Facing a wrongful death lawsuit and life without her beloved chimpanzee companion, Travis, Sandra Herold — the owner of the chimp that mauled her friend beyond recognization in a brutal attack last year — died of aneurysm in Connecticut this week.
Charla Nash was visiting Herold and Travis at their home in Stamford in February 2009 when the 200 lbs. chimp suddenly went wild. Nash was badly mauled before cops shot and killed Travis. Nash was transferred to an Ohio hospital, where she continues to receive extensive reconstructive surgery and other medical care.
Anadys Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ANDS), the San Diego-based developer of a treatment for hepatitis C, said today it has raised $12.5 million through a registered stock offering with certain institutional investors. The company has agreed to sell about 5.8 million shares at $2.15 apiece, about a 3.5 percent discount from yesterday’s closing stock price of $2.23. Lazard Capital Markets served as the lead placement agent in the offering. Separately, Anadys said today it has hired Lazard as a strategic adviser as it “pursues various avenues aimed at value recognition for its stockholders,” according to a statement. Anadys burned through about $5 million of its cash reserves in the first quarter, and was left with about $15 million left in the bank at the end of March.
Credit-default swaps are widely seen as a major contributor to the recent financial meltdown. But the origin of CDS’s with the Exxon Valdez oil disaster isn’t as widely known.
The New Yorker has a long review of a couple of financial books, including Fool’s Gold: How the Bold Dream of a Small Tribe at J.P. Morgan Was Corrupted by Wall Street Greed and Unleashed a Catastrophe. It details the history of the CDS, an idea that came out of a June 1994 JP Morgan off-site in Boca Raton (where “binge drinking occurred” and “a senior colleague’s nose was broken”):
The Boca Raton meeting first bore fruit when Exxon needed to open a line of credit to cover potential damages of five billion dollars resulting from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. J. P. Morgan was reluctant to turn down Exxon, which was an old client, but the deal would tie up a lot of reserve cash to provide for the risk of the loans going bad. The so-called Basel rules, named for the town in Switzerland where they were formulated, required that the banks hold eight per cent of their capital in reserve against the risk of outstanding loans. That limited the amount of lending bankers could do, the amount of risk they could take on, and therefore the amount of profit they could make. But, if the risk of the loans could be sold, it logically followed that the loans were now risk-free; and, if that were the case, what would have been the reserve cash could now be freely loaned out. No need to suck up useful capital.
In late 1994, Blythe Masters, a member of the J. P. Morgan swaps team, pitched the idea of selling the credit risk to the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development. So, if Exxon defaulted, the E.B.R.D. would be on the hook for it—and, in return for taking on the risk, would receive a fee from J. P. Morgan. Exxon would get its credit line, and J. P. Morgan would get to honor its client relationship but also to keep its credit lines intact for sexier activities. The deal was so new that it didn’t even have a name: eventually, the one settled on was “credit-default swap.”
The story doesn’t have a happy ending for the American economy, of course, but things turned out all right for ExxonMobil.
ExxonMobil made $295 billion in profits from 2001-09 and more than $6 billion in the first quarter of 2010. Who ever said justice delayed is justice denied?
British energy giant BP attempt a method called ‘Top Kill’ to to try to plug spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It will overcome the pressure of oil flowing out of the well by pumping heavier drilling mud down into it.
“Later this morning I will review that with the team, and I will take a final decision as to whether or not we should proceed,” BP CEO Tony Hayward told the NBC “Today” show.
If the decides to proceed, the procedure is expected to happen on Wednesday, he said. BP engineers armed with 50,000 barrels of dense mud and a fleet of robotic submarines will do the ‘top kill’ to plug the gushing well a mile below the surface.
So far, the company’s effort to stop the massive oil spill crisis resulted to failures and delays. The government are already frustrated and the public are alarmed with the situation. Residents of the U.S. Gulf coast region are particularly concerned about the impact of spreading oil on wildlife and area shorelines.
BP is hoping that the ‘top kill’ plan would work though it would not be an easy process.
Under increasing pressure to contain the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the major British oil company BP, outlined their next steps to stop the oil spill with the operation named “top kill” which involves injecting heavy drilling fluids instead of mud and cement, in the well to stop the flow of oil and gas, and ultimately, seal the hole, BP said in a statement.
