CLARO vs FLOW - Cats and Dogs The Revenge of Kitty Galore

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood,

And fired the shot heard around the world

Emerson, Concord Hymn

The Cat is now out of the Bag, so to speak, as if it regular Jamaicans and ardent techies on the TechJamaica Forum and more importantly, my fellow stable mates and members of the growing Blogsphere Community in Jamaica, specifically Blogger did not see this coming: Telecom Provider CLARO has accepted the challenge based on the throw down of the gauntlet by Triple Play Provider FLOW announced in their previous speed bump up to 100MBps as stated in the article “FLOW to bring 100Mbs to Jamaican homes”, published Saturday October 16 2010, The Jamaica Observer.

They have declared their intention to go toe-to-toe with the best of ‘em by going LTE (Long Term Evolution), capable of speeds of up to 172MBps as stated in the article “Game on!”, published Friday October 22, 2010 by Mark Titus, The Friday Financial Gleaner.

Nice title, as gaming is the MAIN thing that 4G is good for, aside from Video Calling.

By the way, as an aside, it is raining Cats and Dogs, as per the Revenge of Kitty Galore edition of the movie as I type these words to thee, here in my hobbit town of Milk River, Clarendon. Another deluge, I’m afraid folks, another night of rain – and no Audia Granston, my cosmetologist SDA snookums to cuddle up with, cold am I.

But the excitement in the tech world here in Jamaica, as most Americans will grudgingly agree, will keep you blazing hot even in a snow blizzard wearing no underwear (love that imagery, folks?), much as the Big Cats fight started by Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ five (5) minute rant about the competition at their latest earnings call as stated in the article “Apple: More revenue in one quarter than Google will do in a year”, published October 18, 2010, 1:48pm PDT By Sam Diaz, Between the Lines - ZDNet.

Fellow Physics and Tech bloggers, including those facing persecution for who you are, it DOES get better. Hang in there, one day at a time…….

Straight to it, lads!! Google’s point man on Android, Andy Rubin, is alleged to have responded to via Twitter in a geeked-out command line string used to install and allow Developer to dabble with Android Source Code to make their own build of Android as stated in the article “A misguided rebuttal to Steve Jobs' Android attack”, published October 19, 2010 5:13 AM PDT, by Stephen Shankland, CNET News - Deep Tech.

Excitement in the tech world is never dull, especially if you are a now world famous blogger such as myself.  Curiously, this all seems to be happening in the same month of October 2010 AD that Telecom Provider Clearwire is allegedly showing signs of defecting to the LTE camp.

Telecom Provider Clearwire recently testing a LTE software upgrade that enables their Network with 100MBps speeds as stated in the article “Clearwire edges toward 100MBps wireless broadband:, published October 20, 2010 12:34 PM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength. Americans, say it ain’t so!!

More relevant to my argument is the fact that Telecoms Networks in the United States of America are ramping up their deployments for WiMaX 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) as stated in the article “Clearwire brings limited 4G to New York and Los Angeles”, published September 13, 2010 2:15 PM PDT by Kent German, CNET News - Dialed In and LTE (Long Term Evolution) as stated in the article “AT&T, Verizon execs talk LTE expansion”, published September 16, 2010 11:05 PM PDT by Kent German, CNET News - Dialed In.

It is good to note at this point, lest we forget, that these competing technologies are not yet 4G, as that seal of approval can only be bestowed by the ITU (International Telecommunications Union), the Telecommunications arm of the UN (United Nations) which has indicated that WiMaX and LTE. More specifically WiMaX 2 (IEEE 802.16m), are indeed 4G, albeit not officially so as stated in the article “4G: What's in a name?”, published October 21, 2010 12:42 PM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength.

The ITU’s conditionality is simple: Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM), effectively the same signal multiplexing inherent in WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), a descendant of CDMA Networks and speed capability demonstrable in achieving 100MBps and higher, a criteria neither of these technologies can achieve when the 4G Data Network is loaded to capacity.

Thus Digicel 4G Broadband is guilty of false advertising, technically speaking, as they are not quite 4G.

With the battle now amped up, it is good to note that real-world speeds will still be in the sub 50MBps region, as the 172MBps is a theoretical maximum still not yet achievable by LTE or WiMaX for that matter. Telecom Provider CLARO will have to upgrade their Alcatel Lucent Radios to bigger ones that have DAC cards capable of having more installed T1’s.  

Also, customers with a 3G modem need not return them to Telecom Provider CLARO, as LTE is backward compatible with HSDPA (High Speed Download Packet Access) based modems, using the same Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and Adaptive Modulation based on QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation). The modems just run hotter and LTE is fully handover capable, albeit it has issues with the contention ratio, reputed to be only six hundred (600) UE (User Equipment) [modems] compared to four thousand (4000) UE (User Equipment) for the previous 3G technologies.

If anything, LTE requires more noise free Electrical Power, necessating a switch to Alternative Energy sources, such as Wind and Solar Power Generators, thus eliminating fuel theft, along with necessary security enhancements. Telecom Provider Digicel can upgrade from WiMaX 4G Fixed (IEEE 802.16a) and WiMaX 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d,e) to 120MBps capable WiMaX 2 (IEEE 802.16m) as stated in the article “WiMaX 2 standard gets date for approval”, published August 16, 2010 1:19 PM PDT by Jack Clark, CNET News – Wireless

WiMaX 2 is fully ratification by the IEEE Standards Association and device certification coming in 2011AD. Telecom Provider CLARO, wary of being caught up in Triple Play Provider FLOW CEO Michelle English media distortion field as obvious from her exclusive interview with Gleaner Reporter Janet Silvera detailed in the must read article “FLOWing fastest - Broadband changes to revolutionize Jamaica's Internet landscape”, published Sunday October 24 2010, by Janet Silvera, The Sunday Gleaner, may opt for a pricing strategy but lower, sub 50MBps speeds, emphasizing mobility.

Don’t forget the Wayne Chen and Lee’s owned Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Networks Dekal Wireless [a Droid] as stated  in the article “Wayne Chen, Lees enter Wireless Broadband Market”, published Friday July 30^th 2010 by Mark Titus, Business Reporter, The Financial Gleaner and upstart Nubian-1 Tech Services Ltd [Princess Amidala’s Royal starship] as stated in the article “Another small player emerges in the wireless broadband market”, published Friday August 2 2010 by Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner

These two (2) Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Networks are beating the bigger Telecom Providers with a wireless Network capable of 300MBps but offering speeds of 4MBps to 10MBps best effort, comparable in terms of speed and cost but not necessarily coverage or range, that spec being one (1) km. That will soon improve with the coming of DSO (Digital Switch Over) by 2011AD.

