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Tag: Wall Street

  • Verizons New Droid Phone – The Reviews Are In!!



    Can you feel the tremors? Verizon’s hotly anticipated Motorola Droid finally arrives on Friday, and — if the earth-rumbling ads are to be believed — we’ll be feeling its force all over the world.

    All right, so the ads may be a bit exaggerated. Let’s face it, though: This phone is stirring up quite the geek-friendly frenzy. Whether you think it’ll be a mere blip on the radar or you believe it’ll send the iPhone scrambling to a secure bunker, the Droid has definitely become difficult to ignore.

    Here’s a quick and easy guide to everything you need to know about Verizon’s Droid and its November 6 launch.

    Verizon’s Droid: The Basics

    • Verizon’s Motorola Droid is 4.56 by 2.36 inches and weighs just under 6 ounces.

    • The phone features 3.7-inch, 854-by-480 pixel touchscreen display.

    • It has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a 5-megapixel camera with DVD-quality video recording.

    • The Droid utilizes an Arm Cortex 550mHz A8 processor with 256MB of built-in memory. It has a 16GB microSD card and can be expanded to 32GB.

    • Running the Android 2.0 operating system, the Droid is capable of multitasking and features unique options such as integrated turn-by-turn GPS navigation.

    • The Droid connects to Google’s Android Market, which features roughly 10,000 downloadable apps.

    Verizon Droid Smartphone

    Verizon’s Droid: The Buying

    • The Droid costs $199.99 when bought with a new two-year contract. In most instances, however, you’ll end up paying $299.99 up-front, then getting $100 back via a mail-in rebate.

    • If you buy your Droid at Best Buy, you can avoid paying the extra $100 from the mail-in rebate. Best Buy will automatically credit the rebate at the time of your purchase, meaning you’ll pay only $199.99 that day.

    • The Droid requires a Verizon voice plan, which runs a minimum of $39.99 for 450 minutes. It also requires an unlimited data plan, which runs an additional $29.99. Text messaging is not included and costs extra to add on.

    • Over two years’ time, you’d end up paying essentially the same amount with either an iPhone 3GS or a Verizon Droid. A Palm Pre would end up costing you a good bit less.

    • Despite some initial confusion, you will not have to pay extra simply to utilize the Droid’s Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync feature. There is a $15 surcharge only if you have a multiple-line business account.

    • Verizon Wireless will open many of its retail stores early Friday morning to accommodate the Droid launch. Some locations will open at 7 or 8 a.m. The flagship Verizon store on 34th Street in New York City will open from midnight to 2 a.m. for an early round of Droid sales. Be sure to call your specific store to check on its hours, as opening times vary from place to place.

    Verizon’s Droid: The Reviews

    Verizon Droid Reviews• PC World: “The first Android 2.0 phone impresses with a strong suite of Web features and a stunning 3.7-inch display, but some users might have trouble with the shallow keyboard.”

    • The New York Times (David Pogue): “The Droid wins on phone network, customizability, GPS navigation, speaker, physical keyboard, removable battery and openness (free operating system, mostly uncensored app store).”

    • The Wall Street Journal (Walt Mossberg): “It’s the best super-smart phone Verizon offers, the best Motorola phone I’ve tested and the best hardware so far to run Android. I can recommend the Droid to Verizon loyalists who have lusted for a better smart phone, but don’t want to switch networks.”

    • Time: “The Droid is without a doubt the best Android device currently available; it’s also the best phone Verizon has to offer and it doesn’t hurt that Verizon is the best network. … [It] comes in a close second to the iPhone in terms of a seamless user experience.”

    • Gizmodo: “If you don’t buy an iPhone, buy a Droid. It’s the best phone on Verizon, and with Android 2.0, the second best smartphone you can buy, period. It’s flawed, deeply in some ways. But it’s the second best phone around, on the best network around.”

    • Engadget: “It’s hard not to recommend the Droid to potential buyers eager to do more with their devices. It’s easily the best Android phone to date, and when you couple the revamped OS, Verizon’s killer network, and an industrial design straight from a gadget enthusiast’s fever-dream, it makes for a powerful concoction.”

    • Boy Genius Report: “We absolutely love the Motorola Droid. It’s a perfect storm between awesome hardware, great software, and a great network.”

    • SlashGear: “The Verizon Droid by Motorola sets the bar for all new Android devices and is arguably the best Android device to date. … While the Droid lacks the Apple handset’s finesse and polish, it’s only a few steps behind.”

  • Morris Chestnut: Returning to Roots with New ‘V’ TV Series

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    Boyz n The Hood
    Black Hollywood heart-throb Morris Chestnut is making a return to where he began; the ‘Boyz n the Hood’ actor stars in the new ABC series ‘V,’ which premieres Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. ET.

