German daily tabloid Bild is ratcheting up fears of a €18 billion ($24 billion) pricetag for the German part of the Greek bailout. The threat of default continues to loom. This is why bailing out Greece is untenable for German politicians. Bild is one of the most popular newspapers in Europe.
Also, note the amusing related articles.
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Bruce V. Bigelow wrote:
Today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in the United States, an occasion that is now observed by just about every country on the planet. Within the past four decades, we have witnessed the price of crude oil careen from about $3 a barrel in the early 1970s to almost $148 a barrel in the summer of 2008. Yeah, prices have fallen since then. But the experience of paying more than $4 for each gallon of gasoline had a widespread and galvanizing effect on all of us. We all know which way this trend is headed, regardless of political wrangling over the science underlying projections of global warming.
That’s why I am excited to announce our next Xconomy event in San Diego, an afternoon forum on “smart energy” set for Tuesday, June 8. What is smart energy? It begins, in the broadest and most pragmatic sense, with the realization that we can be smarter—we must be smarter—in the way we use energy. For us at Xconomy, smart energy is especially about technology innovation, and we have pulled together a group of energy visionaries, industry veterans, startup CEOs, and other experts to help explain the innovations that are already underway—and also will be needed—in every sector of our energy economy.
Along with incisive keynote talks and case studies, we have organized a discussion focused on the future power grid. That will include Terry Mohn, the chief innovation officer at Balance Energy, a micro grid energy business started in San Diego by the British aerospace contractor BAE Systems; Jan Kleissl, assistant professor of environmental engineering at UCSD; and Michael Zeller, the CEO and co-founder of San Diego-based Zementis, a startup developing software analytics for the grid. Brian Kremer, the cleantech and energy analyst at Roth Capital Partners, will moderate.
The stage for this afternoon session is the 200-seat auditorium in Atkinson Hall, home of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, or Calit2, where we held our successful forum on biotech innovation in December. Calit2, which is an event co-sponsor, also has graciously lent us its founding director, Internet pioneer (and San Diego Xconomist) Larry Smarr, to serve as a keynote speaker. Among other things, Smarr is a co-principal investigator of the National Science Foundation’s GreenLight project, which is intended to develop new green energy strategies for an IT industry that is estimated to consume as much energy as the airline industry.
As it turns out, many of the technological advances that are needed to make us smarter about using energy—including new capabilities in our IT infrastructure, sensors, wireless communications, data warehousing, and software analytics—represent new market opportunities for many of San Diego’s renowned innovation clusters.
So, to round out the agenda, we have scheduled case study presentations about …Next Page »
UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS
A new warranty program called Jaguar Platinum Coverage extends vehicle warranties to five years/50,000 miles, and offers free vehicle maintenance and 24/7 roadside assistance. The coverage comes with any 2011 Jaguar sold in North America. All scheduled maintenance, including oil changes and filter replacements, is completely free during the warranty period. Platinum Coverage also covers some wear items like windshield wiper blades and brake discs, pads, and fluid.
Jaguar models sold from 2006 to 2010 had a four-year/50,000-mile warranty, with wear items covered for one year/12,500 miles.
BMW has had a similar program called Ultimate Service for a while, although the coverage period is four years/50,000 miles. Perhaps by offering free maintenance, Platinum Coverage will encourage Jaguar buyers to look past the brand’s reputation for somewhat uneven reliability.
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Wouldn’t a Tony Stark cologne smell like some combination of Robert Downey Jr., wads of cash and a soldering iron? Fans can find out as Only The Brave: Iron Man Limited Edition debuts this month in department stores and boutiques via a deal between Marvel Entertainment and Diesel. The partners are supporting the licensed product launch with a dedicated website, downloadable video games and online contests. Packaging will probably stand out in the sedate fragrance aisle—it’s a bright-red clenched fist, made to look like Stark’s costumed, crime-fighting alter ego. (Diesel says it smells like "lemon blossom, mandarin and coriander leaves, a heart of labdanum, black rose and lavender, with a dry down of amber, tolu wood and ebony wood." Um, yeah.) The cologne is just one of a cavalcade of product tie-ins with Iron Man 2, opening May 7, expected to be a box-office monster on the scale of The Dark Knight. Audi, which has five cars placed in the action flick, recently launched its Iron Man 2 R8 Spyder sports-car commercial, and Burger King rolls out its Whiplash Whopper in a few days. Those join the Invincible Orange Slurpee already available at 7-Eleven, themed Dr Pepper cans and the Stark Motor Racing Team from promo partner Royal Purple motor oil. Stark may be the thinking man’s superhero, but his franchise is turning out to be the marketing maven’s holy grail.
