Juventus have agreed personal terms with Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, it has been revealed.

The Independent on Sunday says Juventus have agreed terms with Liverpool manager Benitez for him to manage the Serie A club next season, according to authoritative reports from Italy last night.

La Repubblica newspaper reported that the club’s lawyers will arrive in England today for talks tomorrow about the release of the manager this summer. Benitez’s current contract at Anfield runs until 2014.

Juventus president Jean-Claude Blanc is reported to have “already fixed everything with Benitez and has in his drawer a detailed agreement of his terms and length of contract”. Juve are keen to reach an agreement and begin making plans for next season.

Will Rafa betray Liverpool and join Juventus?  or Will he be sacked and then join Juventus?  Let’s see!  Personally, it is not the end of the world for Liverpool if Benitez will leave Liverpool.  If this is true, I hope that we can bring in an attacking mind and world-class manager.

What is AsiaHedge Awards 2009?

The AsiaHedge Awards celebrated the top performing hedge funds in Asia-Pacific in 2009. Now in its seventh year, the awards bring together both international and Asian managers and investors to acknowledge the achievements of the best in the industry.

The Real Return Asian Fund, managed by Ezra Sun of Veritas Asset Management, took the plaudits of more than 200 leading figures in the Asia-Pacific hedge fund industry as he collected the AsiaHedge Fund of the Year Award for 2009 at the AsiaHedge Awards on 22 October.

The much-coveted Management Firm of the Year award was won for 2009 by Henderson Global Investors, which had no less than four of its Asia-focused funds nominated in the various categories.

The strong turnout and upbeat mood at the dinner, which was being held for the eighth time, also demonstrated – after two years of extraordinary turmoil in the global markets – that the hedge fund industry in the Asia-Pacific region has very much survived, and indeed appears well positioned to thrive again after a year when many funds again delivered strong returns.

In an Asia-Pacific industry that is spread across various markets and featuring players based in a number of different locations, the awards were won by a mixture of big international firms and regionally-based players.

Among the major international firms that took awards, in addition to Henderson there was also Brevan Howard, which won the International award again for its Asia macro fund; and also Marshall Wace, which won the award for best Asia including Japan strategy for Asia Diversified TOPS fund.

HSBC won the award for best Single Country fund for its India hedge fund strategy managed by Sanjiv Duggal.

Regional boutiques that won included HT Capital for its Amoeba small cap strategy, and Riley Paterson for Asia ex-Japan.

A best China fund category was awarded for the first time this year, reflecting the rapid growth of dedicated China-focused hedge funds, with the inaugural winner being LBN China+ Opportunity. The long-established best Japan fund category was won by Hadoh, while another Japan-focused strategy – Prowess of Japan – took this year’s Arbitrage & Market Neutral award.

After being nominated on several previous occasions, the Fixed Income award was taken this time by Tribridge.

Evenstar and Phalanx, two new contenders at the awards, took the Event Driven and Multi-strategy categories. And the New Fund of the Year award went to Joe Chan’s new Galaxy China Deep Value fund.

The full list of this year’s final nominees and winners was as follows:

Asia ex-Japan
K2 Asian Absolute Return
Platinum Asia
Riley Paterson
Sofaer Capital Asian Hedge Fund

**WINNER: Riley Paterson**

Asia inc Japan
Greater Asian Hedge Fund
JF Asia Absolute Return
Marshall Wace Asia Diversified TOPS Fund
Real Return Asian Fund

**WINNER: Marshall Wace Asia Diversified TOPS Fund**

Japan
Akamatsu
Asuka Japanese Equity
Hadoh
Henderson Japan Absolute Return
Henderson Japan Select Absolute Return
PK Japan

**WINNER: Hadoh**

China
Ajia-Lighthorse China Growth Strategy
Dragon Billion China
Golden China
LBN China+ Opportunity
Pinpoint China
Pure Heart China Growth
Triskele China

**WINNER: LBN China+ Opportunity **

Single Country
Agora Absolute Return
BGI Australia Absolute Equity
HSBC India Alpha
K2 Australian Absolute Return
PXP Vietnam

**WINNER: HSBC India Alpha**

Small & Mid-Cap
Boyer Allan Pacific Opportunities
Frontier Asia
HT Asian Alpha Amoeba
Tiedemann Japan QP Small Cap Portfolio
Yaraka

**WINNER: HT Asian Alpha Amoeba**

Event Driven
Evenstar Sub Fund I
HDH Master Fund
Owl Creek Asia
UG Hidden Dragon Special Opportunity

