Vol.11.Issue.6.November.

15

TECHNOLOGY|AUTO|GIZMOS|PEOPLE|WATCHES|LIFESTYLE

where tech meets lifestyle!

` 100
6
$8

thetechy.com
Headphone
of the Year
Skullcandy
Crusher

Flagship
Smar tphone
of the Year
Samsung
Galaxy
S6 Edge

Wireless
Speaker
of the Year
Harmon
Kardon
Esquire
Mini

Smar t
watch of
the Year
LG Watch
Urbane

Most
Innovative Tech of the Year
Hero4 Go Pro Session
Value
Smar tphone of the Year
Moto G 3rd Gen

Entry Level
Smar tphone of the year
YU Yunique

Laptop of the Year

Dell XPS 13
Camera of the Year
Nikon D750

Techy Car
of the Year
BMW i8

Por table Storage

Device of the Year
LaCie Little Big
Disk Thunderbolt 2

Tech Entrepreneur of the Year

RAHUL SHARMA
Consumer
Tech of the Year
Logitech K480

Wearable Tech
of the Year
Fitbit Surge

EAR
F THE Y 70T)
O
V
T
M
C9
(LG 65E
PREMIU

VALUE TV OF THE YEAR

VU PLAY SERIES

LED TV

LG 4K O

Why Startups Fail ?

How Big Is Walmart ?

I NOV 2015 I 1

I OCT 2015 I 3

CONT
64

GAdGet reviews

We review gadgets on a regular basis, but this time it was a

bit different. Thanks to Exhibit Tech Awards our office was
flooded with gadgets from all walks of life. We took this an
opportunity and challenge; thereby reviewing over three
dozen gadgets in a single issue. We have kept it simple and
are sure you would love our precise approach.

96

iPhoneoGrAPhy

So photography is something that we all love as a hobby. But,

carrying or buying a DSLR for each frame is just not practical.
With cellphones sporting some very capable shooters, we bring
a whole new genre in photography iPhoneography. Come
ahead and explore the possibilities.

38

A3 CAbriolet

If you are someone who loves cars, then you would agree
that convertibles are the most stylish breed when it comes to
four wheels. We drive the uber stylish A3 Cabriolet and try to
persuade you into indulging in your passion for something that
might not really a whole lot of sense. Go ahead live your life,
theres no other post this.

46

how biG is wAlmArt

We love anything colossal and what else could be colossal enough

than a retail chain that witnesses millions of walkins on a daily
basis. This is the story of Walmart How it all began, how insanely
Big it is and some of the most interesting facts and perspective
about Walmarts enormity.

52

why stArtuPs FAil

Startups are the buzz of the town, but most of them fail for certain
obvious and some unknown reasons. We take the liberty to study
their failure and bring you an insight about Why Startups Fail. This
is something that everyone must know to educate the entrepreneur
in you.

60

TENTS

NOVEMBER 2015

28

rise oF smArtPhones

Smartphones are possibly the lifeline of your timeline. That

said do you remember your first Smartphone. We all do. Come
take a look at the way Smartphones evolved with time and
what have they rose to. Interested right?

88

hybrid ComPuters

Computers are no longer just machines that were utilitarian as

a certain form factor. With newer OS supporting touch enabled
interface, a new genre of computing devices has come into
being Hybrid Computers. Is it a tablet or is it a laptop It is
both. Come take a look at them in more detail.

112

sCienCe And teCh in PoP Culture

Pop Culture has been trending for decades and there is a science
behind this. To understand this better, you will need to go
ahead and indulge in this article. Its amazingly interesting to
know that something as simple as something has some science
associated to it.

136

sAtellite internet Gets A FACeliFt

So internet is reaching everywhere with several companies

trying to bring it the remotest areas around the globe. But technology as we know it is consistently evolving. Heres our take on
the facelift that Satellite Internet has gone through.

86

internet.orG

Internet.org What exactly is this? We have heard about all the

good things that this particular project will be bringing to the
table. But with good comes evil or does it? Heres our compilation of all the controversies that surround this massive project.

60

114

One October 28th, Mumbai witnessed one of the

most happening event nights ever. It was the second
year of Exhibit Tech Awards and boy o boy, was it
glamorous! Come check out some of the most happening moments and winners that were chosen by a
wise group of men and our thousands of voters.

history oF nexus smArtPhones

With the launch of new Nexus phones, we cant help but ask ourselves How did it come to being the Nexus that it is? We explore
the history of all the Nexus Smartphones that have altered the
smartphone timeline when it comes to Android as an operating
system.

FROM THE EDITORS DESK

We

are all sitting in a supersonic irreversible jet

which has propelled towards the end of 2015, and
with that one more year is waiting to be permanently
ticked off the calendar. Its soon going to be that time
when we will make fresh resolutions and break them
again, but before we do that, we will go through the
celebrations of Diwali, Christmas and New year. For
us, celebrations have started from 28th October when
we had the Exhibit Tech Awards 2015, which is what
this whole issue is all about. The starry night with Top
Ladies and Gentlemen from the Tech Industry and our
friends from Bollywood left us high until we do it again
in 2016. Its a year away but the supersonic `jet that
we are all co passengers doesnt make it look so far
into the future and it will be sooner than you think.
One evening which is the result of a two month long
process of reaching out to all the brands to file their
top contenders for the 20 categories, choosing from
them and having the tech minds vote for it on thetechy.com which was all finally summed up by a jury
round. Its fun, its supreme techy, its transparent and its
very well deserving . In the pages to come, meet all
the winners and contenders and be assured that they
are the best across category which we had in tech this
year. You just need to take your pick now!
Meanwhile, for those who had missed the Tech Award
2015, we have a full coverage of the same in a manner where you can literally Read and experience
the show LIVE. Next is our Tech Fashion Week which
is slated at the end of Jan and Hottest 100 Start Ups
in early March. Both the events are poles apart but
connected by our DNA of where tech meets lifestyle.
Start ups - the word is making some noise and grabbing the headlines all over either as news or as full
blown Advertsiements. Start ups are the next FMCG
in advertising and you cant miss a commuication from
Flipkart, Snapdeal, Amazon or housing.com for that
matter which is now trimming its workforce and Local
banya which looks like they have shut shop. We had
a deep look at Why start ups Fail and fail to take off or
loose their gasoline midway in thin air and come crashing down. Its not honkey dory all the time and you often fall hard after you have covered a
distance. For those who are planning to set a startup of their own, they must read it before going ahead.
Last, but not the least, Riddhima from my team has got us some exotic tourism sites in Spain after an awesome 8 days trip at this amazing place.
So, we have a balanced equation of technology and lifestyle in the month ahead. Happy festives :-) as they say, Bring it on !
Stay Tuned, Stay Glued and Stay Techy and defintely Stay Hooked thetechy.com | thewheelz.com

GET SOCIAL WITH US >>

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/thetechycom /thetechycom
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/thetechycom

I NOV 2015 I 6

/exhibitmagazine
/thetechycom

Ramesh Somani
Founder, Publisher
& Chief Editor
@somaniramesh

I NOV 2015 I 7

Publisher & Chief Editor RAMESH SOMANI

BUSINESS

EDITORIAL
Automobiles & Tech Editor Pratik Ghone ([email protected] )
Watch Editor Karan Jain ([email protected] )
Tech Edit Team Abhijeet Kanel ([email protected] )
Features Editor Shreya Bhattacharya, ([email protected] )
Riddhima Shishupal ([email protected] )

