Nokia Lumia 900 Review

Nokia Lumia 900 Review: 

Verdict: Buy it if you are medium to simple User, Want to be different and Hate iPhones

Its win for Nokia and loose for Windows!

 

User: I am medium to Complex user. I have shifted from HTC EVO android to Nokia Lumia 900 last month.

 

Design:  The design is no doubt one of the best designs in the market currently. The smooth side edges makes handling it easy for your palms compared to iPhone. It is bit wider for my small hands to hold. There are 3 buttons on the side viz Volume, Camera and Lock-unlock. It’s a simplistic design. There is an audio 3.5mm Jack for headphones at the top and a “mis-placed”  MicroUSB connector. I had huge problems with the same connector for my EVO. It was the single biggest point that made me switch over to realize it had same connector. The screen is protected with Corning® Gorilla® Glass which supposedly makes it tough but there are already scratches on my glass… damn you coins! There is a hidden SIM Card holder at the top. I do not see how we can remove the battery.

Sound is good loud and clear as expected of Nokia , so is the Camera(not a big fan of camera phones). Battery goes on 2 days without charging.

 

OS: The biggest thing which makes it different is the smooth Windows OS. 7.5. The UI is the best ever I have seen.I have used both IOS and Android. It leaves both way behind in coolness factor! It is the way next windows 8 will look like. Its integration of Mail and Facebook is Superb!

 

Now that we are done with Good things time for little eye opening!

Windows 7.5 lacks 1000’s of things which makes me believe were designers high on something before they went ahead and designed it!

For beginning you will notice there is no desktop style front page!

No weather/Time app to clearly display weather/time. This is a real big turnoff. The front page of metro style icons are so big you feel it’s done so for blind people!

 

Though FB integration is good MS should understand that people like to see FB in its original white and blue color!

 

Coming to Maps: MS really thinks it can compete with Google maps with what it has? NO-WAY search is as bad as a Garmin GPS for e.g. if you search “Zenith Insurance California”

It gives you California as an address! I have never seen a dumber application!

Over that you have to buy an app which can be found free on Android!

Though I have to admit that “current location” is more accurate than Google maps

 

Applications: This is no doubt the biggest turnoff! You hardly find any apps in Marketplace.

If you are freeloader like me you will be in for surprise. Most of the free apps are crappy!

The applications come always in the list format not in icon format , Was MS asleep while designing this? 

 This phone is make or break for Nokia. I hope it makes it.

2011: An year gone by...

As with every year, 2011 held many lessons for me. If I could describe this year in one word it would be "Uncertainty". Everything was uncertain studies, grades, internships, relationships, jobs.... All.
The year started with my previous disappointments. I had screwed up last year (and YES I should also not forget to ad the adverb 'ROYALLY' before the screwed). I didn't know where I went wrong. Everybody screws-up but you qualify as 'stupid' only if you don't know why (u are screwed)!

The year started in winter, cold. I had just returned from a long trip and was ready to face the new semester with added responsibilities. I had never been so busy in my life. Working 24 by 7 taught me many lessons in time management.  Managing two assistantships was indeed difficult. But it offered me lots including financial freedom. I got to learn what it is to have the best and worst boss in the world. How to answer even if you dont know what the question is ! An most important lesson : UofA girls are indeed hot beyond belief!

Curriculum was tough too. Few subjects were totally incomprehensible they clearly distinguished dumb from dumb-asses. I got to know that we can actually increment an integer by 1.2! An assignment can actually make you sweat with no output..... Nights in Ecomm Lab were like never before. Trips to 7-11, Kabab-e-Que, Jack in the box and Subway will never be forgotten. Few friends I made during those times are still close to me. The subjects also taught me how good or how bad a professor can be. Clearly teaching is an art that can be mastered only by few.
 
Then Search for many relentless searches of the year started.....Competition is what makes better out of you.

On the personal front  things were in equal upheaval. I was glad to make new friends and did not forget old ones...can never forget. I was happy to get a close one so close. I knew my life is going to change. There are only few milestones in a man's life. I was about to reach that. It surely made me nervous anxious and made my palms sweat!

