I recently came across a podcast interview with Kavita Iyer, one of the founders of a new social networking site - Minglebox.
My first thoughts when i saw the podcast link to Kavita's interview, was "not another one!!"
In many ways it reminded me of the *Pet.com mania during the dotcom
boom. Every other guy had a mypet.com, yourpet.com and almost every one
of these was funded by a popular VC firm.
So what am i doing in Minglebox!!!
One thing that Kavita did mention and that actually got me interested
was the list of features that this site potentially offered!!! So i
thought hey why not check it out. May be these guys do have something
different after all.
Here's my take on what i've seen so far.
Lets do the pluses first ..
They have indeed flattened the learning curve for most of their applications. Which is great...
This place certainly gives you a feeling of belonging. If you are a
true 'desi', you'll feel absolutely at home. I simply loved some of those typically desi wordings that add to give a great feel.
The campus feature is nice and has a comprehensive(well almost) list of all campuses in the country. Though, i do think it should allow people to add campuses,
probably with an approval process so that there is no duplication. One
of my campuses is missing and im not too happy about it(Please note!!!).
Adding friends. Well lets look at it this way.
I have a profile on orkut. I have created a profile on hi5, friendster
etc etc. So why would i register on minglebox? Surely not because it
has a very attractive chit-chat feature (Which is very nice indeed!!).
Well one potent reason i can think of, is because most of my friends
are on it. And there is a possibility of finding many more of my friends.
One way to make this easy for a lot of people who are already
registered and who want to move to Minglebox to use some of its good
features like chit-chat etc, is to allow them to import a contacts list
or send an invitation out to all their friends on orkut or hi5 without having
to mention each persons email id.
I think Gazzag is doing a great job on this front. And its never too
late!! I havent invited anyone yet. Waiting for that feature to be
added. :)
Well and looks like a lot of good stuff is still on its way.
So coming to the important bit now. Where is the money?
Many people get away saying, its too early and can be worked out etc.
Google can afford to run Orkut without a revenue model. They dont need
additional bandwidth. They have tons lying around unused that they are
paying for anyways.
Even google has ads on orkut these days.
Yes, Advertisement is definitely one of the revenue models. But relying
on advertisements or hoping somebody will buy out a site is no longer a
safe bet.
This being the case, what will be of utmost importance will be : who will use the site?
From what i see the site seems to be targetted at the college going
crowd. But its interesting to note that a majority of users on orkut or
other social networking sites are in their late 20's or 30's. Thats the
'working and single' crowd.
Thats good news. There is money in those wallets. And some of those mobile services that are to be offered on minglebox could hit it off with the crowd.
Having said that. There are quite a few sites eyeing the same space. Yaari, Jhoom, fropper to name a few... So lets differentiate people!!
All the best guys.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Friday, October 27, 2006
A survivors tale : Funny, but True!!
This hilarious article was written by a Dutchman who spent two years in India, as a visiting expert. A little long article but makes interesting
reading!!!
For the benefit of every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting India and daring
to drive on Indian roads, I am offering a few hints for survival. They
are applicable to every place in India except Bihar, where life outside a vehicle is only marginally safer.
Indian road rules broadly operate within the domain of karma where you
do your best, and leave the results to your insurance company. The hints are as follows:
Do we drive on the left or right of the road? The answer is
"both".
Basically you start on the left of the road, unless it is occupied.
In that case, go to the right, unless that is also occupied. Then
proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess. Just trust
your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Adherence to road rules leads to much misery and occasional fatality. Most drivers don't drive, but just aim their vehicles in the generally intended direction.
Don't you get discouraged or underestimate yourself except for a belief in reincarnation; the other drivers are not in any better position. Don't stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so only if you enjoy being bumped in the back.
Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly or has come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.
Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest as in some countries. We horn to express joy, resentment, frustration, romance and bare lust (two brisk blasts),or just mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the bazaar.
Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them
during traf fic jams, while awaiting the chief minister's motorcade, or waiting for the rainwater to recede when over ground traffic meets
underground drainage.