COO Sakshi Maheshwari ([email protected])

Head - Content & Sales Abhishek Singh ([email protected])
Manager Media & Content Meryl ([email protected])
Asst.Manager Mktg Jay Bhargav ([email protected])
MarketingTeam Krupa Shah([email protected])
Sr. Mktg Exe - Outdoor Rakesh Sharma, Atul Sachdev
Digital Media Nikita Jadhav ([email protected])

Bike Reviewer Jay Bhargav ([email protected] )

ACCOUNTS & HR

Contributing Editors Omar, Dr. Yasho V Verma

Consulting Editor N.K. Goyal (Govt. of India - Chairman,
Emeritus TEMA)

HR Manager Durgesh Vaish ([email protected])

Accounts Manager Manjiri Patange ([email protected])
Senior Accounts Exe Mithun Gupta

ART & DESIGN

Art Director Radhika Maheshwari ([email protected])

Jnr. Graphic Designer Purvaja Ramteke ([email protected])
Web Developer Hitesh Taral([email protected])
Web Developer Ajay Kadam ([email protected])
Video Editor Dhwanil Mukhtyar ([email protected])
Video Specialist Akash Shukla ([email protected])

CIRCULATION

INTERNATIONAL

European Sales Director Christophe Brisset ([email protected])

Mobile+33 607893184 (Paris / France)
International Marketing & Pascal Haider ([email protected])
Allowances Mobile +41 768242012 (Switzerland)
MUMBAI
Exhibit Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Suite No. 811, Crystal Paradise, 8th Floor,
Off Veera Desai Rd, Opp Skoda Showroom,
Andheri (W), Mumbai 400053.
022 - 26740174 -77

SUBSCRIPTION

[East & West] [North & South]

Manita Akshita
Shraddha 09833122253
(022) 26740174 - 77 [email protected]

NEW DELHI
Exhibit Technologies Pvt.Ltd
1012A, 1014 & 1015, Kirti Shikhar
Building, District Center, Janak Puri.
New Delhi-110058

KOLKATA
Exhibit Technologies Pvt.Ltd
33/1 NS Road, Room No. 111,
Ground Floor, Marshall House
Kolkata - 700 001.

Circulation Exe (West) Sachin-9987284221 ([email protected])

Circulation (North) Dinesh Kumar-9891838341
The publishers apologetically announce that they cannot be liable incase of any errors and/or omissions in the publication.
The content, opinions and views in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are requested to cross
check from specialists before acting on the information which are mainly targeted for general use and may not be apt for the
readers circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged.
Edited, published, printed & owned by Ramesh Somani for Exhibit Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Diamond Chambers Block - II,
Floor 9, Unit - 9I, 4 Chowringee Lane, Kolkata - 700016. Printed at CDC Printers Pvt. Ltd., Tangra Industrial Estate - II, 45
Rabrindranath Chowdhary Rd, Kolkata - 700015. Place of publication - 3A, Auckland Square, Kolkata - 700017.

DISTRIBUTED IN INDIA, USA, UK & DUBAI

CONTRIBuTORS

Dj CHETAS

The man behind Yeh Jawaani Hai

Deewani and Humpty Sharma Ki
Dulhania mashups. He has many
Bollywood mashups to his credit and
was the official DJ at Arpita Khans
wedding in Hyderabad. Moreover, the
Bollywood mashup king is also having
a show to his name on 9XM.

ARCHANA KOCHHAR

One of the favorites among the Bollywood Glitteratti. she has been showcasing
her collection on the Indian as well as the
international runways more than a decade. Due to the high proclaim received,
Archana was invited by Galleries lfayette
at Paris to present her collection with
International designer houses like Kenzo,
Christian Lacriox and Nina Ricci.

SANjAy GOyAL

Sanjay Krishna Goyal is the founder

and CEO of ACL Mobile, the Indian
pioneer in enabling enterprises with
innovative mobile technology for all
telecom-dependent services. At the
helm of the company, Sanjay provides
strategic direction for the successful
running and growth of the business. He
also oversees the launch and establishment of new initiatives.

SIDDHARTHA SHARMA

Siddhartha Sharma is the Editor for Technology at Indias Mobile First News Platform, The
Quint. He has worked with India Todays Television division, spearheading the technology
vertical. Apart from technology, he also loves
to travel and is an automobile junkie.

DR. yASHO V. VERMA

Dr. Yasho V. Verma is a

management philosopher,
an adviser to Videocon and
Member of Board of Dena
Bank. He was formerly
associated with Onida and
LG as the CEO for almost
16 years.

COLSTON juLIAN

Colston is a Mumbai based Photographer &

Director. Apart from that, he is an adventure
sports enthusiast. He travels extensively and
shoots in other fashion cities as well, e.g. in
Paris and Toronto. His main work is editorial, commercial, advertising, fashion, beauty
and also some interiors. Colston Julian has
been working for five years as a professional
photographer. His latest major campaigns were
for Blackberry, Virgin, Bandelier, Levis, Shoppers
Stop, Lifestyle, TVS, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton.

I NOV 2015 I 9

tech Launches
Jabra Eclipse >>

Apple iPhone 6s and 6s Plus >>

Nexus 5x and 6P >>

Jabra recently launched their lightweight wireless

headset which combines an unrivalled sound quality with sleek design and ultimate comfort. Featured
with prremium music-grade speaker, HD Voice* for
high definition sound quality and weighing only 5.5
g, this is Jabras lightest ever headset. The portable
charging case allows you to store the headset and
charge on-the-go. Up to 10 hours of talk time with
the charging case (up to 3 hours on headset alone
without charging case) and up to 7 days standby
time, the headset carries quite some stamina. Button-free headset interaction allows for ease of use
and with NFC, the pairing too is hassle free. There
are dual microphones for noise cancellation and
the headset also allows for smartphone voice control with Siri / Google Now. It will be available in
Black and White editions.
Price: `7999/-

Apple recently launched the new iPhone 6S and 6S

Plus in four colours: Silver, Gold, Space Grey, and
a new Rose Gold Aluminium finish. Physically, it is
still carries similar design and almost similar dimensions. Almost similar, since it features a thicker body
with aircraft quality 7000 series aluminium built.
These phones are more like an evolution as compared to the iPhone 6 series launched a few months
ago. Most of the changes are to the hardware.
These phones now get an innovative 3D touch display that features force touch allowing users to have
a newer touch experience. These phones are also
capable of shooting 4k videos and the new A9 chip
is more than capable to edit 4k content while on the
go. This is the most significant hardware upgrade
ever seen in an iPhone as the phones now also get
2GB RAM. Featuring a capable hardware with iOS
9, these seem like a good upgrade for Android users as well.
Price: Starts from `52,000 to `92,000

Google recently launched the New Nexus line up.

