Saturday, August 1, 2009
Golden Apple computer
Apple Computer (now known as Apple, Inc.) was a major force in the personal computer revolution that took place in the 1970s and '80s. Learning about its history teaches us about competing visions of the future and how companies made decisions during this exciting time. The Computer History Museum presents here two special documents from Apple Computer during the early days of personal computing.
The first is the Preliminary Confidential Offering Memorandum—a document supporting a private placement of funds for Apple—an enormous milestone in any company’s history. In Apple’s case, the offering was based on their vision of the Apple II computer (1977) and how it would soon be in homes, schools and offices around the world. The second document is about the very first Macintosh computer (1984) and how it fit in with other Apple and competitor’s products. Both of the rare documents are presented here for the first time.
Beautiful white gold ring
the most popular application for white gold is in the use of jewelry items. White gold jewelry includes such items as earrings, necklaces, ankle bracelets, and rings. More recently, white gold has also been used for nose and belly button rings, as well as in the creation of other interesting pins that are sometimes used as ornamentation with cheek or brow piercing.
What is white gold?
Gold jewelry comes in many colors, with yellow, rose and white gold ranking as the three most common and popular. In recent years, white gold has grown in popularity as a bright and beautiful alternative to yellow gold, silver or platinum. Less expensive than platinum and sturdier and more glamorous than sterling silver, white gold especially complements certain gemstones, such as sapphires and pink citrine.
Some pieces of jewelry combine yellow and white gold for a beautiful two-tone effect. Add rose-colored gold and you have a tri-colored piece of jewelry, interesting to look at and perfectly suited for any outfit.
But what exactly is white gold? Since gold is too soft to make jewelry by itself, manufacturers blend pure gold with other metals before shaping into jewelry. These other metals contribute to the gold’s color. White gold is an alloy of pure gold, which is yellow in color, and white metals, such as palladium, platinum, or silver. Rhodium plating then gives the white gold its bright white color; pure white gold without plating actually looks light gray.
Some older white gold contains nickel alloys, but most manufacturers today don’t use nickel to create white gold because one-in every eight people has a nickel allergy. If you are allergic to nickel, use caution buying second-hand white gold. If you notice a small rash around the area of the jewelry, it could be because the white gold contains nickel.
Manufacturers grade white gold in karats, based on the percentage of gold in the piece, the same way they grade yellow gold. While yellow gold of different karats may differ in color, white gold of 10kt, 14kt, and 18kt usually looks the same because of the rhodium plating. It will, however, differ in hardness, with 10kt as the hardest. 18-karat gold is the softest. It contains the most pure gold and is, therefore, the most expensive. By law, every piece of gold jewelry bears a stamp declaring its weight in karats.
Many engagement and wedding bands today use white gold as a cost-effective alternative to platinum. None but the most experienced eyes can tell a difference between the two precious metals, so if you want to save money on an engagement ring, you can spend less on a white gold setting and put the money toward a nicer diamond.
Since white gold can wear down with time, many jewelers recommend replacing the prongs in a white-gold engagement ring setting with platinum to insure the prongs hold the diamond secure and do not deteriorate. Overall, white gold makes a lovely piece of jewelry.
golden world
Golden Pendrive
This is file transfer/storage in its safest and most convenient form.
USB Pen Drive is a small keyring-sized device that can be used to easily transfer files between USB-compatible systems. Available in a range of capacities (and in some cases, with an MP3 player built-in) this handy little gizmo can save all those data-transfer hassles.
USB Pen Drive is a small keyring-sized device that can be used to easily transfer files between USB-compatible systems. Available in a range of capacities (and in some cases, with an MP3 player built-in) this handy little gizmo can save all those data-transfer hassles.
How do I use it?
Simple. Plug it into the USB port* of your PC (or Mac!) and watch the system automatically detect the new device. Take at look at your system drives... a new drive has been created! The operating system can now access your USB Pen Drive just like any ordinary Hard Disk Drive.
Copy across all the files you want to the 'new' drive, wait for the Read/Write LED on the USB Pen Drive to stop flashing then disconnect it. That's it. Your files are now safely stored on your USB Pen Drive. If you want to copy those files to another PC/Mac, just plug it in the new machine, wait for it to be detected and copy them off again.
