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  • Hands-on: Psyko Audio Labs 5.1 Headphones

    DSC00412Everything is always better in surround sound. Most 5.1 or 7.1 headphones are a convoluted mess of speaker drivers, usually resulting in massive ear cups. But these headphones from Psyko Audio Labs have a rather innovative way to trick you into thinking sounds are coming from all directions.

    First, the science. The primary method your brain places sounds is based on the time discrepancy of the sound arriving to your ears. If you hear a sound off to your right, the sound waves from that source will hit your right ear milliseconds before your left one. Based on the length of time it takes for your brain to register the sound in the “far” ear, you can place where the sound is coming from.

    The 5 drivers are located on the headband, aimed upwards. They feed the sound into hollow channels, which lead to the ear cups. There are two such sound channels, one for the front and one for the back. It truly is a brilliant, innovative system. A sound that is supposed to be coming from your left, will be emitted from the driver closer to your left ear. It has a shorter path to travel, meaning the sound will reach your left ear first, creating the directional illusion. Since there are no speakers around your ears, the acrylic shield on the cup can fold open, letting your ears breathe. Even though you already have other organs for that.

    DSC00407

    The unit proved its worth in our hands-on demo. A quick run through Crysis showed the technology really does work. These headphones seamlessly deliver surround sound, and with much less hassle / setup of a traditional 5.1 speaker system. Since its completely physics based, there’s no digital processing to slow the signal down. I give these a thumbs-up, and if you have $300 to spend, I highly recommend it.

    [Psyko Audio Labs]


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  • Verba privada restaurará casario histórico tombado em Campinas

    Os dois prédios estão inutilizados desde a década de 60 e vão compor o processo de revitalização da região


    http://cosmo.uol.com.br/multimidia/i…906145824G.jpg

    A parte externa e o telhado de um dos imóveis serão refeitos
    (Foto: Carlos Bassan/AAN)

    Dois imóveis tombados pelo Conselho de Defesa do Patrimônio Cultural de Campinas (Condepacc) no antigo pátio da Ferrovia Paulista S.A. (Fepasa), construídos por volta de 1890 e que integram o Terminal Intermodal Ramos de Azevedo, serão restaurados a partir do mês que vem. Os dois prédios estão inutilizados desde a década de 60 e vão compor o processo de revitalização da região, iniciada com a inauguração da nova rodoviária em junho de 2008.

    A parte externa e o telhado de um dos imóveis serão refeitos pela Concessionária do Terminal Rodoviário de Campinas (CTRC), consórcio formado pelas empresas Equipav e Socicam. O prédio fica próximo ao novo túnel do Complexo Joá Penteado e funcionou no passado como galpão da Mogiana, totalizando 857 metros quadrados. No local, deverão ser instalados pontos comerciais e de alimentação.

    O setor de Comunicação da CTRC informou que o restauro vai custar R$ 1,3 milhão e que não ocorreu antes porque as obras do Túnel 2 do Joá Penteado poderiam prejudicar os serviços na nova estrutura do prédio. O período de obras será de aproximadamente quatro meses e a previsão é de inaugurar o novo espaço no final de junho.

    O outro imóvel a ser restaurado pela CTRC é um prédio de 78 metros quadrados, onde funcionava no passado um escritório da antiga Companhia Ramal Férreo Campineiro (CRFC), na Rua Dr. Ricardo. Para este local, há a intenção de instalar uma base da Guarda Municipal (GM) ou da Polícia Militar (PM). Há também a possibilidade de ser um cibercafé. A obra deverá ter início no final do mês que vem, depois que a passagem para pedestres sob a Avenida Lix da Cunha for concluída pela Empresa Metropolitana de Transportes Metropolitanos (EMTU). A restauração deverá estar concluída também até junho.

    Três outras edificações nas proximidades do Terminal Multimodal Ramos de Azevedo já foram restauradas pela CTRC durante os trabalhos de construção da nova rodoviária. Um deles é um galpão que está no centro do estacionamento, antes utilizado como garagem da Companhia Ramal Férreo Campineira e possui 560 metros quadrados. Os outros dois imóveis são os prédios que ficam à esquerda da entrada principal da nova rodoviária, ao lado do acesso ao estacionamento, e possuem 145 metros quadrados e 110 metros quadrados, respectivamente.

    Um sétimo imóvel tombado pelo Condepacc no pátio da antiga Fepasa — que está ao lado do corredor de pedestres que faz a ligação entre o Terminal Metropolitano e a Estação Cultura — deverá ser restaurado pela Prefeitura de Campinas em parceria com a iniciativa privada, mas ainda não há previsão de quando isso vai ocorrer.

    A expectativa da Administração é de transformar esse prédio em um centro popular de compras. Os recursos para o restauro deverão ser incorporados aos investimentos previstos para o projeto de requalificação do pátio da Fepasa, idealizado pelo escritório de arquitetura de Jaime Lerner.

