Category: News

Finalmente y tras ser presentado en Los Ángeles, octubre es el mes elegido para que este modelo M de Infiniti llegue a nuestras tierras. La pena es que aún no sabemos los precios definitivos, pero supongo que a lo largo de esta semana o de la siguiente se podrán saber. Unos cuantos meses antes de octubre podrás hacer tu reserva si estás interesado en adquirirlo.

El modelo M estará animado por el V6 3.7 de gasolina o diésel con 320 cv y 235 cv respectivamente, pese a que en Estados Unidos gozan de la versión superior V8, seguramente dado el bajo precio del carburante que tienen al otro lado del charco. Para la versión híbrida habremos de esperar hasta 2011.

La gama de lujo del grupo Nissan apunta claramente a rascarle cuota de mercado a BMW, Mercedes y Audi como marcas europeas predominantes en el segmento de berlinas premium, lugar donde se intentan colar el Jaguar XF y el Porsche Panamera y segmento en el que no logran hacerse con cuotas de mercado importante algunas marcas más generalistas como Citröen o Peugeout con sus grandes berlinas.

La tecnología elevada al más alto nivel es uno de los pilares donde se asienta este modelo. Dirección a las cuatro ruedas, avisador de colisión, iluminación adaptativa y demás extras como el Aire del Bosque comentado aquí recientemente hacen el punto fuerte de Infiniti frente a sus competidores. Las cifras de ventas dirán cuán exitoso ha sido esta incursión en Europa.

Vía | Motorfull

Filed under: iTS, How-tos, iTunes, Mac 101

The iTunes Store and App Store have mastered the art of the impulse purchase. “Only two bucks? Sure, why not?” The good news is that you can send a song, album, movie or TV show to a friend just as easily.

Let’s start with music. First, find the album or song you’d like to send. If you’re sending a song, you’ll see a drop-down arrow next to the track’s “Buy” button. Click it to reveal the menu at right, then select “Gift this song.”

You’re brought to a new screen (in the gallery below). From there you only need to enter some information, click continue and you’re done! Your recipient will receive a nice email message with a download link. The process is the same for albums, individual TV shows, audiobooks (though the “Gift this audiobook” looks different) and movies.

Note that you can’t gift entire TV seasons (bummer) or iPhone/iPod touch apps. However, you can opt to share a link to an interesting app. With the app selected, click the same drop-down button to reveal the “Tell a Friend” option. The same is true of Podcasts – hit that “Tell a Friend” button to let everyone know what you’re listening to. With just a few clicks, you can share your favorite content with anyone you want!

TUAWMac 101: Purchase a file in iTunes for someone else originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hardware, Portables, Other Events, Apple

Things are beginning to firm up on the specs of the rumored tablet device. According to the Wall Street Journal, who interviewed people who were apparently briefed today on the subject by Apple, “Apple plans to unveil a new multimedia tablet device later this month, but doesn’t plan on shipping the product until March. While the shipping time hasn’t been finalized and could change, people briefed on the matter said the new tablet device will come with a 10- to 11-inch touch screen.” Apple is apparently also working on two different material finishes for the device. Unknown is whether or not there will be two versions or if Apple is selecting one finish over another for the final device.

This overlaps with a few predictions on the topic naming 10″ as the proposed size of the device, and adds yet another example where rumor has risen above the tech/Apple blogosphere to more general news sources.

All eyes on the January 27th event.

(Thanks to John H. for the tip.)

TUAWWSJ: Apple tablet device to be 10 inches, “shipping in March.” originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New devices allowing local broadcasters to deliver TV on the go will be on display at CES this year, but the availability of such a service to the average consumer seems to still be encountering interference.

