Category: News

It’s time to begin submitting your events, activities, speakers and programs to be included in the Ready for the World Passport for the fall semester of the 2010-11 academic year.

Faculty, staff and students are urged to use an electronic form to quickly and easily provide information about events related to the international and intercultural initiative. The form is found at http://www.utk.edu/readyfortheworld/passport/.

For several years, Ready for the World Passports have helped promote campus activities and initiatives. The Passport is a great personal planner that is distributed free to students, faculty and staff. It is often used as a recruitment tool and serves as a valuable record of the extensive programming that supports Ready for the World goals.

In order to produce the Passport in time for spring semester distribution, information about your unit’s spring programs is needed by Friday, July 2. These events might include, but are not limited to, films, lectures, exhibits, campus-wide activities, etc.

Remember that Ready for the World encompasses both international AND intercultural efforts. In addition to wide-ranging intercultural activities across campus, this year’s theme is civility. We are especially interested in any initiatives or activities that are planned that target this theme.

The Passport provides free advertisement for programs, so please take advantage of this opportunity to broadcast information to the campus community and beyond.

Any questions about the Passport, should be addressed to Amy Blakely at [email protected] or (865) 974-5034.

By now, the news that Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) has agreed to buy Palm (PALM) is well known. But one of the things we like to do here at footnoted is look at the filings for interesting patterns once a deal is announced. It didn’t take us long to find this 8-K that was filed on April 16 shortly after 5 pm.

The filing was short and sweet: one executive was leaving and the company was implementing a retention program for “certain key employees” that gave them restricted stock — and, for two employees, SVP for Global Operations Jeffrey P. Devine and CFO Douglas C. Jeffries, an additional $250,000 cash bonus.

While the 8-K didn’t mention how many restricted shares the executives got, Form 4s for six executives, including Mssrs. Devine and Jeffries, were filed around 7 pm that same day. They all show that the grants were unusually generous: ranging from 175,000 RSUs for SVP for Worldwide Sales Dave Whalen to 275,000 for Devine.

Granted, it was no secret that Palm was being shopped around, even though CEO Jon Rubinstein was widely quoted last week as saying that Palm could remain independent. Given this, one could argue that Palm was doing what it needed to do to maintain some semblance of calm in the company’s executive offices.

Still, both the timing and the sheer generosity do seem somewhat unusual. Although we looked back a few years, we couldn’t find other similar grants of restricted shares to Palm executives. The only thing that comes close is the 215,000 restricted shares that Rubinstein received when he was tapped to be CEO last year.

It’s hard to calculate the exact paper-profit since we don’t know what HP plans to do about these shares and won’t know until additional merger documents are filed. In the proxy that Palm filed last August, it states that “If the successor corporation refuses to assume or substitute for the award, the award will vest in full and become immediately exercisable.” But assuming all of those options vest immediately, the April 16 grants to those six executives add up to just over $8 million. In the proxy, the shares that are subject to vesting and held by Mssrs. Devine and Jeffries are valued at $3 million and $1.9 million respectively, though that was way before this current grant.

One other quick thought about that late Friday 8-K. It was filed the same day that Palm filed this 8-K which noted that the company was lowering its revenue guidance. Now maybe this is all just one giant coincidence. After all, as we say often enough, hindsight is always 20-20. Still, it’s hard not to argue that the series of filings at Palm represents an interesting and unusual pattern.

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Water ice and organic molecules have been discovered on an asteroid’s surface for the first time. Researchers glimpsed the ice on 24 Themis, a frosty rock that could be the key to understanding how Earth became the blue planet. More »

Researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine are testing a new noninvasive resin polymer material to infiltrate tooth enamel to seal and stop the spread of dental decay.

The noninvasive dental resin could be a new product in the dentist’s medicine cabinet — along with fluoride varnish, dental sealants and the tooth brushes and dental floss for oral hygiene — to ward off and stop tooth decay from spreading and destroying the tooth’s surface.

