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Category: News
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Liquid Image outs Summit Series Snow Camera goggles ahead of CES
Liquid Image has just announced new camera-equipped ski masks, swimming goggles and scuba masks, just in time for them to be unveiled at CES 2010. The Summit Series Snow Camera Goggle 335 boasts a 5MP still camera capable of shooting D1 720 x 480 resolution video at 30 frames per second with audio. It’s got 16MB of built-in flash memory, expandable to 16GB via its microSD / SDHC slot. Other features include large buttons on the side of the goggles which are easy to press while wearing gloves and and a light inside the goggles which indicates when recording. The goggles are estimated to get about 2,200 still images or over 2 hours of video per charge on their lithium ion battery. Liquid Image expects to ship the Summit Series goggles in the summer of 2010, with a price of $149. Full press release is after the breakContinue reading Liquid Image outs Summit Series Snow Camera goggles ahead of CES
Liquid Image outs Summit Series Snow Camera goggles ahead of CES originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nick Jonas & The Administration “Who Am I” VIDEO
JoBro Nick Jonas has kicked off 2010 by unveiling the official music video premiere for Nick Jonas & The Administration’s debut single, “Who Am I.”
Rock It or Drop It?
The 17-year-old has branched off from big brothers Kevin and Joe with the introduction of his own “side band,” The Administration. Nick and his new bandmates will be supporting the release of their forthcoming album with a tour which will begin at House of Blues in Dallas tonight!
Nick Jonas & The Administration’s first LP, also titled Who Am I, debuts Feb 2.
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Brad Pitt Jennifer Aniston To Star In Movie Together
Hollywood exes Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are in discussions to share the silver screen in a new movie.
“Jen always wanted to work with Brad on a movie,” an industry expert told Britain’s Daily Mirror on Thursday. “She had the best time when he guest starred on Friends with her and now she wants to recreate that magic.”
The claims are further bolstered by a friend of Jennifer’s, who insist the former lovers are busily looking for the perfect script for their big screen debut.
We wonder how Ange feels about this?!
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10 Important Facts About Birth Defects
When a woman is pregnant, in her mind, her baby will be perfect. But perfect isn’t always what we think it will be. Sometimes, our perfect baby is born with a problem, such as spina bifida (hole in the back) or missing a limb, or a heart defect.
Birth defects can sometimes be prevented and January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month. The goal of the month is to educate as many people as possible, not just mothers, about prevention of preventable birth defects.
Taken from the National Birth Defects Prevention Network, here are 10 important facts you should know about birth defects:
1
Birth defects affect one out of ever 33 babies in the United States and is the cause of death in one of every five infant deaths.
2
Folic acid (folate) is a vitamin that all women of childbearing age, including teens, should be taking. Having too little folic acid is one of the contributing factors to spine deformities, like spina bifida. Since the spine forms within the first few weeks of pregnancy and many pregnancies are not planned, it is best to have a reserve of folic acid always in the body, rather than just when a woman plans on getting pregnant.3
Not all birth defects are obvious or found while the baby is in the hospital. Many birth defects only become obvious as the child grows and develops.
4
Some birth defects, such as Down’s syndrome or spina bifida, can be found before the baby is born if the mother has recommended prenatal testing, such as ultrasounds.5
Birth defects are costly for society. According to the Birth Defects Prevention Network, “birth defects have accounted for over 139,000 hospital stays during a
single year, resulting in $2.5 billion in hospital costs alone. Families and the government share the burden of these costs. Additional costs due to lost wages or
occupational limitations can affect families as well”6
Birth defects can be caused by genetic or unknown factors, but lifestyle choices also play a significant role. This includes smoking, using drugs, drinking alcohol, and other actions. Occupational dangers can also contribute to birth defects.
7
Prevention may be possible. Depending on the defect, women may be able to prevent some from occurring, be it having adequate nutrition, including folic acid, to good prenatal care and lifestyle choices.8
Infections may cause some defects, but infections may often be prevented. We all try to keep from getting infected with various viruses and illnesses and women who are pregnant even more so. By proper handwashing, avoiding certain tasks, such as cleaning out cat litter boxes while pregnant, and avoiding sick people as much as possible, it is possible to limit exposure to infections, keeping the baby safer.
