Ancala West Sports Car Club

50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona - Saturday January 28, 2012 @ 2:30 ET

2012-01-27T12:25:00.001-08:00

The international motorsports season kicks off with the 50th Rolex 24 At Daytona this Saturday, with 60 cars entered in the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.

Tune in to SPEED at 2:30 PM ET for a special one-hour pre-race show highlighting some of the best moments in the race's history as well as interviews with this year's competitors. Also, check out the GoPro Rolex 24 At Daytona Preview, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNf_wlLZU04&feature=player_embedded. The green flag waves shortly after 3:30 PM ET for over 15 hours of LIVE coverage of the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona.

SPEED is enhancing coverage of the event to include live video from the overnight portion of the race on SPEED.com through a number of camera streams, a running leaderboard and commentary from Radio Le Mans broadcast team.

Live timing and scoring from your computer or mobile device is available by logging on to http://m.grand-am.com.

Co-Brand Gas Cards Disappear

2012-01-25T03:46:00.000-08:00

CITGO is losing its consumer co-branded MasterCard. The oil company is the latest to join the ranks of refiners whose card is being canceled by Citi, CSP Daily News has reported. Citi also closed ConocoPhillips' co-branded MasterCard last September, which accounted for 0.4% of all ConocoPhillips' card sales. Other oil cobrand card programs discontinued by Citi include Sunoco (canceled last February).

Chase discontinued Marathon's cobranded card in August. Other marketers including Wawa and RaceTrac no longer offer co-branded cards. Bank of America cancelled the Chrysler Visa card a few years ago.

GE Capital Retail Bank continues to offer the Chevron co-branded Visa card, at least for now.

Quote of the Day: "In the past, economic growth came first, then you got education, health and two-child families. Now it is the reverse. If you have education, health and two-child families, then you get economic growth."

2012-01-24T15:18:00.001-08:00

“In the past, economic growth came first, then you got education, health and two-child families. Now it is the reverse. If you have education, health and two-child families, then you get economic growth,” said Hans Rosling, a Swedish doctor who co-founded the Gapminder Foundation, which analyzes public health statistics.

Quote of the Day: "People over 50 account for 67% of America's consumption."

2012-01-19T13:20:00.001-08:00

“People over 50 account for 67% of America’s consumption. So they should be the most highly sought after demographic, right? Wrong: Only 5% of marketing spending is geared toward them. And if you look within that 5%, 92% of it is pharmaceuticals and financial products,” says Asaaf Wand, the founder of Sabi, a line of branded, ergonomic wares for the aging which launches today.

Customers Love Kindle Owners' Lending Library, including Puvungna

2012-01-12T14:32:00.001-08:00

The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library is off to a strong start: customers borrowed 295,000 KDP Select titles in December alone, and KDP Select has helped grow total library selection to over 75,000 books.

Paid KDP sales grew rapidly in December — and results show that paid sales of titles participating in KDP Select are growing even faster than other KDP titles. On top of this growth in paid sales, KDP Select authors and publishers on average are receiving an incremental 26% in December as a result of their participation in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.

“KDP Select appears to be earning authors more money in two ways. We knew customers would love having KDP Select titles in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. But we’ve been surprised by how much paid sales of those same titles increased, even relative to the rest of KDP,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. “Due to this early success and a seasonally strong January, we’re adding a $200,000 bonus to January’s KDP Select fund, growing this month’s total pool to $700,000.”

The top ten KDP Select authors earned over $70,000 in the month of December from their participation in the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, a 30% increase on top of the royalties they earned from their paid sales on the same titles in the same period. In total (paid sales plus their share of the loan fund), these authors saw their royalties grow an astonishing 449% month-over-month from November to December. The list of KDP Select authors includes Daniel Stiel, Rachel Yu, the Grabarchuk family and Amber Scott.

Daniel Stiel is the author of Puvungna, a story about two young brothers who travel back in time and discover an ancient Indian village along the shores of a Southern California beach and the secret behind its disappearance over five hundred years ago. Borrow the book free at http://www.amazon.com/Puvungna-ebook/dp/B00307S9XK

Rachel Yu is a 16-year-old author of children's books, and she earned $6,200 from the KDP Select fund in the month of December. “It’s so cool to be part of the success of KDP Select,” said Yu. “It's just like a library but with easier access. There's truly no other opportunity like Amazon for self-publishing.”

The Grabarchuk family earned $6,300 from the KDP Select fund in December from their puzzle books. “After only a month KDP Select has dramatically changed things — finally indie publishers are playing as equals with the big publishing houses in the world's biggest eBook marketplace,” said Serhiy Grabarchuk, Co-Founder of the Grabarchuk Puzzles company.

