Tech Enthusiast

Next 10 years in Tech

2020-01-01T23:24:00.002-05:00

It's 1st January 2020 and tech predictions are getting published by big tech VCs and technology enthusiasts. From smart toilets to smart mirrors and from bitcoins to engineered meats, all have an opinion and I too have my own thoughts about where tech is heading and how do I see tech evolving in the next 10 years.

Here are my 10 things that I see shaping up in the next 10 years:

1. Voice becomes transparent - Today we have Alexa and Google Assistant and devices around it that makes voice assistant possible, but I believe a device is a hindrance and I do see a path where the device fades away in the background and focuses on tasks. Saying a hot word to call up an assistant might fade away in the rest of the world, but might face privacy challenges in Europe and US. How will it play out?

If you are driving your self-driving electric car and ask it to order your coffee from Starbucks, the car will drive to the location (smart enough to figure out the best location) and you can pick-up the coffee from the drive-thru location. The assistant will do all the back-end services, including payments to make transaction possible.

2. Plant based meat and eating less meat goes mainstream - This will happen sooner rather than later with the amount of capital that is been poured into making it a reality. It's sustainable, it's economical, and the biggest reason is that it is the right choice for saving the planet from Global warming. The meals will be packaged and it will cater to each individual person and their body composition. The catering to individual will take time to get to every economic level.

3. Smart Data driven services and products and Subscriptions - The first thing a person do today is get up in the morning is look at their smartphone for messages and things that they missed from the time they slept. In the next couple of years, it will tell you your smart sleep, your vitals when you were sleeping. By middle of next decade, when you head to the toilet, the smart toilet will examine (Rich folks to begin with) your urine and stool samples to get additional vitals from your body like blood sugar levels or other vitals that might become a problem in the future. The food package for the day (tied with point#2) will be catered based on this vitals. A smart mirror will be your calendar and ToDos that will be AI based. We won't own more things, but paying for subscription will be the most prominent thing that will shape this decade. From music services, to video services, to owning iPhone, they all will be subscription based. An average US person will end up paying more than $500/month just on subscriptions. This is happening sooner rather than later and gaming it will be a fools errand.

4. US becomes stagnant and China will be the driver of the decade - You don't need a economist to tell you this, but I sincerely believe that China will overtake US this decade and US will be stagnant as it moves more inwards rather than outwards in it's outlook towards emerging trends. Be it solar, or crypto-currency or the flexibility to move quickly from a bad decision, China has all the tools to tackle a problem or a blip in their pursuit to be a super-power.

5. Fossil Fuel finally sees a steep decline - The solar farms will power most of the countries going forward and the dependency on the fossil fuel finally sees a steep decline. This will take a massive social and economical tasks by government across the globe to re-train the workforce.

6. Plastics are the new thing - I know what the world wants is less of plastic, but the amount of money that is poured to solve the plastic crisis will result in a new product that will hit mass market in the next 2-4 years. A plastic that will dissolve itself in 90-120 days is where the focus is right now. There are many countries in China and far east that are focused on solving this issue and they have a working product at this point.

7. Bitcoin and Block-chain and Services- China will lead the crypto-currency segment and that will lead to bitcoins and cashless transactions that will integrate services across the supply chain with block-chain architecture.

8. Automation and Jobs - Automation will continue to displace jobs and industries and that will lead to enormous stress on governments and maintaining their debt limits. It was just published today that AI from Google is better in identifying a Breast Cancer patient better than a doctor. This will continue in all scientific fields.

9. Space the next frontier - More private companies will enter the space game and more services will be offered to affluent few. Space travel and Intra-planetary travel will take shape in this decade.

10. OK Boomer, Bye - This decade will see the rise of Gen X and Gen Y in the most important positions in all sectors. Gen Y will start phasing out Gen X at the end of the decade as the need to move faster takes shape.

There are many that didn't make the list and there are many that I am not that optimist about (Healthcare cost), but having said that, I do see the above 10 points shaping up 2030.

Oatmeal, Organic Milk, Amazon and retail, Microsoft Windows 10S - May 3rd 2017

2017-05-03T02:43:00.000-04:00

Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert dominated the news with their monologues and they are must watch. Apple released it Quarterly results and they really look good to me :-) (Wall St disagrees, but when a company makes $50b in revenue in a quarter and $11b in profit - that's really good to me). Jokes aside, Apple is stagnant with no real new product in the pipeline and the next quarter, historically has been weak and with everyone waiting for 10th anniversary iPhone and the rumor that they won't be on sale till 2018, then it doesn't bode well for them.

Here are some interesting posts for today.

1. Oatmeal - You are not going to believe what I am going to tell you! (10 mins)

If there is one story you have to read today, read this. This is amazing and it is fun and makes you wonder on how we think and act and how our brain is wired with our core beliefs and how they shape our decision making. This is really good.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/believe

2. Organic Milk: A natural Scam? (15 mins reading - 4 mins Video)

This was a great investigative piece from WaPo and gave me insight on how the nutrients of an organic milk differs from a regular milk.

“About half of the organic milk sold in the U.S. is coming from very large factory farms that have no intention of living up to organic principles"

On grazing: "Though cows are natural grazers — like the wild aurochs they descended from — the grazing instincts of his cows had been dulled. They didn’t really know how to graze at first — they didn’t know how to bend down and get grass with their tongues, and Nor were they accustomed to walking much."”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/why-your-organic-milk-may-not-be-organic/2017/05/01/708ce5bc-ed76-11e6-9662-6eedf1627882_story.html?utm_term=.6218d8bef197

3. Scott Galloway on Amazon and how they are dismantling retail. (Video - 25 mins)

Everyone knows that I love Amazon as a company and how Jeff Bezos is running it. If someone asks me to name 2 CEOs who really get it and are inspired to try new things, take huge challenges, and scale it, then there are only two names - Musk and Bezos. There are rumors that Amazon is considering buying BJ's - the third largest wholesale club in US and if the rumors are true and they indeed buy them, then they have solved the curb-side Pick-up problem.

