All You Want to Know

Microsoft sets maximum hardware spec for netbook-only Windows 7 SKUs

2009-05-28T23:02:00.000-07:00

According to tech site TechARP, Microsoft has set the maximum hardware specification that OEMs will be able to pre-install the cheaper netbook-only Windows 7 SKUs onto.

The three SKUs considered here are:

Windows 7 Starter
Windows 7 Starter for Small Notebook PC
Windows 7 Home Basic For Small Notebook PCs (China only)

Microsoft already has a similar limitation in place on OEMs offering XP on low-cost systems, called the Microsoft Windows XP Home Ultra Low Cost PC (ULCPC) program.

Here is the new Windows 7 maximum hardware spec. I’ve added the current spec for comparison.

CPU: Single core CPUs no faster than 2GHz and with a TDP no greater than 15W.
Currently the limitation is only 1GHz, or the following CPUs: Intel Atom N270, N280, 230, Z500, Z510, Z515, Z520, Z530, Z540, Z550, or Intel Celeron 220, or AMD MV-40, 1050P, TF-20, Geode LX, Athlon 2650e, Sempron 210U, or VIA C7-M ULV, Nano U1700, U2250, U2300, U2400 or U2500.
Screen size: No larger than 10.2″.
Currently the limitation is 12.1.
RAM: 2GB.
Currently the limitation is 1GB.
Storage: 250GB HDD or 64GB SSD.
Currently the limitation is 160GB HDD or 32GB SDD.
Graphics: No limitation
Currently the limitation is no greater than DirectX 9.
Touch: No limitation.
Currently the limitation is resistive only

So, basically what’s really changed is that you can have more RAM and storage but the screen size has shrunk by nearly two inches and with a more rigid CPU requirements.

Rumor: Speedier Next-Gen iPhone Is on Its Way

2009-05-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

You’re probably already stuffed with iPhone rumors, but consider this dessert. Daring Fireball’s John Gruber has heard from “informed sources” that the next-generation iPhone will receive a significant processor upgrade, bumping the speed to 600MHz, which should make the new handset 1.5 times as fast as the current 400MHz iPhone CPU. He also claims receiving confirmation of rumors that the next iPhone will feature a magnetometer (digital compass) and a video camera.

One last morsel: MacTalk reports that Vodafone has declared the current 16GB iPhone has been labeled “End of Life,” meaning new iPhones are on their way.

When? Gruber predicts the announcement will be made at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference, which kicks off June 8, and the phone will hit stores in July. That’s a reasonable assumption, because Apple announced the current iPhone 3G at 2008’s WWDC. Also, Apple will likely have to hold WWDC sessions devoted to the new iPhone’s API, and the company would of course have to announce the product first.

See Also:

Source : http://www.wired.com

Gadgets: fashion for the broken leg set

2009-05-28T22:51:00.000-07:00

Cooper Martin Clothing

If you have ever broken a major appendage, you quickly realize that the simple things in life are now, not at all simple. That explains why so many people who, for example, break a leg, resort to wearing sweat pants or shorts; it's not just the easiest but sometimes the only option.

The company Cooper Martin agrees, that's why they came up with their line of clothing for just this occasion. The clothes have strategically placed zippers and Velcro on business casual clothing.

You can see how it works at www.cooper-martin.com

Photo Shower Curtain

Some family pictures are priceless and it's not enough for them to have that prized spot on the mantel, so why not immortalize it in a shower curtain; it's cooler than you think.

The makers at www.photoshowercurtain.com take your favorite photo and turn it into a customized curtain; either for a standard bath tub size or stand alone shower.

The makers claim you can launder the curtain and never have to worry about fading or warping.

You can see it for yourself at www.photoshowercurtain.com.

Finis Circuit Trainer

The couch potato in all of us can come up with many excuses of why we can't exercise today and fitness companies, like Finis, are getting wise to lazy ways.

The circuit trainer performs the job of a timer, but better. How it works, you set the amount of time you want to workout then set the amount of time you want to rest; the trainer lets you know when each time is up and it's time to get going again.

The Circuit Trainer lets you know when time is up through lights and a buzzer.

You can learn all about it at www.finisinc.com

Source : http://www.9news.com

More thoughts on Oracle and hardware

2009-04-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

There are two explanations making the rounds for Oracle’s unexpected entry into the hardware business. Neither on its own is wholly convincing, but each hints at what is probably really going on here.

The first is the explanation that Oracle was putting about on Monday. This holds that vertical integration of all aspects of hardware and software is the next step being demanded by the customers of enterprise technology companies, who want one throat to choke when something goes wrong.

But it hardly feels as though customer expectations have changed enough to force Oracle to buy a deeply troubled server company to take on entrenched rivals like IBM, HP and now Cisco. Not does this explanation take account of the fundamental nature of the enterprise technology industry, which relies on deep technology and business partnerships.

The other explanation is that Oracle had to move quickly to outmaneuver the slow-footed IBM, so it was willing to take on the unappealing hardware business just to get its hands on Sun’s software assets. It then follows, according to this view, that Oracle will now turn around and unload the hardware side as soon as it can, perhaps in pieces.

To judge from the people we’ve spoken to, neither of these explanations quite gets to the bottom of what is going on.

One good pragmatic reason for assuming Sun’s struggling hardware business is that, for the arch cost-cutters at Oracle, this is where many of the biggest opportunities for expense savings lie. Oracle has promised $1.5bn in operating profits from the Sun deal in the first year. Slashing hardware costs is likely to be a quick way to get there - and if the economy turns, Sun’s highly cyclical hardware arm could even provide a pleasant surprise.

One person familiar with Oracle’s thinking suggests that the company will act quickly to narrow the focus of Sun’s hardware on a smaller number of high-end system designs. And a person close to the Sun camp admits that Sun itself simply failed to act aggressively enough to cut costs - though this person adds that a big acquirer like a Oracle also has many more opportunities to save money than Sun could have done on its own, for instance by combining salesforces.

Another pragmatic reason to take on the hardware business is that it offers Oracle a strategic hedge. In a world dominated by a handful of giant systems companies, life as a pure software company could become uncomfortable: what if big partner/rivals like IBM and HP become less enthusiastic about selling and supporting Oracle’s software?

Being able to offer its own hardware gives Oracle a fall-back, according to one person close to the transaction. The very existence of an Oracle hardware division changes the equation and removes a potential weapon in the hands of its enemies.

Of course, none of this changes Oracle’s main motivation for the Sun acquisition: getting its hands on Java, Solaris and MySQL. But it does help to explain why a software company with operating profit margins of 35 per cent is willing to take on a business that recently has had trouble making any money at all.

Source : http://blogs.ft.com

Gadget Leak: Toshiba 2009-2010 Handset Roadmap

2009-04-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and with it leaked images and info about Toshiba’s upcoming handsets. The 5 new handsets are purportedly all based on the 1 GHz Snapdragon processor running Windows Mobile 6.5.

First up is the TG02 and TG03, which build upon the already announced TG01 that includes a 4.1-inch touchscreen, HSDPA, microSD card slot, accelerometer and 9.9mm thick form factor. The difference between the two yet to be officially announced handsets are an IPX4 water resistant rating with a 3.2MP camera for the TG02, and a 5MP camera with 5.1 Dolby Digital output for the TG03, but sans IPX4 rating.

The MIDs, the K01 and K02 feature a 4.1-inch and 3.5-inch touchscreen respectively, while both include a slide out QWERTY keyboard and a 3.2MP camera.

Last of the leaked handsets is the L01, which boasts the largest of the screens at 7-inches and some funky stand alone keyboard that is very reminiscent of the Touch Book.

You can expect most of these handsets to launch between Q4 2009 and Q1 2010.

Source : http://www.gadgetreview.com

Nikon D5000 DSLR

2009-04-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

The Nikon D5000 has been announced. The D5000 is an upper-entry-level DSLR camera that sits in between the D60 and D90. It has a 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor, live view and can record HD movies at a 720p resolution. The screen on the back can also swivel 180 degrees and tilt.

The camera has a sensitivity of ISO 200 to 3200 which can be extended from ISO 100 to ISO 6400 equivalent. With the 2.7 inch LCD being capable of rotating around and with it having Live View, it makes taking pictures that little bit easier in some situations. The D5000 has a HDMI output compatible with HD TV’s allowing you to playback direct from the camera on to your TV when needed. Other capture features are also included which are wide area, normal area, face detection and new subject tracking. The subject tracking feature is capable of locking on to an individual and if they move out of the cameras view and then back in they will still be kept in focus on the camera. 19 scene modes are included to help you capture the right type of photos for the type of scene you are shooting in.

Available from Amazon.

The Nikon D5000 costs $849 with a 18-55 VR kit lens.

Nikon D5000 Features

• 23.6 x 15.8 mm CMOS sensor
• 12.9 million total pixels
• 12.3 million effective pixels
• Supports high ISO sensitivities
• Nikon DX-format sized CMOS sensor
• Airflow control system
• Image Sensor Cleaning
• Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX 2 software required)
Image processor Nikon EXPEED
A/D conversion 12 bit
• 4,288 x 2,848 (L)
• 3,216 x 2,136 (M)
• 2,144 x 1,424 (S)
• NEF (compressed RAW)
• JPEG: Fine (approx. 1:4), normal (approx. 1:8), or basic (approx. 1:16) compression
• NEF (RAW) + JPEG (any size)
• AVI Motion-JPEG
• File format AVI (Motion-JPEG)
• Image size (pixels) 1280 x 720; 24fps, 640 x 424; 24 fps, 320 x 216; 24 fps
• Audio: Monaural on/off selection
• Exposure: Determined with matrix metering utilizing output from the image sensor
• Exposure lock available
• Exposure compensation available in P, S, A, M modes
• Maximum single clip length: 1280×720/ 5 minutes, others 20 minutes
• Nikon F mount with AF contacts
• Approx. 1.5x lens focal length (Nikon DX format)
• AF-S, AF-I
• Other Type G or D AF Nikkor
• Other AF Nikkor/AI-P Nikkor
• Type D PC Nikkor
• Non-CPU
• IX Nikkor/AF Nikkor for F3AF
- All functions supported
- All functions supported except autofocus
- All functions supported except autofocus and 3D Color Matrix Metering II
- All functions supported except some shooting modes
- Can be used in mode M, but exposure meter does not function; electronic range finder can be used if maximum aperture is f/5.6 or faster
- Cannot be used
• 11 focus points (1 cross-type sensors)
• Multi-CAM 1000
• AF working range: -1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, normal temperature)
• Contrast Detect in Live View mode
Lens Servo • Single Servo (AF-S)
• Continuous Servo (AF-C)
• Automated selection of AF-S or AF-C, (AF-A)
• Focus Tracking automatically activated by subject’s status in (AF-A)
• Manual focus [M], Electronic range finding supported
• Single point from 11 focus points
• Center point narrow or wide zone
• Liveview (Tripod mode): Contrast AF on a desired point anywhere within frame
• Single point AF
• Dynamic Area AF
• Automatic-area AF
• 3D Tracking AF (11 points)

Via: DPReview

Souce : http://www.gadgetvenue.com

Microsoft owns up to "E74" 360 errors, expands warranty

2009-04-18T21:01:00.001-07:00

A popular gaming blog tracked a new kind of Xbox 360 error, the E74, and Microsoft has finally owned up and added the issue to the three-year "Red Ring of Death" warranty. This is a win for consumers, but it's yet another black eye for Microsoft's hardware.
By Ben Kuchera

While Xbox 360 systems may be known more for the dreaded "red ring of death" than any other hardware failure, one gaming blog has been tracking the rise of the "E74" error, an issue that causes the console to crash and show a multi-language kill screen. You'll also get a single red section on your system's power button. Microsoft is aware of the problem, and has since amended it's three-year warranty to cover the error.