**WINNER: Evenstar Sub Fund I**

Arbitrage & Market Neutral
Artradis Barracuda
CITIC Securities Alpha Leaders
DB Equilibria Japan
Northwest China Opportunities Fund
Prowess of Japan
Richland Asia Absolute Return
Titan Asia Volatility

**WINNER: Prowess of Japan**

International
BlackRock Asset Allocation Alpha Fund
Blue Sky World
Brevan Howard Asia
PMA Harvester
Platinum International

**WINNER: Brevan Howard Asia **

Fixed Income, High Yield and Distressed
ADM Galleus
Alphadyne Investment Strategies – Asia Rates Trading
Tribridge
QBridge

**WINNER: Tribridge**

Multi-Strategy
Asuka Opportunity
Henderson Asia Pacific Equity Multi-Strategy
LIM Asia Multi-Strategy
Northwest Fund
Phalanx Japan Austral-Asia Multi-Strategy
Pinpoint Asia Strategies
Rohatyn Group Asia Opportunity
Segantii Asia-Pacific Multi-Strategy

**WINNER: Phalanx Japan Austral-Asia Multi-Strategy**

New Fund of the Year
Artradis Asian Convertible Bond Fund
Galaxy China Deep Value Fund
Henderson Asia Select
Pure Heart Natural Selection Fund
Strategic China Panda Fund
Wisdom of Japan Fund

**WINNER: Galaxy China Deep Value Fund**

Management Firm of the Year
Asuka
Henderson
K2
Martin Currie
Platinum

**WINNER: Henderson**

Fund of the Year
Bevan Howard Asia
HDH Master Fund
Prowess of Japan
Real Return Asian Fund
Riley Paterson
Tribridge

**WINNER: Real Return Asian Fund**

Hedge funds have acquired a fearsome reputation in recent years, largely because people still remember how George Soros’s Quantum Fund helped to force the pound out of the European exchange-rate mechanism in 1992.

The irony is that, despite their high-risk image, hedge funds were originally designed to protect against risk, rather than maximise it.

So here is a quick explanation of what hedge funds are, how they operate and how you can invest in them.

What is a hedge fund?

An investment that aims to make money year in, year out, no matter what the financial climate (known as an absolute-return strategy). How to define hedge funds is tricky because it is an umbrella term for a huge range of different investment strategies and risk levels. One thing that they have in common is that wealth preservation – not losing money – comes very high up the list of priorities.

Why do they seem so scary?

Their sheer size (many funds are worth billions of pounds) is enough on its own to command attention, but it is the frequency with which they trade that gives them a profile even bigger than their size alone would merit. Market experts reckon that hedge funds account for as much as 50 per cent of all trades on the London Stock Exchange.

When hedge funds combine to bet on a particular outcome, as they did with the pound in 1992, even governments can find themselves powerless to resist the momentum they generate.

How do hedge funds work?

They use a number of strategies to make money for investors. Perhaps the most notable is the long-short equity strategy. This allows the fund manager both to “go long” – the traditional approach of buying an asset in the hope that it will rise in value – and to “go short”. The latter is when the fund manager sells a borrowed asset in the hope of buying it back more cheaply later.

Another approach is arbitrage, where the fund manager takes advantage of anomalies in the pricing of assets. For example, when a company’s shares are quoted in two different countries, arbitrageurs may see a slight advantage in buying the shares in one country rather than the other. To see arbitrage in action, use an online calculator.

A third method of making money is to take a significant stake in a company in the hope that a profitable takeover or management shakeout will follow.

Are hedge funds suitable for the man in the street?

There are a number of hurdles that a typical private investor needs to clear before putting money in a hedge fund. The first is that the initial investment required is usually very high. It is rarely less than £50,000 and can be £1 million or more, which rules out all but the wealthiest investors.

Hedge funds are based offshore and are not regulated by the Financial Services Authority, so the usual warning about seeking advice before buying applies with extra force in this case.

Although not all hedge funds are high-risk, some of the strategies used by some of the funds undoubtedly are. For example, the use of specialist instruments known as derivatives offers highly geared bets on the future price of things such as shares or commodities, and investors need to be sure that they appreciate the level of risk. Hedge funds typically use leverage. This involves borrowing additional money to increase the size of the bets they are taking.

How much is Hedge Fund Fee?

