I took a look at Microsoft's new search engine "Bing". I was quite impressed with it. Maybe because by now Microsoft is just known for not getting "search" right :-). So the bar was quite low. However I liked what I saw.
At the "AllThingsD" conference last week Steve Ballmer was asked about the name "Bing". He said that they didn't want users to keep clicking back and forth. It tried to do more that simply find the best links and put those in front of the user. Fair enough.
When I heard the name, the first thing that came to my mind was "Chandler Bing" :-). Maybe because I am huge F.R.I.E.N.D.S. fan. But the name 'Bing' is almost synonymous to Chandler Bing and thereby Matthew Perry. I wonder why Microsoft hasn't yet taken Matthew Perry ("Chandler Bing" from F.R.I.E.N.D.S) as their brand ambassador. Chandler was smart, witty, funny, had a job in "Data processing and statistical analysis" and very very popular; not too different from what Microsoft is trying to achieve. If they used Jerry Seinfeld for the brand name "Microsoft", they could've easily gone with Matthew Perry for their search business.
And one by one they could introduce new features named Monica (where they keep the search engine clean), Joey ("date" search), Ross (academia search), Rachel (deals search) and Phoebe (?? search) :D. Maybe this could be the way of bringing all the six of them together again!! As is, we hardly see anyone from the F.R.I.E.N.D.S. starcast these days.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
We, The people ...
I've been planning to write this blog for ages... just never found time. Haah... a friday afternoon and 4.00pm it is. Best time to write one :).
Neways, if you think this blog is about democracy or the Indian constitution, read no further. If you couldn't relate the title of the blog with the term Indian constitution... read this :).
I've met some absolutely amazing people so far. From over-enthusiastic to simply dull and boring. From absolute geeks and nerds to the not-so-bright-but-very-very-hardworking. From rib-ticklingly funny to genuinely irritating. There is a saying in Marathi "Vyakti titkya Prakruti" which loosely translates to each one has a different personality. I want to write a series of blogs on these people. Maybe one blog per 'type' of people. Lets see how far I go.
Obviously I won't give out any names... and will try to be politically correct (and therefore less interesting?) :).
There's this class of people who are "Omniscient". (Now that you are back after reading what omniscient means...) This class of people is simply amazing in the amount of knowledge that they posses. You talk about technology, they know all about it; you talk politics, they know everything; you talk films and entertainment, they know it. I wonder where and how did these guys gain this much knowledge. I never see them reading :).
There's this typical situation when these guys simply excel in. There are a bunch of people discussing some topic. You *think* that you know more than most people and start leading the discussion. This omniscient guy is all quiet simply taking in whatever is happening around. You thin you have a brilliant suggestion or a path-breaking idea. You put in all your efforts explaining it. You go to great depths trying to prove how your idea is good, how it beats existing ones and how you have *almost* all the facts necessary to prove it. And just when you feel your point has been driven home, this guy will simply put forth a couple of questions to which you will have no answer. You fight, fight really hard in trying to gain the upper hand. But a few thoughts later, you realize that there's something missing. This guy will then simply run over everything that you said. Without being too offensive, he'll prove that your suggestions were 'kinda crap' :). There will be a new idea that he will put forth and this one would seem nothing short of sensational :). Everything just falls into place. His idea is brilliant and there are just no shortcomings. You're left wondering how will you ever be that good!!
If this hasn't happened to you you're really missing something :). That feeling of being almost there but not quite. That definite urge to go that extra mile in your research. And also that big realization to be good listener.
-Shri
Neways, if you think this blog is about democracy or the Indian constitution, read no further. If you couldn't relate the title of the blog with the term Indian constitution... read this :).
I've met some absolutely amazing people so far. From over-enthusiastic to simply dull and boring. From absolute geeks and nerds to the not-so-bright-but-very-very-hardworking. From rib-ticklingly funny to genuinely irritating. There is a saying in Marathi "Vyakti titkya Prakruti" which loosely translates to each one has a different personality. I want to write a series of blogs on these people. Maybe one blog per 'type' of people. Lets see how far I go.
Obviously I won't give out any names... and will try to be politically correct (and therefore less interesting?) :).
There's this class of people who are "Omniscient". (Now that you are back after reading what omniscient means...) This class of people is simply amazing in the amount of knowledge that they posses. You talk about technology, they know all about it; you talk politics, they know everything; you talk films and entertainment, they know it. I wonder where and how did these guys gain this much knowledge. I never see them reading :).