* If you don't want to reach round to the back of your PC every time to plug it in, you can use the handy Docking Bay to give you USB Pen Drive access right from your desktop.
Gold Jewelrys feaver
Gold Jewelry is one way to buy gold. It comes in many shapes and sizes but its value is based on its gold content and artistry. Artistry is a more speculative investment because beauty is in the eye of the beholder and much of what we hold as valuable to us will fail to elicit the same emotional response in others. Thus, from an investment perspective, less art and more gold is what an investor wants to look for. Gold Chains, for example, have minimal art and can have maximum gold. Gold Watches, on the other hand, have maximum art and may use minimal gold.
Gold Rings can fall into either category and may or may not contain a separately valued precious or semi-precious stone. Gold Bracelets can fall into the same category.
To understand gold content, you need to understand the karat system used by goldsmiths and professional jewelry manufacturers:
24 karat (24K) gold is pure gold.
18 karat (18K) gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts another metal or metals, making it 75% gold.
14 karat (14K) gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts another metal or metals, making it 58.3% gold.
10 karat (10K) gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts another metal or metals, making it 41.7% gold. 10k gold is the minimum karat designation that can still be called gold in the US.
Other Metals are added to gold to make it harder and more resistant to scratching or malformation. These can include copper or nickel or other metal like zinc. From an investment perspective, purity is everything. Most gold jewelry in the United States is either 14 Karat or 10 Karat gold. 24 Karat is popular in the Far East.
Many companies have formed that will buy your gold jewelry solely based on its gold content. These companies will melt down the jewelry and separate the gold from the other base metals. The gold is then reformed as ingots or bars and then sold off to investors.
Gold Content value changes daily. The "Spot Price" of gold is what investors will pay for one ounce of bullion. This is what you should use to calculate the value of the gold in your jewelry. The karat value is stamped on the jewelry itself on a part that is not visible to the human eye. It can also be verified with a signed certificate from the manufacturer.
One of the difficulties of melting gold down yourself is verifying its purity. Most gold resellers rely on professional "Asayers" to certify the purity and weight of the gold they sell to investors. Hiring a private "Asayer" is an expensive proposition and should only be considered when the amount of gold is larger than a few ounces.
Security should be a primary consideration when investing in gold. Most investors mistrust the system and want to hold the investment on their own. These individuals fear losses that may occur with economic or social destabalization. In reality, it is very difficult to store large amounts of gold in the average home. A safe may offer some protection from amateurs, but is nothing more than an inconvenience for the true professionals.
Please see: Storing Your Gold for home storage suggestions.
It seems that effective home storage is based more on deception and obfuscation than on the strength of any one safe. Most individuals that store gold also have a way to protect that gold from a forced home intrusion. Thus, gold and firearms usually go together.
A more elaborite security system might involve multiple storage areas so that the entire amount of gold is never fully at risk. The key is, loose lips sink ships. So, if you brag about your holdings and can't keep a secret, you are more at risk of the wrong people finding out that you have them. All it takes is one wrong person, and you can end up losing everything.
Tips from Get Paul A Drockton M.A.
Gold Rings can fall into either category and may or may not contain a separately valued precious or semi-precious stone. Gold Bracelets can fall into the same category.
To understand gold content, you need to understand the karat system used by goldsmiths and professional jewelry manufacturers:
24 karat (24K) gold is pure gold.
18 karat (18K) gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts another metal or metals, making it 75% gold.
14 karat (14K) gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts another metal or metals, making it 58.3% gold.
10 karat (10K) gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts another metal or metals, making it 41.7% gold. 10k gold is the minimum karat designation that can still be called gold in the US.
Other Metals are added to gold to make it harder and more resistant to scratching or malformation. These can include copper or nickel or other metal like zinc. From an investment perspective, purity is everything. Most gold jewelry in the United States is either 14 Karat or 10 Karat gold. 24 Karat is popular in the Far East.
Many companies have formed that will buy your gold jewelry solely based on its gold content. These companies will melt down the jewelry and separate the gold from the other base metals. The gold is then reformed as ingots or bars and then sold off to investors.
Gold Content value changes daily. The "Spot Price" of gold is what investors will pay for one ounce of bullion. This is what you should use to calculate the value of the gold in your jewelry. The karat value is stamped on the jewelry itself on a part that is not visible to the human eye. It can also be verified with a signed certificate from the manufacturer.
