General Motors ruft in Nordamerika 780.000 Autos zurück General Motors is calling back 780,000 cars in North America

General Motors ruft in Nordamerika 780.000 Autos zurück

 

New York (AFP)

 

Der US-Autokonzern General Motors (GM) ruft in Nordamerika fast 780.000 Fahrzeuge wegen Problemen mit der Zündung zurück.

 

Betroffen seien die Modelle Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac Pursuit und Pontiac G5 aus den Jahren 2005 bis 2007, teilte GM mit.

 

Die Zündungsstörung könne dazu führen, dass sich der Motor und die Elektronik der Autos während der Fahrt ausstellen.

 

Dabei bestehe auch die Gefahr, dass die Airbags im Fall eines Unfalls nicht ausgelöst werden, teilte das Unternehmen mit.

 

General Motors weiß nach eigenen Angaben von 22 Unfällen, bei denen die Airbags nicht funktionierten.

 

Dabei seien sechs Menschen ums Leben gekommen.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 13 Donnerstag Februar 2014 Der Roman)

 

 

General Motors is calling back 780,000 cars in North America

 

New York (AFP)

 

The U.S. auto giant General Motors (GM) calls in North America back almost 780,000 vehicles due to problems with the ignition.

 

They were affected models Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac Pursuit and Pontiac G5 from 2005 to 2007, GM said.

 

The ignition fault could cause the motor and the electronics of the car exhibit while driving.

 

There is also a risk that the airbags will not be triggered in the event of an accident, the company said.

 

General Motors claims to know of 22 accidents where the airbags did not work.

 

In this case, six people died.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 13 Thursday February 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 14 Fridy February 2014 The Roman)

 

Ford earnings rise, beat expectations

Ford earnings rise, beat expectations

 

New York (AFP)

 

US auto giant Ford Motor Tuesday reported quarterly earnings that bested expectations as higher sales in North America and a smaller loss in Europe offset declines in South America.

 

Ford, the second-biggest US automaker, notched a 90 percent rise in fourth-quarter earnings thanks largely to a number of tax gains.

 

Revenues rose 3.6 percent compared with the year-ago period.

 

"We had an outstanding year in 2013, demonstrating that our One Ford plan continues to drive solid results and profitable growth for all," Ford chief executive Alan Mulally said in a statement.

 

Ford's North America division, which accounts for nearly one-third of company sales, reported higher quarterly sales but nine percent lower profits due to lower prices and $300 million in expenses associated with a recall of its Escape sport utility vehicle.

 

Ford enjoyed higher sales and wholesale deliveries in its Asia Pacific Africa segment, where pre-tax profit hit a record $106 million, about three times more than in the year-ago period.

 

In Europe, Ford trimmed its quarterly loss to $571 million from $732 million in the year-ago period, while Ford's South America division posted a loss of $126 million.

 

The South America results were hit by lower production in Venezuela due to a limited availability of US dollars, the company said.

 

Overall fourth-quarter profit came in at $3.0 billion on revenue of $37.6 billion compared with year-ago profit of $1.6 billion on revenue of $37.6 billion.

 

The results included $2.1 billion in favorable tax items, such as valuation allowances held against US tax-deferred assets.

 

The results translated into earnings of 31 cents per share, topping analyst expectations of 28 cents.

 

The company rated 2013 "one of Ford's best years ever" as Ford and other US automakers benefited from a surge in auto sales.

 

Net income for the year was $7.2 billion on revenue of $146.9 billion, up 26.3 percent from 2012 profit of $5.7 billion on revenue of $133.6 billion.

 

Ford said its 2014 outlook was unchanged with total company pre-tax profit expected to range from $7 billion to $8 billion.

 

Ford shares were up 2.1 percent at $16.04 in pre-market trade.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 28 Tuesday January 2014 The Roman)

 

IMF upgrades global growth forecast for 2014

IMF upgrades global growth forecast for 2014

 

Washington (AFP)

 

The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday that the global economic recovery is strengthening as countries move away from austerity budgets and financial systems improve.

