Wednesday 31 December 2014

Speedy resolution at your fingertips


Its the time of new year! That time of the year when we try to dicover a new part of ourselves- a new us! We try to see and analyse what we were doing wrong and old fashioned and constantly strive to better ourselves! The new Micromax Canvas Tab P666 signifies exactly that- it helps to discover a new you!

For days I had been looking for a smart tab which fulfilled some basic needs of mine in day-to-day life. One which helped me enjoy my favorite games with minimum discomfort. My current smartphone is just about okay with running games on its android platform. It also doesn't give me that feel of superb graphics and speed. Luckily finally I have found this wonder tablet Micromax Canvas Tab P666 with Intel inside (Trademark) , which is fully loaded with 1.2 Ghz intel atom processor and 1 GB RAM, an unheard- of features in any of its contemporaries in the competitive market. Plus additional features like Hyper threading technology and burst performance technology only act as icing on the cake.

One more requirement of mine was that me and my family are very fond of watching movies. We do not miss any single big releases of the year. But unfortunately for us, we have to shell out huge money every fortnight to catch the movie in the theatre as watching the movie on the smartphone with just about 5-inches screen doesn't give much of a home theatre feel. With this new wonder tab, watching movies has become lot more fun with its 20.32 CM (8) WXGA IPS display. Also an amazing technology that Intel has brought to the tab is the Graphics media accelerator. Now you can enjoy the favorite scenes at your own pace in the amazing clarity of 800 * 1280 pixel screen resolution.

The problem with most good tablets these days is that while they have the decent basic features- like processor speed, display size etc. they highly lack when it comes to their look. That is primarily why most people feel shy to get their tablets out of home for on-the go use. However, Micromax, being the trend-setter it is, has led again by example by introduing sleek design and smooth glass finish for a great look. So now I can freely show-off my latest amazing gadget to my friends and obtain devilish delight by seeing the jealous expressions on their faces.

One additional department in which Micromax Canvas Tab P666 scores over its counterparts is the camera quality. Having used the tab myself, I can safely vouch for the fact that the camera quality is just amazing, and it clicks pictures with amazing clarity and sharpness. Thus, I can safely say that I have found an ideal pertner who would last with me and entertain me all through the new year 2015 in the form of this amzing tablet from Micromax, that too at an affordable price. Can't thank Micromax enough for such a wonderful new year bonanza for its hardcore fans like me!

To watch the demo video of Micromax Canvas Tab P666, please click below:

Saturday 27 December 2014

Facing the truth


“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”- Buddha.

What great lines from one of the greatest messenger of peace throughout the world. Truth is indeed a great virtue. It requires courage and a large heart to be honest and own up to our deeds, regardless of the consequences. I was fortunate enough to graduate from one of the better universities of the country (Mumbai University) and one of the best colleges for commerce in Mumbai (HR College).This happened when I was in my second year of degree college (in the 3 year B.Com degree course). I was one of the most active students from our batch in college, and needless to say, had become quite popular as well as I had made a lot of friends in many different so-called “clubs” of my college. Naturally, I had good hold or reach as you can say, in my college and thus, I was in direct communication terms with my vice-principal. I had also bribed the college peon for attendance purposes and thus never had to face any attendance problems as all my attendances were marked by the college peon firsthand.

It so happened that one fine afternoon the principal of the college, Mrs. Indu Shahani happened to be on the rounds, and found something amiss with the attendance sheet of my class (since she knew me by my name and knew fully well that I was not a regular student). She was unfortunately in a bad mood that day and immediately called for the attendance registers for the other lectures of the day as well, and to her surprise, found that I was marked present despite not coming to college that day. She immediately rose to action and called the peon on that floor (who had marked my attendance) and scolded him for doing so. She, in fact threatened that she would remove him from the job. The next day, I saw a sad look on the face of the ever smiling peon’s face, and happened to ask him the reason for it, to which he told me the whole story, that he was at the risk of losing his job and because of such reason of removal, no one would be willing to hire him and he would lose his means of livelihood and his wife and children would have to stay hungry. Immediately, I walked up to my principal Indu Shahani’s cabin and requested her secretary to let me in, to which she kindly obliged. I confessed to Indu ma'am the whole story and apologized for my mistake to her. She got angry at me and scolded me for resorting to such a mioschief, but appreciated me for owning up to my mistake. Not only that, she also told me that since I had owned up to my mistake and was committing not to repeat the same in future, she would let go her decision to remove the peon from the job at my request. Overjoyed, I left her cabin and communicated the news to the peon. This brought a big smile on the poor fellow’s face and he thanked me for my kindness. Definitely I scored lesser marks in the forthcoming semester due to lack of attendance, but I was happier, knowing fully well that these are marks rightly deserved by me and not due to any cheating.

