Appleinsider claims that the next version of Apple's iMac will showcase "striking new industrial designs aimed at leaving both competitors and onlookers smitten."
The new designs are said to be sleeker and slimmer than the current iMac designs, however, the new looks may only be deployed on the 20" and 24" models, leaving the 17" model's future uncertain.
The rumor site has no solid timeframe for the release of the new iMacs, but our Buyer's Guide suggests the iMac is overdue for an update, with the last update being delivered in September 2006.
This would represent the 4th major iMac design revision since its introduction. (Original, iMac G4, Current)
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Joey Buttafuoco Freed From California Jail
SAN FERNANDO, Calif. (1010 WINS) -- Joey Buttafuoco, whose 17-year-old lover shot his wife in the face more than a decade ago, was released from jail after serving three months for illegally possessing ammunition, authorities said.
Buttafuoco, 50, walked out of Los Angeles County Jail just before 9 a.m. Saturday, according to the Sheriff's Department Web site. His release was first reported by the syndicated television program ``The Insider.''
Buttafuoco pleaded no contest in July to illegally possessing ammunition. The case stemmed from a search of his Chatsworth home in 2005 by the Los Angeles County Probation Department.
At the time, Buttafuoco was on probation for a felony insurance fraud conviction. Prosecutors had said that Buttafuoco, who co-owned a San Fernando Valley auto body shop, told undercover investigators how to file false claims and cheat insurance companies.
Buttafuoco was running an auto body shop on Long Island in 1992 when his 17-year-old lover, Amy Fisher, shot his wife in the face as she answered the door at the couple's home.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
CREEP! THEY GOT HIM.....
Police say he's the creep who mugged old ladies in a crime that outraged New Yorkers. After a day-long interrogation by police, Jack Rhodes, 44, was arrested on charges of robbery, grand larceny, burglary and the brutal assault of 101-year-old Rose Morat . He's also accused of robbing an 85-year-old woman the same day Morat was attacked.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Suspect Wanted in Mugging of 101-Year-Old in NYC......lets get him !!!!
101-years-old and a few days before the New Year rang in, she was viciously mugged in her basement. The heartless robber punched Rose Morat in the face and stole her handbag. Now police need your help in bringing this man to justice.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Bonds blasts away, now 14 HRs shy of Aaron
Slugger’s 741st homer comes in 1st inning off Dodgers’ Wolf
LOS ANGELES - As Barry Bonds inches closer to Hank Aaron’s career home run record, he’s leading the San Francisco Giants on their most successful run in nearly three years.
Bonds hit his 741st career homer, a three-run shot in the first inning, Pedro Feliz had the go-ahead homer in the sixth and the Giants beat Los Angeles 6-4 Wednesday night to extend their winning streak to seven games.
San Francisco last won seven straight in June 2004.
Apple’s earnings soar in latest quarter
Earnings soared 88 percent due to sales of iPods, computers
Apple Inc. blew past Wall Street expectations Wednesday, posting quarterly profits that jumped 88 percent, fueled by strong sales of its iPod players and Macintosh computers.
Shares of Apple soared more than 6 percent on the news, reaching above $100 for the first time.
In the first three months of the year, the Cupertino-based company said it earned $770 million, or 87 cents per share, up from $410 million, or 47 cents per share, in the year-ago period.Sales were $5.26 billion, up 21 percent from $4.36 billion last year.
Analysts, on average, were looking for earnings of 64 cents per share on sales of $5.17 billion, according to a poll by Thomson Financial.
Apple said it shipped 1.5 million Macintosh computers and more than 10.5 million iPods during the quarter, representing a 36 percent growth in Macs and 24 percent growth in the music players.
Apple Inc. blew past Wall Street expectations Wednesday, posting quarterly profits that jumped 88 percent, fueled by strong sales of its iPod players and Macintosh computers.
Shares of Apple soared more than 6 percent on the news, reaching above $100 for the first time.
In the first three months of the year, the Cupertino-based company said it earned $770 million, or 87 cents per share, up from $410 million, or 47 cents per share, in the year-ago period.Sales were $5.26 billion, up 21 percent from $4.36 billion last year.
Analysts, on average, were looking for earnings of 64 cents per share on sales of $5.17 billion, according to a poll by Thomson Financial.
Apple said it shipped 1.5 million Macintosh computers and more than 10.5 million iPods during the quarter, representing a 36 percent growth in Macs and 24 percent growth in the music players.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
New Skyscraper Planned At Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority is moving ahead with a plan to sell the air rights above the terminal so a 1.3 million square foot glass and steel office tower can be built over its north wing.
The project – first proposed back in 1999, but abandoned after September 11th – will include renovations and improvements to the bus terminal.
The Port Authority is expected to approve entering into negotiations with the two developers originally selected to build the tower.
