When many people think of traveling to the Amazon rainforest, they envision hacking through thick vegetation with machetes, swatting mosquitoes, and mopping the sweat off their brows. It’s true that the Amazon is incredibly humid year-round, and that many ecosystems thrive in close proximity. But an Amazonian experience need not be so.

At Inkaterra, you can stroll through the nature hikes crisscrossing through the 40 square mile ecological reserve, which is next to Tambopata National Park. You can take a guided walk with a resident naturalist who can point out the various insect, plant, and bird species. You can also take guided river excursions to the nearby lake Sandoval, or night boat excursions to look for elusive black caimans, the endangered relative of the crocodile.

In the evenings, after full days of trekking and boating, you can enjoy cocktails in the lounge areas, have a massage in the spa, or relax in your beautiful cabaña. Each room is furnished with wooden chairs, mosquito nettings, soft beds, and hammocks, large windows, and a private bathroom.

If you really want to spend your Amazon vacation in high style, you can spend the night in the Canopy Tree House. You’ll sleep in a thatched roof room perched 90 feet above the ground. You can look out over the treetops as the sunsets. You also have your own butler should you need any assistance during your stay.
Keep in mind that although the lodge strives to offer the best services possible, it is still located in the middle of the jungle, and cannot always provide the services that might be expected in an urban setting. Combining eco-friendly amenities with luxury, the lodge has a solar-powered hydrosystem that provides hot water almost 100% of the time. The rooms have no electricity, and so after dinner the lodge is lit with lanterns.

Surfing is one of the fastest growing activities throughout the world. For some people it’s a pastime, for others it’s a sport, but for the true surfing enthusiast it is a lifestyle, where the pursuit of great waves is put above all else. Australia has long been renowned for its fine weather and gorgeous beaches and so it’s hardly surprising that Australian surfers are eminent on the world surfing stage. Names like Mick Fanning, Taj Burrows, Joel Parkinson, Stephanie Gilmore and Chelsea Hedges ensure Australia’s profile as a surfing hot spot. So let’s take a look at five of the most notable surf spots in Australia and see what they have to offer.

Snapper Rocks has become one of the world’s best surfing locations. Situated on Australia’s famous Gold Coast, this spot was once more renowned as a fishing haven than a surf beach. It wasn’t until the dredging of the Tweed River entrance in 1995 that Snapper Rocks began boasting one of the longest and most consistent point breaks, making it a destination for only the most experienced surfer. The wave quality is world class with the wave direction to the right and on a good day the length exceeds 500 metres. Snapper Rocks is an extremely impressive surf spot and therefore it is no surprise that it enjoys big crowds on any given day.

Angourie first became known as a great surfing spot back in the 1970′s when surfers began searching for an alternative to the popular Byron Bay which was starting to feel a little overcrowded at the time. The small coastal village, located just south of Yamba on the New South Wales north coast, has provided surfers with their own little sanctuary ever since. The most notable surf spot in Angourie is The Point. With the wave quality being described as world class, it is suitable for all surfers. The wave direction is to the right and on any given day you will find the wave length between 50 to 150 metres. On the weekend you will find the waves fairly crowded but during the week there are very few surfers.

Bells Beach is probably the most internationally renowned surfing beaches in Australia. Situated approximately 100 kilometres south-west of Melbourne it is home to the Rip Curl Pro, one of the world’s most prominent and longest running surfing competitions. It is an impressive right hand reef break and the wave quality is certainly world class. The wave length varies between 50 to 150 metres and although it is one of the world’s most famous surfing beaches you will find the waves pretty free of crowds.

Margaret River is one of the most consistent and relaxed surfing spots in the world. Located about 250 kilometers south of Perth, Western Australia, there are over forty surfing spots with the most notable being known as Main Break. This surfing destination provides world class wave quality to be enjoyed by only the most experienced surfers. Wave direction is to the left and the length is very long, ranging from 300 to 500 meters on a good day. During the week Main Break has very few surfers but can become quite crowded on weekends.