Watch this 25 minutes video that Scott Galloway talks about Amazon and how they are dismantling the retail and the brands in the process.
One example stuck with me - If everyone has an Alexa, and you ordered a toilet roll, does it matter what brand is delivered to you and what if the only brand Amazon can ship is the one that has their name on it rather than one from P&G or Uniliver?
Tip: Go to 10:00 min mark and listen carefully on the examples given by Scott.

https://youtu.be/3MOwRTTq1bY

4. Surface Laptop - Microsoft's answer to Chromebooks - Who are they for?

Microsoft introduced Windows 10S OS today with a focus on Education. The prices of the laptops starts at $299 to $1000. I like the fact that they got in the game to give a serious competition to Google and it's dominant Chromebooks that are widely used in most K-12 schools across the US.
The hardware on some (Surface Laptop) of them is really nice. They are affordable and cheap. Personally, I don't know who Windows 10S laptops are for? The new laptops introduced are already selling for $349 in the market with Windows 10. The limitations are too hard to ignore and with Windows 10S, One can't install apps that are not in Windows store on the machine, and even if they are available on Windows Store, Microsoft is restricting the default options for the user. For e.g. .HTM files can only be opened on Microsoft Edge, even if a Firebox browser is installed from Windows Store. There is no option to change the default search engine and maps. Who uses bing maps? This is just plain stupid. It's like having a phone, but you can't change the default ringtone on the phone or worse having no access to the settings option. Heck, they are charging $50 to upgrade it to Windows 10Pro if you don't like the restrictions that are in place.

But the real reason where I have apprehension about the whole Windows 10S Kerfuffle is the fact that most education institute that go with Chromebooks is not because they are just cheap laptops (they are), but the fact that there is no piece of software that they have to manage like the one they have to manage for Windows machines. The updates are seamless and the best part is power wash. I have personally seen the dashboard of maintaining 3000+ Chromebooks in elementary school and it is amazing, seamless and simplistic.
Windows 10S is not a browser that Microsoft has on it's laptops, it's a full blows OS and the complexities of the OS and managing the OS. Microsoft has soften the pie with Office 365 for 1 year, but the fact that they want kids to use Office 365 is the real motive (apart from the defaults). Google gives it's suite of products (Docs, Sheets, blog, and slides) for free, but the sleeper product for Google to get more Chromebooks in education market has been the Google Classroom software for K-12 kids. Google Classroom in 3 years of existence has literally leaped frog software like blackboard, Canvas, Edmodo, and Schoology. It's not that the Classroom is extremely feature rich compared to the other products, but Classroom is the most easiest to use with full-blown collaboration built-in. Just last week Google Classroom was made open for general public.

My main laptop is HP Chromebook 13G1. It's a beautiful piece of hardware with serious specs and I got it at for a steal! With Citrix today, you can just login to your windows work machine from Chromebook and get work done easily. The only reason for me to go to my old Macbook Pro is for Photoshop and Lightroom.

With all the negatives, I actually think - Windows 10S is competing with Apple Macbook, rather than Chromebooks. Don't get me wrong, Windows 10S laptops will be used by College kids for sure, just not K-12 and that's my reasoning of using Apple as a competitor. Interestingly, Apple has lowered iPad prices to compete, but Apple does not have a multi-user account yet (Publicly). They have a shell of multiple accounts for iPad, but managing them is not even worth it.

This is the Surface Book - $1000 starting point
Tell me who is it really competing with?

https://youtu.be/74kPEJWpCD4

Jimmy Kimmel - https://youtu.be/MmWWoMcGmo0

Stephen Colbert - https://youtu.be/HaHwlSTqA7s?t=3m44s

Interesting Articles - May 2nd 2017

2017-05-01T23:41:00.001-04:00

1. All eyes on iPhone Sales - iPhone 8 (4 mins)

I love reading Bob Lefetz newsletter. He has his own unique way of saying the things that he wants to say where a layman can understand it.

"Tech is all about utility, not fashion. And there’s no breakthrough coming, other than a curved screen.

You needed a new phone when they went from 3G to LTE.

You needed a new phone when they increased the screen size.

You no longer need a new phone, especially since the carriers have stopped subsidizing the purchase, now that the true cost is evident.

People drive their cars ever-longer, but analysts believe consumers are all gonna fork over a thousand bucks for a fashion statement?

Not gonna happen. Otherwise, 3-D TV would have been a juggernaut and you’d be throwing away your present flat screen for one with 4k."

http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2017/05/01/iphone-8/

Bonus article - Bob had an amazing post last week just before Twitter's quarterly results

http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2017/04/25/twitter-results/

2. Pictures!!! - Life as Alaskan Fisherman (2 mins)

Thirteen pictures gives a glimpse of how tough the life is for Alaskan fisherman.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2017/apr/11/aleutian-dreams-alaska-fisherman-corey-arnold-photos

3. The aftermath of Globalization and how Politicians use it...In France (15 mins)

The May Day was a reminder that in France (and everywhere now), jobs are considered a political issue and president/prime ministers number one priority.

""It has been a painful retreat for an industry whose delicate creations symbolized 'Made in France' know-how, an economic pattern repeated across the country and one of the most divisive issues in the presidential election." (Sound familiar?) "

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/29/business/france-election-globalization-lepen-macron-lace.html?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email&_r=0

4. The border is all around us and its growing (10 mins)

"“This is such a staggering fact that it bears repeating: The vast majority of Americans, roughly 200 million, are effectively living in the border zone.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/magazine/the-border-is-all-around-us-and-its-growing.html?ref=todayspaper

5. Thumb Trick - Mind Bending video (20 seconds)

I normally don't share videos, but this is something not to be missed. This guy has skills!

http://digg.com/video/detachable-finger-trick

Interesting Articles - April 30th 2017

2017-04-29T23:13:00.003-04:00

After a brief hiatus, I am back. The world is moving at a break neck speed, and the news in every single sector doesn't stop for anyone. As I am writing this post, there are so many things that I can talk about or share with everyone.

1. Trump 100 Days and 100 Lies! (Rabbit hole:-) )

News in US is dominated by Trump and his 100 days and there are so many great articles that can be shared, but the buzzfeed article really captures the 100 days for me. If you look back at all the lies from the past 100 days, you realize that Trump makes this shit up and how easily he moves from one topic to another. Remember Bowling Green Massacre?

https://www.buzzfeed.com/tasneemnashrulla/100-lies-and-false-statements?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email&utm_term=.snr1ZeRO1#.gkexm2Kgx

2. Books are in fashion - eBooks sales are on decline. (4 mins)

I have moved away from eBooks and my first preference is always hard copy. For me, the only reason is that there are no distractions when reading a physical book.
I hope this trend continues.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/apr/27/how-ebooks-lost-their-shine-kindles-look-clunky-unhip-?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

3. Flexible Work = Long Hours! (5 mins)

Who knew! Well, the article captures what we all see in today's times - There is never an "off" switch.

https://qz.com/765908/flexible-working-is-making-us-work-longer/?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

4. Sex Robot - Anyone? (12 mins)

For $15000, the robot can talk, listens, learns, and never say no!

Holy Crap!

