But that doesn’t stop from being critical on the current Indian team. You might ask “What’s wrong with them? They are the best team India has produced so far, save the English series, they were on top most of the times!”. I have to agree that this is by far the best Indian team, the one team that can dominate on every turf around the globe. I am a believer that English series was a culmination of all the bad luck that could happen on them in one series. The growing list of injuries, series of bad decisions, lack of touch and so on. The test series was all that, the one day series I could see that the whole team was so demoralized by the whitewash in tests that they couldn’t stop themselves getting whitewashed again in the later part of the tour! Nevertheless we got some revenge against them when they toured India, but it will never rub of the humiliation we suffered in the hands of the English in tests unless we go there and demolish them in the test series next time. World Cup, on the other hand, was actually a lucky charm for India. True they played magnificently after the group stages, but then they were lucky to stay alive in the group stages. Anyways a World Cup is a World Cup win. I cherish the moment Dhoni hit that magnificent six over the long on to bring the whole nation joy and make us proud! Pessimistic point of view, India had the advantage of playing on their home turf. But we were technically the first team to win the World Cup as the host. So that.

After the world cup, some of our heroes haven’t shined ironically. Sachin has been in a so-so form, with everyone waiting for his 100th International 100s. Yuvraj looked out of sorts even before the World Cup and currently so, but his all round contribution (mainly with ball I might add) during the World Cup was vital to the team’s success. Harbhajan too falls in the similar line as Yuvraj, he wasn’t convincing before the World Cup and worse currently, though his lion hearted performance in the World Cup has led the team to the cup and is what the team wants him to perform now. Sadly these three players are underperforming and I really doubt whether it’s got anything to do with their physical fitness. I will come back on them more later.

The rest of the team look good. The bowling was the major concern before, during and still is after the World Cup, but I see there’s light in the tunnel ahead. The fast bowlers are gaining confidence. Ishant has been wicketless but he’s bowling well nonetheless. Umesh Yadav has been the find of the year so far and I hope he becomes a great bowler in the days to come. Varun Aaron has shown promise, with the fact that Dhoni has faith on him. Praveen Kumar, the wily fox, was unfortunate to have missed the World Cup and is struggling with injuries, so is Zaheer Khan. Both of them are an asset to the Indian side and will trouble any opposition in the World . I really wonder what has happened to Ashish Nehra, who I consider as one of the heroes in the World Cup. Spinners on the other hand are one area India can be proud of. Ashwin has always been credited for being what Kumble has been for the Indian team in the past and I really hope India need not have to search for another off-spinner for a long long time. As for Ojha, I always consider him as a great bowler and was dis-heartened when India did not pick him for the World Cup squad. He now shows why is indispensable to not only India but any other team in the world would have a spot ready for him. Harbhajan really will have to pull up socks if he has to get back to the Indian team, but looking at his current dismal form even in the Ranjis, I think it’s almost over for him. I’d love to be proved wrong though, because I really love Bhajji’s bowling, especially when he bowls with a lion’s heart. Other spinners are good, Amit Mishra and Piyush Chawla have a good number of varieties to their leg-spin, but they aren’t witty enough and need to learn a lot on how to vary their pace and variation. It lovely to see that there are so many vying for the spot for spinners in India!

The batting, well should I say more? It’s been phenomenal to see the number of talented youngsters knocking on the doors of the Indian team and yet the current crop of national players are doing what’s best for the Indian team, go out there and score tons of runs. Sehwag has been in ominous form, his only problem is the silly dismals that stop him from making mammoth tons (I doubt whether he is bored by the opposition that he tries to do something, almost all the time!). Gambhir has been a sort of backbone to the Indian side when there were times of trouble (The World Cup final knock was a gem of an innings). His current lack of runs from his willow is I believe to be temporary and will in no time amass a pile of runs in his kitty. Dravid has been a pleasant surprise for me after a really long patch of poor form. He’s been phenomenal from the word go during India’s tour of West Indies, England tour, and here in India. He’s been the run machine for India and goes to show others that he truly is a one-of-a kind and a legend in due right. Sachin, ah Sachin.

Now that’s one player I like to talk about more. Which would be in part 2. Till then have fun folks!

It was wild. The wildest idea I have ever had in the past few months. Riding on my Schwinn in the middle of the night through the dark lanes of the GST? It was very tempting! I hadn’t ridden for weeks, maybe months you can say. The prospect of me getting up early to get a good decent ride through the GST without much interruption was growing dimmer after the initial first month. Either I had stay up all night doing some code or chats, or work hangs me from getting proper sleep, mosquitoes and dreams alike ready to disrupt my sleep. Yeah, I maintain that you need proper sleep before you can think about such a ride. It’s dangerous riding on these highways especially with druck drivers driving the massive lorries. It’s been just too long a time for me to hold on to not riding. And the clear sky, the bright moonlight, the cool breeze and the empty roads, there was no stopping me from hopping on to the Schwinn and ride!

