Interesting Tidbits

American Airlines

2010-02-26T19:54:00.001-08:00

Protect Your Heart at Every Age on Yahoo! Health

2010-02-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

Protect Your Heart at Every Age on Yahoo! Health

Of relevance :-):
In Your 40s

Make Sleep a Priority
Thanks to peri-menopause, fluctuating hormone levels can interfere with a good night's sleep. But not getting at least seven hours of shut-eye regularly can lead to increased blood pressure, low-grade inflammation and higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, all of which are harmful for your blood vessels and heart, explains Jennifer H. Mieres, MD, a cardiologist at New York University School of Medicine and coauthor of Heart Smart for Black Women and Latinas. Lack of sleep has also been linked to weight gain. So establish good habits: Turn in (and wake up) at the same time every day—even on weekends—and do your best to relax before going to bed, whether it's watching a favorite funny TV show or reading.

Reassess Your Risk Factors
You may discover that your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels have changed in this decade, even if you aren't doing anything differently, says Dr. Hayes. In fact, 22 percent of 40-something women have high blood pressure and 50 percent have high cholesterol (a jump from 38 percent of women in their 30s), according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Also, be sure to get your thyroid checked around 45; hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid gland), which becomes more common as women get older, can negatively affect your cholesterol levels as well as your heart.

Step Up Strength Training
You start to lose muscle mass more rapidly in your 40s, which causes your metabolism to slow down since muscle burns more calories than fat. Unfortunately, this makes it harder to stave off those extra pounds. To help maintain muscle and keep your metabolism going, aim for two 15-minute sessions weekly of lifting weights, using a resistance band or doing other toning exercises.

Carve out Personal Time
"Between the demands of work and family, it becomes even more challenging to find time for yourself in your 40s," says Dr. Mieres. But it's crucial to do so—not only to help ease stress but also to guard against depression, which commonly crops up in this decade and can raise your risk of heart disease. "Find at least 10 minutes of ‘me' time every day to do something—even if it's just chatting on the phone with a friend—that helps you destress and regroup," says Dr. Mieres

New form of CPR - only compressions

2009-10-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

2012 isn't the end of the world, Mayans insist - Yahoo! News

2009-10-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

Apolinario Chile Pixtun is tired of being bombarded with frantic questions about the Mayan calendar supposedly "running out" on Dec. 21, 2012. After all, it's not the end of the world.

Or is it?

But some say the Maya knew another secret: the Earth's axis wobbles, slightly changing the alignment of the stars every year. Once every 25,800 years, the sun lines up with the center of our Milky Way galaxy on a winter solstice, the sun's lowest point in the horizon. That will happen on Dec. 21, 2012, when the sun appears to rise in the same spot where the bright center of galaxy sets.

Author Lawrence Joseph says a peak in explosive storms on the surface of the sun could knock out North America's power grid for years, triggering food shortages, water scarcity — a collapse of civilization. Solar peaks occur about every 11 years, but Joseph says there's evidence the 2012 peak could be "a lulu."

Details:
2012 isn't the end of the world, Mayans insist - Yahoo! News

4 Countries With Better Healthcare Than Ours - Yahoo! News

2009-09-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

I wish more people would read this article, get off their high horses, and put their weight behind the healthcare reform in the US....

"Here's how all six countries fared. The survey data are from Deloitte. Also included are cost data from the OECD, to give a sense of who's getting the most satisfaction per healthcare dollar:

Canada: Percent rating the healthcare system A or B: 46 percent; D or F: 15 percent; annual healthcare spending per person: $3,895

France: A or B: 63 percent; D or F: 12 percent; spending: $3,601

Germany: A or B: 18 percent; D or F: 44 percent; spending: $3,588

Switzerland: A or B: 66 percent; D or F: 14 percent; spending: $4,417

United Kingdom: A or B: 32 percent; D or F: 20 percent; spending: $2,992

United States: A or B: 22 percent; D or F: 38 percent; spending: $7,290"

Details: 4 Countries With Better Healthcare Than Ours - Yahoo! News:

Portfolio Strategies - The Importance of Keeping It 'Relatively' Simple -- Seeking Alpha

2009-07-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

Portfolio Strategies - The Importance of Keeping It 'Relatively' Simple -- Seeking Alpha:

"... which proposed that investors not pick one strategy (buy and hold, timing, etc.) but rather--if their capital allows for it--to spread a basket of diversified securities across a basket of diversified strategies."

Nortel’s Auction, Ericsson and the Power of 30 Million - Deal Journal - WSJ

2009-07-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

ERIC started with 730 million, and seems to have gone up in steps of ending in 30 million.. i.e. the power of 30million...

"Ericsson submitted bids that ended in 30 million, starting with its Tuesday bid of $730 million. On Friday, it offered $930 million in Round Three, $1.030 billion in Round Six, just before the bidding was moved to a live auction at a U-shape conference table at the offices of Cleary Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP on the 39th floor of One Liberty Plaza. In the end, Ericsson’s final bid of $1.130 billion won the day. Those seated opposite the Ericsson negotiators at the table noted their look of resolve to go home with the assets."

Nortel’s Auction, Ericsson and the Power of 30 Million - Deal Journal - WSJ

NASA lost moon footage, but Hollywood restores it

2009-07-16T16:34:00.000-07:00

Print Story: NASA lost moon footage, but Hollywood restores it - Yahoo! News:

"Nafzger said a huge search that began three years ago for the old moon tapes led to the 'inescapable conclusion' that 45 tapes of Apollo 11 video were erased and reused. His report on that will come out in a few weeks.

The original videos beamed to Earth were stored on giant reels of tape that each contained 15 minutes of video, along with other data from the moon. In the 1970s and '80s, NASA had a shortage of the tapes, so it erased about 200,000 of them and reused them.

How did NASA end up looking like a bumbling husband taping over his wedding video with the Super Bowl?

Nafzger, who was in charge of the live TV recordings back in the Apollo years, said they were mostly thought of as data tapes. It wasn't his job to preserve history, he said, just to make sure the footage worked. In retrospect, he said he wished NASA hadn't reused the tapes."

Will The U.S. Dollar Crash? -- Seeking Alpha

2009-06-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

True, the dollar is by no means dead -- but it's certainly wounded and the prognosis for the next few years looks likely to keep the world's reserve currency in the intensive care ward. It's not hard to see why. As the U.S. government goes hat in hand borrowing money to fuel unprecedented deficits, the rest of the world (our creditors) is understandably concerned.

After all, more than 50% of the world's debt is denominated in dollars. As the greenback falls, those creditors, most notably China, get paid back with something much less than they bargained for. Indeed, the U.S. Dollar Future Index, a measure of the greenback against a basket of major currencies, has crumbled nearly 11%, to less than 80, from a 52-week high of more than 89 in early March. That might not sound like much, but it has some pros feeling certain that a full-blown currency crisis is only a matter of time.

