Designer Mods a Pioneer a DJ Deck to Look Like the Millennium Falcon

Designer Jesse Dean has made a career out of modding out DJ equipment like turntables in all kinds of nerdy ways. His latest, though, might be the most profound geek mod he's ever done.

Dean will mod anything. Want your Native Instruments workstation loaded with Lego? You got it. Want your Technics turntable welded together with some other gear? He will do it. But what do we make of the "Pioneer Millennium Falcon?" My it's impressive.

What you're looking at here would be a beautifully crafted 3D model of the Millennium Falcon even before you realize that it's all be build around a Pioneer CDJ-2000 deck. It's amazing that Dean is able to build up Han Solo's ship around the gear in so much detail while retaining the full functionality of the CD DJ deck. As for moving this thing around—you might need to enlist the help of a wookiee. [Jesse Dean Designs]

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The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Beat It Tonight (NSFW)

No see, the three supa-hawt party girls getting naked and drunk represents the itch of his addiction—that itch, that unyielding, nagging itch—the Molotov cocktail, his determination to conquer it.

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OPEC Need Not Cut Production Next Year as Production from Iran and Libya Adds Up

By next year there will be enhanced oil production in the U.S. Similarly, while Iran will start exporting more oil to the world after the sanctions are lifted. The oil production will also get an edge when Libya starts producing in its full capacity. In such a situation there will be more supply of oil which may debacle the global oil prices; however, OPEC members are not worried about this.

In a statement, ministers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq said that OPEC needn’t cut production next year to make room for additional supplies from Iran, Libya and U.S. shale oil. The statement has come up after apprehensions have been shown that the oil prices may face a steep decrease thanks to increased production in 2014.

Saudi Oil Minister Optimistic About Oil Market in 2014

Following his earlier statements that he made last month, Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi said in a speech at a meeting of Arab oil exporters in Doha, Qatar that Shale oil is not posing any threat to Saudi Arabia and OPEC. He seems too determined on his stand that he has been clearing quite often that there is no need to increase or decrease the production.

He said that he is optimistic that the market will stay balanced and stable next year. His statement has come up when expectations were made that since output will increase after Iranian and Libyan production return to the market, OPEC will need to revise its policy and reduce oil production to maintain a balance in favor of the oil producers.

However, as the Saudi Oil Minister says that he is content with current oil price levels and there is no likelihood of changing the policy till at least June 2014, the current production will continue even after Iranian and Libyan oil is available for export. Iran which has been facing economic sanctions for its disputed nuke program is seeking to raise oil output to 4 million barrels a day.

Earlier in a statement Iranian oil minister, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, said at the OPEC meeting, after a Nov. 24 agreement over its nuclear program opened the door to an easing of sanctions that the country is willing to increase production and export oil to balance its deficits which it has suffered after the U.S. and allied countries imposed economic sanctions on it.

To contact the reporter of this story: Jonathan Millet at john@forexminute.com

Jonathan Millet is currently the proud CEO of ForexMinute.com, the brand new financial news portal which is making waves among Forex traders around the globe for the innumerable Forex resources it off...

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Overstock to Become the First Big U.S. Online Retailer to Accept Bitcoin

Whereas Bitcoin is facing one setback after the other, it is also receiving acceptance from wide segments; now, Overstock is planning to become the first big U.S. online retailer to accept Bitcoin. According to Patrick Byrne, the company’s libertarian chief executive, Bitcoin is a healthy monetary system which can contribute largely for the organization.

Mr. Byrne talking to media professionals said that Overstock planned to start accepting Bitcoin next year. Though the specific time has not been framed, estimates are that it may start accepting the digital currency as early as the end of the second quarter. The decision is purely based on the convictions Mr. Byrne has for the science and technology and its outcome Bitcoin.

In his statement Mr. Byrne says that he thinks a healthy monetary system at the end of the day isn’t an upside down pyramid based on the whim of a government official, but is based on something that they can’t control. He also says that there are a lot of virtual currencies, but this is the only one he knows of that can’t be created.

Mr. Byrne is a Libertarian

True to his convictions and ideology, Mr. Byrne, a self-proclaimed libertarian believes in the Austrian School of economics. It is to be noted that Austrian School of Economics unlike Chicago School of Economics predict that fiat currencies created for governments by central banks would destabilize the world economy.

Austrian School of Economics is often criticized by the mainstream economists who are dominating the Federal Reserve of the U.S. However, this school has often come up with hard hitting facts and predictions that are undeniable. Mr. Byrne and other libertarians have been supporting Bitcoin for long; even Libertarian Parties of Canada and the U.S. accept them as donations.

Bitcoin whose prices have gone up recently and touched the benchmark of $1200 faced a setback after the Chinese government banned them from financial transactions. Similarly, a guideline issued by the Norwegian government said that Bitcoin is not real money. However, the decision on the part of Overstock seems to give further impetus to the cause when the chips are down for it.

True to his ideas, Mr. Byrne supported the libertarian Ron Paul in the 2012 U.S. presidential election. He says that if there’s going to be some part of the population which adopts it, he thinks that that group will get that business. And the people who switch to it will respect that they started adopting it.

To contact the reporter of this story: Deepak Tiwari at deepak@forexminute.com

Deepak Tiwari, a law graduate, has been working as a journalist for six years now. He currently writes on Bitcoin, economic, and Forex related news at ForexMinute, the brand new financial news portal ...