2011AD you say?

Yes, boss. DSO (Digital Switch Over) may indeed be achievable by 2011AD in Jamaica, as it translates to more economic activity and increased taxable income for the Government of Jamaica as tacitly suggested in the article “Slow road to digital switch-over  - Cable groups mum; FLOW ahead but Network coverage behind”, published: Saturday  August 15, 2009 by Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

It is hoped that the Government of Jamaica, much as the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Chairman Julius Genachoswki had done for small Telecom Operators in the United States of America Frequencies as stated in the article “FCC to open up vacant TV airwaves for broadband”, published Monday September 13, 12:35 am ET By JOELLE TESSLER, AP Technology Writer, Yahoo! News and now officially confirmed in the article “FCC officially frees TV white space spectrum”, published Thursday September 23 2010, CNET News, will allow the “White” Space Frequencies in-between the NTSC (National Television Systems Committee) Television and Radio channels to be utilized spectrum license free to provision “Super” Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) services, unhindered by metallic structures and obstacles that block frequencies in the 850MHz and 2100MHz bands.

And in the middle of all this muddle, the Jamaica customer benefits, as the competition, obvious heating up with the Christmas Promotions from both Telecom Provider CLARO and Triple Play Provider FLOW, make Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider Digicel appear to be stunned, apparently unable to comprehend the battle and its spectacle playing out before them.

Still, the question remains unanswered: Where is this “demand”, to quote Triple Play Provider FLOW CEO Michelle English for 100MBps that so prompted Triple Play Provider FLOW to start offering this over priced packages to Residential customers after the speed bump to 20MBps only three weeks and four days (3 weeks 4 days) ago as stated in the article “FLOW ups Internet speed offering again”, published Wednesday, October 06, 2010, The Jamaica Observer?

Jamaica’s Internet penetration is STILL only 17% of households as stated in the article “Internet penetration lagging broadband speed”, published Wednesday, September 22, 2010 by CAMILO THAME Business co-ordinator, The Jamaica Observer and there is no significant CURRENT demand for a 100MBps service to even justify the speed bump, based on prior utterances of Triple Play Provider FLOW Marketing Director, Sharon Roper on Wednesday, September 22^nd, 2010: “Businesses are already getting those speeds; We definitely will bring 100MBps to households but our priority right now is to get broadband Internet into as many Jamaican households as possible”.

Unless [hand on cheek like CNET News Executive Editor Molly Wood]……….

Maybe (going out on a limb here!!) it has something to do with the Apple iPad, which of course is more good news for us Jamaicans this Christmas 2010, as the Tablet craze in the United States of America translates to Netbooks being cheaper and thus the device of choice in Third World Countries such as Jamaica this Christmas.

As per the words of Micron, a Netbook manufacturer predicting lower than expected demand for Netbooks for the Fourth Quarter of 2010 AD in the article “Micron: Apple iPad, tablets ding PC, Notebook demand”, published October 8, 2010, 7:42am PDT By Larry Dignan, Between the Lines, ZDNet.

Also the gushing of Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn and his declared confirmation of a 50% bite into the sales of Netbooks and Laptops at his chain of retail stores as stated in the article “Best Buy CEO; iPad cannibalizing Laptop Sales by up to 50 percent”, published Friday September 17 2010, 6:10 am ET by Chloe Albanesius, PC Magazine, Yahoo! News.

Not bad for a device credited with having the fastest adoption rate of any computer thus far, selling nearly four million five hundred thousand (4,500,000) units every three (3) months as stated in the article “Reading, Writing and - iPads?”, published Thursday October 14 2010, 9:42 pm ET, by Dan Hope, TechNewsDaily Staff Writer, LiveScience.com, Yahoo! News.

Wouldn’t hurt to see Beauty Queen Regina Beavers of CVM at Sunrise fame [low catcall] on CVM TV use one though, as that would definitely make my morning. Carletta DeLeon aka The Pet Tales Chick aka “Dilly” of Smile Jamaica fame (woof, woof!!) on Television Jamaica also likes the toy too, so it may soon be catching on in Jamaica. Maybe……….

Guess it is really Telecom Provider CLARO vs Triple Play Provider FLOW for the Christmas of 2010 AD then. Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider Digicel are left still not on the Christmas Promotion dance floor and Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Networks Dekal Wireless and Nubian-1 Tech Services Ltd are doing the cha-cha-cha towards DSO. 

Game on, people! 

Alternative Energy and Daedelus - Avatar and Planet Gliese 581g Next Door

Space, the Final Frontier;

These are the voyages of the Star Trek Enterprise,

Its continuing mission to explore strange New Worlds;

To seek out New Life and New Civilizations,

To boldly go where no Man has gone before.

Excerpt from the opening of Star Trek: The Next Generation

For the record, I do not watch Television, as there is no Cable TV in Milk River, Clarendon and Milk River folk are not crazy about TV like our “city slicker cousins” in May Pen or Kingston, Jamaica capital; it’s mainly Radio and the occasional The Jamaica Gleaner mini tabloid, The Star.

TV, both foreign and local, is uninspiring (boring is now cliché).

This is so, even among the Generation Y, with FaceBook occupying our time and Fridays at the D’Hive and the bartender nymph named Tash, at the back of Bargain Village, tricked out with music, karaoke, video games and the Internet being the current Generation Y’s equivalent of our Game Shop for Video Games and Guinep Tree for the Internet back when I and my fellow Generation X’s were at Glenmuir High in the 1990’s.

I usually go on a Fridays to grab my content to watch from YouTube and CNET for the long weekend and answer email from my growing legion of email fans and followers of my blog who are the main reasons why I have not stopped pestering y’all, reading and writing to Americans of foreign trends and how they eventually surface here in Jamaica usually two (2) years later. RSS feeds back home in Milk River, Clarendon provide news without newspapers, so well read am I.

Geek that I am, I do have fans, sort of like a Physics rock star I am afraid, publicity be damned. Folks, my emails and my blog BOTH confirm that their is indeed Intelligent Life in Milk River, Clarendon, if not on Planet Earth, compared to the news videos I oft peruse on YouTube, FaceBook and the various International News Organizations, their websites now prancing with video content, as if words did not suffice.

