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The European banking system is in crisis, says Hendry.

“I would recommend you panic.”

The hedge fund manager of Eclectica Management went on BBC Newsnight last night to play pessimist against Jeffrey Sachs, an economist from Columbia University.

Of course the two get into a fight. It’s awesome.

At first Hendry is talking quietly and his manner is worryingly subdued but wait just a minute. He starts going after Sachs at 2:38.

“When you bring on a professor and when you bring on a politician, they are unaccountable. Jeffrey’s wrong, you know what? He’ll survive and tenure. I’m wrong, I go bankrupt.”

Then Jeffrey defends himself a little bit, says no one should jump to the conclusion that all is lost, and Hendry literally jumps on him. (4:50)

“I don’t know,” says Hendry, “because, was Jeffrey skiing two months ago? I was working, Gillian (Tett, who was also on the show) was working. So we can tell you about the real world.”

It’s so offensive that the host has to jump in and say, “Now that’s just a low blow.”

(Meanwhile, Gillian Tett is loving this, grinning from ear to ear.)

Then Jeffrey, who doesn’t want to let some other guy fight his fight for him, warns Hendry:

“Please watch your language, it’s just ridiculous. Watch your rhetoric a little bit.”

Seriously, says Hendry. It’s time to worry. Panic.

“Banks today are refusing to lend to each other. Bank share prices are collapsing. We have no ability to gauge the credit-worthiness of the banking system.”

“I say, let’s purge this system of its rottenness,” recommends Hendry. “Let’s take on a recession. It’s going to be tough. People are going to lose their jobs.”

“The banking sector is responsible for gross folly,” he says. The solution is just, “Don’t pay them. Don’t reward folly.”

“We can spread this over 20 years or we can get rid of it over 3 years… You make a mistake, you pay for it.”

Of course remember that Hendry is shorting the crap out of Greece and the European banking crisis. He’s a big proponent of speculation and shorting, so he hates bailouts and would love massive failure.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Hugh Hendry: Hyperinflation Is Coming After A Major Crisis In… JAPAN
• Hugh Hendry Will Make $500 Million Off $2.7 Million If China Collapses
• Watch Hedge Funder Hugh Hendry Fight WIth Joe Stiglitz And Say He Wants Greece To Collapse

Sarah Ferguson answers questions on her recent scandal on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The interview will be taped on Friday. She was recently caught on video taking money from an undercover reporter in exchange for a promise to a business access to a British trade ambassador and her former husband, Prince Andrew. She apologized and called her actions a “serious lapse in judgement.” The interview will be taped on Friday and will be shown on Tuesday.

The Duchess of York said at a party in New York for the launch of her new line of children’s books, “We all make mistakes. Yet we go on. We dust ourselves down.” She started to break the ice by referring to one of her titles, Ashley Learns About Strangers. “Perhaps I should have taken a leaf out of my own book,” as Fergie did not receive any response from the audience she smile and said, “Where’s your sense of humor tonight?” that delivered a big laugh. She thanked her publisher, Sterling, Publishing and those who had attended the party. “I think it’s important you all came here tonight,” stated the duchess. “The show must go on.”

Fergie had made a number of children’s books. The latest series aims at helping children through difficult moments in life. The books include: Matthew and the Bullies, Emily’s First Day of School, Ashley Learns About Strangers and Michael and His New Baby Brother.

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While we recently published news of the 12th Foxconn employee to attempt a suicide, and then immediately updated the story with new of a 13th jumper, those reports are already dated. More »










Suicide – Foxconn – Apple – Death – China

Noah’s multi-part look at HTC’s Evo 4G for Sprint. In this installment: The hardware.

Last week it was reported by Detroit News that General Motors will build the Buick Regal GS high-performance sedan. Well, in our world nothing is official until its officially confirmed by the automakers themselves. GM today released a very short statement confirming that it will indeed built the Regal GS.

Click here to get prices on the 2011 Buick Regal.

“In January Buick debuted the Regal GS showcar at the 2010 North American International Auto Show,” GM said. “After a lot of positive consumer feedback, Buick announced that it will build the Regal GS. No further details are available at this time.”

The production Regal GS is expected to stay close to the concept version shown at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, including the 255-hp 4-cylinder turbo, 6-speed manual gearbox and all-wheel drive.

Click here for more Buick Regal news.

