voip equipment

And guess what? Chances are, you ” ve going on b...

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:29:00 +0000

And guess what? Chances are, you " ve going on been using the VoIP technology disappeared straight being aware of tangible, allotment life span you " ve make-believe a stretched distance telephone call recently. Innumerable of the senior phone companies are nowadays using VoIP technology to reduce their own bandwidth

Posted in asia longdistance ( 1 link from 1 site)

HearMe Releases VoIP capable Version 3.0 ...

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:59:00 +0000
HearMe Releases VoIP-capable Version 3.0 - TMCnet April 10th, 2008 img HearMe Releases VoIP-capable Version 3.0 TMCnet - 31 minutes ago HearMe also has built-in VoIP capabilities, eliminating the need for a conference phone bridge line, again saving costs. … Fuente original Posted in IP telephony |

Posted in recursosvoip.com news ( 11 links from 5 sites)

Cool list of Free VoIP software

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:35:00 +0000
Wow! This is impressive. voip-news has published a List of VoIP software . I'm sure this must have been a daunting task. I have talked about many of these companies in my blog. I feel there are so many VoIP software ... and fring to VoIP on cellphone. Also, Not sure why Iotum's Free Conference call is part of VOIM category

Posted in Latest Geek Stuff ( 30 links from 22 sites)

Botnets Botnets Botnets

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:26:00 +0000
So I have been working on this Web Content Filtering project at work and the question of "what kind of applications are using HTTP to tunnel ... . Now days VoIP providers use it for their customers behind firewalls. I haven't done any hard

Posted in Eric's Story Book ( 1 link from 1 site) by stunder

Siemens Shows First WiMAX Express Card in Use

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:17:00 +0000
[ siemensse68] Siemens home and Office Communications Devices expanded its offerings for WiMAX subscriber devices with the introduction of an ... comprises a data modem, a VoIP modem and two gateways with an extensive range of data and voice

Posted in n ( 1 link from 1 site)

Objectworld Partners with Grandstream Networks...

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:07:00 +0000
Objectworld Partners with Grandstream Networks on End-To-End ... Earthtimes, UK - 13 hours ago ... worldwide VoIP market, has joined the Objectworld Connect Interoperability Program and Objectworld has become a Grandstream Interoperability Partner. ...

Posted in Telecomunication market news ( 22 links from 10 sites)

Parents should consider a new Netflix-like service for baby toys

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:49:00 +0000

A new company is doing for baby toys what Netflix did for movies. Babyplays allows you to pick and choose from several plans that lets you get up to 10 toys per month and works exactly like Netflix.

Sign up for the plan you want, add toys to your basket and they will arrive to your doorstep in a few days complete with prepaid UPS shipping labels for when you are ready to send them back.

The idea behind the service is that children get bored of new toys quickly so this will allow parents to swap out "old" toys for new "toys"
quickly. However, if your child becomes attached to a toy and cannot do without, you will have the option to purchase the toy at 20% off its retail price from your account and since it’s already in your possession you don’t need to wait for shipping.

Any toy currenty being "rented" to you from Babyplays can be purchased. Once your child gets bored of a toy or toys, send them back and Babyplays will ship out additional toys on your list.

There are provisions for dealing with broken toys and for those worried about germs, there’s no need to,

"BabyPlays takes the health and safety of your children very seriously. BabyPlays Toys are sanitized using a 100% All Natural, Organic cleaning product that is approved by the FDA."

Plans are as follows,

"Plan: Silver
Description: 4 Toys per month
Commitment Length: 3 Months
Rate: $36.99

Plan: Gold
Description: 6 Toys per month
Commitment Length: 3 Months
Rate: $47.99

Plan: Gold Plus
Description: 6 Toys per month
Commitment Length: 12 Months
Rate: $42.99

Plan: Platinum - Best Value
Description: 10 Toys per month
Commitment Length: 3 Months
Rate: $64.99"

As you can see there is something for everyone. Additional information can be found at the Babyplays FAQ or you may be ready to sign up.

Blogging kills! - Stress and long hours = Unhealthy lifestyle

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:48:00 +0000

Blogging is a medium which is growing at a phenomenal rate. There are millions of people doing it on a daily basis, both as a hobby, and a career. But could it be killing people?