At home, most of my “TV watching” is on my computer, mainly involving making the trek to Bargain Village in May Pen, Clarendon and either buying illegal DVD’s at the front of Bargain Village or downloading Legal content from the Internet i.e. Youtube, CNET, etc. for viewing at home at a later time from the Amazing PC Internet Café as Digicel 4G Broadband is yet to reach us, albeit CLARO 3G is in the area. Local TV gets the same treatment, as my DVR software on my PC records and I watch later, episodes of my favourite programs backed up for future viewing.

Thus it is the rains always spoiling the soup, as the Amazing PC and the Barber Shop are my home away from home, and the pretty, wild, long haired Young and the Restless things strut about, their heavenly nubile visage a fanciful delight to the ocular appendages, accessible but only that I were employed, a current status that may soon take a turn for the better. More on this Bargain Village Employment Saga later…….

At this point, you must know I am a rather huge fan of Star Trek – as if you could not tell from my FaceBook Profile, which I visit so oft while updating my blog!

So, I shall spare you the historical connection between Arthur C. Clarke epic five (5) hour rant about an AI (Artificial Intelligence) gone berserk in the movie HAL 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek or even his other little known epic, Andromeda, both featuring AI controlled ships.

Thus, must John Public conclude that Senator Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, may very well be a fan of Science Fiction movies, or “Sci-Fi”, as the Americans traditionally refer to the space opera content so glamorized on the Silver Screen?

Possible, what with the recent coincidental discovery of a Earth-like habitable planet called Gliese 581g orbiting a star, also unromantically named Gliese 581 in the constellation of Libra by astronomers Steve Vogt of the University of California at Santa Cruz and co-discoverer Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington as stated in the article “Could 'Goldilocks' planet be just right for life?”, published Thursday September 30 2010, 1:17 pm ET By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer, Yahoo News.

It is also confirmed in a later article “Found: New Planet Gliese 581g is habitable like Earth”, published Saturday October 2 2010, 12:00 pm ET By MICHAEL D. LEMONICK, Yahoo News, mere months before.

Bother dash, muses John Public as he stokes his Chocolate Pipe to get the stuff going. Possibly I am seeing things as the passing of the NASA Authorization Act (2010) enacted in a Senate Committee Hearing in the week of Tuesday March 2^nd 2010 AD, before the House Science and Technology Committee and the prior discovery of habitable Gliese 581g may just be really good coincidence.

Indeed, that may well be the case, as the Obama Administration HAS signed into law the now infamous NASA Authorization Act (2010), which ratifies spending to the tune of US$19 billion budget for NASA (National Aeronautical Space Administration) for the Fiscal Year 2011 AD with details of this “high carb, low fat” Fiscal Diet for NASA.

This as stated in the article “President Obama signs new vision for U.S. Space Exploration into Law”, published Monday October 11, 6:15 pm ET by Tariq Malik SPACE.com Managing Editor, Yahoo News and confirmed in the article “Obama signs NASA up to a new future”, published 11 October 2010 Last updated at 17:39 GMT by Jonathan Amos, Science correspondent, BBC News.

Guess it does help your cause somewhat to appear on Discovery Channel’s MythBusters, as I always wanted that VERY same mystery to be solved with regards to Archimedes setting the Roman Galleons on fire with mirrors and reflected sunlight as per the article “No myth: Obama appearing on 'Mythbusters'”, published October 18, 2010 10:28 AM PDT by Daniel Terdiman, CNET News - Geek Gestalt,.

Hmm.  Still, to intone the words of former president John F. Kennedy, “the Eyes of Man look towards Space”.

We are on the cusp, ladies and gentlemen, but Humans on the Planet Earth, of a great adventure, as not only will Space Travel be privatized, with Military Contractors being given a chance to put their Research and Development expertise into developing low cost solutions to ferry astronauts to the ISS (International Space Station) and the Hubble Telescope, but with more robotic missions lined up and the Moon and Mars targeted for human visits by 2025 AD, the United States of America has also set a daunting task which is the focus of this article: Deep Space Travel.

Deep Space, or Extra-Solar System Travel, you say. At this point, many find this laughable, as it makes no sense. Perhaps, some say, it is a political ploy by the Obama Administration to get the Tech Industry to back their renewed bid for a second term in the White House

A rather far fetched idea, as technology types rarely have strong political affiliations to begin with. Thus one is left only with thinking that this is the focus of the American Government until another Republican led Administration comes along and overturns what has been achieved thus far.

Still, albeit rather naïve of me I’m afraid, it is hoped that successive Administration will have the foresight to embrace the decisions of the Obama Administration and vow to continue on and built upon the NASA Authorization Act (2010) and not seek to overturn its clearly stated objectives and intended aims of space exploration on a budget. Thus with the politics aside, the science is now the concern.

Aside from the propulsion systems for Deep Space Travel having to be a complete departure from traditional chemical propellant based rocket technology (100% efficient Photon Rockets using an Anti-Matter Converter, with onboard Nuclear Reactors for powering support Ion Drive Engines, and Solar Sails when near to stars is best!!), issues such as how the ship will be built (preferably in Space Dock, parked just outside of Earth Orbit) and who are chosen for Deep Space journeys (humans or AI? Why not both??).

But the obvious philosophical question is bound to pop up in the typical Jamaican’s mind: What is out in Deep Space that should even concern anyone to wish to visit, much less sit down and consider planning and designing ships to visit?

Where does the rest of the Developing World fit into all of this? And more on the pragmatic side, Jamaica ask, how do we make money from all this voyaging to the stars?

Telecommunications Services?

Inter-Planetary Trade?

The connection will amaze you, as usual, as like Columbus’ so-called “discovery” of the Caribbean; it may be about precious metals in the end, Avatar (2009) Style.

Well, the discovery of a so-called “Goldilocks” planet called Gliese 581g, orbiting the star named Gliese 581 in the constellation of Libra, which according to its discoverers, Steve Vogt of the University of California at Santa Cruz and co-discoverer Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, is at the right distance from its orbiting star to support life as we know it, not too hot, yet not on the frigid side

Orbiting in the so-called “habitable zone” distance from its solar companion either as stated in the article “Could 'Goldilocks' planet be just right for life?”, published Thursday September 30 2010, 1:17 pm ET By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer, Yahoo News and confirmed in a later article “Found: New Planet Gliese 581g is habitable like Earth”, published Saturday October 2 2010, 12:00 pm ET By MICHAEL D. LEMONICK, Yahoo News

Some pictures of the planet, using the brand new Kepler Space Telescope, capable of spotting planets nearly one thousand (1,000) light Years away, would be nice though, as confirmation of all this hype, a conclusion John Public draws from the article “'Stunning' images of distant planet sent by Kepler Scope”, published Thursday August 6 2010, 5:19 pm ET, by AFP from Washington, Yahoo News.