Such great deeds of honesty make the world a better place to live in. Like the following video of Kinley Mineral water, which will inspire you to always speak the truth in all situations.



Thus life is meant to be pure and truthful, like every drop of Kinley Mineral Water.

Monday 22 December 2014

Is Pre- Marital Sex really bad?




Raj and Priya were one happy college couple. Graduating from one of Mumbai’s top colleges and pursuing Masters of Business Administarion degrees, both were the “it” couple of the college. Frequent Instagram updates about their relationship, posting love messages for each other on facebook, whatsapp statuses etc., their life was simply incomplete without each other and they wanted the whole world to know about this. Until, one fine day, Raj asked Priya out ona movie date. Afterall, it had been almost 6 months of roaming together. The movie was Nasha, and though Priya wanted to really watch the movie, Raj had no real interest in the movie but his motive was something else. During one of the intimate scenes, Raj, was holding Priya’s hand. He had a strong desire to kiss his so-called “Girl- friend”.

Raj came forward and brought his lips closer to Priya’s. Priya closed her eyes. The moment was still. Raj’s lips were an inch away from Priya and then wham! A hard slap on Raj’s face by Priya and she asks him “what the hell are you trying to do with me?”. Raj was shcocked and aghast at the same moment. “Isn’t it what you wanted as well?” Raj groaned. “What do you mean?” Priya was looking surprised. “I mean, aren’t we a couple?” Raj asked. “Umm Yes probably, but I’m not ready for this.” Priya’s reply got Raj angry. They hardly spoke for the rest of the movie and even the rest of the evening and their so-called date was a total flop.

Raj’s story is not new. Don’t we know of atleast a couple of other Raj’s. Of course the word “SEX” can have various connotations in each couple’s life. It canbe perfectly alright for a couple in love or in live-in relationship to have pre- marital sex if both of the partners are willing. But, if one is not, is it still alright? And generally, it is the girl who is uncomfortable with the idea of pre-marital sex in our country.

It is not the girl’s fault alone. The guys are pretty clear about what they want as a bride: a well-educated, “presentable” girl from a good family. They also have one unspoken prerequisite — the girl must be a virgin. It is immaterial that the guy is not one himself. Call it double standards, the cost of straddling a la-la land between tradition or modernity or just plain old hypocrisy, the fact is that the youth of urban India hardly practise what they preach. According to the HT-MaRS Youth Survey, an unprecedented 61% believe that premarital sex is no longer a taboo. Only, when it comes to marriage, 63% want their partners to be virgins. Statistics that will baffle.

Delhi-based psychiatrist Dr Sanjay Chugh explains, "While women are far more empowered today and ready to embrace their sexuality, the male mindset has hardly changed. The trope of the virginal bride still holds. Pre-marital sex and casual relationships have been de-stigmatised in the youths' minds but they are afraid of being found out. The guilt is not about the act itself, but the fear of being discovered."



Lust in translation

The number of youngsters who accept that they are in relationship also varies with the affluence of the city they come from : While their numbers are higher in cosmopolitan Delhi (67%), Mumbai (63%), Kolkata (67%) or Chandigarh (67%), a traditional Jaipur (28%), Indore (32%) and Chennai (35%) seems to have a stymieing effect. The national average is 49%.



