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  • SsangYong Rodius 270Xdi Limited AWD 165CV, prueba (parte II)

    SsangYong Rodius 270Xdi Limited AWD 165CV

    Como hemos visto, el motor de la SsangYong Rodius a pesar de ser de gran cilindrada y con suficiente potencia, no es capaz de acelerar muy bien, sino más bien que está orientada a una conducción tranquila y familiar. Es un motor de los antiguos.

    Toca hablar ahora de su diseño exterior e interior. Dicen que para gustos los colores y casi todo el mundo con el que he podido entablar una conversación tras examinar este vehículo de cerca es que por dentro es realmente sorprendente pero por fuera es un diseño antiguo, cuadrado y poco estilizado como estamos acostumbrados en estos últimos años. Os puedo asegurar que os quedaréis sorprendidos al ver todo lo que es capaz de albergar en su interior. Vamos a descubrirlo.

    Diseño exterior

    SsangYong Rodius 270Xdi Limited AWD 165CV

    Personalmente lo veo algo pasado de moda y que me recuerda a los Volvo de hace una década, donde las líneas redondeadas brillan por su ausencia y se trata de un bloque rectangular con aristas bien definidas para optimizar el espacio interior; en definitiva es lo que se quiere y cuanto más espacio interior, más comodidad para los ocupantes.

    Sus 5.125 mm de largo ya dan una idea de todo lo que puede caber ahí dentro y si sumamos los 1.915 mm de ancho y los 1.840 de alto, sale un volumen interior bastante considerable. Lo único que es más aerodinámico es la parte delantera, donde observamos una parrilla grande, faros también grandes con un frontal en general poco agresivo y más de furgoneta que de turismo; al fin y al cabo es lo que es.

    SsangYong Rodius 270Xdi Limited AWD 165CV

    Las líneas laterales se prolongan desde la parte delantera hasta la trasera de forma totalmente recta, sin aristas difuminadas. Todo lo que empieza delante, termina detrás, nada se pierde. Únicamente podemos ver una ligera curva en el cristal lateral trasero, que es divido en dos mediante una línea diagonal.

    La parte trasera con un enorme portón permite el acceso sencillo al maletero tanto para la introducción de equipaje como para la eliminación de la fila de asientos trasera de forma muy cómoda. La tercera luz de freno está dispuesta en la parte trasera superior para dejar espacio a una luneta trasera bastante amplia pero que no termina de ofrecer la visibilidad de un turismo convencional. Es algo lógico por otro lado. Por contra, el tamaño de los espejos retrovisores laterales es suficiente como para poder prescindir del retrovisor interior, excepto en contadas ocasiones. Son abatibles eléctricamente incluso en marcha, pero dentro de la misma versión, es de forma aleatoria. Cuestión de suerte…

    Diseño interior

    SsangYong Rodius 270Xdi Limited AWD 165CV

    Llegamos quizá a la parte por la que recomendaría este vehículo de 7 plazas. Su motor no es muy destacable, la parte exterior es más que mejorable pero la parte interior es realmente una gozada. La amplitud de todas las plazas está asegurada, tanto si somos grandes como si somos pequeños, su comodidad es elevada y todos los asientos disponen de respaldo reclinable. Aquí se puede emplear perfectamente el tópico de “lo mejor está en el interior”.

    Accediendo al puesto de conducción observamos un espacio muy amplio y una postura muy cómoda, ligeramente por encima del resto de vehículos convencionales. Su asiento calefactable al igual que el del copiloto y su regulación eléctrica no envidian a los de las marcas premium.

    SsangYong Rodius 270Xdi Limited AWD 165CV

    La pareja de asientos de la fila central disponen de brazo lateral y son abatibles completamente hacia adelante, quedando una mesa bastante útil para dejar objetos, vasos o bandejas. Su capacidad de giro permite ponerlos en sentido contrario a la marcha (ver detalle), de manera que los 5 ocupantes de las plazas traseras estén frente a frente. La fila de asientos trasera es desmontable completamente en caso de necesitar mayor capacidad de carga y cuando están instalados, permite dejarlos abatidos completamente modo cama.

