2011 Bentley Mulsanne Priced From $285,000

2011 Bentley Muslanne - Click above for a high-res image gallery

With a starting price of $285,000, Bentley's newest flagship model won't come cheap. Nor should it, with its 505-horsepower, 725 lb-ft, gasoline-fed 6.75-liter V8 engine sitting behind the automaker's trademark mesh grille and four round lights.

Also included in that price will be a paddle-shifted eight-speed automatic transmission, 16.54-inch front and 15.5-inch rear carbon ceramic brakes and 20-inch wheels. Don't forget the 2,200-watt stereo system and the the new Driver Dynamics Control system, which comes with "Bentley," "Sport," "Comfort" and user-definable "Custom" modes.

Want one? Production is slated to begin at the Crewe factory in England in the second quarter of 2010 and the first deliveries will make it to America later than year in the fall. Get yours in one of 114 available paint colors, 21 carpet colors, nine wood veneers and 24 interior leather hides, but get your order in fast - Bentley reports that early customer interest has exceeded 2010 production targets. Click past the break for the official press release.

Gallery: 2010 Bentley Mulsanne

[Source: Bentley]

Continue reading 2011 Bentley Mulsanne Priced From $285,000

Filed under: Wheels

2011 Bentley Mulsanne Priced From $285,000 originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Read More... [Source: Luxist]

John Hussman: Stocks are priced to disappoint for a decade

Filed under: Investing

It's not hard to find folks who think stocks are way too expensive relative to their earnings prospects, perhaps even matching tech-bubble levels. But when John Hussman says shares are priced to disappoint, intelligent investors would do well to pay attention.

Hussman's hardly a household name, but the highly successful money manger's funds -- Hussman Strategic Growth (HSGFX) and Hussman Strategic Total Return (HSTRX) -- have delivered annualized returns of 8.6% and 7.9%, respectively, since their 2000 and 2002 debuts. (They're cheap, too: The growth fund's net expense ratio comes to 1.09%, while total return charges just 0.79%.)

Continue reading John Hussman: Stocks are priced to disappoint for a decade

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Read More... [Source: DailyFinance]

Splinter Cell: Conviction Collector's Edition revealed for the rest of the world

Click with conviction to see larger images Paying more for a fancier version of Splinter Cell: Conviction is no longer an exclusively North American privilege. Ubisoft just announced a Collector's Edition of the stealth sequel for "all" European, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Pacific territories -- and it comes with different stuff than the North American version!

The rest of the world's Collector's Edition will include the usual steel-book case and soundtrack, and also the distinguished-looking Sam Fisher statue seen above, frozen forever in the act of almost stepping on his night vision goggles. The pack also includes in-game bonuses like an Infiltration Mode, a special "Shadow Armor" skin, and "early access" to the SC300, SR2 and MP5 weapons.

Head into our gallery to see images of both the Xbox 360 and PC sets.

Gallery: Splinter Cell: Conviction Collector's Edition

Splinter Cell: Conviction Collector's Edition revealed for the rest of the world originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read More... [Source: Joystiq]

Did Prog Rock's Greatest Artist Inspire Avatar? All Signs Point To Yes

James Cameron spent years creating Avatar's floating islands and crazy dragons, and then an army of concept artists brought them to life. But maybe they had some inspiration from somewhere else? Like classic album-cover artist Roger Dean? Behold the evidence.

Chances are, if you've looked at a weirdshistic record cover by Yes, Asia or other bands, you've admired Roger Dean's paintings of surreal landscapes. If you've ever seen all good people turn their heads each day, then you're already a Dean fan.

Connor Freff Cochran, founder of Conlan Press (which is busy putting out a bunch of Peter S. Beagle books, hosting Beagle's 52/50 poetry subscription service, and putting out art books) contacted us and suggested that Avatar's lush moon might have gained some inspiration from Dean. And when you look at Dean's artwork and compare it to the concept art we posted the other day, it's hard not to see the resemblance.

All of this makes me want to rent Avatar (when it's released on DVD) and see if I can sync it up with YesSongs.