Next off the bat, 2012 End of the World conspiratorial thinking seems to be running the gamut of the many comments on this scientific discovery, mainly because of the recent shake-up at NASA and the coincidence as it relates to the Obama Administration ambitions of Deep Space Travel. That aside, then consider that if the planet is inhabited, they may have long ago spotted us, as we have spotted them.

To twist the  conspiratorial knife deeper, the Americans may have known of this planet’s existence a long time ago, one can also muse, providing perfect cover to have a NASA Authorization Act (2010) enacted in a Senate Committee Hearing in the week of Tuesday March 2^nd 2010 AD, before the House Science and Technology Committee.

Their distance from us, roughly one hundred and twenty trillion (120,000,000,000,000) miles or 20.4 Light Years away, assuming the speed of light to be three hundred thousand (300,000 km/s) per second.

Not bad, as Barnard’s Star, the previously closest star to our planet is about six (6) Light Years away, reachable via the Daedelus ship in fifty (50) traveling at one hundred and thirty million (130,000,000 km/h) kilometers per hour, roughly 12% of the speed of light using a Deuterium or Helium-3 Fusion Drive Engine.

Extra-Terrestrials may have long ago visited us and, like me, considered out Television boring and this decided to leave us be. So ET is next door. Cool, says I, John Public, the Generation X’er who dreams of travel to the stars.

As for the Jamaican connection, outside of NASA owned Cape Canaveral, the fact that Jamaica is an island provides the perfect place to host a Space Port, much like New Mexico Space Port, home to Virgin Intergalactic, a venture by Sir Richard Branson involving flights into space at US$150,000 per wealthy tourist.

Sounds far fetched?

 It is not, believe me.

Vernam Field Aerodrome (it is on Google Earth and Jamaica’s Real Estate spotter, iMap!), a previously America adventure back during WWII, can serve as a base for Commercial Inter-Planetary Space Tourism, once Military Contractor Boeing get their plans for the same off the ground as stated in the article “Boeing plans to start Space tourism flights by 2015”, published  September 15, 2010 9:10 AM PDT by Tim Hornyak, CNET News – Crave.

Everything from short hop Tourist Flights to Mining Expeditions to the Oort Cloud are achievable from the Vernam Field Aerodrome, as the People’s Republic of China and their plan to use the Aerodrome as a trans-shipment point for Chinese made goods into America as stated in the article “CHINESE WANT KINGSTON WHARVES” published Monday, March 08, 2010 by Paul Henry Observer staff reporter Paul Henry, Observer Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Observer

Albeit financial gain in the short term, may not be what Jamaica desires in our long term relationship with our historically closest neighbour.

This is especially as the People’s Republic of China desires so much control of Jamaica, based on the deadlock in negotiations for our assets to begin with as stated in the article “The Chinese want more- Far East investors eye port as sweetener to develop Caymanas”, published Sunday August 1 2010, The Jamaica Gleaner

Thus making Senator Karl Samuda, Minister of Commerce wisely consider additional American and European Bidders for these assets as stated in the article “Samuda looking to US, Europe for port, Caymanas investment”, published Sunday October 12 2010, The Jamaica Observer.

This being much to delight of political insiders and the average Jamaica who may not have like what was going on, wary of the People’s Republic of China long term Trade ambitions and of Jamaica becoming a pawn in a Pig War between the Americans and the Chinese.

Apple iPad and the Competiton - The Rescuers

In anguish we uplift

A new hallowed song;

The race is to the swift;

The battle is to the strong

John Davidson, War-Song

Indeed it may be. Clarendon, particularly Milk River, where I live, is safe from the rains, as only Hanover and Westmoreland got the brunt of the Tropical Storm, my condolences to those displaced by the deluge. But as Jamaicans we are swift and strong.

Tablets, also displaying some of this “swift and strong” mantra, are expected to hit the twenty million (20,000,000) units speed bump sold in the Year of the Tablet, 2010 AD and are projected to hit fifty five million (55,000,000) units sold in 2011 AD and two hundred and eight million (208,000,000) units sold by 2014 AD, according to the statistical extrapolations of market analyst Gartner as stated in the article “Tablet computer sales to hit 208 million in 2014”, published Friday October 15 2010, 4:08 pm ET, by AFP, Yahoo! News.

Notice, rather curiously, the year, just before Peak Oil in 2015 AD. If this analyst is to be believed, it would seem that the extinction of the Netbook and Laptop, at least in the Developed World, is under way and will be completed in short order, all thanks to the Apple iPad and its slew of up and coming competition, which another analyst predicted would not materialize until 2012 AD as stated in the article “No iPad killer coming until 2012, says iSuppli”, published Thursday August 26 2010, 1:59 pm ET  by Barbara E. Hernandez, Yahoo! News. So much for analysts!

Their seems to be some truth in THIS particular analysts words, however, as most if not all Laptop and Netbook computer manufacturers have all announced plans to come out with a Tablets device, even HTC, as stated in the article “HTC waiting until next year for Android 3.0 Tablets?”, published Wednesday September 15, 2010 12:53 pm ET by Ben Patterson, Technology Writer, Yahoo! News.

These statistics, projections that they may be for the lumpen proletariat category of Tablets in general, seem to be showing evidence of bearing fruit, with the recent announcement of the Apple iPad going to Telecom Provider Verizon by way of a bundling of its sale for this Christmas of 2010 with a portable Mi-Fi Hotspot as stated in the article “Verizon Wireless, AT&T to start selling the iPad”, published Thursday October 14 2010, 11:53 am ET By Ben Patterson, Technology Writer, Yahoo! News and confirmed in the article “Verizon to sell iPad Tablets computer”, published Thursday October 14 2010, 3:14 pm ET, AFP, Yahoo! News.

Even more interesting, for the statistical minded among the American buying public, is the curious case of early adopters, many of whom, 32% of purchasers of the device to be exact,  are not only first time purchasers of the Apple iPad, but are yet to download any of the free or paid apps, making developers a tad worried.

Apparently the “coolness” factor of owning an Apple iPad with its touch screen interface and unique form factor may have prompted the initial purchase, one hopefully they will utilize in the future, conclusions one can draw from the Nielsen statistics as stated in the article “One-Third of iPad Owners have never downloaded an App [Study]”, published Thursday October 21 2010, 1:29 pm ET by Lauren Indvik, Yahoo! News.

