xwzd Ungültige Baugenehmigung- Baustopp für E.ON

admin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:19:00 +0000

Wie das Oberverwaltungsgericht Münster in der vergangenen Woche festgestellt hatte, seien Kühlturm und Kessel zu nah an einer Wohnsiedlung errichtet worden. Das Projekt versto?e gegen die nordrhein-westf?lische Landesplanung, und es l?ge keine gültige Baugenehmigung vor. Heute will der Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz (BUND) den sofortigen Baustopp beantragen. Wenn es ganz hart für e.on kommt, muss der Konzern die bereits fertigen Rohbauten abrei?en und das Grundstück renaturieren. Doch selbst wenn es nicht zum Abriss kommt, so wird sich zumindest die Inbetriebnahme deutlich verz?gern – sollte e.on vor Gericht gehen und dort Erfolg haben, wird es dennoch Monate oder gar Jahre dauern, bis die Bauarbeiten wieder aufgenommen werden k?nnen.

Vielleicht ist e.on nicht der einzige Leidtragende in der Geschichte – auch die Stadt Datteln k?nnte ?rger bekommen, denn sie ist nicht ganz unschuldig an der ungültigen Baugenehmigung. Ein Standort für das Kraftwerk war n?mlich genehmigt, doch der Platz schien nicht zu reichen. Also genehmigte die Stadt eben einmal die Entfernung einiger st?render B?ume und die Errichtung des Kohlekessels an dieser Stelle. Wenn e.on zu dem Schluss kommen sollte, dass eigentlich die Stadt an der ganzen Misere schuld ist und für den Schaden haften soll, k?nnte es für das 36.000 Einwohner-?rtchen unangenehm werden.

Im nordrhein-westf?lischen Datteln baut e.on ein riesiges Kraftwerk für 1,2 Milliarden Euro, weit über 1000 Menschen arbeiten jeden Tag an dem Mammutprojekt, das im Jahr 2011 in Betrieb genommen werden soll – so weit der Plan des Energiekonzerns. Doch jetzt droht die Katastrophe: Ein Baustopp steht an, m?glicherweise muss sogar alles wieder abgerissen werden.

Ungültige Baugenehmigung: Baustopp für E.ON-Kraftwerk

Immer lauter werden die Stimmen, die mehr Wettbewerb auf dem Strommarkt fordern, immer mehr Menschen kehren den gro?en Versorgern den Rücken und wechseln. Davon ist auch e.on betroffen, doch der Konzern hat im Moment noch ein ganz anderes Problem: In Nordrhein-Westfalen k?nnte ein bereits im Bau befindliches Kohlekraftwerk demn?chst wieder abgerissen werden – denn die Baugenehmigung fehlt.

kbvv Unleserliche Unterschrift ist rechtens_591

admin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:18:00 +0000

Unleserliche Unterschrift ist rechtens

Dieser Vermieter h?tte wom?glich Arzt werden k?nnen: In einem verhandelten Fall am Kammergericht Berlin haben Richter entschieden, dass eine Unterschrift, egal wie unleserlich diese ist, gültig und damit bindend ist. (Az. 8 U 182/06)

Im konkreten Fall ging es um einen Mietvertrag, bei dem nur der Anfangsbuchstabe des Vermieters auf dem zu erahnen war – der Rest war schlichtweg dahin geschmiert. Aufgrund dessen wollte der Vertragspartner des Vermieters das Dokument anfechten, da der Schriftzug seiner Meinung nach ?nicht die Anforderungen an eine Unterschrift im Rechtssinne“ erfülle. Der Vermieter sah dies anders und stufte seine Unterschrift als identifizierbar ein.

Dieser Meinung folgte auch das Kammergericht. Die Richter entschieden, dass kein Zweifel bestehe, dass der Vertrag korrekt unterzeichnet wurde. So erkenne man deutlich den Anfangsbuchstaben des Vermieters und auch folgende Buchstaben k?nnten dem Namen zugeordnet werden. Laut dem Gericht sei die Lesbarkeit der Unterschrift nicht in erster Linie entscheidend, wenn ?charakteristische Merkmale vorhanden sind, bei denen es sich um die Wiedergabe eines Namens handelt”.