If a deal to sell the air rights above the terminal cannot be reached in six months, other developers will be allowed to bid.
The project – first proposed back in 1999, but abandoned after September 11th – will include renovations and improvements to the bus terminal.
The Port Authority is expected to approve entering into negotiations with the two developers originally selected to build the tower.
If a deal to sell the air rights above the terminal cannot be reached in six months, other developers will be allowed to bid.
TriBeCa Film Festival Kicks Off With A Touch Of Green
Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined former Vice President Al Gore and film director Rob Reiner to kick off the 12-day TriBeCa Film Festival in Lower Manhattan this afternoon.
The festival is focused on saving mother earth this year, with dozens of short films about protecting the environment scheduled to be shown and a huge summer charity concert called Live Earth being promoted.
"We have to make the tough choices today so that we can leave our children a greener, greater New York for tomorrow," said Bloomberg.
"We are close to that tipping point of where the climate crisis is concerned, where people in every profession will say, ‘okay let’s solve this,’” said Gore.
"We are film makers not scientists. However, film is about culture, and filmmakers can be agents of cultural change,” said the festival’s Jane Rosenthal.
Politics also took center stage at the event. Even though both Bloomberg and Gore have insisted they are not running for president in 2008, Bloomberg said that Gore would made a good contender.
Study Reveals Surprising Findings About Child Prostitution In City
Teen prostitution. The words usually conjure up images of young girls walking the streets. But a new study, the first in the city to extensively interview sexually exploited children, suggests that many of the conventional stereotypes are wrong.
"The most surprising is the amount of boys that are doing this,” says Meredith Dank.
Dank is one of a group of researchers charged with conducting the first ever large-scale count of sexually exploited youth, or child prostitutes, in the city. She's been interviewing teens and children since last August.
“Our goal was 200, and we currently have about 330 interviews, that range from females, males, trans-genders, 18 and under,” says Dank.
That's at least ten times what other studies have done. And two out of every three young people they've talked to have been male or transgender. Part of that may be due to the fact that they're not going into bars or clubs, where many exploited girls end up.
"The most surprising is the amount of boys that are doing this,” says Meredith Dank.
Dank is one of a group of researchers charged with conducting the first ever large-scale count of sexually exploited youth, or child prostitutes, in the city. She's been interviewing teens and children since last August.
“Our goal was 200, and we currently have about 330 interviews, that range from females, males, trans-genders, 18 and under,” says Dank.
That's at least ten times what other studies have done. And two out of every three young people they've talked to have been male or transgender. Part of that may be due to the fact that they're not going into bars or clubs, where many exploited girls end up.
City Launches New Anti-Smoking Campaign
The city health department announced today that they have launched a new initiative aimed at getting New Yorkers to stop smoking – one that includes another round of very graphic television commercials.
Ronaldo Martinez – the star of an unforgettable anti-smoking campaign that began airing in New York last year – is featured in the new campaign, launched today to further scare people into quitting smoking.
If the ads aren't enough to get New Yorkers to quit, smokers may soon find a message from Martinez in their e-mail inbox.
Martinez, who speaks through a mechanical voice box after having his larynx removed, will appear in new internet ads that New Yorkers can e-mail to their favorite smoker
Dow Passes 13,000 on Earnings Data
NEW YORK (AP) -- It looks like cause for celebration: The Dow Jones industrial average surged from 12,000 to 13,000 in just six months. But appearances can be deceiving, and there may be more reason to worry than rejoice about Wall Street's latest accomplishment.
Stronger-than-expected profits from several large companies helped push the stock market to historical heights. But many big corporations, including the Dow components, made a chunk of that money overseas, where economies are growing faster than in the United States. And many of the same worries that weighed on investors earlier in the year remain: rising energy costs, a slumping housing market and a possible credit crunch.
Still, the stock market's best-known indicator swept past its latest milestone shortly after trading began Wednesday, and even made it past 13,100, rising as high as 13,107.45. The Dow, which has risen in 18 of the past 20 sessions and gained more than 780 points in that time, closed at 13,089.89, up 135.95, or 1.05 percent. It was the Dow's 35th record close since the start of October.
The broader market shared in the rally. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 15.01, or 1.01 percent, to 1,495.42, after reaching 1,496.59, a six-and-a-half-year high. The technology-dominated Nasdaq composite index advanced 23.35, or 0.92 percent, to 2,547.89, after hitting a six-year high of 2,551.39.
Stronger-than-expected profits from several large companies helped push the stock market to historical heights. But many big corporations, including the Dow components, made a chunk of that money overseas, where economies are growing faster than in the United States. And many of the same worries that weighed on investors earlier in the year remain: rising energy costs, a slumping housing market and a possible credit crunch.
