The foreign exchange (currency or forex or FX) market exists wherever one currency is traded for another. It is by far the largest financial market in the world, and includes trading between large banks, central banks, currency speculators, multinational corporations, governments, and other financial markets and institutions. The average daily trade in the global forex and related markets currently is over US$ 3 trillion.
Market size and liquidity
The foreign exchange market is unique because of
its trading volumes,
the extreme liquidity of the market,
the large number of, and variety of, traders in the market,
its geographical dispersion,
its long trading hours: 24 hours a day (except on weekends),
the variety of factors that affect exchange rates.
the low margins of profit compared with other markets of fixed income (but profits can be high due to very large trading volumes)
Foreign exchange market turnover, 1988 - 2007, measured in billions of USD.As such, it has been referred to as the market closest to the ideal perfect competition, notwithstanding authorized market manipulation by central banks. According to the BIS,[1] average daily turnover in traditional foreign exchange markets is estimated at $3.21 trillion. Daily averages in April for different years, in billions of US dollars, are presented on the chart below:
This $3.21 trillion in global foreign exchange market "traditional" turnover was broken down as follows:
$1,005 billion in spot transactions
$362 billion in outright forwards
$1,714 billion in forex swaps
$129 billion estimated gaps in reporting
In addition to "traditional" turnover, $2.1 trillion was traded in derivatives.
Exchange-traded forex futures contracts were introduced in 1972 at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and are actively traded relative to most other futures contracts. Forex futures volume has grown rapidly in recent years, and accounts for about 7% of the total foreign exchange market volume, according to The Wall Street Journal Europe (5/5/06, p. 20).
Average daily global turnover in traditional foreign exchange market transactions totaled $2.7 trillion in April 2006 according to IFSL estimates based on semi-annual London, New York, Tokyo and Singapore Foreign Exchange Committee data. Overall turnover, including non-traditional foreign exchange derivatives and products traded on exchanges, averaged around $2.9 trillion a day. This was more than ten times the size of the combined daily turnover on all the world’s equity markets. Foreign exchange trading increased by 38% between April 2005 and April 2006 and has more than doubled since 2001. This is largely due to the growing importance of foreign exchange as an asset class and an increase in fund management assets, particularly of hedge funds and pension funds. The diverse selection of execution venues such as internet trading platforms has also made it easier for retail traders to trade in the foreign exchange market. [2]
Because foreign exchange is an OTC market where brokers/dealers negotiate directly with one another, there is no central exchange or clearing house. The biggest geographic trading centre is the UK, primarily London, which according to IFSL estimates has increased its share of global turnover in traditional transactions from 31.3% in April 2004 to 32.4% in April 2006. RPP
The ten most active traders account for almost 73% of trading volume, according to The Wall Street Journal Europe, (2/9/06 p. 20). These large international banks continually provide the market with both bid (buy) and ask (sell) prices. The bid/ask spread is the difference between the price at which a bank or market maker will sell ("ask", or "offer") and the price at which a market-maker will buy ("bid") from a wholesale customer. This spread is minimal for actively traded pairs of currencies, usually 0–3 pips. For example, the bid/ask quote of EUR/USD might be 1.2200/1.2203 on a retail broker. Minimum trading size for most deals is usually 100,000 units of currency, which is a standard "lot".
These spreads might not apply to retail customers at banks, which will routinely mark up the difference to say 1.2100 / 1.2300 for transfers, or say 1.2000 / 1.2400 for banknotes or travelers' checks. Spot prices at market makers vary, but on EUR/USD are usually no more than 3 pips wide (i.e. 0.0003). Competition is greatly increased with larger transactions, and pip spreads shrink on the major pairs to as little as 1 to 2 pips.
Market participants
Unlike a stock market, where all participants have access to the same prices, the forex market is divided into levels of access. At the top is the inter-bank market, which is made up of the largest investment banking firms. Within the inter-bank market, spreads, which are the difference between the bid and ask prices, are razor sharp and usually unavailable, and not known to players outside the inner circle. As you descend the levels of access, the difference between the bid and ask prices widens (from 0-1 pip to 1-2 pips for some currencies such as the EUR). This is due to volume. If a trader can guarantee large numbers of transactions for large amounts, they can demand a smaller difference between the bid and ask price, which is referred to as a better spread. The levels of access that make up the forex market are determined by the size of the “line” (the amount of money with which they are trading). The top-tier inter-bank market accounts for 53% of all transactions. After that there are usually smaller investment banks, followed by large multi-national corporations (which need to hedge risk and pay employees in different countries), large hedge funds, and even some of the retail forex market makers. According to Galati and Melvin, “Pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, and other institutional investors have played an increasingly important role in financial markets in general, and in FX markets in particular, since the early 2000s.” (2004) In addition, he notes, “Hedge funds have grown markedly over the 2001–2004 period in terms of both number and overall size” Central banks also participate in the forex market to align currencies to their economic needs.
Banks
The interbank market caters for both the majority of commercial turnover and large amounts of speculative trading every day. A large bank may trade billions of dollars daily. Some of this trading is undertaken on behalf of customers, but much is conducted by proprietary desks, trading for the bank's own account.
Until recently, foreign exchange brokers did large amounts of business, facilitating interbank trading and matching anonymous counterparts for small fees. Today, however, much of this business has moved on to more efficient electronic systems. The broker squawk box lets traders listen in on ongoing interbank trading and is heard in most trading rooms, but turnover is noticeably smaller than just a few years ago.
Commercial companies
An important part of this market comes from the financial activities of companies seeking foreign exchange to pay for goods or services. Commercial companies often trade fairly small amounts compared to those of banks or speculators, and their trades often have little short term impact on market rates. Nevertheless, trade flows are an important factor in the long-term direction of a currency's exchange rate. Some multinational companies can have an unpredictable impact when very large positions are covered due to exposures that are not widely known by other market participants.
