IBM and Research and Developement - Cyborg 009

We dislike the man who tries

To give us title clear

To any mansion in the skies

An’ grab our title here.

Douglas Malloch, Behind a Spire

IBM (International Business Machines) is the evangelist of research. Of all the Silicon Valley companies, they have the most invested in Research and Development, an oddity in a profit-obsessed Silicon Valley. Their methodology is making money from patents in the future subsidized from profits made from their current business.

Not surprising therefore that research firm Millard Brown Optimor named IBM as the 3^rd most important brand as stated in the article “Google, IBM, Apple - World's most valuable brands”, published April 28, 2010 8:05 AM PDT by Lance Whitney, CNET News - Business Tech.

For the statistics geeks, Millard Brown Optimor’s 5^th Annual Report, the so called BrandZ Top 100 Report ranked as Google received 1^st place sash with Apple ranging up closely into 2^nd place as brand go with coming Microsoft 4^th like Lazarus.

And why not IBM, the company so quiet and not prone to make a sensational stir of things! After all, they are involved in doing the most research that I know for any company, both within the US of A as well as with science partners in the EU and Japan.

With the EU, they are partnered under the  so-called Diamond Consortium working on improving the testing methods for detecting flaws in microprocessors as stated in the article “IBM, EU team up to improve chip reliability”, published February 11, 2010 9:50 AM PST by Lance Whitney, CNET News - Cutting Edge.

Designing photovoltaic or Solar cells from common heavy metals such as Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Selenium (Se) and Tin (Sn) is a research paper published with the Journal of Advanced Materials in February 2010 as state in the article “IBM boosts Solar cell made of abundant materials”, published February 11, 2010 8:16 AM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News - Green Tech.

If brought to factory production, this higher efficiency photovoltaic that IBM most certainly would have people beating a path to their door, as it would be a significant cost saver and a move away from silicon and more expensive Boron (B) and Germanium (Ge).

Their research is not only geared towards making electronics gadgets better. Practical “out of the lab” concepts such as Solar powered Desalination Plant in the city of Al-Khafji, allowing nearly one hundred thousand (100,000) people to get potable water as stated in the article “IBM, Saudis to open Solar desalination plant”, published April 8, 2010 7:32 AM PDT, by Candace Lombardi, CNET News - Planetary Gear.

Applications to Jamaica’s situation with an eye towards Water Sector Liberalization make this particular Technology relevant to Jamaica as per my blog article entitled “Water Sector Policy and Water Sector Liberalization Needed to Avoid Drought”.

A collaborative effort since 2008 with the Saudi based Research group called the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), the plant announced in April 2010 takes advantage of another lab tested technology developed by IBM, that being ultra-high concentrator photovoltaic (UHCPV) cells, effectively Solar Panels with a smaller footprint and concentrator lenses – most likely optimized to not suffer from burnout associated with concentrator based photovoltaics.

Worthy of another article on Solar and Wind Power for Telecom Provider in Jamaica in addition to the previous before as stated in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy - A Telecom Provider's Strong Tower” and “Alternative Energy and Helix - A Test Case for Wind Power for Telecom Providers”.

IBM’s frontiers on the encryption front with the possibility of amorphous coding (this is a bit beyond me!) were also recently extended with the publication of a paper by a thirty five (35) year old IBM Intern named Craig Gentry.

A PhD candidate at Stanford University, his breakthrough in announced in September of 2010 showed that it is indeed possible to read a message without decoding it, and in real time too, if you can understand the analogy of boxes within boxes as per the article “IBM's encryption breakthrough for the Web”, published September 30, 2009, 8:19PM EST By Stephen Baker INTERNET - BusinessWeek.

Rounding out the year of innovation is the news that the earlier push to make Solar cells or photovoltaics out of common materials such as Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Selenium (Se) and Tin (Sn) may be coming to fruition at last with a product by as early as 2012.

IBM has partnered with the Japanese firm Solar Frontier to develop the Solar cells designed and announced earlier in February 2011 as stated in the article “IBM partners to produce thin-film Solar cells”, published October 20, 2010 7:55 AM PDT by Martin LaMonica, CNET News - Green Tech.

John Public feels that IBM got slighted, as sometimes the technology evangelists, because they use Marketing and Advertising, preaching about Heaven in a gadget, grabs the headlines and the PhD’s do not get their day in the sun.

