Alternative Energy and Jamaica's Oil Prospects - Carletta DeLeon, The Spy who Loved Me

I saw the lightning’s gleaming rod,

Reach forth and write upon the sky,

The awful autograph of God.

Joaquin Miller, The Ship in the Desert

Carette DeLeon aka the Pet Tales Chick aka “Dilly” on Smile Jamaica on Television Jamaica, the local Television Broadcasting arm of the RJR Communications Group in Jamaica, mentioned on Smile Jamaica, aired Thursday September 2^nd 2010, Television Jamaica that a traveling friend of hers in the Motherland Africa had a Sling box

First Generation of a few line of IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) inclusive of the Roku, Tivo and Boxee, albeit strictly speaking the Tivo is a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) moonlighting as an IPTV.

This coincidental curious cat comment coming convincingly from Carletta (that’s seven C’s in a row!!) on the heels of Apple iTV Refresh by Apple CEO Steve Jobs Apple Refresh on Wednesday September 1^st 2010 as stated in the article “For 99 cents, Amazon sells shows, Apple rents them”, published September 1, 2010 2:31 PM PDT by Ina Fried, CNET News - Beyond Binary is an astounding coincidence.

I say, but on the threat of sounding like a 16^th Century English Courtier, I must concur with the observations of the airplane-phoebe Neville Bell: Nobody does it better than Carletta DeLeon, a crib from the James Bond movie The Spy Who loved Me (1997).

This as I sit watching past episodes of Smile Jamaica backed up on my computer, which double as a Television set and a DVR, while I chew on my chocolate pipe. John Public munches melancholy, musing muddled mind mixing metaphors (that’s seven M’s, a new world record!!)

But another bolt of lightning coincidence also struck; Jamaica is on the verge of discovering Oil. The article reference, entitled “Jamaica may have 3 billion barrels of Oil”, published Wednesday, September 01, 2010, the Jamaica Observer (http://www.jamaicaobserver.com). Yes, I am STILL giddy with excitement, as this news refuses to die down in Tech circles.

I am yet to even publish the other blog articles I have written this far, slated to be put online as soon as I go to Amazing PC, in Bargain Village, May Pen, Clarendon, located on the Baxter Building at the back, where of course I am the Mayor. Tash, the buxom, short Candace Buchanan look-alike bartender of the D’ Hive (I prefer the name Bee Hive, for the record) will definitely get a kick out of this news for sure.

Best of all, I finally have an argument I finally can use to convince some of those sexy, nymph-like beauties from the Peoples Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to stay in Jamaica after they complete their Geology Degrees at the University of the West Indies – as definitely they are coming to settle and stay once the Oil Drilling Starts, which can be any time between now and March 2011. Need to start workin’ on my Trinidadian accent from now.

Just be on the safe side, I may also need to stack on my Vybz Kartel CD, as Dancehall music is hot on the island, their indigenous music getting a fight from Dancehall, even though Dancehall Artiste Movado and Vybz Kartel are banned from setting foot in the People’s Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the other small islands.

I hope, however, in all this cross-cultural exchange, that we do not lose sight of the importance of this discovery and what it can mean for the future of Jamaica, my thanks again to the Sagres Energy, the parent of Canadian firm Rainville Energy that had drilling rights in Jamaica since Thursday June 15^th 2006 AD, announced Friday August 27^th 2010 AD and reported in detail on Wednesday September 1^st 2010 in the Jamaica Observer of their find.

We still have LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) as part of our push towards Electricity Generation Efficiency, which should not be abandoned. LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) Gas Turbine Generator upgrades to Jamaica Public Service co. Ltd (JPS Co.) Generators future cost reductions of the order of 20% to 30% in the electricity bills of consumers and Private Sector as stated in the article “Gov't eyes LNG cure for energy problems”, published Wednesday June 16 2010 by Laura Redpath, Senior Staff Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This will put us on the path to reducing the cost of energy in Jamaica, thus boosting our country’s productivity by lowering the cost of manufacturing locally made products for export, thus a counterbalance the constantly appreciating Jamaica dollar, a natural side-effect of borrowing money from the IMF and placing it in the Bank of Jamaica.

Even the United States of Americas aware of the potential of LNG,  being plentiful in terms of domestic supply, which according to Ernest Moniz, Director of the prestigious engineering institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently in Time Magazine, a prestigious USA publication, accounts for 24% of the Electricity Generation within the USA as stated in the article “Fuel of the future?”, published Sunday July 4 2010 by Dwight Bellanfante, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Additionally, Middle East and Far East interests, hoping to maintain the USA’s drug addict’s dependence on their supply of Cheap Energy, have begun to sequester the Government of United States of America with their abundant supplies, so plentiful and cheap that it is not only successfully competing with the People’s Republic of Trinidad and Tobago contractually guaranteed supply of LNG to the USA as stated in the article “Rivalry sends Trinidad in search of New LNG Markets”, published Saturday, July 4, 2009, The Saturday Gleaner, by Linda Hutchinson-Jafar, Business Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Middle East and Far East interests  are also challenging the very investment in Wind and Solar Energy with LNG supplies so cheap, that it can compete with the LNG extracted from within the USA on the basis of pricing alone, even with USA extracted LNG having ten-year lows as stated in the article “Solar, Wind feel the heat from low natural-gas prices”, published January 29, 2010 12:43 PM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News - Green Tech.

This whole episode puts squarely into view the seriousness of the coming of Peak Oil by 2015 AD, as ominously predicted by the IEA (International Energy Agency) as stated in the article “IEA official warns of shrinking oil supplies: Report”, Sunday August 2nd, 9:04 pm ET, AFP, Yahoo News.

This backed up by the dire warning in statements attributed to Sir Richard Branson of Virgin as stated in the article “World faces Oil Crunch by 2015”, published Sunday 14 February 2010, AFP, The Jamaica Herald.

Folks, this is serious stuff.

Even the People’s Republic of China’s plan to flood the World Market with its cheap LNG seems to be in trouble.

