My Thoughts on Technology and Jamaica

Apple iPhone 4S Taking a bite out of Christmas 2011AD Android Sales - Google Android Fragmentation is Avril Lavange Complicated

2012-01-24T14:33:00.002-05:00

With the increasing popularity of the Apple iPhone 4S thanks to Siri Voice Assistant and a much improved iOS, it is no surprise that they are taking away Blackberry and Android customers according to CIRP (Consumer Intelligence Research Partners) statistics in the article “iPhone 4S wooing lots of Android, BlackBerry users”, published January 24, 2012 5:44 AM PST by Lance Whitney, CNET News.

CIRP’s Survey was based on an initial list of six thousand three hundred and sixteen (6,316) responses which was condensed and distilled down to three hundred and sixty five (365) respondents who specifically purchase an Apple iPhone 4S in October, November, or December of 2011AD.

The stats are telling for the Christmas 2011AD period:

50% of the BlackBerry upgraded to the Apple iPhone 4S
39% from an Google Android OS smartphone
10% percent from a Palm device.
21% are coming form feature phones or are new smartphone buyers

The statistics among the Apple iPhone owners reveals more about the mindset of the typical Apple-lover:

89% percent of the iPhone owners surveyed own an Apple iPhone 4S
43% percent of all iPhone 4S buyers are upgrades from older Apple iPhone models.
42% percent of iPhone 4S buyers broke an existing contract to get the Apple iPhone 4S
21% percent of Apple iPhone 4S buyers opted for the 64GB edition.

So this backs up the statistics of Nielsen as laid out in the following article:

“It’s no fluke – iPhone closes the gap on Android in U.S.”, published Jan. 18, 2012, 4:00am PT by Ryan Kim, Gigaom
“Apple iPhone 4S sales cut into Android market share: Nielsen”, published JANUARY 18, 2012 BY ANDREW COUTS, DigitalTrends
“iPhone 4S Helps Apple Close the Gap on Android Dominance”, published January 18, 2012 7:37 AM By Daniel Ionescu, PCWorld

In these articles, Nielsen posits that the Apple iPhone 4S running on iOS took away sales from Google Android OS as indicated in the below graph and stats:

Apple iOS marketshare in the Fourth Quarter of 2011AD moved from 25.1% October 2011AD to 44.5% percent by December 2011AD, a significant increase of 19.4%
Google Android’s market share, in the Fourth Quarter of 2011AD fell from 61.6% October 2011AD to 46.9% percent by December 2011AD, a significant drop of 14.7%

Right now things just got Avril Lavinge Complicated for Google Android, whose loss to Apple can only be blamed on Fragmentation issues within Google Android OS that have long dogged the platform as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone and Hardware Quality - The Count of Monte Cristo Hard Knock Life”.

This fragmentation issue and the problems it creates has even reached the where an otherwise excellent OS often ported on sub-par hardware [read “less durable”] earning the ire of CNET News Editor Molly Wood in her rant entitled “Dear android: This is you last chance”, published October 14, 2011 4:43 PM PDT by Molly Wood, CNET News.

Truly the Apple iPhone 4S has been a success greater than could have been anticipated, despite not being the much anticipated Apple iPhone 5 as suggested in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major”. Meanwhile the Apple iPhone 4GS beckons as predicted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S to debut in China and Caribbean on Friday January 13 2012 - LIME gives Jamaica the Best of Both Worlds”.

Apple iPad 3 Launch on March 2012 - Amazon Kindle Fire is a Sweet Dream but a Beautiful Nightmare for Apple

2012-01-17T19:12:00.003-05:00

With an Apple Event imminent on the horizon this end of January 2012AD that may have something to do with Books, publishing and possibly College students (free books maybe!?) as noted in the article “This Month’s Apple Event To Focus On Publishing And iBooks” by Monday, January 2nd, 2012 by Alexia Tsotsis , TechCrunch, it’s time to turn our attention yet again to any possible new products coming out of the Cupertino think-tank masquerading as a company named Apple Inc.

Apple can safely be said to have had yet another good year, albeit they have not made their financials public as yet. Why? The rumour mill is already grinding. With the CES (Computer Electronics Show) and my workplace ACS-Xerox ramping down the Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, now is a good time as any to reflect on what these various source are prognosticating and make sense of it all.

BloomBerg, the most credible of news source online (I hope!!) declared based on Asian Manufacturing sources (who exactly?!) that Apple is planning a March 2012AD Launch month for the Apple iPad 3 as noted in the article “Apple iPad 3 may get March release date”, 4G, published by Larry Dignan January 13, 2012 1:44 PM PST, CNET News.

The Apple iPad is said to be sporting:

1. Support for LTE (Long Term Evolution)

2. Siri Voice Assistant

3. Retina Display Screen as suggested by Tiawanese blog DigiTimes in the article “iPad 3 screen production ramping up strongly”, report says by Josh Lowensohn January 17, 2012 9:54 AM PST, CNET News.

4. Quad-Core A6 Processor, Apple’s answer to Nvidia Tegra 3 aka “Ka-lel” as stated in my Geezam blog article entitled “Nvidia and the Quad-Core Kal-El CPU – Android leaves A5 Dual-Core Processor in the Dust”

5. 12 Megapixel camera, if my blog article entitled “Sharp develops world's thinnest 12.1 Megapixel Camera” is to be believed.

This is now corroborated by Japanese Apple blog Macotakara which based on similar Asian Manufacturing Sources (Disgruntled Foxconn workers??) states that there will also be a February 2012AD event to introduce the Apple iPad 3 with the above same specs and then a March 2012AD Launch.

Personally, I would be even more surprised if they decided to launch the Apple iPad 3 in the Caribbean in much the same way the Apple iPhone 4S is getting the royal Treatment by Telecom Provider LIME as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S to debut in China and Caribbean on Friday January 13 2012 - LIME gives Jamaica the Best of Both Worlds”.

Apple definitely needs to come with a winner, as the Apple iPad took a hit from the Amazon Kindle Fire as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “Amazon sells 5.5 million Kindle Fires in Fourth Quarter 2012 – Apple iPad sales drop and plans January Press Event”.

If the trend as noted in my article continues for the rest of the year, Apple may have no choice but to debut a 7”Tablet as well as their 10” flagship Tablet. The 10” spec laden Apple iPad albeit a platform for their Apple Apps Store may not be able to compete on pricing with the more nimble Amazon Kindle Fire and the conveniences of Couch-shopping.

But what of the Apple iPhone 5, which I suspect is really the Apple 4GS with LTE and HSDPA+ Release 7 Support? Also what fate awaits the Apple iPod Classic? Will that get Siri Voice Assistant and Apple iCloud support as suggested in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major” and Geezam blog article entitled “The Music Industry and the Cloud – Streaming Radio Nirvana”.

Also, will the Apple iPad eventually come officially to Telecom Provider LIME, just like the Apple iPhone 4S as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S to debut in China and Caribbean on Friday January 13 2012 - LIME gives Jamaica the Best of Both Worlds”?

Answers may be forthcoming on this first of Apple Events slated for Thursday January 19^th 2012 beginning at 10 a.m. EST (7 a.m. PST) as stated in the article “Apple event preview: Tools to bolster in-school iPad use”, published January 18, 2012, 6:00am PT by Darrell Etherington, Gigaom with further answers and details revealed in subsequent February and March 2012AD Events in this Apple’s Sweet Dream and a Beautiful Nightmare …..so stay tuned to my blog.

Apple iPhone 4S to debut in China and Caribbean on Friday January 13 2012 - LIME gives Jamaica the Best of Both Worlds

2012-01-11T15:22:00.000-05:00

Jamaica has been mentioned in an Apple Press release for the Apple iPhone 4S, which is coming to our faire isle Jamaica as well as other Caribbean islands – and the People’s Republic of China as stated in Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “iPhone 4S Officially Invades Caribbean on January 13”. A really big deal for an island of our size to be even mentioned in an Apple Press Release!!

At this point it’s good to point out that Kelroy, admin for the Geezam blog, was one of the first in the tech Blogging world to mention the coming of the Apple iPhone 4 to Jamaica on Telecom Provider LIME Network at LIME’s Happy Hour at their Corporate Headquarters July 14^th 2012AD in the Geezam blog article entitled “iPhone 4 lands in Jamaica on June 14th courtesy of LIME”. For those who favour more official news, the Apple Press Release is here: “iPhone 4S Arrives in China on January 13”, published 4 January 2012, Apple Press Release.

Looks like the Apple iPhone 4S which made its debut on Tuesday October 4^th 2011AD with Pre-orders for the Apple iPhone 4S on Friday October 7^th 2011AD and the rabid line standing on Friday October 14^th 2011AD, as reported in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major” is now in Jamaica under the aegis of Telecom Provider LIME yet again.

Kelroy’s article is a crib of the Apple Press Release mentions it thus, quote: “Beginning Friday, January 13, iPhone 4S will be available in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, China, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Guam, Guinea Conakry, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Senegal, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos and Uganda.”. No mention of Telecom Provider LIME, so off to Google I went a-searching!

Telecom Provider LIME it appears, will be carrying the Apple iPhone 4S, albeit they are yet to make a Public Announcement in any of our local Daily Newspapers. Oddly enough, there is a placement on their website mentioning the fact that the Apple iPhone 4S is indeed coming to Jamaica as per the article “LIME Apple iPhone 4S Available January 13”, viewed January 11 2012, Time4Lime.

It also received cursory treatment in the Dominica News Online in the article “Apple to release iPhone 4s in Dominica next week”, published Friday, January 6th, 2012 at 12:04 PM, Dominica News Online. Again no official statement from Telecom Provider LIME, making you realize that they are not quite feeling the “magic” of the Apple iPhone 4S.

Back then, the previous launch of the Apple iPhone 4 on Tuesday June 14^th 2011AD was well publicized and ended up getting the full Press Court analysis in my blog article entitled “LIME and the Apple iPhone 4 - The Young and the Restless Gone in Sixty Seconds”.