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Fed Tapers Stimulus, Japan Brings New Stimulus

Today, the Bank of Japan came up with a statement wherein it said that it is maintaining its record easing though on the other side of Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Federal Reserve has decided to taper policy. The decision on the part of Japan is aimed to weaken the yen to a five-year low against the dollar as the country’s economy depends a lot on exports and weak yen gives impetus to it.

In his statement governor Haruhiko Kuroda said that the central bank of Japan is expanding the monetary base by an annual 60 trillion to 70 trillion yen ($670 billion). The much waited conclusion came after a two-day meeting in Tokyo. According to media Kuroda’s push for 2 percent inflation underscores the difference in policy direction between the BOJ and the Fed.

The Bank of Japan Cautious about Prices

According to market observers the change in language that the BOJ is adopting shows that it is more cautious on prices. In fact, Kuroda said there was no change in his view which he has been expressing on inflation. He says that that Japan will reach the BOJ’s 2 percent inflation target and the new steps are being seen as solid steps to boost government bond purchases.

In his statement Kuroda said that the BOJ isn’t targeting foreign exchange rates which have fallen to record levels against the dollar. Factually, the yen has fallen 17 percent against the dollar this year which is not just unprecedented but also setting disturbing trends; for instance, it is fueling consumer price gains.

However, Kuroda sees it as a market correction which according to him is an excessively strong indication for Japan’s economy. He said at a press conference after the meeting that corporate profits have been boosted, sentiment among economic players has turned positive, stocks have risen and growth has accelerated.

The Fed May Reduce Its Bond Buying by $10 Billion

Reports are coming that in its pursuit to reduce stimulus every month, the Federal Reserve will probably reduce its bond purchases in $10 billion increments. It will be done over the next seven meetings before ending the program in December 2014. In its statement the Federal Open Market Committee said that it will slow buying.

Bernanke in his statement said that the Fed is going to take further modest steps subsequently, so that would be the general range. He added that the Fed could stop purchases if the economy disappoints, it could pick them up somewhat if the economy is stronger.

To contact the reporter of this story: Jonathan Millet at john@forexminute.com

Jonathan Millet is currently the proud CEO of ForexMinute.com, the brand new financial news portal which is making waves among Forex traders around the globe for the innumerable Forex resources it off...

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Chris Hadfield Answers Your Spacewalk Questions on Twitter Right Now

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It's no lazy Saturday on the International Space Station: astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Michael Hopkins have just begun the first of three spacewalks to fix a faulty cooling loop on the outside of the ISS. And you can watch it live.

Head on over to NASA TV for live video, including radio communication from the astronauts and explanation by NASA engineers here on earth. Today's mission is disconnecting the faulty pump circulating ammonia coolant through the ISS's external cooling lines. A second spacewalk on Monday will focus on connecting the replacement pump, and a final mission Wednesday will complete the repair using the ISS's giant robotic arm. Hey, if you're gonna work on a holiday, you should at least be able to play with some awesome toys! [NASA TV]

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The Fascinating Century of the Crossword, the Original Mobile Game

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Look around at the people on a train, at a bus stop, or in an airport. Chances are, lots of them are playing some kind of game on their smartphones. But in any crowd, you'll likely see someone poring over a different pocket diversion — the crossword puzzle, still going strong today on its 100th birthday. It's been a fascinating century.

Word games have been around since the dawn of writing, and by the late 1800's games in magazines were starting to develop crossword-style characteristics. But it was on December 21st, 1913 that Arthur Wynne published the first true crossword in The New York World. This puzzle defined the design and layout that would last a century. However, it didn't establish the name — Wynne called his game a Word-Cross, seen here.

By the 1920s, the name had changed from word-cross to crossword, allegedly due to a typesetter's error somewhere along the line, and the puzzle turned into a booming fad. In 1924, the newly-formed Simon and Schuster publishers reluctantly produced the first crossword book, at the nudging of founder Richard Simon's puzzle-crazy aunt. The initial batch of 3,600 copies, none of which carried the publisher's name, sold like wildfire, and Simon and Schuster went on to publish over 100,000 copies. In 1924 and 1925, crossword books landed in the top ten nonfiction bestsellers.

Puzzle books weren't the only hot sellers. As crosswords swept the nation, sales of dictionaries skyrocketed, including pocket-sized editions and even a micro version worn on the wrist. Railroads installed dictionaries in passenger cars, and libraries were overrun with puzzle fiends anxious to look up a vexing clue. In 1921, the New York Public Library reported how rowdy puzzle nuts "swarm to the dictionaries and encyclopedias so as to drive away readers and students who need these books in their daily work."

And the puzzles had a notable effect on people's vocabulary. Smithsonian quotes a 1925 Literary Digest list of words that had fallen into disuse, only to be revived as crossword clues. Today, words like acute, ooze, smudge, omit, and sever are commonplace, thanks to crosswords. Even the internet's favorite verb, ban, was dusted off and re-inserted into our word banks by puzzle writers.

As happens with seemingly ever harmless pastime, the crossword's popularity stirred up significant fear and consternation. Experts feared that the tricky word puzzles would cause undue stress, and Maryland's Chairman of Mental Hygiene worried that crossword anxiety could cause psychosis. The New York Times of 1924 derided the "sinful waste in the utterly futile finding of words the letters of which will fit into a prearranged pattern, more or less complex."

