I suspect the Android platform will give Windows Mobile, Symbian, and iPhone platforms a run for their money, and I look forward to playing with one of these gadgets sooner than later.

In the Open Source community the progress of this platform is pretty exciting, and can do wonders for Linux market share in general.  The potential for this new convergence of software (Android, Gears, Chrome, and Linux) is tremendous, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

Over at LinuxJournal.com, Doc Searls shares his thoughts on Google’s direction, and like most of Doc’s writing, it is well worth checking out.

GACL | Linux Journal.

Here’s my old apt in NYC:

Crazy!

Being a millionaire just isn’t the same these days

Not that long ago, the word “millionaire” conjured up visions of chauffeured limousines and extravagant shopping trips and elegant yachts. These days, a millionaire is more likely to be the guy or gal next door who saved carefully — and perhaps benefited from the sharp run-up in housing prices — but still worries about covering the exploding costs of children’s educations, caring for aging parents and funding their own retirements.

Oy!

Vista Adoption: Who’s Taking The Plunge?

It was a terrific ride for a while: Every three months, Google would post earnings after weeks of anticipation — and amid wild guessing by analysts who received zero guidance from the company.

For the Google romantics, this might seem (at first glance) like a cold shower.
I prefer to see this as a hopeful sign.  I believe Google is a great company.  I also believe that there are higher gains from here.  The sentiment indicated by this article suggests that most of the investors may have gotten over the initial infatuation and settled into a steady relationship with the company.
The first three words Kelleher writes are “Bad news, daytraders.”  I am long, so this may be good news for me.

The earlier the better though!

But by putting money in both a 401(k) and a Roth IRA, you’re hedging your bets. I call this strategy “tax diversification” because, like asset allocation, it prevents you from making an all-or-nothing bet (although in this case, you’re protecting yourself by diversifying your exposure to tax rates instead of different types of investments).

Ask the Expert

COPYRIGHT 2003 Financial Times Ltd.

(From Aberdeen Press & Journal (UK))

I Wish to invest for my grandchildren’s future. I have read about the use of trusts, but am concerned they are complex to set up and incur high running costs. Could you please give me some guidance? – PB, by e-mail Ron Cameron, Ernst and Young Financial Management’s regional manager for Aberdeen, said: The use of trusts for gifting is certainly a good idea. However, you must be aware that as soon as you have made the gift into the trust, you have given up any right to get access to the capital for your personal use or to any income or gains thereafter.

The trust could be for the benefit of your current and future grandchildren. You, as a trustee, would maintain control over investment decisions and timing of income/ distributions to the grandchildren. I would almost certainly recommend that you consider having additional trustees, such as your children. There are three types of trust to consider – life interest trusts, accumulation and maintenance trusts and discretionary trusts. All of these have slightly different tax treatments. An accumulation and maintenance trust (or possibly even a flexible life interest trust) may be the most appropriate for your circumstances. This will allow you to gift outright and, as long as you live for seven years after the gift, it and any growth would be outside your estate for inheritance tax purposes. It may be advisable to invest through collective investments such as unit trusts, investment trusts or offshore/ onshore investment bonds. Investing through a direct share portfolio may not achieve sufficient diversification and could expose the trust to too much risk. To keep the cost down, you may wish to consider using specimen trust wordings provided by investment houses and insurance firms in conjunction with investing the funds into their products. The product providers do not charge for this service. However, they do not accept any legal liability on the use or efficacy of the trust document. I would also always recommend that you consult your solicitor to confirm that he is satisfied with the legality of the specimen trust document. As with all financial planning decisions, it is important that you consult your financial adviser.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Financial Times Ltd.