Supreme Court to hear arguments about credit card notification

The U.S. Supreme court has announced that it will consider a case involving credit cards. In the next court session of the Supreme Court, McCoy v. Chase Manhattan Bank will be heard. The class action suit questions the ability of credit card companies to retroactively increase interest rates without notification of the cardholder. The card issuer is claiming that the card holder agreement could be considered notification of interest rate increases.

Article Source: U.S. Supreme Court to consider credit card notification by Personal Money Store

The credit card holder's case

Credit card holder James A. McCoy is claiming that Chase Manhattan Bank violated the Truth in Lending Act when they increased his interest rate. McCoy admits that he was late with a payment on his credit card, and because of that Chase bank increased the rate on all of his transactions for the month. McCoy had agreed to this increase by signing the cardholder agreement, but he did not receive separate notification of the increase. The allegation is that this modification without notification is illegal under federal law.

The defense of Chase Bank

Chase Manhattan Bank appealed this case to the Supreme Court, saying they did comply with federal law. TILA requires that written notification of changes to interest rates be provided by these short term lenders. The TILA has one provision that says if an item has been agreed to in the past, they do not have to re-notify the card holder. In the end, the debate is over ambiguity in the law versus natural interpretations.

Provisions for late payments in the agreements

A late credit card payment started this whole Supreme Court case. The Truth in Lending Act requires credit cards and unsecured loan companies to be transparent with their charges. What is your opinion: Should cardholders keep a copy of the agreement with them at all times, or should card companies provide multiple notifications?

Avoid credit card debt relief scams by helping yourself

Debt reduction scams and debt relief scams have been spreading like mildew for a while now during this painful and prolonged economic downturn. With millions in financial trouble, credit card debt is a bigger problem than ever. Predatory debt relief companies promising peace of mind are seeking out individuals drowning in debt. But with financial discipline and effort individuals can avoid even the so-called legitimate debt reduction services.

Resource for this article: Don’t fall for credit card debt relief scams, just do it yourself

Debt reduction pitfalls

To provide debt reduction services, most companies pitching these programs offer loan consolidation plans in which you take out another loan to settle existing debt. Other debt reduction services will offer to negotiate with your creditors to arrange a payoff for less than you owe. All they care about is signing you up, not whether or not their programs will really work. An significant thing to realize is that paying less than you owe is listed on your credit report as failure to pay in full, which damages your credit score.

Debt management misrepresentation

That financial predators sell themselves as legitimate companies with the ability to help consumers overwhelmed by credit card debt is no secret. The Government Accountability Office, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, sent investigators posing as financially distressed consumers to certain debt management companies. The companies gave them wildly exaggerated descriptions of the firms’ success rates and sometimes promised savings of as much as 50 cents on the dollar.

Duped by debt reduction

Big upfront fees—as much as several thousand dollars—collected by debt relief companies often leave their customers worse off than they were before. MSNBC reports on the ordeal of a woman in North Carolina who fell for the pitch from a debt relief business that she would save enough with lower interest rates to pay down credit cards, a mortgage and a car loan five times faster. She was assured that for $ 499 she would save $ 2,500, and savings from lower interest rates within the first 30 days would a lot more than cover the fee. No interest rates were reduced, the company would not refund the $ 499 fee as they promised and also the Federal Trade Commission sued the firm.

The latest debt relief trick

Claiming "government approval is a common angle pursued by debt relief scam artists today. Statements made by debt management business representatives as reported within the Los Angeles Times article, also as their advertising, has shown the companies attempt to portray themselves as partners in a government program resembling the recent bank bailout. One of these companies with a prominent Internet presence is called The "Federal Debt Relief Program". Another is called “U.S. National Debt Relief Plan”.

Self reliance is the best debt relief

There are hundreds of debt reduction and debt relief companies infesting the Internet, but there is no government-backed credit card debt relief program. Debt relief has become a huge industry designed to kick individuals when they’re down. Getting on a budget that allows you to pay your bills on time and pay down your debt is still the best route to debt relief. People don't need a debt management business to negotiate with creditors or refinance loans when they can do it themselves.

Debt relief advice you can trust

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling is a good place to start if you need help with debt difficulties. Anybody who needs free and confidential advice about debt relief can get it from this non-profit community group. The NFCC offers consulting in person or by phone. Take a look at nfcc.org to discover a counselor as part of your area.

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Los Angeles Times

latimes.com

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com

NFCC

nfcc.org

Fannie Mae really wants to defer some strategic default with consequences

Fannie Mae upped the ante on strategic default of home mortgages Wednesday, stating that borrowers who default in spite of having ability to pay or don’t seek alternatives in good faith won’t be eligible for a new Fannie Mae-backed mortgage for seven years from the date of foreclosure. Home foreclosures and strategic defaults are both increasing. To assist in strategic default, there are numerous online offers. Last week the House passed the FHA Reform Act that ended up having a provision for penalizing strategic defaulters in the bill.

Resource for this article: {Strategic default and the consequences involved

Fannie Mae, which owns more than 50 percent of mortgages in the U.S., wants more severe strategic default consequences. It is now refusing to back all of the new loans for walk-away borrowers for seven years after they abandon their homes. In a press release, Terence Edwards, executive vice president for credit portfolio management at Fannie Mae, said "Walking from a mortgage is bad for borrowers and bad for communities, and our approach is meant to deter the disturbing trend toward strategic defaulting. On the flip side, borrowers facing hardship who make a good faith effort to resolve their situation with their servicer will preserve the option to be considered for a future Fannie Mae loan in a shorter time frame."

Fannie Mae wants to sue strategic defaulters

In the press release, Fannie Mae explained to all that it may also sue to recoup the outstanding mortgage debt from borrowers who strategically default on their loans in jurisdictions that allow for deficiency judgments. In an announcement that will be given next month, the business could be instructing its servicers to monitor delinquent loans facing foreclosure and make recommendations for strategic default cases that warrant the pursuit of deficiency judgments.

Definition of strategic default

The strategic default issue is a thorny one because of the challenge to define what makes a default strategic. The Washington Independent reports that strategic defaulters aren’t breaching their contracts. Each mortgage contract defines what happens if the borrowers don’t pay: the bank evicts them and takes the home. It is doubtful that the government could stipulate that homeowners have to hand over the last of their savings to the bank before they can walk away, or that that they may be made to hand over a certain percentage of their annual income before they get to walk away. The money people have left might be used to move to a new apartment or something, pay medical bills or to buy shoes for their children.

