Is Now a Good Time to Buy a TV? 5 Shopping Tips

A recent report from J.D. Power and Associates says the much-hyped 3D feature in new high-definition TVs is the last thing people worry about. Price is first.

Here are the top nine reasons why people choose a certain TV, according to the report…

Price (75 percent say this is a reason)Brand reputation (60 percent)Positive reviews (37 percent)Experience with brand (36 percent)Quality construction (33 percent)Availability (31 percent)Style (29 percent)Ease of use (21 percent)3D capability (11 percent)

The report, which surveyed more than 1,000 people who bought an HDTV in the past year, also ranked brand satisfaction – Vizio, Sharp, and LG did best. But if price is the primary concern, is now a good time to buy?

Actually, no.

Market research firm iSuppli released a report on July 30 that says the average price for a flat-screen TV is at its highest in 2 1/2 years.

“Pricing for U.S. flat-panel televisions reached $1,224 during the second quarter, up a healthy 3 percent from $1,190 in the previous quarter,” says iSuppli.

And 3D is part of the reason. Even though most people don’t seem to care about it.

“The climb in U.S. flat-panel TV prices is attributed to market gains in retail among new sets sporting advanced technologies, such as 3D, integrated interactivity and light-emitting diode (LED) backlight technology used in LCD TV sets,” said tech analyst Edward Border.

Display Search, another research group, doesn’t expect prices to drop much through the end of the year: “Average LCD TV selling prices are only expected to decline 4 percent in 2012 compared with 6 percent erosion in 2011 and 10 percent erosion in 2010.”

Firm director Paul Gagnon blames lower worldwide demand and “economic uncertainty” for the stubborn pricing. But the group expects 74 percent more 3D TVs shipping by year’s end than last year, and prices to start dropping afterward.

“After a very slow start in North America, adoption is expected to improve as the premiums fall, availability grows, and accessories like glasses decrease rapidly in cost,” Display Search says.

If you don’t want to wait until next year or Black Friday to save cash, iSuppli has one idea: Buy a smaller TV.

One big exception to high prices “was the continued price decline of the ever-popular 32-inch TV sector. By the second quarter, the average price of the set was just $435, down from $495 in the first quarter,” says iSuppli. Another: 42-inch LCDs, which “plunged to an all-time low of $761.”

If those sizes won’t do, take these five shopping tips from J.D. Power and Associates…

1. Remember the accessories. Be sure to include in your TV budget accessories such as HDMI and component cables, mounting hardware, adapters, a universal remote control, and a TV stand or cabinet. These items often can add hundreds of dollars to the total cost, and in some cases all together may match the price of the TV itself.

2. Take careful measurements. TVs are available in almost any size, from a screen that fits in the smallest corner of your house to one that covers a large wall. Before you buy, think about and measure where you will display the TV and the screen size you will need based on how far you will be sitting from the TV when you watch it.

3. Consider colors and resolution. Different people prefer varying levels of brightness, contrast, and resolution of the TV screen. Some HDTVs produce unnaturally bright colors, and some viewers may not prefer them. One test of a TV’s picture or color quality is its “black-level performance,” as measured by the contrast ratio (the higher the number, the better). Generally, those that show the blackest blacks are best.

4. Consider glossy versus matte screen finishes. If you are using the television in a room that often has excessive ambient light, then a matte screen may be a better choice, as it tends to cut reflections that can be distracting. Yet, many matte screens can also mute colors to some degree, compared to glossy screens. Glossy screens are best used in darker rooms where ambient light can be controlled, as they tend to produce more vivid colors.

5. Don’t pay for unnecessary features. Don’t pay extra for “bells and whistles” that you think you may never use. If you’re satisfied with a basic TV, spend your money on size and picture quality, and not extra features. Even plain TVs sometimes have great features.

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Why Donating Free Time Is Good For You

The following post comes from Eric Mohrman at partner site The Dollar Stretcher.

When a financially comfortable lifestyle comes to a halt due to job loss, the unwelcome abundance of free time – and decrease in income – can lead to negative emotions. Getting involved with one or more organizations can make your life better. Volunteering is a way to stay actively involved in your community, have some unexpected fun, and make new friendships.

In the words of Dr. Louise Hart, “Self-esteem is as important to our well-being as legs are to a table. It is essential for physical and mental health and for happiness.” Without a job, excess free time can feel like a burden. Committing a portion of that free time to helping others gives you purpose and can boost your self-esteem.

