Eco Factor: Compact bike powered by electric motors.
The Monobike by industrial designer Ilia Vostrov is a sustainable solution to the problem of traffic jams in urban cities. The zero-emission bike runs on electric motors and its space-efficient design provides advantages over other vehicles in condition where traffic jams are unavoidable.
by Julian Ku
This sounds impressive, but somehow it feels like the ICC Prosecutors is going in circles on Sudan.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The International Criminal Court prosecutor wants judges to report Sudan to the U.N. Security Council for refusing to hand over a government minister and a militia leader accused of atrocities in Darfur.
Luis Moreno Ocampo said in a written request to the court’s judges publicized Thursday that Sudan is refusing to arrest Humanitarian Affairs Minister Ahmed Harun and Janjaweed militia leader Ali Kushayb.
Indeed, this whole exercise of continuing to seek the arrest of Sudanese government officials seems completely independent from the continuing efforts to seek a negotiated resolution to the various Sudan conflicts. The ICC Sudan process may not be hampering a long-term peaceful settlement of the Sudan problem, but it is certainly not even a part of the Obama Administration’s policy, or anyone’s, policy toward Sudan, as Nick Kristof seems to admit.
Matthew O’Donnell wrote:
I don’t have five pithy things to tell entrepreneurs in Michigan, but I do have one comment based on my 16 years in Ann Arbor trying to help commercialize biotech/medtech innovations at the University of Michigan.
Do everything possible to keep your young in Michigan. The three research universities in Michigan, U-M, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University, produce a lot of talent who can function at world-class levels. Unfortunately, most leave the state with their degrees. For example, two-thirds of the graduates of the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan leave the state with their degrees.
The few who stay do very well. For example, there is a small but robust biotech entrepreneurial community in Ann Arbor made up almost exclusively of U-M alums who wanted/needed to stay around Ann Arbor. The best thing the state can do is to define incentives to change the two-thirds leaving into two-thirds staying. Complex economic policies trying to bring new business and capital into the state are doomed if two-thirds of the talent routinely leaves. I think the policy folks should focus on ways to allow the high-quality talent already available in Michigan to stay in the state.
[Editor’s note: To help launch Xconomy Detroit, we’ve queried our network of Xconomists and other innovation leaders around the country for their list of the most important things that entrepreneurs and innovators in Michigan can do to reinvigorate their regional economy.]
UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS
If you’re a frequent visitor of our site, you know that Fixmo Tools is one of our fave apps for the BlackBerry. It’s like the tool box that RIM forgot to add. It has so many features within it that you’ll wonder what you did without it.
From the first time I tried Fixmo Tools, I was in total bliss. Fixmo Tools is available in the BlackBerry Sync Store for $19.99.
It contains the following features:
I posted the review of Fixmo Tools while it was in beta version here. Since then a lot has changed, but the features that made it great have only gotten better. So now comes the great part. I have a few copies to give away. Here’s the deal. I want you to leave us an embarrassing story that happened with your BlackBerry that Fixmo Tools could have saved you from. It could be like your phone rebooting at a bad time, having emailed someone out of anger, any kind of sad story that would have ended sweet with Fixmo. Let us know how that’s not going to happen again if you have Fixmo Tools. The best couple of embarrassing stories wins.
And for those who don’t want to leave a message, or can’t wait, there’s still a sweet deal for you yet. I have to thank Rick for this, for the first 100 readers who go to purchase Fixmo, you can get 50% off! That’s right, 50%! That’s Fixmo Tools for only 9.99 for our readers, but only the first 100. Use the following code when purchasing: BBSYNCBDAY
So hurry and share your stories with us, or go get your Fixmo Tools and find out why we are so excited about it. And please leave some love or thanks for Rick for the specials.
You can grab your copy of Fixmo Tools from the BlackBerry Sync Store here
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Stunning Super Coupe
Arv Voss, Canadian Auto Press
It isn’t often that a car appears on the scene that literally stuns the senses – every single one of them – while creating a strong urge to own it, or at least to experience driving it. The R8 from Audi creates such a stir, taking its place as the new “Lord of the Rings” in their lineup. Some will likely argue that the A8L holds that title, and they are certainly entitled to their opinion, as admittedly it’s an elegant sedan with its own impressive performance credentials.
