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Na categoria 1.0, Uno, Celta e Palio sãos os modelos mais recomendados pelos reparadores e o Fiesta, Gol e Ka não são indicados.

A pesquisa da CINAU – Central de Inteligência Automotiva – Melhor Carro/Imagem das Montadoras elege feita com 1.200 reparadores automotivos de todo o País elegeram modelos por motorização.

Os veículos 1.0 recomendados pelos mecânicos são:
1º UNO (20,9 pontos)
2º CELTA (17,1 pontos)
3º PALIO (16,6 pontos)
4º GOL (13,9 pontos)
5º CORSA (9,8 pontos)

6º FIESTA (3,7 pontos)
7º KA (3,7 pontos)
8º FIAT (2,6 pontos)
9º CLASSIC (2,5 pontos)
10º CLIO (1,7 ponto)

Os veículos 1.0 não recomendados pelos mecânicos são:
1º FIESTA (17,8 pontos)
2º GOL (16,2 pontos)
3º KA (12,5 pontos)
4º PALIO (6,8 pontos)
5º UNO (6,5 pontos)
6º CLIO (5,3 pontos)
7º PEUGEOT (4,2 pontos)
8º CORSA (4,1 pontos)
9º CELTA (4,0 pontos)
10º 206 (3,6 pontos)

Na versões de 1.1 a 1.5, os recomendados são:
1º PALIO (33,1 pontos)
2º CORSA (13,8 pontos)
3º SIENA (5,4 pontos)
4º FIT (5,1 pontos)
5º PRISMA (4,9 pontos)
6º STRADA (4,8 pontos)
7º CELTA (4,6 pontos)
8º UNO (4,2 pontos)
9º FIAT (3,6 pontos)
10º GOL (1,7 pontos)

Modelos não recomendados nas versões de 1.1 a 1.5
1º PALIO (15,7 pontos)
2º FIESTA (11,8 pontos)
3º UNO (7,1 pontos)
4º PEUGEOT (5,0 pontos)
5º 206 (3,4 pontos)
6º CORSA (3,1 pontos)
7º C3 (2,9 pontos)
8º FIAT (2,7 pontos)
9º CELTA (2,4 pontos)
10º KA (2,3 pontos)

Carros recomendados com motor 1.6 a 1.9
1º GOL (26,9 pontos)
2º COROLLA (4,7 pontos)
3º CIVIC (4,3 pontos)
4º CORSA (4,2 pontos)
5º PALIO (3,9 pontos)
6º FIESTA (3,9 pontos)
7º POLO (2,8 pontos)
8º LINEA (2,8 pontos)
9º PARATI (2,8 pontos)
10º GOLF (2,5 pontos)

Modelos não recomendados com motor 1.6 a 1.9
1º PALIO (9,5 pontos)
2º FIESTA (5,4 pontos)
3º ESCORT (5,4 pontos)
4 º GOL (5,1 pontos)
5º TIPO (3,6 pontos)
6º CORSA (3,3 pontos)
7º CLIO (3,2 pontos)
8º RENAULT (3,1 pontos)
9º ECOSPORT (2,5 pontos)
10º PEUGEOT (2,2 pontos)

Veículos preferidos pelos reparadores com motorização 2.0 a 2.4
1º VECTRA (32,1 pontos)
2º ASTRA (14,6 pontos)
3º SANTANA (4,6 pontos)
4º FOCUS (4,5 pontos)
5º GOLF (3,4 pontos)
6º MAREA (2,7 pontos)
7º GM (2,5 pontos)
8º COROLLA (2,4 pontos)
9º CIVIC (2,0 pontos)
10º FUSION (2,0 pontos)

Modelos não recomendados nas versões de 2.0 a 2.4
1º MAREA (25,4 pontos)
2º VECTRA (12,9 pontos)
3º TEMPRA (5,8 pontos)
4º MONDEO (2,8 pontos)
5º FOCUS (2,6 pontos)
6º ASTRA (2,3 pontos)
7º ECOSPORT (1,8 pontos)
8º MONZA (1,8 pontos)
9º PICASSO (1,7 pontos)
10º OMEGA (1,7 pontos)

Veículos recomendados com motorização acima de 2.4
1º OMEGA (17,2 pontos)
2º JETTA (7,8 pontos)
3º FUSION (7,2 pontos)
4º S10 (6,9 pontos)
5º RANGER (3,5 pontos)
6º HILUX (3,4 pontos)
7º BLAZER (3,0 pontos)
8º CAPTIVA (2,8 pontos)
9º AZERA (2,4 pontos)
10º ACCORD (2,0 pontos)

Os não recomendados acima de 2.4
1º OMEGA (16,5 pontos)
2º RANGER (7,6 pontos)
3º BLAZER (4,8 pontos)
4º S10 (4,5 pontos)
5º FUSION (2,9 pontos)
6º CITROËN (1,9 ponto)
7º FORD (1,5 ponto)
8º OPALA (1,3 ponto)
9º MONDEO (1,2 ponto)
10º JETTA (1,1 ponto)

