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All the life-sapping elements dreamed up by TV shows, movies, authors and game studios are here—including Kryptonite, Element X and Vibranium. Classified by media, energy potential and origin, naturally. [RussellWalks via Urlesque via Neatorama via Kotaku] More »

This spring students at Darrick Wood School have been getting creative with Oxfam. They’ve taken recycled fabric donated to Oxfam and have used it to make beautiful cushion covers that are now on sale at the Oxfam shop in Orpington. Just before Easter the students came down to decorate the shop window, drawing lots of interest from customers and passers-by.

The project highlighted the environmental impact of textile production and promoted recycling. Charlotte Flint, aged 15, said ‘I have really enjoyed doing this project. It has been fun and exciting designing and making my cushion. I like knowing I’m doing it for a good cause and raising money for Oxfam.

If you’re a young person, teacher or youth leader and would like to get creative with Oxfam, then get in touch with John McLaverty on 0207 802 9981.

Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte are back and they’re headed to Abu Dhabi! Be on the lookout for appearances from Penelope Cruz, Liza Minnelli, Miley Cyrus, and the return of Aidan Shaw in the new star-studded two-minute trailer for Sex And The City 2.

The eagerly-awaited sequel opens in theaters next month.

The BGR’s ninjas have again taken advantage of Verizon’s database and extracted information about a new Windows Mobile smartphone for USA’s biggest carrier.

The LG VS750 is a smartphone that has been very long rumoured, and we now finally have some solid information about the handset.  Verizon’s internal systems reveal the handset is a CDMA phone but with world phone capability, is a QWERTY slider with a 3.2 inch WVGA screen and features a 3.2 megapixel camera. 

Given the similar specs, the device will likely be very similar in size and appearance to the LG expo on AT&T.

Read more at BGR here.

Christina Aguilera has secured her biggest promotional gig for her upcoming new album Bionic — the pint-sized powerhouse will appear in a performance and interview on Oprah taped at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and airing May 7.

New MacBook Pros have been a long time coming, but Macworld Australia has apparently heard from sources that new MacBook Pro models will be announced next Tuesday, the 13th of April. No further evidence has come to light suggesting this is true, apart from Best Buy magically disappearing away the 15-inch model on its site, but Macworld reckons their friend is “familiar with Apple product cycles and inventory levels.” More »

Oxfam is recruiting a Youth Board in the South East to play a central and active role in our youth campaigning work. Sound interesting?  Are you proactive, enthusiastic and creative? Go to www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/volunteer/latest.html#youthboard for the full details. Closing date for applications 2 May 2010.

Beginning Monday, April 12, the Circulation Desk will take reservations for laptops that are on Reserve. Reservations will be taken on a first come, first served basis. During the exam period- Friday, April 30 through Saturday, May 8 laptops will be available only for Electronic Bluebook and there will be no overnight circulation of the laptops. Because of the limited number of loaner laptops available, we request that you do not reserve a laptop as back up for your personal laptop.

Wondering where to go to get a job? The latest data from the Labor Department suggest you pack suntan lotion: Of metropolitan areas with labor forces larger than 200,000, Honolulu has the country’s lowest unemployment rate.

Judging from the locations of the ten large areas with the least unemployment — Wal-Mart’s Arkansas headquarters and Washington, D.C. stand out — it might help to have a bit of experience in retail management or government service if you’re planning to move for work. On the other end of the spectrum, the areas with the highest unemployment rates are mainly in California. So if you’re looking for work, there’s a decent chance you’ve been involved in building, selling or financing houses.

Here’s a list of the ten best and ten worst (note: data are for February and are not seasonally adjusted):

Lowest unemployment rates
1. Honolulu, Hawaii 5.6%
2. Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb. 5.9%
3. Baton Rouge, La. 6.4%
4. New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, La. 6.5%
5. Madison, Wis. 6.7%
6. Oklahoma City, Okla. 6.7%
7. Washington, D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria, Va. 6.9%
8. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark. 7%
9. Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa 7.1%
10. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas 7.3%

Highest unemployment rates
1. Modesto, Calif. 19.1%
2. Visalia-Porterville, Calif. 18.7%
3. Fresno, Calif. 18.5%
4. Stockton, Calif. 18.4%
5. Salinas, Calif. 17.7%
6. Bakersfield-Delano, Calif. 17.4%
7. Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich. 15.3%
8. San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo, Puerto Rico 15%
9. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. 14.7%
10. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla. 13.9%

