Bentley bringing 500-hp, twin-turbo V8 Continental to Detroit

 

 

Sent to you by masarofiq via Google Reader:

 

 

Bentley bringing 500-hp, twin-turbo V8 Continental to Detroit

via Autoblog by Jonathon Ramsey on 12/12/11

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Bentley, Luxury

The Bentley Continental GT and GTC V8 has been unwrapped and it's a kinder, gentler bulldog that makes do with "just" 500 horsepower and 481 pound-feet from its 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8. That is down 20 horsepower and up just 8 pound-feet from the output of the Audi S8, with which it shares the innovatively-packaged, cylinder-deactivating V8. We're going to guess that's to leave unquestionable space between it and the 631-hp Continental GT, and so Bentley could reach its 40 percent improvement goal with respect to emissions and gas mileage.

Specific numbers aren't divulged just yet, but it will get from standstill to 60 mph in under five seconds and will go more than 500 miles on a tank. Unless the tank size has changed from the 24-gallon receptacle in the big daddy W12, which we doubt, that means the V8 is good for at least 21 miles per gallon.

You'll be able to tell this one apart by its black grille with chrome accents, red Bentley "B" badge (red badges were traditionally used on sportier Bentleys, so we're not sure if that's meant to be a sign of this coupe's performance vs. the W12) and reworked treatment of the lower grille. The package rides on 20-inch wheels, same size as the flagship GT, but in back you'll find "figure-eight" tailpipes (which will quickly be swapped for something less obvious) and another red badge.

Both coupe and sedan will introduce themselves to rich buyers and not-so-rich voyeurs at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. You'll find a press release after the jump with obligatory references to inconceivable colors like Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus, and a high-res gallery of photos for much more understandable pleasures above.

Continue reading Bentley bringing 500-hp, twin-turbo V8 Continental to Detroit

Bentley bringing 500-hp, twin-turbo V8 Continental to Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Autoblog using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

Google introduces Currents: magazine-like news reader for Android and iOS

 

 

Sent to you by masarofiq via Google Reader:

 

 

Google introduces Currents: magazine-like news reader for Android and iOS (video)

via Engadget by Terrence O'Brien on 12/8/11

Google's rumored Flipboard competitor is finally here, and it's ditched the Propeller codename for something a little more appropriate: Currents. The app is available for both Android and iOS -- in tablet and phone-friendly formats -- and delivers a more magazine like reading experience for perusing your consumable content. The free app offers you a swipeable, graphics-heavy way to read material from partners like AllThingsD, PBS, Huffington Post and Fast Company, as well public Google+ feeds and RSS. You can even import your Google Reader subscriptions -- and it all gets cached for offline viewing. Of course, the whole thing is integrated with Google+ too, for quick and easy sharing. For publishers, Google is providing self-service tools for customizing how their content is displayed in the app. You can go download it now in the Android Market and in the iTunes App Store for free but, before you go, check out the video after the break to see it in action.

Update: It looks like Currents is US only for the time being. Sorry international readers, you'll just have to find some other way to shove traditional magazines towards extinction.

Continue reading Google introduces Currents: magazine-like news reader for Android and iOS (video)

Google introduces Currents: magazine-like news reader for Android and iOS (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Google Mobile Blog, Android Market, App Store  | Email this | Comments

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Engadget using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime review

via Engadget by Engadget staff on 11/30/11

Is there any tablet that's hotter than the Transformer Prime right now? (Please, don't say the Kindle Fire.) For weeks we geeks, early adopters and people who love their tech toys have been awaiting this, and none too patiently. Make no mistake: this will be one of the slickest products we test this year and it isn't just because the original Transformer had such an inventive design. The Prime is the first device packing NVIDIA's hot-off-the-presses Tegra 3 SoC, making it the world's first quad-core tablet. This comes with promises of longer-than-ever runtime and blazing performance (five times faster than Tegra 2, to be exact), all wrapped in a package measuring just 8.3mm (0.33 inches) thick -- even skinnier than the iPad 2 or Galaxy Tab 10.1. Throw in specs like a Super IPS+ Gorilla Glass display, eight megapixel rear camera and a confirmed ICS update in the pipe and even we seen-it-all Engadget editors were drooling.

All of which means we dropped just everything when a 32GB Prime showed up on our doorstep earlier this week, and soon enough, you'll have your chance to nab one too. ASUS announced today that the WiFi-only models will be available through online sellers the week of December 19th, and in retail the week after. (No word yet on 3G versions for the US just yet.) It'll start at $499 for the 32GB model -- not bad considering five hundred bucks is the going rate for a high-end tablet with 16GB of storage. From there you can get a 64GB number for $599, while that signature keyboard dock will set you back a further $149. Worth it? Read on to find out.

Gallery: Transformer Prime review (hardware)

Continue reading ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime review

Traxxas X0-1 RC car can reach 100 mph, decimate your bank account in under f...