They are even going five (5) miles below the China Sea in a DSV (Deep Sea Vehicle) appropriately named Jaiolong, Mandarin for “Sea Dragon” in search of frozen deposit fields of Methane Hydrate along with the quest for more Rare Earth Metals as stated in the article “China builds base to tap deep-sea energy: state media”, published Friday August 27, 1:23 am ET, Yahoo News

The People’s Republic of China has in abundance and is using to build out its Clean Energy Infrastructure as well as do research to make Wind Turbines and Solar Technology to sell to the world as stated in the article “China clean tech's rare-earth advantage”, published August 12, 2010 5:37 AM PDT by Reuters News Agency, CNET News - Green Tech.

Even the atmosphere is not being ruled out as a source of Renewable Energy, as a huge amount of energy is stored in the atmosphere, lightning discharges being a sign of this stored energy reserve as stated in the article “Scientists work to harness lightning for electricity”, published August 26, 2010 11:23 AM PDT by Candace Lombardi, CNET News - Green Tech, shocking good prospect, no pun intended, as the atmosphere is the ultimate capacitive battery storage for Energy.

There is still no word or comment at the time of writing this article from Senator James Robertson, Minister of Energy and Mining, on the progress of the transitioning of JPS Co Generating capacity to LNG, much less on the recent Oil Discovery, or what the Government of Jamaica plans to do with the discovery’s coming wealth – and inextricably linked corruption, possible making Contractor General Greg Christie a bit more watchful.

No clear plan or timetable to commit to conversion of vehicles to flex-fuel engines on E85, much less the adoption of All-Electric Vehicles, which would save many household money on expenditure on gasoline.

All-Electric Vehicles, when compared to the Kilowatt hours of Energy from a liter of gasoline, are more efficient users of energy than the outdated and slightly modernized Otto Cycle Engines that we Jamaicans call automobiles that only manage 40% efficiency and barely 14 mpg (Miles per Gallon) for SUV (Sport Utility Vehicles) and 23 mpg for cars - if you are lucky.

Good to note that in the article “Sagres yet to commit to Jamaica Oil drilling”, published Friday, September 03, 2010, The Jamaica Observer and the article “Wright affirms Oil potential”, published Friday September 3^rd 2010 by Jamaica Information Service, The Jamaica Gleaner, mention is made of using the Oil as Balance of Payment to reduce our foreign debt racked up from our love affair with automobiles.

Thus, if it is the case that everyone has forgotten the charge of Senator Bruce Golding, Prime Minister of Jamaica, which he gave to the Students of the University of the West Indies while re-launching G2K (Generation 2000), the youth arm of the JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) in 2006 as stated in the article “Golding urges students to look into oil prospects”, published Friday February 23, 2007, The Jamaica Gleaner.

I shall repeat his words: “I am going to challenge you [students] to watch this oil exploration. We are going to be insisting on it that if it is confirmed that Jamaica has commercial quantities of oil within our territorial waters, we are going to want the benefits of that oil managed in such a way to secure Jamaica's economic future.”

Let it be known from now that John Public will be watching this power play by the JLP to win the next General Election in 2011-2012 as per the instructions of Senator Bruce Golding, Prime Minister of Jamaica.

This as he mentioned the ideal use for the revenue derived from the Levy, Taxes and percentage Earnings from the discovery of Oil: the revenue derived from the sale of the Oil on the International Market should be placed in an Oil Reserve Fund.

Much as it is done in the People’s Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, then a decision being taken as to what is to be done with the bulk of the money as stated in the article as stated in the article “Golding urges students to look into oil prospects”, published Friday February 23, 2007, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Most likely, the money from the FDI (Foreign Direct Investor) being used as balance of payment for foreign and local debt servicing as per the recommendations of Dr. Omar Davies, Former Minister of Finance.

John Public, The Judge in the Court of Public Opinion, stands riding upon the Gryphon of Fleet Street, The Four Winged Eagle cum Lion Guardian of the Media……….high upon the hill from my seat of power in Milk River, Clarendon, watching.

My fellow Jamaicans, I encourage you all, both locally and abroad to do likewise, as after all, Senator Bruce Golding, Prime Minister of Jamaica, spoke these words in 2006 at the University of the West Indies.

As one of the hundreds of University of the West Indies at that political rally who witnessed this event, we admonish Senator Bruce Golding, Prime Minister of Jamaica to keep his word on this, possibly the greatest thing to happen to Jamaica since Independence.

Plus, as far is I see it, nubile Trinidadians girls who studied Geology in he Department of Geology, University of the West Indies staying over for the Summer of 2011 in my cottage in Jamaica is not such a bad thing……………. 

Alternative Energy and the Recent Oil Discovery in Jamaica - The Merchant of Venice

The Almighty Dollar, that great object of universal devotion

Washington Irving, Wolfert’s Roost

The day August 31^st 2010 AD is a day that will live in infamy of many in Jamaica who still read newspapers. Not only is it the Independence Day of the People’s Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, it is also the day that possibly the biggest announcement was quietly made in both Print and Broadcast media: Jamaica is on the verge of discovering Oil.

The article reference, entitled “Jamaica may have 3 billion barrels of Oil”, published Wednesday, September 01, 2010, The Jamaica Observer, was reported, most aptly on September 1^st 2010, the Day of Apple CEO Steve Jobs announcements of the Apple Product Refreshes.

Specifically I refer to the Apple iPod Nano, Apple iPod Shuffle, Apple iPod Touch and Apple iTV, with the makeover of the Apple iTV into a Slingbox-esque IPTV device being a small revolution in pricing as well as technology as stated in the article “New Apple TV: $99, Netflix streaming, 99-cent TV rentals”, published September 1, 2010 11:43 AM PDT by Matthew Moskovciak, CNET News – Crave.

This as well as in the article “For 99 cents, Amazon sells shows, Apple rents them”, published September 1, 2010 2:31 PM PDT by Ina Fried, CNET News - Beyond Binary.

For you see, ironically, it is newspapers and blogs that possess information that is carefully sifted by the reporter and contains a wealth of stories that would take the avid Newspaper or blog reader a day to read, as opposed to the slapdash reporting of the Broadcasters, both Television and Radio.

Guess John Public need to start befriending those Trinidad and Tobago Geology and Geography students in the Department of Geology at the University of The West Indies.

