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The cookbook Gingerbread, by by Jennifer McGlinn, is dedicated to all kinds of recipes that use the spicy, molasses-rich ingredients that come together to make gingerbread. It showcases these flavors in various forms, from waffles for breakfast to all kinds of cakes, cookies, candies and ice creams for dessert, and it turns out that gingerbread can be a very versatile thing! Of course, I’m still partial to spicy and warming treats when the weather is cold, so even though you can make these all year round, the holidays are a perfect time to start cooking your way through a book like this one.

It starts out with an introduction to gingerbread, starting with images of the moist and dark gingerbread cake that springs to mind for many of us when we hear the word. From there, the author points out that similar dishes – spicy, dark and rich – exist in many different food cultures. As a result, the recipes include baked goods with French, German and English influences in addition to many American classics and their many variations. The recipes range from easy baked goods that can be mixed up in one or two bowls, to desserts worthy of a five-star restaurant. They’re well-explained, however, and a novice baker shouldn’t have any trouble following along with the directions for anything in the book. The recipes are accompanied by little anecdotes about their origins, as well as some baking notes.

All of the photography in the book is excellent – as is to be expected, since Tartelette was the one who worked on the styling and took the shots! She also tested every recipe in the book as she photographed them with good results. That’s quite a recommendation, since it is very rare that you actually get that kind of feedback on a cookbook!

It’s that time of the year again. Renowned websites, publications and famous magazines are issuing tops after tops, awards after awards for the entertainment and joy of curious masses. Everyone around the world is interested in finding out 2009’s top performers in the web design and development sector.

Last week, the 15-year-old .net Magazine announced the winners of its highly respected and recognized annual awards given to celebrate the best in web design and development. Voting for these awards was opened to the public until October 12. After that date, the first three in each of the 17 categories went to a panel of 50+ industry judges who selected this year’s winners.

The final and official results will be unveiled tomorrow, December 8, in the next issue of .net Magazine. Meanwhile, a preview of the winners was presented on the awards’ website.

So, the winners are as follows:

Web Application of the year: Dropbox wins over Spotify and Google Docs.

Best Community Site: Twitter wins over Vimeo and Facebook.

Best API Use: tweetdeck.com/beta wins over bit.ly and Twitpic.

Best Interactive Site of the Year: Nvidia Speak Visual campaign wins over BBC Blast and Coca Cola Happy Me campaign.

Blog of the Year: Smashing Magazine wins over CSS-Tricks and Tuts+ Network.<... (read more)

Jeff Saut, the Raymond James strategist whose bullish notes we’ve highlighted several times, is starting to sound nervous. He still sees upside to the market, but like many, he didn’t like what he saw on Friday. If we could distill his message into a sentance it would be: you have to keep buying the rally, but make sure you’re not holding the bag when it pops.

—-

Even though we spent most of last week in Manhattan seeing accounts and speaking to the media, there were some noteworthy market machinations in addition to Friday’s potential one-day downside reversal.  First, the recently lagging small/mid-capitalization stocks re-assumed their leadership role.  Whether this resurgence is in anticipation of the so-called “January Effect” remains to be seen, but it is a change in the “tone” of the markets.  Secondly, the D-J Transportation Index (TRAN/4101.76) broke out to a new reaction high.  Third, our proprietary Advance/Decline Index is challenging its October 2009 peak, suggesting the rally is broadening out.  Fourth, the NASDAQ Financial 100 Index (IXF/1960.64) continues to underperform and has failed to better its August, September, and October highs.  The sage folks at Riverfront Investment Group wrote about this a few weeks in their report titled, “Financials Back to Underweight, Healthcare to Overweight.”  In that report they recommended three stocks rated Outperform by Raymond James’ healthcare analysts:  Abbott (ABT/$53.78); Express Scripts (ESRX/$87.02); and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ/$64.36).  And finally, for the week the 10-year Treasury note’s yield rose 27 basis points, the Dollar Index rallied 1.22%, Henry Hub natural gas gained 26.8%, and gold fell some $80 per ounce from Thursday’s intra-day high to Friday’s intra-day low.

