Kareem Nasser

Lebanese ADSL as of 15 of October, 2011

2011-10-15T19:44:00.000+03:00

ADSLReport: My Central is Bir Hasan and ISP is IDM. All i did was monitor myconnection quality over the past week.

First my original connection plan is the 512kwhich should become 2M Plan from IDM but didnt, yet. My current speeds are 1Mbps downloads and 256 Kbps upload. Latency to Most European servers is nothingmore than 120ms maximum, in the United States it depends on the State if itis on the Eastern Seaboard(better) ornot(worse). Note that sometimes when testing the inner States the latency is~200ms.

Now the headaches, outages.....packet losses andother "BS".
The periods which I experience bad internet qualityare usually from 2pm till 4pm and 10pm till 12:30am. During those timesbrowsing is a real pain when you experience packets losses AND latency back tothe regular 450ms i used to experiences before the 1st of October"upgrades". On top of all of this the download speed ONLY becomes 512Kbps.

In Conclusion let’s forget about the politicalproblems and technical problems in this whole Internet Revolution in thiscountry, and only focus on "What am i getting after i pay my monthly feefor the Private/Public Owned ISP?". I can say there is a "game"in all of this, all telecom ministers did a great job so that we can reach thispoint from a war plagued country. But you cant keep this "revolution"if all the لجنة الاتصالات which is usually appointed by the Parliament, is filled with"politicians" who dont even know what 3G or ADSL is. What i mean is,not to appoint engineers only.....no but at least people who are technologists,technology enthusiasts......

You may like or dislike what i posted but i amexpressing my opinion about the current situation, please do the same bycommenting to my post.

"Note to political loyalists: Please refrainfrom defending or attacking my post just because it supports/attacks yourpolitical party's opinion about the Telecom situation or decisions taken by thecurrent government."

Kareem Nasser.....Out...

Start The Revolution By Sarcasm!

2011-03-31T02:15:00.000+03:00

As my profile says I live in Lebanon a beautiful country on the Mediterranean Sea. If you check its history you will find that it was filled with occupations that spent sometime on its lands.

Many say that our origins are Phoenicians, well that is true but only thousands of years ago. Now after being occupied as part of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years and at that time it was part of Syria. Later being occupied (Or mandate) by the French who actually created or dissected Syria to a small part geographically that we know call Lebanon which was agreed upon by the French to be 10452 km^2. The French occupation (mandate) lasted 26 years.
After that we had total stability in our country for the coming years till the consecutive wars which plagued the lands starting from 1975.

After all this we claim that we are Phoenicians?! Through the Ottoman Empire we gained the Turkish traits, traditions, daily life...etc. The Hookah (aka Nargileh) along with the cigarettes (as if the hookah wasn't enough) corrupted our life. Oh did I mention that along with the Turks came the Kurds who actually became Lebanese citizens (more mix in the Lebanese DNA) officially and some high-class families were able to rule and participate in governments directly with officially talking and using the Arabic language.
You might think i forgot the Armenians......no i didn't. Being kicked out of Turkey (for reasons i cant argue about) actually they were butchered and raped. Again they blended in the Lebanese community being officially citizens too but maintaining their own language and having some support from Europe.

Till know i think you are convinced there is no pure Phoenician race, Yeah? I think so ;).

I have a list of 7 sentences that describes the deteriorating Lebanese Society:

We own any Consumer Electronic then we know everything about it 100% even if it is the first time we use it, because we are Lebanese.
18 different sects is something special!!!! Well you can find even more sects and races in USA, UK and Sweden for example.
Imprisoned in what neighbors and friends think about us.
The community chooses what we eat, drink, wear and even play.
We are open minded yet we must know the religion, birth place ( and other stuff you know ;) ) of the one we want to marry.
You can never be in a relationship (any kind) with an upper-class and if you are then... WAKE-UP.
Global Rule: A man creates and designs a car. In Lebanon it becomes: A car creates and designs a man.