The story began when Joystiq started to receive complaints concerning the error. The site decided to gather some data, and found that complaints of the error increased after the release of the New Xbox Experience, or NXE. "One oddity is that there is no correlation between the dates on which the systems in question were purchased and when they went belly up," Joystiq writer Justin McElroy reported. "The error usually occurred after anywhere from 12 to 36 months of use, with many of you claiming that trouble arose on consoles that have already been repaired for Red Ring of Death. Whatever modifications Microsoft has made to the console to improve its reliability in the past years seems to have no bearing on the likelihood of E74."

The problem was that this issue wasn't covered by Microsoft's warranty; the company simply called it a "general hardware failure" and that was that. More sites jumped onto the issue, however, and found the same data: the E74 error was a widespread issue, and seemed connected to the NXE, although that might not be the direct cause of the issue. "The time frame for the rise in issues makes NXE and its November debut a suspect," Engadget wrote. "But it's worth noting that the uptick started just before that launch, so perhaps it has more to do with hiccups caused by spurred interest in turning on the console after a long period of dormancy."

Tuesday, Microsoft announced that it would do the right thing and extend the red-ring warranty to include the E74 errors, detailing the inclusion on its Xbox support site. "After investigating the issue, we have determined that the E74 error message can indicate the general hardware failure that is associated with three flashing red lights error on the console. As a result, we have decided to cover repairs related to the E74 error message under our three-year warranty program for certain general hardware failures that was announced in July 2007." Microsoft also claims it has made the necessary changes to decrease the likelihood of the error, and will refund the cost of E74 repairs to customers who may have already paid to have their console fixed or replaced.

It's gratifying to see Microsoft do the right thing, but yet another known hardware issue with the 360 won't do much to help the system's battered reputation; the red ring fiasco ended up costing the company $1 billion plus to make right. The "E74" problem won't likely cost anything near that amount, but the damage to the 360's shoddy hardware reputation won't be easy to quantify.

Source : http://arstechnica.com

Tips for getting catastrophe insurance

2009-04-18T20:51:00.001-07:00

(This Old House) -- The 10 most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history all have occurred in the last decade. These catastrophes have resulted in insurance companies having to cover losses averaging $10 billion each year since 1989, compared with just $2 billion yearly from 1980 to 1988.

With the potential catastrophe payouts insurers face far exceeding their reserves, it's no surprise that major companies, including Allstate and State Farm, are raising catastrophe-policy premiums and deductibles.

"The insurance industry is saying to the homeowner, If you choose to live here, that's great, but you have to take on more of the risk," says Jayna Neagle, of the Washington, D.C.-based Insurance Information Institute. "It's all about sharing the risk."

If you live where tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes are a regular occurrence, catastrophe insurance is an important consideration. Ask these questions to avoid paying too much or choosing a company that a disaster could drive out of business:

Do you have proper coverage?

Amazingly, most people don't. For instance, only 20 percent of homeowners in floodplain areas carry flood insurance, even though their flood risk is 26 times their fire risk.

Similar figures hold in many earthquake- and storm-prone areas. Find out if you need catastrophe coverage by calling your agent or state insurance board.

Obtain information on flood, storm or quake risks in your region and compare it to risks posed by the "normal" hazards your homeowner's policy covers; if catastrophe risk exceeds normal risk, buy expanded coverage. This Old House: Beef up your insurance

Is the insurer financially stable?

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A huge catastrophe can shake the stability of weaker insurance companies, putting them at risk of a default that could leave policyholders uncovered. A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's now rate insurance companies to reflect their ability to withstand such catastrophes.

Check an insurer's rating with A.M. Best, S&P, or Consumer Reports magazine. Look for an A rating or better (such as AAA or A++). Avoid lower-rated companies (those with a B or lower rating).

Are the premiums and deductibles reasonable?

Double-digit increases in catastrophe premiums are common in high-risk storm and earthquake areas. These increases vary widely by company and region, so if your premium jumps up, shop around for an insurer that's not as exposed to catastrophe-related payouts. This Old House: Insure yourself against storms

Also be aware of the change to "percentage deductibles" that require homeowners to cover a percentage of the damages rather than a set figure. For example, if the deductible is 5 percent and losses are $100,000, the policyholder covers the first $5,000.

According to J. Robert Hunter, insurance director for the Consumer Foundation of America, homeowners are not always clearly notified of the change. "A lot of people have been misled," Hunter says. "The disclosure is really vague, buried in a lot of fine print." This Old House: Do you have enough insurance?

When you're ready to buy, try these shopping tips:

1. Purchase all your insurance (homeowner's, auto, life) from an insurer that offers a multiple-policy discount. Also check if your insurer gives a "loyalty" discount for staying with them for three to five or more years.

2. Go with a high deductible; this can save up to 20 percent in premiums if you have savings to do it.

3. Install smoke detectors, a burglar alarm, storm shutters, dead bolts, and a fire-sprinkler system to reduce the premium on your homeowner's policy. The same goes for using storm- or earthquake-resistant construction methods or materials.

Source : http://www.cnn.com

Piracy Insurance Is Still Available, At A Higher Price

2009-04-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO -(Dow Jones)- Despite a surge in piracy off the coast of Somalia in recent years, capped by the dramatic rescue of a U.S. cargo ship captain there Sunday, insurers are still willing to offer piracy insurance, although at dramatically higher prices.

"In general, the price is up five- to 10-fold from 18 months ago," when the surge in piracy off Somalia began to take off, said Peter Townsend, executive director for the marine practice group at insurance broker Aon Corp. (AOC). "The demand is there."

Piracy insurance generally covers physical loss or damage to the ship or its cargo, along with kidnap and ransom coverage for the crew. Townsend said he helped develop coverage that also includes the daily loss that comes from having a detained ship sit unused while the owners negotiate ransom with pirates.

Piracy-insurance prices are usually set per shipment no more than a week before a planned passage through the area plied by Somalian pirates, which includes the Gulf of Aden and parts of the Indian Ocean. Though prices vary widely, it might cost a shipper $30,000 to $50,000 for $3 million to $5 million of coverage for a single voyage through the area, Townsend said.

Townsend said prices tend to dip immediately after a spate of hijackings. " Underwriters feel that, if several vessels are being held, the likelihood is decreased" that there will be another pirate attack in the following days.

He said Sunday's rescue of the captain of the American-flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama by U.S. Navy Seal sharpshooters probably won't decrease piracy, despite the death of three of the pirates during the rescue.

"The rewards [of piracy] outweigh the risks, in their view," Townsend said. " The loss of three pirates will harden their resolve. It is a risky business."

Townsend said he couldn't say if the Maersk Alabama was insured, but he said many shippers play the "percentages" and hope their ship will be one of the many that make it through unattacked. However, the surge in piracy in the past two years is increasing interest. Most piracy insurance is underwritten through the Lloyd's of London insurance market, where groups of insurers take on risks.

One insurer that offers the coverage, Chubb Corp. (CB), said last month that prices generally were up around 20%. A Chubb spokesman said the company didn't break out its total premiums of profitability on the coverage, but that it wasn't a major part of its business.

Townsend said pirates off the Somali coast detained 111 vessels and 800 seafarers in 2008, which was about a 200% increase from the year before. So far in 2009, 40 vessels have been detained.

In 2008, Townsend estimated, around 30,000 vessels traveled through the area, which he called a "major artery" for shipping.

-By Lavonne Kuykendall, Dow Jones Newswires; 312-750-4141; lavonne.kuykendall@ dowjones.com

Source : http://money.cnn.com

Gogic Robot walks funny

2009-03-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

The Japanese Gogic robot is cute little robot with a very funny walking style. See the video of Gogic below.
The Gogic player DIY robot kit sells for $499.99 on Gizmine.

Elekit's Gogic player DIY robot kit features five servo-motor controls that allow it to walk, and sit.
The assembly time is three hours and the robot is powered by standard batteries 9V x 1, AA x 4. More details on Gizmine.

Source : http://www.i4u.com

Sprint Looks to Lease Network to Gadget Makers

2009-03-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

Think your favorite gadgets--GPS, media player, camera--and now reimagine them with wireless cellular connectivity. You can then browse for restaurants on your GPS navigator or upload pictures directly from the camera to Flickr anytime, anywhere.

Telecom services provider Sprint is hoping to make that possible by offering excess capacity on its cellular network available to gadget makers, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

"Sprint understands that we are getting to a point where almost every digital device would want to be connected to a fast ubiquitous network," says Michael Gartenberg, vice president of strategy for Los Angeles based analytics firm Interpret. "Wi-Fi isn't everywhere and consumers want the assurance of ubiquitous connectivity that wide area networks can offer."

Sprint has already taken the first step towards this model through its partnership with Amazon. Amazon kicked off the first version of its e-book reader Kindle with Sprint's wireless connectivity to help users download e-books over the air. In its latest version, Kindle allows users basic web surfing using Sprint's network without paying any additional data access charges.

This kind of unobtrusive wireless capability is something other gadget makers are likely to jump at. Sprint is already in talks with Garmin, SanDisk and Eastman Kodak, says WSJ.

"More and more we are going to see this become attractive to all sorts of vendors, especially if they can integrate it at a low cost," says Gartenberg.

Source : http://blog.wired.com

Public Opinion on Healthcare Reform 2009 and 1993 -- Is this a New Day or "Groundhog Day?"

2009-03-25T03:09:00.000-07:00

Remember 1993? Snoop Dogg was on the radio. Grunge ruled the world of fashion, and one of the top movies was "Groundhog Day" where Bill Murray had to relive the same day over again until he figured out just what he had to offer the world and finally got it right.

A charismatic young Democrat had just been elected President promising, among other things, to reform a broken health care system. Public opinion seemed to be behind him but the effort ultimately failed and a more careful reading of public opinion in those early months of the Clinton Administration reveal some of the fault lines that eventually sank the effort. Not only did reform fail to make it out of either house of Congress, but in the 1994 election voters ratified the decision and punished Democrats who supported reform rather than the Republicans who had defeated the plan.

Now a new Democrat has taken office promising healthcare reform. The question becomes; has enough changed in public opinion to offer hope that the outcome will be different this time around? A thorough review of the available polling then and now is less than encouraging for supporters of comprehensive health care reform (a category that includes the authors who should be understood to be supporters of comprehensive reform albeit sobering ones.)

Where common questions can be found in polls leading up to health reform 1993 and 2009, the public is currently less attuned to the issue, expresses less dissatisfaction with the status quo, and offers lower levels of support for the general prospect of reform. But an even greater challenge for reformers is the fact that the basic contours of public opinion that undercut the previous effort continue to be true today - perhaps even more so.

Just as in 1993, it would be easy to read current polls as highly encouraging. Many of these measures appear quite strong, it is just that they are not as strong as comparable numbers in surveys taken before the start of the 1993 effort when many pollsters, including those advising the White House were fooled into believing they had a clear mandate for major change.

Now: A 2008 Harris Interactive survey finds 29% saying so much is wrong with the current health care system that it needs to be completely rebuilt, and an additional 53% says that while there are some good aspects the system needs fundamental changes. That adds up to 82% calling for fundamental change. Just 13% say the system works pretty well and only needs minor changes.

Then: The problem is, these results were typical, though a little stronger in the period before the failed effort. As early as 1991, the same pollsters (then Lou Harris and Associates, the word "Interactive" as we know it today had not yet been coined) using the same question recorded 42% saying so much is wrong with the current health care system that it needs to be completely rebuilt, and an additional 50% said that while there are some good aspects the system needs fundamental changes - for a total of 92% calling for fundamental change and just 6% said the system worked well and only needed minor changes.

Now: A 2008 Harvard School of Public Health survey found a 55% majority in support of "national health insurance" with 35% opposed. While this is unlikely to be a phrase that this round of reformers will find useful or descriptive of their proposals, the term that was in common use in 1993 does allow for an apples to apples comparison.

Then: The same researchers using the same phrase in 1993 found 63% supporting "national health insurance" and just 26% were opposed.

Then as now the real problems facing health care reformers were structural and clearly visible in the polls. As the nation reached near consensus that there was a problem, there was never any such agreement on the specific solution. While many people agreed then as they do now that it is wrong that so many Americans are either uninsured or underinsured, the priority then, as now, for most people was on finding ways to lower their own health insurance cost. Then as now most people had health insurance that they judged to be pretty good.

