Space Battles!

I've always been a bit of a geek. Okay a complete geek, so when I stumble across an article like this, I nearly crap myself. Well its not that great but the article describes the viability of space combat and is a very stimulating read. Check it out here:

Physics of Space Battles.

Visual Search

Google has come up with a new app, Google Goggles. The program, usable on Android powered devices, uses a picture to make a web search. This idea has just blown my mind! I had never really imagined something like this but, now that Google has demonstrated the idea in a Youtube video, I can't imagine our web-centric world evolving without it. The most intriguing part is using the camera to capture video, with web info being overlaid on the video. Want to know about the restaurant at the end of the street? Point your phone at it, get instant info about the menu, hours, service etc. This will, hopefully, be the future of how information in the world flows. With live updates, via twitter like services, being streamed right over the top of the video on the phone. The future keeps looking brighter.

Tablet Media

Tablet computers really get me excited. I can't wait for a full featured tablet computer. The biggest thing I'm excited for is the advancement of media delivery. I still subscribe to many magazines, and while having a physical booklet in my had is enjoyable, it is impractical. Magazines can't deliver news at a fast pace and the cost structure is prohibitive for companies producing them.

Enter the tablet computer solution. And this is how I think it should work; just like Time Inc's interpretation.

Holiday Wishes!

Google is sending out one free holiday postcard for you. They will mail one postcard to anyone in the U.S. for the holidays. I'm not sure how long this promotion is going to go on, but you can check it out here.

Google Holiday Postcards.

Gadget Buyer's Guide!

What is the best decision making engine? Correct! Its flow charts!

Here is a fun flow chart for deciding if you need that new piece of tech, a little late for Black Friday, but still helpful.

The Ultimate Gadget Decision Flowchart.

Intel Pays AMD 1.25 Billion Dollars.

Intel has been facing a lot of anti-trust lawsuits recently. This is nothing new for the boys in blue, they have been facing legal battles for quite some time.

Here is a brief history of Intel's legal woes from CNBC. (http://www.cnbc.com/id/33896864/for/cnbc/)

_ 1976: The companies sign their first cross-licensing agreement.

_ 1982: Intel wins a contract to supply IBM Corp. with microprocessors for its line of personal computers, and renews the cross-licensing deal with AMD to serve as an alternative supplier to IBM.

_ 1987: AMD accuses Intel of breaking the contract and files legal papers to begin arbitration. Years of legal disputes follow.

_ 1990: Intel files a copyright infringement lawsuit against AMD over technology in one of its chips.

_ 1991: AMD files antitrust lawsuit against Intel. Intel files separate copyright infringement lawsuit against AMD over another one of its chips.

_ 1992: AMD files "tortious interference" lawsuit against Intel over licensing practices.

_ 1993: Intel sues AMD over alleged copyright infringement in another AMD processor.

_ 1995: AMD and Intel settle all litigation between them. Intel gets $58 million, while AMD gets $18 million.

_ 1997: Intel sues AMD and another company alleging trademark infringement. The companies settle later that year.

_ 2000: AMD files a complaint with the European Commission accusing Intel of abusing its dominant market position.

_ 2005: Japan's Fair Trade Commission finds that Intel violated antitrust rules there, a ruling Intel eventually accepts without admitting wrongdoing. AMD files antitrust lawsuit against Intel in Delaware federal court.

_ 2008: Regulators in Korea fine Intel $18.6 million, a ruling Intel is appealing. U.S. Federal Trade Commission opens formal probe of Intel's behavior.

_ 2009: European regulators fine Intel a record $1.45 billion, a fine Intel pays but is appealing. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo files a federal lawsuit against Intel. Intel warns AMD that the spinoff of its manufacturing division violates the companies' cross-license agreement. The companies settle Thursday, with Intel agreeing to pay AMD $1.25 billion and the companies entering into new, five-year cross-licensing deal.


AMD has been taking drastic measures to stay solvent. The company recently spun off its chip-printing foundries, and has tried to restructure debt. This large windfall can be used to help set AMD on the right path.

This is a large pill to swallow for Intel, which has been paying huge fines all over the world as of late. But this is largely good news for consumers, because AMD represents one of the few threats left to Intel. AMD has pushed the technology envelope for years. Forcing Intel to play catch up.

Intel isn't a slouch but without competition a market stagnates. Intel has shown great business tactics, nearly forcing competition out of business (which is the goal of business, sadly what is good for business is usually bad for consumers). But AMD designing chips is good news. Hopefully we can see increased competition.

You just have to look at Google forcing Microsoft to rethink its online strategy to see that competition forces new ideas to market.

Google Debuts Its OS

So Google really means to attack Microsoft, and to a lesser extent Apple, on its home turf, operating systems. Google's new Chrome OS is a lightweight, intenet enhanced, operating system based on cloud computing.

And it looks amazing. I wouldn't consider Chrome OS as my one and only operating system but I could use this program on a small 13 inch laptop with a decent processor, discreet graphics, and a lot of peripheral ports for sub 500.

Here are some videos and indepth articles on the new OS.





Engadget on Chrome OS.

Gizmodo on Chrome OS.

Some Cool Stories.

Human genome mapping may solve a lot of your sicknesses.

Genome Mapping.

A digital tattoo? Thats what this touch screen implant promises. Oh and it is powered by blood. I think I would get one.

Touchscreen implant.

One of the interesting proposals for the London skyline is a cloud. I'm not sure how this structure would work, but it looks cool. The concept is eco-friendly and information centered.

London Cloud.

Google looks like Microsoft.

Google has a large lead in search market share, much like Microsoft has a large lead in operating system market share. Both have competitive advantages in their field. The biggest difference? Microsoft has been sued, and lost, for anti-trust violations. Now Google is under the microscope.

Google has a large influence on the way people find and use information on the Internet. This control over web portals isn't forcibly applied, people are free to use another search engine, but the competitive advantage is all too real. Google can arrange website results anyway it sees fit, and can charge advertisers what ever it deems fit. This power over Internet search can build and destroy businesses.

Author Ken Auletta posits that Google is different from Microsoft in that Google doesn't actively seek out and destroy competition the way Microsoft did. He believes Google innovates for the love of innovating. Creating new products and services because they would be interesting and helpful for people.

I disagree. Everything Google does is an attempt to drive revenue. Google does these things in rather round about ways but it always comes down to one thing, connecting to the web and specifically through Google's web portals. Google develops products to get consumers online and in front of advertisement. Simple as that. It will drive other companies out of the way. Look at the drop in Garmin's stock the day Google announced a free turn by turn navigation system on its Android phone operating system. Garmin was down nearly 18% in one day. This is the power Google has and Google knows it.



Garmin Drops

P.S. I'll be looking into the anti-trust suit filed by Andrew Cuomo against Intel soon.

To Complicated!

That is what the inventor of cell-phones believes his creation has become. To much stuff, texting, web surfing, picture, email, navigation, etc. all of that shouldn't be on your phone. This is proof that as we age, we get more and more stubborn that, "Things should be like the good old days!"

Martin Cooper, the lead engineer of the Motorola team that designed the first cell phone has said, "Whenever you create a universal device that does all things for all people, it does not do any things well. Our future, I think, is a number of specialist devices that focus on one thing that will improve our lives."

I wouldn't be too quick to jump the gun there Mr. Cooper. Cellphones that eliminate the need for multiple devices actually do improve our lives. And maybe they wont replace dedicated devices, such as cameras or computers, but they will allow us to do many of those devices' functions reasonably well. This eliminates the need to lug all those devices with us, thus improving our lives.