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/27/race-to-build-world-first-sex-robot?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

5. Textalyzer - Texting while driving (5 mins)

As I am driving, with every passing car I see people texting or navigating the web. This proposal by NY state will allow police to examine the phones to determine the findings based on an app. I understand the benefits of figuring out who the responsible party is when an accident happens, but what about Privacy? I have two conflicting thoughts about this one.

http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/04/27/525729013/textalyzer-aims-to-curb-distracted-driving-but-what-about-privacy?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nprpresents&utm_term=aboutnpr&utm_content=20170430

Interesting Articles - April 26th 2017

2017-04-26T02:31:00.003-04:00

1. The best camera is the one that is in your pocket (5 mins)

Smartphone cameras have come a long way, and these experimental features (algorithms) on Nexus and Pixel devices are simple breathtaking. It's going to be exciting times in the near future with the sensors in the camera and what algorithms can do with those pixels.

https://research.googleblog.com/2017/04/experimental-nighttime-photography-with.html

2. The fixation with Singapore Healthcare system (5 mins)

The only healthcare system Conservatives and Republicans like is the Singapore Healthcare system.

"What’s the reason for Singapore’s success? It’s not government spending. The state, using taxes, funds only about one-fourth of Singapore’s total health costs. Individuals and their employers pay for the rest. In fact, the latest figures show that Singapore’s government spends only $381 (all dollars in this article are U.S.) per capita on health—or one-seventh what the U.S. government spends.

Singapore’s system requires individuals to take responsibility for their own health, and for much of their own spending on medical care."

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/4/25/15356118/singapore-health-care-system-explained

3. The wonders of Science - Researchers have Successfully grown Premature Lambs in an Artificial Womb (3 mins)

This is crazy! If all things go according to plan, the researchers plan to do this with humans in 3-5 years. As with any technology, there are pros and cons with this approach. Leaving the moral argument aside, one can see the benefits of eliminating the health risk of a pregnancy.

http://www.sciencealert.com/researchers-have-successfully-grown-premature-lambs-in-an-artificial-womb

4. Facebook + Data Science = Trove of Data! (12 mins)

This is almost 2 years old, but I just found it recently. If you are data nerd, this is gold!

http://blog.stephenwolfram.com/2013/04/data-science-of-the-facebook-world/

Blue line is for Men and Pink Line is for Women.

5. USS Starship Enterprise

Just look at this picture. This building by a Chinese Entrepreneur is complete and it is awesome! The only thing I hope that it would do is....explore :-)

Interesting Articles - April 25th 2017

2017-04-26T01:40:00.000-04:00

1. Trump nearing 100 Days!
If I get some time, I really want to create a spreadsheet to capture each day and the shit that this guy created in those 100 days.
But here is the stat that matters:

Approval Rating with his voters: 94%!
Among Republicans: 84%
Regret vote for Trump: 2%
Vote for him again: 96% (This is just beyond me)
To add insult to injury: Hillary voters who would vote from her again: 85% (Who are these people??)

2. James Comey - The man who would go down in the history of politics to change a coarse of a nation. (23 minutes- 7500 Words)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/22/us/politics/james-comey-election.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&_r=0

3. Fooling Apple, Google, Lyft, Drivers, and Consumers - Uber! (12 minutes)

I am surprised no one has written a book about "Uber" and made it into a movie yet.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/23/technology/travis-kalanick-pushes-uber-and-himself-to-the-precipice.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam

"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth" - Marcus Aurelius

Interesting Articles - April 22nd 2017

2017-04-22T17:34:00.001-04:00

People have a thing for "Bucket List", and that is needed to keep goals in perspective or the things that one wants to achieve in life - but there are times when you want to do nothing. Sometimes being still or to be doing nothing is more fulfilling than ticking a bucket list.

Success isn't always a forward motion.

1. Indian Engineers Unwanted Everywhere - Saucy headline with some truth to it (4 minutes)

This headline caught my attention more than the substance of the article. It is easier to point fingers at others rather than acknowledge the shortcomings of oneselves. Having said that, there is some element of truth to the discrimination that is been witnessed across the globe in the past 3 years with the whole "Nationalism" movement or as liberals call it, towards the "Right Wing" party.

https://qz.com/963530/h-1b-its-not-just-trumps-america-indian-techies-are-unwanted-from-east-to-west/

2. Robots - Sorting 200000 packages a day! (2 minutes)

This video was cute and scary. This is the future of distribution centers.

Bonus link: More Robots - This 9 machine replaces 250 workers! (2 mins and 18 seconds)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMpaaTYnzTk

3. Democrats Hope for 2018 - New Young Blood! ( 4mins)

Democrats partner with political newcomers aiming to create anti-Trump wave in 2018.

When you have a 75 year old socialists Bernie Sanders, that is still the most respected politician garnering favorable ratings than any politicians in US, then there is something wrong with the future of the nation. The whole #resistance movement has helped the process of bringing in new young blood in politics. It's heartening to see that process, but this article is more optimistic than the reality on the ground.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democrats-partner-with-political-newcomers-hoping-to-create-anti-trump-wave-in-2018-midterms/2017/04/21/91514ec8-2502-11e7-bb9d-8cd6118e1409_story.html?utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=.4d577ee8a605

Interesting Articles - April 20th 2017

2017-04-20T23:12:00.002-04:00

1. Codeine and Kids - What can go wrong?

Deep down we all knew the side effects of the painkillers and cough syrup, now the FDA has come out slinging against Codeine and Tramadol. On one hand FDA has decided to come against the painkillers, but on the other hand, it did nothing to stop pharmaceuticals to sell OTC cough syrups and drugs that do contain those chemical elements.

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/04/20/524376484/dont-give-kids-cough-syrup-or-pain-meds-that-contain-codeine-fda-says

2. Emirates - The problem begins

This was my fear when the current administration signed the executive order to ban tablets and laptops for three middle eastern airlines. How long before the other two airlines cut down the stops in US and concentrate more in Europe and the rest of the world? What it means for passengers? More expensive flights for world travelers. The tourism industry is already hit with anxiety and a lot of travelers are definitely avoiding the hassle to come to this side of the pond.

http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-emirates-flights-20170419-story.html

3. The Economics of Airline Class - (11 mins)

This was a fascinating video on the economics of airlines class. The last sentence made me sad!

Last sentence - Everyone in the economy is just to fill the plane.

