Some Terrible Decisions by Apple in 2012

You may say - some terrible decisions by Apple. Or, some terrible decisions by the CEO himself - Tim Cook in the past few months. As a long time Apple follower and fan; simply put, this is quite hurting. And most disturbing of all - not sure Steve Jobs would have permitted any of these.…

iPad Mini – Did Apple Really Need It?

Apple iPad Mini. Priced at $329. Understood - Apple wishes to compete with Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD and Google’s Nexus 7; but the question is - 'Did Apple really need this one?' I believe this is a terrible decision by Apple. And Steve Jobs if alive, would have had been extremely mad. Before he died,…

Best Revenge Scene – Sonatine // A Bittersweet Life // Ajussi // A Better Tomorrow?

Always thought of asking this to myself - and to people who have seen all 4 of these movies... Asia's finest - probably the best of the best in the modern generation from Japan & South Korea. The movies include: Sonatine (1993) - Directed by Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano A Bittersweet Life (2005) - Directed by…

A Better Tomorrow (2010) – A South Korean Gangster Masterpiece

It happens. The remake is better than the original. Once in a million - times. But happens. Such is the case with 'A Better Tomorrow' (2010), the South Korean masterpiece of 2010. If you're a fan of South Korean movies - then already you know what I'm talking about - superb story, classy action, ruthless…

ELITIFY – For the Successful Man

Snake Skin Patterned Wallet from Etro at Rs. 22,900/- or an artificial leather Wallet from an unknown brand at 50% discount for Rs. 1,999? Which one do you prefer? Are you a premier customer or a bargain hunter? Read on if you're the former; you can visit Jabong.com OR Myntra.com if you're the latter. In…

The New Wave of Bengali Cinema: Impressive

If you're a fan of Ra.One and Rowdy Rathore type Bollywood movies wherein the actors fly through the sky most times like Superman, and would bring Spiderman and John Wayne to shame with their fighting and shooting skills; then probably this blog post wouldn't make any sense. Otherwise read on. There was a time when…

Emailer from Jabong – Sums Up Indian E-commerce Scenario

NB: This blog post is NOT directed against any company, person or group(s) in particular. In fact, I myself have purchased over 25+ items from Jabong.com in the past 4 months. 🙂 Customer Service is impeccable. This promotional mailer from Indian e-retailer Jabong.com (Rocket Internet venture launched in late 2011 in India) pretty much sums…

Creating a Referral Program for Your E-commerce Website – Sher Singh Way

A B2C e-commerce site ideally revolves around 4 core aspects: a) a shopping experience b) a social sharing experience c) a referral (invite) experience d) a loyalty program experience A Dot.com that can do these 4 effectively, will survive the 'Dot.com bust' when it comes, which it surely will in India. Sooner or later. Result…

8 Things To Do if you’re Planning for a Startup (and WHAT NOT TO DO as well) (Startup Series: Episode 6)

You've a great idea. A financially viable business model (on paper). A few key team players in mind (to get on-board). And on verge of securing a good amount of VC capital. All set for the next Facebook? Twitter? Pinterest? Unfortunately NO. Having worked in India for a few startups - whether B2B/B2C - have…

The Only Book Steve Jobs Had on his iPad 2

Steve Jobs loved reading books - mostly spiritual ones. However, the only book that Steve had downloaded on his Apple iPad 2 for regular reading was - Autobiography of a Yogi. It is an autobiography written by Paramahansa Yogananda (January 5, 1893–March 7, 1952) in 1946, in which he discusses his life story,and which introduced…

E-commerce in India – Flipkart in Trouble? (Startup Series: Episode 5)

UPDATED: Facebook stocks slide further and now at the lowest ever. Shares of the No. 1 social-networking company ended the day down $3.14, or 11.7%, to $23.70, which not only notched a new low but also marked a nearly 40% decline from the company's initial public offering price. (SOURCE) I had recently written a blog…

Dot.Com IPOs – Should One Invest? (Startup Series: Episode 4)

UPDATED: Facebook stocks slide further and now at the lowest ever. Shares of the No. 1 social-networking company ended the day down $3.14, or 11.7%, to $23.70, which not only notched a new low but also marked a nearly 40% decline from the company's initial public offering price. (SOURCE) Facebook IPO. IntraSoft Technologies (123Greetings.com) IPO.…

Quality Education – Why Is It Important?

Whilst interviewing for a Fortune 100 company in India, I still remember, the VP - HR had asked me - 'Oxford? Why? You couldn't get that education in India? Why waste money there?' I still remember asking - 'What's that supposed to mean? Oxford is the oldest university in the English speaking world. Aren't you…

iPhone’s 5-Year Anniversary: The most *successful* phone of all time

The Apple iPhone completed its 5-year anniversary on June 29, 2012. Read reports of widespread anxiety amongst Apple fans from around the world - to celebrate this day. Unfortunately, Steve is not with us anymore; but am sure, looked down on Apple proudly from the heavens. No mobile device in the history of electronics has…

Probability of Going Viral

Creating a 'viral video' to promote a brand/product/service is just NOT possible. Creating a video that has a powerful emotional connect, delivers a strong brand message and top class in quality - is possible. Whether it goes VIRAL or not; cannot be intrinsically controlled. When does a video become a 'viral' video? Well, there's no…

Why Pinterest Visits are Slowing Down

There's nothing more irritating in this world than when you wish to showcase your portfolio or photos to your friends, and the site doesn't load or fails to load the images. Simply looking - you just look like an idiot. And once the moment passes, no one practically cares after a certain point. Amongst all…

Most *Social* Celebs on Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

Who are the most LIKED / FOLLOWED / PINNED celebrities on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest respt? Well, as of today, 10 June 2012, following are the biggest players on the social networking sites - FACEBOOK: 1) Eminem - 58,222,221 Likes, Singer, M 2) Rihanna - 57,263,637 Likes, Singer, F 3) Lady Gaga - 51,834,276 Likes,…

Finally… Kahaani (2012) stands out

Dump of shit. Boring. Idiotic scripts. Hilarious acting. Cheap items songs. Common tale for most Bollywood movies. In the recent past. Finally, a movie worth writing about. I usually don't watch Bollywood crap - cause time is limited - its better to watch good 'neo-realistic' or 'existentialist' Japanese, Korean, Chinese movies. Worse - watch 'Hollywood…

Bean Bags – Love it Or Hate it?

I like Bean Bags. So got 3 of them for my new flat in New Delhi for guests to sit when pals drop in for beer! Here's some pics from my room... a 32" LCD is missing... which I will get soon...

The Hardest Part

Hardest Part. You didn't mean to offend someone, but the person is pissed off on you. Hardest Part is to live with it every day. And be Happy. I recently joined a new organization wherein the people are so nice, kind and warm. Especially connected with a pretty lady, and we immediately gelled well. She…