Stop Google Location Tracking - Tech Brawta

AP recently reported that Google is tracking user locations … even when “Location History” is turned off!

If you want to keep Google from logging your every move, grab your device and follow these seven steps.

1. Log into your Google account through your browser
2. Click on “Google Account”
3. Click on “Persona Info and Privacy”
4. Click on “Go to My Activity
5. Click on Activity Controls
6. Click on “Web & App Activity”
7. Toggle to “Off”

Then, repeat for all your Google Accounts.

You may end up with slower searches and less relevant search results because privacy comes at a cost.

Tune in to @RJR94FM Wednesdays at 8:15 am

Decoding Cryptocurrencies

By now, you’ve probably heard of Bitcoin which means you’re on the spectrum ranging from heavily invested to totally spooked.

If you’re closer to spooked, allow me to share some simple facts.



Bitcoin is the first decentralized, unregulated, most popular, most valuable, cryptocurrency, sometimes call digital currency.  Bitcoin is the first, but far from the only cryptocurrency.  Other popular cryptocurrencies include Namecoin and Dogecoin (commonly referred to as ALT coins).

Unlike traditional currency, cryptocurrencies rely on cryptography and blockchains.  Even kids in primary school use basic cryptography to pass secret notes to each other in class.  However,  blockchain is a term more familiar to hardcore coders than casual internet users.  In this case, a blockchain is a distributed network of verifiable, updated, encrypted and synchronized ledgers.

Blockchains are maintained by “miners” who receive a reward and/or transaction fee for updating, maintaining, verifying the blockchain.  There are a fixed number of bitcoin, 21 million to be exact.  And “mining” bitcoin requires an increasing amount of time and computing power.

Cryptocurrencies are virtually impossible to counterfeit, hack, duplicate or accidentally “double spend”.  It’s these remarkable features that help bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to retain their value.

The trifecta of features including anonymity, security and potential reward combine to make cryptocurrencies very attractive to criminals, failed Governments and legitimate investors.

Are you ready to jump in and invest?  Well then, you’ll need some money (which kinda goes without saying) and you will also need to set up a “wallet” on an “exchange” such as Coinbase.  It also goes without saying that you should always backup your data including your private and public key.

We can thank Satoshi Nakamoto for the invention of bitcoin back in 2008.  I’d like to tell you who Nakamoto is, but no one really knows.  We don’t know if Nakamoto is a person or a group.  Like bitcoin itself, the Nakamoto’s true identity is secure and anonymous.

Tech4Life airs every Wednesday morning on @RJR94FM at 8:15 AM

Tapping Into the Future Today

Young people are predisposed to technology, they seem to just have a knack.  True.  But they still need guidance to truly harness their abilities.

Enter TAP.  The Technology Advancement Programme referred to as TAP, will screen, select, train and in effect, employ, 1,000 young adults in ICT (Information and Communications Technology). 1,000!

The yearlong programme will take the participants through an intensive syllabus in the classroom and through to real-world, hands-on training in the work world.

Ministry Project

The Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, through the Universal Service Fund (USF), has a mandate to “Support information and communications technology programmes that specifically target venerable groups including youth and disabled persons”.  The TAP programme brilliantly addresses this mandate in several ways.

First, TAP is open to unattached youth between the ages of 18 and 35 residing in all 14 parishes.  Second, no prior ICT skills are necessary as the robust programme is designed to train participants at all educational levels; that means that beginners, intermediates and experts will all be accommodated.  Third, the programme provides a stipend for participants to remove any possible barriers to participation.

Then, most importantly, upon completion of TAP, the graduates will be well equipped to become tech entrepreneurs or seek gainful employment in the private or public sector.  Further, the programme also features placement services for participants placing them based on their competence, interests and the needs of the host organization in the areas of ICT Research, Data Analysis and Digitization.

Launch Event

At the launch event, the Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Dr The Hon. Andrew Wheatley noted that in effect, TAP prepares these young people to be active and successful participants in our knowledge-based digital society.  It’s no secret that the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) is committed to ushering the island into the forefront of what some refer to as the fourth industrial revolution.

Technology is not isolated.  It touches everything!!  All industries, including Agriculture, Manufacturing, Education and Health among many others, all benefit from technology.  The reality is that there is no option; technology is necessary for all industries.

As the Minister noted, TAP will empower the population to truly harness the opportunities presented by technology.

The comprehensive programme will be rolled out islandwide with the assistance of the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU).  CMU President, Prof Fitz Pinnock attended the launch to show his support for the programme.  Also in attendance were Mrs Hillary Alexander, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, Mr Robert Lawrence, Board Chairman of the USF and USF CEO Suzette Buchanan.

