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  • China, Oil and Lithium: Beijing to mass produce electric cars TNR.v, CZX.v, RM.v, LMR.v, LI.v, WLC.v, F, BYDDY, NSANY, DAI, RNO, GM, HEV, AONE, LUN.to

    After groundbreaking Toyota move with Tesla, Daimler is pushing its way into Electric Cars mass market and in Asian market with BYD. Companies have announced a few cooperation ideas before and now it is the time is for the bold action and they are establishing a J/V. Auto Majors are buying time in Electric Car market battle field. Nissan is a clear leader on the pricing side for EV now and GM Volt will be first to market with Range Extender model alongside with BYD. Toyota has lost its time on Soft Hybrid side and Daimler was very cautious with its engagement in Electric Cars as well. Daimler has made an impressive Electric show at Frankfurt Motor Show last year, but real things were among Hybrids and Smart Electric to test the grounds with small town car. This concept model above was still at the prototype level at that time. Now BYD will get premium auto brand, safety and mass production technology and Daimler will get access to batteries, low cost production base and the market.


    Competition for Oil is heating up and aggressive move by China into Electric Cars leaves no other options for US than to follow. In order to keep power China needs gradually improve standard of living, it will bring upside pressure on labor cost. Electrification will not only provide Energy Security to China, but will significantly reduce the cost of its transportation element and provide another opportunity to stay among low cost producers. Situation is completely different to U.S. – they have capital to invest in Electric Mobility CAPEX now and rip the rewards of lower cash cost on transportation side later. We will refer you to the Economics of Electric Cars.
    Recent Ash Cloud events in Europe brought a very sobering sense of the feeling to be grounded. It is amazing how many things are taking for granted. This time it is Ash Cloud – what will happen with oil above 150?
    Electric Cars is the only commercially viable technology today to sustain mobility world wide with rising Oil prices. Lithium is at the heart of Green Mobility revolution – it is an industry adopted standard for batteries and billions of dollars are invested into battery technology and upcoming by the end of this year Electric Cars on a mass market scale. This Bull market is still very young – only a year or so from the beginning after the crash of 2008.”

    The Malay Mail:

    Submitted by amir azree on Friday, May 28th, 2010
    Friday, May 28th, 2010 11:04:00

    ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY: The BYD Auto on show at the company’s factory in Shenzhen
    FRANKFURT: Chinese auto group BYD (Build Your Dreams) and German luxury car maker Daimler announced yesterday a joint venture to mass produce an electric car in China. A new research and development group to be called Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Company will get an initial investment of around US$87 million (RM286m), a Daimler statement said. “We are well-placed with our new joint venture to make the most of China’s enormous potential in electromobility,” Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche said. Daimler is to bring “knowhow in vehicle architecture and security” to the venture , while BYD will contribute “its competence in batteries and propulsion systems for electric vehicles,” the statement added. The world’s oldest automaker and one of the youngest aim to market the vehicle under a new jointly-owned brand, joining forces to target China’s fast expanding urban market. Around 16 million autos are currently sold across the country each year. Launched just seven years ago, BYD Auto now claims to be the sixth biggest car maker in China and its future plans are focused on electric or hybrid vehicles, building on the experience of its battery-making parent group. The Chinese firm, in which US billionaire Warren Buffett holds a stake of 10 per cent, has already begun to sell its electric E6 model as a taxi in the southern city of Shenzhen and aims to distribute the car in Europe next year.”
  • EVs mass market: $10k Electric car tax break proposed TNR.v, CZX.v, RM.v, LMR.v, WLC.v, LI.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, NSANY, BYDDY, F, GM,

    DetNews.com:
    Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf buyers in select cities would get $10K incentive under Senate plan
    David Shepardson / The Detroit News
    Washington — Buyers of the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf would be eligible for a $10,000 federal tax credit in some cities under a $10 billion Senate plan to boost electric vehicles.
    House and Senate members on Thursday released similar plans intended to make electric vehicles more than niche models.
    The House version would spend $6.6 billion, dedicating $800 million to five “deployment communities” to speed 700,000 plug-in vehicles into use and establish recharging networks. A Senate version would spend about $10 billion and grant $250 million to up to 15 communities.

