So there really is no surprise that many have labelled the Tablet as a “Netbook Killer” some even have gone as far in some extreme cases labelling it as a “Laptop and Desktop Killer” I had never subscribed to any of the above as it all matters on what was the specific goal of the product, or what one has purchased the product to be used for.  While one product may be able to accomplish some of what the other can, in most cases it cannot accomplish the role/task efficiently or on a productive level and products like the “Acer Timelinex” are just evidence of the in accuracy of such claims and or statements of what is going to “kill” what .  As in most cases individuals usually own both the products that are supposed to be doing the “killing” and the ones that were supposed to be “killed” because of the lack of the ability for one of the products to completely fill the role of the other.

I believe the real Netbook “killers” are these 11″-13″ Laptops, the largest display Netbook that I have come across is a 12″ display.  I have owned two Netbooks before both 10″ displays or if one wanted to be specific a 10.2″ and a 10.1″ display those were the Samsung NC10 (which I was totally swept off my feet by) and the Asus 1015PEM respectively.  Many often asked me why I spent the amount of money I did on a Netbook when I could have acquired a Laptop for either the same price or a little bit more, which they continued to tell me all the benefits of a Laptop usually mentioning the size of the display and having a DvD drive etc.. and in true consumer fashion totally forgetting the real benefits of the cpu and memory grade that are shipped with Laptops.

I often just laugh because as a techie (or so I like to think of myself) I knew exactly why I purchased a Netbook which mainly was for its portability and to handle light tasks (checking email, surfing, listen music, a bit of light coding etc..), being the IT Technician for my current place of employment I often have to go on the road to service their clients and being able to move with ease was a large plus for me.  At times I need to jump on to the network, research some information, transfer or scan files on flash drives etc… and my Netbook allowed me to do all of that.  The only reason why I sold my beloved Samsung NC10 even though it did exactly what I purchase it for I just needed a little more power and thus I purchased the superior speced Asus Eee Pc 1015PEM unfortunately their are several limitations of an Intel Atom Processor such as the lack of the virtualization feature (which I found out at a later date the hard way but it was a minor issue).

I have always been aware of small Laptops like the 13″ VAIO models from Sony but they have always been equally expensive as they are small and beautiful so when I came across a Laptop that was not just 11″ but running i3-i5 processors, 2gb-4gb DDR3 memory and in the price range of USD400-500 odd I was instantly sold on them I dare say I may have been ecstatic it was an offer that I had to jump on and that is the only reason why I sold my Asus 1015PEM well I was somewhat looking to possibly upgrade to one of the Asus 12” Netbooks models so I guess that is not entirely true but I would still be limited by the Intel Atom Processor so coming across the Acer Aspire Timelinex Series was in a way a blessing for me.

So if one can get a clocked down i3-i5, up to 4gb of memory (possibly more by now), HDMI output and a display capable of standard HD (1366*768) all nicely packed in a 11″ package. Then why in world would someone want to turn around and purchase a high end Netbook?  A low end one sure for around USD230-400 or so I can understand but I don’t see why one would choose a high end Netbook over one of these Laptops I just don’t see the logic behind it.  So far I’m satisfied with it, it does not have the over sensitive touchpad issues that I was having with my Asus 1015PEM it has larger size keys by sacrificing the size of the directional keys and touchpad (I can live with that) all in all it has everything that a high end Netbook would have plus more so once again I ask. Why purchase a high end Netbook?

So how does one get the Product Keys? Illegal methods exist but due to the informative nature of this blog, these will not be explored. Rather, I will be explaining the legal methods that exist to get the Product Keys, by the use of a simple analogy.

If one owns a Motor Vehicle, from time to time you may lose the keys to your Motor Vehicles.

 Tough isn’t it?

If you are one of those “always prepared” types, you may have a spare key in your wallet and so your episode of being locked out of your vehicle and looking like a thief trying to car-jack your own ride will not last long.

But for those of us not so prepared, the only resort may be to call your Auto Insurance company, which may have Driver Assist support that will come to your location and assist you with opening the vehicle with a copy of the Vehicle Keys that they have on file via you Blackberry app, as is the case with ICWI (Insurance Company of the West Indies) as in Roger’s article  ICWI Jamaica Launches Accident Alert BlackBerry App .

Or if you were not so clever in your choice of Auto Insurance to have chosen ICWI, you may opt to just call a handy locksmith!

But it is these last resort options that are of importance here. It indicates that you may not have the Motor Vehicle key, so you resort to assistance from external help to either:

• Provide a copy of the Keys to open and unlock you vehicle doors as in the case of calling ICWI
• Provide a means that can allow you to access the vehicle without using the Motor Vehicle Keys, that being the Locksmith

Both are legal means of accessing you vehicle and interestingly, the same concept also applies to Software as well. Yes folks, there IS software that can legally recover your Product Keys and allow you to unlock the Software’s full potential, especially when your grade for the Semester is on the line!

