text:
The 14% iPod market share posting attracted thousands of Apple, Mac and iPod site readers to our site. You are all very welcome. Many left comments, most of those were understandably surprised, shocked, argumentative, some even resorted to the "you are an idiot" level of response.
UPDATE - I have posted two graphs on a short related blog that hopefully explains it very simply what has happened. Please look at those graphs at this link [Apple quarterly iPod sales and iPod vs musicphone sales]
We had over 3000 visitors mostly from only two addresses - Mac Surfer and Mac Addict. Our blog was featured at both with the link here. It is very nice to have all you stopping by, I do apologize if in my blog I hurt any of your feelings, as clearly those who are members of a website dedicated to Macs would easily feel passionate about Apple and iPods. To be very clear right from the start - we LOVE Apple. We LOVE the iPod. We think the iPod has been a brilliant strategy for Apple. And yes, any music experience on an iPod is far superior to any music experience on a musicphone.
That all being said, in my blog I pointed out that last year the tide has turned. Until 2004 Apple had the MP3 player market mostly to itself and boasted over 80% market share at Christmas 2004. Last year the big competitors like Nokia, Motorola and SonyEricsson jumped into the portable MP3 player game, and today Apple's market share does stand - on a global basis, not USA only - at 14%.
The facts are irrefutable. And not one of the 32 replies tries to deny the numbers I quoted straight from Apple's own quarterly reports and the various industry analysts etc. The arguments were more along the line that "music is better on an iPod than the toy-like musicphones" etc.
We received 32 replies as of late night on 20th July London time (likely more to come as the American West Coast got into their evening blogging activities - I will respond to those as well, so don't panic)
I usually reply to each respondent in the comments section, but now thought it best to put my comments out here as a new blog as there seems to be several clear lines of argument and these warrant their own responses.
There were 32 replies from the following people: Dean Bubley Piers Fawkes, Sandeep, BobAB, Bert C, Kevin Barbs, swissfondue, Bela Sopron, william (twice), Curious, Jiim Harner, Rus, D9, Barney F, Johnny Appleseed, David Gnotta, MacKeyser, Rue, UranIdiot, Adam, Jim, Riot Nrrrd, peyote, Tonio Loewald, Musictasty, Mike, Cameron, JPO, vego, Paul Jardine and Chap Harrison
I will reply to every comment here now. But let be start with three observations:
One - if you did not read my original blog, then I think it is unfair to comment on it. I will still reply to you, but honestly, please do go read the blog where your reply now sits as a comment.
Two - nobody provided any actual numbers or facts against my blog entry. While dozens were appalled at comparing musicphones to iPods or arguing that music was not listened to on musicphones, nobody said my numbers were off. Clearly 8 million iPods out of 58 million portable MP3 players sold worldwide in the April-June quarter of 2006, is 14%. If Apple tries to push its USA-only market share figure of 77%, I think that is quite shaky statistics. The numbers you have at this blogsite are all for global numbers as Alan and I regularly advise global companies on their strategies.
Third - Apple itself totally agrees with the premise of my blog. One of the commenters, Bert C, quotes Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer who in the official Apple conference call to investors on 19 July 2006 clearly states that he thinks over time phones will take over from iPods - as the phones improve - and also that Apple was preparing for that time with its own iPod phone. I ask that Mac fans take note of that guidance from the CFO of Apple - this is the inevitable future. We may disagree to when and what degree it will happen, but all experts agree it will happen - even Apple.
It is bewildering when one notices the world has suddenly changed. Musicphones as a mass market offering were only released three years ago in South Korea. Phone makers got serious about musicphones only last year 2005. This year 2006 is the first full year we will see full, real market competition in MP3 players between iPods, the other stand-alone MP3 players, and musicphones.
All of you reading this blogsite are actually among the "early" ones to discover that new world. Its so new that just a year ago few were even talking about it.
Yet there is no going back to a time when MP3 players were exclusively on stand-alone devices like the iPod. We are now witnessing a transformation. It is like the introduction of jet engines to airplanes. Propeller driven planes did not disappear even as the mass market jetliner market transformed to the jet age, even today there are many niche airplane makers who specialize in propeller driven aircraft.
Similarly the shift from the iPod to the musicphone is an ongoing process, will be prolonged, and will not "eliminate" the stand-alone iPod, of course not. We say so all along. Only that the iPod is becoming a niche offering, just like the Macintosh PC is a specialist niche PC. The transition from iPods to musicphones is like the transition from desktop PCs to laptops. Like the transition from old box-style (cathode ray tube) TV sets to new flat screen TV sets.
You don't need to take my word for it. I recognize Bill Gates is a red flag for many Mac owners, but just this May Gates said mp3 playing phones will kill iPods. I mention the Gates comment not to anger Mac website visitors, but rather to point out the date. Bill said it on May 12 in Frankfurt, this year.
The world is coming to the same view. I urge those passionate about Macs, Apple and iPods, to take a deep breath, clear your minds, remember that Apple itself says musicpohones are the future - and then read the original posting.
WE LOVE APPLE. The iPod was a brave move five years ago, and the iPod has totally re-energized and revitalized the Apple brand, not to mention making Apple totally credible into moving into the media space. The iPod is profitable (LG the fifth-largest phone maker just released numbers complaining about the lack of profits in the mobile phone business) and most of all, the appeal of the iPod has brought up the profitability of Macintosh computers.
We are not idiots here at Communities Dominate Brands. We did select the iPod and iTunes as our case study in our book on how to create a new market space.
But we are also realists here at this blogsite. As Apple itself admits the future of MP3s is going to mobile phones, and Oppenheimer himself specifically talked about the SonyEricsson Walkman phones - saying in his opinion the Walkman phone was not yet as good as an iPod - we here at this blogsite then provide you the reader with the big picture.
So you hear Bill Gates and Peter Oppenheimer tell that the future battle is between phones and iPods. In fact out of the 32 replies from what is best described as "Mac Fanatics", five fully accepted that musicphones are the future.
But if you want to understand that future, there are almost no sources yet giving you the real big picture numbers. I track this industry and I've seen only three analysts so far (out of over 4000) to give numbers on that inevitable future market that includes both MP3 players and phones - Yankee Group, Strategy Analytics and IMS Research - and all of these within the last two months only. It is a new world we discuss, and for most visitors its the first time they learn that the iPod is not in fact the world's predominant portable MP3 player. It is quite a shock.
We don't mean to give Bill Gates's view - he is clearly biased against the Mac - which is why I did not quote him in the original blog. But also we did not report Oppenheimer's view as he is clearly baised in favour of Apple and the iPod. We reported the first published top management views from EACH of the four global music publishers - these are the honest independents who have no axe to grind - Warner, EMI, Sony BMG and Universal. Those four experts all say (that in the long run) music will be consumed on phones, not on iPods. I have their verbatim quotes in the original blog. I bolded their company names out so you can easily find that section. I urge you to read what the music industry says, expressly on the point of standalone vs mobile phone MP3 players. Then please re-consider. I recognize my view is controversial, but it is no longer presented in a vacuum. Now the music industry itself has arrived at this view. Why are they NOT saying iPod will rule over mobile phones. Not one music industry top exec has come out saying that this year.
So onto the comments. I will deal with each:
You are an idiot
First there are the "you are idiots" comments. Thank you Rus, UranIdiot, Adam and Riot Nrrrd. Thank you. You are entitled to your opinion.
Is badly written
Rus complains the blog is badly written. I apologize. But its a blog, not meant to be high prose or poetry. I do have a day job, ha-ha, so this is, like most blogs, a hobby for me (and for Alan Moore) and a way to keep in touch with our readership.
Agree with us, celebrate Apple success
There were several comments who only pointed out Apple excellent quarterly data such as its total sales numbers, profits, press reviews and stock price performance. Piers Fawkes, BobAB, william, Mike and Chap Harrison all posted about this. We agree totally, Apple's corporate results this quarter were excellent. This is not a financial analysis blogsite and we don't make any stock recommendations, so it seems quite beside the point. But these are totally non-responsive to the point that iPod market share has declined dramatically. We fully admit iPods are profitable and Macintosh sales are up and Apple profits (and share price) are up. Thank you for the comments.
Agree with us on phones to dominate, disagree on timing
Several who commented did accept that over time musicphones would be a significant part of the MP3 player market, but argued the timing is not now. Dean Bubley, Kevin Barbs, william, MacKeyser and Cameron all agreed (to some degree or another) that musicphones would/could become a rival, but not yet. Two further commenters and MacKeyser mentioned Apple's initiatives towards the iPod phone, so these comments would relate also to understanding the convergence device is coming. I think MacKeyser's comment is typical of this set when he said "Is there crossover? Sure, and you make some valid points on where that convergence is headed"
To this point, I ask all to revisit this blog from time to time and see how the numbers play out. You all "get it" already, but you doubt my numbers so far. Let see how the various other industry experts start to report this story. Remember its totally new, last year nobody had numbers on it yet. You are on the cutting edge of understanding this transition.
Agree with us that iPod is better than musicphone
We made it perfectly clear that iPods are better at music playing than phones. We totally granted this argument in plain simple words in the original blog entry (and previous ones on this theme). Still three of the people with comments made this point to agree with us - Johnny Appleseed, Musictasty and Paul Jardine. Like we said in the blog, its irrelevant if music is better on an iPod. What is good enough is the point. The Mac has always been the best PC yet it has never dominated the PC market.
Mistaken reading of the blog
Two replies reflected mistaken reading of the blog itself. These are luckily easy to reply to and "correct". Sandeep commented (accurately) on phone vs digital camera, but then he suggested we'd talked about phones vs hand held gaming consoles. I never mentioned hand held gaming consoles, or videogaming consoles in general
And Jim compared my statement that in the "first quarter of 2006...[Apple had a] catastrophic earth-shattering crash of 40% drop in sales." Note that the brackets are Jim's. Of course I talked specifically about iPod, not Apple overall sales. Then Jim quotes Business Week's analysis of the the Apple quarterly results. Jim mistakenly looked at my clearly labeled FIRST quarter 40% drop - which is in no doubt whatsoever, Apple's own Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook on April 19, 2006 at the Apple quarterly conference call to investors explicitly talked about this 40% drop in iPod sales from the Christmas quarter. So Jim's quote from Business Week July 20 reflects this just-ended SECOND quarter, when iPod sales are down a further 5%. I'm sorry Jim you accidentially looked at the wrong quarterly data. Business Week was quoting on the latest quarter, my 40% comment was on the previous quarter.
Related argument - Apple will rebound next quarter.
One comment, by Peyote, took the view that Apple will rebound. From one quarter I could give it the benefit of the doubt, but after 17 straight quarters on sequential quarter-on-quarter growth when there was no strong competition, and now with five strong competitors, Apple reports two straight quarters of sequential decline, its looking awefully bad to believe in a "seasonal" return for the iPod. Peyote. I promise to report it here if Apple's iPod sales do rebound. Its just looking awefully bad.
Whole market is down
So then we get into the actual arguments. D9 tried to justify iPod's two straight drops of sales as it being part of the whole industry downturn. D9 wrote "if you measure the MP3 sales figures for the 4th Q of 2005 vs. 1st Q of 2006, you'd see that the entire market was down in comparison" That would be a valid concern. Except that in the same time each of the big phone makers reported record GROWTH in their MP3 playing musicphone sales. SonyEricsson doubled Walkman phone sales from last quarter 2005 to first quarter 2006. Nokia and Motorola both report huge increased demand for their musicphones for first quarter 2006. The actual real market did grow. In a growing market iPod sales shrunk. While keeping Apple fans happy with top-end devices, Apple is losing the big war for the mass market. Just like the Apple 2 for desktop computers in 1984 or the Macintosh for what we now ironically call windows computers (Macs had "windows" for five years before Microsoft) in 1993.
Outdated data - 4GB musicphones are reality today
Only one comment came around the storage arguing phones can't match iPods, from MacKeyser, "I have 4 GIGABYTES for audio". Obviously the iPod shuffle brings the iPod range's storage down to 1GB. But already early last year 4 GB musicphones appeared (first by Samsung, whose top model today stores 6 GB of music). The Nokia N91 has 4 GB of internal storage, and top-end musicphones accept removable storage which is now shipping at 2 GB of storage. There was a day when iPods had a huge advantage due to the storage ability. With Shuffles and Nanos that advantage does not exist and with top end iPods the lead is diminishing.
Phones are for calls/texts, not music
Several argued that phones are used (or should be used) for its primary use, calls (and text messages). That music is not a natural thing to do with a phone. Riot Nrrrd, Cameron, Paul Jardine made this point and Kevin Barbs also eluded to it. As Cameron put it "people are not buying phones BECAUSE they play music ... they buy phone because they are phones. Music is just an extra," First - this does not dispute the market share point of the overall argument. The REASON why people are buying a portable MP3 player does not eliminate the fact that they are buying them.
But this argument had me thinking. Follow me on this... So if today I want a music player. In the store I see an iPod for discounted to 189 dollars. Then I visit my cellphone carrier's store, and spot the brand new SonyEricsson Walkman phone. And I find out that in September when my cellphone contract comes up for renewal, I can "upgrade" to the new Walkman NW-A1000 with 6GB of music storage. And that phone will cost me 25 dollars with the annual contract to my cellphone provider. It becomes a "no contest".
I think you three are further proving my point. Thank you.
People don't listen to music on phones
This I think is a very relevant observation. Like swissfondue said he has a radio in his car but only listens to his CD collection. Riot Nrrrd also argued this point and Johnny Appleseed puts me to task saying, "Your article conveniently avoids the question of how many owners of music phones actually use them to listen to music"
Actually I did do that very thing in the original posting. I quoted the findings from the first global study that compared music listening habits on phones and on iPods and this global study of 6.800 users said clearly that twice as many people already listen to music on phones as on iPods. We reported on that study at this related story in March of this year:
Music bought via iTunes
Two comments, by swissfondue and Johnny Appleseed, repeated Apple numbers on USA sales of online music and iTunes market share in the USA. Yes, we have no problem with that number being 80% - in America. But there is a much larger world outside America, and the RIAA reports its numbers to the IFPI which gives the global numbers. I quoted the IFPI numbers. Rest assured the Apple numbers are fully accounted in the IFPI numbers. Globally the tide turned this Spring, when the IFPI reported that half of all music sold online was to mobile phones (up from 40% at end of 2005). As we've often reported at this blogsite the two leading countries for music consumption on cellphones are South Korea and Japan. In South Korea today 45% of ALL music - not just online music - is sold directly to mobile phones.
USA market vs world market
Two comments were specific to the point of the USA market being perhaps different from the world, by william and Johnny Appleseed. william wrote "Perhaps things are different overseas, what a blow for Apple not to control the whole world"
I will happily grant this argument to this degree - iPod's market share in America is highest it is in any country; and iPod will retain its strongest position in contrast to cellphones, in the USA. That is fine. Out of the total world's population only 5% live in the USA and they produce only 20% of the total world GDP. I would be doing a horrible disservice to our global readership if I only focused on America. Equally, as Apple regularly reports on its international sales, even Apple needs its international markets, else the prices of your Macs and iPods in America would be higher. Its a global economy william and Johnny Appleseed.
I don't use the MP3 player on my phone
Many resorted to the argument that "because I don't do it, others won't do it too". Sandeep, william, Jiim Harner, vego, and JPO wrote on this, and JPO's comment is typical at "I recently bought a motorola phone that has the ability to play mp3 and take pictures (it's not the iPod phones). YAWN. Never have taken a picture with the phone, and I have no desire to play music on the thing". This is a very typical human response to change. Because you don't like something new (yet), you assume all are like you and nobody likes it.
I think Mac fans will feel a particular pain in the eternal struggle to try to convince the world that Macs are better. After all the huffing and puffing for 20 years, the mass market has not moved. We have different needs. That your PERSONAL need is not like what I report, does not invalidate what I report. Note that I supported my facts with the world's first global study of phone vs iPod use - and yes, that study included the USA in it - and found that there are twice as many people like the ones I report on, as there are people like you. And that study was done before the sexy new Nokia N91's and Walkman phones and Razr V3i's etc.
But I think we'll find common ground. I said from the first blog back in September of 2005, that the iPod is not going to disappear. There will be many like you, who love their iPods and will insist of course on a device that is that good. There is nothing wrong with that. Some people demand excellence. But the world's best cars are not the world's best-selling cars. Unfortunately the mass market does not demand such high level of quality and is clearly willing to accept lesser MP3 players that are integrated into their phones. So yes, there are people like you, only they are in the minority, not the majority. For every iPod sold this year, six people bought musicphones.
Battery life dictates phone unusable as MP3 player
An interesting argument came from Riot Nrrrd and Cameron, who said that phones are poor as music players because of draining battery life - hurting the phone's primary function, calls (and messaging), as Riot Nrrd writes "no one wants to chew up their battery life playing MP3's when they need it to make phone calls". This is a good argument. It of course falls into the "my technology is better than yours" argument, which I have long ago granted to the iPod, that it is better. But I think this argument deserves more. The argument suggests that to use an MP3 player on a phone, will actually damage the phone's primary functionality to us.
Partly this will help "stem the tide" in favour of the iPod. And it is something that many first-time musicphone buyers will not think of, until they have used the music player and discover how quickly it does drain the battery. You listen to songs on the plane and then upon landing when you'd want to call, the phone battery dies.
Will it save the market for the iPod. No, I don't think so. I think we all know batteries are constantly improved, but equally we all see from our laptops and cellphones, that no matter how much batteries improve, the manufacturers cram ever more power-hungry features to again drain those. Perhaps the big winner out of this is the battery suppliers to the Nokias and Motorolas (and when Apple releases its iPod phone). As the phone battery is recharged on a daily basis to cover for the music consumption, the batteries will not last the expected lifespan and thus the replacement battery market will grow?
We'll have to monitor developments on that.
But phone can't do this like iPod and Nike
BobAB replied asking if phones can do what Nike and the iPod now do in collaboration. He provided a link to the Time article about it.
Let me reply with "of course" except that phones can do way much more than what Apple can hope for. Simply because phones have so much more connectivity already built in. But on the specific sporting applications with Nike, I think BobAB will be surprised to learn about the Nokia 5500 Sportsphone. The rugged design is somewhat waterproof (splatterproof more likely) includes the measurements of all relevant sporting data like speed and distance, steps taken (in jogging) calories burned, etc. With a built in FM radio, MP3 player and flashlight, it also includes text-to-speech conversion so you can listen to incoming text messages and not interrupt your jogging or whatever sporting activity you are doing.
Years ago they released the first sporting phones to help for example competitive cyclists train etc. Phones are used by the biggest sporting event in Sweden Vasaloppet (imagine the Boston Marathon but on skis) - and all participants get real time performance data via their cellphones. Yes, Nike + iPod? for phones its "been there, done that". Years ago.
Digital Cameras did not die
Five felt I'd gone too far with the digital cameras analogy. Sandeep, william, Riot Nrrrd, Peyote and Cameron all argued the cameras argument. william did quite a complete response, direct current quotes from camera giants Nikon and Canon, both quoting their SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera divisions with big growth in the latest quarter. william me to reconsider "If you aren't feeling too stupid yet, tell us how that has affected the market for standalone cameras"
This is a classic case of crying after spilled milk. This train has left the station two years ago. william quotes Canon and Nikon with 30% increases in their top-end camera sales for the quarter. I did point out in my original blog, that this same quarter the two biggest rivals to Canon and Nikon - Konica and Minolta - who have merged - announced this January that they are quitting the camera business altogether.
Game over. Two of the four are already dead. Why are Canon and Nikon only reporting 30% and 20% growth? If there was any strong market for cameras, they would pick up all of Minolta-Konica's customers (and be up at least 50%). When two of the world's largest manufacturers of the industry totally quit, thats a pretty strong sign that the time for that technology is over. Cameraphones today offer 5 Megapixel resolutions, 3x optical zooms, 20x digital zooms, built-in flashes etc. Its not ever going to replace the professional digital camera - the wedding photographer will not show up with a Motorola - but this is a point the camera industry admitted in 2004 - they lost the battle.
iPod phone supports our premise
Then Bert C, Bela Sopron and MacKeyser mentioned that there are strong rumours of an iPod phone. Bert C quoted Apples' CFO Peter Oppenheimer saying expressly on the future iPod phone at the 19 July conference call: "we are not sitting around doing nothing." Obviously if am iPod musicphone is a good idea, then there is no reason to dismiss the Apple rivals from pursuing that idea. And then, definitely, it becomes very relevant to measure the total market. If Apple already suggests it will move into this converging area, we need to understand it. So at least on the premise of the blog, that musicphones and iPods need to be examined as one market, here we find agreement (also with Apple management obviously)
Accept multipurpose on phone but reject music
Two comments had interesting viewpoints. JPO and Riot Nrrd both accepted that the phone had grown to have new features. JPO mentions, "The new phones that integrate email/computer with phone are pretty cool." while Riot Nrrd accepts phones are used for text messaging in additon to the oringial concept of voice calls. but then both refuse to accept music on the phone. I think these two are half way along to accepting the premise, but need a bit more time to come to it. Like I said before, 45% of all music in South Korea is sold directly to musicphones. Just like text messaging was something initially rejected but soon spread to everybody, I am convinced music will see the same.
I want two devices
One comment by Jiim Harner said he prefers his segregated devices. That is fine. There will always be some like that. We never said iPods will disapper, only that the mass market is the musicphone.
Interrupt incoming calls, transfer calls
Mike commented that incoming calls, messages would interrupt music. Yes, that is true. But if you listened on your iPod and your phone rang, you'd need to pause your iPod as well? It makes no difference is the iPod interrupted or the musicphone interrupted. Calls would interrupt in either case.
Mike also said phones would have hassles of transferring music to the next phone. Yes, this is true. And in South Korea for example on the Melon music service on SK Telecom, you pay a subscription to own all the music you have. The carrier ensures all of your music migrates with you into all subsequent phones as long as you stay as their customer.
Future belongs to removable storage
Tonio Loewald provided a very interesting view to the battle of the MP3 players. That the future belongs to the removable storage device. "The best data storage/transfer device is use-agnostic. Who wants to load their music collection onto a cellphone if it will be stuck there when, inevitably, the cellphone is obsolete in a year? Tiny, unpowered 2G+ storage devices which can plug into anything, store anything, and be used for anything, will devour all of these transient technologies". And Tonio obviously argues that because of this a "winner" in iPod vs musicphone is irrelevant. A very compelling argument. I would say its time is yet to come. Perhaps a concept for a couple of years into the future (as a mass market proposition, remember.)
Food for thought
Paul Jardine left us with another thought-provoking idea asking, "How many of the 8.1 million that bought iPods last quarter already have MP3 capable phones? I suspect it's not a single digit percentage..."
First, I don't think its a single-digit percentage, because some of the people who have MP3 player phones will want a BETTER MP3 player - of course and iPod. Others who bought iPods last quarter are existing iPod users - some of whom are now getting MP3 players for any range of reasons. So they are already loyal iPod users. Whether they put some of their music on the phone or not, these customers who bought iPods wanted another iPod experience. And some do use both. Prefer to use the iPod when they can, and put some tracks onto the musicphone for when the iPod happens not to be around.
Wants market share breakdowns for the fun of it
One person, Curious, asked for many more splits in markets for nine categories, just for the fun of it. I have spent a very long night responding to all the comments relating to our topic (iPod market share is only 14% of all portable MP3 players) so I feel this request is quite unreasonable.
But let me offer the first item you asked Curious. You wanted split of digital cameras vs cameraphones. Note that I've stopped tracking this stat since the cameraphones won years ago, but the last numbers I've collected come from global IT industry analysts Strategy Analytics, for the year 2004. They reported on 15 April 2005 that globally 68 million digital cameras were sold, and 257 million cameraphones. Exact market share for stand-alone digital cameras by 2004 had fallen to 20.9 percent. You can find the story in the International Herald Tribune. Satisfied? We report these kinds of statistics at this blogsite regularly, across all of the media, IT and telecoms industries that are now converging. We just discussed your wristwatch issue - with stats - earlier this week.
As to "creative market-share numerology" - Curious, I report all numbers with full sources. The numbers I used for Apple iPod sales were Apple's own. Not one of the 32 comments refuted the numbers that Apple's iPod shipments dropped from 14.1 million to 8.5 million to 8.1 million and Apple's execs openly admit the first drop was 40% sequential decline (Tim Cook Apple COO 19 April 2006), and the second was 6% sequential decline in iPod quarterly sales (Peter Oppenheimer Apple CFO 19 July 2006).
Is Anti Apple
Finally many hinted at it, but one actually voiced it, Rus, that we're anti-apple, "a complete (and obvious) bias and hatred for the Apple platform."
I beg to differ. I clearly applauded Apple for this quarter's performance including the role of iPod's contribution to Apple. I wrote "We need to point out that iPod sales numbers of 8.1 million in a quarter are wonderfully good results within the IT industry accessories and gadgets market" and again "even with its market share crashing, for Apple the iPod is a huge success, even in 2006" and so on and so on.
Rus, it is totally possible to be happy for one aspect - Apple's overall success - and yet express concern for another - Apple's dramatically dropping market share in one of its products. What Apple execs themselves admit - is that musicplayers are emerging as their competitors. What Apple also admit is that they are planning their own iPod phone.
But the market does not yet have the big picture. That is what I am providing here, at this blog. Last year nobody reported on the market share splits of MP3 players and musicphones., This year they will be doing it. As of now, you can get early numbers from us, here at this blogsite. Apple will be reporting the same numbers as well, very soon. Already now their own investors are asking for this breakdown.
To summarize.
There are many who acknowledge that in the long run musicphones will be viable rivals to the iPod. That in fact Apple is designing a strategy to launch an iPod phone. The underlying premise finds a lot of support. The actual current state of musicphones is very alien to those who commented. As most of them tend to be from America, it is to be expected. By accident of timing, the iPod is best selling in North America, and cellphones (including musicphones) are least advanced in America. So what is quite common in Asia or Europe with more advanced cellphones, cellular networks, and wireless carriers, may still seem like impossible for many Americans.
So please bear in mind that the FACT of the drop in sales in iPods from 14.1 million to 8.5 million to 8.1 million comes from Apple numbers, and the 40% drop have been confirmed by Apple COO on April 19 and the further 6% drop confirmed by Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer.
Apple itself admits musicphones already today are a rival (Peter Oppenheimer correctly points out that the iPod is BETTER than the Walkman phone, as an MP3 player). And Apple does already plan to launch its own musicphone.
Are we the "weirdos" to grasp this sudden change in the industry, and to offer the first analysis of this new market which Apple itself is stated to want to enter?
UPDATE - I have replied the second set of about 20 replies each individually by name, now into the actual comments section of the original posting. I will next reply to all comments at this entry, but also within the comments section. We do want to let everybody have their say here at this blogsite - including the "you are idiots" comments. And we also want to be responsive to all. It does go to the very heart of the topic of this blogsite and our book, that Communities Dominate. We want to engage with you.
Most of all we hope to stir up new thoughts. And for all the loyal Apple, Macintosh and iPod fans who visited our site, I hope we've provided some food for thought. And to Chap Harrison - I do apologize. Once I read your comment, I too wished my post had been a parody. Thank you for writing.


