Photo by Yutaka Tsutano

Technology is one of my guilty pleasures.  When the iPad 3G came out, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.  There’s a lot of debate about how useful the iPad really is (just a giant iPod ,right?), but I’ve found that it’s a perfect travel companion.  Light to carry, battery that lasts an entire day, and with 3G, you’re always connected.

A while ago, I asked “Will my smartphone stay smart in Vietnam?“  Naturally, this time around I asked myself, “can I use my iPad in Vietnam?”  The answer, in short, is yes, with a little bit of work.

PS. I don’t own an iPhone, but for those of you that do, this guide will work just as well!

Step 1: Unlock your iPad or iPhone

Every iPad or iPhone is paired with AT&T (in the US).  If you want to use any other carrier, you will have to unlock your iPad.  The term for that in the tech world is “jailbreaking” your phone.  If you have an iPad or an iPhone that runs OS 3.2 and below, the easiest thing to do is use a free software called Spirit.  It’s really as simple as a few clicks.

If you using an iPhone 4, you have to do a little bit of computer work using a software called “redsn0w beta.”  There are a few more steps, but it’s not hard.  Jump over to the Lifehacker article for instructions.

Step 2: Get a SIM card in Vietnam and make it “micro”

Getting a SIM card in Vietnam is a little more cumbersome now, since individuals are  required to register their card in Vietnam.  However, it’s done all the time and shouldn’t be much trouble aside from some extra paperwork.

Now, the tricky part is marking your SIM card fit into your iPad or iPhone.  Apple devices use a small SIM slot, called micro-sim.  However, the folks over at Engadget figured out a way to make your regular card work with just a knife and scissor.

If you made it after your SIM card surgery, all the hard parts are over!

Step 3: Internet on your iPad and iPhone!

As our previous article discussed, Vietnam is rolling out 3G.  I asked one of our writers who spent 2 years in Vietnam, Phong Quan, about home much data on my mobile device would cost.  According to Phong, most people use prepaid cards in value from 10K VND to 500K VND.  Rates are usually about 1-2K per minute and data usage rounds in about that price, too.

Just like that, you can enjoy the iPad’s goodness when you travel to Vietnam.  I do have to make a disclaimer that you should be careful when trying any of the techniques mentioned above and check with your product warranties.

Until next time, techies!

Update: One of our readers pointed out that the jailbreak for iOS4 is only for 3GS phones and below.  To jailbreak your iPhone 4, follow these guys: the infamous Dev-Team.

—

Some people might say that if 2007 and 2008 are the years of Facebook clones, 2009 is the year of Twitter clones and 2010 is going to be the fail of both in Vietnam. However, the doom of Facebook and Twitter clones does not neccessarily mean something bad. In fact, it has helped our Internet startups get real and forced them to work on practical ideas instead of chasing after some Facebook or Google miracles that happen on the other side of the planet. Let’s check out some of the most exciting ideas that tackle real problems in our country. If you know any that is not on the list, please do not hesitate to comment below!

Catch a bus online – http://www.donxebuyt.com/

As you might already know or might not want to accept it (in case you are the one who is responsible for it), the bus system in Vietnam is a mystery with random schedules and routes. There are often cases when commuters just hop on whatever bus passing by to ask if this bus goes to a location and then hop off if it doesn’t. Realizing this problem, Nguyen Van Thanh – a 29-year-old programmer – has built a website where users can look up for bus direction from a place to another. Users can also look up for direction for cars, motorbikes and walking. When asked about revenue model, Thanh honestly answered: “This service targets mostly students and workers with low income, I haven’t thought of any way to make money yet. However, a young businessman who wants to contribute to community has invested in the project without asking for profit.” Thanh hopes that when the website is more popular, it can save time of hundreds of thousands of daily bus commuters in Ho Chi Minh City. However, how to promote this website to the worker class who is assumed to be not very geeky is a challenge.

*My 2 cents: Somehow the wesbite reminds me of Singapore’s www.gothere.sg – my life saver service when I was in Singapore. I wonder if Thanh has ever thought of bringing this service to mobile phone, either as an application or an SMS-based service.

Catch your bus!

