The Top Gear crew and James May and Jeremy Clarkson were filming near the top of Eyjafjallajokull, the volcano in Iceland that recently erupted causing massive flight cancellations. The crew was there filming a red Toyota Hilux pickup. They were accompanied by Toyota and a bunch of local scientists that set up a monitoring system before the volcano went bananas.
“The vehicles used for the expedition were prepared by specialist firm Arctic Trucks to the same extreme environment specification as the Hilux used by Jeremy Clarkson and James May for their historic polar expedition,” Toyota UK said in a statement. “With giant low pressure 38-inch tyres, the go-anywhere Hilux had the measure of every challenge in its path as it made its way through ice and snow towards the volcano’s fiery heart.”
Top Gear also had their sarcasm fun at the story saying that May was initially assumed to be “filming a feature for the popular motoring television show, it has since been speculated that May’s purpose was far more devious.”
“It has been scientifically proven that TopGear is responsible for almost every evil in the modern world, so the eruption of a furious tectonic force barely a week after Richard Clarkson’s ‘visit’ can hardly be viewed as mere coincidence,” says media commentator Annalisa Kneejerk.
“We have it on good authority that Jeremy Hammond drove one of his favourite Ferrari gas-guzzlers at 100mph, straight into the main magma chamber, which could quite easily have caused this geological catastrophe. Thankfully I’ve never watched the show.”
In What Is This World Coming To? News: The visually-impaired can now join the legions of porn junkies who diddle themselves to snapshots of topless women. A Canadian photographer has produced an X-rated braille book for the blind!
Lisa Murphy took photos of friends wearing masks, streamers, Christmas lights, and nothing at all, enlarged the photos and built on top of them with clay to create “Tactile Minds,” a touchable book that includes 17 nude photographs. The 17 images include a naked woman in a “disco pose, a woman with ‘perfect breasts’ and a male love robot,’” according to CNN.com. The book contains “explicit soft-core images” along with Braille text and photos.
Murphy decided to create Tactile Mind because “there are no books of tactile pictures of nudes for adults,” the photog adds that the “blind have been left out in a culture saturated with sexual images.”
The website www.tactilemindbook.com is selling the book for $225 in Canadian dollars.
Any LG fans in the house? Well if so you will be glad to know that LG Central has unearthed a document which might point towards a new LG Android Handset. According to the document above, the supposed LG P950 is to feature a WVGA (480 x 800) touchscreen display and HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity on board. That is really all we have right now. What do you folks think? Is there a LG Android handset on the way? For me, the jury is still out.
We’re currently trying to find out more info on this LG P950 and will let all of you know when we do! Have a great night!
According to various sources, including LG Canada themselves, the LG Eve will be receiving an upgrade to Android version 1.6. It is only so long before version 1.5(Cupcake) is no longer on any devic…
Last month, BMW announced pricing on the new 2011 BMW 535i and the 2011 550i, which will start at $50,475 and $60,575 respectively. Today, BMW announced pricing on the new 2011 BMW 528i, which will join the 535i and the 550i in July. Prices will start at $45,425 including a $875 destination and handling charges.
The 2011 BMW 528i is powered by a 3.0L inline-6 engine making 240-hp and a peak torque of 230 lb-ft. That allows it to sprint from 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds, compared to 7.1 seconds for the outgoing model.
Even with those enhancements, the base MSRP of the 2011 BMW 528i sedan is $1,400 lower than the 2010 528i.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – April 16, 2010… BMW has announced pricing for the all-new 2011 BMW 528i Sedan. The new 528i will arrive at BMW Centers in July and is priced from $45,425 including $875 Destination & Handling. Based on the all-new, 6th-generation BMW 5 Series, the new 528i receives BMW’s 3.0-liter inline-6 engine with magnesium-aluminum construction and 240 horsepower, plus BMW’s new 8-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment. Despite these enhancements, the base MSRP is $1,400 lower than the 528i’s 2010 predecessor.