Will The U.S. Dollar Crash? -- Seeking Alpha

The President’s Speech in Cairo: A New Beginning

2009-06-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

The White House - Blog Post - The President’s Speech in Cairo: A New Beginning:
Needless to say.. well worth a read/listen..

"Watch or read the President’s speech in Cairo on America’s relationship with Muslim communities around the world in English:"

Buffett Still Beats Bernanke

2009-06-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

Buffett Still Beats Bernanke:

"When the economy faces trouble, like it does now, people panic. They see the future through the lens of today's problems. They see the situation only getting worse and worse. Then they do irrational things like reallocating money that they won't need for decades from bargain-priced stocks to low-yielding Treasuries -- only to jump back into stocks at much higher prices after the market has recovered."

How to Use Pivots Points for Day Trading

2009-06-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

How to Use Pivots Points for Day Trading - Yahoo! Finance:

"Pivot Points are becoming more popular with traders working to find support and resistance levels based on the previous day's price action. There are various ways to calculate pivot points, including averaging the open, high, low, and close of the previous day's price. Here we talk with one trader about how he combines pivot points with specific moving averages to find trading opportunities each day in the markets."

Pattie Maes

2009-05-28T06:26:00.001-07:00

Pattie Maes & Pranav Mistry: Unveiling the “Sixth Sense,” game-changing wearable tech

Posted using ShareThis

My Personal Credit Crisis - NYTimes.com

2009-05-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

My Personal Credit Crisis - NYTimes.com

"As an economics reporter for The New York Times, I have been the paper’s chief eyes and ears on the Federal Reserve for the past six years. I watched Alan Greenspan and his successor, Ben S. Bernanke, at close range."
But in 2004, I joined millions of otherwise-sane Americans in what we now know was a catastrophic binge on overpriced real estate and reckless mortgages. Nobody duped or hypnotized me. Like so many others — borrowers, lenders and the Wall Street dealmakers behind them — I just thought I could beat the odds. We all had our reasons.

Grilled millionaire back on White House menu - MarketWatch

2009-05-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

David Callaway: Grilled millionaire back on White House menu - MarketWatch:

"What Obama's team could and absolutely should focus on, however, is creating new guidelines for compensation that can be applied across the financial sector and beyond. As a leader who shows his team how to follow new signposts and recognize warnings, rather than a browbeater who publicly punishes dissenters, Obama has an opportunity to force change during his crisis that no other president has had since FDR."

YouTube - Manipal video

2009-04-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

The Manipal video... after completion of 50 yrs of Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India.. give it a watch it's awesome..

Professional Networks in China and America — HBS Working Knowledge

2009-03-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

"Unlike their Chinese counterparts, American managers are much more likely to keep personal concerns and business separate. Mixing the two is often considered unprofessional.

That makes the contrast between business relationships in China and the United States a rich field of study"

Details: Professional Networks in China and America — HBS Working Knowledge:

A counter point..

2009-03-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

A viewpoint counter to what I believe in.. I think the right steps are being taken, and that we all have been spoilt by low taxes (though personally I wish my taxes were lower :-). It is time to step up, pull our socks up, and pay for the luxuries this nation affords us.

"The current financial crisis we are in is escalating out of control. I question whether the current administration has anyone who understands what is happening, why it is happening and is operating without some vested interest; never mind whether they have the correct answers as to how to solve it. The creation of a new entity 'The Public-Private Investment Corporation' to purchase toxic debt funded by some $1 Trillion of taxpayer money is going to buy up mortgages, car loans, credit cards loans and other toxic debt off balance sheets for banks and other lenders......."

Details: The Financial Crisis Is Escalating Out of Control -- Seeking Alpha:

Printing money to bolster the economy..

2009-03-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

"The issue at stake here is that we are printing money to meet our own obligations. If this scenario seems to good to be true, its because it IS too good to be true! Nothing is ever taken at no cost."
....
"Printing money with the express purpose of buying treasuries and mortgage obligations has some positive effects. It drives down treasury rates which are linked to many other rates that affect consumers. If these rates are lower, the debt burden may be somewhat eased allowing business and consumer spending to pick up. At the same time, the purchase of mortgage securities helps to add liquidity to a portion of the economy that has been relatively tight. If mortgage rates come down and more capital is available for consumers, this could help to restart the economy and prop up home prices to some degree."

Details: The FOMC Pulls Out the Stops -- Seeking Alpha

State of the Art - Unify the Phone Numbers and All Else Follows - NYTimes.com

2009-03-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

GrandCentral is back !

"If Google search revolutionized the Web, and Gmail revolutionized free e-mail, then one thing’s for sure: Google Voice, unveiled Thursday, will revolutionize telephones."

State of the Art - Unify the Phone Numbers and All Else Follows - NYTimes.com:

Does Health Care need to change ?

2009-03-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

Yes..

"... life expectancy is higher in most of Europe than in the United States. Even the people of Cyprus live longer than Americans, according to United Nations figures.

Meanwhile, American children are twice as likely to die by the age of 5 as children in Portugal, Spain or Slovenia. And the World Health Organization found that an American woman’s lifetime risk of dying in childbirth is more than three times that of a woman in Greece, Spain or Germany.

Meanwhile, Americans spend $6,800 per person to get these second-rate results, about double what is paid in Canada or much of Europe."

Details: Op-Ed Columnist - Franklin Delano Obama - NYTimes.com

Spock at the Bridge

2009-03-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

"Speaking of the Enterprise, Mr. Obama has a bit of Mr. Spock in him (and not just the funny ears). He has a Vulcan-like logic and detachment. Any mere mortal who had to tell liberals that our obligations in Iraq and Afghanistan are far from over and tell Republicans that he has a $3.6 trillion budget would probably have tears running down his face."

Details: Op-Ed Columnist - Spock at the Bridge - NYTimes.com

Preoccupations - You’re Scared. But Don’t Shift Into Reverse. - NYTimes.com

2009-03-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

"..Unfortunately, when our careers hit a road bump or when we fear turbulence ahead, we tend to act in ways that may harm us in the long run. Some of us might be swayed by job opportunities outside our expertise or below what we’re capable of — anything to keep those paychecks coming.

The trouble is, when we make moves based on fear or desperation, we often become mired in jobs we never wanted. Sometimes our careers even go backward, undoing much of our hard work to lay a foundation for professional success.

I fell into that trap early in my career. I had a job I loved, running a customer-oriented group at a large technology firm. But whispers of layoffs and downsizing were in the air. And even though people I trusted warned me against it, I moved back to product marketing, the department at the company where I had worked previously, because I thought a job there would be more defensible..."