This was the first time when the world witnessed two
Nexus phones at once. Possibly because - not everyone likes large screen phones or because everyone missed the Nexus 5 as it was accepted so well.
Nexus 5X is made by LG and features a 5 inch LCD
display powered by Snapdragon 808 SOC coupled
with 2GB RAM. Available in 16GB and 32GB variant, this is intended towards the casual users who
want pure Android Marshmallow experience. The
Nexus 6P is made by Huawei and although its their
first ever Nexus phone, this one is highly impressive
as it sports an all metal body with 5.7 inch QHD
AMOLED Display, Snapdragon 810 SOC and 3 GB
RAM and comes in 32GB to 128GB variants. Both
these phones feature a finger print reader which
is quick and sets up easy thanks to Marshmallow.
Also, both of these phones feature a 12MP Sony
sensor that clicks great images and can shoot 4k or
slow motion videos as per users choice.
Price: 6P starts from `39,999/5X starts from `31,999/-

I NOV 2015 I 10

of the month
Sony Xperia Z5 and
Z5 Premium >>
Sony recently announced the launch of their newest flagship line up Z5 and Z5 Premium. Powered
by the Snapdragon 810 SOC and a 23 MP rear
shooter with laser autofocus, both these phones are
capable of high performance tasks, but what makes
the Z5 premium stand out is its insanely high PPI display which packs in 4k resolution. The phone also
comes with 3430 mAh battery which sports turbo
charging. It still has the water repellent capabilities
and a similar design as the Z4. That said, 4k display is something insane and the world has gone
bonkers over it. We will be testing the same when
we receive it and bring you the possibilities of a 4k
display. All said, innovations are always welcomed
and thats what we adore as a tech consumer. Z5
will be available in Gold, Green and Black while
the Z5 Premium will be available in stylish Gold and
Chrome.
Price: Z5: `52,990/- and
Z5 Premium: `62,990/-

Jaybird X2 >>

Canon EOS C-300 Mark II >>

Jaybird launched the successor to the popular

Bluebuds X. The earlier earphones were a huge
success thanks to their fit, design and superb audio quality. The X2s evolve as a package and bring
better connectivity with improved battery life. These
also feature better tips and better audio output as
compared to just about any Bluetooth earphone in
the market today. The package includes a newer
design for carrying case along with comply foam
tips that make the deal sweeter than ever before.
The jaybird X2 comes in several colour options too.
Users can thereby choose their colours and fit as per
their choices making it a suitable workout partner.
Sweat resistant design makes it apt for everyone especially urban crowd.
Price: `15,999/-

The EOS C300 Mark II Digital Cinema Camera

integrates an 8.85 Megapixel Super 35mm 16:9
CMOS sensor that supports 4K (DCI) recording with
a maximum resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels. The
camera fully utilizes the image data delivered by this
4K CMOS sensor to also enable Over Sampling HD
Processing for 2K (DCI) and Full HD1080/60p recording. The EOS C300 Mark II enhances the sensitivity and also minimizes the noise and supports the
ISO speeds of up to 102,400 for extreme low-light
imaging. This sensor also reduces data-readout
time to about half of its original EOS C300 Camera, which results in a significant reduction in rolling-shutter artifacts. The camera also sees a boost
in its ISO range, now boasting a range of 160 to
25600 ISO (100 to 102400 ISO when sensitivity
is expanded). The EOS C300 Mark II Digital Cinema Camera incorporates the new Canon XF-AVC
codec that allows 4K image data to be recorded
internally onto CFast (2.0) cards. (The camera features two CFast card slots and an SD card slot.) This
makes it easy for users to record high quality compressed 4K images in the camera body without the
need for external recorders.
Price: `12,99,000/-

I NOV
2015
I NOV
2015
I 11 I 11

Automobiles & Tech Editor - Pratik Ghone

Our Host for the evening - Cyrus Sahukar

Presents

FOUNDER & CEO EXHIBIT GROUP - Ramesh Somani

with Zoya Afroz, Mohit Malhotra

I NOV 2015 I 14

garmin.co.in

GarminIN

@Garmin_India

Compact, Waterproof
HD Action Camera
with G-Metrix

I NOV 2015 I 15

Manjiri Fadnis

Daisy Shah

Elli Avram

Zoya Afroz

Anees Bazmee

Sophie Choudhary

Tapsee Pannu

Purva Rana
I NOV 2015 I 16

Claudia Ciesla

Rocky S

Brian Bade, Tapsee, Sophie, Manjiri, Zoya, Elli, Cyrus, Ramesh Somani, Daisy, Purva, Toranj, Vishal Parekh

Publisher & Chief Editor - Ramesh Somani

Exhibit Team
I NOV 2015 I 17

APPS OF THE MONTH

TRUEMESSENGER
Truemessenger is an SMS replacement app developed by Truecaller.
Truemessenger shows you who sent that random SMS, and it automatically sends spam messages to a separate folder so that you can
keep your SMS inbox clean and organized. You can block unwanted
messages and share intel about spammers with the community, which
helps everyone avoid them. If you thought Truecaller was necessary,
take a look at your message inbox and think again. This is one of the
most secure free apps one must have. Although, spam is not personal
anymore, but the fact that companies have access to our numbers for
spamming us with offers, makes this app a life saver in true sense.

Android, iOS

PEWDIEPIE: LEGEND OF
THE BROFIST
PewDiePie is one of the most popular stars on YouTube, with nearly 40
million subscribers to his channel. His first mobile game is no cash-in:
its a very enjoyable platformer with plenty of nods to gaming history and
YouTube culture along the way. Theres real voice over by several popular Youtubers. Epic boss fights are challenging enough for professional
gamers. Atlhough paid, there are no in-app purchases and the journey
is mesmerizingly presented in 8-bit graphic format. This one is a must
play for all gaming fans.

Android, iOS

KHAN ACADEMY
This has been available on iOS for some time, but is new to Android. Its
an excellent educational tool with bite-sized video courses on everything
from biology and economics to art history. The content is authoritative
but rarely dry. You can learn anything for free: Over 10,000 videos
and explanations at your fingertips in math, science, economics, history,
and much, much more. Quickly find what you need: Redesigned navigation and search make it faster to find what you want. Keep learning
even when youre offline: Bookmark your favorite content to Your List
(phone only) for easy access, and download it to keep learning even
when youre not connected to the internet. Pick up where you left off:
Your learning syncs between your Android and khanacademy.org, so
your progress is always up-to-date.

Android, iOS
I NOV 2015 I 18

APPS OF THE MONTH

VIZABLE
Vizable turns data into beautiful, interactive visualizations. Features
include transforming data into interactive graphs and charts, Pan and
zoom through data stored in CSV and Excel files, See patterns and understand relationships. You can also analyze trends and explore data
over time. Beautiful animations help you see relationships between the
data stored. The best of them all is that you can also share your data
stories with your colleagues and become a star presenter at your work
place. This is a must have app for all office users who are looking at
revamping their presentation skills.

iOS

SEEDLING COMIC
STUDIO
This is a marvellous app for parents and children to use together:
taking photos, cartoon backgrounds and stickers and blending them
into your own digital comic strips. Three themes are included with
more available as IAP. Create and share your own amazing comic
book! Easily mix your own photos with custom backgrounds and
stickers from themes like Comic, Pixel, Space and more. Bring your
comic to life with awesome sticker effects, costumes and props.
Tell your story with speech bubbles, thought bubbles, captions
and freeform text. Use your own photos (and our fun selection of
filters) as panel backgrounds, or choose from our library of custom
background illustrations. Easily cut people or objects out of their
backgrounds to make your comics even more personalized.

iOS

NEED FOR SPEED NO LIMITS

Race for dominance in the first white-knuckle edition of Need for
Speed made just for mobile from the developer that brought you
Real Racing 3. Build your dream ride with an unbelievable range of
cars and customizations. Launch yourself between chaos and control
as you hit the loud pedal and roll into underground car culture. Win
races, up your rep, then kick into more races, more customizations,
and more cars. Make your choices and never look back. Tonight we
ride! This app offers in app purchases. Pick up the real-world cars
youve always wanted, from the Subaru BRZ to the BMW M4, McLaren
650s, Porsche 911, and more. Then trick them out with the hottest
customization system on mobile, from spots like the Mod Shop and
the Black Market, giving you over 2.5 million custom combos to play
with. There are over 1000 challenging races and a lot more. Go race!