I, John Public, can honestly say that I am beside myself with excitement, as the prospects of this discovery by Sagres Energy, the parent of Canadian firm Rainville Energy that had drilling rights in Jamaica since Thursday June 15^th 2006 AD, announced Friday August 27^th 2010 AD and reported in detail on Wednesday September 1^st 2010 in the Jamaica Observer are staggering.

Canadians again, to the rescue of the hapless Jamaicans. It is becoming apparent that the Americans are of little help to Jamaica, being unable to help themselves, their country experiencing the worst Recession since the Oil Crisis in 1976.

Which ironically, was exacerbated by their insatiable greed and punch-drunk love for Black Gold, after their country had experienced Peak Oil and resulted in a dependence on imported Oil and thus the ensuing Oil Crisis!

Canada has weathered the recession and came out ok, which is not surprising, as they have a more rigid, more robust Economy based mostly on Real Estate as stated in the article “Vancouver's Real Estate Bubble Trouble”, published June 24, 2010, 5:00PM EST, by Bryant Urstadt, BusinessWeek - FEATURES with little connection or direct investment in the American Economy, their only problem being a severe shortage of skilled workers, due to its extremely cold weather.

Canada is a magnet for many a Jamaicans despite is harsh winters, its Economic Climate is a Tropical Paradise compared to Jamaica’s frozen frigid wasteland of an Economy being sucked dry by FDI (Foreign Direct Investors), who own virtually everything. Thus it is rather fitting that again, of all the companies to make this discovery, it was a Canadian firm.

The location of this find is best explained in Sagres’ own quote, which this Jamaica Observer article does an excellent job of doing: “Results of an independent evaluation of the resource potential of certain prospectus identified in Sagres' blocks 9, 13 and 14 in the shallow-waters (20 metres) of the Pedro Bank 120 km offshore Jamaica show(s) a gross mean prospective resource

estimate (Oil) of three billion barrels”.

Pedro Banks is where this potential find of nearly three billion (3,000,000,000) barrels of untapped oils was discovered using seismic sound techniques involving radio wave pulses pumped into the ocean floor from a submersible trawled below the surface or set to rest on the oceans floor for more detailed soundings.

The composition of the returned resonance 30 Watt radio waves i.e. absorbed by the rock strata and re-transmitted, being analyzed by computer equipment helping to identify the possible composition of not only the rock strata and the presence of hydrocarbon deposits, based on details of the soundings, but also the extent and size of this discovery.

That Sagres should make mention of this discovery of all, couple with such a large estimate, makes this find truly significant and noteworthy and thus explains the follow-up articles by the Oil Prospecting company, which now point the way ahead, as Sagres has until March 2011, based on their contract, to begin drilling a test well or lose their rights to their discovery and be unable to recoup their investment.

Sagres, by their own admission, is currently not financial capable of drilling a test well, which according to the article can be up to US$40 million dollars to capitalize, and thus must find a suitable equity partner to do so, a most likely prospect, based on the comments of president and chief geologist, David Johnson, who was quoted as saying: “This evaluation provides a better understanding of the tremendous resource potential that lays in Jamaica.

With the combination of nine of 11 historical Jamaican wells with Oil shows, three mature sources, two potential reservoirs, and large structures, we believe that it is only a matter of time before a large untapped commercial resource is discovered in Jamaica.

Furthermore, Jamaica is ready to commercialize its resource potential with refining capacity of 45,000 barrels of Oil per day, electricity generators that accept gas, Oil, or Bio-Diesel fuels, an established bauxite industry, and a geographic position central to the major global marine trade routes”. Folks, we always had Oil, based on previous evidence; it was just a matter of knowing where to look.

With that kind of history easily found in the Department of Geology at the University of The West Indies as well as residing with Special projects manager of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), Dr. Raymond Wright, this find was guaranteed.

Plus, now has never been a better time to get to know one of those cute young nymphs from the People’s Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, as with this find, they will be definitely be making a beeline to our country and thus be less likely to leave our shores, already being infected with our infectious Dancehall Music, their airwaves overloaded with our music.

Dr. Raymond Wright, in an interview on Wednesday September 1^st 2010 AD with the JIS (Jamaica Information Service), had expressed confidence that Sagres will secure the assistance of this equity partner before March 2011 AD as published in the article “Sagres yet to commit to Jamaica Oil drilling”, published Friday, September 03, 2010, The Jamaica Observer and the article “Wright affirms Oil potential”, published Friday September 3^rd 2010 by The Jamaica Information Service, The Jamaica Gleaner.

With the Government of Jamaica or the PCJ not having to commit funding to this venture and all the capital expenditure being borne by Sagres Energy and its potential equity partner, Jamaica stands to make significant tax revenues from the sale of Oil in arrangements similar to that of bauxite, with the Government of Jamaica owning share in the venture, as we cannot use the Oil, but mainly refine and sell most of it to earn foreign exchange.

The Levy, Taxes and Percentage of Sales of the Oil earned from the investment would enable Jamaica to begin to cut reduce its borrowing relationships, being as it would be a significant source of foreign exchange that would have the potential to eclipse and even surpass bauxite, now in a slump due to lower international demand for aluminum due to the Recession in the United States of America.

Despite this discovery, it is hoped that the Government of Jamaica will keep to their previous utterances by Prime Minister Bruce Golding who stated that if Oil were to be discovered, that the revenue derived from the sale of the Oil on the international market should be placed in an Oil Reserve fund, much as it is done in the People’s Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, then a decision being taken as to what is to be done with the bulk of the money as stated in the article as stated in the article “Golding urges students to look into oil prospects”, published Friday February 23, 2007, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Most likely, most of which would have to go towards Infrastructural Development, the money from the FDI being used as balance of payment for foreign and local debt servicing as per the recommendations of Dr. Omar Davies, Former Minister of Finance.

At the time when current incumbent Bruce Golding made these statements, he was in Opposition and I, John Public, was a Student at the University of the West Indies in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, hungry as hell while saving up some coins while doing my first Degree in Electronics and Chemistry.

