Vaneet 2.0

Top hindi soundtracks of the past decade

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 05:30:00 +0000

I have been wanting to create this list for some time now. Listen anytime, anywhere albums which are contemporary yet evergreen and with no duds, meaning all (well most) songs in the OST are worth a listen with some obvious megahits.

Who are the winners you ask? The usual suspects - Rahman and SEL, clearly our best musicians of the decade along with new recruits Amit Trivedi and Shilpa Roa. Aamir and Farhan Akhtar dominate in terms of star power.

So without further adieu, here's the list: (in descending order of release date)

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)

Music director: Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Best song: Khaabon Ke Parinday
Dark horse: Background score
Listen online: Google music, grooveshark, gaana.com
...........................................................................................................

Udaan (2010)

Music director: Amit Trivedi
Best song: Aazaadiyan
Dark horse: Naav hai teri
Listen online: Google music, grooveshark, gaana.com
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Wake Up Sid (2009)

Music director: Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Amit Trivedi

Best song: Iktara

Dark horse: Ikatara (male version)

Listen online: Google music, grooveshark, gaana.com
...........................................................................................................

Rock On!! (2009)

Music director: Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Best song: Tum ho to

Dark horse: Phir Dekhiye

Listen online: Google music, grooveshark

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Delhi 6 (2009)

Music director: A.R. Rahman

Best song: Arziyaan

Dark horse: Dil Gira Dafatan

Listen online: Google music, grooveshark, gaana.com

..........................................................................................................
Life In A...Metro (2007)

Music director: Pritam Chakraborty

Best song: O Meri jaan

Dark horse: Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si

Listen online: Google music, grooveshark
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Dev D (2007)

Music director: Amit Trivedi

Best song: Duniya Ye Duniya Badi Gol

Dark horse: Dhol Yaara Dhol

Listen online: Google music, grooveshark, gaana.com
..........................................................................................................

Rang De Basanti (2007)

Music director: A.R. Rahman

Best song: Luka Chuppi

Dark horse: Khoon Chala

Listen online: Google music, grooveshark, gaana.com
..........................................................................................................

Taare Zameen Par (2007)

Music director: Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Best song: Taare Zameen Par

Dark horse: Maa

Listen online: Google music, grooveshark, gaana.com
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Lakshya (2004)

Music director: Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Best song: Lakshya

Dark horse: Kitni Baatein

Listen online: Google music, grooveshark
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Swades (2004)

Music director: A.R. Rahman

Best song: Yes Jo Des Hai Tera

Dark horse: Saawariya Saawariya

Listen online: Google music, grooveshark, gaana.com
..........................................................................................................

Dil Chahta Hai (2001)

Music director: Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Best song: Dil Chahta Hai

Dark horse: Akash's Love Theme

Listen online: Google music, grooveshark, gaana.com

..........................................................................................................

Lagaan (2001)

Music director: A.R. Rahman

Best song: Mitwa

Dark horse: O Rey Chori

Listen online: Google music, grooveshark

..........................................................................................................

Roja (1992)

(This one's purely for old time sake, 20 years...still good enough to make the cut!)

Music director: A.R. Rahman

Best song: Yeh Haseen Vaadiyan

Dark horse: Bharat Humko Jaan Se Pyara Hai

Listen online: Google music, grooveshark
..........................................................................................................

Notable mentions: 3 Idiots, Chak De India, Anjaana Anjaani, Jab we met, Omkara, Jodha Akbar, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Jaane tu na jaane na, Delhi Belly, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Saathiya, Kaminey, Namastey London

One more thing on Steve Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 06:15:00 +0000

My first smartphone was a Sony Ericsson P990i which I bought in 2006 on eBay. It was cutting edge, best in class had a massive touch screen with a qwerty keypad and I was proud of it. It was a bit bulky, but what the heck, with tech like that it would have been silly to hide it in the pocket anyways. This ofcourse was before I bought the iPhone.

The phone that was the apple of my eye suddenly looked like an ancient artifact, a big and bulky stone hedge, much like how the Motorola DynaTAC looks now. Two years into it, I still love and use the same iPhone (which sadly is also dying now) and planning an upgrade to the iPhone 4S.

The iPhone was not my first tryst with the Jobsian magic though. I had wanted that thing right from the day I saw the magical keynote from Jobs in 2007 where he announced the iPhone amidst the oohs and aahs of the audience. The thing just looked insanely futuristic, yet felt so simple and obvious to use. It came to India at an insane price, so i settled with the iPod touch. A device I quickly fell in love with and which now is Apple's biggest selling product in India.

Within all this time, I've had the great pleasure of following Apple and Steve Jobs closely (and being paid for it!). First as a product manager for an iOS app and now as an analyst obsessed with tracking their every move. To witness the kind of impact that both of them have had on virtually everything in the past few years has been a humbling experience. He and his team took a product, pushed its technology years into the future, overturning entire industries in the process. Behemoths like Sony, HP, Acer, Nokia, RIM, Microsoft, Intel and countless others who banked on fake premiums and past laurels were left napping and forced to change strategies, management and mindsets. Thanks to Apple and Steve Jobs, our daily devices are much more sleeker, powerful and user friendly today than they were some years ago.

In India, they might not be doing huge numbers but its app store has created thousands of jobs here with one-tenth of its 500,000 app strong App store filled by apps built by Indian developers.

While Jobs is best known for turning Apple into the most valuable and revered brand worldwide, as a great leader, visionary, and for his mercurial management style and eye for perfection, his own life is no less than extraordinary. Put up for adoption on birth, dropped out from college, kicked out of his own company, its quite amazing that he came back and churned out the iPhone, the iPod Touch , the MacBook Air and the iPad, all while he was battling with cancer. The man who at the age of 13, cold-called the head of HP and cajoled him into giving him free computer chips is also considered the greatest salesperson and orator of the time. Not to mention, Steve the inventor - the man also has over 300 patents to his name.

