Category: News

I am still not convinced that we need special laws mandating net neutrality, but I find the arguments from telcos that no one would ever block sites or services to be highly unbelievable. There have been cases of it happening in the past, and there are cases of it happening now. Shocklee points us to the news that a Russian ISP has been blocking websites that the government has dubbed “extremist,” even though they include political opposition sites like Garry Kasparov’s Kasparov.ru, Solidarity’s Rusolidarnost.ru and the National Bolshevik Party’s Nazbol.ru. Combine that with attempts in the UK and Australia to give the government the ability to make up secret lists of sites that should be blocked by ISPs, and you can see why some believe it’s important, as a fundamental principle, that ISPs should allow access to any site. US telcos say that they are in the business of encouraging free speech, and they would be crazy to block sites, but what we’re seeing around the world suggests that there are times when ISPs do decide to block sites, and it’s often due to political pressure from governing parties.

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Napa County, California | Geological Oddities

The same turbulent forces that heat the waters of Calistoga’s famous hot springs and geysers once turned a forest to stone. 3.5 million years ago an ancient volcano knocked down and buried a forest, including grove of enormous redwoods. Their grey stone effigies were uncovered in 1857, and excavated over the following decades.

Petrified trees are not uncommon. Once buried in volcanic ash and deprived of oxygen, over a period ranging from a hundred to hundreds of thousands of years, the organic materials that make up organic matter, like trees, are replaced by silica. The resulting stone fossil retains all of the marking of the original tree, including bark, rings, and knots, and are laying exactly as they fell millions of years ago. Petrified forests have been found all over the world, but the forest in Calistoga is remarkable for the shear size of the enormous redwoods preserved, some thought to have been as old as 2000 years when they were felled. They are among the largest petrified trees found anywhere.

The property has changed hands many times over the decades since its discovery, but it is still a small family run operation. In the 1880s Robert Louis Stevenson wrote about his visit to the forest and its eccentric owner in his book The Silverado Squatters, and there is now a tree named for him along the trail. The height of the forest’s notoriety and excavation work was done starting in 1914 under the guidance of Ollie Bockee, who’s publicity efforts included sending a log off to the city of New York and getting another log included in the wonders on display at the San Francisco Pan-Pacific Exposition of 1915.

Today, about a half mile of trail wanders though the woodland with signs and markers indicating specific tress, some of which are only half excavated. A gift shop located in the ground floor of the home Ollie Bockee built has a collection of fossils and petrified wood from around the world on display and for sale.

Head’s up PS3 owners. In case you were not aware, today, United Front Games and SCEA has let loose the much awaited public beta of ModNation Racers for everyone who were lucky enough to grab the voucher

Late on Friday 18th December, it was announced that the US, China, Brazil, India and South Africa had signed a “meaningful agreement” here in Copenhagen, with the possibility of the EU and Mexico signing on. In doing so, our politicians have undermined two years of progress, since an agreement to agree with the Bali Action Plan, and two weeks of intense negotiations which were severely impacted by the lack of leadership.

Two weeks ago, the nation of Tuvalu brought us to tears. Two weeks on, we are again in a similar situation for a very different reason. It is summised perfectly by a US official who leaked the Copenhagen Accord, “the new deal is not enough to combat the threat of climate change.” So how is it then a step forward?

The Copenhagen Agreement is still missing key factors. With emissions reduction targets still to be decided and because it’s an accord, it does not have any weight in international law.

Although the Copenhagen Accord does acknowledge a 2 degree celcius maximum level for temperature rises and agrees that any agreement must keep with the science, it is not fair, ambitious or legally binding. 1.5 degrees is what we are now asking for and the science has been with us for many years yet world leaders still choose to take risk after risk.

As I type, hundreds of protestors have gathered outside the Bella Center, from the International Youth Climate Movement to non-governmental organisations including Avaaz, Greenpeace and Oxfam.

I write this blog, not only to give you a brief overview of what has happened in the past four hours but to inspire you. We will not and cannot rely on top-down decision, such as the Copenhagen Accord, the change must come from the bottom up.

We will be the change that we want to see, as demonstrated by the spontaneous protests which have been sparked following the announcement of the Copenhagen Accord.  And for this reason, Copenhagen has not failed. Copenhagen has united not only the International Youth Climate Movement, it has united the climate movement as a whole.

We are one.

From left: NASA, Seoul National Univ., CERN

The milestones of the past decade in space and science include the 2003 Columbia tragedy, stem cell research and the debut of the Large Hadron Collider.