And these are not they-lived-happily-ever-after relationships either. Only 24% of these 49% accept that they are "very much" in love with their boyfriend/girlfriend.

While Chandigarh youth top the chart when it comes to cheating (45%), Delhi is not far behind at 41%. Pune, where only 44% respondents accepted they were in a relationship, is at the bottom of the pile in terms of cheating on their significant other (25%). Cheat sheet: Men have cheated more than women.

Says Mumbai-based sexologist Deepak Jumani, "Earlier, marriage was about finding the best mate in terms of financial security and social strata. Those rules are not applicable any more. Both men and women want to experiment and find compatibility in every sense — emotional, physical and sexual. Embarking on a relationship does not mean youngsters have marriage on their mind. Whether it is a one-night stand, a casual relationship or a live-in, commitment does not have to be on the agenda."



Marriage

However, the dos and don'ts are far more hard-bound when it comes to the institution of marriage. Divorce is still not an option for 53% of youngsters and neither is casual sex while married. Only 11% feel it can be forgiven and 25% believe if a man strays, he should let his wife do that too. Out of this figure, 13% are male and 36% women.

Delhi-based fine arts student Avneesh Murgai says, "Every relationship is different and you cannot say why people make the choices they make in a relationship. Having said that, marriage is commitment and the alpha male mindset where you can get away with anything is just not acceptable. We are westernised enough to indulge in a casual sexual encounter but still caught in the patriarchal time warp where we cannot entertain the idea of our wife/girlfriend ever being touched by another man."

There were some positive takeaways from the survey too. The number of youngsters who believe homosexuality is an acceptable sexual preference stands at 43%, up from 37% last year.

"Your sexuality is your personal choice. Nobody should be allowed to dictate whom you should love and why. Law and society needs to be changed to accommodate a very large percentage of people who are forced to live in the closet," says Yukti Arora, an 18-year-old Delhi University student.



My Take

So, while premarital sex is itself not a sin, it is an extremely important decision in one’s life, as non- conversion of love into marriage can cause serious psychological damage to the person dealing with break-up , and more so, specially for girls. So, I think it is quite justified in looking for a security in a guy before taking such a big leap in their relation.


Saturday 20 December 2014

Mel ‘bourne’ – A global destination




The word “bourne” means “a limit or boundary”. Indeed Melbourne is the limit for a tourist who wants to enjoy the most serence places in the world- from thrilling world class events and renowned architecture, to cafĂ©-lined streetscapes and verdant parklands, there’s always something new and exciting to discover in Melbourne.



Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The name "Melbourne" refers to an “urban agglomeration area” (and census statistical division) spanning 9,900 square kms.(3,800 square miles) that comprises the greater metropolis – as well as being a common name for its metropolitan hub, the Melbourne City Centre. It is a leading financial center in Australia, as well as the Asia-Pacific region, and has been ranked the world's most livable city (no mean feat!) since 2011 (and among the top three since 2002), according the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). In 2013 the EIU also ranked Melbourne the fourth most expensive city in the world, tying with Oslo, Norway. Melbourne is rated highly in the areas of education, entertainment, healthcare, research and development, tourism and sports.



Melbourne is located on the large natural bay of Port Phillip, with its City Centre situated at the northernmost point of the bay – near to the estuary of the Yarra River. The metropolitan area extends south from the City Centre, along the eastern and western shorelines of Port Phillip, and expands into the hinterlands – toward the Dandenong and Macedon mountain ranges, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. The City Centre is located in the municipality known as the City of Melbourne, and the metropolis consists of a further 30 municipalities. Melbourne has a population of 4.35 million. Inhabitants of the city are called Melburnians.

Founded on 30 August 1835 (in what was then the Colony of New South Wales), by settlers from Launceston in Van Diemen's Land, it was incorporated as a Crown settlement in 1837. It was named "Melbourne" by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Richard Bourke, in honour of the British Prime Minister of the day, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. It was declared a city by Queen Victoria in 1847, before becoming the capital city of the newly created Colony of Victoria in 1851. During the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, it was transformed into one of the world's largest and wealthiest cities. After the federation of Australia in 1901, Melbourne served as the interim seat of government for the newly created nation of Australia until 1927.