2010 Audi R8 R tronic Quattro
Audi’s two-seat sports coupe is incredibly capable in terms of its performance as it is alluring in its visual appeal. The mid-engine Audi R8 has taken its name as well as much of its developmental DNA from the German automaker’s five-time Le Mans winning R8. The production R8 came just three years after the unveiling of Audi’s Le Mans quattro concept show car.
The R8 is Audi’s first mid-engine production sports car, combining the company’s experience acquired from a host of motorsports victories with unique and innovative styling and technological know-how.
Power for the “Ferrari-esque” 2010 R8 comes from a longitudinally mid-mounted 4.2-litre V8 that churns out 420 horsepower at 7,800 rpm, while delivering 317 pound feet of torque from 4,500-6,000 rpm. The potent engine connects to either a six-speed manual gearbox or Audi’s R tronic sequential-shift automatic transmission. The driving energy is directed to all four wheels via Audi’s quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. The engine’s mid-mount position is a major plus in the R8’s driving dynamics, with a weight distribution of 44 percent forward and 56 percent out back. The heart of the R8 is its engine, which is prominently showcased through the rear hatch glass. Subdued LED lighting is optionally available as well for viewing the engine is all its glory at night.
The full aluminum body of the R8 is constructed via Audi’s Space Frame design – an ideal synthesis of minimal weight and maximum rigidity providing an optimum basis for superior driving dynamics, while delivering a power to weight ratio of just 3.70 kg/hp (8.16 lbs/hp). When one first beholds the R8, its purpose and caliber is instantly evident – its stance is wide and low to the ground, with the accentuated rear end seeming to flex its ample muscle, much like a runner ready to bolt out of the starting block with the firing of the starter’s gun. The car is just 4,430 mm (174.4 inches) long, riding on a 2,649-mm (104.3-inch) wheelbase, and standing a mere 1,250 mm (49.2 inches) in height.
The front end showcases the familiar trapezoidal styling of Audi’s single-frame grille, flanked right and left by oversized air intakes. The four-ring Audi logo badge is positioned on the hood above the grille. The innovative LED headlights (with wicked LED Daytime Running Lights), with their clear-glass covers, join flush to the air intake tops. The roof displays a low, gently sweeping arc, and just aft of the doors is a large-surface “sideblade” air deflector that sweeps between the wheel arch and the roof section, delivering air to feed and cool the mighty V8. The paint finish of the sideblades may be coordinated with the body colour, or finished in Carbon Fibre or Oxygen Silver metallic. The side view reveals a dynamic line above the wheel arches while the shoulder line blends the front end, side, rear, and the doors along with the transition to the sideblade with a strong presence, emphatically highlighting the typical Audi rounded wheel housings that purposefully accommodate the large wheels and tires. A pair of circular exhaust pipes sits at both the right and left sides, above the diffuser openings.
Additional downforce for the R8 comes from an automatically extending rear spoiler that deploys at speed, and automatically retracts at lower speeds. It may also be operated manually.
Despite the car’s compact dimensions, the cabin, which is positioned far forward, a feature typical of mid-engine sports cars, is spacious and comfortable. Behind the cabin, and situated just ahead of the rear axle, is the V8 engine, a jewel of engineering art.
The interior accommodations are dominated by a driver-oriented cockpit arrangement. The instrument panel above the centre console is angled slightly towards the driver, and the flat-bottomed steering wheel enables ease of ingress and egress. There is generous space for the two occupants, where comfort levels are well beyond the average found in most high-performance sports cars, with space behind the seats to stow large bags, or even two golf bags. The luggage compartment at the front has a capacity of approximately 99.1 litres (3.5 cubic feet).