The stature of the man is evident from the sheer volume of tributes that have flown in since yesterday, from Obama to our very own Manmohan, over 6000 tweets per sec, and in front of Apple stores worldwide. Such is the respect that among Apple's biggest foes, Google put up a link to apple.com (which ofcourse is dedicated to Jobs) on google.com and flags at Microsoft flew at half mast for the entire day yesterday.

Its weird for me, and perhaps millions worldwide, to be affected so much by the loss of somebody that they've never met. It reminds me of what he told the CEO of Pepsi when he wanted to lure him to into joining Apple -“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?" And that is exactly what Jobs did, he created products that made our lives immeasurably more easy and fun.

Oh, and one more thing....Thank you, Steven Paul Jobs. RIP. #FanforLife

Some selected links for further reading:
Steves' bio
Steves' best quotes
Steves' anecdotes
Steves' stanford speech

A robot that flies like a bird, literally

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 04:28:00 +0000

Plenty of robots can fly -- but none can fly like a real bird. That is, until Markus Fischer and his team at Festo built SmartBird, a large, lightweight robot, modeled on a seagull, that flies by flapping its wings. A soaring demo fresh from TEDGlobal 2011.

One could wonder if this thing had any usefulness, apart from the fact that it brings a smile to your face everytime you see that thing flapping its wings. Or we can think what this Smart bird can evolve to in the future.

Unfortunately, the first thing that comes to mind is spy birds, surveillance and military. Moving beyond that, this refreshes the debate about how we design our own airplanes with massive propellers, which is not quite the way nature does it. Can a passenger airplane be designed on principles of nature? A bird was designed to fly alone while a modern plane carries passengers, flies at incredible speeds and faces extreme wind and weather conditions, something that this design has not been perfected for. A personal flying car perhaps then, that could work, right? Go imagine yourself flapping away to office among the pigeons and the sea gulls.

Whats interesting is how the real seagulls reacted when this guy took to the open skies later on during the TED conference. According to a by-watcher, "At first he flew alone in the sky but not after too long hundreds of seagulls flew in from around the city and greeted this oversized foreigner with vocal bewilderment. As they circled curiously, many of them swooped in with intensity to get a closer look as the mechanical seagull flew gracefully through the sky. It was an awe-inspiring experience and very surreal to see nature interacting with science."

Apple's best ever quarter. Again - Highlights from Q3 2011 earnings

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:21:00 +0000

Apple announced its Q3 2011 results yesterday, and as we all are quite used to by now, folks at Cupertino just dished out another blow out quarter. Basic upshot - Highest quarterly revenue and profits ever. Record iPhone and iPad sales and highest non-holiday quarter Mac sales ever.

Overall highlights

$28.57 billion in revenue (+82% Y-o-Y) with $7.79 billion profit(+120%). That's up from second quarter's $25 billion in revenue and $6 billion in profit respectively.
Over 222 million cumulative iOS device sales ever, compared to 130 million Android devices
The iPad is now the number 2 business for Apple behind the iPhone, overtaking the Mac
International sales now account for 62 percent of Apple's quarterly revenue. Sales in greater China, which includes China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, accounted for $3.8 billion for the quarter.
Apple now has $76 billion in cash. That’s a nearly $10 billion surge in three months.
Using this quarter’s net profits alone, Apple could buy the bottom 16 countries of the world outright. Its total cash can now buy bottom 40

Read below for more business wise highlights:

iPhone

20.34 iPhones sold, representing 142% unit growth over the year-ago quarter, more than double IDC's estimate of overall smartphone market
Developing and emerging markets especially important for iPhone growth - Added 42 new carriers in 15 different countries throughout the quarter, with China, Latin America, and the Middle East driving increasing numbers

iPad

9.25 million iPads sold with over $6 billion in revenue. This is up from 4.69 million iPads sold in Q2 2011
Launched iPad in 36 additional countries during the quarter, ending with availability in 64 countries
86 percent of Fortune 500 are deploying or testing the iPad, up from 75% during the previous quarter
Now selling more iPads to K-12 (schools) than Macs, which is a revelation given that education has been a traditional Mac stronghold

Mac

Mac sales were 3.95 million, up 14 % from 3.47 million a year ago. This growth rate is almost 5x the PC industry growth rate.
MacBook Pro highest selling Mac model
Performance particularly strong in Asia, up 57% year over year

iPod

iPod sales continued their steady decline in the most recent quarter, slipping 20% YoY to 7.54 million units
iPod touch accounted for half of all 7.5 million iPods sold during the quarter.

Content

425,000 apps, 15 billion downloads. $2.5 billion paid out to developers
iTunes revenue up 36% year-over-year. Over 225 million accounts, leading music retailer

Retail

Revenue from retail segment rose 36% to $3.5 billion on higher volume sales of Macs and iPads
Opened 4 new stores during the quarter to end with 327 stores, average revenue per store rose roughly 20 percent to $10.8 million.
The stores hosted 73.7 million visitors during the June quarter, up from 60.5 million during the year-ago quarter.
Apple's personal set-up program within the stores got off to a strong start, with Apple having set up over 2 million total Macs, iPhones, iPods and iPads during the quarter.
Plans to open 30 new stores in the September quarter alone, including the first store in Hong Kong

Apple press release

Darwin's orchid and moth and the fascinating world of evolution

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:39:00 +0000

Darwin's theory of evolution has always intrigued me. I remember when I first read it in high-school, it looked so intuitive and obvious that I questioned the need of even spelling it out. Little did I know then of the prodigious implications of that simple hypothesis.