    The Senate version would extend the current $7,500 tax credit for 200,000 plug-in vehicles per manufacturer to 300,000. And it would boost the credit to $10,000 in those 15 communities.
    That would further reduce the cost of the Volt, which will get up to 40 miles on a charge, and the fully electric Nissan Leaf, which will get up to 100 miles.
    General Motors spokesman Greg Martin praised the bills.
    “We appreciate Congress’ foresight and interest in electric vehicles,” he said. “With the Chevrolet Volt just months away from the showroom, we believe the timing is right to start working on policies that can accelerate early consumer adoption of advanced electric vehicle technologies.”
    Electric vehicles enjoy widespread support across the political spectrum.
    “Republicans and Democrats agree that electrifying our cars and trucks is the single best way to reduce our dependence on oil,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., one of the sponsors.
    Both bills would set aside billions more for research into batteries, research and tax credits.
    The Senate bill also would create a $10 million prize for the first manufacturer of a battery that can get 500 miles on a charge.
    Congressional aides have spent several months writing the bills. Members cited the recent Gulf oil spill as a factor in the urgent need to shift vehicles from oil to electric power.
    Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., noted that the United States has 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves but consumes 25 percent of the world’s oil.
    “This isn’t a question of if, but when,” Markey said, adding the bill would speed up the widespread use of electric vehicles. “It will drive the creation of jobs, domestic manufacturing and homegrown innovation.”
    The Senate bill would require that one of the 15 deployment communities be a rural area of fewer than 125,000 people and would “reflect diverse populations” and geography.
    The Senate bill sets aside another $2 billion for grants and cost sharing — local communities would have to provide 20 percent of the funding.
    Communities and their business and utility partners would have to apply for inclusion.

  • Senior Business Development Associate

    UK – Bristol, Acre Resources

    My Client is an integrated sustainability solutions provider strategically focused on solving the energy carbon equation. Their goal is to design, develop and deliver the solutions that will meet their clients’ needs on the journey towards a sustainable future.

    With expertise across the sustainability space and by employing a partnership approach, the organisation is able to offer their clients an integrated solution to carbon management.

    As Senior Business Development Associate you will actively seek out and engage new customers, offering the organisation’s solutions to a wider audience. Your focus will be on the development of long term client relationships, understanding their needs and translating these into viable sustainability solutions. The ability to identify and proactively approach organisations across a wide variety of sectors will be of paramount importance in your role as Senior Business Development Associate.

    In addition you will be expected to:

    • Identify business opportunities, working with the service area leaders to define strategy and approach
    • Successfully win new business, developing the sales proposition and presenting added value to the customer
    • Manage the ongoing interaction with the customer
    • Qualify customer needs, identifying opportunities and translating these needs into solutions
    • Play a key part in the design and implementation of service level agreements, aligning customer needs to the service offering

    The successful candidate will have a proven track record of business development/sales activity delivery in an energy or low carbon related environment.

    Further skills and experience required:

    • Background in the sustainable energy or the building/facilities management sectors. Be familiar with and demonstrate an awareness of key industry players
    • Demonstrate the ability to make persuasive and professional presentations, with a track record in closing and securing deals
    • Familiar with the process of selling to large customers, dealing and liaising with senior management and key decision makers
    • Proven success undertaking business development activity in a consultancy sales environment
    • Excellent communication and influencing skills
    • Evidence of a strong commitment to environmental and social causes of concern

    If you have a background in business development, are passionate about the environment, and have the energy to succeed then please apply.

    We thank all applicants who respond, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

  • Society to review climate message by Roger Harrabin, BBC News

    Article Tags: BBC

    article image

    The UK’s Royal Society is reviewing its public statements on climate change after 43 Fellows complained that it had oversimplified its messages

    They said the communications did not properly distinguish between what was widely agreed on climate science and what is not fully understood.

    The society’s ruling council has responded by setting up a panel to produce a consensus document.

    The panel should report in July and the report is to be published in September.