Picapes leves recomendadas
1º STRADA (36,6 pontos)
2º MONTANA (16,4 pontos)
3º SAVEIRO (15,9 pontos)
4º S10 (5,7 pontos)
5º RANGER (4,0 pontos)
6º COURIER (3,4 pontos)
7º FIAT (1,7 ponto)
8º FIORINO (1,4 ponto)
9º GM (1,1 ponto)
10º HILUX (1,1 ponto)

Picapes leves não recomendadas
1º COURIER (27,3 pontos)
2º SAVEIRO (13,1 pontos)
3 º STRADA (8,3 pontos)
4º MONTANA (7,5 pontos)
5º FIORINO (5,0 pontos)
6º RANGER (4,6 pontos)
7º S10 (3,3 pontos)
8º CORSA (2,8 pontos)
9º PAMPA (2,4 pontos)
10º L200 (1,5 ponto)

Picapes pesadas preferidas
1º S10 (20,3 pontos)
2º HILUX (17,3 pontos)
3º F250 (16,5 pontos)
4º RANGER (10,5 pontos)
5º L200 (5,0 pontos)
6º F350 (2,4 pontos)
7º TOYOTA (2,3 pontos)
8º F1000 (2,3 pontos)
9º FORD (2,1 pontos)
10º SILVERADO (1,5 ponto)

Picapes pesadas não recomendadas
1º RANGER (21,5 pontos)
2º S10 (13,9 pontos)
3º F250 (6,6 pontos)
4º SILVERADO (6,1 pontos)
5º DAKOTA (4,6 pontos)
6º L200 (4,5 pontos)
7º FORD (2,3 pontos)
8º DODGE RAM (2,3 pontos)
9º PEUGEOT (1,8 ponto)
10º FRONTIER (1,8 ponto)

A 9ª edição da pesquisa CINAU Melhor carro/Imagem das Montadoras indica que a GM é a montadora preferida pelo mecânico pela sexta vez consecutiva com 25,6 pontos, enquanto a Fiat ficou em 2º lugar com 16,8 pontos, seguida da Toyota em 3º (8,2 pontos) e a Volkswagen, que já foi a marca com maior índice de recomendação, ficou em 4º lugar com 7,5 pontos.
No ranking geral, o Palio ganha a 1ª colocação como o carro mais recomendado pelos profissionais da reparação aos clientes, tirando o Gol da liderança que ficou em 2º lugar, seguido do Corolla (3º), Corsa (4º) e Celta (5º).

Os carros não recomendados para comprar de acordo com a avaliação dos mecânicos são Fiesta (1º), Marea (2º), Peugeot 206 (3º), Gol 1.0 16 V (4º) e Gol (5º).

A avaliação é feita por meio de um minucioso questionário que avalia 11 requisitos para recomendar ou não a marca e o modelo, a maioria deles são técnicos e dois mais subjetivos e que mexem com lado emocional como confiança na marca e simpatia da marca.

Os motivos para recomendar são: confiança na marca (20,3%), relação custo e benefício (13%), acesso à informação técnica (13%), durabilidade (11,3%) qualidade (10,9%), tecnologia (9,2%), fácil manutenção (8%), disponibilidade de peças (7,4%), mecânica (4,5%), simpatia da marca (1,5%) e desempenho do carro (1,2%).

Os motivos para não recomendar são: disponibilidade de peças insatisfatórias (21,3%), acesso precário à informação técnica (15,7%), pouca qualidade (12,5%), difícil manutenção (10,2%), relação custo e benefício (10,2%), durabilidade insuficiente (9,5%), desconfiança da marca (5,5%), desempenho do carro insatisfatório (5%), tecnologia defasada (4,1%), antipatia da marca (3,4%) e mecânica (2,4%).

Metodologia:

A pesquisa Melhor Carro / Imagem das Montadoras é realizada pela CINAU e visa obter a opinião dos reparadores de todo o País ao avaliar aspectos técnicos para definir qual é o melhor carro e a melhor montadora. Os dados foram coletados por meio de amostragem aleatória simples determinada num mínimo de amostras por região do Brasil, proporcional ao tamanho da frota circulante em cada localidade.
A margem de erro é igual a 5% e intervalo de confiança igual a 95%. As respostas são obtidas de forma espontânea e não há nenhum tipo de recompensa ou premiação.
A supervisão e os trabalhos técnicos estão sob a responsabilidade do estatístico Alexandre Carneiro – CONRE/3ª/6991, e o registro da CINAU é CONRE/3ª/5616.

Saiba mais sobre a CINAU
A CINAU – Central de Inteligência Automotiva, pertence ao Grupo Germinal, o qual é responsável pela publicação jornal Oficina Brasil que é especializada no setor da reparação de veículos, com tiragem mensal de 65 mil exemplares e que circula em todo o País há 18 anos e é considerado pela empresa Mídia Dados como o maior veículo segmentado do Brasil.