Some may call the decade that’s ending the “aughts” or the “noughties,” but you could also think of the 2000-2009 time frame as the double-oh decade. In the world of science, the past 10 years have brought us plenty of “Oh! Oh!” moments – and a few uh-ohs as well. In honor of the decade’s denouement, we present a triple scoop of scientific highlights.

First up is our own list of the top 10 science stories of the decade, stretching from the unveiling of the human genome in 2001 to this year’s revelations about water ice on the moon.

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Honda, Saturn, Volkswagen

The mad men at Adweek recently voted for the Commercial of the Decade (Super Bowl commercials not included) and Honda took top honors over memorable ads from the last ten years by companies like Nike, Budweiser and Sony. That’s not a big surprise considering Honda often puts a huge amount of effort into its on-air spots. However, the Japanese automaker didn’t win for the commercial you might have expected: “Cog.” Though Honda’s famous commercial that breaks down a European Accord Tourer into a Rube Goldberg-esque machine was also a finalist, it was beaten by another Honda commercial called “Grrr” that’s narrated by Garrison Keillor of all people. You’ve probably never seen it, but you can after the jump.

Volkswagen also made the list of finalists, but the particular ad chosen out of all the comical VW ads we’ve seen was unexpected as well. Most surprising carmaker with a commercial in the finals: Saturn. Who knew…

Just for fun we’ve put all 27 commercials after the break with the auto-related ones at the top, so you can enjoy the swear jar, the creepy-funky Philips clowns, a “rabbit panther thingy with turbines on ice,” and the most sad-but-hilarious IKEA commercial we’ve ever seen. As a bonus we included the Gears of War commercial since we think it deserves a mention, and because it’s almost the weekend and it doesn’t always have to be about cars, does it? Follow the jump for the ad-fest.

[Source: Adweek]

Continue reading Honda wins Commercial of the Decade, but not for the ad you think [w/VIDEO]

Honda wins Commercial of the Decade, but not for the ad you think [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over the last few years I’ve noticed that as I’m giving a talk or a workshop, everyones’ antennas perk up when I turn to an example. It’s been a personal goal of mine to cut out as much preamble as possible and get straight into examples because they change the mood so drastically. Walking through an example says “here comes some reality.” You can theorize all you want, but examples force you to show that your theory holds. They allow the audience to test if what you say is true or not. And best of all, they turn the focus from abstract concepts to the mess and color of the real world.

I couldn’t help but think of the power of examples when I ran into this whirlwind talk about Kant’s Critique of Aesthetic Judgement illustrated exclusively with comic book art.

Would you have thought Kant could be so entertaining?

(via Schmüdde)

There was some buzz earlier this year concerning reports that new streaming apps, like Spotify, somehow decreased unauthorized access to music. And yet, a new study from BPI suggests unauthorized access to music continues to grow, despite the rise of authorized services like Spotify. Now, there are some caveats. BPI isn’t exactly known for being entirely accurate with data and these results are from an online survey. While you would think that fewer people would admit to unauthorized access in an online survey (people don’t like to fess up), counteracting that is the fact that BPI has incentives to suggest the issue of piracy is a big deal, as it’s pushing hard to force ISPs to kick people offline for file sharing. Still, what strikes me as interesting is that BPI still keeps insisting that this is a “problem,” without any evidence that this is true. The only real “problem” is the failure of the record labels that BPI represents to adjust their business models. If they did that, there wouldn’t be much of a problem at all. But, the labels don’t want to do that. They want the government to rescue them and to pretend they can keep doing business they way they always did.

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Florida, US | Unique Collections

Once described by Ronald Reagan as a “true national treasure,” the Presidents Hall of Fame in Clermont, Florida has featured (and replicated) White House memorabilia since 1960. Originally a popular wax museum called the “House of Presidents,” the attraction changed names in 1990 to reflect its growing exhibitions. Today, the “Presidents Hall of Fame” includes animatronics, White House replicas and, most notably, Americana miniatures.

Outside, visitors will be greeted by smaller replicas of Mt. Rushmore and the Lincoln Memorial, as well as one of the former parade limousines used by past U.S. Presidents. Inside, visitors will be met by wax figures of the current U.S. President and First Lady, dressed in a replica of her Inaugural Gown. An animatronic figure of President Lincoln awaits nearby, as well as a wax figure set at the scene of the Ford Theatre, moments before Lincoln’s assassination.