The older we get, the crankier we get.

Tablet Computers

Microsoft had a huge push for tablet computers in the early part of this decade. It even released a dedicated version of Windows XP for tablet computers. But the idea was a head of its time. Computer hardware was still to big and bulky but, most importantly, the Internet wasn't ready. Wi-Fi and high speed Internet access wasn't widely available. Now decent Internet access can be had over even telecom networks.

It is time for the tablet computer. A full featured, cloud based, computer that has a touch screen interface. Mobile phones are starting to become fully featured computers, but still lack the resources a tablet computer could provide.

Enter the Microsoft Courier. Only a rumor and one the CEO of Microsoft denies any knowledge of. But this should be the future of cheap easy to use computers.

Microsoft Courier.

Google over the (very short) ages.

Google started little more then a decade ago. Now the company is worth over $150 billion. Organizing the web has changed the way we view the Internet and the way we receive services and use applications. Google has been the leading force in search engines for a long time now. This video gives a fun, albeit brief, history of Google. The web will never be the same.

Optogenetics

Rat brains run on light? Hmm... this could be good.

Optogenetics is a relatively new field of study devoted to repairing ailments in the brain with light. By using fiber-optic cables connected to the affected areas of the brain, researchers have been able to restore movement in mice with Parkinson's disease. But perhaps the most interesting idea is the possibility of two way communication between computers and the animal with the implants. Wired has the full article.

Wired: Optogenetics.

Rams new owner?

NFL team the St. Louis Rams might have new owners. But Rush Limbaugh isn't going to be one. Lets see, someone know for racist comments bidding on a team where a lot of African Americans play (on a "field" no less), how will this end well?

Apparently it didn't: Limbaugh is out.

New Stadium for the Vikings

I hope the Vikings can get their new stadium resolution through state legislation. The proposed stadium looks amazing and the plan calls for renovating the entire neighborhood. Take a look at the drawings here and take a jump in the link to the website promoting the new stadium.

New Stadium Movement.

Hump Day.

I hate Wednesdays. And, after attending Monday Night Football at the Metrodome in MN for the Packers vs. Vikings, going back to work is so arduous.

What a game at the Dome though. I've been a Vikings fan for as long as I can remember and this years team is the best I've ever seen. Anyway, I have a lot of blog ideas but little ambition right now. Sorry about that, it will get better. I just need to finish up another one of my accounting courses and I'll be back in the game. Have a great week everyone.

Rotten Apple.

It is no secret that I hate Apple Inc. The company treats its customers like crap and has trouble playing well with others. Apple also exploits the less informed user, with needless software installs and updates.

Apple also charges an insane amount for their hardware. Admititly Apple is dropping some prices, but they are still redicously high. And my favorite piece of Apple hubris; Apple charged an arm and a leg for 4GB of RAM when its operating system could only handle 3GB. Uninformed users where left to assume Apple was providing a product that was top quality when, in reality, Apple was spoon feeding them bullshit.

Now here is a technical article about Apple shoving unwanted software down users throats. Enjoy your machine Apple consumer.

Rotten, rotten Apple.

Zipcar

Would you share your vehicle with others? Well I wouldn't but that's because I love cars and think of them as a very personal expression. But for someone that lives in a very developed urban area, a car might not be needed 90% of the time.

And vehicles are expensive to maintain and use. There would be many advantages to only renting a car when its needed, but renting cars is often a very expensive and exhausting process. Enter Zipcar.

Zipcar is a sort of social car ownership company. Cars are used on an hourly basis, reserved online or with a cellphone. A membership fee is charged but, compared to the cost of car ownership, it is minimal. I think its a great idea, and one that could revolutionize car ownership in urban areas. Check out Zipcar for yourself.

Zipcar

Hit the Wave

After its introduction awhile back, Google Wave has been largely off the map. But tomorrow more then 100,000 invites go live and users can begin giving feedback to Google. Lets hope this means Wave is about ready for prime-time.



As a bonus here are some things users think Google could fix.

Speed.

I hear people complain a decent amount about the loss of service in the modern world. But I'm not sure I completely agree.

Yes often times service is lacking at stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, McDonald's, Taco Bell, etc. These places often have high employee turnovers and most workers are not overly concerned with your store experience. But at the same time you can order enough food to feed an entire family in under 5 minutes or pick up enough groceries and house goods to last a month in one trip to the supermarket.

We have traded personal experience, people smiling and being helpful, for speed and convenience. People have started to feel very entitled. That is my opinion. People who go to a big box retailer and expect some high school kid to fall all over himself to help them pick out a crappy toy for their annoying kid upset me. Especially since that employee is probably making minimum wage.

Maybe if shoppers had a different mindset, their experience would be better. If great service wasn't expected, and indeed demanded, maybe employees would be more willing to help.

Ford's New Big Truck

Ford has announced it's new Super Duty pickup truck. And it is a monster. The grill is a little overpowering but I like the huge Ford logo. The truck has many high tech features and is built around the idea of being a true work truck.

Ford has long been a leader in the truck market and is looking to expand its lead with the new Super Duty. Ford has put a lot of work into the new 6.7L diesel engine, along with a gas 6.2L V8. I link the info, you can catch up after the jump.

I'm rather positive I'll never need a truck of this size or capability, but I still like to read about them. I seem to be strangely enamored by excess. This truck seems to be bringing together a wide range of capabilities, allowing owners to do new and productive things. Trucks are becoming much more then large towing machines.

New Super Duty.

New 6.7L diesel.

Greatest Stock Index Ever?

Puma has a plan to keep you happy if your stocks are down. Take a look at the greatest stock index ever.

Ford's CEO Alan Mulally to headline the next CES

Alan Mulally is set to be the opening keynote speaker at this years Consumer Electronics Show. An automaker executive keynoting at CES?

Yes. And I am excited to hear what Mr. Mulally has to say. Ford has been making great investments into technology. From green tech to consumer oriented Sync systems, Ford is becoming a technology leader in the car market. Mulally is largely credited with the turnaround at Ford. The automaker was the only American car producer not to enter bankruptcy or accept Government aid.

Mulally has put a focus on becoming a more efficient, cohesive car company and is so far pulling away form the domestic competition and even breaking even with the Japanese imports. It will be interesting to see where Mulally believes technology in automobiles is headed.

Ford's Sync tech.

Ford's Mulally at CES.

Quick Update.

My friend Erik has started a blog, and one of his recurring themes will be NFL picks, he has asked me to give it a shot along with him. So I'll be posting a comment response to his blog posts with my own picks.

Erik is a big NFL buff so I wont feel too bad if I loose by season end. You can catch his blog here: Erik's Blog.

Sorry about the lack of posts.

Well a good friend of mine was married yesterday. Congratulations to him.

Now I should have a little more free time. I've been running around a lot lately, so it will be nice to have things calming down again.

Some news:

Microsoft may be planning a phone for 2010, to be announced at CES.
Microsoft's project pink.

Jay Leno has a new prime time show. Jay is an avid collector of cars and has brought his love for automobiles with him. The car he picked to be in his show? The Ford Focus EV for electric vehicle.
Leno's Focus EV

The Zune HD seems to be selling out all across cyberspace. Microsoft has put together an amazing device and I would buy it, if only it was a phone. (see story one)
Zune HD selling out.

New Google Chrome release.

Google announced it would enter the browser war a little over a year ago. I was one of the earliest adapters. I downloaded the new Google browser the day it was released, needless to say I never looked back to Firefox (I haven't used Internet Explorer for years).

