Doing a little bit of an experiment today using the LOG feature of the notepad to write the BLOG :) Actually it happens often that when you sit to write something, you draw a blank and at all other times of the day thoughts keep jamming in your mind and keeping it busy. So thought of jotting them down as and when they come up. Please note that this is not a "Dear diary.." type of a blog on how I spent my day. But it's more a collection of various thoughts throughout the day that I feel are worth sharing. The timestamp below is just to emphasize that these thoughts cropped up at different times of the day and may be in part if not completely unrelated to each other.
12:32 PM 4/27/2010
"The price must be paid and the process followed. You always reap what you sow; there is no shortcut."
4:27 PM 4/27/2010
Thought of buying a voice recorder so that I could capture my thoughts on the go. Because there are times when interesting things are going on in your head you are discussing, articulating, arguing with yourself on something but then soon you are jolted back to the reality of life and everything vanishes.Looked for some on the Amazon. The first one that a picked had a bad review, the other didn't have any review. Then thought if iphone had a voice recording feature. I know it does record videos but I just want to record the voice and keep the visual distractions at bay. Still can't make up my mind :( For those wondering why would I want to record my own thoughts, I have always had a secret ambition (not so secret now that I am revealing it
now) to get a book published of my own. And I am not a natural writer who can come up with ideas at will but a more instinctive one the idea, the thought is there but it disappears as quickly as it comes, thus the need to capture it...
4:47 PM 4/27/2010
How fascinating is the way a good book provokes your thoughts ..sets the train of thoughts running..I think that the mark of a good book is that it lets you sit back and introspect, evaluate what you just read..after every few pages.
11:09 PM 4/27/2010
While watching an old interview of Amir khan yesterday on youtube available in 5 parts (http://bit.ly/dx3Wza) I felt the lady taking the interview was rude and insensitive at times so much so that it looked as if Amir was left in tears. And a blog entry from Vir Sanghvi ( http://bit.ly/aR8nP0 ) set me wondering about the old Doordarshan days when celebrity guests were held in awe. The person taking the interviews were polite and cultured. The interview often started with the host giving the glittering details of the achievements of the guest. Questions were short and often open ended which left the guest with ample time to speak his mind and his heart. And the viewers got more insight into the mind scape of the guest. obviously if a person is worthy enough of being invited for interview on national television he must have something special.
The interviews were more focused on the positives of the person so that "the aam junta" could see the person as a role model. Nowadays, the hosts speak most of the time, are not afraid/ashamed of interrupting the guest, are loud and more importantly bent upon ridiculing the guest so that they can create sensational stuff at the cost of civility. Leave alone interviews, most news channels have news readers shouting at the top of their voices as if that would make the news they are reading more credible. The Shrill voices and over-enthusiastic clumsy reporters clamoring for their two minutes of fame have forced me to stay away from news channels forever. I rely more on the Internet today at least I can choose what I want to read and filter out the junk.
But still often I wonder will we ever have anyone close to the Shammi Narangs and Ghazala Amins of yore..
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Social Media - Hype, Hoopla and Trends
There has been a lot of hype and hoopla about Social Media applications in recent times ..how their influence is increasing by the minute and how they are impacting what people think, buy, search or look for etc. So I thought of doing my own analysis about how each of these SM applications are doing.
The difficult part was where to start?? I relied on the experts to do it for me: Google. Google has an excellent feature called Google Trends which in my opinion can be an excellent indicator of the online popularity of anything searchable using a "keyword". You can find more information on how Google trends works @ http://bit.ly/9bvjCh.
So I used Google Trends to analyse the popularity of various SM channels and below are some interesting observations. But before I go in any further detail a small disclaimer: Please note that the below illustrations only depict the popularity standings of these SM apps on Google Search and may be completed unrelated to their financial and market standings. And second, I have included only those apps I am aware of , the rest, you need to get your act together :) [Bcos many people like myself still don't know you exist!!]
Note: You can click on each of these images to enlarge the image and have a better view.
