Palm and Dell Phones on AT&T

I’ve landed in Las Vegas for CTIA Wireless, the U.S.’s biggest phone confab. The show floor doesn’t open until tomorrow, but news is already breaking. AT&T, for instance, has announced that it’s adding Palm’s Pre Plus and Pixi Plus to its lineup, as well as Dell’s Android-based Aero–the first Dell phone to ship in the U.S.

At the moment, it’s fashionable to declare Palm to be dead. It’s true that things look bleak at the moment, but pundits have been writing premature obituaries for the company for years, so I’d take the current round of knowing analysis with a grain of salt. With the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus’s arrival on AT&T, there are Palm handsets on ever major U.S. carrier except T-Mobile. That can’t hurt, and might help.

(I’m sorry that the AT&T Pre Plus lacks the nifty Mobile HotSpot feature that’s available on the Verizon version. But I’m not surprised: If AT&T had enabled MHS on the Pre while continuing to deny iPhone users the tethering it said was “coming soon” back in 2008, iPhone users would have headed towards AT&T headquarters with pitchforks.)

Dell, meanwhile, is a company that hasn’t had much luck with handheld gizmos in the past (remember the DJ?). The Aero runs Dell’s own Android interface and is based on the Mini 3, which has only been available in China and Brazil until now.  I’ll try to track one down before I head home from the show.

[Via http://technologizer.com]

Dell Vostro V13 Core 2 Solo

Adamo laptops are among the sexiest machine available on Dell Catalog, but like every high-end goods, price is an obstacle difficult to overcome for most of us… And when Dell decided to offer a Cheap Adamo, the Vostro V13, we decided that we had to give it a try and found out if our 69,980 Yen Vostro V13 was a pretty good deal after all. Just to let you know Dell Japan as nice offer for a Vista and Celeron 743 powered Vostro V13 at just 12,980 Yen (106€).

Dell Vostro V13 Specs:

- Intel CoreTM 2 Solo SU3500 @ 1.40 GHz

- 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM (1066 MHz)

- Intel GMA 4500MHD

- 320 GB Serial ATA 7,200 rpm

- 13.3” HDF LED Backlight Monitor with a 1366×768 resolution.

First Impression

Directly coming from the Adamo family the Vostro V13 inherit for its big brother handsomeness and quality build. Like the Adamo the Vostro V13 peculiarity reside in the way you will close your computer screen and lid, lying on top of your computer bottom deck.

Receiving an elegant brushed aluminum lid and bottom body, the V13 over all quality is matching our expectation. Add to this a well design and elegant keyboard and mouse pad, the Vostro V13 is just the elegant Business oriented Laptop that many of us would die for.

Minimalistic the V13 is in the other hands a bit means with peripheral. Don’t expect much here but the V13 only features a USB 2.0 port and an e-SATA one. If you are looking forward to plug your computer to your nice 24” Full HD Monitor you will have to do it the good old fashion way with the poor man D-Sub output.

Luckily Dell also thought that it could be nice to add 2 more slot with a SD Card reader and an Express Card/34 port on the side of your computer ant that pretty much it.

Looking forward to enjoy HD video on the Go? You are in luck, since the Vostro V13 features a pretty nice none glossy 13.3” screen with a 1366×768 resolution

Everyday usage.

Unfortunately only available in Japan with a Celeron 743 or a Core 2 Solo SU3500, the Vostro V13 is far from being as powerful as an Adamo, at least for us in Japan, but the good news is that it will just do what it is suppose to do! Now let’s face it, and even if you would have better enjoyed a Core 2 Duo S7300 like on the USA V13 for example, the Vostro V13 has never been made to compete against power user oriented laptop, but has been targeted to business oriented user, where a Core 2 Solo SU3500 with a 7200rpm HDD will easily handle Web Browsing, Email, Basic Office usage and even some basic photo edition even with Photoshop.

If you ever wanted to push the limit of your Business oriented usage and just need to relax for while, reset assure, the Vostro V13 even on its Core 2 Solo configuration will easily handle Hulu Video, as well as HD videos. As for 3D video gaming, well let’s say that Intel’s GMA 4500MHD won’t give you the needed power to play those 3D heavy games, but once again, who will be crazy enough to try such games on such tiny and slim Business laptop whether or not you could get it with a Core 2 Duo CPU.

So far so good, the Vostro V13 is a pretty nice business tool, well built, nice aluminum casing an ultra slim with just 19.7mm, the Vostro has for me everything it needs when it comes for a slim & elegant mobile professional laptop… But as a mobile device, the Vostro has just one weakness… Its battery. Unfortunately unswappable, the Vostro V13 will need to go back to DELL support center if you ever need to change its internal battery, we actually were not capable to remove the computer aluminum bottom without damaging the computer… Bad very bad.

Conclusion.

Despite its poor choice of CPU in Japan, I would die for a Core 2 Duo V13, its unswappable battery, I would still get the V13 in addition on of me setting at the office. Actually using a Vaio G2 series in a Windows Server and Exchange Office environment, The V13 will perform just as well as my G2 Core 2 Duo 1.2Ghz plus giving me the satisfaction to own an excellently build computer and on top of that a very elegant one. And as proof, while writing this review I just placed an order for a Vostro V13 with a Core 2 Solo at 23,450 Yen (196€) to replace my Wife Lenovo 3000 N100 Core Duo 1.66Ghz Laptop.

[Via http://f3.kz]

P@SHA & CIO head out to campuses with IT CEOs

Today marks the launch of a new initiative branded as  “Campus Conversations” -   a collaboration between CIO Pakistan and P@SHA, and supported by PSEB.

The thought behind it is that the industry-academia linkage is weak resulting in a disconnect between the two. Instead of each complaining about the other, a discourse that will enable the two segments to work in unison in improving this relationship for the benefit of all, is what is needed.

So CIO and P@SHA will  travel with a panel of CEOs (this panel will change depending on the university and the city) to university campuses across the country to start a “conversation” with students/faculty. The initiative will be result-oriented with real commitments being the key. I have explained it a little in this interview with Rabia Garib at the CIO Webstudio.

Today’s panel includes Yusuf Jan of Mixit Technologies, Rahim Lalani of TRG Tech, Ashar Zaidi of Intel Pakistan & Danish Nafay of National Foods. Rabia Garib and I will be there too of course! We are heading out to the FAST Karachi Main Campus. Tune in to this blog and to the CIO Webstudio to see if we survived the encounter .

[Via http://jehanara.wordpress.com]

Dell E173FP - LCD display - TFT - 17" - 1280 x 1024 - 250 cd/m2 - 450:1 - 0.264 mm - VGA

Dell E173FP – LCD display – TFT – 17″ – 1280 x 1024 – 250 cd/m2 – 450:1 – 0.264 mm – VGA Review

This monitor is creat, it takes up very little room, and still gives me a great picture – better than any other LCD I have owned. The really nice thing with this monitor is you see the whole screen – you do not have thet black box going around the picture your who display is viewable. I also liked that I could add a speaker bar to my monitor easily. This is an excellent buy and value!