    El acceso a los mandos es fácil aunque la situación del freno de mano (en este caso de pie) (ver detalle) me recuerda inevitablemente al Mercedes GLK (o cualquier otro de la marca). Supongo que será costumbre pero me parece incomodísimo. ¿Será alguna secuela que le ha quedado de su alianza con la marca alemana?

    SsangYong Rodius 270Xdi Limited AWD 165CV

    La guantera delantera es realmente amplia, al igual que el brazo portaobjetos central con dos compartimentos enormes (ver detalle). Delante del asiento de copiloto, encima de la habitual guantera, se puede encontrar compartimento para CD’s y otro portaobjetos (ver detalle). Por si esto fuera poco, en las puertas delanteras dispone de amplios compartimentos, así como en las plazas traseras. Cargar los móviles o cualquier otro gadget o aparato no será problema, puesto que dispone de 4 tomas de corriente 12 V (2 delante, 1 en plazas traseras y otra en maletero).

    Puede entrar poco por los ojos por fuera, pero por dentro es un salón móvil. La iluminación interior en la oscuridad es increíble y no es necesaria ninguna bombilla/luz adicional para incluso, charlar o cenar en su interior. Pero aún nos queda saber el equipamiento de serie, opcional y sobre todo el precio. ¿Estará a la altura de sus competidores? La respuesta mañana.

    Fotos | Javi Vicente



  • Details On The New Hyperinflation-Beating Farmland Hedge Fund From Optima

    Optima Fund is about to launch its first private equity vehicle.

    The new American Farmland Co. is now in talks to buy up land from farmers.

    An article today in Crain’s discusses Optima’s venture into Farmland and the popularity of hard commodities as a hedge against inflation.

    They note an interesting bit of information from Barclay’s analysts that, according to Crains,

    …say that increased food demand from China and India, coupled with the surge in bio-fuel usage, has depleted inventories of wheat and soybeans to levels low enough that prices are rising faster than inflation.

    We’ve heard a few details differently from Crain about the launch of American Farmland, though. Optima actually has $3.5 billion under management, not the $6 billion being reported.

    And so far, American Farmland has raised about $80 million from investors, one of whom is rumored to be William von Mueffling of Cantillon Capital Management, a former hedge fund that converted to a long-only vehicle this summer.

    Optima will soon be done raising money for the new PE venture and the fund’s CEO, Dixon Boardman, will close American Farmland to new investors.

    Meanwhile, Farmland is a popular real inflation/disaster hedge among bearish gurus like Jim Rogers and Marc Faber

    Join the conversation about this story »

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  • REUTERS: China’s BYD lifts 2010 auto sales target 14 pct

    By Joanne Chiu

    HONG KONG, Dec 30 (Reuters) – Chinese battery and car maker BYD (1211.HK), backed by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffet, said it has raised its 2010 sales target, as it prepares to roll out its first electric cars.

    BYD, 10 percent owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N), aims to sell 800,000 vehicles next year, up from a previous target of 700,000 units, said Paul Lin, manager of the company’s marketing department.

    He attributed the revision to robust demand from Chinese consumers following Beijing’s 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) economic stimulus plan, which includes several measures specifically aimed at boosting car sales.

    “The company already reached its 2009 target of 400,000 vehicles in November, so now we are setting our 2010 target to double that number at 800,000 units,” Lin said, adding that this year’s final sales should come in at around 440,000 units.

    BYD’s F3 sedan was the best-selling car in China in the first 11 months of this year, leading other popular domestic and foreign models, such as, Hyundai Motor’s (005380.KS) new Elantra and Chery Automobile’s QQ, official data showed.

    To help meet market demand, BYD’s new bus plant in the central Chinese city of Changsha and a car plant in the northwestern city of Xian will start operation next year, adding up to 700,000 units of capacity, Lin said.

    Henry Li, general manager of BYD Auto’s export arm, told Reuters in July that the firm aims to be a major global player by 2025, with vehicle sales of 8-9 million. [ID:nHKG366761]

    BYD, which had sold several hundred of its plug-in hybrid, F3DM, unveiled in December of 2008, plans to start selling its first electric car, the e6, in China in the first quarter of 2010, Lin said.

