Warren Buffet lost $950 million in Goldman Sachs (GSI) options today as the bank’s stock tanked as a result of the SEC filing fraud charges against the firm, according to Bloomberg.
Buffet’s Goldman Sachs options started the day valued at $3.01 billion, and are now floating somewhere around $2.06 billion.
Its unlikely Mr. Buffet will be exercising those options today.
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Hollywood is awash in 3-D these days, as witnessed by films from “Avatar” to a “Alice in Wonderland,” but the real driver of 3-D demand was on display last week in the form of the Master’s golf tournament, which Comcast and Verizon both showed in 3-D. Indeed, sports, not Hollywood movies, will drive 3-D adoption, and in doing so will likely lead to a wave of upgrades in our last-mile broadband infrastructure.
Hollywood is betting on 3-D movies partially because it finally has the processing power and infrastructure available to film and edit movies in 3-D, which can produce a petabyte of digital information, but mostly because it’s hoping that 3-D movies will sell people on the cinema experience and later compel them to buy Blu-ray DVDs. “Avatar” director James Cameron earlier this year quipped that the movie industry would have gone the way of the music industry if it weren’t for bandwidth constraints. Beefing up the required bandwidth to watch a movie is one way to stall piracy and make streaming or downloads more difficult.
I’m sure the cinema experience will be hot, but I think hoping that people will buy DVDs runs counter to the burgeoning trend of streaming (GigaOM Pro subscription req’d) or getting most of our content via services like iTunes, Unbox or Netflix. So when it comes to widespread 3-D content look to last week’s Masters broadcast and ESPN’s upcoming broadcast of 25 World Cup games.
Certain sports providers like Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League are already pushing the envelope by streaming games live, and the logical bet is they will turn to 3-D as the technology becomes more advanced and is increasingly used in consumers’ homes. Which is why either delivered as an over-the-top video service or as a pay-TV channel, 3-D may be the next killer app driving last-mile infrastructure upgrades.
But for the network provider, that love of streaming or even watching 3-D sports via a pay-TV channel on Comcast or Verizon comes at a price. Comcast delivered its 3-D Masters stream using the equivalent of one HD channel, which requires about 18.75 Mbps. Most cable providers can fit two HD channels, each into a limited number of slots — a constraint dictated by the spectrum each cable plant has (see here for a video on how a cable plant works).
Verizon, which is thinking even farther ahead, has told me that true holographic 3-D might require 100Mbps to deliver and estimates that delivering 3-D video over broadband pipes takes 1.8 times more bandwidth than delivering an HD stream. Of course, with a fiber network like FiOS, Verizon is happy to push the envelop on services.
The cable and pay-TV industry will likely focus on delivering a compression technology to deliver both 3-D and 2-D channels in high definition in the space used for 1.5 HD channels, says Jim Strothmann of Cisco’s Service Provider Video Technology Group, which provides both set-top boxes for pay-TV companies and the back-end equipment on the networks. However, the transition to 3-D television is coming, and Strothmann says it will put cable providers into a bind as they try to figure how to allocate their limited spectrum for delivering television channels to allow for both HD and 3-D.
Much like the current constraints on delivering channels in both HD and standard definition are forcing cable companies to use compression, switch certain channels to digital over analog signals and other measures designed to free up capacity on their networks, the switch to 3-D could have those same effects. “People may not remember but HD launched in 1998…and we’re kind of the 1998 of 3-D TV,” Strothmann told me. “And when people start making that new TV purchase, today the new TV will be 3D-capable and we’ll see a similar adoption curve as it starts to penetrate.” Sports, he added, will be the driving factor.
Perhaps greater demand for 3-D (GigaOM Pro sub req’d) will be enough to force cable companies to move to true IPTV, where channels are delivered on demand rather than being accessible at any one time, and force them and any other ISP attempting to compete to extend fiber further out toward the edge of their networks. I may not care about 3-D sports, but I wouldn’t mind it leading to faster broadband.
Image courtesy of Flickr user Jimf0390
Generally, I’m a pacifist. But this Department of Defense image of F/A-18 Super Hornets flying over Afghanistan (lit by some sort of flare?), makes mechanized war look as romantic as any chick flick. Meanwhile, this refueling shot is pure sci-fi: More »
Megan never quite got her “Millionaire” — but she just got pinched for drunk driving. That might be good enough to land her a spot on Celebrity Rehab….
The former Rock of Love contestant-turned-Megan Wants a Millionaire star was driving her BMW to a Miami strip club where she is currently employed when cops pulled her over for doing 75 MPH in a 55 MPH zone. Hauserman, 28, was weaving between lanes while driving her black 2008 BMW around 3:15 AM, Miami Beach Police spokeswoman Jenny Velasquez tells E! News. After approaching Megan’s beamer, officers noticed that the blonde was slurring her speech, had bloodshot-red eyes, and had difficulty walking.
Way to act like a lady — so much for the etiquette she learned in Charm School…
Megan then agreed to a breathlyzer test, which revealed a blood alcohol level of .102 — well over the legal limit. The one-time VH1 star was promptly led away in handcuffs.
Megan has since been released and is due in court later this month.
Comenzamos el miércoles con los posibles problemas que tendrán los monoplazas, en cuanto a neumáticos, en el GP de China. En trazado de Shanghái castiga mucho a los neumáticos, lo que obliga a Bridgestone a hilar fino al elegir los compuestos para este Gran Premio.
