Welcome to the Panama Metro

Computer-generated picture depicting a small boy before the Panama Metro sometime in the future when the transportation project is operating. This is how one of the stations will look like. Picture courtesy of Metro de Panamá.

If are a regular reader of Lingua Franca, you probably know that I’ve followed the Panama Metro like a laser beam.  I want to know everything that happens with this landmark public transportation project.  It will be the next big thing in Panama after the expansion of the Panama Canal.

Recently, watching the news, I found out that a real scale model of a subway car was going to be exhibited at the XXI version of EXPOCOMER 2013 organized by the Panama Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama.  EXPOCOMER is the largest commercial fair in Latin America.  More than 36 countries show their products to potential customers for three days.  According to a representative of EXPOCOMER, Panama´s economy was injected with $35 million during the event (hotel reservations, restaurants, taxi fares, shopping, tourist tours, souvenirs sales and so on and so forth and such like) and more than $80 million were generated in sales for same period.  Each passing year the numbers grow like mushrooms in a forest.

At midday on Saturday, April 20, 2013 I dashed over to EXPOCOMER to see how the Metro car looked like.  The real scale model represented one half of the real size of car, measuring about 9 meters long by 2.7 meters wide.  I was jumping out of my skin to shoot my pictures of this baby.

Before I insert the pictures taken, I would like to include a brief description of this mega-project for your ready reference.

EL METRO DE PANAMÁ

The first subway in Panama will have 19 trains hauling three passenger coaches each with a capacity to transport safely and reliably, initially up to 15,000 passengers per hour in each direction.  The mass transportation system is designed to carry up to 40,000 users per hour in each direction when it’s in full operation. The first of three branches is built on the route with the most demand for public transportation within the metropolis.

The first phase of Metro Line 1 will have 19 trains with a total of 57 cars, with a maximum capacity of 250 people per car, at a rate of 8 persons per square meter.  At full capacity Line 1 of the Panama Metro will have a fleet of 42 trains of 5 cars per train, which will allow the system to meet the transportation demand for that moment.  The first Panama Metro trains will be arriving about June 2013.

The Panama Metro is a mass transportation public project which consists of twelve stations; seven will be underground and five above ground.  The planned route is 14 kilometers long and should be completed in a time frame of about 23 minutes.  The designers of the system claim that there will be a train crossing the route every three minutes carrying a total of 15,000 passengers in each direction, (e.g., North and South).

The mega-project of Line One of the Panama Metro was awarded to Odebrecht of Brazil and Spanish FCC (Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas).  The trains were designed by the prestigious French corporation Alstom, focused on the business of manufacturing trains.

The above-ground or viaduct of the subway initiates at the Los Andes shopping center and concludes at Plaza Agora, where the trains descends into a tunnel until it reaches its destination at the Albrook Grand Terminal.  This raised section is 5.12 kilometers long with five passenger stations in strategic locations with a high flow of users.

The under-ground part of the subway begins from Plaza Agora, continues through Fernández de Córdoba Avenue, Justo Arosemena Avenue, Plaza 5 de Mayo and the DIJ.  This part of the subway is 6.7 kilometers long.  There is an extra stretch of 1.88 kilometers until the infrastructure reaches Albrook Station  where it connects with a main transportation terminal through a special walkway.

The average speed of the subway will be 80 kilometers per hour.  Transportation service will be from 5:00 a.m. through 11:00 p.m. every day of the year.  It is estimated that the Panama Metro will begin its operations during the first quarter of 2014.  The project has a total cost of $1.5 billion which is significant for a small country like Panama with limited financial resources.  Work has already begun on feasibility studies for a second line which will be carried out by the next administration.

Passenger Stations of the Panama Metro:

1.  Los Andes
2. Pan de Azúcar
3. San Miguelito
4. Pueblo Nuevo
5. Doce de Octubre
6. Vía Fernández de Córdoba
7. Vía Argentina
8. Iglesia del Carmen
9. Hospital Santo Tomás
10. Lotería Nacional de Beneficiencia
11. Plaza 5 de Mayo
12. Albrook Terminal

PICTURE GALLERY

Snapshot of the white tent which housed the real scale model of a subway car on exhibition at EXPOCOMER. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the Panama subway exhibited at the XXI version of EXPOCOMER in Panama City, Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the driver’s cabin depicting a small computer screen a several operating buttons. Everything is computerized in this mass public transportation project. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

A close up picture of the dashboard of the subway. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

A digital indicator of the different stations of the subway. As soon as the train reaches a particular station, a light will show the arrival of the train on the wall. Very easy to find yourself around if you are a newcomer to the subway. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of one of the beautiful guides posing for the camera. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of three enthusiastic guests at the subway posing for the camera. Their friendly smiles is contagious. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of Yours Truly taking a picture of the subway car through a large mirror on one of walls of the structure. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

To end this fascinating tour to the Panama Metro, I thought it would be interesting to insert a YouTube video of the project.  Even though the video is in Spanish, I’m sure you will understand the concept of the transportation project.  Please stay tuned, there will be more pictures about this project in the future.  You can bet on it. Keep your eyes open.  Good Day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3BTs71TtvY

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Microsoft is Joining the 7″ Tablet Bandwagon

Credit: Microsoft Inc.

