighborhood Services. Anticipating that this might happen, PRNS took action a few years ago to help organize and fund the San Jose Parks Foundation, which brings private funds to public parks.

Basic memberships begin at $60 for a family. Associate memberships begin at the Trailblazer level of $125. All funds raised by San Jose Parks Foundation will support programs, services, and capital needs of San Jose’s public parks, trails and community centers. Detailed information is available online at the FaceBook page for San Jose Parks Foundation.

Might We Suggest…

• Gameloft Slowly Un-Embracing Android
  Gameloft, a major gaming developer, has started to pull back on their plans for Android.  The two reasons are potential revenue and adoption of the platform

  “We have significantly cut our investme…

Banks and card issuers warned against the credit card reforms that went into effect a few months back, but so far it’s been a good thing for consumers, according to new delinquency numbers.

From the Associated Press:

The rate of borrowers who fell 90 days or more behind on their cards dropped to 1.11 percent for the first quarter, down from 1.32 percent in the 2009 period, according to credit reporting agency TransUnion. The delinquency rate was also down from the fourth-quarter of 2009, when it stood at 1.21 percent.

Although a lot of this good news can be attributed to consumers who are budgeting better and spending less, an executive at the credit report agency TransUnion told the AP that the reforms have also helped. Since banks can no longer raise a customer’s interest rate without warning, and since there are now limits on penalty fees, they haven’t been able to inflate balances as quickly as in the past. That in turn has led to lower minimum payments.

“Late payment drop shows impact of credit reforms” [Associated Press]

General Motors announced today that it has returned to profitability in the first quarter of 2010 with revenue of $31.5 billion and operating income of $1.2 billion. Net income attributable to common stockholders was $0.9 billion, resulting in earnings per share on a diluted basis of $1.66. The automaker made a total of $865 million during the first three months of the year.

The profit is its first since 2007 and the first since it emerged from bankruptcy last year. GM reported losses in the two previous quarters after coming out of bankruptcy.

“We’re pleased with our first quarter performance, in particular achieving profitability,” said Chris Liddell, vice chairman and chief financial officer. “In North America we are adding production to keep up with strong demand for new products in our four brands. We’re also steadily growing in emerging markets, keeping our costs under control, generating positive cash flow and maintaining a strong balance sheet. These are all important steps as we lay the foundation for a successful GM.”

A year ago, GM lost nearly $6 billion on revenue of only $22.4 billion, as sales plunged and the company hurdled toward bankruptcy.

Make the jump for the press release.

Press Release:

GM Reports First Quarter 2010 Results

GM achieves net income of $0.9 billion and EPS of $1.66

DETROIT, Mich. – General Motors Company today announced its first quarter 2010 results, marked by revenue of $31.5 billion and operating income of $1.2 billion. Net income attributable to common stockholders was $0.9 billion, resulting in earnings per share on a diluted basis of $1.66.

GM’s first quarter adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) was $1.7 billion, after adjusting for the favorable impact of the sale of the Saab brand.

GM North America had EBIT in the first quarter 2010 of $1.2 billion, up from a loss of $3.4 billion in the fourth quarter 2009. GM Europe had a loss before interest and taxes of $0.5 billion; an improvement of $0.3 billion from the fourth quarter. GM International Operations posted EBIT of $1.2 billion, up $0.5 billion from the fourth quarter.

Cash flow from operating activities was $1.7 billion and after adjusting for capital expenditures of $0.7 billion, free cash flow was $1.0 billion. GM ended the first quarter with $35.7 billion in cash and marketable securities, including funds in escrow.

– By: Omar Rana

The MPAA and Hollywood in general have been very, very strong supporters of stricter and more restrictive copyright laws pretty much as far as they can go. Jack Valenti, for many years the head of the MPAA, has famously declared both that, if it were up to him, copyright would last “forever minus a day” and that fair use was not part of the law. But, of course, time and time again, we see that strongest defenders of copyright law often find that they get a bit upset when it constrains them as well. Eriq Gardner has the story of the rise in lawsuits over Hollywood remakes from the estates (or others who purchased the copyrights later) of authors claiming infringement over movies. The main case that resulted in the article is really quite impressive in the number of layers deep that the whole thing goes.