    The e6 had passed government safety inspections in the country and received other necessary permits, he said, adding the firm remained committed to export the model to the United States next year.

    BYD’s shares, traded in Hong Kong, have surged more than 422 percent since the beginning of this year, leading a roughly 49 percent gain in the broader market .HSI and bolstering its founder, Wang Chuanfu, to the top of Forbes 2009 list of China’s wealthiest.

    The shares fell 3.78 percent in early afternoon trading on Wednesday, lagging a 0.51 percent fall of the market. (Reporting by Joanne Chiu; writing by Doug Young and Fang Yan; Editing by Chris Lewis and Valerie Lee)

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  • Canned Hunting Ban: Breeders Threaten Mass Lion Slaughter

    South Africa is under fire from breeders to ban its controversial canned hunting of captive lions.  The barbaric “sport” of canned hunting means an animal is hunted in a small space, with no chance of escape.  Lions are bred for the sole purpose of being shot.

    Read more of this story »


  • An Idea for an Intimate New Years This Year

    Every year as New Years Eve approaches it seems that friends of all ages search for the biggest and most social party to attend.  Suggestions of $100 tickets to ballrooms at hotels and open bar parties at fancy apartments just don’t sound that fun to me anymore.  Somehow doesn’t it seem like the build-up for a fantastic New Years Eve party always leaves you a little bit letdown?  Why is there a need to go to a big party to celebrate the start of the New Year?

    This year I suggest the wonderful intimate one-on-one New Years Eve at home.  Budgets are tights and big parties require fancy outfits and drink money, so I suggest truly enjoying yourself at home.  Just relax this year and plan a romantic evening with your significant other away from all of the fireworks and countdowns.  Doesn’t that sound kind of amazing?

    1085067_white_candles

    My suggestion is to do the opposite of what everyone thinks of as the perfect New Years Eve.  Plan an evening that is as relaxing and personalized as possible doing whatever you and your significant other want to do without worrying about pressure to attend big events.  While the rest of the world gets all dolled up in their finest, you should be putting on your most comfortable sweat pants and slippers and cuddling up under a blanket with a big mug of hot chocolate.  You don’t even have to watch the countdown or stay up ’til midnight!

    Listen to your favorite music, rent a movie, go for a walk, bake cookies, play with your dog, do yoga, watch reruns, play cards, do whatever you like to do you in your leisure time!  If you don’t have a loved one, it’s also just as wonderful to enjoy yourself at home.

    My point is that you don’t need to feel the pressure of looming New Years Eve this year.  Opt out of the cultural idea that this is a big night that represents the start of a New Year and it must be spent in a certain way.  This night does not represent the start of anything new and you don’t need to be in a certain place with certain accomplishments in order to feel that you are ready to start the year.

    This year enjoy a quiet Dec 31 at home doing whatever you would like to do with whomever you would like to be with.  It’s just a night where you probably don’t have to work the next day, so focus on relaxation and making a special night for yourself.

    Image: sxc.hu

    Post from: Blisstree

    An Idea for an Intimate New Years This Year

  • FURNITURE WORLD: Jeff Child, RC Willey Home Furnishings New NHFA President

    Tuesday, December 29, 2009
    By: Furniture World Magazine

    NHFA announced that Jeff Child, RC Willey Home Furnishings, Salt Lake City, Utah, takes office January 1 as 2010 president of National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA), the nation’s largest trade organization for home furnishings retailers. He succeeds Michael B. Spiller, Spiller Furniture, Tuscaloosa, Ala. who becomes chairman of the executive committee. The outgoing president becomes chairman in the following year.

    Other officers are: Senior Vice President and Treasurer, Dianne Ray, Garden City Furniture, Garden City Beach, S.C.; Senior Vice President, Marc Schewel, Schewel Furniture, Lynchburg, Va.; and Senior Vice President, Cherie Rose, the Rose Collection, Los Gatos, Calif.

