I did achieve the milestone I was hoping for. Way back in 2009 when I stared the weight loss exercises that then became a penchant for running I had hoped some day, I'd cover 21 kms(Half Marathon) in less than 2 hours. After 2 years of setting that aim(almost a wishful thinking), I finally did it last Sunday. 01:58:30. It was on the treadmill. I have given up running on roads. as my knees hurt. But what the heck. I did finish it with more than a minute to spare.Now will I be able to repeat it in Mumbai Marathon????
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
2012 as I see it
Here are a few predictions for 2012. Its good to have it this way. I can check in a year to see how it went.
I feel
- By end of Dec 2012 inflation will be less than 3%.
- The RBI would cut the rate ferociously to stimulate dismal, dismal growth.
- Rupee will remain weak. This could have stoked inflation but its already so low its unlikely to impact inflation much. It could touch 58-60.
- Our BOP situation would remain scary
- Stock market will remain weak. It might crash to 12000 or less as Euro will collapse.
- Euro will fail. Whatever the politicians do, they can't resolve Euro. Its gotta go
- India will win a few medals at London
- Sachin will score his 100 of 100.
- I will finish half marathon in less than 2 hours. Or will I ;-)
- I'll host expense analyzer on the web.
- Property prices will correct. I mean go down
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Rob Paul to Pay Peter
India's economic situation is perhaps a classic example of Crowding Out. Economics 101. I'm surprised why no one has pointed it out yet. On one hand where our political class is behaving like a drunk on a binge, the wise bureaucracy, RBI is is trying to make up for this bad behavior by smothering growth.
Fiscal Irresponsibility.
- 6th Pay Commission
- NREGA
- Right to Food Act
- Waiving of loans
The govt is simply pumping money by doling out goodies to middle class(pay commission), farmers and laborers. No wonder this is stoking inflation. Part of inflation might be due to high commodity prices, but most of it is inbred.
Monetary Strangling
- 13 Interest Rate Hikes in the last 1.5 years.
In order to contain inflation, RBI is increasing the rates, fully aware that they are stifling growth, starving industry of investment they need. If one wants to see evidence of it, one can look at projected fiscal deficit of 4.6% to actual which is sure to exceed 5%. Choking growth is leading to lower tax revenues, thereby exacerbating the deficit (70% of GDP) and growing.
Congress has hijacked the nation and is building its vote bank by offering a social welfare state. Its a death spiral which may lead us to our next self inflicted crisis. Having withstood the global meltdown, we will be done in by our populist leaders.
Fiscal Irresponsibility.
- 6th Pay Commission
- NREGA
- Right to Food Act
- Waiving of loans
The govt is simply pumping money by doling out goodies to middle class(pay commission), farmers and laborers. No wonder this is stoking inflation. Part of inflation might be due to high commodity prices, but most of it is inbred.
Monetary Strangling
- 13 Interest Rate Hikes in the last 1.5 years.
In order to contain inflation, RBI is increasing the rates, fully aware that they are stifling growth, starving industry of investment they need. If one wants to see evidence of it, one can look at projected fiscal deficit of 4.6% to actual which is sure to exceed 5%. Choking growth is leading to lower tax revenues, thereby exacerbating the deficit (70% of GDP) and growing.
Congress has hijacked the nation and is building its vote bank by offering a social welfare state. Its a death spiral which may lead us to our next self inflicted crisis. Having withstood the global meltdown, we will be done in by our populist leaders.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Life without Tata Sky...
My parents are here and I'm taking a little break from my gym routine. Can feel my pouch grow. Goading habits haven't changed. Coming to the point, my TV went kaput 2 weeks ago. As I had bought it in the US, it took me some time to find someone to fix it. Now that its fixed, it plays everything by Tata Sky. I always had a problem playing Tata Sky though HDMI and Composite Video (they were both PAL encoded while TV is NTSC). I was however, able to use Component Video to connect and it worked perfectly well for a year. But now, that doesn't work either. There is a PAL / NTSC Converter available on Amazon for $159. I'm trying to find someone who is returning from the US who can bring it with him for me.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Delhi Metro Ridership
Some years back, Rediff carried an article on Delhi Metro. I was upset about the premature obituary they wrote, stating its a costly mistake.
The metro was expected to carry 2 million people daily. At the time of writing it was carrying about half a million. As the coverage increased, so did the ridership. Today, 5 years hence it ferries 1.7 million souls across Delhi, within striking distance of its planned capacity. I believe it should hit 2 million by this time next year.
Then in a couple of years, I believe they will write about how congested the metro has become and the present capacity is not enough. We will then talk about increasing the coaches in the rakes and reducing interval between 2 services. Wait till that happens...
The metro was expected to carry 2 million people daily. At the time of writing it was carrying about half a million. As the coverage increased, so did the ridership. Today, 5 years hence it ferries 1.7 million souls across Delhi, within striking distance of its planned capacity. I believe it should hit 2 million by this time next year.
Then in a couple of years, I believe they will write about how congested the metro has become and the present capacity is not enough. We will then talk about increasing the coaches in the rakes and reducing interval between 2 services. Wait till that happens...
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Network Media Players
I've always been a fan of network media players. This love started with Roku SoundBridge M1001, way back in 2007.
Roku
Roku had an optical out that I connected to my Harman Kardon Amp. To stream the music I connected Roku to my laptop / external hdd using my wi-fi. It was a wonderful experience and gave a some boasting rights too. The only challenge I faced was the display, which was pretty small and so when browsing the song list I had to sit pretty close to the unit. Also, there was no Video Streaming available. Later on I discovered an iPhone app to control the Roku and it really changed my iteraction level. I could compose the playlist of the fly, mute, change volume etc. from the kitchen and without being in front of the unit. All that ended when I returned to India. The device did not survive the travel and I lost a great friend.
