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TOP The New BMW 5 Series Sedan: Perfect Symbiosis of Aesthetic Design and Dynamic Performance.

Munich. The world debut of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan once again marks the epitome of aesthetic design and supreme driving pleasure in the upper midrange segment. Through its sporting and elegant looks, driving dynamics typical of the brand, outstanding efficiency as well as innovative comfort and safety features, the sixth generation of BMW’s executive express convincingly reflects the supreme standard of the world’s most successful manufacturer of premium cars throughout the entire process of development.

Design: charismatic, elegant, sporting.
With the longest wheelbase in the segment, a long and sleek engine compartment lid, short overhangs front and rear and a coupé-like, graceful roofline, the new BMW 5 Series Sedan stands out clearly from the competition.
Overall, the aesthetic looks of the car are clearly determined by perfectly balanced proportions. Design features typical of the brand are to be found both at the front with its BMW kidney grille inclined slightly forward and on the strikingly chiselled engine compartment lid, in the stylish and elegant side view of the car, and on the muscular rear end.

Within the interior modern function and a superior ambience come together in perfect harmony, unmistakable style and clear orientation to the driver in the cockpit guaranteeing a truly unique driving and travelling experience.

Driving experience: supreme dynamics and outstanding comfort.
The most advanced drivetrain and suspension technologies ensure supreme sportiness and an even higher standard of motoring comfort all in one.
At the same time optional Dynamic Driving Control enables the driver to set the suspension individually to his personal requirements. The new BMW 5 Series Sedan is available with Adaptive Drive encompassing Dynamic Damper Control and Dynamic Drive stability control, as well as BMW’s Integral Active Steering.
The new BMW 5 Series Sedan is making its debut with one eight-cylinder and three six-cylinder petrol engines as well as two six-cylinder diesels.
The range is rounded off by a four-cylinder turbodiesel with an aluminium crankcase and common-rail direct injection. Maximum output in this case of 135 kW/184 hp makes the BMW 520d fitted as standard with Auto Start Stop the new efficiency benchmark in its segment. Average fuel consumption in the EU5 test cycle is just 5.0 litres/100 kilometres (equal to 56.5 mpg imp), the CO2 emission rating is 132 g/km (provisional figures).
The top-of-the-range BMW 550i comes with an eight-cylinder boasting BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology and High Precision Injection for maximum output of 300 kW/407 hp.
The straight-six with BMW TwinPower Turbo, High Precision Injection
and VALVETRONIC in the BMW 535i delivers maximum output of 225 kW/306 hp, while the two straight-six power units featuring High Precision Injection and lean-burn operation develop 190 kW/258 hp in the BMW 528i and, respectively, 150 kW/204 hp in the BMW 523i.
Straight-six diesels with the most advanced technology give the BMW 530d maximum output of 180 kW/245 hp and the BMW 525d an equally impressive 150 kW/204 hp. Fitted with optional BMW BluePerformance technology, the BMW 530d fulfils the EU6 emission standard. And it almost goes without saying that all versions of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan comply in full with the EU5 standard in Europe.

BMW EfficientDynamics: BMW 5 Series increasing the lead.
All versions of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan are available as an option with BMW’s new eight-speed automatic transmission. The BMW 550i comes as standard with BMW’s automatic transmission optimised for efficiency, just
like EPS Electric Power Steering featured on all models.
BMW EfficientDynamics technologies are naturally featured as standard in appropriate combinations on each model, with features such as Brake Energy Regeneration, a gearshift point indicator, active air flap control, and on-demand operation of ancillary units including a detachable a/c compressor. Intelligent lightweight construction, finally, is ensured by features such as the doors, engine compartment lid, front side panels and suspension components made of aluminium.

Innovative driver assistance systems with BMW ConnectedDrive.
The driver assistance systems offered for the first time in the context of BMW ConnectedDrive include a Parking Assistant, Surround View, collision warning with application of the brakes in conjunction with Active Cruise Control plus Stop & Go, and a new Speed Limit Device. Further features also available are Lane Change Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Speed Limit Info, a Head-Up Display, BMW Night Vision with detection of individual persons, and a back-up camera.