One of the difficulties of melting gold down yourself is verifying its purity. Most gold resellers rely on professional "Asayers" to certify the purity and weight of the gold they sell to investors. Hiring a private "Asayer" is an expensive proposition and should only be considered when the amount of gold is larger than a few ounces.
Security should be a primary consideration when investing in gold. Most investors mistrust the system and want to hold the investment on their own. These individuals fear losses that may occur with economic or social destabalization. In reality, it is very difficult to store large amounts of gold in the average home. A safe may offer some protection from amateurs, but is nothing more than an inconvenience for the true professionals.
Please see: Storing Your Gold for home storage suggestions.
It seems that effective home storage is based more on deception and obfuscation than on the strength of any one safe. Most individuals that store gold also have a way to protect that gold from a forced home intrusion. Thus, gold and firearms usually go together.
A more elaborite security system might involve multiple storage areas so that the entire amount of gold is never fully at risk. The key is, loose lips sink ships. So, if you brag about your holdings and can't keep a secret, you are more at risk of the wrong people finding out that you have them. All it takes is one wrong person, and you can end up losing everything.
Tips from Get Paul A Drockton M.A.
Golden coins collection
Gold Bullion Coins are coins that are produced as actual currency by the United States or another Government. They usually have a nominal face value (for example: the one ounce, United States Gold Eagle has a $50 face value). Of course, no government sells at the face value. Instead they sell Gold Bullion Coins for the market value of the gold plus a nominal premium for making the coin.
Gold Bullion Coins are usually available in in 1 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce and 1/10 ounce. It is less expensive to buy a 1 ounce coin than two 1/2 ounce coins because you pay "manufacturing costs on two gold coins instead of just one. The same holds true for even smaller denominations. It is cheaper to purchase a 1/2 ounce than two 1/4 ounce gold coins etc.
Liquidity is the other side of the equation. It is easier to liquidate (sell) a 1/2 ounce gold coin than a 1 ounce coin. It is also easier to liquidate a 1/10 ounce coin than a 1/4 ounce coin. However, right now, and in the forseeable future, gold is far more liquid than any other asset regardless of the denomination and size.
American Eagle Gold Coins:
1. American Gold Eagle Coins are 95% pure gold. Although each coin has the stated amount of gold (IE: 1 ounce) it also contains copper to "harden" the coin and make it less scratch resistant. This in no way detracts from the coin's value. In fact, it can be seen as a positive for investors because the Gold Eagle is more resistant to scratching and other defacements that could effect its value.
2. Gold Eagles were available through the United States Mint, which manufactured them. However, due to excessive demand, the Mint's availability is sporadic at best. Most gold bullion coins are therefore, supplied by the secondary market.
3. Because the Gold Content is guaranteed and backed by the Good Faith and Credit of the United States government, gold eagles are extremely liquid and do not require a certificate or asayer to prove value.
4. American Eagles can be purchased here: or through a reputable gold bullion dealer, or coin dealer such as those that are listed in the Google ads on this site.
5. Gold Eagles have a nominal face value (IE $50 on the 1 ounce coin). This means you can spend them at anywhere that American Currency is accepted. This means it would be highly advisable to keep them away from family members and friends that would spend them as cash. As the coin is really worth almost 20 times face value for its gold content, spending it for groceries is enough to make any grown man or woman cry.
It is recommended that you store gold bullion coins in a protective plastic sleeve. If buying them in a larger quantity is desired, they will often be packaged in rolls of 10 (1 ounce Coins). It is important that the coins are not scratched or defaced as this will effect their retail value.
Gold Storage options include home safes, bank safety deposit boxes or even bank vaults. The option you choose should depend on the quantity of gold you have on hand.
Large quanties of gold require greater security. Most individuals don't have the availability to provide this type of security in a home setting.
Mid-size quantities and smaller quantities can be divided up between home storage and a bank safety deposit box. As I mentioned in a previous article, "loose lips sink ships".
So, the best home storage place is one that only you will find and/or know about. If you use a bank safety deposit box to store your gold, remember, access to the key is access to the gold. Make sure you store the key with the same care you would store the gold.
