WHEN a global airline such as British Airways can be grounded by the impact of failures affecting its ICT systems, …
Environmental Factors
Problems of Scale
THE thinking used to solve a particular problem depends on the type of problem being faced, the skill of …
I Don’t WannaCry
YOU may have observed the strong response to U.S. media reports that President Trump inappropriately shared sensitive intelligence about ISIS …
Moving Mountains
IT may be a curse to wish to have surrounding you only those who admire and adore you and unlikely …
Nothing Matters
THERE has been much ado over the government’s plan to reduce to zero the annual subvention enjoyed by the National …
Speed of Doing Business
WHILE addressing the 2017 Ease of Doing Business Workshop last month, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet indicated that the “colonization of …
Legacy
IT has been barely two weeks since the funeral of our Nobel Laureate, Sir Derek Walcott, on March 25, and …
Side Effects
EVEN the most uncharitable opponent would have to grudgingly accept and recognize that the ruling United Workers Party was elected …
The Great Enabler
LAST week, on a popular TV programme, an outspoken and exasperated host demanded to know whether the Prime Minister was …
Nurturing The Spirit
THERE is a particular danger that we face, which is the staunch right to be proved right about something that …
One Fell Swoop
THE Executive Order signed by the US President in January impacted that country’s image, by initiating a travel ban which …
A Sound Solution
THE term ‘solution provider’ is a useful description used by those trained in the field of information and communications technologies …
Alternative Facts
IT is fitting that the theme for our Nobel Laureate festival this year is ‘Celebrating Excellence: Fostering National Pride,’ where …
The Naked Truth
WITHIN the past ten years, smartphone sales accounted for the majority of cameras sold worldwide, meaning that we mostly carry a digital camera as part of our smartphone, instead of carrying a standalone camera. The company, Kodak, a pioneer and heavyweight in the camera industry for more than 100 years, fended off bankruptcy in 2013 to emerge as a much smaller company. Despite inventing the digital camera, Kodak didn’t capitalise on that technology.
Fixing a Broken System
THE sobering statistics recorded at the start of this New Year should force some serious introspection and change. The criminal activity, robberies, assaults and accidents have the makings of a frightening trend. If we continue at this rate, with five new victims in one day, and eight dead within ten days, this new year would be neither happy nor peaceful.
All That Glitter
THERE are so many interesting aspects of the timeless story of Christmas, of the birth of Jesus Christ. Surrounding the central element of the Virgin Birth are many layers such as the foretelling by the prophet Isaiah, the visit by the angel Gabriel to Mary, the dream of Joseph, the Star of Bethelehem, the three Wise Men, and their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The many surrounding elements provide a wrapping for the Christmas story. In a similar fashion, we typically prepare and wrap our gifts at Christmastime, except that the surrounding elements are usually discarded and thrown away.
Disability and Assistive Technology
HAVING recently celebrated another International Day for Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd, it is useful to recall the progress made since the last annual observance. According to the World Bank, one billion people or roughly 15% of the world population experience some form of disability, and the prevalence is higher in developing countries like ours. These staggering statistics should prompt us to take significant steps to address that situation in our society.
The Speed Is Not Enough
IT was surprising to watch the televised obituaries a few days ago, partly because there seemed no pause between one deceased person’s information before the next obituary started. While it was useful to have the obituaries shown in quick succession, it seemed too quick, even jarring to the senses. Definitely disrespectful to the dearly departed! Although the local TV station could be forgiven for shaving the time between successive obituaries, it raises the issue of appropriate speed. Specifically, when is speed not enough, and other factors should affect the display of information.
Low-Energy Operation
IT is in good style that we celebrate Energy Awareness Month, with today Thursday 17th November being observed as Chifonnen …
Changing Large-scale Systems
THE recent announcement by our Prime Minister of a reduction in the VAT, and the conclusion of the US Presidential …