Occasionally you might see what looks like a UFO with blinking colored
lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated
bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrims go at
breakneck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty, often meeting with
success.
Auto Rickshaw (Baby Taxi): The result of a collision between a rickshaw and an automobile, this three-wheeled vehicle works on an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene oil and creosote. This triangular vehicle carries iron rods, gas cylinders or passengers three times its weight and dimension, at an unspecified fare. After careful geometric calculations, children are folded and packed into these auto rickshaws until some children in the periphery are not in contact with the vehicle at all. Then their school bags are pushed into the microscopic gaps all round so those minor collisions with other vehicles on the road cause no permanent damage. Of course, the peripheral children are charged half the fare and also learn Newton's laws of motion enroute to school. Auto-rickshaw drivers follow the road rules depicted in the film Ben
Hur, and are licensed to irritate.
Mopeds: The moped looks like an oil tin on wheels and makes noise like
an electric shaver. It runs 30 miles on a teaspoon of petrol and travels at break-bottom speed. As the sides of the road are too rough for a ride, the moped drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road; they would rather drive under heavier vehicles instead of around them and are often "mopped" off the tarmac.
Leaning Tower of Passes: Most bus passengers are given free passes and
during rush hours, there is absolute mayhem. There are passengers
hanging off other passengers, who in turn hang off the railings and the overloaded bus leans dangerously, defying laws of gravity but obeying laws of surface tension. As drivers get paid for overload (so many Rupees per kg of passenger), no questions are ever asked. Steer clear of these buses by a width of three passengers.
One-way Street: These boards are put up by traffic people to add jest in their otherwise drab lives. Don't stick to the literal meaning and
proceed in one direction. In metaphysical terms, it means that you
cannot proceed in two directions at once. So drive as you like, in
reverse throughout, if you are the fussy type. Least I sound
hypercritical; I must add a positive point also. Rash and fast driving
in residential areas has been prevented by providing a "speed breaker"; two for each house. This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence and is left untarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.
Night driving on Indian roads can be an exhilarating experience for
those with the mental make up of Genghis Khan. In a way, it is like
playing Russian roulette, because you do not know who amongst the
drivers is loaded.
What looks like premature dawn on the horizon turns out to be a truck
attempting a speed record. On encountering it, just pull partly into the field adjoining the road until the phenomenon passes.
Our roads do not have shoulders, but occasional boulders. Do not blink
your lights expecting reciprocation. The only dim thing in the truck is the driver, and with the peg of illicit arrack (alcohol) he has had at the last stop, his total cerebral functions add up to little more than a naught.
Truck drivers are the James Bonds of India, and are licensed to kill.
Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet
above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on, usually the le ft one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate. You may prove your point posthumously.
reading!!!
For the benefit of every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting India and daring
to drive on Indian roads, I am offering a few hints for survival. They
are applicable to every place in India except Bihar, where life outside a vehicle is only marginally safer.
Indian road rules broadly operate within the domain of karma where you
do your best, and leave the results to your insurance company. The hints are as follows:
Do we drive on the left or right of the road? The answer is
"both".
Basically you start on the left of the road, unless it is occupied.
In that case, go to the right, unless that is also occupied. Then
proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess. Just trust
your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Adherence to road rules leads to much misery and occasional fatality. Most drivers don't drive, but just aim their vehicles in the generally intended direction.
Don't you get discouraged or underestimate yourself except for a belief in reincarnation; the other drivers are not in any better position. Don't stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so only if you enjoy being bumped in the back.
Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly or has come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.
Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest as in some countries. We horn to express joy, resentment, frustration, romance and bare lust (two brisk blasts),or just mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the bazaar.
Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them
during traf fic jams, while awaiting the chief minister's motorcade, or waiting for the rainwater to recede when over ground traffic meets
underground drainage.
Occasionally you might see what looks like a UFO with blinking colored
lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated
bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrims go at
breakneck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty, often meeting with
success.
