I wanted this phone to come out so badly, simply because the iPhone was locked to AT&T.
Thats not the case anymore, the iphone is available unlocked. But now the question is, is it good enough? Certainly Not!! is what the Palm pre would retort to that.
Palm has finally cracked open what has been Apple's exclusive domain for the last 2 years.
And they seem to have figured a way to do it all better, setting a whole new standard for touch phones.
Let me summarize the key pros and cons and leave you with cnn's detailed review of the product:
Pro's:
1) Multitasking : You can run more than one app simultaneously.
2) Physical full QWERTY Keyboard that slides out
3) Cut, Copy and Paste. It is rumoured that an Apple release this year will bring this feature to the iphone as well. But for now its something iphone users can only hope for.
4) Multi touch screen - You can pinch to zoom in and out just like the iphone. Its really amazing how its taken so long for others to catch with Apple. But they seem to have finally. It almost seemed like an impossible task at one point. :)
5) Search : For applications or contacts or mails. Thats a cool feature i wish the iphone also had.
6) Integrated GPS
7) You can use the phone as a usb device. This can be painful on the iphone.
to list a few...
Con's:
1) Battery life isn't the greatest
2) No Onscreen keyboard yet.
3) Application catalog is still in beta. Not comparable to iTunes.
4) No video recording. Not yet available on the iphone either.
5) No Support for flash yet.
6) Only 8Gb of storage at present.
Apple likes to place themselves way ahead of competition. So it will be interesting to see what they turn up with. For us its great news!! :)
Friday, June 05, 2009
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Where 2 Tech waves in Google wave
Found this interesting link on the google blog from the brains behind google wave..
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/went-walkabout-brought-back-google-wave.html
Mashable also has a few interesting links on google wave.
Techcrunch has this exciting article as well.
Well.. atleast its creating a lotta noise.. enough to counter all the Bing noise i suppose..
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/went-walkabout-brought-back-google-wave.html
Mashable also has a few interesting links on google wave.
Techcrunch has this exciting article as well.
Well.. atleast its creating a lotta noise.. enough to counter all the Bing noise i suppose..
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Time for the next Wave..
If you did begin wondering why you need to have so many different logins for your email, web messenger, social networking, instant messaging, blogging, micro-blogging etc. I guess its time somebody wrapped all this up for you in a single login.
And who better than Google to do it for you. Welcome Google Wave!! Googles biggest launch in a long time.
Google wave is an open source based real-time communication platform, that will bring everything you will ever need onto a single platform from project management to micro-blogging.
Like facebook, it will allow users to develop their own applications which can be embedded freely on any page.
It will be real time, so you can see the message being typed by another user as he types it.
Sounds pretty exciting..
We will have to wait and see if Google will give us a radically new interface experience, getting rid of the "usual" google feel for once.
And who better than Google to do it for you. Welcome Google Wave!! Googles biggest launch in a long time.
Google wave is an open source based real-time communication platform, that will bring everything you will ever need onto a single platform from project management to micro-blogging.
Like facebook, it will allow users to develop their own applications which can be embedded freely on any page.
It will be real time, so you can see the message being typed by another user as he types it.
Sounds pretty exciting..
We will have to wait and see if Google will give us a radically new interface experience, getting rid of the "usual" google feel for once.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Carnatic Music : Understanding it
I have enjoyed carnatic classical music ever since i can remember. Having learnt both violin and vocal for several years it has always been something that has been close to heart and something that I have enjoyed immensely. Having learnt an instrument, decoding the music into its component swaras(musical notes) came naturally to me. And I never really did bother to learn the theory behind this form of music and how it has been structured.
When i was discussing this recently with a friend I realized how much more enjoyable it would be to listen to a concert, if one had the basic understanding even if one had not studied music.
So i decided to go one level deeper, and as i do so put my learnings down here for anyone interested in carnatic music. And hopefully I will learn a little more from some of you the more knowledgeable readers of this blog.
The Basics
When i was discussing this recently with a friend I realized how much more enjoyable it would be to listen to a concert, if one had the basic understanding even if one had not studied music.
So i decided to go one level deeper, and as i do so put my learnings down here for anyone interested in carnatic music. And hopefully I will learn a little more from some of you the more knowledgeable readers of this blog.
The Basics
The 2 main components of Carnatic music are the Raaga or Melody and the Thaala or the Rhythm/beat.
Raagas are built on top of the 7 basic swaras : Sa, Ri ,Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Ni denoted in this article by S, R, G, M , P, D, N respectively. These are the western equivalents of Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La & Ti respectively.
Raagas are built on top of the 7 basic swaras : Sa, Ri ,Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Ni denoted in this article by S, R, G, M , P, D, N respectively. These are the western equivalents of Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La & Ti respectively.
S and P are prakruti swaras and have no variations.
The rest of the swaras have many variations, some overlapping over each other as shown below.
By comparison, using the common tonic "C" for a western musician| Carnatic | Hindustani | Western E.T. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sa | Sa | "C" | |
| Shuddha Ri | "Ri 1" | Komal Re | "D♭" |
| Chatusruti Ri | "Ri 2" | Shuddha Re | "D" |
| Shatsruti Ri | "Ri 3" | (Komal Ga) | "D♯" |
| Shuddha Ga | "Ga 1" | (Shuddha Re) | "D" |
| Sadharana Ga | "Ga 2" | Komal Ga | "E♭" |
| Antara Ga | "Ga 3" | Shuddha Ga | "E" |
| Shuddha Ma | "Ma 1" | Shuddha Ma | "F" |
| Prati Ma | "Ma 2" | Teevra Ma | "F♯" |
| Pa | Pa | "G" | |
| Shuddha Dha | "Dha 1" | Komal Dha | "A♭" |
| Chatusruti Dha | "Dha 2" | Shuddha Dha | "A" |
| Shatsruti Dha | "Dha 3" | (Komal Ni) | "A♯" |
| Shuddha Ni | "Ni 1" | (Shuddha Dha) | "A" |
| Kaisika Ni | "Ni 2" | Komal Ni | "B♭" |
| Kakali Ni | "Ni 3" | Shuddha Ni | "B" |
Source: Wikipedia
As shown above, the swaras R,G, D and N have 3 variations and the swara M has 2 variations.
Raagas are essentially combinations of these swaras and their variations. Each raaga is represented by an Aarohanam(ascending sequence) and Avarohanam(descending sequence).
There are 72 ragas where the Avarohanam when reversed will give us the Aarohanam. Or the Avarohanam traces the steps back from the Aarohanam.