An extended period of unemployment can take its toll on you in various ways. You may become less interested in physical activity. Socializing may be an activity you seek to avoid or feel that you can’t afford to engage in. As a volunteer, agreeing to be present at a specific time to offer services gives you a reason to venture out of the house. Other than the cost of gas to get you where you’re going, volunteering is free.

There are numerous volunteer opportunities to help you stay physically active while you’re looking for new employment. According to the information complied in a report entitled The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review Of Recent Research, “Volunteering and physical well-being are part of a positive reinforcing cycle.”

Just a few examples of volunteer options that involve physical activity are helping with a youth sports team, volunteering at competitions, and assisting disabled youth with sports related events.

Volunteering at a “meet and greet” animal adoption fair or working at a festival booth for a specific charity gives you an opportunity to converse and socialize with numerous people. There’s always a possibility that you will discover a lead to an employment opportunity while talking with others at these events. You will certainly get a reprieve from dwelling on your personal situation while in the midst of a festive atmosphere and while conversing with a steady flow of people passing by.

Volunteering has many emotional benefits. If you do something that gets you directly involved with those you are helping, like working in a soup kitchen, handing out bags of pantry staples, or building a wheelchair ramp, you will instantly be rewarded. Your spirits will be lifted when you see the smile and feel the gratitude of the person you helped.

Some volunteer activity involves helping those you will never actually come in contact with. You may only see pictures of children or adults who have benefited from your work or you read notes of thanks that have been sent to the organization. But you’ll still be uplifted, knowing you have played a part in making a positive difference in someone’s life.

Becoming reclusive during financially trying times is not physically, mentally, or emotionally healthy. Joining with other volunteers to improve the quality of life for others can also make your life better. New friendships develop when people unite for a common cause. You will have the opportunity to form friendships with people you would probably have never met if you hadn’t joined them in a volunteer effort.

Volunteering may lead to the discovery of new interests that will cause you to redirect your job search. You may uncover passions that have gotten suppressed due to a hectic lifestyle. You may discover new talents you never imagined having. Sometimes, you will find that what appeared to be an unfortunate situation is actually an opportunity for change that will have long-term positive effects on your life and on your family.

Follow The Dollar Stretcher on Twitter. Like this article? Sign up for our email updates and we’ll send you a regular digest of our newest stories, full of money saving tips and advice, free! We’ll also email you a PDF of Stacy Johnson’s ’205 Ways to Save Money’ as soon as you’ve subscribed. It’s full of great tips that’ll help you save a ton of extra cash. It doesn’t cost a dime, so why wait? Click here to sign up now.

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Sweeter Diet Pepsi?

If you drink diet soda, you may soon have an option to reconsider. The Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch reports Diet Pepsi might be getting a little sweeter.

The company is considering tweaking the formula to fix the taste supposedly lost in transportation:

The goal is to have a Diet Pepsi formula in the U.S. that tastes closer to what the drink tastes like as soon as it is made and doesn’t change as much through all the heat and jostling that cans and bottles are exposed to from production to consumption.

They’re privately testing different blends with fans now, and the new formula could be used starting early next year. According to MarketWatch, the new sweetener would combine aspartame – known under the artificial sweetener brands Equal and NutraSweet – and acesulfame potassium, or ace-K, known under the brands Sunett and Sweet One.

Pepsi is trying to boost sales of the drink, which rates as the seventh best-selling soda in the United States. Diet Coke (which uses only aspartame, like the current Diet Pepsi formula) is in second place, behind the non-diet Coca-Cola. Like this article? Sign up for our email updates and we’ll send you a regular digest of our newest stories, full of money saving tips and advice, free! We’ll also email you a PDF of Stacy Johnson’s ’205 Ways to Save Money’ as soon as you’ve subscribed. It’s full of great tips that’ll help you save a ton of extra cash. It doesn’t cost a dime, so why wait? Click here to sign up now.

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Lower Salary, More Flexibility?

Yesterday NBC News wrote about a new survey from staffing firm Mom Corps (great name), which found people would take a pay cut for more flexible work.

The article doesn’t say how many people the group talked to, but “nearly half of working adults surveyed (45 percent) are willing to give up some percentage of their salary for more flexibility at work.” More than half would consider starting their own business to achieve flexibility.

