Wednesday, June 15, 2011

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Your Daily Posterous subscriptions June 15th, 2011


Ripen Fruit Faster by Burying it in Rice [Food]

Posted about 24 hours ago by joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous

Ripen Fruit Faster by Burying it in Rice [Food]
via Lifehacker by Matthew Rogers on 6/14/11


Burying your fruit in uncooked rice is a quick and easy way to shave a few days off the ripening time. Just take something annoyingly slow to ripen, like a Mango, and drop it into a bin of rice (the same rice already sitting in the kitchen is fine). Don't worry about ruining the rice, it'll be fine unless you forget the fruit's in the bin. More »

SHEDroid Securely Clears Deleted Data on Your Android Phone [Downloads]

Posted about 22 hours ago by joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous

SHEDroid Securely Clears Deleted Data on Your Android Phone [Downloads]
via Lifehacker by Matthew Rogers on 6/14/11


Android: Free app SHEDroid really is like a shredder for Android phones. It doesn't perform a "secure delete" on a particular file or folder, but instead securely wipes the supposedly vacant spaces where deleted files used to be listed. If you're wondering why that means anything, it's because deleted files aren't really gone the moment you delete them-they're just not listed anymore. Something needs to be written over the data for it to really be gone, and that's what SHEDroid does with one tap of the finger. More »

In Iceland, constitutions are written on Facebook

Posted about 21 hours ago by joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous

In Iceland, constitutions are written on Facebook
via Engadget by Amar Toor on 6/14/11

Ah, Iceland -- home to the Blue Lagoon, Sigur Rós and, most recently, crowdsourced constitutionalism. With its economy still reeling from the 2009 financial crisis, the country has begun hammering away at a brand new constitution, and is asking its online citizenry for help. The draft is being prepared by a democratically elected, 25-member council, but any Icelanders with an internet connection can add their own suggestions, engage in online debates, or follow the proceedings in real-time on Facebook. All suggestions are moderated to weed out the really dumb ones ("FEWER VOLCANOES"), and those approved by the board will be directly added to the draft, due to be completed at the end of this month. It's a fascinating social experiment, but one that could probably only happen in a place where nearly 90 percent of all households have a broadband connection, two-thirds of the entire population is on Facebook -- meaning their politician's are always within poke's reach.
In Iceland, constitutions are written on Facebook originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 10:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

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Michigan Lincoln Dealers Need Mercury Incentives; Mercury Owners Disappointed

Posted about 20 hours ago by MI Auto Times to MI Auto Times

Michigan_lincoln_dealers_unable_to_serve_mercury_owners_with_trade-in_incentives When Ford Motor Corp discontinued the Mercury brand, Mercury owners may have expected to have more incentives to switch brands than have been offered.
DETROIT, M.I. - Michigan Lincoln dealers and Ford dealers knew there would be Mercury owners who would want to switch over to a new brand as soon as the Mercury brand was discontinued, but what dealerships have been able to offer this forgotten group of buyers has been inadequate at best according to some local dealers.
It appeared as though Ford Motor Corp decided to not offer any real incentives for owners to switch over to Lincoln and therefore remain part of the blue oval family. It seemed only after Lincoln sales dropped in January that Ford Motor Corp decided to offer Mercury owners some kind of incentive.
Although as a whole Ford Motor Corp rose 13.2 percent in January, the sales for Lincoln vehicles dropped 21 percent from the year before. Last year 7,036 units were sold while this year saw only 5,558 units sold in January.
Michigan Lincoln dealers and other dealers in the Midwest were given the go from Ford Motor Corp to offer two incentives from mid-February to April 4. The incentives for Mercury owners included:
·         $500 toward the purchase of a new Ford vehicle
·         $1,500 toward buying a new Lincoln vehicle
Other than the cash incentives there was only one other incentive that was offered: Mercury lessees could take advantage of an early lease termination. According to Paul Haldeman of the Haldeman Ford-Lincoln dealership in Allentown, Pa., there should be more incentives for customers to keep them loyal to the brand.
Haldeman stated in a letter to Automotive News, "I can attest to the tragic manner in which Ford has handled (or mishandled) the discontinuation of Mercury and the loyal Mercury customers."
Haldeman also said that customers ask when Ford will offer a special Mercury trade-in incentive, but he has no reply adding in his letter, "It's no surprise that our former loyalists are moving to import products."
Michigan Lincoln dealers and Ford dealers may be having a harder time keeping their customers with no incentives since April 4, but without the backing from Ford Motor Corp, dealers are unable to satisfy their customers need to trade-in. As 4.3 million new Mercury vehicles were sold over the past 15 years, there are plenty of owners that have the possibility to switch over to a Lincoln or Ford vehicle and it seems that Ford Motor Corp should take advantage of the numbers.
MI Auto Times covers all Michigan automotive news all the time, featuring newly released vehicle recall information, relevant Michigan automaker news, vehicle ratings and comparisons, and everything else auto-related Michigan and world readers need to know.
Got a hot tip? Send your news tips to news@miautotimes.com or connect with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MichiganAutoTimes .
[Source(s): Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, Automotive News]