If this is how people react to a device with a pricing point as high as US$899, which is a Apple iPad with 3G + Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n), it may go a long way to explain the nearly five hundred thousand (500,000) 3G two (2) year contract subscriptions on Telecom Provider AT&T a stated in the article Over 500,000 iPads on AT&T Network: CEO, published Tuesday September 21 2010, 6:34 pm ET, AFP, Yahoo! News.

This thus bodes VERY well for the success of the Samsung Galaxy Tablets, now finally come down to Earth with a price us mere mortals afford sans a contract of US$599 and slated to debut on Telecom Provider Verizon’s network on Thursday November 11^th 2010 AD as stated in the article “Samsung Galaxy Tab slated to go on sale next month, for US$599”, published Wednesday October 20 2010, 2:32 pm ET by Ben Patterson, Yahoo! News

This is verified in the article “Samsung Galaxy Tab landing Nov 11 for US$600”, published October 20, 2010 6:41 AM PDT by Don Reisinger, CNET News - The Digital Home.

Thus this puts aside fears of an early death based on the EU$1000 rumored price tag for the Samsung Galaxy Tablet as stated in the article “Success of Samsung Galaxy Tab Doomed by Carrier Contracts”, published by Monday September 6, 9:16 am ET by Tony Bradley, Yahoo! News and the video “CNET Buzz Report”, aired Friday September 10 2010 by Molly Wood, Executive Editor, CNET News.

Looks like Samsung has been doing their homework and has decided to give a little. Like RIM Playbook, their success is guaranteed, as long as the battery life exceeds ten (10) hours on full 720p or 1080p video playback, the main spec for which Customers are on the look-out.

Albeit the Samsung Galaxy Tablet form factor and specs are not great and largely unknown up until this time, mainly in terms of battery life, its blitzkrieg entry on the Big Four (4) Telecom Providers, in itself, from a purely mathematical point of view, now with this improved pricing point, only perturbed by the vagaries of the difference in the cost of the various Prepaid thirty (30) day Data Plan subscriptions on the various Telecom Providers 3G and 4G Networks, will guarantee success

An alternative to the Apple iPad is sorely needed and will actually ride on the success and hype generated by the Apple iPad much in the same way a surfer rides inland on a big wave generated by incoming wind.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs prediction of “dead on arrival” is a bit generous, as his creation of a new Tablet computing segment via my suggestion, by its mere presence, will generate enough hype to sell other similarly products, much in the same way the introduction of the Blackberry to Jamaica back in 2007 AD by Telecom Provider C&W, now LIME, is sparking interest in the Apple iPhone on sale from Telecom Provider CLARO, also my suggestion as far back as 2003 AD.

In fact, Apple’s intention to have the Apple iPad on Telecom Provider Verizon’s Network is an indication of some amount of fear, as Apple CEO Steve Jobs is not taking any chances that his White Unicorn may be overwhelmed by the blitzkrieg of the Samsung Galaxy Tablet, now with an improved price point to woo undecided Customers looking for comparative choices in the Tablets space other than the Apple iPad.

This is truly, indeed, the Year of the Tablet. Nothing more to say, as the other coming Tablets PC are effectively The Rescuers (1977) of the Christmas Shopper, a parodied take on the Walt Disney classic about mice who are members of the PAS (Prisoners Aid Society) rescuing prisoners [Customers] from their inescapable cells.

Biodiversity, folks, is necessary also in the Tablets space, and choice and comparative shopping experience makes for happy Customers and more Tablets PC and e-Reader purchases this Christmas 2010 AD. Please, though, Customers try and buy the apps and support a Developer this Christmas! Even Angry Birds ???

More good news for us Jamaicans this Christmas 2010, as thanks to the craze over Tabletss gripping the United States of America, Netbooks are expected to be cheaper and thus the device of choice in Third World Countries such as Jamaica this Christmas as per the words of Micron, a Netbook manufacturer predicting lower than expected demand for Netbooks for the Fourth Quarter of 2010 AD in the article “Micron: Apple iPad, Tabletss ding PC, Notebook demand”, published October 8, 2010, 7:42am PDT By Larry Dignan, Between the Lines, ZDNet.

Then there is the gushing of Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn and his declared confirmation of a 50% bite into the sales of Netbooks and Laptops at his chain of retail stores as stated in the article “Best Buy CEO; iPad cannibalizing Laptop Sales by up to 50 percent”, published Friday September 17 2010, 6:10 am ET by Chloe Albanesius, PC Magazine, Yahoo! News.

Not bad for a device credited with having the fastest adoption rate of any computer thus far, selling nearly four million five hundred thousand (4,500,000) units every three (3) months as stated in the article “Reading, Writing and - iPads?”, published Thursday October 14 2010, 9:42 pm ET, by Dan Hope, TechNewsDaily Staff Writer, LiveScience.com, Yahoo! News, popular to the point that even Carlette Deleon, self confessed Tech “Gadgette” and Destroyer of Food in the Kitchen on Smile Jamaica, the happening morning show on Television Jamaica has one.

The other pretty woman on ye ole tube, former beauty Queen Regina Beavers on the local equivalent of a morning show, CVM at Sunrise on CVM TV, is rumoured to be in possession of this White Unicorn, albeit I am yet to see her using it with her sexy, svelte self on set. The ultimate teller of tales, however, is when the Samsung Galaxy Tablet drops on Thursday November 11^th 2010 AD, The Rescuers (1977) of the Christmas Shopper via the provision of viable options on multiple Telecom Providers. Motorola Lightsabre, where are you?

Telecom Providers and SMS - The Dead Zone

You write with ease to show your breeding,

But easy writing’s curst hard reading.

R.B. Sheridan, Clio’s Protest

What bad timing, my adoring International fans, as Tropical Depression 19 is now bearing down on Jamaica, soon to become a Tropical Storm and linger with us until Saturday October 23^rd 2010 AD. Oh, bother dash and OMG. More rain again and being cut off from May Pen, Clarendon - again.

Speaking of storms, teens [definition: ages 13 to 17] are texting more than they talk as per the article “Teens crazy for texting, but losing interest in voice calls”, published Thursday October 14, 3:28 pm ET By Ben Patterson, Yahoo News and supported by the article “Teens: Dont' call us, we'll text you”, published ay October 15 2010, CNET News.

Surprised? Why should you be? After all, these little ones are forever on their Blackberry’s and their slider mobile phones. But what is most surprising is that they are talking a lot less than they text.

Is Voice Telecoms going to eventually become a The Dead Zone (1983) in the distant future, as per the Stephen King novel? Voice Channels on Data Networks that will no longer be used, a Spectrum landscape going to waste and eventually discontinued or just utilized for SMS only? Are we come close to a tipping point for Video Calling, the merging of Voice, Text and Video over Data?