Details: Preoccupations - You’re Scared. But Don’t Shift Into Reverse. - NYTimes.com

A study in the wise use of willpower

2009-02-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

"Whatever the explanation, consistently doing any activity that requires self-control seems to increase willpower — and the ability to resist impulses and delay gratification is highly associated with success in life."

In the short term, you should spend your limited willpower budget wisely. For example, if you do not want to drink too much at a party, then on the way to the festivities, you should not deplete your willpower by window shopping for items you cannot afford. Taking an alternative route to avoid passing the store would be a better strategy.

On the other hand, if you need to study for a big exam, it might be smart to let the housecleaning slide to conserve your willpower for the more important job. Similarly, it can be counterproductive to work toward multiple goals at the same time if your willpower cannot cover all the efforts that are required. Concentrating your effort on one or at most a few goals at a time increases the odds of success."

Details: Tighten Your Belt, Strengthen Your Mind - New York Times

How will the government stimulus plan affect you?

2009-02-14T08:58:00.000-08:00

The recovery package has tax breaks for families that send a child to college, purchase a new car, buy a first home or make the ones they own more energy efficient.

Many workers who lose their health insurance when they lose their jobs will find it cheaper to keep that coverage while they look for work.

Highways repaved for the first time in decades. Century-old waterlines dug up and replaced with new pipes. Aging bridges, stressed under the weight of today's SUVs, reinforced with fresh steel and concrete.

Homeowners looking to save energy, makers of solar panels and wind turbines and companies hoping to bring the electric grid into the computer age all stand to reap major benefits.

A main goal of education spending in the stimulus bill is to help keep teachers on the job.

One thing about the president's $790 billion stimulus package is certain: It will jack up the federal debt.

The package includes $9.2 billion for environmental projects at the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. The money would be used to shutter abandoned mines on public lands, to help local governments protect drinking water supplies, and to erect energy-efficient visitor centers at wildlife refuges and national parks.

The stimulus bill includes plenty of green for those wearing blue.

The maximum Pell Grant, which helps the lowest-income students attend college, would increase from $4,731 currently to $5,350 starting July 1 and $5,550 in 2010-2011. That would cover three-quarters of the average cost of a four-year college. An extra 800,000 students, or about 7 million, would now get Pell funding.

More than 37 million Americans live in poverty, and the vast majority of them are in line for extra help under the giant stimulus package. Millions more could be kept from slipping into poverty by the economic lifeline.

Details: How will the government stimulus plan affect you?

Trying to Live on 500K in New York City - NYTimes.com

2009-02-11T16:27:00.000-08:00

"But in the neighborhoods of New York City and its suburban enclaves where successful bankers live, half a million a year can go very fast." :-)

Details: Trying to Live on 500K in New York City - NYTimes.com:

The Difference between HDTV, EDTV, and SDTV

2009-02-03T08:19:00.000-08:00

"The real reason to step up to the latest video systems is not HDTV, but EDTV, or more simply 480p. If you are buying for home theater, get a projector or big-screen that handles 480p as well as 1080i and 720p. If a projector or TV takes 480p it will probably take 1080i and 720p as well. But that won't be its major benefit since there is not a huge amount of HDTV source material at hand. But today every DVD on the market can be played in EDTV.

Once you've got the fundamentals of 480p installed, then just sit back and enjoy your new vastly improved video system. Once you experience the quality of today's EDTV, you may find yourself thinking that you don't care quite as much about HDTV as you once did."

Details: The Difference between HDTV, EDTV, and SDTV

Too Many Online Friends? Time to Delete - NYTimes.com

2009-01-31T12:03:00.000-08:00

As social networking becomes ubiquitous, people with an otherwise steady grip on social etiquette find themselves flummoxed by questions about “unfriending” people: how to do it, when to do it and how to get away with it quietly. “If someone with more than 1,000 friends unfriends me, I get offended,” said Greg Atwan, an author of “The Facebook Book,” a satirical guide. “But if someone only has 100 friends, you understand they’re trying to limit it to their intimates.”

Details: Too Many Online Friends? Time to Delete - NYTimes.com

7_sustainable_steps.pdf (application/pdf Object)

2009-01-16T08:28:00.000-08:00

A 7 step system approach to sustainable building..

Details: 7_sustainable_steps.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Segway inventor reveals 'toughest question' - CNN.com

2009-01-13T12:07:00.000-08:00

"When to quit -- said Kamen, also the inventor of health care technologies and the Slingshot water purifier -- is 'the toughest question there is' for any entrepreneur who survives on creativity and instinct."

Details: Segway inventor reveals 'toughest question' - CNN.com

BBC NEWS | Americas | The 'misunderestimated' president?

2009-01-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

Bushisms like:
"Information is moving. You know, nightly news is one way, of course, but it's also moving through the blogosphere and through the Internets."Washington DC, 2 May, 2007

"And truth of the matter is, a lot of reports in Washington are never read by anybody. To show you how important this one is, I read it, and [Tony Blair] read it."On the publication of the Baker-Hamilton Report, Washington DC, 7 December, 2006

BBC NEWS Americas The 'misunderestimated' president?

New-year resolutions and the rule of 21

2009-01-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

"What many people may not know is that to lead a rich and satisfying life we ought to devote about 70% of our time and effort on our long-term developmental goals. We are so caught up in day-to-day issues which in the final analysis turn out to be of small significance to our lives. We lose sight of our main and meaningful goals."

Details: New-year resolutions and the rule of 21 Tickled By Life

GreenBiz.com's Top 10 Most Popular Stories of 2008

2009-01-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

10. How to Create Change in a Conservative Culture
9. Toxins Present in One-Third of Toys
8. Meet The Game-Changing Green Entrepreneurs
7. The Four Simple Steps to Pitch-Perfect Green Marketing
6. Aveda Launches Nationwide Bottle Cap Recycling Program
5. USPS Saves $5 Million Annually With Transportation Consolidation
4. The Balanced Scorecard and Corporate Social Responsibility: Aligning Values for Profit
3. Top 8 Ways to Go Green on the Cheap
2. California Adopts Green Building Code for All New Construction
1. The New Green Focus for Future MBAs

Details: GreenBiz.com's Top 10 Most Popular Stories of 2008

LinkedIn Etiquette: Five Dos and Don'ts

2008-12-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

"...Although LinkedIn doesn't pose the same reputation perils presented by Facebook — such as being tagged in photo albums or being victimized by random comments left on your profile — the pitfalls of a poorly constructed LinkedIn profile, or employing bad LinkedIn etiquette, can alienate your contacts (known as "connections"). .."