Bruce Golding, then Leader of the Opposition in 2006, came to the University of the West Indies in 2006 and in the process of re-launching the G2K (Generation 2000) in 2006, admonish the students of the University to keep a close eye on the exploration of oil in Jamaica waters.

He challenged us, speaking from his soapbox platform, as I remember, as I was a student of the University of the West Indies at the time and was present when his ominous call was echoed to the students, exhorting us by saying “I am going to challenge you [students] to watch this oil exploration.

We are going to be insisting on it that if it is confirmed that Jamaica has commercial quantities of oil within our territorial waters, we are going to want the benefits of that oil managed in such a way to secure Jamaica's economic future.”

Well, Chief Servant, I, John Public, will be answering the call via my blog postings. It is hoped with the ongoing audits which discovered that Ruth Potopsingh, the Director of the PCJ (Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica) had been defrauding the PCJ and by extension her employer the Government of Jamaica for years as stated in the Prime Time News, aired Tuesday April 20^th 2010, on Television Jamaica.

This as auditors are rarely telling tales on the basis of political agenda, that this general housecleaning will also mean a more transparent process in dealing with the Oil Revenue moving forward into the future.

Curiously, this discovery may have been known for months before.  PCJ (Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica) ceded its controlling stake in the State Owned oil Refinery by giving the to the Government of Venezuela an additional 2% increase on their 49% stake in the oil refinery to 51% and hence controlling rights as stated in the article “Venezuelans to the Rescue - 2% deal gives PVDSA affiliate majority ownership”, published Friday April 30 2010, Mark Titus, Business Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner

For the record,  PVDSA (Petroleos de Venezuela SA) is the state run subsidiary that stands to benefit from recent finds of oil and a massive gas field off the coast of Venezuela as stated in the article “Venezuela taps Natural Gas super well”, published Tuesday March 30^th2010, The Daily Gleaner (AP), The Jamaica Gleaner.

So the Venezuelans knew?

Also, apparently the Government of Venezuela, Government of the Peoples Republic of China and even the Government of Mexico knew as well. The Government of Mexico declared its intention to construct a US$6 billion dollar Refinery by Mexican Petroleum interest PEMEX (Petroleos Mexicanos) and mysterious hastily commissioned  two (2) week restoration of a 15-foot statue named El Atlante de Tula by Mexican Ambassador to Jamaica, Leonora Rueda as stated in the article “Mexico's new refinery to take shape this year”, published Thursday April 1^st 2010, by Nadisha Hunter, Gleaner Writer, The Daily Gleaner, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Then the Greeks upgrade to a land based facility for the storage of MGO (Marine Gas Oil) and MFO (Marine Fuel Oil) as stated in the article “US$20M more to Bunker - Greek firm eyes investment in Jamaican storage facility”, published Wednesday, April 07, 2010 BY CAMILO THAME Business co-ordinator, The Jamaica Observer.

Further suspicions are whetted by the fact that JEP (Jamaica Energy Partners) planned expansion, which appears to be a push into power distribution based on the location of the new plant as stated in the article “JEP lands power deal”, published Friday April 9, 2010, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Guess the Government of Jamaica and the PCJ may have known of this Oil for sure, and in fact chose to make this announcement now to ensure their political future in the upcoming General Election in 2011-2012, meanwhile keeping the Jamaican Public and John Public in the dark and in a heightened state of suspense

Good to note John Public did point out to some ShurPower contractors in 2009 that there was indeed Oil off the South Coast in Pedro Banks, based on my access to Geological information and knowledge of formations of underwater topographical structures that indicate the presence of Oil. These are most likely unchanged for hundreds of years as there is no wind or man-made erosion forces to alter the underwater landscape.

All this by no means says we must abandon our push towards efficiency by using LNG (Liquid Natural Gas).  Already signs are in the making that this will soon occur in short order.

Senator James Robertson, Minister of Energy and Mining has finally realized the fact that either Energy Sector Liberalization or an increase in the efficiency in JPS Co Electricity Generation via the implementation of the use of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) stated by the JPS Co resulting in a 20% to 30% decrease in the Electricity bills of customers as stated in the article “Government eyes LNG cure for Energy problems”, published Wednesday June 16 2010 by Laura Redpath, Senior Staff Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Private Sector needs to begin its ambitious expansion plans and thus generate growth and employment, growth here being referred to as not only employment but also increased exports and foreign exchange inflows as stated in my blog article “Alternative Energy and LNG - Is Energy Sector Liberalization necessary?”.

This possibility has increased thanks in part to its endorsement by none other than Ernest Moniz, Director of the prestigious engineering institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently in Time Magazine, a prestigious USA publication, who posits the fact that LNG deposits accounts for only 24% of the Electricity Generation within the United States of America, yet they possess 98% of the LNG that they use to generate this 24% electricity demand as stated in the article “Fuel of the future?”, published Sunday July 4 2010 by Dwight Bellanfante, Gleaner Writer,  The Jamaica Gleaner

It is therefore my fervent hope that this pans out, as we could all use some financial relief and return our Economy to profitability within the space of seven (7) years. Couple it with the long term investment by Senator Barack Obama, President of the United States of America and his Administration in Silicon Valley, particularly in areas that would result in the lowering of her Energy Bill in terms of Electricity Usage as stated in the article “Obama commits billions to solar firms”, published July 4, 2010 11:34 AM PDT by Reuters, CNET News - Green Tech.

Such as All-Electric Vehicle Research, specifically Battery Development as stated in the article “Obama: Clean energy's Venture Capitalist-in-Chief”, published August 5, 2010, 5:00PM EST By Mike Dorning, POLITICS & POLICY, BusinessWeek and Foreign Based Fossil Fuels as stated in the article “'Green' gas and Diesel get boost in Biofuel grants”, published December 4, 2009 12:33 PM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News - Green Tech

The Merchant of Venice, herein represented by the Government of the People’s Republic of China may soon find that a recovered United States of America, which would further boost Jamaica own Economic Recovery Efforts, will be able to repay her the requisite pound of flesh, provided of course that the Government of the People’s Republic of China can do so without spilling a drop of blood…….