Google’s approach to software development, iterate fast and often, means that small, new features and updates creep in all the time. This is true for Google Chrome too, the developer build is updated almost once a week and the changes are rarely worth noticing. The latest update, though, Google Chrome 5.0.371.0 dev, br… (read more)

As mentioned, while I don’t think it’s safe for most people to drive while on a mobile phone, I’m a bit skeptical of laws that explicitly forbid driving while yakking. Very few of them seem actually focused on improving safety on the roads — but they do appear to be a way for state governments to make some extra cash. In California, where the fines were not that big originally, it looks like it’s about to get a lot more expensive to drive while talking with you mobile phone held up to your ear (you can still drive while yakking hands free — despite some studies showing that can be just as dangerous). The politicians involved even admitted that this was more or less the plan all along. Get the law passed by keeping the fines really low, wait a few years, and then jack up the fees. I’m all for making the roads safer, but it’s not clear that this law actually does that.

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by Julian Ku

I don’t fully understand the nature of the legal charges against Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon. It sounds like, from this Economist article, that he is being accused of some version of “prosecutorial” and “judicial” misconduct for refusing to follow the terms of Spain’s 1977 amnesty law preventing investigations into Franco-era crimes.  Garzon apparently held that there is a consensus that amnesties are illegal under international law and therefore could not bar his assertion of jurisdiction.  This seems like a  very sketchy legal holding, but I haven’t thought about this enough to opine with any certainty.  I am fairly confident that there is no consensus that such amnesties are illegal. But whether this is enough to find misconduct under Spanish law, I have no idea. Anyone out there with links to the relevant opinions?

While we on the Left engage in our usual round of ‘why isn’t Obama more liberal?’, the Right always helps us demonstrate why that political pressure isn’t more effective.

Because the Republicans talk like this:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a potential presidential candidate in 2012, called Barack Obama on Thursday “the most radical president in American history” who oversees a “secular, socialist machine.”

As a politician, why be so exclusively progressive in politics, when conservatives abandon the battlefield of sanity completely and leave the entire realm of rationality for you alone to occupy?

And with rare exception this has been the Republican playbook for every President since Wilson.

Just look at these likely Gingrich statements over the years:

1980:

“Jackie, Jimmy Carter is the most radical president in American history who oversees a “secular, socialist machine”. And by the way, I’ve met someone else and I want a divorce. Good luck with your cancer.”

2000:

“Marianne, Bill Clinton is the most radical president in American history who oversees a “secular, socialist machine”, and he has no moral scruples. And by the way, I’ve met someone else, who’s better in bed than you, and I want a divorce.”

2010:

Uh, good luck Callista.

(pic from here)

Talking Pyramids (Vincent Brown)

A few days ago Collins posted an update to the controversy revealing that the entrance to NC2 has recently been sealed shut with an iron gate, there by barring entry to the so-called ‘Giza Caves’.

Although from the photos the gate appears to be cemented in place and not moveable there is some speculation over whether or not this is a permanent fixture. Collins points to a padlock that can be seen still sealed in it’s plastic wrapping on the side of the gate.

The other tombs NC1 and NC3 have apperently also been fitting with similar metal gates.

See the above page for more, including a link to the full story on Collins’s website.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

Not to mention tase people, and translate doggy-speak. According to some uncovered attempts by Motorola at viral videos, that is. Seven videos show what happens when you put secret unlock codes into your Droid. Check the best out below. More »

Egypt State Information Service

Secretary-General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, Zahi Hawwas, on Wednesday 7/4/2010 urged all countries of ancient civilizations to work on stopping theft of antiquities.

In his speech at an international conference on restoring stolen antiquities that opened in Cairo Wednesday Hawwas added that Egypt managed to restore more than 5,000 stolen artifacts over the past years.

The conference is attended by 16 countries that have ancient civilizations from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

An exhibition was opened Wednesday evening at the Egyptian Museum showing artifacts that Egypt had successfully reclaimed from aboard over the past seven years.

Hawwas opened a hall at the Egyptian Museum to showcase the antiquities.