Central banks
National central banks play an important role in the foreign exchange markets. They try to control the money supply, inflation, and/or interest rates and often have official or unofficial target rates for their currencies. They can use their often substantial foreign exchange reserves to stabilize the market. Milton Friedman argued that the best stabilization strategy would be for central banks to buy when the exchange rate is too low, and to sell when the rate is too high — that is, to trade for a profit based on their more precise information. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of central bank "stabilizing speculation" is doubtful because central banks do not go bankrupt if they make large losses, like other traders would, and there is no convincing evidence that they do make a profit trading.
The mere expectation or rumor of central bank intervention might be enough to stabilize a currency, but aggressive intervention might be used several times each year in countries with a dirty float currency regime. Central banks do not always achieve their objectives. The combined resources of the market can easily overwhelm any central bank.[4] Several scenarios of this nature were seen in the 1992–93 ERM collapse, and in more recent times in Southeast Asia.
Investment management firms
Investment management firms (who typically manage large accounts on behalf of customers such as pension funds and endowments) use the foreign exchange market to facilitate transactions in foreign securities. For example, an investment manager with an international equity portfolio will need to buy and sell foreign currencies in the spot market in order to pay for purchases of foreign equities. Since the forex transactions are secondary to the actual investment decision, they are not seen as speculative or aimed at profit-maximization.
Some investment management firms also have more speculative specialist currency overlay operations, which manage clients' currency exposures with the aim of generating profits as well as limiting risk. Whilst the number of this type of specialist firms is quite small, many have a large value of assets under management (AUM), and hence can generate large trades.
Hedge funds
Hedge funds have gained a reputation for aggressive currency speculation since 1996. They control billions of dollars of equity and may borrow billions more, and thus may overwhelm intervention by central banks to support almost any currency, if the economic fundamentals are in the hedge funds' favor.
Retail forex brokers
There are two types of retail broker: brokers offering speculative trading and brokers offering physical delivery i.e. the bought currency is delivered to a bank account.
Retail forex brokers or market makers handle a minute fraction of the total volume of the foreign exchange market. According to CNN, one retail broker estimates retail volume at $25–50 billion daily, which is about 2% of the whole market. Retail traders (individuals) are a small fraction of this market and may only participate indirectly through brokers or banks, and might be subject to forex scams
Trading characteristics
There is no unified or centrally cleared market for the majority of FX trades, and there is very little cross-border regulation. Due to the over-the-counter (OTC) nature of currency markets, there are rather a number of interconnected marketplaces, where different currency instruments are traded. This implies that there is not a single dollar rate but rather a number of different rates (prices), depending on what bank or market maker is trading. In practice the rates are often very close, otherwise they could be exploited by arbitrageurs instantaneously. A joint venture of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Reuters, called FxMarketSpace opened in 2007 and aspires to the role of a central market clearing mechanism.
The main trading centers are in London, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore, but banks throughout the world participate. Currency trading happens continuously throughout the day; as the Asian trading session ends, the European session begins, followed by the North American session and then back to the Asian session, excluding weekends.
There is little or no 'inside information' in the foreign exchange markets. Exchange rate fluctuations are usually caused by actual monetary flows as well as by expectations of changes in monetary flows caused by changes in GDP growth, inflation, interest rates, budget and trade deficits or surpluses, large cross-border M&A deals and other macroeconomic conditions. Major news is released publicly, often on scheduled dates, so many people have access to the same news at the same time. However, the large banks have an important advantage; they can see their customers' order flow.
Currencies are traded against one another. Each pair of currencies thus constitutes an individual product and is traditionally noted XXX/YYY, where YYY is the ISO 4217 international three-letter code of the currency into which the price of one unit of XXX is expressed (called base currency). For instance, EUR/USD is the price of the euro expressed in US dollars, as in 1 euro = 1.3045 dollar. Out of convention, the first currency in the pair, the base currency, was the stronger currency at the creation of the pair. The second currency, counter currency, was the weaker currency at the creation of the pair.
The factors affecting XXX will affect both XXX/YYY and XXX/ZZZ. This causes positive currency correlation between XXX/YYY and XXX/ZZZ.
On the spot market, according to the BIS study, the most heavily traded products were:
EUR/USD: 28 %
USD/JPY: 18 %
GBP/USD (also called sterling or cable): 14 %
and the US currency was involved in 88.7% of transactions, followed by the euro (37.2%), the yen (20.3%), and the sterling (16.9%) (see table). Note that volume percentages should add up to 200%: 100% for all the sellers and 100% for all the buyers.
Although trading in the euro has grown considerably since the currency's creation in January 1999, the foreign exchange market is thus far still largely dollar-centered. For instance, trading the euro versus a non-European currency ZZZ will usually involve two trades: EUR/USD and USD/ZZZ. The exception to this is EUR/JPY, which is an established traded currency pair in the interbank spot market.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forex
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Making Money
Making Money is a Terry Pratchett novel in the Discworld series, published in the UK on 20 September 2007. It is the second novel featuring Moist von Lipwig, and involves the Ankh-Morpork mint and specifically the introduction of paper money to the city. Ankh-Morpork has hitherto not used banknotes. The continuing work of Adora Belle Dearheart (Lipwig's fiancée by this novel) with the Golem Trust is also a feature of the novel.
Plot
Moist von Lipwig is bored with his job as the Postmaster General of the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, which is running smoothly without any challenges, so the Patrician tries to convince him to take over the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork and the Royal Mint. Moist, content with his new lifestyle, refuses. However, when the current chairwoman, Topsy Lavish, dies, she leaves 50% of the shares in the bank to her dog, Mr Fusspot (who already owns 1% of the bank, giving him a majority and making him chairman) - and she leaves the dog to Moist. She also made sure that the Assassins' Guild would fulfill a contract on Moist if anything happens to the dog or if he does not do as her last will commands.
