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A 19-year old male worker reportedly fell from a building at Foxconn Technology Group, Shenzhen, China. It is the tenth death in the list this year.

Three days before the incident, a 21-year old employee in the logistics department jumped four storeys above ground. Two more workers attempted to jump from the buildings but survived, and another committed suicide in a smaller plant in the province of Hebei last January.

And labor activists are pointing fingers at the company linking the incidents with employees that work under strenuous conditions, with extended work hours, and stern management of the company. Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou has denied the allegations. “We are certainly not running a sweatshop. We are confident we’ll be able to stabilize the situation soon,” quotes the Associated Press.

According to Business Insider, two reporters of Southern Weekly were able to get inside the Shenzhen factory. “One thing they must take note is that please don’t treat the workers like dogs. If Foxconn does not solve the problem, there will be more suicides to happen. The workers definitely need beer, romance and slightly higher pays. To say it simple, just make them happy. Let’s hope we don’t see a 10th jump…,” concludes the report.

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Next in Korean brinkmanship: a dispute over propaganda loudspeakers aimed at the DMZ.

Lee Myung-bak’s retaliation package includes a resumption of “psychological warfare”:

JoongAng Daily:

The propaganda messages – entitled “The Sound of Freedom” – will be played from dozens of loudspeakers to be set up near the military demarcation line, and work to install the speakers will begin this month.

South Korean military officials say the messages can be heard up to 24 kilometers (15 miles) into North Korea in the quiet of the night.

A North Korean military officer threatened to fire on any equipment used to deliver an anti-North Korean message, according to JoongAng Daily. To which South Korea Defense Minister Kim Tay-young said there would be “no other choice than to strike back immediately.”

Most Koreans do not want war. There are no jingoistic editorials today in Chosun Ilbo — a conservative newspaper that was outspoken during the Cheonan investigation.

Read more: What You Need To Know About The South Korean Economy

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Google’s ‘green’ arm has been particularly active lately and the company has been making several big moves in the energy sector. Now, through its philanthropic arm, Google.org, the company is announcing that it has partnered with the largest supplier of real-time energy use monitoring displays, Current Cost, to … (read more)

The pressure is clearly growing on Jean-Claude Trichet to go beyond the bond purchases he’s announced already.

He’s being forced by a horde of currency/bond/sovereign vigilantes to go into full-blown quantitative easing/debt monetization. His next job: Buy the debt of failing Spanish banks.

But he’s not the only one being pushed.

Check out what’s going on in Australia.

Remember, back last October it was the first country to raise rates, an aggressive (though impressive) case of getting ahead of the curve.

Well now look.

The Sydney Morning Herald:

Earlier this month the futures market had factored in another interest rate rise, maybe even two, before the end of the year. But a cut is now seen as more likely.

The market shows the expected average level for the cash rate, set by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), heading down from its current 4.5 per cent to a low point of 4.35 per cent though October.

That implies a better-than-even chance of an interest rate cut to 4.25 per cent by that time.

In one of the most important bellwether economies, the market seems to be forecasting a double dip, or at least alluding to one.

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Ghost Whisperer has been given a new lifeline on ABC. The supernatural television drama — which stars Jennifer Love Hewitt as a woman who can communicate with the dead — has been picked up by The Alphabet Network after it was axed from CBS fall lineup as part of a sweeping revamp by network chiefs, according to new reports.

Ghost Whisperer premiered in 2005 and has been a ratings winner in the usually ill-rated Friday night 8PM-9PM timeslot.

South Korea has ended trade links with North Korea, in response to the sinking of a South Korean ship allegedly by a North Korean torpedo.

According to the Chosun Ilbo, North Korea could lose 10% of its income immediately as a result, and then suffer further problems via unemployment further out. South Korea will barely feel the effects given that North Korean trade represents just 0.1% of its external trade.

Chosun Ilbo:

North Korea is expected to take a direct hit from reduced employment and purchasing power. The $31.75 million Seoul paid Pyongyang in processing trade last year is close to the wages paid to over 40,000 North Korean employees at the Kaesong industrial park. No government statistics are available on the number of North Korean workers engaged in the processing trade, but assuming they earn half or a third what workers are paid at Kaesong, there may be up to 120,000 of them.

