Quantum Computing

Computing world always fascinated me. That’s why I did my engineering in Electronics and Communication. I learnt about the microprocessors and learnt about how data transfer so fast from digital circuits.

But today Computing is no longer about transistor based microprocessors. Here comes the Quantum Computing now. Today, over 400 million transistors have been placed in a single microprocessor, thanks to VLSI or very large scale integration process and its development over the. But, today scientists realize that we do not want more transistors in a single microprocessor, rather we want superior computing experience. So, scientists are trying to develop a computer based on quantum mechanical phenomena such as superposition and entanglement to perform operation on data. This principle was first proposed by Richard Feynman in 1982.

Faster and convenient

Fundamentally, a quantum computer works on qubits whereas today’s computer works on bits. A single bit can be in a state of 1 or 0, where 1 means positive and 0 means negative. These arrangements of bits give a computer ‘on’ or ‘off’ state, and similarly programs on modern day computers which are also known as the binary system, work on following the same principle. But ‘qubits’ can represent 0, 1 and quantum superposition of various combinations. Thus, two qubits can represent 4 different states and three qubits can represent 8 different states i.e. n qubits can represent an arbitrary superposition of 2n different states simultaneously, whereas a modern transistor based computer can represent any one of this 2n state on any given time. So, theoretically it is possible to work extremely faster using quantum computer, almost at the speed of light. Thus, a quantum computer can work on all the 2n numbers parallel which the present binary system cannot do. Though one may not be able to boost performance while working on word processing or internet browsing, but when one tries to work on cryptography, scientific problems, indexing a huge database, then the real power of a quantum computer can be achieved.

Quantum Dots model

One cannot build a quantum computer using today’s technology, a technology which will enable the existence of qubits in its coherent superposition state. So far no possible model has come out for the quantum computer, but there are various models on which researchers are working on building a quantum computer model. Quantum Dots is one such model where a single electron is trapped inside a cage of atoms. A controlled laser with proper frequency will come and excite the electron and a second burst of laser causes the electron to go to its ground state. The excited state can be defined as 1 and the ground state can be defined as 0 and the controlled laser light work as a NOT gate. If the pulse of laser light is emitted only for half the duration of the NOT function as stated earlier, then the electron will achieve the superposition of both the excited and the ground state and it will achieve the coherent state of the qubits. Using different arrangement of Quantum Dots one can create different logical function and work on them. Quantum dot is one of the main popular models though it has its share of concern. Electron will only achieve the excited state for few microseconds before it goes to the ground state. Constructing the Quantum Dots is very difficult as the size of the Dots is only 1 nanometer. To achieve the superposition and the coherent stage, Quantum Dots need laser of different frequencies and wavelength. This type of technology is difficult to achieve and costly.

Computing liquid

According to a new development and theory, a new building block theory has emerged. As per this model, quantum medium has to be very small and isolated from its surrounding. When a magnetic field is applied to this medium, the electron will start spinning in different directions and this depicts the different state of the qubits. If it starts moving upward, then it will depict 1, and if it will start moving downward, then it will depict 0. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance or NMR can be used to control the spin to get superposition and coherent states of the qubits. In this model, the nucleus of the single molecule works as the qubits and a group or ‘mug’ of the molecules working together. The advantage is that though there is the possibility of crashing with one another but the spin of the nucleus remain unchanged during this process, and thus all the states and coherent superposition will not get affected. Also, the molecules will not go to their ground state so quickly and thus allows researchers to perform a few thousands operations quickly.

Quantum programming

Quantum programming will open a complete new way of programming to the developers. This will help to solve extremely complex problems such as factorizations of large numbers, indexing of large databases very fast. With this application and new way of programming animation industry, gaming industry, image editing industry and 3D applications will get huge benefit as modern day computers are not able to process complex algorithms faster.

Artificial Intelligence

As humans, we have our emotions and own mind to think, feel and make decisions. But machines cannot do that. But, with quantum computing, every piece can be logically given to the humanoid and with the large, complex program, and with extremely faster processing power, the machines can also make different decisions and all this can be achieve with the help of quantum computing. Every physical object from a sand dust to the entire universe is guided by set of rules and principle. We may compare them as Quantum Computers. Considering this phenomena, brain of a human can be considered as a computer and consciousness as the computing power. As per Church-Turing principle, every computer is functionally equivalent and that any given computer can simulate other, therefore, it must be possible to simulate conscious rational thought using qubits as it can exist in different coherent states simultaneously.

Computational complexity theory

Quantum computers are able to solve ‘bounded, error, quantum, polynomial time” problems or BQP with probabilistic approach to get the correct answer. Probability of getting the correct answer is very high as compared to the modern day computer. The time taken to compute is half of the time. This way with BQP, quantum computer can take decisions almost in an instant.