Faced with no alternatives, Moist tries to take over the bank and in doing so finds out that people do not trust banks much, that the production of money runs slowly and at a loss, and that people now use stamps as currency rather than coins. His various ambitious changes include making money that is not backed by gold but by the city itself. Unfortunately, neither the chief cashier (Mr. Bent, who is rumored to be a vampire but is actually something much worse) nor the Lavish family are too happy with him and try to dispose of him. Cosmo Lavish tries to go one step further - he is attempting to replace Vetinari by taking on his identity - with little success. However all the while, the reappearance of a character from von Lipwig's past adds more pressure to his unfortunate scenario.
Moist's fiancée, Adora Belle Dearheart, is working with the Golem Trust in the meantime to uncover golems from the ancient civilization of Um. She succeeds in bringing them to the city, and to everyone's surprise the "four golden golems" turn out to be "four thousand golems" (due to a translation error) and so the city is at risk of being at war with other cities who might find an army of 4000 golems threatening. Moist discovers the magic words that control the golems, and manages to order them to bury themselves outside the city (except for a few to power clacks towers and golem horses for the mail coaches) and then decides that these extremely valuable golems are a much better foundation for the new currency than gold and thus introduces the golem-based currency. Eventually, an anonymous clacks message goes out to the leaders of other cities that contains the command that the golems respond to, thus making them unsuitable for using in warfare.
At the end of the novel, Lord Vetinari considers the advancing age of the current Chief Tax Collector, and suggests that upon his retirement a new name to take on the vacancy might present itself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Making_Money
Plot
Moist von Lipwig is bored with his job as the Postmaster General of the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, which is running smoothly without any challenges, so the Patrician tries to convince him to take over the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork and the Royal Mint. Moist, content with his new lifestyle, refuses. However, when the current chairwoman, Topsy Lavish, dies, she leaves 50% of the shares in the bank to her dog, Mr Fusspot (who already owns 1% of the bank, giving him a majority and making him chairman) - and she leaves the dog to Moist. She also made sure that the Assassins' Guild would fulfill a contract on Moist if anything happens to the dog or if he does not do as her last will commands.
Faced with no alternatives, Moist tries to take over the bank and in doing so finds out that people do not trust banks much, that the production of money runs slowly and at a loss, and that people now use stamps as currency rather than coins. His various ambitious changes include making money that is not backed by gold but by the city itself. Unfortunately, neither the chief cashier (Mr. Bent, who is rumored to be a vampire but is actually something much worse) nor the Lavish family are too happy with him and try to dispose of him. Cosmo Lavish tries to go one step further - he is attempting to replace Vetinari by taking on his identity - with little success. However all the while, the reappearance of a character from von Lipwig's past adds more pressure to his unfortunate scenario.
Moist's fiancée, Adora Belle Dearheart, is working with the Golem Trust in the meantime to uncover golems from the ancient civilization of Um. She succeeds in bringing them to the city, and to everyone's surprise the "four golden golems" turn out to be "four thousand golems" (due to a translation error) and so the city is at risk of being at war with other cities who might find an army of 4000 golems threatening. Moist discovers the magic words that control the golems, and manages to order them to bury themselves outside the city (except for a few to power clacks towers and golem horses for the mail coaches) and then decides that these extremely valuable golems are a much better foundation for the new currency than gold and thus introduces the golem-based currency. Eventually, an anonymous clacks message goes out to the leaders of other cities that contains the command that the golems respond to, thus making them unsuitable for using in warfare.
At the end of the novel, Lord Vetinari considers the advancing age of the current Chief Tax Collector, and suggests that upon his retirement a new name to take on the vacancy might present itself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Making_Money
Friday, May 23, 2008
Emotional Effects of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Irritable bowel syndrome sufferers often find that they have to deal with two sets of symptoms. The physical symptoms of diarrhea, constipation and pain form the main part of IBS, but sufferers may also develop emotional problems such as mild or moderate depression and anxiety because of the strain that IBS places on their lives.
There's no doubt that IBS can have a huge impact on your mental and emotional health. One of the reasons why people assume that IBS is caused by stress is that IBS sufferers can appear so stressed and unhappy. But is this really surprising? If you had explosive diarrhea, never-ending constipation or stabbing stomach cramps you'd be a bit stressed too!
The nature of IBS symptoms can mean that they are very difficult to deal with, both practically, in terms of being afraid to go out because of fear of diarrhea, and emotionally, because of embarrassment and the sometimes unsympathetic reactions of others.
Sufferers find that their social lives quickly diminish to nothing, or that they can no longer eat the food at restaurants or dinner parties without ending up in pain. Work or school can become a chronic struggle as you drag yourself in on days when you feel ill, knowing that if you didn't you'd get fired or kicked off your course.
You may also feel that you have to pretend to be healthy most of the time in spite of how you really feel, because people get tired of hearing about your condition or begin to say things like "Well why don't you go to the doctor" or "My mum had that and ate lots of bran and now she's fine. That's what you should do."
It can be very hard to bite your tongue and stop yourself answering back. "Oh, go to the DOCTOR, I see, that's where I've going wrong all this time, I thought you had to go to the hardware store. I shall now be cured."
What is important to remember is that anyone who is battling with IBS is going through a very difficult time, and deserves some genuine support, as does anyone with a chronic, long-term condition.
Hopefully, if you explain your condition to family and friends, support will be forthcoming, but if not you should ask yourself how much misunderstanding you are willing to put up with, and whether it is hazardous to your health.
