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Saturday, April 14, 2012

Why you no say you haz gaming machine?

Being a part of the gaming industry over the past 2 years has given me some insight into a few facts. I thought I would take some time and just highlight it - just for the heck of it.

Gaming as a job in an industry is probably the most misunderstood, to begin with. Why? It is in the name - gaming. Most people assume that being in the gaming industry is just fun and games. But it is not just that. It is some of that but it is not all that. It is a serious business for a lot of people and even large companies are beginning to see this. The only people who rely on gaming as a business are the game software developers and their distributors. The hardware makers are the ones who understand that gaming is a serious business and making plenty of headway into applying technology to make gaming that much more interesting, yet they will not trust it enough to give gaming it's own space. 

I have noticed that hardware manufacturers hide their gaming businesses in the midst of their home entertainment verticals despite the fact that these businesses account for what is possibly their most specific R&D and most expensive products in the IT industry. Examples? Sony Corporation invests a lot of money in Gaming despite posting losses in Q3-2011, and taking a hit in the sales in Consumer Electronics (source: pcmag.com). Microsoft has 2 whole divisions dedicated to the Xbox experience - the Xbox hardware and its related R&D and the Xbox Live division that works on the UI, the delivery of new games online, and the delivery of premium content through their new system! Nintendo, although being one of the first to get INTO gaming (around the same age as Sega), are moving along slowly but bringing in some absolute classic hardware - although their software could do with an over-haul! All they seem to do starts with an M and ends with an Ario ;) - Sega's games too start with S and end with Onic... nothing new in their games; but Nintendo are planning an ace up their sleeve with the Wii-U. 

These are companies who kind of focus on gaming but are hiding in plain sight. There are companies that you probably did not know about or know about but were not aware that they love gaming too. Do you know these companies: LG, Samsung, Dell, HP, Asus and MSi. Why do I say this?

All these companies have the know how and resources to invest into gaming hardware that people would trust, and they do invest in making super expensive gaming hardware assembled for optimum efficiency. Why, then, do they not make their presence felt? Why did I need to pry it out of their brains that gaming is part of their system? HP just happened to let slip about their Phoenix range of gaming deskware. LG and Samsung have HUGE budgets for gaming hardware (like monitors, 3D technology, gaming laptops) and are in fact making it a part of their regular products as well - but their marketing does not do much to promote this. Same with Asus and MSi who make the best gaming components out there - everyone knows this. But when it comes to promoting their home grown machines that cost a fraction of what it would cost with an Alienware tag, no one is aware of their capability!

This is something I find weird. Why? As a gamer, who spends a lot of money on games and hardware, I would be most happy to know that there are a LOT more options out there than the ones that actually market themselves! Any gamer is looking for the best value for money proposition out there that would give him/her the chance to improve his/her game without burning a hole in his/her pocket. The solutions are out there with manufacturers investing time, effort and money to make them - but little effort is made to promote them to the right audience.

This can be changed if communication is made to the right audience in the right manner. And it does not cost a lot too :)

Anyway, if anyone wants to make a difference and improve the visibility of the gaming range of products to the right audience, then the simple solutions are out there for everyone to see.

Posted via email from partha's posterous

Sunday, April 8, 2012

HTC One X is here. I know; I saw it

For all those people who have been waiting patiently for the next big thing in mobile devices or have been putting off buying that smartphone for sometime now, I would probably recommend that you go and look at the HTC One X. I am sure that disappointed, you will not be!

For One(x) thing, HTC seem to have done things right on a lot of fronts and let me list down those things, which - in my opinion, needed work in the first place. I am not particularly fond of Android handsets. I guess I can put that down to being exposed to the lower strata of Android handsets that probably need to be rooted to get the best out of them. Quite frankly, I have tried, unsuccessfully at that, to do so and therefore have given up unceremoniously.

A few manufacturers seem to have got things right - HTC and Samsung to name the top 2 in my list. My first introduction to HTC was with the Desire. The phone is perfectly sized as an entry level, high spec smart phone. Price was almost right as well with it hovering around the $400 mark (I could be wrong you know). With a large application memory cache, it made downloading and using applications easier. HTC only improved this with the new range of phones with the Desire S, Incredible S and so on. Then came the HTC Sensation - and I was blown. That phone was not a phone - it was a mini power house. They also spoiled you with variants depending on what you wanted to focus on! Incredible - I mean, Sensational! :P

Then they went silent for some time until last week, they emailed me and said "Come check out the HTC One X" - and go I did.

What happened next was me - a devout not-liker of Android - actually jumping for the pen and recommending the HTC One X because I do really recommend that product. This mobile device can do EVERYTHING you need from a mobile technology companion. What could you possibly want?