text:
Investors had been clamoring for Research In Motion co-founders Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis to relinquish their co-CEO and co-chairman roles, and the company finally announced this past Sunday that Balsillie and Lazaridis were out, replaced by new chairperson of the board Barbara Stymiest and new chief executive officer Thorsten Heins. RIM's stock plunged more than 13% when Heins introduced himself as the company's new CEO, due in large part to a video interview during which he essentially told the same story RIM's former chiefs have been telling for more than a year. The new CEO has since backed away from the company's old it's OK, we're OK message while speaking to the press and analysts, however, and it is no coincidence that RIM's stock has recovered a bit as Heins assures investors that change is brewing. Read on for more.
Moving away from what seemed to be a string of PR-approved messages, Heins admitted in a recent interview with CNBC that RIM fell behind its competition in the key U.S. market. "It hurts. It hurts me to see us losing market share in the U.S.," Heins confessed. "There was a paradigm shift, and we did not shift with it. I know we've made mistakes, and I know I'm in for a fight." Apple and Google owned a combined 75.6% of the U.S. smartphone market in the three month through November 2011 while RIM's market share slid to 16.6% according to comScore.
The fighting spirit is what investors are looking for, and a new wave of panic swept over the Street when that spirit seemed almost completely absent in Heins's ill-received introductory video. The new chief is changing his tune, however. "We want to stop the bleeding," Heins told CNBC.
In a separate interview with CrackBerry.com, Heins emphasized that change is coming but stated that RIM will continue to focus on its strengths. "There is a lot of change," the executive said. "There is a lot of structure change, there has been already a lot of change in terms of our software, our software platform, bringing QNX in. There is no standstill at any moment here at RIM. What I wanted to make clear to the market is that we believe in our own strength. We are BlackBerry, we are an integrated solution, hardware, software, services and network."
Heins also made sure to point out that RIM is well aware of the positions its competition has taken. He explained that RIM has a team dedicated to testing competitors' devices and he himself tests iPhones, Android handsets and other phones. RIM's historical lack of movement when it comes to features and elements of the user experience that have driven success on competing platforms has not gone unnoticed, so Heins's comments are refreshing if nothing else.
Where device launches are concerned, RIM has a slow year ahead. BGR exclusively revealed the company's 2012 roadmap early this week, which is highlighted by a new 7-inch PlayBook tablet — the sequel to a slate that cost RIM $485 million last quarter — and a single BlackBerry 10 smartphone that won't launch until late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter. Its new chief executive has at least begun to publicly exhibit an understanding of the new smartphone landscape that has left the company trailing its competition, however, which is something RIM has never truly done in the past.
We still have eight months or even longer to wait before RIM releases its first BlackBerry 10 smartphone but in the meantime, RIM might do well to let its new CEO speak candidly more often.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
SGS Tecnos S.A. colabora con el Ayuntamiento de Gijón y su Empresa Municipal de Aguas
During the last days, smell's annoyances have caused an increasing interest in Gijon's citizenship in order to attain a better life quality regarding the air we breathe. Within this context, dynamic olfactometry has appeared as the most useful tool to identify and quantify these nuisances, allowing the definition of the most suitable technical solutions to soothe these type of affections.
SGS Tecnos S.A., international consultancy company, expert in olfactometry and air quality research, has been appointed to perform the olfactometry research to be taken in "EDAR La Reguerona", Empresa Municipal de Aguas (EMA) de Gijón's sewage waters treatment facilities. Also, and within these tasks, Gijón's Council has hired SGS Tecnos S.A. consultancy services to perform an odour research for Gijón's West area, specifically for La Calzada quarter and Polígono Industrial Tremañes.
For the last months, it has been detected in the area an increasing smell annoyance, having been experienced for several years and reported in Principado de Asturias' media. Neighbour's associations in the area have informed about their situation to Concejalía de Medio Ambiente that has seek the technical expertise of SGS Tecnos S.A. These researches aim to assess the current situation of the studied area in relation to odour contamination, monitoring the smell's possible sources and modelling the emission's dispersion in order to obtain an odour map that allows the assessment of the level of affection in the environment.
Additionally, an inmission sampling campaign will be performed to assure the model's results as well as obtaining empirical data in the recipient's nearby areas.