Yet like the church pastor, they sell you what they advertised as being the “bee’s knees” and take your money and leave you a bit poorer and the People’s Republic of China a bit richer as I had opined in my blog article entitled Apple Refresh and the US Economy - Chinese Dragon has a Jade Eye

Thus, it is good to hear of one (1) company bucking the trend by making Research and Development a top priority as opposed to a Silicon Valley devoid of an interest in Research and Development as stated in the article “The Other U.S. Energy Crisis: Lack of R&D”, published June 17, 2010, 12:01AM EST by Peter Coy, POLITICS & POLICY, BusinessWeek - and a-swimming with Technology Rock Stars. IBM is Dr. Gilmore and his Cyborgs set out to save the world as per the Japanese anime Cyborg 009!

But there is another technology breakthrough that is so big, that the “Memory” of its implications on the electronics world as we know is too great for my blog.

Thus, I shall reserve that technology breakthrough for a more detailed article for the “RaceTrack” on Administrator Kirk’s Geezam blog.

JUTC, Challenger and LNG - Journey to the Center of the Earth

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

Is our destined end or way;

But to act, that each to-morrow

Brings us farther than to-day.

Longfellow, A Psalm of Life

The JUTC (Jamaica Urban Transport Corporation), aside from the teething pains of the Downtown Municipal Transport Centre as chronicled in my blog article entitled “JUTC and the Downtown Municipal Transport Centre - Planes, Trains & Automobiles” has the problem that has basically been my source of employment in my chosen field of engineering: Maintenance. Buses, a gift from Holland, are, believe it or not, refurbished in Brazil. Say what?!

That’s right folks, I did not misspeak – nor can my words be misconstrued to mean otherwise. Refurbished in Brazil to the tune of US$12 million dollars, at least according to Reginald Allen, Communications Manager at the JUTC as stated in the article “JUTC to renovate Buses here”, published Monday, January 17, 2011 by COREY ROBINSON Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer.

With a brand new bus costing US$30 million, refurbishing is cheaper. But that is only part of the reason for my exclamation of surprise. Brazilians are getting work on Buses that we pay taxes to maintain. It thus seems unfair. Especially as many Jamaican fabricators and Engine Maintenance people are here in Jamaica.

The savings would have to be significant to make it worthwhile, so I can speak little on this, as the article presents no proof to indicate its feasibility. But the story also makes a strong case for why Jamaica urgently needs to tackle the problem of the abnormally high Sulphur content in our fuel.

Local Diesel has 5000 ppm of Sulphur, way above what is acceptable internationally, which is between 10 to 15 pmm as stated in the article “Government moving to improve motor fuel quality - Samuda”, published Sunday, November 28, 2010, by MARK CUMMINGS, The Jamaica Observer. Most likely, other fuels such as Premium Gasoline, which despite having anti-knocking additives Anhydrous Ethanol, may also contain similar concentrations of Sulphur.

Thus the long term health of the Buses should be high on the agenda of the JUTC, not to mention the cost of running the Bus service. A novel solution blossoms in the East, ironically from a country that is already here in the West with a keen eye for investment: The People’s Republic of China.

In this distant Orient, the Communist regime has demonstrated yet again that despite their bad human right record and suppression of Freedom of speech, there are advantages to having a strong Central Government. Recently, in November 2010, the Government of the People’s Republic of China has decided to power its Buses that a part of its Public Transport systems using LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) as stated in the article “China to promote LNG in Public transport”, published November 25, 2010 at 15:30 by Commodity Online and confirmed in the article “China: China to promote LNG in Public Transport”, published November 26, 2010 by Chemnet.

LNG has a higher Volumetric Energy Density than Gasoline or even Diesel. This statement is easily backed up by the Volumetric Energy Density of LNG (Joules per Kilogram) numbers of LNG versus other fuels, with which it compares relative well, with LNG having a value of 53 MJ/kg as stated in the article “Energy Density”, viewed Monday January 18 2010 by WikiPedia with Diesel and Gasoline sporting figures of 46.2 MJ/kg and 46.4 MJ/kg respectively .