So, if you are a tourist who wants to have a first-hand information of what's in store for you in the amazing place called Melbourne, here's a sneak peek through their tourism website:


An international centre for performing and visual arts, Melbourne is often referred to as Australia's cultural capital. It is the birthplace of Australian dance styles; the Melbourne Shuffle and New Vogue, the Australian film industry (including the world's first feature film! ), Australian impressionist art (known as the Heidelberg School), Australian rules football, and the Australian television industry. In more recent years, it has been recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature and a major centre for street art. It is home to many of Australia's largest and oldest cultural institutions such as the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Museum, Melbourne Zoo, the National Gallery of Victoria and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building.

The main passenger airport serving the metropolis and the state is Melbourne Airport, which is the second busiest in Australia, and the Port of Melbourne is Australia's busiest seaport for containerized and general cargo. Melbourne has an extensive transport network. The main metropolitan train terminus is Flinders Street Station, and the main regional train and coach terminus is Southern Cross Station. Melbourne has the world's largest tram network.



Stylish, arty Melbourne is a city that’s both dynamic and cosmopolitan, and proud of its place as Australia’s cultural capital. Its stately Gold Rush–era architecture and a multicultural make-up reflect the city’s recent history, while edgy street art, top museums and sticky-carpeted band venues point to its present-day personality.



Melbourne is best experienced as a local would, with its character largely reliant upon its collection of inner-city neighbourhoods. Despite a long-standing north–south divide (flashy St Kilda versus hipster Fitzroy), there’s a coolness about its bars, cafes, restaurants, festivals and people that transcends the borders. The city centre has meanwhile reinvented itself with chic laneway eateries and rooftop bars opening in former industrial buildings.

Sport is also crucial to the fabric of the town, taking on something of a religious nature here. Melburnians are passionate about AFL football ('footy'), cricket and horse racing, and also love their grand-slam tennis and Formula One Races.

To explore how much fun and lively city Melbourne is, watch this playlist of "Come alive in Melbourne"videos:



Top Five things to do in Melbourne:

1. Visit Melbourne Museum :



This museum provides a grand sweep of Victoria’s natural and cultural histories, with exhibitions covering everything from dinosaur fossils and giant squid specimens to the taxidermy hall, a 3D volcano and an open-air forest atrium of Victorian flora. Become immersed in the legend of champion racehorse and national hero Phar Lap in the Marvellous Melbourne exhibition. The excellent Bunjilaka, on the ground floor, presents Indigenous Australian stories and history told through objects and Aboriginal voices with state-of-the-art technology. There's also an IMAX cinema on site.

2. China Town



Chinese miners arrived in search of the ‘new gold mountain’ in the 1850s and settled in this strip of Little Bourke St, now flanked by traditional red archways. The Chinese Museum here does a wonderful job of putting it into context with five floors of displays, including artefacts from the gold-rush era, dealings under xenophobic White Australia policy and the stunning 63m-long, 200kg Millennium Dragon that bends around the building; in full flight it needs eight people just to hold up its head alone.

Here you’ll find an interesting mix of Chinese and Asian restaurants; come here for yum cha (dim sum) or explore its attendant laneways for late-night dumplings or cocktails. Chinatown also hosts the city’s vibrant Chinese New Year celebrations annually in January or February.

3. Flagstaff Gardens



Originally known as Burial Hill, these gardens were the site of Melbourne's first cemetery, where eight of the city’s early settlers were buried. Today its pleasant open lawns are popular with workers taking a lunchtime break. The gardens contain trees that are well over 100 years old, including Moreton Bay fig trees and a variety of eucalypts, including spotted, sugar gums and river red gums. There are plenty of possums about, but don't feed them.

The hill once provided one of the best views out to the bay, so a signalling station was set up here: when a ship was sighted arriving from Britain, a flag was raised on the flagstaff to notify the settlers. The Wurundjeri people also found it significant for the same useful vista, which stretches as far as Mt Macedon.

