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Executive Interview: Michael Vohrer, Rohde & Schwarz
As Rohde & Schwarz celebrates its 75th Anniversary, Microwave Journal's European Editor, Richard Mumford, asks president and CEO, Michael Vohrer to trace how the company evolved from a two-man operation to a world leader with a global presence. He outlines the political impact of German reunification and the expansion of the EU, explains the importance of investment in R&D, academic institutions and its staff before looking forward to the next 75 years.
After studying communications engineering Michael Vohrer began his professional career at Rohde & Schwarz in 1975. Having started as a development engineer he rose to become Head of the Test and Measurement Division with responsibility for the marketing, design and development of T&M instruments and systems. In 2003 he was appointed President and COO with specific responsibility for the Test and Measurement, Radiomonitoring and Radiolocation, and Broadcasting Divisions. He was appointed CEO of the company in January 2006.
MWJ – Rohde & Schwarz was established 75 years ago. Can you briefly outline the company's development over that period?
Vohrer – It all began in the summer of 1933 in an apartment with 120 m2 of floor space in downtown Munich, which Dr. Lothar Rohde and Dr. Hermann Schwarz rented to set up an electrical engineering laboratory: the Physikalisch-technische Entwicklungslabor Dr. L. Rohde und Dr. H. Schwarz (Physico-Technical Development Laboratory). Originally, the co-founders only intended to develop measuring instruments under contract for the electrical engineering industry – manufacturing was not part of their plan. Six months later, the company had its first international customer, from England, which came about without any advertising or help from a network of representatives. As the demand for off-the-shelf instruments increased, high-volume production began.
The company continued to expand, including into new fields of business. In the 1940s, broadcasting was added. In the mid-1950s, operations were expanded to include radio monitoring and radio location as well as radio engineering. During that same period Rohde & Schwarz reached the magic mark of 1,000 employees and kept growing at a fast pace. Only six years later that number had doubled. Today, Rohde & Schwarz is world leader as a provider of EMC test and measurement solutions as well as terrestrial TV transmitters. We rank among the world's leading suppliers in all our fields of business.
MWJ – During those 75 years, what do you think are the main factors that impacted the microwave industry and shaped its development?
Vohrer – Microwave research was already taking place at the end of the 19th century. Yet the term 'microwave' only became recognised in the 1940s. Furthermore, the frequency range referred to as 'microwave' has changed a number of times over the years. For example, our first measuring instrument, which had a wavelength range of 3 m to 3,600 m, was considered to be a microwave instrument in those days. In the 1940s, our ESD radio monitoring receiver had already reached 470 MHz, which likewise was considered a very high figure. Today, engineers understand 'microwave' to be at least a few GHz, and our latest network analyzers operate up to frequencies of several hundred GHz.
Over the years, the frequency range in which you could work was determined by the components that were available. Thus, the transition from tubes to transistors and then to integrated microwave circuits brought about significant advancements. To enable ever smaller structures on large-scale integration (LSI) components, we now work with thin-film and bonding equipment that we develop in our own labs and produce in our own clean room.
MWJ – What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an independently owned company operating in the commercial marketplace of the 21st century?
Vohrer – Unlike many other players on the market, Rohde & Schwarz is a privately owned family enterprise, which gives us a very high level of independence in making all of our decisions. We are driven not by short-term results but by long-term success. This fortunately allows us to finance our R&D activities from our own resources. We also have the entire value-added chain of our products within the company, thus enabling us to offer our customers first-rate quality from a single source. At other companies, this may very well differ.
MWJ – What is the basic philosophy of the company and has it changed over the years?
Vohrer – No. There have been two primary driving forces at Rohde & Schwarz since it was founded. First, we consider ourselves to be an enabler. In other words, we empower our customers to be successful. We do this by working hand-in-hand with them on tomorrow's technologies beginning at an early stage. In practical terms, this means that pioneering innovations have been our bread and butter from the very start.
The second factor is the culture of appreciating all of our employees – worldwide. Innovation occurs when people are given the freedom to be creative, to think, to explore. We strive to make this our culture, and, I believe, we are quite successful at it. It is not by mere chance that Rohde & Schwarz has appeared on the list of best employers in Germany for the fifth time in a row in surveys conducted by the Great Place to Work Institute.
MWJ – As a German company, did the reunification of East and West impact Rohde & Schwarz commercially, economically or logistically?
Vohrer – The reunification was accompanied by a general opening toward Eastern Europe. Access to those markets became significantly easier. Of course, we were already present in Eastern Europe before 1989, but in the past 15 years we have put greater effort into establishing subsidiaries there – for example, in Russia, the Czech Republic or Poland. Plus, after the borders were opened, a great need for better infrastructure arose in the countries of Eastern Europe. We were able to meet this need exceptionally well with our products. For example, we carried out large-scale projects involving the setup of nationwide sound and TV broadcasting networks in Rumania, Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic.
MWJ – Has the formation of the European Union benefited European manufacturing companies in general and Rohde & Schwarz in particular?
Vohrer – Political developments of this nature are beneficial to us as an international company – where the key factors are open borders and the simplified transport of goods. For example, in 2001 we already had our own production site in the Czech Republic near our German factory. Following the country's accession to the EU in 2004, everything has become even less complicated. Nevertheless, most of our production is done in Germany so that we can maintain the high quality we demand.
MWJ – Rohde & Schwarz's portfolio of RF test and measuring equipment is vast, including spectrum and signal analyzers, signal generators, network analyzers, wireless communications testers and systems, etc. Over the years, have there been particular innovations that you feel have greatly impacted the industry?
Vohrer – If I couldn't answer that question with "yes", then Rohde & Schwarz would have no right to be in the high-tech business. Let me explain with a few examples:
When we entered spectrum analysis in the 1980s, the sector was new to us and the competition was well-established. In 1986, we introduced the FSA and, by doing so, vaulted to the top of the world market in one leap. In terms of dynamic range, precision, operability and documentation capabilities, we set new standards. Today, our product portfolio − which ranges from handheld models to the first spectrum analyzer up to 67 GHz − fulfils virtually any requirement. We consider ourselves to be the driving force in spectrum analysis worldwide.
In signal generation, we set standards in single sideband phase noise in the 1990s with the R&S SMP microwave generator. Signal purity for high-precision measurements is a key point, and our latest model − the R&S SMF100A − is a world leader in this regard.
With regards to power measurement equipment, in the mid-1980s, Rohde & Schwarz became the first to integrate a data memory for calibration data directly into a power sensor. Then in 2002, we introduced the world's first USB power sensors.
Last but not least, network analysis: In 2005, we launched the first network analyzer that enables customers to perform measurements on eight ports up to 8 GHz. Our new millimetre-wave converters permit four-port measurements up to 325 GHz.
MWJ – With such a large test and measurement portfolio, which is only one part of the company's broad scope of products, how does the company focus on developing each sector to its full potential?
Vohrer – Our prime objective in all of our fields of business is to be as close to the customer as we possibly can. That's why we now also have subsidiaries, offices and service centres in more than 70 countries. In addition, we have set up development centres around the world to give us a local presence with respect to technological trends – to date in the USA, Korea, China, Singapore, Denmark, France and the UK. The latest step has been the opening of our regional headquarters for Asia in Singapore. To keep a finger on the market pulse, you have to be close to the customer and you must be able to virtually forecast the latest trends. We are trying to do precisely that.
MWJ – Do you develop and market products for specific geographic markets and if so to what extent?
Vohrer – It goes without saying that different markets and regions have different needs. The international structures which I just mentioned must be in place in order to meet these requirements. That's why we have application engineers who can adapt our products to local needs in virtually all large countries. We participate in the work done by all major standardization bodies so that we will know which technologies demand our attention. Ultimately, Rohde & Schwarz offers all significant standards implemented around the world both in wireless communications test equipment as well as in broadcasting.
MWJ – Was Rohde & Schwarz's introduction of low-cost test and measurement instruments manufactured in Asia a response to the threat posed by mass production manufacturing in that region and has it been successful?
Vohrer – We are not having products manufactured on a large scale in Asia. While we have indeed set up local final assembly operations for broadcast transmitters, that is an exception. Our main production sites are in Germany and, as mentioned earlier, in the Czech Republic. To cover the favourably priced segment, we acquired HAMEG as a subsidiary in 2005. That was a very good decision, and, with this factor in mind, we do not perceive Asia as a threat, but rather an opportunity.
MWJ – The R&S FSV is your latest introduction. What prompted this development, and explain what it adds to the company's portfolio?
Vohrer – By offering the R&S FSV, we are supplementing our broad product portfolio in spectrum analysis to include an innovation in the mid-range segment. We are proud to say that the R&S FSV measures and analyzes large-bandwidth signals faster than all comparable products on the market. It stands out as being the first spectrum analyzer to exceed the threshold of 1,000 sweeps per second. Furthermore, it is the only instrument in its class to handle all current and also future wireless and cellular standards. And we are offering, for the first time, an instrument with a touch screen in order to make its operation as easy as possible.
MWJ – In the test and measurement sector, what particular features are customers demanding and where do you see development heading in the near future?
Vohrer – One truly crucial aspect is to shorten time to market. On the one hand, in production, the most important requirements here are high measurement speed and accuracy. Both increase throughput. Plus, customers want a compact and cost-efficient product – lots of power at the lowest price possible.
On the other hand, in development, our latest highlight is the R&S ESL EMC test receiver. It enables users to test whether their developments comply with the standards that apply long before certification takes place. This makes later reworking unnecessary.
And, of course, as I have mentioned, we work hand in hand with our customers to develop future features. This is likely to involve higher upload and download rates, plus mobile TV of course.
MWJ – How much emphasis does the company put on research and development?
Vohrer – R&D is the backbone of our success. That's why we annually invest approximately 15 percent of our turnover in R&D, which is more than the industry average.
MWJ – Explain Rohde & Schwarz's involvement with academic institutions and its work to encourage the personal growth of engineering students.
Vohrer – For us, everything revolves around having highly qualified engineers. That's why it is very important for us to establish contacts early on and to support the universities – particularly when recruiting from their degree programs. This includes furnishing their labs with our equipment as well as holding seminars or providing scholarships. For example, this year we conducted our 'case study competition' for the fifth time. It involves presenting real-world problems to the students. In 2008, for instance, universities from Germany as well as the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University from Singapore took part.
MWJ – What ambitions does Rohde & Schwarz have as a company and what are its aims for the next five (or even 75) years?
Vohrer – We are a company that's at home in wireless engineering, and that will remain the case. At the same time, our primary objective is to grow without losing our values. Therefore, we have to keep our finger on the market pulse and always develop precisely the innovations that the market needs − whether it is an additional feature for a new standard or a completely new product. In doing this, we of course put out feelers to see whether there are other wonderful things out there that might interest us and that will allow us to grow even more.


