Google Buzz was just announced today. It is part Facebook, part Twitter, part Google. It will allow users to provide status updates, comment on these updates (sound familiar?) but unlike Facebook it will be directly tied by default to a lot of services people use, like Flickr.
Better yet, you already have all your contacts, within your Google Contacts.
While I don't think this will kill Facebook overnight, it will put a big dent in it.
I haven't yet tried out the service, and it is not yet active in my Google account. It likely will be within 48 hours, so I'll post an update then. And since 90% of the people I know have a Gmail account, let me know what your thoughts are.
2010-02-09
The first big nanotech product?
Just read this interesting piece on liquid glass. It seems that an extremely light coating of this stuff could go a long way to protecting objects and also making them much easier to clean.
Will cans of this be available at Wal-mart soon?
Will cans of this be available at Wal-mart soon?
2010-02-07
2010-02-03
Review: Overnightmattress.com
A high quality, king size foam bed for $999? You betcha. Despite companies like Tempur Pedic charging over $2,000 for foam mattresses, you can get a very high quality one for less than half the price from overnightmattress.com
I have to tell you, I myself was skeptical about buying from a company with very few online reviews. However, I did some research and found that the company is truly located in Johnson City, TN. The mattresses are manufactured in America. If you call them, you can talk to a real person.
We ended up purchasing a king size PureBliss Bamboo bed for $999 shipped. We opted to not buy the $200 wood frame/platform, and instead bought a nice platform bed from Ikea for about the same amount.
The bed arrived in a surprisingly small box, but expanded quickly when opened. The bed itself is 2 layers (we opted for the softer bed). The first is a support foam, which is very dense. The upper layer is memory foam, and is probably 3-4". Then there is a cover that you have to zip around the bed. The cover adds several more inches and is "plush" so it doesn't even feel much like memory foam.
On top of this, we got a free set of sheets including a mattress protector.
How does it feel? The bed feels great, and we are happy it came with a long term warranty.
This was truly money well spent - I don't think I would buy a tempur pedic unlesss I had a lot of money to burn, I'd go with overnightmattress.com and save some money.
I have to tell you, I myself was skeptical about buying from a company with very few online reviews. However, I did some research and found that the company is truly located in Johnson City, TN. The mattresses are manufactured in America. If you call them, you can talk to a real person.
We ended up purchasing a king size PureBliss Bamboo bed for $999 shipped. We opted to not buy the $200 wood frame/platform, and instead bought a nice platform bed from Ikea for about the same amount.
The bed arrived in a surprisingly small box, but expanded quickly when opened. The bed itself is 2 layers (we opted for the softer bed). The first is a support foam, which is very dense. The upper layer is memory foam, and is probably 3-4". Then there is a cover that you have to zip around the bed. The cover adds several more inches and is "plush" so it doesn't even feel much like memory foam.
On top of this, we got a free set of sheets including a mattress protector.
How does it feel? The bed feels great, and we are happy it came with a long term warranty.
This was truly money well spent - I don't think I would buy a tempur pedic unlesss I had a lot of money to burn, I'd go with overnightmattress.com and save some money.
2010-02-02
Toyota in a world of pain
Toyota's reputation has been completely destroyed in the period of 2-3 weeks.
What was at one time a minor story has now spiraled out of control. The government is looking into the accelerator recall, customers are pissed, sales are down. I'm a bit surprised that Toyota took so long to respond to these issues. While it is good that they did, I think this is going to hurt them longterm. Very few Toyota's are sexy, most are just practical, safe, reliable cars. With this recall, the safety and reliability image has taken a big hit.
A fix has been announced and dealers are getting ready to start repairs, but this is way too little too late.
2010-01-27
President Obama's First State of the Union
I am pretty impressed by the first State of the Union delivered by President Obama. I feel that for the first time in my life, we have a true statesman as a leader.
I like that he took some ballsy positions, such as saying we should repeal don't ask don't tell, allowing gays to serve openly in the military (as many other countries do, including strong military countries like Israel).
I also liked that he called out both Republicans and Democrats for putting politics above the common good; this is the type of leadership that we need.