It is already a gas so it burns cleanly with no residue and can be utilized in any engine, even compression engines with only minor modifications as explained in the my blog article entitled “LPG and the Challenger Transport Co. Ltd.  - A Cheaper Fuel” and as stated in the article entitled “Alternative Energy and BioFuels - LNG is the Beginning”. Thus the engine lasts longer and is healthier between lengthier servicing. As mentioned in the blog article, Challenger Transport Company Ltd (926-6414) can do the retrofit cost effectively.

Thus, to truly have the appropriate Cost Benefit to the Jamaican motorist, Senator Mike Henry, Minister of Transport and Works should take off his rose coloured glasses and demonstrate some support for the embattled Senator James Robertson, Minister of Energy and Mining and his push for the introduction of LNG to Jamaica as stated in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and the Caribbean - Peak Oil in 2015 and The Day After Tomorrow”.

Its usage on commuter Buses is amply demonstrated in the People’s Republic of China. Thus, as a means of performing Preventative Maintenance, the use of LNG as a fuel would reduce the wear and tear on the engine, which would go longer between servicing, saving the Government of Jamaica considerable expense on fuel and extending the lifespan of the Buses. Thanks of course to a LNG retrofit by Challenger Transport Company Ltd. Not to mention all those voters…er………ah…I mean workers that the servicing of Buses could employ, Around the World in 80 Days (2004) Style! 

JUTC and the Downtown Municipal Transport Centre - Planes, Trains & Automobiles

O that there might in England be

A duty on Hypocrisy

A tax on humbug, an excise

On solemn plausibilities.

Henry Luttrell, An Aspiration

The surprise launch of the much touted and supposedly more efficient Downtown Municipal Transport Centre on Saturday January 15^th 2011 was a crush of chaos as stated in the article ‘Confusion at new transport hub”, published Tuesday, January 18, 2011 BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer. 

This after JATOO (Jamaica Association of Transport Owners and Operators) who were originally up in arms to its introduction as stated in my blog article entitled “JATOO and the Transportation Revolution in Jamaica - Babylon by Bus” were supportive as stated in the article “Bus operators welcome new transport center”, published Monday, January 17, 2011 by KIMMO MATTHEWS, Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer. 

Possibly after the Jamaican Constabulary Force aka the Jamaican Police made it clear that the good Senator Mike Henry, Minister of Transport and Works, made the “common sense” connection between the burning of a JUTC (Jamaica Urban Transport Corporation) bus and the utterances of possible protest action emanating from JATOO rank and file.

Also playing a part in JATOO’s change of tune may have been the fact that reviving Passenger Railways as stated in the article “JRC close to resuming the Passenger Rail Service”, published January 4, 2011, 11:54 am, The RJR Communication Group as well as plans for the Vernamfield Aerodrome an Air Academy are in the works as per the article “Henry to make Cabinet submission on Vernamfield in Clarendon”, published Tuesday, January 04, 2011, Go-Jamaica. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) indeed!

This is notwithstanding the prior arrangement with the People’s Republic of China as stated in the article “CHINESE WANT KINGSTON WHARVES” published Monday, March 08, 2010 by Paul Henry Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer and again opined as per my blog article entitled “The People's Republic of China and the Development of Brand Jamaica” as the decision by Senator Karl Samuda, Minister of Commerce is not set in stone.

Especially as the People’s Republic of China was dragging their feet from 2010AD, wanting a bit too much for too low a price as stated in the article “Samuda looking to US, Europe for port, Caymanas investment”, published Sunday October 12 2010, The Jamaica Observer.

So EVERYONE is onboard, as Senator Mike Henry, Minister of Transport and Works visionary transformation of our Transport Sector to enable competitive Commerce should be a boon to the Private and Public Sector. Order is now appearing from the chaos of the Weekend Launch by Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, thought issues relating to shuttle bus service are yet to be ironed out.

Less “touts” is the reward for passengers, tired, looking for a comfortable ride home, bearing tickets in hand, I suppose? Easier on the Jamaican Police too, to ticket non-compliant JATOO members. Ditto for May Pen Bus and Taxi operators, now slated to occupy the parking space before the Tax Office in May Pen as per the article “May Pen taxi, bus operators protest”, published Thursday, December 30, 2010, Go-Jamaica.

Speaking of Traffic tickets, I am still awaiting the implementation of the much touted NRCS (National Road Safety Council) initiative, that being the Automated Electronic Traffic Ticketing System, January 2011 now being eighteen (18) months since it announcement. Ironically, the Jamaican Police may be resistant to this change, as it would rob them of much ….er…”sustenance” derived from Traffic Fines that line their pockets.