Obwohl Justitia bei Mietvertr?gen grunds?tzlich immer auf formale Korrektheit pocht: bei einer Unterschrift kann man nicht davon ausgehen, dass der Name des Unterzeichnenden komplett zu lesen und erkennbar ist.

lfth Vereinbarte Renovierung ist gerichtlich wirks

admin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:14:00 +0000

Vereinbarte Renovierung ist gerichtlich wirksam

Neue Wohnung gefunden, die alte Bleibe gekündigt und nun der Tag der Schlüsselübergabe: hoffentlich geht alles gut. Wer mit seinem Vermieter am Tag der Wohnungsübergabe beiderseitig vereinbarte Klauseln und Regeln nicht beachtet, kann von der anderen Vertragspartei haftbar gemacht werden.

Der Bundesgerichtshof in Karlsruhe hat entschieden, dass eine vereinbarte Klausel zwischen Mieter und Vermieter zur Endrenovierung der Wohnung wirksam sein kann, wenn nichts anderes ausgemacht wird. (Az.: VIII ZR 71/08)

Im konkreten Fall mussten die Richter entscheiden, ob eine von Mieter und Vermieter gemeinsam getroffene Vereinbarung gültig ist, dass der Mieter die Wohnung endrenovieren muss, da er diese vom Vormieter ebenso renoviert übernommen hatte. Laut Deutschem Mieterbund in Berlin entschieden die Richter, dass die Vereinbarung rechtskr?ftig sei, da es sich um eine individuell ausgehandelte Abmachung handelte. Grunds?tzlich ist jedoch zu beachten, dass pauschale Endrenovierungsklauseln im Wohnungsübernahmeprotokoll oder Mietvertrag ungültig sind, so der Mieterbund. Dies ist der Fall, wenn sich die Formulierung darauf bezieht, dass Mieter beim Auszug immer und unabh?ngig von der Wohndauer zur Endrenovierung der alten Wohnung verpflichtet werden.

Wyyq Digg stops redirecting some URLs, links to se

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 18:58:00 +0000

Digg’s solution, which came just two weeks after the DiggBar launch, was to make the whole DiggBar experience something users had to opt-in to see. This meant that registered users of the site would only see shortened Digg URLs, and the DiggBar by choice. Stray visitors of Digg wouldn’t see either.

The easiest option is interstitial ads–the kind users need to wait through, or click a certain link to bypass on their way to the source content. Digg has effectively done that by forcing users to come through Digg on their way to the content. The big difference in Digg’s case is that users who might have gone to Digg for shortening can simply go elsewhere that does not put advertising on the page, or require an extra click from users.

Making big money on small URLs

Digg’s departure from providing parts of its shortening service could be a good signal of where the URL-shortening service is headed. Turning big URLs into small ones is not difficult, however maintaining these services indefinitely, and at no cost, is a challenge.

Based on a long history of changing things its users do not like, it’s possible the company will revert to the old way of handling shortened links. However, Digg has made no mention of the change on either its public-facing blogs or on the company’s Twitter account. While this could just be a slow start after a big weekend of activity, it could also signal some internal debate on what’s best for the longevity of the service. I just hope Digg takes a step back and looks at what it offered to begin with, since the current service is such a shadow of its former self.

Josh Lowensohn writes for Webware.com, CNET’s blog about Web applications and services. E-mail Josh, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Josh.

Digg stops redirecting some URLs, links to self instead

Over the weekend, social news site Digg changed how its links work in a way that gives the site an increase in the number of users who visit.

The problem

This may seem like a small change, but it’s a big knock on Digg’s shortening service, and for Digg’s credibility at maintaining features.