This is what Heather Van Vorous says in The First Year - IBS:"You may even have friends or family dismiss your problem as 'all in your head.' It's up to you to educate these people, and then dump them if they persist in their ignorance at the expense of your health."
If they are truly your friends then they will want to learn about the condition and be ready to accept that their views are based on prejudice and assumption rather than fact.
But if they still believe that you're exaggerating then ask them to explain exactly why they believe that IBS is psychosomatic or 'all in your head', what scientific studies they are basing their views on, and how they explain the success of new drugs such as the selective 5-HT3 antagonist Lotronex. That should keep them quiet.
Sophie Lee has suffered from IBS for more than 15 years. She runs the IBS Tales website http://www.ibstales.com where you can read hundreds of personal stories of IBS and self-help tips.
http://www.mesines.com/best/medicine/5264.php
10 Tips for Responsible Medication Use
All medications, which include prescriptions, over-the-counter preparations, vitamin and mineral supplements, and herbal preparations, are potentially dangerous. Following some simple rules will not only reduce your chance of having a problem, but should reduce your cost as well.
Always shop around for medications ? there is a significant difference in cost from pharmacy to pharmacy. Check both online and offline sources. For example, several of my patients have realized a significant cost savings by using the Costco pharmacy as well as online Canadian pharmacies. Should you choose to use a Canadian pharmacy, please keep abreast of any laws that may affect your purchase.
Always check to see if a generic equivalent is available. Today, there are very few medications on the market where generics are not acceptable.
If you can, have your prescription filled for 90 days. It will cost less than if you bough 30 days worth over 3 months. One of the reasons is that pharmacies charge a filling fee for each prescription filled.
Will you medication allow you to take a half-tab? For example, if you are taking lisinopril 20mg, you can purchase 40mg tablets and break them in half ? a savings of 50%. Always check with your health care provider and/or pharmacist first?not all medications can be broken. Also, consider those nifty little pill cutters?they work wonderfully.
Do you really have to take all that medication in the first place? The best advice I can give you is to put everything into a bag and take it with you to your appointment. Make sure that you and your provider are on the same page when it comes to medications/supplements that you are taking. This is especially true when you are seeing more than one prescribing provider. You may have duplicates that you are unaware of. Always ask?"do I really need this"?
Keep an up-to-date list of your medications with you at all times.
It is your responsibility to learn the names of your medications and why you are taking them! Most likely, your provider does not know what you mean by the "little pink pill" or the "white capsule". There are literally dozens of each.
Check your medications before you leave the pharmacy. If something does not look right, ask about it right then. DO NOT take something you are unfamiliar with.
Follow label directions. If you are taking something for osteoporosis, chances are you were told to take it with a full glass of water, sitting upright while avoiding any other food or fluids for 30 minutes. They were not making it up! This goes for the labels on over-the-counter preparations. This is one time that "if a little is good, a lot must be better" can be a dangerous thought.
Another very important tip. If at all possible, it is in your best interest to have a primary care provider. Ideally, he or she will coordinate your care with specialists, and keep track of all the medications you are on. If you have a complete profile on record, then between your one primary provider, and your one pharmacist, any problems in your medications should be picked up.
This bonus tip comes from a lesson taught to me by a wonderful patient of mine?If you and your partner both take medication, do NOT mix them up. It can have serious consequences!
While proper nutrition and exercise are the mainstays of treatment for most health challenges, medication use is sometimes unavoidable. Make sure you need them; know what they are and how to take them. Follow directions, and don't share! Most of all, always seek to understand what you are taking and what it's suppose to do for you.
Your body will thank you.
For over 26 years, Barbara C. Phillips, MN, NP has been involved in health care. Now, as the founder of OlderWiserWomen, LLC, that experience and passion is focused on Women who want to experience the freedom, magic and wisdom of successful aging. She can be reached through http://www.OlderWiserWomen.com
http://www.mesines.com/best/medicine/4911.php
Always shop around for medications ? there is a significant difference in cost from pharmacy to pharmacy. Check both online and offline sources. For example, several of my patients have realized a significant cost savings by using the Costco pharmacy as well as online Canadian pharmacies. Should you choose to use a Canadian pharmacy, please keep abreast of any laws that may affect your purchase.
Always check to see if a generic equivalent is available. Today, there are very few medications on the market where generics are not acceptable.
If you can, have your prescription filled for 90 days. It will cost less than if you bough 30 days worth over 3 months. One of the reasons is that pharmacies charge a filling fee for each prescription filled.
Will you medication allow you to take a half-tab? For example, if you are taking lisinopril 20mg, you can purchase 40mg tablets and break them in half ? a savings of 50%. Always check with your health care provider and/or pharmacist first?not all medications can be broken. Also, consider those nifty little pill cutters?they work wonderfully.
Do you really have to take all that medication in the first place? The best advice I can give you is to put everything into a bag and take it with you to your appointment. Make sure that you and your provider are on the same page when it comes to medications/supplements that you are taking. This is especially true when you are seeing more than one prescribing provider. You may have duplicates that you are unaware of. Always ask?"do I really need this"?
Keep an up-to-date list of your medications with you at all times.
It is your responsibility to learn the names of your medications and why you are taking them! Most likely, your provider does not know what you mean by the "little pink pill" or the "white capsule". There are literally dozens of each.
Check your medications before you leave the pharmacy. If something does not look right, ask about it right then. DO NOT take something you are unfamiliar with.
Follow label directions. If you are taking something for osteoporosis, chances are you were told to take it with a full glass of water, sitting upright while avoiding any other food or fluids for 30 minutes. They were not making it up! This goes for the labels on over-the-counter preparations. This is one time that "if a little is good, a lot must be better" can be a dangerous thought.
Another very important tip. If at all possible, it is in your best interest to have a primary care provider. Ideally, he or she will coordinate your care with specialists, and keep track of all the medications you are on. If you have a complete profile on record, then between your one primary provider, and your one pharmacist, any problems in your medications should be picked up.