    A ideia é criar um novo Centro para a cidade. A proposta de intervenção urbanística prevê cinemas, salas de concertos, mercado gourmet, apartamentos residenciais, centro empresarial e uma torre de 40 andares.
    O projeto inclui a oferta de 600 apartamentos em prédios de 12 pavimentos ao longo da esplanada. Já os prédios empresariais estão projetados para terem de 12 a 16 pavimentos e a torre, de 40 pavimentos, ser a maior referência do empreendimento. Caso seja levado adiante, o projeto de Lerner criará uma interligação entre a Vila Industrial e o Centro da cidade, e mudará drasticamente o cenário daquela região.

  • Rabobank 6-Daagse Rotterdam 2010

    De Zesdaagse is een klassiek baanwielrenspektakel, in Rotterdam vond de eerste editie plaats in 1971, in 1988 kwam de reeks echter ten einde.
    Met dank aan het "European Capital of Sports" jaar kon in 2005 de zesdaagse weer worden georganiseerd in het sportpaleis.

    Vandaag een bezoek gebracht aan dit spektakel, bijgaand wat foto’s mede als warming-up voor dit fantastische wielerjaar met én de Giro én de Tour de France in Nederland.

    10-01-2010

    1. Sport en entertainment gaan hand in hand bij de zesdaagse

    2. Het middenterrein huisvest het rennerskwartier en een eet-en-drink gedeelte voor de VIP’s

    3. De ploegpresentatie voor de koppelkoers. Persoonlijk vind ik baanwielrennen echt geweldig om naar te kijken, maar die koppelkoers snapte ik echt helemaal niets van, al helemaal niet toen de speaker de regels ging uitleggen zoals ze vandaag niet werden gehanteerd :nuts:

    4. Dat er met koppels wordt gereden snap ik dan nog wel

    5. De Euromast

    6. Als het echte werk begint gaan de schijnwerpers aan.

    7. Uiteraard mag ze niet ontbreken: de rondemiss

    8. Ja, ja, fotofinish :banana:

    9.

    10. Pas later viel het kwartje, dit ding telt eerst tijd af en daarna ronden….

    11.

    12.

    13.

    14.

    15.

    16.

    17. We kijken hier naar de koppelafvalkoers

    18. Dat snap ik dan weer wel, de laatste is exit

    19.

    20. Deze man verdient speciale aandacht, de zingende wielrenner Sebastian Donadio, hier wint hij, later zal hij achter de piano een optreden geven

    21. De sprintkanonnen klaar voor de Keirin

    22. De dames wachten totdat ze de baan opmogen

    23. En die sprinters gaan echt heel hard

    24. De dames, hier Vera Koedooder

    25.

    26. Ja, zo kan je ook foto’s nemen, al lijkt me bij een valpartij deze positie niet heel fijn.

    27. De lekkere hapjes worden klaargemaakt

    28.

    29.

    30. Huldiging winnaars

    31. Misschien wel het leukste onderdeel de sprinttijdrit

    32. De sprintkannonnen rijden een paar rondjes met opzwepende muziek en warmen het publiek op

    33.

    34.

    35. En trachten dan de snelste ronde te klokken

    36. En daar hebben we onze topper: Teun Mulder

    37. En na twee uurtjes baanwielrennen hebben de kindertjes het wel weer gezien, en nemen we weer afscheid van Ahoy, misschien komen we nog even voor de verbouwing langs om Nadal & co te bewonderen

  • Favourite European Airline?

  • Spy Shots: Mystery small Cadillac spotted – ATS or Converj?

    Filed under: , ,

    A previously unseen prototype has been spotted wearing surprisingly light camouflage. Given the visible details at the back of the car, this appears to quite clearly be a Cadillac of some sort, as the vertical taillamps and the horizontal spoiler/high-mounted stop lamp are dead giveaways. The confusion lies with the rest of the car. While Burlapp Cars is speculating that this may be a prototype of the upcoming ATS that will slot in below the CTS, we have our doubts. The styling buck we saw at GM’s design center last summer was a notchback two-door, and we would expect a four-door sedan to follow a similar layout.

    A more likely scenario is that this is a prototype of a four-door Converj. The Chevrolet Volt-based Converj appeared at last year’s Detroit Auto Show as a two-door coupe with a similar profile to this car. The car in the photos appears to offer similar proportions to the Volt.

    It’s certainly possible that Cadillac has shifted design directions for the ATS to go with this fastback look. It’s also possible that Cadillac is developing a five-door hatch based on the ATS for the European market to go up against the Audi A5 Sportback and the Gran Turismo version of the next generation BMW 3 series that was recently spotted testing. Thanks to Ed for the tip!