Details: LinkedIn Etiquette: Five Dos and Don'ts

Trouble Ahead for Telecom Equipment Firms - Barron's - Seeking Alpha

2008-12-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

"...With credit markets as tight as they are, telecommunications companies are scaling back on spending, hurting communications capital-equipment makers in the process.
...
Over the next few years, carriers will face both weaker demand and maturing debt. With carriers' balance sheets under pressure, equipment companies could see results far worse than the 0% to -5% revenue estimates for next year. Looking at data from the burst internet and telecom bubbles in 2002, capital spending could slide 20%-30%...."

The comment on the article is interesting..

Details: Trouble Ahead for Telecom Equipment Firms - Barron's - Seeking Alpha

healthy-family-home-starter-kit.pdf (application/pdf Object)

2008-12-12T17:54:00.000-08:00

Excellent guide to getting the family together healthier and more active..!

healthy-family-home-starter-kit.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Morningstar's Nominees for US-Stock Manager of the Year

2008-12-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

"After a very bad year in the markets, I find myself writing a rather odd column about our nominees for Domestic-Stock Fund Manager of the Year. About the best any fully invested domestic-stock fund manager could do this year is lose 30%, while those having an off year are down twice that amount."

Details: Our Nominees for Domestic-Stock Manager of the Year - Yahoo! Finance:

Caterpillar invasion holds Queensland town to ransom | The Courier-Mail

2008-12-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

:-)

In a scene straight from a science fiction horror movie, a tiny Queensland town is under siege by a massive infestation of caterpillars that cause skin rashes.

Details: Caterpillar invasion holds Queensland town to ransom The Courier-Mail

Venice floods | Reuters.com

2008-12-01T14:43:00.000-08:00

Another visible effect of Global Warming ?? I think so..

Tourists carry their luggage through flood waters in Venice December 1, 2008. Large parts of Venice were flooded on Monday as heavy rains and strong winds lashed the lagoon city, with sea levels at their highest level in 22 years. Ferry and water taxi services in the city were suspended and Venice's mayor urged people to stay indoors. Tourists and residents struggled to get across the city over raised walkways. The Centro Maree, which forecasts water levels, said sea levels in the Adriatic rose 1.56 metres (5.1 ft) -- a level not seen since 1986

Venice floods | Reuters.com

US is officially in a recession

2008-12-01T14:38:00.000-08:00

Today is the day the US declared that it is officially in a recession.. A great buying opportunity, IMHO

GLOBAL MARKETS-Grim economic outlook pummels stocks, oil slides

Op-Ed Columnist - We Found the W.M.D. - NYTimes.com

2008-11-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

The WMD is the state of the financial market.. Tom Friedman's lucid thoughts..

This is the real “Code Red.” As one banker remarked to me: “We finally found the W.M.D.” They were buried in our own backyard — subprime mortgages and all the derivatives attached to them.

Yet, it is obvious that President Bush can’t mobilize the tools to defuse them — a massive stimulus program to improve infrastructure and create jobs, a broad-based homeowner initiative to limit foreclosures and stabilize housing prices, and therefore mortgage assets, more capital for bank balance sheets and, most importantly, a huge injection of optimism and confidence that we can and will pull out of this with a new economic team at the helm.

The last point is something only a new President Obama can inject. What ails us right now is as much a loss of confidence — in our financial system and our leadership — as anything else.

Details: Op-Ed Columnist - We Found the W.M.D. - NYTimes.com

Market Lows: Is That Opportunity Knocking? at SmartMoney.com

2008-11-21T20:18:00.000-08:00

"Indeed, there are many indications -- both from interviews and from what we’ve gleaned lately from new regulatory filings -- that mutual fund managers are being opportunistic and remaking their portfolios in ways that could impact returns for years. Maybe you can do the same."

Details...Market Lows: Is That Opportunity Knocking? at SmartMoney.com:

Contrarians still not sounding the 'all clear' signal - MarketWatch

2008-11-21T06:55:00.000-08:00

"Thursday's 445-point plunge in the Dow Jones Industrial Average took out not only the previous closing low for the Dow (Oct. 27 at 8,175.77) but also the previous-intraday low (Oct. 10 at 7,882.51).
So attention now shifts to whether Thursday's low will mark the final low of the bear market.
Unfortunately, the verdict of sentiment indicators is mixed at best."

Details: Contrarians still not sounding the 'all clear' signal - MarketWatch:

We'll be in Great Depression 2 by 2011 -- here are 30 reasons why - MarketWatch

2008-11-21T06:48:00.000-08:00

Don't mean to be the doomsayer here.. But, the message I get is that we have to probably watch our bond investments in the US. Bond investments in international diversified like RCWFX seem to be working well for me even in the the present day..

Scan these 30 "leading indicators." Each problem has one or more possible solutions, but lacks unified political support. Time's running out. We're already at the edge. Add up the trillions in debt: Any collective solution will only compound our problems, because the cumulative debt will overwhelm us, make matters worse:

America's credit rating may soon be downgraded below AAA
Fed refusal to disclose $2 trillion loans, now the new "shadow banking system"
Congress has no oversight of $700 billion, and Paulson's Wall Street Trojan Horse
King Henry Paulson flip-flops on plan to buy toxic bank assets, confusing markets
Goldman, Morgan lost tens of billions, but planning over $13 billion in bonuses this year
AIG bails big banks out of $150 billion in credit swaps, protects shareholders before taxpayers
American Express joins Goldman, Morgan as bank holding firms, looking for Fed money
Treasury sneaks corporate tax credits into bailout giveaway, shifts costs to states
State revenues down, taxes and debt up; hiring, spending, borrowing add even more debt
State, municipal, corporate pensions lost hundreds of billions on derivative swaps
Hedge funds: 610 in 1990, almost 10,000 now. Returns down 15%, liquidations up
Consumer debt way up, now at $2.5 trillion; next area for credit meltdowns
Fed also plans to provide billions to $3.6 trillion money-market fund industry
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are bleeding cash, want to tap taxpayer dollars
Washington manipulating data: War not $600 billion but estimates actually $3 trillion
Hidden costs of $700 billion bailout are likely $5 trillion; plus $1 trillion Street write-offs
Commodities down, resource exporters and currencies dropping, triggering a global meltdown
Big three automakers near bankruptcy; unions, workers, retirees will suffer
Corporate bond market, both junk and top-rated, slumps more than 25%
Retailers bankrupt: Circuit City, Sharper Image, Mervyns; mall sales in free fall
Unemployment heading toward 8% plus; more 1930's photos of soup lines
Government policy is dictated by 42,000 myopic, highly paid, greedy lobbyists
China's sees GDP growth drop, crates $586 billion stimulus; deflation is now global, hitting even Dubai
Despite global recession, U.S. trade deficit continues, now at $650 billion
The 800-pound gorillas: Social Security, Medicare with $60 trillion in unfunded liabilities
Now 46 million uninsured as medical, drug costs explode
New-New Deal: U.S. planning billions for infrastructure, adding to unsustainable debt
Outgoing leaders handicapping new administration with huge liabilities
The "antitaxes" message is a new bubble, a new version of the American dream offering a free lunch, no sacrifices, exposing us to more false promises
...large increases in the deficit ... I think it would be worse than the depression. ... Before I go to sleep at night, I wonder if tomorrow is the day Moody's and S&P will announce a downgrade of U.S. government bonds." It'll get worse because "the public is not prepared to increase taxes. Both parties were for reducing taxes, reducing income to government, and both parties favored a number of new programs, all very costly and all done by the government."

