MNP, Supreme Ventures Limited, Internet Gambling and the Royal flush of Smart phones

{7:1}  Judge  not,  that  ye  be  not  judged. 

{7:2}  For  with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure  ye mete,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again. 

{7:3}  And  why  beholdest  thou  the  mote  that  is  in  thy  brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

{7:4}  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?

{7:5}  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Matthew 7 vs 1 to 5

The Apple iPad launched worldwide with much fanfare in Britain with the excited long lines of tech crazed Apple Fanboys as stated in the article “Crowds gather for UK iPad launch”, published Sunday May 30 2010, BBC News.

This is also shown in the YouTube Video entitled “Excitement as iPad reaches Europe”, by Chalie Angela, Al-Jazeera and “Fanfare greets Global Debut of iPad” by Millar Sega, VOA News with similar bleary eyed jubilant long lines of Apple Fanboys in Tokyo Japan as shown in the YouTube Video entitled “Tokyo fans snatch Apple's iPads” by AFP News.

Already, the Apple iPad has smashed previous sales record for the Apple iPhone, selling more than one million (1,000,000) units within the space of twenty eight (28) days as stated in the article “Apple sells 1 million iPads”, published May 3, 2010 6:16 AM PDT by Jim Dalrymple, CNET News since the debut of the device on the weekend of Saturday April 3^rd and Sunday April 4^th 2010 cementing the fact that this device is not only the future but also a game changer.

This confirms earlier reports of the devices “zippy” interface as stated in the article “Early reviews: iPad is 'beautiful', 'blazingly fast', 'has a touch of genius'”, published Wednesday April 1 2010 by Ben Patterson, Yahoo! News. The fact that it is changing the way developers are building apps and websites as stated in the article " iPad Already Changing the Way Web Sites are Built", published Thursday April 1, 12:01 pm ET Dan Hope TechNews Daily Staff Writer, Yahoo! News.

In fact it’s already beginning to look like the next gaming platform of the Summer of 2010 as stated in the article “iPhone vs iPad: 20 games compared”, published April 6, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Josh Lowensohn CNET News bodes well for the future of computing as per my blog article entitled “Apple iPad and the future of computing”.

But the greatest potential of this device which is merely a bigger Apple iPhone, as it runs a modified Apple iPhone OS, is that, despite not having Adobe Flash support (who needs that third party 90’s throwback anyway when HTML5 is coming?), no video calling or phone calling capability, no E-Ink and an apparent lackluster Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n)  as stated in the article “Apple Addresses Complaints about Weak iPad Wi-Fi” published Wednesday April 7^th 2010 by Barry Levine, newsfactor.com, Yahoo! News, it has done what it has set out to do.

This was to offer an alternative to the Amazon Kindle eReader device, with even Marvel Comics, now owned by Walt Disney, on whose board CEO Steve Jobs sits as stated in the article “Disney to Buy Marvel for US$4 Billion”, published August 31, 2009, 10:10AM EST By Ronald Grover, Business Week – Entertainment.

They are planning to make a comeback as stated in the article “Comic Book Publishers Plot comeback via Apple iPad”, published Wednesday April 7, 2010 By Douglas MacMillan Business Week - DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT. The New York Times is also betting on the Apple iPad as the means for its revival and Hulu, which is CBS owned, is looking to serve up content on the Apple iPad. Thus Newspapers and Broadcasters are saved.

Apple is apparently so overwhelmed by the apparent unexpected incredible demand for its “new” product in places as far away as Australia and Japan that they are splashing on the release of another twenty four million (24,000,000) Apple iPhones running iPhone OS 4.0 as stated in the “Report: Apple readying 24 million units of next iPhone”, published May 17, 2010 10:25 AM PDT by Erica Ogg, CNET News.

The Apple iPhone will sport multitasking, folders (finally), and the new Apple advertising platform called Apple iAd, a game social Network called Game Center, similar to that of Microsoft Xbox 360, iBook, similar to the iBookStore App on the Apple iPad with a free complimentary book Winnie the Pooh (first thing Apple has ever given away for free!!) as suggested in the article “Will iPhone 4.0 derail Microsoft's phone plans?”, published April 9, 2010 10:24 AM PDT by Ina Fried, CNET News.