Joint development and production together with the BMW 7 Series.
The world debut of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan opens up the latest chapter in a truly impressive story of success. In the course of five model generations, overall sales of the BMW 5 Series already amount to more than 5.5 million units. Now the new model is based on a newly developed vehicle architecture also featured in the BMW 7 Series luxury sedans.

Joint production of the BMW 5 Series Sedan and the BMW 7 Series at BMW Plant Dingolfing, together with the extensive use of shared components, ensures highly efficient production with a supreme standard of quality following the most demanding benchmarks in the market.

via BMW Group

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, BMW

The 5 Series is an important model for BMW, particularly in North America where it’s the brand’s second best seller behind the 3 Series. Heading into 2010, BMW has expanded its mid-size line with the new Gran Turismo body style already on sale. However, the volume leader for the 5 Series is the four-door sedan, which officially debuts today. The 2011 model transitions to a new platform architecture shared with the latest 7 Series as well as the upcoming Rolls-Royce Ghost. The 5 Series sedan gets a four-inch shorter wheelbase than its siblings, but at 116.9 inches, it still stretches well past its competition. The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class runs a mere 113.1 inches between its axles and the Cadillac CTS is 113.4 inches.

From a technical perspective, the new 5 Series picks up much of what can be found in the 7 Series and the Gran Turismo. Read on after the jump to learn more about it.

UPDATE: Nine videos added and more images uploaded into gallery.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Officially Official: BMW unveils all-new 5 Series sedan

Officially Official: BMW unveils all-new 5 Series sedan originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While the O2 HTC HD2 has been formally announced and seemingly not available, the situation with the T-Mobile UK version seems exactly the opposite.  While the device is not supposed to be available yet, Coolsmartphone reports one lucky punter has already been able to get his hands on one, and that the super smartphone may be lying in wait in many T-Mobile stores.

Daniel Cunningham found the HD2 in his local T-Mo store and they’d had it in stock for 3 days. He was offered one free for £40 p/m on an 18 month contract, so you may find the HD2 hiding away in your local store too.

Well now I know what I will be doing tomorrow – HTC HD2 hunting!

Read more at Coolsmartphone here.

If you’re looking for a twist on the traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, try this quick, easy, and light pumpkin cheesecake.  It’s a great no-bake option for those who don’t have double ovens at their disposal.

We start with gingersnap cookies for the crust.  Trader Joe’s has both regular gingersnaps (their Triple Ginger cookies – made with fresh ginger, powdered ginger, and crystallized ginger – are sinfully addictive!) as well as a gluten-free variety.  A tasty variation from regular graham cracker crust.  Most stores sell ready-made graham cracker crusts, so you can save a little time by going that route, and then this recipe is truly no-bake (we fudged a bit, as the crust does need a little pre-baking if you’re making it yourself).

To crush cookies, place them in a large Ziploc bag, break into pieces by lightly hammering with the end of a rolling pin, and then roll into crumbs.  The gingersnap cookies are firmer than graham crackers, so really use some elbow grease to break up the cookies.  You can also pulverize them in the food processor or blender.

The filling is made with just 1 block of cream cheese, instead of most cheesecake recipes that use 3 or even 4 blocks of cream cheese!  As a result, this filling is light and airy compared to the dense texture of traditional cheesecake.  I actually prefer this light version and don’t feel as guilty eating it.  You can use neufchatel or light cream cheese if you prefer.

Pumpkin Butter, available only seasonally at Trader Joe’s, has all the spices you need for this pie.  In fact, just mixing Pumpkin Butter and cream cheese makes a great filling for mini tarts or turnovers.  We added sour cream and pumpkin puree to make this easy and delicious cheesecake filling.

Finally, the whipped topping is optional.  If you can go the extra mile and whip your own cream, it’s a luxurious treat that really makes this dessert shine.  We used maple syrup to lightly sweeten the cream, and the maple flavor is a terrific complement to the pumpkin filling.