Hollywood, would it be possible to have Robert Downey Jr, of Iron Man (2008) fame, play the lead role in the movie Merchant of Venice? More time…………

Apple and Augmented View - The Future is now

All are architects of Fate,

Working in these walls of Time;

Some with massive deeds and great,

Some with ornaments of rhyme.

Longfellow, The Builders

Apple is seems, has done its refresh on September 1^st 2010 AD, and yet I am not fazed by these announcements or pronouncements, as they really ought to be called.

Nothing new, would be the comments of many, just form factor changes to the Apple iPod Nano, Apple iPod Shuffle and the Apple iTV as confirmed in the article “New Apple TV: $99 Netflix streaming, 99-cent TV rentals”, published September 1, 2010 11:43 AM PDT by Matthew Moskovciak, CNET News – Crave.

Ditto that in the article “For 99 cents, Amazon sells shows, Apple rents them”, published September 1, 2010 2:31 PM PDT by Ina Fried, CNET News- Beyond Binary.

FaceTime on the Apple iPod Touch device is not helping much, worse as it not much different from an Apple iPhone 4.0, the media centric nature of its design being its only distinction, as I understand that this particular gadget can also make calls. The low pricing on the Apple iTV was good, and its cute in-your-hand form factor makes it a definite keeper, but the technology gear unveiled appeared half baked and CEO Steve Jobs appearing a bit winded.

It appears that the Apple Team had nothing in the tank, and thus decided to wow the crowd with a good song and dance presentation or pronouncements. This is a telling sign of the times, when Apple is out of ideas, and John Public, putting it squarely on the table, is ready to give some serious straight talking typical of a country man from Milk River, Clarendon. John Public puffs his chocolate peace pipe and lays them straight…………..what Apple Fanboys want……….

Apple should have, at the very least, launched with a new additional device, a solar charger or better, solar powered devices, as per the suggestions of their patent filings as stated in the article “Apple eyes gadgets with built in Solar panels”, published January 22, 2010 7:46 AM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News - Green Tech and as further asserted in the article “Apple patent bid combines Solarwith touch Screen”, published June 7, 2010 6:31 AM PDT by Martin LaMonica, CNET News - Green Tech.

This would have made the hard drive-less Apple iTV, a real steal, especially for the traveler, wishing to go to European and its madness of different electrical sockets or even Africa with electricity not being so common-place.

With Broadband connectivity whether via 3G or Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) and solar power cutting the link to an analog past, Apple would have been back in the innovation seat, hence my prior rant in my blog article on the topic.

I realize, however, that criticism is not helping, especially as it not a product that Apple can make and sell to consumers. Thus,  I, John Public, dig into my treasure trove of past ideas and with a bit of spit and polish, quietly suggests the following ideas for the next refresh, as this refresh was clearly not up to the usual Apple standard.

The first new product I would like to suggest would be research and improvement with eventual integration of Augmented Viewing (AR) into all Apple products that have a camera, as already FaceTime, which should have been on the Apple iTV, thus making it a Video Phone (thanks to Beyonce and Lady GaGa for that reminder in song Video Phone) is now the defacto standard on Apple iPhone 4.0

This technology will be very big in the future as stated in the article “Augmented Reality Goes Mobile”, published November 3, 2009, 12:44AM EST by Rachael King, BusinessWeek -AUGMENTED REALITY.

Granted, the research is already pretty advanced, as Augmented Viewing has long been in use in the theatres of operation by the US Military, specifically the Iraq War, to provide soldiers with real-time information.

Its most recent commercialization, via the shaking of an Apple iPhone with the Yelp App installed, called Monocle, is generally regarded as the first Augmented Viewing implementation.

Apple iPhone 4.0 on the launch of its new iPhone 4.0 OS which finally supports their unique take on multitasking, folders (finally), as the new Apple advertising platform called Apple iAd, a game social network called Game Center, similar to that of Microsoft Xbox 360.

iBook, similar to the iBookStore App on the Apple iPad with a free complimentary book Winnie the Pooh (first thing Apple has ever given away for free!!) as hinted in the article “Will iPhone 4.0 derail Microsoft's phone plans?”, published April 9, 2010 10:24 AM PDT by Ina Fried, CNET News - Beyond Binary and confirmed in the video “CNET The AppleByte” aired April 8 2010 by Brian Senior Editor, CNET News.

It Apps Store is second to none, and is the mainstay of is devoted Developer Clan, pocketing healthy profits, despite its rigid rules and its Apple rabid mad dog Fanboys as stated in the article “Apple's Endless Expanding App Universe”, published Monday April 26, 2010 By Peter Burrows, BusinessWeek - FEATURES.

Having sold nearly fifty million (50,000,000) Apple iPhones since its debut in 2007 and having plans to sell another twenty four (24,000,000) million more as stated in the article “Report: Apple readying 24 million units of next iPhone”, published May 17, 2010 10:25 AM PDT by Erica Ogg, CNET News - Circuit Breaker.

Apple is clearly on target, as the runaway train that is the Apple iPhone and the Apple iPad, which shows no sign of slowing down is set to surpass these analyst generated targets. The next Apple iPhone and Apple iPad Refresh is in February 2011 and already plans are well in gear to launch an even better, more polished product.

Combine this baked in Augmented Viewing Service with facial recognition software to enable recognition of people’s faces both over the already fully baked FaceTime Video Calling Service and viewed by it 5 Megapixel cameras, possibly using an integration of Luxund’s Blink “Blink-induced log-in now available on 64-bit Windows”, published August 6, 2010 10:15 AM PDT by Polina Polishchuk, CNET News - The Download Blog.

Or even an integration of Face.com software as stated in the article “Face.com opens its face recognition tech to devs”, published May 3, 2010 10:00 AM PDT, by Josh Lowensohn, CNET News.