The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) will be hosting an event on Wednesday in Las Vegas to show off a pretty impressive display of devices, including a prototype phone, a portable Mobile DTV receiver with DVD playback, netbook computers, a mobile Wi-Fi access point, which allows existing devices to watch TV when equipped with Wi‐Fi, and USB receivers for laptops. But it’s unclear when networks will be ready on a large scale. Previously, the OMVC has said that 70 stations were committed to launching mobile DTV services, but so far only about 30 are live.

A slower network roll-out will likely work out well since many of the consumer devices won’t be ready until later this year. But delays will give Qualcomm’s FLO TV service a chance get ahead. Today, Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) resells its broadcast TV services through Verizon Wireless and AT&T (NYSE: T). It also just started selling its first direct to consumer product this holiday. The major differences between the two will be cost and content. Qualcomm charges a monthly fee and has major national feeds, like ESPN (NYSE: DIS) and others. Mobile DTV will likely be free, and the content will include local feeds that vary from market-by-market. The broadcasters will also have to contend with federal regulators who have started to consider repositioning some spectrum used today for TV for wireless services as the demand for additional bandwidth continues to soar.

Brandon Burgess, chairman of the broadcasters’ coalition, told the WSJ that FLO TV is too expensive, and “Having premium content like ESPN available on a mobile device is great, but it’s not our starting point. We’ll start with local broadcasts to try to educate consumers.”

One device on display is the Tivit, an accessory made by Valups Corp. that receives Mobile DTV signals and transfers them to devices that have Wi-Fi connections, like mobile phones. The device is expected to cost from $90 to $120. Contrast that to Qualcomm’s FLO TV Personal Television, which has a 3.5 inch, and costs $250, including six months of free service. After that, you will be charged $14.99 a month. LG (SEO: 066570) also is working on a DVD player that has a Mobile DTV receiver. That will cost about $249, and will be available later this year. At least one cellphone that can receive Mobile DTV will be at the show, although it is being called a prototype.

The coalition says to date, 30 U.S. stations have started offering Mobile DTV, including a station in Raleigh, which has partnered with the city to broadcast channels in 18 city buses. There’s also test markets in Seattle and Atlanta with one coming to the D.C. area soon.

Related

• @ CES: Mobile TV Will Likely Be Free, But No Retail Or Carrier Partnerships Announced
• @ CES: Mobile DTV Gets Commitments From 63 Stations For 2009 Rollout

Ralink has been hot on the high-definition streaming content front since this past summer and is now introducing networking hardware that’ll make it easier to get all those lovely pixels from disk to display wirelessly — plus a bevy of other high-speed networking goodies to boot. The RT3572 is a 300 Mbps 802.11n-enabling chip designed for inclusion in high-end displays and media players, including wireless streaming of Blu-ray playback, DLNA content, and IPTV. For general networking the company is introducing the RT3883 and RT3593 chips, which enable 450Mbps 802.11n connectivity and feature beam forming, meaning the transmitter can locate receivers and modify “various transmission parameters” to optimize connectivity. Finally, there’s the RT3090BC4 combination 802.11n and Bluetooth Half MiniCard adapter, and a “world’s smallest” USB 802.11n adapter, little larger than the USB port you’ll plug it into. You know what that means: no unsightly protrusions.

Ralink debuts suite of networking hardware to form your beams and transmit your HD originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Mobile DTV standard is official, sure, but the device selection at this point isn’t what we’d call plentiful or even appealing — so leave it to CES to attract a virtually unknown company with an attractive alternative. Dubbed Tivit, the pocketable box is a said to be a bit smaller and lighter than a deck of cards and claims to stream television to a number of WiFi-enabled devices, including Windows laptops, Motorola Android phones (no clue why other Android devices wouldn’t be in the running here), WiFi-equipped BlackBerrys, and even iPhone 3G / third-gen iPod touch (software via related App Store download). One charge gets you three hours of reception, and while that $120 price tag isn’t too terrible a fee for keeping the phone you like, when the dongle launches in Spring, it better hope the channel selection is more interesting. Press release after the break.

