Book Review: 9 to 5 Cubicle Tales

'9 to 5 Cubicle Tales' is a chronological account of a boy who endures some testing times in his childhood, then graduates, gets into an Information Technology firm and his life experiences with colleagues & friends, frequent challenges faced and how he copes with each in this tech field. The author, Harish Rijhwani, has 20+ years’ experience in IT and it goes without saying that this book could be inspired by his own IT projects, colleagues and experiences. But you know, if I get a chance to ask him, he will admit the characters are fictitious and any resemblance to someone is purely coincidental.

Judging a book by its cover - The book cover is exquisite and very detailed albeit appearing simple and clean! The reader will understand the nuances only after reading the book. A lot of what is mentioned in the book is shown here. From the various locations that matter to IT professionals, travel, to the currency, the deadlines, errors in the code, Uno cards, the ladder of success (or failure, whichever way we look at it), love, savings, home, coffee, books and many more are depicted. Each of this aspect of an IT professionals’ life finds a place in the book!

Who should read this book - IT professionals, if it wasn’t that obvious from the title! Students planning to pursue and IT career will also find this insightful.

What's the story like – The book follows the life of a boy-turned-man, Hridaan Rajdev, who experiences a tumultuous childhood of loss of a family member, then moving to a different city with relatively less relatives (see what I did there?). The story, said from Hridaan’s first-person account, moves quickly from his childhood to his college life to starting his professional life. This is where the story opens up and expands on the numerous work-related experiences, some of which are hidden right on the cover page. How Hridaan grows from a talented newcomer to a seasoned professional in an industry that gives you a lot but also takes a lot from you making you wonder if the journey’s worth it (personal opinion: it is).

How's the writing - The book is divided into 51 chapters, each covering a specific aspect of the life of Hridaan. The author has used simple and easy to understand words to narrate the story, the surroundings, the character traits of people involved and the protagonist's notions and feelings. This makes it a breeze for a casual reader (by that, I refer to someone who's not always seeking a book to read every day). The life-arc from a student to a fresher in IT to an experienced pro to onsite opportunities is also linear and we, as readers, aren't required to 'read-between-the-lines', which is a breath of fresh air in today's convoluted and non-linear storytelling era. Description of locations, unique personalities in Mumbai and the words used to describe sounds are also well done. 'League of extraordinary gentlemen' as auto-rickshaw drivers and BEST bus-driver as someone who aspired to be a pilot took the cake!

So, what do I think – It’s a breezy read from start to finish. If you are IT professional, you will relate to mini-stories in the book and enjoy the overall premise for sure. If you are looking for a book with writing that's easy to understand and one that doesn't force you to reach out for the dictionary app, this is it. It’s been quite a while since I have gotten hold of a book that doesn't have sub-plots, characters with varying shades of gray, twists, thrills in the plot and a story that takes the reader on a socially relevant roller-coaster ride. However, there was one aspect of the writing that I couldn’t quite get used to. When a scene is being played out in your mind while you are reading the book, that scene somewhat abruptly ends and a new scene begins without a proper segway - as in a journal. I am not sure if this was a conscious decision made by the author. It took me some time to get used to this writing technique. It wasn't a deal-breaker for me though, just an observation. Personally, I enjoyed the bits where Hridaan had to sit through aptitude tests & more importantly, group discussions as it was identical to what I went through during my time. Group discussions being a 'fish market' is exactly how I would categorize the experience (with all due respect to fish markets). 

My Rating: 4/5

PS: Is it just me or did you also feel that you were 'literally' part of this story? If you know, you know.

App Review: My Airtel (Android)

Airtel India is in a transitional phase in Indian markets – and for all the right reasons. They are promoting their 3G connectivity across the country in print media and TV adverts. They are developing the backbone for 4G connectivity and are soon to launch the high speed alternative to 3G in Mumbai (ahead of Reliance Jio). First mover advantage in the financial capital will do them a world of good! They are coming up with more and more offers for their prepaid customers and fighting tooth & nail with other operators in the postpaid circle. All this augurs well for maintaining the leadership position in Indian markets.

They are also working on customer touch-points – improving their customer service and upgrading their app. They have released a new version of android app which is a complete overhaul over previous version. Apple users will have to wait to get their hands on the app though, but they have the advantage of reviews and deciding whether they need to install / update their Airtel app.