Eventually, the Times's indignant anti-crossword stance subsided: in 1942, Margaret Farrar, a former assistant to Arthur Wynne, became NYT's crossword editor. Farrar established the square, symmetrical grid that has since become standard in American crosswords, filling the blanks with intelligent, clever puzzles that gave the crossword longevity far beyond the initial fad. When she retired in 1969 the NYT puzzle had become perhaps the most recognized and well regarded of all crosswords.

It's puzzling (hah!) that a pastime which encourages people to use their brains, thumb through dictionaries and expand their vocabularies would ever be seen as a pariah. A century later, we think of crosswords as a brainy way to start the morning or whittle away the commute to work. Makes you wonder if, in 2023, we'll say the same thing about Candy Crush.

Top image: Shutterstock / Rob Byron

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U.S. Stocks Gain as the National Economy Records Unexpected Growth

An enhanced U.S. stock market is the outcome of faster-than-estimated growth boosted confidence in the world’s largest economy. Amidst the news that the country has received record and unexpected growth in GDP, the U.S. stocks rose to a great extent and that was visible in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index capping its biggest weekly gain since October.

The largest gainer in U.S. stock trade was Red Hat Inc. which capped growth of 14 percent. The software company raised its full-year profit and was able to record higher sales forecasts, which culminated into better trading in the stock market. In asimilar pattern, Responsys Inc. jumped 40 percent as Oracle Corp. agreed to buy the marketing company for $1.5 billion in cash.

It was not that a large number of companies were faring better in the U.S. stock trading as whereas Red Hat Inc. was doing fabulous, on the other hand, the car seller CarMax Inc. could not maintain the momentum and lost to some extent. In day’s trading it declined 9.4 percent as the company could not meet the expectations from the investors.

The S&P500 Receives a Better Outlook

On the better and positive trading day, the S&P 500 added 0.5 percent to a record 1,818.32 at 4 p.m. in New York. Following the pattern, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 42.06 points, or 0.3 percent. Thus, the two largest indicators of the country were on the right track and received better than expected results on a positive trading day.

Positive GDP Expansion and Stimulus Tapering

From the data it looks that rate of expansion in the third quarter in the U.S. was faster than previously estimated. The negativity spread in the U.S. market was though obvious, the unexpected results in the growth are seeding positive waves among investors. Moreover, the major reason behind the growth according to experts is that there has been an increase in health care and companies investments.

With the gross domestic product growth of 4.1 percent annualized rate, the country has been able to mark its presence and showing that it is on the right track. Earlier the Federal Reserve of the country decided to taper its stimulus to some extent.

The central bank of the country realizes that the employment data is showing that the U.S. is doing fairly well and the need for it is decreasing.

To contact the reporter of this story: Jonathan Millet at john@forexminute.com

Jonathan Millet is currently the proud CEO of ForexMinute.com, the brand new financial news portal which is making waves among Forex traders around the globe for the innumerable Forex resources it off...

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Most Beautiful Items: December 13 - 20, 2013

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It's nearly Christmas so everything is beautiful, from the lights decking every inch of your neighborhood to the fact that you're about to get a little vacation. But we also had plenty of things to show you this week, from our favorite Instagram accounts to a tunnel to the sky in a Manhattan train station, and so much more. Here are our favorite, eye-popping posts from this week:

Not every Instagram account is pictures of semi-famous tweens or farm-to-table food. There are some very artful, very niche accounts out there that we adore simply for their aesthetic merits. We've compiled a catalog of the ones we follow so you can too.

These awesome images from another dimension have not been photoshopped

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These are the amazing light paintings of Tackyshack, who is really taking this art form to a complete new level. Some of the amazing images in this small collection of his work are crazy psychedelia. Other look like Alice in Wonderland landscapes. And the one above—playing with shadows and subtle abstract shapes—looks like entrances to alternate dimensions.

In 1971, an astronaut placed a 3 1/2-inch aluminum sculpture on the moon, igniting an art world scandal transcending our earthly bearings. The long, bizarre tale of "one of the smallest yet most extraordinary achievements of the Space Age" is recounted by Corey Powell and Laurie Gwen Shapiro over at Slate.

We collectively use about a million plastic bags a minute, a figure that will peak during next week's holiday rush. As you're sitting around in a post-Christmas funk next week, consider following the lead of Japanese artist Yuken Teruya, who carves tiny, perfect trees out of the flimsy walls of old shopping bags.

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Edward Tufte is a data viz pioneer, well-known for making complex information easy to parse. But the man is also fascinated with manipulating the physical world; he has transformed the rolling hills and wooded terrain of Hogpen Hill Farms in rural Connecticut into a 234-acresculpture garden that's like a modern-day Stonehenge—if those pre-historic folks had access to I-beams, Airstream trailers, and Richard Feynman diagrams.

If you've been on the internet in the past month, chances are you've seen a remarkably lifelike portrait of Morgan Freeman painted entirely with the iPad app Procreate. it's so unbelievably similar to the photo that inspired it that many have, quite literally, been unable to believe their eyes. But is there any credence to the deniers' claims?

Bizarre New Art Project Stalks Shaquille O'Neal for Custom "Dunk Rig"

What if, instead of marketing to a general demographic, you marketed to a specific individual? What if, instead of waiting for a patron to commission new work, an artist simply designed it based on someone's psychological profile? If an online ad asked for you by name, could you resist?