    [Source: Burlapp Cars]

    Spy Shots: Mystery small Cadillac spotted – ATS or Converj? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • LOS PARQUES NACIONALES DE LATINOAMÈRICA (3 fotos por post)

    SE PUEDEN PONER PARQUES NACIONALES Y RESERVAS DE LA BIOSFERA

    Recuerden TRES FOTOS POR POST :cheers:

    SALUDOS

  • CES 2010: Michael Jackson’s This Is It on Blu-Ray is First to Feature movieIQ Sync for iPhone

    musicIQ_1syncB(2)Sony has announced a special new feature for Blu-ray discs that is going to first be available with Michael Jackson’s This Is It Blu-ray disc that will be released on January 26th. The feature, called movieIQ Sync essentially extends BD-live to your computer and iPhone. This new exclusive feature lets you easily find updated trivia and filmography related to the movie which synchronizes to the film. But not only does it help you find that stuff, it also lets you play the information on your computer or your iPhone so that your TV screen is freed up.

    movieIQ also lets you create playlists from music played in the movie. These playlists can later be shared online via Facebook  and email. Unfortunately as much as this new feature is convenient, movieIQ Sync is hardly an exciting feature, and we can’t imagine how many people would ever bother using it. It seems like Sony is trying to attract more people to buying Blu-Ray discs, but we doubt that this will help all that much.iphoneIQ-crewmore(2) Most consumers will probably just beat it.

    CES 2010: Michael Jacksons This Is It on Blu Ray is First to Feature movieIQ Sync for iPhone


  • Microsoft Focusing On ‘Completely Unique’ Experiences for Natal

    Project Natal

    With Microsoft’s Project Natal motion control device planned for release late this year, it raises the question of how exactly its unique control methods will be implemented in 360 games — will otherwise ordinary games have added Natal control options, or will Microsoft focus on more unique games built for Natal from the ground up? According to product management director Aaron Greenberg, it’ll much more of the latter.

    “Our focus on most if not all of them will fall into that category of completely unique, brand-new experiences for Natal,” Greenberg said to Joystiq. “We’re going to manage the portfolio very carefully and our focus is going to be on bringing completely brand new original experiences to the market when we launch Natal.

    “We’re not looking at just adding little Natal components to games,” Greenberg continued. “We’re looking at how do we actually bring an entirely new category of controller-free games and entertainment to the market so I think that’s where we will continue to focus.”


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  • Rare Earth Elements (REE): Precious metals that could save the planet TNR.v, CZX.v, AVL.to, RES.v, QUC.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, HEV, AONE, F, NSANY, FCX

    “This initiative is good for middle-class families. It is good for our security. It is good for our planet,” President Obama.
    CS. Obama has told you about our     Investment Thesis in three short sentences. We are not so smart and we do not have such an authority – we need to bring reason to decomposite his message. Time for us to drop couple of lines about Middle-class and our Christmas wish.”

    “To make the most efficient, lightest weight, lowest service wind turbine generator of electricity takes one ton of the rare earth metal, neodymium, per megawatt of generating capacity.” (Jack Lifton, 5/07/09)
    “Let’s take a look at wind turbines. In certain applications, two tons of rare earth magnets are required in the permanent magnet generator that goes on top of the turbine. If the permanent magnet is two tons, then 28% of that, or 560 lbs, is neodymium.” (Mineweb, 5/13/09)
    “Electric motors.
    Components and Metals used in electric motors.
    It is our     second investment bottleneck. This investment area could have even more potential then very exciting Lithium opportunity itself. If in Lithium space resources are presented in more or less available form even in a tightly controlled market, REE market is controlled by China with over 95% of the market under its influence.”
    The Independent:

    Rare earth elements are driving a revolution in low-carbon technology. Cahal Milmo reports on the commodity that has become the new oil
    Saturday, 2 January 2010
    Baotou was of little interest to the outside world for millennia. When one of the first visitors reached its walls in 1925, it was described as “a little husk of a town in a great hollow shell of mud ramparts”. Some 84 years later, this once barren outpost of Inner Mongolia has been transformed into the powerhouse of China’s dominance of the market in some of the globe’s most sought-after minerals.
    The Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute is home to some 400 scientists whose work has put China at the pinnacle of research into a group of 17 metals which sound as if they were dreamt up as poisons for superheroes – yttrium, promethium, europium – but whose unique properties make them indispensable to technologies worth trillions of pounds.
    The development of Baotou into the global capital of rare earths, which occupy their own obscure corner of the periodic table, is due to two things: its proximity to the Baiyunebo mine, a vast open pit that is the world’s largest rare earth mine, and Beijing’s deliberate policy of at least two decades to turn this “Mother Lode” into a stepping stone towards status as an economic superpower.
    As a result, Baotou has rapidly become of great interest to the outside world. China, which by accident of geography holds about 50 per of the world’s rare earth deposits and currently produces 97 per of global supplies, has made no secret of the nature or scale of its ambitions, summarised by former premier Deng Xiaoping when he said: “The Middle East has oil. China has rare earths.”
    In 1999, President Jiang Zemin went further on a visit to Baotou when he summed up Beijing’s strategy as being “to improve the development and applications of rare earth, and change the resource advantage into economic superiority”.
    In the intervening decade, demand for rare earth elements (REEs) has ballooned from 40,000 tonnes to a predicted 200,000 tonnes by 2014. The reason is that the particular properties of luminescence, magnetism and conductivity of rare earths have been increasingly harnessed by scientists to create a vast gamut of technologies from fibre-optic cables to advanced X-ray machines; flat television screens to the movable fins on guided missiles; and filters for viruses to navigation systems.
    Above all, they are an integral part of the technologies that politicians are relying on to try to avert the worst effects of global warming. From the generators of wind turbines to catalytic converters, and the batteries on hybrid cars to alloys that dramatically reduce leakage from overhead power cables, rare earths are at the heart of the green revolution.
    As one senior delegate at a recent international conference on REEs put it: “There is hardly a day that goes by that a new application for rare earths isn’t found in Baotou; they are almost entirely related to low-carbon tech. Ironic isn’t it? The world’s greatest polluter by volume is in pole position when it comes to the raw materials to save us from global warming.”
    The result is that the rare earth industry in China is rapidly moving from a role as a provider of rare earth extracts for export, worth a few hundred million dollars a year to Chinese GDP, to a producer of finished REE components worth billions. In response to Chinese reductions in exports, global manufacturers are forced to move factories making rare-earth rich components to China to ensure continued production.
    Zhang Peichen, deputy director of the Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute, said: “Rare earth usage in China will be increasingly greater than exports.” The term “rare” in rare earths is something of a misnomer. They occur more frequently in the Earth’s crust than gold or platinum and some, such as neodymium (a key element of neodymium-iron-boron magnets used in electric and hybrid cars) are relatively cheap at about £20 per kg. But others are far less abundant. Terbium, which is soft enough to cut with a knife, is an irreplaceable component of low-energy light bulbs. It sells for up to £190 per kg and China needs its entire production to meet domestic demand. Dysprosium, whose Greek name translates as “hard to get at”, allows lightweight magnets to function at high temperatures and costs about £80 per kg. China is responsible for 99 per cent of the global output of both.
    China’s control over rare earth supplies has sparked unease over their availability. Dr Ian Higgins, of British manufacturer Less Common Metals, said: “At present, any manufacturer is dependent on just one source. The strategic message is that there is an increase in demand for rare earths that eventually cannot be met from Chinese sources. It makes sense to have non-Chinese sources.”
    Senior players in the rare earths industry are anxious to avoid suggestions that Beijing is using its commanding position to hold the world to ransom, pointing out that other REE sources, including a new mine in Greenland, are likely to come on tap during the next decade and compete with Chinese producers, many of which are small illegal mines.
    Questions remain as to whether mines outside China, such as the Mountain Pass site in California, which closed in 2002 and is being reopened, can be operated at economically sustainable levels. Nearly all operators outside China closed soon after 2000 when cheap Chinese REEs flooded the market, using highly polluting but cheap mining methods.
    A Whitehall source said: “There is the risk something similar might happen, although that is reduced by high levels of demand. It’s easy to point the finger at Beijing and say it is using trade as a tool of a muscular foreign policy. The reality is more complex – China needs our business. The problem is, a few years down the road, there will come a point when it doesn’t need it quite so much.”
    What are the rare earth elements and how are they used?
    First discovered in the 18th century, the rare earth metals were long considered chemical curiosities rather than the vital building blocks for technology.
    After their discovery by a Swedish scientist in 1787, a total of 17 of the soft metals were identified. Despite their name, they are relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust but the high cost of extraction means only areas with rich deposits, in particular China, are worth exploiting.
    The arrival of new technology means that global production has risen from less than 5,000 tonnes in 1955 to the current level of about 120,000 tonnes a year.
    *Cerium (Ce) – catalytic converters for diesel engines
    *Praseodymium (Pr) – an alloying agent for aircraft engines
    *Neodymium (Nd) – a key component of high-efficiency magnets and hard disc drives
    *Lanthanum (La) – a major ingredient for hybrid car batteries
    *Samarium (Sm) – lasers and nuclear reactor safety
    *Promethium (Pm) – portable X-rays and a nuclear battery
    *Gadolinium (Gd) – shielding for nuclear reactors, compact discs
    *Dysprosium (Dy) – improves the efficiency of hybrid vehicle motors
    *Terbium (Tb) – a component in low-energy light bulbs
    *Erbium (Er) – fibre optics
    *Europium (Eu) – used in flat screen displays and lasers
    *Holmium (Ho) – nuclear control rods, ultra-powerful magnets
    *Thulium (Tm) – lasers, portable X-rays
    *Ytterbium (Yb) – monitoring equipment for earthquakes
    *Lutetium (Lu) – oil refining
    Two more elements, Scandium and Yttrium, are considered rare earths as they tend to occur in the same ore deposits and have similar chemical properties. “

  • A Charged Battery Is But 130 Conceptual Twirls Away [Batteries]

    We’ve seen batteries charged by outlets and by cranks, but this concept from designers Song Teaho and Hyejin Lee is the first that charges with a twirl.