My test Audi R8 quattro with the R tronic 6-speed sequential manual gearbox was done in a Jet Blue metallic finish outside with a two-tone Luxor Beige and Black interior. It rode on standard 19-inch wheels and tires. The base price is set at $141,000 with the 6-speed manual or $152,500 with the R tronic transmission. Metallic paint at $800; $6,900 Enhanced Leather Package; $4,500 Premium Package with Audi’s parking system with rearview camera, Hill Hold Assist, auto-dimming and folding exterior mirrors, and Storage Package; $2,900 Navigation System Plus; $2,300 Bang & Olufsen sound system, $2,000 Black Alcantara headliner bumped the final sticker to $172,400. The standard equipment and features inventory is extensive, while the options list continues on with some highlights being the $4,300 Carbon Sigma package a highlight adding carbon fibre interior trim, doorsills and side mirror housings; Carbon Sigma Sideblades at $2,900; Carbon Engine Compartment Trim at $4,500; and LED headlights for $3,500, just to name a few.
The Audi R8 is a gorgeous vehicle that stops nearly all observers in their tracks – it’s an attention magnet that people follow, take cell phone photos of, offer thumbs up for… and more. The proportions of the R8 are about as close to perfect as a car can get. It is a beautifully sculptured, street-legal racecar for all intents and purposes.
The 420 horsepower generated is almost turbine-like, up to the peak rev ranges, delivering a sound that is evocative enough to rival a Ferrari. In spite of its brute power, the car is just as suited to normal, everyday cruising. Stabbing the throttle catapults the R8, nailing one to the seatback and setting all four wheels ripping at the pavement. The R8 hurtles from 0-100 km/h in a mere 4.6 seconds, and is capable of attaining a top speed of 300 km/h (185 mph). Redline is reached at 8,250 rpm.
Ride quality is necessarily firm for optimum performance and control, but not uncomfortable. The direct, hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering delivers a positive and on-centre feel to the driver. Standard damping may be replaced by the “Audi Magnetic Ride” adaptive damper system.
The machine-knurled metal control knobs are as attractive as they are functional. The auxiliary power outlet is set a bit far back, stretching a radar detector power cord. A crabbing effect was encountered at slow speed with the wheel turned lock-to-lock – so, don’t engage in tight U-turns.
The Audi R8 is a car that, given the wherewithal, I would add to my stable in a heartbeat. It is near perfect with “drop dead gorgeous” looks and exhilarating performance. The R8 is at home on the street, on an autocross course, or on the track, though I much preferred the manual gearbox over the R tronic, which is a single clutch unit with a lag similar to BMW’s SMG unit. The R tronic has been noticeably improved upon though, and is now smoother than before. Audi’s DSG dual clutch automatic system is superb, but apparently not up to handling the R8’s torque load.
It wasn’t too long ago that choosing an Android phone came down to whether you wanted a physical keyboard (HTC G1/Dream) or not (HTC Magic). With increasing Android adoption from carriers and handset manufacturers, making the same decision in 2010 is a lot harder. We’ve put two of the latest Android phones, the HTC Desire and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, head to head in our latest versus review – read on for the details…
Continue Reading Review: HTC Desire vs Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
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The text of the draft Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement was finally released to the public yesterday. We welcome the official release of the ACTA text after two years of negotiations. We can now have a serious public debate about its content and far-reaching impact on citizens’ lives.
If the previous leaks (here, here, here and here) left any doubt, the officially released text makes it crystal clear that ACTA is not just about counterfeiting. When ACTA was announced two years ago, it was portrayed as a modest effort at increasing coordination between customs agencies tracking counterfeit physical goods. The officially released text shows that it’s far broader. First, it is not just about trademarks; it covers copyright, potentially patents, and all other forms of intellectual property. Second, it’s not just about physical goods. It’s all about the Internet — which it targets very specifically — and citizens’ ability to use it to communicate, collaborate and create. ACTA contains new potential obligations for Internet intermediaries, requiring them to police the Internet and their users, which in turn pose significant concerns for citizens’ privacy, freedom of expression and fair use rights.
Read on for our preliminary analysis on copyright issues.
