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Photograph of the temple of Kom Ombo lit up at night.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

We’re used to seeing this kind of conversations between Eminem and Mariah Carey, but it seems that the Oracle-Sun deal has stirred up some opposite opinions between Oracle’s management and MySQL’s founder, Finnish developer Ulf Michael “Monty” Widenius. After launching a stern and stingy campaign against the Oracle-Sun merger in late October demanding some commitments from Oracle to the MySQL project, Mr. Widenius is now marking all of Oracle’s reassurances as “empty promises.”

For those who do not know what all of this is about, the whole public media war started when appalled MySQL developers were greeted one day with the news that the long discussed Oracle-Sun merger was approved by the US Government without any special conditions being imposed on Oracle to sustain MySQL going forward.

Fearing another drama like the one with InnoDB, the community started to mitigate for assurances from the commercial giant that it will keep MySQL opened to the open-source world as Sun did until now. Their last hopes were officially in the hands of the European Committee’s approving process.

After the public onslaught it took for the InnoDB acquisition and how the project was handled afterward, Oracle tried to speed up the approval process of the EC and rallied up some of its bi… (read more)

Davantage de photos aujourd’hui du Qashqai phase 2,qui arrivera en concessions au printemps à un prix inchangé,le point sur les changements,et même une petite vidéo.

La star de Nissan sur nos marchés s’est refait une toilette pour l’arrivée des beaux jours,histoire de mieux lutter contre ses nouveaux concurrents,à commencer par le Peugeot 3008.Le Qashqai revient donc avec une face avant plus agressive,et enfin expressive.La discrète fadeur du modèle actuel a laissé place à un regard plus affirmé,grâce à de nouvelles optiques,mais surtout grâce à un bouclier beaucoup plus typé.

A l’arrière,les retouches sont plus discrètes.A noter les feux redessinés,en forme de « boomerang » selon le gars de Nissan s’exprimant dans la vidéo plus bas.Ces feux sont désormais à leds.

A l’intérieur,outre de nouvelles teintes de sellerie,le blocs instruments a été revu; cerclage des compteurs chromé,console centrale réaménagée pour recevoir un nouvel ordinateur de bord et des rangements supplémentaires,plus quelques détails,concernant notamment la commande de verrouillage centralisé.

Côté mécanique maintenant,peu de nouveautés,si ce n’est l’apparition d’une version « verte ».Celle-ci,baptisée Pure drive,est basée sur le 1.5 dCi 106,est associée à des pneus verts et à une boite aux rapports allongés.Tout ça lui permet de contenir ses rejets de CO2 sous les 130g./km.

Au bilan,on retrouve donc cette star du marché repartie pour quelques années,avec une nouvelle frimousse plus avenante.Si l’opération est très réussie à l’extérieur,on en dira pas autant de l’intérieur,où les changements sont timides.Le 3008,particulièrement réussi sur ce point,garde donc un net avantage dans l’habitacle.Pour le reste,c’est affaire de goût.

Notez que les tarifs resteront inchangés sur cette nouvelle version.

Voici la vidéo proposée par Caradisiac,ainsi que d’autres photos plus bas:

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!

Eco Factor: Energy-saving computer made from sustainable materials.

Industrial designers have envisioned computers that generate renewable energy for power and are made using green materials. However, most of these green computers remain only on paper due to the lack of adequate technology. Hailing from Korea, Design Hara has come up with a custom and hand-built computer that looks like a modern space heater and boasts some green credentials as well.

(more…)

If one rotor is good, four must be better. That’s the general idea behind the CyberQuad, a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from Cyber Technology. The CyberQuad is an electric, remote-controlled reconnaissance platform that features four ducted rotors to provide lift and maneuverability, allowing the remote-control UAV to be used in urban and enclosed environments. The four rotors give the CyberQuad the payload capacity and stability of a helicopter-type UAV, while the ducted design avoids the dangers associated with exposed propellers…

Tags: Australian,
CyberQuad,
Reconnaissance,
Remote-control,
Stealth,
UAV,
VTOL

Related Articles:

• Two-seater Hummel helicopter concept folds-up for easy storage
• BAE VTOL UAV impresses in autonomous tests
• GoldenEye 80 ducted fan UAV makes successful first flight
• Boeing’s new AH-6 light attack/reconnaissance helicopter
• First Ducted-Fan Micro Air Vehicles deployed in Iraq
• Bell Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH): Hunter AND Killer

The golden ratio describes a rectangle with a length roughly one and a half times its width. Also known as the golden section, golden mean and divine proportion, among other names, it has intrigued mathematicians and artists alike for centuries. The Egyptians supposedly used it to guide the construction the Pyramids, the architecture of ancient Athens is thought to have been based on it, and many artists have fashioned their works around it. This includes Leonardo da Vinci, who used it in the Mona Lisa and the Vitruvian Man. Now a Duke University scientist believes he has figured out the secret behind the golden ratio’s popularity – and it’s all down to evolution…

