Year: 2010

Opera 10.5-The fastest Browser in the world?

Here comes the another big challenge to competitors, when someone says that their product is best in the world. Yes!! Opera this time, with release of their Opera 10.5 on February 2, 2010 came the big claim “Fastest Browser in the world”.

Although I have installed many of the browsers in my PC, but most of the time, I use only two Chrome 4.1 and Firefox 3.6. My personal experience with Chrome been excellent and I rarely find myself using something.When I got to see the claim, then it was obvious to see myself that what’s going on actually.

The google search led me to two posts:

Google’s official post about why chrome is faster
Opera’s Official post announcing it as fastest

Used Opera for a while and sure not only speed but the other features also impressed me a lot. Specially, the desktop widgets. Now, I can keep a twiiter widget opened separate from browser like many of us used to do with our smartphone. Thanks for bringing the same widget experience here. Many things are new here with the same glassy finished looks.

Collected some facts to recall, I thought to put thoughts in a short and leave rest for yourself.

What a browser does now days?

Its not a job of rendering HTML pages only now days. In simplest words, it involves execution of complex scripts (Java Scripts, VB Scripts), CSS and many other things, when you get a page opened. Not only that counts in a faster experience, but also things like Cold Start (starting for the first time), Warm start (reopening after closing it), multiple tabs and RAM usages matters a lot.

So, you can understand that calling a browser faster than others can’t be something all the way. So many parameters to look for and so many scenarios needs to be consider. What may appear best to one, might not be the case with others.

How browsers are improving themselves now days?

Introduction of webkits, HTML5, increased use of CSS and Java Scripts really have made web experience more complex than ever and thanks God that browsers are responding to the same with the same pace. In recent past, we seen all of the browsers going for complete overhauling of their rendering engines for Java Script and other things. I am not sure, but first one was Firefox, then Opera, then constantly improving Chrome and then the latest one is opera again. Opera says “With Opera Presto 2.5, Carakan and Vega, get the fastest and most advanced browsing technologies”.

How to check the claims ourselves?

I might have some other views, some other preferences and habits and so are yours. Milliseconds might not be enough to notice or for unsettling someone’s belief, so better to take the technical ways. There are a number of popular tests out there online to test out rendering capabilities.

Easy tests are:

Easy because no need of setup, just run the test and get the results in the end. Do the same for browsers one by one and know, which one performs better. Try them and note the results yourself and get back to me. Let’s see what you find out.

Nitish Kumar

http://nitishkumar.wordperss.com

Rin Vs Tide-The Ad Hussle-Why Rin doing this?

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The Rin commercial, launched on Friday, February 28, openly compares Rin and Tide Naturals, with a claim of delivering better whiteness at an affordable price.

Have you seen this ad? “Chaunk Gaye” like Tide’s punch line says …you can follow the discussions as well that what buzz this campaign obviously made. What you feel after watching the ad? Rivalry? Dirty wars like once we seen between Coke and Pepsi or Complan and Horlicks? How much of you think that this actually can be true?

That’s the beauty of the media and system. Sometimes, knowing the reality might be harder than our common guesses. Who has time to go into details and then form an opinion? Most of you found themselves stunned when got to see this ad and thought “what the ….. “, “how could it be possible?”, “how could they?”

Well!! Let us know some facts first …

Hindustan Unilever Limited, which is India’s largest fast moving consumer goods company (its a ~~British company~~ Europian company) airs an ad for its product ‘Rin’ showing direct disgrace to other product in the same range named ‘Tide’ from Proctor & Gamble (an American one), we were able to spot and discuss the same from the very moment it aired, but P & G takes around one week to file a claim against it. Why so? It must have been more easier and obvious.

Let us go into more details and let me tell you about another case, which didn’t got that much of limelight.

Feb 25, 2010 … just few day before the ‘famous’ ad, HUL filed a suit in Madras Court against P & G about their ad, which says “Tiide Naturals promises great cleaning while keeping your hands soft, because it has the goodness and freshness like that of lemon and sandalwood”, while P & G failed to prove the same, when challenged by HUL. Result: March 1, 2010 … Madras High court given P & G 72 hours to modify its advertisement saying this “does not contain lemon and chandan”.