And so at quarter past 12, midnight, I stealthily took out my Schwinn. My roommates were giving the CAT exam the next exam and I really don’t want to disturb them cuz of my adventure. The weather was the best, but there were few spine-chilling barks from the street dogs outside. Nevertheless, I set out for what would be my first real night ride!

The first few minutes were just, I’m going to be honest here, intriguing. Cows near blocked the path from my house to main road, packs of dogs howling and barking as usual and few people moving here around, probably going back home after tiring day at work, unaware that a crazy rider is about to start his journey! I was wearing the fluorescent yellow over coat for the first time, obvious that it’s a necessary precautionary measure for riding in the night. I did not fit the headlights and now I realize how important it is. The interior roads for the most part were lit, but those which weren’t were pretty darn dark! As I entered the Perungalathur junction, a group of policeman, apparently patrolling for the night, called me up “Thambi, stop there”. A sort of nervousness got into me, I guess when you are stopped by a policemen in the middle of night you are bound to. So the police started interrogating me as to what am I doing at this time of the night and where am I going. Then they went on advising me that crimes have increased in the area and that I shouldn’t be around. When I assured them that I will be riding along the GST and I’ll be back, they let me go. And feeling like a free bird I raced away to the GST and crossed to the other lane of the road, the one that goes away from Chennai. As is the case the lanes weren’t empty, on the contrary it was filled with trucks and buses plying on the midnight stretch. But nothing bothered as rode along, feeling more confident and focussed as ever. The latter surely is very very important.

Focus is everything here. One inch outside the shoulders of the road and you are guaranteed to be killed. So I kept focus on the road ahead as it wasn’t without potholes and tricky sand/loose soil. The path I had in mind was the 25.5km from Perungalathur through Vandalur, Urapakkam, Guduvancherry  to Potheri and back. It was indeed a strange but refreshing feeling riding in the darkness sometimes. And darkness I tell you, there are many stretches which aren’t lit and tree cover makes it impossible for moonlight to shine on the path. This for me is scary. But I rode, All Izz Well… As I past Guduvancherry, I started feeling the first signs of fatigue. Having not gone for a ride for quite a long time, it seems pretty obvious that it wasn’t easy for me. But then I held myself and focussed on to getting that one opening in the highway to switch lanes and go back. And 40 minutes after I began I was there, in front of the SRM University. I got down and my lower body was pretty numb. My palms were deep red and my neck started to ache a bit. But it was totally great feeling, one I missed for a long time. And now it was time back home.

The fatigue has really caught on me. As I slowly began from where I have left off, the whole body was aching and my mind was giving me suggestions to take more rest. After quite a struggle I managed to bring myself back on track and put my focus solely on getting me back home. And what a change that made! In less than 20 minutes I rode past the railway gates of the Perungulathur station, past the Policemen and to my home. It was a very satisfying journey, and I remarked that to a very frightened street dog in front of the gate. I stealthily got my cycle back upstairs and had a good nice bath. Heading back to the bedroom, my friends were sound asleep. I joined them in the middle with the feeling that I have taken the Schwinn out for one of the best rides yet, and that it came of one of the most frustrating days at the office made it even more special.

2:35. It’s time for rest I deserve. Adios!

Google+. A name synonymous for getting excited at first and then dust it out. Yes neither have you used much of Google+. I was wondering when I got the invite why has Google not get rid of Buzz. Well it turns out Google haven’t planned much except releasing a product that “plusses on Facebook’s minusses”. Google+ has been a story of it competing with Facebook head on. It was an exciting thing at first, the fact that many people were dying to get the invites. But the moment I got it I knew Facebook has heaved a sigh of relief. Here was a chance Google had in upping the ante in the Social networking business, and they bombed it just like US in Iraq. Even a Google employee hit out against Google+. I’ll leave all the shortcomings and failed promises of Google+ to this article [0] [1] [2].

I rather would like to ask Google – What now? Yes, Google is known for a lot of experimentation. And with experimentation there will be lots of failures and some success. Luckily this some success turned out to be good enough to succumb to failures (read search, Gmail, Android, AdMobs etc). One thing that’s not in Google’s kitty is Social networking. It’s many attempts – Wave, Buzz, Google+, only seem to confuse users more than ever. Make no mistake, all these are good products, some even great (I do use buzz, which still seems a relevant feature). And Google+ did bring some nice features. Hangout is a great idea, I like the concept very much. Circles is a good stuff (animation is real slick) and adding friends is so damn easy. Real easy! And the interface is pretty slick, I like the top bar that comes in every Google site and the notifications the way they are organized and pop up. All these are great. But unfortunately (or fortunately? more coming up) it flopped and is on the downhill. Maybe it can beat wave faster to being exterminated! However I really hope this doesn’t happen and Google does have time to recover, hell lots of time to recover!