Notes:

I created this alone no one i know is involved.
No harm intended to any person.
This is in no way related to politics.

A New Beginning

2011-02-19T21:38:00.000+02:00

First of all the bad news is that i stopped teaching my spoiled or over-spoiled students about month ago only to start a new job by working in a money exchange store. I have been teaching the student for about a year and a half but due to some problems with the parents i stopped. Though the child was suffering from loneliness and lucky for him a 20 year old gamer was a solution, which was me. I used to play with him Yu-Gi-Oh cards and some chess (not to forget PS3) just to get him to study then i decrease my interest a bit due to getting bored of his spoiled attitude. The stress peaked last month and by an un-respectful manner i was "fired". To complicate things if the childrens parents travel they put me in charge of teaching the 3 boys ages: 8, 10, 11(my student)........blah lets get to business.

My new job is almost same 100% responsibility because i have millions of Lebanese Liras(or Pounds) and thousands of dollars in my drawer. I meet alot of people from Europe like Germany and Great Britain. Also i sell prepaid mobile phone "dollars"(virtual) cards. Pretty interesting new experience but still in summer the work there will triple. The guy who i work for works in real estate too, so he has a lot of business people who could be potential opportunity for me to work in the future.

That was Kareem Nasser Reporting from Lebanon.....Over

The Final Project for Sony's 3DTVs(Marketing)

2010-06-01T13:39:00.009+03:00

I. Introduction:

Sony has always been known as a brand which delivers the best quality for the best prices so now they are proud to announce the release of 3DTVs in the coming summer 2010 to coincide with the FIFA2010. So in the following project we will discuss how we will advertise Sony’s 3DTVs to achieve proper marketing covering various strategies it will implement and as well as its weaknesses and strengths in a quiet jammed consumer electronics market.

History:

3D movie development was parallel to that of 3D pictures and images. Already in 1855 the Kinematoscope was invented, i.e., the Stereo Animation Camera. The first anaglyph movie was produced in 1915 and in 1922 the first public 3D movie was displayed - The Power of Love. In 1935 the first 3D color movie was produced.

In the fifties, when TV became popular in the United States, many 3D movies were produced. The first such movie was Bwana Devil from United Artists that could be seen all across the US in 1952. One year later, in 1953, came the 3D movie House of Wax which also featured 2D sound. Alfred Hitchcock originally made his film Dial M for Murder in 3D, but for the purpose of maximizing profits the movie was released in 2D because not all cinemas were able to display 3D films. The Soviet Union also developed 3D films, with Robinson Crusoe being their first full-length movie in 1947.

Subsequently, television stations started airing 3D serials based on the same technology as 3D movies.

II. Body:

A. 4P’s:

1-Product: our product is a 3D TV under Sony brand name, this 3D TV is more then a simple TV it go beyond the limits to fulfill all the potential desire of any kind of customer with various ages it come with a glasses to be able to watch in the 3D mode. Some of the multiple features that come with our 3D TV are WIFI, ability to open twitter and Facebook via applications, watch in 3D and 2D mode.

2-Price: since 3D TV is considered as a high luxurious product that mean not all people could afford to buy one in the moment so at the beginning we are mainly targeting the people with high purchasing power. In Lebanon the price could vary from 1800$ till 8000$ it all depend on the feature and size of the 3D TV you are buying. So we are offering the right price for the right product. Sony has revealed pricing and shipping information for its new televisions and related accessories in Japan. The new sets share that sweet/ominous monolithic style of the already available NX800 series with the edge-lit LED LX900 bringing the entire 3D package. With IR emitter built in and two pairs of RealD active shutter glasses, all you'll need to add is a source to the 60-, 51-, 46- and 40-inch models, ranging in price from ¥580,000 ($6,444) to ¥290,000 ($3,222.) Even if the TDG-BR100 / TDG-BR50 3D glasses (also available as an accessory for ¥12,000 ($133) or so) aren't on your face this WiFi-connected abyss of entertainment will look back into you, using face tracking to detect if someone is sitting too close and warn them to move back, as well as dimming and eventually turning off the screen if you leave the room or simply looked away from the TV for an extended period.