Then: In 1993 a 77% majority told Martilla and Kiley that they were at least somewhat satisfied with their own health care coverage.

Now: For comparison, 82% expressed a similar level of satisfaction with their own insurance in a 2007 Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Poll.

Then: A 1993 Gallup Poll asked people about their priorities for reform and 38% said they wanted health insurance that included all Americans. The bare majority, 51% wanted to control costs, and 10% volunteered that they want reform that did both.

Now: The comparison here is a little less direct, but in 2008 the Harvard School of Public and the Kaiser Family Foundation found similar results with 45% saying they want to make health care insurance more affordable and 22% saying their goal for reform would be to expand insurance to the uninsured.

Then: An NBC News Wall Street Journal Poll in March 1993 found 66% agreeing with the statement "I would be willing to pay higher taxes so that everyone can have health insurance." Just 30% were opposed. A Martilla and Kiley poll found a similar result but in a clear sign of the problems that would emerge, among their 65% willing to pay higher taxes, just 25% said in a follow up question that they would be willing to pay as much as $50 more a month, 40% said they would pay $30. Support for higher taxes only reaches a majority (62%) when the price is as low as $10 per month, a sum that seems quite low to be enough to give coverage to everyone.

Now: In the most recent NBC News Wall Street Journal Poll conducted February 26 to March 1, 2009 the public is currently split with just 49% agreeing with the statement "I would be willing to pay higher taxes so that everyone can have health insurance" and nearly as many 45% do not agree.

Does all of this mean that the Obama plan is doomed before it has even begun? Of course not, but putting the apparently positive numbers from many of today's poll questions in the context of even more positive numbers from polls taken before the previous failed effort should serve to underscore the difficulty of the challenge ahead.

It is clear that the new team will benefit from lessons learned in the earlier health care reform effort. Reflecting a hard won understanding that most Americans are fairly satisfied with their current coverage, the first words out of any Administration spokesperson, including President Obama, on the subject of health care reform is that if you like what you have now you will be able to keep it. Also reflecting the priorities expressed in public opinion polls today (and back then), far greater emphasis is now being placed on cost containment than on extending coverage.

The real question will of course come in the details of the proposal. If Obama can come up with a plan that extends coverage to more Americans without a major increase in the burdens it places on the individuals and businesses who pay for it, then it will be difficult for those who want to see this effort fail to generate much public opposition. Naturally this is a tall order, but we would not want to be among the legions of commentators who have had to swallow their doubts that Barack Obama can achieve the difficult.

The only thing we will predict is that there will be a lot of articles written looking at statistics like some of the ones mentioned here (in fact they are likely to grow stronger as the heat is turned up on the issue) to make the case that this time around the public strongly supports reform. We hope this little bit of context will help keep these articles in perspective.

The authors wish to thank Julia Kurnik for research assistance and Robert Blendon of the Harvard School of Public Health for invaluable assistance. Would anyone try to write this article without first calling Bob Blendon?

Full post with graphics can be found at CenteredPolitics.com and Pollster.com.

Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com

U.S. banks lost $32.1 billion in fourth quarter

2009-03-25T03:05:00.000-07:00

U.S. banks posted net losses of $32.1 billion in the last quarter of 2008, according to revised figures released late last week by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Previously, the FDIC reported that the nation’s financial institutions had posted losses of $26.2 billion in the fourth quarter.

The FDIC said the new figures reflect “significant amendments” the agency received shortly after its original estimates were released last month. Banks’ revised figures show vastly higher non-cash impairment charges in the fourth quarter, the FDIC said, which impacted the financial sector’s net income and equity capital figures.

Net income for all of 2008 was revised down from $16.1 billion to $10.2 billion.

The decline in the banking industry’s equity capital for the final quarter of 2008 is now reported at $10.1 billion, up from $3.7 billion.

Banks made $575 million in fourth quarter 2007.

Source : http://www.bizjournals.com

John Hancock Financial Leads Industry in Life Insurance Sales for 2008

2009-03-25T02:58:00.000-07:00

BOSTON, March 23, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ ----John Hancock led the industry in total individual life insurance sales in 2008, according to a recent survey of 78 major life insurers by LIMRA International (LIMRA).

According to LIMRA, John Hancock Life Insurance had sales in 2008 of $835 million in premium*. The company also increased its industry-leading market share to more than seven percent and led the industry in average face amount of approximately $1.3 million.

"We are extremely pleased to lead the industry in life insurance sales, especially in light of the challenging economic backdrop in 2008. Our sales results again demonstrated strength across our entire product portfolio," said Steve Finch, President, John Hancock Life Insurance. "We strive to be an industry leader in product innovation, continually enhancing our portfolio to meet our clients' needs."

John Hancock finished first in the industry in variable life (including variable universal life) sales, with sales of approximately $237 million*, according to LIMRA.

"We have placed strong emphasis on variable universal life over the past few years. We believe that for clients with long term horizons our variable universal products are well designed to meet their needs. They remain an attractive and appropriate product," Mr. Finch said.

John Hancock finished second in the industry in universal life sales with sales of nearly $496 million*, and the company maintained its market share of nearly 10 percent, according to LIMRA.

Term and whole life sales again produced strong results, with sales of $84 million and $17 million respectively.

"We remain committed to further strengthening our product portfolio, our service capabilities and our underwriting expertise to provide even greater value for our clients and producers," Mr. Finch said. "We know that our customers and their advisors have many options for meeting their financial objectives and we appreciate that they have chosen to place their trust and confidence in John Hancock."

*Annualized premium plus 10% of excess premium for US individual life insurance as reported to LIMRA

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation (the Company), a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$405 billion (US$330 billion) as at December 31, 2008.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '0945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at www.johnhancock.com.

Survey Source: LIMRA International, U.S. Individual Life Insurance Sales Survey, Fourth Quarter YTD 2008 results. Sales based on annualized new premium.

Source :

http://www.jhancock.com

Workers hurt by health insurance woes

2009-03-25T02:51:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Following a trend seen nationally, fewer workers in Illinois are insured than they were in the 1990s.

A study for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that nationwide nearly one in five workers is uninsured, a statistically significant increase from fewer than one in seven during the mid-1990s.

In Illinois, the study found that 16 percent of workers between ages 19 to 64 were uninsured in 2007, the latest year such figures are available. In 1995, 11.6 percent of workers in Illinois were uninsured.

The study found that the problem is cost. Total premiums for employer plans have risen six to eight times faster than wages, depending on whether individual or family coverage is picked.

About 20.7 million workers were uninsured in the mid-1990s. A decade later, it was 26.9 million, an increase of about six million.

Source : http://www.examiner.com

Dell's Sleek Adamo Arrives Today

2009-03-22T22:19:00.001-07:00

Dell's Adamo ultraportable is finally here.

Ever since Apple first introduced its MacBook Air, consumers have been lusting after ultra-thin, ultra-light laptops that still pack a solid performance punch. While many manufacturers have come to challenge the Air, from Lenovo's X300 series to Voodoo's Envy 133, Apple's offering has maintained its dominance. As of today, that dominance will be challenged yet again.

Dell's Adamo will go on sale later today, with an expected shipping date of March 26. The Adamo (Adamo means "to fall in love with" in Latin) carries many of the high end features one would expect with an ultraportable of this caliber. The 13.4-inch, 720p display is made from "edge-to-edge" mineral glass, and the entire laptop chassis is machined from one piece of aluminum. For storage, SSD is the only option, with 128 GB being standard.

While good looks and speedy storage are all well and good, the rest of the insides are a bit of a letdown. For $1,999, the Adamo carries a 1.2 GHz Core 2 Duo U9300 processor with 2 GB of DDR3 memory. If you're willing to p[ay an additional $700, you'll get a processor bump up to 1.6 GHz, 4 GB of RAM, and a built-in 3G wireless card. Unfortunately, both models come with Intel's X4500, which leaves something to be desired on the graphics front. Sure, no one was expecting a GTX 260M, but there are several viable alternatives to the X4500. As for other amenities, the Adamo comes with a DisplayPort, with cables to connect to DVI, HDMI and VGA. North America buyers can also expect an exclusive Adamo Premium Service and the upper echelons of Dell's technical support.

In comparison, the $1,799 MacBook Air ships with a 1.6 GHz Core 2 Duo as well as Nvidia's highly regarded 9400M graphics, giving it a solid advantage in both general processing and graphics muscle at a lower price point.

"Great design needs to be timeless and evoke emotion in people", said Alex Gruzen, Senior VP of Dell's consumer products division. "While a premium computing experience was assumed for Adamo, the intent was for people to see, touch and explore Adamo and be rewarded by the select materials and craftsmanship you would expect in a fine watch." Judging from the sentiments of Gruzer and the Adamo's insides, Dell undoubtedly put style before performance with this ultraportable.

One area where the Adamo beats the MacBook Air is thickness. While the Air has a maximum thickness of .75-inches, the Adamo maxes out at .65-inches. However, it should be noted that the Air comes up to .75-inches from .16-inches, whereas the Adamo is .65-inches throughout its body. The Adamo also comes in about one pound heavier than its veteran rival.

While the Adamo is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the ultraportable market, it's lackluster hardware may be an Achilles heel.

Source : http://www.tomshardware.com

TypeIt4Me 4.1.1: Tom’s Budget Software Pick

2009-03-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

TypeIt4Me has long been a favorite of Mac users. It’s been around for 20 years, in one incarnation or another. TypeIt4Me is a utility that monitors your typing, looks for keyword phrases (called abbreviations in TypeIt4Me) you have defined, and replaces those keywords with the text you have assigned to that keyword.

If you’re thinking this sounds a lot like the AutoText feature in Microsoft Word, or many other word processors, you’re on the right track. The difference is that TypeIt4Me is a system-wide application that will work with almost any open application. You can use TypeIt4Me in your email application, word processor, web editor, or just about any application that works with text.

The text that replaces an abbreviation can be as simple as your name and address, or as complex as a rich text document that contains formatting and images. TypeIt4Me works with variables such as date and time, and can insert the current contents of your clipboard. You can control the position of the cursor, defining its location after TypeIt4Me expands an abbreviation; trigger AppleScripts; or nest other TypeIt4Me clippings within the current expanded abbreviation.

TypeIt4Me is available for $27. A 30-day demo is available.

Source : http://macs.about.com

Steve Ballmer Maps Microsoft’s Cloud-y Future

2009-03-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

By Saul Hansell

Saul Hansell/The New York Times
A diagram, by Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive, of its cloud computing strategy

Look at the picture above. It’s an original Steve Ballmer created before my eyes on the wall of a conference room here at The Times.

Simple, isn’t it?

Well, that’s the point that Mr. Ballmer, the chief executive of Microsoft, was trying to make when he drew it. I was talking to him about Microsoft’s plans to offer companies cloud computing services — software that will run on Microsoft’s new network of big data centers. As I learned about the Azure system, Microsoft’s new cloud operating system, I started to wonder if it is overly complex. I asked if Microsoft was risking taking on too much, as it did with Longhorn, the operating system rewrite that led to the ill-fated Windows Vista.

“It’s not anything like Longhorn,” Mr. Ballmer said. “And it’s not really that complicated.”

He jumped up, grabbed a marker and drew a big black rectangle divided into smaller rectangles on the white board.

“This is what we look like in the data center,” he said.

He was referring to all of the software Microsoft currently sells to run on corporate servers and the tools to develop them. That currently is a $13 billion-a-year business for Microsoft (22 percent of its total revenue) and its fastest growing segment. All of those products, Mr. Ballmer said, are being rewritten so customers can run them on Microsoft’s computers in addition to their own.

“Anything that has been a server needs to be a service,” he said.

So in the center box he wrote “Windows Server”—the company’s core product for data centers.

“Windows Server becomes Windows Azure,” he said. Steve Ballmer

That is going to be a service that will let companies build applications to be run from Microsoft’s data centers.

The next block up represented SQL Server — Microsoft’s database product.

“I’ll bet by the time we’re done, if I win, this will be called SQL Azure,” he said, implying a bit of a branding debate. Nearby were boxes for Microsoft’s other server products — Exchange for e-mail, SharePoint for collaboration, etc.

