Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Caption Contest: you shall not interrupt Gandalf’s 3D viewing session
Thomas: "Galadriel, is that new shampoo?"
Tim: "These glasses may be passive but I you may find me getting very aggressive if you use that flash one more time."
Brian: "I'll tell you what, you're making me Gandalf the Red right now."
Joe: "Would 'one standard to rule them all' be asking too much?"
Michael: "ZZ Top called, they want their roadie back"
Terrence: "Even Gandalf the Grey is powerless against the magic of these glasses which make any man look like a 90-year-old blind woman."
Richard Lai: "Ha, no 3D for that flaming cyclops in Mordor."
Darren: "One ring. Two Towers. 3Ds."
Christopher: "Sir Ian McKellen: the latest victim of Rick Rubin's Ambush Makeover."
Sean Buckley: "Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee. What have I told you about interrupting me during my stories?"
Josh Fruhlinger: "You know how they say 3D is bad for children? This dude is 14."
Friday, May 13, 2011
Android 3.1 on the Motorola Xoom: hands-on (video)
and USB host functionality for connecting peripherals like game controllers and mice -- but there are some improvements that will be a lot more obvious to the user. Perhaps our favorite is the addition of resizable widgets. For the moment only the email and Gmail inbox, calendar and bookmarks widgets can be stretched or shrunk, but we're sure others will follow. We're particularly appreciative of the expandable calendar widget, which always felt a tad cramped. The task switcher also received a much requested upgrade and now lets you scroll through your last 18 launched apps, instead of just the five most recent. Lastly, the Android Market now offers movie rentals, alongside books and apps, which range in price from $1.99 to $4.99 for 24 hours of playback. There isn't a ton of revolutionary stuff going on here, but it's certainly a welcome and worthwhile update. Check out the video after the break to see Android 3.1 in action.
Logitech Revue price drops to $199 on Amazon
As we noted a couple of weeks ago when the company announced weak sales and a plan to drop the price to $249, getting the price under two bills was probably as important as smoothing out the software experience. Of course, after Google I/O we wonder if anyone interested in Google TV is still jonesing for a launch device (even with the promise of updated software and Android Market access in the future) when something newer and better is likely on the way. After all, you can get Honeycomb on a T-Mobile G1 now, but that doesn't mean you would want to do it.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
What the Forex Markets Tell Us about Gold & Silver
All investors, regardless of stripe, must now be aware both of the bull market for gold/silver and the bear market in the US dollar. Despite all of the rhetoric, however, it seems that little is actually understood about how these two phenomena are actually connected. Ultimately, this connection (or lack thereof) has serious implications for both markets.
Many gold investors insist they are buying gold as a proxy for shorting the dollar. Commentary on gold prices is full of apocalyptic warnings about the current financial system and criticism of fiat currencies, which are backed by nothing except for good faith. They argue that buying gold is the best (or even the only) hedge against the eventual collapse of the dollar.
Unfortunately, I don’t think this argument holds up to close scrutiny. First of all, gold and silver [I am including silver in this analysis not because of any deep relationship to gold, but only because of the association ascribed by other commentators and an observable market correlation] prices have risen much faster over the last year (and decade, for that matter) than even the strongest currencies. Furthermore, gold is rising faster than the dollar is falling. In terms of the Swiss Franc – which is to forex markets as gold is to commodities markets – gold has risen more than 17% since the start of 2010.
Second, the putative correlation between gold and forex markets asserts itself sparingly (as you can see from the chart below, which plots gold against an index that shows dollar bearishness), and in difficult-to-understand ways. For example, gold stalled during the financial crisis, while the price of silver suffered a veritable collapse. Does it make sense that when financial anxiety was highest, interest in gold and silver ebbed? Along similar lines, the recent rally in the dollar followed the recent correction in gold and silver – NOT the other way around. If anything, this shows that gold investors are taking their cues from the broader commodity markets, and not from forex markets.
