Filed under: Technology, Ford

SYNC, Ford’s voice-operated in-vehicle phone and media player interface, has become hugely popular feature. Since its introduction a couple years back, Ford has added new features and functionality to the system, including the ability to call up turn-by-turn directions, even on cars without navigation.

If you have a newer, more advanced phone that can download its address book, you can make calls by simply telling the car to call a given contact’s name. If, on the other hand, you’re stuck with a more prosaic communications device, you’re limited to dialing by number.

To address this limitation, Ford’s has introduced SYNCmyPhone. This is a desktop application (available for Windows and Mac) that allows users to create and manage their address book. Once the address book is ready, it can then be saved to a USB drive and loaded to a SYNC-equipped car, giving it the dial-by-name functionality previously available only to users of newer phones. If you drive a Ford vehicle with SYNC, you can download the app at SYNCMyRide.com .

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford offers desktop app to download phone address books to SYNC

Ford offers desktop app to download phone address books to SYNC originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I love when I hear about marketing campaigns that have a double benefit — they are more effective than traditional campaigns and they are greener, too. How does this happen?

Typically, it happens because marketers make smarter use of their databases. They select out a portion of their customer databases and create more customized or even fully personalized campaigns that, when done right, are more effective than static campaigns. I’ve written up case studies showing ROIs of 10:1, 80:1, even 1200:1.

From an environmental perspective, these campaigns are fabulous because by using only a portion of the database, they are slashing your carbon footprint, too. If you send to 20% of your database, you just reduced your environmental impact by 80%. At the same time, you are actually getting a better return.

Take the example of Club ABC Tours.

Read more of this story »

Filed under: Motorsports

Autosport recently held one of those this-has-to-be-about-creating-controversy polls to find the greatest F1 driver of all time. But this was more like the Screen Actors Guild Awards than the Oscars, in that it was 217 Formula 1 drivers — going all the way back to 98-year-old Paul Pietsch, who raced in the 1930s — doing the voting. From among all their peers, the group chose Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna as the number one F1 stunner.

Still, there are plenty of “What?!” moments. Ayrton we’re solid on, and only three drivers from the past two decades made the top ten, one of them being Fernando Alonso at the number nine spot. But seriously — Lewis Hamilton at number 17 ahead of Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, and Kimi Raikkonen? Jensen Button at number 30 ahead of Alan Jones, Guiseppe Farina, and Phil Hill? We say, “Hmmm…” Have a look at the list yourselves, where you can vote for whether a driver should be ranked higher or lower. Hat tip to Marien.

[Source: Autosport | Image:AFP/Getty]

Autosport: Drivers vote Senna as greatest of all time originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 09:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house…Under my tree was a gold and diamond mouse.”

“This has got to be a joke,” I thought.  I’ve recently been surfing the web for Christmas gifts.  Some of the things that I found were so ridiculous I just had to say, “Are you kidding me?”
I found this really cute site called MOUSE ENVY that sells unusual styles of a computer mouse.  Some of them are so adorable and most of them are only $15.99 – $19.99!  I decided to look through the whole site to ensure that I found just the right one.  When I stumbled across the cow mouse, I mooed with joy!  This one is absolutely perfect!

However, I still want to look at the rest so that I didn’t miss something better.  Lo and behold, the prices on them went up a little bit.  No big deal until…

I clicked on the limited edition tab , sipped my coffee, scrolled down, and almost choked on my coffee.  There, to my surprise, was the Diamond Flower mouse.  It’s available in 18-carat white or yellow gold and set with 59 diamonds in the shape of a flower.  The itty-bitty mouse costs … you’d better sit down for this one and no drinking while reading.  It could be hazardous to your health.

Drum roll please…

SCROLL DOWN

  $ 23,250.00 ! Yuppers, you read it correctly.  Twenty-three THOUSAND two hundred fifty DOLLARS!  Now that’s flower power!

My gut finds this persuasive …

Digital Domain – AT&T Takes the Fall for the iPhone’s Glitches – NYTimes.com

… When I set about looking for independent data, however, to confirm the superior performance of Verizon’s network, I was astonished to discover that I had managed to get things exactly wrong. Despite the well-publicized problems in New York and San Francisco, AT&T seems to have the superior network nationwide.

