All about Azipods

All the whining about self-inflicted economic problems, be they in Saipan or the U.S., is too boring of a scene to cover all the time. So today, we contemplate the Azipod!

I warned you

I've been warning Saipan Tribune readers for years that the U.S. financial bubble would eventually bring weirdness to markets.

Post script: A bailed-out bubble is still a bubble. The economic underpinnings of distorted capital allocation don't magically disappear. Joe Six-Pack is happy that stock prices have zoomed up at the end of the week, but he doesn't know who the rube is yet.

Utils and Utility

Blackouts don't mean that we have to sit in the economic dark. Here's some wonkish economic stuff on "utils" and "utility."

Deputy Director of Notebooks

Shopping for a notebook computer? You're not alone: Notebook sales are up 35% for the year. Here's my take on the gig.

Digitimes.com has interesting data on notebook market share here.


UPDATE:

Since I've got notebooks on the brain today, I just caught an article on CNNMoney.com about one new offering in the ultra-small, ultra cheap notebook computer sector--the Dell Mini 9, which has a 8.9 inch display, WiFi, a teeny capacity flash memory of 4gb to 16gb, and a teeny price of $350 (with Linux) or $400 (Windows XP).

This surely isn't a substitute for a full blown notebook computer, but as a "computer-like appliance" (or "sub-notebook") for road trips (it weighs under two pounds), it might be an interesting tool, or maybe toy, for some folks.

Dell's offering is coming on the heels of a similar little offering from Taiwan's Asus, the Eee PC. I checked one of these out in Asia when they were pretty new on the market. Although I'd love to shave four pounds from my travel kit, my enthusiasm was curbed when I actually used one of these things.

Leaping into lethargy

Looking for some inspiration? Don't ask me for any. Especially in August, which always seems to be an 0ff-month.

Strategic moves, island issues

Is is possible that military bucks might be on the way to the CNMI? Well, the ever-more-tense world situation, combined with Guam's lucritive stint in the stragetic limelight, does feed speculation, and even hope. But how would the CNMI government react? My forecast might surprise you.

Column?

Thanks for the email regarding the absence of my usual Friday column from the Saipan Tribune Op-Ed page. It's probably just a technical SNAFU, given that I submitted later than I usually do.

Stay tuned to SaipanBlog.com, and I'll post an update.

UPDATE: It was just a SNAFU, and the column is carried in Saturday's edition.

A great piece of gear

"Commonwealth Road Warriors, your travel-weary comrade has discovered a dandy piece of gear..."

And thus I introduce the Cabela's Outback Computer Attache, which I highly recommend.

Nukes in the 'hood

The next nuclear arms race might be in Saipan's back yard.

Memory Circuits

Some stuff is worth remembering. Some ain't. That's what I ponder in today's column.