About a year and a half ago I made my first Bitcoin (the controversial digital currency) transaction and several weeks ago another one. People have asked me, "Why?" My answer was simple, "To see what it was all about." In the last several months, I have been following the outcome of the Bitcoin ETF Backers Winklevoss Twins, who were made famous by suing Facebook founder, Mark … [Read more...]
Are Costa Rica’s Internet Service Providers Going to Be Charging Extra for Excessive Bandwidth?
08/23/2011 by 4 Comments
In the last couple of weeks one of our accounts has been having a hard time logging into their server. So after they rebooted the router a few times and then cleaned the ends of the cables the problem still existed. For a while it was driving me a bit crazy why this was happening until suddenly that light bulb clicked on; I remembered the article I wrote back in April, 2010, Net Neutrality For … [Read more...]
Costa Rica’s Internet Future – IPv6, Competition and Fraud
08/05/2011 by Leave a Comment
The world’s most advance technology will have it 20th Birthday on Aug, 8th; thats when the “World Wide Web (www)” first gained a public face in 1991. CERN, which straddles the border between France and Switzerland, publicized the new World Wide Web project, two years after, British scientist Tim Berners-Lee had begun creating HTML, HTTP and the first few Web pages at CERN. The World Wide … [Read more...]
Apple – ICE – iPhones – Costa Rica’s Newest Monopoly?
05/22/2011 by 3 Comments
Beginning this week the new Apple, iPhone G4 will start selling in Costa Rica. Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) the state’s telephone, and Internet monopoly, officially became the NEW monopoly distributor and exclusive seller for Apple's new iPhone G4s. Retailers who have iPhones for sale in Costa Rica, unless it is an ICE authorized agent, are not authorized by Apple to sell … [Read more...]
Insurance in Costa Rica – INS – Rules of Engagement to Brokers
07/05/2010 by Leave a Comment
Every Costa Rican knows [since they can remember] the government monopoly of, oil/gas, electric, internet, and insurance has been one big headache after another. In Oct, 2007 when Costa Rica’s Free Trade Agreements (FTA) were signed, it looked like for the first time Costa Rican’s were going to get a break, when foreign companies could compete with government companies, especially for … [Read more...]
Canada and Costa Rica – Free Trade Treaty and Visas
12/16/2009 by 2 Comments
It’s no secret that North Americans are the dominating foreigners that live in Costa Rica. And because of that, Costa Rica also would like to increase Canadian tourism. It is estimated that some 100,000 Canadians come to Costa Rica each year and about 10,000 Canadians live there, compared to 10 times that amount of Americans. And because of the Canadians tourism and expats, both governments … [Read more...]
Chinatown Project Starts In San Jose, Costa Rica
10/21/2009 by 1 Comment
China continues to wine and dine Costa Rica, now the government of China will be contributing US$1 million dollars to help construct a Chinatown or Barrio Chino. Of course Costa Rica’s Government or municipalidad de San José will fork out about US$300,000 to help finance the project. This announcement came in an official ceremony that included Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, Municipalidad … [Read more...]
China Continues to Wine and Dine Costa Rica
08/17/2009 by 2 Comments
A while back we wrote how China has dumped an unreal $300 million to further it political, diplomatic and investment goals in Costa Rica, by building a soccer stadium and buying bonds in Costa Rica. Their wining and dining continued last week in a ceremony at a low-income school in San José that was attended by Costa Rica's Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno and Yu Bo, the Chinese charge d'affaire to … [Read more...]
Nicaraguans and Costa Ricans – Tension between Labor and Immigration Law
03/25/2009 by Leave a Comment
Contrary to belief, Costa Rica is no longer a Third World country. Its advancement in technology growth (4th in the world for micro chip processors), high literary rate (over 90%), standard of living, health, education (all three highest in all of the Latin Americans) is just a few modern identities that have jumped them into bordering a first and second world country. Unfortunately, with … [Read more...]
Free Trade in Costa Rica – Is it working?
03/08/2009 by Leave a Comment
Back in Oct, 2007 Costa Rica (by a close vote (53/ 47) approved a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States. The vote split the country, with supporters arguing it would bring economic development, and critics warning (mostly labor unions) that it would hurt the little guy, like farmers and small businesses. This trade agreement was suppose to expand Costa Rica's access to the US market … [Read more...]
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