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Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, GM

Susan Docherty is continuing her tour of General Motors’ vice president offices. The 47-year-old executive has spent time both as the company’s vice president of U.S. marketing and the VP of U.S. sales during her career with the Detroit-based automaker, but as of June 1, 2010, Docherty will get the new title of Vice President of International Operational Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, and she’ll report to Tim Lee, President of International Operations.

We knew Docherty was headed elsewhere in the company after she was replaced as the vice president of U.S. marketing by Joel Ewanick earlier this month. Shortly after her replacement was announced in early May, several observers claimed that Docherty had been given the shaft after a wave of contentious ads centering on GM repaying its federal loans hit the airwaves. Analysts felt that Docherty was unfairly receiving the brunt of the blame for the negative reception of the ads, and that was the real reason for her loss of the marketing position.

We won’t hold our breath waiting for GM to respond to those charges. Either way, moving from VP of marketing to VP of international operational sales isn’t exactly a fall from grace. Hit the jump to read the full press release.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM names Susan Docherty GM VP of International Operations, Sales and Marketing

GM names Susan Docherty GM VP of International Operations, Sales and Marketing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 May 2010 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When building out the hydrogen highway system in California, New York, Washington DC, Florida or other places the conventional wisdom has to been either build an entire station from the ground up or add a hydrogen fueling pump to an existing gas station.

In April 2008, I quoted Larry Burns of General Motors stating, “A network of 12,000 hydrogen stations in the United States would put 70 percent of the U.S. population within two miles of a fueling station. If the stations cost $2 million each (estimates for the cost of a station range from $1 million to $4 million) the network would cost about $24 billion.”

Of course this cost estimate was based on the premise of building hydrogen stations from the ground up and not adding hydrogen fueling pumps to existing stations or to other alternative locations.

I’ve gotten some alternative suggestions over the years from my readers as to where to place hydrogen pumps in order to build out the hydrogen highway system that doesn’t involve traditional gas station. Some of these suggestions involve large warehouse stores, large retailers and other locations such as convenience stores and rest stops.

One reader said that since there are over 20,000 new car dealerships in the U. S. at least some of them could put up a hydrogen pump to support the hydrogen cars they are supposed to be selling in 2015.

But, what really got me to thinking was the East Coast Hydrogen Highway plan by a company called Lumber Liquidators which owns 180 stores nationwide and will use their parking lots to erect about a dozen hydrogen fuelling pumps over the next two years from Maine to Florida as part of its corporate responsibility program.

Now other large companies have come out also with their clean energy corporate responsibility programs. A few names like Google, Walmart, Yahoo and Kohl’s come to mind.

In fact Kohl’s in California is putting more solar panels on their rooftops that both Google and Walmart. So, this got me to thinking about all of the other retailers and malls in the U. S. that have plenty of rooftop space for solar panels that could use some of this clean energy to create hydrogen and host a fueling station or two in their parking lots.

Here’s a list of retailers in the U. S. that have a large number of stores that could build at least one hydrogen fueling pump in many strategic locations in their parking lots.

1. Costco Stores in the U. S. – 460
2. Sam’s Clubs in the U. S. – 602 (Oregon and Vermont are the only states without Sam’s Clubs)
3. BJ’s Wholesale Club – 160
4. Walmart stores in the U. S. – 3,700 – already testing hydrogen forklifts
5. Seven-Eleven stores in U. S. 5,900
6. Home Depot – 1,000 stores in the U. S.
7. CVS Caremark – 6,300 drugstores
8. Target – 1,500 us stores
9. Sears – 3,800 us stores
10. Safeway food stores – 1,175
11. SuperValu – 2,500 stores
12. K-Mart 1,400 stores
13. J. C. Penney 1,000
14. Delhaize American supermarket chain 1,500 stores
15. Staples – 1,800
16. TJX Companies fashion and apparel – 2,300
17. The Gap 3,000
18. Office Depot – 1,200
19. Kohl’s 800 stores – already building rooftop solar panels
20. H-E-B Grocery – 500 stores – already using hydrogen forklifts
21. OfficeMax – 1,000 stores
22. Dollar General Stores – 8,000
23. Family Dollar Stores, Inc – 6,000
24. Borders Books and Walden Books 1,100
25. Lumber Liquidator stores – 180 – already committed to building East Coast Hydrogen Highway at 11 of their stores