Summer trip to India was obviously life changing. Meeting old friends is better that anything else in the world. Returning US not alone was  weird at the best.
Summer's in Minneapolis made me realize that loneliness is not my cup of tea. Quality of work matters a lot and you can end up stuck in a place which you ll hate later.

I never thought Tucson would be that inviting. But I knew that battle had begun and had to be won. Sleepless nights with butterflies in stomach.   I realized my weaknesses and improved a little. This semester was the mother of all searches and disappointments. There were many underdogs...I am proud of them! there were as usual the dogs and few overdogs too! Comparisons and Jealousies flew across everywhere. We have to ask ourselves "is that what you want?". I got to know that getting a job first does not necessarily mean its the best!

Now I took a chance. Avoided questions...time to face them....I am amongst strangers with the things that I wanted. I am ready to face tomorrow no matter how harsh it is. I know it wont be easy. I am out in open against the warmth of Arizona.
 

I Do...

This may really seem stupid as it may sound! It is REALLY disturbing for me to point people that they make grammatical mistakes in simple conjugation while speaking. "Doing" is such a common verb.

INFINITIVE: TO DO
I DO
YOU DO
HE/SHE DOES
THEY DO
YOU DO
WE DO
Please follow this and stop embarrassing your self!

I have Stayed Away on Independence Day!

/**Staying away from Mother and Motherland (Fatherland for Some) is always painful. But then people say "if its so painful who told you to stay away for them?" . Yes, the question is perplexing, yet after thinking over it a lot I don't have any answers....**/

15 August in India is no less than any religious festival. Many things are marked with regular Clichés
like screening of 2-3 patriotic movies, Flag hoisting, playing patriotic songs, Sweets... etc.

School days: As with most of the non-nerdy kids I hated going to school. 15 Aug for me was a happy day, even if it meant going to school at 7am, cause the thought of not having classes was simply mesmerizing for me. We were made to stand in the queues according to our "Houses" (Red, Green,Blue and Yellow). The prefects, monitors and teachers would get busy maintaining the discipline. All the patriotic old Hindi songs would go on  in the background. This was different since my school was a Catholic English School and Hindi was supposed to be a strict NO-NO (Except in Hindi Class). Songs would start from 6am on loudspeakers. Few of the songs are really classics.

"Aao baccho tumhe dikhayen....Vande Mataram!"
"Hum Layen hai Tufan se kashti......"
"De di Azadi hamen bina...."
"Chodo Kal ki Baatein.....Hum Hindustani"
"Mere Desh ki dharti...."
"Apni azadi ko hum...."

My personal favorite was or rather is "Aye mere pyaare Watan..." From the 1966 Black and White film KABULIWALA. Sometimes it does bring me to tears.

Coming back to school, The Father (Principal) of the school would give a short speech on the importance of the day and finally hoisting of the Flag by him. The flag hoisting would  go along with the national anthem "Jana Gana Mana" which we would repeat even without understanding its real meaning in Bengali. And just after the flag hoisting all would shout "Bharat Mata ki....Jai.....Bharat Mata ki....Jai" ..."Vande Mataram...Vande mataram ". All of us by now would be desperate to get the packet of balloons and sweets distributed by the school. Then we would go to some of my classmates house or would walk back home carefree. Childhood living is indeed easy to do.
My Father was at that time in government service. He held head positions for many institutions.It was weird for me to see him dressed in white uniform with "Gandhi Cap". He used to hoist flag at his institution. At that time only government institutions had a right to hoist flags.

Independence Day afternoons used to be filled with Patriotic movies. Richard Attenborough's Gandhi, A film made by non-Indian with Indian actors, is the most common movie. Congress party that has ruled India for almost 50 years owns the state media Doordarshan (DD).It uses this movie for their own propaganda. Indian freedom struggle is sadly attributed to a single person - Gandhi. This is visible in our daily lives, on our currency. The extremist movement was and is always suppressed.

Many other movies like the crazy Manoj Kumar movies like Purab aur Paschim , Clerk used to also be regularly played. Bearing this torture is what makes us real Indians. Added to these movies attack of the ultimate B-grade movie which is strangely popular was : Tiranga. Nana Patekar along with old Rajkumar is what made this movie so lethal. Rajkumar's green velvet shirt still haunts me. Who can forget the great villain - "Pralaynath Genda swami".