Buick Regal GS Concept:

– By: Omar Rana

Might We Suggest…

• A Few Acer Liquid Stream Details
  There were a handful of phones on display at last week’s Google I/O which have yet to cross our radar.  As good of a job as we think we do in keeping up with handsets, there are plenty out there we’ve…

Via Prison Planet.com » Prison Planet

QBit.cc
Thursday, May 27, 2010

This bill has passed the house, 56-51 and is going to the Senate.

Michigan House Bill 4961 [pdf] boils down to Taxation without Representation – turning the State’s right to levy taxes over to private international corporations, essentially ceding sovereignty over critial infrastructure.  The corporations will be able to levy highway tolls without oversight or regulation on US citizens, should this bill pass.

At an absolute minimum it allows the creation of a single high occupancy toll lane.   After the next repaving of an entire highway, tolls can be collected on all lanes.

Now that the financial elite have tanked our economy, they’re trying to buy up our infrastructure and property using their international corporations that operate above the law.

Some important exerpts from the bill:

… to abolish the office of state  highway commissioner and the commissioner’s advisory board and to transfer their powers and duties…

TO PROVIDE FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE  TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES; TO AUTHORIZE PUBLIC-PRIVATE AGREEMENTS RELATING TO … TOLLING, OPERATING, OR  MAINTAINING A PUBLIC-PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION FACILITY

[allow private corporation to tax the use of public “transportation facilities” … but what constitutes a transportation facility?]

“TRANSPORTATION FACILITY” MEANS ANY NEW OR EXISTING  HIGHWAY, ROAD, BRIDGE, TUNNEL, OVERPASS, RAMP, INTERCHANGE, FERRY,  AIRPORT, VEHICLE PARKING FACILITY, VEHICLE TRANSPORTATION FACILITY,  PORT FACILITY, LOCKS FACILITY, RAIL FACILITY, INTERMODAL OR OTHER  PUBLIC TRANSIT FACILITY, OR ANY OTHER EQUIPMENT, ROLLING STOCK,  SITE, OR FACILITY USED IN THE TRANSPORTATION OF PERSONS, GOODS,  SUBSTANCES, VEHICLES, …

[Wait for it, wait ….]

INFORMATION, OR MATTER OF ANY KIND…

[data cables are included in “transportation facilities?!”  This bill would allow sale and private taxation of network (internet/data) infrastructure as a “transportation facility” based on “congestion.”  Data cables are already leased by big cable/telcos so what does this mean for them?]

… INCLUDING THE SALE OF REVENUE BONDS …

[turn the business holdings into a fiat financial market; enable fractional lending based on expected future revenue, destabilizing the business]

…

“INSTRUMENTALITY OF GOVERNMENT” MEANS A LEGAL PUBLIC  ENTITY CREATED OR EMPOWERED TO CARRY OUT FUNCTIONS COMMONLY CARRIED  OUT BY UNITS OF GOVERNMENT

…

THE AGREEMENT SHALL PROVIDE THAT THE OWNERSHIP  OF A TRANSPORTATION FACILITY WITHIN THIS STATE SHALL BE VESTED IN  AN INSTRUMENTALITY OF GOVERNMENT AND THAT TITLE TO THE  TRANSPORTATION FACILITY SHALL NOT BE ENCUMBERED

[the corporation will have complete “unencumbered” control]

…

NO PROVISION OF A  PUBLIC-PRIVATE AGREEMENT SHALL ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO BE DEPRIVED OF  THE USE AND BENEFIT OF A TRANSPORTATION FACILITY EXCEPT AS  NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT TOLLS OR OTHER CHARGES …

[the corporation has the authority to deny access if you don’t pay the toll]

A TOLL MAY BE  IMPOSED ON A HIGHWAY ONLY IF IMPOSED FOR THE USE OF NEW HIGHWAYS,  OR THE USE OF EXPANDED HIGHWAY CAPACITY BEYOND HIGHWAY CAPACITY IN  PLACE ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE AMENDATORY ACT THAT ADDED THIS  SECTION.

[tolls may be levied for any expansion or heavy traffic (?)]

TOLLS AND OTHER CHARGES IMPOSED FOR THE USE OF A  TRANSPORTATION FACILITY ARE NOT SUBJECT TO REGULATION BY ANY OTHER  GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY.

[the tolling will not be regulated by the government]

NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO  ALLOW THE CONVERSION OF ANY NONTOLL OR NONUSER-FEE LANES EXISTING  ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE … WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A HIGH-OCCUPANCY VEHICLE LANE THAT MAY BE OPERATED AS A HIGH-OCCUPANCY  TOLL LANE FOR VEHICLES NOT OTHERWISE MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR  USE OF THAT LANE.