And the iPhone itself may not be so great after all. Its design is contributing to performance problems.

Roger Entner, senior vice president for telecommunications research at Nielsen, said the iPhone’s “air interface,” the electronics in the phone that connect it to the cell towers, had shortcomings that “affect both voice and data.” He said that in the eyes of the consumer, “the iPhone has the nimbus of infallibility, ergo, it’s AT&T’s fault.” AT&T does not publicly defend itself because it will not criticize Apple under any circumstances, he said. AT&T and Apple both declined to comment on Mr. Entner’s assessments.

Neither AT&T nor Verizon was willing to reveal its internal data on performance. But Global Wireless Solutions, one of the third-party services that run network tests for the major carriers, shared some of its current findings. The service dispatches drivers across the country with phones and laptops equipped with data cards. They have covered more than three million miles of roads this year, while running almost two million wireless data sessions and placing more than three million voice calls, said Paul Carter, the president.

The results place AT&T’s data network not just on top, but well ahead of everyone else. “AT&T’s data throughput is 40 to 50 percent higher than the competition, including Verizon,” Mr. Carter said. AT&T is a client and Verizon is not, he added.

Why do I find this persuasive, even though one of the sources gets AT&T money?

1. We only hear my fellow iPhone users screaming about AT&T quality.
2. Remember Apple’s rivals saying Apple didn’t have the engineering background to make a quality cell phone? I suspect this is what they were talking about. Apple did amazingly well, but perfection is not human.
3. Quality and reliability are not Apple’s top priority (most recent example: my 2 day old flickering, stuttering, $2K iMac i5). It’s not in their DNA.

Mind you, I despise AT&T. I think they’ll shaft their customers whenever they can get away with it. Apple is flawed, but they’re still better than everybody else. It’s just that this time, when it comes to phone service, I suspect Apple is at least as flawed as AT&T.

Alistair Darling’s pre-Budget report statement means the basic state pension will go up by £2.40 a week even though the Retail Prices Index is in negative figures

The Chancellor said: “For the first time in half a century the retail prices index has been negative for much of this year. Many benefits and tax credits are linked to the September RPI. RPI inflation last September was minus 1.4 per cent. This would have meant no increase in these benefits in April. I do not believe such a freeze would be fair.

“So I can confirm the basic state pension will not be frozen but will rise by 2.5 per cent, 4 per cent in real terms.”

In April the full state pension will rise from £95.25 to £97.65 per week for a single pensioner, while couples will receive £156.16 instead of £152.30.

However campaigners pointed out that the improvement was always guaranteed, and said it would bring most elderly people no real benefit, as their living costs are still rising fast while their other benefits such as the winter fuel allowance have been frozen.

After Labour was condemning for increasing the weekly pension by just 75p at the start of the decade, there has been a commitment that it will also go up by at least 2.5 per cent if inflation is lower.

Charities believe the cost of living for pensioners is increasing higher than for other groups in society, because they spend a greater proportion of their money on food, and on heating and lighting their homes. Many have also seen their retirement income drop over the past year because of low interest rates and reduced dividends for shareholders.

Dot Gibson, general secretary of the National Pensioners’ Convention, said: “The Pre-Budget Report gives with one hand but then takes away with the other and does little to tackle rising pensioner poverty, fuel poverty or the impact that the recession is continuing to have on older savers.

“One in four pensioners still lives in poverty and rising costs of food and fuel, combined with record lows in savings returns and underperforming pensions, mean that pensioners continue to suffer a disproportionate increase in the cost of living.

“In light of all this, the Chancellor’s promise to raise the state pension next year by £2.40 a week but then take more than half of it back again will bring little cheer to Britain’s pensioners.”

Andrew Harrop, Head of Public Policy at Age Concern and Help the Aged, added: “Many older people will be relieved that the Basic State Pension and Pension Credit will both increase above planned indexation. Yet the Government has missed a golden opportunity to promise to restore the link between Basic State Pension and earnings by 2012.