—Posted by T.L. Stanley
How can a software company, with one small mistake, cripple computers worldwide?
McAfee security users left the office on Tuesday night with a perfectly good Windows XP computer. On Wednesday morning, they were staring at a useless pile of plastic and computer chips. Without so much as the stroke of an enter key or the push of a mouse, their PCs had been changed. The error was simple: McAfee’s software erroneously decided that an essential file used by the Windows operating system was really an 18-month old Trojan horse. That sent many PCs into an infinite re-booting loop that couldn’t be stopped without skilled, manual intervention.
The root of the problem lies in a critical decision made a decade ago by security professionals. But the result — perhaps millions of PCs rendered useless, each one requiring manual repair — is just the latest sign that bad guys seem to be winning in cyberspace.
Back before the turn of the new millennium, the computer world was wrestling with a dramatic new concept — giving large software firms like Microsoft the right to access consumers' computers and update their software automatically. To many purists, who might be considered technological libertarians, the idea of letting an outside company reach inside their hard drive and change things was pure lunacy.
A five-year-long onslaught of global virus outbreaks quickly changed hearts and minds. Consumer behavior consistently revealed that the vast majority of PC users wouldn't bother manually installing software patches and antivirus protection. That made them easy prey for Code Red, The Love Bug, Nimda, and dozens of other malicious programs. And as the rate of new malicious programs began to grow exponentially, it became physically impossible for even full-time experts to manually update their systems.
Today, most computer users don't think twice about letting Microsoft update their machines, or about downloading patches or new protection files from security firms like McAfee, Symantec, Kaspersky, and others. The system has worked; it's been 10 years since an outbreak like the Love Bug. But Thursday's Mcafee disaster – which affected corporate and not consumer users — brought into focus the downside of giving control to an outside software firm. Doctors, students, and office workers worldwide were left disconnected from the outside world, feeling very much the way they used to when a virus outbreak crippled their organizations.
"Automatic updates are still kind of a thorny issue, but when you look at threats today and the number of products that can be impacted, automatic updates are really the only viable means to insure someone's system is kept up to date," said Mary Landesman, senior security researcher at ScanSafe. “But they still carry the same risk they always did. If something is wrong with the update it's going to impact a great number of users.”
At the same time, security firms are dealing with the overwhelming capacity of malicious programmers to churn out devious new code.
Ten years ago, according to Symantec Corp, there were 10 to 15 new computer viruses each week. Today, the firm must find ways to protect customers against up to 20,000 new software threats every day. While defusing all those bombs, the possibility of accidentally disabling a good file — a so-called false positive — is increasingly likely.
McAfee’s problem was created by just such a false positive. While the firm has yet to release additional details about the breakdown, it's hard to imagine the breakneck speed didn't play a major factor.
"It is an issue every malware company has to deal with, we have to adjudicate every file on someone’s system and decide if it’s good or bad," said Gerry Eagan, a security expect at Symantec. "In this game of cat and mouse, as we try to be more aggressive and catching malicious programs…if we fail, something like this can occur."
Eagan said the file that McAfee erroneously identified was a relatively old threat. He believes that McAfee was expanding a virus definition to cover a new variant of that old threat– a normal practice that helps the software run more efficiently – and that McAfee engineers probably “wrote too generic a definition and caught a good file.”