North Koreans employed in the seafood trade with the South will also lose their jobs. “Huge unemployment will deal a serious blow to the already impoverished North Korean economy,” said Lee Jo-won, a professor at Chungang University.

The state-run Korea Development Institute in a report Monday said a halt in inter-Korean trade will reduce the North’s purchasing power and deal its economy a direct blow. Pyongyang has managed its economy by purchasing necessary goods from China with the dollars it earned from inter-Korean economic cooperation. When that stops, it will have difficulty in securing money to buy goods from China. The North will attempt to diversify its export markets, but that will not be easy. It may try to divert goods it exported to the South to China, but most of them only fetch a high price in South Korea or are identical with Chinese export products.

Will trade restrictions just result in a more belligerent North Korea? Hopefully sanctions will collapse the regime without leading to violent death throes.

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Article Tags: Roy Spencer

The strongest piece of evidence the IPCC has for connecting anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions to global warming (er, I mean climate change) is the computerized climate model. Over 20 climate models tracked by the IPCC now predict anywhere from moderate to dramatic levels of warming for our future in response to increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. In many peoples’ minds this constitutes some sort of “proof” that global warming is manmade.

Yet, if we stick to science rather than hyperbole, we might remember that science cannot “prove” a hypothesis….but sometimes it can disprove one. The advancement of scientific knowledge comes through new hypotheses for how things work which replace old hypotheses that are either not as good at explaining nature, or which are simply proved to be wrong.

Each climate model represents a hypothesis for how the climate system works. I must disagree with my good friend Dick Lindzen’s recent point he made during his keynote speech at the 4th ICCC meeting in Chicago, in which he asserted that the IPCC’s global warming hypothesis is not even plausible. I think it is plausible.

And from months of comparing climate model output to satellite observations of the Earth’s radiative budget, I am increasingly convinced that climate models can not be disproved. Sure, there are many details of today’s climate system they get wrong, but that does not disprove their projections of long-term global warming.

Source: drroyspencer.com

Read in full with comments »   

Supercars are usually associated with screaming engines that drink gas like there is no tomorrow. However, there is no dearth of customers who love to possess these beasts, as they are good at turning some heads on the streets. The recent demand to curb emissions and run vehicles on alternative fuels has made some automakers and designers think about next-generation supercars, which are silent, clean and run without gas. Here is a list 15 such concept vehicles that can change the face of supercars forever:

• Koenigsegg Quant:

The Quant is an all-electric supercar that is powered by renewable solar energy. Fitted with a 512 hp electric engine, the car propels to 62mph in just over 5 seconds with a top speed of a bone-shattering 171 mph. The car carries a thin layer of solar panels all over its body, which generate electricity to juice up the battery pack the car is equipped with. The technology has been developed by Koenigsegg along with NLV Solar AG.

• Steenstra GCM Styletto:

Conceived by California-based Steenstra GCM, the Styletto is a zero-emission electric supercar that is designed to hit speeds in excess of 200mph. The all-electric supercar will be built in California and will offer comfort, gullwing doors and slippery aerodynamics to get the most from the car’s zero-emission power house.

• Maserati Tramontane:

The Maserati Tramontane is an all-electric supercar that has been designed to provide luxury in a sustainable package. The vehicle has been designed by Ondrej Jirec as an electric powered cruiser suited for scenic, winding roads. The aerodynamic shape of the vehicle is complemented by the number of components and body panels which flow from the interior to the exterior.

• Citroen Eco-Luxury Sedan:

Designed by Ankit Prashar, the Citroen Eco-Luxury Sedan will definitely lure people with deep pockets. The supercar utilizes lightweight materials, and the propulsion system of the car includes a hydrogen fuel cell element that charges the vehicle’s onboard battery pack. The zero-emission vehicle also makes use of photovoltaic panels integrated into the bodywork to charge the batteries on the move.

• Jaguar C-XC Concept:

The Jaguar C-XC concept has been designed by Philip Dean and will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The stylish 2+2 coupe will be made using sustainable materials including vegetable tan leather and recycled PET bottles. The hydrogen fuel cell drive train is mounted under the single-piece glass surface, which covers the entire length of the car, adding to its aerodynamic aesthetics. The wheels of the car are also covered to further increase its aerodynamic properties.

