By MarketNewsVideoAmong stocks trading ex-dividend on Friday, Dell (DELL) shareholders will be eligible for a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share, representing a yield of 3.11 percent based on the current stock price.
Source: Forbes Markets
Tag Archives: GPS
Wife of missing Fla. millionaire wonders if she's abandoned or a widow
The wife of a Florida millionaire who vanished six months ago says she is stuck in financial limbo as police try to figure out if she is a widow or an abandoned wife.
Guma Aguiar, a 35-year-old Brazilian-born oil and gas magnate, was last seen June 19 driving his motorboat through Port Everglades. Since he disappeared, Aguiar’s wife, siblings, mother and an uncle have all been fighting over his $100 million fortune, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
With no body turning up, it could take five years for Aguiar to be declared legally dead. In the meantime, Jamie Aguiar, who reportedly had threatened to divorce her husband and had tried to challenge their prenuptial agreement, may be forced to continue fighting his legal battles without him, the paper reported.
“It’s a very difficult time,” Jamie Aguiar, 33, of Rio Vista Isles, Fla., told the Sentinel. “I try and count our blessings every single day and try and think of what I’m grateful for.”
Aguiar is raising the couple’s daughter and three sons, who range in age from 15 months to seven years old. The couple’s $5 million dollar mansion, 75-foot yacht and the motorboat that washed ashore unoccupied are all up for sale. Legal bills in the extended family free-for-all are approaching $1 million per month, sources told the Sentinel.
The couple, who met in high school, had a tumultuous marriage. Guma Aguiar had made millions in Texas, working with his uncle in the oil and gas business, then embarking on a variety of other investment ventures. But he had also spent time in a mental hospital. He sued his wife for divorce, but later withdrew the petition, according to the Sentinel.
Lawyers for Jamie Aguiar have indicated in court filings they suspect the missing man is alive and living in the Netherlands. They believe Aguiar may have faked his death to avoid losing his $100 million fortune, after his wife threatened to divorce him.
Guma Aguiar was a born-again Christian who later converted with his wife to Judaism. The two had a tempestuous marriage and last April, Jamie Aguiar sought a judge’s opinion on whether their prenuptial agreement was fraudulent. Aguiar vanished two months later.
His powerboat was seen drifting near a Fort Lauderdale beach just after midnight, its navigation lights still on, according to the Miami New Times. On board, police found a white iPhone and a wallet on the center console, and flip-flops and a black T-shirt lying on the deck. The boat’s GPS system showed it had traveled rapidly two miles northeast from the couple’s house, turned around and then drifted slowly back to shore.
Aguiar’s wedding ring was found in the house.
Source: Fox US News
Security firm's program 'Saving Jesus'
NEW YORK, Dec. 24 (UPI) — A New York firm said its Saving Jesus program is dedicated to using GPS to prevent and solve thefts of baby Jesuses from nativity scenes.
Source: UPI Odd News
The Military’s Most Science-Fictional Projects
By Alex Knapp, Forbes StaffAs the most forward-thinking research arm of the Pentagon, it’s the job of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to take creations worthy of a comic book or Bond film and make them a reality. The agency already has a few truly revolutionary inventions under its belt, including the Internet, GPS, and unmanned aerial vehicles. These are a few projects the agency is cooking up for decades to come.
Source: Forbes Latest
Massachusetts chemist pleads not guilty in drug lab case
A former Massachusetts drug lab chemist at the center of a scandal that threatens to unravel thousands of criminal cases pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges including perjury and evidence tampering.
Annie Dookhan‘s arraignment on 15 charges in Suffolk Superior Court could be the first in a series of arraignments in other counties following a 27-count grand jury indictment Monday.
State prosecutors allege Dookhan fabricated test results and tampered with drug evidence while testing substances for criminal cases. Judges have released about 200 defendants from custody in the last few months and put those cases on hold. Many more cases could be affected.
Authorities say Dookhan tested more than 60,000 samples involving 34,000 defendants during her nine years at the lab. State police shut down the lab in August.
Dookhan, 35, made no comment to the media outside the Boston courtroom after she pleaded not guilty to eight counts of evidence tampering, five counts of witness intimidation, one count of perjury and one count of making a false claim of holding a master’s degree.
In court, the Franklin woman stood behind her lawyer and blinked repeatedly while looking toward the magistrate’s bench. “Not guilty,” she replied to his questions about the 15 counts.
Magistrate Judge Gary Wilson agreed to change Dookhan’s nightly curfew hour from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. after her lawyer said the earlier hour was hampering the social life of a defendant who already was on GPS monitoring and had no criminal record.
