Yahoo! India has been one hell of an experience for me. Three years in this fantastic company has proven to be so much beneficial to me as a person. And it did wonders for my career as well. I got to learn so much while being here, got so much exposure and got to be associated with so many industry professionals. Working together with the best talents was a joy in itself, and many of these talents are now my very good friends. My stint in this Fortune 500 company will always be special and if given an opportunity again, I’d definitely like to be part of the purple brigade.

Recruiter: Am I speaking to Priyank?
Me: Yes, this is Priyank.
Recruiter: This is regarding an urgent opening in Mumbai for a web 2.0 guy.
Me: What is the offer like?
Recruiter: CTC won’t be an issue but I’d like to know what have you done after your HSC?
Me: Nothing, I’m an undergraduate.
Recruiter: Why is that so?
Me: Because graduation is not a requirement in my career.
Recruiter: Ohh… That I’m afraid, would be a problem.
Me: No worries, I myself won’t be interested in joining an organization which lays more importance to certificates than to actual talent and experience. Thank you!

And I hung up. I mean, are you serious? I have learnt nothing from schooling except for those alphabets and numerals (the actual credit needs to go to my mom honestly). I’m a self taught professional and 97% of what I am today is because of the Internet. And I intend to stay that way!

BTW, the organization was Tata Consultancy Services. Hard luck guys!

You heard it right. I’ll have to retire my Compaq for the next 2 weeks as I’ll test drive the brand new Booklet 3G by Nokia. A very sleek and stylish laptop boasting a battery life of over 10 hours. WOMWorld / Nokia had the compact device delivered to me earlier today. It’s their first step towards entering the laptop market. Review will be up very soon!

This review has been nearly two weeks in the making now. I’ve been playing with the handset for quite some time. Staying up late at nights watching TV series in it, fiddling with the handset in the office, social networking while on the move, and every single possible situation where I could do something with it.

I have been using Nokia handsets for over eight years now and the N900 was a breath of fresh air. It changed the way I now look at smart phones forever. All of us who have test-driven the Maemo OS don’t need to tell the world just how awesome it is. Hence, this review will primarily focus on how the N900 is way better than the N97 (my current handset).

The Desktop

The N900 has 4 desktops with enough space to add as many shortcuts as possible. In addition to that, you can add your favourite contacts and widgets too. Moving them around the screen or from one desktop to another is a piece of cake.

You have the menu on the top left of the screen at all times which compensates very well for the missing menu button (a standard in Nokia handsets). It very smartly changes to a switch tab button that can be effectively used to switch between different windows. This is one of the most impressive features of this handset. Switching between applications gives you the joy of using a computer. Multi-taskers will absolutely love this.

Alongside the menu button, you have the system tray (as I prefer calling it) which shows you the time, your battery power and your connectivity status. Clicking on the same brings down a panel with more detailed options. The entire system volume can also be controlled from here, apart from your Bluetooth, profiles, clocks & alarms and your chat status. Convenience redefined!

Contacts

When I received the N900, the first thing I obviously did was transfer all my contacts from the N97 to this one. Since I never store data on my SIM, I had to get all the contacts from the device via Bluetooth. And the N900 made this (typically lengthy process) a breeze by automatically asking me to retrieve contacts from another device. Within a minute, my entire contact list (along with complete details like address, date of birth, etc.) was now synchronized to be used. Nice!

I also came across this fantastic application called Hermes (more info here) which aggregates date from social networking websites Facebook and Twitter and embeds them within your address book contacts. Matching of entries is perfect and you will be astonished how your contact details are enriched complete with photographs.

Small things like merging duplicate entries and exporting contacts make your life very easy if you’re as organized as I am. However, there is no quick way to scroll down to the last contact beside using the keyboard or scrolling continuously until you reach the bottom. This becomes a pain if you have more than 100 contacts which was my case.

Conversations

Conversations is one more powerful asset of the N900. You have a thread-view of all your chats which makes life much more simpler as you can pick up a conversation from where you left. Entire contact details are merged in here with profile pictures, online / offline status, etc. Conversations clubs your SMSs as well as your IM chats into one single easy-to-access repository.