Fonte: [email protected]

Curb Your Enthusiasm, True Blood, Entourage, Big Love, Flight of the Conchords—these are just some of the TV shows that PS3 owners will be able to download after Sony and HBO-owners Time Warner join forces. More »










PlayStation Network – PlayStation 3 – Curb Your Enthusiasm – Sony – Big Love

Eco Factor: Low-emission concept car powered by a hybrid engine.

The Mazda Tanken is a low-emission hybrid SUV designed by Anthony Sims from California’s Art Center College of Design. The SUV pays tribute to the American nature. The futuristic vehicle is powered by a small 4-cyclinder engine that revs up whenever the onboard batteries deplete.

Power is provided by a set of electric motors running on electric batteries. The stance of the vehicle is established with dynamic coupe lines contrasted with aggressive tires for an off-road appeal.

Via: Car Design

Side Car Serves as Boat
A MOTORCYCLE side car which doubles as a canoe on trips to the beach or river bank has recently made its appearance in Germany. The car is fitted with small metal pontoons which keep it upright in the water. Future models will be fitted with rudders, completing the transformation from side car to a navigable boat.

Homebrew coder Pate is back again in the DS homebrew scene to release another feature-packed version of DSx86, a nifty DOS emulator for the Nintendo DS. Notable changes of the latest release includes “new graphics opcodes and

An RCA Solid State Laser that fits through the eye of a needle can transmit 500 million bits of information per second through a thread of glass.

The entire contents of a 24-volume encyclopedia in 3 minutes. 2500 phone conversations or 20 TV programs at the same time. Staggering amounts of information – all made to pass through a tiny thread of glass by a solid state laser that radiates light from an area one-hundredth the size of the period at the end of this sentence. The laser, developed by RCA scientists, emits a narrow, intense beam of light that can be efficiently coupled into the microscopic fibers that carry the information. Because of its incredible stability and small size, RCA’s solid state “double dovetail” laser represents a significant step toward faster, smaller, more efficient fiber optic communications systems.

This Solid State Laser is a product of RCA research – the kind of dedicated research that has been a tradition at RCA ever since Nipper started listening to His Masters Voice. Today, research and development of electronic products are funded at the highest level in our company’s history. Our commitment is, as it has always been, to the advancement of technology-to the creation of products that expand the human horizon, whether through a wave of sound or a thread of light.

c 1980 RCA Corporation – A tradition on the move

Why don’t people put math poetry in ads anymore? Also, wasn’t Zero invented in India?

Computation

The Arab
who first wrote zero

And
the mathematic clue

To
nothing at all is a hero

Who
never got his due

Unless
he sought

To share
the eternal naught.

— from “Stars and Atoms HAVE NO SIZE” -by A. M. Sullivan
(by permission)

Maxson offers top-caliber engineers exceptional opportunities

MAXSON ENGINEERING specializes in the development and manufacture of computers for precise determination of complex problems. Our 18 years experience in navigation, ordnance, and electronics is implemented by 600 engineering personnel, 2500 other employees, and 400,000 feet of laboratory and plant space.

This adaptable organization is available to augment your facilities; for details, see the new Maxson Facilities Report.

The W. L. MAXSON CORPORATION Unimax Switch Division •
Langevin Manufacturing Corporation
460 West 34th Street New York 1, New York
Plants at Long Island City, N.J. and Old Forge, Pennsylvania

The Special Troubles of Women

by Charles A. Clinton, M. d.

Most of these Functional Troubles Can Be Avoided by Normal Living, Plenty of Exercise and the Building of Bodily Vigor

WITH the exception of certain affections of the generative organs, most diseases are common to both men and women alike. There are, of course, certain conditions which are more commonly found in women than in men and vice versa. Those diseases which are induced by exposure to the elements or by overexertion are naturally more common in men than in women, while other conditions which are induced or made worse by sedentary habits, lack of the proper amount of exercise, etc., are more apt to be found occurring in women. But even this condition does not always apply, because in some countries and among some classes of society the women work as hard and are exposed to the elements as much and in other ways are subject largely to the same conditions as are men. So that when one speaks of the “special” disorders of women one usually means the disorders which affect that portion of the human anatomy which is found only in the female sex, namely, the mammary glands and the female generative organs.

The fact that so many women suffer from pelvic disorders and attribute their symptoms to some other cause, thus unconsciously allowing their pelvic organs to become severely affected, is apt to allow their general health to become greatly impaired and should make it of advantage for all women to recognize some of the symptoms which occur in the early stages of various complaints peculiar to themselves so that they may take proper steps to procure competent advice in the matter.

Of course, the various female organs when affected abnormally produce certain specific symptoms pertaining to the particular organ affected, yet there are a certain number of common symptoms which are generally present in most disorders of the pelvic organs which should give the afflicted person an inkling as to what the trouble may possibly be or at least draw attention to the fact that it may be one of the pelvic organs which is at fault. When only one or two of these symptoms are present it may not be so easy to judge the cause, but when several are present, as is so often the case, they should be of great service in at least suggesting the location of the trouble.

