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Mazda today revealed the first images and details of its new 2011 Mazda5, which will make its world debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in two months. Totally redesigned for 2011, the Mazda5 now features the big happy face Nagare design as seen on the Mazda3.

“The all-new Mazda5 meets the many needs of today’s customers,” said Hideki Matsuoka, the Mazda5 program manager. “In a single model, we offer the competitive eco-performance necessary to address current market trends together with our distinctive, emotional design. The Mazda5 features outstanding functionality with sliding rear doors and multiple seat arrangements, and it delivers fantastic comfort with a linear and smooth ride that responds precisely as the driver intends.”

In Europe, the Mazda5 will emit approximately 15 percent less CO2 than the current model thanks to Mazda’s “i-stop” start / stop system. Engine options will include a 1.8L gasoline engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and a 2.0L direct-injection gasoline engine.

U.S. sales will start shortly after.

Make the jump for the press release.

2011 Mazda5:

Press Release:

All-New Mazda5 to Premiere at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show

HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation will hold the global premiere of the all-new Mazda5 (known as the Mazda Premacy in Japan) during the press days of the 2010 Geneva Motor Show on March 2 and 3, 2010. Embracing dynamic and elegant Nagare design, the new Mazda5 emits approximately 15 percent less CO2 than the current model thanks to Mazda’s “i-stop” idling stop system, a direct injection gasoline engine and other technologies. European sales of the all-new Mazda5 will commence during fall 2010.

The new Mazda5 features an emotional design that blends elegance with a dynamic spirit. It will be the first Mazda production model to fully adopt Mazda’s Nagare (meaning “flow” in Japanese) design language, which finds inspiration in the beauty of flows found in nature. Nagare design has appeared in certain elements of recent production models and was previously showcased through a series of concept cars. The new Mazda5’s design achieves excellent aerodynamic characteristics with an outstanding drag coefficient and lift balance. In order to meet wide-ranging customer requirements, it also offers a high level of functionality, with dual sliding rear doors and multiple seat arrangements. This includes a karakuri second-row center seat that can be converted to a versatile storage space. With a sportier and smoother ride, the new Mazda5 responds precisely to the driver’s commands, enabling the whole family to travel in comfort and security.

Based on its long-term vision for technology development, Sustainable Zoom-Zoom, Mazda is striving to improve the eco-friendly performance of its products. Whether stuck in traffic or cruising on the highway, the all-new Mazda5 with 2.0L direct injection gasoline engine and i-stop significantly reduces CO2 emissions thanks to the effective combination of i-stop, the high combustion efficiency provided by direct injection, and a six-speed manual transmission with optimized gear ratios. The new Mazda5 cuts CO2 emissions by roughly 15 percent compared to the model it replaces and provides a more comfortable ride with linear and smooth performance characteristics. It is now one of the most eco-friendly minivans in its class in Europe.

The new Mazda5’s green credentials are further enhanced by its other available powertrains, which include a 1.8L gasoline engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

Officially titled the 80e Salon International de l’Auto, the Geneva International Motor Show press days are March 2 and 3, and the public days are March 4 through 14. Mazda will hold its press conference on Tuesday, March 2.

Mazda’s exhibits at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show

– By: Kap Shah

What happens when you combine an “old school” netbook with cutting edge mobile broadband? You get a subsidized netbook deal with WiMAX, of course! Liliputing caught an eyeful of just such a deal on the Clear website. And if you live in a WiMAX coverage area, it’s actually more compelling than a subsidized netbook with today’s 3G technologies. That’s due to the lower pricing of WiMAX as compared to EVDO or HSPA. Clear offers a two year deal with this netbook at $45 a month, but the first six months are discounted down to $30 each. That brings your total data charges to $990 over 24 months, which is a far cry from the $1,440 cost of traditional data plans. But about that netbook…

Turns out that your subsidized hardware is long in the tooth. For $199 after rebate and subsidies, you end up with a Samsung NC-10. Now that device is by no means a bad one — it offers six hours of battery life, a 160 GB hard drive, 1 GB of RAM and 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270. The thing is, the new Atom netbooks are already appearing as the N270 is nearing it’s end of life. Pity that Clear couldn’t work a deal for something slightly newer.