As on any other BMW vehicle, BMW Ultimate Service, with $0 maintenance for the first 4 years or 50,000 miles, is included.
“When we announced the pricing for the 535i and 550i earlier this month, people were thrilled with what great value they represented,” said Jack Pitney, Vice-President of Marketing for BMW of North American. “With the 528i BMW is uniquely positioned to offer a full range of midsized luxury-performance Sedans that, true to the philosophy of EfficentDynamics, offer better performance and improved efficiency than their predecessors at prices that are even more competitive.”
The all-new 2011 BMW 5 Series combines a whole new look, inside and out, with new powertrain options and even more cutting-edge technology. Design features emblematic of BMW are to be found at the front with its kidney grille inclined slightly forward. The new 5 Series chassis is 55% stiffer than its already-impressive predecessor.
The new 528i is equipped with BMW’s celebrated 3.0-liter inline-6 engine, now enhanced to produce 240 horsepower and 230 lb-ft of torque. These figures represent improvements of 10 and 30, respectively, over the previous-generation 528i. As a result, the new 528i is expected to accomplish the 0-60mph sprint in 6.6 seconds (preliminary), compared to 7.1 seconds for the previous model. The normally aspirated engine is equipped with Valvetronic throttle-less intake technology and weighs approximately 355 lbs thanks to its exotic magnesium-aluminum engine block construction. EPA mileage estimates will be available closer to the July on-sale date.
In addition to the standard 8-speed automatic transmission, new 17-inch light alloy wheels with all-season run-flat tires are standard on the 528i, while the optional Sport Package includes 18-inch light alloy wheels with high-performance run-flat tires. Inside, drivers will find standard lumbar support and a larger standard moonroof.
Options and packages for the 528i are very similar to the 535i Sedan with a few exceptions. Xenon headlights will be a stand-alone option on the 528i. The Dynamic Handling Package will provide Driving Dynamics Control and Dynamic Damping Control, which is quick enough to adjust the damping at a rear wheel after a front wheel has encountered a road imperfection at highway speeds. Integral Active Steering is not offered on the 528i.
BMW EfficientDynamics technologies are featured where appropriate on the 528i, including Brake Energy Regeneration, Valvetronic, Electric Power Steering, and on-demand operation of engine accessory drives. Lightweight materials are used to balance the vehicle. Components such as doors, hood, front fenders, and suspension assemblies are made of aluminum.
The driver assistance systems offered with the new 5 Series include an all-new Parking Assistant, Top View cameras, and Frontal Collision Warning with application of the brakes when ordered with Active Cruise Control plus Stop & Go. Other driver assistance features available include Active Blind Spot Detection, Lane Departure Warning, a Head-Up Display, and BMW Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection.
The BMW 528i will join the 535i and 550i in BMW showrooms in the US in July.
Facing economic stress unprecedented in our lifetimes, we might not need this reminder the way we did a couple years ago, but it’s always a question worth asking. Separating your “wants” from your “needs” is a good first step toward reducing the environmental impact of your purchases (not to mention the financial impact on your wallet). The environmental impact from buying comes primarily in the use of natural resources to manufacture the products in the first place. If you don’t buy it, you eliminate its impact.
In the case of home products, furniture and cabinets can be made out of wood from virgin forests, or processed woods made with toxic glues. Deforestation not only wipes out the habitat for species – many of which, particularly in the case of tropical rain forests, have yet to be studied by scientists hunting for the next medical or nutritional breakthrough – but deforestation also is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (Indonesia and Brazil rank behind China and the U.S. in carbon emissions because of rapid deforestation, rather than heavy industry). Avoiding the purchase of wood-based home goods is one good decision you can make to help preserve the world’s forests – and its climate.
