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When it comes to electronics, newer, faster, and better models of everything from computer processors to cellular phones appear at least every six months. The evolution of technology means manufacturers are incorporating more features and more power into virtually every type of consumer electronics. When you're in the market for consumer electronics - whether for yourself or as a gift idea for someone else - the question becomes, do you need to buy the latest and greatest?

As an example, let's take a look at digital cameras. Virtually everyone is making the switch - if they haven't already - from film to digital. Seven mega-pixel digital cameras are everywhere, and single lens reflex digital cameras are poised to dramatically drop in price within the next twelve months. With the dozens, if not hundreds, of models from which to choose, does it make sense to buy a top of the line digital camera?

not necessarily. The type of digital camera you need depends on how you're planning to use it. If you primarily use a camera on vacations or while traveling, the most important feature might be the weight of the camera. The ultra-thin, lightweight digital cameras now on the market may not have all of the features of their heavier counterparts, but they're perfect to stick in your shirt pocket and pull out at a moment's notice.

If you take most of your pictures outdoors, an LCD screen with backlighting - and a viewfinder - might be the most important feature for your needs. There's nothing more frustrating than not being able to see what you're shooting. On the other hand, if you primarily use your camera indoors, a red-eye reduction feature is a must-have. If you want to use your camera at your child's soccer games, a digital camera that allows you to take short movies might be perfect for you.

You also need to consider how you'll be using the camera when it comes to selecting the appropriate picture resolution. most people don't really need a seven mega-pixel camera; and you definitely don't need one if all you're going to do with the pictures is view them on your computer monitor or post them online.

Unlike jewelry, where more is almost always better, consumer electronics don't need to have every single feature in order to be useful. Let's face it: most of us only use a fraction of the power and features in our computers and software. So, when we're buying consumer electronics, it's important to think through which features we'll use and which are extras that add to the price but not the value.

Mustering up the willpower to keep on a schedule weight loss program routine is not a problem for some people. For others, staying focused on a weight loss goal is a major challenge. For these types of people weight loss programs are essential. They will not have the willpower to do the research and carry out the necessary actions independently. They would benefit from a helping hand.

For the individual that needs a helping hand and a structured weight loss program, they need to answer a few important questions in order to get the best weight loss program.

1.This is the most essential question: What are the facts about diet, exercise and weight loss?

With the advent of fad diets, special exercise regiments and all manner of junk science, it won't be easy for the less trained practitioner to sort the wheat from the chaff, to sort fact from fiction. The untrained practitioner has to make common sense decisions were to find reliable information to make educated decisions about weight loss programs. Scientific studies don't stand in isolation; they either support or contradict others. When you find that a number of serious sources agree, there could be good reason to give that weight loss program some credence.

2.Once you have educated yourself and made a educated determination of a weight loss program with a gym, then its time to find a knowledgeable and experienced trainer and nutritionist at the gym.

These professionals can be distinguished by the information that is passed along. Is the primary purpose of the information give to sell something? If so, the person giving this information may not be the person to pick. Pick someone that caters a weight loss program around you, someone that is trying to give wise counsel by directing you to wise eating habits, someone that offers something worthwhile and fundamental to the weight loss program.

Once you find a gym and/or nutritionist that can offer you good guidance and moral support, take advantage of the benefits offered. Such people can help remind you, when the going gets tough, of why you chose to make the effort in the first place. It's difficult to adhere to a long-term program when the progress is slow.

3. Pick weight loss programs that have exercise programs that are oriented towards lifestyle changes that will help you lose weight and keep it off and will also keep you healthy and fit.

Counseling provided by fitness and nutrition professionals can help you do that. They can help you unlearn bad habits and learn better ones, and encourage you to stick with them.

Your trainer and/or nutritionist should monitor your progress. Trainers and/or nutritionist will use test and special tools to monitor your progress. It will be a good idea that you learn the same techniques. As you get further in your development you will start to make these habits in your lifestyle.

Some of those tools are as simple and inexpensive as a scale, a flexible tape measure and a mirror. Others may be a heart rate or pulse monitor, a device that measures body fat percentage and other things that often accompany a treadmill.

