Signs with opera

Advania, a leading It (IT) organization working in the Nordics, lately agreed upon a contract together with Chrome Software program for your enlargement regarding their procedures on Thor Information Center – a natural info center with Iceland owned or operated by means of Advania.

Chrome Software program uses the results center to be able to facilitate web hunting for greater than 230 thousand Chrome Tiny users around the world. The new contract remains the particular continuing escalation on the info center which has a around doubling regarding Opera’s latest capability.

Gestur Grams. Gestsson, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER regarding Advania, claimed, “It’s vital for us to own ongoing believe in regarding Chrome Software program as well as every single child help the organization having its ongoing achievements. Advania aims to be a trustworthy business lover exactly who supports customers within their operate, being sure that his or her procedures are generally second to none. Ebay collaboration is built for your long term. ”

Chrome Software program has been among the 1st firms to be able to get the opportunity displayed by means of Iceland’s inexpensive natural energy as well as free of charge cooling down. This enables with an very productive functioning though however sustaining equilibrium while using the natural environment since you can find absolutely no as well as emissions by Iceland’s energy output.

Anthony Nichols, VP, THAT Functions on Chrome Software program, explained, “We are generally thrilled every single child keep on on the road regarding environment duty with Iceland, specially since this particular permits us to broaden our own capability to be able to serve our own shoppers while maintaining our own reduced as well as impact in one piece. ”

This company’s info center is perhaps among the world’s greenest info stores since all of the energy utilised on the internet site is produced by environmentally friendly solutions as well as much less energy is employed for cooling down a result of the healthy neat climate with Iceland.

The Simpsons come to Iceland

Icelandic band Sigur Rós will feature in The Simpsons Season Finale this weekend. The episode, which will see some of its main characters visit Iceland, will feature an entirely original score composed by the band – a first for the famous American adult sitcom now concluding its 24th season.

The episode, entitled The Saga of Carl Carlson, will air in North America on Sunday 19th May and in Iceland the following day. The plot of the two-part show revolves around the character of Carl Carlson, Homer’s friend and co-worker, who sets off to visit his home country, Iceland.

The surprising origins of Springfield nuclear power plant employee, Carl Carlson, were revealed in an episode in the 14th series, wherein unexpected brightness in the middle of the night reminded the character of his Icelandic boyhood.

The Simpsons  also featured Iceland in a 2010 episode that parodied the protests following  the 2008 bank crash.

While Sigur Rós only joins a long list of bands and solo artists to make a guest appearance on the show – amongst others Daft Punk, Lady Gaga and U2 have all made appearances – this will be one of the rare times an entire original score is composed for the occasion, including the Icelandic band’s take on the famous opening theme of The Simpsons.

Sigur Rós, which will issue their new album Kveikur on Tuesday 18th June, stated on their website  that ”with this episode, Sigur Rós have written and performed more original music for The Simpsons than any other outside band in the show’s history.”

The creator of the show, Matt Groening, said, “I’m a longtime fan of Sigur Rós, and we’re honored to bring their Icelandic  ambient moods to our goofy cartoon show.”

On the top

In a season of summit firsts, Ingólfur Geir Gissurarson became the fifth, and so far oldest, Icelander to summit Everest, while the first ascent via the North Face by and Icelander was underway by Leifur Örn Gissurarson.

Geir Gissurarson reached the top of the 8,848m high Himalayan peak on May 21st, exactly 16 years after Björn Ólafsson, Einar Stefánsson and Hallgrímur Magnússon became the first Icelanders to summit the world’s highest mountain.

“I think it’s great that Leifur is trying that route,” famous explorer, Haraldur Örn Ólafsson said in an interview with Fréttablaðið.

However, at 51, Ingólfur is still a spring chicken. If 81-year-old Min Bahadur Sherchan of Nepal and his 80-year-old rival Yuichiro Miura of Japan, both currently in Everest Base Camp on the South Side of the mountain, reach the summit this season, a new record would have been set for the oldest person summiting. Presently it is held by Min Bahadur Sherchan, a Nepalese who reached the summit on 25 May 2008 at the age of 76 years 340 days.

