Apparently, Rogers hasn’t unveiled its data plan arrangement for this iPhone that they are now officially introduce to Canadians. It was reported that a 3-year-contract is required at time of purchsing and the iPhone has to be activated at store. But with my experience, I won’t be surprised if the data plan is to be set at $70-80 per month. I remembered calling Rogers to inquire about data plan to use on iPhone, I was told that $75/month is required for that. That was a few months back when I was just curious about how much I have to pay for the data plan if I were to get it on my iPhone. I did tell the service guy in Rogers that I am looking for a plan for my iPhone. My call was transferred a few times to reach someone in data support dept. and I was given that information. They sounded to have reeived inquiries on that before and was quite sure of $75 data plan for 1GB had I wish to add it to my plan. And sure enough I said no. If adding both data and voice plan together, you are looking at paying about $100 plus per month for just that phone, which makes oever $3000 by the end of your contract. Yeah, I know, if one needs a cell phone and voice plan is needed, then spending about $40 per month is reasonable. But spending $110-150 per month for a phone?? Nah, I am not sure about you, but I ain’t doing that. I might as well use that money to buy another MacBook Pro LOL. And don’t forget for the exceeding data you use, if you are only subscribing to 1GB plan, you might end up paying hundreds per month for that iPhone so watch out. But do you really want to stress with watching out using your phone data usage every month? Again, not me.I am good with my 1st generation iPhone which costs me $399 last year but does everything pretty much similar to the newer one with $35 per month voice plan and watching YouTube, getting my emails and browsing internet for no data cost with Rogers.

Oh…the Jim Prentice copyright act…unlock cell phone is illegal? hmmm… didn’t hear that…:P

Basically, what I did was to set my iPhone to “virgin state” by

1) restore the baseband using Terminal SSH to iPhone with this codes:
run: launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.CommCenter.plist
run: ./bbupdater -f *.fls -e *.eep

2) After this, I hold down both sleep/wake button and home button for over 45 sec till the yellow triangle appears to ask me connect to iTune. Then I just open iTune and restore it. Close iTune.

3) Activate iPhone using iNdenpendence.

4) Installed apptapp installer, BSD sub system, OpenSSH.

5) Used FUGU to move anySIM1.0.2 in the application folder in iPhone. Disconnect & Close FUGU.

6) Run anySIM1.0.2 from iPhone, (it’s faster than the old version), got unlock successful message.

7) Took AT&T SIM card out, put Fido prepaid SIM card in. 1st call failed. But then Fido’s service logo appearing. Made a call again, succeed. Call out from iPhone, succeed. SMS works fine (correct notification #). Youtube works fine.

Turned off then on iPhone again. Connect to iTune. Sync back / restore my previous profile back to iPhone.

EVERYthing is perfect!

Conclusion: anySIM1.0.2 version is awesome!!!

So it only left all the Apple iPhone nerds one hope - unlock iPhone!!! There are several webistes claimed that they have hackers working non-stop in shifts to crack the iPhone since it went on sale. They also regularly report online the status and progress of the hacking. There are even some guy listing 5 unlock iPhone (so he said) in eBay US site claiming that he has unlock iPhone which guarantees to work on other GSM network, that he’s so certain that if it doesn’t work, 7-day money back policy is in place. He asks for US$1000 per iPhone on eBay via BuyItNow option but I noticed that this seller has “0″ feedback record, so really, it might most likely a trap. Well, I believe sooner or later, someone will find out a way to unlock iPhone by cracking/hacking the iTune activation of iPhone process but it won’t be within these few days right after it’s in market. Apple iPhone is unlike other PDA/Cell phones, it uses a different OS and it is not a “compulsive” decision for Apple and AT&T to come up with iTune activation process for the registeration of iPhone. The design of iPhone perhaps will assure much more efforts for even highly experienced hacker out there. I don’t believe, either, that some rumors said unlock iPhones are availabel in India at the moment after the 3rd day it’s on sale in the U.S.. Even though it’s possible that some iPhones leak to India and there are very smart/experenced programmers/hackers over there working on hacking it, a fully functional unlock iPhone? I seriously doubt.