2. Can you get it used?
Many products have a useful life that extends far beyond the needs of one owner. Before buying new, check local garage sales, thrift and antique stores, classifieds, auctions – and their global on-line equivalents, Freecycle, Craigslist and Ebay – to look for items that can be given a second (or third, or fourth) life. Bottom line: buying used is the most environmentally sound way to buy, because it not only requires the use of no new natural resources in manufacturing, but also because it keeps a useful product out of a landfill or trash incinerator. Also, consider renting, rather than buying when it makes sense.
3. How was it made?
Particularly if you’re buying new, consider how a product was made: what materials were used, who made it and how were those workers treated? It’s often not the end-user or the end user’s community that suffers from the manufacture of products that aren’t made according to high environmental standards, but workers and local communities and ecosystems near the factories. Some suspect chemicals are also found in many common consumer products, so the question of progeny isn’t important just for the health of workers, but for consumers as well. Among the online retail stores that traffic in ethically made goods, Ebay World of Good stands out, but there are others. Whether shopping online or in stores, look for Fair Trade-certified goods, and ask shop owners questions if you don’t see certification.
In the case of home goods, consider carefully the materials used to manufacture your decorations and furniture. The gold-standard for sustainable forestry is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. Look for the label whenever shopping for wood-based products. But you can do one better by choosing products made from recycled materials. Buying artwork and decorations? Consider the work of local artisans, or the independent artists selling through the likes of Etsy.com.
4. How is it packaged and shipped?
The making of a product is only part of what contributes to its environmental footprint. The materials used to package it, and the fuel used to transport it, are two other biggies. Studies have generally endorsed the proposition that online purchasing has a smaller environmental footprint than buying from a brick-and-mortar store, in large part because of the reduced energy costs associated with lighting and heating. Look for goods packaged minimally, and packaged with post-consumer recycled materials. If packing something of your own for sale, get creative: Crumple the paper that you’d otherwise have recycled to protect fragile items. Set aside a few boxes as you come across them, so you can re-use them when you need them. A minimum of thought can save significant resources over the long term. If you are buying from a brick-and-mortar store, ask questions of the store manager, or consult the company’s Web site for information about how they manage the efficiency and wastefulness of their supply chain.
5. How much energy or resources will it require to maintain?
The environmental impact of newly purchased items doesn’t necessarily end when you get them home. Clothing needs to be washed, and jewelry shined. Buying a new dress that you can run through the washer has less impact than one that must be dry cleaned, for instance, since many dry cleaners clean with toxic solvents. Furniture may need to be washed, oiled waxed or – eventually – reupholstered. On the other hand, buying furniture than can be easily spruced up with some simple maintenance, or repaired when needed, is a smart choice for your wallet and the environment, since it will last longer before needing to be replaced.
6. Is it reusable, repairable, or at least recyclable?
What happens to that product once you’re done with it? Is it durable enough to be of use to your grandchildren? Can it have a second (or third or fourth) life once you’re done with it? If it breaks, do you have the means to repair it?
Not only does it save resources to buy durable, long-lasting goods, but it can also provide a good return on investment. When you’ve tired of a new product, you can sell it to recoup some of your costs – or even turn a profit. But often that’s only possible if you’ve purchased a good quality item with lasting value.
7. Does it help me go green in other ways?
The crown jewel of ethical buying comes if the purchase you make helps you maintain a green lifestyle. That may mean supporting local artisans with a purchase of a painting or piece of jewelry. It may mean buying a piece of clothing that lets you wear your passions on your sleeve – and educate friends and passers-by in the process. Or it may be as simple as buying a good raincoat … so you can walk instead of taking the cab on rainy days. It may mean that your next gadget isn’t a new video-mp3 player, but a home energy monitor, so you can track down and eliminate unnecessary electricity use.
Finally, maybe the purchase itself contributes to a cause, because the seller donates a portion of proceeds. Check with the organizations you support to see which companies they work with, and get in the habit of reading the environmental and sustainability sections of companies’ Web sites. One great way to connect with sellers that share your passions – and who will back up that passion with a donation based on your purchase – is via eBay Giving Works.
