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Me too, though being in the UK I tend to watch more Formula 1. As part of my job I often come across cool pieces of work done by our customers that we can’t publicise the work for reasons of confidentiality.

This work by Voxdale is an exception though. It was done a couple of years back, not that long after Voxdale was founded, which makes it all the more impressive, and was done for Champ Car, now merged with Indy Car. The project was to optimize the existing Panoz chassis for Conquest Racing’s Champ Car – now unified with Indy Car.

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Pop singing sweetheart Jesse McCartney has pissed off one very bitter former flame, The NY Post’s Page Six Column claims. The tabloid has reportedly obtained a photo of what they believe is the 22-year-old singer/actor sprawled nude across a bed with a G-string made of candy covering his genitals.

“An ex of his took it and has been sending it around,” says a spy.

A lawyer for the Greek star had this to say about the naked picture: “Mr. McCartney did not knowingly participate in the taking of this photo and did not consent to the taking of such a photo. In addition, the alleged photo of Mr. McCartney appears to have been manipulated and doctored by computer software.”

We’ll keep you posted….

I feel like every day I read something that tells me watching TV or being on a computer is going to rot my brain, but this morning was the first time I heard a positive study that said spending lots of time on social networking sites didn’t have any negative effect on students’ grades. So all that time I spent finely tuning my Facebook skills in college was apparently not making me any dumber.

Plus the study found that many students who used social networking sites used them for educational reasons or to hunt down job opportunities. It’s all about who you know in the job market these days and students might be able to expand those networks through sites like Facebook and Twitter.

If you’re looking to build your social network to include more educational and informative sources, I’d recommend following USA.gov and Pueblo.gsa.gov on Twitter (twitter.com/usagov and twitter.com/pueblo81009) or become our fans on Facebook (facebook.com/USAgov and facebook.com/pueblo81009). We post updates several times a week on topics that are both newsworthy and interesting. You’ll get information on the latest recalls, how to apply for student loans or grants and important health advisories.

If you find the information helpful, make sure you share it with your friends on your own social networks.

He says, “It was created last summer, but it didn’t find a way to the public until now. Since recently, it’s been on display at a designshop here in Belgium. With the nice girls of KAP32.

It’s a pendant lamp made from 15 cat/dog food bowls (Bastis), some lamps and wiring. I named it ‘Bäsil’ after my cat. The pictures speak for themselves.”

Much of the old guard news and publishing industry has been critical of the Internet, bloggers, search engines, news aggregators and pretty much anyone else they can point their finger at for, allegedly, creating the financial problems most of those organizations find themselves in. Looking at their own organization and figuring what the problems are and h… (read more)

In an open invitation on the TTXGP website, the organization’s founder Azhar Hussain asked racing fans to help create the needed rulebook for the competition. Though Hussain thanks Jim Parker of the ACU, Royce Creasey and the IET/TTXGP Technical Panel for the help they gave in setting the 2009 rules, he is convinced that the current committee based system is destined to fail TTXGP for the longer term.

"It was an incredible 2009 for TTXGP and as we launch into the next phase of the journ… (read more)

While the Chinese government will attempt to tighten its monetary policy in 2010, it will likely be too little too late, according to latest research from Goldman Sachs’ Helen Qiao. This means Chinese inflation could explode:

Goldman: We see increasing risks of stronger aggregate demand and higher inflation. We believe the rapid recovery in external demand and stimulus from insufficient monetary tightening in the near future will likely cause the output gap to close and turn positive earlier than we previously expected. As demand growth outstrips its long-term potential, especially when measured by industrial and electricity production (given the complication of GDP reporting), inflationary pressures will likely build. While we believe policymakers have already started to adopt tightening measures to absorb liquidity and will probably resume control on loan extensions soon, the pace and magnitude of the tightening could still be insufficient to rein in inflationary pressures.

We raise our inflation forecasts due to the deteriorating outlook on the growth-inflation nexus. A review of the output gap and CPI inflation data since 2000 reveals a consistently positive relationship known as the Phillips Curve (see Exhibit 5). Based on this relationship, we adjust our 2010 CPI inflation forecast to 3.5% yoy from 2.4% yoy, and expect PPI inflation to reach 5.5% yoy.

Implications? Risk of a Chinese economic hard-landing caused by over-tighting is minimal at this stage given that current efforts to control inflationary forces are so far behind the curve, and economic growth so robust. Check out the latest electricity production data from the same Goldman piece:

Is it just us or is every major house arguing that Chinese liquidity won’t go away any time soon?