The exhibit, held on the sidelines of an international conference on restoring stolen antiquities that opened in Cairo earlier in the day, displays eleven monuments.

The colossal limestone bust of Amenhotep III was returned from London and the statue of Priest of the god Montu was also returned from the Netherlands.

Moreover, the statue of Nefer-Renpet was retrieved from Germany and three pots from Switzerland.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

“Over the past two decades, the dominant pattern in OECD countries is one of a fairly widespread increase in income inequality”, says the Stiglitz report, completed in 2009 but based on data preceding the onset of the present crisis.

This if inequality increased in the past two decades, what happened in the three years since the global economic crisis struck? Are public finances and competitiveness the only dissonant elements of the EU fabric? Or is a social alarm likely? What will be the consequences of increased inequality (in wealth, health, education, employment) on the EU cohesion? What are the links between increasing citizens’ apathy toward EU policies and the perceived unfairness of the game?

To answer this question, the European Commission, in cooperation with the Maltese government and the Spanish Presidency of the EU, organises a two day conference on Inequality Measurement and the Progress of Society.

Ferrari has officially presented the new Ferrari 599 GTO and even the pics themselves show how performance-oriented it is. Based on the 599 GTB Fiorano, the 599 GTO uses the same six-litre V12 engine but with power up to 670 hp at 8,250 rpm (an increase from 620 hp). While we haven’t seen the 599 GTO get to the magic hp number of 700, dry weight is also down to 1,495 kg for a weight-power ratio of 2.23 kg/hp. Acceleration to 100 km/hr is achieved in 3.35 seconds and top speed is more than 335 km/hr.

To achieve these performance figures, the 599 GTO has composite fibre material and the thickness of the glass used has been reduced. The transmission is lighter and the exhaust system was built using a hydroform process. The 599 GTO aerodynamics are based on those of the 599 XX and have been modified to get downforce of 144 kg at 200 km/hr. The front of the car’s width has been reduced and a new splitter added along with air vents in the bonnet to improve the oil radiator cooling. A new diffuser and rear spoiler have also been added.

The V12 engine has 670 hp and 620 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. It complies with Euro 5 norms, which is incredible if you think about the performance. High rev performance has been improved with modifications to the aspiration system and the 599 GTO has an F1, six-speed transmission with shift time of 50 milliseconds. Average fuel consumption measures 17.5 l/100 km and CO2 emissions are 411 g/km.

All that should convince us that the 599 GTO deserves its label, following in the footsteps of the 250 GTO of 1962 and the 288 GTO of 1984 (GTO meaning Gran Turismo Omologata). While a street-legal model, this Ferrari would be extremely quick around the track, in fact the figures of a Fiorano lap in just 1.24 minutes show it’s faster than a Ferrari Enzo. Other features include ten-spoke, 20-inch wheels fitted with special Michelin ‘Supersport’ tyres and carbon-ceramic brakes. We also get F1-Trac traction control and a new interface called Virtual Race Engineer (VRE) which has something to do with performance being displayed on the dash. Cool name, though.

Only 599 units of the 599 GTO will be made and the car will have its official presentation at the Beijing motor show which is a bit of a disappointment for hard-core, Italian Ferrari fans. A preview presentation strictly for (the very rich) customers who will buy this will take place at the Modena military academy on April 14th. More information such as price and market availability will be out soon, but we can only imagine that despite its purportedly high price tag, the 599 GTO will disappear very very quickly. See the press release below.

Revealed on www.ferrari.com: the new 599 GTO – The fastest ever road-going Ferrari will be unveiled to the public at the Beijing Motor Show

Maranello, 8 April – Now available on www.ferrari.com are the first photos and information on the new 599 GTO, an extreme V12 berlinetta developed to a specific performance-oriented brief. The 599 GTO is, in fact, the company’s fastest ever road car. It is an exclusive limited edition special which, in true Ferrari tradition, is a completely new concept, albeit inspired by a production car. In fact the 599 GTO is based on the 599XX, the advanced experimental track car, and can be considered almost a road-going version.

The 599 GTO is reserved for just 599 clients who seek the maximum expression of high-performance driving. The 599 GTO benefits directly from the technological transfer from racing and set a record lap time at Fiorano in 1′24″.