But Landesman said she thinks the flaw was related to McAfee’s ability to detect viruses based on how they behave – by observing keylogging activity, for example — rather than the old-fashioned black-list method of identifying a known piece of computer code inside a malicious program. Behavioral protection is a bit less scientific, she said, and more prone to false positives.
“As we go to behavioral methods were going to see an increase,” she said. “There has to be a certain acceptance that we're going to have them. But there will be some really ugly incidents like this one.”
Even those who weren't hit by the McAfee bug might have had other run-ins with automatic updates. Microsoft's Windows can be very insistent about installing updates — again, a sound security practice — but it often leads to unintentional system restarts and lost files. It's not uncommon that third-party software updates cause system instability. In fact, in 2007, thousands of users of Symantec's Norton antivirus software reported persistent crashes after that company issued an update.
So is it time to reconsider the practice of surrendering control of your PC to large software company?
"I've been reading forums and there are a number of people chiming in saying, 'This is why I don't use antivirus software,' or 'This is why I don't apply patches,'" Landesman said. "There are people saying having antivirus software is worse than having none at all. That's just not true…but it is a real risk that people on the fringe about having antivirus software will point to this as a poster child for why they shouldn't. "
Eagan said consumers and companies must make a logical decisions weighing the risks of unprotected surfing with the risks of a software goof. Simply installing the software but reject installation of updates is not an option, he said.
"If you delay your downloads, then you aren't protected,' he said. The firm added 2.7 million virus detection fingerprints to its software automatic updates last year.
Sometimes those updates come several times a day, Landesman said, and that has overwhelmed even the most heavily staffed corporate security teams. Once upon a time, firms would test all updates in a lab before releasing them to their employees. In most cases today, Landsman said, there's just no time.
"So they almost have to take a leap of faith that it will work," she said. "That's the only practical avenue."
McAfee customers who made that leap on Wednesday weren’t rewarded. Instead, a bit like a rattled offense facing an overwhelming full-court press in basketball, McAfee goofed. By overwhelming the system with volume, by forcing security firms to rush and implement imperfect technologies, by robbing companies of proper time to test, malicious software writers have gained the advantage. Even this incident, while ultimately harmless for victims (outside of lost time), created a big opening for the bad guys. Consumers affected by the bug who went to Google looking for answers last night found fake Web pages offering help that were loaded with booby traps.
“This is already an industry struggling to keep up,” she said. For some time, McAfee will struggle to restore lost faith from customers.
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Just minutes ago, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) moved for the Senate to start debate on the financial regulatory reform bill on Monday, saying, “We’re going to move forward on this legislation because the American people demand it.” Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said no, as bipartisan negotiations were ongoing. Reid has now filed for cloture to start debate.
Thus begins what promises to be a heated debate and long parliamentary process on passing the final legislation. Democrats need one crossover to close debate, and a simple majority to pass.
Review: 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
Just as we jumped out of the 2010 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum, we were ready to get right behind the wheel of another GM full-size SUV, the 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe. However, instead of burning gas and averaging something like 2 mpg, we were given the chance to be a bit greener, albeit a very light shade of green with the 2010 Tahoe Hybrid. This car is primarily for those who need plenty of passenger space and tow heavy loads, while at the same time achieving better fuel-economy than they otherwise would with other full-size SUV’s currently on the market.
Click here to get prices on the 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid.
Despite the greener mechanics, the Tahoe Hybrid remains mostly unchanged from its gasoline-only counterpart in key areas of functionality. The seating capacity is exactly the same, and the towing and payload capacities are highly competitive even when compared to non-hybrid SUV’s in the segment. There are some subtle key enhancements however, specifically in those areas that contribute to fuel-economy. Read on to find out just what they are.
Hit the jump to read more and to view our high-res image gallery (at the bottom of the post).
Base Price: $50,720 (AWD Tahoe Hybrid starts at $53,525)
Price as Tested: $54,977.
Engine: 6.0L V8 – 332-hp /367 lb-ft of torque mated to GM’s Two-Mode Hybrid.
Curb Weight: 6,200 lbs (6,000 lbs for AWD).
