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Last week, on December 17th, the BlackBerry Internet Server service had a nationwide outage for a few hours, depriving BlackBerry users across the US from getting their email (though other internet services were working fine). It was an event notable primarily because there was a lot more shoulder-shrugging than I expected – it has become par for the course that BlackBerry email goes out for some users from time to time.

It got me thinking – back when something similar happened in February, 2008, Palm had a little fun and pointed out that if you use Exchange with Windows Mobile, you don’t have to worry about a third-party point-of-failure.

What about now, though, where presumably more data gets channeled through Palm’s online cloud service, the Palm Profile?  We checked and have good news, folks: everything will pretty much work. If the Palm Profile goes down, here’s the set of things that won’t work:

• Over-the-Air backups / restoration
• First-time setup
• Remote Wipe
• App purchasing

Unlike the Sidekick, data you’re syncing to the Palm Profile is stored locally on your webOS phone. Unlike the BlackBerry, your push email happens directly via Exchange or IMAP Idle, unlike the iPhone, Palm has yet to release a push notification service so there’s nothing to go down there (yeah, that last one cuts both ways).

Of course, both the Pre and Pixi need to talk to Palm’s servers for their first-use setup, so if there’s an outage that will be a problem. Otherwise take heart – if your email or data goes down on your webOS phone, you will know exactly who to complain to – your email provider or your carrier.

Update: We totally aren’t taking credit the blame for this, but not long after we posted, sister-site CrackBerry.com is reporting that the BIS is acting up again for some North Americans, breaking the BBM service and even all data. Don’t get too cocky bragging about your service, kids — it’s not like Palm hasn’t had the occasional server problem.

El fabricante japonés Honda, acaba de hacer publico que próximamente presentará un nuevo compacto dedicado en exclusiva para el mercado indio. Por el momento, los datos sobre este nuevo concept son escasos aunque ya conocemos su nombre.

Este nuevo compacto se llamará (por lo menos temporalmente) New Small Concept. Por otra parte, también se ha especificado que el vehículo está siendo desarrollado actualmente como un modelo de pre-producción para los mercados emergentes y la India.

Honda también ha dado a conocer la fecha exacta en la que será presentado, el próximo día 5 de Enero de 2010. Tendremos que estar atentos a esta y el resto de novedades.

Related posts:

1. Ford Figo low-cost para el mercado indio
2. Honda P-Nut Concept
3. Honda Mugen Type R para Europa

The former chairman and CEO of Merrill Lynch David Komanksy told an audience in Westport, Connecticut that that recession is not yet over.

“It’s very hard to assume that the trials and tribulations that the global economy have gone through are over now,”  Komansky told the Men’s Club at Temple Israel in Westport.

Komansky lives in Westport. He serves on the board of BlackRock, the asset management firm that is 34% owned by Bank of America.

“I think much of it is behind us, but I think they’re still problems that are ahead of us that we are working our way through,” Komansky said.

“The economy is hardly standing on its own two feet right now. It’s being propped up–and I think properly being propped up—by the many, many different government efforts, and I don’t think you can really say the recession has ended until you see the economy function without the government aid and support that’s going on right now,” he explained.

Here’s the video, courtesy of Westport Now.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• The Economist: The Recession Was Nothing, Here Comes The Real Pain
• Obama Administration Can’t Decide Whether The Recession Is Over, But It Wants Banks To Lever Up
• Risk Of Double-Dip Recession Is Rising, Says Krugman

A few random insights that I scribbled down during the process:

1. Blame the system, not the people. A lot of people worked incredibly hard towards something positive. There were some screwups (late injection of the Danish text?), but on the whole, things didn’t come together because the structure wasn’t in place for them to do so.
2. The US came to the table with nothing to offer – a tentative commitment, but no money and no headroom for bigger commitments.
3. There’s little trust between parties. The developed world needs to demonstrate something concrete (significant emissions cuts or big $) before the developing world will budge.
4. You can’t fix historic emissions inequity with future emissions – unless you don’t care about anything remotely like a 2C target.
5. It’s not just about climate – development, resource management, and many other problems are intertwined.
6. When major unstated values or mental models are in conflict, the COP process reverts to niggling over unimportant administrative details.
7. It’s a good idea not to register more participants than you can handle.
8. Analysis and decision support are probably not the key constraint at this time (maybe later). Negotiators need more scope from their home constituencies to be able to reach agreement.
9. Emissions and welfare are not the same thing.
10. Deep cuts for the world imply ~100% cuts (or more) in the developed world.
11. It’s tough to reach 100% cuts due to fixed process emissions and activities for which it is difficult to substitute for hydrocarbon fuels.
12. A number of industries are planning on more than their share of the remaining x% of emissions – how will it really add up?

Some may scoff but Closed casts coveralls as the star of its Spring 2010 collection and makes a strong, sophisticated case for the choice buy cutting them in khaki and denim, then dressing them up in soft, summery suitcoats. Sherbet-flavored cardigans, button-ups in gingham and chambray, and Closed’s core speciality, denim, complete the line-up and are all given a breezy, soaked-in-the sea patina.

Continue reading for more images.

Source: The Fashionisto

If concern about the internals of the Samsung Omnia 2 has been keeping you from buying one, Techblog.gr has you covered, with this short teardown video revealing no hidden nasties present at all.

If that has not been a concern, you may enjoy the hip-hop sound track in any case.

See many more pictures at Techblog.gr here.

Via Engadget.com

Sometimes you just shake your head and wonder. It’s truly amazing that people don’t realize what will happen when they send out ridiculous legal nastygrams. Take, for example, the situation from a few months back where the company Ralph Lauren got itself into a lot more hot water by sending a bogus DMCA takedown, rather than just ‘fessing up to the fact that it photoshopped a model’s image (badly). But in sending the DMCA takedown, Ralph Lauren called a hell of a lot more attention to a situation that most people would have forgotten otherwise.

Apparently Demi Moore and her lawyers missed that whole story. Back in November some folks noticed what appeared to be a photoshopping of Demi Moore’s left hip on the cover of W magazine. There was some debate over it, but either way, people moved on and it was forgotten. Not so fast! While there was some discussion about it — and Moore herself chimed in on Twitter to claim that the photo was not altered — she’s now had her lawyers threaten at least two publications over the original story. Their claim is that the posts are defamatory. Even if there was no retouching of the photo, it’s hard to see what is possibly “defamatory” in the story. Digital retouching happens all the time, and claiming that a photo was retouched, if anything, would implicate the photographers or graphic artists at W, not Moore. There’s simply nothing even close to defamatory in regards to Moore herself.

Either way, the really bizarre part is why sic the legal dogs on this? Any lawyer should know that this has zero chance of actually working and a very high likelihood of simply calling a lot more attention to the question of whether or not the image was altered. And, in fact, the guy who apparently first noticed the supposed retouching — and a recipient of the legal nastygram — has responded by presenting some pretty compelling evidence that the image was, in fact, retouched. At the same time, he also reiterates that even if this is true, there’s nothing wrong with that and certainly nothing defamatory about it. So what was the purpose of the legal nastygram?

And, in the end, what makes Demi Moore look worse? The fact that some a cover shoot photo of her may have been slightly altered… or the fact that lawyers on her behalf sent out ridiculous legal nastygrams against those discussing this story?

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The Bass Buck is the preppy staple that pre-exists most of us, and the classic tan model is the one that exists in our memory. New York’s Jay Kos is putting their inventive take on these classics with a wide assortment of bright colors for the Bass Bucks. Some of the colors detected in released photos include a relatively-restrained (but very slick) gun-metal gray, a bright brick red and everything in between. These would certainly be the pop of color incorporated into your wardrobe this Spring season. Available at Jay Kos website.

