Author: stlplace

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gadgets

Tech overview: cloud computing and smart phone

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Forget today’s Google China news for a minute. We are at very interesting times in terms of technology, from apps, cloud (web based) computing (online data backup, for one), to net book, smart phone, e-readers, smart book and tablet. The past week’s CES showed us the explosion of a lot of hardwares I mentioned above (plus many new mashups: hybrid devices). I did not attend the CES, but I found the CEO interviews at AllThingsD to be interesting, e.g., Palm CEO.


(Source: allThingsD video)

From investing/speculation point of view, I think PALM is at interesting point because Verizon will start to sell it on Jan 25.

Challenges

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401k and Personal Finance

Some thoughts on investing strategy

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Index or value investing for retirement: so that we can sleep well at night;

Crap shoot for speculation: so that we may get rich some day before retirement age;

But those are just tactic I learned from Your Mind & Your Money series of NBR (PBS) and from my own experience. The most important lesson of all investing (be it value investing or other kind of investing/speculating), is stay on the course: focus. Find a strategy fit one’s need and don’t think grass is green is neighbor’s yard.

Retirement acct review
It seems 2009 was a boom for my retirement accounts. It pretty much recovered and then gained some from the crash of 2008. I am not looking for one year performance for this sort of things here. But I will take it regardless. As of now I still leave my old 401k with my old employer. I also have a Rollover IRA and current 401k with Vanuguard. Still have not decided whether moving the old 401k into Rollover IRA. One thing I am looking for is a low volatility period so that my portfolio does not take a hit during a move (not looking for timing the market).

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gadgets

Some notes on Google Nexus One phone

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Official link here: www.google.com/phone

Walter Mossberg (AllthingsD, WSJ) Review “Google’s Nexus One Is Bold New Face in Super-Smartphones“, quote:

I’ve been testing the Nexus One for a couple of weeks and I like it a lot. It’s the best Android phone so far, in my view, and the first I could consider carrying as my everyday hand-held computer….

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Web

Spammer stole my Yahoo email and sent out spam mails

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Friends, in case you received an email selling you Viagra online, which appears sent from my Yahoo email. I apologize. Obviously I don’t sell those. Some hackers used my Yahoo email and did this. Please ignore that mail. More information (prevention tips) about this tactic can be seen at:

I had my email account hacked into and emails sent out.?

I realized this problem as my Gmail acct is also in my Yahoo address book. Also, one friend asked me “huh”? I think this is not really brand new tactic, and I believe most people already know it. This note is just in case.

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Life Saint Louis

Some thoughts after seeing movie “Up in the Air”

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(Update 04Feb10) Watched the “Outsourced” movie from Netflix on Feb 02 night, quite interesting. It has a similar theme with “Up in the Air”.

(Original) Went to see movie “Up in the Air”. That’s the first time my wife and I went to see a movie. We figured time is running out for us to go cinema in the near future as we expect our new baby this March.

Couple thoughts after seeing the movie:

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401k and Personal Finance

Best mutual fund and shareholder return

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It’s that time again, the end of 2009 (and the decade of 2000s) means we can also look at the performance of mutual funds in past year/decade. The winner of US based mutual fund is CGM Focus fund, managed by Mr. Heebner, the fund’s manager since its 1997 launch. CGM Focus is a large cap growth fund with annualized total return of 18.2% in last 10 years (source: WSJ, Best Stock Fund of the the Decade: CGM Focus). Sounds pretty good, right?

Not really. According to MorningStar in the same article:
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Too bad investors weren’t around to enjoy much of those gains. The typical CGM Focus shareholder lost 11% annually in the 10 years ending Nov. 30, according to investment research firm Morningstar Inc.

These investor returns, also known as dollar-weighted returns, incorporate the effect of cash flowing in and out of the fund as shareholders buy and sell. Investor returns can be lower than mutual-fund total returns because shareholders often buy a fund after it has had a strong run and sell as it hits bottom.

……

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Life

Happy holidays and remember exercise

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It’s that time of the year again, this year it put another perspective after such a crazy year in terms of financial and job markets. The other day I met my former boss at the mall, and was surprised to learn one of my co-worker passed away this year. I was aware of my co-worker health problem, but I could not believe his passing because he is about my age (I am not disclosing my exact age here but I think I am still fairly young).

Holiday tech gadgets gift ideas
Saw David Pogue (NY Times) holiday tech gadgets ideas from CBS Sunday Morning show. One thing caught my attention, the Philips DirectLife, basically it’s a wearable gadget one can wear on neck, or slip on belt, to track his/her daily physical activities, and can analyze whether he/she get enough walking in office (or gym). I think it’s a great idea. Here is a review, quote:

The system is available from the DirectLife online store now, and will run you $79 (until October 30th) and includes a 4-month membership. After the initial 4 months, membership will run you $12.50 a month. This product is available in the US and the Netherlands only at this time.

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Investing video

Why I don’t like Gold as long term investments?

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The Gold has been doing very well lately, partly due to the depreciation of dollar, partly due to the fear of inflation, and last but not least, due to speculation. I think this Yahoo Tech-ticker interview explained why I don’t like Gold as long term investments very well. More importantly, it suggested alternative investments for gold.

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Life

What you want your daughter to be?

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If you read my blog long enough, you may know I am not a big fan of Jim Rogers, the famous US investor who recently moved to Singapore: to help his daugher learn Chinese (Mandarin better) among other things.

Here is Jim’s take on life and his current job (link: Yahoo tech-ticker), which kind of hit my tone. I mean, some day, I want to semi-retire, spend more time with family and do things I always dream to do.

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401k and Personal Finance

Year end tax tips 2009

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NBR at PBS is running a series of year end tax tips (link here). My take is in investing, taking gain/loss should first based on the investments prospectus (how you think your investments will work in the future), the tax should be secondary consideration. It is still important because in some cases you want to make sure you have enough cash to pay the tax from tax gain. With this in mind, here is the first video of the series. This one is about capital gain.