Signs of a big rush for the newly upgraded Apple iPhone can be seen from the recent pricing of the Apple iPhone 3GS, which has now fallen to US$97 on a two (2) year contract from AT&T as stated in the article “Get a new 16GB iPhone 3GS for US$97”, published May 25, 2010 5:18 AM PDT by Rick Broida CNET News.

The recent murmuring of a possible Verizon supported Apple iPhone after AT&T exclusive contract expires this year 2010, speculation fuelled by recent comments by Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg expressing an interest in having the Apple iPhone on their Telecom Network as stated in the article “Verizon CEO has told Apple of iPhone interest”, published Tue Apr 6, 10:28 am ET, Yahoo! News.

Even opinion pieces by such noted journalists as David Carnoy as elaborated in his article “Verizon iPhone: Sooner or later?”, published May 24, 2010 1:33 PM PDT by David Carnoy by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News. Further hints can also be seen from the recent rise in Pre-Paid phones as stated in the articles “Prepaid wireless outpaces contract services”, published April 5, 2010 3:35 PM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.

It’s also stated in the article “Smart phones come to prepaid wireless market”, published May 19, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News which is a temporary trend lemming-like reaction of people looking for deals but still wanting to have a high-end phones, as Contracts merely need only minor adjusting to the ETF (Early Termination Fees) to make them more attractive after the Recession abates.

Statistical proof, however is provided by Gartner, who have compiled statistical data confirming beyond a shadow of a doubt that this Summer of 2010 will see a surge in the purchase of smart phones with Apple makers of the Apple iPhone, RIM makers of the Blackberry , also showing healthy signs of growth as stated by NPD in the article “RIM's strategy to stay on top in smartphones”, published May 12, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.

There are other smart phones that run Google Android leading the charge and confirming the shift towards Pre-paid as stated in the article “Cell phone, smartphone sales surge”, published May 19, 2010 10:01 AM PDT by Lance Whitney, by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.

Even Google’ Android OS despite its support by a hodgepodge of  different phones with different screen sizes from such Mobile Handset Makers as diverse as Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and HTC has shown potential for growth as stated in the article “Analysts predict bold growth for Google Android” published January 25, 2010 2:18 PM PST by Marguerite Reardon by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.

This was later confirmed by a study done by ComScore that showed that Google had posted a 5.2% increase in its subscriber percentage of the smart phone OS Market within the period November 2009 to February 2010 as stated in the article “Google Android growth outpacing the industry” published April 5, 2010 2:36 PM PDT by Tom Krazit by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News. Google is seemingly on its way to beating out Apple and Microsoft for the number two (2) spot in terms of smart phones OS and phones running the Google Android OS

Google Android OS, however, has strongest support in the United States of America, as stated in the article “Android ownership hottest in North America”, published May 26, 2010 8:14 AM PDT by Lance Whitney by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News with 75% support in North America as confirmed by AdMob.

AdMob is an advertising firm that was recently purchased by Google for US$750 million as stated in the article “Apple to buy Quattro Wireless for US$275 million” January 4, 2010 8:25 PM PST by Kara Swisher, by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.

Google OS will be supporting Tablet challengers after Microsoft with their Courier and HP with their Slate as stated in the article “HP preps its would-be iPad Killer, the Slate” published Tuesday April 6, 11:13 am ET By Ben Patterson Yahoo! News all backed out of the race at the last minute. Dell and their Streak  as stated in the article “Dell's Streak Tablet headed to UK first”, published May 25, 2010 8:12 AM PDT by Erica Ogg, by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News and other tablets supported by Verizon.

One thing is for certain, the Apple iPad and its Tablet-pc wannabees copycats have the potential to dampen Netbook sales, if the price is right as stated in the article  " iPad, tablets expected to dampen Netbook sales", published April 6, 2010 8:17 AM PDT by Lance Whitney by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News and " Netbook Sales Sag as the iPad Arrives” published April 7, 2010, 12:27AM EST By Cliff Edwards, by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.