Web

Surfing the internet is so much fun in the N900. With the default browser now using Firefox’s Gecko engine, you see websites as they are meant to be seen. Scrolling and moving around in heavy pages is now easier than ever. Absence of lagging scrolls and a much better screen resolution / size makes it as good as using your computer to browse the internet. You also have a plethora of features like enabling / disabling pop-ups, JavaScript, add-ons and password saving which is really cool. And how could I forget the full-screen browsing experience. Super!

Media Player

Media player has been taken to the next level with DivX and Xvid videos playing flawlessly without the requirement of additional applications or having to convert them to a specific format. The stereo sound quality is superb. And of course, you have the standard FM transmitter, music player and internet radio applications which make your AV experience complete.

Camera & Photos

Camera here gives you the option to click wide-screen photographs which is an added benefit. Plus, we have two LED flash lights for a brighter images when dealing in low-light conditions. However, I think it’s about time Nokia implemented Xenon flash as a standard in all of its handsets. It’s a feature much required.

Downers

The first thing I noticed was the battery life. To be able to constantly use the phone to its full potential, you will need to charge it twice in a single day. In my experience, I would charge the handset once every morning (during office hours) and the other time at home (during the night when I’m about to sleep). However, please note that the battery isn’t completely dead when I put the phone for charging. But, it’s almost about to end. Nokia handsets are anyway known to last for a pretty long time once the battery is at its bare minimum.

The second thing would be the earphones that come along with the handset. Their output isn’t as great. You cannot feel the bass at all. It’s clear though, but lacking the lower frequencies doesn’t make it useful at all.

The third point would be the orientation. You can ONLY use the phone in landscape mode. I think this is something everyone in the Maemo community has been talking about. But I’m sure, this would be fixed in the upcoming firmware updates.

Verdict

Overall, Nokia’s first Maemo powered device is jam-packed with power and functionality. It definitely set a great first impression on me. Techie people will simply love what all this handset has to offer. My hands are pretty large, so I don’t really mind it’s bulky build. I’m sure that the N900 and Maemo together will be pretty much responsible for Nokia re-gaining its lost market share.

So WOMWorld/Nokia contacted me last week to test drive their new devices. They were impressed with my review of the N97 which I published last year (An authentic N97 review!), and wanted my opinion on some of their other devices. I felt delirious, of course. Having been a Nokia user for almost a decade starting off with the 2100 (college days), then moving to the N91 (first job), upgrading to the N95 8GB (second job) and finally switching to the N97 (last year), it’s been a great ride.

Anyway, I requested them for a 2-week trial of the monster handset N900 and just a couple of days later, on the 22nd to be precise, the handset got delivered. It’s been only 2 days and I’m already in love with the device. 12 days more to go, and I’m already fearing that I might not be able to part with this one!

P.S.: Review coming soon.

Having been a designer / developer for almost a decade, I can frankly claim that India still needs to catch up on the potential that the cloud has for us. Based in Mumbai, I’ve had a lot of clients approach me for developing their websites for such puny amounts as $50 to $60 USD. I’m sure a lot of my fellow designers here can relate to this.

Such clients amount for almost 80% of the entire lot out there. The chief problem is that the client is incognizant of the entire nature and power of the world wide web. They will willingly and readily invest lots of capital in TV commercials and newspaper ads, but would only allocate a very minimal budget towards their online presence. Because, they still think that Internet is at a very nascent stage and it has a long way to go. I do agree on the latter part of the statement, but the former part is actually a widely accepted urban myth.

There are also a bunch of other reasons why a client has that opinion:

Designing + Developing a website requires little skill

A client thinks that designing + developing a website requires very little skills, if at all. And if the designer is taking a lot of time to finish their project, that means he’s really just trying to bluff them into believing that designing is actually a tough job. All of this thanks to the bunch who just export web pages directly from Photoshop and they know their job is done. These are the same bunch who do not know that standards exist. For that matter, just about any amateur designer can conceptualize a basic layout in 10 minutes, export it to a web page (full of tables and no sight of any CSS whatsoever), upload it to the web server and the job is done.