You can make this dessert a couple of days ahead and keep it in the fridge.  Just before serving, sprinkle extra crushed gingersnap cookies or graham crackers for a rustic-looking garnish.

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes (for the crust)
Serves 8

It seems that Spain is a country that is pretty consistently figuring out that we shouldn’t just throw out all other rights the second “piracy” is shouted by the entertainment industry. We’ve noted recently that the country hasn’t just rejected three strikes and declared broadband a basic right, but has also ruled, repeatedly, that personal file sharing is legal. And now, it even has judges who realize that “anti-circumvention” laws should have limits as well.

As you probably know, one of the key things that the entertainment industry has pushed for throughout the world is “anti-circumvention” clauses in copyright law. In the US we have this in the DMCA and it’s a total mess. The law basically says that any attempt to circumvent (or to make or sell a tool to circumvent) DRM on a digital work is a violation of the copyright law — even if making a copy of the content in question wouldn’t violate copyright law.

Spanish copyright law includes an anti-circumvention clause, but as Leo Martins alerts us, a judge in Salamanca, Spain has taken a much more nuanced view of it in a case pitting Nintendo against Grupo Movilquick, who produced alternative cartridges for Nintendo DS devices. The judge’s ruling (translated from the original) appears to find that the alternative cartridges do, in fact, circumvent Nintendo’s DRM and can be used for “pirating” games, but also extend the utility of the devices for perfectly legal purposes. For that reason, the judge dismissed the lawsuit (translation from the original) noting that it doesn’t make sense that the law would be intended to say that only Nintendo can expand the functionality of its devices, and the fact that Nintendo doesn’t offer similar functionality shouldn’t preclude others from doing so. There are areas where Nintendo can still bring a lawsuit, such as for patent and trademark issues, but the judge notes those should be dealt with in a civil court.

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Vitamins are an essential part of a daily diet. It is important that students get an adequate amount of each vitamin in order to live healthy lives.

“Studies show that vitamin supplements improve overall health,” said Nichole Riley, an employee at GNC.

Riley said supplements provided at GNC help boost immunity and help people live longer.

There are several types of vitamins including Vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamin complex.

Vitamin B consists of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin V-6, vitamin B-12 and folate. These 13 vitamins are vital for healthy lives.

The Food and Drug Administration said vitamins are used for a variety of different bodily processes including growth, digestion and nerve function.

There are two types of vitamins — fat-soluble and water-soluble. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble.

The body stores these vitamins to use as needed.

Vitamin C and much of the vitamin B complex make up the water-solubles. They are easily absorbed by the body, and kidneys remove the excess vitamins that are not needed.

Each vitamin plays a specific part in keeping bodies healthy.

Not getting enough of any vitamin may cause disease or other medical problems. Read more…

I feel so good today! I don’t know what it is, but I hope this feeling lasts into the week:)

I woke up and organized/cleaned, which always makes me feel..cleansed? I decided yesterday that today I want to make a tomato sauce! I’ve been craving a nice, homemade sauce for awhile now, but I rarely make one since I know it could never compare to my mom’s!! She told me over the phone what she does, so I am going to mimic it the best I can. I’m also adding ground turkey breast to mine. She usually does the whole ground beef and italian sausage deal with amazing meatballs *drool* and she cooks it ALL. DAY. Growing up, I have found memories of the weekends when her sauces would start early in the morning and simmer all day long. The smell would permeate throughout the whole house. We’d always have good bread, too. I miss those days.

As much as I want to follow a vegetarian diet, I find that I don’t feel well when I do. I just feel better at times when I have animal products. Truthfully, this makes me feel guilty and sad, but I just do not like feeling like crap! Honestly, I’m all about listening to what my body needs. Sometimes it wants all fruits, veggies, and grains and rebels against any sort of animals, even dairy! And then there are times when I know I just need it.
Does anyone else feel this way? I feel guilty, I guess, since I read a lot of blogs related to vegetarianism and veganism, but everyone is different, right?

