beingdesh

Category: Technology

  • 7 things I learned from the Steve Jobs book by Walter Isaacson.

    It is quite ironic that I read the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson on my new Google Nexus 7, which runs on a platform which Jobs deeply despised. And it’s even more ironic that I am sharing what I learned from the book in the form of a PowerPoint, a tool which he hated more than Microsoft itself.

    Flipping through this book, a skeptical me became a believer. Firstly in ebook readers, I honestly believe that they are much more convenient than the printed book and are here to stay. More importantly I strongly believe now that simplicity more than anything else, is core to what we do and how we live.

    Here are 7 things I learned from the book. True to both the letter and spirit of Jobs’s principles, I have tried to be concise.

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    What did you think of the book (in case you have read it)?

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  • App आये बहार आयी.

    रविवार का था वोह दिन,
    जब रह ना पा रहा था भोजन तकनीक के बिन.
    यह दिन का हसने का, मिलने जुलने का,
    संगणक और इन्टरनेट से बाहर निकल, हर व्यक्ति विशेष से मिलने का.

    Nokia का नाम देख याद आयी मुझे उस प्रसिद्द नागिन की चाल,
    सरलता और सुदृढ़ता के बल पर जिस Nokia ने किया था अपने दुश्मनों का बुरा हाल.
    ३२१०, ११००, २१०० और इ-७२ से जुडी वोह सुनहरी यादें,
    Nokia की धुन की आड़ में पनपता प्रेम और कसमें वादें.

    Nokia से ध्यान हटा तो दिखा एक मंच सुस्सजित एवं बड़ा,
    एक तरफ था भारत का तकनिकी-गुरु, तो दूसरी ओर जूनून का प्रमुख-रसोईया था खड़ा.
    इन दोनों में से किसी एक का पक्ष लेना तो था नामुमकिन,
    एक फूल दो माली वाली थी समस्या एक हसीन.
    एक तरह से अच्छा ही हुआ मुझे मंच पर नहीं बुलाया,
    नहीं तो फूल तो क्या fool बना कर राजीव ने रहता मुझे सताया.

    लाल सोमरस के प्यालो के साथ संध्या धीरे धीरे रही थी बढ़,
    नशे के साथ तकीनीकी एवं पाककला का ज्ञान भी दिमाग पे रहा था चढ़.
    समां भी बंध सा गया था, कुछ चेहरे थे जाने कुछ अनजाने,
    ब्लॉग की दुनिया से निकल कर, आधे तो आये थे ताज के भोजन के बहाने.

    फिर जैसे ही app आयी, आयी बहार,
    Chaplin महोदय की चाल चलते विकास हो, या चित्रो में चेहरों का होता संहार.
    मुझे पता है कुछ apps ऐसी हैं जिनमे बसी है मेरी जान,
    क्योकि वोह मेरे दोनों शौक पूरे करे – भोजन और सामान्य ज्ञान.

    फिर गरिष्ट भोजन, तस्वीरों और अच्छी बातो के साथ ख़तम हुई वोह शाम,
    ज्यादा खा-पी लिया, अब सिर्फ आएगा Eno काम.

    -अभिषेक ‘देसी’ देशपांडे

    Nokia AppTasting  और Indiblogger को मेरी तरफ से एक छोटी सी भेंट.

    कृपया ध्यान दे:

    Technology शब्द के लिए मैंने तकनीक का प्रयोग किया, मैं प्रौद्योगिकी और तकनीक के बीच झूल रहा था. भाषा में हुई किसी भी गलती के लिए माफ़ी चाहूँगा. इस बात पे मुझे हृषिदा की चुपके चुपके का एक संवाद याद आ गया:

    भाषा अपने आप में इतनी महान होती हैं की कोई उसका मजाक उड़ा ही नहीं सकता.

    Featured image by Shivani: निखिल, विकास, मैं और विकास में पूरी तरह खोयी हुई कन्यायें.

  • Brand or Fad

    Nokia as India’s most trusted brand… naah [Brand Equity Survey]. I mean my last 3 phones have been Nokia and I just love them still I don’t feel for they simply didn’t deserve the numero-uno position in the survey, given the awesome ground players like Micromax and co have covered. Rest of the top 10 are made by the usual list of Lever products along with the red and white toothpaste, the awesome smelling antiseptic (smelled its Chinese version at Apeksha’s home, disappointing, doesn’t smell the same) and everyone’s favorite biscuit brand.

    Some years back at DA-IICT we were debating the difference between a Brand and a Fad. Pumped up from the success of Rang De Basanti and the awesome Legend of Bhagat Singh songs my roomie always wanted to be a rebel, maar daalo he said, anti-establishment had become. I came up with this point on Bhagat Singh being a fad, something which didn’t last, and Gandhiji being a Brand. As per Nitin Paranjpe, CEO, HUL successful brands deliver timeless values, build on them and resonate not just with the immediate needs of consumer but with their larger aspirations.

    Now think of Bhagat Singh, yes he indeed was a hero and he did satisfy the immediate need of the masses, but he or his means were not enough to sustain it over a time and fit into the larger picture of achieving independence.