What Google should do now is learn from the mistakes and look ahead with clear head and focus. Focus is key and the focus would be to build a nice ecosystem. I say that with a lot of emphasis. It’s of utmost importance to Google now and it actually might be the best time to start thinking about. What I feel Google should do is instead of competing with the Social Networking giants like Facebook and Twitter, why not promote them? Why not help making them better. Why not join hands with them and build a richer ecosystem that would benefit them all? What I see here is that each (Google, Facebook, Twitter) have a different great working models and ideas in their kitty and that they will be a real force when gelled together. I love to see a future when android phones are deeply integrated with facebook and twitter and we would be using all these services in our daily routine! Yeah such a co-existence would take some time to nurture, but then Google has lots in their hands to do. First thing is don’t even think about shelling out Google+. Instead integrate it with every other Google product. Why not have hangouts integrated into Gmail? Why not see what other people have searched similar to your query? Why not make a messaging service (though it’s there, but not ubiquitous) that just works like in iOS?

People do use a lot of GMail, though majority would be nudging through their Facebook walls to see what their buddies are up to. All I’m suggesting here is stop thinking about what other people are doing and how to counteract them. Start building your own cool stuff, Google. GMail was and is one of the best emailing services that everyone has started using. AdMobile is doing a really great job that others just forget about competing against. Android is being phenomenal in the number of devices being activated and the pure brute power the latest versions of the OS will bring. And the new ideas are real cool, like android@home, ChromeOS for netbooks. And how can I forget – Search. Google search is something so awesome and “I can’t live without it” thing that people have forgotten to use the word “search” for “google it out”! I mean this is what makes Google so Google! And Google is still a really great and respected company. I just don’t want it to lose steam, which by the current crop of releases, is.

I do wonder why I write this post. Why waste time on this. But I really like Google and I really hate to see Google getting a bit ashamed of what they are doing. Well, it’s part and parcel of life (Hello, even Apple after 1999 had those, remember Ping?). And what worries me is the fact that Google really doesn’t have a platform, rather an ecosystem on which others can rely Google upon. Many companies have started to realize that, but Google still won’t look into this direction. I guess it’s Google realizes this and head out to a new direction of wonder and glory and all the crazy and cool stuff that Google is going to invent and make. Google, I am sure, is going to be one the companies that will lead us to the future. But Google, listen ok?

[0] http://mashable.com/2011/10/12/google-engineer-rant-google-plus/

[1] http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-yegge-google-platform-rant-2011-10

[2] http://siliconfilter.com/google-engineer-google-is-a-prime-example-of-our-complete-failure-to-understand-platforms/

And there are times, when I am trying out apps, that I yearn for apps to made or wish the current apps be better. It certainly is a long list, but in this post I like to point out few which I feel would a make a real impact on the lives of not only android, but all mobile users.

Color app

I used to follow this app when it was released, but the idea of starting another relationship in a new social environment deterred me off. But until recently I stumbled upon this article which talks about integrating this app with Facebook. Then I started dreaming about it!

Ok, basically this app will let any user take a snapshot of wherever they are, like say you are in front of the Eifel tower, and you let friends check it out instantly. It’s as if friends can “visit” your place by seeing the pics you snapped at that moment! How cool is that! I’m totally gonna use this app! (more)

Infinity Blade on Android

Oh, it’s a lovely game. The graphics was awesome, and the game thrilling as ever. When will I ever get to see it running on my Galaxy S. And not only this, why aren’t there many great looking graphics games on android. Sure Angry Birds, Cut the rope and others have been ported to android, but come on games in iOS look far more polished – try Fruit Slice on both and see the difference!

Facebook new app with Timeline

Facebook’s new features are good, if not great. The profile cover feature is really awesome and has set apart from many of the social networking (though I’ve a nagging feeling there is reminiscence of Orkut in it’s UI). Now how would this transcend to the mobile front will be exciting to see.

Google Talk Video

Oh come on, when would it come? I’ve been waiting for this since a year, and now with hangout being a real cool feature of Google+, I just want it on my Galaxy S! Buhahahahaah… Please Sammy and Google, listen to me and will you oh so send that update already to the Indian galaxy S users!?!!?

Drums

I’m a big fan of the Drums app in iOS. It’s so slick and so addictive. Why can’t they port it over to android?? There are many Drums apps in the android market, but none are even close to the trademark Drums app in iOS. I sometimes used to head to the Apple store just to play with this app on iPad!