For ex:
Aarohanam = SRGMPDNS
Avarohanam = SNDPMGRS
These 72 ragas are called Melakarta Ragas. I will explain how we arrive at this number 72 in my next post.
Answer in no more than 4 tweets...
The wired features a very interesting article today: Tweet the new size of thought?.
Twitters success has been a much debated topic in the tech circles. And I am yet to see a convincing argument in favour ot twitter. The way we have kept in touch with our friends and family has seen dramatic changes in the last decade.
From email to chatting to social networks to micro blogging. Yet what is it that twitter has that none of the above can offer?
The thought that a twit could be the new size of thought is at the same time a very scary thought indeed. The pessimists would view this as the beginning of the end of coherent thought. And they would seem right, if you were to look at the seemingly pointless twits that people seem to be sending. However there is an opportunity here.
Historically all our published works have been coherent sets of thoughts that have concluded something based on a lot of serious thinking. However, what about all those incomplete thoughts that do not get published or discussed as they have not been taken to a logical conclusion? Are they lost for ever?
What if these could be taken to completion by someone else? This is what twitter has the potential to do.
The silliest of ideas that would normally not be talked about could become serious discussions on twitter.
However will it go down that path? Will twitter result in the next great invention? I guess only time will tell. But we are ready to capture every thought that occurs to people. Go send that twit out people!!
Twitters success has been a much debated topic in the tech circles. And I am yet to see a convincing argument in favour ot twitter. The way we have kept in touch with our friends and family has seen dramatic changes in the last decade.
From email to chatting to social networks to micro blogging. Yet what is it that twitter has that none of the above can offer?
The thought that a twit could be the new size of thought is at the same time a very scary thought indeed. The pessimists would view this as the beginning of the end of coherent thought. And they would seem right, if you were to look at the seemingly pointless twits that people seem to be sending. However there is an opportunity here.
Historically all our published works have been coherent sets of thoughts that have concluded something based on a lot of serious thinking. However, what about all those incomplete thoughts that do not get published or discussed as they have not been taken to a logical conclusion? Are they lost for ever?
What if these could be taken to completion by someone else? This is what twitter has the potential to do.
The silliest of ideas that would normally not be talked about could become serious discussions on twitter.
However will it go down that path? Will twitter result in the next great invention? I guess only time will tell. But we are ready to capture every thought that occurs to people. Go send that twit out people!!
Its time for IT IN India...
For long this country has earned its name for the high quality IT Services delivered FROM its shores. Its time some of these are delivered IN its shores now.
The global recession has expectedly had its impact on the Indian IT Services industry as well. With the IT Budgets being slashed across the US and Europe, the industry is looking to reinvent itself.
The huge IT Talent pool in the country needs to continue to be productive. What better time than now to deploy this talent pool to develop a NATIONAL IT INFRASTRUCTURE.
Its time we think about Centralized Identities to track citizens. i.e linking licenses, PAN Cards, Bank Accounts, Property documents, Insurance etc to a single identity.
The absence of this ability to track has been the root cause for most of the problems our country faces today. The basic premise that one can get away easily, even if one does not follow a rule, even if it is the smallest or most insignificant like parking in a No Parking Zone, has given us a Freedom thats more akin to what animals experience in the wild.
It is not that we lack discipline. Its just that when we defined "Freedom" for ourselves in this country, we seemed to have forgotten the duties to our fellow citizens that this freedom demands. For 60 years now we have experienced "Freedom" in the truest and wildest sense of the word.
This can change if every action has a consequence, even if it is minimal. And this is not rocket science, it has been done elsewhere. Yes, we do have challenges in terms of scale of implementation and we have to keep this in mind when try to solve this problem.
National Identity Cards with chips in it that store everything from one's DNA are probably not the best solutions for us. Is it feasible to deploy such a solution to a billion people?
What we need is a simple, clean solution. For example, Assign a number to every citizen and make sure that number is mandated on every legal document like a license, property, bank account, PAN Number or insurance.
This solution, in whatever form, if scalable, will be an investment whose ROI can be boundless.
The global recession has expectedly had its impact on the Indian IT Services industry as well. With the IT Budgets being slashed across the US and Europe, the industry is looking to reinvent itself.
The huge IT Talent pool in the country needs to continue to be productive. What better time than now to deploy this talent pool to develop a NATIONAL IT INFRASTRUCTURE.
Its time we think about Centralized Identities to track citizens. i.e linking licenses, PAN Cards, Bank Accounts, Property documents, Insurance etc to a single identity.
The absence of this ability to track has been the root cause for most of the problems our country faces today. The basic premise that one can get away easily, even if one does not follow a rule, even if it is the smallest or most insignificant like parking in a No Parking Zone, has given us a Freedom thats more akin to what animals experience in the wild.
It is not that we lack discipline. Its just that when we defined "Freedom" for ourselves in this country, we seemed to have forgotten the duties to our fellow citizens that this freedom demands. For 60 years now we have experienced "Freedom" in the truest and wildest sense of the word.
This can change if every action has a consequence, even if it is minimal. And this is not rocket science, it has been done elsewhere. Yes, we do have challenges in terms of scale of implementation and we have to keep this in mind when try to solve this problem.
National Identity Cards with chips in it that store everything from one's DNA are probably not the best solutions for us. Is it feasible to deploy such a solution to a billion people?
What we need is a simple, clean solution. For example, Assign a number to every citizen and make sure that number is mandated on every legal document like a license, property, bank account, PAN Number or insurance.
This solution, in whatever form, if scalable, will be an investment whose ROI can be boundless.
The Bangalore Buzz...
My association with Bangalore dates back to the early 1980's, a quaint lazy little city, a pensioner's paradise. For the futcha's in Bangalore, you may be wondering if I am talking about our Bangalore.
Indeed the city has exploded in the last 10 years. This unprecedented growth coupled with our city planner's myopic vision and bureaucracy have brought the city down to its knees.
This city is still capable of attracting millions of visitors, immigrants and businessmen, with its delectable mix of great weather, great cultural mix and snazzy new businesses, offering something that meets every taste.
However, this may not be for too long. The effects of this growth are beginning to show. And unless we take this seriously, it will not be too long before the damage becomes irreparable.
Over the last 10 years there has been a lot of clamour from the media, the public, social welfare groups and the government about improving bangalore. Sadly though these voices dont seem to be complementing each other. Worse still, they seem to be detrimental to the overall growth of the city. There needs to be a holistic approach to city planning. Yes, there will be many issues and concerns and all steps taken will not benefit everybody, but so long as we make progress we have to push for these initiatives.