Still, the stock market's best-known indicator swept past its latest milestone shortly after trading began Wednesday, and even made it past 13,100, rising as high as 13,107.45. The Dow, which has risen in 18 of the past 20 sessions and gained more than 780 points in that time, closed at 13,089.89, up 135.95, or 1.05 percent. It was the Dow's 35th record close since the start of October.
The broader market shared in the rally. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 15.01, or 1.01 percent, to 1,495.42, after reaching 1,496.59, a six-and-a-half-year high. The technology-dominated Nasdaq composite index advanced 23.35, or 0.92 percent, to 2,547.89, after hitting a six-year high of 2,551.39.
Monday, April 23, 2007
David Halberstam Killed in Crash
New Yorker David Halberstam, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who chronicled the Washington press corps, the Vietnam War generation and baseball, was killed in a car crash early Monday, a San Mateo County coroner said. He was 73.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
BLOOMY'S NYC PLANS
Bloomy Lays Out Plans for the Future of NYC
Mayor Michael Bloomberg outlined a sweeping package of proposals Sunday to deal with a population boom that will strain the city's transportation, energy, water and housing networks in the coming years, including a plan to charge people $8 to enter the busiest parts of Manhattan.
``Let's face up to the fact that our population growth is putting our city on a collision course with the environment, which itself is growing more unstable and uncertain,'' Bloomberg said at the start of his address at the American Museum of Natural History.
The most controversial idea in the plan, which was put together by the mayor's Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability, is a proposal for a three-year pilot program to charge motorists extra to drive into the most congested swath of Manhattan, which officials say will reduce traffic and pollution while generating money for other transit projects _ nearly $400 million in just its first year.
There would be no toll booths, just a network of cameras that capture license plate numbers and either charge a driver's existing commuter account or generate a bill to be paid each time. Trucks would be charged $21 a day while cars would pay $8 to enter the zone of Manhattan below 86th Street on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The major thruways along Manhattan's east and west sides would not be included, so it would be possible to go from Brooklyn to Harlem along the FDR Drive without entering the zone. Also, commuters who already pay a toll to come into Manhattan via tolls and tunnels would pay the price of the new fee minus that previous toll.
Met Fans Busted in Brave Blinding
A fan arrested at Shea Stadium Friday night has been accused of trying to temporarily blind an Atlanta Braves pitcher and shortstop with a high-powered flashlight, authorities said.
Frank Martinez, 40, was charged with interfering with a professional sporting event and second-degree reckless endangerment, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Saturday.
Authorities said Martinez flashed the powerful light at the players in the bottom of the eighth inning from his seat behind home plate. He was quickly ejected from the game.
``The defendant's alleged actions recklessly endangered the lives of players and spectators and caused a temporary delay to the game,'' Brown said.
The hullabaloo began at about 10:15 p.m. as the Braves were leading the Mets 7-0. Tim Hudson was on the mound facing Mets pinch hitter Endy Chavez when, investigators said, Martinez turned the beam on the Braves pitcher and shortstop Edgar Renteria.
Renteria complained to umpire Paul Emmel, who then called time out and alerted security. The security officers removed Martinez and found a ``a small, streamline flashlight'' in his backpack, Brown said.
Frank Martinez, 40, was charged with interfering with a professional sporting event and second-degree reckless endangerment, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Saturday.
Authorities said Martinez flashed the powerful light at the players in the bottom of the eighth inning from his seat behind home plate. He was quickly ejected from the game.
``The defendant's alleged actions recklessly endangered the lives of players and spectators and caused a temporary delay to the game,'' Brown said.
The hullabaloo began at about 10:15 p.m. as the Braves were leading the Mets 7-0. Tim Hudson was on the mound facing Mets pinch hitter Endy Chavez when, investigators said, Martinez turned the beam on the Braves pitcher and shortstop Edgar Renteria.
Renteria complained to umpire Paul Emmel, who then called time out and alerted security. The security officers removed Martinez and found a ``a small, streamline flashlight'' in his backpack, Brown said.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Steve Wynn Paid $10 Million in 2006
Billionaire Steve Wynn, the chief executive of casino company Wynn Resorts Ltd., received compensation worth nearly $10 million in 2006, a year in which the company's revenue doubled, its stock price surged 71 percent, and it opened a casino in Macau.
Wynn's compensation included $2.8 million in salary, $6.9 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation and $262,915 in other compensation, mostly for personal use of company aircraft and life insurance premiums, according to a proxy statement the company filed Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Associated Press' calculations of total pay include executives' salary, bonus, incentives, perks, above-market returns on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock and option awards granted during the year.
Wynn was not granted any stock or options in 2006 and continued to own a 24.05 percent stake in the company. An equal stake is owned by Kazuo Okada, the founder of Japanese pachislot and pachinko machine maker Aruze Corp.