1. Camera: The One X boasts of an 8 megapixel camera with something that HTC calls Image Sense - and its pretty cool. With low light pictures coming out really sharp and bright despite, well, low light conditions, the clarity and depth really is amazing. Burst is exactly that in the true sense of the word! Other modes do exist but Low Light HD Capture, and Burst were the highlight of the still camera. The video on the other hand records 1080P (I can't change the case for numbers!) of flawless video in the midst of which you can capture still images at 2mp quality. That is still print quality right there!! 

2. Screen and Touch: HTC have upgraded their OS to now be slightly smarter. Called the HTC Sense 4.0 this thing can now sync music through any music software and any Desktop OS. Nothing is proprietary anymore (*cough* iTunes *cough*). Easier to switch through the screens, better linked socially, improved connectivity and more through the new Sense 4.0. 

3. Media: Beats Audio - nuff said ;) 

Oh ok, fine - Audio quality is the same as the previous Sensation - with the addition of a few sensible functions like the ability to plug in ANY beats headset and get optimum quality sound through the Beats Audio engine in built!

4. Form: This is where I particularly loved the One X - it is larger than the Sensation - a 4.7" screen compared to the Sensation's 4.3" but in no way does it need me to have extra long thumbs anymore. Slimmer, more practical, a thinner bezel all make the actual phone a LOT easier to hold and manage compared to the Sensation.

5. Tech: Let's get technical for a bit here now -  out of the box with Android - ICS, the 32GB media memory, the 2GB inbuilt app memory, the 4.7 in HD screen, HTC Sense 4, Image Sense, OMG - and a companion core ONLY to manage the battery - this phone is the best thing since chocolate chip cookies - and the HTC Sensation ;). Coupled with 25 GB of Cloud Storage - really what more could you need?

Priced at AED 2499, the phone is already available in the market and I hope to get my hands on a review unit soon.

Hey you could buy your phone from JadoPado for the best deals online.

Posted via email from partha's posterous

Saturday, April 7, 2012

How to pick your tablet

As an avid user of all things gadget-y, I have a particular fondness to go to a store and try out all the new toys that arrive at our shores. Every now and then, I get this urge to binge and buy the first gadget I touch. Thank God, or I would be penniless! Albeit I could get my money back from the resale - but that's not quite the point of buying them in the first place, is it?

Anyway, until last month I would constantly visit electronic stores in the city randomly and check out the range of deals and options that tablets had for me. Believe me when I say this - being strong willed was VERY important!! 

What really amazed me were the options available in this class of Consumer Tech! The specifications varied from a Simple single-core processor to a dual-core processor; screen sizes ranging from 7 inches to 10 inches, colour depth and resolution ranging from VGA quality to HD! The operating system options also were pretty amazing within a single class of device - Windows, various versions of Android, RIMs OS for the playbook and the world famous iOS.

So now the question really is: How do you pick the tablet of choice? 

It really is quite simple! Let me just put this into perspective with the way I picked up my Blackberry Playbook:

1. Budget: I had a budget of about AED 1000 - AED 1500. Not too many good options in this price range but thankfully (at the time of buying my tablet) the Playbook 64GB was under offer available at AED 1250. (So that was 1-0 in favor of the playbook)

2. Screen Size: I was not fussy - I needed something larger than my mobile screen and something that was not cumbersome. When I tried out the various 10 inchers I found that the device needed extra long thumbs to use or just one hand. The 7inch screen on the other hand made thumb typing (even in landscape mode) pretty easy. Not to mention that it was not that heavy to lug around and was still bigger than my 3 inch mobile screen. (That is score 2 for the playbook)

3. Processing power: I needed a machine that could manage multiple applications running in the background and still not lag or fail when I am using the device. The only devices powerful enough for this were Apple iPad, and a few Android powered Tabs - Samsung, Moto and even Asus. The playbook featured a Dual Core TI OMAP chipset with 1 GB of RAM dedicated to running applications. That was enough for me. The GPU is no slouch either, making gaming smooth and fun :) - Score 3 for Playbook!

