Showy Companies Fail to Come up with Catchy Names

In my earlier blog, I talked about how Apple appears to lack the creativity to come up with original names. iPhone was a Cisco trademark, and now Fujitsu claims that it owns the iPad name. Apple perhaps just wants the publicity such controversies generate.

What I find more interesting is that another showy company, Google, also has problems with picking names for its gadgets. Look at Nexus One for its smartphone launched recently. For one thing, the name does not enthuse me. Nor does Android. Beyond consumer appeal, there is nothing original about Nexus. Cisco’s new-generation data centre offerings already carry the Nexus name.

What’s wrong with you guys, Apple and Google? Have you let your creative folk go on a cerebral holiday?

— G Joslin Vethakumar

Why is Apple “Stealing” Names?

Lack of Creativity or Just an Attempt to Draw Free Publicity Mileage?

 

As another trademark battle is brewing for Apple, I am wondering if the company famed for the stylistic elements it builds into its products lacks the creativity to think of an original name for them.

 

First, Apple stole Cisco’s iPhone trademark and eventually the two companies reached an out-of-court settlement. Now, the "iPad" is threatening to take a similar turn with Fujitsu claiming ownership of the name. Being a company whose innovations are so sharp as to shake the market, Apple should perhaps do some introspective analysis, a bit of soul-searching, as to determine what is making it infringe on the ideas of other companies.

 

It may be a deliberate tactic as Apple can profit from the publicity mileage it draws from the dispute! Free advertisement that will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars otherwise. It will take a negative turn only if they lose the battle, but history reminds us that the company will be able to force a settlement. As I had said in an earlier blog, generally American companies, and the U.S. itself, are good at sophisticated cheating.

 

— G Joslin Vethakumar

Is Obama on his Way to Becoming the Worst American President Ever?

It is not Brack Obama’s fault that he ascended to the U.S. Presidency when the country’s economy was in tatters. But he will have only himself to blame if he emerges as the worst President the U.S. has ever seen. Judging by his track record so far, he seems well headed in that direction.

 

First, he messed up with the banking crisis by rushing to bail out the home-grown banks that were in deep shit when he should have safely let the dying institutions die. It may have caused a few initial hiccups, but will have settled down soon. When he could do that to Lehman Brothers why couldn’t he have done that to Citibank and the Bank of America.? Did he consider them the pride of America so as to save them from becoming history? He also appears to have exacerbated the Al-Qaeda crisis by strengthening the American bond with Pakistan. The result: Pakistan is seeing unprecedented bloodshed and the U.S. itself is getting renewed threats from the militant outfit.

 

Obama also sucks up to China while paying lip service on issues like human rights and freedom of expression. In return, China is treating the U.S. like dirt forcing companies such as Google to think of quitting China. The communist nation knows fully well Google or the other American giants can only quit China at their own peril. Companies that want to quit will quit. Those that want to stay will issue threats and see if Beijing will offer any reconciliation. Empty threats are not going to unnerve China, which is all set to become the world’s second largest economy.

 

Obama is just one of those haughty Americans who think that good governance means good talking! But then all Americans talk eloquently. Obama can never come anywhere near Bill Clinton, who was not just a charismatic leader but also ensured that the American economy was at its best during his period while at the same time maintaining good ties with largely the rest of the world. Obama perhaps can match Clinton if he can spring a Monica Lewinsky-type scandal. Tiger Woods has outsmarted Bill. So can Obama, you never know!

 

— G Joslin Vethakumar

Cisco Slips as SAS surges to the Top in Fortune List of 100 Best Companies to Work for

A technology company has topped the just-released list of 100 best companies to work for. And it is neither Google nor Cisco. Not Microsoft either. IBM, Oracle, Dell, Apple and Hewlett-Packard are not in the list at all.

 

Software company SAS it is which has surged to the top this time from the 20th slot it occupied last year. Google retained its fourth position but Cisco slid to the 16th from the 6th position it held last year, and Microsoft from the 38th previously to the 51st now. Cost-cutting measures have obviously taken their toll on them and a few of the traditional top performers.

 

For the full list, and to find out what makes them tick (daily orthopaedic massage at SAS, for instance, that makes me drool, wanting to be kneaded for the kind of arthritic complaints I have), head to http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2010/full_list/

 

— G Joslin Vethakumar

 

 

Market Manipulations Continue, Whose Money Is It Anyway?

Banks Lose Billions, Still Their Stocks Stay Steady

 

Analysts Patronise Sophisticated Cheating, A Trick That Emanated from America

 

Massive bank losses no longer shock the world. Since the recession kicked in two years ago, it has become clear that their fatly-paid CXOs have been messing with your money and mine to loll in personal lucre at the cost of the world’s economy.

 

Today the Bank of America reported quarterly losses of more than US$ 5 billion. Yesterday, Citibank had bigger losses — in excess of US$7 billion. Still their stocks are currently doing relatively well even as the broader market is taking a deep dip. What this demonstrates is that financial institutions continue to manipulate the market, no thanks to the U.S. administration which naively attempted to bail them out by injected more than a trillion dollars into them through TARP funds at the peak of the banking crisis when the best option would have been to let them die a natural death.

 

Most of that money has been recovered because the banks did not want the U.S. Government to question the hundreds of millions of dollars that individual executives were pocketing. Even if they had  not returned the TARP funds the balancesheets of both the BAO and Citibank show they would still have been in the red.

 

Yet, why are their losses not reflected in the movement of their stock prices? The stock answer of analysts is that "the worst is over". That is plain bullshit!

