Category: News

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Mercedes-Benz

There have been a lot of non-auto vehicles that have graced the pages of Autoblog. We regularly cover bikes, and occasionally other modes of transportation as well. We even cover the occasional boat, especially if it has ties to the automotive industry. We’ve seen amphibious cars, catamarans, yachts, sailboats, and even wooden boats that look like cars. None of those, however, capture our attention as much as speed boats. Whether inspired by Chevrolet, Jaguar, Ferrari, Spyker, Porsche, Audi or Lancia, they set our hearts aflutter just as much as their landbound dopplegangers. Now we can add Mercedes-Benz to the mix.

Set to launch at the 2010 Miami International Boat Show in February is this sleek Cigarette Racing boat. The new craft is said to be inspired by the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, although the concept sketch they’ve provided us doesn’t show any gullwing hatches. We’re not sure if it will be powered by AMG engines, but the 42-plus-foot boat is expected to be good for 120 mph with its twin staggered powerplants. Cigarette says their newest offshore racer “will feature more than 100 innovations included in the design, development and rigging of the boat.”

We can’t wait to see the real thing in the water early next year. Until then, you can read the full press release after the jump and click above for a larger image.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Ship Shape: Mercedes-Benz AMG and Cigarette Racing to launch SLS-inspired boat

Ship Shape: Mercedes-Benz AMG and Cigarette Racing to launch SLS-inspired boat originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Goldman, as usual, has some good insights about why the job creation picture is so ugly:

My disagreement with Deutsche Bank chief economist Joe Lavorgna over future job creation–which we debated last week on Larry Kudlow’s CNBC show–lies in the crucial role of small business in job creation. The process of job destruction (from big companies) and job creation (from small companies) are two sides of entrepreneurial “creative destruction.” The problem today is that we have the destruction without the creation.

Companies with less than 50 employees predominated in job creation during the great economic expansion that ended in 2007.

In the chart below drawn from a recent study by the Census Bureau and the University of Maryland, the really tall bars (reflecting net creation of new jobs) come from new and small companies.

Read the whole story >>

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See Also:

• David Goldman: 10 Reasons To Doubt The Government’s Rosy Employment Data
• David Goldman: Roubini’s Carry-Trade Theory Is Total Nonsense
• David Rosenberg: Goldman Conspiracy Theorist

I’ve added the Dec. 16 Kyoto Protocol working group draft to my summary table.

There’s not much to report with respect to the global outcome. Most of the detail is focused on Annex I (developed) country commitments. There are so many options and brackets in the text that it’s hard to draw any concrete conclusions about the implied emissions trajectory.

There’s possibly an interesting disconnect around characterization of the second round of targets. Currently there are a number of options included in bracketed text. First, the endpoint could be either 2017 or 2020. Second, various options suggest a range of cuts between 15% and 49% below 1990. This range corresponds roughly with the range typically cited as providing a decent chance of hitting a 2C target (see AR4 WG3 Ch. 13 box 13.7, pg. 776, for example).

If you think back to the first Kyoto agreement, countries committed to small cuts relative to 1990 for a commitment period from 2008 to 2012. For the EU, with an 8% cut, that meant averaging 92% of 1990 emissions over the commitment period. If you imagine that emissions fall along a linear path from 1990, that means that emissions at the midpoint (2010) would be 92% of 1990, and emissions would be a little higher prior to that, and lower after. Because the slope from 1990 through 2012 is shallow, a viable trajectory would include a 7% cut in 2008 and 9% in 2012. No big deal.

However, for the next commitment period, the slope is a very big deal. The deepest cut in the AWG-KP draft is 49% for the developed world. I suspect that number is anchored on upper end of the AR4 2C range (25-40%), moved up a bit. 49% still sounds plausible. But there’s a problem: to achieve a 49% average over 2013-2020, starting from a 9% cut in 2012, you’d have to do one of two things: reduce emissions an additional 37% overnight, then keep them there (basically impossible), or reduce emissions by 13 percentage points per year, arriving at a cut of 76% in 2017. That’s a year-on-year reduction rate of 15 to 35% per year. That’s pretty tough going, given that, even if you never build another bit of carbon-emitting capital, natural turnover takes you down at 2 to 5% per year.