Similarly there are many instruments that I’d like to see on the android market (which are already there in the iTunes marketplace) (Tabla for example?)

VLC

I just can’t fathom why VLC has not been ported to android. It’s already been released (and rejected, so I’ve heard) in the iOS and android being open source should also get a version of the VLC. Is it the fragmentation that has made VLC shy getting into the android market. Right now it’s available in the pre-alpha stage (which is not official) but hopefully get to see it very soon.

Flourish of iOS on Android

Yeah, this is not an app. But this is something I’ve been a bit disappointed on Google when they announced many a iteration of the Android. iOS is famously known for the way everything carried out with a nice flourish. Yeah, Galaxy S2 might be the answer (faster processor, greater RAM) but the iPhones were never that strong on the hardware front and yet bring that beautiful flourish to everything in iOS. Maybe I’m asking too much but why not!?

Ok, that’s all I got to say about it for a while now. I most likely would keep updating this post whenever I get my yearnings for anything in android or mobile space. Until then do enjoy Pixlr-o-matic. A truly beautiful app!

Ok enough of the praises. Let me get to how I got this bike to my rented apartments. It was that Sunday morning when I got up and decided that I just have to get myself a bike. Not a motor-bike, but the good old bi-cycle. As mentioned in the previous posts, I love cycling. Anyways I headed out to one BSA Go store near Tirupati Temple in T.Nagar. The owner confessed that he doesn’t have too many of the good quality (and slightly pricey, by Indian standards) bikes, but he has certain Schwinn models that he had promised via phone was available on display. So went up and checked out the Sporterra Sport. The dazzling red bike was there and it looked good. Took it out for a test ride and it was a dream! I bought it straightaway!

And yeah, I rode this bike from the store to my place, that according to Google Maps was approx 25km journey. I never rode so long in one go before, so felt it could be a daunting task. But an hour later I loved it! Cycling through the busy roads, through crowded bus stops at night was a real experience for me and I realized how much I am gonna love riding on this bike! The gear shift was smooth (rapid-triggers) and how easy was to maneuver it through the bustling roads. It was so enthralling that I couldn’t wait for the morning the next day to ride to my office. The first morning I rode the 10km (train from Perungalathur to Kattangalathur and then ride to Mahindra City) and felt so refreshed after that. The next morning  I decided to cover the full distance (that’s 25.4km!) and boy it was fun!

And then came Sunday, when I decided to ride to the East Coast Road. I never knew how far was it from my place, but determined to go there. I took the route to kelambakkam from Vandulur, and the road was deserted but not smooth. After an hour, I reached the ECR. I checked out for a beach front and rode myself to a presumably private beach called Olive beach. Boy was it a paradise and felt so much accomplished with the journey. One problem was that I never thought about the return journey. And that was a real tough one! I was so tired and drained (physically and mentally, hey the Sun was beating down on me!) that I couldn’t ride anymore 5-7km from Vandalur! I hitch-hiked in a auto truck and then rode home. Total distance covered (by bike) that day – 60km! I never got to do that after.

Well, it didn’t mean the end of my cycling as many friends of mine predicted. I rode at the least 2 times a week to and from my office. But few things I realized when riding for such long distances.

• Good sleep – Realized lack of sleep has hampered my ability to ride long-distances (partly the reason why I did not ride for last 2 weeks.. ). Need 8 hours of it.
• Physical preparation – Good warm-up exercises a must before starting out a ride.
• Energy – Need to have something before starting a ride (and during the ride too) to keep myself from over-exhaustion. I take 2 bananas on Dad’s suggestion before starting out for the ride.
• Mental preparation – All the above are required to keep focus on the ride, as riding through the GST road is a pretty risky affair. Lack of concentration could mean disastrous.
• Equipment – Though I never had real problems during the rides, I realized tools like pump, screw drivers, spare tubes etc are important to fix problems like punctured tires. Though I wore only in one ride, helmets are important (Hmmm, that helmet doesn’t fit me well.. :-/ )

Yeah, as I mentioned, it’s been 2 full weeks since I rode. Not that I am put off from cycling (actually it’s quite the contrary, ) but that work is getting into me. Finding the balance is the key here, as there are many factors I’ve to take into consideration with. The heat of Chennai has forced me to ride very early in the morning and waking up early has been the biggest problem. Maybe I’ve to ease down a bit and go slow on riding long distances. After all, I never would have thought of myself covering ~400km in the first month!

As for ride plans, there are many. I would want to achieve riding upto Pondycherry (or Puducherry) from Chennai. And I would want to ride in and around Mysore, Bangalore (lovely places aren’t they?). My ultimate aim would be ride through the pristine Western Ghats. I dream of going through the Ghat roads, riding through evergreen forests on either sides, chirping of the birds and gliding through the mists. Oh I oh so want to go through these beautiful places one day. Hey I’m gonna do that, and I make sure it’s on this blog! So long folks, and btw you can check out pics of my rides so far below(Which I’ll be uploading soon). Happy riding!