The company said in a statement that most of the equipment are in place and they are continuing preparations for the operation, which has never been done at these depths (1.6 km) and has a chance of success of about 70 percent. Will be injected 8,000 liters of slurry per minute in attempt to counteract the strength of oil and stop its flow.
If the operation “top kill” does not work, BP said it is considering placing another container dome on the flight, which could be installed after several days. Other options include lowering the level of a second valve to prevent explosions or placing a valve on the drain.
At least six million gallons of oil have been spilled into the Gulf of Mexico since the explosion and sinking of the rig Deepwater Horizon, in late April, according to an estimate of the Coast Guard and BP.
On Tuesday it was reported that President Barack Obama on Friday made a second visit to the affected area of the spill in the state of Louisiana to check on the ground of the discharges and the impact of BP’sefforts to contain it.
Obama faces a growing public unease about the management of the spill, some analysts warn that voters might punish the Democrats in November’s congressional elections.
Content: DOOM II Price: 800 Microsoft Points Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions except Germany, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Singapore & Taiwan Dash Text: (ONLINE INTERACTIONS NOT RATED BY THE ESRB) To save Earth, you must descend into the stygian depths of hell. Battle nastier, deadlier demons and monsters with your trusty Super Shotgun. Survive more mind-blowing explosions and take part in the bloodiest, fiercest, most awesome blastfest ever. Recruit your friends and plow through 9 all-new levels in the new episode, No Rest for the Living! Play solo or multiplayer over Xbox LIVE with up to 4 players. DOOM II for XBLA includes split screen co-op over Xbox LIVE, Game clips, 5.1 Surround Sound, enhanced graphics, and HD display support. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.
Content: Voodoo Dice Price: 800 Microsoft Points Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions except Japan Dash Text: Mixing action based and puzzle mechanics in a 3D world, Voodoo Dice is an innovative, challenging puzzler that plays with your mind to lead you to solve puzzles in unique and interesting ways. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.
Content: Ben 10 The Rise of Hex Price: 800 Microsoft Points Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions except those in Asia Dash Text: Ben 10 Alien Force: The Rise of Hex follows Ben Tennyson as he finds himself in the middle of Hex’s villainous plan to control the Earth. Utilizing the powers of the Omnitrix, players can transform Ben into ten different alien forms including, Big Chill, Spider Monkey, and for the first time ever, Lodestar, as he battles Hex and his minions. Choose from 10 different aliens to platform your way through 15 levels completing puzzle challenges along the way. Fight through menacing villains and bosses in Ben’s newest adventure. Experience the world of Ben 10 Alien Force with 3D characters set in a vibrant, 2D-styled environment. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.
It seems like only hours ago that a leaked shot of the yet-to-be-announced Motorola Shadow emerged, yet here we are with another shot of the possible successor to the Droid.
This time around there is no wacky story accompanying the leak, but this is the first shot of the device that hasn’t been directly front-facing (you can clearly see the HDMI connector on the side there), so at least that’s interesting.
Sadly, this Shadow looks nothing like the totally rad render that appeared back in April (I can’t see any slide out keyboard, let alone a sweet-lookin’ grey/white one), so that’s a bit disappointing. Maybe April’s render will appear as something other than the Shadow, but for now: sad face.
Here’s something a little fishy, though: the leak yesterday claimed that the device had a 4.3″ screen, 16 gigs of internal storage, Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and an 8MP camera.
Today’s leak, however, claims a 4.1″ screen, 8 gigs internal storage, a Texas Instruments OMAP 3630 (720MHz ARM Cortex A8) processor, along with the same 8MP camera.
So… pick which leak best suits you, or, if you’re feeling adventurous, even combine the two leaks to create some kind of wünderphone. The choice is yours.
Ryca Motors CS-1 – Click above for high-res image gallery
In case you hadn’t noticed, cafe racers are in. In fact, retro in general has been seeing a resurgence of sorts for the last decade or so, and there’s a certain intrinsic charm to motorcycles designed to be sportbikes before the term sportbike actually existed. Established motorcycle brands, such as Ducati with its Sport Classic series and Triumph with its Thruxton, have taken note with production models that ape the design of low-slung classics with dropped handlebars, raised exhausts and sloping seats.
As much as we appreciate those bikes, it’s important to note that cafe racers were highly customized by their owners and were therefore much more unique than the bikes they were based on. As such, we’re finding ourselves rather intrigued by the CS-1 from Ryca Motors. Starting with the well-known Suzuki S40 (or the Savage, as it was previously known) means that parts and service will never present a problem, and that bike’s easygoing 650cc single cylinder powerplant lends itself to the cafe racer look with relatively little effort.