Quantum de-coherence

Qubits are highly controlled but they tend to go the ground state or to a de-coherent state quickly, within nanoseconds to milliseconds. This may create errors while computing large numbers or processing complex data as error rates are directly proportional to ratio of operating time with de-coherence time. This requires gates to operate at a faster rate so that qubits can process before their ground state achieved.

As the quantum computers hold a great potential to resolve the entire complex scientific problem, both the private sector and the government are interested in this technology. Quantum computing is still in its nascent stage but with technical advancement we may see a proper quantum computer within next ten years.

Eight craziest technology concepts

Innovation is one of the key word for technological advancement. Scientists, enthusiasts and like minded people always tries to innovate the existing technology or a device for their betterment or just to test their knowledge with the existing technology. For example, when Steve Jobs introduced the beautiful fonts for his Apple I system back in 1982, it was already with Xerox and Xerox never thought of introducing to the mass market as they were not sure about its popularity or usage. But, Apple showed it to the world and it became a norm for modern computers. This way a lot of today’s technology may be seen as obsolete to everyone as they are OUTRAGEOUS, WEIRD and CRAZIEST out of the existing lot. They may not be a proper fit in today’s world, but may be tomorrow someone get inspired by them and create ground breaking new technology or devices for the future.

This is about such 8 craziest technology concepts that may not worth the real world NOW, but may be tomorrow someone will get inspired from them and innovate completely new gizmos from them.

1. iPhone Steampunk by Karl Vanderbeek

Karl Vanderbeek has designed this crazy iPhone Steampunk model. This design supports 3G with up to 5G connectivity and the touch windows with inboard power plant. Brass, Walnut and leather were used to give this look and it can also take photos at a very impressive resolution. It also supports video call facility with great keyboard and location tracking facility. This was first presented in the iPhone concept contest and already it has got huge positive responses from the users.

2. Ora concept watch by Alexandros Stasinopoulos

You may think this is some sort of measuring tape. But this is actually a watch. Greek designer Alexandros Stasinopoulos designed this most unusual looking watch. He is an award winning designer and famous for product innovation and management. The watch designed in such a way through which the analog time strips will tell the time. The top strip will show the minutes, the second overlapping belt will show the hours, third narrow belt will show the current day of the week. All the strips are pulled through a series of gears to show the exact position of the time and other details. The colors of the strips are vibrant and very youthful.

3. Sling Shot Camera by Sung Young Um & Jung Eun Yim

When have you taken a photograph of some person in their most natural look and form? Most of the time whenever we are taking pictures of our loved one, all of they are conscious about the time and they tries to look great in the pictures. But this is not the real image of the person. If the person is funny in nature how will you capture the same in a photo? To solve this problem, Sung Young Um and Jung Eun Yim designed this crazy camera. The purpose behind this is to free people from their conscious state and let them relax in front of the camera. So whenever you try to take a picture using this sling shot camera, the subject initially thinks what’s going on and surprised in fear. Then in realization of the concept they will give you their most genuine smile. This camera takes picture by the vibration of the elastic band. And then you can transfer the pictures in to your computer with the help of the inbuilt USB port.

4. Switchital Clock by Matthias Pugin

Swiss people are famous for their craftsmanship and their famous clocks and Swiss designer Matthias Pugin is no exception. He was famous for his outrageous designs such as Feltphone, t02 Slide Phone. And now he has come up with Switchital Clock. This is a timepiece with digital letters. The digital letters are consists of small metallic bars which is attached to small magnets under the base. In every minute, the metallic bars rearrange themselves automatically to show the exact time. This is a brilliant innovation using magnets and their bi polar nature.

5. Slice PC Concept

This is one of the most bizarre creations and yet it is so emotional in nature. Each of the small slices is representing the folders in your computer such as My document, Movies, Music, Vacation in Hawaii, etc. So whenever you try to access the information from Vacation in Hawaii folder, you have to select the particular slice and then put it in the Slice Auxiliary Bowl unit to access the particular slice by touching it. All the slices are customizable and can be of different memory size. Also all the slices form a virtual storage space and forms like a ball and the entire information can be access by placing the ball in the Bowl. Also it can be locked by the help of biometric sensor so that no one else apart from the authorized user can access the files. So in a home where there are numerous computer systems, laptops, HD TV, these slices are useful for all these different devices. Father may want to access the information from My Documents folder, while the mother may be working on the pictures taken from Hawaii vacation and the children are ready to watch the animation flick. So all they have to do is to connect the respective slices with the computer/laptop/HD TV and each one can work or have fun at the same time.