 

The Fund increased its estimate for world growth this year slightly to 3.7 percent, after 3.0 percent in 2013, while warning that the rebound of the world economy is still "weak and uneven."

 

It was the first time in nearly two years that the Fund revised its growth forecasts upward: rougher conditions than expected have forced repeated downgrades of its predictions.

 

"The basic reason behind the stronger recovery is that the brakes to the recovery are progressively being loosened," said IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard, in the Fund's newest assessment of the global economy.

 

"The drag from fiscal consolidation is diminishing. The financial system is slowly healing. Uncertainty is decreasing," he said.

 

However, he added, there are significant differences between the United States, where growth looks "increasingly solid", and Europe, where growth remains weak and even weaker in the countries of the eurozone's southern rim.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 21 Tuesday January 2014 The Roman)

 

US weather: all 50 states fall below freezing

US weather: all 50 states fall below freezing

 

All 50 of America’s states recorded temperatures below freezing at some point on Tuesday and even the polar bear at Chicago zoo spent most of the day indoors, as bitterly cold air gripped the country

 

[caption id="attachment_11040" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Ice covers rocks and brush on the break wall at Edgewater Park in Cleveland (Photo The Telegraph))[/caption]

 

Parts of the country which were not victims of the “Polar vortex” that afflicted swathes of the US none the less suffered abnormally chilly weather as US authorities declared it the coldest Jan 7 on record.

 

The lowest temperature was reported at Embarrass, Minnesota, a township of just over 600 people, where the thermometer fell to -35F (-37C).

 

Once the wind chill factor was taken into account, the temperature felt as low as -45F (-43C).

 

On Hawaii the weather station on Mauna Kea, the island’s highest mountain, recorded a temperature of 21F (-6C), and temperatures plummeted at all levels in the southern states of the US mainland.

 

“It’s not unprecedented, but it is unusual,” a spokesman for the US National Weather Service said.

 

“Normally either Florida, Texas or Louisiana stays above freezing.”

 

In Chicago, the zoo’s polar bear, Anana, which has less insulating fat than if it lived in the wild, was kept in its heated indoor enclosure all day on Monday and only ventured outside briefly yesterday as the thermometer fell to -16F (-27C).

 

At least 21 people are believed to have died across the USA as a result of the cold blast which has crippled much of the country.

 

According to the latest official figures 187 million people have been affected by the severe weather.

 

Across the country wind chill warnings were in place for 32 states from Montana in the north to Florida in the south east.

 

School closures were reported from as far afield as Minneapolis and Chicago in the north to Atlanta and northern Florida in the south.

 

The eastern seaboard, which had escaped the initial impact of the Polar vortex, was also affected.

 

Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York state, closed swathes of the state highways as a precaution.

 

In Illinois the governor, Pat Quinn, declared a state of emergency as the state wrestled with the most severe temperatures in two decades.

 

So cold was the temperature that water thrown into the air turned into ice before landing on the ground.

 

In Iowa, Tom Rauen became an internet sensation when he posted a film on YouTube showing a wet T-shirt turning into ice in a minute.

 

“I thought, 'Why not do something a little different?’ and wondered what would happen if we froze a T-shirt? How long would it take to freeze?

 

“I thought it would be cool if I could shape it into what it would look like if someone was wearing it. I left it standing up on the sidewalk for a while and when I brought it inside there was a little tear in it - just from it freezing, it had become it very brittle. I took the tear and just ripped the T-shirt in half like it was a piece of paper. It was crazy.”

 

The cold weather in the south triggered fears the Florida citrus crop could be hit.

 

America’s transport system continued to be hit.

 

In Illinois, more than 500 passengers were stuck on three Amtrak trains overnight after they were trapped by the snow.

 

Air travel was also hit with thousands of flights cancelled across the country.

 

However according to US weather forecasters the worst is over, with temperatures expected to climb slowly by the end of the week.

 

(The Telegraph, 7 Tuesday January 2014 The Roman)

 

We sent many informations to the United States through Paris Police.