Auto Rickshaw (Baby Taxi): The result of a collision between a rickshaw and an automobile, this three-wheeled vehicle works on an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene oil and creosote. This triangular vehicle carries iron rods, gas cylinders or passengers three times its weight and dimension, at an unspecified fare. After careful geometric calculations, children are folded and packed into these auto rickshaws until some children in the periphery are not in contact with the vehicle at all. Then their school bags are pushed into the microscopic gaps all round so those minor collisions with other vehicles on the road cause no permanent damage. Of course, the peripheral children are charged half the fare and also learn Newton's laws of motion enroute to school. Auto-rickshaw drivers follow the road rules depicted in the film Ben
Hur, and are licensed to irritate.
Mopeds: The moped looks like an oil tin on wheels and makes noise like
an electric shaver. It runs 30 miles on a teaspoon of petrol and travels at break-bottom speed. As the sides of the road are too rough for a ride, the moped drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road; they would rather drive under heavier vehicles instead of around them and are often "mopped" off the tarmac.
Leaning Tower of Passes: Most bus passengers are given free passes and
during rush hours, there is absolute mayhem. There are passengers
hanging off other passengers, who in turn hang off the railings and the overloaded bus leans dangerously, defying laws of gravity but obeying laws of surface tension. As drivers get paid for overload (so many Rupees per kg of passenger), no questions are ever asked. Steer clear of these buses by a width of three passengers.
One-way Street: These boards are put up by traffic people to add jest in their otherwise drab lives. Don't stick to the literal meaning and
proceed in one direction. In metaphysical terms, it means that you
cannot proceed in two directions at once. So drive as you like, in
reverse throughout, if you are the fussy type. Least I sound
hypercritical; I must add a positive point also. Rash and fast driving
in residential areas has been prevented by providing a "speed breaker"; two for each house. This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence and is left untarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.
Night driving on Indian roads can be an exhilarating experience for
those with the mental make up of Genghis Khan. In a way, it is like
playing Russian roulette, because you do not know who amongst the
drivers is loaded.
What looks like premature dawn on the horizon turns out to be a truck
attempting a speed record. On encountering it, just pull partly into the field adjoining the road until the phenomenon passes.
Our roads do not have shoulders, but occasional boulders. Do not blink
your lights expecting reciprocation. The only dim thing in the truck is the driver, and with the peg of illicit arrack (alcohol) he has had at the last stop, his total cerebral functions add up to little more than a naught.
Truck drivers are the James Bonds of India, and are licensed to kill.
Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet
above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on, usually the le ft one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate. You may prove your point posthumously.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Itsyourstage
Pretty cool stuff... at 1 cent a pixel, looks like a great deal for the Youtube fans.
With google gobbling down Youtube, it is indeed the most sought after place on the web. But with so many videos being uploaded daily it is indeed very difficult to get someone to notice a particular video.
Itsyourstage (http://www.itsyourstage.com) gives everyone a wonderful platform to showcase their videos. Whats more, at 10 cents a pixel they have got a cracker of a deal.
Most importantly the site has been timed beautifully. With so much media attention on Youtube and google, anything thats got anything remotely to do with youtube is grabbing a lot of attention and eyeballs and mouse clicks .. and ....
As far as I see it, this is definitely going to be 10 cents well invested for a lotta people. For those of you who havent got there yet, go grab that pixel of yours before somebody else does.
Happened to read an article that may very well highlight why i think itsyourstage makes sense.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/technology/25agency.html?ex=1319428800&en=108d1712877c6f09&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
With google gobbling down Youtube, it is indeed the most sought after place on the web. But with so many videos being uploaded daily it is indeed very difficult to get someone to notice a particular video.
Itsyourstage (http://www.itsyourstage.com) gives everyone a wonderful platform to showcase their videos. Whats more, at 10 cents a pixel they have got a cracker of a deal.
Most importantly the site has been timed beautifully. With so much media attention on Youtube and google, anything thats got anything remotely to do with youtube is grabbing a lot of attention and eyeballs and mouse clicks .. and ....
As far as I see it, this is definitely going to be 10 cents well invested for a lotta people. For those of you who havent got there yet, go grab that pixel of yours before somebody else does.