“She’s not a flight risk. It’s certainly putting a damper on her ability to have any kind of a social life, interact with the neighbors and family and friends,” defense lawyer Nicolas Gordon said.
Dookhan also remained free on $10,000 bail.
Afterward, Gordon said he hasn’t seen all of the government‘s evidence “so it’s too soon to comment” on aspects of the case.
“I’m told there’s thousands of emails out there and I haven’t seen them yet,” he said.
Authorities alleged in court records Thursday that Dookhan once emailed a fake test result to a prosecutor for use in a criminal case, relying on a sample that had been gone from the lab for about six months.
Authorities have said Dookhan admitted to investigators she sometimes would “dry lab” samples, meaning she would test some samples for drugs and assume the others were positive. She also allegedly admitted she sometimes added a known narcotic to a sample to turn it positive if it tested negative.
In addition, authorities claimed Thursday that Dookhan testified 14 times that she had a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts-Boston although investigators found she was never enrolled in classes at that level.
The only potential motive authorities say they can offer in the case is Dookhan’s desire to be seen as a good worker.
Dookhan faced suspension from her lab duties in June 2011. Authorities alleged that dozens of drug samples weren’t properly checked out of a safe and that Dookhan forged a colleague’s initials to try to cover her misconduct.
She resigned in March during a Department of Public Health internal investigation. Amid that probe, state police took over the lab in July as part of a state budget directive.
Source: Fox US News
Samsung unveils Galaxy Grand, a hybrid of the S III, Galaxy Note
Samsung has announced a new Android smartphone, the Galaxy Grand, that is a mashup between two of its popular devices: the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note II. The handset will come with dual-SIM support, too, but it’s not the best of both worlds.
On the outside, the Galaxy Grand looks a lot like the S III. It runs on the latest Android version, 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, with a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. The back camera is 8 megapixels and can record full HD video, while the front camera is 2 megapixels.
There’s 8GB of built-in storage and a MicroSD expansion slot (for up to 64GB cards), along with the usual trimmings of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and sensors such as an accelerometer, compass, and gyroscopic sensor. The phone will connect to fast HSPA+ networks, but no 4G LTE version has been announced.
What holds back the Galaxy Grand is its screen. The display is 5 inches, which places it between the S III’s 4.8-inch screen and the 5.5-inch display on the Note II. However, at a resolution of 800 by 480 pixels, the display of the Galaxy Grand is inferior to both the S III and Note II, which sport 1280 by 720 pixel screens, with a higher pixel density.
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Source: PCWorld
App Spotlight: Automatically track your mileage with TripLog
TripLog for Android
When it comes to managing business expenses, half the battle is keeping tabs on your mileage. Obviously there are plenty of apps that let you manually enter your miles or odometer readings—but that’s still a pretty low-tech approach.
But, hey, your smartphone has a built-in GPS, right? Seems like a smart app could leverage that to automatically keep tabs on where you drive for business.
That’s TripLog GPS Mileage Tracker in a nutshell. Available for Android and iOS, this app monitors your mileage via GPS, tracks any parking, tolls, or other expenses, records fuel costs, and generates IRS-ready reports.
All you do is set up your vehicle, then take a few seconds to create a new trip before you head out on the road. TripLog will automatically pinpoint your starting location, though you can enter a different location if needed.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Source: PCWorld
Four Myths About NHTSA’s Proposal for Mandatory Black Boxes
Twenty-four-hour news networks interrupted their coverage of skydiving cats earlier this week to light a fire under NHTSA’s announcement that it planned to mandate event data recorders, or black boxes, be installed in all new cars. Amidst the frenzy, it almost seems as though many reporting on the announcement didn’t actually read the proposed NHTSA rule or anything about what the event data recorders actually do. We’re here to debunk some of the rumors in circulation.
Myth 1: NHTSA’s Announcement Last Week Said Something We Haven’t Heard Before
Nope. NHTSA has been talking about mandating event data recorders since at least 2006, when it first set rules about how voluntarily installed EDRs had to operate. The only thing NHTSA announced recently is that it plans to put this rule into effect beginning in 2014, which was the date floated officially and unofficially during the past year.
Myth 2: The White House “Signed Off” on NHTSA’s Proposal for Event Data Recorders
A number of major news outlets based their reporting of the black box topic on a story published in the Detroit News, which was titled “NHTSA gets White House OK to mandate vehicle ‘black boxes.’” This makes it sound like Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood brought a bottle of brandy to the Oval Office, kissed Barack Obama’s ring, and said, “Mr. President, even though it’s not the day of your daughter’s wedding, we’d like your blessing for our plan to require automakers to install black boxes in every car. Can we go ahead with this?”