Roku has since come up with some really strong products that stream from Netflix and other sites like Youtube, Hulu etc. but they do not stream media from your collection and hence have limited utility for me. I bought their latest offering HDXR(2009), but returned it once I understood the limitations.
Xtreamer
Later last year I saw Xtreamer Pro in my brother-in-law's house. It was a boxy device, that contained his entire collection (Audio and Video). I liked it as it allowed local storage upto 4 TB. Though it did allow network connection, I think wi-fi dongle was an expensive accessory and bringing Wired Network to the player meant an ugly creepy wires crawling up and down the walls to reach the player.
iOmega Screenplay DX
Last month when browsing through Croma store in Mumbai,I chanced upon iOmega and Western Digital media players. I returned home and started my research. Between the two, I chose iOmega over WD for its Wi-Fi connectivity in the same price.
Essentially for Rs. 13000 you get
- 1 TB Space
- Wi-Fi Dongle
- Ability to connect to Internet and play Youtube, Netflix etc. (Only YouTube is useful in India as Netflix and other streaming sites are blocked).
- View most of the known Video / Audio Formats
I could get it for much less in the US but now its no longer an option.
Last weekend we watched BhejaFry-2 from YouTube on our TV, through iOmega Screenplay DX. I reserve my views on the movie, but the streaming was flawless. I wholeheartedly recommend iOmega to anyone wanting to set up home Media House. Its truly value for money.
Roku
Roku had an optical out that I connected to my Harman Kardon Amp. To stream the music I connected Roku to my laptop / external hdd using my wi-fi. It was a wonderful experience and gave a some boasting rights too. The only challenge I faced was the display, which was pretty small and so when browsing the song list I had to sit pretty close to the unit. Also, there was no Video Streaming available. Later on I discovered an iPhone app to control the Roku and it really changed my iteraction level. I could compose the playlist of the fly, mute, change volume etc. from the kitchen and without being in front of the unit. All that ended when I returned to India. The device did not survive the travel and I lost a great friend.
Roku has since come up with some really strong products that stream from Netflix and other sites like Youtube, Hulu etc. but they do not stream media from your collection and hence have limited utility for me. I bought their latest offering HDXR(2009), but returned it once I understood the limitations.
Xtreamer
Later last year I saw Xtreamer Pro in my brother-in-law's house. It was a boxy device, that contained his entire collection (Audio and Video). I liked it as it allowed local storage upto 4 TB. Though it did allow network connection, I think wi-fi dongle was an expensive accessory and bringing Wired Network to the player meant an ugly creepy wires crawling up and down the walls to reach the player.
iOmega Screenplay DX
Last month when browsing through Croma store in Mumbai,I chanced upon iOmega and Western Digital media players. I returned home and started my research. Between the two, I chose iOmega over WD for its Wi-Fi connectivity in the same price.
Essentially for Rs. 13000 you get
- 1 TB Space
- Wi-Fi Dongle
- Ability to connect to Internet and play Youtube, Netflix etc. (Only YouTube is useful in India as Netflix and other streaming sites are blocked).
- View most of the known Video / Audio Formats
I could get it for much less in the US but now its no longer an option.
Last weekend we watched BhejaFry-2 from YouTube on our TV, through iOmega Screenplay DX. I reserve my views on the movie, but the streaming was flawless. I wholeheartedly recommend iOmega to anyone wanting to set up home Media House. Its truly value for money.
Monday, August 22, 2011
iPad and Other Tablets
HP has pulled the plug on its new born TouchPad. Its sad and it underlines the dominance of iPad over its competitors. But the article itself has its flaws. It compares iPad success with iPod success. I think the comparison is misplaced. Survival of iPad like devices depends on the ecosystem that surrounds it. iPod succeeded due to an intuitive and comprehensive ecosystem of iTunes store and Desktop app. However, it was a small ecosystem. iPad on the other had is taking on Home PC / Laptop mkt. Here the ecosystem is large. It thrives on applications written and supported for the platform. Here, thanks to Andriod, there is a capable competitor. Google has already demonstrated its capabilities with the Andriod. Today, Andriod sells more than iPhone's iOS. Google is further upping the ante by buying Motorola's Mobile Arm.
In my view the Tablet wars are only starting to get serious now. This war will be fought in the next 5 years between. Apple needs to watch out for Andriod. Android has an equally strong ecosystem. With Apple shunning Flash, while Android embracing it, I think we will see Android HoneyComb and probably the next version of OS giving Apple a run for its money.
In my view the Tablet wars are only starting to get serious now. This war will be fought in the next 5 years between. Apple needs to watch out for Andriod. Android has an equally strong ecosystem. With Apple shunning Flash, while Android embracing it, I think we will see Android HoneyComb and probably the next version of OS giving Apple a run for its money.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
An Officer and a Gentleman
Hisdustan Times: Ashok Malik wrote a moving article on how India and Pakistan still remain connected through humanity. Having fought bitter wars, the Army and its officers remain sensitive and conscientious. Its one of the most moving account of human bonding and the fact the our nations remain connected even after partition.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Apple The Most Valued Company
10-Aug-2011 is a very special day. For the first time Apple became the most valued company in the world. What a story over the last 12 years. A fairy tale. Steve Jobs has played the best second innings in the history of business. People typically start a business and grow with it. No one starts a great business then leaves it and then comes back to rescue the business from the brink and takes it to the top. Its not just great. Its Divine.