0 to 60 mph: 7.5 seconds.
Fuel-Economy (city/highway): 21/22 mpg (20/20 mpg for AWD).
All Photos Copyright © 2010 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.
Review: 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
Generally speaking, the body of the Tahoe Hybrid conserves the design of the standard Tahoe, save for a few changes that while they appear to be for the sake of aesthetics, are actually quite functional as they serve to improve fuel-economy.
The fog lamps and tow hooks have been removed from the front fascia, and the lower air-dam helps redirect air flow beneath the truck to reduce turbulence and drag. The wheel openings have also been re-sized, allowing for an impressively low drag coefficient of .34. The front grille opening has also been increased in size so as to allow increased airflow to the radiator and engine compartment. The back of the vehicle sees the addition of an extended rear-spoiler and aerodynamically designed LED brake lamps (the LED technology uses less energy). Tapered running boards and lack of side-rails on the roof-rack also contribute to this improvement in turbulence and drag.
Another key fuel-economy feature is the use of aluminum for the hood and lift-gate; they reduce weight considerably, but that also mean you won’t get the power lift-gate since all the electronics add weight. The use of lighter-weight aluminum is also carried down through the wheels, which are low-mass, aero-efficient 18-inch cast aluminum.
Review: 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
Design cues inside the cabin also suggest the hybrid nature of this vehicle. There is a special hybrid gauge cluster that includes a special tachometer incorporating an Auto Stop position just above the 0 rpm mark which indicates when the gasoline engine is in shut-down mode. Also included in this cluster is an analog economy gauge that helps the driver operate the vehicle in a manner that is more efficient. To help the driver further gauge his driving, the main center console also features a standard 6.5-inch full-color VGA navigation display that doubles as a monitor which shows a graphic representation of the hybrid drivetrain’s power flow.
There is a long list of features that come standard in the Tahoe Hybrid; automatic dual-zone climate control, rear climate control, heated leather front seats, pass-through 60/40 split rear seats, entertainment system with DVD player and 7-inch center mount screen for rear passengers, Bluetooth connectivity, adjustable pedals, and a rearview camera which is fed into the navigation screen.
All in all we were pleased with the interior, except for GM’s use of hard plastic around the front console and the lack of space around the third-row of seats. We sincerely hope that GM opts for soft-touch materials in lieu of the hard plastic in future revamp of this full-size SUVs, which is due sometime in 2013.
Review: 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
The ‘10 Tahoe Hybrid derives its power from two sources; a Vortec 6.0L V8, and GM’s Two-Mode Hybrid System which consists of two 60 kw electric motors that derive their power from a 300-volt nickel-metal hydride battery. The 6.0L produces 332 horsepower and 367 lb-ft of torque, and only requires regular gasoline. The engine also features Active Fuel Management, which allows four of the 8 cylinders to shut down when not needed. With the assistance of electric boost, the engine is able to operate on 4 cylinders for extended periods.
The engine also features something called Auto Stop Mode, which essentially shuts the engine down when the car falls to 0 mph. This has a tremendous effect on fuel-economy in stop-and-go driving scenarios. Considering all of the economy features of the engine and the fact that the Tahoe Hybrid also features regenerative breaking, which recharges the battery by reclaiming energy created from the depressed break, one would expect the ‘10 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid to post some outstanding fuel-economy figures.
That is however, not the case. The EPA estimates the AWD model at 20/20 mpg (city/highway), while the 2WD is estimated at 21/22 mpg. During our test, we drove as we would in a regular SUV, and we were not at all impressed with the average fuel-economy of 16 mpg that we managed.
On a more positive note, the Tahoe Hybrid is capable of towing up to 6,200 lbs in 2WD configuration and up to 6,000 lbs in AWD configuration; figures that should serve as more than sufficient for 90% of the buyers requiring towing capabilities.
Review: 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
We have serious doubts as to whether paying the premium price for the Hybrid version is justified by the minor gains in fuel-economy one would see over the gas model – and that goes for any hybrid.