3-Place: We intend to place our product in some of the best retail stores in Lebanon who have the enough knowledge and experience to promote and sell our product the potential customers in Lebanon like Khoury Home, Abed Tahan, Houkayem and TLC. In general through our Wholesaler (Alliance Electronics) we will place our product in major retailers due to its weak popularity among people and when we position it then we can release it elsewhere.

4-Promotion: For the promotion we as Sony Corporation are making a lot of advertising over TV and in show rooms to present our product live to our customer, and allow them to try it on spot to let them feel the experience and enjoy it. We will also put advertisement on board and we will be sponsor of some big event to focus the eye of the world on our luxurious product. Currently our promotion is underway via the TV on various Lebanese well known channels.

B. Segmentation, Target Market, Positioning:

1- Segmentation: In order to target the best consumer in the market we will follow 2 segmentation strategies:

a- Demographic segmentation Where we will segment the market based on the age that we will target and it will range from 5 years till 50 years and based on the income and purchasing where our target market should posses a high income ranging from 20000$ and higher yearly to be able to buy our product.

b- Psychographic segmentation: Where we will divide the market according to their life style and prestige and we will try to make our image and brand name affect their decision to buy our 3D TV.

2- Targeting: After we evaluated our chosen segment we decided to target the high tech people, people with high purchasing power and off course our loyal customer who are looking for our brand name and high quality services.

3- Positioning: We will position our high value product in the mind of our actual and potential customer through our slogan make.believe and that means that we believe in what we invent and that will make our customer believe in us!

C. Macro-environment: are the social forces that affect our product ability to serve our customers.

Demographic: our product is intended to serve all kind of population age from the youngest by providing them entertainment watching cartoon in new dimension (3D) to the older by letting them experience the revolutionary way of playing PS3 games in 3D mode and to the oldest by letting them using the TV as an internet platform where they can check there messages using facebook and twitter application.

Economical: Lebanon is known for its instability on the economical scale but this instability did not stopped our loyal customers with high purchasing power to come and buy our high tech innovative product with supreme quality.

Technological: Lebanese people are known in their high knowledge in the technological field and that will make us work harder to provide them with the best in the market to keep our strong and high image among our loyal customers.

D. Micro-environments: are all the close factors to our product that affect its ability to serve our potential customer.

1- The company: our company is the best example for good communication and coordination between our different departments and we have a high qualified experienced staff to get closer to our actual and potential consumer to make them satisfied and loyal.

2- Suppliers: we are the only provider of Sony brand name in Lebanon so we can assure a fast delivery of our products without having any delays or problem in shipping mode.

3- Marketing intermediaries: we are going to get the help of some of the well known reseller shops in Lebanon to help us reaching our customers in their homes and their cities and we will get the help of banks known with high reputation to provide facilities to customers in their payment that way we can reach a larger target market.

4- Customers: we will have 3 types of customers in Lebanon the consumers market which are tech customers and people with high purchasing power who are willing to buy the product for their own consumption and we have the reseller market like abed Tahan, khoury home, TSC and other well known reseller shops, and the customers that will buy the product to put them in their restaurants, café and other entertainments places and that could give us an indirect free promotion for our product

5- Competitors: as we know Sony is not the only company in the world who provide high tech product. Our main competitors in 3D TV are Samsung and Toshiba but we are willing to overcome them with our reputation, experience, brand name, image and our high featured quality 3D TV which will overcome all its competitors.

