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  • 2010 Acura ZDX Recalled In The U.S. And Canada

    2010 Acura ZDX

    Acura has announced the recall of it’s ZDX crossover for potential airbag deployment problems. During manufacturing, certain vehicles did not receive sufficient laser etching on the underside of the dash, which could effect proper airbag deployment in the event of an accident. A total of 2,455 vehicles will be recalled (1,850 in the U.S. and 605 in Canada) when the campaign begins later this month.

    2010 Acura ZDX

    Dealers will inspect the underside of the dash for proper scoring; if defects are found, dealers have been instructed to replace the dash assembly. Customers in the U.S. with questions on the recall should contact Acura Client Services at (800) 382-2238. Canadian customers with questions can reach Acura Client Services at (888) 922-8729.


  • 2011 Ford Mustang online configurator hits the Internet

    We know you guys love online configurators because it kills some extra minutes at work before launch and gives you the chance to dream what your future ride will look like. While the recent online configurators launched by the McLaren for the MP4-12C and Ferrari for the new 599 GTO may seem a little out of your budget, here is one online configurator that will allow you to dream of a vehicle that may be within your reach – the 2011 Ford Mustang.

    Click here to get prices on the 2011 Ford Mustang.

    Click here to check out the online configurator.

    Refresher: The 2011 Ford Mustang V6 is powered by the 3.7L V6 Ti-VCT making 305-hp and 280 lb-ft. The 2011 Ford Mustang GT is powered by a 5.0L 4-valve Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) V8 engine producing 412-hp with a peak torque of 390 lb-ft. Transmission choices for both models include a 6-speed automatic with a 6-speed manual offered as standard.

    2011 Ford Mustang GT:

    2011 Ford Mustang GT 2011 Ford Mustang GT 2011 Ford Mustang GT 2011 Ford Mustang GT

    – By: Kap Shah


  • Disabled Explorers In the World’s Most Badass Short Bus [Profile]

    Lance Blair was 18 when a truck blew a red light and removed his lower leg. “There was about a pinky-width of meat holding it on.” So Lance did the obvious thing: He built a diesel-powered wheelchair-accessible 4×4 adventure truck. More »







  • Flames: Smother Chris Young in adoration, gravy


    Any qualified dietician would tell you balanced nutrition is
    the key to longevity.

    To achieve success in an epic game, baseball fanalysts would
    too. Players composed mostly of saturated fats, high fructose corn syrup and inflated
    strikeout rates (i.e. David Ortiz(notes)) typically are not recommended.

    However, Arizona’s
    Chris Young, historically the KFC Double Down of fantasy outfielders, may
    soon become an acceptable diet staple.

    Since his inaugural season in 2007 – he’s the only rookie in
    big league history to smack 30 homers and swipe 25 steals – Young has added
    love handles and spiked the cholesterol levels of his investors. His gross strikeout-to-walks
    disparity often created prolonged droughts. Flirting with Mr. Mendoza was an all too
    familiar occurrence. Over the past two seasons, he averaged an artery-clogging
    .233-19-64-70-12 line. To most, his banishment to Triple-A Reno last July was
    well-deserved and long overdue.

    However, Young, similar to Texas’ Chris Davis(notes), underwent a major
    transformation during his minor league hiatus. Disgusted frowns spurred by
    over-pressing were replaced with jubilant smiles. Exhibiting
    renewed energy when recalled in September, he collected a respectable .277 BA with eight homers and 14 RBI
    over his final 108 at-bats. The former top prospect credited his blue collar
    approach for the turnaround. From MLB.com:

    "I know how hard I was working and the
    adjustments I was trying to make to turn things around," Young said.
    "My desire and work ethic were not the issues. I love this game, it means
    so much. I’ve played it since I was 4 years old. It was my first love. I push
    myself and expect more out of myself than anyone else ever could…"

    "To go back there and have some success really
    helped," Young said. "I didn’t have all the other pressure around me.
    I was able to focus on what I needed to do and not have outside pressure on me.
    I got comfortable in the box again and I was confident at the plate. I wasn’t
    thinking as much. When you stop thinking is when things turn around for you,
    because when you’re not thinking at the plate you let your natural abilities
    take over instead of thinking so much about mechanics."

