Big Data Or Big Brother of 1984?

I saw a newsclip yesterday commenting on facebook messenger (FBM). What it suggested was that FBM can supposedly "study" you using the front camera while you use FBM on your phone. Yes, theoretically it can do that as the service agreement accepted by the user (you) allows FBM to essentially capture everything you do on your phone; including text messages, pictures, et all. Well you could switch out of FBM and move to Whatsapp. Hey! did FB not buy that too? Dig deeper and virtually every app on your phone has sought permission to access almost everything that is stored or exchanged on your smartphone. At one time it was amazing how an email sent with references to wanting a vacation somewhere would result in the manifestation of deals from airlines and hotels servicing that destination. We are no longer awed; but we are not scared either - at least not yet.

We should actually be freaking at this very moment knowing that venture capitalists are pouring billions of dollars in technology companies going after"Big Data".  Each year you are being better and better mapped, solicited and sold for money; and did you think your downloaded app was for free? There is a fine line between use and abuse of all the data collected and some of it is very personal information. In the wrong hands - devastating. Think of it; the next big thing are smart watches. Now you are strapped even tighter in the net; and more data about your physical self will get transferred to a collector. To what use? Well, I don't have to spell it out - do I? Now that the human population will almost voluntarily radio tag itself like cattle and walk around with VR glasses with super smart phones on their person; the possibilities of predicting, influencing and extracting behaviour become infinite. From economic reasons it will almost certainly gravitate to the need to control.

Mankind has never followed the advice given by Uncle Ben (Spiderman) "With great power comes greater responsibility" and has abused the instruments available in his hands to wrest control. It's not clear if in 2024 will it be a battle between nations or religious factions as we know them today or between "FBians" and "Googlies" or much smaller or larger followings that may form by then. But, I do know that as of today - my fundamental rights of privacy are being violated and I am to a large extent willingly allowing it to happen. Mr. Orwell, your 1984 has just about begun 3 decades later; and we are being watched by not one but several Big Brothers.

“If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”

Read this and scare yourself even more:

The Hidden Secrets of Online Quizzes

http://www.pcworld.com/article/164527/online_quizzes.html

PPP - (Pakistan Politics and Ping)

This morning, my salute went out to a set of airline flyers in Pakistan as they had the courage of forcing the airline to offload two Very Very Irritating Politicians (aka VVIPs) who delayed their flight. It's time politicians around the world realize that they cannot harass the very people who elect them as their representatives. I wonder when will we in India will stand up to such nonsense.

Then there was another piece of news that cheered me a bit more. Our Minister of Civil Aviation Mr. G Raju instructed Air India to lower VIP protocol and pay attention to fare paying customers. Honestly, a sizeable percentage of Air India's losses would vanish if it functioned as a customer friendly rather than a ruler friendly airline.  The Minister has already made a few important but quite moves that has earned my respect. He does not make passengers wait. He checks in line ordinary passengers and even carries his own bags. He has initiated the Know Your Rights portal for passengers to tell them what to do when they feel that an airline is taking them for granted. So there is one more person in the Modi Cabinet (besides the PM) that I can look up to.

During the Congress rule, there was a list of 21 persons exempt from security search at all Indian airports. Numbers 1 - 20 were obvious; but number 21 baffled me. Robert Vadra. Not Priyanka, not Rahul but Robert. Even the CISF guys had no answer to this question. All they could say was "Desh Ka Damaad" (Son-in-law of the nation). Well No. 21 is off the list thankfully and really there should be no exemption list to begin with. What prevents  any one of those 20 persons from becoming a suicide bomber theoretically speaking? They conveniently subject themselves to search at all international airports; but back at home - it's a different matter.

While at arrival and departures; India welcomes President Xi JinPing of China today on what is also PM Modi's birthday. Our PM is looking more and more like a Venture Capitalist getting term sheet after term sheet of commitments signed to fund India's infrastructure appetite. After Japan's USD 30 billion; China is looking at committing  USD 100 billion. This is a very important statement coming from a nation that has been officially at "Cold war" with us since 1962. PM Modi's "Inch to Miles" strategy can be a game changer for the entire world taking away the traditional monopoly of the western nations moral policing the globe militarily and economically. But, one always questions the Chinese agenda. Is the money linked to resolving the land and water dispute between the two nations running over a territory of a 1000kms? Or is it the recognition of Tibet as a part of China that will allow our neighbour to recognize Arunachal as part of India. Too early to say but I hope it's time that "Hindi-Chini" became "Bhai Bhai" again (India- China brotherhood).