2013 has already seen five records or firsts set on the mountain, including; first Saudi woman, first Pakistani women, first Moroccan and first twins (Indian sisters).

The next record that could be set is by Vilborg Arna Gissurardóttir, the first Icelandic woman to reach the South Pole, who is now planning to climb the world’s seven highest summits.

Back in Iceland

Iceland will again serve as a key set in the next season of the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, which is expected to be shot here this summer, Svarthöfði reports.

This will be the third time Game of Thrones comes to Iceland since it first shot scenes for the second season’s foray “north beyond the wall,” a key geographical area on the continent of Westeros (not to be confused with Västerås, Sweden) where most of the show’s action takes place. It appears Iceland has won a home for wildlings and white walkers and things that occur “beyond the wall.”

According to Svarthöfði, this year’s shooting will take place around Þingvellir, Hengill volcano and Þórsárdalur valley among other places. Previously, scenes were shot near Svínafellsjökull glacier, Mývatn lake and Vatnajökull glacier.

Filming is expected to begin in mid July and continue through August. During the last shoot, some 270 locals worked on the set and a similar number is likely to be employed again this year.

The show is currently screening its third season. 

NO PORN!

Iceland is working on banning Internet pornography, calling explicit online images a threat to children.

'"There is a strong consensus building in Iceland," Halla Gunnarsdottir, an adviser to the nation's Interior Minister, told England's Daily Mail. "We have so many experts, from educationalists to the police and those who work with children behind this, that this has become much broader than party politics.

"At the moment, we are looking at the best technical ways to achieve this. But surely if we can send a man to the moon, we must be able to tackle porn on the Internet."

Such a step is somewhat surprising among Western nations that, for the most part, champion free-speech rights. But the move wouldn't be unprecedented in the island nation.

Iceland has had laws banning the printing and distribution of pornography for years, but those laws haven't been updated to include the Web. And two years ago, the nation's parliament banned strip clubs, saying they violate the rights of the women who work in them.

Iceland would become the first Western democracy to try and block pornography online.

READ: In the tech world, porn quietly leads the way

Interior Minister Ogmundur Jonasson has appointed committees to study the best methods for keeping young people from seeing explicit images and videos on computers, game consoles and smartphones.

The options being considered, according to the Daily Mail, include blocking the IP addresses of known porn sites and making it illegal to use credit cards from Iceland to subscribe to X-rated sites.

"This move is not anti-sex. It is anti-violence because young children are seeing porn and acting it out," Gunnarsdottir said. "That is where we draw the line. This material is blurring the boundaries for young people about what is right and wrong."

Attempting a total block of porn sites somewhere like the United States, with its legions of public and private portals onto the Web and the millions of software engineers who likely would spring into action to find workarounds, would be nearly impossible.

But Iceland has a population of 322,000 -- roughly the same as St. Louis, Missouri. That, and its remote location 1,300 miles off of the coast of Europe, would make jamming or blocking Web traffic to certain sites easier, if that was the route the government there chose.

The move is, predictably, drawing fire from Web-freedom advocates, including some in Iceland who agree with Jonasson on most issues.

"Since he claimed office as minister, Jonasson has brought forward progressive legislation and has shown that he can be a man of principles and courage. For that, I truly respect him," Birgitta Jonsdottir, a member of Iceland's parliament who represents part of Reykjavik, wrote in an editorial for London's The Guardian.

"But he is way off track in his attempts to place a shield around Iceland in order to 'stop porn' from entering the country."

A member of the parliament committee studying the issue, Jonsdottir says a porn ban has "near zero" chance of passing parliament and that she's working to find other ways the government can help protect children from Web porn.

"Introducing censorship without compromising freedom of expression and speech is like trying to mix oil and water: It is impossible," she wrote. "I know my fellow MPs can often turn strange and dangerous laws into reality, but this won't be one of them."

Iceland forms center-right govt, halts EU talks

The leader of the center-right Progressive Party was chosen as Iceland's new prime minister Wednesday and promptly announced a halt to talks with the European Union about joining the 27-nation bloc.

Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson spoke about the policy shift at a press conference after being selected premier.