At a minimum, if this passes, the corporation(s) will create high occupancy toll lanes.  Initially this allows them to just take one lane and turn it into a private toll lane.  If we let this pass, how easy will it be to expand it to 2 “managed lanes,” or 3, or the whole highway?

When the highway needs repaving, will the private company dictate who gets the contracts? And how do we select which private company gets to take control in the first place? Well, anything goes according to this:

ANY COMPETITIVE SELECTION PROCESS THAT THE DEPARTMENT  DETERMINES TO BE APPROPRIATE OR REASONABLE …  USING A COMPETITIVE  SELECTION PROCESS WHEN TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE

….

INFORMATION SUBMITTED UNDER SUCH A  PROMISE OF CONFIDENTIALITY SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO DISCLOSURE UNDER  THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

[The bidding process will be competative to the extent that the government determines is “reasonable,” but you’ll never know because whatever we say is “private negotiations” will be exempt from FOIA requests]

A newer version of the bill (pdf) has been released that is substantially the same but provides for “public hearings” to receive user input; amounting to no real oversight or accountability.

THE COMMISSION SHALL CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AT LEAST ONCE EVERY 5 YEARS TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT AND INPUT WITH REGARD TO THEN EXISTING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES ….

After the next repaving, all highway lanes can be turned into toll lanes.   Signing this bill will inevitably turn our Michigan highways into private revenue streams for multinational corporations, not to mention ports, rail, and network infrastructure.  This is infrastructure we’ve already paid to build, and need to maintain ourselves in order to sustain the local economy by hiring local workers and companies.

People from Michigan, it is absolutely critical that we reject this bill.  We can not let them hand our infrastructure over to international corporations as many other states have.  In the long run Michigan will lose on this deal in a big way.

They mean business and will do whatever is necessary including paying off our elected officials.  Call your representatives and let them know we’re watching!

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

From MI Rep Paul Opsommer:

OUT-OF-STATE MEDDLING WORSENS HB 4961

May 24, 2010

State Rep. Paul Opsommer today criticized Canadian and Ohio officials for pushing legislation that would allow the Michigan Department of Transportation to toll virtually anywhere in Michigan.

“At the end of the day, whose law is this anyway?” asked Opsommer, R-Dewitt. “Canada’s understandable need to be part of border discussions is now being eclipsed by their off-base efforts to support the Ontario pension fund, and now we have resolutions being introduced involving the Ohio Legislature as well. If we pass laws in Michigan that give MDOT unilateral tolling power in our state it should be because that is what the Michigan Legislature feels is right, not because of pressure from other states or countries.”

Opsommer made his comments in response to a recent news story that officials in Ohio are advocating for their resolution SR 223 in support of the Detroit River International Crossing. The bill in Michigan that would allow for that, HB 4961, would also give new power to MDOT at the expense of the Legislature. HB 4961 is also criticized for allowing “instrumentalities of government” from other countries and states to enter into contracts that could potentially determine the tolling rates and eminent domain decisions taking place in Michigan.

“It has been a conscious decision by MDOT to wrap the DRIC bridge up into broad public-private partnership legislation that would not only allow for the DRIC but would cause the Legislature to give up its authority to statutorily authorize tolling anywhere else in the state,” Opsommer said. “I don’t know if this is because the governor wants to use the bill as leverage to keep Canada happy with the DRIC, or if she simply wants to have the unilateral ability to impose tolls on taxpayers with no other checks and balances, but either way it’s wrong.”

The Ambassador Bridge, Blue-Water Bridge and all other tolled facilities in Michigan received their tolling authority through stand alone bills authorized by the Legislature. Opsommer cited a recent letter from the attorney general’s office that concurs that MDOT currently only has the ability to toll where the Legislature has given its formal approval.

“Whether tolling is done directly by MDOT or a private contractor, you want someone who has been elected by the people determining where to use that tool,” Opsommer said. “In cases where it is being done by a private contractor who is using toll rates not just to break even but also to create profits, I would think you would want to keep voter accountability even more. If toll rates go unfairly through the roof, who are taxpayers supposed to turn too? The Legislature will be powerless at that point; it would actually be players from outside of the state who would have the final word.”

Opsommer also pointed to international pressure from Canada as having an unfair influence on the process.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that the main potential investor in all of this, the Ontario pension fund OMERS, was recently granted expanded powers by the Canadian government to provide investment management services I am not sure we would even be here,” Opsommer said. “We shouldn’t be making decisions on tolling Michigan taxpayers based off of the financial needs and a quest for high returns by a Canadian pension fund. The DRIC and HB 4961 should be treated as two entirely separate issues.”