Dumb Arguments: AT&T - T-Mobile Merger Would Be Good For The Children

Posted about 19 hours ago by joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous

http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20110613/01564514667/dumb-argu...
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Fuel Mileage Savers: Is a Full Hybrid Vehicle Really a Smarter Financial Move?

Posted about 16 hours ago by MI Auto Times to MI Auto Times

MI Auto Times is asking the question many buyers may be asking themselves: Should they spend the extra money on a full hybrid vehicle or is there a better, more fuel-efficient option that will save them more money?

DETROIT, M.I. - Fuel mileage is an unavoidable topic during these recent months of higher gas prices, but is a hybrid vehicle the best solution for consumers in need of an economical answer to their shrinking wallets?
The answer, as MI Auto Times discovered, may surprise car buyers.
MI Auto Times chose to evaluate General Motors' latest technology set to debut in its 2012 Buick LaCrosse and Regal models in order to see how these mild hybrids work and what type of fuel mileage they'll provide to consumers.
MI Auto Times has posted its findings on its website which include:
·         how new legislation is putting the pressure on automakers to deliver vehicles with better fuel mileage
·         fuel-saving vehicle options available today and their feasibility
·         a full explanation about eAssist, the new mild hybrid technology created by GM
·         an investment savings comparison of hybrid vehicle cost savings and mild hybrid cost savings
Those interested in buying vehicles such as the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid or the Lexus HS 250 Hybrid may be interested to know that though their combined fuel economy is higher than average vehicles, their fuel-savings is not what it appears when price is factored into the equation.
There is not just one solution to better fuel mileage; and with a complete investment comparison provided by MI Auto Times, it may be easier for shoppers to see the difference between a mild hybrid and full hybrid. Visit http://www.miautotimes.com/fuel-mileage to learn more. 
MI Auto Times covers all Michigan automotive news all the time, featuring newly released vehicle recall information, relevant Michigan automaker news, vehicle ratings and comparisons, and everything else auto-related Michigan and world readers need to know.
Got a hot tip? Send your news tips to news@miautotimes.com or connect with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MichiganAutoTimes .
MI Auto Times has many resources to help you with your new or used car search.
 
Read up on automotive industry news at our home page: www.MIAutoTimes.com
Browse vehicles in our Classifieds section - www.mi-used-cars.miautotimes.com/
Rate and review local dealers - www.miautotimes.com/mi-dealer-ratings/
 


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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

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OS X LionThe world's most advanced desktop operating system advances even further.
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OS X Lion. The world's most advanced desktop operating system advances even further.
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Your Daily Posterous subscriptions June 7th, 2011

RIAA: Changing Copyright Term On Recordings Is Unconstitutional (But Only If...

Posted about 22 hours ago by Unknown35 joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous

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via Techdirt by Mike Masnick on 6/6/11