Off the east coast of Tasmania, near Hobart, you will find one of the world’s heaviest surf spots. Shipsterns Bluff, also known as Shipwrecks, Shippies or The Stern, is a destination that is well and truly one reserved for the pros. With the wave quality regarded as nothing short of epic, Shipsterns Bluff is sure to give you the ultimate adrenaline rush. The wave direction is to the right and the length is considered normal ranging from 50 to 150 meters. On any given day you will find this spot practically empty of surfers.

Australia has just about all there is to offer in terms of surfing destinations and if you are someone who lives to surf then these five surfing spots are definitely ones to be included on your surfing itinerary.

The main chassis is similarly slight. It’s so skinny the D-SUB port on the right-hand side looks oversized. There isn’t even room for a conventional network port, but rather than force people to lug around an adapter, Sony has cleverly created a hinged port: when you want to use it, the idea is to raise two tiny feet and this gives the hinge room to expand enough for you to slot in your cable.

Like other Sony notebooks, the keyboard on the VAIO X is island style, but at 88 percent of full size, it’s a bit smaller than most netbooks with 10- to 12-inch screens. Measuring 9.5 x 3.5 inches, the keyboard is about half an inch smaller in both directions than the Toshiba mini NB205, even though the VAIO X has a larger keyboard deck. This is because there’s about half an inch of space on either side of the keyboard.

Also notable is the Vaio’s touchpad, which supports multi-touch input. This allows gestures such as pinching together two fingers to zoom in, for example. A pair of flip-out feet underneath the chassis lifts it to angle the keyboard when on a desk, and we found the Vaio X Series comfortable to use when sitting on your lap as well, as the screen can be pushed quite far back to a suitable angle.

So while it was a ‘wow’ factor machine, Sony decided to try again with a cheaper Atom netbook with the VAIO W that stuck to the regular form factor that you’ll find in most netbooks but with the VAIO look and feel. The W wasn’t too bad of an effort, and was priced at a more affordable range comparable to other netbooks. Sure, it performed pretty much similar to other netbooks too, but well, it’s a Sony product you’re talking about.

Now, fast forward to just a few months later, and Sony has unveiled its latest netbook, the VAIO X. This time, the X looks set to razzle and dazzle with its super slim form factor, lightweight design and really expensive price. Of course, the magnesium alloy chassis and carbon fiber frame of the notebook doesn’t come cheap by any standards, but it does give it a feel that’s just perfect for the business users that this netbook is targeted at. How perfect you ask? We’ll find out more over the next few pages but let’s start with our usual exterior pictures and table of specifications first.

HDD scores in our PCMark 05 tests were definitely way up there compared against your usual 5400 RPM drives and handily beat the ASUS netbooks, so we’ve no complains there. Overall, it does show that the Intel Atom Z550 processor does handle better compared to the N280, though its main advantage is still the power savings associated with its lower power draw and TDP requirement despite having a higher clock speed.

There are two USB ports on the left-hand side of the chassis, plus a headphone socket, while slots for Memory Stick media and SD cards occupy the front. And that’s your lot. The rest of the design carries on this minimalist feel. Aside from a wireless switch, the only buttons to press are the two for the simple touchpad and the keyboard itself.

We were sceptical of Sony’s claimed eight-hour battery life for the Vaio X Series, especially after seeing the thinness of the battery pack in the base of the unit. Nevertheless, the unit lasted for five hours and 18 minutes in our tests using the Battery Eater Pro benchmark , which is an impressive score for such a thin and light laptop. We tested the Vaio in its configuration as delivered, except that the screen and suspend-to-disk timeouts were disabled to prevent the system turning off the backlight or going to sleep while the battery life test was running. Users may experience a shorter battery life than this in use, depending on how heavily they use the wireless communications
Article Submission, but should still be able to get several hours of use from the Vaio before a recharge is needed.

Everything is within the right location and posesses purpose, leaving your choice of coloration to make the affirmation – in the event that is what you want.

