Gurgaon shall wait

So as it stands today, I'll have to wait some more time before Gurgaon beckons as by joining in the organisation has been delayed. Till when, don't ask. Because even I don't know. Anyways, what is more important is that the fact that Gurgaon as my potential workplace has made me try and find out more about it. And what I found out was indeed surprising, horrifying, depressing and even amusing.
I'll start with the amusing part first.
Gurgaon, nicknamed "Millennium City", has been portrayed to be the Singapore, downtown Manhattan and what not for India. With its concrete jungle lined with shining glass walls and huge shopping places offering brands one would find only in the West, Gurgaon was a dream destination for the aspiring youth of India who wanted to live life in the top gear. Barely 20 miles away from national capital Delhi and hardly 10 miles from swanky International Airport, Gurgaon should have indeed cemented its place as the place to be for corporates and those CEO's alike.
Sadly, the amusing part ends here.
Fact is, the satellite city has close to 50% power deficiency leading to water deficiency as well. So, no power, no water. With temperatures on the north side of 45 C, it doesn't paint a rosy picture. Combined with utter lack of infrastructure outside those gated communities, one surely wonders where is this all leading to. Power cuts of 8-10 hours are a norm today, with power inverters and genset business flourishing on 100% YoY growth. Water supply is through water tankers by default who charge anything depending on their whims and fancies.
Whats depressing is the fact that there does not seem to be a solution to this. Water table in Gurgaon is plunging about 10cm every year which is much more alarming than the number suggest. Power plants and being commissioned aplenty but almost 2000MW generating capacity is lying idle for the lack of coal and due to mechanical breakdown hardly a month into operation. Couple this with Coal India Limited saying that it can supply only 65% of the coal required by the power plants, only a foolhardy would expect those power plants in Haryana to run full steam anytime soon.

A new journey, a new destination

Come 27 June, I'll leave IIT Bombay and head over to Gurgaon. A place, never visited. A city, I had never bothered to know about. Adding further chaos is the fact that I am a person who have traveled quite less. Being blunt, I have never traveled outside of Maharashtra from my home town of Bhilai; not counting a solitary visit to Lucknow, Bhopal and Jabalpur each.
Months have been spent trying to understand Gurgaon and the current situation there. Frankly, statistics point to a situation grim enough to make me regret going there.
Anyways, this blog will talk about my experience of Gurgaon from the eyes of a total stranger. Having sniffed the web in search of info about Millennium City, I will try and talk about things which I could not find to read.

Wish list of a tech buff...

Its not easy being a tech buff. One has to live the way those corporates decide how life should shape for us. They make us drool over the gadgets to be launched by offering a photo that that reveal nothing more than an edge, two if they are feeling generous. They set our hearts pulsing with web flooding with rumors. Only half of them materialize though. These corporates make big promises. When they don't live up to them, we must go to every tech blog, site and scribble every wall on the virtual world with rants. And when they do, we pack our bags and go camping in front of the store which will open up and bless us.
But since a tech buff has to live through all of this, its time those honchos here us out. So here are my two cents:

To Mr. Steve Jobs - The days of iPhone are over. At least the way you see them. There was a day when OS was probably the last thing on the minds of phone makers. There was Symbian which was good but, lets accept it , would come last in bling list. Palm had an OS, HTC had brew but all that simply didn't cut the ice. You brought iPhone and with it, iOS. That WAS a revolution. In those days, iOS was far ahead of its time. iPhone was what every phone desired to be but could never be.
Times have changed. Android is giving iOS a run for its money. There are many phones in market which offer better hardware than iPhone. They even look better. No longer does iPhone stand out in the crowd. Come on, bring another revolution to make heads turn again.

To HTC - You make the best UI. Period. Your phone's battery life sucks big time. Long period. Once someone puts his hands on an HTC, its hard to let go. The Sense UI just makes one keep playing with the menus and interface. That is fantastic. But whats the use of such a UI if the phone dies on me by the evening? Yes, I did charge it full in the morning. Please put a bigger battery. Please.

To Samsung - See, your phones are great. They are the ultimate media centers. No codec gets past the video player on a Samsung phone. Even your UI is maturing in to a beauty. But why do you have fetish for that plastic?? Its good to see and hold a light phone but no one parts with his hard earned cash to buy a phone that has plastic all around it. And it is your flagship model. Get some metal, plonk it at the back, and see the wonders. There is nothing better than the feel of assurance of that the innards of your phone are wrapped in metal. Get some metal, get it fast. End of discussion.

To Nokia - I don't want that Symbian anymore. And I can't shout any louder. By the way, even you have bid adieu to Symbian but why did it take you so long to realize that you won't be able to get anything worthy out of MeeGo? Are you same people who ruled the world of mobile handsets or is my eyesight bad? At least you woke up in time to partner with Microsoft. But do remember that Windows mobile has been a massive failure in the past. Everyone wants to see a competitive Nokia.