    Gandhiji lived his life with masses and delivered trust over a sustained period of time (even after his death) and the core values remained the same non-violence, tolerance and respect for everyone. He became much more than a brand, he became a way of life.

    So is Nokia a Gandhiji and Micromax a Bhagat Singh? No, these things are not comparable but yes these brands can learn a lesson or two from personalities and how they managed themselves. Nokia can’t all of a sudden come up with a blast of weird low cost dual/ quadra sim phones, and Micromax can’t come up with the awesome quality which Nokia offers.Gandhiji would have never taken up violence of any form, and Bhagat Singh would have never had the tolerance to tackle the beating of British officers with a smile. But now these brands are trying to find a middle ground, Nokia planning to come up with multi-sim phones and Micromax offering great service through its network.

    Whatever be it, no one wants a rebel around, just think of it, what would be better, a Nokia coming out of your pocket, or a Micromax!

    [Note: It might sound loose, if one has to analyze Nokia, one has to look at a zillion other pressures the company is facing across the globe, I just mentioned a small situation which had stuck on for a few days]

  • खेल,इन्टरनेट और हम

    कुछ बाराह साल का था मैं, जब मैंने पहली बार भगवान् को देखा, वो नीले रंग का मुकुट पहेनता था अपने घुंघराले बालो के ऊपर, और एक भारी लकड़ी की गदा थी उसके पास, और अपने चमत्कार से वोह दुनिया के सबसे महान गेंदबाजों का नाश कर रहा था. उस साल था विश्व कप के उपलक्ष पर उसने दौड़ो की झड़ी लगा दी थी, और शेन वारने नमक गेंदबाज़ को तो उस महान ने नेस्तनाबूद ही कर दिया था.

    पर फिर वोह दिन भी आया, जब कलकत्ता की रणभूमि पर ९१/२ के स्कोर पर वोह आउट हुआ, और उसके बाद कलकत्ता की जनता ने उस देवता के अभाव मैं मैदान को भस्म कर दिया, लोग कहते है वोह शिवजी का दुःख था की उस नन्हे भगवान् के आउट होने पर उन्होंने उस दिन कलकत्ता पर आग बरसाई. पर उस रात मैं सो नहीं पाया, और उन आँखों मैं कही कुछ पानी की बूँदें ज़रूर थी.

    १९९६ का वोह साल और मायनों मैं भी ऐतिहासिक था, जब इन्टरनेट नामक तकनीक मेरी दुनिया मैं आई. एक घर्र्र घर्र करते संगणक के सामने बैठ कर आप दुनिया मैं कही भी चिट्ठी लिख सकते थे. हॉट मेल , याहू, और मेरे आज के नाम से जुडी एक पोर्टल काफी प्रसिद्ध हुए.

    पर मुझे क्या पता था, की कुछ १० सालो बाद, इन्टरनेट के जरिये मैं उन महान खेल के क्षणों को संभाल के रख पाऊंगा, जिनका इतिहास मैं कोई सानी नहीं, और जो मेरे दिल के बेहद करीब रहेंगे. इसी का प्रयास करते हुए हम कुछ मित्रो ने मिल कर “पेन द गेम” की स्थापना की. इसके पहले ही वर्ष मैं इसने indibloggies पुरस्कार समारोह मैं भारत के सबसे बेहतरीन खेल ब्लॉग होने का गौरव प्राप्त किया.

    इस वर्ष भी हम इस सम्मान के लिए नामांकित हुए है, कृपया इन संदेशो का पलान करे, और हमें विजयी बनाने मैं मदद करे..

    Our Blog Pen The Game(http://penthegame.blogspot.com/) has been nominated in indibloggies Best Sports blog category in Indibloggies Best Indian Blogs 2008…

    http://www.indibloggies.org/ibblog

    Please vote for us by visiting here,

    http://tr.im/bhagwaan

    Go to q.10, Sport Blog Category, choose PenTheGame option in sports blog category and press submit.

    You will be asked to enter your email id. Press submit and you will get a mail at the same email id and just confirm by clicking on the confirmation link.
    Please vote using as many email-ids as you can.

    जय सचिन,
    आपका प्रिय

    देसी

  • A Night at Lodhivali


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    Where the hell is everyone? I can’t find anyone today. Alone in room, no Khaut, no Sagun & Saachi. All gayab!!!

    Living with all 3 has been awesome, I have had great time with them over the past month. The highlight have been the sex education classes we conduct once in a while for Sagun, super fun. Plus me, khaut, shotu have got access recently to this amazing library of Hindi Erotica which is helping us in our mission to get Sagun upto sexually acceptable standards prevailing in modern times.

    Also Shotu has created this alias Jenny73153, Yahoo ID which we all use for chatting like a female, awesome fun with people calling a number XXX73513 and then Jiri picking up and acting like an escort service agent. Well enough of this.