The National Motorists Association has endorsed a substitute version of HB 4961 that would ensure the Michigan Legislature still retained its tolling authority over MDOT and other instrumentalities of government from outside of the state.

“It is essential to not pass any version which does not provide for specific legislative approval for any public-private partnership that will involve direct tolling for the users,” said Jim Walker of the National Motorist’s Association. “Should the H-6 unfortunately pass in the House, I hope the Senate will have the courage to fix this issue.”

The domino effect of debt maturity is coming to America, says Keith McCullough, CEO of Hedgeye Risk Management. “The U.S. is on the road to perdition and it is not going to end well.”

“When you burn your currency, you promote inflation and you enrage your citizens,” says McCullough.

He says that Ben Bernanke will soon be voted out for his excess borrowing policies and failure to deliver on promises to cut the Fed’s balance sheet.

Don’t Miss..

– Europe Is So Toast, Says Hedgeye’s Keith McCullough: France, Italy Will Crash Next

– How To Invest Like Warren Buffett And Peter Lynch

– The Small Pool Of Smart VCs In New York Has Expanded

Produced By: Kamelia Angelova & William Wei

More Video: CLICK HERE >

Join the conversation about this story »

How fast is the business of augmented reality emerging? Augmented Reality Event (ARE2010), June 2nd and 3rd in Santa Clara, Calif., will be the place to find out.

Over 40 AR companies from all over the world are coming. There will be presentations from 80-plus augmented reality experts, and keynotes from luminaries Bruce Sterling, Will Wright, Jesse Schell and Blaise Aguera y Arcas. And current AR titans Total Immersion and Metaio will demonstrate that AR is not just a vision, but already drives significant businesses today!

Augmented reality industry startups will be strutting their stuff in a Launchpad competition with a handsome $10,000 for the winner.

There are two days, three tracks, all filled with art, magic, competition and awards. See a sneak preview of the schedule.

ARE2010 has drawn together all the key players from startups to giants in the industry, with speakers from Google, Microsoft, Nokia, Intel and Nvidia.

Qualcomm, a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies, is the featured sponsor, and Zenitum, a leading augmented reality company, is the gold sponsor. Ogmento and ARWave are silver sponsors.

Attendees will have the opportunity to see what’s coming next, including AR eyewear, and how AR is gaining strength in several key markets.

ARE2010 is a unique opportunity to see how the complete vision of AR is emerging in an energetic technology convergence. It’s a must-attend event if you want to learn more about, or be part of, the business of AR.

Companies will learn how to leverage AR to advance their brand and attract and keep customers engaged, as well as best practices for how to build successful AR campaigns and products that will delight their users.

GigaOM readers can register with GIGA245 to get $50 for this 2-day event.

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House and Senate leaders are scrambling this week to glue together a stimulus bill to avert massive teacher layoffs, plug up holes in state spending and keep doctors from taking up to a 20% pay cut with Medicare patients. Today’s House vote could determine the outcome of a final stimulus bill that could be worth more than $140 billion.

Here’s a short guide to the action.

Many Democrats and Republicans agree on the broad outline of the job stimulus: extending unemployment insurance (UI) and COBRA health insurance through the end of the year, and renewing a handful of tax cuts, for small businesses, families, and college students. But Republicans are pushing to pay for the bill, which would require cutting spending somewhere else or raising revenue. Democrats are offering to offset for only a portion of the proposed jobs bill.

House liberals are also clamoring for two additional items: $23 billion to protect
teacher jobs and $70 billion for states and localities to avert layoffs.

In the Senate stimulus sweepstakes, the mothership is Sen. Max Baucus’ (grammatically funky) “American Jobs and Closing Loopholes Act of 2010.” In addition to extending UI and COBRA, Baucus would extend additional tax cuts that would let Americans continue to deduct part of their college tuition, property tax, and state and local sales taxes. He would also extend tax cuts for teaching and installing energy-efficient windows. The total sum could be about $150 billion.

I hesitate to call this bill a “jobs bill,” because most of the money will go to extending current payments rates for Medicare doctors through 2012 ($65 billion), assuming a greater share of states’ Medicaid burden ($24 billion) and renewing up to 99 weeks of jobless benefits through November ($47 billion). Looking out for doctors, rescuing states from crushing Medicaid costs and sending checks to jobless dads unquestionably averts layoffs and juices demand, but the dollars-spent/jobs-created ratio is tough to suss out.