    Source: news.bbc.co.uk

    Read in full with comments »   


  • Nintendo Investigating Foxconn Conditions [Foxconn]

    Contrary to a lot of reports, more than just Apple’s products are made at Foxconn’s Shenzhen factories. Nintendo, whose Wii and other products are made there, has announced it shall be investigating the working and living conditions of the factory workers in light of the suicides. [MarketWatch via Kotaku] More »










    AppleFoxconnChinaShenzhenSuicide

  • YouTube Integrates Google Moderator for Crowdsourced Suggestions

    YouTube has never been just about the videos but about the community around them as well. With hundreds of millions of users, though, the community can get pretty crowded and less than useful. YouTube is now introducing a new tool that should help even video creators with millions of followers to interact with them. With Google Mo… (read more)

  • Global Markets Push Higher, But U.S. Futures Aren’t Convinced

    larry summers sleeping tbi

    Asia and European stocks are both broadly higher in what looks like an extension of yesterday’s U.S. strength, with MSCI Asia’s APEX 50 surging 1.7%. Notable Asian movers were Hong Kong up 1.6%, China’s mainland CSI 300 down -0.3%, and Australia up 1.8%. France, Germany, and the U.K. are all up about 0.3%, but MSCI Eurozone is up 0.6%.

    The euro has been trying to grind higher, and is now just under $1.24.

    Chart

    Meanwhile, the world’s fulcrum currency, the Aussie dollar, has been moving steadily higher, continuing its run from yesterday.

    Chart

    Still, U.S. futures look like they’ve had enough rallying for now, via Finviz. Right now the Nasdaq and S&P500 are pointing to a flat open, but let’s see how this progresses in the next few hours.

    Chart

    Join the conversation about this story »

  • 500 Milhas: Bia Figueiredo na passarela em Indianápolis

    Bia Figueiredo - Indy 500
    Nesta quinta-feira, a pilota brasileira Ana Beatriz Figueiredo (Ipiranga /FlowGuard Gold /Monange /Bardahl) trocou a pista pela passarela do 29º Cara Charities Fashion Show, veja galeria de fotos ao final da matéria, tradicional evento beneficente da programação da Indy 500, a 500 Milhas de Indianápolis, em que alguns pilotos da Fórmula Indy protagonizam um desfile de moda.

    “Foi divertido. No começo, estranhei um pouco, pois nunca desfilei, tinha muita gente e muitos fotógrafos, mas depois relaxei e curti”, conta a pilota da Ipiranga Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, que desfilou vestindo jeans e blusa colorida de uma das grifes participantes do evento.

    Este foi só mais um compromisso na variada e intensa agenda extra-pista de Bia Figueiredo, como é conhecida no Brasil, nesta semana da Indy 500, que será disputada no próximo domingo, 30 de maio. Ela começou indo com os outros pilotos da Fórmula Indy visitar a ESPN, em Bristol, Connecticut.

    Nesta quinta-feira, Bia também participou das entrevistas coletivas dos pilotos e de corrida de kart promovida por sua equipe. Na sexta-feira, 28, ela visita o camarote da Ipiranga e da Band após o treino de aquecimento previsto para o fim da manhã, das 12 às 13 horas de Brasília.

    Às 17 horas de Brasília, a pilota falará com o público em chat no portal UOL, depois irá ao coquetel da Firestone e a seguir à festa da sua equipe.

    Para terminar a noite, irá a jantar oferecido pela Ipiranga, já na companhia de André Ribeiro, gestor de sua carreira com Augusto Cesário, que esteve com ela em Indianápolis na semana passada, nos treinos e na classificação para a corrida.

    Sábado será dia de festa com o almoço da Band reunindo a comunidade brasileira participante da Indy 500 e não tem treino. Mas tem sessão de autógrafos, encontro dos pilotos com o público e o Festival Parade, evento em que eles pilotam carros conversíveis pela pista, acenando para a plateia. Para encerrar o dia, Bia fará aparições em jantares da Transsystems e da Saint Joe, parceiros de sua equipe.

    No domingo, após a corrida, a pilota visitará o camarote da Ipiranga e da Band. À noite, participará de jantar oferecido pela Ipiranga, sua patrocinadora máster. Mas só na segunda-feira, 31, a programação da Indy 500 2010, iniciada em 8 de maio, será encerrada, com um jantar de gala oferecido pela Fórmula Indy.