Still, the NC-10 is quite capable and with this deal, you can save yourself nearly $500 in data fees over time — provided you have 4G coverage, of course. What would make this deal even more compelling would the inclusion of a dual radio for both 3G and 4G. Sprint is already offering adapters and mobile hotspots with this technology — it would make the netbook usable in far more areas.

Related GigaOM Pro Content: The Future of Netbooks

Housing starts dropped 4% in December, in a sharp reversal compared to November’s +10.7% jump.

—

HOUSING STARTS Privately-owned housing starts in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 557,000. This is 4.0 percent (±9.3%)* below the revised November estimate of 580,000, but is 0.2 percent (±11.5%)* above the December 2008 rate of 556,000. Single-family housing starts in December were at a rate of 456,000; this is 6.9 percent (±8.5%)* below the revised November figure of 490,000. The December rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 92,000. An estimated 553,800 housing units were started in 2009. This is 38.8 percent (±1.4%) below the 2008 figure of 905,500.

newresconst

See the Commerce Department release here >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Zillow Booming During The Housing Downturn
• Homebuilders Index Slips Again In January, Confirming The Housing Double Dip
• The Evidence Piles Up That Housing Is Double Dipping

Man, Warren Buffett is not happy about Kraft’s (KFT) acquisition of Cadbury.

Kraft is now off 2%, after the Berkshire Hathaway CEO told CNBC that he would vote “no” on the Cadbury deal if he could, and that the directors acted irresponsibly when they proposed to issue more stock for the deal.

Specifically, he was angry about the fact that the 78-page proxy didn’t once mention whether the directors felt that Kraft shares were undervalued, and since you’re issuing more shares, you should be able to say whether you’re getting fair value for them.

So the question is: will Buffett sell his Kraft shares? Probably not, because he says the stock is still undervalued.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Buffett: We’re Not Hiring New People Because Our Order Book Still Sucks
• LIVE: Warren Buffett Talks Wells Fargo, The Economy, And The Bernanke On CNBC
• It’s Official: Cadbury Surrenders To Kraft’s Sweetened Offer

No description for this product could be found, but have a look over at Amazon for reviews and other information.

This afternoon First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver remarks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 78th Winter Meeting at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington. DC. She will address the problem of childhood obesity and the devastating impact it has on the health of the nation and communities around the country. Mrs Obama will be recognizing the important role mayors play in pursuing comprehensive solutions to improve children’s health.

One of the tenants of the Obama Administration, concerning health care, is a focus on preventative measures that can be taken in an effort to alleviate some diseases. The First Lady has been at the forefront of prevention with her focus on healthy eating, the promotion of local, organically grown produce, and now childhood obesity. We here at MOW applaud Mrs Obama willingness to tackle such a challenging issue.

More to come …

Posted by Aminah Hanan

L’heure de la phase II a sonné pour le discret Mazda 5. Le constructeur n’y est pas allé de main morte et le « 5″ ressort transifguré, esthetiquement en tous cas, de l’opération.

–> Le Mazda 5 restylé sera présenté à Genève en mars prochain. Histoire de teaser un peu sur son grand monospace, la firme diffuse quelques photos en avant-première. Le nouveau style du « 5″ s’harmonise avec le reste de la gamme, et prend même de profil un air de précurseur de l’évolution de Mazda, avec cette ligne en vague, qu’on devrait retrouver sur d’autres modèles à venir. Le constructeur nomme ce style « Nagare flow », du nom du concept car de 2006.

-Côté technique, quelques évolutions déjà révélées:

• Le 2.0 Diesel DISI de 143cv. voit sa conso, et donc ses rejets de CO², diminuer de 15% ( 6,1l. en cycle mixte ). Il bénéficiera désormais d’un stop&start et d’une boite manuelle à 6 rapports.
• Le 1,8 essence devrait voir lui aussi ses consommations évoluer à la baisse ( pas de chiffres ), avec l’adjonction d’une boite manuelle 6 en lieu et place de la 5 vitesses actuelle.