Quite a lot. Hedge funds typically charge 2 per cent a year in annual fees, plus a performance fee of 20 per cent or more of any rise in the fund’s value. Performance fees are rewards to managers for achieving a certain level of return. The idea is that by offering these incentives the fund ensures that both the managers and the investors have a strong interest in the fund doing well.

Does the performance of these funds justify the high fees?

It is impossible to give a blanket answer to that question, but it is certainly fair to say that the high charges act as a drag on performance.

For example the average return on European hedge funds in 2008 was a little less than 10 per cent, according to HedgeFund Intelligence, the industry information group. This compares with the return of 18.1 per cent posted by ordinary European equity funds.

However, hedge funds fared much better in the bear market of 2001 and 2002. While the stock market was down 45 per cent, hedge funds were up by between 1 per cent and 2 per cent. Because hedge funds aim for absolute returns, they tend to perform better than the stock market in bad times but less well in good times.

How do you go about buying a hedge fund?

Your financial adviser should be able to point you in the right direction, but you will need a substantial initial sum and could be buying into a very risky investment.

Charles Cade, of Winterflood Securities, the stockbroker, says that he would not recommend direct investment in hedge funds. A better route would be a fund of hedge funds. These invest in a number of different funds and there are more than 20 listed on the London Stock Exchange.

But these, too, have drawbacks. They usually charge another layer of performance fees on top of those levied by the underlying hedge funds, and like hedge funds, they are not regulated by the FSA, though the watchdog is thinking about bringing some funds of hedge funds under its regulatory umbrella.

When shopping for a new dress this season, be sure to keep your body type in mind. By following these simple tips, you can accentuate the positive and downplay the areas of your body that… well, aren’t so perfect.

Full hips and thighs

For pair-shaped women with full hips and thighs, the dress should shouldn’t be shorter than an inch or two above the knee. Select a dress with an A-line skirt but not something too full. A short, fuller dress will look like a tu-tu.

Adrianna Papell printed halter dress To draw the attention away from your lower body, select a dress with a plunging V-neck, halter top or embellished neckline.

Thick waist

If you are apple-shaped with a thick middle, you need to elongate the look your torso and draw the attention away from your waist. Select a dress with an empire waist or drop waist to re-define your waist line.

Avoid thick belts cinched around your waist and instead choose a chain or sash belt slung low on your hips.

Heavy arms

Sleeveless and cap sleeve dresses aren’t for you. Instead, select billowy, bell sleeves that are 3/4 or even full-length to hide flabby arms.

Use hand-held dumbbells 15 minutes a day to get your arms in tip-top shape.

Small bust

If you weren’t endowed with ample breasts, avoid deep plunging necklines. Instead select dresses with a scoop or bandeau neck with sequins or other adornments to add a little dimension up top.

Layered necklaces are very popular right now and they can add some dimension to depth to your bust. You can also follow these simple instructions to make your breast look bigger with makeup to enhance your cleavage.

Big bust

Dresses with halter tops and deep V’s are very attractive for women who want to accentuate their big bust. Select fabrics that aren’t skim your body rather than bind, which can make your breasts look too big.

To draw some attention away from your bust and balance out a smaller lower body, choose a dress with an A-line skirt that falls one or two inches above your knees.

Plus size

Don’t pack on layers of baggy clothes to try to cover-up your body. Contrary to what you may believe, baggy dresses will just make you look bigger. Select fabrics that don’t cling to your body, but drape nicely.

A wrap dress is particularly flattering to full-figured women. Don’t avoid color and prints. The colorful collection of plus-sized dresses at Avenue.com offers a variety of different types of dresses for full figured women, including bold prints and sexy styles.

Too thin

Sweater or knit dresses are terrific options for thin women. Add layers to your dress, such as a cardigan or fitted jacket to add some bulk. If you have extremely thin legs, avoid mini-skirts and choose longer, flowing dresses instead.

Thin women can add a thick belt to give their waist more definition. Bubble dresses are very trendy right now and can also give the appearance of a larger lower body.

Shift to the shift

The shift is a dress that hangs straight down from the shoulder. It’s a dress type that is flattering to almost everyone. It skims your body nicely, but doesn’t cling. For summer, you can find shifts in cool cotton, linen and light knits. When fall arrives, wool and heavier knit shifts will continue to be popular.

Though the typical shift dress has a straight skirt, some fashion designers have created shifts with a slightly A-line cut this season.