4. Facebook and Snapchat - Facebook's Campaign to Destroy Snapchat is getting Vicious

Facebook has got the copying down to 4 hours! That's how efficient it has become when it comes to copying Snapchat features. It's become a monopoly and I get a sense, it's acting as a bully, much like Microsoft of the late 90s. They are stuck in a Platform Paradox. I am not worried about Snapchat and the whole world talking about Instagram stories eating their lunch. To me, Snapchat is not competing with Instagram/Facebook at all. The basic paradigm of using a Snapchat to its young audience is the "so called" ephemeral nature of communication. Instagram and Facebook is public by default. Most stories are sponsored stories on Instagram, paid by Facebook to content creators to gather attention. It works with "old farts" like me or even someone who is a FB user, but Snapchat knows it's audience and I am sure, Mark has sleepless night on how to change that paradigm. High school and College students will have an account on Instagram and FB, but their first choice will always be Snapchat.

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/04/facebooks-campaign-to-destroy-snapchat-is-getting-vicious?mbid=nl_TH_58f68e44be45e929ab7711c3&CNDID=48149874&spMailingID=10847588&spUserID=MTc0NjAyNDAyNzQ1S0&spJobID=1141438044&spReportId=MTE0MTQzODA0NAS2&utm_content=buffer4e83c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

5. Lost in thought:

"It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get." ~Confucius (551-479BC)

Interesting Articles - April 19th 2017

2017-04-19T23:19:00.000-04:00

1. Too much work?

This got my attention when I read this line:

"Employers may subject our bodies to drug tests; monitor our speech both on and off the job; require us to answer questionnaires about our exercise habits, off-hours alcohol consumption, and childbearing intentions; and rifle through our belongings. If the state held such sweeping powers ... we would probably not consider ourselves free men and women."

https://newrepublic.com/article/141663/united-states-work?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

On similar lines, I liked this article from Quartz - Why being grumpy at work is good for you!

https://qz.com/929348/why-being-grumpy-at-work-is-good-for-you/?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

2. Zombie Malls

One out of every 10 American works in retail. 89000 workers have been laid off since October 2016. The total Coal Mining industry that created a big foofaraw during the 2016 elections, has roughly 80000 employees and retail industry lost more than that in less than 7 months

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/15/business/retail-industry.html?ref=todayspaper

3. Jon Ossoff and 2018 Mid-term election from FiveThirtyEight

I was up till 11:30 pm following the Twitter feed and trying to determine if he can get 50% of the votes to be elected. Just few days back, John Oliver had a segment on GA and it's ridiculous election process. It was close, but couldn't get through the end line.
Bottom line - The run-offs are going to be closer than most people realize and also 2018 won't be a year where Dems can compete.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/5-takeaways-from-the-georgia-6-special-election-results/?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

4. Alien Knowledge - When Machines Justify Knowledge

Fair Warning - Long Read

This is a long read and gives you a perspective on how hard AI is and the scary thing is, that the folks who are building it even really don't fully understand how it works.

https://backchannel.com/our-machines-now-have-knowledge-well-never-understand-857a479dcc0e

5. A day in the life of a Food Vendor

This article truly justifies why you pay for NYT :-)
This article goes behind the scene on daily struggle to do business against host of challenges:

City Codes and Regulation
Exorbitant Fines for Small Violations and
Occasional rage of Brick and Mortar Businesses or Residents
Weather, Whims of transit and foot traffic

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/dining/halal-cart-food-vendor-new-york-city.html?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

6. Connecting Universe - The Facebook way

F8 news was disappointment for me. Maybe I have become an old fart to wear a 1 lbs of headgear on my head to chat with my other old friends, but the concept of spaces did not excite me at all.

"The problem with connecting everyone on the planet is that a lot of people are assholes. The issue with giving just anyone the ability to live broadcast to a billion people is that someone will use it to shoot up a school. You have to plan for these things. You have to build for the reality we live in, not the one we hope to create."

https://www.buzzfeed.com/mathonan/climbing-out-of-facebooks-reality-hole?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email&utm_term=.weKAq7gep9#.meDWpX8gGL

End of 2016...Welcome to 2017!

2016-12-31T14:01:00.003-05:00

Phew.....What a year 2016 has been. On a personal front, the year was tumultuous. The expenses keeps on mounting with no end in sight. On professional front, things are the same. The good news is - Health for all concerned family members is intact and in a good shape. So, something is right!

Looking back at 2016, here are my thoughts.

1. Professional goals took a setback and couldn't focus more attention on new things.
2. Started projects, but did not completed.
3. Networking was moderate and couldn't reach out to new areas.
4. Personal growth took a hit with nothing that helped pushed my professional career.
5. Procrastinated..A lot!
6. Politics sucked!
7. Couldn't keep pace with health goals as the year progressed. A very up and down year.
8. Couldn't spend time with kids!
9. Learned a lot about Photography though!

Very few books read and that was a shame! I did listened to few audible books, but that was it. I do want to rectify that.

Looking forward to 2017:

Here are the top 6 things that I need to work on.

1. Spend Time with Kids and Focus on their progress too!
2. STOP PROCRASTINATING and GET SHIT DONE!
3. Get two Professional Goals done this year. PERIOD. DON'T LOSE FOCUS ON THIS ONE.
4. Get two Personal goals done this year. Half a Marathon and Learn a Language
5. Open up! Be Social. Network! A lot. Start attending local networking events. Do it cheaply!
6. Start looking for "Other" Revenues.

Books read in 2014

2014-02-26T18:29:00.001-05:00

Understanding Michael Porter - Joan Magretta
Age of Spiritual Machines - Ray Kurzweil
Confessions of a Public Speaker - Scott Berkun
Queit: The Power of Introvert in a World That Can't Stop Talking - Susan Cain

Whats more important at Valentines?

2014-02-14T20:25:00.001-05:00

Wait for countless hour to be waited at a restaurant and then wait for the another hour for your order to be placed?
In that process you let your kids go crazy, or hear other kids scream scaring the singles and couples in that process?

What is the point of going outside to begin with? I get the jest of it, but at what cost? The most precious moments are to be with someone special or your family or friends, family then do what suits you. If but means being in the chaos, so be it.

For me, I am done with eating outside or even a take-out on that day. I am perfectly fine with a wine at home with a home cooked meal and watch a movie in my PJs.

Microsoft Surface Ad - Change?

2013-12-26T13:43:00.000-05:00

A month back Microsoft released a new ad for their Surface tablet, and I have to admit it is refreshing to see Microsoft do something "unique". It is a lot different then their "Scroogled" ads and that is what makes it so refreshing. The ad is cute, to the point and lists all the things that you can do with the tablet.

Here is the video for the ad.

Now I don't want to bash Microsoft or Surface products with the ad as they want to sell the product. I do have reservations about the whole premise of having Windows, Office and Keyboard to do real work.

For students, I don't think any of the things below mentioned in the ad is a requirement.