The ‘10 Tahoe comes with a starting MSRP of $37,280, while the Hybrid variant carries a starting tag of $50,720; a premium of $13,440. Weigh that differential in price with the EPA estimated 15/21 mpg. If a 5 or 6 mpg increase in fuel-economy fits your life style to the extent that it is worth over $13,000, then by all means go ahead and make the purchase, just prepared to keep the car for a very long time to recoup that extra price premium.
– By: Stephen Calogera
All Photos Copyright © 2010 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.
Long Wheelbase premium models are fast becoming popular in Beijing amongst the multi-millionaires that hail from the growing Asian markets. Bearing this demand in mind, Mercedes is unveiling the LWB version of its Mercedes-Benz E-Class in China and one of those automobiles were spotted outside the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. Mercedes is rolling out this LWB edition in collaboration with Beijing Auto and the model will likely be dubbed the Beijing Benz E300L. The LWB E-Class is 7mm shorter in height than the standard model but the overall length is 14-centimeters longer. [Images by auto.sohu.com]
The person who sent in this escalated Sprint contact says, “If you enjoy Sprint’s excellent phones, wireless service, and call clarity you almost certainly have MAJOR headaches with your account/bill. So don’t wait in line with their f’d up offshore billing department. Go bug Celina the account manager.”
Celina the account manager!
254-295-8072
Don’t forget there’s always the special whiteglove customer service number Sprint set up just for Consumerist readers, 703-433-4401/
All eyes are on Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) as she decides to sign or veto Senate bill 1070. Her position on this bill could determine her re-election this year as she takes on three serious primary challengers from the right in a race that appears likely to focus on the immigration issue.
The Arizona Republic reports:
The governor has been mum on whether she will sign the measure. Her advisers say she worries about the impact of this action, and she generally seeks counsel from her close circle of friends and advisers when faced with significant decisions. At day’s end, they say, she’s not afraid to make an unpopular choice in an important matter.
“She agonizes over these things,” said Doug Cole, Brewer’s campaign spokesman.
Brewer spokesman Paul Senseman said she would consider legalities, residents’ sentiment and the impacts on the state, law enforcement and businesses, among other things, in making her decision.
As of Monday, the Governor’s Office had received 1,356 calls, e-mails and faxes in favor of SB 1070 and 11,931 against the bill….
Somos Republicans, a grass-roots group working to register more Latino Republicans, sent an e-mail to Brewer on Monday, telling her that if she supports the bill, they will request that she “leave the Republican Party.”
But despite passionate opposition on the left and among civil rights groups, there’s a huge push on the right asking the governor to sign the bill. In March, a poll showed that 60 percent of Arizona voters were “very concerned” about drug-related violence in Mexico spilling over into the United States. Voters seemed split about what the greater concern was: 45 percent of voters said illegal immigration and 43 percent said drug violence. Of the poll respondents, only seven percent of Arizona voters viewed Brewer very “favorably,” while 24 percent viewed the governor “very unfavorably.” Only 41 percent approved of the Brewer’s performance as governor.
Brewer was leading the primary with 26 percent in a mid-April poll, according to Politics Daily. She was followed by businessman Owen “Buz” Mills (18 percent), former state GOP chairman John Munger (14 percent) and State Treasurer Dean Martin (12 percent). But since much of the rhetoric on the Senate floor yesterday was about the negative effects of illegal immigration, including crime and drug violence, if Brewer decided to veto the bill, she could see those numbers turn against her.
According to a new poll, Democratic Attorney General Terry Goddard is trailing behind all leading Republicans. But he’s received support from Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox and several Latino organizations, and he’s come out against SB 1070 — despite the fact that he’s also expressed interest in strengthening federal immigration laws. Goddard said the bill “does nothing to improve border security or address the core issues of illegal immigration” and that it would “take law enforcement resources away from stopping more serious crimes.” That might help with the Latino vote, but 70 percent of Arizona voters still say they favor legislation that authorizes local law enforcement to ask anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant about their legal status.
