Avinash Meetoo: Blog

As you all know, Daylight Saving Time is being implemented in Mauritius as from this Sunday 26 October 2008 at 02:00. The exact rules are

# Rule  NAME    FROM    TO      TYPE    IN      ON      AT      SAVE    LETTER/S
Rule Mauritius  2008    max     -       Oct     lastSun 2:00s   1:00    S
Rule Mauritius  2009    max     -       Mar     lastSun 2:00s   0       -

(obtained from the timezone database as used in GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Cygwin, DJGPP, AIX, Mac OS X, OpenVMS, Oracle Database, Solaris, Tru64, and UnixWare — everything important except Windows in fact. Read this if you’re still using that bizarre OS. Thanks to Swadesh Bucktowar of DCDM Consulting for that.)

The rules mean that:

• On the last Sunday of October 2008 (the 26th) at exactly 02:00, we will save 1 hour (i.e. Mauritius Time will become GMT+5)
• On the last Sunday of March 2009 (the 29th) at exactly 02:00, we will stop having the 1 hour saving (i.e. Mauritian Time will become GMT+4)
• and this will repeat every year thereafter.

In more geekish words, here is what will happen:

Sat Oct 25 21:59:59 2008 UTC = Sun Oct 26 01:59:59 2008 MUT isdst=0
Sat Oct 25 22:00:00 2008 UTC = Sun Oct 26 03:00:00 2008 MUST isdst=1
Sat Mar 28 20:59:59 2009 UTC = Sun Mar 29 01:59:59 2009 MUST isdst=1
Sat Mar 28 21:00:00 2009 UTC = Sun Mar 29 01:00:00 2009 MUT isdst=0

Updated GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Cygwin, DJGPP, AIX, Mac OS X, OpenVMS, Oracle Database, Solaris, Tru64, and UnixWare systems will automatically change to the Mauritian Daylight Saving Time on Sunday 26 October.

The important word here is updated. If your system has not been updated for ages, then don’t expect the time to change by itself. You’ll have to do it manually.

I can confirm as of today 17 October 2008 that the following fully updated Linux distributions will switch to Mauritian Daylight Saving Time correctly and automatically:

• Ubuntu 8.04 and derivatives like Kubuntu => use tzdata_2008h => OK.
• Ubuntu 7.10 and derivatives like Kubuntu => use tzdata_2008h => OK.
• Ubuntu 7.04 and derivatives like Kubuntu => use tzdata_2008h => OK.
• Redhat Enterprise Linux 5 Client or Server => use tzdata-2008f => OK.

On the other hand, the following Linux distributions use an old version of tzdata which knows nothing of the Mauritian’s Government decision and the date and time will have to be adjusted manually (or, better, by replacing the old timezone database by a more recent one):

• Redhat Enterprise Linux 4 => uses tzdata-2004e => BAD
• Redhat Enterprise Linux 3 => uses tzdata-2003c => BAD
• Redhat Enterprise Linux 2 AS => uses glibc-2.2.4 => BAD

(I’ve not checked for other distributions. Can someone please tell me about SuSE as I know this distribution is being used by some corporate users here?)

An important caveat

[Thank to David Marjolin for his important observation that the following won't be an issue this Sunday but will surely pose a problem in March 2009]

It’s nice to know that the time will automatically change on Sunday but what about transactions occurring at that time? For example, let’s say someone uses an ATM at 01:59:58 on Sunday and this is normally what should have happened (let’s assume that this is done in one transaction containing two SQL statements with a 4 seconds time interval between them):

01:59:58 => First SQL statement
02:00:02 => Second SQL statement

But now, with this Daylight Saving Time thing, this is what will happen:

01:59:58 => First SQL statement
03:00:02 => Second SQL statement

Hardly problematic. But what about March 2009? The same transaction will occur thus:

01:59:58 => First SQL statement
01:00:02 => Second SQL statement

We’ll go back in time!

Will this work? Well, one can argue that systems developed in the US or in Europe surely take this in account (by recording everything using GMT maybe.) But what about systems developed in Mauritius where this eventuality was not thought of? Maybe we’ll have to modify them. Or maybe the best thing to do, as pointed out by Swadesh when I talked to him today, is simply to disallow all transactions from 01:59:00 to the new 02:00:00 (i.e. for one hour) if this is possible, of course.

What do you think?

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written by avinash

Patience is a virtue.

I’ve been told that the iPhone 3G will shortly be available in Mauritius for purchase. To be more precise, the devices are coming to Mauritius this month and are expected to be sold as from November.

Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about the price but I’ll hazard a guess of around Rs. 20,000 for the 8Gb model and Rs. 23,000 for the 16Gb model in line with the quoted price in the Hong-Kong Apple Store. I know this is steep but you need to bear in mind two important things:

Firstly, the iPhone is not only a cellphone despite its name. It is a Wifi-enabled computer (with a powerful browser and enterprise-grade email client) and a video iPod and a GPS receiver and a game console and a digital camera which can also be used to make 3G phone calls. Additionally, hundred of free and commercial applications can be downloaded from the Apple iPhone AppStore (direct link to the AppStore for iTunes users) greatly increasing the capabilities of the iPhone.

Secondly, the price (if confirmed of course) compares favorably with what Americans pay. The 8Gb and 16Gb models of the iPhone 3G cost $199 (about Rs. 6000) and $299 (about Rs. 8500) there. But, and this is a massive but, you are forced to subscribe to a voice plan (to make calls), unlimited data plan (to access the web) and (optionally) a SMS plan (to send SMS) at around $75 (about Rs. 2000) per month for two years. For the 16Gb model, this amounts to Rs. 8500 + 24 x Rs. 2000 = Rs. 56,500 (mind you, for unlimited data i.e. browsing, emailing, chatting and Facebooking which does not really exist here.)

Of course, here we’ll have to pay for pre-paid voice and SMS credits as well as 3G data. For the sake of argument, let’s say we accept to pay Rs. 56,500 - Rs. 23,000 = Rs. 33,500 for 2 years. This equates to, say, downloading 2Mb of data (Rs. 0.01 per Kb i.e Rs. 20), sending 10 SMS (Rs. 6) and making 15 minutes of voice call everyday for two years which I find excessive.

Personally, I don’t intend to use my future iPhone in this fashion. Remember, it has a Wifi antenna and, as I am nearly always near an access point, I will use Wifi when browsing and checking my emails. What I am implying is that I don’t think I’ll have to buy more credits to be able to use my future iPhone compared to what I’m paying now with my trusty Nokia 6288.

So, in a sense, we’re getting a better deal than Americans as we have the choice of not using (and not paying for) the data plan if we don’t want to. Heck, we can even choose not to use 3G!

The image above

I already have an iPhone 3G… except that it is just a software simulator. In fact, today I installed the Apple iPhone Software Development Kit on my MacBook (you need a Mac…) which, in addition to all the tools needed to build iPhone applications, features this iPhone simulator. It works, it’s nice-looking and it gives me the opportunity of making nice screenshots.

What can I ask more?

I know!

I need to convince my Minister of Finance (aka my dear Christina) to allow me to ask Father Xmas a black 16Gb Apple iPhone 3G in December

Alleluia.

Popularity: 2% [?]

written by avinash

I’ve just read an article describing negotiations between Parabole Réunion and Canal Sat Réunion on an eventual merging following the union of TPS and Canal Sat in France.

According to the article (which dates from July 2008), the merging discussions are going on and things will become clearer in September i.e. this month. This means that Parabole Réunion and Canal Sat Réunion might announce in a few weeks that they’ll have a combined satellite offer.

I’ve done a bit of research and I’ve found out that, in Réunion, Outremer-Télécom has started offering via ADSL a number of channels which are normally available through TNT in France. I’ve also read that one member of the CSA has said that TNT will be available throughout Réunion by 2010 at latest. I’m talking of the French TNT here with such channels as TF1, France2, France3, Canal+, Canal+ Cinema, Canal+ Sport, M6, TF6, W9, i Télé, Virgin 17, TPS Star and Eurosport. No wonder Parabole Réunion and Canal Sat Réunion are eager to merge with the sudden arrival of such formidable competitors.

Unfortunately, this does not mean that the same thing will happen in Mauritius between Parabole Maurice and Canal Sat Maurice. Here, we won’t have the French TNT channels (we do have TNT but nothing comparable with what is available in France.) So there is less pressure on Parabole Maurice and Canal Sat Maurice to merge.

Economy of scale?

But, I believe that if Parabole Réunion and Canal Sat Réunion merge then the same will have to happen here eventually. The reason is that there is only one satellite (Eutelsat W2) which broadcast TV signals to Mauritius, Réunion, Madagascar, Mayotte and Comoros. It would be costly to continue broadcasting Parabole and Canal Sat signals separately over Mauritius while people in Reunion get their own distinct combined signal. The market here is simply too small to justify the cost. According to some statistics, about 5-10% of Mauritian households have a satellite subscription and this is small compared to the situation in Reunion where 50% of the households have satellite TV (and I don’t think that percentage will grow a lot here because of the price of a satellite TV subscription.)