In response to the success of the Google’s 7 inch Nexus, Amazon’s 7 inch Kindle Fire and Apple’s 7.9 inch iPad mini, Microsoft is joining the 7 inch fray. The Wall Street Journal reports that Redmond is developing a smaller version of its Surface tablet, and that it will launch later this year.

If tablets are booming, those in the 7-8 inch category are doubly booming, with IDC reporting that more than half of all tablets that shipped in the fourth quarter of 2012 were this size.

The lower price of the smaller devices makes them much more palatable to cost-conscious buyers. Microsoft is aware of the need for lower-priced devices, and has recently altered the Windows 8 hardware requirements to permit smaller, cheaper screens. Many buyers also find the smaller form factor more convenient due to its reduced size and weight.

The WSJ also notes that Microsoft is working on a smartphone of its own, but that component suppliers were unclear if there were any plans to actually bring this to market.

The paper quotes a person familiar with the situation saying that while 7-inch tablets were not part of Microsoft’s product plans last year  company executives have realized they need to respond to the growth and popularity of small slates. Which boils down to Redmond is having to play catch up yet again.

Microsoft finds itself increasingly threatened in its PC business. The future of PCs is being questioned as users move to alternative computing devices such as tablets and smartphones. Experts agree that first quarter PC shipments totaled 76.3 million units, down 13.9 percent compared to the same quarter last year.

The decline was worse than the 7.7 percent previously forecast by the analyst firm, and the market could be headed into further contraction. Microsoft’s Windows 8 did not help PC shipments grow, as fewer consumers are upgrading PCs to Windows 8, and businesses are largely sticking with Windows 7, IDC analysts said.

As the tablets market gets more and more crowded, soon we will see the separation of the men from the boys.  Darwin’s theory regarding the survival of the fittest will once again be tested.  May be best one win.  Good Day.

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Microsoft is Pulling the Plug Off Windows XP

Credit: Microsoft Inc.

It was recently announced by a Microsoft’s spokesman, that the Redmond juggernaut would will end all support for the Windows XP operating system it launched in New York on October 25, 2001 in approximately 365 days.  Both Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 will go out of support on April 8, 2014, and XP users will stop receiving any new security updates, hotfixes and support (free or paid) from Microsoft. Worldwide, just under 40 percent of all desktops and laptops still use XP today, according to the latest data from Net Applications’ NetMarketShare.

Microsoft already ended mainstream support for Windows XP back in April 2009, but continued to offer extended support for commercial customers and security updates for all customers.

After April 2014, Microsoft writes, using XP is an “at your own risk” situation for “any customers choosing not to migrate,” and migrating will likely become costlier the longer a business stays on XP.

I don’t feel the need to upgrade my XP operating system to either Windows 7 or Windows 8 no matter what they say.  “If it ain’t broke don’t fit it” is my motto.  I have an old HP desktop system with a maximum of 2 GB RAM and an aged graphics card which will not be able to handle Microsoft’s newest software.  As long as my computer system keeps purring, I intend to use Windows XP.  It’s a wonderful piece of software which has proved to be the best operating system Microsoft has ever come up with.  Nope, no upgrading for this old man.  Good Day.

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New Apple iPads Are in the Works

Credit: thewomensvirtualmarket.com

April could be the sweetest month for iPad zealots this year. Pundits are claiming that Apple plans to release the next iPad as soon as this April, which will presumably include both the fifth-generation 9.7-inch iPad and perhaps the second-generation iPad mini. The rumors say that Apple will launch a redesigned version of the 9.7-inch iPad next month, and that Apple is not yet ready to take the wraps off a Retina-equipped version of the iPad mini.  I’m sure this news will rain on many Apple users’ parade.

One consumer electronics analyst said, “Apple is not going to release iPads that costs more or don’t get as good battery life as the current models. So, if the next iPad mini does end up getting slated for April, it could be a spec bump, or have something new other than Retina as a differentiator.”