Most of producers offer their laptops in a collection of styles, although Sony is actually at it for for a longer time than most. One may trace that all the way back again towards the C Series in February 2007, that was replaced by the CR Line within August that year and then the CS Line recently. Regrettably, though the outgoing CR appeared to be preferably stylish, the CS was somewhat a noticeable action backwards, hence we were not surprised to notice it quickly swapped out by the Sony Vaio VPCS11X9E/B laptop aided by the advent of Windows 7.

There are 5 colours available: white, red, pink, blue and black. Any pink edition despite own choice, is most likely the least appealing option of these all. Even people who prefer pink will certainly discover that the brighter, additional vivid tone viewed on the lid and hand rest does not sit properly using the instead sickly, pale shade utilized on the rest of the computer. No real issues may be made on the alternative options, although, and all of us particularly prefer the red/black and white versions.

Option is not restricted only to colour, either. Nevertheless we are reviewing just one with the retail bound SKUs, which go for among £650 and £700 determined by wherever you take a look, Sony provides personalization choices by means of their internet site. Alternatives aren’t that varied, but you’ll be able to go for less RAM, weaker graphics, weaker CPUs and a resulting £579 starting value or perhaps advancements that consist of a 500GB hard disk and Blu-ray drives, providing you a bit freedom.

Connectivity is not very poor, either. Whilst the VPCS11X9E/B lacks eSATA or even USB ‘sleep and charge’ abilities, it does have mini-FireWire – a significantly hard to find connection on computers lately. Everything else is rather standard, such as: 3 USB ports (2x left, 1x right); High-definition multimedia interface as well as VGA for video; a 34mm Express Card port, audio jacks (1x headphone, 1x mic); an Ethernet port around the backside along with independent memory card slots intended for Sony’s proprietary types plus the more typically utilized SD card structure.

And what better strategy to appreciate such video clips than using your very own instant-on net browser? It’s no Google Chrome OS, however pressing the ‘Web’ button on top of the keyboard takes you from nothing to a website in around Twenty seconds. This can be a pretty neat function that is certainly good implemented.

In common with all Sony notebook computers lately, the VPCS11X9E/B laptop shows an isolation-style keyboard set – an innovation Sony itself started. Without doubt this may be the same exact keyboard as located within the VAIO NW Series earlier inside the year, that is great news because it have an excellent keyboard. Sony has truly nailed the critical actions on these kind of keyboards, getting rid of the shallow sense of earlier work while retaining the fast feedback. Allied into a faultless design, the Sony Vaio VPCS11X9E/B laptop provides between the ideal keyboards of any kind of consumer notebook.

Equivalent plaudits can be granted towards the associated touchpad. For starters it’s huge sufficient that the right now stylish multi-touch service is essentially useful, unlike the current Toshiba Satellite U500. The surface is completely clean, while the two buttons seem to be independently hinged thereby provide outstanding tactile response.

One more strength of the Sony Vaio VPCF11S1E/B laptop is its display. Around 14.1in and also using the industry standard 1,366 x 768 native resolution it is no masterpiece, it even now suffers the comparatively shallow watching angles and glossy, reflective coatings of just about all laptops in this sector and value. Yet colors are just slightly punchier, blacks a little deeper and whites a bit cleaner as compared to the standard, making it greater as compared with quite a few we come across.

Same plaudits may be granted towards the associated touchpad. For starters it’s large enough which the currently trendy multi-touch assist is truly useful, not like the recent Toshiba Satellite U500. The surface is actually completely smooth, while the two buttons seem to be individually hinged and therefore offer excellent tactile response. If you’re by chance in doubt about what exactly you receive in the event you spend just a little more on a brand name like Sony, this sort of finer details must persuade.

And what much better strategy to enjoy such video clips than making use of your personal instant-on net browser? It really is not Google Chrome OS, but pushing the ‘Web’ button over the keyboard will take you from cold to a website in about 20 seconds. This is a really neat attribute that is definitely well implemented.