    However, like all things tagged concept, this battery doesn’t *technically* exist yet.

    Still, Teaho and Lee both hypothesize that this battery, should it become the real deal, would require about 130 twirls for two-minutes talk time.

    From what I’ve seen of crank-charged batteries, that seems relatively plausible (and tiring). Get to work, fellas. [design(dot)fr via Engadget]







  • TV Premieres, Finales & Specials This Week 01/10/2010

    If you’ve been feelling productive and all without much to watch on your DVR, this week should cure that problem.  This week – especially Monday, Wednesday and Thursday bring a slew of shows either returning from their holiday hiatus or new season premieres.  And next Sunday brings back Jack!  Yep, the never-die agent Jack Bauer is back with the 8th season of 24.

     

    Don’t miss the Ultimate Guide to the 2010 Winter TV Season Premieres with free downloads by premiere date & by show name!  I’ve updated this guide with some additions and network changes.

     

    The above video is a network “ad” for the 100th episode of “How I Met Your Mother” airing this week

    Below you’ll find all this weeks TV premieres, finales and specials through next Sunday.

    NOTE: All Times are Listed for EST

     

    Sunday, January 10

    Inside Cocaine Submarines (7pm & 10pm on National Geographic– Available in HD) – A special that documents the latest method being used by drug cartels

    Food Network Challenge (8pm on Food– Available in HD) – Season 10 premiere

    The Simpsons (8pm on Fox– Available in HD) – The 450th Milestone episode followed by the 20th Anniversary Special in 3-D

    Cosmic Collisions (8pm on Discovery– Available in HD) – A special that examines meteors & asteroids orbiting the Earth and discusses their potential to collide with the planet

    A Trace of Danger (8pm on ION) – A made-for-TV movie where an attorney returns to her hometown to defend a former boyfriend accused of murder.

    The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice! (8:30pm on Fox-Available in HD) – A special where filmmaker Morgan Spurlock travels the country interviewing fans of the animated series.  *Yawn*

    Chuck (9pm on NBC– Available in HD) – Chuck gets a two-hour season three premiere and then moves to it’s regular time-slot on the 11th.  In this first episode, Chuck takes his new abilities to train as a “real” spy.  Adam Baldwin stars in this episode.  It will be interesting to see if they are able to maintain the quirky charm that kept viewers watching Chuck this season.  The series was on the edge of being cancelled last season so this  will be an important couple of weeks for Chuck – and I don’t mean the fictional character.

    Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (9pm on SyFy – Available in HD) – A made-for-TV movie that takes us back to the recent Battlestar Galactica series.  Here’s the plot:  “The fleet struggles to survive when Cylons embark on a mission to destroy humanity.”  If it sounds familiar, it should.  Word is there is a very large amount of clips from the actual series you’ve already seen.  I’d say this is for serious BSG enthusiasts only.

    Masterpiece Classic – Return to Cranford (9pm on PBS – Available in HD) – PBS brings back a two-part sequel to last season’s miniseries following the everyday life in a small Cheshire market town.  The series last year received lots of praise from critics and this should continue that tradition.

    Big Love (9pm on HBO– Available in HD) – The season four premiere of Big love brings back Bill Paxton as Bill.  Bill & family prepare to open the Blackfoot Magic Casino.  This show has become quite the hit – which is amazing considering it follows the family of mythical Morman polygamous folks.  Strange.

    The Wishing Well (9pm on Hallmark) – Another Hallmark made-for-TV Movie.  A wishing well magically gives celebrity journalist (Jordan Ladd) a new life in a small town.

    Brace for Impact the Chesley B. Sullenberger Story (9pm on TLC-Available in HD) – Harrison Ford narrates this look back at the US Airways jet getting an emergency landing into the Hudson by Capt. Chelsey B. “Sully” Sullengberger.

    Madhouse (10pm on History-Available in HD) – The History Channel presents a new original programming series premier “Madhouse,” a show that captures ongoing rivalries at a North Carolina NASCAR track between Burt Myers and Junior Miller.

    Celebrity Rehab (10pm on VH1) – Season three premiere of the show following Dr. Drew helping celebrity patients.  Not in HD and not all that interesting to me.

     

    Monday, January 11

    House (8pm on Fox – Available in HD) – Season 6 of House continues.  Guess who they’re working on in this episode.  Yep, a drug dealer which seems somehow appropriate for this show.