The Fulton Street Transit Center currently being built in the Financial District of Manhattan is shaping up to be not only the biggest place to catch a train in the five boroughs, but also the coolest. Where normally you'd expect the MTA to build tunnels through the ground, at Fulton Street they've assembled one to the sky.

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Because it never gets boring to look inside creatures, living or dead, here's Cleared: a photo series by Adam Summers that straddles the super-narrow divide between science and art, showing deceased fish in various states of transparency to expose their complex insides.

Behold the Monstrous Beauty of This Year's Coolest Microscopic Images

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Mouse brains! Bat embryos! Hungry algae! Today, Olympus unveiled the winners of the tenth annual BioScapes photography competition, which showcases the best photography captured through light microscopes. The top ten were chosen from a mind-boggling 2,100 entries.

The Billion-Dollar Megaprojects That Will Transform NYC By 2030

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As Michael Bloomberg's reign comes to a close, our mayor/billionaire underwriter is talking up his next move, which involves teaching other cities to be more like New York. But behind the scenes, he's also scrambling to push through dozens of building projects that will define his legacy.

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Cutaway or cross-section drawings are mostly just fancy residues of a long-gone era when engineering and architecture visualisation was based on hand-drawn images that were often closer to art than boring illustration.

Related These are the amazing light paintings of Tackyshack, who is really taking this art form to a complete new level. Some of the amazing images in this… Read…

Related Remember iPad art? Like those New Yorker covers that look, well, basically just okay? Or the hobby that David Hockney had for like ten seconds? Well… Read…

Related What if, instead of marketing to a general demographic, you marketed to a specific individual? What if, instead of waiting for a patron to commission … Read…

Related Even after 40 years of service, X-ray computed tomography (better known as CT scans) can be a challenge to capture. If the patient moves even a… Read…

Related Mouse brains! Bat embryos! Hungry algae! Today, Olympus unveiled the winners of the tenth annual BioScapes photography competition, which showcases… Read…

Related As Michael Bloomberg's reign comes to a close, our mayor/billionaire underwriter is talking up his next move, which involves teaching other… Read…

Related When I was a child I loved to bury myself in the centerfold cutaway illustrations of the monthly scientific magazines my father subscribed to for me. … Read…

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Super fun holiday Rube Goldberg machine is a Christmas miracle

Happy holidays everyone. Enjoy the time with your family and friends and the days off you might get. Here's a holiday Rube Goldberg machine from Quirkology, it starts a little slow but then grows bigger and basically becomes a wonderful Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate) miracle. Have fun! Stay safe!

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Currency Forecast, December 20th 2013

Again a more or less quiet day, though it looks like we see a downward trend in the EURUSD, which needs to break the 1,3500 level to confirm it.

I think next year we will see a big move in the EURUSD which could last until below 1,2000. The other big mover will be the USDCHF which could trade up to 1,1000 and even higher, but I will get into this long-term strategic position at the beginning of next year then.

For info, next week I will be off for Xmas, so the next forecast will be on December 30th. Until then the market should not be too volatile anymore. I wish everyone a merry Xmas.

Good luck,

Current trades, positions and levels:

For info how the model works: The P/L is always calculated with the size of 1. So if the position is 1 and it makes a profit of 100 pips, the P/L would be +100 pips. If the position is 2 and it makes a profit of 100 pips, the P/L would be +200 pips of course – it is always calculated with the position size of 1. The position could go up to 3, in case the system has a strong view.

Current spot: EURUSD 1,3635 , USDCHF 0,8990 , EURCHF 1,2260 , USDJPY 104,45 , EURJPY 142,25 , EURHUF 298,80 , USDCAD 1,0670 , GOLD 1.195,00

EURUSD
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Short 3 @ 1,3150
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): -110 pips

USDJPY
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Short 3 @ 100,18
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): +2240 pips

EURJPY
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Flat
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): -782 pips

USDCHF
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Long 3 @ 0,9366
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): +440 pips

EURCHF
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Long 2 @ 1,2265
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): +741 pips

EURHUF
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Short 3 @ 300,00
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): +2540 pips

USDCAD
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Short 2 @ 1,0620
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): +500 pips

XAUUSD (Gold)
(Entry lvl):
Current position: long 2k @ 1.233,50
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): +258.000 USD

To contact the reporter of this story: Marco Roemer at marco@forexminute.com

I am an fx-trader (mainly fx-options and fx-exotic options but also fx-spot and fx-swaps of course which you need to run an options-book) for already more than 10 years at a big European bank. 95% I t...

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EURUSD Elliott Wave Analysis: Bearish Reversal?

Risk Warning: All information on this website, including any opinions, charts, prices, news, data, Buy/Sell signals, research and analysis is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute any investment advice. Global Invest is not liable for any damage or loss, including but not limited to, any loss of investment, which may be based either directly orindirectly on the use of or reliance on such information. Before deciding whether or not to take part in foreign exchange or financial markets or any other type of financial instrument, please carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. Do not invest more money than you can afford to lose.