Dental researchers Jin-Ho Phark and Silas Duarte are interested in a resin material produced by DMG (Deutsche Material Gesellschaft), a German dental products company. They discussed the new product in the article, “Caries Infiltration with Resins: A Novel Treatment Option for Interproximal Caries,” in the journal Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry.

The researchers will clinically test the resin product on 40 adolescences who have completed their orthodontic treatments and have just had their fixed braces removed within the past three months.

What interests the researcher is how much this product can reverse white spots, or the beginning lesions associated with dental decay resulting from hard to clean areas. They also want to see if the resin holds up over the two years the subjects would be in the study.

Narrow spacing between teeth is another problem area to keep clean. The resin polymer may help to keep the teeth healthy.

If current noninvasive methods, like flossing and fluoridation, do not work, then dentists must use invasive procedures and go in and remove the decayed areas by drilling. Drilling weakens the teeth and over time fillings need to be replaced every 7 to 10 years, which requires more enamel removal and further weakening of the teeth.

“The idea is to develop a product that at a minimum delays decay or prevents it,” Phark said.

He added, “We also want to find a product that is an intermediary treatment between noninvasive and invasive treatments.”

If interested in participating in the study to test the new material, contact Phark at [email protected].

For more information contact Susan Griffith, 216.368.1004.

Acer has told Yahoo! that they will be releasing a full like of Mobile Internet Devices that will be running version 4.0 of their Shell UI, previously seen on their Windows Mobile devices such as the Acer M900. It is not known if the devices will run Windows Mobile or not.

The device should arrive by the end of May and will all include 3G data and software which will allow the devices to interact with each other.

Via Engadget.com

Giving the Chevrolet brand a global presence is a key strategy at the new General Motors Company, however, in South Korea GM continues to sell its current global Chevy lineup under the Daewoo brand. Well, all that’s about to chance with the introduction of new Camaro, which will go on sale in Korea in 2011.

Click here to get prices on the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro.

“According to our market research, half of all Koreans are familiar with the brand and more than 80 percent are aware of Chevrolet’s distinctive logo,” said GM Daewoo Auto & Technology President and CEO Mike Arcamone. “This is indicative of the positive brand image that already exists among consumers in Korea toward Chevrolet. We see tremendous upside with its introduction.”

Click here to read our review on the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro.

Click through for the press release for more details.

Review: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro LT V6:

Press Release:

GM to Bring Chevrolet to Korea

Will launch GM’s leading global brand to strengthen its position in domestic market

Busan, Korea – Chevrolet, General Motors Company’s leading global vehicle brand, will be introduced in Korea in 2011. GM Daewoo Auto & Technology President and CEO Mike Arcamone made the announcement today at a press conference held in conjunction with the opening of the Busan International Motor Show.

“The introduction of Chevrolet will enable us to provide our customers an array of exciting new vehicles from the brand’s global lineup, giving them more driving options,” said Arcamone. “This will help GM Daewoo increase our sales and market share in the domestic market while generating additional revenue, strengthening our employees’ job security, creating new jobs and resulting in additional investment in Korea. We regard it as a key to our long-term success.”

As an example of the products that Korean consumers can expect, GM Daewoo introduced the new Chevrolet Camaro at its motor show stand. The popular sports car will go on sale in Korea in 2011.

Arcamone also emphasized that today’s announcement is about brand coexistence, not brand replacement. “Our decision to launch Chevrolet is in the best interest of GM Daewoo and Korea,” he said.

Founded in 1911 and named after famous race car driver Louis Chevrolet, Chevrolet is one of GM’s four core brands. Last year, Chevrolet accounted for 44 percent of GM’s global sales and registered a 21 percent increase in sales from the previous year.