There's this typical situation when these guys simply excel in. There are a bunch of people discussing some topic. You *think* that you know more than most people and start leading the discussion. This omniscient guy is all quiet simply taking in whatever is happening around. You thin you have a brilliant suggestion or a path-breaking idea. You put in all your efforts explaining it. You go to great depths trying to prove how your idea is good, how it beats existing ones and how you have *almost* all the facts necessary to prove it. And just when you feel your point has been driven home, this guy will simply put forth a couple of questions to which you will have no answer. You fight, fight really hard in trying to gain the upper hand. But a few thoughts later, you realize that there's something missing. This guy will then simply run over everything that you said. Without being too offensive, he'll prove that your suggestions were 'kinda crap' :). There will be a new idea that he will put forth and this one would seem nothing short of sensational :). Everything just falls into place. His idea is brilliant and there are just no shortcomings. You're left wondering how will you ever be that good!!
If this hasn't happened to you you're really missing something :). That feeling of being almost there but not quite. That definite urge to go that extra mile in your research. And also that big realization to be good listener.
-Shri
Monday, January 12, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire
I just had to write this now... I've been reading in the news about Slumdog Millionaire's amazing success at the Golden Globe awards. I watched the videos now and the emotion and pride are riding very very high.
I saw the film a few weeks ago. It was an extraordinary drama. Well worthy of all the accolades that it is receiving. I do have some objections about the way India is projected in films made in the west, but thats for later.
I've seen a few movies where chase sequences are absolutely brilliant. The Matrix or the initial sequence in Casino Royale come to mind. But there was just something amazing in the chase seqnence in Slumdog Millionaire. Kids aged 5-7 playing cricket on the runway of the Mumbai Airport and the police hawaldar (constable) shoos them away and chases them in order to teach them a lesson. The innocence in the scene was fantastic. The cinematography was amazing and not to mention, the music was sensational. But the most awesome part of the scene was the way Jamaal and Salim seemed to enjoy the chase :). They seemed proud of the fact that they were making a policeman chase them and were able to outrun and outsmart him everytime he seemed to close in the gap. Awesome!!
When I heard the news about the 5 Golden Globe awards that they received, I was really itching to see the videos. There always seems to be some magic in awards. Inspite for rooting for SM and also knowing that they've won it, I had goosebumps when the awards were announced. Seeing Anil Kapoor and A.R.Rahman share the same auditorium with Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Chris Nolan, etc. was awesome. And everytime SM won an award, 'Jai Ho' in A.R.Rahman and Sukhvinder Singhs voice was truly heart warming.
I felt extremely extremely proud that a film with a story set in India, with Indian actors, technicians and an Indian composer has had this resounding success. Chak De India!!
Also posted on shri-perspective.blogspot.com
I saw the film a few weeks ago. It was an extraordinary drama. Well worthy of all the accolades that it is receiving. I do have some objections about the way India is projected in films made in the west, but thats for later.
I've seen a few movies where chase sequences are absolutely brilliant. The Matrix or the initial sequence in Casino Royale come to mind. But there was just something amazing in the chase seqnence in Slumdog Millionaire. Kids aged 5-7 playing cricket on the runway of the Mumbai Airport and the police hawaldar (constable) shoos them away and chases them in order to teach them a lesson. The innocence in the scene was fantastic. The cinematography was amazing and not to mention, the music was sensational. But the most awesome part of the scene was the way Jamaal and Salim seemed to enjoy the chase :). They seemed proud of the fact that they were making a policeman chase them and were able to outrun and outsmart him everytime he seemed to close in the gap. Awesome!!
When I heard the news about the 5 Golden Globe awards that they received, I was really itching to see the videos. There always seems to be some magic in awards. Inspite for rooting for SM and also knowing that they've won it, I had goosebumps when the awards were announced. Seeing Anil Kapoor and A.R.Rahman share the same auditorium with Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Chris Nolan, etc. was awesome. And everytime SM won an award, 'Jai Ho' in A.R.Rahman and Sukhvinder Singhs voice was truly heart warming.
I felt extremely extremely proud that a film with a story set in India, with Indian actors, technicians and an Indian composer has had this resounding success. Chak De India!!
Also posted on shri-perspective.blogspot.com
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