    Perfil

    Pilota de competição desde os oito anos de idade, a paulistana Ana Beatriz Figueiredo, 25 anos, é a primeira brasileira a correr em uma categoria top do automobilismo internacional.

    Foi a melhor estreante da São Paulo Indy 300, sua primeira corrida na Fórmula Indy, em março passado, no circuito de rua do Anhembi.

    A 500 Milhas de Indianápolis será sua primeira corrida acelerando o carro de 650 cavalos da Indy em um circuito oval.

    É a única mulher do mundo a vencer na Fórmula Renault, três vezes, em 2005, e na Indy Lights, duas vezes, em 2008 e 2009.

    É a melhor estreante e a mulher melhor posicionada no grid da 94ª edição da Indy 500 , largando da 21ª de 33 posições disputadíssimas para a corrida de 805 quilômetros em 200 voltas pelas duas milhas e meia do circuito oval do Indianápolis Motor Speedway que será realizada em 30 de maio de 2010.

    AGENDA – 500 Milhas de Indianápolis 2010 – Horários de Brasília

    Sexta-feira, 28 de maio
    12h00 às 13h00: Treino livre
    14h30 às 16h00: Competição de pit stops

    Domingo, 30 de maio
    14h00: Corrida

    Fotos:
    Bia no desfile do Cara Charities Fashion Show – crédito: Divulgação
    Bia no Indianapolis Motor Speedway – crédito: Divulgação
    Bia acelera em Indianápolis – crédito: Bret Kelley / IndyCar

    www.biaracing.com


  • Finally, an Android App For Hipstamatic-Style Photo Filters [Android Apps]

    Many a-time have I moaned about the lack of photo-altering apps available for Android. The iPhone has Hipstamatic and Swankolab—it can’t be too hard to create similar apps for Android, can it developers? Enter FxCamera. More »










    AndroidHandheldsIPhoneSmartphoneSwankolab

  • Mercedes SLS AMG 2010 German car of the year

    Mercedes SLS AMG

    The Mercedes SLS AMG has been voted Germany’s car of the year by AutoBild readers, and so would we have done if we were Germans and AutoBild readers. The SLS AMG tops the rankings above the new Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet, finishing second. It’s only the fifth edition of the competition but given some of the contenders over the last few years, we can safely say that the German auto brands are some of the best in the market.

    103 cars, both series models and prototypes, were in the running and this year saw Mercedes win a second time: in 2009 the Mercedes E-Class sedan was the winner. In front of Audi, BMW and Volkswagen, this could be a sign that Mercedes, at least in its own market, is enjoying the spotlight.

    Mercedes SLS AMG Mercedes SLS AMG Mercedes SLS AMG Mercedes SLS AMG


  • 2010-05-28 Spike activity

    Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:

    Decorative illustrations of women scientists improves girls’ test scores on a chemistry test, according to research covered by Big Think.

    The Philosopher’s Zone from ABC Radio National had a great discussion of Nietzsche and his idea of the ‘will to power’.

    fMRI in 1000 words. An excellent piece from Neuroskeptic discusses the technology behind the popular neuroimaging technique, minus the analysis.

    All in the Mind (the BBC version) has just started a new series. Still a little bit starched but (at bloody last) available as a podcast.

    Spanish paper El País has a barnstorming piece on El mito de la adicción a Internet [The myth of internet addiction] which kindly quotes me.

    The BPS Research Digest has a fascinating piece on how men with brown eyes perceived as more dominant but not because their eyes are brown.

    A history of the ‘ultra pure heroin flooding the streets’ scare story. A brief but revealing article in Slate.

    Neuron Culture has a wonderfully eclectic link shower featuring mechanical brides, lie detectors, enemies and risk taking.

    The author of Drugstore Cowboy has just been arrested again, aged 73, for robbing drugstores, reports The New York Times.

    Neurophilosophy covers a lovely study finding that watching forward or back computer motion directs idle thoughts to the future or past.

    Does age mediate susceptibility to cognitive biases? asks Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

    Wired discusses Aperger’s, institutionalisation and ex-hacker Adrian Lamo.

