Microsoft today announced a new hardware called Surface which is essentially a coffee table-shaped computer with touch screen.  Forget about mouse and keyboard, the concept is to interact with human with voice, pen and touch.

This is a really futuristic design and idea.  Based on initial reports, “It allows people to touch and move objects on screen for everything from digital finger painting and jigsaw puzzles to ordering off a virtual menu in a restaurant.”

“It also recognizes and interacts with devices placed on its surface, so cell phone users can easily buy ringtones or change payment plans by placing their handsets on in-store displays, or a group of people gathered round the table can check out the photos on a digital camera placed on top” … according to a report by Reuters.

I wonder what will happen if someone places an ipod on top … may be it will be destroyed automatically like the recorder in “Mission Impossible” and a window poping up saying “time to replace your ipod with Zune”?

Anyway, the item will be selling for $5,000 and $10,000 each initially.  Can’t wait to see one of the real thing.  It will be installed in some casinos and hotels in the US first. 

I was trying out this new course at Feng Huang Shan near Dongguan and it was recently opened with 9 holes completed. It was built on hill so very challenging yet interesting.

I used a 5 wood off the tee on this second hole which was a bit uphill. Fairway was not too generous and difficult to recover if I hit either right or left (just ask my playing buddies).

My first shot landed a bit to the right, just inside the fairway with about 100 yards left before the elevated green.

Pulled out a 9 iron and managed to land on the edge of the green with the ball contiuned to roll near the flag. When I got up and see it, I could not be more satisfied:

But yet I missed that birdle putt and need to settle for par. Overall the course was fun to play with and at $480 it was a great bargain!

Seeing the risk of a bubble on the stock market bursting, the central bank of China announced a three-pronged measure on 18 May 2007 after markets closed:

1. the central bank raised interest rates (for the fourth time in a year)

2. it also ordered banks to set aside more reserves, thus reducing the money supply for lending. The rate on a commercial one-year loan rose 0.18 percent to 6.57 percent.

3. broaden the daily trading range of the yuan against the U.S. dollar which could lead to a faster appreciation of the yuan.

So the impact on the market?

When the market opened Monday, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was 3.2 percent down from Friday’s close but steadily regained ground, rising 1.0 percent to close at 4,072.23. So far this year, the Shanghai index has soared 52.2 percent.  That was on top of a 130% jump last year.

The Shenzhen Composite Index climbed 2.1 percent to 1,181.42.  The Hong Kong Heng Sang Index also up 22 points to close at 20927.

Looks like we will expect more policies to come to curb the stocks fever in China.

The biggest story last week was was Microsoft’s (NasdaqGS: MSFT) $6 Billion buy out offer of aQuantive (NasdaqGS: AQNT).  I was in Bangkok and watching this news over CNBC.  I was not sure if I heard it right as the premium offered was a whooping 80% on the stock price.  I am sure that aQuantive shareholders were laughing to the bank but some seems to see it as a desperate move by Microsoft.

I thought this ad was nicely done.  You really don’t want to miss any part of it once it has started!