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With Cross-Buy for PlayStation 3 and Vita
The current three tables of Zen Studios' Star Wars Pinball will be available as a standalone pack on PlayStation Network starting May 14. That's Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Boba Fett, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars for $9.99 / €9.99 on PlayStation 3 and PS Vita -- it's a Cross-Buy download.
What's neat about this is that folks who bought the tables as a part of Zen Pinball 2 won't have to pay again for Star Wars Pinball. Or, if you're getting them standalone and want everything in one place, the tables can be imported by Zen Pinball 2. Options are always nice.
There are a few differences with the standalone release. Namely, players can opt to support either the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire and high scores for each side will determine who is winning at the game's official site. An XP system will also tie into this battle. Who will you rep?


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October is ending and if you are like me, you still have plenty of apples in the garage in a box. I didn't even have to go to a pick-um farm because several years ago Kevin gave each of the kids an apple tree and they never had apples before, or maybe enough for a couple of pies, but this year with plenty of care and spraying they really produced. In fact the limbs had to have support.
Michelle made a dozen pies, plain sliced apples and I made every apple recipe around that used apples. So when I had a call this week asking for a recipe to make apple jelly, I thought go to the store and buy some Sure-jell, but here came the surprise she wanted a recipe without pectin. There are people that can't have pectin, but only what is natural. Also not using pectin cuts down on the cost.
My mom always made apple jelly without pectin and I can remember the glasses looking like jewels in the sunlight. In fact, she let the glasses of jelly sit on the counter a few days just to enjoy their beauty. This isn't really a hard jelly to make because apples have so much natural pectin. Of all the fruits this is the best for jelly. Jelly can be made without store-bought pectin, but not without the right amount of sugar. To use artificial sweeteners or less sugar does not work.
To make jelly you need the right equipment. I think you could go to dozens of kitchen stores and NOT find a jelly bag, but then again I think of my mom who used a large thin dish-towel. Many people now go to a fabric store and get some cheesecloth and when you tell the clerk what you want it for they know the size to measure off. Then you need a large colander or a large bowl that you can the strain the apples in so you end up with a clear apple juice. Also a large pan with a heavy bottom and jelly glasses, especially if you are going to give the jelly as a gift. Use any cooking apple that you know is juicy.
Wash the apples and do not take the time to pare or core, because peels and cores is where the natural pectin is stored. Cut in eights, removing any blemishes. Cook apples in heavy pan barely covered with water; simmer until quite soft and mushy, stirring occasionally. Strain the juice thru a jelly bag. If you squeeze the bag too much you won't get a clear juice. When the bag stops dripping measure the juice. Use no more than six cups of juice at a time. When everything is dissolved you can bring juice to a rolling boil.
Recipe 4 cups apple juice 2 tsp. lemon juice 3 cups sugar OR 1 cup juice and 1 cup sugar
Cook apples, strain juice. Measure apple juice in a heavy pan. Add lemon juice and sugar. Stir well. Boil mixture until jelly strings from the spoon. Remove from the heat.
Skim off the foam. Pour jelly into hot jars. May cover with paraffin. Adjust lids and seal.
A real good jelly maker doesn't make jelly when it is rainy weather.
"Don't forget to set your clocks back 1 hour this Saturday night, or you will be asking Does anyone know what time it is?"


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Edelbrock's 6th Annual Car Show
2011 Rev-Ved Up 4 The Kids
When it comes to giving back, Edelbrock knows how to do it right! Since 1938, Edelbrock has been building classic performance parts the right way. They have established themselves as a leader in the car industry, but one thing you may not know is that Edelbrock has also established themselves as a leader in the community. On May 1, 2011, Edelbrock hosted the Rev-ved Up 4 Kids Car Show, located at Vic's Garage in Torrance, CA. It was a full day of family fun filled with hot rods, engine building competitions (where local high school kids competed to move forward in a national competition), great food, and entertainment for the whole family (my 4-year-old son's favorite was the huge inflated slide and jumpy.) This charity fund-raising event benefited The Center for Learning Unlimited, which is a specialized, non-public school that provides comprehensive educational and social-emotional interventions to high functioning students who have complex learning differences, as well as ongoing support and solutions for the entire family.
"Supporting America's youth throughout the country and the community is something that we are very passionate about," states Christi Edelbrock. "It's so amazing to me what we can do together to make the dreams come true for young individuals. Given the right opportunities, America's youth can contribute so much to our society. My goal is to provide opportunities to learn, scholarships and job placement in the workplace. We have national support for these initiatives and this is only the beginning." I think we can all agree with Christi how important it is to provide the next generation with the right opportunities to learn, plus adding the love of cars and trucks in the mix. CT