Many original artifacts are displayed throughout the exhibition, such as former White House china, old Christmas cards, and even two champagne glasses which Reagan and Gorbachev once sipped from. Much praise has also been given to the replicas featured, including a full size model of the famous “Resolute Desk,” as well as a recreation of Lincoln’s bedroom.

What has drawn the most attention, however, are the detailed miniatures on display. All created by the museum owners, John and Jan Zweifel, the small scale replicas have toured the world, as well as gone on display in the Smithsonian. The most well-known figure is The Miniature White House, an entirely hand-made model which the Zweifel’s have painstakingly worked on since 1962.

The miniature was designed on a 1 inch to 1 foot scale of the White House, and features include working mini televisions, crystal chandeliers, and updated versions of the Oval Office as the decor changes with each administration. While on tour in Holland, the model was even attacked by a group of Anti-American vandals. Though much of the model suffered damage, all has since been repaired.

Although the model remains in the President’s Hall of Fame permanent collection, it travels throughout the country for most of the year. Luckily, visitors can still see portions of it on display at the museum. Other miniatures include a depiction of the White House at the time of its construction, as well as a three ring circus designed by John Zweifel when he was only twelve years old.

Additionally, be sure to stop by the Citrus Tower next door, where you can view the tiny Mt. Rushmore and the Lincoln Memorial from 500 feet up!

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Toyota

Toyota‘s pulled out of F1, but that doesn’t mean the company has lost its will to win with cutting edge tech. Rumors suggest it’s dusting off the underpinnings of the Hybrid Supra HV-R it used to win the Tokkachi 24-Hour race two years ago, and staring at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a glint in its eye.

The Supra HV-R used a 473-horsepower V8 that gets help from regenerative braking, a quick-charging capacitor, and three additional electric motors: two in the front wheels, one in the back of the car. Toyota would need to upgrade the tech, prep the car for the GT1 class, and test it, so a 2012 race entry is hypothesized were such a thing to happen.

As far as we’re concerned, anything that could lead to bringing back a Supra — even if only in race trim to begin with — is all right with us. Especially one with 473 horses, gobs of torque and a date with the Mulsanne straight. Toyota, please do this…

[Source: Autocar]

REPORT: Toyota Supra HV-R GT hybrid coming to LeMans originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Toyota Sienna tries to make the minivan cool

The all-new Sienna is chock-full of features: Impressive lounge seating, a widescreen monitor and a competent chassis. Plus, it was developed by Kazuo Mori, a tried-and-true sports car devotee. But is it cool enough to bring the minivan back from the brink?

Cut It Out: Toyota’s recalled pedal modification remedy detailed step-by-step

A Lexus insider supplied us with pictures and details of how Toyota is dealing with its “unintended acceleration” issue. The fix might seem simple, but the process is anything but.

Swedish Patient Succumbs – Deal for Saab is dead on the table, GM to wind down brand

After a protracted saga that’s seen bidders drop in-and-out and old model tooling and assets sold off to the Chinese, the enigmatic brand known as Saab is dead. Now what?

Also of interest:

• Aluminum and carbon fiber, KERS-equipped BMW M5 cometh?
• Infiniti prices facelifted 2010 G37 coupe and sedan – enthusiast 6MT models get big price increases
• Aston Martin introduces limited-edition Carbon Black DBS and Vantage
• Autoweek spills more beans on the 2011 Ford Mustang’s 5.0-liter V8
• Revised Sync from Ford coming to CES

Browse our archive of Daily U-Turn posts or subscribe to the RSS feed

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 12.18.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Swedish telecommunications company TeliaSonera has launched the world’s first commercially available 4G mobile broadband network. While an international roll out of up to twenty five countries is planned in the next year, the network will initially be made available in the central parts of Stockholm and Oslo, and is designed to provide speeds up to 100Mbit/s – ten times faster than those of the existing 3G networks.
..

Tags: 3G,
4G,
Broadband,
Cellular,
Connectivity,
Laptop,
Mobile,
Network,
Samsung,
Speed,
USB,
Wireless

Related Articles:

• USB Traffic Control secures company network endpoints
• Australian telco declares world record network speed of 21Mbps
• Avaya Dual Mode lets mobile users switch between wifi and cellular networks mid-sentence
• Happy 20th birthday GSM – look how you’ve grown
• BlackBerry 8320 bridges the gap between home phone and mobile
• Ericsson demos 42Mbps HSPA on consumer products

360 Cookware is a newer green cookware on the market and while I haven’t used it yet, so I can’t personally comment, it sounds interesting. According to the company, 360 saves time, water and energy, keeps your food and family away from harmful chemicals, and since there’s no added fat needed (to keep food from sticking) this cookware may even be healthier.