4. Browsing: I needed a full function browser. Now iOS was not a pick here since - let's face it - no flash. Android could have worked but then the devices did not fit into my criteria number 1 - the playbook was perfect with a full function browser with HTML5 and Adobe flash support - I could now play Farmville (if I wanted to, that is) on facebook. My group editor, when I was in PC World showed me that he could! :) Score 4

5. Application support: Now this is a big bone for contention - you buy a table so you have productivity on the move. Which means you need applications running on them. Finding the right application for your use is very tricky but very important. Now iOS and Android have been around for a VERY long time and they both have applications that range from official applications to fan made applications that have been designed to fulfill whatever you need. I went through all the applications stores everywhere. Windows failed right at the outset with not enough applications to do even the basic stuff. Apple had apps but you need a credit card and a little bit of courage to spend from that credit card. Android had the applications too but then getting the right one to actually work on an OS that has bugs in them from the word go - refer to my previous post about why I hate Android - and well that put me off completely. Blackberry, on the other hand, suprised me with application support for all the major things that I needed: Word Processing (this is a business tablet - it came inbuilt); Wordpress (for blogging); camera with editing - and this I must say is pretty nifty for basic stuff - nothing fancy but excellent photo quality and videos too; and even a few applications that were pretty useful like an FTP client and cloud storage access. I was sold - that was score 5 for the Playbook!

6. Connectivity: This is something that you need - it is a tablet and you need to be online! Wi-fi and Bluetooth is standard - 3G is optional. Can you survive with only Wi Fi then you have nothing to fear. With a 3G connection you will constantly worry about usage. How did the Playbook fair? It uses my Blackberry's bridge application to read my emails and even surf the web when I am on the move. I have a virtually unlimited connection on my Blackberry and this was very reassuring that I would not need a separate bill for my tablet. When I am at home or at a friends place, I use Wi Fi and I am sorted. The playbook won me over completely! Score 6 :) if you have an iPhone with a connection, then buy an iPad with only a wifi connection - that should be MORE than sufficient since the new iOS on the iPhone has a wifi broadcast feature to share your connection (called tethering) - all the other problems can be overcome.

This is the way I was able to shortlist the Playbook for myself. But this guide should be able to tell you what you really need to focus on before buying a tablet - after it is more than just good looks, right?

Posted via email from partha's posterous

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

The Myers-Briggs Personality Test (R) - What is it?

Overview

The Myers-Briggs® Type Indicator (MBTI) has been around for more than sixty years. It is a tried and true indicator of your personality type. That is not to say that the MBTI will explain every single aspect of your personality, but it will certainly explain a lot about who you are.

 

One of the main principles behind the MBTI is that you are born a certain type. Therefore, the more you are put in situations that allow you to be who you are, the better you will feel and the more productive you will be. MBTI is about how you feel most energized, how you perceive information, how you make decisions, and how you deal with the outside world. It is about preferences, preferences you are born with.

 

It's All About Preferences

Let us give you an example that will clarify what is meant by preferences: Write your name with the hand that you normally use to write with. You will notice that it comes easily to you. Now try to write your name with the other hand. You will notice that although you can do it, you cannot do it as well. It also feels uncomfortable to you. That is exactly how it is with your personality preferences; you are more comfortable and more productive in situations where you can be who you naturally are.

 

That is not to say that you cannot learn to act in a different manner; you can and you need to. As you develop and become more aware of yourself, you also become aware of areas that you need to work on and improve upon. The MBTI will tell you what these areas are; by telling you what your blind spots are, it tells you what you need to work on so that you may lead a more fulfilling and productive life.

 

The Results

Your MBTI personality type will be composed of four letters. The combination of these letters will tell you quite a bit about your personality. What is important to know at this point is that you will be told whether you are an Extrovert or Introvert, whether you are Judging or Perceiving, and what your dominant, helping, tertiary and inferior functions are, ranging from your strongest (dominant) to your weakest (inferior), in that order.

 

Simply put, Extroversion (E) and Introversion (I) refer to where you feel most energized. Judging (J) and Perceiving (P) refer to how you prefer to lead your life. As to functions, these refer to how you prefer to take in information, where you either prefer to use Sensing (S) or Intuition (N). Functions also refer to how you prefer to make decisions, where you either prefer to use Thinking (T) or Feeling (F).

 

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E S T P - This is what my MBTI is

Logical Responder: Act & Adapt


"It's easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission"


Strengths

You are an Extrovert with Sensing as your strongest dominant function and Thinking as your second strongest "helping" function. This means that your greatest strength is your ability to take in information by focusing on the facts and the specifics of a situation. You are practical, realistic and detail-oriented, noticing and remembering factual information. You are resourceful and focused on something you can apply now.


Your second greatest strength (helping function) is your ability to make decisions based on logical analysis. You are able to act quickly and make things happen. You are realistic and prefer to take the most efficient route. You typically find a way through difficult situations.


Careers and ideal work environment

ESTPs are likely to do well in occupations that allow them to use their action-oriented focus to attend to the necessary details. Those include, but are not limited to, Marketing; Skilled Trades such as Construction and Maintenance Engineering; Business; Law Enforcement; Applied Technology such as Hardware Engineering and Website Design; Athletic Training; Interpreting; and Pharmacology.