El Jueves nos hacíamos eco de la noticia del abandono del plan que tenía Prodrive, para competir en la Fórmula 1. El mismo director del equipo, David Richards, explica que su objetivo es volver a competir en el WRC, ya que el proyecto de la Fórmula 1 no es viable ni deportiva ni financieramente.
A parte de la confirmación de Prodrive, también pudimos saber que Lola, otro equipo interesado en entrar en la Fórmula 1, también ha anunciado que no se inscribirá para competir el año que viene en la Fórmula 1, debido a que con las nuevas regulaciones que se anuncian para el año que viene, ya tienen tiempo de prepararse.
Siguendo con la Fórmula 1, Ferrari anunció que estaba preparando su propio F-Duct, para poder contrarrestar el poderío de McLaren en China, hasta Felipe Massa temblaba ante el F-Duct de McLaren, la duda estaba en saber si funcionaría el invento o no, pero visto los libres de esta mañana, parece que no.
En WRC, el Rally de Turquía ha empezado con claro dominio de los Citröen,
mientras que en el otro lado del mundo, todo se preparaba para que diera comienzo el nuevo Campeonato del Mundo de GT1.
La actualidad de hoy viernes la han copado los entrenamientos libres del GP de China, y la apertura del Campeonato del Mundo de GT1. En Fórmula 1, como se preveía, McLaren ha dominado las dos sesiones de entrenamientos libres, gracias a su potente motor Mercedes, pero sobre todo al polémico F-Duct, que le permite ganar entre 8 y 10 kilómetros por hora en la larga recta del circuito de Shanghái.
Si para McLaren fue todo perfecto, para Ferrari todo lo contrario, Fernando Alonso rompió el motor de su F10 en la primera sesión de libres, y en la segunda ni el, ni su compañero de equipo Felipe Massa, fueron capaces a acercarse a los mejores tiempos. Además de estos dos equipos, la otra gran noticia la protagonizó Sebastian Buemi, que sufrió un extraño accidente al saltar por los aires las dos ruedas delanteras del monoplaza.
En GT1, la jornada estuvo marcada por el grave accidente sufrido por Natacha Gachnang, que se estrelló contra las protecciones del circuito de Yas Marina, obligando a suspender la primera sesión de calificación de este nuevo campeonato, antes, el piloto austríaco Andreas Zuber, marcó el mejor tiempo de la corta sesión, llevándose así la primera pole de la temporada, aunque para su desgracia, aunque gane la carrera de clasificación de mañana, no podrá salir desde la pole en la carrera principal debido a una penalización de 10 puestos por incumplimiento del reglamento.
Vía | Recta de Meta
Despite the America’s smartphone craze, there’s still a market for basic devices. To that end, Pantech and AT&T today announced the Link, a QWERTY-equipped featurephone with a 2.4-inch display, 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0, MP3 player, and microSD card slot. The device will be available in AT&T retail stores and online this Monday, April 18th for $9.99 (after mail-in rebate and new two-year customer agreement).
The full press release is below. For more on the Link, check out my written review, and stay tuned for the unboxing!
ATLANTA – April 16, 2010 — Pantech Wireless, Inc., – the U.S.-based subsidiary of Pantech Group, one of Korea’s largest mobile phone manufacturers – announced today that “Link” is available to AT&T* customers in stores and online on April 18. Link is Pantech’s latest addition to AT&T’s portfolio of quick messaging phones (QMPs), a fast-growing category of phones popular for full keyboards, advanced services and full browsers. By featuring the full keyboard under an ultra thin (under 10 mm) frame, and a suite of AT&T services including AT&T Social Net and the new AT&T Mobile Share, Link proves that it is the slimmest way to stay connected to your social life.
“The energy at Pantech is high,” said Dave Ronis, Pantech’s newly appointed CMO. “We really enjoy working with AT&T customers to make sure that all of our handsets meet their ever-expanding needs. Link is one of the slimmest phones on the market, not to mention packed with all of the social media and picture and video-sharing features our messaging phone users want.”
Link’s specialty is messaging, and just like the name implies, its contemporary design is ideal for keeping people connected to the most important parts of their personal life. An extra-large LCD screen complements Link’s slim casing, and a full keyboard helps kick out messages in a snap – sending full texts, multimedia messages, email, and instant messages. Link brings you into contact with your online world at 3G speeds, allowing for profiles to be effortlessly updated with pictures and videos, and Web pages to be swiftly surfed. Making and managing playlists of favorite musical tracks is easy, and Link keeps you looking stylish in the process. Black and blue accenting combines with a high gloss finish to make the most of its sleek shape.
Link incorporates key features that help do it all:
Quick messaging phone users more frequently look to their mobile phone for advanced services and apps and Link has some of the best. AT&T Social Net can be used to quickly view and update online profiles with one hub. AT&T Mobile Share makes it easy to store, view, and share pictures and video. Whenever on the move, running errands or hanging with friends, AT&T Navigator is there to guide you with turn-by-turn directions.
Link is available for a limited time for $9.99 with a rebate and a two-year contract at AT&T stores and online at www.wireless.att.com. A voice plan and a minimum $20 per month messaging or messaging and data plan are required. For more information about Pantech and its products, please visit www.pantechusa.com, or follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/pantechUSA or Facebook www.facebook.pantechusa.com.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
Studies conducted by the department of physics of the University of Turku claim that the report submitted International Panel on Climate Change, which says that carbon dioxide emissions are solely responsible for global warming, is erroneous. According to their analysis, man-made CO2 emissions are only responsible for 5-10% of the total global warming observed. This value is only one-tenth of what the IPCC’s report claims it to be.