Lately, I’ve been on the search for a good, daily moisturizer. I was using Alba organics prior, but it is gone and I’m ready for something new. I use Yes To Carrots cream at night and I like that, so I thought I’d give it a try. I found a Yes to Cucumnbers facial kit on sale at Target. It includes a headband (haha), a facial cleansing gel, a facial hydrating lotion, and soothing eye gel.

After a bunch of errands this afternoon, I came home, put away all the food, and made a delicious lunch consisting of: whole wheat pita with hummus, baked until hot and then topped with organic spinach, fresh basil from my porch (love!!), organic tomato slices, and (the best) kalamata olives. I love making these little pizzas! On the side, I had a fruit salad from Publix.
I’m ready to start cooking my sauce!

Max says, “hi!”

Totally random, but does anyone else get extreme joy out of purchasing stupid things, like hand soap, sponges, etc? I don’t know, I’m a freak!

Consumers seem to be getting their debt under control as credit card delinquencies and late payments from June to September fell to 1.1%:

—–

TransUnion.com released today the results of its analysis of trends in the credit card lending industry for the third quarter of 2009. The report is part of an ongoing series of quarterly consumer lending sector analyses focusing on credit card, auto loan and mortgage data available on TransUnion’s Web site at www.transunion.com/trenddata. Information for this analysis is culled quarterly from approximately 27 million anonymous, randomly sampled, individual credit files, representing approximately 10 percent of credit-active U.S. consumers and providing a real-life perspective on how they are managing their credit health.

Statistics

The national credit card delinquency rate (the ratio of bankcard borrowers 90 days or more delinquent on one or more of their credit cards) dropped to 1.10 percent in the third quarter of 2009, down 5.98 percent over the previous quarter. Year over year, credit card delinquencies remained essentially flat from 1.09 percent in the third quarter of 2008. As expected, incidence of credit card delinquency was highest in Nevada (1.98 percent), followed closely by Florida (1.47 percent) and Arizona (1.35 percent). The lowest credit card delinquency incidence rates were found in North Dakota (0.66 percent), South Dakota (0.70 percent) and Alaska (0.73 percent). Mississippi saw the largest quarter-over-quarter drop of 13.4 percent in credit card delinquency. In comparison to last quarter, where no state experienced a quarterly increase in delinquency rates, the third quarter saw 8 states log an increase.

Average credit card borrower debt (defined as the aggregate balance on all bank-issued credit cards for an individual bankcard borrower) drifted downward nationally 1.87 percent to $5,612 from the previous quarter’s $5,719, and down 1.71 percent compared to the third quarter of 2008 ($5,710). The highest state average credit card debt remains in Alaska at $7,699, followed by Tennessee at $7,039 and Alabama at $6,453. The lowest average credit card debt was found in Iowa ($4,225), followed by North Dakota ($4,449) and Wisconsin ($4,602).

The steepest increases in average credit card debt over the previous quarter occurred in Hawaii (+5.48 percent), North Dakota (+0.71 percent) and Alaska (+0.44 percent). The District of Columbia experienced the largest drop in average credit card debt (-10.05 percent), followed by Nevada (-3.16 percent) and Delaware (-3.11 percent).

U.S. Analysis

“For the first time in ten years, third quarter national delinquency rates showed a decrease from the previous quarter, indicating a departure from the usual seasonal patterns. This movement could have occurred for a number of reasons. First, the national savings rate fell in the third quarter, possibly indicating continued consumer efforts to keep debt to a minimum and debt repayment under control in the face of an already depressed labor market. Consumers recognize that their credit cards are their primary purchasing vehicles in this economy,” said Ezra Becker, director of consulting and strategy in TransUnion’s financial services group. Second, many lending institutions modified credit card rules, fees and charges in the third quarter, in advance of the Credit CARD Act taking effect in February 2010. Those changes almost certainly impacted the dynamics of third quarter performance.