We’ve talked about how the commenting system and those crazy tagpages work, but it seems that it’s time for a different sort of discussion. Yeah, it’s apparently time to talk about trolls, jerks, doo-doo heads, lousy commenters, and the banhammer. More »
Skype has been one of the louder voices in pushing for broadband providers to be forced to keep their networks open. One of the company’s execs has taken to its blog supporting net neutrality regulations in the EU, making some useful points about how it’s services like Skype that sell broadband subscriptions and, specifically, mobile data plans. But how does that reconcile with Skype’s mobile moves in the US, where it appears to be pushing exclusive deals with operators over “open” access? So, on the one hand, Skype doesn’t want to have to pay telcos for access to its customers. But then on the other, it looks like Skype wants to charge telcos to be able to offer its service to their customers. This makes it look like Skype is okay with pay-to-play systems, but only when it’s on the receiving end. Certainly Skype is free to use whatever business model it likes, but it certainly appears it’s trying to have the best of both worlds here.
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Patience is a word that’s thrown around plenty during the opening month of the baseball season. Don’t overreact to a small sample, don’t read too much into two or three weeks of results.
Sounds nice in theory, but the Texas Rangers aren’t buying it.
The Rangers gave us a major personnel change earlier in the month (Neftali Feliz(notes) to the ninth, Frank Francisco(notes) to set-up) and they were at it again Thursday night, sending Chris Davis(notes) down and promoting touted 1B Justin Smoak(notes). Davis’s performance on the field prompted the move: he’s at .188 following an 0-for-3 Thursday, with 17 strikeouts over 48 at-bats. A .311 slugging percentage and one RBI through 15 games doesn’t feed the cat.
Smoak was the 11th overall pick in the 2008 draft and he’s been compared to Mark Teixeira(notes) for a while, though his power hasn’t developed as quickly as most expected. He was off to a strong start in Triple-A (.326/.500/.587, 16 walks against six strikeouts) and you can’t blame the Rangers for wanting to give him a shot now. Even in shallow leagues, this is the type of player you should grab immediately if he’s available. Arlington is a fun place to spent your summer, especially if you’re an offensive player.
We could write more, but right now, the news is the thing. Go do what you need to do.
Erin Kutz wrote:
Headlines from both long-established pharma companies and stealthy biotech startups made it a busy life sciences news week for us.
—It was a life sciences-focused week for us, with the introduction of our new life sciences columnist, Sylvia Pagán Westphal, a journalist who’s covered biotech for big-name publications. Her inaugural post likened the lack of disclosure behind the recent Goldman Sachs scandal to the self-interest that’s fueled myriad missteps in life sciences companies.
—Hygeia Therapeutics, a Holden, MA-based maker of topical medicine, raised $1 million in Series A funding to go toward testing a topical synthetic estrogen drug to treat age-related skin thinning, and developing an anti-androgen.
—Cambridge-based Javelin Pharmaceuticals (AMEX: JAV), a developer of pain treatments, accepted a $145 million buyout offer from specialty drugmaker Hospira, nixing a previous merger agreement with Myriad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MYRX). Lake Forest, IL-based Hospira (NYSE:HSP) plans to pay $2.20 per share for Javelin common stock, and will also loan the company money to repay loans from Myriad and cover expenses related to breaking the agreement.
—Dyax, a Cambridge drug developer, will collect as much as $12 million from Paul Capital Healthcare for selling the rights to royalties and fees from its hemophilia treatment, with $10 million upfront and up to $2 million in milestone payments related to the drug’s sales.
—Luke took a closer look at Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, a seven-person Cambridge startup that’s developing drugs to treat inflammation diseases, particularly diabetes. He first broke the news last week that the stealthy company had pulled in $7.7 million of a planned $39.6 million Series A round from SV Life Sciences, Clarus Ventures, and MedImmune Ventures; the company said it will get the remaining funding if it meets certain development goals.
—HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals, a biotech founded in Newton, MA that moved to Seattle sometime last year, announced it completed a $12 million Series B funding round. New investors Aberdare Ventures, of San Francisco, led the round, which also included a slew of returning backers and will go to …Next Page »
UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS
Microsoft has announced the "Release-to-Manufacturing" (i.e., final production) version of SharePoint 2010. We’re still advising most customers to go-slow on SP2010 to allow
I spent several days anxiously keeping track of the latest updates on the cloud hanging over Europe. It gave me plenty of time to ponder just how important on-line communications play a role in this nowadays.