Though the IPCC has had its share of criticism from other sources and it has also made erroneous forecasts in the past, like the melting of the Himalayan glaciers, the veracity of this report still remains to be confirmed.
[climaterealists]
Brandon Marshall(notes) caught 101 passes for 1120 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Denver Broncos last season. During the 15 games in which he played — you’ll recall that he was deactivated for disciplinary reasons in Week 17 — every other Denver wide receiver totaled 95 receptions, 1170 yards and five TDs.
So yeah, it would be fair to say that Marshall was a non-trivial part of the passing attack.
Now that he’s been dealt to the Miami Dolphins for a pair of second round picks, these are the names atop the depth chart at receiver for Denver: Eddie Royal(notes), Jabar Gaffney(notes) and Brandon Stokley(notes). The first member of that group was one of the biggest fantasy busts of 2009, the second is an eight-year vet who’s never caught more than 55 passes in any season, and the third is … well, it’s Stokley. His upside is 40-450-4. It can be argued that in recent years, Stokley’s primary role with the Broncos was to stop Marshall from committing premeditated penalties.
Simply put, there’s no obvious reason to be excited about the Denver offense in 2010. With Marshall in ’09, the team ranked 20th in the NFL in scoring. Without him, the Broncos are left with a thoroughly unimpressive receiving corps and an equally unimpressive quarterback duo (Kyle Orton(notes), Brady Quinn(notes)). The absence of a credible passing game is never good news for a backfield, either.
The Broncos may of course choose to address wide receiver with one of their early draft picks — they have the No. 11 overall selection (from Chicago), No. 43 (from Miami) and No. 45 — but it’s not as if they don’t have other areas of extreme need. Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain makes sense at No. 11 (and he’s fantastic), and the Denver Post’s Mike Klis makes a compelling case for Florida center Maurkice Pouncey. It would be a bit surprising to see the Broncos target receiver Dez Bryant after ostensibly shedding Marshall over chemistry/character/signability concerns. Perhaps the Broncos hope to snag a next-tier wideout like Golden Tate or Arrelious Benn with a second round pick.
But no matter how they address the position, they’ll lack a receiver with Marshall’s resume. He’s delivered three straight 100-catch, 1100-yard seasons, and he transitioned remarkably well from the Cutler/Shanahan Era to the Orton/McDaniels Era.
In a nutshell, this deal punishes the Broncos from a fantasy perspective. They had exactly one skill position player who scared opposing defenses and now he’s gone. If any member of the current roster can benefit from Marshall’s absence, it’s Royal. Because he can’t sink any lower. He had 91 receptions as a rookie, but was targeted just 79 total times in 2009.
The fantasy impact of this deal for Miami is much easier to spin: Everyone wins. Even Ted Ginn Jr.(notes) wins, since he was just traded to the San Francisco 49ers. (The Dolphins received a fifth round pick as compensation for a player they once drafted ninth overall. Yikes). Miami suddenly has a multi-dimensional offense with an outstanding O-line, and Chad Henne’s(notes) strong arm can be put to serious better use.
The National Football Post’s Matt Bowen(notes) asked the essential question on Thursday: "How do you scheme against an offense that can run the football and now can use Marshall to draw safety attention on every down?"
On paper, the Dolphins are just a brutal match-up for any defense that doesn’t employ Darrelle Revis(notes) — and they’re no layup for the Jets, either. Marshall’s presence figures to benefit the Miami running attack in no small way, and it vaults Henne into the fantasy discussion in basically all formats. He’s a bench/bye-week option in smaller leagues, and a clear starter in 16-team configurations. The rest of Miami’s receiving corps — Davone Bess(notes), Greg Camarillo(notes), Brian Hartline(notes) — may not necessarily receive a bump in value, but what were your draft plans for them anyway? They were final-round roster filler. They’ll now fight for Marshall’s scraps while facing defensive backs of lesser quality.
Understandably, Marshall is all smiles right now (see above. Or watch this video). He’s already demonstrated that he can shift successfully to a new system without losing any fantasy utility. This time, for a change, Marshall is making the transition without being at war with his head coach and the subject of endless rumors. Don’t bet against him having another brilliant year. If you’re projecting an 85-1100-8 fantasy line, I’ll take the over.
—
Photo via AP Images
After Apple made the move to x86 processors in 2006, Intel has been their lone CPU supplier. The shift to Intel processors was appreciated by many as it brought faster performance across the whole line-up. Thanks to the shift to the Intel processors, Apple now refreshes its various product line-up every year with better CPUs. But now it seems like Apple is interested in using AMD processors in its products as well. AppleInsider reports that Apple is in serious discussions with various representatives from AMD about adopting their CPUs.
Consumers aren’t feeling better about the economy this month: they’re feeling worse. That’s what the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey of consumer confidence says. Earlier this week, the market cheered better-than-expected sales data for March. This, in conjunction with better consumer confidence levels last month, appeared to indicate that Americans were feeling more optimistic about the economy. The Reuters/U-Michigan survey indicates the positive trend may have reversed this month.