The Fiorano lap time provides just one indication of the potential of this car. Just as significant are the technical specifications – 670 hp in a 1495kg car represents a weight-to-power ratio of just 2.23 kg/hp, and ensures a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 3.35″ as well as a top speed of over 335 km/h.

Fundamental to the GTO’s performance is the innovative approach to chassis development which, for the first time on a production car, saw the integration between a handling set-up tuned for a level of responsiveness that is close to the limit and highly sophisticated electronic controls. The result is the almost complete absence of understeer and a truly communicative chassis.

As is Ferrari’s policy, every new Ferrari features new solutions for a road car. Thus the 599 GTO is equipped with the latest, second-generation carbon-ceramic brakes which are lighter and offer better performance, new aerodynamic innovations, such as the wheel doughnuts which increase aerodynamic efficiency as well as improve brake cooling, and the Supersport tyres developed by Michelin include a wider front tyre for greater roadholding. The driver-car interface is also new with the adoption of the Virtual Race Engineer (VRE) which provides the driver with instantaneous information on performance.

The 599 GTO’s more aggressive character is also apparent in a number of styling elements that recall the 599XX and from the powerful sound of the V12.

The GTO (Gran Turismo Omologata) moniker instantly calls to mind two Ferraris that have entered the collective imagination as symbols of performance. After the 1962 250 GTO, which swept the boards in GT racing categories in the 1960s and is now a highly prized collector’s car, came the iconic 1984 GTO, which basically invented the entire modern supercar genre.

The web special includes photos, videos and interviews on the new car, while an exclusive preview for a small number of Ferrari clients will be held on April 14th at the Military Academy in Modena. The public debut of the 599 GTO will instead be at the Beijing International Motor Show at the end of April.

599 GTO TECHNICAL CONTENTS

ENGINE AND GEARBOX

The 599 GTO’s engine is directly derived from the 599XX unit implementing, however, the necessary modifications for road-going homologation. It thus complies with Euro 5 and LEV 2 standards. The 5999 cc 65-degree V12 engine punches out 670 CV at 8250 rpm with maximum torque of 620 Nm at 6500 rpm and there is a smooth, constant rush of power all the way to the redline with no loss of flexibility even at medium and low revs. This result was obtained by working on the fluid-dynamics and components to reduce internal friction and by adopting, amongst other things, the 599XX’s redesigned crankshaft. The car also has a racing-type intake system with a new manifold with diffuser-type intake geometry and short inlet tracts designed to improve power delivery at high revs and reduce losses. To maximise volumetric efficiency per cylinder, a connection between the two plenums at the front compensates for variations in the volume. This is how the engineers managed to achieve maximum performance at high engine speeds. The engine sound inside the car is carefully controlled to balance the intake sound with the exhaust, which features a 599XX-derived 6-into-1 manifold.

The 599 GTO features the same, lower 60 ms shift times and the possibility to make multiple downshifts as on the 599XX.

VEHICLE DYNAMICS

One of the most significant innovations on the 599 GTO is the close correlation between the chassis set-up, which is close to the handling limit, and the input from the electronic controls which are developed to increase overall levels of performance.

Since the very earliest states of the two cars’ development, Maranello’s engineers worked to ensure that these two areas of the car would be seamlessly integrated thus pushing responsiveness to the limit. The result is, of course, superlative driving involvement as well as faster lap times. Apart from new springs and a stiffer rear anti-roll bar, the car also features a second generation magnetorheological suspension control system (SCM2). The suspension works in tandem with the VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) and latest-generation F1-Trac traction control. This makes the car extremely responsive to driver inputs – thanks in part to the adoption of a very direct steering ratio – but also very stable under braking, sharper on turn-in, more precise in cornering and quicker out of corners.

WEIGHT REDUCTION

The 599 GTO inherits much of the development work – using the same principles as employed in F1 – that went into making the 599XX such an extreme performance car. Reducing weight was a vital objective and the result was the widespread use of composites and components manufactured with technologies more akin to racing specifications. The areas involved include the bodywork and greenhouse (with thinner gauge aluminium and thinner glass), the brakes, transmission and exhaust system. The result is a dry weight of 1495 kg and a weight-to-power ratio of just 2.23 kg/hp, a very significant figure that underlines the GTO’s performance potential.