“GM is bringing the new brand to Korea to enhance our presence in the domestic market,” said GM International Operations President Tim Lee. “Last year, 3.3 million Chevrolet vehicles were sold in 130 markets worldwide, making it the fourth most popular passenger car brand globally.”

The success of products such as the new Chevrolet Cruze global compact sedan and the next-generation Chevrolet Spark mini-car has played a key role in Chevrolet becoming one of the fastest-growing vehicle brands in the world. Chevrolet sales in 2009 were twice those in 2005.

“Chevrolet has enjoyed success in mature markets in North America and Europe, as well as in emerging markets in Asia Pacific and Latin America,” said Lee. “We are confident that it will drive us into a new era in Korea.”

– By: Omar Rana

The VAT may resolve the debt crisis, but for politicians it’s too soon to be right.

That’s the headline of this David Ignatius piece in the Washington Post suggesting that the value-added tax is an idea before its time. Perhaps. But he writes:

By ruling out a VAT when it could keep the federal deficit in check,
politicians have all but guaranteed that the debt crisis, when it
comes, will be more damaging. But by then, everyone will be clamoring
for a VAT, so it will be safe to endorse it.

The value-added tax could be an effective revenue-generator and tax-code-transformer, but this language is a bit strong. The VAT isn’t some uniquely magical elixir to deficititis. It’s just an efficient tax. Politicians could introduce it at a revenue-neutral level (you could off-set a first-year rate of 5% with reductions to corporate or income taxes) and then scale it up to 10% in the next few years as the economy gained steam, at which point it would start making real money.

But VAT-or-bust is overstating the case a bit. Repealing the Bush tax cuts for more than the top 5% sometime in the next five years could save more than $100 billion annually. Broadening the tax base by eliminating tax expenditures would save the government a slice out of the $900 billion of cash it passes up each year. Not to mention a carbon tax, defense cuts, Social Security means-testing, PAYGO, Medicare reform … the list goes on. If we focus on one item to the exclusion of all else, we’ll fail to appreciate the unique opportunity of a deficit commission which is to evaluate the entirety of our Rube Goldberg tax system and skewed spending preferences. In the long term, medical inflation matters much more than any other thing. In the short term, all those other things should be on the table.

A reader, Derek, writes:

Not with a bang, but a whimper? I’m @ the VZN store with the earliest
opening time in a major metro region, and I am the line. I feel a bit
silly.

Did you wait in line? Do you want us to get you coffee?

Chef Terry Koval stands by my table, points to my half-eaten burger and says, “That was a good cow.”

I suddenly have an image of Bessie being led by the ring in her nose right into a meat grinder.

Koval continues. “This one is so juicy and has such a good flavor. Much better than that first cow we had.” He sighs. “Of course, I never thought we’d already be onto our second cow by now. But we’ve been so busy.”

You want farm to table? We got you some farm to table right here. Call it cow to bun.

The process of sourcing meat at Decatur’s new and phenomenally busy Farm Burger goes something like this:

The kitchen sources a grass-fed cow from one of several local farms. Koval mentioned a North Carolina farm for this one and says he works with Charlotte and Wes Swancy of Riverview Farms in Ranger to build a network of suppliers. The marked beast is sent to Happy Valley Processing in Dearing to be humanely killed (whatever that means), and the trimmed meat ages up to three weeks …

Content: Black Market Aerial Pack
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions except Japan
Dash Text: With the Black Market Aerial Pack you get these cool items: – F-33 DragonFly Jet Fighter: With quad-mounted miniguns and double missile launchers, this agile bird is the definite ruler of the skies, and packs a serious punch to land based targets as well. – Dual Parachute Thrusters: Take to the air for longer! The Dual Parachute Thrusters when mounted to the parachute rig provides bursts of forward momentum to extend airtime. – Multi-lock Missile Launcher: This highly sophisticated weapon of destruction allows you to lock up to four targets and unleash a barrage of homing missiles to take care of all your troubles. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

 

Add the Black Market Aerial Pack to your Xbox 360 download queue

 

You’ll need a copy of Just Cause 2 to use this game add-on

The Google TV rumors are beginning to look a lot more real with several new details leaking out. The first hardware running Google’s Android operating system is expected to be announced next month along with the details of the program. Sony will apparently be the first partner and is expected to launch Android-powered TVs in about a … (read more)

KNOXVILLE — Daniel Berry, WUOT 91.9 FM program director and host of the station’s popular “Morning Concert,” will perform with pianist and WUOT weekend announcer Melony Maness at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 6, at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church in Oak Ridge.