So, the best home storage place is one that only you will find and/or know about. If you use a bank safety deposit box to store your gold, remember, access to the key is access to the gold. Make sure you store the key with the same care you would store the gold.
This means, don't carry it around on your key-chain. Any criminal worth his weight in salt knows what a safety deposit box key looks like. With a few sophisticated friends they could easily plunder your gold stash before you even know its gone.
Gold minerals
Gold is described and known as a precious metal. The combination of gold’s relative scarcity and its obvious beauty has made it a very valuable commodity throughout the history of humanity. It is most probably the oldest precious metal known to man. Wars have been fought over it and countless numbers have died trying to gain it or protect it.
Scientifically speaking, gold is an element, a metal, with an atomic number 79. Its physical and chemical properties make it ideal for a number of applications. It is very stable and as a result seldom combines with other elements. In other words, it does not corrode or rust. It conducts electricity very well (only silver and copper are better conductors of electricity). It conducts heat very well. Gold is very malleable which means it can be hammered into shapes. Gold is so malleable that it can be hammered into a sheet so thin that light can pass through it. It is also ductile, which means it can be drawn into long, thin wires: a wire thread approximately 50 miles long can be drawn from a single troy ounce of gold (31.1 grams). It is also one of the densest metals: a cubic foot of gold weighs over 1,200 pounds.
Gold’s chemical symbol is Au. It comes from the Latin word aurum which means shining dawn, a reference to its bright yellow color and shiny luster. The English word gold has its origins in Middle English.
Sources of Gold
Gold is found in two major types of deposits. Lode deposits are deposits where gold is found in cracks and veins in rocks. These are also called vein deposits. The second type of gold deposit is called a placer deposit. Placer deposits are formed by moving water that has eroded gold out of lode deposits. When the speed of the water in a river slows sufficiently, the heavy gold falls to the bottom and accumulates in the sand of the riverbed. A third major source of gold is as a by-product of copper and silver mining. Gold is so valuable that it is worth the effort to recover even minute amounts from copper and silver ore.
It is estimated that the total amount of gold yet to be retrieved from the Earth is 100,000 tons. South Africa is the world’s largest producer of gold and is estimated to have half of these gold resources. The United States and Brazil each have significant amounts of the world’s gold resources. Approximately one-fifth of the total resources of gold in the world is by-product from copper and silver ores.
In the United States, Alaska and Nevada are the main producers of gold. Nevada produces the majority of the gold produced in all of the United States. The remaining are from placer deposits in Alaska, and other gold deposits in western states. Most of the gold recovered in the United States is recovered by only about 30 mines. The largest gold mines in the United States today are located in northern Nevada.
Brazil and Canada export significant amounts of gold to the United States.
Uses of Gold:
Most gold is used to make jewelry and other art items. Because it is chemically stable and conducts electricity so well, it is very important in electronics. Electronic applications represent a significant amount of the United States’ annual gold consumption, followed by dentistry and a variety of other applications.
Gold has been very important as the standard for currency. In 1792, the United States Congress established gold and silver as the standard for the nation’s money. The U.S. Department of the Treasury holds a major stockpile of gold.
Tips of gold investment and its future
The Gold Futures Market is another way to make money with gold. However, it is also risky and could cost you a lot of money if you don't know what you are doing.
Traditionally, the futures market was a way for farmers to guarantee a future sales price, with a ready buyer, on crops or livestock that would not be ready for market until some point in the near future. Gold mines starting selling futures contracts as well.
A futures contract traditionally lasted for 30, 60, 90 or 120 days. It was a relatively short-term instrument designed to lock-in profits before actually selling your product. Gold futures were sold in 100 ounce increments. That is, one contract guaranteed the future sales price for 100 ounces of gold.
The buyer of a gold futures contract owns the right to buy (take possession) or sell the underlying 100 ounces of gold for the time period stated in the contract. He pays a relatively small premium to the actual owner of the gold for this right.
The investor (often referred to as a “speculator”) can buy or sell the gold for a stated price during the contract period.
Most speculators never take possession of the underlying commodity. Instead, they bet that the value of gold will either go up (a call contract), or go down (a put contract). If you believe that gold will increase in value, you are “going long”. If you believe that gold is going down in value, you are “going short”
For example, lets assume I buy a “call contract” on 100 ounces of gold valued at $850 an ounce. I have the right to buy the gold from its owner for the stated time period (30,60, 90 or 120 days) at the guaranteed price of $850 per ounce.
