Suspected bomb defused in London

Story Highlights

• British defuse a bomb in central London early Friday morning, police say
• Explosives officers called to examine parked car in The Haymarket
• Car found in busy street in theatre district

• LONDON, England (Reuters) -- British police say they have defused a bomb in central London.
  
• Explosives officers were called to examine a car parked in The Haymarket, a busy street in the heart of central London's theatre district, early on Friday morning, London police said in a statement.
  
• "They discovered what appeared to be a potentially viable explosive device. This was made safe," they said, adding that counter-terrorism officers were investigating.
  
• A police spokesman confirmed the device was a bomb.
  
• The device was found in the week that a new prime minister, Gordon Brown, took office in Britain.
  
• Police responded after a member of the public reported a suspicious vehicle shortly before 2 a.m. (0100 GMT).
  
• The street was sealed off while police investigated and was likely to remain closed for the foreseeable future, they said.
  
• The nearby Piccadilly Circus underground train station was open, but exit restrictions were in place, the police said.
  
• Fifty-two commuters were killed by bombs on London's transport system on July 7, 2005.

Dell unveils new notebooks

• SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -- Dell Inc. introduced new notebook computers Tuesday, available in eight different colors with advanced features as it tries to grab a bigger slice of the consumer PC market.
  


• The world's second-largest personal computer maker also launched its first consumer PC to use flash memory instead of a traditional hard-disk drive to store data.


• The lightweight laptop comes with a modest 32 gigabytes of data storage space.
  


• Dell's new notebooks, to be unveiled at an event at Macy's flagship store in Herald Square in New York, come in colors with names such as flamingo pink, sunshine yellow, alpine white, ruby red, jet black, midnight blue and espresso.
  


• An entry-level version of the notebook PC costs $749 and is available starting Tuesday. Dell seen expanding services

• Dell also said it would phase out its Dimension brand, used for its desktop computers for more than a decade, and switch to the Inspiron name previously used only for its notebooks. The company will continue to sell Inspiron notebooks.
  


• The new products are among steps the Round Rock, Texas-based company is taking to boost sales of notebook computers to consumers, the fastest-growing PC segment, as it tries to catch up with Hewlett Packard Co. (Charts, Fortune500), which last year displaced Dell as the largest PC maker by unit sales.
  


• Dell this month started selling PCs in Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Charts, Fortune 500), breaking from a 23-year practice of selling directly via Internet or phone, under a strategy by founder Michael Dell to stoke growth. The company said it planned to announce more retail partnerships in the coming months.

Japanese firm tests brain-controlled toys

Part 2

Real-world applications

• 
  
  The technology could one day replace remote controls and keyboards and perhaps help disabled people operate electric wheelchairs, beds or artificial limbs.
  


• 
  
  Initial uses would be helping people with paralyzing diseases communicate even after they have lost all control of their muscles.
  


• 
  
  Since 2005, Hitachi has sold a device based on optical topography that monitors brain activity in paralyzed patients so they can answer simple questions -- for example, by doing mental calculations to indicate "yes" or thinking of nothing in particular to indicate "no."
  


• 
  
  "We are thinking of various kinds of applications," project leader Hideaki Koizumi said. "Locked-in patients can speak to other people by using this kind of brain-machine interface."
  


• 
  
  A key advantage to Hitachi's technology is that sensors don't have to physically enter the brain. Earlier technologies developed by U.S. companies like Neural Signals required implanting a chip under the skull.
  


• 
  
  Still, major stumbling blocks remain.
  


• 
  
  Size is one issue, though Hitachi has developed a prototype compact headband and mapping machine that together weigh only about two pounds.
  


• 
  
  Another would be to tweak the interface to more accurately pick up on the correct signals while ignoring background brain activity.
  


• 
  
  Any brain-machine interface device for widespread use would be "a little further down the road," Koizumi said.
  


• 
  
  He added, however, that the technology is entertaining in itself and could easily be applied to toys.
  


• 
  
  "It's really fun to move a model train just by thinking," he said.

Japanese firm tests brain-controlled toys

Story Highlights

• Story Highlights• Technology translates brain motion into electric signals•
• Optical topology analyzes brain's blood flow• Technology could one day replace remote controls

• HATOYAMA, Japan (AP) -- Forget the clicker: A new technology in Japan could let you control electronic devices without lifting a finger simply by reading brain activity.
  
• The "brain-machine interface" developed by Hitachi analyzes slight changes in the brain's blood flow and translates brain motion into electric signals.
  
• A cap connects by optical fibers to a mapping device, which links, in turn, to a toy train set via a control computer and motor during one recent demonstration at Hitachi's Advanced Research Laboratory in Hatoyama, just outside Tokyo.
  