Among these symptoms are headache, especially at the base of the brain, a feeling of pressure on the top of the head, pain or aching at the lower portion of the back over the sacrum, a bearing down feeling in the lower abdomen, flatulence, constipation, irritability, general nervousness, sometimes hysteria, mental depression, attacks of the “blues” and often a certain amount of local discharge. These symptoms are all more or less common in conditions of the ovaries, the Fallopian tubes and the uterus, as well sometimes as the vagina.

When such symptoms occur it is well to have a thorough examination made in order to determine exactly what organ or organs are affected and exactly the amount of disturbance which is present and, if possible, how long it has existed. Then immediate steps should be taken to relieve the existing condition. It is very common when one organ is affected to have other adjacent organs also become affected and so it is of the utmost importance to get proper attention and to apply proper methods as quickly as possible to prevent inflammation or infection spreading from one of the pelvic organs to another. One of the commonest and yet most severe affections is pelvic cellulitis or pelvic peritonitis, which develops from an infection of one or more of the pelvic organs. These diseases are often extremely dangerous and are apt to cause the formation of adhesions which will produce distress or disturbances of various degrees for an indefinite period of time.

FOR some reason or other, women seem to be rather reticent about seeking professional advice for pelvic troubles. Of course in many cases, as mentioned above, they may not attribute their sickness to these local conditions and so may lose valuable time, but in other cases, even though they may feel morally certain that they are suffering from some abnormal state of one or more of the pelvic organs, they hesitate, they procrastinate and they delay seeking advice for so long a period that much unnecessary damage will often be done.

Women, as a rule, have a mortal dread of cancer and of course in some cases this is present as it is fairly common in the pelvis, especially in the uterus, and it is a most serious and most dangerous condition. But with the horrors of cancer in their minds they often hesitate to undergo an examination even though they know something is wrong, for fear that the doctor will tell them that they are suffering from cancer. What short-sighted policy this is! The time to treat cancer with any real hope of success is when it is in its initial stages, and this applies especially to internal cancer. Why delay seeking advice? Why procrastinate—why take chances? A woman who fears cancer should be the very one who should be examined at once and have the matter definitely settled; then should the symptoms prove to be those of cancer something may often be done and results obtained before it is too late. But the fact of the matter is that while some of these cases will be found to be cancer by far the largest number will be found to be non-malignant.

The woman, therefore, who fears cancer and who neglects to be examined and to get a correct diagnosis lives in constant dread and fear that she may be developing a cancer and yet does nothing about it. This naturally has a most devastating effect upon her entire constitution. Her nervous system become seriously affected, she becomes despondent, loses her appetite, loses weight, becomes a burden to herself and her friends and her family and in some cases even becomes mentally affected. In most cases all of this is entirely unnecessary and even in the case where the suspicion of cancer is confirmed and cancer is really found to exist, the sufferer herself will feel at least that now she knows what her trouble is and can take steps to try and eradicate it, something which she would not do before a diagnosis was made. And to the woman who finds her trouble is not cancer but something perhaps fairly easy to eradicate, what a load is lifted from her mind! Yet with all of our preaching women will hold back, delay and lose most valuable time.

The ovaries, Fallopian tubes and the uterus are fairly susceptible to abnormal conditions. Inflammation of these organs may be either acute or chronic. The ovaries may be affected with simple congestion or with inflammatory conditions. Prolapse of an ovary is a fairly common occurrence. Cystic growths are also quite common and may develop to an enormous size. These tumors consist of a sac which becomes filled and distended with a serous fluid. Fibro-cystic tumors consist partly of cystic material and partly of fibrous tissue. Solid tumors of the ovary are not very common although they are of various kinds such as fibroid tumors, sarcomas which are malignant growths, carcinoma or cancer, papilloma, and other varieties.

MOST cases of inflammation of the ovaries are secondary to inflammation of other pelvic organs, such as the vagina, the uterus or the Fallopian tubes. The uterus or womb may become affected in many ways. There may be hypertrophy or enlargement, atrophy or shrinkage, displacement forward or backward, prolapse or falling, and catarrh of the lining of the ^vomb, and this latter condition may involve the entire lining of the uterus, when it is called endometritis, or may involve only the neck of the uterus, in which it is called endocervititis. The entire muscular structure of the womb may become inflamed, producing what is known as metritis. This, however, is not such a very common affection.

Tumors, on the other hand, are fairly common and may form in the interior of the uterus, in the substance of the organ or on the outside. These are usually fibroid in character, although fibro-cysts are also fairly common. In addition, of course, malignant disease may occur and when it does it usually develops in the neck of the womb. This is because lacerations of the neck of the womb are very common during labor and it is at this point that most malignant growths start. It is therefore of the greatest importance to have all lacerations in this locality repaired surgically as soon after labor as is practicable.