6. Toe Mouse by Liu Yi

Designer Liu Yi has developed this Toe Mouse. On the very first look it may seems bizarre and weird, but on learning its purpose it may seems that it is a viable option. This concept mouse was designed by considering all those people whose upper part of the body is disabled and they cannot operate a computer by using the traditional mouse. This inspired by Flip Flop design. Sensors are present at each toe position to do a left click, right click or a double-click actions. The curvy design aims to make the device comfortable to ‘wear’ just like a pair of flip-flop beach sandals. This toe mouse is targeted to the disable person but it may also be helpful for gamers as well those who want some extra maneuverability from the combination of both the mouse in hand and toe.

7. Connection Glass by Priscilla Bernikowicz

One night, designer Priscilla Bernikowicz was in a bar with some friends to have some drink and to have some evening talk. But it was very loud and she was not able to place the order to the bartender nor she was able to communicate with her friends properly as well. Later she came out with the connection glass concept. Connection glass will let the user know about the other people in their vicinity in the bar and users can select others profile to see them. Later he/she can also send them messages using the connection glass. User can also exchange details with someone if he/she find other attractive/interesting by clinking their glass together. This way, people in the bars can talk/communicate with each other while enjoying the loud music.

8. 336 SMS-Controlled Mirror by Robert Stadler

When we go out from home, we leave important instructions or information by using ‘post it’ note or scape pieces of paper. But if Robert Stadler’s SMS controlled mirror become successful, then we may save paper. Whenever an SMS is sent to a user’s mobile, the text message will appear on this mirror as he/she approaches to it and then it will run through the surface of the mirror. Later, after a certain time, it will automatically fade from the mirror.

These are the top craziest product ideas ever have. Though most of them are not worth, these ideas are seeds for other innovative products in the future.

Maximum Pain...

Max Payne is one of the favorite games of mine. I have followed him from his first appearance in video gaming back in 2001. For me, the story of Max was one of a kind in video gaming industry. For me Max is the fallen hero, the last man standing, the guardian angel, the last hope.

I was waiting for Max Payne 3 eagerly for last few months. Max Payne 2 was released in 2002. After that, there was no news for Max Payne 3. So when I first heard of Max Payne 3, I was very excited.

But what have they done with you Max? I do admit, 10 years is a long time, a lot of things have changed. But in the mean time, you have lost control.

Maximum Paine….or Max Payne has a great, dark, gritty, film noir story line. It has bullet time famous by The Matrix. But in its current form, Max is nothing but a ‘gun for hire’.
Max lost his wife and a new born child in Max Payne 1. He started to investigate and took his revenge using the painkiller and the famous bullet time. In Max Payne 2, he found his love in Mona Sax but lost her in the end. In Max Payne 3, he watched at live porn, some strip dance, too much blood and head shot and finally he took a vacation.

In Max Payne 3, developers from Rockstar games were trying to satisfy their carnal desire on screen. There are too many characters, too many small stories, too much killing without the soul in place. They had created a full action game without any proper storyline or without the emotional turbulence that Max Payne series is famous for.

This is an injustice to all of us who loved Max so much.But that’s life. Life goes on and there are memories to cherish on. We can expect the same thing over and over, but people changes with time. So Max has evolved in Max Payne 3.

Whether this change is for good or bad, only time will tell. But for me, Max Payne 3 is a disaster.

Binary Domain – Report Card

Shoot > take cover> shoot> run> help team mate> shoot> reload> collect medkit> take cover> shoot…this is what Binary Domain is all about – a fun addictive third person shooter. You are Dan, a special agent from US. You came in Japan with BO to investigate Amada Corporation.

Amada Corporation is the biggest corporation who runs a lot of research in robotics, advance AI and hollow children. Hollow Childs are robots with advanced AI, so that they have all the natural instinct of a normal human being. Also they are similar in traits, in looks, color and speech. So it is very hard to identify hollow children. But according to Geneva Convention, it is illegal. So DAN & BO came in Japan to investigate this. And here the game starts.

Binary Domain is a game full with action. You cannot take rest or feel safe. Dan hates robots or SCRAPHEADS. He just hates them. So Dan teamed up with British soldiers, Chinese experts, and French team and formed the Rust Crew. All of them bonded together to destroy Amada Corporation and to get enough evidence to scrap the Hollow Children project. During the game, you will earn experiences and money to buy better weapons and upgraed your and your teammates skills. This is all about the game.

For me, the game was better than average. It is a good shooter. But it does not have any replaybility. World is linear, it is going from one point to another, while fighting enormous bosses. Bosses are easy to fight with and they are enjoyable especially when you have to shoot at the boss and at the same time, save other members to gain their trust.

