Battlestar Galactica Online

My company Bigpoint GmbH has just released the game Battlestar Galactica Online Humans and Cylons Battle for Control of the Universe. Like all the online browser games in its portfolio, Battlestar Galactica Online is also a free game to play. Check it out at http://de.bigpoint.com/ and play for FREE!!

You don't need to install the game as it is a browser game. Although you need the Unity Web Player which enables you to view blazing 3D content. You can download it here.

Test Feeds

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Common Types of Card Services

Here's a list of the most common cards that can be used to make purchases of goods and services or get cash and a description to help you understand their differences.

[1.] Credit Card - The consumer has a line of credit from which s/he can borrow money to pay off for goods and services to a merchant. The working of this type of card is pretty straightforward: The issuer of the credit card gives you a card and you use it to pay for the items and services. Then the merchant or provider of the service collects what you owe from the card issuer.

Credit card companies make money by:
* Fees (Annual, late payment, exceeding-limit, misc)
* High interest rates
* Charging service providers a fee every time a customer uses the credit card in the provider's establishment.

[2.] Charge Cards - These provide alternative payment during purchases.
These types of cards are Travel and Entertainment cards like American Express and Diners Club cards. Usually there is no credit limit. However the issuer and the cardholder enter into an agreement that the debt must be paid in full by due date or be subject to very high late fees.

Charge card companies make money by:
* Charging high annual fees (Up to $95)
* Charging service providers a very high fee every time a customer uses the charge card in the provider's establishment.

[3.] Cash Advances - Is a service provided by most credit card and charge card issuers where cardholders are allowed to withdraw cash from a bank, or ATM, or other financial agency, up to a set limit (Credit limit for credit cards). Cash advances are more expensive than standard credit card charges. The cons of this service is that there is no grace period. Most banks charge interest from the day the cash advance is posted, even if you pay it back in full as soon as your bill comes.

Credit/Charge card companies make money by:
* Charging a transaction fee of up to 4-6% for taking a cash advance
* Higher interest rates than using normal credit cards

[4.] ATM Cards - Also called client card, key card, cash card, or bank card, are usually issued by banks for giving customers more banking hours flexibility. You can do common transactions like withdrawals, deposits, get cash advances, get account information like balance, and even make load payments. This all at any time.

[5.] Debit Cards - Most banks issue combined ATM/Debit cards that can be mistaken to look like credit cards but have different functions. They combine the functions of checks and ATM cards. That means if you pay using your debit card then money is deducted from your checking account. They can be used wherever credit cards are accepted.

The advantages of using a debit card is that you don't have to carry cash with you making it a more convenient method of paying for goods and services. No bills. Disadvantage though is that payments are immediate thus you have no right to withhold it in the event of a dispute with a merchant over your purchase. Most service providers charge a fee for using debit cards over cash. And the biggest risk is if your card is stolen, the thief can drain your account immediately, that's the reason why you should not use these cards for online transactions.

Debit & Credit Card Numbers

You may have wondered what the digits on your credit or debit card represent. The string of seemingly unique random digits reveal more than you may probably have thought. Here is a sample of how your credit card or debit card might look like:



[1.] Industry Identifier - The first digit represents the category of the industry that issued the card. Most likely you will see a 4 or a 5 for VISA or MasterCard which means the card is issued from a financial industry. The American Express card uses number 3 because it is in the category of travel.

[2.] Issuer Identifier - The first 6 digits including the Industry Identifier number refer to the establishment that issued the card. VISA cards start with 4XXXXX while MasterCard cards start with 51XXXX - 55XXXX.

[3.] Account Number - The following digits except the last represent the owner's account number. Usually these are 9 digits but they can also range up to 12 digits for a possible combination range within the trillions.

[4.] Check Sum - This is the last digit of the card number and is used to validate the card number. You can check if your card is valid by using the Luhn Algorithm. It is simple. Start from the right and multiply every other number by 2. The numbers to be multiplied in above sample credit card are:

{4,0,5,2,9,2,1,5} x 2 = {8,0,10,4,18,4,2,10}

Now add all digits as single digits (so double digits are added separately 10=1+0 and 18=1+8) together with the rest of the digits that were not multiplied by 2:

{8+0+(1+0)+4+(1+8)+4+2+(1+0)} + {6+1+6+0+0+9+7+2} = 60.

If the value is divisible by 10 then the card is valid. This card is apparently valid but please don't use my card:-P lols. Kidding, i just made up the numbers. Try it!:-) I tried it with 3 of my credit and debit cards.

Stock Trading

What is Stock?

The stock of a company is the original capital invested by the founders. It essentially serves as a security for the creditors of the business. The properties and assets that a business own are distinct from the stock as they may fluctuate in value and quantity.

What is Stock trading?

It is the buying and/or selling stocks. The goal is to invest by buying stocks at a low price and then selling it at a higher price. The difference is the ROI or Return On Investment or simply the profit. The advent of stock trading goes back to when companies needed to raise funds. There may be various reasons why a company would raise funds by issuing new stocks. The company may need the money to expand operations, or may need it to pay off a debt.

Stock Trading Benefits & Drawbacks

You can actually make money with stock trading and even become very wealthy if you are a good trader but you can also lose money if you don't do your homework and are a reckless investor. By means of online trading software you can trade in any public company, inspect and analyze activities of stock trading markets world wide. It may sound simple to trade and earn but it isn't as easy as that. You have to do your homework: research and study about the company you intend to invest in. A trader should understand the company's business. There are a lot of virtual stock trading tools online for practice which you should do before putting real money on the line.

Types of Stock Trade

1. Day Trade, as the phrase implies, is transaction that occurs within the day. It could last a few minutes or several hours but not continue overnight. It is commonly used based on news like reports on retail sales or company earnings.

2. Swing Trade is a trading based on daily charts. Its time frame could last from one day to several days or weeks. It involves the use of technical analysis or fundamental analysis to forecast future the movement of stock prices.

3. Scalp Trade or scalping involves very quick trading to profit from quick moves in stock prices, usually seconds or minutes. The majority of these price movements occur in the morning, so a scalper must be available and in top focus state.

4. Long Term Trade is the buying and holding stocks for a long period of time that could last several months to even years. This is a perfect approach in investing in undervalued companies. This is Warren Buffet's approach who used fundamental analysis to identify undervalued stocks.

The approach that could make you a really wealthy person depends how much capital and how skilled you are. A trader may be skilled in day trades. Another trader may be good in technical analysis and succeed with Swing Trades. On the other hand if you have a talent in fundamental analysis and identifying low valued stocks then you can succeed with long term investing. So there is not really a specific approach. It depends on what works best for you most of the time.