In reality, any time an executive agency proposes a new regulation—whether it’s NHTSA or the Forest Service—they have to clear it with the Office of Management and Budget to make sure the new reg doesn’t conflict with what another agency is doing, isn’t creating some new huge burden for the budget, and that the new rule wouldn’t be totally contrary to the president’s stated goals. The OMB is part of the White House organizational structure, so while it’s technically accurate that the White House cleared the black box plan, this routine rubber stamp is meaningless.
Myth 3: Mandating Black Boxes Will Change the Status Quo
Does your car have an event data recorder? Even you, the automotive illuminati who read Car and Driver, would be forgiven for not knowing. It’s not something listed in a database or published on a window sticker. It turns out that well over 90 percent of new cars sold today in the U.S. already have event data recorders, which automakers have been voluntarily installing for several years. The proposed mandate would extend to the remaining holdover vehicles, which includes some high-end sports cars and a number of Volkswagens and Audis.
What we’re talking about, then, is a rule that would change a sliver of the automotive market. Typically, automakers—either directly or through group lobby associations—push back against any additional government regulation; they don’t want control and they don’t want added costs. But when it comes to EDRs, the counter-campaign against event data recorders has been virtually nonexistent. Toyota’s continuing nightmare surrounding unintended acceleration showed car manufacturers just how helpful EDRs can be in defending themselves. When a company can analyze black boxes and say, “Sorry, driver, but the computer recorded you mashing the gas pedal with no input on the brake,” that’s persuasive evidence.
Instrumented Test: 2013 Lincoln MKZ AWD V6
Instrumented Test: 2013 Porsche Boxster Manual
Instrumented Test: 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo
Myth 4: Privacy is at Risk Because the Gub’mint Is Gonna Track People
Make no mistake: The government—local police, the CIA, the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security, water department—can and does track individual cars. Much of the time it’s done in a squeaky-clean way, with warrants and court approval for monitoring Fat Tony and the Don Bot. Sometimes, it’s a legal gray area, and we wind up with major court battles trying to sort out the rules for law enforcement. (Privacy advocates, like this writer, were pleased by the recent Supreme Court decision saying that law enforcement officers need a warrant to track vehicles using GPS tags.) Event data recorders are an entirely separate matter. They don’t transmit data. The boxes record certain characteristics about the vehicle, like steering input, acceleration, seatbelt status, and brake usage, in a sort of “streaming” format, retaining only the past few seconds of data for any given moment.
There are serious questions about who owns the data, who can use it, and who can access it. Even with plain-language rules from NHTSA, our judges will end up having to hammer out the details. Bear in mind, though, that a huge cache of information already is stored in in-car GPS systems, and that’s all subject to download by the police or an opponent in a lawsuit. The same is true for smart phones, by the way, which contain way more than just GPS coordinates.
Source: Car & Driver
2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 2-Door Review & Test Drive
‘THE KING OF OFF-ROAD WARRIORS’
You can go deep when you are piloting the Jeep Wrangler, and even deeper toward your off-road destination in the Rubicon. In fact the Rubicon model has successfully traversed the nearly impossible Rubicon Trail in the Sierra Mountains just north of Sacramento. This Trail Rated model has no foes when it comes to trail busting off the road. While it’s off-road prowess in world renowned, the interior is more civilized, comfortable and high-tech as any other sport utility model on the market.
New for model year 2013 includes an easy-lift top mechanism and anew premium material soft top. Wrangler also adds comfort and convenience features with new more comfortable and supportive seats, auto-dimming rearview mirror with LED map lighting, new interior lighting, dual windshield washers to better clear off debris, available Alpine speakers and a premium Tire Pressure Monitoring System. For the 2013 model year, engineers for the Jeep Wrangler-the most capable and recognized vehicle in the world-focused their attention on interior ergonomics and 4X4 capability. The goal was to make Wrangler even more enjoyable and comfortable on a daily basis from the inside out while continuing to improve its off-road ability.
With the introduction of the all-new powertrain for 2012-a 3.6 liter, all-aluminum V6 engine with DOHC and VVT generating a trail-busting 285 hp and 260 lb.ft. of torque mated to a 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic with AutoStick sequential shifting, Wrangler features improved on-road performance combined with even more off-road prowess. Now, with new features added to the interior, the 2013 Wrangler adds improved comfort to its long list of benefits. The result is an untouched level of capability off-road, combined with on-road dynamics, fuel efficiency and interior comfort that make Jeep Wrangler the perfect vehicle for fun daily driving, weekend trail-running or extreme off-road wheeling.