Details: We'll be in Great Depression 2 by 2011 -- here are 30 reasons why - MarketWatch

Democrats seek to lower expectations for bailout - Yahoo! Finance

2008-11-19T11:40:00.000-08:00

Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y said there was "a delicious irony in seeing private jets flying into Washington D.C. and people coming off them with tin cups in their hands."

Very aptly put.. It is good to see that Congress is now getting pragmatic by possibly requiring bailed-out execs to not get multimillion $ bonuses, and to sell their corporate jets.. :-)

Details: Democrats seek to lower expectations for bailout - Yahoo! Finance

Short-Selling: What You Need to Know Now

2008-11-10T06:45:00.000-08:00

One of the contributing factors to the see-sawing in the financial markets.. Short Selling, and the uptick rule.. the removal of which, caused some of the problems.

Details: TheStreet.com : Short-Selling: What You Need to Know Now

Global recession has begun

2008-11-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

"The main bright spot in an otherwise gloomy picture is continued growth in China and some of the other emerging economies of Asia and the Middle East. But even here, there are signs that export-led economies are slowing as the recession hits their main customer-base in North America and Western Europe.

The other bright spot is a sharp reduction in inflationary pressure as the price of energy and other raw materials pulls back sharply from the summer's highs."

A broad-based recession has already begun across the advanced industrial economies which looks set to be the worst since 1980-81, if not 1945. "

Details: Global recession has begun- International Business-News-The Economic Times:

Chandrayaan enters tricky lunar orbit- LATEST NEWS-The Economic Times

2008-11-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

Chandrayaan, that lifted off from Sriharikota (India), is India's first and the world's 68th mission to the moon !!

Details: Chandrayaan enters tricky lunar orbit- LATEST NEWS-The Economic Times

ABC News: Obama Promises A New Dawn of American Leadership

2008-11-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

Am proud to have been a contributor to President Obama's campaign..
Right, Left or Center.. his victory speech is a treasure worth listening over and over again.

TRANSCRIPT: Obama's Victory Speech
Video: Obama's Victory Speech
ABC News: Obama Promises A New Dawn of American Leadership

Daylight Saving Time: Why Did We Do It? - Yahoo! News

2008-10-31T15:43:00.000-07:00

Daylight saving time is most often associated with the oh-so-sweet extra hour of sleep in fall (and the not-so-nice loss of an hour in spring), but some of the original reasons for resetting our clocks twice a year including saving energy and having more daylight hours for retailers, sporting events and other activities that benefit from a longer day.

Details: Daylight Saving Time: Why Did We Do It? - Yahoo! News:

The Guys From ‘Government Sachs’

2008-10-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

"Indeed, Goldman’s presence in the (Treasury) department and around the federal response to the financial crisis is so ubiquitous that other bankers and competitors have given the star-studded firm a new nickname: Government Sachs.

The power and influence that Goldman wields at the nexus of politics and finance is no accident. Long regarded as the savviest and most admired firm among the ranks — now decimated — of Wall Street investment banks, it has a history and culture of encouraging its partners to take leadership roles in public service."

Details: The Guys From ‘Government Sachs’ - NYTimes.com:

Why politicians dare not limit economic growth

2008-10-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

One of the main references from my previous post, that deserved a post of its own..

"Consuming less may be the single biggest thing you can do to save carbon emissions, and yet no one dares to mention it. Because if we did, it would threaten economic growth, the very thing that is causing the problem in the first place."

Details: Special report: Why politicians dare not limit economic growth - opinion - 15 October 2008 - New Scientist

How our economy is killing the Earth

2008-10-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

A very interesting article that draws a relationship between increasing economic prosperity and increasing carbon footprint... Very interesting reading..

"...Most of us accept the need for a more sustainable way to live, by reducing carbon emissions, developing renewable technology and increasing energy efficiency.

But are these efforts to save the planet doomed? A growing band of experts are looking at figures like these and arguing that personal carbon virtue and collective environmentalism are futile as long as our economic system is built on the assumption of growth. The science tells us that if we are serious about saving Earth, we must reshape our economy..."

Details: Special report: How our economy is killing the Earth - opinion - 16 October 2008 - New Scientist

Sarah Palin's next career: Cable TV

2008-10-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

:-)

"... The pride of Alaska is a natural to reinvent herself on cable television. Yes, Gov. Palin probably wouldn't rule out CBS , NBC or ABC. But it might require too much explaining for a network news operation to recruit Palin because she might not appeal to a general audience. Cable affords someone a niche, which would seem to be an easier fit for Palin..."

Details: Sarah Palin's next career: Cable TV - MarketWatch

The Google Phone Review

2008-10-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

"...This isn’t an iPhone competitor. If you look at it, you can very quickly see that the G-1 is a Honda to iPhone’s BMW. After a few days of usage I have become increasingly convinced that people who like the Apple iPhone will find Google-based G-1 aesthetically lacking. .."

"...Will I recommend this phone to anyone out there looking for a smartphone? The answer is yes, especially if you don’t much care for either Windows Mobile or Apple’s iPhone device..."

Details: The Google Phone Review

Money crisis: Where to put your money now

2008-10-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

Quite a wide ranging article addressing many issues like:

When will stocks bounce back?
If the outlook is so bad, why not dump stocks?
Are there any safe havens left?
Is my bank or brokerage going to disappear?
Is there any hope for home prices?
How safe is my job?
...etc...

Details: Money crisis: Where to put your money now: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Did Friday mark the low of the 2007-2008 bear market? - MarketWatch

2008-10-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

Brings out the difference between a cyclical market low (i.e. intermediate low) and a secular market low (a reaa...ll low).. Seems we just went thru an intermediate low, with the real one coming up sometime...

Details: Did Friday mark the low of the 2007-2008 bear market? - MarketWatch

Protecting Your Retirement Savings in Volatile Times

2008-10-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

Some sensible advice:

For investors who are just starting to put money away for retirement, the key to savings success is to sock away as much as possible.

Forty- and fifty-something's who've been saving for retirement for years now, should also increase their retirement contributions. ... to counteract losses in your portfolio.

Investors in their early 60s should continue to invest aggressively in their 401(k)s and other retirement accounts. .... rebalancing the portfolio.
..... anyone planning to retire over the next five years should reconsider leaving their job.

