DE NOVOS

SocioComical

2011-02-06T11:02:00.003+05:30

Mashable is a good place for everything social.
Check out their top 10 favorite social comics

BSNL Brings iPad to India

2011-01-28T00:11:00.001+05:30

Its official…but not quite as expected..as usual Apple surprised us….except this is more like shock to the Apple Indians who were waiting for the official iPad launch.

I am guessing, the only reason BSNL got first preference because its the only service provider with the most 3G coverage. Hope Airtel catches upon soon.

Anyway..according to reports the price starts from 26k for 16 GB Wi-Fi only and the 64 GB 3G+Wi-Fi is priced at a outrageous 44k.

The iPad data plans from BSNL is more outrageous than its price Even though the 3G model is offered from BSNL you can still change the SIM (but the ? is which one !!)

Like i said earlier, wait for your right tablet…..

ADAM Is Here…Almost

2011-01-26T20:12:00.002+05:30

Its been more than a year since I first blogged about Adam. Many like have been waiting for so long, that one wondered whether will it actually come to a store near us. Well good news is..Adam is not a just a concept product (or mythological!) .Its as real as any other tablet and it is here…well almost.

click for more pics in notion ink blog

Rohan of Notion Ink has posted few photos from Honk Kong where the shipping of the first batch has started.

The first batch got sold out in just about 2 weeks (only thru pre-order!!) and this happened without any official launch,a CES keynote,any sort of official advertisement..mere social buzz. Of course there were controversies and technical glitches in the payment gateway, but still this is phenomenal. The prices range start from a modest 18k for an LCD Wi-Fi to 27k for an PixelQi Wi-Fi+3G model, which means its still cheaper than Samsung Galaxy tab!

Btw iPad may be launching this week (Jan 28).No official word nor any info on the telecom partner.Some predict the Wi-Fi only model could be priced between 24-27k which I think is very low. My guess is, it will priced a little more than galaxy atleast and the iphone 3GS (no idea when India will get iPhone 4! )

If you are in plans to get a tablet..wait for 3 months..

Biggies having a Bad time

2010-08-15T21:21:00.004+05:30

First of all a big HI to everyone. Due to obvious reasons (work stress) I haven't been able to blog much this year. Anyways as we celebrate my blog’s 3rd anniversary (Y!), I thought there can never be a better time to restart it. For more personal scoop , keep watching my personal blog [many good stuff in store ;) ]

So if you are a new visitor, you might ask Y Denovos? Because Denovos brings a new perspective, adds a new dimension, a different view point to the issues you might already know.Alrighty then, lets get down to business.

Yes its true,2010 is even more troublesome than last year. We have been witnessing a lot of new products, developments,releases which also brings in a lot of controversies, complaints , gossips, etc

A for Apple :

A for Apple was slightly shaken to A for Antennagate. Seconds later Steve Jobs launched iPhone 4 , iPhone 3GS looked like a expensive piece of plastic. Steel frame, Hard glass build, slimmer, Retina Display, 2 cameras, Facetime, it had everything required to do things, other phones can’t even think of .

But the problem was, iPhone 4 couldn’t do what most phones can do – seamless reception of network signals. When users covered the iPhone 4 with their palms (which is a common practice of holding a phone) there was zero signal reception. The new design of the iphone 4 was blamed for this.

Finally Jobs had to have a another press conference to blame the media for “unnecessary hype” , complained al smartphones have the same problem (which was nothing but a twisted truth) and announced they would be giving free cases for iphone 4 users, which solved the issue. Now there are rumors that iPhone 5 will be coming very soon (Q4 – 2011 ) so that Attenagate is closed and A is again for Awesome Apple.

B for Blackberry :

Research In Motion (RIM) which owns the Blackberry brand was facing issues which was outside their “research”. Middle East & India started threatening to ban blackberry services , if RIM doesn’t give governments the access to Blackberry mail servers, which have a unique format of email encryption.

Indian officials are pressing RIM for access to monitor even the chat messages sent through blackberry chat.Unfortunately even RIM does not have a monitoring system for its chat messages. As of today, they are trying to convince the officials , that they will share the metadata, develop a monitor system in 6 months time etc. Hopefully their efforts should bore fruit :P

D for Dell :

Dell Streak is hitting UK stores this week. Running on Android 1.6 (latest is 2.2) with a 5 inch screen and price tag of $ 500 its already considered a failure. Business Insider said “If you understand what Dell is thinking with this device, please get in touch and explain it to us” After all its one pricey Donut (A 1.6)

G for Google :

Google made waves when it announced it is pulling the plug on Google wave.

"Wave has not seen the user adoption we would have liked," Senior Vice President Urs Holzle said in the blog post. "We don't plan to continue developing Wave as a standalone product, but we will maintain the site, at least through the end of the year, and extend the technology for use in other Google projects." Source – CNET

Personally I have not used Gwave as much i wanted to be. While most of the official communication is done through official email ids using much more powerful email clients like outlook, thunderbird, using wave for official project collaboration was not an option at all. I do use Google docs from time to time for official purposes.

M for Microsoft :

MS is not left out. MS kin was announced dead barely after a month since its official launch. MS Kin was codenamed as Pink , a cloud centric phone with a dynamic UI similar to Zune’s UI. According to Engadget, Kin’s death did not come as surprise to MS itself as the people who were responsible for the project didn't care it much. Apparently there was internal politics between the teams developing Kin and the WinMob 7 platform .Since Win Mobile 7 is almost entirely based on Zune interface, conflict between the two teams started. With the project leads of KIN exiting MS, the project was finally came to a halt.

MS official announcement "We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 and we will not ship KIN in Europe this fall as planned. Additionally, we are integrating our KIN team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from KIN into future Windows Phone releases. We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current KIN phones." Source : Engadget

There have been news about Menlo Phone running on Windows Embedded CE. Not sure if that will also will have a conflict with WIN MOB 7

I hope the big guys in technology are getting real busy to get their act together before the festive season kicks off.

I hope to blog regularly again and bring you different news with different views from the Business of Technology & Marketing :)

3rd Anniversary :)

2010-08-09T01:04:00.001+05:30

Will Microsoft bring in Slate-Z ?

2010-04-14T00:01:00.004+05:30

NO .Its not announced yet. But as a MS fan,I do want a tablet which has a webcam and SD slots.

I do agree Apple’s iPad is truly an innovative product. I don't know if its going to change the publishing industry , but nevertheless it is a revolutionary device, because it will make computing so simple. Kids and oldies will find iPad a much more easier,enjoyable experience than any other Laptop /Smartphone.

Just picture this,

You are in bed along with your toddler and read him/her Winnie the pooh..only the yellow bear is animated and smiles in bright iPad screen.

The grandpa who is about to kick the bucket, can see his grandson’s latest bday pics lying on the hospital bed,just by touching icons.He might not have held a mouse in his entire life and probably never will.

But now its a Apple Device, that means its a luxury product which comes with a premium(and in iPad’s case without a webcam). So obviously users like me look for a device,which offers value for money . As usual we look up to Microsoft.

HP Slate is there, but its running Win 7 which basically acts a handheld laptop. But if MS (and it should) brings out a tablet PC based on the Zune interface officially known as Windows Phone 7 it would really make computing real fun and more enjoyable experience of consuming digital web media.

There are reports about MS Courier, but I am not very keen about it. Its concept is more work based rather media based. Also its “professional design” with a stylus, makes it look like digital organizer than a media device. Moreover, they have been telling this for a long time and so many things have changed by then.

I have been using Zune for quite some time and realized how much its worth when I went on a twenty hour train journey.As i had previously mentioned, the Zune’s interface is as good as iPhone’s UI. Of course it does not stand a chance in the apps arena. But I hope its just a matter of time,before market for Zune apps open up.

The WinMob7 is definitely vibrant & refreshing and not windows like. Operating a device running WinMob7 will definitely be more enjoyable than operating Win7 OS device ,but of course limited. Because tablets are meant more for content consumption rather than content creation.

So MS as always should get an inspiration from Apple(as usual) and give a tablet based on Win Mob 7 series and a OLED screen.Of course MS wont be stingy enough and will include a webcam and Memory card slot.(that’s the hope :P ). A small suggestion if there is dynamic wallpaper which will change to Bing’s wallpaper as soon as i am connected to internet, that would be really nice.

Zlate or Zune Slate was the first name which came to my name, but Slate-Z sounds lot more cooler , don’t you think?

thank u Tatuaj :)

2010-03-14T23:41:00.002+05:30

I ran a test search for my blog in Baidu and got this page with my blog link. if u have a blog run random test searches like this ...u never know wat u may find

Bing Bang Theory

2010-03-14T22:41:00.000+05:30

Last week , Motorola announced it will be shipping its Android handsets for China preloaded with Bing and not Google. This may not come as a surprise as Google is in a ‘Game Over’ status in China.

Bing has been growing slowly & steadily since its launch almost a year ago. It has not shaken Google’s dominance in search engine, but it has definitely has definitely pricked.

Jeff Bertolucci of PC World gives the most likely scenario as “The most likely scenario: Bing is gaining, Yahoo draining, and Google maintaining”.

Bing’s market share has been gaining for the 9th straight month and hovers around a decent 10% (US only). The deal with Yahoo has certainly proved useful for Microsoft as Bing has been stealing Y!’s share and not Google’s. But if Google is exiting China and Bing is entering through Android, it will be a huge opportunity to strengthen its share. But of course, Bing has through battle with Chinese Big brother Baidu but still this is big news for Bing.

Adding to the Motorola deal, the upcoming Windows Mobile 7 series with a Zune type interface (as a Zune user i wud def say the UI is pretty cool) , the long rumored “Microsoft Pink” Smartphone and insanely sounding yet possible rumor that Apple will ship Iphone with Bing on its Safari ,lead the way to the turf where Bing can make its Bang --“Mobile Search”

If I was in MS,I would be talking to Opera to be make Bing as its default search in Opera Mini…that would seal the deal won’t it?

Now, some of you might think what’s the big deal anyway ? It’s because your browser choice will often influence the search engine you will be using. Browsers don’t make money by themselves as they are essentially free downloads, so the only way for them to see some $ is by cutting a deal with search engines. E.g. .Google pays Mozilla for generating huge traffic through its Firefox as it is most popular browser on the planet.Most of other browsers don’t have the motive to make money but to drive their other business tools & solutions.(IE – Bing,Chrome-Google).

So if more browsers support Bing, the more users will Bing, which means more ad revenue and browsers can make some money too..

and thats my Bing Bang Theory

IPL – Innovative Performers League

2010-03-08T00:00:00.007+05:30

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,

One of the factors to achieve greatness , is to stand the test of time , and that’s why Shakespeare is considered the greatest playwright ever.

Even today the above mentioned quote from “As You Like It” is put to good use to generate billions of revenue , providing employment to thousands of people and most of all entertaining billions of people just using a bat & a ball.

Ruchi, asked me a few days before “what do you think of IPL?”.I had no answer then.I haven't had thought about it much .But the more I thought about it, I saw more drama than the sport itself. After watching Harsha Bhogle’s TED talk on IPL , my bro and I couldn’t decide whether he was favoring IPL or mocking it. But it did strengthened my opinion that IPL is more about business than cricket

IPL1 was good , IPL 2 was better, and I am sure IPL 3 would be even better ,not because of cricket but because of the controversies .

In the first season, the idea of IPL itself triggered enough controversy, but in IPL 2 it wasn't enough, also the venue was changed to South Africa from India. That was a terrible shock to everyone who were dreaming to make money by riding along the IPL wave.This includes right from the ground authorities to the guy who sells groundnuts around cricket stadiums.As the ticket revenues in India got vaporized (not all IPL fanatics had the money to fly to SA) TRP’s became even more crucial. So came the Fake IPL Player among the other on court dramas to boost up the TRP’s.

Now IPL 3 is around the corner and the controversies have started already .

(read fast like a cricket commentary) Auction started, no Pakistan players were selected, becomes breaking news and need arises for bilateral talks..Media “erroneously” announce Razzak is selected, Deccan declines next day…SRK makes a comment…Sena gets worked up …people flock to MNIK with police protection to support SRK….after 2 weeks film is termed a flop….. ( do u see a connection here?)

The FAKE IPL PLAYER returns and this time he has got more than a blog, he is going to release a book just before IPL 3 starts. Its being published by Harper Collins but author is still “unknown” (Oh C'mon!! this is too much)

Meanwhile tenders for 2 new IPL franchisees are underway and the base price for the team is set @ US$225 million which is twice than the most expensive team in IPL (Its Ambani’s team @ US$111 million).Also this time IPL will webcasted live on You Tube (no one knows the deal value)

Ever wondered why the T2o matches of IPL are always more exciting than other T20 matches? Is it the cheer leaders? Is it the diversity in the teams? Is it the money ? Is it the fame? Is it the celebs? or is it plainly because its Cricket & its India! ?.

You want to know wat i think?? Since you have read this much I assume you want to know what i think

I think in IPL, its not just the players who play, but everyone who is involved are playing their parts well.

I think the players in IPL don’t play cricket but PERFORM Cricket. No I am not implying all the matches are fixed, (i don't have enough proof for that) but certainly influenced in some way or the other.I think its scripted to a certain extent.

I can't say the chairman is responsible for this.,but whoever is doing it ,he is the greatest playwright on earth bcoz if it was not for IPL, India Inc would never imagined do reach such heights in Marketing , in Cricket , in Business and possibly the ultimate performance taking entertainment to a new level , uniting Politics,Business,Bollywood and finally Cricket into one Big Reality Show which not even Shakespeare could have scripted,

and for that Sir..I Salute You.

"Have breakfast ...or.... be breakfast"!