    New directors are: Brian D. Casey, High Point Market Authority, High Point, N. C.; Robert J. Maricich, World Market Center, Las Vegas, Nev.; Thomas H. Olinde, Olinde’s Furniture, Baton Rouge, La.; Sherry Sheely, Sheely’s Furniture & Appliance, Inc., North Lima, Ohio; and John C. Stewart, Jr., Big Sandy Super Store, Franklin Furnace, Ohio. These individuals join a group of retailers who are already serving as directors.

    Child is a long time association member and leader of both NHFA and its West Coast affiliate, Western Home Furnishings Association (WHFA). Jeff, son of Sheldon, helped his father and uncle, Bill Child, with the family business working in the warehouse and later in merchandise display and the carpet department. After graduating from Brigham Young University, he worked as a sales associate and buyer, eventually becoming president. As one of the top home furnishings retailers in the country, RC Willey attracted the attention of Warren Buffet, and in 1995, the company and Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., announced a merger agreement. In 2004 Child was selected NHFA’s Retailer of the Year in the over $10 million category for his service to the industry, service to his community and creative leadership in his company. As president of NHFA, Jeff wants to strengthen the association’s mission to help retailers find ways to profitability and to provide the services which make that possible. One of these ways is HomeFurnishings.com, developed by the association to drive business to member retailers.

    NHFA is an almost ninety-year-old trade organization serving home furnishings retailers in all 50 states, Canada and abroad. NHFA’s stated mission is “to provide our members with the information, education, products and services they need to remain successful.”

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  • Frantasy Freak Show pregame, Week 17

    http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_fantasy_experts__23/ept_sports_fantasy_experts-571002200-1262108361.jpg?ymJL9bCD7Tt5adE2

    Please join us on WEDNESDAY at 10 pm CT for the season’s final Yahoo! Fantasy Freak Show on The Score WSCR-AM 670. It’s more than just a best-of episode. We’ll attempt to help those of you who crazily settle league championships in Week 17. No callers will be denied access to our accredited gurus. And you’re sure to enjoy this week’s special musical guests, David Coverdale and Sheila E!

    You can email questions anytime to [email protected], or you can wait patiently for the show to begin, then reach out via phone (312-644-6767) or text (67011). Thanks for the support this year, gamers. Good luck to those who are still in the fight.

    CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE TO WSCR-AM 670 CHICAGO SPORTS RADIO.

    Photo via US Presswire

  • Free Tropical Vacation! (If You Try an Experimental Diarrhea Drug) | Discoblog

    MexicoBeachIt’s about that time of year when people return home from spending holidays with the family, only to realize they need a vacation to recover from their vacation. Well, if you’re a resident of the U.K. or Germany who’s in good health, between 18 and 64 years old, and can keep a diary for two and a half weeks, your vacation to Mexico or Guatemala could be gratis. Oh, and one more thing: You have to be a guinea pig for a potential diarrhea drug.

    A U.S. vaccine manufacturer called Intercell calls it the “Trek Study.” The company says it needs 1,800 volunteers between now and May to visit these locales, where sun-seeking tourists often get diarrhea. But fear not, travelers: A smaller study Intercell did on Americans showed a 75 percent reduction in diarrhea incidence, so perhaps fewer of you will spend your Caribbean holiday in excruciating, gut-wrenching pain than you normally would.

    From BBC News:

    Intercell’s clinical director, Nigel Thomas, told the UK’s Independent newspaper: “We are looking for people who have already planned to go to Mexico or Guatemala and think this would add another interesting aspect.

    “It is almost like going on a package holiday. They will be met by a concierge who will take them to their hotel and arrange for them to give their first blood sample within 48 hours.”

    Fake leprosy, it seems, isn’t the only way to snag a medical vacation in the tropics.

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    Image: flickr / lightmatter


  • Halfway to Pluto! | Bad Astronomy

    eso_pluto_surface_300Today, December 29, 2009, the New Horizons Pluto probe crosses an arbitrary but psychologically important line: it is now closer to Pluto than it is to Earth.