Dell E173FP – LCD display – TFT – 17″ – 1280 x 1024 – 250 cd/m2 – 450:1 – 0.264 mm – VGA Feature

• Designed for a wide variety of users
• Ranging from the home to corporate or financial trading environments
• Utilizes a 17 Active Matrix TFT LCD
• Displays brilliant text and graphics with a maximum resolution up to 1280×1024 pixels
• Monitor has wide viewing angles

Dell E173FP – LCD display – TFT – 17″ – 1280 x 1024 – 250 cd/m2 – 450:1 – 0.264 mm – VGA Overview

The Dell E173FP 17″ Flat Panel LCD Color Monitor is designed for a wide variety of users ranging from the home to corporate or financial trading environments. It utilizes a 17″ Active Matrix TFT LCD that displays brilliant text and graphics with a maximum resolution up to 1280×1024 pixels. This monitor has wide viewing angles, which allow you to view the screen from various positions without compromising image quality. With a contrast ratio of 450:1, it generates sharp, crisp lines and images, while its fast response time provides superior clarity for moving images. Those who require exceptional quality and reliability will appreciate the value that Dell E173FP provides.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 15, 2010 12:00:03

[Via http://netebook.wordpress.com]

New Dell Computer

My 5-year old laptop suddenly began misbehaving, and considering its age, I opted to order a new machine instead of wasting time troubleshooting.  After much research, I ordered a Dell laptop.  However, after already being delayed once, I received another email from Dell stating that my order had been delayed for a second time, and that if I didn’t respond that day, my order would be cancelled.  I responded with a call to customer service that was most unfulfilling and followed up with an email:

“Please continue to process and ship my order.  However, my faith in Dell’s ability to deliver has been deeply eroded.  The is the 3rd delivery date that I have been promised, and both delay notices have been sent the day the computer would have had to ship to make the promised delivery date.  It is clear that Dell’s supply chain management system is unable to forecast actual assembly or anticipate delays…”

Later that same day, I received an email that my order had shipped.  I would like to think that my email had that effect, but I suspect that my initial analysis of Dell’s IT system is more likely accurate.

[Via http://thepinkyupdate.wordpress.com]

Dell Mini 5 To Take on iPad With Amazon

Dell’s upcoming Mini 5, which was earliest shown openly at this years CES, will be made accessible in a range of colors and will also feature addition with a host of Amazon services, according to a lately leaked internal document.

The leaked information, which was originally posted on Engadget, details that the Android-powered tablet may be accessible in a number of “premium finishes.” The document also mentions thatthe Mini 5 will be accessible in a range of colors and designs.

Beyond the personalization options, the first leaked page unhappily didn’t offer several other latest information concerning Dell’s upcoming tablet, simply listing its features, for example the front-facing video camera, dock connector, and capacitive touch-screen. However, a second leaked page offers some extra interesting tidbits that were previously unidentified.

The second page information a content partnership that Dell may be entering with Amazon. The document states that the Mini 5 will incorporate with Amazon’s Kindle, MP3 and Video services, and will comprise a Kindle reader app

Could this partnership with Amazon be seen as a move to compete with the upcoming iPad? Apple’s tablet has the iTunes plus iBooks Stores, so supporting Amazon’s services could help Dell bring something like to the table.

For those eagle-eyed readers, you might have spotted that the leaked certification refers to the Snapdragon-powered device as the ‘Streak’, a name that first surfaced late last year. As for whether this is just the interior codename for the upcoming product, or an official change gone from the Mini 5 moniker is at present unknown.

Dell has yet to verify a solid release date or final price for the device.

[Via http://technonewsworld.wordpress.com]

Dell Precision M4500

      For those which work in business, Dell introduce new Precision M4500. With a new and very atractive design, M4500 came with some specifications which will transform this notebook in a very powerfull machine. Here are few specifications:

Processor:  Intel Core i5 / i7

Display:       15.6 inch with 1920 x 1080 pixels rezolution

Video:          nVidia Quadro FX 1800M / Quadro FX 880M with 1 Gb memory

Hard-disk:   Solid state drive with 64GB

Memory:      Up to 16GB

Web-cam:     3 megapixels

Weight:          2.72kg

[Via http://xtremecomputers.wordpress.com]

Oh, The Dell With It

The workers should be here any minute now for day two of the roof project. Yesterday they stripped the entire old roof off, put down new tar paper, and got about 7/8 of the front of the house reshingled. Also, they cut out the dormer from the upstairs bathroom and gutted the room, except for the toilet and the tub, but that’s going. If you know anything about my upstairs bathroom, you know how the ceiling slants following the angle of the roof. Well, that slant is being bumped out and a new dormer built in its place and then a functioning shower will be installed so that one can stand erect while showering. Oh, yeah, well, there was never a shower there to begin with, just a tub that never got used. Today the dormer should be built so the rest of the roof can be shingled.

The fun continued at computer central last night. I don’t think I went into specifics about it yesterday, but Monday night, because I wasn’t able to connect to watch the Radio Chick on Shovio.co m, Ariel thought he could do something to make it work. But when he turned on the new computer–the brand new computer, the one that was delivered on Saturday–it would not start. It was a bit of a dance with a Dell representative, only because the first few suggestions weren’t working, but the guy talked Ariel through the situation and got the computer up and running.

While I was working yesterday, during all the chaos of home repair going on about me, I thought, let me watch a movie. But, neither of the two drives was working.

Oh, it was the greatest thing. The workers were here until dark and before Ariel got home, to tackle this new computer issue, I went to scour the driveway for nails. I began picking them up but one of the guys saw me and after I assured him I didn’t mind, he gave me this neat tool to use. It was like a super magnetic push broom on wheels. You just roll it over and it attracts all the nails on the ground.

So, Ariel got home and got on the phone with Dell, and how he didn’t end up having a coronary is beyond me. He went toe to toe with several different departments because their record keeping department has not yet updated the registration info yet and because of that, were unable to help him. We couldn’t run the supplied discs in either drive to reinstall the player and Dell (and I’m sure others as well) has a way to access your desktop so they can resolve such issues. But they couldn’t, or wouldn’t do it and Ariel was livid, yelling into the phone how “I’m a loyal customer, I own 4 dell computers, this one is brand new, I’ve had two issues with it already since Saturday, why should I be penalized because your record keeping department doesn’t do it’s job, get me a supervisor, I am NOT waiting another 24 hours for this to get resolved, I am staying on the phone, I need this resolved toNIGHT!” Rinse, repeat, over and over again.