    Remember the two teenagers who died after reportedly taking now-banned ‘legal high’ mephedrone? BBC News reports on toxicology tests that found no such drug in their bodies. Another triumph for media-driven drugs policies.

    The Globe and Mail reports on research investigating the brain effects of poverty, although doesn’t delve too deep into which aspects of poverty may be having the effects.

    The late Syd Barrett of psychedelic pioneers Pink Floyd warrants a short article in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

    Science News reports on research finding that a version of gene 5-HTT makes children more vulnerable to the effect of bullying.

    Leading psychiatrist Peter Tyrer slams the UK governments Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/may/26/dangerous-killers-200m-plan-waste”>programme, reports The Guardian. There is some defence of the scheme in The Psychologist.

    In The News has an excellent analysis of US laws aimed at marking out sex offenders and their unintended side-effects.

    Cynthia Pomerleau, author of Why Women Smoke is interviewed on the excellent Addiction Inbox.

    Wired Science reports that a shot of testosterone makes people more suspicious of each other.

    Racial bias weakens our ability to feel someone else’s pain, according to research covered by Not Exactly Rocket Science.

    BBC News reports on a study finding that prescribing heroin to long-term relapsing heroin addicts gives them a better chance of kicking the habit.

  • Italy Is About To Be Smashed By A Wave Of Debt Maturities Worse Than Greece

    Here’s the most near-term and acute challenge for Italy and Spain right now. Both nations face a large wave of government debt coming due over the next three years, as shown by their debt maturity profiles below from Der Spiegel.

    Italy: 251.5 billion euros of debt maturing this year, followed by 192.2 billion in 2011, and then 168.2 billion in 2012. This is about 32% of Italy’s $2.3 trillion GDP (GDP based on 2008 data from The World Bank).

    Chart

    Spain:  76.5 billion euros in 2010, followed by 84 billion in 2011, and then 61.2 billion in 2012. That’s about 17% of Spain’s $1.6 trillion GDP. In this sense Spain is in better shape.

    Chart

    Greece, of course also has a similar problem: 15.8, 31.3, and 31.7 billion euros of government debt coming due in 2010, 2011, and 2012 respectively. This is about 27% of Greece’s $356 billion economy.

    Chart

    Thus on this front, Italy looks in similarly bad shape as Greece, though Greece’s currently collapsing economy compounds the problem while Italy’s meager economic growth helps a bit.

    Chart

    Chart

    GDP charts via Trading Economics.

    Join the conversation about this story »

  • Google Completes AdMob Acquisition

    Google has officially announced its acquisition of mobile advertising startup AdMob. The acquisition was held off for more than six months as the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigated the possible monopoly implications of the deal. Google owns the largest online advertising network in the world and, at the time, AdMob was the largest mobile advertiser… (read more)

  • YouTube Back Online As IT Ministry Lifts Ban In Pakistan

    YouTube, the online video sharing giant, on which the Government of Pakistan had imposed a Ban, went back online in Pakistan after the IT Ministry lifted the restrictions. YouTube was amongst the 1,200 URLs, which were blocked access after a row about the “blasphemous” content on the Internet. YouTube is the 3rd most searched or visited page from Pakistan and enjoys great customer database which results to billions of dollars in revenue.

    An official word from the ministry included:



    “YouTube has been unblocked but the links to sacrilegious content would remain inaccessible in Pakistan.”

    Even after the ban was lifted, some 550 URLs on the site remained blocked along with the other 1200 URLs. Internet Service Providers continued to block material leading to such URLs. The clampdown started after a Facebook user organized a contest to draw the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), naming it draw Mohammad Day. This sparked the Muslim community, which took to roads and protested upon which the Lahore High Court ordered Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) to block all such content.

    Traffic to YouTube amounted to 25 percent which later increased by another 8 percent after the ban was lifted. Muslims continue to protest as they wait for the hearing to proceed on Monday regarding Facebook ban.