-Le « 5″ conserve bien entendu ses portes coulissantes, mais Mazda annonce une évolution de sa modularité intérieure, le système maison « karakuri » ne donnant pas entière satisfaction.

–> Si le restyling parait très convaincant à l’intérieur, bien qu’une seule photo de la planche de bord, toute nouvelle, soit diffusée, l’extérieur est peut-être moins convaincant. Bien sur le style évolue en profondeur et peut séduire, mais les portes coulissantes sont toujours aussi pénalisantes à ce niveau (rails). Bien sur, comme toujours avec les photos de nouveaux modèles, à confirmer en live…

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… materials to higher value hydrocarbon-based fuels or carbon materials, announced today a Joint Venture to develop, build, own and operate several facilities with Phoenix Renewable Energy for the processing of scrap tires. The JV will have rights …

Take a look at our blogroll. Do a Google search for “BlackBerry blog.” You’ll notice tons and tons of them. Why so many blogs, then, devoted to one topic? Because we all approach it from different angles. This is nice for readers, who can pick the one that best fits their BlackBerry needs. Plus, since we tend to interlink, you can keep up with most others as well. It’s great for the bloggers, too. No one person can think of everything. I love reading the stable of BlackBerry blogs because it gives me ideas for BBGeeks posts, both directly and indirectly. Today’s is a direct influence, from Robb at RIMarkable, one of the good guys in the blogosphere. He has an excellent tip for quickly and easily sending contact information to any email address or BlackBerry user.

(more…)

Despite a relatively solid beginning to 2010, investors may be longing now for the easy months that followed the worst point of the bear market last year.Investors found it difficult to go wrong in the stock market in 2009.

Most categories of stocks rose, and growth stocks, in particular, were an easy bet as investors began to anticipate an economic recovery and bought technology, retailing and energy companies.

But now, after riding growth stocks, companies that have the fastest-growing earnings and revenue, investors have hesitated.

The strong rally ahead of the current earnings-reporting season “has investors wondering if fourth-quarter-earnings expectations have gotten too lofty, and if companies will be able to beat by enough to keep the rally going,” said David Bianco, chief U.S. equity strategist for Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

In 2009, growth stocks in the Russell 3000 index, which makes up nearly all U.S. stocks, were a clear standout, providing a 34.6 percent advance compared with 16.4 in the Russell 3000 value index. Among the large stocks in the Russell 1000, growth also outperformed.

But investors have seemed less sure of growth stocks lately as they have digested still-high unemployment figures and attempts by China’s government to slow growth somewhat.

The Russell 3000 growth stock index is up 2.8 percent this year, compared with the value index’s 3.9 percent advance.

And as they move from one type of stock to another during the recent uncertainty, market watchers are struggling to find a trend that investors can latch onto with conviction.

“The only clear trend is the lack of leadership,” the Leuthold Group said in a recent report to clients.

With the churn from one sector to another, Tuesday’s beneficiaries were health care stocks, which are growth stocks that have lagged recently.

They rose about 2 percent as a group, as investors grasped at relatively cheap stocks that they speculated could be beneficiaries if a U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts prevents Democrats from enacting a health care overhaul.

Other recent winners have been tobacco stocks, which are more insulated from frugal consumer behavior than companies that sell discretionary products. Technology stocks that were hot late last year lost some steam last week.

Read the original article from Tribune News Services.

Filed under: Government/Legal, Technology, Chevrolet, Electric

The onslaught of electric vehicles expected to hit the market over the next five years, such as the Chevrolet Volt (pictured above), is keeping many local power utilities up at night. The dilemma has to do with the power supply – more specifically, how to feed the increased demand on the grid down to the household level.

There isn’t really a shortage of power, experts say. However, while your electric company has built the infrastructure to keep your microwave, HDTV and computer all running simultaneously without dimming the kitchen lights, an anticipated flood of innovative all-electric cars concurrently guzzling electrons off the system in private garages may lead to household circuit breakers tripping and street corner transformers burning out.