Many of suppliers deliver their own laptops in the collection of designs, however Sony happens to be at this for longer when compared with most. A person can trace this all the way back again towards the C Line in February 2007, that was swapped out with the CR Series around August that year and the CS Line last year. Unfortunately, when the outgoing CR was somewhat smart, the CS has been quite a considerable action backward, so experts were not shocked to see it straight away changed with the Sony Vaio VPCF11S1E/B with the arrival of Windows 7.

You can get 5 colors attainable: white, red, pink, blue and black. The pink model no matter your own desire, is probably the least desirable choice of these all. Even those who love pink will certainly discover the brighter, more lively tone noticed over the lid and palm rest fails to sit nicely with the somewhat sickly, light shade used around the rest in the notebook. No true complaints may be made with the alternative options, however, and we all specially love the red/black and white types.

As with regard to the general style, the VPCF11S1E/B isn’t really a fashion icon, but it is another sturdy, quite well put together device coming from Sony. When rivals tend to over complicate their models in order to stand out, Sony achieves to build an expression of type in a very far much more restrained approach. Everything is inside the appropriate area and posesses purpose, leaving your option of coloration to make the affirmation – in the event that is what you want.

Selection is not reduced just to color, either. Though we’re reviewing 1 on the retail bound SKUs, that go for among £650 and £700 depending on where you take a look, Sony delivers customization selections via its internet site

. Alternatives are not that different, however you possibly can choose fewer RAM, reduced graphics, slower CPUs and a resultant £579 starting cost or perhaps updates that contain a 500GB hard drive and Blu-ray drives, giving you slightly freedom.

The Wii is the best game console on the market, but sadly it was locked down to not allow many of the functions we really want. You probably loved some of the older Nintendo games, and finding out the Wii cannot play them was very disappointing. When you do the Wii Homebrew hack, you will be able to start playing those old games again. The N64 version of Mario Kart will be flying on your TV screen once again.

What is the easiest way to get the Wii Homebrew hack installed? Most people find having a guide with video instructions makes it the easiest. You can watch each step, and see exactly what you need to accomplish. The best thing is you can pause the video until you finish the step yourself, then move onto the next step. The best guides online include not only videos, but also detailed PDF files with pictures showing the process too. To check out some of these guides and read reviews on them,Click Here.

Have you ever tried to watch some training videos which are of poor quality? They claim to be showing you screenshots of how to accomplish something, but you cannot read any of it. You can get hi-def movies detailing how to get Homebrew installed on your Wii. With hi-def movies you can read the screens, and everything makes sense. The best guides will include all of this.

One quick word of caution as you start down the road of enhancing your Wii. There are many sets of really bad instructions for the Wii Homebrew hack online. Many people have managed to turn their Wii into a brick by following the wrong instructions or downloading the wrong set of files. The quality of both the instructions, and choosing the right files is critical. That is why I highly recommend you use one of these tested guides.

Have you ever installed something new on your PC, then sat staring at the screen going “So now what?”. This usually means you did not also get instructions on how to use the new program. It can be frustrating. This is one of the biggest problems many people run into when they install the Wii Homebrew hack. Make sure you choose a guide which also steps you through learning how to download games, emulators, and the cool applications which make your Wii special. The worst thing in the world is to know you have all this power at your fingertips and have no idea how to use it.

Can you imagine having a USB hard drive filled with backups of all your games, ready to play without jumping up to switch DVD discs all the time? This is one more of the great features of the Wii Homebrew hack. It is time for you to grab a guide, and get the job done. Your Wii is kind of wimpy right nowComputer Technology Articles, give it a shot of steroids with Homebrew.

If your goal is to make your house a bit safer, a home surveillance camera could be a great investment. Most people know little about security, and since some cameras can cost quite a bit depending on the features they come with, you should do some research before buying anything. Knowing the different types available is a start.