    If there were people on board the small interplanetary probe, no doubt they’d be popping champagne. I’m sure that back on Earth, the team behind NH are pretty happy. This probe has a checkered history, having been planned, canceled, re-planned, delayed, on and on. It’s amazing it got to launch at all. But on January 19, 2006 the small, half-ton probe was sent on its way, and on July 14, 2015 it’ll sail past Pluto and its collection of moons, snapping pictures and taking data.

    Today marks the official halfway point, where New Horizons has half its path already behind it. Here’s a plot of its distance to Earth (in blue) and Pluto (red) care of the New Horizons site:

    newhorizons_distance

    Distance in the graph is measured in Astronomical Units (a yardstick used by astronomers for convenience; it’s the distance of the Earth to the Sun, about 150 million km (93 million miles)). The distance to Earth is wiggly because the Earth goes around the Sun as New Horizons moves out, and the distance to Pluto decreases steadily as the spacecraft catches up on its journey. Where the two lines cross is where the distances are equal, and that’s now, today!

    You may be wondering about the timing: New Horizons is halfway in distance to Pluto, but the mission timeline halfway point isn’t until October 16, 2010 (if I’ve done the math correctly). The probe was launched at high speed, slowed down due to the Earth’s and Sun’s gravity, picked up a kick from Jupiter in early 2007, and has been slowing ever since. Since it was moving faster before, it reached the distance halfway point before the schedule halfway point.

    New Horizons is now 16.37 AU – 2.449 billion km, or 1.522 billion miles — from home. But maybe now, home is no longer Earth. Once it crossed that line today, home became deep space. Even Pluto and its moons Charon, Nix, and Hydra are only milestones for it. It won’t be stopping when it gets there; New Horizons will sail on by, continuing into deep space. It’ll become one of several other spacecraft we’ve sent out of the solar system itself, set to wander interstellar space forever.

    That is, unless one day we catch up to them ourselves. I imagine in a few hundred years they’d make fine museum pieces. Or maybe, if poetry still exists in humans all those far-flung centuries from now, we’ll let those probes continue on. I rather like that idea better.

    You can follow the New Horizons probe on Twitter, which is how I found out about this milestone today.

    Art credit: ESO/L. Calçada


  • Small forests a big help in curbing carbon – CNN

    Small forests a big help in curbing carbon
    CNN
    They can serve as a "carbon offset" under a cap-and-trade system that allows forest owners to sell their enhanced carbon storage to an emitter when that


  • Leaked Screens Confirm Nexus One Sold by Google, Supported by T-Mobile

    The images to the left of this paragraph and below are the most solid indication of the Google Phone (Nexus One) and the plans for it.  We’ve been hearing for a few weeks now about a rumored January 5th date for launch or announcement and these seem to help substantiate that.  Also a commonly spread .  The sources for these two pictures are Boy Genius Report and TmoNews tipsters and both essentially say the same thing.

    As it looks, the Nexus One will come from Google via the internet with carrier support from T-Mobile.  An update to TmoNews article says to look for a January 5th 9:00AM sale. 

    • Support for the device including troubleshooting and exchanged will be managed by Google and HTC.
    • T-Mobile will offer service support including billing, coverage, features and rate plans.

    The second, smaller image is harder to read but the text has been transcribed.

    Google, with support from T-Mobile, is scheduled to launch a new Android device in early January. The Google Android phone will be sold directly by Google via the Web.

    Support for the device including troubleshooting and exchanges will be managed by Google and HTC. T-Mobile will offer service support including billing, coverage, features, and rate plans. Additional details Streamline content regarding the launch of Google’s Android phone will be coming in early January.

    This will be a very exciting few days!  Will the Nexus One steal the CES thunder?

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  • WebOS 1.3.5 Rolls Out: Faster Performance

    The word yesterday that Sprint was going to roll out a new webOS update turned out to be true. Last night, my Palm Pre was updated to version 1.3.5, with no issues. It may be wishful thinking, but the performance of the Pre definitely feels faster since the update. Menus pop up quickly, and lags are not as prevalent as they were before.

    This update removed the goofy program limit that has plagued the Pre since day one, but I have to take Palm’s word on that as I don’t have that many apps installed to test it out. I will keep an eye on battery life, as the update is reported to be stingier with power consumption. The only thing negative I’ve run into is I can no longer take screen captures for some reason. No matter what I do, the screen won’t capture an image.