Lets take a moment to reflect. Year 1997. Apple was struggling to survive. They got Steve back as an interim CEO. Michael Dell the legendary CEO of Dell Computers when asked to prescribe a solution suggested that Apple be shut down and money returned to Share Holders.
Steve wrote a jocular email to Apple employees, in Jan 2006 when Apple Market Value raced past that of Dell asking them to take a pause and reflect. If there ever was Poetic Justice...
Lets take a moment to reflect. Year 1997. Apple was struggling to survive. They got Steve back as an interim CEO. Michael Dell the legendary CEO of Dell Computers when asked to prescribe a solution suggested that Apple be shut down and money returned to Share Holders.
Steve wrote a jocular email to Apple employees, in Jan 2006 when Apple Market Value raced past that of Dell asking them to take a pause and reflect. If there ever was Poetic Justice...
Sunday, August 07, 2011
US Credit Rating takes a Hit!
US Credit Rating was downgraded by S&P on Friday. What is it going to do to the world?Boom! Crash!??. I think not. In 2002, when S&P downgraded Japan's rating, what happened? Guess.... Nothing! Yes nothing.
Where are countries like China, going to put there excess money if not in Dollar? Euro is as unstable, maybe more. No other currency can play an alternative to USD. Hence, nothing will change on the ground. Of course there will be a bit of Huffing and Puffing for a few days. But it will soon subside as ppl go about their business as usual.
In fact, just a couple of days back after the Debt Ceiling was increased, the Yields for US treasuries went down to just 2.5% for 10 year maturity. Just because S&P downgraded USD 2 days after, will ppl now dump USD? I think not! Lets see how it goes...
I'm not sure of implications for India.
Where are countries like China, going to put there excess money if not in Dollar? Euro is as unstable, maybe more. No other currency can play an alternative to USD. Hence, nothing will change on the ground. Of course there will be a bit of Huffing and Puffing for a few days. But it will soon subside as ppl go about their business as usual.
In fact, just a couple of days back after the Debt Ceiling was increased, the Yields for US treasuries went down to just 2.5% for 10 year maturity. Just because S&P downgraded USD 2 days after, will ppl now dump USD? I think not! Lets see how it goes...
I'm not sure of implications for India.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Road Rage is Back!
I thought I had outgrown Road Rage some 6-7 years back. I remember picking up fights with fellow commuters in 2000-2004 which sometimes got physical. I remember a night coming back from office, a maruti van splashed water on me. I used to drive maruti 800 and my windows were open. I got so wild I chased that van all the way to eastern express highway and in my attempt to corner the van I bumped a bike. I took the couple to the hospital, paid their bill, dropped them home and swore I won't lose my temper like that again...
But my rage is back with vengeance. It started with me buying our second car. Its a Honda Civic. Its big and its expensive. I even got an automatic as my office is a good 1.5 hrs drive in Mumbai traffic. I knew I would have to change my driving style considering its dimensions and our Indian way of driving. Like, I have tried driving in the right lane, maintain distance from the car ahead, you name it...
I knew it will be a challenge the first day I drove to office. The car is wide and we Indians drive too close to each other. I felt a distinct chill looking out of my left window to see the BEST bus drive past me(my car was still) just a few inches away. I held my breath till the bus was gone before I moved an inch. Then just a day before completing its first month, a Sumo brushed its bumper in Powai. JVLR was crowded and I was waiting at the signal when the Sumo driver brushed its rear bumper. By the time I got down to assess the damages, he had disappeared. Later the same week, right in my home parking lot a i10 brushed against its rear bumper again.
Couple of weeks later I was driving with my family to my daughter's school. The road was riddled with pot holes and I braked. The taxi behind me was driving so close to me that he did not see and rear ended the car. I asked my wife and kid to go ahead while a screamed at the taxi driver. I took the car to the workshop and got it fixed for 30K. Thanks to the Insurance I had to pay just 6K out of pocket( I know they will get me next year).
Just two days after I got my car back from the garage another car rear ended it. This time I lost it. I ranted like a maniac on the owner of the car only to find out later that he was my neighbor (he had recently rented the flat right under mine).
This was about a month ago. Yesterday, while I had stopped at a turn, a rick tried to maneuver right between the tiny space between my car and the road partition. I tried glowering at him and then tried to block him. The result, a gash on the side of the car.
Its not like I'm a new driver. I have driven car for more than 20 years, 4 of which were in the US. But for the first time, I today feel scared to drive. I go to my office counting the cars / ricks and other vehicles who butt in the tiniest of crevices between two cars. I've started hurling obscenities at the ricks who create parallel lanes cornering my car, rendering me immobile.
In more than a year after returning from the US, I thought I'm well adjusted. I was going along fine. Until now. The primitive instincts of me first and to hell with the rest have got to me. I've been on the receiving end a few times before but this time its really got me by my..... I loathe my fellow citizens. I shout from inside of rolled up windows. They can't hear me but I can. Its madness. Its surreal. Its bizarre. It goes on for 3 hours every day. It makes my throat hurt. Just looking at the gash as I get in/out of the car makes my blood boil. I HATE RICKS. They are like flies crowding, buzzing all around you. I feel like taking a fly squatter and going flap! flap! flap!. Today when driving to office, I even imagined an iPhone game of Road Rage where you can squash the Ricks under your thumb!!
I'm beginning to realize somewhere within me, I've started to hate this place, its people. This is land of the uncivilized. Here is to 5000 years of uncivil living.
