the(new)mediaslut

(sigh) Smartbrain’s much more expensive DSLR and powerful flash simply overwhelms this picture and the balance is all wrong. Unlike Boo’s simple compact, the screen became too dark and only the Yahoo logo was visible on the Motorola, while nothing was visible on the Nokia.

Still, that event does bring back memories (oh, wait, it was a different event than Boo’s. Never mind).

Smartbrain: Can I have the agenda?

PR: It’s in my room, I’ll get it you at dinner.

Smartbrain (at dinner): Can I have the agenda?

PR: Oh, I forgot. I’ll give it to you first thing in the morning.

Smartbrain: Agenda?

PR: Here it is, here it is (five minutes before the event starts).

Smartbrain: … 

PR: Oh, here’s the file for this evening’s one on one (given at half past two, in a plenary session with the one on one at four and no time in the middle to prepare).

Smartbrain: … (tries to concentrate on the presentation on stage)

At four…

Smartbrain: So how is your company tapping into this new mobile micropayment space?

Anonymous interviewee: Well, that’s not really my field of expertise… (and goes on to talk about handsets).

Smartbrain: (Trying to look smart) How about the breakthroughs in near-field communication that I’ve heard. Surely that’s a hot topic now?

Interviewee: Well, that’s not really my field either… I’m the product selection and placement guy (and continues to talk about handsets in certain local markets)

Smartbrain: (trying to look like he is in position of a brain, asks first relevant question) So how are the differences when it comes to EDGE and 3G markets that you see here?

Product placement manager: (gives meaningful answer).

What happened was that the PR, in a frenzy of expensive restaurant dining and furniture shopping sprees, simply grabbed the company’s last ten or so press releases, including a couple on near field communications and micro payments, and handed them to Smartbrain. No information on the interviewee was in the file received.

The motto of the story is that in order to be the in-house PR manager of a major multinational telco, the only thing needed is a pleasant demeanour and the ability to lick ass while taking Journos out eating or shopping. The ability to hand in a meaningful agenda in a timely fashion, warn of one on one interviews more than a few hours before the event and provide relevant information as to the one on one is strictly optional.

Viva TMS.

Hewlett-Packard, Intel, TM Net, Microsoft and AEON Credit. What would it take for all these industry players along with the Minister of Energy, Water and Communications to gather at one spot? If media members were there as well, you can be sure it was one important announcement that was going to be made.

So, what was it about? If you haven’t guessed the relation between all five parties yet, let Boo introduce a few more clues that were present, maybe by way of Intel – Bl@st, Medusa and Whitebox. These are local PC vendors, as are the more well-known ones present like FTEC, BlueDot, M-Life Hyundai and Techdos.

At this point, the thought of Intel, may cause you to think of another processor maker. In fact, if you’ve followed the industry long enough you will probably dismiss it just as immediately but not before wondering that for as long as you can remember, Intel and AMD have never appeared at an event together.

In fact, you may also realise that Microsoft and other free/cheaper OS makers have also never appeared at an event together. Even though (and Boo is letting the cat out of the bag here, if even AEON Credit hasn’t clue you in yet), this little get-together is to announce a very noble cause, the “EZ 2 own Broadband PC” programme.

Yes, yes. At long last, PC vendors figured out that pairing up with the local leading ISP would be a more effective way of giving people more reason to own a computer….or the other way around… that broadband would probably do better if it came along with not just a PC but an affordable one… It was a long time coming.

Now, back to “Why MS and only MS was there??” Not that the RM99 a month for three years installment plan isn’t fetching – ONLY RM99 in exchange for Microsoft Windows XP STARTER Edition (http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/newsroom/winxp/08-10WinXPStarterFS.mspx) and other heavy duty specs (256MB RAM, Celerons, 80GB, 17 inch CRT…etc etc)

How friggin’ cool, ja?!! Especially when this programme is aimed at peeps who are first time owners, want to have a second puter OR plan to upgrade existing ones!

An additional RM50 (for 36 months) added to monthly installment entitles you to an upgrade to Windows XP Home Edition and other assorted MS knick knacks. But more importantly, on top of all that…you get a FREE modem and 50 hours of streamyx speeds surfin’. Now, we’re talking.

The Guest of Honour liked to put it as….For the first time in Malaysian history, we can have the public subscribe to broadband - that automatically comes with a PC or notebook!

And Boo will say almost all the relevant parties to increase broadband penetration were present together at Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, because not only were AMD and cheaper OS makers not there; even those all-important peeps who are always overlooked maybe due to the gloomy foreboding they bring with them – computer security companies.

"Nows the time to drive broadband sky high…invite those anti-virus fellas??….Helllloooooo???"

Also invited along to share his thoughts about the whole initiative and perhaps even share some progress reports from the Ministry of EnergyWater and Communications, was Dr. Lim Keng Yaik. He reminds us of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) and where we currently are.