Reliable sources also claim that Apple plans to release the iPhone 5S by this August at the latest. The newest iPhone will have the same basic design as the iPhone 5 and will feature “a more advanced processor and an improved camera.” As of this moment in time, we have no idea whether Apple also plans to release, either a cheaper version of the iPhone or a larger “iPhablet” at any point this year.  I guess we’ll have to start playing the waiting game.  Good Day.

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Microsoft’s Computers Hacked

Credit: Microsoft Corporation

Large American corporation are the target of malicious software supposedly originating in China.  Facebook and Apple have been victims of computer hacking and now Microsoft is joining the sinister list of the recent hijacking spree.

Microsoft has disclosed that it recently fell victim to the same type of cyberattack that targeted Apple and Facebook. “During our investigation, we found a small number of computers, including some in our Mac business unit, that were infected by malicious software using techniques similar to those documented by other organizations,” the company said on its Security Response Center website Friday.

Microsoft joins a list of companies that have recently reported being hacked, including Facebook, Apple, Twitter, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Apple and Facebook were both targeted via a vulnerability in Oracle’s Java platform, and Microsoft said Friday it was hit by a similar attack. “This type of cyber attack is no surprise to Microsoft and other companies that must grapple with determined and persistent adversaries,” it said.

The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Apple each pointed at China as the source of the attacks. Twitter didn’t say where it thought the attacks originated but urged 250,000 of its users to change their passwords.  China has denied involvement in the attacks.

By now you must have heard of sinister Unit 61398 of the People’s Liberation army “an overwhelming percentage of attacks on American corporations, organizations and government agencies originate in and around their white tower,” claims The New York Times who were themselves recently owned by the 1337 h4ck3r5 of Unit 61398.

Earlier this month U.S. President Barack Obama issued an executive order seeking better protection of the country’s critical infrastructure from cyber attacks.  We have to be extremely careful in determining what sites we visit on the Internet, and search for the best antivirus software you can afford.  All precautions are necessary during these perilous times of constant cyber attacks aimed at our computers.  I’ve been hit a couple of times and it hurts.  Ouch!  Caveat and Good Day.

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Apple’s Computers Hacked

Credit: Apple Inc.

A few years ago, we though Apple computers were immune to malware.  It was a sales pitch, Apple used to market its healthy hardware.  Now Chinese hackers have found Apple’s weak spot and have compromised several Apple employees’ computers.  It was a surprise for me to learn that Apple was no longer free of malware, but I guess nothing stays perfect forever.

According to MacRumors, a number of Macs owned by Apple employees were compromised by the same China-based hackers that targeted Facebook employees recently, reports All Things D. The malware entered the systems through the Java plug-in, which Apple has blocked recently due to unpatched security vulnerabilities.

“Apple has identified malware which infected a limited number of Mac systems through a vulnerability in the Java plug-in for browsers,” the company said in a statement to AllThingsD. “The malware was employed in an attack against Apple and other companies, and was spread through a website for software developers. We identified a small number of systems within Apple that were infected and isolated them from our network. There is no evidence that any data left Apple. We are working closely with law enforcement to find the source of the malware.”

I understand Apple will also be releasing a standalone malware removal tool to clean infected machines.  They have to do it, and do it soon if they want to avoid customers jumping ship.

The New York Times published an article yesterday laying out how a number of recent hacking attacks against U.S. corporations could be linked to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

Obama administration officials say they are planning to tell China’s new leaders in coming weeks that the volume and sophistication of the attacks have become so intense that they threaten the fundamental relationship between Washington and Beijing.

The United States finds itself in something of an asymmetrical digital war with China. “In the cold war, we were focused every day on the nuclear command centers around Moscow,” one senior defense official said recently. “Today, it’s fair to say that we worry as much about the computer servers in Shanghai.”

Mr. Obama alluded to this concern in the State of the Union speech, without mentioning China or any other nation. “We know foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets,” he said. “Now our enemies are also seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions, our air-traffic control systems. We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing.”

Macs have traditionally been viewed as significantly more secure than Windows machines, though in the past year there have been a number of compromised machines from the Flashback malware and issues with Java.

If you are an Apple computer user, be careful, there are malignant people out there trying to make a dent in your shining armor.  Caveat.  Good Day.

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Refurbished iMacs Available at Apple

Credit: Apple Inc.

If you are an Apple loyalist and have an unsatisfied thirst for an iMac, I have good news for you.  Apple is currently offering refurbished iMacs at tempting prices (e.g., $1,189.00 and $1,269.00).  That’s a savings of 20 and 15 percent off.  Looks to me like a terrific deal.