ESTPs like to work with people and value trial and error in determining what works. They can be good team-members as long as the tasks are clearly defined and each member pays attention to what is logical. They enjoy hands-on experience; manage others loosely and prefer minimal supervision themselves.

As an ESTP your ideal work environment is one containing lively, action-oriented people focused on the immediate situation. You like to work in an environment that provides flexibility in doing the job, and rewards a quick response to problems.


General areas for development

As an Extrovert, you may appear demanding, blunt, and insensitive when you take charge during times of crisis. If so, you are strongly encouraged to take the time to explain to others why you have taken a particular course of action. You may also get too caught up in off-work activities such as sports and other hobbies.


Your blind spots include your Feeling and your Intuition; those are referred to as your tertiary and inferior functions, respectively. Because you base your decisions on logic, as opposed to people and values, you are likely to neglect interpersonal niceties and the impact of your behavior on those around you. Furthermore, in taking in the information around you, you may be so focused on the specifics of a situation that you may ignore the larger picture. For example, you may be so focused on the day-to-day realities of a situation that you may ignore the long-term implications.


Being a P, you are likely to overlook important information in your desire for the quick fix. You are likely to value openness and autonomy to such an extent that it creates an environment that is too lacking in structure, direction, and necessary follow-through. You may need to keep work and play in the proper perspective.


Being aware of your blind spots is vital. It sheds light on the areas that you need to develop. For example, it is important that you remind yourself to take long-term implications into consideration. It is also important that you plan for things and put in the effort necessary to achieve desired results. Finally, it is important that you include more interpersonal niceties and express appreciation of others.


Knowing your own, and other people's, type is very helpful. It allows you to appreciate differences instead of being frustrated by them. In knowing what your strengths are, you are able to capitalize on them. In knowing what your blind spots are, you can take steps to compensate for them. One way you can take steps to compensate for your blind spots is to seek the assistance of someone who does not share your type.


Extroverts tend to act first and think later. This is an advantage in cases that need an immediate response. However, it can also be a disadvantage in cases that require some time to think before acting. As a rule, in order to avoid taking hasty action, you are encouraged to take two steps back before responding or making a decision. If you find yourself unable to do so, you are encouraged to seek the assistance of an Introvert who will surely give you invaluable input. Make sure, however, that you allow the Introvert the time he or she needs to reflect.


Sensing people are more comfortable dealing with practical matters. They pay a great deal of attention to detail and love to put their experience to practical use. They are very much about the "here and now". This is an advantage in cases that require a practical response that is appropriate to the day-to-day realities and demands of a situation. However, it can be a disadvantage in cases that require a more long-term, more creative view of the situation. As a rule, you are encouraged to consciously include the long-term in your view of things and to push yourself to be more creative. If you find yourself unable to do so, you are encouraged to seek the assistance of an Intuitive person who will surely provide you with a different way of seeing things. He or she is sure to give you the long-term view as well as more creative, if less practical, ideas.


Thinking people are more comfortable making decisions based on a logical analysis of the facts. They love to come up with solutions that meet the logical demands of a situation. They will see flaws and take action to correct them. This is an advantage in cases that require an impersonal logical response. However, it can be a disadvantage in cases that require a more personal response that takes other people's feelings into account. As a rule, you are encouraged to push yourself to take more personal and subjective matters into account when making your decisions. If you find yourself unable to do so, you are encouraged to seek the assistance of a Feeling person who will surely provide you with the personal input that you need.


Perceiving people are more comfortable dealing with things as they arise. They love to spend their time gathering information without necessarily making decisions. They lead an open, flexible life, and are able to come up with spontaneous solutions. This is an advantage in cases that require an open exploration of the facts. It is also an advantage in times of crisis where a calm and adaptive response is needed. It can, however, be a disadvantage in cases that require planning, organization, and methodical implementation. As a rule, you are encouraged to push yourself to plan, to set goals, and to work to achieve them. If you find yourself unable to do so, you are encouraged to seek the assistance of a Judging person who will surely provide you with the planning and structuring that you need.


Communication strengths and areas for development

When you express yourself, you are straightforward and matter-of-fact. You are active, engaging, and challenging. While initially impersonal, you can be charming, easygoing, tolerant, and casual. You are not likely to enjoy sitting around discussing matters for long periods, and you like to hear practical to-the-point information. You like to hear information that is logical, direct, and objective. You like to hear communication that is engaging and fun. You like to hear clear specific information that lacks ambiguity. You like to question information for its immediate application. You do not like to hear communication that is too verbose, abstract, or future-oriented. In times of crisis, you like to act very quickly and do not want to slow down to explain your actions.


