Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Grand Theft Auto V Launches to Consoles in Spring 2013
Beautiful big firms green power program
The Observation Deck: How Time Affects Urban Maps
Terry Callier, soulful Chicago singer-songwriter, is dead at 67
Halloween treats with a healthy twist
For these high school grads, pomp with different circumstances
The school band played "Pomp and Circumstance." The girls donned rhinestone-bejeweled caps and sparkly stilettos. And a nervous announcer offered the students a pre-ceremony warning: If you don't tell me how to pronounce your name, I'll get it wrong.
'Build' playwright Michael Golamco on the games people play
A conversation with Michael Golamco, whose new play "Build" is currently making its world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse, veers from the Greek myth of Pygmalion to the just-released video game "Borderlands 2." His play, "Build," falls somewhere in the middle of these ancient and modern texts.
Butterfield still candidate for Blue Jays job
According to baseball sources, newly hired Red Sox third base coach Brian Butterfield remains a candidate for the Blue Jays managerial job despite being hired by Boston Tuesday.
Red Sox manager John Farrell confirmed Butterfield's potential candidacy with Toronto on Tuesday night. "Yes, it's a rare opportunity, and we would certainly not block that," Farrell said when asked if, as far as he knew, Butterfield was still in the mix for the Jays job. "But at the same time we're extremely excited about Brian joining us."
Galaxy S3 gets Palm Touchstone inductive charging with modded battery door
The Nexus 4's included inductive charging and Charging Orb got you excited about wireless charging again? We don't blame you. If you'll remember back to the launch of the Samsung Galaxy SIII (S3), Samsung indicated that the device would be compatible with inductive charging backs and chargers. Well that never really happened, and now an ebay seller is taking things into his own hands and offering wireless charging backs compatible with Palm Touchstone chargers.
The back plates -- which are priced at $24 for the cover or $55 bundled with a charging station and a cable -- are in a very limited run of just a few dozen units. This is understandable considering that they're being made by hand, but hopefully they'll continue to make them to meet demand.
Interested in knowing more about the mod? Hit up the source link below.
Source: webOS Nation
China to raise environmental bar for mining projects: association
Why Brad Pitt's Chanel No. 5 Commercials Are Crazy Genius
A switch is a device, the flow of current through AU (n)?
Hurricane Sandy losses may be triple those of Irene
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
'Build' playwright Michael Golamco on the games people play
A conversation with Michael Golamco, whose new play "Build" is currently making its world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse, veers from the Greek myth of Pygmalion to the just-released video game "Borderlands 2." His play, "Build," falls somewhere in the middle of these ancient and modern texts.
Fiat revamp to avoid EU 'Carmageddon'
- Sergio Marchionne has outlined a strategy for Fiat to survive a European sales slowdown
- CEO: Avoid 'Carmageddon" by focusing on export markets rather than closing plants
(Financial Times) -- Sergio Marchionne has outlined a strategy for Fiat to survive a European "Carmageddon" by focusing on export markets rather than closing plants, as it seeks to break even on the continent by 2016.
In response to plummeting demand in its home market, Fiat's chief executive said the Italian carmaker would revamp its product line and reserve 15 per cent of its European capacity for exports.
The change in strategy came as Fiat reported higher third-quarter earnings, but suffered a trading loss of about ?700m in Europe and cut sales and profitability targets. Investors also reacted badly to a ?1bn increase in Fiat's debt pile during the period, sending its shares 5 per cent lower.
Mr Marchionne said that Fiat "could have taken the traditional route" and closed one or two car plants to cut costs, but instead would move away from its traditional reliance on sales of small cars across southern Europe. "We had to stop chasing our tail on [Europe]," the chief executive said. In a presentation to analysts on Tuesday that pointed to strong demand in the Americas, the group also noted that "it isn't immune to the effects of the European 'Carmageddon".
The announcements mark Fiat's most significant response yet to the eurozone crisis and a flurry of consolidation and capacity cuts by its rivals . Car sales are down 40 per cent from their pre-crisis 2007 peak in Italy, and Fiat faces intense political and union pressure not to close plants.
Addressing what Mr Marchionne called a "bi-polar market" split between profitable premium carmakers and lossmaking mass-market ones, the Italian group will refocus on its premium Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands and the Jeep marque produced by Chrysler, its US unit.
Production of Fiat-brand cars would be pared back to variants of just three models: its 500 and Panda small cars and the Freemont small sport-utility vehicle.
Mr Marchionne played down a a Bloomberg News report that Mr Marchionne had approached PSA Peugeot Citro�n and General Motors earlier this month about a pan-European carmaking combination, saying only that Fiat had historically strong relations with the French car maker. GM rebuffed an earlier advance by Mr Marchionne in 2009.
Fiat had recently spoken of beefing up its exports from Europe, where its plants are running at just 45 per cent capacity. The Italian group said it would need two to three years to implement the restructuring plan, which would allow "full utilisation of our blue-collar and white-collar work force by 2015".
Fiat on Tuesday reported an operating profit of ?951m for the third quarter -- 12 per cent higher than a year ago and better than analysts' average forecast of ?910m, lifted by Chrysler and Brazil.
Some investors were alarmed by the company's net debt forecast for the full year, which was raised to ?6.5bn from ?5.5bn to ?6bn previously. Credit Suisse analyst Erich Hauser wrote that Fiat's quarterly earnings were "in line, but balance sheet risks are building".
� The Financial Times Limited 2012
Old English Sheepdog on endangered species list
BP reports fire at Texas City refinery
Despite latest poll 'Yes on 37' is in it to win labeling of GMOs
RodeoHouston lineup includes Demi Lovato, Austin Mahone, Jason Aldean
RodeoHouston announced four performers this morning. They are:
Toby Keith -- Feb. 25
Demi Lovato and Austin Mahone -- March 3
Jason Aldean -- March 11
Luke Bryan -- March 16
The join the previously announced George Strait, who hasn't played RodeoHouston since 2007. Strait will close the 2013 season with a concert-only performance, his 21st, featuring openers the Randy Rogers Band and Martina McBride.
Astros' new logo prematurely unveiled over Web
Updated 9:33 p.m., Friday, October 26, 2012
After months of promises and weeks of promotional teases, the Astros' new logo was publicly unveiled Friday afternoon - at a local sporting goods store, with no fanfare and without the support of Houston's Major League Baseball team. [...] a long-planned official launch party next Friday at Minute Maid Park - highlighted by scheduled appearances from Astros players such as All-Star Jose Altuve and 2012 No.?1 overall draft pick Carlos Correa - lost some of its pop. According to Academy, a limited quantity of shirts bearing the new logo were released at Houston-area locations. The Astros have experimented with their colors and logos since moving away from the famed star and H, with everything from a red star and an image of the entire state of Texas to pinstripes and an oddly futuristic blue-and-gold combination appearing on the team's uniforms. Revamped sports team logos can be major income generators in the modern era, due to the release of newly branded merchandise, and some teams go to great lengths to dually tease and promote a release. A promotional image issued for the upcoming Minute Maid launch party featured a generic baseball player silhouetted against a white background.
Random House and Penguin Books to form joint venture
As election, Sandy draw near, pressure mounts on disaster chief
Alarcon suggests making Verdugo Hills Golf Course a historic site
L.A. Councilman Richard Alarcon is hoping to save the Verdugo Hills Golf Course from residential development by adding it to the city's list of historic and cultural monuments, citing its history as a detention center for Japanese Americans during World War II.