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The architect of the greatest seasons in UMW women's basketball history in 13 years at the helm, Deena Applebury has brought UMW women's basketball to the forefront in NCAA Division III basketball circles and earned one of the highest career winning percentage in NCAA history, ranking 11th all-time in all divisions in win percentage.
In 2004-05, she led the Eagles to a 23-7 overall record, an improvement of 11 wins and six losses from her first season, in 2003-04. Applebury also led the Eagles to their first-ever Capital Athletic Conference championship, and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, that year. For her impressive breakout season, Applebury was named by her peers as the CAC Coach of the Year.
2005-06 saw the Eagles climb to even greater heights, winning their first 27 games en route to the NCAA Sweet 16. Applebury was named CAC Coach of the Year, and was consensus Atlantic Region Coach of the Year as well. 2006-07 raised the bar once again, as Applebury was named the WBCA National Coach of the Year. The Eagles won 31 games, tied for the most in the nation, and advanced to the NCAA Division III Final Four.
In 2008, the Eagles were ranked #1 in the nation en route to a 28-3 record and Sweet 16 appearance. In 2009, using almost a completely new lineup, she led UMW to a 23-6 record and third straight CAC title and fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The 2010 season saw equally impressive results, as UMW tied for the CAC regular season championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 2011-12 season proved historic as Applebury led the Eagles to 30 straight wins en route to its second-ever Elite Eight appearance and a 30-1 record. The Eagles won the CAC regular season and Tournament championships, and Applebury was named Coach of the Year by the CAC, VaSID and The Richmond Times-Dispatch for the state of Virginia, and as region coach of the year by D3Hoops.com and the WBCA.
The Eagles returned to the CAC Championship in 2014-15 for Applebury's 10th 20-win campaign, and the Eagles advanced again in 2015-16, winning the CAC Championship with a 24-5 record and advancing to the NCAA Tournament with just one senior on the roster.
Applebury's career record at UMW of 300-74 (.803 winning pct.) is punctuated by a 265-52 mark over the past 10 seasons (.836 win pct.).
Applebury is a graduate of Versailles High School in Versailles, Mo., and gained her Masters in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Physical Education from UM-St. Louis in January of 2003. She received her Bachelors of Science in Education from UM-St. Louis in 1999 and graduated cum laude. She was also a member of the Riverwomen women's basketball team for two years. As a player, Applebury averaged 19.8 points, 3.9 rebounds per game and posted the fourth best single season output in school history with 534 points her senior year.
Applebury, her husband Johnny, and son Zack live in Spotsylvania.


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Top Items:
Duncan Riley / TechCrunch:
Now You Can Graph Your Twitter Usage — Twitter has the potential of breaking into the mainstream this year. A lot of what's going on around Twitter is not dissimilar to the earlier days of blogging; we're seeing evangelists, some basic mainstream adoptions, and even some tracking services.
Discussion: Download Squad, bub.blicio.us and Pantsland
Brian Solis / bub.blicio.us: Twitter Stats Reveal Your Addiction
Brad Kellett / Pantsland: Twitter Statistics Script
Allen Stern / CenterNetworks:
Is Twitter F'ed? — The question of business model timing seems to come up weekly with regards to some startup. As Twitter usage has grown, have they f'ed themselves out of a real, sustainable business model? And has Pownce done something right by launching with a business model?
Discussion: Scripting News
Dave Winer / Scripting News: Twitter's business model
Philip Elmer-DeWitt / Apple 2.0:
Apple daytrading: How to cash in on the Macworld keynote effect — The buzz among Apple (AAPL) traders today is a thought experiment that Matt Haughey worked up at A Whole Lotta Nothing. He writes … Haughey worked the numbers and the result is the chart above, which he calls the Keynote Index Fund (click chart to view full size).
Discussion: Boing Boing Gadgets and The Unofficial Apple Weblog
Joel Johnson / Boing Boing Gadgets: Apple Keynote Index Fund
Mike Schramm / The Unofficial Apple Weblog: Tracking the Keynote Index Fund
Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
Washington Post Flubs Story On RIAA — RIAA Still Not Going After Personal Copies (Yet) — from the who-needs-to-read-the-details? dept — Back at the beginning of December, we helped debunk a story making the rounds claiming that the RIAA was going after a guy named Jeffrey Howell for ripping his own CDs to his computer.
Discussion: Gizmodo, Podcasting News, InformationWeek Weblog, Gadget Lab and Boing Boing Gadgets
Alexander Wolfe / InformationWeek Weblog: RIAA Behaving Badly; Let's Cut Their Copyright Privileges
Charlie Sorrel / Gadget Lab: RIAA Making Up Laws As It Goes Along?
Joel Johnson / Boing Boing Gadgets: RIAA Not Going After Ripped CDs
Wilson Rothman / Gizmodo:
First Hands On: Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 — There's no better sign of Microsoft's increasing acceptance of the Mac population than the latest version of Office for Mac 2008, the first Office with native support for Intel-based Macs. Like its Mac-side predecessors …
Discussion: PalmAddicts and Phil Windley's Technometria
Sam Mcloughln / PalmAddicts: Now the MS Office loves Mac
Sue Dunlevy / NEWS.com.au:
Rudd online porn-free plan questioned — A RUDD Government plan to censor internet pornography and violence could undermine another of its election promises - to speed up our internet access. — The Internet Industry Association has warned the downside of censoring access could be a reduction in the speed of access to websites.
Discussion: IP Democracy, WebProNews, p2pnet and duncanriley.com
Cynthia Brumfield / IP Democracy: Net Freedom of Speech Already Off to a Bad Start
David A. Utter / WebProNews: Aussie Net Filtering Plans Challenged
Rachel Rosmarin / Forbes:
Preview: Las Vegas' Greatest Gadgets Show — Kevin Costner, Yoko Ono, Mary J. Blige and Danica Patrick will be hawking products at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week—but they'll hardly be noticed. — As usual, the main attraction at CES will be the blizzard of new gadgets …
Eric Savitz / Tech Trader Daily:
Internet Shuffle: Citi Upgrades AMZN, Downgrads IACI — Clearly, Citigroup's Mark Mahaney wasn't just sitting around watching bowl games and eating dip yesterday. Mahaney issued a fat report on the prospects for Internet stocks for the new year, dubbed the "2008 U.S. Internet Stock Playbook."
Addy Dugdale / Gizmodo:
Celestron Digital Microscope Rocks Digital Screen and 2-Megapixel Camera — A sub-$300 microscope with 3.5-inch digital screen and built-in camera is being launched at CES 2008 next week. Celestron's LCD Digital Microscope has three magnification levels of 4x, 10x and 40x …
Discussion: I4U News, Phil Windley's Technometria, GeekAlerts, Gadget Lab and Boing Boing Gadgets
Shane McGlaun / I4U News: Celestron LCD Digital Microscope at CES 2008
Robert Birming / GeekAlerts: Digital LCD Microscope
Rob Beschizza / Gadget Lab: 2 Megapixel Microscope Has Digital Display
Joel Johnson / Boing Boing Gadgets: Celestron Microscope with LCD Screen and Camera
Jason Chen / Gizmodo:
Redfly Mobile Companion is the Palm Foleo For Windows Mobiles — Remember the Palm Foleo? This REDFLY Mobile Companion is just like that, except it's for Windows Mobile phones. The MC looks like a small 8-inch screen laptop (styled in Famicom colors), has a keyboard and touchpad, but weighs 1.9 pounds and measures 9x6x1 inches.
Discussion: Guardian Unlimited, Engadget, PalmAddicts, PodTech.net, Gadgetell and Gadget Lab
Jack Schofield / Guardian Unlimited: Celio Redfly a companion for Windows Mobile phones
Brad Baldwin / PodTech.net: Celio REDFLY: A Smartphone's Mobile Companion
Rob Beschizza / Gadget Lab: Redfly Recapitulates Foleo, But For Windows Phones
Financial Times:
US extends China-3Com probe — By Sundeep Tucker in Hong Kong and Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington — A US probe into a proposed $2.2bn buy-out of 3Com, a network equipment supplier, by a consortium involving a Chinese company is poised to enter a decisive second phase.
Discussion: The Register, Zero Day and BloggingStocks
John Oates / The Register: China link puts 3Com takeover in doubt
Larry Dignan / Zero Day: U.S. committee remains wary of 3Com takeover deal
Douglas McIntyre / BloggingStocks: US government could kill 3Com deal
Ian Smith / Download Squad:
The 5 most annoying programs on your PC — Elephantware. That is what we are talking about. Bloated programs that make brand new PCs boot like Pentium 2s with 64 MBs of RAM. — This is software that causes your screen to freeze while it works, consumes enough system resources to display …
Discussion: Guardian Unlimited and Voidstar: blog
Jack Schofield / Guardian Unlimited: What's your most annoying program?
Put your questions to Bill Gates — Bill Gates is to answer your questions at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. — The software supremo and co-founder of Microsoft is preparing to step down from the helm of one of the largest and most powerful companies in the world.
Brad Stone / Bits:
Gawker Media Gets Strung Out on Sci-Fi — Online blogomerate Gawker Media is best known for outsider snark-fests like New York's Gawker and Washington D.C.'s Wonkette . But the company minors in geekier fare like gadget site Gizmodo, game blog Kotaku and Lifehacker, a productivity site.
Discussion: Silicon Alley Insider, io9, Wired News and Mashable!
Henry Blodget / Silicon Alley Insider: Gawker's New Sci-Fi Blog (Finally) Launches
Annalee Newitz / io9: What Is an io9? [Io9 Master Control Program]
Jenna Wortham / Wired News: Gawker Blasts Into Sci-Fi With New Blog, Io9
Stan Schroeder / Mashable!: io9 - a Blog for all you Sci-Fi Fans