Now, another point one must go through ASCI Official websites and rules mentioned there for advertising. HUL actually played safe, by putting a notification in bottom of the ad saying “Schematic representation of superior whiteness is based on Whiteness Index test of Rin Vs Tide Naturals as tested by Independent lab” and also seems to be ready to face any lab test.

Ok !!! these are the technical grounds and HUL might be safe, but what about the morals and what if other products in market follow the same way? Isn’t this going to bring an end for innovative and creative advertising? Was is necessary to do something like this?

Ok!! What really bring HUL into this?

Before Tide, HUL had the strongest market share, but backed by P & G, Tide started with aggressive advertisement, which really kept HUL under pressure in recent. HUL responded by restructuring its brand portfolio and reduced prices.

It improved the situation a little for HUL, but only till P & G bounced back by introducing its low-cost-detergent Tide Natural, which claimed "whiteness with special fragrance". Note that it’s not the same Tide, that one available on higher price in separate even now, but very few noticed the same. For normal consumers, it was like the same tide in reduced prices and more was the claim "whiteness with special fragrance".

This time, HUL wasn’t able to keep its cool and responded with multi-tier attack back on its competitor.

HUL challenged their claim of “whiteness with special fragrance" saying that they are talking about Chandan and Lemon, while the product clearly contain none of these and with directive on March 1, they accomplished what they asked for.
HUL launched an aggressive campaign with the same TV ad during prime time, which not only bring the focus over the war, but a curiosity in audience as well that how Tide will respond, if its absurd.

So, now we could understand that what happened and why…. aggression got answered by aggression. But the comparable advertisement, which is entirely new concept for Indian market certainly going to get much critics than supporters. HUL might be prepared for what they are claiming, but what will follow next ….. have to be seen.

Would like to have your comments that what you think over it.

Right or wrong? Brave or Foolish? Innovation or End of it?

Update March 06, 2010:

The Calcutta High Court on Friday restrained Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) from beaming a controversial detergent ad with immediate effect.

Justice Nadira Patherya passed an order on Friday restraining HUL from telecasting its detergent advertisement that was seemingly mocking Procter & Gamble’s detergent Tide Naturals.

Justice Patherya directed that telecast of the HUL advertisement be stopped on and from March 8. P&G senior advocate SK Kapur had contended that ad was ‘a clear case of disparagement’ and that it mocked the P&G product while showing its own. The judge agreed that no manufacturer is permitted to promote its product by labelling its competitor’s as bad.

HUL contended in the Calcutta High Court that by filing a vacating application, P&G had submitted to the jurisdiction of Chennai High Court and the suit in Calcutta High Court cannot be proceeded with.

In its affidavit, HUL had contended that it had obtained laboratory reports which proved the superior whiteness of Rin.

I am not quite happy over it. Not favouring RIN, but court should have called RIN to prove their version technically in place of just asking to stop the Ad.

Nitish Kumar

The future Laptop

I got this from Digital Inspiration and couldn’t resist the urge to share it with my viewers. Its amazing concept, just like the one, I received on mail some years back, where whole working computer was created by laser rays.

This time the featured concept really seem to be believable and possible things. Just hope that some day it will come true

Nitish Kumar

Nokia N900 – Things you never seen before anywhere else

I am back to Delhi. Right now in the train. You may find it funny that I am leaving my hometown on the same day as Holi, but it is and let it be, I am already sad about it.

The fact is I am travelling and have passed more than 8 hours without even noticing, without getting bored, without even talking to strangers, co-passengers. Bad!!! Isn’t it??? A man is supposed to be a social animal, right??? But this thing is addictive, really addictive!!! I’ve to own it or have to own it’s successor ‘MeeGo’ or whatever they are calling it. Just wish that they remove those annoying absences and they’ll win me.

Here I am using MaStory again to post my views, when just finished watching ‘9’, ‘Dark Night’, ‘The Last Legion’ and ‘Visions’ over the same ‘kmplayer’ with my Nokia N900. Yes! It’s batteries are not almighty to last longer than 6 hours movie play over it, but even then 6 hours movie play!!! Isn’t it amazing? I sound like advertising the trial device, I got… Right??? I swear I don’t wanna sound so, but …

Here I am to summarize a few apps and conveniences, I found with only Nokia N900 and will be missing in all device, I will be buying next before I buy this one (or a better version of it based on Maemo or MeeGo.)