A Diabetic Success – Fasting Blood Sugar Went from 200s and 300s Down to 95
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People who are taking our WSN Diabetic Pack are experiencing results and are improving their blood sugar levels and their health.
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From Ronald Curley in Ohio
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" I’m off my diabetic medications and have been for a couple of months. My blood sugar level is averaging about 160 each day without medications. I’m exercising daily and I am watching my carbs very closely.
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From Bob Lowe in Kentucky
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From Darlene Wayment in Idaho
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The Diabetic Pack is a medical food that is specifically formulated for the dietary management of diabetes.
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For our birthday bash, Safe Driving System has offered to our readers a discount of 10% off the Key2SafeDriving system. The system runs 99.95, and you will get the 10% off that using the code: Blackberrysync . The code will be good through 6/20. You can read more about the system from our post here, or from the website here.
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The new ad for the KFC’s “Double Down” — a “sandwich” of two pieces of fried chicken flanking bacon, cheese and thousand island dressing — ends with the slogan “UNTHINK!”
Yesterday, Facebook announced Instant Personalization, whereby select websites would “personalize your experience using your public Facebook information.” The initial sites are Pandora, Yelp and Microsoft Docs. As Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained, this means that when you visit “Pandora for the first time, it can immediately start playing songs from bands you’ve liked.” Pandora, and other partners, can also link your real name and other Facebook information with everything you do on their site.
More specifically, these sites “may access any information you have made visible to Everyone … as well as your publicly available information. This includes your Name, Profile Picture, Gender, Current City, Networks, Friend List, and Pages.” On Monday, Facebook announced a transition where a “new type of Facebook Page” will make the “current city, hometown, education and work, and likes and interests sections of your profile” publicly available after you go through the transition tool (or those items will be deleted).
By default, the “Allow” checkbox for Instant Personalization is checked on your privacy settings. If you don’t want the websites that you or your Facebook friends visit to know your information, you must opt out. Since this process is a bit complicated, we have made a quick video showing step by step how to do so.
Simply unchecking the “Allow” box is not sufficient. As Facebook explains, “if you opt out, your friends may still share public Facebook information about you to personalize their experience on these partner sites unless you block the application.” Nor can you go to the Block Applications setting to block these partner sites. This setting is only for showing which applications and sites are blocked, and unblocking them.
So, to opt out of this fully, you also need to go each page for Microsoft Docs, Pandora, and Yelp and push the Block Application button. If Facebook adds another partner site to the program, you will need to block that as well, so be sure to check back often.
You may also want to review the settings for what friends can share and sharing your profile information.
A large chunk of your state income taxes goes to education, and schools benefit from a portion of your local property taxes, too.
Now the federal government is considering a big increase in its spending on school construction — with your money.
Already, as federal taxpayers, we pay $70 billion a year for K-12 education, much of it going to teacher salaries and school lunches.
Then last year, Congress approved another $56 billion for school construction, renovation and repairs in the economic stimulus bill.
But now Congress is considering another bill — the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act — sponsored by Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Ky., and 25 other Democrats. They say it would create a “healthier, safer and more energy-efficient teaching environment by requiring schools to use green materials.”
Some studies, however, say “green” schools are notoriously over budget and consistenly fail to save the energy they promise.
The House has passed the bill, and it now is under consideration in the Senate. The Congressional Budget Office’s estimate puts the 5-year cost of the bill at $32.9 billion.
What do you think? You can estimate how much the bill would cost you over those five years by using FoxNews.com’s latest tax calculator.
CLICK HERE FOR FOXNEWS.COM TAX CALCULATOR
For example, people who earn under $15,000 a year would pay an average of $1.41 to fund the bill. Those making $30,000 to $50,000 would average $53 over five years. And the average for people making $100,000 to $200,000 is $406.