At the same time, Senator Dwight Nelson, Minister of Security owes Senator Audley Shaw, Minister of Finance nearly JA$350 million in uncollected Traffic fines dating from Thursday April 1^st 2010 as uttered in Parliament - and caught en camera on Prime Time News aired Thursday April 1^st 2010, Television Jamaica, a figure easily achievable via the implementation Automated Electronic Traffic Ticketing System. So its implementation is inevitable.

This would leave the lucky potential Contractor who acquires this multi-million dollar Government Contract licking their all ten (10) of their toes and all ten (10) of their fingers at the prospect of such a contract. Not to mention the benefit to the Telecoms Providers via way of making money from M2M (Machine-to-Machine Communications as per the future predicted in my blog article entitled “AT&T, NFC and M2M - Cashless Society and the Internet of Things”.

Motorola Xoom and Honeycomb - Tablet Evolution in Stormy Weather

{14:18}  And  the  men  of  the  city  said  unto  him  on the  seventh  day  before  the  sun  went  down,  What  [is] sweeter than honey? and what [is] stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

Judges 14 vs 18, King James Version

CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2011 was a blast in Nevada.

I wish I could relate it in an article, but alas, the spectacle would fill chapters – with Tablets? Say what? Yes, again, writing as precisely as I do, it was MAINLY about Tablets, with main centerpiece being the Google Android OS 2.4 Honeycomb powered tablet appropriately name the Motorola Xoom.

It won the CNET Best in Show Award – not to mention coming loaded with a barometer as stated in the article “Motorola Xoom can predict the weather”, published January 11, 2011 9:49 AM PST by Darius Chang, CNET News - Crave. Great for dodging rain before it happens, as sudden drops in pressure are a surefire way to predict Stormy Weather, Ella Fitzgerald Style!

Of course other things were at CES 2011. 3-D HDTV got a makeover which had been tacitly hinted to them as far back as last year: lose the glasses! Universal 3-D Glasses and 3-D glasses-less display are the trend among 3-D HDTV at CES 2011.

Toshiba was the first to respond with a 3-D HDTV solution sans the pesky goggles as stated in the article  “Glasses-Free 3DTV's coming this year courtesy of Toshiba?” published Tuesday August 24 2010 by PC World, Yahoo! News.

Nintendo, not to be outdone and realizing the gaming potential, also rolled out their 3-D stealth bomber in the form of a Nintendo 3DS as stated in the article “Nintendo 3DS comin' at ya, starting in February”, published Wednesday September 29, 2010 1:35 pm ET, Yahoo! News - albeit to be honest with such as small screen, it better not have been intended to have glasses!

Sadly, gamers below six (6) years of age, pregnant and suffering from epilepsy cannot enjoy gaming in the Third Dimension. Apple, realizing a coming wave, is swimming out to ride it, rounding out the trifecta with patents for a glasses-free 3-D Projection (Apple 3D Projector TV, anyone?) as stated in the article “Apple patents glasses-less 3D projection”, published December 1, 2010 1:25 PM PST, by Erica Ogg, CNET News - Circuit Breaker.

This last tit-bit may be an indication of the possible Apple TV that analyst Gartner has been speculating would makes its appearance in 2012 as stated in the article “Analysts predict all-in-one Apple TV in 2012”, published September 20, 2010 11:10 AM PDT by Don Reisinger, CNET News.

Motorola Xoom – Talk of the Town means Storm Weather raining on Apple’s Parade

But Tablets are the main talk of the town, with the Motorola Xoom setting the bar VERY high as to what a Tablet powered by Honeycomb can bring to crash the Apple Car set in motion by the Apple iPad. For starters, it is tightly integrated with Google android OS 2.4 aka Honeycomb in much the same way Apple’s iOS 4 is so tightly integrated with the Apple iPad.

If that was not warning shot enough to the dominance of the Apple iPad, the lighter 10.1” Motorola Xoom sports a Tegra 2 Dual Core Processor, with 1GB RAM, albeit no word yet on the battery life.