A guy from Toronto claimed that their team is approaching to have the unlocked for iPhone within a day or two, and he provides a website where people can send an email to subscribe to its mailing list for the latest update of the unlock process of the iPhone, and once it’s successful, they will contact individual to provide unlock iPhone service e.g. unlock code, with certain $$ charge. They are currently hacking the firmware. It also noted that there was a early iPhone model leaked from Apple, back in late 2006 and have been working on hacking it for the past 8 months. Also according to Hackintosh, the firmware has been leaked. http://www.hackint0sh.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1316

Let’s say they manage to bypass the activation process and sort of “cheat” iTune that an AT&T plan was activated, so you have access to the iPhone features like music player, video, phone book etc., then the hack has to ensure that other SIM card would work with iPhone so that you can use it as a phone, making calls, text messaging etc., note that iPhone requires syncing iTune’s music and video content to the iPhone itself, unlike other smart phones, where you can simply drag-and-drop media files from local drives directly into phone memory card or something, what if Apple release an update for iTune and you sync the hacked iPhone with the newly updated iTune which likely plug some security holes that hackers managed to break through earlier for the activation, you will have to install an updated hacking file in order to keep functioning. The question then becomes “how often you have to update your hack of iPhone”…?? and more…

Thinking of all these gives me headache, and I quickly cool down from the fever of having to have an iPhone now. I might wait and see if any of my friends get a working hacked/unlock iPhone, then I will buy one, or, I will just wait until…hmmm…not sure…maybe I’ll just don’t want to own an iPhone any more! I am intrigued by Apple iPhone’s beauty and design and all that, had it been possible to buy one without a contract with AT&T, with strong Canadian Dollars, I would really love to buy it…but…oh well, it’s too much hassel to own one, especially when I am in Canada!

The “locked” iPhone will always have a message displaying “Activate iPhone”. There’s no way to access to any features unless it’s activated, or, unlocked (click in the image to enlarge):

iPhone package:

Apple iPhone Spec.:
Manufacturer: Apple Computer Inc.
Music Playback Formats: AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, Audible, MP3, WAV
Megapixels: 2
Storage Capacity: 4/8 GB
Video Formats: MPEG4
Video Recording: No
Audio Battery Life: 24 Hr
Dimensions: 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 inches
Player Type: Flash MP3 Player
Radio: No
Recording, Line In: No
Bluetooth: Yes
Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
Camera: Yes
High-Speed Data: GPRS, EDGE
Operating System: Mac OS X
Network: GSM
Service Provider: AT&T Wireless
Web Browser: Yes
Screen Details: 160 dpi LCD display
Screen Resolution: 480 x 320 pixels
Screen Size: 3.5 inches
Special Features: Music
Video Battery Life: 2.8 Hr
Weight: 4.8 oz
Notes: Price: 4GB (US$499); 8GB (US$599)

Some interesting reading/reviews of iPhone I recommend:

* Reveiw from PCMag (in great details reviewing every feature of what iPhone offers (and not)
* Radio Show from PCMag

I am one of those fans.

So it’s just “another iPod” as some said, so it’s “over-rated” hence “over-priced”, so it’s going to be only GSM version hence you have to tie with limited wireless carriers, so it’s going to be scratched and got greasy easily…so…WHAT? well, for someone who loves Mac, who wants iPhone, nothing really matters.

But the question is, where to buy and how to buy an iPhone? As far as I know, even in US, it’s not very clear for AT&T corporate store how many iPhones they will have in stock when it’s released, (yeah, pretty much one has to camp overnight to lineup and get one if there’s enough though!), for me and a bunch of my friends who want a iPhone, who are Canadian residing in Toronto, how are we going to buy one?? Sure we are “international buyer” though I live like 2.5 hours drive to the border where I normally cross at Niagra Falls.

Rogers is the ONLY GSM carrier in Canada, but don’t bother to even ask them, they have absolutely NO idea if and when iPhone is to come to Canada. On the side note, I hate Rogers’ service which I mentioned in another post a few weeks ago. Their reception sucks big time, yet, the price plan, data plan are ridiculous comparing to Bell and Telus. Now that I want an iPhone, do I get back to Rogers after cancelling it 1.5 years ahead of scheduled time because of iPhone which no one knows when it will come to Canada? No…

Frankly to me, iPhone will not work as a “phone” per se in this situation - no chance to buy it in Canada, no one to activate it in Canada…so, I am going to buy an iPhone and use it as an “iPod” to listen to music and watch movie. Why not? It looks better to my taste!