But my rage is back with vengeance. It started with me buying our second car. Its a Honda Civic. Its big and its expensive. I even got an automatic as my office is a good 1.5 hrs drive in Mumbai traffic. I knew I would have to change my driving style considering its dimensions and our Indian way of driving. Like, I have tried driving in the right lane, maintain distance from the car ahead, you name it...
I knew it will be a challenge the first day I drove to office. The car is wide and we Indians drive too close to each other. I felt a distinct chill looking out of my left window to see the BEST bus drive past me(my car was still) just a few inches away. I held my breath till the bus was gone before I moved an inch. Then just a day before completing its first month, a Sumo brushed its bumper in Powai. JVLR was crowded and I was waiting at the signal when the Sumo driver brushed its rear bumper. By the time I got down to assess the damages, he had disappeared. Later the same week, right in my home parking lot a i10 brushed against its rear bumper again.
Couple of weeks later I was driving with my family to my daughter's school. The road was riddled with pot holes and I braked. The taxi behind me was driving so close to me that he did not see and rear ended the car. I asked my wife and kid to go ahead while a screamed at the taxi driver. I took the car to the workshop and got it fixed for 30K. Thanks to the Insurance I had to pay just 6K out of pocket( I know they will get me next year).
Just two days after I got my car back from the garage another car rear ended it. This time I lost it. I ranted like a maniac on the owner of the car only to find out later that he was my neighbor (he had recently rented the flat right under mine).
This was about a month ago. Yesterday, while I had stopped at a turn, a rick tried to maneuver right between the tiny space between my car and the road partition. I tried glowering at him and then tried to block him. The result, a gash on the side of the car.
Its not like I'm a new driver. I have driven car for more than 20 years, 4 of which were in the US. But for the first time, I today feel scared to drive. I go to my office counting the cars / ricks and other vehicles who butt in the tiniest of crevices between two cars. I've started hurling obscenities at the ricks who create parallel lanes cornering my car, rendering me immobile.
In more than a year after returning from the US, I thought I'm well adjusted. I was going along fine. Until now. The primitive instincts of me first and to hell with the rest have got to me. I've been on the receiving end a few times before but this time its really got me by my..... I loathe my fellow citizens. I shout from inside of rolled up windows. They can't hear me but I can. Its madness. Its surreal. Its bizarre. It goes on for 3 hours every day. It makes my throat hurt. Just looking at the gash as I get in/out of the car makes my blood boil. I HATE RICKS. They are like flies crowding, buzzing all around you. I feel like taking a fly squatter and going flap! flap! flap!. Today when driving to office, I even imagined an iPhone game of Road Rage where you can squash the Ricks under your thumb!!
I'm beginning to realize somewhere within me, I've started to hate this place, its people. This is land of the uncivilized. Here is to 5000 years of uncivil living.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Pulse Pressure
I personally have borderline hypertension, but not very concerning (per doctor). When trying the Digital BP instrument I got from the US, I checked my own BP. As one would expect the systolic pressure came to around 130. The diastolic was well within the normal range. It was around 72. As a layman I would have just left it there. I however, decided to research it over the internet. What I found, freaked me out. Its called Pulse Pressure. Basically its Systolic pressure - Diastolic pressure. For normal people its around 40. For me it was 60. So what? It seems some research shows that high pulse pressure increases stroke risk. 20% more risk for every 10 points beyond 40. Ouch!
Since I stopped running this spring, I am worried about my weight gain. I usually ran 25 KMs a week burning about 2500 cal. As I stopped running, I was fearing the worst. I was researching the net one day when I read about Green Tea and its benefits. It helps in burning fat and reducing weight. One of the several benefits was reducing heart problems. Its Godsent. I've started taking it regularly despite its taste. Its helped me keep my weight in check. I haven't gained a single pound in the last month despite stopping running. Yesterday, I measured my BP and was surprised to see my pulse pressure coming down to ~50.
This habit is for keeps. Green Tea. 1 liter of it every day. Served chilled in a bottle. Its worked wonders.
Since I stopped running this spring, I am worried about my weight gain. I usually ran 25 KMs a week burning about 2500 cal. As I stopped running, I was fearing the worst. I was researching the net one day when I read about Green Tea and its benefits. It helps in burning fat and reducing weight. One of the several benefits was reducing heart problems. Its Godsent. I've started taking it regularly despite its taste. Its helped me keep my weight in check. I haven't gained a single pound in the last month despite stopping running. Yesterday, I measured my BP and was surprised to see my pulse pressure coming down to ~50.
This habit is for keeps. Green Tea. 1 liter of it every day. Served chilled in a bottle. Its worked wonders.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Android vs Apple
I was using Google Nexus for more than a year till one day(about 2 weeks back) I threw it in a fit of rage and broke something important enough for it to stop working.
I'm not getting into rationalizing what I did. The next day, I went and bought an iPhone 4 for 33K from Alpha.
Ever since, I've been tempted to write about how the two compare. So here goes.
Firstly, Android Nexus N is the best phone amongst Andriod phones because google updates it to the latest version of Andriod automatically. For other phones such as Motorola, HTC, Samgsung the ugrades are slow or practically non-existent. I personally was running 2.3.
With Maps and Wi-Fi Hotspot feature in iOS3. The feature gap with Android has really narrowed. The only big thing out of reach is Flash support. Ego goes beyond reason and technology. This one feature is hostage to Apple's bloated ego.
Usability in general
Andriod has too many option buttons to it. The back button, home button, search, right click kind. It can be a little overwhelming for a new person. Also, hepatic control of Nexus N didn't quite work out for my wife. I was kind of okay with it. My wife hated my phone.