So is this bill any good? Extending UI is a cinch, and the states need help whether it comes in the form of Medicaid assistance, public school relief, or straight up cash. But as Howard Gleckman at TaxVox points out, there is a lot to hate in the Baucus grab bag.

It is, for instance, hard to see how continuing to allow generous
tax depreciation for NASCAR racetracks will create many jobs. It is
easier, however, to imagine how this will continue a windfall for the
track owners. It is similarly hard to see how the national economy
benefits from special tax-exempt bonds for investments in New York
City’s “liberty zone.” Good for developers and contractors doing work
in lower Manhattan, as well as investment bankers and bond lawyers. Not
so good for developers trying to build projects just outside the
specially-designated zone.

An election-year stimulus bill will look come out looking like a piñata with goodies for constituency groups where incumbents are running close. That’s unfortunate, and maybe a good reason to let the president edit spending bills and pass them back to Congress for an expedited, no-amendment vote. But a few dumb tax credits shouldn’t take the focus away from what we desperately need: immediate relief for out-of-money states and out-of-work families.

Max Baucus – United States – Medicaid – Unemployment benefits – Senate

Working out with the Philips Activa Portable fitness device is kind of like having a trainer, MP3 player, and pedometer combined into a tiny 1″ x 1″ smart product. If you’re serious about working out and monitoring your progress, you probably own a pedometer to measure distance, a MP3 music player to keep you motivated, and maybe even a friend or trainer pushing you to work harder. After you workout, there’s a whole other level of angst: writing down how many miles you ran or cycled and estimating how many calories you might have burned. Right off the bat, the Activa takes all of these elements and combines them into one sleek MP3 player / pedometer / calorie counter / trainer hybrid.

As an avid runner, I of course already own of these elements that I earlier described. The pedometer. The MP3 player. I own it all. I literally have to wear three armbands while running: one for my iPod, one for my distance meter, and one for my various doodads. It’s starting to be ridiculous. What I really like about the Activa is that it combines all of these elements, which simplifies my life but also makes it much easier for someone who’s not a workout technology super user to start monitoring and tracking your exercise progress. And we all know that  monitoring your workout progress really makes a difference in meeting your health goals; you can build your distances, improve on speeds, and feel good about yourself knowing that you’re not just logging miles on a treadmill but rather you’re actually meeting your goals whether they’re distance goals, calorie goals, or speed goals. The Activa is designed for both high level workout fiends and beginners–I love that.

Set-Up:
The Activa Portable fitness device comes in a clear plastic tube with everything you need, right out of the box. The device itself, an armband to wear while working out, “workout” headphones (you know, the ones that go over your ear), a gel skin case for the Activa itself, and a short USB cable for syncing with your computer. The first step was setting up the software that comes with the device, so I plugged the device into my computer using the USB cable. My computer recognized the device and took me through a five screen set-up process. After restarting my browser, I was able to launch the Philips Songbird interface. This is basically the control panel for your Activa where you can update songs or track your exercise progress. Once you open up the interface, it asks you some initial start-up questions. For example, the music player asked me if I wanted to import my music from my computer, which I did quickly and easily. As part of the initial set-up, the interface prompted me to choose a trainer and fill it in my stats like height and weight. Don’t worry, this isn’t designed to make you feel bad, but rather to accurately count how many calories you’re burning based your height and weight. Activa features a “trainer,” which is basically a voice that will keep you updated on your time, distance, and other milestones. Activa’s trainer basically prompts you to work harder throughout the workout with positive reinforcement, telling you that you can do it and pushing you forward. You can choose from four different trainers: the lovely “Caroline,” the hunky “Peter” or the super intense lady “Sergeant Callahan” and equally intense “Sergeant Miller.” Once you’ve chosen your trainer and put in some information, you choose between three different goals: “easy start,” “exercise regularly, starting twice a week” “burn 1000 kcal per week.” Part of your goals, the Activa will help you reach these goals through its tracking software.

The Activa as a MP3 Player:
The Philps Songbird interface (where all your music and workout information is stored) is much like iTunes with the added feature of also being a center for monitoring your workout progress. The system asks you if you want to upload your personal music collection from the get-go. Like iTunes you can sort your music by recently added, playlist, most played, etc. The sync process is also like iTunes where it shows you how much space on your Activa is devote to pictures, videos, and music as well as how much space you have free. The Activa has a few features that set it apart from an iPod, designed specifically for working out. You can download music through the interface and it uses 7Digital, a music recommender and Songkick to notify users when bands on their playlist are in town. One of the Activa’s coolest features is the TempoMusic feature. When you set the Activa to TempoMusic, the device automatically sifts through your music to find songs that match your workout pace. For example, if you’re sprinting, the Activa will choose upbeat songs to keep you going. Doing a walking cool down? The Activa will pick more relaxed songs. The other super cool feature is the “power boost” song. This is a song you choose and can deploy anytime when you really need some motivation to push your hardest. The Activa doesn’t have to be used just during workouts, you can access your music whenever and simply listen without worrying that Sergeant Callahan is going to chime in and demand you run faster stating “don’t tell me I got up for this!”