Several private equity firms and Arris, a cable gear supplier, which recently paid $20 million for Digeo, have expressed interest in purchasing Motorola’s profitable set-top box division.

Several sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the first expressions of interest were due on Wednesday, but were completely nonbinding. Interested private equity firms included Bain Capital, TPG Capital, Blackstone Group KKR and Silver Lake Partners. Arris is likely to team up with a private equity firm.

Last month, reports leaked out that said Motorola (NYSE: MOT) was interested in selling its home and networks mobility unit, which recorded $10.1 billion in 2008 sales. The news that Motorola was interested in selling the unit came as a surprise because it was previously interested in spinning off its struggling mobile phones business. The sale of its profitable set-top business would ding the company’s overall earnings, but may also buy it more time to turnaround the handset business.

A final bid date may take months to schedule. Motorola’s advisers on the deal include Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. The division may sell for close to $4.5 billion.

Related

• Report: Motorola Considers $4.5 Billion Spin-Off Of Set-Top Box Business

Putt Base é um jogo de minigolf onde temos de pôr a bola no buraco com uma só tacada. Para isso temos por vezes a ajuda de alguns blocos que podemos colocar estrategicamente de forma a conseguir o objectivo final.

De resto as regras são as habituais neste tipo de jogo com a excepção que não podemos definir a força da tacada mas apenas a direcção.

WebTuga – Putt Base – Mini golf

Destress Yourself By Discovering Stressful Habits
[Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] What is a stressful habit? A stressful habit is typically a reaction that we have to certain situations.

Three Things to Do to De-Stress Yourself
[Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] There is something very important I would like to share with you and that is three things that we can do, right now, to begin the journey to “de-stress yourself”. Take Responsibility for our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

How to Destress Yourself in a Minute
[Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] There have been many conversations about the current global stress level and sometimes this causes minor anxiety among certain persons. It is my wish to share a way that we can destress ourselves in about a minute in order to help with minor anxiety levels.

De-Stress Yourself by Never Ending Goal Setting
[Health-and-Fitness:Mental-Health] Did you know that if you don’t have goals you are in the constant state of going nowhere? Do you get up everyday, get ready for work or school, get home, watch TV, eat dinner, watch more TV, go to bed, and do it all over again? Life is a learning experience and one of the things we can learn is never ending goal setting.

How to De-Stress Yourself With an Open Mind
[Self-Improvement:Stress-Management] After many years of teaching stress management, listening to peoples’ stress related problems, and compiling information related to stress, it is my conclusion that the number one sign of stress is denial. A sign is what the observer can see and a symptom is what the individual describes. Therefore, if the number one sign of stress is denial then the number one key to de-stress yourself is the ability to have an open mind. When we have an open mind we are teachable and willing to learn from others.

De-Stress Yourself With Daily Deep Relaxation Meditation
[Health-and-Fitness:Meditation] When it comes to Meditation we must have an open mind and make a commitment if we want change in our lives. When people think of meditation they often think of religion or they think of it as a waste of time. But meditation is the ultimate skill of patience, which gives peace and calm to our minds, bodies, and then to our lives.

While the LG GM750, Vodafone’s first Windows Mobile 6.5 device, has launched some time ago, we have not heard too much from it directly from the carrier.

For that reason this short promotion of the smartphone is quite welcome, with the casual presentation making the device seem pretty approachable to the mainstream.  Pity about that missing 3.5 mm headphone jack then…

The handset is available for free on a £25 per month plan, which includes unlimited data, from Vodafone here.

Got all your holiday shopping done? No? Well that’s too bad, because you’re staying in tonight to tune into the PalmCast Live. This is non-negotiable, okay? Derek and Keith are keeping a list, and if we notice that you’re not there, we’ll be sending Santa a note. Since we assume you don’t want any coal in your stocking, drop by at 8 PM Eastern tonight to listen in and join the conversation.

We’re not all about the news here – we want you to get in on the conversation as well. So send us a note on Twitter – include the #palmcast hashtag in your tweet – and we’ll give you a rambling sardonic response.