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A announced today it launch a voluntary Safety Recall involving approximately 600,000 units of the first and second generation Sienna 2WD minivans sold in the United States. The recall focuses around a potential corrosion in the spare tire carrier cable.
“This condition may appear on certain 1998 through 2010 model year Siennas that have been operated in cold climate areas with high road salt use,” Toyota said in a statement. “Continued prolonged exposure to road salts may cause excessive corrosion of the carrier cable in some of these vehicles. In the worst case, the carrier cable may fail and the spare tire could become separated from the vehicle, a road hazard for following vehicles that increases the likelihood of a crash.”
Toyota said it currently doesn’t have a remedy for the issue but is working to develop one. In the mean time customers will receive a interim notice instructing them to bring their Siennas to a dealership for a preliminary inspection. Once a solution is developed, Toyota will send out a secondary notice advising the customer of the remedy availability.
Organically produced foodstuffs are not richer in vitamins and minerals than conventionally produced foodstuffs, conclude researchers in a systematic review published in September 2009 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
With many people believing that organic foods have a higher content of nutrients and thus are healthier than conventionally produced foods, demand for organic produce is on the rise. However, scientists have not been equally convinced that this is the case as the research conducted in the field has not shown consistent results.
In order to assess potential differences in nutrient content between organic and conventional foods, researchers at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, performed a systematic review of the literature. In such a review, the available scientific literature on the subject of interest is screened and the outcomes of all articles meeting predefined quality criteria analysed in a systematic fashion. Based on the results from such analyses a general evidence-based conclusion can be drawn. In the present review, 162 relevant studies (published 1958-2008) on the content of nutrients and other substances in organic versus conventional foodstuffs were identified, and 55 of these were of satisfactory quality to be included in the review. Studies on both crops and livestock products were considered.
The results of the systematic review only showed a lower nitrogen and higher phosphorus content in organic produce compared to conventionally grown foodstuffs. Contents of the following nutrients or other substances did not differ between the two categories: vitamin C, calcium, potassium, total soluble solids, copper, iron, nitrates, manganese, ash, specific proteins, sodium, plant non-digestible carbohydrates, β-carotene and sulphur.
In an initial phase of the analysis, when all 162 papers were included independently of their quality, organic foods showed higher levels of phytochemicals than did conventionally produced foodstuffs. However, when the quality of the studies was taken into account such association could no longer be detected. The researchers speculate that the differences observed likely resulted from different harvesting times and the use of different fertilisers. They also stated that these differences are unlikely to be of any importance for human health.
In conclusion, organic and conventional foods appeared equal in terms of nutritional value. However, different production methods may give rise to other differences not addressed in this review, e.g. environmental aspects.
Actor Danny Glover was arrested and charged with trespassing after taking part in a protest against US food giant Sodexo.
The Color Purple actor was among a group of 12 people who were arrested by local armed police following a rally regarding unfair business practices outside the Sodexo Headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland this afternoon. The Service Employees International Union says it was protesting what it calls Sodexo’s unfair and illegal treatment of workers. The protestors — which included Glover — claim workers in the Sodexo cafeteria are being paid low wages and routinely have their civil rights violated.