Casey Stevenson, formerly an engineer at NASA, designed the CS-1 to be a fun and fuel efficient machine that could be built on a small budget and sold as a small run of production models and kits. Want one? A check for $9,500 will get you a CS-1 brand new off the showroom floor, and $8,000 will get you a bike built atop a gently used donor. If you already have an S40 or Savage, you can get it converted for $5,500 or you can buy the complete kit for $3,200.
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If you need more information or have any inquiry, please feel free to contact with Cindy Lin ([email protected]). We will do our best to give you the greatest support!
Reduce labor and hazardous material handling costs associated with your machining operation with PRAB’s MiniSystem™. The MiniSystem reclaims up to 98 percent of cutting fluids, as well as reduce the volume of your metal scrap. The system is fully automatic, completely portable and is contained in a 4′ by 11′ area. No special wiring or plumbing is required – just move it in, drop power and start saving. Dry chips are produced at rates up to 1,000 lb/hr. PRAB offers a full line of fluid filtration units that can be paired with this system for further cost savings.
FAAC sliding door operators have now been installed at three major entry points at Scotland’s busiest airport. As part of Glasgow airport’s security upgrade, following the terrorist attack in 2007, FAAC’s 930 electromechanical operator was chosen to replace the existing system at departures, domestic arrivals and international arrivals.
With over eight million passengers passing through its doors each year, reliability and safety were both paramount when specifying a door automation system. Designed to operate on each occasion and in every environment, the 930 operator is highly reliable without limits on the frequency of use and requires minimal maintenance. Compliant with current international safety standards, the 930 automatically programs opening and closing force and speed according to the friction and the door weight. Its anti-crush technology ensures that the door reopens immediately if an obstacle is detected.
FAAC approved installers, DSS Automatic Doors was originally briefed with the task of replacing the automated door system at the entrance to departures which was destroyed in the terrorist attack. The new system proved so successful that DSS was invited back in September 2008 to install an identical one for the domestic arrivals entry point. A third installation has just been completed for international arrivals.
Group managing director of DSS, John Graham says, “We have been working in partnership with FAAC since 2006 because they continue to utilise the latest technology without compromising on reliability and, most importantly, safety. FAAC invests heavily in research and development and are truly on the cutting edge when it comes to automation systems.”
Suitable for single or double leaves, the 930 operator is easy to install and is available in self-assembly kit form or in made-up complete head sections. Capable of complex programming, dedicated software can allow the management of a number of doors from a central PC. All door activities are monitored in real time by a microprocessor guaranteeing intelligent control at all times. An optional battery back-up is also available for complete peace of mind.
With more than 40 year’s experience, FAAC is a world leader in gate and door automation.
FARO, the world’s leading provider of portable measurement and imaging systems, is proud to announce that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and FARO have signed an agreement for FARO to be the measurement system provider for the F1 racing team. Thanks to the new agreement FARO is now an ‘Official Supplier’ for measuring systems and became a member of McLaren’s World Class Partner Group.
According to the agreement FARO will supply state-of-the-art products and services to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, including measuring systems like several FaroArm Quantum units, the personal CMM FARO Gage and the FARO Laser Line Probe for non-contact measurement and software like FARO CAM2 Q. Using this equipment Vodafone McLaren Mercedes will further enhance their current race car as well as develop their vehicle for the next racing season.
McLaren – a brand at the very pinnacle of Formula One – have used FARO technology for nearly ten years and there are multiple applications for them in the Formula One sector. “The partnership with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes will allow us to further develop our measurement technology so they will best suit the demands of Formula One applications. FARO measurement systems will ensure quality is of the highest possible level,” stated David Homewood, Area VP of Sales, Faro Technologies UK Ltd.
McLaren Racing Managing Director Jonathan Neale said: “In a high-precision, time-critical environment such as ours, it’s vital that we can rely on highly accurate measuring and inspection systems in order to guarantee 100 per cent precision within very rapid production and assembly processes.
“Here at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, we’re justifiably proud of the speed and efficiency of our existing manufacturing and assembly procedures, but FARO’s contribution will not only allow us to increase the speed of those processes, but also improve fidelity and accuracy.”