Flexibility includes flextime – the ability to set a variable schedule so long as you get an agreed amount of work done, usually with part of the day being non-negotiable – and working from home (one of my favorite things about writing for Money Talks News).

The study also found that those willing to trade salary for flexibility would accept a 9 percent pay cut, on average. That’s more than 50 percent above last year’s result (5.8 percent).

While a lot of people want flexible work, only a small number of jobs offer it. “Only 3 percent of wage and salary employees work mainly from home,” NBC News says. Like this article? Sign up for our email updates and we’ll send you a regular digest of our newest stories, full of money saving tips and advice, free! We’ll also email you a PDF of Stacy Johnson’s ’205 Ways to Save Money’ as soon as you’ve subscribed. It’s full of great tips that’ll help you save a ton of extra cash. It doesn’t cost a dime, so why wait? Click here to sign up now.

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Dieting? Dim the Lights

Softer music and dimmer lighting in fast food restaurants makes food more enjoyable, according to a new study. That also apparently means people eat less, and slower. Reported Reuters…

In the study published in the journal Psychological Reports, [marketing professor Brian] Wansink and his co-author Koert Van Ittersum, of the Georgia Institute of Technology, said the bright lights, stimulating colors, sound-reflecting surfaces and loud music in fast food restaurants are not designed to be relaxing.

At an Illinois Hardee’s where they tested the theory, customers still made the same orders. But adding “plants, paintings, indirect lights, tablecloths, candles and instrumental music” led them to eat 18 percent fewer calories.

Which sounds interesting, but a little wasteful. Maybe order something a bit smaller next time you’re enjoying the burger-joint ambiance. Researchers suggest trying it at home too. Like this article? Sign up for our email updates and we’ll send you a regular digest of our newest stories, full of money saving tips and advice, free! We’ll also email you a PDF of Stacy Johnson’s ’205 Ways to Save Money’ as soon as you’ve subscribed. It’s full of great tips that’ll help you save a ton of extra cash. It doesn’t cost a dime, so why wait? Click here to sign up now.

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Quicker Checkout With Smartphones?

Smartphones may soon speed up checkout at Walmart.

Mashable reported Friday that the retail giant is testing an iPhone-based self-checkout system at an Arkansas store…

Customers bag their purchases as they shop, and are required to stop by a self-checkout to pay for them before leaving the store, so you’re not actually finalizing your purchase on your phone.

The app also allows customers to create virtual shopping lists, and see what items on their list are in stock.

This differs from mobile payments, where you pay with a wave of the phone but otherwise go through a normal check-out process. (But the two could theoretically be combined.)

The company’s also adding more self-checkout lanes at Walmart and Sam’s Club, “in an effort to cut costs and lower prices for customers.” Like this article? Sign up for our email updates and we’ll send you a regular digest of our newest stories, full of money saving tips and advice, free! We’ll also email you a PDF of Stacy Johnson’s ’205 Ways to Save Money’ as soon as you’ve subscribed. It’s full of great tips that’ll help you save a ton of extra cash. It doesn’t cost a dime, so why wait? Click here to sign up now.

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Labor Day Deals: Meals and Malls

I subscribe to the promotional emails of hundreds of companies so you don’t have to. I sift through 1,000 deal-touting emails every week. Most are worthless. But some offer valuable coupons, promo codes, sales, and freebies – which I collect and organize here and on our deals page.

Note: Expiration dates are in brackets.

Bob Evans Restaurant: $5 off a $25-plus carry-out purchase (print first) [9/3].Boston Market: 50 percent off a family meal (print first) [9/3].Champps Americana Restaurant: $10 off a $25-plus purchase (print first) [9/3].Macaroni Grill: Free entree with the purchase of one entree (“like” and print first) [9/3].Mimi’s Cafe: $10 off a $30-plus lunch or dinner check (print first) [9/3].Quiznos: Five coupons, including a free sub or free kids meal with purchase (print first) [9/3].Souper Salad: $5 buffet (print first) [9/4]. This coupon is good for everyone in your party.Sherwin-Williams: 30 percent off full-priced paints and stains in stores [9/3].Dolls: Moxie Girlz and Moxie Teenz dolls, play sets, and accessories are buy-one-get-one-free during the Labor Day Sale at Toys R Us online and in stores [9/3].Barnes & Noble: 15 percent off one item in stores (print first) [9/3].Bras: $10 off select styles and colors at Frederick’s of Hollywood during the Anniversary Sale in stores and online [expiration unknown]. This means bras start at $5. Just note that online you don’t see the sale prices until you put an item in your e-shopping bag.Express (for her): $25 off a $50-plus purchase in stores (print first) and online (use code on coupon) [9/3].Express Men: $25 off a $50-plus purchase in stores (print first) and online (use code on coupon) [9/3].H&M (for the whole family): 20 percent off any one item in stores (print first) [9/3].Home Shopping Network: Up to 70 percent off women’s clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories during the Summer Blowout sale online [expiration unknown].