    Determined to bury his destitute ways, Young worked hard
    this past offseason in an attempt to carry momentum over from his admirable
    finish. He came to spring training lrelaxed and stress free. In a paradoxical
    twist, his boyish exuberance spawned veteran maturity. Spring stats can be
    irrelevant, but over 62 Cactus League at-bats, he accumulated a .306 BA with three
    homers, 12 RBI and two steals. More importantly, he posted a 9:10 K:BB split.

    So far in the regular season, the 60 percent-owned commodity
    has remained consistent at the plate. In 28 at-bats hitting primarily behind Mark Reynolds(notes),
    he’s notched an uncharacteristic .321 BA with three homers and a
    position-leading 12 RBI. Unfathomably, he’s struck out just four times (14.3
    K%), remarkable when considering his tree-destructive past (26.4 career K%). With
    terrific table-setters in front of him, banner numbers are attainable. Seriously.

    Yes, the sample size is minute, but Young’s initial results are
    certainly encouraging. He’s always possessed the pedigree. In 2005,
    he was named the White Sox’s Minor League Player of the Year. The outfielder’s sharpened
    eye – his walks percentage has steadily increased in three consecutive seasons
    – is a significant evolutionary step.

    Simply put: some players’ developmental curves (i.e. Nelson
    Cruz
    (notes))
    are steeper than others (i.e. Jason Heyward(notes)). With 1,725 at-bats under his belt, the 26-year-old could be
    on the precipice of a remarkable year, which really would be an unforeseen achievement.
    Just four weeks ago most drafters would’ve rather mud-wrestled a Komodo
    dragon.

    Nutritionists maintain five-a-day will keep the doctor away.
    For those who acquire the burgeoning Young, across-the-board contributions could
    help their teams avoid additional waiver checkups.

    Fearless Forecast
    (season): 575 at-bats, .273 BA, 33 HR, 90 RBI, 78 R, 16 SB

    Discount Den
    Quality commodity owned
    in fewer than 20 percent of Yahoo! leagues
    .

    Nick Johnson(notes), 1B, OF
    (19 percent-owned)
    : Finally busting out of a two-week slump, the Oscar
    Meyer-athletic Johnson smacked his first homer of the season and scored three
    runs April 13 against the Angels. At first glance, he may seem undesirable due to his injury-plagued
    history and incredible depth at first, but the double-chinned three is very rosterable in 12-team mixed
    leagues. The hitter-friendly microclimate at Yankees Stadium and his
    entrenched No. 2 spot in the order benefits the lefty-swinger greatly. If he
    can somehow avoid the injury imp and muster 500 at-bats, Johnson is bound to
    finish in range of .285-20-75-100.

    Ooh Stream Weaver…
    Widely available plug
    n’ play starter heading into the weekend.

    Colby Lewis(notes), Tex
    (4/15 at Cle, four percent-owned):
    An unheralded deep league Rip Van Winkle
    a month ago, Lewis was dandy April 9 against Seattle, earning the win ( 7 IP, 1 ER, 3:4 K:BB). Though his control was only adequate in
    his first start, the well-traveled righty has plenty of polish. While exiled in
    Japan
    from 2008-2009 he tallied sick numbers (354.1 IP, 369:46 K:BB, 2.82 ERA). The
    woeful Indians have collectively batted just .221 and scored a mere 3.4 runs
    per game. Based on the matchup, Texas’
    Gulliver could again shine.

    Middle Relief Magic
    ERA/WHIP savior,
    potential saves/wins vulture
    .