For example, we need infrastructure. There is no doubt about that. Now this will not come without losing some green cover. But at the same time, we need to make sure that we are compensating this loss with adequate planning for green cover going forward.
The challenges are immense on all fronts : education, public health, transportation, infrastructure, public amenities and even basics like water and electricity.
And we do not have a bottomless exchequer either. So this demands proper prioritization and planning so that our money is not wasted. We are not a rich nation like the united states. But we can still afford to leave our street lights on during the day time, while the Americans cannot do it still.
Its time we mend our ways. We, the citizens, the government, the bureaucrats, NGO's need to pull up our socks and back each other up to deliver.
Indeed the city has exploded in the last 10 years. This unprecedented growth coupled with our city planner's myopic vision and bureaucracy have brought the city down to its knees.
This city is still capable of attracting millions of visitors, immigrants and businessmen, with its delectable mix of great weather, great cultural mix and snazzy new businesses, offering something that meets every taste.
However, this may not be for too long. The effects of this growth are beginning to show. And unless we take this seriously, it will not be too long before the damage becomes irreparable.
Over the last 10 years there has been a lot of clamour from the media, the public, social welfare groups and the government about improving bangalore. Sadly though these voices dont seem to be complementing each other. Worse still, they seem to be detrimental to the overall growth of the city. There needs to be a holistic approach to city planning. Yes, there will be many issues and concerns and all steps taken will not benefit everybody, but so long as we make progress we have to push for these initiatives.
For example, we need infrastructure. There is no doubt about that. Now this will not come without losing some green cover. But at the same time, we need to make sure that we are compensating this loss with adequate planning for green cover going forward.
The challenges are immense on all fronts : education, public health, transportation, infrastructure, public amenities and even basics like water and electricity.
And we do not have a bottomless exchequer either. So this demands proper prioritization and planning so that our money is not wasted. We are not a rich nation like the united states. But we can still afford to leave our street lights on during the day time, while the Americans cannot do it still.
Its time we mend our ways. We, the citizens, the government, the bureaucrats, NGO's need to pull up our socks and back each other up to deliver.
Monday, May 04, 2009
Sea World - Orlando
Saturday Morning saw us heading towards Orlando, with tickets to the Sea World. Its a 2 Hour drive from jacksonville to Orlando. Florida can be so lush green that we were left wondering if this wasnt "Gods own Country!!".
Though this was my second trip to the Sea World, I still found it every bit as exciting as the first time. Its amazing to see how the trainers bond with the animals. Its evident that its not just a job for them, its a passion and a love for these animals that goes well beyond the calls of duty. And this is what makes these shows so special. Its simply a must visit place for anyone, kids especially.
We did see quite a few unexpected animals as well, a manatee - closest relative of an elephant apparently, an ant eater, a lemur , a koala, a kangaroo, a camel!!, foxes and cheetah's to name a few.
And ofcourse Shamu, sea lions and the dolphins. A fun day overall.
And do you know why Flamingo's are pink?
he he.. cos they eat shrimps.
Though this was my second trip to the Sea World, I still found it every bit as exciting as the first time. Its amazing to see how the trainers bond with the animals. Its evident that its not just a job for them, its a passion and a love for these animals that goes well beyond the calls of duty. And this is what makes these shows so special. Its simply a must visit place for anyone, kids especially.
We did see quite a few unexpected animals as well, a manatee - closest relative of an elephant apparently, an ant eater, a lemur , a koala, a kangaroo, a camel!!, foxes and cheetah's to name a few.
And ofcourse Shamu, sea lions and the dolphins. A fun day overall.
And do you know why Flamingo's are pink?
he he.. cos they eat shrimps.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
It happens only in India 2
Its a rat race out here. And you are a part of it whether you want to accept it or not.
If you are a small electronics shop owner by the street, with no big brand backing you, you'd probably relate to this incident. But it simply left me speechless.
I walk into a store marked Nokia Priority Dealer, to replace my almost dead phone batteries. The man at the counter certainly knew his business and one look at my phone and he says "Battery badalna padega!!", confirming my suspicion. The Original Nokia battery replacement would come to Rs 750 he said. So then i asked for the cheapest, most basic handset that i could get and apparently i could get handsets for nearly Rs 1200.
Following my line of thought, the man said "Saab yeh handset kaafi accha hai! Aap Battery badal lo". I could get local batteries that would do the job, just for Rs 200, he said. He also went on to point me to the shop next door, where i could get the local batteries.
Thanking him for his help, I proceeded to the shop next door to see if that indeed was an option. A boy sat at the counter, and once i explained my problem to him, he said he'll be right back. A few minutes later, the man from the first store (the Nokia priority dealer, who had redirected me here) walked in. In one swift motion he slid across the counter. Without batting an eyelid, in the most solemn tone asked me "kya Problem hai sir". I was speechless. He did not even pretend that he had seen me a few minutes earlier. In his now familiar solemn voice, he went to explain that i needed a battery replacement!!.
Well!! You have to do what you have to do to survive. But this was the best i have seen. Certainly an "it happens only in india moment!!"
If you are a small electronics shop owner by the street, with no big brand backing you, you'd probably relate to this incident. But it simply left me speechless.
I walk into a store marked Nokia Priority Dealer, to replace my almost dead phone batteries. The man at the counter certainly knew his business and one look at my phone and he says "Battery badalna padega!!", confirming my suspicion. The Original Nokia battery replacement would come to Rs 750 he said. So then i asked for the cheapest, most basic handset that i could get and apparently i could get handsets for nearly Rs 1200.
Following my line of thought, the man said "Saab yeh handset kaafi accha hai! Aap Battery badal lo". I could get local batteries that would do the job, just for Rs 200, he said. He also went on to point me to the shop next door, where i could get the local batteries.
Thanking him for his help, I proceeded to the shop next door to see if that indeed was an option. A boy sat at the counter, and once i explained my problem to him, he said he'll be right back. A few minutes later, the man from the first store (the Nokia priority dealer, who had redirected me here) walked in. In one swift motion he slid across the counter. Without batting an eyelid, in the most solemn tone asked me "kya Problem hai sir". I was speechless. He did not even pretend that he had seen me a few minutes earlier. In his now familiar solemn voice, he went to explain that i needed a battery replacement!!.
Well!! You have to do what you have to do to survive. But this was the best i have seen. Certainly an "it happens only in india moment!!"