Supporting Flash 10.1, it also has two (1) cameras, one (1) front and one (1) rear facing and is capable of 32GB of on-board storage, expandable to 64GB with the inclusion of a SD Card slot. Set to debut in the First Quarter of 2011 on Telecom Provider Verizon’s Network, it may be sporting support for LTE (Long Term Evolution).

There’s still no word yet on whether it will be on two (2) year Contract or sold with a pricing schema akin to the Apple iPad. Interestingly, no word whether or not it will have alternate versions supporting Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) + 3G/4G separately.

Albeit it is early days, it AMOLED (Amorphous Light Emitting Diode) display may be a clue. Powered by a Nvidia 3D chipset it is possibly a 1080p with support for 3-D glasses-free display, again riding the 3-D glasses-free trend and a definite power hog. This means that Power Management features (or just simply a bigger battery?!) would be needed to eke out at least six (6) to eight (8) hours of full usage power.

Do that, and the Motorola Xoom would be a strong enough contender to beat the Apple iPad as per my blog article entitled “Motorola, RIM and the Tablet - Indiana Jones and the Palace of Doom”.

So with these excellent specs and must-have add-ons, it is all left to Pricing, Battery Life and Accessories and Integration into Home, Work and Business usage, something the Apple iPad is succeeding at slowly. Business? Yes, as with any device, it must be aimed at the Business community, traditionally the bread-and-butter of Silicon Valley titans such as Microsoft.

Plus the weather vane cum barometer does it some justice, as I would want to be caught in a place where it could get wet, a handy trench coat reminder that would endear it to Wall Street stockbrokers looking to dodge between droplets to work. It is left, ultimately therefore, to the Customers to determine the fate of this gift from the Mighty Egyptians! What is stronger than a Lion indeed? Honeycomb!

Telecom Providers and Australia - The Parent Trap Down Under

Many a green isle needs must be

In the deep wide sea of misery,

Or the mariner, worn and wan,

Never thus could voyage on.

Shelley, Lines written among the Euganean Hills

My years of working at Telecom Provider C&W (2001 to 2004), now rebranded as Telecom Provider LIME, were fraught with danger and adventure. I could write a book of it all – oh wait; My blog is already book sized! STILL, a separate book IS needed to chronicle my adventures. Of the many I can recount, it was meeting this Telecom Engineer who was assigned to Telecom C&W from Australia, an aussie Engineer named Jeff.

Jeff’s chief responsibilities was to assist with maintaining the NEC (Nippon Electric Company) NEAX61E (“E” means “enhanced”) Telecoms Switch, which was a more compact of the two (2) Telecoms Switches. I remember him, as while working with him, he spoke of Australia – and its ironic lack of advanced Telecoms infrastructure.

On our downtimes or whenever he came to the Pembroke/North Exchange to do repairs on the NEAX61E Telecoms Switch, Jeff pointed out that despite Jamaica being a Developing World country, our Telecom Infrastructure was far more advance than Australia, A Developed Country, oweing to Jamaica’s smaller size and ease of installing and maintaining Telecom Infrastructure.

The Australian OutBack, from, quote “Perth to Brisbane”, is an unforgiving wilderness of wild animals, searing heat from the Sun in the Great Desert and no way to communicate if in distress. Jamaicans, you think Tivoli Gardens is bad; try surviving in the Outback armed only with a handing knife on a walkabout.

Australia has other problems, such as the much reported flooding disaster of biblical proportions as stated in the article “Rising rivers prompt evacuations in Australia”, published Wednesday December 29 2010, by AP, Yahoo! News and confirmed in the article “Australian floods 'to last weeks'”, published Monday January 3 2010, by BBC News for which my condolences are most sincere.

However, their engineering prowess resounds in innovative companies such as OriginOil and mining company MBD Energy use of CO2 emissions from coal plants to make algae based bio-fuel as stated in the article “Australians harvest algae from coal pollution”, published Tuesday December 9 2010, by CNET News.

Throw in the windfall of a greedy People Republic of China export quotas on Rare Earth metals to Japan as stated in the article “Australian Rare Earth miner leaps on China cuts”, published Wednesday December 29 2010, by AFP, Yahoo! News. Thus Australia just got a “buss” as we Jamaicans would say in patios for the lucrative and rapidly expanding All-Electric Vehicle, Alternative Energy and Consumer Electronics sector.