"The government intends to halt negotiations between Iceland and the European Union," he said. "We will not hold further negotiations with the European Union without prior referendum."

Iceland has engaged in on-and-off talks with the EU for several years. Gunnlaugsson's party has been opposed, in part because members fear that joining would mean giving up control of Iceland's vital fishing stocks.

The new government will also include Bjarni Benediktsson, head of the conservative Independent Party, who will serve as minister of finance.

Icelanders voted April 27, returning to power the parties who had governed for decades before the 2008 economic collapse, the Independents and the Progressive Party.

The two parties had ruled together from 1995 until the 2008 fiasco. After the collapse of the Icelandic banking sector that year, Icelanders voted in a liberal government led by the Social Democrats and the Left-Greens.

The small North Atlantic nation with a population of 320,000 went from economic powerhouse to financial disaster almost overnight when its main commercial banks collapsed within a week in 2008. The value of the country's currency plummeted, while inflation and unemployment figures soared. Iceland was forced to seek a bailout from Europe and the International Monetary Fund.

The Progressive Party promised during the campaign to cut Icelanders' housing debts by 20 percent.

"The government keeps open the option of creating a special adjustment fund to achieve its goals," Gunnlaugsson said, promising further details soon.

That fund would help reduce loans taken out in foreign currencies, which soared as the Icelandic krona depreciated. Many Icelanders took out mortgages and car loans in foreign currencies prior to the financial collapse.

The government will also focus on lowering taxes and lifting capital controls to increase foreign investment.

Gunnlaugsson has said in the past that foreign creditors of Iceland's collapsed banks will likely need to suffer a substantial "haircut" — or reduction — on claims denominated in Icelandic currency. Details of any potential new plan for dealing with foreign creditors have not yet been announced.

You can see hundreds of tons of fireworks go up in smoke here.

Do yo want to see hundreds of tons of fireworks go up in smoke, and live?

Then you can use this link here -

http://www.livefromiceland.is/webcams/reykjavik/




Crazy Iceland at its best :)

Happy New Year!!

Sooo coool Land Rover from BRUDER

THIS TOY IS TO COOL!!!!!

I WAN´T ONE!!!!

Super Foxy Suzuki

Have you ever seen anything so foxy?
If you want a super-light and a fun toy with some muscles you should check this one out.Currently for sale here in Iceland on either 38" tires or 44" (then the 38" comes with it) It has a Ford 2,8 Liter V6 engine and a 5 speed manual gearbox. This SuperFox puts out 200 hp and a lot of fun.

The Beauty of a 1969 Corvette Stingray

The beauty of the Chevrolet Corvette has been captured by many photographers for the past 60 years, but a slick video of a red 1969 Stingray on the creative website called Vimeo lifts the game to a brand new level.

Vimeo describes itself as a “respectful community of creative people who are passionate about sharing the videos they make.” It would be hard to argue with that evaluation after watching this video.

“I made this video out of my fascination to the night lights and how they work on the body of a beautiful car,” the artist says in the caption.

Beginning with a variety of close-up still shots of the 427-powered car, he then moves into action video on interstates and in tunnels, with the reflected light giving new and unique looks of the Corvette.

The cameraman obviously put a lot of time and effort into making the video, using his Canon 550D, equipped with EF-S 18-55mm and 55-250 lenses, to capture the Corvette and its surroundings from many different angles and different locations on the car. The editing is especially effective as he switches from angle to angle, showing dashes of light reflecting off the moving vehicle that seem to be moving and sliding off of it

If everything is ok, something is wrong

My old Landy, I miss you so!

Here is a little video from when I drove my ´99 Land Rover Discovery from Grafardalur to Skorradalur.

This is the route i drove.



And here are some pictures of that old fellow, best car I have ever had. There is nothing more fun than to tell my little boys to get dressed, grab the camera and something to eat and drink and just drive off, anywhere, does not matter where. I hope I can get me another of those soon.





This is what this is about, drive off, with the family and have some fun.
And don´t forget the other trucks.