Recently while watching a TED video, I came across this fascinating story of Darwin's orchid and the moth which presents a intriguing insight into how nature has uniquely evolved over the years.

So the picture on the left is of Angraecum sesquipedale, commonly known as the Darwin's orchid. When Darwin first saw this flower, he was surprised by one defining characteristic of this species - the astonishing length of the whip-like green spur containing the nectar in each flower.

From his observations, Darwin surmised in 1862 that in order for this flower to pollinate and survive, there must be a pollinator insect with a proboscis (tubular nectar sucking organ of insects) long enough to reach the nectar at the end of the spur.

Obviously the the notion of a pollinator with a 35 cm long proboscis was ridiculed and generally not believed to exist for the longest time. Though all of this was about to change 41 years later.

In 1903, such a moth was indeed discovered in Madagascar - just like Darwin had predicted. Named Xanthopan morganii praedicta (The subspecific epithet "praedicta" was given in honor of the fact that Darwin predicted its existence), this moth had a long proboscis which it kept rolled up and unrolled to reach the end of the orchid's spur. The fact that Darwin was able to apply his simple theory to predict an actual species 41 years ago since it was first seen is the reason why evolution remains to be one of the most profound science theories of all time.

Don't take my word for it? Watch it here for yourself in this short BBC documentary.

Top 20 things against Indian culture

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:38:00 +0000

An interesting topic in trending on Twitter right now - #againstindianculture. Now topics like these are ideal bait for my sarcastic jabs, so without any further adieu, here are my top 20 things which are simply against Indian culture. (Includes some of the best from fellow Twitter mates)

Lane driving
Not parking at places marked as 'No Parking'
Buying original software or content (songs, movies etc.)
Covering up roads after digging up
Government authorities completing projects on time (Delhi Metro #respect)
Standing in lines for taking a bus/train
Throwing trash in dustbins at public places
Not-crying kids, well...at all places
Wiping your Dog's poop from the pavement
Getting official work done in a single visit (think passport, driving license)
No bargaining
Removing plastic covers from seats of a new car
Keeping mobile phones on silent, or speaking slowly
Not throwing Beetle projectiles on walls
Seeing a hot girl and not check her out
Owning up to one's fault
Honest politicians, or policemen
Talking bad about Sachin Tendulkar
Traveling light
Kids thinking of becoming something other than engineers or doctors

Also, you can always head over here if case you need more pointers.

Want a free Google+ invite?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:43:00 +0000

Is the precious little invite of Google's latest Plus social network (Google+) still evading you? Worry not, just drop in your email in the comments below and I'll see what I can do - I have a some 500 odd free invites lying here. And till the time you get your pass, enjoy some videos from Google on what this stuff is that you want in on so badly.

Here's how the organisational chart of major Tech companies looks like

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:31:00 +0000

Source: Bonkers World

Plug with a switch, Laptops powered by typing [Smart design]

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 17:11:00 +0000

Plug which come with a switch
Why did anyone not think of this before?...is what I thought when I first looked at this design concept of a plug which comes with an integrated switch. Its convenient, saves an extra switch and comes with a LED indicator which reminds the user that the switch is on. In case you are wondering, the design should work with three-pin plugs as well. The only challenge is the LED light and how much energy it consumes.

Apple might want to have a look at this for their next adapter design for the MB Air!

Laptops powered by typing

A bunch of Australian researchers including some Indians have figured out a way to harness the energy we use while typing to power a laptop. The researchers successfully measured a piezoelectric thin film's capacity for turning mechanical pressure into electricity, an idea which could take us closer to our dream of self-powered portable electronics including laptops powered through typing!

"The power of piezoelectrics could be integrated into running shoes to charge mobile phones, enable laptops to be powered through typing or even used to convert blood pressure into a power source for pacemakers - essentially creating an everlasting battery", says co-author of the research, Dr. Madhu Bhaskaran.

Piezoelectric materials convert mechanical energy into electric power and are used in things like electric cigarette lighters, which use a piezoelectric crystal capable of producing a high voltage electric current after being hit by a spring-loaded hammer, to ignite gas.

Source: Yanko, Gizmag

Implications of Apple's WWDC announcements: iCloud, iOS 5 and Lion OSX

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 04:25:00 +0000

Apple hosted its 2011 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 6, 2011, which focused on its new iCloud offering, iOS 5, and Mac OS X. Here is a brief summary and analysis on the various announcements.

The Numbers

• Over 200 million iOS devices sold, 44% market share among mobile operating systems
• 25 million iPads sold in 14 months (up from 15 million in Dec, 2010)
• 54 million active Mac users worldwide, Laptops outsell desktops (accounting for 73% of Apple PC sales)
• 425,000 apps on the App Store; 90,000 iPad apps
• 14 billion apps downloaded by Apple customers (up from 10 billion in Jan 2011)
• $2.5 billion paid out to app store developers
• 130 million books downloaded for the iBookstore
• 225 million iTunes accounts with credit cards

iCloud

With iCloud, Apple aims to become the center of consumer’s digital life in the Post-PC world. It would help all Apple devices to automatically synchronize calendar items, contacts, mail, iTunes songs, photos, apps and other files with each other. With the cloud as the center of the digital hub, Apple has pushed the PC to become just a device like the iPhone or the iPad.

iCloud services would act as a huge differentiator for Apple, thereby attracting many new users to the platform. It would also greatly increase the stickiness of existing users, particularly those who own multiple Apple devices.

Decreased dependency on the PC for content would drive uptake of new devices like media tablets, further impacting the PC industry

Apple’s cloud offerings require a tightly integrated platform, which few companies will be able to fully replicate. Google and Microsoft, who have made early inroads for similar cloud integration, will accelerate plans to counter Apple’s move.