Signing Senate bill 1070 could help Brewer best her Republican opponents – two of whom explicitly support the bill — in August during the Arizona primary. After all, Brewer spokesman Paul Senseman said calls, emails and letters were running 3-1 in favor of the bill. Brewer has until Saturday to sign or veto the bill, which was passed by the state Senate Monday.
I know we don’t usually veer this far into fashion and whatnot, but since Japan’s Uniqlo just set a record by signing a $300 million contract for a store on 5th ave in NYC, we thought it germane to mention that George Costanza is clearly their main fashion inspiration.
This little grab is from a series of other compelling examples of how George Costanza is not only apparently the best dressed Seinfeld character (Well, maybe a tie with Kramer because of that lobster shirt), but his look is being duplicated at all the hottest brands these days.
We love you, George.
Check out the rest. [via BuzzFeed]
Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Wagon, Hatchback, Chevrolet, GMC, Beijing Motor Show
The rumored extended range electric crossover we saw revealed in General Motors’ design patent drawings is now a reality. The Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept will make its debut tomorrow at the Beijing Motor Show, and just as we suspected from seeing Volt design chief Bob Boniface’s name on the patent, this five-passenger crossover rides on the same Voltec architecture as the Volt.
The new Chevrolet concept integrates design elements from the Volt, including the headlight, taillamps and grille, with a five-door hatch body style very similar to the larger Orlando and a length about four inches longer than the current HHR.
Propulsion comes from the same 150 horsepower engine and 16 kilowatt-hour battery used in the Volt. However, its larger frontal area and increased drag mean that this one only has a 32-mile electric range as opposed to the Volt’s 40 miles. The Crossover has full seating for five and 30.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the seats. The dashboard appears to be lifted directly from the Volt, including the dual LCD displays. We wouldn’t be at all surprised to see this as the second Voltec product in the GM North American lineup. If built, this would likely be classed as a light truck and do wonders for GM’s CAFE numbers on that side of the business.
Gallery: Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept
[Source: General Motors]
Continue reading Beijing 2010: Chevrolet Volt MPV5 crossover revealed
Beijing 2010: Chevrolet Volt MPV5 crossover revealed originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Yes, you’ve been hearing about Greek bond yields rising for some time now, but now it is far different — they’re rising, and they’ve gone vertical.
Below we show the spread between Greek bonds and German bonds. We show the spread, rather than just the plain Greek bond yields in order to remove any broader eurozone concerns. Thus this chart shows the additional yield the market is demanding to hold Greek rather than German bonds.
You can see how the spread has just exploded, rising faster than at any time. This shows a collapse of Greece’s perceived creditworthiness.
Note how the 2-year spread is now higher than the 10-year. That’s mainly because 2-year Greek bonds are yielding over 10% due to their market rout, and the ten year Greek bond is at about 8.8%. Extend this trend for even a short period of time and it’s all over for Greece’s finances.
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by Jonathan Hiskes
This is bad: The oil rig
that has been burning in the Gulf of Mexico since an explosion on Tuesday has
sunk, CNN
reports.
The human cost: 17 workers injured (3 critically) and 11 missing.
The Coast Guard is searching for them.
The ecological cost: Crude oil is leaking from at a rate of about
8,000 barrels per day, Coast Guard Petty Officer Ashley Butler told CNN. The
Coast Guard expects possible leaks of up to 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel “but
can do little to protect the environment until the fire is out.”
(Decommissioned oil
rigs are sometimes deliberately sunk and become fish habits, but this one
obviously wasn’t decommissioned.)
The financial cost to Transocean, the Houston company that owns the
rig, and BP, which leases it: Don’t care. The hell with them.
The political cost: This makes President Obama’s recent decision to
significantly
ramp up offshore drilling, appear, well, more stupid. The real test is
still whether
his concession wins enough Senate votes for a clean energy bill.
The timing: Happy Earth Day, Gulf of Mexico!
To repeat,
the costs of fossil fuel-related disasters need to be part of our national
energy conversation. They’re all the more reason to kick our fossil-fuel
addiction. They’re all the more reason to replace fuels that come from hell-below- ground
drilling and mining-with fuels that come from the heavens-wind and sun rays and
tides.