9
Avoiding alcohol is the best way to reduce the risk of certain birth defects. Although a general motto in our society is “moderation in everything,” alcohol and pregnancy don’t go together. No-one knows for sure how much is too much when it comes to the baby’s developing brain and body – so why take the risk?
10
Mom is the baby’s protector while pregnant. Pregnant women may consider themselves as the gatekeeper to their child’s health. Of course, not all defects are preventable and this is important to keep in mind. But the healthier the mother, the better a lifestyle she chooses to live the better the child’s chances of being born happy and healthy.
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Images: PhotoXpress.com
Post from: Blisstree
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Binnenschifffahrt / Wasserstrassen – Planung, Bau und Diskussion
Thread für verschiedene Projekte in der Binnenschifffahrt. -
The Prediction of Indonesia in 2010
Bad and good outlook for Indonesia in 2010 .. but, I believe that there will be no major improvement, especially in economic, under SBY and Budiono … :nuts:Why? ..
Quote:
Psychics Tell Us Their Predictions for Indonesia in 2010
As real life starts to kick back in after all the New Year’s festivities, many of us are starting to wonder what 2010 has in store for us. Likely we already know we won’t be keeping our resolutions beyond a few days, and we don’t need a psychic to tell us that in Indonesia there will be earthquakes, in Jakarta there will be flooding and in politics there will be scandal.
But will we really see an earthquake split Java in two, more bombings in the capital after June and rising marital strife and drug use? And looking further ahead, is the world really going to be washed clean in 2012 like the Mayan calendar predicts?
There’s really no telling, but three out of the four psychics we talked to had rather bleak outlooks for the coming year.
And the fourth one? He says everything with be fine, so if we get to pick and choose our predictions, let’s go with him.
Mama Lauren
Mama Lauren had dire predictions for the year ahead. “A big earthquake will happen, either in Bandung or Sukabumi [both in West Java], and the impact will destroy many high-rise buildings in Jakarta,” she said.
She also foresaw a major crack developing between Central and East Java, causing water to rise up and divide the two provinces.
More generally, she said there would be natural disasters in almost every other part of the country as well, from the western coast of Sumatra right across to West Papua.
Born in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Mama Lauren first came to the country with her Indonesian husband, Natakusuma, in 1952. Today, she is one of the best-known seers in Indonesia, with regular appearances on television and in newspapers and magazines.
She also runs a psychic service from her home, charging Rp 200,000 per visit, including for the time it took for the Jakarta Globe to interview her.
From her leafy residence in East Jakarta, Mama Lauren predicted plenty more drama for 2010.
“The whole world is in a mess,” she said.
Terrorism will keep a low profile in the capital until June when bombings will start again, she said.
She added that property businesses were going to suffer because of her predicted earthquake.
It’s not a good year for the government either. “I see a lot of fights among the politicians,” she said. “SBY [President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] will have a lot of headaches.”
Investors should be wary as well. “The stock market is going to tremble, one day it’s OK, another day it’s gone.” She advised investors to buy gold: “You won’t get much profit, but it’s safe.”
Bleak economic prospects, marital problems and infidelity across the nation will cause widespread despair, she said. “Suicide will become a trend, like in Japan.”
The year ahead will also bring a new epidemic. “I see a kind of swine flu. This illness will happen because people eat the wrong food.”
Two senior female celebrities and one male celebrity will pass away this year, she said. But she didn’t say who.
“One of them is in the hospital now and is very critical,” she said on Dec. 24.
At the end of the interview, Mama Lauren said being a seer was a mixed blessing. “It’s not easy, you know. It’s not easy to talk. And it’s not easy to keep quiet. I don’t say everything that I see. But for what’s necessary and can help the people, I will speak up.”
Ki Joko Bodo
“It [2010] will be a difficult time for all of us,” Ki Joko Bodo said. Based on the ancient Javanese calendar, 2010 is known as “wuku watu gunung,” or “rocky mountain time.”
“It’ll be tough, like climbing a rocky mountain,” he explained.
“The political situation will become heated, but the politicians will be fighting for their own stomachs, not the people,” he said, adding that this year many political scandals would be uncovered.
“This will lead to some regulatory changes. However, these changes will only benefit the political elite,” he said.
Ki Joko is a prominent figure in Indonesian paranormal circles. With his long, unkempt hair, thick mustache and glaring eyes, Ki Joko — who also holds an economics degree from Cokroaminoto University in Yogyakarta — commands respect. His advice is sought by political officials, celebrities and socialites.