Now I have a disclaimer on today's post. It is largely an opinion piece. So here goes.

Google has become much more then a search engine in recent years. I hadn't noticed until about two years ago, when I started using Gmail, that Google had much bigger ambitions then paid search results. Google's wide range of online hosted applications is focused on keeping users away from their regular desktop software (usually Microsoft's ubiquitous Windows) and in "the cloud". The cloud is just information stored somewhere other then your computer and easily accessible on the Internet.

Google has gained some attention, most notably from Microsoft. This competition will become one of the hardest fought battles in the software space. Microsoft's most profitable businesses are becoming less and less essential due to Google's offerings. Microsoft has taken notice and is shifting effort to stop Google's pesky attacks. And Microsoft has crushed past competitors. But this story just might end differently. Google has a strong brand name on the Internet and is leveraging that beautifully. Microsoft has struggled to gain minimal success on the Internet, and is pouring money down a seemingly endless pit in an attempt to gain traction.

Google now announced it will enter the operating system space, which is home turf for Microsoft. Microsoft's Windows operating system is on 95% of all personal computers, a moat so wide as to be almost impassable. Still Google will try because it makes money when you are on the Internet, and it wants as few barriers to the web as possible.

Now I'm a fan of both companies. And this competition is good for consumers. Microsoft hasn't had much to worry about for years, now with Google offering many services that can replace Microsoft's for free, Microsoft has had to change its product plans. Recently announced is Microsoft's free version of Office Online, this is to compete with Google Docs. Anyone who thinks Microsoft would have offered a free version of their software, without Google's competition, is crazy. This will be a interesting competition to watch.

On one last note, Google has released a new version of Chrome today. You can find the information here: Google Chrome 3.0

Football!

Hello dear readers, it is that time of year again. Football season. I'm excited to watch my favorite teams fight for playoff spots over the next 16 weeks. But one thing I noticed this year was the revamp of the NFL website.

The NFL has taken a lot of time to gain traction over alternative media distribution for its main content, football games. Letting broadcasters bid on the rights to air football games has been lucrative for most of the NFL's history, but the Internet has changed that. Real-time game updates over the Internet have made watching the games less essential. The NFL has had to look to alternative forms of media distribution.

The Internet is, I believe, a great platform for alternative media distribution of sporting events. Streaming live football games would be very bandwidth intensive but radio broadcast over the Internet coupled with live drive-chart updates makes a viable alternative to someone who can't watch a game. Subscriptions could be charged, advertisement could be displayed, etc. but basically the NFL is looking into new ways to monetize its content and is heading in the right direction. Take a look at the new media rich website.

NFL.com

Health Care.

Is it easy to agree with Allan Sloan or what?

In my most recent issue of Fortune magazine Allan has an opinion piece about the health care debate. One of Allan's key assertations is that health care is not a free market. Allan makes the comment with certainty, as he should.

I hear, during debates, that a free market will equalize costs and competition will help consumers. But there is no free market. Consumers are hard pressed for choices in health care. If you have a medical emergency, you don't pick the hospital with the lowest admission costs, you pick the hospital that is closest to you. Your insurer negotiates costs and often treatments, by threatening not to pay the health care provider.

This brings up the fundamental question, do we Americans have a right to health care? People often scream socialism if you bring up the topic of universal health care. Another favorite point is that the Constitution doesn't mention free health care for everyone. I believe we have a fundamental right to health care and I didn't come to this conclusion easily.

I'm a conservative by practicality, and a liberal in belief. I wish many of the pure ideals of liberalism where executable in real life, but many simply are not. I hope, as a country, we find a way to provide health care to all citizens. We spend too much on health benefits already. Health care in Australia is universal and in 2005 health care spending made up 8.8% of GDP. In the U.S.A. we spend approximately 15.3% of our GDP on health care and care is not universal.

Clearly something is wrong, and we need to fix it.

Allan Sloan on health care.

Greed.

Greed is a strange thing. It makes people act in strange ways. I present to you a case study.

How would you feel about receiving $25,000? I'd feel pretty good. And John Schnatter, Papa John from Papa John's Pizza, gave that to a couple from Indiana named the Soalnes. Schnatter was running a promotion to find his old Camaro. He offered the owner of the Camaro $250,000 and the Soalnes owned the car before selling it to Jeff Robinson. The Soalnes helped Schnatter get in contact with Robinson. Schnatter gave $25,000 to the Soalnes for their help. And now the Soalnes want more then that little sum. The Soalnes are threatening to file a lawsuit.

Sometimes I don't understand why people can't be happy with the good fortune the receive. Sure $250,000 would have been much nicer then $25,000 but to sue because you where given free money, just not enough of it, seems disgusting. Now it is easy for me to say this, I'm not out almost a quarter of a million dollars because I didn't hang onto a Camaro for a few extra years.

I just ask that everyone take some time to appreciate what we receive in life. It is over too fast.

Papa John gets sued.

Laptops are great!

Wow. I wish I'd bought a laptop sooner. These things are great.

I'm still setting my new computer up and getting all the updates. But I'm already excited to start posting new and expanded content to my blog. I'm more personal news, I received my new accounting class homework.

I hope everyones week is going well.

Comp. problems

Well I have been fighting to keep my current computer alive without reformating it. I haven't been posting because most of my effort on this computer is spent keeping it running.

But that will change soon, because I'm getting my new laptop this Friday. Hopefully I'll be posting more regularly then. Have a great week everyone.

How do some people do it?

Computers can be extremely frustrating. And with little in-depth experience with them, it can be easy to mess things up.

How some people don't blow up their computers is beyond me. Maybe they don't attempt the same complex tasks that I do, but many day to day activities can easily mess up a computer. Hopefully most people have someone helpful to contact in the case of computer error.

If they don't many times people have to turn to insanely over priced services like the Geek Squad. Poor people (literally and figuratively).

Allan Sloan makes a great point.

In a recent issue of Fortune Magazine Allan Sloan takes on the topic of Social Security. The article is a great read, and Allan uses himself as an example. Social Security is intended to be a small safety net. It has become, for many people, the only source of income in retirement.

Allan explains that Social Security will need a large bailout soon, even with Social Security running cash flow positive. The money Social Security takes in, it "invests" in U.S. Treasury Bonds. But thats great! U.S. Bonds are among the safest investments in the world.

Well it doesn't quite work that way. When Social Security buys treasury bonds, it is essentially handed an I.O.U. by the Treasury. The Government is funding its operations with Social Security's surplus money. This is a big problem.

When Social Security goes into the red (spends more money then it takes in), it will redeem some of those Treasury bonds. But the Treasury doesn't sit on a huge pile of cash to just hand out when bonds are due, the Treasury sells new bonds. These new bonds will have to be sold at public auction, increasing our national debt. Something investors the world over take very seriously.

Allan presents some solutions at the end of his article and I recommend everyone read it. Social Security is becoming too big. We need to wind it down and set up programs that help people achieve independence in retirement.

The next great bailout: Social Security

Cool phone.

How I wish this wasn't a concept phone.



The Window Phone has weather effects in its UI. It looks simply amazing. Sadly I don't see how a phone like this will be possible in my lifetime. There is no power source or viewable circuitry. Still it is nice to dream.

Window Phone.

Yay Monday.

I've never really liked Monday. Starting an entire new week seems like such a task.

Well I've been visiting family today and just sat down to the computer to catch up on my RSS feeds. Lets see if I can find something interesting to blog about...