New Windows OS
Office
Skype
Play Games
Bing Smart Search

What really matters that were mentioned in the ad were

Real-Keyboard and
Battery

The keyboard that comes with Surface tablets is not really a "real" keyboard. I rather prefer a real laptop than the keyboard that comes with the Surface.

The battery performs more or less the same as a Haswell equipped laptop.

When you boot, Windows RT machine, there are by default 60+ services that are started. The services grow as you open each applications. Opening Microsoft Office in a resource hog and that hasn't changed in a long time. It's all legacy services that Microsoft has to depend on.

For Microsoft I can't think of any better than what Arnold Bennett said, "Any change, even a change for better, is accompanied, by drawbacks and discomforts".

Email is the new Fax

2013-12-26T12:52:00.000-05:00

Do you see this picture when you sign-in to your Gmail account?

I see it every single time I sign-in to Gmail, no matter the speed of connection. At some point this started happening to my Gmail account a year or so back and every time I log-in, it gets bad. Gmail is my preferred account and I have around 10000 emails in my inbox, which is not a whole lot. I love to clean my inbox and organize it as much as possible. All the marketing, forums, registered mails are deleted rather than just sitting there. I had plenty of filters before, but when google introduced 6 tabs, I decided to go simpler and just use the default tabs. It is working well so far, but the lag and that picture still appears every single time.

But this post if not about Gmail or how slow it has become. It's about email and I can positively say that Gmail/email has become less important in my personal life. Last year Google introduced a nice little dashboard service to let you know your email activity for the week/month. Each month I look at it and I see a decline in email conversations. The top 5 email senders are from service providers or forums or social sites. The real people that matter are no longer in top 5. This is my use case and I am not a heavy user or in an industry where PR people are haunting me or trying to sell a product. I am in enterprise market and I don't get emails from a lot of unknown people. I am glad about that :-)

Not so long in the distinct past, attaching photos in an email was the norm. I used to do that. I used to receive 100s of emails about nice post card size pictures with 2-10MB size emails from my friends. All were forwards from someone I didn't know and used to take a lot of time to download from the mail server. I don't think anyone does that kind of emails anymore. Then there were conversations over emails, especially when two people were in different timezones. Each threaded conversations used to span days and Gmail made it so much better. Today, the post card size pictures are on Facebook. Personal pictures on Instagram/Facebook, Google+ or Dropbox or any popular messaging services. The conversations have moved outside Gmail. The only time I use Gmail is to see my online orders from amazon or shipping details or airline tickets or Amtrak tickets. It's a placeholder for bank statements to credit card statements to anything else. Then Gmail is used for some authorized documents like contracts or sending resumes here and there, just like Fax was not so long ago. Don't get my wrong Google is trying hard to make it personal with Calendar, Drive, Chrome, G+ integration and other Google properties, but Gmail/email as a service is no longer the center piece of my personal life. There is a lot of sensitive information, but it's not personal anymore. I don't converse with my friends on Gmail as I used to. I don't attach pictures from Gmail anymore. I don't see a reason to use email/Gmail for personal reasons anymore. It's become the fax service for me. It's the paper statements pre internet days that we used to receive and store in files and folders. Gmail has become that for me.

What has replaced Gmail for me? Conversations.

Communications have been getting shorter and shorter and 140 characters are the new norm. Short text messages or other messaging platforms have replaced personal email conversations for me. It is simple, more faster and easier to be managed from a mobile device. It's sole purpose is to transmit a message to recipient or a group in the most efficient possible. My main messaging service is not from Google (Hangout) or Facebook (FB Messenger) or Apple(iMessage) or Twitter. It's from WhatsApp. It has changed the game for me and it's a perfect application for my use. Why WhatsApp stuck is hard to say, but it must be something to do with where I come from. I grew up in India and I believe 90% of the urban population uses WhatsApp there. There are more people using WhatsApp and using it creatively and for business purpose. It's cross-platform and exists on all the major platforms (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, Symbian and the Nokia Asha (S40) ). It doesn't have a desktop presence, and it doesn't need too. It's a pure mobile play. It's not a video conference service or for that matter trying to deviate for anything else. It's a mobile messaging service and all the major platforms are covered. Messaging service is where we are heading for now and I don't see that changing in the near future. However I do see few things changing with messaging services.

Here is what I see in the near future.

Messaging services can be the "Official" form of communication. It has the phone number and the real names associated with that service
More apps and/or services will start using Messaging services as the preferred notification apis
In few years, I can see carriers dropping SMS as a service from their plans. Mobile OS will provide the options for selecting a default text message
More people will refrain from changing their phone numbers as their digital lives will be tied to a whole lot more service
I also don't see any one major communication service to rule the roost

Email service has been a boon for many. It has closed the gap between two connections. Every 10-15 years a service takes the center stage and rules that medium. Email as a service has transcended it's prime and as we move to new form of communications, the duration of staying power of the medium will shorten. Messaging services have already started the upward movement and it won't be long before it transcends and give way to new medium of connection.

A week without phone

2013-10-23T20:55:00.002-04:00

A week without phone

Two weeks back, I had a situation where I was left without a phone. My wife had offered me to swap the sim card and use her phone. It was a generous offer that I politely declined.

So, here I was without the one gadget that people touch the most in their lives, every single day. They touch the phone more than a girl twirling her hair back to her ears or a guy checking out each and every hot chick passing by the street!

So my adventure began on Monday and lasted for whole 5 days. Here is what I observed.

Mobile is everywhere
Every single person driving a car has a mobile phone in one hand at the traffic lights.
80% of them don’t use any headphones or Bluetooth device when talking on their phone
More than 50% of them read their phones and drive. Out of the total 50%, 90% are Indians
10% of them have a cigarette in one hand, and the other hand with the mobile phone on the steering wheel
90% of the people walking on the street have mobile phones up to the face
90% of the people eating in cafeteria during lunch hours eat with mobile phone in other hand. It doesn’t matter if there is a group or no group at the lunch table
60% of the people click pictures of the food before they eat. They do typing after taking the picture. I assume they post it somewhere online
80% of the people have phone sitting right next to their desk and charging
50% uses headphones in office and is hooked to their mobile devices
90% of the people will glance at the phone the minute they hear a notification sound. This is true even where there is a work discussion going on.
60% of the managers will check and respond to their emails during meetings.

How difficult was the transition with no phone?

Not that much. On the contrary, I was more focused and could see a lot more world, activities, places, and faces that I normally wouldn’t. I actually could hear bird chirps, could observe different people’s reaction, and let my mind wander to any topic, not have to worry about the emails or the phone calls. I could understand the lyrics and the meaning of a song or verse. I could play close attention to signs. Some of the radio ads are really funny.