Interviewed at his sprawling estate in Lubang Buaya, East Jakarta, Ki Joko spoke about the future.
As well as political scandal he predicted a worsening of economic conditions.
“There are a lot of malls [in Jakarta], but they are only full on weekends,” he said. “It signifies that the buying power has diminished, as people are actually earning less than what they need to survive.”
Floods, landslides and earthquakes will also hit the country, he said: “There will be a big flood in Jakarta in February, [and] I see a lot of landslides happening in the mountains and an earthquake in West Papua.”
Like Mama Lauren, he also saw a rise in marital problems.
“There is a tendency that the person that you sleep with will stab you in the back,” Ki Joko said.
As a result of the problems, the year ahead will see a lot of people suffer from stress and stomach ulcers. “Especially office workers,” he said. “And more people will use drugs next year.”
In this era of stress and depression, entertainment will be the one lucrative businesses in 2010, he said, “because people need that.”
According to Ki Joko, terrorist bombings will halt in the capital for a while, although he gave no prediction when or if they would restart. “The terrorists are still planning and gathering their power,” he said, echoing what many analysts are saying. “It will take a while before they can strike again.”
Meike Rose
Meike Rose, the love adviser for “Take Me Out Indonesia,” a reality TV show on Indosiar, offers predictions on more than people’s love lives. Using tea leaves and Tarot cards, the seer said she could also tell us what is going to pass in 2010.
“Justice keeps turning up in my cards,” she said in a telephone interview. According to Meike, that signifies karma will prevail in 2010.
“If you’ve done good things in the past, you will be well rewarded,” she said. “But if you haven’t, you’ll face the consequences this year.”
Karma will apply to everyone, according to the seer, with more scandals — probably political or economic — coming to light in 2010. “All things hidden will be revealed,” she said.
Meike foresaw that natural disasters would continue to occur until people began to take care of the planet.
She said in Indonesia, geological faults will continue to shift and rupture in 2010, causing major earthquakes, floods and landslides.
“Indonesia will again be hit by a tsunami,” she said. “But there’s no need to panic. Let’s just pray.”
Meike said God “wants to teach us something with these disasters.”
“Disasters happen because we no longer have respect for nature. We take from nature without giving anything back in return. It disrupts the balance,” she said.
“Unless we all start to care [for nature], the disasters will continue and culminate in 2012, as the Mayans have predicted.”
Meike said that in 2012, “The world as we know now will be purged clean [by catastrophic natural disasters] and a new era will begin.”
Edward de Fretes
At Warung Kubis, his small cafe in Blok A, South Jakarta, Edward de Freteshe dealt French Lenormand divination cards facedown on the table with a swift, practiced motion. The first card he turned over showed the sun shining over a desert.
“It is the best of all cards,” Edward said. “All will be well with Indonesia in 2010.”
But first, some things will have to be gotten out of the way.
“In the beginning of this year, a high government official, a woman, will be asked to step down,” Edward said.
He wouldn’t say who, but we wonder if maybe he was talking about Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, currently at the center of the Bank Century scandal?
He turned over another card. “There will also be a change of presidents. SBY may be forced to step down or he may step down by himself because of an illness,” he said.
But not to worry. “By the time he steps down, most of the problems in this country will have been resolved. He has done what he was appointed to do. The rest will be easier for us.”
Edward left a successful job as a creative director at an advertising company eight years ago to follow his calling as a psychic. He said he believed he was called to give people positive encouragement about the future.
These days, he reads Lenormand cards for Indonesian celebrities and high-ranking officials by appointment.
Not all his predictions for the year ahead in Indonesia were as rosy as the beginning of the reading suggested. Edward said he saw several “plagues” hitting rural areas. “Most probably caused by unhealthy living standards,” he said.
But besides that people can rest easy. “I don’t see anything bad or shocking in my cards. This year [2009] has been tough for us. And as a result more people are praying now. So, next year [2010] will mostly be smooth,” Edward said.
Edward also predicted the tourism industry would be on the rise in 2010.
“Indonesia will be world-renowned for tourism,” he said. “There will be new Indonesian tourist destinations that are going to be more famous in the world than Bali.