    How I Met Your Mother (8pm on CBS – Available in HD) – Season 5 of HIMYM continues with the 100th episode of the popular sitcom.  The TV critics that have already watched this episode and say this is by far the best episode of the season.  Neil Patrick Harris and the cast of HIMYM will be seen singing and dancing about Barney Stinson’s love of… “wait for it”… suits.  I know this comedy isn’t for everyone, but it’s one of my long-time favorites and I’ll be watching this one for certain.  A video of the “trailer” for this episode is above in this post.

    Two and a Half Men (9pm on CBS– Available in HD) – Season 7 continues

    The Big Bang Theory (9:30pm on CBS– Available in HD) – Season 3 continues

    CSI: Miami (10pm on CBS– Available in HD) – Season 8 continues

    Castle (10pm on ABC– Available in HD) – Season 2 continues

    Diners, Drive-ins & Dives (10pm on Food– Available in HD) – Season 8 continues

    Fantasia for Real (10pm on VH1) – A new reality TV series with… you guessed it, Fantasia the winner of American Idol a while back.

    Let’s Talk About Pep (10:30pm on VH1) – Another new realityTV series from VH1.  It follows Sandra “Pepa” Denton of “Salt-n-Pepa” fame.  This is apparently what formerly successful pop artists do after they no longer sell music.

     

    Tuesday, January 12

    American Idol (9pm on Fox– Available in HD) – A two-hour season premiere followed up on the 13th with part 2 of the premiere.  There have been some good music artists via the American Idol machine, but the core of American Idol has never really been about the music.  It’s all about the entertainment driven by the hosts and the popularity contest during the last half of the season.  The addition of Ellen Degeneres further confirms this.  Ellen is in my opinion definitely entertaining, but has even less of a connection to the music biz than the other hosts.  Then again, the winners of American Idol can actually sing which is more than you can say for many of the current top-40 artists these days.  Guest judges this season will include: Victoria Beckham, Katy Perry, Mary J. Blige, Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne, Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris and Kristin Chenowith.  Don’t listen to the naysayers who think this will be the final season.  American Idol has plenty of time before it moves to life support.

    Blue Mountain State (10pm on Spike) – A new comedy about three freshman at a big football school.  It’s spike so expect it to be a little gritty.

     

    Wednesday, January 13

    Note: Our Little Genius was cancelled due to the producers (or some at least) getting outed that they were leaking info to the contestants.  Wow.

    The New Adventures of Old Christine (8pm on CBS– Available in HD) – The second half of season 5 begins

    Gary Unmarried (8:30pm on CBS– Available in HD) – Season 2 returns

    Criminal Minds (9pm on CBS– Available in HD) – Season 5 returns

    CSI: NY (10pm on CBS– Available in HD) – Season 6 returns

    Leverage (10pm on TNT– Available in HD) – Season 2 returns with the last six episodes

    Little Miss Perfect (10pm on WE) – Season 2 of a realityTV series premieres.  Not in HD

    Tosh.0 (10:30pm on Comedy– Available in HD) – Season 2 premieres

     

    Thursday, January 14

    The Vampire Diaries (8pm on CW– Available in HD) – Season 1 returns

    Parks and Recreation (8:30pm on NBC– Available in HD) – Season 2 returns

    CSI (9pm on CBS– Available in HD) – Season 10 returns

    Fringe (9pm on Fox– Available in HD) – My current favorite TV series next to Lost & 24.  Fringe returns for four weeks and then goes back on hiagus again until April 1st.  Gotta love those network execs.

    Grey’s Anatomy (9pm on ABC– Available in HD) – Season 6 returns

    Archer (10pm on FX) – A new animated series on FX.  I hated the screener I saw of it, but perhaps you won’t.  Not in HD.  I should explain the plot because there’s likely some of you who will enjoy it more than me:  Archer is an animated, 30 minute comedy set at the Intl Secret Intelligence Service.  Think 24 for the adult-cartoon set.

    The Mentalist (10pm on CBS– Available in HD) – Season 2 returns

    Private Practice (10pm on ABC– Available in HD) – Season 3 returns

    Project Runway (10pm on Lifetime) – Season 7 premiere and still not in HD

    Carnie Wilson: Unstapled (10pm on GSN) – A new realityTV series premiere

    Ace of Cakes (10pm on Food) – Season 8 of this RealityTV show returns but not in HD.  I want my bakery TV in HD darn it!

    Models of the Runway (11pm on Lifetime) – Season 2 premiere – realityTV

     

    Friday, January 15

    No new premieres

     

    Saturday, January 16

    The Singing Bee (9pm on CMT) – Season 2 premiere

    The Pit Boss (10pm on Animal– Available in HD) – A new realityTV series where they rescue pit bulls

     

    Sunday, January 17

    Human Target (8pm on Fox– Available in HD) – A new series on Fox.  This will be followed up on the 20th with the same episode re-aired.  The series follows the cases of a unique bodyguard/private detective who interferes with murder attempts by impersonating the intended victims to draw the killers fire.  I’m curious about this one and will have it on my favorites list to check out later.