Find a lot more info on this topic
Fannie Mae

fanniemae.com/newsreleases/2010/5071.jhtml

Washington Independent

washingtonindependent.com/87943/when-underwater-homeowners-walk-away

Mississippi Toyota plant to be completed

Blue Springs, Mississippi and their Toyota plant relationship is back on again as construction will resume – and bring up to 2,000 new jobs to the town. The Associated Press reports that Toyota’s estimate is that the plant should be fully operational by the fall of 2011. This comes after construction was to have been complete and the plant running by 2010, but the onset of the economic recession in 2008 destroyed that timetable.

Source for this article: Mississippi Toyota plant construction resumes

The Mississippi Toyota plant will make Corollas

What once was a Prius plan for the Mississippi Toyota plant has now become a Corolla compact, says the Japanese auto giant. Toyota’s image in North The US should rise considerably as new jobs bolster the Mississippi economy. Considering that they’ve had to recall 9 million cars since October 2009 due to safety issues, Toyota will take any gains available.

Toyota plant closures in U.S. met with scorn

Toyota’s NUMMI, or the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant in California, shut down after severing ties with GM; workers did not take kindly to the decision. Some damage control occurred when Toyota President Akio Toyoda tried allying Toyota with Tesla Motors, but Tesla is nevertheless a niche brand, so more had to be done to satisfying the American public.

Toyota is welcome in Blue Springs, exclaimed Gov. Barbour

Regarding the re-emergence of the Mississippi Toyota plant, Gov. Haley Barbour told the AP:

“We’re delighted but not surprised. We’ve had good reason to keep our faith in them. Through a global economic crisis, Toyota kept its financial commitments to the state and to local schools, proving they are not just the world’s premier automaker but a valuable community partner also.”

Toyota’s value to Blue Springs in terms of Mississippi jobs is obvious, as is the overall affect the Mississippi Toyota plant can have on the Mississippi economy. While profits for the automaker remain shaky, this move may be the recovery sign investors have been waiting for, indicates the AP.

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Associated Press

google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jTG7SuUsayqE6bO9GPluAfU5blewD9GD2RRO0

Charlene Wittstock and Prince Albert engaged

Today, the official announcement agency of the royal house of Monaco announced that ruler Prince Albert II is engaged to Charlene Wittstock. Both Charlene and Prince Albert have competed within the Olympics. There is no wedding date yet, but it is sure to be a huge celebration fitting of the wealthy country.

Source for this article: Royal Olympians – Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock engaged

The relationship of Prince Albert of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock

Prince Albert II, the son of Princess Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, has been the head of Monaco since 2005. During a high-level swimming competition, Prince Albert II met Charlene Wittstock. Since 2006, the schoolteacher and Olympian has lived in Monaco. The wedding date hasn't been announced yet, but it is most likely six months away or more.

A royal wedding for Monaco

The wedding of Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock could be the first royal wedding in Monaco given that 1956. If you will find kids that come out of this marriage, they will become the official heirs. Currently, despite the fact that Prince Albert has had two children out of wedlock, his sister is the heir-assumptive. Monaco's ruling body has re-affirmed within the last few years that illegitimate kids aren’t in any way eligible for royalty status.

The big party in Monaco

Monaco is an independent city-state in Europe. France is responsible for the defense of the small country. There are just over 30,000 residents within the whole country. Wealthy individuals tend to move to Monaco, given the fact there is no income tax. The GDP of the country is about $ 6.5 billion. Given the previous history of the country and its celebrations, this royal wedding is sure to be an costly event. Royal weddings are all about spectacle – and the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton and the recent marriage in Sweden have proven that royal weddings are expensive weddings.

What the Sony Dash does and doesn't

Not quite an iPad, not quite a laptop and not quite an alarm clock, the Sony Dash is showing up at the top of many Father’s Day gift lists. The Sony Dash is the most costly and interactive alarm clock you’ll ever purchase. The Sony Dash can run apps and connect you to the web – but are all the features worth the price.

Resource for this article: What the Sony Dash does and doesn’t

The features of Sony Dash

First, the tech specs of the Sony Dash. The device is only plug in. On the top there is a power and snooze button and a seven inch touch screen. The display has about 800 x 480 pixels. The processor has 500 MHz and has 256 MB of RAM. You will find built in stereo speakers and there is also a WiFi connection. There is a Chumby-based interface with the operating system is Linux.

The Sony Dash and what it does

At first glance, the Sony Dash is essentially designed as an alarm clock media center. It will play YouTube, Pandora, Netflix and other media applications.Depending on some of the other developed applications you download, you may be able access Facebook and Twitter as well.In order to use any or all of these applications, you will need wireless internet access as part of your house. Without any kind of wireless internet, the Sony Dash is really just an expensive alarm.

What the Sony Dash doesn’t

The Sony Dash does have its limitations. First, the Dash does not have a battery – which means you are stuck next to a power outlet. Second, there is no programming solution for streaming or downloading your own content; you are able to only stream things off the internet. Third, the Sony Dash does not necessarily log you into all your favored applications; you may have to go to your Sony Dash account on a computer to do so.

Who the Sony Dash is good for

For a hardcore computer user, the Sony Dash would likely be little a lot more than an costly toy. For others that only use computers each so often to take a look at pictures and watch a TV show, though, the Sony Dash may be a great option. The only major limitation that exists with it is that without a pre-existing wireless internet connection, the Sony Dash is fairly much useless.

Unless you can find a neighbor that is willing to share wifi with you, the device will set you back about $ 250 with connections.

The Air Dam and about it

The air dam, or front spoiler, of your vehicle might just appear to be a part of questionable need. Like a rear spoiler, the intention of the air dam is to redirect air and improve the aerodynamics of your car. Is it necessary to have an air dam like that?

Source for this article: All about the Air Dam

Benefits of having an air dam

The model of your car decides whether or not an air dam is a good idea. An air dam sits at the front underside of your automobile and redirects air around the car. An air dam offers slightly increased car mileage, also as enabling the car to go slightly faster without lifting off the ground.

Air Dam negatives

It is not always helpful to have an air dam on your car. On numerous larger cars air dams weren’t attached very well, which means they have a tendency to fall off. An air dam can also be dented and damaged during off-road driving, causing friction and damage to more parts of your vehicle.

