Year: 2010

Ovi Maps-How it work

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Have you ever woke up dreaming that you are alone in some desert? You go right, you go left, run forward, come backward, just to find sand everywhere. May be you are just half a mile from the way out, but which way?

Similar has been theme of many horror flicks, where a group get lost in desert or sea and then bad things happen … Have you noticed that such movies started loosing their effect now days? Because when we might be watching them in full ‘tension’, then some kid of our family jumps in to shout on screen “Don’t any of you all have Nokia with you?”

Sometimes enabling the invention to reach the masses becomes much bigger than the invention itself, same is with Nokia/ Ovi Maps otherwise we were hearing only stories about Jack’s compass 😉

How this all started?

It was path breaking move, when for the first time time Nokia started giving Smart2Go for free in February 2007, after acquiring German Route Planning Software Company Gate5 in August 2006. That time, it really made the statement that soon high charging navigation companies & gadgets will be out of market and normal users, who might have heard of it in flight navigation like big things only, will have their piece of cake right into their hands. Being the largest cellfone manufacturer of world and known for longer life batteries, it was expected to be a real life thing and it became the same.

With Smart2Go, Nokia was using Tele Atlas NV, but later, the rival full time navigation giant TomTom acquired the same and before it could hurt Nokia, Nokia acquired Navteq (which earlier was powering Google Maps) to keep this lovely child within their own hands (it still operates independently under Nokia) and Smart2Go became a core part of Nokia Product line with the name, we been familiar from long Nokia Maps, which later on after association with Ovi Services and Ovi Suit renamed to Ovi Maps by public beta on August 28, 2008. So, this was the story behind Ovi Maps as we see it today.

Why Ovi?

“Ovi” is a Finnish word that stands for “Door” and it really opened the door for so many possibilities. Ovi Sync, Ovi Store, Ovi Maps, Ovi Mails, Ovi Share, Ovi Files, Ovi Player etc. It really changed the way, a normal user was using the Smartphone. Personally myself loved the way, I kept my contacts synced on all my Smartphones.

How Navigation devices work for mobiles?

This all started due to regulation encouragement for mobile phone tracking that was associated with E911 then (Enhanced-911) and lots of mobile phones started having built-in receivers with varying degrees of coverage and user accessibility.

There been one class of mobile devices, who works on A-GPS means wont work once out of range of their carrier’s cell towers and the another class that works worldwide on satellite GPS signals like dedicated GPS devices. Even the third class has been introduced as hybrid positioning system, which usages other signals like wi-fi spots etc.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is actually a constellation of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites (24 in operation and three extras in case one fails, though I am not sure about the numbers actually). The U.S. military developed and implemented this satellite network as a military navigation system, but soon opened it up to everybody else. Later many others joined the same like China, like Google with its own Satelites and its became an open world, when GPS tracking is concerned.

Each of these 3,000- to 4,000-pound solar-powered satellites circles the globe at about 12,000 miles (19,300 km), making two complete rotations every day. The orbits are arranged so that at any time, anywhere on Earth, there are at least four satellites "visible" in the sky.

A GPS receiver’s job is to locate four or more of these satellites, figure out the distance to each, and use this information to deduce its own location. This operation is based on a simple mathematical principle called trilateration. Trilateration in three-dimensional space can be a little tricky, for those interested in details, can check always amazing HowStuffWorks link or also the other link to know that how at least 8 satellites are always in line of sight or each position on earth still due to a number of factors, its always mentioned that the accuracy should be taken up to 15 m to 20 m .

What makes Nokia’s Ovi Maps different and better?

Nokia made it possible to reach this technology right into hands of common people, not only that but Nokia used Free Hybrid Vector design specially made of mobile usage and provides offline Maps (No Network coverage required, though if available then will assist in locking the location fast). Moreover, the coverage of over 180 countries make it best maps with best global coverage that even go up to street level navigation for 74 countries in 46 different languages (must be more by now).