Apparently the low key response to the splash made by Telecom Provider LIME for the smartphone that defined smartphones despite the Media Personalities and Dancehall Artiste on hand recorded in Happy Hour faces in Geezam blog article entitled “Photos: LIME Jamaica iPhone 4 Launch and hAPPy Hour has dampened Telecom Provider LIME’s pocket books as well as their demeanour.

Jamaicans it seems are not so interested in having smartphones, despite the competitive pricing arguments for Wireless 3G Data as noted in Ryan’s Geezam blog article entitled “LIME, The iPhone 4 And The Death Of The Blackberry”, as the Blackberry is still king here.

Cheaper parts to service problems which are few and far between with the phone that is not a true smartphone but has stellar hardware as note in my Geezam blog article entitled “Android smartphones may be king in 2015AD, but RIM Blackberry quality shines” make the Blackberry No. 1 in Jamaica, despite RIM (Research in Motion) facing problems worldwide with declining sales and the popularity of Google Android smartphones, also marketed heavily by Telecom Provider LIME.

Until the issue of cheaper parts to repair smartphones is addressed, best solved via partnerships between Smartphone instrument suppliers, Telecom Provider LIME and local Mobile Phone repair people (I call them “phone unlockers”) and Apple’s iMessage platform partners with RIM Blackberry Messenger to standardize Cross-Platform messaging a reality as suggested in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S and Apple iMessage - Timeline for Standardization of Instant Messaging” the Apple iPhone will still be seen as an expensive alternative to the Blackberry.

The Apple iPhone does indeed also shine in terms of its hardware durability as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone and Hardware Quality - The Count of Monte Cristo Hard Knock Life” the lower cost for spare parts to repair such a large cracked screen, coupled with the exclusivity of the repairs world as it relates to Apple products in general (ever tried fixing a MacBook hardware yourself?) helps to scare off most Jamaicans from taking a bite of the Apple.

But all may not be lost for the Apple iPhone 4S and the Android smartphone clan being successful in Jamaica.

Wi-Fi dongles on offer from both Telecom Provider Digicel and Telecom Provider LIME as noted in Shonari’s Geezam blog article entitled “MiFi Hits Cayman thanks to Digicel and LIME” and Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “LIME to offer Personal Mobile Internet Hot-spot – MiFi” make those shy of Data Plans and loving the video Streaming on a Apple iPhone 4 more inclined towards purchasing one.

This a follow-on of Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider Digicel’s Jamaican and Caribbean wide upgrade of their respective Wireless Broadband Networks to HSDPA+ Release 7 as stated in my blog article entitled “LIME's US$80 million Caribbean HSDPA+ Release 7 Upgrade - Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Digicel's US$85 million HSDPA+ and WiMax 4G Upgrade - Wizards of Waverly Place Fast Five Showdown”.

Also, thanks to the guinea pig testing of FTTH (Fiber To the House) in the upscale communities of Rhyne Park Community in St. James and Morris Meadows community located in St. Catherine, Telecom Provider LIME may have to market any additional ADSL capacity not taken up via subscribers to the LIME Flip Top Promotion as backhaul for Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and shopping malls and plazas in what could be appropriately named Mall Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as described in my blog article entitled “Fast Food Wi-Fi for LIME's ADSL Broadband when FTTH goes Mainstream - Mother's and KFC to Supersize Me with Wi-Fi ”

Throw in the main attraction of the Apple iPhone, that being apps in all their glory, would now be available to Jamaicans as not only are a lot of apps free and easy to find thanks to the trusty guide as noted in the Geezam blog article entitled ‘Defying The Apple Gods: Jamaica and The App Store”.

Scotia Bank’s latest product Visa Debit Cards that can both send and receive cash means that paid app purchases are now possible as per the article “Scotia replacing bank card with Visa debit”, published Sunday September 18, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner make the Apple iPhone even more attractive.

With Visa Debit Cards popularity on the rise as noted in the spike in its uptake primarily for online purchases article “Scotia Visa spurs debit card usage online”, published Sunday January 8, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner, the Apple iPhone 4S is poised for a renaissance on Friday January 13^th 2012AD, as this unlucky number may be prove to be the start of as very lucky year for the Apple iPhone 4S in Jamaica.

Jamaicans will get to experience the Best of Both Worlds, Siri Voice Assistant and all, just in time for the Apple iPhone 4GS…..not the Apple iPhone 5 as I had prognosticate in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major”.

This in another article to be continued…….as Friday January 13^th 2012AD approaches!!!

Apple iTV is No. 1 according to Strategy Analytics - Apple's Blue Crush on Netflix for TV-Anywhere

2011-12-28T19:16:00.000-05:00

The Editor, sir

All this news about IPTV Streaming has got me all hopped up on the subject. So it comes as little surprise as the General Election draws nigh on Thursday December 29^th 2011 as noted in the winding down of Campaign activities in the article “Last lap - JLP, PNP wrap up campaigning”, published Wednesday, December 28, 2011, The Jamaica Observer that IPTV is again on my mind.

The Intense Television Jamaica personality Pepita Little may have staged a fight to defect to a higher paying job at LIME TV like Ragashanti as noted in the article “Ragashanti returns on Lime Mobile TV”, published July 14 2011, the Jamaica Star is part of the reason why my gaze is yet again cast at IPTV Streaming in Jamaica. The Telecom Providers are now ramping up the build-out of their Wireless and Wired Broadband Internet Services both in Jamaica and Caribbean-wide.

Wireless Broadband Services based on HSDPA+ Release 7 (High Speed Downlink Packet Access Plus) Network with speeds in the 10MBps best effort range and faster is thus on the cards for December 2012AD

Thus, being young, she may be a part of Telecom Provider LIME’s soon-to-be launched IPTV Streaming Platform in partnership with Avail-TVN powered by Juniper Networks as prognosticated in my blog article entitled “LIME chooses Juniper Networks to rebroadcast Avail-TVN's Content - Pepita Little's Ghostbusters to capture Media Personalities” where she would make mucho dinero as the host of a show she would basically OWN.

Wouldn’t be strange for LIME to bet so heavily on a young star or even on the concept of Jamaicans paying for Wireless broadband just to watch Cable TV anywhere, anytime on any device, basically a foreshadowing of the “TV Anywhere” concept!

So it should come as no surprise that deceased Apple CEO Steve Job’s “Hobby”, the US$99 Apple iTV is now No. 1 dog in town in the nascent IPTV Streaming Set Top box race according to analyst Strategy Analytics in the article “Strategy Analytics: Apple TV now leads set-top boxes”, published December 13, 2011 By Geoff Duncan, DigitalTrends.The US$49 Roku Box occupies a close second place according to Strategy Analytics.

The rather reliable analyst's results paint an interesting picture of Apple’s oft neglected device which Strategy Analytics senior analyst Jia Wu quantifies by saying “Apple is leading this nascent market, which it still considers a ‘hobby,’”.

The Statistics as usual tell their own story:

The US market is now 12 (12,000,000) million units strong
It is dominated mainly by Apple iTV, which has 33% of the market or four million (4,000,000) Apple iTV units
8% of households have an Apple iTV, a mite bit better than the EU which has 7% adoption of IPTV
30% percent of Apple TV owners rented movies or TV shows (Netflix!!?)

That last bit is telling of the power of movies and television services provided by Netflix, the main draw of the Apple iTV, which I also had high hopes for in my blog article entitled “Apple and the iTV - Back to the future”.

Apple’s iTunes service doesn’t feature heavily in the popularity and success of the of the Apple’s “hobby” Set top Box, but instead indicates the popularity of Netflix, which is set to come to Jamaica and the Caribbean as noted in my blog article entitled “LIME chooses Juniper Networks to rebroadcast Avail-TVN's Content - Pepita Little's Ghostbusters to capture Media Personalities”. Indeed, Netflix may actually make Triple Play Provider FLOW Extinct, despite FLOW’s push towards the same concept of “TV-Anywhere” and even 3D HDTV as note in my geezam blog article entitled “FLOW goes 3D HDTV et al – Netflix to make FLOW Extinct”.

So an Apple Television Set as I had prognosticated in detail with all my wishes and dreams in BOTH my blog article entitled “Apple Television Set, a docking cradle for the Apple iTV - Super 8 A Gift for Christmas” and my Geezam blog article entitled “Web-enabled Television Sets Sales Rise – The Apple Television cometh” is very possible.

Albeit in a size less than 40” seems a tad unlikely as postulated in the article “Rumor: Apple iTV on track for 2012 Q2-Q3 release”, published December 27, 2011 By Molly McHugh, DigitalTrends but possible as the Apple iMac, on which my concepts is based, is a 27” neo-retina display that can be a shell with a docking cradle for the obviously now popular Apple iTV.

Ultimately a good mix of the two (2) i.e. compelling specs that are intuitive and easy to use and content available anytime, anyplace and on any device, basically the “TV anywhere” concept as opined in the article “Apple iTV: It’s about the experience, not content”, published December 28, 2011, 11:42am PT By Ryan Lawler, GigaOM and the article “Analyst: Device and content choice key to Apple iTV success”, published Dec. 28, 2011, 9:36am PT By Darrell Etherington, GigaOM will make the supposedly soon-to-be-launched Apple Television Set a success in an otherwise already crowded Internet Television market.

A bold move for Apple this would be, from the small swimming pond of IPTV Streaming devices to the crowded market of high-end Television Sets bristling with features and already sporting Netflix support (get it!! Sport! The main reason for having Netflix!!). This folks is Apple’s Blue Crush (2002) on Netflix!

But back to Jamaica and the Caribbean at large as Barbados is also a part of this grand experiment by Telecom Provider LIME. IPTV Streaming is indeed a good gamble for Telecom Provider Apple after the spectacular success of LIME TV combined with the intoxicating powder keg of rumours swirling about of the impending coming of an Apple Television Set or “TV” as the Americans call it.

