stlplace

(Update 08-31-2010) I submitted my app myNestEgg (a retirement savings calculator) last night. Some quick thoughts on things not directly related to coding but important during submission.
1) Screenshots and icon file. Apple is very strict on those files. Icon file has to be 57×57 (in png format). “The iPhone/iPod touch screenshot must be a […]

(Update 8-19-2010) Received the Citi Platinum Select /AAdvantage Visa Signature card today, called and verified the “spending $1500 in first 6 months, receive 75,000 AA miles” is good.
(Original 8-16-2010) Got the offer from my AA membership letter. Choose one of the three cards:
Citi Platinum Select /AAdvantage Visa Signature card, Citi Select /AAdvantage American […]

(Update 07-24-2010) Got it, this is my new car (SUV, or tall wagon to be exact), 2006 Subaru Forester. BTW, I think this Subaru Credit Card reward program is quite interesting.

(Picture credit: edmunds.com)
(Original) As much as I love my 2001 family sedan, recent repair bills made me think hard on my options. Year to […]

(Update 07-28-2010) I found Citi® Platinum Select® AAdvantage® World MasterCard® to be interesting. AA actually offers 3 cards: Master Card, American Express or Visa. They has a 30,000 miles promotion as of now. Another card, which is more useful in our daily lives, is the Upromise® World MasterCard® credit card with Dining & […]

Business week: Summary Box: China’s AgBank IPO nabs $19.2 billion.
Wiki; Official web site of Ag Bank China’s (ABC, 中国农业银行股份有限公司).

(source: ForeignHR)
Bear case
Ag bank of China primarily serves the less-developed regions and people in China: the rural areas, the villages, the farmers and peasants, the agriculture related business. Since the founding of People’s Republic (and Ag […]

First I want to thank everyone who used my referral enrolling in Ohio College Advantage 529 plan, esp. those of you who kept quiet after using my referral code. My daughter (although she can not understand what is college these days, being 3 months and 3 weeks old) and my wife also want to express […]

link here. This is the new card I got this year. I got the $40 first statement credit, and am very pleased to get the extra points for my Amazon purchase (quite a bit after our new baby born).
With your Amazon.com Rewards Credit Card, you will earn points for every dollar you spend […]

The soccer World Cup 2010 is already well in the process. This is also the first time An african country hosting the cup, interesting and exciting for the continent and the host South Africa. I noticed soccer’s popularity grew in the US over the years, from the 1998 word cup to this year. ESPN/ABC broadcast […]

It’s 401k enrollment time, because of my recent job change. I have lived life without 401k contribution for several months now, although I tried to keep up with buying mutual fund Scottrade IRA account. But I found this IRA thing is not as easy my good old 401k account. Couple reasons:
1) Automatic payroll deduction and […]

Yahoo buys US$1 billion stake in Alibaba (2005-8-11, China Daily): $1 billion for 40% stake of Alibaba Group (parent company of Alibaba, Taobao and Alipay). Taotao and Alipay is Chinese equivalent of eBay and Paypal, repectively.
Yahoo sells direct stake in Alibaba.com (cnet, 2009-9-14). Quote:
======
Yahoo has sold 1 percent of its stake in the Chinese-based business-to-business […]