Several groups seek to purchase Saturn auto brand
Thursday, May 7, 2009 Penske Automotive Group, Inc., an Ohio-based investment group and Telesto Ventures have indicated separately that they are interested in purchasing the Saturn auto brand from General Motors (GM). According to The Wall Street Journal, Nissan-Renault is interested in purchasing Saturn. Bloomberg, however, indicated that Nissan-Renault may be a partner of Penske’s potential bid. If Penske acquired the brand, they would distribute Saturn vehicles and outsource the assembly. GM revealed that the Saturn brand along with Saab and Hummer were up for sale when unveiling their restructuring plans to Congress for governmental loans. While the Pontiac brand was originally to be a niche brand, GM had changed their plans recently and decided to eliminate the brand. Telesto Ventures is an investment group that includes private equity firm Black Oak Partners LLC of Oklahoma City and several Saturn dealerships. Initially, Telesto will purchase Saturn branded cars from GM…
Cisco sues Apple for iPhone trademark
Friday, January 12, 2007 The iPhone only made its appearance as a prototype and there have been controversies aroused. The dispute has come up between the manufacturer of the iPhone (which was resented on Wednesday for the first time) – Apple Inc. – and a leader in network and communication systems, based in San Jose – Cisco. The company claims to possess the trademark for iPhone, and moreover, that it sells devices under the same brand through one of its divisions. This became the reason for Cisco to file a lawsuit against Apple Inc. so that the latter would stop selling the device. Cisco states that it has received the trademark in 2000, when the company overtook Infogear Technology Corp., which took place in 1996. The Vice President and general counsel of the company, Mark Chandler, explained that there was no doubt about the excitement of the new device from…
Viktor Schreckengost dies at 101
Sunday, January 27, 2008 Viktor Schreckengost, the father of industrial design and creator of the Jazz Bowl, an iconic piece of Jazz Age art designed for Eleanor Roosevelt during his association with Cowan Pottery died yesterday. He was 101. Schreckengost was born on June 26, 1906 in Sebring, Ohio, United States. Schreckengost’s peers included the far more famous designers Raymond Loewy and Norman Bel Geddes. In 2000, the Cleveland Museum of Art curated the first ever retrospective of Schreckengost’s work. Stunning in scope, the exhibition included sculpture, pottery, dinnerware, drawings, and paintings.
Chrysler files for bankruptcy, Fiat Group SpA to run company
Friday, May 1, 2009 The American auto company Chrysler filed for bankruptcy Thursday, however a deal with European auto maker Fiat went through. The emerging Chrysler will be owned 55 percent by the United Auto Workers, eight percent by the United States Government, two percent by the Canadian Government and Fiat would begin with a 20 percent share. Chrysler Chief Executive Robert Nardelli will step down when the bankruptcy proceedings are finalized. Initially, the Italian company, Fiat, will appoint three members on the emerging Chrysler’s new board, and the United States government will appoint six. Fiat can assume the majority of the ownership upon repayment of American loans. Chrysler administrators expect that the bankruptcy should take a couple of months. “We expect this to be a very short, 30-to-60-day bankruptcy process, during which the company will function normally,” a top administration official said, “People will be able to buy cars,…
BBC spends £3.4m on sell-off
Friday, June 27, 2008 Newspaper The Guardian reports today that the sale of the BBC subsidiary BBC Resources Ltd., has cost £3.4m in consultancy fees — over £1m more than the £2.3m trading profit the commercial division is estimated to have made for the last financial year. Details of the failed privatisation were released by the BBC following a freedom of information request, and prior to publication of its annual report on July 8. Fourteen months after advisers were appointed to try to sell BBC Resources Ltd., only one of the three main business units has been sold — its Outside Broadcast division to Satellite Information Services Limited (SIS), for an estimated £20m. On March 7, 2008 it was also announced that the studios operation would remain in BBC ownership and in early June, the fate of the third business was put on hold with the BBC stating that “like…
2006 “Stolenwealth” Games to confront Commonwealth Games in Melbourne