In your focus on the task at hand, you are likely to neglect the needs and the situations of the people involved. If so, you are strongly encouraged to make a conscious effort to develop rapport and connect with others. In your focus on spotting flaws, you may tend to give more corrective than positive feedback; make a conscious effort to create a balance between the two, particularly with F types. Make an effort to use accepted and standardized procedures to accomplish tasks. Before skipping steps or modifying procedures, check to ensure that you are not missing something important. As a rule, you need to include more order and interpersonal niceties in your communication.

Posted via email from partha's posterous

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Why I don't like android!

This is a constant cause for concern for most new phone buyers. What applications will my phone support? Will I get the necessary updates to my OS to remove any bugs in my phone?

While the iOS, BlackBerry and Symbian essentially do not need much/any tinkering to get the basic applications you need to stay in touch or get work done, I have found that the Android system is essentially flawed. Or at least it is flawed in the manner executed by handset manufacturers and not in line with the way Google intended it to be.

I remember fondly, not so long ago, when the G1 was launched. Google's own little pet project running a Qualcomm chip set and a full touch interface. The concept was perfect and executed well enough to make others sweat.

There have been 9 updates to that OS since then and each one trying hard to overcome the flaws being highlighted by handset manufacturers around the world. Each company has taken the basic system and mangled it no end making the basic system inherently unusable in its factory state!!

Not one manufacturer has used the basic OS in its desired form thereby making rooting the phone step 2 in any persons "guide to owning an android phone". These rules do not apply to the tablet for some reason!

This is my biggest pet peeve with android os handsets.

When I compare factory settings with an iPhone or a BlackBerry or even a Nokia - I find that I get what I need right out of the box - no surprises! No disappointments!

Now this is why I still use a Nokia or a Blackberry with great regard as compared to an Android.

Posted via email from partha's posterous

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Little Johnny in Class

Little Johnny Does Different Maths 
Little Johnny was busy doing his homework. As his mother approached she heard:
"One and one, the son-of-a-bitch is two."
"Two and two, the son-of-a-bitch is four."
"Three and three... " 
His mother interrupted, asking where he had learned this way of doing math. Little Johnny remarked that his teacher Ms. Margo taught him. His mother was rather upset and told him to stop the homework. 
The next day she stormed into Little Johnny's classroom and confronted Ms. Margo. Little Johnny's mother told Ms. Margo about Little Johnny's different way of doing math, and his claims that Ms. Margo taught it that way to the class. The teacher was flabbergasted. She said that she couldn't understand why Little Johnny had said what he did. 
Then suddenly, Ms Margo exclaimed, "Oh, I know, here in school we say, one and one, the sum-of-which is two." 
****

Peeping Johnny 
A new teacher was giving an assignment to her class one day. It was a large assignment so she started writing high up on the chalkboard. Suddenly there was a giggle from one of the male students.
She quickly turned and asked, "What's so funny Pat?"
"Well teacher, I just saw one of your garters."
"Get out of my classroom," she yells, "I don't want to see you for three days." 
The teacher turns back to the chalkboard. Realizing she had forgotten to title the assignment; she reaches to the very top of the chalkboard. Suddenly there is an even louder giggle from another male student.
She quickly turns and asks, "What's so funny, Billy?"
"Well teacher, I just saw both of your garters." 
Again she yells, "Get out of my classroom!" This time the punishment is more severe, "I don't want to see you for three weeks." 
Embarrassed, she drops the eraser when she turns around, so she bends over to pick it up. This time there is an all out belly laugh from another male student. She quickly turns to see Little Johnny leaving the classroom.
"Where do you think you are going?" she asks.
"Well teacher, from what I just saw, my school days are over." 

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Pet Peeves: What Dogs hate about humans

'1' Blaming your farts on me..... not funny... not funny at all !!! 
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'2' Yelling at me for barking.  I'M A FRIGGIN' DOG 
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'3' Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is this anyway? 
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'4' Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose. Stop it! 
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'5 ' The sleight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! Whoooo Hoooooooo what a proud moment for the top of the food chain. 
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' 6 ' Taking me to the vet for 'the big snip', then acting surprised when I freak out every time we go back! 
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' 7’ Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but I haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet . 
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' 8 ' Dog sweaters. Hello ??? Haven't you noticed the fur? 
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' 9 ' How you act disgusted when I lick myself. Look, we both know the truth. You're just jealous. 
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Now lay off me on some of these things. We both know who's boss here! You don't see me picking up your poop do you? 

EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY. 

Posted via email from partha's posterous

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