A very common growth in the interior of the uterus is what is called a polyp. This is a vascular tumor usually rather small which is attached by a longer or shorter pedicle to the mucous membrane lining that organ. The Fallopian tubes are often subject to very severe inflammation, frequently on account of the extension of infections from the vagina or the uterus, or both. Inflammation of these tubes may be either acute or chronic. In many cases, especially when infection has occurred, abscess of the tubes develops and should the pus not be discharged into the uterus the result may be rather disastrous as the tubes may become so distended and so thin as to rupture, discharging the pus into the peritoneal cavity. This would of course cause septic peritonitis, and would require immediate operation. The vagina is also frequently affected with various abnormal conditions, such as simple inflammation, catarrhal inflammation, gonorrheal infection and other conditions. The vulva or external genital is sometimes the seat of abscess owing to infection, usually of an important gland which is located therein. Unfortunate, it is yet true, that many women innocently become affected with certain venereal complaints due to the fact that the husband has at some period before marriage become himself infected and though thought to be entirely cured some of the poison of the disease has continued to lurk in some-portion of the generative system and so is transferred by him to his innocent wife.

To my mind it is of the utmost importance to have every prospective bridegroom given a thorough examination and clean bill of health in this respect and perhaps in many other respects before he can be allowed to marry. Often the man himself may not know or suspect that he ever was infected or knowing this has been told that he has been cured and so may infect his wife and cause her untold suffering and possibly produce in her in turn a condition of chronic invalidism.

NOW then, what can be done for women who suffer from these “special” disorders peculiar to their sex in order to make them well again? Of course it must be admitted that there are many cases in which operation of one sort or another may be necessary, but much can be done in many of these cases without operation to bring them back to health. If any of the general symptoms mentioned in the beginning of this article develop they should be signals that all is not right and should serve as notice to at once take steps to eradicate the abnormal condition as quickly as possible and as surely as possible. The various pelvic organs may of course give special symptoms peculiar to themselves. The pain and tenderness may be localized so that the particular organ affected can be recognized. Internal examination by a physician will of course give a specific diagnosis. Pain, swelling, tenderness, leucorrheal discharges, hemorrhages, fever, chills, all have their special significance in certain specific acute or chronic pelvic disorders.

In most acute inflammations, rest in bed and fasting is of the utmost importance. The fasts are to last for a longer or shorter period depending upon the character of the condition and the general vitality of the patient. Sometimes repeated short fasts are better than a long fast. After a fast a fast-breaking diet of fruit juices or vegetable broth is to be given. If the fast has been a short one, one day on this diet is often sufficient, but if the fast has been of many days’ duration two or three days on the fast-breaking diet may be more desirable. After the fast-breaking diet an exclusive milk diet is often of the greatest value.

As to other measures, the taking of hot sitz baths or alternating hot and cold sitz baths is recommended in many cases. If there is much pain, cold sitz baths had better be omitted. Vaginal douches from two to four times daily are advisable in many cases. The douche should be comfortably warm, or in some cases quite hot. They may consist of plain water or water containing boric acid, bicarbonate of soda or some mild antiseptic.

In chronic conditions of the pelvic organs one has to pay a great deal of attention to building up the vitality of the patient. A fast of a few days repeated from time to time is of value, followed of course by a fast-breaking regimen. Exercise adapted to the extent of the condition and the vitality of the patient is given to advantage. Strict attention must be paid to the eliminations from the bowels, the skin and the kidneys. Considerable water is to be drunk and this can be taken between meals. Sun baths, air baths, outdoor walking and some form of light recreation are also good. Rest and relaxation are naturally important and enough sleep is to be obtained. Locally, of course, the treatment varies, according to the condition. For prolapse and displacements of the uterus exercises taken on a slanting table are of the greatest value. The exercises vary according to the particular displacement which is present. If it is a prolapse, lying upon the back on a slanting table, with the head down, may be sufficient, also raising the foot of the bed five or six inches, lying in that position through the night. If the displacement is forward, lying on the back with the head down, taking the exercise in this position, is of course proper, while if the displacement is backward, one lies on a slanting table on the abdomen, with the head down, and takes the exercises in this position.

Some form of catarrhal inflammation of the uterus may require curettage, also some growths may need removal, and of course carcinoma or cancer needs special treatment. Cysts may often be reduced more or less in size by fasting and other measures. Abscesses must be evacuated. Tears of the cervix and perineum need surgical attention. Infections also need specific treatments. The diet is of the utmost importance. It should be light and nourishing and should consist largely of fruits and fruit juices, fresh green vegetables, both raw and cooked, vegetable and fruit salads, cottage cheese, milk and buttermilk, together with some whole-grain products and occasionally figs, raisins, dates, honey and sometimes a few nuts, except peanuts.

VITALITY building measures such as specified above will aid in establishing an improved condition of general health and help to get rid of many pelvic disorders. Spinal manipulation, spinal compresses, ultra-violet, infrared rays and diathermy all have their uses in these conditions. Menstrual disorders require going into very carefully in order to determine the exact cause when proper measures can be taken for the relief. Building up of the body in general, purification of the blood supply and elimination of poisons from the system will do an enormous amount of good and will increase one’s powers of resistance to such an extent that recovery or great relief may be looked forward to as a certainty. Many a woman who is a physical and nervous wreck due to female troubles can, by following out natural methods, both local and general, be remade and can once more feel that life is worth living and that misery, suffering, pain, debility and all the other symptoms which accompany these “special” disorders of women are to be relegated to the past, never to return.