“An early indicator of the impact these term modifications will have on consumers and their credit habits in terms of debt and delinquencies will likely be revealed during the upcoming holiday season and immediately thereafter. However, the long-range effect is as yet unclear. In all events, it is anticipated that the market will experience a different lending dynamic and a material shift in the use of credit cards and marketshare across the industry. This recession has taught the U.S. consumer many lessons: shop around for the best deal, maximize the value of your spend and protect your day-to-day liquidity. While TransUnion still expects to see seasonal behavior patterns in delinquency rates, the industry is still in flux as to what the new historical norms might be,” continued Becker.

Forecast

“With positive GDP now being reported along with an expectation that the national saving rate will drift downward in the fourth quarter, TransUnion sees its year-end forecast for 90-day credit card delinquency rate remaining steady at approximately 1.1 percent nationally, with a possible drift upward in the beginning of 2010,” said Becker.

At the state level, Nevada is still expected to experience the highest delinquency rate by the end of 2009 (1.9 percent), while North Dakota is anticipated to show the lowest delinquency rate (0.64 percent).

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Shock and Awe: Pre-Approved Credit Card Comes With 79% APR
• Chris Dodd’s Incredibly Stupid Credit Card Rate Freeze Will Destroy The Consumer
• Desperate Retailers Bring Back "Layaway" Plans For The Holidays

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Lexus

The lease-only 2011 Lexus LFA supercar has been getting a lot of exposure lately. We had a chance to drive it a few weeks ago and just showed you some pics of the matte black car when it showed up at Cars & Coffee in Irvine this Saturday, but now we have something even better. LeMans-winner and Jay Leno Show racing coach, Justin Bell, heads out onto Fontana’s California Speedway with this very same LFA, getting some instruction himself from fellow racer Scott Pruett before taking the better seat for a lap.

The segment was shot for the latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, the Jay Leno webshow that highlights a different car every week, sometimes with Jay driving and sometimes with Justin doing the heavy lifting. Follow the jump to see the video for yourself and be sure to check out Jay’s Garage regularly if you don’t already. Listening to this thing rip up to 9,000 RPM is worth the nine-minute investment of your time, trust us. Thanks for the tip Gabriel!

[Source: Jay Leno’s Garage]

Continue reading VIDEO: Justin Bell shows off Lexus LFA in Jay Leno’s Garage

VIDEO: Justin Bell shows off Lexus LFA in Jay Leno’s Garage originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The paper reviewed here is ‘Predicting Age-Specific Dosing of Antipsychotics’ by Uchida and colleagues. This is an opinion piece rather than a systematic review or research study which thus affords it more flexibility in the approach to the subject although firmer conclusions can be expected in other types of article in the evidence-base hierarchy. The authors consider the interaction between age and the loading dose for antipsychotics which the authors point out is especially important given the recent studies and reports on antipsychotics in specific populations (see here for example)*.

The authors argue citing evidence in the process, that with increasing age there is a loss both of the clearance of a drug (specific example given) and a decrease in the number of D2 receptors available for binding, a figure which decreases linearly with each passing decade. They also argue that surveys of prescribing data show age associated changes in the prescribed dose of antipsychotics for people with schizophrenia which supports the hypothesis that lower doses of antipsychotics should be prescribed in older age. This in turn is in keeping with various expert consensus guidelines. However there are obvious cultural factors that influence such prescribing and the authors note these confounders. The authors then outline a strategy for making predictions of D2 occupancy based on the plasma levels of an antipsychotic and to ensure this is applied across the lifespan. They have further studies in preparation.

Having such data is obviously extremely important and would imply that plasma levels would become clinically meaningful. There are several complexities that occur in this regards however. In older adults, polypharmacy is common relative to the population of younger adults which has the potential to influence plasma drug levels. While it can be argued that if there is a linear relationship between D2 occupancy and plasma drug levels the measured values still give useful information, such interactions may produce fluctuations in these drug levels which in turn would be expected to influence D2 occupancy. Nevertheless this argument would need supporting data. Another complexity here is that the drug clearance is influenced both by renal pathology and a number of other factors. This leads onto the point that with increasing age, comorbidity and polypharmacy may lead to an increasingly heterogenous population. This in turn may make it difficult to utilise a single model effectively and may necessitate solutions which organise this complexity in ways which facilitate prediction. This speculation also is in need of supporting data. Finally, particularly with the atypical antipsychotics, the actions have been argued to be effected not just at the D2 receptors but at a range of other receptors including other dopamine receptor subtypes, serotonin receptors, histamine receptors and so on. Thus it could be argued that an investigation of the same relationship between occupancy status and plasma drug levels could provide data contributing to more complex and realistic models.