If you want to protect your property from intruders, you will need an outdoor home surveillance camera. This is typically mounted outside your front door, or perhaps in front of the garage. This kind is usually visible to others as a warning that anyone who attempts to break in will be recorded, making them more likely to be caught. You might choose to watch the videos in real time from a computer or television, or you could record them only to watch if something suspicious occurs.

Outdoor cameras often have several features that either come with them or can be added on. For example, you can get cameras that are weatherproof so that they are protected in case of extreme weather conditions. Some are also vandal proof, which typically involves a tough casing in case intruders try to compromise the piece of equipment. Additionally, you should consider the outdoor kind of home surveillance camera that has night vision to see well when it is dark, and long range vision, which allows it to see several feet away.

Some families employ nannies or other people who work inside the house while the homeowner is not there. If this describes you, and you either suspect something is wrong, or you want to ensure that your children are safe with their caretaker, an indoor home surveillance camera is best. This is typically hidden, and as such, it can either be very small or put somewhere that people would not think to look.

Teddy bears and other child items are common places to put hidden cameras, but if you want to get creative, you can get pens, clocks, radios, and even fake fire alarms that feature tiny cameras.

Protecting your property is not always easy, but it does usually start with a home surveillance camera. If you want get the most for your money, you will do some research before purchasing security products. You will want to make sure your selection will work like it is supposed to, and is the best kind for you given your expectations.

The Grand Canyon
, skiing slopes in Colorado or Montana, alpine skiing and rappelling spots, Great Barrier Reef, Alaska what do these travel destination have in common? They could be ideal destinations for teens. Teens with high adrenalin require travel destinations where they can satisfy their urge for adventure. They would not like to go to conventional holiday destinations like beach resorts, or hill stations, or any other place that while being scenic does not offer any adventure.

They would like to go to destinations which offer sports like white water river rafting holidays, snorkeling, scuba diving, mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, rappelling, vertical rock climbing, etc.

The point is that the activities at that destination should present a challenge to them. They aspire to use raw energy and emerge victors to fuel a sense of achievement after having done something that is seemingly impossible or extremely difficult. Best India tours

They also do not like to be at destinations where there would be too much of a crowd of vacationers, honeymooners, pensioners etc. Long quiet walks, lazing out on hammocks or on deck chairs under beach umbrellas is not their concept of a vacation. If the choice of destination is left to them, they would like to set off in a group with friends away from the watchful eyes of their parents and teachers and go to a place where they can plan their own vacation and get the feeling that they too have grown up. honeymoon in kerala

The actual destinations preferred by teens will differ from country to country. In the USA it could be the Grand Canyon, Skiing slopes of Colorado or Montana, etc. The list can be endless and will vary depending on the part of the world you reside in. Famous cities in India

So when you want to plan a holiday with teens keep the above parameters in mind to decide upon a travel destination. Teens value freedom of choice, so for before fixing the destination, ask them where they would prefer to go. Find out what they would like to do and integrate their aspirations when deciding the destination and provide them freedom to pursue their activities. India tour packages

When you go on a holiday as a family that includes more than one teen, ensure that you allow them ample opportunities to strike out on their own on some days at least, in spite of the family also being around. Allow for some days during the vacation when the teens would be all by themselves. This would make a great holiday for teens in the family tours in India.

IBM sets what some regard as a gold-standard in 401(k) plans.

Automatic company contributions run up to 4% of pay, while the firm matches employee savings up to 6% of pay.

Milton Moskowitz of management consultancy Great Place to Work Institute calls it “spectacular.” What impresses Moskowitz most is the free, one-on-one financial advice IBM offers employees.

Does it work? Since the start of 2008, with the markets crumbling and the average savings plan at Fidelity down 27%, IBM’s 401(k)s have fallen just 12%.

2. Procter & Gamble

Established in 1887, Procter & Gamble’s employee stock plan is the oldest in the nation.

P&G contributes cash and preferred stock to each employee’s account, scaling its payments for each year of service, up to 18% of pay, after 20 years at the company.

