"Smartphones and tablets based on Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows operating system aren't selling very well ... we're also seeing lackluster demand for Windows-based products," says Samsung Mobile chief JK Shin. While one could argue Samsung's commitment to Android and Tizen colors Shin's views, he's far from alone (I, II) in expressing such opinions. The remarks come in a week where IDC argued Microsoft is better off ditching ARM-based Windows RT and focusing on x86-based Windows 8. (Surface sales) (previous) [View news story]
> Microsoft is better off ditching ARM-based Windows RT and > focusing on x86-based Windows 8.
I couldn't agree more.
What didn't exist until the Surface Pro was a device with the form factor of a tablet and the operating system of a desktop computer.
Sure, the Surface Pro has a number of flaws, but it's an important first step toward getting the best of both worlds.
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
Robert, I was not referring to who did it first, I was referring to who did the most frequently or most aggressively. To rephrase my previous statement, it might be clearer to say that historically Democrats have not been as obstructionist as the Republicans in the Senate today.
Given recent years, the Republicans clearly take the cake on that. The number and frequency of filibusters alone has been unprecedented.
Those are the facts.
The question remains whether the Democrats will be as bad the next time they're the opposition party. Only time will tell.
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
RIQ - my big concern is one of finances.
What struck me from the news byte was this: > Reasons include cities wanting clean-tech to play a greater part > in power generation
This indicates to me that the municipalities are intending to make some large capital investments in restructuring their grids to leverage more clean tech.
I'm all for this in theory, and I don't know the details of the cities involved specifically, but it was still my assumption that most municipalities were in bad situations from a debt perspective.
Clean tech is great...if you can afford it or have a high probability of a good ROI in a reasonable time frame. :-)
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
Re: Cities consider taking over local power provision
Wait, what?
I'm a big believer in the notion that sometimes government needs to use its resources to do what industry can't or won't do -- but I'm not sure municipalities actually have a whole lot of resources with which to be doing this kind of thing....
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
> it takes 60 Senators to have control whenever the Democrats are > in the majority
It will be interesting to see what happens the next time Republicans control a simple majority in the Senate -- will Democrats be equally obstructionist via the filibuster and secret holds?
Historically they have not done so, but the political climate gets more polarized every year...
Google Reader users better start looking for alternatives: citing declining usage, Google (GOOG) is shutting down the online RSS reader in 3 months. 6 less well-known products are also getting axed in the search giant's latest bout of housecleaning. Reader is arguably the most popular product to be shuttered since Larry Page began his efforts to narrow Google's product focus in 2011. Has the company finally gone too far? [View news story]
From the great folks at Lifehacker, here's an article telling you how to get all your feeds out of Google Reader, and suggesting some good alternatives:
Google Reader users better start looking for alternatives: citing declining usage, Google (GOOG) is shutting down the online RSS reader in 3 months. 6 less well-known products are also getting axed in the search giant's latest bout of housecleaning. Reader is arguably the most popular product to be shuttered since Larry Page began his efforts to narrow Google's product focus in 2011. Has the company finally gone too far? [View news story]
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan calls his latest budget proposal "an invitation to the president of the United States, to the Senate Democrats to come together to fix these problems." Democratic Representative Chris Van Hollen says it's a "total uncompromising" blueprint and dead on arrival. Hollen adds a warning to the markets as well, noting that despite the healthy performance of stocks recently, the impact from another stalemate will likely reverse those gains very quickly. [View news story]
> Re:"...At least the Canadian model is cheaper. :-)..."; this is a > broad statement. One has to substantiate it with a scholarly and > up-to-date comparison of the [blah blah blah]
Yet all /you/ have to do is "talk to Canadian folks" and issue conjecture? Seems a bit unbalanced. I'd like to see your scholarly and up-to-date comparisons, please. :-)
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan calls his latest budget proposal "an invitation to the president of the United States, to the Senate Democrats to come together to fix these problems." Democratic Representative Chris Van Hollen says it's a "total uncompromising" blueprint and dead on arrival. Hollen adds a warning to the markets as well, noting that despite the healthy performance of stocks recently, the impact from another stalemate will likely reverse those gains very quickly. [View news story]
> One may have to wait in line for months to see a specialist if > nothing is life threatening.
That's how most HMOs in the U.S. work today -- plus they ALSO charge you an exorbitant rate on top of the horrible wait time.
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
> It's a business deal--if it doesn't work for you, walk away.
Sort of.
Aside from a handful of states, this is very difficult for many borrowers. In most states, the banks can (and do) pursue defaulters or short sellers for the difference owed, and this process can begin up to several years after walking away. Not to mention the credit hit.
Yes, it's a business deal -- but the game is rigged such that the business (bank) always gets the better end of the deal.
Personally, I think the only government program should have been one that made every state a walkaway state -- let current but underwater borrowers walk away with a reduced credit hit and no recourse for the banks. The real estate damage would have been deeper, but it would have been recovering more by now too.