Karla Bowsher runs our deals page and covers consumer, retail, and health issues. If you have a comment, suggestion, or question, leave a comment or contact her at karla@moneytalksnews.com. Like this article? Sign up for our email updates and we’ll send you a regular digest of our newest stories, full of money saving tips and advice, free! We’ll also email you a PDF of Stacy Johnson’s ’205 Ways to Save Money’ as soon as you’ve subscribed. It’s full of great tips that’ll help you save a ton of extra cash. It doesn’t cost a dime, so why wait? Click here to sign up now.

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Silicon Valley Running out of Luxury Homes

Luxury real estate is doing pretty well in one corner of the country, according to NBC News: Silicon Valley.

Million-dollar home sales have doubled in several communities there, “toppling longtime luxury real-estate leaders like Beverly Hills or Miami.”

Who’s buying? Tech executives “at Apple, Google and other more established companies.” And Chinese millionaires, either as investments or to get their families out of the country…

Realtors say waves of wealthy Chinese buyers are pouring into Silicon Valley and buying up multimillion-dollar properties. They say the buyers are increasingly nervous about the Chinese government and economy and are looking for a safe haven.

But high demand and low inventory means even millions don’t guarantee instant luxury. “A 1,700-square-foot home in Los Altos, with dated fixtures and ‘lots of upside potential,’ is priced at $1.3 million,” says NBC. Like this article? Sign up for our email updates and we’ll send you a regular digest of our newest stories, full of money saving tips and advice, free! We’ll also email you a PDF of Stacy Johnson’s ’205 Ways to Save Money’ as soon as you’ve subscribed. It’s full of great tips that’ll help you save a ton of extra cash. It doesn’t cost a dime, so why wait? Click here to sign up now.

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Some People Really Hate Cleaning the House

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Cheapest and Priciest Labor Day Hotels

Cheapest and Priciest Labor Day Hotels | Money Talks News /*

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Foster the People Pumps Up with Logic Pro

For several months in 2011, the radio hit “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People was the song we couldn’t get out of our heads. For Mark Foster, who wrote the song, getting it out of his head — and into a demo — was no problem at all. Using Logic Pro, and playing all the instruments himself, Foster was able to write and record the single in just a day and a half. After the demo went viral on the web, the song climbed the charts and eventually became a kind of fan anthem at the band’s typically sold-out concerts.

Following a decade working dead-end jobs in Los Angeles while trying to make it as a songwriter and musician, a career-launching hit was more than Foster could reasonably have hoped for. But “Pumped Up Kicks” has sold more than four million copies. The group’s debut album Torches reached the Top 10 on the Billboard 200, a notable feat for a two-year-old band. And Foster the People have since become concert headliners, selling out impressive venues like Central Park SummerStage, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and Gibson Amphitheatre, as well as drawing record crowds at Lollapalooza, Coachella, and South by Southwest. The band also performed on Saturday Night Live and at the Grammy Awards — where they received two nominations and played with The Beach Boys.

Isom Innis and Mark Foster edit tracks in Logic Pro.
Photo credit: Magda Wosinska.

Foster credits much of his songwriting success to years of work with Logic Pro, which, by the time he wrote “Pumped Up Kicks,” had become his main creative instrument. “When I switched over to Logic, my songwriting changed drastically because it opened my eyes to being able to do a lot of things in one place,” he says. “Not just play piano, but put the bass part in. Not just lay in the bass, but put a drum pattern in. It also allowed me to learn various producer tricks that don’t have much to do with songwriting but really affect the overall listening experience.”

Those opportunities for rich composition and control were a revelation to Foster, who grew up near Cleveland, Ohio, writing music from an early age. Inspired by a Beach Boys tape he received from his dad when he was six, Foster became a multi-instrumentalist, playing drums, piano, and guitar in various bands. “I guess that was the intro to songwriting for me, writing for many different kinds of musicians and styles of music,” he says.