The conclusion on an air dam?

An air dam isn't damaging to your car. This is there mostly for the look of it. It might help to improve your mileage. This improvement, however, is minor; you would do better to properly inflate your tires. If your car comes pre-installed with an air dam, it isn’t going to be worth taking it off unless you intend on doing off-road driving. If you are considering an add-on air dam consider very carefully whether you’ll be driving fast enough so often that it justifies the time, cost and effort.

The US Postal Service is looking for a car replacement

Most cars in the US Postal Service really need this. They were intended with a 24 year life cycle and are just getting old. Agency reports say that replacing the entire fleet with similar autos would cost $ 4.2 billion. Is replacement the only option?

Article Resource: U.S. Postal Service looking for vehicle replacement By Car Deal Expert

Postal Service and LLVs

The right handed delivery trucks the postal service uses are known as LLVs — Long Life Autos. With daily driving, the trucks had a 24 year life cycle. That 24 year lifecycle is coming to a close. The Postal Service Inspector General explained that, over the next eight years, the Postal Service would spend more repairing the vehicles than replacing them.

Price of repairing USPS cars

In 2009 alone, the Postal Service spent $ 524 million on LLV repair. Generally it is better to repair automobiles instead of replace them. The average repair bill for each LLV is about $ 5,600, with some going as high as $ 40,000. The vehicles don’t generally require specialized maintenance, although the right-handed driving setup can cause more costly maintenance at times.

Replacing the LLV fleet

The cost to benefit comparison of continuing to repair the LLV fleet is quickly turning upside down. In the next eight years, the postal service will actually lose money if it repairs instead of replaces any autos that have a repair bill that cost a lot more than $ 3,500. Straight-across replacement of the full LLV fleet would cost $ 30,000 per truck.

Testing Postal Service automobile alternatives

There is a lot of research going into US Postal Service delivery autos. The USPS has offered a $ 50,000 reward to firms for providing a working prototype of a USPS car by August. Letter carriers in many other areas are testing three-wheeled electric vehicles, bicycles, and a lot more traditional minivan-style autos for delivering the mail, rain or shine.

Billionaires urged by Gates and Buffet to give away half their money

Billionaires give away money all the time. It is old news when Bill Gates and Warren Buffet give away money. But when billionaires like Gates and Buffett call out all of their fellow billionaires to pledge 50 percent of their fortunes to charity, individuals notice. The billionaire philanthropists announced a campaign Wednesday to persuade America’s billionaires to sign a “Giving Pledge” to donate so much of their wealth to the causes of their choice.

Article Source: Gates and Buffett urge billionaires to give away half their money

The pledge for the Gates Buffet charity

The latest Gates Buffett charity drive is called “The Giving Pledge.” The Associated Press reports that the two men are asking the super-rich to sign a pledge making a public statement that they’ll donate either during their lifetime or at the time of their death to the charities of their choice. Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said in a letter introducing The Giving Pledge that he couldn’t be happier with the decision he made in 2006, when he gave 99 percent of his roughly $ 47 billion fortune to charity.

Some billionaire philanthropists

Buffett’s billionaire philanthropy will eventually split most of his shares of his business between five charitable foundations, with the largest sum going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Reuters reports that Bill and Melinda Gates have given more than $ 28 billion of their money to their foundation. Given that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation started in 1994, it has given away more than $ 22 billion for health improvements in countries that are poor and to improve access to education and career opportunities for Americans.

The billionaire list

On the billionaire list, Bill Gates had held the title of world’s richest 14 years. He was beat out for number one on the billionaire list in 2010 by Mexican tycoon Slim Helu, whose fortune swelled by $ 18.5 billion in 12 months to an estimated $ 53.5 billion. Gates is now regrettably ranked as the second richest man within the world with $ 53 billion, when Buffett came in at No. 3 with $ 47 billion.

Are billionaires going to give away money?

The U.S. has around 400 billionaires — one of the most within the world — with a net worth Forbes estimates at $ 1.2 trillion. If Buffett and Gates could convince America’s billionaires to give half their fortunes to charity it would transform the nature of philanthropy. Fortune, which broke the story, reports that IRS facts for 2007 show the 400 biggest taxpayers had a total adjusted income of $ 138 billion, and just more than $ 11 billion was taken as a charitable deduction — about 8 percent Fortune, which broke the story, reports that IRS facts for 2007 show that the 400 biggest taxpayers had a complete total adjusted income of $ 138 billion, and just more than $ 11 billion was taken as a charitable deduction — about 8 percent. If all the billionaires give money away, however unlikely, about $ 69 billion would flood the coffers for the common good.

Charity goals for Gates and Buffet

The campaign actually started a year ago, when Gates and Buffett — who represent a combined net worth of $ 90 billion, as outlined by Forbes — invited a number of billionaires to a secret dinner meeting in New York. MSNBC reports that the group settled on a goal of 50 percent of net worth. They set up a site, givingpledge.org, to promote the campaign. If the individuals on the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans pledged half their net worth to charity, that amount donated would be around $ 600 billion.

Additional details at these websites

Associated Press

google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h23rkKsJ_qiBk01fiixWfsYsj_rgD9GCG4700

Reuters

reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65F5CC20100616

Fortune

features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/06/16/gates-buffett-600-billion-dollar-philanthropy-challenge/

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/37731478/ns/us_news-giving/

UK Office of Fair Trading votes no on payday loans cap

The United States has seen its share of payday loan rate cap legislation in recent years. But such is not the case for all countries that offer consumers the convenience of easy loans and other forms of payday lending under the free market banner. The Guardian newspaper reports the UK’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has found that an interest rate cap on private money lenders is unnecessary, claiming that a lack of competition would harm that sector of the financial marketplace.

Source for this article: UK Office of Fair Trading says no to pay day loans rate cap

'Reasonably well’ is the functional level of UK payday loans competition

Credit-constrained consumers should ideally have access to the forms of short-term credit which they can obtain. The OFT sees this openness as allowing competition to dictate price in the free market. The OFT claims that the current pay day loans competitive market regulates itself “reasonably well,” although improvements could be made that don’t involve a rate cap. The OFT has moved forward with their pro-payday loan freedom stance, despite heavy resistance from the Archbishop of Canterbury and a variety of other special interest charity groups. However, the OFT did recommend further investigation into how an industry-wide “code of practice” might be instituted for the UK pay day loans industry.

