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Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sony looks to Become No.2 Tablet Maker with new Launch
Japanese electronics conglomerate Sony’s new tablet computers, expected to be launched today, will face an uphill task against the leading players Apple and Samsung Electronics, with the gadget's expected pricing in particular raising red flags.
Sony's PlayStation games consoles and Vaio PCs is struggling under the weight of its loss making television division and must require the boost of a new hit product.
Sony has said it is targeting Samsung's No.2 slot in the booming market, where the Korean company's Galaxy Tab range is a distant second to Apple’s blockbuster iPad.
At an event in Germany Sony showcased its latest tablets, which were first shown off at a Tokyo event in April this year it has a single 9.4-inch screen, while the other model is a clamshell type with two 5.5-inch displays. Both run on an adapted version of Google’s Android Honeycomb.
Sony upbeat on the features such as access to first generation PlayStation games and the single-screen version's unique curved design will boost it stand out in the crowd of more than 100 iPad challengers based on Android.
"We worry that the S1 tablet could be priced too high , and thus sell poorly, and we think the S2 clamshell design will fail," Jeff Loff, an electronics analyst at Macquarie Securities, said in a report.
Earlier Hewlett Packard's decision to reduce its Touchpad tablet weeks after launch demonstrates how easy it is to fail in a market pioneered and dominated by the makers of the iPad.
Look ...Cheney's self-criticism sent to an undisclosed location ..Abazing....
Instead of going on TV to peddle his memoirs, Dick Cheney should volunteer his time in a veterans hospital, caring for those he sent to Iraq and Afghanistan who came home missing limbs or internally scarred from America's longest wars.
But our former vice president displays no regrets over predicting U.S. forces would be "greeted as liberators" in Baghdad, or telling the Veterans of Foreign Wars in a 2002 speech: "Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction."
Any capacity for critical self-examination has been sent to an undisclosed location. "The United States has never lost its moral bearings," Cheney writes. "The liberation of Iraq" was "one of the most significant accomplishments of George Bush's presidency."
"In My Time," if he persuades you to buy it, should be read alongside a 1992 speech to the Discovery Institute in Seattle, when Cheney was secretary of defense under the first President Bush. Its major theme: America made the right decision to leave Saddam Hussein in power after the first Gulf War.
This was Cheney back then:
"I would guess if we had gone in there, I would still have forces in Baghdad today. We'd be running the country. We would not have been able to get everybody out and bring everybody home.
"The final point that I think needs to be made is this question of casualties. I don't think you could have done all of that without significant additional U.S. casualties. And while everybody was tremendously impressed with the low cost of the conflict, for the 146 Americans who were killed in action and for their families, it wasn't a cheap war.
"And so the question in my mind is how many additional American casualties is Saddam (Hussein) worth? And the answer is not that damned many."
The cost of Gulf War II, today, is more than 4,000 American deaths, an estimated 100,000 dead Iraqis, costs as much as $1 trillion, and a withdrawal not yet complete more than eight years after Bush II spoke under the "Mission Accomplished" banner.
Dick Cheney in 1992 posed the hard-nosed questions that should be asked by a president or vice president in time of war.
Where was that judgment in the next decade?
Cheney is a consummate creature of the nation's capital. He has been an insider since Gerald Ford was president. "In My Time" is honest on one count: Cheney was interested in wielding power, whatever his location.
"From day one George Bush made clear he wanted me to help govern. ... To the extent that this created a unique arrangement in our history, with a vice president playing a significant role in the key policy issues of the day, it was George Bush's arrangement," he writes.
The role needs review, lest disasters of the past decade be repeated. Cheney was given charge of an anti-terrorism task force, but an Aug. 6, 2001, intelligence memo from anti-terrorism adviser Richard Clarke -- titled, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." -- was ignored.
Bush II talked about capturing bin Laden "dead or alive." Yet, with Cheney pushing, the priority for U.S. military might moved from Afghanistan to Iraq. The opportunity to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden at Tora Bora was lost.
In Seattle, in 1992, Cheney said -- wisely -- that "we were not going to get bogged down in the problems of trying to take over and govern Iraq. ...
"All of a sudden you've got a battle you're fighting in a major built-up city, a lot of civilians are around, significant limitations on our ability to use our most effective technologies and techniques. Once we had rounded (Saddam) up and gotten rid of his government, then the question is what do you put in its place?"
Why did Cheney not ask that question a decade later? The situation in Iraq began to spin out of control literally from the moment TV cameras showed Saddam Hussein's statue being toppled in a Baghdad square. The U.S. lacked adequate forces or any plan for moving into a power vacuum.
The label of "conservative" has for 35 years been attached to Cheney. Yet, the man nicknamed "Management" by Karl Rove saw fit to wage two wars without asking Americans for any money to pay the bill. The surplus inherited from a "liberal" Bill Clinton was transformed into huge deficits.
Away from the real battlefields of Tora Bora and Tikrit, the warrior of Washington, D.C.'s corridors of power still has scores to settle.