Now, perhaps this isn’t a totally fair comparison since some of these retail chain stores are located inside of malls and don’t have a say over what happens to the parking lots outside. In the U. S. there are a total of over 2,800,000 retail stores most of which rent space and don’t have a say about what happens outside the confines of their buildings.

But, then I decided to check out the number of shopping centers in the U. S. that could support at least one hydrogen fueling pump and that number is 47,000.

As one can see, this number far exceeds the 12,000 hydrogen fueling stations that GM’s Larry Burns had talked about 2 years ago. In an age of corporate green responsibility there is no reason that a company like Lumber Liquidators should be building the East Coast Hydrogen Highway system by itself.

Where are the larger corporate partners in this venture? Where are the large nationwide retailers, wholesale clubs, car dealerships and mall operators that could step up to bat and take it upon themselves to build out part of the national hydrogen highway system with their own resources?

Perhaps this is too outside-the-box thinking for most retailers. Or perhaps not? In Southern California at least several Costco wholesale clubs not only sell gasoline but have electric charging stations that are holdovers from a few years ago before the large automakers crushed their electric cars. These charging stations sit near the fronts of the stores similar to handicap parking spots and let consumers recharge their vehicles while shopping. Something similar could be done for hydrogen cars only fill-ups would be done much more quickly.

Many of the 5,900 seven-eleven stores in the U. S. also sell fuel and like some of the Shell gasoline stations could easily add a hydrogen pump as well. So, this is not as radical of thinking as some would assume because similar projects have already been demonstrated.

This is a call to action aimed at the U. S. retailers to take ownership of corporate environmental responsibility and start building hydrogen fueling pumps in strategic locations. Tax breaks and government subsidies aside, it’s the right thing to do.

Many of today’s health problems are associated with high blood pressure. Keeping close track of your blood pressure can help you to identify certain health risks before they become a serious problem. The HoMedics BPW-200 TheraP™ Automatic Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor is designed to give you the monitoring tools that you need to check your blood pressure–from the comfort of your home, whenever you want. The BPW-200 Blood Pressure Monitor is equipped with a Smart Inflate wrist cuff that determines both systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements. View larger. HoMedics Smart Sense Technology By using an advanced air control system to delicately control the deflation rate of the monitor, Smart Sense technology efficiently analyzes and detects pulse signals while adjusting the cuff pressure accordingly. This advanced system offers highly accurate and comfortable blood pressure and pulse readings. Smart Inflate technology determines both the systolic and diastolic pressure during the inflation time, which results in a dramatically shorter measurement time. Best of all, the HoMedics BPW-200 gives you all of these measurements with one-touch operation: You simply strap the cuff onto your wrist, push a button

View HoMedics BPW-200 TheraP Automatic Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor Details

This weekend I got the media server that I recently talked about online. The timing was pretty good. Due to the Celtics and Red Sox putting a hurt on the Magic and Yankess respectively last Tuesday, I had missed the beginning of Glee. I had grudgely mentioned that I watch the show in the past. My wife is a huge fan and though I thought I’d hate it, it’s really not that bad. This wasn’t an ordinary episode of Glee though. This one was directed by Joss Whedon, who I’ve talked about numerous times (as one of the world’s largest Buffy and Firefly fans).

A few may recall that the Buffy musical episode by Whedon was the critically acclaimed… TV Guide called it the 14th episode of television ever (oddly the The Body didn’t make the list). So here was a chance for Whedon to up the anty with a cast that can actually sing. For good measure he brought along Neil Patrick Harris whose Barney character on How I Met Your Mother may be one of the top 5 best characters on television today.