Ah, the RIAA is so full of double standards and hilarious hypocrisy that they almost make this kind of thing two easy. On Friday, we wrote about Thursday's hearings for the Copyright Office, concerning the question of what to do about pre-1972 sound recordings, which technically are not covered by federal copyright law, but instead aggressive state copyright laws that mean most such works won't hit the public domain until 2067 -- way beyond what it would be if they were under federal copyright law (assuming -- and this may be a big assumption -- that copyright terms are not extended again). Those hearings continued on Friday, and as with the day before, the RIAA provided all sorts of ridiculous quotes. Basically, anything that hurts the RIAA is pure evil, unconstitutional and damaging to culture -- even if the arguments are contradictory and go against what the RIAA argues on other issues. Once again, my coverage is based largely on the excellent coverage from Copycense. I've collated some of the key tweets he made in covering the hearings at the end of this post.
Most of the ridiculousness came in the second session of the day, but there was one comment that deserved mention during the first session, when the RIAA rep on the panel claimed that "Given 'piracy' issues" the last thing that anyone should want is to reduce the terms of copyright. I'm trying to figure out what one has to do with the other. If anything, it seems like you could make a pretty strong argument in the other direction. The rise of widespread infringement suggests that the industry has failed to make works available to the public in a way that properly benefits the public. Thus, shouldn't we be making those works even more available? Either way, the statement from the RIAA here is a red herring. The idea of putting such works under federal copyright law would just bring those works in line with the already ridiculously long copyrights that the RIAA fought for not so long ago.
Then we get to the second panel, which focused on the Constitutional issues of fixing the excessive copyright issues for these works, with one key suggestion being to put those works under federal copyright law. Jennifer Pariser, from the RIAA -- the same woman who the day before had ridiculously and incorrectly insisted that the public domain had no value continued along that path again. She claimed that such a change to copyright law would lead to litigation and would be a violation of the takings clause (part of the Fifth Amendment). Basically, she was claiming that changing the terms of copyright on these works is the equivalent of taking away rights from the copyright holders and giving them to the public. In fact, she specifically claimed that "the less harm" you do to changing the term of copyright, the less of an issue there is. Hmm.
So, here's the question: where was the RIAA and Pariser on the issue of massive copyright extension over the last century? Oh, you guessed it, the RIAA has been totally supportive of it. So, you see, according to them, you can only ratchet copyright law in one direction. If you take away from the public (which copyright is supposed to benefit), that's fine. If you help the public... well, that's just downright unconstitutional!
Pariser also pushed on with the same claim from the day before about the lack of value in anything that goes into the public domain, and thankfully, others pushed back on that, pointing out (1) that copyright law was never intended to be set up so that the copyright holder got all the value out of the work and (2) no one was looking to make the works valueless, they were just talking about removing the monopoly, which from an economic standpoint makes a ton of sense.
Those same folks, usually representing libraries, pushed back on many of Pariser's points, highlighting that many of these works had already been covered by more than 120 years of copyright, and how much more do they realistically need? At that point, someone asked a perfectly relevant question: why should sound recordings get longer protection than any other work... to which Pariser responded (apparently with a straight face, though I'm not sure how), that the RIAA has "developed business models" around the extended length of copyright on pre-1972 sound recordings.
To put it mildly, this is laughable. The works that the RIAA labels are still making money on would still be under copyright for a long, long time (though, as we noted on Friday, perhaps the real fear from the RIAA is that under federal copyright law the actual artists and/or their heirs could reclaim the copyright). But the fact is, the vast majority of these older works are disappearing. To suggest that these copyrights should remain so long because of the record labels' business model is ridiculous.
Copyright law is not, was not, and has never been about protecting the record labels' business model.
If they did set up their business models based on this (and they did not), that should make NO difference. I mean, let's take that to the logical extreme. If we were to use the RIAA's own logic here, then that means the PROTECT IP Act should not pass, because it would impact the business models of other types of sites. And, according to the RIAA, no laws should change that impact someone's business models, right? I'm assuming this also means the RIAA is now against three strikes laws, ACTA, TPP and all sorts of other proposals that would negatively impact the business models of others, right?
And, just to cap off the ridiculousness, at the beginning of the following panel, an RIAA representative had the ridiculous gall to suggest that a change to how these old works are treated might decrease the availability of these old works since there wouldn't be the same incentive to produce sound recordings. I hope you weren't taking a drink when reading that, because it should have made you spit it out. The whole two day event was to discuss the very fact that so many of these works are disappearing, because the RIAA record labels are not making them available. The whole point of moving some of these old works into the public domain is so that others can make them available. And the RIAA is twisting that argument -- again apparently based on its ridiculously confused understanding of the public domain -- to suggest that even fewer works would be available if freed up. Thankfully others quickly pointed out that the issue is the works aren't available now. Hopefully, the Copyright Office properly discounted the RIAA's FUDful claims at the hearing, because they went beyond being just slightly misleading into being flat-out ridiculous.
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AT&T's Ralph de la Vega: Windows Phones 'not selling as well' as hoped

Posted about 21 hours ago by Unknown35 joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous

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via Engadget by Brad Molen on 6/6/11

We don't envy AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega's job one bit, nor the amount of time he spends on the hotseat. We do, however, admire his willingness to open his mouth and reveal interesting tidbits. Interviewed after his D9 appearance, de la Vega fielded questions about Windows Phone, confirming what we have suspected for quite some time: the platform hasn't been selling as well as AT&T or Microsoft would've liked. He didn't divulge numbers or get any more specific, but he did sound optimistic looking to the future. When asked if WP7 is a hard sell, de la Vega noted that it's a brand new OS, and the growth both companies are hoping for will come once the Mango update is readily available; consumers are looking for a bigger app store, more functionality, and a larger number of features. So adding more functionality will make phones more appealing to consumers? Crazy thought. If you're interested in seeing what else Ralph had to say in his one-on-one, head to the source link.