“Sliding beyond this date will plunge an additional 70,000 pensioners into poverty, saving relatively little for the Government – an estimated £250 million a year after 2012.”

WE SAY: Pension payments need to be sufficient to take all pensioners out of the many poverty traps which await them, and assessments of RPI which reflect upon pensions and pension increases should be adjusted to reflect pensioners specific needs – for example, fasting rising heating costs should result in these being given extra weighting in RPI calaculations.

Here’s a quick look at what Thrive was up to last week.

Why are suicide clusters more common in teens? Children’s Global Fellow Stephen Sullivan, MD, MPH, addresses the global burden of surgical diseases. KABC in Los Angeles interviewed Children’s Hanno Steen, PhD, about a urine test that quickly identifies cases of appendicitis. Children’s Center for Young Women’s Health youth advisor, Erica, writes a compelling review of the movie, Precious. The HealthMap team gives us our final H1N1 update. David Ludwig, MD, PhD, director of Children’s Optimal Weight for Life Program, just published a commentary in JAMA expressing concern about the widespread use of artificial sweeteners in soft drinks. Our Mediatrician talks about how negative portrayals of black women in movies affects teens. We give a roundup on all of the news this week on the fight for what our children should be eating and drinking.

Related posts:

1. This week on Thrive: Nov. 2 – 6
2. This week on Thrive: Oct. 26 – 30
3. This week on Thrive: Oct. 5 – 9

On Friday, December 11, 2009 I started my very first novel.  For the past twenty years I have dreamed of nothing else but writing a novel.  After five kids and two failed marriages, I have finally seen the light.  I know now in order to be a writer I have to write.  Ya, I know…duh!  Whether I’m writing a letter, blogging, jotting down ideas, or actually writing part of my novel I’m still writing.
I made a pledge to myself and my family that I will sit down and write every day.  I know that I must make time to write.  So, I have set a goal for writing my novel.  My goal is to write at least 1,000 words a day Monday through Friday until my novel is finished.  I will take weekends off from my novel.  But, if I feel the urge to write on the weekends I’ll write.
Since beginning on friday, I have three chapters finished. The total word count so far is…

3,650 words in three days!

So, as you can see, I’m well over my word count goal.  I’m very happy about that.  I just hope and pray that I can continue in this manner.  Because, I know that there will be days when I won’t be able to write at all.  Some days, with my Fibromyalgia, I can’t even lift my arm let alone get out of bed.

Please wish me luck:

Labor
Under
Correct
Knowledge

By Heather O’Roark

A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge was a random find at the library, and I’m so happy that it jumped out at me because I hadn’t heard of this book at all before, and it was seriously awesome.  I don’t know why more people aren’t reading it, because you all should be.  Why don’t I explain what it’s about?

A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge (Pantheon/ 2009) is the story of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, told in graphic novel format.  Except that it’s really not a novel, as it is the story as it pertains to five individuals, real people who survived the storm.  These are five people who author Josh Neufeld met in person while doing research on the hurricane and its aftermath, and he decided that he needed to tell all of their stories.  So, using both words and illustrations, he did.

This is a beautiful book.  The artwork is wonderful, and I particularly love Neufeld’s use of color throughout the book.  He kind of used different colors to show different situations and to create different moods.  For me, it really worked.

I also found the individuals in the book to be compelling and relatable.  Each one of them experienced the hurricane in a different way, unique to their particular situations in life, and it was so interesting to see how it affected them all in such drastically different ways – but there was one thing in common:  it hugely impacted their lives.  It destroyed all of their homes, some of their businesses, all of their prized possessions and many of their memories.  

Although there were so many differences among these people, reading their stories really served to remind me that so much of what makes us human makes us all very much alike.  The sheer humanity of this book is what really got to me.

