Archive for November 12th, 2008
“An archiving error by NASA has meant 173 data tapes have sat in Perth for nearly 40 years, holding information about lunar dust that could be vital in expanding science’s understanding of the moon. But after almost four decades, a donation from a Sydney computer society looks set to breathe fresh life into a long-neglected field of lunar science. … These were the only active measurements of moon dust made during the Apollo missions, and no-one thought it was important. … Mr Holmes has kept the tapes in a climate-controlled room since then, and it was only when he stumbled upon a 1960s IBM729 Mark 5 tape drive at the Australian Personal Museum that his company had the ability to unlock the information.”
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Filed under: Products and services, Competitive strategy, Google (GOOG), Apple Inc (AAPL)
 T-Mobile’s G1 mobile phone — with its Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) powered — may have a bill of materials that’s about 10% cheaper than Apple, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone 3G, according to research firm iSuppli. No wonder it retails for only $179 with a two-year contract while the 8GB iPhone 3G sells for $199 with the same two-year contract.
Part of the difference may be in the memory of both units. While the iPhone 3G comes with 8GB of memory already installed, the T-Mobile G1 comes with a paltry 1GB memory card, which of course can be upgraded unlike the iPhone’s memory capacity. The cost breakdowns: $144 for the G1 and $160 for the iPhone 3G. Even with the price break of a meaningless $20, can the G1 ever hope to compete with the iPhone’s sales numbers?
Doubtful, at least in its current configuration. Apple’s iPhone 3G surpassed the Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) RAZR to become the best-selling handset in the U.S. in this year’s third quarter. The G1 is just now hitting the market as of late October. With the prices of the two units within $20 of each other, and with the iPhone’s big lead in being on the market, the G1 won’t make much headway against iPhone sales. 2009 - and a second-generation G1 - could see renewed interest in T-Mobile’s offering. Right now, it’s all Apple.
Google’s G1 phone cheaper to make than the Apple iPhone originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted by: in Housing
Filed under: Amer Intl Group (AIG), Politics, Housing, Recession, Financial Crisis
 With apologies to actor William Shatner, How big could the bailout of AIG get? Really big.
The U.S. government — which is all of us, citizens and taxpayers — may have to increase its investment in American International Group (NYSE: AIG) by still another $70-80 billion to keep the insurer solvent through the end of 2009.
Just call it USG-AIG
AIG, which reported $43 billion in losses tied to home mortgages in the past quarter, “will probably not function properly if it doesn’t receive another cash infusion by September 2009,” economist David H. Wang told BloggingStocks Tuesday. Wang based his forecast on his projection for cashed-in credit default swaps stemming from home mortgage defaults.
AIG is a major issuer of credit default swaps, actually a type of credit default insurance, which many holders of mortgage backed securities and bonds bought to hedge against bond issuer defaults.
“If we project a rise in home mortgage defaults through Q2 2009, that will likely take credit default claims to levels that will require more money for AIG in late 2009,” Wang stated, even though he qualified his projection by stating that it is contingent on negative U.S. GDP for Q1/Q2 2009. A U.S. economic recovery in Q2 2009 is possible, but not likely, Wang said.
AIG’s shares fell 15 cents to $2.14 on Tuesday at mid-day, amid a broader market sell-off.
Continue reading How much more for AIG?!
How much more for AIG?! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted by: admin in Today News
2009’s Most Fuel-Efficient Cars - Forbes
Gas prices are still well above $2 a gallon across most of the country and, with the economy hurting , fuel efficiency should be a determining factor for any automobile buyer. It’s only natural that consumers would first think about Japanese automobiles, with their
Low on cash, DIYers go handmade for the holidays - San Diego Union-Tribune
CHICAGO – Since high school, Arielle Napier has occasionally made items like a bed-sized quilt or belts as Christmas presents for friends. This year, staring down a bleaker-than-ever economy, the 27-year-old is forgoing store-bought gifts entirely
Hungry for a Deal? Children Eat Free at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge - MSN MoneyCentral
- Families can receive up to $30 a day in dining vouchers per child for a three-day/night Colorado and Lake Tahoe ski vacation - In addition to great deals, Vail Resorts serves up Good Food - natural meat and organic dairy - through its Appetite For
‘Evidence’ of murders at children’s home on Jersey dismissed - Times Online
The £4.5 million inquiry into child abuse on Jersey was described as a shambles last night as a police chief was suspended for his role in a discredited murder investigation. Graham Power, the most senior officer on the island, was suspended after
Raid left teen ’scarred for life - Dubuque Telegraph Herald
Six months after the immigration raid in Postville, business has slowed as established families have left town and newcomers either have not stayed long or have yet to put down roots in the community. Juan Figueroa has watched his cafe and grocery
Ten jobs that pay $80,000 a year - CNN
Who hasn’t looked at his or her paycheck and imagined how much superior life would be with a lot more numbers after that dollar sign? Inevitably, a wise soul — usually a parent — tells you that no amount of money will solve your problems. Of course
Closing Bell: Carnage and mayhem, day 6; AXP, NAT, MELI, OWW, LVS - Bloggingstocks.com
This day was another one of those days where one could feel like the Duke Brothers from Trading Places. It was just another down day, yet the pain seemed to capture everything and everyone. The reasons markets are hurting are all the same as they’ve
Gaming and Culture - CNET News
The inside of the ‘Wrath of the Lich King’ retail box teases players with a challenge. The expansion to the hugely popular ‘World of Warcraft’ goes on sale tonight at midnight. (Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com) For World of Warcraft players who
Wright Group/McGraw-Hill’s UCSMP Transition Mathematics and UCSMP - MSN MoneyCentral
CHICAGO , Nov. 12 /PRNewswire/ — The Kentucky Department of Education has selected UCSMP Transition Mathematics and UCSMP Algebra, published by Wright Group/McGraw-Hill, for its state math adoption. The secondary school programs correlate with state
Day in The Life of a Military Working Dog Handler - Newsblaze.com
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq - Many Soldiers work outside of their military occupational specialties when they deploy to Iraq; but for some who do not, it’s a dog’s life - or something very close to it. Although a dog’s life is associated
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xyz writes “European Southern Observatory’s Very Big Telescope has captured the deepest ground based U-band image of the universe yet. The image contains more than 27 million pixels and is the result of 55 hours of observations with the VIMOS instrument. ‘Galaxies were detected that are a billion times fainter than the unaided eye can see and over a range of colours not directly observable by the eye. This deep image has been essential to the discovery of a big number of new galaxies that are so far away that they’re seen as they were when the Universe was only 2 billion years old.’”