No, of course it couldn’t, at least not directly, but that hasn’t stopped The New York Times linking the cases of two prominent technology bloggers dying from heart attacks to the hazards of professional blogging.

Russell Shaw and Marc Orchant, both professional bloggers, have sadly passed away in recent months, while Om Malik survived a heart attack in December at the tender age of 41.

The NYT go on to discuss the art of blogging, and how stressful the job is. They may have a point when it comes to the top 1% of the industry, but the majority of us don’t ever reach those heady heights.

It may surprise you to learn that this is my day job. I know, I’m not the best writer in the world, or the most knowledgeable on one subject, but I get paid to know a little about lots of different things, and giving my opinion on them.

I earn a living for my efforts, but it’s not the fortune that the NYT seem to think we’re all making. I’m a middle rung blogger, not a star, but not struggling at the bottom either.

Personally, I don’t consider this to be a particularly stressful job. I get to spend my days at home, with the television or some music on, and can have as many breaks as I see fit throughout the day.

There are days when I wake up knowing I have a lot of work ahead of me, but it’s hardly coal mining now is it.

One point I will submit to the NYT is the weight gain which comes with the territory. I used to have a very active job, and lifestyle in general. Now I sit on my butt writing opinionated news pieces for a living. So naturally I have gained weight.

The point is that at the top end of the scale, blogging is a stressful job with long hours, and big rewards. But only in the same way that any job is. So using prominent bloggers at the top of their game such as Michael Arrington of Techcrunch, and Matt Buchanan of Gizmodo as your study cases is obviously going to lead to skewed results.

I personally know I need to be more active, and spend less time trying to get that extra post done for the day, week, month or year. I also know I should start having the occasional day off. Since going professional last July, I’ve blogged on one site or another every single day.

But to go from that knowledge, to the conclusion that blogging is a recipe for an early trip to the morgue is a bit of a push.

Maybe The NYT are just getting worried about the lurch to new media, and getting concerned that they, as traditional media, are about to get swallowed up in a 24/7 world of rolling news.

At the end of the day, blogging is just like any other career. To succeed and reach the top of the ladder, you have to work damn hard, and cause untold stress to your mind and body. But the vast majority of us are happy just getting paid to write for a living, and with a few healthier lifestyle choices could live as long as any office worker.

Dell offers Blu-Ray equipped laptop for $879

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:47:00 +0000

One of the most ubiqutious names in the PC world is now offering a Blu-Ray equipped Inspiron M1525 laptop for the low low price of $879. At that price you don’t get much besides the Blu-Ray drive.

Selecting the Blu-Ray drive requires a Core 2 Duo processor of 1.83GHz or better, they still make processors that slow?

At this price your operating system will be Windows Vista Basic, you should know my opinion on that and the display is a standard 15.4-inch 1280 x 800 gloss widescreen.

For all the laptop manufacturers out there, I would like to say something about that. It’s time that all 15.4-inch displays got a standard resolution of 1440 x 900 because 1280 x 800 is too little to watch HD content and to be of any real use when running multiple programs. Apple has it right. It’s time everyone else started taking note.

And Dell, LED displays are the way to go, on all your models. That’d be great, thanks.

You will also get Intel GMA X3100 graphics; there is no option for a dedicated card unless you opt for another laptop. You’ll get 1GB of memory, an 80GB hard drive and the Blu-Ray/DVDRW combo drive.

Opting for the Blu-Ray drive will also shorten your battery life so plan for that accordingly.

Unless you really need a laptop with a Blu-ray drive, opt for something with better options, a better display, better graphics and a better design. There isn’t much left to redeem the Inspiron M1525.

I was able to configure the M1525 with Blu-Ray to something slightly less primitive for $1,059 but the only graphics option is the GMA X3100 and I was still stuck with the 80GB hard drive.

If you’re willing to pay a premium and I do mean a premium then just buy a XPS laptop with a Blu-Ray drive because mating a Blu-Ray drive to an Inspiron laptop still makes for an average or below average performer.

Who cares who the real patent winner is in the Alcatel-Lucent v. Microsoft fight?