To Sony Ericsson - Give up on your love for proprietary, one size fits all, port. When that port goes kaput, everything goes bonkers. And this happens more often than not. You will never realize the pain of not even being able to charge the phone because there is only one port in it. And why should I be forced to use your proprietary headphones even on a Walkman phone. Give some liberty to your customers.

So there it was, my Wish List. Is anyone listening??

Should I buy that mobile phone now??

Figure this: Samsung Galaxy tab is about 6 months old in the Indian market and guess what, it has lost Rs.13000 off its price. It was launched for Rs.38000 and today retails for Rs.25000. Amazing, isn't it? Of course its good for the consumers but lets see the flip side of the coin. The guy who bought this tab 6 months ago has been, to put bluntly, fooled. You don't buy something only to find it being sold for ridiculously low price less than a year later.
Well, even I have been a victim of this very same phenomenon. The phone is bought lost almost Rs.1500 off its price in just 6 months. The worse thing is, it was launched at a price of Rs.9200, which is about 17% loss in value. And yes, before you guess, it was Samsung as well.
Incidentally, this isn't a one off case. Apple iPad lost almost Rs. 3000 within a month of its launch in India. Its same case everywhere. Almost every electronic good starts shedding its price from the day of its launch.
Lets see why this happens in first place. There are many reason for this slide few of which are:
1. Pressure from the market - That's so common in today's day and age. Samsung Tab comes in at Rs.38000, realises that no one gives a hoot to such ridiculous pricing and starts shedding price. This brings it down to Rs.32000. Same happened with Olivepad. Yes, its a tablet and does sell in Indian market. It was launched at decent enough price but had to bend with the onslaught coming from Apple and Samsung. Same happened to LG Cookie Pep. Fell to the pressure from Samsung and its slew of products.

2. Self realisation - Viewsonic has launched its windows tablet for about Rs.30000. That is for 7-inch tab. When the company realises that no one cares for such pricing, it will lose its price. What better case than the laptop I am keying in this blog post on. This laptop had come into the market at Rs.37000 or so around April 2009. I picked the same thing up in July 2010 for Rs.23000. In fact, I remember checking this out around January 2010 and the price was around Rs.34000. Of course that was almost a year ago and a lot has changed in terms of advancements in technology, yet this hardware is respectable for the price it offers. For those who may ask, its is MSI X-340 I am talking about. To be frank, this laptop should never have been priced at Rs.37000. That was absurd. So, MSI realises the flaw, and now the deal is really sweet.

3. Clearing up the stock for new launch - This is a kind of win-win situation for manufacturer as well as consumers. Apple slashed iPad prices across the globe by $100 to make way for iPad 2. Same is the tactic of Samsung for its Tab. A new tab is on its way next week so makes sense to clear up the supply chain. iPhone 3G lost price to make way for iPhone 4 and this goes on. Older models make way for newer ones.

There are many more reasons for this slide but lets not go over all of them. These few give a fair enough idea of the scenario. So, what should you do?
1. Wait and watch - If you want to be guy who is the center of attraction of the crowd with his latest gadget, you'll have to pay price for that. If you want a better deal, wait for a couple of months till the "I am the first" guys have settled down.
2. Be aware of future launch - The internet is abuzz with new launches that are as far as 6 months away. Keep a track of this. If there is a newer model coming, rest assured that the price of current model will fall.
3. Don't buy for future needs - This I feel is the most important. Gone are the days when one would buy a gadgets by making plans for the future. Buy it only when you need it. Don't keep this mindset that lets buy it today because I'll need it 4 months later anyway. If you'll need it four months later, buy it 4 months later. The sale and limited period offers result out of the points listed above. You never know where this landslide will stop!!

RIP Mininova

News : On August 26th 2009, Dutch court of Utrecht ruled that BitTorrent platform Mininova acts unlawful and so, on November 26th 2009, Mininova limited itself to its Content Distribution Service which effectively means that it can host only legal content.
This news does not have big implications practically as such services will continue albeit with a different tag but it is a significant blow metaphorically. In the books of law, sites like this are illegal and should be shut down immediately and in fact corporations go to the lengths of demanding compensation but if this corps demand compensation for infringement of copyright, will they pay to these sites when a fan base is created due to them?
CASE IN POINT: Jal – the band.
Its a quite popular band though its charisma has fallen away fast in recent times but that’s not the point here. The debut album of Jal was a great hit all over and in fact more so in India. This meant that the band, in its heyday, did live performances almost every week and got paid huge sums. But the fact is, at the initial peak of the band popularity in India, its album had not even been released here. No points for guessing how the Indian music lovers got their dose of Jal. Had it not been for this free flowing content over the internet, this band would have probably been a bunch of wannabes trying out their luck.
CASE IN POINT: Slumdog Millionaire
Now we all know about this, but what we don’t realise is that the hype that this movie created in India was primarily at a time when it had not even been officially released here. Had it not been for circulation of those rips, who knows, the movie would not have had the same success. And if you care about it, the movie did pathetic business in theatres.
CASE IN POINT: Microsoft and its bunch of software
Windows in its present form came into existence in 1995. That was when Windows ’95 was launched. Now think of a 26 year old whiz kid (!) setting the spreadsheets of Microsoft, Google and other of Silicon Valley giants on fire. He would have been around 12 year old in 1995 and first introduced to computers probably at school. Again, one can be pretty certain on the status of the operating system on that machine, let alone various softwares he learnt in the following years such as MS Office, FoxPro, and Visual Studio etc. Had it been for those stringent anti-piracy laws, many such kids would have never learnt such wonderful things which would have translated in to absence of Indians in the USA. Now these companies, they do lose a few dollars thanks to the rampant piracy but then their future CEOs are actually learning this way.