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Posted by: in Politics News
narcberry writes “After complaints of one-sided reporting, the Washington Post checked their own articles and concurred. Obama was clearly favored, throughout his campaign, in terms of more favorable articles, less criticism, superior page real-estate, more pictures, and total disregard for problems such as his drug use. ‘Stories and photos about Obama in the news pages outnumbered those devoted to McCain. Reporters, photographers and editors found the candidacy of Obama, the first African American major-party nominee, more newsworthy and historic. Journalists love the new; McCain, 25 years older than Obama, was already well known and had more scars from his longer career in politics. The number of Obama stories since Nov. 11 was 946, compared with McCain’s 786. Both had hard-fought primary campaigns, but Obama’s battle with Hillary Rodham Clinton was longer, and the numbers reflect that. McCain clinched the GOP nomination on March 4, three months before Obama won his. From June 4 to Election Day, the tally was Obama, 626 stories, and McCain, 584. Obama was on the front page 176 times, McCain, 144 times; 41 stories featured both.’”
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Filed under: Products and services, Apple Inc (AAPL), Dell (DELL)
 If you’re seeking out a new Computer for your own holiday gift or for someone near and dear, some research says you’re probably looking at Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) or Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) to fill your need. ChangeWave stated yesterday that two-thirds of those looking to buy a laptop Computer this holiday season have visions of Steve Jobs or Michael Dell dancing in their heads. Interesting, since Hewlett-Packard Corp. (NYSE: HPQ) outsells both of them by a massive stretch in the U.S. market.
I’m not sure where ChangeWave conducted its survey (perhaps college campuses?), but it revealed that 33% of the 3,699 respondents said they would be buying an Apple Mac if they would be buying in the next 90 days, while the same amount — 33% — indicated a Dell laptop buy was on the radar this season.
Since the consumer market is the one keeping Personal computer makers in business (as businesses have stopped nearly all PC purchasing), it’s just incredible that HP and even Personal computer makers like Sony, Toshiba and Acer weren’t mentioned in this research. Regardless, it’s good for Apple. The company has continued to defy expectations by selling higher-priced laptops at an increasing rate each quarter throughout 2008.
Apple and Dell Personal computers at the top of holiday shopper lists originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted by: admin in Today News
Your Money, Your Life, Your Decision: Mortgages and the Housing Market - WCTV
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Posted by: in Housing
Filed under: Forecasts, Bad news, Consumer experience, Market matters, Money and Finance This day, Economic data, Housing, Recession, Financial Crisis
 As home prices continue to weaken, more and more homeowners are facing the real possibility that their homes will wind up “underwater” before the market starts to rebound. Of all the areas in the country that are facing tough times, the worst of times are being felt in the California city of Mountain House.
So what exactly does it mean to have your home underwater? Simply put, a mortgage goes underwater when the balance a homeowner owes on his home is more than the home is worth.
Just how bad has the situation gotten in Mountain House? The figures are staggering. According to figures released yesterday, roughly 90% of all homeowners in Mountain Home are now facing mortgages that are underwater. Nine out of every 10 homeowners woke up this morning facing the fact that their home values have been in free fall and there’s tiny that they have the ability to do to correct the current situation.
Continue reading Falling home prices hit one California town hard
Falling home prices hit one California town hard originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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CryoStasis writes “I am a graduate student getting my degree in biomedical sciences. Because my work often requires me to maintain a local sterile environment (under a biological hood) I find that I’m unable to physically touch my computer, which sits beside me, in order to open my notes, protocols, etc. while I’m working. As a result, I’ve begun to search for a voice-recognition program that will allow me to tell the computer what files/programs to launch. I know that the general field of voice recognition has come a long way, but I find that the built-in speech recognition systems in both OS X and Vista are clunky and difficult to use. Are there any good, cross-platform speech-recognition programs available that might fit the bill?”
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