Recent  gems like those starring Sunny Paaji  are also sometimes shown!


Away From Home: Being away from home in far away countries makes one 52% more patriotic than usual! This day reminds me of my school days, when times were simpler, wants were lesser! Being in US in the IT field (mostly dominated by Indians) makes me feel home sometimes but "Home is home". I am daily hooked to news papers like  The Times of India to stay in touch with what is happening in India! I observe many things. I see how our journalistic standards are falling day by day. All I see is some sort of rightist propaganda! Things that are happening now makes my blood boil ! The British rule has come to India again! We need to rise! And Rise we will! 

LDI : Last Day in Infosys....

That was the day, weirdly I did not feel weird! I was not angry on Infosys, unlike many of my colleagues, but I wasn't even happy. This was the place where I came almost 5 years back. It was my life for 5 years! Traveling 31Kms (1 hr to come and 2 hrs to go..) daily from my home to Hinjewadi. Spending minimum 9.15 hours was mandatory now.  So I used to spend my about 12 hours of the day in my service to the company! But spending time is not difficult is it?

I had a group of friends, many of them still are my best friends! Spending time with them in Food courts was a bliss! Standing in long queues for everything was a daily routine for an Infocion, like me.Yet none, except one was there to bid me goodbye. All had either left Infosys or gone onsite! Writing my last day mail was painful experience. I was separating form Infosys. this was the last mail for #56129 :

From: Adinath Vishwanath Yemul
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 1:44 PM
To: Infy_Rockers
Subject: Adieu et Merci!

It happened so fast yet so slow…..
I am so happy and yet so sad…..well, these are clichés from my side….but these are my true feelings..
I was taking things as if nothing is happening but as soon as I got my E-separation approved my heat started beating faster…
Now I know I have finished a part of my journey of 4 years, 6 months ,21 days, 4 hrs…. .It was a long one at some instances and short one at others .
And soon I will start a new journey into this cold world again. Far from “comfort” of Infy , Far from friends , some more than friends , some colleagues…..

My journey started from Mysore…..I really have fond memories of it…
Slogging in nights, Perception, Arun Nair, hostels , gazebo , Loyal world , Compri ( fortunately no re-compri)…

I got the desperately wanted  Pune DC phase -2 with just 4 buildings in May 2006 ( SDB1-2-4 and FC1 )
I joined WellPoint  in FPA, working for almost 18 hours a day even on weekends .I made few friends who still are with me…The FPA night shift of 3 days I can never forget ( everyone slept including the PMs for last 2 of the 3 days). It was a fun time with equal hard  amount work.

In 2008 I went to Denver it was a cold and a pleasant experience. I will miss that place the most.
Blues café, Starbucks, 83L, Le Central, 7-11, 11th floor, conf room 11-11 , P3 parking, Chipotley, Jeff Capilitz and most importantly the people…..it was all very great
I will soon meet them anyways…

I had a brief time in Aetna… it was insignificant but a learning experience.

I am a normal infocion not too good neither too bad! I had my share of ups and downs…and I hold no grudges..
I will really miss BB, Infy_rockers , Queues for spoons , DARTs, queues in FCs, Heat of FC2 in summers, the far MLPL, 9.15 hours rule, WellPoint, coffee group,
Sparsh  ahh…. And the list goes on.

I know its time for me to go…As they say in INFOSYS…Best of luck to you , for your future endeavors.
I hope our paths cross soon.
I always thought that Friday was supposed to be my last day!! But it seems it’s not :)


You can get to me at  *@*.com

Tadaaa!!!
~Adii

...an year gone by.