Delta Viet – Make your Make dreams come true http://deltaviet.com

A project by students and for students, DeltaViet was created by 2 university students named Le Viet Hong and Nguyen Thanh Minh. It might sound ironic that I categorize the project as practical while it taps into the most unrealistic thing ever: Dreams. The main philosophy behind DeltaViet is: “Life is nothing if you don’t have a dream” and “Dream is only dream until you work on it”. DeltaViet provides a platform where users can write down and manage their life goals and creates a community where people can support each other’s dream as well as find those with the same dreams. The wesbite also publishes touching and motivative true stories written by its users. The system works! Born exactly one year ago, the website has already got some recognization like the first prize at “Starting a technology business with 300,000,000VND” (Kh?i s? doanh nghi?p công ngh? v?i 300 tri?u) competition.

Comments from a founder of DeltaViet Le Viet Hong:

“The idea behind DeltaViet is similar to that of www.43things.com, however, DeltaViet is focusing more on social activities because writing goal down is not a common thing in Vietnam. The revenue will come from advertising, training and premium memberships. Generally, there is no competition because student segment is not that potential.”

Delta Viet

Digital “So lien lac” - www.liva.com.vn

In Vietnam, there is something called “So liên lac” – the little book invented to facilitate communication between teachers and parents and to betray all mischievous activities created by students. It was no doubt my enemy during secondary school; and it’s such a relief to know that its digital version wasn’t thought of until 2006 [when I already finished secondary school] by Viettel – a giant telco in Vietnam. The idea was soon copied by few other mobile value added service providers. Parents can send an SMS and receive their kids’ school results by SMS everyday. To make it worse, in 2009, Liva introduced Internet-based “so liên lac” where parents can log in and see their kids’ results, class’ schedule & extra curriculars, teachers’ comments, etc. and contact school immediately. This service is still under testing beta.

“Xe om” Online – http://xeom.com.vn

This is the concept that made me laugh so hard that I almost fell of the chair. Xeom, litterally translated as “Hugging motorbike” and academically translated as “Taxi motorbike”, is the most popular means of travel for those who don’t own a transportation in Vietnam because it’s much more convenient than bus and much cheaper than “Taxi car”. Xeom business is very random: normally you just need a motorbike and 2 helmets to become a Xeom driver. However, a group of foreigners and locals has decided to systemize it. They created a website at http://xeom.com.vn. The project aims at building the largest network of professional Xeom in Vietnam. Clients can choose their Xeom based on age, profile, language skills, city knowledge, etc. According to the website, the project has a lot of meaningful social goals like: “Elevating the pride of Xeom’s”, “Reducing pollution – Xeom’s consume lesser fuels than taxis”, “Reducing traffic congestions”, etc. I have no idea if it should be called a web service or how the execution of the project is going on, but A+ for the idea.

Catching a Xe Om made easier.

The report, Winds of Change – East Asia’s Sustainable Energy Future, examines energy challenges of six East Asian and the Pacific (EAP) countries: China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. These countries are experiencing high economic growth and rapid urbanization, and hence are more likely to face the challenges of environmental sustainability and energy security as their energy needs continue to grow. If governments continue to apply their current economic policies, most EAP countries will become net importers of energy in the next 20 years, leaving them susceptible to energy price fluctuations. Alternatively, the high upfront capital required to invest in renewable energy technologies is a major hurdle for developing countries. Without major financial and technical assistance from developed nations, developing countries would likely settle for less capital intensive investments, even if those investments release significantly more pollutants.

The World Bank report believes that it is possible to achieve huge energy efficiency and reduce reliance on high-carbon energy. The ambitious plan would require a combination of political will, institutional capacity, and transfer of financing and low-carbon technologies from developed countries. Under such a scenario, the total cost to bring sustainable energy to EAP countries is $3.6 trillion over a 20-year period, or $180 billion per year, which is an additional $80 billion per year in investment compared to costs under current economic policies. China alone would account for 85% of the investment. Assuming that Vietnam needs a proportionate share of the remaining 15% of the investment, Vietnam would need approximately $5.5 billion in investments per year.