So there is a distinct possibility that we, Mauritians, will have a combined TPS (Parabole) / Canal Sat offer in a few months. Now, this might seem a step backwards as we’ll essentially have less choice. But there is one big consequence of all this merging which is…

High-definition TV

Plasma and LCD high-definition TVs are relatively common now in Mauritius. They are getting cheaper and cheaper and I can forecast a lot of them being sold in December because they are so, ahem, sexy. I was speaking to a Sony sales representative and he was telling me that, for the time being, people who bought high-definition TVs were not very happy because of the lack of HD content in Mauritius (I blogged on that last year.)

It seems that people in Réunion already have two HD channels: TF1 HD and Canal+ HD. This is not yet the case in Mauritius as far as I know. If we get the same offer as in Réunion, then it’s logical we’ll get the HD channels as well… if we are prepared to pay for them of course (Both HD channels cost €7 per month in Réunion i.e. Rs. 300)

Furthermore, if you look at the channels available in Parabole Maurice and Canal Sat Maurice, you’ll notice a lot of duplication. For instance, TF1, M6, TF6, RTL9, Antenne Réunion, Tempo, Kanal Austral, LCI and Eurosport (9 channels!) are available on both. Combining both satellite offers means that there will be no need to broadcast those 9 channels twice thereby saving a lot of bandwidth… which can then be used for additional HD channels.

My predictions

In 2009 at latest (and, maybe by the end of this year), we, Mauritians will get a combined Parabole / Canal Sat satellite offer with at least two HD channels (maybe more, say, Disney Cinemagic HD or National Geographic Channel HD.)

Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Popularity: 2% [?]

written by avinash

Today is my 35th birthday. Yes, I know. I’m getting old. Today, lots of people wished me happy birthday. Some called me. Some wrote on my wall on Facebook. I got lots of emails. And I pretty sure I’ll get some nice comments after this post. But that’s not the point. I want to write on being nice to others.

I’ve noticed something really common in Mauritius. As soon as someone becomes someone important, he/she stops being nice to others. This is especially noticeable in politicians who are generally nice persons when they start their political career but who quickly become arrogant as soon as they are in power. This is also visible in big organisations and big companies where the middle and top managers don’t even acknowledge the presence of cleaners for instance.

Personally, I always try to be nice to everyone: from the lowly cleaner to the big boss. And, there is one thing I’ve noticed: people love it when one is nice to them. And they tend to be sympathetic and helpful afterwards…

Keep this in mind when you need something from someone.

Popularity: 1% [?]

written by avinash

While driving today, I had an interesting conversation with Christina about entrepreneurship… or, more precisely, the reasons why we opted to work in well-established companies when we returned to Mauritius in 1998 instead of founding our own start-up. We thought a little bit and came with the following theory:

When we were at school in Mauritius and, for the matter, in France, we didn’t have the chance to talk to entrepreneurs (we did not have family members or friends who were entrepreneurs.) The only professionals we regularly met were our teachers. Teachers, in general, have a very predictable life: same lectures, same colleagues, same kind of students, same office and (more or less) same salary year in year out. Teachers, in general, do not take too many risks as they do not want to move out of their comfort zones too much. In general, they are the exact opposites of entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, assume significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome of setting up their own start-ups. The most successful ones change the world with their innovative products and services.

When we returned in 1998, Christina and I thought a lot about creating our own start-up but decided against it. In hindsight, we should have gone for it. Unfortunately, we still had a very distorted image of entrepreneurs at that time. Compared to our role models, teachers, we felt entrepreneurs took too many risks, had too many things to take care of and, well, were too different… We didn’t realize they took calculated risks, took care of many things they were passionate of and were different because their mind was the mind of an entrepreneur.

In 2008, I felt the need to (finally) become an entrepreneur. Two things prompted this, (1) the world of academia was losing its appeal to me and (2) some brilliant people I knew personally were quitting their jobs in big companies to join start-ups. Paul Graham, with his fantastic essays, also influenced me a lot.  

So, here I am, ten years after having returned to Mauritius, making a salutary change in my life: I am in the process of launching a company. Please stay tuned for more information.

[PS: Before you ask, immigration is still a possibility.]

Popularity: 2% [?]

written by avinash