When I am talking about Languages, then yes!! not only text, but Nokia started providing Voice based turn by turn navigation for many of its devices. I have used it several times (regularly you say) and always been fascinated by its accuracy. I really wonder sometimes that it knows my city and even street much better than any person living here from years. Yeah!! though these maps get updated only twice a year (might be the frequency increased by now), so there are limitation about quick and shot-lived changes, but even then you must give them credit for devising such a great system that much available to you.

I personally praised Google Maps a lot like Google’s other services, but still I must accept that Google stands behind when the actual usability for mass is concerned. Yes!! Google is excellent about coverage, about searching addresses and about other innovations like Street View and so clear satellite view, but what are you paying? Google’s Maps are always rendered online means they are of no use once you out of coverage (leave the data charges aside and draining of battery aside), moreover, still Voice based turn by turn navigation reached to only Android 2.0 devices (none of them below 25k I guess), while Nokia is providing you turn by turn voice guidance for life time free on devices costing around 10k.

Google might be great about Route Planning before start your travel and it would be quite handy to keep a route instruction generated by Google Maps including local landmarks etc, but you never know what network reception will you get while on the way, so Ovi Maps does matter a lot.

High Data Charges, Inability to serve without Network coverage and Non-availability of Voice based turn-by-turn navigation for low cost devices, there are the three points, which keeps Google still behind when it comes to actual mass and keep you fascinated that how Nokia actually does it?

Nitish Kumar

Easy to Go Green-From Nokia Conversations

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We already seen such a campaign from Abhishek Bachchan and Idea. I wrote once in a tweet that what if someone invent such a power source that could power cell phones and others in such a way that usages CO2 and other harmful gases from atmosphere. Many are trying to come up with ideas to save the planet like Nokia’s new boxes made of recycled material, Apple’s go green.Its really a good sign. Enjoy the video and think once ….

Two States-Can you go till the end?

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I already wrote once about @chetan_bhagat that what impressions I have about him, when I wrote my well read post about Chetan Vs Amir, so not mentioning the same again. Should say Two states seems to be the best work of Chetan after Five Point Someone and since I come to read the same, it was a due over me to write something about it.

Two States is about Krish and Ananya, the graduates from IIM-Ahmedabad fall in love with each other and wish to remain together for rest of the life. They are not Hero or Heroines of Bollywood neither do they live in outside the India, so obviously, this wasn’t to be that easy just like their choices. Both already earning higher than their families ever were, but still they wanted to keep their families agreed over their decision. Was earning well enough and being independent, let you make your choices that easily in India? Were the cultural differences between the families that easy to overcome even if they try their best? How much is it worth for hurting many to get someone for rest of your life?

Chetan calls it to be treated as fiction, but also mentions it as semi-autobiographic means based on own experiences (Anusha and Chetan been IIM-A graduates and their marriage possibly gone in the same way), which makes it interesting to read and somewhere in the same league as the first novel from the same author was. He introduces the storyline in his own simple ways …

Love marriages around the world are simple

Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy.
They get married.

In India, there are a few more steps:

Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy.
Girl’s family has to love boy. Boy’s family has to love girl.
Girl’s family has to love boy’s family. Boy’s family has to love girl’s family.
Girl and Boy still love each other. They get married.

The story has the same crisp and realistic nature (even if some sees exaggerations at things like live in etc, but people in similar lifestyles knows that its real) as it has been in his first one Five Point Someone. Though storyline is the most common one, but the way it has been treated makes it almost real in such a way that we start evaluating our options that can we …..

Chetan calls it rightly that it is easy to fight and rebel, but it is much harder to convince. Parents never come to be convinced that its our lives they are talking about and its not hurting their ego by making our most sensitive decision about life. While being at College or job, we almost never ask or care about what cast/ community of the person next to you is and may be never expect someone to care about till we started thinking about marrying the same person.