OFT move sits well with Finance and Lending Association

The association’s Head of Consumer Finance, Fiona Hoyle, assured The Guardian that any form of payday loans no faxing rate control “would have adverse unintended consequences for consumers, including for the cost and availability of credit”. Hoyle sees it as advisable that governments follow the OFT’s lead on rate caps, borrowing some of the logic shown within the recent U.S. Dartmouth University Study on their associated detriments; leave them be and consumers can benefit while payday loan outlets can garner reasonable profits.

A payday loan squeeze simply presents a lot more problems

The Guardian found that Marie Burton of the group Consumer Focus agrees that healthy competition and low prices aren’t always an easy balance to achieve. It may be the perfect, but the UK payday loan industry still has some road to travel before arriving at that goal. Pulling banks and credit unions into competition by encouraging them to offer low-cost, low-hassle payday loan products would be most ideal for the free market, although banks and credit unions have failed at this before, considering America’s example.

Sources

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/jun/15/doorstep-lenders-interest-rate-cap/

BP says the oil spill cleanup is hurt by a lack of big spills

Most recently, NBC reporter Tom Costello interviewed Doug Suttles , who’s the BP Exploration and Production Chief Operating Officer, on the “Today” show concerning the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Specifically, he asked Suttles for his response to the rapidly circulating info that oil spill cleanup technology is woefully behind the times, making the oil spill cleanup painfully inefficient. Suttles’ response is that it takes oil spills to advance the cleanup technology. “There are so few big spills,” he told Costello, “and events haven’t driven the technology change.”

Article Resource: BP claims a lack of big spills has hurt oil spill cleanup

An oil spill will motivate BP to have the right cleanup technology?

The lack of foresight by BP on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill – or lack of enough motivation to invest in preventative oil spill cleanup technology measures – is obvious. What also appears to be so obvious is the financial effect that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill has had and will continue to have on BP and also the economies of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. According to NBC New York, BP has already spent $1.6 billion on the spill response and related claims. Projections for future costs and liabilities extend into the $60 to $70 billion range, although the final figure will depend upon knowing the full extent of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill damage. BP's loss in share price isn't even considered in this. Their market capitalization has fallen around 50 percent. It seems that it might be really easy to imagine BP CEO Tony Hayward barking “I need money now” at the moon, but local economies need it even a lot more. The cost to ! local economies damaged by the oil spill may also reach to the billions of dollars, experts predict.

I get to be the Gulf of Mexico walrus

It would seem that dealing with any oil spill isn't a priority for BP. They would are prepared for this spill otherwise. According to the Associated Press, the 582-page regional oil spill cleanup plan for the Gulf of Mexico region and a shorter document addressing the specific Deepwater Horizon event are littered with “mistakes and erroneous assumptions.” Among these are incorrect contact info for consulted marine life specialists (one of whom died in 2005, which was four years before the larger document was filed). But not being able to contact sources is maybe for the best, as BP is claiming the walrus is found there. Walruses live in cold water like Alaska. In a weak defense, Doug Suttles claimed that the document specifically labeled for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill addressed “all impacted species,” rather than ones that actually inhabit the region. On BP's part, this is illogical.

Have to have oil spills to advance technology? BP, do the math

As outlined by Wikipedia (which is hardly a super-secret source of info), there have been 49 oil spills that have been recorded worldwide given that the year 2000. Of those, 24 occurred in the United States. If that amounts to “too few oil spills,” then BP needs to go back to school for a healthy dose of perspective and basic reasoning skills. Check out the Rachel Maddow video below if you need help, BP – she points out some of the major U.S. spills that have occurred on a map.

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NBC New York

nbcnewyork.com/news/breaking/BP_has_plenty_of_money_to_pay_spill_damages-96366344.html

NOLA.com

nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/as_bp_promised_the_walruses_ar.html

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oil_spills

On June 19, T-Mobile offers all phones for free

The rumor mill is running high speed about the possibility of a T-Mobile free phone on June 19. The cell phone business has been gearing up for a large sale for the last few weeks, but what exactly the promotion could be has been kept quiet. A script for a commercial has been leaked, though, and it appears like this promotion could be a free T-Mobile phone. The T-Mobile free phone comes with a few caveats, nevertheless.

Resource for this article: T-Mobile free phone – All phones free on June 19 By Personal Money Store

The free T-Mobile phone sale

T-Mobile free phone promotions seem to be set for a June 19 release. The script for the T-Mobile commercial was posted after TMONews got a copy of it. The T-Mobile free phone promotion script seems to be "real", especially given the supporting evidence. The script, on close reading, says that all phones within the store will be free. What else supports this idea? July 19, all T-Mobile stores will be open two hours earlier than usual.

The information of the T-Mobile free phone sale

If you're in the T-Mobile store on June 19, you might be able to get any phone in the store for free. T-Mobile free phones are not being handed out entirely without caveat, though. A family plan with T-Mobile – as a new contract or as an upgrade – is required to get the T-Mobile free phone.

The T-Mobile free phone sale – will it conserve you money?

Getting a T-Mobile free phone on June 19 seems like a great idea. Currently, with-contract phone prices at T-Mobile run anywhere from free to $ 199.99. If you are already considering switching to a family plan, then the T-Mobile free phone sale could surely save you a couple of hundred dollars. Keep in mind, nevertheless, that even the least costly family-share plan on T-Mobile is $ 60 a month, and a family-share plan on T-Mobile that has smartphone data could be as costly as $ 140 a month. Essentially, if you were preparing on switching plans anyway, June 19 would be a great time to do so.

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TMONews.com

T-Mobile.com

BillShrink.com

Oil spill search listings bought by BP as stock price plunges

Google, Bing and Yahoo are profiting from the BP oil spill as the besieged business fights to polish its oil stained image. Enter "oil spill, or "oil spill claims" as a search query and BP seems as the number one listing. Search engine companies are collecting oil wealth when BP's stock plunge has investors questioning the future of a business flush with cash. BP is also taking heat from U.S. politicians who are criticizing the business for paying huge stock dividends when companies displaced by the disaster wait for damage claims. Meanwhile, the oil spill within the Gulf of Mexico 2010 added up to as much as 125 million gallons and counting on day 52 of the disaster.