I can’t recommend this one enough.  If you like graphic novels, A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge just begs to be picked up.  This one’s a winner. 5 Stars

Josh Neufeld is the writer/artist of the Xeric Award-winning graphic travelogue A Few Perfect Hours (And Other Stories from Southeast Asia & Central Europe). Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, Neufeld spent three weeks as an American Red Cross volunteer in Biloxi, Mississippi. The blog entries he kept about that experience turned into a self-published book, Katrina Came Calling, which in turn led to A.D. Neufeld works primarily in the realm of nonfiction comics. His work has been featured in The Vagabonds, Keyhole, and Titans of Finance, as well as in numerous comics anthologies, newspapers, magazines, and literary journals. He is a longtime artist for Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor, and his art has been exhibited in gallery and museum shows in the United States and Europe.   You’ll find Neufeld online at http://joshcomix.home.mindspring.com/

Hurricane Katrina Fallout: 1200 Citizens Incarcerated At “Camp Greyhound”

Book Review: Hate List By Jennifer Brown

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

Despite the recession, Asia’s leading tech companies remain extremely bullish.

Consulting firm Deloitte just released this year’s list of Asia’s fastest growing 500 technology companies and it paints a picture of Asian tech leaders who actually view the global crisis as an opportunity — because it weakened the competition.

They’re hiring, expanding R&D, and growing revenue at ridiculous rates. The top 100 companies just had an average revenue growth rate of 1,153%.

Taiwan led the rankings with 99 out of 500 of the fastest, while China had 97. India came in third with 71. Deloitte’s CEO survey shows what they’re thinking right now, and it’s all pretty optimistic.

Check out how bullish Asian tech companies are >>>

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Europe, Asia, Gold, US Futures, All Powering Higher On The Great Tidal Wave Of Liquidity
• Cash In On Asian Cash Cows With Citi’s Top Dividend Stocks In Asia
• Please Let’s Stop The Idol Worship

Dear Energy Professional, Dear Colleagues,

On Saturday, 12 December 2009, we had the opportunity to participate in the Panel on “Ermenek Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant” at the Middle East Technical University Alumni Association in Visnelik Premises in Ankara, Turkey.

The 309 megawatt Ermenek hydropower project is currently under construction, and located on the Ermenek River, a tributary of the Göksu River in the province of Karaman. The Göksu River is one of the last free-flowing rivers in Turkey.

Its delta has been recognized as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. Though there are plans for five further hydropower plants, there has been no basin-wide assessment of the cumulative impacts of Ermenek and the other projects.

The investment financing has been organized between the governments of Turkey and Austria in the framework of bilateral cooperation. The Turkish Water Works Public Institution DSI (Client) signed the contract in 2002, with the international consortium lead by local BM Holding, which acted as a leader within the consortium.

BM Holding Vice Chairman Özgür Çaglayan Kuyumcu (CE’1998), and Project Coordinator Hakan Kazanc (CE’1995), were the panel speakers. The Panel Moderator was Ms. Ozlem Izlem AYDIN (EnvE’2004).

The Panel speakers explained all phases of the hydroelectric dam construction. The project is the first of its kind where a Turkish contractor (BM Holding) is the Pilot Company in a large multi-national consortium.

The double curvature, asymmetrical, thin concrete arch dam body, which will have a height of 210 meters from the thalveg, is among the two highest dams in Turkey and the 6th highest in Europe. The dam is being constructed in an extremely deep and narrow gorge, having a width of less than 150 meters at its top, and as little as 5 meters at its bottom.

Owing further to the highly carstified geological structure of the project area, as well as to the obstructed access, limited only to the use of a Cable Crane across and into the valley, the project is easily rated as among the most demanding and technically complex construction undertakings in Turkey.

Upon completion, the project will hold an important place in the national energy generation, with a planned installed power of 309 MW.

The Project shall be completed in 5 years, where repayment shall commence at the end of 2.5 years. The Project will be built with 100% foreign project financing by Ermenek Consortium. The contract upfront value is EUR 539,635,747, and the total project cost to completion is currently estimated at approximately 700 million Euros.

The financing group includes ABN AMRO Bank, Bayerische Landesbank, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau and Société Générale as joint lead arrangers, Bayerische Landesbank as agent of the banks, Bank Austria Creditanstalt Group as Co-Arranger and OeKB as facility agent. Hermes also provided reinsurance for the OeKB export credit.