After graduating from high school, Foster followed his musical interests to Los Angeles, but his efforts left him discouraged. “I hit a ceiling with songwriting on acoustic guitar,” he says. “I realized that if I had no money to pay a producer for studio time, and didn’t know how to do it on my own, I was just going to continue to flounder. So I decided to get my own system and learn how to produce, because I didn’t want to rely on anybody else.”

But Foster’s first experiments with PC-based sound tools were frustrating. “After I worked a little while, my PC just turned to Swiss cheese. I remember being in a really good groove creatively, writing tons of songs, while my computer was crashing every 10 seconds. I’d start it up, make a couple of moves, and save them really quick. I would do that for hours. It was all I could do.”

During short-term production stints at various studios around Los Angeles, Foster came to see how he might do more. “Working in sessions with producers like Greg Kurstin and Switch, I saw how powerful Logic was. It seemed more intuitive and a better creative tool for a songwriter than Pro Tools. I knew I wanted Logic.”

When he made his first decent paycheck for scoring a friend’s movie, Foster used it to buy a MacBook Pro and Logic. Having an application, operating system, and hardware all designed by Apple made for better stability and performance. “They’re made to run smoothly together,” he says. “Logic felt so intuitive, as if a musician had created it. It really sped up my workflow while letting me stay creative. I didn’t have to be a sound engineer to work the program, so I could just be a songwriter.”

The transition was sweetened by the useful tools that came with the application: “I loved the amount of control that Logic gave me, as well as all the instrument and effect plug-ins it came with, especially the EXS24 sampler and Space Designer reverb. And I use the Tape Delay and Compressor plug-ins all the time. As a rookie switching over, it was good to have these things at my fingertips and not have to buy a hundred outsourced plug-ins.”

With his growing Logic skills, Foster was finally able to land a musical day job. “My songwriting and producing in Logic continued to get better as I went deeper into the program,” he says. “I became so familiar with it that I was offered a full-time job as a composer scoring commercials at a company called Mophonics.”

While working at Mophonics, Foster was encouraged to pursue his outside songwriting aspirations. Those efforts, which had ranged widely across genres, found real traction in 2009 when Foster (handling lead vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, guitar, programming, and percussion) joined drummer Mark Pontius and bassist Cubbie Fink to form Foster the People. After the success of “Pumped Up Kicks,” which Foster wrote at the Mophonics studio, the band followed up with an EP called Foster the People and their first album, Torches.

With a goal of creating 10 great, no-compromise songs for Torches, the band worked with accomplished producers Greg Kurstin, Rich Costey, and Paul Epworth. Foster brought to the studio fully developed versions of each song for the producers to hear. “I pretty much had all the songs demoed out in Logic myself,” he says. “As we looked at my sessions, it was easy to add stuff and integrate it with what I’d already done in Logic.”

On a recent break from touring, Foster and the band were at Paramount Recording Studios in Hollywood writing material for their next album — tentatively scheduled for a 2013 release. For the new album, Foster is using the capabilities of Logic Pro to support a whole new creative approach. Moving away from the solo songwriting efforts by Foster that shaped their first album, this time the writing is coming from the band. Backing Foster, Fink, and Pontius in the studio, as they do on stage, are guitarist Sean Cimino and Isom Innis (keyboard, synthesizer, piano, programming, percussion, and background vocals).

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New iPad Tops Three Million

 CUPERTINO, California?March 19, 2012?Apple® today announced it has sold three million of its incredible new iPad®, since its launch on Friday, March 16. The new iPad features a stunning new Retina™ display, Apple’s new A5X chip with quad-core graphics, a 5 megapixel iSight® camera with advanced optics for capturing amazing photos and 1080p HD video, and still delivers the same all-day 10 hour battery life* while remaining amazingly thin and light. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G supports ultrafast 4G LTE networks in the US and Canada, and fast networks around the world including those based on HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA.**

“The new iPad is a blockbuster with three million sold?the strongest iPad launch yet,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Customers are loving the incredible new features of iPad, including the stunning Retina display, and we can't wait to get it into the hands of even more customers around the world this Friday.”