Today, 4.2 million PC users (not owners) or 14 % of our population. 

1.3 million broadband subscribers or 25% of households by end of 2006

2.8 million broadband subscribers or 50% of households by 2008.

So why is this programme aimed to increase PC usage and ultimately broadband usage…..only valid till October this year? Is there something that Boo missed from the press releases? Will the response garnered from this be enough to hit NBP targets for 2006? 1.3 million broadband subscribers? No play play, u know?? Will 1.3 million PCs vulnerable to hacker or security threats be enough to constitute a national risk? 1.3 million…not that many broadband subscribers.. but jsut enough?

Dont get Boo wrong…. she’s all for increasing tech adoption, making it mainstream, widespread and eventually cheaper to be used in all aspects of living (too lazy to switch on tv and radio..got remote control for that! too lazy to drive car and negotiate traffic jams…got computer for that! etc etc DIGITAL SOCIETY!!!)…but where are the momentum checkers? Boo learnt an important a word few days ago… "inflection point"… what Boo thinks it means is "a state of being (industry) where a single factor is all it takes to tip the scale either way."

We are far from that… we havent reached critical mass yet…but what happens when/if we do?

And Boo still dont understand…. if the objective of this plan is to increase broadband…does it really matter what platform or chips are being used? Especially when it could probably make the packages that much cheaper and realistic (ie. higher RAM)? So big already still cant play together-gether?

…tis Monday oni and there is so much drama oredi…

All the drama is too much for Boo to handle and she is drinking coffee non-stop… plus visiting the staircase to smoke. Music also turned up loud-loud…

Calm down, BooBoo, calm dowwwwwnnnn….

On a plus note, there is big event tonite and sure got lots of tani for Boo..YEAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

ALSO, tomorrow Tuesday is Valentine’s Day….. Boo totally loves themediaslut and wants to grow up to be just like her!!! (Feedback, anyone?)

2.17pm oredi… lets see what happens later today on this Dramatic Monday.

… Boo read twice… Boo read many, many times and at last Boo yells eureka! cos Boo totally thinks Rais Hussein hit the nails on the heads in his article entitled "The new telco landscape" (Netvalue 2.0, Feb 6th, 2006)

One particular bit rang esp. true and that bit was about:

I refer to the collective refusal to acknowledge voice, not data as the killer app slated to ride on IP packets across wireless broadband and into cellular clouds. For one, although bad news about 3G keeps pouring in relentlessly from around the world, there seems to be national consensus that a transition to 3G is somehow divinely ordained.

One after another, Malaysian cellular operators have deployed 3G like robots. The MCMC (Msian Communications adn Multimedia Commission)’s  Framework of Industry Development 529 (FID 529) has 2G to 3G transition as a key performance indicator (KPI) and mandates that 80-percent of the country have 3G coverage by 2008.

WiMAX urban coverage is also mandated to be 70-percent by 2009, but by remaining silent on voice over WiMAX and by making no allowance for WiMAX cellular interconnects, it appears to just depend on Internet usage to achieve ambitious broadband penetration targets.

The FID 529 also goes on to caution against duplication of infrastructure but remains oblivious to the massive duplication an 80-percent 3G coverage along with similarly ubiquitious WiMAX coverage, could entail should wireless broadband start to be used to carry voice as is very likely happen given to its simplicity…. compared to 3G.

Boo tot hard about this bit which is about 10-percent of the whole article.. there is a whole lot more to the whole picture… recommended to read the whole article which was very informative and eye-opener… Boo just wonders if a similar thing is happening in other countries in the region…

Boo remembers a time when discounted call cards were called discounted call cards because they offered discounted call rates via Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP.

What happened basically is that you

1) buy a secret PIN number (on a card) and then

2) call a phone number (about seven button pushes) and then

3) key in secret PIN number (more button pushes).

This secret PIN is your gateway to making cheaper calls.

But do note the number of times u have to push buttons….

Now NasionCom has created a world first with hardware (B600 and B609) and service (Nasion1) to create a mobile VoIP service with up to 70-percent savings on call charges.

Executive Director Peter Tham says, "The Nasion1 mobile VoIP service works anytime, anywhere that has GSM coverage and mobile phone users can maintain existing phone numbers, simply by switching back and forth their existing GSM service to Nasion1."

Where WiFi phones can only work when there is Internet connection, NasionCom’s phones leverage GSM technology to go onto the IP layer. Boo is soooo impressed.

When users want low cost savings, they only have to push one button, as opposed to the usual way of soooo maaaaaany button pushes. However users still need to buy airtime via prepaid cards. Good news is it takes 6 months to expire. 

When overseas, roaming charges still apply… the more Boo thinks about it, the more Boo is convinced that the only advantage of this phone is the tech that makes it a mobile gateway.