Okay, nothing really jumped at me. But one story did catch my eye. The iPhone 3GS was the best selling phone in Japan for the month of July. This is surprising because Japanese phones have been light years ahead of American phones for some time now. The iPhone is also missing some features that seem very basic to the Japanese consumer, perhaps Apple has made a phone that is just too cool to ignore, in any culture.

Now I'm trying to get back into updating daily during the business week. Forgive me if it takes some time to get rolling again. I'm still planning on starting a web show, I just want a decent webcam before I try. Hope everyone has a great week.

iPhone is best selling phone in Japan for July.

Google killing competition?

What would be the best online advertisement possibility for anyone out there? First on any Google search result might just do the trick.

A competitive advantage gives one company an upper hand when competing against others. In online advertising nothing beats results that top the list on Google. Sure Microsoft and Yahoo! are now partners but they still control less then a fifth of total search results (some sources sight Google as having less web search share but none, that I've found, believe Google is under 60%).

Now Google is in the market of software production. And people are starting to notice. College kids are writing papers with Google Docs, people are making purchases with Google Checkout, people print directions with Google Maps and millions are uploading video to Youtube every day.

How did these Google programs become so popular? Because Google can simply add them to the top of their search result lists. This is a huge competitive advantage. Google Maps was hardly used when it was first introduced, since Google has included it at the top of results when you search "Maps" it has become the most popular map site on the net.

What is the problem? Well I believe Google can include whatever results it desires on its search engine, so when they choose to include their products ahead of the competition, more power to them.

The problem takes a little more critical thinking. If Google starts making products that compete with other companies, and Google puts it's products at the top of search results, what is the incentive for companies to bid on paid search results? Most of Google's products are free and ad supported. But if Google starts competing with companies that would have otherwise bid on ad space, Google starts creating a little less revenue. I don't believe that this will stop the $22 billion ad giant but the idea of Google offering products that have, at least some, negative impact on revenue is interesting. Especially because Google's products are ad supported.

Here is an interesting article debating how Google is looking more and more like Microsoft from the early 1990s.
New Google is the old Microsoft.

Zune HD details abound

Well the cat is out of the bag, Microsoft's Zune HD details have been confirmed. Pre-orders are being taken. And sadly no phone calls can be made from the device.

Take a look at this cool hands on preview of the Zune HD and hit the link for all the details. I might just end up buying one even if it isn't a phone. Yeah it looks that cool.



Zune HD details

Google a good roommate?

I came across a funny Youtube show about Google moving in as a roommate. The show has some clever humor on how Google uses a lot of our personal information.

This got me thinking about how much of our lives are now public knowledge. Not only as data points on an anonymous data bank but as pictures, stories, videos, etc. on Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, Orkut, Myspace, Twitter, and many other social network sites. What does this mean? Is an online social movement good news or bad?

More of our lives are available to more and more people. I don't believe this is inherently bad. More connections in different social networks can help us live more productive lives. But the information is also available to strangers. Information can be used for good or bad, hopefully the good situations from online networking outweigh the bad.

I'm still alive.

Well it has been some time since I've posted regularly on the blog. One of my close relatives recently passed away. She will be loved and missed.

But now I'm trying to be back to posting news updates during the week.... Starting tomorrow. I'm also toying with the idea of starting a web show again. I will be finishing my accounting course tomorrow as well. This will free up a lot of my time. At least until my next course starts. Hope everyone has had a great two weeks. I'm looking forward to starting up posts again.

Business in the cloud.

Productivity software is a big deal. Microsoft makes billions each year from its office division. Businesses need access to all kinds of information. Software makes sharing information easy and, most importantly, fast. Email a document over to a co-worker, set up a power-point presentation, print out fliers, etc. Getting information from person to person is big business.

The easiest way, that I can think of, to share information is to upload it to the cloud. The cloud is, very basically, the Internet. Documents, presentations, emails, spreadsheets, all of it hosted online. As long as you have Internet access you can get to all the collaborative projects you could be working on. This has many advantages over saving information on a local hard-drive. Work is more efficient, no more looking for the latest revision to a document, it is saved in the cloud.

Google has been offering cloud computing for some time now and their offerings keep getting better and better. Now Google is making an effort to lure businesses from the traditional Microsoft set up and get them in the cloud. I believe that cloud computing is the future of the way people do business. The need for centralized headquarters will be diminished and workers will be able to collaborate from across the globe.

And with Google entering Microsoft's most profitable arena, Microsoft has announced some changes to business as usual. For starters Microsoft will be hosting free online applications of its popular Office suite. I hope Microsoft can build an entire online platform for businesses. Google has lightweight apps that are usable, but not game changing. Microsoft has a real opportunity to make THE online business platform, an opportunity it probably wont get back.

Going Google.

Microsoft 2010 Online.

Sorry about the lack of posts.

Well I've had a significantly negative event in my family this week. I won't go into details but I might not be back to regular posts for a little while.

There have been a lot of great stories recently but two really stuck out at me. I'll let you read them.

Microsoft strikes a deal with Yahoo!.

ExxonMobil sees profits and revenue fall, hard.

What Moral Obligations Do Businesses Have?

I've been considering different philanthropic programs from companies and I asked myself; what moral obligations do businesses have? Should a company do all in its power to minimize environmental impact? Should a company put energy and resources into its community? Should a company keep workers on its payroll if they are no longer useful?

I believe that a company can be a great positive impact in its community and the world at large, but there is a balance between too much philanthropy and moral negligence. A company should do all it can to maximize profits in a positive way. When it comes down to it, companies are just a collection of people working towards a common goal. That goal is often profit. A corporate culture then evolves around that goal and it is easy to focus in, ignoring moral obligations.

A company can set a goal to be environmentally responsible at a fair profit. Then evolving a corporate culture around a morally positive goal will be much easier. People will feel they are making a positive impact in the world and will fill, at least one, moral obligation. But taking an environmentally responsible business path will be more challenging. Costs of renewable goods is often higher then other options, this can put a company at a competitive disadvantage. So how do you make up for higher costs? The company must find a balance between profitability and moral obligations.

Must a company always act in the best interest of the environment and those in it? Simply, no. It is unfeasible to believe this is possible. But can a company take on projects and ideals that increase its philanthropy? A resounding yes!

Now as consumers we must make a choice between moral obligations and prices. Often companies that have little to no philanthropic efforts can offer goods at lower prices. So we must look into what we consume and see if companies trying to make a positive impact in the world deserve the price premium.

Yay For The Weekend.

Happy weekend everyone. My final test is coming up and I'm three chapters behind on my course work, so I'll be doing that tonight. Hopefully back to full posts soon.

Ups and Downs, Such is Life.

There was a slew of earnings reports today. But two that matter most to me are Microsoft and Ford.

First the star of this post. Ford reported a profit of $2.3 billion, this compares to a net loss of $8.7 billion for the same period last year. I have started investing and did purchase a few shares of Ford, although not enough to make any meaningful difference in my portfolio. I'll be listening to Ford's conference call later tonight, hopefully it will be a little enlightening. Ford shares shot up some 10% on the news.

Next Microsoft. They have missed earnings estimates in a big way and the after hours trading has seen Microsoft shares take a big hit. Microsoft earned $3.045 billion, compared with $4.297 billion in the same period last year. This sent shares down some 6% in extended trading. I'm a big believer in Microsoft's long term prospects but I really didn't expect an earnings miss this bad. The good news? I'll be able to add to my position at a lower price. I'll have to listen to Microsoft's earnings call, hopefully they will be able to explain what has happening. I believe that most consumers are holding off on purchases until Windows 7 is released. Hopefully Microsoft will have a much nicer next quarter.

Ford Earnings.

