iPhone 3.0 is finally going to have a feature which we all have been waiting for – the ‘cut-copy-paste’! I never understood what took this long time for Apple to embed this feature to the iPhone? But anyway, it seems we the iPhone users have something to cheer about. This feature was currently available via an application called Clippy in the jailbroken iPhones and iPods. There are also rumors that iPhone 3.0 will probably eliminate advantage of Palm Pre had over Apple.
March 12, 2009
Talking iPod shuffle
Apple finally rolled out it’s talking iPod shuffle. This is smaller than its predecessor – it talks to the user of what song it is playing in 14 different languages!
This tiny (smaller than an AA battery) iPod will cost you $79 and can hold 1000 songs – this is twice the number than the predecessor. Controls have been moved to the earphone cord.
Needham & Co analyst Charles Wolf said the new Shuffle design was appealing and called the voice function a “nice a little gimmick. It shows that Apple intends to keep that piece of the portfolio going. They’re going to continue to innovate, upgrade the sub-$100 device.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE52A3HF20090312
March 10, 2009
Zain Veerjee stumbles on…nuts!
Zain Verjee talks about Northwest Airlines and it’s penis…I mean peanuts policy. Watch and enjoy!
March 10, 2009
The Financial Blame Game
Who do you blame for the financial crisis? How did giants like Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch & Co. and Lehman Brothers crashed in matter months? Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac bailed out; AIG, GM, Chrysler need money and more money. 28 banks [1] have failed so far in 2009; millions of homes have been foreclosed; debt has skyrocketed; Federal Debt is…well, let’s not talk about it.
Everyone is looking for someone to blame. Wall Street greed, bonuses, bailouts, foreclosures have become the most loathed words in the recent months are some of the words – they have continually made headlines and probably will continue to do so. TV “financial” analysts yap away their analysis, predictions and what they say to earn their salary. It is an opportunistic world.
So, who is to really blame? Well, everyone.
An article in WSJ dated October 5, 2008 “For every “greedy” Wall Street banker, there were millions of Main Street Americans willing to live beyond their means.”
That statement is almost outrageous, but think – maybe it is an indication to reflect on ourselves. Yes, we do share the blame. Of course, the major blame falls on those who got greedy and greedier but in the end we lost.
How did that happen?
We the consumers lost sight of fiscal conservatism and then we lost sight of and personal responsibility. It is like digging a hole and falling into it and blaming the spade because it allowed us to dig in the first place!
In simple terms personal responsibility is acknowledging that one is solely responsible for the choices in one’s life. Choices were made; some passed and some failed.
We blame the Wall Street because our 401K tanked. We never glanced a look of concern at Wall Street when our 401K sky-rocketed. Well, I never did. I never made any big investments – still made some; and it didn’t pan out the way I expected. Well, let’s talk about my portfolio….on second thoughts, I better not. There is nothing to talk about. It is depressing.
Our fiscal responsibility starts with credit and ends with credit – it is a vicious cycle. We borrow from Peter to pay Paul; Peter got greedy and was eager to pounce on our weakness.
Ah, some good news – one city seems to be conservative in their spending and risk-taking ability – the city of Fargo [2] in North Dakota .
One billboard in ND during the 1970s read: ” North Dakota refuses to participate in a recession.” Strangely that message still holds true today for Fargo . In Fargo , home prices are holding steady, unemployment is low and morale is high. The State of North Dakota is one of only four with a budget surplus. Kudos to them!
I recently came across an article [3] which shows the amount of debt does the typical consumer have? How does that equate to income? Here are some figures that help put it in context for the approximately 111 million U.S. households:
- The average U.S. household has about $125,000 in debt, primarily as mortgages.
- Non-mortgage debts average about $23,000 per household.
- Household credit-card debts average about $8,600, but that figure is distorted by the relatively small percentage of households with high debts.
Motto going forward – conservative spending, liberal saving, and ready for anything!
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Sources:
1. Failed Bank list
2. A Placid North Dakota Asks, Recession? What Recession?
3. Consumer Debt
March 9, 2009
Apple Netbook coming soon?
DigiTimes reports that Taiwan-based Quanta Computer will build a new netbook computer for Apple. A netbook (a portmanteau of Internet and notebook) is a class of laptop computer designed for wireless communication and access to the Internet. Netbooks “rely heavily on the Internet for remote access to web-based applications” (Wikipedia)
The plan is to ship the panels by second half of 2009. If these report holds true then the Apple’s long-run rumor of having large-screen (7 to 9 inch display) IPOD touch with virtual keyboard might be on the way.
This would probably crush the competition – the rumor is that Apple netbook would be able accommodate HD movies and can run standard desktop applications!
So is Apple is on the move of bringing out yet another hot product? IPOD, IPhone, and now Netbooks? Apple never runs out of creative ideas!