    Jeremy Affeldt(notes), SF (20
    percent-owned)
    : As Alfredo Aceves(notes) owners can attest, every season one or two
    relievers stumbles into winnable situations. With two Ws and an unconventional two-inning
    save already attached to his name, Affeldt could be a similar middle relief maestro.
    Last year, the journeymen reliever was the Mariano Rivera(notes) of holders, tying
    Matt Guerrier(notes) for the league lead in the controversial fantasy category with 33.
    His combination of strong strikeout and groundball totals arrows to continued
    success. Roughly 70 IP with an ERA well south of 3.00 and 60-plus Ks should be
    expected.

    Images courtesy of US Presswire, MLB.com

  • Khloe Kardashian “Praying” Kim Stays Single After Split From Reggie

    Reality star and newlywed Khloe Kardashian-Odom is all set to “Take Miami” for another summer of sun and surf on E!’s Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami, but today’s all about dishing the dirt! Khloe sat down with The TODAY Show’s Hoda and Kathie Lee to gab about her famous sisters: Mrs. Odom opens up about how Kourtney’s adapting to motherhood and explains why she’s “praying” Kim enjoys the single life after her most recent split from Reggie Bush.

    Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

  • NASA to send R2 droid robot co-developed with GM to space station

    Filed under: , , , ,

    General Motors R2 – Click above for high-res image gallery

    If you’ve got an unnatural fear of human-like robots, it’s time to look away. It turns out that Chrysler isn’t the only manufacturer getting cozy with NASA these days. General Motors just announced its new robot co-developed with NASA will soon be shedding its earth-bound shackles to help on the international space station, in addition to its duties to here on our home planet. Called Robonaut 2, the 300-pound man-like machine is designed to be as physically similar to a human being as possible in order to allow the robot to share tools with astronauts.

    The first R2 will be scooting up to low orbit aboard STS-133 this September, where it will undergo testing in zero-gravity. At this point, GM says the robot lacks the necessary protection to operate outside of the space station, but that over time, new models may eventually take dangerous space walks instead of humans. The company also hopes that the robot will be able to aid in exploration of our solar system.

    Neither GM nor NASA is saying exactly how much an R2 costs, which is a shame. We could use an extra set of hands around the garage.

    Given the recent cancellation of NASA’s Constellation program, we’re likely to see more partnerships between independent companies and the space exploration agency crop up in the near future. The Obama Aadministration is hoping that independent industry will step in to fill the void left by government funding, and in order for that to be successful, NASA is going to have to share its knowledge.

    [Source: General Motors]

    Continue reading NASA to send R2 droid robot co-developed with GM to space station

    NASA to send R2 droid robot co-developed with GM to space station originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink | Email this | Comments

  • NYC Based Artist Takes Palm Pre Photography to the Next Level

    Image Credit: Caleb Freese

    For photography work, most people set their camera-equipped phone aside and start hammering away with their dedicated point-and-shoot or DSLR, but this isn’t always the case for New York City based artist Caleb Freese. Palm’s Facebook page points us the work of Freese, who splits his time between making art in Brooklyn and guiding rivers and mountains, has been doing some rather striking nature photography work using the Palm Pre alone. The phone’s camera is generally regarded as being good (just ask our forum members), but the thought of using it for professional work is an intriguing one indeed.

    Why use the Pre instead of a dedicated SLR? “I’ve always thought carting a SLR detracted from my enjoyment of nature, so I’ve found myself relying on the Pre”, says Freese, continuing “What started as quite the accidental process ended up having stellar results. This also explains why all the cell photos are of nature”.

    Like most brands of photography, you won’t arrive at these results using just the Pre alone, and Caleb sheds some insight into the methodology that makes his work look the way it does: “I take Panoramas. Between 2 and 20 photos will often make up a shot. I then stitch them together in Photoshop, adjust the contrast and call it good.” Beyond those tweaks, you’re not going to find any other kinds of touch up work. The reason? “I’ve found cellphones can provide a particular aesthetic, often exaggerating or producing an effect I’d describe as a less literal reproduction, but more mood or atmospheric”. Freese also touches on something that most Pre owners are familiar with, namely that the Pre excels in outside shots.