Apple’s iTunes in the cloud offering is much stronger than the recently launched cloud hosted music platforms by Amazon and Google. It does not require uploading of current content while being priced aggressively. The much anticipated content streaming is not a part of the offering yet though.

iOS 5

iOS 5 is the most extensive refresh of Apple’s mobile platform since its launch. With its new version, Apple has addressed the most requested feature requests and pain-points of iOS. Key features like wireless sync, iMessage and Twitter integration would help iOS maintain its leadership in mobile. Overhauled notifications, cameras updates, tabbed browsing and split keyboard are welcome additions.

iMessage: Apple's new messaging offering further adds to Apple’s ecosystem theory. Taking a leaf out of RIM's BBM, this new app is free, works over WiFi/3G and can send messages, documents, photos, contact. It also supports push notifications and group messaging.

Wireless Sync: This completes the missing pieces of Apple's vision of the Post PC era. PC is no longer required to activate iOS devices. Also iOS software updates would be over the air. This substantially enhances the value of the platform and makes it easier for users to purchase and manage multiple iOS products.

Twitter integration: This feature makes it easier to tweet from any iOS based device with support for single sign on. After signing in once, the user can tweet from potentially any app, including Camera, Photos and Safari. Facebook, world’s largest social network is a notable omission here.

Mac (OSX Lion)

With features like Launchpad, gestures, Mac app store etc., Apple wants to push similar user experiences across its devices. The idea being that if a user owns an iOS device (~200 million installed base), he should have no problems in migrating from a PC to the Mac.
While giving away the upgrade for a low price point of $29.99, Apple would be looking to generate momentum in its newly launched Mac app store to drive further revenues.

The other stand out thing is Apple's announcement to distribute the new OS solely via its new Mac app store, further indicating their move away from boxed software distribution.

Dhoni: From Ticket Collector to Alchemist

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 May 2011 13:47:00 +0000

Few would have put their money against Dhoni picking up the IPL 4 trophy last week. The man, as they say can simply do no wrong. Under him we've now won both the One day and T20 World cups. We are the No.1 Test team with significant overseas success. Add to that the back to back IPL wins and Champions trophy triumph. He is No.1 on the ICC top ODI batsmen list and is a two time ICC ODI Player of the Year. Sachin thinks he is the best captain ever and the Time magazine just included him in the top 100 most influential people in the world. Endorsing an upwards of 22 brands, he is also the richest cricketer in the world.

The basic upshot you ask? This young lad from Jharkand who once collected railway tickets at the Kharagpur station, is well and truly sitting on the pinnacle of success in modern India.

Dhoni the player
Dhoni is probably the most effective unconventional player ever to have played cricket. His batting technique can be best described as some kind of a hybrid street style which might not have the balance of a Tendulkar, finesse of a Dravid or the panache of a Laxman, but is highly effective. Shots like the Helicopter may not be in the coaching manual but his average in all forms of the game speak volumes for his contribution and consistency. His ability to switch gears at will has become a huge asset for the team, not to mention his habit of delivering at crunch moments. He is the finisher and the all-rounder India had been looking for forever.

While a lot is said about his captaincy and his batting, we often forget that he is exceptional behind the wickets as well. His wicket-keeping, like his batting, is street smart and effective. As an athlete he is one of the fittest guys on the field and one of the fastest runners between the wickets in world cricket.

Dhoni the captain
There is not much here that has not been said already. His performances have earned him the respect of a star studded line-up including players much senior and established than him. His ability to think on his feet and often oblique to the pundits has made him the exceptional captain he is today. Only he can throw the ball to a Jogender Sharma in the last over of a World Cup final, and repeat that by playing Sreesanth for Ashwin in yet another World Cup final and get away with it. As a communicator he is direct and does not mince words. That does not make him an instant hit with some of the ladies I know, but is essential when you are leading a side like India.

Along with being the iceman he is, there is a certain sense of occasion in the guy which is admirable. Remember Ganguly's last test where Dhoni invited him to captain the side for the final day. Or most recently, the champion who deposited the ball in the stands to win ultimate glory for the nation was happily standing in the sidelines while the nation celebrated Sachin.

A few years ago the thought of anybody coming close to Sachin's stature in cricket was ludicrous. At 29 today, Dhoni is not far off from achieving that super stardom. If Ganguly brought us up from the dark ages, Dhoni has taught us to win - and keep winning. Luckily for him and us, he still has some years to go before he hangs his boots, and we are glad. But of course!

iPhone 4 to finally launch in India on May 27th, price starts from Rs.34,500

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 26 May 2011 05:06:00 +0000

So its finally official that Airtel and Aircel would be launching the iPhone 4 in India tomorrow.
Aircel is offering the 16GB model of the iPhone 4 at a price of Rs 34,500 and the 32GB model at Rs 40,900. Pricing details from Airtel are not out yet but are expected to be on similar lines.

The Reverse subsidy model
With this iPhone, Aircel is trying an innovative hook. They are offering a reverse subsidy plan under which the buyer pays the full cost of the handset upfront and recovers the entire amount over a period of two years through monthly credits on the subscription plans. Atleast this is now it is being pitched. (more on this in a separate post)

Is it unlocked?
Yes, it is factory unlocked which means you can use it with any operator. The only hook here is this reverse subsidy model where you would be tempted to remain with the operator for a period of atleast 2 years.

Where can I buy it from?
From Airtel and Aircel showrooms. It would also be available in Apple premium stores.

Should you buy the iPhone 4?
My guess is that if you had wanted one badly, you would have got it already. Anyways, its still some time for the iPhone 5 to come up (Sep-Oct this year), so if you want an iPhone, you should get this one. Some people have expressed concerns over the antenna issue, but its no biggie. You should also look at some of the cool Android phones which have come up this year, specially the Galaxy S2 from Samsung.