Happened to read an article that may very well highlight why i think itsyourstage makes sense.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/technology/25agency.html?ex=1319428800&en=108d1712877c6f09&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Too many passwords? Not in the Google world and "Writely" so!!!
You see an interesting app on the web and register yourself. Rest assured you will not need to remeber your login and password for long. For very soon you will have the option of logging in with you gmail account and password!!
Google is apparently all set to announce a new product google docs (http://docs.google.com) at the Office 2.0 conference tomorrow. This product will combine writely(which google acquired last march) and google spreadsheets, and offer an online document management solution to users.
This along with Google apps for domains, a a free package that combined Google's e-mail, calendar, IM and page creation software, which was announced earlier this week puts google well ahead of Microsoft in the online document management space.
It does for now look like bitts and pieces of software stuck up together. But i guess once people do get used to working and sharing their documents online, things will start falling in place for google.
So congrats, all you need is a gmail account!!! :)
Google is apparently all set to announce a new product google docs (http://docs.google.com) at the Office 2.0 conference tomorrow. This product will combine writely(which google acquired last march) and google spreadsheets, and offer an online document management solution to users.
This along with Google apps for domains, a a free package that combined Google's e-mail, calendar, IM and page creation software, which was announced earlier this week puts google well ahead of Microsoft in the online document management space.
It does for now look like bitts and pieces of software stuck up together. But i guess once people do get used to working and sharing their documents online, things will start falling in place for google.
So congrats, all you need is a gmail account!!! :)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Youtube goes down the Google!!!
$1.65 billion !!! Thats no small amount. As far as Youtube is concerned, way to go guys!!!
Now thats one hell of a deal these guys have struck.
Somebody please explain why google would build google videos, which i did not think was doing too badly on its own, and then spend such a huge sum and acquire YouTube!!!!!
There has got to be better logic than same business goals and sharing the same vision!!!
Considering the fact that this whole "videos" area is yet to be scrutinized especially around DRM et al, i just cant seem to put things together here.
Congratulations, Youtube!!!
Now thats one hell of a deal these guys have struck.
Somebody please explain why google would build google videos, which i did not think was doing too badly on its own, and then spend such a huge sum and acquire YouTube!!!!!
There has got to be better logic than same business goals and sharing the same vision!!!
Considering the fact that this whole "videos" area is yet to be scrutinized especially around DRM et al, i just cant seem to put things together here.
Congratulations, Youtube!!!
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Is the 'Hot'mail man heating things up again?
My cousin TP just happened to mention blogeverywhere.com Sabeer Bhatias new venture. It would be difficult to call the idea novel or something new. Im sure we have all come across it in one form or the other.
So i just thought i'll dig up a little more into what else he is up to these days..
And here's a few links i found after an initial probe...
Navin.com, India's largest provider of Voice Mail services
BlogEverywhere.com, allows you to read and write comments on any web page as you surf the net. Also has a Hotmail enhancer that allows email downloading for better performance and an Outlook-like preview function that allows an entire mail message to be viewed directly in the Inbox.
InstaColl.com, a contextual collaboration solution.
Hotseasons.com, a travel website that will focus on hotel ratings.
VoiFi.com, a project using VOIP
telixo.com, A project that turns your mobile phone into a personal organiser
Things do seem to be hotting up again for Mr Hotmail.. :)
So i just thought i'll dig up a little more into what else he is up to these days..
And here's a few links i found after an initial probe...
Navin.com, India's largest provider of Voice Mail services
BlogEverywhere.com, allows you to read and write comments on any web page as you surf the net. Also has a Hotmail enhancer that allows email downloading for better performance and an Outlook-like preview function that allows an entire mail message to be viewed directly in the Inbox.
InstaColl.com, a contextual collaboration solution.
Hotseasons.com, a travel website that will focus on hotel ratings.
VoiFi.com, a project using VOIP
telixo.com, A project that turns your mobile phone into a personal organiser
Things do seem to be hotting up again for Mr Hotmail.. :)
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