My daughter never played with my Android. She loves my iPhone and iTouch. Simplicity is the key and iPhone scores big over Android.
Options which kick in if I press and hold the item offer more options but also need higher user sophistication. I liked some of these features in Android. iPhone keeps it simple. Android has wider options that iPhone.
Office Work
The biggest draw for me came from MS exchange sync. With my Android, I could never sync up my Calendar with my Office mail (MS exchange) even after the latest version upgrade where all I had to do is click a checkbox to sync my calendar. I tried loading Google Calendar tool and installing on my office laptop. Its a clumsy way of doing things and I really do not have permission to install apps on my office laptop. With iPhone it works like a charm. I'm really pleased with this feature.
The pasted excel tables emails get completely distorted in Android. iPhone retains the formatting.
Grouping the conversations is supposed to be a Google thing. Ironically I have that feature in iPhone and is missing in Android (for my office mails).
The time it takes to load the mail content after I click on it is pathetically slow in Android. Its zipping fast in iPhone.
Media Player
One thing I liked about Android is that I could choose to build the playlist on the fly by keep adding to the currently playing list. iPhone does not have it.
One feature about iOS 4.3 I love is that I can play media including video stored on my local network on my iphone. Yesterday I watched a good part of Charlie Wilson's War on my iPhone streaming from my network drive. It was cool.
Gadgets controls such as media player were on my home screen on Android. Not so on iPhone.
Phone Quality
The iPhone Camera is better than Android.
The voice quality of iPhone is better.
The voice levels of iPhone is better.
Speaker phone of iPhone is better.
Battery life is the same.
Network
Switching to Wi-Fi was always a problem with my nexus one. It would keep me on my mobile Edge network even when I was at home. To move it to Wi-Fi, I had to go to settings and Wi-Fi. Not that I had to choose the network, but I needed to go navigate to the screen before my Nexus one realized it had a Wi-Fi available and then it would switch to it.
My edge network would disappear a couple of time a day at office. I had to go to Airplane mode and come back to get my Edge back.
iPhone does not have either of these problems. Good.
My earphone socket on the Andriod had started giving me trouble some time back(after about a year of use). I'll know about iPhone as I use it.
Overall, I'm happy I made the switch. For me iPhone rules.
I'm not getting into rationalizing what I did. The next day, I went and bought an iPhone 4 for 33K from Alpha.
Ever since, I've been tempted to write about how the two compare. So here goes.
Firstly, Android Nexus N is the best phone amongst Andriod phones because google updates it to the latest version of Andriod automatically. For other phones such as Motorola, HTC, Samgsung the ugrades are slow or practically non-existent. I personally was running 2.3.
With Maps and Wi-Fi Hotspot feature in iOS3. The feature gap with Android has really narrowed. The only big thing out of reach is Flash support. Ego goes beyond reason and technology. This one feature is hostage to Apple's bloated ego.
Usability in general
Andriod has too many option buttons to it. The back button, home button, search, right click kind. It can be a little overwhelming for a new person. Also, hepatic control of Nexus N didn't quite work out for my wife. I was kind of okay with it. My wife hated my phone.
My daughter never played with my Android. She loves my iPhone and iTouch. Simplicity is the key and iPhone scores big over Android.
Options which kick in if I press and hold the item offer more options but also need higher user sophistication. I liked some of these features in Android. iPhone keeps it simple. Android has wider options that iPhone.
Office Work
The biggest draw for me came from MS exchange sync. With my Android, I could never sync up my Calendar with my Office mail (MS exchange) even after the latest version upgrade where all I had to do is click a checkbox to sync my calendar. I tried loading Google Calendar tool and installing on my office laptop. Its a clumsy way of doing things and I really do not have permission to install apps on my office laptop. With iPhone it works like a charm. I'm really pleased with this feature.
The pasted excel tables emails get completely distorted in Android. iPhone retains the formatting.
Grouping the conversations is supposed to be a Google thing. Ironically I have that feature in iPhone and is missing in Android (for my office mails).
The time it takes to load the mail content after I click on it is pathetically slow in Android. Its zipping fast in iPhone.
Media Player
One thing I liked about Android is that I could choose to build the playlist on the fly by keep adding to the currently playing list. iPhone does not have it.
One feature about iOS 4.3 I love is that I can play media including video stored on my local network on my iphone. Yesterday I watched a good part of Charlie Wilson's War on my iPhone streaming from my network drive. It was cool.
Gadgets controls such as media player were on my home screen on Android. Not so on iPhone.
Phone Quality
The iPhone Camera is better than Android.
The voice quality of iPhone is better.
The voice levels of iPhone is better.
Speaker phone of iPhone is better.
Battery life is the same.
Network
Switching to Wi-Fi was always a problem with my nexus one. It would keep me on my mobile Edge network even when I was at home. To move it to Wi-Fi, I had to go to settings and Wi-Fi. Not that I had to choose the network, but I needed to go navigate to the screen before my Nexus one realized it had a Wi-Fi available and then it would switch to it.
My edge network would disappear a couple of time a day at office. I had to go to Airplane mode and come back to get my Edge back.
iPhone does not have either of these problems. Good.
My earphone socket on the Andriod had started giving me trouble some time back(after about a year of use). I'll know about iPhone as I use it.
Overall, I'm happy I made the switch. For me iPhone rules.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Run!
Having completed 1 year of running, I presented myself a bright Red Nike jersey. It had "Run" printed on it. I liked it for its simplicity. No big words, no fancy / witty captions. Means exactly what it reads.