The trapezoid at the very top of Mr. Ballmer’s picture represented Office and other PC software products that it sells to big companies, much of it meant to interact with the server software, like Exchange.

As he has before, Mr. Ballmer insisted that these PC programs are not all going to be replaced with Web sites, like Google Docs or Gmail.

“Everyone says ‘You have to run in a browser.’ That’s nonsense,” he said. “When you run in the browser, you are not running HTML, you are just downloading code to the browser instead of downloading code to the PC.”

What is important, Mr. Ballmer argued, is giving Microsoft software the ability to use the Internet as needed. For example, corporations will be able to start their own social networks to enable employees to work together better. You’ll use this network from within Office.

He also suggested that the move will increase Microsoft’s earnings from corporate services. That’s because it will be able to charge both for the software itself and Microsoft’s service to operate that software on its own machines.

The company’s costs will rise and its profit margins will fall as it builds out its data centers. Software, after all, has remarkable margins because it doesn’t really cost anything to deliver an additional office license to a corporate client. But Mr. Ballmer said that Microsoft will still come away with more dollars in profit for every worker using its cloud-based services than it does from software.

“Shareholders don’t get fed by percentages,” he said.

So far, little of this is actually making money for Microsoft. It started selling the early version of cloud-based Exchange and SharePoint services last year. And it is testing its new systems with big companies including Coca-Cola Enterprises and Nokia. But Mr. Ballmer said he didn’t think Microsoft was behind its potential rivals.

“This is all so early,” he said. “It’s early for Amazon. VMware is just barely there. We’re barely there. Google isn’t there yet.”

Most of these companies don’t have much experience selling to big companies, he said.

“It took us 10 years to establish our enterprise capability and this company, Google, hasn’t really begun to focus,” Mr. Ballmer said. “We understand what the enterprise needs: security, compliance, archiving.”

That’s why I keep wondering about the scope of what Mr. Ballmer is trying to do. Azure and the related products are meant from the start to have all the features that a multinational company might need to run sophisticated applications. His picture may well look simple to chief information officers who see in it a mirror of the software they already buy from Microsoft.

I said one more time to Mr. Ballmer that his approach seemed much riskier than that used by Google and Amazon, which can start by offering simple services and then can build them up over time.

Mr. Ballmer replied he was quite confident that Microsoft’s “story is right.”

He added, “We are taking the complexity out, not the capabilities.”

Source : http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com

Paul Boutin Cisco acquires Flip camera maker, analysts bring out the knives

2009-03-22T02:17:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, network equipment megalith Cisco Systems announced the pending acquisition of Pure Digital, makers of the popular Flip video camera whose success is due to its one-button simplicity and built-in video management software for both PC and Mac. (See gadget gury David Pogue's video for an entertaining explanation of the Flip's appeal. A new model, the Mino, shoots HD video.)

Cisco watchers are largely unimpressed with the deal. In short, analysts and writers who cover Cisco consider the Flip's market of 2 million units too small for Cisco to bother with, and Pure Digital's selling price of $590 million too small a return for investors Benchmark Capital and Sequoia Capital.

Gartner analyst Nick Jones:

This leaves me totally puzzled. $590 million is loose change for Cisco. But why spend even loose change on a brand no-one has heard of outside the US and which has sold about 2 million units in its entire history. Last year the mobile industry shipped well over 800 million handsets with cameras, the latest models like the Samsung Omnia can already shoot HD video which is on the cusp of mainstream mobile adoption. The chips and camera modules on mid to high-end devices will all head to HD over the next couple of years. So products like Flip are going to be buried under an avalanche of HD enabled handsets. I can understand Flip wanting to sell out before the tsunami arrives but why would Cisco buy?

Network World columnist Brad Reese:

A spectacularly successful cash out for Pure Digital's venture capital investor - Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital (keep in mind that Moritz and Sequoia were also the original venture capital backers of Cisco), [but] not be a wise acquisition for Cisco.

First, how do Cisco's valuable channel partners benefit with Cisco capital and management attention focused on products sold in mass retail outlets for between $130 and $230, and whose success has spawned a large group of copycat competitors?

Second, Cisco's expertise is in developing and supporting complex technology. I fear Cisco risks being "dumbed down" ... for example, a recent report shows Cisco gaining market share in [small to medium business] routers but losing ground in the high-end router segment to Juniper Networks.

PEHub blogger Lawrence Aragon, who writes about private equity:

It sounds like a pretty good deal, but you have to understand that the VCs put $95 million into Pure, which makes the Flip digital video camera. Assuming they own half of the company, that’s a return of just over 3x their money. For a middle-of-the road VC firm, that would be a decent return, but for big name backers Benchmark Capital and Sequoia Captial that’s pretty much a dud.

Did Pure Digital's investors push for a relatively cheap acquistion before the Flip loses its market share? Does Cisco have plans for the Flip, or for Pure Digital, that aren't obvious from outside the company? Cisco's press release suggests Cisco, an enterprise IT colossus, is trying to become a household brand as well:

"The acquisition of Pure Digital is key to Cisco's strategy to expand our momentum in the media-enabled home and to capture the consumer market transition to visual networking."

The consumer market transition to visual networking? Sounds like Cisco is looking to sell cameras to the makers of YouTube home videos. Good luck competing with Apple and Logitech.

Source : http://www.thestandard.com

Review: A month with Sony's Vaio P

2009-03-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

Yay
+ Very small and light, but still has a great keyboard
+ 1600x768 display
+ Fanless and completely silent
+ Stunning looks
+ 3G networking and GPS built-in

Nay
- You'll need to upgrade to Windows XP or Windows 7 to get the most out of it.
- 200 dpi display means text is tiny
- Expensive, and so are accessories
- Intel GMA 500 video drivers badly need updating
- Disabled SIM card slot

It is beautiful, an engineering marvel. It is fanless, silent and slim. For anyone who's ever hated carrying a briefcase—or wanted a computer that goes well with Gaultier—the Vaio P is the ne plus ultra of ultraportable computers.

For the rest, it's a $900 laptop that can barely keep up with netbooks half its price.

Sadly hobbled by Windows Vista's bloat, only those with undemanding performance requirements will enjoy it straight out of the box. Install XP or Windows 7, however, and its promise becomes more apparent.

About as small as a laptop can be while retaining a decent keyboard, the P is 9.7" x 4.7" x 0.8" and weighs just 1.4 pounds. It has a high-definition 8" LED-backlit display, 2GB of RAM, 3G internet, WiFi and GPS. The base model has a 60GB hard drive, with optional SSD upgrades. That keyboard is nearly full-size, and in the chiclet style long used by Sony and Apple, recently adopted by cheaper brands.

It has a GoBi radio, which means in principle that it can get 3G data from both Evdo and HSDPA networks. In the U.S., however, it is exclusive to Verizon. U.S. units also lack the faster processors available in Europe and Japan (you can buy imports from Dynamism) but gain integrated GPS, a feature not found abroad.

It's a nice package, for sure, but it uses a slower version of Intel's Atom chip, the Z520, which leaves it huffing and puffing to keep up with cheaper alternatives like the HP Mini.

Battery life is also poor: you'll get a little over 2 hours on balanced settings. The long-life battery doubles that, but makes the P about a third of an inch thicker. Small type on the 200dpi display can be hard on the eyes. The track-nub is surprisingly good — there was simply no space for a trackpad — but some people find it irritating and difficult to use.

More disappointing was poor video and gaming performance, even accounting for the low specifications. This is almost certainly a software issue: Intel and Sony need to step up and provide better drivers for the P's GMA 500 video chip. While it looks gorgeous, the plastic finish is fingerprint-friendly and it doesn't feel very durable.

It's hard to talk about the Vaio P without talking about its ads. After announcing it at CES to the technology tribes, Sony turned its marketing attention to professional women, deploying a bizarre campaign centered around robot fashion mannequins who wandered Manhattan making geolocated Facebook updates.

At a party at the company's Madison Avenue flagship store, I got to observe the mannequins do their thing--stand very still, looking pretty, holding Vaio Ps out for the fashion press to nervously inspect.

It's art, and I kind of liked it, but it makes one wonder just how much it would have cost Sony to make sure OpenGL worked better.

Whoever Sony wants to sell it to, here's who I think will like it: portability junkies who find netbooks too cumbersome, but who still want a usable keyboard. If the idea of that appeals to you — and you're prepared to pay for it — go for it. If you're even slightly ambivalent, however, wait until Windows 7 is out so you can avoid the hours of tinkering that the Vaio P demands to get the most from it.

Source : http://gadgets.boingboing.net

Spy camera in a tissue box

2009-03-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Inside this tissue box recorder from Brickhouse is a relatively decent camera capable of DVD-quality recording, triggered by motion or on a schedule. It'll even drop down to black-and-white in the dark for low-light recording. It's ridiculously priced at $600, so I can't really recommend it, but mostly pointing it out so if you see a tissue box like this in the future you'll be able to turn it around to face the wall. [via Chip Chick]

Shuttle's X50 Touchscreen All-In-One

2009-03-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

Similar to the Asus model we just reviewed, Shuttle's X50 is another nettop all-in-one. It too has a touchscreen 15.6" display with a 1366x768 screen resolution, 1 GB of RAM and an Atom CPU from Intel.

I has a 160GB hard drive, a webcam, gigabit ethernet and WiFi, and is sold with Windows XP. There are 5 USB ports and a memory card reader.

How, then, does it differ? Where the Eee is round, the X50 is square. And it has a handle.

Shuttle x50 [Slashgear]

Source : http://gadgets.boingboing.net/

SplitFish FragFX V2 is the controller bundled with a PlayStation 3 if it were 1988

2009-03-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

Unlike Microsoft's silly but sort of understandable proscription against mice on home consoles, Sony doesn't mind letting gamers use a mouse on their lap. Swiss peripherals maker SplitFish has released a new model of their FragFX mouse, the V2, with offers "significant improvements", but is presented here primarily because it looks odd. It is eighty of your dollars.

Source : http://gadgets.boingboing.net/

Elecom M-SN1UL Mouse

2009-03-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

The Elecom M-SN1UL is a mouse that moves the optical sensor to the outer edge where your thumb rests. By doing this it aims to make using a mouse more accurate. We’ll explain how after the jump.

When learning to write you put the pen between your thumb and finger. With a traditional mouse the ball is right in the middle of the mouse as that’s the only place it would fit. Since optical mice have been around they have also had their optical sensors right in the middle of the mouse. However, Elecom have made the M-SN1UL with a sensor out side of the mouse where if you were holding a pen, the tip would be. By doing this it means that your mouse gets the precision of holding a pen while moving it around. The optical sensor on the M-SN1UL is 1600dpi.

Will it actually work as described? or will it just seem the same as any other mouse? I expect the latter but if anyone has used one or will do in the future then let us know if it’s worth buying.

Via: EverythingUSB

Source: http://www.gadgetvenue.com

Gadget Show Presents CS: Source Prize Tourney

2009-03-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

Heaven Media has announced they will present a professional eSports tournament to be held at Gadget Show Live, taking place at Birmingham NEC April 17th-19th. Counter-Strike: Source is the game and £6,000 will be up for grabs for the four teams from around Europe whom have been invited to compete.

“We will have a whole host of activities within the Gaming Zone, but the focal point will very much be this tournament,” said Adam Godfrey, Business Development for Heaven Media. “It is a great opportunity for over 30,000 visitors at the event to see the best gamers in Europe battling it out.

“This tournament gives casual gamers a chance to meet some of the top eSports personalities in person, these are teams that compete in large money tournaments all over the world,” confirmed Heaven Media’s Corin Cole. “We will also be providing extensive coverage both within the zone and via our portfolio of sites”.

The focal hub for coverage will be leading eSports coverage site Cadred.org who will be in attendance to provide live scores, features, media, and access to watch games, both live and on-demand.

Heaven Media have also confirmed the attendance of eSports broadcasting company QuadV, in the form of Paul Chaloner, Stuart Saw, and Jason Atkins, who bring with them many years of experience in broadcasting, both online and to television networks around the world.