AT&T's Ralph de la Vega: Windows Phones 'not selling as well' as hoped originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man Cited By Police After He Pays $25 Medical Bill In Pennies

Posted about 20 hours ago by Unknown35 joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous

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via The Consumerist by MB Quirk on 6/5/11

Money is money, right? Even if it's 2,500 pennies dumped on a counter to pay a $25 bill? Yeah, but that doesn't mean people get mad when you chuck a bunch of change at them.
A man in Vernal, Utah didn't think he owed Basin Clinic $25, and they said he did. So he did the mature thing and unloaded 2,500 pennies on the counter's clinic, demanding they count it.
That upset the staff, who thought his bratty behavior served "no legitimate purpose," so the cops were called as the man left the office. The police cited him for disorderly conduct, an infraction, which carries a potential fine of $140.
Who wants to bet he's showing up to his court hearing with 140,000 shiny copper pennies?
Police cite Vernal man accused of paying bill with 2,500 [Deseret News]
Thanks to SteveDave for the tip!

Latest Fring update adds support for Galaxy S II, Droid Charge and more

Posted about 19 hours ago by Unknown35 joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous

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Fring
If you picked up a new device as of late, you may have been stuck in that dreaded area where some applications may not have worked as soon as the device was available. It happens every now and then and developers are usually quick to go ahead and roll out an update with the support needed. Such is the case with the latest build of Fring now available in the Android Market. Aside from some bug fixes, the latest version also adds new device compatibility as well. Check out the full change log below:
  • Make free Group Video calls with up to 4 friends
  • Improved voice quality
  • Now on a bunch of new devices like: HTC Flyer, Samsung Droid charge, Nexus S (Running Android 2.3.4), Samsung Galaxy S II, LG G2X
  • Bug fixes making it stable
You can jump on past the break for a video of the four way group in action calling as well as the Android Market download link.


Balloon bench

Posted about 18 hours ago by 1_thumb clementine to ReflectionOf.Me

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Comcast Hangs Up On Me When Office Hours End

Posted about 18 hours ago by Unknown35 joelpomales to joelpomales's posterous

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via The Consumerist by Chris Morran on 6/6/11

If you plan on calling Comcast customer service, make sure it's not within minutes of closing time for Kabletown operators because they won't stick around to hear you complain about their awful service.
That's the lesson learned by reader Brendan, who called Comcast at 8:45 p.m. -- 15 minutes before the stated close of business -- the other night with a query about his bill.
Writes Brendan:

The woman I spoke with says she has to transfer me to another department... I say OK, and hold the line for the transfer.
After waiting a few minutes, I speak to another woman in this other department about getting my old promotion put back on my account, she goes over my bill and starts looking for a new promotion to give me so I can get my bill back down.
She doesn't have much luck, and says that she has to transfer me yet again to ANOTHER department who should be able to give me the right package.
I wait on hold for about 30 seconds, and then the call suddenly drops. I didn't accidentally hang up, and I didn't lose service from my cell phone. The Comcast system actually HUNG UP on me!
Here's the kicker: When I call back, the Comcast robot informs me that customer service offices are closed, normal business hours on Saturday are only until 9:00 p.m.
I look at the clock -- it's 9:01 p.m. Comcast actually HUNG UP on me right at 9:00 p.m. while I was on HOLD waiting to be transferred to another department because it was the end of their "normal office hours"!
Since Comcast has demonstrated time and again that it has no intention of actually improving its customer service, let Brendan's story stand as a reminder to give yourself at least an hour before Comcast closing time if you expect to escalate enough times to actually speak to someone who can help you out.

Fuel Mileage Best Practices: What Not to Do and How to Save As You Drive

Posted about 18 hours ago by Mi_auto_times_thumb MI Auto Times to MI Auto Times

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Fuel_mileage_was_tested_with_chevrolet_cruze
Fuel mileage and efficiency all depends on the driver, vehicle and environment conditions. MI Auto Times wants to share what not to do and best practices when driving.