The new iPad is already available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US Virgin Islands and will be available in 24 more countries starting at 8:00 a.m. local time on Friday, March 23 through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

The new iPad Wi-Fi models are available in black or white for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G for either AT&T or Verizon is available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad is sold in the US through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. Additionally, the incredible iPad 2 is now offered at a more affordable price of $399 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and just $529 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

**4G LTE is supported only on AT&T and Verizon networks in the U.S. and on Bell, Rogers, and Telus networks in Canada. Data plans sold separately.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Press Contacts:
Trudy Muller
Apple
tmuller@apple.com
(408) 862-7426

Natalie Kerris
Apple
nat@apple.com
(408) 974-6877

Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iPad, Retina and iSight are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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Review: Slate From Chase

I review dozens of credit card offers each week to find the best deals. Check out more on our credit card page. 

With most credit cards, it’s hard to put a value on them – one might offer a unique set of features or benefits, while another card has slightly lower rates. But I can tell you without a doubt that the Slate card from Chase is the best credit card for those trying to get out of debt.

It’s currently the only card on the market that offers zero-percent balance transfers with no balance transfer fees. Used properly, you’d transfer high-interest debts from other cards, then pay off the balance during the zero-interest period. Just be sure you’re fully committed to getting it done: adding any credit card is folly if you’re just going to use it to borrow more.

No-fee balance transfers. You get 15 months of zero-percent APR on balance transfers with no fee. Other cards charge 3 percent or more of the amount transferred. But note: This offer applies only to transfers made within the first 60 days of opening an account.15 months of interest-free financing on new purchases.No annual fee.Access to Blueprint. Blueprint is a powerful financial tool that Chase includes with this card. It allows you to pay some items in full while carrying a balance on others. It also lets you set goals to pay off your balance more quickly and easily.No rewards. But if you’re carrying debt, zero-percent interest on new purchases and balance transfers should be all the reward you need.Uncertain interest rate. New applicants will receive a rate of 11.99, 16.99, or 21.99 percent depending on their creditworthiness. You won’t know which rate you’ll get until your account is opened.Foreign transaction fees. Chase charges a 3 percent fee on all transactions processed outside the United States. While they’ve waived this unnecessary fee on many of their travel reward cards, it still persists on some of their other products.

Credit card experts argue all day about which product combines the best qualities for a particular type of customer. But for anyone who is trying to use a balance transfer offer to get out of debt, the Chase Slate is easily the best card on the market. Like this article? Sign up for our email updates and we’ll send you a regular digest of our newest stories, full of money saving tips and advice, free! We’ll also email you a PDF of Stacy Johnson’s ’205 Ways to Save Money’ as soon as you’ve subscribed. It’s full of great tips that’ll help you save a ton of extra cash. It doesn’t cost a dime, so why wait? Click here to sign up now.

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Apple Reports Third Quarter Results

CUPERTINO, California—July 24, 2012—Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2012 third quarter ended June 30, 2012. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $35.0 billion and quarterly net profit of $8.8 billion, or $9.32 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $28.6 billion and net profit of $7.3 billion, or $7.79 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 42.8 percent compared to 41.7 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 62 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

The Company sold 26.0 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 28 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 17.0 million iPads during the quarter, an 84 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 4.0 million Macs during the quarter, a two percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 6.8 million iPods, a 10 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.

Apple’s Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $2.65 per share of the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on August 16, 2012, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 13, 2012.

“We’re thrilled with record sales of 17 million iPads in the June quarter,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve also just updated the entire MacBook line, will release Mountain Lion tomorrow and will be launching iOS 6 this Fall. We are also really looking forward to the amazing new products we’ve got in the pipeline.”

“We’re continuing to invest in the growth of our business and are pleased to be declaring a dividend of $2.65 per share today,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the fourth fiscal quarter, we expect revenue of about $34 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $7.65.”

Apple will provide live streaming of its Q3 2012 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on July 24, 2012 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq312. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company’s estimated revenue and diluted earnings per share. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company’s international operations; the Company’s reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company’s products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24, 2011, its Forms 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended December 31, 2011 and March 31, 2012, and its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2012 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Press Contact:
Steve Dowling
Apple
dowling@apple.com
(408) 974-1896

Investor Relations Contacts:
Nancy Paxton
Apple
paxton1@apple.com
(408) 974-5420

Joan Hoover
Apple
hoover1@apple.com
(408) 974-4570

Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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Apple Previews iOS 6

Beautifully designed from the ground up (and the sky down), Maps will change the way you see the world.1 Map elements are vector based, so graphics and text are incredibly detailed — even when you zoom all the way in — and panning is smooth. Tilt and rotate to view an area, and Maps keeps the names of streets and places where they belong. Get visual and spoken turn-by-turn navigation and real-time traffic updates. Even soar over cityscapes to see the sights from the air in amazing, high-resolution quality. Learn more about Maps

Enjoy new, beautifully detailed maps.

