Wednesday 26 September 2012

Talk to the hand, because the ear's not listening

There are reports in the media today that mobile phone use may be causing hearing loss amongst the young. There has also been concern over radiation from phones and phone masts for some time now. Unless anyone hears different, I'll have to continue using my mobile phone.

Saturday 22 September 2012

CORPORATE WARS: SAMSUNG V. APPLE

How many different ways can a smart phone look or operate? It appears that either Apple or Samsung will dominate the smartphone and tablet market. These two MNCs have been fighting legal battles in several jurisdictions which has been a godsend for IPR lawyers. Are governments powerless to influence the outcome of such battles or are the outcomes of such battles really dependent on the influence of the home country of each corporation?

Saturday 8 September 2012

A TRYST WITH TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIAL MEDIA

There is a Tryst with Technology in Social Media and the Internet. As India has seen, Social Media can be used to promote violence and terrorism in the country just as easily as it can be used to promote a company's products and services or indeed to criticise a company. Social Media is a double edged sword, as there is with most technology nowadays. This has created a dilemma for countries and companies in protecting their brand. Companies and brands are having to have more involvement with the ISPs and major search engines to ensure that only good things about their brands are prominently placed on the Internet. How do governments ensure that the Internet is free for business usage but yet prevent violence and hatred being propagated? India has recently been faced with this problem - see Chinese Whispers

Wednesday 5 September 2012

WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND

Nokia is struggling to get back to its prime position in the mobile phone industry. It may not have many chances left. Perhaps its last chance may be with its latest models using Microsoft's Windows platform. If this doesn't work then perhaps Microsoft may also lose out to Android and other platforms in the Smart Phone business. Years ago Microsoft toppled other big players in software. Now Microsoft may lose its top spot as a software provider as more and more people move over to mobile computing with Smart Phones dominated by other players.

Saturday 21 July 2012

LONG LIVE THE EBOOK

With the Borders bookstore closing down in the USA, is the death knell sounding for the print book? The eBook is the future. Long Live the eBook! Digital Content and Digital Media are gaining more and more importance, and certainly in India, the market for digital content will increase rapidly in the next 5 years.

Thursday 17 May 2012

MOBILE INDIANS

In India, sales of Mobile handsets has increased against the global trend of a slowdown according to Gartner. Indians are embracing the smartphone, and the latest technology, with a vengeance. Makers like Samsung and Nokia are doing very well in India. There is still plenty of growth in the Indian market. The 4G mobile phone market is the latest offering in India with the telecoms companies gearing up to try and get consumers to take this up while the 2G scam still lingers on.

Saturday 5 May 2012

ALGORHYTHM - ALGO THIS WAY, YOU GO THAT WAY

Algorithm Trading, where computers using mathematical algorithms put in trade orders in microseconds, is here to stay. Stock markets are now dancing to the beat of algorithms. Mathematicians have become the new masters of the universe, in whose hands the fate of billions of people rests. Faulty algorithms have caused some problems in some exchanges and financial institutions are in search of the Holy Grail - the perfect algorithm.

Sunday 11 March 2012

LIVING OFFILNE

Is it possible to live in any large city in the world without having access to the Internet or having a mobile phone? Living offline and not being connected through mobile devices is becoming more and more difficult in any urban environment. Financial institutions are trying to move more and more customers away from old-fashioned cheques and to online and mobile transactions. Interacting with state and utilities companies is now being geared towards online interaction.Newspapers are moving online. Marketing and selling is slowly being moved more online. What will the offline world be like in another 10 years?