Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:25:12 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Jay Akasie :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Jay+Akasie istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/antiques/sothebys-to-sell-british-guns/84200/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Every serious sportsman knows that by late August, the Scottish Highlands offer an array of riches. Grouse season is a couple weeks under way. Deer stalking is at its peak, and the fly-fishing doesn't get any better. Sotheby's annual sale of antique sporting guns at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland is popular this time of year because winning bidders can walk out the door and take to the field with their elegantly engraved rifles and shotguns. City bankers and sundry members of the English... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/revenge-of-the-family-car/70988/ Fri, 8 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST The station wagon was supposed to be relegated to the dustbin of history. The heyday of the faux wood-paneled family truckster coincided with a time in American life when the Brady Bunch wasn't yet in reruns and the gas crisis — the first one, that is — hadn't affected society's penchant for large, body-on-frame automobiles. With the introduction of the 2008 Outback, however, we're told that this is now a "wagon-only" vehicle line. Subaru's announcement seems a bit peculiar at first, but it's... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/travel/learning-history-in-virginia/79727/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST In the spring of 1775, Patrick Henry spoke the words that would make him one of the most important Americans in history: "Give me liberty or give me death!" Now, some 230 years after that rousing speech to Virginia's congressional delegation, a new group of Virginians is making sure this patriot receives proper attention. A handful of the commonwealth's most prominent historical sites and institutions have come together to present a look at a man who has been called the orator of the American... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/lady-liberty/70612/ Fri, 1 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST Khaki pants and TV dinners aren't the only staples of military life that the intrepid veterans of World War II introduced into mainstream society. America can also thank the U.S. Army for giving us the Jeep. In 1941, the military received an order of 1,500 light reconnaissance vehicles known as the Willys Model MA. An improved version, the MB, soon appeared on the front lines, but for reasons nobody knows for sure, soldiers began calling it a Jeep. It stands to reason that as the world became... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/antiques/masks-jade-more/83790/ Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST While all eyes are on the athletes at the Olympic Games in Beijing, collectors of Chinese art and antiques will have a chance to flex their competitive muscles, too. On August 24, the I.M. Chait Gallery's International Fine Arts Auction in Beverly Hills, Calif., will feature sculpture, porcelains, and a substantial cache of jade carvings. The Chait Gallery customarily holds the majority of its sales in New York City, but this month's sale is located on the West Coast to accommodate the growing... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/when-concept-becomes-reality/70181/ Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Chrysler has conquered the final frontier in the quest to produce the ideal environmentally friendly car. On paper, at least. The sleek ecoVoyager ranks among the best vehicles unveiled at this week's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It boasts great lines and a luxurious, spacious cabin designed to evoke a private jet. Its power source is based on a compact lithium-ion battery pack and is supplemented by the latest hydrogen fuel cells. The ecoVoyager ends the complaint that... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/with-sporty-hummer-the-good-times-roll/70180/ Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Another notable concept vehicle coming out of Detroit is the Hummer HX. General Motors is extending this brand with impressive results. With gas prices as high as they are, the idea behind this concept Hummer is to make it smaller and more fuel-efficient without losing either its mean looks or its magnificent off-road presence. The HX concept treads brazenly into the open-air SUV territory that Jeep has closely guarded over the years. This Hummer has removable door and roof panels, and even... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/style/keeping-the-pace/83166/ Tue, 5 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST During a gathering of the Wall Street Watch Club, which is a series of cocktail parties hosted by Dealmaker magazine, one of the timepieces on view was Blancpain's new Carrousel Volant Une Minute. Self-winding and water resistant up to 100 meters, it retails for $180,300. While the average Casio — or mobile telephone, for that matter — can tell time as accurately as its high-end counterpart, wristwatches such as the Blancpain model remain the only discernible fashion statement for men. Fashion... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/highlights-from-the-scottish-school/84157/ Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The auction world might be busy preparing for the major fall sales, but there's one sign that the dog days of summer aren't over quite yet. Sotheby's holds its Scottish & Sporting Pictures sale at the Gleneagles Hotel on August 26. A laid-back, late-summer event, it has been attracting a diverse crowd of art aficionados to the Highlands for four decades. "Buyers nowadays are more receptive to all eras of British painting. It's a very fun crowd at the Gleneagles," the head of Scottish Pictures... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/opinion/losses-at-lambeth/83118/ Mon, 4 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST If there's one thing on which the fractured pool of Anglican bishops can agree, it's that the Lambeth Conference is an enormous waste of time and money. Lambeth — named for the Archbishop of Canterbury's opulent London palace — is the once-a-decade gathering of the bishops of the Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church here in America is a small part. Sadly, it's the New York City-area Episcopalian delegation to Lambeth that is to blame — once again — for ruining the conference. This... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/in-reversal-police-approve-parade-permit/82950/ Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The Evacuation Day parade is on. The Sons of the Revolution, New York's group of descendants of Revolutionary War veterans, will be able to hold its historic parade this fall in Lower Manhattan celebrating the 225th anniversary of the last British forces to leave the city, a police spokesman said. The New York City Police Department's commissioner, Raymond Kelly, ordered another review of the group's application for a parade permit yesterday after learning that it had been rejected in May. The... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/sons-of-revolution-appeal-citys-denial-of-parade/82886/ Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Note: Correction appended. The Sons of the Revolution, a New York-based group of descendants of Revolutionary War veterans, are appealing the city's denial of a permit to hold a parade this fall marking the 225th anniversary of the departure of British troops from the city. Evacuation Day in New York celebrates the last shot of the Revolutionary War, a cannonball blasted at Manhattan from the deck of a British naval vessel as the last Redcoats left America. On November 25, 1783, after the... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/antiques/antiques-the-hells-kitchen-way/82833/ Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST While the new flea market in Fort Greene has shoppers and churchgoers at odds, things are relatively peaceful at the Hell's Kitchen flea market. Dealers from all around the Northeast come to this stretch of pavement on 39th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues. When the "Garage," the market's two-floor annex in an indoor parking garage on West 25th Street, closes this fall, the former garage-based dealers will join the gang on 39th Street. But even that is likely to be a smooth transition... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/prints-at-studio-prices/82688/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST What does $2,000 get you in the art market today? More than you might think. At Christie's mid-season print sale on Thursday, many pieces have estimates that resemble the price of the monthly rent on a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. "What's appealing to many people about a mid-season print sale is that the price range is for the most part below $5,000 a print," a specialist in the print department at Christie's, Tudor Davies, said. And the names of the artists are good ones. A number of... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/antiques/cathedral-restoration-courtesy-of-magna-carta/81980/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST To embark on the mother of all restoration projects, it's good to have the mother of all historical documents to help with the fund-raising efforts. An original 1215 version of the Magna Carta, which sat lost and forgotten in the archives of England's medieval Lincoln Cathedral for six centuries, is coming to Manhattan this fall. The visit is part of an aggressive fund-raising campaign aimed at restoring the cathedral, which conservators and architectural consultants estimate will have to come... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/masters-and-surprises/81409/ Tue, 8 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The eccentric German philanthropist Gustav Rau spent part of the last century running an automotive parts empire he inherited from his father. Then, at the age of 40, he enrolled in medical school, became a physician, and moved to Africa, where he built a hospital in the Belgian Congo. The one constant in Rau's extraordinary life was a love of Old Master paintings. Part of his collection, with works ranging from the late Gothic to the mid-18th century, will be sold tomorrow evening at Sotheby's... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/contemporary-auctions-poised-to-take-off/80856/ Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST When Jeff Koons's "Balloon Flower (Magenta)" sculpture went on display in London's St. James's Square last week, the members of the many gentlemen's clubs nearby were among the first to realize that the Contemporary sales of the major auction houses were approaching in a major way. "In the center of the square is an equestrian statue of William III and now, on one end, is a Jeff Koons sculpture. This sort of thing was sure to stir things up in St. James's Square," a Christie's spokesman... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/a-rare-titantic-original-for-sale/80598/ Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST While James Cameron's film "Titanic" revived interest in the historic tragedy, the 1997 movie supported an extensive market for forgeries of material connected to the doomed ship. "The reality is that 99% of the things associated with the Titanic are replicas and reproductions," the specialist and head of sale for today's Ocean Liner auction at Christie's, Gregg Dietrich, said. "Someone recently approached us with a bunch of Titanic items that turned out to be from a museum gift shop." The... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/in-london-will-moderns-move/80473/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Nothing heralds the arrival of the summer auctions quite like a vibrant seaside scene — be it in the hand of Claude Monet, Lyonel Feininger, or even Renι Magritte. Both Sotheby's and Christie's are holding significant Impressionist and Modern evening sales in London this week, a far cry from the days when the auction market would traditionally cool down for the season. "We're seeing a very strong market for top quality Impressionist paintings this summer," the vice chairman of Impressionist &... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/health-fitness/bipolar-illness-and-crime-a-difficult-connection/80491/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST When a respected local historian and author admitted in court this spring that he had stolen letters written by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, his attorney disclosed that his client suffers from bipolar disorder, a condition he claimed clouded his judgment. Edward Renehan Jr. was the director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association in Oyster Bay, Long Island, at the time of the thefts that occurred between January 2006 and October 2007. As more Americans are diagnosed with bipolar... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/christies-to-auction-buckley-belongings/80504/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:55:26 EST America's conservatives, take note: Christie's plans to hold an auction of select contents of both the Park Avenue maisonette and the Stamford, Conn., country house of the late William F. Buckley Jr. Christie's is working with the estate of the National Review founder, who died earlier this year at 82. His wife, the socialite Patricia Buckley, died last year. "We are honored to be offering this property for sale," a spokesman at Christie's Rockefeller Center offices, Rik Pike, said. In what... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/opinion/sailing-around-the-world/80391/ Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST ABOARD THE SV NEW YORK IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC — Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail non-stop around the world alone, is quick to point out that far fewer people have circumnavigated the globe than have climbed Mount Everest. The reason for sailing's preeminence among the great human achievements goes something like this: For climbers, a storm on a mountain face is a time to hunker down and wait for it to pass. For sailors racing on the high seas, a storm is when a sailboat's crew must... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/business/honda-rolls-out-hydrogen-powered-car/80154/ Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST The first-ever commercially available hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered sedan will be leased to consumers in America and Japan by Honda beginning next month. The FCX Clarity is a completely new automobile designed from the drawing board to utilize a hydrogen fuel cell engine as its sole power source, according to the company. The appearance of the new Honda in showrooms in the world's largest auto market is a clear sign that the automaker anticipates growing consumer interest in fuel cell technology... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/need-a-garage-buy-the-artek-pavilion/79924/ Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Not one chair from Mies van der Rohe's breakthrough Barcelona Pavilion from 1929 survives today. After the World's Fair came to a close, organizers disassembled the entire structure and threw away all of its Modernist furnishings, chairs and all. That's a far cry from the fate of the Artek Pavilion, the most notable lot in tomorrow's 20th Century Design auction at Sotheby's. The prefabricated structure, built for the 2007 Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, will hit the block with a sale... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/health-fitness/search-is-on-for-new-diseases-and-their-cures/79563/ Mon, 9 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Patients who have had scores of tests for unexplained conditions that doctors have so far been unable to diagnose may yet have treatment options under a new National Institutes of Health initiative. A director of the Undiagnosed Diseases Program, William Gahl, said he expects the NIH effort will be a way for physicians to discover new diseases — and then attempt to begin finding cures for them. Recent advances in genetics — including biochemical genetics, or the study of "inborn errors of... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/garden-for-sale-gnomes-and-all/79463/ Fri, 6 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST The auctioneer Colin Stair recalls the first time he visited Salander-O'Reilly Galleries's grand East 71st Street townhouse. "I was struck by Mr. Salander's incredibly good taste. It was easy to see why he had so many high-profile clients," he said. These days, nobody knows more about the furnishings of that limestone townhouse than Mr. Stair: He's been chosen to administer the June 7 sale of the gallery's Renaissance furniture collection, picture frames, and impressive English garden statuary... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/pretty-picture/79349/ Wed, 4 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST It might be only skin deep, but beauty does not fail to influence the value of a portrait. Consider two mid-17th-century paintings of English ladies up for auction at the Sotheby's Old Master sale today. The first, "Portrait of Elizabeth Capell, Countess of Carnarvon" by Sir Peter Lely, is the noted artist's best attempt to make a homely young woman look attractive. Sotheby's estimates it will sell between $100,000 and $150,000. "If she were beautiful, the painting would be worth a million... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/authentic-and-up-for-sale/78971/ Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 EST When it comes to art, authenticity doesn't always come easily. The Sotheby's London sale of Old Masters includes a recently rediscovered portrait by 17th-century Dutch master Frans Hals. The portrait — of a wealthy textile merchant, Willem van Heythuysen — had been in the Rothschild collection for centuries and is estimated to sell for between $6 million and $10 million. At some point since its creation in 1635, the painting's surface and heritage were obscured; it was thought to be a later... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/american-art-delivers-at-christies/76838/ Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Buyers set two records at Christie's sale of American paintings Wednesday, a clear sign that global interest in American works of art continues to grow. The $72.6 million in combined sales of 111 lots makes yesterday's auction a record for an American art sale at Christie's. The Midtown auction saw a new record set for any American Modernist painting sold at public auction. Marsden Hartley's "Lighthouse" fetched $6.13 million after a highly anticipated sale. The painting was recently... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/marsden-hartley-goes-on-the-block-in-american-sale/76768/ Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Restitution of lost wartime paintings is a common theme in the art world. But a slight twist on a common theme — confiscation by the Red Army, not the Nazis — is what's making a rediscovered Marsden Hartley masterpiece the most important lot of today's American sale at Christie's. Until recently, Hartley's 1915 oil-on-canvas "Lighthouse" never left eastern Germany. It spent most of its life in the basement of a sleepy museum outside Leipzig, confiscated after World War II by Soviet soldiers... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/health-fitness/brave-new-world-of-medicine-robotic-surgery-nears/76630/ Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Talk about a major step in human-cyborg relations: Biomedical engineers at Duke University are building a robot surgeon that will have the potential to operate in remote locations with little or no human guidance. To science-fiction fans, this development carries tremendous appeal, as robots equipped with artificial intelligence may soon be able to travel virtually anywhere and perform sophisticated surgeries on patients — even treating astronauts in orbit. There are also more immediate — and... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/health-fitness/tinnitus-cases-expected-to-increase/76257/ Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EST A biologist at Northwestern University, Ernest Moore, has stumbled upon a drug that could treat a condition that plagues more than 50 million Americans, or about one-sixth of the population. Tinnitus, characterized by a constant ringing noise in the ears, is currently helped by a mechanical device that look similar to a hearing aide that emit sounds in an attempt to mask the inner-ear noise. Now, Mr. Moore says he may have found a drug that can prevent tinnitus from developing. He applied... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/sinatra-stamp-marks-one-cent-postal-increase/76125/ Fri, 9 May 2008 00:00:00 EST It seems it's still Frank Sinatra's world — and we just live in it. Ten years after Ol' Blue Eyes's death, the United States Postal Service will issue a full-color, 42-cent stamp emblazoned with his image. Sinatra's three children — Nancy, Frank Jr., and Tina — will preside over unveiling ceremonies here and in Las Vegas next Tuesday. As part of its one-cent postal rate increase for first-class stamps, the post office is issuing 120 million 42-cent Sinatra stamps, which picture Sinatra in the... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/opinion/obama-is-not-alone/75771/ Fri, 2 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Most of us who aren't running for president lack the ability to publicly condemn the extremist agendas espoused by clergymen like the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. So it was with satisfaction that many members of America's mainline Protestant churches watched Senator Obama denounce his pastor's recent sermons and speeches this week. Rev. Wright, a Congregationalist pastor, holds the kind of views that should, one would hope, place him on the fringes of society. But make no mistake about it: Rev... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/opinion/more-than-a-humvee/75329/ Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST The Humvee looked like a steel monster when it first arrived on Army bases in 1985. The Jeep, the venerable all-purpose vehicle that carried soldiers, supplies, and armaments in World War II and through the next four decades, looked downright cute alongside its replacement. Back in the 1980s, the Department of Defense's top brass reasoned that America would be facing new foes in never-before-imagined military engagements in the new century. The Humvee was designed during the height of the Cold... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/business/hedge-fund-executives-beat-bankers-to-top-forbes/74868/ Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST Main Street might be mired in a formidable economic slump, but the top players on Wall Street earned record sums last year, according to a new Forbes magazine list. All 20 of the financiers on Forbes's second annual ranking of Wall Street's top earners released yesterday made fortunes by correctly betting on the housing debacle, the rise in commodities prices, and the increasing risk of stagflation. At least $350 million was required to crack the Top 20, some $90 million more than the year... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/herms-and-bugatti-together-again-for-24-million/74025/ Wed, 2 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST Here's one set of wheels that is worth a trip downtown: the $2.4 million, 1001-horsepower Bugatti Veyron "Fbg par Hermθs" spec edition roadster. Volkswagen AG revived the formidable Bugatti brand name three years ago with the original edition Veyron. With a carbon fiber-composite body and a top speed of 250 miles per hour, it's the fastest production car ever built. The Hermθs edition, unveiled this morning at Battery Park Gardens and on display later today at the new Hermθs boutique on Broad... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/pope-to-lead-service-at-german-speaking-parish/73556/ Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Yorkville, one of the last German-speaking parishes in the city, will host Pope Benedict XVI next month. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York has confirmed that the pontiff has accepted Edward Cardinal Egan's invitation to come to the Italianate limestone church on East 87th Street at First Avenue and lead an ecumenical prayer service there April 18. "The pope will pray with Christian leaders at the church and take time afterwards to meet with a few... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/opinion/keep-st-patrick-our-own/73059/ Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST There's a reason the Guinness brewery in Dublin is that city's most popular tourist attraction, outdrawing even the venerable Book of Kells at Trinity College. The brewmasters at Guinness's St. James Gate facility are extremely good at what they do, which is to produce one of the world's finest stouts. We wish they would stick to their core competency. Guinness has entered the realm of American politics, however, with a plan to submit a petition to Congress that would make today, St. Patrick's... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/new-york-slips-in-a-rich-area-billionaires/72443/ Thu, 6 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST New York City has been eclipsed as the billionaire capital of the world, according to Forbes magazine, which yesterday released its annual ranking of the richest people on earth. Seventy-four billionaires, with an average net worth of $5.9 billion, now call Moscow home, compared with 71, at an average of $3.3 billion, in New York City, the Forbes list shows. The richest man in New York City is the industrialist David Koch, worth some $17 billion, according to the new Forbes ranking. He's... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/business/drug-giants-including-pfizer-seek-anti/72236/ Tue, 4 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST With counterfeit prescription medicines flooding the world's markets, pharmaceutical giants are calling for a treaty that would set a first-ever protocol for fighting global piracy and counterfeiting operations. At a meeting of the International Chamber of Commerce in Midtown yesterday, Pfizer, General Electric, and Sanofi-Aventis came together to discuss the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, which is largely aimed at combating what has become the most lucrative type of piracy... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/opinion/episcopalian-swan-song/71534/ Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST We have a hunch that James Pike, the late bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Francisco — wherever he might be at the moment — is watching with interest the latest controversy facing the Anglican Communion. A little more than a week ago, the church's spiritual leader, the archbishop of Canterbury, called for aspects of Islamic Shariah law to be incorporated into British law. The archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has shocked politicians, theologians, and world leaders with his latest... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/deconstructed-dinner-on-the-brain/71545/ Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST Not many place settings include a nose clip for each dinner guest. But olfactory deprivation — the inability to smell — is at the core of "How and Why Things Taste the Way They Do," a special dinner, taking place next week, that is designed to showcase why particular foods taste and smell the way they do. A Columbia professor of neurobiology, Stuart Firestein, and a Cornell professor of biochemistry, Terry Acree, have used food and drink demonstrations as part of their classroom lectures for... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/even-auto-racing-goes-green/69747/ Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Here's a first: Officials at the American Le Mans Series announced this week that they've asked none other than the Environmental Protection Agency to develop protocols and criteria for a 1,000-mile "green" race this fall. The Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta, the so-called American version of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France, is based on the French race's guiding concept: exotic prototype and production-based sports cars competing in four different classes on the track at the... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/king-of-the-road/69752/ Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Automakers have been promising us a revolution for some time now. If this week's auto show in Detroit is any indication of things to come, then it seems they took the word "revolution" quite literally. Don't get us wrong. Sometimes returning to one's roots is the best decision. Especially when the company is Ford and the revolution centers 'round the GT500. Previews at the North American International Auto Show had been all too predictable this year. Alternative-fuel engines come in cars we... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/drawing-board-driving-appeal/69356/ Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST The mantra among speed enthusiasts, especially Porsche aficionados, is that the no-frills car is the one that has the best chance of winning the race. So we were fascinated by this week's announcement out of Stuttgart that Porsche is planning (hold on to your socks for this one) a four-door hybrid model. The lasting appeal of Porsche traditionally rested on distinctively styled coupes with throaty, straight six engines that could, with the addition of a skillful driver, outrun and outmaneuver... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/satellite-radio-unveils-its-threat-matrix/69363/ Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST If it's January, and you're in Detroit, then you're most likely an intrepid member of the automotive press corps in town for the North American International Auto Show. And if it happens to snow next week — as it usually does in Detroit in January — then the purveyors of the Threat Matrix will have a field day demonstrating their technology to auto columnists. Threat Matrix is the name of the real-time weather-tracking service behind XM Satellite Radio's new NavWeather feature. The same folks... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/arts/master-of-the-playlist/68966/ Fri, 4 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Michael Smith doesn't like being overpowered by lousy background music. But that's just what happened shortly after this Los Angeles-based music consultant sat down to brunch at Bouley Bakery. He grimaced at the pop songs bellowing from the speakers of the trendy TriBeCa restaurant. Jimmy Buffet's "Margaritaville" got him a bit off-kilter. "That's perfect for hanging out in the Keys, not in a bustling New York City bistro," he said. Then came "Juke Box Hero" by Foreigner. But it was "Welcome to... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/crash-test-dummies-become-more-lifelike/68923/ Fri, 4 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Pin-up girls aren't the only ones getting silicone implants. Ford Motor Co. is working with prominent hospitals to develop more lifelike abdominal inserts for pediatric crash-test dummies. "The major focus [with crash dummy testing] has always been on head and chest injuries," the senior technical leader with Ford's Passive Safety Research and Advanced Engineering Department, Steve Rouhana, said. "But the lack of an abdomen is not just a matter of priority. We really didn't have the technology... JAY AKASIE http://www.nysun.com/motoring/campaign-trail-escape-tale/68930/ Fri, 4 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Ford Motor Co. is using the hype surrounding the presidential primary season to tout its new sport utility vehicle, the Escape Hybrid. Ford is running a print advertisement in several Capitol Hill publications, such as Roll Call, the Hill, and Politico, that claims the SUV is a favorite of many presidential contenders and their campaign staffs. "We may not know where all the candidates stand, but we know where a lot of them sit," the advertisement reads. Ford's campaign for the "green" Escape...