I had fancied running Half Marathon in less than 2 hours. It was not an unrealistic dream. It was well calibrated. Based of my past performance and had "Realistic" stamped all over it. I even came close to achieving it back in Feb.
Thane Marathon is a little tougher than Mumbai Stan Chart as it traverses Ghodbunder Road which is a little hilly in parts. I did 1min 20secs over 2 hours, which translates to about ~220 meters in a 21 KM race. It was my first formal Half Marathon run and best time for the distance. In the past 2 (informal / practice) attempts, I had clocked 9 min and 12 min over.
With ACL injury, running another half marathon seems a tall order. The doc has said no to running. MRI wasn't very positive. Hence, I have stopped running completely. I think I'll start again after the monsoons. I'll also apply for the next Mumbai Marathon. Whether I'm able to run, is just a Rs.600 question (participation fee).
I had fancied running Half Marathon in less than 2 hours. It was not an unrealistic dream. It was well calibrated. Based of my past performance and had "Realistic" stamped all over it. I even came close to achieving it back in Feb.
Thane Marathon is a little tougher than Mumbai Stan Chart as it traverses Ghodbunder Road which is a little hilly in parts. I did 1min 20secs over 2 hours, which translates to about ~220 meters in a 21 KM race. It was my first formal Half Marathon run and best time for the distance. In the past 2 (informal / practice) attempts, I had clocked 9 min and 12 min over.
With ACL injury, running another half marathon seems a tall order. The doc has said no to running. MRI wasn't very positive. Hence, I have stopped running completely. I think I'll start again after the monsoons. I'll also apply for the next Mumbai Marathon. Whether I'm able to run, is just a Rs.600 question (participation fee).
Friday, May 06, 2011
Run Forrest Run
I'm tense and scared. I've done MRI on my right knee and will be consulting the doctor tomorrow. I hope the doctor will find some way to keep me going on the tread mill.
I've been a decent athlete but never really been a runner. The farthest I had ever run was in 1997. It was probably around 4 kms and I almost died getting back home. I re-discovered running in the winter of 2009.
Trying to lose weight, I found running possibly the most effective way of keeping healthy. 3 months into running, I got my cholesterol numbers under control, in 6 months, I stripped 2" off my waist.
In Jan-2010, my boss visited the US. Sameer is a fit man. He is about 7 years my senior and pretty energetic. He told me about his maiden half marathon experience and I started wondering if I could ever run 13 miles.
The day he left, I started taking running seriously. Winter of 2010 was one of the harshest winters in DC with record snowfall. As I could not go out, I took Washington gym membership and started running on treadmill. I still remember the first time I ran 6 miles in an hour. It was early march and it was late night (10:00 pm) I finished running. I was the only one there. I had raised my hands like I was crossing the ribbon at the end of the race.
By early April, I was doing 10 mile run once a week. And finally on the day I turned 37, I ran my first half marathon. It was on the treadmill, and I clocked, 02:09. It was tiring, but it felt good.
After I returned to Mumbai I took up membership at the local gym. I always ran on the treadmill. At office, I met a few enthusiasts, and we started comparing notes. By August, I was seriously practicing for Mumbai Marathon. Unfortunately, last year was the first time they introduced qualifying time and selection lottery. As I had never run a Marathon before, my name was put through the lottery and rejected. I received the check for Rs. 570 with a regret letter couple of weeks before the race. It broke my heart. I decided to run my own half marathon on the eastern express highway. It was the first time I ran the distance on the road. Let me just say it was quite different from running on a tread mill in the cosy confines of a gym.
I researched the net and found out another marathon was being planned in Thane on 27-Feb. I jumped on the opportunity and got myself registered. I had now started practicing on the road. During one of these practice runs, I felt pain in my right knee. The pain persisted for a day and then went away.
I finally ran the Half Marathon on the D-day clocking 02:01. I thought it was okay for a almost 38 yr first timer. The next day however, I could not walk. My knee hurt so much, I could not bend it.
From then on, my knee would hurt every I'd run and the next day and then it would be okay. As time progressed, it became worse, I stopped running on the road and went back to the treadmill. But the hurt kept worsening. I reduced the distance from 16kms to 10 to 8 to 5.
Then last week I finally decided to visit a doctor. He has asked to just stop running completely and ordered xray and MRI to check damage to bone / cartilage. He will review my case tomorrow.
I've been a decent athlete but never really been a runner. The farthest I had ever run was in 1997. It was probably around 4 kms and I almost died getting back home. I re-discovered running in the winter of 2009.
Trying to lose weight, I found running possibly the most effective way of keeping healthy. 3 months into running, I got my cholesterol numbers under control, in 6 months, I stripped 2" off my waist.
In Jan-2010, my boss visited the US. Sameer is a fit man. He is about 7 years my senior and pretty energetic. He told me about his maiden half marathon experience and I started wondering if I could ever run 13 miles.
The day he left, I started taking running seriously. Winter of 2010 was one of the harshest winters in DC with record snowfall. As I could not go out, I took Washington gym membership and started running on treadmill. I still remember the first time I ran 6 miles in an hour. It was early march and it was late night (10:00 pm) I finished running. I was the only one there. I had raised my hands like I was crossing the ribbon at the end of the race.
By early April, I was doing 10 mile run once a week. And finally on the day I turned 37, I ran my first half marathon. It was on the treadmill, and I clocked, 02:09. It was tiring, but it felt good.