Facebook
We all know the popularity of facebook is increasing by the day and as is obvious from the graph below. But what surprises me is that United States does not even feature in the Top10 regions and the list is lead by Turkey followed by Croatia. The popularity of facebook in these two countries is also evident if you look at the top cities and the languages list.
Foursquare
Foursquare featured in my earlier post - http://bit.ly/9SjFrG and I am happy to see it growing leaps and bounds :) Not many surprises here US and Canada lead the pack as does English in the languages list. The Northwestern states are taking the lead in using this location based SM app. Again Waterloo features prominently..this town seems to have a knack for mobile SM apps!!
Gowalla
Another location based mobile SM app which describes itself as "an app born in the heart of Texas" rules the heart of Texas :) if you take a look at the cities list. Although the popularity of the app seem to have taken a drastic dip in recent times, it seems to be quite popular in the western European countries with them taking 7 of the top 10 spots and Swedish, Dutch, German and English being the most popular languages.
Linkedin
Though it is more a professional networking site but it's popularity has been steadily growing over the years. Not surprising with the number of calls I frequently get these days from recruiters who have seen my linkedin profile :). I believe this is one of the most constructive uses of the SM concept. Also the way these guys have been constantly improving the site and making the experience better..they deserve the fan following :)
Loopt
This is another location based mobile SM and is extremely popular in Netherlands (all 10 spots in Cities) and the top language is Dutch. Shows the power of providing the Local content in the Local language. Also that you don't need always need a new idea to be successful, you can put the existing to a better use :) India features poorly in all these location based SM apps which indicates an opportunity here for the entrepreneurs. Any takers???
Myspace
Myspace was one of the most successful SMs and then became a big disaster. I am not sure about the reasons though you can clearly see a decline here ( probably you can find more here - http://bit.ly/9VpeaV. )But it is still quite popular in the US (Top 10 cities) and the top region.
The difficult part was where to start?? I relied on the experts to do it for me: Google. Google has an excellent feature called Google Trends which in my opinion can be an excellent indicator of the online popularity of anything searchable using a "keyword". You can find more information on how Google trends works @ http://bit.ly/9bvjCh.
So I used Google Trends to analyse the popularity of various SM channels and below are some interesting observations. But before I go in any further detail a small disclaimer: Please note that the below illustrations only depict the popularity standings of these SM apps on Google Search and may be completed unrelated to their financial and market standings. And second, I have included only those apps I am aware of , the rest, you need to get your act together :) [Bcos many people like myself still don't know you exist!!]
Note: You can click on each of these images to enlarge the image and have a better view.
We all know the popularity of facebook is increasing by the day and as is obvious from the graph below. But what surprises me is that United States does not even feature in the Top10 regions and the list is lead by Turkey followed by Croatia. The popularity of facebook in these two countries is also evident if you look at the top cities and the languages list.
Google Buzz
It seems the popularity of Google Buzz was very short lived. There is only one spike probably around the time it was launched, the curiosity seems to have died there after. But it seems the Asian countries have taken a liking to it. The top four countries are Asian countries with India leading the pack. By language Indonesian is leading the pack.. looks like providing the app in the local language is doing the trick for Buzz in Indonesia
Twitter
The Brazilians seem to have embraced Twitter quite well; as is evident from all three lists but what is surprising is Waterloo, Canada at the top of city list. A small search in Google Maps told me that it's a small town in Ontario. What is happening here?? Does the whole town every night sits and searches for Twitter on google..just for fun?? How come it left big cities like London and LA behind? Is google taking population vs per head searches into consideration for rank calculation?? I am not sure... Another strange thing is that although Indonesian features as the top language, none of the south east Asian countries feature in the list.
Foursquare
Foursquare featured in my earlier post - http://bit.ly/9SjFrG and I am happy to see it growing leaps and bounds :) Not many surprises here US and Canada lead the pack as does English in the languages list. The Northwestern states are taking the lead in using this location based SM app. Again Waterloo features prominently..this town seems to have a knack for mobile SM apps!!