A smartphone user has many expectations from their smartphone. An Airtel user is also no different in this aspect. Amongst many desires, they usually crave for following –

-          Offers, offers and more offers

-          Uninterrupted and fast network

-          Eco-system

Airtel went back to the drawing board and updated their android app keeping the cravings as the core. The “My Airtel” app can be downloaded from Airtel’s website or from Google Play Store.  Some of the features of the Airtel app that are interesting and have a strong chance of being replicated across other network provider apps are the following –

1.       Shake the phone and save – Every prepaid user looking for a new offer to save an extra penny will be enticed to use this app. What makes it appealing is the sound of coins when you shake the phone for more offers. Their TV advert also promotes this feature extensively. Although the concept of offers is not new to any network provider app, the concept of users shaking their handset with the app installed to select and opt for current offers makes it worth trying. By introducing free coupons, they are now challenging players like Freecharge / Paytm / CouponDunia. Much needed competition for these guys to raise their game up a notch.

2.       Easy to use interface – This is a pre-requisite of any app user, let alone “My Airtel” app. Any app should be user friendly and all the features should be easily accessible as and when needed. When user spends a considerable amount of time searching for a feature, s/he naturally starts hating the UI of the app and will be in the market for an alternative. “My Airtel” app scores on this front too.

3.       An eco-system in itself – Airtel has more to it than just being a network provider. They are into DTH as well. “My Airtel” app has covered these avenues as well. They have ensured they create an ecosystem of their own where you can connect various accounts, including family Airtel numbers for quick and easy recharges / bill payments. There’s a section for complaints new & requests. Airtel surely has their strategy in the right place. And with 4G coming, we can only expect for more!

Although there are positives in “My Airtel” app, users are bound to find loopholes with more usage of the app, possibly same offers running and technical glitches. But that’s why app updates are needed. Airtel’s work on the app is just a beginning.

But a great beginning, I must add! I fully anticipate other players to follow suit or come up with even better features. Thumbs crossed! 

Decoding Future

Even wondered what the future looks like? Barely 20 years back, there wasn’t a device we knew that can call people physically far away from us. Now, that device is very much a necessity in our lives – smartphones. Smartphones have perforated through different classes in the society, irrespective of the economic status one has. Televisions have improved from a CRT to a plasma to an LCD to an LED and now what – a true HD? There was a huge gap between a desktop PC and a smartphone few years back, which is now crowded with ultra-thin laptops, palmtops, PDAs, Tablets and even large screen smartphones!

So, what’s next now? Can we have a smartphone that’s smart enough to decipher our mood using some signals that pass from our fingers to the phones when we touch the device and react accordingly? Just for discussions’ sake, imagine you are frustrated and you decide to fiddle with your smartphone, your smartphone senses it and suggests that you need to freshen up or else you can mess up your day by taking fighting with someone you care for or do something professionally that you will live to regret for the rest of your lives. Or imagine you are super-excited, your smartphones picks up your mood and suggest that you use your social media apps to share your happiness with your social world. 

Smartphones have advanced to such a level that it can analyse your health status accurately. I don’t think we are far away from a situation where your smartphone can act like your true friend in more ways than one. The problem comes when we take this “relationship” too far (something that I explored in this post). Recently, I watched two movies that address and explore similar ideas. I watched “Lucy” (review – movie’s OK, nothing great though) and “Transcendence” (review – movie’s OK, better than Lucy, worth watching once). 

“Lucy” explored the situation where we utilize more than the estimated 10% of our brain. There are theories that say we can be closer to the Almighty once we start utilizing more than, say, 80%, of our brain. These are theories though and are given based on certain assumptions / postulation. Movie shows a person can multitask at the rate of knots, control other people the way they want to or even (hold thy breath) travel across time and be a living testimony of the theory of evolution! Yeah they stretched it too far. But then, did they?

I saw “Transcendence” primarily for Johnny Depp and Christopher Nolan (producer). The movie has 2 areas which can either fascinate you or intimidate you NOT to watch the movie. One – uploading the conscience of a person onto a system and two – rapid regeneration of human organs and if I stretch it a little bit more, regeneration of a dead human! The movie smartly shows technology healing humans almost immediately, giving sight to a blind person, resurrection of the dead (ring any bells? clue – Bible). Man almost became God in this movie. Too stretched without rational reasoning, I feel. You start by supporting the research on artificial intelligence and end up going against the same. I, for one, don’t want man to take God’s place. 

But can all this really be a possibility in about 100+ years’ time? Technology is changing from being a boon to a bane. Technology has provided us with an efficient and a cost-effective way to provide electricity to all corners of the world – nuclear technology. But the same has provided us with deadly bombs that can not only kill the current generation but handicap with next generation as well! Make no mistake about it, we are in for exciting times! We will see more innovations that our previous generation but will also bear witness to more destruction.

Future is being decoded in two ways – beneficial and destructive. The side that wins this battle will decide the way forward / backward, whichever way you look at it.

Can you really fall in love with "HER"?

Disclaimer: If you have visited this page thinking that I am going to reveal everything about my past / present / secret / "what-nots" with an actual woman, gotcha! This post is about the movie "HER" and contemplating the possibilities of this scenario actually happening in real life.