Related Links:
Hey, look: Denver has a bike-sharing program
Massey denies time off for workers to attend funerals of mine victims
‘Save transit’ rallies start up around U.S.
brian williams alerts us to the news that the punk band The Vandals was recently sued by publishing giant Reed Elsevier because back in 2004, the band put out an album that used the font used by Hollywood trade publication Daily Variety for its own name on the album cover:
The Daily Variety claims that our old logo for Hollywood Potato Chip, which is a parody of the Daily Variety logo commenting on the materialistic culture of Hollywood, is still on the Internet and they are suing us for this. We agreed not to use this logo anymore and we have no product for sale with this logo so their claims that we are intentionally using it and harming the Daily Variety are ludicrous.We do not have this logo, or any other of their logos on any of our sites under our control. They are telling us that it is still on the Internet but they wont tell us where it is. Instead, they have demanded a HUGE sum of money. I mean HUGE, OUTRAGEOUS, and IMPOSSIBLE TO RAISE; and $25,000 for their attorneys to cover all the damages they have suffered from what they call a breach of our settlement agreement.
We have breached nothing. We are just a punk band and a small insolvent record label trying to keep stuff on the shelves and pay royalties to other artists.
Website The Wrap asked Reed Elsevier for comment and got the following message, which doesn’t address any of the actual issues:
“The stylized VARIETY mark is a very well known and valuable trademark which the Vandals misused,” Henry Horbaczewski, counsel for Reed Elsevier, wrote in an e-mail message to TheWrap. “We sued them, and they accepted a settlement agreement in which they promised to stop misusing our mark, because we wanted to stop the misuse, not their money. They then ignored their agreement.”Horbaczewski added: “[Vandals drummer Joe] Escalante is a lawyer. He should have known the consequences of his actions.”
It’s difficult to see how they have much of a case unless there’s a lot more going on here. First of all, the use of the logo here is almost certainly protected as a parody use — and it’s difficult to believe that anyone (moron in a hurry or not) would face a likelihood of confusion and believe somehow that the album was endorsed or supported by Daily Variety. Even so, if it’s true that The Vandals are not selling anything with this logo, then it’s difficult to see how Reed Elsevier can claim that this is “use in commerce.” This whole thing seems like a pointless lawsuit for no reason whatsoever. Perhaps Reed Elsevier’s lawyers would be better served making sure that the company isn’t publishing fake, ghost-written journals at the behest of industry interests, rather than suing a random punk band for a parody…
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Yesterday, McAfee pushed out a DAT file for its Enterprise virus-scanning software that tracked down a core Windows XP system file and quarantined it as malware. Thousands, if not tens of thousands, of computer systems were damaged as a result. Windows XP cannot run without the quarantined file, SVCHOST.EXE, and as a result, automatically shut itself down. Other weird settings and symptoms were evident, such as taskbars disappearing, blue-screens-of-death, and other crash-related symptoms.
On one hand, relief simply did not come fast enough. On the other…what more could McAfee have done to repair the damage? McAfee rolled back the virus definition as quickly as it found out, and released an addendum file that could be manually applied to infected PCs. The servers hosting the offered file were strained by the demand, resulting in disconnect errors and failures to update the McAfee software.
“We believe that this incident has impacted less than one half of one percent of our enterprise accounts globally, and a fraction of that within the consumer base,” said Barry McPherson, on McAfee’s blog Wednesday. He goes on to identify the error in the update, stating that it was an attempt to detect a potentially damaging virus, and the update “clearly did more harm than good.”
“Having talked to literally hundreds of my colleagues around the world and emailed thousands to try and find the best way to correct these issues, let me say this has not been my favorite day. Not for me, or for McAfee. Not by a long shot.”
Continue reading McAfee pushes bad update, takes down Windows XP computers
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On Grist, David Roberts advocates for a “diverse climate policy portfolio”. He explains that a “portfolio approach to climate change, which couples a carbon price with complementary policies, could yield a net benefit to the economy, and to most voters, from day one.”