This The Dead Zone (1983)Theory was an idea about which I used to get pilloried about while I worked at C&W back then as a Network Maintenance Technician (2001 to 2004), as most of my bosses then back at C&W disliked what my idea implied: Spectrum in the 850MHz to 2100 MHz bands allocated to GSM Voice, for which they had paid millions in the past, laid to waste, empty and barren of Traffic.

While Video Calling Traffic built up on Spectrum allocated to Data Services in the new 54MHz to 824MHz (Analog Television NTSC and FM Radio Channels 2 to 72), ostensibly in some future time when Broadcasters gave up their Television and Radio Broadcast Channels, with the “White” Space Frequencies being used for Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Data Services.

The Management at C&W, who disliked my futuristic day-dreaming, did not see it that way, viewing such future Data Services as being in the distant future (2056 AD ??) and Data Services itself as merely a VAS (Value Added Service), along with SMS (Short Messaging Service), which they did not understand and so did not foresee being used – at all! Not any more folks, as times have changed!

According to the article by Ben Patterson, Technology writer for Yahoo News, the Nielsen Co. survey with a sample size of six hundred thousand (60,000) Wireless subscribers indicated that teens, as defined above, send and receive more than three thousand, two hundred and twenty nine (3,229) SMS messages, more commonly and colloquially called text messages a month, or roughly one hundred and seven (107) in a thirty (30) day billing cycle.

Amazingly, the next segment of the sample size being surveyed by Nielsen Co. survey, that being young adults [definition: ages 18 to 24], managed a less than stellar effort of one thousand, six hundred and thirty (1,630) text messages a month, or roughly fifty four (54) in a thirty (30) day billing cycle.

Their Voice Minutes are a lot less, however, coasting in at an average of six hundred and thirty nine (639) Voice Minutes, on average about twenty one (21) minutes in a twenty four (24) hours day, a decline of 14% from last year.

Adults, as usual, are yapping away on their mobile phones, as per usual, accounting for the bulk of Voice Minutes. Texting is now hip………finally [rolling eyes] despite the dangers of “sexting” as per the article “MTV's sexting show to air stark message for teens”, published February 13, 2010 2:48 PM PST by Larry Magid, CNET News - Safe and Secure.

Guess the adults, inclusive of myself, falling in the 25 to 34 age bracket, still are not into the texting thing as yet, albeit I beg to disagree, as while working as a Network Maintenance Technician at C&W (2001 to 2004) and then later at CLARO as a RF Technician (2008 to 2009), I ONLY communicated in SMS, much to the ire of the Management, as they love talking, which I dislike, as I do not see the point when the company issued Blackberry comes with QWERTY keypads, messenger app you can download and BB Messenger, thus making texting far faster and more concise than talking, as per the personal anecdotal observations of Ben Patterson.

For those thinking I am rebellious, anti-establishment spirit [I and I a bun’ a small fire fi’ Babylon!], I have loads of company in this regard, not only in the obvious Messenger obsessed Blackberry crowd, clutching their “precious” like Gollum, never missing an update.

But in a recent survey by the ITU (International Telecommunications Union), the United Nations arm that deals with telecommunications, which states that not only do 90% of the world population have a mobile phone but it is estimated that six trillion, one hundred billion (6,100,000,000,000) text messages will be sent by the end of the 2010 AD as per the article “6.1 trillion text messages to be sent by 2010”, published October 19, 2010 4:20 PM PDT by Don Reisinger, CNET News.

Guess I was just ahead of my time back then, as I was always one for comic books, video game playing and designing outlandish electronic Telecoms concepts and circuits. But of what significance is this to the Telecoms Community, Management et al? Well, as I used to say back then, brash and talkative against the older, supposedly more experienced Engineers, it is an indication of the future of Telecom: Less Voice, More Data. Amen to that!!!

At this point, people might be saying that not only was this obvious, as after all, it is generally accepted that Generation Y [definition: ages 13 to 24] are more proficient at expressing themselves in the written than in the spoken word, what with their love for Social Networking giants such as Twitter and FaceBook, exposing their private lives online as per the opinions of CNET News Blogger Declan McCulagh in the article “Why no one cares about privacy anymore”, published March 12, 2010 4:00 AM PST by Declan McCullagh, CNET News - Politics and Law, CNET News

But the implication for Telecoms Providers lies in Messaging Services, as the concept of SMS as a vehicle of communication, along with Data and Voice over 3G and 4G (LTE or WiMaX) Networks.

This is because VoIP Services, long since been restricted by Telecom Providers as Services that rob them of their lucrative International Voice Minutes, has now been growing at such a phenomenal rate that Data Services, by virtue of the Network capacity usage on Telecom Providers, are making Telecom Providers consider getting more capacity to provide Data based on the Spectrum now available thanks to Broadcasters in the United States of America achieving DSO (Digital Switch Over) and going HD (High Definition) for both Television (HDTV) and Radio (HD Radio).

The good, lucky people in Wilmington N.C. (North Carolina) and the surrounding areas of New Hanover N.C. who are putting the Wireless Broadband Network based on these “White” Space Frequencies through its paces as stated in the article “TV White Space Networks tested”, published February 24, 2010 4:06 PM PST by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength are the first such reported glimmers of hope this side of the Western Hemisphere.

Such Wireless Networks based on “White” Space Frequencies will soon become commonplace along with packages that take advantage of them, such as Skype, Fring and Google Voice. In fact, Silicon Valley tech heavyweights probably know this implicitly, as Skype is in a strategic partnership with a prominent FaceBook integration as stated in the article “The New Skype: Now with Facebook integration and group Video Calling”, published October 14, 2010, 12:28pm PDT By Sam Diaz, Between the Lines - ZDNet.

Fring is going after VoIP to mobile and landline Calling, both Local and International as stated in the article “Fring revs up VoIP Calling competition with SkypeOut-like FringOut”, published September 20, 2010 4:02 PM PDT by Jessica Dolcourt, CNET News - The Download Blog.

A market that Google Voice already owns in terms of American students according to the article “Students now get priority access to Google Voice”, published May 14, 2010 10:03 AM PDT by Josh Lowensohn, CNET News.

Google Voice is an integration into Gmail as stated in the article “Google: 1 million Gmail calls during first day”, published August 26, 2010 12:38 PM PDT by Stephen Shankland, CNET News - Deep Tech.