Although current investments are quite distant from the World Bank’s targeted investment level for sustainable energy development, Vietnam has received significant financial and technical assistance. The Renewable Energy Development Project, which was approved in May 2009, is intended to invest in renewable energy projects, assist in developing the regulatory infrastructure, and develop a pipeline of projects. More recently, the First Power Sector Reform Development Policy Operation Program was created as part of a long term goal to reform the electric power sector and attract new investors. Finally, the Trung Son Hydropower Project, which would become the first hydropower project assisted by the World Bank in Vietnam, will be presented to its Board of Executive Directors in September 2010. The map below shows where projects have been implemented in Vietnam.

Source: World Bank.

As shown by projects above, Vietnam is receptive to adopting sustainable energy policies.  Nevertheless, much coordination and investments is still needed to guide Vietnam in the direction toward energy sustainability, and Vietnam should strive to reform its policies so it can reap the long-term benefits of these technologies.

roadlesstravelled.com

Will Vietnam have its first bullet train?

You may recall our very informative yet slightly comical article last week outlining the various modes of transportation in Vietnam.  Bikes, mopeds, cyclos, buses, and even cow carts may be effective locally; however, there must be more time-saving and cost-effective modes of transportation across the country.

Though it has been years since I have taken U.S. history, I do remember one of the greatest driving forces for industrialization and modernization of America was the implementation of the railroad system.  The railroad system laid the infrastructure for extremely effective trading between states.  It was the railroad system that may have possibly enabled America to realize its manifest destiny.

polestarttravel.com

What are the train systems in Vietnam like?

Vietnam has long realized the importance of such systems of transportation.

Over the last decade, Vietnam has expanded many routes between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with many stops along the way to places like Hue and Danang.  With a little more than 55 dollars, you can ride the 2-3 days, 1,726 km journey from Hanoi to HCMC in a soft sleeper air conditioned cabin.  More economical options are available.

But this is too slow, what can I do?

For those who cannot afford to wait 2-3 days, the only current alternative is by airplane.  This may have been true until very recently, it seems.

Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Vietnam’s cabinet has approved the 55.9 billion dollar plan to adopt Japan’s ‘bullet-train’ technology.  The rail would connect Northern and Southern parts of Vietnam and constructions will commence sometime in 2012 and complete sometime in 2020.

As an aside, Japan was the first to introduce the high volume high speed train traveling in excess of 135 mph from Tokyo to Osaka.  Because of the train’s design and speed, it became known around the world as the ‘bullet-train’. At this speed, the 2-3 day journey on traditional trains is a thing of the past.

For 55 billion dollars, is this really worth it?

There are many advantages to high speed train lines over other forms of public transportation.  Traditionally, many people travel across the country by cars or buses – both of which have limited capacity and speed.  And for those who have visited Vietnam, they understand how slow traffic can be on the highways.  Air travel is fast but can be pricey and have a smaller carrying capacity which limits the maximum number of travelers per day.   These constraints may perhaps support the argument for a high volume high speed mode of transportation.

With Vietnam’s ever expanding economy, the addition of the new high speed rail can have the potential of relieving congestion on the transit systems while enabling more communication between the northern and southern parts of Vietnam.

As the world attempts to reduce pollution and become more “green”, Vietnam has joined this movement by participating in Earth Hour 2010.  Vietnam’s investment in high speed trains means it is investing in more energy efficient mode of transportation.

A few more notable advantages of high speed trains include a higher passenger capacity, thereby reducing the amount of land used per passenger when compared to cars on highways.   Train stations are also much smaller and less costly than airports, therefore can be built in tighter spaces (like cities) and in more locations, thereby offering passengers more destinations.

Do we have the technology to implement this?

Businessweek reported on Friday that discussions have been ongoing between Vietnam and Japan to explore ways to provide financial assistance to Vietnam.  Nguyen Huu Bang, the chairman of Vietnam Railways Corp, has shown interest in recruiting the help of Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. or Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.
Though no finalized investment plan or construction plans have been released, I do believe this is the right direction for Vietnam.

Your opinion:  Would you use the high speed train to travel across Vietnam?

I’ve come out of my cave!

