Sales of Ebook up...!

Another milestone in IT.

In a recent news, Amazon said sale of digital books have outstripped US sales of hardbacks on its website for the first time. Amazon claims to have sold 143 digital books for its e-reader, the Kindle, for every 100 hardback books over the past three months. The pace of change is also accelerating. Amazon said that in the most recent four weeks, the rate reached 180 ebooks for every 100 hardbacks sold. Five authors including Steig Larsson, the writer of Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, and Stephenie Meyer, who penned the Twilight series, each selling more than 500,000 digital books.

It seems to me that the growth of ebooks is gradually damaging sales of physical books.....

Online passport renewal

Another milestone for IT development in Malaysia.

The Home Ministry is considering an online passport renewal facility to make it easier for Malaysians to renew their passports. This is a positive step as if the move is implemented, people no longer need to queue at Immigration Department service counters. The online system will save time and money and enable the Immigration offices to save cost and manpower.

Let us hope that this move will materialize soon. Kudos to the Home Ministry.

Networks and Collaboration as Business Solutions

(Dear friends, appreciate if you all could help provide some inputs/suggestions on the statements below. Thank you.)

Inside the restaurant, wireless PDA's offer the potential for better, quicker communication between the various functions including waitstaff, kitchen, management, and even suppliers. Describe some functions that would benefit from using wireless communication internally.

Power to light up and power to govern...

So much has been talked about the controversial coal-fired power plant.

The group against it was trying to submit a memorandum to PM during his recent visit in Sabah. Unfortunately they were not able to. The choice - to proceed with the so called 'dirty' source of power (coal) or to use the plentiful and locally available natural gas and improve the efficiency of existing power plants as an immediate step to overcome electricity shortage in sabah while keeping the tarrifs low. The issue and the debate will continue....

Suggestion: since we have the lab on illegals, why don't we have another lab specifically to address this perennial issue....!

The lab on illegal immigrants in sabah has completed its reports and it is being studied by the State cabinet. same lab should be able to come out with similar reports and recommendations for the benefit of all.

Try it...!

Free Laptops for rural people

The news of distributing free laptops to rural folks caught my attention recently. I for one appreciate the noble intention of the Ministry concerned to extend the digital world to the people residing in rural areas. However, looking at the picture of one of the recipients make me wonder whether much thought has been given before hand. By looking at the condition of the house, with due respect, i wonder whether basic amenities such as water and electricity were there. Not to mention whether training has been given to them to operate. Well, perhaps, the laptops were meant to be handed over later to their children who are studying in boarding schools...?

Easing of subsidies

The government has just announced the reduction of subsidies for petrol, diesel, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as well as sugar as a first step to the gradual subsidy rationalisation programme effective Friday (July 16). PM said the subsidy rationalisation would allow Malaysia to reduce Government expenditure by more than RM750 million this year.

So what the Minister in the Prime Minister Department, Datuk Idris Jala highlighted all this while has finally gone into somebody's mind. As a nation, we cant's afford to have the subsidy forever. The decision was made after the government has made a determined effort to engage the public, listen and learn, and then act in the best interest of the nation.

PM said, these measures are designed to have minimal impact on individual families, but long-term benefits for the nation. The Government has made a difficult, but bold decision.

Malaysians as a whole, need to adjust to the new reality...!