And yes, these software programs, three (3) to be exact, are available for download, with two (2) being freeware and one (1) industrial strength Product Key recovery program that you may have to use your Scotia VISA Debit Card to purchase as suggested in my article ScotiaBank’s VISA Debit Card – Jamaica’s Online E-Commerce Renaissance

The first product is called Produkey and is made by a developer called Nirsoft. Easily downloaded and installed with instructions on their helpful website, it also has a family of other products that you may also want to try out. Once you have the software running it shows you all the installed Microsoft Windows programs and the Product Keys for them all.

Nice trick huh?

Next up is my personal favourite which I actually use a lot, the Magic Jelly Bean Keyfinder. Akin to its rival Produkey from Nirsoft, it too is a freeware that also recovers Product Keys from installed Windows programs and thus allows you to use the Product Keys to activate the program and thus allow its full features.

But my all time favourite has got to be Recover Keys. This one is not free but at US$24.95, it will be the best thing you ever purchased with your Scotia VISA Debit Card online. Once in your hands, the power to recover the Product Keys of up to three thousand program, both Microsoft and non-Microsoft will be at your beck and call.

There is even a version for recovering product keys installed on Apple Mac’s operating SYSTEM i.e. OS 10.1 aka “Lion” called Mac Product Key Finder….as if you Mac Users ever have that problem with software!! And yes (I do so tire of the exclamations of glee!!), like its sister the Magic Jelly Bean Keyfinder it is freeware!

Bye-bye nag screen and prompts that say “You have 2 days to activate….”, as these above mentioned software products provide a means of legally activating software products. It extracts the Product Keys for the hive files that store them while installed on your computer.

As an added bonus, once you recover the Product Key for Office 2010 and unlock its full potential, you can change the Product Key to something you can remember! Here is the lowdown, again perfectly legit:

1. Open any Microsoft Office 2010 program such as Microsoft Word.
2. Go to File > Help and from the screen displayed, click “Change Product key” link on right side.
3. In the new screen pop-up, enter a new 25 character product key and click Continue button.
4. Then you can click either on “Install now” or “Customize” buttons.

These Product Key Recovery programs are legal on the presumption that you had LEGALLY installed the Microsoft Windows software but had lost the Product Key due to a lack of the OEM (Original Equiptment Manufacturer’s) disc information or the need to reinstall the Program after you Operating system had failed, most commonly referred to as “my Harddrive crashed?”

So they you have it folks!! You can follow the White Rabbit as shown above and stop worrying about you Microsoft Office 2010 not being able to work properly for only US$24.95. Best and first thing to spend you Scotia VISA Debit Card purchasing!!

Here’s the Links for the programs listed above:

ProduKey

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

Magic Jelly Bean KeyFinder

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

Recover Keys

http://recover-keys.com/

Mac Product Key Finder

http://mac-product-key-finder.com/

According to Sony, “The PS Vita revolutionizes the gaming experience with dual analog sticks, front and rear multi touch pads, motion sensors, and front and rear cameras”. From looking at the devices spec, it is clear that the Vita’s features are synonymous with the latest high end Smartphone. The device has greater hardware specifications when compared to the official Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, however can the Vita be jailbroken to become a mobile Phone.

Here is a closer look at the technical specifications of the PS Vita:

• CPU – ARM^® Cortex™- A9 core (4 core)
• GPU – SGX543MP4+
• External Dimensions – Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
• Screen (Touch Screen) - 5 inches (16:9), 960 x 544, Approx. 16 million colors, OLED
• Rear Touch Pad – Multi touch screen (capacitive type)
• Cameras – Front camera, Rear camera
• Sound - Built-in stereo speakers
• Built-in microphone
• Sensors - Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope,
• three-axis accelerometer), Three-axis electronic compass
• Built-in GPS, Wi-Fi location service support
• Keys / Switches - PS button
• Power button
• Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left)
• Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)
• Shoulder buttons (Right/Left)
• Right stick, Left stick
• START button, SELECT button
• Volume buttons (+/-)
• Mobile network connectivity (3G)
• IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1×1)(Wi-Fi)(Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode)
• Bluetooth^® 2.1+EDR (A2DP/AVRCP/HSP)

The VITA features an integrated standard simcard slot in the 3G/Wi-Fi model. In the US, telecommunications giant AT&T’s will be offering 3G data services over its Mobile Broadband Network. Sony says connectivity will change the way you game with real-time scores and game ranking news feeds, competitive multiplayer game sessions, and cross-game text messaging.

Vita’s Social networking feature provides an integrated unique user experience with a number of available apps and an integrated web browser. Using “LiveArea” PS Vita users can access the latest information for games through the PlayStation Network. “Near” allows users to find other PS Vita owners in their vicinity find out what they are doing and playing and also learn what titles are most popular in the area among other features.