The call for this week:  Since November 16th the S&P 500 (SPX/1105.98) has had a difficult time attempting to rally above the 1115 level.  Interestingly, that level represents a 50% recovery of the SPX’s price decline from October 2007 (1554) into its March 2009 low (676).  It also approximates the downtrend line formed by connecting the S&P’s October 2007 peak with the peak that occurred in May 2008, as can be seen in the following chart.  Accordingly, a breakout above this level, with a corresponding increase in Lowry’s Buying Power Index, would be a decided positive.  However, as the always insightful Lowry’s organization points out, “From the November 9th advance through (last) Thursday’s close, Buying Power has fallen 4 points while Selling Pressure has declined 37 points.  Thus, the market appears to be holding near its recent rally highs due to a lack of selling, not improving Demand.”  Still, “net long” positions at professional money management firms remain in the 50 – 60% range, which is well below the 70 – 75% level reached at the October 2007 peak.  That suggests the upside should continue to be favored into year-end as the under-invested portfolio managers chase stocks driven by performance pressure, bonus pressure, and ultimately job pressure.

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See Also:

• WANTED: Money Managers Playing "Catch Up" To Save The 2009 Rally
• Saut: Ignore The Dollar, This Is Not The Market Top
• Saut: Market Keeps Pushing Higher Despite A "Cacophany Of Crybabies"

Qix ++ will be available this Wednesday on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 800 points.

Filed under: Motorsports, Subaru

Subary Impreza WRC 2008 – Click above for high-res image gallery

After only a one-year hiatus, Subaru is preparing to get back into the rally game next season. And when it does, it won’t be back into the World Rally Championship, but rather the rival Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

The Japanese automaker has competed in the IRC since its inception – and even won the very first IRC stage in 2007 – but was not previously registered as an official manufacturer in the series. Rather than field its own works team, however, Subaru will supply cars to privateers, but will be eligible to score points in the manufacturers’ standings for 2010.

With the addition of Subaru, that makes eight automakers signed up to compete in the series next year, along with Fiat/Abarth, Honda, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Proton, Skoda and Volkswagen. Follow the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Subaru]

Continue reading Subaru returns to rallying for 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge

Subaru returns to rallying for 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now introducing the Welder Extension Cords that bring portability to welding machines and create convenience for the welding contractor.

These 8/3 STW extension cords are available in 25 foot lengths (50 foot lengths coming in May 2009) and deliver 40A at 250 volts (10,000 watts). The Welder Extension Cords feature a STW jacket with molded ends for heavy-duty performance and lighted receptacle for convenience and safety. These cords are ideal for new commercial construction, MRO industrial and general welding applications.

“The Welder Extension Cords provide a convenient, safe method to extend the range of welding equipment,” said Dave Oriatti, vice president of industrial distribution at Coleman Cable. “This new cord series is another example of Coleman Cable’s innovation and commitment to adding value to its customers and the markets it serves.”

Now introducing the Signa-Wave™ brand of high performance, American made low-loss 50 Ohm RF (radio frequency) coaxial cables.

The Signa-Wave family of low-loss coaxial cables offer superior performance and loss characteristics over higher frequency bandwidths than the “traditional” Military type 50 Ohm coaxial cables: RG58, RG213, RG223, RG214, & RG217. These cables are predominantly used in Land Mobile Radio Communications, but have also evolved for use in: Wi-Fi Networks, Broadband, Satellite Antennas, Mobile Phone, Terrestrial Microwave, Military, Air Traffic Control, Medical, & RFID antennas, with new applications & challenges for low-loss 50 Ohm cables arising all the time.

Signa-Wave low-loss coaxial cables are manufactured in the USA at Coleman Cable’s Hayesville, North Carolina plant. This facility has been a leading coaxial cable manufacturing plant for well over 36 years and is an ISO certified, MIL-I-45208 compliant Qualified Products List [QPL] facility with the Defense Logistics Agency the Defense Supply Center Columbus, OHIO. DSCC is the primary US Government Depot, servicing the electronic needs to all branches of our armed forces.

According to Tony Gabriel, director of engineering at Coleman Cable, “the Signa-Wave coaxial cables are manufactured in accordance and meet these military standards for superior electrical performance.”

About Coleman Cable Inc.
Coleman Cable Inc. is a leading manufacturer and innovator of electrical and electronic wire and cable products for the security, sound, telecommunications, electrical, commercial, industrial, and automotive industries. With extensive design and production capabilities and a long-standing dedication to customer service, Coleman Cable, Inc. is the preferred choice of cable and wire users throughout North America. The company is located at 1530 Shields Drive, Waukegan, IL 60085.