For e.g – Loose Yourself by Eminem might be the best song ever written. Every single line has a deep meaning to it. It is a very dark song and at the same time very uplifting song.

Or I could see the arrow sign in the negative space of a FedEx logo. Hint - Check the white space between E and X of FedEx logo.

It felt like freedom. It actually did.

Not everything is rosy. I missed the maps, the news, the camera and the mails. There is always temptation to get the latest news or check emails, but once you resist that temptation, it really doesn’t feel much.

We have come a long way from Motorola Razr phones from 2004 to an iPhone or other smart phones. In the same period, social websites exploded. Right from MySpace to Facebook to Instagram to Twitter to Path to Pinterest to Snapchat – all are exploding and vying for our attention. Then there are countless messaging apps that are vying for our attention. This all happened in a relatively short time span of 5-7 years. There is no shortage of free information that is available to anyone who is really interested in trying new things. The truth of the matter is we, as human beings now are wired to receive up to minute information as soon as it happens and share as much information as quickly as possible. We are really dependent on our phones for everything. On the one hand it makes our lives so much better, but on the other hand, we unknowingly, are becoming slave to it.

What now?

A week off from the devices was let me appreciate the smaller things in life. I was more focused, less distracted and in general made my life a little better. I received my new phone and I am back to my old habits, but I need to change that. I think I am going to make this a habit of not using a phone for a week each month from now on. That would be a good start.

What would Motorola do?

2013-07-09T17:48:00.000-04:00

A lot of tech journalist have written a lot of things about Motorola. Journalist and Analyst have already made the conclusion that buying Motorola was the biggest mistake Google did.

I don’t tend to agree with that hypothesis.

My first mobile phone was a Motorola candy bar phone in 2001. I loved it. There is always a soft spot for your ‘”firsts”. I have a soft spot for Motorola too. I owned a Razr phones from Motorola after that. Razr made the phones look sexy before there was an iPhone!

After the Razr, they faltered and they faltered badly. Even in its downturn, they made couple of well build phones. The original Droid and Motorola Atrix. Original Droid was a breakthrough device for Android. It kick started the growth for Android. Motorola Atrix was the first Android phone in US that had a screen resolution of 540 X 960. Motorola always had a great cell reception and a great battery life. That is even true with the products like Razr Maxx HD.

In 2011, Google announced that it is buying Motorola mobility for $12.5 billion. That was a huge deal for Google. The deal was finally closed in May 2012. Since then Motorola has released 3 phones in US – Droid M, Droid HD and Droid Maxx HD. Ironically all phones are only available on Verizon in US. Motorola also release a variant of Droid M for international market, called Razr i. The phone is similar to Razr M, but runs on Intel atom chip. The inability to get Motorola phones across multitude of carriers was the biggest reason for the drop in global market share. What would it take for Motorola to get back to a point where people start talking about it and start buying their phone once again?

What would Motorola do?

Here is my take.

Motorola set the tone last year by releasing 3 phones. Each phone had something in it for everybody. Droid M was perfect 4 inch phone that was no taller than iPhone 4/4S. Droid Razr was 4.7 720P phone and was a decent mid-size phone. Droid Razr Maxx had an amazing battery life. Motorola was on to something, but I would want them to push the envelope a little further this time around.

4 phones.

Yes, Motorola should release 4 phones that cater towards different markets and price points. They should come in all colors and can have different SKU for different cell radios and storage size, but the design should fall under these 4 categories.

4 inch 720P – $199 unlocked phone
4.3 inch 720P- $279 and $349 unlocked phone
4.7 inch 1080P - $449 unlocked phone
5 inch 1080P - $549 unlocked phone

It goes without saying that there should be no “Blur” or skin on top of AOSP.

4 inch 720P – $199 unlocked phone

Like it or not, but this is the most important phone they should carry. All indicators point towards a slowing high end smartphone market. It is evident with Apple and now Samsung and HTC. The next 1 billion smart phones are going to come from places like India, China and South Africa. Motorola needs to compete against ZTE, Huawei, Micromax, Low and Mid-range Nokia Lumia series and the rumored “cheaper” iPhone

A cheap phone does not have to translate to cheaper materials.

Design -

The next 1 billion people are not going to change their phones every 2 years. Focus on ruggedness. I am not thinking of water proof or military grade ruggedness, but just enough for one to hold without thinking it is going to break the moment it falls. Make it sturdy enough so that it can withstand in someones pocket when that person is standing in a packed bus/train in Mumbai or China. The next billion people might not have the flexibility to charge the phone every 4 hours. Heck, they might not have electricity for 2 days! Give a phone decent battery life and a great standby time. This might make the phone a little bulky, but bulkiness of a phone can be covered by good design and tapered edges.

Give the phone a decent LCD screen which is more easily readable in direct sunlight.

Internals -

MSM8960 is such a great processor from 2012. It is the perfect processor for the price point and has a lower foot print (28 nm) when it comes to process technology.

16GB is a must.

A decent 5 MP phone and a decent front facing phone.

This won’t have LTE. HSPA+ and DC-HSPA on-board

4.3 inch 720P – $279 and $349 unlocked phone

There are folks who want a 4.3 inch phone and this would be a nice step up to the cheapest phone.

Design -

This can have the same design shell as the $199 phone.

Internals -

S4 Pro APQ8064 and MSM8960T. This are great processors that runs Adreno 320 GPU.

16GB is a must.

A good 8 MP phone and a decent front facing phone.

$279 won’t have LTE. HSPA+ and DC-HSPA on-board

$349 with LTE

4.7 inch 1080P – $449 unlocked phone

This category is often overlooked in today’s time of huge 5 inch and phablet phones. I love my Galaxy Nexus. The size is perfect and for some reason, I have got used to the size. If Motorola can make a 4.7 inch phone that has a foot print and feels like a 4.5 inch device, that would be awesome. That is the phone I’ll have.

Design -

What is the first thing a consumer looks when he goes to buy a phone? Screen. The screen on this phone should compel the consumer to pick it up and hold it in his hand and admire it. Look at the HTC One - the screen, in my opinion is the better than any other phone on the market. Invest some time in screen calibration.

Make it colorful, not just the back plate of the device, but all edges and front too. Make the phone in aluminum and give it a very premium and sexy look. Look at Nokia N9 design, especially how they mapped the front glass to the edges. It was beautifully done. HTC 8X is a good design inspiration too.

Internals -

Snapdragon 600. If Qualcomm makes a special one around 1.2 Ghz, I’ll take that. It will save more battery.

16GB is a must.

8 MP shooter with a 1.4 micron BSI. 2.1 MP front facing wide angle camera (Would be awesome with hangouts)

A killer battery life

Global LTE

5 inch 1080P – $549 unlocked phone

This is the phone that you want to compete against iPhone 5s/6, S4 and other high end phones.