The two cameras on the PS Vita creates augmented reality experiences by transporting the user’s own world into the game. The Vita’s motion sensor technology brings an added realm of interactivity by engaging with the game in a similar fashion to modern Smartphone’s where one can, touch and tilt the device as control options.

The device features a 5″ OLED screen with multi touch technology, however it pales in comparison to the display found on the Samsung galaxy s11, regardless one could only imagine the possibilities of the PS Vita as a phone. Priced at a perfect US $299 for the 3G model, the integrated ARM^® Cortex™- A9 quad core processor would yield unprecedented levels of performance, power and efficiency in a mobile making the PS Vita the ultimate beast of a phone.

So what do you think- Can the PS Vita be jailbroken and if it does would it be a great game console or a better phone?

The stats breakdown is even more interesting:

• Google Android has 46.3% of Markershare in the US overall
• Apple iOS has 30% of Markershare in the US overall
• Google Android’s accounted for 46.9% of marketshare in December 2011AD sales
• Apple iOS accounted for44.5% of marketshare in December 2011AD sales
• RIM Blackberry accounting for a measly 4.5% of marketshare in December 2011AD sales

Time for another graph!

Interestingly enough too, the overall interpretation is thus:

• 46% of Fourth Quarter 2011 mobile phone sales were smartphones
• 60% first time buyers are buying smartphones.

Yet another nice graph indicates the uptake and adoption of the Apple iPhone 4S more clearly:

The explanation of the above graph is just as clear:

• Among first time buyers in December 2011AD Google Android came in at 51.7%
• Among first time buyers in December 2011AD Apple iOS came in at 37%

Now I shall begin to home in on the meat for the pot! Of the Apple iOS purchases by first time buyers:

• 57% were for the Apple iPhone 4S
• 43% were for older model Apple iPhones i.e. Apple iPhone 4, 3GS, 3G, etc.

But it this last bit of stats that make me really proud and shows the high quality pedigree of Apple:

• Apple iOS marketshare in the Fourth Quarter of 2011AD moved from 25.1% October 2011AD to 44.5% percent by December 2011AD, a significant increase of 19.4%
• Google Android’s market share, in the Fourth Quarter of 2011AD fell from 61.6% October 2011AD to 46.9% percent by December 2011AD, a significant drop of 14.7%

Despite RIM Blackberry having excellent hardware and excellent support structure by way of reasonably price replacement parts, the reason for its popularity in Jamaica as acceded in my article Android smartphones may be king in 2015AD, but RIM Blackberry quality shines, the Apple iPhone 4S is clearly “boxing bread” out of Google Android’s mouth, so to speak, with buyers clearly preferring even the older model but stable and consistent walled garden approach of the Apple iPhones over Android powered devices!!!

Apparently Fragmentation is really a big problem with a phone that has no consistency in app experience due to the difficulty Developers have with coding for Google Android smartphones which can apparently be bricked by even some legitimate over-the-air Google Android updates, if CNET Editor Molly Wood in her rant on October 14^th 2011AD on Android Phones is to be believed.

Quite fitting justice, as the Apple iPad in the nascent is going to get some of the tar licked out of them as well in 2012AD by Amazon curated Google Android 3.0 aka Gingerbread e-reader cum tablet, the Amazon Kindle Fire if my article Amazon sells 5.5 million Kindle Fires in Fourth Quarter 2012 – Apple iPad sales drop and plans January Press Event  lights a fire of passion to defend the Apple in your stats lovin’ hearts, dear reader!

Apple’s Empire is getting ready to strike back, Star Wars style at the heart of Amazon’s Book and Publishing Empire starting with a book and e-publishing themed Apple Event slated for Thursday January 19^th 2012 beginning at 10 a.m. EST (7 a.m. PST) and possible Apple iPad 3 announces in February 2012AD and launch in March 2012AD.

And with e-commerce now being possible via Scotia VISA Debit Card launched since August 2011AD and now clearly very popular with the jetset and online shopping crowd, e-commerce opportunities for the recently launched Apple iPhone 4S in Jamaica platform as noted in fellow blogger Kelroy’s article LIME Officially launches iPhone 4s in Jamaica via making apps for Apple iOS as note in my article Smartphones and Apps – Freemium Games are No. 1 may soon be a reality.

Stay tuned to the Geezam for more on this exciting development.

Alas, it appears that all Digicel was really interested in was to grab CLARO Jamaica’s spectrum and HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) License and as-yet-to-be-paid-for Huawei 3G Infrastructure so as to launch their HSDPA+ Network, an issue to be explored in depth in another Geezam article. Flight of fantasy: Digicel may STILL want to get into the PPV game as a PUC (Power Utility Company) but via an installation of the Equipment at your house and you pay a flat rate Electricity bill after this gets published!

But on to the big news!

Jamaica may soon be the staging ground for an Alternative Energy Sector Revolution that is sure to attract a lot of ICT and Technology companies to Jamaica. This thanks to cheaper Energy from a Solar Power Plant initiative by a Canadian company called Solamon Energy Corporation.