Goldman: We continue to believe timely and effective policy tightening is warranted at this stage and the risk of over-tightening remains limited. We have argued that policy remains too loose, not too tight (see Why we continue to like AEJ currencies: it’s still “Broader, Deeper and Tighter” but accelerating inflation and exports add further fuel post-payrolls, Asia Views, January 11, 2010), and are of the view that the policy moves the central bank launched recently help reduce the risk of a policy mistake (of doing too little and too late). While policymakers may impose credit quotas again soon, we still believe it will take them more than another month to decide whether to adopt a full-scale tightening. This therefore leaves the risks to inflation and growth on the upside.

(Via Goldman Sachs, Asia Economics Analyst, Michael Buchanan, Helen Qiao for China, 14 January 2010)

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See Also:

• Goldman Employees: Please Bring Cans Of Food To Work Today
• BREAKING: Goldman Sachs Linked To Jersey Shore’s "The Situation"
• Why The Goldman "Front Running" Memo Is A Total Non-Story

Margaritas, Daiquiris, Whiskey Sours, Sidecars… With their perfect balance of tart and sweet, drinks belonging to the boozy, citrus-y sours family have always been some of my very favorites. But up until this week, there was one classic sour I still hadn’t tried making at home: the Jack Rose cocktail.

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Article Tags: ClimateGate, CO2 Level, Ferenc Miskolczi

For years now, we have been told that science is dedicatedly attempting to find out how the Earth’s Climate works. With all possible seriousness, the most publically vocal of these scientists, those working for the UN’s IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), have for the last several years blamed the warming they “found” on Carbon Dioxide. With the release of the CRU (Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia) e-mail database, it is very clearly apparent that the scientists involved with the IPCC were doctoring data to give a specific result. That result was designed to look as if CO2 was causing climate change, warming the earth due to human activities. It can be reported now that this theory has been solidly disproven by Dr. Ferenc Miskolczi, and his work will make history.

Constants

To give context to this discovery, a short lesson in science is needed. The term “Constant” is very well known in science. Simply put, it is a part of an equation (an equation is merely a mathematical sentence, the Variables are the words) that does not change; they are specific and represent solid concepts. You may have heard of Bohr’s Constant, Hubble ’s Constant, Avogadro’s Constant, there are many of them. There is a new Constant; one that has not been named, but if history is any guide it will be called the Miskolczi Constant, named for the physicist who discovered it.

Source: familysecuritymatters.org

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Has the New York Times (NYT) finally started charging people to read its news online? Not yet.

But it sure looks like they do if you visit Apple’s iTunes store, which is selling two different New York Times iPhone apps at 99 cents a pop.

The Times has nothing to do with either app, each of which is called the “New York Times Mobile Reader”. Each app is supposed to do the same thing: Spit out the paper, along with other Web content like podcasts, in iPhone-friendly form.

You’d think the Times would want Apple (AAPL) to remove the mini-programs, if only to protect the value of the paper’s own app, which is both free and very good.

And when I pointed out the apps to a Times spokeswoman on Tuesday, she asked around and later confirmed that the two apps “are not authorized and our legal department is looking into the matter.” But as of Thursday morning, the apps are still there, ranked #14 and #18 on Apple’s list of top paid news apps.

As Josh Quittner notes, hijacking publishers’ names and content and turning them into paid apps isn’t uncommon at iTunes. I count at least 8 apps along these lines among the top paid news apps at the online store.

But it shouldn’t be that hard for Apple to put the kibosh on this stuff. For instance: It ought to be fairly obvious that developer Chad Rivoli, who has produced one of the “New York Times” apps — along with ones that boast brands like CNET, Fox News, the BBC and the Drudge Report — isn’t authorized to do so.

But Apple’s approach to this is weirdly passive. Here’s the statement I got from Apple PR’s Trudy Muller yesterday:

As an IP holder ourselves, we understand the importance to developers of protecting their IP. We have a process in the App Store for developers to alert us to possible IP infringement. When we’re notified, our policy includes the removal of the infringing app until a resolution is reached between the parties.

If this approach sounds familiar, it’s because it sounds a lot like the one that Google (GOOG) takes to YouTube copyright complaints: Put it up, then take it down if someone complains.

But in Google’s case, the company claims it has no idea what people are uploading to YouTube — anyone can throw anything up there. And that approach may well be protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (we’ll see). But Apple knows exactly what it’s selling via iTunes, because it approves each new app individually.

Maybe the Times isn’t hell-bent on griping to Apple because it has other priorities, like working with Apple on something for the upcoming wondertablet. And maybe every other publisher whose stuff is getting repurposed for profit doesn’t want to bother Apple either. Hard to believe there is really big money being made here, after all.

All I know is that this situation wouldn’t last long at all on the regular Internet: Good luck starting a “New York Times” Web site and charging people to visit — or even just linking to the paper while using its iconic “T”.

What’s different about iTunes?

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S’mores from the waffle maker? Oh yeah! Plus “S’moreffle” is fun to say (rhymes with “snorkel”?).