Continue reading Tivit promises to bring Mobile DTV to the iPhone and other WiFi-equipped mobile devices

Tivit promises to bring Mobile DTV to the iPhone and other WiFi-equipped mobile devices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don’t like cashing out for iPhone apps? Well, if you’re a car enthusiast, BMW is offering a new iPhone app called “BMW M Power Meter.”

Using integrated movement sensors on the iPhone, the app records the following performance data of your journeys in real time and for free:

• Speed (mph / km/h)
• Forward acceleration (Forward g)
• Lateral acceleration (Lateral g)
• Travel time for a specified distance (e.g. 100 m)
• Acceleration to a specific speed (e.g. 0–100 km/h)

You can download the BMW M Power Meter iPhone App here.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: BMW

Munich, Germany | Astounding Timepieces

The wedding of the 16th century duke most famous for building the first brewery in Munich is celebrated every day in the huge mechanical clock on Marienplatz. 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures come to life daily in the 260 foot tower, reenacting two scenes from Munich’s history.

The top part of the clock recounts the story of the fantastically expensive and sumptuous marriage of Bavarian Duke Wilhelm V in 1568, with mechanical jousters representing Bavaria in blue triumph over knights of Lothingren in red. The original party lasted two weeks, and was attended by thousands of revelers, the highlight being the royal joust, which took place in the Marienplatz where the clock is now located.

A couple of blocks away is the Hofbraeuhaus founded by Wilhelm V to meet his needs for brown ale, the first brewery in the city. Lavish wedding as beer aside, Duke Wilhelm V was also known as a militant Catholic leader who took increasingly drastic measures both of personal piety and of public anti-Protestant policy. Under his leadership Bavaria became known as the center of early counter-reformation actions, including the final expulsion of Catholics from Bavaria and numerous witch hunts – a legacy which continued after his death by his son Maximillian I.

On the lower portion of the glockenspiel, coopers (barrel makers) twirl through their famous Schäfflerstanz. According to tradition, the Schäfflerstanz, or Cooper’s Dance is tied to the end of a 1517 plague when the local coopers lured the frightened residents back out into the streets with some foot slapping dancing. The details may be apocryphal, but Munich did indeed suffer a terrible plague in 1635 which wiped out about a third of the population. Considered one of the last original guild dances in Germany, the Schäfflerstanz is traditionally reenacted by live dancers every seven years during the festival of Fasching, coming up next in 2012.

At the end of the show, a small golden bird chirps from the top of the glockenspiel. The whole show lasts about 15 minutes.

A relatively recent addition to the ancient town square, the glockenspiel was built in 1908 as part of the second half of building on the gingerbread Gothic-revival New Town Hall. Amazingly, the building escaped major damage during the heavy bombardment during WWII which left other buildings nearby roofless. A 2007 renovation apparently left the carillon out of tune, but it has since been remedied.

The show starts daily at 11am, with additional shows at noon and 5pm in the summertime, lasting 12-15 minutes long. For a higher vantage point, head to the Hugendubel bookshop across the street and climb to the third floor.

Making a smaller nighttime appearance, at 9pm two figures – an angel on one side, and a night watchman on the other – emerge below the clock face.

This past Sunday was the sixth anniversary of the NASA rover Spirit’s landing on Mars and the beginning of its adventures on the red planet. However, this anniversary is shaping up to be its last. As we’ve previously covered here at DISCOVER, Spirit has gotten itself into a jam.

A sand trap and balky wheels are challenges to Spirit’s mobility that could prevent NASA’s rover team from using a key survival strategy for the rover. The team may not be able to position the robot’s solar panels to tilt toward the sun to collect power for heat to survive the severe Martian winter [NASA]. The rover has been stuck in the Martian sand for nine months with only four of its six wheels functioning. Now, NASA says the rover may run out of power and shut down by May.