Danny’s as known for his activism as he is for his work on the big screen. Earlier this year, Danny threw his support behind a campaign to keep the doors open at a Hugo Boss factory in Ohio as thousands of residents of the cash-strapped state faced unemployed. The Hollywood vet faces up to 90 days behind bars and a $1,000 if convicted. On a better note, Glover can be seen on the big screen in the new comedy Death at a Funeral.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was recently caught on video in an apparent state of inebriation using some pretty colorful language (via Barking Carnival) to describe former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells and NFL draft prospect Tim Tebow. The video, as you might imagine, became pretty popular, prompting Jones to clarify that he was having a “social moment”, and when he says somebody “isn’t worth a s**t”, it’s a “familiar, caring term of endearment”. Lots of old media news outlets ran with the story as well, prompting quite a reaction from longtime Dallas sportscaster Dale Hansen, who pilloried his own station for running the story:
That story we had earlier tonight about Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, if that’s what it is (and our news director thinks it is), is yet another example of the decline of journalism as we once knew it. Our business now, too many times, is a fat kid in a T-shirt in his mother’s basement, eating Cheetos and writing his blogs — and we make it news. Jerry Jones in a bar, being Jerry Jones, is not news to me. And the fact that some creep slides up to Jones, records the conversation without Jones knowing, then tries to sell that recording — and that becomes news — is an embarrassment to us all.”
Clearly Hansen is working on his entry for this year’s Buzz Bissinger Award For Achievement In Grouchy Sports Journalism. He characterizes the decision to run the story by his station’s news director as: “Public figures are fair game, and our game is reduced to following the lead of others.” Fox Sports’ Jason Whitlock decries this as yet another horrible example of “gotcha journalism”, saying that it’s no wonder athletes don’t want to talk to the media when they run stories like this.
But isn’t that the real crux of the issue? Many sports journalists appear to be afraid to do anything that might jeopardize their access to athletes and their teams, so they’ve supported the PR efforts to carefully craft the outside appearances of sports figures, and are largely hesitant to do anything to upset these appearances. Hansen calls this sort of story evidence of the decline of journalism, but it’s really the result of sports journalism. Stories like this become popular and notable among the public because they’re so out of character for anybody within professional sports. Other pieces have called Jones’ behavior in the video “just Jerry being Jerry.” And you know what? That’s fine. The content of the video isn’t even really that objectionable — and perhaps has some interesting insight into the fact that Jones might have hired Parcell solely for PR value, something which seems to have gone unacknowledged among the mainstream media. But it’s only these reporters, who have been let inside the magic curtain, that know that. The public at large sees the staged media persona of somebody like Jones, and then this video differs significantly from it, making it interesting.
Whitlock says sportswriters “owe Jerry Jones an apology and all sports fans an honest explanation of why athletes/celebrities have every right to avoid us.” That makes it sound as if the goal of sports journalism is to be friends with athletes, to buy into, and to help build up, the carefully crafted, positive images of athletes — not to cover the world of sports. That’s what makes the downfall of somebody like Tiger Woods so sensational and so interesting to the public. But it seems reasonable to ask that given the intense media interest that follows someone like him around, why didn’t the story of his escapades break sooner? It wasn’t until the situation became irretrievably public — like the Jones video — that the mainstream media ran with it. These stories break in blogs because their writers aren’t beholden to the same model, and often don’t care about being so close to their subjects. Whitlock alleges that sports figures like Jones “can’t be human.” That’s not the case at all; rather the mainstream media often doesn’t make any effort to show them as human, making these rare moments where they’re seen without their protective PR cover so dramatic, and so compelling.
Veja com exclusividade as primeiras imagens do novo Fiat Uno, o principal lançamento para o mercado brasilseiro no ano de 2010. Ainda não reveladas oficialmente, as primeiras imagens do hatch da Fiat vazaram e já estão circulando pela imprensa especializada.
As primeiras imagens revelam provavelmente a versão aventureira do novo Fiat Uno, já que seu exterior vem muito bem “recheado” de apliques em plásticos, que até beiram o exagero. As imagens não apresentam mudanças significaticas em relação ao que esperavamos, tendo como base as projeções e flagras do modelo em testes externos. Já no seu interior, a predominância é de formas arrendondadas como as saidas de ventilação, controles do ar-condicionado e ventilação e o seu painel de instrumentos.