    The thrilling new drama is a reimagining of the hit 1980s series about the world’s first alien encounter. With huge spaceships simultaneously appearing over 29 cities around the world, the Visitors (or V’s) seem to promote a message of peace. Through their generous offer to share advanced technology, the V’s quickly build a following that may be overlooking a more malevolent agenda.

    Chestnut plays Ryan Nichols, a Wall Street whiz who is faced with a life-altering decision when the V’s show up. It’s a long way from his early days – where he cut his teeth starring in the Patti LaBelle-fronted sitcom in the early 1990s.

    Since then, he’s become a urban movie box-office draw with movies such as ‘The Best Man,’ ‘Two Can Play That Game’ and ‘Not Easily Broken.’

    Doing a show like nothing else currently on TV is what prompted the Cerritos, California native to get back into the small screen.

    “This was not a science-fiction show that was going to be driven by special effects,” he told USA Today. “This was a science-fiction show that was going to be driven by the characters with special effects as a backdrop, and that was what appealed to me.”

     

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  • Economic Recovery Definition: Is the Economy Really Getting Better?

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    What is the definition of an economic recovery? This is the hot finance topic of the week. As the White House unrolls a PR plan to try and demonstrate that the recession is over thanks to the administration’s efforts, the question of how to exactly define economic recovery is causing confusion. Let’s look at the facts and try to determine an economic recovery definition.

    President Obama has claimed that 650,000 jobs have been created or saved through his stimulus plan. The Dow increased by 200 in response to the good news. Plus, the economy grew last quarter for the first time in a year at a rate of 3.5%. Modest, but good. There is also the increase in home sales reported in September. And even Ford posted a profit of nearly $1 billion this year, which came as a surprise to the business community. But do these positive reports illustrate that our economy is set for permanent stability?

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    Home Sales Up
    Chart shows new home sales for the past 13 months, seasonally adjusted
    AP
    AP

    Home Sales Up

      Chart shows seasonally adjusted annual rate of pending U.S. home sales

      AP

      Chart shows seasonally adjusted annual rate of pending U.S. home sales

      AP

      In this Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009 photo a sign for a home under contract is seen in Philadelphia. The volume of signed contracts to buy previously occupied homes rose for the eighth straight month in September as buyers scrambled to take advantage of a tax credit for first-time owners that expires at the end of this month.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

      AP

      In this Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009 photo a sign for a home under contract is seen in Philadelphia. The volume of signed contracts to buy previously occupied homes rose for the eighth straight month in September as buyers scrambled to take advantage of a tax credit for first-time owners that expires at the end of this month.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

      AP

      Chart shows new home sales for the past 13 months, seasonally adjusted

      AP

      Shea Homes townhouses are seen at the Victoria Gardens development in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009. The number of buyers snapping up new homes dipped unexpectedly last month as the effects of a temporary tax credit for first-time owners started to wear off. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

      AP

      Chart shows new home sales for the past 13 months, seasonally adjusted

      AP

      In this photo made Oct. 26, 2009, a new development of townhouses is seen in Wakefield, Mass. Sales of new homes dropped unexpectedly last month as the effects of a soon-to-expire tax credit for first-time owners started to wane.(AP Photo/Lisa Poole)

      AP

      In this photo made Oct. 26, 2009, a new development of townhouses is seen in Wakefield, Mass. Sales of new homes dropped unexpectedly last month as the effects of a soon-to-expire tax credit for first-time owners started to wane.(AP Photo/Lisa Poole)

      AP

      New home models are shown in Homestead, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009. Sales of new homes are expected to post their sixth consecutive monthly gain as builders reap the benefits of a tax credit for first-time owners that expires at the end of next month. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

      AP

    Some say no. Increases in car and home sales have been spurred by federally-backed incentives like the $8,000 first time homebuyer tax credit and the cash for clunkers program. These increases don’t stand on their own as signs of consumer strength. So what can we use to define economic recovery?

    Writers at the Wall Street Journal believe the jobless rate is a much more meaningful benchmark. But right now it is too soon to tell exactly where that rate is heading based on the statistics available now. So even the jobless rate cannot help us develop a reliable economic recovery definition until we have more information.

    Let’s try looking to the president for his definition. The POTUS has declared: “The benchmark I use to measure the strength of our economy is not just whether our GDP is growing, but whether we are creating jobs, whether families are having an easier time paying their bills, whether our businesses are hiring and doing well.” (CBS News)

    As unemployment remains high and it is still difficult for people to get loans, we are clearly far from a lasting economic recovery — by the definition of the president himself. But as we have faced the worst economic decline since the Great Depression, it is silly to expect our economy to fully recover after a few months of federal intervention. Obama’s stimulus plan may not have created a full economic recovery within months, but it has helped many families survive what could have been a much worse financial scenario. It has also supported state governments that provide social services like police and teachers to all.

    This type of relief may not fit an expert’s economic recovery definition, but it has helped society overall in the short term. For that alone the president can be commended.

