Sprint - HTC EVO™ 4G YES!!!!

And to think I almost went iPhone after all.

Yes, I bought an iPod Touch. There are some great apps and the Touch gives me the best mobile web experience I've had. The iPhone OS sets the bar high for usability.

All the other stuff I didn't like about the iPhone and AT&T still holds true. I jailbroke my touch (easy and quick) and got around many of the problems. Since I got the Touch, I don't deal with AT&T at all, and use my Clear 4G ClearSpot device to give me internet on the go.

My experience with the Touch was good enough that I almost bit the bullet and considered going with AT&T anyway, or least going with the rumored Verizon iPhone due this summer.

Meanwhile I've played with the HTC Hero on Sprint and drooled over Google's Nexus One on T-Mobile. Then I heard rumors about the HTC SuperSonic... the first 4G cellphone. Rumor had it as a 1Ghz Snapdragon CPU, 4.3" screen (huge for a smartphone) and of course 4G. I.e., the Nexus One with a bigger screen.

Sprint finally announced it today. The rumors were all true. Then add in TWO cameras instead of one. One is an 8 Megapixel instead of the normal 5 MP and even shoots HD video (720P probably), plus a second 1.3 megapixel cam that faces the user for video conferencing. So OK, even better.

The part that tickles me is that out of the box it officially has and supports a WiFi hotspot application so you can wirelessly tether up to eight other devices (like my Touch) to use the Evo's 4G internet connection. That right there replaces my Clear 4G USB Dongle + MySpot pocket wifi hotspot. It also replaces my old MiFi 2200 3G pocket hotspot.

I've already signed up to have Sprint notify when the Evo is released. My contract is up in a week... Looks like I'll be staying with Sprint!

Sprint - HTC EVO™ 4G\

Another Brick in the Socialist Wall as Medical Stocks Rise!

Landmark health care overhaul bill heads to Obama's desk - CNN.com

A smaller headline from the finance section noted that healthcare stocks rose across the board today.

Yup, unless you've had your head in the sand, you know that the U.S. Congress has been involved for a year in a bitter battle to "reform" health care as requested by Barack Obama. After a lot of back-room dealing and with support from health insurance providers, hospitals and the American Medical Association, the House finally passed the bill previously passed by the Senate and which Obama will sign into law on Tuesday.

Why did the health stocks go up? Because those in the know realize that with the new "reform", the healthcare companies are only going to be even more profitable.

Obama, the Democrat Party Leaders and other Euro-Socialist puppets really wanted National Health, much like that which has failed in most European industrialized nations. (Why is it that our Federal government always thinks it can succeed doing something everyone else has failed to do?) When it became obvious that the citizens of the United States vehemently opposed National Health, the goal became "healthcare reform"... to "throttle" the insurance companies, lower costs and provide coverage for everyone.

So why did the stocks go up? Why did our healthcare industry back this legislation?

Because it does the opposite of what Congress claims.

First, the insurance industry has been jacking up rates for the past year, all in case this bill passed but was worse for them. Our own rates at my day job rose an average of 40% this year. We've checked and there is no lower rate from anyone. Well, yes... for the first six months or so from some companies. The premiums for my wife and I are now over $1,200 a month. No, we don't have a "Cadillac" plan. Add in my prescription costs with my $30 copays and half of my paycheck goes to healthcare... without seeing a doctor. Yes, our plan is so good that the copays from six days in Cardiac Care last fall are almost enough to put me into bankruptcy.

Secondly, a key provision of the "reform" is that everyone must have insurance. In four more years, most employers have to provide it (not pay for it) and if a private citizen doesn't have it through their employer, they have to buy it themselves or face the wrath of the Internal Revenue Service.

That second fact folks, is the reason for the expectation that healthcare companies are going to be even more profitable. When buying a service is mandatory, you have a captive market with no incentive to provide service. Want a prime example? Auto insurance.

Most states now require anyone driving to carry liability insurance on the vehicle. By itself, that sounds good. If it worked, then if someone else hurt you or your vehicle, you'd be compensated, even if they were an illegal alien with zero paperwork for anything. However, with "everyone" having insurance, the cost of auto body repairs has skyrocketed, the deep pockets of the insurance companies have led to larger and larger settlements for victims. In return, the insurance companies who love premiums but hate to pay out, keep on raising the rates. A vicious circle. (BTW, go to a body shop and get a quote on fixing your car... once they do it, ask them the price if you pay cash. You're in for a shock. I've seen a $1,500 bumper insurance claim become a $150 part.)

So now the Feds are going to require that we buy health insurance. Healthcare is already too damn expensive, now it is going to cost more. And the insurance companies? They're limited in some things that they can do now... but overall, their revenue stream is posed to become a raging torrent. And yes, partly due to them gleefully raising the premiums. After all, the Democrats some of you were so proud of have ensured that no matter how high everyone raises health insurance premiums, you or your boss have to pay them.

Folks, just remember to ask yourself one question when watching the news.

The question? "Cui bono?" Which is Latin for "To whose benefit?"

In other words, don't just take the word of a talking head. Try to find out who really benefits from something that it happening. Chances are, you'll find the power behind the action.