NASA is close to throwing in the towel on its attempts to extract Spirit from its rut, so the sandpit known as “Troy” may be Spirit’s final resting place. To conserve power, the rescue operation may come to a halt this month. Unless Sprit can angle its solar arrays to capture the maximum possible sunlight, it faces the prospect of freezing to death when winter arrives in five months, since it won’t be able to power the internal heaters which protect its electronics. NASA explains that the current tilt is “nearly five degrees toward the south”, which is “unfavorable because the winter sun crosses low in the northern sky” [Register].

Whether or not Spirit can break free of the sand trap, the rover has already exceeded expectations with its research on Mars’ environment–it was initially scheduled to perform only a 90-day mission. In fact, until it kicks the bucket, Spirit can keep gathering data while bogged down in the sand. NASA scientists believe they can use the rover to gather data about the interior of Mars, Martian weather, and any interesting deposits near the rover’s wheels.

Related Content:
80beats: Future Looks Grim for Stuck Mars Rover
80beats: Mars Rover Will Try Daring Escape From Sand Trap of Doom
80beats: Will This Mars Rover Ever Rove Again? Spirit Get Stuck in the Sand
80beats: Mars Rover Spirit Shows Signs of Age, Including Senior Moments
DISCOVER: Mars Rover Delves Into Crater
DISCOVER: Those Mars Rovers Keep Going and Going…

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—New Mexico regulators have given the state’s largest utility another three weeks to turn in a filing that spells out how it will incorporate renewable energy into its portfolio. Public Service Company of New Mexico was supposed to …

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz only recently launched its first production hybrid in the form of the S400 BlueHybrid, and it’s already working on the next generation of its flagship S-class. When that model debuts in a few years time, it is expected to be the first model from Stuttgart to offer a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain. At this point, it’s unknown which of Mercedes’ two hybrid systems it will use. The S400 uses a new mild hybrid system that doesn’t support electric-only driving, but Mercedes-Benz also has the two-mode system from the ML450 hybrid. The automaker showed off the potential for this car with the Vision 500 Plug-in HYBRID concept (above) at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

With the disbanding of the two-mode hybrid joint development with BMW and General Motors, it has been thought that the two-mode system would not be used by Mercedes-Benz in any new applications. This system can support a plug-in variant with electric-only drive. It’s also possible that Daimler will create a brand-new system, perhaps derived from the mild system but with a more powerful motor to support electric drive. The PHEV system that will be used in the next-gen S-Class is also expected to be applied across the Mercedes range, so we’re thinking a new system is more likely.

[Source: AutoCar]

Report: Next-gen Mercedes-Benz S-class to launch with plug-in hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico regulators have given the state’s largest utility another three weeks to turn in a filing that spells out how it will incorporate renewable energy into its portfolio. Public Service Co. of New Mexico, a …

Sears Holdings announced today that customers flocked to Sears.com and Kmart.com during the holiday shopping season.

Sears states this surge in online shopping was fueled by new product categories and new functionalities designed to provide shopping solutions to customers.

“We would like to thank our customers who helped make the Web sites of Sears Holdings amazing successes this holiday season.

We actively listen to customer feedback and because of that, we were able to provide both exciting and unique products and services,” said Imran Jooma, senior vice president for Online at Sears Holdings.

“Our customers motivate us to continually improve our store and online offerings. As a result, we were able to launch such programs as, international shipping, Sears2Go – our easy-to-use mobile commerce site, a gift finder, and many other features to make shopping easier.

We were thrilled to make holiday shopping in 2009 more convenient than ever before.”

2009 was the first holiday season that customers have been able to do their holiday shopping as part of the ShopYourWay program, which offers several options and tools to make shopping convenient for customers and to help them literally shop their way.

The ability to allow customers to order online and pick up in store or order through their mobile phones, are just some of the many features that helped Sears.com jump from number six to number four this year in Hitwise’s traffic ranking(1) – further evidence that Sears.com is offering an exceptional online experience that is transforming the way customers shop.