text: When the L.A. Auto Show rolls into town, it will be the usual high-octane assemblage of shiny cars, hot models and high tech. Aficionados who make the drive north will be rewarded with almost 50 automotive debuts, many of them catering to California's dueling reputations as a playground for the wealthy and eco-minded. The L.A. Auto Show opens to the public today and runs through Dec. 9 at the L.A. Convention Center. Check out photos of a few of the many new offerings.


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May 18The Viking Logue Senior Issue is here!
March 13Olympics level trivia: Scholastic Bowl
March 13Are politics appropriate for The Oscars?
January 24, 2018
The Viking Logue
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The Rock is here to teach you about being a man, while man-handling tiny elephants and riding around on giant bees. The Rock is strong but sensitive, and he's downright eager to guide you over the threshold into a new world of confusing sexuality, in which the scat of massive birds sprays all over people's faces and chests. You want a male role model who's not afraid to give advice about macking on girls, while in a cave full of mega-fauna? That's The Rock.
Basically, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a year's worth of The Rock's lessons in masculinity, compressed magically into 90 minutes. Spoilers ahead...
Most movie sequels are variations on a theme, and Journey 2 is no exception. In Journey to the Center of the Earth, troubled youngster Sean (Josh Hutcherson) is sad because his dad went missing years ago, and then he goes on a journey with his uncle Trevor (Brendan Fraser) in which they bond and get in touch with their male bondingness, in the middle of being attacked by dinosaurs and stuff. It was a sturdy but ultimately forgettable adventure movie.
So in the sequel, Sean is still troubled, but now he's older and interested in girls and stuff. I think he's supposed to be like 15 or 16. (Hutcherson is actually 19, but in Hollywood that means he could still play a 12-year-old.) This time around, instead of Sean's dad being missing, it's Sean's grandfather (Michael Caine). And this time, Sean's surrogate father/companion is his stepdad, played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Once again, the result is a sturdy but forgettable adventure movie — except that this time, the action grinds to a halt fairly often, to make room for some ill-advised "comedy." And much of that comedy comes from The Rock teaching lessons in manhood that are... huh.
(Oh, and they live with Sean's mom, who doesn't really approve of this whole "going around the world on a wild goose chase" thing because moms don't get it. The mom doesn't go along on the big male-bondy adventure, choosing instead to stay home and bake a lot of muffins to give to them when they return. Or something. Whatever.)
Honestly, this sort of movie is review-proof. If you're the sort of person who thinks "a sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth, starring The Rock" sounds like your kind of movie, you might like this film. I guess. Some kids in the audience when I watched it seemed to like it a lot. It's definitely the sort of movie that your kids drag you to. Or that you take your kids to, so they'll be quiet and eat popcorn for 90 minutes. Unlike some kid-oriented movies, there's not much for adults here, though.
The thing that drags Journey 2 down, though, is definitely the attempts at comedy — especially any scenes involving Luis Guzmán as Gabado, the pilot who takes Hutcherson and The Rock to the island. Guzmán has had a long and respectable career doing stuff I mostly haven't seen, but here he's mostly playing "the funny ethnic guy who gets put into humiliating situations and acts like an idiot." Guzmán's character is supposed to be the inferior example of manhood next to whom The Rock looks better, and he plays this up by acting as though he's in love with The Rock, and even trying to smooch him a couple times. (Guzmán is also on the receiving end of the aforementioned bird-poop bukkake.)
And from here on, we get slightly deeper into spoiler territory.
So yeah... the movie is about The Rock, and manhood, and what The Rock can teach Josh Hutcherson about talking to girls and taking responsibility and being a mensch. It's a fantasy about fatherhood and being a Good Man, in which men have to learn to step up to the plate. The Rock is very comfortable being a cartoon representation of masculinity, which is one reason I love him. In terrible movie after terrible movie, The Rock has always been at least good-natured and willing to laugh at himself — and his self-mockery shades over into self-parody here as he keeps nattering endlessly about how he can "pop his pecs."
Josh Hutcherson, of course, doesn't realize at first how lucky he is to have The Rock to teach him about manhood, and resists The Rock's authority. Meanwhile, there are two foils for The Rock — the aforementioned Guzmán, whose masculinity is undermined systematically throughout the film, except that he wants to do the right thing for his daughter (Vanessa Hudgens, whose job is to be cute). And then there's the grandfather, Michael Caine. Who turns up about one-third of the way through the movie.
Do you remember Michael Caine? He was in some movies back in the 1980s, like Blame it on Rio and Jaws: The Revenge, but I always wondered what happened to him after that. In any case, he's back with a vengeance in this film — few other actors could be quite this cheesetastic and ridiculous without actually putting live animals in their trousers. Caine clearly knows he's in a shitty movie, and his reaction is to ask himself: what can I do to make it worse?
Anyway, Michael Caine's role in the movie is to challenge The Rock's authority as main "male role model," by being kind of a supercillious prick. You'll be shocked, though, to hear that Michael Caine eventually accepts The Rock as the alpha male in this situation.
So, let's review. The Rock goes halfway around the world in a quest to prove that he can be the guy to teach Josh Hutcherson how to be manly. Along the way, he encounters setbacks — like he tries to ward off a giant lizard with a flare, and the lizard bites off The Rock's sparkling phallic symbol, at which point The Rock announces, "That's emasculating." (Just so we get it.) He encounters two other males, one of whom gets covered with a milky white substance as a kind of ritual emasculation, and the other of whom is proven to be too old and nutty. By the end of the film, the Rock faces one final challenge to prove that he's the best male role model: he has to grapple with a giant electric eel.
Yes, that's the final reel of the film: The Rock proving his worth as a stepfather once and for all, by pinning a giant eel with his big spear. It's not even symbolism, at that point. I love how Josh Hutcherson yelps, "DO IT NOW!" when The Rock tosses his big spear at the eel.
That's the backdrop against which The Rock tells Hutcherson how to woo Vanessa Hudgens, and generally gives him lessons in dudeliness. As movies about a surrogate dad going on a male-bonding adventure with kids, it's not terrible. (For a truly horrendous example of this subgenre, check out The Spy Next Door. It's like slow-motion trepanation.) If you absolutely have to take your kids to see a movie and they've already seen The Muppets and the Beauty and the Beast reissue and Tintin, then you could do worse than taking them to see Journey 2. I guess.