Android, iOS
I NOV 2015 I 19

ech Leaders and their

Unique NERD Hobbies
I think there was a time when nerd and geek had clear, concise definitions. There were parameters, even if being enclosed in those
parameters wasnt always very pleasant although I suppose getting boxed in never is.
But, what was once associated with nerds video games, comic books, card games, and the like has now been absorbed into
mainstream pop culture. Tell an avid A Song of Ice and Fire reader back in the 90s about how popular Game of Thrones would be
today, and theyd probably look at you like if you told them Cersei and Jon get together at the end of the series (hey, not over, could still
happen).
If the stereotypes have been adopted by the mainstream, then what is a nerd? Today, it seems like a nerd is just someone who cares a
lot about something a kinder, gentler definition. Its certainly not a pejorative term anymore, at least not the way it used to be. Point
is, wed like to think that these fabulously wealthy tech leaders would be proud to be called nerds in their own unique ways and you
might be surprised why.

1 Mark Zuckerberg: Founder and CEO - Facebook

This tech magnates origin story doesnt need a rehash its already been made
into a major motion picture, and the guy just passed the 30 mark. What you might
not know is his affinity for FENCING he was captain of his prep school team, and
apparently used the sport as the subject of one of his Harvard admissions essays.

2 Elon Musk: Product Architect - Tesla

No surprise here the Tesla chief is all about BATTERIES. Yeah, theyre what makes his awesome electric cars tick, but dont sleep on his new batteries designed to make harnessing solar
power more efficient than ever before.

3Meg Whitman: President, Chairwoman and CEO - HP

The HP CEO went full-on POLITICS nerd in 2010, when she tried to become head of a much
bigger entity the state of California. She lost to current governor Jerry Brown, partly because
she wasnt nerding out about politics enough while she was busy with business an almost
non-existent voting record did her campaign no favors.

4 Larry Ellison: CTO - Oracle

Longtime Oracle CEO Larry Ellison is one of the richest people on the planet, so
its no surprise that he has a hobby to match YACHTING. The guy goes nuts for
his boat races, but maybe a little too much he and his team got busted a couple
years back for adding illegal weights to their boat before the 2013
Americas Cup began.
I NOV 2015 I 20

5
Gabe Newell: Co-Founder and MD Valve Corporation
Not a lot of video game developers make it into the billionaire club, but Gabe Newell managed
(with a little help from his stint at Microsoft). The Steam boss is worth $1.26 billion and is effectively
the patron nerd of PC GAMING.

6 Marissa Mayer: President and CEO Yahoo

Mayer has deep roots in science and technology from a young age, but she has an artistic nerd outlet,
too. She took BALLET lesson as a child, and was still dancing all the way into her time as an undergraduate at Stanford. Today, she sits on the boards of both New York City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet.

7 Richard Branson: Founder Virgin Group

With Virgin, Branson didnt have the most conventionally nerdy path to riches as most others on this
list. But, now that hes there, hes pursuing his nerd outlet with a lot of money he likes looking to
the sky, and wants to start taking people beyond it with Virgin Galactic spaceflights.

8 Bill Gates: Co-founder - Microsoft

When Bill Gates nerds out these days, many lives tend to get saved. He puts a lot into his philanthropic work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has resulted in a stark drop in
incidences of polio, measles, and malaria in many parts of the developing world and thats just
one example of what the foundation has accomplished.

9Judy Faulkner: CEO and Founder Epic Systems

When it comes to nerding out over health tech, accept no substitutes. Faulkner took her
company, Epic Systems, and turned it into a billion-dollar health tech powerhouse by
managing and storing electronic medical records. And, if youre wondering how into
health care she really is, wonder no more, she plans to transfer her shares in Epic to a
foundation that will provide money for health care-related causes and education.

10Steve Ballmer: Ex-CEO Microsoft and Owner of LA Clipperss

I know, the concepts of nerd and sports dont usually intersect, but if you dont think its possible to
nerd out over basketball, youve never seen Ballmer talk about the Clippers.

I NOV 2015 I 21

PICO
CASSETTE

WEIRDEST
GADGET
OF THE
MONTH

I NOV 2015 I 22

emember those days when we used to play on

consoles that used cartridges. Miss slamming
cartridges into the top of your old SNES. And
then taking them back out, blowing on them, and
slamming them back in? So do the folks behind
the Pico Cassette evidently, and they plan to bring
that same tech to your phone, sort of.
The Pico Cassette, debuted at this years Tokyo
Game Show, is simple in theory; its a game
cartridge for your phone that plugs in through the
headphone jack. Of course, your phone isnt a
game console built to read in games through its
headphone jack, so the actual inner workings are
a little more complicated.
Basically, youll download the Pico Cassettes
dedicated app, and boot that up before you plug
in your cassette. Then when you do plug in, the
cassette makes a unique authentication noise to
identify what game it is for, and then the app goes
and downloads that game from the internet. Its
a technology thats already been in use in Japan,
used to sell music and videos.
Theres no denying that the idea is silly from start
to finish, but the fact that the cartridges dont
actually have any game data on them sort of
takes some of the magic out of the whole thing.
But still, if the games are kind of neat and not just
something you could easily download somewhere
without the cartridge, maybe it could be a fun,
gimmicky throwback to the good old days.

I NOV 2015 I 23

THE FAKING NEWS AN ALPHA TECHY

PLEADS TO BAN SCRATCH-GUARDS FOR
TOUCHSCREENS

I NOV 2015 I 24

Safety comes
before practicality
for us Indians
Said Kunal in a deranged tone, making facial
expressions that communicate his urge to wipe off
stupidity from the face of earth.