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:40:00 +0000

Although these are big names, Microsoft, Alcatel-Lucent, who really cares who ultimately wins this case? It’s just one big company fighting with another big company over things most people don’t understand. Large sums of money are spent arguing over who owns the rights to what technology or a specific modification, tweak, or variation of a technology; technology that is obscure for the majority of us to understand. Unless you have advanced degrees in materials design, engineering, chemistry, or some associated degree, understanding what is “patented” is extremely difficult.

Not only that, but the cases never seem to end. Currently, Microsoft lost the multi-year court battle against Alcatel-Lucent to the tune of $367million in damages. A few days ago, a jury decided that Microsoft had infringed on two of Alcatel-Lucent’s patents, but had not infringed on two other patents. The infringed patents covered touch screen technology. Right after the verdict was announced, Microsoft stated that they would be filing an appeal. Appeals can take another 2 to 10 years depending on a variety of factors. While Microsoft can appeal the findings of the jury on the two patent issues that it lost, Alcatel-Lucent can file an appeal on the two patent issues that it lost.

Meanwhile, more and more money is being poured into the pockets of the law firms involved. Every letter, phone call, memo, conference with the other attorney, conference with the judge, request for information and documents, preparation of information and documents is costing more and more money. All of it coming from the pockets of the share holders and the consumers. The cost for these arguments is paid for by increasing the price of the products and reducing offered dividends.

As an attorney, I know how often court cases that should have been settled, continue on for the sake of “principles”. The CEO doesn’t care because it doesn’t come out of his pocket. He still gets paid his seven to eight figure income regardless of the outcome of the lawsuit. Consumers don’t care because they don’t understand what the law suit is about. Consumers also don’t realize how the lawsuits affect the cost of the items that they buy. Granted, patents can be so broad or so narrow that it is difficult to tell if the patent really does affect the technology involved in various products without a ruling one way or the other. However, the antagonistic nature of the court system does not encourage quick rulings or cooperation in making the determination. So rather than determining patent issues quickly and deciding a fair license fee, there are long drawn out battles that take years to finally reach a definitive decision. Besides the cost in time and money there is also a loss of innovation and creativity.

On March 26th, I wrote about Dr. Gertrude Neumark Rothschild’s patent battle against such giants as LG, Sony, Nokia and others. She developed crucial processes used in the manufacture of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). She is just one person fighting a lot of giants. Rather than being rightfully paid for her innovation, she is having to sue the large companies. The cost of such suits is enormous and without the seemingly endless sources of money that the large companies have, she may find that she is just not wealthy enough to continue the law suits. Besides the court costs and legal fees, there is also the loss of the clients time and resources because they are required to be in court for most of the proceedings. Then the case moves into the appeal stage after the verdict is returned regardless of which way the verdict went. So the money goes even faster with higher fees.

As you can see, patent suits are a drain on an inventors resources as well as a companies resources. Rather than cooperatively trying to figure the issues out and reduce the time, aggravation and money required, the whole case shifts into “winning” which actually is “losing”, for all of us.

Rather than jumping into the court system, there needs to be some mandatory alternate dispute process like mediation or arbitration that must be utilized first. A type of litigation that is growing in family law could also be used in patent disputes. Collaborative law requires both sides to sit down with their attorneys and work through the issues together to come to a solution. The two sides must agree that they will not litigate unless they simply cannot agree. Then the two sides must hire new attorneys(including new law firms) in order to proceed in court.

What this demands from all involved, is a focus on what truly matters. Rather than spending months or years on collecting information and documents from each other, the parties agree to freely share the documents and information necessary to reach a mutually agreeable outcome. Both sides agree to use one expert to review the information and documents. This cuts down on the time and money required to hire and depose opposing experts. It also cuts out the expert witness court fees. Since both parties, and the attorneys, are working towards a mutually agreeable solution, the parties are encouraged to work cooperatively in reaching a positive outcome for all involved. The collaborative attorneys are very motivated to avoid court since their reputations and finances will hinge achieving a good outcome. The object is less “winning” than “win-win” which reduces the cost and time necessary to end these disputes and leaves more money in company coffers. The price for new technology will cease to include the ever increasing legal fees of patent fights. Share holders will be able to receive dividends or larger dividends and consumers will pay lower prices. This would truly be a “win-win” for all involved.