Effective Feb. 1, the company increased Wynn's base salary to $3.3 million per year to make it comparable to his industry peers and recognize his achievements in opening properties and increasing shareholder value, the proxy statement said.
Wynn Resorts shares rose from $54.85 on Dec. 30, 2005, to $93.85 on Dec. 29, 2006.
The company has scheduled its annual shareholders meeting May 8, when shareholders will be asked to approve the compensation plan and cap compensation at $10 million for any individual.
Last year, Wynn Resorts said it swung to a full-year profit of $628.7 million, or $6.24 per share, from a prior-year loss of $90.8 million, or 92 cents per share. Annual net revenue jumped to $1.43 billion from $722 million.
Helping fuel the growth was the September opening of Wynn Macau in the Chinese gambling enclave. The resort, with 220 tables, 80 slot machines and 600 hotel rooms, generated $248.7 million in net revenue during the fourth quarter.
Wynn's compensation included $2.8 million in salary, $6.9 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation and $262,915 in other compensation, mostly for personal use of company aircraft and life insurance premiums, according to a proxy statement the company filed Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Associated Press' calculations of total pay include executives' salary, bonus, incentives, perks, above-market returns on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock and option awards granted during the year.
Wynn was not granted any stock or options in 2006 and continued to own a 24.05 percent stake in the company. An equal stake is owned by Kazuo Okada, the founder of Japanese pachislot and pachinko machine maker Aruze Corp.
Effective Feb. 1, the company increased Wynn's base salary to $3.3 million per year to make it comparable to his industry peers and recognize his achievements in opening properties and increasing shareholder value, the proxy statement said.
Wynn Resorts shares rose from $54.85 on Dec. 30, 2005, to $93.85 on Dec. 29, 2006.
The company has scheduled its annual shareholders meeting May 8, when shareholders will be asked to approve the compensation plan and cap compensation at $10 million for any individual.
Last year, Wynn Resorts said it swung to a full-year profit of $628.7 million, or $6.24 per share, from a prior-year loss of $90.8 million, or 92 cents per share. Annual net revenue jumped to $1.43 billion from $722 million.
Helping fuel the growth was the September opening of Wynn Macau in the Chinese gambling enclave. The resort, with 220 tables, 80 slot machines and 600 hotel rooms, generated $248.7 million in net revenue during the fourth quarter.
$8 to Enter Manhattan? are they Crazy ??
Mayor Michael Bloomberg might be reviving his idea to charge drivers coming into Manhattan. The plan includes a toll to discourage cars from coming into Manhattan to reduce traffic. Robert Sinclair of the AAA says his group will fight the plan.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Look out, Barry, A-Rod's a-comin'
OAKLAND — Barry Bonds launched a pair of bombs in Pittsburgh Friday night, which not only pulled him a little closer to Hank Aaron, but at least for a day, a little further away from the hard-charging Alex Rodriguez.
OK, so Bonds still has a 267-homer lead on A-Rod. No reason for Barry to start hyperventilating yet. Not that he would anyway, seeing that he hasn't ever sweated anyone trying to run him down.
But if and when Bonds does get the all-time home run record sometime this year, he'd better ride it for all it's worth. Unlike Aaron's 33-year reign as the king, Barry may sit in the big chair for less than a decade.
The incredible power start of Rodriguez this season — six homers in his first seven games — has rekindled the notion that this guy A-Rod might be a pretty fair baseball player after all. Not only that, it has reenergized a once-prevailing supposition that Bonds will only be keeping the seat warm for the man who will one day take sports' most ballyhooed record completely out of sight.
For the moment — and yes, it's only April — A-Rod is A-God again. One homerless week and a couple of errors and he'll be back to being A-Dog in Gotham. But look, it's only the usual short-term New York neurotic nonsense. Long term, we'll one day view Rodriguez as one of the greatest players ever ... something he already is, to be perfectly frank about it.
Rodriguez, at a mere 31 years old, has 470 home runs through the beginningof what will be his 12th full season. Sick. Bonds, at the same stage, had right around 335. If A-Rod simply averages 30 homers a year over the next 10 seasons — and he's averaged roughly 43 a year over those first full 11 — he'll hit 770 home runs. If he continues at that 43-homer average, he'll be at 900 by age 41.
Of course, Bonds' big advantage is that he's already done it, or nearly done it. A career can be derailed over the course of 10 years, as we've seen. Rodriguez has a long road ahead to the 700 Club.
"It all comes down to staying healthy," said Yankees manager Joe Torre Friday night as New York hit town for a three-game weekend set with Oakland. "Look at (Ken) Griffey Jr. Everybody had high aspirations for him, then all of a sudden, he started getting hurt. You have to be lucky and stay healthy. But I don't think there's any question what Alex is capable of. The sky's the limit."