Point to note: these Services are offering the assumedly “Flat Rate” Video, Voice, SMS and Messaging for a thirty (30) day billing cycle for far lower costs than the Switched Networks of the Big International Carriers such as Telecom Provider AT&T using a Data Connection, which you are effectively paying for, whether or not the smart phone you are using has a Data Service enabled or is even Data capable, as VoIP can be provisioned to work that way a la Google Voice on smart phones, which uses GSM Voice Networks but routes your voice over a Data Trunk circuits within the Telecom Provider via conversion.

Messaging, which is based on IRC (Internet Relay Chat), is the forerunner of SMS, its sibling, and is a close cousin of SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), can be used to power SMS over Data, as SMS uses the discrete Messaging Channels in Switched Voice Calling and can be converted to IRC or SMTP for delivery to the clients software on the user’s smart phone via 3G or 4G Data Services.

Or back to the Messaging Protocol used on the UE (User Equipment), which may be a regular SMS enabled “feature” phone with no Data service and a slide out QWERTY keyboard optimized for texting -  my kind of mobile device. Video Calling is not far behind, something which I think should be a feature of the next Nielsen Co. survey and ITU survey for the Summer of 2011.

So, as Data Services become more ubiquitous, whether it is on the future up and coming 4G Networks, be they LTE (Long Term Evolution) as stated in the article “AT&T, Verizon execs talk LTE expansion”, published September 16, 2010 11:05 PM PDT by Kent German, CNET News - Dialed In.

Or WiMaX 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d,e) Networks as stated in the article “Clearwire brings limited 4G to New York and Los Angeles”, published September 13, 2010 2:15 PM PDT by Kent German, CNET News - Dialed In or “White” space enabled “Super” Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n), thanks to FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Chairman Julius Genachowski’s license free Spectrum.

Start looking out for a shift towards less voice, more messaging and texting, and an increasing amount of Video Calling as trend to watch in 2011 AD. This will be the Year of the All-Electric Vehicle and 2012 AD, the Year of Ubuntu, as these High Speed Broadband will enable typing and Video centric communication of Generation Y, based on the strategic repositioning of the above.

Generation Y, who are more into Social Networking and may be their SOLE means of communication as stated in the article “Pew: Gen Y to remain active Social Networkers”, published July 9, 2010 11:16 AM PDT by Don Reisinger, CNET News - The Digital Home approaching the year 2015 AD, the year of Peak Oil and 2056 AD, the Year when the Bomb will drop: Oil Runs out.

Best of all, its relevance portends to us, as now Jamaica, firmly planted in the 100MBps “Usain Bolt” Club as per the article “FLOW to bring 100Mbs to Jamaican homes”, published Saturday October 16 2010, The Jamaica Observer, and rumours now swirling of an impending push towards LTE by Telecom Providers CLARO and Telecom Provider LIME.

Customers may soon begin experiencing these higher speed Networks as the Government of Jamaica hastens to increase its taxable revenues from Local and International Telecom Providers via the sale of Spectrum in a soon coming DSO for the local Big Three (3) Broadcasters, possible license free “White” Space Spectrum for Local Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) operators and eCommerce in an Internet enabled Society.

What of the Spectrum that the Telecom Providers already occupy when they purchase these low attenuation Spectrum to provision Data Services? A The Dead Zone (1983) a la Steven King is possible, as Telecom Providers, in such a futuristic scenario, cannot afford to continue to pay for underutilized Spectrum with little occupancy, so its sale or utilization for more lucrative backhaul or Mobile tower interconnectivity Data Services e.g. Microwave Radio Links is inevitable.

Worse, with Fiber Optic and FLORA (Fiber Less Optical Receiver Array) backhaul Services soon to come on stream, the use of these higher Spectrums in the 1900MHz to 2100 MHz region may eventually become fallow ground, unoccupied by intelligent Traffic. The Dead Zone (1983), just as I predicted, at least for a while.

OMG indeed!

Microsoft and Windows Phone 7 - Love Potion Number Nine

God how the dead men

Grin by the wall,

Watching the fun

Of the Victory Ball.

Alfred Noyes, A Victory Dance

People, the rains are an incredible force of Nature, thus the lateness of my latest commentary to my adoring fans in the International Press. At about 4:30 pm on Tuesday October 19^th 2010, it began falling so heavily, that I and my mother had to scurry home back to Milk River, Clarendon in our 2005 Nissan Sunny motor car at Crichton Automotive Limited

If the water gathers up in sufficient volume on the roads at Parnassus, just outside of York Town, we would be sleeping in the car in May Pen, Clarendon a good fourteen (14) miles away from Milk River, Clarendon, my home.

Already, up to that time yesterday, the bridge in Gravel Hill was inundated with water, rendered impassible; more evidence of poor road and construction engineering in Jamaica, I’m afraid. Oh Jamaican politicians, what have we done to thee, to deserve thy neglect?

Every time it floods we are blocked in Milk River? Even Race Course, a community of people who vote regularly, has their Kemps Hill escape road blocked. And yet Milk River Bath is on the map, Google Earth style, a bonafide tourist attraction! Today is Sunday October 10 2010 AD.

Thankfully, we are safe, high and dry, the vehicle is safe, no alternator damage and best of all, my computer is safe, so I can continue writing my article about Microsoft and their smash hit phone.

Which, from the looks of it, hardware and Microsoft Windows Phone 7 OS with its “live” tiles and excellent hardware, will be a success!

Magnified by nine (9) smashingly good smart phones from handset makers Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, LG Electronics Inc, HTC Corp and Dell Inc (Dell makes smart phones? Who knew?) on multiple carriers, as per the article “Microsoft new phones win favourable reaction”, published Monday October 11, 2010 7:09 pm ET By Bill Rigby and Sinead Carew, Yahoo! News.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer appears to be wearing his three (3) year well researched Love Potion No. 9 (1992) charm very well, and thus my bestowed congratulations on something that finally will be a success, guaranteed.

But first, a strong dose of reality.

Effectively,  Microsoft is fighting for scraps, as the “Microsoft is fighting for third place” comment is a tad too generous a parting shot in the excellent research note by Wells Fargo analyst Jason Maynard.

But, straight up, this is the best showing for the Microsoft OS I have seen in years. Guess good comes to those who wait on Microsoft? What am I gushing over, you ask?

John Public puts on his tech geek hat, delving into smart phones yet again. The first thing that I love about the phones is their brand: LG, Samsung, HTC and Dell. These names already have brand name recognition.

The hardware that these smart phone makers have produced so far, all based around a common 4” AMOLED or OLED screen, at least a 1GHz processors, 1 Gigabyte of onboard RAM, SD Card support, USB support, and support for at least 720p video playback and HDMI, is reminiscent alone in the phones they have already sold.