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 8 Wednesday January 2014 The Roman)

 

US weather: all 50 states fall below freezing

US weather: all 50 states fall below freezing

 

All 50 of America’s states recorded temperatures below freezing at some point on Tuesday and even the polar bear at Chicago zoo spent most of the day indoors, as bitterly cold air gripped the country

 

[caption id="attachment_11040" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Ice covers rocks and brush on the break wall at Edgewater Park in Cleveland (Photo The Telegraph))[/caption]

 

Parts of the country which were not victims of the “Polar vortex” that afflicted swathes of the US none the less suffered abnormally chilly weather as US authorities declared it the coldest Jan 7 on record.

 

The lowest temperature was reported at Embarrass, Minnesota, a township of just over 600 people, where the thermometer fell to -35F (-37C).

 

Once the wind chill factor was taken into account, the temperature felt as low as -45F (-43C).

 

On Hawaii the weather station on Mauna Kea, the island’s highest mountain, recorded a temperature of 21F (-6C), and temperatures plummeted at all levels in the southern states of the US mainland.

 

“It’s not unprecedented, but it is unusual,” a spokesman for the US National Weather Service said.

 

“Normally either Florida, Texas or Louisiana stays above freezing.”

 

In Chicago, the zoo’s polar bear, Anana, which has less insulating fat than if it lived in the wild, was kept in its heated indoor enclosure all day on Monday and only ventured outside briefly yesterday as the thermometer fell to -16F (-27C).

 

At least 21 people are believed to have died across the USA as a result of the cold blast which has crippled much of the country.

 

According to the latest official figures 187 million people have been affected by the severe weather.

 

Across the country wind chill warnings were in place for 32 states from Montana in the north to Florida in the south east.

 

School closures were reported from as far afield as Minneapolis and Chicago in the north to Atlanta and northern Florida in the south.

 

The eastern seaboard, which had escaped the initial impact of the Polar vortex, was also affected.

 

Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York state, closed swathes of the state highways as a precaution.

 

In Illinois the governor, Pat Quinn, declared a state of emergency as the state wrestled with the most severe temperatures in two decades.

 

So cold was the temperature that water thrown into the air turned into ice before landing on the ground.

 

In Iowa, Tom Rauen became an internet sensation when he posted a film on YouTube showing a wet T-shirt turning into ice in a minute.

 

“I thought, 'Why not do something a little different?’ and wondered what would happen if we froze a T-shirt? How long would it take to freeze?

 

“I thought it would be cool if I could shape it into what it would look like if someone was wearing it. I left it standing up on the sidewalk for a while and when I brought it inside there was a little tear in it - just from it freezing, it had become it very brittle. I took the tear and just ripped the T-shirt in half like it was a piece of paper. It was crazy.”

 

The cold weather in the south triggered fears the Florida citrus crop could be hit.

 

America’s transport system continued to be hit.

 

In Illinois, more than 500 passengers were stuck on three Amtrak trains overnight after they were trapped by the snow.

 

Air travel was also hit with thousands of flights cancelled across the country.

 

However according to US weather forecasters the worst is over, with temperatures expected to climb slowly by the end of the week.

 

(The Telegraph, 7 Tuesday January 2014 The Roman)

 

We sent many informations to the United States through Paris Police.

 

(R.S.F. toshiki   eed news press, Agence France-Presse, 8 Wednesday january 2014 The Roman)

 

Grâce à des prix en baisse, un milliard de smartphones vendus cette année With falling prices, a billion smartphones sold this year

Grâce à des prix en baisse, un milliard de smartphones vendus cette année

 

[caption id="attachment_10274" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Le nombre de smartphones vendus cette année a bondi de 39,3% par rapport à 2012 (AFP/Archives, Nicolas Asfouri)) (The number of smartphones sold this year jumped 39.3% compared to 2012 (AFP/Archives, Nicolas Asfouri))[/caption]

 

Washington — Les smartphones ont franchi le cap symbolique du milliard d'unités vendues cette année dans le monde, grâce à une baisse des prix, et les ventes devraient continuer à croire dans les prochaines années, indique une étude publiée mardi.