(LOL amazing that one news reader thought the Chinese President's name was Eleven JinPing (Xi JinPing) )

When the world is running down..

It's the 9/11 anniversary today and here's some news that caught my attention this week:

Missing train traced after 17 days in Bihar http://ibnlive.in.com/news/missing-train-traced-after-17-days-in-bihar/498280-3-232.html

This has to be a joke of some kind. And, its not even a train-jacking. The train driver decided in his own wisdom to do what he did and no one noticed. Wow!

Govt mulls removing slum dwellers near Mumbai airport on terror risks
Read more at: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/lzJay5DzcXMQVzUqHxmsSK/Govt-mulls-to-remove-slum-dwellers-near-Mumbai-airport-on-te.html?utm_source=copy

Mulls? what is mulls? This has to be the scariest international airport in the world when it comes to a potential terror assault. Unless all international airlines collectively decide to boycott this airport they are put the planes and passengers to risk. Successive Governments in the State allowed the slums around the airport to create their own vote banks. Slum lords collect tons of money from the shanties and these very slum lords report to one politician or the other. The real slumdog millionaires This mulling will continue unless the government's hand is forced quickly. Until then, do write out your will each time you decide to fly in or out of Mumbai airport. Hopefully once cleared the land will not become the source of another big scam. Or - has the scam already happened? Which brings me to the next headline:

Manmohan Singh knew of 2G scam as it unfolded, ex-CAG Vinod Rai says
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Manmohan-Singh-knew-of-2G-scam-as-it-unfolded-ex-CAG-Vinod-Rai-says/articleshow/42298357.cms

Looks like our ex PM will pay for silence and inaction irrespective of his involvement as his knowledge of scams is as good as aiding and abetting.

Kashmir Floods: As Tempers Flare, Some Army Vehicles Pelted With Stones in Srinagar

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/kashmir-floods-as-tempers-flare-some-army-vehicles-pelted-with-stones-in-srinagar-589617?curl=1410498712

A paradise called Kashmir is devastated. Probably worse is the fact that most people do not have any form of insurance because of being politically educated that they are not a part of India. In the past army atrocities have been made headline news. But, let's be fair, India as a Nation allows both good and bad news reach the people. In the last few days; it's this very army - so hated by the Kashmiris that has gone on a war footing rescue plan. Many soldiers have lost their lives saving the locals because for a soldier it does not matter if the person hates him or not; he has to do his duty. Cannot blame the people either - for they are angry at their own loss and are venting against that very system that is trying to help them. 

In Delhi; the Congress is annoyed with its own heavyweight members praising the PM on his fast and direct action in the Kashmir matter and the latest being that many seniors within the Party are supportive of the BJP forming a minority government in the State of Delhi. 

Well, the news from other parts of the world are not very happy ones either. The Scots are giving the English a storm in the tea cup; while the mid east is brewing in its own problem too being made worse by the US President making news of escalating its presence in the region to combat the IS regime. East Europe may be seeing signs of tensions easing but its still a fragile situation; 

The world is truly running down and when it is I remember a song by Sting which said:

When the world is running down
You make the best of what's still around

SMART SHITTIES

Wow! India has a plan to create a 100 new Smart Cities in the new future. I am not about to get into a debate on the wisdom behind creation of the same or the allocated budgets etc. In the first place -

What are smart cities?
There’s no simple definition for smart cities. The term encompasses a vision of an urban space that is ecologically friendly, technologically integrated and meticulously planned, with a particular reliance on the use of information technology to improve efficiency.
According to the Smart Cities Council, all the data that is collected from sensors – electricity, gas, water, traffic and other government analytics – is carefully compiled and integrated into a smart grid and then fed into computers that can focus on making the city as efficient as possible.


Great, but are there enough smart people to occupy them? Let's take a helicopter view of the existing Indian cities and what do we see:

1. Footpaths - meant for encroachment by street vendors and politicians. Cars and pedestrians have to use the same road along with cattle.

