Apple iPhone 4

Google TV

Google announced this week that they will be launching a new system where you can integrate Internet with your home entertainment system. Not sure yet if this will be another Apple TV or if they can take this mainstream. The concept is not new, but nobody has been able to make a system that overcomes all the obvious questions. Here are a few of my concerns...

1. How will you control the menus and guides with a single remote? Will there be a mouse and keyboard used to surf the web?
2. Will there be an additional charge from the Internet provider?
3. How will the ads work? One of the main advantages of watching TV online is that you don't have to sit through all the commercials.
4. Will Google TV work with any current DVR or Tivo setup?

I like the concept, but wouldn't it be easier to connect your laptop with your home entertainment center, so you don't have to go through an intermediary?

Here is the pitch from the folks at Google...

Oil a good buy?

Current Holdings Update

Current holdings & cost basis

C - $3.36
DIG - $28.80
VZ - $28.08
PFE - $15.51
COP - $49.96

Leadership

Back in the Game

This seams like the perfect time to start blogging again. After a long break, I think it is time to start back up with a different outlook. Momentum is the name of the game, so I am going to start looking at stocks that have a lot of positive momentum, and some on the other side of the spectrum to see if following trends really does work. I have read all the different trading strategies, but this one always seams to make the most seance. Why buy a stock when it is at it's all time low? You are not getting a good deal, you are getting exactly what you are paying for. So a new strategy as of today, buy quality stocks that have positive momentum and are hitting all time highs. Ride the wave up and jump ship when you feel the time is right. MOMENTUM, MOMENTUM, MOMENTUM.... I will chant that when putting in orders this week.

MAC Tip

Screen shots are pretty sweet, but they show everything on your screen. With a mac you can take a screen shot of a selected area by using command-shift-4. Pretty sweet.

US Debt Clock

Ever wonder what the national debt is, or what the GDP per citizen is? Well now you can find this data in real time! check out the US National Debt Clock!

Stock Market - Behind the Scenes

Capitalism

Capitalism is not evil, no matter what Michael Moore says...

Looking for 10,000

Where is the love? The markets are starting to turn and confidence is beginning to rise. I am still fully invested in the markets, although mostly in mutual funds. I am looking for a few stocks to jump out at me, so as soon as I find them I will post an update.

Sorry for the lack of posts, more to come soon!

Apple

I sold my last position in apple today @ $140. I have not been following any stocks close enough to be actively trading, so I am just sticking with my mutual funds for now. I will jump back into following the trends shortly. More posts to come...

Is the worst over?

I think so! If you follow the DOW, you know that it has been above 8k all month. The media is starting to report more positive news and we are seeing more signs of liquidity in the markets. Credit is starting to loosen and lenders are starting to lend. Unemployment is still rising, but most economists say this is the last piece of the economic still puzzle to recover. So if you freaked out and sold all your securities during the fall, this may be the time to reinvest while you can pick up some stocks on the cheep. I sold out of most of my financials on the jump this past week, but am on the hunt for some good deal. I will post when I find something. Have a great long weekend!

Done!!

Tonight was my last class! I have working towards my MS in Accounting from The University of Texas at Dallas, and I am finally done. I am going to be graduating next weekend, and will hopefully be sober by Sunday for the Texas Man. Next step will be to take the CPA exam this summer.

Tonight we had to give presentations on corporate governance. Needless to say I have done a lot of web surfing. Here are a few things I thought were interesting....

Yolo Boards - Basically a really slow moving surf board. I am sure this is a great upper body workout! I went to the companies website and they are pretty pricey, but they look like a lot of fun. Check out the link if you have a few minutes. Also here is the blog talking about them.

Twitter - has officially become mainstream. I have been on Twitter for about a year, but rarely check it or update my status. I like the idea, but am a little turned off when I see the White House or the Texas State Comptroller twittering (spell check did not pick that up!)

Texas Man Triathlon - Come and join me on May 17th! This will be my first open water swim, but I think I float so no worries:)

Aviva Saturn - Another cool water toy! You can probably see a trend here (I am ready for summer on the lake). Any game where you try and knock another person into the water is cool in my book.

Customer Service

Last week I went to Blockbuster to pick up a movie and was shocked to find that I owed $28 in late fees. The line was long and my wife was not in the mood to listen to me complain and talk to management, so we paid the fine and went on our way. The more I thought about this the more angry I became so today I called the customer service number to complain about these excessive fees. It was very obvious that my call had been sent around the world to somewhere in India where a lady named "Susan" answered my call. After giving Susan all my information including verifying my address we finally got down to business. Susan was nice enough, but I could tell she was reading from a script and not listening to my problem.

This confrontation with customer service got me thinking about why companies outsource such a vital part their business. This appears to be a huge oversight by top levels executives. The costs saved by outsourcing customer service is dramatically offset by the negative experiences by loyal customers. In todays internet based world a lot of companies never see or even speak to their customers. So when a problem arises, why don't they want a sympathetic understanding person on the other end of the phone? Companies should definitely think twice about outsourcing their customer service or they might just loose their business to NetFlix.

Here is the list of work customer service from MSN Money:

The Hall of Shame
1. AOL
2. Comcast
3. Sprint Nextel
4. Abercrombie & Fitch
5. Qwest
6. Capital One
7. Bank of America
8. Time Warner Cable
9. HSBC Finance
10. Cox Communication

Just so you know Blockbuster was not far down the list. Check out the complete list here..