4. Last but not least, you'll want to judge any program by how many people have actually found success using it. Beware of the hype. A few unsolicited opinions from people you don't know won't tell the whole story. Find out how many finished, and how much they lost, and were they able to keep the weight off. Also, learn whether there were any downsides or side effects.

It's your health. That's worth doing some homework to find the right weight loss program for you.

Kenneth Elliott is the owner of Diets. A website that reviews common weight loss programs. Also see: Weight Loss 4 idiots - A guide to 10 idiot proof rules to weight loss.

Wander or dance to exhaustion in utter spontaneity. Then, suddenly, drop to the ground and in this fall be total. There absolute essence is revealed.

~ Vijnanabhairava Tantra, verse 111

Each of has the desire (yes?) to become ~ with each breath we take, with each step of our lives ~ more fully alive And yet there is the paradox that each breath we take, each step of our lives, brings us one step, one breath closer to our death. So how do we work with this? Is there a solution to this paradox?

The traditions of Buddhism as well as Kashmir Shaivism see (the appearance of) this life of ours as training-ground for (the appearance of) that moment of our death. They resolve the paradox through the understanding that only by training ~ in every moment ~ in the art of being fully alive, fully present here and now, in this moment, in this moment, in this moment ~ only through a practice such as this are we able then to be fully present (fully alive!) at the moment of our death.

The quotation above, from the Vijnanabhairava Tantra (a text written by the Shaivite school of Kashmir around the first century A.D.), points to such a resolution. Lets take a closer look

Wander or dance to exhaustion in utter spontaneity. Have you ever danced, or performed any other activity, so completely, with such total abandon, such love and absorption, that the point of exhaustion (what distance runners call the wall) opens into a whole new realm of experience, puts you in touch with a whole new flow of energy/inspiration? Its the moment when years of training (our accumulated expertise) is allowed to open, to fall away into a mindless spontaneity when movement becomes both divinely precise and effortless (Michael Jordan, Baryshnikov, & Jet Li come to mind here) when I am no longer doing anything, yet all things are still manifesting, radiantly, perfectly. In the language of Taoism this state of effortless doing is called Wu Wei.

Then, suddenly, drop to the ground and in this fall be total. Have you ever gone out on a warm summer night, laid on your back on a grassy hillside, and let your mind & heart & vision travel out into the starry sky, with its countless galaxies? When we surrender, we surrender completely no holding back. We let the whole thing dissolve. We die into the present moment. In the language of Tibetan Buddhism, this is called the Completion Stage.

There absolute essence is revealed. What if the essence of life and the essence of death were one and the same? What if both our wandering and our dancing were expressions of that one essence, and equally wise? What if we could touch ~ with each breath, each step, each of our awakened daily activities ~ the sweetness & power that is this essence?

And now, please feel free . to Dance!

Elizabeth Reninger holds a Masters degree in Chinese medicine, is a published poet, and has been exploring Yoga - in its Taoist, Buddhist & Hindu varieties ~ for more than twenty years. Her teachers include Richard Freeman and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. To read more of her yoga-related essays, please visit her website: http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabeth_reninger

As a result of problems related to the mass production of a key component of its Blu-ray DVD player, Sony (SNE) will delay the European launch of its next generation video game console, the PlayStation 3 (PS3). Sony will also reduce the number of ps3 units immediately available in both the U.S. and Japan.

In the U.S., the ps3 will launch on November 17th, with approximately 400,000 consoles available for sale. The U.S. launch will come almost a week after the Japanese launch which will consist of merely 100,000 units.

Sony's PlayStation 3 is the successor to the PlayStation 2, the world's most popular (and as recently as July, the world's best selling) video game console.

The number That really Matters

The fact that there will only be 400,000 ps3 units available for sale in the United States on November 17th is totally unimportant. The launch date itself is unimportant. What matters is how many units will be available for sale in mid to late December.