The Lilly Pulitzer crocheted shift dress pictured here is perfect for a summer party. It’s beaded jeweled neckline adds some glitz. You can get this dress for $328 from Nordstrom.

Whatever your body type, you can find a beautiful dress that will flatter your figure. When shopping, bring a trusted girlfriend along for her honest opinion and be sure to look at the dress from all angles in the dressing room mirror.

Remember to accentuate the positive and don’t obsess with the negative. If you dress confident, you will look and feel beautiful too!

According to ASUS, “Equipped with NVIDIA 3D Vision, the ASUS G51J 3D delivers ultra-realistic graphics that come to life before the user. A pair of 3D Vision active-shutter glasses coupled with a wide-range infra-red emitter, deliver stereoscopic images with clarity, brightness and depth-of-field at full resolution without any viewing angle restrictions. The GPU driver and a 120Hz 3D panel render each scene twice, delivering up to 60 images evenly to each eye. With up to 400 PC games that work out-of-the-box with 3D Vision, gamers can experience a whole new dimension of gaming never-before seen, with recently released games such as Resident Evil 5, Borderlands, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Star Trek D-A-C.”

Key features of ASUS G51J 3D:

• 15.6-inch screen display (120Hz) with HD resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels
• Latest Intel Core i7 mobile processor for powerful performance
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M with 1GB DDR3 VRAM
• EAX Advanced HD 4.0 3D audio technology and CMSS surround sound further enhances in-game immersion
• High fidelity Altec Lansing speakers deliver crystal clear audio
• 64-bit Windows 7 operating system

“NVIDIA is excited about the world’s first 3D Vision notebook coming from ASUS,” said Phil Eisler, General Manager for 3D Vision business unit at NVIDIA. “The ASUS G51J 3D notebook will set the standard by which gaming and 3D notebooks will be judged. Congratulations to ASUS for achieving this monumental milestone!”

Unethical tactics employed by companies utilizing search engine optimization (SEO) tactics such as link farms and loading Web pages filled with irrelevant keywords, are not welcomed by search engine operators. This declaration was issued by two market players.

Asked if organizations such as content farms are outsmarting its system by flooding the Web with low-quality content to earn high-click rates, a Microsoft spokesperson said the company “prefers quality over quantity” to manage its Bing search engine.

“Backlinks, also known as ‘inbound links’, should be relevant to the page being linked to, or relevant to an SEO’s domain if they are being linked to the homepage,” he told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail interview. He pointed out that backlinks from sites considered to be authoritative in their field are rated to be of higher value than those from “junk sites”.

Bing does prevent Web sites from appearing in its search results if they use techniques such as using hidden text or links within their Web page or create link farms to artificially increase the number of links, the Microsoft executive added. However, he did not elaborate on how the checks were implemented and executed.

Google adopts a similar stance, according to a company spokesperson. He explained that a site’s ranking in its search results is automatically determined by computer algorithms that incorporate hundreds of parameters. “Our algorithms are effectively designed to prevent people from manipulating the rankings of competitors in our search results,” he added.

Yahoo, also a major player in the search market, declined to comment when contacted.

Farming for content
Both companies’ response might be deemed timely, especially following reports that some sites are turning into content farms to improve their SEO standing.

In a blog post on ReadWriteWeb, Demand Media and Answers.com are quickly blazing up the chart of top Web properties in the United States. Citing September 2009 figures from research firm ComScore, Answers.com climbed from 26th to 13th position over just two months, while Demand Media spiked from 24th to 15th over the same period.

According to ReadWriteWeb, Answers.com has 38 million pages of content on its site–much of which is user generated–while Demand Media churns out 4,000 new pieces of content a day. It further noted that the swift climb by the two sites suggests that “to succeed in the content business on the Web, you should pump hundreds of pages of content every day, preferably thousands”.

Blog site TechCrunch described the phenomenon simply as: “The rise of fast food content is upon us, and it’s going to get ugly.”

Wired magazine also published a report noting that Demand Media created three specialized search algorithms to pick out the most sought-after subject matters and keywords that Web users are searching for at any given moment. It then uses the results, and assigns these keywords to a dedicated pool of freelance writers who would rush out content, written around the keywords, to be published online.

“Nearly every freelancer scrambles to load their assignment queue with titles they can produce quickly and with the least amount of effort–because pay for individual stories is so lousy, only a high-speed, high-volume approach will work,” Wired said.