The words of Ainsley Brown CEO of Solamon Energy Corporation makes me feel very good as a Telecoms Technician with an interest in Generators, quote: “In order to implement a solution of this magnitude sites, several parishes are being considered as future homes of one of three 50-acre plots that when conjoined will provide the Jamaican people with 60MW of clean electricity”

May I suggest Clarendon, Manchester and St. Catherine?

He’s got more to say that reveals the scale and magnitude of this massive Engineering project, quote: “This programme represents a comprehensive approach to renewable energy development, energy diversification, job creation and training for the 21st century. Its success will necessitate a level-headed and like-minded approach at the table, as we are offering to tackle and deal with all elements of risk cooperatively and openly examine the implications of carbon credits, fuel or foreign exchange savings, in order to share the greater benefits of solar with our partners, and the communities they serve over the lifetime of this deal.”

At CAN$450 million (US$444,200,000 million or JA$38,090,150,000.00 billion) this is a rather hefty investment in a Solar or Photovoltaic installation in Jamaica for the purpose of reselling power to the JPS Co Power Grid and possibly directly to consumers, dwarfing even the trouble JDIP (Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme) which weighs in at approximately US$400 million

Coincidentally, this comes a mere three (3) months after then Minister of Energy and Mining Clive Mullings made changes that effectively liberalized the Jamaica Energy Sector, paving the way for competition in Electricity Generation both for personal as well as Commercial usage.

Specifically he made the following changes as previously mentioned in Digicel Jamaica’s Alternative Energy Future – Increased Electricity Bills and Energy Sector Opportunities collide:

• Net Billing where customer or Large scale Alternative Energy PPV (Private Power Providers) are paid for their Alternative Energy via Discounts as opposed to cash
• Power Wheeling so as to allow power generated and put into one part of JPS Co’s Grid to be re-used elsewhere via the Net Billing Facility i.e. you generate 100KW at one point and re-use or resell it elsewhere on the grid so it cancels out
• An increase on the cap on the amount of Electricity allowed to be generated by PUC (Power Utility Companies) via Alternative Energy sources and sold to the JPS Co from 10MW to 15MW.

Guess by the mere token that Digicel has plans to shut down CLARO’s GSM Voice Network by March 1^st 2012AD, they have no real intentions for the wide-scale usage of Alternative Energy in a continued build-out of CLARO GSM and HSDPA Network, seeing as they had been let off the hook by JLP Leader and then Prime minister prior to the December 2011 General elections Andrew Holness.

So this new company Solamon Energy Corporation’s appearance in Jamaica is confirmation that the Energy Sector is ripe for competition especially as:

• JPS Co is upgrading its Analog Mechanical Meters to Digital meters, which by the way are really smartmeters, again ripe for another article
• Bids are still open for the supply and design of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) since December 2011AD
• Bids are still open for the construction of Hydroelectric plants since December 2011AD

Work for Technicians and Engineers, specifically in the Power and Mechanical Engineering fields is a sure bet in much the same way another FDI (Foreign Direct Investor), Oregon-based Porteon is sure to provide work for Automotive and Mechanical Engineering Technicians as noted in my article Oregon-based Porteon to assemble All-Electric Vehicles in Jamaica – One By One.

But there may be work for Generator Technicians and Telecoms Technicians as well, including those three hundred and fifty (350) employees recently laid off from CLARO Jamaica, as most likely they will be using Digital smartmeters for billing purposes at Residential and Commercial Customers via the Net Billing and Power Wheeling facility.

To reduce the amount of employees and avoid the pitfalls of JPS Co Meter Reading, the smartmeters may be read via having them communicate over a Wireless Network, hence the CLARO Jamaica RF (Radio Frequency) Technician and other support employee connection!!

In essence M2M (Machine-to-Machine) transaction as noted in my article NFC and M2M – Cashless Society and the Internet of Things between the Residents installed digital Smart meter with the Residential Solar PUC Main Server over a Telecom Providers Network 2G GPRS (Global Packer Radio Service), EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), 3G or LTE (Long Term Evolution) Broadband Internet.

This allowing seamless billing of the Residential or Commercial Customer without a need for staff to visit the Residential or Commercial Customer’s location to read their meter, similar to an initiative being spearheaded by Duke Energy’s Manager of Technology Development David Masters a US based company that has invested US$1 billion in monitoring smart meters and Power Station Installations via a AT&T and Verizon’s 2G Network  and also Google for Residential Customers via a US$850 million financial loan arrangement with Californian VC (Venture Capitalist) Clean Power Finance.

But more interestingly is what it will do for the Price of Electricity in Jamaica and Jamaica businesses! Business people and FDI (Foreign Direct Investors) are bound to get excited at this point!