What the lay man needs to understand is that, there are a lot of processes involved when developing a website. They’re as good as (if not equivalent to) manufacturing a product. We need to first understand where the client is coming from and what are his needs. According to the criteria, we first need to work on a design layout and have the client’s approval. Here is where the most back and forth happens. Once we’re through this stage, we then need to decide the kind of coding structure the web site requires: whether it’s CMS based, static content only or requires regular updates. After figuring this out, comes the most time intensive part: converting the design to standards compliant web pages which may take up most of your time. And then come the smaller but essential standard procedures: cross-browser testing, debugging page behaviours, 404 pages, favicons, contact forms, url structuring, .htaccess files, and a lot more.

Hence, if the work is done properly, it definitely is time-consuming but is also long-lasting.

Websites are a Trend and not a Requirement

Some clients believe that a website is just a small complementary addition to their marketing plans. And just because every other business / company has one, they should have one too. They believe it is more of a trend rather than a requirement. And what they obviously do not know is that an effective website coupled with the right tactics for social media can stand alone as their most impactful advertising spend.

I’ve covered here in this article a couple of points why most Indian clients do not like the idea of spending money on their online presence. Of course, I have to admit that there are lots who understand and invest! Anyway, these were based on my experiences dealing with clients in the past decade. Feel free to share your experiences too.

Photograph © Veer.com

Source: Obvious

Just like 2008, 2009 was filled with some of the most glorious moments that make up my wonderful life. Although I do not remember every single one in detail, for now I’ll try to cover up whatever I can remember.

May:

A couple of months ago while on our way back home from Shirdi, we halted at this resort called ‘Manas Lifestyle‘ for breakfast. I loved it so much that I decided I didn’t want to spend my anniversary anywhere else, but here. And so was it. From exquisite cuisine to room service, the entire resort was beautifully maintained to each tiny detail. Others might say its way too costly, but I would say, it’s complete value for money – the kind of experience they give you!

June:

For most of 2008, I had been eagerly awaiting the Nokia N97. I knew I had to get my hands on the device the very first day it launched here in Mumbai ie. 23rd of June. And that’s exactly what I did! (read more…)

September:

Probably the biggest moment of the year was my new flat. I always wanted one with a huge balcony facing an open scenic view. And all my prayers (not really a prayer, LOL) were answered with this property right on the day I turned 24. What more could I ever want on my birthday?

December:

Since the day Bigg Boss Season 3 had started broadcasting and I was made known that I had to be conduct the live chat with every evicted contestant, I had been looking forward to this day. Come 17th December, the day when I finally got to meet the gorgeous Claudia Ciesla. My happiness knew no bounds!

December, again:

19th December was the day when I finally booked tickets for the $237M blockbuster movie ‘Avatar‘. I do not want to exaggerate but this was ‘Movie Of The Decade’ for me. Actually, it easily stands as my favourite movie of all time. So much so, that I went for the movie a second time, this time convincing my parents to watch it!!!

December, yet again:

The legendary Balearic king Roger Shah had his debut gig in Mumbai at Wink on the 26th of December, right after Christmas. He was the first artist to be featured on Trance Hub when we launched 2 years ago. And it was really great that all three of us who were responsible for the website and the interview were present at the gig.

All in all, 2009 was indeed a fantastic year for my life. I might have missed onto a lot of things, but hey, if I start putting down every single one, then I’d run out of space here! Anyway, something tells me 2010 is going to be an awesome year for me. Hope it is for you too! Cheers!!!

So what happens when you leave school and watch that sports channel 24×7?
1. You don’t become Michael Schumacher
2. You suck at punctuations
3. Low self-esteem makes you print funny stickers behind your car

A fascination with number ’22′ could possibly mean 5 things:
1. Your age is 22
2. Your lucky number is 22
3. You’ve got laid 22 times
4. You can’t afford a sports coupe hence you want to make your sedan look like a sports coupe
5. Your car is ranked 22nd car in this world with the most stupid sticker

I’d personally rank it No. 1 though. No bias!