  • VIDEO: Kia Ignition Soul brings out the tire-shredder in everyone

    Filed under: , , , ,

    Kia Ignition Soul donuts commercial — Click above to watch video

    The Kia Ignition Soul is out to reset every perception of what a Korean car can be and who it can be for. That’s why you get commercials like this one, for Jeff Wyler Kia in Ohio. We won’t spoil the surprise, but having spent a few years around Eastgate, Ohio (shoutout to Williamsburg!) we can say that if the Ignition Soul gets Jeff Wyler to make commercials like this, then it is indeed a car to change the game – and no, there isn’t a hamster behind the wheel.

    Follow the jump
    for the vid, which has more than a little bit in common with R Kelly’s Ignition Remix: “It’s the remix to ignition, hot and fresh out the kitchen, mama rollin’ that body…” Hat tip to Mike!

    [Source: Jeff Wyler Kia via Kia World]

    Continue reading VIDEO: Kia Ignition Soul brings out the tire-shredder in everyone

    VIDEO: Kia Ignition Soul brings out the tire-shredder in everyone originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

  • The American Dream Is A Rip-Off, But Renting Sucks Too

    James Altucher has a lengthy column on why you should rent rather than buy.  Shorter version:  there are a lot of hidden costs, and outside of the bubble, housing has not historically been a great investment.  The phenomena that made it a great investment for some people (the emptying out and then filling up of cities, the introduction of self-amortizing mortgages, rising and then plummeting interest rates, and the special status of mortgage debt after 1986) will not indefinitely continue to push prices up; most of them have played out.  Over the long run, housing prices cannot grow much faster than incomes.

    I agree with all of this.  You should not buy a house because “renting is throwing your money away” or because you expect the house to become a cash cow.  As an investment, housing is a good form of forced savings, but do not expect price appreciation to make you rich–nay, not even if it made your parents and all your neighbors rich.

    But these articles, and the homeownership-skeptics (of which I am sort of one) often give short shrift to the benefits of owning.  Renting has hidden costs, too.  Outside of New York, with its massive stock of professional landlords hamstrung by restrictive rent rules, renting means you usually have to move every few years, because the landlord wants to live in the house again, or is selling it, or wants to raise the rent too much in the hope that you’ll be too lazy to move.  Moving costs a ton of money, between the movers (now that I’m getting old and creaky), the new furniture that is inevitably required, and the old furniture that cannot be fit into the new house and must be thrown away.  Moving also soaks up a month or so of your time on each side of the move, which needs to be factored in for both lost income and sheer misery.

    Then there is the inability to have your house the way you want it.  Sure, it’s not like we could afford high-end appliances.  But if we owned our house, I might be able to hope that someday we would acquire a water heater bigger than a thimble, rather than hopelessly resigning myself to shallow, lukewarm baths.  I might also be able to sink screws into the ceiling for a hanging potrack, install blackout curtains so that I could sleep later than 6 am in the summer, and otherwise make the house over more to my specifications.  But the owners are fond of their home the way it is, so it stays.

    For a long time, I didn’t care so much about this.  I liked the freedom renting gave me.  But once you’re committed to a city, and another person, that freedom starts looking overrated.

    Join the conversation about this story »

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  • Dresden in 26G pixels

    The Canon 5D is possibly the coolest camera ever made for the professional/consumer market*. Here, Holger Schulze captured a 26 gigpixel photomontage of the city of Dresden. (It’s zoomable.)

    (via Guy K)

    *Cooler cameras include the one on the Hubble and some of the repurposed movie cameras Kubrick used, but you are unlikely to get your grubby hands on those, now are you?
  • What’s the suckage to usage ratio?

    The price of shipping is imperfection. If you wait for your product to be perfect, you’ll never finish it. Fortunately you can decide which features should be closer to perfect and which can slack off a little. The Kindle DX is a good case in point. Reading and flipping pages on the Kindle is a wonderful experience. On the other hand, using the keyboard is painful. The keys are hard to press. The modifier keys are confusing. Mistakes are easy to make, slow to spot and hard to correct. Yet despite all these problems, I still love the device.