Article Source: BP buys top oil spill search listings as BP stock price plummets

Will money buy love for BP?

BP is aggressively going after web users looking for a BP oil spill update. BP, fighting off bad press and political pressure, is trying to control information about the disaster by paying search engine companies to show up at the top of the list for queries such as "oil spill and "oil spill claims". The store-bought links lead to a BP site featuring corporate versions of the oil spill response with press releases, photos and video. The oil spill live feed, and its view of the ruptured well overwhelming within the oil spill cap, is conspicuously missing.

BP stock price plummets

So far BP’s oil spill ploy with the search engine companies hasn’t helped its stock price. Political pressure from the U.S. government on BP for its failure to plan for the gulf oil spill catastrophe drove BP stock to its lowest point in seven years in London trading. BP stock is widely held by British pension funds and investors you will find angered over the insistence of U.S. lawmakers that BP suspend dividends until the oil spill is cleaned up. The Associated Press quoted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as saying that BP, responsible under the law for the spill's economic damage, should withhold dividends until the crisis is resolved.

Additional information at these websites

CNNMoney.com

usatoday.com

google.com/hostednews/ap/article

personal short term loans are a solid debt consolidation tool

Personal installment loans allow you to borrow cash for whichever you would like. The best selection of lenders and terms for personel loans can be found online. Personal loans can be used for all types of financial needs. If you are able to arrange a lower monthly payment than you make on credit card debt, personal short term loan can be a useful approach for debt consolidation or relief. With secured personel loans the lender will require you to provide some kind of collateral.

Article Resource: Practical debt consolidation – personal payday installment loans online By Personal Money Store

Loans for people with bad credit

People with bad credit, limited credit, or no credit history – virtually anyone can get a personel loans online. In all these cases, you are able to qualify for a personnel loans. You’ll start out with higher interest rates and shorter terms, but once you make all your payments on time, pay back the loan and boost your credit rating, the next loan could be easier to get with lower interest and longer terms.

short term loan bad credit

Instead of lender-specified uses for car or home loans, a borrower is free to use an online personal loans for anything. Any financial need you may have: vacations, car repairs, school expenditures, unexpected medical bills, emergency home repairs can be addressed by setting up a personal loans online. Guidelines set by individual lenders determine the maximum you are able to get with an unsecured online personal loan. As well as the money, the best part about an unsecured online personal cash loan is that you get the money inside your account right away.

Loan consolidation for debt relief

Using online personal loan to consolidate debt for debt relief is a intelligent thing to do. Consolidating debt by using these loans to pay off other loans is how it's done. Debt consolidation is ultimately used to reduce monthly expenses. Whenever you take out your online personel loans, you’ve to make certain the monthly payment is less than all the payments you're making now for it to be practical.

credit repair with online payday loans

Getting a personel loans online for debt consolidation is a sound solution for credit repair.Making minimum payments forever on credit card debt can finally end with a regular monthly payment. But do not borrow any a lot more than you need and keep the term as short as possible. Longer loan terms make for a lot more costly loans. And with discipline, you won't set yourself back by creating more debt. Condition yourself to stay within a spending budget and debt consolidation with an online loan will work for you.

Citations

articles.moneycentral.msn.com

www.ehow.com

www.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money

114,000 email addresses revealed by iPad e-mail leak

An iPad e-mail leak has revealed more than 114,000 early-adopter iPad e-mail addresses. These email addresses were there because 3G iPad users needed it to activate their devices. This iPad e-mail leak has compromised not only the e-mail addresses of people like your tech-savvy neighbor down the street but White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. This details leak not only exposes hundreds of thousands of AT and T customers to security concerns, it raises questions about the exclusive contract between Apple and AT and T.

Article Source: iPad e-mail leak reveals 114,000 e-mail addresses By Personal Money Store

iPad e-mail leak impacts all iPad 3G users

The iPad e-mail leak has, as far as any person can tell, affected all owners of the iPad 3G. AT and T requires an e-mail address to activate the data capabilities of the device. The iPad 3G has been purchased and activated by a lot more than 114,000 users. Each one of these e-mail addresses is associated with an ICC-ID, an integrated circuit card identifier. With the ICC-ID and e-mail address, hackers could very easily launch a mass attack to gain access to the data contained on the iPad.

Email leak of iPad affecting many large names

The iPad e-mail leak affects many people, but there are serious concerns about some of the biggest names. The list of leaked iPad 3G e-mail addresses contain William Eldridge, who happens to be a commander of a strategic bomber group in the air force. Hundreds of U.S. Department of Justice, NASA, FCC and Army addresses have been incorporated on the list. Federal court system employees, House and Senate staffers, FAA, National Institutes of Health, Citigroup, Microsoft and Dow Jones corporate e-mail addresses were also found. It is certain that some of these companies and agencies have used developers to create extra layers of security; but in contrast to all of the Android devices, the notoriously closed-loop Apple systems can be difficult to upgrade the security on.

Revealing the iPad e-mail leak>

The iPad e-mail leak is depending on a vulnerability within the AT and T network. This security group has revealed security holes in Amazon, Firefox, and Safari in the past. According to what Goatse said, they used only data and scripts which were publicly available to find the safety hole that the iPad e-mail leak exploited. Before going public, Goatse decided to tell AT and T who closed the hole. AT and T nevertheless hasn't seemed to have notified owners of the iPad 3G whose e-mail addresses may are compromised, two days after they were informed of the security hole.

Any queries about an AT and T and Apple Contract

The iPad e-mail leak is just the latest in issues that Apple device users have been faced with with AT and T. The carrier is known for a slow network and dropped calls. The difficulties with AT and T's network have gotten so bad that even Steve Jobs couldn’t get the new iPhone to work during his WWDC presentation. Apple has announced that AT and T has an exclusive contract for their devices for at least a few a lot more years. Given all of the security breaches like this, slow networks and a lack of customer communication, you have to wonder if that contract will be honored.

When Bush tax cuts expire in 2010, Arthur Laffer predicts collapse

Arthur Laffer is predicting the U.S. economy will collapse next year when George W. Bush tax cuts expire in 2010. His theory on the Obama tax plan is based on how the super-rich can choose when and just how they collect their income to evade having to pay their taxes. Laffer believes the economy is doing better this year than it really should be doing because these aristocrats are collecting more of their loot and spending more of their money before taxes rise. He says that when taxes go up, Americans who can will choose to make a lot less money, thus reducing the government's tax revenue.