However, two new phones in question have 1.3 MP camera, MP3 audio, MP4 video playback, video recording, 128MB TransFlash memory card….. all these for less than RM1K ler! But there is no EDGE or 3G capability or even Bluetooth… so theres not much chance of using this as a data device.

The big boss DID say that the phones were focused on voice (but they wont neglect data, so see how lar later…).

This world’s first product and service is also Malaysian-made… Boo is so proud.. it took more than RM10 million in investment on R&D of the VoIP tech as well as marketing of the product. SInce the tech is NasionCom made, there was no royalty cost that’s why phones managed to keep price down.

…a M’sian IT magazine recently held a digital photography and imaging fair at MidValley Megamall, and BabyBoo was on hand to see what went on…

Lotta folks showed up during the weekend.. and when the BMX Flatland bikers who are also the M’sian Xtreme Sports team did their stunts on their souped-up BMXes, they were performing to a full capacity crowd! People gathered and watched all the way from ground floor to the highest..

There were lotta chances to win cool prizes via Q n A, and one particular Mind Game- observe the mannequin, what its wearing, how its posing and so on. ANd then in 4 mins, try to recreate the look with your very own dummy.

Twas pretty funny, especially since on the first day, the dummies had no trousers on….

 
                               Latest fashion - A world without pants

KL’s latest self-defence class - fighting dummies 

And then, we also saw Chicco the Clown who not only had a clown suit to do who knows what, but he was also able to make animate/inanimate objects with balloons. He was a biiiig hit with the kids (or just lovey dovey couples who wanted red/pink hearts). Even when he was sitting down to rest… kids came up to harrass him for animals, shapes, etc…

                                   Happy clown, but sad heart…

How it happened was like this…they’d be a line of kids in front of Chicco..kid right in front looks up at clown with big gooey eyes… jaws wide open (they’re agog u see?). Clown does his thing, kid stretches out arms, takes the finished product, jumps up and down with joy and runs off to show mommy and daddy………….leaving Chicco without even a thank you. No wonder he looks depressed all the time.

Anyway…the whole event went pretty well….. but was a little disappointed with Chicco… he couldnt make ducks for Baby Boo. Baby Boo absoluuuuuutely loves ducks and will sing like a bird when she sees one… but at least he made a flower…..thank you, Chicco :)

BabyBoo attended this signing ceremony, in Malaysia, between a local PC maker and a consulting company which seeks to make notebooks affordable for students from institutes of higher learning (IHL).

A few things caught Boo’s attention (not to mention big, big eyes…)

First, Deputy Minister Dato’ Kong Cho Ha was there to witness the signing.

BabyBoo noticed he is always around when it comes to this sort of events/efforts to promote ICT.

In his own words, "I’ve met alot of CEOS of MNCs… they always like Malaysia alot - nice and cheap food, wonderful hotels (eh?), cheap transport, multi-racial, colourful country (he repeated food a few times too)etc etc."

"But when it comes to setting up shop in Malaysia, it all depends on whether we have enough K-workers."

Hence the reason for this whole exercise.

But BabyBoo wonders if affordable notebooks are actually affordable? 

They just became a little bit more accessible via easy intallment payments (RM104 per month); when the total installments are added up, the notebook will cost more than the actual market selling price of notebooks.

BabyBoo also wonders if one local bank is enough to support the program and would like to suggest more banks much be needed to support the program.

It seem the local bank is only able to cover 20-percent of the student population, but 90-percent of the total student population have applied for the program, so clearly more banks (with their own different terms and conditions) need to come on board.

The whole effort does not appear to be very streamlined yet, it even seems as if the program is trying to get these kids to commit to pay a fixed figure of RM5000 for five years in exchange for products/services which arent worth that amount.

To sweeten the deal, there are packages with 3G phones and prepaid 3G services.

At the end of the day, notebook AND phone sales increase.

Its not even a subsidy. The only cost goes into the paper and printing application forms for this program. Even processing and delivery fee is borne by student - RM150 in total.

Why are parents/students still taking up the offer?

Cos these kids need notebooks and they need it NOW! (well actually it takes 7 days to process application and a few more for delivery to their doorstep).

BabyBoo may have survived without one, during her days…. but the time is gonna come when a poor kid is gonna take a look around at all the other kids laptops in class, or the lecturer is gonna make it seem imperative that they have to HAVE one to complete that assignment and get that grade and that CGPA and that degree and that cushy job - and voila! the refinancing program will be there to save the day.

After all…it only takes RM3.50 per day, right?

…Beer Or… OLCOHOL!!!
Slutty had a flash bulb this morn, for allllllll us gurls to get together… … in a blog!

Her brilliant idea came about as I am a novice learner of WordPress plus…what better way to while away the hours of a boring day??? Kidding-larrrrr  

Cheers, kanpei, YAM SENG!!!

Boo!