a href=http://api.yes.com/img src=http://blogs.sun.com/plamere/resource/_77C08F7C-9DAB-43F5-B72A-CFA31C6155DA.jpg alt=77C08F7C-9DAB-43F5-B72A-CFA31C6155DA.jpg border=0 style=float:left; margin:10px; width=197 height=150 //aa href=http://www.yes.com/#YES_LobbyYes.com/a is an aggregator of information about terrestrial radio. They track the song playing activity of many thousands of radio stations. Now they are making all of this wonderful data available via aa href=http://api.yes.com/ web API/a. p You can do all sorts of things with the API - you can search for stations (by call letter, by location, by style of music etc.), find out what a particular station is playing, find out which artists or tracks are popular etc. p For instance, to find the stations near me I can just search using my zipcode: p a href=http://api.yes.com/1/stations?loc=03064http://api.yes.com/1/stations?loc=03064/a p This yields a bunch of json (JavaScript Object Notation) that describes the local radio stations. p The API lets you get all sorts of interesting data, including: ul li The log of all songs played on any station in the last week li The top songs on any station (based on plays or user voting) li Overall popularity of a song or artist li Related songs (based upon playlist co-occurrence) /ul p Some more examples: ul li a href=http://api.yes.com/1/chart?name=WBCNTop tracks on local radio station WBCN/a li a href=http://api.yes.com/1/log?name=WBCNago=1All the songs played yesterday on WBCN/a. li a href=http://api.yes.com/1/media?q=stairway+to+heavenInfo about stairway to heaven./a li a href=http://api.yes.com/1/related?mid=7016218Songs related to stairway to heaven/a (theres more Eddie Money on this list than I would have expected). /ul This is a gold mine of data about popular music. Folks interested in a href=http://www.schnitzer.at/dominik/moc/automatic/a a href=http://stuffalsothings.blogspot.com/2008/09/introductory-thoughts-on-playlist.htmlgeneration/a of a href=http://www2.iiia.csic.es/~claudio/playlists/a can mine song sequences from professionally curated playlists. Music marketeers can learn what music is popular in various geographic locations. Music recommenders can mine data about what songs are being played together on the radio stations. Given that terrestrial radio is still the way that most people discover new music, this data is very useful in helping us understand what people are listening to. p The API is full featured, is very fast and seems quite solid. My biggest gripe is that it serves up JSON and not XML (which is what just about every other music api serves), so it means incorporating another parser in my code. The folks at YES are thinking about making an XML version, so even this gripe may be short-lived. p The API terms of use are quite reasonable - if you use their data on a web site, you must link back to YES.com. Commercial use is available and often immediately granted by just ensuring proper linking. p This API has lots of data that hasnt been easily available before - data that can be used to enable music discovery, playlist generation, trend spotting. Well done to the Yes.com developers for providing such a clean and easy to use API - and well done to the Yes.com business folk who realize the value in making this data available. (And, by the way, the a href=http://www.yes.com/#YES_LobbyYes.com/a site itself is pretty cool).

Here’s a rumor that won’t go away - Facebook has been quietly searching for a partner to take over their year and a half old classified listings application, and may relaunch as early as the end of December.

According to our sources, Facebook distributed a request-for-proposal to a number of classified sites earlier this year (the same model they are using for Facebook Music).

The obvious partner is Oodle, which began powering Walmart Classifieds earlier this year. We’ve heard thin reports that they in fact have won the contract.

Whoever powers Facebook Classifieds has a big hill to climb. Competing with Ebay (and their Kijiji) and Craigslist isn’t trivial. The original thought was that social networks were great for classifieds because you the buyers and sellers know each other. But Facebook’s current classifieds system shows anemic listings - the Silicon Valley network, for example, had a total of ten new listings added yesterday. And for those who’ve forgotten, Microsoft launched their own classifieds site based on MSN friends and private networks (like businesses), and it went nowhere.

Part of the problem is the limited functionality of the existing classifieds system, which allows a short listing, a picture and communication via Facebook’s messaging system. Better software may mean more listings (although the bare-bones and massive Craigslist is a clear exception to that rule). Oodle, or whoever wins the contract, may also bring lots of listings from their other networks.

If Facebook gets this right there is a potential for lucrative advertising dollars - people looking to buy stuff are easy targets.

Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors

By now you’ve all seen Peter’s post from yesterday that introduced the new PS3 ad campaign. I wanted to give you some details on the two PSP ad campaigns that also kicked off recently. One campaign focuses on the new PSP-3000 and the other on the big games that are available this holiday season (or coming soon after), including Resistance: Retribution, God of War: Chains of Olympus, Madden NFL ’09 and more favorites.

This campaign is one of my favorites because not only does it gives a nod to the awesome ‘POV’ TV spot that we aired when the PSP first launched back in March 2005, but it places the PSP within a colorful and diverse blur of urban activity. As someone who spends a lot of time in San Francisco and travels the country often, I see the way that people in different cities use their PSPs and I think we’ve captured that in a fun and interesting way. The TV spots are fast-moving, 15-second snapshots of the PSP within several large cities, with local or regional musicians contributing their tracks to the spots. With the PSP, everywhere really does get better. Here are three of the spots, including a sneak peak into the TV spot for Chicago, which will start airing next week.

