iPhone unveiled.

"I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been" Steve Jobs quoting Wayne Gretsky, "Thats what we do at apple."

After all the rumors, buzz and creative prototypes released worldwide claiming to be the new Apple product codenamed iPhone, Steve Job released the "Apple Phone" at MacWorld 2007 yesterday.

It offers 3-in-1:
a cell phone, a wide-screen iPod with touch controls, and an internet communications device.

Apple's new invention (this phone has about 200 patents pending) still sticks to the basic two philosophies. Simple and creative.


I'm a bargain shopper. Tech or non-tech, paying the tag price hurts me. The phone costs $499 for a 4gb or $599 for 5gb phone. It costs half my Sony computer. Even I am considering putting my name on the list when the phone will be release in June 2007 in the US. Asia to wait until 2008.

Reasons for me my fantasizing.
1. The phone has one button. Apple always pushes the right button. They leverage on their strong touch sensitivity demonstrated in the iPods.
2. No stylus.
3. 3.5-inch 480x320 touchscreen
3. Real browser, Google Maps with traffic report, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, POP3/IMAP for Yahooo, iTunes of course
4. Pretty cool efficiency stuff like proximity sensor that dims the screen when the phone is in your ears, finger touch activates the touch pad but knows to ignore unintended screen touches.

And to get somethiing, you got to give something - this is what you give:
1. It is not a G3 phone, only old fashioned EDGE
2. Its not a smartphone in that if you are a heavy weight user of smart apps you are restricted to what Apple provides when you buy it.
3. Can't add memory, what you buy is what you get.
4. No battery replacement.
5. Pricy

Engadget has an awesome coverage of the release. Blogged live.

Apple iPhone page

A new phone is long overdue for me anyway, My Nokia 6800 is begging to retire. I might just buy it. Cos I am dieing to buy or my phone dies on me.

Google Calendar launched!

Google Calendar was launched tonight! In about a couple of hours, 1200+ diggs!

First looks, sweet. Google sails smooth and sells itself with its amazing usability. Few clicks and I'm convinced this is easier than Lotus Notes.

Cell phones that inhibit communication.

The other night I went to this Thai restaurant with a friend of mine. Right across our table was this young Indian couple. Both of them were on the cell phone engaged in some serious conversation. Their food came. They were still lost in the cell phone talk. We ordered food. They must have something really important going on. Our food came. They go on and on and on. No signs of cell phone advertisement around. I get curious. Probably, probably they have to hang on the conversation. Or they'll die. The Night Shyamalan in me started to play the play. At one time I consciously noticed if they were talking to each other on the cell phone. You never know, we Indians sometimes, (who am I kidding? always!!) have this habit of abusing anything that's free. Are they making "use" of the free night minutes?

This was getting more interesting than the Thai delight that was served.

Sometimes I wonder if technology gets too much into our lives. Long distance communication is so accessible that we don't get to talk to people right in front of us.

Oh yeah, they finally hung up, hastily munched the food and walked out. If only there was handsfree eating!!

Cell phones that sell

Woohoo!! You thought cell phones were only to talk? To text message? To take pictures? To make vidoes? There's a lot more than that. You gotta see it to believe it!!

GMail Drive - Pretty Cool Stuff!

Theres a neat program that makes your GMail account a virtual drive on your computer.

All you need is a GMail account and the Gmail Drive software

1) Download Gmail Drive
2) Install

3) A drive named GMail drive will be created under My Computer just like your C:
4) Double click on this drive, login to GMail account. You will get a space of 2.6 GB, the number that grows everyday sitting in your mailbox.
4) Copy any file and the program autosends it as an email attachment to the GMail account. The GMail filesize limit of 10 MB applies. The subject line has the filesize and the filename.

Cool stuff!









Hope that doesn't happen yet!

2006's Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work for

Complete list (Source CNN Money)

Outsourcing to India and globalization - Discovery Channel documentary

Got to watch if you haven't. Portrays the Indian Tech boom due to outsourcing and resultant US job drought, analyses how it ties into globalization and how the non IT Indian economy is doing.

Microsoft. Tries.

At Microsoft, plans are in to try and dominate two Big Hit Technology Products, one hardware and one software.

Apple's iPod - still in the pipeline
Macromedia's (Damn Formerly, now Adobe) Flash is coming soon as Sparkle.