The Macan is the latest effort in Porsche’s plan to expand its portfolio by 2018. While true purists may once again cry foul at the notion of another non-sports car with the Porsche shield on the hood, something tells us this Porsche will meet with far less skepticism this time around. The Cayenne and the Panamera have proven Porsche can successfully expand into segments beyond sports coupes without sacrificing its core principles. The Macan is likely to toe that line as well.

From what we’ve seen, the Macan will arrive on the same chassis as the Audi Q5, though with suspension, brake and engine tweaks suitable to the Porsche range. Rumors have also hinted toward both hybrid and three-door iterations as well.

The Audi RS 4 Avant

· V8 powerplant with 450 hp, 430 Nm (317.15 lb-ft)
· High-performance brakes with wave discs
· Unique combination of dynamics and everyday practicality

A modern classic from Audi is making a comeback: The third-generation RS 4 Avant combines potent performance with a high level of everyday practicality. It's 4.2-liter V8 produces 331 kW (450 hp); the seven-speed S tronic and quattro permanent all-wheel drive transfer that power to the road.

The Audi RS 4 Avant uses the same high-revving, normally aspirated V8 engine that powers the RS 5 Coupe. The 4,163 cc powerplant produces 331 kW (450 hp) at 8,250 rpm for a specific output of 108.1 hp per liter. Its maximum torque of 430 Nm (317.15 lb-ft) is available from 4,000 to 6,000 rpm. The responsive V8 with its red-painted cylinder head covers accelerates the RS 4 Avant from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.7 seconds on its way to a governed top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph). This can be increased to 280 km/h (173.98 mph) upon request.

Hand-built at Audi's plant in Györ, Hungary, the 4.2 FSI engine combines its impressive power with exemplary efficiency, consuming on average less than 11 liters of fuel per 100 km (21.38 U.S. mpg).

With its high efficiency and long top gear, the standard seven-speed S tronic also contributes to the vehicle's good fuel economy. Drivers can let the lightning-fast dual-clutch transmission shift automatically or change gears manually using the selector lever or the paddles on the steering wheel. For explosive starts, drivers can also activate Launch Control, which manages the engagement of the clutch at an optimum starting speed and minimum wheel slip.

Top traction: quattro drive with crown-gear center differential
Like every RS model from Audi, the RS 4 Avant comes standard with quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The heart of this system is the crown-gear center differential. This compact and lightweight component can vary the distribution of power between the front and rear axles immediately, smoothly and over a wide range, with up to 70 percent flowing to the front or as much as 85 percent to the rear. The default 40:60 ratio of the rear-biased configuration ensures sporty handling.

The self-locking crown-gear center differential works together with the torque vectoring system, which acts on all four wheels. If the load on the inside wheel is reduced too much while the car is being driven dynamically, the torque vectoring system brakes it slightly before unintended slip can occur. Audi offers the sport differential, which uses two superposition stages to actively distribute the power between the rear wheels, as an option.

Aluminum in abundance: the chassis
The chassis of the Audi RS 4 Avant is a very complex design. Many components of the five-link front suspension and the self-tracking trapezoidal-link rear suspension are made of aluminum. The new speed-dependent power steering is a highly efficient electromechanical system with a direct steering ratio for highly precise road feel. It helps the driver stay on course by making slight steering corrections when braking on surfaces with different amounts of grip.

The taut RS setup lowers the body by 20 millimeters (0.79 in) compared with the Audi A4 Avant. New, polished 19-inch, ten-spoke forged aluminum wheels shod with 265/35-series tires are standard. Audi also offers 20-inch wheels with 265/30-series tires. These are available in a new, polished, titanium-look, five-V-spoke design plus two additional variants in the five-arm rotor design.

Mounted behind the large wheels are internally vented wave disc brakes measuring 365 millimeters (14.37 in) in diameter up front. The steel friction rings with their wave-like outer contour are perforated and connected to the aluminum brake caps via pins. This concept reduces tensions, quickly dissipates heat and prevents transmission of temperature peaks. The new shape of the friction rings shaves a total of roughly three kilograms (6.61 lb) off the unsprung weight.