Microsoft Earnings.

You are so great, Internet, until you're not.

I'm having trouble with my computer. It keeps dropping my Internet connection, so I'm going to attempt to diagnose the problem and get at post up. If I can't figure it out, have a goodnight everyone.

I've Finally Done It.

I just opened my first brokerage account. You are looking at the new owner of some great companies. I'll be playing around with my investment strategy in the coming weeks and exploring different investment options.

This is a lot of fun. I strongly suggest everyone to start taking an active roll in their investments. Anyway, I'm off to look over my investment account again :)

Sapce Travel.

What is the easiest thing to cut from the Governmental budget? I would imagine giving the ax to NASA would be a quick way to free up a few billion dollars. And I hear people talk all the time about how we don't need to be exploring space. What is the point? What will we get? Is there an advantage to space exploration?

NASA is easy to criticize, but I believe that space travel serves a great purpose for humans. It pushes technology and science forward. Think about the satellites that allow our cellphones to place calls from all over the Earth and allow us to track our position to incredible accuracy.

I am fascinated by space exploration and I hope we continue with vigor. There may be little practical use to finding proof of extinct, microbial, life on Mars but if we find it, I hope it is during my lifetime. We, as a race, must eventually leave Earth. Our star will burn out, expanding, as it looses fuel, to engulf the planets Mercury and Venus, indeed maybe even Earth itself. Space travel is a requirement for our continued existence. Maybe not an immediate one, but a requirement none the less. I hope to see as much of space exploration as possible.

We are so unbelievably insignificant on the cosmic scale, I'm forever humbled. But we have made some progress exploring our universe, starting with landing on the Moon. Now Google has added the Moon to its Google Earth program. You can explore the lunar surface and the landing sites of the Apollo missions. Also included in the program is Mars. I suggest everyone take a look, it is a lot of fun to explore their surfaces.

Explore the Moon.

Google Earth.

Happy Sunday.

Wow, Monday morning is a few short hours away. Well I went to the zoo with my family today, and spent most of the night at my Uncles house. Hope everyone had a great weekend and look back tomorrow for a full post.

Quick Sat. Update.

Hope everyones weekend is going great. I've just gotten home from a few different things. Sorry no long post today. I also need to get caught up on some of my course work, so tomorrow might be slim as well. I promise to be back on the ball Monday at the latest though.

Happy Friday (better late then never).

Well the weekend is finally hear and I didn't have time make a full post. I just got home and it is actually Saturday. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and hopefully I'll have a good post tomorrow.

Wahoo Ford!

Ford is positioning itself to be the largest automaker in the U.S.A. by sales volume. A Merill Lynch study shows that Ford could gain an 18% share of the U.S. auto market. Ford has long had the best selling vehicle in America, the F-150, but for many years its domestic market share has been shrinking. Now Ford is picking up tons of lost market share from GM and Chrysler, both of witch took big hits with their rumored and eventual bankruptcy fillings.

I hope this forecast becomes true and Ford leverages their market share gain in America to a global sales lead. All of that, of course, is wishful thinking. Ford will be the first company I invest money into. I realize that it is not the safest investment; Ford has a massive pile of debt and faces renewed competition from a less bloated and more nimble GM to list a few challenges. But I do love Ford and will be buying some shares to say that I'm an owner.

Ford Gains Market Share.

How Do You Watch TV?

By now most people have at least heard of Hulu. The online Television streaming site that is supported by ads. Hulu, along with other sites, is making it easier to receive television content over the web. So how do I get my tv?

Almost exclusively through the Internet. I now mostly watch the news on broadcast television. I believe that the Internet will soon be the biggest distributor of television content. "Soon" being a relative term, I don't think this will happen for quite a few years, but Televisions are now being shipped with WiFi connectability and the ability to stream video from the Internet via Netflix, etc. What a great advancement of technology. The day your television is just a computer that has a really awesome display screen, is the day I'm eagerly awaiting.

I also hope that telecoms continue to upgrade and expand their networks, so that soon we can stay connected to the Internet at broadband speeds all over the globe. Ultimatly I want Microsoft's view of the future to be true.



Hulu
Netflix

No Guts, No Glory.

I've decided to start investing my money through a discount broker. Why now? Because I finally have some money set aside to start investing. Now I'm not planning my retirement around this portfolio, it is more a fun little exercise in risk taking. I'll be buying companies that I love (Ford, Microsoft, Google, NRG energy, Exxon Mobil, Johnson & Johnson, etc.), small companies that have huge growth (and collapse) potential, and perhaps some ETFs and REITs. This, of course, is just for enjoyment and hopefully a small profit. I feel comfortable in going it alone with this risky portfolio because it is not my retirement portfolio. I encourage everyone to become involved in their retirement planning and investing is a huge cornerstone of that.

Get involved in your 401k, IRA, Roth IRA, etc. Plan your future, don't leave your retirement accounts unchecked. Seek financial advice from a licensed expert. But that said I encourage you to make some decisions on your own. It is rewarding and fun, just don't get too crazy about each stock idea you come across. I suggest budgeting some money for investment ideas or wishes that you have.

There is so much information available about investing, starting to invest can be intimidating. Don't be discouraged, just continue learning. The best way to get a feel for investing is paper trading. This used to mean writing down stock picks on a piece of paper and watching the price to see if the stock went up or down. Today there are countless stock market simulation games available for free on the Internet. Try some out, get a feel for buying stocks. Then, when you're comfortable, look into budgeting some money so you can open your own brokerage account.

Here are some online brokers and investment info sites:
TD Ameritrade
Scottrade
Fidelity
Motley Fool
Investopedia
Interactive Brokers
E Trade

Microsoft Web Apps.

Microsoft detailed its new Office suite today. Microsoft Office 2010 looks like a nice evolution of the product line and a great improvement to collaborative efforts. But most exciting is the Office web apps that where announced.

Google has offered a free web application suite for two years which basically works as a very basic version of Microsoft Office. This web app hasn't caught on with many businesses because it is so feature light but it has given Microsoft something to think about, web applications. Microsoft is moving some of the functionality of Microsoft Office online. Great news for us consumers but a real headache for Microsoft. The Office software is a big revenue generator for Microsoft so what happens when they start offering services free online? Do business forgo a full Office program purchase? This is the balancing act Microsoft must now figure out.

I love the idea of moving applications into the cloud computing space. Microsoft, if it pulls this off right, could be a large competitor in the cloud computing market. The early details of the software suite look promising and with Google moving into the operating system space, I hope Microsoft can figure out its online strategy correctly. It is going to have to.

Office 2010 Web App

Sunday Update.

Nothing much to say today. I've been running around since this morning and haven't looked at my feeds yet. I'm going to leave it until Monday. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Sat. Update

Well I hope everyones weekend is going great. I'm planning on starting a web show soon. I need a decent webcam and some editing software, which I'll probably get with my new computer. And, sadly, I'm not getting a new computer until Windows 7 comes out.

Friday Update.

No time to myself today. I also work tomorrow morning so I'll be just linking some cool stories today. Happy weekend everyone.

Thinergy Micro-Battery.

Cali Budget Hell.

China Wants More Forex Options.

Short update.

Sorry about the short post but I'm coming up to a deadline in my accounting course and need to get a few chapters of homework turned in by next week.

Some interesting news. Microsoft, it is rumored, will be announcing a web based version of its office suite on Monday. I'm not sure if it will be free (it should be) or how many features it will have (enough for a college student hopefully). Good luck Microsoft, it is your turn to prove yourself.

Microsoft's Web Office

Google Goes for the Throat.