1. Qwerty keypad: I read someone out there ranting about keypad that they should have kept the spacebar in middle of all. Spare me plz!!! Suggesting something is different thing and actually putting it to work for most of users is other.

I am literally loving the way, it’s keypad is and kudos to Nokia that they are pushing most of their latest devices with qwerty keypads. Smart phones gonna be like they never before. Earlier you heard that you could do all the things of world with your smart phone, just need to learn a few things about it and now…. You don’t even need to learn, just do the way you were doing with your lappy or PC. Do someone needs Netbook here or that genre will die in same way as Pagers did against cell-phones?

2. 3.5" screen, 16M colors and 800×480 resolution: I thought about such a day when watching movies and browsing web over cells would be that much easier, cell-phone companies thought that soon enough the market of Value Added Services will see a boom, but nothing worked out that much faster as is supposed to happen now with such high resolution/ size devices out there in market (affordable for pocket as well). Watching full movies over it with aid its powerful batteries is so unreal.

3. MaStory: My bad!! Might be the case that I never used any other Blogging apps on smart-phones, but I never had this much bigger and clear screen device is in my hand with a perfect qwerty keypad ever. I really became so much comfortable with its keypad in shortest period of time that now even hours don’t hurt me. I never posted from phones before and even the idea was tiring enough, but this one changed all, really did.

4. KMplayer: Don’t know it’s Mplayer being called as KMplayer here or some entire different movie player, but it works like the same. Those linux freaks out there know much about this player and even some windows enthusiastic too. The VLC player been GOD for many of us movie watchers and when we get a capable phone like this, we always googled if something like VLC out there for it.

Here is your answer. Work like just perfect, no laggings in video and simple enough to catch up with things. I presume that all shortcuts with the linux version are right here like arrow key for forwarding or reversing the play and space for pause/ play meanwhile Ctrl+Back Space to switch across applications in faster ways. I placed .srt and .sub files with the movies in same name and it worked the way it should. The resolution of 800 x 480 makes it actually readable than pulling your eyeballs out only. You must have seen snapshots of move ‘9’ over it, but I’ll post you back some of mine to show that how real it is.

5. Sketch: Again my bad that I don’t play enough with default apps that come with the device itself, but like many other things with device, it was an entire different scenario, when I came across the amazing app named Sketch. I created one sketch through it for time-pass while travelling in train and it didn’t came out that bad. I seen people sketching through paint brush of windows os, but sketching in digital was never a thing of my kind even if I know basics of sketching some ways. With Sketch app starting from the name aided with the resolution/ size of the screen+responsiveness of touch. I really never thought of doing this with a phone. Sure!!! I suggest you to have screen guard ON, but in all, it would be a favourite time-pass to many.

6. Conversations, Gtalk, Skype, IMs: This is something truely about communication. You would find it unparallel in the way it removes the differences between typing on laptop and cell-phone, but also the way it removes the differences between SMSs and IMs. A true communication device in deed. It really has it all without third party apps. I salute you Nokia!! Hats off.

7. The openness: Its been long when we were looking for the ways to go beneath of phones. Lots of ways to hack your smart-phone is available on net, but here came the true control, where hacking is legal and many times even encouraged. With such a true open platform, possibilities are literally countless. May be Android come with a better processor and fully integrated with Google services, but it wont excite you as a platform, as much Maemo does. Its a start of new era in the same way Linux, Solaris or Java was. I really want it grow.

Many things more could be written over my unique experiences with this device, but I am about to reach office and sure I wont look good enough with both hands engaged in typing on cell, so ending the post here. Will love to have your comments about your experiences.

When was finishing my article from Live Writer, I came across an article via twitter, which seems more broader in coverage, I would like to share here. Take a read, it boldly shows how impressive and unique Nokia N900 is as a device.

Nitish Kumar

Nokia N900 – Not only for geeks but for mass as well

“Be it early impressions once it arrived to me, be it my first detailed article mentioning it as definitely geek, be it my article revolving around MaStory or be my criticism about it, I guess most of the time, I sounded like Nokia N900 has everything Geek about it. Is it really so?”