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Stanley Jaks was one of the highest paid professional mentalists and close-up magicians of his generation. Regarded as one of the first great close-up magicians of the modern era, he worked at top nightspots and hotels. Later, his career became one of success after success as a platform entertainer and mind reader.
The Incredible Dr. Jaks details 70 of his prized effects. The feats use ordinary - and extraordinary - objects, including cards, newspapers and magazines, sponge balls, miniature relics, pencils, crystal balls, and more.
Here, the secrets of his famous Supersonic prediction, the Dream of the Hermit, a clever chair prediction, a Miniature Rapping Hand, and so much more are explained and illustrated in detail. Jaks's famous signature duplication feat (a spectator's signature was duplicated by Jaks writing it upside down and backward -- while bildinfolded!) is discussed in great detail, too. Jaks specialized in close-up and mental magic. The tricks described here all fall into those two categories and are direct, professional-caliber effects from the repertoire of a working professional.
The first 93 pages of the book provide an illuminating, detailed look at Jaks's life - one full of struggle and triumph, but little known until now. Jaks was a magician who became famous in Germany and Switzerland, then became even more famous when he emigrated to the United States. He was a gifted man, the perfect combination of artistic sense, personal worth, physical dexterity, imagination, and a sense of humor.
One of his first innovations was to put his props inside a hollow book that was so beautifully bound that it could grace the shelf of any world-class library. He called it his book of mysteries, and it was filled with mysterious objets dart that were manipulated in a magical manner.
The 296-page book is bound in a dark red cloth matching the leather of Dr. Jakss original book, with gold titles on the spine and the front cover, and a dust jacket of translucent Mylar. A full-color section displays his micro-magic props and original Book of Mysteries.
Fewer than 10 copies remain - act now to avoid disappointment!


