Space in the city

It is that time of the year and top 10 lists for the year 2006 are being published, podcasted, telecasted and blogged. So here is a list which might not be viewed a lot but sure needs mention. Each year Foreign Policy magazine publishes “ The Top Ten Stories You Missed ”. If you have heard of most of these news items you know for sure your daily news sources are well diversified, plus its confirms your title as the news junky of your social network. So here is a snap shot few Top Ten Stories You Missed in 2006 10 Hackable Passports : U.S. State Department began issuing biometric “ePassports” that contain a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag under the back cover…But a German hacker quickly found a vulnerability. With a laptop and a chip reader he bought for $200, he was able to steal data from an encrypted RFID tag, potentially allowing him to clone an ePassport. 9 What’s Worse Than Bird Flu? The Cure . … 6 Iran and Israel Hold Secret Talks … 2 China Runs up Afr...

Good/Interesting website (web 2.0) WikiMapia WikiMapia is a Web 2.0 project to describe the whole planet Earth. It was created by Alexandre Koriakine and Evgeniy Saveliev, inspired by Google maps and Wikipedia. Like Wikipedia individuals get to identify landmarks that matter to them and help increase the total information available on a map. Interesting ideas, blogs and website on enhancing you online shopping experience Like.com It’s the first true visual search engine, where the contents of photos are used to search and retrieve similar items. They believe that there are literally millions of items that are difficult to describe via text-based search and where individual tastes are all over the map -- think of your favorite pair of earrings or shoes and what an ordeal it can be to find some thing new but in a similar style. Like.com utilizes our Likeness Technology™ to create a digital signature that describes the photo's contents and enables a more accurate search for similar...

Here is a quick reference to the limits on contribution for 2006 & 2007 401k Fund Contributions Limits for 2006 Your 401k fund contribution limits set by the IRS for 2006 are: # $15000 for those under 50 years of age # $15000 plus $5000 additional catch up contribution for those over 50 years of age Be sure to check with your employer for any limits set by your company's 401k plan. To maximize your 401k , you should try to contribute the maximum amount you are allowed each year. (Read more at about.com ). 401k Fund Contributions Limits for 2007 Your 401k fund pre-tax contribution limits set by the IRS for 2007 are: # $15500 for those under 50 years of age # $15500 plus $5000 additional catch up contribution for those over 50 years of age Be sure to check with your employer for any limits set by your company's 401k plan. Some addition to the contribution limits Contributions to 401(k) plans, currently (2006) limited to $15,000, had ...

Found this article about " Why Johnny can't save for retirement". Great article and from a very good show. Sadly, the show " Wall $treet Week with FORTUNE" is off the air since 2005 . You should read this if you want to understand the following 401K Behavioral economics Neuroconservatism Libertarian paternalism Richard Thaler Here is the article Why Johnny can't save for retirement Money decisions are hard. It's not that we're stupid—we're just not wired properly. How brain science is changing the way we think about 401(k)s, Social Security, and the whole notion of retirement planning. By Justin Fox, FORTUNE March 8, 2005 The first question, flashed on a screen a few inches from my eyes, is easy. Do I want an Amazon.com gift certificate worth $16.31 today, or one worth $16.31 a month from now? Even with my head and upper body wedged into a magnetic resonance imaging machine that clatters like an unmuffled motorcycle engine as it scans ...

An email lead me to these websites of two impressive non-profit organizations www.ashoka.org and www.synergos.org . Former a unique organization out of Washington DC does quite impressive work and got a different approach. I have reproduced from their website some of Ashoka's central beliefs- mission, vision & theory :- “ Ashoka's job is to make "everyone a changemaker." To help create a world where everyone has the freedom, confidence, and skills to turn challenges into solutions. This allows each person the fullest, richest life. And a society so constituted will evolve and adapt faster and more surely than any other: Each person, rather better than the body's white blood "attack" cells, courses though society spotting challenges and then conceiving and putting in place the next, better step… Vision Ashoka envisions a world where Everyone is a Changemaker: a world that responds quickly and effectively to social challenges, and...

Also heard in the NY City-- with the latest change in the way NYSE trades and the impact of Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) the economy of lower Manhattan will changed for ever. There will be an increase in the high end residential spaces. This would fundamentally change the composition of lower Manhattan. But there is news also about companies moving back like the announcement that BearingPoint's (NYSE: BE) new national hub office at Three World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan which will house their Financial Services group headquarters. if certian provision of SOX is modified then NY might not loose the tag as the financial capital of the world to London. And if you get a chance watch the interview of Jack Bogle on forbes video network . He thinks there is a scope of improving the controversial SOX section 404 regarding controls.

The rivalry between Airbus and Boeing got hotter. Airbus decided to build a plane to complete with Boeing’s 787 (Dreamliner). This could also prove that the Boeing’s strategy to build mid size plan that is fuel efficient is in line with the market needs. To read more about the about the Airbus A350 XWB, the mid-sized jet designed to rival Boeing's 787 Click Here