The approach to studying lifespan changes in loading dose of antipsychotics is encouraging and it will be interesting to see the development of comprehensive age-related pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic models which are of clinical relevance and which can be combined with changes in practice to improve outcomes.

* The authors declare a potential conflicts of interests which include financial support from several pharmaceutical companies.

References

Uchida H, Pollock B G, Bies R R and Mamo D C. Predicting Age-Specific Dosing of Antipsychotics. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Vol 86. Number 4. October 2009. 360-362.

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Disclaimer

The comments made here represent the opinions of the author and do not represent the profession or any body/organisation. The comments made here are not meant as a source of medical advice and those seeking medical advice are advised to consult with their own doctor. The author is not responsible for the contents of any external sites that are linked to in this blog.

Today we release some new ECM research. It focuses (as does much of our broader research) on the so called mid-market. ‘Mid’ is a terribly misleading term as it conjures up the idea that this is the average, sub-par section of the market. In fact, this is the single most important, vibrant, and sizable section of the market. It is from here that the majority of ECM (Document Management) solutions are procured and where many of the most interesting and innovative products emerge.

In our most recent research we have added evaluations for Docuware, FileBound, Westbrook, and Fabasoft. They are all worthy competitors alongside established players such as Laserfiche, Hyland, SpringCM, and Alfresco. As you can see, mid-market ECM buyers have a bevy of options to compare against the biggest name in mid-market ECM players, SharePoint.

VITAMIN D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. It is also produced by the body when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis.

However, vitamin D obtained from sun exposure, food, and supplements is biologically inert and must undergo two hydroxylations in the body for activation.

The first occurs in the liver and converts vitamin D to 25-hydroxy vitamin D, also known as calcidiol. The second occurs primarily in the kidney and forms the physiologically active 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D also known as calcitriol.

Vitamin D is essential for promoting calcium absorption in the intestines and maintaining adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations to enable normal mineralisation of bone and prevent hypocalcemic tetany.

It is also needed for bone growth and bone remodelling by osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen. Vitamin D sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

Together with calcium, vitamin D also helps protect older adults from osteoporosis.

We are now going beyond the skeletal system and going into the cardiovascular system. Vitamin D it appears, is good for the heart.

A new study presented on Nov 16 at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Conference in Orlando, Florida, confirmed a strong association between the presence of reduced vitamin D levels and a greater risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure and dying among men and women 50 years of age and older. Read more…

Still playing Need for Speed: Shift? Good news. EA has now detailed the content of the game’s DLC, and you’re in for a little treat. The Team Racing…

By John F. Terzano

All too often, prosecutors’ offices fall prey to a culture of conviction-seeking at all costs. Prosecutors who become singularly focused on conviction rates often neglect their ethical duty to protect the innocent and guard the rights of the accused. The Kern County District Attorney’s Office in California provides a clear example of this pitfall, boasting that under District Attorney Ed Jagels’ supervision, the office “has had the highest per capita prison commitment rate of any major California County.” What the office fails to highlight is the startling twenty five wrongful convictions that the office has accrued during Jagels tenure as District Attorney. Jagels recently announced his retirement, and despite his appalling record, he hopes to personally select his successor.

The troubling culture apparent in the Kern County office is not the exception. Due in large part to the public pressure to convict and the widespread failure of state bars and disciplinary agencies to hold prosecutors accountable for ethical violations, this culture of “convict at all costs” is a nationwide problem.