I like that he took some ballsy positions, such as saying we should repeal don't ask don't tell, allowing gays to serve openly in the military (as many other countries do, including strong military countries like Israel).
I also liked that he called out both Republicans and Democrats for putting politics above the common good; this is the type of leadership that we need.
iPad pricing is all wrong
A big mistake that Apple made in its launch of the iPad is the pricing. Most of Apple's products have two or three options. The iPad has 6: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and all with or without 3G. This creates a lot of confusion for consumers when looking at the product. I would bet anyone thinking of buying a model right now is deliberating which model to get. This thinking makes them focus more on the price, and focusing on price is generally not good when a consumer is deciding whether to buy a product.
Apple should have only come out with three models: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB. The 16GB would have no 3G while the other would have it. That way, consumers would still have the bare bones option at $499 and the middle option would only be premium. Most people would buy a medium-high product before a medium-low.
Oh yeah, they also really fucked up on the name.
Apple should have only come out with three models: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB. The 16GB would have no 3G while the other would have it. That way, consumers would still have the bare bones option at $499 and the middle option would only be premium. Most people would buy a medium-high product before a medium-low.
Oh yeah, they also really fucked up on the name.
iPad Accessories: Get Ready to Pay Up
It seems that only bare bones is included with the iPad's "low price" of $499.
Want GPS? That'll be $130, you need 3G assist for that.
Want a keyboard? Pay.
Want to plug it into the wall to charge? Pay.
Want to take photos?Pay. You are out of luck, the accessory only allows you to attach a camera.
Want a dock? Pay.
Want to protect it with a case? Pay.
Full details here.
Want GPS? That'll be $130, you need 3G assist for that.
Want a keyboard? Pay.
Want to plug it into the wall to charge? Pay.
Want to take photos?
Want a dock? Pay.
Want to protect it with a case? Pay.
Full details here.
iPad Pricing
I think the pricing of the iPad is going to cause mass consumer confusion. They are going to have 6 different price points, ranging from $499 - $829. These models range from 16GB - 64GB and either have or do not have 3G.
How will a consumer know which to buy? I predict that either the 16 or 32GB models will be discontinued by year end, likely the 16.
Add to that hundreds in accessories, this seems like a complete ripoff.
How will a consumer know which to buy? I predict that either the 16 or 32GB models will be discontinued by year end, likely the 16.
Add to that hundreds in accessories, this seems like a complete ripoff.
iPad: First Impressions
The Apple iPad.
The only interesting this is that Apple is back in the chip-making business with the Apple A4 Chip.
What a horrible name. Sounds like a new type of maxi-pad.
Watching the live blog at Engadget, I don't see how this thing is better than an iPhone. I don't see any need fulfilled by this device.
It doesn't even have flash, which is very disappointing.
The only interesting this is that Apple is back in the chip-making business with the Apple A4 Chip.
What a horrible name. Sounds like a new type of maxi-pad.
Watching the live blog at Engadget, I don't see how this thing is better than an iPhone. I don't see any need fulfilled by this device.
It doesn't even have flash, which is very disappointing.
2010-01-26
Toyota is in trouble
Toyota is halting the (new and used) sale of 8 models, including the popular Corolla and Camry. The problem is that the accelerator pedal can stick, leading to some pretty messy results. While its better for their image that they are voluntarily stopping sales, I can see this sticking with them for a long time.
The big beneficiaries are Ford and Honda, since the Fusion, Focus and Accord, Civic are (nearly) perfect substitutes for the Camry and Corolla.
Disclaimer: I am a shareholder of Ford
2010-01-23
The Supreme Court acted justly in Citizens v. FEC
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is somewhat of a landmark decision. The Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to restrict campaign spending by corporations. It seems that many on the left are very angry about this, saying that corporations will run the country. But I'm sure that unions are just as happy about this, and we all know how they vote.
The bigger picture is that this is a victory for the freedom of speech, and freedom of speech includes paying for that speech. The government has absolutely no right to tell anyone (or any corporation) how they can donate money to political campaigns. When speech is restricted in anyway, it brings us down an Orwellian path, in which the government has a bigger role in deciding the type of information that can be disseminated.
In this case, it was about an anti Hillary Clinton movie being banned, but next time it could easily be an anti-GOP movie. The bottom line is that people deserve to be heard.