The game has SpeechFX engine through which you can give voice command to your teammates. This is a great addition, though it has its limitation – it has very few set of commands. You can also choose keyboard and mouse options to use those commands. It is a fun way to interact with other virtual teammates.

The game is not very graphics heavy and does not offer all the realistic gameplay. But the gameplay is smooth and fast paced. Especially when you shoot at the robots and their different body parts destroys, it gives immense satisfaction. The PC system requirement is given below:

Minimum:
OS: Microsoft Windows 7/Vista/XP
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.66 GHz or AMD equivalent
Memory: 2GB RAM (XP)/3GB RAM (Windows 7 / Vista)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT220 (512MB) / ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT (512MB)
Hard Drive: 8 GB free hard drive space

Recommended:
OS: Microsoft Windows 7
Processor: Intel Core i5 @ 2.66 GHz or AMD equivalent
Memory: 3GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 (1GB) / ATI Radeon HD 5750 (1GB)
Hard Drive: 8 GB free hard drive space.

Those who are familiar with the famous Gears Of War, they can feel at home with similar kind of gameplay. But the learning curve is also very good for new-comers as well.

With solid gameplay, fast paced action, SpeechFX functionality and great boss fights, I can give this game A or 6.5/10.

Facts:
Developer(s) Sega (PS3/X360)
Devil’s Details: (PC)[1]
Publisher(s): Sega
Director(s): Toshihiro Nagoshi, Daisuke Sato
Producer(s): Masayoshi Kikuchi, Jun Yoshino
Designer(s): Hiroyuki Sakamoto
Composer(s): Mitsuharu Fukuyama
Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows

Release date(s):
PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360: JP February 16, 2012 ; AU February 23, 2012; EU February 24, 2012; NA February 28, 2012
Microsoft Windows: April 27, 2012

This is the first game I have completed in 2013 and it took 8 hours to complete. Now I have started DMC and will post the review later.
And do not forget to watch the final cut-scene after the credits…

My new digital home

It's nice to see that this blog still attracts visitors. I have a new haunt online, which is why this blog hasn't been seeing many updates lately. Check it out at http://rubikazariah.com/

Hope to see you there!

Succumbing to Social White Noise

The writings on the wall but you rarely see it. Such is the scenario these days, what I called social white noise. Somewhere along the line Facebook turned from something fun into a marketing tool. No big mystery that. A tool that epitomises what is known as Permission Marketing (Seth Godin) where you wilfully receive a company’s marketing spiel.

Seems nice, seems something like we all know. Customer engagement and all that jazz. But after a while you realise that you have got more than one such brand on your friend list. Your wall has been half taken over by marketing messages that cover product launches, to news you could use. With so much information pouring in, you tend to skip most as you scroll and scour through the wall.

The question for a person who sits in the shoes of the marketer (like me), is where does the tipping point lie? Too few posts on the social wall and you are likely to be lost in the swamp of social marketing. Too much and you are overlooked anyway. A quick look at some fashion brand’s Facebook pages has revealed a frequency of around two to three posts a day. Third time’s the chance like they say.

It should be noted that the quality of user interaction these posts generates are usually minimal. This is not a place for debates. Forums are for the serious stuff, facebook for the frivolous. However the existing level of interaction assures marketers that some of the millions of fans at least sit up and take notice. For the rest a majority of the communication is just social white noise, like the general background noise found at concerts, nightclubs, restaurants and other events where groups of people gather. In other words even social media marketing is fast filling with clutter like the rest of the media. The difference lies in the user’s ability to tune out altogether.

Sleeker solutions

Some of the greatest achievements in technology are taken for granted and overlooked. I look around every now and then I marvel at how small and thin things are getting these days. Question in point the USB power adapter. Some time back I picked up a USB power adapter that I could use for my iPhone. This is not the official sleek adapter that comes with the iPhone but a local adapter which could be used in local power sockets (because I picked up my iPhone in Hong Kong and it comes with a flat pin adapter). Recently I bought a Kindle which came with its own power adapter. Comparison of the three USB power adapters shows how things have definitely progressed over the years. Things are getting smaller, slimmer and much sleeker. Kudos to a product developer somewhere out there. Another unsung hero.

This made me start to think. It must be years since the plug was invented. Yet the world over we still seem to have so many different types of plugs. True we now have universal power adapters (ideal for globe trotters) that bridges the gap. Did you know that the patent for the first grounded plug goes way back to 1915, and was filed by George P Knapp. Today there are around 11 different types of plugs in existence. One would think that after having become so technologically advanced we couldn’t have settled on one standard for the basic plug by now. Another interesting fact I chanced upon was that when electricity was new people used to connect appliances to light bulb sockets because the electricity charged for light sockets was cheaper!