  • Argentina citizens seeking judicial investigation of Spanish civil war crimes

    [JURIST] The Argentine relatives of Spanish citizens killed during the Spanish Civil War asked an Argentine federal court on Wednesday to open a judicial investigation into human rights violations committed during the early years of the Francisco Franco regime. The complainants contend that their case, alleging the regime’s responsibility for the execution of their relatives, can be heard in Argentina’s courts through universal jurisdiction. They also hope to add to their complaint any other cases involving disappearances or killings committed during Franco’s regime. Local human rights groups, including the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, the Argentine League for Human Rights and the Peace and Justice Service have joined the complainants in support of the investigation. If the Argentine federal court decides to take the case, it will be the first time an Argentine court invokes universal jurisdiction for crimes committed in another country.
    The request for a judicial probe in Argentina is a reaction to the Spanish Supreme Court’s decision to charge National Court judge Baltasar Garzon with abuse of power for his investigation of war crimes during the Franco regime. The indictment has sparked international outrage and massive protests in Spain. Last week, Garzon appealed the indictment. Garzon alleged that the indictment is politically motivated, compromises judicial independence, and seeks to impose a specific interpretation of a 1977 law granting amnesty for political crimes committed under Franco.

  • Bit.ly Pro Takes the Mystery Out of Shortened URLs

    URL shortener bit.ly has announced some simple user interface changes for its standard users and a whole series of new features for paid users, including custom domain names and statistics.

    While the standard user interface changes are neat, it’s the “end-to-end branding” that we’re actually looking forward to, as it should take a bit of that mystery meat feel out of our day to day online lives.

    Sponsor

    The biggest changes standard bit.ly users will see is the searchable history, which allows users to search through URLS they have added. Bit.ly has also tried to make it easier to manage the links you’ve added by adding a specific “Manage” section, which will show all the links with basic statistics on each, such as Twitter conversations and clicks. And all of a user’s shared links will be available in RSS format.

    As for the bit.ly’s pro users, the service will begin offering a traffic dashboard, short domain redirection, unlimited API calls and, most importantly, a full “end-to-end branding”. End-to-end branding means that if someone goes to shorten a New York Times URL, for example, they will end up with a link containing the nyti.ms short link instead of a standard bit.ly link. This will happen for all users, whether they shorten the link through the bit.ly website or through third-party Twitter clients such as TweetDeck, Twitterfeed and ÜberTwitter.

    While this type of service is not only great for the website, its useful for the users too, because you don’t have to blindly click on a shortened link. It keeps everything short and sweet for our Twitter character limit while giving us, the user, some clue of where we’re going.

    Discuss


  • Will Google Open-source The On2 Video Codec VP8?

    Newteevee has recently reported that Google will possibly open-source the VP8 video codec next month. VP8 was developed by On2, the company which Google acquired in February.

    This news comes at times when there is an ongoing battle among the H.264 and the Ogg Theora video codecs to gain control of the Open Web’s video format. However, Google will introduce VP8 as a new and prospective candidate even though it had announced the H.264 video codec for YouTube earlier.

    On2 video compression claims that,

    With On2 VP8, we set out to increase compression performance over On2 VP7 and leading H.264 implementations by 20% while reducing playback complexity by 40%.

    Ryan Lawler at Newteeve writes,

    The move comes as online video publishers are gravitating toward standards-based HTML5 video delivery, bolstered in part by the release of the iPad. However, that acceptance has been slowed by the fact that the industry has yet to agree on a single codec for video playback, with some companies throwing support behind Ogg Theora and others hailing H.264 as the future of web video.

    This move totally dampens the battle between H.264 and Theora, the currently leading web video codecs. Experts believe that H.264 provides a better video quality and playback as compared to Theora. Though, Theora has got quite a following owing to its open-source nature and absence of licensing issues.