Sometimes you learn from your mistakes and actually have to return to the scene of the crime. When he called Dell on Monday night, it happened to have been a wrong number, the number for Dell Canada, but they helped us. After over an hour of trying not to pop a blood vessel last night, Ariel got on the phone with Canada, explained the problem, and was talked through the registration process and the rep connected to the desk top and went to work to resolve our issue, all the while apologizing it was taking so long.

So, there you have it, Dell customer service stinks. You need help, go to Canada.

And let’s see what the newts thought of last night’s American Idol.

[Via http://brianksigley.wordpress.com]

Bon Giorno, Hello, AnnyongHaseyo, Konnichiwa, Kumusta

Hi fellow readers, bloggers and working moms out there like me. It’s not that hot today here in the Philippines with a temperature that is almost 28° C (82°F). Currently working inside our nipa hut using my newly bought Dell Inspiron 1440 while swaying my son’s crib (multitasking as they say). Valuing every time that I have while surfing, answering questions from work and making my baby sleep and earn money. Nowadays, it is really important to budget your time, spend your money wisely and maintain a good relationship with your family. It’s really great that I was able to find a job that satisfy what the people around me needs and what I personally need. Working at home is fun and enjoyable as I am able to spend time with my 4-month-old son while I am at the comfort of our home earning some money instead of just surfing without pay. The job I am currently into is very flexible as I am able to schedule myself on the time that I am most available and of course my endless need for knowledge is being satisfied. I am happy with the reviews they made regarding my job and hope to answer more questions to gain more knowledge and earn more.

[Via http://azanzwer.wordpress.com]

Old PC is almost gone

Wasted all day trying to fix my PC. Finally I gave up and ordered a Dell instead.

Windows started okay but it froze after about 5 minutes. I reloaded Windows XP but lost the mouse, keyboard co-processor, a bus and network connection. Istruggled for 45 minutes and loaded a wireless network connection but still couldn’t get online.

I then backed up all my files and set up my $300 Eee PC  to check emails and get on the Internet.

I also orderd the new Windows Office to replace my 2001 XP Office I got from UT.

Dell won’t come until March 25; a long 3 weeks.

[Via http://hslu.wordpress.com]

New Dell computers have arrived.

The Dell computers we purchased to replaced some of our 7-year old computers have arrived. It comes with Windows 7 and Windows XP downgrade.

It is going to take a few days to configured the computers to our liking so we can increased our productivity. Not sure if we’re going to use Windows 7 right away due to some ancient software we are still using.

By the way, we are finally going to get Office 2007. Well, Office 2010 is just around the corner. More spending in this economy, but hey, we are contributing to the recovery. We’re still not sure if we are going to need Outlook (2007) anymore since we have moved the email system to a less Microsoft-centric one. Anyway it’s still going to cost us a cosiderable amount of our IT budget for the softwares.

Currently the pricing for Microsoft Office 2007 Standard Edition is over $300 at Amazon.com. Where can we get it cheaper? Any ideas?

[Via http://amidon.wordpress.com]

Which Mass Storage Driver for Dell Optiplex 780?

Having trouble finding which driver you need to install for SATA on the Dell Optiplex 780? Yeah me too. So after much trouble and lack of documentation on Dell’s website I figured I’d post it here after finding it on a Russian web site. For the record I was installing XP Pro 32-bit (for work). Had this PC not been a ‘test’ PC it would be running Windows 7.

And yes I put in the freakin’ service tag at Dell’s website.

In the BIOS it comes by default set to ATA instead of AHCI.

You need to install the Intel ICH10D driver.

With the proper SATA driver installed you can reboot and change it to AHCI and it will boot. Without the proper driver and set to AHCI the box will simply blue-screen and constantly reboot until you switch it back to ATA or throw it on the ground.

Hope it helps someone else.

[Via http://davesays.wordpress.com]

LevelStock.com: China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. Plans to Expand Into India in Strategic Move to Increase Global Sales and Net Income Beyond $100 Million Revenue Target for 2010

Feb 22nd 2010,  Braintree,Ma. LevelStock.com is pleased to announce to all of its members and investors information on  China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. (OTCBB: CCTR) The Company released news as follows:

China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. (OTCBB: CCTR) today announced a Webcast scheduled for Friday, February 26, 2010 to present the Company’s plans to expand into India as part of a strategy to increase global sales and net income. The Company anticipates reporting record net income on over $40 million in revenue in the annual report for 2009. The Company has also announced a $100 million profitable revenue target for 2010 in addition to announcing a number of large long-term contracts.

A link to the Webcast will be made available on the Company’s website www.chinacrescent.com and emailed to the corporate email database upon release Friday.

Sign Up to Receive Regular China Crescent Investor Updates

China Crescent sends regular email updates to its opt-in, permission-based email database. Interested investors can easily, safely and quickly register to receive these communications directly on the corporate website homepage (www.chinacrescent.com). Recipients can manage their own email contact profile and safely unsubscribe at any time.

About China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. (www.chinacrescent.com)

China Crescent is a systems integration service provider that markets technology outsourcing services in China including the sale and service of brand name technologies such as Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, IBM, HP and Dell. Following a recent strategic acquisition, the Company has expanded its business line to include original design manufacturing (ODM). China Crescent reported over $40 million in profitable revenue in 2008. The Company has reported record profits through the first 9 months of 2009 and anticipates reporting record profit in the 2009 annual report. Management has set a goal of reaching $100 million in revenue in 2010.

Headquartered in Dallas with operations in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Dalian and Beijing, China Crescent bridges the gap between global business cultures to assist clients worldwide realize the advantages of the high quality, low cost technology products and services available from China. China Crescent also assists clients in localizing products and services to realize the tremendous growth potential available by expanding into the Chinese Market.

“SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT” UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements in this release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results, events and performance could vary materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause China Crescent’s actual results in future periods to differ materially from results expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, product demand and market competition. You should independently investigate and fully understand all risks before making investment decisions.

About LevelStock.com

We are an investor community and investors relations website specializing in emerging growth stocks in today’s Hot Sectors and providing a platform of services for SmallCap, MicroCap, NanoCap Companies.