Also included in BM’s scope of works is close to 1,000,000 LM of drilling and grouting works in addition to 68,140 meters of roads and 18,729 meters of tunnels.

Since the dam has a great reservoir at the back, hydro turbines will have greater availability in a year to generate power. We are happy to learn that there is also a great opportunity for flood protection of the nearby environment.

To meet our country’s increasing energy demands, we need to have similar investments, and local contractors who can put their efforts towards finalizing the projects. In the end, we can say that, all we need is self-confidence, and the confidence of investors who will put money into other similar new projects, which will utilize the local hydro capacity.

Once again, we would like to congratulate the Construction Management and the Creditors who give money to make the project realized, and to the engineers/ employees who make the dam construction finalized.

Panel Presentation link is given on the title block of this blog.
Your comments are always welcome.
—
Haluk Direskeneli, Ankara based Energy Analyst

For a good long while now experts have told women with painful periods (known as dysmenorrhea) to exercise more. The idea is that exercise releases beta-endorphins to help block pain and lessen effects of prostaglandins which cause muscle contractions. It’s easy to find that exercise advice all over the Internet.

It sounds good, but UK researchers are saying exercise doesn’t help with menstrual cramps. After studying 650 university students, Birmingham University researchers found no link between exercise and period pain. Their findings were published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Among women in the study, 28% reported moderate or severe menstrual pain, while 72% reported little or no pain. Researchers accounted for factors such as weight, mood, ethnicity, use of the pill and smoking, but still no link was found between how much exercised was practiced and whether periods were painful. There was also no link between exercise or level of pain reported. While physical activity is still good for women, the study authors argue that the idea that it helps with period pain is merely anecdotal.

Ways to Relieve Cramps

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Aleve, Motrin and Advil are often recommended, and they’re more effective if taken before pain begins. If over-the-counter medicines don’t work for you, ask your doctor about prescription-strength pain relievers.
• Heating pads relieve cramps, but make sure you follow safety precautions.
• Oral contraceptives are popular and often effective methods for controlling menstrual pain.
• Some women may need additional treatment. If you suffer from (or suspect) endometriosis or other conditions like fibroids, seek help. Your doctor may order imaging tests, or you may need a laparoscopy for diagnosis or treatment of some conditions.

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

Exercise for Period Pain? Maybe Not.

Patience is a virtue. Yet, it’s undeniable certain things really push our buttons. What are your top gripes? One of mine would have to be the experience of “talking” to a machine on the phone. I’ve learned the trick of saying “Speak to a person,” even when that option isn’t presented. Another gripe of mine is rude parking lot drivers, such as people who are so busy looking for the perfect spot that they don’t watch for pedestrians.

In September, Consumer Reports polled more than 1,000 Americans, asking them to rate 21 gripes on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 meaning that something annoys “tremendously,” while 1 meaning that something does not annoy at all.

The top five annoyances as rated by the nationally representative survey participants:

• Hidden fees — 8.9
• Not getting a human on the phone — 8.6
• Tailgating — 8.3
• Drivers using cell phones — 8.0
• Incomprehensible bills — 7.8

Just missing the top five were failure to scoop dog poop and unreliable Internet service, both with a rating of 7.6. I’ve had to put up with the dog poop problem at my apartment complex, but unreliable Internet? That wouldn’t be a gripe of mine as I’d find a new provider in a snap. Consumer Reports indicated that people living in densely populated urban areas tended to be more annoyed by unscooped dog poop than those living in rural areas.

People surveyed were forgiving of inaccurate weather forecasts. That rated the lowest with only 4.3. I can’t remember ever getting angry over an inaccurate weather forecast. In fact, I always enjoy seeing the local weather forecasters around town, even when they make mistakes!

According to Consumer Reports, women were more annoyed than men about speeding drivers, remembering passwords and PINs and products shrinking but still costing the same. People older than 50 also tended to be more annoyed than younger people by speeding drivers, as well as e-mail spam and cell phone usage while driving.

What are your top gripes?

(Image via flickr/justephens)

Post from: Blisstree

America’s Top Gripes