Singapore with it’s tiny 4 million population has 402,992 iPhones, 76575 iPod Touch and 1,453 iPad’s  totaling  480,950 iOS devices. Contrast that to its counterpart, Android devices total up to 32,918. While considering the fact that, iPhone had a head-start in the Singapore market for a year before the first Android device was released, the sheer ratio of iPhone to Android is among the highest across countries.

http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/06/18/guest-post-location-based-services-its-game-on/:

As a parting shot dear reader, if you are thinking about being the next Gowalla or Foursquare, think outside the box. The world is a very large, and spherical place, mapped by a long/lat address.

What about developing countries, where the penetration of mobile data usage far outstrips that of broadband, or even dial up modems?

99% of all location services I have seen are targeted squarely at Early Adopters. If you are looking for the next big thing in location, one that attracts people in the millions, look at the developing markets, because connecting people in disparate locations, and giving those people a way to share information is a great start.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127370598:

Carr admits he’s something of a fatalist when it comes to technology. He views the advent of the Internet as “not just technological progress but a form of human regress.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?pagewanted=1:

While he managed to salvage the $1.3 million deal after apologizing to his suitor, Mr. Campbell continues to struggle with the effects of the deluge of data. Even after he unplugs, he craves the stimulation he gets from his electronic gadgets. He forgets things like dinner plans, and he has trouble focusing on his family.

His wife, Brenda, complains, “It seems like he can no longer be fully in the moment.”

This is your brain on computers.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5e37eb34-74e0-11df-aed7-00144feabdc0.html:

Though other headphones can compete on quality, what sets these ones apart is that they are gaining mass market appeal, reaching beyond audio geeks, thanks in part to the heavyweight talent behind them.

However, while reading the March 2010 issue, I was stunned to see a spot about Bangkok that was using Julian Moss, CEO of ASM Liquor, suggestion that travelers to Bangkok, Thailand should visit Santika. Wait a sec. At first I thought I was reading an old issue but I made sure it was the latest.

For the record, Santika had a horrific fire on New Year’s Eve 2008 with many people dying or seriously injured. One of the worst tragedies in Thailand. I am just a tad stunned that this suggestion of a location would be in a March 2010 magazine. I am not sure who to blame. Either the CEO of ASM Liquor is out of touch with reality or this is an old piece that was just recently printed. If so then the editor of the Magazine needs to be blamed.

Either way – someone needs to fall on their sword. This is hugely insensitive and hopefully not many Thai people were forced to read this issue and remember the tragedy.

Here is a photo of the magazine so no one thinks I am making this up:

http://twitter.com/#search?q=bangkok%20bomb

I am sure this is related to Thaksin and the verdict but it just shows that democracy is the least of the problems in Thailand.

Bummer…