Thursday, March 20, 2008
It Happens Only In India
India.. the land of mystics, the land of yoga, the land of meditation..
If this is the india you have read about and find intriguing, all you need to do is step onto one of our roads. In that single act you will have thrown yourself into the depths of indian mysticism, yoga and meditation...
After all after being thrown into the deep end of a pool, you have no choice but to learn how to swim.
Step onto an indian road and you would have learnt your first few lessons in Yoga. Ofcourse if you had bigger plans, it requires knowledge of extreme asanas and flexibility to navigate through the traffic on foot or a two wheeler. It is not surprising then that Yoga is given such importance in our country. Ofcourse the art of meditation and breath control are extremely essential to survive on a long term basis.
During one such session of yoga and meditation, stuck in an autorickshaw at a signal in Bangalore, I witnessed an act of extreme creativity and brilliance.
Ater about ten minutes of meditation at the signal, my auto walla got his turn to cross the road. To my dismay however, the signal did not seem to apply to anyone else on the road and vehicles kept coming in all directions. This is when it all happened. I saw my autorickshaw walla slip his hand into his pocket. A couple of seconds later i heard a shrill whistle, that caused the traffic on all sides to pause for a sec thinking it was a cop. My autorickshaw ofcourse continued and managed to cross the signal. And then i saw my auto walla pocket the whistle very calmly and continue as if nothing had happened. He must have slipped back to his meditation.
But he had me in splits for the rest of my journey. I am sure he had no clue why i was laughing.
Well, I suppose this is why we love this place so much, despite all the problems we have. This happens only in India!!
If this is the india you have read about and find intriguing, all you need to do is step onto one of our roads. In that single act you will have thrown yourself into the depths of indian mysticism, yoga and meditation...
After all after being thrown into the deep end of a pool, you have no choice but to learn how to swim.
Step onto an indian road and you would have learnt your first few lessons in Yoga. Ofcourse if you had bigger plans, it requires knowledge of extreme asanas and flexibility to navigate through the traffic on foot or a two wheeler. It is not surprising then that Yoga is given such importance in our country. Ofcourse the art of meditation and breath control are extremely essential to survive on a long term basis.
During one such session of yoga and meditation, stuck in an autorickshaw at a signal in Bangalore, I witnessed an act of extreme creativity and brilliance.
Ater about ten minutes of meditation at the signal, my auto walla got his turn to cross the road. To my dismay however, the signal did not seem to apply to anyone else on the road and vehicles kept coming in all directions. This is when it all happened. I saw my autorickshaw walla slip his hand into his pocket. A couple of seconds later i heard a shrill whistle, that caused the traffic on all sides to pause for a sec thinking it was a cop. My autorickshaw ofcourse continued and managed to cross the signal. And then i saw my auto walla pocket the whistle very calmly and continue as if nothing had happened. He must have slipped back to his meditation.
But he had me in splits for the rest of my journey. I am sure he had no clue why i was laughing.
Well, I suppose this is why we love this place so much, despite all the problems we have. This happens only in India!!
Sunday, October 07, 2007
10 ways the world could end : Stephen Petranek on Ted.com
An old speech, but still very relevant and leaves you with lots to think about.
Click here to watch the video.
Click here to watch the video.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
How costly is Outsourcing?
Well the success of India's outsourcing industry has been widely written about and discussed threadbare in almost every forum. It is something we as indians have found reason to be proud of and hope to better ourselves in. From basic call centres to actuarial work, reading MRI scans, financial consulting and ofcourse software. The journey has been great so far. And now we have taken the next step. The step that we think is going to take our country to greater heights. Manufacturing.
I read in a recent publication, that 'Many production processes are shifted to other countries, mostly developing countries. This is based not only on economics but also the decreasing acceptance of environmental pollution in industrialized countries, because policy makers and people in developing countries like India are unaware of or indifferent to long-term benefits and costs. They cannot see beyond the tips of their noses.'
This is not something that can be brushed away or taken lightly. Pollution and quality of life are taken seriously world over, and rightly so. After all, like someone said - "Life is not the destination, but its the journey itself".
These countries have been where we are now and are out full swing correcting their mistakes. We just need to learn from their mistakes, instead of repeating them. Just do it right from the beginning.
But thats easier said than done. In India its always been "chalta hai", "swalpa adjust madi".. or simply "I keep my house clean!!!".
While the government can be blamed for everything, from ineffective policy implementation, lack of farsightedness or not providing sufficient facilities, we as Indians ought to learn some self discipline. The government can provide dustbins, but people need to see some use for it.
And of course there is no dearth of argument's. "But the government does not empty the bins on time." will be the prompt reply.
For a majority of us Indians, this is life. It is probably because we have seen/heard no better. And having been in such an environment all along we dont realise what a mess we are in. Just today my parents, back from a train journey in a 3rd AC compartment, casually mentioned how the entire compartment was littered with the covers/bags in which the railways bed sheets are delivered in. The sheets were used and the covers were thrown, well, no place in particular. And people just walked around treading on these covers, least bothered. I guess that in a nutshell is what happens everywhere. There is a general lack of concern.
Only when we as individuals understand and respect the simple need for a clean public environment, can we think of effectively setting up safe, clean manufacturing units without damaging the environment.
I am all for development and more manufacturing work coming to India. But this should be done keeping in mind the impact it could have in the long run.
There is hope, and plenty of it. It is the emergence of the well read, well traveled bourgeoisie Indian, whose voice is gradually being heard above all the political hue and cry. Lots of NGO's are mushrooming all over the country helping these voices. I am sure very soon these voices will reinforce each other to drown out everything else.
It is important that people are given the opportunity to see something done right. And am sure it wont be long before they realize what they have been doing wrong.
Like someone said - " We have not inherited the earth from our forefathers but have borrowed it from our grandchildren."
And we owe this to them. So guys, its your turn to do your bit.
I read in a recent publication, that 'Many production processes are shifted to other countries, mostly developing countries. This is based not only on economics but also the decreasing acceptance of environmental pollution in industrialized countries, because policy makers and people in developing countries like India are unaware of or indifferent to long-term benefits and costs. They cannot see beyond the tips of their noses.'
This is not something that can be brushed away or taken lightly. Pollution and quality of life are taken seriously world over, and rightly so. After all, like someone said - "Life is not the destination, but its the journey itself".
These countries have been where we are now and are out full swing correcting their mistakes. We just need to learn from their mistakes, instead of repeating them. Just do it right from the beginning.