Technology excites the mankind to live

the unreal. It makes us dream big and
look way into the future. One of the
industries that has seen some major
developments on the technological
front has been the aviation Industry.
The product that has been making

I asked him how it all started. To this he reverted

I had a friend who was planning to buy a new
smartphone. I being the smartest and the techiest,
suggested him a few with corning Gorilla Glass
3 knowing for the fact that he was endowed with
jumpy hands. I told him all the advantages of having a Gorilla Glass 3, it is chemically strengthened,
is toughened better for more durability and is resistant to scratches and random shocks that one can
meet with in Mumbai locals. After me convincing
him for the 100th time that its worth paying a few
extra bucks for the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 we
went on to buy the smartphone. All went absolutely
well, until after unboxing the piece the Shop Keeper suggested him to put on a scratch guard or the
phone is unsafe. I went on to argue that it sports a
gorilla glass 3 and doesnt need a scratch-guard.
But to my surprise I have been friends with stupid.
The shopkeeper manipulated him and bought him
into paying 200 bucks extra for the same.
According to Kunal, the worst part is when his
friend asked him to stop arguing as the shopkeeper sells these things every day and knows better
about these products than he does. All his confidence that came from being a Tech Blogger and
being invited to mega events, went in shams.
I believe just like Saadu-Maharaj thug people in
the name of religion, these smartphone accessory vendors fool customers by scaring them
and wooing them with unnecessary knowledge,
Said Kunal. He further went on to p
rove
that the Corning Gorilla Glass is actually very
durable and strong to withhold a drop test, and the
Gorilla Glass did. Although, the display remained
unchanged but the rest of it was in shambles.
Kunal felt a little pinch for he had smashed his
phone into pieces, but was filled pride at the same
time for the Gorilla Glass 3 didnt pose a hint of
damage on it.
I plead the government to put a temporary ban
on the sale of scratch-guards, giving us techies a
chance to prove it to the people that they dont
need this kind of safety and should learn to trust
their Smartphones, These words really inspired
me to pull that Scratch-Guard off my old school
Samsung smartphone and just a day later I learnt
that mine isnt endowed with a Corning Gorilla
Glass 3.
Nevertheless, he was right, a Smartphone that
sports a Gorilla glass 3 or above is strong as a
superman and needs to no piece of sticky plastic in
the name of security. After a few social media campaigns, a few rallies the shopkeepers in Kunals
vicinity stopped the sale of ScratchGuard, but this
has suddenly boosted the sale of Back Covers and
full body cases for smartphones. *Face Palm*

I NOV 2015 I 25

?
E
C
I
F
F
O
R
E
N
R
O
C
Y
M
S
I
E
R
E
H
W
B

usiness Cultures across the

world are witnessing a sea
change in the way work
styles are changing. Millenials
are an emerging or new set of
growing workforce. These young
adults also known as the Generation Next, Netizens, Generation Y,
Hyper Networked Generation etc
are creating new work patterns.
The way they are using the web
technologies is adding to the
way business environments are
observed and organizational
behavior is studied and all other
things related to the way these
groups contribute to organizations
overall growth and objectives.
Internet of things has revolutionized the way technology is used
and work is performed. In a SAAS
or Cloud storage world, Bring Your
Own Device (BYOD) and Small
Office Home Office (SOHO) or
SOHO-SMB terms are replacing
the traditional Corner Office or
Conference rooms terminology.
Organisations are turning into
lean enterprises to avoid high
operational costs of rentals or
maintaining a large workforce
within the office premises. In a
shared economy today, virtual
offices and moonlighting concepts
are not alien anymore.

The structure and process of work

is under a transformation triggered by digital office upgrades.
Work has grown more complex
intellectually and collaboration is

I NOV 2015 I 26

f wo
o
e
ng
a
a
h
s
C
e

r
u
t
cul
y
a
w

necessary to arrive at desired output, social skills and networks are

increasing growing popular and
inevitably significant, mobility in
terms of working from any gadget
or device is not a limiting factor
vis-a-vis geographical spread. The
organizations are not too much
worried about specific place or
time, it the work itself that should
be engaging and defining for an
individual to stay interested. It is
challenging for businesses to respond and innovate for the smart
generation incorporating varied
work styles that also encourage
work fluidity. While Startups
bring with them a different breed
of workforce and culture that
contributes to overall dynamics of
how the organization responds or
behaves. While they appear more
accommodating to work styles,
traditional companies may do
better with slight intervention of
behavioral experts.
Hierarchies in structure are pulled
off; companies have turned lenient
and agile with regard to flexibility
in time and place, workspaces
have no or minimal walls to
enable internal collaboration and
working relationships. There are
conscious efforts towards making
the workplace less stressing and
overall conducive to an individuals mental and physical well
being. For the outside audience,
the deliverables are more focused
on driving valued customer perspective, competitive strategy and
differential advantage.

the
g
n
i
r
lte
s.
a
n
o
i
e
t
r
les a organisa
y
t
s
nd
a
t in
l
i
s
u
n
b
o
i
re
at
orkst ctures a
stru
and
While the churning of fresh talent is resulting in workstations flying out of the office windows, behavioral changes are inevitable. Companies must gear up for
providing flexible work yet maintaining the standard of quality without compromising adherence to processes and performance deliveries. Three cardinal rules companies must follow to be able to meet this critical balance is:

Screen Objectively
The flexible work is not an absolute right but requests for such must be met with a fair amount of
discretion and reasonable thinking. The changes as expected by the applicant must be communicated well, preferably in writing. It must spell out reasons clearly and the effect it may have on
the employer, team or organization as a whole. If there are business reasons to reject a request
including inability to reorganize work, meet customer demands or add value to overall growth as
a committed employee then it should be explained well. The merits of allowing flexibility must be
weighed with prudence.

iS it permanent Or tempOrary
If you have allowed the workstation to go portable, it is better a time period is also defined. It sets the expectations and maintains a healthy employer employee
relationship. If the terms of employment and the compensation have changed and, it must be easy for the applicant to go back to the original terms if he may like
so.

iS it allOwed fOr SOme Or all

There must be no obligation to make any discriminations or priorities for applicants;
it must be purely on merit of how flexibility to an individual impacts or affects business. A trial period may though come as a handy option before the final decision is
made.
There have been studies across the world to prove that flexible employees are a
happier lot, working environments will continue to change, and with ease of access
to technology, employers must find seamless ways to embrace the portable workstation demands.

Dr. Yasho V Verma is a Management

Thinker & Philosopher, former COO
at LG, an academician, a startup
mentor and a veteran in consumer
durables. Currently, he is advisor to
Videocon and a member on board
of Dena Bank.

I NOV
2015
I NOV
2015
I 27I 27

THE RISE OF

SMARTPHONES
T

he late 2000s saw a sudden surge and excitement among geeks

and nerds. The reason was that the age Smartphone was about to
start.

Cut to 2015, there are over 30 brands retailing in India selling you
smartphones, and our dependence on them is growing by the day. The
advancement in technology is not necessarily a good sign. The phones
are getting smarter and the humans are getting dumber.

The 90s was an amazing time to live in

where all one could do with their phone
was make or receive a call and send a short
message. Now there are ten different ways
to send your message and 10 ways to talk as
well with VoIP calling now getting popular in
India.
No wonder companies like Airtel and Vodafone were worries that their revenues might
just drop. Contrary to that they have been
ever rising, though at a slower pace than
what they were accustomed to five years ago.
The dependency on our smart devices will
soon reach its critical limit, where we would
no longer think and just trust them blindly.
Human instinct is slowly getting killed due to
an explosion of all the technology around us.
The age of smartphones started when JAVA
based phones started introducing us to the
world wide web in our palm with the help of
WAP services. There was excitement that one
could check out the cricket match score without sending in a text to a VAS number. For a
cricket lover life became easy on the go.

But we humans are as destructive with technology as constructive we are. The camera on
your phone saw abuse by people who believe
in voyeurism and it continues to be prevalent
even in 2015.
Then came in a music revolution with a
sudden surge of music smartphones. Sony
owned them all with their Walkman brand
already popular among consumers, they had
things going their way. Humans were getting
addicted to this burst of technology.