The alternative to me is now:

1) Buy online at apple store then ship it to me (if it’s available) - I don’t prefer this one as I hate waiting;
2) Visit the States then buy one in the Apple store (have to call to make sure they have stock prior to my travel though…) - well, I am thinking of visiting my friends and cusions in New York in July, so maybe this will work;
3) Have my cusion/friend buy one for me when it’s out, so I can just pick it up and pay them back when I visit! (yeah, I love this idea in particular!)

I don’t care if it can’t be activated as a phone. I have two cell phones already for different use (Treo 650 with Bell and LG Chocalate 8500 with Telus). iPhone is considered to be my new tech toy, another sleek tech toy. Women spend 2 grand to buy a LV handbag, guys spend 7 hundred bucks for an iPhone, don’t have to figure out why, just because life is all about fun!

There are a number of Windows’ applications I need to stick to, and soon enough, I decided that I need to get a virtual PC running on my MacBook knowing there are solutions out there. Well yes I know there is Boot Camp and yes I did my homework before I approach Parallels, but in my experience, Boot Camp is not such a good fit, especially for someone as “lazy” as myself, having to reboot the machine and switch to another platform is annoying. Plus, if I were to need to use a PC for my major work, I might as well just use the PC, I have two powerful PC already.

Apple’s Boot Camp got the most attention recently as a way to run Windows on the new Intel-powered Macs. But at almost the same time, little-known Virginia-based Parallels, Inc. announced a version of its virtualization software, Parallels Workstation for the Intel Macs.

This software solution for running other PC operating systems is more flexible than Apple’s Boot Camp, and for many users, it may prove to be a better solution.

Boot Camp Pros and Cons

A bit of background: Apple’s Boot Camp, like an earlier hacker-built solution, lets users partition their Intel-Mac’s hard drive in order to install another operating system (in Boot Camp’s case, Windows XP only) and allow the user to choose to boot into either Mac OS X or the other operating system.

Only one operating system runs at a time, but it gets full use of all the computer’s hardware resources.

Now Parallels, in my case, is a much more attractive solution. First of all, I don’t need to run Windows on my mac in full capacity; secondly, I do want to stick to mac interface for everything (that’s the reason I have a mac, if I need to use Windows so much, I might as well just use my “actual” quite well-equiped PC which I got 1 year ago).

Boot Camp vs. Parallels Workstation

Boot Camp only supports Windows XP at present; Parallels Workstation can be used with a wide range of PC operating systems, both Windows and non-Windows.

Boot Camp requires rebooting your computer to switch between operating systems, and only one operating system can be running at a time. If you’re running Windows and you need to get a phone number from your Mac’s Address Book, you’re out of luck.

Parallels Workstation allows you to run other PC operating systems in windows from within the Mac OS; this lets you run programs on your Mac and in the PC operating system at the same time.

And if you want to run any PC operating system other than Windows XP, Parallels Workstation makes it easy. It may prove possible to hack Boot Camp to support other operating systems, but you’re on your own at that!

An advantage of booting to Windows, as Boot Camp requires, is that with full control over the hardware, you’ve got full performance. While the virtualized operating systems in Parallels Workstation are fast, Boot Camp’s Windows XP installation is faster. And the RAM requirements of running either Mac OS X or Windows XP on their own are lower than trying to run both operating systems at the same time.

While neither Windows XP via Boot Camp nor any of the PC operating systems via Parallels Workstation fully support all the hardware on the Intel Macs at this time, Boot Camp offers better video, sound, and USB support. If you want to play Windows 3D games or print to a USB printer (at least for now), Boot Camp is the way to go.

It’s great that (Intel) Mac owners now have a variety of options to run Windows and other PC operating systems. There may be more to come; there are rumours that VMware may offer support for its software on the Intel Macs. Other rumours suggest that Apple may include virtualization support along with Boot Camp support in the upcoming OS X 10.5 “Leopard” release.

IMPORTANT NOTE

It is very important to know that whether via Boot Camp or any virtualization software, running Windows on a Mac makes you just as vulnerable to all the nasty stuff as running Windows on a generic PC. On this note, I do have Anti-virus protection program running on this virtual workstation.

Installation & Performance

Parallels Workstation requires that you manually install the guest operating system(s) from scratch, but the installation is not much different and is quite fast and easy.