Short review of the movie - "HER"

"HER" is a movie where the protagonist falls in love with an OS. Yes, I know, it sounds awkward and ridiculous. But watch the movie completely before you make a judgement. Its a futuristic movie in terms of technology. Talking to your machine while it records everything correctly with punctuation is the norm. The hero (Joaquin Phoenix, awesome) of the movie is passing through a painful divorce. One day he overhauls his existing OS (Operating System) with a new one with Artificial Intelligence. He goes ahead and discovers that the OS has a voice - male / female. He chooses the female voice. The concept of the OS is to understand the user and evolve the intellectual capability accordingly. She (since the voice is feminine) is just like a personal assistant who can help clean up everything that's remotely digital. The protagonist starts understanding the OS and vice versa and this develops into a relationship which neither can avoid. Then some cracks arise (akin to a real human relationship) and the way they sort it out and then eventually the climax (revealing it will spoil everything). I personally found the movie intense, "A" rated, emotional, sensitive and completely based on justifiable situations. Kudos to the director (Spike Jonze) to come up with a concept like this and actually making it work! The only negative aspect of the movie was the length (2+ hrs). The emotions displayed are so stretched to make this movie into a semi-art film. However, a movie worth watching.

Now the question - Can this really happen? Can you really love "HER"? Can anyone fall in love with an OS?

Your immediate answer would be a resounding "NO". This is bizarre to say the least. I agree with you, I felt the same way too. But then don't you think that a lot of things happening in this world are actually bizarre? Don't you think we are slowing moving towards anticipating such a relation to happen somewhere in this world. Isn't the technology moving towards making our gadgets more human with emotional feel? Samsung tagged one of their mobile as a phone with a "human touch" and "Life Companion". Nokia allows users to "dress up" their devices with various colors giving it a distinct persona. Even my device (Galaxy S3) knows what I am searching in Google (using Google Now app) and suggests me options based on my search. I don't even need to search on my device, I can search on my laptop or any other device in this world provided I am logged in to Google. You can call it intrusion, but you won't deny the fact that its actually a personal touch. I mean, my phone knows what I am looking for and is trying to help me out. Isn't the movie an extension to what's currently happening in this world?

We humans have a tendency to share our emotions with others - be it happy, sad, elation, nervousness etc. The "others" I mentioned are usually considered as humans / God. That someone can be a family member / friend / even a stranger. Just a walk in the park will convince you that most of us are interacting with their gadgets - listening to radio / playing games / chatting on messaging apps / talking. There's an headset always attached as if its actually a part of the human body. Now consider this - what if the device starts talking to you and helping you use the gadget better / rearrange your life better? Isn't that possible? In that case, wouldn't you be more inclined to share your feelings with the device? After all, you are always with your device 24*7 even if the same duration doesn't apply to your close ones.

The world was intended to be a place where we interact with fellow humans and share the best practices to live a happy and safe life. Then gadgets emerged primarily as a need to interact with people not physically present near us. Dependence on gadgets have increased to such a level now that we don't even need humans around us. Gadgets have actually replaced humans. That's where this movie is relevant. As much as I hate to say this, I strongly feel we are just a decade or two away from such a relationship to emerge. And when it does emerge, we will only have ourselves to blame.

Photo Blog: Solitary

Here I am testing the macro function of my new Canon Poweshot SX-150. I kept a sweet dish on my table and waited patiently for ants to appear. After a long time, one of them emerged from somewhere (I am still tracking their hide-out).

And that one ant has now become the most social ant ever -

Since the ant took so long to come, I tried the macro function using a needle -

Still more pics to come. Love playing with my camera..

PS: I am off to Kerala. And from there, will be going to Bangalore (for the first time) and then back to aamchi Mumbai. Lots happening!

Photo Blog: Closer to Nature

This is the pic taken by my sister-in-law using Canon Powershot SX-150:

Testing my camera.. More pics to come.. :)

Book Review: 14 Hours: An insider's account of the 26/11 Taj attack

26th November 2008. The day Mumbaikars stood still - wherever they were, inside the terror attacked hotels, at home glued to the TV sets, on phone convincing their loved ones of their existence, in awe, in shock, in grief. You name it, we expressed all the emotions that's not remotely related to happiness. It was a black letter day in the life of every Indian. We were attacked by a terrorist outfit. Our media ensured we were updated of every single bullet shot and its repercussions. Everything from a 3rd person's perspective. What if I tell you there's a book out there that gives you a 1st person account of what happened in the Taj Mahal Hotel on that dreadful day? That's exactly where this book comes in. Does it live up to the readers expectation? Read on to find out..

