Poison pill

The iPhone had generated so much interest that people ended up smuggling in locked units, ordering units over the net, devising new ways to unlock network locked phones, all of which poised Apple to receive huge losses over the hype generated by the device. Apple is selling the iphone network locked by some European networks, which pay a premium to gain exclusivity. It would have to follow the same strategy in all markets initially at least to keep consumers  interested in the phones.

Blogs were inundated with posts of people getting their hands on one, being able to unlock it, providing tutorials to unlock them, which is proof of how much of a cult following  these touch screen phones had gathered.

Apple has now decided to add a bit of code to iPhone update packs which will render illegally unlocked iPhones unusable.

Makes you wonder what’s so great about the iPhone. In the GCC countries which are quite advanced with their 3G and beyond networks, the iPhone can be called a late comer with Quad band EDGE. While the manufacturer may call it a break through Internet device it really wouldn’t breakthrough anything except the users patience as there are networks faster than the device in operation. Any interest that users had in the phone can be termed as an aftermath of the famed iPod releases which again were mp3 players with frills and lace.

The best product in the market is the one with the biggest marketing budget….and remember ..labels tell fables

Un dos tres

The net is rife with the deadline extension for submission of offers for the 3rd Kuwaiti Mobile operator.

The new change in the law allows companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange also to participate in the process, without partnering with a telecom company.  Earlier, the law required that Kuwaiti companies partner with telecom companies except the 2 incumbent operators.

This is going to mean a lot for local companies which are nurturing the dream of starting their own network. With 2 home grown networks, that were built from scratch there is no dearth of experienced hands who will be willing to put in their two cents to start the new network.

So what does this mean for the customer, nothing much unless the new operator decides to come up with some drastic landscape changing pricing and offers. The incumbents have almost all the latest services or will be in a rush to introduce some new ones before the ribbons of the new operator are cut.

Silent Tribute…

It has been announced by the French Government that Marcel Marceau has passed away at the age of 84.

Famous for the silent art of mime, one of his famous exercises include walking against the wind, where it seems as though he is walking against gale force winds which are pushing him back. He does this in the Silent Movie.

More on him here

Adam’s Apple

The Adam’s apple, lump in the neck of the male of the species is thought to be the remains of the apple that Eve fed him. I am beginning to think that anything and everything is being blamed on Adam.

A 40 odd Km stretch of shoal (known as Adam’s Bridge or Ram Setu) that connects Rameshwaram in India and the islands of Mannar, Sri lanka is the latest controversy to rake the Indian mind.

This intermittent bridge is now the center of a storm,  claimed to be man made or rather Monkey made as mentioned in the epic – Ramayana, which has a thousand versions and is possibly the result of a thousand ganja laden nights in a lonely cave atop a Himalayan mountain. The origin of the bridge, is yet to be ascertained, as being man made or provided by nature.

The government of India, has sanctioned the dredging of this area to permit the building of a canal, which will facilitate a shipping lane cutting of a whole day and a little more on the shipping route to the east.

Certain political parties have now found it convenient to rake up the issue in the name of religion treating it as a fact that the bridge was manmade, to the point that some of them may even have been present during the building of the bridge.

Politics should not be used to slow development which is essential for the country, to provide employment and bring about prosperity to the people.

With a plethora of languages, cultures and religion, any new project can be derailed if one were to examine even remote religious significance someone may attach to it.

Conspiracy theory; the Sri Lankan government can do without this canal coming up there as it diverts ships from their ports to the canal, as it is a more advantageous shipping route that saves time and eventually money. Perhaps, they are in cahoots with a party with whom they have a common enemy.

Religion should be used for the development of mankind and not to take it backwards. Is it any wonder that all India has been able to achieve until recently was a “Hindu rate of growth”

How Adam got pulled into this? It seems this was built by Adam as he passed through India to go to Sri Lanka where he stood on one leg in penance on Adam’s Peak. Wonder when the rest of India is going to get into the action?

Now, the flip side is that these seas have coral reefs which acted as an effective barrier against the recent Tsunami, saving lives and like. The sands in these areas are rich in Thorium which are required for India’s nuclear fuel production and security. With reasons like these which are there to preserve nature, let not religion be used to incite tensions and rife among people.

As Swami Beyondananda said: Drive your Karma, Curb your Dogma

Irish Car Bomb

As far as cocktails go, this seems to be quite innovative and sometimes, even a conversation starter, as was is in my case.

I saw a couple of guys doing this at the Irish Village in Dubai and I had to ask them what they just did.

An Irish Car Bomb is made by dropping a shot filled with 1oz. of Irish Whiskey and 1/2 oz. of Irish Cream in a half pint of Guinness. It must be drunk immediately before it curdles.

Guinness the black beer feared by many drunk by all, created by Arthur Guinness 246 years ago is the best beer I’ve had so far. It seems the bubbles in the beer even go downwards but that’s just physics.. I guess.

www.guinness.com