In Asian deals on Friday, the Chinese yuan broke its psychologically important level of 6.50 against the dollar for the first time since 1993 on speculation the central bank will continue to let the yuan strengthen more as a way of battling inflation.
The consumer price inflation in China continued to hover above the government’s target of 4 percent despite several measures taken by the government and the central bank.
The People’s Bank of China has raised interest rates twice this year and hiked the reserve requirement three times in 2011 after raising it six times last year.
In March, consumer price inflation rose to 5.4 percent, the highest since August 2008, from 4.9 percent in February. The inflation also came in above the 5.2 percent forecast by economists. Food prices surged up 11.7 percent, while the increase in non-food prices was a tamer 2.7 percent. However, consumer prices fell 0.2 percent on a monthly basis in March.
Meanwhile, annual inflation for the first quarter came in at 5 percent, with an increase of 4.9 percent in cities and 5.5 percent in rural areas.
The dollar’s slide this week on U.S. Federal Reserve’s commitment to keep rates near zero-levels for an extended period also boosted the Chinese currency.
The yuan rose to a fresh record high of 6.4805 against the dollar at 9:50 pm ET, but it has come off slightly thereafter. The yuan is now worth 6.4907 per dollar.
The People’s Bank of China set today’s central parity rate for the yuan at a fresh record high of 6.4990 per dollar, compared to Thursday’s daily reference rate of 6.5051.
A survey by Markit Economics showed today that China’s manufacturing sector expanded at a steady pace in April, amid relatively lackluster growth of new business and a slower expansion in manufacturing production.
The Markit/HSBC purchasing managers’ index was at 51.8 during the month. The reading was unchanged from the March score and the flash estimate.
I’ll gear this review to 2 types of people: current Zune owners who are considering an upgrade, and people trying to decide between a Zune and an iPod. (There are other players worth considering out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you enough info to make an informed decision of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as well.)
Hands down, Apple’s app store wins by a mile. It’s a huge selection of all sorts of apps vs a rather sad selection of a handful for Zune. Microsoft has plans, especially in the realm of games, but I’m not sure I’d want to bet on the future if this aspect is important to you. The iPod is a much better choice in that case.
I’ll gear this review to 2 types of people: current Zune owners who are considering an upgrade, and people trying to decide between a Zune and an iPod. (There are other players worth considering out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you enough info to make an informed decision of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as well.)
Apple now has Rhapsody as an app, which is a great start, but it is currently hampered by the inability to store locally on your iPod, and has a dismal 64kbps bit rate. If this changes, then it will somewhat negate this advantage for the Zune, but the 10 songs per month will still be a big plus in Zune Pass’ favor.
Sorry for the huge review, but I’m really loving the new Zune, and hope this, as well as the excellent reviews some other people have written, will help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.
Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.
Sorry for the huge review, but I’m really loving the new Zune, and hope this, as well as the excellent reviews some other people have written, will help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.
Hands down, Apple’s app store wins by a mile. It’s a huge selection of all sorts of apps vs a rather sad selection of a handful for Zune. Microsoft has plans, especially in the realm of games, but I’m not sure I’d want to bet on the future if this aspect is important to you. The iPod is a much better choice in that case.
Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.
If you’re still on the fence: grab your favorite earphones, head down to a Best Buy and ask to plug them into a Zune then an iPod and see which one sounds better to you, and which interface makes you smile more. Then you’ll know which is right for you.