E. SWOT Analysis:

1- Strength: One of the main strengths is the name that we have in our market in Lebanon and covered by our PlayStation brand will surely deserve their trust. The most powerful weapons we own are the PlayStation brand and its future 3D capabilities as well as being the official sponsors of the FIFA world cup 2010 and delivering 3D broadcasting exclusively for the FIFA from our top-notch hardware. Also 3DTVs will have special Twitter and Facebook application integrated to them so that you can access your accounts easily considering the high number of Facebook users in Lebanon.

2- Threats: The current main competitors are LG and Samsung which we will battle through our name and image, bundles and features while leaving the after sale services to our retailers in Lebanon. But this doesn’t mean we will neglect their position in the market because we think such market is OK with 3 main consumer electronics companies driving its TV industry.

Just to note that given the news that there might be a war in Lebanon but this will be in certain areas only so it won’t damage or act as a direct threat to us.

3- Opportunities: In the Arab world we have 500k PS3 unites using PlayStation Network, and in summer we will release a system software update which will enable gamers to enjoy some games in 3D. Later we will release another update which will enable users to play Blu-ray Disc based movies in 3D natively.

Another opportunity is that some competitors have already rolled out 3D models but there 3D performance is decent (according to cnet) so this will give us time to change and test our TVs again for the same flaws if they exist.

As we all now Lebanon welcomes millions of foreign and regional visitors each summer and with our commercials and ads covering the country we can gain customers not only here but from the outside too so this is as they say “2 birds with one stone”.

4- Weakness: Because of its relatively high price compared to the Lebanese market we will at launch address the high income people and tech addicts later in about a year we expect that the prices will decrease drastically to reach the normal 2D LCD TV prices. Another thing is the need to wear 3D glasses to watch 3D content which is a must but in the future we may see new technology to enable it without the need of 3D glasses but on a limited range of view.

References:

1-www.i4u.com/article33087.html

2-www.pcworld.com/article/183329/sonys_3d_tv_plans_become_a_little_clearer.html

3-news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-10466032-260.html

4-www.techradar.com/news/home-cinema/sony-bravia-3d-tv-first-impressions-631220

5-www.associatedcontent.com/article/2842504/the_truth_about_3d_hdtvs_high_definition.html?cat=15

6-www.engadget.com/2009/12/17/blu-ray-3d-specifications-finalized-your-ps3-is-ready/

7-www.engadget.com/2010/03/09/sony-unveils-3dtv-release-dates-and-pricing-for-japan/

8-en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_television

9-news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-10466032-260.html

P.S: This was achieved with our group consisting of two other colleagues.

My Reply

2010-05-14T01:01:00.000+03:00

This is a Reply to this Thread. Please read all of the thread to understand.

Simple: Arabs are Semitic and you are because of what i said earlier so what i meant is that in the end we are all relatives by humanity.

This thread should be a lesson to us and every one of us, even from this we gained some benefits. I am Sorry if i said any rude words. We should concentrate on improving lebgeeks.com with interesting ideas, threads and news. This sort of debate/fight (whatever you want to call) should never happen again in the forum.

I sometimes criticize the Lebanese on many things but i cant deny that (and proud): Lebanon is my country and proud of it, Lebanese people Live it(Arabic) 24/7 and that's how we forget wars, 10452km^2 of pure awesomeness the people the land.. everything. We Lebanese like many 3rd world countries have great potential that is hindered by setting traps on us to enter black holes and stay 3rd world countries. To make one thing clear: We are not Phoenicians and there is no pure race. We are: [i]European, Persian, Turkish, Kurdish, Arabian....etc(and this is not me only you can ask historians about that).We should get rid of the Intolerance idea because our world is driven by economy and multinational Corporations so thinking about such stuff is going to drive us more into the "black hole".