The primary goal for current retirees is to make sure they don't outlive their retirement savings. .... decrease the amount of money you withdraw from your nest egg.

Details: Protecting Your Retirement Savings in Volatile Times (Consumer Action: Personal Finance) at SmartMoney.com

Huawei, Sprint impacted by Global credit crunch

2008-10-09T08:19:00.001-07:00

Hmm.. the credit crunch is starting to influence the hi tech landscape..

Chinese equipment vendor Huawei has officially abandoned the sale of a stake in its handset business due to "current global market conditions and prevailing economic uncertainty," reports the Financial Times (FT).
FT.com / Companies / Telecoms - Huawei puts mobile sale plans on hold

Sprint Nextel chief executive Dan Hesse has confirmed that the company has received "significant interest" from potential buyers of its Nextel iDEN network, but warned that a deal was unlikely to be made in the current financial climate, reports the Financial Times (FT) today.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bd5a1bfc-9592-11dd-aedd-000077b07658.html

Ericsson Unveils Wind-Powered Concept for Its Award-Winning Tower Tube

2008-10-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

Great to work for a company that believes in bringing the environment and technology together !

".. Ericsson (NasdaqGS:ERIC - News) today unveiled its latest energy-optimized radio base station site concept, a research project for a pioneering wind-powered Tower Tube. Working with Vertical Wind AB and Uppsala University in Sweden, Ericsson is developing the concept as part of its commitment to sustainable and cost-efficient solutions that help bring communications to all..."

Details: Ericsson Unveils Wind-Powered Concept for Its Award-Winning Tower Tube: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Buy and Sell signals - Stochastic

2008-10-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

Now that the markets are headed down, and the time is right to buy for the long term, the question is.. when are we going to bottom out to make the buys ? Some thoughts from finance.yahoo.com. This is a tech indicator that can be added to any interactive graph..

The Fast Stochastic compares where a security's price closed relative to its price range over a given time period, and is displayed as two lines. One line is called %K. A second line, called %D, is a moving average of %K.

The default %K and %D periods for Fast Stochastic are set to 5 and 3, respectively.

The default %K and %D periods for Slow Stochastic are set to 15 and 5, respectively. The MACD is most effective in wide-swinging trading markets.

Buy when the Oscillator (either %K or %D) falls below a specific level (e.g. 20) and then rises above that level. Sell when the Oscillator rises above a specific level (e.g. 80) and then falls below that level.
Buy when the %K line rises above the %D line and sell when the %K line falls below the %D line.
Look for divergences. For example, where prices are making a series of new highs and the Slow Stochastic Oscillator is failing to surpass its previous highs.

- "Technical Analysis from A to Z" by Stephen Aechlis>

Sprint turns up XOHM in Baltimore

2008-10-06T15:06:00.000-07:00

Will be interesting to see how quickly WiMAX takes off ...

"...Initially, downstream speeds will average between 2 and 4 Mbps, delivered from 180 WiMAX 802.16e base stations circling the city, with more coming online quickly. So far, the service does not support handheld devices, though Sprint reportedly expects the Nokia 810 WiMAX tablet to be the first XOHM-ready unit to go online. No word on when. Instead, PC users who want mobility can choose from an $80 USB modem from ZyXel Communications or a $60 PC card courtesy of Samsung Electronics. ..."

Details: Sprint turns up XOHM in Baltimore October 3, 2008 Telecommunications Magazine

/Gautam

18 Funds Offering Consistent Returns

2008-10-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

"... 1st Source Monogram Income Equity (FMIEX), which is due to become part of the Wasatch fund family, Amana Income (AMANX), Fairholme (FAIRX) and James Balanced Golden Rainbow (GLRBX) have made several of the other screens we perform throughout the year. They each have some commonalties: low fees, good performance and tenured managers at the helm. That always makes for a good combination in our minds...."

Details: 18 Funds Offering Consistent Returns (1st Source Monogram Income Equity,Amana Income,Fairholme,James Balanced Golden Rainbow) at SmartMoney.com

After Financial Crisis, Uncertainty and Lectures From Washington Critics - NYTimes.com

2008-10-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

"...In only a few days, Latin American leaders have gone from schadenfreude to fear. Despite strong economic growth this decade and some aggressive efforts to break free of the American orbit, there is a growing nervousness that once again Latin America cannot escape the globalized connections in the financial sector that run through the United States...."

Details:
After Financial Crisis, Uncertainty and Lectures From Washington Critics - NYTimes.com:

What to Make of the Bailout Plunge - Morningstar

2008-09-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

Putting Monday's plunge into historical context - MarketWatch

2008-09-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

Dow 7% drop: According to their formula, 7% declines will occur, on average, every 4.3 years. Going into Monday's session, the market had been going 2.7 years longer than this without that big a drop.

S&P500 8.8% drop: So, from this perspective, the S&P 500 was more than a decade years overdue for a decline like the one we saw Monday.

Details: Putting Monday's plunge into historical context - MarketWatch

Weekend Reading: On the Edge - TheStreet.com

2008-09-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

"....First, a look back at the week that just finished, then a look forward to the week ahead, and finally, a summary of articles and papers worth reading.

We teetered on a precipice again last week. Credit markets locked up, risk spreads were at historical levels and we had the largest bank failure in U.S. history. ... The result: declines in all three major U.S. indices, and a clear sense that another week without a bailout would be a disaster.

At the same time, economic data next week will almost certainly make it clear that the U.S. economy is in recession. It has wobbled on the brink for some time, but there is no way out now that I can see. We will join other major economies that are either already in recessions or on their way there..."

Details: Weekend Reading: On the Edge - TheStreet.com

My Favorite Indicators for Pinpointing Major Market Bottoms: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

2008-09-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

A little complicated analysis. Good bedtime reading :-)
My Favorite Indicators for Pinpointing Major Market Bottoms: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Wells Fargo Saves Paper and Trees with Envelope-Free(SM) ATMs in Los Angeles

2008-09-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

Nice !!

"“Our customers can help us reduce waste and save trees by depositing stacks of bills and checks directly into Wells Fargo’s ATM. The machine does the rest – sorts and counts the cash, and converts checks into digital images,” said Jonathan Velline, head of Wells Fargo’s ATM Banking division. “Wells Fargo is leading the way with ‘bulk-check’ deposits, allowing customers to insert their checks into the machine all at once, which is a big time saver compared to primitive machines which only take one check at a time.”"

Details: Wells Fargo Saves Paper and Trees with Envelope-Free(SM) ATMs in Los Angeles: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance:

A Chance to Find Balance

2008-09-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

"...Are we safe yet?