I come across a cabby who is not inclined towards business-making stickers: saying "Bandra – Sion – Panvel" or "Low Fare Cab". It rather says "End of days". I got it. The driver is a satanic astrologer, who is probably passing a message to this world through his unique source. Holy shit! I just watched 2012!

What it may come to a normal minded person? It may appear as the "Tu cheez badi hai mast mast" song from ‘Mohra’. But I see it as a very innovative way to make business. The sticker is an open invitation to all the homeless couples to get into this cab, and make out. Movie time + business time for the cabbie!

More in the series:
Part 3
Part 2
Part 1

Guest Author: Apoorv Singh

Junior Copywriter, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

Apoorv comes from an observatory of life – reading trends and human behavioral patterns that further help him implicating his ideas in promoting brands. An idea is the root of a campaign, and he has instilled it in him to go beyond the roots to achieve the unthought. From thinking campaign-able ‘big’ ideas to brainstorming on annual properties, he sees himself evolving with each idea, each pitch.

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No exercise required, not even medicines; also offering relief from chronic diseases; and to top that, skin / hair treatments also provided. I could somehow hear the word "homeopathy" echoing in my head. Also the fact that Dr. Dilip Nadkarni is a pretty famous Orthopedic Surgeon in Mumbai, I was confused when did this guy branch out into so many medical fields all at once. Anyway, since I was “traffucked” on the highway, I decided to give this guy a call.

He seemed to be a decent character and started explaining me the process of how he would successfully get results. He went into explaining the dynamics of assimilation and metabolism at the cellular level and how these factors are responsible for our body’s response to the same. A lot of his stuff did make sense and he mentioned "detox" as his starting point for any treatment. I agreed to everything he said, and after some more discussion about his fees and stuff, I finally found the moment I’ve been waiting for.

"Err, Doctor: Does your treatment in any way involve homeopathy? Because homeopathy is a rip-off, it just doesn’t work!" Yeah baby, I said it right to his face and then I paused waiting for his reaction. To my expectation, he did become aggressive and very indirectly hinted me that a process or two in the treatment might involve homeopathy. I understood what this was all about and politely mentioned to him that I would call back.

He hung up the phone without saying BYE!

2. I produce similar outcomes when you come and try to squeeze my nipples. (People, who do it, know it.)

3. Do NOT hit behind my head. I’ve controlled my anger 10,21,412 times, and the next time shall not guarantee the similar reaction. Yes, I pretty much hit.

4. Do not talk to me when I’m on headphones. You’re as good as talking to a deaf person. If it is anything urgent, go back to your seat and IM me.

5. If you see me speaking on the phone, kindly avoid communicating with me at your best. I am on the phone and I can only talk to one person at a time.

6. If you’re trying to trespass behind my chair, kindly ask for it. Squeezing your ass between two chairs won’t do the trick. Like have the courtesy to ASK. If you don’t follow this, be prepared for a dirty stare from me. (I think that pretty much should convey the message; and if not, I use my secondary lethal options.)

7. I know I sit on the chair and it takes an effort for you to bend and talk to me. But please maintain right postures, and kindly keep a safe distance between your face and MY face. I dread faces getting closer to me. (Ladies, never mind that.)

8. No friendly taps on my back, please. This is office and your dear friend is working. Leave him happy and try not to pat his back. You’re a great friend. You wouldn’t want to lose it at the peril of your silly deeds.

9. Do not ask me to join you for tea / snacks while I’m busy preparing notes. You’re fast with your work, your friend might not be. Leave me as I am, at that particular moment, and curb your fantasy to have tea with me.

10. Everybody likes silence. If your voice levels exceed my limitations to bear the conference calls / casual chats with boyfriends / girlfriends – chances are, I’d curse you real bad mutely – with undesirable consequences.

Issued in your interest.
Yours,
Apoorv Singh

Guest Author: Apoorv Singh

Junior Copywriter, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

Apoorv comes from an observatory of life – reading trends and human behavioral patterns that further help him implicating his ideas in promoting brands. An idea is the root of a campaign, and he has instilled it in him to go beyond the roots to achieve the unthought. From thinking campaign-able ‘big’ ideas to brainstorming on annual properties, he sees himself evolving with each idea, each pitch.