The Activa as a Workout Tracker:
The Activa is a multisport product that is designed for everyone from workout newbies to dedicated athletes. What I like about the device is that not just geared towards running. You can also track indoor rowing, indoor cycling, or outdoor cycling. You can customize any workout based on distance, speed, calories, or choose “freestyle” and just wing it. After you’ve completed your workout, you connect your Activa to the computer and all your workout information is downloaded into the Activa Center workout tracker. You can view and analyze workouts from a specific day, week, month, or year view and track calories burned, length of workout, or distance. I like that the workout tracker is customizable based on what I’m interested in. For example, if I’m training for a 10k, I care less about how fast I went in my last workout and more about how far I ran. In the Activa Center I can view that. Within the Activa Center you can also edit the personal goals you set-up when you first opened the Philips Songbird program.

Working Out with the Activa:
So you have the Activa clipped into the Velcro armband and you’re ready to go. When you start your workout you click on “move” and choose your exercise of choice. Let’s say you choose “running,” you now must choose what your goal for the workout is: open ended, compete against yourself (try to beat your personal best from previous workouts), calories, time, or distance. Once you decide your goal, you can adjust the settings (for example, how many miles you want to run). Ok so you know you want to run five miles, now you have to choose whether you want no music, shuffle, or playlist. After you chose your music (or lack thereof) the device prompts you to warm up. Interesting. This is something that I’ve never really seen. When you feel sufficiently warmed up, just click through and the device will start calculating how far you’re running. It doesn’t use a chip or sensor in your shoe but rather counts how many times you bounce up and down to calculate stride and speed. If you need a boost, you just press the button on the bottom of the device. What I really like about the Activa is that you press the screen – so unlike the iPod, which is much more difficiult to manuever when you’re running, you literally have controls directly on the device’s screen. Click the screen to the right to skip to the next song or click to the left to pause your workout or end. The only problem is that if you want to go back to an older song you have to click to the right, go into the music section, and then change it as compared to an iPod, which makes it easy to view your playlist and return to songs earlier in the playlist. This required an extra step, but then again it’s more designed to track your workout and just play your hottest jams while you workout. It also took referring to the manual to figure out how to change the volume. When you’re finished working out and plug the Activa back into your computer, you’ll see exactly how far you went, your speed, and can keep track of your workouts on a calendar view. I love this because you can really refer back to especially great workouts you’ve had and feel good about the mileage you’ve accrued or calories you’ve burned. It’s both a “pro” workout tool and a beginner tool to really get you into working out.

Conclusion:
I like the Activa. It’s an all-in-one MP3 player, trainer, and workout tracker. Having used Nike Plus technology for years, a device that connects to your iPod to track your workout through your iPod, there are specific things that stand out about the Philips Activa when you compare the two. Nike Plus requires you to wear a chip in your shoe, which you can feel while working out, whereas the Philips Activa measures strides based on the premise that you bounce up and down everytime you step, so all you have to wear is the device itself clipped onto the armband. I also like that this device has features like speed and distance that can be appreciated by someone who runs a lot and wants to beat their personal best or improve, but it can also be used by someone who’s just starting to workout. If used regularly the Activa can truly be like a personal trainer helping you track your progress and push harder throughout your workouts. The Philips Songbird interface is intuitive and easy-to-use, making it easy to manage your music, especially if you’re already an iTunes user. I think this device is ideal for someone who wants to start tracking their workouts and doesn’t already own a MP3 player and pedometer. For me, I’m not sure if I’d trade in my Nike Plus at this point for the Activa just because I use my iPod when I’m not working out as well. I can’t imagine using my Activa as my sole MP3 player, just because the screen is much smaller and doesn’t offer the same level of usability as the larger screened iPod does. Also, it’s just not as sexy as the iPod. The graphics on the Philips Activa are a little dated–you know, flames flying in the background of your calorie counter and the voice prompts are a little cheesy. If you’re evaluating the Activa as a workout companion and workout tracker – it’s great. It’s easy to go to the next song thanks to the pressable screen and it’s pretty fast to set-up and intuitive to use. The Activa is perfect for someone who doesn’t already own an iPod and pedometer combo. If you’re already using iTunes and your iPod on the reg, then I don’t really see people trading in this technology for an Activa. If you’re someone who isn’t completely attached to your iPod and don’t already use Nike Plus, then the Activa is an awesome choice. It’s comparable to Nike Plus and it’s all-in-one so you don’t have to worry about chips or attachments. The Philips Activa Portable Fitness Device retails for $129.99 and is available for pre-order at Amazon.