2010-02-09T22:54:00.003+05:30

UPDATE: article by Dr. Y. L. R. Moorthi via Sivaram

[Management Views from IIMB is an exclusive column written every two weeks for India.wsj.com by faculty members of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.]
Who sells the largest number of cameras in India?
Your guess is likely to be Sony, Canon or Nikon. Answer is none of the above. The winner is Nokia whose main line of business in India is not cameras but cell phones. Reason being cameras bundled with cellphones are outselling stand alone cameras. Now, what prevents the cellphone from replacing the camera outright? Nothing at all. One can only hope the Sony's and Canons are taking note.
Try this. Who is the biggest in music business in India? You think it is HMV Sa-Re-Ga-Ma? Sorry. The answer is Airtel. By selling caller tunes (that play for 30 seconds) Airtel makes more than what music companies make by selling music albums (that run for hours). Incidentally Airtel is not in music business. It is the mobile service provider with the largest subscriber base in India. That sort of competitor is difficult to detect, even more difficult to beat (by the time you have identified him he has already gone past you). But if you imagine that Nokia and Bharti (Airtel's parent) are breathing easy you can't be farther from truth.Nokia confessed that they all but missed the Smartphone bus. They admit that Apple's Iphone and Google's Android can make life difficult in future. But you never thought Google was a mobile company, did you? If these illustrations mean anything, there is a bigger game unfolding. It is not so much about mobile or music or camera or emails?

The "Mahabharat" (the great Indian epic battle) is about "what is tomorrow's personal digital device"? Will it be a souped up mobile or a palmtop with a telephone? All these are little wars that add up to that big battle. Hiding behind all these wars is a gem of a question - "who is my competitor?"

Once in a while, to intrigue my students I toss a question at them. It says "What Apple did to Sony, Sony did to Kodak, explain?" The smart ones get the answer almost immediately. Sony defined its market as audio (music from the walkman). They never expected an IT company like Apple to encroach into their audio domain. Come to think of it, is it really surprising? Apple as a computer maker has both audio and video capabilities. So what made Sony think he won't compete on pure audio? "Elementary Watson". So also Kodak defined its business as film cameras, Sony defines its businesses as "digital." In digital camera the two markets perfectly meshed. Kodak was torn between going digital and sacrificing money on camera film or staying with films and getting left behind in digital technology. Left undecided it lost in both. It had to. It did not ask the question "who is my competitor for tomorrow?" The same was true for IBM whose mainframe revenue prevented it from seeing the PC. The same was true of Bill Gates who declared "internet is a fad!" and then turned around to bundle the browser with windows to bury Netscape. The point is not who is today's competitor. Today's competitor is obvious. Tomorrow's is not.

In 2008, who was the toughest competitor to British Airways in India? Singapore airlines? Better still, Indian airlines? Maybe, but there are better answers. There are competitors that can hurt all these airlines and others not mentioned. The answer is videoconferencing and telepresence services of HP and Cisco. Travel dropped due to recession. Senior IT executives in India and abroad were compelled by their head quarters to use videoconferencing to shrink travel budget. So much so, that the mad scramble for American visas from Indian techies was nowhere in sight in 2008. (India has a quota of something like 65,000 visas to the U.S. They were going a-begging. Blame it on recession!). So far so good. But to think that the airlines will be back in business post recession is something I would not bet on. In short term yes. In long term a resounding no. Remember, if there is one place where Newton's law of gravity is applicable besides physics it is in electronic hardware. Between 1977 and 1991 the prices of the now dead VCR (parent of Blue-Ray disc player) crashed to one-third of its original level in India. PC's price dropped from hundreds of thousands of rupees to tens of thousands. If this trend repeats then telepresence prices will also crash. Imagine the fate of airlines then. As it is not many are making money. Then it will surely be RIP!
India has two passions. Films and cricket. The two markets were distinctly different. So were the icons. The cricket gods were Sachin and Sehwag. The filmi gods were the Khans (Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and the other Khans who followed suit). That was, when cricket was fundamentally test cricket or at best 50 over cricket. Then came IPL and the two markets collapsed into one. IPL brought cricket down to 20 overs. Suddenly an IPL match was reduced to the length of a 3 hour movie. Cricket became film's competitor. On the eve of IPL matches movie halls ran empty. Desperate multiplex owners requisitioned the rights for screening IPL matches at movie halls to hang on to the audience. If IPL were to become the mainstay of cricket, as it is likely to be, films have to sequence their releases so as not clash with IPL matches. As far as the audience is concerned both are what in India are called 3 hour "tamasha" (entertainment). Cricket season might push films out of the market.

Look at the products that vanished from India in the last 20 years. When did you last see a black and white movie? When did you last use a fountain pen? When did you last type on a typewriter? The answer for all the above is "I don't remember!" For some time there was a mild substitute for the typewriter called electronic typewriter that had limited memory. Then came the computer and mowed them all. Today most technologically challenged guys like me use the computer as an upgraded typewriter. Typewriters per se are nowhere to be seen.

One last illustration. 20 years back what were Indians using to wake them up in the morning? The answer is "alarm clock." The alarm clock was a monster made of mechanical springs. It had to be physically keyed every day to keep it running. It made so much noise by way of alarm, that it woke you up and the rest of the colony. Then came quartz clocks which were sleeker. They were much more gentle though still quaintly called "alarms." What do we use today for waking up in the morning? Cellphone! An entire industry of clocks disappeared without warning thanks to cell phones. Big watch companies like Titan were the losers. You never know in which bush your competitor is hiding!

On a lighter vein, who are the competitors for authors? Joke spewing machines? (Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, himself a Pole, tagged a Polish joke telling machine to a telephone much to the mirth of Silicon Valley). Or will the competition be story telling robots? Future is scary! The boss of an IT company once said something interesting about the animal called competition. He said "Have breakfast ...or.... be breakfast"! That sums it up rather neatly.

Got this article as a forward from my bro.Even though I was familiar with the theme, I found it to be a great article so sharing it here. I don't know the original author,lemme know if u had read this somewhere.

Nokia says DtS @ CES 2010

2010-01-10T02:36:00.002+05:30

Successful organizations are often seen as mere Money Making Entities and are often criticized for not doing the “right things” ,without taking it to account their ability to do things right.

The general public often fail to see or rather acknowledge that Corporations are the movers of this world ,moving us to expand ,grow, develop and Progress.

There are around 40+ companies who manufacture mobile phones.Nokia stands as the leader with 52.21% market share (dec 2009) followed by Sony Ericsson @ 15,64%.Rest of the companies have market share of single digit or less than that.

Now what made Nokia to garner this market share??

Early mover advantage ? yes
Technological competence? yes
Supply chain efficiency? yes
Effective Sales & Marketing ? yes

but is that all? NO
Its Passion

yes Passion and a clear mission of Connecting People.

Most of companies ,in this case Mobile phone manufacturers invest money and time in the above mentioned 4 points.They are trying the best to improve efficiencies and competence in those arenas. But Nokia goes the extra mile. It has clearly understood that making quality mobile phones @ affordable price points is not the motive but the means of achieving its goal of connecting people.

How do I know this? Please see what Mr. Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO Nokia said in his keynote speech @ CES 2010

“We think you can do good business and do good at the same time”

In a one of the most insightful keynote speeches from Nokia, OPK talked less about the technological advancements,but more about the Cone of Opportunity in emerging markets.

Key Points to be noted :

Don’t worry about 3G or 4G networks , a lot many things can be done using the humble SMS.
"Their mobile phone is an investment in their livelihood, in a better life."Its not just about how superior the technology is but how effectively it can be put to use.The basic model 1616 is changing lives of farmers in India , and has become a strong tool of economical development.Advanced versions like the N97 have not made such an impact in users’ lives.
Listen to the Customer- Nokia partnered with Lonely Planet to look into the lives of people in developing countries like India. It was called “Progress Project ” Nokia gave them complete editorial freedom to draw their own conclusions. Now How many mobile phone companies would even consider something like this??
Power of Custom Apps : Life tools which is available in the low end handsets is one of the powerful apps which are transforming lives of the people who are in the lowest segment of the economy. Nokia Money , a supply chain app called TEJ (Hindi word for speed) are developed after gaining inputs from the customer.
Nokia Growth Economy Venture Challenge : Nokia is bringing back Calling All Innovators dev competition with an emerging markets theme to encourage the developer community to create locally-relevant applications.The app that encourages upward mobility in emerging markets the best will get a $1 million investment.

Looking into the future this is what Nokia wants to do

DtS

Click here for the complete live blog notes from Engadget.com

As long as Nokia does what it is doing , it would take lot more than an iphone to bring it down.

ADAM without Apple

2009-12-30T21:12:00.001+05:30

C’mon seriously…if I had told you that this is the Apple IPAD which is going to be launched soon,you would have believed,wouldn’t you?

But fortunately or unfortunately, this ADAM is not from Apple ,but Notion Ink (I seriously suspect they named it Adam thinking over Apple :P) Anyways ADAM is the touch tablet or smart pad (as they call it) created by Notion ink – an Indian (jai ho!!) startup based out of Hyderabad. (checkout their blog)

ADAM has a writable 10.1-inch TFT touch screen weighs around 770grams. Packed with technologies like Blue tooth, a 3MP camera, video recording, USB charging, 32GB data storage, Wi Fi, Lithium Ion batteries ( 48 hours!! backup).

Before you brush Adam aside as a wannabe please note that it has got an nVidia Tegra chip ,Pixel Qi panel that has a low-power transflective display, which allows ambient light to illuminate the screen, and an epaper mode.Get this….this dude runs on An..wait for it.. droid .. Android.(Sweeeet!! )

Whats more?? no actually less ..yes it costs less than Rs.18000…yep …buying a netbook might not make any sense anymore….

And last but not least ADAM will show up in CES 2010..watch out this cool dude with all the hot stuff.

Google 's Christmas Gift

2009-12-23T22:47:00.004+05:30

I am sure many of you must have got this mail,but If you havent checked out the hyperlink in the mailer, you would have missed Google's Christmas gift.
FYKI, Google has committed $20 million dollars to various charity organizations around the world. These organizations which thrive on donations faced huge problems due to recession. When companies like Yahoo! are closing their offices for a cost cutting christmas, none can expect them to donate to social welfare organizations. Still one must appreciate Google's efforts to spread some holiday cheer.

Go Google
&
Merry Christmas to you too :)

Heathrow throws the driver out

2009-12-09T23:11:00.004+05:30

Heathrow Airport in London is one of the busiest airports in the world with over 67 million passengers stopping by annually. The Terminal 5 complex in Heathrow which was opened in 2008 by Her Royal Highness is the largest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom which took 19 years to complete @ the cost of £4 billion.It can handle 35 million passengers annually and it is used exclusively by British Airways.

However, the most unique attraction of Terminal 5 or Heathrow for that matter, is going to be the Personal Rapid Transit or PRT’s.

PRT’s are driverless cabs which look like space pods , will be used for carrying passengers within the Airport

The PRT in Heathrow is called the ULTra ("Urban Light Transport") designed by company called Advanced Transport Systems (ATS) .

The pods can accommodate 4 passengers along with their luggage and carry them to Terminal 5 in just 5 minutes from the business car park @ the speed of 25 mph.

The ULTra system is the brainchild of Professor Martin Lowson who had spent 15 years in developing the system.

Recently test drives have been conducted along the Terminal 5 track. However the ULTra will be fully deployed only by spring of 2010.

While Britain is leading us to the future ,our Indian Airports are still not even “present”able. Read below a excerpt from Rajiv Desai’s article in TOI.
“Within seconds of landing, the harsh reality hits you between the eyes. The airport is shoddy, grimy and smelly. To exit is to confront a menacing crowd of people, straining at the barricades: vast numbers of drivers pushing and shoving, swarms of noisy families come to receive their near and dear ones, and various other categories teeming around the crumbling arrival terminal. True, such crowds gather at arrival terminals everywhere in the world but at Indian airports it adds another dimension to the chaos that reigns supreme. “

I don't even want to start about Bangalore International Airport BIA. Read The Joint House committee views about how international BIA really is

I wonder when we will get PRT’s in India…2020?? hey wait ..that was Namma Metro :P

Hi ,Waves Google

2009-12-03T11:03:00.003+05:30

After many attempts, I got my Google wave invite from Satish (thanks Doc :P). About 5 months before I had blogged about G Wave (??) and its features.Now a preview is out(invitation only) and it shows what would be the interface where the convergence of various communication & media sharing options will take place(that was the original idea).

The interface reminds me of a email client and the waves remind me of threads in online forums.If u are familiar with threads in online forums(my first forum exp was pagalguy.com) and how discussions take place, then G Wave is almost similar to that . But here you can keep the thread private,choose participants by your choice and has multiple media sharing options like videos and pictures etc,send invites and RSVP’s for events ,parties etc.

Google's video on When to Wave??

Some Q’s came to my mind while waving, why don't they add certain features to Gmail than introducing a whole new product?? Does it mean Gwave will exist along with Gmail? The answer is Gwave is based on a different protocol called XMPP,different from Gmail.Moreover XMPP is a open source protocol which will allow developers to build custom wave engines, add-ons,gadgets etc. To Know more on this read wiki of Google wave Federation Protocol

But still, Isn’t it going to make communication lil more complex? I mean now i have one more inbox to check in and some more messages to reply …but to the same contacts??

Now that leads to another doubt,does Google wants it users to add strangers to their wave accounts like twitter or Facebook and start topics of discussion or is it going to be a private conversation among a group of people who are in touch with each other on daily basis like your workgroup or hangout group?

Friends ask me what is it about ? and what to do with it? is this going to end the era of email??