Category: Music
Released: Nov 17, 2008
Price: $5.99

Description:
Recreate your favorite club tracks of yesterday and today. Build and customize the beats any way you like. iDrum: Ministry of Sound Anthems makes you the producer. Start with professionally produced iDrum kits that emulate the greatest anthems in clubbing history, then mix and match over 300 original samples to make your own epic tracks. It doesn�t matter if you�ve never made a beat before. iDrum�s simple interface lets you build beats layer by layer by tapping the touch screen or create music with simple shapes and color combinations that let you visualize the rhythm. - The fun and simple way to make music on your iPhone or iPod touch- Includes professionally produced samples and beats from Ministryof Sound � over 300 original samples and 20 unique kits with dozens of pre-made patterns- Customize patterns to create your own unique beats- Take control of the rhythm of every drum sound and sample- Tap the touch screen to play and record your own musical patterns A collaboration between Ministry of Sound and iZotope, this special edition of iDrum is the perfect companion to Ministry of Sound�s newest album representing clubbing history, �Anthems II,� available now on the iTunes Music Store. The follow up to last year�s over half million selling album, �Anthems II� includes three mixes filled with the best club classics of all time.

Website: http://www.izotope.com/idrumiphone/mos
Support Website: http://www.izotope.com/idrumiphone/mos

Note: The description above is the official one supplied by the application developer and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of this site or its staff.


Get it on iTunes: iDrum: Ministry of Sound Anthems

Is this required for iphone 2.2 firmware? I noticed podcasts downloaded on my iPhone were not syncing back to iTunes (if I was not subscribed to the podcast in iTunes). so checked for an iTunes update.

Also my App Store hasnt worked properly since yesterday when 2.2 was released. Is anyone else having these issues? I will update shortly once 8.0.2 is installed.

i have a black i-smartphone for my 3g... well to be precise its my sister who has the black i-smartphone and the iphone 3g. everything was working fine and dandy wen she had 2.1, then this morning, well yesterday morning, she decided to update to 2.2 and now it says no sim, or its just not accepting the sim she has.

i know nothing about the iphone but i have done another firmware flashing on the psp.

i just started reading on this recently and the way i see it, the i-smartphone already unlocks the phone...

so my questions are...

1. wtf happened to my sisters phone
2. what can i do to help her, she's REALLY ****ing sad and i hate seeing my sister sad.
3. wats the difference between unlocking and jailbraking.

any help will be useful to me
i can do a lot of the work, i just need a good point in direction on where to go.

thank you
-Pablo

The Linux and Unix Menagerie: "I'll be the first to admit, though, that the examples were somewhat of a test for me when I first slapped them together and probably deserved to be explained more than they were. To that end, we'll look at one of the examples from yesterday and pick it apart, so that the pieces all make sense to, hopefully, any and every one. I aim to please :)"