Source for this article: Arthur Laffer predicts collapse when Bush tax cuts expire in 2010 By Personal Money Store

Expired Bush tax cuts 2010

Arthur Laffer became extremely famous when he influenced the Reagan administration to cut taxes. His Laffer Curve concerning taxes appears in some of the economic textbooks. Laffer, in his Wall Street Journal column, said that all of the Reagan tax cuts brought the economy out of what was the worst U.S. recession given that the Depression — until the Mt. Everest recession we’re still trying to get out of now made that one look like just a speed bump. He said when tax cuts went into effect on Jan. 1, 1983 the economy took off like a rocket, with average real growth that was reaching 7.5 percent in 1983 and also 5.5 percent in 1984. He doesn’t mention how all of the Bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 in the face of two wars eventually ran the U.S. economy to the ground and destroyed a spending budget surplus he inherited from Bill Clinton.

The Arthur Laffer curveball

The Laffer Curve tax cut argument misleads his readers, as reported by Asha Bangalore at Northern Trust. As another recession set in after Laffer’s utopic Reaganonomic era, Bangalore wonders why the economy posted substantial growth after tax increases were implemented by Bill Clinton in 1993. A revival of bank lending after the Reagan hangover led to quite a bit of self-sustained growth despite the tax increases. Bangalore also points out that if the Laffer Curve theory about tax cuts is actually valid, then the U.S. economy would have done better than record the weakest period of economic expansion in history following the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003.

Lower than Reagan's tax plan is Obama's

Arther Laffer’s predictions of economic collapse when tax cuts expire in 2010 is also questioned by The Motely Fool. In his column Laffer says we’re all going to die when the highest federal personal income tax rate goes to 39.6 percent from 35 percent. The Fool says it is worth noting that the 1983 cuts Laffer remembers so fondly lowered top rates from 69.13 percent to 50 percent. Top marginal tax rates under all but one year of Ronald Regan’s presidency were much more than just 50 percent. The Obama tax plan wants to revert the highest personal income tax rates to 39.6 percent, where they were within the ’90s when the economy boomed and also the government collected more taxes than it spent.

Arther Laffer feels your pain

Arther Laffer, the chairman of an investment consulting firm and therefore is extremely wealthy, is making predictions of economic collapse from a very narrow point of view. Bangalore goes further to point out that the obstacles the economy will face in 2011 have nothing to do with tax increases. A severe credit crunch, lackluster job growth, and housing market challenges are factors that may have far greater influence on the economy. Most plan to keep their head up to survive. But when Arthur Laffer’s personal income tax rate goes up by around 5 percent, the millions he won’t pocket will seem like the end of the world indeed.

Additional details at these websites

Wall Street Journal
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704113504575264513748386610.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines
Northern Trust
northerntrust.com/pws/jsp/display2.jsp?XML=pages/nt/0601/1138283678319_6.xml&TYPE=interior&er=dgcDetail&c=primary/resource/1006/1275944180574_442.xml
Motley Fool
caps.fool.com/Blogs/ViewPost.aspx?bpid=403124&t=01003534026331805883

Helen Thomas retiring after making numerous proportions

Helen Thomas is an institution of the White House press corps, and after covering each president given that John F. Kennedy, she has announced her retirement that is from Hearst. It almost seemed like she would cover the White House until she died, but a recent and very severe slip of the tongue has forced her to resign. She is known as one of the toughest reporters to ever question any president or White House official, and she was known for often asking brutally direct questions.

Resource for this article: Helen Thomas retiring after making error of epic proportions

Giant of journalism is Helen Thomas

Helen Thomas began her career in journalism in 1942, after graduating from Wayne State University with a B.A. in Journalism. She worked briefly for the Washington Daily News which doesn't actually exist anymore and began working for United Press International in 1943. She covered women’s issues and Washington D.C. news, interviewing many different celebrities and politicians and covering various government agencies. She was later assigned to cover John F. Kennedy as a White House Press Correspondent for U.P.I., switching to Hearst Newspapers in 2000. She is the only person with her own seat within the White House Press Room.

Career killed by slip of the tongue

Recently, Helen Thomas made various different comments concerning the state of Israel and its treatment of the Palestinians. In a camcorder interview by rabbilive.com, at a Jewish Heritage event put on by the White House, she was asked if she had anything to say about Israel. She responded “Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine.” She further went on to say, according to CNN, that Israelis should return to their countries of origin. (Most Israeli Jews are Ashkenazi, which means of European descent, which is what she was referring to.)

The hard fallout

Once her comments hit the internet, especially on YouTube, there were urgent calls for her to be fired. The White House condemned her comments, and Craig Crawford, said he wouldn’t work with her ever again. Helen Thomas then said she would resign. It is a sad end to a great career.

More info on this topic

CNN
cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/07/pol.helen.thomas/

Empire State Building in NYC declines Mother Teresa presentation

The Empire State Building is one of the centers of life in New York City. Recently, though, the owners of the Empire State Building have faced questions – and a possible City Council resolution – after they refused to participate in a tribute to Mother Teresa. In a debate that pits private property rights against the city council, the NYC Mother Teresa debate is becoming heated on both sides.

Source for this article: New York City Empire State Building in Mother Teresa debate

Request to honor Mother Teresa's birthday rejected by the Empire State Building

The Empire State Building, on a fairly regular basis, will color the lights that shine on the building at night. The building has been lit green for St. Patrick’s Day, red for the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and blue for the launch of new M and M's colors. The Empire State Building owners refused a request to light the building in blue and white to honor Mother Teresa's 100th birthday. The administration of the building has refused without comment.

The NYC Council gets involved

After the Empire State Building refused their request, the Catholic League began to plead their case to the New York City Council. The New York City Council will consider a resolution on Wednesday that was written to force the building to display blue and white on that day. The head of the Catholic League has also taken this argument past the city council, starting an online petition and organizing marches in NYC.

The legal rights of the Empire State Building in New York City

The Empire State Building is a privately-owned piece of real estate in New York City. The Empire State Building Company L.L.C. is responsible for the building, the operation, and also the management of the building. On the application for becoming a "lighting partner" – having the Empire State Building lit up for a specific reason – an entity has to agree to the following statement:

“Due to the high volume of applications, the Empire State Building Company is under no obligation to provide specific feedback to any individual or organization regarding the status, merit, and/or denial of its application.”