Apple has added refurbished models of the current-generation 21.5″ iMac to its Online Store in the past several days, offering a faster-shipping alternative to customers looking to get a desktop Mac.

New iMac models on the Apple Online Store list a lead time of several weeks to get delivered, while the refurbished models claim to ship in 1-3 days, with $200 and $230 discounts on the low- and high-end 21″ models respectively.

Apple Retail Stores list mid-March as the earliest time to pick up new 21″ iMacs ordered online, but Amazon.com claims to have both 21″ models in stock [$1,299 and $1,494] and eligible for Amazon Prime shipping.

27″ iMac models have yet to appear on the refurbished store, with the company reporting a 3-4 week lead time online and late March for in-store pickup. Amazon has the base 27″ model in stock for $1,799.

To be candid with you, I have a problem buying high-price ticket items in the United States, mainly because I can’t use the product’s guarantee.  I prefer to buy my stuff where I can see it, touch it, and rest assured I will use the product’s guarantee for when the products goes sour.

Recently I purchased a Vaio laptop and it came with a factory defect.  No problem, I took it to Sony Panama, and in less than four days, I got my computer back with a brand new motherboard.  How can I do that with a U.S. purchased product?  Even though the price may be slightly higher, I’m willing to cough my hard-earned cash on products in Panamanian computer stores.

I’m definitely interested on a low-end 21.5″ iMac, but the piggy bank is empty as this moment.  I’m a patient man and can wait until the time is ripe.  Meanwhile, my ole desktop HP will do the work.  Patience is still a virtue in this part of the world.  Take Care

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Mozilla is Dead Serious About Crushing Malware

Credit: Mozilla Corporation

In an effort to prevent “drive-by exploitations,” upcoming versions of Firefox will have Java, Adobe Reader and Silverlight disabled by default, according to a recent Mozilla Security blog. All other third-party plugins except Flash will also be disabled, requiring users to enable them using the so-called click to play feature introduced last year. All that is to prevent “poorly designed” Firefox plugins from crashing or recent headline-grabbing exploits involving the likes of Java, with Adobe’s Flash player being the one exception that works out of the box—though versions longer of tooth than 10.3 won’t see daylight without your say-so.

This is music to my ears, because Mozilla Firefox is my default browser.  As a precautionary move I have installed Google Chrome and Norwegian Opera as a backup, but am not crazy about their performance.  Any step to crush slack codes is good news for me.  Good Day.

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Google is Flexing Its Muscle With a Brand New Mobile Phone and Tablet

Credit: Google Inc.

As you are probably aware, Google gobbled up Motorola when it was on a free fall.  For a while, nothing happened with this acquisition.  Now it seems that nuts and bolts are beginning to move with technology acquired from Motorola.  According to the rumor mill, Google is preparing a launch of an unbreakable mobile phone and a new tablet.

The rumored “X Phone” and “X Tablet” will mark the first time Google controls everything from the device’s hardware to its software, following Apple’s operating strategy. Rumored specs are said to include a top-notch camera and photo software, a bendable display and a high-end ceramic case. Now, Google CEO Larry Page has incited a new round of speculation last Tuesday with comments he made during the company’s fourth quarter earnings call.

“In today’s multi-screen world, the opportunities are endless… battery life is a huge issue… when you drop your phone it shouldn’t go splat,”  he said. ”There’s a real potential to invent new and better experiences.”

Google’s CEO also added that simple tasks such as recharging a phone’s battery can even be a pain for some people. It is believed that Page was hinting at the possible “X Phone,” and that it could include extra long battery life, wireless charging capabilities and an unbreakable case.

Google could announce its Motorola-built flagship smartphone and tablet at its annual Google I/O developer conference on May 15th.  Let’s wait and see what the fuzz is all about.  I’m sure Apple and Samsung are sleeping with one eye open waiting for the formal launch in May.  Yep, consumer electronics is a cut-throat industry.

Oh, before I forget, there’s another persistent rumor out there that Dell could go private again and that Microsoft could cough out several billion dollars to buy part of the pie.  There’s never a dull moment in Silicon Valley.  Good Day.

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Technology

Snapshot of my loyal Chinese cloned Apple iPhone. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of our electric wall kitchen clock. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of our living room Samsung TV remote Control. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of our wireless Panasonic handset land-line phone. We have two of these units. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of my scientific Canon calculator. It has been with me for more than twelve years and still purring like a kitten. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the remote control of my Panasonic air condition unit in my home office. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the Panasonic base of our two wireless land-line phones. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of my wife’s miniscule Samsung cellphone. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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