Disputing allegations that the company was a “low-paying content mill”, Demand Media’s senior vice president of content,Jeremy Reed, said: “In this day-and-age of publishing, where so many decisions are driven by the need to cut or eliminate costs, we’ve gone to great lengths to develop a community of really qualified writers and put them in a position and environment to create quality articles.”

All content has value
According to an industry analyst, there will always be users who appreciate online content regardless of its quality.

Chris Perrine, COO and executive vice president of Springboard Research, said in the field his company plays in, “more is more” with regard to information.

Unfiltered search results provide its researchers with the most details and information they need for their jobs. “For the research field, you would want a wealth of information, and sometimes even a sub-par article can lead a researcher to a new piece of information or insight,” Perrine told ZDNet Asia.

He noted, however, that other industries’ requirements may differ. For instance, a marketing manager looking for media coverage may be hindered by the mass of information he would have to sort through on the Web. There is also a “difference in value” between the Wall Street Journal’s content, for instance, and those aggregated by a random site, Perrine added.

These unique and modern ideas for wedding flowers and decorations are sure to inspire your own creations.  Your wedding flowers offer ample opportunity to stretch your creative muscles and add a bit of originality to your wedding day, so don’t be afraid to design a floral scheme that bucks tradition.  This list of our favorite ideas for bridal bouquets, centerpieces, colors and other decorations is a great place to start designing a memorable decor scheme.

Play with Shape
Arrangements with a just-picked, unstructured look are replacing the tightly-bound bouquet and centerpiece shapes of previous seasons.  Ensure a modern, not messy, look by choosing the right flowers.  Hearty blooms like lilies, orchids, and amaranthus work well in looser arrangements because of the sleek shape of the individual blooms. Also consider incorporating non-floral elements like feathers, berries, and crystals to add interest and depth.

Get Into Navy
Sophisticated and classic navy is one of the hottest colors on the 2009 wedding palette, and many brides are daring to think beyond basic baby blue by incorporating the darker shade into their floral schemes. Naturally navy flowers may be hard to come by, but there are some options that are a close match:  deep blue violets, thistles, and hydrangea are available in various shades of blue and indigo, while roses are a versatile bloom that can be dyed any color – including navy blue.  Pair these bold navy blooms with white or ivory for a classic look, or yellow for a bright burst of color.

Think Beyond the Vase
Options abound beyond the basic floral vase for holding your flowers.  Consider instead mixing and matching clusters of unique containers like wood buckets, mason jars, cans, pitchers, antique urns and uniquely shaped vases to add interest and reflect your wedding theme.  Some ideas: Fill watering cans with wild flowers for a garden fete, or use apothecary jars filled with sand and sea glass to complement to a waterfront wedding.

Lighten Up
Candles, always a popular choice for centerpieces, are becoming even more popular as a budget and eco-friendly enhancement to traditional floral centerpieces.  Ample candlelight lends the day a romantic, organic feel, while the natural resource saves electricity and drapes the setting with an intimate glow.  Another way to enhance your arrangements with lighting and really make your centerpieces pop is through a technique called pinspotting.  This advanced light design shines tiny beams of light from the ceiling to illuminate the center of each arrangement.

Get Stoned
Say good-bye to light pastels and muted shades, and seek inspiration from the baubles on your ears and wrist. Rich gemstone colors like amethyst, turquoise, and amber are hot on this year’s wedding color palette.  Accent these rich colors with soft sandy tones or grays instead of chocolate brown (so last year!)

Go Green
Going green is easy when it comes to wedding flowers.  Consult Mother Nature for inspiration and bring the outdoors in. Natural objects like stones, leaves, pinecones, even twigs can add an organic aesthetic to your reception décor.  Place in rustic containers or scatter amongst pillar candles for added ambiance. Get more green weddings ideas and advice here.

Make it Personal
Further seeking to personalize their weddings, brides are using their wedding flowers to call out specific interests by incorporating unique items into bouquets and centerpieces and creating a conversation piece for guests.  For instance, book worms can use use intricately piled leather-bound books in place of floral centerpieces, and wine lovers can use wine bottles and decanters as centerpiece holders.

Tie it Together
The hand-tied bouquet continues its reign as the most popular bouquet style as brides opt for a tailored and natural look to their wedding flowers. A fresh bunch of flowers gathered and wrapped in a wide satin ribbon presents the look of simple elegance, but brides wishing to up the glam of this otherwise simple look can embellish the bouquet with brooches, pins, and crystal picks.