Note that the high level of leverage in forex trading may work against you as well as for you. Please seek advice of an independent financial advisor if you are not fully aware about the risks associated with foreign exchange trading. Forex trading on margin involves considerable exposure to high risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. Global Invest does not endorse any companies, products or services which are represented on Forexminute.com The information on this website is subject to change without notice. Read More  

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In the run-up to the holidays, smart folks all around the internet were talking robot ethics, fake j

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In the run-up to the holidays, smart folks all around the internet were talking robot ethics, fake job references, bitcoin, comics, and how streaming music supported and squashed cover bands. It's all in this week's Tech Reads:

The New Yorker has a great infographic on the data that social media networks get from you, and how they use it [The New Yorker]Devin Leonard follows UPS's holiday shipping master, discovering just how difficult his job is in the days before Christmas [Bloomburg Businessweek]Steve Ranger examines Asimov's three laws of robotics, and why the newest crop of robots might make them obsolete [TechRepublic]Aaron Sankin bought a fake career package online, including an impeccable resume, and found out it was shockingly effective [The Daily Dot]Jason Kottke says the blog is dead, but you'll still see it everywhere [Nieman Journalism Lab]Led ZepAgain was a Spotify supergroup. Then Spotify got the rights to Led Zeppelin's catalog. Austin Carr spoke with the cover band's frontman about what life will be like post-Spotify. [Fast Company]Richie S. King, Sam Williams and David Yanofsky hold your hand and help you mine your first Bitcoin. [Quartz]Eric Jaffe digs into the surprising science behind newspaper comics. [Co.Design]Tim Murphy thinks through what it would take to launch an actual "war on Christmas": taking down Santa Claus. [Mother Jones]Peter Weber explains the 46 recommendations the White House panel gave the NSA, and how they might change the agency. [The Week]Michael Graziano asks what will happen to us when we upload our brains onto computers. [Aeon]Image: Expedition 38 crew member Mike Hopkins checks out the spacesuit he will wear outside the International Space Station on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013. He and fellow astronaut Rick Mastracchio will conduct a series of spacewalks to replace an ammonia pump that is part of the station's coolant system. This will be Hopkins' first spacewalk, while Mastracchio has had six previous ones on STS-118 and STS-131. Courtesy NASA.

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Watch Today's ISS Spacewalk Live, Right Here, Right Now

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It's no lazy Saturday on the International Space Station: astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Michael Hopkins have just begun the first of three spacewalks to fix a faulty cooling loop on the outside of the ISS. And you can watch it live.

Head on over to NASA TV for live video, including radio communication from the astronauts and explanation by NASA engineers here on earth. Today's mission is disconnecting the faulty pump circulating ammonia coolant through the ISS's external cooling lines. A second spacewalk on Monday will focus on connecting the replacement pump, and a final mission Wednesday will complete the repair using the ISS's giant robotic arm. Hey, if you're gonna work on a holiday, you should at least be able to play with some awesome toys! [NASA TV]

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Asian Stocks Swinging Between Losses and Gains

After gaining yesterday, Asia’s benchmark stock indexes are trading between gains and losses. This is all happening as Chinese shares fell amid concern funding costs for lenders will remain high. For instance, whereas Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose as the yen fell to a five-year low, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell less than 0.1 percent to 138.35 as of 2:36 p.m. in Hong Kong.

However, there was less momentum for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index which declined to some extent and fell 0.3 percent. Similarly, China’s Shanghai Composite retreated 1.9 percent and Ping An lost 3.7 percent to HK$67.75. On the other hand, continuing its growth today from yesterday, the Nikkei 225 climbed 0.1 percent.

Mixed Trading Day for Asian Market amidst Stimulus from Japanese National Bank
Earlier, the Nikkei faced a little trouble as it declines initially; however, improved later on as the yen weakened to 104.56 per dollar which is the lowest since October 2008. In his statement Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said that the bank is pledging to expand the monetary base by an annual 60 trillion to 70 trillion yen ($670 billion) today.

The statement came after a two-day policy meeting in Tokyo. Earlier, the Topix rose 47 percent this year through yesterday which according to various estimates is the most among major developed markets, particularly, when Europe and the U.S. are not doing well, the Japanese economy faring better is an encouraging factor.

Other Regional Indexes amidst Mixed Trading Day

As the trading was mixed today, some stock markets in Asia fared better; however, some could not maintain the momentum. For instance, whereas Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index (AS51) gained 1.2 percent, South Korea’s Kospi index advanced 0.4 percent. A positive trend was seen in Singapore’s Straits Times Index which rose 0.4 percent.

Whereas New Zealand’s NZX 50 Index slipped 0.6 percent, there was little change in Taiwan’s Taiex Index. Continuing yesterday’s positive trade, India’s S&P BSE Sensex Index gained 0.6 percent. Similarly, whereas Ping An Insurance (Group) Co., China’s second-largest insurer lost the moist and declined 3.7 percent, Mazda Motor Corp., the Japanese carmaker that gets 73 percent of sales abroad, climbed 3.5 percent.

To contact the reporter of this story: Jonathan Millet at john@forexminute.com

Jonathan Millet is currently the proud CEO of ForexMinute.com, the brand new financial news portal which is making waves among Forex traders around the globe for the innumerable Forex resources it off...

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Movies are pretty corny when you only hear their punchline

You might not want to admit it but your favorite action movie is pretty corny. But it's okay! Because they're fun and they're ridiculous and there are explosions and they're quite wonderful at wasting two hours. But when you only see little bits of the movie? Especially just the punchline? It gets quite embarrassing. Just watch this supercut of the punchline of 100 action movies. It's great.