The TAP programme kicks off in January 2018.

Watch the full launch.

Embrace Retired Technology

Perhaps you’re retired and have lots of time your hands.  Maybe, you’ve been working your whole life and never took the time to take on tech.  Whatever the circumstances, whatever your age, technology need not be daunting.  In fact, it can be fun!

Jamaica National Pensioners Association AGM Presentation

The World Bank reports that the average Jamaican life expectancy is about 74 years of age.  I’d hate to discredit the World Bank, but my own observations put the average about 10 years later than that.  If I’m right (and I often am), you could live for 20 years between retirement and well, you get the point.

If you want to truly enjoy those 20+ years, focus on the things that can maintain, or better yet, improve your quality of life.  Look out for the tools and experiences that help you stay in contact with family and loved ones, that help you stay healthy, stay in the know, stay financially fit and of course, stay independent.

Technology can help you stay.

Stay In Contact

The grandkids may be far away, but apps like Skype, FaceTime and WhatsApp make video conference as simple as pushing a button and talking face to face.  No more lonely nights or weekends, no more boring conversations with fellow seniors.  Retirees can feel like they are right there in the room.

Video gaming can be a natural extension of video conferencing.  Take talk to the next level and learn how to really engage the rug rats on their level by mopping the floor with them (virtually speaking) in a online RPG (Role Player Game).

If the fam proves too busy to connect, consider connecting with a new job.  Lots of seniors rejoin the workforce on a “limited” basis thanks to teleworking.  Book editors, accountants and a host of service related professionals earn real money on their own time.

Stay Healthy

Sitting behind a desk, even for a short time, doesn’t contribute to your physical health.  So, rather than sit, get up and go, with a fitness tracker and heart rate monitor, both paired with an app that automatically reviews data from the wearables and sets fitness goals based on your unique digital profile.  It sounds like a lot, but it can work seamlessly once configured.

Machines in moderation - Skype in your personal physician to review the fitness data and goals, without ever having to leave the comfort of your home (or cruise or wherever).

Listen up, you can even upgrade your outdated hearing aids to custom moulded in ear monitors with on board Bluetooth.  When my Dad had a private call on ‘speaker', thanks to his audio boosting, wireless ear pieces, I realized that he was hipper than me!

Being schooled by a tech savvy Jamaica National Pensioner

Stay in the Know

Speaking of hip, nothing is hipper than being able to participate in the water cooler (or now I guess it all happens on Facebook) conversation.  Ditch the papers thrown at your front door and get online for a wider range of news.  Take it a step further, get online for a course or degree.  Like teleworking, online educations afford flexibility and low cost learning.

Stay Financially Fit

Costs become even more important on a fixed income.  Save time, and most importantly money, by skipping the senior line in the bank in favour of banking and online bill payments.  Monitor your statements for suspicious activities (and trends), send (or receive) money for the young ones and rack up savings with those loyalty cards and virtual coupons.

Just because you’ve got some time on your hands doesn’t mean you got money to waste.

Stay Independent

After all, you are smart and independent.  Building on those traits, we can look out for consumer grade GPS trackers, heart rate/blood pressure monitors, self driving cars and smart homes reducing the need for personalized in home care while maximizing self-sufficiency.

Look forward to being older, its the time when you get to tech it easy and stay in life.

Tech4Life airs every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am on @RJR94FM 

T4L: I want my own Alfred

You could be a mogul running a multi-million dollar global enterprise.  Or, you could be a mom with three kids.  Either way, you’d probably like to have an assistant.

An assistant can be a life saver.  The best assistants are great at managing your appointments and taking notes.  They are always available and accurate.  And they always expensive!

Well, perhaps not.

Siri, Cortana, Alexia and the androgynous Google Now are virtual assistances immediately available for hire and they are free - if you have the accompanying expensive hardware.

Each service can provide (now) basic information on weather, directions, and reminders.  Many can search for trivia and control phone functions.  For way cool Star Trek: The Next Generation like control over your home, pair up your virtual assistant with some third party, IOT enabled devices and never press a button again to turn on your lights.

If an investment of a few thousand dollars to pimp out your house to have a conversation with your phone doesn’t entice you, at least you can still put your “free” virtual assistant to work to give you location based reminders, tell you a joke or read your email and text messages out loud.

Ironically, Facebook is the last to market with a virtual assistant, trending behind Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google.  But, FB is not far behind with recent announcements of their own assistant to come to wild later this year.

You don’t have to wait.  Hire an assistant right now.

Tech4Life airs on @RJR94FM every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am.

T4L: Hybrid Hit Home

The three-day spectacle was an assault on the senses.  Everywhere you turned, there was something to look at, hear, touch or taste at the clearly successful Jamaica Expo.