This bonus tip comes from a lesson taught to me by a wonderful patient of mine?If you and your partner both take medication, do NOT mix them up. It can have serious consequences!
While proper nutrition and exercise are the mainstays of treatment for most health challenges, medication use is sometimes unavoidable. Make sure you need them; know what they are and how to take them. Follow directions, and don't share! Most of all, always seek to understand what you are taking and what it's suppose to do for you.
Your body will thank you.
For over 26 years, Barbara C. Phillips, MN, NP has been involved in health care. Now, as the founder of OlderWiserWomen, LLC, that experience and passion is focused on Women who want to experience the freedom, magic and wisdom of successful aging. She can be reached through http://www.OlderWiserWomen.com
http://www.mesines.com/best/medicine/4911.php
PDA (Personal digital assistant)
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A personal digital assistant (PDA) is a handheld computer, also known as small or palmtop computers. PDAs have many uses: calculation, use as a clock and calendar, accessing the Internet, sending and receiving E-mails, video recording, typewriting and word processing, use as an address book, making and writing on spreadsheets, scanning bar codes, use as a radio or stereo, playing computer games, recording survey responses, and Global Positioning System (GPS). Newer PDAs also have both color screens and audio capabilities, enabling them to be used as mobile phones (smartphones), web browsers, or portable media players. Many PDAs can access the Internet, intranets or extranets via Wi-Fi, or Wireless Wide-Area Networks (WWANs). Many PDAs employ touch screen technology.
History
The first PDA is considered to be the Psion Organiser. GO Corp. was also pioneering in the field. The term was first used on January 7, 1992 by Apple Computer CEO John Sculley at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, referring to the Apple Newton. PDAs are sometimes referred to as "Palms", "Palm Pilot", or "Palm Tops".Typical features
Currently, a typical PDA has a touch screen for entering data, a memory card slot for data storage and at least one of the following for connectivity: IrDA, Bluetooth and/or WiFi. However, many PDAs (typically those used primarily as telephones) may not have a touch screen, using softkeys, a directional pad and either the numeric keypad or a thumb keyboard for input.
Software typically required to be a PDA includes an appointment calendar, a to-do list, an address book for contacts and some sort of note program. Connected PDAs also typically include E-mail and Web support.
Touch screen
Many original PDAs, such as the Apple Newton and the Palm Pilot, featured touch screens for user interaction, having only a few buttons usually reserved for shortcuts to often used programs. Touch screen PDAs, including Windows Pocket PC devices, usually have a detachable stylus that can be used on the touch screen. Interaction is then done by tapping the screen to activate buttons or menu choices, and dragging the stylus to, for example, highlight. Text input is usually done in one of four ways:- Using a virtual keyboard, where a keyboard is shown on the touch screen. Input is done by tapping letters on the screen.
- Using external keyboard or chorded keyboard connected by USB or Bluetooth.
- Using letter or word recognition, where letters or words are written on the touch screen, and then "translated" to letters in the currently activated text field. Despite rigorous research and development projects, end-users experience mixed results with this input method, with some finding it frustrating and inaccurate, while others are satisfied with the quality. Recognition and computation of handwritten horizontal and vertical formulas such as "1 + 2 =" was also under development.
- Stroke recognition (termed Graffiti by Palm). In this system a predefined set of strokes represents the various characters needed. The user learns to draw these strokes on the screen or in an input area. The strokes are often simplified character shapes to make them easier to remember.
PDAs for business use, including the BlackBerry and Treo, have full keyboards and scroll wheels or thumb wheels to facilitate data entry and navigation, in addition to supporting touch-screen input. There are also full-size foldable keyboards available that plug directly, or use wireless technology to interface with the PDA and allow for normal typing. BlackBerry has additional functionality, such as push-based email and applications.
Newer PDAs, such as the Apple iPhone and iPod touch include new user interfaces using other means of input. The iPhone and iPod touch uses a technology called Multi-touch.
Memory cards 
Although many early PDAs did not have memory card slots, now most have either an SD (Secure Digital) and/or a Compact Flash slot. Although originally designed for memory, SDIO and Compact Flash cards are available for such things as Wi-Fi and Webcams. Some PDAs also have a USB port, mainly for USB flash drives.
As more PDAs include telephone support, to keep the size down, many now offer miniSD or microSD slots instead of full-sized SD slots.
Wired connectivity
While many earlier PDAs connected via serial ports or other proprietary format, many today connect via USB cable. This served primarily to connect to a computer, and few, if any PDAs were able to connect to each other out of the box using cables, as USB requires one machine to act as a host - functionality which was not often planned. Some PDAs were able to connect to the internet, either by means of one of these cables, or by using an extension card with an ethernet port/RJ-45 adaptor.
Wireless connectivity
Most modern PDAs have Bluetooth wireless connectivity, an increasingly popular tool for mobile devices. It can be used to connect keyboards, headsets, GPS and many other accessories, as well as sending files between PDAs. Many mid-range and superior PDAs have Wi-Fi/WLAN/802.11-connectivity, used for connecting to Wi-Fi hotspots or wireless networks. Older PDAs predominantly have an IrDA (infrared) port; however fewer current models have the technology, as it is slowly being phased out due to support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. IrDA allows communication between two PDAs: a PDA and any device with an IrDA port or adapter. Most universal PDA keyboards use infrared technology because many older PDAs have it, and infrared technology is low-cost and has the advantage of being permitted aboard aircraft.
Synchronization
An important function of PDAs is synchronizing data with a PC. This allows up-to-date contact information stored on software such as Microsoft Outlook or ACT! to update the database on the PDA. The data synchronization ensures that the PDA has an accurate list of contacts, appointments and e-mail, allowing users to access the same information on the PDA as the host computer.