I’m all for strong targets, but abandoning capital at 10% per year is going to be a tough sell. It’s not clear to me that this is intentional. I think it’s quite possible that misperception of the dynamics of a target accumulated over an interval leads to false conflict, as desire to achieve a point goal (e.g., -40% in 2020) is confused with a much more stringent goal over a long interval.

Filed under: Aftermarket, SUV, Land Rover, Luxury

Since we’re getting close to the time frame seen in the movie Demolition Man, you might want to start shopping for a car that can prepare you for Stallone and Snipes blasting it out in the streets. Irish tuning house Onyx could have what you seek with its new 2010 Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Vogue conversions. Inside are buffalo hides and carbon fiber, and outside are a ring of bluff skirting, along with LEDs on the Vogue and, naturally, 22-inch TPM wheels.

Some under-the-hood work has also been done, adding an impressive 80 horsepower to the already very quick Supercharged model’s 517 horsepower. You can read about the Onyx Rovers in the press release after the jump and check them out in the gallery of high-res photos below. And feel free to also enjoy the musical riff on this post’s title – it’s most likely the kind of soundtrack you’ll hear coming from one of these, anyway…

[Source: Onyx]

Continue reading Onyx slams 2010 Range Rover, lets the boys be boys

Onyx slams 2010 Range Rover, lets the boys be boys originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been pushing himself as a defender of copyrights, and even helped create the original three strikes plan in France. And yet, he and his political party keep getting caught infringing on copyrights. First there was the use of a song in some online videos without proper licensing. Then there was the issue with mass pirating DVDs. So you would think that his party would be extra careful when putting together yet another online video involving music. Apparently not.

In a move that is being widely mocked even by those within Sarkozy’s party, it has released a lipdub video using some UMP politicians singing along. The only problem? You guessed it… the party did not properly clear the rights and now need to pay up for infringing on the copyright (Google translation from the original French).

Apparently, they had licensed the rights to the original version of the song, from 1976, but then decided they didn’t like that recording, and instead used a modern version of the song. According to another report, the UMP had asked the copyright holder if it could use this version, and they were turned down, because the label did not want the song used for political purposes. So Sarkozy’s party just used it anyway.

I wonder if Sarkozy can blame Vimeo for inventing “lip dubs” and encouraging the UMP to violate copyright laws in this manner. But, the real question remains: given that France has moved forward with Sarkozy’s plan to kick infringers off the internet on a three strikes basis, and this appears to be at least Sarkozy’s third strike, does the UMP have to give up their internet access? Or do Sarkozy’s favored laws not apply to Sarkozy?

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We’re all busy during the holiday season, and this can sometimes lead to being a bit careless. There are many ways to make sure you have a safe and happy holiday season.

The UT Police Department urges all faculty and staff to take advantage of the following tips.

1. Be sure doors and windows of your vehicle, office, home, apartment and/or residence halls are locked when you leave even for just a few minutes. Many opportunistic criminals simply look for unlocked doors and windows.

2. Don’t display presents and other valuable items where they can be seen from a window or doorway. Conceal valuables in a trunk or closet area.

3. Be cautious of strangers asking for charitable donations during the holidays. Ask for identification and how the funds will be used. Also, you can ask for a receipt.

4. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Use credit/debit cards or checks whenever possible. Consider obtaining traveler’s checks which, unlike cash, can be replaced if lost or stolen.

5. Park vehicles in a well-lit and secured location.

6. Visit ATM’s only at well-lit and populated locations; visit during daylight hours if possible.

7. Always be aware of your surroundings when you’re out and about.

8. If you see someone or something that looks suspicious contact the local police department.

9. Keep children close by at all times and do not let them wander around unsupervised.

10. Have your keys ready when you approach your vehicle. Before entering, check that no one is hiding in the back seat.

11. If waiting for a ride from a friend or public transportation, do so in a well-lit area.

12. Always report a theft to the police.

13. Storing loose change in the console of your vehicle is an open invitation for someone to break your windows.

14. Be extra careful with purses and wallets. They may become targets for crime in crowded shopping areas, at bus stops and on public transportation.