Fast forward to 2011 – and the incredible interest the ENTIRE world has in the mammoth engineering task that is beset Australia in bringing Broadband Internet to its far flung inhabitants as stated in the article “Australia embarks on great Broadband adventure”, published September 27, 2009 by Amy Coopes, Physorg. This should be the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel for Australia, now with a foothold in the future struggle to equip Australians for said future: Broadband Internet.

The Government of Australia, via the National Broadband Network (NBN) is on target to connect 93% connectivity of the people of Australia. Project leader Ian Oppermann is very much aware of the global interest in the Australian project, especially as they will be transitioning to full DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) by 2013AD.

Ian Oppermann’s words sum it up best, giving a possible clue as to his ambitious plans to bridge the Digital Divide in Australia, quote: “There are lots of parts of Australia which look a little bit like big parts of Canada, Russia, China, parts of the United States, most of Africa from the perspective of where the population is distributed and the sort of conditions that people live in, purely from a communications perspective; I think Australia really stands a chance of being of global test case. If we get it right there is really an opportunity that other countries will follow what Australia is leading with.”

Straight to the solutions, as options abound. Fiber Optic backhaul is best, requiring millions of miles of fiber optic cable to be laid and criss-cross the country, connecting the various towns and cities such as Perth and Sydney. This is a MUST, and there is no two-ways about it – a task that will take another ten (10) years, as the Australian wilderness is unforgiving.

In the short term, Wireless, is the way to go. Already the Australians have demonstrated that Wi-Fi Calling by enableing each smart phone as a Wi-Fi Hot spot is feasible. This is based on the research of Dr. Paul Gardner-Stephen of Flinders University in Australia and his much publicized Serval Project as stated in my blog article entitled “Digicel and WiMaX 4G Mobile - The Great Australian Outback ”.

Throw in the fact that the NBN is experimenting with a “Super” Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Network based on a Hybrid Network that is a mash-up of a Analog Broadcast Spectrum carrying a Digital Signal as stated in the article “Australia’s Outback could get Web via TV Antenna”, published Monday December 6, 2010 05:48 AM ET by Amy Coopes/AFP, Discovery.

Clever indeed: utilizing their largest already existing Terrestrial Network, Television and Radio, which already can be reliably received anywhere in Australia, as UHF (Ultra high Frequency) and VHF (Very High Frequency) have good range. Attenuation is at a minimum, as the air is crisp and dry and most Aussies already have a Television Aerial.

Thus the grand solution becomes clear. Australia, in order to power its Broadband ambitions of connecting 93% of its population, will be doing the heavy lifting involved in installing the much needed Fiber Optic replacements for their ageing Copper Based Networks in a ring around Australia.

Once installed, they plan to spur inland to connect everyone via the spare Analog Spectrum left over from transitioning their largest Terrestrial Network, Television and Radio, to Digital by 2013AD, using the SAME infrastructure, only with set top boxes. Thanks to the Analog nature of NTSC Broadcast Spectrum, the congestion will be experienced at the head-end in the MGW (Media Gateway) Router and not at each cell site.

Thus, their Network will be based on BOTH the spare NTSC (National Television Systems Committee) Analog Spectrum left over from DSO (Digital Switch Over) in 2013AD as well as the in-between “White” Space Frequencies, akin to the decision by FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Chairman Julius Genachowski as in my blog article entitled “Telecoms and White Spaces - A Man for All Seasons and the Big Bang Theory”. Digital Signal based on WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiplexing) such as Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) hitching a ride on an Analog Carrier, a true reversal of roles, The Parent Trap (1998) Style

This leaves the engineers less problems when it comes to Optimization, as instead of installing more Node B sites to relieve traffic, they can just increase the T1 at the head-end and the customers will receive the Hybrid Analog-Digital Transmission as per regular, with no need for adjustments on the customer end.

Even better, increasing Broadband speeds can be tailored so as to only require an over-the-air software update for the set top box, making constant replacements of the modem unnecessary. The customer merely needs to go online and sign up for the new speeds on a new contract, do an over-the air update and voila! New Speed! Their new contract they can also print out – all done online over the same Network from the comfort of their homes! Beautiful in its elegant simplicity!

Simple.

Support could also be provided via Satellite Broadband as is now the case in the EU as stated in my blog article entitled “Telecom Providers and Satellite Broadband - Quantum of Solace and the Tourist” as a backup system, necessitating that Australia may soon be launching a Broadband satellite.