We encourage everyone to join our social media sites:

Free Subscription For Our Newsletters:  http://www.levelstock.com/

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=283660480870

Twitter: http://twitter.com/levelstock

LevelStock.com is not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer. The information here is believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed to be accurate by LevelStock.com Please be advised that the information contained may or may not be complete and is solely for informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer for complete risks and disclosures http://levelstock.com/news.php?viewStory=19

CONTACT INFO: LevelStock.com 288 Grove Street Suite 181, Braintree, MA 02184

Email: support@levelstock.com

[Via http://stocktradingnews.wordpress.com]

Check Out Dell W3000 30-Inch Widescreen Flat Panel LCD HDTV

Dell W3000 30-Inch Widescreen Flat Panel LCD HDTV Review

Dell W3000 30-Inch Widescreen Flat Panel LCD HDTV Feature

• Amazing television experience: HDTV ready, wide-screen format for excellent movie and Digital television experience
• Slim design: Save cabinet space or mount on a wall (100×200 VESA mount sold separately)
• Use as either a TV or a computer monitor (or both); 300:1 Contrast Ratio; Widescreen 16:9 Aspect Ratio
• Supports Picture in Picture (PIP), Picture by Picture (PBP), and Picture Outside Picture (POP) Functions
• Speakers are included (TV includes speaker outputs to run directly into your home theater system); Includes LCD TV with Stand, Speakers, Remote Control and Power Cable

Dell W3000 30-Inch Widescreen Flat Panel LCD HDTV Overview

With a full feature set, including HDTV capability as well as PC connectivity, the Dell W3000 30-Inch Widescreen Flat Panel LCD HDTV is perfect for multimedia customers who want to watch TV, DVD video and play games. The widescreen aspect ratio is ideal for video applications, and when combined with the Picture/Picture features, makes it easier for users to maximize their multimedia experience by simultaneously viewing images from multiple video inputs including those from a PC.

Available at Amazon Related Products Customer Reviews

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Feb 22, 2010 05:40:05

[Via http://largestlcdtv.wordpress.com]

Dell Mini 10 Netbook Gets WiMAX

The Dell (s dell) Mini 10 netbook is a very nice specimen, as witnessed by Kevin’s video below. It has just about everything a netbook user could want and then some, given word that WiMAX is now an option. The new option is unlocked, so it can be used with either Sprint (s s) or Clear in the U.S., giving up to 10 Mbps performance. The option is $60, and you’ll have to get a data plan which is extra. Maybe Kevin can get his hands on one of these babies with 4G?

dell-mini-10-unboxing

This movie requires Adobe Flash for playback.

Related research on GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

Better Battery Life Motivates Mobile Chipmakers

[Via http://jkontherun.com]

Need New Battery!

My laptop battery is beginning to fail me. According to the warning message upon logging in, my battery no longer will hold a charge and it recommends me buying a new one. So i went onto the Dell website and theyre selling the batteries for $130-$150! Extreme ripoff indeed :/

[Via http://mrkennyte.wordpress.com]

It Ain't Over Yet

By Dirk Van Dijk

February 12, 2010

Earnings Preview 2/12/10

Earnings season is winding down, but that does not mean it’s over. Next week will bring 336 earnings reports, including 46 members of the S&P 500. Among the more significant reports well be those from Retail heavyweights Wal-Mart (WMT) and J.C. Penney (JCP), Tech titans Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Dell (DELL) and Applied Materials (AMAT). Other important companies releasing results next week include Deere (DE – Analyst Report) and Kraft Foods (KFT).

It will be a busy week on the economic data front with reports on Housing, Industrial Production and Inflation coming out.

Monday

• Furniture and Carpet stores will run sales featuring stove pipe and tri-cornered hat themes (a.k.a Presidents Day)

Tuesday

• The Treasury Budget will finally be released. The report showing just how much red ink was spilled in Washington in January was supposed to come out this week, but was delayed due to the snow. Consensus expectations are for a deficit of $46.0 billion. In December it was $91.9 billion, but the data is extremely seasonal. The better comparison is with January a year ago when $63.5 billion worth or red ink was spilled. That’s right folks — the budget deficit is expected to be down significantly. If it is, expect the number to hardly be mentioned on CNBC, since that would not fit their general talking points

Wednesday

• The day will start off with a very important measure of the housing market: housing starts and building permits. In December, housing starts unexpectedly plunged to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 557,000, interrupting a gradual uptrend that started in the spring. Normally one might expect a snap-back, but the seasonal adjustment might not capture all of bad weather. Building permits held up much better in December at an annual rate of 653,000, and permits are generally the best leading indicator of starts. I would expect starts to do better than permits in January, reversing some of the December divergence. Traditionally, residential investment is one of the most important (if not THE most important engine lifting the economy out of recessions). This time around, the engine seems to be running on just one cylinder

• The second major report of the day is the one on Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization. In December, overall Industrial production rose by 0.6%, but that was mostly due to a huge surge in Utility output, which rose 5.9%. Utility output is as much a function of the weather as it is of economic activity. Manufacturing output actually fell 0.1%. Look for a small rebound in manufacturing output. In December, overall Capacity Utilization was 72.0% and has been on an uptrend since May. It was up from 71.5% in November, but as with Industrial Production the increase was mostly from the Utilities; Factory output only inched up by 0.1% to 68.6%. The Capacity Utilization report is one of the most underrated of economic reports, and while it is improved from last summer, it is still at historically very low levels. A stalling Industrial Production and a fall in Capacity Utilization would be very bad news

Thursday

• Weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance come out. They fell 43,000 in the last week, to 440,000. That reversed three straight weekly increases, but prior to that they had been in a very steep downtrend. Look for the decline to continue, but not at the same rate. The four-week average was only down 1,000 last week to 469,500

• Continuing claims have also been in a steep downtrend of late. However, that is in part due to people simply exhausting their regular state benefits which run out after 26 weeks. If one factors in the extended claims paid by the Federal government as part of the Stimulus Program, claims soared last week. Looking at just the regular continuing claims numbers is a serious mistake — they only include a little over half of the unemployed now given the unprecedentedly high duration of unemployment figures. Last week regular continuing claims were 4.538 million, a drop of 79,000. Extended claims (paid from Federal ARRA funds) were 5.684 million, a decline of 171,500. Make sure to look at both sets of numbers!

• The Producer Price Index (PPI) is due out. In December it was up 0.2% on a headline basis, a sharp drop from the 1.8% increase in November. Excluding food and energy to get the core PPI, prices were unchanged in December after a 0.5% increase in November. On a year-over-year basis, producer prices were up 4.4% overall, but mostly that was due to the rebound in energy prices from a year ago. On a core basis, the PPI was up only 0.9% year over year. Look for a small increase on both a core and headline basis in January

• The index of leading indicators has really been on a tear of late, rising 1.1% in December on top of a 1.0% increase in November. Expect a further rise, but not at quite as hot a pace

Friday

• The Consumer Price Index is due out. In December it was up 0.1% on a headline basis, down from 0.4% in November. On a core basis, prices were down 0.1% in December after being unchanged in November. On a year-over-year basis, prices were up 2.7% overall, and up 1.8% on a core basis. Look for the CPI to be close to unchanged, and possibly slightly negative on a core basis. Inflation is not a serious concern right now

Potential Positive Surprises

Historically, the best indicators of firms likely to report positive surprises are a recent history of positive surprises and rising estimates going into the report. The Zacks Rank is also a good indicator of potential surprises. While normally firms that report better-than-expected earnings rise in reaction, that has not been the case so far this quarter. Some of the companies that have these characteristics include:

Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) is expected to report EPS of $0.38, down from $1.71 per share a year ago. Last time out, CLF posted a positive surprise of 850% (OK, it was a very low base, so take that percentage with a grain of salt) and over the last month the mean estimate for its fourth quarter earnings is up 7.20%. CLF has a Zacks #1 Rank.

