Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 25, 2015 News
I am very disappointed this week. We were supposed to examine the coconut industry. It has been doing superbly, so much so that I have been getting
reports that Suriname is taking off a significant quantity from our farmers. The industry has literally exploded in growth in recent years as pharmaceutical companies suddenly made an about turn and decided that coconut is the next best thing.
However, for some odd reason the folks at the New GMC, on Robb Street, are still to produce the figures. That Government agency is tasked with keeping tabs on exports. Their website has the last published annual report as 2011. Not sure why.
I have sent emails and called and even spoken to the General Manager, Nizam Hassan. It has been three weeks now. I could think of a few good reasons. I can only point out that we boast of how much we are advancing in making information available, but yet we fall short in so many ways. I do intend to follow up on this and will be addressing the attitudes of some of our Government agencies at some point. We will leave it at that for this week. I can only imagine what the normal Guyanese encounters when asking for information. As a people, this is never the kind of attitude or service we want to portray if we are to move to another level.
This week I want to touch of pet subject of mine – gadgets. It is an expensive habit that I can ill-afford on my salary. As a little boy growing, I got into trouble when I would head to the rooftop to swing the antenna to catch the TV signals a little better. Before that I was in love with the radiogram that my grandfather was so protective about. That piece of equipment was his pride and joy, and I learnt Jim Reeves and Skeeter Davis and even Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue” while listening to it.
BLACK AND WHITE TV
Later on, our first TV was a second hand, black and white one that had knobs. It came with some problems that saw the images starting to scramble for no reason at all. I learnt a lot from that one.
My next experiment was with a used amplifier that I fiddled around with. There were literally some shocking experiences with that one. Needless to say, after two months, it was parked in a corner.
Next was my little Panasonic home theatre system that played DVDs. You could hear the raindrops falling – it was that good. I started a DVD collection, learning how to make copies of original discs. I was hooked. It took lots of hours and money on those blank DVDs.
But perhaps of all my infatuations with tech stuff, I think the internet is the most remarkable.
A lot has been said about the importance of connectivity. Someone described it aptly when they said it puts the world in your hands with just a click.
The internet has literally revolutionised the way the world operates. We trade, do research, conduct classes with people oceans away, shop online, video chat, the whole works. But we will come back to this.
I remember heading to the National Library, while still at school, to complete my projects. It has all changed now. Google and Wikipedia have changed that way. About 15 years ago, Guyana was now coming to grips with the internet. While working for Stabroek News, in 1999, there was one computer with internet and it was dial up. For those who are not familiar with dial-up, you pay a company that sold bandwidth and they in turn gave you an account. When signing in, you could hear the connection being made. It was maddeningly slow and almost like the current service we get on our smartphones.
With the landing of a fibre optic cable from Suriname by GT&T a few years ago, the speed has improved dramatically. We have DSL now…a little box of joy that takes signals and transforms it into videos, emails, music and whole world. It has become a critical need in homes and offices. I have a wireless set up at home. This means that I don’t have to connect cables to my devices.
The smartphones come equipped with wireless connections to allow them to pick up the signals.
A connected smartphone is one of the handiest pieces of equipment for anyone nowadays. As a journalist, it is invaluable for taking photos, taping interviews, and sending messages. Someone in North West can send a photo to the city with the click of a button.
NEW FACE OF ENTERTAINMENT
No longer is a computer required. Facebook and other social media have literally changed the way people communicate. Even I, who am by no means a tech savvy person, have learnt a little.
Overseas calls via telephone are also fast becoming obsolete for many. There are many programmes or applications (apps) like Skype, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and IMO that allow free chats, calls and video conferencing.
There are many gadgets that change the way things are done as far as entertainment is concerned. The PS3 and PS4 game consoles and WII controls all allow internet connectivity. You can actually stay in Guyana and play a game online with someone in Mumbai, India.
Netflix and a host of other websites allow one to watch movies, TV shows and even live sporting events online.
I know of devices like Roku and Apple TV that allow you to watch whatever takes your fancy on the internet. From YouTube to boxing matches, I predict that televisions that use antennas will soon become a thing of the past with the introduction of broadband across the land as planned by Government.
As a matter of fact, I disconnected my cable TV subscription recently. It made no sense. I am saving $7000 monthly now.
I recently saw technology in place at the Demerara Harbour Bridge that allows police and authorized persons to go on the internet and on a secured setting access live footage of the traffic. All can be done on a smartphone.
I know people who have hooked cameras at their homes and office and while overseas could go online and see who is coming or going, or even not coming to work.
Today, Government is exploring, in an ambitious and very expensive project, hooking up all its ministries, creating a wireless network around the country that will allow citizens to connect to the internet. It will involve bringing a fibre optic internet cable from Brazil.
VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS
In some developed countries, school books are available online. A virtual classroom is now possible with students logged onto the internet with a lecturer somewhere in Japan.
My Samsung Galaxy Note 2 allows me to connected to YouTube and using a streaming device called Roku 3, I can send it to my TV. I don’t need a Smart TV. It costs too much. I went online and ordered a Roku3 for about US$80.
I can sit on a chair and using the smartphone to watch a music video on YouTube that is sent to my TV. The smartphone in this case becomes a remote control.
We can go on and on about the possibilities.
I would love for us to move forward quickly with liberalizing the telecommunication sector that other players can enter. Both Digicel and GT&T have publicly said that they welcome competition…it will bring out the best in them, to our benefit.
The possibilities with the internet are endless. I am hearing now of some companies overseas that offer telephone services, internet connections, and cable TV for one price. It all comes to the home using one wire.
Again, I must stress I am no expert at this. I am just wishing out aloud what could be for us in Guyana.
I love the possibilities.
Please enjoy the weekend, be safe and in this silly season where we are now heading to the polls to choose a new Government, in May, I wish we act maturely and maybe think of the possibilities. We are a resilient people. Maybe it is time to awaken from our slumber.
Please do continue to send those comments to [email protected] or call weekdays on 225-8491.
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