Back with a new toy

I've been longing to write for a long tine now. Finally took the time out! Lots of updates on my front, got a new job at a start-up, shifted to an new apartment in the happening part of the suburbs, but what's the most exciting for me, is that now I also have a new phone. Its weird, y'know... a grown up guy like me would actually be excited about a new toy he's got rather than an improvement in his overall quality of life. Whoever said that thing about boys and their toys should've copyrighted it - he/she'd be rolling in the greenbacks :)

Anyways, back to my toy. It’s a shiny, not-so-brand-new (second hand, you see) Nokia N95! Previously I had a Sony Ericsson P990i - which by no means was a bad phone, mind you! Its just that a technophile like me gets bored of stuff very quickly and to tell you the truth, the whole two-handed operation was getting to me (touch screen, Symbian UIQ3 device). On top of that, third party application availability was a fraction of what it is on the Symbian Series60 OS. And the games are better too! (N-Gage is back! Yeah Baby!)

Over the months, I had gotten used to UIQ operation and also came to start loving it. Sure, it had its sore points but then which OS is perfect? But what got me truly miffed was Sony Ericsson's apathy - once they announced that support and development for the p990i was halted. Sure, they wanted to concentrate on the P1i (successor to the mighty p990i) but then, the p1i was just the p990i with more ram, a newer version of the OS (UIQ 3.1 vs. UIQ 3) and a different keypad. That's a primary reason I never considered upgrading to the P1i - it wasn't that much of an upgrade for the dough!

Coming to the N95 was not difficult at all. As a previous owner of the legendary N-Gage QD (before I trawled through the murky waters of Win Mo, then UIQ), the interface picked up on me from right where I had left it. Sure, there are 6 little icons and a coupla lines lookin back at me from the standby screen, but apart from that, the basic operation remains the same - very intuitive.

As I get to know this little beauty better and try out stuff on it (tell me, which buffoon buys an N95 to use the way it came outta the box?) I'll keep posting it here. Apart from that, I'll most definitely have takes on the various tech/gadget/automotive/general-guy-interest stories I keep reading on various blogs that I'll keep posting here. Blogosphere watch out! I'm back with a vengeance...

Apple and Rotten Apples

We Apple fanboys are a sensitive bunch - I don't even own a single Apple product and I'm still a fanboy! And as with all sensitive people, small events affect us in a magnified manner. The case in study being the Apple stocks.

One of the benifits of being in an organisation that observes the ups and downs in the stock markets day in and day out, is that one notices how small, insignificant things affect these prices. Specifically, I'd like to apply this to Apple Inc. and its numbers.

Over the last year, Apple stocks have seen the best roller-coaster ride money can (or can't) buy. The steady rise since the time the macbook pro was launched to the time the iPhone was announced and beyond... (with a slight dip in the middle when rumours surfaced that the iPhone might be delayed) to the apex right after the iPhone launch. That was the crest where the momentum was at its peak. Going down would be a helluva ride...

Then it happened. AT&T announced results and iPhone sale numbers were revealed. Apple stock tumbled. Hard. The next day Apple announced results, and stock recovered. Yesterday, there were rumours of bugs in the iPhone and the Macbook Pro that required recalls, and stocks tumbled again! My point being - Apple is probably one of the most sesitive to rumours stocks out there.

And this trend is likely to continue as Apple is going to launch the iPhone in Europe, stocks will go up... iPhone might be hacked before that, stocks will go down, then go up immediately when over-sensitive stock-holders realise its a good thing. No network lock means more iPhones sold.
In fact, Apple may well have a strategy up there. A few months after the Europe launch, they have the option of unlocking the iPhone for use with other networs IF the performance is not as expected in Europe (as it has been seen in the US - 140K instead of the expected half a million). That'll make it a 'world' phone. BUT, if the iPhone is hacked before that, I'm sure they have a security update prepared in advance for all the gullible users who think the update would only be for a feature addition.

Apple has got its strategy spot on, quite like a chess master who can strategise up to 7 moves in advance and the permutations and combinations of that. Until then, all of us non-American users can only hope that the guys at Hackintosh pull the bunny outta the hat sooner than soon.

I know what you think right now...

So its finally here... the ultimate tool for the Kelsows (That 70's show) of the world. If you can't bring yourself to look at a woman's face when she talks (busy looking at the 'other' place) then this device is for you. The scanner maps the target's features in 3D and 'reads' the emotions. It will tell you what the target's reaction is.

Jokes apart, this device can be used for lots of products that require extensively subjective testing. Good news for the FMCG world, where you've got to get that product in the market before the neighbour does.

One thing I hope this can be useful in is that now we can have a real database of pickup lines that actually work!

Jump to: http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/16/emotion-recognition-software-knows-you-want-ice-cream/

Don't like what you're watching? - Give it the Finger

The beauty of clicking aimlessly through websites leads one to interesting, and at times, downright hilarious new gadgets. This one I came across allows you to gesticulate at your idiot box to perform magical feats (read flip channels). Interesting invention, considering TV remotes are not getting any heavier and buttons are going feather-touch. This allows viewers to burn some calories (yes, we can measure calories to the 5th decimal place now) while they watch their favourite programming. Good work I say!

One piece of advise though - remember to switch it off when inviting friends over for game-night, unless you like fireworks on your 'box!

Jump to story:
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/paper,-scissors,-rock/hand-gesture-universal-remote-278638.php

Introduction - "The blogger's dilemma"

Everything starts with a thought. You think about something, then you have an option of either procrastinating or taking affirmative action. Naturally, the same applies to blogging... in my case, it was years of strategic procrastination before finally giving into the urge of making one's self heard (or read in this case) by a bunch of strangers across the planet. Sometimes I feel too lazy to write or just plain uncommunicative. That brings me to the next thing...

How does one decide how far to divulge his/her thoughts to stranger who may agree, disagree or maybe even completely ignore them? What is the limit of frankness and honesty? Worse than that, the apparent anonymity of the Internet (it isn't that anonymous) makes people open up a little more than they would in face-to-face situations... which may be the ultimate downfall of our civilisation (yes, I spelt that with an 's', not a 'z', so I've already divulged a teenie bit of information regarding my whereabouts - get what I mean about the anonymity?)

The third thing - also derived from the thinking, is that I can't think about the same things day in and day out. Us humans are different from simians for one simple reason - the ability to think about, and furthermore, facilitate change. I like to think about different things, learn new stuff, indulge in new activities, be experimental, take risks, and above all, keep an open mind about everything, including others' opinions. Having differing opinions initiates conversation - always a learning experience.

This blog will be about things that I fancy. Things that catch my eye, imagination or interest. I can't promise good reading every time for everyone, but those who savour variety, will probably not be disappointed.

Phew... the first post is the tough one. Good to get it over with!

S.