MTA's awakening!

Finally MTA awakes and is going to start a new pilot program in 2007 in deploying wireless booster signals in the subway stations only.. I t was about time, hello NY, the center of the world to catch up, offering to the millions of business warriors and not only a communication relief that we are so desperate, when we lost connections for hours, when traveling underground. In a global survey, isnt that a surprise that Tokyo, Berlin and other developed European cities are already ahead in wireless technology solution and subway coverage, when MTA, a profitable business, is struggling to implement a solution since 2005?


And on the other hand we are always discussing best business practices, but when it comes to technology, we are cell-ebrating old-fashioned solutions that are already adapted years ago.

-E

Goodbye Cable?

Lately things are getting more and more difficult for the US Cable operators. After the CableCards story where cable operators had to give up the conventional cable boxes they so profitably lease to subscribers, containing technology for functions such as video-on-demand and HDTV, a new hurricane is urging, making them to sweat even more. The FCC has proposed -- somewhat at the telecoms' urging -- that the owners of apartment buildings and condos be prohibited from entering into exclusive deals with cable operators.


It is a fact that the next 3 years, maybe even sooner, the cable will become an old technology, unable to keep up the price war against the Telcos and follow the households bandwidth needs pushed by IPTV, online gaming and more new applications. Regulation is cleaning up the competition and is removing all the exclusive rights the cable used to hold in equipments and communities. The Telecom Act is keeping up with a fair competition and giving more choice and power to the consumer. And the cable operators started realizing that they need to replace their old infrastructure with Passive Optical Networks, a strategy that will bring them years behind Verizon and AT&T.

-E

my name is Jobs, Steve Jobs..

....and I have a license to kill. Reminds of James Bond attitude, as he easily kills the 4Gb iPhone model.Steve Jobs Offers Rare Apology,Credit for iPhone. You are loyal to buy our hell expensive product, but now we need more market of a cell phone that you carry most of the time only for prestigious reasons. My marketing class in a brief survey I did the other days, is desperate for the iPhone. There you go Steve, your new market! How about of a student discount, as you cut the price? -:)
But it is not only that technology is bumpy, he would rather say that they overpriced the product and some consumers paid a premium for a 'basic' cell phone, cause consumers have most of the time limited knowledge of what the product can do and of the other products in the same category and price. Apple's pricing reminds more of Google's IPO and definitely a market show off with a strong new entry that will soon lead into a bubble. Whats the point to discontinue the 4Gb version that was getting even more affordable now? Apple and At&T are in panic with a series of mistakes, without giving real answers to the consumers

But, for example Nokia has 3G cell phones at 5Mpixels with 8Gb capacity that are superior compared to the Apple's device i.e. N95 and the Europeans know that. My personal opinion especially after that price shake is that iPhone has no luck in the European market to compete against Nokia and Ericsson. And Apple realizes this now and they drop the US price to gain more market share especially the average incomers. Merging the two models into one, with more capacity, Apple leads the market into one choice, reasonably priced; looks like a favor to the consumers with an OK cell phone. But not only that, after the iPphone's market reaction, criticism and feedback Apple realized that they will start soon to loose market share, cause it is not worth to pay all this money for that product and they cut off the price.
Good job guys!

-E

Google "Yes" - Earthlink "No" -:)

The Mayor of San Francisco wanted but Earthlink this time stops Google's ambitious plans to offer free Wi-Fi to the city and use it as a testbed for new products and new business models with an edge to online advertising - what else?

Its really amazing to have the public interest on your side and to lose your industrial partner. Is that a plan against Google from the other competitors - perhaps. However, I am not sure if Google wants to take over AT&T's ISP empire and headache that I personally doubt it, thats not their field at all. But I agree with some analysts that they need a larger platform such as San Francisco to test their products, giving away free Internet. But in any case Earthlink was not the right partner to carry out that project with all the internal financial problems and the recent layoffs. Perhaps Earthlink was the last ISP that accepted to help Google to implement its plans, but really was or turned out to be a very weak choice

-E

Greece in national emergency and mourning!

Greece has been slammed from fire waves the last 4 days that have destroyed land and killed citizens. Over 60 people were killed either cause they got surrendered from the fire flames or fighting the flames. The worse curse or nightmare is happening in Greece. Peloponnese is experiencing one of the biggest historical disasters. The sun is obscured, people cannot breathe and the fire is racing all over leading its anger to the main cities, Athens and Patras.


Whole villages and land were destroyed. Freaking scenes and stories of people burnt alive or having their relatives watching them dying, in a case a son was watching his father, a sheep man dying slowly, cause he couldnt reach him for help and save him. Last minute they managed to save the Olympic Games birthplace and the museum from the fire. But part of the Olympic Stadium was destroyed and the Kronos hill was engulfed by fire. The strong wind and its changes are transforming the flames into a non-mercy killer. Fire crews from Cyprus and France are helping tackle blazes in Greece.


Its really depressing; the Greek economy is going seriously to struggle the following years. This disaster will bring the country at least 10 years back. Greece is a country that mostly depends on tourism and agriculture, and all these now belong to past due to the disaster. Anger and frustration of the citizens helpless in some cases trying to save their property or running scared to save their lives.
A nation with no strategic planning, when they know that this happens every August and weak coordination between the firemen and the army. It is obvious that is lacking leadership, a few weeks before the national elections.
At least the last time I visited ancient Olympia back in 2000, I had the opportunity and time to take a huge tour in the green amazing ancient area, but now..ashes all over.

Lets pray and wish that no more people will get killed!

-E