The tiny but tallawah Amber Connect device was great.  The potentially transformational JUTC Smarter Card was encouraging.  But, Kelly Tomlin’s personal car parked perched on a platform the centre of the arena for the JPS booth was, without a doubt, the most ogle-worthy display at Expo.

Yes, her personal car.  A shiny Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV hybrid ramped yup the previously muted discussion on the viability and practically of electrics cars on local roadways.

By all reviews and Tomlin’s own, the car is more than adequate to the task of navigating our notorious potholes and hilly interior.  The 2L 16 valve in-line 4-cylinder engine pushes the SUV from zero to 62 mph in a comfortable 11 seconds.

The vehicle charges overnight in a special outlet which, I am told, is easy to install.  JPS has indicated that they plan to roll out changing stations across the Corporate Area (and perhaps to major towns).  But, really, charging stations are moot for this hybrid that can self-charge on gas.

On a full charge, you can expect to drive upwards of 32.5 miles.  For me, that’s more than enough to go to and from work or for errand runs on a Saturday.  Respectable.  You can also expect 148 MPG.  148 MPG with today’s gas prices means that you’ll spend more on the concert ticket than the gas for your next trip to MoBay!

Tomlin joined a handful of drivers who didn’t wait for government incentives to bring in her environmentally friendly car.  Are you ready to join in?

Tech4Life airs every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am on @RJR94FM.

T4L: No Cash? Get Smart-er

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) offered its own impressive showing with a booth to pitch its “Smarter Card”.

The Smarter Card is a cashless payment system for public buses, much like the Metro Card used in the US subway systems.  The standard sized plastic card is embedded with an NFC chip which keeps the cardholders basic data and payment history.  The card is “topped up” at designated areas, including the “pop up top up” station at Expo Jamaica.  The topped up card is then tapped on the validator located in the bus to effect payment for the bus fare.  Simple.  Elegant.  Yet not fully adopted.

At the Expo and elsewhere, the public has free access to the JUTC Smarter Card; that means that all money “credited” the card immediately reflects on the account, in full.  As an additional incentive, Smarter Card users get Magna Rewards benefits when they tap.  Yet, still, not fully adopted.

Though the JUTC has attempted a cashless transit system many times, commuters are not warming to the idea as quickly as they would like.  The benefits of the system, like similar systems used all over the world, are too numerous to list here.  The limitations of the system, however, are not.

I can’t wait to see the system expand to offer convenient online and ATM top up like Highway 2000 East West Tags or mobile provider credit.  The top-up locations, though growing, are still limited resulting in long lines at some locations.  Bulk top - facilitating employers to deploy benefits and transport allowances directly to cardholders - is another feature that could boost adoption.

The Smarter Card is a great initiative; let’s hope it lives  up to its potential sooner rather than later.

Tech4Life airs every Wednesday at 8:15 am on @RJR94FM

T4L: Amber Lit Up Expo Jamaica

AMB 365

If there were a Best In Show Award - Technology category and the immensely successful Expo Jamaica, Amber Connect would have won, hands down!

It was a small booth, tucked away in a corner.  You could have missed it.  Thankfully, I did not.

On show was Amber Connect’s Vehicle Tracker - little but Talawah.

So, like many other trackers, the devices (they have a range), track several vehicle metrics, including movement to provide security, enhance fuel efficiency and, quite frankly, rack up “cool” points with friends and family.

Once installed, you can track your car via the cross-platform app or web portal in real time.  Listen close, ‘cause this is important.  Amber’s real time is not every 15 minutes; Amber’s real time is every five seconds via an on-board data connection.  The one-year subscription included in the one-time installation fee translates to no monthly charges.

Amber can monitor fuel efficiency (or lack thereof) and provide actual mileage costs.  It can create safe zones for kids, employees or even for family members borrowing the car.  It offers remote shut off to cut off thieves (or rogue family members) in their tracks and remote start, an uncommon feature in similar systems.  Get speed alerts or device tamper alerts right from the unit to your mobile device or send a collision alarm to prescribed contacts in case of an accident.

The ultra-discrete device is not visible from the battery making it even harder to detect and harder to disable or remove.  The best part is, your reduced insurance premiums may just cover the full cost of the installation.  With that, Amber just got a green light.









Tech4Life airs every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am on @RJR94FM

T4L: Why not have a Chat with a Bot

Are you ready to have a conversation with …. An algorithm?  Here come the chat bots.

So, a chatbot is a computer programme designed to simulate conversations with human users.  The term, chat bot, is actually short for chat robot which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to learn from conversations.