2. Public Toilets - first it is said there are not enough of them; but where there are, they are not used enough. Typical reasons - why pay a small fee when you can defecate on the streets for free. Or, the energy spent walking to one is greater than the energy being released so no point walking to one. Or, India is a democracy and one can do whatever one wants anywhere and if you try to stop me then be ready to hear "don't you know who I am?".

 In reality even civic minded people resist using one as they are ill maintained and stink. Not just the ones that are open to the common public but even those that have restricted access like the ones at airports, stations. Guess Indians by and large are not well potty trained - even those who have access to such facilities right in their very home. If you don't believe me, try using a loo in the aircraft flying within or out of India. Now these users surely are supposedly smart, educated and of means. Trust me, within 5 minutes of the seat belt sign going off the loos are unserviceable.

3. Street sanitation - In continuation to the above, it's just not about the shitty business but even disposal of trash. How many times have you seen the window of a fancy car going down and a bottle, tissue, can, or some piece of trash being disposed on the road? How many people clean up the crap their pets relieve on the roads? How many times have you seen a cop spitting out something foul (in addition to expletives) to paint the streets red despite them being the guardians of the city?

4. Road manners - Breaking traffic lights; changing lanes to gain a few miserable yards; speeding like it's a F1 race in Monaco; incessant honking when no one is even in front; jaywalking; walking (Driving) and talking (without paying attention to the road); the list can go on and on. It's reached a point where road rage has become a daily event. I am sure you must have witnessed an emergency vehicle trying to wade through traffic where they are denied right of way. (It's a different matter that the drivers misuse the power of the sirens and beacons - but in a true emergency lives can and are lost because of such insensitivities).

5. Utilities and safety - perennially dug up roads by some utility agency or the other (let's leave out badly made roads for the moment); lack of assured uninterrupted water and electricity despite the higher and higher utility charges; majority of police reduced to acting as private security guards for the privileged; lack of proper and working safety equipment to protect against emergencies in public buildings. Abuse of public transport - ticketless travel; defacing and destroying vehicles; theft of parts. I can go on.

So; the weakest link in the chain pursuing an efficient City are the people themselves. What's the point of smart cities where people decide to play dumb? Will we not then end up with Smart Shitties unless we change? I certainly hope we do change for the better as quality of life is not just measured by the creation of wealth but by the environment we live in.

Konichiwa Modi-san

Anata ga shushō Modisan to shite 100-nichi o kanryō omedetōgozaimasu.

Oops! sorry - the translation - "Congratulations on your completing 100 days as Prime Minister Mr. Modi". Well I got carried away with the new Indo-Japo bhai-bhai sentiment that the PM is expressing by talking, eating, dreaming, praying in Japanese. It will indeed be fab for India to attract Non US - Non Euro capital to it to build the Nation's infrastructure and upgrade its manufacturing base. It would be a win-win for Japan as well for a range of strategic reasons - economics being just one of them. 

Our ex brothers across the border (China - remember the Indo-Chini bhai bhai era?) are not too happy with this new brotherhood for a whole lot of strategic reasons and yes economics is just one little part of it. The PM will have to reassure the dragon that India has adopted Chinese food as its own just like half of China has taken to Bollywood style dancing. There is a lot riding on that relationship as well; and if there is realization that India makes a better brother than the one it has aligned with - better would it be for world security. 

So while all these international affairs are taking place, the mood at home is not that celebratory from the common Man's point of view. Food inflation is at its highest and that really hurts. The increase in GDP reduction in CAD and other such statistics fall apart when you talk to the man on the street trying to make ends meet to provide food on his table. On the other hand, those (a large minority) unaffected by food inflation are finding their investments inflated by the rising market do have a restrained smile on their faces. I guess the choice is hard; but the common man will have to wait. Creating an environment of investment stability and growth to attract money from across the globe will take precedence over many domestic issues. All the fires cannot be extinguished at once. 

It is quite noticeable that the PM is largely unnoticeable in the news when he is in the Country. It's good to let action speak for themselves and the PM is playing his cards like an experienced poker player. His trusted lieutenants are doing all the talking - some good - some bad; yet everyone can sense that its Modi talk that they can hear in the background. It is a one man show for now; and like proven by Indira Gandhi before - it works well in a nation like India. With the rain and oil Gods showering some of their grace on the PM; his next 100 days may offer a better report card - specially when India enters the phase of festivities - there will be real reasons for celebrating.