DETORIT, M.I. – Fuel mileage can be increased with simple changes in driving. Small shifts may help create the most efficient driving routine possible for owners. It is important to take into account the driver’s actions, the vehicle and especially the exterior environment. Every little shift can cause a big difference in fuel efficiency.
Chevrolet recently decided to run an experiment between two drivers using the same vehicle. The two drivers were tracked as they completed normal activities on a morning commute to see the difference between each driver’s fuel economy.
Both GM fuel-economy engineers would be driving a Chevrolet Cruze LT. The estimated fuel economy for this vehicle is 24 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. Conditions included driving for 20 minutes, city and highway, as well as a stopping for coffee. Engineer A drove with efficient driving habits while Engineer B did not. The following are the results of the drives:

·         Engineer A: averaged 37 mpg

·         Engineer B: averaged 21 mpg

Based on 15,000 a year and $4 a gallon for gas, the difference in driving habits means Engineer A would spend $1,621 per year on gas while Engineer B would spent $1,236 more with a total of $2,857 per year in gas accumulated by both drivers

According to Roger Clark, Manager of the GM Energy Center, in a General Motor press release, “With a well-maintained car, the best drivers get up to 25 percent more miles per gallon than average. When you combine a poorly maintained car with inefficient driving habits, the fuel economy of the worst drivers can be 50 percent below average.”

Clark added, “The fuel economy of every vehicle is greatly affected by how you drive, and how you care for your vehicle. Often, relatively small changes to your driving habits and vehicle maintenance can make the difference between being on the bottom, or the top, of the fuel-economy scale.”

After studying both sets of driver data, here are some fuel mileage best practices and what not to do while driving.
Five Best Practices

1.       Turn off the engine whenever possible. Fifteen minutes of idling burns through an average of a quarter of a gallon.

2.       Drive smoothly. Accelerating quickly and hitting the brakes can lower gas mileage by 20 percent.

3.       Drive 70 mph instead of 80. The 10 mph difference can save up to four mpg on the highway.

4.       Use cruise control on the highway to maintain efficiency. Speeding up and slowing down lowers the efficiency of the vehicle.

5.       Keep windows rolled up on the highway. The increased air pressure with the windows down means the engine works harder, so it consumes more energy.

Five What-Not-To Dos

1.       Let tires drive with low pressure. Although air pressure lower than recommended will not change the drive, it will cause the vehicle to work harder. Ten pounds of pressure lower can take more than three percent of fuel efficiency away.

2.       Leave car decorations/ornaments up while driving. Up to a third of fuel is used to overcome wind resistance, so any added change will shift the aerodynamics in a big way.

3.       Carrying heavy or extra items in the trunk. Every 100 pounds of weight reduces the fuel mileage by two percent, so remove any unneeded items from the vehicle when traveling.

4.       Ignore the ‘check engine’ light. Serious engine problems can cause fuel economy to decline up to 40 percent.

5.       Not running errands together and spreading them out. A cold engine is 50 percent less efficient than an engine running at operating temperature, so a day of errands is better than one errand every day of the week.

Fuel mileage may be affected by the smallest of changes. By following these best practices and not doing the others, consumers may see an increase in their fuel mileage.
MI Auto Times covers all Michigan automotive news all the time, featuring newly released vehicle recall information, relevant Michigan automaker news, vehicle ratings and comparisons, and everything else auto-related Michigan and world readers need to know.
Got a hot tip? Send your news tips to news@miautotimes.com or connect with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MichiganAutoTimes.
[Source(s): GM Media]


Michigan Chrysler Dealers See Toyota Fall Behind; Chrysler Takes Third Place in May Sales

Posted about 17 hours ago by Mi_auto_times_thumb MI Auto Times to MI Auto Times

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May was the first month in 2011 with a total sales outcome not moving in a positive direction for the U.S. auto industry. Vehicle sales declined close to four percent, but Michigan Chrysler dealers can be proud as their brand takes third place over Toyota Motor Corp.
DETROIT, M.I. – Michigan Chrysler dealers may be feeling triumphant as their brand broke through a significant barrier in May. Although Chrysler has increased in higher percentages in other months like January with 22.7 percent and April with 22.5 percent, Chrysler Group moved past Toyota Motor Corp and took third place last month’s numbers reveal.
Chrysler increased its market share from a 10.1 percent in April to a total of 10.9 percent for this month.
Top four in market share include:

1.       General Motors 20.8 percent

2.       Ford 18.0 percent

3.       Chrysler 10.9 percent

4.       Toyota 10.2 percent

All units across all Chrysler models totaled 115,363 units which was an increase of 10.1 percent. Michigan Chrysler dealers saw the Chrysler 200 increased the most for May with 154 percent increase compared to the previous generation.

“Chrysler Group just posted its 14th consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains, confirmation that our 2011 models continue to resonate with consumers,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO of Ram Truck Brand and Lead Executive for U.S. Sales, in a Chrysler press release. “Our retail sales were up 27 percent in May, driven in large part by our new models. Ram pickup trucks and all of our Jeep brand models posted sales increases in May, despite high, fluctuating gas prices.”

Unfortunately, this was a month that was not as successful as Michigan Chrysler dealers have seen in previous months in terms of sales for automakers. The