Chatbots offer an easy interface with technology for many users.  For some, it can be like the difference between calling Customer Service versus learning code.

Tay, one of the most notorious chatbots released into the wild, had a short lifespan when Microsoft introduced her on Twitter last March.  In a matter of hours, Tay learned from her human conversations.  It was conversely a technological success and a moral failure.  Internet trolls hurled negative, derogatory, fascist, racist and abusive comments at “her”, effectively teaching her to be a hate monger.  Did I mention this happened in just a few hours?

Hoping for greater success on an artificially limited space, Facebook has launched an API for Messenger to facilitate chatbots.  The likely outcome, companies, and brands will develop their own chatbots to interact with Messenger’s 900 million users.  Order flowers, send gifts or get an “opinion” on a prospective purchase from a human sounding robot on an artificial conversational tool.

The future is now.

Tech4Life airs every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am on @RJR94FM

IG Panic

So, Instagram (IG) announced that it was experimenting with changing its timeline.  Instead of the reverse chronological order we’ve all become accustomed to, they now want to tweak the algorithm to show the “most relevant posts” first.

Sound familiar?  Well, it should.  Facebook, the largest social media platform in the world, tweaked its timeline back in 2009 to ditch the chronological model for an “interest and tastes” model designed to ensure that you’re not bored by a bunch of random posts (from say, the errant cousin you can’t unfriend because their family) and leave the platform.

The detail of the algorithm is a closely guarded trade secret, but presumably, they take your likes, shares, comments and several other factors into account to make a guess about what you want to see and what you don’t.

Despite MUCH initial rebellion, the modified timeline was eventually accepted by the near 1.6 billion users.  So successful was the final roll out of Facebook’s modified algorithm, microblogging site Twitter attempted their own tweak earlier this year.

If unlike me, you’re following 10 accounts on Twitter, you probably won’t have a problem.  But, the more accounts you follow, the more tweets are going to fill your timeline, the more likely that you’re going to miss some tweets during your periodic social media check in.

Twitter introduced “While You Were Away” a collection of tweets it determined are most interesting to you based on your previous favorites, re-posts, mentions and the like (no pun intended).

On Monday, March 28, IG users were flooded with “Turn On Notification” posts imploring them to guarantee no missed posts from their favorite accounts.  Celebrities, like John Mayr, issued statements appealing to IG to abandon their new policy.  The thing is, it's not policy.  It is an experiment.  IG never announced that it was actually changing its initial reverse chronological timeline.

Still, mark my words, a change is coming.  And we better jump on board.

As social networks get more popular and by extension more crowded, we need ways to filter out content that is just not relevant.  Algorithms do the heavily lifting aka filtering.  If you think you can manage to do the digital social media filtering on your own and still have a physical social life, by all means try.  IG will likely make the algorithm optional for its 400 million users.

Either way, there is no need to panic … unless of course, you have no data/wifi.

Tech4Life airs every Wednesday morning on @RJR94FM.

Ditch Your Wallet - Mobile Wallets Demystified

Cash (if you’re lucky), credit cards, loyalty cards, ID’s, discount cards and all manner of other plastic populate our purses and wallets.  For men, a wallet can be an annoying bulge; for women an impossible item to stuff in a clutch.

The promise of mobile wallets seek to remedy these issues.  But, is ditching your wallet practical?  Let’s dispel some myths about
mobile wallets.




Myth 1:  Mobile wallets are only for the first world.

While it is true that some options like Apple Pay and Google Wallet don’t work in Jamaica, there are a plethora of other options that are, or will be, available soon.

Myth 2:  You need a smartphone for a mobile wallet.

Again, there are options that rely on a smartphone running Android or iOS, but there are text, carrier and feature phone based options which don’t require a smart phone.

Myth 3:  You still need a credit card or bank account for a mobile wallet.

Nope, some mobile wallet options are for those without any kind of bank account at all.

Myth 4:  There are a limited number of access points for your mobile wallet.

That depends on what you consider ‘limited’ as the network of access points is growing daily.

Myth 5: If you loose your phone, you’ve lost your money.

Now this one is categorically untrue.  Mobile wallets don’t keep your money “in” the handset, so a lost phone doesn’t mean you’ve lost your money, or access to it.  Different providers have varied protocols, but all mobile wallet providers protect your hard earned cash if you device is lost or stolen, as mandated by the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ).

RJR's Tech4Life airs on RJR94FM every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am

T4L: Low Tech Cleaning

Some tech threats are decidedly more low tech than others.  Germs, parasites, microbes and quick frankly plain old disgusting gunk, can accumulate on our devices.  Worse, because we are afraid to clean them, we sometimes leave these dregs to fester.