The synchronizing also prevents the loss of information stored on the device in case it is lost, stolen, or destroyed. Another advantage is that data input is usually a lot quicker on a PC, since text input via a touch screen is still not quite optimal. Transferring data to a PDA via the computer is therefore a lot quicker than having to manually input all data on the handheld device.
Most PDAs come with the ability to synchronize to a PC. This is done through synchronization software provided with the handheld, such as HotSync Manager, which comes with Palm OS handhelds, Microsoft ActiveSync for older versions of Windows or Windows Mobile Device Center on Windows Vista, which comes with Windows Mobile handhelds.
These programs allow the PDA to be synchronized with a Personal information manager. This personal information manager may be an outside program or a proprietary program. For example, the BlackBerry PDA comes with the Desktop Manager program which can synchronize to both Microsoft Outlook and ACT!. Other PDAs come only with their own proprietary software. For example, some early Palm OS PDAs came only with Palm Desktop while later Palms such as the Treo 650 has the built-in ability to sync to Palm Desktop and/or Microsoft Outlook, while Microsoft's ActiveSync and Windows Mobile Device Center only synchronize with Microsoft Outlook or a Microsoft Exchange server.
Third-party synchronization software is also available for many PDAs from companies like Intellisync and CompanionLink. This software synchronizes these handhelds to other personal information managers which are not supported by the PDA manufacturers, such as GoldMine and Lotus Notes.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Safe Alternatives to Breast Enhancement!
You are looking for alternatives to surgical breast augmentation, you really want to enhance your breasts; you may not be satisfied with your current size or you just want to fill your clothes so you are going to have the sexy look which is seem to the elusive object of desire for so many these days, especially with increasing numbers of women getting surgical breast augmentation nowadays! That is on one hand!On the other hand you are not looking for the too perfect but very artificial look of breast implants. There was a time when you were in this boat, you really have to learn and accept the breast you had, and trying to live with them peacefully! But when it comes to today world, where so many invention in almost all area including the breast enhancement, thanks to the advance of modern science and technology, there are some more options that offer the same effectiveness to surgical breast augmentation. Yes, we are talking about breast enhancement pill and breast enhancement creams.The next question is “Do breast enhancement pill and breast enhancement creams really work?” according to one site specializing in breast enhancement products the answer is in one simple word, yes! Breastenhancementguides.com as it names after provides guides to breast enhancement products. This site further explained that all these products do really work, but they do not all work Often, many of them do not work as what the products promised and what even worst they actually produce undesirable side effects, while with the ones that do work and enlarge your breasts, you will soon notice that they come with some general lifestyle guidelines you need to exercise to achieve the maximum results out of one of these products. Be a smart consumer, as sometimes the manufacturers of breast enhancement pill and breast enhancement creams they neglect to tell you that you must practice to certain lifestyle guidelines to get their formula to take effect, and some products may actually still give additional breast growth even after your body’s natural mechanisms have “shut off” the breast growth cycle.More according to Breastenhancementguides.com is always pair your breast enhancement pill with the breast enhancement creams. This creams actually going into your skin and delivers some effective ingredients to stimulate further your breast growth, by this way it easier for your breast enhancement pill to do its work. By combining the oral and also applying the cream, you will get optimal results as you do utilize both external and internal breast growth stimulation. To get more information about breast enhancement products review you can visit Breastenhancementguides.com!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
ROMANTIC NATIONALISM
http://hyahya.org/ ROMANTIC NATIONALISM (1) | |||
There is a subtle danger that leads people away from religion, prevents them from submitting to Allah (God) as their Lord, and ultimately brings numerous other forms of trouble and distress upon them. This danger can be recognised in many different areas of our lives: the clenched fist of a fascist, the rousing anthem of a communist, or in the words of a letter written by a young man expressing his love to his loved-one. All arise from the same pernicious source. The most disturbing aspect of this danger is that an overwhelming number of people do not see it as a danger at all, nor do they realise either that it is actually a state of mind completely inimical to religion. In fact, many view it, not as a dangerous error, but rather as a virtue to be encouraged and widely propagated. This danger of which we are speaking is sentimentality that leads people to live, not according to their reason, but according to their emotions; that is, according to their desires, hatreds, their susceptibility to temptation, and their stubbornness. Sentimentality has become part of a culture of ignorance that has now brought millions of people throughout the world under its influence. In fact, it is one of the weapons that Satan uses to divert people from following the way of Allah, because someone who has fallen into the clutches of sentimentalism loses the ability to use his reason. And, when he cannot use his reason, then he cannot appreciate the fact that Allah has created him, nor can he come to recognise His signs and purposes, nor can he live in accordance to the sublime truths of religion. A life lived righteously is dependant on the use of one's reason, for Allah sent the Qu'ran "so that men of understanding may ponder its Signs and take heed." (Qur'an, 38:29) More precisely, if not treated, the disease of sentimentalism renders it impossible for a person to understand or experience religion in its true sense. Moreover, unless treated, the disease of sentimentality will make it impossible to bring an end to the pointless disputes, senseless suffering, assaults, distress and cruelty people inflict upon themselves in this world. Romanticism is one of the outcomes of sentimentalism which is understood as romance or the Romantic movement of the nineteenth century, but besides these forms, romanticism is also closely related to certain political sentiments. Chief among them is "romantic nationalism," which appeared at the end of the nineteenth century, and exercised a great influence in the world until the middle of the twentieth. First, it must be clearly stated that our criticism is not against nationalism per se, but against "romantic nationalism." There is a great deal of difference between the two.
