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As newbie in the field of investing, I've often wondered about the nebulous distinction that separates the real investors from speculators in the stock market.
This is not to say, of course, that I have not met or heard of anybody who would argue that there is a sea of difference between the two or that they are actually oceans apart and could not be mistaken from one another.
Both investors and speculators are quite capable of making their bundles in the market, but their risk taking activities are varied and sometimes they consider each other’s way of making money with disdain.
A newbie's mind like mine however has to be initiated, and an example wouldn't hurt so here is an attempt to show one example:
There is currently a big debate here in the Philippines on whether PLDT's take-over of Digitel, the smallest of the three major telcos in the country, would be monopolistic when an earlier attempt of its rival Globe was never considered as such.
PLDT is the biggest telco in this country and, though with a rather wide margin, Globe is the second biggest. You can form your opinion regarding this debate but that is not exactly what this post is all about.
This post is about the way two stock market players have reacted to that story. All three companies are listed in the local bourse and market player "A" thought this would be the best time to buy Digetel shares since it is being taken over by PLDT which is the darling of many investors who can afford its price.
PLT is trading at the moment at (PHP) Two Thousand plus (2000 ) per share while Digetel is at around (PHP) One Peso and Fifty cents (1.50) player "A" thought that Digetel could easily go to (PHP) Three Pesos per share because of the take over which is practically a done deal since both companies (PLDT and Digetel) already made the announcements and the delay is only caused by the complaint of Globe against the deal on the argument that it would give PLDT a monopoly of the telco market.
A congressional hearing is afoot due to that complaint but Player A thinks that nothing will come off it and the deal will eventually be consummated thereby pushing the stock price upwards to at least double its present value. He is therefore raring to buy the stock now!
Market player "B" on the other hand is taking a wait and see attitude. He has been watching Digetel for quite some time now. It piqued his interest not because of these latest developments but because despite its size and its late entry in the telco market, it disrupted the prevailing norms in that industry and forced the leading companies to play its game.
Digitel targeted the low end segment of the market and offered rates and plans that were so enticing that even the loyalists of the two big service providers ended up owning Digitel as their second phones.
When the two big service provider began mimicking the offers, he deicided it was time to buy Digetel stocks. He bought some of its stocks long before the gossip or the official story came out that PLDT is buying Digetel's controlling shares. But he bought with caution.
He bought its shares even as the prices fluctuated and his accumulation process is such that he is now even with the market despite the recent downturns. He is, however, not thinking of rushing into his computer terminal (he trades online) to buy more shares simply because of PLDT’s move to buy Digetel’s majority shares.
Now, are you like Market Player A or B? Are you a speculator or an investor?
If, like me, you crisscrosses your country like a sewing machine used to make intricately designed cloth patches, I think you’ll appreciate an app that enables you to: 1. send text messages by simply dictating them to your phone, 2. do other things like calling the best hotel in your next destination even if you don’t know its number and, 3. show you how to get to that hotel all by just telling your phone to do them for you.
That would be really cool, right?
Well, here’s stale news: An Android app is already doing that, though Google said it is still in experimental stage.
I don’t know how the app is called officially, though an electronic giant which is into smart phones is calling it by a name that gives the impression that it was their creation and not of Google, it is represented by an icon with the “Voice Search” title and the picture below once you activated it.
The title it was given however is rather a misnomer since that app does a lot of other things than just search.
I tinkered with it for a while and here are the few things I was able to make it do all thru voice commands:
1. I was able to make it write text messages (SMS)
2. I was able to make it go to any web page I want
3. I was able to make it call people without dialing their numbers myself
4. I was able to make it search anything that is on the phone or in the net
5. I was able to make it take dictations which it types automatically into a pad
6. And the app works even with third party app “Docs to Go.”
This app, however, does not function if you are not connected to the net so you better be aware that your data meter is ticking the moment you try to engage its services.
But it is really cool, considering that in one of the long trips I took with a colleague several years ago, we were kidding each other about how nice it would be if the cellular phones we were using can not only read but write text messages for us while we were driving. Handsfree!
And now, my Android phone/tablet is already doing exactly that.
But mind you, this thing, like they said, is still in experimental stage. It only works with supported languages, it only works if you pronounce the words “right”, you still have to push the "send" button after you dictated your text message to send it - and, well, it cannot drive for me yet!
