I read a great story in the NY Times about how the local telco in New Orleans is going about re-building their network. It is likely to be expensive for them – costing in the vicinity of US$650m. This is a lot of money which ever way you look at it. This comes out to about $500-$1000/phone line. Just depending on what that covers. This could become more expensive too.

I just saw a story in the Sydney Morning Herald about how the Zimbabwean Government is accusing that Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn are part of a CIA plot to oust President Robert Mugabe for the movie The Interpreter. The Interpreter was released nine months ago and played to appreciative audiences in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, in July. Yet Mr Mugabe’s propaganda mouthpieces have only just discovered its existence. The official daily The Herald said an “imperialist” plot was unfolding. “The CIA is behind the release of the scandalous film,” it reported. Although The Interpreter has already disappeared from cinema screens, The Herald said it was “timed to coincide” with a summit of world leaders at the UN in New York next week.

Following todays meeting, I will be releasing a new product in the next few days – a geocoding, and reverse geocoding service. This will probably be at a cost of about 2 cents per transaction… More details later…