A 2010 liveried Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 racing show-car will be shown at the FARO booth (3404 – hall 3) during CONTROL 2010, the world’s leading trade fair for quality assurance that will take place at Stuttgart (Germany) from 4th to 7th May 2010.
The IP67 digital, decentralised input module PDP67 F 8DI ION is now available, enabling a higher number of sensors to be connected safely, even outside the control cabinet. As a result, decentralised monitoring of all sensors in the field can be connected to the configurable control system PNOZmulti.
The digital input modules enable contact-based as well as electronic sensors to be connected outside the control cabinet with as much as ease as inside, in accordance with PL e of EN ISO 13849-1 and SIL 3 of EN/IEC 62061; the unit carries out the required feasibility check. As a result, the PNOZmulti is available as an evaluation device for centralised as well as decentralised sensor technology, with proven configuration and diagnostic functions via the PNOZmulti Configurator.
Communication is via a safe data link, so up to 64 safe sensors can be monitored decentrally. Hardware costs are reduced because this solution manages without a local control cabinet and uses only a single cable for communication and supply. All the benefits of the PNOZmulti product range can be enjoyed – free and easy configuration, rapid diagnostics plus the option to monitor a wide range of safety functions with just one unit.
It’s important to note that safety level PL e of EN ISO 13849-1 is only maintained when electronic sensors are used, as these enable a feasibility check. The time needed for this feasibility check must be taken into account in the machine configuration, to ensure that an e-stop is triggered in time in the event of danger.
If contact-based sensors are used, the performance level for a corresponding interface will be assessed as PL c in accordance with the standard EN ISO 13849-1.
Leave it to Tsubaki to develop an innovative roller chain that combines the lower noise levels normally associated with belts with the strength of a roller chain: Tsubaki’s SN Roller Chain. The chain employs a spring roller, which absorbs the force of the impact from engaging the sprocket. The result is 6-8dB lower operation than our standard pre-lubed RS Roller Chain, countering noise pollution and improving the overall work environment.
And again, along with lower noise you get all the strength of a roller chain and the reliability you’ve come to expect from Tsubaki. What’s more, our SN Chains are directly interchangeable with our Standard Roller Chain, with some limits to its drive power.
One such example is in industrial washing machines. A UK industrial laundry concern was given the task of completely overhauling a customer’s existing machines to be quieter. Realizing that the existing drive chain was the problem, they were on the verge of re-engineering the entire design when a local power transmission distributor recommended Tsubaki’s SN Chain.
The results were immediate, and the customer was particularly pleased that the original drive chain strength could be preserved. Low noise in the workplace helped them reduce operator fatigue and indirectly contributed to improved productivity.
Tsubaki SN Low Noise Drive Chains bare an ideal alternative for maintaining strength while reducing noise. You’ll find these chains being used in theatrical stage equipment, warehouses, canning machines, vertical parking systems, printing machines, and any number of applications where strength and low noise are desired.
Our Low Noise Chain may be a whisper below the competition, but it speaks volumes. Trust Tsubaki for all your chain needs!
At the shared booth of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the PARO® palletising robot demonstrated its skills and flexibility when handling unusual package types: In addition to boxes, also balls were palletised in Hannover this year.
The PARO® robot, originally designed for palletising processes at the end of production lines, placed balls onto an air stream at the trade fair, which then danced in the whirling air for some minutes. Afterwards, the robot caught the floating balls out of the air again and set them off on a ball pyramid. The compressed air for the whirling air stream was generated directly at the trade fair by trade-fair booth partners Boge and Beko by means of an innovative compressor system and was fed into the robot cell in conditioned form.
The multi-functionality of the gripping tools developed by roTeg was exemplary demonstrated here by means of a combined clamp-/suction-gripper, which was able to safely handle balls as well as box packages.
The transparent protective device and the robot accessible and viewable from all sides offered a precise insight in the technology of the PARO® palletising robot to the interested fair visitor.
Also the easily operable control and the user friendly operation concept could be well and vividly demonstrated with the trade fair robot.
The FLADAFI Roller Shutter Container is used where space is limited as it does not have a swing door. It is also used for the placement near escape routes which must always be kept free off obstacles as it does not narrow the access area.
The FLADAFI Roller Shutter Container is made from stable, sendzimir galvanised sheet steel profiles, delivered assembled ready to use.
It can optimally be adjusted according to your individual needs by various equipment options.