If the popularity of IPTV Streaming catches on in Jamaica as Wireless and Wired Internet expends, propelled by the very popular Intense “Chica” Pepita Little really going to Telecom Provider LIME, we may be witness to the birth of Jamaica’s and the Caribbean’s first IPTV Streaming Star.

LIME chooses Juniper Networks to rebroadcast Avail-TVN's Content - Pepita Little's Ghostbusters to capture Media Personalities

2011-12-20T16:49:00.002-05:00

It looks like Telecom Provider LIME has finally chose a good Telecom Equipment Supplier to power their ultimate Free-to-Air television killer in the fore of their partnership with Avail-TVN as this plucky blogger reported in an earlier blog article entitled “LIME parent CWC partners with Avail-TVN to provide IPTV Streaming Service - War of The Worlds against Netflix”.

They have chosen Juniper Networks, as per the announcement in the article “LIME to roll out more TV services”, published Sunday December 18, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner. What’s even more interesting, they may have already snagged a Media Personality in the form of Pepita Little of Television Jamaica’s Intense Fame to host local content on their show, assuming I am reading the symbolism in the staged article “PEPITA NO LONGER ON INTENSE”, published Tuesday December 20 2011 by SHELDON WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Star correctly.

As I had pointed out in that article, Telecom Provider LIME actions are CWC (Cable and Wireless Corporate) have nothing to do with the small fish in the form of Television Jamaica and CVM TV. It has more to do with Netflix and Google TV, Fortune 500 companies already on their way to Jamaica to use our Fiber Optic gateways as a beachhead to make a bigger push into the heart of Latin America.

So Television Jamaica and CVM TV are going to be the first casualties of this war, and it’s not even directed at them, despite LIME TV curated service slant towards Free-to-Air broadcasters. They are the small fish shown in the blog article entitled “LIME parent CWC partners with Avail-TVN to provide IPTV Streaming Service - War of The Worlds against Netflix”!

Juniper Networks will provide the MGW compatible equiptment that will convert the content supplied by Avail-TVN to a format that can be transmitted over Telecom Provider LIME’s HSDPA+ Release 7 (High Speed Downlink Packet Access Plus) Network Upgrade slated to go live in December of 2012AD as stated in my blog article entitled “LIME's US$80 million Caribbean HSDPA+ Release 7 Upgrade - Sonic the Hedgehog” heralds Telecom Provider LIME’s War of the Worlds (2005).

That is the “Media Flow Controller” referred to in the article, which does this conversion in Juniper Network’s equipment and assigns IP addresses to the video stream. This so that the UE (User Equipment) devices at each persons home that will use Telecom Provider LIME new HSDPA+ Release 7 (High Speed Downlink Packet Access Plus) Network as backhaul to provision this service can access the encrypted video feed and distinguish the channels and 42MBps capable Internet service.

Not much different from IPTV Streaming, making Juniper Networks, which has a background in launching IPTV Platforms the perfect Telecom Equiptment Provider to launch this product. Thus with a planned HSDPA+ Release 7 (High Speed Downlink Packet Access Plus) Network Upgrade, this product intended Fourth Quarter 2011AD debut is basically on schedule as per CWC's and LIME Jamaica Joint Press Release that reveals Jamaica and Barbados as the guinea pigs as, quote: “The service will launch commercially in Jamaica and Barbados in Q4, with expansion across the Caribbean to follow in 2012”.

Truly, CWC is deathly afraid of Google’s strategic purchase of Motorola Mobility and their push into the EU (European Union) as per my blog article entitled “Google TV making push into the EU – Motorola Mobility Purchase Die Another Day” and the coming dominance of Netflix in the IPTV Streaming as stated in my blog article entitled “Netflix coming to Latin America - Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer”.

So folks, expect an announcement on this in the coming few weeks as Telecom Provider LIME’s announcement of Juniper Networks as their point man puts Triple Play Provider FLOW as the next Big Fish on Telecom Provider LIME’s dinner platter in 2012AD.

By the way, where is Telecom Provider Digicel in the middle of all of this?

Is a partnership with Netflix their intended plan as per my musings my blog article entitled “Digicel and WiMax 4G Mobile - Back to the Future as NetFlix Expands”? Or is Telecom Provider Digicel more interested in going the Amazon Kindle Fire route and selling Samsung Galaxy Tablets as e-readers at slashed prices in partnership with local Newspaper companies as per my blog article entitled “Digicel, Samsung Galaxy Tablets and Newspapers - Tomorrow Never Dies and the Paper Man”.

After all, like Free-to-Air Broadcasters, Newspapers are on the menu as well as noted in my blog article entitled “Traditional News Media vs Broadband Telecoms - GigaOM's Avoiding ELE After Deep Impact”.

So folks, Let the migration of Media Personalities from Free-to-Air Broadcasters begin, starting with Pepita Little whose leaving Television Jamaica as per the staged article “PEPITA NO LONGER ON INTENSE”, published Tuesday December 20 2011 by SHELDON WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Star may really be a jumping of ship to Telecom Provider LIME.

Being young, she, like other soon to follow, may be attracted by the future higher salaries at Telecom Provider LIME soon-to-come-on-stream IPTV Streaming Service with content (Digital Audio and Video) from Avail-TVN and powered by Equiptment from Juniper Networks, Ghostbusters (1984) Style.

As for the fight?

Possible with her Manager over the future of her show, which is not her own but was fast losing relevance in a world going IPTV Streaming and Social Networking, based on a forensic audit of her posts on her FB profile. More as this side story develops, as the murky world of Media Personalities just got interesting again.

Porteon to manufacture All-Electric Vehicles in St. Lucia - Strengthening CARICOM ties with Jamaican Skilled Labour

2011-12-13T16:31:00.000-05:00

There will soon be an All-Electric Vehicle Maker in Jamaica, making my wished as per my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and All-Electric Vehicles - The Harder They Come, Jamaican Style” come to pass.

This as an Oregon-Based company, Porteon, has plans to set up a plant in Viewfort, St. Lucia right here in the Caribbean to manufacture cars and trucks, all of which will be All-Electric Vehicles as per the article “Electrifying Rides – Porteon plans 2012 Electric Car roll-out in Ja”, published Sunday December 4^th 2011 by Mel Cooke, The Sunday Gleaner.

The company made its debut at the inaugural Wealth Auto Show at the National Stadium put on by ATL Automotive CEO Adam Stewart and Sandals Group CEO and Chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart on Saturday November 26^th 2011AD and Sunday November 27^th 2011AD as faithfully recorded in the article “Strong New-Car Display at the Arena”, published Sunday December 4^th 2011 by Mel Cooke, The Sunday Gleaner.

Please note: this was the same Wealth Auto show that had been promised as far back as November 11^th 2011 as per the article “Wealth Auto Show opens soon”, published Friday, November 11, 2011, The Jamaica Observer.

And as The Jamaica Observer reports it bosses own exploits, the organizers who contributed to the show were very much pleased about the turnout and the interest show in their inaugural show as noted in the article “Organisers happy with auto show”, published Friday, December 02, 2011 by Brian Bonitto Associate Editor — Entertainment and Auto, The Jamaica Observer, making this blogger anticipate yet another show next year in 2012AD.

If it sounds too good to be true, I have more shocking news. The vehicles will not be built in St. Lucia, but rather sent down disassembled and built into parts so as to make storage in a container easier. Thus their modus operandi becomes revealed; they are shipping the parts to be reconstructed in elsewhere, with Jamaica being one of their target markets for their All-Electric Vehicles.

Thus skilled Jamaicans will be getting work to reconstruct All-Electric Vehicles in Jamaica to the following specifications:

Top Speed: 75 km/h (47 mph)
Maximum range: 130 km to 160 km on a full charge
Charging Source: A 110VAC or 220VAC outlet
Body: Lightweight rust-proof Aluminum chassis and body
Braking: Four-wheel Disk Hydraulic Braking Systems
Drive: Electric Motors at each wheel, unknown specifications
Three (3) year warranty
Price: JA$1.4 million

Hopefully these are vehicles using the Range Extender Technology as suggested in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and Range Extender Technology - Jamaica to Rhaatid” as being more suitable for Jamaica, being as it would help support the All Island Gasoline Retailers, who may have qualms about All-electric Vehicles becoming popular and eventually putting them out of business.

As the show itself was a partnership of car dealers with ATL it is not inconceivable that portion may be in already in partnership with ATL Automotive. This as ATL Automotive has plans to ship and market European make Diesel Vehicles to Jamaica in the next twelve (12) months in July 2012AD.

All thanks to coming improvements in the Sulphur content in diesel fuel announced by then Minister of Industry and Commerce, Karl Samuda, just in time for the London Olympic Games as per my blog article entitled “ATL Automotive to benefit from Low-Sulphur Diesel in 12 Months Time - Bio-Fuels Resident Evil Apocalypse”.

So it does appear I was indeed wrong about ATL CEO Adam Stewart and his company’s intention to bring polluting Diesel Vehicles to Jamaica. This as if the Oregon-based Porteon trucks and vehicles are indeed partnered with ATL automotive, they will not only be environmentally friendly, but if the vehicles are of the Range Extender type and preferably Flex-Fuel, they will also benefit from the improved Sulphur content in the Diesel and Gasoline fuel.

Not only that, but it will generate a side industry for Engineers and Technicians for All-Electric Charging Stations and Solar Charging Stations as per the article “Honda debuts Solar-powered charging station”, posted December 22, 2010 by Jamaipanese installed in partnership with Gas Stations as well as, Inductive Vehicle Chargers to installed at people’s homes.

There will also be work to fix and replace the Lithium-Ion Batteries that these vehicles no doubt will use and also servicing the Electric Motors that live at each wheel and the Electric generator that kicks in whenever the charge in the Lithium-ion batteries dies down.