Tags: Architecture,
Duke University,
Efficiency,
Evolution

Related Articles:

• US$3,500 White Lake USB Memory Golden Stick
• Golden-i Bluetooth headset with virtual PC display
• Evolution Robotics unveils New ER2 Personal Robot
• Golden Helmet for Italian Dindo Capello
• Flow measurement gives Olympic swimmers the edge
• Hi-Flow integrated filtering system – bottle quality from the tap

Recently we reported on Marines and their deployment of GREENS solar-power for technological devices on the battlefield. World Water and Solar Technologies (WWST) has also placed solar-powered water purification units throughout the world including war-torn Darfur, Sudan. Working with the Humanitarian International Services Group (HISG), two high-volume Mobile Max Pure (MMP) water filters have been installed that use the sun for their power. Placed in a carefully selected location where it could do the most good, each unit can generate up to 3.5kW of solar electric power and provide 30,000 gallons of clean drinking water for the many thousands of displaced civilians…

Tags: Filter,
Fresh,
Health,
Military,
Pure,
Purification,
Solar,
solar-powered,
Units,
Water

Related Articles:

• Electrolux Sunny solar water front loader
• Thirst Aid – on-the-fly water purification
• WaterMill provides energy-efficient alternative to bottled H2O
• Pedal power delivers clean water to the developing world
• Disaster response unit delivers power, water and communications to stricken and remote areas
• The M3 mobile water desalination system cuts the cost of producing clean water

Ho-ho-ho, see below a set of Sexy Christmas Wallpapers…

P.S. Previous hot post is here.

theodp writes “Before leaving a long IBM career last summer to head the USPTO, David Kappos managed Big Blue’s patent and trademark portfolios. Last Tuesday, the USPTO awarded U.S. Patent No. 7,630,915 to IBM for its inventive method of Managing an Intellectual Property Portfolio.”

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Eco Factor: Energy-saving Christmas star with 9000 LEDs.

Siemens has powered up its Superstar, an LED-equipped Christmas Star in Munich that puts out a glow equivalent to 20,000 Christmas candles, while consuming as much electricity as a hair dryer. The revolving star, which is being touted to be the largest in the world, will stay lit until the day of Epiphany.

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Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) is reportedly gearing up to launch a video subscription service, and while the details are still murky, our own Staci Kramer at paidContent.org is reporting that negotiations between Apple and the TV networks are in advanced stages and a service could launch by next year.

CBS (NYSE: CBS) and Disney (NYSE: DIS) (in which Apple’s Steve Jobs is a major shareholder) are considered the most interested parties, and the service would likely be available through iTunes, which already sells movies and TV shows today, but does not offer them for a monthly subscription. It could also run on multiple platforms, including Apple’s iPhones, iPods, or its Apple TV device. But today, the Financial Times is taking the speculation one step further and reporting that Apple could offer the TV subscription on the yet-to-be-confirmed tablet computer, which it reports is “widely expected to launch imminently.”

Kathryn Huberty, a Morgan Stanley analyst: “The driver behind it [the tablet] will be content.” As for the timing, FT.com claims that Apple is preparing an announcement next month, at which time a launch could occur. Wall Street analysts also expect mass production of an Apple tablet to begin as early as February.

For the record, Apple has denied that it is actually working on a Tablet. The details of such a device if it actually exists are entirely vague and completely based on rumors. Other tablet-like computers have launched in the marketplace, and magazine publishers, like Time (NYSE: TWX) and Condé Nast, have created prototype digital editions for them.

Eco Factor: A zero-emission electric Fiat 500 will probably be unveiled at Detroit Auto Show.

The soon-to-be-US-bound Fiat 500 could be launched in an all-electric variant at the Detroit Auto Show to be held next month. While Chrysler didn’t seem interested in any press conference, they are sure not to be empty-handed at the auto show. Automotive News believes that the company could be showing off an electric variant of Fiat 500 along with a new version of the Lancia Delta hatchback.

(more…)

Regardless of whether kitty has been naughty or nice, you’ll want to get her a pair of handmade catnip coal lumps from Etsy seller Crafty Cat Lady. You get two fuzzy knit coal lumps filled with organic catnip and packaged in a festive little bag. Perfect for all kitties–good, and not so good.

We’ve tried Funky Monkey 100% natural freeze dried snacks before, and they were a big hit in my family. Now, we have tried three new flavors:

• Funky Monkey Snacks MangOJ, Mango with Orange Juice, Freeze-Dried Fruit
• Funky Monkey Snacks Applemon, Apple with Cinnamon, Freeze-Dried Fruit
• Funky Monkey Snacks Pink Pineapple, Pineapple with Guava, Freeze-Dried Fruit

My favorite new flavor is Applemon, but my daughter loves the Pink Pineapple. My kids love Funky Monkey, and when I told my daughter they were not
organic, she said, “I don’t care. They are good!” All of our samples
disappeared quickly.  These snacks are gluten-free and vegan, and they contain nothing but fruit. They do stick to your molars, making the flavor last in your mouth for awhile. The product label claims these snacks are “raw”, but my understanding of raw does not involve any processing, including freeze drying.