Not only competition from cheap Alternative Energy as is the case with plentiful sunshine that is the energy source for Solar Power force prices down, but the dream of Porteon, ICT (Information and Computer Technology) companies and even Fortune 500 based companies such as Amazon and even ACS-Xerox coming to Jamaica is now a STRONG possibility as Cheaper Electricity makes long-term investment in Jamaica realistic.

Especially with the availability of Scotia VISA Debit Cards to Jamaicans since on August 2011AD as noted in the article ScotiaBank’s VISA Debit Card – Jamaica’s Online E-Commerce Renaissance making online shopping and Free Islandwide Shipping logistically possibility. Digicel’s move downtown leaves the RKA Building and the CLARO Building on 34 Knutsford Boulevard vacant, awaiting new tenants…….possibly Amazon or even ACS-Xerox with more Call Centers?

This as cheap Alternative Energy will make All-Electric Vehicles feasible in Jamaica and thus make Free Shipping islandwide a reality as dreamed up in my article Porteon heralds the coming of Free Local Shipping in 2012 – Amazon.com beckons, a lifeline for our Local Postal Service as well as Local Shipping companies in Jamaica such as DHL and FedEx, who may be considering going All-Electric Vehicles in Jamaica once this company sets up shop in the next three (3) years thanks to these plucky Canadians!!

This is as since then Google Chrome OS 15 has reportedly beaten out IE8 to become the most popular Browsers globally a mere two (2) weeks later as confirmed on December 15^th 2011AD by analyst StatCounter, slowly becoming my favourite analyst along with IHS iSuppli for articles.

What is to become of non-profit Mozilla Firefox’s cash-cow support of Google as the preferred default Search Engine whenever you type things into Mozilla Firefox’s Search Bar? After all, Google does pay Mozilla Firefox for this privilege!

And the Mozilla Firefox browser has several advantages over Google Chrome such as its “Do Not Track” feature, something privacy-gaffe prone Google still cannot achieve albeit Google Chrome now can play Console-quality Game titles as noted in my article Google Chrome to do Console Gaming – OnLive and Steam in the Cloudy Post-Console Era.

Pick you poison folks! I personally prefer BOTH browsers for different reasons, albeit I side heavily towards Google Chrome 16, as this latest versions print out webpages for research in PDF format and it renders Facebook’s now mandatory Timeline Profile excellently.

Whenever I receive calls while moonlighting as a CSA (Customer Service Associate) at ACS-Xerox on the Amazon.com account with regards to people having problems accessing their webpages, I often recommend Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox as both are fully compatible with the latest versions of JVM (Java Virtual Machine). In addition, their self updating feature makes it a better alternative to IE6, which surprisingly a lot of users in the US of A STILL use.

Go figure!! IE8 update has been out for Windows XP Professional SP3 and IE9 for Windows 7 since March 2009AD and yet very few people have upgraded their IE6.

This has resulted in Microsoft now having to forcibly get people to upgrade to IE8 on Windows XP Professional SP3 and IE9 on Windows 7 now growing in popularity as noted in my article Windows 7 trumps Windows XP for Pole Position – Windows 8 Cloudy Future, starting in Australia and Brazil in January 2012AD. An action which if successful may swing the balance of power in favour of Microsoft’s IE once more.

According to the Mozilla Foundation’s 2010 Audited Financial Statements:

• Mozilla Firefox made US$123 million in 2010AD, an increase in revenue of over 18% from 2009AD figures
• 98% or US$121 million is from Search Engine Royalties
• 85% of this Search Engine Royalty, based on internet traffic usage in the Search Engine World, may be from Google

Google Chrome’s ascendance mean that increasingly, Mozilla has to start tailoring its products increasingly towards the Mobile market, which is on the rise, if the below graphic from Horace Dediu, who tracks market data on his Asymco blog showing a “brief history of personal computing platforms” is to be believed.

Truly a confirmation that Mobile is slowly overtaking the Personal Computer thanks to increased portability, the need to have computing on the go and the closing gap in the processing power of Mobile devices i.e. Tablets and smartphones when compared to bulkier Laptops and Desktop PC as noted in Are we witnessing Laptop and PC Extinction? And The Apple iPad Effect: Post PC Era Accelerant in Nine Moves.

Mozilla’s suite of products, which includes its email client Mozilla Thunderbird barely has a presence in a world increasingly going Mobile as can be seen from the below statistics relating Mobile Browser usage on smartphones and Tablets:

• 55% for Apple’s Safari Browser
• 20.09% for Opera Mini
• 16.36% for Android browser
• 0.04% for Mozilla Firefox

Clearly Mozilla has a lot of catching up to do in the Mobile World. But a new frontier awaits the Mozilla Foundation. This as Ultrabooks, currently suffering from slow sales due to a lack of aggressive pricing and compelling features aside from longer battery life and Cloud-centric Windows 8, may be looking for a competitor to the Google Chrome OS.