Last year, at the end of 2009, I was writing a similar blog...Fake introspection. I don't believe that by introspecting, you can improve anything....I wont stop spending on things that I don't need,will I? Introspection is for weak people who are not willing to accept what they are and want to make themselves better in the eyes of the society which doesn't  care for them! Anyways my year 2010 was full of roller-coaster rides in the truest sense (I went to SFO at that time with my pals). After a pathetic new year in an Airport what else do you expect? ( don't even get me started on pathetic new years!!). My year started with being surrounded by the opposite gender. Office work of manner which would the suit laziest bum in the world...which is me. There was time for lonely coffee breaks, non-lonely coffee breaks, heart breaks, chats,  phone calls, swearing, jealousies, twists, anger, pain but no time for work! I had a car now that too a working one! What else could a man desire for?? (ahem!! woman!). Life was going on smoothly for me with frequent calls to my mom. I had become a master-chef in adi-dal, adi-chana and now adi-chicken. People used to get hysterical at the sights and smells of adi-dal. Suddenly things started twisting...I got calls from two "GOOD" universities and I time had come to leave this beautiful life. I had two exits "EXIT-MAY", a costly and good exit and "EXIT-AUG", a costly and $#%$% exit. I chose exit-aug for reasons better kept secret.

February was a lovely month of spending valentines day alone amongst friends in PF Chang's but I discovered the best thing ever ( by US standards ) "DYNAMITE SHRIMP". The dynamite shrimp was my valentine. 

March was as usual.....nothing happens in march!! 

April 1st was kind of joke on me but I think I had the last laugh. That month changed all the equations.... friends turned into foes and foes remained foes and tension prevailed...on my dreaded floor. I still tried to remain calm. I know I cannot take back bitching by my "friends" and I didn't . One should remember what goes around comes back around and it did. What a month it was....    

May as usual was hotter in Denver. Temperatures soaring with rage ....as I used to roam around everywhere. It made my superiors hotter. On my freeway, which started in 2005, exit was nearing. I did not care to slowdown. 

June came with unexpected rains and one more fake landmark of birthday. For most of them it meant a sad day, a day closer to old age for me it means pure cake cutting and getting ass-kicked by a broken guy. It was an emotional months with  rains...but my heart beat faster as I landed  amongst known strangers.

July was a month of relative restlessness. Few new steps had been taken. One wrong move would change my life but I did not falter. I juggled few things. I remained quiet and lonely and rejoiced on getting my visa changed. Last day in infy was never what I imagined. I never got a farewell but somewhere that farewell had already begun...

Aug was a month of total change. Bidding bye to my family and rains had become like daily chores. When I landed in Denver I was different man. I had my moments which I enjoyed. But things had changed...Driving alone to unknown was an experience.

Sept - Life changed , things faded...competition had set in. expectations failed. rush began for assistantship. race ....pure rat race. But I was still better off. I had more things that what I had before. I was burnt in heat...Tucson was hot and lonely....all you could see was cactus, skimpily dressed girls who make you feel lonelier.

Oct/Nov - These months I don't remember a thing. Were like a hangover.

Dec - My december..was filled with anger,anguish, inferiority, victory and relief. how would you feel if you know more than your professor...I felt same way. But I still let it go.Breaking a heart is the hardest thing ever... trust me. Freedom is the worst thing if u r idle!

31 st Dec 2010 - 11:59 pm - The Vessel Club - San Francisco . I am standing alone in a club with my friends trying hard to hookup with girls. Each wants desperately to touch a busty girl but is miles away from even talking. Few couples have started to fiddle around in the darkness. Few Indians dressed in their best are trying to mingle with firang gals.  DJ is playing a song which no body understands ...well who cares when you are drunk....I am cursing myself for this unwanted situation but still I know NEW YEAR'S are supposed to be pathetic.

and VOILA....12 am.... 01/01/2011...balloons burst... DJ shouts...drunk girls kiss....and my old year ends.....Alone.....

Lets see what this new year brings for me...its an important year for me...TRUST ME.....   

You Know when You Are In Pune......

Ahh I was about to write about this since long...but recent times I have been "Super Busy".

You know when you are in pune when........
1. When the uniformed beggars at the signals compete with non-uniformed ones
2. When no matter what hotel you start, what ever you serve, what ever you quote, there will be people    thronging to eat...
3. When you will be ashamed to speak the local language ( mai marathi ) in malls....
4. When you know you wont be punished what ever you do if you are driving a car..
5. When people will sell you flats at whatever price they feel...and you will be in a queue to buy it...
6. When you know suddenly that the road you are driving on is one way in opposite direction..but dont worry...you know why...
7. when the city bus (PMT) driver has a right to kill people... there are too many people anyways...