15. Avoid overloading yourself with packages. It is important to have clear visibility and freedom of motion to avoid a mishap.

16. While shopping online, order only through secure and trusted Web sites.

17. Guard your online passwords and do not share them with family members or friends.

18. Have your vehicle thoroughly checked, including fluid levels and tires, before traveling out of town.

19. If you do travel for the holidays, consider utilizing light timers in your home.

20. Always be sure to have alternative transportation lined up for yourself and your friends after holiday parties.

Remember to be a good friend and neighbor this holiday season: Be a VOLunteer. Share these tips with others in your family and neighborhood.

For additional information, please contact the UT Police Department at 865.974.3114.

A bit of bad news for Shin Megami Tensei fans. It seems Atlus has bumped Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey to a later March release than the one mentioned in the DS relaese schedule Nintendo released

Filed under: Videos, Humor

We’re a couple months past Halloween, but this video was just too good to pass up. A gentleman with an old XBox steering wheel, a fake skeleton and a couple black lights managed to scare the holy hell out of some folks by making it look like a glowing blue skeleton was driving his car. How did he do it? The key is to have a right-hand drive vehicle and a little bit of creativity.

The Halloween prankster rigged the steering wheel to his Toyota Sera by propping it up on a 2×4 stand and holding it in place with a heavy bag of pennies. He painted the skeleton white and added a couple black lights in the door jam and attached to the sun visor. He then dressed himself in all black and waited for night fall. The end result is a scary-looking blue skeleton that’s ready to send a chill down the spine of the living. Hit the jump to for the full rundown on how it was done – it’s worth it to hear the screams emanating from onlookers.

[Source: StreetFire]

Continue reading VIDEO: Nevermind that it’s not Halloween, behold the best use for a RHD car ever

VIDEO: Nevermind that it’s not Halloween, behold the best use for a RHD car ever originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here are my 10 guesses for how the financial markets will shape up in 2010.

1. Stock and bond market returns in the US will again be positive.

2. The US dollar is likely to meaningfully appreciate once market-driven short-term rates begin to rise.

3. US dollar “carry trades” could get killed as 2010 progresses and the US dollar appreciates.  Once accounting for leverage, hedge fund performance will likely trail long-only equity performance.

4. The Fed will spend the second half of the year trying to catch up to, and flatten, the yield curve.  Short-term rates could increase more than investors currently think.  Long-term rates could rise quite a bit in the first part of the year as inflation finally begins to appear, but are likely to fall during the second half of the year when the markets realize the Fed is serious about fighting inflation.  The curve is likely to be much flatter one year from today than it is currently.

5. Corporate profits are likely to explode to the upside during 2010.  Trailing four-quarter S&P 500 reported earnings growth could exceed 100%.  Investors still seem to be under-estimating the operating and financial leverage that is built into corporate profits.

6. Employment in the US will probably continue to improve.  Consumer Discretionary stocks will likely be among the best performing sectors.

7. Treasuries will probably underperform stocks.  That underperformance is unfortunately likely to reinforce both individual and institutional investors’ views that it is wise to be under-diversified.

8. Small cap value, I think, will be the US’s best performing size/style segment.  Small banks outperformance might be the biggest surprise for 2010.

9. Financial regulation will progress, but the bull market will probably aid politicians’ “forgetfulness”.  As a result, new regulation could be relatively meaningless.  In my opinion, serious regulation won’t occur until after the next downturn, which could be worse if no meaningful new regulation is implemented in 2010.

10. I think the Democrats will do better in the 2010 mid-term elections than people currently think they will.  It seems very likely to me that in December 2010, investors will look back on the year and realize that monetary and fiscal policy stimulus still works.

