Instead of using DVD combo systems, many of us are now listening to mp3 and ipods, and
it is well. Why? Foremost because it is small and convenient, and you can bring
it anywhere you want.  But I think the
most important is that you can store thousands of songs inside one device, and
it is very convenient.  Most CDs can
store about a dozen songs, and although it is not really that much work to
change a CD, for most of us, it is a labor we would rather not do.  Just like the television set.  It is not really that much of a deal to go up
and change the channel, but now we all want to do using remote.  It is a small convenience, but something we
cannot do without.  For many of us,
changing a CD, and storing it back to the case is a little work which we find
irritating and frustrating.

Of course, if you have 
a lot of kids around the house, or you are a somewhat not very well
organized person, you tend to not return the CD to the case, and because of
that, it is not unusual to have CDs scratched badly, or even lost.

So it is great to buy the CD, and rip ( or transform it to
mp3 or wma files and store it on your computer, or your portable player).  However, you still do want to listen to it whether in the house or in the car, it is really better if you don’t
have to use headphones all the time ( be forwarned!  They say using   headphones excessively, and with a loud
noise may cause deafness!).

What’s the best thing to do? 
Well, if you have a DVD writer, you can copy all your mp3 files and burn
it to a DVD.  A DVD disc can store more
than 4 gigabytes of data, and based on the file size of mp3 music, that means
well over a thousand songs, or easily over 50 hours worth of music , or
equivalent of 50 CDs.  So if you get a
DVD player that can play also wma and mp3 music either in your car or in your
house, and you have a DVD burned, then that means it could well be days or
weeks before you even finish listening to one. 
Which means for every DVD that you burn, you get an equivalent selection
of songs that is even more extensive than what most mp3 players will hold.  After all, most DVD compo systems also will
give better sounds than most mp3 add-on players.

Just read a newspaper article whose title is ” It is time to stop Improvising our way out of trouble.”

It just reminds me that it is what many people, and company do.  They fail to plan, and relies on their skills of snaking out of issues as it happens. IN a way, it is a great skill, but it also means that people rely on it too much and fail to anticipate and be proactive, then it is no good.

There are a couple of things wrong….

first is that you downgrade to Windows XP, not upgrade.

It seems now getting Windows XP is now getting more expensive than getting Windows Vista, and vendors are justifying the cost by calling it an ‘upgrade’?

Windows XP: The OS That Won’t Quit - PC World

Phasing out an old operating system is nothing new for Microsoft, but Windows XP is unique in that it may be too good to die.

This week, Dell announced it will offer systems with the aging Windows XP for a surcharge of US$150 over the newer Windows Vista–this only five months after it stopped offering XP on its Inspiron consumer desktop and laptop PCs.

Here are some statistics that may be useful for those who want to climb Mt. Everest before they die….

a.) Most people die not on the way up, but on the way down.
b.) A total of 212 people have died trying to climb Mt. everest from 1921 to 2006.
c.) The mortality rate of the 86 year period is 1.6 percent for climbers ( 1.1 percent for Sherpas). That means you have that much chance of never coming back — probably higher if your age or weigh is well above average….

Why Climbers Die On Mount Everest

An international research team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has conducted the first detailed analysis of deaths during expeditions to the summit of Mt. Everest. They found that most deaths occur during descents from the summit in the so-called “death zone” above 8,000 meters and also identified factors that appear to be associated with a greater risk of death, particularly symptoms of high-altitude cerebral edema.

Global uncertainty or not, If you know what the consumers want or need, the consumer probably will still allocate their money for you!

November video game sales near $3 billion (AP) by AP: Yahoo! Tech

U.S. retail sales of video game hardware, software and accessories jumped 10 percent last month from the year-ago period to $2.91 billion, boosted by strong sales of Nintendo Co.’s Wii, Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 and the alien shooter game “Gears of War 2.”

That means on average, the computer price is cheaper…

IDC sees decline in US PC market next year (AP) by AP: Yahoo! Tech

IDC, which said last month it expects global technology spending to slow significantly next year, now forecasts worldwide 2009 PC shipment growth of 3.8 percent, with the value of those shipments falling by 5.3 percent. This is down considerably from IDC’s earlier projection, made during the second quarter, of a 13.7 percent growth in units shipped and 4.5 percent increase in PC revenue.

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They say that quality means consistency. Now they say that productivity is consistency.

I guess there is a point to make that you have to be consistent, and predictable?

According to research published in Forbes Magazine:

“The real key to productivity–and thus performance–is not maximizing it at all costs. It is maintaining a level of consistency.”

Haig Nalbantian, labor economist at Mercer HR Consulting found:

“It wasn’t the companies with the highest productivity that were most profitable. It was those companies that consistently maintained their productivity that built the most value.”

In other words, “great businesses can’t crank through a job at record pace this month only to fall down on the next. Options traders may love volatility, but customers, vendors and shareholders decidedly do not.”

Volatility is an indication of ability to manage (or mismanage). It is another way to view risk.

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In essence, there are always opportunities for well managed companies in economic crisis - if not the short term, then in the long term, as weaker companies die out or become weak.

Q4 revenues up, profits debatable

It is beginning to look like Mark Hurd, chairman and chief executive officer of IT giant Hewlett-Packard, has one of the easiest jobs in the market. Maybe second only to Sam Palmisano, IBM’s chairman and CEO and Hurd’s chief rival in the IT space.…

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Maybe Microsoft thinks it can get Yahoo talent instead of getting the company. After all, a lot of them are losing their jobs.

Software maker says Sean Suchter, who announced his departure from Yahoo on Wednesday, will join its Silicon Valley search center.
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