“So don’t worry. Everything will be fine in 2010,” he said. “You’ve got to be sure of yourself in facing the future.”
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Researchers engineer tobacco leaves to enhance biofuel production
Eco Factor: Engineered tobacco leaves to produce more biofuel.
Researchers at the Biotechnology Foundations Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson University have found out a way to increase biofuel production from tobacco plants by engineering two genes, which increase the oil in tobacco leaves.
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Naga and Iriga Cities, and Camarines Sur Province Thread 22
CamSur; all the time, any time, all year round
Bicol’s Top Tourist Destination
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Top ten best cuisine in the world
http://blog.hotelclub.com/top-10-international-cuisine/Vietnam is not even on the list 😆 this must be a joke
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The Truth About Postpartum Depression
Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields are currently engaging in a word war against each other because of a type of depression, called postpartum depression. Cruise’s and Brooke’s debacle started when Tom Cruise openly disapproved of Brooke Shield’s personal choice of opting to take prescribed medicines to cure her postpartum depression, when he guested at the Today Show. According to Cruise, who is a popular devotee of Scientology (who believes that we can be cured through natural means and that taking medicine is doing our body harm), Brooke Shields should have instead, opted to cure her postpartum depression by doing healthy exercises. Adding that a lot of people have been misinformed about depression and how to actually cure this common illness.
But what is postpartum depression really? We’ve heard about it often enough, yet are we really sure that we know enough about it for us to actually understand this illness in order for us to help ourselves as well as others? Being pregnant should really be a source of joy for everyone, especially the mother to be, who for nine months, will actually have living being grow from inside of her. Unfortunately, there is another side to this joyous occasion, being pregnant means that you and your body will have to get used to some adjustments for you to have a safe pregnancy. Smoking, alcohol, strenuous activities as well as stress should be avoided at all cost. A healthy baby means having a healthy mother as well. But given that you have been able to successfully avoided all these bad habits for your baby to be, childbirth is a whole different thing, as much as we may try to avoid it, there are still some unfortunate cases wherein the mother’s as well as the baby’s life might be in danger.But there’s actually more, postpartum depression actually happens after childbirth. Although it’s quite common and a lot of women have learned to how to deal with it as well as successfully treat it (like Brooke Shields), it is still quite avoidable. Postpartum depression is actually a lot like depression, but only new moms are the possible victims of this illness. There are actually a lot possible reasons why postpartum depression occurs:Childbirth as we all know is not as easy as pie, actual physical stress from giving birth is one of the main reasons why postpartum depression occurs. Next postpartum depression trigger is massive changes is hormonal levels. A lot of moms-to-be who were hesitant about bearing a child are also more susceptible to postpartum depression, those who are not ready to be a mother yet are more easily to get depressed as opposed to happy and excited moms-to-be.When postpartum depression happens, it really is best to go to the doctor immediately. Aside from obviously having ill-effects for the new mother, postpartum depression can prove to be harmful to the child as well. New mothers who are suffering from postpartum depression may be harboring ill feelings toward their children. Their are actually some cases of murder wherein postpartum depression has been cited as the reason. Mothers who suffer from postpartum depression may blame their child for their weight gain, thus feeling like they’ve become less attractive and unloved. It is really best to consult a reputable cognitive behavior therapist to take care of your postpartum woes, your therapist may prescribe medications to help cure postpartum depression as well as therapy sessions to help relieve whatever pent emotions that you may have.
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Old medical equipment to help save lives in Zimbabwe
Eco Factor: Old medical equipment being recycled.
Old hospital equipment including trauma trolleys, patient hoists, suction machines, hospital beds and examination couches are being transported to Zimbabwe to help save lives. The donation comes from Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool.
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Volgograd, Russia
Volgograd (formerly Tsaritsin and Stalingrad) is a rather big city on the Volga river, The city has rich history, but only WWII made it one of the most famous cities in the World.Let’s begin 🙂
PART I. The mamaev kurgan monument and "the motherland calls" statue.
And the jewel of all complex, "the Motherland calls" , one of the highest statues of the world, its height reaches 90 m.