360 works by cooking like an oven using Vapor Technology – i.e. it creates a low but intense heat and then distributes said heat from all sides instead of bottom-up only. The result creates a surround cooking effect that works on a low heat setting, prepares foods more efficiently and reduces the cooking times and preserves nutrients in the process.

Green aspects:

• 360 cookware has “Five layers of the highest quality American metals, ensuring no harmful chemicals or materials ever touch your food.” Pots and pans are specifically made with T-304 stainless steel and alloy construction.
• Cookware is heat and energy-efficient plus uses less water – not so much that it’d make a huge difference, but still.
• The 360 plant has some green aspects such as energy-efficient windows, passive lighting, use of renewable wind power for machines, closed-loop dust collection system to filter the air internally to prevent volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from entering the environment. Additionally the company notes that no harmful chemicals are used in the manufacturing process and that wastewater is tested routinely to ensure complete compliance with strict local and state standards.

Possible problems:

The cookware is long lasting, which is good and can possibly be recycled, although there may be issues due to the alloy. All stainless steel products are 100% recyclable but recycling companies usually need to separate the various grade types. Alloy on the other hand is a mixed metal and is harder to recycle. I also didn’t see a recycling program at the company website.

All in all the cookware looks good, is greener than many, and actually has a very inexpensive price point (you’ll be surprised because these pots look like they’d cost more).You can also buy what you need only or purchase a set. 360 makes saucepans, skillets, stock pots, and a nice sauté collection.

Visit 360 Cookware to learn more.

Post from: Blisstree

360 Greener Cookware

by Grist

This is the text of the climate accord worked out by President Obama and the leaders of several key nations in Copenhagen on Dec. 18.

In pursuit of the ultimate objective of the Convention as stated in its Article 2,
Being guided by the principles and provisions of the Convention,
Noting the results of work done by the two Ad hoc Working Groups,
Endorsing decision x/CP.15 on the Ad hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action and decision x/CMP.5 that requests the Ad hoc Working Group on Further Commitments of Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol to continue its work,
Have agreed on this Copenhagen Accord which is operational immediately.

1. We underline that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. We emphasise our strong political will to urgently combat climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. To achieve the ultimate objective of the Convention to stabilize greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, we shall, recognizing the scientific view that the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius, on the basis ofequity and in the context of sustainable development, enhance our long-term cooperative action to combat climate change. We recognize the critical impacts of climate change and the potential impacts of response measures on countries particularly vulnerable to its adverse effects and stress the need to establish a comprehensive adaptation programme including international support.

2. We agree that deep cuts in global emissions are required according to science, and as documented by the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report with a view to reduce global emissions so as to hold the increase in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius, and take action to meet this objective consistent with science and on the basis of equity. We should cooperate in achieving the peaking of global and national emissions as soon as possible, recognizing that the time frame for peaking will be longer in developing countries and bearing in mind that social and economic development and poverty eradication are the first and overriding priorities of developing countries and that a low-emission development strategy is indispensable to sustainable development.

3. Adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change and the potential impacts of response measures is a challenge faced by all countries. Enhanced action and international cooperation on adaptation is urgently required to ensure the implementation of the Convention by enabling and supporting the implementation of adaptation actions aimed at reducing vulnerability and building resilience in developing countries, especially in those that are particularly vulnerable, especially least developed countries, small island developing States and Africa. We agree that developed countries shall provide adequate, predictable and sustainable financial resources, technology and capacity-building to support the implementation of adaptation action in developing countries.

4. Annex I Parties commit to implement individually or jointly the quantified economy-wide emissions targets for 2020, to be submitted in the format given in Appendix I by Annex I Parties to the secretariat by 31 January 2010 for compilation in an INF document. Annex I Parties that are Party to the Kyoto Protocol will thereby further strengthen the emissions reductions initiated by the Kyoto Protocol. Delivery of reductions and financing by
developed countries will be measured, reported and verified in accordance with existing and any further guidelines adopted by the Conference of the Parties, and will ensure that accounting of such targets and finance is rigorous, robust and transparent.