We expect to see you there (wearing of bells is optional, but highly encouraged). So put it in your calendar, set an alarm, stick a post-it on your forehead, and do nothing until 8 PM lands, lest you miss it. PalmCast Live!

Heading into Copenhagen, I provided a “Fab 5” of necessary outcomes for COP-15 to be a success.  The Copenhagen Accord took a number of pragmatic steps on finance, accountability and endorsing market-based approaches to tackling the challenge of global climate change.  The Accord will likely play well in the US Senate with a view to getting more support for domestic action through cap-and-trade legislation as it brings China, India, Brazil and South Africa along in bending the curve of business-as-usual emissions.  It also establishes accountability procedures for developing countries to report on those obligations through the Conference of the Parties.  Additionally, the next commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, never popular in domestic politics, appears dubious at best.  So these issues play well domestically.

However, in the trade-off for these pragmatic steps, the United Nations Conference of the Parties process was left in tatters.  While most countries signed on to the Copenhagen Accord, it was done so with a disdain for the process and skepticism for the result.  It will be difficult to regain the level of political momentum and multilateral engagement that was achieved in the lead up to Copenhagen through the UN.  Science-based targets to reduce emissions backed by a legally binding UN treaty to fulfill all commitments were lost, for now, in that effort. 

President Obama is taking a lot of heat for the outcome.  Success for the Obama Administration now lies in proving it can actually deliver real action on 1. domestic mitigation, 2. international finance and 3. working positively with China and other emerging economies on real results, thus justifying their tough negotiating position in Copenhagen.  Otherwise, the Copenhagen Accord will be seen as all bark and no bite as many critics are already claiming.  Whether the bite is real depends on a mixture of Presidential leadership, domestic politics and international pressure.

Global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are in a fundamentally different place than they were before Copenhagen.  Pledges to reduce or curb emissions are now a global endeavor, not one just for developed nations.  At the end of the day, however, the Copenhagen Accord is a bunch of words on paper.  Emerging governance structures and actions to ensure fulfillment of the Accord will determine real success.  Perhaps, Michael Levi of the Council on Foreign Relations assessed the wake of Copenhagen best: "The climate-treaty process isn’t going to die, but the real work of coordinating international efforts to reduce emissions will primarily occur elsewhere."  The level of importance for the next COP in Mexico City remains to be seen.

Below the “Fab 5” goals are repeated with accompanying analysis of how they line up with language from the Copenhagen Accord.

1. Aggressive Emission Reduction Goals

Developed countries will need to agree upon on ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets.  The IPCC suggests that this implies a mid-term goal for 25-40 percent GHG cuts by 2020 based on a 1990 level baseline and 80 percent by 2050.  Collective action will need to be supplemented by individual national commitments such as those put forward by the United States and United Kingdom in recent days.  Likewise, developing countries will need to agree to taking GHG mitigation actions that are appropriate in their national development contexts ranging from shifting to low carbon power strategies to reducing rates of deforestation.  Some observers see a collective goal that recognizes the scientific view that the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels should not exceed two degrees Celsius as a more politically feasible outcome than the target cuts noted above.

Copenhagen Accord: “We agree that deep cuts in global emissions are required according to science, and as documented by the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report with a view to reduce global emissions so as to hold the increase in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius, and take action to meet this objective consistent with science and on the basis of equity.”

Analysis: As predicted, the tougher decisions about collective commitments to reduce emissions by the above noted 2020 and 2050 targets were left for another day, in favor of a 2 degrees Celsius approach.  It is difficult to reconcile the scientific reality with the necessary policy goals set in the Copenhagen Accord.  There is now a February 2010 deadline for countries to sign up their individual commitments in an Annex to the Copenhagen Accord.  For the first time, both developing and developed countries will put forward such commitments, yet there is doubt they will add up to either the IPCC figures or the 2 degrees goal. 

