Alec Saunders SquawkBox

I’m drinking a bottle of Clos du Val 1999 Zinfandel.  This is the LCBO’s Wine of the Month.  Unfortunately… it’s just not that good.  I can’t say that it’s in any way impressive.  A nose of alcoholic, and slightly off, fruit.  Fruity taste, with a long, slightly tannic finish.  Imagine what a beaujolais vitner would do with zinfandel.

Mark Evans writes about Microsoft’s new Blackberry Killer. 

Before I go further, I will disclaim this by saying that I worked for Microsoft from 1992 to 2000, and for part of the time I ran the planning team that did the market research for Microsoft’s Windows CE group, including the smartphone team.  I’ve also used multiple generations of the Windows CE smartphone, with all it’s quirks, and I am the proud owner of a Blackberry 7290.

I think Mark’s missing the point.  When I switched from my Smartphone to a Blackberry it was because the coverage sucked with the smartphone (it had no 850 Mhz radio), and it was a major battery hog.  But I loved the media features, and the web browser, and I miss those features the most in my new Blackberry.

Mark’s right on one thing.  Blackberry email is a killer feature.  In fact, if it wasn’t for the email I would toss the thing.  The usability of the Blackberry is a nightmare (I defy anyone to find and dial a phone number in your address book, while driving).  The media capabilities are non-existant (my unified messaging system delivers voice mail to my email inbox… but I can’t listen to wav files on my blackberry).  The integration with Windows apps is good, but not as good as ActiveSync.

If I was in RIM’s shoes, I would be asking myself this… “What would Apple do?”.  I would try to imagine what the iBerry would be like, and then build it.  That would be a thousand times better than a Microsoft Smartphone because the starting point for a Smartphone is “let’s build a great Windows phone”.

What would the iPod of Smartphones be like?

Yesterday the CRTC made its rulling on Canadian VoIP services.  You can read about it here — CRTC demands VoIP providers offer 911.  Don Smith asked me to comment on whether I thought it was reasonable.  I think it’s inevitable, and very reasonable,  but the CRTC’s requirements don’t go far enough, and are uneccessarily complex. 

In particular, the CRTC’s distinction between local fixed VoIP, nomadic VoIP, and foreign exchange VoIP is erroneous thinking.  They clearly only understand VoIP at a superficial level. The architecture of VoIP means that access and the voice service called local/long distance telephony are two separate entities.  The only entity that really knows where you are physically located is the access provider, whether that be DSL, wireless, or cable.  However, it is the voice service provider who traps the digits and connects calls, not the access provider. The access provider, therefore, must be responsible for providing location information to the voice service provider.  ie. if I buy my service from Vonage, and use Sympatico for access, then Sympatico must be required to provide my location to Vonage, should I dial 911.

That’s what the CRTC should have asked for, rather than marketing labels and warnings. 

Aswath Rao gets it too.  Pulver says that it’s obvious that the CRTC is expecting cookie-cutter behaviour from the VoIP industry as they clone the telco model at a lower price.

I’ve been sitting, drinking a coffee from Manotick’s Village Perk, and waiting for the barber-shop to open. It’s a good time to do a little reflection on what’s happening with the Gomery Inquiry.

Let’s not mince words. The picture being painted by the Brault testimony is of shady backroom dealings by mafiosa. The Liberal government of Paul Martin is trying to do the only thing it can, which is to paint themselves as victims also. Naturally, the opposition is having none of this. And Jean Chretien is trying to shut the whole thing down, claiming bias. It’s a mess, and it’s hard to see how the Liberals will be able to persuade the electorate that they should be trusted with power again anytime soon.

Even so, the opposition parties don’t seem to be prepared or able to capitalize on this opportunity. By all reports, the Conservatives are at least $10 million short of being financially able to fight an election. The electorate doesn’t want another election right now. And, because of the official publication ban, nobody can speak publicly of what they have seen or heard at the inquiry.

Despite the speculation you read in the papers, look for the government to fall in the autumn, after the official report of the Gomery Inquiry is out, and after the opposition parties have done some fundraising.

Captain Ed has another installment of notes from inside the Gomery Commission out. This stuff is part hearsay, and part speculation, but if you would like to know a little about what our press isn’t allowed to talk about, check him out. In today’s post he speculates that Martin may have known more than he was letting on.