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Richard Bernstein is CEO of Richard Bernstein Capital Management.  He was previously the Chief Investment Strategist and Head of the Investment Strategy Group at Merrill Lynch.  He has written two books on investing: Navigate The Noise: Investing In The New Age Of Media And Hype and Style Investing: Unique Insight Into Equity Management.

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See Also:

• Richard Bernstein: Gold Prices Have Gotten Silly
• Investors Are Losing The Forest For The Trees
• The Charade Of Quarterly "Earnings Surprises"

More than 80 employees, including interim president Jan Simek, were recognized this week for their years of dedicated service to the University of Tennessee. Staff and faculty from UT Knoxville, the UT system and the Institute of Agriculture received their awards at a special luncheon Tuesday afternoon.

Interim President Jan Simek, Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and Vice President for Agriculture Joe DiPietro were on hand to congratulate the recipients and recognize their contributions to the university.

“Folks like you make the university what it is,” Simek said. He remarked that many of the people at the university 25 years or more, including himself, have been through difficult financial times before.

“The institution goes forward because of people like you … This is the best the university has ever been. We have the best students, the best faculty and the best staff. It takes commitment from all three groups, especially by faculty and staff.”

Simek was recognized for his 25 years as a faculty member and administrator. He was surprised with his award from a former student, Jay Franklin, associate professor of anthropology at East Tennessee State University. “I have known Jan throughout his time at UT. He has had a profound effect on me,” Franklin said. He commented on Simek’s leadership roles within the university saying, “He always leaves things better than he finds them.”

To learn more about some of the employees recognized this week, visit http://www.tennessee.edu/system/events/service_awards/index.html.

Politicians would love to see the rebirth of manufacturing in this country — new factories filled with unionized workers, taking home a salary that can support a family.

But it’s not going to happen, at least according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In a recent study, the bureau estimated employment change between 2008 and 2018. The public sector will grow. Healthcare will grow.

But manufacturing? Not so much.

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Gullco PIPE KAT® Automated Pipe Welding System with integrated wire feeder unit incorporates 40 IPM welding carriage design with quick action mounting for ease of installation. The carriage is equipped with a high speed return feature for faster repositioning of the carriage. The PIPE KAT® also comes equipped with a linear oscillator with adjustable weave width and weld joint centerline adjustment and all electronic motorized functions incorporate jog settings. The system comes with a main control box with 25 ft (7620 mm) umbilical, wire feed spool capacity of 10 lbs (4.5 kgs), with a maximum wire speed of 35-633 IPM (89-226 cm/min) and a wire size range of 0.8 to 2 mm. The welding torch uses standard consumables.

www.gullco.com

Customers throughout the world know that the company TBT Tiefbohrtechnik stands for dependable quality, precision and close relationship to customers. All this since more than 35 years.

The company was founded in 1966 in Dettingen on the river Ems and has specialised right from the beginning in deep hole drilling production technology. Always with the goal of offering machines, tools and services competently from a single source. The rise of the company to market leader status confirms that our customers acknowledge this corporate policy. The company TBT combines flexibility, dedication and customer-orientation as a slim middle class enterprise with global presence. There is hardly any important country in the world without a subsidiary company or experienced representatives of our group. Your deep hole drilling task is in the best hands with our highly qualified and dedicated employees.

Machine design: BW200

for cubic parts (max. drilling diameter: 25 mm)
Strokes:
X-axis 800 mm
Y-axis 600 mm
W-axis 400 mm
Z-axis 1100 mm

Machining:
Deep hole drilling ELB
Diameter min. / max. 4 / 25 mm
Drilling depth max. 800 mm mit 1 Lünette
Milling 130 ccm/min
Twist drilling ø 25 mm
Boring ø 30 mm
Tapping M 24 x 3

Clamping table:
Rotary table:
Clamping table with W axis
Loading
800 x 600 mm
1500 daN

Drilling unit:
Number of spindles 1
Spindle drive infinitely
(C axis)
0 – 10000 1/min
Drive output 16 kW
Feed force 10 kN
Tool carrier deep hole drilling 25VDI 3208
Tool carrier conv. HSK 50 (others upon inquiry)

Coolant system:
Tank volume 800
High-pressure pump infinitely variable
Max. flow rate 90 l/min
Drive output 7,5 kW

Filed under: Buick, Chevrolet, Ford, Subaru, Volkswagen

The finalists for the coveted 2010 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards have just been released ahead of next month’s ceremony in Detroit.