Holiday shopping highlights of Sears.com and Kmart.com include:

• The weight of the Kenmore 500 Series washers and electric dryers purchased surpasses the gross take-off weight of a Boeing 747-400.
• The number of Craftsman NEXTEL 12-volt Auto Hammers sold can hammer in almost two billion nails.
• If each customer ran five miles a week for a year on treadmills they bought, they would be able to burn enough calories to equal the consumption of more than 200,000 ice cream sundaes.
• The number of sold trampolines, stacked together, would be six times the height of the world’s tallest skyscraper.
• Some of the longest shipping distances included Chicago to Hanoi, Vietnam and Chicago to Sydney, Australia.

“During this holiday season, we were excited to unveil many new products and services that help make online shopping with Sears.com, Kmart.com and the entire family of Sears Holdings’ Web sites both unique and rewarding year-round,” said Jooma.

“We are thrilled to provide our customers with products and services they may not typically expect us to offer.”

Highlights of some of the new online products and services offered during the holiday season that can also make shopping fast, easy and convenient the rest of the year include:

• Sending a gift to friends or family who live overseas? Sears.com has you covered with thousands of items that are now available for international shipping. Don’t know what to send? No fear, Sears personal shoppers can help you select the perfect gift – and they won’t even tell anyone you had help!
• Tired of the bone-chilling cold weather? No problem, Sears.com carries hot tubs and saunas to warm anyone in even the coldest conditions.
• Can’t find the perfect shoe to match that dress hanging in the closet? Sears.com has you covered with the new Personal Shoefinder. Simply e-mail a photo of your dress and personal shoppers will send back shoe recommendations, just for you, within 24 hours! The perfect service to use for parties, proms or just because you need help.
• Longing to invite your friends over for a rousing night of game play that includes more than “Go Fish” or “Crazy Eights”? Now is your chance to win a Dream Game Room from Sears.com. Simply channel the inner pool shark in you and submit a video of your best billiards shot here. Then, the voting begins. The entry with the greatest amount of votes wins the Dream Game Room.
• Looking for a stylish gift for a birthday or other special occasion? Sears.com can give you access to the exclusive new Rock and Redemption line of jewelry products, created by New York’s award-winning jewelry designer Michael Spirito.
• Plus, many customers took advantage of the added feature of Buy Online, Pick Up In Store that is backed by Sears’ Ready in 5 Guarantee including curbside pick up at select locations.

“Sears Holdings is committed to providing an exceptional online shopping experience and we will continue to listen to our customers and evolve our sites to meet their many needs,” said Jooma.

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation’s fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada.

Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and automotive repair and maintenance.

Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands’ End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands.

It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered exclusively by Sears and Kmart. We are the nation’s largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation.

For more information, visit Sears Holdings’ Web site at searsholdings.com.

(1) Sears.com is ranked number four among ecommerce sites while among multichannel retailer sites it is ranked number three.

TextPlus, an ad-supported application which allows for free text messaging, is now available for free on the Android Market. Initially an App Store offering (the application’s official website has not yet been updated to show Android support), textPlus now allows Android users to send free text messages to anyone from within the application. Users would not be charged for messages nor would they be required to have a message bundle. Recipients of textPlus messages do not  need to have the application, nor an account, and can reply to a short code (60611) attached to the textPlus user address.

Additional benefits of textPlus are free international messaging and the ability to text to multiple people simultaneously, similar to a chat. Android users can sign up for a free account directly from within the application to create a textPlus address.

If any of our readers have used this app, please let us know of your first impressions in the comments. Otherwise, expect an official review to come shortly!

Introducing the LDC501 Laser Diode Controller: a highly stable, low-noise current source, with an integrated temperature controller — all at a very affordable price.

The LDC501 is the ideal instrument for controlling the current and temperature of your laser diodes. It has the performance and features you expect from instruments costing twice as much.