Volkswagen and Stanford’s Autonomous Vehicle Program – Click above for high-res image gallery
Yesterday at Stanford University, the world’s valets were put on notice. The crew at Volkswagen’s Vehicle Innovation Lab (VAIL) hosted an event for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, where the diplomat from Deutschland got to see first-hand what VW has been working on for the past five years, and what kind of practical implementations are around the corner.
The VAIL team was the first group to complete the DARPA Grand Challenge with a fully autonomous Touareg that scaled over 130 miles of the Mojave Desert in 2005. The original self-driven vehicle, Stanley, has evolved into Stanley 2, a Passat wagon with enough computing power to completely fill the boot. That vehicle took second place at an urban course for the 2007 DARPA Challenge and now that technology has been scaled down, refined and put into another diesel-powered Passat to show off one of the many uses for the autonomous tech.
After Merkel caught a plane home and the crowds subsided, we scored a ride in the self-propelled Passat and discovered that the days of parking attendants are officially numbered.
That feels familiar. Where did I hear about PostScript style cloud services before?
Oh, Yeah. TeleScript – 1994. It was a Xerox Park/General Magic/PostScript inspired kind of cloud services thingie.
I suspect IBM mainframe printers did something comparable once upon an eon. Moving bits of the OS between client and server.
Myself, I’m looking forward to embedded OS scanners that will let me pick up the scans off the network. That’s the way the big office machines work, and I’d love to separate my home scanner from my machines.
It looks like Square Enix North America has something new up its sleeve as Sonia Im, Senior PR Manager of the company, hinted on his twitter post that they are currently working on an unannounced project that
Want to see the Palm Pre Plus coming to SFR soon? How about just the keyboard? Accented French characters, Euro currency sign, and AZERTY layout. No surprises here – just as with the anticipated prices.
We found it pretty ridiculous when Consumer Reports made a big deal about a pretty tame reference to playful, romantic MMSing. Really, now. Microsoft is the last thing making kids send naughty pictures to one another. But I guess Microsoft didn’t want the drama, so they’ve apologized.
They deleted the offending portion of the video, but if you’ll be so kind as to click the following YouTube thing you can still see the uncut version put up by CR.
As shocking as it was a few days ago. Which is to say, not shocking at all. But yes, the children have been saved.
Ford Mustang GT and BMW M3 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Alright, fan boys (and girls), prepare for battle. The ever keen-eyed Sam Smith over at Jalopnik has spied an interesting phenomenon in the car universe. The new 2011 Ford Mustang GT performance figures are within spitting distance of the mighty 2010 BMW M3. The Bavarian bruiser produces 414 horsepower out of its milky-smooth 4.0-liter V8 and hits the scales at 3,652 lbs. Meanwhile, the 5.0-liter Mustang serves up two less horsepower, but weighs 40 pounds less, too.
At this point, odds are your blood is pumping no matter which side of the ring you happen to find yourself on. Stats that close yield frighteningly similar numbers when the two cars hit the track, too. The M3 can clip off the 0-60 dash in 4.3 seconds. The Mustang can do it in 4.4. Quarter mile? Deadlocked at 12.7 seconds at 111.3 mph.
It’s true, a quarter mile doth not a sports car make, which is why these next figures are so important. While the M3 can come down from 60 mph in 105 feet, the Mustang can do the same in 104. And here’s the real shocker: Both cars hold onto the skidpad at .97 g. Now, before the comments go superfly TNT, it’s worth noting that the as-tested BMW will set you back an eye-widening $28,180 more than the Ford. We could think of a thing or two to do with an extra 30-large.
So the question remains, which would you take home?
BMW sets the pricing on the all-new 5 Series and confirms its new city car project, while U.S. marketing and product head Jack Pitney offers up his thoughts on the competition’s recent partnerships and BMW’s new tag-line.
One remarkable photo out of many in Life’s quietly stunning photogallery, The Day That Einstein Died: Dr. Thomas Harvey, who famously dissected Einstein’s brain, cuts into one here. It might be Einstein’s. [Life via Jon Snyder] More »