But thats easier said than done. In India its always been "chalta hai", "swalpa adjust madi".. or simply "I keep my house clean!!!".
While the government can be blamed for everything, from ineffective policy implementation, lack of farsightedness or not providing sufficient facilities, we as Indians ought to learn some self discipline. The government can provide dustbins, but people need to see some use for it.
And of course there is no dearth of argument's. "But the government does not empty the bins on time." will be the prompt reply.
For a majority of us Indians, this is life. It is probably because we have seen/heard no better. And having been in such an environment all along we dont realise what a mess we are in. Just today my parents, back from a train journey in a 3rd AC compartment, casually mentioned how the entire compartment was littered with the covers/bags in which the railways bed sheets are delivered in. The sheets were used and the covers were thrown, well, no place in particular. And people just walked around treading on these covers, least bothered. I guess that in a nutshell is what happens everywhere. There is a general lack of concern.
Only when we as individuals understand and respect the simple need for a clean public environment, can we think of effectively setting up safe, clean manufacturing units without damaging the environment.
I am all for development and more manufacturing work coming to India. But this should be done keeping in mind the impact it could have in the long run.
There is hope, and plenty of it. It is the emergence of the well read, well traveled bourgeoisie Indian, whose voice is gradually being heard above all the political hue and cry. Lots of NGO's are mushrooming all over the country helping these voices. I am sure very soon these voices will reinforce each other to drown out everything else.
It is important that people are given the opportunity to see something done right. And am sure it wont be long before they realize what they have been doing wrong.
Like someone said - " We have not inherited the earth from our forefathers but have borrowed it from our grandchildren."
And we owe this to them. So guys, its your turn to do your bit.
We have not inherited the earth from our forefathers but have borrowed it from our grandchildren
Now thats something we ought to always keep in mind!!
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Mesothelioma
Wondering what the hell that title means? Well i just came across an article that says that this is the costliest word on the ad world.
This is what wikipedia has to say about Mesothelioma - "Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos.[1] In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking [2]."
That proves one thing for sure.. "Health is wealth!!". Mesothelioma costs as much as 84$ per click.
This is what wikipedia has to say about Mesothelioma - "Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos.[1] In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking [2]."
That proves one thing for sure.. "Health is wealth!!". Mesothelioma costs as much as 84$ per click.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
PPA Advertising
Google today announced its new 'pay per Action' advertising product today.
Advertisers will need to pay only for completed actions that they can define, like submitting a request, filling a form, buying a product etc. This will make the entire ad world a lot more complicated. It will not be sufficient for google to monitor clicks now. They will also need to know what the user does after clicking on the ad.
The advertiser will need to report these actions back to Google.
Now ofcourse the advertiser has an incentive to not report these actions as he will need to pay for the same. But Google can effectively counter this by ranking the ad based on profitability to Google and value of each click to the advertiser.
Now all this makes sense in say a country like the US, where purchasing something online has become the order of the day.
In a country like india for example. Online sales are still not very common. Even the most tech savvy indian would prefer to check the product out online and then go down to the store, examine the product and then purchase it.
Online advertising in India, has never been the most attractive of options. As an advertiser, all you could expect from an 'online ad' is only visibility and mindshare and not an actual purchase online.
This being the case PPA is an attractive option from the advertisers perspective, as in most cases an advertiser in india is not looking for anything more than visibility. No 'action' is expected online.
So if given a choice they would gladly jump for PPA ads to CPC ads any day.
So is google taking a big risk here? Or do they have the wares to ensure that advertisers dont get what they want without paying a dime for it.
Techcrunch has a well written article describing the impact this could have on the advertising world.
Advertisers will need to pay only for completed actions that they can define, like submitting a request, filling a form, buying a product etc. This will make the entire ad world a lot more complicated. It will not be sufficient for google to monitor clicks now. They will also need to know what the user does after clicking on the ad.
The advertiser will need to report these actions back to Google.
Now ofcourse the advertiser has an incentive to not report these actions as he will need to pay for the same. But Google can effectively counter this by ranking the ad based on profitability to Google and value of each click to the advertiser.
Now all this makes sense in say a country like the US, where purchasing something online has become the order of the day.
In a country like india for example. Online sales are still not very common. Even the most tech savvy indian would prefer to check the product out online and then go down to the store, examine the product and then purchase it.
Online advertising in India, has never been the most attractive of options. As an advertiser, all you could expect from an 'online ad' is only visibility and mindshare and not an actual purchase online.
This being the case PPA is an attractive option from the advertisers perspective, as in most cases an advertiser in india is not looking for anything more than visibility. No 'action' is expected online.
So if given a choice they would gladly jump for PPA ads to CPC ads any day.
So is google taking a big risk here? Or do they have the wares to ensure that advertisers dont get what they want without paying a dime for it.
Techcrunch has a well written article describing the impact this could have on the advertising world.
Thought for the day
Holding onto anger is like grasping hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha
Thursday, March 15, 2007
GizmoSMS
Michael Robertson, the man behind mp3.com and Linspire has added a new twist to his Gizmo free phone project. Gizmo has launched its new Gizmosms service.
While the SMS market is huge, 45 billion dollars worldwide approximately. This service is certainly not the first of its kind.
So whats exciting about this service, besides the man behind it all, when we have already seen so many sites providing an sms service.
a) With Gizmo, you do not need to know the carrier of the number you are smsing(or texting as it is known in some parts).
b) There doesnt seem to be any restriction on which carrier is supported. Or a large number of carriers are supported and this ofcourse is hidden from the user.
c) That makes the user interface clean. Requiring you to just know the number and the country where the sms needs to be sent to.
d) the site doesnt require you to register.
Michael does make tall claims of it being the best of its kind and the fastest. But I havent received my sms in the last 15 minutes. But all u text freaks, do check it out.
While the SMS market is huge, 45 billion dollars worldwide approximately. This service is certainly not the first of its kind.
So whats exciting about this service, besides the man behind it all, when we have already seen so many sites providing an sms service.
a) With Gizmo, you do not need to know the carrier of the number you are smsing(or texting as it is known in some parts).
b) There doesnt seem to be any restriction on which carrier is supported. Or a large number of carriers are supported and this ofcourse is hidden from the user.
c) That makes the user interface clean. Requiring you to just know the number and the country where the sms needs to be sent to.
d) the site doesnt require you to register.
Michael does make tall claims of it being the best of its kind and the fastest. But I havent received my sms in the last 15 minutes. But all u text freaks, do check it out.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Gmail is down!!!