I say to them “wait… hold on”

Its just a preview and they will be adding more features (hopefully) and its way too early to say Email R.I.P. I haven’t come across any good article which has predicted it to be a failure or success. As I had said before I think email will be still around even if Wave picks up momentum & become an E-tsunami of communication .

Meanwhile reports have been coming that Google is testing a new Wave style search interface which sounds very ungoogle to me.

I got a tweet sometime back.. "Google Wave was built to show younger people how older people feel when they attempt to use the internet." funny yet true :)

Lets keep watching the GWaves for some more time before we start to surf on them…real time :P

Zune HD - Up Close & Personal

2009-11-29T22:25:00.003+05:30

Don’t ask me Why did I choose Zune instead of an IPod..because the choice wasn’t mine.So i am not going to stack up why Zune is better than IPod touch(there are renowned blogs who have skinned them both and reviewed extensively.) Instead I will tell you what’s good & bad in Zune HD.

In terms of design Zune HD comes closer to the IPod touch than all other existing PMP’s (portable media players).

The brilliant OLED screen with HD resolution is the best of all PMP displays in the market.(like Matrix I cannot explain how good it is..one has to see it)

I have used the Iphone and the touch interface in Zune is almost of the same quality (sometimes its too touchy.. especially while scrolling)

The metallic back finish gives a nice feel while holding it and it not too big it fits in your palm quite nicely. however if ur not using a Smartphone the Zune will be bigger than your mobile.Zune Originals lets users to personalize their Zune not just by engraving their name but also with cool tattoo like designs & patterns.

I wont get into detailed specs, but the following are the things which has changed my attitude towards Zune..(and i didn't get these from any of the tech reviews i read)

Zune Software – This is really cool….iTunes does not even come close…the look, feel, navigation is mind blowing with its awesomeness..Quick play history, Smart DJ mix, exploring music using Music Mix view (i listened to album previews from the net with just a click), fresh hits list ,automatic syncing etc etc

Best of all is the is the Zune pass content, where the software pulls info from the web about the song , singer ,photos and displays in the backdrop as a cool slideshow.This is also transferred to the Zune so it works offline too

notice the text just above the taskbar

I strongly recommend to music explorers like me to give it a try (Zune player is not necessary for using Zune software)

Audio Surf Tilt : Even though Zune has very little apps for it, this game is a killer app which has made even apple fan boys to drool. Basically its a game where a space jet moves along the track and one has to hit the colored beads and stay clear from the speed bumps…but what really cooks the noodle is that , the track is designed based on the song you choose, the bumps,pace of the game etc are based on the song pattern.

PGR-Ferrari Edition : Nothing unique abt the game per se, but the Tegra chip in the Zune brings out the finest details & textures of this Zune version of Project Gotham Racing which is very close to the PSP (in display i mean) which shows the potential of Zune as a great gaming device ( heard rumors abt a spl Zune version of Gears of War..yay!! :D)

Okay, now the bummers ..

The headphones are good ..that's it… not great
Zune marketplace does not work in India.. although you can see the content you cannot buy it ..my free Zune pass(14 day trial) has gone to waste
Charger not inclusive , have to buy it separately (of course.. you can charge using the USB PC cable)
The web browser isn't as great as i thought it wud be..but yeah it has wi-fi and wireless sync support.
India has no HD radio so no point in flaunting that Zune supports it (The Radio feature works like breeze though :) no complains there)

ZUNE HD from Microsoft Click 4 CNET review

Funny thing is I had always studied that Apple is for niche and Microsoft aims at mass..in this case its a role reversal…I am sure Zune is a rare thing in Bangalore with a mystic aura while iphones and iPod touch have lost their niche factor…

for that reason alone i am happy it is a Zune HD and not an IPod :)

Happy Journeys from KPN- a true story

2009-10-30T22:56:00.003+05:30

Well even though i have my personal blog for my stories, this story (well since its true u can term it as a incidence) deserves a place here since the moral of the story stems from marketing :P

It all started 3 months ago, when I came to know to the train to Madurai has been fully booked for Diwali and has a waiting list longer than Apple fans queue waiting for the iphone.

So these were the last 2 options which can result in a peaceful journey, if not a happy journey.

I can wait till the last two days and try to book the tickets in Tatkal scheme within the 12-15 mins i will get when the booking opens. – [booking starts at 8 am (online ) and usually its fully booked within 15 mins-bcoz Madurai has only one train to Bangalore :( ]
Or I can wait 2 more months and book the tickets in KPN travels before 30 days when the booking opens @ 12am online.

Since I have not gone home for 6 months and because it was DIWALI..I went for the 2nd option.

So I kept a reminder and dutifully booked the ticket-Volvo Ac onward to Madurai.Mission –1 accomplished.

I have to wait to more days to book my return journey.And my reminder was working fine and i proceeded to book the tickets then I found the price was higher – Rs .650… Rs.200 etc (diff becoz it night trip,but no Volvo no AC)

My super intelligent brain thought about “value for money” and i didn't book it.thought I will check with my brother before booking.

After me and my brother agreed to go ahead with KPN itself, i was shocked to find that no more tickets left and it was just 6 am

All I could think was……….u too KPN?

Anyways we couldn’t get anything else and I told my dad to book whatever he can get. And he booked it in Balaji travels Rs 550 for airbus ..Rs 100 more..but its k at least we have got a reservation.

we didn’t know that's the only thing we were gonna get…

The onward journey was great..we were picked up by minivan to the main boarding point. and since it was VOLVO A/C, no heat,no bumps.it was a breeze and reached Madurai @ promised timing.

On the day of departure we call those guys and they give us a shock by saying bus has broke down and we are refunding..after we blasted him for not informing before ..he offered a deal..u come in 30 mins i will get you 2 tickets to Bangalore in some other travels

and so we ran to bus station and he acted as if he was generous to arrange two tickets.then he took us to another travels office and gave us 2 tickets for special bus to Bangalore and said good bye to us.

we waited n waited and finally the bus came…to shock us even more.This special Bus was as ordinary as a bus can be.it was not even a semi sleeper and posed as a tourist bus. To spike our misery they started playing loud music with Dolby DTS effects.As silent as I am.. even i couldn't take it and screamed to reduce it.Then they showed some mercy by keeping it at ‘normal’ volume. We thought of switching, but we were too tired to fight with those guys and since we didn't now if we would get a better bus.After another 3o mins bus finally started and came out of the bus station.Since we were both tired we slept off and hope to see Bangalore on the morning.

90 mins later i wake up and get the worst shock of the whole trip..the damn driver has just took a U turn and come around the other side of bus station. that was the time i realized what is a brand name & just a name.

KPN stands for great service..correct timing,stops only @ quality restaurants, comfortable seats, less sound..(read WHY KPN ?)

Balaji travels stood for one thing ..Govinda.. Govinda….

PS: well by Balaji’s grace or whatever they did drop us in Bangalore safely

PS2: If u wonder what is this post really about ..read this

Social Media in your Hands

2009-10-28T20:41:00.001+05:30

“Facebook zooms up mobile sales”

Don’t Believe Me?

Take a look at the ads of the all the recent mobile ads. You will notice social media integration especially Facebook ,(Twitter next) being highlighted as a prime feature.

Its true that consumers are particular whether their new mobiles have seamless social media integration. Gone are the days only Iphone used to have such things , even a budget phone costing around Rs.5ooo comes with Opera Mini browser and Java support and provision for Facebook application.

With better phones & faster GPRS, also with 3G coming up, there will be a significant increase in Mobile browsing especially in terms of social networking.

I think a lot of WEB oriented applications will have a critical role to play , than the megapixels & memory cards in the upcoming models.

What’s with the Brand thing?

2009-10-28T18:00:00.001+05:30

Jeans – Rs. 499

Levis Denim wear – Rs. 2499

That’s a hell lot of difference in the price and very nominal difference in the product. So are consumers stupid to pay that premium price? Of course not they pay because they get a guarantee for its quality.

But we all know this.. don’t we? So why I am digging basics here?

Because when you say brand many consumers (at least in India) think of only Coke,Pepsi, Maggi, Levis, Nike, Reebok etc. But what about Local Brands who are not really hip n happening but still have a brand equity?

For example KPN travels is a well known transport service provider in south. I forgot brand KPN stands for their service quality and did a terrible mistake of booking in some other travels to save 5oo bucks,and what I got was the most pathetic travel experience.

If I had been willing to the extra premium for the Brand KPN I would have had a return journey.I can say this for sure because my onward journey was through KPN.From now I am not going to book in any other travels other than KPN.

This experience made me observe many local brands I come across in my daily live, which I should be specific with, like for example I always prefer Adigas over Shanti Sagar (chain of restaurants) – Adigas is a lil costly but worth it & most of the Shanti Sagars suck big time.

The point is Big or Small, Local or Global, Branding is essential , important & worth having. Many of my batch mates are now managing their family business and I strongly suggest them to develop a distinct brand,logo, etc (anyways, what’s the point of an ‘MBA’ running the business if its not branded?)

BTW Any idea how do Big brands protect their brands logo etc from being misused?

Because I saw , SONY brand crackers, Disney & Harry Potter Fireworks and a Tamil magazine with a tweaked Google Chrome on it

Will/Can/Should Google sue these guys??

Chrome Brow (ser) needs to Grow

2009-09-22T23:20:00.001+05:30

Yeah its light ,yeah it loads fast,yeah its smooth,but wats the use ??? Its not working good.

I am yet to Chrome experience that Google says.Every time I log onto to orkut or youtube , it says try Google Chrome.But when I try Chrome ,except for the awesome message (“you are using Google Chrome awesome!!) nothing else is awesome its all just ..awhh(yawn)

See the pic closely “Please try using Google Mail with a Supported Browser” and the browsers was Chrome!!…what can I say?

If this wat Chrome is all about they better chuck their OS plans.If they are serious about it they better make Chrome more robust and btw when the plug-ins are gonna come??

Worst part is Chrome crashes than IE 8..now that's pathetic when something crashes more than a MS product then it has got serious problems

Firefox is the best browser till date,yeah it hogs on memory at least it works.It hardly crashes,even if it does it bounces back in a zing.IE8 is lil faster,but when you consider user friendliness, compatibility,java script performance,add-ons etc Firefox is still hot !!

Of all the products from Google from Google Earth to Picasa,I think Chrome is the exception as it is very much worse and I sincerely hope they fix up the flaws before they roll out the Chrome OS

Macs on Air

2009-08-15T19:42:00.002+05:30

Since my 5th headphone of my mp3 player has broke down,i switched to the FM in my mobile (only good thing left in it).Due to this I got two issues to talk about.

1. My favorite stations – primarily Radio Indigo and occasionally Radio One simply because of the language –English & Hindi.Two Tips to Radio Indigo –

learn the sound quality from Radio Mirchi and Fever 104 .Except for the theme music, songs sound dull.
plzz change your selection of morning songs.I don't want to listen gangsta rap , explicit rap or depressing alternative rock.Oldies and classics will do.This is the reason I switch to Radio One and not the ads between the songs

2. Coming to more serious issues –the ads.I have learnt some concepts in developing print and visual ads and I have tried to apply it too in my assignments.But I think Radio Ads is totally a different ball game.I don't understand the logic of telling the phone number breathlessly in the end .Why or How would the listener remember the telephone number? (only a really good fancy number has the slightest chance) .

Ads I like to hear are

Tuborg –fun starter nights (btw its a beer ) good music, nice voice and she does not mention its a beer,but we get the hint..
GRT stylus jewellery – a slow ,long,nice song, sung in style.
McDowell's Accessories – starts with cheesy French lines followed by really classy voice bringing the international feel and “Paris” helps a lot.

Ads which are not worth hearing:

Open magazine – just what the hell is the magazine about ??,I am sure the magazine sucks big time just like the ad.
Mac Ads (this has nothing to do with my MS bias) – first of all i am surprised to “hear” ads for Macs-And the so called confessions neither sound cool nor realistic.

Best of all they finally say the cool dudes say thanks mommy for Mac and thanks daddy for the Mac.Aren't Macs supposed to be owned by cool dudes??

I am not disrespecting their love or gratitude for their parents but i don't picture any college guys with Macs,showing off “look My Mom bought this really cool Mac for Me” . Do bike ads or mobile ads feature guys say “thank you Mommy”??Either be cool or cute don't try to be both,but if u really want to people to switch, be logical, at least for technology products.

Other Ads weren’t worth remembering :P

If there are any basic rules or framework for radio ads kindly let me know,I will be most obliged.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DENOVOS !!!

2009-08-14T22:58:00.001+05:30

THIS AUGUST MARKS

THE FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSAY OF

DENOVOS

THANK YOU ALL

FOR YOUR

LOVE & SUPPORT :)

E-MEDIA edges Mass Media

2009-07-23T23:28:00.002+05:30

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)’s recent report “Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2009-2013” says worldwide advertising spending will reach $421 billion in 2009.This is a serious drop in ad spending as the total stood $479 billion in 2008.

The ad industry is expected to start recovering only in 2011 and yet the projected figure of $467 billion for 2013 is still lesser than 2008 total which means tougher times are ahead.

Not so surprisingly, Television stands at top maintaining status quo while print has declined and expected to decline further, while Internet advertising is expected to have a positive outlook.

Interestingly,Video games advertising, although in the last position, has grown considerably and is expected to grow further proving its the not the least among the ad medium lot.If one had followed the last US elections,they would be aware that Obama’s ads featured in Burnout Paradise and Madden 09.

Moreover recession has forced companies to be more strict on ROI from advertising ,which has lead to a rise in BTL campaigns.

Vibhor who works for a marketing firm tells me that, recession has indeed helped them.Since many companies are favoring BTL campaigns , they are tuning towards cost effective marketing solutions provided by his company rather than mass media.

