Alternative Energy and Telecoms - Electric Cars and smart phones coming

Capitalism did not arise because capitalists stole the land or the workmen’s tools, but because it was more efficient than feudalism. It will perish because it is not merely less efficient than socialism, but actually self-destructive

J.B.S. Haldane, I Believe

The Recession in the United States of America is making the Americans do strange things. Case to point: Senator Barack Obama, President of the United States of America appearing to be a “tree-hugger” in defense of the environment via an imposed six month moratorium on offshore oil drilling as stated in the article “Obama: End Dependence on Fossil Fuels”, published Wednesday June 2010, By JULIE PACE, Associated Press Writer, Yahoo! News.

A fresh attempt now in place, plunking down nearly US$1 billion in Government of the United States of America Venture Capital (VC) money as stated in the article “Obama commits billions to Solar Firms”, published July 4, 2010 11:34 AM PDT by Reuters, CNET News - Green Tech.

More “tree hugging” during a photo opportunity, or “photo op” as the Americans call it around the steering wheel of a 2011 Chevy Volt as stated in the article “Obama slips behind the wheel of the Chevy Volt”, published July 16, 2010 12:52 PM PDT by Suzanne Ashe, CNET News - The Car Tech blog, apparently in support of forward thinking technology types, making many an engineer in Silicon Valley and it noveau reich smile.

This does not look good for Big Oil, old School business as there a lot of people whose livelihoods depend on Big Oil and the free spending ways of its workers, not to mention direct employment by the likes of Royal Dutch Shell as was clearly evident on The Hub, aired Monday July 19 2010, BBC World News. An yet Big Oil is investing in Bio-fuels, apparently hedging their bets on an Alternative Energy future that may not involve Oil, making the Alaskans look like Luddites. Royal Dutch Shell, carpe diem!

It does not look good for people downloading music, movies and other content illegally either as Senator Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States of America has got religion too. This as stated in the article “Federal rules on campus file sharing kicks in today”, published July 1, 2010 7:14 AM PDT by Greg Sandoval CNET News - Media Maverick.

Which by the way is being followed up with punitive action as stated in the article “Feds seize cash, Web sites of alledged film pirates”, published June 30, 2010 3:11 PM PDT by Greg Sandoval CNET News - Media Maverick.

Even online shopping will no longer be tax free if Senator Bill Delahunt and the Kings Men (Hollywood, is this better title for my script?) succeed in having their cake and eating it as stated in the article “Democrats push for new Internet sales taxes”, published July 2, 2010 12:28 PM PDT by Declan McCullagh, CNET News - Politics and Law.

Ditto on the taxation thing for VOIP calling on Skype as stated in the article “Skype for iPhone now support 3G, but free ride's ending”, published June 2 2010, by Ben Patterson, Yahoo, online gambling being championed by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) in a bill titled H.R. 2267 and H.R. 2268 as stated in the article “Congress may roll dice, legalizing Net Gambling” published May 18, 2010 11:14 PM PDT by Declan McCullagh CNET News- Politics and Law.

There is also the viewing of video content on video websites such as Hulu as stated in the article “Hulu launches $10 video subscription service”, published Tuesday June 29 2010 by RYAN NAKASHIMA, AP Business Writer, Yahoo! News and even pornography as stated in the article “Sex domain gets official approval”, published Friday June 25 2010 by BBC World News.

America, the free ride is over as the Federal Government, in a bid to increase it tax inflows, is implicitly copying the Government of Jamaica and the application of the Matalon Report, as the success of the JDX (Jamaica Debt Exchange) is now been rapidly spread and whispered far and wide and as was the case with our athletes at the Olympics, the American are, as they say in their colloquial language, are “green with envy”!!