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/66702?ns=guardianpageName=Politics%3A+Darling+ready+to+admit+taxes+must+risech=Politicsc3=The+Guardianc4=Economic+policy%2CAlistair+Darling%2CPoliticsc5=Credit+Crunch%2CNot+commercially+usefulc6=Allegra+Strattonc7=2008_11_22c8=1122290c9=articlec10=GUc11=Politicsc12=Economic+policyc13=c14=h2=GU%2FPolitics%2FEconomic+policy" width="1" height="1" //divpThe chancellor, Alistair Darling, is preparing to admit that tax will need to rise after the next election as borrowing projections emerged showing the public finances in a worse state than previous estimates had shown. Darling will say that "adjustments" will have to be made, though it is unclear whether these will be slated for 2010 or 2011. /ppYesterday the Treasury refused to deny reports that its officials were putting borrowing in the region of pound;120bn - much more than the pound;90bn many thought Darling would announce in his pre budget report on Monday. /ppTreasury officials are reported to have described the effect the pound;120bn would have on the economy as a "mammoth shock" as tax revenues continue to plummet and the costs of increased unemployment are borne by the state. /ppOn Monday, Darling will have to show the government has a strategy for controlling annual borrowing to soothe international markets and remove conditions that might otherwise see the Bank of England feel the need to raise interest rates. /ppLast night it emerged that the chancellor was preparing to admit the government would raise taxes in order to bring the public finances under control. It is still thought the government will announce the heavily trailed fiscal stimulus package of tax cuts and increased public spending./ppThe admission by the chancellor on Monday may also serve to claim for the government some of the intellectual territory the Conservative leader staked this week when he ended a year-old commitment to match Labour party's spending plans for the year 2010-2011. Explaining his position on Tuesday, David Cameron said he believed the British people would be suspicious of tax cuts and public spending programmes without obvious funding./ppIt is not clear what form the tax rises might take but a Treasury aide described as "rubbish" a suggestion that VAT might rise from 17.5% to 22.5%./ppThis week the prime minister's efforts in tackling the economic downturn were reflected in improved polling figures, leading to speculation that No 10 was gearing up to call an election./ppSpeaking on Jeremy Vine's Radio 2 programme yesterday, Gordon Brown refused to be drawn on his improved standing and batted away talk of a election, saying that all speculation could be "discounted"./ppDowning Street has been quick to nip the rumour in the bud, with ministerial special advisers briefed this week by senior No 10 aides that an election was not "remotely on our minds". /ppThey are keen to prevent a rerun of last summer which saw Brown's political standing damaged by his decision not to call an election after weeks of speculation./ppPressure was piled on the Treasury team drawing up Monday's plan by confirmation yesterday of poor October public sector net borrowing figures. Public sector net borrowing increased in the last month by pound;1.4bn. Borrowing was pound;3.1bn higher this year than in October 2007./ppThe figure for public sector net debt rose to pound;640.9bn or 42.9% of GDP largely down to the government's takeover of Bradford Bingley at the end of September. Net borrowing has reached pound;37bn already - nearly as much as the pound;43bn forecast by the Treasury for the whole of the year. Government spending was higher than in the same month a year ago./ppThe prime minister and chancellor have said in the last few weeks that they favour a fiscal stimulus package to help galvanise the British economy. If as expected it is announced on Monday, this could increase public sector net borrowing by pound;15bn-pound;30bn./pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/economy"Economic policy/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/alistairdarling"Alistair Darling/a/li/ul/divdiv class="guRssAdvert"a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yessite=Politicscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660288112201400459684"img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yessite=Politicscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660288112201400459684" border="0" //a/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/52346?ns=guardianpageName=Art+and+design%3A+Recession+reaches+Hirst%27s+studiosch=Art+and+designc3=The+Guardianc4=Damien+Hirst%2CArt+%28visual+arts+only%29%2CArt+and+design%2CCredit+crunch+%28Business%29%2CBusiness%2CCulture+section%2CUK+newsc5=Art%2CCredit+Crunch%2CBusiness+Markets%2CNot+commercially+usefulc6=Aidan+Jones%2CHelen+Piddc7=2008_11_22c8=1122235c9=articlec10=GUc11=Art+and+designc12=Damien+Hirstc13=c14=h2=GU%2FArt+and+design%2FDamien+Hirst" width="1" height="1" //divpHe is one of the world's richest artists, who defied the credit crunch in September by auctioning a whole collection for pound;111m. But even Damien Hirst may not be immune to the economic climate - many of the workers who produce his works found themselves out of a job this week, the Guardian has learned./ppOn Thursday, up to 17 of the 22 people who make the pills for Hirst's drug cabinet series were told their contracts were not being renewed, according to two sources close to Science Ltd, Hirst's main art-producing company. Another three who make his butterfly paintings were also told they were surplus to requirements. /ppIt is thought that amounts to approximately half of the London-based artists who work for Hirst. They are paid about pound;19,000 a year, sources said. In June 2007, Lullaby Spring, a cabinet filled with hand-painted pills, sold for pound;9.65m./ppThis year's Sunday Times Rich List valued the 43-year-old artist's wealth at pound;200m - but it was produced before September's sale at Sotheby's./ppYesterday Jude Tyrrell, a director of Science Ltd, confirmed jobs were going, but wouldn't be drawn on how many./pp"As previously stated by Damien, he is finishing a number of bodies of works which is why temporary contracts (fixed term) have not been renewed. We have to be mindful of the current economic climate and how this may affect us in the future."/ppIn July, Hirst said that he would stop making the spin and butterfly paintings, plus the medicine cabinets - a decision that was welcomed by many in the art world who worried about overproduction of these series./ppBut a source close to Science said that if the job losses were pre-planned, as indicated by Tyrrell's statement, the staff seemed unprepared for it on Thursday. "It was unexpected, especially after Hirst made a killing from the Sotheby's sale. The workers who will not have their contracts renewed can work their notice period into December, but I'm not sure how many will stay. They will need to find jobs quickly."