As it turns out, there are hardcore cyclists in India[1]. And there are far more brands[2][3] then I could possibly imagine. I am glad to know that cycling craze is spreading like wild fire all over the country (though among a billion people, this wild fire might look like a fire on a match stick, ).  When I was thinking like a 20-30km max for a good long ride, there are people who regularly travel for 100km! Oh I was overjoyed hearing that. And now I know it, I want to be a part of this fire of passion for cycling!

It´s still early days for me. The max I might have traveled on a bike (not a motor bike, :p) was 10km. It was back in those school days, when I was crazy about cycles like Hero X-treme, Hercules Top Gear (which served me for over 10 years!). The best part of cycling is that I could go almost anywhere possible and that I could enjoy the scenery around and that I did this without any fuel except water into my body. Those days I used to dream myself biking around the pristine forests of Western Ghats, seeing the clouds skim over the beautiful green hills, watching the dew drops fall from the leaves of the evergreen trees, listen to sound of peacocks with sounds of joy for the rain bearing clouds coming to greet the hills. Enough said, I just wanna be there, and now I know that there are people like me already doing it! Oh God, I am such a lazy idiot!

Well, I have been posted to Infosys, Chennai. Work and heat has taken a toll on me. But it was that day I passed by the BSA stores and saw awesome bikes in the showroom, screaming out to me to ride on it! My mind dived into those moments when I was in bus from Whistler to Vancouver, Canada, that I saw many a cyclist riding on those road bikes pass by me. Those moments when an episode of Tech2 showed the bike enthusiasts talk about cycling in India an year or 2 ago. And those moments when I ride down the winding roads on my Hercules Top Gear, watching the beautiful landscape of the ups and downs of Kannur, Kerala. I just barged in to the BSA GO store in Express Avenue mall, Chennai and it was paradise. I decided then that I am going to get a bike.

But which bike? That´s exactly what I am going to cover about the post (phew, you read through all of this!? I couldn´t stop myself punching in those paras!). Around 6 months ago I dropped into firefox bikes shop in Mantri mall, Bengaluru,  and saw the beautiful bikes from firefox and Trek put on display. I wasn´t too sure how it was going to work out when I buy one, and that too many have suggested to for Trek than Firefox. And getting a Trek bike would mean quite an investment. I wasn´t too sure, though I´d got the money for it.

But that day it was a different thing. Already 6 months working in Infosys, I had to travel 30km from my rented house (Perungalathur) to Mahindra City, Chennai daily. With 95-100 kilos, it was obvious that I needed to head to gym. And gym in the evenings is an impossibility. So theoretically every day I need to get up at 5 am, catch a bus and reach there at around 6:20 am and walk all the way to infosys (around 2km). It was kind of an hassle for a guy who gets bugged by a PM everyday to sit late in the night and then head to gym early morning next day to reduce that flab. No wonder, that day at EA mall, it struck like a lightning to me!

The idea is to get a cycle, budget of 20k, and use it for daily commuting like say around 5-10km everyday (2km to metro station from my home, 3.3km from station to infosys and extra here and there) and ride for 30-40km in the weekend. Yeah, it seemed a good plan for me. But as always, every plan has it´s pros and cons. The cons? Well first of all the weekend ride. Chennai, you know, is not exactly a bikers paradise. It´s hot and humid, to the extreme I tell you. And I sweat like a pig! So, as a noob, I really don´t know how am I gonna do that until I set my eyes on these 2 posts[4][5]. So as the latter post orders, I would stop beating around the bush and just ride, ride.

Okay, but there´s a second worry. Security. For daily commuting, a cycle of 5k or less would be more than enough. But what if it´s a 20k bike? It would look different from other bikes for sure, maybe not for you, but there will be someone who thinks like-wise. And that someone may have more than just admiration on his mind. Well theft is a concern and that is something I´ve not really come up with solid ideas for preventing it. Sure, locks should do the job, but anything can happen, can it not? And the fact that I stay in a house that we pay rent and with little or no security, it would definitely be concern on my mind.

Never mind,  I´m gonna buy a bike (Yay!). But again, which one?