Additionally, they are poised for growth over the next five (5) years, with Juniper Research projecting sales three (3) times that of Tablets with 253 million units to store shelves worldwide by 2016AD. That is a market for both browsers as well as Cloud-based OS that even the Mozilla Foundation, which recently renewed its Search Engine Royalty Agreement with Google for the next three (3) years in a deal announced on 20^th December 2011AD cannot ignore.

Reportedly this deal is worth around US$300 million per year, a cool US$900 million, a clear indication of the importance of Mozilla Firefox to Google’s continue popularity against the expanding juggernaut that is Facebook.

Already Google has launched the first salvo by making Search Results prefer posts on their nascent Social Network, Google+, appear in preference to searches from Facebook or Twitter in an initiative called Google Plus Search My World. A move that has drawn the ire of the Software Engineers working at Facebook, Twitter and even MySpace (wah!!? MySpace still deh bout!?)!

Of greater relevance to the Mozilla Foundation, now that Google is the Top Dog in the browser business with IE8 at No. 2 position is that Google Chrome OS can also be a Cloud-based OS for Tablets and smartphones as well. Clearly time is of the essence, as Mozilla needs to develop a Browser for the smartphone community, particularly Google Android smartphones in this the New Year 2012AD, being as Google is their partner in crime.

Clearly Mozilla Firefox needs to exercise all its options, as being just a browser alone is no longer enough in a world slowly going increasingly Mobileand Cloud Computing, a phenomenon affecting even Console Gaming as noted in my ditty Nintendo and Sony vs Smartphones and Tablets: Post – Portable Gaming Era

This latest product from Scotiabank deserves honourable mention by yours truly, as like NCB (National Commercial Bank) KeyCard Cash PinLess Debit Card, it brings the convenience of Credit Card shopping to the lower rung employees who are not Credit-worthy enough to get a VISA, MasterCard or Discovery Card to do online shopping.

It also gets my nod, as the presence of VISA Debit Cards from ScotiaBank, which was a product launched back in August of 2011, is just in time then for many Jamaicans to experience the thrills and pitfalls of Online Christmas shopping!! It bodes well to for my suspicion that Amazon.com, as in the Fortune 500 company may soon be coming to Jamaica, using our faire isle as a beachhead to launch into Latin America made possible by low-maintenance All-Electric Vehicles from Porteon as alluded in my article Porteon heralds the coming of Free Local Shipping in 2012 – Amazon.com beckons.

At the time Monique Todd, Vice-President Marketing, Public and Corporate Affairs at Scotia Group Jamaica made much of the partnership with VISA to offer this product in a September 18^th 2011 article in the Sunday Gleaner by reporter Avia Ustanny, quote: “This Card allows us to meet the demands of our customers by providing them with an option that offers greater security and acceptance at over 14 million locations internationally. We hope to attract more customers to Scotiabank due to the added convenience of the Card. It operates like a Credit Card but utilizes the funds of the customer.”

Some quick facts about the new ScotiaBank VISA Debit Card:

• One hundred and thirty thousand (130,000) ScotiaBank VISA Debit Cards are in circulation, 25% of the 500,000 of the Proprietary Cards in Jamaica.
• Three hundred and seventy thousand (370,000) unique Debit Cards are in Jamaica
• The ScotiaBank VISA Debit Cards is being launched in 15 Caribbean Territories
• 2% of transaction fee for Online purchases
• ScotiaBank VISA Debit Cards can withdrawal their own funds from ATMs worldwide displaying the Plus, Visa or Visa Electron symbols, great news for the jet set.

Monique Todd gushed exuberant of the new product, quote: “The new ScotiaCard allows customers to shop online or by telephone accessing any location in the world; this is a convenience that the old ScotiaCard did not provide. Customers can access cash and services from over 900,000 ATMs and 14 million locations internationally anywhere the VISA sign are displayed. Additionally, this is a great way for parents to meet expenses of students overseas. If students have a Card linked to the parent’s account they can shop for books and school supplies at stores overseas using the parents’ account. For persons without Credit Cards this is a great option.”

Tell that to the persons who had tried out the service back in 2011AD for Christmas shopping! They are suffering now, but apparently relishing the experience as Scotia Debit is seeing an unprecedented uptake in their product. Again in January 8^th 2012AD Sunday Gleaner quotes Tamiko Sadler, director of product development stating, quote “As early as October, we saw an unprecedented number of international transactions. There were 11,000 international transactions in October for Visa Debit”.

Thus armed with these glowing commendations for the Star Trek theme dressed employees of ScotiaBank and the advent of Tamarind Season, I, Lindsworth Deer on Tuesday January 17^th 2011AD on my day off, I took some time off to change my Scotia Debit Card to the new Scotia VISA Debit Card at the Oxford Road Branch in Kingston, Jamaica. The process is a simple as a swap of Cards, with the minor hassle of a few hours standing in a line.