This is DEFINITELY one to watch in 2011AD, especially as so many countries are struggling with similar problems and similar ambitions and a possible snapshot of what is possible in Jamaica, when we decided to go DSO in 2012 as prognosticated in my blog article entitled “Broadcasting and Digital Switch Over - Back to the Future to compete with LIME TV”.

Alternative Energy and Residential Solar Power - The Social Network

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.

Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 5451

Same thing can be said for the Sun.

The Americans have decided to carpe diem and take advantage of its abundant, eternal (or at least till I die!) sunshine and stick a couple of them on the White House and other Administrative agencies as stated in my blog article entitled “Alternative Energy and the President - Three Days of the Condor”.

Hopefully it will still be in the sky as even Telecom Provider T-Mobile is taking some stock in it, building a test site powered completely by the Sun as stated in the article “T-Mobile Cell Site Now powered by the Sun”, published September 16, 2010, 11:22am PDT By Katie Fehrenbacher, Cleantech - GigaOM.

So is it not time that the embattled Senator James Robertson, Minister of Energy and Mining, seek to take on the recommendation of Senator Phillip Paulwell, Opposition Senator on Telecoms and ICT spoken in the article “'Follow my blueprint' - Paulwel pushed for breakup of JPS Monopoly”, published Friday April 30 2010, Mark Titus, Business Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Also as stated in the article “Paulwell calls for number portability”, published, Wednesday April 21, 2010, Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner?

My take on this whole thing in my blog article entitled “PetroCaribe Trap - does this mean that Energy Sector Liberalization will not occur”.

A New Jersey company, Petra Solar, signed an agreement back in July 2009 that allowed them to partner up with local Power Utility Company to place Solar Panels on utility poles as stated in the article “N.J. Solar Panels on utility poles to use AT&T”, published July 21, 2010 8:19 AM PDT, CNET News - Green Tech.

The panels generate electricity, which is sold directly to the Electricity grid. Petra Solar keeps track of the units of Energy the utility pole mounted Solar Panels generate using M2M (Machine-to-Machine Communications) over Telecom Provider AT&T Network. More evidence of the increasing importance of M2M to Telecom Providers in the future as explained in my blog article entitled “AT&T, NFC and M@M - Cashless Society and the Internet of Things”

As usual, California, the home state  of Silicon Valley, is forefront leader in this concept implemented back in the 90’s where excess power generated by Alternative Energy installations i.e. Solar Panels, wind turbines, on any homeowner’s premises, can be a source of either a reduced bill or actual cash revenue from the Power Utility Company. SunRun is an example of a California, San Francisco based company that also has another unique business model that can be replicated in Jamaica.

The company installs solar panels and wind turbines and instead of having customer pay for the installation, they instead receive monthly bills, like a regular Power Utility Company as stated in the article “SunRun bags money to finance residential solar”, published October 27, 2010 8:47 AM PDT by Martin LaMonica, CNET News - Green Tech.

Obviously, a large number of households would have to be signed on to achieve the economy-of-scale necessary to make this project feasible. Again, billing here is achieved with smart meters connected over M2M via a Telecom Provider.

So it is not surprising to learn that the Americans, in their push to get themselves in gear for an Alternative Energy future, are also making a bit of money from the whole thing.

After all, that is what drives human desire, right?

This was my speculation in my article on Administrator Kirk’s Geezam blog entitled “The American Race towards Alternative Energy”, as Energy Sector Liberalization is desperately needed in Jamaica to give people a stronger incentive to go Alternative Energy and off the grid.

Not to mention the fact that it would encourage entrepreneurship in the small Clean Energy sector, with investors pushing into supplying small communities with power as opposed to just selling and installing Solar panels and water heaters.

Benefits again to Telecom Providers here in Jamaica as it would create M2M traffic on their Networks. An entrepreneur could even make it into a game among the residents living in the community, with competitions as to who can use the least amount of power in a given thirty (30) day billing cycle, The Social Network (2010) Style.

Alternative Energy and the Coming Solar Maximum - The Lightning Thief

And down the long and silent street,

The dawn, with silver-sandaled feet,

Crept like a frightened girl.