Now that i have time to write again, I thought I better revisit the content of one of my previous posts here in Orble about the Tablet computer. At that time I wrote it, I said a couple of things like: it cannot replace the old desktop and laptop computers as work horses, it could be very fragile with a 10 inch screen as it is just half a notebook or a laptop, that I would probably go for one that has a smaller and sturdier built, if at all.
Well, I finally got one about a month or so ago. It has a 7inch screen, a wifi and 3G capability made possible by a sim card slot. It is not your expensive variety but it supports an sd card up to 32 gigabyte, it comes with a removable battery that works up to about 10 hours and it has a camera that takes both still pics and videos.
It is an Android. Actually, a phone which works as a tablet, or a tablet that works like a phone. It makes and sends text messages and makes and receives phone calls. But given the press I've read since I've got my unit, it is not yet that popular.
So far the only stories I saw about it on the net (without specifically searching for them) was the original story and its rehashed version published by Bloomberg about how this giant Chinese electonics company is promoting its product via Facebook and Twitter which are said to be both banned in China.
Don't hold your breaths now, I am talking about ZTE's 7inch Android tablet called V9 light. At least, that is how it is called here in the Philippines.
Obviously, I am not talking about the Rockstar of all the gizmos but this thing has so far enabled me to connect to the net via 3G and wifi nicely, check the weather complete with weather satellite pics., read and send emails with attachments, and while my unit does not support flash I was able to watch videos in it - I mean, videos other than the ones recorded by the unit itself.
But what’s really nice about this tablet is the way it was handed to me by the sales clerk of the cell phone service provider that carries it in this country. Before finally parting with the unit, the sales clerk explained that this phone/tablet connects to the internet automatically.
Now, sharing that knowledge with me is important because it does not only tell me that I won’t have any problem connecting to the net even when I am not in a wifi hot zone, but because it also told me that since I am on a postpaid plan, I better be careful with the apps that I am installing in it because some of the apps, on their own, seek internet connection and uses it without the tablet owner’s knowledge.
And this is true with many mobile apps. They may seem cool to me as end user but in reality, they actually work more for the service providers than the consumers.
Their presence in the phone/tablet could result to huge bills for a usage that, as the owner of the tablet, I may not be aware I have consumed.
That same knowledge made me look closely into the unit’s settings and guess what I found? I can actually switch on and off the data service on the phone/tablet! Hmmm…why was it that I was not given the same information on the last smart phone that I had?
Well, I am not sure if all units are made with the same settings but if your phone/tablet does not have it, this one has.
Here's a pic of my unit.
My ZTE V9 Light Tablet
Iphone 3gs
I didn’t know that an Iphone alarm that did not go off on a designated time would be such a big deal, after all, it was just an alarm
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This is just a link on the inspiring story of Ted Williams. The spectacular story is not just about the man, but on how the man's life was changed by technology. By a video story posted on the net.
Really Long Link
I don’t know what his reasons are for doing what he is doing, but I think this Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange, despite the awards Wikileaks received, is an abomination to the publishing world
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My introduction to Samsung products was actually a nice one. It came in the form of a TV set which has features that were really nifty. Considering its price and the technology it carried in its box, it was the best buy that I could ever make at that time.
When it came out with its SGH V200 clamshell phone, I immediately bought one and wowed many of my officemates when I bragged about its features which were highlighted by Keanu Reeves in one of the “Matrix” movies
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Couldn’t help it, sorry! But these guys are talking about an amazing technology which actual application could be scary. Well, depending on where you are looking it from
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Comment by Market Newbie
on WHY TOLERATE WIKILEAK'S ASSANGE?
Gizmo Peek
Stock Market Punk
If Assange has not just so carelessly dumped all those documents and chose the ones he will publish, no matter how explosive they may prove to be, I will call him a hero myself. But the problem with all those diplomatic documents were not the lies - the problem with them are the truths. There may be too much truths in them that put lives in danger.
To view my concern from another perspective, consider the manpower and resources that the rescue workers put into saving a life - one life - like in the case of that teenager who wanted to make a world record by being the youngest to sail round the world who was lost at sea and saved by the Australians. That was just one life, and they have to spend so much and risk the lives of so many others to save her. Now, how many lives is Assange putting into danger by what he did when he could have just chosen his stories and significantly reduce the possible damage?
This was already said many times before, the pen is powerful, power should come with equal amount of responsibility.