Parents refuse to accept your choice and behave in such fanatic manner (no matter how educated or matured they might be) that we get confused that they are the same, we expected to be sympathetic towards us and more logical about anything they say. We find ourselves emotionally this much stressed that come to think about reconsidering our love and start thinking in our parents way that with time everything will be settled back to normal.

Two states questions why and how much we are scared to marry outside our community? Why we even start thinking that if it is worth it to marry with making so many members of the families unhappy? Why we gave up at the end or thought its better to marry first and then convince? Its just not about two extremely different communities (like in Two States, Tamil and Panjabi), but about similar communities as well and the way battle was treated till the end makes it so realistic that many of us come to think that were they weak that given up and didn’t went till the end like Krish and Ananya did?

If you think that the story is cheesy or like other movies over similar topics and you can’t really relate yours own, then you are wrong. Like most of us, when Krish introduces Ananya to his mother, she refuses to get smitten by beauty or education or anything else. Yes!!! like most of us, Krish’s mother too annoy/ insults Ananya and her family with her comments. Yes!!! Even the first meet tells both of them that its going to be an impossible chase.

Is the story ends here? No… they wait patiently (sometimes even given up) in worse situations, Krish even convinces Girl’s family totally by filling up personal ambitions of them, so that now they don’t get ashamed of accepting him as groom of their girl. But… is that enough? Love stories many times find one family convinced or totally convinced even then does it make them happen?

Krish’s mom does it all like getting ill or crying or whatever you could have seen in your families if ever tried. Krish gives up like most of us could have and even were sent to physiatrist. Ananya gets proposal of marrying to much better clan of her own community, Krish even meets one girl of his community for marriage purpose on insisting of her mother. Nothing like that never happened or wont happen if you try. May be Krish got a lucky father to make it happened or its dramatic like movies and you don’t know if you could be this much lucky ever. We get a happy ending in dramatic ways settling everything right, but they really fought it well and the dramatic way was no where out of the world. It asks you a question that Can you go till the end? Can you?????

Like one other review said over it, I also come to think that why couples from different communities give into their feelings for each other when they know that they wont go against the grain of their families and that their families will never ever accept their partner? But perhaps somewhere inside, I know the answers, have seen many, have felt thing closely that how come one falls….. so know that sometimes we are bound of have lifelong scars, if cannot sustain the pain of a long struggle before.

If you search the web about Chetan, then you find many criticizing him on his writing style or say that he write movie kind of literature, but I favour him as he make people like me to believe that we can write best sellers in the same way, we talk or think. May be One Night @ Call Center was more dramatic to suit the audience that loved his Five Point Someone, may be Three Mistake of My Life was kind of Bollywood movie using craze of Cricket and incidents like Gujrat Riots, Earth Quakes, but after Five Point Someone Chetan really given another masterpiece, with which you never feel that you are reading a story, which is some fiction only.

Can I be Krish?

Nitish Kumar

Some riddles you cant solve

In recent months, I am writing more regularly than ever, but still behind the tech guy there is a non-tech emotional persona, who prefers to be silent. Don’t know why today he thought to come out of shelter? Don’t know how much he can actually say? But here he is with this post, may be the pain could be some lessened.

Sometimes, simple questions of life become this much complex that you can’t answer them or wish that they were never questioned from you. Seems that someone running from answers, but…. answer was always the same, how many times the question was asked. Wasn’t I clear enough? Still it hurts … why .. you know or may be you know nothing.

You make a decision, about which you know that will cause you pain, know that its not what you wanted, but still you make. Why? Because the logic says, because you know that if you don’t take it this way, then would call for more pain later on. But still… how can you be so certain that you are doing right? Your understanding of logic will always be correct? What you will get next will not cause pain? You can actually never look back and think that you weren’t wrong.

But whose logic you are following? Are they hearing yours? Whom are you not hurting? whom are you pleasing? who is satisfied? who is happy? Are you? Will you?