With the amount of clutter rising in all types of media, its indeed a major challenge for firms to design their media mix within their promotional budget. Market segmentation has become very critical than ever before

Chrome OS? Oh Yes….

2009-07-19T21:47:00.002+05:30

We knew it was coming .It was just a matter of time.And now the time has come.Unlike for many others, it was not a surprise for me,As I had blogged about it earlier.However i was indeed surprised that instead of extending android to laptops,they are developing Chrome as the OS.

When Google officially announced it ,everyone was like “Google to crush MS,windows RIP” and all other stuff.

Its plain stupidity. why??

simple reason- Chrome is not a substitute for Windows nor Mac,because Windows is a client /server based OS while Chrome is browser based.Unlike Windows or Mac for that matter, Chrome would be useless without 24/7 internet connection.I can give you another hundred reasons in the same lines citing safety,security,stability,support etc etc.

So MS need not worry? NO it should ,yes this is indeed a big move by Google and yes it has indeed increased the competition between the two giants. MS has also put big bets on cloud computing and is developing its own browser OS (MS GAZELLE) and its hold on it will be threatened by Google Chrome.

But net book prizes may not go down drastically,Windows wont die and MS wont go bankrupt.Ironically since Chrome is going to be free,its the Linux net books which will take a hit which again is debatable.

While going thru the discussions in the web,one comment had summed it up well

“Chrome will create its own niche market of Browser OS and will monopolize it” I think this is true.Google has indeed revolutionized many areas.And if succeeds,Chrome OS will also be a revolution but there wont be a OS war at least with windows.

Btw this cartoon make more sense than ever before :P

B.T.M. BITES

2009-07-05T03:24:00.001+05:30

Severe time crunch,limited electric supply and almost a decade old desktop are my top 3 excuses for the brief hibernation of blog.

Anyways let me quickly run through the things i wanted to blog but couldn’t.(in random order)

Bing is doing better than expected but Google still rules as the default search engine,but when comes to niche search Bing may shine better and since Bing now throws up Twitter search results, which may or may not be better than Google results but definitely different from it.
Some brands just live forever ,like MJ(not me but the original moonwalker).
- Mass Media had a good week as MJ’s “mystery death” was “breaking news” for more than 2 days,tribute stories,special shows,continuous coverage,cover story…imagine the ad revenues for that two days.i heard even newspapers got sold out in some parts of US (newspapers are on verge of becoming historical artifacts esp. in US)
- MJ’s sudden death also resulted in sudden surge in the sales of his albums.
- “I Was At Glasto 09 When Jacko Died” T shirts were being sold the very next day of his death (i am sure the idea did not come from an MBA marketing)
- But some MBA’s are already drawing up business plans to make his Neverland ranch into a music museum cum theme park which would “pop” profits. I am sure this MJ mania will continue foe some more time because he was not just a pop singer but a iconic brand himself.
When the world was watching US going Ga Ga over the new smart phones, a startup in Madurai(my hometown ) has rolled out Red Chery , a Indian alternative for Black Berry. Red Chery fetches corporate emails to your mobile which is what Black Berry is famous for.
- Although the firm says “Red Chery stands for 'Revolutionary (red) Change Enabled Reach for You’ it is obvious that it wants to be associated with Blackberry one way or another
- Rajiv and me have had many discussions about this type of branding using the opposites of the existing brand – (black-red;berry-cherry) –we think it will work if a brand wants to remain as a follower acting as an alternative (usually low priced ) –ideally it should be termed ‘reverse branding’ since it already has another definition, we could call it opposite branding or mirror branding(same but reversed).
Videocon has a renewed logo,which I personally think is not suitable for a consumer electronics company but looks like logo of a health food brand.
Sony’s Walkman was named as the top music invention of last 50 years which is like the first generation of portable media player
I tried the new Opera.. nothing great.you can skip it… i recommend the latest FireFox 3.5 RC.

Last but not least …

Twitter’s potential was unleashed when US Govt requested the micro blogging site to postpone its weekly maintenance as Twitter was the only source of real time updates on Iran elections where news channels and other traditional media sources were restricted.Looks like Twitter has arrived….

I Phone Pre Phone U Phone??

2009-06-11T23:57:00.001+05:30

It was mobile mania all again this week.Palm Pre hit the stores and made a record breaking sales (rumored to be more than 50,000 units in just 2 days!!).

Apple’s WWDC devoid of Steve Jobs still had something solid to show Iphone 3GS. (faster better iphone ..but not very exciting as the previous ones).

Meanwhile Dhiru and Tiger took their blogging to a professional level after attending the Nokia N97 launch in India.

While Dhiru stands up for Apple 3GS (btw he is apple biased :p ) when compared to N97, I put my bet on the new Palm Pre which is considered as the first true iphone killer.It has a QWERTY keyboard which is one of things Iphone will love to have.The Web OS is the real deal which beats the iphone OS .The ability to run many applications at once,touch accuracy,mail,IM notifications while running any app,etc make it far superior even than the upcoming iphone 3.o.

Still iPhone’s large application base,build quality,iPod scores over the Pre.But I think a large chunk of business users may shift to Pre ,considering the cost advantage(refer pic),and business features like MS exchange and Office.

As far i can see,the $99 iphone 3G will give the Pre a stiff competition than the iphone 3GS.

While the N97 with a price tag of $699,can kiss US markets goodbye..Asian markets is not much promising either.And with HTC planning to launch Android phones in India,they better plan something better.

Meanwhile I am trying to lose my Sony Ericsson “accidentally” and get a Nokia ..waiting for Nokia 2730-budget phone with 3G

And The osCAR goes to……

2009-06-06T12:45:00.001+05:30

BMW has clearly emerged as the most favored luxury car in the Indian Market beating Mercedes and Audi.BMW has been consistently selling 240+ cars every month followed by Merc selling around 150+ while super cool Audi is just managing around 110+.

As one can see the difference between the sales figures are pretty high considering these are Segment F (luxury) cars.
Its is said that Merc one of the early entrants to India has lost its shine in recent years .Industry analysts say “Merc’s offering of discounts has done nothing good except eroding its brand value”. I personally find the Merc to be boring ,however the recent launches like S class and new E class are refreshing.

Audi which had been head to head with BMW in launching new models have lost in sales compared to BMW.While Audi has 11 dealerships across the country,BMW has been trying to expand aggressively from 12 to 20 by the end of 2009.(currently it has 15) I think this aggressive dealership expansion has paid off BMW handsomely.

There was a billboard war Audi vs.. BMW in US where Audi’s board said “your move BMW” and BMW replied in style.

After looking the sales figures,I think this probably fits here too.Now its BMW’s time to say “Your Move Audi”

Xbox-Natal- Future of Gaming ?

2009-06-03T23:42:00.001+05:30

Are you one of those who go weee over the Nintendo Wii,,wait till you see this. Microsoft recently unveiled Project Natal of its gaming console Xbox 360 in E3 09 (Electronic Entertainment Expo).

Project Natal is touted as the future of gaming,which takes gaming to a whole new level.When Wii came with its motion controller ,it brought in a whole new way of gaming.As a result game studios are designing exclusive games for the Wii to leverage its uniqueness. Now Xbox Natal aims even further …no controller at all. U are the controller.MS calls it Life Experience.Its better understood when seen than to explain so watch the video to see how motion sensors,facial & voice recognition works when incorporated in games.

If you have seen the video,you might be wondering if this will actually work.Well I wonder the same. At first it is really awesome to look ,but I am skeptical about its practicality.Hardcore gaming like Halo or Counterstrike etc etc will definitely wont be working nice with these settings.Imagine the physical stress that will be caused if you play games like Gears of War or MADDEN NFL or WWE using Natal.Lets say I am playing a fighting game like Tekken, it is physically impossible to do complex maneuvers usually called combos like a back flip kick etc . However the touchless interface will definitely be a awesome feature ,provided it works smoothly.

Apart from this Xbox is trying to be more than just a gaming console.It has already incorporated media center to stream digital content to the television.The Xbox live store is also getting better with more content coming in apart from games,like movies TV shows etc.

Also web application integration is also one area Xbox, as a edge over PS3 or Wii .Xbox 360 will soon have Facebook & Twitter,so gamers can easily interact and socialize with fellow gamers.

Looks like Xbox is really a doing a 360 covering all sorts of digital entertainment…..

Sony Walkman W series ….Keep walking

2009-06-03T00:02:00.001+05:30

Its a mp3 player, its a headphone..its a walkman…Yes Sony is still alive and Walking.With the W series walkman Sony has once again proves its strength in unique product design without a single trace of Apple.Remember Vaio P??

Unlike many other Mp3 players the W series has got a fresh design without a trace of Ipod in it,however it as cool as an Apple Ipod . The headphones and the flash drive is fused to form this hassle free design just like a Bluetooth headset.

It has the patented Jog dial and a new Zapping feature,which plays a small clip from the middle of the song , so u can instantly recognize the song and decide to play or skip to next song.The two parts have magnetic sides which get attached nicely,making easy to carry.Click here for more details

The W series was featured in CES 2009

With 2 gb memory and 12 hr battery life @ $65-70 ,it is premium priced,as Sony always does.There is also the same Ipod Shuffle problem of no headphone choice as the headphone itself is the player. But Sony is best known for audio quality so need to worry abt it unless you are an audiophile or something like that.

GOOGLE WavE-Mail

2009-05-31T23:29:00.001+05:30

While Microsoft was revamping its Live Search Engine into Bing-the Decision Engine,Google was busy re-inventing the good old email.

What would Email look like if it were to be invented today? This was the question Google asked its Googlers and BING!! (pun intended) they got the answer(atleast they say so)…Google Wave is the new email.

What is a wave? Google says:

A wave is equal parts conversation and document. People can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.

A wave is shared. Any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. Then playback lets anyone rewind the wave to see who said what and when.

A wave is live. With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in real-time.

Its like hybrid email which has Gmail enriched with cool features of many Google products like Docs,Gtalk, iGoogle, Orkut, You tube, Search etc etc.

What surprised me was, Google which is known for making things simple,has actually made email a little complex by adding so many features in one application.Of course,there could be another view that instead of using 4 0r 5 different applications,users can “simply Wave it”.

Its still early to comment on the success of Wave,however I am pretty sure,good ol’ Email wont be washed away by the Wave,at least for now .

bing……. from Microsoft

2009-05-28T23:04:00.001+05:30

Microsoft’s new search engine which was rumored for quite some time under project name KUMO has indeed become a reality. MS has officially announced that the new kind of search engine termed the “Decision engine” will be launched very soon. This decision engine is named “bing” which i personally feel that its a lil lousy,but considering “kumo” its far more better.The site is already up but not yet running.

The letter page describes the objective and need for for a new search engine and also mentions new features like cashback offers,Price Predictor which are very new to a search engine.

Click above to have a peek to the “bing “–the decision engine

Although bing is not a Google killer,if it catches on,I think it has great potential to generate more revenue than any other search engine because of it new features like Price Predictor which will attract firms to tie up with bing on revenue sharing basis rather than just advertising.

But of course, when it comes to simple search Google will still rule and we all know why…coz its really simple..just Google it :)

Speed Mail – the tech courier

2009-05-24T14:33:00.001+05:30

I heard a voice saying “Courier” at my doorstep and I found that my brother’s bank statement had come.While I was looking at the envelope,checking the name ,I held by hand out instinctively as I usually do, to get the pen from the courier guy to sign.But he didn’t he give me the pen as this was no ordinary courier service.As I looked up ,believe it or not I saw him entering details in a small i-mate PDA with the stylus.

If it was FedEx or DHL , I wouldn’t be surprised but there was no name in the envelope and by his appearance I assumed it was a normal courier service. Then he asked me to sign in the PDA itself with the stylus.(frankly i was dazed at this). When he was about to leave,i asked him which courier which he replied “Speedmail”.

The name didn’t ring a bell ,so at once i went in and googled it. They didn’t have any website ,but were listed in the classifieds.Then i searched for news and Voila i got it.

From Hindu : Xpress Deliveries, a leading corporate courier services company, has launched ‘Speedmail Deliveries’, its retail courier business unit

The fact that it is a new courier service and is not into retail yet(only corporate clients ) might be the reason why “Speedmail” is not popular yet .

It is interesting to know that,by using PDA’s ,around 16hours is saved every day and the personnel are handling around 700 packages per day against the average count of 300-350.

Speedmail would be starting retail services from August and I am pretty sure they will make other couriers like Professional or DTDC run for their money.Its better they gear up and embrace technology before they get wiped out by new age couriers like Speedmail.

Aww Snap!!! Chrome unfriendly to Win 7

2009-05-23T23:57:00.001+05:30

I was never a great fan of Google Chrome.As a heavy browser,I find Firefox as the best browser for me.Main reason being the plugins and Add-ons. Although IE8 is faster than FF consuming less memory,i still prefer FF over IE8 because IE 8 crashes more than bumping car..oh.. MS :( .

Anyways, since Chrome caught my attention recently,I thought I would try it on WIN 7. The installation went fine and it even imported my bookmarks from IE8.but once I opened Chrome,it said “Aww Snap Chrome has crashed..”.I tried restarting,then opened in compatibility mode..still couldn't even open a single page.

It looks like the problem is already noted as I found this issue reported in Chrome’s official website .(issue 11583).

I also tried installing the latest beta version and the shortcut modification which appears to be the only solution available now,unfortunately both didn’t work. I don’t think i will try it again..I am happy with Firefox(3.1 beta 4) and will wait for FF 3.1 full release .

A Royal Wii – For Her Royal Highness

2009-05-23T21:43:00.001+05:30

Last week, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth received a unusual gift but truly a royal one, a gold plated Nintendo Wii gaming console. THQ which is launching the “BIG” series of games for the Wii delivered this unique one of a kind,gaming console to the delivered to the Buckingham Palace.