Microsoft abuses Xbox 360 failure victims more than new customers

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:25:00 +0000

Microsoft has kept a relatively low profile on the Xbox 360 front since last summer when it began “rewarding” victims of the disturbingly frequent “red ring of death” failures, excluding the rather underhanded way Microsoft surreptitiously slid the whole Xbox Live outage ordeal that occurred in the months of December and January under the table. Though free Xbox Live games and embellished warranty extensions might seem like acceptable penances to most people, Microsoft is doing whatever it can to alienate its quickly diminishing number of loyal 360 owners with underhanded business practices.

For those readers who haven’t had to endure the rather painful process of getting an Xbox 360 repaired, here’s how it goes: you spend an undetermined amount of time on the phone with a customer service representative who has worked really hard to sound “American,” who is genuinely sorry for any and every problem you might have, and who will “work hard” to resolve your problems.

If you were fortunate enough to have experienced the “red ring of death,” then voila, your problems are all solved. You’ll get a box containing packing materials and stupid-proof instructions; after a few weeks of repairs, you will most likely get a “new” console back from Microsoft.

For some folks, that’s where the story ends — new console, 1 month of free Xbox Live for your inconvenience, and indefinite happy gaming. For more than a few others, it gets a bit more hairy.

Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that the “new” console Microsoft sends you, stuffed to the brim with all the newest functional hardware elements that differentiate them from the older faulty consoles, starts experiencing problems. That, in many cases, is another red ring of death — for others, their Xboxs might be eating your game discs. Regardless, it is time for another fun-filled call to the Xbox support staff.

Again, a lucky red ring of death means you receive a package from the Xbox stork — however, if you are suffering from any other problem, instead of a 3 year warranty, you’ll be working on the original warranty of your first Xbox, the one that crapped out. In other words (words that your Xbox rep will try to make seem a little less painful), when you receive your replacement Xbox, which should, by all means, be fixed in entirety and without problem, you are working on the 1 year warranty that came with your original Xbox — Microsoft won’t stand behind their replacement consoles.

At this point, customers are presented 1 single option: pay Microsoft $100 to have their consoles repaired. When asked what parts will be replaced in this very blanket $100 fee, customer service representatives as well as their supervisors can’t document the replacements that will be made. Obviously, that would be very difficult; they don’t know what needs to be fixed, so how can they tell you what is going to be replaced, right?

Not quite. Let’s make a comparison: you wouldn’t call your car dealership, tell them you’re having car problems, and have them quote you $5,000, right? Why, then, is Microsoft charging customers a blanket fee for repairs of problems that aren’t documented at the time they charge you? Beyond that, why isn’t a list of repairs sent back with each console?

In reality, Microsoft could simply be receiving consoles for “repairs,” reboxing them and sending them to their owners, no repairs made. After all, if you didn’t have a red ring, it could be user error — at the rate that red rings pop up, users could have their consoles stop functioning before they ever know Microsoft didn’t make a single repair.

Here’s the real kicker: when you send your 360 in for “broad” repairs (that can’t be listed, but can certainly be charged for), you are given a 1 year warranty — the warranty you should have received when you get a replacement console.

At the very best, some friendly supervisor might be willing to knock 25%, even 50%, off your repair costs — in the end, you’ll be paying for the assumed repair of your console without any real guarantee that you’ll get what you’re really willing to pay for: peace of mind.

French anti-piracy lawyer with Logistep banned from practice for 6 months

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:24:00 +0000

Elizabeth Martin, a French lawyer working with Swiss anti-piracy outfit Logistep has found herself banned from practicing as a lawyer for a period of 6 months.

Well, she should have seen this coming. Martin took it upon herself to demand €400 from thousands of alleged file sharers that had supposedly been infringing on the rights of Techland and its game, Call of Juarez.

According to Torrentfreak, she sent out letters warning the file sharers that should it be necessary to take them to court that the costs would be substantial. Alleged offenders were lead to believe they would be found guilty no matter what and would be responsible for their own court fees. It also stated that any decision against them could amount to "hundreds of thousands of euros."