Small people below)
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Invisalign in Edmond Oklahoma
Have you ever heard of clear braces or invisible braces? Having a confident smile can change everything. Sometimes wearing metal braces doesn’t fit into your plan. They are bulky, ugly and hurt. To straighten your teeth you do not have to go thru the process of metal braces. Invisalign is a tried and true teeth straightening system that uses clear aligners to straighten your teeth in increments – you will switch out these aligners every 2 weeks. These gradually shift your teeth into place. Uncomfortable wires and brackets are a thing of the past. With Invisalign, you can remove the aligners whenever you want – to eat – to drink and then put them back on yourself – no cosmetic dentist required.
Invisalign uses a 3D imaging system to map out your treatment so you can see what your teeth could look like when your treatment is completed. These Oklahoma dentists use this imaging system to create a series of custom aligners that are replaced every two weeks. The entire treatment typically takes nine to fifteen months. Most people won’t even realize you are undergoing treatment.
See if your smile is right for what Invisalign has to offer. Contact these Oklahoma dentists at Santa Fe Dental – 405.844.6100.
Tags: Cosmetic Dentists, Edmond Oklahoma, Cosmetic Dentistry, Edmond cosmetic dentists, dentistry procedures, Info on cosmetic dentistry, restorative, general, family dentistry, Oklahoma
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L’enquête fiabilité annuelle de « Que Choisir » est arrivée…
Des enquêtes de fiabilité, il y en a. Il y en a beaucoup et sans doute trop. Celle d’un magazine non spécialisé comme Que choisir est intéressante à analyser car elle fait un peu référence pour ceux qui ne suivent pas l’actu auto de près.
Que choisir étant un magazine réputé pour son indépendance, personne ne le soupçonne de parti-pris. Pour parler de fiabilité en étant crédible, c’est une bonne chose.Et c’est sûrement ainsi que cette enquête est vue comme une référence par nombre d’automobilistes et de médias.
Celà fait maintenant 10 ans que le magazine réalise cette enquête annuelle, et les conducteurs intérrogés cette année représentent 5 nationalités: belges, espagnols, italiens, portugais et français.
Concrêtement, sur 7 pages sont listés 144 modèles de 34 marques et appartenant à 26277 propriétaires. Les modèles sont classés par catégorie (petites, compactes, familiales, monospaces et quelques SUV). Il y a également un classement des marques.
3 marques du groupe Toyota (Daihatsu, Lexus, et Toyota) dans les 5 premières, joli tir groupé pour le géant de Tokyo.
Je ne vais pas vous détailler tous les résultats de ce classement, pour ça je vous laisse voir le magazine, vendu en kiosque pour 4,20€ (prix français). Mais voici ce qu’il faut en retenir:
-Le classement des marques:
Des enquêtes de ce genre, il y en a beaucoup, chacune avec sa propre méthode et son propre échantillon. On n’obtient jamais 2 fois les mêmes résultats. Ce qui compte, ça n’est donc pas de savoir que selon celle-ci Nissan est plus fiable que Mercedes car 0,04% des propriétaires de l’une ont eu moins de problèmes que ceux de l’autre. C’est un peu ridicule. Non, ce qui compte, c’est la photographie générale qui est proposée. Et là, toutes les enquêtes se rejoignent: les japonais devant, les allemands au milieu et les autres…ça dépend. C’est très schématique, mais c’est encore le cas ici. On y retrouve aux 5 premières places Daihatsu, Lexus, Dacia, Honda et Toyota. La première marque allemande est mercedes, 11ème. (Smart est 9ème.). Le magazine note que Peugeot et Volkswagen, habitués au bas du classement, se ressaisissent, tout comme Fiat, et insiste sur le très beau score de Dacia.
Les Dacia sont basées sur des composants éprouvés et rentabilisés de longue date. Leur présence en tête des classements de fiabilité est logique.
L’échantillon moyen étant de 772 voitures par marque, on peut le considérer comme sérieux, même si ce n’est pas énorme. Mais c’est un échantillon moyen. Aucune précision par exemple sur le fait que se trouve Land Rover dans ce classement alors qu’aucune de ses voitures ne se trouve dans les tableaux des modèles. Idem pour Lancia.