As for the performance, XP runs quite nicely using Parallels Workstation on my MacBook Pro, mind you that I do have 512 RAM for XP to run though. In fact, I always enjoy working on around 8-10 tasks on my mac simoteneously, and there is no lag, to my taste, which is wonderful.

P.s. My MacBook Pro is –

2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4MB on-chip shared L2 cache running 1:1 with processor speed; 2GB (two SO-DIMMs) of PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR2 memory; 800MHz frontside bus; 160GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive

Reference: Running Windows on Mac

To get a tax accountant or tax lawyer, that depends on if you have completed your tax return of previous years.

If you are worried about filing your 2006 Canadian personal income tax return because of unfiled returns in previous years, you may qualify for the Voluntary Disclosure Program (VDP) also called Tax Amnesty, which eliminates penalties and prosecution and may result in a discounted interest rate. It is important not to file the back returns without making a VDP application, or you will be charged penalties and full interest.

According to the Canada Revenue Agency (the Canadian income tax department) in 2005-06, Canadian taxpayers were convicted in 293 cases of income tax evasion or fraud. Taxpayers had to pay close to $14.4 million in fines, and were sentenced to more than 33 years in jail. Even if someone else prepares the tax return, the taxpayer is responsible for all the information on the return. Stay away from return preparers who offer you false tax claims. This could include false charitable donations or false child care expense claims, or maybe even false business expenses or losses. If you have filed a false tax return, you can make a Voluntary Disclosure (Tax Amnesty Application) and avoid prosecution and penalties.

According to a recent press report by Ufile, 45% of Canadians find tax return preparation to be stressful.

The startling outcome of the report, however, was that 13% of all Canadians polled said they know someone who has not yet filed their tax return for the previous year.

Frankly, that’s a problem - and not for the TaxMan. Under sections 238(1) and 239(1) of the Canadian Income Tax Act, not filing a return, filing more than one year late if tax is due, or failing to declare taxable income from any source, is a criminal offense punishable by jail time and huge financial penalties.

Contrary to what you might think, if you don’t file your tax return, the Canada Revenue Agency doesn’t forget about you. In fact, you are never entirely “off the radar” . They prefer to monitor your financial behaviour over time, using identifiers like your SIN or date of birth to access data from your bank accounts, your credit card transactions, or your acquisition of property and other possessions. The longer they let you continue as a non-filer, the more revenue they can generate in penalties and daily interest on the tax you should have paid. And the longer the period of tax delinquency, the easier it is to establish a clear cut case for criminal tax evasion.

If you are convicted of criminal tax evasion, penalties can be as much as 250% of the tax owing, plus daily interest. A jail term of up to two years is also possible. And you will have a criminal record for the rest of your life.

This message is short and to the point: If you are a non-filer, you need to protect yourself against criminal prosecution by seeking legal protection immediately. Whatever you do, do NOT file your current year tax return, or any of your other outstanding tax returns, until an experienced tax lawyer has negotiated a tax amnesty settlement on your behalf.

There are some tips and info on Canadian Tax Returns below if you are interested in knowing more:

Employers are required to deduct and remit Canadian income taxes (as well as Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance premiums) from their employees. If they fail to do so they are subject to interest and penalties. If they hire workers as independent contractors the risk and liability is with the employer if the Canada Revenue Agency (the Canadian income tax department) determines that the worker is in fact an employee.

In Ceco Operations Ltd. (2006 TCC 256), the Tax Court of Canada applied the general anti avoidance rule (GAAR) to a partnership asset rollover. A sale of a business contemplated two years before the transactions was structured via a partnership with the purchaser in 1998. Ceco rolled business assets to the partnership under subsection 97(2) for cash and a partnership interest. The purchaser injected cash equal to the value of Ceco’s partnership interest and the partnership used the cash to invest in preferred shares of a company; that company and Ceco were owned indirectly by the same holding companies. The court said that the series of transactions was a patent abuse of subsection 97(2) and that GAAR applied to deny the partnership asset rollover.

In the Canadian Income Tax decision Anchor Pointe Energy Ltd. (2006 TCC 424), the Tax Court of Canada concluded that the reverse onus (that requires the taxpayer to disprove Canada Revenue Agency’s assumed facts) did not apply to facts assumed by the minister subsequent to the expiration of the reassessment period. The court concluded that the normal-course rules relating to the reverse onus of proof do not apply where the Minister of Revenue first raises the factual assumptions at the confirmation stage. The Minister has the onus of proof for such assumptions of fact.