text:
Friday, September 14, 2012
21 comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDelete
"Imagine everyone's thoughts as red or blue balloons. Red balloons are positive thoughts, and blue balloons are negative thoughts, and the only difference between red and blue balloons is the color of the balloons. If I burst the balloons, there's just energy inside, and all energy is good."ReplyDelete
I like this so much! Never heard it explained like that. Sounds a lot like a good friend named Phil that I have (except he's not a physicist).
Thanks for the comments! Which includes Debbie's comment too, but my friend asked me to change a point in this post that Debbie used in her comment, so I removed it so everyone can be happy. I don't need any more blue balloons in my life!ReplyDelete
No problem, Linda. Let me say again, though, that I loved this post! oxoxReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 15, 2012 at 1:23 AM
Thank you for making me understand why world peace has eluded humanity for so long. But seriously if it was as easy to deal with negative thoughts sent to us, as being colour blind (yes, I know red-blue colour blindness doesn't exist, but maybe we can talk about red and green balloons instead then...) peace would indeed have reach this earth long time ago. Maybe you should just gather all the balloons and sell them to some kids. I am sure they would only be happy, and at least the problem would not be yours any more. By the way, no, negative energy doesn't exist, not even in a negative charged electron, although I am not sure how it is for antimatter in an anti world. I'll send you a red balloon!ReplyDelete
Can you imagine the blue balloons filled with helium so that they float away?ReplyDelete
I guess we all go through this. Every time an agent turns down my writing, man, it's hard.
Hang in there. More red balloons at ya for this great blog!
I think world peace will forever elude humanity. It sounds negative, but it helps me deal with the "blue balloons". It's impossible to pop them all, so why worry?ReplyDelete
And I like your red balloon, eluding the barbs!
Linda, I send you a balloon with positive energy.ReplyDelete
It will take some time to arrive, but if the weather is fine, you may expect it within 2 or 3 working days. :-)
Big hug from Paula
Thanks for the red balloons! I'm sending more red balloons back. Maybe eventually there will be enough red ones to drown out the blue ones? Thanks for the comments everybody!ReplyDelete
Red and Blue, Positive and Negative, Light and Dark, Left and Right, Up and Down. Without the one, we cannot possibly appreciate the other. Here is a poem you may be interested in. ComparisonsReplyDelete
Balloons float skywards so just think about Blue Skies. It's hard to see the Blue Balloons against a blue sky. ;-)
A lovely thought provoking post ... thank you.
Ok, I was starting to get confused about the whole balloon business (maybe because I think of blue as a calming color)! But mental tricks really do work (I've heard, lol). Really though, the world is not against you! It's not for you OR against you. It's there for you to make of it what you can.ReplyDelete
It would be easy to say, don't give those people the power to make you feel badly, but of course we all have people we love or whose opinion we value, whose words cut more than most. But maybe we should evaluate why someone whose opinion we value, would purposely hurt us. Either 1. they don't realize they are doing it!, or 2. they are not worthy of being held in high regard. Maybe the trick is figuring out which of those two categories the offender falls into.
I am sending you purple balloons! They are magic and have the power to change the color of other balloons. In case you need them. ;)
Woo hoo! Purple balloons! Plus some real wisdom in your observations Cindy. I also like John's point that rising blue balloons get lost amongst the blue sky. Good images to work with, and a lovely poem too :)ReplyDelete
All I have to do is post something on facebook to feel like a complete loser. Totally bursts my bubble. But I do believe in positive and negative energy. Facebook aside I feel like I'm attracting positive energy in my life right now. And I think that it can be contagious.ReplyDelete
Hey Linda...your perception is really good in the world where peoples are much negatives things for you...ReplyDelete
We'll always be able to find other people who are better or worse at things than we are, I guess it becomes a question of which color balloons we feel like looking at? I think you're right about it being contagious Sharon. Spread it around!ReplyDelete
Thought provoking as always.ReplyDelete
fight the fight, sister!ReplyDelete
lovely illustration, as usual.
Aw thanks, and we should all fight the fight together! :)ReplyDelete
Really enjoyed this blog. It rang true to me... liked the whole ballon and energy thing...well done! June MaddoxReplyDelete
June Maddox...Flier from KRRReplyDelete
Lovely illustration and wonderful story -I'd send you a red balloon.ReplyDelete