In the short term, no. More financial institutions will collapse, in the U.S. and elsewhere. Many workers will lose their jobs. Consumers will have to cut back on their spending, in some cases deeply. And the government is going to have to lay out big bucks to keep the economy and financial markets afloat..............

But for the medium term—say, two or three years down the road—economic and financial prospects look considerably brighter. ........."

Details: A Chance to Find Balance

Seven Days That Shook Wall Street

2008-09-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

It was the week that shook the financial world to the core. On Friday, Sept. 12, traders left the New York Stock Exchange for the weekend. But key banking officials, facing the impending failure of the venerable Lehman Brothers investment house and a shaky outlook for two other huge financial players—investment firm Merrill Lynch (MER) and insurance giant American International Group (AIG)—began a series of weekend meetings in an effort to prevent a possible collapse of the global financial system.

Over the next seven days, the nation's financial leaders, captained by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, produced a rapid succession of moves that reversed a decades-long trend toward financial deregulation and fundamentally changed the face of the American financial system. Lehman failed and Merrill was sold to Bank of America (BAC). The government took effective control of AIG in an $85 billion bailout. And, in the biggest intervention of all, officials proposed to purchase the troubled mortgage assets of financial firms, a move that could cost hundreds of billions of additional dollars.

Details: Seven Days That Shook Wall Street

Worst is yet to come, investment strategist warns - MarketWatch

2008-09-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

Europe's financial giants are in similar or even worse shape than their U.S. counterparts, Gundlach said, with "substantial exposures to assets which U.S. banks are now getting taken to the woodshed over. I would rate all European banks as not a buy."

The breakdown will take a further toll on U.S. stocks, Gundlach added. The S&P 500 will tumble below 800, he said, about 35% below its 1156 close on Wednesday.

Details: Worst is yet to come, investment strategist warns - MarketWatch

Google names Android Developer Challenge winners

2008-09-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

cab4me (Konrad Huebner, Henning Boeger): "Ever been looking for a cab? cab4me is the answer. Anywhere. Anytime."

CompareEverywhere (Jeffrey Sharkey): "Shop smarter using your phone. Compare prices, read reviews and connect with local stores."

Ecorio (Jeff Kao, Gary Pong, Robert Lam, Taneem Talukdar): "Ecorio automatically tracks your mobile carbon footprint, suggests transit and carpooling alternatives and lets you stay carbon neutral by offsetting your trips easily."

GoCart (Rylan Barnes): "Scan a product's barcode with your phone's camera and view all the best prices online and at nearby, local stores."

Life360 (Chris Hulls, Dilpreet Singh, Luis Carvalho, Phuong Nguyen, Steve Potell): "From major natural disasters to little things like your child wandering away at the mall, there is a lot you might worry about. Life360 can help."

Locale (Carter Jernigan, Clare Bayley, Jasper Lin, Christina Wright): "Locale is an advanced settings manager that automatically changes your phone's settings based on conditions, such as location."

PicSay (Eric Wijngaard): "Easy to use image editor that enables you to quickly personalize your pictures and share them with friends or photo sites."

Softrace (Staffan Kjellberg, Thomas Kjellberg): "Turn your workout into a thrilling race and challenge the world in real time."

TuneWiki (TuneWiki Inc.): "TuneWiki Social Media Player, is an advanced player, featuring synchronized lyrics for audio or video, translation, music maps and a social network."

Wertago (Kelvin Cheung,Teresa Ko, Peter Ree, Robert Sarvis, Douglas Yeung): "The mobile application nightlifers have been waiting for. Find the hottest parties in town and connect with friends and others all night long."

Details: Google names Android Developer Challenge winners

What to Do With That Old iPhone?

2008-08-13T06:24:00.000-07:00

"You can also jailbreak or unlock your phone so you can use it with another GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) cellular service provider like T-Mobile. For me, though, that's out of the question for one major reason: I won't give up visual voicemail, which I'm totally addicted to, and in the U.S. you need AT&T for it."

So, will visual voicemail at T-Mo open up a market for old iPhones ??

Details: Technology News: Mobile Tech: What to Do With That Old iPhone?:

Don't Let Emotions Affect Your Leadership

2008-08-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

"Leaders establish the ground rules largely through their own behavior. If you can't be candid, others will think they can't either. Problems get buried when 'niceness' is more important than realism and honesty."

Details:
http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/companyknow/33873

Four Habits of Financially Peaceful People

2008-08-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Four Habits of Financially Peaceful People

1. They know exactly where their money goes.
2. They know what they want their money to do.
3. They either don't carry revolving debt, or have a specific plan to pay it down.
4. They invest in their job skills, and don't expand their lifestyles as fast as their salaries.

Good reading in these times !
Details:
Yahoo! Personal Finance: Calculators,Money Advice,Guides,& More

Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition

2008-07-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

Sounds useful.. carrying all your Firefox settings on a USB drive.. a truly roaming browser !
Details:
Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition Support PortableApps.com - Portable software for USB drives

Deccan Herald - Pilgrims Progress

2008-04-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

A peek into my roots and the 300 yr celebration of our religious institution:

The Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community is today a community of approximately 22,498 people with significant concentrations in Bengalooru and Mumbai, but with members residing throughout India and in much of the world beyond.

They are descendants of a group of families from among a larger cluster of Saraswat Brahmins whose ancestors moved from Goa in the 15th and 16th centuries AD to territories along the west coast of India, primarily in today's Karnataka state.

Details: Deccan Herald - Pilgrims Progress

2008 - 10 Most Admired companies for innovation

2008-04-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

1. Apple
2. Nike
3. Medco Health Solutions (transitioning prescriptions to digital form)
4. Proctor & Gamble
5. Herman Miller (innovations in furniture)
6. Disney
7. Fortune Brands (incl. items like Titleist, Moen, Jim Beam etc.)
8. Burlington Northern Santa Fe (hauling freight in trains across the country)
9. McDonalds (the junk food giant growing healthy..)
10. ProLogis (greening projects for e.g. Mueller airport in Austin)

Details: 10 Most Admired for innovation

Families' shopping list around the world

2008-04-06T20:53:00.000-07:00

A study in food economics around the world.. Relevant as food prices are now going up around the world..:

Guatemala: The Rodas family spends 40% of its income on food.
UK: The Classick family spends 10% of its income on food.
Mumbai, India: The Mhatre family spends 20% to 30% of its income on food.
Beijing, China: The Wang Jun family spends 16% of its income on food.
Nairobi, Kenya: The Mbiru family spends 10% of its income on food.
Cairo, Egypt: The Abdulwahab family spends 80% of its income on food.

Details: BBC NEWS | Have Your Say | Families' shopping list

Earth Hour: 8pm-9pm: March 29, 2008..

2008-03-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

Earth Hour: 8pm-9pm: March 29, 2008..
Turn off your lights for an hour to show you care..