    Currently, H.264 is supported on Internet Explorer 9 and Safari whereas Opera and Firefox support Theora. Google Chrome supports both these video formats. If things go as per this plan, Google Chrome and Firefox will be the first ones to see support for VP8.


    Announcement: Missing Mobile News in the Main RSS Feed? We have decided to remove the mobile content from the main feed, please subscribe to our dedicated Mobile News RSS Feed at http://feeds.techie-buzz.com/techiemobile. Thank you for your understanding.

    Will Google Open-source The On2 Video Codec VP8? originally appeared on Techie Buzz written by Chinmoy Kanjilal on Wednesday 14th April 2010 11:53:09 AM. Please read the Terms of Use for fair usage guidance.

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  • Full Kin demo by Roz Ho

    Get Microsoft Silverlight

    kin13 Above we have a demo by Channel 9, Microsoft’s internal news service, of the Kin device and OS directly by the people who created it. Present are Matthew Bencke General manager and Roz Ho, Corporate Vice President of the Premium Mobile eXperience group at Microsoft.

    The revealed the project was 3 years in the making, and they interviewed 22 000 people before they even started any development.

    Describing their market as the “socially connected generation”, they designed the phone to both entertain and keep them connected, and along the way strove to make sure the phone was the best device for this, by for example making sharing easy, including a QWERTY keyboard and also a great camera with bright flash for night time use, when most camera photos made by the target market are usually taken.

    They note that its the first phone where the user will not have to worry about storage capacity.  As an example, all photos taken are automatically stored in the cloud, with only tiny thumbnails being kept on the device itself. They therefore call the storage virtually infinite.

    About the Kin One, they revealed that the device is designed for SOHO, Surreptitious One Handed Operation, such as in the back of a class for example, and finally revealed the resolution of video captured on the device – VGA.

    About the Kin Studio, they revealed the site is built on Windows Live Storage and will be accessible using user’s Live ID.

    The Kin team’s battery life target was described by Roz Ho as from Friday night to Monday morning.

    They also mention that buyers will be able to customize the backs, similar to Zune Originals, when they buy from Kin.com.

    They noted that the phones will be priced to be accessible to almost anyone, irrespective of age or means, which I take to be relatively low priced.

    Via the Windows Embedded blog.


  • NASA to launch GM co-developed Robonaut 2 into space

    General Motors and NASA announced today that they will launch their humanoid robot Robonaut 2, or R2, to space later this year. The R2 will become a permanent resident of the International Space Station and will work with astronauts in space and another robot at the space station known as Dextre (developed by the Canadian Space Agency).

    “While Dextre is located on the station’s exterior, R2 will be confined to operations in the station’s Destiny laboratory,” GM said in a statement. “However, future enhancements could allow it to move more freely around the station’s interior, and it could one day be modified to operate outside the complex.”

    “The use of R2 on the space station is just the beginning of a quickening pace between human and robotic exploration of space,” said John Olson, director of NASA’s Exploration Systems Integration Office. “The partnership of humans and robots will be critical to opening up the solar system and will allow us to go farther and achieve more than we can probably even imagine today.”

    GM says that the R2 can use its hands to do work beyond the scope of prior humanoid robots and can work safely alongside humans – and it can apparently workout as well.

    Hit the jump for the press release.

    GM / NASA Robonaut 2:

    Press Release:

    NASA to Launch GM Co-Developed Robot to International Space Station

    Technology to drive advancements in vehicle and manufacturing safety systems

    WASHINGTON — NASA will launch the first human-like robot to space later this year to become a permanent resident of the International Space Station. Robonaut 2, or R2, was developed jointly by NASA and General Motors under a cooperative agreement to develop a robotic assistant that can work alongside humans, whether they be astronauts in space or workers at GM manufacturing plants on Earth.