I´ve put few bikes on my list. First of all, it´s gonna be a hybrid. Road bikes, with their thin tyres and extremely lightweight frames, can be a liability to bad roads (some of them you can consider for off-roading!). MTBs, on the other hand, have fat tires and straight handle bars that are ideal for such roads but it can be difficult to gain speed on tarmac. So there you go, hybrid is for me. It´s got a straight handle bar like the MTBs but thinner tires that are meant for comfortable rides on highways. So what are my options? PFB

• Trek 7.1fx: Priced around Rs18.5k[2], it has been recommended as a good bike for short trips and moving around the city. The one concern I have that many users shared is that it doesn´t have front suspension (though many suggested it´s not necessary) plus it´s saddle is kinda hard on the bumps. Anyways it´s still on my list.
• Trek 7100[2]: It´s better version of the previous one I believe, with front suspension, 8*3 gears (fx has 7*3), better saddle, but it´s pricey, Rs21.3k.
• Schwinn Sporterra Sport 2011[3]: Around 18k, it´s slightly thinner tires than others I´m gonna talk about from the Schwinn saddles, resembles more of a road bike.
• Schwinn Searcher[3]: I would have gone for Sport version of this searcher series, but it only has white color (I am pretty choosy about colors, security you know). So I thought Searcher 2011 should be good enough. Rs16.6k

Well, these are my primary options. Yeah there are other brands, Merida, La Soveriegn, but I´ll be blunt on these two companies. Maybe I might look into GT Traffic 3.0 (Rs22k) cuz it falls in the hybrid range and in the budget. Canondale has Quick 5 for Rs 24k. So there are lots of options, you can see.

Apart from buying a bike, accessories become a necessity. Though I didn´t  want one (how often you see a guy on a bi-cycle wearing one on roads in India?), helmet is a must[4] and I´ll buy one. Then there is pump, repair kit with tube, flash light, gloves, lock, mudguards, etc. So I expect to shell out Rs5k on accessories alone! (¨What!? I can get a bike with that!¨, yeah I know). Well, that´s what you need when you decide to bike from Chennai to Pondicherry or from Mysore to Kushal Nagar and many other routes. Oh, I forgot one thing, water bottles!

So all set and done, now all you need is to get to the shop and get one. Not that easy eh? Well, easy or not, there are lots of bike shops in Chennai. Head out to EA mall and find BSA Go, that will be a start. Also these sites[2][3] would tell you where you can find others in Chennai. Hmmm, I´m thinking of how to bargain with these people to get the most of the bike and accessories. Wish I had been in Bengaluru.

Nevertheless I am going to get one very soon, and I am going to update here when I get one. By that time, do post comments on what you think about what I have here (ummm, experts, please drop in an opinion. I need it, please, please… ). So the end of a long long article, oh I wish I´d ride on these bikes rather than type type type…

——-

[0] http://adifire.wordpress.com/2010/02/12/all-about-bi-cycles-in-india/

[1] http://www.bikeszone.com/forum/

[2] http://www.trackandtrail.in/

[3] http://www.firefoxbikes.com/Trek.html

[4] http://www.bikeszone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=3268

[5] http://www.bikeszone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=8400

Now what’s common among all these operating systems and others I’m yet to mention? The user experience. Every manufacturer, be it the computers, smartphones, tablets etc know that usability has become the primary criteria for their successful business ventures. A good example is the Symbian platform. Even though it is a good OS, symbian failed in the category of user experience. The latest updates have failed to address this matter. As a result, their numbers among the hands of the users are declining drastically, and so is their desperate steps to join hands with Microsoft. RIM realized this fact too well, and has come up with Playbook that has the potential of a great device with a smart OS. Thus, there’s a general shift towards making the products more user-friendly than adding features.

But this trend has a side-effect. There would come a day when all the smartphone or computer operating systems would be equal in terms of user experience. And there is, I believe, a limit to how much more user-friendly a device can be made. Also as is evident in the present competition, the difference in features among the competing devices would be negligible. At that time, it would be a matter if taste of the users. That might lead to even-ing out of the competition, leading to lesser profit generation, finally ending up with lack of willingness among the producers to make these devices.

Or it could be that some new innovation can up the ante for any company. I believe that right now companies should look to look for new ideas, out of the box, that could spice up their devices and thus bring about change in the technological landscape. There are many examples in the past which validates this point. Take for instance the iPhone, which brought in a whole new way of how people see and use the touch phones. Apple also brought in the PC – personal computing revolution, which changed the entire world. Google and facebook has changed the way people use the Internet.

But the current trend is to copy what others started and add on some new features. Android, at it’s infancy, was very similar to iOS. And then it was made possible to make it available to a whole variety of the masses and thus gaining wider acceptance. Sony are using the android platform to push their PlayStation engine into the phones. Microsoft has made a brave effort to provide a different user interface for the smartphones, but still has lots to do to catch up. Nokia-Intel’s Meego project is on very similar lines as that if the android. There are many others to indicate that real innovation is stagnant, and all these companies are trying to do is make their product more attractive.