Kudos all around for ATL Automotive and CEO Adam Stewart, who unwittingly may be following my suggestion as per my blog article entitled “ATL Automotive to benefit from Low-Sulphur Diesel in 12 Months Time - Bio-Fuels Resident Evil Apocalypse”!!

This improvement (and the Porteon Al-Electric Vehicles) is coming in the July of 2012AD, the slated month of completion of the upgrade to the Petrojam refinery that will make 5 to 15 ppm (part per million) fuel a reality in Jamaica.

It may also herald the coming of local support and recognition for Marzouca’s Island Cruiser Vehicles, which albeit not an All-Electric Vehicle, demonstrates that Jamaicans do have the technical skills to manufacture motor vehicles for export as noted in my blog article entitled “Jamaican Transport Sector and Excel Motors Limited - Russian Roulette and Top Gear”.

Until then, Jamaicans can dream of driving vehicles that are as quiet as a tomb and possibly marketed by popular Radio DJ’s, Dancehall Artiste and Media Personalities, who can afford the JA$1.4 million price tag (right??!!) as surmised in my Geezam blog article entitled “Oregon-based Porteon to assemble All-Electric Vehicles in Jamaica – One By One”.

So stay tuned to this blog for more information on this exciting development of the coming of a FDI (Foreign Direct Investor) to manufacture All-Electric Vehicles in St. Lucia for assembly in Jamaica, a coupe for ATL Automotive!

Fast Food Wi-Fi for LIME's ADSL Broadband when FTTH goes Mainstream - Mother's and KFC to Supersize Me with Wi-Fi

2011-12-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

Ever since Telecom Provider LIME announced the coming of FTTH (Fiber to the Home) Test Launch as reported in On the Ground News and chronicled in Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “LIME Jamaica rolls out 100 Mbps ‘Fibre to the Home’” where I first became aware of this dream of mine come to pass.

My blog article entitled “LIME goes FTTH like Verizon's FiOS - Free ADSL after FTTH Mass Adoption” explained why this was possible: Dead Zone Theory being realized as less Voice traffic meant that Telecoms Provider Fiber Optic Backhaul between Central Offices such as Pembroke/North and Carlton Exchange was now becoming empty of Voice Traffic from Landlines and Mobile (Cellular) Voice Calling.

This new FTTH service fills the void, using up the currently unused capacity in these Fiber Optic Backhaul and thus making it worthwhile to maintain them. But now a curious foible that was missed in both of the above articles struck me this morning as I was walking down to the Kingston and St. Andrew Library: What’s to become of ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Lime)?

Free Municipal Wi-Fi, as is the case in Barbados, thanks to their very forward thinking Government as noted in Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled article entitled “Barbados on the path to free island-wide Wi-Fi coverage” comes readily to mind.

But that is already in the cards, as the Government of Jamaica has already had plans in place to provide Free Broadband access with speeds up to 100MBps to three hundred (300) schools in Jamaica with assistance from Telecom Provider LIME, Triple Play Provider FLOW and the UAFCL (Universal Access Fund Company Limited) as noted in my blog article entitled “LIME, FLOW and the $JA543-million Internet plan - Ebony and Ivory”.

So it seems some commercially viable form of Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) is Telecom Provider LIME’s most likely push for their spare ADSL. This aside from promoting Broadband via the sale of Netbooks at cost price as is the case in the Telecom Provider LIME’s FlipTop Promotion as noted in my blog article entitled “LIME and the FlipTop Promotion – Saving Private Ryan to increase Internet Penetration in Jamaica”.

That and the fact that Telecom Provider LIME is not known to do anything for free, not even unused SMS (Short Messaging Service), GPRS (Global Packet Radio System) and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GPRS) to promote Regional Integration and adoption of Internet usage for those who can ill-afford the access as suggested in my blog article entitled “Telecom Provider LIME and M2M Services - Free SMS and EDGE for the Caribbean to Foster Regional Integration”.

With Fast-Food establishments and shopping malls being areas of large foot traffic with long standing and wait time for people. Telecom Provider LIME no doubt could use their statistical data from their mobile network to determine that they could deploy ADSL in Partnership with Malls and Fast Food Places to resell ADSL Broadband as Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

But as it would be in a fixed location with the qualities as described above, it would be best to call it according to where it is placed. To wit, Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) located in a Fast Food Place could be called Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) placed in a Mall could be called Mall Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

It’s obvious they are facing coming competition from competition from Wayne Chen and Lee’s Family-owned Dekal Wireless and Nubian1 Tech Services Limited, the main Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) competitors to both Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider Digicel.

This is the reason I had opined for both Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider Digicel launching their respective MiFi products that create a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) to share you 3G and 4G WiMax (IEEE 802.16d) Wireless Broadband Access in my Geezam blog article entitled “Crouching LIME Huawei E586 Mi-Fi – Hidden Dekal Wireless Dragon”.

It may even imaginably be the same type of competition from Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) that prompted both Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider Digicel to attack this low hanging fruit in the Cayman Islands by launching their respective MiFi products as noted in Shonari’s Geezam blog article entitled “MiFi Hits Cayman thanks to Digicel and LIME”.

However, Telecom Provider LIME needs to do more than just play possum and admit defeat with their launch of MiFi as pointedly noted in Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “LIME to offer Personal Mobile Internet Hot-spot – MiFi”. They need to take advantage of the coming demand for FTTH, sure as sure to come as rain and go Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

Telecom Provider LIME needs to use the disinterest in ADSL to resell ADSL not only as a two (2) year contract Data Plans with Netbooks aka the LIME FlipTop Promotion, but also to use it as Backhaul for Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n). This new re-launch of ADSL would target fast-traffic, long wait and dwell time areas such as Fast Food emporiums e.g. Mothers enterprises, KFC in the guise of Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and shopping malls and plazas in what could be appropriately named Mall Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

Same system like Dekal Wireless and Nubian1 Tech Services Limited, but thanks to the decreased interest in ADSL, at cut rate prices with more compelling features! A strong possibility therefore exists that the next time you go to a Mother’s Enterprises of KFC, when you are offered to Supersize your order, you may also get a side order or serving of Fast Food Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) that would go well with your Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n)capable Laptop, smartphone or Tablet (I’m an optimist!!).

Digicel and America Movil complete Telecoms Swap - Telecom Regulators to get their Pound of Flesh

2011-12-05T18:31:00.002-05:00

Nine (9) months of suspense has finally ended. The swap that was initiated on Friday March 11^th 2011AD between Digicel Group and America Movil that shook the Telecoms World like the Japanese Earthquake as stated in my blog article entitled “Digicel buys CLARO Jamaica - Jumanji Exchange is no Robbery” has final been resolved.

On that day there was an earthquake and Tsunami in Japan as faithfully recorded in my Geezam Blog article entitled Japan Nuclear Reactor Meltdown is the Asian Tiger Chernobyl and the article “Japan Nuclear Disaster - Implications for Jamaica and the Consumer Electronics World”. The day was also memorable for the launch of the A5 Dual-Core Apple iPad 2, also recorded in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Apple iPad 2 - Dual-Core Easy Skankin'”.

Interesting coincidences indeed!!

For those of my faithful fans who love reading newspaper articles, this one is worth printing out and framing, as it is history in the making as per the article “Digicel acquires América Movil's operations in Jamaica and sells its operations in Honduras”, published Friday, December 02, 2011, The Jamaica Observer. So at long last it is over.......or are the problems for the Telecom Providers involved in the combination Debt and Equity swap just beginning to see their troubles multiply?

I say this as during the long nine (9) months of horse trading, lots of acrimonious words have been traded, ironically by Politicians and GOJ (Government of Jamaica) policymakers, making that which is a simple swap of assets that are not equally matched in value a complex affair. It also helps to prove that it is possible to do such a swap, thus disproving what I was told when I was a Network Maintenance Technician working at C&W (2001 to 2004).

Most likely Digicel Honduras and Digicel El Salvador had a greater value than the incompletely built-out CLARO Jamaica asset, even if the insured employees were included in the valuation. Thus, the difference in cost may have been taken care of by giving Digicel Group preferential stock in and America Movil, stock and bonds possibly to the tune of US$250 million depending on who you believe. Preferential Stock and bonds that will be worth significantly more when the Stock Market open on Monday December 5^th 2011AD

Even Telecom Provider LIME got in on the act, prodding the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) and the FTC (Fair Trading Commission) to began investigations as far back as March 2011AD in the article “LIME wants OUR, FTC to assess Digicel Claro Deal”, published Sunday, March 20, 2011, The Jamaica Observer.

And in the midst of it., the two (2) Telecoms Providers in question Digicel Group and America Movil have been awfully quiet with very little details let slip, mainly via the media.

Even the above article quoted on this most historic of deals has very terse words from the two (2) Telecom Providers involved. First America Movil's words after filing with the SEC (Security Exchange Commission) in the US, quote: “In March 2011, we entered into an agreement with Digicel Group Limited to acquire 100% of Digicel's operations in Honduras and El Salvador selling to them in the process our operation in Jamaica. The completion of the transaction is subject to governmental and regulatory approvals. The competition authority in El Salvador has imposed conditions on the transaction, and we are evaluating our options and the timing of any possible closing.”

Similar words emanated from Digicel Group CEO Colm Delves, quote: “We are pleased to have completed the acquisition of Claro Jamaica. Our immediate focus now will be to get a fuller understanding of the business and in this regard we have deployed several teams who are collating appropriate information. We will keep the Claro customer base, employees, dealers and suppliers advised of our plans over the course of the next few weeks.”.

That's it.

No statements of fact, only sparse comments on the swap of Telecom Operations of CLARO Jamaica and Digicel El Salvador and Digicel Honduras. Effectively I am back to speculating about the future as per my blog article entitled “Digicel finally acquires CLARO Jamaica with conditions – Carlos Slim’s Trojan Horse” in which I speculated that the acquisition left Digicel Group having to build out CLARO Jamaica's unfinished GSM (Global Systems Mobile) Voice and upgrade it along with their Network to HSDPA+ Release 7.