Gmail seems to be down for a while now. Wonder what google's up to?
Its been almost 15 mins since i noticed...
Its been almost 15 mins since i noticed...
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Google Maps : Zoom away
Well i havent checked this out yet... im going to do it as soon as i get home.. :)
But if this is possible.. wow!! but google may have some answering to do...
Time to go see if your car is still where u left it...
http://blog.outer-court.com/archive/2007-03-07-n12.html
But if this is possible.. wow!! but google may have some answering to do...
Time to go see if your car is still where u left it...
http://blog.outer-court.com/archive/2007-03-07-n12.html
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
:Derailed on Ruby tracks
Well if you have been trying to figure your way around ruby on rails and have been wondering what the so called :action's and :controllers and :id's are.
and Why do you need them in the code for?
and What do they do? etc etc. You have come to the right place.
Firstly these are called Symbols. And many have tried to explain the concept of symbols and have failed quite miserably.
Alas!! Its not me thats going to solve the mystery here for you. But yes I am going to show you the path : http://glu.ttono.us/articles/2005/08/19/understanding-ruby-symbols
A neat little blog by Kevin Clark that finally clears the air a little.
Cheers
and Why do you need them in the code for?
and What do they do? etc etc. You have come to the right place.
Firstly these are called Symbols. And many have tried to explain the concept of symbols and have failed quite miserably.
Alas!! Its not me thats going to solve the mystery here for you. But yes I am going to show you the path : http://glu.ttono.us/articles/2005/08/19/understanding-ruby-symbols
A neat little blog by Kevin Clark that finally clears the air a little.
Cheers
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Spotplex
Spotplex has added a twist to the Digg story. Here users do not submit stories. Instead sites that want to participate include some java code in their sites. This code then monitors the traffic to blog posts on the site and decides which ones need to appear on the Spotplex page.
This makes Spotplex clean as it cannot be manipulated externally. However i think these guys will still need to build trust around their algorithm and it is this that will prove to be their ‘tipping point’.
Like Michael A correctly mentions in his article on Techcrunch, the algorithm must prove itself to be unbiased to the already popular blogs.
We’ll have to see if this NKOTB will turn out to be the Digg killer.
This makes Spotplex clean as it cannot be manipulated externally. However i think these guys will still need to build trust around their algorithm and it is this that will prove to be their ‘tipping point’.
Like Michael A correctly mentions in his article on Techcrunch, the algorithm must prove itself to be unbiased to the already popular blogs.
We’ll have to see if this NKOTB will turn out to be the Digg killer.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Like.com
Riya 2.0 has been launched as like.com. And it aims to do pretty much what the site says. Find images like the one you upload.
Well it has been said for a while that its not enough to search text and that we need to peek into those images and understand what the image contains and be able to then search these images.
They are currently offering searches under the following categories : handbags, shoes, watches, jewelry and celebrities and are expecting to add many more every day.
Like.com will offer exciting options. We just cannot put everything we want to look for in words. If you like the pattern on a piece of clothing, its not something thats easy to describe or search for in words.
Revenue ought to come from ads and ofcourse lots of online shopping is expected to come this way. A lot will depend on how relevant the search results are ofcourse.
So we will have to wait and watch google is up to, having acquired Neven Vision, another image search company.
Meanwhile, Riya.com will continue to remain a face recognition tool and will be developed and improved in parallel.
Lot more exciting things to come im sure. lets wait and watch!!
Well it has been said for a while that its not enough to search text and that we need to peek into those images and understand what the image contains and be able to then search these images.
They are currently offering searches under the following categories : handbags, shoes, watches, jewelry and celebrities and are expecting to add many more every day.
Like.com will offer exciting options. We just cannot put everything we want to look for in words. If you like the pattern on a piece of clothing, its not something thats easy to describe or search for in words.
Revenue ought to come from ads and ofcourse lots of online shopping is expected to come this way. A lot will depend on how relevant the search results are ofcourse.
So we will have to wait and watch google is up to, having acquired Neven Vision, another image search company.
Meanwhile, Riya.com will continue to remain a face recognition tool and will be developed and improved in parallel.
Lot more exciting things to come im sure. lets wait and watch!!
Orkutalk!!
Finally, the social networking space has heated up enough to get google to finally do what was being expected for a long time now.
Gtalk has now been integrated with orkut. Gives all those users using orkut without a gmail id all the more incentive to get themselves a gmail account now.
i like the way google is merging all their apps. The day is not far when you have a single sign on where you can do your social networking, your emailing, your document collaboration, your chats, your voice calls, video conferences etc etc.
Gtalk has now been integrated with orkut. Gives all those users using orkut without a gmail id all the more incentive to get themselves a gmail account now.
i like the way google is merging all their apps. The day is not far when you have a single sign on where you can do your social networking, your emailing, your document collaboration, your chats, your voice calls, video conferences etc etc.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
The Google Way
Its interesting to see what google is up to.
Put yourself in google's position. They dont have to compete against just one Microsoft or yahoo. Each of their little applications has to compete with thousands of site's, often startup's. Competion for example has been from youtube, writely, jotspot, bluedot, friendster, flickr etc etc etc...
Now there are a couple of ways in which you can handle competition.
a) Beat them at their own game. But when there are so many guys trying to out do one another that may not guarantee you success. Besides google's core still remains its search. Whether it is investing or should be investing the same amount of effort and resources on each of its other applications as it continues to spawn many more out everyday, is a question thats been debated in almost every forum and by every name worth a mention.
b) Simply acquire them. And there is no one to compete against really.
Going by recent events you would be tempted to say google's going the option (b) way.
And rightly so. Its the smartest thing to do.
Here's a few reasons why i think so.
a) Google's main area is search. And they should stick to it and not lose the advantage they have in this area right now.
b) Google stocks are worth a lot today. And going by history this may not be the case a few years down the line. What better to do with a stock that has a price to earnings ratio of more than 60? It is clear that maintaining such a high growth rate as the P/E demands is not very likely. So what better to do with an inflated stock than buy out all their competition?
Its simply brilliant. Google has little to lose, as its not buying out competition paying cash. Its using the current valuation of the stock, which hit its peak on 23rd Oct to buy out really good companies.
So yeah, if you can get yourself somewhere close to competing with google, you might just land yourself with lotsa google shares. And of course, if you do that, dont waste time cashing them out. :)
Put yourself in google's position. They dont have to compete against just one Microsoft or yahoo. Each of their little applications has to compete with thousands of site's, often startup's. Competion for example has been from youtube, writely, jotspot, bluedot, friendster, flickr etc etc etc...