Canadian income tax shelters are now being sold for the 2006 taxation year. Be sure you understand the risks, both business and tax, before making any decision to invest in a tax sheltered investment or charitable donation gifting arrangement.

In the case of Smith v. The Queen the Supreme Court of British Columbia upheld a conviction of failing to file Canadian Income tax returns on the part of Mr. Smith who was self employed as a consultant to the tax protestor community.

The Federal Court – Trial Division conducted a judicial review of a denial of a Voluntary Disclosure in the recent case of 334156 Alberta Ltd. v The Queen. The court found that the Canada Revenue Agency (the Canadian income tax department) was justified in denying the application since they had contacted the taxpayer to file the outstanding returns.

Canadian residents are taxable in Canada on their world income. This includes income or capital gains earned offshore, such as through the rental or sale of a foreign property such as a vacation condominium in the Caribbean or elsewhere. Failure to report such income is tax evasion and is punishable by a fine or even a jail term.

Unclaimed allowable business investment losses (ABILs) are not included in the newly enacted extended 20-year carryforward period for non-capital losses for Canadian Income Tax purposes. ABILs retain their 10-year carryforward period and become net capital losses thereafter.

A taxpayer who uses public transit should be sure to maintain proper documentation to claim the new transit-pass tax credit on his or her 2006 personal Canadian income tax return. The credit applies to monthly or longer passes for transit.

When computing Canadian income tax students can deduct moving expenses from the taxable amount of scholarships, bursaries or research grants that they receive, or against employment or business income, so moving expense receipts should be kept.

The Tax Court of Canada decided in the recent case of JACQUES MARCHESSAULT v. HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN that the Canadian income tax liability on income earned during the year prior to the making of a proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act is subject to the terms of the proposal and the income tax would therefore not have to be fully paid.

The decision of the Tax Court of Canada in the case of Carrier v The Queen confirms that a Notice of Objection that was not filed on time due to an accountant being busy during tax season will not be accepted late.

If you acquire a depreciable asset for business purposes you can claim tax depreciation, called capital cost allowance for Canadian income tax purposes. The rate depends on the type of asset. In the year of acquisition only 50% of the normal depreciation can be claimed.

Canadian taxpayers need to have transfer pricing documentation in place to support their inter-company transfer prices and this documentation must adequately address the contributions of the parties, in particular the Canadian entity. The CRA (the Canadian income tax department) indicated that deficiencies have resulted in penalties being applied.

If you sell shares of a business and part of the proceeds is based on future results, this is called an “earn out” and it must be structured properly so as to enjoy favourable Canadian income tax treatment.

Income from a foreign pension plan received while a resident of Canada is taxable in Canada irrespective of where it was earned. If you have failed to report such income you can avoid penalties by making a voluntary disclosure (tax amnesty application).

The recent Federal Court of Appeal judicial review decision in Jerry Ross v. Canada Customs and Revenue Agency found that the financial hardship of a taxpayer must be properly evaluated by the Canada Revenue Agency (the Canadian income tax department) in making a “fairness” determination to cancel income tax interest and penalties.

The deadline for self-employed taxpayers to file their T1 Canadian income tax returns for 2005 is June 15. If you missed the deadline, and are behind in filing other years, do not file your returns without making a voluntary disclosure (tax amnesty application) in order to avoid penalties and reduce interest.

Reference: Top 10 Tax TIDBIDS

Tags: tax lawyer, tax consultant, canadian tax lawyer, tax attorney, unfiled tax solution, tax filing, canadian tax, tax amnesty application, income tax return

Nintendo’s Wii video game system (pronounced “we”) is designed to attract people, regardless of their age or video game experience, to sit down and play together–whether they’re in the same room or on different sides of the globe. The system’s name reflects this simple idea. It’s easily pronounced in a variety of languages, and the distinctive spelling suggests two players side by side. The two Wii features Nintendo thinks will create new levels of gaming community are built-in Wi-Fi access, supported by a new online gaming service, and Wii’s intuitive, wireless, motion-sensitive game controller.