BlackBerrys changed the game altogether, as the phones that they started making
post the BB Curve had it all. You could use
them as work phones with good security and
also as play phones with camera and music
functionality.
But the real game changer was Apples iPhone. This simple looking device packed in so
much in it and created something that people
did not even knew that they had wanted.
During the same time Google was also
working on their smartphone project and
experimenting with their Android platform.

Then came some windows based smartphones from Taiwanese companies like HTC
that gave you a low powered ability to manage your office work. One could read e-mails
and use functions on the phone to sort out
their office work on the go.

Thus started the war between the two giants,

Apples closed door approach with iOS and
iPhones and Googles Open Source Android
and the partners that collaborated like Samsung, HTC, Sony, Asus.

The biggest advancement came in when

a camera was married to a phone. Nokia
pioneered the idea with a VGA camera that
had a Carl Zeiss lens. And what a revelation
it was for us humans. We could capture memories on our smartphone without carrying a
physical camera with us.

In all the mix, Microsoft also wanted to get the

share of the pie and what started as a low key
affair with Windows based smartphones, saw
a sudden investment from the company. They
were a bit late to the party and even in 2015
suffer to capture a major market share as far
as smartphones go.

I NOV 2015 I 28

Now if you see the smartphones around us they

have come a long way and that too in a short
span of just about 15 years. Thats more growth
as an industry than what we saw in the Automobile
segment.
When the first Automobile was introduced people
said that cars will fly in the year 2000. That sadly
never happened. For smartphones some people say
something similar. But, I feel even in 50 years form
now, your smartphone will still be a flat brick.
The industry has been desperately trying to innovate
smartphones, but all we have seen in the past 5
years is that the phones are getting bigger and
packing in more processing power than many modern notebooks and PCs.
Imagine a modern smartphone has more than 100
times the computing power of what the combined
Apollo Missions used to land the man on Moon.

And its been almost 50 years that man has landed on the
moon. Its not because we dont want to, its simply that our
creativity and imagination is just limited to what the small
screen offers us.
If you look at the entire rise of smartphones closely, you will
see the innovation dying and along with that even the human
desire to innovate and create new things.
Think about it, as kids in the 90s used to step out and play
cricket or soccer, now all they do is hog on cheese burgers
and play the same games virtually on their smartphones.
Remember the time when you needed money and had to
physically go to the bank? It used to be an experience in it self
in the 90s and it helped you to silently develop interpersonal
skills with fellow human beings around you as well. Now
the same job gets done with just a tap on your smartphone
screen.
With the rise of e-commerce in India, even that family shopping experience is also dying. Technology sure, gives you easy
access to things but at the same time makes you lazy as well.
Technology advancement is not a bad thing at all, but depending and trusting it with a blind eye is a grave mistake that
will reflect in the future. The skills that we possessed in the
1900s are no longer there.
Celebrating technology is not a bad thing at all, but doing it
cautiously with minimal repercussions is important.

Siddhartha Sharma
Siddhartha Sharma is the Editor for Technology at Indias
Mobile First News Platform, The Quint. He has worked with
India Todays Television division, spearheading the technology vertical. He anchored and was editorially responsible
for Gadgets & Gizmos Show on Headlines Today and
TechnoDilli on DilliAajtak. Apart from technology, he also
loves to travel and is an automobile junkie. He has been a
regular contributor on travel technology, with Travel Plus,
Mens Health Magazine and on India Today Group Digital.
Prior to joining the India Today Group he was working with
ET NOW, as a tech journalist for their weekend technology
show, Technoholic.

I NOV 2015 I 29

Why Djing: Purely out of passion and love for music.

It started with piano classes followed with an inspiration from DJ Aqeel and the journey there on has been
educative and lovely.
Making your spinning different: I believe Im a good
judge of the audience and rather than coming with a
pre made set, I like doing everything live with a lot of
free styling.
Your first gig: A Holi party in my neighboring building.
Apart from partying, whats your idea of chilling: Haha,
partying isnt my idea of chilling. I avoid it as much as
possible. I love watching movies.
Djing or producing songs: Both.
The Best club in India: Royalty in Mumbai is the most
DJ friendly venue according to me.
If you could stage a rave anywhere, it would be at: I
always wanted to do something on the Bandra - Worli
Sea Link in Mumbai.
Your backup equipments include: Pioneer CDJ 2000
Nexus with the DJM 2000 Nexus. I use 4 CD Players
and an additional 2 in the back up.
Your style of Miking: I rarely pick up the mike, but when
I do its purely to interact with the crowd. In club shows
when the environment is very intimate, Ive been found
guilty of singing along as well.
Your favorite lyrics: Too many to pick from.
Hip-hop or Techno: Music beyond genres.
One thing you want to change about the current music
scene: Change how people create genres everyday. I
simply believe in two forms of music, good and bad. If
the crowd loves what youre playing, youve got it right.
We usually find you spinning: Every Friday and Saturday on my TV show on 9XM at 10pm.
We could follow you on:
: fb.com/DJChetas.Official
: DJ_Chetas
: djchetas
I NOV 2015 I 30

I simply believe in two forms of music,

good and bad. If the crowd loves what
youre playing, youve got it right, says
the super sexy DJ Chetas.

I NOV 2015 I 31

ARCHANA KOCHHAR
I think versatility is my biggest strength,
so I dont believe there is a signature
Archana Kochhar style. says the pretty
top-notch fashion designer ARCHANA
KOCHHAR. Having just launched
her Banjara collection, she is already
working on the next one. Shhh..Details
to be out soon!!! Lets have a quick
techno-fashion chat with her.

I NOV 2015 I 32

: How do you think technology has changed the fashion

industry in the past few years?

: Among your contemporaries, whom do you admire?

AK: Every designer has their own style, I believe there is something to admire in

AK: Technology has brought about nothing but short of a revolution. Today

each one of them.

you have digital prints that can be done because of a machine. You can have
embroidery that can be done in bulk and many such innovations have changed
the fashion industry. However, I do believe the human skill element is as strong.

AK: India is waking up to this concept; I think it has a long way to go to make it

: What is your take on eco-fashion?

big in eco-fashion. I do believe and hope that it is the future.

: Whats the latest trend for corporate wear in India?

AK: According to me, the corporate wear can be classified in 2 categories, you
have the financial firms or consultancies where you see people wear the best
Bespoke suits, customized shirts with a fabulous tie. On the other side, we have
a booming start-up culture in India where the dressing sense is casual yet trendy.

: Your collections (design& fabrics) are truly inspired by?

Whats the latest trend for corporate wear in India?

AK: There is no single element that inspires my collection. Every collection has
its own inspiration. For instance, my travel helps me bring in different elements
to clothes while the Ahimsa was aimed at promoting Jharkhands Ahimsa Silk
with the emphasis on the texture of the cloth. The Banjara Collection has handcrafted embroidery in its absolute detail.

: How would you define your signature style?

AK: I think versatility is my biggest strength, so I dont believe there is a signature Archana Kochhar style.

: Are you a social networking addict? How many times in a

day do you check updates?

AK: I wouldnt call myself a social networking addict. I do have all the Social
networking Apps on my phone which I do check once a day. But the power of
social networking amazes me every day.

: Any apps, which help you professionally?

AK: We use a few designing softwares but no particular app.

: Do you shop online for fabrics or particular embroideries or

sequence?

: Which software do you usually use for designing?

AK: Photoshop, Coral draw, Adobe illustrator, hand sketching and rendering.