text:
When people think of meditation, they may envision an adult or a group of adults sitting in a room cross-legged with their eyes closed. While that is one depiction of meditation, it is not a representation of everyone who meditates. Every person meditates in whatever way seems best to them. Some people meditate sitting in a chair, lying on their bed or in another comfortable position. Plus, meditation is great for both adults and children.
If you are considering having your children practice meditation, it is important to understand how to teach it to them. Children are unlikely to understand meditation on the same level as adults, so even if you have taught meditation to others or you practice it yourself, you may need to adapt your teachings techniques to fit the learning level of children.
The Why
It is important for children to understand why they need to meditate. Children need to know how to enjoy life. Meditation can teach them how to be present in their lives and give their best. There are different ways you can approach this with children. One suggestion is to use a snow globe. Shake it up, and have the child watch the flakes swirling around. Explain that those flakes are like our emotions and thoughts, both good and bad. When we are active, those emotions and thoughts can become a little overwhelming, not allowing us to see the whole picture. As the flakes settle to the bottom, much like when we sit down and relax, we can see the bigger picture better. This is a great way to help children visualize their emotions. It's often hard for them to put their feelings into words.
The How
In the beginning, meditation should start out simple. Have your children sit in a comfortable position with their eyes closed. Tell the children to breathe in and out deeply. To help your children understand deep breathing, you may need to have the children place a hand on their diaphragm so they can feel how their diaphragm rises and falls with each breath. Tell your children to focus on deep breathing while also focusing on relaxing specific parts of their body. You can also take your children outside and have them focus on listening to the sounds of nature. Practicing breathing techniques is a great skill for children that struggle with anxiety or other emotional disorders.
Keep Going
In the beginning, your children may only have the patience to meditate for a minute or two. Keep that in mind and be sensitive to their needs. Be willing to start out small. Slowly add more and more time to your children's meditation routines. You can also encourage your children to practice deep breathing and other meditation techniques on their own when they are feeling stressed or otherwise discouraged.
Mental Health
One of the areas of your children's life that will benefit the most from meditation is their mental health. Many children struggle with these types of disorders and they need a natural and safe solution to help them cope.
Several studies suggest that meditation can help children with ADHD and ADD. According to the studies, children with both ADHD and ADD had better concentration and decreased hyperactivity behaviors after the children participated in regular meditation. Meditation techniques can help children focus in school and safely deal with their emotions.
Just like adults, many children face stress in their lives. This should not be taken lightly. Children do not handle stress like adults do. Even the smallest issue can cause them to feel stressed. Maybe they are worried about their grades, or they have had a fight with a close friend. Meditation can help children better deal with stress in their lives.
Depression and Anxiety
Children who deal with other mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, including separation anxiety, can also benefit from using meditation techniques in their lives. Meditation can provide a calming influence in children's lives, helping them to feel more relaxed. It has also been shown to help children feel happier. To achieve top results, meditation is often combined with yoga.
Children who regularly participate in meditation may also gain a better perspective of life. This includes a better understanding of their own potential. They can also come to understand that many of the things they regularly stress over are unimportant and not worth the stress they cause.
Academic Success
As children are able to get rid of stress, anxiety, and negative feelings, they are better able to concentrate. As they concentrate better, their minds work more efficiently. This allows them to better focus on their schoolwork, which then helps to boost their grades and overall academic success.
Meditation may also help children to build healthier relationships, both with themselves and those around them. This will help them in relationships as they reach adolescence and then adulthood.
Through meditation, children can build greater self-awareness, allowing them to be more aware of their own feelings and behaviors. This can help children to recognize when they are feeling angry, stressed or other potentially negative emotions, allowing the child to deal with these feelings in a healthy manner. Meditation can also help with impulse control. Instead of getting angry and acting out, the child can learn to pause, think through the situation and respond in a more appropriate manner. Along with self-awareness comes a greater sense of self-worth. Kids who meditate can come to feel better about themselves and believe that they can achieve their dreams.
Relationships With Others
If you are looking to encourage kindness toward others, respect for others, empathy, and kindness in your children, meditation is a good place to start. As children demonstrate these skills, they are better able to form quality friendships and connect better with the people around them. These are important life skills that will greatly benefit them.
Teaching Meditation Techniques
We've already mentioned that patience is key when it comes to teaching meditation to children. Remember that they don't have the same attention span as adults especially if they struggle with ADD/ADHD. Allow them to use their imagination. When they close their eyes, help them use those skills. Ask them to think of their favorite place, friend, foods, etc. You want them to picture a place they feel peaceful and safe.
Remember to practice your own skills as you teach your children. This will help with your patience too! When you ask them to think of their favorite place, think about yours too. When you do this, you're actually working on your relationship with your children.
Of course, these are just a few of the benefits of meditation for children. Contact us today to learn more about some of the other great benefits of meditating, for both children and adults. We'd love to answer your questions and help you on your meditation journey.