Sony claims it will have 1 million to 1.2 million consoles available for sale by December 31st. I think it's safe to assume they don't plan to have many arrive between December 26th and December 31st. So, let's assume there will be at least a million ps3 consoles available for sale in the U.S. by Christmas.

Will that be enough to put a PlayStation in the living room of every household that wants one?

No. There will almost certainly be many people who have to go without a ps3 for Christmas, despite being willing to pay the very high price Sony is asking. But, that's nothing new. Other consoles (including the Xbox 360) have been launched without an adequate number of units immediately available for sale.

This isn't like failing to get enough Glad trash bags on store shelves. Once the console has launched, limited availability shouldn't cause many people to switch their planned purchase. If they want it and it's out, they'll wait for it.

A delay is much worse than a mere shortage. There's a promise (and a tangible product) behind a console that has already launched. So, very few people in the U.S. or Japan who planned to buy a ps3 are likely to change their minds because of a Christmas shortage no matter how severe.

The Things That really Matter

The success of any gaming platform is largely based on five factors:

Available Titles

Relative Launch Date

Price

Predecessor's Installed Base

Technology

Of these five, technology is by far the least important factor. The four most important factors (available titles, relative launch date, price, and predecessor's installed base) are difficult to separate. Clearly, having a predecessor with a large installed base (such as the PS2) can be tremendously beneficial, if you get satisfactory marks in the other three areas (titles, launch date, and price).

Predecessor's Installed Base

The PlayStation 3 dominates when it comes to having a predecessor with a large installed base. So, how does it score in the other three areas?

In terms of available titles, the ps3 scores as well as any of its competitors, if not better. However, none of the three consoles (Xbox 360, ps3, or Wii) does very well in this regard. Unfortunately, the titles are likely to be somewhat segregated by console. There will be quality games on each system; but, almost no one will buy all three. Simply put, there will be some games exclusive to each console that a lot of people would really love to play but can't.

Also, there's the danger that both the ps3 and the Xbox 360 will be seen as the more adult and less casual consoles. Microsoft (MSFT) and Sony have Nintendo to blame for this but, let's put that issue aside for now.

Relative Launch Date

Returning to the list of factors that determine a console's success, let's consider the launch date issue. Sony clearly has a bit of a problem in Europe, because it will have one less Christmas season than both the Xbox 360 and the Wii. Some analysts think Sony will lose no more than a few hundred thousand console sales to substitutions. If that's true, lost revenue might be in the hundreds of millions rather than the billions.

Strong sales of the Xbox in Europe during the Christmas season would be a very bad indication for Sony. The combined price of an Xbox and a ps3 is prohibitively expensive. Furthermore, the two consoles are far more similar to each other than they are to the Wii. As a result, while some European Wii sales might be recoverable by Sony at a later date, because individuals will choose to buy the Wii first and the ps3 later, very few Xbox 360 sales would be recoverable. Essentially, every Xbox sold in Europe this Christmas is a ps3 that will never be born.

Three Separate Markets

The U.S., Japan, and Europe are really three very different markets. It's quite possible you could have a console that is very successful in one market and yet unable to get any real momentum in another.

Before this delay, I felt strongly that Europe was the market where the ps3 could come closest to duplicating the performance of the PS2 in terms of market share. There's a long-term danger that Microsoft will gain market share in the U.S. and Nintendo will gain market share in both the U.S. and Japan.

Obviously, Europe isn't as well defined a market as either the U.S. or Japan. So, it's much harder to predict how a certain type of console or a certain type of game will go over there. The U.S. and Japan are very clearly defined game markets, largely because they have very clearly defined consumer cultures in general and entertainment cultures in particular.

So, what does the ps3 delay mean for Sony's future in Europe? It's hard to say. I'm more interested in seeing what the installed base of each next generation console will look like in the American and Japanese markets after Christmas 2007, when we'll have the first real chance to predict how this round of the console wars will play out.

Of course, there are some predictions that seem pretty safe even now. For instance, it seems safe to say Sony will lose worldwide market share. Simply put, the ps3 won't be able to duplicate the market share dominance of the PS2.