Gernot Wagner, EDF economist, had this to say on David Robert’s piece:
“ Absolutely. Diversify the portfolio. Our strategy ought to be one of all-of-the-above. We need utility and grid reform, removal of subsidies, an emphasis on efficiency, etc. etc. etc.
However. We also ought to keep our eyes on the ball. The goal is not to reform utilities for the sake of reforming utilities (although there might be other benefits to that as well). The goal is to avoid sending $1 billion a day abroad for our oil. This kind of large-scale transformation depends on a comprehensive approach, and that can’t be achieved piecemeal. We ought to limit global warming pollution to right the incentives and take the market path to a healthy planet and economy.”
Green Inc. argues that the solar technology market is gaining momentum and points to the $129.4 million investment by a SiliconValley venture capital firm in solar company Amonix as proof.
For some reason, the ad sales peeps at ABC and Fox don’t think this TV ad for some sort of new lingerie from Lane Bryant is appropriate for airing in prime time.
According to a post on the Lane Bryant blog, they had tried to get this ad played during the ratings bonanza that is Dancing With the stars, but they were told it would have to be aired only during the final moments of the show.
Similarly, they claim that Fox “demanded excessive re-edits and rebuffed it three times before relenting to air it during the final 10 minutes of “American Idol,” but only after we threatened to pull the ad buy.”
Take the mic, Lane Bryant:
We knew the ads were sexy, but they are not salacious. Our new commercials represent the sensuality of the curvy woman who has more to show the world than the typical waif-like lingerie model. What we didn’t know was that the networks, which regularly run Victoria’s Secret and Playtex advertising on the very shows from which we’re restricted, would object to a different view of beauty. If Victoria’s Secret and Playtex can run ads at any time during the 9pm to 10pm hour, why is Lane Bryant restricted only to the final 10 minutes?
While it’s no secret that Victoria’s Secret “The Nakeds” ads are prancing around on major networks leaving little to the imagination, steaming up t.v. screens and baring nearly everything but their souls, our sultry siren who shows sophisticated sass is somehow deemed inappropriate. The network exclaimed, she has “too much cleavage” Gasp!
By Harriet Blake
Green Right Now
Every teen has probably heard his or her parent tell them to ‘Do Something!’– and the U.S. EPA agrees. They should.
On Wednesday, the agency announced that it is joining forces with DoSomething.org to help empower teens to take environmental actions.
DoSomething, started by actor Andrew Shue in 1993, “uses the power of online to get teens to do good stuff offline.” Their mantra is that they believe in teens’ power to improve their communities.
This new joint program with the EPA’s Energy Star program will help teens get involved.
For instance, the DoSomething/EnergyStar liaison will set up older youth with the “Change the World, Start with Energy Star” campaign and help leverage social media to engage teens on energy efficiency and climate change, said public affairs officer Denise Durrett.
Last Earth Day, Energy Star launched a joint project with the Boys and Girls Club, to teach American youth learn ways to help the environment in their communities.
The kids work with Energy Star staff doing home energy check ups in their neighborhoods. “Most of these are simple things that kids can do,” says Durrett, “such as switching out incandescent bulbs for CFLs.” The check list also covers thermostat temperature checks and sealing air leaks. The kids range in age from 7 to 18, with the older ones helping the younger ones.
The Energy Star/Boys and Girls Club project also works with PTAs and PTOs at neighborhood schools by sponsoring “Go Green Nights” in which families are invited to their school to learn about eco-friendly activities. Durrett says that by the end of this school year, there will have been more than 500,000 Go Green Nights.
In addition to its outreach program, Energy Star has developed a dynamic, colorful and interactive kids site that encourages kids to be “energy stars” and explains why the planet needs their involvement.
The site covers what energy is and where it comes from; discusses energy conservation and offers a slide show on global warming. It provides fun facts using bold graphics about where home energy and how kids can save energy starting in their own bedroom.
Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by GRN Network