OK, so Bonds still has a 267-homer lead on A-Rod. No reason for Barry to start hyperventilating yet. Not that he would anyway, seeing that he hasn't ever sweated anyone trying to run him down.
But if and when Bonds does get the all-time home run record sometime this year, he'd better ride it for all it's worth. Unlike Aaron's 33-year reign as the king, Barry may sit in the big chair for less than a decade.
The incredible power start of Rodriguez this season — six homers in his first seven games — has rekindled the notion that this guy A-Rod might be a pretty fair baseball player after all. Not only that, it has reenergized a once-prevailing supposition that Bonds will only be keeping the seat warm for the man who will one day take sports' most ballyhooed record completely out of sight.
For the moment — and yes, it's only April — A-Rod is A-God again. One homerless week and a couple of errors and he'll be back to being A-Dog in Gotham. But look, it's only the usual short-term New York neurotic nonsense. Long term, we'll one day view Rodriguez as one of the greatest players ever ... something he already is, to be perfectly frank about it.
Rodriguez, at a mere 31 years old, has 470 home runs through the beginningof what will be his 12th full season. Sick. Bonds, at the same stage, had right around 335. If A-Rod simply averages 30 homers a year over the next 10 seasons — and he's averaged roughly 43 a year over those first full 11 — he'll hit 770 home runs. If he continues at that 43-homer average, he'll be at 900 by age 41.
Of course, Bonds' big advantage is that he's already done it, or nearly done it. A career can be derailed over the course of 10 years, as we've seen. Rodriguez has a long road ahead to the 700 Club.
"It all comes down to staying healthy," said Yankees manager Joe Torre Friday night as New York hit town for a three-game weekend set with Oakland. "Look at (Ken) Griffey Jr. Everybody had high aspirations for him, then all of a sudden, he started getting hurt. You have to be lucky and stay healthy. But I don't think there's any question what Alex is capable of. The sky's the limit."
A-Rod's walk-off HR caps Yankees' rally
10th home run of season beats Indians, vaults N.Y. into series at Fenway
Alex Rodriguez did it again.
Rodriguez hit a three-run, two-out homer that capped a comeback from a four-run deficit in the ninth inning, giving the New York Yankees an 8-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday.
A-Rod connected on a belt-high pitch from Joe Borowski (0-1) and sent the ball soaring to center. Rodriguez knew immediately it was gone, flipping his bat toward the Yankees’ dugout and raising both hands in triumph.
Alex Rodriguez did it again.
Rodriguez hit a three-run, two-out homer that capped a comeback from a four-run deficit in the ninth inning, giving the New York Yankees an 8-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday.
A-Rod connected on a belt-high pitch from Joe Borowski (0-1) and sent the ball soaring to center. Rodriguez knew immediately it was gone, flipping his bat toward the Yankees’ dugout and raising both hands in triumph.
A-Rod's tear continues in win...HOMER IN 9TH
Alex Rodriguez's blistering April has progressed to the point where even his teammates aren't sure what to make of it.
Rodriguez slugged his Major League-leading ninth home run Wednesday, helping cushion Kei Igawa to his first Major League victory as the Yankees pulled off a 9-2 drubbing of the Cleveland Indians.
For his part, Rodriguez has remained cool, perhaps not wishing to interrupt a terrific run that has taken him to the periphery of the record books.
"I'm just feeling good," Rodriguez said. "Even when I get myself out, I know exactly what I did. I can't wait to get up there and fix it."
Rodriguez said he hasn't smiled this much since the birth of his daughter, Natasha, who was born in Nov. 2004. That's a pretty good stretch of time, and now that Rodriguez is simultaneously grinning and hitting, his teammates seem to be enjoying the run just as much.
"These are the times you dream about as a player," Jason Giambi said. "He's getting no cheapies. It's great to see, and I'm glad he's started out like this. For him, it's got to be exciting."
Rodriguez slugged his Major League-leading ninth home run Wednesday, helping cushion Kei Igawa to his first Major League victory as the Yankees pulled off a 9-2 drubbing of the Cleveland Indians.
For his part, Rodriguez has remained cool, perhaps not wishing to interrupt a terrific run that has taken him to the periphery of the record books.
"I'm just feeling good," Rodriguez said. "Even when I get myself out, I know exactly what I did. I can't wait to get up there and fix it."
Rodriguez said he hasn't smiled this much since the birth of his daughter, Natasha, who was born in Nov. 2004. That's a pretty good stretch of time, and now that Rodriguez is simultaneously grinning and hitting, his teammates seem to be enjoying the run just as much.
"These are the times you dream about as a player," Jason Giambi said. "He's getting no cheapies. It's great to see, and I'm glad he's started out like this. For him, it's got to be exciting."