So, most likely we're talking about Sony's ps3 falling somewhere north of catastrophic failure and south of market share gains. Although I think both of these scenarios are extremely unlikely, catastrophic failure is more likely, simply because improving upon the PS2's market share seems a near impossibility given the much tougher competition this time around.

Is there a real risk that the ps3 might end up being a catastrophic failure? I don't think so, simply because of the number of PS2 systems still out there. Price combined with solid competition on both of Sony's flanks is the only thing that could cause such a failure. If the price prevents widespread acceptance of the system, third party publisher support would be a problem down the line. Nintendo doesn't need a lot of third party support. Sony does.

Although I do think Sony is doing serious harm to its PlayStation line by insisting upon including Blu-ray and charging a ridiculous price, I don't think any amount of managerial ineptitude is likely to cause the catastrophic failure of a successor to such a dominant console as the PS2.

Price

If price isn't the elephant in the room, it should be. Most of the articles I read about the recently announced ps3 delay / production scale-down didn't say much about the pricing of the ps3. That's a mistake especially, because several articles mentioned the laptop battery recall, which has nothing to do with the ps3 and very little to do with Sony (it has everything to do with lithium-ion batteries irrespective of their manufacturer).

The PS3's price is a big problem. One that might have manifested itself in poor Christmas sales, if the number of units available for sale had approached the expected demand. For now, Sony is planning on having so few units available in the U.S. by Christmas that the launch will go well even if the ps3 is ultimately a failure. Sony claims it will have 6 million units by the end of its fiscal year. A few analysts are skeptical, but Sony is sticking to that line.

In the weeks ahead, expect Sony to make a big deal about the fact that it will actually make more PS3 units available by the end of December than the number of Xbox 360s Microsoft had made available by the same time the year before. It's a valid point. But, it omits two key facts. The PS3 is launching after the Xbox 360 and there are more PS2 owners out there who will want to trade up for the new system.

Since the PS3 is launching after the Xbox 360, no one is waiting around to see what the alternative will look like. They already know what the Xbox 360 is, what it can do, and what (some of) the games available for it are. As soon as the PS3 launches, the comparisons can begin. That wasn't possible when the Xbox 360 launched and everybody knew the PS3 was on its way.

The second reason why no parallel exists between the demand for Xbox 360s at launch and the demand for PS3s at launch is simply that there are more PS2s out there. As a result, Sony having as many units available by Christmas as Microsoft had the year before would be a lot like Gillette having as many new razors available as Schick had produced the year before. The difference in market share obliterates any possible comparison.

So, even though I think the PS3 is far too expensive going into the Christmas season, I'm quite sure that fact won't be evident in the sales numbers, because there will be a severe PS3 shortage throughout 2006. Even if the PlayStation 3 is too expensive, it will look like it's selling well, because there simply won't be enough of them produced in 2006.

Why am I so convinced the PS3 is priced too high?

The PS3 is too expensive to be a Christmas gift. Around Christmas, a lot of these consoles are bought by parents as gifts for their kids. Parents are willing to pay a lot for them, because they're a huge one-time item for the kid (and the parents have been hearing about it since well before the launch). But, the prices likely to be charged in 2006 for the PS3 are simply beyond what parents are willing to spend.

It's not an issue of how much consumers have to spend versus the value they're getting. It's an issue of being psychologically unprepared for paying this kind of price for any gift.

It may be a price older gamers are willing to pay to get a PS3 for themselves. But, it's not a price parents will be willing to spend on their kids.

Geoff Gannon writes a daily value investing blog and produces a twice weekly (half hour) value investing podcast at: http://www.gannononinvesting.com

The order in which you swing the golf club has a major effect on the distance that you can hit the golf ball. If you have the incorrect sequencing of the golf swing it can cost you a lot of distance. So if you're like most golfers who want to hit the golf ball as far as you possibly can -- you've got to understand the correct sequence of the golf swing.

To get started let's look at what should happen in the sequencing of the backswing.

When you start your backswing you should do so with the big muscles e.g. your back and shoulders. You should not start your backswing with your hands e.g. picking the club up.