The letter concluded with,

"If you are not able to pay the damages ordered by the court, our client will seek to gain the amount by the sale of your goods".

Sounds like a nice lady. She did not impress her peers with this behavior and has been subject to a Conseil de l'Ordre du Barreau de Paris disciplinary investigation and the subsequent decision was not in her favor.

"By choosing to reproduce aggressive foreign methods, intended to force payments, the interested party also violated [the code] which specifies that the lawyer cannot unfairly represent a situation or seriousness of threat."

Martin refused to state how many payments, if any, had been paide by alleged file sharers. The disciplinary board has suspended her from practicing law for a period of 6 months and she was banned from the National Council of the Bars and similar organizations for 10 years.

Talk about having "it" handed to you. Now, if only the United States could do something similar with Jack Thompson but he hasn’t actually done anything approaching this to anyone, yet.

Boring couple sue Google for invasion of privacy over Street View

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:07:00 +0000

As soon as Google introduced Street View, the eye level photographs section, to Google Maps, there were accusations of privacy invasions and the encroachment of civil liberties. Now, a couple from Pittsburgh is suing Google in what could end up being an important test case.

The Boring couple, Aaron and Christine Boring (as far as I’m aware, that’s their real surname), are suing Google for invasion of privacy, accusing the company of an “intentional and/or grossly reckless invasion” of their privacy because their street is “clearly marked with a ‘Private Road’ sign.”

According to The Smoking Gun, the lawsuit case was filed in Allegheny County’s Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday.

The Borings claim they bought their Oakridge Lane property in late 2006 for a considerable amount of money in the hope that the private road setting would offer them the privacy that they desired.

Unfortunately that privacy didn’t last long as Pittsburgh was added to the Street View component of Google Maps last October, and a photo of their home immediately became available to people searching online.

The Borings allege that this caused a devaluing of their property, as well as mental suffering to them personally. The couple are seeking damages in excess of $25,000 and want a court order to force Google to destroy any images of their home.

I do have some sympathy for the couple, as there is certainly a case for arguing that the Street View feature is taking people’s privacy away. However, the chances are that no-one would have ever searched for the couple home had they not filed this lawsuit.

Now, not only is the case being reported around the World Wide Web on technology, privacy and dumb news story sites, but pictures of the couple’s home are also spreading like wildfire.

The Allegheny County’s Office of Property Assessments even includes a picture of the property on its site, so maybe the Borings should be suing them at the same time.

According to CNet, Google have responded to the claim by stating there is no merit in it:

“It is unfortunate litigation was chosen to address the concern because we have visible tools, such as a YouTube video to help people learn about image removal, and an easy-to-use process to facilitate any such request.”

This should be an interesting case to watch, but in the meantime, what are the chances that the Borings are going to have to move after they get hounded by the press and public, for bringing up this lawsuit in the first place?

Oh, the irony.

Canadians finally talk network neutrality

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:21:00 +0000

Network neutrality has been a hot topic in the United States for a few years now. As the debate over telecommunications company rights versus a free and open internet rages on, other countries are being faced with the same type of issue. This time, Canada has been thrust into the debate after its telecommunications company, Bell Canada, was discovered to be throttling P2P user traffic.

In the United States, telecommunications companies such as Comcast have admitted to throttling bandwidth and acting against the best interests of the consumer. Comcast recently teamed up with BitTorrent to try and work out some of their bandwidth issues, implementing planned throttling in peak times and avoiding throttling for most users.

The throttling was particularly nefarious in Canada. Not restricted solely to P2P users, Bell Canada has been throttling users indiscriminately for some time. The throttling practices even affected legitimate sites like Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). The CBC recently started streaming their videos online, and the throttled bandwidth is seriously affecting their site’s performance.

The Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) received a letter from the National Union of Public and General Employees complaining about the issue:

“These Internet Service Providers are, with little or no public accountability, implementing measures that will discriminate against the use of legal software for legitimate uses,” said the NUPGE letter. “This is unacceptable. The potential for violations of the privacy rights of users is clear. The continued silence on these matters by the CRTC and the Canadian government violates the trust the Canadian people have placed in you.”