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Overestimate fueled state's landmark diesel law
State board rethinking limits on off-road vehicles
California grossly miscalculated pollution levels in a scientific analysis used to toughen the state's clean-air standards, and scientists have spent the past several months revising data and planning a significant weakening of the landmark regulation, The Chronicle has found.
The pollution estimate in question was too high - by 340 percent, according to the California Air Resources Board, the state agency charged with researching and adopting air quality standards. The estimate was a key part in the creation of a regulation adopted by the Air Resources Board in 2007, a rule that forces businesses to cut diesel emissions by replacing or making costly upgrades to heavy-duty, diesel-fueled off-road vehicles used in construction and other industries.
The staff of the powerful and widely respected Air Resources Board said the overestimate is largely due to the board calculating emissions before the economy slumped, which halted the use of many of the 150,000 diesel-exhaust-spewing vehicles in California. Independent researchers, however, found huge overestimates in the air board's work on diesel emissions and attributed the flawed work to a faulty method of calculation - not the economic downturn.
The overestimate, which comes after another bad calculation by the air board on diesel-related deaths that made headlines in 2009, prompted the board to suspend the regulation this year while officials decided whether to weaken the rule.
Proposal announced
On Thursday, after months of work, the air board and construction industry officials announced a proposal that includes delaying the start of the requirements until 2014 and exempting more vehicles from the rule. It would be a major scaling back of the rule if the air board approves it in a vote scheduled for December. The announcement was made as The Chronicle was preparing to publish this report, which had been in the works for several weeks.
The setbacks in the air board's research - and the proposed softening of a landmark regulation - raise questions about the performance of the agency as it is in the midst of implementing the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 - or AB32 as it is commonly called, one of the state's and the nation's most ambitious environmental policies to date.
AB32, which aims to reduce carbon emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020, has come under intense political attack this year as the state prepares to elect a new governor. Critics cast the law as a jobs killer because of the expenses to industry and businesses in conforming to new pollution regulations. Supporters say it will reinvigorate the state's economy and create thousands of new jobs in the emerging green sector.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman has promised to suspend the law for at least a year, while Democrat Jerry Brown supports the law. California voters, meanwhile, will vote on Proposition 23, a November initiative to suspend AB32 until the unemployment rate - now at 12.4 percent in California - falls to 5.5 percent or less for a year.
No answers
Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, offered no explanation when The Chronicle questioned her about the diesel emissions miscalculation. She was recently asked why the air board estimate of a nitrous oxide source was off by at least a factor of two - air board scientists have since revised their numbers, and data show the estimate was off by 340 percent. Nichols' response: "I can't answer that for you."
Nichols was emphatic, though, when asked whether she has concerns about other scientific calculations made by air board scientists.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no and no," she said.
Members of Nichols' board don't have an answer for the overestimate either, said Ron Roberts, an air board member who is a Republican supervisor in San Diego County and who voted in favor of the diesel regulation.
"One of the hardest things about being on the board is separating fact from political fancy," Roberts said.
Roberts has been on the board for 15 years and said the agency has built a solid scientific reputation, but he said the board can't afford another mistake and he still does not know what really happened.
"I think somehow some very poor decisions have been made and politics have entered the picture too much," he said. "There are plenty of excuses but no explanations."
The regulation - called the In-Use Off-Road Diesel Vehicle Regulation - was adopted by the board in July 2007 to cut the amount of emissions released by diesel vehicles, with some exceptions, that aren't operated on regular roads and highways. Most of the affected vehicles are used in construction, mining and airport ground support and include such machinery as bulldozers, dump trucks, forklifts and cranes.
The construction industry had said the rule would cost construction businesses $10 billion to $12 billion in equipment purchases or upgrades required to make the machines run cleaner.
The regulation restricts the emission of two pollutants - nitrous oxide and particulate matter - to meet federal clean-air standards and to benefit public health.
Praise and criticism
Most standards created by the board have been praised as groundbreaking in the fight against pollution,but recent errors have also made the board a target for criticism.
One of the major recent problems was an air board estimate of premature deaths caused by particulate matter spewing from diesel engines. The first calculation found 18,000 deaths a year in the state had links to particulate matter. That has been revised down by nearly half.
The revision was ordered after the board scientist who oversaw that study was outed as having faked his scientific credentials.
Roberts and other board members were not told by Nichols that the scientist, Hien Tran, lied about earning a doctorate from UC Davis before they voted in favor of regulations based in part on his science. That vote took place in December 2008.
Nichols, who acknowledges she knew about the falsification prior to the vote, has apologized for not sharing that information with her fellow board members.
Roberts called the spate of errors "a major black eye" for the board. He said he does not know why the process to fix them is taking longer than first expected.
Changing data
Top researchers at the air board said they are dealing with complex issues and that their jobs have been made harder because the economic downturn has shut down some of the pollution-emitting machines that were in use in industries like construction and trucking.
Todd Sax, chief of the board's mobile source analysis branch, said scientists are trying to keep up with changes in the economy to have the best pollution estimates and to ensure the state meets federal air-quality obligations.
"We've been trying to get the numbers right, and the recession continues to take hold," Sax said, adding that his branch is "constantly re-evaluating" its numbers.
Their latest estimate for sources of nitrous oxide found that off-road vehicles are burning 228 million gallons of diesel fuel per year. The previous estimate was 1 billion gallons, which means the first estimate was 340 percent higher than the new calculation. Sax said roughly half of that is due to the recession but the other half is due to a revised method of calculation that focuses more directly on the amount of fuel sold instead of estimates about equipment use.
The problem, and the revised counting method, came to light after Robert Harley, a UC Berkeley professor of environmental engineering, and a colleague at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory did their own evaluation, which was published in December in the journal Atmospheric Environment.
While air board officials and other defenders of the board's science point to the economy as a major factor in the overestimates, Harley found that prior to the recession the board's estimates of nitrous oxide were too high by a factor of 4.5 and its estimate of particulate matter was off by a factor of 3.1, an extraordinarily high amount to be off scientifically.
"The difference is large enough that it changes policy," Harley said.
Harley said he has not found major discrepancies in other industrial sectors - such as trucking - where the air board has estimated pollution emissions.
Meanwhile, the estimate of premature deaths linked to diesel engine particulate matter has been downsized to 9,200 from the previous study's estimate of 18,000. Bart Croes, chief of research for the air board, noted that the board used an entirely new model developed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency that more directly links pollution with mortality and that the levels of uncertainty are much smaller under the new estimate.
The Air Resources Board acknowledges that the new estimates mean that emitters of the pollution would need to make significantly smaller - and in turn less expensive - changes to their vehicles.
Orchestrated delay?
Some construction industry leaders, whose businesses have been a major target for reducing pollution, said they have long been skeptical of the board's estimates. They had eagerly awaited proposals for regulation changes, and some even believe the air board was intentionally slowing down the adoption of changes to lie low while the debate over AB32 rages in the public forum.
"I think they're waiting till after November because they are really hoping the election goes one way that's more favorable than another and they would have a freer hand to do what they want to do," said Michael Lewis, president of the Construction Industry Air Quality Coalition, which monitors regulations affecting the industry.
The coalition supports Prop. 23, but has not made major donations to the campaign, Lewis said, citing the severe impact of the recession. "There's not a lot of money to spread around on ballot measures," he said.
The Associated General Contractors of America, which jointly announced the air board's proposed regulation scale-back Thursday, expressed satisfaction with the planned changes.
On Thursday, Michael Kennedy, general counsel for the industry group, called the proposed changes a "win-win" for industry and the air board, and called the board staff "fair." The group said that despite the significant flaws, the air board did the right thing.
Air board staff members are considering changing other regulations, too, including for on-road trucks, though there has been no formal agreement like the one announced Thursday.
Julie Sauls, spokeswoman for the California Trucking Association, said the delay has led to immense confusion in the industry over what regulations companies ultimately will have to comply with and when. The initial rules affecting trucks begin this year, and the more expensive regulations take effect and ramp up over the next several years.
She said she could only speculate on the delay, but said, "I think maybe they're just waiting" to see what happens on election day. The association has endorsed Prop. 23.
AB32 delays
While the air board has spent the past few months revising its diesel data, something else has happened: It has pushed back one of the most controversial parts of AB32 - the cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions.
The cap-and-trade regulation was expected to be put before the public for review this spring, but now board officials say it will be sometime this fall and will be voted on before the end of the year.
Nichols, the air board chairwoman, rejects notions that the air board is avoiding the spotlight, calling the delays the nature of science and adding that, "In politics people can fudge; in science you can't. The great benefit of science is it is peer-reviewed."
Dan Kalb, California Policy Manager for the Union of Concerned Scientists, which strongly supports cap-and-trade, said he is not aware of an orchestrated slowdown of work, but said the board is sensitive to the attention it is receiving.
"The Air Resources Board is trying to be as careful and thorough as they can. Everyone knows they're in the spotlight, the national spotlight," Kalb said. He said it did not matter to him if it takes longer than planned, "Just as long as they get it done."
No matter what happens, Nichols said her board will complete its work on AB32 by the mandated end-of-year deadline. "We are on schedule; there has been no delay," she said. Nichols said every new regulation involves times of uncertainty and requires time to come to the best rule.
"It's science and it's analysis, and it takes however long it takes," Nichols said.
About the board
The Legislature created the California Air Resources Board in 1967 to oversee the state's air quality by conducting research into sources of pollution and ways to remove it from the air, and by setting and enforcing emissions standards. It has an 11-member board and a large staff.
The air board sets the pollution limits used in vehicle smog checks and consumer products like spray paint and even sets standards for idling trucks and buses. It has created some of the strictest clean-air rules in the country.