Reliance Steel (RS) is expected to report EPS before non-recurring items of $1.01, up from $0.90 a year ago. In the 3Q, Reliance posted a positive surprise of 26.7% and over the last month, the consensus estimate for its 4Q earnings is up an awesome 168.1%. RS is a Zacks #1 Rank stock.

NVIDIA (NVDA) is expected to earn $0.15 per share this year, up from a loss of $0.25 a year ago. In the third quarter it posted a 1333.3% positive surprise. Over the last month the mean estimate for the 4Q is up 15.0%. NVDA holds a Zacks #2 Rank.

Potential Negative Surprises

Goodyear Tire (GT) is expected to post a loss of $0.06 a share, an improvement over the $1.18 a share loss a year ago. Last time GT reported 6.38% short of expectations. For this Zacks #5 Rank stock, analysts have actually increased the estimates for this quarter over the last month by 2.44%.

Energy Transfer Equity (ETE) is expected to earn $0.46 a share this quarter, down from $0.59 last year. It disappointed by 56.3% last time out, and analysts have cut the estimate for this quarter by 4.52% over the last month. The stock holds a Zacks #5 Rank.

Winn-Dixie (WINN) is expected to report a loss of $0.16, worse than the loss of $0.06 last year. Last quarter they reported 3.50% short of expectations. Over the past month, analysts have cut the estimate for this Zacks #5 Rank stock by 10.8%.

[Via http://zacksman.wordpress.com]

Dell Mini 5 Poses For Photo Opp

Enagadget has a pretty nice set of pics of Dell’s upcoming Mini 5 Android smartphone. This thing looks like a beast! The Mini 5 has been approved by the FCC with US compatible 3G bands, so hopefully this is the phone AT&T will get from Dell.  Check out the full gallery of images HERE.

[Via http://thegadgetgurus.net]

Dell Warranty Class Action Lawsuit Allowed To Proceed In Ontario

If you’re in Ontario and you have a Dell computer, you may want to pay attention to this. Law professor Micheal Geist has been tracking the story of a young man who needed his computer fixed:

In 2004, Ian Andrews purchased a Dell laptop computer for $1,700. About 2 1/2 years later, the computer began to malfunction, periodically shutting down unexpectedly. Stuck with a problem computer that was past the standard warranty period, Andrews complained to Dell. The computer giant responded that the online contract governing the initial purchase required him to resolve the dispute by arbitration.

Andrews recognized this was not a realistic approach, later stating that, as a university student, he was not in a financial position to retain counsel to support an arbitration claim. Instead, he chose a different course of action, suing the company as part of a class-action lawsuit that brought together thousands of consumers experiencing similar problems.

Dell challenged the class-action suit, but last month the Ontario Court of Appeal sided with Andrews, ruling that it could proceed.

This sounds somewhat similar to a Dell lawsuit that I’ve written about in the past. Why is this decision important for people in Ontario? I’ll let Geist explain:

This latest case represents a major win for Canadian consumer groups, who have tangled with Dell before in a case that ultimately went to the Supreme Court of Canada. Businesses operating online may understandably prefer to limit their likely liability through arbitration, but the resounding response from the Ontario legislature and courts indicates that it should not be possible to force consumers to click away their class-action rights.

I’m all for having consumers protected, so as far as I’m concerned this is great for them. I do have one question though. Dell keeps getting hit with these types of lawsuits. I wonder what’s up with that? Perhaps it’s something that they need to look at so that they are still a viable choice for those who want to buy PCs.

[Via http://itnerd.wordpress.com]

Dell Mini 5 passes FCC

One device that i am hugely is excited for running android is the Dell Mini 5. On the North American front the device has not got much attention , although we did grab a video of it at CES 2010 (Dell Mini 5 at CES 2010). I would love to see all the features a device of this size and potential power is bringing to us. Could this device alone beat out any hope for Apple’s Tablet being successful granted this device has some real power behind it (probably not)?  It has passed the FCC on AT&T 3G bands, and Dell has taken the stance Entertainment device first and phone second, and the way people are using Smartphones today you can be mad at them for taking this approach. For specs on the Device keep up with our Blog and we will make sure to keep you updated on the device.

Dell Mini 5 Passes FCC>>>

[Via http://smartphoneinsight.com]

Dell Mini 5 Prototype Sneak Peak

Snuggle up with the black Dell Streak/Mini 5 prototype, which has “Model M01M” marked under the battery cover—probably the most official name to date. Spec-wise the M01M sums up what’s been speculated all along—A 5-inch 800×480 touchscreen, Android 1.6, 1GHz CPU (presumably Snapdragon, as revealed by the teardown), WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G of some sort, 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, front-facing camera, and the same 1530mAh battery as the one in the teardown. The price? ¥7,500, which converts to a whopping $1,098 in US cash, but bear in mind that this doesn’t reflect the M01M’s actual retail price for whenever it might launch.

[Via http://evolveent.wordpress.com]

et tu, Dell?

October 6, 1997. Dell is the number one PC seller in the world, and are just over a decade old. The young company can seem to do no wrong, and has returned investors a 2,800% gain in the past 5 years.

Apple had already seen it’s heyday in the previous decade, and has now fallen on hard times. Over the same 5 year time period, the older company experienced massive turbulence, and had lost around 50% of it’s value.

Michael Dell gets on stage and is presented with the question: now that Steve Jobs is back at Apple, if you were him, what would you do to fix the company?

“What would I do? I’d shut [Apple] down and give the money back to the shareholders”

Fast forward 13 years. Since then, Apple has seen a 3,500% gain in it’s value. Dell, on the other hand, has seen almost none, at the moment it stands at a mere 10%.

When looking at a shorter, 5 year time period, things look even bleaker for Dell: a 60% loss in value (meanwhile, Apple is around 500%).

So to Michael Dell: “Your company has lost 60% of it’s value over the past 5 years. What will you do to fix it?”

I’m guessing his answer won’t be what it was 13 years ago.

References:

cnet

[Via http://spritely.wordpress.com]

"If you want people to follow you, walk behind them" - Starbucks' Howard Schultz leads the field on ROI for social media

In my ‘day job’ as one of the Director of a Social Media (ROI) consultancy firm called Media Focus UK Ltd I am always on the look out for fantastic thought leaders and columnists to follow and Gordon MacMillan at Brand Republic is one of those. He stays three paces ahead of others in thinking and can simply express what many feel needs to be said in readable and enjoyable terms.