Cheney disses former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who had doubts about going to war in Iraq, and demeans Powell's successor, Condoleeza Rice. Former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill, who warned of tax cuts causing deficits and advocated a sane energy policy, is dismissed as a naif at art of bureaucratic infighting.
The only regrets this reader could find are delivered to Harry Whittington, the fried whom Cheney shot in the face while quail hunting in Texas.
"I, of course, was deeply sorry for what Harry and his family had gone through," Cheney writes. "The day of the hunting accident was one of the saddest of my life."
But to the country, Dick Cheney offers no contrition.
source
Daryl Hannah Arrested near White House
Famous Daryl Hannah has donned a familiar accessory outside the White House on tuesday -- HANDCUFFS -- after she was arrested during an oil pipeline protest recently.
The actress-turned- social activist was busted with several other protesters -- when they sat on the sidewalk in front of the White House the residence of US President and ignored three consicutive requests by police to move.
Daryl Hannah's an old pro when it comes to getting arrested -- saying, " Sometimes it's necessary to sacrifice your freedom for a greater freedom. And we want to be free from the horrible death and destruction that fossil fuels cause, and have a clean energy future."
Daryl was famously arrested after she stopped traffic in West Virginia in 2009 -- blocking a busy street during a protest over mining practices.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Billionaire George Soros has significantly boosted its stake in Minneapolis-based Target Corp.
Soros Fund Management in New York, whose portfolio is worth more than $7 billion, purchased 543,900 shares of Target stock in the second quarter, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Overall, Soros owns 552,600 shares, or 0.08 percent of the retailer, which the investment firm valued at $25.9 million, the filing says. (State Street Corp., Target's largest investor, owns 63.5 million shares, or 9.4 percent of the company.)
In an e-mail, Soros spokesperson Michael Vachon declined to comment.
Known for his outspoken politics, Soros has established himself as a savvy investor, especially with currencies. In one of his most famous exploits, Soros in 1992 shorted $10 billion worth of the British pound, betting correctly that Great Britain would allow the currency to devalue in relation to other currencies such as the German mark.
"When Soros takes a stake, it certainly draws attention" like Warren Buffett, said Glenn Johnson, a portfolio manager with Mairs & Power in St. Paul, which owns 2.7 million shares of Target stock. "But what are Soros' real intentions? Who knows?"
Unlike activist investor William Ackman, who recently abandoned his effort to force Target to sell and lease back the land beneath its stores, Soros is a longer-term investor whose holdings include AT&T, Boeing and Kraft Foods.
George Soros' investment firm acquired nearly 544,000 shares, even as it sold stock of other retailers.
George Soros is betting on Target share, even though many of the fund is bearish on retail sectot as awhole. In the Q2, the fund bought additional shares in Ralph Lauren (494,244) and Lowe's (298,000) but also reduced its retail holdings, including Macy's (-121,700), JCPenney (-12,300), and Amazon.com (-280,655).
Target's Q2 profit rose 3.7 % to $704 million, or $1.03 a share, beating the Street estimates by 6 cents per share. Earlier this month, Target said sales at stores open for at least a year rose a solid 3.7 %, thanks to sales of food items, housewares and health and beauty. Target executives have said back-to-school sales were off to a good start.
Target stock has poor move this year, dropping about 16 %. Johnson, however, says Target's stock correction has more do to with broader worries about the economy.
"We certainly like the direction the company is going," said Johnson of Mairs & Power, which purchased an additional 91,382 Target shares in the second quarter. "We have a high degree of confidence in their longer-term outlook and we saw this as an opportunity to buy more shares at an attractive price."
The stock traded at an average price of $48.97 in the second quarter. Shares closed Tuesday at $50.96, which suggests Soros has already made a positive return on his investment.
Motorola Droid 3 – Verizon Wireless
The Droid 3 is the third iteration of Motorola’s iconic premium line following the debut of the original Droid in late 2009 and the Droid 2 in 2010. The latest model sets itself apart from the rest in terms of design and features. This smart phone is larger than previous generation models and shows several signs of improvement. Motorola did a fine job addressing many concerns that came with the Droid and Droid 2. While there are many reasons to call this device impressive, it still has its faults like every other phone on the market.
Hardware
For dimensions, the Droid 3 is 64.1 mm wide by 123.3 mm tall when you are looking at it in portrait mode. At 12.9 mm thick, it is pretty slim for a phone with a hardware keyboard. With a 4-inch display and a boxy design, the device feels very bulky in the hands. It is also somewhat heavy weighing in at 6.5 oz, but not too bad.
The Droid 3 has a rather good build quality which is noticeably better than any of the Droids that came before it. The glass and metallic materials give it a premium feel. Even with ordinary plastic covering the back, minor bumps or drops are not a concern thanks to Motorola. The sliding mechanism for the keyboard is solid too. It was a bit stiff and hard to slide open at first, but I have noticed it loosens up over time.
Typing on the keyboard was an enjoyable experience. I love the spacious keys and dedicated number buttons on the top row. Some might find the individual voice control and search function keys useful, too. I sent a few emails with minor typos. My only gripe is the flat keys on the Droid 3. I prefer the Droid 2′s keyboard slightly better in this regard. If you have larger thumbs, you are going to have a tough time typing accurately on the Droid 3.