Why Nokia N900 going to appeal regular mass more than other phones (not just Geeks)?

Let me be honest about it, after loosing my Nokia 5800, being aware of ~~Non-Repairable condition~~ ~~of my~~ ~~Nokia N82~~, giving my simple yet effectively main Nokia 5310 XpressMusic to home and last few days with trial device Nokia N900, my quest is set between Nokia N900, Nokia N97 and Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and my choice is again Nokia 5800 XpressMusic for the same reasons, I stated earlier.

But I tell you, I am resisting urge of buying Nokia N900 just somehow and the reasons for going Nokia 5800 XpressMusic will be solely because of amazing price tag and inclusion of all the features I require (you cant get this much with that price anywhere else, just Rs. 13,200/-), otherwise Nokia N900 has a lot to market it for mass. Let me discuss a few here.

Powerful like a dream: Insanely powerful ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz, more than enough 256 MB RAM, separate PowerVR SGX graphics (can run games like never before and run HD Videos like a charm), 3.5 inches screen with unbelievable resolution of 800×480 (I literally enjoying watching movies all the way in train and web experience, you just can’t match), gigantic internal storage of 32 Gb and still place of MicroSD Card slot to accommodate a max of 16 Gb more (can you believe?). Have you heard of something like this?
Loaded Multimedia device: With XpressMusic series, Nokia seems to be all out for war to take on music market. Such a powerful device and a full 24 Hrs 30 Minutes Music Play just matches the specifications so well. A perfect fitting 5 MP camera (2576×1936) equipped with Video recordings capability, dual LED Flash, video light, Geo-tagging and not to be forgotten cover over lens. A revamped interface for music player, possibility of playing all available formats videos due to availability of various open source codec and mplayer etc (I am playing all my movie collection that is divx, xvid or wmv and that too with normal srt’s subtitles. Isn’t a VLC player, you always looking for you smart phone?). Top of all, you even have a FM Transmitter means you could stream music from your cell to other devices.
Amazingly sound UI: While the resistive touch screen performs much better than anyone’s expectations and widgets enabled desktop can fit into anyone’s requirements, but the show stopper is superb multi tasking of the device. I don’t think that anyone might be thinking to define some “Out of memory” error for this device due to 256 MB of RAM and 700 MB+ Application memory in addition. With such an enormous power, one could really think about so many possibilities.
Connections that any smart-phone is all about: 2G (GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900), 3G (HSDPA, 10Mbps; HSUPA, 2Mbps), class 32 GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g DLNA, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, Infrared, microUSB v2.0 and A-GPS; look like Nokia decided not to say NO for anything. I guess only remained was a normal USB port or normal LAN Port.. just kidding.
Integration of Gtalk/ Skype and unification of SMS/ IMs: Generations changing and technologies adopting the same. Our smart-phones have became as integrated to our lives as social networks and IMs on internet. Integration of Skype and Gtalk opens just another dimension. Provided extremely fast Internet Connections, you never gonna needing headfone for calling from your Laptop, when Gtalk and Skype already there for you. Conversation view of SMS/ IMs might seem a new thing to many, but its gonna be a rule in near future.
Open nature of the device and OS: Are you still thinking about possibilities with Android or iPhone OS? Do you still think it would ever gonna take that long to fix some app? Gone those days, with a truly open source OS, you could really expect fast updates and quicker fixes like nothing before. Many a times, you wont be needed to wait for official apps even. Moreover, existing large pool of debian applications is already there that could be ported to your Nokia N900 with some serious efforts. Limit is only where your imagination might took some time to reach.

Its such a capable device that every techie around the globe knows that its still much below its own potential. Still Ovi Support Pending, still Google Apps waiting to join the party, still some here and there improvements for UI could be thought, but do you think that anything could challenge this device in its capability/ possibilities and openness?

I am still waiting for inclusion of Google Apps, release of this device to India and some amazing price tag like best ever Nokia 5800 has, but even then this device stands as best dream of anyone out there.

Update: Just came across a much detailed article about it

Nitish Kumar

FM Channels, Social Messages

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“ Busy work life, then at home number of TV Channels and computers. Radio might be left in lives of students or old age people only.”