A Kindle of hope. My first e-book reader.

It’s been a busy few months since I posted something here. After a lot of deliberation I finally succumbed to temptation and invested in an e-book reader. I first thought of purchasing one when I came across a touch screen e-book reader on my trip to Hong Kong.The device I purchased recently however was the Amazon Kindle DX. Bought from the Computer Bookshop on DN Road near VT, it took about two weeks to reach from the US. As with most gadgets I deliberated quite a bit trying to decide between the iPad and the Kindle. While the former serves many purposes and comes with a nice colour screen, the Kindle was half its price something that my wallet could afford. Also the iPad is in its first iteration and the Kindle is in its third, which tips the balance.

Touch screens have truly taken over. Something I realised when the first thing a few colleagues of mine tried to do when they saw the Kindle was to touch and operate it. I recollect that the device I saw in Hong Kong was in fact a touch sensitive e-book reader which used a stylus. The 9.7 inch Kindle screen lives up its promise of being a no strain reading experience. The clarity of the text is nice and crisp and if you are reading a Kindle book (not a PDF) you can increase text size to a nice and comfortable reading size. The fact that you can orient the Kindle in landscape and portrait helps in reading PDF’s. True you can zoom and pan but that gets tiresome for me.

What is impressive about the Kindle apart from the number of books you can cram into it is the free Whispernet GPRS service it offers. I haven’t really taken the browser out for a spin yet. My one try was to log onto to Facebook which made the site think it was some kind of suspicious activity. Still as an Indian who has an affinity to ‘free’ things, free internet does seem alluring. Not quite sure how long the service will last though.


The one design flaw that I did find with the Kindle DX was the way in which you had to switch it off. One slider button has been given three functions. Depending on how long you hold the slider you either put the Kindle DX to sleep, power it off, or reset the entire software. This can be quite a pain for the new user as that sweet spot of duration to hold the slider to power the Kindle off can be quite elusive. I seem to have reset my Kindle software quite a few times already in the process of trying to switch it off. I am thankfully getting the knack of it now. I would also have liked the Kindle to detect my folder structure of files. Instead I have to add books to collections to segregate them. One hopes they figure something else out for this in future models.

Tech thrills - when technology works wonders.

We often say that technology is more a pain than it is worth, but yesterday I was pleasantly surprised, when it does work how it all comes together so well. I landed in Bangalore to attend my cousins wedding reception. I’ve never stepped foot in this city before. Yet when it came to finding the hotel where my relatives were holed up in, and my taxi driver was clueless, I managed to direct with aplomb and a little thing from apple – my trusty iPhone.

As we are speaking about iPhones, I have been trying out the new iOS4 which definitely has given some much needed features to the phone. The most used being the multi task, task bar and the inbuilt dictionary. But back to the point in hand. What is impressive is that even BTRAC bus stops are accurately marked on Google Maps. Things like a small church by the wayside were all marked on Google Maps. We have definitely come a long way since the initial days of cartography.

We have come to take Google Maps, like almost everything else from Google for granted but if we were to sit down and try to understand how the big picture, I am sure like everything else in life, it is highly complex. I mean, I could stand anywhere on the planet and get information in the palm of my hand accurate to a few feet. It is a safety line for a person who is infamous for having a bad sense of direction. What would be our life be like without Google in it. That’s a scary thought. The net would truly be a different place. Ironically it seems just yesterday that I sat in a certain cabin in the Motorola office and explored the internet for the first time, with my sister dolefully keeping me company as I was introduced to Yahoo on a Netscape browser. Yet today the net and my life has taken such leaps and bounds that those days could be another lifetime.

Before setting out on the trip my dad was contemplating taking his netbook, but mum convinced him otherwise. What is surprising is that when we landed at the SBI guest house we were surprised to find that it came fully equipped with an internet connection and nice LCD tv. The tech thrills of today. What more can a guy ask for. The computer was definitely something unexpected. I mean you don’t find a full fledged PC in most 3-star hotels, you are expected to carry your laptop to a 5-Star hotel. Truly, we are truly slaves to technology but I enjoy every minute of it.

One wonders if technology is making us try to make the best of every minute. Have we stopped just relaxing and taking it easy. Enjoying the ride for what it is and not worrying about getting to the destination. The joke is that though we seem so time poor, even by using these devices I don’t feel time rich. I guess its all about us at the end of the day. You know what they say about the grass after all.

Promoting products with augmented reality.