After ‘Lost’ and ‘24′, another long running TV drama has ended. NBC’s Law & Order aired the series finale on May 24, 2010.

It was a big surprise to fans when NBC unexpectedly announced the end of the Law & Order series. After 20 season, tonight finally marks the end of the show.

Law & Order revolves around criminal investigations by the NYPD and the trials that follow. The cast of the series finale included S. Epatha Merkerson, Anthony Anderson, Jeremy Sisko, Sam Waterson, Linus Roache and Alana De La Garza. It is produced by series creator Dick Wolf.

The TV ratings for Law & Order have been slightly low for awhile but the series has remained on the air. Last week, NBC announced that a new series, Law & Order: Los Angeles, would be joining the schedule in the fall and that the original Law & Order had been canceled. Others are thinking that this might not be the last episode of Law & Order.

The finale presented the drama of the police investigation and the prosecution, with an ending that was satisfying, but sad for the avid viewers that they have to say goodbye to the crime series.

Related posts:

1. Watch Grey’s Anatomy Season Finale Online
2. Watch Grey’s Anatomy Finale Episode HD Online Promo Video
3. Critics, Fans Lost As ‘Lost’ Finale Gets Aired – Confused Ending

Saw a repeat running of this program tonight on CBC. Highly recommended. A few things touched my heart: I just can’t imagine a heartless government confiscating photos of children died in the earthquake from their parents, just so they can’t hold the photos in protests! And how brave and insightful one of the 9 year old “hero” (Lin Hao) in the earthquake and how wise he was behind the Chinese TV cameras.

China’s Earthquake (CBC online video, originally aired April 9, 2010)

Dramatic stories from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake – tales of endurance and hope, sorrow and rage, of life extinguished and life reborn.

Filed under: China, ethics, politics

Hold onto your seats, Vorsteiner has recently launched a new aero kit for the Mercedes E63 AMG called the V6E kit. Featuring many aesthetically pleasing carbon fiber parts, the styling package includes a new front lip spoiler, trunk spoiler, and rear diffuser. Also part of the kit are Vorsteiner’s forged V-308 rims wrapped in high performance tires. The tuning company claims that these are the most concave wheels on the market to fit the Mercedes sports car, but I beg to differ. There are so many competing wheel companies out there, and I have seen China imitation wheels on eBay with more concave than these. They are still great wheels from Vorsteiner though, and the stance looks impressive for the Mercedes E-Class.

Sure, it may not be as stunning as the Vorsteiner GTRS3 that they put out last month, but the Mercedes V6E styling kit will still appeal to those with a different taste. You can tell the tuners tried to attract the younger market of late teens to early twenties with this styling. However, I doubt there are many who can afford this car. But their mission was accomplished, because I wouldn’t mind having this Mercedes E63 AMG in my driveway.

[Source: carscoop]

Source: Fancy Tuning – the latest car tuning news

Nissan North America Inc. has taken legal steps to create a performance segment for its Infiniti Division product line, similar to its larger luxury rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Nissan has filed for trademark protection for the names “IPL” and “Infiniti Performance Line,” according to documents on file with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

According to the applications, the IPL trademark would cover the brand’s use of “high-performance motor vehicle parts,” including turbochargers and superchargers for engines, cat-back exhaust and muffler systems, shifter knobs, suspension parts, brakes, sports seats and off-road headlights.

A spokesman at Infiniti’s North American headquarters in Franklin, Tenn., declined to discuss the trademark filings or the brand’s product plans.

This month in Louisville, Ky., the vice president of the Infiniti Business Unit, Ben Poore, told reporters that he intends to reveal a new performance-oriented offering this summer. He did not elaborate.

At the same time, Nissan confirmed that it is considering more use of high-output, small-displacement turbocharged engines for Infiniti.

Infiniti has been at a product disadvantage among luxury brands for years. Older competitors such as Mercedes, BMW and even Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus brand offer a much broader model line than Infiniti. Additionally, Mercedes markets variations of its models under the AMG performance subbrand, while BMW produces performance-level M versions of some models.

The performance brand options typically retail for a much higher premium. While the 2010 Mercedes S-class sedan has a base manufacturer’s list price of $87,950, Mercedes’ AMG Web site lists the price of the S63 AMG sedan at $133,550.

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Earlier this year, Drew Stubbs(notes) seemed to be dealing from an endless deck of 0-for-5’s.

After back-to-back hitless games on May 4th and 5th, Stubbs’ batting average was .174 and his OPS was just .549. He was a wreck. The Reds mercifully dropped him from the leadoff spot; fantasy owners dropped him from their outfields.