    Related posts:

    1. Pakistan Blocks YouTube and Facebook
    2. YouTube is added to the banned sites in Pakistan
    3. Pakistan Prohibits Facebook in the Country Because of “Draw Mohammed Day”

  • GM Aspiring to Match the Quality of Audi Interiors

    2011 Audi A8 interior

    The premium unit of German brand Volkswagen, Audi is famous for its unmatched interiors and not just us, but even GM seems conscious of this fact. GM’s Vice President of Global Engineering, Karl Stracke is the one who has gone public with his viewpoints regarding the Audi interiors quality. As per Karl, GM is fast-improving the quality of its interiors but it is still to meet the benchmark set by Audi. Karl mentioned that he recently drove the Corvette Grand Sport and he did like the performance but what did not convince him were the interiors. GM is putting in serious efforts to improve the quality of interiors and the company has recently started a program that lets the company engineers test competitor’s products every Friday at the Milford Proving Grounds.

  • Closing Time: Mets get out the brooms behind Pelfrey, Pagan

    There are 1,000 stories from any night in this crazy numbers racket. I’m here to tell you a few of them.

    The Mets have to feel great about themselves this morning, completing a three-game shutout sweep of the Phillies and doing so without Johan Santana(notes) ever taking the mound. Mike Pelfrey(notes) did the honors Thursday (7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 5 K) and I’m not sure what to make of the start; while his fastball looked as live as I’ve seen all year, he was also bailed out by three timely double plays.

    The New York offense didn’t light up the scoreboard against Cole Hamels(notes) (6.1 IP, 3 R), but there are reasons for the Mets to be optimistic about their lineup. Jose Reyes is on a 14-for-32 binge, lifting his average to .249, Jason Bay(notes) has a zesty 1.026 OPS at home, and Angel Pagan(notes) has been a handy find in center field, hitting .296 with eight steals in 11 attempts.

    Pagan’s been especially effective in May (.330, 15 runs, nine walks against 10 strikeouts) and his emergence is essential for the Mets right now as the Carlos Beltran(notes) timetable seems to be pushed back weekly. GM Omar Minaya admitted on Thursday that it’s unlikely we’ll see Beltran back with the club before the All-Star break. Pagan’s current ownership level in Yahoo! leagues is a modest 10 percent; that number needs to be doubled, if not tripled, in short order. Show an open mind for the Angel of Queens.

    The Twins looked like a bad matchup for Javier Vazquez(notes) on paper (all those good left-handed bats) and that’s how it played out on the field; Minnesota knocked Vazquez around for eight hits and five runs over 5.2 innings. Vazquez gets a break next week with Baltimore on the schedule, albeit he’ll have to toil in Yankee Stadium.

    Target Field hasn’t been homer-friendly for the Twins through two months, but Jason Kubel(notes) got things working Thursday, clocking two homers and adding an RBI double. "It hasn’t been flying here," Kubel said. "But if you pull the ball, it can get out. So maybe that’s the key."

    The Brewers bullpen had it going in Thursday’s 10-inning victory over Houston;t the final four Milwaukee pitchers worked scoreless innings. Okay, you don’t throw a parade for stopping the hapless Astros offense, but it was a step forward. Zach Braddock(notes), Todd Coffey(notes) and Carlos Villanueva(notes) each worked their inning while the Brewers were trailing by a run; Villanueva struck out the side in the ninth, working around a couple of hits.

    Milwaukee tied the game in the bottom of the ninth (capitalizing on a rare 2010 misstep from Matt Lindstrom(notes)), then handed the ball to John Axford(notes) for the tenth (perfect inning, two strikeouts). Lindstrom, inexplicably asked to work a second inning, walked in the winning run in the bottom of the tenth.

    The Brewers never had a save situation in the game, so don’t read too much into Trevor Hoffman(notes) not pitching; he’ll probably see the ninth inning on the weekend if there’s a lead to protect. That said, if Hoffman were pitching well this year, he probably would have come into this game in the top of the tenth; that’s routine work for a home-team closer – pitching in a tie game once the save is no longer possible.

    Johnny Cueto(notes) continues to roll over the weak NL Central; Thursday he threw six dominant innings at the Pirates (6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K). At times you’ll see Cueto nibble too much when a game is close, but when the Reds are able to score for him early, he seems to relax and trust his stuff more. He’s on a 5-0 binge over his last six starts, posting a 1.85 ERA and 40 strikeouts (against eight walks) over 39 innings. He’ll work at St. Louis next week, and possibly Washington on the weekend if the Reds want to keep him on normal rest.