Benefits director Tom Mess says the scalable trust plan “encourages top talent to stay with P&G,” while guaranteed contributions from the first year of employment are attractive to younger recruits who may not want to wait two decades to see their first payments.

One drawback: Employees have only partial control of their trust fund, since 40% of the company contributions must remain in P&G stock.

3. Sherwin-Williams

At the paint company, retirement benefits — like pension, 401(k) matches, and health care — expand over time.

After 35 years of service, retirees can walk away with the company covering 80% of their medical costs. The retiree medical fund extends beyond age 65 to supplement Medicare by covering expensive prescriptions that Medicare doesn’t pick up.

It’s a notable perk, says investor-relations director Mike Conway, since “a lot of companies did away with their prescription drug plans after [Medicare was reformed in] 2003.”

4. Alcon Labs

As befits a company in the medical industry, eye-care firm Alcon takes care of its own. It is one of a handful of companies that maintains both a 401(k) program as well as a defined-contribution money purchase plan.

Employees get cash contributions from the company, worth 7% of their pay, and dollar-for-dollar matching of their 401(k) savings, up to 5% of pay.

Benefits director Don Snyder says the dual plans make it possible for the company to finance a full extension of an employee’s medical insurance until Medicare kicks in at age 65, and then supplement Medicare for life.

5. Principal Financial Group

The financial management company has a mix-and-match system.

The company offers 75% matching on employee 401(k) donations, up to 8% of pay, while two defined-benefit plans scale up over an individual’s career and, in some cases, top out at 14% of pay.

Together, for a retiree who has spent 25 to 30 years at the company, the plans can provide the equivalent of a full salary for life, as well as perks like health care and financial advising.

6. Devon Energy

In 2007, when Devon Energy set out to redesign its retirement program, management had young employees in mind.

Explains Sue Alberti, vice president for benefits, “Because of layoffs in the industry in the 1980s, there is huge pressure to get young people. What do we need to do to attract that top talent and retain them?”

The result: a 401(k) plan that lets millennial-generation workers control their own finances and keeps them there by scaling up over their years of service to top out at 22% of pay, along with medical coverage.

The system is working — the number of applicants per job has tripled since the new plan was introduced.

7. NuStar Energy

NuStar Energy, a pipeline and logistics company, offers employees a combined plan, but the pension pulls most of the weight.

That’s especially notable since NuStar is a young company — it opened for business in 2001, long after most companies began ditching their defined-benefit plans in favor of individual savings accounts.

NuStar’s pension gives retirees their full salary for one-and-a-half times their years of service: work 20 years and get 30 years’ worth of your full pay, assuming you haven’t retired early. That’s in addition to dollar-for-dollar 401(k) matching, up to 6% of pay, and a $1,000-deductible medical plan.

Human resources director Bill Grimes says the rich benefits have helped the startup lure talent from more established companies.

8. Weyerhaeuser

Papermaker Weyerhaeuser has both a pension and a 401(k) plan.

Company matching on its 401(k) totals a modest 3% of pay, and the pension plan scales up over years served.

What sets the firm apart is the training it offers employees to manage their retirement dollars, the core of which is a three-day seminar called “Healthy, Wealthy and Wise.” It’s open not only to employees but to spouses and families as well.

Most importantly, Weyerhaeuser encourages employees to take time off work to attend.

By:Fortune.com

Savor the moment, by all means. But don’t get complacent. If you’re an Apple shareholder, here are seven things to be concerned about—and one thing you can do about it.

1. Apple’s good — but not that good. It’s just that the competition is so bad. Nokia (NYSE: NOK – News), Microsoft (NasdaqGS: MSFT – News), Samsung, Palm (NasdaqGS: PALM – News): From smartphones to Internet tablets to computers, it’s hard to believe so many big companies have blown it so badly. And they’ve committed mainly unforced errors, such as terrible user interfaces. I bought a non-iPod MP3 player the other day. It’s great … except making playlists is nearly impossible.

As long as the competition acts like this, Apple will keep winning. But its success owes less to the genius of Apple than the incompetence of everyone else. And that’s something you can’t control.