The Empire State Building, on average, receives one to 3 requests per day to light the building for a special event. It is not clear under which city regulations the New York City Council can force the Empire State Building to honor Mother Teresa, or if the resolution may have any effect.

Does this discussion bring up the question of church and state separation?

The New York City Council's actions may bring up legal questions of separation of church and state. The request was made by the Catholic League, a religious organization. The Empire State Building Company is a private entity that is afforded the freedom to choose who it works with. The New York City Council, nevertheless, is a government entity. It may be a question of separation of church and state if the City Council tries to force a private entity to participate in a religious observation.

What do you think about this question?

Federal mortgage modification made challenging by lenders

The Making Home Affordable mortgage loan modification program was began in early 2009 to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. The government began this program to help homeowners stuck in a mortgage they can’t pay by helping support mortgage modification or mortgage refinancing. Consistently, nevertheless, this program has troubles with lenders. Bank of America’s recent settlement of a Countrywide lawsuit highlights mortgage industry practices that could possibly be undermining economic restoration from the beginning.

Source for this article: Mortgage modification complicated by scofflaw lenders By Personal Money Store

The lending methods of Countrywide

The FTC has alleged that Countrywide participated in deceptive lending before it had been purchased by Bank of America. In June 2008, Bank of America purchased Countrywide mortgages for $ 4 billion in stock. Bank of America has agreed to pay $ 108 million in restitution for Countrywide practices, without admitting any wrongdoing. This $ 108 million can be split between the approximately 200,000 Countrywide mortgage holders that the FTC has found were overcharged.

Lenders not complying with the Making Home Affordable program?

The Making Home Affordable federal mortgage program is administered through private lenders. The government provides support and guarantees, while private lenders are required to comply with federal guidelines and qualifications for mortgage loan modification. In just one month this year, the Making Home Affordable call center fielded over thirty thousand calls claiming that lenders are not complying with federal guidelines. Given foreclosure numbers in April, this means that 38 percent of borrowers encountered issues in looking to get mortgage loan modification.

What are the alleged deceptive practices?

Countrywide is the first lender to be charged with deceptive lending practices, but other lenders may well be investigated. Some industry watchers allege that predatory lending practices permeate the whole mortgage lending industry. The four most common deceitful practices in the industry include:

• Requiring the homeowner to pay fees and fines they are not responsible for
• Stating a total balance of the loan that is higher than actual amount due
• Adding additional to fees and charges intentionally
• Not using basic regulations on the industry

Citations

MortgageLoan.com

RealtyTrac.com

financialstability.gov

Ken Griffey Jr retires from Mariners, baseball

Moments before the June 2, 2010, game against the Minnesota Twins, the Seattle Mariners announced the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. It was a sudden decision, and Griffey caught many unaware with the announcement. The decision seems to are on his mind for some time, and he would rather call it a day early than remain on the team for the sake of nostalgia. He retires a living legend. He was one of the true greats, and is fifth on the all time home run list.

Article Source: Ken Griffey Jr retires from Mariners, baseball

A career for the history books is closed as Ken Griffey Jr retires

There aren’t numerous sportsmen who are held in the esteem Ken Griffey Jr is. Ken Griffey Jr is about as separable from the Seattle Mariners as Babe Ruth is from the New York Yankees. He made his professional debut in 1989, and he and his father are the only father and son to have played on the exact same team. He proved worth the investment of pay day, as he was a prolific player on both sides of the ball. The first ten years he was Seattle, he won the Golden Glove award from the American League 10 times over and hit nearly 400 home runs.

The Emerald City and also the Kid part ways

Family was always the biggest priority for Griffey, and by 1999, wanted to move closer to them. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, the team his father played on and won two World Series with. He was plagued by injuries, even though he was incredibly productive when fit. The White Sox acquired Griffey mid way through the 2008 season. When he entered free agency, there was a public outcry for the Mariners to get him back on the roster.

The prodigal son returns

Returning in 2009, he hit 19 home runs in the 2009 season. The 2010 season though, was frustrating as he saw few at bats and had not hit a single home run by May. He had been listed as a reserve for a game against the Minnesota Twins, according to the Seattle Times. A quick pre-game press conference was called at Safeco Field, and that was it. He had promised he would "never allow myself to become a distraction." Griffey knew it was time to call the game.

More details on this topic

Seattle Times

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2012015906_griffey03.html

Build a good credit score and start credit repair- payday loans

A major quality of life issue for everybody is a good credit score. Building good credit or fixing poor credit is not complicated. It’s a simple two-step process. First you need to pay your bills on time. Second you have to borrow money and repay it. Sometimes a payday loans no fax can help build, preserve or rebuild a decent credit score. With good credit preserved through wise payday loans use, a person can get much better deals, it is easier for them to get apartments and most importantly, it's easier to get hired for a better job when the employer sees a good credit score.

Article Source: Payday loans – build a good credit score and start credit repair

Online cash loans can build credit

Money loans factor most in a good credit score. In the current economic climate, banks don't really want to make pay day loans and can’t be considered a reliable source of borrowing for most people. A credit card can be a great alternative. Use is frequently. Check the fine print to make sure it doesn't have annual fees and has a low interest. On the card you shouldn't keep a balance. Every month that you pay down the card you will keep from getting interest charges.

I need to get money now

Building a good credit score by paying all of your rent, utility bills and credit card balances on time always works perfectly on paper. But sometimes real life throws a monkey wrench into the most carefully made plans. The car dies. You may have a child get hurt. A toothache and now a root canal. So now what do we do? A fortune of penalties and interest could be found with a late credit card payment. If the check that was written to make that credit card payment on time bounces, the bank pounces with an outrageous NSF (non-sufficient funds) fee.

Same day emergency money loans

To protect a good credit score in an emergency, a pay day can a practical option. Personal loan company provide a valuable service and are very reasonable when being compared to default fees of mainstream lenders. A $15 fee generally comes with a $100 payday advance. Compare that with a $100 bounced check with $48 NSF fee. Pay day loan help you keep from getting that fee and protect your credit score. Plus, borrowing the money, and paying it back on time maintains the progress being made on building a good credit score.