Target Audience:

1. All Indians living anywhere in the world.

2. As the book suggests, readers who are interested to know what happened inside the Taj Mahal Hotel. It's the curiosity factor that the author is banking on. 

Plot: Unlike most of my book reviews, this one will be different. In the sense that the plot is actually known to everyone. It's not a plot actually, its a real life story. The book gives a timely account of what happened at what time inside the Taj - what was happening before it all started, how it started, how was it initially perceived, how the guests (customers) were controlled and transported to a relatively safer place each time, the bullet shots and its targets, panic et al. The author mentions his state of mind when people were being evacuated and he, instead of choosing the easier route of getting away from the scene of terror, decided to hang on till everyone is safe.

Writing: Before I analyze the writing style, let me give you a brief backdrop of the author in 2008. Understand that Ankur Sharma was a management trainee in 2008. He was a student in early 2008 who landed a job at Taj in mid-2008 and was few months into the job in November. And this reflects in his writing. There are some light and humorous incidents in the book. In other words, this is not actually a minute by minute account of happenings inside the Taj, but a minute by minute account of happenings of Ankur Sharma - what he saw around him, what happened to him and people around him. The book is written in a structured manner as it should be, considering it depicts a real life incident. There are many silly errors (spelling as well as grammatical) in the book which could have been eliminated. 

The cover page of the book contains an image of the dreadful act and the topic signifies that the book will be hard-hitting. However, the book is a toned-down version with moments of humor and light-hearted conversations between author and other staff members. There's a part of you that will feel deceived while reading this book. But then, maybe, its the reader's fault. We are taught not to judge a book by it's cover, right?

Relevance in today's times: The incident cannot be ignored under any circumstances. Especially when Ajmal Kasab was hanged on 21st November 2012 (almost 4 years after the incident) and the masterminds are still free and protected. This book serves as a reminder of the incident. It's a nice initiative by the author as it helps us Indians (with a short memory) to relive the dreadful days that went by and question the government authorities why justice has been delayed.

My Rating: 2.5 / 5

PS: This review is part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda. A special thanks to the BlogAdda team for selecting me for the review process.

My experience with Flipkart.com - A Review

First and foremost, let me inform you about two things:

1. I am not a shopping freak at all. To add on, the only "shopping" I do online is to buy movie tickets, train tickets, flight tickets, pay bills, buy books etc. Basically, 'need' based transaction or low risk transaction.
2. This review is purely based on my interaction and experience and might be different from your experience.

One fine day, one of my luxurious need became my basic need - to buy a camera. As is always the case, I do a lot of research before buying things that, I consider, are slightly expensive. After a lot of in-depth research and budget constraints, I finalized on Canon Powershot SX-150 IS. Flipkart was providing it for Rs. 9695/- with some freebies. Other sites were providing the same for the same price without some freebies. I went to some shops and realized that the price is slightly higher than what's quoted online by e-tailers. Giving into a better deal albeit moderate risk prompted me to opt for online shopping.

I bought the camera from Flipkart.com!

Once I entered my debit card details and clicked on "Submit", the next screen I got had the following message: "The page cannot be displayed". Just a second later, I got a message on my cell: "You account has been debited Rs. 9695/-..". So, I lost my money and I have no idea if I bought the camera! After cursing my decision of buying online, I called up the toll-free number. To my utter surprise, after navigating through some numbers, the person who received my call called me by my name! Now, I know, technically, that's possible as they will have my number stored and when I call them, their system will provide my name along with the number. But, through all my toll-free talking experience, no-one has ever addressed me by name. Instead, they all would cross-verify to ensure that "I am me". But Flipkart did it. In marketing terms - Flipkart's moment of truth with the customer - Perfect!

They informed me that they have received the amount and the camera will be delivered within 2-4 working days. As was promised, it was delivered within 2 working days. So now the cycle has been completed, I paid - and I received!  When I checked the invoice, I found that one item was missing. It was present on their website but on in the invoice. I contacted the customer service again. After verifying my claim, which took them a couple of minutes, they accepted it, apologized for it and promised to add an equivalent amount to my digital wallet within 1-2 days. I received the amount on my digital wallet and bought the remaining item from the site. Now the cycle has been fully completed.

Positives:
1. I got what I paid for. The product is exactly what is shown on the website.
2. Much better customer service team.
3. Better tracking mechanism and updating the customer throughout the delivery via e-mail, sms and by tracking the order from their site.

Negatives:
1. They should ensure that the sales package contains everything they have mentioned on their website. I suggest an added level of cross-verifying. Though they provide an alternative, it is cumbersome for the customer to search for the remaining product and buy it separately. Else, they should have a system where an incomplete order should be completed from the back-end without having the customer's involvement.

Overall Experience: Not bad huh? If this is how online shopping goes, I am sure this is not the last time I will log on to Flipkart.