– Supports display resolutions up to Wide XGA (1366×768) format for Mobile Computing Device (MCD) and Netbook applications

– Built-in sharpening and color space conversion for enhanced visual experience and simplified system integration

Sunnyvale, CA – March 25, 2009 – Demonstrating its continued commitment to the mobile market, QuickLogic Corporation (NASDAQ: QUIK) today announced the 2nd generation of its popular VEE Proven System Block (PSB), providing a greatly improved consumer viewing experience even while extending the battery life of mobile devices. Improvements include performance enhancements that increase the supported display resolutions of the first generation of the VEE PSB from Wide SVGA (1024×600) to Wide XGA (1366×768).

For more information, please visit http://www.quicklogic.com/images/032509.pdf

à Embeds 2nd generation Visual Enhancement Engine (VEE), MDDI Type 2 client with PHY, and CellularRAM framebuffer Proven System Blocks (PSBs) with patented programmable fabric
à Targets Multimedia and Smartphone handsets, Pocketable & Mobile Computing Devices (PCDs & MCDs), Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), and Netbook segments with displays ranging from Wide QVGA to Wide SVGA resolution.

Sunnyvale, CA – March 30, 2009 – In response to growing demand for its Visual Enhancement Engine (VEE) technology, QuickLogic Corporation (NASDAQ: QUIK) has announced the development of new solution platforms tailored for Qualcomm’s latest Mobile Station Modem (MSM) MSM7xxx-series and MSM8xxx-series mobile processors, including the recently announced Snapdragon family. The new ArcticLink® II VX4 family members incorporate the VESA compliant mobile data display interface (MDDI) used by Qualcomm MSMs with the 2nd generation VEE proven system block and embedded CellularRAM framebuffer PSBs.

For more information, please visit http://www.quicklogic.com/images/033009a.pdf

Smallest pluggable springclamp terminal block on the market –
RIA CONNECT’S SPRINGCON® Type ASP051 terminal block

The RIA CONNECT ASP051 series of 2.5mm terminal blocks are the smallest pluggable springclamp terminal blocks on the market. The ASP051 uses tool-less spring clamp technology to ensure a constant and correct contact force. Available from 2-12 poles, it is UL recognized, and accepts 28-20 AWG wire. The ASP051 mates with industry standard headers, and as such, is a great way to upgrade your older two piece screw- type designs into the 21st century.

Contact info:
RIA CONNECT, Inc.
200 Tornillo Way
Tinton Falls, NJ 07712

Ph.888.722.5625
Fx.732.389.9066
www.riaconnect.com
[email protected]

The new low cost optoNCDT1302 laser sensor from Micro-Epsilon replaces the optoNCDT 1300 in the product range. The new sensor will be on show for the first time at the SPS|IPC|DRIVES exhibition in Nürnberg. Compared to its predecessor, this model provides a measuring rate of 750Hz and is available for the first time with an RS422 port in addition to the analogue current / voltage output. The sensor has a trigger and a teach-in input, which enables the user to individually adjust the measuring range. Another special feature of the sensor is the integrated peak evaluation for selection of the first, last or highest peak measurement. Also new is the Threshold Function for adjustment of the threshold setting in three stages. The optoNCDT 1302 provides flexibility via a swivelling cable connector so that the direction of the cable output can be selected depending on the individual application. As before, the new series comprises four sensors, which offer measuring ranges between 20mm and 200mm. Together with the integrated controller, the very compact design facilitates rapid mounting and installation in tight spaces. The optoNCDT 1302 is suitable for all common measurement tasks. Despite its compact dimensions, the 1302 series provides precise measurement results and is therefore ideal for machine building and system integration.

ZERO FAULT PRODUCTION
100% Documentation:
– Torque Curve
– Results: Torque, Angle, Number of impulses
– Judgement OK / nOK
– Beeper or LED indication
– Angle monitoring directly at frontside main shaft, 1° accuracy

Controller YETC 300 R2L:
Controls the tightening process
Documents: Torque-level, Angle, OK / nOK, Date / Time
2 – Channel-controllers, simultaneous
2 Step tightening
Ethernet, LAN TCP / IP standard

IMPULSE WRENCHES
– Fast
– Reactionfree
– Optimal clampforces
– Light weight

With an ERD you have several instruments in one. Based on our very popular 5 series range of testing products, the ERD follows the same quality standards you’d come to expect from ATEQ.

The ERD is an instrument designed to test components for which a response is expected at a given pressure. Also used as a “burst tester”, the ERD can record the pressure drop from a destructive pressure test.
Perfect to pressure test:

– relief valves
– pressure switches
– check valves
– catheters
– safety blocks
– …

Its design also allows it to be used for on-line testing of
production parts as well as inside a laboratory.