• "Take a deep breath and relax," said Kei Utsugi, a researcher, while demonstrating the device on Wednesday.
  
• At his prompting, a reporter did simple calculations in her head, and the train sprang forward -- apparently indicating activity in the brain's frontal cortex, which handles problem solving.
  
• Activating that region of the brain -- by doing sums or singing a song -- is what makes the train run, according to Utsugi. When one stops the calculations, the train stops, too.
  
• Underlying Hitachi's brain-machine interface is a technology called optical topography, which sends a small amount of infrared light through the brain's surface to map out changes in blood flow.
  
• Although brain-machine interface technology has traditionally focused on medical uses, makers like Hitachi and Japanese automaker Honda Motor have been racing to refine the technology for commercial application.
  
• Hitachi's scientists are set to develop a brain TV remote controller letting users turn a TV on and off or switch channels by only thinking.
  
• Honda, whose interface monitors the brain with an MRI machine like those used in hospitals, is keen to apply the interface to intelligent, next-generation automobiles.

Part 2: next day

Arsenal announce Henry departure

Arsenal have confirmed they have reached an agreement with Barcelona for the transfer of striker Thierry Henry.




The deal, thought to be worth about £16m to the Gunners, is subject to the Frenchman, 29, passing a medical, which is set to take place on Monday.
Henry had already announced he intended to end his eight-year stay at Arsenal to sign a four-year deal with Barca.
"I still must pass a medical on Monday but yes, I have chosen Barcelona," he told French sports daily L'Equipe.


Earlier, Barcelona revealed that they were close to bringing Henry to the Nou Camp, with vice-president Ferran Soriano telling Spanish sports newspaper Marca that talks were at an "advanced" stage.
Soriano added it was "the wish of all parties" for an agreement to be reached for the transfer of Henry.


He also insisted that Barcelona waited for the green light from Arsenal before making a move for the France international, who is the club's all-time record goalscorer.


Henry said:


" I will miss the Arsenal fans dearly, they have supported me through thick and thin. They will always be in my heart, as will all the fans who make the game here so special. I will always have a special bond with Arsenal Football Club."


"Barcelona are a wonderful club steeped in tradition and play beautiful football. I'm sure I will be very happy there," he continued.




Henry helped Arsenal to two league titles and three FA Cups and led the Gunners to the finals of the 2000 Uefa Cup and 2006 Champions League.


In February 2006, he became the first Arsenal player to score over 200 goals for the club, with a strike against Birmingham, and has bagged a club record 226 goals in 364 appearances for the Gunners.


His consistency in front of goal ensured he finished as the Premier League's top scorer on four occasions.


He has won the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year title on two occasions and the football writers' player of the year three times. He has also twice finished runner-up in the Fifa world player of the year.

Apple: iPhone

Apple: iPhone battery better than expected

Story Highlights:

• Apple: iPhone will support 8-hours of talk time

• Battery supports 7 hours of video playback, 6 hours of Web use

• Touch-screen made out of optical-quality glass, not plastic

• On sale at AT&T, Apple stores on June 29 for $499 and $599

CUPERTINO, California (AP) -- Apple Inc. says its highly anticipated iPhone will have a battery life that supports 8 hours of talk time.

The company said Monday the battery also supports 7 hours of video playback, 6 hours of Internet use, 24 hours of music playback, and it will feature up to 10 days of standby time before requiring a recharge.

When the phone was unveiled in January, Apple said it would support 9 days of standby time.

In another change, the iPhone's touch-sensitive screen will be made out of optical-quality glass, instead of plastic. Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the change will create "superior scratch resistance and clarity."

The combo cell phone, media player and wireless Web device will only be sold at stores owned by Apple Inc. and AT&T Inc., which has an exclusive deal to offer service for the device when it goes on sale in the U.S. on June 29.

It will also be available at Apple's Web site.

The iPhone will be available in two configurations, $499 for a 4 gigabyte model and $599 for one with 8 gigabytes of storage.

V8 Vantage Roadster

The V8 Vantage Roadster embodies the qualities that are integral to Aston Martin: Power, Beauty and Soul. Representing the essence of pure driving pleasure, the new Roadster is a compact sports car that offers an astonishing blend of performance and exhilaration, a car with two distinct personalities: Open and invigorating, or closed, cosseting and protective.

Sportshift

Sportshift adds electro-hydraulic control to the V8 Vantage Roadster 6-speed manual transmission to offer improved shift times and replaces the conventional manual gear lever with push button controls on the centre console to select ‘Auto Drive’, ‘Reverse’ or ‘Neutral’.