Disclosure: I was sent free samples of this product to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review be positive or negative

The Nasdaq Composite closed yesterday at 2252 the highest it has been since just after Labor Day 2008.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 10,465, within 100 points of its 52-week high.  Whether these have been fueled by a Santa Claus rally, or by the perception of a genuine recovery will be a subject for the history books one day, but for now, we know that there are some particularly bright areas in the market — and one of them is business software. 

Please note that we do not recommend stocks; we just write about companies that interest us, and perhaps bring ideas to the attention of our readers.  Do your own diligence. 

Leaving aside the Nasdaq giants, there are more than a handful of small-cap software companies that have been strong performers in the most recent legs of this move upward.   One might start by looking at Chelmsford MA-based Datawatch Corp (Nasdaq: DWCH; http://www.datawatch.com/), which serves more than 35,000 customers globally with products including its Monarch data mining and report-generating software — which helps businesses make sense of piles of data that is meaningless without the organization that software can bring to it.  DWCH closed at $2.49 on Tuesday, with a 52-week range of $0.77 to $2.79.  DWCH is a super-light trader, so it might take some intrepid trading skills to put together a position.

On the other side of the US, there’s Novato CA-based Sonic Solutions (Nasdaq: SNIC; http://www.sonic.com/), which helps businesses create and manage digital media (think video and other non-character-based files) across a variety of platforms.  Well-known brands include Roxio, CinePlayer, PhotoSuite and Popcorn, among many others.  SNIC also sells entertainment content to users.  SNIC closed at $12.23, vs a year-high of $12.82 (and a year-low of $0.57 for a not-quite-Matterhorn-shaped chart, but close enough for most investors), on hefty average volume of more than 400,000 shares.

Dublin-based Trintech Group* (Nasdaq: TTPA; http://www.trintech.com/) develops and markets enterprise software products that help companies stay in compliance with regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley, and that make it possible for businesses with complex collections to reconcile invoicing and receipts even when discounts intervene to change totals.  Brands include ReconNET and AssureNET, as well as its Unity suite of products.  Primarily providing SaaS and licensing, TTPA is headquartered in Ireland, sells globally, and has almost all its operations in the USA.  TTPA closed yesterday at $3.48 with a 52-week spread of $0.90 to $3.61.  Looks like a 4-bagger to me. 

Sykesville MD-based GSE Systems (NYSE Amex: GVP; http://www.gses.com/) designs and provides simulation software and monitoring systems for electric utilities, both nuclear and oil- or coal-burning.  The products help utilities monitor water temperature in reactors, and a variety of safety factors to help utilities operate smoothly and without creating hazards for the public.  A little esoteric-sounding, but if you are reading this on a computer, you are using electricity, and if you are using electricity, ummmm, well — you get the picture.  GVP closed Tuesday at $4.98, nearer its year-low of $3.58 than its year-high of $8.35 on average volume of over 100,000 shares per day.

Or if you care to cast your eyes to the east, have a look at Herzlia, Israel-based BluePhoenix Solutions Inc (Nasdaq: BPHX; http://www.bphx.com/), which offers IT solutions that help  companies modernize their computer networks.  Their systems will mine for business rules in your legacy software and help you migrate to Linux, Unix, Windows, or .Net.  BPHX closed yesterday at $2.54 vs a year high of $3.97 on volume of about 165,000 shares on average.  BPHX reported flat to slightly down sales for their last quarter, but the bottom line was improved, at least on a non-GAAP basis. 

And if a larger market cap doesn’t scare you away, have a look at Sunnyvale CA-based Blue Coat Systems (Nasdaq:BCSI; http://www.bluecoat.com/).  BCSI provides WAN (wide area network) products that help IT administrators sweep for viruses, worms, spyware, and Trojans, as well as secure connections and sign-ons.  BCSI closed yesterday at $29.07, vs a year-high of $29.39, and average volume of nearly 700,000 shares. 

None of these companies is a household name; all of them have strong cadres of business clients who use their products and trust them.  Doubtless some will grow, some will get stale, and others will get acquired.  For all, there is a distinct market niche and a proven product.  Happy 2010!

*client of Allen & Caron Inc, publisher of this blog.

I don’t usually feel the need to mark birthdays but this pair seemed very well worth noting.

Jean Francois Champollion was born today in 1790.
Wikipedia
BBC History

Karl Lepsius was born today in 1810.
Wikipedia

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

Now this is an ornament I could see on a Moderncat tree! It’s from Australian Etsy seller Little and Big K and it’s hand embroidered on natural linen. So sweet!

Heads up guys! The latest US PlayStation Store update is now available. This weeks lineup includes a bunch of PSN game sales, new game demos, the usual game add-on contents, a new PSP Minis and a PSOne