Design -

It doesn’t matter that the other 3 categories of the phone will bring more revenues, but this phone would give you the most mileage when it comes to PR.

It goes without saying that this phone has to have a premium feeling. Enough said – You get the idea J

Internals -

Snapdragon 800. If Qualcomm makes anything less than 2.3 Ghz, take it. It will save more battery.

16GB is a must.

16-20 MP shooter with a 1.1 micron BSI. 2.1 MP front facing wide angle camera (Would be awesome with hangouts)

A killer battery life

Global LTE

This are the 4 categories which I believe are needed for Motorola to come back in a big way. The leaks suggest there are 3 versions. I am curious to see which category they opted out for.

I can’t wait for Motorola to come back. The company that invented the phone deserves to be talked about in the same echelons as the Apples and the Samsung’s. But for that to happen, Motorola needs to deliver.

I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Change of Guards - MSFT to GOOG

2012-10-02T00:02:00.002-04:00

Tale of two companies.

Today is the day when the baton was officially handed to Google by Microsoft. Today is the day when a tech behemoth like Microsoft which dominated the Desktop industry passed that baton to Internet company Google.

In the process, Google became the 2nd most valuable tech company. That is huge.

It's come at a year when Microsoft is about to release the 2 biggest products in their history of existence and is coming a crucial time when Desktop/Laptop market is dying.

It's also come at a point when Google is no longer the king of the hill or the dominant force before Twitter's and Facebook's surge. The biggest threat to Google is not the companies that are competing, but governments vested interests who wants to block Google Services.

But Google is not a normal company. If there is one thing that Google has it's right is the fact that it still want's to search the answer and provide it to users with their products. It has the best "geek" talent and still has aspirations to make things better for humans.

With the Driver-less Car and Project Glass coming soon - Things are getting interesting with them again.

I want to know what Steve Ballmer has to say about his comment today. "Google's not a real company. It's a house of cards". - Steve Ballmer 2004.

Since then, these cards have increased by 400% in value.

Google Services with Nexus Program

2012-10-01T23:45:00.001-04:00

Even though it's Officially Microsoft's month with the release of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, there are two companies that are ready to crash their party. Big Time.

First there is that big unknown from Apple - the iPad Mini and then there is that Nexus device/devices from Google.

Lets talk about Nexus.

Last week I talked about my wishlist here. This week I am thinking how Google can build a cohesive experience with it's next Nexus.

Google Talk/Google Voice/Google+Messenger

Am I missing anything else from Google that relates to messenger? This has been my number 1 rant with Google and it's lack of cohesive services. Google doesn't have to look too far away to see how they can improve. Just look at iMessage and they can see how they can integrate their services.

Why not make it simple - How about using one standard messaging product that is tied to gmail/google+ account? I got an idea - Why not get rid of Gtalk completely and make it a standard hangout from Google+? The text part can be messenger from Google+. Obviously - we are talking about having a deep integration with Gmail, Google Chrome, Android and other Google products across different OS/Platforms. So, if I am on Android - I can Text/MMS anyone running Chrome/Gmail and so on and they can receive it on their Android/Apple phone or Mac/Windows machine or Chrome/Ubuntu machine. If I want to chat - It's the same Messenger app.

To take it a step further, integrate Hangouts and Messenger with the default dialer app to do a video calling and auto-text.

Google voice is an oddball in all of the services. I have ported my primary number to Google Voice and I am absolutely amazed by what the product offers from Call Forwarding and blocking numbers point of view. It can do text and it's shared across Gtalk. But the problem is Google Voice is tied to Cellular network and Google Voice outside US has limited functionality. It's a shame, that I can't text to a number outside US with Google Voice and that is a problem with Google Voice. Also the fact that it is dependent on Cellular network makes it not that helpful to save your cellular minutes if you are on a fixed minutes plan and using cell phone for Google Voice.

Google needs to be compete with Skype that is independent of it's cellular network and utilize the hangouts and messenger for text and video features. If I want to call India or Australia, I can still use the low cost prices Google Voice provides.

Task list Integration with Google

This is long overdue. There are so many task-list by third-party services that provide the feature, but it's a shame that the main screen does not have a single task taking app that is by Google and works flawlessly across Google Chrome, Desktop, Gmail and Android. Some of the third-party apps are great - but when you have a Google Account that is tied to so much data sensitive applications with Google, you are apprehensive of opening that up for the 3rd party app.

Google Drive with Nexus Program

Google has Google Drive and the ability to share the services across platforms and services. It's not equivalent to Dropbox, but they don't compete in the same services either.

Here is where Google can take the Nexus program deep with Google Services.

If you purchased a Google Nexus device, then primary account used to activate the device will receive 50/100 GB of Google Drive bundled with your phone for 2 years! This will be a huge incentive for consumers and provide a better cohesive experience and a momentum for Google Drive services. If Google doesn't do this, Microsoft is going to do it with Windows Phone 8.

While we are at Google Drive - How about making it feature rich. It is good, but why can't I open a document using your web interface without installing your Google Drive software?
How about smart attachment embedded with Google Drive.
When i receive or send an email with attachments, it automatically gets stored on my Google Drive under Gmail/Inbox or Gmail/Sent folder? If I click a picture on my Nexus, why not store it in Instant Upload folder under Google Drive rather than Google+?

What will Google Offer?

Can Google get an unlocked Nexus phone for $300?

2012-09-27T17:03:00.002-04:00

I was thinking about this and was wondering what would happen if Google can sell a high end nexus phone for 299$ unlocked. Can that happen?

I hope so.

Next Nexus Expectations

2012-09-27T08:55:00.002-04:00

I love my Jelly Bean on Galaxy Nexus. Its not perfect, but its the best OS that works for me. I can't say the same thing about the Nexus devices though. Galaxy Nexus specs are almost identical to Atrix which was announced in Jan 2011 and released in March. There are many things to gripe about, but I am here to talk about my next Nexus.
The next Nexus device/s are on the horizon and the wish list is growing.

Here is what I am looking for.

Hardware

1. 4.3-4.5 inch LCD 2 IPS display(HTC One X or Sony quality screen) 720p screen. Its time to get the size down. Its crucial if you want a global audience using your device. Make sure the display is not a Pentile display.

2. Please No Plastic! We had enough plastic phone with cheap back covers. Enough. Even a leather(BB bold) or your Nexus 7 leather feel will do. You can use the same duraluminum that Samsung uses for S9. But no plastic.

3. Have a stereo speakers. The last 2 nexus were bad in sound quality coming out of the speakers. Look what Amazon has done with Kindle Fire HD speakers.