In effect this left the DiggBar as something power users could take advantage of, but that casual users would never see–reducing the entire DiggBar feature down to URL shortening.

So is Digg’s shortening service now just a way to shorten links to Digg.com pages? Digg founder Kevin Rose went on to say as much in a Sunday night appearance on Leo Laporte’s This Week in Tech, citing that the company was having to internally juggle certain shortened-URLs that had become popular from outside sources. Particularly, ones from Twitter where the source site would be on the receiving end of an increasing amount of traffic, but because of the lack of a Digg frame bar on the top of the page, it wasn’t easy for users to Digg the story without having to make their way back to Digg.com.

This clearly wasn’t good enough for Digg, since this move nets the site more ad impressions and unique user tracks than it would by acting as a redirection service alone. Back when it was originally introduced, the company was able to get by since the DiggBar displayed ads when people were using certain features such as viewing related content, Digg user comments, and other stories from that site’s particular source. But, without the DiggBar on top, and without any kind of recognition–other than in name, Digg was getting none of these benefits.

Update: A Digg representative has told me that we should be getting an update on the new link behavior sometime Tuesday.

So could this mean Digg is working on a paid variant on its shortening service that gives either users or content owners the option to pay to get that direct-level of service? Possibly. It could also mean Digg simply realized it was footing the bill for a service that was bypassing the very pages that were keeping it afloat.

Users of the site’s URL-shortening service noticed that if the Web address they had shortened had been submitted to Digg, the shortened URL would then take its visitors to the story’s page on Digg instead of the page it linked to. At least it was this way for users who were not logged into Digg; registered users who had turned off the DiggBar (and who had a recent log-in cookie from Digg) would not see the change in behavior.

A feature that was once quite controversial, the DiggBar is now a rarity, unless users are registered with Digg and have opted-in to see it on Digg story links.

(Credit:CNET)

The bigger problem, it seems, is that Digg listens too closely to its users and critics instead of staying on course. Digg URLs should have always come with a frame bar on top. It may have been annoying to some, but that was the price of admission. If users wanted a straight-up URL-shortener, there were hundreds available at the time when Digg unveiled its own. The one killer feature was the fact that it took the Digg community along for the ride, which is so clearly far removed from people using it that Digg has chosen to go this route instead.

Introduced in early April, the DiggBar was originally intended as a service that did three things: one was to shorten links and act as a redirection tool. The second was to bring Digg features along for the ride with a framed bar that would appear on the top of the page and provide a simple way to view user comments, related stories, as well as other Dugg items from that same site. The third was to provide a simpler way for users to publish content, either to Digg itself, or places like Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail. This included giving users the capability to shorten a URL by dropping a Digg.com/ in front of the site’s address.

The solution, was to change the link to kick users to the Digg.com story page, as if they had found their way there naturally. However, this caused confusion for users since that page would only show up when clicking from Twitter, and not when clicking that link from another domain. Digg’s fix to that problem? Homogenization. All shortened Digg links simply go to Digg pages, as long as the story’s been submitted. Otherwise, the URLs send users to the source site, which prompts the question if it’s worth submitting a story to Digg, since it can rot a link that thousands of people may be using.

Despite the bevvy of features compared to some competing URL-shortening services, both users and publishers alike found fault in the DiggBar. Users had problems with the service since it drastically hid information about the site they were on, including the URL in their browser’s address bar, and any bookmarks they saved, which would retain the DiggBar. For publishers, there was the worry that users would choose to comment back on Digg instead of on their own pages, as well as SEO damage from search engines not properly indexing and attributing traffic since Digg.com was the redirector.

Nute Device made popular in iPhone catching on_135

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 18:49:00 +0000

“When you turn your iPhone to the side and the screen automatically adjusts from portrait to landscape view, there’s an accelerometer at work. And when you swing your (Nintendo)Wii controller and bowl a virtual strike, there’s an accelerometer at work there too,” iSuppli noted in a report released Thursday. The market for these devices is expected to grow to $1.7 billion in 2013, up from $947.7 million in 2007, according to the market research firm.

