Five Star Billionaire – Riveting

In the business of life, every tiny episode is a test, every human encounter a lesson. Look and learn. – the Five Star Billionaire Walter Chao Drowning in a Svedka stupor, I’d be hard pressed to tell you how I stumbled upon Tash Aw’s new book, Five Star Billionaire. How does it even matter? The book […]

$45 CuBox-i Computer a Sure Dud with Masses

Forget low-cost Indian computing duds like Simputer and Aakash. Meet CuBox-i, a new low-cost computer starting at $45 that has no hope of success in the mass market. CuBox-i Features CuBox-i is a line of four small form factor computers from SolidRun, an Israeli startup. The computers are powered by Arm processors and run on […]

Asha Smartphones Screwed; Will Die Soon

Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s mobile phone devices business means that Nokia’s new Asha $99 low-end smartphones for countries like India will die an inglorious death sooner rather than later. As part of the deal to acquire Nokia’s devices and services, Microsoft will get the Asha brand too. Asha Smartphones from Nokia Asha Doomed Nokia’s Asha […]

Microsoft Flushes $7.2B Down the Toilet

When two smartphone failures join hands, the end result can only be a mega-dud. Microsoft is shelling out $7.2 billion in cash to buy Nokia’s mobile phone devices, license some patents and get access to Nokia’s mapping services. The deal will swell Microsoft’s headcount from 99,139 (on June 30, 2013) to 131,199. Nokia Lumia Smartphone […]