: Which is that one item that defines luxury for men?

AK: Every man defines his own style. While for some it may be a watch or car
while for others it might be a customized suit.

: Please do suggest what to wear for the following looks for

men?

AK: A friends engagement: A one button two-piece suit.

A date night: Depends where the date is. If its a movie/dinner, then it is a smart
pair of jeans with an elegant shirt
A day out with family: Wear what you are comfortable in.

: Tell us whats next on your cards? Any new collection you

are working on?

AK: My Banjara collection has just been launched and the work on the next
collection has already started. But you will have to wait a little
more for the details.

: We are coming up with the Tech Fashion

Week for the first time in India. Tell us your
thoughts about clubbing tech and fashion on
the ramp? Do you think its a cool idea?

AK: I think it is a brilliant idea. To my knowledge, it hasnt

been done before in India. With fashion being an
integral part of our lives, it is high time that someone
combined these two important elements.

AK: Most of our fabrics are made in-house so we dont shop for them outside.

: The list of gizmos you own?

AK: Iphone 6 plus, IPad, MacBook, My Sony powerbank.

: A Bollywood celebrity who you think could pull off anything

really well?

Any tips for upcoming designers?

Follow your Passion, Inspire,
Dont Imitate.

AK: Sonam kapoor

it?

: Which phone are you using and whats the best feature in

AK: iPhone 6. I love the SlowMotion and Time Lapse Video effect.

I NOV
2015
I NOV
2015
I 33I 33

TELLING
STORIES WITH
PHOTOGRAPHS
WITH

I did not choose photography, it chose me. I am a cinematographer by

training. A series of events led me to switching to from cinematography to
photography and now I am directing commercials. A soulful
conversation with the amazingly talented photographer
COLSTON JULIAN.

I NOV 2015 I 34

PHOTO CREDIT: Ashish Chandra

Colston Julian

: How did you break into fashion photography?

CJ: It was by chance, meeting Savio JON who was a young designer at the time.
He asked me to shoot a look book for him, whichin turn landed me up in Anaita
Shroffs hands who I knew from my working days in a production house. She
was the Fashion Director at Elle. My first paid assignment was a 16 page fashion
story for Elle and From there it all started. I dislike labels to photography. I prefer
to be called a Photographer.

: Five basic qualities any fashion photographer should posses?

CJ: A sense of style, Awareness of the Fashion Business, Personality/ Signature in
your craft, Love for travel, Keen eye for observation.

: Your photography is influenced by?

CJ: Life, love, travel, people, films and the woman in my life.

: The preparation you do before a shoot?

CJ: Meet the key people of the team. Do a run through of the project. Share
ideas, direction, scribbles and images from my phone that show the rough
direction. It could be a travel image, part of some videoshot on travel or random
inspirational thoughts. I like it when my team and the team collaborating are on
the same page.

: What are somethings you do to push creativity?

CJ: I walk or drive, just get out of home / office. The best ideas, thoughts come
to me when I travel or in an airplane. However, I think that is simply because my
phone is switched off and my mind is on it own.

: What do you keep in mind while taking portrait shots, especially of women?
CJ: I love making portraits. My process is really quiet and simple. I almost always
make a conversation with the subject, before I shoot with them. I try and understand where their mind is at, what they like, places they have traveled to, what
kind of food they like, etc. The shoot process is an extension of that conversation
with a camera and me. I love to get moments, strong eyes, a natural smile,
strong lines in the body language and most importantly, I always want to be
able to document the personality of the subject. Its not about making a beautiful
image as much as it is about making an interesting one.

: Tell us something about your lighting equipment and post

processing?
CJ: I like to mix my light. Daylight or continuous light with strobes or playing with
different color temperatures. I work with Broncolor for my strobes. For continuous
light, I use Led and loads of practical light like tubes or filament based tungsten
bulbs. Outdoors, I use mirrors, black net and loads of black skrims. When I am
shooting commercial work, I shoot a lot more strobe based. For post production,
I use Capture on for image conversion and control. I must say, I do prefer the
skin being processed in Light room. Further post production is taken to Photo
shop for complex composites and treatment.

: Where do get your daily dose of inspiration?

CJ: Morning light and urban spaces.The woman in my life inspires me.

: The camera you use?

CJ: I work with different cameras on different projects. I prefer the digital
back, the phase on Iq260 on the Hasselblad or Mamiya RZ platform. I have
a DSLR, which I use a bit for my street work. For analogue film,I have the
Linoff 4x5 field and Cambo 8x10.

: Which lens you use the most?

CJ: On the medium format, I enjoy working with the 80 mm and the 50mm.
On the DSLR, I love the 45mm AND 35mm as well as some of the Carl Ziess
optics are beautiful.

: Your best shoot till date?

CJ: Hard to say, I enjoy most of my work, but I d say I love the location
work I have being doing. The fashion story shot in the Ganesh festival, my
underwater work and my work with Waluscha DESousa has always been
beautiful.

: The website or blog you often visit?

CJ: I follow Instagram a bit more than blogs but if were to pick, it would be
Nowness, Newyorker, W, Natgeo, Fashiongone rouge, Dpreview and the
American Cinematographer.

: The biggest challenge photographers face today?

CJ: I would say being true to ones self and our craft, having your own vision
and having your own signature visually.

: When you are not shooting, you are?

CJ: Watching movies, driving and travelling.

: If not a photographer, you would be

CJ: Perhaps, an architect.

: Your dream camera?

CJ: It would be a medium format with series of fast 1.2 lenses. I really dont
know why they dont make ultra primes for larger formats. I miss that when I
am shooting for larger formats in low light.

: The best tip for a budding photographer?

CJ: Stay focused. Never forget the enthusiasm you had when you first started
shooting images, be child like with your energy, be true to your craft, be an
original and always remember impossible is only a word until you do.

: Who are you shooting next?

CJ: I am shooting a series of b/w portraits of a young stylist and working on a
new underwater project.

: Does every image need to have a purpose?

CJ: Sometimes yes. Sometimes, I make an image because the moment or space
appeals to me. I make images on instinct most of the time.

I NOV
2015
I NOV
2015
I 35I 35

NET NEUTRALITY

The What, the Why, and the How?!

nless youve been stranded on

a remote island for the past year,
there is no way you havent made
acquaintance with Net Neutrality. The
potential word of the year contender
has been the topic of many a prolonged discussion, raging argument
and heated debate across the globe,
giving rise to several points and
counterpoints for and against the concept. But as a side-effect of the vast
amount of information and opinions
on the topic, several misconceptions
and half-formed facts now abound in
force and are very much muddying
the already muddled waters. This has
led to some confusion about the very
concept of net neutrality in the mind
of the common folk.
So what exactly is Net Neutrality, and
how does it affect the common Indian
users? Net Neutrality is a term coined
by Columbia Law School professor
Tim Wu in 2003, who defined it as a
public information network will end up
being most useful if all content, sites,
and platforms are treated equally. In
short, it stands for an equal distribution of internet resources without any
discrimination or differential charging
based on user, content, site, platform,
application, or mode of communication to provide a level playing field to
all players big and small.