    The 300-pound R2 consists of a head and a torso with two arms and two hands and will launch on space shuttle Discovery as part of the STS-133 mission planned for September. Once aboard the station, engineers will monitor how the robot operates in weightlessness. R2 joins another station robot, known as Dextre. That robot, built by the Canadian Space Agency, consists of two, long arms to perform tasks that normally require spacewalking astronauts to complete.

    The dexterous humanoid robot not only looks like a human, it is designed to work like one. With human-like hands and arms, R2 is able to use the same tools that station crew members use. In the future, the greatest benefit of humanoid robots in space may be as an assistant or stand-in for astronauts during spacewalks or for tasks too difficult or dangerous for humans. For now, R2 is still a prototype and lacks adequate protection needed to exist outside the space station in the extreme temperatures of space.

    Testing the robot inside the station will provide an important intermediate environment. R2 will be tested in zero gravity, as well as being subjected to the station’s radiation and electromagnetic interference environments. The interior operations will provide performance data on how a robot may work side-by-side with astronauts. As development activities progress on the ground, station crews may be provided hardware and software to update R2 to allow it to do new tasks.

    R2 is undergoing extensive testing in preparation for its flight. Vibration, vacuum and radiation testing along with other procedures being conducted on R2 also benefit the team at GM. The automaker plans to use technologies from R2 in future advanced vehicle safety systems and manufacturing plant applications.

    “The extreme levels of testing R2 has undergone as it prepares to venture to the International Space Station are on par with the validation our vehicles and components go through on the path to production,” said Alan Taub, vice president of GM’s global research and development. “The work done by GM and NASA engineers also will help us validate manufacturing technologies that will improve the health and safety of our GM team members at our manufacturing plants throughout the world.”

    “Partnerships between organizations such as GM and NASA help ensure space exploration, road travel and manufacturing can become even safer in the future,” Taub said.

    GM’s manufacturing engineering team is already working to identify potential applications for R2’s array of vision, motion and sensor technologies that will assist workers in manufacturing operations.

    “Our strategy is to develop technologies that can fundamentally change the way we manufacture cars and trucks”, said Kenneth D. Knight, executive director GM Manufacturing Assembly & Automation Center. “This includes a focus on developing ways to further support our operators.”


  • BMW develops a hydrogen hybrid hatchback

    bmw-hydrogen-seven-series.jpg
    BMW has developed a 1 series hatchback which uses hydrogen hybrid technology. According to specifications, it uses a 5kW fuel cell to power an 82kW (109 horsepower) motor. The fuel cell will store electricity in a bank of ultracapacitors. It also has a conventional internal combustion engine. The electric motor which is powered using the hydrogen fuel cell will be used in city driving, while the internal combustion engine, using regular gasoline, will come into play under hard acceleration.

    This is a very brilliant idea by BMW which utilizes the environmental benefits of using hydrogen fuel cells without compromising on performance.
    [wired]

  • HTC Considering Its Own Phone OS


    HTC are considering equipping phones with their own OS, an interview with HTC’s chief financial officer, Cheng Hui-ming, revealed today.
    It’s very early days yet, with HTC only going so far as to say that they “continue to assess” having their own OS, but that there are “a few conditions to justify” before anything will come of it.

    This news comes amidst rumours of HTC being a potential buyer of Palm, and one can’t help but see the idea of having their own OS tying in nicely with the purchase of a company that already has their own OS up-and-running.
    [via Bloomberg]


  • America’s Heartland Is The Place To Be For The Next 40 Years

    cheerleaders

    America’s heartland has quietly gained some major competitive advantages over America’s crowded, expensive coasts.

    Thus get ready for a heartland renaissance over the next forty years says New Geography.

    It makes a lot of sense. First of all, America’s ‘fly-over’ states have substantial natural resources, which will remain extremely important in a world where developing nations are devouring more than ever and America is increasingly worried about its dependence on foreign nations.

    But there’s far more ot it.