Lose the Corsage
De rigueur brides are forgoing corsages and instead having the moms carry nosegays or tussy mussys down the aisle.  Besides the fact that corsages tend to conjure up memories of proms gone bad, there’s practical reason for this trend because it saves the dress – often made from fragile fabric – from pulling and tearing from the weight of the corsage.

It is reported that Apple does not own iPad domain name.  So strange, and interesting!

Perhaps Apple was just being extremely careful not to draw any attention to the widely speculated name of its  new multimedia device prior to this morning’s announcement, but one simply cannot overlook the fact that the company doesn’t have ownership over any domain names related to ‘iPad’.

For now, that is.

Apple does not own iPad.com, as you may have noticed. Others have, in any case, and some even suggest that the person who registered the domain name (one Martine Bejasa) sell it to the Cupertino company to become an instant millionaire. Unlikely to happen, IMHO.

But what else doesn’t Apple own? Well, they don’t have control over even a single domain name that has iPad followed by a country or generic TLD. Out of Cupertino’s hands, at least for the time being: iPad.net, iPad.biz, iPad.info, iPad.fr, iPad.de, iPad.es, iPad.eu, iPad.se, iPad.cn, iPad.be and iPad.jp. To name but a few.

They also don’t own iBook.com, iBooks.com or iBookstore.com or anything like that, in case you were wondering.

It’s not that Apple doesn’t care about domain names. It paid heavily for iPhone.com back in 2007, and it owns iPod.com, iMac.com, iWork.com, iTunes.com etc. (but not MacBook.com, curiously). Run a search on UDRPsearch and you will find that Apple regularly fights to (re)gain control over relevant domain names that carry one of their trademarks which it doesn’t have for ‘iPad’ (yet), just to be clear.

Ermenegildo Zegna, this Italian brand’s can make you like a real gentleman.  Cutting of their suits are so nice, and I deadly love them.  Men, consider it.

Here is the Zegna’s fashion show video:

Apple Inc. today unveiled its long-rumored tablet, the iPad, not the name gussed by many bloggers such as iTablet or iSlate.

Chief executive Steve Jobs, addressing a packed crowd of technology journalists and bloggers. referred to the device as something in the “middle” — residing in a “third category,” between high-powered personal computers and smart phones.

The iPad has a 9.7-inch multitouch display (measured diagonally; a page of InvestmentNews measures 18 inches for comparison), weighs just a pound and a half, and is pretty thin at just half an inch. That’s lighter than any netbook I can think of and certainly any full-fledged tablet PC.

A 1-gigahertz Apple A4 processor will power the iPad. It will come in 16- gigabyte, 32-GB and 64-GB models. The table will have several means of connectivity, including built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 in both the base model and the high-end model. The iPad’s average battery life is expected to be 10 hours.

Oh, and like the iPhone, it will also have a built-in accelerometer, as well as a speaker and microphone.

Mr. Jobs said during the announcement that he could take a flight from San Francisco to Tokyo and watch video the whole time (side note: He must fly private jets, otherwise you’d think we would have seen some mobile phone images or video of the iPad before today).

As for cost: The low-end 16-GB model will go for $499. The high-end 64-GB model, which also boasts 3G technology, will sell for $829. There is both a touchpad keyboard that will take up half the screen when used, as well as a separate external keyboard (it is unclear what external accessories will be coming with which models in the box at purchase).

During the announcement, an Apple software representative said that iPhone and iTouch users will be able to synch their already purchased App Store applications with the iPad, meaning they won’t have to pay for them twice and that the applications themselves will all natively run on the iPad as well.

It was also announced during the presentation that these applications have already been optimized for the new device.

This means that advisers already enjoying the many financial-services-oriented applications available for the iPhone will be able to run them on the iPad as well. The device should make for lightweight travel and easy web-based presentations with clients or others.

History always seems to get lost with these grand announcements, especially when they seem to be in an-as-yet undiscovered category of computing. That probably has a lot to do with Apple’s naming this the iPad instead of the iTablet. Consumer tablet computers have been around for almost 20 years now.

Former editor-in-chief of PC Magazine Michael J. Miller wrote a great little piece documenting all the niftiest tablets that predate Apple’s announcement. Mr. Miller, who also happens to be a mentor of mine and my former boss, used to show off what these devices could do as they made their way in for review. Over the course of my eight years at the magazine, I saw dozens of them come and go. Thus it’s clear to me that Apple has built this shiny new device after long study of what has and hasn’t worked among its many predecessors.