Traxxas X0-1 RC car can reach 100 mph, decimate your bank account in under five seconds (video)

via Engadget by Brian Heater on 12/1/11

In the off-chance that you haven't already started holiday shopping for your favorite Engadget editors, we'd like to turn your attention to the new X0-1 from hobby RC car manufacturer, Traxxas. This little speed demon can do zero to 60MPH in 2.3 seconds and zero to 100MPH in a cool 4.92 seconds. The diminutive sports car also has built-in speed, voltage and RPM monitoring. It'll go on sale December 30th for $1,100, for a slightly belated -- and rather expensive -- gift for the Fast and the Furious reenactor in your life. Video of this sucker in action after the break.

Reduce Stress by Dividing Your Day into Three Operational Modes [Mind Hacks]

 

 

Sent to you by masarofiq via Google Reader:

 

 

Reduce Stress by Dividing Your Day into Three Operational Modes [Mind Hacks]

via Lifehacker by David Galloway on 12/4/11

People build stress by thinking about an issue all day or get into a cycle where worrying about something leads to the the behavior we were worried about, such as eating too much because we spend too much time worrying about gaining weight or continually arriving late to work due to the pressure of not running late. We have to break these cycles in order to reduce stress and accomplish our goals. To accomplish this, blogger Tim Horie recommends that we divide our day into three distinct operational modes: thinking, doing, and relaxing. More »

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Lifehacker using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

Diproyeksikan ke BPK, Ini Kata Yunus Husein

VIVAnews - Gagal masuk jajaran pimpinan Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi, tidak mematikan karir Yunus Husein. Saat ini muncul wacana dia diproyeksikan sebagai pimpinan Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan.

Namun Yunus mengelak saat dikonfirmasi tentang wacna tersebut. "Nggak lah, selama itu lewat DPR saya rasa itu masalah kepentingan," kata Yunus Husein usai menyampaikan seminar tentang Undang-undang Tindak Pidana Pencucian uang di Hotel Bidakara di Jakarta, Selasa, 6 Desember 2011.

Wacana ini muncul pasca-terjegalnya Yunus dari kursi pimpinan Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK). Padahal, Yunus mengaku sudah mendapat dukungan dari Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Menurut Yunus, ketua dan anggota BPK dipilih juga melalui mekanisme di DPR. Bahkan ia mengaku komposisi pansel BPK hampir 100 persen adalah anggota DPR Komisi XI. "Kalau KPK kan ada Pansel, masih ada pakar dan segala macam tidak didominasi sama pemerintah," jelasnya. 

Lagi pula, kata dia, komposisi anggota BPK saat ini juga didominasi orang-orang berlatar belakang politisi, sebut saja nama-nama Rizal Djalil dari PAN, Ali Maschar Musa dari PKB. "Ya biasanya kalau ada calon-calon yang ada dari DPR biasanya kita akan susah. Posisi tawar itu pasti ada dan ininya (uangnya) juga ada," imbuhnya.

Saat ini ia mengaku nyaman dengan pekerjaan-pekerjaanya sebagai Satgas Pemberantasan Mafia Hukum, Komnas Good Governance dan mengajar di beberapa perguruan tinggi. "Lagian saya juga masih digaji BI kalau soal gaji tidak khawatir lah," katanya. (umi)

• VIVAnews

Berani Tolak Duit Rupiah, Siap Kena Sanksi

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA-Pemerintah mulai sosialisasi  Undang-Undang No 7/2011 tentang Mata Uang yang telah disahkan DPR pada 31 Mei 2011 lalu. Sosialisasi merupakan tahapan yang harus dilalui sebelum UU ini diberlakukan. Masyarakat perlu mengetahui aturan penggunaan mata uang rupiah.

"Ini agar seluruh masyarakat Indonesia semakin paham tentang kedudukan hukum daripada rupiah," kata Menteri Keuangan Agus Martowardojo dalam sosialisasi UU Mata Uang di Hotel Aryaduta, Selasa (6/11). Sosialisasi itu dihadari berbagai asosiasi dan pejabat Bank Indonesia (BI).

Dengan pemberlakukan UU Mata Uang ini, Agus mengingatkan seluruh masyarakat Indonesia apabila menerima pembayaran dalam rupiah itu harus mau menerima. Hal ini yang akan membuat semua pihak merasa lebih ada kepastian bahwa indonesia memiliki mata uang rupiah.

Agus mengingatkan pihak yang tak mau menerima mata uang rupiah di Indonesia bisa melanggar UU. "Seaindainya di daerah perbatasan atau di daerah pariwisata kemudian ada pihak yang melakukan kegiatan ekonomi dan kemudian tidak mau menerima pembayaran dalam rupiah itu tentu nanti akan diangggap melanggar hukum," kata Agus.