Passengers are now greeted by new front and rear seats. Re-contoured and with larger side bolsters, these seats are comfortable for long drives while offering more support for sporting off-road activities. Interior courtesy lighting is now found under the instrument panel as well as the cupholder areas for front and rear passengers. An auto-dimming electro-chromatic mirror is standard on all models and will feature LED map lights for front passengers. The optional premium tire pressure monitoring system can give direct read-outs for each individual tire. The Rubicon receives a new optional wheel design-an aggressive 17 in. 10-hole alloy wheel with polished accents and a mid-gloss gray painted inner face. My new Wrangler Rubicon came equipped with the beefy B.F. Goodrich LT255/75R17 in. T/A Mud Terrain Baja Champion tires with 3-ply sidewalls for extra strength off-road.
The 2013 Jeep Wrangler delivers unmatched off-road capability with legendary four-wheel drive and is produced with more than seven decades of 4X4 engineering experience. Wrangler continues to offer a body-on-frame design, front and rear five-link suspension system, live axles, electronic lockers, four-wheel vented power assisted brakes, and is one of the few mid-size SUVs that offers a six-speed manual in addition to its five-speed automatic transmission.
The Jeep Wrangler is available with several axle gear ratios allowing customers to optimize fuel economy and/or vehicle capability. Wrangler is available with 3.21, 3.73 or 4.10 ratios depending on model. Also, Wrangler offers towing capability up to 3,500 lbs.
The Wrangler Rubicon that I tested features heavy-duty Dana 44 front and rear axles and the Rock-Trac NV241 two-speed transfer case with a 4.0:1 low range gear ratio. Rubicon also includes electric front and rear locking differentials, disconnecting front sway bar and 32 in. tires wrapped with 17X7.5 in. alloy wheels all taking the Wrangler Rubicon to the highest level of capability.
The interior combines rich styling, versatility, comfort and intuitive feature use. Highlights include automatic temperature controls, heated seats, steering wheel controls for vehicle systems, dual cupholders, storage bin and armrest, dual map lights, storage bin above the center stack, variable speed wipers/washers, and thick cut-pile carpeting. The large rear windows are engineered for greater visibility. A USB port connects to the media center, a 12-volt accessory outlet. Standard features in the Rubicon not mentioned above includes A/C, Media Center, 368-watt 7-speaker Infinity sound system with subwoofer, audio jack input for mobile devices, Sirius satellite radio, temperature/compass heading, tilt/leather-wrapped steering wheel, reclining front bucket seats with height-adjustable driver’s seat, giant grab handle above the glove box, rear fold-and-tumble seat, rear compartment covered storage, instrument cluster with chrome rings with more chrome rings around the steering wheel center, switches and dials. Front floor mats round out the new up-level interior.
Optional equipment in my Rubicon Wrangler included connectivity group, remote USB port, electronic vehicle information display, Uconnect voice command with Bluetooth, power/heated sideview mirrors, remote keyless entry, power one-touch windows/door locks, security system, hill descent control, body-color 3-piece hardtop, body- color fenders, freedom panel storage bag, rear window defroster/wiper/washer, tinted rear quarter and rear flip-up windows, media center 430N SAT/CD/DVD/MP3/HDD/Nav system with 40GB hardrive, with 28GB available storage, 6.5 in. touch screen display GPS navigation.
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon features the signature classic round headlamps, seven-slot grille, trapezoid wheel flares, removable doors, exposed hinges, a fold-down windshield and innovative removable and convertible tops and half doors that allow the Wrangler to retain the brank’s iconic appearance and function, plus the 4X4 Trail rated badge on the driver’s-side and the Rubicon graphic on the side of the hood. The exterior also includes side rock rails, swing-out rear door with flipper glass and holding the full-size spare tire, dual front tow hooks/single rear tow hook, transfer case skid plate shield, cruise control, fuel tank skid plate shield and front skid plate shield.
Standard safety systems include traction control, hydraulic brake assist, advanced multi-stage front airbags, electronic stability control, four-point roll bar, 3-point seatbelts with front pretensioners/load limiters, and electronic roll mitigation.
Built on more than 70 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. On road or way off-road, if you want to go deep do it in a Jeep!