Short term loans no credit check

The quickest, easiest way to protect a good credit score in an emergency is an instant online loan. Online could be found hundreds of direct private money lenders. Cash is within the bank the next day with a quick 10 minute application. There is no credit check conducted by short term personal loanfirms. But the borrower must always stay on spending budget and pay in full at the end of the term, usually 14 days. The peace of mind restored with a payday loan can quickly become one more set of issues if it is not paid back on time.

Find more data on this topic

Annualcreditreport.com
annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

The 2010 NBA finals are here - Lakers vs. Celtics

The culmination of yet an additional NBA season has arrived with an NBA Finals matchup that features Lakers vs. Celtics. The 50-year-old rivalry is the stuff of basketball legend, and when the current Lakers-Celtics matchup may not boast a Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell, Jerry West vs. John Havlicek or Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird, it does offer Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and also the Lakers vs. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and the Celtics. There can be plenty of excitement to go around.

Resource for this article: Lakers vs. Celtics – The 2010 NBA Finals are here

Lakers vs. Celtics – What is the NBA Finals schedule?

Whether you would like to watch the Lakers-Celtics matchup on television or listen to the radio broadcast, you’ve to know the NBA Finals schedule and have cash advances in place if your cable or satellite has been disconnected. Your local ABC affiliate will broadcast the show. The NBA finals will be on your local ESPN radio station. Following are dates and times for 2010 NBA Finals games:

Thursday, June 3 – 9 p.m.
Sunday, June 6 – 8 p.m.
Tuesday, June 8 – 9 p.m.
Thursday, June 10 – 9 p.m.
Sunday, June 13 – 8 p.m. (if necessary)
Tuesday, June 15 – 9 p.m. (if necessary)
Thursday, June 17 – 9 p.m. (if necessary)

Lakers vs. Celtics – breaking it down

As reported by SB Nation, it is going to come down to whether the Lakers afford the Boston Celtics team room to run. The transition game is the strength of the Celtics’ offense, thanks to the quickness of point guard Rajon Rondo. The Celtics should be a power in a lot more deliberate half-court offensive sets – between Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, there is a massive offensive talent – however they lack either the patience or focus to pick apart half-court defenses. The Los Angeles Lakers’ half-court defense has a tendency to lose focus when their defenders are forced to rotate off opponent picks multiple times, but it’s still more potent than the half-court offense the Celtics bring. If the Celtics really start running, nevertheless, they may be too much for the Lakers to handle.

The Celtics' defense?

There are different opinions on the Celtics' defense. On the one hand, it is the classic example of rough-and-tumble East Coast defense versus a finesse-style West Coast offense. The Celtics aren’t afraid to put multiple bodies on the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, and a well-timed push or shove can sometimes be enough to throw the best offensive player off his game. However, Bryant once said during a press conference the Celtics’ defense “sucks.” Interpret that nevertheless you want. Whatever the case, the Lakers have had just a little bit of trouble scoring against pressure defenses, and the Celtics are definitely capable of that. The offensive rebounding will determine the Lakers' defense. Thus, if Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom turn in inspired efforts that show on the boards, that could surely be enough to provide Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol with the scoring opportunities that they’ll have to bring victory to the Lakers.

Lakers vs. Celtics prediction

Kobe Bryant has had an outstanding postseason. He will likely help his team to win. Still, the Celtics have too many weapons. In seven games, the Lakers vs. Celtics will end in a Boston Celtics victory.

Read more on this topic here

SB Nation

The week following the Google TV demo, an Apple TV rumor hits the grapevine

Apple TV has really been around ever given that four years before Google was in the headlines last month with the Google TV demo at Google I/O. It was a wakeup call for an Apple TV update when there was such a huge response to the Google TV demo. Barely a week after Google TV was announced, rumors about a new and improved Apple TV are flying in Silicon Valley. Apple’s initiative for Apple TV sets the scene for a high stakes battle that is between technological superpowers for future control of a $ 150-billion dollar advertising market.

Article Source: Apple TV rumors hit the grapevine the week after Google TV demo

The update on Apple TV

The Apple TV update was in development long before Google TV made its splash. It is reported by the technology blog engadget.com that it received a tip confirmed by a “source very close to Apple” that the Apple TV update can be based directly on the Apple iPhone 4 operating system and be capable of full 1080p HD. The Apple TV device is referred to as an ultra simplified, streamlined Apple iPhone without a screen and with just a power socket and video out. One of the most compelling feature of the Apple TV update is likely that consumers won’t need any easy cash loans to jump on the bandwagon: it's rumored price tag is $ 99. $ 230 is the price tag on the current Apple TV that runs on Apple OS.

Apple TV vs. Google TV

Apple TV and Google are playing a high stakes game. The Los Angeles Times reports the winner will take the lead in a historical transformation of technology. Nearly 40 percent of consumers said they wanted to connect their computers to their televisions to look at online video, as outlined by a recent survey by Frank N. Magid Associates. The Times quotes chief executive of Clicker.com, Jim Lanzone, as saying:

“A generation from now, people simply won’t believe how limited the world of linear programming was, the same way people under 30 today can’t relate to 12 channels and a knob.”

Apple TV goes to the cloud

Apple TV’s new set-top box may have much of the functionality found on the Apple iPhone. Inside of it, it has the A4 processor that powers its computers, along with 16GB of flash storage. As outlined by Engadget, there can be a Time Capsule option for external storage, but the main purpose of Apple TV is all about streaming. Apple is moving from local storage to focus the new Apple TV on cloud-based storage. According to Engadget, there was no details on whether the new device would support Apple's App Store and apps, but given the runaway success of both, that feature might be assumed.

Apple TV – high expectations

Apple TV today is a little box that allows users to purchase or rent HD movies and stream iTunes content through their set top boxes. Most people don't even know this exists. Crienglish.com reports that the seamless integration of the Web and TV has eluded Apple and Microsoft for a while now, but Google TV and also the overwhelming power of Google over the internet has gotten everyone’s attention. Google TV will enable users to quickly pull up Web content on their TVs, including photos, video and music, using an on-screen search box like the one on Google’s website. The ball appears to be in Apple's court now. The public appears to be very excited to see what Apple, a company that defines the state-of-the-art user experience, will come up with.

Citations

Engadget.com
Los Angeles Times
Crienglish.com