Google has announced plans to launch an operating system. What you didn't hear? I guess you're under a rock because I can't turn around without hearing about this story today. The headlines are going crazy, with pundits and reporters spewing more crap then the Exxon Valdez did.

Want my take? Well here goes. Many people find it easy to pick on Microsoft's OS, Windows, because everyone uses it. Simply put, if I complain about an error common to Windows chances are you have run into it too. Now most of what I hear is how Microsoft is finally coming down.

I don't think so. Microsoft's Windows is what over 90% of personal computer users have loaded on their machines. That is a big stronghold. But the argument goes, Microsoft had a near monopoly on Internet web browsers that it watched erode in recent years to a reported 60-70%. This, many reporters say, translates directly to what will happen the Microsoft's Windows OS. The problem with this thought is, web browsers are far less complex then an OS. Windows works with everything. Buy a new camera, printer, phone, speaker set, monitor, etc. and plug it into a Windows based machine and chances are it will make a connection. Will Google be able to code for the thousands of products out there? Not to mention all the software that Windows interacts with seamlessly. Google will have to code its OS to work with programs written for Windows. Not many companies will write software for an OS other then Windows. Why? Because of Windows gigantic user base. It simply makes no sense to code for a program that will be on less then 1% of personal computers.

Will Google's new OS push the envelope for speed and ease of Internet access? Absolutely. Will it knock Microsoft down? Extremely doubtful. Don't get me wrong, I like Google. I use Google web apps above almost all others and I even surf the Internet on Google's Chrome web browser. But Microsoft has started to pull its Internet strategy out of the dirt. I use Microsoft's search engine Bing before Google search now and, if Microsoft can put together a great online platform, I would move from Google. Maybe base the online platform on the Xbox Live platform, offer rich web apps and a single unified profile that could be based off Facebook. You can save yourself Microsoft, you just need to be more flexible and move much faster.

Google OS

Some Microsoft News.

Microsoft's Hohm app is finally live in beta. I'll be giving it a try and hopefully saving some money. So far I like the look of the website and its ease of use. You don't need lots of high-tech home upgrades, like a new thermostat, water heater, or anything to measure electricity use. You can start with a Windows Live ID and your area code. Hohm breaks down energy use in your area and has many helpful suggestions for energy savings. I'll continue playing around with the app and hopefully save some money.

Now Microsoft is showing that it can provide online apps for free that are fun and informative, hopefully they can continue. I've never been a huge fan of the Windows Live ID platform, sorry Microsoft, I prefer the Google Accounts platform. With that said, I really hope Microsoft can pull together its online platform with compelling web apps and integrated interface across different devices. The rumored Zune phone, Xbox 360, personal computer and web browser could all work together forming the Microsoft online platform. Microsoft has been taking small steps to integrate devices but I would like to see a more rapid integration. Until then, I'll still be on the Google platform.

Microsoft Hohm.

How I love Technology.

Modern medicine can do some amazing things. This article I found rather amazing. Don Ingber has developed a process to clean blood. An electromagnet and some plastic coated iron-oxide beads pull sepsis causing bacterium or fungi out of the blood. I'll let you read the article after clicking the link.

I'm always amazed at what technology has been developed. Humans have not adapted to a wide range of environments and I believe that we will need technology to help us continue as a race. Challenges like global warming (man made or not), natural disasters, biological threats, etc. will all threaten our continued existence and we will need to develop ways to combat them. Our ability to create technology will be our saving grace.

Blood cleaning.

Royally Broke.

Queen Elizabeth is almost out of money. As soon as 2012 the crown could be bankrupt. I have heard this story from a few places now but I find it both funny and educational.

Do I feel bad for the Queen of England? No, but I almost think I could. More money brings more spending. This proves not even Royalty can budget effectively. The Queen gets £7.9 million from British taxpayers each year. I'm fairly confident that I could live off an allowance like that, but I don't have a monarchy to run. So how far did the Queen go into the red? £33.6 million over budget. Holy crap. I'm sure I will never spend that amount of money my entire life. That said, the Royal Family hasn't seen a cost of living raise in 10 years and negotiations are set for 2010.

The easy takeaway from this is, more money = more spending (and debt). I'm not British and have only visited London once for a few weeks in highschool, but I still think I would be upset at paying an allowance to a family simply because they are Royal. Maybe its a large part of national pride for the Brits, in such a case by all means pay the people. I just would not be happy about paying a tax to a functionally useless family. Stay smart about personal finance people.

Queen is going broke.

Happy 4th of July

Well the title says it all, enjoy the 4th. Sorry there was no post yesterday but I wasn't anywhere near a computer all day. Have a good weekend. I'll try to make a good post tomorrow. Until then, be safe.

Today Some Science.

I do so enjoy science. I don't profess the have an omniscient understanding of it, but I enjoy reading and learning about scientific discoveries. A group from the University of Nottingham has put together an interesting website devoted to explaining the symbols of physics and astronomy. The site is a matrix of 60 symbols that are accompanied by short (4-8 min.) videos explaining some of the concepts behind the symbols. If you enjoy these topics, I suggest checking the site out.

Sixty Symbols

Also an interesting fact about radio broadcasts from earth is they continue into space indefinitely. Gizmodo has a neat photo showing a map of neighbor stars that are just now starting to receive our t.v. shows and radio broadcasts. An interesting thought is what if intelligent life on those planets our broadcasting has just started reaching is listening and has no idea what to make of all the noise.

Galactic Broadcasts.

Is the Internet the Future?

Can the Internet handle large user requests? Can the Internet become the definitive medium for news and communication? Two Cnet bloggers took on the topic in a recent debate and the ideas they present are very interesting.

With the death of Micheal Jackson the Internet saw a huge surge in demand. Many users where requesting site downloads and some websites where unavailable for an extended period of time (about half an hour). Now this can be perceived as an unacceptable length of time or a small blip in life. I tend toward the second camp.

Both editors bring up valid and interesting points. The one that stuck out the most to me though dealt was with the fact that more and more people will be coming online stressing the Internet further. I don't have a great understanding of how the Internet works but I have formed a rough idea. Without giving a large lesson on the topic I will say this. Instead of stressing the Internet to the point of breaking, as is often suggested, these new users will generate more demand for expansion of the costly hardware used to host the Internet.

To sum up, I believe that the Internet will become the definitive platform for communication. News, entertainment, social networking, shopping, information sharing, etc. will all be based on the Internet. This will not happen overnight, of course, but I do believe this is an eventuality. As more and more people come online the demand will drive development of the hardware supporting the Internet. I suggest reading the debate by the Cnet editors, its a fun article.

Cnet Debate

My Birthday.

Sorry for the late and short post but it is my 21st birthday today and I had a little fun tonight. See you again tomorrow.

Some Tech News.

Wow, I find myself focusing on technology a lot in my blog. Not that technology as a focus is a bad thing, its just I didn't expect my interest to be so heavily weighted by tech. But the more I view my RSS feeds, which are a mixture of technology, business, and political news, the more I'm drawn in by technology.

The user experience of technology has evolved. I remember typing commands into MS-DOS at the age of 7. Not an easy thing for a seven year-old with no direction to figure out, suffice to say, I didn't accomplish much. Now my little cousin whom is 10 set up a wireless net work at my Aunt and Uncle's home. Technology is becoming easier to use, which is a great thing. That is what I find so fascinating about technology.