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
BlackBerry service hit by widespread outage
Research In Motion Ltd. said its BlackBerry wireless e-mail service suffered a "service interruption" beginning late Tuesday, leaving some customers who've come to rely on the device without their digital link to homes and offices.
Some, but not all, U.S. users whose e-mail communication had been interrupted said that by midmorning Eastern Time on Wednesday their service had been restored. Other U.S. users and at least some European users were unaffected.
Analysts said the outage was likely the most widespread to hit the BlackBerry service, which began operating in 1999.
Some, but not all, U.S. users whose e-mail communication had been interrupted said that by midmorning Eastern Time on Wednesday their service had been restored. Other U.S. users and at least some European users were unaffected.
Analysts said the outage was likely the most widespread to hit the BlackBerry service, which began operating in 1999.
Tech stocks seek direction; IBM down while Intel up
Technology stocks saw generally weak results in Wednesday trading, as shares of International Business Machines Corp. and Intel Corp. responded to diverse earnings announcements.
IBM shares were downgraded Wednesday by both Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse. Credit Suisse analyst Robert Semple downgraded the shares to neutral from outperform, and in a note released to clients cited "the combination of concerns around soft U.S. enterprise spending, execution issues in all 3 of its major segments, and the lack of material upside to consensus [profit] estimates for [2007]."
IBM shares were downgraded Wednesday by both Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse. Credit Suisse analyst Robert Semple downgraded the shares to neutral from outperform, and in a note released to clients cited "the combination of concerns around soft U.S. enterprise spending, execution issues in all 3 of its major segments, and the lack of material upside to consensus [profit] estimates for [2007]."
Web 2.0 showing signs of Bubble 2.0 already
There were numerous trade shows here and there this week. In San Francisco we had Web 2.0 Expo, a joint effort by CMP Technology and O'Reilly Media. It was all about the vague entity called Web 2.0.
From what I could tell, it was an event for people who wanted to get rich quick in tech and get out quick. Oh, and it was obviously for people between the ages of 22 and 29. If you are over 30, you're already a loser.
The event, which highlighted new media, contrasted nicely with the National Association of Broadcasters show in Las Vegas at the same time. Looked like old vs. new media to me.
I went to the new-media show since it was walking distance, always a plus. What I got out of it were endless flashbacks to the dot-com era and the earlier multimedia era -- both San Francisco phenomenons.
I have posted a few photos of the event on the blog here.
Tim O'Reilly said that the show expected about 11,000 people to fill the expo hall, with perhaps 4,000 upgraded to the high-end conference. All were eager go-getters looking for an edge.
That said, the sheer number of people (thousands) that sat patiently in the large keynote auditorium, while speakers droned on and on about nothing, was more than a little creepy. Bring back Werner Erhard!
BlackBerry UP AND RUNNING IN NYC AREA !!!!
Blackberry service is running again in the New York City area.
outage occurred last night and through out the morning.
outage occurred last night and through out the morning.
Apple seriously considering iPhone rebate, subsidy - report
Apple insider reports that American Technology analyst Shaw Wu believes that Apple and AT&T are considering offering a $50-$150 rebate or subsidy on the upcoming Apple iPhone.
"We are hearing rebates of $50-150 that will be offered by AT&T to lower the price points for iPhone (currently $499 for 4 GB and $599 for 8 GB) and to entice customers to sign longer term voice and data contracts," the analyst wrote. "From AT&T's perspective, a rebate is a great marketing tool and small sacrifice to make to entice a customer to sign up for 2-year voice and data cell phone plans that cost about $75-100 per month (before taxes and fees), meaning $1800-2400 in 'guaranteed' bi-annual revenue."
"We are hearing rebates of $50-150 that will be offered by AT&T to lower the price points for iPhone (currently $499 for 4 GB and $599 for 8 GB) and to entice customers to sign longer term voice and data contracts," the analyst wrote. "From AT&T's perspective, a rebate is a great marketing tool and small sacrifice to make to entice a customer to sign up for 2-year voice and data cell phone plans that cost about $75-100 per month (before taxes and fees), meaning $1800-2400 in 'guaranteed' bi-annual revenue."
Why Google spent $3.1 billion on DoubleClick
Google's deal to buy DoubleClick for $3.1 billion (£1.65 billion) is fascinating on a number of levels, and since I don't have a single unifying interpretation of it all I'll just dive right into the specifics.
There is, first of all, the price. At $3.1 billion, DoubleClick was acquired for an extraordinary ten times revenues, and the private equity firm that bought the company just two years ago made at least three times its money. DoubleClick was an early warhorse of the internet but always seemed to be falling short of its potential. Its stock price was stagnant even as the Web 2.0 bubble began to inflate, which was what enabled the private equity buyout to begin with.