The calipers are painted high-gloss black; the front calipers have eight pistons each and sport RS logos. The ESP stabilization system has a Sport mode and can be fully deactivated. For the front axle, Audi offers the option of 380 millimeter (14.96 in) carbon fiber ceramic discs and six-piston calipers in anthracite gray. The ceramic brakes are especially lightweight, robust and durable.

The Audi drive select driving dynamics system is among the standard equipment for the RS 4 Avant. With it, the driver can switch between three modes – comfort, auto and dynamic – to determine the characteristics of the steering, the seven-speed S tronic and the throttle valve. Audi drive select can even vary the sound of the exhaust system, double-declutching when downshifting in dynamic mode. If the car is equipped with an Audi navigation system, a largely driver-configurable custom mode is also available.

In addition to the sport differential, another component available for Audi drive select is dynamic steering. It varies its steering ratio by nearly 100 percent depending on the speed driven and automatically countersteers slightly at the cornering limit for even more precise and stable handling.

Another particularly dynamic damping technology available as an option from Audi is the sport suspension plus with dynamic ride control (DRC). Oil lines and a central valve connect diagonally opposed pairs of shock absorbers. During fast cornering, the system boosts the stabilization of the front outside wheel, for example.

The damping characteristic of the sport suspension plus is variable, with a choice of three settings available via Audi drive select.

Athletic: the exterior design
The exterior design flaunts the athletic character of the RS 4 Avant. The hexagonal single-frame grille is set in a frame with a matte aluminum-look finish; its honeycomb insert is finished in high-gloss anthracite. LED daytime running lights encircle the xenon plus units like a clasp in the wedge-shaped headlights. The air flows through large openings divided by crossbars and embedded in a distinctive bumper featuring a splitter edge like on a race car.

When viewed from the side, the chiseled side sill caps and flared wheel wells catch the eye. The flared rear side elements with sharp horizontal upper edges are a nod to that all-wheel drive pioneer from 1980, the Audi quattro. The side mirror housings and trim strips have a matte aluminum-look finish, and a discrete roof spoiler at the back ensures the necessary downforce.

The distinctive bumpers and the two oval tailpipe caps of the dual exhaust system dominate the rear end and are integrated into an upturned diffuser. Audi also offers a sport exhaust system with a voluminous sound and black caps. Elegant light strips adorn the LED rear lights.

The Audi RS 4 Avant is 20 millimeters (0.79 in) longer and 24 millimeters (0.94 in) wider than the A4 Avant, but 20 millimeters (0.79 in) lower. A choice of eight colors is available: one solid and one metallic finish, four pearl-effect colors and the two specially pigmented crystal-effect colors, Prism Silver and Panther Black. The extensively clad underbody integrates air vents for the seven-speed S tronic and the front brakes.

Sporty black: the interior
The interior of the RS 4 Avant is clad completely in black, with the exception of the roofliner, which is optionally available in Moon Silver. Chrome clasps subtly accentuate switches and control elements. Carbon inlays are standard, with brushed matte aluminum, Aluminum Race, black piano finish or a light stainless steel mesh available as options.

The standard heated front sport seats with integrated headrests are power adjustable and covered in a combination of black leather and Alcantara. Fine Nappa leather in either Black or Moon Silver accentuated with Stone Gray piping is optionally available. Other options include bucket seats or luxurious, climate-controlled deluxe seats with a ventilation function. The thick ring of the leather multifunction sport steering wheel is flattened at the bottom, and the shift paddles mounted on the back of it sport an aluminum-look finish.

The driver information system with color display includes an RS menu with a lap timer and an oil thermometer. Both it and the MMI monitor display a special RS welcome screen when the car is started.

The instrument cluster bezel shines with a piano finish, and the design of the selector knob of the seven-speed S tronic is unique to the RS. Typical of all RS vehicles, the door openers are two delicate bars. The pedals, the footrest, the air vents, the shift paddles on the steering wheel, the MMI buttons and other controls shine in an aluminum-look finish. Aluminum inserts adorn the door sill trims, which are accentuated with RS 4 badges.

