Maxis iPad data plan 2010

Maxis iPad data plan is out, both pre-paid and post paid, check here.

The iPad device is not available yet, rumor says end of November.

YTL Communications 700Mhz spectrum woe

Read a news over the weekend, saying that YTL Communications was awarded with the 700Mhz spectrum. Other telco operators in Malaysia are not happy with the government decision and made some complains. This early news was refer back to the source from Singapore's The Straits Times.

There are other related post, here.

YTL claims that the 700Mhz spectrum will be used for digital broadcast only, a service which will be launched together with YTL latest WiMax service. Other telco worried that YTL may use the spectrum for broadband services.

The MCMC denial that YTL was assigned with the spectrum. MCMC also denial that the 700Mhz will be used for 4G.

What is this 700Mhz radio frequency spectrum?

The 700Mhz radio frequency is a Ultra High Frequency (UHF). If you have tuned a TV channel before, you should notice UHF. The spectrum was used by TV but now has obsolete as the switch to digital TV. The 700Mhz spectrum can be used for wireless internet technology especially the coming up 4G technology. (refer to Wikipedia for detail explanation)

Radio frequency spectrum is national resources like land. It belongs to the country, it should be allocated for the best benefit of public interest. US government has placed the 700Mhz spectrum for auction. Other than telecommunication companies, Internet giant Google is interested to place the bid as well.

ads:
The lower 700 MHz Club. (Perspective).(spectrum auctions for rural telecommunications firms)(Brief Article): An article from: Rural Telecommunications

News Corp to deliver The Daily news on iPad

There are news and rumors saying that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp working closely with Apple engineers to deliver an online only "The Daily" news on iPad. News Corp will invest about 100 people in this new online only newspaper. (check here, here)

"The Daily" news can be subscribed with a small cost (for example 99 cents per week).The news will be "push" to the iPad automatically. The application and service may be available as soon as end of December or early next year.

Electronic books are available on tablet device, but electronic version of magazine and newspaper is not commonly available yet.

theStar newspaper from Malaysia is ahead of News Corp, they already have an iPad version and is free. Hopefully "The Daily" news from News Corp will deliver a new user experience which surprise us on iPad.

Something for Apple iTunes 2010 November

Apple change the main page yesterday.

It must be something big, that Apple change the main page for it.

90 seconds preview. Most likely not, is not great enough for Apple to change the main page for it.

Live stream. No more storing mp3 on hard disk, everything will be downloaded from Apple server. There are people saying that our Internet is still not ready for that.

Beatles on iTunes. This is more or less confirmed, you can refer to macrumors. The four clocks displayed on Apple main page may resemble 4 Beatles members on the album HELP!.

May it all will happened on the iTunes Is just another few hours to go...

Adobe may team up with Microsoft

According to a New York Times Bits blog report, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen meet up with Microsoft CEO Steve Ball. (Refer zdnet post here. )

They predicted that Adobe may team up with Microsoft to fight against Apple.

This make sense, Adobe has to find a way out. The iPhone doesn't support Adobe Flash. The new MacBook Air doesn't pre-install with Adobe Flash. All major browsers include Safari, Chrome, Firefox, IE9 will support html5. Website service like youtube is using html5 as an alternative video player to the Flash player.

More and more evidence showing that Flash is optional in Internet world, rather than a must. The Flash is not as important as before.

Microsoft has a Silverlight technology which similar as Flash, but Microsoft was in dilemma supporting Silverlight, html5 or both. For sure Silverlight will only available on Microsoft platform, and IE only. If Microsoft choose to support html5 (and Silverlight), html5 will become the de facto and Silverlight will diminish. This is not what Microsoft wanted.

May be Microsoft may team up with Adobe and there may be some spark when the two companies talk to each other.

For those who are using Silverlight, I wish you good luck.

New Maxis hotlink prepaid 2010

My friend just a new prepaid from Maxis Hotlink. The number started with 010, because the existing numbers are insufficient for mobile subscribers, the government release the reserved 010 prefix for mobile operators and broadband providers.

The new hotlink package was selling for RM8.80, pre-loaded with RM2 airtime. The lifetime validity catch my attention. This lifetime validity is misleading, because you need to top up a minimum of RM5 every 3 months.

Make it RM20 for a year, if you are not using the pre-paid, but still want to keep the numbers. Cheaper than the Hotlink 365, wich cost RM33 for a year validation.

I have checked the FAQ, it says:

LIFETIME VALIDITY

Just top-up or purchase Hot Ticket of minimum RM5 every 3 months to enjoy...

I have checked with the Maxis Hotlink reseller, they say top-up but not mention Hot Ticket. I can not confirmed it must be a Hot Ticket or included normal top-up as well.