    Advances in communication, ie. the internet, have removed many of the reasons for Americans to congregate in crowded industry-hub cities such as New York or Los Angeles. Sure this has been happening for awhile. It’s just that now the need for Americans to huddle together in crowded hub cities is disappearing fast.

    Thus all kinds of new industries are growing, and will grow, in the heartland. You won’t be such an industry outsider anymore when you are located far from major cities either. Thus given lower living costs, more land, and less population density, there will be fewer and fewer reasons not to move. New Geography believes we’re in for an enormous structural shift in the economy as a result:

    New Geography:

    As huge urbanized regions become less desirable or unaffordable for many businesses and middle-class families, more and more Americans will find their best future in the wide-open spaces that, even in 2050, will still exist across the continent. The beneficiaries will include places as diverse as Fargo and Sioux Falls in the Dakotas to Des Moines, Oklahoma City, Omaha and Kansas City.

    Many of these areas are now enjoying both population growth and net domestic in-migration even as the nation’s most ballyhooed “hip cool” regions like the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago experience slower growth. Fargo, N.D., Sioux Falls, S.D., Des Moines and Bismarck, N.D., for example, all grew well faster than the national average throughout the past decade.

    Economics undergirds this trend. Unemployment in the Great Plains has remained relatively low, even during the recession that began in 2007. For much of the decade, the biggest problem facing many businesses has been finding enough workers.


    New investment will flow back into the Heartland to tap previously difficult-to-access resources such as oil and gas, while new technologies will exploit prodigious natural sources such as wind.

    We’d just take it a step further and highlight that increasing numbers of Americans won’t even need to be in the country anymore, let alone New York City, if they don’t want to be, yet still participate in a wide variety of industries. Though Kansas might still be the best option.

    Join the conversation about this story »

  • International Apple iPad shipments delayed due to US demand

    Apple iPad

    If you’re an iPad fan and were hoping to pick up one of the popular units when they arrived in your country, you’ll have to wait a bit longer to get your hands on one.  According to Apple, the “iPad is a runaway success in the US thus far,” so international shipments won’t begin until the end of May.

    From Apple:

    “Although we have delivered more than 500,000 iPads during its first week, demand is far higher than we predicted and will likely continue to exceed our supply over the next several weeks as more people see and touch an iPad™. We have also taken a large number of pre-orders for iPad 3G models for delivery by the end of April.

    Faced with this surprisingly strong US demand, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the international launch of iPad by one month, until the end of May. We will announce international pricing and begin taking online pre-orders on Monday, May 10. We know that many international customers waiting to buy an iPad will be disappointed by this news, but we hope they will be pleased to learn the reason—the iPad is a runaway success in the US thus far.”

    For those that live in other countries, pre-orders begin on May 10th.  InternationalDogs, I’d love to hear from you – does the delay affect your plans for a shiny new iPad?  Sound off in the comments!

    Via BGR


  • Michelle “Bombshell” McGee LIV Miami Club Appearance Cancelled

    A club in Miami has pumped the brakes on a special appearance by Michelle “Bombshell” McGee — the “apologetic” Nazi homewrecker who claims she romanced Sandra Bullock’s wayward husband Jesse James for 11 months. Earlier this week, trendy South Beach hotspot LIV made headlines when promoters tapped Bombshell to host “Bad Girl’s Night Out,” a one-night event at the club later this month.

    However, given the LIV’s reputation as one of the most star-studded spots — hosting A-listers like George Clooney and Leo DiCaprio — on the strip, the club’s management has decided to cancel Michelle’s appearance.

    “We didn’t know about the Nazi stuff until today. We just thought she was some bad girl that was coming to town and wanted to host a bad girls night…LIV is the place for the A-list to play. She does not fit with our regular programming.”