Third, the macroeconomic case for gold is flimsy. While I don’t think it’s fair to attack gold on political grounds, I still think it’s reasonable to try to ascertain what forces are supposedly being hedged against. If it is inflation that gold buyers are worried about, why aren’t other all investors equally concerned? Based on futures markets – whose credibility is just as solid as gold markets – inflation expectations are around 2-4% across the G7. If instead it is sovereign debt default that gold investors are concerned about, again, I have to ask why other markets don’t share their concerns. Credit default swap rates are higher for Japanese and European debt than for US Treasury securities, but the yen and euro remain positively buoyant against the dollar. Again, how do gold investors explain this contradiction?
To me, it seems obvious that gold and silver are rising for reasons that have very little to do with fundamentals. Monetary expansion has driven a wave of money into financial markets, and a significant portion of this has no doubt found its way into gold, silver, and other metals. In fact, it seems that last week’s correction was driven partly by higher margin requirements for speculators. Finally, their cause is being helped by low interest rates, since the opportunity cost of holding gold (which doesn’t pay interest) in lieu of dollars (which does) is currently close to zero. When interest rates rise, it will certainly be interesting to see if there is any impact on gold.
In the end, I don’t have a strong understanding of gold and silver markets. For all I know, their rise is genuinely rooted in supply/demand, as it should be. My only wish is that investors will stop pretending that it has anything to do with the dollar.
Many gold investors insist they are buying gold as a proxy for shorting the dollar. Commentary on gold prices is full of apocalyptic warnings about the current financial system and criticism of fiat currencies, which are backed by nothing except for good faith. They argue that buying gold is the best (or even the only) hedge against the eventual collapse of the dollar.
Unfortunately, I don’t think this argument holds up to close scrutiny. First of all, gold and silver [I am including silver in this analysis not because of any deep relationship to gold, but only because of the association ascribed by other commentators and an observable market correlation] prices have risen much faster over the last year (and decade, for that matter) than even the strongest currencies. Furthermore, gold is rising faster than the dollar is falling. In terms of the Swiss Franc – which is to forex markets as gold is to commodities markets – gold has risen more than 17% since the start of 2010.
Second, the putative correlation between gold and forex markets asserts itself sparingly (as you can see from the chart below, which plots gold against an index that shows dollar bearishness), and in difficult-to-understand ways. For example, gold stalled during the financial crisis, while the price of silver suffered a veritable collapse. Does it make sense that when financial anxiety was highest, interest in gold and silver ebbed? Along similar lines, the recent rally in the dollar followed the recent correction in gold and silver – NOT the other way around. If anything, this shows that gold investors are taking their cues from the broader commodity markets, and not from forex markets.
Third, the macroeconomic case for gold is flimsy. While I don’t think it’s fair to attack gold on political grounds, I still think it’s reasonable to try to ascertain what forces are supposedly being hedged against. If it is inflation that gold buyers are worried about, why aren’t other all investors equally concerned? Based on futures markets – whose credibility is just as solid as gold markets – inflation expectations are around 2-4% across the G7. If instead it is sovereign debt default that gold investors are concerned about, again, I have to ask why other markets don’t share their concerns. Credit default swap rates are higher for Japanese and European debt than for US Treasury securities, but the yen and euro remain positively buoyant against the dollar. Again, how do gold investors explain this contradiction?
To me, it seems obvious that gold and silver are rising for reasons that have very little to do with fundamentals. Monetary expansion has driven a wave of money into financial markets, and a significant portion of this has no doubt found its way into gold, silver, and other metals. In fact, it seems that last week’s correction was driven partly by higher margin requirements for speculators. Finally, their cause is being helped by low interest rates, since the opportunity cost of holding gold (which doesn’t pay interest) in lieu of dollars (which does) is currently close to zero. When interest rates rise, it will certainly be interesting to see if there is any impact on gold.
In the end, I don’t have a strong understanding of gold and silver markets. For all I know, their rise is genuinely rooted in supply/demand, as it should be. My only wish is that investors will stop pretending that it has anything to do with the dollar.
How to Make and Lose a Fortune in Forex?
If you are looking for an online job on internet then you should consider online trading. You can earn a remarkable amount of money by forex trading. When it comes to the fastest, efficient and the most workable online trading then forex trading is the answer. Forex trading offers many benefits for traders if they get enough learning of forex trading before officially starting it. A number of features of forex trading make it is the most suitable tool to generate online money.
Useful Information about Forex Trading Market
When you consider working as a forex trader, you should gather some authentic information about forex trading market to work as an effective forex trader. Following is the useful information for you to get a quick start as a forex trader with full confidence.
