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Posted by Nick Fletcher Tuesday 12 January 2010 09.01 GMT guardian.co.uk

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One of the first electric vehicle charging networks in the world has been opened by Coulomb Technologies in Lincoln City yesterday. The network will eventually comprise six stations located in and around the coastal town of Lincoln City and is to be used to allow consumers to charge their electric vehicles as they would a normal, internal combustion powered one.

"We have identified three great locations where a charge can be done easily and quickly, while drivers enjoy the a… (read more)

There is no doubt that the Chinese market is growing and, alongside the whole sector, the local manufacturers are becoming more important players for the global industry. The top Chinese carmakers have already announced their plans to expand operations in both the US and Europe, with some of them even making the first steps in this direction.

But what sets BYD apart from the rest of the Chinese auto sector is the long-term expectations. While most companies are hoping to increase … (read more)

(This guest post originally appeared at the author’s blog)

Strategists at JP Morgan have done a remarkable job connecting the dots between the real economy and the equity market rebound.  After diving into the reflation trade before it became popular they they then altered their trading strategy from the reflation trade to the recovery trade (see JPM’s top trades for 2010 here).  They continue to believe the recovery trade is viable:

In a sense, we are moving from asset reflation trade (where yields on all assets fall, i.e. all assets perform) to the recovery trade (where bond yields rise reflecting improving growth backdrop and equities move higher).

In this environment they see more moderate equity performance supported by an economic and earnings recovery:

We remain buyers of equities and think the near term backdrop is supportive of significant further gains. We expect a strong Q4 earnings season, accompanied by topline growth and not just bottom line delivery. The improvement in labour markets is adding to the sustainability of economic recovery and key central banks are not expected to rock the boat anytime soon.

Yields are likely to move higher as the dollar rallies and investors move money into equities after a record setting reallocation into bonds.  The dollar could rally in tandem with equities (as we’ve seen over the last few weeks):

As we argued in mid December, when we closed our tactical 3-month long call for a range-bound market, we believe we could be transitioning to a new regime, reflected in rising bond yields, potentially stabilising USD and rising equities. The last year’s inverse correlation between USD and stocks could break, with a return to the typical positive historical correlation.

In this rising rate recovery environment JP Morgan points to an interesting correlation between cyclicals and rising yields.   They find that cyclicals (tech, discretionary, materials and industrials) tend to outperform defensive stocks during periods of rising yields.  Defensive sectors (pharma, telecom, utilities and staples), on the other hand, show a negative correlation with rising yields.

Source: JPM

Read more market commentary at The Pragmatic Capitalist — >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• JPMorgan: Short The Dollar, Buy AAA CMBS, And Go Long Emerging Market Credit In 2010
• JPMorgan: The Global Recovery Stalled In November
• JPMorgan: Keep Shorting The Dollar, And Keep Betting On High-Beta, Risky Stocks

A rep for Twilight actor Taylor Lautner has dismissed an internet rumor claiming the young hunk died after an alleged drug overdose. Bogus rumors suggesting the 17-year-old star had passed away began circulating widely on Monday after it was reported on a number of internet blogs and by users on social-networking site Twitter.com.

The death reports alleged Lautner died at a Hollywood party after accidentally overdosing on cocaine.

A spokesperson for Twilight film studio Summit Entertainment has moved quickly to confirm that Lautner is still alive, insisting, “This is a hoax.”

If you’re a cat owner, you know that keeping the rascally furballs off the counter can be an exercise in defeat. And getting dinner ready can get a little exasperating when there’s a curious little nose poking into the thawing meat or sniffing a bowl of shredded cheese. Here’s what we do to keep our sanity!

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A battle is brewing between Google and Facebook over online identity. Both companies offer tools which enable users to log into various sites using their existing credentials, either with Facebook Connect or through Google Friend Connect. Facebook has been winning over the big sites, but Google has more sway with those looking for a more open approach… (read more)

Formula One returnee engine supplier Cosworth announced earlier today that it has already made available for shipping the first engines for the 2010 F1 championship to the teams it will partner through the duration of the upcoming season.

In 2010, no less than 5 F1 teams will use Cosworth powerplant for their operations, including newcomers Lotus F1 Team, Campos Meta, Virgin Racing, US F1 and British team Williams F1. Frank Williams decided to terminate his team’s engine deal with… (read more)

With the official market release of the Nissan Leaf getting closer by the day, the Japanese carmaker announced yesterday it has selected AeroVironment (AV) as the main provider of home-charging stations and installation services for the EV.

"Nissan is committed to bringing zero-emission mobility to the United States, and around the world," Carlos Tavares, Nissan Americas chairman said in a release.

"A part of that commitment is delivering a one-stop … (read more)

Eco Factor: Concept research station to be built using MD-80 aircraft fuselage.

The MD-80/DC-9 series of jets are losing their place within the fleets of the world’s major airlines, due to the development of more efficient and large aircraft. Researchers predict that within a few years, most of these aircraft will be retired, which will lead to 12 million kg of waste.

(more…)

During his opening monologue, Conan O’Brien poked fun at the late night lineup shift shaking up NBC.