As with every new console release, much of the buzz surrounds the specs. The system boasts 512 MB of internal flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports, and a slot for SD memory expansion. Wii’s technological heart — a processing chip developed with IBM and code-named “Broadway” and a graphics chipset from ATI code-named “Hollywood” — are said to deliver stunning performance. Instead of a tray, Wii uses a single, self-loading media bay that will play both 12-centimeter optical discs used for the new system, as well as Nintendo GameCube discs.

The real revolution in this system, though, is its controller, called the Wii Remote. Shaped like a TV remote, it’s been designed to be easily used by beginners and pros alike. Sensors determine the Wii Remote’s position is in 3-D space, which means that racing-game steering and a tennis swing, for example, are done through movements of your hand rather than by just your thumbs. What’s more, a tiny speaker built into the Wii Remote promises some interactive surround sound experiences. The controller also has a force feedback “Rumble” feature and an expansion port for use with accessories, such as the Nunchuck, which adds an analog thumbstick and trigger buttons. An adapter that fits over the Wii’s wee remote will be available for those who prefer the feel of a traditional controller. The Wii Remote communicates via the Bluetooth wireless standard. Up to four remotes can connect to Wii.

Each Wii will come with a game compilation called “Wii Sports,” including tennis, golf, baseball and bowling games, that will show off the console’s intuitive new controller. In addition to this, at least thirty titles are scheduled for release in U.S. by year’s end; about half of that by launch. They are estimated to list at $49.99. Launch games include:

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Excite Truck
Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Madden NFL 07
Need for Speed: Carbon
Elebits
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz
Metal Slug Anthology
Rayman: Raving Rabids
Red Steel

Wii also offers superb backward compatibility — the cornerstone of Nintendo’s all-access approach. This new console will play fan-favorite games from Nintendo’s 20-year-old library. The drive is compatible with GameCube discs, and select Nintendo titles from the original NES of the 1980s all the way through the Nintendo 64 will be available through for download through the “Virtual Console” for $5 and $10 respectively.
As if that weren’t enough, the Virtual Console will also make available a few titles from SNES console contemporaries, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16.

A number of Wi-Fi-enabled titles are in development that will employ Nintendo’s newly-announced wireless gaming service, WiiConnect24. This worldwide network promises Nintendo players a comfortable, inviting environment in which they can gather and compete. The always-on network will deliver game updates and surprises, even when the Wii is powered down. And as you would expect, Wii will be able to communicate with the Nintendo DS mobile gaming system wirelessly.

Nintendo Wii is no exception and brings to the gaming industry a product that will be popular with all members of the family, is reasonably priced, and is technologically sound. With the Wii, Nintendo has created an interactive experience. You will be left wondering how Nintendo did it. With the release of the Wii, Nintendo will be able to maintain it’s market presence and at the same time give its customers great value for money.

The Nintendo Wii has a set of accessories designed to provide more capabilities when playing games. Some of these accessories are as follows:

The Wii remote is a single-handed remote control device and is responsive to pointing, movements, as well as being user friendly. It has wireless functions and works using a short-range Bluetooth radio. You can use a maximum of four controllers at a distance of up to five meters from the Wii sensor. It is multi-functional and allows nimble use, can be used horizontally, as well as like a steering wheel. According to experts, the design will enable experienced players to hold a remote in each hand, or a Nunchuk in one and a remote in the other. Technically advanced, it can sense movement and orientation. The remote can identify linear motion along three axes. The optical sensor can determine the direction. According to CNET the pointer can get jerky or twitchy. And, the tilt control requires a light touch. The remote controls are not changeable and players have to stay with Wii’s calibrations.

The Nunchuk is a device that can be plugged into the Wii remote. It has an analog stick and two buttons and can be used in games such as Red Steel and Twilight Princess. The Nunchuk also has motion sensors and allows gamers to perform specific character actions, like a spinning slash attack. According to popular opinion, the Nunchuk will become a very popular accessory.

The Nintendo Classic Controller is the classic-style expansion controller which can be used with the Wii remote slotted in to play games by using a traditional game pad. It is to be used to play existing games, virtual console games, and multiplatform games. It connects to the Wii remote through a cord.