In his latest posting (link below) he discusses the perennial problem of 3 out of every 4 marketeers or communication people not really understanding where social media fits as a part of their major promotional strategies and that they are ‘confused about the role.’ He cites someone who is not – Howard Schultz – the boss of Starbucks.

Schultz is asked in an interview which one channel will take precedence, here’s his answer:

“I think social media is a natural extension of our brand because we want to do things that are unexpected, and to speak to all sorts of people who are engaged with social media. It’s tough to measure but there is an incremental benefit to sales.”

MacMillan goes on “No one questions the value of PR or thinks too much about assigning ROI to it. It is clearly done well worth its weight in gold” and that there is one thing (the PR thing) that struck him, “Howard Schultz must think about ROI when he thinks about the 200% rise in profits at Starbucks in the last quarter.”

MacMillan continues “Schultz must think about ROI when he discusses how the coffee chain attracted 5.1 million Facebook fans and 768, 527 followers and how according to Nielsen the time spent by users on social networking sites has more than doubled since December 2007. Nielsen said last month that consumers spent more than five and half hours on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter in December 2009.”

A Chinese proverb (I forget who said it now – perhaps Lao Tse) said something along the lines of “If you want people to follow you, walk behind them.” Meaning, I’d guess you can persuade people easier if you are one of them and are listening to what they think, feel and are responding to them and valuing them all. Isn’ t that what Starbucks are doing in this example?

MacMillan concludes “If you want to talk to these people you’d better be where they are. I’ll mention Dell again. You kind of have to and while the $6.5m it made via Twitter is a drop in the ocean it is part of a growing drop that many savvy firms are part of.”

Free downloads of real life examples on how social media is changing the way business works – taken from newspapers ‘09

Making Money from Social Media – real world examples

Better targeted advertising – real world examples

Corporate reputation disasters – real world examples

Changing face of journalism Real life examples 2009

Group based campaigning – real world examples

http://community.brandrepublic.com/blogs/gordons_republic/archive/2010/02/02/social-media-confusion-and-the-problem-with-roi.aspx

[Via http://virginonmedia.wordpress.com]

Dell Mini 5 Android-powered

Dell has unveiled a 5-inch Android-powered tablet PC at CES, which is called Slate for now. The device comes with a SIM slot so you can hook up to 3G service for Internet connectivity, it has a 5-megapixel camera and It’s believed that Dell is prepping similar devices with different screen sizes and form factors.

Share

[Via http://garyzc.wordpress.com]

Episode 23: A Toppie Family Secret?

This episode of the Smellcast covers a lot of ground.

Toppie talks about doing a project for his Dad.  Then he jibber jabbers about going downtown to get high speed internet access.  It’s about time Toppie.  Welcome to the twenty first century. He also has a new flash drive storage unit thingy that seems to excite him.

Also, a brief listen to a podcast called Ding Da Bell that Toppie dearly loves.  It really cracks him up big time.  Ding and the Bell are so sweet and lovable. You can find them over at dingdabell.com and also on Itunes.

Listen as Toppie fiddles with his new flash drive.  Riveting stuff.  No, really.

Toppie’s new computer is acting up.  Toppie fears it will never really work right. This leads him to once again extole the virtues of his old, now defunct Dell computer.

Toppie reveals tantilizing evidence of a deep dark family secret — were Toppie’s grandparents ever really married???   There’s some obscure document signed by some strangers that a marriage was apparently performed, but, as we just realized, no wedding photos!!  Mysterious!

Talk to your parents!  Talk to your grandparents and ask them questions about thier life before they’re gone.  You will be glad you did.

Please click the link below to listen to the Smellcast/episode 23.

The Smellcast/Episode 23

[Via http://smellcast.wordpress.com]

Ok. It’s almost back together…

I have been working this evening on getting programs loaded back onto the new hard drive that I have installed into my computer.

The hard drive that came with my system appears to be failing.  I was getting alert message  all weekend.   I contacted Dell and after running the diagnostic software they determined yes the drive was bad and sent a new one overnight.

They put an image of my operating system and stuff that came with the computer and I’m installing what I put on after I got it.  Of course, Dell forgot a few things…  I have downloaded from their support site two things but I believe they are going to have to send me a Roxio disc because I don’t have one with what they sent last year.  Overall their customer service has been great and I have no complaints in that area with this situation.

The fun part is now going to be getting my iPhone backup into the new system so that I won’t lose everything.  I have downloaded a program that is suppose to make this transition easier.  I will find out tomorrow evening when I sit down to get this done.

Wish me luck!

[Via http://ckahr.wordpress.com]

Why Netbooks Make Great Christmas Gifts

Did you know that for less than $500 you can get a powerful full-featured computer that is also compact, stylish and light?

Introducing – Netbooks (also called mini notebooks or subnotebooks), a hot ticket in Europe, being slowly introduced to the US market. Since their emergence in 2007 netbooks have steadily improved in specs and now there is very little distinction between a netbook and a small notebook in terms of computing power.

A typical netbook weighs only 3 lbs, has a 12″ screen and costs up to $500. Since it is optimized for regular home use, a netbook is perfect for surfing, looking up information, playing movies or even games. A netbook is light, compact, and has excellent battery life. A 12″ ultra crisp screen is more than enough for performing daily tasks.

While some people use their iPhone or a bulky, hot laptop for surfing and email checking, it is worth considering that a typical iPhone only has a 3.5″ screen, and seriously lacks features and CPU power (it’s browser can’t even play Flash). Do you know how much an iPhone costs? An iPhone costs as much as the most powerful netbook.

Let’s look at the specs for the upcoming ASUS EEEPC 1201N:

- 3GB RAM – 320 GB Harddrive – HDMI out (to hookup directly to your HD TV) – 11 hours of battery life – 12″ ultra bright screen – Wi-Fi- Bluetooth – Webcam – Windows 7 – SD Card slot

All that for just $500! A similarly equipped Apple MacBook starts at $999, and it won’t be as light and long lasting. It is also worth mentioning that it is possible to install Mac OS X on any netbook, though it is against Apple’s policies.

While most people are only preparing to do their Christmas shopping, you can easily cross one off the list – a netbook will make a great affordable gift for anyone.

Refurbished computers

Laptops for sale

Cheap laptops computers

Refurbished Notebook

Refurbished Laptops

Wholesale laptops

Wholesale computers discount

Laptops Discount

[Via http://ewoaunetbooknewsdm.wordpress.com]

Dell Store Lets You Change The Skin Of Your Laptop

Dell has partnered with (Product) Red to provide some unique looking skins for your laptop. So if you’re thinking about getting a Dell, then you should seriously consider skinning it.