/ppAt Hirst's studio on Glengall Road in Peckham yesterday, where the pill cabinets and butterfly paintings are made, workers would not talk about the job losses. One woman, wearing the Hirst "uniform" of a red sweatshirt with a skull on the back of it (inspired by Hirst's pound;50m diamond sculpture For the Love of God), said she didn't know anything about it. /ppAnother, at the Newport Street studio in Lambeth where the spot paintings are produced, said she had been told not to talk to the press./ppLast week, Hirst admitted that art had probably become too expensive in recent years and said he welcomed the prospect of selling his work at cheaper rates in the present climate of recession./pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/damienhirst"Damien Hirst/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/art"Art/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/creditcrunch"Credit crunch/a/li/ul/divdiv class="guRssAdvert"a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yessite=Artscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660263112201400459684"img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yessite=Artscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660263112201400459684" border="0" //a/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/72887?ns=guardianpageName=Business%3A+30%2C000+jobs+at+risk+as+Woolworths+teeters+on+the+brinkch=Businessc3=The+Guardianc4=Woolworths+%28Business%29%2CRetail+industry+%28Business%29%2CBusiness%2CRedundancy%2CPolitics%2CUK+newsc5=Personal+Finance%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Marketsc6=Julia+Finchc7=2008_11_22c8=1122275c9=articlec10=GUc11=Businessc12=Woolworthsc13=c14=h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FWoolworths" width="1" height="1" //divpMore than 30,000 retail jobs were at risk last night as Woolworths fought to avoid collapse and the fashion discount chain MK One crashed into administration for the second time in a year./ppWoolworths' future was hanging in the balance after its bankers objected to a management rescue plan to sell the loss-making 800-store chain to Hilco, which specialises in restructuring distressed companies./ppThe 99-year old retailer, which is a mainstay of town and city centres across the country, is now in last-ditch talks with its lenders in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy. But a source close to the negotiations said the talks had reached "an impasse" and "are not looking good"./ppSome 25,000 staff work in Woolworths stores and another 5,000 for two other businesses in the Woolworths group: EUK and 2entertain. The group also has 10,000 pensioners and pension fund members./ppEUK distributes DVDs, CDs and books to major supermarkets including Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons and if the distributor is forced into administration alongside the Woolworths stores it could threaten the supermarkets' supplies in the vital Christmas shopping weeks./pp2entertain is a joint venture with the BBC which produces and distributes BBC programmes on DVD and has had big successes with shows such as Little Britain and Top Gear./ppMK One, which operates 125 stores aimed at young women and teenagers, has 1,400 staff jobs at risk./ppThe latest potential job losses come amid vast cutbacks in the retail industry, which is slashing staff costs by reducing workers' hours. Argos, for instance, has cut workers' hours by 20%. The specialist magazine Retail Week yesterday reported that across the high street such cutbacks now equal 100,000 full time jobs vanishing in the last year. The retail sector employs 10% of the UK workforce./ppThe stock market fell sharply again yesterday as investors worried about the effects of a recession on the corporate sector. Leading UK shares suffered their third worst week on record with the FTSE 100 slipping to 3,780, its lowest level since April 2003./ppWoolworths has been battered by other retailers for years, but in recent weeks it has also been squeezed by the economic downturn and the impact of credit insurers - who protect suppliers from non-payment of invoices in the event of a retailer going bust - withdrawing cover to Woolworths' suppliers. That has left the chain having to pay suppliers on delivery - or have empty shelves./ppWoolworths bosses have tried to sell the chain for a year in order to protect the other two businesses, but without success. A possible offer from Iceland supermarket boss Malcolm Walker in the summer fell apart when Baugur, the Icelandic investor backing his approach, ran into its own, credit crunch-related, problems./ppEarlier this week Woolworths confirmed it might sell the stores, which are all leasehold, to Hilco. The US-owned group would have also taken on pound;265m of Woolworths' pound;380m of debts. Woolworths wanted the other pound;115m of debt to be transferred to EUK and 2entertain, which last year made profits of more than pound;40m before interest and tax./ppIn normal banking circumstances, such an arrangement would be commonplace, but a source familiar with the situation said: "The banks just won't let it happen. They seem to want to put the whole lot into administration to get all their money back immediately. The banks have the whip hand here."/ppWoolworths has a range of lenders, and many have been hit hard by the credit crunch. Its lead lenders are GMAC, of the US which is applying to the American bank bail-out fund for support, and Burdale, part of the deeply troubled Bank of Ireland, which yesterday said it had received a takeover approach./ppWoolworths' other lenders include Barclays, which is raising pound;7bn from Middle East investors, the American bank Wachovia, which has just been taken over, and GE, which has had two profits warnings this year./ppA spokesman for Burdale, one of the lead lenders, refused to comment on the discussions with Woolworths./ppThe crisis at Woolworths and MK One will increase fears that other ailing retail chains could collapse in the coming weeks. Casualties - and a fresh round of job losses - had been expected in the new year, when the Christmas winners and losers emerge. But lenders and suppliers had been thought unlikely to force stores into bankruptcy in the run-up to Christmas, when they should be raking in cash. Woolworths, for instance, normally makes 90% of its profits in the six weeks before Christmas. However, in the first six months of this year it crashed pound;100m in the red./ppWoolworths shares closed last night at just 1.43p, down 32%, valuing the entire business at just pound;25m - equal to about three days' sales./ph2strongJob cuts this week/strong/h2pstrongMonday/strongbr /Citigroup, London strong2,400/strongbr /Avis, Hayes, Middlesex strong100/strongbr /Hoover, Merthyr Tydfil strong337/strong/ppstrongTuesday/strongbr /Wolseley, nationwide strong2,000 /strongbr /National Express, East Anglia strong200/strongbr /PSL Energy Services, Aberdeen strong50/strong/ppstrongWednesday/strongbr /SIG, nationwide strong900/strongbr /Fidelity International, London strong300/strongbr /Deutsche Bank, London strong450/strong/ppstrongThursday/strongbr /Rolls-Royce, Derby strong140/strongbr /AstraZeneca, Macclesfield strong250/strongbr /BAE Systems, nationwide strong200/strongbr /Daily Mail and General Trust strong400/strongbr /Tughans, Northern Ireland strong20/strong/ppTotal strong7,747/strong/pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/woolworths"Woolworths/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/retail"Retail industry/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/redundancy"Redundancy/a/li/ul/divdiv class="guRssAdvert"a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yessite=Businesscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660246112201400459684"img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yessite=Businesscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660246112201400459684" border="0" //a/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/91730?ns=guardianpageName=Business%3A+Honda+slams+brakes+on+productionch=Businessc3=The+Guardianc4=Automotive+industry+%28Business%29%2CBusinessc5=Motoring%2CBusiness+Marketsc6=James+Robinson%2CKathryn+Hopkins%2CJustin+McCurryc7=2008_11_22c8=1122190c9=articlec10=GUc11=Businessc12=Automotive+industryc13=c14=h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FAutomotive+industry" width="1" height="1" //divpThe Japanese car manufacturer Honda is halting production at its flagship plant in Swindon for two months next year as it struggles to cope with a sales slump./ppWhile the plant's 4,800 employees will be paid during the closure in February and March, union officials fear that shutting the production line is the prelude to a round of redundancies as the recession starts to bite across Europe. /ppThe mothballing of Honda's only British plant comes as sales of new cars plummet across the world. American rivals General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are trying to persuade the US Congress to sign off a $25bn (pound;17bn) bail-out as they struggle to cope with the financial crisis, while other car manufacturers have been cutting production and laying off part-time staff./ppBMW has announced plans to close its Oxford factory, which produces the Mini, for four weeks to reduce output, while Nissan, Toyota, GM and Ford have all announced temporary shutdowns at UK plants or have shed contract workers./ppTemporarily closing the Swindon plant will reduce Honda's production by 21,000 vehicles, on top of plans to reduce production by 10,000, and the company now expects its total output in Europe for the year to the end of next March to be 175,000 vehicles, a fall of 29% from last year. /ppIt is also cutting shifts at its plant in Saitama, immediately to the north of Tokyo, which will further reduce production by 40,000 vehicles, and reducing output at plants in Alabama and Ohio in the US by 18,000 vehicles./ppThe company, however, is faring better than some of its domestic rivals. This week Isuzu and Mazda announced they would cut a combined 2,700 temporary jobs while Toyota, the country's biggest carmaker, is halving its temporary workforce in Japan, from 6,000 to 3,000./ppNews of the Swindon closure alarmed union leaders who believe the company had originally been looking to make 1,300 people redundant. /ppUnite regional officer Jim D'Avila said: "This is unexpected bad news. The union, staff and the company need to work together to minimise any financial hardship and to find ways to protect pay and long-term job security./pp"Unite has meetings scheduled with the company throughout December in order to seek a solution and end this uncertainty for staff."/ppA spokeswoman for Honda said the Swindon closure was due to a slowing of demand for cars "in western Europe and in Russia and eastern Europe, so we have to adjust our inventory to appropriate levels. That means reducing production"./ppPhil Brook, a 26-year-old worker on the main line at the Swindon plant, was shocked at the news, which was broken to workers when they arrived at the factory at 6 o'clock yesterday morning. /pp"I don't know what the pay is going to be in February and March," he said. "They just told us in a meeting this morning that they were going to close the plant for those two months but that we should come back in on Monday./pp"There's a pretty gloomy atmosphere [inside the factory]. Everyone's a bit scared."/ppAnd he did not hold out much hope for the future. "There's not a lot they can do," he added./ppAnother worker on the main line, who did not want to be named, said: "This is going to have a big effect on my life. Emotionally, I should be happy at Christmas but now there is so much to worry about. /pp"I have to support my wife and my three-year-old son. I have bought some of his Christmas presents but I don't know if I'll be able to buy any more. /pp"I don't know how I'm going to pay my bills and my rent."/ppOther locals in the village of Wroughton, just outside Swindon, are worried about the number of lorries that will soon be blocking their roads as thousands of cars are transported to Wroughton airfield. Honda is having to stockpile a lot of cars there as it simply cannot sell them in a time of such economic crisis./pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/automotive"Automotive industry/a/li/ul/divdiv class="guRssAdvert"a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yessite=Businesscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660416112201400459684"img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yessite=Businesscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660416112201400459684" border="0" //a/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/83383?ns=guardianpageName=Environment%3A+San+Francisco+Bay+to+be+electric+car+capitalch=Environmentc3=The+Guardianc4=Travel+and+transport+environmental+impact%2CAlternative+energy+%28Environment%29%2CCarbon+emissions+%28Environment%29%2CEnvironment%2CClimate+change+%28Environment%29%2CUS+news%2CWorld+news%2CBusiness%2CTechnology%2CMotoring+%28Technology%29%2CGreen+technology+%28Technology%29c5=Motoring%2CBusiness+Markets%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CClimate+Change%2CEnergy%2CEthical+Living%2CCorporate+ITc6=Bobbie+Johnson%2CAlok+Jhac7=2008_11_22c8=1122138c9=articlec10=GUc11=Environmentc12=Travel+and+transportc13=c14=h2=GU%2FEnvironment%2FTravel+and+transport" width="1" height="1" //divpOfficials in California have unveiled ambitious plans to turn the San Francisco Bay area - home to 7.6 million people - into one of the world's leading centres for electric vehicles./ppIf it succeeds, the strategy will see billions of dollars poured into a power infrastructure that will turn the region away from fossil fuels and persuade millions of people to switch to green transport technology./ppThe plan, which will see the bay area become the first region of California to switch its transport systems entirely away from traditional fuels, is being supported by local government as well as the state's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger./pp"California is already a world leader in fighting global warming and promoting renewable energy," he said. "This partnership is proof that by working together we can achieve our goals of creating a healthier planet while boosting our economy."