2. Climate Finance Commitments

Countries need to agree upon climate finance mechanisms that will provide “fast start” funds of approximately $10-$12 to developing countries from 2010 to 2012.  This is viewed as a down payment of good faith towards future actions by developing countries.  The architecture for longer-term, predictable funding for climate adaptation and mitigation – including forestry and technology support will also need to be put into place.  However, it is less feasible for specific dollar amounts, governance regimes and sources of funding to be agreed upon in Copenhagen with respect to longer-term climate finance.

Copenhagen Accord: “The collective commitment by developed countries is to provide new and additional resources, including forestry and investments through international institutions, approaching USD 30 billion for the period 2010-2012 with balanced allocation between adaptation and mitigation.”

“In the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation, developed countries commit to a goal of mobilizing jointly USD 100 billion dollars a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries.”

“We decide that the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund shall be established as an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention to support projects, programme, policies and other activities in developing countries related to mitigation including REDD-plus, adaptation, capacity building, technology development and transfer.”

Analysis: The Accord went further than I anticipated in terms of setting a 2020 target for $100 billion annually, and came in on target in terms of the “fast start” funds.  The challenge will be ensuring that these funds are truly “new and additional,” and words are followed by actions in the implementation of these measures.  The Green Fund concept provides an overarching framework and governance structure but will need significant negotiation on the road to a binding legal treaty.

3. Accountability for Commitments

Measurable, Reportable and Verifiable (MRV) national commitments and actions agreed at Copenhagen are a lynchpin of success.  If a global agreement will be more than rhetoric, there simply needs to be a standardized methodology to “trust but verify” with a view to equitable burden sharing in the transformation to a global low carbon economy.  Countries need to establish common international methodologies to track and report emissions and subsequent measures to reduce emissions.

Copenhagen Agreement: Developed countries: “Delivery of reductions and financing by developed countries will be measured, reported and verified in accordance with existing and any further guidelines adopted by the Conference of the Parties, and will ensure that accounting of such targets and finance is rigorous, robust and transparent.”

Developing countries: Mitigation actions will be subject to “provisions for international consultations and analysis.”  Mitigation actions that seek international support will be “record in a registry along with relevant technology, finance and capacity building support” and “subject to international measurement, reporting and verification in accordance with guidelines adopted by the Conference of the Parties.”

Analysis: The fundamental goal of moving towards a more transparent and accountable system for reporting and verifying emission reductions was achieved.  The language brings both developed and developing countries along.  Through a US political lens, getting China and other emerging economies to agree to this language will assist in efforts to persuade the Senate that all Parties will move towards reductions and thus lessen perceptions of competitive disadvantage.

4. Signals for a Global Carbon Market

Private capital needs to see signals that a process of linking nations in post-Kyoto Protocol market-mechanism efforts that reduce emissions will continue.  In order for private capital to continue the evolution of a liquid, cost-effective mitigation market begun under the Clean Development Mechanism and Emissions Trading systems, political signals of this approach must be provided in Copenhagen.  This will allow the evolution of so-called flexible mechanisms towards at scale reductions in the most cost-effective manner possible.

Copenhagen Agreement: “We decide to pursue various approaches, including opportunities to use markets, to enhance the cost-effectiveness of, and to promote mitigation actions. Developing countries, especially those with low emitting economies should be provided incentives to continue to develop on a low emission pathway.”

Analysis: Market mechanisms to reduce emissions and contain costs remained alive through the Copenhagen Accord.  However, the value of such mechanisms is only as good as the demand created by aggressive emission reduction targets and the rules that ensure environmental integrity of such approaches.  Copenhagen did not advance these goals and such mechanisms will largely fall to national approaches and a future legal treaty.

5. Political Agreement With a View to Legal Agreement

There is broad consensus that a political agreement is the likely outcome from Copenhagen but ultimately enforcement requires a legal agreement.  Towards this goal, it is anticipated the countries will politically commit to finalizing a more legally binding agreement in 2010.  In the US context, this approach allows the Obama Administration to sequence working collaboratively with the Senate on a final energy and climate legislative package prior to promising what cannot be delivered at the international level.