Reuters reports:
The surveys’ overall index on consumer sentiments slipped to 69.5 in early April — the lowest in five months. This was below the 73.6 reading seen at the end of March and the 75.0 median forecast of analysts polled by Reuters.
That’s certainly not good news for the hope that better-than-expected March indicators were forming a new trend signaling economic recovery. In fact, consumers may have taken a step back. Reuters says that this change was driven by Americans hearing more negative information about government programs and perceiving that the recovery is too slow. They also hold negative views of their income and job prospects.
This is a little surprising, since the vast majority of economic reports issued thus far in April have painted a cheerful picture about March. Other than sales and consumer confidence, other positive news included legitimate job growth, a low inventory-to-sales ratio, virtually non-existent inflation, and increased pending home sales. The negative news was mostly limited to foreclosures and the government’s struggle modifying mortgages.
The Reuters/U-Michigan index’s April decline refutes the relatively strong positive sentiment expressed through Rasmussen’s consumer index for this month. We may have to wait for the Conference Board’s reading on consumer confidence at month’s end to settle the dispute.
President Obama issued a memo last night instructing HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to write rules that will allow patients to designate visitors at facilities that accept Medicare and Medicaid. This move would benefit same-sex couples, unmarried heterosexual couples, widowed adults, members of religious orders and others who want to have someone other than an immediate family member as a visitor or decision maker for medical care, notes the WSJ Health Blog.
From the White House:
There are few moments in our lives that call for greater compassion and companionship than when a loved one is admitted to the hospital. In these hours of need and moments of pain and anxiety, all of us would hope to have a hand to hold, a shoulder on which to lean — a loved one to be there for us, as we would be there for them.
Yet every day, all across America, patients are denied the kindnesses and caring of a loved one at their sides — whether in a sudden medical emergency or a prolonged hospital stay. Often, a widow or widower with no children is denied the support and comfort of a good friend. Members of religious orders are sometimes unable to choose someone other than an immediate family member to visit them and make medical decisions on their behalf. Also uniquely affected are gay and lesbian Americans who are often barred from the bedsides of the partners with whom they may have spent decades of their lives — unable to be there for the person they love, and unable to act as a legal surrogate if their partner is incapacitated.
Read the whole memo here.
[Via WSJ Health Blog]
Four months after Apple said no to an iPhone app from Pulitzer-winning political cartoonist Mark Fiore, the computer company is feeling the blowback from negative publicity and has asked him to resubmit his application.
In its decision to deny the original app application, Apple said Fiore’s work violated their rules against mocking public figures.
Of course, what good is a political cartoonist who makes fun of non-public figures?
That’s the question that many have asked since hearing the news that Fiore’s app had been denied by Apple. And after enough complaints were lodged, Apple says they’re open to reconsidering the app.
“It seems like you need to raise a stink to get something political approved,” Fiore said about his reversal of fortune. “That’s what makes me a little upset, if you are someone people haven’t heard of and have an amazing satire app, you won’t get this through.”
Fiore also points out that other cartoonists — namely Daryl Cagle and Tom Richmond — have had similar experiences with Apple, but haven’t received the attention he has. “I feel a little bit guilty because it feels like I am getting preferential treatment,” he explained.
In addition to the content issue, one problem facing Fiore is that his cartoons are created in Flash, which Apple has not installed on any of their iPhone/iPod/iPad devices.
Bad PR Forces Apple to Reconsider Banning Prize-Winning Satirist [Wired]
Audi has unveiled its new A8 L W12 quattro, a long wheelbase, 12-cylinder version of its new flagship sedan.
The 2011 Audi A8 L W12 has an overall length of 17.28 ft, making it .43 ft longer than the regular wheelbase version. Width remains unchanged at 6.39 ft, but Audi says that the A8 L is still longer and wider than its main long-wheelbase competitors.
Power comes from a 6.3 FSI W12 making 500-hp and a maximum torque of 461 lb-ft. That allows the 2011 Audi A8 L to go from 0-62 mph in 4.9 with a top speed governed at 155 mph. While the Audi A8 being launched with a W12 engine, by the end of the year will be available with all the engines currently offered for the regular A8.
What’s the coolest part about the Audi A8? The rear-seat area. While there is more room and more comfort, the Audi A8 L gets some really cool and eye-popping rear-seat features. Optional extras include two separate power-adjustable seats that can be heated, ventilated and adjusted in a variety of ways. There is also fully adjustable lumbar support and the front passenger’s seat can be moved from the rear if extra space is needed. Also, buyers can opt also opt for a full-length console that runs between the two rear seats. You can also order specific items for the console such as a folding table. Also available is a Rear Seat Entertainment system with two 10.2-inch screens.
Now that’s luxury.
Hit the jump for the high-res image gallery and the press release.
Press Release
AUDI AG WORLDWIDE RELEASE: Luxury in grand style: The new Audi A8 L
The new A8 is a concentrated high-tech package that confirms Audi claim to technical leadership – “Vorsprung durch Technik”. And now the brand is introducing the top version of its flagship model. The A8 L W12 quattro, with a long wheelbase and a twelve-cylinder engine, sets new standards of luxury, dynamism and efficiency in the top automobile manufacturing league. The Audi A8 L is being launched with a twelve-cylinder engine, but by the end of the year will be available with all the engines currently offered for the A8.