The Good

* All-in-one music player, pedometer, and trainer
* Customizable based on your workout goals (calories, distance, time, etc.)
* Good for beginners or expert athletes
* Activa Center is a great way to track your workouts and feel good about your workout
* The included headphones are designed to stay on your ears and they have a clip so the chords not flying everywhere
* Syncs with all your music

The Bad

* Graphics look a little dated. Reminds me of a human looking Tamagotchi.
* Sound quality is not phenomenal, but will get the job done
* Small screen makes navigating through your music a little difficult

Aquí os traemos un nuevo teaser de nuestra próxima prueba en Highmotor, que tal y como podéis ver la mayor pista es que será un motor V6 y que el coche en cuestión será negro. Con esta prueba continuamos con las pruebas de vehículos equipados con motor V6, pero el motor será lo único que tenga en común con la berlina y coupés que hemos probado.

Para daros alguna pista más, muchos de los que habitualmente por vuestro trabajo estáis en carretera seguro que os gustaría tener un vehículo similar y por dar la última pista, hablamos de un vehículo de una marca premium y hasta ahí puedo decir… Pronto saldremos de dudas, y veremos la prueba de un coche atípico.

Not long after oil began pouring into the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig — a disaster that may be approaching its conclusion — people around the country started assigning blame. BP, which was doing the drilling, was an obvious target. Some environmental activists called for the resignation of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, while others hammered President Obama for not taking a harder line against BP.

Now, the first casualty of the crisis — aside from the Gulf’s marine life and the livelihood of fishermen and others along the coast — has emerged. The Obama administration has fired Elizabeth Birnbaum, the head of the Mineral Management Service, the office of the Interior Department responsible for overseeing oil and gas development. Birnbaum has led MMS since July 2009.

Looks like the Facebook Android app is having a bit of a conniption fit today. Could just be network problems, or maybe it’s unhappy that my privacy settings quit grabbing their ankles today. Anybody else having issues? (Thanks, @vizzle07 and @hmdearras)

This is a post by Android Central. It is sponsored by the Android Central Accessories Store

Are you totally into Android? Then you’re totally in luck. The folks who brought you Exploded iPad and Exploded iPhone present Exploded Andy, the Android android cut down to his component parts, including a fat, fleshy brain.

You can pick up a poster or t-shirt of Andy. Both are available right now at the product page

Flashback: The 37signals homepage back in 2002.

This is not an “eat dirt for your health and happiness” study. You don’t need to shovel soil in your mouth. Just go outside.

Biologist Dorothy Matthews and company wanted to test a particular bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae. It’s found commonly in the soil and carried widely through the air, so if you take a walk in the park you’ll probably breathe it in. Previous studies have shown that the bacterium increases serotonin in the brain, and have even suggested that the bacterium has antidepressant qualities. Since the neurotransmitter serotonin is also involved in cognition, the team wanted to see if the bacterium could have a direct effect on learning. Indeed it did, Matthews’ team announced at the General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego.

In a classic test of learning ability, Matthews gave mice a treat – white bread with peanut butter – as a reward to encourage them to learn to run through a maze. When she laced the treat with a tiny bit of Mycobacterium vaccae, she found that the mice ran through the maze twice as fast as mice that were given plain peanut butter [New Scientist].

The uptick in learning ability lasted as long as the researchers kept giving their mice the laced peanut butter.

But here’s a caveat: When they tested bacteria-fed mice three weeks after removing the single-cell organisms from their diet they found that these mice were still faster than the mice who never received the bacteria. The difference, however, was not significant. So the results are temporary [Scientific American].

And this is just a mouse model, too, so take that for what you will. But the least it’s another blow struck for the good name of bacteria, for the hygiene hypothesis, and for going outside, Matthews says.

“It just shows that we evolved with dirt as hunter-gatherers,” she says. “So turn off your TV and go work in your garden, or walk in the woods” [New Scientist].