Copenhagen Agreement: “We call for an assessment of the implementation of this Accord to be completed by 2015, including in light of the Convention’s ultimate objective.  This would include consideration of strengthening the long-term goal referencing various matters presented by the science, including in relation to temperature rises of 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

Analysis: There is no commitment to move towards a legally binding agreement in 2010, but rather just an assessment of the effectiveness of the Accord in 2015.  While nothing prevents the Parties from moving towards a legal treaty by the next COP in Mexico City, it is by no means a certainty.

Filed under: SUV, Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chevrolet, Subaru, India

First of all, if you weren’t aware already, the first-generation Subaru Forester was later sold in India as the Chevrolet Forester (General Motors doesn’t have the CUV in its lineup anymore). There weren’t any real changes to the vehicle in any way, it was really just a Subaru with a Bowtie emblem. Now that that’s out of the way, we have learned that an 80-year-old man in India named Ashok Tolat sued General Motors after his Forester came to a halt and died in one foot of water during the monsoon season in 2005. Angered that his SUV couldn’t handle any weather thrown its way, Tolat sued GM.

General Motors denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the Forester wasn’t designed as an all-terrain, all-weather vehicle. Tolat countered with the car’s sales brochure, which reportedly likened the Forester’s capabilities with that of a mountain goat. “A total misrepresentation,” says Tolat. As far as we can recall, we’re not aware of any 2005-vintage mountain goats that stalled out and died in one foot of water… so, there you go.

The General took the case all the way to India’s Supreme Court after losing Tolat’s lawsuit in two lower courts, but it ultimately lost there too. It took three years, but Tolat finally got GM to buy back the Forester and pay his legal fees. Score one for determination, even if we’re a little leery of the court’s ruling without the rest of the facts. In any case, click past the break to watch video of the story as covered on NDTV.

[Source: NDTV via YouTube via TTAC]

Continue reading VIDEO: Man wins India Supreme Court case for ‘mountain goat’ claims about Chevy Forester

VIDEO: Man wins India Supreme Court case for ‘mountain goat’ claims about Chevy Forester originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Published Dec. 17, 2009
By Lena Vargas, KEPR TV

PASCO–More people are going back to school and that means competition for financial aid is big.

Nationwide a growing number of non-traditional students are filling campuses and filling financial aid offices.

Ceci Ratliff with CBC’s Financial Aid Office says it’s seen a twenty percent increase in the number of students who need financial aid.

“A lot of the people who have just now completed files have been at cbc in the past, so that tells me they might have stopped out, found themselves without a job,” said Ratcliff.

Students have to compete with whatever dollars are left. This is a year when the state has cut 14 percent of the school’s funding, with more cuts possible next year.

It’s something high school seniors need to consider now. Ratcliff recommends they apply for the FAFSA as soon as it comes out online on January 1st.

The financial aid office has so much extra work it has had to close Thursdays and Fridays to catch up with the back log of financial aid applications.

For students, it means fewer office hours and fewer programs.

Remember when the Justice Department was filled with partisan hacks who followed illegal and immoral policy directives, irrespective of the law? Oh, the good ol’ days, says Newt Gingrich.

As part of a larger attack on the Obama administration during this year’s David Horowitz Restoration Weekend, the former House Speaker bewailed Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to try terrorism suspects in federal court: “Now you have an Attorney General whose basic position is, let’s have a public trial under American criminal defense models, with their lawyers having access, or demanding access, or suggesting access — frankly, someone should introduce a resolution of impeachment.”

Wow. In Gingrich-landia, attorneys general should, nay, must deny criminal defendants access to the the rights of, well, criminal defendants. One would imagine that the Founders, who enshrined these guarantees in the Bill of Rights, would meet such disrespect with disappointment, if not disdain.

(more…)