And if you are not in a hurry, wait for the next generation iPhone 5 which promises to be a very exciting launch and then get some of your folks in US to get it for you. While folks in Delhi can always visit the Gaffar market for the latest and brightest in consumer tech.

Looking for an iPad 2 instead. Here's what you need to know.

Shauk hai (Guru): The magic of Rahman

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:30:00 +0000

I am not sure if you've heard this one before. I was watching the movie Guru when I heard this song in the background and immediately fell in love with it. Featuring minimum instrumentals, Rahman creates magic with the rhythms we've heard earlier in tu bin bataye (RDB) with gentle light piano riffs throughout the song and a soothing female voice.(Soumya Raoh)

Kaash ye zindagi Khel hi khel mein kho gayi hoti
Kaash ye zindagi binkahe binsune so gayi hoti
Bezubaan os ki boliyon ka; Shauk hai
Roshni ka shauk hai, oh shauk hai

The song where a dying Meenu (Vidya Balan) hopes if she could just die peacefully as she yearns for all the little joys of life, urges you to take a step back and enjoy all the simple things in life while they are there.

A quick search tells me that the song did not release with the soundtrack but was later released as a full song in 'A.R.Rahman - Greatest Hits' by Sony-BMG.

[Movie Review] Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 21 May 2011 11:17:00 +0000

Pirates of the Caribbean has never been your run of the mill Hollywood movie. Its weird, witty, quirky and disgusting all at the same time. But if you've seen it, you'll agree that its one hell of a joy ride. So how does the fourth installment fare?

The setting of the film is mouth watering. You have three parties, the irreplaceable Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) combined with his ex-flame Angelica (Cruz) and the deadliest pirate on earth, the Black Beard, the English led by Captain Barbosa and their colonial rivals the Spanish - all sailing high waters to reach and claim the mysterious Fountain of the Youth. For all that could have been done with this exciting premise, its almost disappointing to see what they've ended up with.

The film lacks the basics of the pirates franchise - the pirate ships and the sea fights are missing, so are the typically convoluted plot lines. It almost feels like the story writers dumbed down the movie to get a PG13 certificate. The legend of the Fountain of Youth is as simple as finding two chalices, a mermaids tear and drinking the potion filled with the tear. The Spanish, who are given a huge buildup throughout the movie, reach the fountain not to capture it in a topsy-turvy battle royale in the middle of a sea storm, but to simply destroy it in the name of god and justness! The Black Beard and his zombie crew are no match for the menacing Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman.

The only time the film picks up is during the entire fight sequence with the mermaids (who are now man-eaters by the way). The entire thing is dark and spooky and finally makes you say now we're talking. The stunning little mermaid, Syrena (watch out for this girl) provides much needed respite from the confusing love-hate romance between Sparrow and Angelica. The other high point comes when the pack finally finds the fountain of the youth in a land of reverse gravity as Jack gazes at the drop of water climbing up his hand.

Depp as Sparrow is brilliant as always and provides all the laughs with his quirky ways and mannerisms. He remains at the top of his game throughout, though largely restricted by the uninventive and prolonged fight sequences and a disjointed plot.

The 3D bit is a complete sham, not once do you feel wowed by the extra dimension during the course of the movie. Most of the film is shot at night, so the 3D makes it even more darker.

Not for one Captain Jack Sparrow, this one falls on its face. I won't bet my money on the chances of seeing another installment of this glorious franchise. Unless of course, they find the Fountain of the Youth.

2/5

[Best @TED] Jake Shimabukuro plays "Bohemian Rhapsody"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:16:00 +0000

Jake Shimabukuro strums monster sounds out of the tiny Hawaiian ukulele, as he plays a cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." A sensational performance from TED2010 -- it'll send shivers down your spine.

Chromebook vs. iPad. Does it stand a chance?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 May 2011 06:06:00 +0000

So this is the value proposition of the new Chromebook. Is it only me or all of this sounds familiar? How about the iPad - Instant On, 10 hr battery, always connected, content anywhere via iTunes and free updates. The more I read into the Chromebook announcement, the more I am confused about the product category Google is trying to define here. As usual, let's try and break this down.

Target segment - Consumer, Enterprise
On the outset, the Chromebook looks a non-starter for consumers. Despite having a stripped down OS, it is more pricey than most of the top-end netbooks. It does not have any storage, so you can't store movies, music and other content - which means you cannot sync it to your iPhone, iPod or other mobile devices. This alone makes it a machine which can't be used as a primary laptop. And we've still not started talking about its inability to run any native software, so no Office, no Photoshop, no Skype.
As a secondary device, it has in competition the mighty iPad, and their very own Android based tablets. Head to head, I don't see people lining up for these books any time soon.

Enterprise is a slightly different story though, and Google has done well in identifying it as its primary target segment for ChromeOS. The idea of a machine with no expensive software, update and maintenance hassles and easy monthly installments will entice some organizations. Even here, it would attract only SMB, schools and colleges to begin with. Larger companies would be very tough to convert. IT inertia of these companies is simply too huge and is certainly something that Google has seen first hand with its enterprise apps suite. And then here again it would go head to head against tablets, which we know are being adopted increasingly in enterprise.

Web vs Native
People love native apps. Google themselves has accepted this trend with its Android market. Most of their web services are now available as native apps on Android. So why are they telling us to use the web?

With ChromeOS, Google is trying to be future ready, a future where the web becomes the standard cross-platform delivery system. Its showcase of browser based immersive apps during I/O was an attempt to show the world the potential of the web. The question here though is time. With standards like HTML5 still some years away from maturing, this might be a long haul.