Basically, Viacom (of course, a very strong defender of copyright) is being sued by an outfit called the American Rights Management Company, which claims to hold the copyright on a Damon Runyon story, Madame La Gimp, that was written in 1929. That story was later made into the movie Lady for a Day directed by Frank Capra. A few years later, Capra made yet another movie, also based on the same Runyon story, but this time, the movie was Pocketful of Miracles. About a decade ago, Jackie Chan made a remake, which was just called Miracles, which resulted in a lawsuit and a settlement. The issue now is another movie, which does appear to be either “loosely based on” or “inspired” by one or more of those predecessors, but made for an Indian audience in Bollywood, called Sing is Kinng. Follow all that? Here’s the lawsuit:

The complaint lays out the similarities in the story structure and plot — though, notably not the actual dialogue. If copyright really were about the expression and not the idea, then it’s difficult to see how this is infringing, but as we’ve learned, when it comes to stories, courts seem to only pay lip service to that whole idea/expression dichotomy (despite it supposedly being a key element in keeping copyright law from violating the First Amendment).

While I do feel that Viacom should absolutely be free to make this movie (and others should be free to make their remakes as well), I do have to admit it’s rather amusing to see Viacom and its strong pro-copyright stance potentially come back to bite the company.

Oh, and separately, it should be noted how ridiculous it is that the original Runyon work is still under copyright. When the copyright was registered — as was required in 1929 — the maximum the copyright could have lasted would have been 56 years. That was the “deal” that the US government made in exchange for the monopoly right, the work would go into the public domain by 1986, at the latest. By any measure, the work should be in the public domain. Of course, as we know, in 1976 we got ourselves a new copyright law and in 1998 copyright was extended again — ridiculously applied retroactively. This is a breach of the agreement originally made, which had the deal extended without any benefit to the other side (the public). Oh yeah, and while copyright law today says copyright law is “life plus 70 years,” you might think that this means Runyon’s work should be in the public domain. After all, the man died in 1946 — some 74 years ago. But, you’d be wrong. Because his works were published between 1923 and 1963 (and the copyright was renewed), it gets 95 years of protection from the publication date… meaning it doesn’t go into the public domain until 2025 (assuming — and it’s probably a big assumption — that there are no more copyright extensions).

Hmm. So if the MPAA hadn’t fought so damn hard for copyright law changes and copyright extension, this particular work would have been in the public domain decades ago. But, thanks to the MPAA’s efforts — and Viacom is a major player in the MPAA — it’s covered by copyright for at least another 15 years. Oops.

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An Exceptionally Good Little Cute Ute
Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press

In typical Honda fashion, it might take a magnifying glass to notice the mid-cycle modifications made to its 2010 CR-V, but don’t doubt it, they’re there.

Honda refreshed its popular compact crossover this year, by augmenting the front fascia, grille, bumpers and hood, while adding two new colours to the palette including Opal Sage Metallic and Polished Metal Metallic; gone are Green Tea Metallic, Tango Red Pearl, Royal Blue Pearl and Borrego Beige. The CR-V gets more power and better fuel economy too, while new technologies are now available.

Getting granular, LX trim now comes with standard alloy wheels and rear privacy glass, while the mid-range EX adds an eight-way power driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, a USB jack for the stereo, a compass, centre console and auto on/off headlamps to the inside, while body-colour mirrors and handles, plus a new ten-spoke alloy wheel design upgrade the exterior appearance. The top-line EX-L now features standard XM satellite radio and the availability of Bluetooth connectivity when the navigation package is chosen. All models get wider centre armrests up front, new seat fabric textures, a new door handle design, and revised trim panel sections for the steering wheel, gear selector and upper glovebox.

