Hashemian Blog Web Tools, Financial Markets, Technology Friday, January 30, 2009 Microsoft Office on Google Adsense  Hard to believe but sometimes even fierce adversaries use each other's services to promote their own products. I was a little incredulous when I saw the banner ad shown on the right on the homepage of this very site. It's from Microsoft advertising its Office 2007 suite on Google Adsense network. Who would have thought? microsoft,google,adsense,microsoft office,banners Labels: advertising, web <Microsoft Office on Google Adsense> // posted by rh 1 comments Monday, January 26, 2009 The APY Game  It has been only a few days since I posted about the 4% savings account at Dollar Savings Direct. I characterized the rate as "unheard-of". Apparently the folks over at the bank agreed and over the weekend they lopped off 0.5% from the APY bringing the interest rate down to 3.5%. You really can't blame them for lowering the rate. 4% was just way too high in the current low interest rate market. But that's how the game is played. You set a high rate on the account and advertise the devil out of it to attract enough money. Then you lower the rate to a reasonable level to keep existing customers from jumping ship while new money continues to arrive, albeit at a slower rate. And you keep adjusting the rate to keep the money flow steady. Well, 3.5% APY is still a decent rate, but who knows where it'll stand next week, or the week after. savings account,money market,interest rates,yield,apy Labels: financial <The APY Game> // posted by rh 0 comments Tuesday, January 20, 2009 Obama  Unlike some, I have no illusions about the fact that Obama is just one man against a wall of issues that have gripped this country, thanks in part to the careless and malicious way the previous administration ran its affairs. The country is in the midst of two wars, fighting global terrorism, butting heads with the old enemy, Russia, and facing a devastating financial crisis with job losses, business failures, home foreclosures, and bankruptcies in huge numbers. Not to mention a long list of social issues like retirement programs, healthcare, affordable education, and transportation. Obama is right when he says the problems are not easy to fix and will take hard work and patience. It may take generations. For now, I salute him for having the courage and the fighting spirit to reach the Presidency. I also admire him for frequently mentioning non-believers (atheists and agnostics) in an inclusive way with people of other faiths. No, he will not be a savior nor a miracle-worker. All we can hope for is that he is honest, smart, and diligent. And in the end even if he accomplishes nothing, that's still a relative positive compared to the way this country was (mis-)led previously. obama,election,usa Labels: social <Obama> // posted by rh 0 comments Sunday, January 18, 2009 High Interest Savings Account  While the historic low interest rates are good news to consumers who need to borrow money (that is if they qualify in the tight credit market), they are bad news for those needing to hoard cash. You are lucky to find a CD, money market, or a savings account paying 2% interest these days. But there are a few banks around that still offer decent rates on savings accounts. One such bank I recently ran into is DollarSavingsDirect, a division of Emigrant Bank. It has been offering an unheard of 4% APY on savings accounts. In comparison, its sister unit, EmigrantDirect currently offers 2.5% savings accounts with no minimums. DollarSavingsDirect requires a minimum $1,000 deposit, there is apparently no maximum amount, and the accounts are FDIC insured. Based on what I have found so far, this is not a teaser rate and people have actually been earning that interest rate on their deposits for a few months. Of course the rate is always subject to change and it probably will fall if interest rates remain this low or go even lower. That's the basic problem of chasing higher rates. By the time or shortly after your money lands in the account, the rate could slide below your previous bank and you are faced with the decision of moving your cash again. And since your money doesn't earn any interest while in transition (which could sometimes take a week) your effective rate could end up being lower than what you had expected. With electronic deposits (Automated Clearing House or ACH) the best day to request a transfer is on a Monday of a holiday-free week. That way you run a lower risk of having your money held up over the weekend or a holiday and losing extra days of interest earnings, while awaiting the completion of the transfer. Note: I receive no compensation from the banks mentioned in this post. interest rates,savings accounts,yield,money market,ach,fdic Labels: financial <High Interest Savings Account> // posted by rh 0 comments Wednesday, January 14, 2009 Lessons from Apple's Jobs  The off again, on again, off again news about Steve Jobs has been sending the Apple stock on a roller-coaster ride for the past few months. Investors are nervous and that is clearly reflected in the volatility of the company shares. With tonight's news on Jobs' leave of absence, Apple has taken a dive in after-hours trading, down over 7%. No doubt more volatility will follow when it opens tomorrow. This brings into question the degree by which the value of a company should be tied to one person. When Jobs retook the helm at Apple in 1997 he achieved the incredible feat of turning a moribund company into a behemoth. Few expected that kind of success, but the price has been that Apple's fortunes were forever tied to one person. Apple without Steve is like Seinfeld without Jerry, or the Honeymooners without Jackie, or Van Halen without Diamond Dave. Ok, the last one was a bad example, but you get the picture. The point is that companies are supposed to thrive for a long time, but people's lifespan are just too short - we're all mortals. For a company to survive its founder or star leader, it must have a solid succession plan and skilled people who can navigate the ship long after the lone captain has left the deck. GE did it without Edison, AT&T did it without Bell, and Exxon did it without Rockefeller. As for the bad examples, look at GE today. It has floundered since Jack Welch signed off, even with all the grooming for its current leader. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia never recovered after Martha Stewart got into legal trouble and served jail time. But Microsoft and Oracle have done a decent job of decoupling themselves from their leaders. These companies will probably be fine even after Gates and Ellison are gone. Yahoo has learned that lesson with Yang abdicating yesterday in favor of a new leader. Google has also done it right by not keeping its founders in the limelight all the time and allowing an outsider to lead the company. I suppose the ultimate example of a company inexorably tied to its leader is Berkshire Hathaway. Warren Buffett is no doubt a genius who has transformed an unknown textile company into a $150 billion giant. But he is also 78 years old and investors must wonder about how much longer he can perform his magic. There is little question that at the first sign of his deterioration, the stock will sustain a heavy blow. Of course I hope that's a long way off. The market is a soulless beast, but I admire him for his thrift and his charitable trait. apple,steve jobs,berkshire hathaway,warren buffett,stocks Labels: financial <Lessons from Apple's Jobs> // posted by rh 0 comments Sunday, January 04, 2009 Best Valentine's Day Gift Ever  With the holiday season behind us and the data reflecting dismal sales for most retailers, the economy is probably focused on the next big spending opportunity by consumers, Valentine's day. We all know that this is basically a revenue generation scam, but there's nothing wrong with women buying something for their men this Valentine's day. So here's my suggestion, depicted below. A beautifully appointed Zenith watch from Amazon.com. At a 40% discount and only a $20 shipping cost, it'll make a perfect gift. Can you just imagine paying for standard shipping and having the package dropped off behind your door only to be dragged away by an animal or wind or something? * Image tightened-up to show all elements. amazon,watches,luxury watches,valentine's day,holidays Labels: amazon, social <Best Valentine's Day Gift Ever> // posted by rh 1 comments Friday, January 02, 2009 2009 in NYC  I don't have a great affection for loud holiday celebrations. Not that there's anything wrong with them. Mine just happens to be a subdued personality shunning large and loud crowds. But when your kids want to see the ball drop in New York City, you put your prejudices aside and take the plunge. One must experience everything at least once, with some exceptions of course. My take: it was miserable. This comes close to the concept of cruel and unusual punishment, except that people actually choose to or are chosen to do it. We actually started out late. Some accounts have people arriving at Times Square at dawn on new year's day. Our train reached the Grand Central Station around 9 PM and as we emerged from the station we were welcomed by a blast of arctic air. In fact it was one of coldest new year's eves recorded in New York City. We joined the throngs of people trying to make their way to Times Square but we soon ran into blockades and barricades set up by the police to prevent people from going any further east than fifth avenue. The police kept sending people further up to make the crossing to Broadway and we kept going until we hit Central Park. We were finally able to cross eastward and after passing security check we were stopped once again by more barricades and told that no more people will be allowed in. Cold and miserable we turned around and backtracked our way to possibly find another way in. By that time the kids just wanted to go home, but we pressed on, refueling with a couple of expensive pretzels bought from a street vendor and hot beverages in a Starbucks store with one of the longest bathroom lines I had ever seen. I pity the person who has to clean up that mess. In the end we settled for watching the ball from the corner of W 44th and 6th. Standing in the cold, pressed in the crowds for an hour, we saw the ball drop, go dark and the ensuing fireworks erupt. People cheered as best as the could in that chill, but the whole event seemed anti-climatic to me. I was just happy that kids actually saw what we came to see. As we settled in for the train ride back home, I was just happy to realize that with my duty fulfilled, I don't have to come back to this event ever again. If you are brave (or crazy) enough to want to see the ball drop, here's a short list of rules to consider based on my experience: Expect the worst but bring your best and most patient attitude. It's cold, you'll walk a lot, stand a lot, will get pushed and pulled and pressed a lot. Short fuses won't stand a chance. Stay away from drinks (soft or hard drinks). Bathroom opportunities are nearly non-existent. Dress warmly (heavy coats, hats, gloves, etc). Have something to eat. Your body needs the energy to fight the cold and the stress. Don't believe what the cops tell you when you ask them a question. They are generally courteous and friendly, but their primary task is crowd control and safety. To them you are like cattle being herded into a slaughterhouse. About the only truthful statement they will tell you is that you can't cross. Everything else is said to keep you calm and keep you hoping that you can eventually get to your destination while you're going in circles. Don't expect a surreal experience or anything. It’s just a flashing ball sliding down a pole with a bit of fireworks at the end. It's way overrated and not that exciting. Finally, if you missed the big party, don't despair. Starting this year, you can see the ball year-round. Ok, it's not the same thing as being there when the year flips over, but you'll have a front-row seat any other day. Have a happy and healthy 2009. 2009,nyc,new york city,new york,times square,new year's eve Labels: social <2009 in NYC> // posted by rh 0 comments

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