text:
How does the card work?
When you purchase prescription and/or prescribed over-the-counter drugs at participating merchants, you will use the card like any other credit card. Your eligible expenses will be paid and automatically deducted from your Unreimbursed Medical balance. All other allowed purchases require follow-up documentation. You can also purchase prescribed over-the-counter drugs at our on-line drug store, with a copy of your prescription. (SABC FlexRX).
What if I am purchasing prescriptions and other items, will the card still work?
Yes, if you are making a purchase that includes eligible and non-eligible items, swipe your SABC FlexCard first. Your eligible items will be paid and deducted from your available balance and you will be instructed to provide another form of payment for the remainder of your items.
Can I use my card at any merchant that sell prescription drugs?
Most major retailers and merchants participate, however only approved IIAS merchants will honor the card. Over-the-counter drugs are no longer eligible, without a prescription.
If I have a prescription for an over-the-counter drug, can I use the card to pay for it?
Yes, present your prescription to the pharmacist. The pharmacist should process the purchase in accordance with applicable laws and assign the purchase an RX number. The purchase will not be approved without the RX number. If the card does not work, then send in the claim to SABC along with the prescription from your physician for reimbursement.
Do I need to save my receipts?
Yes, SABC FlexCard users are instructed to save all receipts for purchases made with the card. If your card is open to all eligible medical expenses, you must validate your purchases by sending in your detailed receipts/explanation of benefits (EOB) along with this form to SABC.
If you have further questions, please contact us.


text: This past weekend, we had our annual reunion weekend with Blake's college roommates. We headed back into the mountains, to a farmhouse with wraparound porch and a small orchard of apple trees just over the hill. We made huevos rancheros, shrimp and grits, s'mores over a fire. There were books read in a window seat and in the library of my dreams. A trip to the lake, a little boy delighted to find that there were trucks for the taking. Long porch hangs, difficult goodbyes.


text:
"We were ready to do it"
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he considered putting the country's vast nuclear arsenal on alert to prevent outside agents from stopping the Kremlin's forced annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine last year.
Putin's admission was aired during a prerecorded documentary called Homeward Bound, which was broadcast on a state-backed television network Sunday in the run-up to the first anniversary of Crimea's annexation later this week.
SOURCE: Vladimir Putin Admits to Weighing Nuclear Option During Crimea Conflict | TIME.
During our 30+ years of the Cold War and the nuclear standoff with the USSR a strategy was developed by the west called MAD. It stood for "Mutually Assured Destruction". It went something like this. If the USSR bombs us with a nuclear weapon we will send off our entire nuclear arsenal on them and that will basically ensure that both countries, and probably the rest of the world, would be totally destroyed. The USSR then said we will do the same to you. I'm sure that was constantly on the minds of both country's leaders during those times.
Why do we constantly fear another country, rogue or not getting a nuclear weapon? The sixty year old technology is pretty much known to all the world's scientists now. It is just a matter of getting the materials together to build one. We need a different deterrent to stop the spread of nuclear weapons than just trade embargoes and such. We need TAD, "Totally Assured Destruction". That is the statement signed by all, or almost all, countries that says that if you use a nuclear weapon on another country the rest of the world will do whatever it takes to insure that your country is totally destroyed. No "if", "ands" or "buts". Your country is toast.
Can you image a hundred war machines immediately charging into Iran for example because they used a nuclear bomb on Israel. Would they really want to use a bomb under those circumstances? Of course part of this new tactic would require that the rest of the world start carrying their share of military might and that the US trim down our totally dominate war machine. But wouldn't that be a win-win scenario for everyone.
Let's enact TAD and stop all these political games of one-upmanship that goes around a country buying aluminum cylinders.. Stop the current stupidity and come out plainly with "You use a nuclear bomb and your country will cease to exist".
Occam's Razor is a widely known theory that in its most basic form is "Keep things simple!". That should apply here. We have prevented possible aggression with NATO in the past. Now it is time for TAD
Enough said….


text:
The official website of the
Idaho Legislature
State of Idaho
Who's My Current Legislator?
Senate Leadership
Senate Membership
Senate Reading Calendars
Senate Standing Committees
Senate/Joint Rules
Senate Staff
Senate Page Program
Session Job Opportunities
Legislative Housing
House Leadership
House Membership
House Reading Calendars
House Standing Committees
House/Joint Rules
House Staff
House Page Program
Session Job Opportunities
Legislative Housing
Senate Standing Committees
House Standing Committees
Joint Standing Committees
Legislative Compensation
Interim/Special Committees
Legislative Council
Testiying Before Legislative Committees
Senate Membership
House Membership
Who's My Current Legislator?
Contacting Legislators
Idaho Statutes
Idaho Constitution
Idaho Session Laws
Administrative Rules
Senate Rules
House Rules
Joint Senate and House Rules
Legislative Sessions
Live Audio/Video Streaming
Idaho Laws & Rules
Idaho Statutes
Title 22
Chapter 33
Section 22-3319
Print Friendly
Idaho Statutes
Deposit and disbursement of funds.
(1) Immediately upon receipt, all moneys received by the commission shall be deposited in one or more separate accounts in the name of the commission in one or more banks or trust companies approved under
chapter 27, title 67
, Idaho Code, as state depositories. The commission shall designate such banks or trust companies. All funds so deposited are hereby continuously appropriated for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this chapter.
(2) Funds can be withdrawn or paid out of such accounts only upon checks or other orders upon such accounts signed by two (2) officers designated by the commission.
(3) The right is reserved to the state of Idaho to audit the funds of the commission at any time.
(4) On or before January 15 of each year, the commission shall file with the senate agricultural affairs committee, the house agricultural affairs committee, the legislative services office, the state controller, and the division of financial management, a report showing the annual income and expenses by standard classification of the commission during the preceding fiscal year. The report shall also include an estimate of income to the commission for the current and next fiscal year and a projection of anticipated expenses by category for the current and next fiscal year. From and after January 15, 1989, the report shall also include a reconciliation between the estimated income and expenses projected and the actual income and expenses of the preceding fiscal year.
(5) All moneys received or expended by the commission shall be audited annually by a certified public accountant designated by the commission, who shall furnish a copy of such audit to the director of legislative services and to the senate agricultural affairs committee and the house agricultural affairs committee. The audit shall be completed within ninety (90) days following the close of the fiscal year.
(6) The expenditures of the commission are expressly exempted from the provisions of sections
, Idaho Code.
[22-3319, added 1988, ch. 191, sec. 3, p. 346; am. 1993, ch. 327, sec. 8, p. 1200; am. 1994, ch. 180, sec. 26, p. 440; am. 1996, ch. 159, sec. 9, p. 513; am. 2003, ch. 32, sec. 8, p. 121.]
How current is this law?
Search the Idaho Statutes and Constitution