    24 (9pm on Fox) – The two-hour premiere of 24.  Will be followed up on the 18th with the two-hour, part 2 of this one.  CTU is back and so is Jack.  Early reports are that this first two hours will continue to confirm that the 24 writers are completely back on track.  It should be good.

     

     

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  • Suposto desenho do Volkswagen Jetta Coupe vaza na internet

    volkswagen

    Um suposto desenho do protótipo Jetta Coupe vaza na internet nesse fim de semana. O desenho com certeza deve ser apenas da base, pois está muito mal feito.

    Nessa semana a marca irá apresentar o novo New Compact Coupe no Salão de Detroit, que será a primeira variação do sedan Jetta.

    A novidade do modelo é o propulsão hibrida acompanhada de um motor a gasolina de 4 cilindros. Além disso, o modelo deverá ser lançado nos Estados Unidos ainda este ano.

    Fonte: Blog Auto


  • Buzz auto de la semaine – 04/10 janvier 2010 (2nde.partie)

    Deuxième partie du buzz auto de la semaine, avec la SLS AMG qui nous refait le coup de Matrix, Top Gear qui a essayé de faire la même chose… avec la Twingo RS, et enfin la nouvelle identité de Peugeot « Motion et Emotion ».

     Tout le monde en a parlé ces derniers jours, mais vrai ou faux? Mystère… à chacun de se faire son idée sur le looping de la Mercedes SLS AMG:

     

    Jeremy Clarkson semble s’être posé la même question dans Top Gear, et a fait l’essai en Twingo RS dans un tunnel sous Belfast:

     Et enfin, Peugeot vient de présenter sa nouvelle identité visuelle avec le nouveau logo, et son nouveau slogan « Motion et Emotion », qui malheureusement sonne bien mieux en anglais qu’en français, reste une video pleine de punch, que vous pouvez lire sur le player à droite de la page, ou sur notre chaîne Youtube (ci-dessous).

     

    Nouveau: pour profiter facilement et rapidement des notifications de nouveautés sur le site, pensez à vous abonner via Twitter.  Chaque modification, nouvel article ou nouvelle vidéo sur notre chaîne Youtube, fait l’objet d’un Tweet immédiat!

  • AsthmaMD Helps Asthma Sufferers, Gathers Aggregate Research Data

    Each day 11 people die of asthma in the U.S., and it accounts for one-quarter of all emergency room visits. Since 1980 the asthma death rate overall has increased by 50%.

    A new iPhone app called AsthmaMD, which was created by am Pejham (a doctor and researcher) and Salim Madjd, aims to help some of those sufferers. The application let’s them keep a diary of attacks, helping them keep records of the severity of attacks, medications used, etc.

    But what’s really interesting about AsthmaMD: users can opt in to share this data anonymously with the service. The data is aggregated and will be shared with researchers. The company says that will help doctors and researchers better understand the disease, and may help people know when an attack is more likely.

    In an email, Madjd says:

    Just imagine what might be possible now with the data we gather from this app. For example, since we have precise location of patient and the time of their asthma activity we can correlate that against local pollutant count, adverse weather changes, and different type of pollutants. Or imagine if one area in a city shows higher per capita asthma severity than the rest, we can clearly show that in a map and alert the parent of a potential pollutant by a nearby business. Or imagine this data mashed up against a real estate site. For parents or to-be parents they can also look at the asthma activity in any specific area and make more informed decisions about where they want to move.

    There is also ability to better understand the effect of different medications, on age groups, gender, on managing asthma caused by different type of triggers from pollutant to exercise, etc.

    We can even alert users of higher asthma chances in real time if we detect users of similar asthma history reporting asthma issues. Ultimately we could even send tweeter streams with zipcode or geocode of areas with asthma flare ups on real time. This app has the potential to make an impact on people lives unlike anything we’ve seen before and on personal level is one of the most exciting projects I’ve worked on.

    We will see a lot more apps like this in the future. Crowdsourcing is great for fixing pot holes. But it may also give doctors the information they need to better understand a variety of diseases, too.

    Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.


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  • Googlle Gets A Sexy New Logo; Remains Sketchy

    Screen shot 2010-01-10 at 11.06.43 AM

    Last week, we covered Googlle opening a school in India. Googlle, not to be confused with Google. Obviously, this was a site and service set up to trick people, as they were even ripping-off Google’s logo. Well guess what? After the publicity, they decided to switch up some things.

    Most notably, you’ll see that the Googlle Institute has a brand new, beautiful logo, as Fake Steve noticed today. Gone is the Google font and colors. It has been replaced by “Googlle” written in red. I’m not sure what the font is, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Googlle wasn’t supposed to be using it.