Apple uses an accelerometer to reorient the iPhone's screen

It’s called an accelerometer–and the iPhone brought these devices into the mainstream.

Device made popular in iPhone catching on

When youriPhone’s screen automatically reorients itself, it’s using a nascent silicon technology expected to become a $1.7 billion market by 2013.

STMicroelectronics’ global accelerometer revenue rose to $220 million in 2008, up from $29 million in 2007, while the company’s accelerometer market share rose to 20 percent in 2008, up from 4 percent in 2006, iSuppli said.

Accelerometers in recent years have emerged as a popular input device for some of the world’s hottest electronic products, causing shipments to boom, according to iSuppli. “Due to this rapid sales growth, accelerometers by 2013 will displace the current leading MEMS products–inkjet heads and Digital Light Processing (DLP) chips–to become the dominant type of MEMS device sold worldwide in 2013,” said Jérémie Bouchaud, iSuppli principal analyst for MEMS, in a statement.

Accelerometers are based on another burgeoning silicon field, Microelectromechanical Systems, or MEMS–also referred to as micromachines. MEMS are made up of components typically no larger than 100 micrometers in size and usually integrate a microprocessor and other components, such as the microsensor found in the iPhone’s accelerometer.

Brooke Crothers has served as an editor at large at CNET News, an editor at Dow Jones’ Asian Wall Street Journal Weekly, and a senior editor at InfoWorld. His CNET blog covers chip technology and computer systems, and how they define the computing experience. He also contributes to The New York Times’ Bits and Technology sections. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. Follow Brooke on Twitter @mbrookec.

A major catalyst for the rise in accelerometer sales is pricing, according to Bouchaud. Accelerometers broke the “magic” $1 barrier in 2008, making them attractive in a larger number of products, he said.

(Credit:Apple)

“Consumers’ desire for motion-sensing in smart phones and video game systems will boost demand for accelerometers,” Bouchaud added.

And who are the players? By the end of 2008, STMicroelectronics had taken the lead in accelerometers based on its success in supplying the consumer and wireless communications markets. The other major suppliers are Freescale, Analog Devices, Bosch, VTI, and Denso.

In 2009, revenue from consumer and mobile applications for accelerometers is expected to exceed that of automotive applications, iSuppli said. Until now, automotive has been the biggest application by far for accelerometers. Automotive applications accounted for 40 percent of global accelerometer revenue in 2008, down from 78 percent in 2006. In contrast, consumer electronics and wireless accelerometer revenue rose from 22 percent to 58 percent during the same period, iSuppli said.

nyus David Kralik- Why feds should embrace the clo

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 13:31:00 +0000

It’s all too common for people to criticize government inefficiency, but rare to hear suggestions that the solution is for government to get its head into the clouds.

A final benefit is ease of use. If you use applications developed byAmazon, Google, or Salesforce.com you are already using applicationsdelivered over the cloud. These applications are easy and intuitive andhold a lot promise for streamlining government if its services operatedon similar efficiency. If the government of the District of Columbia canfind a way to incorporate things like Google Apps into their operations,shouldn’t the federal government be able to do the same?

The second benefit is speed. Again, because cloud applications aredelivered via the Internet, deployment can be done instantly andsimultaneously to thousands of users in different locations around theworld. Cloud applications are also regularly updated, which canalleviate the constant challenge that government institutions face inbeing behind on the latest security or upgrade.

Let’s move the feds into the cloud

By David Kralik

I’m talking about cloud computing, a transformational technology being embraced by the private sector because of its promise for enormous productivity gains and reduced costs.

As the single largest purchaser of information technology, governmentcould benefit from this if only it would get its head out of thesand and into the clouds.