text:
Wolfgang Paul was professor of physics at Physikalisches Institut of University of Bonn from 1952 to 1993. In remembrance of Wolfgang Paul highly distinguished physicists are regularly invited to give the Wolfgang Paul Lecture at the institute. This lecture series is made possible by the Wolfgang Paul foundation which was generously supported by himself with half of his Nobel Prize money.
Previous Lecturers:
Paul Corkum (University of Ottawa and National Research Council of Canada)
2.5.2019, 10:15h - Extending our time horizon to attoseconds and beyond
Attosecond pulses are generated by electrons that are extracted from an atom, molecule or solid by an intense light pulse and then travel under the influence of the electric field of the light. Portions of each electron wave packet are forced to re-collide with its parent ion (or hole) after the field reverses direction. Upon re-collision, the electron can recombine, emitting soft X-ray radiation that can be in the form of attosecond pulses. This highly nonlinear process offers unique measurement opportunities - for measuring the attosecond pulse itself; the orbital(s) from which it emerged; and the band structure of material in which the wave packets moved.
3.5.2016, 10:15h - The Quantum Universe
Where do we come from? Science is making progress on this age-old question of humankind. The Universe was once much smaller than the size of an atom. Small things mattered in the small Universe, where quantum physics dominated the scene. To understand the way the Universe is today, we have to solve remaining major puzzles. The Higgs boson that was discovered recently is holding our body together from evaporating in a nanosecond. But we still do not know what exactly it is. The mysterious dark matter is holding the galaxy together, and we would not have been born without it. But nobody has seen it directly. And what is the very beginning of the Universe?
13.11.2013 - Wolfgang Paul's ion traps and the quest for quantum control
David Jeffrey Wineland leads the ion storage group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and is member of the physics faculty of the University of Colorado at Boulder. His work has included advances in optics, specifically laser cooling of ions in Paul traps and the use of trapped ions to implement quantum computing operations. He was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize for Physics, jointly with Serge Haroche, for "ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems."
16.11.2011 - The search of a deeper understanding of our universe at the Large Hadron Collider: the Worlds Largest Particle Accelerator
With the start of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, particle physics entered a new era. The LHC will provide a deeper understanding of the universe and the insights gained could change our view of the world, and the talk will present some of the reasons for the excitement surrounding the LHC. The LHC is expected to yield insights into the origin of mass, the nature of dark matter and the existence of hidden extra dimensions. It will address the exciting physics prospects offered by the LHC, present first results since the start of datataking in March last year and also a look forward.
Wolgang Ketterle (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
10.06.2009 - Superfluid gases near absolute zero temperature
What is the benefit of realizing superfluidity in a gas a million times more dilute than air? Such systems consist of well-separated atoms which can be observed and manipulated with the control and precision of atomic physics, and which can be treated with first-principles calculations. One such form of superfluidity occurs when a gas of bosons undergoes Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC). A richer situation is realized with ultracold fermions. Fermions have to form pairs before they can become superfluid. By continuously changing the interaction strength using a scattering resonance we were able to study superfluidity for varying pair size, connecting the BEC limit with the case of BCS Cooper pairs, which are larger than the interatomic spacing. These studies illustrate a new approach to condensed-matter physics where many-body Hamiltonians are realized in dilute atomic gases.
04.07.2007 - Nichtlokalität und Quantenkommunikation
Eine der erstaunlichsten Konsequenzen der Quantenheorie ist die Tatsache, dass zwei oder mehr Systeme auf viel engere Weise miteinander zusammenhängen können als in der klassischen Physik. Dieses "Verschränkung" genannte Phänomen bedeutet, dass die Welt nicht lokal realistisch beschreibbar ist. Im Vortrag werden einige grundlegende experimentelle Tests dieser Verschränkung präsentiert. In einem jüngsten Experiment konnten auch gewisse nichtlokale Theorien ausgeschlossen werden.
26.10.2004: "Are diamonds for ever, or do protons decay? A tale of the unexpected"
Donald H. Perkins / St. Catherine's College Oxford
More about Prof. Donald H. Perkins
14.10.2002: "The Computational Power of Quantum Mechanics"
N. David Mermin / Cornell University
More about Prof. N. David Mermin
06.12.2000: "How the Universe began"
08.12.2000: "Precision Cosmology at the New Millenium"
Michael S. Turner / Chicago University
More about Prof. M. S. Turner
18.06.1998: "Laser cooling and trapping of atoms and bio-molecules"
Steven Chu / Stanford University
More about Steven Chu
30.04.1996: "Physics and Medicine at a New Frontier: Oncological Hadron Therapy"
02.05.1996: "Particle Colliders and the Nature of the Vacuum"
Ugo Amaldi / Università di Milano
More about Ugo Amaldi
18.01.1994: "Elastic Electron Scattering and the Size of the Proton"
20.01.1994: "Elastic Electron Scattering and the Structure of the Proton"
Richard E. Taylor / Stanford University


text:
An emergency media conference tonight with an announcement from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield.
There are four new Covid cases, all from one family in South Auckland, with the source of infection currently unknown.
At midday Wednesday Auckland will go into Level 3 lockdown until midnight Friday, which means no businesses can be open except for essential services, and schools closed except for the children of essential workers.
Masks should be worn if in proximity of others such as at the supermarket.
The rest of the country will go into level 2 lockdown over the same period.
The lockdowns are obviously an assessment period and could be changed.
Most of the details here: https://covid19.govt.nz/
New Zealand's Alert Levels are changing at 12 noon on Wednesday 12 August
New Zealand's Alert Levels are changing at 12 noon on Wednesday 12 August. Auckland will move to Alert Level 3, and the rest of NZ will move to Alert Level 2.11 Aug 2020
As of 12 noon on Wednesday 12 August, Auckland will move to Alert Level 3. The rest of New Zealand will move to Alert Level 2.
Under Alert Level 3, you are encouraged work from home if you can.
Travel and self-isolation
If you are currently in Auckland and do not live in Auckland, we suggest that you go home. Practise good hygiene and be conscious of your health. We recommend that you keep your bubble small.
Businesses are able to open, but should not physically interact with customers.
Essential services including healthcare, justice services and businesses providing necessities are able to open.
Bars and restaurants should close, but takeaways are allowed.
Schools in Auckland can safely open but will have limited capacity. Where possible we encourage students to learn from home.
When you're out and about
Maintain physical distancing of 2 metres outside your home, including on public transport.
It is highly recommended that you wear a mask if you are out and about.
Public transport can continue to operate with strict health and safety requirements. You should maintain physical distancing and wearing a mask.
Public venues should close. This includes libraries, museums, cinemas, food courts, gyms, pools, playgrounds and markets.
Gatherings of up to 10 people can continue, but only for wedding services, funerals and tangihanga. Physical distancing and public health measures should be maintained.
At-risk people
People at high risk of severe illness such as older people and those with existing medical conditions are encouraged to stay at home where possible, and take additional precautions when leaving home.
Further detail
Detailed information about life at Alert Level 3 is available.
Rest of New Zealand
The rest of New Zealand will move to Alert Level 2 at 12 noon on Wednesday 12 August.
You can still continue to go to work and school, with physical distancing.
Wear masks if you can in public.
No more than 100 people at gatherings, including weddings, birthdays, funerals and tangihanga.
Businesses can open to the public if they are following public health guidance, which include physical distancing and record keeping.
People at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, for example those with underlying medical conditions and old people are encouraged to take additional precautions when leaving home.
Practice good hygiene – stay home if sick.
Detailed information about life at Alert Level 2 is available.


text:
2012 CES brand keynote panel features leaders from top global brands
Executives from AT&T, Facebook, GE, Hyundai, MediaLink, Unilever, and Walmart join CES keynote lineup
Arlington, Virginia – 12/20/2011
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® today announced that AT&T's David Christopher, General Electric's (GE) Beth Comstock, Facebook's Carolyn Everson, Walmart's Stephen Quinn, Hyundai's Steve Shannon and Unilever's Keith Weed will join the 2012 International CES keynote line-up as participants in the Brand Keynote Panel. Owned and produced by CEA, the 2012 International CES, the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow, is scheduled January 10-13, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"These esteemed keynote panelists are from leading corporate brands that embody the true spirit of innovation," said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, events and conferences, CEA. "We are thrilled to welcome these marketing leaders to the CES keynote stage and look forward to hearing their visions on global brand strategy."
The Brand Keynote Panel, scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11 in the Las Vegas Hilton Theater, brings together executives from the world's top brands to discuss marketing and brand strategy on a global scale.
The keynote will be moderated by Michael Kassan, chairman and CEO of MediaLink LLC. Since founding the company in 2004, Kassan has built MediaLink LLC into a leading advisory firm that provides sage counsel to the media, entertainment, and technology industries. MediaLink LLC is also bringing the CMO Club to CES, an exclusive new program to introduce marketing executives to the CE industry and the International CES from an executive level perspective.
David Christopher is the chief marketing officer of mobility and consumer markets for AT&T. He leads the company's wireless and consumer marketing strategy, product management, national promotions and pricing, wireless advertising and media, strategic sponsorships, customer lifecycle management and customer research.
Beth Comstock, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of General Electric, oversees GE's sales, marketing and communications functions, as well as the company's growth and market-innovation initiatives. Comstock is also responsible for the GE-wide business platforms ecomagination, devoted to environmental innovation.
Carolyn Everson is the vice president of global marketing solutions at Facebook, where she leads the global marketing solutions team. She works with the top brands globally to help them leverage the Facebook platform to grow their business.
Stephen Quinn was named executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Walmart U.S. in 2007. He is responsible for Walmart's marketing functions, including customer research, strategy, e-commerce marketing, private brands and customer communications.
Steve Shannon was named vice president of marketing for Hyundai Motor America in April 2011, having previously spent more than 25 years at General Motors. Shannon oversees all of Hyundai's marketing activities within the United States.
Keith Weed is chief marketing and communications officer of Unilever responsible for Unilever's marketing, communications and sustainability functions. He also leads the Unilever Corporate Brand and Unilever's global water business functions.
For the latest news and information on the 2012 CES, or to register, visit CESweb.org.
Learn more about Consumer Electronics Association


text:
The Old Testament Book of Judges shows the figure of Ehud ben-Gera as a man who followed the word of God and liberated the Hebrew from Moabite Rule.
According to the verse, Ehud was chosen by God to assassinate King Eglon of Moab, who had been subjugating the Hebrews as punishment for their sins. Ehud forged a double-edged sword, hidden on his person, and accompanied the tribute to Eglon. He claimed to have a secret message for Eglon's ears only. Once alone, he stabbed Eglon, who was so fat that the sword vanished in his body. Ehud fled and raised Hebrew troops, who conquered Moab and brought peace to the region.
The story of Ehud shows the classic pattern of Old Testament stories; the Hebrews sin, God punishes them, they repent, and a divine or mortal figure comes to deliver them from torment. Ehud may not have existed as such; modern interpretations sometimes show the story as a moralistic fable rather than a literal account.


text:
when life hands you scraps
make quilts...
The colder weather brings on some new stresses in our house, trying to keep all our staff busy and gainfully employed and try and make a profit at the same time. Although the economic data from New Zealand is improving, trust me, it's still tough out here in the market place!
I'm reading Psalm 37 mosts days and hold tight to verses like this...
18 Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
19 They will not be disgraced in hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough.