Thus, most Apple Fanboys in Jamaica are probably still awaiting a public declaration from Telecom Provider CLARO or any of the Telecoms Providers who may have an interest in carrying the device, as in my mind it is already a done deal, albeit Telecom Provider CLARO now has to confirm whether they plan to support this device, specifically the Apple iPad 3G + Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) versions, as the Apple iPad Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) version obviously will not need Telecom Provider CLARO support.

But as Telecom Provider CLARO is the retailer for Apple in Jamaica, there is the possibility that they can support the device by simply selling 3G-to-Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) routers to provide the Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) service, as unlike the United States of America as alluded to in the article “AT&T offers free Wi-Fi in New York City”, published May 25, 2010 7:04 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News free Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) does not exist in Jamaica……….at least not yet.

Local interest here in Jamaica is predicted to be mostly among college students and Seventh Day Adventist and other similarly organized Christian groupings, such as possibly Jehovah’s Witnesses and WorldWide Church of God (Armstrongites), who are currently the only demographic spanning all age ranges and demographics that read books, as they typical members of John Public does not read at all, merely subsisting on Television and radio, seemingly disinterested in the world around them.

But there is still one industry that is still struggling that also needs to be salvaged and that is the Gambling Industry and curiously enough, support is coming from an unlikely source supporting the move towards Online Gambling as stated in the article “Congress may roll dice, legalizing Net gambling” published May 18, 2010 11:14 PM PDT by Declan McCullagh by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News the Government of the United States of America.

This support for Internet Gambling, as laid out in a bill being championed by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) in a bill titled H.R. 2267, which would allow Internet casinos to obtain licenses from and be regulated by the federal Government.

It is thus on this basis that Telecoms Providers in Jamaica and Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) should take the opportunity to more aggressively lobby for support for a similar legislative push to legalize Online Gambling as well as allow televised off track horse betting, as similar to the United States of America, it could be a tremendous source of taxable revenue not to mention a source of employment as well as a means of paying police, nurses and teachers money owed to them.

With the tremendous wave of smart phones and tablets to soon hit our shores by early Christmas of 2010 and accelerate by the second quarter of 2011 with the expected launch of LIME TV and Digicel 4G WiMaX (IEEE 802.16m) as state in the article “Digicel to offer mini Laptops with 4G service next year”, published Friday September 4, 2009, the Daily Gleaner.

ZTE Corp of China is their build out partner of their new WiMaX 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) Network as stated in the article “Digicel signs ZTE as 4G Mobile WiMaX internet partner”, published Sunday, September 27, 2009, The Jamaica Observer.

Internet Gambling, combined with Senator Dwight Nelson, Minister of National Security and Justice and his intended implementation of MRSI (Mandatory Registration of Subscriber Information) as stated in the article “CLARO Backs Cell Phone Tracking Plan; Digicel, LIME in Wait-And-See Mode”, published Sunday May 16, 2010 by Mark Titus, Business Reporter, the Daily Gleaner.

A move that will eventually lead to MNP (Mobile Number Portability), most desirable from Telecom Provider CLARO’s point of view and which is priority as alluded to in the article “OUR signals policy shift on portability - Says Jamaica running out of phone numbers”, published Friday November 20, 2009 by Mark Titus, Business Reporter, the Daily Gleaner.

This proposal for which being slated to come to the attention of John Public’s in June 2010 as stated in the article “Paulwell calls for number portability”, published, Wednesday April 21, 2010, Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter, the Daily Gleaner.

This would create a secure platform where under eighteen (18) gamblers could be identified and blocked from gambling via Mobile smart phones and modems used to access the SVL Gambling Platforms, with further security being provided by requesting the persons enter their TRN for Taxation and verification purposes before persons would be allowed to placed bets via the internet. Curiously a similar solution exists to make Social Networks profitable and secure…..but that is another article.