Friday, March 3, 2006 The possibility of large-scale protests in the face of the 3,000 journalists covering the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, has event organisers and the Government worried. The group “Black GST” – which represents Indigenous Genocide, Sovereignty and Treaty – are planning demonstrations at prominent Games events unless the Government agrees to a range of demands including an end to Aboriginal genocide, Aboriginal Sovereignty and the signing of a treaty. The Black GST say they hope the focus of the world’s media will draw attention to the plight of indigenous Australians during the Games. Organisers say supporters are converging from across Australia and from overseas. Organisers say up to 20,000 people may take part in talks, rallies, colourful protests and many cultural festivities designed to pressure the Federal Government on Indigeneous rights issues. They want the Government to provide a temporary campsite for the supporters, saying “organised chaos…
Viktor Schreckengost dies at 101
Sunday, January 27, 2008 Viktor Schreckengost, the father of industrial design and creator of the Jazz Bowl, an iconic piece of Jazz Age art designed for Eleanor Roosevelt during his association with Cowan Pottery died yesterday. He was 101. Schreckengost was born on June 26, 1906 in Sebring, Ohio, United States. Schreckengost’s peers included the far more famous designers Raymond Loewy and Norman Bel Geddes. In 2000, the Cleveland Museum of Art curated the first ever retrospective of Schreckengost’s work. Stunning in scope, the exhibition included sculpture, pottery, dinnerware, drawings, and paintings.
Two shot outside Los Angeles nightclub
Saturday, July 23, 2011 A gunman shot and injured two men early this morning outside the Vault XXI nightclub in the Little Tokyo district in Los Angeles, California. Lieutenant Paul Vernon of the Los Angeles Police Department says the two men are in critical condition. Witnesses say the two men, both Asian and in their 20s, were smoking outside the club when a man wearing a ski mask approached and shot the two around 1:30 a.m. local time (9:30 UTC). The men suffered multiple wounds and crawled into the club. Police believe the shooter was possibly Asian and was about five feet seven inches tall. Investigators say there were ten bullet casings at the scene from a semiautomatic firearm. Lt. Vernon said, “We’re lucky more people were not injured in this attack. It appears the victims were targeted by the suspect as they stood at the entrance to the nightclub.”
Honda Civic tops Canada’s list of most stolen cars
Wednesday, November 22, 2006 The 1999 and 2000 year model Honda Civic SiR tops the list of Canada’s most stolen cars. Consumer popularity also assures the cars will be popular with thieves. Its the second year in a row the Honda SiR has topped the list. Rick Dubin Vice President of Investigations for the Insurance Bureau of Canada said “The Civics are easy targets.” Dubin said that once stolen, the cars are most often sold to “chop shops” where thieves completely dismantle the vehicles. The automobile’s individual parts are worth more than the entire car. The sheer numbers of the cars and their lack of theft deterrent systems make them thieves’ preferred choices. 1999 and 2000 Honda Civics do not come with an electronic immobilizer, however all Hondas from 2001 and onward are equipped with an immobilizer. Immobilizers will be mandatory on all new cars sold beginning September 2007. The…
Wikipedia founder embroiled in affair and financial allegations
Wednesday, March 5, 2008 This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. The implosion of a relationship between Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and journalist Rachel Marsden has resulted in controversy and international headlines. Associated Press and ABC News have also reported on questionable activity by Wales involving Wikimedia Foundation expenses. The Wikimedia Foundation is a donor-supported non-profit organization which runs Wikipedia. Marsden had contacted Wales two years ago about concerns she had over the article about her on Wikipedia, and Wales determined the article was not compliant with Wikipedia’s standards. The tech blog Valleywag revealed Wales had a personal relationship with Marsden, and posted supposed transcripts of their instant message conversations on its site, www.valleywag.com. Wales and Marsden met in February, and The Times reported that “An apparent transcript of their conversations before that meeting…