As per example the Motorola Droid, the HTC Evo 4G and the HTC Droid Incredible and the Samsung Galaxy S series of phones and the Dell Streak, thus far a strange success story, itself worthy of its OWN article.

Short sentence: geek gadget phones, as per my prognostications back in 2009 AD to a bunch of brain-dead Shurpower Generator Engineers in 2009 AD. Need I say more? Thus, on brand name recognition and hardware alone, the phones are already a hit.

Throw in Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 OS, and you have effectively a meeting of old partners from the past in a bar, drinking, reminiscing on the past and pondering what now appears to be a future driven by a word I love to hear bandied about in the smart phone market, a crossover from Biology: biodiversity.

You see, folks, I, John Public, love the new large “live” tiled OS, the productivity software support and how it integrates well with Microsoft Windows and their productivity software, making the phone a true work phone as opposed to the fun loving Apple iPhone 4.0. I should assume that the real competition should have been BlackBerry, business enterprise is their domain, but I leave it at that.

Throw in the fact that the phone supports the Zune player, which early reports have suggested is now being ported to Apple 10 OS [Snow Leopard] on Macs and possibly the Apple iPhone and Apple iPad.

Thus we can all proclaim and bear witness to the fact that this may be a sure fire indication that Hell has indeed frozen over, rock solid too, as per the report by Brian Tong in The Apple Byte, aired Friday October 15^th 2010 by Senior Editor Brian Tong, CNET News and the sarcastic comment by Jeff Bakelar on CNET Loaded, aired Wednesday October 13^th 2010 by Senior Editor Jeff Bakelar, CNET News.

Best of all, the phones sport Microsoft popular Search Platform Bing, now on the rise as a household name and a verb in common lexicon of Americans and the colourful English, like “Google”.

Which is not surprising, as “Bing” is a sound unique to a Microsoft Windows PC computer as stated in the article “Microsoft's Bing is Gaining share”, published May 20, 2010, 5:00PM EST By Dina Bass, THE INTERNET - BusinessWeek

The popularity of is set to rise even more on the announcement of a deal inked with the young Turk cum Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as per the article as stated in the article “Microsoft's FaceBook stake: Maybe not so crazy”, published October 13, 2010 2:01 PM PDT by Caroline McCarthy, CNET News - The Social.

This of course confirmed by the article “Facebook partners with 'underdog' Microsoft to make Bing more social”, published October 13, 2010, 12:33pm PDT by Sam Diaz, Between the Lines - ZDNET.

Throw in a push for Social Gaming using already brand recognized game titles Halo: Reach,  currently the ONLY success story in the lackluster sales of the Gaming Consoles as stated in the article “September another rough month for game industry”, published October 15, 2010 9:01 AM PDT by Don Reisinger, CNET News - The Digital Home.

Apple may have something else to worry about, other than Google Android, as Love Potion No. 9 (1992) (great 90’s romantic comedy, do watch!!) begins to have its effect on the geek gadget crazy males in the United States of America and International customers!

A simultaneous push towards International customers is another first for a Microsoft OS. Did I REALLY forget the Microsoft Flight Simulator fanatics?

Fanatics who are finally getting a new title since the last launch of the franchise in 2006 AD with the coming of Microsoft Flight Simulator as per the article “Microsoft makes a return to Flight”, published August 18, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Ina Fried, CNET News - Beyond Binary.

I am an Apple iPhone fan and also the person who suggested the idea for the Apple iPad and the Apple iPhone’s recent upgrades, including the contentious External Loop Antenna.

Yet like Stephen Fry, I too, and I quote, will state emphatically: “I'm not a monotheist. I want biodiversity in this market and all of us that love it should welcome that too” as per the article “Microsoft new phones win favourable reaction”, published Monday October 11, 7:09 pm ET by Bill Rigby and Sinead Carew, Yahoo! News

The simplicity of the interface, not to mention it being less app driven, is a thing of beauty, like the innovative deck-of-cards Palm WebOS that appeals to me greatly

This is an example of the kind of biodiversity that is needed, a Biology term that hearkens to a more balance smart phone industry of the future, as opposed to the one now currently dominated by one species of OS, namely Google Android OS.

The oddball problem of cut and paste, strange as it may sound, may be a jab for market recognition akin to the “AntennaGate” or the more recent “Glassgate” as stated in the article “Does the iPhone 4 have a 'Glassgate' problem?”, published Friday October 8 2010 by Ben Patterson, Yahoo Technology Writer, Yahoo! News that is getting Apple plenty of Press Time

Ironically, by virtue of these issues, may be the true source of the amazing US$20 billion in sales of Apple Products, this last Third Quarter, more than Google will make this ENTIRE 2010 AD as stated in the article “Apple: More revenue in one quarter than Google will do in a year”, published October 18, 2010, 1:48pm PDT By Sam Diaz, Between the Lines - ZDNET inclusive of Macs, now in the crosshairs for yet another “one more thing” refresh from Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

That’s enough to make anyone act crazy on stage – a second time in a row, as the last time he acted like that was back in 2008 AD, and this that time it had to do with the Apple iPhone 3GS, another set of upgrade ideas of mine, this time sent via email while at the University of the West Indies in the Fall of 2007 AD.

Hopefully Apple CEO Steve Jobs, in his statistics laden diatribe against industry rivals, has not lost focus of the fact that the Integrated vs Open Source debate is really all about Biodiversity in the smart phone OS ecosystem

Microsoft, with their offering of Microsoft Windows Phone 7 smart phones with significantly improved brand recognized hardware, are on a path towards success

As after all, it really is what the customer wants at the end of the days that will determine if their product rides the “Fail Whale” or may spark another customer rush for their products and component shortages, just in time for Christmas 2010.

John Public, secretly, knows it will be a success, as an early sign, the price on a two (2) year contract on Telecom Provider AT&T of US$199, is already a promising sign, in a race described best by Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at research firm Gartner: “This is a marathon, not a sprint. They are not going to change their position today or in the next month; but they've established themselves as a credible player”.

All that is left to make their profit year, riding on expectations of a bumper crop of US$19 billion for the last Quarter in Christmas 2010 on the basis of their excellent smart phone offerings, is a Good Tablet and Microsoft will be back in the Computer game.

Despite the naysayers as per the opinions of John C. Dvorak in the article “How Apple's iPad Succeeded where Microsoft Failed”, published Tuesday April 6, 8:00 pm ET by, PC Magazine, Yahoo! News.