You are trying to live for others, but you are left alone thinking that do someone cares for you? Isn’t the life a business, where people leave you when you can’t fulfill their expectations? Parents, family, friends and even special ones, whom you find that you actually wants to live for?

You walk on a path with someone, realizing sooner or later that it will be stuck before the end. You know it’ll hurt, it already is, you pull yourself in so many soft steps, but is that causes less pain? You become irritating for others and yourself cause you are running from life, counting seconds, mins, hours and days to end, thinking that time will pass, will heal, will settle things right …

You cant deny that you have to pass through. Really wanted to be with someone, but I know nothing matters already. I am left from both the sides and there was no side for me already.

I know all of it seems random and its hard to know what I am talking about, but don’t know what I wanted. Please do not comment!!! I don’t know what I am feeling… what I’ll .. some painful moments wont pass even after sharing.

Nitish Kumar

Kalkaji Temple and punctured tyre

I Googled with the same phrase and came up with nothing like I was searching for, so I am not sure that anyone else got the same experience like mine or may be, if someone got such an experience, didn’t noticed that much or posted somewhere. Here, I take the initiative, call it conspiracy theory or whatever that’s what I felt.

I wasn’t ready to go there at the first place due to rush in now days thanks to Navratri, but it was insisting of my friend, who almost bullied me for taking a visit to Kalkaji Mandir.

First about the visit itself

The visit was directed by Ovi Maps alone this time (No Google Maps like was in the last trip). I used my Nokia BH-212 Bluetooth headset hidden under helmet connected with Nokia N97 Mini for voice navigation of route. I paid once for not hearing the instructions and following my instincts and was to take a complete circle for coming at the same turn, where I ignored the directions by Ovi Navigation. One glitch I faced was a place, where it said that I have to take turn to right, while there was no right turn, but for rest of the part, it was excellent.

Now, the part I started to write about. Troubles due to “Special traffic arrangement of Delhi police inside the temple” a side, when I was coming out of parking lot (newly made for temporary reasons), then one reminded me that my bike got a puncture in back tyre. frustrated me wasn’t having enough option than walking on the road with bike to find if some auto mobile shop around.

Just after a few meters, in front of Punjab National Bank (Okhala Branch I guess), I find a boy sitting on bike on footpath with a signboard of Auto Mobile shop and few tires hanging upside. Stops me and ask about the puncture and offers to repair. Obviously, I was having no option but to stop. My friend with me taken it as blessing to get someone so near, while I was thinking that where he gone, why he was sitting there, when shop is so inside? How he will fill air in tube, where there is no machine around? Told my friend about my suspicion.

He comes after a few long mins, not less than 10 mins I guess without water tub to check and here my suspicion begins. He seems to be so ‘expert’ that first inspected the tyre from eyes to find any keels if there and found at exactly against where the valve was (only spot, you can be so certain about finding easily). He finds a keel there, removes that and then opens wheel for pulling the tube out.

Interestingly, no testing by water or by filling air into tube, he inspects the tube by his eyes in two three rounds of tube and finally declares that Sir!! the tube is gone, can’t be repaired. My conspiracy theory got a whole cycle completed, obviously, no profit in such a ploy, if you are getting only 20 bucks as puncture repairs. I looked at my friend with expression “thats what I was talking about” and asked him about the amount required for new tyres. He made it professional by saying that Sir, I don’t have tyre of this size, have to look from somewhere (Great!!! are bikes come in different sizes? Pulsor 150cc is like covering more than half of market). I thought whom are you fooling? Asked him to find. He said Rs. 180/- Do I had some option?

He repaired and took money from me meanwhile two other people stopped there; one with broken break wires & one with some other complaint. I left the place wondering if it was all ploy.

Thought to post, if someone else might have faced something like this at the same place, which I doubt that many are having regularly. All of this arrangement seemed suspicious in first sight.

Nitish Kumar

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