Apple would have another winner on their hands, as up to this point, no matter what software or hardware the competition in Silicon Valley develop, no-one, not even Google, is yet to develop an implementation of Augmented View that is quick, zippy and correctly identifies everything rapidly from a connected Cloud-based database in the cameras field of view

This is an advantage Apple has, as they make both the Hardware and Software. The Liquid Metal Casing of its future products, as hinted at by the purchase of LiquidMetal, a company that specializes in making an amorphous metal (that is non-rigid polycrystalline molecules structures for you non-Inorganic Chemistry people!!) as stated in the article “Metallic Glass could encase Future Apple Products”, published Wednesday August 11, 11:40 am ET by Stuart Fox Tech News Daily Staff Writer, LiveScience.com, Yahoo News

Apple’s purchase points to a future of high end, high priced polished and more easily fabricated products for Apple and possibly ceramic encased and insulate redesign of its troublesome External Loop Antenna using this magic easily moldable metal, provided of course that the metal is not ferromagnetic, an excellent candidate for an antenna in the microwave band.

Thus a future refresh should include not only the incremental improvements of the other features of thee devices, such as the camera resolution, support for both form of 4G, that being WiMax 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) and LTE (Long Term Evolution) and the processor speed.

But this can also be interpreted also as a definite push for a shinier, sleeker, more expensive polished metallic finish with a solar powered future and an Augmented Viewing baked in. This would finally make full use of the accelerometer, magnetometer and built in GPS, already baked into the Apple iPhone 3GS, were included for in the first place.

But wait………..what of the glasses from Dolce and Gabbana and Miu Miu that support tethering to a refreshed Apple iPhone and thus enabling hands free Augmented Viewing?

Details of this I shall explain in yet another episode when I take another bit of the Apple………..

Google and Google Voice - The World is Not Enough

Though the mills of God grind slowly,

Yet they grind exceedingly small

Longfellow, translation from the German of Von Logau

I am now convinced that the people at Google are bona fide geniuses, if not the salt in the wound of the Telecom Providers.

Last week, on Saturday August 25^th, 2010 AD, (for it is indeed that type of announcement) Google announced what basically amounts to a platform mash up: Google Voice and Google Chat VoIP calling features would be integrated into Google Mail, otherwise known more colorfully as 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

It was also announced in the videos “CNET Buzz Report”, aired Sunday August 26^th 2010 by Molly Wood, Executive Editor, CNET News and further expounded in the video “CNET Loaded”, aired Thursday August 26^th 2010 by Mark Licea, Executive Editor, CNET News

It is also on “CNET News”, aired Thursday August 25^th 2010. John Public is surprised, as hopefully if this is a prank on the part of CNET, it is well planned. But it appears not to be. Not with a Google employee being interviewed.

The affable Vincent Paquet, Product Manager of Google Voice and most likely a Frenchman judging by his accent.

Most fitting as it was Fourier, a Frenchman who developed Fourier Transforms, key to Wavetable synthesis, Voice Telecoms and Voice-to-text technology, made the relatively low key technical achievement, “low key” mainly due to the fact that it based on the video, the press kit seemed to be a modest affair reserved for fellow tech pundits, reviewers and Google staffers.

My initial excitement was dampened by the fact that ONLY Gmail users in the United States of America or Canada would be enable to use this service for free, being able to call only mobile and landline numbers in the United States of America or Canada. That is indeed correct; you read that right.

It is not a typo, nor is my assumptions partially cooked or “half baked” as the Americans would say.

Calling from Gmail within the United States of America or Canada using a dial pad like interface in Gmail, based on information from CNET News as stated in the video “CNET How To – Make Phone Calls from Gmail”, aired Thursday August 26^th 2010 by Jessica Dolcourt, Senior Associate Editor, CNET News to mobile or landline numbers in the United States of America or Canada is indeed free.

With the integration of the Google Voice Platform meaning that calls can be made and received internationally for the same low price of US$0.20!! A serious deal, as John Public, who is afraid of flying, went abroad once just to see my granny in Florida and was horrified to discover that calls from Florida cost US$1.00 to Jamaica.

I was, at first happy for the Canadians and Americans, as they seem to have gotten a good deal but lamented the fact that the International World was left out - again. That is until I went to Bargain Village, May Pen on Tuesday August 31, 2010 AD which happens to be the Independence Day of the People’s Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Smoking my chocolate pipe, puffing away merrily as I usually do, on Tuesday August 31, 2010 AD, I, John Public, Mayor of the Baxter Building, sauntered over to the lovely buxom, nymph-like Tash of the Internet Café with the Bee logo, called, for no apparent reason, the D’ Hive, the hot and happening trendy place that is so obnoxious you cannot miss the gigantic Bee symbol if you were blind.

They are located on the Ground Floor of what I often refer to as the Baxter Building, home of the Fantastic Four of Amazing PC on the Top Floor. After such a long sentence, a short one ensues. It was late evening that day, around 4:45pm and the Amazing PC complementary café was closing down.

So I decided to check my Gmail account for emails when lo and behold, I saw that Gmail had indeed placed a Phone Logo on the Chat Bar (is there such a thing?) on the left hand panel of Gmail.

Curious I clicked on it and by jove, a phone dial pad popped up, with a prompt to download a widget or program installation. Good God, I say, steady there.

Being a fan of everything Gmail, I decided to put on my guinea pig costume and proceeded, rather nervously, to download and install, as it struck me as being decidedly odd if not statistically incongruent that a service that was announced on CNET on no fewer than five (5) CNET News sources as being ONLY for United States of America or Canada Gmail users, inclusive of a blog posting, could be incorrect.

But a further heart stopping surprise awaited me, with the members of Amazing PC gathered around to witness history as I placed a call to a female friend mobile phone that was living in the United States of America– and it worked.

It worked. I did not expect that, as the news reports all said that this was a feature available ONLY to Canadian and American Gmail users (note my repetition, it is deliberate), thus making me think that this must be some sort of mistake or bug.

But after fiddling with the settings for the mike on my personal headset, I was able to successfully make the first International Call from the Baxter Building from Amazing PC Cyber Café from Jamaica to my female friend in New York, in the United States of America, using my own personal headset and wearing a white t-shirt and jeans

The FIRST on the Baxter Building to know of this and actually do it, as witnessed by members of the Amazing PC staff on hand at closing time, like the witnesses of the first powered flight from Kitty Hawk by the Wright Brothers in 1888.