Read Full Post

[Via http://range.wordpress.com]

HP and Microsoft Buddy Up for Cloud Computing

The manufacturing floor where HP assembles custom gear for data centers

Hewlett-Packard (s hpq) and Microsoft Corp. (s msft) today said the two companies would invest $250 million in the next three years to link Microsoft software with HP gear and sell it as one. The two have committed to what they call the infrastructure-to-application model with an eye to establishing both companies as big players in cloud computing. As the cloud gains in prominence, and is increasingly seen as the next generation computing model, hardware, software and networking companies are buddying up to create a data center that  runs like a computer.

So this announcement is HP’s and Microsoft’s  strategy for taking on Cisco’s (s csco) servers and its alliance with VMware (s vmw), but it’s also a blow to companies without such partnerships, primarily Dell (s dell). As for IBM (s ibm), it has tried and true services, software and hardware expertise to draw from. So what’s under the hood in the HP-Microsoft partnership?

• Unifying and incenting a sales channel to sell HP-Microsoft gear
• HP won’t stop offering other hypervisors but it will have a cadre of salespeople dedicated to pushing Microsoft’s Hyper-V
• Like it did with Oracle, HP is going to build hardware specially optimized for Microsoft applications including an SQL server. HP declined to talk about what this means for its work with Oracle (s orcl), but since Oracle now is selling its database appliance built on Sun hardware, my guess is that partnership was doomed when Oracle said it would acquire Sun.
• Microsoft will use HP gear in its Azure cloud.
• The two will combine R&D forces to build out the future data center, which will be built around containers and will be optimized to run efficiently depending on the application.

Some quick thoughts here that I will explore later today on a call with HP and Microsoft: Efforts such as this one and Cisco’s tie up with VMware and EMC concern me, as they seem to indicate that the big players are using cloud computing as an excuse to partner up. In creating optimized systems of the type that Microsoft and HP will focus on, the danger of vendor lock-in rises. Is optimization becoming the code for proprietary?

Behind these optimization efforts is the holy grail for information technology, which is creating a data center that is aware of the application and can deliver exactly the performance required for a specific task and no more. This saves on power costs and also implies that we’ve achieved some type of real-time information and automation that make data centers run like a computer, rather than like a gaggle of servers networked together with Ethernet and duct tape.

But given the concerns about openness between clouds, the optimization efforts of these large vendors seem troubling. Now, your HP gear will be optimized for Microsoft’s proprietary Hyper-V virtualization instead of open Xen. That’s not to say HP’s management software won’t be able to run in heterogeneous environments,  or that other hypervisors won’t run on its gear — HP CEO Mark Hurd was at pains to say it will– but that companies running those environments may take a performance or efficiency hit.

Regardless, the cloud is shaking up the traditional corporate IT market and Microsoft and HP are trying to figure out their own ways of putting their respective companies on top. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that the two started working together on this project back in April, which is when Cisco finally unveiled its server plans. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on the call gave his definition of cloud computing, which basically brings all of this home, “The cloud means a modern architecture for how you build and deploy applications.”

[Via http://gigaom.com]

DELL NOTEBOOK STUDIO 17- Jet Black, Intel Dual Core T2390 (1.86GHz), 2GB SDRAM, Glossy widescreen 17.0 inch, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, 160 GB SATA HD, 8X Slot Load CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive) , Dell 1397 Wireless-G Card,

DELL NOTEBOOK STUDIO 17- Jet Black, Intel Dual Core T2390 (1.86GHz), 2GB SDRAM, Glossy widescreen 17.0 inch, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, 160 GB SATA HD, 8X Slot Load CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive) , Dell 1397 Wireless-G Card, Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal, Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam , High Definition Audio 2.0, Integrated Finger Print Reader, Windows Vista Home Premium Review

Check Price Now! DELL NOTEBOOK STUDIO 17- Jet Black, Intel Dual Core T2390 (1.86GHz), 2GB SDRAM, Glossy widescreen 17.0 inch, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, 160 GB SATA HD, 8X Slot Load CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive) , Dell 1397 Wireless-G Card, Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal, Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam , High Definition Audio 2.0, Integrated Finger Print Reader, Windows Vista Home Premium Feature

• Jet Black, Intel Dual Core T2390 (1.86GHz), 2GB SDRAM
• Glossy widescreen 17.0 inch, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
• GB SATA HD, 8X Slot Load CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive) , Dell 1397 Wireless-G Card
• Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal, Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam , High Definition Audio 2.0, Integrated Finger Print Reader
• Windows Vista Home Premium

DELL NOTEBOOK STUDIO 17- Jet Black, Intel Dual Core T2390 (1.86GHz), 2GB SDRAM, Glossy widescreen 17.0 inch, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, 160 GB SATA HD, 8X Slot Load CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive) , Dell 1397 Wireless-G Card, Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal, Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam , High Definition Audio 2.0, Integrated Finger Print Reader, Windows Vista Home Premium Overview

DELL NOTEBOOK STUDIO 17- Jet Black, Intel Dual Core T2390 (1.86GHz), 2GB SDRAM, Glossy widescreen 17.0 inch, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, 160 GB SATA HD, 8X Slot Load CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive) , Dell 1397 Wireless-G Card, Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal, Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam , High Definition Audio 2.0, Integrated Finger Print Reader, Windows Vista Home Premium

DELL NOTEBOOK STUDIO 17- Jet Black, Intel Dual Core T2390 (1.86GHz), 2GB SDRAM, Glossy widescreen 17.0 inch, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, 160 GB SATA HD, 8X Slot Load CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive) , Dell 1397 Wireless-G Card, Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal, Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam , High Definition Audio 2.0, Integrated Finger Print Reader, Windows Vista Home Premium Specifications

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jan 10, 2010 23:40:03

Beware Dell Customer Service – MDK – Fairfax, VA USA

1.0 out of 5 stars Beware Dell Customer Service, July 4, 2009

By MDK (Fairfax, VA USA) – See all my reviews

I purchased the Studio 17 on line from Dell. Prior to purchasing the Studio 17, I called a Dell sales representatives. I asked if I would notice a difference between the monitor on the Studio and the Dell SP2309W 23-inch monitor on my desk. I was told the difference would not be noticeable. Based on this information and my past excellent experiences with Dell machines and Dell support, I ordered the Studio 17.

I was extremely disappointed in the quality of the display on the Studio 17. It was substantially less clear than my Dell SP2309W–really not suitable for the long hours I spend on my machines.

Confident that Dell would readily take this machine back (based on my past excellent experience Dell), I called Dell’s returns department.

I was informed that a 15% restocking fee would apply, that these were the rules, and that there was no one who was authorized to waive this fee. I noted that Dell’s website clearly states that the fee does not apply if the “return is a direct result of a Dell error.” Direct misrepresentation by Dell’s sales representative would seem to fit the common sense definition of an “error.” I was given a great deal of legalistic verbiage by a number of Dell employees, but no help of the sort that I would expect from Dell. I was finally referred to Dell’s legal department although no address or phone was provided. I asked the simple courtesy that the return period of 21 days be extended while I pursued this option, I was told that this period was not extendable.