2. Apple fatigue. Was anything so ridiculous as the coverage of the new iPad? A computer company launched a new computer. Time and Newsweek put it on the cover, for heaven’s sake, complete with fawning copy from the likes of Stephen Fry. A lot of people are getting absolutely fed up with this circus. Fashions come, but fashions go. Is Apple becoming overexposed? Right now Steve Jobs could sell his old underwear for $200 a pair (the “iPants”), and the sheep would line up at your local Apple store. If this mania lasts, it will be a first in human history.

3. The share price. At $260, Apple’s stock price has more than doubled in a year. Amateur investors say, “It’s going up.” Present tense. Serious investors say, more accurately: “It has gone up.” Past tense. No one knows the future. And the more it rises, the less attractive it gets. It’s now 20 times annual cash flow and 5 and a half times annual sales. At $235 billion, the company is being valued at more than Sony (NYSE: SNE – News), Research In Motion (NasdaqGS: RIMM – News), Dell (NasdaqGS: DELL – News), Motorola (NYSE: MOT – News), Nokia, HTC (Taiwan 2498.TW – News), SanDisk (NasdaqGS: SNDK – News) and Palm … put together. That assumes a lot.

4. Steve Jobs’s ego. I don’t care how much of a genius he is: Nobody is perfect. Yet Mr. Jobs has been subject to extravagant cheerleading, and it’s not as if he was overendowed with a sense of humility to begin with. Bottom line: If and when he makes mistakes, who is going to stop him? A small but telling example: One thing keeping Apple from lots of extra iPhone sales to business users is that Mr. Jobs, for some reason, has a thing against keyboards. There’s no business reason for it. It’s a silly, unforced error.

5. The cellular networks. At what point will they stop giving away the store? Right now they’re paying most of the cost of each new iPhone, and under-charging for the data plans too. That’s great for customers and great for Apple, and bad for the networks. The iPhone is an expensive data hog that soaks up airtime, and there’s always a risk the networks will start playing tougher. Verizon, which lost out to AT&T three years ago for the right to carry the iPhone in the US, doesn’t seem to be suffering as a result. Its investors have done no worse than those of AT&T. And its data traffic just jumped 20%, even without the Apple phone.

6. Apple backlash. As the competition forfeits game after game, Apple is starting to dominate industries from cell phones and games to music and media. Now it looks like it wants to dominate ebooks too. But if Ken Auletta’s account in the latest New Yorker is correct, Apple’s game plan to defeat Amazon means teaming up with book publishers—and that may mean higher book prices for consumers. How will consumers react? And what will that do for Apple’s “friendly,” rebel image? Anyway, you can’t play the underdog when you’re the third-biggest company in the world by market value. Apple is already worth more than General Electric (NYSE: GE – News), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT – News), Chevron (NYSE: CVX – News) or Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG – News). It is worth nearly as much as Microsoft. At some point it starts to look like the Big Brother it once vilified. It may even look like the new Microsoft.

7. Steve Jobs’s health. This is the “ick” issue. But Apple cheerleaders can’t have it both ways. They can’t hail Steve Jobs as a visionary genius and the world’s greatest CEO, and then say it’s none of shareholders’ business whether he will still be running the company in three years’ time. It’s only a year since he had a liver transplant, and investors can hardly feel confident they got all the relevant information clearly and early. We all hope Mr. Jobs enjoys the best of health and lives to a ripe old age. But he still looks worryingly thin. This is something for investors to keep an eye on.

Some of these are issues that could erupt into problems quickly. Others, if they do emerge, would take more time. But if you’re a nervous Apple investor, what are your alternatives? Sure you could sell some stock and take your profits. But if you don’t want to get off this train quite yet, here’s another idea: You could buy some insurance using “put” options. These pay out if the stock falls. So for $19 you can buy $200 puts, good until January 2012. These will limit your downside on the stock to $200. But if Apple keeps booming upwards, all you can lose is the $19.

Written by Brett Arends