Thus it remains to be seen what will be the eventual outcome. One thin is for sure though, whatever form Digicel takes post-swap with America Movil, their expenses are sure to double. An eventuality for which they are already taking precautions by going Green as per my blog article entitled “Digicel adds on Green Power to future Corporate Building - Petula Clarke's Downtown Global Warming Crisis”.

A necessary precaution, as the Media reports the respective Government in each country taking advantage of the swap to impose conditions on the sale to prevent the formation of a monopoly. Here in Jamaica, it is the requirement that Digicel Group build out CLARO Network to the specification as per their Bilateral Trade Agreement to cover 90% of the island with Wireless Voice and Data Service as noted in my blog article entitled “Digicel finally acquires CLARO Jamaica with conditions – Carlos Slim’s Trojan Horse”.

The fact that the GOJ is also going to be making a Telecom Regulator separate and apart form the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) and update the ageing Telecommunications Act of 2000 also means further regulatory pressure being applied to the Telecoms Providers.

This is in order ensure a fair provision of service in terms of Cross Network Calling Rates and VAS (Value Added Services) such as MNP (Mobile Number Portability) and prevent the formation of monopolies as per my Geezam Blog article entitled “New Telecom Act Coming for Jamaica - Providers surprised with their Own Regulator”.

As details are not forthcoming as to the specifics of the deal, one can thus work with the conclusions drawn in my blog article entitled “Digicel finally acquires CLARO Jamaica with conditions – Carlos Slim’s Trojan Horse”. More on this in a few weeks when the Telecom Providers decide to get chatty..........in the local Jamaican as well as Mexican Media as to the exact details of the transaction, sure to be of interest to Finance as well as Engineering people.

Sharp develops world's thinnest 12.1 Megapixel Camera - Apple iPhone 5 and Apple iPad 3 in Sharp's focus

2011-12-05T18:27:00.000-05:00

Sharp is a little more famous in my mind as the makers of the hardware for Microsoft's attempt at a Social Networking smartphone, the Microsoft Kin 1 and Kin II as chronicled in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Microsoft Kin, one of the Comeback Kids - Design is Everything”. In the end Google Android resurrected the original Sidekick from Danger, a company which Microsoft had acquired as per my blog article entitled “T-Mobile SideKick’s rides the Bobsled Lazarus Effect - Logan's Run”.

The recent spat between Apple and Samsung over copyright infringement in both smartphone and Tablet designs, with Apple looking basically to destroy their one time armourer in these very lucrative markets as opined in my blog article entitled “Apple blocks Samsung Galaxy Tab in EU - Dancehall Hero's Revenge of the Sith” means that alliances are possibly shifting already, as Business is Business.

Enter Sharp and their recent innovation of a soon-to-be-commercially-available 12.1 Megapixel ultra slim camera designed specifically for smartphones and tablets as stated in the article “Sharp develops world's thinnest 12.1 MP CMOS camera”, published DECEMBER 1, 2011 by Molly McHugh, DigitalTrends. Note I said “soon-to-be-commercially-available”: this camera tech is already slated for tech implantation coming out in the first Quarter of 2012AD, with one hundred thousand (100,000) units planned for January 2012AD alone.

So this is no Science Show-and-Tell atypical of Japanese Tech companies people – this is a real ready-to-use product! The RJ63YC100, its official name according to Sharp's Press Release on their product has the following specs:

Dimensions of 11x11x5.47 millimeters
Packs image-stabilization
A backlit sensor
Standard AF (Auto-Focus)
Full 1080p HD video capture.

Thus a possibility exists that the Apple iPhone 5 and the Apple iPad 3 may be BOTH packing a 12Megapixel Rear facing camera from Sharp sometime in the near future, as Quad Core is now de riguer in the Tablet World thanks to the Asus Eee Transformer Prime, a gaming-ready Tablet which sports the Tegra 3 Quad Core processor, previously codenamed “Kal-el” as per my blog article entitled “Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime to debut on November 9 2011AD - Nvidia Kal-El invites Apple iPad to Game On”.

This as with the Amazon Kindle Fire now sporting pricing as an innovation as per the analysis in my Geezam blog article “Kindle Fire vs Nook Color & Apple iPad 2 - Despite the Specs the Price is Still Right”, Apple will be facing a very stiff battle, both Legal as well as design-wise in the still nascent Tablet Market to distinguish themselves for the competition.

Improved photography, especially for the Flickr-lovin' Apple aficionados as per their thumbs up for the Apple iPhone 4 as chronicled in the article “Apple iPhone 4 to become most used camera on Flickr”, By DigitalTrends is a quick low hanging fruit for Apple.

Apple can take advantage of this latest innovation from Sharp via a partnership with same, seeing as they may be in talks to develop the much fabled Apple Television set as per the article “Rumour:Apple taps Sharp to develope iTV”, by DigitalTrends.

Personally for me, an Apple iPhone 5 with the specs as laid out in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S Post Mortem Siri Voice Assistant and iMessage Rock” and my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major” would be great.

Any smartphone or Tablet with a battery life of least one week on a full charge with continuous usage would result in many a person beating a path to Apple's door. This too is another low hanging fruit which Apple can use to distinguish itself from the crowd as per my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 5 and its Design - Of Gods, Critics, Lemmings, Sheep and Men”.

Something for Apple to ponder as the London Olympics 2012AD slated for July 27^th 2012AD looms large on the calendar.

Amazon Kindle Fire is now No. 2 behind the Apple iPad 2 - Deathrace to London Olympics 2012AD

2011-12-05T18:20:00.000-05:00

The Apple iPad 2 finally has some real competition. This as the Amazon Kindle Fire, just now only launched September 28^th 2011AD, a good two (2) months prior, is now ranging up behind the Apple iPad 2, just now visible in Apple CEO Tim Cook's rear-view mirror.

Six million (6,000,000) Amazon Kindle Fire-sides strong projected for the Fourth Quarter of 2011AD compared to fifteen million (15,000,000) for the Apple iPad 2 as per the analysis of DisplaySearch in the article “Amazon Kindle Fire shipments upped to 6 million in quarter”, published November 18, 2011 4:09 PM PST by Brooke Crothers, CNET News.

Interstingly, this is a conservative estimate on the part of the analyst Displaysearch: those numbers, which are mre projections, may increase further during the busy Christmas 2011AD shoping period for BOTH rivals.

The words of Rhoda Alexander, IHS senior manager of tablet and monitor research in the article “Amazon Kindle Fire set to take second in 2011 tablet race”, published DECEMBER 2, 2011 BY ANDREW COUTS, DigitalTrends are particularly encouraging fortelling of the Amazon Kindle Fire's potential, quote: “Nearly two years after Apple Inc. rolled out the iPad, a competitor has finally developed an alternative which looks like it might have enough of Apple's secret sauce to succeed”.

To put this in perspective, this makes the Amazon Tablet with is lacklustre specs when compared to the Apple iPad No. 2 oin the Tablet market after only two (2) months, as per the musings of Rob Enderle of DigitalTrends in his opinion piece entited “The Goldilocks Tablet: Why Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire is 'just right'”, published DECEMBER 3, 2011 BY ROB ENDERLE, DigitalTrends.

Suddenly the strange little company that prides itself on being EMC³– Earth’s Most Customer Centric Company and bending over backwards with its near stellar customer service doesn't look lie such an ugly duckling anymore. This in a pond dominated mainly by tech-centric companies that sport Tablets with specs galore but no compelling reason to buy what are effectively over-sized touch screen slate computers.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is definitely not holding back any punches either. Amazon is taking a hit of nearly US$2.70 per Tablet with its price of US$199 just to break into the market against the Apple iPad, as per the analysis of IHS iSuppli as in the article “Amazon takes a slight loss on each Kindle Fire, study says”, published November 18, 2011 6:15 AM PST by Roger Cheng, CNET News.

A to Z just about begins to describe Amazon's strategy as they may even allow for Grocery shopping from the Amazon Kindle Fire, a concept replicable in Jamaica as opined in my blog article entitled “Amazon intros Grocery shopping via their Kindle Fire - Movado Duh Road from the Couch”.

So at US$199, the price is indeed right, an earlier conclusion of mine in my Geezam blog article entitled “Amazon lights a Kindle Fire as a Gladiator worthy of the Apple iPad” and “Kindle Fire vs Nook Color and Apple iPad 2 – Despite the Specs the Price is Still Right".

That grocery shopping bit may have some credence on the ground as well. Analyst Parkes Associates in the article “Kindle Fire getting shoppers hotter than iPad?”, published November 22, 2011 5:08 PM PST By Eric Mack, CNET News suggest that the Amazon Kindle Fire has its support split along an age divide among two thousand (2000) households interviewed as follows:

Generation X [ages 28 to 45] age prefer the Amazon Kindle Fire over the Apple iPad
Affluent buyers are mainly going after the Apple iPad (like really?)
51% favored the Amazon Kindle Fire over the Apple iPad
62% of shoppers are most likely to purchase the Apple iPad
38% of shoppers are most likely to purchase the Amazon Kindle Fire, placing them firmly in the No. 2 spot

Analyst ChangeWave brings in the noise, BackStreet Boys style in the article “After iPad, Kindle Fire most desired Tablet, study finds”, published November 21, 2011 5:38 AM PST by Don Reisinger, CNET News , with similar very compelling statistics that suggest the same future turnaround trend in the Tablet market:

62% of future shoppers plan to buy an Apple iPad
22% of future shoppers plan to buy an Amazon Kindle Fire

So not only is the Christmas looking bright for fans of Amazon but you pets have something to look forward too as well. This as Couch Shopping for yourself or your pets thanks to Amazon's September 2010AD US$550 million acquisition of Quidsi, owners of websites Diaper.com, Soap.com and BeautyBar.com and the launch of efficient robot-operated Pets.com appropriately named Wag.com as per my blog article entitled “Amazon's Wag.com Social Network for Pets - Quidsi in the Flight of the Navigator” is very much possible via the Amazon Kindle Fire.