Cloud computing has three basic characteristics: capabilities areaccessed over the Internet, housed in an off-site datacenter, and paid for on a subscription basis. This new model deliverscomputing applications as a utility, similar to electricity or telephoneservice. Many applications including e-mail, office documentproductivity, data storage, and customer databases are moving in thisdirection because of the opportunity to eliminate the need to buy,maintain, or upgrade information technology systems. But sadly, outdatedbureaucratic rules and regulations prevent the federal government fromfully being able to embrace and reap the benefits of this technology.

But cloud computing allows for safeguards so thatonly authorized users can access remotely stored data. This could haveprevented the serious breach of privacy such as in October of 2008 whenthe U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reported that personal data onover 26 million veterans was compromised from a stolen laptop.

With enormous benefits like these, one has to wonder: why isn’t thegovernment fully embracing cloud computing now? Two key reasons can besuggested.

David Kralik is director of Internet strategy for American Solutions forWinning the Future, an advocacy organization founded by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

David Kralik, director of Internet strategy for Newt Gingrich's American Solutions for Winning the Future.

The second concern is security. The theory here is that becauseone cannot physically see where data are stored remotely and thefact that the applications are accessed over the Internet, they must beinsecure. But economies of scale are allowing for more sophisticated,state-of-the-art security, disaster recovery, and service reliabilityfeatures than any individual institution can deploy on its own.Specifically on disaster recovery, there is significant risk in theevent of natural disaster of data being housed in one location.

Declan McCullagh, CNET News’ chief political correspondent, chronicles the intersection of politics and technology. He has covered politics, technology, and Washington, D.C., for more than a decade, which has turned him into an iconoclast and a skeptic of anyone who says, “We oughta have a new federal law against this.” E-mail Declan.

Congress spends millions to support a proprietaryin-house data infrastructure system at the Ford House Office Building.They do this on the theory that so long as the data is physically housedat a certain location, it can be protected from search and seizure. Thesame theory holds for data protection from congressional subpoenas whenan administration evokes executive privilege. But if Congress canupdate age-old rules like the 1775 Franking Privilege for a specifictechnology (YouTube, as they did in October of 2008) why can’t it passa law to allow for greater business efficiency while ensuring thatgovernment data remains protected?

The lack of those three benefits is what often resultsin many classic failed government IT projects like the FBI’s 2003decision to terminate its Virtual Case File (VCF) management system.After spending $170 million–a number itself way over budget–the FBIstill doesn’t have a system to track criminal activity that couldprevent terrorist attacks at home, although a replacement is expectedthis year at a cost of over $425 million.

The move from mainframe computing to microprocessor was a majortransformational change in information technology, as was the transitionfrom punch cards to software and the invention of the Internet. A fourthmajor transformational shift is occurring right now as software isreplaced with “software as a service,” which can significantly improvegovernment operations, lower cost, and move government into the 21stcentury. As we begin a new session of Congress and new presidentialadministration, it’s time to give this technology serious consideration.

The first benefit is cost. Three separate independent studies conductedin 2004 (Gartner Group, the Yankee Group, and Morgan Stanley Research),all suggested that the cost of cloud computing over three to five yearsis almost half the cost of similar non-cloud solutions. The federalgovernment spent $64.4 billion on information technology in FY 2008,much of which could be reduced had it adopted a model that replacessignificant capital expenses for hardware and upfront license fees fora system of renewable per-user subscriptions. This also brings morepredictability and stability in future cost outlays and allows forscaling on demand.

David Kralik: Why feds should embrace the cloud

Occasionally, CNET News publishes outside opinion articles, such as one on spam co-authored by Sen. Ron Wyden, one on Net neutrality written by Diana DeGette, and a criticism of Internet gambling regulations by Dick Armey. This is the most recent in that series. –Declan McCullagh

The VCF failure was more than just a failure of contractors; it was afailure of the type of technology (proprietary, software-based systems)that is now past its prime. In addition to helping solve homelandsecurity challenges, cloud computing could also improve congressionalconstituent management systems and help reduce voter registration fraud.