Source: http://ve3d.ign.com

Health Care Reform: Changing the Tax Treatment of Health Insurance

2009-03-16T23:02:00.000-07:00

Leading Members of Congress and certain officials in the Obama Administration are reportedly considering changes to the federal tax treatment of health insurance as a means of financing health reform.

If there is one area in health policy where there is a powerful consensus among serious analysts, conservative and liberal alike, it is the need to change the existing tax treatment of health insurance. President Ronald Reagan first proposed a change to the tax law governing health insurance in 1983, but Congress never acted on the proposal. Six years later, analysts at The Heritage Foundation unveiled a national health reform proposal grounded in comprehensive tax reform. Now, the idea could—depending on its details—potentially serve as the basis of a bipartisan compromise on health reform in the coming months.

The Current Tax Treatment

The current tax treatment of health insurance is a byproduct of wage and price controls imposed by the Roosevelt Administration during the World War II era. The federal tax code currently excludes, without limit, the value of employer-sponsored health insurance from an individual's income for the purposes of both income and payroll taxes. This tax exclusion for employer-sponsored insurance is a huge, but hidden, tax subsidy. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that value of the tax exclusion in 2007 was $246.1 billion in foregone income and payroll taxes. The exclusion represents the largest federal tax expenditure as well as the third largest health care expenditure, following only Medicare and Medicaid, the nation's two largest entitlement programs.

Health economists generally agree that this Roosevelt-era policy is poorly designed and has many perverse incentives. The employee exclusion is inherently unfair, inefficient, and inequitable.

It is unfair because only individuals with employer-sponsored insurance are able to receive tax relief, while individuals without access to such coverage typically pay for health insurance with after-tax dollars and, in effect, face a sizeable tax penalty. It is inefficient and inequitable because the largest tax benefits go to those who need them least; given the progressive structure of the tax code, the exclusion is regressive since it is worth less to taxpayers in lower marginal tax rates and more to those in higher marginal tax rates. Therefore, if the goal is to extend coverage to the uninsured, the tax break is poorly targeted because it provides little or no tax relief to those with low incomes, who are least able to afford health insurance.

The tax treatment of health insurance also has the perverse effect of increasing health care spending and driving up costs by essentially lowering the effective price of employer-sponsored health insurance. The exclusion does encourage individuals to obtain insurance. But it also encourages many individuals to have more generous insurance than they typically need, because the higher the cost of the insurance and the higher the person's income, the bigger the tax benefit for the individual. The exclusion creates a bias toward overly generous insurance—even first-dollar coverage—with low cost-sharing in the form of co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles because out-of-pocket expenditures, for the most part, do not enjoy a similar tax preference. This incentive reduces the price sensitivity of health care consumers and leads to higher prices and greater utilization, which in turn puts a strain on resources and makes health care more expensive for those who lack insurance.

The Right Way to Change the Tax Treatment

The best way to change the current tax treatment would be to replace the existing tax exclusion with a more equitable and efficient system of individual tax relief, leveling the playing field for robust competition among insurers and creating a level of consumer choice that is routine in every other sector of the American economy.

Short of that, Congress could limit or cap the exclusion, perhaps only for income tax purposes, while simultaneously using the new revenue to provide health care tax credits for taxpaying households. The government could also provide vouchers—which, for lower-income households, could be combined with the credit—so that more individuals and families can afford health insurance.

Under this scenario, any revenue generated from the value of premiums that either exceeds the cap or is no longer excluded from taxable income should be used exclusively to finance tax credits to individuals and families to offset their federal taxes. The existing tax exclusion on health benefits should be gradually phased out over time while the new system of health care tax credits for individuals and families is phased in. The health care tax credits should apply to a significant portion of a health plan's premium—but not all of it (consumers should have some "skin in the game")—and be used to offset some of a taxpayer's income tax liability.

Americans with no tax liability, or tax liability that is currently less than the value of the credit, should receive vouchers to purchase their own insurance. The voucher component would be somewhat like a traditional refundable tax credit (such as the earned income tax credit), although with a key difference: These health care vouchers should be paid for entirely by reductions in other government spending in the budget—and there are plenty of options available to finance such direct assistance to low-income persons. But assistance to families currently not paying taxes should not be funded by the revenue raised from changes in the tax treatment of health insurance for taxpaying Americans.

Essential to Bipartisan Reform

Changing the tax treatment of employer-sponsored health insurance has for years enjoyed support from across the political spectrum. Although President Obama has not yet included tax treatment reforms in his health care plan, it is not too late. Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D–MT) has proposed limiting the current tax exclusion, which suggests there is still some room for a compromise on this front. If President Obama and leaders in Congress are sincere about passing—and fully financing—comprehensive health care reform legislation with broad bipartisan support, changes to the tax treatment are essential.

There are several ways to design a new system of health care financing that is more efficient and more equitable than what Americans have today. The right way is to restructure the tax code to promote competition among health plans and give Americans real personal choice of health care options. A proposal that gradually phases out the current income tax exclusion while phasing in a more equitable and efficient tax treatment will achieve serious bipartisan health care reform.

Source : http://www.heritage.org

Paragon Software(R) Introduces New NTFS for Mac(R) OS X 7.0

2009-03-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

Universal File System Driver Creates Two-Way Communication Channel Between Mac OS X and Windows, Includes New MacBrowser for Dual-Boot Capabilities

IRVINE, CA - Paragon Software Group (PSG), the technology leader in innovative data security and data management solutions, today announced the release of NTFS for Mac OS X 7.0. A complete solution designed to eliminate the barrier between Windows and Mac, NTFS for Mac provides Mac OS X users with full read and write access to Microsoft NTFS partitions. This allows users to modify existing files, delete, create, and copy new files from Mac to Windows, without the need for expensive translation software or servers.

Paragon's NTFS for Mac OS X 7.0 is based on Paragon's own unique technology -- the Universal File System Driver (UFSD). UFSD was specially developed to provide full access (read/write, format, etc.) to volumes of the most popular file systems (NTFS, FAT, Ext2/3FS, etc.) under various platforms (DOS, Windows, Linux, and Mac) when these file systems are not supported. The product is simple to install on a Mac system through user-friendly wizards, with no additional configuration required after installation. It is also simple to use, as every attached Windows NTFS partition works like a native Mac HFS partition after installation. By mounting any NTFS partition like a native Mac partition, the need to perform special commands to obtain access is eliminated. NTFS for Mac OS X 7.0 provides improved write performance enabling the same transfer rate for NTFS volumes as the native Mac OS file system.

Paragon's new MacBrowser is a unique tool that allows fast, easy and transparent read/write access to Mac HFS partitions from within Windows. After the user has installed the software on a Windows operating system, a special unmapped folder under 'My Computer' can be used to browse content, read and modify files, copy, create, open, and delete files and folders on Mac partitions from Windows. To modify a file from a Mac volume, the user would copy it to a Windows partition, make the desired changes and copy it back to Mac after the modifications are completed.

Source : http://www.msnbc.msn.com

BMW DesignWorksUSA Designs Ultimate Gaming Rig

2009-03-16T22:19:00.000-07:00

About a decade ago, pretty much every computer in the world was housed in a boring beige box, and the biggest design question was whether that container would sit vertically or horizontally. That's all changed now, partly due to the influence of Apple and custom PC manufacturers like Thermaltake, a Taiwanese company that specializes in PC cases and cooling devices.

Recently, Thermaltake contracted BMW DesignWorksUSA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the German automaker, to help create a new concept in high-end computing, and the result is wholly different from what's common to the market today. Instead of centering around one large box that all the computer components would sit inside, BMW's Level 10 concept uses a set of smaller containers that would house each individual piece.

The requisite ~~LCD~~ LED lighting is present and accounted for, in this case glowing a red hue that looks Vader-esque with the rest of its piano black plastic surrounds. This design is mostly an aesthetic exercise, but it may also have a desirable effect on cooling. Other unique features include a "USB memory key" that doubles as a power button and dual handles that allow the unit to be transported. See the official press release after the break.

[Source: BMW]

PRESS RELEASE:

VIRTUAL REALITY: COMPUTER WORLDS INSPIRE DESIGN CONCEPT CREATED BY BMW GROUP DESIGNWORKSUSA FOR THE LATEST HIGH-END THERMALTAKE GAMING TOWER SHOW PIECE

The gaming industry - a sector that can deservedly adorn itself with attributes such as visionary creativity, innovation and progressiveness. However, who inspires the gaming industry and how does one set trends in a sector that is in itself the embodiment of progressive thinking and imaginativeness? One answer to that question is currently being given by BMW Group DesignworksUSA, with the presentation of a design concept for a high-end gaming tower prototype that was inspired by the gaming world itself.

BMW Group DesignworksUSA, a 100% subsidiary of the BMW Group, has for many years shaped the global design landscape working for a multitude of industries. In addition to creating yachts, trains, aircraft, lifestyle and IT products, the three studios in Munich, California and Singapore are also engaged with design concepts aimed at transforming visions into reality. One of these concepts is named "Level 10" for Thermaltake, a manufacturer of computer housings and components for individually configurable high-end computers.

Design concept from another world.
The "Level 10" concept allows gamers to experience the power of their high-end computers through the design itself. In order to achieve this, iconic design is combined with optimum functionality and innovative details. By rendering the inside components visible, the design concept focuses on the architectural aesthetics which are inherent in the computers and result from each individually configurable component. The inspiration for this approach the design team took right from the computer worlds themselves – expressiveness, virtual townscapes and futuristic game components served as orientation for the arrangement and the look of individual components. These appear within the overall design in the form of an open modular structure that visually appeals to users, offering them additional functional benefits. Each high-quality component featured by the "Level 10" concept is enclosed within its own protective case, rendering it not only an integral part of the design but also guaranteeing interchangeability and transportability. Thus the design concept makes considerable allowances for the behaviour of users who wish to use their equipment in many different places and are eager to get it there safely. The concept also has an aesthetical answer to the physical necessity for best possible cooling, this also being associated with the virtual world of the gamer. The asymmetric arrangement of the robust vertical heatsink and the horizontally located individual components creates a strong architectural statement, clearly revealing the powerful cooling characteristics of the Thermaltake Gaming Tower.

Decisive game factor: Cleverly designed details.
Whilst the design concept initially appeals visually to gamers, clever detail solutions do justice to their high demands on the applications. A smart lock system facilitates the blocking of access in order to protect the valuable modules. A USB memory key was designed as an extractable "power button" that not only activates the system, but also secures personal system data, rendering it suitable for flexible use. Two ergonomically well-positioned, integrated handles allow safe and convenient transportation of the tower, a highly relevant feature in the high-end gaming tower sector. The design is rounded off by a cleverly devised cable conduit system and light features which communicate a multitude of tower functions such as temperature and memory volumes. Since the computer worlds themselves supply the context for the conceptual idea, an authentic design has been created that significantly emphasises the functionality of the Thermaltake housing and no longer needs to be concealed inside the chassis. The prototype of the "Level 10" tower can be seen from the 3rd to 8th of March at the CEBIT in Hannover. (Thermaltake stand hall 24 / C02).

BMW Group DesignworksUSA- Perfect design beyond the spotlights.
BMW Group DesignworksUSA is a global design consultancy and subsidiary of the BMW Group. The company, which was acquired by the BMW Group in 1995, now operates globally from its locations in Europe, America and Asia. Clients turn to DesignworksUSA for brand communications, strategy, research, design development, engineering, modeling, and color, materials, and finish. Unique to DesignworksUSA, they have both an automotive and industrial design studio, enabling the transfer of collective knowledge and inspiration from automotive design to product design and vice versa. The studio represents a guiding force for the BMW Group brand design studios (BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars) and simultaneously operates as an innovation driver for the most diverse industries from IT to medical, lifestyle or aviation. Since 2004, Verena C. Kloos has overseen the strategy and operations for the Munich, Los Angeles and Singapore design studios. The designs consistently express the individual identity of a brand, so each product devised by BMW Group DesignworksUSA gains its specific uniqueness. Thanks to this approach the design studio stands out significantly from its competitors, convincing big brand names – from Microsoft and HP, Starbucks, Embraer, Advanced Medical Optics and Bavaria Yachts to Boeing Business Jets.