Manual gear changes are selected in Paddle Shift Mode - the new ultra-quick system provides the driver with heightened precision via fingertip control of gear changes using steering column mounted paddles, forged from lightweight magnesium, to progress smoothly and swiftly through the ratios.

Sportshift offers gear changes up to three times faster than the standard manual transmission already available, with the driving enthusiast able to access precision gearshifts in around 200m/s. To adapt to all driving conditions, an additional 'Comfort' mode offering a more relaxed gear change features which is selected via a single button on the centre console.

Sportshift functionality is also enhanced with a low speed ‘crawl’ feature, which acts as a manoeuvring aid, gently engaging the clutch to move the car up to 4mph - allowing the driver to focus on positioning rather than throttle control when parking. Additionally, Sportshift includes a user-selected ‘Auto Drive’ mode, which, when operated, will take full control of the timing of all changes and select the appropriate gear for all conditions.

Equipped with Sportshift, the Vantage Roadster retains its low polar moment of inertia and excellent balance, with a negligible increase in overall weight and minimal impact to the Roadster's optimal 49:51 weight distribution. Equally, top end performance is unchanged, at 280 km/h (175 mph).

V8 Vantage

The V8 Vantage is a hand-crafted sports car that offers electrifying performance and outstanding agility. The most affordable of all Aston Martins, it fuses traditional Aston Martin style and everyday usability. The result is the world's most desirable sports car.

Dynamics

Exhilarating Performance

At the heart of every great sports car is a great engine; and in the case of the V8 Vantage, this has never been more true. The V8 Vantage has a powerful 4.3 litre 283 kW (380 bhp) engine, unique to Aston Martin. This is an engine designed and built by Aston Martin for Aston Martin. Developed for flexibility as well as outright performance, the front mid-mounted V8 also delivers an outstanding aural experience, as one would expect of an Aston Martin with a potential maximum speed of 280 km/h (175 mph).

Extraordinary engine power is not the only reason for the superb performance of the V8 Vantage. Just as important is its lightweight, all-alloy structure, which offers class-leading strength and rigidity. The front mid-engined layout – the dry sump lubrication system allows the engine to sit low – and rear-mid transmission help provide optimum front to rear weight distribution as well as a low centre of gravity. The result is exceptional agility and inspired balance and handling.

Powerful, Musical V8 Engine

The V8 Vantage is a very fast sports car. With 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.0 seconds and a potential maximum speed of 280 km/h (175 mph) its performance figures are as heady as you would expect of an Aston Martin.

The Ultimate Aston Martin

Vanquish S

‘The fastest road car in the history of Aston Martin. A car that fuses hand-crafted tradition with the highest calibre of automotive technology. Appropriately it is our flagship car - the Vanquish S - the ultimate Aston Martin.’

Dr Ulrich Bez, Chief Executive Officer, Aston Martin

A Distinguished Heritage

In 1914, the founders of Aston Martin, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, began building handcrafted, high-performance sports cars. They believed sports cars should have a distinctive and individual character, be built to the highest standards and be exhilarating to drive and own. More than 90 years later these values remain true today.
Aston Martin has earned a reputation for another speciality: building lifelong one-to-one relationships with each of its cars and with every owner. This is due to meticulous records and archives, plus personal attention from experts at the factory.

The Vanquish S effortlessly combines 21st Century technology and 200 mph (321 km/h) performance, with understated elegance and craftsmanship.
To build such an extraordinary car, the company has used British expertise in aerospace and race-car engineering. Conventional automotive industry materials and manufacturing techniques were not good enough for the fastest road car in Aston Martin’s history.

Aston Martin

The Cars

Aston Martin is a name that needs little introduction. It has always stood for fine, civilized high performance sports cars, designed and produced by skilled craftsmen. There is a special place in the market and in the hearts of owners for classic sports cars which conform to this ideal. These are cars which bring to life the freedom and enjoyment of the open road.
Even so, every Aston Martin is very much a product of today’s technology. New resources and new investment in the latest computer aided design and engineering facilities, in statistical process control and many other leading edge disciplines ­are ensuring that for Aston Martin, the future is every bit as bright as its illustrious past .

DB9

A Striking Balance

DB9 is a thoroughbred sports car with GT levels of comfort and refinement. Its design philosophy is uncompromising and brings together everything that makes a sports car great with that unique Aston Martin character, borne out of craftsmanship and use of the finest quality materials.
So what is it that makes a great sports car?Most cars are a series of compromises. The result is usually rational – even impressive on paper – but often bland and soulless in reality. Sports cars should be all about character and driver involvement. They need to look great, sound great and have power and performance to stir the soul.