 

Le nombre de smartphones vendus cette année a bondi de 39,3% par rapport à 2012, un rythme qui devrait toutefois ralentir les années suivantes, précise le cabinet de recherche International Data Corporation (IDC).

 

Un des facteurs clés de l'engouement pour ces téléphones multi-fonctions est leur prix, qui a baissé de 12% en un an, selon IDC.

 

Le prix moyen d'un smartphone a atteint 337 dollars cette année, en baisse de 12% par rapport à 2012, et pourrait encore diminuer jusqu'à 265 dollars d'ici 2017.

 

"Le moteur des ventes de smartphones les années prochaines devrait être la baisse des prix", souligne un analyste d'IDC, Ramon Llamas.

 

"Dans les marchés émergents notamment, où la sensibilité et l'élasticité des prix sont si importantes, les prix vont diminuer pour les smartphones, qui ne seront plus seulement entre les mains des élites urbaines mais aussi entre celles des consommateurs des marchés de masse", précise M. Llamas.

 

"Chaque vendeur regarde de près de combien il peut baisser le prix des appareils pour à la fois dégager un bénéfice et offrir une expérience solide de smartphone", explique-t-il.

 

Les ventes de smartphones pourraient représenter 1,7 milliards d'unités d'ici 2017, avec un taux de croissance de 18,4% l'année prochaine, selon IDC.

 

"Il y a juste quelques années, le secteur (des smartphones) parlait du prochain milliard de gens qui allaient se connecter, et on partait du principe que la majorité de ces gens allaient le faire avec leur téléphone portable. Etant donné la trajectoire des (prix), les smartphones sont maintenant une option très réaliste pour connecter ces milliards d'utilisateurs", selon M. Llamas.

 

Le nombre d'unités vendues a particulièrement augmenté dans les régions d'Asie-Pacifique et d'Amérique latine, chacune prévoyant une hausse du nombre d'unités vendues d'environ 23% au cours des quatre prochaines années.

 

L'Amérique du Nord, qui compte déjà un grand nombre de smartphones, devrait voir la progression du nombre d'unités vendues ralentir à un rythme de 7,8% et en Europe à 11,1%.

 

Copyright © AFP 2013. Tous droits réservés.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 26 mardi novembre 2013 le Romain)

 

 

With falling prices, a billion smartphones sold this year

 

Washington - Smartphones have crossed the symbolic threshold of one billion units sold this year worldwide, thanks to lower prices and sales should continue to believe in the coming years, says a study released Tuesday.

 

The number of smartphones sold this year jumped 39.3% compared to 2012, a rate that is expected to moderate in the following years, says research firm International Data Corporation (IDC).

 

A key factor in the popularity of the multi-function phones is their price, which fell 12% in one year, according to IDC.

 

The average price of a smartphone hit $ 337 this year, down 12% compared to 2012, and could decrease to $ 265 by 2017.

 

"The driver of smartphone sales in the coming years should be lower prices," said an analyst at IDC, Ramon Llamas.

 

"In emerging markets in particular, where the sensitivity and price elasticity are so important, the price will decrease for smartphones, which are no longer only in the hands of urban elites but also between those consumer mass markets", says Llamas.

 

"Each vendor looks almost how it can lower the price of equipment for both a profit and provide a solid smartphone experience," he says.

 

Smartphone sales could represent 1.7 billion units by 2017, with a growth rate of 18.4 % next year, according to IDC.

 

"There was just a few years, the sector (smartphones) spoke of the next billion people going to connect, and it was assumed that the majority of these people would do with their mobile phone. Given the trajectory of (price), smartphones are now a very realistic to connect billions of users option”, says Llamas.

 

The number of units sold increased particularly in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America, each providing a higher number of units sold of approximately 23 % over the next four years.

 

North America, which already has a large number of smartphones should see growth in the number of units sold at a slow pace of 7.8% and in Europe 11.1%.

 

Copyright © 2013 AFP . All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 26 Tuesday November 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. tohiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 27 Wednesday November 2013 The Roman)