     

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  • Al Scales Reynolds: Opening Up About ‘Life After’ Messy Marriage

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    Al Scales Reynolds: Opening Up About 'Life After' Messy Marriage

    The one and only Al Scales Reynolds is a featured celebrity notable on TV One’s much buzzed about docu-series ‘Life After,’ which explores the past, present and future hopes of some of black America’s most intriguing bold-faced names.

    The eight-episode, half-hour series — which feature candid profiles on Omarosa Manigault Stallworth, Taimak, Eva Marcille and Daryl “Chill” Mithcell, respectively — is part biography, part confessional and an overall celebration of the human spirit.

    Though the former husband of Star Jones isn’t a SAG card-carrying thespian (like the aforementioned actors and reality TV stars), his short-lived marriage to and messy divorce from a former TV personality has presented many public and professional challenges for the former Wall Street power broker. He has had more than his fair share of tabloid fodder and wants to set the record straight about any misconceptions and misrepresentations.

    Reynolds exclusively offered Blackvoices.com some insight on why he chose to do ‘Life After’ – in his very own words.

    When I decided I did not want to be married any more, the truth is I had no idea how it was all going to play out. The one thing I knew was that I did not want to do it any longer–not one extra day with how bad it had gotten.

    I knew it was going to be a long road to recovery, but I was ready because I’d had enough, enough of the lies and deceit that existed in my life. It was becoming harder and harder to wake up and be satisfied with the face that stared back at me in the mirror.
    I would like to set the record straight: I am not one who advocates divorce. That would be the furthest from the truth, but I am one who advocates happiness and moral responsibility. You see, before I got married, I was a private banker at the world headquarters of one of the most prestigious white-glove financial firms in the world. I had a client list that read like a who’s who of fashion, sports, design and education. I lived downtown in The Ritz Carlton Residence, and I was well on my way to realizing all the dreams I had envisioned for myself. I studied at some of the most prestigious universities and colleges in the country.

    This all was the experience of a “country boy” from Virginia who started out in a mobile home in Horsepasture, Virginia, and ended up living in a penthouse in Manhattan.

    I managed to defy every single statistic that existed in my era and pushed forward to become what many define today as a success. And guess what, it was not overnight. It was after 25 years of schooling, 12 years of work experience and 33 years of living. It was after three career changes and dozens of setbacks, failures and disappointments.

    To accomplish all of that and wake up to find myself in a high-profile marriage that led to what felt like the raping of my character, integrity and namesake was a problem.

    How did all of this occur in what felt like a matter of seconds and why was it happening to me? That’s what I found myself thinking about. I would frequently wonder when I heard or read anything about myself who the tabloids were they talking about?

    Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, what I’ve experienced and how I’ve been misrepresented in the media is a real-life tragedy. And before now, I didn’t feel comfortable enough to say it and say it out loud. Now, I want to be very clear, I am not looking for sympathy. I only want to take responsibility for any part I had to play in this.

    But at the same time, I want the respect that I worked so hard to obtain. How come, within the blink of an eye, people started questioning my sexuality? How come after all that I worked hard to achieve, I was being called a freeloader, a kept man or a fraud?

    It was with caution that I originally took the call from TV One Network. Most of the calls I had received from most networks — and you name it, they’ve called — were not interested in showing who or what I was really about. They were interested in me living out the caricature that was so vividly portrayed.

    TV One approached me about showing the world what I was doing now, using my voice as the platform. Finally, I thought, someone who was interested in exploring who the real Al Reynolds was and not who the media had made me out to be.

    The producers said they were only interested in doing socially responsible programming that would allow me to just be me. They were interested in following me mentoring young adults, teaching my personal finance and leadership courses at the university, helping everyday Americans with their financial problems, writing financial articles, doing financial television commentary and exploring the road I have traveled from early childhood to the present.

    I felt that ‘Life After’ was finally a project in which I could showcase who I really am, with no scripts, no red carpets, no paparazzi, no endorsements — just the real deal.

    The show represents pushing through whatever challenges or obstacles you are experiencing in your life and persevering. It is the” life” you forge “after” your adversity.

    This project represents to me the closing of a chapter in my life, as well the beginning of a new and exciting one, one that is filled with giving back to my community, which is thirsting for help in mentoring and motivating in order to achieve and overcome adversity.

    It’s the beginning of embracing the entertainment side of my life. I look forward to having a much greater touch by writing, commentating and developing socially responsible projects for everyone to be inspired and uplifted.

    Reclaiming my name, my identity and my voice back is the most rewarding and best part. From the bottom of my heart to the tip top of my head, I still say to any and everyone listening: What doesn’t kill you definitely makes you stronger!

    ‘Life After: Al Reynolds’ premieres Oct. 18 at 10 p.m. on TV One.

     

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  • Obama Has Tough Message for Wall Street

    President Barack Obama sternly warned Wall Street Monday against returning to the sort of reckless and unchecked behavior that threatened the nation with a second Great Depression.