So it’s a situation where this free flowing content is actually helping doing some good. Of course, this does not justify the acts but it’s just that side of the coin which often never comes to the light. Sites like Mininova will continue serving their fanbase in one form or the other and will continue doing their bit in popularising music bands, softwares, movies while the books of law and corporations will continue baying for their blood.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my friend Kishan Gupta for lending me his Stunner whose review features below. Also, the fantastic pics of the bike come courtesy of him. I certainly would not have been able to take those brilliant artworks.

Thanks buddy!!!!!

Honda CBF Stunner review

Here is a comprehensive road test of the new Honda CBF Stunner.


Looks :
You could be easily pardoned to think that this bike displaces at least 150cc. Its the styling that speaks here loud and clear. The bike's styling has very clear intentions; give a complex to the bigger siblings. These feelings are more so strengthened when you get astride it. The big fairing staring at you makes you feel like a king. The headlight integrated wih the fairing might divide opinions but the sheer styling unites them. People might find similarities in the Stunner's headlight and that of other bikes but it is nevertheless well executed. Stepped seat adds to the glamour quotient accentuated by the rear panels, yellow rear shocks and tail lights. One can go on and on talking about the looks of this bike, such is pedigree.

The only grouse is the lack of tacho on the the two pod console which, though well designed, misses out this, now standard, accessory. Also, the choke lever position is very odd.

Performance :
Step on the bike and adjusting yourself in a sporty riding position, you just get a feeling that this bike will blow you off. Twitch the starter motor and the engine comes alive in a sedate fashion without any drama albeit with a disappointment. From a bike looking this good, you'd want some noises but like Unicorn and Shine, exhaust note muffled well. Its good for an ordinary bike but then this isn't an ordinary bike, is it? Clicking into 1st through a toe shifter, you can't help but appreciate the gear shift quality. Give the throttle enough feed from here on while going click, click, click on a 1-down 4-up box, you'd expect the bike to start flying. And here is the biggest problem. It is not an out and out performance bike. Not sluggish but doesn't live upto the expectations created by the visual delight.


Ride :
Ride is comfortable as your would expect. Not like other commuter bikes but good for a bike that has sporty intent. Seats are firm and bent riding position means that you would get some pains on a long stint on the trot. The pegs have been set in a thoughtful manner so that you really feel like you are riding something special. For the pillion though, high seat can be a bit troublesome. Its sporty and well designed but not all will be equally comfortable with it. The bike boasts of tubless tyres that offer good amount of grip and lend confidence. The riding position, that may not be very comfortable, is so very perfect that you can go into the turns effortlessly. Braking power is good considering the drums and the bike never loses its composure even under hard braking which is good.


Living with it :
This point is pretty important. You see, since this bike does not have high performance spirit, it would have to spend it life on the traffic infested concrete jungle. Its here that the visually appealing dimensions turn inot a bane. The big fairing gives you no clue of the road ahead and its so big that in tight spaces, it leaves you gasping. The gear ratios are well sorted for city driving but all that material in front of you robs the bike of its nimbleness. Similarly, stepped seat, however appealing isn't all very practical, being too high.

Overall, there aren't really any issues with the bike. It runs well, has no problems, returns a good mileage, and offers decent performance and to top it off, has such an impounding presence that shadows even the 150cc bikes. This is bike on which you'll never go unnoticed, such is its aura.

Summing it up :
Having spent time with the bike, you are not about the role this bike intends to play in the real world. It has a sporty setup all round but grunt to complement it. And then in city, the engine responds well but the dimensions give you heavy sweat.Its certainly not a bad package overall, with one on the best styling but the engine and lack of basics like a tacho leaves one wanting. Then there is the price. At around Rs.58000 for drum version, it won't win awards for value.
If you looking for pose value, look no further as this bike has loads of it and you'll never run out of attention. But this comes at the cost of performance as a compromise. But then, you can't have your piece of cake and eat it too.

There are rumors of a CBF 150, which should sort out the chinks in its armour and make it a perfect bike. A case of having your cake and eating it too!! I am waiting!!!