    You’ll also notice a new “declaration” at the bottom of the site:

    We are no way related to Google Search Engine, Neither We want to copy the name or take advantage of that name & Pronounciation of same is different as “Google”.

    Poor English aside, I’m going to assume Google India may not have been too happy about the site, and this is Googlle trying to cover itself.

    They also apparently took the time to fix all the broken links (simply by removing many of them). They’ve also switched up the curriculum, now offering a 1-year program for a “googlle intern.” Hurry, they’re accepting applications now!

    Screen shot 2010-01-10 at 11.07.57 AM

    Screen shot 2010-01-02 at 4.21

    [thanks Brinke]

    Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.


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  • Si conduces un SUV o un Lamborghini, pueden pasar cosas como estas

    gallardochoque.jpg

    Creo que todos tenemos el instinto de mirar el retrovisor cada vez que nos detenemos en un semáforo, para apaciguar el creciente temor de que alguien nos choque desde atrás, sobre todo con el asfalto resbaladizo de los días de lluvia. Nunca falta el conductor distraído o en estado inconveniente que circula detrás nuestro. Si conduces un SUV ¿no has pensado alguna vez que el impacto de un coche más bajo puede levantar tu vehiculo y hasta volcarlo?

    Lo mismo en el caso inverso; si conduces un coche deportivo (o incluso un compacto que sea más bajo en altura que lo normal), corres el riesgo de quedar debajo de un vehículo más grande y más alto en el desgraciado caso de que no puedas frenar a tiempo.

    Y exactamente esto fue lo que ocurrió en un suburbio de California, donde el conductor de un Lamborghini Gallardo embistió a unos vehículos aparcados, quedando en tan curiosa posición. Posiblemente el Gallardo no circulaba a mucha velocidad, ya que los resultados hubieran sido más aparatosos.

    Vía | Jalopnik



  • Brother’s new Entrepreneur is a state-of-the-art embroidery machine for sewing enthusiasts

    Brother showed-off its Entrepreneur embroidery machine at CES 2010

    A new product from Brother – which is on display at CES 2010 this week – could revolutionize crafting for the home sewer. The Entrepreneur offers all the features of a home embroidery machine but can also transfer designs and photos via a USB stick or computer. A large high-definition, color touch-screen lets you select, edit and move designs and it also offers a wide-angle visibility range so you can see your embroidery creation come to life. And with a speed of up to 1000 stitches per minute, this little beauty can create designs in a flash…

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  • 2K Boston Once Again Becomes Irrational Games

    Irrational Games logoWhat once was Irrational Games and then 2K Boston is now once again Irrational Games, completing a circle of, well, irrational name-changing.

    The developer (responsible for such games as BioShock, Freedom Force, and System Shock 2, for those unawares) changed their name when they were purchased by Take-Two in 2006. According to Game Informer, the decision was made after the folks at Irrational Games noticed they kept being referred to as “2K Boston (formerly Irrational Games),” and then decided to make the obvious correction.

    Along with embracing their old name, Irrational Games is also opening a new website: irrationalgames.com. It’s just a countdown for now, but when it does count down, the site will feature behind-the-scenes content and “never before seen tidbits” about such classic Irrational Games games as the aforementioned BioShock, Freedom Force, and System Shock 2.

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  • FREEZE MAY KILL 60,000 by By Stuart Winter and Kirsty Buchanan, Sunday Express

    Article Tags: Front Page News, Met Office, UK Winter Forecast 2009/10, World Temperatures

    Image AttachmentAS Britain’s winter of discontent threatened a fresh wave of blizzards and freezing temperatures last night, Gordon Brown stood accused of failing to protect the nation.

    With up to 60,000 deaths predicted because of the relentless cold and the country’s major roads facing a gritting crisis, Downing Street was heavily criticised for the widespread chaos.

    Conservative leader David Cameron slammed the lack of leadership at Number 10 – as the Prime Minister all but ignored the national crisis in a battle for his own political survival.

    Mr Cameron said: “At times like these the country needs strong and united leadership. “We can’t go on with a Government that is more focused on its internal problems than trying to help people through difficult times, including some of the worst weather conditions the UK has experienced for years.” The Prime Minister last night admitted that for many people this was a “very serious, worrying and frustrating time”.

    Click source to read FULL report from Stuart Winter and Kirsty Buchanan

    Source: express.co.uk

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  • Peugeot prepara bastantes novidades até 2012

    peugeot
    A marca anunciou nessa sexta-feira o seu novo logotipo, que é o mesmo leão mais com um ar mais modernizado.

    Além desse anuncio, a Peugeot também antecipou que terá 14 lançamentos no período entre 2010 e 2012.

    Segundo a própria marca, essa é uma estratégia para dominar o mercado mundial, apostando em modelos com melhor design e preços, para conseguir avançar ao menos três posições no ranking mundial.

    Fonte: Quatro Rodas