I did however get to chat with the sexy svelte (and obviously married!!) Bank Teller and in the process not only made her aware of my status as a blogger but also learned a bit about the whole process.

Basically, they use the old Debit Card to swipe and initiate the process. After updating their records with your information and signing at the “X” on several documents (people I am technician, not a banker, please see wid me, star!!), they destroy the old Debit Card and lo and behold a new Card that boasts the VISA logo is yours to spend off your bank account.

Wait!! Bank account? That’s right folks!!!

The VISA Debit Cards uses you funds in your bank account to make the online purchases, converting from Jamaican to US$ on the fly!! No wonder everybody want to have one!!!!

Effectively, the ScotiaBank VISA Debit Card is the equivalent of the Amazon.com Store Cards that are powered by Chase Manhattan Bank; you top up your account and shop online with the power of visa, just like a regular Credit Card enable with the power of VISA. In essence, a lot like a Secured Credit Card, even with an expiry date!

Even more interesting, is the possibility of using the Debit Card side of the Scotia VISA Debit Card to receive Merchant payments. As such, you can set up a website online and accept payments from Credit Cards via you PayPal Account and have the funds sent to your Debit Card Account side of the Scotia VISA Debit Card. Even writing freemium apps for the Apple iPhone 4S as described in the article Smartphones and Apps – Freemium Games are No. 1 is now a STRONG possibility!

No more cheques from PayPal that take three (3) weeks to clear, albeit the Bank Teller told me it usually is now down to ten (10) days!

So maybe Amazon coming to Jamaica to do Online Retail and Free 1-Day Shipping may seem a bit of a stretch, but rest assured, with Wireless Broadband Internet coming to the Caribbean as noted in LIME, Digicel and FLOW – Leading the Global 4G Adoption Curve, Online Shopping and possibly Online e-commerce, like Tamarind Season, is here to stay until Ben Johnson Day in January 2013AD.

The styling could use some work but it's a start

Press Release

Fully Recharged within Minutes – Genius DX-ECO – World’s First Battery Free Wireless Mouse for PC & Mac
Ground-breaking New BlueEye Optical Mouse Now Available in North America

January 18, 2012, Taipei, Taiwan – Genius, a leading maker of computer peripherals, announces the world’s first battery-free wireless mouse that is recharged within minutes – DX-ECO BlueEye Mouse.

Ready for a full day’s use after only a three-minute charge, the Genius DX-ECO uses a built-in gold capacitor with a long life of 100,000 recharges instead of outdated, environmentally unfriendly disposable batteries. Consumers no longer need to waste time and money whether on a PC or Mac when using DX-ECO. It’s ideal for government and corporations to provide a wireless mouse option that is not only cost-cutting but also hassle-free from controlling and resupplying batteries.

The DX-ECO BlueEye sensor technology allows for smooth, uninterrupted pointing and clicking on virtually any surface including dusted glass, marble, or thick carpet. Working wirelessly from a distance of up to 15 meters due to the 2.4GHz USB pico receiver, this innovative battery-free mouse can be used anywhere and everywhere. Even when on-the-go the tiny USB pico receiver can be stored inside the DX-ECO for safe keeping.

Featuring 4-way scrolling, adjustable dpi (800/1600 dpi), as well as next/previous page hot keys for more efficient web-surfing, the DX-ECO battery free blue-eye mouse also includes plug and play design and comfortable ergonomic construction.

Package Contents:
DX-ECO wireless mouse
USB pico receiver
CD driver
Micro USB rechargeable cable
Multi-language user’s manual

The company via its social networking page had been telling customers since 2011 that in 2012 they would change the face of communication in Guyana with true 4G power. For a country like Guyana, the company’s words are promising as it provides new hopes for customers with limited entertainment choices on an overloaded data system. Currently existing is Wimax and DSl with an over reliance on outdated microwave and 2.5G networks being used for wireless broadband delivery.

But what is TD-Lte and what does it mean for the people of Guyana?

TD-Lte is the latest 4G craze hitting the world of power hungry mobile broadband users. As our phones, tablets, computers became more advanced and complex we started demanding more by accessing the internet with our devices. Networks upgraded from 2.5G to 3G in order to supply this demands but as devices continue to evolve consumers saw the need to stream videos, music, watch Live TV ect on the go. However, this created a problem for network operators, heavy data usage started to make networks slower and more 3G upgrades would still be restricted and unable to supply demands.

Operators needed a wireless technology that was faster and bigger to supply the demands of growing consumer broadband needs.

First Developed as LTE, Long Term Evolution is a highly optimized mobile broadband solution designed to deliver high-speed broadband data, voice (VoIP), and Multimedia services faster, reliable and most important cheaper than existing 3G technologies. LTE is essentially a fourth generation technology capable of achieving download speeds of 150mbps, with upload speeds of over 80mbps and much greater ground coverage from a single cell tower.