The throttling is affecting users and businesses in all walks of life and preventing them from conducting their business and relaxing online. The throttling maneuver and Bell Canada’s bad attitude about it have sparked protests, letters and counter campaigns like Stop The Throttler. The current situation in Canada is a perfect example of how similar anti network neutrality decisions in the States could affect the way we do business and play online.

The largest problem for Canada is the way its government has decided to throw its users to the wolves. By refusing to weigh in on the issue at all, the government could be placing its citizens at the mercy of the telecommunication companies, a position no one wants to be in.

Network Neutrality
Source

Two Wrongs Make a Wrong: Paulson vs. Bernanke (pfblogs.org)

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:36:00 +0000
Michael Shedlock submits: Before you can fix any problem, you first have to recognize a problem exists, exactly what the problem is, and who was responsible. With that in mind, let's flashback to March 5th 2008 when the Fed Admits Missteps on Banks. A top Federal Reserve official said the central bank failed to fully appreciate risks that financial institutions were taking before the recent credit problems, and it is reviewing its regulations. During a sometimes-contentious Senate hearing, Fed Vice Chairman Donald Kohn said the central bank is likely to become "more forceful" with the financial institutions it supervises. Mr. Kohn didn't explain what new actions the Fed might take, but he did warn banks to rely less on the assessments of credit-rating agencies.That's an interesting admission of guilt, and certainly the Fed is to blame. However, the Fed failed to find the root cause of this mess. It was not inaction, it is the very existence of the Fed itself. When one fail to correctly identify the problem, strange and unfortunate things happen such more unwarranted intervention and an alphabet soup of new lending facilities such as the TAF, TSLF, and PDCF. I talked about this in the Fed Uncertainty Principle and the Fed Defends The Indefensible and Big Brother Monitors Investment Activity. Tax Breaks For Homebuilders And now, before correctly ...

Why You Should Get A Hybrid Car NOW! (pfblogs.org)

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:36:00 +0000
For your consideration:Why You Should Get A Hybrid Car NOW! In looking at the way things are going with gasoline, we've come to one conclusion. We're In Trouble. We're in trouble for a bunch of reasons. Gas is difficult to refine cheaply. Oil is difficult to find. Oil is used for lots of other things besides gasoline (aspirin, plastics, etc.). Human population is ever-increasing, and there's no real end in sight. Ever see the movie Soylent Green? In that movie, overpopulation is rampant in NYC. Food is scarce due to a sharp increase in the greenhouse effect heating the planet to near dessert proportions. As a result, people are forced to eat mostly soy products, since soy is very, very easy to grow in a variety of climates. The soy products that most people eat are called Soylent Blue, Red, etc., etc. At one point, Charlton Heston (the film's star) realizes that overpopulation has gotten so bad that the "man" starts feeding people refurbished people. That is, people start being fed dead bodies rehashed and processed as something called Soylent Green. Nice. What can you do? You've got people everywhere, soaring energy prices, scant housing, horrible unemployment. ...

Bonus "on the other hand" Coverage! (pfblogs.org)

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:24:00 +0000
On the one hand with bonus "on the other hand" coverage with Gary Kaltbaum! I realize that in order to be the most successful stock guru, one has to seemlessly play both bull and bear positions, in order to "be right" down the road. I need to practice it myself. Lets start with the bull comments:Since the market's follow through day, the market continues to act constructively off its recent lows as up days have been on heavier volume while down days have been on light volume. One also has to like that leadership is indeed starting to show up.Bonus "on the other hand" coverage:Does the recent action mean things will be better in a few months? Maybe- just remember in bear markets, intermediate-term rallies do occur. I remember several during the 2000-2003 carnage. But the bottom line is that I do not look past my headlights... and that is the evidence that is NOW at hand... not the evidence that may show up later.Down the road GK will be able to claim that "This is exactly what I was talking about," no matter what happens. Pretty darn cool, huh? ...