• Audi A0 QS Concept:

Designed by Alexander Tiganova, the zero-emission Audi A0 QS concept has been created to cater to the needs of athletes and those who’re looking for luxury in a green package. The small and dynamic sports car is equipped with electric motor and a hydrogen engine, which makes the vehicle a zero-emission hybrid.

• BMW Sequence GT:

The BMW Sequence GT by Seungmo Lim, a graduate student at Pforzheim University in Germany, is an all-electric concept supercar that takes only a minute to refuel. The Sequence GT includes next-gen safety systems to protect the occupants and the pedestrians. Moreover, air intakes on the outer side of the nose are used to cool the electric motors, allowing them to function and achieve maximum efficiency. The cabin has four separate seats and the vehicle’s lithium-ion batteries are located under the trunk floor.

• BMW Lovos Concept:

Designed by Pforzheim University graduate Anne Forschner the BMW Lovos supercar mimics natural forms to harness renewable solar energy. Dubbed Lovos (Lifestyle of Voluntary Simplicity), the car is constructed from just one fully exchangeable part that recurs 260 times. Each of these pieces is covered in solar photovoltaic cells, which can be opened or closed just like fish scales.

• Lamborghini Countach EV:

The Lamborghini Countach EV is the brainchild of designer Flavio Adriani. The vehicle runs on an electric engine and includes photovoltaic modules toward the rear and two wind turbines under the hood that generate enough energy to refuel the battery packs. With an aerodynamic design and the use of lightweight materials, the vehicle will surely impress speed lovers who love to burn the streets without polluting them.

• Fleszar Supercar Concept:

Design firm ideationEDGE has come up with a supercar dubbed Fleszar which runs on a 100 percent electric engine and promises a luxury drive for stylish riders. Designed to attract both feminine and masculine customers, the supercar presents a unique mixture of delicate curves and bold lines, presenting a powerful but at the same time comfortable ride. The Fleszar supercar will simply be a style statement for the trendy commuters.

• Venturi Volage Concept:

The Venturi Volage supercar features eight in-wheel motors, as each wheel contains two electric motors out of which one is used for propulsion and the other takes care of the suspension. The innovative design gives the vehicle a lower center of gravity to better maneuverability and overall performance.

• Audi R8 e-Tron:

The Audi R8 e-Tron Concept is powered by four in-wheel electric motors that offer a combined output of 230KW and a maximum torque of 4500Nm. The car can hit a speed of 100kph in 4.8 seconds and has a top speed of 200kph. The e-Tron has an operating range of 248km on a fully recharged battery.

• Honda FC Sport:

The FC Sport by Honda is a three-seat hydrogen fuel cell sports car that is based on the V-Flow stack of the FCX Clarity concept. The car incorporates a high-power fuel cell stack, located between the rear seats, and a backup battery pack placed in the middle of the car.

• e-Wolf e2:

The e2 is designed by German company e-Wolf. The two seat electric supercar is scheduled to hit the market in 2011. The lightweight car will weigh just 900kgs and will be powered by four in-wheel electric motors, each generating 134hp. The supercar is expected to have an operating range of 187 miles.

• Aston Martin DBGT 2025:

The Aston Martin DBGT 2025 has been designed by Brendan Woolsey. The vehicle would be powered by a tank full of water that is split into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is used as fuel for the car, leading to zero emissions. If anything, the classic exhaust fitted on this future car will only give out water vapor and some heat. Going from 0 to 62 mph in 4.3 seconds, the car has two really strong assets – sports bodywork that is impeccable and the fuel plan which is both realistic and ideal. All this comes along with that very special Aston Martin badge, giving you the best driving experience.

A lot of investors and pundits have been and remained bearish throughout the course of the last few years.  Within this bear camp there have been two distinct groups – the deflationists and the inflationists.  The market action in the last few weeks has shown one of these two groups to be only marginally better than a full blown permabull.  Since the recent downturn began on April 26th an inflationist portfolio has actually performed worse than a standard 60/40 stock/bond portfolio.

