Given the report from the Wall Street Journal that the banks are bonusing themselves this year at $140 Billion more than 2007’s $130 Billion despite a)still being dependent on bailout money and deficit causing extremely low Fed funds interest rates; b)having lightened their staff employment by 10-30% surviving staff are getting monster bonuses; and c)yet […]
Capital Disaffection Read More »
The numbers and graphs tell the story on a Lost Generation. But I have a Japanese friend who lived during the 1990’s. The scene and situation are not pretty as the numbers and article fail to convey all of the the psychological impact. This is one of the best articles in an issue which has
Business Week’s Lost Generation Read More »
Google is making its Translation Service available for free as part of its Google API. See for example the Google Translation in upper left sidebar to switch to your language. Meanwhile the API is versatile because it auto-detects the language and then translates it for you: Paris Le Monde newspaper Hamburg’s Die Zeit newspaper Buenos
Google Translations Read More »
For the last 10 years, Google’s display of search results has seen a slow, gradual [some would say glacial] movement. Yes there have been improvements – the display of search results with similar and then cached options allowing for different views of the search results. Or users could resort to Advanced Search – but Advanced
Google Responds to Microsoft Bing Read More »
Thomas Friedman picks up the argument in the NYTimes recently that a lot of others including this observer have noted – the spreading of an attack and smear mentality in the US which is like a H1N1-Harangue 1 Neuter 1 epidemic in the US political and policy making discourse. the spreading of an attack and
The Attack Mentality: American Brew? Read More »
The reaction to Google’s Chrome Frame has been most interesting. Often the IT trade press is very circumspect about commenting on Microsoft because Microsoft may be a major advertiser. But the commentary has been very wide about the implications of Google’s Chrome Frame on Redmonds software development [especially Web programs]. It reminds this reviewer of
Microsoft at the Tipping Point ? Read More »
Update: Google is chroming Microsoft once again. IE9 is not out yet with its many HTML5 enhancements. But Microsoft is going to do nothing for the legion of IE8, IE7, and IE6 users. So Google has created the Google CanvasExplorer, a JavaScript that enables HTML5 on all those soon-to-be older versions of IE. But they
Microsoft Chromed by Google Read More »
I thought my recent posting on the dithering by President Obama was a zinger – its gotten the least hits of all my recent posts. It appears that the Republican Screeching against the President has now made any criticism or doubts as PI-Politically Incorrect.So imagine the response that Bill Maher is getting for his Huffington
President Obama – Attacks from the Left Read More »
Google is up to its innovation tricks, proving once again that it is master of Web 2.0 Interface Innovations with Sidewiki – a post-a-comment on any Web page system [and its a Wiki no less]. Google once again is proving that it is taking Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo, Twitter and the Web 2.0 horde seriously. Facebook
Google Shakes the Web Again: Sidewiki Read More »
September has been an unprecedented month of less from the Obama Administration for which Health care may very well be Battle of Bull Run if not Waterloo for his administration.The Republicans sensing the chance of inflicting a Pyrrhic victory if not an outright rout on the Obama administration, are being debilitatingly “non-partisan” and not just
The Obama Only Show II Read More »
NYTimes guest columnist Stanley Fish has hit the nail pretty well on the head with his article, The ObamaShow. In effect, on a day that finds President Obama working like a whirling dervish from an appearance on the Dave Letterman show to next day UN General Assembly presentation it appears Obama is everywhere. But more
The Obama Only Show Read More »
There has been a firestorm of commentary on Racism in America since the infamous Joe Wilson You Lie remarks in Congress and Tea Party Marchers in Washington this last weekend. President Jimmy Carter said it was racist attacks Like Joe Wilson’s on the President that was the new norm. Newsweek has a cover story asking
The NYTimes Financial Market information services is proof that the old lady can hiphop with the best in the Web 2.0 world including Google. In our two previous postings, the NYTimes showed how novel use of the Tabs , Charts and Thumbnail widgets could a)provide a novel and Google-beating Markets Overview and b) some of
NYTimes Gives Google a Real Run for the Money 3 – Stock Screeners Read More »
Our previous review of the NYTimes Markets found it to be well ahead of the competition [including Google, Microsoft Money, Reuters, SEC’s Edgar and others] in providing broad [and free] Markets data in a comprehensive yet concise essential summaries. But this is only the broad Markets data. This review will look at the fundamental stock
NYTimes Gives Google a Real Run for the Money 2 – Stock Charts + Fundamentals Read More »
Taketh5th has been featuring articles about the high caliber of Google’s free stock and financial information services. Well almost stealthily the NYTimes has really polished its equivalent stock and financial services such that All the News Fit to print appears to be giving Google a real run for its money. Go to the NYTimes Markets
NYTimes Gives Google a Real Run for the Money 1 – Market Overview Read More »
Adobe has a wonderful online text editor Acrobat Buzzword available here and see below: So why would it be introducing a second online editor, called Adobe Story? Story appears to have only one additional feature – the ability to share documents among editors while missing a lot of the features associated with Adobe and Buzzword