  • Arizona House approves tough new illegal immigration bill

    [JURIST] The Arizona House approved a bill Tuesday that would establish one of the strictest illegal immigration policies in the nation. The bill would criminalize being in the US without proper documentation and would give law enforcement officers increased ability to require individuals suspected of being illegal immigrants to provide proof of their legal status. The proposal has been heavily criticized by immigrant rights groups. Chris Newman, Legal Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network condemned the bill as “the most anti-immigrant legislation the country has seen in a generation.” The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to be approved and sent to Governor Jan Brewer, who will likely approve the final version.
    In 2008, Arizona voters defeated a ballot measure dealing with illegal immigrants. The initiative would have revoked the business licenses of employers that knowingly hire illegal immigrants and would have strengthened penalties for identity theft. More illegal immigrants enter the US through Arizona’s border than through any other state, and citizens have expressed frustration with the federal government’s failure to prevent illegal immigration.

  • Continúa la campaña contra Toyota en EEUU: retiran de la venta al Lexus GX 460 por informe de Consumer Reports

    lexus_gx_460.jpg

    La revista Consumer Reports es uno de los medios más respetados y con más influencia a la hora de analizar todo tipo de productos en los EEUU. Toyota tuvo otro destello de mala suerte, ya que en el último número de la revista, el Lexus GX 460 (un SUV de tamaño familiar, de esos que gustan tanto a los norteamericanos) ha sido nombrado como inseguro y con la recomendación de que nadie compre el vehículo.

    En las pruebas efectuadas por Consumer Reports, el Lexus GX 460 tuvo altas probabilidades de vuelco en curva, a causa de un centro de gravedad demasiado alto, al mismo tiempo que su sistema de estabilidad actuó con lentitud para estabilizar el vehículo en los casos de derrapes en curvas muy cerradas, a alta velocidad.

    Mal momento para un informe como éste, cuando la campaña en contra de la marca japonesa arrecia en EEUU. Primero fue el tema de la aceleración inintencionada (que todavía no se demostró como tal); luego llegaron las multas impuestas por varios millones de dólares y ahora este informe que ha obligado a la marca a ordenar la suspensión hasta nuevo aviso de las ventas del vehículo.

    Pero hay algo a favor de Lexus y Toyota, a la hora de analizar este informe. Si conduces un SUV que pesa unos 2.000 kilos y con una altura considerable a través de una curva, como si fuera un monoplaza, es evidente que tendrá una tendencia a volcarse. Nadie en su sano juicio conduciría el GX 460 de esta manera, a no ser que se quiera generar un informe negativo a la vista del consumidor y otro problema más para Toyota.

    Vía | Automotive News



  • ObamaCare Makes Everyday Feel Like Tax Day

    By Tim Shoemaker

    Tomorrow is April 15th, and Americans around the country are scrambling to finish their taxes, hoping and praying they don’t owe the Federal Government any money, and crossing their fingers for a refund.  However, thanks to ObamaCare’s numerous taxes and fees around every corner, according to Grace-Marie Turner, everyday will feel like April 15th.

    New taxes on investments, taxes on medical supplies, taxes on drugs and health insurance, and taxes on you if you are just breathing… the list of taxes Americans will face just got a lot longer thanks to ObamaCare.

    The health overhaul plan just enacted represents the largest tax hike in U.S. history – $569 billion over 10 years through a dizzying array of taxes and fees that promise to frustrate taxpayers at every turn. ObamaCare will make every day feel like April 15th.

    And despite President Obama’s campaign promise that no one making $250,000 or less would see a tax increase, Congress’ Joint Committee on Taxation confirms that these tax hikes will hit millions of middle- and working-class families who are struggling to make ends meet.

    Read the rest at the Washington Examiner.

    Over the next 10 years, unless ObamaCare is fully repealed, Americans will find themselves surrounded by skyrocketing health care costs and shortages of care providers.  

    One way to eliminate what Grace-Marie Turner calls the “Breath Tax” would be to pass Congressman Paul’s H.R. 4995 – the “End the Mandate Act of 2010“.  Contact your Representatives today and urge them to cosponsor this important piece of legislation!