After I returned to Mumbai I took up membership at the local gym. I always ran on the treadmill. At office, I met a few enthusiasts, and we started comparing notes. By August, I was seriously practicing for Mumbai Marathon. Unfortunately, last year was the first time they introduced qualifying time and selection lottery. As I had never run a Marathon before, my name was put through the lottery and rejected. I received the check for Rs. 570 with a regret letter couple of weeks before the race. It broke my heart. I decided to run my own half marathon on the eastern express highway. It was the first time I ran the distance on the road. Let me just say it was quite different from running on a tread mill in the cosy confines of a gym.
I researched the net and found out another marathon was being planned in Thane on 27-Feb. I jumped on the opportunity and got myself registered. I had now started practicing on the road. During one of these practice runs, I felt pain in my right knee. The pain persisted for a day and then went away.
I finally ran the Half Marathon on the D-day clocking 02:01. I thought it was okay for a almost 38 yr first timer. The next day however, I could not walk. My knee hurt so much, I could not bend it.
From then on, my knee would hurt every I'd run and the next day and then it would be okay. As time progressed, it became worse, I stopped running on the road and went back to the treadmill. But the hurt kept worsening. I reduced the distance from 16kms to 10 to 8 to 5.
Then last week I finally decided to visit a doctor. He has asked to just stop running completely and ordered xray and MRI to check damage to bone / cartilage. He will review my case tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Mohit Chauhan
I remember the days in B-School hostel, we'd get the guitar and start practicing Scorpions, Pink Floyd chords when I first heard of Silk Route. Dooba Dooba made them famous. I liked the song in an instant. Thats how it works most times. You hear a new song and your mind makes decides in about 30 secs whether it likes the song or not. I loved the song but never heard another good song from Silk Route. Later the group fell by the way-side. When digital mp3 players came, I downloaded the song and it became part of my collection.
Then in 2009 I was visiting India and we were returning from Kashet when I heard Masakali. Loved it in less than 10 secs. Then came doorian and I became curious about the singer. Isn't it great that even as we grow older and set in our ways we can still be excited about new songs and new singers.
Over the last few years Mohit Chauhan has sung several good songs. I love his laid back style, the way his voice modulates. He has no formal training in Music(like Kishore Kumar) and yet he continues to build his repertoire. My favorites include
- Ye Doorian
- Masakali
- Abhi Kutch Dinon Se (reminds me of Dooba Dooba)
- Man Lafanga
- Tujhe Bhula Diya
- Tum se hi
- Pi Loon
Hope in coming years he keeps adding to this list. Know what, part of the credit is Pritam's. I like Pritam's music.
Then in 2009 I was visiting India and we were returning from Kashet when I heard Masakali. Loved it in less than 10 secs. Then came doorian and I became curious about the singer. Isn't it great that even as we grow older and set in our ways we can still be excited about new songs and new singers.
Over the last few years Mohit Chauhan has sung several good songs. I love his laid back style, the way his voice modulates. He has no formal training in Music(like Kishore Kumar) and yet he continues to build his repertoire. My favorites include
- Ye Doorian
- Masakali
- Abhi Kutch Dinon Se (reminds me of Dooba Dooba)
- Man Lafanga
- Tujhe Bhula Diya
- Tum se hi
- Pi Loon
Hope in coming years he keeps adding to this list. Know what, part of the credit is Pritam's. I like Pritam's music.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
A Random Thought
Someone dear to me lost his mother last week. It has shaken him up a bit and its but natural. I spoke with him yesterday and he started talking of spirituality. Not my cup. However, it intrigued me. I haven't read any scriptures. Not true. I tried Gita a few years back when my daughter was born but did not find it very engaging and I haven't thought about it since. Until now.
Anyhow, here is the thought. Most of the events around us are triggered by factors we have no influence over. Be it 8.9 tremor off Japan coast or 1984 Bhopal Gas Leak or the traffic jam during rush hour. As these are governed by nature or unintended consequence of human behavior, to me these are acts of God. And while I did not trigger them, I still need to respond to them as they affect me.
Here comes causality. As I understand my reactions are a combination of my nature and nurture / conditioning. Research shows, a man is mostly governed by his intrinsic nature. To me intrinsic nature is also an act of God as its mostly chance, largely random. Nurture is the only partially controllable variable. Even here, social environment, peer group etc.(external) have fair amount of influence compared to parental nurture(controllable).
So, with so much up to God / Chance, the responses to these externalities should also be random. Does everyone inherently have the same power to tune one's response to these happenings(nature once again)? If not, then has God has played dice with each of us and indeed some of us are blessed, while others are not and guess what, its random.
An then, if this were true, how do you explain the contrast in human behavior in the aftermath of Katerina and Japan Tsunami? Both were acts of God and yet in one place there was widespread looting while in another, there was none.
Anyhow, here is the thought. Most of the events around us are triggered by factors we have no influence over. Be it 8.9 tremor off Japan coast or 1984 Bhopal Gas Leak or the traffic jam during rush hour. As these are governed by nature or unintended consequence of human behavior, to me these are acts of God. And while I did not trigger them, I still need to respond to them as they affect me.
Here comes causality. As I understand my reactions are a combination of my nature and nurture / conditioning. Research shows, a man is mostly governed by his intrinsic nature. To me intrinsic nature is also an act of God as its mostly chance, largely random. Nurture is the only partially controllable variable. Even here, social environment, peer group etc.(external) have fair amount of influence compared to parental nurture(controllable).
So, with so much up to God / Chance, the responses to these externalities should also be random. Does everyone inherently have the same power to tune one's response to these happenings(nature once again)? If not, then has God has played dice with each of us and indeed some of us are blessed, while others are not and guess what, its random.