Oscar Wilde, The Harlot’s House

Private space enterprise is getting a shot at space as stated in the article “Private Companies taking over orbital space business from NASA”, published Friday December 24, 2010 10:20 am ET by JEFFREY KLUGER, Yahoo News.

Finally!

Meanwhile NASA (National Aeronautical Space Administration) is getting ready for the first Sun shot (play on the word Moonshot) with a US$180 million dollar probe named the Solar Probe Plus as stated in the article “NASA planning mission to visit the Sun”, published September 2, 2010 4:12 PM PDT by Charles Cooper, CNET News and confirmed in the article “NASA aims to plunge Car-sized probe into the Sun”, published Thursday September 2, 2010 9:30 pm ET, by SPACE.com, Yahoo News.

And NO, despite its name, it is NOT owned by Jamaican businessman Wayne Chen of Super Plus chain of supermarkets and “Super” Wi-Fi  service offered by his Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Networks Dekal Wireless and Nubian-1- Tech Services Limited!

The Sun is deserving of study. After all, it can be used as a means of propulsion with gossamer aluminium sails as stated in the article “Solar Sails could Allow New orbits for Satellites”, published Sunday August 15 2010, 9:47 am ET by Zoë Macintosh, Space.com, Staff Writer,.

Soon as they make the “Dumpa Truck” to clean up the left-over debris in orbit as suggested in my blog article entitled “Private Space Enterprise and Space Junk - Dumpa Truck”.

The Sun is fully capable of powering an 11 KVA mobile Node B owned by Telecom Provider T-Mobile as stated in the article “T-Mobile Cell Site Now powered by the Sun”, published September 16, 2010, 11:22am PDT by Katie Fehrenbacher, Cleantech - GigaOM.

Slated to launch some time before 2018 (?), its mission is simple: to study the Sun, our closest star, in unprecedented detail using a heavily shielded satellite, a battery of instruments taking scientific readings and a probe which will plunge into it heart. Hopefully, without the Sun exploding, NASA must of course presume.

All a bit too coincidental, as interestingly there is a looming possibility of a Solar Maximum as per the article “Forecasters keep eye on looming 'Solar Max'”, published Wednesday December 29, 2010 2:15 pm ET by Annie Hautefeuille and Richard Ingham, Yahoo News.

Not to be left out, the CSM (Christian Science Monitor) is of course interested as stated in the article “Solar Storms to erupt soon. What will be the impact on Earth?”, published June 14, 2010 Christian Science Monitor, Space.com as if occurring as forecasted, it could mark the end of Civilization as we know it – or at least Satellite and Terrestrial Telecoms and Electricity, with anomalous weather thrown in.

However, this is serious, as NASA has been on the look-out for this coming eruption of Cosmic, Gamma and X-Rays from the Sun since 2006 as stated in the article “Solar Storm Warning”, published March 10, 2006, by NASA Science.

Unusual weather caused by changes in the Earth’s Magnetosphere and the Ionosphere one effect, such as possibly the tornado in Aransas in Early January of 2011 as state in the article “Tornado kills six in southern US”, published Friday December 31, 2010 9:13 pm ET, AFP, Yahoo News.

A more direct causal effect of the excess radiation such as orbiting satellites being killed and disruption of Terrestrial Telecoms and Power Generation facilities will also occur. For the heavily plugged in society we have become, loss of the use of our smartphones and the Internet is effectively the End of the World!

More interestingly, however, is its effect on animals. Changes in the localized magnetic field and its orientation by the disruption of the Magnetosphere can cause animals that navigate via the Earth’s magnetic field to behave strangely.

Thus it is my suspicion that the mysterious deaths of nearly one thousand (1000) blackbirds, who apparently just fell out of the sky in Arkansas as stated in the article “1,000 birds fall from Arkansas sky in Hitchcockian scene”, published Sunday January 2, 2010 1:41 pm ET by Robert Roy Britt, LiveScience.com, Yahoo News and confirmed by the article “More than 1,000 blackbirds fall out of Arkansas sky”, published 3^rd January 2011 at 03:49 GMT, BBC News is an early sign of the coming Solar Maximum.

So too may be the dead Drum Fish in Arkansas River, another species that uses magnetic field to navigate as stated in the article “Massive fish kill blankets Arkansas River”, published January 3, 2011 By the CNN Wire Staff, CNN News.

Guess NASA is of importance after all!