Admission is free.

The concert is part of WUOT’s 60th anniversary celebration. It will feature a variety of music composed by J.S. Bach, Richard Strauss, Ludwig van Beethoven and Ralph Vaughan Williams, as well as traditional Irish songs.

“We’ve been celebrating WUOT’s 60th anniversary with a variety of events since last fall, and one of our goals is to reach out to listeners in different parts of the region,” WUOT Director Regina Dean said. “Daniel and Melony are accomplished musicians, and we’re thrilled to be able to showcase their talents in Oak Ridge to thank listeners in that community for supporting the station over the years.”

Berry joined WUOT in 1983. He has served as program director since 1995. A native of Dearborn, Mich., he comes from a family of musicians. He attended the University of Michigan, where he was a pupil of Metropolitan Opera baritone Ralph Herbert and conductors Josef Blatt and Maynard Klein. He made his professional operatic debut in 1975 as Dr. Bartolo in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” with the Milwaukee Opera Company.

Berry initially combined a singing career with parallel vocations as voice teacher and conductor, including appearances with the Florentine Opera of Milwaukee, Skylight Comic Opera, Peoria Civic Opera, Northern Indiana Opera Association and Music Under the Stars. He has performed as soloist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Peoria Civic Orchestra, Bach Chamber Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and many others, and he is an acclaimed recitalist.

Berry debuted with the Knoxville Opera Company in 1983 as Angelotti in “Tosca,” and has appeared with the company in 28 productions.

Maness received her master’s degree in music (collaborative piano) from UT in May 2008. While a student, she accompanied the Concert Choir and was a coach/accompanist for UT Opera Theatre, and she continues to fill these roles as a staff accompanist. Maness has served as music director for musicals with numerous theater organizations and collaborates and performs with musicians throughout East Tennessee. She is instructor of piano at Walters State Community College.

For more information about the free concert, please call (865) 974-6167.

Listener-supported WUOT is licensed to UT. WUOT is a member of National Public Radio and a Public Radio International affiliate. The station’s primary format is classical and jazz music, news and public affairs. WUOT serves listeners throughout East Tennessee and parts of Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and streams on the Web at http://wuot.org. WUOT’s second audio channel, WUOT-2, is available on HD Radio™, Internet radio and on the Web.

—

C O N T A C T :

Cindy Hassil (865-974-6167, [email protected])

Mal chegada a nova geração do Volkswagen Golf na Europa, a companhia alemã já vem desenvolvendo a próxima (sétima) geração do seu hatch. Apesar de as aparências enganarem, embaixo da carroceria dessa flagrada “mula”, já está a mecânica do novo Golf realizando testes de desenvolvimento, flagrada no famoso circuito alemão de Nurburgring.

Sua gama de motorização na Europa contará com as unidades turbocharger TSI e TDI onde, movidos a gasolina termos os TSI de 1.2L com potencias de 85 cv e 105 cv, de 1.4L com 122 hp e 160 hp e o 2.0L de 220 hp e 300 hp. Já nos TDI movidos a diesel, teremos as configurações 1.6L de 90cv e 105 cv e o 2.0L com 140 cv, 170 cv e de 220 cv de potência.