text:
OPERATION CHOZEN (OC) is a segment
of the CHOZEN AWARDS event series.
The month long initiative allows
individuals to be proactive and
progressive as they utilize their time to
be of service to the unemployed, nonprofits in need of assistance, and the
overall metro Atlanta community.
Angel of Love Events and CHOZEN AWARDS as well as all of the volunteer team leaders are recruiting both businesses and community members to do their part for the clean-up effort. There are neighborhoods in the city of Atlanta and metro areas that could benefit from this initiative, in particular within the Atlanta Beltline.
Participating organizations, volunteers, and locations include:
March 5th
Dee Dee Cocheta-Williams- Queens never Quit (QnQ): Edgewood and Dekalb Ave.
DJ Amdex- The Healers: Boulevard and Skyline
March 12th
Alexan 360 Apartments- Team Alexan 360: Irwin Street
Hip Hop Gives Back- Team HHGB: Irwin Street
Real Atlanta Magazine: Irwin Street
March 19th
Garry Harris- Center of Sustainable Communities: M.L.K and Washington Park
Spelman College: M.L.K and Washington Park
March 26th
Shawnna Hayes-Tavares- SW/NW Association of Parents and Partners (SNAPPS): M.L.K and Washington Park
Spelman College: M.L.K and Washington Park
Can't make it on a Saturday? No worries! Just pick a day, pick an hour, get involved in your community and let us know.


text:
On Monday, December 11 and Tuesday, December 12, beginning at 6:00 pm DreamWrights Center for Community Arts will hold auditions for Charlotte Bronte's classic story, Jane Eyre. Making her Guest Director debut, Jessica Crowe is excited for the opportunity to direct this production. "I was very attracted to the strength of the main character. Jane experiences many hardships throughout her life. She learns from each situation but does not let them shape who she is. She holds strong to her moral compass no matter what, and I believe that this is an incredibly wonderful example to set for those who experience this story along with Jane." The themes found throughout this story are timeless and apply to society as much today as they did when the original novel was originally published in 1847.
This show is double cast so Crowe is looking to cast about 29 people per company, plus crew positions. Crowe says that because the script has a very strong female cast, she encourages girls and women to audition. She says there are also some very strong adult male roles. "We have one character who stands out very strongly to me in addition to Jane in her various life stages," Crowe explains, "a ten year old French girl. She often forgets to speak English, having several lines completely in French, and has a very strong French accent. Any children well versed in the French language or who would enjoy the extra challenge of bringing this character to life are encouraged to audition."
Auditions for Jane Eyre will run Monday, December 11 and Tuesday, December 12 beginning at 6:00 pm. No prior experience is necessary. Those auditioning are encouraged to make an audition appointment and walk-ins are welcome. Audition preparation materials and information on the process can be found online. Crowe says she is hoping to take the audience on an exciting journey with Jane Eyre. "Strong characters and intense moments will transport the audience into Jane's world in this unique interpretation. We hope you will join us in bringing Jane's story to life!"
Jane Eyre opens Friday, February 2 and runs February 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 at 7:00 pm and February 3, 10 and 11 at 3:00 pm. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling 717-848-8623. Advance seats cost $11 for general, $15 for reserved. General admission seats at the door cost $13.


text:
Tryon Creek Tributaries
The Tryon Creek Watershed is divided into three subwatersheds:
Tryon Creek Mainstem
The Tryon Creek subwatershed is 3,083 acres. The mainstem of Tryon Creek is about sevem miles long from its headwaters near Multnomah Village (just north of Interstate 5 and Highway 99) to its confluence with the Willamette River in Lake Oswego at the Highway 43 crossing.
Arnold Creek
The Arnold Creek subwatershed is about 775 acres. Arnold Creek joins Tryon Creek at the Boones Ferry Road crossing.
Falling Creek
The Falling Creek subwatershed is about 283 acres. Falling Creek joins Tryon Creek at SW 26th Avenue and Taylors Ferry Road. Other smaller tributaries flow into Tryon Creek both within and outside Portland's city limits.


text:
Dallying with a monster
In failing to snuff out vigilantism, Mexico is running big risks
THE rule of law has long been a stranger to the sweltering lowlands known as the Tierra Caliente in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The site of battles over land in the 1940s and 1950s, the area suffered an exodus of migrant workers to California. In the 1970s the drug trade took root there, attracted by the proximity of the port of Lázaro Cárdenas and the remoteness of the federal government in Mexico City. Not content with trafficking methamphetamines, the latest mafia to lord it over the Tierra Caliente, the whimsically named "Knights Templar", established a tight grip over its invertebrate society, co-opting local authorities, extorting protection money and raping women.
That proved too much for the Tierra Caliente's ranchers and lime-growers. A year ago they rebelled, forming "self-defence groups". These vigilantes now control 26 of Michoacán's 113 municipal districts. When earlier this year they threatened to storm Apatzingán, a town of 99,000, President Enrique Peña Nieto dispatched a federal official, Alfredo Castillo, and a squad of federal policemen. Mr Castillo struck agreements with the vigilantes: they will be vetted, in theory at least, and then join an ill-defined "rural defence corps" under the army's aegis.
The vigilantes have attracted sympathy from right and left in Mexico, which see them as legitimate expressions of popular desperation in the face of mafia violence and official neglect. The government seems perplexed. Mr Castillo said he would restore order "in 15 days", but there is no sign that he has a thought-out strategy to deal either with the vigilantes or the lawlessness that spawned them.
That is alarming, especially since the germ of vigilantism has appeared elsewhere in Mexico. Experience in other Latin American countries suggests that Mr Peña's people risk dallying with a monster. Colombia is the most notorious case. In the 1980s landowners and ranchers, faced with attacks by left-wing guerrillas, organised vigilante groups. These quickly mushroomed into the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia, a national organisation of over 20,000 paramilitaries who slaughtered tens of thousands of civilians and stole their land while morphing into drug-trafficking outfits. Although most disbanded after a government security build-up, remnants have murdered more than 60 farmers to thwart efforts to restore stolen land to its rightful owners.
On the face of things, Peru's experience of vigilantism was more successful. Villagers in Cajamarca, in the country's northern Andes, formed rondas campesinas (a sort of neighbourhood watch) in the 1970s, to tackle cattle-rustling and rural crime. Further south, around Ayacucho and the Apurimac valley, in the 1980s and 1990s the army fostered lightly armed peasant self-defence committees. These helped defeat the Shining Path, a Maoist guerrilla group.
Although the Shining Path has long since faded, the vigilantes are stronger than ever. In the Apurimac valley, they have turned into well-armed militias of coca growers. In Cajamarca the rondas are now led by rural schoolteachers from a far-left party; they battle mining companies and are the real power in the land, says Rubén Vargas, a security consultant.
The common element in all three countries is the weakness of law enforcement in rural areas. That is what tempts governments and security forces to ally themselves with vigilantes. This can bring short-term results against guerrillas or drug-traffickers, but in the long run it makes things worse. As Mauricio Romero, a political scientist at Javeriana University in Bogotá, points out, once vigilantes acquire coercive power, the temptation to use this for private ends—revenge attacks, drug-trafficking or other criminal activities—is simply too great.
The embryo of the monster is already implanted in the Tierra Caliente. The self-defence forces turn out to have members with dubious pasts and the kind of weaponry—assault rifles and improvised armoured cars—that is the trademark of narcos. They have split into warring factions, and are imposing and ejecting mayors.
Mr Peña entered office with one big new idea on security: speedily to set up a rural gendarmerie of at least 40,000 troops, retrained as policemen, from Mexico's unnecessarily large army. By putting bodies on the ground and protecting the politicians and judges, this force would have been tailor-made for Tierra Caliente. But the army and state governors killed the plan. Instead, a much smaller gendarmerie of 5,000 civilian recruits will launch later this year. That seems too little, too late. For all its recent successes against drug kingpins, the political defeat over the gendarmerie may come to haunt Mr Peña and his administration.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline "Dallying with a monster"
The Americas March 15th 2014
From the March 15th 2014 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition
More from The Americas
Brazil's presidential election will go to a run-off
Jair Bolsonaro does better than expected. The momentum is now with him, not Lula
How Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva would govern Brazil
The Economist interviewed the favourite to win the presidential election
Are Brazil's pollsters right about the presidential election?
All expect President Jair Bolsonaro to lose, but they differ about the size of his defeat