With a low-noise current source that delivers up to 500 mA, a 36 W high-precision temperature controller, and standard computer interfaces including Ethernet, the LDC501 is the right choice for your laser diode testing and control applications.

Logistics provider FIEGE selected the BEUMER stretch hood, a high-capacity end-of-line packaging system, for use in its distribution centre in Bocholt, to provide pallet loads of branded spirits with more efficient, flexible and customer-friendly packaging. Since then, this fully automatic system has been packaging up to 1,000 pallets per day.

The FIEGE group, based in Greven (North Rhine-Westphalia), is one of the leading contract logistics providers in Europe. Core competencies include the development and conversion of integrated logistics systems. With 210 locations and representatives in 18 countries, FIEGE possesses a tight logistic network. In Bocholt (North Rhine-Westphalia) the company stores branded spirits for distilleries. Before being dispatched, these products are placed on a pallet and subsequently packaged in protective film. Since conventional pallet wrapping systems failed to satisfy increasing requirements, FIEGE needed to replace the legacy wrapping system with a new end-of-line packaging system.

The new end-of-line packaging system would need to package pallets of different heights and contours to eliminate presorting, film changes and unnecessary film consumption. Furthermore, customer surveys showed that the pallet base should be free of film, that the film had to protect the palletized product during transport and against theft and that it had to be transparent enough to ensure accurate bar code reading. For this reason, shrink hooding was dismissed as a potential packaging solution, as the shrink hood covers the pallet base and becomes milky in appearance due to the shrinking process. In addition, available wrapping technologies fell short of FIEGE’s requirements, as traditional stretch wrapping involves high film consumption. Therefore FIEGE looked for possible alternatives.

FIEGE found the solution in the stretch hood, a high-capacity end-of-line packaging system developed by intralogistics specialist and stretch hood technology pioneer BEUMER. The packaging system, having a length of 22 metres and consisting of the BEUMER stretch hood and the conveyor-based feeding and discharge systems, was installed within two weeks. Since then, this system has been packaging up to 1,000 pallets per day. The 25 order pickers place the multi-format pallets on a roller conveyor, which transports pallets to the BEUMER stretch hood. The fully automatic stretch hood system measures the height and the contours of the pallet. Thereupon, it determines the exact quantity of film required, eliminating unnecessary film consumption. The pallet is automatically packed. The BEUMER stretch hood covers the pallet evenly with a stretch film hood. The pallet is provided with a label indicating the delivery destination at the end of the roller conveyor. The packaging process itself is overseen by only one employee. The BEUMER stretch hood is in continuous operation five days a week. FIEGE found value for its business in the trouble-free process, minor and predictable maintenance requirements and the uncomplicated application. Besides the packaging quality, the stretch-hood technology improves the visibility of the palletized products for unmatched display properties and consistently reliable bar code reading.

We present the latest novelty of our company, the exchange table system for the CNC plasma/flame cutting machines. The automatic exchange of the work ground shortens the work process time and at the same time increases the machine’s functionality.
Technical Data:
– Mains connection .. 400 V / 50 Hz
– Plate thickness .. 0,5 – 10,0 mm
– Plate dimensions .. 1500x3000mm

TECHMAFLEX has made its reputation through understanding our customer’s needs and the constant innovations on our hose assembly machines throughout the years. Understanding that users were looking for help in detecting maintenance needs, we are now offering the TECH’CARE BOX, a preventive maintenance monitoring system as an option available on all PE and PES crimping machines. This device indicates different levels of maintenance needed at different moments of the machine life cycle.
Why is it important to keep your machine in good state?
Your machine will last longer, keep full strength and remain accurate. 80% of the machine breakdowns are due to a lack of preventive maintenance.
How does the TECH’CARE box work?
The TECH’CARE box includes a daily counter and a machine life counter. The box also comes with a Semi-Automatic function (BSA control) particularly useful when making assemblies in series.
There are 3 levels of maintenance represented by 3 blinking leds (daily, advanced and expert maintenance).