The bigger picture is that this is a victory for the freedom of speech, and freedom of speech includes paying for that speech. The government has absolutely no right to tell anyone (or any corporation) how they can donate money to political campaigns. When speech is restricted in anyway, it brings us down an Orwellian path, in which the government has a bigger role in deciding the type of information that can be disseminated.
In this case, it was about an anti Hillary Clinton movie being banned, but next time it could easily be an anti-GOP movie. The bottom line is that people deserve to be heard.
2010-01-22
DC Area Bicycling Laws Need Improvement
Greater Greater Washington has a list of 12 ideas that could make bicycling safer in this area. I agree with most of these, especially #'s 1, 8 and 11. I can't believe that VA, MD, and DC still have contributory negligence; how rediculous.
And as for #11, I generally already treat a stop sign as a yield, and a red light as a stop sign.
And as for #11, I generally already treat a stop sign as a yield, and a red light as a stop sign.
2010-01-20
FHA imposes new standards - house prices to plummet?
Today the FHA has proposed new underwriting standards.
For those of you who do not know how an FHA loan works, here is the gist:
If you want a house, but don't have much of a down payment, or you have bad credit, the federal government will guarantee your loan. A normal bank still issues it. In return, you pay private mortage insurance (PMI), have a somewhat higher interest rate. But almost everyone gets approved and the down payment is 3.5%.
The changes being proposed could end a lot of this easy money lending. First of all, a minimum credit score of 580 will be required for 3.5% down payments, otherwise you'll need 10%. This won't deter too many, in my opinion, because if you have a score of lower than 580 it is doubtful you are currently in the market for a house.
Here are the changes you need to pay attention to:
For those of you who do not know how an FHA loan works, here is the gist:
If you want a house, but don't have much of a down payment, or you have bad credit, the federal government will guarantee your loan. A normal bank still issues it. In return, you pay private mortage insurance (PMI), have a somewhat higher interest rate. But almost everyone gets approved and the down payment is 3.5%.
The changes being proposed could end a lot of this easy money lending. First of all, a minimum credit score of 580 will be required for 3.5% down payments, otherwise you'll need 10%. This won't deter too many, in my opinion, because if you have a score of lower than 580 it is doubtful you are currently in the market for a house.
Here are the changes you need to pay attention to:
- A .5% increase in PMI. This means that a $300,000 house will require $1500 more up front, plus an extra $125 per month payment. This is pretty substantial.
- Worse yet: a reduction in seller concessions from 6% to 3%. This is a huge deal. On a $300,000 house that would mean $9,000! This covers a lot of the (ridiculous) fees that realtors, mortgage brokers, and settlement companies charge.
I predict that home prices could easily fall 3-5% if all of the US or more in places that have a lot of FHA loans. But overall this is a good thing, because homes are still mostly overvalued.
2010-01-19
Revisiting the healthcare odds post MA election
In my last post, I predicted that healthcare had a 65% chance of passing. With the election of Scott Brown, this would give us about a 30% chance of healthcare passing in its current form.
There are a few ways healthcare could still pass soon:
There are a few ways healthcare could still pass soon:
- The House can pass the Senate version of the bill, bypassing the need for a revote in the senate
- It will take 15 days to certify the vote, per MA state law. Congress could reconcile and vote within that time frame.
- Come up with a compromise with the GOP, or a bill that is good enough that while the GOP won't vote for it, at least 1-2 in the Senate would vote to break a filibuster.
I think that option 1 is a bit more likely, as much as I detest the Senate bill. Why do I dislike it so much? It does a fair amount of damage to the best healthcare plans out there: HSA's. My HSA costs me $10 a month to cover two people. I also set aside several thousand per year into a tax advantaged account that I can use to pay the up to $4,000 deductible. What the senate version of the bill would do is prevent me from spending my HSA dollars on over the counter medicines, and also double the penalty if I withdraw funds early.
What I'm hoping is that options 2 or 3 are in play, especially 3, since some bipartisanship could go a long way toward preserving some good things about the current system (like HSA's) while possibly also fixing some of the other problems that the first bill is silent on (like tort reform).
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