    A good way to square the great overall experience with a bad feature is the “suckage to usage” ratio. You can take any feature and say “it sucks,” but that doesn’t tell you anything about the whole product until you factor in how often you use the feature. Have a look at this unscientific chart.

    Feature Suckage (1-5) Usage Contribution (1-5)
    Reading 0 90% 0
    Typing 5 3% 0.15
    Switching books 1 7% 0.07
     
    Total suckage 0.22

    Suppose reading on the Kindle doesn’t suck at all (0 out of 5), typing sucks maximally (5 out of 5), and switching between books sucks a little (1 out of 5). Considering I spend 90% of my time just reading on the device, the contributions add up to a total suckage of only 0.22 out of 5. Inverted, that’s 4.78—basically a 5-star product.

    It’s rational for the Kindle designers to skimp on the keyboard when every feature takes time and time is scarce. Maybe the third or fourth generation Kindle will change such that keyboard input becomes more important. Pressures do change over time. But for now, it’s a fair trade.

    It’s easy to accept in theory that some parts of your own product won’t be up to standard. In practice, it’s hard to drop the sword. Nobody wants to release a feature that you know could be better. When this happens, try adding a factor of usage to the equation to see if perfection is really worth its price.

  • Chavez Says Colombia Preparing to Attack ‘Fake’ Venezuelan Base

    ‘Colombia is preparing to attack Venezuela in an operation that will be made to look like its objective is a base of Colombian guerrillas, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said

     

    “They say, and many people believe, there are guerrilla bases in our territory supported by the government,” Chavez said, in a speech to troops today that was shown on state television. “They are preparing the
    terrain to attack Venezuelan territory, simulating an encampment.”
    Chavez said
     
    Colombia’s military would justify the attack with lies, making reference to a scandal in the neighboring country that came to be known as the “false positives.” Colombia fired at least 27 officers and soldiers a year ago for allegedly killing poor slum-dwellers and dressing them as guerrillas in an attempt to win benefits from the government, prosecutors alleged.’

     

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  • Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost, a sporty crossover with debatable looks

    Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost

    There were quite a few years when Lincoln and the rest of the Ford family lost its appeal to the younger crowd, save for the ever-popular Ford Mustang. Over the last few years however, Ford has expended great effort, with success we might add, in redesigning, reengineering, and expanding their family of cars, with particular emphasis on the Lincoln brand. From physical design to branding strategy, Lincoln has certainly been re-invented. The MKZ and MKX have done well for the brand over the past few years, and the MKS was very well received by the public. Now, Lincoln brings to the market an all new full-size, three-row, luxury crossover that some will love and quite frankly, others will not.

    Based on the chassis of the 2010 Ford Flex, the 2010 Lincoln MKT features a sharp, sleek design, that seems almost aerodynamic, and looks like a retro-styled vehicle based on an old 1930’s Lincoln or Cadillac. Aesthetics being a matter of personal taste however, join us after the jump as we see how everything between the doors and under the hood measure up.

    Follow the jump to read more and to view the high-res image gallery (at the bottom of the post).

    Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost:

    Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost

    2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost Specifications:

    Base Price: $49,200.
    Price as Tested: $57,970.
    Engine: 3.5L twin-turbocharged V6 EcoBoost – 355-hp / 350 lb-ft of torque.
    Transmission: 6-speed SelectShift Automatic with Paddle Shifters.
    Curb Weight: 4,924 lbs (for AWD with EcoBoost).
    0 to 60 mph: 6.3 seconds.
    Fuel-Economy: 16/22 mpg (city/highway).

    All Photos Copyright © 2009 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.

    Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost - Exterior

    Exterior:

    Though they share a chassis, the 2010 Ford Flex and MKT have totally different bodies, and that is unfortunate for the MKT. While the MKT does sport some very elegant lines and shaping from some angles, it comes off as an obnoxious eyesore from others; particularly the rear, and we feel that this takes away from the overall visual experience of the vehicle.