Além disso, a sétima geração do Volkswagen Golf também ganhará motorização hibrida. As especulações são de que o modelo receberá um motor elétrico de 25 hp e bateria elétricas de níquel de metal hidreto (NiMH), além de uma segunda opção elétrica vinda com um motor elétrico de 75 hp acompanhado da tecnologia plug-in e com baterias de íons de lítio mais avançadas que a primeira opção.

O futuro Volkswagen Golf deverá chegar aproximadamente daqui a dois anos e receberá além da carroceria hatch, a perua chamada de Variant. Além disso, a sétima geração do modelo sofrerá um processo chamado de upmarketing, no qual devera compartilhar mais pecas com o Audi A3.

Volkswagen Golf G7

Fonte: AutoBlog.it

RM Auctions will inaugurate its Sporting Classics of Monaco auction with a sale of 105 prewar and postwar European motor cars. The event, scheduled for April 30-May 1, will coincide with the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco, now it its seventh year.

Highlights include a 1938 Delahaye 135 MS Competition Cabriolet, a 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 “Birdcage” and a 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Cabriolet. The auction also includes the world’s largest single-owner collection of Shell Petroliana, featuring 1,000 Shell-related items.

The Sporting Classics of Monaco auction will take place at the Grimaldi Forum. On April 30, there will be a preview from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a drinks reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. On May 1, the preview will begin at 10 a.m. and the auction will begin at 1 p.m.

Admission requires the purchase of an auction catalog, priced at about $94. The catalog admits two. Internet, absentee and telephone bidding options are also available.

For complete information about the items up for bid, visit www.rmauctions.com/monaco or call RM’s London office at +44 (0) 20 7851 7070.

For more

Source: Car news, reviews and auto show stories

 

Garmin-Asus is following up the just announced nuvifone A50 with another device, the Android-powered A10. The A10 is a joint venture between Garmin and Asustek (that we’ve heard about for a long time now) and differs from the A50 in that it is also optimized for pedestrian navigation. What that means exactly, we don’t know. But obviously, navigation is going to be key for any ‘garminfone’ and for the A10, maps will be preloaded onto the device so you won’t get lost if you suddenly lose your network connection.

The Garmin-Asus A10 comes with a 3.2-inch HVGA screen and will feature the usual slew of Android apps under an assumedly heavily skinned UI. It’s expected to hit European and Asian markets in mid-2010. Which probably means, the T-Mobile nuvifone A50 will be the only ‘garminfone’ we’ll get in the states. We’re not sure if that’s a bad thing. [garmin]

Hartge has unveiled their new aerodynamic kit program based on the E89 version of the Roadster. The Hartge BMW Z4 Aerodynamic Kits includes only a front spoiler and a hood lid lip which might offer increased downforce on both axles of the car. The Hartge BMW Z4 Aerodynamic Kit parts are made from PU-RIM and are not compatible with the model’s M Aerodynamic package. The Hartge BMW Z4 Aerodynamic Kit also sits on new rims.

Source: Lincah.Com – New Car and Used Car Pictures

The German firm Neofonie held a press conference in Berlin yesterday demonstrating the “WePad,” a Linux based tablet with support for Android and Adobe Air apps.  Available for pre-ordering as of now, the WePad starts shipping in August of this year. Coming in two different models, customers will be able to choose from a 16 GB Wi-Fi-only version for €449 Euros (about $595) or a 32 GB WiFi + 3G version (with extra features such as GPS and and full HD 1080p via HDMI) for €569 Euros (approximately $754).

Featuring a 16 by 9 (11.6-inch) horizontal touchscreen, a 1.66 GHz Intel based processor, 1 GB RAM, a 1.3-megapixel webcam,  2 USB ports, SD card reader, SIM card slot, and full flash support just to name a few, Neofonie has definitely created a worthy iPad contender. In fact, it’s funny I should mention the iPad, as Neofonie’s whole marketing strategy seems to be revolving around the iPad’s disadvantages.  In their demonstration (see video below), Neofonie mentions flaws such as always having to hold the iPad with one hand while navigating it with the other (the WePad features thumb navigation), static apps (the WePad runs live apps letting you view information without actually opening the app itself), and the lack of flash (and yes you guessed it, the WePad features full flash browsing).