Design studio: BMW Group DesignworksUSA, Munich Studio
Client: Thermaltake, Taipeh, Taiwan
Project name: Design concept "Level 10"

Source : http://www.autoblog.com

A Better View For Your Computer

2009-03-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

A computer's monitor is arguably its most important component. After all, no matter how much hardware you have, you still have to look at the end result through a display.

The Globe tested four monitors, including a tiny 7-inch USB monitor and three wide-screen monitors.

We tested the 25.5-inch Asus VW266H for $399, the 25.5-inch Hewlett-Packard w2558hc for $549.99, and we were given an exclusive first look at one of Dell's new "green monitors," the 24-inch G2410 G-Series at $349. We also tested the Mimo UM-710 7-inch USB monitor, which costs $129.99.

We found that all four monitors had strengths. The Asus is big, uncomplicated, and inexpensive. The HP has lots of plugs, ports, and goodies like digital camera card readers and a webcam. Dell claims its offering uses less energy than competitors and is made from recycled materials - bonuses for people conscious about their carbon footprint.

The Mimo monitor, while small, was a fun solution for people who want to use a second monitor. It plugs into any available USB port, so it will work on nearly any modern computer. Its size also allows you to have two monitors without two big monitors taking up your whole desk.

Andy Trask, the co-owner of Geek Housecalls Inc. of Burlington, selected the HP as the best overall monitor because of the glossy finish to the display and HP's positive reputation.

"In my experience with HP monitors, they tend to be of a higher quality," Trask said.

We liked the HP monitor a lot, but were most enamored with the Asus monitor. While it didn't have all the bells, whistles, and ports of the HP monitor, we were impressed with its quality and even more so with its price.

Both the HP and Asus monitors had traditional VGA and DVI (digital visual interface) ports for your computer, but they also had HDMI ports (one on the Asus and two on the HP), which let you plug in your Blu-ray player, HDTV cable box, or video game system to the monitor instead of using a television.

"A lot of people are looking for a way to put together as much technology as they can without having to repeat steps," Trask said. "As a simple solution, this really makes it easy to put the computer and the TV together in the same box with high quality and high resolution."

As far as shopping tips, Trask says to look for the biggest monitor you can find for your budget. He also recommends going to your local electronics store to view the monitors in person, just as you would with a TV - instead of just checking them out online.

ASUS VW266H

$399
Pros: The VW266H is a big monitor that's affordable and looks great.
Cons: The stand is a little flimsy. It also doesn't have any USB ports, speakers, or other extras.
The final word: If you don't need any bells and whistles - and just need, you know, a computer monitor - you will love the Asus monitor.

HP W2558HC

$549.99
Pros: The monitor has vivid color and tons of extras like two HDMI ports, USB ports, a remote control, flash card readers, and more.
Cons: The price is a worry. And do you really need all that extra stuff?
The final word: The HP model is a friendly choice for home users but a bit impractical for businesses.

DELL G2410

$349
Pros: This might be the "greenest" computer monitor. It's made from recycled materials and uses less energy than most others.
Cons: You can only plug one HD device into it. It doesn't have an HDMI port, which is becoming the standard for things like Blu-ray players and HDTV. It's not a huge deal, because you can buy a DVI-to-HDMI wire that will let you plug any HDMI device into the monitor's DVI plug. This lets you use the monitor as a television or DVD/Blu-ray display.
The final word: You can almost never go wrong with a Dell monitor. They're built well, look good, and are usually reasonably priced.

MIMO UM-710

$129.99
Pros: The Mimo is a functional, useful, spare monitor that works on any modern computer and lets you watch movies or keep track of tasks without a large, clunky second monitor taking up all your desk space.
Cons: None that we could find.
The final word: At 7 inches, this Mimo miniature is a great second monitor. It's certainly not as useful as a full-size monitor, though.

Source : http://www.boston.com

How To Tell, What To Do If Computer Is Infected

2009-03-16T22:02:00.000-07:00

Computer-virus infections don't cause your machine to crash anymore.

Nowadays, the criminals behind the infections usually want your computer operating in top form so you don't know something's wrong. That way, they can log your keystrokes and steal any passwords or credit-card numbers you enter at Web sites, or they can link your infected computer with others to send out spam.

Here are some signs your computer is infected, tapped to serve as part of "botnet" armies run by criminals:

_ You experience new, prolonged slowdowns. This can be a sign that a malicious program is running in the background.

_ You continually get pop-up ads that you can't make go away. This is a sure sign you have "adware," and possibly more, on your machine.

_ You're being directed to sites you didn't intend to visit, or your search results are coming back funky. This is another sign that hackers have gotten to your machine.

So what do you do?

_ Having anti-virus software here is hugely helpful. For one, it can identify known malicious programs and disable them. If the virus that has infected your machine isn't detected, many anti-virus vendors offer a service in which they can remotely take over your computer and delete the malware for a fee.

_ Some anti-virus vendors also offer free, online virus-scanning services.

_ You may have to reinstall your operating system if your computer is still experiencing problems. It's a good idea even if you believe you've cleaned up the mess because malware can still be hidden on your machine. You will need to back up your files before you do this.

How do I know what information has been taken?

_ It's very hard to tell what's been taken. Not every infection steals your data. Some just serve unwanted ads. Others poison your search result or steer you to Web sites you don't want to see. Others log your every keystroke. The anti-virus vendors have extensive databases about what the known infections do and don't do. Comparing the results from your virus scans to those entries will give you a good idea about what criminals may have snatched up.

Source : http://www.google.com

Student Gets Money For Nothing From Banks

2009-03-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

An enterprising University of Otago student spent last year "stoozing" - and now he's laughing all the way to the bank. Mark Price reports on a shrewd investment scheme.

A banker responds

A University of Otago business student is celebrating the end of a year in which the banks provided him with $500 of free money.

The student, who prefers to remain anonymous, employed a system known as "stoozing", which works in a similar way to the international "carry trade" - where money is borrowed at a low rate in one country and invested at a high rate in another.

The student realised banks trying to attract students as customers had created a similar, legal, opportunity for free money within New Zealand.

"Stoozing" is a slang term to describe an activity where money is borrowed at 0% interest and invested elsewhere. Eventually, the borrowed money is repaid but the interest it has earned remains with the "stoozer".

Most major banks offer low-cost overdrafts for students in the hope of encouraging them to become regular customers.

At the beginning of last year, the student visited four banks and set up bank accounts with 0% overdrafts. He then withdrew all the money - amounting to $6000 - and invested it for one year in a safe term deposit at a rate of 9.25%.

The idea came to him while he was taking advantage of a bank promotion offering students $40 to open an account - "an easy way to make some fast beer money".

While he was filling out forms for an account with a $2000 overdraft, he noted the "very small" bank charges if the account was in overdraft - $2 a month.

"It was virtually the same as giving me $2000 for free for 20 months."

The student then opened similar accounts at other banks.

Because two of the banks required the account to show activity during the year, he also set up automatic transfers.

He asked the bank where he held his usual bank account to make an automatic $150 payment each Tuesday to one of the overdraft accounts.

"I then went to the bank where the $150 would be going and asked them to transfer that same amount of money to the overdraft account at another bank.

"I then went to the third bank and got them to transfer the money back to my spending account (where it had been on Tuesday) and the $150 showed up in my account on Friday. This happened every week for a year."

Bank staff did not realise what he was doing and the scheme had not been hard to co-ordinate.

"It only took a couple of minutes talking to the tellers, telling them what I wanted, and checking to make sure they had got it right."

He chose to invest the overdraft money at Kiwibank because it was one of the few banks where he did not have an account.

"I didn't really want to go into [one of the other banks] and try to set up a $6000 term deposit when I had a $2000 debit on my other account."

People he had told about the scheme had considered the rewards too small, and even smaller now that interest rates had gone down.

It was only after he had set up the scheme that he realised it had a name.

Wikipedia suggests stoozing was named after an internet discussion board contributor, Stooz, who was a prolific stoozer.

"Stoozing isn't exactly a way to get rich," the student said. "That's why I just took one afternoon to go around and do it - because the profit isn't that much."

The most important aspect of the scheme was to ensure the borrowed money remained intact - invested safely and repaid by the due date.

"Mostly, I just did it because it seemed like a way to make some money and figure out some of the systems banks have in place. It is sort of my chosen field of study."

Source : http://www.odt.co.nz

Ways to Make Money Fast

2009-03-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

Tips to make money fast from home. Find how you can earn extra money online taking paid surveys, writing articles, doing freelance jobs and other work at home jobs.

Are you looking for extra cash? There are numerous ways to make money online from home. These are free ways to make money and anyone can try. We are sharing here some ways to make money online.

1. Take a Part Time Job: Search part time jobs in your local area and apply. You can do some online jobs also.

2. Virtual Jobs: There are several companies that post online data entry jobs. You can look for these jobs on craiglist and other websites.

3. Paid Online Surveys: Participate in online market research surveys and make money fast. Paid surveys are the quickest way to make money online. Big companies are interested to know from consumers what they like. Paid online surveys usually pay 2-10$ per completed survey. There are several legitimate paid online surveys source: FPR

EarnExtraRupees.com helps visitors to find free and legitimate survey panels. Join the paid survey sites available in your country and get paid for your opinions.

Stay away from people and websites that promise to make rich by taking paid surveys and charge a membership fee for a list of survey panels. All legitimate survey panels are free. If you know how to take paid surveys then you can earn a good amount of money. Some people say it is free money but it is not free money you have to participate in online surveys in return of cash. The rewards are usually 2-10$ per completed survey. The payment method is cheque, Paypal, Amazon gift certificates and other prizes. A few survey panels transfer the money via direct to your bank account.

The best thing about paid surveys is it is free to join and anyone with a PC and Internet connection can do!

So if you are serious follow the above steps and Make Money Online Fast. For a recommended list to make money online check: http://earnextrarupees.com

For more information:

55 Hartland Street, East Hartford, CT, 06108

Source : http://www.free-press-release.com

Thousands of Dollars of “Free Money”

2009-03-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

It could be worth nearly $5,000 to you, but many people leave that money unclaimed, unaware of the Earned Income Tax Credit. FOX 23’s Kaci Christian joins us now to explain who gets the money.

“It all depends on meeting certain income qualifications,” reports FOX 23’s Kaci Christian. “These CPAs from the Oklahoma Society of CPAs are taking calls [during our newscast from 5-6p on Thursday, March 12, 2009] to help you figure out whether you’re eligible. The IRS says 25% of the low-income people who qualify never even apply for the money simply because they’ve never heard of it.”

Corine Delcambre is a recent transplant to Tulsa. She’s a clerk at a local grocery store. Her husband is a student. And they have three children. Their combined household income is less than $12,000 a year. Preparing her tax return wasn’t something Corine was looking forward to, until she learned about the Earned Income Tax Credit.

“Oh, okay! Wow. This is really a shock,” Corine says.

It’s a shock to the tune of more than $4,000. According to the 2008 Earned Income Credit (EIC) Table, the chart shows the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for someone married, filing jointly, with two or more children earning $12,000 a year is $4,810. That’s the amount of the EITC Corine can apply for, based on her estimate of their combined earnings from earned wages, defined by CPA Rick Freeman as “primarily salaries and W-2 wages, net, the net earnings from self-employment income, tips.”

Source : http://www.fox23.com

4 Tips on Finding a Good Money-Market Mutual Fund

2009-03-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

Money-market mutual funds hold about $3.9 trillion in assets, and have become increasingly popular places to park cash amid the beating that stocks and even bonds have taken lately. Here are tips from experts on how to find the best money funds:

1. FIND THE RIGHT FIT: While their yields are pretty low across the board, different types of money funds invest in different types of debt. So pick the right type to balance how much safety you're willing to give up for a slightly higher yield.