Well, no more!  Let us resolve to scrub away any crud that may have built up on our electronics.

All devices can be cleaned, just in different ways.  For example, monitors require a different approach than keyboard.  So let’s break them down by categories.  But first, let us gather the needed supplies.

Electronics Cleaning Supplies List

• Lint free Microfibre cloth (terrycloth texture)
• Cotton swabs
• Distilled, filtered or boiled water
• Vinegar
• Rubbing alcohol
• Compressed air or vacuum
• Elbow grease

Never apply liquids directly to electronics.  Never use paper towels.

Electronics Cleaning Dump List

• Windex and other solvents
• Disinfectant
• Paper towels and tissue paper

Monitors and LCD TVs
If your TV or computer monitors screen looks spotty, smudges, marks and dried saliva are the common culprits.  Rub them with a clean microfibre cloth and light elbow grease.  Be firm, but don’t press too hard or risk damaging the liquid crystals inside the screen.  Dampen - never wet - the cloth with diluted vinegar, to amplify the effects of the elbow grease as needed.

Phones, phablets, and other mobile devices
Since mobile device screens are made to be touched (for the most part), feel free to add more elbow grease for maximum cleaning power.  And, since  mobile device screens tend to touch our faces, feel free to replace the diluted vinegar with diluted rubbing alcohol to power punch gems to oblivion.

Keyboards, mice and other input devices
Input devices are generally quick hardy, after all, they were designed to handled.  They also tend to be a reservoir for spilt juices, coffee and other liquids (read as nesting ground for slime).  Feel free to pull these devices apart and attack with compressed air or a vacuum depending on your preference.  Next, hit them with cotton swabs dampened rubbing alcohol.  Then wipe them down using the microfibre cloth.  Then hit them with air again before reassembling.


Whether your motivation is aesthetic or antiseptic, a cleaning regimen is definitely rewarding.

T4L - New Age Protection

I am updating my being safe online tips.  After all, it is a new year and there are new threats out there.  What worked last year simply may not be enough for 2015.  So here goes; make some time to not only read but action these safety steps.

Step 1: Back up, run anti-virus, back up again
Do it now, do it again and again.  Only the first back up is hard, each subsequent back up is incremental and therefore doesn’t take much time.  Backing up is your first and best defense against data loss which can happen for more reasons than I have space to mention.  Many systems can automate the process to an external drive or cloud service, so your only excuse is .. none.

Make sure that you download, install, run and update a good anti-malware programme, even for your mobile device.  Get rid of or prevent viruses, adware, spyware and other wares designed to destroy your life.

Step 2: Set Strong Unique Passwords
Passwords can be a pain, but they are also your first line of defense against attacks.  Forget the old rules, passwords now need to be longer than eight characters, need not be a recognizable word and need to be unique for each account.  Yes, you read that right - each account.  Since remembering scores of complicated passwords would be too much, it is time to breakout a good password manager to keep things in check.

Step 3: Secure Everything
It can be tempting to jump on a free WiFi hotspot, skip the hassle of configuring a firewall or browsing quickly through unsecured websites, but try to remember how temptation worked out for Eve.

Take a moment to set up a new password on your home wireless router and all internet enabled devices like IP cameras.  Take a moment to set up a firewall on your ‘outer, turn off Discovery and disable file sharing, especially if you plan to log on to public WiFi.

Step 4: Avoid Scams
Certainly it is not recommended that you click on links in email, but if you do, make sure there is a little lock showing in your browser window confirming that the site is secure.

Speaking of security, secure your credit card by using a dedicated ‘online card’ issued by your bank, a one time/pre-paid card or a service like Paypal to create a safety zone around your prized plastic.

Online email services like Google, Yahoo! and Outlook all offer built in virus scanners to reduce the likelihood of nefarious downloads, but it is good to remain vigilant.

Step 5: Repeat
Yes, repeat.  Continuous protection requires continuos updating.

Here’s to a safe 2015!

Tech4Life airs every Wednesday @ 8:15am on RJR94FM

Tech Gifts for Mom (RJR's Tech4Life)

For all mothers do, it is a shame that they only get one day of recognition.  But, children, sisters, brothers, and other loved ones can certainly try to make that one day special with a gift of technology.  After all, you can't really expect Mom to splurge on herself can you?

The best tech gift for mom isn't guided by what's hot, fresh, new or discounted.  But rather, the best tech gift for mom is guided by her appetite for tech.  But, whether she's a newb or mastermind, there is a gift for her.

Go mobile!

Mobile phones, tablets and laptops are a great accessory for every kind of mom.  Busy moms will love the apps and featured designed to streamline various daily tasks.  Retired moms will love the to look at photos or join in video calls with the grandkids.