Few years back one might have thought so, but a number of FM Channels seems to have changed the scenario completely. The first ever private FM Channel was Radio City 91.3, which was launched pretty long back on July 3rd 2001 in Bangalore and now there are a total of 278 official private FM Channels and 171 FM transmitters of AIR Stations. A more good list could be seen at wiki here. Rise of BPOs and Cabs really have given a big push for Radio industry in a way that it came out of circle of students only things.

But I am not here for discussing about all the FM Channels, there are many. I remember the time, when I was hearing many of them including Radio City, Fever 104, Radio Mirchi and last introduction to me was Meow FM 104.8, once I started going to office by bike, the link was broken between me and Radio from long. Recently, I caught with the same chain and this time the channel in attention was Red FM. More than the punch line (that really works) “Ye Aaj Ke Jamane Ka Radio Station Hai Apke Baap Ke Jamane Ka Nahi”, fresh songs, naughty RJ’s pranks and ideas, the thing, which took my interest in it was many campaigns running over it in simple yet effective manners.

Although later I learnt that these campaigns are not of their own, but from respective agencies. A little search over by various terms and I reached to few interesting ones,

Save Fuel Yani Save Money from PCRA (follow the link, interesting radio ads to listen),
Planet Ke Rakhwale from Nokia (I seen paper ads as well in Nokia Care),
Save Paper from Idea (Its really impressive one and we have seen many such from Idea only. Good Work!!!),
Save Tigers from Aircel (Don’t know its only Aircel’s innovation or some more organizations are involved, but the campaign is really spreading well),
Fundamental Rights,
Raqtdan from NACO (The most effective promotion for Blood Donation till date),
DLF IPL – Bhai Ki Shadi (Funny and Interesting. Last two seasons didn’t seen such innovations),
Think positive from Social Awareness (Really social organizations are pressing hard and effectively to make HIV positive people acceptable within society),
Sikandar from National AIDS Control Organization (Such bold campaigns can exist in now days youth india only)
Way to India Gate, Papa, Chalan Kat Jayega from Delhi Traffic Police
Voice Karo Choice Karo from Radio City
Wrong Rights – Aditi, Wrong Rights – Pappu from Radio Mirchi
Bachcha Bachcha from KC Mahindra Education Trust (Making a point to think)
Pappu Vote Daal Le, Chalane De from Radio Mirchi
Murgi for bringing awareness about quality news
Kamla Ka Hamla – Rakhi, Kamla Ka Hamla – Amir, Kamla Ka Hamla – RGV over public figures
Prayaas – ICC, Prayaas – BRT, Prayaas – Hindi Dubbing, Prayaas – Poem in Movies, Prayaas – News in Newspaper, Prayaas – Historical Monuments from Red FM

Funny ones like Ajay Devgan, Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra, Saif Ali Khan, Amir Khan, Bappi Lahri

While, I find of these extremely funny, I found them worthy and effective attempts of brining awareness to post RDB youth. Really youth doesn’t think the way, our elders might be thinking we are, we want to do many things, we have many nice ideas to bring the changes for betterment of the country, just we need the directions and support.

It will be a shame if we don’t respond and praise these kind of campaigns with full throat. Join me, raise your voice, send me some more such innovative Radio Campaigns you liked.

Why I came to write about FM and Social awareness?

When was coming back to home, then I seen some newly creating buildings, which were created by Mayawati Sarkaar for ‘Kusthrogis’, which were living there in ‘Jhopris’. I was really excited and surprised to see such a good thing from her side and sure was with praises even if I kind of hated her politics and her kind wastage of money over useless monuments , but anyone if does a single big of good thing, should be praised to encourage do more next time. I remembered that how last time in flood those ‘Jhopris’ were flowing in water and our so called educated people were taking visits to see how conditions are there (in place of offering any piece of help).

The above reminded me of those campaigns, I heard over Fm and thought that something good happening for sure around us.

While thinking all these, I also think about FM Transmitting capabilities of Nokia N900 and other such phones with FM Transmitter. Think you can spread your messages over FM Radios, FM Tuned Cellphones and also could make your buddies sitting in nearby cubicle tuned in with songs, you might have played on your cell (quite handy if your area not getting FM reception from outside).

World is changing and we could make it changed for better.

Nitish Kumar