A similar storm in a teacup (for obviously that is what John Public sees it as) is brewing in the Mobile Phone industry after Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs had his Black Friday or Black Sabbath, whichever you prefer. In its aftermath, there now appears to be an impending shortage of components to make the reputed Apple iPhone 4.0 Replacement Killers (Hollywood, is that a great title for a movie or what?) as stated in the article “The summer of the smart phone shortage”, published July 13, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength.

This would be the 4” screen almost-big-as-my-hand HTC Evo 4G on Telecom Provider Sprint 4G Wireless Broadband Network, HTC Droid Incredible 4G on Telecom Provider Verizon 4G Wireless Broadband Network and the Motorola Droid and its cousin the renamed Motorola Droid X on Telecom Provider Verizon 4G Wireless Broadband Network.

Meanwhile, in Jamaica, as if by magic, ever since the stealthily quiet launch of Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Network Provider Dekal Wireless, which is similarly cost- structured with a JA$180 Day Pass Access island wide as is AT&T Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Network as stated in the article “AT&T offers Wi-Fi in New York City”, published May 25, 2010 7:04 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength.

Since the last week of June 2010, not only has Telecom Provider Digicel launched the new Jus Buss Promotion on Television Jamaica since Thursday 1^st 2010, yet holding on to the still successful Gimme 5 Promotion.

but Telecom Provider Digicel have been dropping hints like crazy about their impending WiMaX 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) Wireless Broadband Network Launch, slated to occur in August, my birth month as stated in the article “Digicel quietly testing 4G for August launch”, published Sunday June 27^th 2010 by Mark Titus, Gleaner Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This on the back of a successful First Quarter for 2010 for Digicel Group as stated in the article “Digicel look beyond to expand its 32 markets”, published Friday June 25^th 2010 by Al Edwards, The Jamaica Observer and for Telecom Providers in general as stated in the article  “Total revenue hit record in September Q” published Wednesday July 7^th 2010, The Jamaica Observer.

August bad again!!

Telecom Provider Digicel apparently is taking no chances, as they are well aware of the fact that there is flurried speculation of a coming tsunami of ultra-cheap Apple iPhone 3GS from Telecom Provider CLARO, as ever since the news of the drop in price of the iconic Apple iPhone 3GS to US$99 on a two (2) year contract stated in the article “Get a new 16GB iPhone 3GS for $97”, published May 25, 2010 5:18 AM PDT by Rick Broida CNET News - The Cheapskate.

The Telecom Providers have been getting fidgety, making all manner of announcements that seem to be merely vapor ware, such as Telecom Provider LIME’s announcement on Radio on Wednesday July 7^th 2010 while I was on my way from Mandeville of the eminent launch of LIME TV.

LIME TV was to be a Direct TV supported variant of Telecom Provider Digicel’s highly successful DigiTV as hinted in the article  “DigiTV launch for 2009 - Mobile provider branches into TV”, published Friday November 14^th 2009 by Ross Sheil, Online Co-ordinator, The Jamaica Observer.

DigiTV’s business model looks a bit shady to me and may in fact be reduced to being piggybacked on WiMaX 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) Wireless Broadband Network similarly as Telecom Provider LIME is rumored to be doing, effectively Wireless Subscriber Television and an avenue for the Big Three (3) Broadcasters RJR Communications Group, CVM Communications Group and LOVE TV/Radio.

Telecom Provider LIME’s Summer Promotion with the Apple iPad 3G or the Apple iPad 3G +Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) is further evidence of the coming nervousness swirling around Dekal Wireles and Telecom Provider CLARO threatening stances in the coming few weeks, a sure sign that Telecom Provider CLARO is not supporting the Apple iPad 3G or the Apple iPad 3G +Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) but Dekal Wireless is picking up the slack.

Albeit no definitive announcement has come from out of either Telecom Provider CLARO or Dekal Wireless, John Public is wondering if the two (2) are running as the American would say “gangbusters” on Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider Digicel, signaling something that Telecom Providers, “lovers of money and themselves” dread the most: a Price War, a benefit to customers but discount hell for Telecom Providers.