With the unique role as both advocates and ministers of justice, prosecutors are the most powerful actors in our justice system. Prosecutors have sole responsibility for decisions regarding what charges to bring against an individual, what sentence to seek, what plea bargain to offer, and what evidence to present to a jury during trial. Yet despite their power, they are rarely held accountable for violating their ethical obligations. This lack of accountability promotes the problematic culture that plagues prosecutors’ offices and contributes to wrongful convictions.

The pervasive culture of conviction-seeking in prosecutors’ offices must be tempered by an overriding goal of justice. The Justice Project’s policy review, Improving Prosecutorial Accountability outlines suggested reforms that can help create a culture that values fairness and accuracy over high conviction rates. For example, prosecutor’s offices should establish training programs and official office policies on the prosecutor’s duty to disclose evidence to the defense and the proper use of prosecutorial discretion. Furthermore, prosecutors who intentionally abuse their power to secure a wrongful conviction must be investigated and disciplined for their actions. The Justice Project also recommends that jurisdictions recognize the unique role of prosecutors through the establishment of prosecutorial review boards with the power to investigate and sanction prosecutors who perpetrate acts of misconduct. Enacting these reforms will foster a more ethical culture in prosecutors’ offices and increase transparency in prosecutorial decision-making.

Creating a culture of accountability in prosecutors’ offices is critical to ensuring the fairness and accuracy of our justice system. Establishing training manuals and office procedures as well as implementing disciplinary measures provide the means of achieving such a culture. These measures will encourage prosecutors to better fulfill their simultaneous and critical roles of convicting the guilty and protecting the innocent.

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Audi, Rumormill

We’ve learned to take “scoops” from Auto Express with a grain of salt. But Britain’s car tabloid says they have it on good authority that Audi is working on an even more extreme successor to the current range-topping R8 supercar.

Dubbed the R10, the heart of the new four-ringed exotic is listed as a twin-turbo 5.0-liter V10 mounted amidship and pumping out 600 horsepower – through all four wheels, natch. The platform is tipped to be shared with sister company Lamborghini’s upcoming replacement for the aging Murcielago, crafted from aluminum and supplemented with carbon fiber.

While such a performance beast would encroach on Lamborghini’s territory and, from the sound of it, even approach Bugatti’s, the Volkswagen empire has proven particularly adept at packing segments with its own products, so anything’s possible. AE says prototypes are already lapping the Nurburgring and could be ready for delivery by 2012.

[Source: Auto Express]

Rumormill: 600hp twin-turbo Audi R8 replacement in the works? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s a lot of hype over music services lately, especially music streaming services. The interesting thing is that the hype isn’t necessarily over the services themselves, but over the fact that this time some may actually succeed. Spotify is the prime example and the European free music streaming service has been heralded as the savior of the market and the way forward. There’s just one problem, it may save, or rather create a market for free streaming services, it may even save the music industry but the artists still aren’t getting paid.

Torrentfreak has an interesting story on how much do the actual artists make from streaming services more precisely from Spotify. Lady Gaga, one of the most popular artists on Spotify at the moment, made a whooping $167 (SEK 1150) by having her songs on the service. The sum came from the Swedish Performing Rights Society (STIM) as royalties for over one million streams of her hit song “Poker Face.”

Without knowing the exact details of her contract or the deals that the music labels have with Spotify, it can’t be used as a general example. Still, it’s safe to assume that most artists aren’t making that much more. The labels would jump at the chance to claim that this is clear proof that free streaming services aren’t working and that people need to pay subscrip… (read more)

ArtelPlus has released a new version of BatteryZzz 2.0, an application warning a user with a sound signal of critical discharge and full charge of his Windows Mobile device battery.

Smartphone users much more often than the users of conventional mobile phones face the problem of low battery. Higher battery discharge rate on smartphones and Pocket PC in comparison with conventional mobile phones is a cause of inconvenience, especially when the battery level drops low when it is needed the most. This prevents the users from efficient use of their Windows Mobile devices.