But as Cincinnati’s No. 7 hitter, Stubbs has been excellent — in fact, he’s been exactly the player you thought you’d drafted back in March. Entering Monday, he was batting .283 with two homers and four steals when hitting in the bottom-third of the Reds’ lineup. He collected three more hits against the Pirates tonight, including a double and a homer (pictured), raising his average to .218.

Of course that’s still not a terribly impressive batting average, but it’s progress. We’re talking about a guy who hasn’t been north of .210 since April 12th. It may have helped that he faced Brian Burres(notes) and Jeff Karstens(notes) on Monday. 

No one ever promised you a batting crown with Stubbs — or even a .275 season — but as long as he clings to a spot in the Reds’ batting order, he’ll provide modest power and outstanding speed. He’s stolen 11 bags in 13 attempts so far this season. Use him as needed. Stubbs is just 12 percent owned in Yahoo! leagues.

• When Stephen Strasburg(notes) allows two runs in a minor league start — even when one is unearned and he strikes out a batter per inning — it’s a small disappointment. Facing Toledo on Monday, Strasburg went five innings and allowed five hits, one earned run, and no walks. He struck out five and took a no-decision in Syracuse’s 6-3 win, throwing just 52 pitches. (The Nats are taking few chances with his major league debut so close, perhaps June 4). Even if Strasburg didn’t have his best stuff against the Mud Hens, it still looked awfully good on the smallish MiLB.com media player. Toledo hitters were swinging at the first pitch whenever they could, with varying degrees of success. Nine games into his pro career, Strasburg is 6-1 with a 0.99 ERA and 54 Ks in 45.1 innings. And, no joke, if Steve Phillips were the Nationals’ GM, he would trade Strasburg for Roy Oswalt in a heartbeat. Get that man in your fantasy league if it’s at all possible.

• Victor Martinez(notes) took a foul ball off his left big toe early in Boston’s 6-1 win over Tampa, but X-rays were reportedly negative. The Boston Globe offers a few of the uglier details here; what you really need to know is that V-Mart’s toe is bad enough to sideline him for a day or two (or three), but it isn’t broken.

Clay Buchholz(notes) was excellent against the Rays, by the way, not that you can do anything with that information. He’s 58 percent-owned in Yahoo! leagues. Buchholz pitched his way out of jams in the first two innings, then basically cruised in a six-inning, one-run, eight-K performance. David Ortiz(notes) went deep against Wade Davis(notes), which we only mention because commenters get angry if we don’t. Highlight here via MLB.com.

• According to various sources, the Phillies are scouting White Sox closer Bobby Jenks(notes). Brad Lidge(notes) (elbow) is hoping to return from the DL early next week, but he’s not necessarily the answer to every bullpen problem. Jenks has had excellent velocity in his recent appearances (98 mph on Monday), and he’s thrown four consecutive scoreless innings. If he leaves town, the nearly unhittable Sergio Santos(notes) enters the saves discussion, along with Matt Thornton(notes). 

• Jason Donald(notes) nudged his batting average above the Stubbs Mendoza line with a 2-for-2 performance against the White Sox. Both of the hits were doubles, and he added a pair of walks. Donald should get a long look at shortstop while Asdrubal Cabrera(notes) is on the DL. He was hitting .277/.396/.423 with 10 steals at Triple-A Columbus before the emergency call-up. 

• Brett Cecil(notes) delivered another highly useful (if not quite dominant) effort on Monday, holding the Angels to two hits, two walks, and no runs in a 7.1 inning win. He struck out three. Cecil’s only rough outing this year was the eight-run disaster against the Rangers; his ERA is now 4.10 and his WHIP is 1.15. The lefty will get Baltimore at the end of the week, and that’s clearly a safe start.  Cecil is just 10 percent-owned. 

• Rays prospect Jeremy Hellickson(notes) owned the Pawtucket Red Sox in a Triple-A matchup on Monday, firing an eight-inning, one-hit gem. He retired the first 18 batters he faced before walking the leadoff hitter in the seventh. The 23-year-old Hellickson is now 7-2 with a 2.79 ERA and 60 Ks in 58.0 innings. He’s ready, whenever Tampa Bay happens to need him. 

Everybody hurts: Homer Bailey(notes) has landed on the DL due to inflammation in his amazing shoulder, though he doesn’t sound too happy about the transaction. He was replaced on Cincinnati’s roster by Enerio Del Rosario, a right-handed reliever who was off to a great start at Triple-A Louisville (1.46 ERA). Bailey’s next scheduled start (Friday) will go to either Travis Wood(notes), Matt Maloney(notes) or Sam LeCure (not Aroldis Chapman(notes)). The game happens to fall on Wood’s turn. We care about this situation, because the guy who gets the spot-start also gets the Astros. … Ivan Rodriguez(notes) hit the disabled list with a back strain, and he’ll be replaced by catchers you’d rather not add (Wil Nieves(notes), Carlos Maldonado(notes)). … The Cubs are giving Aramis Ramirez(notes) a few days off to recover from a bruised/sprained thumb, and they
hope he’ll use the time to remember how to hit. … Alfredo Simon(notes) (hamstring) and Koji Uehara(notes) (elbow) are both facing DL stints, so Frank Mata may earn a promotion from Norfolk. Mata has a 1.86 ERA and eight saves in 18 appearances at Triple-A, and he’s struck out 14 batters in 19.1 innings. The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec seems to like Will Ohman(notes) for saves in the short-term, but the O’s currently enjoy the freedom that comes with having nothing but ridiculous solutions to a big problem. Add Cla Meredith(notes) — or any of these guys, really — at your own risk.