Obviously, there is no standard inflation or deflation portfolio, but the general claims from the inflationists have been that the next big downturn would be the result of a crushing debt burden from a U.S. government that has spent too much and printed more money than the economy can bear.  This would all result in the demise of the dollar, spiking interest rates, soaring gold prices, soaring hard assets and soaring commodities.   Since the recent downturn began on April 26th a simple inflation portfolio that was evenly short trade weighted US Dollars, short US Treasuries, long gold, long commodities (GS Commodity Index), and long oil has returned -9.29%.   An aggressive gold bug portfolio (50% gold) has done better though still performed poorly over the last few weeks with a -3.75% total return.  A lazy stock/bond portfolio has actually outperformed BOTH portfolios with a -3.6% return.  Meanwhile, a portfolio positioned for deflation has returned +6.75% over the last month.  Even the ultimate deflationary portfolio (100% cash) has outperformed.

Now, clearly I’m cherry picking the assets to some extent to prove a point, but it’s a very important one in my opinion – if you’ve missed the analysis you’ve missed the move in your portfolio.  There are a lot of impostors out there who have been right in theory and wrong in practice.  The overwhelming majority of bears have been expecting an inflationary period on the back of the out of control “printing” by the Fed.  But just as in 2008, this inflationary strategy has been fantastically wrong.  If you’re not familiar with monetary operations and the resulting impact on the economy then your analysis and portfolio performance has been entirely off the mark.  The inability to connect the dots and understand the true underlying fundamentals in the economy has been a very destructive lesson in being bearish.  In fact, you  would practically have been better off just being a full blown bull….

This guest post previously appeared at the author’s blog, The Pragmatic Capitalist >

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Christina Aguilera North American summer tour has been cancelled indefinitely to give the singer more time to rehearse for the performances.

After a three year hiatus, the “Beautiful” hitmaker returns to the music scene with a new album, Bionic, dropping next month. Xtina had been due to kick off her trek in July, but now promoters have pushed the dates all the way back until 2011.

While there are some ramblings about poor tickets sales, representatives from Live Nation are citing Aguilera’s heavy work schedule for the cancellation, revealing she needs more time to prepare.

“The singer felt she needed more time to rehearse the show and with less than a month between the album release and tour date this wasn’t possible,” a representative said in a statement Tuesday.

We should mention that Aguilera — whose latest music video “Not Myself Tonight” was almost universally panned — has been plagued by reports that her new sexed-up image was inspired by pop “It Girl of the Hour,” Lady Gaga.

Ticket refunds for the Bionic Tour are available from the point of purchase.

The causes are vague but the disease exists.

Still’s disease is a disorder which leads to a type of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRS) or systemic onset JRA. Systemic means joint inflammation is coupled with symptoms affecting other parts of the body. The symptoms include having on and off rashes and high fever reaching 39 degrees C during the day and reoccurs in about the same, then often joint pain and swelling follows. It may lead to inflammation of the heart, fluid accumulation in the lungs, loss of appetite, and nausea.

It is diagnosed based solely on the aforementioned symptoms that usually last for months, except for arthritis that persists even after the symptoms, until it becomes chronic in adulthood. It is common among 25,000-50,000 children in the U.S., but adults can acquire it, termed as Adult-Onset Still’s Disease, according to Medicinenet. Its name originated from Dr. George Still.

Medications include anti-inflammatory drugs, like aspirin; cortisone and prednisone for severe cases. Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy is being studied as an alternative measure.

Related posts:

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Eco Factor: Sustainable development collects rainwater and solar energy.

The Bushwick Inlet Park by Kiss + Cathcart Architects is the remaking of the Greenpoint – Williamsburg waterfront in Brooklyn, NY, from a decaying industrial strip to a multifaceted public park. The park becomes a green hill on the west side, offering views over the ball fields to the Manhattan skyline.

A multi-level playground and public rooms ascend the hill, while direct access for the public and parks personnel is provided from the street edge below. The paved surfaces on the hill harvest rainwater to irrigate the green roof slope. All other rainwater goes into the ground or passes through a tidal wetland landscape at the river’s edge.

Solar panels have been installed to generate more than half the energy demands of the development. Moreover, the architects are also planning to use a ground source heat pump for efficient heating and cooling.

Thanks: [Gregory Kiss]

An anti-lock braking system, or ABS is a safety system which prevents the wheels on a motor vehicle from locking up (or ceasing to rotate) while braking.