Her learning curve and preference will help you decide whether to go with a  Windows, Android, iOS or Blackberry device.

Go home

If there is a chance that your mom's home is her favourite place for relaxation, then perhaps a smart TV is  your best gift bet.  Beyond HD, smart TVs are internet connected to bring real power to on board apps like Facebook and Twitter.  Mom can switch effortlessly between Netflix or YouTube or cable while searching for recipes all on one living room centre piece.

Go healthy

If the idea of mom being lazy in front of the TV is not your thing, why not encourage her to get healthy.  Why not accessorize mommy with a wearable fitness tracker.  They work better with a companion smartphone, so check out the compatibility with moms existing handset before purchase.  Or better yet, buy her a new phone with the smart watch.

Of course, she will need a place to work out.  For that, consider a connected treadmill complete with WiFi and Bluetooth to monitor movements and share successes with other moms online.

Just remember, its not the size of the gift that reflects your love for mom, but rather, the thought that racks up points ahead of your siblings.  Ultimately, the best gift for mom may just be sometime with, well, you.

RJR's Tech4Life airs every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am

Digital Jam 3 Sets Stage for Economic Development

Joseph M. Matalon speaks at Digital Jam 3.0

The Digital Jam 3.0 "Caribbean Edition" tech conference kicked off on Saturday, March 1, 2014 with a collection of powerful speakers that reinforced the connection between technology employment and entrepreneurship with personal and national economic development.

Suitably staged at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters, the Get Up, Start Up Conference opened with presentations from Jamaica Development Bank Chairman, Joseph M. Matalon, Caribbean Development Bank Operations Officer, Lisa Harding, State Minister in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, the Hon. Julian Robinson and keynote speaker The Hon. Dr. Peter Phillips, Minister of Finance.

The full and overflowing audience was populated with finalists in the app competition, developers, programmers, visionaries, entrepreneurs and investors in addition to media anxious to report on the insights being shared at the conference.  Notably, the audience was not limited to Jamaican nationals but rather reflected support from the region.  Participants from Haiti, Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua were also in attendance.

During his exhaustive presentation, Minister Robinson clearly illustrated the relationship between developing technology and nation building.  Mr. Matalon encouraged developers, programmers and entrepreneurs to get ready for the funding options that will become available in the next few months while Ms. Harding highlighted that never has there been a better time to capitalize on business opportunities as technology levels the global playing field.

Digital Jam 3.0 "Caribbean Edition"

The conference continued with a number of panel discussions and breakout sessions designed to put potential tech luminaries with current tech leaders for knowledge sharing, insights and networking.

Interspersed between the speeches, talks, presentations, demonstrations, handouts and consistent unfolding of critical information was a lighter, energetic yet equally significant performance of singer/dub poet/entertainer Randy McLaren.

The two day conference continues on March 2, 2014.

Go online and make money

During his presentation to the packed room of participants at the Digital Jam 3.0 “Caribbean Edition” Get Up, Start Up conference at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters on Saturday, March 1, 2014, Minister Julian Robinson, State Minister in the Ministry of Technology, Energy and Mining called on young people to, “go online and make money!”

During his presentation, Minister Robinson outlined the strategy, policies and legislation being undertaken by the Government to support the technology sector on a macro level.  He went on to speak to the improvements planned for the National ICT Infrastructure and even alluded to the technology efficiencies planned for public sector modernization.

But most interesting to the room were the pronouncements regarding capacity building and innovation enabling.  The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) had participated in and/or supported events such as Digital Jam 2.0 and now Digital Jam 3.0, KingstOOn Animation Festival, Open Data Pilots and the GOJ Innovation Awards.  

The StartUp Jamaica Innovation Programme is slated to come online before year end.  Also due before year end is legislation to facilitate licenses for mobile money opening the door for a slew of developers to create suitable apps for the local market.

In principle, technology levels the playing field.  A developer in Kingston has the same opportunity to create an app as a developer in the Silicon Valley.  But the catch is, technology can only level the playing field if players have access.

Digital Jam 3.0 "Caribbean Edition" Get Up, Start Up Conference

Jamaica is well poised to take advantage of opportunities in the tech sector with deep penetration of broadband and increasing penetration of mobile broadband.  Telecoms LIME and Flow have partnered with the government to provide high speed internet access in schools and the tablet programme will put tens of thousands of internet enabled tablets in the hands of students by the start of the next academic year.

Ultimately, Minister Robinson delivered a road map for economic development through technology.  Likely, the Digital Jam 3.0 participants will speed right along.