4. Melbourne Cricket Ground



With a capacity of 100,000 people, the 'G' is one of the world’s great sporting venues, hosting cricket in the summer, and AFL footy in the winter – for many Australians it's considered hallowed ground. Make it to a game if you can (highly recommended), but otherwise you can still make your pilgrimage on non-match-day tours that take you through the stands, media and coaches’ areas, change rooms and out onto the ground (though unfortunately not beyond the boundary). In 1858 the first game of Aussie Rules football was played where the MCG and its car parks now stand, and in 1877 it was the venue for the first Test cricket match between Australia and England. The MCG was the central stadium for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. It was also used as army barracks during World War II. The MCG houses the state-of-the-art National Sports Museum.

5. Melbourne Street Art Tours



Three-hour tours exploring the street-art side of Melbourne. The tour guides are street artists themselves, so you'll get a good insight into this art form.

And here's lot more fun for you! An awesome contest where you could win a shopping voucher upto Rs. 500! Doesn;t that sound just great? So watch these hilariously awesome videos and decide for yourself, that which of these places would you like to visit in Melbourne and why? The best answer will be chosen by the Judges (Me! :-P) Awaiting your smart reply!! :-P
And finally, your splendid time in Melbourne must eventually come to an end, and it can be a difficult reality to accept. In ways many past and graduating international students can truly identify with, of their time in Melbourne and what it means to return to the “old life” as a markedly changed version of your former self.
The contest for shopping voucher Rs. 500 has ended and the winner is Words of Innocence for her wonderful comment.

Monday 15 December 2014

God is a Gamer- Bitcoin Thriller (Book review)






“If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to.” - Dorothy Parker

They say that the two most beautiful words in English language are “Cheque Enclosed”. We are all seeing the way “this money is making many things happen“. If normal money that comes with so many rules, constraints, taxes and conditions is that attractive and making us do many things to get it, imagine what a virtual “no-frills attached ” money can do.

Ravi Subramanian has picked this as the subject of his latest novel and created a gripping and page turning thriller that involves Politicians, Bankers, Gamers, Terrorists and the virtual currency- the bitcoins. The book is amazing and you can't put it down and the way things get shaped is indeed awesome. The pace of the story is good; the author invests the first 90-100 pages to do his initial setup, once we have all the basic stuff set up the book moves at berserk pace. You would never feel like putting the book down. The pace is awesome and the language is easy to read.

Coming to the characters and the way they were developed, the author does a good job with most of the characters. The book has many characters but almost each of them is given proper footage. Although initially look arbitrary these characters are linked with each other in a way. And the relationships are explored in layers one by one.

The book is filled with a lot of logic, information, twists and turns, and we also get to look into the personal lives of the characters with good detail. The way the personal lives and the way they dictate terms to their professional lives was brought out very well. The twists and turns in the plot and author’s info and the sketch of the characters make the book an interesting read. Ravi Subramanian always uses technology in his plot, he educates the reader about some technological aspect or the other with the plot of the book. In this book he gets into many things, he speaks about bitcoins, their evolution, the way they are traded, then he speaks about apps, networks, firewalls and the business models that the gaming sites follow.

A lot of research has gone into writing the book and this book is a treasure trove of information. This research and the lucid way in which the information was presented makes the book a must read. I respect and salute the author for the amount of research and effort that went into writing this book. It was a great job done. Coming to the aspects that I did not like, I don't know if this was the case with everyone else, but according to me, the conversations were a bit childish and there were some really strange and remarks in the book which I particularly didn't like.

It’s a gripping book to carry along in a long flight. However, it’s not a book you would like to read on a rainy evening with a cup of tea. The reason is simple, it entertains your heart, exercises your mind but doesn’t nourish your soul. These minor glitches apart, this is a blockbuster novel from the quill of Ravi Subramanian. I am really excited to read the author\'s other writings. Do read it, you are bound to get entertained and educated as you complete reading the book. Every penny you spend on the book is worth it. Happy Reading!!