The last time I talked about Augmented reality I spoke about how information could be superimposed on real world places. So you could see a virtual sign post that gave you directions to the nearest metro in Paris or so on. I recently came across how marketers are using augmented reality to allow users to virtually touch and feel products right from the convenience of their desktop. Though it definitely is a gimmick, it is fun nonetheless.

Still I am sure it cannot replace actually going to a store and handling a product.  The example that I came across was for the Olympus Pen camera and I also came across something for Mini Cooper. How it works is you get a marker that is downloadable or available as promotional material. You hold it up to your webcam and presto, instead of a marker you see a virtual 3 D model, which you can interact with. Size doesn’t matter which is evident with the Mini Cooper which provides you a scale model of the car to have a close look at.

iShock

The first shocking thing about this post is how long it has taken for me to put it up.  I am shocked with myself ! It’s been lying half written for such a long time in my In-box. It began when I came across two shocking things in the paper recently both concerning Apple. The first one that I saw was that the iPad seems to be screwing up WiIFi networks. What was really interesting was that not only were some American universities like Princeton and George Washington University banning the thing, an entire country – Israel had done the same because it meddles with local WiFi. Israel is not letting tourists visiting the country carry an iPad. An interesting fact if you think that Israel portrayed the impression of being a high-tech country. So if you landed in Israel you found yourself forking out a hefty sum if you have to store your iPad for more than 48 hours. What was more hilarious was that as an alternative, Israeli customs allowed tourists to sell their iPad to people travelling abroad and had to produce their plane ticket as proof. 

Then there was that ruckus about how an Apple employee lost a next generation iPhone which was found and sold to Gizmodo which promptly tried to bisect it and put it up on its website for the world to see. Head over there if you want to have a look at where the iPhone is heading.  

More recently I came across an article that stated that Steam was finally released for the Apple. This is a harbinger that gaming is finally finding its way to the puritanical Mac. Which is not too bad a thing if you think of the renowned crystal clear clarity of the Apple displays?

Tech thoughts from Goa Fest

Last weekend was Goa Fest, the gathering of all advertising professionals across India. Once again we walked away with an award, this being the second award ceremony R K SWAMY Interactive is attending this year. Winning bronze in the interactive category where there were no gold and only three silvers indeed was a feat in itself. But what was more interesting was the underlying tech theme of the entire fest.

The internet has changed the media landscape and there is no doubt in it. Yet while I sat and listened to the masters of the field from abroad I couldn’t help but realise that when it comes to communicating on the internet, we Indians are in the prehistoric ages still. There is a long way for us to go to catch up with the West where the web was born. What’s wrong is that we still continue to use the web like we do any offline medium. We use it to push brand’s communication. Why, probably because the client can’t get his head around what should be done online after having been primarily in the print space, or perhaps because the new age interactive agency is still the new kid on the block of the tried and tested print and OOH agency. The result, online campaigns that fail the ‘talkability’ test. They very often fail to become viral.

But all hope is not lost. There are indicators that this is changing. We are slowly coming out of the woods. The Facebook 20-20 Cricket game that is seeing Indians spend an average of Rs. 800 online to buy players is an example of not only brand connect and talkability but also the importance this medium is gaining. 

The Greatest Story Ever Told – The Generation Gap

Now I am not referring to the Biblical movie by any chance. I am rather referring to the art of storytelling. Around a week back or so I finished Mass Effect 2. I was so massively impressed that I played the last level twice.  That’s a first for me. I also watched Clash of the Titans, in the cinema hall. However if I were to compare both experiences, the PC game was much more riveting and much more engrossing. Why? Because you are right in it, your every action affects how the story is told. This makes the story being told a more meaningful experience to the one who is watching it.

Is this a generation gap? Am I part of the next generation that finds gaming more meaningful than movies?  Today’s generations are now defined by technology they use and not age alone. So the SMS generation is different from the e-mail generation and the social networking generation. This becomes very evident by people you talk to who use these technologies.  Each uses their own jargon.  This new definition is even finding its way into the popular press. I noticed it in a newspaper article the other day. Something to ponder about.

Tech Thoughts

I have just started reading Nicholas Carr’s book, The Big Switch. The author points out an interesting fact that technology and economics go hand in hand. With economies of scale the cost of a certain technology is cheaper.

I noticed today that the reverse is also true. Technology that is now considered to be antiquated is now more costly than ever before. How do I know? I came across a new LP record selling for almost Rs. 2000 (that’s almost 44 USD). A music CD these days is sold at around Rs. 300 to Rs 400. Better tech at what seems to be a parsley sum me thinks.