Real Business In The Clouds

Many great business ideas are trumped by the reality of high capital costs; arguably one of the biggest barriers for micro, small and medium sized enterprises.  However, evolving technology has provided a solution for entrepreneurs who have their feet on the ground but business in the cloud.

The term cloud computing simply refers to the sharing computing capabilities of a large network of computers connected to the internet.

The ‘cloud’ offers a wide range of advantages, most notably of which is cost effectiveness.  Entry into the cloud is relatively cheap and maintenance costs are generally low.  Because the real computing power resides off site, only the most basic hardware is required to execute complex tasks.  On a related note, maintenance tasks are in effect outsourced, freeing the business owner from staffing costs yet ensuring reliability.

Finding capital is certainly a challenge, but finding capital on short notice is even more difficult.  However, cloud services are scalable on a dime.  Entrepreneurs can scale up fairly quickly, adding increased capacity as needed.  Additionally, a seasonal business need not carry the cost of expensive infrastructure during slower periods as cloud conversely allows businesses to scale down with little negative impact.

Business Dialogue Magazine

The very nature of the cloud ensures mobility.  A young business often has to move to customers. This can be a challenge if data and data processors are back at the office, but the cloud makes data accessible anywhere internet is accessible.

By exploiting the sheer range of cloud based services available, business managers can truly maximize savings.  Storage, servers, phone, security and even software are all available through the cloud.

Even a small business generates a large quantity of data.  Physical storage is costly and hard to manage.  Access to physical storage may also be restrictive.  Further, physical storage requires backup; yet another cost.

There was a time that maintaining an email server required an expensive investment in both hardware and software along with an IT team to manage and maintain.  Today, cloud based email services virtually eliminate those costs while providing a high level of reliability.

Cloud can also be used to replace traditional PBX systems.  In addition to removing hardware costs of an expensive, static and hard to upgrade piece of hardware, cloud based phone systems can offer features and functionalities not previously available.  In effect, even the smallest enterprise can present a professional appearance to clients, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders.

Even some business software can be migrated to the cloud.  The purchase and/or annual licensing of expensive accounting, word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software for individual team members can be replaced with a low monthly subscription.

In effect, capital resources can be deployed to profit centers.  There are however, some issues to consider before making the transition.  Whether one, or several, cloud service providers are engaged, executives must be aware of terms which affect data privacy, access, ownership and security.

Cloud service suppliers must adhere to strict privacy policies to protect clients.  They should provide reliable service 99.999% of the time (referred to as the five nines) while being well equipped to ward off a variety of malicious attacks.  Ensure that the contract does not transfer the ownership of the data to the supplier or a third party.  At the end of it all, the business owner should own the data, regardless of where it is stored.

All things considered however, the cloud enables the transformation of ideas into real business.

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Columbus Mentors Tech Entrepreneurs

“Challenge us!  We see ourselves as innovators and we are anxious to demonstrate,” was the declaration by Columbus Business Solutions senior executive Jenson Sylvester to the finalists of the Startup Weekend Jamaica competition at a private gathering on November 7, 2013.

Project Agro, Audio Pi and Popup Shop emerged as the winner and runners up respectively from the technology entrepreneurs competition hosted by ConnectiMass and supported by Columbus.  As part of Columbus’ on going support for the young entrepreneurs, the information, communication and technology (ICT) service provider offered free business consulting and mentorship.

Aisha Robinson, Jeanette Lewis, public relations manager at Columbus Communications, operators of Flow and Columbus Business Solutions, Jermaine Henry, Ingrid Riley, founder of ConnectiMass and Dmitri Dawkins take a peek at the PSOJ 50UnderFifty DVD presented to the young tech entrepreneurs by Columbus Communications as inspiration for pushing forward with their businesses. Robinson, Henry and Dawkins whose teams took the top places in Startup Weekend Jamaica, were hosted at the Columbus Communications office recently to discuss strategies for developing their businesses.

ConnectiMass founder and Caribbean technology expert Ingrid Riley welcomed the involvement of a regional player.  In her address to the three groups of young business aspirants, Riley noted that Columbus has moved “beyond the grin and grip sponsorship to really get involved,” for the benefit of the participants.

Indeed, it was easy for Columbus to get involved.  Sylvester, who was a judge of the Startup Weekend Jamaica competition when it was held in October, noted that he was impressed with all the presentations.  “All the projects,” he noted, “required internet connectivity, hence a natural pairing.”  In fact, Columbus offers the fastest available internet in the region with commercial speeds of up to 100 Mpbs.

Third place finishers, Popup Shop relies most heavily on internet.  The app provides both consumers and merchants with easy accessibility to goods and services in real time at convenient locations.  Runner up Audio Pi is hardware based and seeks to set a new standard for how devices communicate starting with speakers while the winning project, Project Agro leverages RSS and SMS to disburse consolidated orders to small farmers in the field.