De la première marque, Daihatsu avec un indice de 96,02% à la dernière, Land Rover (il doit y avoir beaucoup d’anciens Freelander dans ce résultat…) avec un indice de 80,2%; il y a 15 points d’écart. C’est peu! 80% pour un dernier (soit 20% des propriétaires ayant eu une panne), ça n’est pas mal. Il y a quinze ans, le dernier eût été aux alentours des 65%. Confirmation qu’il n’y a plus de mauvaises marques en matière de fiabilité. D’où la question qui se pose; que penser d’un classement de marques qui classe Hyundai 8ème. et Jaguar 15ème. avec… 0,96% d’écart? N’est-ce pas là une limite de l’exercice alors que les écarts d’une marque à l’autre se sont tant ressérés?
On ne le dira jamais assez: côté fiabilité, on achète pas une marque, on achète une voiture. Toutes les marques ont des modèles plus fiables que d’autres. Et toutes les marques ont des modèles fiables, tout court. Ces classements par marque n’ont aucun intérêt pour choisir un véhicule, au contraire, il peuvent induire en erreur. Statistiquement, pour qu’il servent à quelquechose, il faudrait que les clients achètent chacun tous les modèles de la marque, ce qui est un constat mathématiquement juste, mais concrêtement idiot!
-Le classement des modèles:
La Peugeot 307 (phase 1 – 2001/2005; ici une phase 2 en photo) est dans les premières en 1.6 essence et dans les dernières en HDI. Il semble pourtant que cette voiture a eu bien d'autres soucis que moteur, et son apparition en tête de classement, fut-ce en essence, est pour le moins curieuse…
26277 propriétaires pour 144 modèles, ça fait en gros un échantillon de 180 exemplaires par modèle. Et là, c’est trop peu. D’autant que c’est une moyenne, certaines étant forcément en dessous des 180. Ca donne bien entendu une idée, mais aller après ça faire des classements avec des écarts infimes, non. Compte tenu de ce faible échantillon, peut-être eût-il mieux valu s’abstenir de classer par modèles, mais plutôt procéder par blocs; modèles très fiables, moyennement, etc… Le magazine prend soin de nous expliquer avoir écarté la Toyota Prius pour cause de trop faible échantillon, sans nous préciser la valeur requise pour être pris en considération dans son classement.
Le tableau des SUV classe 5 voitures, du Hyundai Santa Fe 1er. au Toyota Rav4 modèle actuel, dernier… mais avec 87,21% d’indice de fiabilité, ce qui est très bon. Aucun commentaire sur ce tableau, il est ridicule.
Comme pour les marques, il n’y a jamais 20 points d’écart, et rarement 15. La voiture la mieux notée est la Toyota Yaris 1.0 2003/2005 (97,09%) et la moins bien notée est le C4 Grand Picasso 2.0HDI (ah bon…) (72,29%). Seules quelques voitures sont sous les 80%.
Le moins qu'on puisse dire est que les propriétaires de C4 Picasso (2.0 HDI) interrogés par Que Choisir ne sont pas ravis de sa fiabilité.
La plupart des résultats confirment ce que les initiés savaient déjà. Ainsi, on ne trouve presque jamais de japonaises en queue de classement. Seules la Mazda 5 (77,72%) et la Toyota Yaris 2 (89,1% quand même!) se trainent dans leur catégorie. La Logan fait aussi bien que les meilleures japonaises. Les Fiat, Opel et Ford ont gagné 15 à 20 points en quinze ans, même si elles se trainent généralement en queue de peloton. Le niveau est si élevé et serré que ça ne veut plus dire grand chose, et certaines commencent à monter très haut dans les hiérarchies, comme le Meriva, le Multipla phase II, l’Alfa 147, la Focus ou la Mondeo II par exemple. Les françaises ont stagné durant la même période, ce qui est un trompe l’oeil car il y a eu forte baisse en 2000/2004 et forte hausse depuis, globalement. Côté allemand, les derniers TDI sont beaucoup plus fiables que les précédents, et les véhicules des spécialistes (Audi, BMW, Mercedes) font bonne figure dans le milieu des classements pour la plupart d’entre eux, ce qui est en valeur absolue très bon compte tenu des indices qu’on y trouve. Chez les italiens, on note surtout que le 1,9JTD a assez mal vécu ses augmentations de puissance successives, qui ont dégradé sa fiabilité, excellente au départ. Les chiffres restent bons, mais ça ne suffit plus à monter dans les classements, d’autant que toutes les berlines sélectionnées semblent l’avoir été avec cette motorisation (ce qui est limite…), mais la puissance n’est pas précisée pour les blocs.