KNOXVILLE — Doctors and health care administrators are invited to a June 15 dinner program on the opportunities and challenges resulting from federal health care reform legislation. The program will be held at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
The program, “What Health Care Reform Means to Doctors: A Program for Doctors and Administrators,” will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Toyota Auditorium at the Baker Center, 1640 Cumberland Ave.
To plan this program, the Baker Center partnered with Summit Medical Group, Leadership Knoxville, Knox Chamber and the Knoxville Academy of Medicine. The program is sponsored by the Baker Center, Covenant Health, Mercy Health Partners and the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
Dr. Stan Stead, president and CEO of Stead Health Group Inc. will be the keynote speaker. Stead is a national leader in health care economics and payment systems for physician and hospital services, information technology and quality health care. He also advises the federal government on various health care issues.
The event also will feature a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Mike Caudle, senior fellow and director of the health policy program at the Baker Center. Panelists will include Dr. Jack Lacey, senior vice president and chief medical officer for University Health System; Dr. Doug Leahy, who practices with Internal Medicine Associates of Knoxville, a division of Summit Medical Group and is one of 35 physicians who founded Summit Medical Group; and Stead.
There is no cost to attend, but reservations are required. To save a spot, contact Betsy Harrell or 865-974-0931 by June 10.
The program also will be available via live webcast.
The Baker Center is a public policy center created to facilitate research on public policy issues, further the public’s knowledge of our system of governance and highlight the critical importance of public service. Its mission is to provide policy makers, citizens, scholars and students with information and skills to work effectively within our political system and to make our country and world a better place. Areas of focus include governance studies; energy and environment; governance studies; global security; health care; and civic education and engagement.
Earlier this year, the US’s IP Czar (technically, IP “Enforcement Coordinator”), Victoria Espinel, asked for public comment on how her enforcement plan should work. While I had some trouble with the basis for many of the questions (which all seemed to assume that greater enforcement was, without question, a good thing), I still submitted my own comments. Soon afterwards, I pointed to an absolute must read filing by NetCoalition/CCIA, which was 23 pages of brilliance, picking apart the claims of various pro-stronger-copyright groups one-by-one. Since then, a few key reports have been released, and, in response, Jonathan Band, who wrote much of the original report, alerts our attention to the fact that NetCoalition/CCIA have filed supplemental comments with Espinel (pdf) based on those reports:
The filing talks about those three reports — all of which we’ve discussed here previously — to reiterate some of the key points made in the original filing. The first, of course, is the GAO report that debunked the claims from industry studies about all of the “losses” caused by infringement. Amusingly, that GAO report was required by the same law that created the IP Czar position in the first place, the ProIP Act. The filing notes, by the way, that the GAO’s mandate for the report didn’t even say it had to investigate copyright infringement — just counterfeiting. However, the GAO appears to have been so troubled by the bogus reports out there that it decided to publicly call those studies into question. As this new filing points out, many of the comments filed by groups in support of strong copyright enforcement, relied on those reports that the GAO has since debunked. This should call into question the legitimacy of those filings entirely.
Second, this supplemental filing highlights that ridiculous Chamber of Commerce report that we highlighted recently as well. It was the one that couldn’t pass the laugh test, because it lumped in pretty much every company in what it decided were “IP-intensive industries” and compared them to companies in what it considered to be “non-IP-intensive industries” and then assumed, with no proof whatsoever, that all of the benefits to those IP-intensive industries came from intellectual property laws. The report was so ridiculous that no one who actually read the details could take it seriously. But, that’s the problem. Very few people actually do read the details. The whole point of the report is to just take the distorted headline and reuse it. Thankfully, Band and others in this filing are trying to make it clear to the White House that the Chamber of Commerce’s report is not an accurate description of what’s going on.
Finally, it highlights CCIA’s own report — using the very same methodology as those who claim the “copyright industries” contribute $1.52 trillion to the economy — to show that exceptions to copyright (such as fair use) contribute much, much more to the economy. Who knows if Espinel, or others at the White House are paying attention to the details in these filings, but these two filings from NetCoalition/CCIA are incredibly detailed and well supported with evidence. Hopefully someone in the White House is paying attention.
While I might question the game of choice, I don’t think anyone can argue with the delicious awesomeness of an 18-inch PSP cake. Or is that awesome deliciousness? Either way, me want. More »