Life is made much simpler in many ways by a vast amount of technology. Now I'm not big on planning out vacations or even short weekend trips. I usually show up and try to find something to do after getting to my destination. Why, you ask. Because planning required a lot of information gathering about a multitude of possibilities. Where you're staying, what time of the week/month/year, etc. I've tried some travel planning sites and never fell in love with any of them. But Google has announced Google City Tours and so far I like it. The program is not completely polished but worth trying out.

Google City Tours overview
Google City Tours site

Next more info on the Zune HD. The 16GB model is said to be priced between $250 and $280 there is also a 32GB and 64GB model in the works. The Zune HD will play back full 720p through HDMI output. And is said to be on track for release in September. Of course these are all just rumors.

Zune HD news

Busy Sunday

Well I just had a busy day. I haven't even looked to see what I can post about. I'll have to make up for it Monday.

Here is hoping your Sunday was a good one.

Stories About Special Fords.

Ford recently released the new F-150 for the 2009 model year. The new pickup comes in lots of trim levels but my personal favorite is the SVT-Raptor. The Raptor is seven inches wider then its other F-150 cousins and carries a huge list of upgraded parts for extreme off-roading abilities. My post would be extremely long if I posted all the updates here so I'll let you read them from the links. I would love to have this truck with the new 6.2L Boss V8 it will have later this year. The new grill with the large FORD lettering is a real nice touch. The Raptor was announced a while ago but Ford has put together a video promoting the new truck. The video in question is Raptor-Born in Baja it will detail Ford's effort at running the new truck in the legendary off road race in Baja. Take a look at the trailer below. I will be watching the show on Speed tv July, 12 at 4pm EST.

SVT-Raptor Site
Raptor News Article by PickupTrucks.com



The Raptor isn't the only special edition Ford in the works, Shelby has announced no less then six new versions of fast Mustangs. Granted most are based of the last gen Mustang, but Shelby has put together a 725hp Super Snake package for the 2010 Shelby GT500. Follow the link for all the details. I love myself some fast Mustangs, but there are so many special editions out there that I'm starting to lose track. Now if only I could afford any of them.

New Shelby Packages

Quick Update.

Busy night tonight so I'm going to make this one short.

Neowin.net has an interview with someone on the Zune HD project. There are some really neat rumors in it. I still wish it would be a phone. There is almost no reason to carry a dedicated gadget for music playing anymore. How full must our pockets be?

Neowin Interview

I've bookmarked some other stories and will try to post about them soon. I'm going to have a very busy weekend but I'll make the effort to sit down and type up some posts, happy Friday everyone.

Some Older Stories.

Well the first thing I want to talk about is a story that has been around a while, but I just didn't know if I wanted to post about it.

A girl electrocuted herself while taking a bath. What did she do to shock herself? She was twittering. All the stupid what is the world coming to and Darwin Award jokes aside, it is beyond me that people can be so careless. What I wouldn't give to know what was so important this lady had to risk her life to tell the Internet about it. Technology is great until it isn't, stay safe people.

Death by twitter

A better keg? Yes please. Some acquaintances of Mr. Bill Gates are working up an interesting way to store liquids and one of the uses is beer. Read the full story after hitting the link. But I just want to say it is great to hear somebody is still thinking about improving the quality of the beverages we all enjoy.

Better Beer.

Not much in the way of great content tonight folks, sorry about that. But it has been a stressful week at work and I'm just not finding the time at home to come up with great posts. On the personal news front, I'm planning on a new computer purchase this October when Windows 7 is released and along with that a new web cam and video editing software. I'll start a web-cast show and maybe that can take the place of some posts. Goodnight everyone.

Tech That Saves You Money.

Technology is used to better our lives in many ways. The biggest and most prevalent change technology has brought is the increase in ease and speed of communication. The Internet and phones being the largest players, but other devices share information for improving our lives, think GPS, television, radio, etc.

But the Internet is the catalyst of the information age. And now both Google and Microsoft are going to use the Internet to help you save money on energy bills.

Microsoft's tool is called Hohm. It is a free tool that anyone can use to monitor home energy use. Microsoft's tool can work without any peripherals, which helps with ease of use.



Next Google has also debuted a tool called Google PowerMeter. It uses some monitoring devices to help Google determine real time power consumption.



Well I'm making this post before reading too much into the details of both services. I can say that this is a great idea for both consumers and companies. Even though I'm not sure how this will make money for the companies providing the service, if anyone could figure it out Google and Microsoft can. Also the ability to use Microsoft's Hohm without any special gear is nice. I can't wait to use these two services.

Really Late Post Today.

Sorry everyone, I have just gotten home and sat down at the computer. I don't have time for a well thought out post as I have work in the morning so I'll leave you with a little piece of advice.

Check your credit score! You can request one free copy yearly from the 3 major credit reporting agencies. Find them at www.annualcreditreport.com

Look over your report and make sure its accurate. I'll post more advice on credit scores soon. Goodnight everyone.

Do I Want an iPod?

The new Zune from Microsoft was announced a while back now. I'm just posting about it now because after having enough time to think about it, I want the Zune HD more then an iPod touch.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I hate Apple. I hate the ultra trendy feel, I hate the price, I hate the stuck up people that buy Apple products (granted jerks can buy any product, it just seems there is a higher jerk to regular person ratio in the Apple fanbase). But most of all I hate that you can't right click. And with all that said, there is very little that I want more then an iPhone. A touch phone with tons of apps and easy to use interface that uplinks with your music library seamlessly (I'm assuming you use iTunes). What is not to love, besides AT&T?

An iPod touch is just an iPhone that can't make phone calls (there are some more differences but I digress). So given just the choice of a portable music player, the iPod touch should win outright. Not with the Zune HD in town. I could go over all the specs of the new Zune but I think I'll just link them. Microsoft might have a real winner with the new Zune, especially if they can integrate the Zune HD with its other products (Windows 7, Xbox 360, Windows Live, etc.). I really hope they make the Zune HD into a phone. This would allow me to integrate all my entertainment and communication products across one platform, if Microsoft can pull it off right.

Here is a hands on preview:

Zune HD Announced

I'm Sorry

Well yesterday was a blast. We saw an unbelievable amount of cars. But sadly I forgot my camera. So I don't have any pictures to post right now. I'll try to chase my Dad down, he remembered his. If I don't get the pictures I'll try to post about something else.

Happy Father's Day everyone.

Going To The Car Show

Well today I'm headed to the back to the fifties car show. My dad and sister will be along also, hopefully I'll get a lot of pictures I can post up for everyone. It might wait until tomorrow though. If I don't make another update today, have a great Saturday everyone.

What A Long Day.

Well my day has me a little burned out. So this will be a short post.

Speaking of burned, the second season of Burn Notice came out this week. I suggest checking it out. I didn't give the show a chance until after the second season was over and now I can't get enough.

Next quick note. The Mustang is having renewed rumors of a 5.0L engine finding its way under-hood. Also the glass roof option will carry over to the new body style. I'll have to test drive the new, bigger V8, Mustang sometime soon.

Well until tomorrow, hear are the links:

Burn Notice

Big V8

Glass Roof

Why So Serious Microsoft?

Microsoft has put together a nice page comparing some popular web browsers. Microsoft has long dominated the browser market but is loosing ground at an alarming rate. Microsoft is pitting Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer in an epic battle (that would be sarcasm). Can you guess who takes home the gold (and silver and bronze for that matter)? IE8 wins flat out in 7 of 10 categories and ties for first in the other three.

Now I haven't used IE8 yet. I've been using Chrome since it was released and am loving the new features and speed that Chrome 2.0 brought us. Before that I was using Firefox 3.0. I haven't used Internet Explorer since IE6. That said I am interested in the features that have been spotlighted in IE8 and have been suggesting that people download the newest IE to help hungry Americans. I will get around to trying out IE8 sometime soon and writing up my own review.