text: MONTREAL -- The Montreal Alouettes locked up a key piece of their offensive line Tuesday by signing a new deal with left tackle Josh Bourke. The 31-year-old, a two-time CFL lineman of the year, was among the most coveted free agents on the market. The Windsor, Ont., native will be especially important to a team that has lost veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo to retirement and is expected to go with the less experienced Troy Smith and Tanner Marsh this season. "Big signing here," Alouettes General Manager and Head Coach Jim Popp said in a team release. "Not only does this signing allows us to maintain one of our all-important non-import starters, but Josh has been an anchor on our O-line as well as a leader both on and off the field for the last number of years." Bourkes contract is worth $215,000 per season, making him the highest paid non-QB in the league. Bourque was drafted in the third round in 2004 and is entering his eighth year with Montreal. The Alouettes also inked new deals with linebacker Kyries Hebert, long snapper Martin Bedard and kicker Sean Whyte. Hebert and Bedard signed three-year deals while White signed for two. Penny Hardaway Jersey . - Connor McDavid scored twice and added two assists as the Erie Otters beat the Sarnia Sting 7-3 on Saturday night in Ontario Hockey League action. Grant Hill Jersey . - For years William Gay kept quiet. http://www.magicauthentic.com/customized/ . A 19-game winner with the New York Yankees in both 2006 and 2007, Wang spent most of this year at Triple-A for the Yankees and Blue Jays. The 33-year-old right-hander was 1-2 with a 7. Evan Fournier Jersey . Since coming to the big leagues in late May, La Stella is 6 for 7 with the bases loaded, driving in 13 runs in those at-bats. Aaron Gordon Jersey .com) - Charlie Davies netted a pair of goals, including the series-winner on Saturday, as the New England Revolution battled the New York Red Bulls to a 2-2 draw in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Championship at Gillette Stadium and advanced to MLS Cup final via a thrilling 4-3 aggregate victory.PITTSBURGH -- The night after a long Pittsburgh Pirates winning streak ended, one of their starting pitchers extended one of his own. Jeff Locke won his eighth consecutive decision, Pedro Alvarez hit a three-run homer and the Pirates hung on to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 Wednesday night. Locke (8-1) was scored upon for the first time in four home starts but extended his unbeaten streak to 16 outings. Locke, who hasnt lost since his first start of the season, allowed two earned runs on seven hits and three walks over 5 2-3 innings. "Theyre going to get their hits -- and Im also going to make my pitches," Locke said. "Im going to win some battles; theyre going to win some battles. A night like tonight theyre finding some holes and hitting the ball pretty hard at points, youve just got to try to stay consistent and dont teeter away from what you do well." The Pirates took the lead with a four-run fifth punctuated by Alvarezs 21st home run. Andrew McCutchen reached base five times, scoring twice for the Pirates (52-31), who have the majors best record and had a nine-game winning streak snapped in the series opener Tuesday. "Ill tell you what -- theres something special going on here," Locke said. "All the guys pull for each other every night. Were not out of a game, ever. And I think the Pirates of the past could get out of a game early, wed kind of get down on ourselves a little bit and think that hills too tall to climb. But nothing here these guys cant do." Delmon Young and Domonic Brown each had three hits for the Phillies, who have lost four of six. Young has 1,001 career hits. Browns two-run homer with two outs in the ninth pulled the Phillies within one, but Jason Grilli stuck out Young to seal his NL-best 28th save. Philadelphias John Lannan (1-3) fell to 1-5 in his career against the Pirates, getting tagged for four runs on 11 hits and three walks in five innings. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, "It definitely wasnt one of (Lannans) better games." Still, he kept Pittsburgh off the scoreboard through four. The Pirates left seven men on base in that stretch. Pittsburgh loaded the bases with no outs in the second, but Locke struck out and Starling Marte bounced into a double play. "I was battling all night, and I was able to pitch myself out of a lot of jams," Lannan said. "But then I made a bad pitch to Alvarez, and that was the difference in the game." McCutchen, Sanchez and Martin hit consecutive one-out singles in the fifth, the latter driving in a run. Alvarez followed with his fourth home run over his past six games against the Phillies. "I was just up there ttrying to be ready to hit and not really sitting on anything," Alvarez said.dddddddddddd "I was just trying to go out there and put a good at-bat together." Those runs erased an early deficit for the Pirates. When Ben Revere drove in Brown with a bloop single to left with two outs in the fourth, it snapped a 24-inning scoreless streak for Locke at PNC Park. Thats the longest home shutout streak for a Pirates pitcher since Jerry Reuss did it for 34 innings in 1975. Locke had his scheduled start bumped back a day when he was forced to warm up in the bullpen during the 14th inning of a win Sunday. He had three consecutive home starts in which he did not allow a run between May 14 and Wednesday. "As much as anything, hes got a very good demeanour," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "There seems to be no panic, no urgency. He just continues to make pitches and focus on that pitch to that hitter." Justin Wilson allowed an RBI single to pinch hitter Kevin Frandsen, but -- after a Jordy Mercer error led to another Phillies run -- struck out Chase Utley to end the sixth. Jeanmar Gomez struck out pinch hitter Ryan Howard to finish a scoreless seventh and Mark Melancon worked a perfect eighth. Browns home run off of Grilli snapped a 27 1-3-inning scoreless streak by the Pirates bullpen. Brown has three home runs through nine games on Philadelphias road trip and a team-high 22 on the season. "Id like to make the All-Star team; itd be a great honour," the 25-year-old Brown said. "Im not really thinking about that right now. Im thinking about our team and how we can start winning some games." NOTES: Martins second RBI came when he doubled in McCutchen in the sixth. ... Howard was not in the starting lineup for the second time in a four-game span. Howard, who snapped out of an 0-for-22 slump with two hits Tuesday, has been bothered by a sore left knee all season. He was walking gingerly after Tuesdays game, one in which he scored from first by sprinting on a double during the sixth inning. ... The Pirates activated OF Jose Tabata before the game and optioned RHP Brandon Cumpton to Triple-A Indianapolis. Cumpton was recalled to start Tuesdays game in lieu of Locke. ... Buoyed by thousands of Phillies fans who made the drive across the state, the announced paid crowd of 33,197 was the Pirates eighth consecutive of at least 30,000 at home. ... RHP Gerrit Cole is the first Pirates pitcher to win each of his first four career starts in more than a century. He makes his fifth major league start in the series finale Thursday. LHP Cole Hamels (2-11, 4.58), who starts for the Phillies, has one win since April. ' ' '


text: What are your opinions on this book. I am only at the beginning and am considering working through the whole thing. It will take me weeks but to be honest with you i am finding it very lengthly, slow and boring. Is it a decent book to go through or woud you recommend some alternatives for learning about Servlets, JSP etc.


text:
At the beginning of Prius-mania, Nissan could see itself venturing up a creek without a paddle. Or rather, into a new fuel economy-conscious market without a hybrid. As a quick fix, Nissan swallowed its pride and essentially purchased the rights to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive. This marriage resulted in the Nissan Altima Hybrid, a sedan that combined the high-tech, fuel-saving benefits of Toyota's hybrid technology with the Altima's sporty looks and driving dynamics.
It was an impressive combination, and in many ways the Altima Hybrid was the most desirable hybrid sedan on the market during its time. Unfortunately, Nissan only sold it in handful of states, and annual sales numbers were pretty miniscule. As such, the Altima Hybrid will be pretty hard to find as a used car.
Most Recent Nissan Altima Hybrid
The Nissan Altima Hybrid was introduced at the same time as the regular, redesigned Altima for 2007. Unlike its non-hybrid sibling, however, it was discontinued after 2011.
The Altima's hybrid powertrain is essentially identical to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive in both design and function. It combines a modified version of the Altima's 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine (which makes 158 horsepower in this application) and an electric motor capable of 40 hp and 199 pound-feet of torque. Both gasoline and electric aspects operate together or one at a time, depending on driving conditions, to optimize fuel economy and power. They combine for 198 hp, with fuel economy estimated at 35 mpg city/33 mpg highway and 34 mpg combined -- on par with the contemporary Toyota Camry Hybrid.
Standard equipment was ample, with things like keyless ignition/entry, dual-zone automatic climate control and a power driver seat among its standard features. Options were aplenty including a sunroof, leather upholstery, heated front seats, Bluetooth, navigation, a rearview camera and a Bose sound system. Unfortunately, these options were encapsulated in three pricey packages that limited customer choice and made the MSRP rise faster than Bundt cake in a broiler. As such, expect used Nissan Altima Hybrids to come with either a lot of equipment or very little.
The Nissan Altima Hybrid set itself apart from the Toyota and others by being a rare green car that didn't completely suck the life out of driving. While it was no sport sedan, it managed to keep much of the spirited acceleration and road-holding prowess of the gas-powered four-cylinder Altima. At the time, we also gave the car high marks for its precise steering, top-notch interior materials and strong crash safety scores.
During its life, changes were limited to 2010 when Nissan slightly tweaked the exterior styling, upgraded the interior fabric and added an iPod interface to the options list.


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Stay ahead of the competition and on the cutting edge of the industry with the latest news and resources from Infogroup Media Solutions.
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Infogroup Media Solutions offers an extensive array of brokerage services for customer acquisition to jumpstart your company's multichannel campaigns and ensure optimal visibility in the local and global marketplace. Our media / list brokers are marketing partners who will share your marketing vision and the responsibility for campaign execution and profitability. The benefits of partnering with Infogroup for brokerage include:
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text:
I just arrived home from Book Club and received the update about bedtime from my husband. We both had to laugh about the following story that took place while I was gone.
My son (age 6) was trying to decide what to read at bedtime tonight. My daughter (age 9) overheard her brother and said the following,
"Mabye I can help. I'm the child of a blogger. It's just who you want picking out your literature."
So we are not quite sure what is most amusing, the fact that she referred to herself in third person or that she used the word "literature". Either way it is classic and I take it as a huge compliment.
The same daughter did not want me to go to Book Club tonight and was pretty sure that I should let her come so she could hear grown-ups talk about books. She has also decided that she should be allowed to have her own blog to review books. She declared that if I am going to read 100 books for a challenge, that she certainly will as well.
Amusing, but also endearing. This same child is the one I've written about in the past. The struggle to get her hooked reading a book in the past has been a sore spot for me. Fortunately we seem to have moved past that hurdle.
It's certainly the nicest thing I've heard so far this week.