With statements such as the iPad being “a great device yet with little flexibility or features,” or “the iPad lacking full flash support as Apple just wants to sell tons of apps,” Neofonie is directly picking a fight with Apple. It’s going to be very interesting seeing how Apple responds over the next couple of weeks, and if the WePad manages to achieve equal publicity and popularity as the iPad.  Does the WePad interest you at all?  Sound off in the comments section!

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The two-litre TFSI engine renders nearly one quarter more performance after the JE DESIGN engineers have finished their work. Instead of 265 hp (195 kW), the Cupra R now reaches 330 hp (243 kW). The maximum torque is increased from 350 to 420 Newton metres. Therefore, the Seat reaches the 100-kph limit in already 5.8 seconds instead of the former 6.2 seconds. The acceleration ends at 268 kph, while the serial model achieves its top speed at 250 km/h.

The Cupra R owes this additional power to the optimised control unit, the sports air filter, the metal catalyser, the front- and centre mufflers and the four-pipe stainless steel exhaust system. JE DESIGN offers the entire performance kit for 6200 Euro including VAT and includes a 12-months warranty.

The enormous performance enhancement is confirmed with the new Cupra R aerodynamics kit (entire kit for 1539 Euro). The front spoiler (319 Euro) with the centre sword (149 Euro) sucks the front to the road surface and the rear wing (459 Euro) renders the necessary downthrust. The side skirts (299 Euro) pacify the air flow and convey it to the rear wing extension (299 Euro) with the centre diffuser insert (99 Euro). The latter is surrounded by two stainless steel end pipes at both sides measuring 90 millimetres (899 Euro). Of course, JE DESIGN offers all aerodynamics components with an approval by the Technical Control Board (TÜV).

For more information about the extensive JE DESIGN programme, please visit the web site www.je-design.de/en

Source: Lincah.Com – New Car and Used Car Pictures

Auto Industry Bailout was the Right Thing to do

President Barack Obama is using GM’s recent loan repayment and Chrysler’s operating profit as proof that his “unpopular” auto bailout decision was the right thing to do.

“I knew this wasn’t a popular decision. But it was the right one,” Obama said. Without the bailout, the American economic outcome could have been much more disturbing.

“General Motors and Chrysler…were on the brink of collapse. The rapid dissolution of these companies — followed by the certain failure of many auto parts makers, car dealers and other smaller businesses — would have dealt a crippling blow to our already suffering economy.”

Obama went on to justify the risky bailout by explaining that, even though the companies were to blame for their own downfall and it could have been viewed as “throwing good money after bad”, the bigger issue was keeping families’ income on the table.

If anything were to happen to the companies, upwards of a million jobs could have been lost.

The Detroit News explains one way in which the White House hopes to cover taxpayers’ losses: “collecting a fee from the nation’s 50 largest banks to pay for the taxpayer losses from financial and auto bailout.”

As expected, the GOP is putting up tripwires, wondering why the banks should be responsible for covering taxpayers’ losses. Maybe it’s because the banks were responsible for initially losing taxpayers’ money.

Obviously that’s an oversimplification, but social responsibility isn’t a one-way street, guys.

via | via

As you may know already, the Bmw X6 was an immense success for the German brand and the firm sold more than 80,000 units since its launch, back in 2008.

Now here is the good news: it appears the Bmw is currently thinking at a smaller car in the same mould as the X6 which could be named X4. The bad news is that the car didn’t receive green light for production yet, but according to our sources, there is a small chance to see this car on the streets. “We haven’t made any firm decision,” said the source, “however, the X6’s success shows there is a continued demand for sporty off-roaders.”

[via autocar]

Source: Car news, Car reviews, Spy shots