Inside, you can find a dual-core 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, and 16 GB of on-board storage. A built-in micro SD card slot allows for up to 32 GB expansion, totaling 48 GB of potential storage. Speaking of ports, the Droid 3 includes micro USB, micro HDMI, and the standard 3.5 mm headphone jack. Motorola throws in WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, a compass, and an accelerometer as well — all norms in modern smart phones. No 4G connectivity here, only 3G.
Display
The Motorola Droid 3 features a 4-inch qHD display. It has a 960 x 540 resolution, putting it at roughly 275 pixels per inch. This is lacking in sharpness compared to other smart phones, but for the vast majority of customers it is more than adequate. The display gets pretty bright on its maximum settings. Colors look slightly over-saturated to the naked eye, but some might appreciate the extra pop that comes with it.
The reflectiveness from the glass is about on par with every other phone with a glossy display. Using it in sunlight is not really a problem, especially if you crank the brightness all the way up. Viewing angles are acceptable, but not great.
Operating System
The Droid 3 runs Android 2.3 “Gingerbread”, the latest version of Google’s operating system. The very moment I turned on the Droid 3, the first thing I noticed was Motorola’s custom user interface. It changes the look of Android in favor of a dark blue color scheme. At this point, the phone did not feel like it belongs in the Droid line. And frankly, it still does not. Swiping between home pages has a neat little transitional effect that looks like they are all in a cube formation.
Similar to just about every other Android phone, you are going to run in to bloatware. You will find apps such as GoToMeeting, Let’s Golf 2, Nova, a selection of V Cast apps, Citrix, City ID, and ZumoCast among others. Some are even just downright confusing. For instance, there is Google’s Navigation app and Verizon’s Navigator app as well. My personal favorite oddity is the Messaging and Text Messaging apps — both are separate, but serve the same purpose.
The Motorola Droid 3′s performance is a mixed bag. Though it handles basic tasks and animations well, certain apps were dreadfully sluggish. I spent a lot of time using The Weather Channel app to track Hurricane Irene and the map was beyond slow to load. I felt like I was back in time using my iPhone 3G. And just to make sure it was not the app, I opened the official Maps app only to receive the same results. Browsing the web was okay. 4G capability really would have made it shine, but I think 3G is sufficient enough for now.
Camera
One word can pretty easily describe the overall performance of both the front and rear cameras: bad. Yes, there is not much to say in this area. The rear camera is an 8 megapixel shooter with 1080p HD video capture support. Obviously, the front VGA camera is much worse than the back but both exhibited grain and color inaccuracy in addition to other weaknesses. One unusual problem I encountered is with the LED flash. On its automatic setting, it went off indoors even when it was not necessary. Luckily, those of you who like to tweak for hours on end, the vast array of customization options will bring tears to your eyes.
Video calling simply did not work. There is no Skype, ooVoo, or Google Talk support for video calling at all. I had to finally download Tango to test it out. And when I did, the Droid 3 broadcasted video in black and white. I have no idea why. I checked the Camera app to make sure the settings were all normal and they were. There were no problems with the connection, though I really prefer my video conferencing in full color.
Network Reliability
WiFi and 3G are very stable and I had no problems connecting either. Verizon Wireless has a reputation for being reliable and that stays true with the Motorola Droid 3. I did have a bit of trouble connecting my devices to the mobile hotspot. After the third attempt, it worked. Thankfully, it worked well, with pleasantly speedy load times for a phone. Of course, this only matters for those brave enough to fork over an extra $20 per month for 2 GB of data.
Call quality is pretty average — not terrible, but not excellent. Both callers reported muffled sound with slight background noise. Speakerphone was no better. These are only small inconveniences and did not negatively contribute to the experience with the handset.
Battery Life
According to Motorola, the Droid 3 gets about nine hours of talk time and 300 hours of standby. I find this very, very hard to believe. In my test, I unplugged the phone at full charge at 11:07 p.m. It died the next day at 7:04 p.m. I noticed that on standby, it has incredible battery life. But the moment I start to use it, the battery drains quickly. Still, the battery on the Droid 3 is comparably competent. You can easily get a typical day’s use out of it. It is worth noting that this device does not come with a spare battery.
The Bottom Line
The Motorola Droid 3 feels like a mid-range smart phone. It shines in terms of hardware and design. Gingerbread is an absolute plus as well. Nothing about this phone is awful. Most of the features like battery life, performance, and camera quality are just over the border of adequate. If Motorola priced the Droid 3 at $99, I would recommend considering this device, since you would get what you pay for. But for $199.99 on a two-year contract, I can confidently say there are better options to explore for the price. The HTC Sensation 4G and the Samsung Galaxy S II are great, to name a few. Its only major appeal is the hardware keyboard. The Droid 3 could have given the best phones of 2010 such as the HTC EVO 4G a run for their money. Unfortunately, it is 2011
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