I fired up the media center and set the browser to Hulu. It was a very good episode. It wasn’t nearly as a good as the Buffy musical, but for a one-episode stand-in, I couldn’t expect more. Of course as soon as that was over, we had to flip on the Netflix instant queue and watch Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog also starring Neil Patrick Harris in a Whedon-directed musical. My wife hadn’t seen it, so it was new to her. After that, my wife showed me some of a recent Glee concert that she found on YouTube earlier. The media center got quite the accidental workout.

I’m sure you didn’t come here for my commentary on television, so allow me to give you some personal finance links from this last week:

Money Writers:

• Brip Blap talks about how to build a love of learning. Those stats are pretty sad, yes?
• Digerati Life poses a efficient market hypothesis: so are markets efficient?
• Frugal Dad asks what should I do with an extra paycheck?
• Generation X Finance presents 9 financial tips for new graduates.
• Million Dollar Journey blogs the cost of maintaining the perfect lawn.
• Money Smart Life shares a little on how to prepare for being laid off.
• My Dollar Plan wonders is squatting in a foreclosure acceptable?
• The Sun’s Financial Diary says a new child means lots of new expenses.

Top PF Posts:

• Free Money Finance posts Seth Godin hates consumer debt.
• Smarter Wallet asks borrowing from your 401k? Hardship withdrawal considerations
• PT Money compares the difference between the US federal debt and deficit.
• Clever Dude gives 6 reasons you don’t need a new computer (especially an iPad).
• Saving Advice asks should I buy an American car?
• Money and Such shares the most important class I ever took.
• Darwin’s Finance reveals the common thread between the housing collapse, the Euro crisis and millions of Americans – debt.
• Money Ning on how to save on rental cars.
• One Frugal Girl says you can’t have it if it’s not on sale.
• Almost Frugal about turning a passion into a business.
• Invest it Wisely posts living to 100 and beyond: how will it affect your retirement plans?
• Money Beagle writes you can afford a bigger house, but should you buy one?
• Green Panda Tree House presents survival guide to recession.

Related posts:

1. Print Media, Favorite Shirt, Death to Jack (and some personal finance links) I have a few thoughts on my mind this week:…
2. Personal Finance Links (Media Edition) I have quite a few thoughts to catch up on……
3. Personal Finance Links (Harry Potter / Michael Edition) This weekend my wife and I went to see Harry…
4. Valentine’s Day Contest, Two Pet Peeves, Dollhouse, and Personal Finance Links Valentine’s Day Contest I thought I’d remind everyone that my…
5. Personal Finance Links (Bon Bini Aruba Edition) This week, my wife and I are enjoying a vacation…

I’m in the mood for easy dinners this week. We’re working on decluttering the house and the last thing I want to do is mess up the kitchen! So, I’m going for quick and easy in this meal plan.

Monday: Sloppy Joes, corn, watermelon

Tuesday: Chicken Parmesan Alfredo, garlic bread, peas

Wednesday: Campbell’s Slow Cooker Pot Roast, dinner rolls

Thursday: Easy Chicken Enchiladas,  Chi-Chi’s Sweet Corn Cake*, chips and salsa

Friday: Pizza Night

Saturday: Clean out the Fridge night

*Chi-Chi Sweet Corn Cake Mix is available on Amazon.com in packs of 12 or is at grocery stores.

Get links to more weekly menu plans at I’m an Organizing Junkie, home of Menu Plan Monday!

There is no surprise here. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the safest drivers on the road are in the age group between 64 and 69 years old. A study conducted by the two government agencies shows that teenage drivers are the most dangerous drivers on the road – especially male drivers.

“In every motorized country around the world, teenage drivers are disproportionately involved in crashes,” said Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research at the Institute. “The seriousness of this problem has been recognized for decades. Only in the last few years have public policies such as graduated driving licenses been enacted to address the situation. And those laws seem to be working, but fatalities are still high.”