Amber Scott is a romance writer and earned $7,650 from the KDP Select fund in December. “Enrolling in KDP Select utterly transformed my career,” said Scott. “I've experienced not only a surge in royalties but a surge in readership thanks to the increased exposure. I love the chance to earn new readers through the innovation of the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. What an exciting time to be an author!”

Since launching Kindle Owners’ Lending Library on November 2, Prime members with Kindles can now choose from over 75,000 books to borrow for free—including over 100 current and former New York Times Bestsellers—as frequently as a book a month, with no due dates.

LAKE ELSINORE TO HOST AMA NATIONAL FINALE

2012-01-12T07:50:00.001-08:00

The Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park will become the new home of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, set to take place on Saturday, September 8, 2012.

Ferrari hires former Bridgestone tyre chief

2012-01-11T06:37:00.000-08:00

Ferrari has signed-on former Bridgestone development chief Hirohide Hamashima to help Formula One's oldest and most successful team get the most out of the Pirelli tyres and fight for the title after a difficult 2011.

2012 International CES Exhibit Hours

2012-01-10T17:28:00.001-08:00

2012 International CES Exhibit Hours:

Tuesday, January 10: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wednesday, January 11: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thursday, January 12: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday, January 13: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

· Las Vegas Convention Center and World Trade Center (LVCC)

· Las Vegas Hilton

· The Venetian

Las Vegas Hilton is changing its name to LVH (Las Vegas Hotel & Casino) on January 3, 2012. The 2012 International CES will refer to it as the Las Vegas Hilton.

2012 F1 Formula One Season Schedule

2012-01-09T09:29:00.001-08:00

2012 F1 Formula One Grand Prix Season Schedule

Sunday, 03/18/2012:   Australian Grand Prix @ Albert Park Circuit
Sunday, 03/25/2012:   Malaysian Grand Prix @ Sepang International Circuit
Sunday, 04/15/2012:   Chinese Grand Prix @ Shanghai International Circuit
Sunday, 04/22/2012:   Bahrain Grand Prix @ Bahrain International Racing Circuit
Sunday, 05/13/2012:   Spanish Grand Prix @ Circuit de Catalunya
Sunday, 05/27/2012:   Monaco Grand Prix @ Circuit de Monaco
Sunday, 06/10/2012:   Canadian Grand Prix @ Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Sunday, 06/24/2012:   European Grand Prix @ Valencia Circuit
Sunday, 07/08/2012:   British Grand Prix @ Silverstone Circuit
Sunday, 07/22/2012:   German Grand Prix @ Hockenheimring
Sunday, 07/29/2012:   Hungarian Grand Prix @ Hungaroring
Sunday, 09/02/2012:   Belgian Grand Prix @ Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Sunday, 09/09/2012:   Italian Grand Prix @ Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Sunday, 09/23/2012:   Singapore Grand Prix @ Streets of Marina Bay
Sunday, 10/07/2012:   Japanese Grand Prix @ Suzuka International Racing Course
Sunday, 10/14/2012:   Korean Grand Prix @ Korean International Circuit
Sunday, 10/28/2012:   Indian Grand Prix @ Buddh International Circuit
Sunday, 11/04/2012:   Abu Dhabi Grand Prix @ Yas Marina Circuit
Sunday, 11/18/2012:   United States Grand Prix @ Circuit of the Americas
Sunday, 11/25/2012:   Brazilian Grand Prix @ Autodromo Carlos Pace

F1: Raikkonen Set To Test 2010 Renault

2012-01-09T09:22:00.001-08:00

Kimi Raikkonen will test drive a 2010 Renault at Valencia on January 23-24. Raikkonen will be doing tests originally earmarked for Kubica, had he been part of the team’s plans for this year.

Connected cars is a big theme at CES 2012

2012-01-09T07:33:00.001-08:00

Connected cars are a big theme at CES 2012 here in Las Vegas. Ford, Chrysler, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Kia are all signed up for the show floor, and will be demonstrating new features that deliver digital connectivity to their automobiles, including better interfacing between car dashboards and smartphones. We expect to see novel new safety systems, streaming music services like Pandora, and hand-free, voice-activated texting like what’s being currently hyped in the Hyundai Veloster.

Quote of the Day: "To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."