People Magazine (UK) had already reported in January that, Her Royal Highness is having a great time playing ten pin bowling in Prince William’s Wii which was his Christmas gift from girlfriend Kate.

Although there is no official comment from the Queen, it is a well known fact that she owns a good gadget collection which includes a IPod, Blackberry etc and a Royal Wii would be a perfect addition to it.

Even though,it may not be true that the Queen, aged 83 is smashing with the Royal Wii,it has sure caught everyone's attention which was the main idea in the first place.

“Live for the Future” – Eric Schmidt

2009-05-19T00:16:00.001+05:30

Google Chief Eric Schmidt’s Keynote speech in Carnegie Mellon University.Interestingly, he requested the graduates to switch off their computers and mobiles and to see the real humans around them and Live for the future

Some Quotes :

“You cannot plan innovation. You cannot plan invention. All you can do is try very hard to be at the right place and be ready”

“We used watches to tell time, maps to navigate,cameras to take pics and listen to transistor radios..well you have a cell phone”

“You will find that nothing beats than to hold your grandchild’s hand as he takes his first step”

“You’ll find today is the best chance you have to start being unreasonable, to demand excellence, to drive change, to make everything happen.”

AUDI bets big on India

2009-05-18T00:29:00.001+05:30

Despite all the recession stories going around Audi India is very positive about Indian markets.Its aims to grow at a massive 55% to reach the target of 1500 cars in FY2009-10.Considering that it has grown 200% last fiscal despite facing a decline in other major global markets it seems like a realistic target.With A6 already launched in India and Q5 coming soon Audi is confident to achieve this.Out of 80 cars set for the Kerala market,25 has already been sold which is a very good start.

The German Luxury Automobile company founded in Zwickau, Germany in 1909 will be completing its 100th year this July.Audi which sports its German tagline Vorsprung durch Technik, meaning "Advantage through Technology" is planning to expand its portfolio to 40 cars by 2015.

Hey There Della !!

2009-05-17T23:54:00.001+05:30

DELL has launched a separate web page named Della for its computers targeting the female consumer segment.Sony was the first one to bring in colors to laptops and popularized the idea of presenting laptops as fashion accessories.Dell has taken this bit further by making a separate webpage for them and how to choose the correct PC they need which will not only help them in their productivity but also compatible with their style of fashion by offering them customized patterns for their notebooks.The website also encourages to join in online discussions in social networking sites like Facebook ,Myspace etc.

I think it’s good idea,because women are very attentive to details and often need to be attended in a personalized way. Generally gadgets are often seen as a guy’s thing,but its a fact that today even women are into gadgets ranging from mobile phones,PMP’s or laptops. So I think they will love a personalized website for them which will take note of the other style& soft features apart from the technical aspects when buying a laptop.

Apple bites back @ MS ads

2009-05-15T02:28:00.001+05:30

Apple has responded to Microsoft’s Laptop Hunters campaign with a slew of new “I am a Mac,I am a PC” ads. The ad below is a direct answer to laptop hunter ad,while others feature customer care,PC CHOICE chat,time traveler etc.

While MS ads have been very descriptive & appear to be “realistic”, Apple uses simplicity and humor which i think is more effective in reaching audience and enjoy a higher retention rate.

As much I love Microsoft, as a marketer I must say when it comes to ads Apple wins hands down.

Google Chrome comes to TV

2009-05-14T03:17:00.001+05:30

It may very well qualify to Ripley’s Believe it or Not,but u better believe it.Yes, Google has embraced Mass media Advertising starting with TV spots to promote its Chrome web browser.

Although it is said it will be aired only in Japan for now , a YouTube Channel named Google Chrome has a video collection called Chrome Shorts.

I still remember ,the first offline advertising from Google I recognized was the billboards in Bangalore when the Google SMS search was launched.I have to admit it was little weird to see the Google Logo in the physical world , seemed like the virtual entity jumped out of the PC.

However , I wonder what exactly Google intends to achieve by these promotional efforts? Okay lets say the browser share of Chrome increases , how will it affect the revenues of Google?.

I guess if more people use Chrome,the more they will use Google services like search etc ,which will increase traffic which may have a positive effect on its revenues. Also, Google chrome keeps track of user’s online behavior which is also a key component in optimizing search results and help in targeted advertising.

Google Squares the Wolf

2009-05-13T20:02:00.001+05:30

I cant believe that I missed this when I read about WolframAlpha. Anyways,looks like Google is all set to rip off the Wolf.

Google will be rolling out Google squared as part of Google labs by the end of May.The special feature in Google Squared is that it will extract data from the web and produce the results in “Squares” in the form of spreadsheets. Techcrunch has released a demo video on Google Squared.

Also Google has already added new tools called Search options which “are a collection of tools that let you slice and dice your results and generate different views to find what you need faster and easier”

This may not exactly mirror WolframAlpha’s capabilities but the point is ,no matter what competition comes ,Google can easily replicate and will even better it.So that when it comes to search GOOGLE RULES ALWAYS.

Who Cried Wolf ? - Try WolframAlpha.

2009-05-13T00:47:00.000+05:30

Imagine what will happen if we mix Google is merged with Wikipedia? May be it will tell u the answer to any question by searching the answer over the net and presenting in a concise format.Sounds cool? well its coming soon..

Its not called WIKIGLE or Googipedia but Wolfram|Alpha.

Usually we search using keywords.But sometimes keywords don't help.We might want to ask questions like in Yahoo Answers,but the results are not great. Wolfram Alpha aims to fix this.

Stephen Wolfram who is the man behind WA,is a highly acclaimed scientist and is noted for his previous projects like Mathematica and New Kind of Science. Although the these were very technical in nature,WA is to the mainstream.

Wolfram mentions in his blog "All one needs to be able to do is to take questions people ask in natural language, and represent them in a precise form that fits into the computations one can do"

That means instead of just searching India + Economy..I can ask what is Indian economic situation in 2008-09 and instead of links I will get my info like a Wikipage.

Though it looks promising, I don't think it will affect traffic of Google or Wikipedia.But I am sure it will be a hit if it works.

M.J. UNPLUGGED

2009-05-12T20:07:00.001+05:30

Hi all, yes yes I am aware my blogging rate is declining steeply.but hey its recession time ,everything is declining :)

Jokes apart ,I assure I am working on it and.....as a result, MJ 2.0 .0 is all set to roll.

So what exactly is it ? Well simply put,I have started another bl0g. This seems paradoxical, but in a attempt to make DENOVOS much more professional I have started my personal blog MJ UNPLUGGED, so that I can concentrate only on BTM (not B.T.M layout) but Business Technology & Marketing.

MJ UNPLUGGED will feature all my personal stuff,things I Like,dislike ,which I want to share etc etc. So I wont post songs movie reviews, emotional posts in DENOVOS any more.Sounds cool?

Yes as always there is negative side,the blog post count will come down,but quality will definitely go up. I guess it will somewhere around 12-15.lets see..hope I can handle it...this itself a denovo after all ;)

Thanks for your support, pls do visit often and give ur feedback.

HAPPY LABOUR DAY!!!

2009-05-01T21:03:00.001+05:30

Did you know that May day is celebrated by the success of Eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest?

More interesting facts about International Workers Day here.

BYE BYE ALLIANCE

2009-04-30T18:58:00.000+05:30

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial

For what it's worth it was worth all the while
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

TODAY WAS MY LAST DAY IN ALLIANCE AS A STUDENT.NOW I HAVE BECOME AN ALUMNI OF ALLIANCE.IT WAS A WONDERFUL JOURNEY AND WAS INDEED THE TIME OF MY LIFE :)

CONFICKER – the clock is ticking

2009-04-26T23:54:00.001+05:30

If you don't know what is Conficker by now,I can assure you that its no candy or confectionary.

Conficker aka Downup, Downadup and Kido is the latest deadly worm(the electronic species) which has affected millions of computers(only with windows ) around the world.

First check if you can access antivirus websites like Symantec & Mcafee. If you can ,you are safe.If not, sorry you got CONFICKERED.

Please check Microsoft’s Conficker page for further details

Conficker though hit computers did not do anything fatal and was believed it will strike on April 1.However nothing happened on Fools Day but later it got active and automatically started downloading a rogue antivirus software.Now again reports of new conficker movements about a secondary virus called Waledac, that sends out e-mail spam without knowledge of the PC's owner, along with a fake anti-spyware program,

Vincent Weafer, a vice president with Symantec Security Response, the research arm of the world's largest security software maker, Symantec Corp said "Expect this to be long-term, slowly changing,It's not going to be fast, aggressive.”

Better update your antivirus programs as fast as possible and frequently.Looks like Conficker is here to stay..

WINDOWS 7 RC - just around the corner

2009-04-26T10:10:00.001+05:30

Attention XP lovers , WIN7 will have a XP mode which will run through Windows Virtual PC. MS says this will help small firms using XP to move migrate more easily to Win 7.Older Applications can be installed directly in the XP mode without any compatibility issues.The beta versions of Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC for Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate will be released soon. (I have the WIN7 Enterprise edition..and its good)

The official Microsoft blog says that the Release Candidate of Win 7 will be available from April 30 for MSDN and TechNet subscribers and for public downloads from May 5th.

Microsoft recently reported a fall in sales of 5.6 percent to $13.6 billion in the third quarter, which ended March 31. Profit declined 32 percent to $2.98 billion.This is the first decline in 23 years since the company went public.

However, it seems cost saving plans have convinced investors which resulted in astounding 11 percent,biggest jump in 5 months.Hopefully WIN 7 will give the additional boost to sales….

MJ 2.0

2009-04-25T23:44:00.001+05:30

Hey Everyone….Long Time No See :)

I haven’t blogged for quite some time,because I am in the middle of a major transition in my life.All along my life ,My identity have always been a student of a educational institution,well not anymore. [yes, I have been placed :) ]

But first things first, I like to say a big THANK YOU for all the respondents of my survey. With their help I finally finished my dissertation report.(web 2.0)

And as of 30th April my academic life will officially get over after the Viva Voce. That will mark of the end of MJ 1.0 :p

From May I will embark on my professional career as an Operations Executive in Real Estate Bank of India. (its not a bank :p ) .Thanks everyone for their wishes and support :)

Based on the work timings,I suppose I can still blog frequently :)

ANY SUGGESTIONS IN IMPROVING MY BLOG WOULD BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED AND IF POSSIBLE WILL BE INCLUDED

MJ 2.0 Coming Soon…………….

Call Rates R.I.P-UPDATE

2009-04-11T20:38:00.001+05:30

I had explained in January that why “there will be no more Mobile operators but only Internet service providers” and why there will be no mobiles but only MIDs.

Well….looks like the change has begun…

ConsumerReports.org reports that “AT&T will begin selling netbooks with integrated wireless Internet cards, selling them for as low as $50 — with a data plan contract, of course. The rollout will begin in Atlanta and Philadelphia.” read more >>

Looks like AT&T has realized the change…and it wont be much time before this change becomes global..

Read my previous posts about this :-

Let It Rock-Kevin Rudolf feat Lil Wayne

2009-04-11T19:49:00.001+05:30

I see your dirty face
High behind your collar
What is done in vain
Truth is hard to swallow
So you pray to God
To justify the way you
Live a lie,Live a lie
Live a lie
And you take your time
And you do your crime
Well you made your bed
I'm in mine

[Chorus: Kevin Rudolf]
Because when I arrive
I, I bring the fire
Make you come alive
I can take you higher
What this is, forgot
I must now remind you
Let it rock,Let it rock
Let it rock

Now the son's disgraced
He, who knew his father
When he cursed his name
Turned and chased the dollar
But it broke his heart
So he stuck his middle finger to the world
To the world,To the world

And you take your time
And you stand in line
Well you'll get what's yours
I got mine

Because when I arrive
I, I bring the fire make you come alive
I can take you higher
What this is, forgot
I must now remind you
Let it rock,Let it rock
Let it rock

[Lil Wayne:]

if not playing double click the video

[Chorus: x2]
Because when I arrive
I, I bring the fire
Make you come alive
I can take you higher
What this is, forgot
I must now remind you
Let it rock,Let it rock
Let it rock

[Chorus:]
Just let it rock
Let it rock,Let it rock
Let it rock

[Lil Wayne:]

And I wish I could be
As cool as you
And I wish I could say
The things you do
But I can't and I won't live a lie
No not this time

India Innovation Initiative

2009-04-07T11:31:00.002+05:30

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) along with CII and Agilent Technologies Inc has launched I3 –India Innovation Initiative a unique competition where one can submit their innovative ideas and if selected they would be charted into viable business models, converting the idea into an enterprise.

"The DST receives plenty of ideas to develop through its national innovation fund (NIF). A select few can be worked out and developed into commercially viable innovations that can address pertinent problems like climate change, water scarcity or other such concerns," Anuj Sinha, the head of science communication division at DST, said. (Hindu)

So if you have some innovative ideas and believe it will make a difference ,here is your chance to prove it.

May 30/09 is the last date to send in your proposals. For more details log on t0 http://www.innovationgrid.org/i3/#

MS Laptop Hunters-new Ad Campaign

2009-04-05T16:14:00.001+05:30

When Microsoft joined hands with CP+B to launch a Ad Campaign it was nothing but a $300 million mistake.Now again MS along with CP+B ,is back with a new ad campaign called “laptop hunters” .

MS says the ads feature “real people” choosing the laptop which has all the features they are looking for,within their budget (not surprisingly, they all buy a PC after considering a Mac) MS claims the ads are ‘completely unscripted’ but many don’t believe it. Even i don’t think they are completely unscripted or that the “consumers” were made to believe that they are taking part in a marketing research.