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Currency Forecast, December 20th 2013

Again a more or less quiet day, though it looks like we see a downward trend in the EURUSD, which needs to break the 1,3500 level to confirm it.

I think next year we will see a big move in the EURUSD which could last until below 1,2000. The other big mover will be the USDCHF which could trade up to 1,1000 and even higher, but I will get into this long-term strategic position at the beginning of next year then.

For info, next week I will be off for Xmas, so the next forecast will be on December 30th. Until then the market should not be too volatile anymore. I wish everyone a merry Xmas.

Good luck,

Current trades, positions and levels:

For info how the model works: The P/L is always calculated with the size of 1. So if the position is 1 and it makes a profit of 100 pips, the P/L would be +100 pips. If the position is 2 and it makes a profit of 100 pips, the P/L would be +200 pips of course – it is always calculated with the position size of 1. The position could go up to 3, in case the system has a strong view.

Current spot: EURUSD 1,3635 , USDCHF 0,8990 , EURCHF 1,2260 , USDJPY 104,45 , EURJPY 142,25 , EURHUF 298,80 , USDCAD 1,0670 , GOLD 1.195,00

EURUSD
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Short 3 @ 1,3150
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): -110 pips

USDJPY
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Short 3 @ 100,18
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): +2240 pips

EURJPY
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Flat
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): -782 pips

USDCHF
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Long 3 @ 0,9366
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): +440 pips

EURCHF
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Long 2 @ 1,2265
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): +741 pips

EURHUF
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Short 3 @ 300,00
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): +2540 pips

USDCAD
(Entry lvl):
Current position: Short 2 @ 1,0620
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): +500 pips

XAUUSD (Gold)
(Entry lvl):
Current position: long 2k @ 1.233,50
Target:
Stop lvl:
Last trade:
P/L (ytd): +258.000 USD

To contact the reporter of this story: Marco Roemer at marco@forexminute.com

I am an fx-trader (mainly fx-options and fx-exotic options but also fx-spot and fx-swaps of course which you need to run an options-book) for already more than 10 years at a big European bank. 95% I t...

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Market Ranges after FOMC

The decision was made very well by the FED where the use of specific words during the meeting was the key, as it allowed them to savor with the market where they wanted. The major currencies fell but the overall outcome was offset the next day where the market rebound a bit and played in range.

Finally, Euro with Bears

The euro experienced the worst impact of all currencies where it plunged sharply from the 1.3805 resistance area down to 1.3682 where it entered the short term bearish channel.

Currently the pair is trading at 1.3635 as it lost more against the U.S. dollar yesterday, but traders are looking forward to the German PPI and German consumer climate data that is set to be released in the European session today.

The pair would remain in the hands of the bears as long as it trades below the critical resistance level of 1.3716, whereas sustaining above this level could result bulls to enter the market yet again.

40 Points Range

The British pound remained in a tight range on Thursday as the support was sufficient enough to keep it sustain in the short-term bullish channel, but you must be wondering why it did not fall after FOMC meeting. The reason being that the unemployment of the U.K. economy has dropped down to 7.4% from the previous 7.6% level, which has boosted the confidence in the economy. Plus, analysts are predicting that the BoE might be looking into the idea to increase the interest rates as the labor market and the consumer market has recovered notably. Therefore, the GBP/USD gained substantially before FOMC meeting, and then fell by 90 points that basically offset its redundant gain, hence leaving to no negative impact on the pair.

However, final GDP of 3rd quarter is due today and if that data disappoints and the pair moves below 1.6345 then sellers would enter the market and drag down the pair till 1.6316 and 1.6302, breaking of which could show 1.6285 and the last support of 1.6269.

To contact the reporter of this story: Jonathan Millet at john@forexminute.com

Jonathan Millet is currently the proud CEO of ForexMinute.com, the brand new financial news portal which is making waves among Forex traders around the globe for the innumerable Forex resources it off...

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This Spacecraft Fairytale Will Make Anyone Excited About Outer Space

Rosetta is traveling to unknown lands. Her voyage has gone on nearly a decade. With her lander Philae, she's mankind's most intrepid explorer, headed for a mysterious destination called Churyumov–Gerasimenko. It's not a fictitious fairytale. It's science.

The European Space Agency's Rosetta orbiter, launched in 2004, will be the first man-made object to land on a comet. It's been hibernating as it makes its way toward an August 2014 landing on 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. But on January 20th, the ESA will wake Rosetta up to begin taking photos and measurements as it flies by 67P and prepares for landing.

The great thing about this video is that it doesn't dumb anything down. The Rosetta story is super fascinating and plenty whimsical all on its own, and this ESA video makes it accessible for anyone to understand. And there's definitely a fairytale feeling about a hero and sidekick, way out there in space, exploring the vast unknownness beyond our little planet. Wake up, Rosetta, you're almost there. [H/T Nikita M]

Related While NASA's asteroid-capturing mission remains grounded from a lack of Congressional funding, a similar and equally ambitious ESA program is… Read…

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The Global Bitcoin Conference Asks the Indian Government to Recognize Bitcoin

Amid Bitcoin being acknowledged as a legitimate currency by various governments including the U.S., the Global Bitcoin Conference has sought from Indian government that it too should recognize it a legitimize currency. The request has come when the lawmakers and central bank in the European Union have not yet decided on it.