Slated to be unveiled on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show on January 11, the nominees have been whittled down from 25 contenders to the following vehicles: In the car category, the Buick LaCrosse, Ford Fusion Hybrid and Volkswagen Golf will be waiting nervously in the wings, and in the truck category, the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Transit Connect, and Subaru Outback will vie for the title.

The awards are the result of the deliberations of 49 North American automotive journalists and the winners will succeed last year’s winners, the Hyundai Genesis sedan and Ford F-150 pickup. Check out a high-res gallery of this year’s finalists below, peruse the official press release after the jump, and then let us know which vehicles you think deserve to take home the hardware in Comments.

[Source: North American Car & Truck of the Year]

Continue reading North American Car and Truck of the Year awards get shortlisted – Who are your winners?

North American Car and Truck of the Year awards get shortlisted – Who are your winners? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video games that accompany movies have long had an invisible “Don’t buy” category for gamers. That didn’t happen by accident, reviews and past experiences would tell you that coming near that shelf is a bad idea. Still,

Today, Ms. Beyer’s, Vicki’s long term sub, elementary class of the Kingikmiut School ran The Christmas Café. They are passing standards for the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th levels in math, career skills, life skills, technology, and writing. I personally had to say it was cute. The service was sort of slow, but the food was great.

Ernest, our host, seated Herman, Lloyd and me at a three-seated – table, gave us a small bag of play money and a menu. Janice, my waitress, only served me because she was shy of the boys I was seated with. Well as we walked in, they had everything fixed like a little restaurant with tables, food, drinks, and employees.

There was a miscalculation in our checks, but we straightened them out.  Fred and Archie were the cashiers that we paid as we left The Christmas Café.

Other workers not mentioned were: the food preparers- Michael, Jr, and Rebecca; waitresses- Tia and Sherrie; and bus-person- Shawna.  Choices of food were brownies, special cookies, cake, jello with whipped topping, juice, coffee, hot tea, and hot cocoa.  They plan to serve elders, parents and other community members in the next two days.

by:Helena Oxereok and Ms Judy Standafer

The Chicago-based Intellectual Property Exchange International — the first financial exchange to sell patent licensing rights — is poised to launch early next year. In return for a share of the revenues, the exchange will promote the patent and sell the license rights in individual units issued like stocks. The exchange also will enforce its protections with litigation, when necessary, and publish sales and price data online. “It’s like an initial public offering for a patent,” explains Jim Malackowski, chief executive of Ocean Tomo, the Chicago-based merchant bank backing the exchange. The exchange has soft commitments from four or five companies and expects to have 10 to 15 “industry leaders” pledged by February, according to Gerard Pannekoek, CEO of the patent exchange and former president of the Chicago Climate Exchange.

Some in the patent industry worry that transactions on the exchange will generate ripples of litigation as it pursues profits from its accumulated portfolio. “Whenever anybody aggregates patents, there’s always that suspicion,” says Patrick Thomas, principal at 1790 Capital, a hedge fund that invests in companies based on their IP. However, Ocean Tomo’s current business based on valuing companies’ patent assets lends credence to the new venture, Thomas adds. And the exchange could provide insight into the often murky world of patent valuation. “Any time that you are in a bilateral agreement with another party you never know whether you got a great deal,” Pannekoek says. “An exchange will offer that price transparency to the market and ultimately establish the real value of a patent.” The exchange may be most useful for small companies or universities without the means to promote or enforce patents on their own. “It’s really a very interesting and creative model,” says Ron Laurie, managing director of Inflexion Point, an IP-oriented investment bank in Palo Alto, CA.

Source: CNN Money

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