"......Sydney's iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge went dark Saturday night as the world's first major city turned off its lights for this year's Earth Hour, a global campaign to raise awareness of climate change..."

Details:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080329/ap_on_sc/world_lights_out
Switch off, save planet message goes global
Google

Paperless Boarding Passes

2008-03-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

Electronic boarding pass pilot at Continental's Houston hub..

"....Their boarding pass is an image of an encrypted bar code displayed on the phone’s screen, which can be scanned by gate agents and security personnel...."

"..The technology being tested by Continental uses a two-dimensional encrypted bar code, which is much tougher to copy than the one-dimensional bar code used by many airlines for boarding passes printed online. And that is a major reason the T.S.A. is expected to embrace the technology..."

Details: Paper Is Out, Cellphones Are In - New York Times

Hybrid Batteries �Benign�

2008-03-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

An oft repeated misconception that Hybrid car batteries are going to fill the landfills. The link below clarifies that NiMH batteries used today, coupled with Toyota/Honda taking care of recycling batteries, minimizes that problem.
Hybrid Batteries �Benign�

Smart Goggles that could make lost keys, mobile phones or iPod a thing of the past

2008-03-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hmm..
textually.org: Smart Goggles that could make lost keys, mobile phones or iPod a thing of the past

Light Reading - A Guide to India's Telecom Operators

2008-03-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) , the country, which boasts a population of more than 1.1 billion, had 272.88 million telephone connections at the end of 2007, of which 233.63 million were mobile and 39.25 million were fixed line.

Details: Light Reading - Services Software - A Guide to India's Telecom Operators - Telecom Report

India outsourcing to Latin America ?

2008-03-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

"..We’ve outsourced something that won’t be cheap at all – a taste for our standard of living. I wrote last year, that we’d see India start outsourcing itself to even cheaper labor fueled by their own wage pressure..."

".....“We see costs rising in India and people becoming less available,” Gabriel Rozman of TCS said. “That’s why we’re going to places like Latin America, which has professionals and reasonable costs...”

Details: Minyanville - NEWS & VIEWS-Article

Bernanke's recession is here

2008-02-26T06:44:00.000-08:00

Do you believe it? That's the big question today: When's the next bull? How long will the bear last? And forget Washington's rhetoric about "no recession." The truth is, you can call it a "bear," "slow growth," a "downturn," a "recession" -- call it whatever you want. Timing's the real question. How long will it last? When will it bottom? 2008? 2011?

I'm riding this by going International (EWC, MINDX, VGTSX), and income (DODIX, RCWFX, DEM)

Details:
Bernanke's recession is here: 11 reasons it will last till 2011 - MarketWatch:

Most Global Markets Currently in Downtrends - Seeking Alpha

2008-02-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

Interesting analysis of global markets..
The green area is where you buy and the red area is where you sell, loosely stated.
Most Global Markets Currently in Downtrends - Seeking Alpha

Friday Outlook: Two-Way Volatility Continues - Seeking Alpha

2008-02-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

Pretty much shows that it is the right time to buy :-)
Friday Outlook: Two-Way Volatility Continues - Seeking Alpha

3000 mile computer tune up on ZDNet.com

2008-02-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

Why the home computer needs a regular tune-up also ...
3000 mile computer tune up on ZDNet.com

Thirteen Tricks to Motivate Yourself - Lifehack.org

2008-02-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

Habits. You can’t put everything on autopilot. But I’ve found putting a few core habits in place creates a structure for the day. Waking up at the same time, working at the same times and having a similar productive routine makes it easier to do the next day.

Thirteen Tricks to Motivate Yourself - Lifehack.org

How to Actually Execute Your To-Do List: or, Why Writing It Down Doesn’t Actually Get It Done | Zen Habits

2008-02-11T11:56:00.000-08:00

How to Actually Execute Your To-Do List: or, Why Writing It Down Doesn’t Actually Get It Done Zen Habits

2 studies conclude that biofuels are not so green after all - International Herald Tribune

2008-02-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

2 studies conclude that biofuels are not so green after all - International Herald Tribune

Daryl Hannah's eco green earth friendly products for sustainable living

2008-02-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

Very interesting site design and display..
Daryl Hannah's eco green earth friendly products for sustainable living

By 'bagging it,' Ireland rids itself of a plastic nuisance - International Herald Tribune

2008-02-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

Good to hear of another developed country going green.. :-). Just waiting for this to happen in the US.
By 'bagging it,' Ireland rids itself of a plastic nuisance - International Herald Tribune

ETF Investing Guide - Seeking Alpha

2008-01-22T14:31:00.000-08:00

".. Seeking Alpha's ETF Investing Guide is a free, unbiased online investment guide for mainstream and wealthy individuals that shows you how to lower your risk and slash your investment costs using exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It's arranged right here in short chapters to make it easy to read online. For a quick overview, read the one-page summary. .."

Details: The Seeking Alpha ETF Investing Guide - Seeking Alpha

Gadgets That Make Business Travel A Snap

2008-01-14T17:00:00.000-08:00

1. solar-powered laptop bag, built by Voltaic Systems
2. the nüvi 880, lets the driver keep both hands on the steering wheel and still get directions.
3. Samsung's latest high-definition camcorder, the SC-HMX20... packs a 10x optical zoom, an 8-megapixel still image camera, and 8 gigabytes of storage
4. a GPS attachment that lets you snap pictures and simultaneously record the place and time.
5. Polaroid has a pocket-sized mobile printer that allows users to print 2-by-3-inch photos on the go. The printer pulls images from any Bluetooth-enabled camera and churns out color photos in less than 60 seconds.
6. Sling Media, for instance, has come out with Slingplayer Media for the BlackBerry, giving BlackBerry users the option of watching their favorite television shows on their device.
7... and... here's.. Ericsson ...... the SonyEricsson W760. Billed as the "first truly global Walkman phone," the phone features a GPS navigation system, stereo speakers, and fast downloading capabilities.

Details: Gadgets That Make Business Travel A Snap - Forbes.com

Tata Unveils $2,500 Car

2008-01-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

May clog Indian roads, but still welcome as we may have a lesser number of 2-wheelers weaving in and out of traffic.
Details: Tata Unveils The Nano, Its $2,500 Car - Forbes.com

The End of Analog Cellular

2008-01-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

Started my career at Ericsson with the analog AMPS technology, and went on training to learn the then cutting edge Digital-AMPS.. Analog cellular is now officially phased out... May be missed by some techie old fogeys.. maybe.
Details: The End of Cellular as We Knew It

China declares war on plastic bags

2008-01-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

Something for each of us to emulate.. I bought my 99c shopping bags at Krogers, Tom Thumb and Sprouts.
Details: China declares war on plastic bags - World environment- msnbc.com