    The MKT looks decidedly-Lincoln with its split-wing grille, beveled shoulder-line chamfer, and flowing cantrail, full-width horizontal tail-lamps that gracefully flow and wrap themselves around the magnesium power lift-gate. The Panoramic fixed glass Vista roof, body-color rear spoiler, HID headlamps, and heated exterior mirrors complete the look and add a rich and luxurious look. Other exterior amenities include: Lincoln’s SecuriCode invisible keypad, reverse camera and sensor.

    All of this sits standard on a set of 19-inch premium painted aluminum wheels, but a 20-inch polished aluminum wheel option is available.

    We just feel like Ford did its best to attract younger car shoppers, while making sure that the 50+ something crowd doesn’t shy away from the brand altogether.

    Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost - Interior

    Interior:

    Contrary to the mixed feelings we had regarding the exterior, the 2010 MKT offered one of the most comfortable and visually pleasing interiors we’ve tested to date. The design is sharp and sleek, and the materials and build quality are impeccable. Standard in the 2010 MKT are AM/FM/CD/DVD/MP3 capabilities, Sirius satellite radio, Microsoft Sync, touch-screen audio and climate controls, rear-view camera, three-zone auto climate control, and 12-way power adjustable heated/cooled leather trim seats with lumbar support.

    Our test-car came trimmed with the $4,000 Elite Package which includes; Blind Spot Information System with Cross-Traffic Alert, Voice-Activated Navigation System, THX II Certified 5.1 Surround audio system and panoramic Vista roof. Other options that were included in our fully-loaded test-model were the $895 second-row refrigerator, $195 woven metal trim, $1,295 Adaptive Cruise Control, and $595 Active Park Assist, which allows the car to parallel park itself.

    The steeping windshield and sloping roofline moves the third-row seat forward which in turn, kills about 2.5″ of legroom for middle-row passengers. If this small space concession doesn’t cause you much concern, then we can honestly say that the interior of the MKT is without flaw.

    Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost - Performance

    Performance:

    While powerful engines are certainly always en vogue, V8s seem to be getting less and less popular. The MKT isn’t offered with a V8, but rather consumers can opt between a standard V6 and an EcoBoost V6. The standard power-source for the MKT is a 3.7L V6 24-valve Duratec engine, which produces 268-hp and a maximum torque of 267 lb.-ft. The model that we tested, however, was powered by Ford’s new 3.5L EcoBoost V6 twin-turbocharged engine which delivers 355 horses and a maximum torque of 350 lb.-ft. between 1,500 and 5,250 rpm. When mated to the 6-speed SelectShift Automatic with Paddle Shift Activation, the EcoBoost attains 60 mph in just 6.3 seconds.

    That is certainly impressive power for a V6; it performs like a V8, no question about it. True to its EcoBoost moniker however, this engine does not consume the fuel that an equally powerful V8 would; the EPA estimates an average of 16/22 mpg, or 18 mpg combined. We were able to attain a combined 14 mpg throughout our week-long test.

    Obviously, one shouldn’t expect the MKT to take turns like a performance vehicle would, but the ride is a substantially smooth and comfortable one nonetheless, being true to the Lincoln brand.

    Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost - Overall

    Overall:

    The starting MSRP for the ‘10 Lincoln MKT is $44,995 (the EcoBoost option will add another $5,000, bringing the total to $49,995). This is slightly higher than that of the Acura MDX, which starts at $42,230, but lower than those of the Audi Q7 3.6 FSI and Mercedes-Benz R-Class crossovers which start at $46,900 and $49,300, respectively. With best-in-class fuel economy however – MDX: 16/21 mpg, Q7: 14/20 mpg, and R-Class: 15/19 mpg – and standard interior features that blow away those of the competition, the MKT is one car that ought to be seriously considered by any crossover shopper; if one can disregard and not be put off by the appearance of the vehicle’s rear-end.

    Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost:

    – By: Omar Rana and Stephen Calogera

    All Photos Copyright © 2009 Omar Rana – egmCarTech.


  • Top 100 Stories of 2009: #59: Amazing Images of the Heart of the Milky Way

    Earth’s placement on one of the outer arms of the galaxy gives us a view of what’s happening in the center.