Smpv Catching up with MySpace Music_3691

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:40:00 +0000

“I don’t know what they’re doing,” Holt said on the prospect of a Facebook music service, “and I don’t have a comment on it.”

Catching up with MySpace Music

It’s been more than five months since MySpace launched MySpace Music–so how’s it doing?

“Our traffic is huge,” MySpace Music President Courtney Holt told CNET News in an interview. “Our usage is very high. People are doing a lot of different things with music on our platform.” There are currently more than 5 million bands with music on the streaming-and-discovery music service, and more than 100 million playlists have been created, and it was a matter of days before MySpace Music hit its billionth stream.

MySpace Music, currently only available in the U.S., also has international markets on the agenda. “We don’t have a timetable yet, but what I’ve been saying is we’re trying to launch mid-year, and we’re trying to pick key markets now and we’re doing the work to prepare for that,” Holt said.

But the service is still evolving, Holt said, and is willing to change in response to user feedback and criticism. Recently, it’s improved a number of search features, tweaked its music player, and added an “activity feed” to artist pages, among other things. There are also “album pages” that not only give users a hub for purchasing albums, but which also serve as surrogate MySpace pages for artists that may not have created their own.

Regulations and potential legal spats aside, there are plenty of competitors to MySpace Music–Imeem, Apple’s iTunes, and Last.fm (owned by CNET News publisher CBS Interactive) all compete in one way or another. But the real nemesis would be a music offering from Facebook, the social network that snuck up from behind to surpass MySpace in global traffic. That’s a rumor that’s arisen from time to time and refuses to go away.

Recently, digital music in the U.K. has been in the news because of disputes between Google’s YouTube and PRS For Music, the country’s royalty collection group. Holt said that MySpace Music has already started talks with PRS. “I met with PRS when I was in Europe and we’re hoping to form a deal with them…we’d like to get a deal done and be in-market when it makes sense.”

Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos. E-mail Caroline.

What we can expect down the road: a do-it-yourself tool for small-time artists to add their content to MySpace Music, perhaps. More music videos, and more music-centric video programming. And more revenue streams, including merchandise and ticketing. “We’re going to be doing that in a big way in the near future,” Holt said. Obviously, it’s a tricky business, considering the concert world is dominated by huge players like Ticketmaster and Live Nation (which have made plans to merge) and MySpace Music would invariably have to negotiate with them. “It’s hard to do that (independently) because Ticketmaster, LiveNation, AEG–they’ve got control of venues and they’re locking in tours,” Holt explained.

MySpace, acquired by News Corp. in 2005, got its start as a hub for all things independent music before it turned into the world’s largest social-networking site–only to be usurped by Facebook last year. Since midway though 2008, we’ve seen a lot of signs that MySpace has changed its strategy to reflect a return to its music and media roots. The biggest of these, obviously, was the launch of MySpace Music, a joint venture with the major record labels.

Blog: Ugg Boots is Your Appearance

admin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:16:19 +0000

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Blog: UGG Women’s Bailey Button Boots Coffee

admin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:01:38 +0000

Ugg are more popular with women than men and the classic tall boots are the most popular with most women. While some men do wear UGGs may do not feel confident enough to wear Ugg Boots as the general consensus is that boots are for women.
Ugg Boots are a fashionable kind of boot made out of sheepskin worn by both men and women. They are very comfy and warm, and many celebrities have been seen wearing them. If you have just bought some UGG Boots or just don’t know how to wear them or when to wear them, this is the guide for you!
Here comes the UGG Women’s Bailey Button Boots Coffee .Like the Classic Short, the Bailey Button is a calf-height boot made from genuine twin-face sheepskin. We’ve updated this traditional style with a wooden ugg logo button and elastic band closure. he Bailey Button can either be worn up or cuffed down adding a little variety depending on your style. All Boots in our Classic Collection feature a soft foam insole covered with genuine sheepskin and have a molded EVA light and flexible outsole designed for amazing comfort with every step.

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