Targetted at the gaming market, the Nintendo Wii may not be popular if buyers are looking for graphics and special effects. The main features of the Wii are it’s motion-sensing, remote , pseudo-reality controls, and internet capabilities. The whole family can enjoy playing with a Wii. You may need to buy a second controller for your family once you all have spent hours playing golf, bowling, and even boxing. You may not need to buy any other games than the ones which come packaged with the system. Some people only play the sports games that came with the Wii package. Playing Wii games may require you to bend your knees and step into the flow of things.

You can get wii at amazon.com with USD$385.00. Well, in fact, I have heard friends telling me that they have to be on the waiting list to buy a wii locally. Some prefer buying in person instead of online shopping. I am thinking of getting one for myself later in summer, will start putting myself on the wait-list if it’s that hot and popular to get!

Reference: Amazon.com

Tags: nintendo, nintendo wii, nintendo games, nintendo lite, nintendo games review, nintendo wii review, nintendo fun, nintendo game pack, where to buy nintendo wii

So it seems that VeriSign and Innovative Card Technologies have announced a new technology to protect us from Identity Theft while shopping online. This technology will make it easier for financial institutions and retailers to issue and accept card payments. The card itself has an embedded LED which displays a one-time password (OTP) authentication. At the push of a button on the back of the card, an integrated display shows a password that changes with every transaction. During an online transaction, this number is entered into a user interface with other information (such as the user’s static PIN and login name) for multi-factor authentication.

So this technology seems like your own credit cards, but with the attachment of a thin Citrix-like token based security system.

So first off, this is a form of two factor authentication, aka 2FA. 2FA requires the user to identify themselves using 1) something they know and 2) something they have. Something you know would include passwords, PINs, user IDs, etc. Something you have may include a housekey, a credit card, a fingerprint, a retinal scanned image etc. In this case the something you have is included in the credit card a OTP.

A simple case of a 2FA would be a safety deposit box at a bank. In order for you to access your safety deposit box, you would first need to know the number. You would also need to sign in. Your signature would be checked to those signatures associated with your safety deposit box. Then you would need to use your key and potentially a number combination with the banker’s key to open the box. In this case, the knowledge of your safety deposit box and number combination is the things you know. Your signature and key to the safety deposit box is something you have.

Well back to the point. Hopefully the financial institutions will implement this technology soon. This will help protect all those online shoppers from e-fraud.

Reference:
SecureIDNews

Tags: Financial tips, credit card fraud, credit card fraud prevention, manage and safe guard your money, digital fraud, credit card protection tips, credit card technology, technology, digital technology, secure your ID, pretect your privacy information, digital protection

Well, again, that’s a fashion statement, it’s not JUST A BAG, which perhpas guys will always find it hard to understand. Women can easily spend a grand on one designer handbag, which she might only use it “to go with her certain outfit because of the design, the color and the material-made”. Then guys would wonder, do those leather goods REALLY WORTH THAT MUCH??

Take a look at the Dior bag below, guess how much it cost? $1000? nah…one more guess…$1500? hmmm, try harder…

This Dior Cannage Bag is USD$1,795.00 which can be found at ELuxury (www.eluxury.com). The quilted leather is so soft and the signature “D” makes this bag definitely noticeable.

And this bag is denim with legendary Louis Vuitton detailing to create the beautiful new Monogram Denim collection. The iconic Speedy bag is revisioned with press-clip flap pockets and a calfskin-trimmed exterior zip pocket for a chic new look. Finished with yellow topstitching and a cheerful saffron lining. It has a fancy name as well - Néo Speedy, costs USD$1,450.00. (eLuxury) I remember a guy friend of mine said,” It’s not even leather! And you bought it for $1500?!” It’s fashion - did I mention that?

As interesting as it might get, women will find it hard to understand why a 35 years old man would be obsessed with Nintendo Wii and spends hundreds of dollars for the game machine as well as many game packs. It can easily go up to hunderds and thousands of dollars.

A guy friend of mine bought over 300 DVDs (movies) in the past year because he enjoys lying in his cozy bed watching movie on a 46″ flat panel late night. Just the flat panel LCD is USD$2,900.00 alone, let’s not count how much he spent on the DVDs. You might say, well, clearly guys only have one or two max. LCD flat panel which perhpas only cover, what, 2/3 handbags women buys? And normally, women buy lots of handbags so…Let’s not forget that guys need to upgrade their new tech toys, i.e., 46″ to 50″, LCD to Plasma etc. etc.