Now there are a couple of ways in which you can handle competition.
a) Beat them at their own game. But when there are so many guys trying to out do one another that may not guarantee you success. Besides google's core still remains its search. Whether it is investing or should be investing the same amount of effort and resources on each of its other applications as it continues to spawn many more out everyday, is a question thats been debated in almost every forum and by every name worth a mention.
b) Simply acquire them. And there is no one to compete against really.
Going by recent events you would be tempted to say google's going the option (b) way.
And rightly so. Its the smartest thing to do.
Here's a few reasons why i think so.
a) Google's main area is search. And they should stick to it and not lose the advantage they have in this area right now.
b) Google stocks are worth a lot today. And going by history this may not be the case a few years down the line. What better to do with a stock that has a price to earnings ratio of more than 60? It is clear that maintaining such a high growth rate as the P/E demands is not very likely. So what better to do with an inflated stock than buy out all their competition?
Its simply brilliant. Google has little to lose, as its not buying out competition paying cash. Its using the current valuation of the stock, which hit its peak on 23rd Oct to buy out really good companies.
So yeah, if you can get yourself somewhere close to competing with google, you might just land yourself with lotsa google shares. And of course, if you do that, dont waste time cashing them out. :)
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Mama Pendse : Everybody's new best friend
My cousin Satish recently introduced me to mama_pendse. And i must say it was well worth the "networking" exercise.
All you need to do is add mama_pendse as your friend on yahoo and he is always there for you.
Mama pendse is the latest craze on yahoo and orkut. Everyone wants to be his friend.
So who is this guy???
Well mama_pendse is the latest java BOT, that provides you with a host of services on Yahoo messenger. You just need to send him a message with the right command and yo uget a response back immediately with what you are looking for.
This is a wonderful idea considering the fact that almost all of us are always online and on some messenger at any point in time, especially with so many blackberries etc doing the rounds.
Here is a list of services mama_pense is capable of providing as of today :
Command Name tracknumber
Description This will tell you whose phone number is this( USA , pune , mumbai , bangalore ) )
Usage : tracknumber , tracknumberusa, tracknumbermumbai,tracknumberbangalore,tracknumberpune
Command Name rail
Description This will tell railway timetable ( only for India )
Usage : rail deccan OR rail shatabdi ;
Command Name horo
Description Horoscope
Usage : horo aries OR horo sagittarius
Command Name explain
Description This is a online Dictionary
Usage : explain beauty OR explain revenge
Command Name findinfo
Description Searches addresses and telephone number of person , Only in US
Usage : findinfo firstname surname
Command Name country
Description Gets Information of any country
Usage : country India
Command Name to_spanish
Description Translate into spanish
Usage : to_spanish Some text in english
Command Name to_french
Description Translate into french
Usage : to_french Some text in english
Command Name to_german
Description Translate into german
Usage : to_german Some text in english
Command Name to_italian
Description Translate into italian
Usage : to_italian Some text in english
Command Name from_spanish
Description Translate from spanish to english
Usage : from_spanish some text in spanish
Command Name from_french
Description Translate from french to english
Usage : from_french Some text in french
Command Name from_german
Description Translate from german to english
Usage : from_german Some text in german
Command Name from_italian
Description Translate from italian to english
Usage : from_italian Some text in italian
Command Name phonespell
Description Convert your phone number into easy to remember words?
Usage : phonespell 1-883-792-8791
Command Name distance
Description find distance between any two cities in the world
Usage : distance mumbai, orlando
Command Name time
Description Know time in any country
Usage : time usa
Command Name xrate
Description Gets Exchange rate between two countries
Usage : xrate usa India
Command Name google
Description Search the internet ,(Uses google (TM) api to get search results from internet)
Usage : google tajmahal
Command Name climate
Description Gives Climate information of any city in world
Usage : climate orlando , climate mumbai
Command Name quote
Description This will tell you Share Price
Usage : quote VRTS OR quote MSFT
Command Name traffic_usa
Description Know about traffic condition around your area, send me command traffic_usa zipcode
Usage : traffic_usa 10001,traffic_usa 32771
Command Name comment
Description Let me know how I am doing , please send me your comments about me
Usage : comment "your comment goes here"
So guys, no prizes for guess who's everyone's new best friend!!!
Whats interesting though is, how does mama_pendse make money? Certainly not through advertisements. I dont see any ads as yet. Its possibly an option going forward.
All you need to do is add mama_pendse as your friend on yahoo and he is always there for you.
Mama pendse is the latest craze on yahoo and orkut. Everyone wants to be his friend.
So who is this guy???
Well mama_pendse is the latest java BOT, that provides you with a host of services on Yahoo messenger. You just need to send him a message with the right command and yo uget a response back immediately with what you are looking for.
This is a wonderful idea considering the fact that almost all of us are always online and on some messenger at any point in time, especially with so many blackberries etc doing the rounds.
Here is a list of services mama_pense is capable of providing as of today :
Command Name tracknumber
Description This will tell you whose phone number is this( USA , pune , mumbai , bangalore ) )
Usage : tracknumber , tracknumberusa, tracknumbermumbai,tracknumberbangalore,tracknumberpune
Command Name rail
Description This will tell railway timetable ( only for India )
Usage : rail deccan OR rail shatabdi ;
Command Name horo
Description Horoscope
Usage : horo aries OR horo sagittarius
Command Name explain
Description This is a online Dictionary
Usage : explain beauty OR explain revenge
Command Name findinfo
Description Searches addresses and telephone number of person , Only in US
Usage : findinfo firstname surname
Command Name country
Description Gets Information of any country
Usage : country India
Command Name to_spanish
Description Translate into spanish
Usage : to_spanish Some text in english
Command Name to_french
Description Translate into french
Usage : to_french Some text in english
Command Name to_german
Description Translate into german
Usage : to_german Some text in english
Command Name to_italian
Description Translate into italian
Usage : to_italian Some text in english
Command Name from_spanish
Description Translate from spanish to english
Usage : from_spanish some text in spanish
Command Name from_french
Description Translate from french to english
Usage : from_french Some text in french
Command Name from_german
Description Translate from german to english
Usage : from_german Some text in german
Command Name from_italian
Description Translate from italian to english
Usage : from_italian Some text in italian
Command Name phonespell
Description Convert your phone number into easy to remember words?