Microsoft Videos: Laptop Hunters #2 – Giampaolo

I think the authenticity of ads are not really a problem,as long as it convinces viewers that PC offers more value for money than a Mac (that’s again is debatable :p ). But as i have said earlier Mac is luxurious and not everyone needs it. Unless you are a graphic designer or something like that,an affordable PC is good enough for a normal user(the mass market) who just uses to surf the net, play media and type documents.. :) what do you think ? ;)

Apologize-One Republic

2009-04-05T00:24:00.001+05:30

I'm holding on your rope,
Got me ten feet off the ground
And I'm hearing what you say but I just can't make a sound
You tell me that you need me
Then you go and cut me down, but wait
You tell me that you're sorry
Didn't think I'd turn around, and say...
That it's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

I'd take another chance, take a fall
Take a shot for you
And I need you like a heart needs a beat
But it's nothing new - yeah yeah
I loved you with the fire red
Now it's turning blue, and you say...
"Sorry" like the angel heaven let me think was you
But I'm afraid...
It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late whoa.....
It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah
I'm holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground...

Lessons From A Slumdog Sales boy

2009-04-01T00:11:00.002+05:30

An MBA or any similar management degree teaches you basics of economics,accounting,finance,marketing,human resource management,research methodology,business strategy.

Often B-school graduates,get a shocker when they enter into the corporate world and find there is a huge disconnect between the theory they studied and the tasks they perform on the field.Does that mean theory is irrelevant? definitely not.Its your ability to link the concepts and their relevant applications ,to see beyond the documents to get the big picture and the idea behind it.

Here,look how the uneducated “slumdog sales boy” (does is it sound offensive ??) sells small handiworks to the foreign tourists.

As a marketing graduate I am able to identify the some of the concepts which are relevant to this boy’s strategy.

He understands the customer segments namely domestic and foreign tourists
He has targeted a niche segment i.e. foreign tourists who would be more profitable even though the sales volume might be low
He understands that many others will be selling the same item and his only way is to pitch it differently i.e. in international marketing terms “communication adaptation”
His multilingual ability gives him a competitive advantage over others selling the same item because business strategy tells us that distinctive capabilities are difficult to imitate than distinctive resources which are the main sources of competitive advantage. So what’s the big deal ?….

If you are doing field sales and feel that all those concepts you learned are going to waste …think again…may be you can use those concepts and models to design your own selling procedure according to your industry. who knows ? if it clicks it may become a SOP in the company itself….

Remember Knowledge is Power only when Applied correctly…..

Lose and Regain

2009-03-31T01:19:00.002+05:30

Kamal Haasan says in one of his movies (Virumaandi) “you don't realize the happiness you have until you lose it”. Its not just happiness, but we don't realize the value of many things we have until we lose them .

I was in Chennai for the weekend and i was not online for the entire weekend. Which made me realize, how much i am hooked onto the net,but that is obvious :p isn't it? But i was quite comfortable(except it was very hot and so boring) and didn't have any withdrawal symptoms ;)

But the strangest thing happened when I entered Bangalore on my way back. I felt i was back home which is weird because I always consider Madurai as my home and Bangalore was always like staying in a guests place.Looks like I have to admit “Namma Bengalooru” has become like a home away from home for me.I realized I missed Bangalore more than the virtual world :p

So if you do something daily out of your own desire (like having tea in your favorite shop,etc etc),just try not to do it for a couple of days (unless its a essential task). Then after the couple of days if you do that again, you will feel it to be more fulfilling than before. It is also good to test how much you like a person- don’t talk to them for a couple of days,you will realize how much you actually like to be with the person. Whatever it is, just make sure the feelings are mutual.

BTW, I am conducting a online survey about web 2.0 advertising as part of my post graduation. so plzzzz do participate and give your valuable feedback. Please find the questionnaire here.It will take just 5 mins to fill it up and it will be immensely helpful for my study.

Keep Smiling :) Cheers !!!

Sixth Sense-the Future of Mobile Technology

2009-03-23T03:56:00.002+05:30

Just when I thought touch devices like iphones,Tablet pc's etc are going to rule the near future, comes a far more cutting edge technology which looks like as if pulled out from a Sci-Fi movie. Pattie Mae , founder of Fluid Interfaces Group recently unveiled Sixth Sense, a wearable device comprising a projector which projects the virtual world onto any surface an can be accessed with hand gestures…something like in the movie Minority Report.Watch the video to get a peek into the future.

SIXTH SENSE DEMO

Pranav Mistry, a PhD student in the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT's Media Lab is the wizard behind this project, which aims to blend in the virtual world with physical world by making data accessible, anywhere, anytime.

If this becomes viable ad practical, we will be “wearing” our mobile devices either as cap, sunglasses or as “bling bling” chains.Hope the day come sooner………

Windows 7 is the Good Side of Vista

2009-03-23T02:45:00.003+05:30

One of the good things to have techies in the family, is that you get cool techstuff much before others ,atleast I get it before most of my friends:) [when it comes to software even my engg friends ask for tips!!!].

So it is not much of surprise, when some of my friends are getting convinced to move to Vista I have 'moved on' to windows 7 [build 7.000-new version coming in sometime but I couldn't wait :)]. And before anything else , I would say this if you are using XP hold it, don't move to Vista. wait for some more time because Win7 will be releasing soon commercially!!.(latest by 4th quarter 2009).

Well I am not going to review Win7 for you ,there are others who are better qualified than me for that.But as a normal user and a non tech guy I would say these.... its faster than XP (believe it or not :p), has all the good stuff of vista aero theme,safety etc etc,a uncluttered Taskbar which shows mainly the icons of application,revamped start menu,free to move gadgets,improved preview,libraries through which you can access similar files from single location (for example, in the photos library all photos in the system can be accessed despite of their original location).Click here for detailed preview

Now ...Tiger,who had installed WIN 7 before me had some issues so uninstalled it.Well the requirements are similar to Vista,minimum is 1 gb ram and atleast 2ogb hard drive space..If vista works fine in your system then Win7 should work splendidly.There was a critical update after its initial release, so guys who had used without the update may not have enjoyed it.I had uninstalled Vista then loaded Win7 so its working like a charm.

Bottom line: Win 7 is Vista reloaded but this time MS has got it right :)

Two Sides of the New Ipod Shuffle

2009-03-12T23:50:00.002+05:30

If you are a regular to my blog you would have realised it by now.Nevertheless I will say it up front,"I am Microsoft Biased"

However, I wont argue over the fact that Apple is the Greatest when it comes to product design and one of the most innovative companies in this planet. Apple's new Ipod Shuffle sure stole my eyes. For starters, its half the size , 4 times the memory(4Gb). At $79 its not too pricey either, considering other Ipods.Apart from the new multiple playlist support, the coolest feature is that this player talks!!

The VoiceOver feature announces the name of song or playlist, notifies about the battery life in 14 languages!!.

Surely Apple knows how to be Invincible.I felt "Wow" really belongs to Apple and not to MS... remember Vista wow :(

But again my Microsoft biased mind was desperate to find something wrong about Apple. I was having thoughts that Why Apple does not always give out their best at first?? May be Apple had this design before itself, but planned to release only when the sales slowed down.May be it wants to skim the market as much possible, before release a better version(like the case of Iphone 3g). But then came my saviour.....

Dan Leahul points out in Brand republic's Digital Blogger

"...the volume and tracking controls have been moved to the iPod earphones.The earphones, proprietary earphones... why Apple, why?

Seems like a kick in the shins to devoted iPod users, just what happens if (when) you (eventually) lose the earphones, besides obviously shelling out £40 for another set?

An explanation? Are we granted an apology? A hand written letter from Steve Jobs with a dab of his Apple musk sealed in the envelope?

Since when is the World's Nicest Company^TM so mean? "

Aha ...looks like Apple is not so innocent after all and Microsoft is not just the one which is blamed all the time.

I am Microsoft biased and I can sleep peacefully tonight....

Build Your World- As You Like It

2009-03-11T23:28:00.002+05:30

Remember the "Construct " in The Matrix? where Morpheus says "It our 'loading program' We can load anything from clothing to equipment, weapons, training simulation, anything we need".

Imagine what if there is actually a program in which you can load anything, build whatever you want.It will be a place where only your mind is the limit.

The video below is a short film which shows a virtual program called World builder similar to the Construct. Please watch this "TechnoRomantic" brilliant piece of creativity.

World Builder - Sci-Fi Romance

If U Had A Bad Day.....this one is for you......

2009-03-11T20:19:00.001+05:30

Where is the moment we needed the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to grey
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin' on
You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee to go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces everytime
And I don't need no carryin' on
Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
Well you need a blue sky holiday
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don't need no carryin' on
You had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
(Oh.. Holiday..)

You had a bad day

Sometimes the system goes on the blink
And the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know
That you could be well oh that strong
And I'm not wrong
So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You've seen what you like
And how does it feel for one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
Had a bad day
Had a bad day
Had a bad day
Had a bad day
Had a bad day

Happy Holi Everyone

2009-03-10T20:07:00.001+05:30

To know more about Holi visit Rajiv's blog

EARTH HOUR 2009

2009-03-08T23:11:00.002+05:30

WWF is organizing the "Earth Hour" on march 28 2009, where it requests everyone to turn off their lights for one hour.It believes this will show the world leaders the commitment of people around the world towards saving Earth from global warming.

"75 countries including India have committed to participate in WWF’s Earth Hour in 2009. The campaign, which hopes to reach out to more than one billion people in 1000 cities around the world, encourage individuals, businesses and governments to switch off lights for just one hour on Saturday March 28, 2009 at 8:30pm to convey their support for action on climate change. 538 cities already committed, and double the number of countries that participated in 2008.Cities already committed to Earth Hour include Los Angeles, Las Vegas, London, Hong Kong, Sydney, Rome, Manila, Oslo, Cape Town, Warsaw, Lisbon, Singapore, Istanbul, Mexico City, Toronto, Dubai and Copenhagen.
2009 is a critical year in terms of the political decisions that will be made at global climate negotiations in December 2009. Earth Hour, aims to highlight the voice of the people of the world and represent a visual mandate for meaningful policy on climate change."

VOTE FOR EARTH ON EARTH HOUR -MARCH 28 2009

In India, Mumbai and Delhi will participate in the earthhour The campaign was launched in Mumbai during the Chemical Engineering festival of IIT-Bombay - ‘Azeotropy 09. Although WWF has garnered support from the government and corporates it also encourages people to take self initiatives to form groups and participate in Earthhour in their neighborhoods. I hope people will join the campaign for Aamir khan if not for Mother Earth.

Microsoft's vision for 2019

2009-03-08T00:24:00.000+05:30

I completely agree when Tiger says "Microsoft is trying to revive its image of a visionary company" After all it was their vision to put a PC in every home in every desk.

Stephen Elop of Microsoft Labs recently unveiled MS' vision for the next decade at the Wharton Business Technology Conference.

2019 - montage

This is just a preview of the vision.Please do have a look at the full video here.

I firmly believe this trait to have a vision, to think beyond,to imagine the endless possibilities of what technology can achieve is what makes Microsoft stand out in the crowd.Sure Apple makes great products and Microsoft copies it. Sure Google , Yahoo etc makes access to information more simpler. But do they have a vision as to how will they play their parts in shaping the future? May be they do, May be they don't.

Unlike many other companies who just have long term business strategies with just a financial perspective, Microsoft surely does have a vision and exactly knows what part it will play in shaping our future lives.

Indiblogger 2009 (Update)

2009-03-07T23:50:00.001+05:30

First answer this - Do all bloggers have a financial motive for blogging? If not should they have one? and why?

Hi everyone, sorry I wasn't keeping well and so couldn't blog.I promised to write more about the meet but since time has slipped away please see Tiger's post on this .He received some interesting comments also ;) regarding the question mentioned above.please do put in your thoughts about it. Overall it was a very good meeting and I am really looking for more meets like this. Btw Indian Blog & New Media Society is organising a blogger meet in Namma Bengaluru ( New Delhi also).

Hope I can meet some more blogger buddies there......

Indiblogger Meet 2009

2009-03-01T23:54:00.002+05:30

Hi everyone.. guess what? My Blogging just got serious. Seriously when I started blogging never did I know it will become such a important activity in my life.

Anwin through Indiblogger organised the Bangalore Blogger Meet 2009.More than 100 bloggers attended the meeting. We had a awesome time,pitching our blogs,munching pizzas,gawking at windows 7. Click for full report & Pics.More about the meeting in the next post.

!!!WE BLOG THEREFORE WE ARE!!!

BTW.... Happy March Everyone !!! (u know its March 1 that too in a sunday, which certainly qualifies a De Novo)

Absolutely Scintillating ....

2009-02-25T22:25:00.001+05:30

SCINTILLATION from Xavier Chassaing on Vimeo.

From Vimeo.com -This is an experimental film made up of over 35,000 photographs. It combines an innovative mix of stop motion and live projection mapping techniques.

Directed by - chassaing.xavier@gmail.com
Music by - myspace.com/fedaden

Joker Has His Last Laugh

2009-02-23T23:58:00.001+05:30

Heath Ledger won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his psychotic performance as the Joker in 'The Dark Knight'

Heath Andrew Ledger

R.I.P

4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008

JAI HO @ OSCARS

2009-02-23T11:39:00.002+05:30

Its Jai Ho time with the OSCARS finally coming to India

"All my life I've had a choice of hate and love. I chose love, and I'm here. God bless." - AR RAHAMAN won two Oscars, one each for the Best Original Score and the Best Original Song categories while Indian sound engineer

Resul Pokutty won the Oscar along with Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke for best Sound Mixing. "I dedicate this award to my country. This is not just a sound award but a piece of history that has been handed over to me," a beaming and emotional Pookutty said while dedicating the trophy to a billion Indian

Slumdog Millionaire totally won 8 Oscars including Best Picture,Best Director & Best Adapted Screenplay

"Just to say to Mumbai, all of you who helped us make the film and all of those of you who didn't, thank you very much. You dwarf even this guy," Boyle said, holding up his directing Oscar.