Currently, most of the countries are adopting a wait and watch policy and similar strategy is being followed by the RBI. Whereas Germany considers Bitcoin a private currency, China considers a virtual commodity and transactions are taxed as such. However, the Chinese government has already declared that Bitcoin cannot be used in financial transactions.

In a similar pattern, Switzerland declared that Bitcoin is a foreign currency. Now the Global Bitcoin Conference has requested the India government to recognize the virtual currency. It can set standards for the other governments like Canada did which has already started taxing gains on trade in Bitcoins.

Seeks the Reserve Bank of India’s Intervention in the Bitcoin Industry

The Global Bitcoin Conference wants the Reserve Bank of India to intervene and recognize Bitcoin as well as it develops a framework for adoption of the virtual currency in India. India is vital for the Bitcoin economy, as it has the world’s third highest amount of internet users and largest software talent pool which can serve as a backbone.

The RBI was represented by a lawyer who attended the conference after a request from the organizers to understand the system better; however, there are no statements on his part to understand or know what the central bank’s stand on Bitcoin is. On the other hand, Sathvik V, MD of CoinMonk Ventures admitted that Bitcoin companies want a dialogue with the RBI.

Reach to Government and Policy Makers

The conference which was aimed to spread awareness about the virtual currency will set new guidelines for the stakeholders. A lot of people in India yet do not know about Bitcoin and there are hundreds of misconceptions and the biggest threat for investing in Bitcoins is that of regulators coming up with laws that affect the system retrospectively.

The worldwide effort on the part of the Bitcoin Foundation has been to educate law makers for broader understanding; the Global Bitcoin Conference in India aims for the same thing. It wants there to be no discrepancy between the Bitcoin companies and the government regarding the nature of the currency.

To contact the reporter of this story: Deepak Tiwari at deepak@forexminute.com

Deepak Tiwari, a law graduate, has been working as a journalist for six years now. He currently writes on Bitcoin, economic, and Forex related news at ForexMinute, the brand new financial news portal ...

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Forex Weekly Outlook: December 23 – December 27, 2013

The past week remained a sluggish one for the major pairs except the big event that took place on Wednesday where the Federal Reserve announced to taper the stimulus plan by $10 billion from the month of January, next year.

EUR/USD

The euro was trading in a bullish area for the past 2 to 3 weeks where it lost dramatically against the greenback after FOMC meeting minutes and closed in the short term bearish channel at 1.3674 on Friday. The pair is expected to remain good for sellers as long as it trades below the critical resistance level of 1.3716.

The upcoming week would be quite sluggish for the overall market as there are holidays for Christmas and the trading is expected to remain thing during those days. However, the French consumer spending data is set to be released on Monday where a good outcome could take the pair up to 1.3703 and 1.3710.

GBP/USD

The GBP/USD remained in a very tight range on Friday and closed just below the critical level of 1.6350, trading below which is good for sellers while a sustainable move above this level would allow the bulls to re-enter the market and take it up to 1.6393 and 1.6410.

The only fundamental to look forward this week for the pound is the BBA Mortgage approvals, where a better than expected outcome would hint to the investors that there is good progress in the housing sector as more and more mortgages are being released due to a good demand, and that is of course due to good consumer spending in the market.

AUD/USD

Take a chance to sell it heavily, once again. Yes, the Australian dollar gained later in the U.S. session on Friday where it bounced back from the resistance level of 0.8930, where traders are suggested to take risks here and enter as short on the pair while keeping their stop loss at tight levels at around 0.8962. Provided it remains below 0.8945, the pair is bearish and good to sell.

To contact the reporter of this story: Jonathan Millet at john@forexminute.ocm

Jonathan Millet is currently the proud CEO of ForexMinute.com, the brand new financial news portal which is making waves among Forex traders around the globe for the innumerable Forex resources it off...

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How to Take Holiday Photos That Don't Suck

Holiday family gatherings are the ripest events of year for photo-documentation. Rather than leaving the task to Aunt Edna, take those reins yourself. You can capture the finest damn pictures this family has ever seen!

Here are seven tips that will help you on your quest.

The biggest culprit of bad snapshots is motion-blur. If you are shooting in low light without a flash, most cameras in auto will choose a shutter speed that is way too low. Move to shutter priority mode ("S" on most cameras) and just keep it at 1/100. Many say 1/60 is good enough, but 1/100 is a safer bet amidst the chaos of a family gathering.

If you are taking candids, it can be hard to capture the one split-second where the baby cracks a smile. Use your camera's burst mode and fire off 3 or 4 shots so you don't miss the magic moment.

This is fairly obvious, but well-done candids are always more memorable than posed portraits. If you think about it, it's kind of creepy having dozens of shots of people grinning wide-eyed at the camera. Candids are harder, however, and you have to take a lot to have a good set of keepers. So don't be shy.

Everyone focuses on faces and smiles, usually at the neglect of the bigger picture. Step back and snap a couple of nice wide shots of the entire room full of people—far enough away to hide your drunk uncle's drool and your grandmother's creepy stares.

Some people have a gut reaction whenever they see a camera pointed at them to look at it, freeze, and smile. If your subjects do this, don't take their picture! Either politely lower your camera until they resume doing less contrived things—or simply tell them to stop it.