Amazon's Strategy of tailoring Google Android to suite their online Retail business instead of a generic regurgitation of the Android interface is working and is an admirable concept other Tablet makers can emulate. Specs is not all in a Tablet; it has to have some practical use other than just streaming movies, reading books and playing games.

Tablet makers partnering with Amazon's competing online retailers to offer deep discounts off their Tablets' prices in order to drive sales seems a great point of reference to start.

Especially in light of the misfortune now visited upon RIM, now losing sales on discounted and unsold RIM PlayBook Tablets as per the article “RIM loses half a billion dollars due to unsold and discountedPlayBooks”, published DECEMBER 2, 2011 BY JEFFREY VAN CAMP, DigitalTrends.

Motorola Xoom also fell prey to the same fate in early 2011AD with a dearth of advertising and marketing that was severely out of sync with the Engineering that went into making the product as note in my Geezam blog article entitled “Motorola Xoom - 101 on How to Beat the Apple iPad”.

So Google Android Tablet makers beware!

Curated tailored versions of Google Android married with a online shopping experience seems definitely to be a formula that both Apple and Amazon are using to their advantage. It makes the other Tablet makers appear to just be taking advantage of the furore over these otherwise successful Tablets to sell their own copycat versions with nothing to offer save for great specs and ports missing from the above famous competition.

Suddenly the London 2012 Olympics slate for a July 27^th 2012AD show-stopping launch typical of the British seems like a mere sideshow to the looming face-off between Apple and Amazon. The coming of Christ, as Apple and Amazon appear to be, is now locked in a DeathRace to the finish, each with their own compelling online storefront experiences to entice costumers in a race to the Finish Line.

But what of reports of an Amazon smartphone as per the article “Will Amazon produce a Kindle phone?”, published October 20, 2011 3:42 PM PDT by David Carnoy, CNET News? Another blog article is in the works as soon as definitive word surfaces of its existence.

In the mean time Apple and Amazon.....Live Long and Prosper.

Alternative Energy Contract for JPS Co Streetlight Upgrade Coming - JPS Co Winsome Callum's Bourne Supremacy

2011-11-22T11:39:00.000-05:00

JPS Co (Jamaica Public Service Company) Corporate Communications Manager Winsome Callum is certainly one chatty lady. After revealing in a Press Release that JPS co was effectively going to be deploying smartmeters, just that some of them were not activated as analyzed in my blog article entitled “JPS Co New Digital Meters are all Smart Meters - Winsome Callum's A Simple Twist of Fate”, she is again in the news.

This time it is for statements related to yet another reason why most Jamaicans still think themselves overcharged, despite the recommendation of J. Paul Morgan, Head of the JPS Co Review Team as per my blog article entitled “JPS Co cleared on Digital SmartMeters but chastized on 10-year backbilling - Future Plans from the Penguins of Madagascar”.

In the article “Day-Burning Street Lights Costing JPS”, published Sunday November 20, 2011, Gary Spaulding, Senior Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner, she conceded too that streetlights, whose bill is paid for by the Local Government arm of the Government of Jamaica, are one even in the daytime, wasting taxpayers money, quote: “We get reports every single day about malfunctioning street lights which is why it is difficult to respond to a general statement. There is a response mechanism where once the street lights are reported, they are logged and assigned, but I am not in a position to say what percentage are addressed within a prescribed period”

Clearly aware of the problem but not its scope, her further statements to the Sunday Gleaner are more revealing, quote: “Day-burning lamps indicate a failed/malfunctioning photocell. The photocells control the on/off function and are designed to fail in the "safe mode" that is to stay on, rather than to lose the service of the lamp completely.”

So the photocells need to be fixed. Straightforward GOJ contract to upgrade streetlights photocells and fix and replace bulbs with more efficient Fluorescent or LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs, thus necessitating that my article should naturally end here.

But what about the complete solarization of these streetlights, that is to say put them on Alternative Energy power sources, be it Solar Panels or Mini Wind Turbines, meanwhile making money from the excess being sold back to the JPS Co Grid?

Folks, I smell the coming of a HUGE Government of Jamaica contract…….

This as we are now moving towards a new Alternative Energy Paradigm is now possible as Minister Clive Mullings of the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications has made changes to the Energy Sector that should see coming of competition as described in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Energy Clive Mullings alters the JPS Co License for Energy Sector Liberalization - Jamaica and The Sun Salutes You”.

Possibly a means by which Google as a FDI (Foreign Direct Investor) or a Local Investor may provide Residential Solar Power to the Government of Jamaica Local Government as per my blog article entitled “Google invests US$75 million in Residential Solar PUC - Aliens in future Energy Market Shakeup”? My fingers are crossed, as an islandwide contract seems very likely here, in this JPS Co Corporate Communications Manager Winsome Callum’s The Bourne Supremacy (2004).

LIME goes FTTH like Verizon's FiOS - Free ADSL after FTTH Mass Adoption

2011-11-19T14:31:00.002-05:00

I know I have not been updating my blog of late folks, so please forgive me. I am now gainfully employed as a CSA (Customer Care Associate) at ACS-Xerox working under the Amazon .co.uk Account. So you know who to contact if you want to purchase something from Amazon. So look out for future article making reference to my work at Amazon as well as about any new Services being launched by Amazon.

Seriously though, the news has been rather slow since the my last blog article entitled “Blu-Ray debut of 1TB Storage coming as their popularity ramps up – Denyque Summer Love of Physical Copies”. So I am pleased to announce that Telecom Provider LIME has decided to take my advice as nicely written out in my blog article entitled “LIME look to the future with new Services - Video and Audio Friends with Benefits in the Dead Zone” and go FTTH (Fiber To The Home).

In case that appears to be a mouthful of an acronym, that is basically a fancy pants version of Telecom Provider Verizon’s FiOS service. Effectively Fiber Optic Service to the Home, with speeds capable of 100MBps and scalable in the future up to 1GBps as reported in the article “Confirmed: #LIME launches 100 Mbps 'Fibre to the Home' in Rhyne Park, St. James”, published Friday, November 11, 2011 at 12:30pm by On the Ground News Reports.

LIME Managing Director, Garry Sinclair gets melodramatic, quote: “This technology will revolutionize the in-home internet experience. Our suite of solutions is based on the new, cutting edge Fiber to the Home technology which provides homeowners with improved service, convenience, comfort and security.”

The service will make it debut in the form of an affordable 12MBps service codenamed Ignite priced at a decent JA$2400.00 and scalable up to 100MBps. The initial guinea pigs with be the residents of the upscale communities of Rhyne Park Community in St. James and Morris Meadows community located in St. Catherine.

No surprise there, as who else could afford Fiber Optic to their house that these well heeled individuals. Service goes great with their recent ramp up for Streaming IPTV with Avail-TVN providing the content as described in my blog article entitled “LIME parent CWC partners with Avail-TVN to provide IPTV Streaming Service - War of The Worlds against Netflix”.

Even higher speeds are possible, as Telecom Provider Verizon has demonstrated with a 1TB demo with NEC as per my blog article entitled “Verizon, NEC and the Dawn of the Terabit Age - Audia's FlashDance and Surf's Up”.

Not to mention a house controlled by AI (Artificial Intelligence) while delivering all telecom services over a High Speed Data Service again to draw words from LIME Managing Director, Garry Sinclair, quote: “Our aim is to make homes ‘smarter with fiber’ by using the speed and superior quality provided by this technology to deliver our landline, internet and entertainment products, demonstrating further that LIME is truly for living, everyday”.

So how is Telecom Provider LIME able to make the price so low? Simple really.

They had laid Fiber Optic Cables as far back as 2002AD in a project to interconnect their Landline exchanges which still run on all-digital DMS SuperMode Switches with Fiber Optic so as to replace their ageing Copper Cable Backhaul system. But since then demand for Voice Telecoms services such as Landline and even Mobile has been falling, partly due to the Recession and partly due to shift to Data Services which can do Voice as VoIP and Data simultaneously.

This as evidenced by Telecom Provider LIME having to increase its Rental Fee for Landline and the technology behind how HomeFone XPress, which is my idea from 2003AD, works as noted in my blog article entitled “LIME Landline Rental Increase and HomeFone XPress - The Dead Zone is the Sum of All Fears”. Thus this is the Dead Zone Theory that Telecom Provider LIME used to harass poor little Lindsworth Deer at C&W, then a Network Maintenance Technician (2001 to 2004) as chronicles in my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers and SMS - The Dead Zone”.

So now that Voice Traffic has declined, this leaves lots of spare unused capacity on their Fiber Optic Backhaul. Thus the Engineers, most likely begrudgingly agreeing with the Senior Management, have decided to utilize this spare capacity to provision another service that can provide an equivalent service to that of Coaxial Cable based Triple Play Provider FLOW for comparable prices.

Like I said simple Really.

But it has implications for ADSL service, which may end up being free like my request for SMS, EDGE and GPRS to be free as per my blog article entitled “Telecom Provider LIME and M2M Services - Free SMS and EDGE for the Caribbean to Foster Regional Integration” if FTTH achieves mass adoption, if the prices are good for 100MBps speeds.…..fire to Ignite another article folks on the potential usages of such “free” ADSL!!

Blu-Ray debut of 1TB Storage coming as their popularity ramps up – Denyque Summer Love of Physical Copies

2011-11-01T14:49:00.000-04:00

Self-preservation is the first law of nature.