What’s fascinating about the A8 L is its supremely powerful presence; its design is clearly derived from the brand’s genes and yet has undergone further refinement. The long wheelbase does not disturb its taut outlines, which remain as athletic as they are elegant.
With an overall length of 5,267 millimeters (17.28 ft), the new Audi A8 L is 130 mm (0.43 ft) longer than the regular version. The wheelbase has grown by the same amount, to 3,122 mm (10.24 ft). The width remains unchanged at 1,949 mm (6.39 ft); the height has increased by 2 mm (0.08 in) to 1,462 mm (4.8 ft). Audi’s new top model is both longer and wider than its main long-wheelbase competitors.
The A8 L has a body built from aluminum using the Audi Space Frame (ASF) principle and therefore weighing about 40 percent less than a comparable steel body. The ASF body structure is built up from cast elements, extruded sections and sheet aluminum, with integral B-posts made from form-hardened ultra-high strength steel. This body’s tremendous rigidity is the key to the car’s precise handling, low interior noise levels and high passive safety for the occupants in the event of an accident.
Among the high-end technologies featured on the A8 model line are the optional LED headlight units (standard on the A8 L W12 quattro) with all lighting functions performed by LEDs. With this bright, high-efficiency light, Audi opens a new chapter in the history of automobile lighting technology.
Subtle visual details distinguish the A8 L W12 quattro from the other cars in this model line. The single-frame radiator grille with integral grid structure has a high-gloss black paint finish and special chromed horizontal bars. There are also chromed inserts of new design in the air inlets, and chromed applications on the exterior mirrors. W12 badges are displayed on the single-frame grille and at the rear of the car. The exhaust system has two trapezoidal-pattern tailpipe trims neatly integrated into the rear bumper.
Abundant space: Rear-seat area
The full extra length of this sedan benefits rear-seat passengers. The back doors are longer, for even more convenient entry, and the space available inside can only be described as opulent. Rear passenger comfort can be enhanced even more if two separate power-adjustable seats are ordered. These can be heated, ventilated and adjusted in a variety of ways: forward and back, seat cushion depth and seat back angle with top section adjustable separately. There is also a fully adjustable lumbar support. The front passenger’s seat can also be moved from the rear if extra space is needed.
Between the individual rear seats that are standard equipment in the Audi A8 L W12 quattro a full-length console can be ordered as an optional extra; it extends back from the center tunnel to the rear shelf, and can be specified with integral items such as a folding table or a refrigerator. Separate controls for the rear air conditioning are also standard. The luxury four-zone automatic air conditioning is controlled by no fewer than 25 adjusting motors.
Another high-end feature of the long-wheelbase Audi A8 is the reclining seat behind the front passenger’s seat. The angle of the seat cushion can also be adjusted. The occupant can be massaged by ten air-filled compartments; four programs can be selected at a remote control. The feet rest on a power-adjustable support at the base of the front passenger seat back. Heating, ventilation and the luxury head restraint are integral features of the reclining seat. A folding table, additional wood and leather trim, a refrigerator and a Rear Seat Entertainment system with two 10.2-inch screens are among the features that promote relaxed travel or alternatively concentrated work in this mobile lounge.
Fine materials: Interior design
The quality of workmanship in the A8 L is simply first-class – from the restrained ambient lighting through the accurately fitted switches with their precise click action. Fascinating aspects of the car’s interior are the slim, clear outlines and the stylish materials with their modern look.
Audi design selection brass beige carefully combines well-matched colors with individual materials and comfort-oriented equipment items. The roof-mounted grab handles and rear console have additional fine wood trim.
Valonea leather is tanned exclusively with plant extracts and is especially soft and able to “breathe” actively. Audi also supplies a loose cushion for rear-seat passengers’ use. Like the head restraints and the selector lever for the eight-speed tiptronic automatic transmission, it is trimmed with buckskin that is exceptionally soft and supple but also hard-wearing.
Another optional extra, the panoramic glass roof, has two glass panels that allow plenty of light to reach the car’s interior. Both sections can be tilted up and the front one also opened extra-wide. Sun blinds are provided for both panels to keep out direct sunlight.
The Audi A8 L W12 quattro: Splendor and efficiency
Twelve cylinders are the ultimate engine configuration, a tradition that still applies in the large luxury car class. The first-generation A8 was available with an engine of this type from 2001 on, and a developed version could be obtained from 2004 on in the following model. Audi’s engineers have now thoroughly revised the W12. Its displacement has been increased, and gasoline direct injection boosts its output and its efficiency.
The 6.3 FSI engine has an output of 368 kW (500 hp) and delivers its peak torque of 625 Nm (460.98 lb-ft) at engine speeds at 3,250 rpm. It gives the long-wheelbase Audi A8 the kind of performance normally expected of a sports car: it sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in only 4.9 seconds and effortlessly reaches its governed top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph).
A fascinating flow of power is available in every situation, but the fuel consumption too sets new standards: the EU cycle test result is only 12.0 liters per 100 kilometers (19.6 US mpg), a figure well below that of competitors’ cars with V12 engines. The previous 6.0-liter engine, which had a power output of 331 kW (450 hp), recorded a fuel consumption of 13.6 l/100 km (17.3 US mpg) – the difference of 1.6 l/100 km is equivalent to a 12 percent improvement.