—

Photos via AP Images (Martinez) and US Presswire (Cecil)

We’re getting down to the serious business of the Fiat-Chrysler merger with Fiat USA using a Facebook competition to choose the new Fiat 500 US logo. The current Fiat 500 logo is the split numbered one at the top of the image above, while the competition offers the other five possibilities to choose from. If you’re that dedicated, go to the Fiat USA Facebook page to cast your vote.

Source | Autoblog.com

Fresh from Namco Bandai’s Pre-E3 event last week comes the debut trailer of Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2, the latest title from the highly successful Dragon Ball video game series.
 

Eco Factor: Vertical axis wind turbine to produce up to 600W of renewable power.

Wind turbines are often considered noisy and ugly, but new revolutionary designs are trying to better their credentials. Urban Green Energy has come up with a turbine that is both silent and attractive. Dubbed Eddy, the vertical axis wind turbine can generate electricity from wind coming from any direction, making it ideal for an urban setting.

The Eddy weighs 81kg and is 1.38m wide and 1.6m tall. Eddy has a rated power output of about 600W and a cut-in speed of just 3.5m/s. The unit has a maximum safe wind speed of more than 120mph and an engineered lifetime of about 20 years.

The carbon fiber and fiberglass blades of the Eddy spin at a maximum of 200rpm. The company claims that the noise level produced by the turbine at 12m/s wind speed is about 38dB, which is halfway between the noise level of a whisper (15dB) and normal conversation (60dB).

Via: Energy Matters

Donor corneas are extremely rare, but for 40,000 people in Europe corneal transplantation from donors offer the only hope of addressing blindness in one or both eyes. That was, until Dr. Joachim Storsberg of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam-Golm created the first artificial cornea.
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Continue Reading Synthetic cornea offers hope to thousands

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Sperm whales are unique creatures whose “long-term survival” is at risk in the Gulf of Mexico, even before the catastrophic BP oil spill. Only three deaths could put the 1,400 and 1,660 sperms whales in dire straits. National Geographic reports:

All sperm whales are considered endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. But the Gulf of Mexico population is thought to be especially vulnerable due to its relatively small size.

The whales are now at risk from the ongoing Deepwater Horizon oil spill, because they are likely to ingest or inhale toxic crude and noxious oil fumes. (See pictures of the oil seeping into Louisiana marshes.)

“We know there’s going to be some [oil] exposure, and we know there’s an endangered species. If you put those two thing together, there is reason for concern,” said Celine Godard-Codding, an environmental toxicologist at Texas Tech University.

Image: HaraldMM

Patients Like Me [patientslikeme.com] seems like the most useful example of the combination of sophisticated data visualization and online social media. It demonstrates the power of the social aggregation of data, and the tilting equilibrium between privacy and value creation for people who crave to access valuable information about their own faith.

The first, almost obvious, feature allows people with a life-changing disease (e.g. ALS, HIV, Parkinson’s, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, MS) to connect to others in the same situation, for instance to learn how they treat their disease or to compare one’s own health progress with those of others. Even more, by sharing their own health profile, patients are empowered to exchange valuable data about the real-world effects of specific medical treatments. In practice, this means anyone can explore a rich collection of crowd-sourced data about individual diseases, symptoms or treatments.

For instance, patients are able to explore the efficacy, side effects, adherence and burden of the “Carbidopa-Levodopa” treatment meant to remedy Parkinson’s disease, or investigate the effects of Lithium intake on the ALS disease, solely based on the quantitative and qualitative input of thousands of individuals.

In what seems a quite revolutionary take on medical privacy, the diseases, treatments and symptoms of individual patients can be filtered, searched and compared. Alternatively, people with a specific symptom, let’s say “fatigued”, can investigate the effectiveness of the most popular treatments or compare their faith with the other 27,000 patients that experience this very symptom.

See also Who is Sick Map, Google Flu Trends, CureHunter, Diseasome, Visualizing Health Issues, The Cost of Getting Sick and Epidemiological Diseases Map.

Intel has introduced new ultra-low voltage (ULV) versions of its Intel Core processors. Based on Intel’s 32 nanometer (nm) technology the Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors are destined for the insides of ultraportable laptops – which Intel defines as less than an inch thick and weighing just two to five pounds – without sacrificing performance, connectivity and battery life. ..
Continue Reading Intel’s new ULV Core processors headed for ultraportable laptops

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