This shows that Indian Technicians are among the best in the world and are Oscar-worthy but its upto the filmmakers to bring out the best in them

Arise MS, Awake Apple,Android has Arrived

2009-02-22T00:20:00.001+05:30

Google has always been a pain in (u know where) for Microsoft .Google and Microsoft have been rivals in various fronts.Search , browser,social networking, cloud computing, office suite (although G Docs is online only). But the pain took shape as Android and was competing directly with MS Windows Mobile. But now the face off has become even more bloodier.

Asus has announced that it is working on android based net books.Android has just stepped into Microsoft's own turf - Computer OS, that means sooner or later its going to be a huge OS WAR .

If Google decides to commercialise and brings in android based laptops, imagine the implications!!!.Android based laptops loaded with all Google software (Google desktop, Chrome, Picasa..etc ) & full array of web applications (btw Gmail is coming offline) , will shook up the entire market place.

Even Apple is facing heat from Google same as Microsoft but Apple has always maintained a small, but strong loyalty base .So MS will be the one to receive a lot of damage particularly in consumer markets. Corporate clients will be the saviours of MS. Although Linux is an existing open source OS, they haven't had any devastating effect on MS windows. But Google has the power to do that.

May be one fine day the World will wake up and see GOOGLE is the new MS.

Recession 4 everyone... lol

2009-02-20T02:19:00.001+05:30

Blame Them For Recession

2009-02-20T01:47:00.001+05:30

Time.com has identified a list of 25 people "blameworthy" for this financial crisis.Interestingly even American consumers are in the list.Readers can vote whether they are innocent or guilty

Who are the ones you think are guilty or innocent? Give your verdict here.

Welcome to Villa Aqua....

2009-02-20T00:37:00.001+05:30

Vibs had recently blogged about sky villas which are "by invitation only".Interestingly, looks like its not just the sky, but also the sea where villas will come up in the near future making sci-fi become sci-tru :).

Trilobis 65 is one such submerged dwelling environment or simply a floating home.

Italian naval architect Giancarlo Zema who designed the part yacht and part submarine says " "The main aim of the project is to allow anyone to live in a unique environment through a self-sufficient, nonpolluting dwelling that exists in unison with their ocean surrounding"

Read more about the Trilobis 65 here.

Don't Quit

2009-02-18T00:09:00.001+05:30

A nice inspirational video poem titled Don't quit from http://www.thedontquitpoem.com/

Thanks Niyati :) :)

A Request to Our Desi Movie Critics

2009-02-17T13:27:00.001+05:30

This is in reference to movie review of Seven Pounds by Mr. Masand (CNN-IBN), Parvathi Nayar (Hindu) & MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER (Hindu - Bangalore). Warning Contains Spoilers!!!Please first watch the movie or read its entire description here

As a movie buff, my sincere request to our beloved desi movie critics, If you don't know how to review a movie then Just Shut Up....

First, all of them got it wrong that Will Smith is an IRS official...Guess what? He is not. He is impersonating his brother who is an IRS official.

Masand says "he barges into the home of an Asian woman" Asian??? plzzz. The character's name is Connie Tepos and speaks Spanish in the movie .Isn't it obvious she is a South American? One of the main reasons he cites "you keep expecting that his big secret will indeed be a big one. Sadly, it's not" Buddy, there is no big secret because its closer to reality. Seriously what were you expecting?? A FBI plot, A Magical Cult, Weird Mind Disorder???

The film essentially says how trivial things can change your entire life. That’s why Will says "God created the world in seven days, I destroyed mine in seven seconds" in the first few minutes.

Parvathy mentions "Why Ben has downsized from successful aeronautics executive to downbeat tax enforcer is one of the movie’s “mysteries”". It’s because he was not downsized.

Mini says "Will Smith is such a charismatic star and can easily carry a movie on his shoulders. But here he is gloomy and doomy and no fun at all as Ben" No fun?? It’s a emotional drama about a man who has lost his fairy tale life, how can you expect him to be a fun character??

I can go on and on, but please understand the point I am trying to make. If you are giving a movie review, you should have set of parameters and rate accordingly, you cannot just give opinions unless you yourself are critically acclaimed. If not, just stick to the mediocre movies releasing every week with the same story line and sexy item numbers or better keep quiet. For heaven's sake, they don't even get the story correctly, how can they review it??

My opinion?? It’s an emotionally charged movie.It’s good but not great. If you are looking for a thriller, adrenaline rush or a few laughs, stay away from it.

Bye Bye Cellphones... Hello MID

2009-02-16T13:28:00.001+05:30

Technology is moving at a greater speed than we think,atleast it is faster than I thought.

Earlier I had pointed out the narrowing difference (Toshiba Ikiller) between mobile phones & computing devices and the possible strategic inflection point (Call rates RIP) the telecom industry might come across.

So what? take a look at the news from CNET.com

Intel announced here Monday at the GSMA Mobile World Congress that LG Electronics will use its latest generation technology to build a new class of device called mobile Internet devices, or MIDs.Now the companies are working on a new class of product that are mini-computers that can also be used to make phone calls using a wireless Internet connection. Intel sees the category of product as something that is somewhere between a smartphone, like the Apple iPhone, and a Netbook, a scaled-down version of a notebook computer.

IF you see the image below you will get the idea of that "something somewhere" product Intel is talking about. ARM is one of the early firms to have a vision about MID's or Mobile Internet Devices

The article further states the implication of MID's in the telecom industry which will eventually make Call rates R.I.P

I thought it will take another decade for this to happen, but looks like we will bid farewell to cellphones & embrace MIDs,very soon.

World's Tweeting... Are you?

2009-02-14T12:58:00.001+05:30

Institutional Venture Partners and Benchmark Capital have pumped $35 million into Twitter - the microblogging site .

Todd Chaffee, the partner at IVP gives four reasons about why it was a good idea to invest in Twitter in these recessionary period.

Open. That makes it easy for others to build on top of Twitter and it also makes it searchable.
Real time. It is a huge database of what is happening right now.
Ubiquitous. You can get to it from just about any device.
Scalable. (Don't laugh)
Persistent. It allows for an archive of what is happening and what has happened, which is searchable (see No. 1).

Even I am using Twitter ,but not many of peers are.But amazingly I am able to interact with people whom I don't know at a intellectual level. If a see a interesting tweet , I just retweet and usually get a positive response.

The most fascinating thing for me is that Twitter has become the fastest growing phenomenon with just 29 employees!!!.

Chaffee says" Twitter is bigger than a lot of people realize and growing faster than a lot of people realize, but it has not hit the mainstream yet. It is just starting."

May be that's why they were bold enough to turn down a $ 500 million acquisition deal from Facebook.

Happy Valentines Day

2009-02-14T00:21:00.001+05:30

May Cupid be with you to bring all your wishes come true.....

A Song for Me

2009-02-13T23:06:00.002+05:30

Come on hold my hand,
I wanna contact the living.
Not sure I understand,
This role Ive been given.
I sit and talk to god
And he just laughs at my plans,
My head speaks a language, I dont understand.

I just wanna feel real love,
Feel the home that I live in.
cause I got too much life,
Running through my veins, going to waste.
I dont wanna die,
But I aint keen on living either.
Before I fall in love,
Im preparing to leave her.
I scare myself to death,
Thats why I keep on running.
Before Ive arrived, I can see myself coming.

I just wanna feel real love,
Feel the home that I live in.
cause I got too much life,
Running through my veins, going to waste.
And I need to feel, real love
And a life ever after.
I cannot get enough.

I just wanna feel real love,
Feel the home that I live in,
I got too much love,
Running through my veins, going to waste.
I just wanna feel real love,
In a life ever after
Theres a hole in my soul,
You can see it in my face, its a real big place.

Come and hold my hand,
I wanna contact the living,
Not sure I understand,
This role Ive been given
Not sure I understand.
Not sure I understand.
Not sure I understand.
Not sure I understand.

MS going the Apple Way..as always

2009-02-13T13:30:00.004+05:30

They have done it in the past, they will do it in the future , they are doing it as we speak.

Microsoft Corp,world leader in operating systems, has once again got something from Apple. Microsoft is looking to set up its own network of retail stores and they are pretty serious this time. David Porter who has spent 25 years at Wal-Mart !!!, the world's No 1 retailer has been hired as corporate vice president of retail stores for Microsoft.courtesy:GIZMODO.com

Mr. Porter, in a statement, said there are "tremendous opportunities" for Microsoft to create a "world-class shopping experience" for the company's customers.

"The purpose of opening these stores is to create deeper engagement with consumers and continue to learn firsthand about what they want and how they buy," Microsoft said in a statement.

I am not sure if MS stores will flourish as Apple stores did.It will have to face many issues like Channel conflicts,whether to add third party hardware (laptops etc to boost Windows OS sale), pricing etc .I think it will probably boost up the sales of Xbox product line and Gaming software rather than the MS Windows or Office product line.

I think timing is a key aspect,if MS sets up its first store by holiday season and release its Windows 7 which has got positive reviews, it may enjoy a smooth take off.

There are reports that MS stores will feature "PC Gurus" a direct copy of Apple's Genius concept.Personally I don't care if MS copies Apple all the time. As long it provides better value to its consumers,they wont care who did it first ,but rather who did it best? Why do you think Macintosh did not flourish as MS Windows even though it came first?

Darwin Day & Google's Evolution

2009-02-12T21:10:00.001+05:30

Did you notice the the recent logo of Google? If you haven't ,don't search it , just look below.

If you go "WOW" then you probably know what it is about..If you go "what in the world is that?" then let me tell you what it is.

Remember Charles Darwin and his theory that Man evolved from monkey? (BTW Mentos had nothing to do with it). Well the great scientist's 200th birthday is today (Feb 12th) and 150th anniversary (Nov 24 ) of the launch of his paper "Origin of Species" So you see Google, like always is sporting this special logo towards this special occasion.

Google's evolution is remarkable ,starting as humble search engine, it then launched an array of web applications and now has a strong presence in software arena (Google earth,Picasa , Chrome, Android,latest is Power Meter ).I won't be surprised if it launches a new hardware device in the future.

Started along with many other search engines, Google definitely has carved a position for itself by constantly evolving with continuous innovation.Most importantly it has done that in a very profitable manner.

Talk about Survival of Fittest......

Aero India 2009

2009-02-11T21:15:00.001+05:30

The 7th Aero India show organised by the Ministry of Defence, started today at Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bengaluru, India.

About 592 exhibitors,(303 overseas & 289 home) from 25 countries will showcase the latest in the field of avionics including Civil & Military aircrafts,subsystems,new defence technology etc.

The highlights of this year's show are

If you are in Bangalore please do visit the show in the weekend.Do take your kids along with you.Its better than seeing some mediocre movie..

MOBIZENS OF INDIA

2009-02-09T05:34:00.003+05:30

From TECHTREE.COM : According to a recent study conducted by Nokia, India is seeing a constant rise in the use of the mobile web to access various services.The study, conducted in partnership with TNS India, revealed startling facts about the current state of the mobile advertising industry in the country. The study was based on a sample of 3500 users from 15 cities across the country.

The study revealed that mobile users are increasingly using their handsets to access the Internet. The average usage per week on the traditional web stood at 2.4 days. Access using Mobile web surprisingly stood slightly higher at 2.7 days per week. Another interesting part of the study was the revelation that 80 percent of the users felt disconnected and "lost" if they do not have access to their cellphones for an elongated time period - indicating how intrinsic the mobile phone has become a part of our daily lives.
The survey also revealed was the fact that more users are finding out about new product information via the mobile web (28 percent) than the traditional web (26 percent).

The research conducted in select metro cities of India also revealed that users are fairly familiar with ads on their mobile phones and as much as 18 percent of the users said they had noticed a mobile banner advertisement. 56 percent of the users who saw the ads went on to click the ad and reach the mobile site of the advertiser. A large number (29 percent) of those who saw the advertisements went on to discuss the same with others, indicating a viral effect.

So.. Are You A Mobizen of India???

Satyam's Saviour

2009-02-06T10:47:00.001+05:30

A S Murty, widely known as ASM ,has been appointed as the new CEO of Satyam Computer Services.

Mr. Murty said"I have no misgivings about the enormity of the task in front of us, but together with my colleagues, I am confident we can accomplish the impossible. We will chart a precise and practical 30–60–90 day plan that will encompass and address the interests of all stakeholders"

Minister of corporate affairs Prem Chand Gupta had previously mentioned "I personally recommended that a CEO should be an insider... since it will take quite some time for a CEO from outside the company to take stock of a new business. And we do not have much time". He explained that the government also wanted a person for the top post who understood the client market closely and Satyam "does have many such good people".

Though Mr.Prem Chand's logic sounds right, I had the opinion the CEO should be an outsider,simply to boost investor confidence and stakeholder morale.Also an outsider will bring in a new perspective & will be devoid of Satyam's questionable corporate governance culture.

Nevertheless, please join me in wishing Mr.A S Murty and his team to rejuvenate and preserve the integrity of the firm.

All the very Best Mr. ASM

Ikiller from Toshiba

2009-02-05T01:27:00.002+05:30

When rumours about Dell's Smartphone were spreading,Toshiba a significant player in laptop category has launched a smartphone err..pocket PC..Iphone killer..(the differences are narrowing)

When Sony entered the mobile market ,mobile was seen as extension in consumer electronics.Soon LG & Samsung followed suit.

