Author: stlplace

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gadgets

Blackberry or iPhone

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Blackberry or iPhone?
I used both BB and iPhone. I think BB is better for “Email/text messaging” (dedicated keypad). It takes a few days to get used to the touch screen keypad on iPhone. It’s still not as easy as the BB keypad in my opinion. BB also has strong push technology which pushes email to your blackberry (sometimes you will get email from BB, before it shows up in your Outlook). Overall BB has very reliable email technology (except a few high profile glitches), as that’s where they got started.

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Life Tips Windows

Amazon used book, COM, Juggle

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I bought a used book “Inside COM” from Amazon Marketplace recently. This is my second Amazon Marketplace buy this year. I found for used (a little out of dated) computer books, Amazon Marketplace offers a great value.

Why I need to buy the COM book?
I found in order to really understand the .NET stuff, one needs to learn the COM. This is just like in order to be a good value investor, one really needs to pick up Graham’s “Intelligent Investor”. Reading the blogs by Buffett followers are fine, but definitely not sufficient. Because those second handed materials don’t precisely convey the ideas of the masters.

Google search not working on Internet Explorer?

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Stocks

Today change of Dow Jones Industrial

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GM was replaced by Cisco; Citi replaced by Travellers. Source: WSJ. (you may need to get the full article via Google).

Interesing part (for me), quote WSJ:

Why choose a tech company, Cisco, to replace an automaker?

We did not need another consumer goods company after adding Kraft Foods when we removed AIG. In looking around, we were struck by the fact that Cisco makes products that pave the Information Highway – computer networking equipment, things that enable high-speed data and video transmission, and so on. We saw Cisco helping the economy and culture adjust to the digital age, much as automobiles influenced economic and social changes in the 20th Century.

Well, why not Apple (AAPL) or Google (GOOG)?

Those companies certainly qualify as blue chips, but we chose Cisco this time.

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video Web

From Live to Bing

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Microsoft Bing, the new search engine which represents the high hope of Microsoft executives, goes alive today (incidentally today marks another big event in US corp history: General Motor files for bankruptcy). Underneath the Bing, it is really the re-brand of Microsoft Live search, plus some new features, as shown last week at D7. (Actually I verified this by typing live.com, and it brought me to the Bing page).

I did couple searches such as “Air France”, “Pizza Hut”, the result was OK, although similar to Google search. I don’t know who will want to switch to “mostly fine” google search to the unproven Bing. To make things worse, Microsoft did not release a toolbar with bing, they still have the good old live toolbar though.

Don’t overlook this IE toolbar thing, personally I used it quite a bit, because it saved me one more type “www.google.com”. But interestingly for today, the Google Toolbar in Internet Explorer is not responsive as usual. Maybe the guys at Redmond did something to slowdown Google on this Bing’s birthday? The toolbar on Firefox works fine as usual.

Categories
Fun Video

The experts at Nightly Business Report

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Any good financial TV program like the MarketPlace at NPR?

I saw this question at the famous bbs at mit. Personally I think Nightly Business Report at PBS is a good source. They are not perfect, sometimes they are even boring, like the “Stocks in the News” segement where Paul kangas usually just reports Pfizer goes up 10 cents, Microsoft goes down 5 cents…But consider the other financial TV media we got, is CNBC better? To me they merely made more noise 🙂

I think determining whether a TV program is good or not, a lot depends on one’s expectation. Personally I don’t expect I get information there, and (apply that information) making money right away from the market.

I think the “fortune tellers” at CNBC (Fast Money, Mad Money, plus many guests) try to give that information, but in reality I think more people lose money from their suggestions than making money.

Couple month ago Jon Stewart (the host of Daily Show at Comedy Central) vs. Jim Cramer (the host of Mad Money at CNBC) explains the problem with CNBC.

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video Web

AllThingsD the D7 conference

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Walt Mossberg talks about his overall impression of the conference, Walt is the conference organizor, and he is also the tech writer for WSJ besides his involvement to AllThingsD and D conferece (both owned by WSJ, I think).
(both videos from Yahoo Tech-ticker)

And his comments on Palm Pre (this one could cause some anxiety on Palm shareholders 🙂

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Economy Life

GM, Jay Leno

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GM is going to file bankrupcy. This was not expected 6 months ago. But it’s a reality now. Many people blame the UAW, the management for the problems at GM, which I think only tells part of the story. GM was doing fine after Sept 11, remember the 0% “Keep America rolling” Ad campaign? (Paula Gardner opinion, Nov 20, 2008 ) The main problem, I think, is GM increasingly dump cars like cabbage, while trying to make money from the finance division (GMAC). This business model is not sustainable because it’s mostly relying on cheap credit (and arguably GM car buyers have worse cosumer credit compared to foreign make buyers). When credit dried up after Lehman bankrupcy last fall, GM’s car sales plummeted.

Keep America Rolling GM Ad Sept 11

Jay Leno

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gadgets video

Pre Demo at D7 conference

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(Update from The Register May 29) Palm Pre plays nicely with iTunes.

See more D7 video here. Here is another interesting one, for instance, Microsoft new search engine “Bing“.

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401k and Personal Finance

SogoTrade

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(Update 07Sept09) I found a minor problem with Sogotrade. I had this happened to me twice. Basically I changed my mind for existing limited sell order, so I clicked “cancel”. But Sogo works so fast and diligently, partial of my order has already been executed. So basically later on when I want to sell the stock, I need to pay another transaction fee.

SogoTrade pic

(Original) Opened SogoTrade account couple weeks ago because I got a bit tired of Scottrade $7 per trade fee, and the “friendly” reminder email about my trading pattern. The accounting opening preocess is a bit long, although most things are done online (except the VOID check and an eletronic transfer form to send in). Here are the main steps:

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Categories
gadgets

Another Nokia 5800 deal at Dell Small biz

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This one. Use coupon code TP2GK4X1DTX0C8 (expires June 3) during check out. It comes out $229 + tax (after $50 mail-in rebate). Slightly cheaper than Amazon ($290 after $50 main-in rebate). Dell also offers Nokia N85 at $247 + tax (with $50 main-in rebate).

Reviews: GSMArena; BrightHand.

Discussions “N85 or 5800XM”: phonegg; Nokia discussion forum.