Most traditional holiday activities are indoors and in dim light. In these conditions, fast prime lenses (f/1.2-f/1.8) will let you take better images without resorting to that 1,000,000 ISO setting with more noise than photo. Also, you will be able to achieve those great shallow depth-of-field shots that make any family photo album look pro. If you can, have a good wide angle and a good medium-telephoto lens on hand.

Again, you gotta move past boring ol' faces. A set of photos should tell a story, and that includes the locale, the decor, the food, the weather. ALL OF IT.

Image: Kiselev Andrey Valerevich / Shutterstock

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Overstock.com Will Accept Bitcoin, Immediately Exchange for Dollars

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Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne made waves in the imaginary money world when he announced the retailer will start accepting payment in bitcoin sometime next year. In interviews, Byrne made his confidence in the cryptocurrency seem rock-solid. But if you look a little closer, it seems he's not really buying in at all.

No, while you might be able to spend bitcoin on Overstock.com's closeouts in 2014, as soon as the company receives your vapormoney, it'll change it right back to US dollars. So while Byrne calls the decision "part and parcel with my belief in a limited government," and refers to bitcoin as "an honest currency," at the end of the day he'll be taking his profits in good old-fashioned, dishonest, unlimited-government-backed cash.

That's most definitely the smart move from a business standpoint, since bitcoin's manic value fluctuations could bankrupt a company about six dozen times a day. But for the people out there who sincerely hope to pay for goods in unicorn pelts, Overstock.com's support isn't a step in the right direction. It's a marketing move. [L.A. Times via The Verge]

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Half-Cow, Half-Machine Artificial Heart Implanted in First Human

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This week, French surgeons implanted a Carmat artificial heart in a human patient for the very first time. The device, which combines mechanical components and heart tissue derived from cows, is the first artificial heart designed for long-term use up to five years.

Standard artificial hearts and heart-assist devices are only meant to be used short term: harsh mechanical pumps shred and damage blood cells, and plastic surfaces promote blood clot formation. The Carmat heart was designed for up to five years of use, employing flexible, hydraulically-operated chambers that squeeze, rather than pump, the blood into the circulatory system, lined with natural bovine heart tissue to prevent clotting.

Still, the Carmat heart has its drawbacks — at 2lbs, it weighs almost three times as much as the average human heart, and each one costs more than $200,000. The device was approved for human trials earlier this year. The Paris patient who received the first device on Wednesday is awake and talking, and being watched closely in intensive care. [Reuters]

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Tunnel Trouble, Chuck Norris, Every Android Phone Ranked, and More

This week was all about big stuff, whether it was big, unidentified objects blocking Seattle's tunnel, or big air in the form of extreme stunts. Also, there's a really yucky picture of a hand surgically attached to an ankle at the very end of this article. You've been warned.

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Bertha, the world's largest tunneling machine, churning through the rock and mud beneath Seattle, has hit a mysterious roadblock—so mysterious, it is only known for now as "the object."

In a new series of incisive Photoshops, artist Anna Hill uses the image editing techniques that are ubiquitous in mainstream advertising to turn herself into a model. The resulting parody ads don't market make up or clothes, but instead, the image-perfecting power of Photoshop itself.

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There are something like one million Android phones for every person on the planet right now (plus or minus one). Most of them suck. Many are great. Here's the definitive list that tells you which is which.

Underwater missiles that could have hit New York, jet-powered bombers that were nearly impossible to intercept, sub-orbital bombers, vertical launch rocket fighters, or infrared visors are just a few of many in this definitive collection of incredible Nazi weapons. Be happy that those bastards never got to mass produce them.

Remember Jean-Claude Van Damme's split between two Volvo trucks, the ad that wasn't computer generated but an actual stunt? Well, Chuck Norris splitting between two Lockheed C-5 Galaxy with a squad of special forces on top of his hat is CGI. But that doesn't matter, because if Chuck wanted, Chuck would totally do it.

We no longer live on Earth, my friends. We're in some weird world where people can do the impossible. Do you want to fly? You should try. Do you want to spin in the air in both directions? I think you can. Because this insane Superman double backflip bicycle trick destroys everything that should be humanly possible. The rider does a full back flip while fully extended in a Superman pose, somehow re-gathers himself onto the bike and then does another full back flip. All in one jump. Sweet.

Well played. Ad agency Victors & Spoils poked fun of mass media's tendency to turn normal humans into plastic Barbie and Ken dolls through their abuse of Photoshop by, well, using Photoshop in reverse. That is, they took a viral photo of a girl in a bikini that had been heavily altered and added more alterations to the original alterations to transform the skinny Barbie into a fat Santa Claus. The power of Photoshop swings both ways.

Be excited, Earthlings, because science has a surprise for you. Engineers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have devised a way to turn algae into crude oil in less than an hour. That oil can then be refined into gasoline that can run engines.

He's Superman. Actually, I take it back. I don't even think Superman would fly this impossibly close to the ground because it's just ridiculous. Insane, really. That didn't stop wingsuit pilot Brian Drake from zipping mere feet from the ground though. Look at him tear through the gully and marvel at death being defied. So awesome.

Medicine is amazing but sometimes it can look like the darkest corners of Stephen King's brain. This is exactly the case: Chinese doctors saved a man's severed hand by attaching it to his ankle, creating some impossible anatomy in the process.

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