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March 9, 2009
Religious Decline?
Recently came across an article today that showed a fragment of the U.S. population don’t believe in religion.
The Roman Catholic population has been shifting out of the Northeast to the Southwest.
Here are some numbers -
15% of people said “they had no religion”. Vermont claiming to be the highest at 34%.
36% adult self-identified Catholics (down from 43% in 1990).
Catholics grew in CA, TX and FL – largely due to Latino immigration.
In 2008, Christians comprised 76 percent of U.S. adults, compared to about 77 percent in 2001 and about 86 percent in 1990.
30% of married couples did not have a religious wedding ceremony.
27% of respondents said they did not want a religious funeral.
12% believe in higher God but not personal God.
But,
Catholics still are the largest religious grow at 57 million.
Evangelical or born-again Americans make up 34 % of all American adults and 45 % of all Christians and Catholics.
Pentecostals is steady since 1990 at 3.5 %
Mormon numbers also held steady over the period at 1.4 percent of the population
Well, numbers do speak volumes but they necessarily don’t speak for me! I am a Catholic and the role of Catholicism in family has occupied a prominent place for generations.
Being an Indian-Catholic it was always difficult to explain people (outside India) that Christianity is a respected religion in India.
I remember when I first migrated to the U.S., I used to work in Los Angeles. Some of my friends, co-workers were surprised that I was a Catholic and even more surprised to learn that there are Christians in India! They assumed that I was a Hindu – by default. Some were surprised to hear that India is a Hindu country but also the largest secular democratic country in the world with religious freedom. Ah! It was an eye-opener for many in the room.
Well, I educated my good ole’ friends about Christianity in India. Christianity came to India much before it spread to some of the predominantly Christian, nations of Europe. It was spread by Apostle Thomas in 52 A.D.
Anyway, back to our original topic “having religion or not having religion”.
03/09/09
Early morning I was driving to work; car’s radio was tuned to Sirius-XM’s CNN-HLN station. The newscaster was just about to close the topic of her morning conversation – the topic was “religion”. She ended the conversation by saying – she would never force her kids to choose a religion – they were free to choose any religion they want. Well, I have to disagree with that statement. There are many real life decisions when you come to rely on your parents for guidance and support i.e. when you are young and clueless. Choosing religion can be one of the decisions.
I remember the good old days when my mother used to force us to go church on Sundays and Holy-days and how it was most hated activity to do. Today, I am glad she forced us – she was a guide, guiding clueless kids to some place better.
Religion has played a greater role in my life. There have been rough patches but the transition out of the rough patches has been smooth by finding solace in prayer and church.
There is no need to be ashamed of being a Catholic…I am not. Yes, I do hear lot of noise on how the catholic church has mistreated and destroyed lives of many. I consider them bad apples and on every path of our life we will come across these types – they are not limited to one segment of the society. Someday they will have to answer to God. No bad deeds go unpunished; no good deeds go unrewarded.
Blaming church for everything is not justified. People seem to forget the contribution religion has made – schools, hospitals, shelters, orphanages etc. Guess, those things are taken for granted?
Primary purpose of the church (some call it “organized religion”) is to unite humanity into a divine relationship based on love with our creator – God. Based on my experience the church has the tendency to draw us into this love continually, socially and morally – through various means such as – Prayers, Church gatherings, Sacraments, or just by reading the word of God. The church continually asks God to renew us and keep us pure and holy. Being part of a religion provides us with a sense of pride and continual achievement, comfort and reassurance. It sets forth teaching about morality, ethics, charity, good works in motion for generations to come.
We all live in a world which is volatile but still organized – the early mornings, the late nights, our working habits, driving to work, taking kids to school, enjoying leisure, enjoying luxury etc. is all part of our organized lifestyle – they why reject “organized” religion?
This topic reminds me of an old friend who called herself “spiritual but nor religious”. She used to talk a lot about being spiritual and didn’t like church teachings and didn’t believe in an “organized” religion. Then a day came when she hit a rough patch – suddenly she turned to the Catholic Church for help! I was stunned but not surprised.
I am neither saint nor a pious person who is out to transform the world. I have my own drawbacks and limitations but my perception of religion has made me stronger, happier in my faith towards God and Jesus Christ. It has certainly taken time to find the true happiness.
Experience is the best teacher and it has certainly taught me to be religious and faithful and augmented my respect toward my religion i.e. Catholicism.
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http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-03-09-american-religion-ARIS_N.htm
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/03/09/number_of_ne_catholics_tumbles
March 8, 2009
Economy is NOT bad…for Annette Yeomans
Former bookkeeper Annette Yeomans, 51 embezzled $9.9 million – she bought 400 pairs of shoes, that she kept in a room-sized closet decorated with a crystal chandelier and a plasma television, authorities claim.