We all know about the domination history, but I think Microsoft have made better products in terms of usability. I am a web design buff and every time I tried to do Flash, ain't happening because of the complexities of using the program. Swish quickly became popular for the same reason, but the "bundled ready to gift-wrap" approached crippled creativity. So I'd like to see what the Sparkle UI looks like. Seemingly, from MS site, Sparkle is part of the Expression Suite.

Top Brand names of 05.

Brandchannel released the top brand names in 05. More here.

Anna Univ bans communication channels.

One of the premier Engineering Universities in India, Anna University, Chennai has banned the use of cell phones on campus!! Including hostels. Why? Anna University Vice Chancellor D. Viswanathan says "examination scores of students were found to drop drastically due to cell phone use. Students were often endlessly preoccupied with mobiles, "chatting away with friends uselessly''

'Disciplinary action will be taken if any student is found in possession of cell phone inside the campus - By Order' flaunts all over the campus. They did recently confiscate 250 cell phones, so this is no joke, a rule followed in every sense of the word.

This came in shortly after there were strict dress codes for students. Again debatable, but at least given that girls face so much harassment and after the Bangalore call center incendent, it is understandable.

Of course the students are not happy with this decision. I can understand if they are talking about classes and labs. Anywhere on campus is plain ridiculous. Its more than just a luxury gadget these days. Talk about girls carrying it for safety. Hundreds of students who live on hostels away from their families. And in the era or communication and information technology, a total ban sounds ironic.

A focused student will make it one way or the other. One that wants entertainment and just kill time will find one way or the other. This would just provoke the teenage brains to look for workarounds.

How about making bad masala vadas in the canteens so students rather stay in the class and study?

More on The Hindu.
A Anna univ student rants.

Thanks Chenthil.

Call Centers in India - Pretty funny!

As seen on NBC.

This one is was kinda whacky! See if you like it.

The dude on the pic asks if he can bring his PC to the customer service to fix his popup ads. And she says shes in India!! And whohooo, hes flying to India. To meet "Sharon". Theyv'e mocked at us Indians big time, but pretty well ;) We can always retaliate with our own Russel Peters.

YouTube is one place where 1000s of amateur videos are getting housed. "Hey, I uploaded the wedding video" age is coming soon!

India challenges Google Maps.

BestBuy gets overwhelmed with online orders!

Never seen this!

Holiday Whopping Shopping

Are you a..

Bargain shopper n.
the desi who masters the art of buying stuff after comparing 190 online stores and 17 brick-and-mortar stores, usu. electronics at ridiculously cheap prices and being proud about it

Well, I am one. Why pay the full price when you can get the same stuff for lesser? I am for it. In the every sense and nonsense of the word.

Its Thanksgiving and shopping time! Time for weird shopping habits. Been there, done that.

It was last thanksgiving when we were outside Best Buy, from 11 PM waiting for the store to open at 6 AM. And guess what, we were not the first in line. Our group were second. Sleazing cold, we tried to feel at home on the platform (literally) with our comforters, and taking turns to enjoy the luxury of being inside the car. And at 5:30 AM there were like 1500 people outside the store. And we did walk out with all the good stuff. Couple of desktops, a few laptops and the like.

This year I am going to stick to shopping online. And not bust into the store with the mob. At least I'll try. So heres some neat sites that can get your stuff for cheaper. Ever seen that "Coupon code" textbox that makes us think "why don't these morons send me some codes along with those stupid spam mails". These sites exist for the social cause of leaking such cool codes!

These guys are awesome!
http://www.fatwallet.com/
http://www.currentcodes.com/
http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/
http://www.couponcabin.com/

Chennai is quick to adapt to technologies of tomorrow.

Of late, Chennai, my home city has been making strides in incubating companies investing in R&D in technologies that will shape tomorrow.

Recently bumped into this article, where a Nanotechnology Initative is being sponsored by SRM Group in Chennai.

Not long before, the Chief Miniter of Tamil Nadu proposed the creation of a mini-Japan township where Japanese corporations will be encouraged to setup technology and operations in India.

Rediff reported in September 05 that a new IT firm sprung in the city every 3 days!

Infy acquired 129 acres in Mahindra city (Maraimalai Nagar)

Wipro gets 85 acres in Sholinganallur

The Chennai IT/Technology arena is certainly changing rapidly. Are we competing with Bangalore yet? Rock, Chennai, rock!