Now as you're starting the backswing by turning your shoulders and back you also need to shift your weight to your right foot. You need to continue to shift your weight to your right foot as you're turning your shoulders and back on the backswing. And keep doing this so that at the top of your backswing position you have about 85 - 90% of your weight on your right foot.

So you can sum up the backswing as a shift and turn.

Now at what part of the golf swing does the most power come from?

It's the transition. And the transition in the golf swing is when you change directions from the backswing to downswing.

Just think, if this wasn't true you'd have golfers setting themselves into a perfect top of the backswing position and then swinging from there. But that doesn't happen and never will because it's the change of directions from moving the club back to bringing it down where the real power in the golf swing comes from. And that's the key place in the golf swing where most amateur golfers lose a heck of a lot of distance. this is through a lack of the correct golf swing sequencing. Let me explain.

Imagine you've reached the top of your backswing position. What do you think should start the downswing?

The correct answers is: The weight shift should!

To start the downswing you need to first move your weight back to your left foot. Then you need to move your left knee towards the target, then the left hip needs to move towards the target, followed by the left shoulder and finally your hands should move.

The sad thing is that most golfers start their downswing with their hands and that's a killer as far as creating distance is concerned. You've got to start the downswing with the weight shift and then the left knee.

So go out and try this now.

To do this I want you to swing slowly back to the very top of your backswing. Then when you've almost reached the top of your backswing position I then want you to move your weight back to your left foot and then move your left knee towards the target. Once you've got the feeling of doing this then speed up the swing.

Now personally I just like thinking about moving my left knee towards the target to start the downswing. And I suggest you try that golf swing trigger as well.

If you get this sequencing correct from the backswing to downswing you'll gain a lot of distance and the golf swing will be a lot easier for you. Try it you'll love the results!

Professional golfer Nick Bayley has found just one golf swing fault that could be stopping you from ball striking consistency and success. But now you can take a simple 2 minute golf swing test to see if you have this swing fault or not. Go here to take The Golf Swing Test now

As the summer finally approaches, people across the UK will be getting increasingly excited about the prospect of a variety of activities traditionally associated with the season. From barbeques in the back garden to basking in the sunshine in a vast, green field - the simple joys of summertime can lift your spirits immeasurably.

What's more, the summer months provide the most opportune time to travel around Britain. And whether you're going to a music festival or you simply want to explore certain parts of the country, there's one mode of travel that's sure to reign above all else: coach travel.

Travelling by coach could be a real benefit when you're trying to get from one place to another this summer. For starters, you'll avoid overcrowded and overheated train services, which are often delayed due to the expansion of rail tracks in hot weather. Furthermore, coach journeys often take breaks in rest areas, so you'll be able to stretch your legs at regular intervals and visit the toilet frequently.

Modern coaches even have free onboard WiFi access - so if you take your laptop on your coach journey you'll be able to surf the internet at your leisure. And while it's true that coach travel often takes longer than train or air travel, coach travel also allows you to appreciate the sights you pass during your journey, particularly if you're travelling during the day. A daytime coach journey from glasgow to manchester, for example, would provide for stunning views of the lake District, England's beautiful north-west and the charming Scottish borders.

The frequency of coach journey timetables also means that you'll be able to maintain flexibility and travel when it suits you; an overnight coach journey from london to edinburgh, for example, means that you can leave the big city at midnight after a full day's activity and arrive in scotland in time for breakfast, having had a complete night's sleep on your coach.

Coach travel is sure to make your summer excursions that little bit easier. Take a coach to the Glastonbury festival in June for convenient transport to one of Europe's most anticipated musical events. Or if you want to take a short shopping break in one of Britain's best shopping cities, like Birmingham or manchester, coach travel is the way to go.

If you're going on holiday this summer, you can also get a coach to the airport in order to ensure the convenient, hassle-free transport of you and your baggage. Some coach companies in Britain also provide coach travel overseas; national Express, for instance, offers special services to ski resorts around europe with their Eurolines service, as well as offering travel to major european destinations - including amsterdam, paris and berlin.

Andrew Regan is a freelance online journalist.