Sony's 3DTVs my first draft (Marketing)

2010-04-11T23:27:00.003+03:00

(I removed the TOC)

Introduction:

History:

3D imaging dates to the beginning of photography. In 1844, Scottish inventor and writer David Brewster introduced the Stereoscope, a device that could take photographic pictures in 3D. It was then improved by Louis Jules Duboscq and a famous picture of Queen Victoria was displayed at The Great Exhibition in 1851. By the Second World War, stereoscopic (3D) cameras for personal use were already fairly common.
3D movie development was parallel to that of 3D pictures and images. Already in 1855 the Kinematoscope was invented, i.e., the Stereo Animation Camera. The first anaglyph movie was produced in 1915 and in 1922 the first public 3D movie was displayed - The Power of Love. In 1935 the first 3D color movie was produced.
In the fifties, when TV became popular in the United States, many 3D movies were produced. The first such movie was Bwana Devil from United Artists that could be seen all across the US in 1952. One year later, in 1953, came the 3D movie House of Wax which also featured 2D sound. Alfred Hitchcock originally made his film Dial M for Murder in 3D, but for the purpose of maximizing profits the movie was released in 2D because not all cinemas were able to display 3D films. The Soviet Union also developed 3D films, with Robinson Crusoe being their first full-length movie in 1947.
Subsequently, television stations started airing 3D serials based on the same technology as 3D movies.

Body:

4P’s:

3D-ready TV sets are those that can operate in 3D mode (in addition to regular 2D mode), in conjunction with LCD shutter glasses, where the TV tells the glasses which eye should see the image being exhibited at the moment, creating a stereoscopic image. These TV sets usually support HDMI 1.4 and a minimum (input and output) refresh rate of 120Hz; glasses may be sold separately.
As of January 2010, Sony all had plans to introduce 3D capabilities (mostly in higher-end models) in TVs available sometime in 2010. 3D Blu-Ray players and DirecTV broadcasts are also expected in 2010. Sony intends to increase their 3D TV offering with plans to make 3D TV sales account for over 50% of their respective TV distribution offering by 2012. It is expected that the screens will use a mixture of technologies until there is standardizations across the industry.

Sony has revealed pricing and shipping information for its new televisions and related accessories in Japan. The new sets share that sweet/ominous monolithic style of the already available NX800 series with the edge-lit LED LX900 bringing the entire 3D package. With IR emitter built in and two pairs of RealD active shutter glasses, all you'll need to add is a source to the 60-, 51-, 46- and 40-inch models, ranging in price from ¥580,000 ($6,444) to ¥290,000 ($3,222.) Even if the TDG-BR100 / TDG-BR50 3D glasses (also available as an accessory for ¥12,000 ($133) or so) aren't on your face this WiFi-connected abyss of entertainment will look back into you, using face tracking to detect if someone is sitting too close and warn them to move back, as well as dimming and eventually turning off the screen if you leave the room or simply looked away from the TV for an extended period.

Want to get the full 3D effect with the LED backlit HX900 and edge-lit HX800? Expect to purchase the glasses and TMR-BR100 IR emitter (¥5,000 or $55) separately, or just live a 2D lifestyle and know the 3D is there if you ever want to upgrade.

It was at CES(Consumer Electronics Show) that Sony Corporation’s CEO and president Sir Howard Stringer unveiled the 3DTV line-up officially that will be released with the 3D broadcasted FIFA2010 using Sony’s own hardware.

Lebanon will also have these TVs in summer but at a relatively high price but with good bundles which will come with 1 or 2 3D glasses and the price in

Lebanon

is going to vary from $1500 to $8000.

Segmentation, Target Market, Differentiation and Positioning:

Generally we are going to segment our consumers based on their income and upon that the targeted market is going to range from $20000/year and up because this is still going to be considered as a luxury product.

But what will position our product in the people’s minds is that Sony is a brand and entity by itself in the worldwide market and it is known Sony is known to be not only a quantitative statement but also a qualitative one.