In 2008, 2,739 teenage-drivers between the ages of 15 to 20 were killed and an additional 228,000 were injured. However, the good news is that the number is down 27 percent since 1998 and driver fatalities for the age group also decreased by 20 percent in the same time period.

– By: Kap Shah

Source: DriveOn

Venus Williams’ outfit gets more attention. She won in the first day of the French Open against Patty Schnyder with consecutive 6 – 3 triumphs. Her win was not the topic for discussion, rather her outfit. She wore a lacy black and red outfit with a corset-like top and a tutu skirt which gave the outfit an illusion of being see-through. USA Today had a poll asking America on what they think of the outfit. The number 1 response that gained 42 percent of the votes said “They should have made her change”. This style that Venus Williams wore for tennis at the French Open was not the first of its kind. She wore the same outfit with a different color last week for the Madrid Open. During the last Australian Open which was held last January, she wore a green skimpy uniform and a similar underwear that she wore in the French Open 2010. At the Sony Ericsson Open, she wore a red spaghetti-strapped dress trimmed with a décor of ruffles. She could make a strange line of outfit with her outfits. Is her secret with her wins lie with the comfort from the clothes she wear? And lastly, what will be her next outfit?

Related posts:

1. Venus Williams’ Disturbing Outfit at the French Open
2. Venus Williams’ Outfit Pulled Crowd’s Attention
3. French Open 2010: Schedule and Live Stream

Jon of Tehkseven rounds up all of the big cellular news PhoneDog highlighted the week of May 16th – May 22nd, 2010.  Hey it’s raining awesome, so this week Jon talks about how Google held their IO meeting in San Francisco where Noah was live to hear the announcement of Froyo, Android 2.2.  Noah also got his hands on the Samsung Galaxy S during the event.  Be sure to check out these stories and everything else covered by PhoneDog last week and beyond.

The former American idol judge, Paula Abdul, will be back in primetime television as a judge again. This past August, Abdul announced that she will be living American Idol where she worked for eight years. Now, she will be one of the judges again in the reality show, “Got to Dance”

This will be exciting for her since she will be the lead judge, executive producer, and even the mentor and coach on the new CBS show. The competition is based on the U.K. reality show, and it is said to be billed as the first all-ages all-genres dance series “from ballroom to break dance, bhangra to ballet, and tap to tango.”

The CBS stated that the show will air by March next year. Abdul was rumored to be courted by all the major networks, including Fox, which had hoped to reunite Abdul with her old Idol sparring mate Simon Cowell for his upcoming U.S. version of The X Factor. Abdul had also reportedly received offers from Dancing With the Stars. However, it was the show of “Got to dance” that enticed Abdul to join in.

Abdul was also said to be joining the “X factor” but she chose to have her own program, “Got to Dance”

It is nice that we will see Abdul again as a judge, not only in American Idol. In the upcoming show, her role would be more challenging since she gets to meet the contestants of the show and she has responsibility over them because she will be their coach. Since it is a realty show, this show can be very interesting to more viewers just like American idol.

Related posts:

1. Simon Cowell Leaves Idol and Starts “X Factor”
2. Ellen DeGeneres Could Not Fit into the Shoes of Paula Abdul!
3. Forget Simon or Ellen: “American Idol” is all about Ryan now!

Article Tags: 2010 Forecast, Headline Story, Joe Daleo, World Temperatures

Extract….

Unprecedented solar levels and long period of quiet solar may enhance the global cooling effect as La Nina comes on. Note the rapid global temperature (MSU satellite lower atmospheric temperatures shown) declines in prior La Nina episodes post strong El Ninos (red arrows).

Note similarity of sunspot activity to cycle 5 at the start of the Dalton Minimum. Cycle 14 a century ago is also shown and has been regarded by some as another possible analog/ Note the more rapid recovery that cycle. That was also a cold period though not as cold as the Dalton.