Timings of Forex Market
Timings of Forex Market
Forex market remains open 24 hours a day around the world and it starts working from Sunday (afternoon/evening) till the following Friday (afternoon/evening). You can work online from anywhere in the world and become a day trader.
Risk Probability
Forex market is risky for amateur traders, but still if you learn before start working as a forex trader then you can trade effectively with low risk.
Amount of Investment
You can start your forex trading account will a very little amount of investment. This is because the technological advancements that have made it is easier for home based small investors to start online trading with only few hundred dollars.
Forex Pips
Forex market allows you to take a start with little investment and you can easily find brokers regardless of the amount you can invest. A number of brokers are always available to offer you their services.
Price Actions
You should be aware of the changes occur in price. It is obvious that you cannot know about the exact change in price but you can predict these price actions by using any analysis method.
Price actions are the reasons for the continuous working of forex market and without price fluctuations there will be no forex trading.
Currency Market
Currency Market
If you decide to trade in currency market then you can generate profit by the fluctuations occur in price. On the other hand, if you decide to trade in shares and stocks, then you have to rely only on the rising of market.
Dummy Trading Accounts
You can take a start with a dummy forex account. These accounts are being offered by the online forex brokers. You don’t have to invest real money unless you feel sure about your success in forex trading.
It is recommended to you to learn forex trading or take a course of forex trading before starting it officially. After that you should choose a system and try to stick with that system. Be persistent and train yourself to bear the ups and down of forex trading. You also have to learn from your mistake if you want generate real profits. For online trading, it is highly important for you to find an authentic website. Search a reliable forex trading system that you feel is suitable for your personality type and for your lifestyle.
Useful Information about Forex Trading Market
When you consider working as a forex trader, you should gather some authentic information about forex trading market to work as an effective forex trader. Following is the useful information for you to get a quick start as a forex trader with full confidence.
Timings of Forex Market
Timings of Forex Market
Forex market remains open 24 hours a day around the world and it starts working from Sunday (afternoon/evening) till the following Friday (afternoon/evening). You can work online from anywhere in the world and become a day trader.
Risk Probability
Forex market is risky for amateur traders, but still if you learn before start working as a forex trader then you can trade effectively with low risk.
Amount of Investment
You can start your forex trading account will a very little amount of investment. This is because the technological advancements that have made it is easier for home based small investors to start online trading with only few hundred dollars.
Forex Pips
Forex market allows you to take a start with little investment and you can easily find brokers regardless of the amount you can invest. A number of brokers are always available to offer you their services.
Price Actions
You should be aware of the changes occur in price. It is obvious that you cannot know about the exact change in price but you can predict these price actions by using any analysis method.
Price actions are the reasons for the continuous working of forex market and without price fluctuations there will be no forex trading.
Currency Market
Currency Market
If you decide to trade in currency market then you can generate profit by the fluctuations occur in price. On the other hand, if you decide to trade in shares and stocks, then you have to rely only on the rising of market.
Dummy Trading Accounts
You can take a start with a dummy forex account. These accounts are being offered by the online forex brokers. You don’t have to invest real money unless you feel sure about your success in forex trading.
It is recommended to you to learn forex trading or take a course of forex trading before starting it officially. After that you should choose a system and try to stick with that system. Be persistent and train yourself to bear the ups and down of forex trading. You also have to learn from your mistake if you want generate real profits. For online trading, it is highly important for you to find an authentic website. Search a reliable forex trading system that you feel is suitable for your personality type and for your lifestyle.
Monday, May 9, 2011
WatchESPN app is now on Android, go-anywhere live TV streams still restricted to just a few providers
but it's probably on the list after the iPad-optimized version drops later this month). The downsides are still the same however, only TV subscribers to ESPNNetworks enabled providers (Time Warner Cable, Bright House or Verizon FiOS TV) can stream everything (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNU) while those with just FiOS internet can access ESPN3, and all others are locked out entirely. If you have the right service plan, click the market link below to download the app (there's another app in the market called Watch ESPN Free, but we'd probably avoid that for now) for free.Continue reading WatchESPN app is now on Android, go-anywhere live TV streams still restricted to just a few providers
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