Usage : phonespell 1-883-792-8791
Command Name distance
Description find distance between any two cities in the world
Usage : distance mumbai, orlando
Command Name time
Description Know time in any country
Usage : time usa
Command Name xrate
Description Gets Exchange rate between two countries
Usage : xrate usa India
Command Name google
Description Search the internet ,(Uses google (TM) api to get search results from internet)
Usage : google tajmahal
Command Name climate
Description Gives Climate information of any city in world
Usage : climate orlando , climate mumbai
Command Name quote
Description This will tell you Share Price
Usage : quote VRTS OR quote MSFT
Command Name traffic_usa
Description Know about traffic condition around your area, send me command traffic_usa zipcode
Usage : traffic_usa 10001,traffic_usa 32771
Command Name comment
Description Let me know how I am doing , please send me your comments about me
Usage : comment "your comment goes here"
So guys, no prizes for guess who's everyone's new best friend!!!
Whats interesting though is, how does mama_pendse make money? Certainly not through advertisements. I dont see any ads as yet. Its possibly an option going forward.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Is Minglebox tingling the Janta?
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.
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.
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.. :)
Sunday, August 20, 2006
IBNLive : Live Video Feeds!!!
IBNLive has a live video news feed thats comes in two options Low Res and High Res. If you are on a broadband the service is really good.
But what really takes the cake is that ibnlive is not charging you for this live video. Its absolutely free and is as good as watching the channel itself.
Not sure if this is intended to remain this way or its just an attempt to grab some eyeballs from sites like ndtv.com etc.
In fact while i was at it, just realised the number of sites offering video services.
I could name a few on the fly like google videos, youtube, videosift, Break. Im sure a search on google will get you plenty more. There are plenty of sites being built around these services. For example VideoDL is an excellent site that lets you download videos from google videos, youtube and break.
And the news is, that Amazon will be joining the fray soon with its unbox service. This would be a service based on windows media player and DRM, letting you purchase or rent videos from its site. The service will ofcourse need to compete with the likes of iTunes and indirectly with services like netflix and blockbuster.
But what really takes the cake is that ibnlive is not charging you for this live video. Its absolutely free and is as good as watching the channel itself.
Not sure if this is intended to remain this way or its just an attempt to grab some eyeballs from sites like ndtv.com etc.
In fact while i was at it, just realised the number of sites offering video services.
I could name a few on the fly like google videos, youtube, videosift, Break. Im sure a search on google will get you plenty more. There are plenty of sites being built around these services. For example VideoDL is an excellent site that lets you download videos from google videos, youtube and break.
And the news is, that Amazon will be joining the fray soon with its unbox service. This would be a service based on windows media player and DRM, letting you purchase or rent videos from its site. The service will ofcourse need to compete with the likes of iTunes and indirectly with services like netflix and blockbuster.
Three weeks of solitude
The last few weeks in Brussels have been amazing. I have had nothing to do on the weekends. No work!!! no social engagements and no phone calls. Phew!!! Dont i sound like a busy man???
.. well i've been really busy doing nothing much in particular.
So i've been sleeping, watching TV and browsing the net in peace. The only work!!! i have to do is the laundry. But over the last 3 weeks, even this process has been audited and tuned, to maximize efficiency and minimise time and effort. Phew!! i can justify that management degree now..
So i've also had the time to catch up with whats been happening around me. There's plenty as usual. Almost overwhelming infact to digest all at once. But the good thing is i have started digging in.
Just noticed a few weeks back, that google has added their services to the top of your gmail account. Its a pretty kewl idea especially if they can integrate all their services and provide access to all of these through one's mail account. But they have indeed taken the right step forward yet again.
Hope to see u guys here more often now.
Cheerio..
.. well i've been really busy doing nothing much in particular.
So i've been sleeping, watching TV and browsing the net in peace. The only work!!! i have to do is the laundry. But over the last 3 weeks, even this process has been audited and tuned, to maximize efficiency and minimise time and effort. Phew!! i can justify that management degree now..
So i've also had the time to catch up with whats been happening around me. There's plenty as usual. Almost overwhelming infact to digest all at once. But the good thing is i have started digging in.
Just noticed a few weeks back, that google has added their services to the top of your gmail account. Its a pretty kewl idea especially if they can integrate all their services and provide access to all of these through one's mail account. But they have indeed taken the right step forward yet again.
Hope to see u guys here more often now.
Cheerio..
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
The Belgian Golden Boy
Well i've been moving again... Bangalore to hyderabad and now in Brussels, Belgium.. the land of chocoloates, diamonds..
But thats not what this is about... This is bout the pissing boy...
For those who thought Tintin was the golden boy.. he he you ought to see this to believe it...
This dude is one hell of a popular guy...
check him out.. i have been told u should NOT miss it if you are in belgium..
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Software Production Lines
Having been a part of the software industry in the last 2 years, I could not help noticing a radical change thats taking place in the industry. The pronounced impact of this change is on the developers and those that are still playing technically inclined and find themselves in the software services industry.
Gone are the days when an Architect was required to have an understanding of all the technologies involved and the developer needing to be skilled enough to deliver the solution. We are walking into the SOA age and developers are working on very high level languages.
Some of the tools that i have had a chance to work on like TIBCO BW, SAP XI or an Oracle BPEL PM and many more on the same lines like Savvion, Pega, Fuego, Staffware etc that are in the market, provide you with GUI's and require you to just drag and drop images and build entire flows.
With SOA coming into the picture and each application / end point being exposed as a web service, enterprise integration is just a matter of dragging and dropping a sequence of activities in the right order. What would normally take a design phase and almost 10 days of development can now be completed within 30 minutes. Ofcourse this is not to say these products are perfect and do not introduce any bugs, but what they have achieved is the ability to produce mass software within no time.
This has helped software service providers to set up a software development production line where you can deploy a huge number of resources and can still develop exactly the same quality of software rapidly.
Will knowledge still have a say in the years to come? Or will it just be a software production line with yet another 'resource' being required to meet deadlines.
If the count is all that is going to matter, India and China certainly have a lot to look forward to.Monday, April 24, 2006
B2B
Yes, Back 2 Bangalore. Got here a few weeks back and waiting to catch up with life et al. Something that i havent done in the last few months.
Just want to thank all u guys(yes,even the fellows who come here and post ad's), for visiting whats been a dead blog over the last few months.
Just want to thank all u guys(yes,even the fellows who come here and post ad's), for visiting whats been a dead blog over the last few months.
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