Message

If you are an entrepreneur (or want to be one), this book can give you some of the effective tips about the business vision and importance of usage of social media in promoting your business.

About the book

Aditya is an entrepreneur, running his own gaming company. The arrival of a part-time drug dealer and full-time genius named Varun turns Aditya’s struggling company’s fortunes around. However, things are not as they seem. A banker slips from the rooftop of a high-rise building and falls to his death. A finance minister with his heart on his sleeve discovers that he has made some promises which will cost him far too much. An explosion in Washington D.C. leads the FBI to a chase in Mumbai. The investigators begin to plummet down a world where bitcoins are the only meaningful form of currency. Here, everything is governed by the Dark Net, a group of nefarious websites dealing with illegal transactions. In this world, God is a Gamer, martyrs are villains, the hunters become the hunted and the ancient Greeks teach the secrets of assassination. In this new novel, nothing is what it seems.

The book is targeted for the young readers and the author succeeds in his attempts. It is a nice thriller with some more real world stuffs to offer then just entertaining and thrilling story. If you like to read thrillers, you should go for it.

Author- Ravi Subramanian

Book details:

Publisher- Penguin Books India

ISBN- 100143421395

Book Type- Fiction

Book Imprint- Penguin

Number of Pages- 324 Pages

Publication Year- 2014 September

Language- English

ISBN- 139780143421399

Binding- Paperback

About the Author



Ravi Subramanian is an Indian banker turned financial-crime writer. His books If God was a Banker, The Bankster, Devil in Pinstripes and The Incredible Banker are all bestselling titles. Mr. Subramanian is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore. He is currently the head of a leading financial institution. He has won the Economist Crossword Book Award twice for his previous books.



My Rating for God is a Gamer book :



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Sunday 14 December 2014

Risk above all!


“The biggest risk is not taking any risk.In a world that changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks” When Mark Zuckerberg speaks such elaborate lines on risk- taking, the world stands up and takes notice. Risk has definitely been one of the prime- driving forces of human civilization since times immemorial. The concept of stepping out of one’s comfort zone and doing and achieving something out of the blue- that has led us to where we are today in terms of all the technological and social advancement that we are today on our planet. In Financial markets, there is a famous theory of risk and rewards. It says the higher risk you take, the bigger reward you get. Though the possibility of failing miserably is always present, what is life without the fun of risking losing something? If you cannot dare to face your fears and move ahead of them, you do not deserve success in you endeavor. It is this idea which has inspired Mountain dew which in its simple stories but in an effective way passes the invaluable message to face our fears and emerge victorious. Some of the great inspiring stories I read about Mountain dew are available here. While risk- taking may mean undertaking those activities that your body or mind feels can harm you if not done properly, it may also mean doing those activities which may give you nightmares, or choosing a path which not many people would choose. Watch this video to get a better idea of risk- taking: In my case it was a career decision, which is considered to be one of the most important decisions of one’s life- which I took risk for. I was determined to practice Chartered Acccountancy as a profession ever since I joined my junior college. However, the idea of doing it differed a bit from others. While I confidently and very easily cleared the enterance level of CA (CPT exam), many of my friends chose to enroll themselves for IPCC (the next level) immediately thereafter. Now IPCC exams are conducted twice in a year- May and November. While nearly all my friends enrolled themselves for May attempt, I somewhere knew that November would be the better attempt for me- the reasons being- that I knew that even if a large majority of them appear and pass the May attempt examination, there would be a scarcity of CA firms looking to hire articled trainees (for more information regarding the CA course please visit here ), Secondly I wanted to register for my IPCC exams as well as arrange for the classes fees( which are an expensive Many of my friends could not clear the exam as the pass percentage was reduced by ICAI for that attempt and even those who cleared, had to struggle for getting articleship, while I fulfilled both my purposes- not burdening my parents for registration and classes fees by working in an MNC (which also helped me gain work experience), and cracked my IPCC in . This was the incident whrer I trusted my instincts and it came true. I advise everyone to take risks in life and be self- made as these are the only two things which can actually helped us realize our true potential