Nationalism, in the most common sense of the term, refers to an individual's love for his people and for his country. This is a good and completely legitimate sentiment. Since it does not go against religion, it has no damaging effect for humanity. Just as an individual's love for his mother or father is a legitimate feeling, so also is love for the nation, that nurtured him in a common faith and culture, a legitimate feeling. Allah draws our attention to this irrational nationalism in the Qu'ran. What is described in the following verses as "fanatical rage," is a characteristic feature of societies who are divorced from the religion.
While the above verse speaks of "fanatical rage," it also speaks of the serenity that Allah bestows upon those who believe in Him. This juxtaposition points to the fact that if a person who loves his kindred, his clan or his community, harbours hatred or aggression towards others as a result of that love, his behaviour is errant. On the contrary, Allah desires His servants to enjoy peace, tranquillity and security; in other words, the spiritual state that Allah desires for His followers is one where reason is foremost. "Fanatical rage" does not permit such a desirable condition to exist, but pits one group against another, based solely on differences in language, colour, tribe or clan. Allah described this "fanatical rage" already 1400 years ago in the Qu'ran, and today it is still possible to witness its effects in every part of the world. There are people in Africa who strangle others to death just because they belong to a different tribe. In Europe, a football match deteriorates into armed combat when "hooligans" beat fans of the opposing team almost to death, just because they belong to the opposing side. In the Western world, there are organisations whose sole purpose is to foster hatred against Africans, Jews, Turks and other minorities, even to the extent of making them targets of terrorist assaults. The influence of "fanatical rage" pervades not only the lowest classes, but also the highest echelons of some societies. There are many countries that exploit the matter of a simple border dispute as an excuse to carry out open acts of aggression. To satisfy their belligerent tendencies, they throw their countries into a war, persisting stubbornly in their aggression for years, plunging not only the citizens of the enemy country, but even their own people into misery. Those authorities who make such decisions are afflicted with what we are referring to as "fanatical rage." As explained in the above quoted verse, he who "fills his heart with fanatical rage" lives in ignorance. Among these ignoramuses are also they who instigated the two greatest calamities of the twentieth century: the First and Second World Wars. Moved by such false notions as "German heroism," "English pride" and "Russian courage," they subjected their own people, as well as the whole world, to great suffering, spilling the blood of 65 million people, and leaving tens of millions crippled, widowed and orphaned. The root cause of these calamities was "fanatical rage" which we are now referring to as "romantic nationalism." (For further reading, see Romanticism: A Weapon of Satan by Harun Yahya)
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It is true that Allah (God) may test a person in this world with certain difficulties and worries. However, the believer does not give in to melancholy and pessimism when he is faced with such anxieties; he does not react emotionally. He knows that Allah is trying him to see how he will behave in difficulty, and that the solution is not to turn to weeping or sorrowful regret. The solution lies in seeking help from Allah, "Who responds to the oppressed when they call on Him and removes their distress" (Qur'an, 27:62), relying only on Him, and in being certain that Allah will hear his prayers and grant his requests. This is the promise of Allah to His servants:
Yes, the friends of Allah will feel no fear and will know no sorrow: those who believe and have done their duty, there is good news for them in the life of the world and in the hereafter. There is no changing the words of Allah. That is the great victory! (Surah Yunus: 62-64)
Moreover, Allah creates such trying moments of anxiety and difficulty for a very special reason. When someone looks with the eyes of faith, and sees the reasons behind all the beauty that Allah has created, he will be moved to compassion, and his contentment will increase. Therefore, submission to Allah brings a sense of calm to the spirit, and allows one to live with peace of mind.
Emotionalism, on the other hand, completely alienates people from the awareness of being in Allah's hands, and leads them to react to situations with excessive pleasure, or exaggerated pain and sorrow. Allah explains in the Qu'ran the wavering of such people between hopelessness and arrogance, and the difference between them and believers:
If We let man taste mercy from Us, and then take it away from him, he is despairing, ungrateful; but if We let him taste blessings after hardship has afflicted him, he says, "My troubles have gone away," and he is overjoyed, boastful except for those who are steadfast and do right actions. They will receive forgiveness and a large reward. (Surah Hud: 9-11)
Emotionalism shows itself most often in women as sadness, pessimism, weeping and whinniness, while in men it appears generally as anger, irascibility, and aggression. For example, when an emotional man sees that his place in a parking garage has been taken by someone else, he will shout and kick the intruding car. Or, if someone bumps into him on the sidewalk by mistake, he will easily lose his temper. Or, if his son or daughter left the house and forgot the key inside, if a waiter is late bringing the bill, if a secretary makes him wait on telephone, or if he is irritated by traffic, he will say the first thing that comes to his mind. Confronted with problems that a rational person could deal with easily, even without occupying his mind with the hundreds of details involved, an emotional person would react in an unnecessarily exaggerated manner. And, most of the time, he merely harms himself and ends up humiliated.
Emotionalism in men takes the form of anger and irascibility, and is often regarded as the quality of a "tough-guy" or "macho." This psychology is merely an amalgam of anger and romanticism, while most of those affected by it are unbalanced, and have a tendency to lose their temper, or "go off the handle." As a result of a moment of rashness, they may hurt or injure someone, or even kill; their victim could easily be a total stranger. Pages of newspapers are often filled with the crimes and offences committed by this type of personality. An evening that might have begun pleasantly could suddenly come to an end when an emotional man becomes irritated and hits a friend or someone near him. Walking in the street he may pull out a knife and stab some unknown person who "looked at him sideways." For that one minute, he may give in to his passions, and then end up spending the rest of his life in prison. More importantly, if he kills, or otherwise harms someone, without just cause, he will have committed a grave sin in the sight of Allah.
Irascible emotionalism in a person is a potential danger that can erupt out at any time, and have very serious repercussions. An emotional person may become angry if someone makes a wrong move in traffic, or if someone he does not know looks at him in such a way as to make him uncomfortable, or because of some simple misunderstanding, then act in such a way as to only bring upon himself all sorts of trouble and pain.