5. Non-Annex I Parties to the Convention will implement mitigation actions, including those to be submitted to the secretariat by non-Annex I Parties in the format given in Appendix II by 31 January 2010, for compilation in an INF document, consistent with Article 4.1 and Article 4.7 and in the context of sustainable development. Least developed countries and small island developing States may undertake actions voluntarily and on the basis of support. Mitigation actions subsequently taken and envisaged by Non-Annex I Parties, including national inventory reports, shall be communicated through national communications consistent with Article 12.1(b) every two years on the basis of guidelines to be adopted by the Conference of the Parties. Those mitigation actions in national communications or otherwise communicated to the Secretariat will be added to the list in appendix II. Mitigation actions taken by Non-Annex I Parties will be subject to their domestic measurement, reporting and verification the result of which will be reported through their national communications every two years. Non-Annex I Parties will communicate information on the implementation of their actions through National Communications, with provisions for international consultations and analysis under clearly defined guidelines that will ensure that national sovereignty is respected. Nationally appropriate mitigation actions seeking international support will be recorded in a registry along with relevant technology, finance and capacity building support. Those actions supported will be added to the list in appendix II. These supported nationally appropriate mitigation actions will be subject to international measurement, reporting and verification in accordance with guidelines adopted by the Conference of the Parties.

6. We recognize the crucial role of reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation and the need to enhance removals of greenhouse gas emission by forests and agree on the need to provide positive incentives to such actions through the immediate establishment of a mechanism including REDD-plus, to enable the mobilization of financial resources from developed countries.

7. We decide to pursue various approaches, including opportunities to use markets, to enhance the cost-effectiveness of, and to promote mitigation actions. Developing countries, especially those with low emitting economies should be provided incentives to continue to develop on a low emission pathway.

8. Scaled up, new and additional, predictable and adequate funding as well as improved access shall be provided to developing countries, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention, to enable and support enhanced action on mitigation, including substantial finance to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD-plus), adaptation, technology development and transfer and capacity-building, for enhanced implementation of the Convention. The collective commitment by developed countries is to provide new and additional resources, including forestry and investments through international institutions, approaching USD 30 billion for the period 2010 . 2012 with balanced allocation between adaptation and mitigation. Funding for adaptation will be prioritized for the most vulnerable developing countries, such as the least developed countries, small island developing States and Africa. In the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation, developed countries commit to a goal of mobilizing jointly USD 100 billion dollars a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries. This funding will come from a wide variety of sources, public and private, bilateral and multilateral, including alternative sources of finance. New multilateral funding for adaptation will be delivered through effective and efficient fund arrangements, with a governance structure providing for equal representation of developed and developing countries. A significant portion of such funding should flow through the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund.

9. To this end, a High Level Panel will be established under the guidance of and accountable to the Conference of the Parties to study the contribution of the potential sources of revenue, including alternative sources of finance, towards meeting this goal.

10. We decide that the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund shall be established as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention to support projects, programme, policies and other activities in developing countries related to mitigation including REDD-plus, adaptation, capacity-building, technology development and transfer.

11. In order to enhance action on development and transfer of technology we decide to establish a Technology Mechanism to accelerate technology development and transfer in support of action on adaptation and mitigation that will be guided by a country-driven approach and be based on national circumstances and priorities.

12. We call for an assessment of the implementation of this Accord to be completed by 2015, including in light of the Convention’s ultimate objective. This would include consideration of strengthening the long-term goal referencing various matters presented by the science, including in relation to temperature rises of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Source: UNFCCC

Related Links:

A conversation with Indian youth activist Ruchi Jain

Sarkozy scrambles to salvage carbon tax

Brazil’s Lula signs law cutting CO2 emissions

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler

The photo above, from Chrysler‘s press conference at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, is nothing but things that are no more. The gorgeous 200C EV has evaporated. The gentlemen on the podium, Jim Press and Tom LaSorda, have gone their various ways. And the background is arrayed with ENVI electric cars that are all (most likely) gone, as well as the division that created them. Everything swallowed by waves in Chrysler’s Year of the Storm.

This year Chrysler is practically avoiding the hubbub entirely, in that it will have no press conference at next month’s Detroit Auto Show. It won’t be for lack of cars: they’ll have items from all four brands, including some limited-edition models. Chrysler’s head of marketing, Olivier Francois, said that after the big event last month to reveal the long-term plan, “We presented our plans and the next step is to present the cars.”

Understandably, industry observers seem to think that it’s a bad idea for Chrysler to go mum in Detroit. Chrysler’s a private company and no outsider knows what the real situation is inside the castle walls. If Chrysler does go for the splash of a press conference, with no new models to show or even talk about they’ll be ripe for charges of “All that’s great talk now show us the cars!” That makes it sound like a case of being damned either way. But at least they’ll be there, unlike Saab…

[Source: The Detroit News]

Party’s Over: No Chrysler press conference at Detroit Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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