The engine is known as the W12 because of its unusual layout: it has four rows of three cylinders with a 15-degree included angle between the two offset rows of cylinders in each broad cylinder block. The V angle between the two blocks is 72 degrees. This layout makes the W12 engine exceptionally compact: only just over 50 centimeters (19.69 in) long and therefore distinctly shorter than a V8. Height and width are both in the region of 70 centimeters (27.56 in).
The W12, in its latest form with a displacement of 6,299 cc, is an undersquare design. Its bore and stroke are 86.0 and 90.4 millimeters (3.39 x 3.56 in) respectively. Compared with the previous version the engineers have enlarged the cylinder bore. The forged crankshaft has a 12-degree angle of crankpin offset, so that the mixture in the 12 cylinders is ignited at the ideal interval of 60 degrees. The engine therefore runs exceptionally smoothly, and the car’s occupants are unlikely to sense any of this supreme power at work unless it is at high engine speeds and severe loads.
The W12 engine weighs only 247 kilograms (545 lb), an impressive value to which the crankcase makes a major contribution. This is a lightweight, high-strength aluminum-silicon alloy casting with a gray cast iron lower cross-member into which the bearing pedestals are embedded. The pistons are forged from a high-strength light alloy and have angled crowns because of their V position in the cylinder blocks.
Each of the W12 engine’s aluminum cylinder heads contains two camshafts; these can be repositioned hydraulically by an amount equivalent to 52 degrees of crankshaft rotation. Altogether, the four camshafts operate 48 valves by way of low-friction roller cam followers, and are themselves driven by chains from an intermediate shaft.
For use in the long-wheelbase A8, Audi’s engineers have converted the W12 engine to FSI gasoline direct injection. This involved considerable modifications to the cylinder heads. Fuel is injected into the combustion chambers at a pressure of up to 130 bar. A high 11.8:1 compression ratio boosts power output and efficiency. The inlet ports are specially shaped to impart swirl to the incoming airflow and make combustion more efficient.
The W12 engine’s low fuel consumption compared with its competitors is to a large extent due to Audi’s modular efficiency platform. These are used in the entire A8 model line. The crankshaft and timing chains have been intensively optimized to reduce friction, and a recuperation system recovers energy that would otherwise be wasted when the car is braked. The innovative thermal management system shuts down the coolant circuit for a time after the cold engine has been started. This warms up the engine oil more rapidly and shortens the operating period in which friction is still high.
Safe and sporty: Transmission
The transmission makes a major contribution to ensuring the high efficiency of the Audi A8 L. The eight-speed tiptronic shifts smoothly and quickly, with the individual gears closely spaced but with a generous overall spread from low to high. Gear shifts are performed electronically (“shift by wire”) from an elegant yacht-style selector lever or at steering wheel paddles.
The center differential, the main component in the quattro permanent all-wheel drive train, divides the torque flow from the engine in a sporty manner, with 60 percent to the rear axle and 40 percent to the front in regular driving conditions. But if the situation changes, up to 60 percent of the torque can be sent to the front, or 80 percent to the rear. An optional sport differential splits the torque input actively between the left and right rear wheels.
Maximum precision: Chassis
Thanks to its advanced chassis design, the long-wheelbase Audi A8 brings together the silky, refined smoothness of a true luxury car and the handling of a sport sedan. The wheel control arms are made of aluminum. The front suspension uses five locating arms at each wheel; the controlled-track wishbone rear suspension ensures a supremely comfortable ride. The servotronic power steering system has a direct operating ratio and operates at high efficiency.
The adaptive air suspension with controlled damping is standard equipment and is integrated into the Audi drive select dynamics system. With this system the driver can choose between four different operating settings of the engine, the eight-speed tiptronic transmission, the servotronic power steering, the optional sport differential and the Audi pre sense basic safety system. An additional module is the dynamic steering system, which varies its gear ratio steplessly according to road speed.
The A8 L W12 quattro runs on 19-inch alloy wheels with a 15-spoke design reserved for this model, and size 255/45 tires. As an optional extra 20-inch wheels can be chosen, and even 21-inch wheels can be obtained from quattro GmbH.
The A8 L W12 quattro, the new top model, naturally has a high-performance brake system, with ventilated disks at all four wheels. The front disks are 400 mm (15.75 in) in diameter, with 356 mm (14.02 in) disks at the rear. To dissipate heat and reduce weight, stainless steel pins connect the steel friction rings with the aluminum disk centers. The calipers have a matt black paint finish.
Dynamic intelligence: Communication and assistance systems
This large sedan features an exemplary control concept. Although there are so many functions available, they can be selected in an easily understood, ergonomically correct way. Two large monitor screens, one on the instrument panel and one on the center console, acts as control centers and display their information as high-resolution 3D graphics.
The A8 has a pioneering innovation on board: the optional MMI navigation plus, which operates with the aid of a high-capacity hard disk, has a touch-sensitive control panel known as MMI touch. The driver inputs his or her navigation destination or a telephone number simply by writing the letters or numerals on the pad with a finger. Acoustic feedback makes this possible without taking one’s eyes of the road.
The high-end navigation system cooperates with the assistance and safety systems in an innovative way. It registers the topography of the road in advance and makes this data available to the control units for the automatic transmission, headlights and adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go function. Thanks to their advanced intelligence, these systems can identify complex scenarios and offer the driver support in good time.
The adaptive cruise control system operates at any speed up to 250 km/h (155.34 mph) and responds even more flexibly and smoothly than before. The Audi side assist system, which helps the driver to change lanes, and Audi lane assist which detects any departure from the chosen lane, also have new and additional performance features.