I guess we should now be looking at various ways technology can leap forward. Maybe there would be a time when people would be groping in air instead of on the touch screens. There maybe a time when the devices can do things just as we think about it by reading our mind. Maybe a combination of the technology used in Kinect, Pranav Mistry’s Sixth sense, and a mind reading technology could the hit the shelves of mobile stores one day. Maybe afterall we would be interacting the way the guys at Microsoft dreamt of, in their video of the world in 2019. Whatever it maybe, the times ahead may or may not be awesome, but I personally would look towards Apple for the next leap of technology.

With android being upgraded many a time in a year, it is a challenge for Samsung to provide the required update after applying their skin over the vanilla version.  Apple can do this very easily as they have only few types of devices to update, and the software through which they stream the update is great. Samsung, on the other hand, have got many different versions of Galaxy Ss to cater to, let alone the other android devices they sell. And their software is pretty unheard of (kies). Their biggest challenge is to stream the update to many galaxy Ss around the world. Moreover, every time they stream an update, the update would be plagued with many bugs. It gives an impression that they are under-staffed.

But HTC, as is reported, are doing a fine job in update streaming. So why not Samsung? I got the upgrade to froyo a month ago on my galaxy S. And now I regret doing it. It’s buggier than the previous eclair update. I have been experiencing many lags and reboots for the past month. And I’m eagerly waiting for the 2.2.1 froyo update for my phone, which from the things as it seems, will take ages. At this rate I really wonder when the Galaxy Ss around are going to taste gingerbread.

I guess the only way around is for Samsung to start giving vanilla updates to the galaxy s, as it seems integrating samsung’s layer over the android is taking a lot of time. Otherwise there would be 10million frustrated galaxy s users.

The beta version of Firefox for mobile, aka Fennec, is now available here. Here I like to highlight some of the strong points what it offers and also the shortcoming and what they can do in the future versions.

The design is great. The idea was to give the entire screen for browsing. This is a feature of the android stock browser too. But what is not there in the latter is the easy availability of the other features. You swipe to the right and you get the left sidebar showing the open tabs and new tab button. It even has the option to recover the previously closed tabs. Handy isn’t it?

Then you swipe to the left and you get the right sidebar. It has a bookmark button, back and forward buttons, and the button to open the preferences. Now bookmarking is as easy as a swipe and a click. The preferences is also very neat showing all the normal browsing features, downloads and add-ons. Even the back and next buttons is something new to the mobile browser area, which very few browsers provide with such ease.

Lastly you swipe to get the top bar, also called the awesomebar, which when on click reveals the awesome screen. What the guys over at Mozilla have done is to make your browsing experience as close as it is on the desktop. It shows the home page, bookmarked pages, history, and also the pages visited in the desktop (comes when you give the Firefox sync details, more to follow).

With this, every feature is within a few touches. This eliminates the need to use the non-screen buttons, something I find it taxing while using other browsers. Moreover there is Firefox sync, a new feature added to the latest iteration of the desktop version of firefox. This allows you to access all the bookmarks, history, even automate the process of logging in to frequent sites as it even syncs the passwords (don’t worry, Mozilla is doing everything to keep your data confidential). Another big feature is the add-ons, which the stock browser doesn’t have. Yes it can make firefox sluggish, but add-ons gives one the freedom to do more than just browse pages. It’s something Firefox is very popular for, and Mozilla has added the very same to the mobile version too.

This is a beta version, so one can expect some flaws, right? Well, the fact that mobile firefox does not use WebKit, instead uses its own javascript engine has made this version very sluggish. Even on the Galaxy S, it takes a lot of time to get a page to load. However the performance is bound to improve in the course of time, guys over at Mozilla are working hard on it. They will also look to bring down the size of the installation file, which is currently at 11.8mb. The next beta is expected to showcase the new theme for the android version, so things are looking pretty bright here!

Another thing I like to point out is the Firefox sync. Personally I don’t like the idea of having to enter 2 passwords (actually one is a password, the other is a secret phrase). Someone like me who have a bad habit of forgetting passwords will have a hard time to remember these. I already had to change the secret phrase umpteenth time! I guess it would be ideal to give a choice for the users to link it with other accounts like Google or others, or this. That way it would be convenient for the users to use this features, especially ones like me.

In the end though, Mozilla has brought in a wonderful product, something every mobile user would cherish. Many things can happen in the happen in the future. I would like to see is multi-finger gesture other than the pinch-zoom (Oh did I not say that this has pinch zoom too?), like two finger swipe to reveal the sidebars instead of multiple swipes while browsing a large page (maybe even an expose-style to reveal the tabs open?). Also one can be happy with a loading bar that would appear on the awesomebar itself instead of just the usual loading circle (even the download notification can do with a little more notification). Anyways, with performance improvements, smaller installation size and a new theme, Firefox mobile will be a formidable entry into the mobile browsers arena.