Click source to read PDF download from Joseph D’Aleo at IceCap.US

Source: icecap.us

Read in full with comments »   

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  Paul O’Brien, founder of MoDaCo, has been a busy little boy.  In what feels like only a matter of hours, he’s been able to flash an unofficial ROM from the HTC Desire onto a Nexus One.  And just to pr…

If you use Windows Mobile devices for your business (or pleasure) and want one last upgrade before Windows Phone 7 is released, then we have good news for you.  Verizon and LG announced today that they will be releasing the LG Fathom, a 1 GHz Snapdragon device packing a touchscreen, a slide out QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and a microSD card slot for storing all of your important business documents.  The Fathom will be released on Verizon on June 3rd for $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a two year contract of course.  The device will be available for pre-order on May 27th.  So, are any of you planning shunning Windows Phone 7 and picking up the LG Fathom?  Tell us below!

So you’ve just updated your shiny Nexus One to Android 2.2 (aka Froyo) complete with flash support, and you’re jonesing to watch your favorite episode of Glee while on your way to work on this dreary Monday morning.

If you were a true Gleek, you’d have already fired up the browser, navigated over to Hulu, and found nothing but disappointment. You’ve been burned by licensing deals yet again. Sad face.

So whaddaya do? Well, you lucky dawg, there is a way. Follow me, I will show you how.

Whatever you thought of last night’s Lost finale, there’s no denying that the Target ads that ran during the four-and-a-half-hour presentation were pretty clever. As a presumed one-time-only event, the retailer ran spots that tied in thematically to the show. A vision of the Smoke Monster, for instance, led to a plug for a smoke detector. A shot of a guy typing in the 4-8-15-16-23-42 sequence was actually an ad for computer keyboards, and so on. The spots continue the "Life’s a moving target" theme, introduced by Wieden + Kennedy. Meanwhile, spoofs are already out there.

—Posted by Todd Wasserman

Intel expanded its processor family today with six new chips, each designed to make ultraportable notebooks thinner, lighter, and with 32% better performance. We’re talking laptops less than an inch thick with ULV Core i7 inside. That’s just beautiful. More »










Ultra low voltage – Hardware – Intel – Intel Core – Components

Now that I’ve praised Defense Secretary Robert Gates, let me highlight an issue on which he’s taking a lot of heat from progressives. Gates has relaxed enforcement of the military’s ban on open gay service. But he’s also committed to finishing a Defense Department survey on military opinion about implementing the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” before he backs a timetable for repeal. The survey is due in December, meaning Gates’ timetable effectively precludes repealing the ban this year, as President Obama urged in his State of the Union address.

Some members of Congress don’t want to wait for the survey. They see an opportunity to introduce an amendment to the Defense authorization ordering repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” later this month, when the Senate Armed Services Committee marks up the bill. Advocates for repeal are focusing on six committee members: Robert Byrd (D-W.V.), Scott Brown (R-Mass.), the Nelsons (D-Fla. and D-Neb.), Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Jim Webb (D-Va.).

Webb is a particular focus for the repeal effort. He’s a Marine veteran of Vietnam and served as Navy Secretary during the Reagan administration. Persuading him on the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” this year would be a major step forward. So a coalition of Virginia military servicemembers has written to Webb urging him to “to stand on the right side of history” and the “side of integrity” by backing the repeal. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network sent me this letter, which I reproduce below:

The Honorable James Webb

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Webb:

We are military women who believe in having the strongest military possible.  It is for that reason that we write to urge you to support the repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law this year.  For the sake of all of our men and women in uniform, the time for repeal is now.

Though we come from different backgrounds, we are all Virginians, we all served, and many of us studied at our nation’s service academies.  But our common thread as women reminds us of the challenges we faced during the debate to allow our service in combat roles.  Before that many of the same arguments were made against allowing African Americans to serve. Otherwise reasonable people believed that denying these groups of patriotic Americans the right to serve was in the best interest of the military. Now, we hear the very same arguments against allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly.  Those arguments are as unfounded and misguided today as they were generations ago.