Copyright: 2012 Harvey Schwartz
SPECIFICATIONS
Price: Base Wrangler Rubicon 2-Door $29,995.00 / $35,940.00 as tested including $900.00 destination charges
Engine: 3.6 liter DOHC V6 285 hp @ 6400 rpm / 260 lb.ft. torque @ 4800 rpm
Suspension: F-live axle, link coil, leading arms, track bar, coil springs, high-pressure gas-charged monotube shocks, stabilizer bar R-live axle, link coil, trailing arms, track bar, coil springs, monotube high-pressure gas-charged shocks
Turning circle: 34.9 ft.
Brakes: F-11.9 in. vented discs/single-piston calipers R-11.9 in. vented discs/single-piston calipers/ABS/Hydraulic Brake Assist
Wheelbase: 95.4 in.
Track: F-61.9/R-61.9 in.
Overall length: 152.8 in.
Overall width: 73.7 in.
Overall height: 70.9 in.
Fuel tank: 18.6 gallons
Approach angle: 44.3
Breakover angle: 25.4
Departure angle: 40.4
Front axle to ground: 10.5 in.
Rear axle to ground: 10.2 in.
Curb weight: 4,129 lbs.
Headroom: F/R-41.3/40.3 in.
Legroom: F/R-41/35.6 in.
Cargo volume: rear seat upright-12.8/rear seat folded-55 cu.ft.
EPA mileage: 17mpg/city, 21mpg/highway
Source: Automotive Addicts
Massachusetts baby sitter faces 100 charges in child sex abuse case
Calling the case chilling and troubling, authorities announced an indictment Thursday against a convicted sex offender whom they say videotaped himself sexually assaulting children from his wife’s unlicensed day care business.
Prosecutors said John Burbine‘s wife told parents he was an experienced baby sitter. But instead, authorities allege that the 49-year-old Wakefield man preyed on 13 day care clients ranging from 8 days to 3 1/2 years old, with many of the assaults happening in the victims’ homes.
Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone said Burbine has been in custody since September on charges involving one victim that grew out of an abuse complaint from July. Burbine faces an indictment including 100 criminal counts.
“I have never seen a case this bad,” Leone said Thursday.
The prosecutor said the abuse occurred between August 2010 and August 2012. Leone said the children lived in the Boston suburbs of Stoneham, Medford, Newton, Reading, Melrose, Woburn and Waltham. He said there may be more victims that investigators haven’t identified.
The prosecutor said Burbine’s wife, Marian Burbine, operated Waterfall Education Center in Wakefield. The business advertised services including short- and long-term child care, group child care, overnight newborn care and summer camp alternative care.
Leone said investigators believe Marian Burbine didn’t know her husband was sexually abusing children, but she knew he was a convicted sex offender and that state officials believed child abuse allegations against him in 2005 and 2009 that never led to prosecution. Both spouses face charges of operating an unlicensed day care business.
Heather Johnson, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Early Education and Care, said Thursday that the Burbines never applied for a day care license and never got one.
Leone said investigators began a probe after previous abuse complaints that didn’t lead to criminal charges. This summer, authorities got a cease and desist order for Waterfall Education Center because it wasn’t licensed. That led to search warrants for the Burbines’ business and home that Leone said led investigators to seize video evidence of the child abuse.
Among the offenses John Burbine faces are 40 counts of aggravated forcible rape of a child. His attorney, William Barabino, said Thursday that the defendant will plead not guilty at his Dec. 12. arraignment. A judge previously ordered the defendant held without bail.
Marian Burbine is free on $1,000 bail following her Oct. 1 arraignment in Middlesex Superior Court. She must wear a GPS monitoring device as a condition of her bail. An indictment against the 46-year-old includes six counts of reckless endangerment of a child. Her attorney didn’t immediately return a message Thursday seeking comment.
Leone said John Burbine is a Level 1 sex offender, following a 1989 conviction for indecent assault and battery.
Barabino said he hasn’t seen evidence prosecutors say they seized from Burbine’s computer, including videos.
“Everything they say exists was found on a computer,” Barabino said. “He’s been cooperative in the process with the district attorney to more than a reasonable degree, and we’ll wait for the evidence.”
Barabino said Burbine grew up in Wakefield, where his father was a police officer. He said John and Marian Burbine have been married for nearly 20 years. The couple does not have children. Burbine has a master’s degree in management from Lesley University in Cambridge, Barabino said.
The lawyer also said his client had worked at a sporting goods store in Reading and as an adjunct professor at North Shore Community College in Danvers teaching an introductory computer class.
College spokeswoman Linda Brantley said the school fired Burbine following his arrest.
Source: Fox US News