The night view assistant uses a thermal imaging camera to identify persons on the road ahead of the car. If it considers the situation to be potentially dangerous, the image of the person on the road is shown in red and a warning signal is heard. The Audi pre sense safety system is also closely linked to the assistance systems. It is available in several stages: the full version brakes the car automatically in order to minimize the consequences of a nose-to-tail collision.
In the multimedia area, Audi can also supply many attractive modules. These include a Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System with an output rating of more than 1,400 Watts and 19 speakers, and the Rear Seat Entertainment system. This has an MMI control panel on the console between the rear seats and provides access to all the infotainment functions on board this large luxury sedan.
The new Online services in cooperation with Google use the car phone to capture news and current information on the weather or points of interest (POI) from the Internet. Later this year an UMTS module will be available: this fast data link can supply images and information from Google Earth to the monitor screen and combine them with the navigation route. The driver can use all these services with his or her cell-phone contract.
– By: Omar Rana
Educators say there is no need for more delay when it comes to the state’s in-school suspension law.
State Education Commissioner Mark McQuillan took the lead at an informational forum Friday, stressing that the state’s request for federal funding through Race to the Top is linked to legislative support for a reform plan for high schools and the implementation of a 2007 in-school suspension law. The initiatives are important as the state tackles the achievement gap, he said, pointing to tell-tale statistics.
Only 79.3 percent of all Connecticut students graduate high school in four years, he said, noting that the percentage of students graduating in four years is much lower — sometimes by more than 20 percent — for African American and Hispanic students and for students who are eligible for free and reduced lunch.
As lawmakers head into the final weeks of the legislative session, the topics discussed Friday were timely. A bill that would establish more rigorous high school graduation requirements failed to garner enough support last year, but is being reconsidered this year and has already been approved by the education and appropriations committees.
A bill that would postpone the in-school suspension law for another year — until July 2011 — was passed by the planning and development committee, but died in the education committee. Groups like the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities have vowed to try to resurrect the postponement proposal before the session ends May 5.
The in-school suspension law was suppose to take effect July 2008, but has been delayed twice and will now go into effect July 1 unless action is taken to postpone it again.
Those who want the law delayed say they have concerns about funding, school space and staffing. CCM estimates that the cost of such a mandate would be between $9,000 a year for small towns and $4.5 million for larger cities.
Joseph Romm (#8 in our December Top Ten Ranking and #7 in the November ranking) was on Capitol Hill Tuesday testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee on how to use energy tax incentives to establish a U.S. green job economy. His comprehensive testimony calls for an extension of ongoing stimulus-funded measures, including the very popular 1603 direct cash grants. We’ve read through Romm’s testimony and pulled out the portion where he calls for a long-term clean energy tax manufacturing tax credit, which he says should be expanded for at least another five – to – 10 years.
– by Joseph Romm, Center for American Progress
One of the most critical things we can do to foster domestic clean energy industries in this country is realize that demand-side incentives for electricity production is not enough. While incentives that target utilities to encourage them to invest in clean energy infrastructure are an essential component of a comprehensive strategy, they are not enough. You cannot build a market out of demand alone, you must also create incentives for supply. That is why Congress was wise to implement the Section 48C Manufacturing Tax Credits for investments in manufacturing facilities and production capacity for the clean energy equipment and technology.
However, the program, passed under the Recovery Act, was limited to $2.3 billion, and was oversubscribed by nearly a 10-1 ratio. My colleagues at the Center for American Progress have advocated for an expansion of the program, and Vice President Biden in December 2009 announced the administrations plans to add an additional $5 billion to the program, leveraging, an additional $15 billion in private capital.
Congress should recognize that each and every opportunity to create incentives for homegrown manufacturing of clean energy technologies are opportunities to grow our economy and make our indsutries more competitive internationally. Each opportunity should be nourished, and this program should be expanded to provide a stable flow of incentives for a fixed period of time, maybe 5 or 10 years, and then sunset.
Google has launched official “Buzz this” buttons for bloggers and webmasters and you can create your own Google buzz buttons from this page. The buttons can be easily integrated in your blog or website, just paste in a simple Javascript code and the button goes live.
Using the Google buzz button, the visitors of your blog can quickly share posts in their “Buzz network”. You can completely customize the size and look of the buttons to fit it in your blog template.
Basically, there are two types of buttons to choose from – a “Follow me on Buzz” button and a “Post to Buzz” button. The former acts as a link to your buzz profile, anyone can click the button to start following you on Google buzz. The latter acts as a way to share a webpage in Google buzz, just like the Digg and Tweetmeme buttons discussed earlier.
Customize the “Post to Buzz” Button: You can customize the “Post to Buzz” button to show the counter, the button or both of them. Other features include showing the counter on top or right, defining a custom URL type for the post and showing a custom image as well. The impressive thing is that you can choose a custom language for the “Google Buzz” buttons, which is definitely a new idea. Currently, the buttons supports 59 international languages.
Promote your Google Buzz Account using “Follow on Buzz” button: If you would like to promote your Google buzz account, use the “Follow on Buzz button. Your blog visitors can start following you on Google buzz, without having to leave the page they are reading. Works much the same way as the “Post to Buzz” button, but this one doesn’t have much options available for customization.
One of the nation’s top schools of criminal justice is now in trouble with the criminal justice system.