BatteryZzz allows you to simply and effectively solve this problem, reminding you with a sound signal to charge your Pocket PC at the right time. Unlike other PDA battery utilities, which just indicate the battery status on the screen, the main advantage of BatteryZzz is that the low battery warning sound easily attracts attention, so there is no need for continuous regular monitoring of the battery indicator on the PDA screen. 

"It is similar to waking up with an alarm clock sound instead of waking up every hour and watching at the clock." 

Another unique feature of BatteryZzz is that a user gets a notification sound upon completion of the battery recharge. This will not only save your time but also save your battery charger from overheating.

BatteryZzz 2.0 features include:

• a new interface with modern design and convenient thumb navigation;

• option to set the battery discharge level when the alarm is to go off;

• option to set the interval between low battery notifications (also, this interval can automatically shorten if the battery power drops below a specified level);

• an option to play an alarm warning upon completion of the battery charge only once and/or automatically switch to silent mode at night;

• an option to set any sound or melody of your choice as the full charge or low battery alerts;

• efficiency – BatteryZzz is a "lightweight" application, it does not affect your smartphone performance and practically has no effect on the battery’s discharge rate.

More info is available at www.artelplus.com/batteryzzz

This post was submitted by Lilac.

At 12 o’clock this morning while most of us were nursing the nasty side effects of a weekend-long bender, GM officially unveiled the new 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe to the motoring press. The live, in-the-flesh reveal isn’t scheduled until next week at the LA Auto Show (which I will be attending, for all 3 of you interested fans), but as PR custom dictates GM was kind enough to give us a sneak preview a full 7 days early.

Based on its increasing popular full-sized brethren, the CTS coupe shares all the basic styling cues of the CTS sedan yet features a much chunkier, Beyonce-in-a-bodysuit ass. Fortunately, thanks to the 304-hp direct injected 3.6L V6, if you are successfully able to row your own (6-sp manual standard, 6-speed auto available for poseurs) you should be able to peel out of a dead stop before the jeers from the Bimmer owners reach your ears. If you aren’t fast enough on the throttle or otherwise catch the last sing-song remnants of “Fatty fatty two-by-four…” the CTS coupe also comes with enough interior accessories to keep your crushing depression at bay until you get to your therapist’s office, including iPod/MP3 capability, 40-gig hard drive, pop-up nav, Bluetooth, standard Keyless Access and Smart Remote Start, rear camera system, and a Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround™ audio system.

To help give this thick lady some semblance of agility, two optional performance packages are available: the RWD or AWD Performance Package with 18″ wheels and all-season tires or the Summer Tire Performance Package with 19″ tires. For those customers who feel ill-equipped to handle this BBW without the help of a few extra horsepower, GM promises the CTS-V coupe will drop sometime in 2010.

If you’ve got a fetish for big girls, be sure to check back next week for live image updates from the LA Auto Show.

I today stumbled across this video of a user review of the HTC Touch Pro 2 vs the Android powered Motorola Droid.

Its nice to see one of the most loved Windows Mobile handsets hold up pretty well against the most highest profile Android handset available at present.  I must say however that search feature is pretty cool, but on the other hand it seems to be a slicker version of Microsoft’s Tellme service, so it may not be that enviable after all.

On a related note, a more expert opinion comes from JKontherun, who compared Windows Mobile against Android, and found the OS again holds up pretty well, winning on 3:0 on multi-tasking, user interface and desktop integration, with a tie on Outlook vs Gmail integration.

Read that comparison here.

A recent study revealed that a therapeutic vaccine combined with a topical immune-enhancing agent initiated an immune response against the Hepatitis C virus.

Hep C Therapeutic Vaccine Shows Hints of Efficacy

November 18, 2009

A hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapeutic vaccine–designed to boost immune control of the virus in people already infected with HCV–has demonstrated that such an approach might work, according to a study presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) Conference in Boston, and reported by aidsmap.

Because HCV mutates so easily, some experts have claimed that it might be impossible to develop a successful preventive vaccine for it. Others, however, have hoped that it might be possible to trigger the body to better control or ward off HCV infection.

Continue reading the entire article:
http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/hiv_hcv_vaccine_1667_17601.shtml