 

Interestingly enough, when last week Intel beat all expectations and reported a stupendous 875% increase in profits, analysts brushed it aside and said the "best was over" for Intel. And the stock took a beating. Analysts will continue to dish out rubbish only as long as investors pay heed to it. If investors do their homework right, analysts will be out of business soon, deservingly so.

 

Technology companies have generally been underperforming the market even while posting sizeable profits amid all the downturn. The culprits are clearly market manipulators. Analysts (and journalists) have their own axe to grind when they come up with downgrades and upgrades. It is time the world stopped listening to them!

 

— G Joslin Vethakumar

Being brave and chivalrous can cost you your life

Indian in London Knifed to Death by Mugger Fleeing with a Bag he snatched from another Indian

 

A few days before Oscar-winning A R Rahman held a free concert in Sydney to promote racial amity in Australia, goons struck in London, leaving an Indian national there dead. He had been living there for 10 years and showed valour and chivalry in chasing a robber who was fleeing with a bag he snatched from an Indian female student there. More on this crime can be had here — http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8450052.stm 

 

While British and Indian newspapers were hailing the dead victim as a hero, it took a police officer in London to put it in the right perspective. While acknowledging it was a brave act, he cautioned the public against doing such a thing. Calling the police is the wisest thing to do under such circumstances, he said. After all, muggers are often neither alone nor unarmed.

 

In this instance, it was not as if the woman was facing physical harm, she had just lost her bag.  But good samaritans do act instinctively without thinking of the consequences. If he had just paused for a moment, his wife and 10-year-old son living in India would not have lost the family’s breadwinner. It appears he had not seen his family since moving to London a decade ago. That does sadden me, but I would think he did not do that right either. It does not cost much to pay at least an annual visit home or bring the family over on a holiday occasionally. But who am I to sit on judgment!

 

Another good life has been lost to insane crime anyway.

 

 G Joslin Vethakumar

 

Row over “Allah” — Let the Church Stop Being Mischievous and Playing Politics

Christians Courting Unwanted Trouble in Malaysia

 

A raging storm over the use of the word "Allah" by Christians in Malaysia has left three churches there damaged and religious harmony in tatters. It is insane of the church to argue that because "Allah" simply means "God" in Arabic people of any faith can use the term.

 

To me, it is a mischievous misinterpretation of the word, ignoring world realities. They may be technically correct, but the world knows that "Allah" is the Islamic God. Why meddle with it at a time when the world has enough religious woes on its plate!

 

It is clear that the church in Malaysia is simply playing politics and, in effect, with the religious sentiments of the Muslim majority. Religious institutions are expected to behave in a dignified manner and promote harmony, not foment trouble.

 

— G Joslin Vethakumar

Rape, Murder and Corruption of Unimaginable Proportions are a Pastime for the High and Mighty in India

Rathore, Dinakaran, N D Tiwari — This is Mera Bharat Mahaan

Brazen corruption, crime of mindboggling proportions, massive land-grabbing, sexual perversions and aberrations of every hue in India! All of these have one thing in common — you can get away with it all if you have political clout. That is the curse of democracy in India.

Such depressing situations came to haunt me even during a short 10-day stay in Chennai recently. Nothing, not even widespread coverage on televisions and newspapers, deters our influential criminals. Perhaps capital punishment will.

The criminal dalliances of a DGP (SPS Rathore), who is a molester and habitual offender, that resulted in the death of his victim, a high court chief justice (P D Dinakaran) who had illegally amassed thousands of acres of land (in fact an entire village) and a Governor (N D Tiwari), who had to bow down after his sexual exploits were captured on video, all hogged media headlines. Still, that is no guarantee that the law will catch up with them.

Rathore got away almost scot-free 19 years after he molested 14-year-old tennis player Ruchika Girhotra. Rathore even got Ruchika dismissed from the Christian school she was attending (Sacred Heart Convent School in Haryana) because his daughter was in the same class as his victim.

What a shame that a Christian school should pander to the whims of a thug. The school should rename itself as the Wicked Heart Convent or the Molestation Promoting Convent. The school must be delicensed and shut down without any enquiry. The country does not need such shameless, sinister institutions.

In fact, for three years after the molestation the Rathore rascal hounded the victim’s family (arresting the brother and father of Ruchika on cooked-up charges and ill-treating them in prison). The harassment her family had to endure (because she complained against the police scoundrel) forced Ruchika to commit suicide.

Worse, instead of bringing Rathore to book, the government actually presented him with a medal and promoted him. Now, 19 years after the crime was committed, he has been given just a six-month sentence. Shame on you, Indian judiciary! Even after the nationwide uproar over it, Rathore was able to get anticipatory bail. A death sentence is the least that can be given to him, but the Indian system is such that riffraffs like him easily get away with even the worst form of crime.

Even Dinakaran was about to be elevated to the Supreme Court when his landgrabbing cases became public. And ND Tiwari still claims he is innocent despite his misdemeanor being caught on camera

For India to emerge as a major global power, we should keep criminals away from power. Why should our leaders be above the law?

n  G Joslin Vethakumar

Have a great 2010!

Here’s wishing all my friends here a happy, healthy and pro$perou$ 2010!

 

I am happy 2009 has been tossed out as it has been a rather dull, crisis-prone year. While the economic gloom may be behind us, companies are certain to have reaped the fruits of frugality, so much so that they are likely to stay tight-fisted even when good tidings beckon them.

 

Personally, I have not  been able to fulfill my 2009 resolution — as I am still to get going on a book project I had in mind. That failure is keeping me away from making any new year resolution this time, hoping I may be able to spring a surprise come 2011! Perhaps I will tweet and blog more often though it is no resolve.

 

Have a wonderful 2010!

 

— G Joslin Vethakumar