So basically we have fans in Lebanon and a lot of them anticipate our products a lot with no regret in the other hand we have the tech people who always want the best of what’s available and they know that Sony delivers that. As we all know PlayStation is a well known brand of its own in the world and

Lebanon

and with the PlayStation 3 a simple update via the internet will enable you to enjoy 3D contents whether they are games or movies directly on our 3D-ready TV sets. Sony’s 3D-ready TVs will include 3D glasses and also a proximity sensor for your children so that the wont come nearer than 2meters to the TV.

The current slogan for Sony is Make.Believe means that we believe in what we invent and this will make our consumers believe in us.

SWOT analysis:

One of the main strengths is the name that we have in our market in Lebanon and covered by our PlayStation brand will surely deserve their trust. Because of its relatively high price compared to the Lebanese market we will at launch address the high income people and tech addicts later in about a year we expect that the prices will decrease drastically to reach the normal 2D LCD TV prices. Another thing is the need to wear 3D glasses to watch 3D content which is a must but in the future we may see new technology to enable it without the need of 3D glasses but on a limited range of view.

The current main competitors are LG and Samsung which we will battle through our name and image, bundles and features while leaving the after sale services to our retailers in Lebanon. But this doesn’t mean we will neglect their position in the market because we think such market is ok with 3 main consumer electronics companies driving its TV industry.

The most powerful weapons we own are the PlayStation brand and its future 3D capabilities as well as being the official sponsors of the FIFA world cup 2010 and delivering 3D broadcasting exclusively for the FIFA from our top-notch hardware. Also 3DTVs will have special Twitter and Facebook application integrated to them so that you can access your accounts easily considering the high number of Facebook users in Lebanon.

PS Move vs. NATAL

2010-03-28T20:01:00.001+03:00

Check Wikipedia or any other site for more info about them.

   The first to enter the real interactive entertainment was Sony with its PS2 peripheral the Eye Toy with motion sensing and other capabilities so NATAL is actually nothing that much new especially that Sony updated its Eye Toy to the PlayStation eye(On PS3) with more advanced 1:1 motion sensing and higher resolution and frame rate recording. But Natal will need your full movement and gestures to give output from the game while the Move is still a Nunchuk and Wiimote on PS3 so the Natal will need you to be an athlete to play hardcore games and as we know hardcore gamers aren't usually athletes.
   I see Natal as a completion of PlayStation Eye and Move as a completion of the Wii. So both aren't really that much interesting but people who have any of these consoles will buy their peripherals depending on their interest in the peripherals games. But one major mover is the Milo and Kate game that needs NATAL to be played and i have seen some videos of it and it is great with lots of innovation based on a project by Lionhead studios in 2001 code named Dimtri or "Emotional AI". Just a hint for is that Milo can know if you're sad or happy and he'll ask you why sometimes he'll ask you to draw for him. Try to be his mom and ask about his homework and he'll answer differntly anytime you ask!
   In conclusion i see that both will have their success in the gaming market and may attract some non-gamers to buy these consoles just like the Wii did before.

PlayStation Eye:

PlayStation Move:

Natal:

Goin Postal

2010-03-28T02:16:00.001+03:00

Well, ummm my first blog.

Actually this isn't my first blogging but my previous experience was in a gaming community (link) so it was limited a bit. My commenting policy is pretty much simple as we now everything has its limits and same goes to commenting so:

I WILL delete stupid comments (like: LOL RED HEAD MIND)
No racist or religious talks
Try to be fair and friendly
Keep in mind i am still an newbie in this and all professionals were once newbies so dont push me.
Express your ideas or comments as you want
Try not to abuse any of these policies

These policies will be updated on regular basis.

My bloggings are related to Tech stuff and sometimes news extracted from sites so any IPs and registered trademarks apply.

First my latest update is being an ambassador to a brand new experience in the Arab world which is covered by various panels related to tech stuff and web based content etc. It was a bad thing that i wasnt able to be there but watched some of it online (via Ustream) and it was pretty much awesome. Here is the website for it to read more about :LINK.