There is no evidence that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly will harm unit cohesion, just as there was no evidence that allowing women and minorities to serve would do so.  To the contrary, we have seen from our own experiences that it is dishonesty that hurts unit cohesion – not the sexual orientation of our brothers- and sisters-in-arms.  Poll after poll shows that the attitudes of today’s service members have changed and they care more about whether their fellow service members do their jobs, not if they happen to be gay or lesbian.  Further, the American public is with them – 75 percent support repealing DADT and allowing gays and lesbians to serve with integrity, openly and honestly.

We are counting on you, Senator Webb, to stand on the right side of history.  Stand on the side of integrity and support legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” this year.

Sincerely,

Brenda Bailey, USN

Roanoke, VA

Cami Lewis, USA

Newport News, VA

CDR Claudia McKnight, USCG (Ret.)

Reston, VA

PFC Cynthia Mitchell, USA

Christiansburg, VA

CPT Deborah McKay, USN (Ret.)

Springfield, VA

SSG Genevieve Chase, USAR

Alexandria, VA

1LT Heather Lamb, USAF

Alexandria, VA

CW4 Janet Worsham, USAR (Ret.)

Richmond, VA

CPT Joan Darrah, USN (Ret.)

Alexandria, VA

SSG Kayla Williams, USA, 98G AD

Broadlands, VA

CMSgt. Kelly Egan, USAF

Alexandria, VA

LT Kelly Matteson, USN (Ret.)

Newport News, VA

PFC M. J. Flanagan, USMC

Portsmouth, VA

MAJ Marjorie Rudinsky, USA (Ret.)

Alexandria, VA

PVT Marty Porter, USMC

Virginia Beach, VA

CPT Megan Scanlon, USA

Williamsburg, VA

PVT Rebecca Smith, ANG

Roanoke, VA

SSG Robin Davis, USAF

Roanoke, VA

PFC Stephanie Marushia, USA (Ret.)

Virginia Beach, VA

CDR Susan Sharp, USN (Ret.)

Norfolk, VA

Apple’s stock, which currently trades around $259, could soar to $400 by the end of next year, writes Katy Huberty at Morgan Stanley.

Katy says to bank on growth in iPad and iPhone sales. (Particularly, the latter.)

We’ve read through a report Katy put out today and pulled out the 11 charts that best make her case.

See Also:

• Apple Sold Out Of 3G iPads Across The Country
• Apple Selling More iPads Than Macs
• 11 Ways Google Just Slapped Apple

Apple’s stock soars to $400 if the iPhone sells like crazy

1.) Apple’s stock soars to $400 in a bull case if Apple adds Verizon and other carriers. Further, Apple ships 12 million iPads and 73 million iPhones in 2011. Gross margins reach 40% and EPS is $20.

2.) Apple’s stock hits $310 in a base case with iPhone shipments of 42 million in 2010 and 61.5 million in 2011. 6 Million iPads in 2010 and 9 million in 2011. Mac sales are 14.1 million in 2010, 16.3 million in 2011. EPS is $14.50 in 2010 and $17.25 in 2011.

3.) Apple’s stock tanks in a bear case if the iPhone or iPad are well below the above estimates.

Put aside the competition between Google and Apple. Apple still has a lot of room for growth in the U.S.

Katy thinks there will be a lot of iPhone owners upgrading their phones, driving sales.

Katy’s iPhone sales estimates

In her note, Katy raises her 2011 iPhone forecast to 61.5 million units. That’s 25% above consensus and up 46% from her 2010 expectation of 42 million units sold.

In a bull case, Katy argues Apple could sell 73 million units in 2011, and have an EPS of $20. Though, to hit that target, Apple must be on Verizon early in 2011, half of iPhone owners will have to upgrade and buy the next model, and there must be real cost reduction in the price of the iPhone.