/ppGlobally, cars generate about 20% of the world's output of carbon dioxide and California's cars account for 40% of the state's greenhouse gas emissions. Replacing around 1m petrol cars with electric cars by 2015, as is proposed under the new plans, will make a big difference./ppAt least $1bn is expected to be spent on improving green transport infrastructure to make the bay area - encompassing the cities of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, as well as Silicon Valley - the leading centre for electric vehicles in America, and potentially around the world./ppThe electric transportation company Better Place will build a network of kerbside charging points across cities in the area and create the equivalent of filling stations, where electric car owners will be able to replace their flat batteries for fully charged ones. With a full charge on one of Better Place's batteries, a typical car will be able to travel 100 miles, ideal for commuting around urban areas. /ppThe local government will also work to harmonise standards across the region so that drivers of electric vehicles can travel the length and breadth of the bay area without worrying about finding the right kind of charging station./ppMost users of the Better Place system would pay a monthly subscription for unlimited access to the company's services. Visitors with electric cars could also use the charging points for a one-off fee./pp"You can plug in any car," said Jason Wolf, the California business manager at Better Place. "In California, everyone who's bought Teslas, everyone who has bought plug-in hybrids or electric cars that are not in tight relationship with us, will be able to plug into our network."/ppSpeaking at the launch yesterday, Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, said: "If we're going to get serious about advancing climate-action plans, we've got to get serious about getting into the business of alternative transportation."/ppCalifornia, the world's eighth largest economy, has some of the most progressive climate-change legislation. The state aims to reduce greenhouse gas levels to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050./ppThe plans will put California on a footing with other countries leading the attempt to introduce electric cars, including Israel, Denmark and Australia. Last month, the Britain pledged pound;100m to speed the commercial introduction of electric and low-carbon road transport to the country./ppWolf said the first cars in the California scheme would be deployed in 2010./pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/travelandtransport"Travel and transport/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/alternativeenergy"Alternative energy/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/carbonemissions"Carbon emissions/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/climatechange"Climate change/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/usa"United States/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/motoring"Motoring/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/greentech"Green technology/a/li/ul/divdiv class="guRssAdvert"a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yessite=Environmentcountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660402112201400459684"img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yessite=Environmentcountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660402112201400459684" border="0" //a/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/17412?ns=guardianpageName=Environment%3A+Concerns+over+rising+power+of+Russian+energy+firms+as+Lukoil+targets+Spanish+oil+groupch=Environmentc3=The+Guardianc4=Energy+%28Environment%29%2CEnvironment%2CBusiness%2CRussia+%28News%29%2CWorld+newsc5=Not+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Markets%2CEnergy%2CEthical+Livingc6=Giles+Tremlettc7=2008_11_22c8=1122201c9=articlec10=GUc11=Environmentc12=Energyc13=c14=h2=GU%2FEnvironment%2FEnergy" width="1" height="1" //divpRussia's mighty energy companies seemed to be increasing their influence yesterday as Lukoil negotiated to take up to a 30% stake in the Spanish group Repsol, one of the world's top 10 private oil companies. /ppLukoil has appeared as the most probable buyer of shares held by the troubled construction company Sacyr Vallehermoso and the Spanish savings bank La Caixa. The holdings are valued at more than $6bn (pound;4bn)./ppThe two companies jointly control 34% of Repsol's stock. La Caixa confirmed yesterday that it was in talks with Lukoil, though it was thought to be interested in selling only about half of its 14% stake./ppLukoil was reportedly also negotiating to take the 20% stake that the heavily indebted Sacyr has put up for sale, while a third Spanish shareholder, Mutua Madrilentilde;a, was said to be ready to add its 2% holding to the potential sale./ppLa Caixa said yesterday that a sale would depend on Sacyr's willingness and on the financing. Repsol confirmed that it was aware of talks but did not comment further. Sacyr, which put its shares up for sale in September, did not comment./ppA sell-off appears to have the approval of Spain's Socialist government, despite growing worries in Europe over Russia's control of its energy supplies./ppMaria Teresa Fernaacute;ndez de la Vega , the deputy prime minister, said the government wanted Repsol to remain a company that was "managed by Spaniards ... and guarantees supplies"./ppThe prime minister, Joseacute; Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, had already pointed out on Thursday, when rumours of sale began to circulate, that Lukoil was a private company with international shareholders. Lukoil is 20% owned by the US oil company ConocoPhillips./ppThe reaction contrasted with the Spanish government's opposition to attempts by Germany's E.ON to take over the Endesa power company in 2006./ppThe sale talks came just a week after Europe stepped up attempts to reduce the risk of Russian blackmail over energy supplies with a new strategy from the European commission to weaken the control of the state-owned Russian energy company Gazprom on gas imports./pp"The EU wants different sources of supply," Joseacute; Manuel Barroso, the European commission president, said as he explained plans to open up a new southern gas corridor that bypassed Russia. "We must not sleepwalk into Europe's energy dependence crisis."