Call quality was good, and during the lengthy ten minute and twenty three (10 min 23 sec) call, the quality was superb, with little lag and no echo, albeit this observation is not scientific, as I did not get access to the specs of my friends handset and I did experience problems setting up the First Call, albeit it was a problem related to the computer.

I am reliably informed by a fellow TechJamaica member (yes, I am now a contributing member on their Forum, specializing in Telecoms, VoIP, Renewable Energy and Broadband) that this is a pilot test program till 31^st December 2010.

I am enjoying it as much as I can, though one suspects that Google will definitely be trying to find a way to make this a permanent feature, especially as it will spur adoption of their Gmail Platform and by extension, subscriptions sign-ups from Google Buzz, Google Voice and act as a launch pad for Google Me, their revamped Facebook Social Network Killer.

I am still in surprise, confirmation provided that this was indeed legal by looking on the interface, which indeed confirmed that this capability was allowed for International Users. Once this news gets out about this in May Pen, Clarendon, Amazing PC as well as the D’ Hive will definitely get more pedestrian traffic and potentially more sales of their respective products, as other VoIP Platforms are free only for PC to PC calls, the difference being very significant.

Persons with a Gmail account apparently love it so much that approximately one million (1,000,000) called in the first 24 hours of this service debut, effectively one (1) call in every three thousand (3000) calls went through this platform in this 24 hour period.

And of course Gmail to Gmail calls are free, making this ultimately better than Skype, as the pricing model for International calls mimics those prices already on offer by Google Voice, making porting work to Google Docs worth the trouble. So how does this service, not yet “custom fitted” to Jamaica as Mary J. Bligh, obviously the great- great-grand-daughter of Captain Bligh who brought the breadfruit to Jamaica, affect us?

It apparently now appears to be custom fitted to us, as Jamaicans, once they become aware of this, would definitely be interested in owning a 3G or 4G capable smart phones, 3G Modems for Telecom Provider CLARO and Telecom Provider LIME, CPE (Customer Premises Equipment), Dongles, Notebooks and Laptops from Telecom Provider Digicel under Digicel’s WiMax 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) no matter what the price and even via using Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) from Dekal Wireless and Nubian-1 Tech Services Limited.

On the downside, this reduces the International Calling over Voice Networks i.e. mobile phones, landlines, but this loss in revenue should be an acceptable trade-off for increased adoption of Data Services using 3G and 4G capable smart phones, 3G Modems for Telecom Provider CLARO and Telecom Provider LIME, CPE (Customer Premises Equipment), Dongles, Notebooks and Laptops from Telecom Provider Digicel under Digicel’s WiMax 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) and even via using Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) from Dekal Wireless and Nubian-1 Tech Services Limited. Telecom Providers, you cannot always have you cake and eat it!

As soon as people realize that this test run ends on 31^st December 2010, they may start looking for alternatives, and Skype is definitely up their street for Voice Calling and Video Calling , with the Apple iTV as a television alternative, now sporting Netflix streaming and Amazon movie rentals at US$0.99 as confirmed in the article “New Apple TV: US$99, Netflix streaming, 99-cent TV rentals”, published September 1, 2010 11:43 AM PDT by Matthew Moskovciak, CNET News – Crave

This as stated also in the article “For 99 cents, Amazon sells shows, Apple rents them”, published September 1, 2010 2:31 PM PDT by Ina Fried, CNET News - Beyond Binary, a complement to Television Jamaica, as it now affords live streaming of Smile Jamaica and Prime Time News only. Which I confirmed on Wednesday August 1^st 2010, with a post suggesting that viewing previously aired content, most likely ad supported, would be possible in the future.

I hope it is in High Definition and I hope downloading is supported, as streaming, though nice, may not be realistic, especially as DVR (Digital Video Recording) software now comes standard with Windows 7.

Thus allowing for the trend of time shifting, now apparently catching on in Jamaica as stated in the article “Survey of viewers shows extent of TV time shifting”, published Tuesday August 17, 6:53 am ET By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer, Yahoo! News and confirmed in the follow-up article “DVR's shaking up movie marketing”, published Monday August 23, 2:30 am ET By Georg Szalai, Yahoo! News.

The calls, in tests conducted with a female friend and confidant from my C&W days living in the Big Apple doing her Masters Degree (2001 to 2004) verified what I suspected. The calls all terminate in California, specifically on a VoIP Server in California, which are then converted to switched networking calls and routed via a Local Exchange in Oceanside, Escondido County in California, based on a check on the terminating number 760-705-8888 that appeared on the screen of my friend’s smart phone.

Apparently in the United States of America, their implementation of MNP (Mobile Number Portability) on both two (2) year Contract Mobile Phones and PrePaid Phones (equivalent of Postpaid Phones) is mandated by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission).

Ironically here in Jamaica, Telecom Providers require identification for the purchase of 3G or 4G modems or CPE’s, effectively MNP as a means of protection from Abuse, codified into their Contract with customers, yet refusing to have MNP for their Voice Network, a benefit to identifying criminals using the network to organize themselves.

All that is required is a headset.

But a word to Google, don’t you know The World Is Not Enough (1999)…………….what about the Google Me Social Network? Stay tuned………

Apple Refresh and the US Economy - Chinese Dragon has a Jade Eye

John Public never think of the future. It comes soon enough.

Albert Einstein, Interview, Dec., 1930

Apple rocks.

That simple statement sums up my impression of the refresh of the Apple iPod, the Apple iPod Nano and its now squish form factor and even tinier screen, back to being a basic music player and the all-buttoned-up Apple iPod Shuffle.

Brushing these aside quite brusquely, the show stealer was the Apple iPod Touch, that device that looks like the Apple iPhone………..and works like it too, with FaceTime……………and the Apple iTV, which finally has become a true set top box instead of just a pared down Apple Mac, now sporting Netflix streaming and Amazon movie rentals at US$0.99.

Rumours have borne veracity for once as confirmed in the article “New Apple TV: $99, Netflix streaming, 88-cent TV rentals”, published September 1, 2010 11:43 AM PDT by Matthew Moskovciak, CNET News - Crave as well as in the article “For 99 cents, Amazon sells shows, Apple rents them”, published September 1, 2010 2:31 PM PDT by Ina Fried, CNET News - Beyond Binary.