Read More... [Source: io9: top]

Pioneer to Stop Making Plasma TVs

Filed under: Audio/Video, TV, Breaking News

In the battle for thin-panel television supremacy, the plasma display for many years has been the superior choice, relying on individual pockets of excitable gas to produce bright colors and rich blacks. But ever since the upstart LCD panel display came into the HDTV market, it's been gradually nipping at plasma's heels, and, after years of refinements, has finally started to offer similar visual performance at lower price and in a much lighter package. This has meant bad news for the plasma industry, with the latest blow being word that Pioneer, one of the leading plasma manufacturers, will stop making plasma panels.

Pioneer will still sell its well-respected Kuro series plasma displays, known for being some of the best on the market. But it will no longer actually manufacture the panels used inside of those sets, instead turning to a third-party (in this case, Panasonic). What this means for the cost and quality of these sets remains to be seen. If Panasonic makes the panels but adds Pioneer's excellent video processing and other technologies, perhaps the Pioneer that many videophiles (including us) know and love will live on. Or maybe Pioneer will figure out some way to give us in LCDs what we loved in its plasmas, since the company plants to start releasing Kuro-branded LCDs televisions this Fall.

So, sorry plasma lovers. It's quite possible that your format of choice is going the way of HD-DVD. With any luck, though, the new crop of Organic Light Emitting Diode or OLED televisions, which deliver even brighter colors and deeper blacks than plasmas, will be inexpensive enough to fill the void in a few years.

From Engadget

Related Links:

• LCD TV Prices to Dive Even Lower in 2008
• Pioneer Unveils Super-Thin, High-Contrast Plasma TVs
• Sony's Almost-Paper-Thin OLED-TV Coming to U.S.
• Our Best TV Pick: Pioneer Kuro Elite

Pioneer to Stop Making Plasma TVs originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read More... [Source: Switched]

Spec Ops: The Line not dusting up until Nov. 2010 at earliest

Though the Bjork-filled trailer for Spec Ops: The Line may have left you eager to start shooting up a sandy Dubai, we have to recommend that you save at least some anticipation for late next year. According to publisher Take-Two, the Yager-developed shooter isn't due until the 2011 fiscal year, which kicks off on Nov. 1 of 2010.

Yes, it's a long way off, but don't get depressed! Your friends at Joystiq have a wonderful way of filling your quota for desert-based e-murder in the interim: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. With Game of the Year list time just around the corner, has there ever been a better moment to revisit the most points-laden diamond skull hunt of the year? We think not.

Spec Ops: The Line not dusting up until Nov. 2010 at earliest originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read More... [Source: Joystiq]

Sunday Afternoon Funnies: Studying

Are you ready for another dose of WoW-related comics? Some of these are particularly good this week, but I won't name names. You'll have to find out on your own:

• Scout is still pretty upset: #90.
• Teh Gladiators: Now You See (Cows), Now You Don't.
• Da!ly Quests: Grab The Light By The Horns.
• Dark Legacy Comics: Rush.
• NPC: The Overachiever.
• NPC: Downtime. Also, Perky. I adore the facial expressions!
• Beyond the Tree: Heeding the Call.
• Dungeons and Draenei: Rockin' Around the Christmas Druid.
• Looking For Group: #311. Don't miss this one, even if you don't normally read it! Then check out #312.
• Cru the Dwarf: Shoot That Poison Arrow....
• Cru the Dwarf: ...To My Void Heart.
• NoObz: Eighth Commandment.

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Features, Humor, Comics, Sunday Morning Funnies

Sunday Afternoon Funnies: Studying originally appeared on WoW.com on Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Read More... [Source: WoW.com]

GOP: We're United Against Health Care Bill - CBS News

CBS News

GOP: We're United Against Health Care Bill CBS News I am a typical MIDDLE Class American, and I am also a conservative. My main question to all non Conservative Americans is what is the goal of Health Care ... and more »

Read More... [Source: Conservative - Google News]

I Think This Is What Going To Hell In A Handbasket Looks Like <b>...</b>

I just received this email from a reader: Dr. Clouthier, I've got my own conservative-leaning site but I keep yours close at hand everyday. Thank you, first off, for being so vigilant. That being said, I'm sorry to have to ask so ...
Read More... [Source: Conservative - Google Blog Search]