Many funds buy super-safe government debt such as Treasury bills, and generally carry the lowest yields — currently averaging a minuscule 0.1 percent or so. So-called prime funds seek slightly higher yields but accept marginal risk by venturing into some forms of corporate bonds, which carry the risk of default.

Money-market funds can also invest large sums in bank certificates of deposit, and command higher interest rates than you could get on your own. So-called tax-free money funds can invest in debt issued by state or local governments, which can offer tax advantages.

2. RESIST THE CHASE FOR YIELD: If you're comparing money fund yields, resist the temptation to buy a fund just based on a higher yield. Be sure to research the fund. Try to determine what risks the fund may be taking to generate the higher return — such as a soured investment in Lehman Brothers bonds, that led one money fund to expose investors to losses last fall.

3. CHECK EXPENSES: Fund expenses are a big consideration because a small difference in the amount you pay can offset the relatively modest yield of a money fund. Generally, look for expense ratios below 0.5 percent.

4. MONITOR FEES: With money fund yields at historic lows, fund companies are finding they can barely meet fund expenses and make a profit. That pressures the companies to pass on higher fees. Monitor disclosures about such fee increases.

Source: http://www.google.com

Gear On the Go

2009-03-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Name: Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Protector

What it is: A laptop carrying case made by Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based Travelon that allows air travelers to get their computers through security without taking the machines out of their carrying cases.

How it works: The case can be adjusted to fit your computer snugly. Once you have a good fit, wedge it in - add nothing else or security officers will make you take it out - and slip the computer in another carrying case, like a briefcase or a backpack. At the security checkpoint, the case must be removed and placed in its own plastic tub, but the computer can stay in the bag.

The good: It worked. I was skeptical I'd get through security without being told to remove the computer, but I did - at both airports. There is thick padding on the bottom of the bag, which protects the computer well. The bag is truly adjustable and fit both of the different sizes of laptops I tried getting in there.

The bad: There is no padding on the mesh side of the case, which allows security to see the computer. Also, putting the case in another bag seems redundant. I suppose you could carry it on its own, but then one half of your computer has no padding. Also, that would account for one of your two carry-on items.

Cost: $24.99.

Available from: Several stores. A list can be found at travelonbags.com.

Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com

Bordeaux futures, wine investment, waste, insurance - sipped and spit

2009-03-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

SPIT: Bordeaux futures
In recent years, Bordeaux futures ran up to tremendous highs (see above chart above for three top chateaus ex-cellars; compiled from data from The Times of London). Now, they may be poised to fall back to 2002 prices, which is what British buyers told the Times they were willing to pay. A Bordeaux insider told me recently that the first growths really should not cross the €100 threshold. But he admitted that they probably will after they hear nice things about their wines at the en primeurs tastings in early April.

SIPPED: Bordeaux past
In a blast from what seems a distant past, a new investment fund for wine is opens this month with allegedly 15 to 20 million pounds of assets. Investors will need to meet the 500,000 pound minimum for the closed-end fund. Send checks to Richmond Park partners Steven Berger and Pascal Maeter who will manage the Lunzer Wine Investments Institutional Fund. [Bloomberg]

SIPPED: industrial waste over Givry
The Burgundy village of Givry has to contend with plans for a new industrial waste treatment plant on the outskirts of town. Last year’s mayoral campaign was fought largely around this issue with an anti-plant activist winning town hall. But the regional authorities later approved the plant, winemakers sued, and now a tribunal has suspended the approval. Score one for the winemakers! Check out the story at washingtonpost.com.

SPIT: excise tax
California’s legislature approved a new budget without increasing the excise tax on wine.

SIPPED and SPIT: wine blogs
The wine blog award winners have been announced. Alas, this blog is not among them. But thank you for your clicks of support! And hearty congratulations to the winners! [Fermentation]

SIPPED: insurance!
A “Master of Coffee” (not Mister Coffee) in England has insured his tongue for £10 million ($13.95 million) via Lloyd’s of London (not to be confused with the newly nationalized Lloyds Banking Group, ahem). Take that Robert Parker–his policy is 14 times bigger than your policy! [BBC via sdelong]

Source: http://www.drvino.com

Costa Coffee taster: Ten of the weirdest insurance policies

2009-03-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

As a Costa Coffee taster insures his tongue for £10m, here are 10 other unusual risks covered by the Lloyd's insurance market.

Coffee taster Gennaro Pelliccia, who samples products for Costa Coffee, has had his tongue insured for £10m with Lloyd's of London. Here are 10 other unusual policies that the insurance market has handled.

1. Lloyd's has insured the smile of America Ferrera, star of the hit television show Ugly Betty, for $10m.

2. The London insurance market has also insured Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards' fingers and Marlene Dietrich's legs – and, according to one history book, actress Bette Davis once insured her waistline against expansion.

3. Lloyd's developed a policy to cover loss of chest hair which could adversely impact a person's image or career. Under the terms of the policy, the policyholder would have to lose more than 85pc of his chest hair through an injury to his chest in order to make a claim. This loss would have to be verified by a panel of trichologists.

4. In 2008 Dutch wine maker Ilja Gort insured his nose for €5m to cover against any incident that could threaten his livelihood.

5. It has also insured Santa's beard, providing coverage for Brady White – the professional Father Christmas at Macy's department store in New York who also visits the likes of Pamela Anderson and Rene Russo.

6. In June 2004, history was made when SpaceShipOne became the first privately manned aircraft to reach space. Lloyd's insurer Amlin was lead underwriter for the $100m liability policy for the craft.

7. One film company took out a million-dollar policy with Lloyd's against the possibility of one of their actresses falling in love and getting married during her contract service. In the early part of the 20th century, Lloyd's insured cinemagoers against death from excessive laughter while at the cinema.

8. Formula One racing drivers at the front of the grid can buy cover for up to £50m, while those at the back are likely to have protection of around £500,000.

9. Golf: Hole-in-one insurances are regularly placed at Lloyd's, sometimes for as much as $50,000 a time.

10. In 2004, Lloyd's insured the £27m worth of jewellery worn by the stars at the Oscars.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Bank of America, GE Sell $16.5 Billion of FDIC Debt

2009-03-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

March 9 (Bloomberg) -- Bank of America Corp., the largest U.S. bank by assets, and General Electric Capital Corp. raised a combined $16.5 billion today selling bonds backed by the U.S. government as they seek to hold down borrowing costs.

Bank of America, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, sold $8.5 billion of notes in its second-largest offering under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s Temporary Liquidity Guarantee program. The finance arm of General Electric Co. sold $8 billion of notes, also its second-biggest under the program.

Financial companies are relying on the FDIC program as yields relative to benchmarks on their debt that isn’t guaranteed by the government soar to the highest on record. Banks have few alternatives to finance themselves at lower interest rates as investors grow concerned that they don’t have enough capital to absorb losses amid a deepening global recession, said Guy Lebas, chief economist at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC in Philadelphia.

“It’s so much cheaper to issue TLGP debt than unsecured that every bank out there is replacing maturing debt with TLGP deals,” Lebas said in a telephone interview. “No financial issuer in their right mind would come with a non-FDIC debt issue right now. Markets are penalizing them very severely.”

Yields Over Benchmarks

The average yield over benchmark rates on financial company debt has risen 1.64 percentage points this year to 8.52 percentage points as of March 6, according to Merrill Lynch & Co.’s U.S. Financial Corporate index. That is the highest on record, the data show. The index doesn’t include FDIC-backed debt.

Financial issuers marketed more than $16.5 billion in FDIC- backed debt today, bringing this month’s total to $18 billion and already eclipsing the $17.4 billion of issuance in February. Banks, seeking to reduce borrowing costs and diversify their funding, are using the government’s program to boost cash levels and reduce risk.

“GE ran into a few stresses in the last weeks and I think they’re likely to employ a more conservative funding mix going forward,” Lebas said.

GE Capital, based in Stamford, Connecticut, issued $4 billion of 30-year, 6.875 percent bonds in January without a government guarantee at 98.48 cents on the dollar to yield 400 basis points more than similar-maturity Treasuries, Bloomberg data show. The senior unsecured bonds traded at 72.319 cents on the dollar on March 6 to yield 9.74 percent, according to Trace, the bond price reporting system of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Bank of America

Bank of America sold $4 billion of floating-rate notes due in September 2010 that pay three basis points more than the three-month London interbank offered rate, and $2.5 billion of floating-rate notes due in June 2012 that yield 20 basis points more than three-month Libor, Bloomberg data show.

The bank also sold $2 billion of 2.375 percent fixed-rate notes due June 2012 that pay 102.5 basis points more than similar-maturity Treasuries, Bloomberg data show. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point. Libor, a borrowing benchmark, is currently set at 1.31 percent.

Bank of America spokesman Scott Silvestri couldn’t be reached for comment.

GE Capital sold $4 billion of two-year, 1.8 percent notes priced to yield 86.7 basis points more than Treasuries, and $1 billion of two-year, floating-rate notes at eight basis points over three-month Libor, Bloomberg data show.

GE Capital also sold $1.5 billion of three-year, 2.25 percent notes at 91.2 basis points more than similar-maturity Treasuries, and $1.5 billion of three-year, floating-rate notes at 20 basis points over three-month Libor, the data show.

“There was tremendous demand for the offering,” said GE spokesman Russell Wilkerson. GE has now “pre-funded” about $41 billion of the $45 billion planned in long-term debt maturing this year.

Bonds guaranteed through the FDIC program are rated Aaa by Moody’s Investors Service and AAA by Standard & Poor’s, their highest rankings.

To contact the reporters on this story: Gabrielle Coppola in New York at gcoppola@bloomberg.net; John Detrixhe in New York at jdetrixhe1@bloomberg.net

Source : http://www.bloomberg.com

New insurance rules, stimulus bill create more headaches for business

2009-03-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

The new federal stimulus bill helps subsidize insurance coverage for laid-off workers, but it also creates a new headache for employers.

Sandy Reynolds, an executive vice president of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, said the Boston-based employer group’s human resources hotline has been flooded by calls in the past two weeks from businesspeople who have questions about the new subsidy rules.

“It’s been off-the-wall busy with people calling and asking what they need to do and when they need to do it,” she said.

The callers are concerned about how to handle a new subsidy that could last up to nine months for COBRA coverage, a federally mandated extension of health insurance coverage for people who leave an employer.

Typically, workers who opt for the coverage pay the full cost of COBRA premiums to continue to participate in their former employer’s health plan. But the federal stimulus bill signed by President Obama last month provides subsidies for up to nine months for eligible workers who have been involuntarily terminated between Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009.

The displaced workers now only need to pay 35 percent of the premiums, while their former employers need to subsidize the rest. The federal government, in turn, will reimburse the companies by allowing them to claim the subsidies as tax credits.

The problem for businesses, Reynolds said, is that many of them remit their taxes to the federal government on a quarterly basis. That means the employers may need to wait at least three months before they are essentially reimbursed for their COBRA payments.

“There could be quite a few months where a significant amount of cash could be tied up,” Reynolds said. “Our biggest concern is the financial obligation ... and the administrative burden on companies that are laying people off because of the economy. In a very uncertain economic environment, employers are being asked to do more.”

Source : http://www.wickedlocal.com

Comodo SafeDelete Security Software Extends Life Of Older Computers

2009-03-09T02:17:00.000-07:00

Comodo, a leading computer and Internet security company, introduced Comodo System-Cleaner. It is the world's first file and registry cleaner to harness the power of 100 percent safe and secure cleaning. It utilizes the revolutionary innovation of SafeDelete, a computer security software tool that allows users to safely recover any files deleted in error. This advancement eliminates risk from the process of PC cleaning allowing the system to clean deeper, more thoroughly and more completely than any other cleaner available.

Jersey City, NJ (PRWEB) March 8, 2009 -- According to a recent research survey from Gartner, the world's leading information technology research and advisory company, nearly one in four PC computers are replaced due to issues related to a hard drive that has too many old, unneeded files and applications. Yet, often people are reluctant to purge old, unwanted computer files because it can be nerve-wracking. Computer files are notoriously difficult to identify and a miscellaneous looking computer file that appears superfluous may actually be supporting necessary system operations.