Filed under: Technology, Ford

Not only does Ford rank number one on J.D. Power and Associate’s 2009 navigation system survey, it ranks number two as well. The top ranking system, according to Power’s study, is the one found in the Lincoln MKS, followed by a nearly identical system (if not 100% identical) in the Ford Flex. And get this, Ford took down five of the top ten spots with the F-150 coming in fourth and the Escape and Edge taking seventh and eighth place, respectively.

To anyone that’s driven a modern Sync-equipped Ford with navigation, these survey results probably won’t come as any sort of shock, as FoMoCo has been making some of the best systems in the business ever since they released Sync with Sirius Travel Link. Here’s what Ford user interface design engineer Jason Johnson had to tell us about why Ford got ranked tops:

“I think what really makes our system stand out is the fact it’s designed with the user in mind. Yes, it has all the features you’d expect from a high-level navigation system — the 3-D maps, the digital jukebox, the customizable home screens, and of course we pride ourselves on SYNC and SIRIUS Travel Link — but it’s more than that. This system is easy to use. It’s intuitive. The buttons are where you’d expect them to be, the grouping is logical and the graphics are bright and easy to read. Everything is integrated, so it all works together, simply and easily.”

Non-Ford top ten nav-system finishers include the Acura TL (third), Porsche 911 (fifth), Cadillac CTS (sixth), Hyundai Genesis (ninth) and Infiniti FX-series (tenth). Interestingly, Ford is the only non-luxury/premium brand to make it into the top ten. If you were wondering, seven of the bottom ten nav-systems were made by Toyota, with the Avalon finishing dead last. Complete results list and official press release available after the jump.
[Source: J.D. Power]

Continue reading J.D. Power releases sat-nav study findings, crowns Ford tops

J.D. Power releases sat-nav study findings, crowns Ford tops originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Iowa Memorial Union and UI Main Library will be open all night to support students in their efforts to prepare for the end of the semester.

Twenty-four hour study at the IMU will begin Thursday, December 10th and end Friday December 18th at 10pm. Main Library 24-hour study will begin Sunday, December 13 at 11 am and will also end Friday, December 18th at 10pm.

“The Library and the IMU have been working hard to provide students with adequate study space, given the issues caused by the flood. Both facilities lost considerable student space and the IMU will re-purpose meeting and ballrooms to facilitate additional quiet and group study spaces during finals week,” David Grady, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students.

Promotion of the extended hours will be partly funded by UISG. “With the end of the semester approaching, it is crucial to support our students and offer places to study at all hours,” Michael Currie, President UISG.

The IMU will be extending River Room hours until 11pm on December 13, 15th and 16th, and will be offering students a midnight breakfast in the River Room on December 14th from 11pm-1am. Additional group and quiet study space will be set up in the building, and a game room will be open all night in River Room 1, IMU.

In the Main Library, computers in the ITC on the second floor will be available all night; research assistance will be available at the first floor information desk until 9 pm. Hardin Library for the Health Sciences has an unstaffed after hours study area. The Pomerantz Business Library will be open Sunday, December 13 – Thursday, December 17 until Midnight each night.

Nite Ride has also extended hours over finals week, so if you need a ride home just give them a call (319-384-1111).

CAB and the IMU are also offering massage chairs on December 10, 13, 14, and 15 from 9pm-midnight.  Free coffee will be provided at the Main Library December 13-15 at 10pm and at the IMU from 12am-6am all week.

Online services have a lot of information on their users and, despite most claiming that they respect user privacy and don’t abuse all the data, it’s easy to understand why many people but also government agencies and citizen rights groups are concerned about the increasing dependency on online services and the fact that most just ask users to trust them, but don’t really offer any way for them to view or adjust what data is stored and tracked. There have been some moves in that direction though and the most recent one comes from Yahoo which has launched a tool dubbed Ad Interest Manager which enable users to review and control the targeted ads they get served by Yahoo.

“Ads tailored to users’ interests make online experiences more compelling and user-focused, and the new tool Yahoo! is launching today will provide transparency into how Yahoo!’s interest-based advertising works,” Yahoo! Vice President of Policy and Head of Privacy, Anne Toth said.

“Yahoo! is committed to providing consumers with increased transparency and control when they are online. Ad Interest Manager will show users what interests we think they have, and also let them edit and change those interests to reflect the most up-to-date information,” she added. “Importantly, users who don’t want interest-based ads can turn them off completely.”<... (read more)

101 Things To Do For Hubbers And Bloggers

Some excellent ideas for bloggers.