But come on Microsoft. Your own review is just insanely biased. Not that I would expect an honest review from any company anywhere, it's just almost laughably biased in this case. Also Microsoft is spotlighting Google's Chrome browser which has almost no hold on the browser market share. Is this a smart move? I think so, most people on the Internet understand that IE is not the only web browser out there. Microsoft is being (a little) proactive and not reactive in the case of Chrome. Just don't let your hubris kill you Microsoft.

Microsoft browser war.

Chrome.

Firefox.

IE8.

Moore's Law

For those who don't know about Moore's Law, it states that the number of transistors that can be placed on an integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years. This means an exponential rise in computing power. The idea was posited by Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel. And since the 1960's Moore's prediction has held true.

But no exponential rise can last indefinitely and indeed even Gordon Moore has stated that physical limits would prevent the continued rise in transistors. As transistors get smaller and smaller they will approach the size of atoms, which is a physical barrier that can't be crossed.

Now iSuppli has suggested that a barrier could be reached by 2014. Perhaps not a physical barrier but an economic one. In simple terms, the money invested in producing chips with smaller transistors will be so high that production costs will not be justifiable.

I hope that iSuppli has this one wrong. I want to see technology advance to absolute limits not economic ones. Even if (when) those physical limits are reached, new technologies or methods will evolve to compensate for the end of Moore's Law. Now I'm curious to see what kind of computers we will be using in 2015.

iSuppli

Moore's Law

Moore perdicts end to his own law.

Money.

Today I'm just going to go over a few self education sites that deal with money. Educating yourself about the financial world is very important and I urge everyone to learn as much as they can about money.

First is Investopedia.com. This website works like an encyclopedia for investing. Investopedia has daily updates with new articles about the financial world, and is part of Forbes Inc. But not only does Investopedia offer educational articles, it has stock investing games and an investor community. The site has a vast knowledge base and I highly recommend checking it out.

Investopedia.com

Next up is The Motley Fool. This is a combination of investment news and education. The website has daily updates about news in the stock market from money managers and offers a diverse investment community. The Motley Fool CAPS is an online investment game that has participants pick stocks to out or under preform the S&P 500 index. These participants also post their opinions and observations about the stock market. I like this website but be warned, The Motley Fool provides a wide range of "premium" services (mostly newsletters on investment ideas in certain sectors of the markets) that it often suggests you to join. This can be annoying but it's not enough to turn me off completely.

Fool.com

Last is the website Mint.com. Mint.com is a personal finance management website that uses your online banking from all your financial institutions and presents all the information in one easy to use place. You can see all your checking account balances, credit card balances, car loans, home loans, etc. Mint also collects all your spending information allowing you to budget and plan accordingly. Mint is a great personal finance tool.

Mint.com

Mondays Are Never Fun.

Well I've had a busy day at work and feel a little burned out. So if this post is unreadable, I'm sorry. Anyway here goes.

My good personal friend Bill Ford Jr. was on CNBC this morning. Okay Bill is more of an acquaintance. Okay we've never met but I'm sure we would have one thing in common, we both love Ford Motor Co. Bill talked about a range of topics, but focused on the importance of building fuel efficient vehicles in all segments. Bill put forth the goal of leading fuel economy in all segments. Hope you guys at Ford can pull it off.

Bill Ford Jr. on CNBC

Microsoft has announced that it intends to donate 8 meals for every download of Internet Explorer 8 made from the browserforthebetter.com website. I urge everyone to download the browser even if you do not intend to make it your default. In the interest of full discloser, I use Google's Chrome web browser. I will download IE8 because of this promotion and will give it a try. Maybe I'll even write up a review for everyone. Microsoft is donating $1.15 for each download to Feeding America. That sounds small but a spokesman for Feeding America said the up to $1 million Microsoft will donate is a godsend. And $1 dollar can provide 10 pounds of food to hungry Americans.

Microsoft donation details.

As a quick side note, does anyone like links in the body of the topics or is it preferred that I put all the links at the bottom?

Some Video Games I Want Now.

I found that my video game playing time fell off a cliff once I was out of highschool but I'm starting to play again. Here are a few games I'm looking forward to playing.

Diablo 3. I remember playing the origanal Diablo when I was about 9 or 10. The game was fast paced and easy to understand. Diablo 2 was a great mix of action and RPG elements with great online play. Now Diablo 3 has been announced and it looks amazing. There have been some complaints about the art direction but I think it works well.

Diablo 3

Next is Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. The first time I played Castlevania I was 6. What a great game, at least thats what I remember. Castlevania didn't always translate to 3D well. This new game looks very promising. I don't have much info about it yet, but I know I'll be following it until release. Here is the trailer.

Castlevania

Weekend updates.

I'm still trying to figure out the format I'll be following for the blog posts. My RSS feeds slow way down on Saturday and Sunday but I would never be able to post about everything that happens over the week. If I save up a few stories over the week I could make longer posts over the weekend. The only problem with long posts over the weekend? I want to be out doing something else.

Perhaps I don't need to set a strict format. If something grabs my attention enough I'll just put it in a special bookmark folder for posting about and if motivated enough I'll make a longer post about the topics in the folder.

So anyway on to the sad news, my Red Wings lost. It was a difficult game to watch. Detroit was offsides a lot and just couldn't pull together until the final period. But by the time the Wings where flying, there just wasn't enough time left.

Game 7

Ford Racing has introduced it's new Boss 351 engine block and it looks like a monster. Check out all the info by clicking the link. The new engine is strongly based off the Windsor 351 but also takes some cues for the legendary 351 Cleveland.

Boss 351

Short and Sweet.

Tonight is a busy night and all I have time for is a quick update:

I'm pulling for the Red Wings tonight. Detroit doesn't have much in the way to cheer for when it comes to sports. But the Red Wings are a bright spot.

Red Wings

I really want to build a Factory Five replica. Posting this online is going to help me stick to my goal. The only problem? Factroy Five replicas are expensive. I want the Shelby Cobra replica and I would paint it all black.

Factory Five

Have a great weekend everybody.

Today Is All About Ford.

Today I'm focusing on my favorite automaker, Ford. I've loved the brand since purchasing my first vehicle, a '97 F-150, when I was 16. Since then I've gotten an'08 Fusion and have been loving it. There is tons of great news about Ford, here is some I have recently found interesting.

The Government has started its fleet turnover and has purchased around $210,000,000 in new vehicles. The newly purchased vehicles are intended to replace less fuel efficient models. The biggest winner is Ford. $129 million goes towards purchasing Ford vehicles while GM gets $105 million and Chrysler just $53 million. People, and even governments, vote with their wallets. This speaks to the quality of Ford's products

Gov. buys more Fords.

Ford is developing an ethanol injected, turbocharged, gas, 5.0L V8 engine codenamed Bobcat. Autoblog will go over the details, just click the link. I think its great that Ford is developing alternative technology for its engines. This one in particular could produce as much as 500hp and 750lb-ft of torque. Those are huge numbers for a 5 liter engine and for some perspective Ford's 6.4L diesel only makes 650lb-ft of torque. I want to see this engine end up in a Mustang.

New V8 engine.

This seems a little strange but the Taurus SHO was just named car of the year by Esquire. A rather impressive feat for a car that isn't even on the market yet. I can't wait to see the new Taurus in person. The SHO is shaping up to be quite a performer.

Taurus SHO.