This just in!: Telecom Provider LIME is now carrying the supposed flagship smart phone from Telecom Provider Digicel namely the Blackberry Storm ( the only “smart” phone from Blackberry, which is finally catching the trend of touch screens and multimedia) as stated in the LIME Advertisement, dated Monday July 19 2010, The Sunday Gleaner

The fact that Telecom Provider LIME has just reached Montego Bay as stated in the article “LIME to build US$40m 3G Network for Montego Bay”, published Sunday June 27, 2010, by Janeta Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer, The Sunday Gleaner, then we have an interesting “double whammie” as the Americans call it in Jamaica for the first time.

Not only do we have a Data War shaping up between Dekal Wireless and the Big Three (3) Telecom Providers LIME, Telecom Provider Digicel and Telecom Provider CLARO but now we may seem to be having a smart phone battle as Telecom Provider CLARO may be preparing to unleash upon us a horde of Apple iPhone 3GS so cheap that it would push the price of the Blackberry to prices only seen for the Nokia 1208 and that is NOT a smart phone but a simple feature phone. 

This seems, as John Public, a cricket fan of the West Indies, to be a follow-on on the trend in the United States of America, in their sweltering heat sweating it out with a fatal case of Apple iPhone 4.0 fever.

We, as pragmatic Jamaican people, rarely stand in lines, only for the US Embassy Visas, Government of Jamaica food Stamps, Government Tax Agencies, Free Food or anything free for that matter but the crazy three (3) block lines as stated by Senior Editor, Brian Tong in the video “CNET The Apple Byte”, aired Friday June 25^th 2010, by Brian Tong, Senior Editor, CNET News and corroborated by the blog “Live blog: iPhone 4 goes on sale”, published June 24, 2010 3:00 AM PDT by CNET News staff, CNET News - Wireless on Thursday 24^th June 2010 when the Apple iPhone 4.0 landed may just be set to happen in Jamaica at a CLARO Store near you!!

Let us analyze this Apple iPhone 4.0 fever like a good doctor should. The response of the Americans to the Apple iPhone 4.0, despite the asserted problems, completely outstripped the hype of the previous Apple iPad launch that debut earlier on the weekend of Saturday April 3^rd and Sunday April 4^th 2010, with “White people gone bananas over Apple”.

When Telecom Provider AT&T launched the Apple iPhone from its stores as stated in the article “iPhone 4 goes on sale at AT&T”, published June 29, 2010 5:48 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength the same thing occurred: long lines, chaos.

Assuming the ever truthful bloggers cum journalists at CNET in the guise of Senior Editor, Brian Tong in the video “CNET The Apple Byte”, aired Friday June 25^th 2010, by Brian Tong, Senior Editor, CNET News estimate of sales figures of one million, five hundred thousand (1,500,000) Apple iPhone 4.0’s in one (1) day, a record corroborated by article “First day iPhone 4 sales estimate: 1.5 million”, published June 25, 2010 10:10 AM PDT by Erica Ogg, CNET News - Circuit Breaker

The Apple iPhone 4.0 will go down in history as the most successfully Summer of 2010 for smart phone makers, as the feel good appetite that the sudden rebounding of the American Economy is having a ripple effect

Vision: people shelling out big bucks on all smart phones in general, defying the analysts and buying that smart phone that have always wanted. This is resulting in supply shortages even for the Apple iPhone 4.0 Replacements (Hollywood, Hollywood…………this title any better?) as stated in the article “The summer of the smart phone shortage”, published July 13, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength. Capitalism is alive and well in the Great United States of America, but will this “bubble” of smart phone craziness burst and eventually self destruct?

And will America, as John Public had originally observed, make a break from its free spending ways to a more austere heavily taxed clean-energy future? Stay tuned as I get revved up for my next article on what may be the next big trend in the United States of America for the year 2011 AD………..All-Electric Cars: The Next Must-Have Gadget Revolution.