What about Windows?
Lets also not forget the mighty Windows and its next version, Windows 8. From what we hear, it would be a light weight OS, with faster boot times and superior touch abilities. If Microsoft is able to deliver well on all these counts, ChromeOS will be rendered dead on arrival on the enterprise side too.

There is no arguing that ChromeOS is a radical concept in computing and will take time to go mainstream. How Google markets this thing would be crucial. We have seen them fumble before with their Nexus S and Google TV. It can be argued that only Apple and its behemoth marketing ecosystem could have created a new category of devices with its iPad. Google will need to pull of something similar to be successful.

How the Microsoft Skype combination will change your life

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 May 2011 14:47:00 +0000

So as many of you would have heard by now, Microsoft bought Skype for a whopping $8.5 billion yesterday. Let shave a quick look at what this means for you and me:

Skype meets Kinect. This one is a no-brainer, Skype's video chat will integrate with Kinect cameras making an inexpensive and home video conferencing solution.

Chat 2.0 for Facebook. Given that Redmond is an investor in Facebook, you might see audio and video chat crossing over to the platform. Skype would benefit greatly from the monumental user base of the social networking phenomenon along with its established Facebook credits payment system.

Windows Facetime. Skype gives Microsoft its own version of Apple's Facetime software for mobile, PC and Tablets with patented technology and a much bigger established userbase. It might be a huge win for the Windows Phone 7 platform, but any indications of deeper integration will not go well with the mobile carriers who are the primary distribution channels in many developed countries. Everyone realizes the impact of the upcoming 4G networks though and this question will get answered sooner than later.

Collaboration at work. Skype would integrate with Outlook and Hotmail and its Office suite, similar to what Google has done. It would be interesting though to see how it is positioned along with its Windows Live and Lync (corporate communications platform) products, which already offer audio/video conferencing to users. Skype's ability to make outbound and inbound telephone calls would be an advantage though. We might see these services get merged in the future.

At this point of time, there is a ton of stuff that Microsoft can integrate Skype with, and thats a potential problem they will have to crack. Skype's enormous userbase does give it a leg up, but their ability to grow and monetize the service is something we will have to see. With Nokia, and now with Skype, its heartening though to see folks at Redmond getting ready for the next generation of computing and communication.

My Top 10 Best Ever Sci-Fi Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 May 2011 13:52:00 +0000

1) Jurassic Park

During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaur exhibits to run amok.

X-Factor: Second coming for Dinosaurs, awe and fear-inspiring sights never before seen on the screen
Favorite dialogue: John: "All major theme parks have delays. When they opened Disneyland in 1956 nothing worked."
Dr. Ian Malcolm: "Yeah but John, if the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down the pirates don't eat the tourists."
IMDB Rating: 7.9

2) Terminator

The cyborg who once tried to kill Sarah Connor must now protect her teenage son, John Connor, from an even more powerful and advanced Terminator.

X-Factor: The ultimate action sci-fi movie ever.Period.
Favorite dialogue: "Hasta la vista, baby"
IMDB Rating: 8.6

3) The Matrix

A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers.

X-Factor: Ingenious blend of Hong Kong action cinema, innovative visual effects and an imaginative vision

Favorite dialogue: "You take the blue pill -- the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill -- you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes."
IMDB Rating: 8.7

4) Star Wars: Empire strikes back

While Luke takes advanced Jedi training from Yoda, his friends are relentlessly pursued by Darth Vader as part of his plan to capture Luke

X-Factor: The force is strong with this once, arguably the best of the series
Favorite dialogue: "The force is with you, young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet"
IMDB Rating: 8.8

5) Independence day

The aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy. Fighting superior technology, Man's best weapon is the will to survive.

X-Factor: Coolest alien movie ever.

Favorite dialogue: "Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. "Mankind." That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom... Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution... but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: "We will not go quietly into the night!" We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!"
IMDB Rating: 6.6

6) Inception

In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception.

X-Factor: Visual, intellectual, emotional and a mind-bending masterpiece. World of dreams as never seen before.
Favorite dialogue: "If a dream feels real, then how real does a dream feel after you think you have already waken up from a dream? What if it keeps happening?"
IMDB Rating: 8.9

7) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Sam Witwicky leaves the Autobots behind for a normal life. But when his mind is filled with cryptic symbols, the Decepticons target him and he is dragged back into the Transformers' war.

X-Factor: True heavy duty, unrelenting action
Favorite dialogue: Optimus Prime: "Sam, fate rarely calls upon at a moment of our choosing."
Sam Witwicky: "You're Optimus Prime, you don't need me."
Optimus Prime: We do, more than you know."
IMDB Rating: 5.9

8) Avatar

A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

X-Factor: Visual feast. Most vivid and convincing creation of a fantasy alien world ever seen in the history of moving pictures.
Favorite dialogue: “The Sky People have sent us a message: that they can take whatever they want. That no one can stop them. Well, we will send them a message: that they cannot take whatever they want! And that this...this is our land!”
IMDB Rating: 8.2

9) District 9

An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology.

X-Factor: Slow starter, but quickly turns into the most gripping, technically brilliant and emotionally wrenching alien sci-fi classic
Favorite dialogue: Automated MNU Instructional Voice: "When dealing with aliens, try to be polite, but firm. And always remember that a smile is cheaper than a bullet."
IMDB Rating: 8.2

10) Minority report

In the future, criminals are caught before the crimes they commit, but one of the officers in the special unit is accused of one such crime and sets out to prove his innocence.