Quelques résultats peuvent sembler curieux tout de même; la Fiat Stilo semble bien basse dans le classement des compactes… et la 307 1.6 bien haute. Le C4 Grand Picasso 2.0HDI, dernier des monospaces serait 20 points moins fiable que la Xsara Picasso 1.6, première de la catégorie. On se doute que les moteurs essence ont moins de problèmes que les nouveaux diesels, mais à ce point c’est un peu surprenant. A ce propos, pas de pondération en fonction du kilométrage,plutôt curieux là aussi… Ce ne sont que quelques exemples de résultats parfois un peu douteux, mais malgré tout, l’ensemble se tient bien.
Un résultat aberrant par contre: que la Laguna II Dci phase 2 (2005) soit moins fiable que la phase 1 (2001) parait extrêmement difficile à croire et fera sûrement sourire quelques mécanos de chez Renault!… Peut-être une aberration statistique due au faible échantillonnage de l’enquête.
La fiabilité de la Laguna II est catastrophique en début de carrière (2001) et se redresse progressivement, surtout en phase II (photo) à compter de 2005, pour devenir très bonne. Du moins c'est ce qui est communément admis. Pas par Que Choisir!…
-Conclusion:
Voici une enquête de plus qui vaut ce qu’elle vaut. Nul doute que les journalistes de Que Choisir ont fait leur travail avec rigueur et déontologie. Pour ceux qui ne s’intéressent pas à l’automobile, il sera peut-être intéressant de découvrir qu’il vaut mieux acheter une Toyota Avensis qu’une Laguna II. Pour vous qui lirez ceci, ce ne sera probablement pas une découverte. L’ennuyeux, c’est que sur tel ou tel modèle, il est aisé de trouver une enquête tout aussi sérieuse qui dira le contraire de celle-ci. Et c’est bien là la limite de l’exercice; quand on va chez son concessionnaire faire un chèque, c’est pour acheter un modèle précis, pas pour racheter le constructeur. Du coup, les tendances générales dans l’industrie et les marques, quel intérêt pour l’acheteur lambda?…
Nouveau: pour profiter facilement et rapidement des notifications de nouveautés sur le site,pensez à vous abonner via Twitter. Chaque modification, nouvel article ou nouvelle vidéo sur notre chaîne Youtube, fait l’objet d’un Tweet immédiat!
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North Slope Ski Hotel delivers sustainable luxury in style
Eco Factor: Sustainable hotel designed to run on renewable sources of energy.
The North Slope Ski Hotel is the work of eco-minded designer and architect Michael Jantzen, which is designed to be primarily powered by solar and wind energy. The 95-room luxury hotel features eight large vertical axis wind turbines that are mounted on top of the hotel and a large flexible PV array to cover the lower south facing portion of the structure.
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Tideland Signal to supply solar LED lanterns for marking coral reef
Eco Factor: LED lanterns powered by solar energy.
Tideland Signal has won the contract to supply sun-powered marine lanterns to mark the coral reef surrounding Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean. The solar lanterns, dubbed the SolaMAX, will help encourage fishing on the outer reef.
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Hong Kong pavilion shows the relation between man and nature
Eco Factor: Sustainable pavilion for Shanghai World Expo 2010.
Architects all over the world are trying to design pavilions that cater to Shanghai World Expo 2010 theme of “Better City, Better Life”. Ida and Billy have showcased the Hong Kong pavilion design that comes on the theme of “Hong Kong – A city with unlimited potential”.
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Angra dos Reis(RJ): tragédia anunciada ou fatalidade?
Como todos já devem ter visto nos noticiários, Angra dos Reis(RJ) vive um dos piores momentos de sua história. Quem conhece a região, sabe que ela está localizada/esprimida exatamente entre a serra e o mar, quase sem locais planos, e onde chove muito e forte. Muitos bairros surgiram de forma desordenada e sem nenhum planejamento. Soma-se a isso um excesso de construções irregulares. As maiores vítimas ao longo desse tempo foram a floresta e seus rios, que sofreram com a ação direta do Homem.
Isto foi uma fatalidade ou já era algo esperado? Como deveria ser o urbanismo nessas regiões? Qual é o papel da Prefeitura? O que fazer para que isto não ocorra novamente?Para ilustrar melhor, abaixo uma foto do Centro de Angra.
