Business Sunday
I force myself to watch this TV program on Sundays, when I wake up early enough. This morning, the topic was about the future of 3G. Anyone who hasn't been living in a cave for the past few years would know that this has to be the greatest IT con of all time. A$3 billion worth of investments in 2001 when the government placed 3G licenses to auction and the same story in the UK. Don't get me wrong, I am all for turbo-charged and rainbow-coloured technology. But I'll be damned if someone sells me a 20 cent coin for $100 because it will be worth $99 in XXX years.
There is nothing wrong with 3G. I personally would use my laptop to access the internet because a mobile phone screen size is way too small for me to get the visual satisfaction I want when I download any of Denzel Washington's movies online. But wait, *I* am not the target market here. Teenagers are willing to pay $5 per ringtone and this is a multi-million dollar industry. It's not too far a leap to see them paying that much to download music clips, etc via their phones in the non-too distant future. Like, tomorrow.
The argument behind an all-in-one mobile phone is speed. We all want everything to happen NOW. Only a few decades ago, a whole day is spent finishing up all our chores. For example, a typical Saturday for someone from the 3G-less generation is this: two hours spent on groceries, one hour spent back and forth to the Post Office to send mail and pay bills, one hour to the chemist to get medicine etc, half an hour at the butcher shop for fresh meat and if you're lucky, an hour leisurely stroll at the markets for fresh produce. Then in the evening, four hours spent at the movie house (including travel)with friends.
Nowadays, an independent, employed 18-year old can spend one-hour or less online to pay bills, order groceries, send mail etc while downloading a movie which he or she can watch at leisure later on. If you can do all that now on a laptop, why not do it on a mobile phone while you're on the train or heck, in the shower (I'm sure someone's come up with a waterproof mobile phone too).
Goliath finally has his day
I wonder what are the dire consequences ahead of us when everything can be done at a press of a button. Completely unrelated thought but still relevant is another news story I watched on the rise and rise of mega-supermarkets (my term). In Australia, there is much debate about allowing Woolworths and Coles to sell prescription drugs. This of course poses a threat to the cornershop chemist. One of the women interviewed for the story said that she might go shopping at Coles but she will still buy her medicine from the local chemist (or pharmacy). Really? I don't think so. The death of the mum-and-dad cornershop will now be followed by the death of the mum-and-dad pharmacy. It won't happen overnight but it will happen.
Before long, we will do everything from one store. The term 'all-in-one' shop will take on a different meaning. Even now, you can buy your liquor, drugs, groceries, fresh meat, fresh vegetables, flowers, DVDs, blankets, takeaway food, even your TV from the local grocery store. All of your buying habits of course will be stored in a central database and you will be another barcode full of consumer-buying potential. Hell, you can even take money out and pay bills through Coles too. It's just a matter of time when you can get your dry-cleaning, mailing and even your tax return from your local K-Mart branch.
Today's business mantra is to give consumers what they want NOW and at the lowest price possible. Nothing is mentioned about the negative repercussions such as its effect on the local business community or the furthering of anti-social behavior.
We are already slaves to the Corporate many years ago. The difference though is that while slavery, by definition, is to become someone's property by force, we have unwittingly chosen to lock ourselves into a socio-economic structure that will fundamentally destroy the human spirit.
*unedited rambling ends here*
On other news, I heard Kristyn aka criosdan on SBS Radio last night. You go girl!
Happy Mother's Day to all the mums in the world.
And today, I wrote the bridal speech of one of my mom's old friends. Sigh. Love letters will cost $10 per page yo. That's friends and family rate. :P
There is nothing wrong with 3G. I personally would use my laptop to access the internet because a mobile phone screen size is way too small for me to get the visual satisfaction I want when I download any of Denzel Washington's movies online. But wait, *I* am not the target market here. Teenagers are willing to pay $5 per ringtone and this is a multi-million dollar industry. It's not too far a leap to see them paying that much to download music clips, etc via their phones in the non-too distant future. Like, tomorrow.
The argument behind an all-in-one mobile phone is speed. We all want everything to happen NOW. Only a few decades ago, a whole day is spent finishing up all our chores. For example, a typical Saturday for someone from the 3G-less generation is this: two hours spent on groceries, one hour spent back and forth to the Post Office to send mail and pay bills, one hour to the chemist to get medicine etc, half an hour at the butcher shop for fresh meat and if you're lucky, an hour leisurely stroll at the markets for fresh produce. Then in the evening, four hours spent at the movie house (including travel)with friends.
Nowadays, an independent, employed 18-year old can spend one-hour or less online to pay bills, order groceries, send mail etc while downloading a movie which he or she can watch at leisure later on. If you can do all that now on a laptop, why not do it on a mobile phone while you're on the train or heck, in the shower (I'm sure someone's come up with a waterproof mobile phone too).
Goliath finally has his day
I wonder what are the dire consequences ahead of us when everything can be done at a press of a button. Completely unrelated thought but still relevant is another news story I watched on the rise and rise of mega-supermarkets (my term). In Australia, there is much debate about allowing Woolworths and Coles to sell prescription drugs. This of course poses a threat to the cornershop chemist. One of the women interviewed for the story said that she might go shopping at Coles but she will still buy her medicine from the local chemist (or pharmacy). Really? I don't think so. The death of the mum-and-dad cornershop will now be followed by the death of the mum-and-dad pharmacy. It won't happen overnight but it will happen.
Before long, we will do everything from one store. The term 'all-in-one' shop will take on a different meaning. Even now, you can buy your liquor, drugs, groceries, fresh meat, fresh vegetables, flowers, DVDs, blankets, takeaway food, even your TV from the local grocery store. All of your buying habits of course will be stored in a central database and you will be another barcode full of consumer-buying potential. Hell, you can even take money out and pay bills through Coles too. It's just a matter of time when you can get your dry-cleaning, mailing and even your tax return from your local K-Mart branch.
Today's business mantra is to give consumers what they want NOW and at the lowest price possible. Nothing is mentioned about the negative repercussions such as its effect on the local business community or the furthering of anti-social behavior.
We are already slaves to the Corporate many years ago. The difference though is that while slavery, by definition, is to become someone's property by force, we have unwittingly chosen to lock ourselves into a socio-economic structure that will fundamentally destroy the human spirit.
*unedited rambling ends here*
On other news, I heard Kristyn aka criosdan on SBS Radio last night. You go girl!
Happy Mother's Day to all the mums in the world.
And today, I wrote the bridal speech of one of my mom's old friends. Sigh. Love letters will cost $10 per page yo. That's friends and family rate. :P