Get up now: Dorky clocky

Another invention out of the MIT labs!.

Kinda stoopid, kinda clever. Kinda cool, kinda hot!
Kinda boon, kinda curse.

This alarm clock buzzes in the morning. You better get up. If you snooze it, it loses it. The internal motor of this wierd looking creature triggers random direction and distance functions and keeps rolling until it hides in some random corner - while annoying you with a "Get out of bed" voice. So you have to actually move your ___ to look for this creature around the room while the peace and luxury of sleep swiftly bids adieu.

So you lose sleep. You pay for it. This invention is coming soon to your neighbouring stores. For 30$.

For more, www.clocky.net. Was featured in Discovery Channel a while ago, very interesting.

Creativity is everything!

I think thats the mantra for success. For everything. Creativity is everything. I like Philips' tag line "Lets make this better".

I cannot imagine a world where no one dared to think outside the box. Where things were the way they were. Every day.

Hmmm, too many I's now. Me was impressed by this website - a creative marketing strategy - to generate marketing strategies.

Brainreactions.com - Innovation Generation as CEO Anand Chhapar calls it - uses top college students to brainstorm innovative new solutions and intellectual property for companies. Its a very interesting and simple concept. Makes me wonder why no one ever thought about it. Theres always a first time.

Brainreactions talk to their clients to identify what they call the "Problem Statement" and then refine it and present it to a bunch of top college 'idea generators' to brainstorm and come up with creative solutions/ideas. Their business model is well crafted into this two-min elevator pitch.

Its no surprise that Anand was named by Businessweek as one the 'Top 25 Entrepreneurs Under 25'.

Think outside the box!
Think outside the box!
Think outside the box!

Feel like a cake?

Go to Google and check it out! on 27th September!

Google celebrated its 7th birthday in September 05. One company that had resolutionized the way we internet. Silently.

Kudos for having turned their brand into a verb. 'Did you try Googling for it?'

I think their biggest success factor was innovation by intelligence. They've always impressed me. And continue to.

Good luck Google!!!

Take everything you love about iPod and shrink it!

Thats how they are marketing it. The newest iPod nano from Apple.

About the size of a credit card, about the thickness of a pencil. Pack about 500 songs. Or 1000. Or more. Priced about $199 to start with. Thats about it.

Not impressed yet? How about color screen, photo viewer, 14 hours of battery life. Cool, ain't it?

I was eyeing the minis, but the wait got things better. Tempted to go for it. Will wait for tech reviews, like any geek!

Google launches Blog Search tool.

Google Inc. launched the quite-awaited blog search tool, a move after their acquisition of Pyra's Blogger.com (or Blogspot.com).

Blogging has quite become more than a personal journal and evolved in the forms of forum, dynamic websites and marketing medium. Recent estimates (I wonder how there's always someone who comes up with "recent estimates") say the number of blogs range from 14m to 50m. And Google's entry into this market, after some of the forefront initiatives like Technorati, though slow and currently indexing only around 8m blog sites, we could expect another leap. Into monopoly.

Thats cool! Whats cooler?

My blog features first when you search for "srinivas".
I'm feeling lucky!!!

Google Talk vandhachi!

Google released their Instant Messenger today.

Out in their usual style and colors -
Keep It Simple Stupid UI, DHTML tricks, the 'light' look and feel of the software, easy to invite feature (from your GMail contacts), calling facility.

Yet to try the Voice chat, need to check out if its better than Skype with all the hype!

No Chatrooms, NO SMILEYS :'( and other bells and whistles, but then we know with the word "beta", more is coming.

My Google Talk id is srinivasdotcom@gmail.com. Lets talk!

And thankfully you don't need struggle frantically for an invite like the Orkut/GMail eras. All you need is a GMail ID and you are ready to go.

Whats next?

What to Blog..

Here goes. Another attempt to become another blogger.

First thought was what I should crap. Though the possibilities were endless, I was in a laid back mood and googled for Blog Ideas. The first link was Blogideas.com. Was quite creative. I thought I should share it, for those like me who always wanted to write something, but could not quite define 'something'.

For starters..
· Make up an imaginary friend and describe.
· Best compliment you've ever received.
· How long can I go without a haircut!
· Strangest thing you can find on Ebay.