NBC announced this weekend that it is ditching Jay Leno’s primetime program, paving the way to tentatively push it back to 11:35, moving Conan O’Brien’s show to midnight. Conan has yet to sign on to NBC’s decision and is reportedly being wooed by the FOX network. The comedian joked Monday that he had plently of career “options.”

Among the choices:

-Star in a Lifetime Original Movie about a woman trapped in an abusive relationship with her network.

-Move to FOX and follow their hit “24” with a new show called “24:05.”

Conan did have one jab at Leno, saying, he could “Convince NBC to let me keep this time slot if I can gain 10 pounds of chin…..”

Llamativo cuando menos el sistema patentado por Google para insertar publicidad en servicios de mapas, en particular en Google Street View: detección automática de las vallas publicitarias y sustitución de su contenido dentro de su servicio por anuncios actualizados. Como indican en R/W, esto abre un escenario que parece perfectamente razonable: eres el dueño de un teatro o cine y quieres que en Street View se vean las obras que ofreces actualmente, pero también otro un poco más polémico si se abre la posibilidad a que sea tu competencia la que puje por el espacio virtual que simula tu valla publicitaria.

De momento la patente no es más que eso, una patente. Los debates sobre si Google Street View puede modificar la realidad que representa por motivos comerciales y sí están dispuestos a enfadar a todos los que comercializan y gestionan este tipo de anuncios en el mundo real llegarán más adelante. Sólo un último apunte, hace más de tres años Microsoft ya planteaba un mecanismo similar aunque con carteles que flotaban sobre edificios.

I would like to start by wishing everybody a happy and peaceful New Year.

Last year, the Care and Support Green Paper, the Big Care Debate consultation and the Government’s plan for free personal care put care and support at the top of the public and political agenda.

But this is only a starting point on the long road towards creating a National Care Service for all adults in England that is fair, easy to understand and makes it easier to access services.

There are still many challenges ahead as we work to create a National Care Service that guarantees that everyone will get at least some of their care paid for by the State.

We also want to guarantee consistent assessment – so you get a fair package wherever you live, whatever you need. And we want to guarantee high quality, personalised care packages built around each person’s particular needs.

An element of the National Care Service is about prevention, about building a system that’s geared to help people stay independent and stay in their own home for as long as possible.
To achieve this, public services and councils need to continue their excellent recent work, such as the ongoing studies on the effectiveness of telehealth and telecare, and of re-ablement.

They must push forward with programmes such as Joint Improvement Partnerships, Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships, and the Partnerships for Older People Projects, continuing to transform the workforce and build services that genuinely fit around people’s individual needs is imperative.

It means breaking down the walls between social services, housing and health departments so that people get a more complete package of support.

It means getting into the habit of stepping in early so that people are helped long before their condition deteriorates.

And it means being more innovative in the way we deliver care services. It means finding the tipping point where the traditional models of care give way to much more enlightened and diverse options, based around people having real choice and control through personal budgets.

That’s the vision, the challenges we face arise from how we make it a reality.

– Of how do we pay for all this in a fair, sustainable way?
– How do we deliver on these promises in a consistent way?
– How do we use the full range of resources at our disposal?
– How do we draw together statutory provision, with third sector and independent involvement in the best way?
– And how do we also nurture the absolutely fundamental role that friends and family play in supporting older people?

The care and support White Paper, due for publication this year, will spell out our answers to these questions – in response to last year’s Big Care Debate consultation.

2009 was a big year for the care and support sector, and it is up to us to make sure that all of the good work comes to fruition in 2010.

The 2010 Detroit Auto Show has just kicked off and Ford’s plans for the 2011 Focus have been made official. While others might care more about the 155bhp or new six-speed dual-clutch transmission, we’re best pleased by the inclusion of the MyFord touch control system. This setup was designed to drag the car dash into the modern touchscreen era, and our comprehensive hands-on revealed it to be a most impressive bit of tech. Two displays flank the analog speed gauge, but the pièce de résistance is an 8-inch, 800 x 480 optional screen landing in the center of the dash. Endued with a web browser, it’ll connect via 3G or 4G modems and concurrently act as a WiFi hotspot. Add in a bunch of forthcoming apps and compatibility with any Bluetooth device, and you’ve got a tech lover’s dream system. The next generation Focus should enter production near the end of 2010, giving us a full year to write a “vroom, vroom” app for our smartphones.

MyFord Touch coming to 2011 Ford Focus originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Article

AFP
Monday , January 11th, 2010

Thousands of officials have fled China over the past 30
years with some 50 billion dollars in public funds, state media said
Monday, as the government scrambles to stem the tide of corruption.

As many as 4,000 officials have disappeared, using
criminal gangs, mainly in the United States and Australia, to launder
their ill-gotten gains, buy real estate and set up false identities,
the Global Times said.

A joint task force involving 15 Chinese ministries has been set up to choke off graft in government ranks, the paper said.

In 2009, authorities investigated 103 cases involving the outbound
travel of more than 300 officials, the paper said, citing a party
official tasked with disciplinary issues.

Full article here

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