This chart shows people’s shifting perceptions about buying an iPhone. The expensive monthly plan is the biggest barrier for people wanting an iPhone. Though, high device cost is a problem. (This is an opportunity for Android.)

Katy expects Apple to lower the price of the iPhone 3GS to $99 this summer. Lower prices should increase sales, though Apple has already had the iPhone 3G for $99 in the past year.

Katy notes that a lower service plan would drive more iPhone sales. We don’t see it happening. The telecos can’t (or won’t) afford lower monthly plans.

China remains a big a opportunity for Apple. One way to grow the market? Offer more affordable, pre-paid iPhones and Katy thinks unit sales soar. It’s unclear if Apple would actually do that.

Apple will grow as corporations adopt iPhones. iPhone Enterprise penetration is 45% and Katy says CIOs plan to increase spending on the iPhone more than any other platform.

Despite the growth of Android, Verizon users are still hungry for iPhones

Katy doesn’t know when the iPhone comes to Verizon. If it comes in early 2011, that’s much more positive for Apple. According to her research, 17% of Verizon customers would buy an iPhone if it was on Verizon. That equates to 7-8 million million units annually for Apple on Verizon.

Don’t forget the iPad, which is growing faster than the iPhone did in its first month. Katy “conservatively” sees 7-9 million iPads sold in the first 12 months of its existence.

And don’t forget, Apple is the iPhone company. This isn’t from Katy’s presentation, but it’s always good to remember the importance of the iPhone to Apple.

What’s going to drive iPhone sales? When Steve shows off the new iPhone this summer.

What Apple’s New iPhone Means For Consumers >

Join the conversation about this story »

Over four hundred years after his death, the man known for moving the sun to the center of the solar system made a move himself. On Saturday, at a medieval cathedral at Frombork on Poland’s Baltic coast, the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus—whose ideas were once declared heresy by the Vatican—was reburied with full religious honors. After a stint in city of Olsztyn, Copernicus’s remains returned to his original resting location (under the cathedral’s floor), but his grave got an upgrade. After his death in 1543 he lay for centuries in an unmarked grave, but his new plot has a black tombstone with six planets orbiting a golden sun. The ceremony concluded a several week tour of a wooden casket with the astronomer’s remains. The ceremony included shows of respect from the Catholic Church, which eventually had to admit that Copernicus was right about the whole planets-moving-around-the-sun thing. According to The Times, a local archbishop praised Copernicus for his hard work and scientific genius, while Archbishop Jozef Kowalczyk, the Primate of Poland, said that he regretted the “excesses of zeal” that led the Church to brand Copernicus a heretic. But Copernicus didn’t dig himself into his former grave with his treatise De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (On …

Filed under: Government/Legal, Crossover, Ford, Police/Emergency

When Ford introduced its Police Interceptor based on the Taurus, it said it had another vehicle in the works that “would share most parts with the Taurus and be available in a utility version.” Speculation was that it would be a Flex based on the component spec, but according to The Detroit News, it turns out the as-yet-unseen 2011 Ford Explorer has got the nod.

Ford won’t say much about it at the moment as it hasn’t been announced officially, but it is understood that the model will be pursuit-rated and pack all-wheel-drive. The latter distinction arguably puts it atop the category: there is a pursuit-rated Chevrolet Tahoe that many police forces already use, but it’s only two-wheel-drive. The four-wheel-drive Tahoe, also already employed by rural and urban forces, isn’t pursuit-rated.

Ford hasn’t given a timeframe for when the police-spec unibody Explorer will be here, but in addition to its arrival giving units like K9 and SWAT a better mobile command post, it ought to help Ford’s efforts to maintain its 70-percent share of the police market after the current Crown Victoria-based PI goes out to pasture. Hat tip to Matthew.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Ford said to be preparing Explorer-based pursuit-rated SUV for police fleets originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 May 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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