So how does this relate to Moore’s law? The law for those of you who have never heard of it states that the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years. Basically every two years you see a quantum leap in computing power. So by Moore’s law more and more gadgets are becoming obsolete faster and by the corollary I’ve derived from Nicholas Carr’s book, this gets more and more expensive as the days go by.

Maybe these are the twisted forces at work that ensure you always upgrade. A system that forces mankind to adopt new technology ensuring that obsolete technology is junked and we take bold steps forward into the future.

Taking Chat Roulette out for a spin!

I recently wrote an article about how social are we on social networks. A few days later I came across an article in the local newspaper about a site called chat roulette. Intrigued I decided to check it out. The site takes a new spin to the age-old chat room. Instead of connecting to a room of people, you spend your time randomly connecting to one person or other. If you like what you see, start chatting. These chat sessions are completely anonymous and meaningless! It is like running into someone at a local coffee shop. A fleeting glance and you are gone.

 A little reading around on the internet and I was amazed to realise that this site is supposedly the invention of a 17 year old. If so, you have to hand it to him for originality to say the least. Think of chat roulette as the internet’s answer to speed dating. Combine that with the speed of the internet means that your average speed date is going to last a mere seconds.

If anyone ever had, any doubt that we live in a shallow world that judges everything by appearances this site is definitely proof! As an advertising professional, the age-old truth bares its ugly head here. It is all in the packaging! The site uses Flash’s ability to capture streaming video from your webcam.  Though minimalistic in design, the site does what it is designed for.  Yet the site is definitely in demand with it being barely able to cope with the load.

Is it a way to meet new people and network online? Only if you believe in serendipity and the odds of that happening are quite rare! Chances are you will just get a cultural snapshot of the thousands of weird people that habit the internet. However, I did run into a student studying avionics with the US Air force and managed a decent tete a tete with him. The other person who seemed interesting got disconnected due to a bad connection. This does seem to be a problem with the site, or probably a testament to its popularity. The site can be quite slow at times. The same person mentioned Omegle to me. I didn’t quite get it at the time. The next day I was curious about how unique this concept was. I came across a few interesting articles and mention of Omegle, which is chat roulette without the webcam. The articles included one about why Chat roulette was worth a try and even an insightful one by the associated press.

What chat roulette does do though is make some of us become innovative with a webcam. I have seen people in V for Vendetta masks, fish tanks and a person who was keeping score to see if anyone would turn their head to see the message he had scribbled on a pad. There was even one camera focused on the person’s computer screen. Something like looking into a mirror. My creative contribution was to prop my Optimus Prime next to the web cam and have him point at the camera. It did get one or two favourable replies :D

How social are we?

Pick up a newspaper and you can’t fail to read an article about social networking somewhere in the paper. I just saw three articles, (one of which my mum pointed out in fact) that are all related to social networking. The one, which my mother pointed out to me, is related to the field that I am in- Advertising online. In the article, one of my agency’s top honchos Srinivasan Swamy, is quoted about the Indian youth’s online and social networking habits. He says the average Indian youth spends some sixty percent of their time online, via the internet or their mobile phone. This translates into 25,800 minutes a month. Which is why, marketers are now furiously factoring social media into their marketing strategy.

Right next to this article was another important article that should not be overlooked. The article covered how the rise of PC sales is increasing overall. True during one quarter there wasn’t very rosy for computer manufacturers, but the bigger picture tells us that India is growing more and more computer savvy by the minute.

The final straw which prompted this post was an article that I saw in today’s newspaper. It talks about how Catholic priests Father Nigel Barrett and Father Warner D' Souza from Mumbai are getting online to talk to their parishioners and the youth. Their strategy is to take the message where their audiences is. A laudable move, when you think that a lot of churches in South Mumbai are quite empty, and if they are full the number of youth and young adults present do seem to be dwindling The past year has seen everyone jump on the internet bandwagon, from wannabe India politicians who tried to ape Barack Obama’s successful online political strategy to the current generation of net savvy priests. What’s next I wonder.

This entire social networking craze brings me to the point at moot. Everyone knows that man is a social animal. I forget who said that first. We spend so much time on social networking sites, but how social are we? How many of us really meet new people online using such sites?

On one side of the scale is the user whose so-called friends list is just a list of people they’ve run into during their life and are way too impolite to refuse a friend request in the virtual world. On the other hand are those people who seem to add every Tom, Dick and Harriet, just to see the total number of friends in their list growing.

Most people are likely to talk to less than 10% of the people on their list. Honestly, ask yourself this. How many new friends have you made using a social networking site, whom you have been in touch with for over a year at least. Truth is not many I am sure. In addition, if you have, you might be one of the madding crowd who has chucked that friendship after a while because let’s face it, everyone is so busy that even online friends don’t meet. Online social networking is all about instant gratification to connect with someone when you have nobody at hand. And for that it works well, in a generation that is tethered to the mobile phone.