An then, if this were true, how do you explain the contrast in human behavior in the aftermath of Katerina and Japan Tsunami? Both were acts of God and yet in one place there was widespread looting while in another, there was none.
Losing it!
It all started in September of 2009. My family was visiting me in Virginia and my wife made some unkind remarks about my exploding waistline. I was pushing 200 pounds and it was showing up everywhere. The tell tale buckle marks on the leather belt, the triple chin, you name it... The blood report confirmed the indulgent lifestyle, with soaring cholesterol and triglycerides.
After they had left, I tried taking a shot at redemption through exercise. For the first time in about a year of living there, I ventured into our community Gym. It had 3 treadmills and 2 ellipticals. I climbed atop one of the treadmills and was pretty impressed with the results. I did about 4 miles in 30 minutes. I went around boasting about it to others in my office till finally another guy living in the same complex finally burst my bubble. It seems all the 3 treadmills were seriously mis-calibrated giving fools a false high. I decided to validate the theory. I got a free one day pass to a near by Washington fitness center and tried repeating the magic. To my embarrassment, I hardly completed about 0.5 miles @8 miles an hour before I had to get off the treadmill panting.
I finally switched over to ellipticals and found them most useful for burning calories. They don't stress your knees and yet they could be as effective (or more in some cases) as the treadmills.
I also started to read up about losing weight, probably for the first time in my life. It seems one needs to burn 3500kcal to lose 1 pound. Typically if you exercise hard like a regular you could burn about 700-800 kcal in an hour. It meant if I did not change my diet, I would have to exercise about 5 days a week to lose a pound. And so in another first, I started looking out of healthier eating options. I found a great app, loseit on iphone and I started keeping track of what I ate and how much I exercised. Loseit is a great app, and I'd recommend it to anyone trying to lose weight. Unfortunately, it does not have good data on Indian food. So I had to research the net to find the cal value of butter chicken, chole and some and add them to the list.
The results started showing in about 6 weeks. Loseit kept count of cal deficit and with minor adjustments, I calibrated it to weighing scale at home. By the time I returned to Mumbai, in May-10, I had lost more than 25 pounds and 2 inches off my waist.
For the first time since leaving grad school(10 yrs), I could fit into 32" trousers. It felt great. I actually threw away all my 34" trousers with a commitment to self that I'll stay within 32" waistline.
Its been almost a year since my return and I have to admit that the battle of "bulge" is never won. I have to keep an eye on my food as every now and then I binge and then it shows up on the weighing scale. So far, I've been able to keep my weight and my promise to self, but then I fight this battle every day.
After they had left, I tried taking a shot at redemption through exercise. For the first time in about a year of living there, I ventured into our community Gym. It had 3 treadmills and 2 ellipticals. I climbed atop one of the treadmills and was pretty impressed with the results. I did about 4 miles in 30 minutes. I went around boasting about it to others in my office till finally another guy living in the same complex finally burst my bubble. It seems all the 3 treadmills were seriously mis-calibrated giving fools a false high. I decided to validate the theory. I got a free one day pass to a near by Washington fitness center and tried repeating the magic. To my embarrassment, I hardly completed about 0.5 miles @8 miles an hour before I had to get off the treadmill panting.
I finally switched over to ellipticals and found them most useful for burning calories. They don't stress your knees and yet they could be as effective (or more in some cases) as the treadmills.
I also started to read up about losing weight, probably for the first time in my life. It seems one needs to burn 3500kcal to lose 1 pound. Typically if you exercise hard like a regular you could burn about 700-800 kcal in an hour. It meant if I did not change my diet, I would have to exercise about 5 days a week to lose a pound. And so in another first, I started looking out of healthier eating options. I found a great app, loseit on iphone and I started keeping track of what I ate and how much I exercised. Loseit is a great app, and I'd recommend it to anyone trying to lose weight. Unfortunately, it does not have good data on Indian food. So I had to research the net to find the cal value of butter chicken, chole and some and add them to the list.
The results started showing in about 6 weeks. Loseit kept count of cal deficit and with minor adjustments, I calibrated it to weighing scale at home. By the time I returned to Mumbai, in May-10, I had lost more than 25 pounds and 2 inches off my waist.
For the first time since leaving grad school(10 yrs), I could fit into 32" trousers. It felt great. I actually threw away all my 34" trousers with a commitment to self that I'll stay within 32" waistline.
Its been almost a year since my return and I have to admit that the battle of "bulge" is never won. I have to keep an eye on my food as every now and then I binge and then it shows up on the weighing scale. So far, I've been able to keep my weight and my promise to self, but then I fight this battle every day.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
End of the Road for Ikon
My first car happened to be Ford Ikon. Ikon had it good for a few years after launch, especially around 2003-2004. It was sporty, inexpensive and fun to drive. It had a horrible mileage though. But then Ford never really worked on modernizing the car. And finally here is the Obituary for iconic Ikon. RIP my loved one.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Break Ke Baad...
Well I did take a break. More than a year off blogger. A few things have changed around me. I'm back in Mumbai with my family. That happened about 10 months ago :). Other than that, I've lost weight and hair from a year ago. Proud of the first and wary of the latter.
We have done up our house. I like the way it turned out.
Work life is long and punishing especially the travel.
Don't have to do daily household chores anymore. Loving it.
Hope to write more often.
We have done up our house. I like the way it turned out.
Work life is long and punishing especially the travel.
Don't have to do daily household chores anymore. Loving it.
Hope to write more often.
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