X-Factor: Dark and dazzling view into the future
Favorite dialogue: John Anderton: I"'m not a murderer. I've never even met the man I'm supposed to kill."
Iris Henimen: "And, yet, a chain of events has started. A chain that will lead inexorably to his death."
John Anderton: "Not if I stay away from him."
Iris Henimen: "How can you avoid a man you've never met?"
IMDB Rating: 7.7

Honorable mentions: Men in Black, E.T. and Star Trek

P.S. This list excludes superhero, comic and fantasy epic movies

What Hitachi can learn from Apple

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:58:00 +0000

When it comes to most consumer electronic devices, I have always believed that if a product requires a manual to operate, then it still has a long way to go. Apple products have minimal reading material in their packaging because they believe that their user experience is natural and self explanatory.
Makes a ton of sense...should be easy to implement right? Not quite. As it turns out, this new Hitachi room AC that we got this summer, drives home the point quite effectively.

Since the time we got this thing, I have been quite baffled by its over the top complexity of operation. Its like some Japanese Hitachi engineers saw this thing and went over the - 'We have? No Tanukasa' routine many times over. The result? We have an over-complicated AC which is excellent in doing its core job but with all these functions, features and buttons making the overall experience less than desirable.

So how complex can one make an AC? Hit the break to read more.

Working modes - 7 of them

For starters it has a total of 7 working modes. The usuals - Auto Power saver, Cool mode, Dry mode, Fan mode, and the unsuals. There is this completely unnecessary Powerful mode where the AC runs at full fan speed for 30 min flat with no user control. The idea being you come home panting from 45 degrees outside and you get your room chilled quickly. Guess what, if I am in that state, playing around with the remote and figuring out AC modes is at the bottom of my to-do list at that time.

And then there is this Kaimin mode which has been explained in the manual with the help of a step graph. This genius mode would automatically increase the set temp by 1 degree every hour to save power. Boring.

The best is saved for the last - the Auto climate technology mode. You can actually enter the area code of your city (as per a table given in the manual), the current time and whether you want to run it in hot/very hot or humid mode via your remote and the ac would automatically set the temp and the fan speed. Makes any sense to you? Me neither.

Setting Timers
Hang on, there is more technology coming your way. You can set the current local time via your remote and then set a separate Off and On timer by entering the exact time. So basically, you can have your AC switched off at 2 AM in the night and switch it back on at 5AM.

Now this one is a handy feature to have, but it suffers badly from complex setup procedures. This not only keeps the average consumer away, but also leaves them with no simple off timer which can be set by entering the number of hours, which we all had figured out how to do.

RemoCon: (That's the trademarked name of their remote!)
This 'convenient ergonomically designed RemoCon' is everything but that. Its huge, has an array of haphazardly placed buttons and has a backlight which needs to be pressed every 10 seconds to keep it working. The only face saver here is that it has great range and the fact that some of the useless buttons are covered under a flap as indicated in the picture. (BTW, did you notice how the buttons have been marked in no perceivable order in this picture straight out of the manual)

Users today want simple devices with intuitive design and experiences. There is a fine balance between giving user choice and handling stuff automatically in the background - and its a crucial decision which needs to be made by a user experience expert and not an engineer. Keeping your product focused on some key features also helps in marketing it in a much better way. Imagine things like the Kaimin mode, which might be great technology, but is simply not usable because its too complex and users just don't need it.

Though in different industries, Hitachi could surely benefit by taking a leaf out of Apple's design handbook in this regard.

Top 10 cartoons from my childhood

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:56:00 +0000

When a friend of mine sent me this photo today, for a moment I could not figure out who the chubby dog was. I recognized his snigger well, but failed to remember the name. A little more search and it felt as if a corner deep away in my brain had been shown the light. He was Mutley, of course. And with him, came flooding the rest of the super awesome cartoons that I spent my childhood with. So for the record, here's the list of my top 10 cartoons.

1. DUCK TALES
Richest duck in the world, Scrooge McDuck with his little nephews, in the quest of saving his Number One coin from the evil Magica and the beagle boys - this one remains a childhood favorite!
Favorite character: Magica

2. TALE SPIN
The second treat of every Sunday morning along with Duck Tales, adventures of Baloo and Kit against the gang of air pirates led by Don Karnage in their mothership was always a treat to watch.
Favorite character: Shere Khan

3. DRAGONBALL Z
This multi-galaxy, larger than life conquest to find the seven dragon balls is no less than a cult. Super-human extra-terrestials with their planet shattering fireball duels were a treat to watch.
Favorite character: Goku

4. POKEMON
Ash Ketchum and his conquest to become the greatest Pokémon trainer ever had everyone hooked. There was a time when I knew the names of most Pokemon's myself! Have to admit, if I'll ever had a pet, it would have to be Pikachu!
Favorite character: Pikachu

5. DEXTER'S LABORATORY
Super genius kid, underground lab, a menacing sister and eccentric parents. You know the drill.
Favorite character: Meter, the monkey

6. SWAT KATS
Two kick-ass pilots, T-Bone and Razor, saving the Megakat city in their own home grown fighter jet, and we had our daily dose of Top Gun on steroids.
Favorite character: Commander Feral

7. JUNGLE BOOK
Jungle Jungle baat chali hai...penned by Vishal Bharadwaj and Gulzar was unarguably the most well known tunes in those times. This Jungle story on Doordarshan is a part of everyone's childhood, a winner all the way.
Favorite character: Sher Khan

8. POWERPUFF GIRLS
Kinder garden band of super hero girls formed from Chemical X saving Townsville from super sized brain Mojo Jojo. Also, one of the most hummable title songs...fighting crime, trying to save the world...!
Favorite character: Mojo Jojo

9. THE FLINTSTONES
The life and times of the 'modern' stone age family of the Flintstones and Rubbles was my Mon to Thur 3PM snack after school. I still need to figure out how that car worked though.
Favorite character: Fred Flintstone

10. TOM and JERRY
No list is complete without mentioning our very own Tom and Jerry. My mom tells me that I used to run to my neighbors house every evening, who used to keep it recorded especially for me and my brother. Have seen each and every cartoon a hundred times.
Favorite character: Tom

Honorary mentions: Chip and Dale, Captain Planet, Recess, Transformers, Darkwing Duck, Wacky Racers and Richie Rich.