Then came Apple with its Iphone and changed the rules of the game.Since the difference between smartphones & ultra compact PC's is getting smaller day by day,many laptop firms are entering mobile space. Its not more like a product category extension but more like product line extension.Now this phenomenon has seriously affected core mobile manufactures like Nokia , Motorola etc.

Btw TGO1 is the first mobile to run on Qualcomm Snapdragon platform using a Windows Mobile 6.1 OS.It has a 1ghz mobile CPU with a 3d UI.Looks pretty impressive.See demo below...

Lets see whether it kills competition or killed by competition....

Google's Internet Bus

2009-02-03T22:44:00.001+05:30

From LiveMint - Chennai: As part of its initiatives to spread awareness about Internet, Google India on Tuesday announced the launch of mobile internet bus to provide the experience of worldwide web to people across Tamil Nadu.

The bus project is based on four themes — information, communication, entertainment and education, and it would have useful and informative content in English and Tamil, said Google India (Research and Development) Centre Head Prasad Ram.“We want to educate people about the benefit of Internet and this bus would make them to understand the usage of Internet in a much effective way,” he said.The bus would be covering 15 towns across the state over a period of one-and-a-half months, he said.Google India Product Manager Prem Ramaswami said this was like a pilot project for them and based on the response they get from this project, they would continue it in other states as well.

“It is like a pilot study (for us). More than 19% of Tamilians prefer Google Tamil for accessing the Internet and that is also one of the reasons to launch the bus project from Tamil Nadu,” he said.

read more here.......

How do you see yourself??

2009-02-03T00:32:00.001+05:30

I wonder what this means?? So If all cats must act like lion then why there are cats in this world??

Be what you are..don't try to be somebody else.....

My Happy Weekend

2009-02-01T21:41:00.001+05:30

Family and friends are the two big sources of happiness to a person.I am one of those gifted ones who is surrounded with loved ones.

We , the marketing batch of (PGPM 2007-09) celebrated our last Saturday together in a simple yet fun filled manner. We clicked photos like crazy as this is our last day of our lives. If only I had a bionic eye I would have captured every moment of it.

But some people were not interested to be part of it and some others were worried about how they looked in the pics. I want to tell them they are missing the whole point.Its not about eating cakes or posing for pics,its about cherishing the moments of having good people around you.And photos ensure that those golden moments are preserved in print and not there looks.

After many years if they look back their lives these are the moments which come rushing to the mind and believe me, you will not feel sad about your looks or the fact you did not get cake.

My 2nd brother just left to Chennai.He is leaving for UK later this and it will be a long time before I see him again. We three, along with his friends had a good time shopping ,eating out.Though we did not take any pics, this weekend will be etched in my mind forever.

Just then I realised that if you are surrounded by your loved ones then you are gifted.Too bad many realize it once they lose someone.One should learn to cherish every moment of their life,I know its is hard to practice when faced with "realities of life " but atleast one should cherish every moment they spend with their family & friends

I wish if every weekend was like this.........

PS: I know my regular readers will be wondering why all of a sudden my "intellectual" blog has become sentimental.Well its Feb 1 so I thought I will try something new after all its a De Novo :)

Call Rates R.I.P.

2009-01-31T06:39:00.004+05:30

As Rakesh wanted to buy a new mobile of the smartphone breed ,Dhiru and I were discussing about different mobiles and the new age mobile applications with him.Just then occurred to me that in the near future there will be no more call rates as such.

Let me explain .Almost every smartphone is equipped with 3g, Wi-Fi & other such wireless connectivity solutions. Wi Max and 3g networks have already been launched in some areas of India.Suppose I have a Smartphone ,so does my friend and we both have a WiMax connection, then I don't have to call or text through the GSM or CDMA connection but I will be using the Gtalk to IM or Skype to call.I will be charged for the data usage only which will be much lesser than call rates.

That means with Internet access everywhere, mobile users can stay connected through the internet itself and not necessarily through traditional networks like GSM .So there will be no more Mobile operators but only Internet service providers.

Yes it will be long time for the entire change but it will surely disrupt the telecom business model and entirely change the rules of the industry.This type of scenario is referred as a strategic inflection point,only the companies which will accept this and adapt future technologies will sustain in the future.

With telecom operators rolling out more networks and smartphones becoming more cheaper, its just a matter of time and it will happen...eventually .

HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY

2009-01-26T08:12:00.001+05:30

First Stock it ..then Sell it

2009-01-25T20:41:00.001+05:30

Me and my brother were shopping in SPAR and there was Suguna Chicken stall promoting their ready to cook chicken range by offering fried chicken for tasting . As bachelors, we thrive on ready to cook ,ready to eat foods.So obviously we were lured towards it [ plus free chicken 65 :)]

We tasted all three variants ,the chk-65 was so good,that we instantly added to our list. The chk manchurian was ok and the chk kofta...well its not worth eating even if its free . So we asked them for a pack of chk 65 and they directed us to the frozen foods section were they were stocked,atleast we thought so... Sadly the section was filled with the koftas and other boring stuffs but not the good ones. When I told the counter guy, he looked surprised , and went to the section and checked personally.Then he checked with the another guy and said "Sorry sir, we are out of stock ,you can buy the kofta if you want".I said "I don't want that..but why are you selling what you don't have? " When I crossed the section sometime later, only the kofta was on display with no people around .

Communication gap between the stocking staff and selling staff , has resulted in loss of sale for the chk company(I guess many would have been disappointed like me). A smart idea would have been to give out only the chk65 for tasting and sell a pack of all three variants at a special prize . I am sure many would have bought into it and later find the kofta is real awful. Atleast I would have ... :)

GOOGLE GOLA

2009-01-17T21:32:00.004+05:30

Neha sent me this pic, which shows the influence of Google among common public.It's actually a name board of cart selling Golas (Kala Khatta), a type of Indian snow cone . Until recently GOOGLE never advertised , atleast not in India.Only after the introduction of sms search,I could see heavy outdoor advertisements because its not just netizens anymore ,but it even wants to tap mobizens (my term for heavy mobile users) who are a growing segment-(mobile downloads are the latest rage) .

After seeing these pic,I think Google will become a familiar name among masses(or is it already??).How many web portals can achieve this?? Yes Yahoo! also has started putting ads in city busses,but to what extent it has reached the masses?? I guess very little.

Obama mania is another example of this type of buzz, I mean even regional magazines had pictures,jokes,trivia,etc about him and it was one of the hot topics discussed even in tea stalls,lunch breaks etc. But atleast in that the mass media were hyping about it.

But in this case , I guess it just spawned ... way to go Google!!

IPHONE @ RS 1000 /day

2009-01-16T19:42:00.002+05:30

Dhiru ,one of the mobile fanatics in my class,changed his cell phone again.As a new year change he shifted from HTC models to the still hot Iphone..so what's the big deal??

The Iphone was 7 days old and so he got it for Rs7000 less. So why did the user sell this in the first place?? He was not finding the touch interface simple and it was too complicated for him to perform basic tasks like making calls, sms, etc. So he decided to sell and every day the phone stays in his hand reduced the selling price as the original price may come down at any time. Just imagine,that guy has spent like Rs1000/day for using the Iphone.

So was it a impulse purchase ? I guess so.I think that guy was clueless about Apple & Iphone.He just bought it to show off.But then he could not use it for even normal usage so he had to sell it. And so Dhiru got a good deal.But even Dhiru will sell it probably in a couple of months [he gets bored soon I guess :)..],when some other "not so smart "guy struggling with his new smartphone offers a good deal or if HTC G1 comes to India.

I am just wondering what will be the price of a Iphone one year from one....any guesses???

Brand BJP and its Ambassador Advaniji

2009-01-14T01:15:00.002+05:30

Disclaimer : I am not endorsing Mr.Advani,BJP or their ideas & views .

The Bharathiya Janata Party has embraced the world wide web in order to cover the netizens as well.Shri L.K. Advani-Prime Ministerial Candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party, has setup a web site with a specific objective of connecting with youth and a global audience .

Neatly designed with a intro voice message from Mr.Advani himself,the web site features everything about him the party,the achievements, the promises and get this.....a blog too.

Even though I am averse to all Indian Political Parties ,as a marketer I am impressed. Take a look at the new logo and the web site , it has a clear message.BJP is connecting with netizens,while others are still lagging behind.Also this will give the party a global visibility. Think about the perception that corporates,Govt Officials & others in foreign countries will have about Indian Political parties.

Now that's brand building in the internet age...

Festive Greetings Everyone...

2009-01-14T00:33:00.001+05:30

Today is also celebrated as TAMIL NEW YEAR (earlier it was on April 14th )

இனிய தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்

>>>>>MJ>>> IS >>>BACK>>> ONLINE>>>>

2009-01-13T23:55:00.001+05:30

Hi everyone.....if you haven't noticed,this new year is not that great..specially for my blog...Tiger the prime driver and first critic of my blog got lil too annoyed at me for not blogging despite his constant nagging..that he put a comment on my previous post. so what really happened to me ??

Here is the reason some of you might know I am 'reverse dieting' (pls dont lol) and so I started to eat 4 times a day.Not just that I used to put a lot of effort on group assignments,but the first two weeks my groupmates took charge and I just relaxed.

This is very new to my mental and physical routine so there were side effects .I ate right times all and slept early.So I just ate all day and slept all night..no reading , blogging ,orkuting etc

Funny thing is all these days I did not have proper food or sleep, used to burn the midnight oil for studies , blogging etc but still stay bright in class..but once I started having a proper routine like others I felt very tired & drowsy and didn't do any work.

My friends say me I am weird because what's normal to them (good food & proper sleep) is weird to me..anyways I am slowly adjusting to this so called normal life..hopefully I will adjust soon..I will be blogging steadily but may be in a slower pace... Pls put in ur feedback about the new stretched look..I felt I can use more space for the pics..

MOBILE MANIA 2009

2009-01-04T01:21:00.004+05:30

Coming soon to a store near you

NOKIA -N97,E63,Slide,5130,5300

HTC - G1,S740,HD

MOTO-E66,Aura,VM35

Samsung-pixon,i7110

LG-Renoir,Prada

Blackberry-Curve,Storm

SONY-G705 &W705

For more details here

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

2009-01-01T14:59:00.001+05:30

Its a New Beginning a De Novo..May all your dreams come true and have a wonderful 2009..Post in your resolutions and any other interesting resolutions in the comments page..

Holidays Are Here!!!

2008-12-25T00:27:00.001+05:30

Wishing Everyone A Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

Bushoe Buzz

2008-12-24T15:15:00.001+05:30

What can happen by throwing a pair of shoes ?

Apart from all the reports, conversations,debates look below who quickly cashed in by the shoe episode

'Sock and Awe'.com , a online game site based on the incident was bought by British-based internet media company for 5,215 pounds ($7,818), through e-bay.com
You Tube gets 8,145,000 views in two days with from different versions of the video, uploaded @ 209 videos per hour.
Istanbul-based shoemaker Ramazan Baydan has received orders totaling 370,000 pair since Dec 14 and has employed 100 people extra to meet this demand.
Afghan televisions has put up special "shoe" episodes in their comedy shoes.

Baylis Revolution- Greenest MP3 player

2008-12-22T22:21:00.001+05:30

Yes it looks like a brick & No its does not fit into your pocket. Yes it includes music, video, and photo playback, , but no it does not support DRM protected music or video.Priced at $179 (4GB) it is costlier than an ipod (8GB-$149).So why in the world would anyone buy this??

Did I mention that it has a hand crank and can generate its own energy? Aptly named the Revolution, this wind-up mp3 player from Baylis is the greenest gadget of recent times. The crank is used to windup to charge the internal battery or can be used to charge other devices also.One minute of cranking will give you 45 minutes of music playback.At full charge it gives a astounding 48 hours of playback. Not just that it is also packed with features like music & video playback, a photo viewer, an FM radio, a voice recorder, a line input recorder, a text reader, expandable memory, and get this...a flashlight. (CNET full review)

When the market is full of me too mp3's,here is a player which cuts above the rest with a specific focus on adventure travellers.The Baylis Revolution is not for everyone,its for those who live on the road,globetrotters who explore the world in all its rawness. Talk about product differentiation for a niche segment....

Welcome back to Taj & Trident

2008-12-21T20:53:00.001+05:30

"We can be hurt but we will never fall," Ratan Tata, chairman of the Taj owner Tata Group, told reporters shortly before his hotel was to start checking in new guests.(AP)

Less than a month later after terror attacks,the Taj & Trident opened today.Heavy security is present complete with armed personnel, barricades,scanners etc.

"There is no fear. We see the courage of the people and the staff," said Kritika Srinivasan, 28, a regular guest at the hotel who went inside to congratulate the staff. "We have to show them (the attackers) that they can't break our courage and solidarity."

That seems to be the united opinion among the elite community as the top businessman,VIP's are keen to get a reservation for its opening day and also continue their early commitments.

From Hindu : Both Taj and Oberoi have set up funds to help those affected by the attacks – Taj Public Service Welfare Trust and Oberoi Care Fund.

Those wishing to contribute to the Taj fund can do so at: The Taj Public Service Welfare Trust, Mandlik House, 2nd Floor, Mandlik Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 001, Tel: +91-22-66395515, Fax: +91-22-22027442, e-mail: tpswtrust@tajhotels.com

Contributions to the Oberoi fund in the form of cheque or demand draft will be accepted till March 31, 2009. More information is available on www.oberoigroup/oberoicarefund. For questions and further information, you may contact on +91 011 2389 0555 or write to the hotel at support@oberoigroup.com.