AERODYNAMICS

The 599 GTO’s aerodynamics have benefited significantly from Ferrari engineers’ experience in F1 and with the 599XX which allowed downforce to be greatly increased without impacting on drag. Thanks to solutions transferred from the track car to the road-going version, the GTO generates downforce of 144 kg at 200 km/h. The entire car was honed, including the front, the sides, the flat underbody and cooling flows. In the latter instance, the GTO can count on improved ducting to the brake discs and pads, and the adoption of wheel doughnuts – a disc positioned outside the brake disc that ensure that hot air exiting the wheelarch stays as close to the body of the car as possible to reduce drag.

Work on the nose of the car was aimed at reducing the width of the wake generated by the front and thus reduce drag. The front spoiler incorporates a separate lower wing that increases downforce at the front of the car and increases the flow of cooling air to the oil radiator. On the flanks there’s a new sill design with a more pronounced leading edge that improves the efficiency of the central section of the underbody. The underbody itself incorporates a new, lower front section with diffusers ahead of the front wheels to optimise downforce, and a new double-curve rear diffuser.

WHEEL RIMS AND TYRES

Here the difference in size between the front and rear tyres has been changed. The GTO’s front tyres are now 285/30 on a 9.5′’ channel with 315/35 on an 11.5′’ channel at the rear. The 599 GTO has 20′’ rims. Roll rigidity is greater at the rear to minimise understeer. These solutions guarantee improved lateral grip and quicker turn in.

BRAKES

The new CCM2 braking system is lighter and even more consistent in high performance situations. Its consistent coefficient of attrition meant that the ABS could be calibrated to a particularly high performance level, further reducing lap times, thanks to improved deceleration and shorter stopping distances. In fact, the 599 GTO boasts an excellent 100 to 0 km/h braking distance of just 32.5 metres. As well as their role in improving aerodynamics, the Formula 1-derived wheel doughnuts also improve braking efficiency by optimising brake cooling.

CAR-DRIVER INTERFACE

The car-driver interface was designed to maximise car and driver performance with a layout of the main commands that ensures absolute efficiency and minimum distraction. The Racing manettino also puts the emphasis firmly on sporty, track-specific driving settings by offering the driver full choice with regard to the electronic control parameters. The ICE position on the 599 GTB Fiorano has been replaced by CT-Off (traction control off). The GTO is also fitted with bespoke, longer carbon-fibre F1 paddles for easier use in high-speed driving. In addition the GTO also features the Virtual Race Engineer, a system that monitors the status of the car and gives the driver immediate visibility of vehicle performance.

599 GTO technical specifications

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT

Length: 4710 mm (185.4 in)

Width: 1962 mm (77.2 in)

Height: 1326 mm (52.2 in)

Wheelbase: 2750 mm (108.3 in)

Front track: 1701 mm (67.0 in)

Rear track: 1618 mm (63.7 in)

Dry weight*: 1495 kg (3296 lbs)

Kerb weight*: 1605 kg (3538 lbs)

Weight distribution: 47% front – 53% rear

Fuel tank capacity: 105 litres (27.7 US gal/23.1 UK/gal)

Boot volume: 320 litres (11.3 cu ft)

ENGINE

Type: V12 – 65°

Bore & stroke : 92 x 75.2 mm (3.62 x 2.96 in)

Unitary displacement: 499.9 cc (30.51 cu in)

Total displacement: 5999 cc (366.08 cu in)

Compression ratio: 11.2:1

Maximum power: 500 kW (670 CV) at 8250 rpm

Maximum torque : 620 Nm (457 lbs/ft) at 6500 rpm

GEARBOX

F1 6–speed + reverse

SUSPENSION

SCM2 – Magnetorheological Supension Control

TYRES

Front: 285/30 ZR20′’

Rear: 315/35 ZR20′’

CARBON-CERAMIC BRAKES

Front: 398 x 38 mm (15.7 x 1.5 in)

Rear: 360 x 32 mm (14.2 x 1.3 in)

ELECTRONIC CONTROLS

CST with F1-Trac: Traction and stability control

TPTMS: Tyre pressure and temperature monitoring system

PERFORMANCE

Maximum speed: over 335 km/h (over 208 mph)

0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) : 3.35 sec

FUEL CONSUMPTION

Combined cycle (ECE)*: 17.5 l/100 km

CO2 EMISSIONS

Combined cycle (ECE)*: 411 g/km

*European version