As each project outlined their concept, Columbus executives identified services that could boost their productivity, performance and potential profits.  The most notable services included cloud hosting, cloud voice, display advertising and teleconferencing.  Further, leveraging Columbus’ regional network across eight islands in the Caribbean, Columbus executive John Clear noted that the company could provide the traditional networking support as well.

Clear aptly closed out the meeting held in the state of the art conference room of the Columbus Corporate Headquarters echoing the challenge Sylvester laid out.  Clear said, “Put pressure on ICT service providers to be more creative in their service delivery because your growth is our growth.”

Each of the three projects is poised to grow the local tech sector in early 2014.

Top Caribbean Tech Entrepreneurs Globalise Their Pitches

Tech entrepreneurs from Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados and St. Kitts and Nevis seeking to ‘go global' assembled on the rooftop of the Digicel Headquarters in Kingston for an intense two day workshop in mid-November.

The group were all finalists in the pitchIT Caribbean business pitch competition for web or mobile businesses held earlier in the year.  The workshop falls under the World Bank’s Entrepreneurship Programme for Innovation in the Caribbean, EPIC, and its Caribbean Mobile Innovation Programme.

Carlette DeLeon participates in a lively discussion with Jennifer Raffoul, tech entrepreneur behind Made In The Caribbean and Patrick King, Distribution Director, Digicel at the recently concluded pitchIT Caribbean Workshop in Kingston, Jamaica. Photo credit: Collin Reid

Entrepreneur-in-Residence, infoDev Group and Workshop Facilitator Angelique Mannella noted that the ‘deep dive’ workshop sought to illustrate, “technical improvements that the entrepreneurs can have in their business and also help them prepare for speaking to investors”.



"Every innovation in the world started with an idea,” noted Marie Legault, Councilor and Head of Cooperation for the High Commission of Canada in Jamaica in her presentation to the startups.  The Canadian Government provides $20 million to support the regional programme to boost economic growth.  She advised the participants to maximize the time they have with the experts making presentations.

Following several hours of immersive training, the entrepreneurs refined the pitches for their business ideas and made presentations to the panel of experts that led the workshop.  The pitches were evaluated based on their likelihood to attract three types of investors: venture capitalists, angel and corporate.

VentureOut Challenge Jamaica winner Grik.ly was determined to be the most likely to receive venture capital funding, Trinidad based Interact XL was determined to be most likely to attract an angel investor while compatriots Made In the Caribbean was assessed most likely to benefit from a corporate investor.

Startup Weekend Jamaica winners Project Agro, Barbados developers SimPlify and CariOLA from St. Kitts and Nevis received honorable mentions in each of the three categories respectively.

Workshop Facilitator Angelique Mannella making a presentation at a two day 'deep dive' workshop for regional tech entrepreneurs from the pitchIT Caribbean competition.  The workshop was hosted by Digicel in Kingston, Jamaica.  Photo credit: Collin Reid

While none of the tech entrepreneurs participating have launched all are in various stages of development in preparation for 2014 rollouts.

IP Cameras

The Digital Consumer Electronics Expo at the Hilton Hotel last weekend was fun. Lots of booths made the event a feast on the eyes and ears. Some booths were truly dynamic while others stuck to presenting the bare facts. Information was available everywhere, not just in the booths. There were countless Expo only or “while stocks last” offers. And, there were cars (yes, cars with an s) in the ballroom!

Before we explore all the good in greater detail, two quick bad things I feel compelled to mention. First, they only accepted cash at an electronic expo and second, too many booth holders were lazy, letting interested customers walk by without at pitch.

That said, special shout outs go to these outstanding reps:
· Dave Hardy, Sound City
· Mark Miller, Digi View
· Warren Sherman, King Alarm
· Douglas James, Guardsman

Many booths covered similar technologies including:
· Personal surveillance, vehicle tracking and security
· Personal entertainment (home, car, boat audio and theatre systems)
· Gaming
· Gadgets

Most popular, IP cameras. In simple terms, IP cameras are CCTV cameras that use the internet to transmit the images to you. Significant benefits include:
· Cheaper than traditional CCTV camera overall and much more flexible
· Many have digital zoom and progressive scan capabilities
· Easy to record and transfer recordings
· Some can use “power of Ethernet” so no additional power required
· Some have wireless capabilities
· Motion sensors make camera record only when necessary
· Can transmit signals to you anywhere there is an internet connection; that means computer at the office, in your hotel room on vacation and in some cases to your phone

How would you use your IP camera?

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