Gowalla
Another location based mobile SM app which describes itself as "an app born in the heart of Texas" rules the heart of Texas :) if you take a look at the cities list. Although the popularity of the app seem to have taken a drastic dip in recent times, it seems to be quite popular in the western European countries with them taking 7 of the top 10 spots and Swedish, Dutch, German and English being the most popular languages.
Though it is more a professional networking site but it's popularity has been steadily growing over the years. Not surprising with the number of calls I frequently get these days from recruiters who have seen my linkedin profile :). I believe this is one of the most constructive uses of the SM concept. Also the way these guys have been constantly improving the site and making the experience better..they deserve the fan following :)
Loopt
This is another location based mobile SM and is extremely popular in Netherlands (all 10 spots in Cities) and the top language is Dutch. Shows the power of providing the Local content in the Local language. Also that you don't need always need a new idea to be successful, you can put the existing to a better use :) India features poorly in all these location based SM apps which indicates an opportunity here for the entrepreneurs. Any takers???
Myspace was one of the most successful SMs and then became a big disaster. I am not sure about the reasons though you can clearly see a decline here ( probably you can find more here - http://bit.ly/9VpeaV. )But it is still quite popular in the US (Top 10 cities) and the top region.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Have you foursquare'd yet?
Please note this post is already available at my other blog @ http://sankhyatantra.blogspot.com . But since I started this blog to specifically write on similar topics, I am reposting it here.
Ah.. found something exciting once again on the web: Foursquare (foursquare.com)
The Foursquare website describes itself as a means ".. to meet up with friends and discover new places!.."
The app mainly aims at letting your friends know what all places you visit and help you share your experiences with them. Say you visit a restaurant...all your friends would instantly know that you are there, if anybody is around they can visit you. Not only that there are host of other features that make it exciting
...so much so that people have started touting it as the next twitter :)
Got to know about Foursquare from the following: http://bit.ly/bZ1Esb . So decided to check it out and was not disappointed at all. In one of my earlier posts ( http://bit.ly/9ZeWno ) I mentioned how a new innovation quickly leads to the other. foursquare is a classic example of that. It derives its roots from twitter. In-fact, IMHO, it's a sweet combination of twitter and "word of mouth" publicity.
How does it work?
First of all you need to download the app on your phone. The website offers customized apps for iphone, android, blackberry and palm. Other mobile users with browsers can visit the mobile website. For people with non browser phones, they have an sms number where you can send your current location (the service is currently available only for US users though).
Visit Places or Check-in
Whenever you visit a place a check-in happens. Each visit is a check-in and there are points associated with it. There are points for late nights, visiting new places, taking friends etc
Earn Points and become the Mayor
As you keep visiting or checking in at various places, you keep earning points and unlocking badges. And if you become a person who has visited a place more than anyone else, you become the "Mayor" of that place ( there are benefits of being a Mayor)
Share your experience with your friends
You can also offer tips to your friends..visited a restaurant and if there is a dish on the Menu that you absolutely love!!..just let your friends know and recommend it. That ways you not only recommend a restaurant but what would be the best possible thing to order there..
Why businesses love it :)
For businesses it's an excellent and fun way of promoting loyalty. The "Mayors" are offered freebies and other benefits which encourages them to visit the place time and again.And remember a Mayor can dislodged from his position by others by earning more points..so more competition..more customers vying for the "Mayor"ship..better for your business :)
See Reports
The best thing is probably this one which was sadly missing in Twitter. An individual can see what all places he has visited, how many times, points earned etc. Similarly businesses can see the number of check-ins both new and repeat and keep a tab on the new clientele they are attracting as well as customer loyalty and retention.
Ah.. found something exciting once again on the web: Foursquare (foursquare.com)
The Foursquare website describes itself as a means ".. to meet up with friends and discover new places!.."