text:
Top Items:
Nick Gonzalez / TechCrunch:
T-Mobile Turns Off Twitter? — Reports alleging T-Mobile has shut off Twitter for their customers are rolling in. Complaints have surfaced on T-Mobile's user forum on Satisfaction as well as several other personal blogs and forums. A T-Mobile representative replied to a customer's service request with this email:
Discussion: IT Project Failures, /Message, BibleBoy's Blog and Roam4free
Michael Krigsman / IT Project Failures: Twitter / T-Mobile: when policy meets technology
Stowe Boyd / /Message: T-Mobile Blocks Twitter: Enclosing The Commons
Pat Phelan / Roam4free: T-Mobile USA blocking Twitter?
Linuxchic / Alternageek Technology Podcast:
T-Mobile blocks Twitter? (updated 12/14/07 9:17 PM CST) — After several days of no Twitter SMS service I contacted T-Mobile customer support. After the standard technical support for my phone (even though ALL phones on my account are denied access to Twitter SMS via 40404) …
Bob K Mertz / BibleBoy's Blog: Response From T-Mobile
Geeknews / Geek News Central: T-Mobile Blocking Twitter SMS
Russell Shaw / IP Telephony, VoIP, Broadband: Net Neutrality outrage: reports of T-Mobile blocking Twitter
Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins / Mashable!: T-Mobile Blocking Twitter?
Chrix Finne / Official Google Reader Blog:
Reader and Talk are Friends! … One of my favorite uses for Reader is to share interesting stuff with my friends. I click "Share" whenever I find an interesting item, be it hilarious or serious. This way, all my friends can subscribe to my shared items (and I to theirs) …
Discussion: Download Squad, ParisLemon, Google Operating System, Webomatica, Googlified, /Message, Cost Per News, TechCrunch, Scobleizer, John Tokash and Mashable!
Chris Gilmer / Download Squad: Google Reader adds Google Talk for sharing
MG Siegler / ParisLemon: Google Reader Gets More Social With 'Friends'
Ionut Alex Chitu / Google Operating System: Google Reader Shows Shared Items from Your Friends
Stowe Boyd / /Message: Google Reader with Gtalk Contacts
Sam Harrelson / Cost Per News: Google Adds Social Networking to Google Reader
Duncan Riley / TechCrunch: You Can Now Share Reader Content With Google Talk Friends
Robert Scoble / Scobleizer: New Google Reader "friends" feature sucks...
Kristen Nicole / Mashable!: Share Google Reader Feeds in GTalk
Steve Rubel / Micro Persuasion:
Reader Integrates Google's Stealth Social Net: The Address Book — The trusty address book in your Gmail account (assuming you have one) is actually much more than just a simple database of names and contact info. It's Google's stealth social network. The reason is that the search engine …
Discussion: WinExtra and Scobleizer
Steven Hodson / WinExtra: The Real Google Space Changer
Robert Scoble / Scobleizer: Google Reader just added a social network...
Phil Windley / Between the Lines:
Economics that are impossible to stop — A few days ago, Jeff Barr, Amazon's Web services (AWS) evangelist visited my class and got a report of what we'd built over the course of the last semester on top of AWS. Each student had built part of a project that eventually used 25-30 independent machines.
Discussion: Webware.com, Read/WriteWeb, rc3.org and Venture Chronicles
Stephen Shankland / Webware.com: AMAZON OPENS TESTING FOR IN-CLOUD DATABASE
Josh Catone / Read/WriteWeb: Amazon Web Services Family Expands with SimpleDB
Rafe Colburn / rc3.org: Amazon.com takes on the relational database
Nitin Borwankar / GigaOM:
Amazon SimpleDB 101 & Why It Matters — Amazon continues to amaze us with its Amazon Web Services series of offerings. The latest is SimpleDB, which will be available in limited beta in a few weeks. And it is bound to have a major impact on web infrastructure. As Amazon says in its email to existing developers:
Discussion: Howard Lindzon and Seth Levine's VC Adventure
Erick Schonfeld / TechCrunch:
Amazon Takes on Oracle and IBM With SimpleDB
Amazon Takes on Oracle and IBM With SimpleDB
Discussion: SmoothSpan Blog, Kevin Burton's NEW FeedBlog, OakLeaf Systems, Scobleizer, O'Reilly Radar, Rough Type, Randy Holloway Unfiltered, Computerworld, InformationWeek, bytes|genes, Jonathan Boutelle's home …, mathewingram.com/work, StartupSquad.com, Sriram Krishnan, Amazon Web Services Blog, inside looking out and Between the Lines
Smoothspan / SmoothSpan Blog: To Rule the Clouds Takes Software: Why Amazon SimpleDB is a Huge Next Step
Robert Scoble / Scobleizer: Is MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server dead?
Brady Forrest / O'Reilly Radar: Amazon Launches SimpleDB: Your Database in the Cloud
Nick / Rough Type: Dominating the cloud
Thomas Claburn / InformationWeek: Amazon Launches New Database Service
Jon / Jonathan Boutelle's home on the net: Simple DB: the final piece of the puzzle falls into place
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines: Amazon rolls out beta of its cloud database
Lewis Wallace / Wired News:
Why Lane Hartwell Popped the 'Here Comes Another Bubble' Video — When one of Lane Hartwell's photographs showed up without her permission in a popular viral video, she wasn't flattered. She was frustrated. — Hartwell's frustration quickly morphed into action.
Discussion: mathewingram.com/work and TechWag
Miguel Helft / New York Times:
Wikipedia Competitor Being Tested by Google — SAN FRANCISCO — Google is testing a new Web service intended to become a repository of knowledge from experts on various topics, one that could turn into a competitor to Wikipedia and other sites. — If it attracts a following …
Discussion: rexblog.com and Peter O'Kelly's Reality Check
Benny Goldman / Gizmodo:
Intel Reveals New Mobile SSD, UMPC Concepts, the Skulltrail Gaming Platform and Penryn and Santa Rosa Updates — At Intel's Pre-CES briefing today, execs discussed a new super-small solid state drive, WiMax-capable devices, and 45nm Penryn chips in everything from UMPCs to television sets …
Discussion: paidContent.org, Engadget, GottaBeMobile and jkOnTheRun
Rafat Ali / paidContent.org: Intel Scales Back On Viiv Digital Living Room Branding; Banks on MID Mobile Devices
Paul Miller / Engadget: Intel announces industry's smallest SSD chips
Warner Crocker / GottaBeMobile: Intel To Show Silverthorne and a Range of UMPC/MIDs at CES
Kevin C. Tofel / jkOnTheRun: Intel pre-CES news: SSD shrinks in size and Lenovo to have a MID?
Tom Abate / San Francisco Chronicle:
A sleek introduction of $299 laptops — A little-known Taiwanese firm that makes motherboards for brand-name PCs has put its own moniker on one of the lightest, sleekest, cheapest laptops ever to connect to cyberspace. — Today, Asus Technology will unveil a $299 version of the Eee PC …
Matt Buchanan / Gizmodo: Asus Eee PC 2G Surf Launches, Eee PC 8G Now Available at Newegg
Donald Melanson / Engadget: Fresno schools buy 1,000 Eee PCs, Asus launches 2G Surf model
Brad Linder / Download Squad:
Where is Windows Mobile headed? — Windows Mobile may have trounced PalmOS pretty completely over the last few years, but if the mobile operating system wants to maintain its market share, it's going to need to make some changes. For example, iPhone has raised the bar for mobile web browsing …
Discussion: Digital Common Sense
Jason Chen / Gizmodo:
What's Wrong With Windows Mobile and How WM7 and WM8 Are Going to Fix It
What's Wrong With Windows Mobile and How WM7 and WM8 Are Going to Fix It
Discussion: Pocket PC Thoughts and Digg
Jon Westfall / Pocket PC Thoughts: What's Wrong Now & What Will WM7 & WM8 Hold?
Ryan Block / Engadget:
Windows Mobile: more of what's going on in the next two versions
Windows Mobile: more of what's going on in the next two versions
Discussion: mocoNews.net, Engadget Mobile and Phone Scoop
Chris Ziegler / Engadget Mobile: What's in the crystal ball for Windows Mobile?
Eric M. Zeman / Phone Scoop: Details Emerge About Windows Mobile Beyond Version 6.1
Grant McCracken / This Blog Sits at the:
FIRE FOXES, FIRE EAGLES, FIRE DOGS: MYTH IN A NEW MEDIA WORLD — This morning I found myself thinking about Fire Eagle, the new GPS status casting site coming this fall from Yahoo. What, I wanted to know, is a "fire eagle"? — Then I start thinking about Firefox.
Declan McCullagh / CNET News.com:
Judge: Man can't be forced to divulge encryption passphrase — A federal judge in Vermont has ruled that prosecutors can't force a criminal defendant accused of having illegal images on his hard drive to divulge his PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) passphrase. — U.S. Magistrate Judge Jerome …
Steve Gillmor / Steve Gillmor's GestureLab:
Overnight Success — It may come as a surprise to many of us, but not Ray Ozzie, that he has won the war. While everyone from Nick Carr to the group of consultants known as the Enterprise Irregulars tilt at the Windmill formerly known as ERP, Microsoft has suddenly emerged …
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Sold Out Kindles Going For Up To $1,500 On Ebay — Amazon's new Kindle ebook device sold out almost immediately after going on sale. And there won't be any more available until after Christmas: … The device, which sells for $400, also is unavailable outside of the U.S. So if you want one now …
Discussion: CrunchGear, Valleywag, Silicon Alley Insider, Webware.com, Scobleizer and Gizmodo
Jordan Golson / Valleywag: Kindle going for $1,500 on eBay — Maybe Jeff Bezos does have a hit on its hands.
Peter Kafka / Silicon Alley Insider: Kindle Aftermarket: WTF?
Greg Sandoval / Webware.com: AUCTIONEERS ASK FOR DOUBLE KINDLE'S RETAIL PRICE
Robert Scoble / Scobleizer: I'm selling my Kindle...


text:
- Viewed: 12276
- Points: 1851
- Name
arjun das Contact
- Country
- Inde
- Intro
- I am from Kolkata, India. Currently I am doing my PhD from Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata. I am purely an amateur photographer who loves to photograph mainly nature in different shades and colours. I am very lucky to have some friends who constantly keep on encouraging me by seeing and giving comments on my worthless photographs without being bored too much.
- Member Since
- 2006-03-29
- Equipment
- Cannon Powershot A610
- Note
Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer (1851)
arjun_das is a favorite of 17 members.
View Favorites' Photos
Read Favorites' Critiques
Map of Photographed Countries
|Photo Location Information
|view photos
|view map
|All Countries
|view photos


text:
I recently purchased some beautiful eyeshadows from the gorgeous PlanetMartha's blog sale. They came in the mail today and I am in LOOOOOVE! I am sure you will see these many times in my FOTDs to come. :)
Left is Pistachio (obviously) and right is Plum Dandy. The colors are sooo saturated! I fell in love at first sight. These eyeshadows are the first from the brand and I am so happy that I did actually purchase them. They are so much more than I hoped they would be.
The packaging is so beautiful and so reminiscent of vintage packaging, which is what the brand is indeed trying to replicate.
Info from the brand:
"Tempting eye shadows that contain fine milled pigments making them silky and effortless to apply, are available in a range of classic shades that are never out of style. Packaged in exclusively designed Bèsame signature embossed metal collectible case."
Look at these finger-tip swatches. So lovely. I didn't go in and swirl and swirl and swirl my finger in the product… this is the effect of just one swipe.
And again… the swatches transferred onto the back of my hand was just one swipe. WOW.
Have you tried anything from Besame? If so, what do I need to get next??? O_o I am addicted…. and yes… this is "My Newest Addiction"! haha
My Newest Addiction at times reviews products provided by PR companies. This is disclosed at the top of those posts. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.