So why the huge premium now? Google wanted to keep the company out of the hands of Microsoft or Yahoo!, and it genuinely wanted and needed DoubleClick to give it a foothold in internet display advertising. And, perhaps most importantly, the company is taking the view that it might as well use its cash pile to acquire long-term market position, even if the numbers make no sense from a traditional return-on-capital point of view. That's a very unusual posture: Microsoft, when it was in a similar position in the 1990s, never acted like that, and instead ultimately returned cash to shareholders.
There is, first of all, the price. At $3.1 billion, DoubleClick was acquired for an extraordinary ten times revenues, and the private equity firm that bought the company just two years ago made at least three times its money. DoubleClick was an early warhorse of the internet but always seemed to be falling short of its potential. Its stock price was stagnant even as the Web 2.0 bubble began to inflate, which was what enabled the private equity buyout to begin with.
So why the huge premium now? Google wanted to keep the company out of the hands of Microsoft or Yahoo!, and it genuinely wanted and needed DoubleClick to give it a foothold in internet display advertising. And, perhaps most importantly, the company is taking the view that it might as well use its cash pile to acquire long-term market position, even if the numbers make no sense from a traditional return-on-capital point of view. That's a very unusual posture: Microsoft, when it was in a similar position in the 1990s, never acted like that, and instead ultimately returned cash to shareholders.
Update: BlackBerry service hit by widespread outage in U.S.
Problems began last night on the West Coast
The BlackBerry wireless e-mail service from Research In Motion Ltd. appears to have suffered a widespread outage that started last night in the U.S.
Customers on the BlackBerry Forums discussion board complained of having no service starting at about 5.15 p.m. PDT yesterday.
Callers to the BlackBerry U.S. technical support line were still greeted with the following message early this morning: "We are currently experiencing a service interruption that is causing delays in sending or receiving messages. We apologize for the inconvenience and will provide updates as soon as they become available."
New York television news channel NewsChannel4 reported last night that the problem affected "all users in the Western hemisphere."
However, comments from operators in Asia and Europe, as well as postings to the BlackBerry Forums, suggested that the problem may be limited to North America.
"Officials with RIM said they are trying to reset the system and told NewsChannel4 that they are concerned that the backlog of data, which will rush through when it comes back on line, could cause a bigger problem," the news channel reported on its Web site.
RIM officials advised people who use Blackberry as a major way of communications to make back-up plans, the channel reported.
A RIM official contacted in France was unaware of the problems, and said she had received messages sent to her BlackBerry as normal. Other RIM officials did not return calls seeking comment.
The BlackBerry wireless e-mail service from Research In Motion Ltd. appears to have suffered a widespread outage that started last night in the U.S.
Customers on the BlackBerry Forums discussion board complained of having no service starting at about 5.15 p.m. PDT yesterday.
Callers to the BlackBerry U.S. technical support line were still greeted with the following message early this morning: "We are currently experiencing a service interruption that is causing delays in sending or receiving messages. We apologize for the inconvenience and will provide updates as soon as they become available."
New York television news channel NewsChannel4 reported last night that the problem affected "all users in the Western hemisphere."
However, comments from operators in Asia and Europe, as well as postings to the BlackBerry Forums, suggested that the problem may be limited to North America.
"Officials with RIM said they are trying to reset the system and told NewsChannel4 that they are concerned that the backlog of data, which will rush through when it comes back on line, could cause a bigger problem," the news channel reported on its Web site.
RIM officials advised people who use Blackberry as a major way of communications to make back-up plans, the channel reported.
A RIM official contacted in France was unaware of the problems, and said she had received messages sent to her BlackBerry as normal. Other RIM officials did not return calls seeking comment.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Google Buys DoubleClick for $3.1 Billion
Google reached an agreement today to acquire DoubleClick, the online advertising company, from two private equity firms for $3.1 billion, according to people with knowledge of the deal.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Apple delays Leopard release until October
Apple Inc. on Thursday conceded that it will be unable to release its next generation operating system in June as previously planned and now says it anticipates launching the software in October.
In a statement released after the close of the stock market, Apple said its highly anticipated iPhone handset has already passed several of its required certification tests and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned.
"We can't wait until customers get their hands (and fingers) on it and experience what a revolutionary and magical product it is," Apple said. "However, iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever shipped on a mobile device, and finishing it on time has not come without a price -- we had to borrow some key software engineering and QA resources from our Mac OS X team, and as a result we will not be able to release Leopard at our Worldwide Developers Conference in early June as planned."
While Leopard's features will be complete by June, the Cupertino-based company said it cannot deliver the quality release expected by its customers within that time. Apple now plans to show its developers a near final version of Leopard at the conference, give them a beta copy to take home so they can do their final testing, and ship the software in October.