    I think I should look in Pure Bhaiya’s room, one of my best buds in the senior batch. Awesomely brained & very hard working, I have real fun with him at times and he is a nice happy shappy types fellow. Cares for me & Sajeev a lot. I miss Sajeev though, quite some time since I experienced his histrionics, his would be a tale of simple boy going not so simple thanks to Sex (not the verb, but a proper noun, yes someone in flesh & blood, actually too much of flesh).

    Oh even Pure Bhai is out, where the hell is everyone, being late from office doesn’t mean you miss the action. I think they should be in our township mess.

    Trying to bring a revolution in Speech Technology, back in those days it was considered biggest thing after Graham Bell’s own invention, Voice Recognition and that too for so many regional languages. Daily office work included recordings, creating fancy scripts with JeDi, gaming & life lessons from dhavesh & his wonderful encounters with Bhakti our ex Mtech student. On top of it you had a bell labs return white shirted, steamy idli eating leader & a budding love story of geeky-techie IITian with a lady in office (who looked slightly older than him). The boss was a delightful idli-popping guy with super crisp white shirts (always) with changing trouser colours, accompanied by a recent Swiss import.

    Also featuring were a few other teams BREWing mobile apps, Voice apps team back in college & a traffic signal team famous for doing mostly nothing. That team consisted of a brainy happy & a geeky chunnu mobile.

    Walking down towards the mess I found chunnu sinking into his super cool blue displayed handset. Mobiles are a new thing, I have one from Siemens & it’s a rare thing to caryy one. But chunnu thinks in a few days everyone would carry this, I don’t think more than 10% of population would ever have it. Just now in May TRAI removed the incoming charges & at max it would let them sell a few more. This is a fad like many others.

    I reach the mess and the first thing I see is a somewhat odd looking BPS sitting with Methi on the roadside. BPS is not regular today, with his long hair messed up and his fingers waving, he looks….drunk.

    Are they all DRUNK???

    BPS calls me as he is towards finishing his awesome lecture to Methi (lectured only first & last time in his life on this date) on the topic of “Ladki %$%$% hoti hai”, also walking at a close distance were a few females. Well I would leave them out of this story.

    So BPS told me how I should stay away from girls and never get into them (I have strictly followed him after that J) and I could smell it. For the first time in almost 2 years I saw one of my friend’s in a drunk avasthta & it felt a bit funny. Well being in a dry state had resulted in a very different engineering college where students got a high from installing/uninstalling Linux, downloading movies & playing all types of games.

    Off I moved to the TT table. On the stairs I met this bearded guy who said high, wonder what he does here, he always stands here, doesn’t look like the chaukidaar but his beard looks irritating. Few of us ended up having a discussion on the possibility of him being gay & maybe even hitting on one of our “HEALTHY” friend.

    TT table was witnessing an amazing game of TT between (I don’t know who), but the spectator/referee was Pappa, his wavy hair sitting on top of a very brainy brain. But that day the brain had gone on hadtaal as he waved his mundi from side to side & kept on doing it continuously for indefinite time. When I approached to have a conversation he just sshhhed me away.

    I met Sacchi in mess & he told me about the party thrown by Pure Bhai for some reason. It seems lot of everything had been drunk & everyone was waving around. And then I met khaut…

    He shouted & became normal just the next moment. He asked me to play carom. The small boy who served us food in mess came to us and Khaut all of a sudden slapped him… “Ladkiyo ko pahle khaana deta hai, humein nahi “

    Small boy stunned & I was in a don’t know what to do state. So I just walked away from there. Later that night I had the scary task of walking back Khaut to our room.

    As I prepared my bed I thought, well I will never touch alcohol.

    Omitted a few incidents, changed a few names, all for fun. By the way I broke the pledge sometime in the summer of 2005, had a White Mischief with Shotu & co. at Mt. Abu, then waited till Bangalore & CAT incidents to let hell break loose. But this was my first true interaction with the concept of getting drunk. All thanks to Lodhivali J

  • Quark’s Law

    Moore’s law, Murphy’s Law, this law, that law.

    Now comes Quark’s Law…!!!

    read more | digg story

    Technorati Tags: Technology

  • Google vs. God

    ‘Google can’t satisfy every search’…

    Got this one from digg, just to emphasize that Google ain’t the end of world.

    Also check out the comments on the googlified link. Awesome 🙂

    Googlified Story | digg story

  • Youtube Band for today

    This is what I was just thinking about yesterday. What if Youtube shuts down for a while or forever what will happen to all me dependent blogposts. They are also shutdown.

    And this is what happened today…
    It’s high time I stop depending on external content for my posts. It’s much better to just scribble anything of my own.

    Technorati tags:

  • Going crazy with Youtube…

    This is too much. What a day. A bug fix, a community meet, my team’s anniversary celebrations and some 30 odd videos on Youtube. I can say I am a Youtube addict now. What else I made 5-6 members in my team addict with the help of Sandy. Whether is the stupid Chiranjeevi video, or Shammi Kapoor’s twisting 60’s, or Boot Polish songs, or Mughal-e-azam and Sholay sequences I can see everything here.
    I am into it. Kya mast cheez hai. No wonder Google paid 1.6 Billion $ for the thing.

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