See cities and landmarks from the air.

Spoken directions route you to your destination.

Type in your address and choose your route.

Turn-by-turn directions are spoken aloud. And you can follow along with 3D views.

If traffic conditions change, Maps offers alternative routes.

Maps uses real-time traffic conditions to calculate your ETA. You’ll also get details about incidents that are causing traffic jams, so you can tell if there’s a major accident ahead or just a temporary slowdown.

See the world from a whole new perspective with amazing photo-realistic and interactive 3D views of major metro areas. Explore like never before as you zoom, pan, tilt, and rotate around a city and its landmarks.

With iOS 6, Siri understands more languages, works in more countries, and is available on the new iPad.2 So you can get more things done in more places around the world. Want to know the latest scores and stats for your favorite teams and players? Thanks to iOS 6, Siri knows the answers. Or maybe it’s movie night. Siri can show you the latest reviews and showtimes. Find the best restaurants in town and make reservations. Even open your apps for you — no tapping required. Say "Launch Flight Tracker" or "Open Angry Birds" and Siri does just that. You can even use Siri to post Facebook updates and tweet for you, too. Learn more about Siri in iOS 6

Find out scores from live games and the current season’s past games, schedules, team rosters, and player stats for baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer. They’re all just a question away.

Ask Siri to get upcoming showtimes, look up movie facts, play trailers, and more. If you’re still undecided about which movie to see, Siri can show you ratings and reviews from Rotten Tomatoes.

Have Siri help you find restaurants by cuisine, price, location, outdoor seating, or a combination of choices.
Siri will show you photos, Yelp stars, price range, and reviews. Siri can even make a reservation for you via OpenTable.

Now it’s easier than ever to interact with the world’s largest social network. And there’s no need to leave your app to do it. Share a photo to Facebook right from Camera or Photos. Post your location right from Maps. Brag about a high score right from Game Center. If you have your hands full, just ask Siri to post for you. You need to sign in to Facebook only once, and you’ll be off and sharing. Never miss another birthday or get-together, since Facebook events are integrated into Calendar. And your Facebook friends’ profile information is integrated into Contacts, so when they update an email address or phone number you automatically stay up to date. Now that’s something to post about.

Share photos from the Camera app, locations from Maps, links from Safari, high scores from Game Center, and more. Or post a status update from Notification Center or with Siri.

Post a web link to Facebook right from the web page.

Keep your friends’ information handy and never miss another birthday or get-together — Facebook integrates your friends’ contact info into Contacts and birthdays and other events into Calendar.

The Like button is now part of iTunes and the App Store. So you can Like songs, albums, shows, movies, and apps. And there's no need to leave whatever app you’re in to do it.

Now you can share just the photos you want, with just the people you choose. Simply select photos from the Photos app, tap the Share button, choose who you want to share your photos with, and they’re on their way. Friends using iCloud on an iOS 6 device or a Mac running Mountain Lion get the photos delivered immediately in the Photos app or iPhoto. You can even view shared photo streams on Apple TV. If the folks you're sharing with aren’t using an Apple device, they can view your photos on the web. People can like individual photos and make comments. And you can share as much as you want: Your shared photo streams don’t count against your iCloud storage, and they work over Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

View others’ comments and leave one of your own.

Get alerts when friends and family share photos.

Set up a web album to share your photo streams.

Your boarding passes, movie tickets, retail coupons, loyalty cards, and more are now all in one place. With Passbook, you can scan your iPhone or iPod touch to check in for a flight, get into a movie, and redeem a coupon. You can also see when your coupons expire, where your concert seats are, and the balance left on that all-important coffee bar card. Wake your iPhone or iPod touch, and passes appear on your Lock screen at the appropriate time and place — like when you reach the airport or walk into the store to redeem your gift card or coupon. And if your gate changes after you’ve checked in for your flight, Passbook will even alert you to make sure you’re not relaxing in the wrong terminal.