/ppLukoil would be able to take advantage not only of the falling price of Repsol but also of the state of the sellers, both of whom are exposed to Spain's crumbling property market. Sacyr Vallehermoso has debts of euro;16.5bn (pound;13.8bn) - more than five times its market value./ppAlexander Zhukov, Russia's deputy prime minister, provoked a row when he visited Madrid last week and said that Gazprom was interested in buying Sacyr's 20% stake in Repsol, which was formerly a Spanish state-owned company. The Spanish government made it clear that it would oppose that sale./ppShares in Sacyr, Repsol and Criteria, La Caixa's holding company, all moved higher on the news of the talks yesterday./ppAnalysts said Lukoil might have trouble financing the deal, especially if the price reached higher estimates of about $10bn. "In our view, Lukoil cannot afford to pay anywhere close to $10bn on its own," ING analyst Igor Kurinnyy said./pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/energy"Energy/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/russia"Russia/a/li/ul/divdiv class="guRssAdvert"a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yessite=Environmentcountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660422112201400459684"img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yessite=Environmentcountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660422112201400459684" border="0" //a/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/68545?ns=guardianpageName=Media%3A+Trust+condemns+BBC%27s+failures+in+Brand+rowch=Mediac3=The+Guardianc4=BBC%2CJonathan+Ross%2CRussell+Brand%2CRadio+industry+%28Media%29%2CMedia%2CUK+newsc5=Not+commercially+useful%2CMedia+Weekly%2CComedy%2CRadio+Media%2CTelevision+Media%2CTVc6=Tara+Conlanc7=2008_11_22c8=1122231c9=articlec10=GUc11=Mediac12=BBCc13=c14=h2=GU%2FMedia%2FBBC" width="1" height="1" //divpIt took a single word - "yes" - and a click of her BlackBerry. With that Lesley Douglas, Radio 2 controller, triggered a row that led to the resignation of Russell Brand and the suspension of Jonathan Ross, and ended her own 22-year career at the BBC./ppHer one-word message sanctioned the controversial broadcast of Brand and Ross abusing the elderly actor Andrew Sachs and disparaging his granddaughter Georgina Baillie./ppThis crucial detail was revealed yesterday in a BBC internal report that the corporation hopes will draw a line under one of the most controversial episodes in its recent history. /ppDouglas, the woman credited with saving Radio 2 by modernising the once unfashionable station, quit her post last month and Ross will not broadcast again until the new year./ppThe report by BBC management lays bare a breakdown in communication over the offensive messages left on Sachs' phone answering machine and, in some cases, what the BBC yesterday accepted was a "failure of editorial judgment"./ppIn the first message, the day after the recording on October 15, the producer Nic Philps raised concerns about bad language with Radio 2 head of compliance Dave Barber: "The problem comes when Jonathan says that Russell 'f*cked' Sachs' granddaughter ... I would say take it out, but it forms the crux of the call and is VERY funny."/ppBarber, who also quit this month, subsequently emailed Douglas, repeating the phrase "it's very funny" and telling her: "Having discussed it with [Philps] and listened to the sequence, I think we should keep it in and put a 'strong language' warning at the top of the hour. I think it's editorially justified in this context and certainly within audience expectations for Russell's show and the slot. Andrew Sachs is aware and is happy with the results which were recorded his end for him to hear. Are you happy with this as a plan of action?"/ppThe next day Douglas responded simply: "Yes."/ppIn a separate report yesterday, however, the BBC Trust, which oversees the corporation, disagreed and said the transmission during Brand's late-night show was "grossly offensive" and that there was no justification for broadcasting it./ppThe report reveals that nobody at the BBC realised or checked claims that Sachs had made a complaint, with the result that BBC news bulletins reported press office denials that he had lodged a complaint. His agent had emailed Douglas but she was away from the office and did not receive it until October 26, four days later./ppThat was the day the Mail on Sunday ran its story about the October 18 broadcast, which subsequently led to 42,851 complaints to the corporation. /ppThe BBC's report also revealed that no compliance form was completed by a BBC executive or producer ahead of the transmission of the Brand show./ppDespite the report's conclusion that there was a "lack of direct control by Radio 2", the BBC Trust ruled that the sanctions already imposed by BBC management were enough./ppThe BBC Trust also criticised a further incident of bad language involving Ross, but said his three-month suspension without pay was adequate punishment. This means Ross, who is believed to be earning pound;6.9m over three years, will return to the BBC on January 24./ppIt said an episode of Ross's pre-recorded BBC1 chatshow, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, in which the presenter told Hollywood actor Gwyneth Paltrow he "would fuck her" was "gratuitous and unnecessarily offensive"./ppFollowing complaints, BBC management had originally reviewed the show, broadcast in May, and cleared it, as had the regulator Ofcom. However, the trust yesterday said it disagreed with that judgment, adding that the comment was made in an "overly sexual way" and that it had upheld a number of complaints./ppIn addition, the trust said that BBC management should investigate another incident involving Brand on Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles' show. Moyles and Brand had a conversation live on Radio 1 at 8.23am on October 21, three days after the offensive messages were broadcast on Radio 2 - but before the Sachs affair had become a crisis for the BBC./ppBrand told Moyles he had met Baillie and said he had "met her brains out"./ppBBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons said: "None of the breaches the trust is reporting today should have happened. All of them could have been avoided. The issue which links them is a lack of editorial judgment by those in control."