We are two months away from launch so I’ve been locked away coding and designing.  What we have so far is pretty exciting so I had to come out to give our readers the first glimpses of OneVietnam Network.  There are three core functionalities at beta launch:

1. Connect the community: For everyone who’s Vietnamese, lived in the country, or just love the culture, OVN is the place to share your common interest.  Connect with others through profiles, photos, videos, updates, and events.  Find the “influential Vietnamese” or become one yourself!
2. Learn what’s happening: There are many discussions happening that are shaping the future of our community.  OVn lets you discover the hot topics and join the conversation.  If you’re an expert, you get to own your own topic!
3. Do something: It’s spring time! Take the conversation beyond the web and get outside.  We’re working with community groups put together events and volunteer opportunities for us to enjoy.

We have some really cool stuff happening in the background too.  For one, OneVietnam Network will connect with all your social media networks, so there’s no need to manage multiple accounts!  In fact, if you have a Facebook account, you can log right in OVN.  I can’t leak pictures yet, but the interface is beautiful.  We hate how clutter and crowded Facebook has gotten so we emphasized simply and clean design.  It’s almost zen-like.

We’ve also recently gotten the mobile version working (that iPhone image is a live site!) as well as live feeds and XMPP notification.  What that means is if you get a new message on OVN, it can send a you a Google Chat notifying you of the message.  I simply cannot wait to release this into Beta in June!

Since I’m out of the cave, I’ll take questions. Leave a comment if you have a question about OneVietnam Network!

The Roundup

1. Viet Circle: Viet Circle is the first entry that shows up when you search “Vietnamese Networks.”  It is a custom-built site that resembles MySpace.  The network seems active, perhaps due to its ability to sign on some young Vietnamese stars (e.g. Cung Le).  Of the sites I’ve found, Viet Circle seems most active and closely resembles the social networks most Americans know.  However, the site seems dated and is encumbered by advertisements.
2. Cafe 75: Cafe 75 is second up on the search results.  It is a dated site with little interaction.  When you sign on, the site indicates how many users are online.  I have yet to see a member online.  I’m not a doctor, but my prognosis is Cafe 75 is DOA (I’m lame, I know.)
3. Vietnamese Social Network: Or vietmee.com, looks like a technically well- engineered site, and it is.  That is because it’s based off WordPress MU, a popular blogging platform (like Blogger or Tumblr).  It fact, vietmee.com carries the default theme, which is a big negative.  At the end of the day, with only 56 members, it doesn’t qualify as a real social network.
4. Vietopia: Vietopia.com is by far the most visually pleasing of the bunch.  The site is modern, beautiful, and seemingly teeming with content.  However, although it brands itself as a social network, Vietopia is more of a blog.  In fact, it is based off the same WordPress platform as Vietmee.com.  But of the websites discussed, I would most likely visit Vietopia again because of its content.
5. VietsToday, Viet Social Network, and Luyen Chuong:  I have decided to lump these three together because they are very similar.  They are build on the Vbulletin platform which is traditionally used for forums.  Many of you old-timers know that forums are one of the earliest forms of social networks, where users post discussions in threads of topics.  This format, of course, is very old and is not used in modern networks.  Because of its traditional interface and focus on long texts, these networks do not appeal to the young, modern Facebook generation.

Conclusion

Of the networks I’ve found, only two came out to be a true social network by today’s definitions: Viet Circle and Vietmee.com.  The rest are better categorized as community blogs or forums.  Of the bunch, Viet Circle offers the most familiar social networking experience.  Yet, the site tries to do too much (includes restaurant reviews, event planning), runs an outdated model (think MySpace), and is not actively developed.

The Vietnamese expat community still lacks a true network.  With over 3 million people spread across 30 countries, there is a definite need for a network that can bring us together.  I have reasons to believe that kind of network will be coming very soon (*wink).

Did I miss any big ones?  What would you like to see in a Vietnamese social network?  Let us know!

Disclosure: I am a principal member of the OneVietnam Network team, a social venture that is in the process of building an online network for Vietnamese expatriates.  More about us at www.onevietnam.org.