Related Content:
DISCOVER: Is Dirt the New Prozac?
80beats: Special Seaweed-Chomping Bacteria Found in the Guts of Japanese Diners
80beats: Scientists Sequence DNA from the Teeming Bacterial Universe in Your Gut
80beats: Let Kids Eat Dirt: Over-Cleanliness Linked to Heart Disease
Discoblog: Let Them Eat Dirt! It Contains Essential Worms

Image: iStockphoto

There’s huge activity today trading BP’s potential success and anything related to Europe’s continued blank check from China. Commodities also charging.

“Top Kill” Success? BP up 7.1%

“Top Kill” Success? Transocean (RIG) up 6.9%

Crude Oil: Surging higher up 4.08%

Big Winner: NetApp (NTAP) up 15.8%

NetApp reported strong 4th quarter fiscal profits, above analyst estimates.

China fears decline in Europe: Peugeot (France CAC) up 6.68%

Disappointing earnings: Monsanto (MON) down 7.8%

Monsanto reported disappointing earnings today, between $2.40 and $2.60 a share, rather than the anticipated $3.09 per share.

China fears decline in Europe: AVIVA (UK FTSE) up 6.7%

China fears decline in Europe: Abetis (Spain IBEX) up 8.12%

Microsoft fightback against Apple: Up 5.2%

Commodities: Palladium up 4.8%

Bonus Commodities: Platinum up 1.48%

Now check out these charts that show you why the BRICs will rule the next decade.

The evidence is all here >

Join the conversation about this story »

Apple, for a long time, was the David to Microsoft’s Goliath. It was a dynamic that suited Apple, as the company used its underdog status to attract customers who saw themselves as different and apart from the mainstream. It was the iPod that first signaled a change in this arrangement.

The iPod dominated. It became synonymous with “MP3 player” in the mind of the buying public. And that would start in motion the rise of Apple into the tech giant it is today. A tech giant, might I add, that as of yesterday is worth more in terms of market value than Microsoft.

At the close of Wednesday’s trading, Apple was valued at $222 billion, while Microsoft was worth $219 billion. Apple’s shares ended the day at $244.11, while Microsoft’s finished at a seven-month low of $25.01. And it isn’t only Cupertino’s successes, but also Redmond’s failures that are responsible for the new power dynamic between the two companies. Overall, Microsoft stock is down 20 percent compared to 10 years ago, while the value of Apple’s has grown tenfold over the same period.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer appears to have his head in the sand regarding the significance of this moment in terms of the two companies. When asked for comment, he told Reuters news service:

It’s a long game, we have good competitors…we too are a very good competitor. We are executing very well and that is going to lead to great products and great success. I’m optimistic.

It sounds like Ballmer, once an outspoken and not very cautious CEO, has checked out, or is downright unwilling to look at the consequences of Apple’s success with the iPhone and now the iPad. Microsoft will continue to drift toward irrelevance as long as the attitude of business-as-usual prevails there. To quote Ballmer once again, “I won’t predict some massive change,” he said. “I don’t sort of foreshadow any change in direction. We just have to accelerate plans.”

I’m less concerned with what happens to Microsoft now, though, then I am with what happens to Apple. Unlike Microsoft, I think Apple has at its core a commitment to ongoing innovation, woven into the very fabric of the company by the strong oversight of Steve Jobs. And that will persist after he’s gone. But ongoing battles with Google and Adobe tell a tale of a company whose industry agenda may still be geared towards being a niche player.

Apple is about control, even though Steve Jobs says quite the opposite in his open letter to Flash. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no big fan of Flash myself, but I do think that Apple’s intentions have more to do with controlling the nature and delivery vehicle of content than with encouraging openness. Otherwise it’d have backed Google’s VP8 open web video standard from the start. The kind of control Apple exerts works well for it as a niche player, but now that it’s arguably the most important tech company in the world, the same rules don’t apply.

Big stays big by being inclusive and cooperative, to a degree. Take Google, which works with so many partners it’s hard to keep track of, with the end goal of satisfied customers in mind. Microsoft, too, works with others more than it shuts them down, as long as the terms are favorable. Apple seems content to remain largely sheltered, even when it would be easier and more expedient to work with a partner. In fact, since the company started making its own chips with the iPad, it looks to be shutting down even further still.

Such an approach may provide some short-term gains, but rising competitors like Google will take advantage of the general bad feeling it will generate among other tech firms to form the kind of partnerships that helped elevate Microsoft to its loftiest heights 10 years ago. And Apple will still be at base camp, stubbornly refusing the aid of other climbers.

Related GigaOM Pro Research: How Microsoft Can Win Back the Tablet Market

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