This test match was played on Mohali which has grown to be the strongest bastion of Indian cricket. Since the Windies trumped the Indians in 1994, no one was able to break the superiority Indians had on this ground. The last time Aussies were here in 2008, they were handed one of the biggest defeats in their cricketing history, a defeat by more than 300 runs! 10 years ago people would hardly fathom the idea that Indians could inflict such defeat on the baggy greens! This time though, it’s not going to be the usual kind of pitch the Indians would have preferred. Heavy rains have dampened the pitch so much that even the curator was nervous that the pitch could sustain the 5 days of intense battle between the 2 teams. It reminded me of that forgettable test match at Mumbai between these two not so long ago.

Eventually though the pitch played a crucial role in culturing one of the best test matches in recent history! As one of the commentators put it aptly, it was a tug-of-war kind of game, with neither team holding the advantage outright. Everybody played a part in it to spoon in the spice. However, few players did matter the most in this test match, that would proceed now……

Shane Watson and Tim Paine and MS Dhoni:

He came out as the highest run getter of this test match. Sure he has 180 odd runs for the team, but his first innings effort was in need of some criticism. After Ponting’s dismissal, he shelled out his run scoring ability and aggravate the run rate which was a dismal ~2.5. It was very un-Australian like. There was no need for this slow scoring. Indians came out in the right spirit the next day (Sure you can’t ask Sehwag to score at 50% strike rate, he would rather retire than that!) and they showed that the pitch was not that bad after all. In the end, I feel that this contributed to the Aussies having less on the board handing India a chance to come back into the match.

Now M S Dhoni played a part by dropping the catch of Tim Paine, who then scored a vital 92 runs and lent Australia a good score to defend. Had that catch been taken, India could have marched on to an easy victory, similar to the last time they played here.

Zaheer Khan and Suresh Raina:

Zaheer sure got the MoM for his 8 wickets, but he also did something else. He fired the passions in the Aussie skipper when he was short of ground after a direct throw from Suresh Raina (I guess it was a lucky one, as the close in fielder just missed the hurling ball). Raina was also instrumental in the field with his superb fielding skills and uplifted the team spirits. His aggressive batting also gave India a chance to gain the lead, though Mitchell Johnson had other plans. Full marks to Zaheer in the end for his superb spell of reverse swing (he touched 140s! and what a peach of Yorker that was to get rid of the last man!) and also as a night watchman.

VVS Laxman:

What to say about him, he has been instrumental in the victory of India’s last 2 test matches including this! Everyone knew that he plays well under pressure, everyone’s mind would reflect to the epic double ton against his favourite baggy greens! But to do that again and again, well that is some act of God! In Sri Lanka he was so well composed that the Lankans had already given up hope of clinching the series. And here, mind you that he was on the most part of the match in the dressing room with his chronic back ache, he came on the final day as cool and composed as though he was taking a walk to relax! The kind of shots he played, how he got the boundaries even though Ponting though he had it well covered, the determination and patience to wait for the bad balls to be put away, it was a treat to watch (I was biting my fingers, as I had cut my nails! J).

Yeah, I have a lot to write on Laxman, because he is a class act. His figures may not show so much. He hasn’t been consistent. Many a time I couldn’t fathom why the Indians were keeping him in the side when young tigers were waiting to unleash their jaws. Sometimes I never respected him much, treating him as arrogant and egoistic. I remember him telling to the press that the No.3 is his and his only, which is laughable when you got a Mr Wall who would be the ideal No.3 in any team! But then off late I began to admire him. He has sort of handled the team’s responsibility on his shoulders whenever situations demand of him. In both the matches, one against Lankans and the other against the Aussies, Laxman had all the time at the end of the 4^th day to nurture his class act that was unleashed on the hapless opponents! Dhoni put it the best when asked during the presentation ceremony – “He was marvellous”.

Ishant Sharma:

Here’s the man whom I would have chosen as the man of the moment. He came into the match with his drooping shoulders, with everyone criticising his drop in venom as a fast lanky bowler. He also could not play more than half of the first day. He had injured his ankle. Inspite of all this, he comes and gets 3 wickets out of nowhere to hand India a great chance to get right back into the match. And then the next day he did the unthinkable, win the match for India! If it had not been for his heroics, India would have lost by 80runs with Laxman stranded. It was because of him that Laxman could play freely and the assurance, being able to rotate the strike when it was needed the most. In the end, he might have aggravated his injury to the point that he miss the next match, but he certainly gave India the 1-0 lead in the series.

The curator would have heaved a sigh of relief, smiling ear to ear with praises all around for having produced a stunner of a match. He even might have thanked the God for the rains. Food for thought – how often does India win the first test match of any series against the mighty Aussies?