FaceTime now works over cellular networks as well as Wi-Fi, so you can make and receive FaceTime calls wherever you happen to be.3 You can even make and receive FaceTime calls on your iPad using your phone number. That means you can use FaceTime wherever you are, on any device. And never miss another wink, smile, air kiss, or eye roll.

iOS 6 adds new calling features to your iPhone. Now when you decline an incoming call, you can instantly reply with a text message or set a callback reminder. And when things are just too hectic, turn on Do Not Disturb and you won’t be bothered by anyone — except can’t-miss contacts like your boss or your better half.

Redesigned with a more streamlined interface for easier reading and writing, Mail in iOS 6 lets you set up a VIP list so you’ll never miss an important message from your accountant, your boss, or your BFF. It’s even easier to add photos and videos to email messages. And to refresh your mailboxes, all you have to do is swipe down.

Your VIP list is iCloud enabled, so Mom will still be a VIP no matter which iOS device you’re using.

Add photos and videos to email messages with just a few taps.

iOS 6 brings even better web browsing to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iCloud Tabs keeps track of which pages you have open on your devices, so you can start browsing on one device and pick up right where you left off on whatever device is handy. Safari now saves web pages — not just links — in your Reading List, so you can catch up on your reading even when you can’t connect to the Internet.4 And when you’re posting a photo or video to eBay, Craigslist, or another site, you can take photos and video — or choose from your Camera Roll — without leaving Safari. When you really want to see the whole picture, turn your iPhone or iPod touch to landscape and tap the full-screen icon to view web pages without distractions.

Take websites full screen with a tap.

Pick up browsing wherever you left off.

Full web pages — not just links — are saved in your Reading List.

iOS 6 comes with even more features to make it easier for people with vision, hearing, learning, and mobility disabilities to get the most from their iOS devices. Guided Access helps students with disabilities such as autism remain on task and focused on content. It allows a parent, teacher, or administrator to limit an iOS device to one app by disabling the Home button, as well as restrict touch input on certain areas of the screen. VoiceOver, the revolutionary screen reader for blind and low-vision users, is now integrated with Maps, AssistiveTouch, and Zoom. And Apple is working with top manufacturers to introduce Made for iPhone hearing aids that will deliver a power-efficient, high-quality digital audio experience.5

Restrict touch input to certain areas of the screen.

It happens. You misplace your iPhone or your iPad or your iPod touch. Luckily, iOS 6 and iCloud now offer Lost mode, making it even easier to use Find My iPhone to locate and protect a missing device.6 Immediately lock your missing iPhone with a four-digit passcode and send it a message displaying a contact number. That way a good Samaritan can call you from your Lock screen without accessing the rest of the information on your iPhone. And while in Lost mode, your device will keep track of where it’s been and report back to you any time you check in with the Find My iPhone app.

Find My Friends is a great way to share locations with friends and family.6 Those who share their locations with you appear on a map so you can quickly see where they are and what they’re up to. And with iOS 6, you can get location-based alerts — like when your kids leave school or arrive home. Find My Friends can also notify others about your location, so you can stay connected or keep track of the ones you love.

iOS 6 brings a new kind of shopping experience to the redesigned iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore. See the best of what’s new in music, movies, TV shows, apps, and books at the top of each store’s home page. Browse with a swipe of your finger and tap to learn more. Keep track of the music, movies, and TV shows you previewed by tapping the History button, and when you’re ready, tap Buy to add something to your collection. With iCloud, your preview history is always up to date on all your devices. So you can start shopping on your iPhone and continue on your iPad. And now you can buy your favorite music, apps, and more without leaving the app you’re in.

With improved text input and built-in support for popular Chinese Internet services, iOS 6 makes iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch even better for Chinese-speaking users. With a new Chinese dictionary and improved text input, typing in Chinese is easier, faster, and more accurate. You can mix full and abbreviated Pinyin and even type English words in a Pinyin sentence without switching keyboards. With support for over 30,000 characters, iOS 6 more than doubles the number of Chinese characters supported in handwriting recognition. And when you add words to your personal dictionary, iCloud makes them available on all your devices. Baidu is a built-in option in Safari, and you can share videos directly to Youku and Tudou. You can also post to Sina Weibo from Camera, Photos, Maps, Safari, and Game Center.

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Women CEOs Among World’s Most Powerful

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