An Apple a day

I am still discovering the joys of my new iPhone and the new ipad has already created quite a ruckuss. To me it's a bit like something out of Star Trek or some other science fiction movie.

What interests me is it's potential to be the first fully coloured e-book reader. This means reading photograpy magazines will be possible to say the least. The question though is whether we will be able to read our own PDFs or will be forced to get it from an apple store, a store that will not have books outside the US market. You do have to hand it to Apple for aceing the design.

On one hand some might argue that it's nothing but a larger albeit stripped down verion of an iPhone a closer look tells us that the added screenspace has resulted in additional functionalities. And if the iPhone is anything to judge by, the iPad is going to be easy to use. Make no mistake this is a device that seeks to exist in that space between your PC/laptop And your digital photo frame. What would have really made it nice would have been the inclusion of an optical drive and a USB port. That said it is definitley on my consideration list.

The media though has been having a field day with it, I especially liked the economist cover stating a prophetic book of Jobs. Another is this viral video that is doing the rounds. What Hitler thinks of the iPad, hilarious yet addreses the grievances of most of the crowd.

For now I am keeping an eye on the other products from the stable of Apple :D

The Hong Kong Hangover

The first blog post of the New Year. I've been busy. I just recently got back from a trip to Hong Kong, and am getting over the jet lag and the technology hangover. HK is a city that thrives on technology. Whether it is the superfast and smooth airport express, or the numerous escalators and lifts that the people of hong kong live with, there's something that makes you feel awed by how technology dependent the city is. Not that they have a choice. The kind of distances one has to travel and the numerous levels of public transportation all mean that walking would literally be a pain in the leg. That said I once did decide to walk and not take one of those flat escalators and it did take me quite a while.

So what did I do in this gadget mecca, you ask? Well, I hunted for that gadget which is considered to be one of the most sought after items in the tech world, the iPhone 3 gs. Now just before I left I did find this phone selling here in India, albeit in the grey market. So why buy it in HK when I could get it at a better price here ( I lost a bit on the rupee to HK dollar conversion by using a card and not paying cash.) you ask? Well for one HK is one of those few places where you can pick up an officially unlocked phone , allowing me to use it with whatever carrier I choose. 

I was surprised that even there this was not an easy phone to lay my hands on. I had done some research as to where I might pick one up, but when the day dawned it was a bit of luck actually getting one. Though the official apple reseller DG Life didn't have one I did manage to find another shop at the Windsor house mall ( a computer mall on the 11th floor!).



For a guy who is upgrading from a Nokia 6 series phone that is almost 4 years old, this is quite a jump. I am now tethered to the net on mobile more often. The keyboard is quite amazing, being able to figure out what I type even though the keys look a bit cramped. The fact that this entire post is written on my iPhone is a testament to the ease. I have also discovered the joys of free wifi hotspots, Google maps and am developing an apptitude, pun intended.

I am always one who enjoys  tinkering and have already read a lot on jailbreaking. So lo and behold I jailbroke my phone using blackrain, only to revert it back to factory settings soon after.  Such things are not meant for the faint of heart. For now I am content with all the freebies itunes store has to offer and the fond memories of Hong Kong, more on both later!

When your life is fundamentally facebook

It is now time to face the facts. Who you are on facebook defines you. Why do I say this? There was an article in the newspaper the other day which talked about a young boy who tragically died in a motoring accident on the Worli sea link. One of our newspapers ran the story and tried to include a little background about the boy. What ensued was an abc of the boy’s life on Facebook. The number of friends he had and what they were saying on his page. It is interesting how the world at large outside his family and friends will now only him because of his Facebook page, more than anything else. In a sense this is cyber age immortality, on the other hand, an indicator that maybe some of us spend a lot of our lives on Facebook!

Its sounds like a subtitle

I just saw a news blurb on BBC that announced that YouTube would shortly be introducing subtitles for its videos. It made me start to think, subtitles are such addictive things. Even though we watch English DVDs we often turn the subtitles on. This may seem odd considering the strides that we have taken in the field of audio development.

This is the age of surround sound, and THX yet we revert back to something that probably has its origins in the first black and white movies that didn’t have sound but used cue screens with text inserted between the video to convey a message.

This is a case of technology reducing the use of a sense instead of augmenting it. We no longer bother to listen properly but just read the subtitles. True they are definitely an aid if you can’t understand the accent of the actors or if the sound effects seem to drown out the audio. At the end, YouTube’s invention is likely to be a great hit for the Karoke crowd who can now sing along to their favourite music video.