"Smartphones and tablets based on Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows operating system aren't selling very well ... we're also seeing lackluster demand for Windows-based products," says Samsung Mobile chief JK Shin. While one could argue Samsung's commitment to Android and Tizen colors Shin's views, he's far from alone (I, II) in expressing such opinions. The remarks come in a week where IDC argued Microsoft is better off ditching ARM-based Windows RT and focusing on x86-based Windows 8. (Surface sales) (previous) [View news story]
> focusing on x86-based Windows 8.
I couldn't agree more.
What didn't exist until the Surface Pro was a device with the form factor of a tablet and the operating system of a desktop computer.
Sure, the Surface Pro has a number of flaws, but it's an important first step toward getting the best of both worlds.
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
Municipality-run utilities *can* work out very well.
But they can also be very bad.
It all comes down to the same thing -- the individual people involved.
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
http://wapo.st/XaJfOQ
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
Given recent years, the Republicans clearly take the cake on that. The number and frequency of filibusters alone has been unprecedented.
Those are the facts.
The question remains whether the Democrats will be as bad the next time they're the opposition party. Only time will tell.
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
What struck me from the news byte was this:
> Reasons include cities wanting clean-tech to play a greater part
> in power generation
This indicates to me that the municipalities are intending to make some large capital investments in restructuring their grids to leverage more clean tech.
I'm all for this in theory, and I don't know the details of the cities involved specifically, but it was still my assumption that most municipalities were in bad situations from a debt perspective.
Clean tech is great...if you can afford it or have a high probability of a good ROI in a reasonable time frame. :-)
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
Wait, what?
I'm a big believer in the notion that sometimes government needs to use its resources to do what industry can't or won't do -- but I'm not sure municipalities actually have a whole lot of resources with which to be doing this kind of thing....
I call "bad idea" on this one.
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
> in the majority
It will be interesting to see what happens the next time Republicans control a simple majority in the Senate -- will Democrats be equally obstructionist via the filibuster and secret holds?
Historically they have not done so, but the political climate gets more polarized every year...
Google Reader users better start looking for alternatives: citing declining usage, Google (GOOG) is shutting down the online RSS reader in 3 months. 6 less well-known products are also getting axed in the search giant's latest bout of housecleaning. Reader is arguably the most popular product to be shuttered since Larry Page began his efforts to narrow Google's product focus in 2011. Has the company finally gone too far? [View news story]
http://bit.ly/ZAYP6O
Google Reader users better start looking for alternatives: citing declining usage, Google (GOOG) is shutting down the online RSS reader in 3 months. 6 less well-known products are also getting axed in the search giant's latest bout of housecleaning. Reader is arguably the most popular product to be shuttered since Larry Page began his efforts to narrow Google's product focus in 2011. Has the company finally gone too far? [View news story]
I love my Google Reader!
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan calls his latest budget proposal "an invitation to the president of the United States, to the Senate Democrats to come together to fix these problems." Democratic Representative Chris Van Hollen says it's a "total uncompromising" blueprint and dead on arrival. Hollen adds a warning to the markets as well, noting that despite the healthy performance of stocks recently, the impact from another stalemate will likely reverse those gains very quickly. [View news story]
> broad statement. One has to substantiate it with a scholarly and
> up-to-date comparison of the [blah blah blah]
Yet all /you/ have to do is "talk to Canadian folks" and issue conjecture? Seems a bit unbalanced. I'd like to see your scholarly and up-to-date comparisons, please. :-)
For my part, how about this as a start
http://to.pbs.org/14YewrO
Your turn.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan calls his latest budget proposal "an invitation to the president of the United States, to the Senate Democrats to come together to fix these problems." Democratic Representative Chris Van Hollen says it's a "total uncompromising" blueprint and dead on arrival. Hollen adds a warning to the markets as well, noting that despite the healthy performance of stocks recently, the impact from another stalemate will likely reverse those gains very quickly. [View news story]
> nothing is life threatening.
That's how most HMOs in the U.S. work today -- plus they ALSO charge you an exorbitant rate on top of the horrible wait time.
At least the Canadian model is cheaper. :-)
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
Wouldn't that be a "nanny state"???
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
Sort of.
Aside from a handful of states, this is very difficult for many borrowers. In most states, the banks can (and do) pursue defaulters or short sellers for the difference owed, and this process can begin up to several years after walking away. Not to mention the credit hit.
Yes, it's a business deal -- but the game is rigged such that the business (bank) always gets the better end of the deal.
Personally, I think the only government program should have been one that made every state a walkaway state -- let current but underwater borrowers walk away with a reduced credit hit and no recourse for the banks. The real estate damage would have been deeper, but it would have been recovering more by now too.
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
> sitting on the couch
Because the benefits do run out eventually.
Because the benefits often can't pay all the bills.
And because the overwhelming majority of people /do/ want to work, contrary to the unfortunate and baseless propaganda from certain sources.
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News [View article]
Here you go:
http://1.usa.gov/NvzKuH
Enjoy! :-)