Housing Woes Force An Impulse Buy (pfblogs.org)

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:09:00 +0000
At 7 o'clock tonight, the road was busy. Much busier than I remembered when I went by this weekend. The house was small and cramped, although it was nicely painted. Or what we could see with the flashlight seemed nice. There was no power, so some of the shades were hard to make out. It smelled of cigarette smoke, but my real estate agent was mumbling something about an ozone machine that would get the stench out. Every time a car drove past, the rumble echoed through the empty rooms, and there were a lot of cars. My girlfriend was trying to look enthused, but it was depressing, and cold, and far away from where we wanted to live."I don't think this one's going to work, Nancy," I told my real estate agent, who I had dragged out at 7 o'clock to see a place that I now realized had no potential. After a long drive in which my girlfriend tried to put a positive spin on things, I dropped her off and went to a coffee shop to think. I started to feel really bad for myself. This sucked. ...

Our First Marriage Counseling Session (pfblogs.org)

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Thu, 15 May 2008 01:34:00 +0000
Last week we attended our first session of marriage counseling, it was primarily to discuss issues that we are having regarding our finances, children , etc. During the session we were given a book and CD set called Marriage on the Rock by Jimmy Evans. He and his wife, Karen, are the hosts of MarriageToday with Jimmy & Karen, a marriage ministry and a national award-winning broadcast television program.When I glanced over the title of the book and read the highlights on the back cover, the first thought that came to my mind was, "what does this have to do with finances?". Being over 43 years old and married for many years I thought I understood everything I needed to know about my wife and how to please her and finances in marriage but, after reading this book and listening to the CD I had to admit that I really didn't have a clue.While reading the book about his previous attitude towards his wife and how he was raised made me realize that we had a lot in common. Just like him, I was raised watching my mother, grandmother and other women "serve" their husbands. So, I came into my ...

(IT) Java/J2EE Developer, Banking, E-commerce, London

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:25:00 +0000

Rate: £50k - £60k per annum + (c20% bonus) + benefits Location: City Of London

My client is a highly professional and fast growing international company, with industry leading standards in product development, infrastructure and social responsibility. The largest E-commerce site in Europe and the biggest transactional hub globally. Also, one of the most technically advanced and innovative users of technology in the world being a BETA test site for Oracle. They are looking for a dedicated, self-motivated, driven technical professional with experience working with n-tier architectures to work in a team of developers feature-enhancing a highly transactional, high availability, highly scaleable product using J2EE and other Internet technologies. The successful candidate will have exceptional technical and problem solving skills, with a positive, results driven attitude. Experience of Jboss, Spring and Jakarta Struts are desirable but not essential. A good knowledge of Linux, Windows and Oracle 9i systems are required along with Java, JSP, Servlets, JavaScript, JDBC, JMS, Tag libraries, JAAS, XML, Web Services, SQL, UML, Ant/Maven, OOS, Tomcat, Apache and IIS. Source Code Control such as CVS, Perforce or SourceSafe is essential. Fantastic opportunity to work with cutting edge technologies within a dynamic and technically advanced company.
Rate:£50k - £60k per annum + (c20% bonus) + benefitsType:PermanentLocation:City Of LondonCountry:UKContact:Gavin CrossleyAdvertiser:Huntress IT - Perm1Email:Gavin.Crossley.AA923.7B1B1@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAPReference:JSGC/JDEVGA77

Rent-Stabilzation War: Tenants Strike Back (pfblogs.org)

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:24:00 +0000
Even though the first of three Rent Guidelines Board hearings into rent increases for stabilized apartments was a little restrained, the annual battle is still getting a little chippy. Landlords are demanding their customary double-digit increases because of escalating operating costs, and while they won't get that, the range of increases proposed by the RGB is fairly high given previous years' rates. Tenants need a momentum shift, and today, they've got one. The Times' Gretchen Morgensen files a story on the recent trend of private investment firms buying up rent-stabilized buildings, which becomes an exposé on how tenants are being harassed until they leave their apartments. The developers and their investment firm partners claim they are just enforcing the rules, and that's the case in many of these situations. But of course, that's not the truth everywhere, and the Times does a bit of hammering on the "predatory equity" topic. It ain't pretty for Vantage Properties, which has been in the news about harassment before and gets the dreaded Times chart treatment (right). They've purchased 9,200 rent-regulated units in Queens and Upper Manhattan with co-investor Apollo Management in just the past two years, and in one Queens complex with 2,124 ...