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The Audi R4 will be based on the Audi E-Tron presented at the NAIAS Detroi Auto Show, and will be the next couple sports model placed between the TT and the R8 in the Audi line-up. That’s not to indicate, though, that it will be like the original E-Tron seen at the Frankfurt motor show, as it will have quite a different body shape rather than being a modified version of the R8.

The Audi R4 will be equipped with both four and six cylinder TFSI engines combined with electric motors. The batteries located directly behind the cabin should guarantee better weight distribution than the original E-Tron, but will still remain faithful to the technical philosophy of four electric motors per wheel.

According to reports from the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Audi could also extend the ‘E-Tron’ name to include a full range of electric vehicles, without differentiating among segments. This would follow the history of the ‘Quattro’ name in the 1980’s, and would create greater identity for this kid on the block.

Source | Inside Line

Pizza with honey? Sound strange to you? Well, this pizza with chevre and honey actually looks so good!

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Angelina Jolie, vixen/mother of six, may not be as tough as we think.

Five years after Brad Pitt left Jen and began dating his Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-star Angelina, the two women still can’t stand to be in the same room together. Brangelina have turned down an invitation to the Golden Globes next month, even though Brad’s film Inglorious Basterds is nominated for three prizes. The official reason is that Brad can’t be bothered because he isn’t up for an acting award, but an insider tell OK! Magazine that the real reason is because Angelina is “frightened” of Jennifer. In fact, tattles say Angie is terrified of an encounter with her man’s ex-wife.

“Angie knows everyone would be looking for any interaction with Jen,” the source says. “As strong as she may look, she’s actually very scared of Jen.”

The Valentino Rossi coming to Ducati saga seems to have some new chapters in store for the 2010 season of the MotoGP, as it has become a bit of a controversial topic at the helm of the Marlboro Ducati Team.

According to Italian website GPOne.com, Ducati president Gabriele del Torchio and the team’s general manager Claudio Domenicali don’t seem to agree on the 2011 lineup of the Italian bike maker. Asked by reporters what is his view on Ducati signing 7-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi fo… (read more)

The final quarter of 2009 was the year’s strongest for pc sales. According to IDC, the number of PCs shipped in the October-December quarter rose 15.2 percent from a year earlier. And according to Gartner, it rose 22.1 percent — the strongest quarter over quarter growth the market has experienced in the last seven years.

“These preliminary results indicate the recovery of the PC market on a global level,” said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. “The U.S. and Asia/Pacific had already shown positive indicators last quarter, however the fourth quarter 2009 results were more concrete evidence of the recovery.”

Signs that the econalypse is coming to an end seem to have loosed the pent-up demand that’s been building over the past year and most of the major PC manufacturers benefited — particularly Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) which — with either 20.7 percent (IDC) or 19.8 percent (Gartner) market share worldwide remains the PC leader. Also faring particularly well in Q4, Acer whose strong netbook sales pushed it to second place behind HP with market share of 13.4 percet according to IDC and 13.5 percent according to Gartner.

And the rest of the industry’s big players? Dell (DELL) ranked third with a worldwide market share that fell to 12.5 percent from 13.6 percent a year ago, according to IDC — or to 11.5 percent from 13.3 percent, according to Gartner. Lenovo and Toshiba ranked fourth and fifth, according to both firms, which put the former’s market share at around 9 percent and the latter’s well above 5 percent.

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Porsche has released the 911 GT3 R racecar today, at 2010 Birmingham Motor Show. The car was announced in November 2009, for the 2010 motorsport season, as it will replace the 911 GT3 Cup S and will be entered in races which follow FIA GT3 regulations.

As you already know, it is based on the 3.8 liter 911 GT3 Cup, but its six cylinder boxer engine has a 0.2 liter larger displacement which brings a 30 HP premium, making a total of 480HP. These have to carry around 1,200 kg and are assisted by… (read more)

The number of new small businesses collapsed especially hard in the U.S. during 2009, when compared to other major nations notes Phil Izzo at Real Time Economics (Via The Economist). New ventures fell 24%:

Admittedly it’s odd how badly the U.S. did relative to other nations. Perhaps the sharp apparent drop was due to the fact that the U.S. was falling from a high base given that it’s a well known small business-driven economy. Regardless, as dire as 2009 was for many, 25% of entrepreneurs see the recent crisis as an opportunity to make money, so all is not lost:

Real Time Economics: “What surprised me was that as much as one in four new entrepreneurs in wealthy countries believed that the global slowdown had created more opportunities for their business, not less. This is a significant and interesting group. They are more likely to be young, well-educated and expect to create a lot of jobs for others.”

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See Also:

• Small Business Inventories: The New Normal?
• Small Business Conditions Horrible Again In December, And That’s A Bleak Sign For Employment
• Small Business Bankruptcies Shoot Up 81% In California