Gallery

Duy-Loan began her early career with Texas Instruments at the age of 19 and today holds 22 patents and 8 pending applications. In 2002, she was the first woman to be elected as a Senior Fellow, a rank equivalent to Senior Vice President of Texas Instruments. Her accolades also include: National Technologist of the Year, Times People, Asian American Engineer of the Year, Who’s Who in the World, Women of Vision: Leadership, Top 15 Women in Business, VANG’s Golden Torch, and the United States Congressional Recognition for Civil Leadership [1].

Duy-Loan is also committed to giving back to the community. She is a part of TI’s Vietnamese Initiative, which is dedicated to providing career advancements for minorities. She is currently on the Board of Directors for two non-profit organizations, one of which is Sunflower Mission, which serves to promote education and enhance social and economic development in underdeveloped countries.

Her inspiration for success began at an early age when her father dreamed his three daughters would become a doctor, lawyer, and for her to become an engineer. Worsening conditions in Vietnam left her family little choice but to move to the United States, where her sisters were forced to give up their education. Duy-Loan was then determined to fulfill her father’s last request that she become an engineer. In a WITI (Woman in Technology International) interview, she states that her philosophy is simple: “You are responsible for your success, and if you fail to succeed, the first person accountable for that failure is you.”

Paris by Night presents Duy-Loan T. Le, a very touching speech:

——

Stay tuned for our philanthropy feature on Sunflower Mission!

This is all starting to come to an end however, as the Ministry of Information and Communication’s deadline requiring all prepaid users to register their mobile numbers just passed on January 1st, 2010. Individuals are only allowed to register up to three numbers per carrier. Officially, one of the main reasons is to counter the mass text advertising that plagues many Vietnamese phone users.

The new requirement, however, will also impede the practice of many local Vietnamese consumers to buy new SIM cards to take advantage of promotional deals. For example, it makes more financial sense for a person to buy a new SIM card for 50,000VND that comes with 100,000VND (to take one example) in the initial balance than to put more money into an existing account. Other promotional deals, such as deposit-matching for the initial three deposits into a new account can also be taken advantage of. In a country where poverty is still widespread, such roundabout methods of gaming the system are worth the hassle of changing phone numbers.

Whether the government’s requirements will be effective, however, remains to be seen. The registration requirement has been in progress for a long time now. Previously, retailers were required to register buyers, but got around the system by simply registering everything under themselves. Now individuals are required to register and carriers must enforce registration by shutting down service to unregistered or improperly registered numbers. It’s unclear, however, whether the carriers actually have the technical capability to do so.

This writer, however, is going to get his number registered just to be safe. And if I can’t, at least I’ll save some money by buying a new SIM card!

I am not an expert on the matter.  However, as the resident techie at VTP, I went out to explore one question:

What are the alternatives to Facebook in Vietnam?

For my research, I directy surveyed youths in Vietnam (ironically, through Facebook).  My question was simple: What are the most popular social networks in Vietnam today?  Below are the contenders:

CyWorld.vn

Cyworld.vn: A basic social network that looks a lot like a news aggregator.  The network seems fairly popular.  Cyworld has a Korean counterpart called nate.com.

henantrua.vn

Henantrua.vn: I can’t make out exactly what the website’s market is (perhaps for dating, from the appearance).  One feature about the site that I noticed was cool is the option to “Chat via SMS.”  It reminds me of how much texting is part of the culture in Vietnam and the rest of Asia.  Phone companies not charging  $.10 a pop for SMS over there might have something to do with it.

TamTay.vn

TamTay.vn:  Tam Tay’s focus is on sharing pictures and videos.  In that sense, it is less like Facebook and more like a mash up of Flickr and YouTube.

CyVee.com

CyVee.com: CyVee is a surprisingly polished website geared towards young professionals, an equivalent to LinkedIn.  The network is rather robust.  I was able to actually find a few people I know on there (that’s amazing, considering I’ve lived in the U.S. the majority of my life).  One thing that did bother me was the virtual currency system on CyVee.  You have to earn or even buy points to send messages to others.  In all, it is a polished and robust network, but not an appropriate Facebook alternative due to its professional focus.

Zing.vn

Zing.vn: With Zing, I’ve found the heir-apparent to Facebook.  From the signup page, Zing appears to be a very modern site without much of the clutter of the other networks.  With the help of Google Translate, I was able to sign up for an account (terrible, I know).  Once I arrived at my start page, I was in for a surprise.