If gold increases by $50, I can sell the “contract” and pocket the difference ($50 x 100 ounces = $500).
The reverse is also true. I can buy a “put” contract because I believe the price of gold is going down in the near future. In a “put” contract the owner of the gold, or another investor, guarantees to buy the gold at a set price. If gold goes down in value, they still have to pay the price stated in the futures contract.
For example, lets assume I buy a “put contract” on 100 ounces of gold valued at $800 per ounce. If the price drops to $700 during the contract period, the owner of the gold, or another investor, agrees to pay out the difference ($100 x 100 ounces = $1,000) to whoever owns the contract.
The contract itself can be bought or sold in the futures market to other investors. The value of the contract relies on the following:
1. How much time is left on the Contract.
2. How close to the market-price is the price in the contract
3. How many investors want to buy the contract (supply/demand)
Gold futures contracts that are at or over (under in a put contract) the market price are said to be “in the money”. “In the money” contracts are already profitable for investors and thus they are more expensive. Most speculators buy contracts that are not yet profitable, in the hopes that price changes will bring these contracts “in the money”. The CBOE (Chicago Board of Options Exchange) is the marketplace in the United States where gold futures contracts are bought and sold.
Trading gold futures contracts carries the risk of huge losses as well as profits. If the price of gold goes against your contract, you are on the hook for the difference. They should be viewed as a highly speculative investment with a huge amount of risk. Don't bet money you can't afford to lose.
How can we make gold market as our future?
Gold Options are similar to gold futures except they don't carry the same risk. Options give the buyer the right to control 100 ounces of the precious metal, but, if the market moves against the contract, the most the speculator will lose is his premium. When the market moves against a futures contract, things can get really ugly fast. The speculator can be on the hook for much more than what he paid to purchase the contract in the first place.
For example, lets suppose that you bought a futures contract on gold that has a 90 days left on it before it expires. The market price at the point of purchase is $800 per ounce. Your contract gives you the right to buy/sell gold for $800 an ounce. The market goes against you with 80 days left in the contract and now gold is selling for $750 per ounce. Fifty dollars below your contract.
In this situation, your futures broker would call you and ask you to put more money into your account which is now short 100 ounces x $50 = $500.00. If you refuse, he will sell out your position and you are still obligated to come up with the $500.00. Should you again refuse, he will go to court, get a judgment, and start the collections process.
Things get even nastier as your credit is negatively affected, your paycheck gets garnished and you end up with a lien on your house. You are no longer welcome in any futures brokerage and you wish you never got involved in the futures market. People have literally lost fortunes playing the futures market.
Now, lets pretend you own an option with the same control over 100 ounces of gold. The market goes against you just like in the above scenario. You can ride it out because the most you have to lose is the premium you paid for the option in the first place. If the gold price doesn't go any higher, you've lost that anyway. Now you can sleep at night.
In the futures market, you can put a “stop loss” order that forces your broker to sell into the market, but, you still have to cover whatever your losses were before the stop-loss order is executed. Things could still get crazy. Permit me to illustrate:
You buy a contract for $800. You also tell your broker to sell your contract if gold prices go lower than $798 per ounce. You're still on the hook for the $2 per ounce difference (100 bucks), but you consider this an acceptable risk. This is called a “stop-loss” provision/order and is designed to stop you from losing your shirt. 10 days in gold plunges $50 per ounce. As its falling, your broker is trying to sell your contract into the market. He finally finds a buyer when gold hits $795 per ounce. You guessed it, your liability just got a whole lot greater.
Now the real heart-breaker. Gold recovers after you sold your contract and actually goes up to $820 per ounce. Not only have you lost the profit ($20 per ounce x 100 ounces = $2000); you still owe your brokerage $500.
If you had bought an option instead. You could have waited out the bad and benefited from the positive move in price. Much less risk and far greater potential for a reasonable profit. Options make a whole lot more sense than futures contracts to the conservative investor. You get the same contract (100 ounces of gold), with the same leverage, with the same upside for profit.
What you don't get, is the sleepless nights and constant worry a futures contract can bring.
These are some of the sayings from gold expert Paul A Drockton M.A.
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