The app mainly aims at letting your friends know what all places you visit and help you share your experiences with them. Say you visit a restaurant...all your friends would instantly know that you are there, if anybody is around they can visit you. Not only that there are host of other features that make it exciting
...so much so that people have started touting it as the next twitter :)
Got to know about Foursquare from the following: http://bit.ly/bZ1Esb . So decided to check it out and was not disappointed at all. In one of my earlier posts ( http://bit.ly/9ZeWno ) I mentioned how a new innovation quickly leads to the other. foursquare is a classic example of that. It derives its roots from twitter. In-fact, IMHO, it's a sweet combination of twitter and "word of mouth" publicity.
How does it work?
First of all you need to download the app on your phone. The website offers customized apps for iphone, android, blackberry and palm. Other mobile users with browsers can visit the mobile website. For people with non browser phones, they have an sms number where you can send your current location (the service is currently available only for US users though).
Visit Places or Check-in
Whenever you visit a place a check-in happens. Each visit is a check-in and there are points associated with it. There are points for late nights, visiting new places, taking friends etc
As you keep visiting or checking in at various places, you keep earning points and unlocking badges. And if you become a person who has visited a place more than anyone else, you become the "Mayor" of that place ( there are benefits of being a Mayor)
Share your experience with your friends
You can also offer tips to your friends..visited a restaurant and if there is a dish on the Menu that you absolutely love!!..just let your friends know and recommend it. That ways you not only recommend a restaurant but what would be the best possible thing to order there..
Why businesses love it :)
For businesses it's an excellent and fun way of promoting loyalty. The "Mayors" are offered freebies and other benefits which encourages them to visit the place time and again.And remember a Mayor can dislodged from his position by others by earning more points..so more competition..more customers vying for the "Mayor"ship..better for your business :)
See Reports
The best thing is probably this one which was sadly missing in Twitter. An individual can see what all places he has visited, how many times, points earned etc. Similarly businesses can see the number of check-ins both new and repeat and keep a tab on the new clientele they are attracting as well as customer loyalty and retention.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Google renamed Topeka
Ha...Ha...Ha another April fools day prank from Google...they have renamed themselves "Topeka".
Not only that it offers a weird explaination as well..Read it and have fun :)
Found some more...Google Search Results are showing up in strange units :)
Google Maps has a link where they claim that Google researchers have discovered a New dimension ..
And finally you can upload anything to google docs :)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
5 reasons why we love the "web"
Of late I have been spending a lot of time on the web... not just on Gmail, Facebook and Orkut.... but much more on exploring the web. The more time I spend the more intrigued I get. They say that the US used to be the Land of Opportunities - Anybody could do whatever they wanted and make it big. While it is still true to some extent but US is slowly being displaced by a virtual landscape - the internet..the landscape here is virtual but all the more important. The recent nomination of the "internet" or the "web" for the Nobel Prize underlines the growing importance.
So I began thinking what makes the internet so indispensable ..what has lead to its enormous growth. Here are 5 things which I believe make the internet or the web what it is today:
1. Democratic/Equalitarian in nature
An equal opportunities platform, it does not care who you are - what age, sex, region, religion, economic strata you belong to :) You can choose what you want to be - the one who openly declares what they are and propagate and standby whatever their beliefs are. Or the one who stays anonymous because of whatever reasons..but the important thing is everybody gets a voice, a platform.
2. Based on Ideas/Innovation
The world they say is driven by ideas and so is internet... which is what makes it so powerful. The freedom and ease with which an idea can be implemented with minimal support from others has resulted in explosive growth for the internet. And as in life here in the virtual world also one idea powers the other. Need to share yours thoughts with world - Blogger is here. Can't wait to reach home..want to share info on the go..anyways you just have a short message..here's Twitter. Oh damn ..the 140 character limit..want to share this great link but it's too long..url shortner is there..and so the chain of innovations goes on...
3. Almost free...OK..Cheap!!
As most other things, this luxury is not the prerogative of the rich and the elite, it's darn cheap..almost free!! In fact with more and more public Wi-Fi zones being established it's becoming more and more accessible.