Not to worry, say the utilities. While it is a challenge that they must address, there is something working in their favor… cost. As is often the case with new technologies, the high selling price of the early all-electric cars (expected to hit $40,000 or more… or less) allows the power companies to anticipate which neighborhoods need upgrading first – now, that’s electrifying insight.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Report: Power companies need to upgrade grid to prepare for electric cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you want a clear example of just how convoluted the entire music industry is right now, it doesn’t get any better than the latest video from the band-turned-Internet sensation OK Go which YouTube helped make famous. They’ve got a new album coming out and naturally they want to promote it with a new video as well. This is whe… (read more)

Ducati’s British division launched today a ‘one-make series’ based on Ducati’s 848 Superbike. Dubbed the 848 Challenge, the series include fifteen races, eight rounds, four world championship circuits, two overseas rounds and two thousand pounds worth of Ducati Corse Riding Gear.

The 848 Challenge race series will be run over eight rounds, six in the UK and two in Europe incorporating four world championship circuits. Each of the UK rounds will host two races. Misano will also hold two… (read more)

As an employer of nearly a quarter of a million folks, Warren Buffett has a great sense of the hiring situation in the US.

In his interview on CNBC, which we’ve got full coverage of here, he explains pretty simply why he’s not in the mood to hire: sales still suck.

“We’re worrying about hiring people because of what’s going in our order book… we’re not getting orders yet.”

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• LIVE: Warren Buffett Talks Wells Fargo, The Economy, And The Bernanke On CNBC
• Sorry, Folks, There’s No Way You Can "Invest Like Warren Buffett"
• In Just The Last Week, Job Creation And Business Confidence Tumbled Again

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/shiller69

Like xkcd, I have been known to marvel at the compact efficiency of modern flash storage, but I’d never sleep with it. Not sober, at least. [xkcd]

by Roger Alford

Paul Caron at Tax Prof Blog has just published the annual rankings for law professor blogs. There is some very useful information, including overall traffic numbers and details on which blogs are growing and declining in numbers. (Opinio Juris is now ranked 16th overall and is among the top ten in percentage annual increases).

As I have reported before, it is one thing to have good traffic numbers and another to be well read. Here are the rankings of the stickiest law professor blogs (with Caron’s rankings in parenthesis):

1. 3:30 Althouse (3)
2. 3:10 Jack Bog’s Blog (9)
3. 2:40 Antitrust & Competition Policy Blog (34)
4. 2:35 Election Law Blog (33)
5. 2:27 Mirror of Justice (28)
6. 2:25 The Right Coast (19)
7. 2:23 Sentencing Law & Policy (11)
8. 2:21 Religion Clause (24)
9. 2:17 Sports Law Blog (25)
10. 2:15 Legal History Blog (27)
11. 2:13 Dissenting Justice (26)
12. 2:10 Prawfsblawg (13)
13. 2:05 Faculty Lounge (15)
14. 2:01 Opinio Juris (16)
15. 2:00 Balkinization (14)
16. 1:49 Patently-O (7)
17. 1:46 The Conglomerate (22)
18. 1:41 Immigration Prof Blog (23)
19. 1:40 White Collar Crime Prof Blog (20)
20. 1:40 Workplace Prof Blog (17)
21. 1:36 Legal Profession Blog (31)
22. 1:29 Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog (21)
23. 1:22 Concurring Opinions (11)
24. 1:16 Legal Writing Prof Blog (30)
25. 1:15 CrimProf Blog (32)
26. 1:13 Leiter Law School Reports (12)
27. 1:07 Ideoblog (29)
28. 1:06 Discourse.net (18)
29. 1:04 Leiter Reports: Philosophy (6)
30. 0:32 Hugh Hewitt (4)
30. 0:32 Tax Prof Blog (5)
32. 0:31 Volokh Conspiracy (2)
33. 0:23 Legal Insurrection (8)
34. 0:00 Instapundit (1)