Microsoft Silverlight and html5 dual platform

Read a post on Cnet, Microsoft in favor of HTML 5 over Silverlight.

Silverlight is a rich application over Internet developed by Microsoft as a replacement or alternative of Adobe Flash.

Do you think Microsoft will in favor of its Silverlight platform or HTML5? As being the Microsoft I know, they will prefer Silverlight. Silverlight was first appear at year 2007, but Adobe Flash has been available on the market and accepted by other vendors and developers.

Some web service providers started to use HTML5 function to replace the Flash, for example youtube. You can enable the HTML5 in youtube by "Join the HTML5 Beta".

Since HTML5 is an open standard, it provide a new opportunity for Microsoft to enable web browser with rich Internet application. Microsoft will prefer Silverlight if they can, but the Internet development trend has left them no choice but go for HTML5.

How green we are with consumer electronics

Three years ago, I write a post title go green. Three years after, what we have done for our environment?

The following video tell us about consumer electronic waste.



I still don't know where I should recycle those old and broken consumer electronic stuff.

Even I criticize a lot for Sony electronics, but I remember once they have a recycle program at 1Utama shopping mall, which really impressed me. Sony should continue doing it and promote the recycle program.

We should have more event on recycle and protect the environment. Government should encourage other electronic companies to have recycle program as well.

Apple Xserve discontinue over poor sales

Steve Jobs: Xserve Axed Over Poor Sales, from MacRumors. 

Apple Xserve was introduced back in year 2002, after struggling for 8 years time, Apple decided to stop further development on the Xserve. Xserve is a rack size server, which will fit into the standard server rack that normall put inside the server room.

Apple machine was never goes into enterprise data center or server room, at most it sits on top of the desktop of some graphic design companies. 

Lacking of software solution is one of the major problem with enterprise server market. Hardware specification, price and performance is a consideration, without enterprise software solution, the hardware machine doesn't works at all, no matter how good the hardware specification. 

Apple already have the server operating system which is the unix-base Mac OS X server. One of the enterprise server application that Apple (and other server vendors eg. Sun Microsystem) should looks into is enterprise email server solution. 

Enterprise server hardware vendors should work close with software vendors, for example Zimbra. Zimbra is an open source email server, it was acquired by Yahoo and now with VMware. Zimbra works on Mac OS X, but is not a common solution. 

Recently I just talks to few IT managers that I meet in the seminar, they use Microsoft Outlook Server as their enterprise email solution. I believe the enterprise email solution market is big enough to fit in 1 or 2 more vendors.

May be Steve Jobs not interested to go into enterprise market. 

Complain on Sony Products

Recently Sony announced end the product line for the cassette Walkman product. Sony Walkman is a remarkable and fashion portable music players back in 1980s.

Today Sony facing fierce competition with other electronic from other companies especially from Apple, the iPod mp3 players and iPhone smartphone. Sony did not pay much attention with their customer and products.

Compare current Sony product with 20 years ago, Sony like moving backwards. Here are some proof.

4 years old Sony Ericsson data cable, rubber peel off.

Take closer look.

Some may says that this is an occasional case. 4 years old cable, what do you expect?

The next picture is a 2 years old Sony bluetooth charger power cable.

The same old problem. Rubber peel off.

They use poor quality rubber. It could be a small matter for Sony, but their competitors are paying attention at every single detail at their product.

I still keep a 20 years old Sony earphone which came with the Walkman. The cable are still in good condition.

This is not the Sony that I know 20 years ago.

Foursquare to oust fake mayors

Recently I was looking into location base community, Foursquare is one of them. Foursquare started to look into oust the mayors with invalid check-in.

Foursquare is a location base community website, which allow Foursquare users to 'check-in' a hotspot and publish to their friend or to the public.

Foursquare (and other similar website) not just making the web services as a community, but as a games as well. As you check in more hotspot, you collect points. The most frequest user check in to a hotspot became the mayor of the hotspot. The mayor may get some discount for the hotspot.

Internet is an virtual world, there are a lot of fake id, rumors, predictions floating around. All these information can not be trusted unless it came from trusted site or can be verified. Is not surprise that Foursquare users can check in to a hotspot without actually going to the place.

Let's see how Foursquare will address the fake check in issues.

DiGi Discover Day RM38 per month broadband

The DiGi Discover Day broadband package is back. It cost only RM38 per month, the limitation is normal speed (average 700kbps) during daytime from 7am-7pm. After 7pm they speed will be down to 128kbps only.

The pacakge was once provided as a promotion package during PC Fair time only.

This package is good for those who use it during office hour. The 700kbps (average) speed and 3Gb quota, is cheaper than the unlimited Internet 15.