All models also get Honda’s 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, which now makes 180 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 161 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm, which is 14 horsepower greater than its predecessor; torque stays the same. Immediately off the line its extra power isn’t all that noticeable, but when the revs start to climb the 2010 model gives a shove in the backside that was lacking last year. It’s especially helpful when passing.

Also positive is that the upgraded engine, still mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, delivers better fuel-efficiency at an estimated 9.8 L/100km in the city and 7.1 on the highway for front-wheel drive models and 10.1 and 7.5 respectively for all-wheel drive trim levels, compared to 10.3 L/100km in the city and 7.3 on the highway for last year’s front-drive CR-V and 10.7 and 7.8 for 2009 all-wheel drive models. More power and better fuel economy is always a good combination, and Honda mixes this in with regular gas, saving even more at the pump.

While the CR-V won’t exactly light up the tires, it certainly handles nimbly. Dry pavement or wet, gravel or snow, 17-inch alloy wheels on 225/65R17all-season tires, a nicely balance chassis and standard traction and stability control add control and a general sense of security to almost any scenario. ABS-enhanced four-wheel discs add to the safety features, which also include airbags all-round, including standard curtain-type airbags for front and rear window seats. A tire pressure monitoring system is also standard fare.

Speaking of standard features, the base LX also gets air conditioning, power locks with keyless entry, power windows with an auto up/down driver’s window, heated and power remote mirrors, a conversation mirror, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cruise control, a CD/MP3/WMA audio system with auxiliary input, a fuel economy meter, intermittent front and rear wipers, a retractable centre tray table, manual driver’s seat height adjustment, 60/40 split-folding slide and tumble rear seats, fold-down rear centre armrest, rear privacy glass, an under-seat storage bin, and front and rear splash guards.

Move up to the EX and, added to what comes with the LX and what was already mentioned above, you’ll get a powered sunroof, a six-CD/MP3 stereo with steering wheel-mounted controls, variable intermittent wipers, exterior temperature display, dual-deck cargo shelf, a security alarm and chrome grille inserts.

The EX-L adds heated leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and an upgraded premium audio system. Options on the EX-L include an under-seat storage bin, along with an available navigation system with backup camera and Bluetooth connectivity.

Storage in mind, the CR-V can stow a sizeable 1,011 litres (35.6 cu ft) behind the rear seats and 2,064 litres (72.8 cu ft) with those 60/40 rear seatbacks folded flat. Its towing capacity is as per the class average at 680 kilos (1,500 lbs).

Contrary to popular belief, car-based crossovers aren’t all that bad at light-duty off-road jaunts. During the CR-V’s launch program I took the then-new 2007 model through some mucky patches of Ontario goo, and it proved a fine little mule thanks to its all-wheel drive, 185 millimeters (7.2 inches) of ground clearance and the traction and stability control I mentioned earlier. If you’ve got a cottage in the country, want to find that out of the way fishing spot down some little used logging road or want to feel safe and sound on your way up the ski hill, the CR-V is ideal.

Safe and sound in mind, Honda promises much better than average reliability ratings as per third-party studies done by J.D. Power and Associates and Consumer Reports, and supports these findings with a 3-year or 60,000 km comprehensive warranty as well as a 5-year or 100,000 km powertrain warranty.

As far as I’m concerned, you can’t go wrong with a CR-V. It’s certainly not the quickest in the pack and might not offer as many features as some of its rivals, but its dependability is top-notch, functionality first-rate, build-quality exceptionally good, fuel economy excellent, and prospective resale value among the best in its class. Need I say more?

Last night Google spruced up their Android Market website, but it was not the major upgrade everyone has been waiting for. The site acts mainly as a showcase and does not allow users to browse all apps, download apps, see full app details, or even perform basic Google-functions like search.

Even though the site is still mostly useless, Google could have made some important changes behind the scenes. We know a new version of the Market client is coming that allows automatic updates and the developer console is also getting new feedback features. Hopefully more will be revealed at Google I/O.