2012-01-08T15:02:00.001-08:00

To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. - Elbert Hubbard

Orange County Restaurant ranks #2 in Yelp's "Top Ten" list

2012-01-08T09:28:00.001-08:00

Bruxie, which has earned rave reviews since opening its first location in Old Towne Orange in 2010, ranked as Yelp’s No. 2 most popular restaurant in the country in 2011. Bruxie is located at 292 North Glassell Street, Orange, and another location at 215 W. Birch Street, Brea.

The US Top 10 for 2011 list from Yelp includes:

1. Bottega Louie, Los Angeles

2. Bruxie, Orange County

3. Ippudo NY, New York

4. Wurstküche, Los Angeles

5. Bi-Rite Creamery, San Francisco

6. Daikokuya, Los Angeles

7. Phil's BBQ, San Diego

8. Ike's Place, San Francisco

9. Griddle Cafe, Los Angeles

10. Animal, Los Angeles

AMA SUPERCROSS TITLES BY RIDER NUMBER & YEAR

2012-01-07T08:04:00.001-08:00

AMA SUPERCROSS SUPERSTARS

The following riders have won Supercross titles (shown by year in the order of most titles won):

1. Jeremy McGrath: 7 (1993, '94, '95, '96, '98, '99, 2000)
2. Ricky Carmichael: 5 (2001, '02, '03, '05, '06)
3. Bob Hannah: 3 (1977, '78, '79)
3. Jeff Stanton: 3 (1989, '90, '92)
5. Jeff Ward: 2 (1985, '87)
5. Chad Reed: 2 (2004, '08)
5. Rick Johnson: 2 (1986, '88)
5. James Stewart: 2 (2007, '09)
9. Pierre Karsmakers: 1 (1974)
9. Jim Ellis: 1 (1975)
9. Jim Weinert: 1 (1976)
9. Mike Bell: 1 (1980)
9. Mark Barnett: 1 (1981)
9. Donnie Hansen: 1 (1982)
9. David Bailey: 1 (1983)
9. Johnny O'Mara:1 (1984)
9. Jean Michael Bayle: 1 (1991)
9. Jeff Emig: 1 (1997)
9. Ryan Dungey: 1 (2010)
9. Ryan Villopoto: 1 (2011)

2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule

2012-01-04T07:26:00.001-08:00

The following is the complete 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule:

March 15, 2012
Daytona Flat Track I
Daytona Flat Track, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Short Track

March 16, 2012
Daytona Flat Track II
Daytona Flat Track, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Short Track

May 26, 2012
Springfield TT
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
TT

May 27, 2012
Springfield Mile
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
Mile

June 9, 2012
TBA

June 30, 2012
Lima Half-Mile
Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, Ohio
Half Mile

July 7, 2012
Hagerstown, Half-Mile
Hagerstown Speedway, Md.
Half Mile

July 14, 2012
I-96 Half-Mile
I-96 Speedway, Lake Odessa, Mich.
Half Mile

July 28, 2012
Sacramento Mile
Cal Expo, Sacramento, Cailf.
Mile

August 4, 2012
Castle Rock TT
Castle Rock Race Park, Castle Rock, Wash.
TT

August 12, 2012
Peoria TT
PMC Race Park, Peoria, Ill.
TT

August 18, 2012
Indy Mile
Indiana State Fairground, Indianapolis, Ind.
Mile

September 1, 2012
Springfield Short Track
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
Short Track

September 2, 2012
Springfield Mile II
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
Mile

September 8, 2012
Knoxville Half-Mile
Knoxville Raceway,Knoxville, Iowa
Half Mile

September 15, 2012
TBA

September 30, 2012
Santa Rosa Mile
Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Mile

October 6, 2012
TBA

October 13, 2012
Flat Track Finale
LA County Fairplex, Pomona, Calif.
Half Mile

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com

Samuel J. Palmisano on IBM

2012-01-02T03:24:00.001-08:00

Samuel J. Palmisano, who steps down on this week after nearly a decade as chief executive of I.B.M., knows how to drive change in a big company.

When so much of the study of business innovation focuses on start-ups and entrepreneurs, he says in an interview with the NYT that his guiding framework boils down to four questions:

1. “Why would someone spend their money with you — so what is unique about you?”

2. “Why would somebody work for you?”

3. “Why would society allow you to operate in their defined geography — their country?”

4. “And why would somebody invest their money with you?”

Qoute of the Day: "All I Want for Christmas is A Good Education for My Kids"

2011-12-31T09:10:00.001-08:00

“All I Want for Christmas is A Good Education for My Kids,” Youth Voices Education Director Rubi Fregoso

Facebook: to friend or not to friend... That is the question!