A rotating road wheel allows the driver to maintain steering control under heavy braking by preventing a skid and allowing the wheel to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs.

ABS offers improved vehicle control and decreases stopping distances on dry and especially slippery surfaces.

However, on loose surfaces like gravel and snow-on-pavement, it can slightly increase braking distance while still improving vehicle control.

Since initial widespread use in production cars, anti-lock braking systems have evolved considerably. Recent versions not only prevent wheel lock under braking, but also electronically control the front-to-rear brake bias.

This function, depending on its specific capabilities and implementation, is known as electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), traction control system, emergency brake assist, or electronic stability control.

The anti-lock brake controller is also known as the CAB (Controller Anti-lock Brake).

A typical ABS is composed of a central electronic control unit (ECU), four wheel speed sensors — one for each wheel — and two or more hydraulic valves within the brake hydraulics.

The ECU constantly monitors the rotational speed of each wheel, and when it detects a wheel rotating significantly slower than the others — a condition indicative of impending wheel lock — it actuates the valves to reduce hydraulic pressure to the brake at the affected wheel, thus reducing the braking force on that wheel. The wheel then turns faster; when the ECU detects it is turning significantly faster than the others, brake hydraulic pressure to the wheel is increased so the braking force is reapplied and the wheel slows.

This process is repeated continuously, and can be detected by the driver via brake pedal pulsation. Engine is influenced by the ABS System.

Anti-Lock Brake Systems Video

Source: Some test portions from Wikipedia

Spiked Hair: Check
Slithering Around In A Sexy Catsuit: Check, Check

The singer vamps it up in a fiery red wig and teaches us to channel our inner rocker in the video clip for her latest single, “Rockstar 101.”

Jimmy Kimmel started his episode “Aloha to Lost”by treating his audience with what may be “alternative endings” for lost. There were also Lost cast members present on his show, which included: Matthew Fox, Terry O’Quinn, Emilie de Ravin, Naveen Andrews, Daniel Dae Kim, Michael Emerson, Alan Dale and Jeremy Davies. The cast shared some of their favorite scenes and also answered some queries of the audience.

After the 121 episodes in the six seasons, “Lost” had finally come to an end. Creators Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse took to Jimmy Kimmel’s post “Lost “ bonanza to offer up some quirky alternate endings. So if you missed the show and would want to see these “alternate endings”, the video is available below. Which do alternate ending do you prefer best?

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After news that no Volkswagen Polo R will be developed in order to favour the new Audi S1 and a Volkswagen Jetta R model, we also learn that the S1 will have front wheel drive instead of all-wheel drive in a move likely to anger purist Audi fans. While the Audi S1 will be equipped with a 1.4 TFSI engine and 180 hp, the front-wheel drive option should keep prices down; although we reported yesterday that we could be looking at starting prices of about 29,000 euros for the S1.

In the meantime, the new Audi A2 is planned to be an ‘electric only’ model when it’s launched in 2012. The company is preparing itself to compete against the new BMW Megacity model which will be available only the following year in 2013. The Audi A1 and A2 will share some components, including the steel monocoque structure which will replace the expensive spaceframe from the original A2.

We had originally thought that the BMW Megacity (still under development) would be a showdown with the A1, but it’s clear Audi is preparing the A2 as the true competitor from the drivetrain point of view. Depending on style, although the A2 is set to follow the previous model, it won’t be until the BMW Megacity emerges that we can really start to check out the competitors.

New Audi A2 renderings

Source | World Car Fans and Autocar

Eco Factor: Sustainable speakers made from discarded food packaging material.

Tempting food often makes you stop outside food chain or restaurants to get some lip-smacking stuff packed. After giving your taste buds what they want, how many of you even bother about the fate of the packaging? Well, they are usually discarded and end up piling in landfills. Justin Kakobson, an American designer, has come up with a way to divert these packaging materials from landfills.

(more…)

Reuters:

The story goes that this phone was left in a corporate Verizon gym in Washington, but before it was remotely locked the finder saw a text message confirming it was “unreleased”. What is it? Why, the Motorola Droid Shadow. More »










Droid – Smartphone – Android – Motorola – Handhelds