"We think it will be well worth the wait," the company added. "Life often presents tradeoffs, and in this case we're sure we've made the right ones."
In a statement released after the close of the stock market, Apple said its highly anticipated iPhone handset has already passed several of its required certification tests and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned.
"We can't wait until customers get their hands (and fingers) on it and experience what a revolutionary and magical product it is," Apple said. "However, iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever shipped on a mobile device, and finishing it on time has not come without a price -- we had to borrow some key software engineering and QA resources from our Mac OS X team, and as a result we will not be able to release Leopard at our Worldwide Developers Conference in early June as planned."
While Leopard's features will be complete by June, the Cupertino-based company said it cannot deliver the quality release expected by its customers within that time. Apple now plans to show its developers a near final version of Leopard at the conference, give them a beta copy to take home so they can do their final testing, and ship the software in October.
"We think it will be well worth the wait," the company added. "Life often presents tradeoffs, and in this case we're sure we've made the right ones."
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Big Apple Voters Are Souring On Giuliani
Rudolph Giuliani isn't feeling the love from the city he once served, based on the results of an exclusive NY1 poll released Wednesday.
The poll shows that the Republican presidential candidate is better liked by New Yorkers who do not live in the five boroughs, than those who do.
“He does a lot better outside the city than inside the city,” says NY1 pollster Mickey Blum.
The poll shows that 55 percent of voters statewide have a favorable opinion of the former mayor, while 32 percent do not and 13 percent are undecided.
In New York City, however, only 44 percent have a favorable opinion of Giuliani, while 46 percent think unfavorably about him.
In his eight years in office Giuliani had a tense relationship with communities of color, and it shows in the poll. Only 15 percent of black voters rate him favorably.
Imus Fired !!!!
CBS Terminates Long-Time Radio Host Over Racial
CommentsFollowing outcry from public officials, civil rights leaders and advertisers, CBS fired Don Imus from his radio show this afternoon, in a final blow for the broadcaster who called the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos" last week.
"There has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society," CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves said in announcing the decision. "That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision."
Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton met with CBS executives earlier today to demand them pull the plug on Imus completely because of the controversial comments.
It's not clear if the meeting is what pushed the network to terminate Imus' show. The shock jock's show was syndicated nationally on Westwood One, which is owned by CBS.
"This is not about bringing Imus down, it's about lifting people up. CBS has as its symbol this eye. So far when it came to racism they blinked,” said Sharpton on his way to the meeting. “We gonna march until we get that eye open for justice."
Sharpton said he was planning a rally for Saturday, adding that he would sooner go to jail than back down from an issue he felt passionately about.
Gov. Schwarzenegger in NYC TODAY
Governor Schwarzenegger WAS SPOTTED TODAY GOING INTO Barney's clothing store on 61st and Madison ave. around 2pm. With a full squard of secret service agents.He was getting out of his SUV, and buying a suit.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Imus NOT In the Morning
WHAT DID HE DO NOW ?.....
OH IMUS YOU SILLY DOG YOU....
CBS Radio and MSNBC both said they were suspending Don Imus' morning talk show for two weeks following his inappropriate comments about members of the Rutgers women's basketball team.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Clearing Air in Spring Training Puts A-Rod in a ‘Good Place’
Alex Rodriguez said he figured the ninth inning would come down to his at-bat yesterday because, with the Yankees, almost everything seems to revolve around him. Rodriguez cannot avoid being a story, even when he is not a story and even when he is desperately trying to avoid being a story.
There is always another wrinkle with Rodriguez, a player who is both fascinating and frustrating. Is Rodriguez friends with Derek Jeter? Will he opt out of the last three years of his contract after the season? Can he hit in the clutch? Will the fans embrace him? The Rodriguez chronicles operate on a 24-7 cycle.
But for one glorious day at Yankee Stadium, Rodriguez was the only story, and he was thrilled to be in that position. He hammered a two-out, two-strike grand slam in the bottom of the ninth into the black bleacher seats behind center field to catapult the Yankees past the Baltimore Orioles, 10-7.
A-ROD is the Man....homers in the bottom of 9th !!!!!
Alex Rodriguez slapped his hands as he rounded first base yesterday afternoon and then nearly plowed into the third-base coach Larry Bowa as he rounded third. Before touching home plate, he heaved his batting helmet toward the sky, a smile on his face every step of the way.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Back From Vacation in Las Vegas AREA!!!
Wondering where i was ?....been on vacation out in Pahrump ,Nevada about 1/2 way between Death Vally and Las Vegas i would say about 60 miles away. A great little town of 40,000 and growing with the expansion of Las Vegas.Plenty of open space and of course you get that great Nevada weather.
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