"PC users are afraid to make a mistake which may cost them hours to repair," said Melih Abdulhayoglu, CEO and chief security architect of Comodo, the world's second-largest issuer of high-assurance Internet SSL certificates.

"PC owners who delete the wrong file may have to reinstall entire software packages if they can find the disks and figure out what their favorite computer systems settings were."

"Now computer users all over the world, from New York, London and Paris to Toronto, Beijing and Moscow can safely delete their old files without fear or hesitation," said Abdulhayoglu. "This is the world's first file and registry cleaner that comes with 100 percent safe cleaning protection." Comodo's new system cleaner enables computer users to store a back-up copy of their computer system just in case they make a mistake.

The Comodo companies provide the infrastructure that is essential in enabling e-merchants, other Internet connected companies, software companies and individual consumers to interact and conduct business via the Internet safely and securely.

The Comodo companies offer PKI SSL, Code Signing, Content Verification and E-Mail Certificates; award winning PC security software; vulnerability scanning services for PCI Compliance; secure e-mail and fax services.

Continual innovation, a core competence in PKI, and a commitment to reversing the growth of Internet crime and identity theft distinguishes the Comodo companies as vital players in the Internet's ongoing development. Comodo secures and authenticates online transactions and communications for over 200,000 business customers and has over 10,000,000 installations of desktop security products.

Melih Abdulhayoglu, has been featured on Paltalk, the leading real-time, video-based community with over four million active members. On the Paltalk TechNow news and feature series, Abdulhayoglu discusses Internet security in: "Are We the Crash Test Dummies For The New Internet Age"

TechNow is a real time Internet Web 2.0 community event which addresses the latest developments in technology.

Comodo is focused on providing next generation, trust and security enabling products, services and solutions. Comodo's innovative products are accompanied with the highest level of support to ensure you can fully unleash the potential of your online business. Comodo provides the following internet security products: Internet Fax Services to send and receive faxes online, Comodo AntiSpam Desktop is an intuitive, easy-to-use, client-based software product that eliminates spam forever from your computer's email system, Personal firewall software with free pop up blocker download to eliminate spyware on the PC, compare and select the most suitable SSL certificate vendor and what they can offer you, Content Verification Certificates - online seal of authentication to build customer trust for e-business, Managed Enterprise Security to maintain full control for your PKI requirements through the outsourced EPKI Manager, Certificate Services, Trustix - a portfolio of critical business infrastructure solutions, providing essential back office applications. Comodo also provides secure messaging software, hardware security, smart card security software, branded security solutions and two factor authentication - server application and PKI service to automatically issue / manage Client Certificates for User authentication and more Security Authentication Solutions.

Through its dedicated research and development lab, Comodo has quickly established itself as a market leader in the design, development and deployment of enterprise security services. Through their Consultancy Services Comodo can assist customers in the design, planning, deployment and management of security throughout their organizations. Comodo services are available to help customers provide the most efficient time to market possible, making deployment of our solutions as effective as possible.

Comodo's Managed Security Solutions, such as the EPKI Manager and automated SSL system for hosting companies, represents a great step forward in the provision of branded security solutions to customers. As their PKI deployment expertise has been illustrated with the success of these facilities, Comodo can offer consultancy assistance for unique enterprise security deployment requirements. The Comodo team can empower critical staff with the necessary skill and knowledge to roll out solutions effectively and efficiently.

Comodo will demonstrate its Protection Landscape for enterprises at the RSA® Conference 2009. Comodo is distributing free conference expo passes. Comodo's Protection Landscape is an enterprise-grade suite of innovative and effective IT security solutions that encompasses endpoint security, digital certificate management, content & identify authentication, and compliance.

Comodo works with a number of key OEMs, design houses and development experts in order to provide industry leading products and services including Microsoft, Intel, IBM, HP, Fujitsu, Pkware, Digital Persona, IFL and Venafi.

Comodo System-Cleaner for Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows 2003 Server 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit and Windows 2000 SP4 is available at: http://download.comodo.com/csc/download/setups/CSC_Setup_1.1.63928.28_2k_xp_vista_server2003_x32.exe

Comodo System-Cleaner for Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows 2003 Server 64-bit and Windows XP 64-bit is available at:

http://download.comodo.com/csc/download/setups/CSC_Setup_1.1.63928.28_xp_vista_server2003_x64.exe

For additional information on Comodo - Creating Trust Online™ visit http://www.comodo.com

Source : http://www.prweb.com/

Fortify, Cigital Release Software Security Program Benchmarks

2009-03-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

Building Security In Maturity Model (BSIMM) pulls together a set of activities practiced by nine of the 25 most successful software security initiatives in the world

SAN MATEO, CA., and DULLES, VA " March 5, 2009 " Fortify Software, the market leader in Software Security Assurance solutions, and Cigital, the largest consulting firm specializing in software security, announced today the release of the "Building Security In Maturity Model (BSIMM)," the industry's first"ever set of benchmarks for developing and growing an enterprise"wide software security program.

Based on in"depth interviews with leading enterprises such as Adobe, EMC, Google, Microsoft, QUALCOMM, Wells Fargo, and Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), the BSIMM pulls together a set of activities practiced by nine of the 25 most successful software security initiatives in the world. Unlike some industry standards, BSIMM is a structured set of practices based on real"world data rather than philosophy and ideas. BSIMM provides insight on what successful organizations actually do to build security into their software and mitigate the business risk associated with insecure applications.

"Microsoft's Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) was one of the first real enterprise software security methodologies, and we are always eager to share our ideas and best practices with the industry," said Steve Lipner of Microsoft. "BSIMM provides a public 'yardstick' for measuring the progress of any organization's own software assurance program."

"Software security has turned the corner from a good idea to a business necessity. The industry has finally reached a point where enough real experience has been accumulated to compare notes and talk about what works," said Dr. Gary McGraw, CTO of Cigital and author of Software Security. "Using BSIMM, an organization can determine where its software security initiative stands, figure out how to evolve its initiative strategically, or even get a brand new initiative off the ground. BSIMM is a tool for identifying realistic business goals and implementing those technical software security activities that make the most sense for an organization."

"Virtually every organization today relies on software to operate, and at the same time the threat to that software is at an all"time high," said Dr. Brian Chess, co"founder and Chief Scientist of Fortify Software. "Businesses need software that doesn't leak millions of identity records, gin up huge legal liabilities, or allow secrets to fall into the wrong hands." Chess, McGraw and coauthor Sammy Migues collected data on each initiative's software security activities for strategy and metrics, training, standards and requirements, security testing, code review, etc., and uncovered a number of common themes among each of the successful initiatives, including:

The necessity of a Software Security Group: Each of the nine enterprises has a designated group of software security personnel"the SSG"tasked with carrying out and facilitating software security. Average SSG size is just over one percent of the size of the software development organization. Advocacy over audit: Successful SSGs, even in regulated industries, always emphasize security education, technical resources, and mentoring rather than policing for security errors and handing out punishments. Use of automated technologies: Each organization performs automated code review and deploys black box testing tools, but use of these technologies requires considerable SSG know"how. Training for development: All organizations have an institutionalized security training curriculum for programmers, QA engineers, and project managers.

"I was surprised by the amount of common ground discovered between the financial services organizations, ISVs, and technology companies in the BSIMM study," said Jim Routh, CISO of Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC). "All software security initiatives are by no means identical, but these findings demonstrate that an organization isn't going it alone when it comes to software security"you can learn from your peers. The BSIMM encapsulates important lessons from the best programs around."

"Comprehensive software security involves a combination of people, processes, and technologies, and it almost always requires some change to the way the organization operates," said analyst Joe Feiman of Gartner. "As software security comes of age, using a maturity model will only help to accelerate your enterprise security initiative." The BSIMM is the first such maturity model created entirely from real"world data.

Over the next several months, Cigital and Fortify will gather data from other leading software security initiatives to enhance the study and provide additional insight on trends and activities particular to certain vertical industries and company sizes, among other factors.

The BSIMM is available under creative commons license here: http://bsi-mm.com.

About Fortify Software, Inc. Fortify''s Software Security Assurance products and services protect companies from the threats posed by security flaws in business"critical software applications. Its software security suite"Fortify 360"drives down costs and security risks by automating key processes of developing and deploying secure applications. Fortify Software's customers include government agencies and FORTUNE 500 companies in a wide variety of industries, such as financial services, healthcare, e"commerce, telecommunications, publishing, insurance, systems integration and information management. The company is backed by world"class teams of software security experts and partners. More information is available at www.fortify.com or visit our blog.

Press Contact Katherine Nellums Merritt Group 415-247-1663 Nellums@merrittgrp.com

About Cigital Cigital, Inc. is the leading software security and quality consulting firm. Established in 1992, Cigital plans and implements initiatives that help organizations ensure their applications are secure and reliable while also improving how they build and deploy software. Our recognized experts apply a combination of proven methodologies, tools, and best practices to meet each client's unique requirements. Cigital is headquartered near Washington, D.C. with regional offices in the U.S. and India.

Source : http://www.darkreading.com

Search this site: Qt Software Releases LGPL'ed Qt 4.5 and Creator 1.0, Provides SDK

2009-03-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Qt Software has made Qt 4.5 and the Qt Creator 1.0 IDE available for download. For the first time, Qt SDK is available, a convenient bundle of the two. Qt Software will be opening up their development process by making it easier for people to contribute patches and add-ons in the forthcoming weeks. Both Qt and Creator now come with the an LGPL licensing option along with the current GPL and commercial licenses.

Qt 4.5 brings many new features such as a new pluggable graphics system, ODF support and an updated WebKit component which features HTML 5, Netscape-Plugin (e.g. Flash) support and the SquirrelFish JavaScript engine. Find out more in the Qt release blog, the Qt Creator release blog and feel free to join the new #qt-labs IRC channel on Freenode.

Source : http://dot.kde.org

Does RAM Optimization Software Make a Difference?

2009-03-07T05:18:00.000-08:00

My biggest problem with RAM memory optimization software--no matter who markets it--is simply that you don't need it. The $20 SuperRam implies, though never comes right out and says it, that it will make your computer run faster. While technically this might be true (if you've had your computer on for days on end with programs running that are impolite about returning unused memory), generally speaking the effect is unnoticeable. Just restart your computer. It'll do the same thing.

That said, if you simply must find this out for yourself, SuperRam is easy to use. In my testing, it had minimal negative impact on system performance (any program that runs in the background will utilize some memory and CPU cycles). However, if SuperRam helped performance at all, it was beyond my capability to discern.

Source : http://www.pcworld.com

Texada Software Inc. Announces the Appointment of John Kirincic to Its Board of Directors

2009-03-07T05:08:00.000-08:00

GUELPH, ONTARIO - Texada Software Inc. ("Texada") (TSX VENTURE: TXS) announced today that John Kirincic has joined the Company's Board of Directors and Audit Committee.

Mr. Kirincic is Vice President Finance of Vancouver, British Columbia based Zynik Capital Corporation a private equity firm founded in 1983 and has extensive experience as a member of various boards and committees of boards.

"I am excited to join the Texada board and working with the new leadership. The Company has many core fundamentals that make it a leader in its marketplace and I look forward to working with the board and management to assist in any way I can" said Mr. Kirincic.

"We are very pleased that John has joined us on the Company's Board of Directors" said Brian Spilak, President and CEO of Texada. "His experience with a number of company boards should serve us well as we move forward with Texada", added Mr. Spilak.

Celebrating its 25th year servicing the Asset Management Software space, Texada is the premier provider of enterprise software solutions for rental and mobile equipment management. Texada's solutions are fully flexible and scalable to meet the unique needs of any sized operation and are backed by proven implementation, services and support.

Texada's market-driven software products combine knowledge and best practices from over 400 customers worldwide, resulting in solutions that manage the complete asset life-cycle from acquisition through to disposal. Texada's customers enjoy the benefits of enhanced efficiency through better asset utilization, effective location tracking, and optimized scheduling.

Texada Software can be reached at 519.836.7073, or at www.TexadaSoftware.com.

From :http://www.msnbc.msn.com