A clear example of the unreasonableness that emotionalism gives rise to can be seen in the brutish behaviour of some fans after a football match. They assault people they do not know, and nearly kill them with meat cleavers, knives and clubs. Their minds and consciences are blinded by the satanic weapon of emotionalism, truly a grave plague on society. But, Allah commands human beings to avoid Satan, to establish peace and security, not anger and conflict.
You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. He is an outright enemy to you. (Surat al-Baqara: 208)
The Prophet Mohammed also preached serenity among the believers, saying "The strong is not the one who overcomes the people with his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger."
Here, it is necessary to distinguish between sentimentality and rationality. Anger and hate felt in response to acts of cruelty and evil make a person more sensitive to and aware of justice, peace and goodness, and motivate him to strive for the eradication of that cruelty and evil, for its prevention, and for the protection of the rights of the weak and the innocent. If the sense of justice that Allah gave to humanity is not controlled by the will and wisdom, it can be diverted from its true purpose, and flare up against the fans of an opposing sports club. People who do not have a strong will and wisdom cannot restrain their emotions, and can be led from the true path into whatever direction satan may desire. In another verse, Allah warns humanity against Satan:
You who believe! Do not follow in the footsteps of satan. Anyone who follows in Satan's footsteps should know that he commands indecency and wrongdoing. Were it not for Allah's favour to you and His mercy, not one of you would ever have been purified. But Allah purifies whoever He wills. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Surat an-Nur:21)
(For further reading, see Romanticism: A Weapon of Satan by Harun Yahya)
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TERRORISM: THE RITE OF THE ANTICHRIST-1
By : Harun Yahya
http://api.fmanager.net/api_v1/productDetail.php?dev-t=EDCRFV&objectId=5409
Although it is one of the most commonly heard terms in the world today, there is still no definition of terrorism that all can agree on. One of the main reasons for this is that people, who are regarded as terrorists by some, are regarded by others as those engaged in a just struggle. Whatever the aim may be, it is never possible to regard any group that resorts to violence and targets innocent people, as just. Individuals or societies may desire different things, and these aspirations may be entirely valid. Yet, violence is not the way to bring them about. Force can only be used in self-defense. So, any act of violence aimed at innocent people may be regarded as an act of terrorism.
The fundamental strategy of terrorism is the spreading of fear, and by it to gain influence. Instead of working for their aspirations through more reasonable means, terrorist groups turn to violence, which they regard is far more effective. According to them, the more ruthless and destructive an act of terrorism is, the nearer it will have come to achieving its aim.
One of the most dreadful aspects of terrorism is the fact that it is devoid of all moral values and recognizes no rules. People who turn to terrorism lack all love, compassion and tolerance, and are governed by feelings of hatred, anger and revenge. Unconsciously, such people's intention is to relieve their anger and take revenge, without considering the result of their actions. Conscience of the kind of person who regards terrorism as any kind of solution is obstructed, as well as his reason, foresight and understanding is.
According to the morality of the Qur'an, however, there is no room for anger. God has revealed that so long as people act in the light of individual emotions, such as anger, there will be corruption and chaos in the world. He has commanded us for all time to behave with a tolerant, peaceful and brotherly spirit. When people abide by that morality, however, the system of the Antichrist, based as it is in violence, will completely collapse, terror and anarchy will disappear, and the climate of chaos that currently prevails in the world will come to an end. This is how God recommends that morality in one verse;
Make allowances for people, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant. (Surat al-A’raf, 199)
The morality of religion forbids all kinds of terrorist acts, but a number of terrorist groups still claim that they are acting in its name. When we look closely at the world-views of those who carry out massacres or employ violence as a method, it is quite clear that such people are deviant. They have no idea of truth of religion, and are unable to live by or comprehend its morality. Anyone who genuinely believes in God, who truly fears Him and abides by the book revealed by Him, would never be able to take any kind of action that might harm innocent and defenseless people. Those who carry out acts of terrorism and violence in the name of Islam, therefore, cannot possibly be called religious groups.
The true message of a religion or other system of ideas may sometimes be twisted by its so-called supporters, or interpreted incorrectly. That applies to Judaism as well as Christianity. The Crusaders, for instance, were European Christians who set out from Europe at the end of the 11th century with the aim of liberating the Holy Land. They may have set out with an alleged religious agenda, but they spread fear and barbarity wherever they went.
The savagery of these barbarians who misinterpreted Christianity, which is a religion of love and certainly has no room for violence, clearly had nothing to do with genuine religion at all.
Most of those who resort to terror in the name of religion are fanatical groups linked to pagan beliefs or newly developed mystical teachings, not the divine religions at all. These groups, and especially those in America and Japan, carry out terrible acts of violence against their own members as well as other people. These include the groups that burned themselves to death on a farm, or committed mass suicide in their beds, or the people who harmed others by releasing poison gas in the Japanese underground system. The attacks perpetrated against Turks in Germany a few years ago, the abuse and assaults aimed at people of Asian and African origin in other European countries, and the acts of violence against Blacks and Arabs that still take place in the United States even today, can all be included among the range of methods employed by such groups.
It must not be forgotten that, at the basis of all deviant movements lies the fact that people have turned their backs on the morality of religion. The common religious morality of Islam, Christianity and Judaism is opposed to the system of the Antichrist. At the root of religion lies love, affection and compassion. God has commanded us to treat one another with justice, tolerance, understanding, compassion and respect. For that reason, it is impossible in a society where the morality of religion prevails, for violence to exist. The morality of religion is the only system that can lead people to peace and security. God reveals in one verse:
You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of the Devil. He is an outright enemy to you. (Surat al-Baqara, 208)
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