Dell’s customer service policy appears to be Caveat Emptor.

[Via http://8xdvd8x.wordpress.com]

Will Demand Meet the Tablet Supply?

Dell (s dell) is using CES to offer a glimpse of its first tablet, an Android-based gadget with a 5-inch screen that’s a bit bigger than a smartphone but smaller than a netbook. The company is joining a crush of hardware manufacturers and software developers jumping into a white-hot tablet space, creating a buzz that has expanded beyond the tech sector to attract attention from mainstream media outlets such as USA Today and MSNBC.com. But is there really much demand for these little connected devices that aren’t phones?

source: CNET

At CES this week, Microsoft has trotted out an HP (s hpq)-branded tablet, Lenovo has showcased a laptop/tablet hybrid and Motorola (s mot) has offered a glimpse of an upcoming tablet product, to name just a few of the companies using the Las Vegas show to flash sleek new offerings. In the meantime, Apple (s aapl) is rumored to be readying a tablet as well. And many of the new tablets run Google’s (s goog) mobile operating system, which– as Google’s Andy Rubin rightly boasts – offers the flexibility to be leveraged on a host of different platforms (and which, as Om noted, could lead to the Androidification of everything).

But while Apple’s iPod touch — which is kind of a mini-tablet — has been a hit, tablet-like devices offered in the past from Microsoft, Fujitsu and others haven’t managed to find much of an audience. That could change in the next few years given the increasing presence of Wi-Fi and the deployment of 4G networks, and we’re likely to see a host of non-phone gadgets gain traction as connectivity comes to a wide variety of consumer electronics devices. But consumers will be asked to shell out at least a few hundred dollars to carry a gadget in addition to their existing phones — some of which function pretty well as mini-computers. Whether there are enough users willing to do so is far from clear.

[Via http://gigaom.com]

What's hot at CES, and why it matters

NEWS

What’s hot at CES, and why it matters

By Ben Parr

January 6, 2010 4:23 p.m. EST

The wild success of “Avatar” has sparked a wave of demand for 3D content in the home.

(Mashable) — We’re about to see a new wave of technological innovation kick-start the new year. Right now, more than 100,000 tech giants and gadget geeks are in one place: Las Vegas, Nevada.

They are attending CES — the Consumer Electronics Show — where countless new gadgets, devices, and technologies will be revealed to the public for the first time.

This show is a major trend-setter, not only for the gadgets people will buy in 2010, but for the direction of many businesses and industries worldwide. Technology released at CES has the potential to shift large markets such as entertainment and mobile in new directions, which is why you should be paying attention to emerging trends at this year’s show.

Three industries in particular could really feel the after effects of this year’s CES: entertainment, mobile, and publishing. The impact of the show on these industries could even reverberate into the entire economy.

That’s why businesses in these sectors should watch CES 2010 with a close eye, because technology coming out of here will affect them for years to come. Here’s an overview of what’s to come this week at CES:

1. The entertainment industry’s technological shake-up

The entertainment industry has been dealing with a lot of issues spawned by the rise of social media and web technology. Movie and TV studios are trying to find ways to fight back against piracy and illegal file sharing.

They’re also debating whether to support new technologies such as Boxee, a service that brings TV to your desktop.

In fact, a product known as the Boxee Box, will be front and center during the show. The device, no larger than a coke can, ports Boxee’s TV content (including CNN, CBS, and Internet TV channel Rev3) onto your TV. The device could have a major impact on how people use their TVs and is a technology many in the entertainment sector are watching.

There is another technology that will be prevalent at CES that theaters and movie studios hope will keep people coming back to the big screen: 3D. The wild success of “Avatar” has sparked a wave of demand for 3D content in the home.

Several vendors at this year’s show will reveal 3D TVs and laptops in order to latch onto this trend. It could change the whole viewing experience.

2. Everything’s going mobile

I don’t have to tell you mobile is hot right now, but you might be surprised to learn what’s going mobile this year.

For example, Logitech, LG, and Samsung are expected to demo projector phones at this year’s CES. Television is also going mobile at this year’s show, as Shapiro and others will reveal phones and mobile devices that can broadcast your favorite shows.

However, the big mobile trend this year will be Android. It started with Google’s announcement of its self-branded smartphone, the Nexus One, but Shapiro, Dell, and others are likely to reveal smartphones and tablets that run on the OS.

People expect their mobile phones to do more. Not only that, they expect more of what they do to be mobile. That trend will be prevalent in Las Vegas this week.

3. Publishers and tablets

Why should magazine, newspaper, and book publishers care about CES 2010? Two reasons: e-books and tablets. In the impending wake of the rumored Apple Tablet launch, many companies are set to reveal their own tablet computers and e-book readers, including Microsoft and Dell.

CES could determine if these devices succeed as a whole. If they do, they could continue what the Amazon Kindle has started: creating an alternative way to read magazines and books. This year’s show could determine whether publishers need to make their content tablet friendly.

[Via http://dominicstoughton.wordpress.com]

China Inflation May Be US Opportunity

China continues to thrash the US in terms of rapidity of economic growth. Analysts expect GDP growth in the People’s Republic to be above 10% this year which the improvement in the US may be no better than 3%.

The HSBC purchasing manager index for China rose to 56.1 in December, up from 55.7 in November. Reuters reports that the figure is the best since April 2004.

A hot economy often come with the specter of inflation. Chinese manufacturing companies are already admitting that their rising costs are forcing increases in the prices that they charge their customers.

China is faced with three tremendous forces that are likely to make hyper-inflation more likely as the year wears on. The first is the impressive availability of capital. China’s $585 billion stimulus package has poured money into the market causing bubbles in real estate and equities. The capital has also driven consumer demand for goods and services. That demand is likely to push prices even higher.

China has also taken a large portion of its impoverished rural population and moved them to cities to work in factories. That has created a middle class in China that did no exist a year ago. The needs of this middle class are pushing up the costs of commodities including fossil fuels and agriculture products.

China’s need to import strategic products like oil are also likely to raise prices of that critical commodity, pushing up prices of chemicals, diesel, and gas.

Inflation in China means that it will lose some of its “low cost” producer status which has made it the manufacturer to the world. Chinese companies will have to pass on a large portion of their burgeoning costs to customers in the West, large companies like Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) and tech operations like Dell (NASDAQ:DELL).

The dream of a renaissance in manufacturing in America may come true. All that may be needed is enough inflation in China to make its ability keep its cost of factory-made products down impossible

Douglas A. McIntyre

[Via http://247wallst.com]