/ppTrustee Richard Tait added that in future "this use of such offensive language must be approved at senior level"./ppHe also said the "prime responsibility rests with the BBC and the editorial management responsible"./ppThe Sachs row has led to Ross stepping down as host of this year's British Comedy Awards. Yesterday ITV announced that his place would be taken at the ceremony on December 6 by Angus Deayton. /ppLyons also revealed yesterday that, in the light of the current tough economic climate, the BBC's nine public service executive directors, including Mark Thompson, the corporation's director general, would waive their bonuses next year. Thompson has done so for the past four years./pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/bbc"BBC/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/jonathan-ross"Jonathan Ross/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/russell-brand"Russell Brand/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/radio"Radio/a/li/ul/divdiv class="guRssAdvert"a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yessite=Mediacountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660255112201400459684"img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yessite=Mediacountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660255112201400459684" border="0" //a/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/67872?ns=guardianpageName=Politics%3A+%26pound%3B1%2C000+penalties+for+out-of-date+ID+detailsch=Politicsc3=The+Guardianc4=Identity+cards%2CCivil+liberties%2CTerrorism+-+UK%2CPolitics%2CUK+newsc5=Not+commercially+useful%2CPolicy+Societyc6=Alan+Travisc7=2008_11_22c8=1122207c9=articlec10=GUc11=Politicsc12=Identity+cardsc13=c14=h2=GU%2FPolitics%2FIdentity+cards" width="1" height="1" //divpPeople who fail to tell the authorities of a change of address or amend other key personal details within three months will face civil penalty fines of up to pound;1,000 a time when the national identity card scheme is up and running, according to draft Home Office regulations published yesterday./ppThe Home Office made clear that repeated failures to keep an entry on the national identity register up to date could ultimately be enforced by bailiffs being sent round to seize property./ppBut yesterday's detailed regulations to implement the national identity card scheme make clear that they intend to avoid the creation of ID card "martyrs", by levying no penalty on those who refuse to register for the national identity card database in the first place./ppThe Liberal Democrat peer, Lady Williams, is amongst ID card "refuseniks" who have said they are prepared to go to jail rather than sign up for the scheme. /ppBut the regulations show that the main sanction they are likely to face is being barred from leaving the country when it is time to renew their passport. /ppThe regulations confirm ministers' intention to make passports a "designated document" which means anyone applying or renewing their passport will be automatically issued with an ID card at the same time. Ministers claim that this does not amount to compulsion but ID card critics disagree./ppThe consultation on the fine detail of how the ID card scheme will work in practice published yesterday also makes clear:/pp· The pound;30 initial fee for a standalone ID card valid for travel in Europe only is capped for the year 2009/10 when it will be compulsory for airport workers and on a voluntary basis for students. The regulations allow for this fee to be "modified" in future years including by 2012, when it is anticipated that mass rollout will take place with 5-6 million combined passports/identity cards a year expected to be issued. Passport fees will be on top of this basic charge./pp· If it necessary to change any of the details held on the card, such as name or fingerprints which entail a new card being issued, a further pound;30 will be charged. Changes of address or other details which do not appear on the card will not be charged. /pp· Transgendered people: those "moving from their birth gender to an acquired gender" will be able to apply for two ID cards - one for each gender. The second ID card will use a different name, signature and photograph although they will be linked as one entry on the national ID card register. Nevertheless they will be charged two fees for the privilege of holding two cards./pp· Homeless people and others who live "transient lifestyles" will also be able to register under the scheme. The Home Office expects to be able to agree with homeless people a suitable place to be registered as their residence - presumably even if it is only a railway arch. Those who move around frequently for work will be able to register their principal residence without notifying each move./ppBut the draft regulations also set out in detail the escalating series of fines for those who fail to keep their ID card register entry up to date or fail to correct errors on it. /ppThe kind of details that must be provided within three months are a change of address, a change of name perhaps because of marriage or by deed poll, a change of nationality, a change of gender, or a significant change in an individual's face or their fingerprints perhaps because of an accident./ppThe Home Office say they will not need to police this aspect as it will soon become apparent when somebody tries, for example, to get on a plane with a ID card/passport with an out of date address that does not match that the bank debit/credit card they used to book the flight./ppThey say they may well find themselves not being allowed to travel. Those who lose their ID Cards or have them stolen will have to report the loss within a month./ppFines for failure to update the register start at pound;125 going up to pound;1,000 for repeatedly failing to comply. As a civil penalty the bailiffs may be sent in to enforce payment./ppThe shadow home secretary, Dominic Grieve, said the scheme was truly the worst of all worlds - expensive, intrusive and unworkable. /pp"The home secretary has confirmed the worst element of the scheme - a single, mammoth and highly vulnerable database exposing masses of our personal details to criminal hackers. /pp"Worse still, she has magnified the scope for fraud by allowing spot fines to be issued by email," he said./ppThe NO2ID campaign say that in just four weeks in 2005, more than 10,000 people pledged online to refuse to register for an ID card. /pp"It is possible that refusal could be made a crime but the government has shied away from that so far. If enough people say no, it will be impossible," said a campaign spokesman./pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/idcards"Identity cards/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/civilliberties"Civil liberties/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/uksecurity"UK security and terrorism/a/li/ul/divdiv class="guRssAdvert"a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yessite=Politicscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660234112201400459684"img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yessite=Politicscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227317660234112201400459684" border="0" //a/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a