TD- LTE short for Time Division LTE, is essentially the same technology as LTE. TD- LTE is China’s homegrown 4G mobile telecommunications technology and standard co-developed, since late 2007. While LTE uses two streams on the wireless spectrum to upload/download, TD- LTE uses only one on a wireless stream with less traffic.

Deploying over its existing IP infrastructure Moviestar plans to use its TD-LTE network to improve its existing digital television service by offering, HD, VOD (Video on Demand), Internet and Voice. The company seems particular interested in the HD and VOD offerings as it complements its current TV offerings and will allow users to select and watch/listen to higher quality video or audio content as they demand and choose.

One interesting fact is that TD-LTE is being touted as the mobile network of the future and increasing mobile providers are picking up the network for broadband deployment. There are already a number of phones on the market capable of receiving LTE data as the American company Verizon already uses it. China Mobile will be using the TD- LTE on its network of 600M Subscribers and Japan’s Docomo also plan to deploy the technology. Could this mean that Companies who deploy LTE technology could essentially become mobile network operators? Moviestar a CableTV provider may very well provide mobile phone/data services in Guyana breaking the duopoly currently owned by regional giant Digicel and native Guyana Telephone and Telegraph.

Moreover, with testing beginning and the instillation of a new main Transmission tower Moviestar Guyana plans to provide TV content to Mobile Phones, Tablet PC, and in cars as mentioned on their Facebook page. According to their page, 16 LTE towers are planned for the capital city alone, and when completed Georgetown will have fully functioning TD-LTE Data coverage capable of providing far more than just TV service. The Georgetown block is expected to be completed within six months aiming for nationwide coverage by the end of 2012.

At this point, it is unclear whether the company plans to fully exploit its network resources for the betterment of the country’s IT infrastructure. The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company; with the monopoly on data for a few more years, is extremely inefficient at providing proper data services to Guyanese. Guyana being one of countries in the region with the worst consumer data availability/speed, one doubts that embarrassing fact will change almost immediately after full LTE deployment but for those of us who know the possibilities of the new network, TD-LTE may change everything.

First last year’s stale news.

As of December 2^nd 2011AD, Mojang, the developer group headed is seeing a few changes as well. This as the by Markus “Notch” Persson has stepped down as his role as Lead Developer and is handing over that responsibility to Mojang’s Jens Bergensten as announced on his World of Notch blog, quote: “As of yesterday, Jens Bergensten is the new lead developer on Minecraft. He will have the final say in all design decisions, so he will kinda sorta become my boss, I guess. I’ve promised him to not pull rank.”. Well deserved rest indeed.

So now that the cult underground Group Simulation game that made Brick Building Social is popular, it’s above ground dwellers in the real world that are big fans of the franchise are now up to no good as usual. One particularly ardent fan games musician Grahame (aka Paradise Decay) recreated the Death Star Trench Run scene in Star Wars: A New Hope involving Luke Skywalker. Very detailed and a little too much time on his hands I would say!

Mojang has also gone LEGO with a planned debut of a Minecraft LEGO Brick set in the works via a crowd-sourcing partnership with Cuusoo and LEGO. This partnership, announced on December 5^th 2011, will allow those fans of the franchise to contribute by suggesting designs for LEGO Brick sets themed around MineCraft.

Mojang’s official statement on it has me excited too (and I don’t even play Minecraft!!) quote: “Minecraft is about placing blocks to build anything you can imagine in the virtual world. You can build anything you imagine with LEGO bricks in the physical world. Minecraft and LEGO were meant to be together.”

LEGO also chimed in with a statement on the coming LEGO Brick set, quote: “seeing LEGO Minecraft sets is also our dream, so we linked to one of the projects. It’s clear to us that there are many creative people with good ideas for this and we want to throw our own hat into the ring and start this project to bring the best LEGO Minecraft builders together.”

More crazy fans, apparently unable to wait for the LEGO brick sets designed by the Crowd-Sourcing peeps to hit the shelves, have decided to bridge the gap between fantasy and reality and bring life to their creations. Graphics programmer Eric Haines created Mineways, a freeware software that allows you to do just that.

It scans your creations in the game and renders them in a 3D file that can be printed by a Makerbot 3D Printer, the “Star Trek Replicator” which has considerably improved on design in its recent debut at CES (Computer Entertainment Expo) 2012 being full built as opposed to requiring user assembly, a device worthy of its very own blog article at a later date.

Truly Mojang has been on a tear since Minecraft has gone the Apple iPad and iPhone app route, as fans have been pushing the popularity of the franchise for quite a while as per the suggestion in my article MineCraft – Indie hit is Social Gaming’s Cinderella.

Not bad for a LEGO like game that makes Brick Building Social, more proof that simple Cloud-Based Gaming is the future of Gaming as Consoles and Portable gaming units suffer a slow painful decline as noted in my article EA’s Tetris on a US$30 yearly subscription: VIP for Casual & Smartphone Gaming Addicts.