S. Butler, Remains (c. 1675)

Sony in collaboration with the Researchers from Tohoku University in Japan have developed a new type of Blu-Ray that can hold up to 1TB of data, a step up from the 25GB limit on the technology as noted in the article “Japanese Working on a Disk 1000 Times Larger Than Blu-Ray”, published MAY 24, 2010 BY RYAN FLEMING, DigitalTrends and the article “Sony’s Blu-Ray Replacement to Store 1TB on a Single Disc”, published JULY 27, 2010 BY RYAN FLEMING, DigitalTrends.

This was a hot summer discovery that went unnoticed due to the then unpopularity of Blu-Ray Discs because of the high price of Blu-Ray Players and disc titles. Curiously, I also did a blog article entitled “Netflix & the Death of Blu-Ray - Rise of the Machines meets Chicken Run” on the predictions of the waning popularity of DVD and Blu-Ray, which I suspected to be false, as people still have a preference for watching movies in a stored format as opposed to streaming via Web TV or IPTV Streaming options such as Netflix.

That blog article drew upon the statistics of analyst NPD which had indicated that 78% of people still watch movies using DVD as stated in the article “Blu-Ray Discs's New Format: The Old School DVD Discs ”, published Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 6:40 pm By Ed Oswald,The Technologizer. At that time Blu-Ray penetration was also very weak for the aforementioned reasons.

The effect of DVD piracy that is forcing movie studios to go 3D, both in the Developed countries such as the US of A and Developing World countries such as Jamaica is ample proof of the staying power of physical storage media to watch movies as opposed to streaming and the expense of paying for Broadband Internet as stated in my blog article entitled “Palace Amusement and the 3D Movies - Lady Gaga's 3D Mui Mui and Dolche & Gabbana”.

Looks like my analysis in those articles may require a revisit on my part. This as recent statistics released in a report by Digital Entertainment Group indicates that DVD is now on the decline and Blu-Ray sales seeing a significant uptick in popularity during the Third Quarter of 2011AD as stated in the article “Blu-ray software sales finally start accelerating”, published OCTOBER 31, 2011 BY MIKE FLACY, DigitalTrends.

The statistics tell the state of Blu-ray’s rally:

1. 58% increase in Blu-ray sales in the Third Quarter of 2011AD when compared to the same period in 2010AD

2. 52% increase in the number of persons sporting a Blu-Ray player in the Third Quarter of 2011AD when compared to the same period in 2010AD

3. The total number of Blu-Ray players is thirty three million five hundred thousand (33,500,000)in the Third Quarter of 2011AD

4. Five million (5,000,000) of HDTV capable television sets sold in the Third Quarter of 2011AD

5. The total number of HDTV capable television sets stands at seventy million (70,000,000)

Please note Blu-Ray players includes Microsoft XBox 360 and the Sony Playstation 3, which are also capable of IPTV and Web TV Streaming as noted in my blog article entitled “Netflix coming to Latin America - Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer”.

Streaming IPTV and Web Tv, if anything, is more to affect Cable Providers and Free-to-Air Broadcasters as noted in my blog article entitled “Cable Providers secretly mull unbundling their cable channels - Google TV has Customers Tangled A La Carte” and the article “LIME parent CWC partners with Avail-TVN to provide IPTV Streaming Service - War of The Worlds against Netflix”.

Physical Storage media, be it Discs or Hard Drives, will still continue to hold their own as originally argued in my blog article entitled “Netflix & the Death of Blu-Ray - Rise of the Machines meets Chicken Run”. Especially as technology advances as noted at the start of this article, point to such Physical storage media having sizes in the 1TB region or larger and viewable without paying for Broadband Internet.

Sony and Tohoku University in Japan are betting big on developing increased storage capacity based around cheaply available Titanium Oxide to make higher density Blu-Rays and Lasers that work at higher frequencies to read these higher density discs at faster speeds. No doubt such Super Blu-Ray players will have faster DSP (Digital Signal Processing) Processors.

Possibly too, using the ScOC (Super Computer on a Chip) that are the expected results of the IMB-3M collaboration to develop the adhesive to make this possible by 2013AD as predicted in my blog article entitled “IBM and 3M to develope adhesive for Iso-Linear Processor - Rihanna's Umbrella for Intel's SuperComputer on a Chip”.

So the rise in the popularity of 25GB capable Blu-Ray and the wane of4GB capable DVD is not surprising, even in a Recession. This kind of spending was last observed pre-Recession in 2008AD and may indicate people spending to enjoy themselves more at home and sit out what increasingly is appearing to be a protracted Recession or even a Double Dip Recession, Denyque Summer Love Style.

This is if the EU Deal as recorded faithfully in my blog article entitled “EU Debt Deal Reached on Wednesday October 27 2011 - Austerity measures for sustained Recovery” falls through and fails to get the backing of the People’s Republic of China.

Video Calling Standards for Cross-Platform Video Calling – Beyonce and Lady Gaga VideoPhone Requiem

2011-10-30T18:18:00.000-04:00

O ye who lead,

Take heed!

Blindness we may forgive, but baseness we smite.

William Vaughn Moody, An Ode in Time of Hesitation

Video Calling appears to be on track to hit the predicted milestone of twenty nine million (29,000,000). This statement is based on projections by Juniper Research published in October 2010AD as stated in the article “Mobile Video Calling to hit 29 million users by 2015”, published October 12, 2010 9:10 AM PDT by Don Reisinger, CNET News - The Digital Home and “Smart phone Video Calling adoption stymied: Juniper”, published Tuesday October 12, 4:28 pm ET, AFP, Yahoo! News.

Chatroulette, thus far the only Video Calling theme Social Network, is set to get a boost from this coming crush of Video Calling as prognosticated in my blog article entitled “Chatroulette, FaceTime and Smartphone Video Calling - The Thomas Crown Affair”.

Being the Fastest Rising Search Term on Google’s Zeitgeist List for 2010 as per the article “Chatroulette, iPad lead Google's Zeitgeist 2010”, published December 9, 2010 10:42 AM PST by Don Reisinger, CNET News - The Digital Home did not hurt either, as I myself saw this on my blog with a lot of search spikes for this VERY SAME article.

Earlier in 2010AD, the Apple iPhone 4 set the standard for Video Calling on a smartphone with the introduction of FaceTime. FaceTime marked the first true integration of a Video Calling Platform tailored uniquely for smartphones as per my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4.0 and Video Calling - FaceTime sets the standard”.

The Apple iPhone 4S has been a modest improvement on Video Calling with better Front and Rear Facing HD Cameras as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S is a hit and the Apple iPod may get an upgrade - Steve Jobs Opus Major” and my Geezam Blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S Post Mortem – Siri Voice Assistant and iMessage Rock”.

It seems though that FaceTime has not been made possible over Telecom Provider AT&T’s Network via the iOS 5.0 update. Strangely Skype has this privilege since June 2010AD as per the article “Skype for iPhone now support 3G, but free ride's ending”, published June 2 2010, by Ben Patterson, Yahoo! News and as noted in my blog article entitled “Skype and the Videophone - The Apple of my eye is FaceTime”.

Telecom Provider CLARO in Jamaica, before being gobbled up by Telecom Provider Digicel on Friday April 11^th 2011AD attempted to capitalize on Video Calling in the Apple iPhone. But they did very little advertising of its Video Calling capabilities.

Additionally, statistics from Analyst InStat and ABI Research in 2010AD indicate that more and more devices are coming pre-built with Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as stated in the article “Wi-Fi smart phones to dominate”, published March 23, 2010 3:01 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - CTIA 2010 and the article “More people buying Wi-Fi enabled devices”, published May 4, 2010 10:03 AM PDT by Lance Whitney CNET News – Wireless.

This puts Telecoms Providers that provide Wireless Broadband via proprietary 3G, 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) and WiMaX 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d, e) on their guard as evidenced from my Geezam Blog article entitled “Crouching LIME Huawei E586 Mi-Fi – Hidden Dekal Wireless Dragon”!

So the future of Video Calling here in Jamaica appears to be via Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Networks such as Wayne Chen and Lee’s family owned Dekal Wireless and Nubian-1 Tech Services Limited via Laptops (now UltraBooks, their eventual replacement!!), smartphones and Tablets.

Remember folks, the NetBook is already extinct!!!

Smartphones sporting proprietary 3G, 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) and WiMaX 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d, e) Radios will also be popular, but less so than the already ubiquitous and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Open Architecture Standard already popular with Laptops, UltraBooks, smartphones and Tablets.

The same is also true in the US of A, as our American counterparts are most likely to make Video Calling more popular now that:

1. Most smartphones sport a front-facing camera

2. Wireless Broadband Speeds are getting faster, suitable for clear Video Calling

3. Wireless Broadband Prices will get cheaper as Telecom Providers migrate to faster 4G LTE Networks

4. 3G, 4G LTE and WiMaX 4G Mobile Networks begin to support technology that allows Handover to Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as recorded in my blog article entitled “KDDI's Broadband WiMax and Wi-Fi Municipal Network - Ruckus's Japanese Flight of the Navigator”

5. Spectrum freed up from the Analog Television DSO (Digital Switch Over) in 2009AD can be used for Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) as recorded in my blog article entitled “Telecoms and White Spaces - A Man for All Seasons and the Big Bang Theory”

Throw in the fact that you can “steal” Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) from Open Networks as noted in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Crouching LIME Huawei E586 Mi-Fi – Hidden Dekal Wireless Dragon” and you can see the appeal of Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

So what is needed to make Video Calling really take off?

Common Video Calling Standards, much as there is a need for common IM (Instant Messaging) Standards, which was my recommendation post the great BB Messenger Outage of October 2011AD as STRONGLY suggested in my blog article entitled “Apple iPhone 4S and Apple iMessage - Timeline for Standardization of Instant Messaging”.

This as there is a smorgasbord of IM apps and programs for smartphones, Laptops and Tablets, but no common stand that allows them to talk to each other i.e. Yahoo Messenger, MSN, Skype, Fring, OoVoo, etc do not talk seamlessly to each other as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple and FaceTime - BladeRunner and Beyonce and Lady Gaga's Video Phone”.