What If We'd Been on the Gold Standard? (pfblogs.org)

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:12:00 +0000
James Hamilton submits: If the U.S. had decided to go back on the gold standard in 2006, where would we be today? That's a question my friend Randy Parker recently asked me. Here's how we both would answer. Many things might have been different had the U.S. decided to promise to exchange dollars for gold at the 2006 price of $600 per ounce of gold. But let's start with some of the things that wouldn't have changed. I contend that we'd be no less worried today about geopolitical events in places like Nigeria, Iraq and Iran. The phenomenal growth of the Asian economies would presumably have continued. The bad mortgage loans made prior to that time would still be on the books and still be problematic, with attendant worries about the financial soundness of many institutions. All of this would have meant an increase in the demand for gold. Equilibrium would then require an increase in the relative price of gold compared to what it had been in 2006. That is, the number of umbrellas, or cars, or chairs that people would be willing to surrender in order to obtain an ounce of gold would have gone up relative to what it had been in 2006.Complete Story » ...

Under The Radar News - Friday (pfblogs.org)

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:38:00 +0000
Too little too late. A survey of economists says forthcoming tax rebate checks will not stimulate the U.S. economy. "Consumers have gone into the bunkers," one says. "A $600 check isn't enough to turn things around. It took so much to wilt consumer confidence, that it's not going to be rebuilt real fast." They apparently aren't listening to White House top economist Ed Lazear who recently said stimulus checks will boost growth as soon as this quarter. The pessimistic bunch also reduced its second-half GDP growth estimate from a month ago. (But see below.) Retail shoppers snub recession talk. Consumer companies, led by giants like Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), Ford Motor (F) and Hasbro (HAS), are by-and-large exceeding Wall Street estimates. "Why, if it's a recession, are all the economically sensitive stocks leading the market?" Wells strategist James Paulsen asks. S&P 500 consumer constituents have topped consensus estimates by a robust 11.5%, the most of the index's 10 industry groups. Financials have trailed the index by 6.3%. Newsday doesn't discount Dolan. Newsday (the publication) says Newsday (the company) is seriously considering Cablevision's (CVC) $650M offer, despite insistence from News Corp.'s (NWS) Rupert Murdoch that he will prevail ...

Gannett Co (pfblogs.org)

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:35:00 +0000
Gannett Co., Inc. operates as a news and information company in the United States and the United Kingdom. It operates in two segments, Newspaper Publishing and Broadcasting.Gannett Co is a dividend aristocrat as well as a component in S&P 500 index. It has been increasing its dividends for the past 39 consecutive years. Over the past 10 years the company has delivered a negative average total return of 2.70 % annually to its shareholders.At the same time the company has managed to deliver a meager 2.00 % average annual increase in its EPS.The ROE has been in a steep downtrend from its 1998 highs at 25% to less than 11% in 2007. The decline in the newspaper business is the main driver behind the deterioration in fundamentals.Annual dividend payments have increased over the past 10 years by an average of 6.70% annually, which is above the growth in EPS. A 6.70% growth in dividends translates into the dividend payment doubling every eleven years. If we look at historical data, going as far back as 1985, GCI has indeed managed to double its dividend payments every eleven years. If the company does not increase its EPS over time, any ...

Rolling Over My 401K to Vanguard (pfblogs.org)

noreply@blogger.com (tom) — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:58:00 +0000
I recently left my old job for a brand new and exciting one, and as I have previously written, I am a big believer in rolling-over my 401K as soon as feasible after I leave a job. There are many reasons to roll-over a 401K into an IRA, but some of the biggest are the high-costs and limited transparency of typical 401K plans and the relatively limited investment options.Being the devoted index investor that I am, I rolled my 401K money into my traditional Vanguard IRA. The process itself was smooth and painless. First, I logged into my 401K account online. There I chose to terminate my account and to take my money in the form of a direct roll-over. Note that if you choose to withdraw your cash instead of rolling it over, you may be subject to a 10% tax penalty, and to an immediate 20% withholding. ADP - my now former 401K plan provider - asked me to enter the name of the institution into which I will be rolling over my account, and presto - a week later a check arrived in the mail made out to Vanguard, for the benefit of your humble blogger.This morning ...