    Kings of Pain: Curtis Granderson(notes) (hamstring) will probably come off the disabled list and play Friday against the Indians. … Brian Anderson(notes) (elbow) is still tentatively scheduled to pitch Saturday at Detroit. He did some throwing Thursday with no setbacks reported. I’m not a fan of starting pitchers right off the DL; unless you’re desperate for weekend innings, put Anderson in the scouting queue for at least one turn. … Andre Ethier(notes) (thumb) is ready for a rehab assignment and might be with the Dodgers next week. … Brad Lidge(notes) (elbow) had a clean bullpen session Thursday, which sets him up to start a rehab assignment on the weekend. The Phillies don’t have to rush anything with Lidge, given how well Jose Contreras(notes) has pitched this season. … Nick Punto(notes) (finger) should be able to play Friday after missing the previous four games. If that doesn’t make your weekend, nothing will. … Carlos Zambrano(notes) made a surprise visit to the hospital Thursday, dealing with abdominal pain; thankfully, it wasn’t an appendix problem. Zambrano’s setback is good news for Tom Gorzelanny(notes) – he’ll get more chances to fight for his rotation spot while Zambrano transitions back to starting. … Strikeout tease Bud Norris(notes) (biceps) won’t be able to start Saturday at Cincinnati. Brian Moehler(notes) gets the call instead; be ready with your Cincinnati hitters . . . Luke Scott(notes) (shoulder) hopes to make it back Friday. … Brian McCann(notes) (quad) didn’t get the start in rainy Florida. … J.A. Happ(notes) (forearm) threw 50 pitches Thursday and didn’t have a setback.

  • 9 Stocks Not Missing Their Opportunity To Raise Dividends

    At some point in the future will we look back at our actions today and refer to them as our greatest missed opportunity? A successful dividend growth strategy takes time. Unfortunately, many income investors don’t have the luxury of time on their side and must focus on high-yield investments to meet current expenses. These high-yield investments are often accompanied by high-risk. For those with time, a solid long-term strategy focusing on quality stocks that grow their dividends will treat them well in their retirement years.

    Below are several companies that did not miss missing this opportunity to raise their cash dividends:

    Bunge Limited (BG) is an integrated global agribusiness and food company that has operations primarily in North and South America, and distribution capabilities worldwide. May 20th the company increased its quarterly dividend 9.5% to $0.23/share. The dividend is payable on September 2, 2010, to shareholders of record on August 19, 2010. The yield based on the new payout is 1.79%.

    Knight Transportation (KNX) is a short- to medium-haul truckload carrier that transports general commodities and temperature-controlled loads. May 20th the company raises its quarterly dividend 20% to $0.06/share. The dividend is payable to shareholders of record on June 4, 2010 and is expected to be paid on June 25, 2010. The yield based on the new payout is 1.24%.

    SEI Investments (SEIC) is a provider of investment processing, fund processing, and investment management business outsourcing solutions. May 25th the company increased its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.10/share. The dividend is payable on June 28 to shareholders of record on June 23. The ex-dividend date is June 21. SEIC is a Dividend Achiever and has raised its dividend for 18 consecutive years. The yield based on the new payout is 1.00%.

    UnitedHealth Group (UNH) is a leading health care services company providing health benefit services to over 32 million individuals across the U.S. May 26th the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.125/share. The dividend will be paid on June 21, 2010 to all shareholders of record of UnitedHealth Group common stock as of the close of business on June 7, 2010. The ex-dividend date is June 3, 2010. The yield based on the new payout is 1.74%.

    Deere & Co. (DE) is the world’s biggest producer of farm equipment, and also is a large producer of construction machinery and lawn and garden equipment. May 26th the company increased its quarterly dividend 7% to $0.30/share. The dividend is payable August 2, 2010, to stockholders of record on June 30, 2010. The ex-dividend date is June 28, 2010. The yield based on the new payout is 2.14%.

