How to curb my iCraving?

Apple, Amazon and EdealInfo are sufficient enough to cause a serious imbalance to one's already volatile eHealth, in today's tech world.

A hardcore carnivore like the ones shown in "No Reservations" or "Man vs Food" knows how tough it is to pass up an opportunity to have a good juicy steak or sandwich especially when you are starving. On the same lines, a geek or a tech junkie finds it impossible to give up a chance to get their hands on one of the cool toys that are out there.

For months I have been fighting a craving that the techie inside me refuses to give up, and the practicality of it does not cave in. I termed it, the "iCraving". Working for AT&T, things don't help in this regard. We are so much surrounded by the news about i-devices, their pros and cons, their testing results, their compatibility - oh by the way - there is an App for that! Just around the iPhone 4 launch, I was eligible for an upgrade. And I almost caved in. Only this time, the techie took over the junkie.

I know that getting an iPhone 4 works the best to so many people out there, for me, it just doesn't cut it, as of now. Or let me put it this way, I don't need it for now. First I will have to give up a couple of employee savings, and then pay more than usual for the data plan. And then, I might still end up having a signal issue.

Then there is the iPad. Quite tempting - especially since the launch of iBooks. I would love to get into a nook corner and settle down to read on a device with good e-ink and chill out with a drink and cigar. So, I decided to go to the store after doing my final bit of research for few minutes. Sure enough, I came to know about the WiFi problems, from two very good confidants. Since I was not planning on getting 3G service on the iPad - which by the way in my opinion is totally useless to have - I have to heavily rely on Wifi. Hence, deffer-ed the idea. Gotta wait until 2.0 comes out.

Then there is the ubiquitous iMac or the Macbook/Pro/Air - These, one would require a nerve to put aside. Its hip to have one, It makes sense to have one, Its best to have one, Its so easy to have one, If you dont have one then you are not the one, etc etc. Except that, if you have a little one, who sure enough can drag it out of the couch to the floor - You will surely punch a hole in your wallet - that too a big one.

So, in sum, it will be quite some time before I quench my iCraving.

Until then, I will keep upgrading my first Gen iPhone, and the numerous ITunes updates and podcasts etc. Someday there should be an App for satisfying - The iCraving !

Opportunity for Bolivia

Ever wonder what makes a rechargeable battery "Rechargeable"?

Well saving the gory details - In simple terms, its "Lithium".

And Bolivia, is virtually sitting on a gold mine with reserves of Lithium, thanks to salt flats of Uyuni.

The salt flats of Uyuni have triggered international interest among energy companies due to its lithium reserves, and Bolivia hopes the metal could power a green revolution when electric cars reach mass production.

Salar de Uyuni (or Salar de Tunupa) is the world's largest salt lake with a surface of 12,000 square kilometres. It is situated in the southwest of Bolivia at an altitude of 3,653 metres above sea level.

The Uyuni salt flats are estimated to contain 10 billion tons of salt - of which 25,000 tons are extracted every year - as well as 100 million tons of lithium, making it one of the largest global reserves of this mineral.

Bolivia has half of the world's known reserves of lithium - a key mineral used in medicine and especially in rechargeable batteries, as well as everything from cell phones and laptops to electric cars. With demand for lithium expected to boom in coming years, Bolivia - one of the poorest countries in South America - is sitting on something potentially more valuable than a gold mine.

Pictures: Courtesy Telegraph