So as I had recommended in the case of the Blackberry Messenger and Email failure, I would again recommend seamless secure Cross-Platform standard to allow these Video Calling Platforms and all up and coming Video Calling Platforms to be able to talk to each other.

It would also guarantee Video Calling Redundancy for users of one proprietary Video Calling Network, should in case their proprietary Networks fail e.g. FaceTime fails, they can re-route traffic over Server used by competitors to guarantee the five 9’s i.e. 99.999% uptime.

A good gesture among the varied Video Calling Program and app makers to make a clear break from the locked in proprietary models of PC and embrace the Developer driven models of UltraBooks, smartphones and Tablets in this “Post-PC Era”, courtesy of Beyonce and Lady Gaga Video Phone.

Cribbing from myself: Suggesting strongly that the Telecoms and IT boffins ironing out IM and Video Calling Standards, with the declining usage of SMS and MMS and the rise of M2M (Machine-to-Machine) Communications, free SMS subsidized by increased Paid M2M Traffic.

An inevitability as described in my blog article entitled “Telecom Provider LIME and M2M Services - Free SMS and EDGE for the Caribbean to Foster Regional Integration”.

Rise of King Tobacco threatens Agriculture for Food – Vybz Kartel Hot Grabba killing Marijuana Farming

2011-10-27T23:50:00.001-04:00

Statistics are like alienists – they will testify for either side

F. H. La Guardia, In Liberty, May 1933

Jamaican Agriculture is in serious Trouble, despite the 24% increase in crop production and 14% overall growth in the entire Agriculture Sector for the Second Quarter of 2011 when compared to the Second Quarter of 2010AD as per the article “Jamaican crop production up 24 per cent”, published Monday, May 02, 2011, The Jamaica Observer.

No, not for a lack of investment as the Chinese are gung-ho about it. This as evidenced by the recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the People’s Republic of China for cooperation on Agriculture with US$3.288 million bars of silver thrown in for good measure as stated in the article “Jamaica, China sign grant agreements, MOU for agricultural support”, published Thursday, September 22, 2011, The Jamaica Observer.

Neither is it for a lack of Bipartisan support, as PNP’s spokesperson on Agriculture, Senator Roger Clarke, has pledged his support to initiatives put on by the JLP Minister of Agriculture, Senator Robert Montague as mentioned in the article “Clarke pledges non-partisan support for agriculture”, published Monday, October 03, 2011 BY ALICIA SUTHERLAND Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer.

Rather, it is because Jamaican Farmers are increasingly choosing to grow Tobacco instead of crops for food as stated in the article “Jamaica: Not giving up on Tobacco”, published Sunday October 2, 2011, by Gary Spauldings, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This as Tobacco fetches upwards of JA$8,000 per pound, as evidenced by a Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) Study compiled in 2011AD that tracked the progress of the Tobacco Industry over a two (2) year period:

1. It grows in almost any soil type with little needs for cultivation and maintenance, as the plant itself is a weed

2. The dried leaves can be stored for long periods

3. It is lightweight and easily compressible

4. The demand for the product is high and can be readily be made into end products fetching a higher price without having to sell their crop to Carrerras Group of Companies

5. The level of expertise required is very low, as most of the farmers have been growing the product for less than two (2) years

More interesting statistics:

1. The Tobacco Industry is valued at JA$397 million.

2. Gross earnings per acre is approximately JA$1.28 million.

3. Average Gross Earning per Tobacco farmer is just under JA$693,000

Yes, you read that right folks.

Growing Tobacco is really more lucrative than growing Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) as stated in an earlier article entitled “Tobacco worries - Jamaica in treaty contravention”, published Sunday September 18, 2011 by Gary Spauldings, The Jamaica Gleaner. The curious fact that caught my eye, as Tobacco, known among the youth of the community of Milk River, Clarendon where I live, is called “Grabbba”.

It is often mixed with Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) and smoked, which may explain the name (Declaimer: I don’t smoke nor drink alcohol!!). That this simple weed is beating out Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) cultivation, which by the way is still illegal in Jamaica, speaks to the irony of the legality of growing and selling Tobacco, when BOTH are in fact narcotics with similar levels of addictiveness.

Its excessive cultivation puts Jamaica in contravention of the WHO (World Health Organization’s) FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control), a treaty to the UN (United Nations) to which the government of Jamaica has been signatory since 2005AD. Thus the Government of Jamaica needs to control the growth of Tobacco, making sure, like sugar cane used for the manufacture of Rum that it is under the control of Carrerras Group of Companies, makers of several brands of Cigarettes such as Rothmans and Craven A.

Carrerras Group of Companies can then follow through on the plan to make e-Cigarettes as suggested in my blog article entitled “Carerras and e-cigarettes - THC Thanks You for Smoking The Next Big Thing”, as it would appear with “Hot Grabba” killing Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) production, Tobacco production may be seeing a renaissance.

Thus controlling it is essential. Otherwise not only will Jamaica still be in breach of the WHO FCTC, but we may inadvertently starve to death as farmers stop seeing crops for food production as being lucrative and decided to cultivate tobacco, as the Tainos did before the conquistadors killed them off with hard farm labour.

EU Debt Deal Reached on Wednesday October 27 2011 - Austerity measures for sustained Recovery

2011-10-27T17:44:00.002-04:00

All service is the same with god,

With God, whose puppets, best and worst,

Are e: there is no last nor first.

R . Browning, Pippa Passes

The EU (European Union) has finally reached a debt deal that will see most of the major EU nations including Greece, being helped by a boost to the EFSF (European Financial Stability Facility) from EU$440 billion to EU$1 trillion as reported by Reuters in the article “Euro deal leaves much to do on rescue fund, Greek debt”, published Thursday October 27 2011 3:44PM EDT by Luke Baker and Julien Toyer, Reuters.

Which to my politically sanitized ears, initially sounded like an European Version of Jamaica’s FINSAC (Financial Sector Adjustment Company) and JDX (Jamaica Debt Exchange) rolled into one as stated in the article “Bare-bones EU debt deal news enough for buyers”, published Wednesday October 26, 2011 7:23pm EDT By Chuck Mikolajczak, Reuters.

Details, however, are beginning to flesh out today, Thursday October 27^th 2011AD. This fund, aptly named the EFSF (European Financial Stability Facility), was eventually boosted to EU$1 trillion (US$1.4 trillion) and includes conditionality’s such as:

1. EU Bloc countries recapitalizing their Banks

2. Banks and large holder of Greek Government Bonds agreeing to take a 50% profit cut on their Bonds

However, the EFSF is financed by EU Bloc Bonds as opposed to individual countries, so this is essentially borrowing to pay off Debts that Banks among the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland Spain and Germany) and Greece were exposed. This New Deal, as I like to call it, reduced the Greek Debt by some EU$100 billion, a reduction of the ratio of Debt to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to 120% from a previous high of 160%.

Sustainable Debt?

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou after the Brussels Meeting on Wednesday October 26, 2011 seems to think, quote: “The debt is absolutely sustainable now. Greece can settle its accounts from the past now, once and for all.”

Naturally, the stock markets are happy, as the plan involves the banks doing something they should have been doing from a long time ago: making money the old fashioned way via Loans and borrowing instead of profits riding on Government Paper, such as those from the Greek Economy, which was set to default.

This Greek bailout, by the way, sounds an awful lot like our JDX (Jamaica Debt Exchange) , a personal opinion of mine as well as that of Economist Keith Collister as stated in the article “Greek debt crisis solution increasingly resembles Jamaica Debt Exchange”, published Sunday, July 24, 2011 BY KEITH COLLISTER, The Jamaica Observer .

UK Guardian commentator Mark Weisbrot Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research , in Washington, DC , even drew for the actions of the Jamaican Government and their approach in using the JDX connection and even suggested the very same thing with caveats as recorded in the article “Jamaica's crippling debt crisis must serve as a warning to Greece”, published Friday 22 July 2011 18.32 BST by Mark Weisbrot, The UK Guardian.

This time around, Minister of Finance Senator Audley Shaw deserves all the credit, as he had suggested this very same idea at an Interview at Bloomberg Headquarters in New York on Tuesday September 27^th 2011AD as noted in the article “Greece should pattern Jamaica Debt Exchange - Finance Minister”, published Wednesday September 28,2011 7:20pm, RJR News Online.

As usual, there is more to this simple scaling up of the Fund than meets the eye, as noted by equity strategist at Credit Swisse in Sydney, Damien Boey, quote: “While the headlines look good, the devil is in the details. We don't actually know how they are planning to increase the bail-out fund size from 440 billion euros to a trillion. On top of that, there are some questions as to whether one trillion euros in itself is enough.”

So where the funds are to come from are still unanswered concerns. Ditto too, if EU$1 trillion is enough, a figure that mirrors the bail-out figure of US$1 trillion borrowed from The People’s Republic of China to bail out the US Economy.

So most likely, the EU Bloc may be running the People’s Republic of China to borrow more money. Like the US has done. No doubt the People’s Republic of China President Hu Jintao will be eager to lend, as the stability of the European Union, their second Largest customer, is of greatest importance.

The long term solution?

Simon Henry, Royal Dutch Shell Chief Financial Officer, put it bluntly, quote: “Europe's macroeconomic position can only recover and the sovereign debt crisis can only be addressed through underlying economic growth. We do not see the European Union creating the conditions for that, in fact quite the opposite.” Productivity in the Private Sector.

Hopefully the actions of the EU can be achieved and they will follow through with Austerity Measures as per my blog article entitled “EU, USA and the Second Recession - Economist Dennis Chung's Andromeda and The Long Night”. This before Peak Oil is scheduled to occur in 2015AD as stated in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and the Caribbean - Peak Oil in 2015 and The Day After Tomorrow”.