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text: AIS base station R40 The R40 Base Station from Saab is the main component of a Physical AIS Shore Station as defined by IALA. Its main purpose is to receive data from and transmit data to AIS equipped vessels, travelling within the coverage area of the Base Station. This will give the possibility to monitor and follow ships' movements in an efficient way. The R40 is installed either stand-alone or integrated into a network, such as the market leading Saab AIS Network. Product variants exist for: Full version, including all features, e.g. Redundant configuration AtoN functions and all options as specified in the IEC standard. Standard version, meeting all requirements in the IEC standard. Receive-only version. Repeater version. Secure version,allowing the user to transmit and receive encrypted messages. Last updated: 20 May 2016 • 14:34


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March 31, 1934: Death of George A. Johnson. George A. Johnson was born in Auburn, Maine on May 26, 1874. From his involvement in the Louisville study with Fuller to his death in 1934, Johnson's career was boosted by his association with George W. Fuller.
Johnson never attended college and had no formal training as an engineer, chemist or bacteriologist. Johnson identified himself during his testimony in the second Jersey City trial as a "sanitary engineer," which was clearly an overstatement of his accomplishments up to that point. By the time he became involved in the Boonton chloride of lime plant, he said that he had 14 years of experience as a sanitary engineer—since September 1895. The first three years of this period were devoted to working with George W. Fuller on the filtration studies in Louisville and Cincinnati. From reports of those studies, it was clear that Johnson was a laboratory technician and had no responsibilities or duties as a sanitary engineer.
From 1899 on, Johnson became involved in some of the most interesting studies and implementation projects for filtration and sewage treatment in the U.S. under the guidance and supervision of George W. Fuller and Rudolph Hering. Project locations included York, PA, Norfolk, VA, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, PA, and St. Louis MO. "At many of the places mentioned my work embodied not only straight laboratory work of a bacterial and chemical nature, but also the practical operation of filtration works." Clearly, from his own words, Johnson was a plant operator and lab technician who aspired to become a sanitary engineer someday through experience alone.
Johnson had a supporting role in the great Chicago Drainage Canal case when he made investigations of the purported contamination caused by the discharge of Chicago's rerouted sewage into the Mississippi 43 miles above the St. Louis water intake. He worked at the Little Falls treatment plant, helped conduct a sanitary survey of the Hudson River for New York City (with George C. Whipple) and investigated sewage treatment methods in Cleveland, OH in addition to water treatment methods for their water supply.
Johnson took some time off in 1905-6 and traveled around the world. He visited water works in many countries and published a paper on his adventures when he returned. The paper is a curious recitation of unremarkable water works. It is hard to understand what a U.S. reader might learn from his description of the Calcutta waterworks. Calcutta is in the Ganges Valley which was the source for all of the horrifying cholera epidemics in the 19th century which killed millions of people around the world.
When he returned to the U.S., he rejoined Hering and Fuller as Principal Assistant Engineer and he continued his work on water treatment and sewage disposal plants. During this period he operated the Boonton chloride of lime plant for three months in late 1908.
He left the firm of Hering and Fuller in 1910 and formed the consulting firm Johnson and Fuller with William Barnard Fuller. He continued as a consultant for the rest of his career except for two years (1918-20) when he joined the U.S. Army where he managed fixed properties and utilities in the U.S. for the War Department.
He was a member of a number of professional societies including the APHA and the AWWA. He received the Dexter Brackett Medal from the New England Water Works Association. He published many articles in professional journals during his career.
In the obituary written by his mentor, George W. Fuller, his qualities were generously described: "Colonel Johnson was a devoted son and husband, generous to a fault. He was a man of marked and likeable personality, keen in his appreciation of human relations, and aggressive in advancing his views both on technical and non-technical subjects." (emphasis added)
He was a member of the Explorers Club and the Circumnavigators Club, where he edited its monthly publication, The Log, for many years. He died of a heart attack while working at his desk on March 31, 1934. George W. Fuller would die just two and one-half months later.
Between the Mayor and Aldermen of Jersey City, Complainant, and Patrick H. Flynn and Jersey City Water Supply Company, Defendants: On Bill, etc. (In Chancery of New Jersey) 12 vols. n.p.:privately printed. 1908-10, (February 8, 1909, p. 5126).
McGuire, Michael J. 2013. The Chlorine Revolution: Water Disinfection and the Fight to Save Lives. Denver, CO:American Water Works Association.
Commentary: Johnson took inappropriate credit for the first use of chlorine in a drinking water supply. He claimed to first use chlorine in the Bubbly Creek treatment plant which was used to treat water for cows and pigs. He then wrote about the chlorination of the water supply for Jersey City and either omitted the leadership of Dr. John L. Leal from his writings or emphasized improperly his own contributions. Dozens of secondary and tertiary sources have perpetuated the myth that Johnson started. Chapter 13 of The Chlorine Revolution examines this issue in full detail.


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Hi all,
I'm relatively new to OpenCL (but experienced with CUDA - porting an application currently, still on nvidia 285 device) and to these forums but I've come across an area not addressed by any of the documentation I have (opencl spec, reference card, reference pages, nvidia ocl programming guide, jumpstart guide etc etc) - or at least I haven't found the 1 line that does apply in the 300 page spec…
In general I'm looking for information regarding running a kernel repeatedly. Ultimately the input data (128MB buffer of raw data) will vary but currently contains zeros - bar a few values to make sure the kernel was reading it properly.
The program flow I'm after is something like:
/*General Initialisation for first pass*/
//setup opencl context command queue kernel program etc...
initCL(&clCommandQueue, &clContext, &clKernel);
//initialise input data - hostInputData has been allocated as 'new cl_uchar[128MB];' and memset/populated with data
cl_mem devInput = clCreateBuffer(clContext, CL_MEM_READ_ONLY | CL_MEM_COPY_HOST_PTR, 128MB*sizeof(cl_uchar), hostInputData, &errCode);
//initialise results memory
cl_mem devResults = clCreateBuffer(clContext, CL_MEM_WRITE_ONLY, resultsSize, NULL, &errCode);
size_t globalWorkSize = 262144;
size_t localWorkSize = 512;
/* Main execution loop */
for (u_int32_t i = 0; i < loopCount; i++)
//write input data - for first pass this has already been done, but technicality in this instance
//ultimately I will employ double buffering with async copies to hide these transactions but in the spirit of simplicity...
clEnqueueWriteBuffer(clCommandQueue, devInput, CL_TRUE, 0, 128MB, hostInputData, 0, NULL, NULL);
//set kernel args
clSetKernelArg(clKernel, 0, sizeof(cl_mem), &devInput);
clSetKernelArg(clKernel, 1, sizeof(cl_mem), &devResults);
//run kernel
clEnqueueNDRangeKernel(clCommandQueue, clKernel, 1, 0, &globalWorkSize, &localWorkSize, 0, NULL, NULL);
//get results - hostResults is allocated during initialisation as 'new cl_uint[resultsSize];'
clEnqueueReadBuffer(clCommandQueue, hostResults, CL_TRUE, 0, resultsSize, devResults, 0, NULL, NULL);
Note: This is only psuedo-code representation
(In the background to this openCL work a second input host buffer will be populated with data and these alternated in the clEnqueueWriteBuffer instruction)
I don't know of any logical reason why something like the above wouldn't work however in my test example the first loop shows no problems but the second causes segmentation fault immediately after clEnqueueNDRangeKernel - all pointers and memory have been verified correct and unchanging via %p printf's.
Any general information on re-running a kernel like this or specific gotchas that may occur in a similar scenario would be gratefully received.
Thanks in advance.