Zing Start Page

Look familiar?  It should to Facebook users.  From the familiar blue navigation to the notifications bar at the bottom, Zing is Facebook’s long-lost Vietnamese sister.  The site works surprisingly smoothly and is very active.  I browsed the user base and tested out a few profiles.  Here is a public profile of a young Vietnamese woman, Hoa Mi.  The layout is just like Facebook.  However, one difference I noticed is there is a points and class system involved.  Hoa Mi is a “VIP” member.  She has 115 points.  Her profile has been viewed 14,807 times.  I noticed the same focus on CyVee.com.  My guess is that it is a cultural thing.

The Winner: Zing.vn

Zing.vn is the most modern social network I’ve found in my research, and also the most active.  If Facebook was not an option in Vietnam, I would most likely find myself on Zing to connect with my Vietnamese network.  However, it is ironic that the next best alternative for Facebook in Vietnam is a site that looks much like Facebook.

Test out these sites for your self and let us know what you think.  Did we miss a big one?

The project will cost around US$12 billion including two plants with a combined production capacity of 4,000 MW. The implementation schedule is from 2014 to 2020.

According to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Vu Huy Hoang, nuclear power is a ‘suitable choice’ for Vietnam, as coal resources are nearly exhausted, oil fields are running out, and alternative energy has not been discovered.

The questions here are whether borrowing foreign money could put Vietnam in a deeper debt trap and whether Vietnam has enough capacity in both skilled and experienced manpower, stable input (uranium), and technology.

As for the bigger foreign debts that Vietnam is going to face, the project will cost half of the national Forex reserves, currently about US$22.9 billion (World Bank, 2009), although US$ 12 billion is surely not the final number. Some MPs are concerned that all the important national projects in recent times have exceeded the primary estimated number. That is not to mention the price slippage on the market regarding equipment, technology, and inputs.

Take Dung Quat oil refinery as an example. Initially the estimate total investment was US$1.5 billion with the implementation schedule from 1997-2001. However, it wasn’t until late 2009 that the completed refinery will be handed over, with total real expense of US$3.054 billion, two times higher than the initial estimate.

Currently, Vietnam’s foreign debts make up 30-33% of GDP. In 2009, it is estimated that external debt of Vietnam is approximately US$29 billion, which accounts for 30.9% of GDP in 2009 (World Bank, 2009). Supposing the growth of Vietnam’s economy stabilizes at 7.2% yearly, 2025 GDP of Vietnam is estimated at US$300 billion. Add 75% – 85% external capital for Ninh Thuan nulear project, and by that year, the total cost could be already up to US$40 billion, totalin’g about at least US$30 billion of foreign debts. It could also mean that Vietnam’s foreign debts will be more than 40-50% of GDP in future. Combining with other major awaiting projects, this ratio could surpass 50-55%. If this is the case, Vietnam would be in a dangerous situation.

Other significant concerns are about skilled and experienced  manpower, technology and inputs for the project. First, there will be a huge demand of at least 2,500 qualified nuclear engineers whilst Vietnam currently has 500 nuclear engineers, and roughly 100 engineers are being trained every year. This is excluding the number of qualified people with knowledge of law, regulations, and management regarding nuclear power that will be needed. Secondly, the fuel for plants is expensive. According to MP Nguyen Minh Thuyet from Lang Son Province, when starting the plants, US$900 million will be spent on uranium. After that, every 18 months, US$320 million will be spent to replace spent uranium.

Finally, the stability and price of uranium input and the concern that the  global uranium reserve will be exhausted is another risk that should be considered. It will be definitely dangerous to rely on foreign resources as uranium ores in the world are being used up.

Others argue that the expense for the nuclear project is much more wasteful and expensive in comparison with investing to recycled energy development.

Given these details, what do you think? Please comment below

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Process of harness energy from Uranium

Works Cited

World Bank . (2009, November). siteresources.worldbank.org. Retrieved from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTEAPHALFYEARLYUPDATE/Resources/550192-1257239343493/update_nov09_countries_vn.pdf