Despite the criticisms, the small portable form factor and the lower pricing points for the rentals and streaming and the device itself has won me over. A relatively low key event, John Public leaves the drooling over the specs of these consumer electronics devices to the techies, as ultimately it is about the “gadgety goodness” of taking a bite out of the Apple that makes listening to CEO Steve Jobs and his Sermons on the Mount worth tolerating, looking like a character out of MIB (Men in Black).

But America, John Public is concerned about the future of Technological Innovation in your country, as these products are “Made in China”. United States of America is now like Jamaica.

To be a bit more ominous, this repeated hoopla has me a bit worried. Apple has been doing refreshes for its products for quite a while, but with very little new to show for it.

Granted, they have a highly successful business model in terms of Apple iTunes and Apple iTV may be just what they need to woo the content providers to come on board, as only FOX and ABC stream to the device. The other Broadcasting Networks and Content Providers are wary of this hard-drive less device and its CEO’s ambitions to do to them what he had done to the still stuck-in-the-past Music Industry, whose music distribution he now effectively controls.

No FaceTime on the Apple iTV, though this may be coming in future refreshes, a web cam attachment required for the entrepreneur hacker with The Jetsons (TV Series 1962 - 1993) on the brain should do the trick though. Just a plain, boring cute little box, a revolution in pricing but a major let-down for those expecting more than just another Roku or TiVo clone. Its utilization of Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Networks as a streaming alternative is an excellent choice.

But more in the Let-down Department: none of the devices had any solar powered components as previous reports of Apple Engineers reportedly fling patents for solar powered implementations to cut the cord as stated in the article “Apple eyes gadgets with built in Solar panels”, published January 22, 2010 7:46 AM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News - Green Tech and as further asserted in the article “Apple patent bid combines Solar with touch screen”, published June 7, 2010 6:31 AM PDT by Martin LaMonica, CNET News - Green Tech.

Apple, why bother?

So John Public wistfully glances at the other happening of the day and wonders if possibly the comments of retired Intel CEO Andy Grove, though championing protectionism, also hint at a generally well known and growing problem in the United States of America: lack of Innovation and investment in their Technology Sector as stated in the article “Is the American tech industry oiling its own guillotine?”, published August 30,2010,7:00am PDT By Jason Hiner, ZDNET - Between the Lines.

The US Tech Industry, albeit having its cadre of hired engineers on American Soil, still out sources IT workers and the manufacturing of it tech gear to Japan and the People’s Republic of China. This highlighted lack of employment and investment in Research and Development in an area that could be a growth engine for the American Economy in the long term is what prompted Senator Barack Obama, President of the United States of America to invest in Silicon Valley, particularly in areas that would:

1. Result in the lowering of her Energy Bill in terms of Electricity Usage as stated in the article “Obama commits billions to solar firms”, published July 4, 2010 11:34 AM PDT by Reuters, CNET News - Green Tech
2. Expand All-Electric Vehicle Research, specifically Battery Development as stated in the article “Obama: Clean energy's Venture Capitalist-in-Chief”, published August 5, 2010, 5:00PM EST By Mike Dorning, POLITICS & POLICY, Business Week
3. End a dependence on Foreign Based Fossil Fuels as stated in the article “'Green' gas and Diesel get boost in Biofuel grants”, published December 4, 2009 12:33 PM PST by Martin LaMonica, CNET News - Green Tech.

Given the challenges facing the Green Tech field:

1.      A shortage of manpower as stated in the article “People power in Tech in short supply”, published March 26, 2010 8:29 AM PDT by Martin LaMonica, CNET News - Green Tech

2.      Rare Earth minerals shortages for photovoltaic and Wind Turbines Production as stated in the article “Rare-earth metal recycling needed to power green tech”, published May 17, 2010 7:31 AM PDT by Martin LaMonica, CNET News - Green Tech

3.      A general lack of standardized certification, which CompTIA is trying to address with its Green Energy Certification as stated in the article “CompTIA offering Green IT exam”, published March 25, 2010 10:34 AM PDT by Lance Whitney, CNET News - Green Tech.

America’s once Technology Innovation Silicon Valley is very far behind People’s Republic of China in terms of Research and Development. This all does bear repeating, till the reality sinks in to those non- science minded, socialite types who see Science and Technology as a waste of Taxpayers money, circling over NASA (National Aeronautical and Space Administration) like the bureaucracy Vultures on Capitol Hill……..

In fact, the United States of America has become a Social Networking lollapalooza that is not focusing enough on hard technological innovation and research. Many US companies have scaled back on their Research Initiative and Budgets, choosing to even outsource Research, with most of the Production and Research being shipped overseas, the now standard practice industry-wide 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, Business Week and in the prior article “America's Green innovation Problem”, published May 3, 2010, 4:41PM EST By Rob Atkinson and Devon Swezey, Business Week - VIEWPOINT.

So as John Public enjoy the new Gadgets from Apple, the confident smiles and the cheering, John Public cannot help but wonder who is really smiling, as John Public suspects it is Foxxcon, the People’s Republic of China manufacturer that makes most of Americas tech toys, meanwhile plotting to flood the US with their cheaper LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) to short circuiting America’s Research and Development in Wind Energy with their lower prices.

Later the People’s Republic of China will make money from America by selling them cheaper All-Electric Vehicles and Alternative Energy gear such as solar panels and wind turbines, built, ironically, with American Research money, made proudly in the People’s Republic of China with Chinese labour, money all going back to the Economy of the People’s Republic of China, leaving Americans to admire the new colour line-up of Apple products and American Taxpayers dollars lining Chinese Businessmen’s pockets.

Fellow Americans, support your Senator Barack Obama, President of the United States of America Drive to revive the Spirit of Innovation and a love for all things scientific as it will be the long term savior of your economy.

As despite the correctness of retired Intel CEO Andy Grove as it relates to a lack of innovative thinking, protectionism and financial legislative gimmickry, or even lower priced Apple gadgets selling like out-of-stock Apple iPads cannot a Recession Battered Economy recover………..