Here is the breakup -at least $240,000 on 400 pairs of shoes, $300,000 on designer clothing and 160 purses valued at $2,000 each, investigators allege; remodeled bedroom into a closet with the chandelier and a 32-inch TV.
Meanwhile, the company Quality Woodworks, Inc., a cabinetry business (where she worked as CFO) in San Marcos, CA was forced to lay off workers and restructure operations because of the losses.
According to Sgt. Mark Varnau of the Sheriff’s Department told CNN ” She used these monies to gamble. She used them to remodel her home. She used them to buy expensive clothes, shoes, [including] a $4,000 pair of Italian shoes. She had more than 400 pairs of shoes in her closet. She had 160 high-end purses valued at $2,000 apiece.”
A sheriff’s investigation revealed that on a weekly basis, Yeomans would spend $25,000 on her credit card and then pay off the balance the following Monday with company funds.”
Ah, ain’t that something? We all talk about Ponzie schemes but how many of these “small” schemes are floating out there before they get caught?
Someone gets to buy fancy shoes and people end up loosing jobs! What a shame! I guess greed just overtakes one’s conscience?
Seriously, what do you feel when you read something like this?
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/08/california.alleged.embezzlement/index.html
March 7, 2009
Twitter – an unecessary tool?
Twitter is the worst tool which has got publicity from people who have nothing better to do! I am tired of hearing about “Twitter” – especially on CNN. I get off from work around 3:45pm and while driving home I listen to CNN Radio on Sirius-XM. I tune the radio to catch Wolf Blitzer but there is still 15 minutes for the show to kick in. So I have to listen to the CNN host by the name of Rick Sanchez – he talks about twitter every time and it is frustrating. It seems his whole show is based on twitter!
Twitter has a funny sounding name but so it is boring, frustrating and an unnecessary tool.
Andy Rooney radio and television writer sums it up nicely “Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don’t need to be done”. Twitter is exactly that – this tool doesn’t enhance our life in any way; offers no entertainment – we can live without it. It is not Facebook, Myspace or Youtube. It is just a twitter…a blip on the technology radar.
The main concept of twitter is posting about what are you doing at the present moment?
Seriously, do you really want to know what is happening in my life – every hour, every minute and every second? I don’t think you would be interested in knowing what I had for breakfast or are you really interested in knowing what I do in the bathroom? Do you? 
March 7, 2009
Option to remove Internet Explorer from Windows 7!
It is finally happening! Windows 7 will allow users to “remove” IE 8 and Media Player. This is a feature is made available today on the beta version of Windows 7 which was released last month.
According to AeroXperince blog, a site for Windows developers “There is a catch: For now, this only seems to wipe the actual executable running Internet Explorer 8 (iexplore.exe), but given that many of the most vocal proponents of choice were just looking for an option to functionally remove IE8, this might’ve been the only way to do it without killing the rest of Windows.”
“In addition, this actually takes two reboots and a configuration step to complete, so there’s definitely something going on behind the scenes (likely a remapping of where IE-related functions can be found for other elements in Windows so that Windows doesn’t complain about IE’s nonexistence).”
So are you ready to get rid of IE from your computer after you have installed Windows 7? Well, I am big fan of Firefox and so I am definitely disable IE and Media Player (which is painfully slow) from the new version of Windows 7!
March 7, 2009
Jon Stewart rips Rick Santelli and CNBC
On March 4, 2009 11pm CNBC went into hiding…somewhere because Jon Stewart choose to embed element of truth to his comedy on the Daily Show. He unleashed a brutal assault on CNBC and its “elite” financial newscasters.
Jon Stewart is funny. I enjoy watching his shows. Sometimes he is extremely funny. He was at his best when he shredded CNBC with journalist performance which will be remembered. Stewart’s primary target was Rick Santelli who had called out on President Obama’s plan to save what he called “loser” homeowners from foreclosure. Santelli’s rant became an instant hit on the web…and now Stewart’s “counter-rant” on Santelli is a mega-hit! Santelli must be regretting his decision of canceling his appearance on Jon Stewart’s show.
Well, the skit was brutal for CNBC but extremely funny for the viewers. CNBC is packed with people who yell and try to make point. For example, the Cramer guy – never understood why is he so hyper. I never understood how is he still in the market of providing financial analysis – his “analysis” for Bear Stearns and Bank of America are quite famous! Watch the video and there is more.
I think I can be a better financial analyst – all I have to do is yell!
By the way, Stewart’s best quote from the show –
“If I’d only followed CNBC’s advice, I’d have a million dollars today,” Stewart says. “Provided I’d started with $100 million.”
Watch the clip of Jon and judge yourself…He is the best! What do you think?