4. Far, Wide, Deep
Even the farthest corners of the earth are within reach. I can connect to my dear ones anywhere in the world anytime I want... Look for information on any damn topic in the world, I have it on my tips..Thanks to Google Search [ I know many other and better search engines are available..but I am a fan of Google :) ] Human nature is inquisitive ..the quest for knowledge is never ending but so is the depth of knowledge available on the web..start on any topic and you can delve as deep as you want and explore as much as you want.
5. It Connects
Humans are social and they need to express..the web provides ample opportunities for both..look at hundreds of social networking sites available and the ways every other site wants you to share what you are doing or thinking..
In my upcoming posts I am planning to share some amazing sites that I have come across.. the ones I think are both innovative and provide a greater meaning to the existence of the web. Hope you will like them. For this post lemme know what your thoughts are..agree..disagree..anything??
So I began thinking what makes the internet so indispensable ..what has lead to its enormous growth. Here are 5 things which I believe make the internet or the web what it is today:
1. Democratic/Equalitarian in nature
An equal opportunities platform, it does not care who you are - what age, sex, region, religion, economic strata you belong to :) You can choose what you want to be - the one who openly declares what they are and propagate and standby whatever their beliefs are. Or the one who stays anonymous because of whatever reasons..but the important thing is everybody gets a voice, a platform.
2. Based on Ideas/Innovation
The world they say is driven by ideas and so is internet... which is what makes it so powerful. The freedom and ease with which an idea can be implemented with minimal support from others has resulted in explosive growth for the internet. And as in life here in the virtual world also one idea powers the other. Need to share yours thoughts with world - Blogger is here. Can't wait to reach home..want to share info on the go..anyways you just have a short message..here's Twitter. Oh damn ..the 140 character limit..want to share this great link but it's too long..url shortner is there..and so the chain of innovations goes on...
3. Almost free...OK..Cheap!!
As most other things, this luxury is not the prerogative of the rich and the elite, it's darn cheap..almost free!! In fact with more and more public Wi-Fi zones being established it's becoming more and more accessible.
4. Far, Wide, Deep
Even the farthest corners of the earth are within reach. I can connect to my dear ones anywhere in the world anytime I want... Look for information on any damn topic in the world, I have it on my tips..Thanks to Google Search [ I know many other and better search engines are available..but I am a fan of Google :) ] Human nature is inquisitive ..the quest for knowledge is never ending but so is the depth of knowledge available on the web..start on any topic and you can delve as deep as you want and explore as much as you want.
5. It Connects
Humans are social and they need to express..the web provides ample opportunities for both..look at hundreds of social networking sites available and the ways every other site wants you to share what you are doing or thinking..
In my upcoming posts I am planning to share some amazing sites that I have come across.. the ones I think are both innovative and provide a greater meaning to the existence of the web. Hope you will like them. For this post lemme know what your thoughts are..agree..disagree..anything??
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Ankit International Sports
Thought of dedicating a blog to Ankit International whom I support.
Ankit International was established in 1993 and has ever since been into creation and marketing of sports and lifestyle products. They are committed to creating products that reflect the desire to constantly bring out the best in everyone. Based out of Meerut, the Sports City of India, Ankit International manufactures and supplies a huge assortment of quality Sports goods and equipments for a wide range of sports including but not limited to cricket, football, volleyball, basketball, tennis, badminton etc
Ankit international has more than 17 years of experience in the Sports Goods industry. They manufacture and supply a large range of sports and lifestyle products and accessories with the best quality. They offer the best services for their customers at very reasonable and competitive prices.
Go to http://www.ankitinternational.net/ to learn more about them :)
The site is still being worked upon and these guys are adding stuff gradually but basic idea is in place. Do let me know if you like the website or not. If it sucks let me know where? If you like it..tell me what's cool about it??.. Brickbats or bouquets..all kind of feedback is welcome :)
The site is still being worked upon and these guys are adding stuff gradually but basic idea is in place. Do let me know if you like the website or not. If it sucks let me know where? If you like it..tell me what's cool about it??.. Brickbats or bouquets..all kind of feedback is welcome :)
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