4. Camera. Camera. Camera. Camera - The Nexus cameras are the worst compared to other smart phones. Please a f2.0-2.4 with a large sensor is a must to compete against iPhone 5 or Lumia 920.

5. Just don't make another Black slab with a bump at the bottom or camera protruding at the back. We are OK if the phone is not the thinnest phone or lightest phone in the market.

6. Give a killer battery

7. Don't be scared with being colorful. Go ahead, use some colors. Give the phone an identity.

8. Don't and I repeat don't put a phone in the market without LTE.

9. Unlocked.

Software

Oh There is plenty of work to do here. +Android Police pointed a lot of things that are inconsistent in Android JB here. Make it consistent.

1. Fix the glaring problem of too many SMS/Chat/Video conferencing options. Make it one.

2. Can we have HTML editing in gmail??

3. Multiple login on Devices.

4. Google Voice - Decide what you want to do with it. Its neither a cellular option neither a Skype. You can't be both.

5. Android is missing a streaming service - Music(Spotify/Rdio) or video(Hulu or Amazon on Demand). If you can't, then offer device based service from them at subsidized prices. 3-5$/month/device/gmail account

6. Wallet is great, but 80% merchant don't have a pay pass. What then?

7. Android does not have a game center or xbox360 hub. What's the point of Google TV then? Wi-Fi mirroring?

8. Have you tried Apple keyboard or windows 7.5 keyboard? They are better.

9. Mail Client - Isn't it high time to provide an excellent mail client out of the box?

Go wild with Google Now - Its that awesome.

Android in general - How about making the newer version of Android available on every single device that supports the minimum hardware specification?

Why not provide a presentation layer over the core Android where carriers and OEM can skin it to differentiate rather than murking with core AOSP build?

Oh there are more - but it can wait.
With all the expectations I am excited about the new Nexus.

Things that matter

2012-09-25T23:55:00.002-04:00

Don't focus on things that doesn't matter. It is not going to take you anywhere.

Give it your best shot at whatever you do.

Pick your battles to fight - It will take you a long way.

The more you give, the better are the returns in long term.

Stuck

2012-09-25T23:51:00.002-04:00

There are times when you feel that you are stuck and it's difficult to get out. At times you feel like you are bogged down with everything life is throwing at you. There are times when you are trying to find the answers to the questions that you don't know. There are times when you thinking about questions that has too many answers to make a decision.

Life ain't easy.

The only thing you can do is move. Don't sit - move forward.
Don't try to fit in to the new environment - just make your impression and stand out.

Are PC Makers really competing?

2012-07-17T00:35:00.002-04:00

I have been looking to buy a laptop from the past 2 weeks. I am planning on using it as my daily driver. Here are the essentials that I am looking for.

Essential
11-13 inch laptop around 2.75-3.5 pounds with ivy bridge i5
High screen resolution greater than 1366 * 768 (Can live with 1440 * 900 or preferred1600 * 900 or higher)
256 GB SSD

Bonus
i7 ivy bridge
8 GB RAM
Good battery life

So I went to HP, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, Samsung and did a Google product search for best prices over the net to see if I can get what I am looking for.

Here is the comparison.
(You can see the original size by clicking view Original size)

When I looked at the chart, I wondered if the PC Makers are really trying hard to compete against Apple in the segment that I am looking for. Granted, I have some basic essentials that a laptop must meet and for most folks this is not an issue. But the problem is most known vendors are ignoring the basic idea of providing options to users to customize their laptop. I have been using Lenovo T61 for almost 5 years now and even that laptop had a 1440 * 900 screen resolution. I am use to this resolution and for me that is the bare essential I am looking for in my next laptop. Most manufacturers have locked down the screen resolution (720p) and the RAM (4GB) size on their offerings. I personally don't like the 16:9 resolution (1366 * 768) and how it looks on a screen. I rather prefer 16 * 10 or higher on the laptops.

The only two player trying to compete against Apple are Samsung and Asus. Asus is the real dark horse here. I have to give them credit for providing a great alternative to MBA (Macbook Air) in the form of Asus UX31 and Asus UX21 (which is not yet officially out).

Samsung with it's 15 inch has created a monster. I absolutely love their design, although the design aesthetics looks a lot like MBA, but the battery life, the screen and the weight around 3.5 inch is a real steal here.

As far as MBA is concerned, it's still the top dog when it comes to the ultrabooks category. The specs on MBA are just too good to ignore. You can reduce 200$ and go with the i5 and 4 GB RAM and yet it's a better machine compared to other ultra-books.

Now that brings me to the all important point - What if Apple comes out with a Macbook pro 13 with Retina display for 1799 with a 128 MB SSD and an option to go 256 SSD with dedicated graphics with a weight out 3.2 lbs? That will be huge and it will almost be a no-brainer and that point. I am sure, PC makers will reduce the prices on the existing model and then compete, which will be beneficial to the consumers.

As far as I am concerned - I am waiting for UX21 pricing and availability and might wait for MBA 13 MBP retina.

Nexus 7

2012-07-09T22:41:00.001-04:00

There are other android tablets, 1000s of them and then there is a Nexus 7.

Enough Said.

Go buy them. They are that good.

Tip - Do yourself a favor and buy the 16 GB one.

Words!

2012-07-09T22:38:00.001-04:00

Using Simple, easy to understand words, can create magic.

Scott Berkun posted a blog this morning. It's simple, has words that everyone can understand and creates a big impact.

It's magical.

Three Piles of Life

Here’s an oversimplified theory to play with for today: there are only three piles in life.

Things that are important
Things that are unimportant
Things that are unimportant but distract you from what is important

Most suffering in life comes from #3.

Marketers go to great lengths to generate a large 3rd pile in our lives. Expensive sneakers won’t make you a better athlete. A fancy car or necklace won’t make you a better, more fulfilled person. The important things in your life are rarely dependent on what you own. Or what your neighbors and extended family think of you in any way. Yet these are often the primary forces that drive our most important decisions and how we spend our time. We live lives based on other people’s flawed piles.

Unless you take explicit action to define #1 and #2 on your own, you are inheriting the value system that defines your biggest life choices. And you are inheriting it from people who likely were failed by that very framework. Why copy their system? Make your own piles and ask for feedback from those closest to you. Only they can guide you in shaping the piles most likely to shape your life into the experience you desire.

We all need other people to point out #3 for us. We’re all victim to our whims, weaknesses and egos. But if our friends know our piles, they can help us spot when too much of our lives are falling into #3.

Lastly, inventory your time. It should match neatly with your piles. How we spend our time defines what is important more than any other measure.