2011-12-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

We shared some reasons why people friend – or de-friend someone on Facebook. By popular demand, here's the infographic that tells more of the story.

Friends & Frenemies: Why We Add and Remove Facebook Friends

2011-12-22T13:59:00.000-08:00

To friend or to de-friend, that is the question. New research from NM Incite, a Nielsen McKinsey company, reveals that there are innumerable factors that help Facebook users decide to add a friend or cull someone from the fold, though knowing someone in real life is the top reason cited for friend-ing someone (82%) and offensive comments are the main reason someone gets the boot (55%).

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Why companies love "hip" office spaces

2011-12-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

Businessweek writes companies such as Facebook are leading a new wave of office design, with open areas and shared spaces replacing cubicles and meeting rooms. The aim is to help workers bump into each other and share ideas, says analyst Dan Fasulo. "A new generation of corporate leaders is looking at space-planning as a core part of business to increase productivity and keep people in the office."

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Joe Schmo Crashes brand-new Lamborghini

2011-12-22T09:03:00.000-08:00

A truck driver who won a Lamborghini worth about $300,000 in a Maverik Inc. convenience store contest crashed the sports car six hours after he got it. Now plans to sell the 640-horsepower convertible because he can't afford the insurance or taxes, reported the Associated Press.

"I already had offers on it. I'm going to sell it," David Dopp told the news agency on Wednesday. "I have bills more important than a Lamborghini. I've got a family to support."

Dopp, a 34-year-old truck driver for Frito-Lay, spun out of control just a few hours after taking the keys to the Murcielago Roadster that he won in a "Joe Schmo to Lambo" contest sponsored by Maverik.

Dopp was taking family members and friends on joy rides the first evening. He said he took a curve at about 45 mph and "hit some black ice and spun out." The car jumped a curb and went through a fence before coming to a rest about 75 feet off the road. Neither Dopp nor his passenger was injured.

The car was a 2008 with 1,500 miles on it. The convenience store valued the prize at $358,000. I guess some guys are just destined not to go fast…

Interview with President Clinton

2011-12-22T08:56:00.001-08:00

This weekend, CNN will broadcast an interview with President Clinton about the remarkable work of the Clinton Foundation. I hope you'll tune in this Saturday, December 24, at 2pm ET or Sunday, December 25, at 4pm ET to learn more about the life-changing work that you've helped make possible.

Happy Holidays from All of Us!

2011-12-20T11:45:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays from everyone!

May every day of the season be a cause for celebration.

Thank you for all your support in 2011. We look forward to an even more prosperous New Year!

Sincerely,

The Editorial Team

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Holiday Gifts

2011-12-19T08:46:00.000-08:00

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has a whole sack of goodies in store for those looking for original holiday gifts for the whole family.

From theme park tickets promising a full day of Ferrari-fuelled excitement to branded caps, T-Shirts, mugs, soft toys, photo frames and other cool items, in addition to exclusive gifts including our limited edition Commemorative Ticket.

A trip to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi's shopping outlets means you can cross off some of your predictable gift list staples in favour of something a lot more fun.

Plan your visit now!

In keeping with the holiday spirit of giving, UAE residents can still benefit from the Park's 1st Anniversary offer and enjoy a special reduction of AED40 on admission ticket prices until December 24th, 2011.

General Admission Ticket Rates*:
AED 185 for guests 1.5m & above and AED 125 for guests below 1.5m

Premium Admission Ticket Rates*:
AED 455 for guests 1.5m & above and AED 350 for guests below 1.5m

*Terms and conditions apply.

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9 tech toys made obsolete by smartphones in 2011

2011-12-18T00:54:00.001-08:00

1. GPS devices are being replaced by apps delivered via iPhones.

2. Digital cameras that work for 80% of most photographers and videographers are now found on smartphones.

3. The Flip cam was so cool… then the Smartphones with video capabilities made the Flip cam so obsolete that poor Cisco announced it would stop making it last April.

4. The portable DVD player gets trumped by a dozen tablets that let you watch downloaded movies.

5. Voice recorders, from micro-cassette recorders to digital voice recorders have been outsmarted by the smartphone with built-in recording technology.

6. Flash drives are so yesterday, thanks to the rise of cloud computing and the ease of sending giant files, the 2-inch flash drive has come to seem almost clunky.

7. PDA, especially the Palm Pilot, are useless to smartphone users.

8. Netbooks are toast, thanks to tablets and portable keyboards.

9. CD players and stacks of CDS are as obsolete as your uncle Bob’s 8-track collection thanks to MP3 and cloud storage streamed to your phone.