[Best @TED] Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:48:00 +0000

About this talk

Salman Khan talks about how and why he created the remarkable Khan Academy, a carefully structured series of educational videos offering complete curricula in math and, now, other subjects. He shows the power of interactive exercises, and calls for teachers to consider flipping the traditional classroom script -- give students video lectures to watch at home, and do "homework" in the classroom with the teacher available to help.

Is Intel on the burning platform?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:59:00 +0000

On the outset, a company that just made $13 billion in a quarter seems to be far away from fire. But recent developments in consumer electronics means that if there is any company that is feeling the heat at this moment, it is Intel. Here's a look why,

Declining PC market. Its no secret that Smartphones and tablets are quickly displacing PCs, a space that Intel has dominated for years. In simple terms, Intel's addressable market is shrinking.

Dominance of ARM in mobile. While Intel dominates PC, its power friendly ARM based counterparts have beaten them hands down in the ever growing mobile market. Intel has been both late and slow and its current line of Atom chips have failed to create any impact.

Windows on ARM. Microsoft's announcement to unlock itself from Intel in appreciation of the growing mobile market on ARM is no good news either. More and more enterprises are looking to adopt tablets and though they still would look to stick to Windows for compatibility, their dependence on Intel is longer implied.

Though the future looks gloomy, their game is far from over. Let's have a look at the growth areas for Intel.

Cloud computing. As more and more of our content moves to the cloud, future for Intel's data center and cloud computing businesses is very bright. Their ever powerful processors and equipment would remain default choices for powering those servers.

Emerging markets. PC and enterprise hardware penetration is low in these markets and would represent the next area of growth. Its already contributing to more than 50% of their sales.

Apple Mac. If its any consolation, Apple's healthy Mac sales in developed markets will keep adding to their bottomline.

On the whole, it would be silly to count out the mighty Intel from the game yet. But their is no doubt that the coming couple of years would be very challenging and they would have to really up their game on mobile to remain relevant in the future that looks full of smartphones and tablets.

[My Next Project] Personal SMS assistant: Spam SMS buster!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:41:00 +0000

Elevator Pitch: SMS Spam buster is a simple and light weight mobile app which detects and kills all spam SMSes based on user preferences.

It seeks to provide respite to all mobile phone subscribers from folks hell bent on selling real estate, slimming belts, Bulk SMS and exotic holiday packages via unsolicited spam SMSes.

Features:

You can maintain a local list of words and senders which you want to block. Ex: Sauna Slim belt, plot, bulk SMS etc.
The app will intercept all incoming messages and put detected spam messages in a separate Spam folder without any notification
Spam folder will work like the one you have on email, with the ability to restore messages to inbox or delete
Your settings would be saved and synced with the cloud. In case you lose or change your phone, just re-download the app, login and have all your settings restored. Peer to peer transfer of settings would also be enabled.
Future versions of the app would support smart Spam filters, with an ability to automatically filter incoming SMSes based on your past interactions
To be made available for iOS, Android and Symbian (given their large installed base in India)

I realize that there are some apps which already do some of the stuff mentioned above. Would be indebted if anyone can point me to an iPhone app which does this and actually works.

My Next Project series is dedicated to my world of random and crazy ideas, giving a rare insight into the stuff I think about. Please feel free to pick stuff from here to build your next Google and Apple. I would be satisfied with a 30% stake, no questions asked. Deal?

[Favourite Movie Scenes]: Dil Chahta Hai

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 17:16:00 +0000

Dil Chahta Hai marked a turn in Indian cinema. Real people, real talk and real situations. The movie and its music has since become a cult and remains one of my personal favourites.

This scene is towards the end of the movie, as Aakash comes back to India, he realises that life takes you around...its important to keep your close ones close.

Future projectors look nothing like the ones we have today, thankfully!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:21:00 +0000

Simply put, office projectors are not the best thing we've ever made. They are bulky, unintuitive, and never work in the first go. I call myself a geek, but I always prefer to stay away from that stuff. While phones became Smartphones, PCs became tablets, TVs became Smart TVs, the projector, well, remained the same old dumb piece of hardware.

But there is hope. In this age of cut throat competition in the consumer electronics industry, as players scramble to differentiate, our long neglected friend is in with an outside chance. Hit the break to read more.

Future will see more consumer gadgets being fitted with small projectors. Think cameras. Took a bunch of photographs in the day and and like to view them with friends at night? Go ahead and project! Nikon, Samsung, Sony have already got on to this game.

Smartphones would also serve as worthy carriers of projectors given that we love to watch and share video and pictures on them. Spice mobiles recently launched a projector phone in India with Live TV capabilities which looks pretty neat.

Office projectors would also become interesting. Imagine Laptops with small projectors fitted in, allowing you to project your screen on any surface with a touch of a button without the need of going into special meeting rooms.

Apple has been looking at this keenly and have been awarded a patent recently for this very concept.

Microvision has also done some good work here. They offer a sleek, portable projecter of the size of an iPhone, which you can connect to your laptop, phone or iPod to project anywhere.

A little further ahead
Projection within augmented reality will open up a new realm of possibilities. I am sure most of us have watched this demonstration from our man Pranav Mistry where he attempts to bring digital information to the real world with a simple projecter, camera and hand gestures.

Prototypes of projection keyboards have also been making the rounds, virtually eliminating the need for physical keyboards from our devices.

And if that's not enough, 3D projectors which do not require glasses may also be in the works.

So, projectors of the world, rejoice! Your time has finally come.