On Friday, the Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit accusing John Jay College of Criminal Justice of discrimination.
The school, located in New York City, regularly required non-U.S. citizens to prove their eligibility to work, while not requiring U.S. citizens to do so in the same way, according to the lawsuit.
“Every individual who is authorized to work in this country has the right to know they will be free from discrimination as they look for a job, and that they will be on the same playing field as every other applicant or worker,” the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Thomas E. Perez, said in a statement.
According to the lawsuit, John Jay College suspended an employee several times between 2004 and 2008 after the school “insisted she produce” her Green Card as well as other “employment authorization documents,” such as her Social Security card and driver’s license.
But the Green Card was not necessary because “the documents she had already produced were legally sufficient for a showing of employment eligibility,” according to the Justice Department.
The woman, who worked as a part-time computer lab assistant at the school, was one of at least 103 non-U.S. citizens who were similarly asked to produce such documents during that time, the lawsuit said.
The school did not require U.S. citizens to provide similar documents proving their work eligibility, thus imposing “different and greater requirements on non-U.S. citizens,” according to the Justice Department.
John Jay College “knowingly and intentionally committed document abuse discrimination” against non-U.S. citizens, the lawsuit said, calling it an “unfair immigration-related employment practice.”
The part-time computer lab assistant, Shoulan Chang of Brooklyn, N.Y., filed a complaint with the Justice Department in July 2008.
“The employer refused to accept my social security card (unrestricted) and driver livense,” she wrote in the complaint. “The employer demanded he see a green card or employment authorization card issued by immigration, and suspended me from the work.”
The school, part of the City University of New York’s public school system, calls itself a “world-renowned center and clearinghouse for research in criminal justice.”
“The breadth and diversity of scholarship at the College reflect our continuing commitment to innovative analyses, interdisciplinary approaches and global perspectives,” the school’s web site says. “[The school] serves the community by developing graduates who have the intellectual acuity, moral commitment and professional competence to confront the challenges of crime, justice and public safety in a free society.”
A spokeswoman for John Jay College told Fox News she was unaware of the lawsuit and could not comment.
One of the children who plays Selena Gomez’s brother on Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place is accused of trying to start a throwdown in the middle of Tinseltown. What the hell are they putting in the water over at Disney?
David Henrie, 20, and his younger brother Lorenzo, 16, allegedly tried to start a fight between a group of girls at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles on Thursday night. The brothers were reportedly cited for challenging a person to a fight — which is a charge similar to disturbing the peace. According to his website, David comes from a “large, loud family,” and you know what they say about apples and trees, so we guess that explains a lot!
The boys were eventually released to their father.
In an article over at cnbc, we read that a security consultant firm called Intrepidus has performed a year-long review of security on webOS and have come away ‘shocked’ at the holes they’ve found. Chief among them was a remote exploit based on sending a simple SMS messages that gives the attacker the ability to gather all sorts of nefarious information.
It’s important to note that ‘the original security issues discovered have been addressed and resolved by Palm.’ However, the company suggested that their methodology could be repeated in other contexts to discover more security holes. At core, Intrepidus appears to allege that webOS’ security issues stem from the fact that it’s essentially a web-browser-based system and so therefore vulnerable to many of the same issues that have plagued desktop browsers for years.
In a comment within the article, Palm notes that they have a good track record of responding quickly to vulnerabilities and can’t ‘address vulnerabilities that are not responsibly reported to us.’ That last a not-so-subtle reminder about the tension between telling a company about a security hole privately and publicly releasing it to gather greater attention for the problem.
We briefly overviewed webOS’ security from a high level back in September but there are always holes to be found and filled. Last year Palm, true to their word, showed remarkable agility at patching up various security issues related to the OS and the App Catalog. In fact, Palm has included security updates and fixes in ten OS releases for webOS since launch.
Folks are already talking in our forums – what do you think? Nervous? Calling FUD?
Thanks to subzero80 for the tip!
Update: Intrepidus Group has posted up examples of the SMS injection ‘sploit, along with some pretty strong words regarding their thoughts on webOS security:
As we started to pry a little it became quite apparent that Palm’s new WebOS platform was riddled with some pretty dangerous bugs. These bugs can all be traced back to that fact that WebOS is essentially a web browser and the applications are written in JavaScript and HTML. This also means that WebOS applications are subject to the numerous web applications vulnerabilities that any seasoned penetration tester would be all too familiar with. We were also quite surprised at how quickly these vulnerabilities were discovered. Within a matter of hours we started to uncover a number of low-hanging-fruit vulnerabilities that would be considered quite dangerous under even the most forgiving of standards.
They also have a snark-filled video showing that the issues with webOS 1.3.5.x – all of which have been remedied by Palm in 1.4 and beyond. Video embedded after the break and steel yourself for some vitriol.
The volcanic eruption in Iceland, which disrupted air travel in Europe, began a few months ago through a series of fissures which had developed on the eastern side of the volcano. According to experts, volcanic eruptions give out a large amount of sulfur and related compounds such as sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. These compounds reflect sunlight, thus causing an overall cooling in the climate of the entire region. The sulfur dioxide also creates smog. The ash that is released during these eruptions is spread out at high altitudes where it can cause damage to the aircrafts due to the abrasive silicate compounds present in it.
Though this eruption did not do much immediate damage, according to statistics it will have an adverse effect on the climate and will also affect travel.
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