Audi offers exclusive high-grade leather packages for all seating options, including a design package with honeycomb quilting for the RS 4 bucket seats. Rounding out the list of optional equipment is a broad range of state-of-the-art driver assistance and communication systems, including the Bluetooth online car phone that connects the RS 4 Avant with the Internet.

Options for the luggage compartment, which offers up to 1,430 liters (50.50 cu ft) of cargo space, include a rail system with load securing set and a power hatch.

Delivery of the Audi RS 4 Avant is scheduled to begin in fall 2012 at a base price of €76,600 in Germany.

Source www.audiworld.com

Tesla´s Model X SUV Electric Vehicle

Tesla unveiled its new SUV, the Model X. The new electric vehicle is built on the same platform as the automaker’s Model S but has a longer wheelbase. A unique aspect to the Model X are its Falcon Wing doors that open up and move out of the way, thereby allowing a passenger to stand up in the second row and move to the third row of seats.

The all-wheel-drive Model X is a seven-passenger vehicle with room for “considerable baggage,” according to Tesla. Tesla says that the exterior dimensions are comparable to an Audi Q7 but that the Model X has as much as 40% more interior room.

The Model X comes standard with a 60-kWh battery and an 80-kWh battery is optional and enables the Model X to cover greater distances on a single charge.

A Performance Version is also optional and will go from 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds, putting it in sports car territory.

The Model X has a unique 17” in-dash display that provides access to driver controls, vehicle apps, Web connectivity, and charging information. It is being manufactured at the automaker’s factory in Fremont, California and the company plans to produce 10,000 – 15,000 units per year, starting at the end of 2013.

Source www.thedieseldriver.com

People at Risk

Yesterday, many inhabitants of Reykjavík had difficulty travelling around the city due to its icy conditions. City officials decided to neither put salt nor sand on it, thereby decreasing it, explaining in a written statement to Rúv.is that it would not be sensible. The sand would eventually need to be swept up and the salt should be used sparingly due to its effect on the environment.

Neither the Chairman of the City’s Environment and Transportation Council nor the Chairman of the City Council was available for comment.



The Road Traffic Directorate’s spokesman Einar Magnús Magnússon expressed surprise and concern that no measures had been taken to mitigate the icy conditions, saying that he has never before heard those reasons. Besides, they should not outweigh passenger safety, and in fact it would be absurd to believe that they would do so.

“I must say that we have been quite disappointed regarding the City’s efforts in keeping the roads clear for travelers, especially those who travel on foot. We are very concerned. And the incident yesterday, all I can say is that it was far from being acceptable,” Einar Magnús said. He added that those who are responsible for roads must ensure that people’s safety is as good as it can be and yesterday, that had not been the case.

No weather to explore Iceland.

Heavy and strong wind has brought Iceland to a stand-still. The Ring Road, which leads out of east Reykjavík has been closed since yesterday afternoon, and rescue teams have been helping stranded people who are stuck in their cars along the road.

Snow in Reykjavík. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.

All domestic flights has been cancelled today, and bus service to the Snæfellsnes peninsula in the west and Akureyri in the north has also been cancelled, according to mbl.is

The police have asked people with smaller vehicles not to use them in the capital area. The streets of Reykjavík are full of snow and ice.

The forecast is not good, predicting heavy snowfall for the next 48 hours, plus wind. No weather to explore Iceland.

New Year's Day weather

On Sunday (New Year's Day): Northeast 8 to 13 m/s and occasional snow in

Vestfirðir, lighter southerly wind and snowshowers in other parts, but dry in

the northeast and east. Frost 0 to 10 deg. C, coldest inland in the

northeast. On Monday and Tuesday: Turns to north wind, mainly 5 to 10

m/s, strongest at times in the northwest with snow- or showers but

mostly dry in the south. Frost in all parts. On Wednesday: Variable wind and

widely snowshowers. Cold weather. On Thursday: Variable wind and and mostly

dry but looks like increasing southwest wind with precipitation by evening and

somewhat warmer.
Nice! :)

Uphill, climbing test.

Here was a little test for the Ford 350, to see how far it could climb.

Coolest Police car ever!

This is one of the coolest Police truck ever!!

Nice Landy

And this is how Defender´s should be :)