This Sony Bravia KDL-46XBR2 46″ HD LCD TV is listed USD$2,999.99 at www.tigerdirect.com

Nintendo Wii game is listed USD$385.00 at amazon.com, a game costs from $50.00 up.

Stop complaining, and start appreciating. Women like gorgeous handbags just like men are attracted to high-tech stuff. It’s our nature. Life is fun, it’s just we enjoy it in different ways!

Tags: Women’s Accessory, Designer Handbag, Women’s Designer Shoes, LV, Prada, CD, Dior, designer handbags, luxury leather goods, designer leather goods, handbags, LV handbags, Shop by Brand
Louis Vuitton, Dior,Baccarat, Celine, D&G Dolce & Gabbana, Derek Lam, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Gerard Yosca, Giuseppe Zanotti, Isabella Fiore, Jean Paul Gaultier, Juicy Couture, Just Cavalli, Kooba, KORS Michael Kors, L.A.M.B., Marc by Marc Jacobs, Marc Jacobs Collection, Me&Ro, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Michele Watches, Pianegonda, Ray-Ban, Roberto Cavalli, Rock & Republic, Tod’s, Tom Ford, Versace, Zac Posen

Sweet, glorious specs of the 11.6 millimeter device (that’s frickin’ thin, by the way) include a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 touchscreen display with multi-touch support and a proximity sensor to turn off the screen when it’s close to your face, 2 megapixel cam, 4GB or 8 GB of storage, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR and A2DP, WiFi that automatically engages when in range, and quad-band GSM radio with EDGE. Perhaps most amazingly, though, it somehow runs OS X with support for Widgets, Google Maps, and Safari, and iTunes (of course) with CoverFlow out of the gate. A partnership with Yahoo will allow all iPhone customers to hook up with free push IMAP email. Apple quotes 5 hours of battery life for talk or video, with a full 16 hours in music mode — no word on standby time yet. In a twisted way, this is one rumor mill we’re almost sad to see grind to a halt; after all, when is the next time we’re going to have an opportunity to run this picture? The 4GB iPhone will go out the door in the US as a Cingular exclusive for $499 on a two-year contract, 8GB for $599. Ships Stateside in June, Europe in fourth quarter, Asia in 2008.

The revolutionary part about Apple’s new iPhone is that it has managed to combine all of the most popular features of today’s mobile devices into one, sleek multi-functional product.

In today’s fast paced ways people are required to have ways to connect them to the world while they are on the go. Where there is a need, there is a product. Over the past decade there have been many new advances in technologies which have made it possible for us to watch movies, listen to music, Email, surf the Internet, and communicate through text and mobile phones, and almost without restrictions.

The iPhone is similar to a mix of a cell phone and an Apple iPod, not to mention the other countless upgraded features that are included. The iPhone is an iPod, a cell phone, a video player, has a camera, and is also Internet ready.

When you consider all of the useful features that you get with the iPhone you see the convenience factor of having all of your necessary communication and entertainment devices all in one sleek, high tech cell phone. It is perfect for anyone on the go, and is the perfect gift for anyone, including yourself! Even if you don’t travel very far it is nice to have all a small electronic device that serves every purpose that a device of it’s kind can.

Another nice feature that comes with the new Apple iPhone is the 2 mega-pixel camera which gives the user the ability to take pictures, and record events. You also have the ability to view, upload, and send media files with your iPhone.

With the iPhone’s integrated WiFi technology the use has the ability to surf the Internet, check Emails, and access widgets. The iPhone also comes with complete access to Google Maps which is important if you like to travel or have a terrible sense of direction. The iPhone is also Bluetooth ready which gives the user the ability to use wireless ear pieces and transfer files. Apple has chosen GSM technology for the iPhone. Phones sold by AT&T and T-Mobile come with the SIM card disabled, effectively locking them to the network. It is possible, though not easy, to unlock these phones and is also legal to do so in the United States.

The iPhone is similar to the iPod because it is an iPod, plus many other features. The layout of the iPhone is also much different from the iPod which has clearer alphabetically arranged sections, along with matching fonts for easier viewing. With the iPhone you are able to go through the many albums stored on your phone by simply running your finger crosswise on the touch screen. With the iPhone you can view video clips, movies, and TV shows. The iPhone can only view files in a landscape screen.

Reference: Apple iPhone A Multi-functional Cell Phone by Michael Ferrerya