Adobe Story? “I am sticking to it …” Read More »
One of the benefits of President George Washington’s 110 Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior is that it likely set a standard for behavior in Congress that has so far stood the test of time. Having seen firsthand and by video episodes some of the rancor and outright riot in the British House of Commons,
Joe Wilson’s “You Lie” to President Obama Read More »
Apple has built up an enviable reputation for innovation and excellence in its whole spectrum of computing/smart devices. And it has been rewarded with dominant market shares in iPod+iTunes, iPhone+Appstore, and MacOS in the Web 2.0 and Graphics world. It also has garnered app development by thousands of developers for its iPhone and iPod line-up of
Apple Stumbles over Google Voice Read More »
To many, Wikipedia has the taint of being a folk source, subject to all the vagrancies and deviations that can be associated with the public making up its mind [just look at the heat and friction at the Town Hall meetings and discussions on Heath Care this past Summer]. So the report by the NYTimes
Wikipedia: Living History Read More »
In the US Open tennis tournament taking place in New York, Rafael Nadal and Gaels Monfils squared off in a match that had more action and superb rallies in the first two sets than I have seen in a longtime – and that includes the superb Federer – Roddick Wimbledon final. But the match lacked
Apple Does A Nadal – Monfils Match Read More »
The US Government may have been hamstrung and had foisted upon themselves some of their allies, but the following three win the Exlax Award for Smooth Movers. Not in any predictable order we start with: Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai – writing on the newsprint wall has been at least 3 years old. NYTimes August 2006 – Doubts
Unbelievably Bad Mideast “Allies” Read More »
Reading is getting to be a battleground. First there is the continuing bickering over Google Books and did Google spread enough green love among book publishers, libraries and magazine/newspapers? Now there also is shaping up to be pretty serious brawl for e-Book device of choice. WSJ Marketwatch’s Therese Poletti has supplied a fight card among
Pfizer really has put itself behind the eight ball in new drug development. Now Pfizer has added on coating of corruption as a settlement with the DOJ indicates appalling practices. When you read the indicting summary at WSJ’s Marketwatch – well “do no evil less than a weasel” and the Hypocritic Oath immediately come to mind:
Give Microsoft executives full credit – they are nothing if not consistent. Everything turns on Windows being the preferred platform for all their software and applications. And this has had dire consequences for Web applications, tools and their developers. In short, Microsoft is consistently shorting the Web: 1)Microsoft’s infamous five year freeze on improvements to
Microsoft Shorts the Web Read More »
The Economist has an article that argues that Big is Back as very large corporates weather the economic downturn [with help from their ‘too big to fail’ friends] much better than small businesses. And instead of offering a treacle on Big is Better, the Economist splits the difference and in good centrist fashion finds virtue
The Economist: Big is Black Ink Read More »
Apple is getting a stranglehold on the evolution of computing devices, particulary for consumers. iPod + iTunes dominates the media playing world. iPhone + iAppStore dominate the phone plus highly portable app and messaging world. But Apple missed the boat despite a huge technology leads on the PC desktop and laptop world back in the
Apple Snow Leopard : Second Take Read More »
Google Books efforts to scan “all the books fit to print” has had a stormy history. The book publishers sued and the settlement took 3 years to work out. But now that all parties seemed satisfied it seems that all parties are NOT satisfied. But what could be better than a little intellectual fisticuffs in
Google Books: When the Dust Settles Read More »
Google has been putting together some fine tools for manipulating and displaying stock results. Taketh5th readers were alerted to the quality of the Google Finance Stock display and associated stock data at the beggining of this year. Now Google Finance has added a Stock Screener that is the cats meow. The only limitation is the
Google Finance: New Stock Screener Read More »
Now that the Swiss government, the US Internal Revenue Service and the major Swiss bank, UBS, have agreed to dislose up to four thousand US tax evaders names and details who have secret accounts in Switzerland in order to avoid paying US taxes – the Ship Hits the Fan. Unlike in the case of Financial
WSJ: Fess up or Keep Silent? Read More »
The references to algae as a climate changer is beginning to do the media’s exponential growth – and flourish like a dank warm pond covered with … uhh, algae. First, the July 25-31st issue of the New Scientists has a story about Geneticist Craig Venter and research he is doing with a bunch of big
Algae Flourish into Oil Read More »
The Big Fall ShootOut at the IT Corral Listen up folks, specially you Stock Investors looking for Big Gains – they is going to be a big and bloody ShootOut at the IT Corral this Fall. And them thar Whipper Snappers are in such a fowl mood this BloodBath may continue write to the Winter.
ShootOut at the IT Corral Read More »
US Congressmen are fanning out across the USA to listen to their constituents. Bill Maher has a column about this at the Huffington Post. What Bill Maher does in this column is tell us what a harrowing process talking to Americans can be. The title of the column, New Rule: Smart President != Smart Country
Listening to America Read More »