    McKesson Corp (MCK) provides pharmaceutical supply management and information technologies to a broad range of health care customers. May 26th the company increased its quarterly dividend 50% to $0.18/share. The dividend is payable on July 1, 2010, to shareholders of record on June 10, 2010. The ex-dividend date is June 8, 2010. MKC is a Dividend Achiever and has raised its dividend for 25 consecutive years. The yield based on the new payout is 1.04%.

    H.J. Heinz (HNZ) produces a wide variety of food products worldwide, with a major presence in the U.S. in condiments, frozen potatoes, and convenience meals. May 27th the company raised their annualized common stock dividend in Fiscal 2011 by 12 cents, or 7.1%, to $1.80 from $1.68. The yield based on the new payout is 4.04%.

    Cato (CATO) offers apparel and accessories, including sportswear, dresses, coats, shoes, lingerie, costume jewelry, and handbags for females in the southeastern U.S. May 27th the company increased its quarterly dividend by 12% to $0.185/share. The dividend is payable on June 28 to shareholders of record on June 14. The ex-dividend date is June 10. The yield based on the new payout is 3.06%.

    Williams-Sonoma (WSM) sells high-quality products for the home via its retail stores and various direct-to-customer channels. May 27th the company raised its quarterly dividend 15% to $0.15/share. The dividend is payable on August 24, 2010 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on July 27, 2010. The ex-dividend date is July 23, 2010. The yield based on the new payout is 2.00%.

    Selecting stocks with increasing dividends is critical for an income growth strategy. The above list contains stocks that recently raised their dividends, it is not a list of recommend buys. As always, due diligence should be performed before buying or selling any stock. For a list of stocks with a long string of consecutive cash dividend increases, see this list.

    Full Disclosure: No position in the aforementioned securities. See a list of all my income holdings here.

    (Photo Credit)

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  • Peugeot Velocite’s sporty design will appeal to a younger audience

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    Eco Factor: Three-wheeled concept vehicle powered by electric batteries.

    The Peugeot Velocite by auto designer Juan Carlos has been designed for the year 2020 when congested roads will force people to ride in compact zero emission vehicles. With a three-wheeled configuration, the Peugeot Velocite is powered by an electric engine and its sporty lines and compact design have been created to appeal to a younger audience.

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    Velocite’s low-resistance electric motor is housed inside the rear orbital wheel, whose center stays static. The outer wheel rotates and is driven directly by the motor. The single swing-arm is located on the right side of the wheel and provides a motorcycle-like suspension setup for simplicity. While rolling downhill, the motor functions as a generator that recharges onboard batteries.

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    Thanks: [Juan Carlos]

  • Motorola will introduce new Droid products on Verizon in July

    The second half of 2010 is going to be a very busy year for Motorola. The handset maker is fully focused on Android in hopes of returning to profitability and plans to launch at least 20 smartphones this year (eight are already out, so a dozen remain).

    Speaking at an investor conference Thursday, Motorola Co-CEO Sanjay Jha announced his company would be bringing two new Android smartphones to Verizon Wireless in July. No specifics were given, but we think Motorola will target the high-end consumer with the Shadow (aka Droid 2 or XTRM) and go for the kiddies with the Flipout.

    The Motorola Shadow could top the Droid Incredible and original Droid as Verizon’s fastest Android phone. Android benchmarks have revealed that the Shadow MB810 is the top performer behind only the Nexus One with Android 2.2.

    Verizon is quickly becoming the carrier for high-end Android phones. Which Motorola devices do you hope they launch this summer?

    “If [customers] think Android, that’s the generic. If they think Droid, that’s going to be the latest and the greatest on our network.”Lowell McAdamCEO Verizon Wireless

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  • Win the back-yard arms race with the Saturator AK-47 Automatic Water Gun

    The Saturator AK-47 Automatic Water Gun can shoot a continuous stream of water bullets up ...

    If you’re really looking to shine in any water-based hostilities this summer then the Saturator AK-47 Automatic Water Gun could be just what the aquatic arms dealer ordered. This weapon ups the ante on any previous manually powered water guns that rely on the handle being pumped to fire a semi-continuous stream of water. With the battery powered Saturator all one needs to do is hold down the trigger until the ammo runs out…
    Continue Reading Win the back-yard arms race with the Saturator AK-47 Automatic Water Gun

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