But if Net Neutrality is so fair, what

has raised the hackles of the ISPs?
Capital costs are at the crux of the debate. Given the growing adoption of
internet across the globe, there is an
increased load demand on the current
spectrum which ISPs are expected to
cover without a dip in the present levels of quality. This requires dedicated
capacity building and restructuring of
the present infrastructure, particularly
the optical fibre network. However,
like any other large scale undertaking, this amounts to a huge amount
of capital expenditure for the ISPs,
who are only willing to commit to the
cause of building infrastructure if they
are allowed to recoup their investment
at a premium. In a developing country
such as India, where consumers may
not be willing to pay premium pricing
for availing internet services, this
could strike a very big blow to the
efforts of digitising the country.
There are two ways to tackle this
situation. One is to let the ISPs
decide by themselves the bandwidth

I NOV 2015 I 36

allocation to different services based

on the traffic density and content.
This solution has faced vociferous
opposition across all segments, as
this would lead to arbitrary throttling
of some websites to boost the speed
of others and lend unfair advantages
to bigger corporations who would be
in a position to pay more for more
bandwidth. India, in particular, would
feel the brunt if this development is
implemented, as it would sound the
death knell for the thriving start-up
and entrepreneurial culture in the
country. Cash-strapped as they are,
these upcoming businesses would not
be able to compete with the financial
clout of industry giants without a level
internet playing field.
This is where the second solution,
Zero Rating, could provide a viable
alternative to both the ISPs and users.
Instead of charging the user for the
data used, the ISP charges the website
or app for customers data usage.
This sponsored access to the internet
will lead to greater internet adoption
within the countrys population and
will push forward the cause of the
Digital India campaign. However,
there are certain sections who are opposing even this development based
on half-baked facts. What they fail to
take into consideration is the fact that
Zero Rating can greatly augment the
outreach of essential consumer-facing
services such as banking, security,
education, and health services etc.

regardless of the users capacity to

afford the mobile data.
All these misconceptions about Net
Neutrality perhaps arise out the
illusion of the existence of a free
and unregulated internet. Internet
has never been free, and consumes
data charges borne by the users
every single time any website, page
or application is accessed through it.
Moreover, unregulated internet would
be a chaotic mess with haphazard
service breakdowns and increased risk
of compromising cyber security. Regulations do exist for the internet, but
they generally revolve around streamlining the flow without interfering with
the traffic. Net Neutrality, therefore,
is more geared towards providing
end-users with the choice and means
to access their preferred content
without censure from the ISPs at a fair
price than it is about unregulated and
free internet access.
While trying to find a viable stance on
Net Neutrality, it would serve Indian
policymakers, telecom operators and
other internet service providers well to
cast their eyes westwards to the US
and Europe in particular. The European Union has embraced the concept,
quoting no blocking or throttling of
online content, applications and services in EU-wide Internet rules which
contributes to a single market and
aims to reverse the current fragmen-

tation, while the US has adopted

a similar concept with its Federal
Communications Commission
rolling out an Open Internet
Order in 2010 to protect
internet neutrality. The FCC also
recently stopped major ISPs such
as ComCast and Verizon from
blocking or throttling some websites in order to create fast lanes
for services such as NetFlix.
However, considering the fact
that the dynamics of the Indian
landscape are very different from
those of the US and Europe,
it would pay to hold off from
committing too strongly to either
cause. Inputs, views, and thought
processes of various stakeholders
must be given careful consideration before taking a customised
scenario-specific approach to
present the best possible solution
for all parties involved. That is
the only way internet would win
in India.

Mr. Sanjay Krishna Goyal

CEO & Founder, ACL Mobile

Pragmatic Urbanity

Audi A3 Cabriolet justifies as a sensibly stylish treat on any scenic road

By Pratik Ghone

damage: R44.75 lacs

specs: 4cyl, 1798cc,

turbo-petrol, 180bhp,
250nm, 2 door - Convertible

scan this qr code & watch

a3 in action

I NOV 2015 I 38

ur lives are full of

schedules, routines and
chores. The same can be
said about our rides as
well. When you consider
buying a new car, the checklist
almost always consists of safety features, practicality, cabin space and
so on and so forth. But, years of following these things, there comes a
time when you need a break. Again,
breaks are a leisure that most of
us just cannot afford to have on a
regular basis. The only breaks that
we are obliged to have are our
weekends. So, we plan something
out and head over to nearby destinations in our cocooned cars that
are full of practicality, thereby taking
away the fun of commuting on
some of the best scenic roads. What
other way to enjoy these roads than
to have an equally fun driven car in
your arsenal. And correct me if Im
wrong, but there is no other breed
of cars that can put a wide grin on
your face than a convertible! Now
that said and done, when you think
of a convertible the first thing that
strikes our minds is how impractical
these cars are! But, we drove a car
that massively challenged this hard
coded perception.
India is turning out to be one of
the largest automobile markets

that the world has ever seen. In such

a growing market, everything is
possible. While most companies are
targeting larger segments that scream
profits, Indias leading luxury car
manufacturer, Audi, released the A3
Cabriolet. One glance and you can
easily visualize the A3 Sedan. We love
the A3 Sedan for its compact design,
but the A3 Cabriolet looks a lot much
cooler than its sibling. Thanks to the
two door stance, the aluminum clad
steep angled front windshield and
the roofless design, the A3 Cabriolet
gains loads of attention when driving
around. And when you need a roof,
a traditional fabric roof is offered that
folds neatly in the back in 18 seconds
flat. It is a bit slow but the fact that the
car can do so while cruising under
50kmph is truly amazing! Also, a
fabric roof is old school, but heck
yeah it looks stunning and makes it
clear to everyone watching that this is
a convertible and you are someone
that loves cruising in style.
Get in the Cabriolet and you will see
a familiar dashboard since it is the
same as the A3 Sedan. I loved the
sedans dashboard for its circular
AC vents, slide up MMI navigation
and top quality switches. But, the
interior left me wanting for some more
oomph, after all this was a convertible! That said, the seats although

comfortable and large at the front,

are only manually adjustable and
the seat belts are so far behind that
you can easily consider it a stretching
regime for your shoulders and back
while pulling and locking them. The
fact that there is no start stop button
disappointed me even further. This is
not a cheap car by any means and
the fact that these features are now
becoming standard on the cheapest
cars in the market, left me baffled.
This is a 4 seater, but the rear seats
are tight and will easily accommodate kids and some really adjustable
friends. The front seats are large,
comfortable and quality makes you
feel like you are sitting in an Audi.
The rear passengers will feel a lot
of wind buffering in the cabin while
the car is in motion and also will
feel claustrophobic when the roof
is down - thanks to the black fabric
roof and low light that almost creates
a haunted environment even under
good sunlight. On the other hand, it
makes you feel like you are sitting in a
sports bred car.
The A3 cabriolet is powered exclusively by the 180PS 1.8 turbocharged
four-cylinder petrol engine and the
seven-speed dual clutch gearbox that
you also get in the sedan. Although
the numbers underwhelm, the reality
is more than satisfactory as the en-

gine responds quickly and its an

absolute pleasure to drive this baby.
Adding to this pleasure are paddle
shifters that allow you to enjoy the
grunts of the exhaust notes as you
drop gears while the roof rests in
the rear section of the car. The A3
cabriolet was a myth buster when
it came to driving it as a typical
convertible. Usually cars that start
as a sedan and end up without a
roof in a convertible variant, lose
a good amount of rigidity, but
this one felt no different from its
sedan counterpart when it came to
handling and driving dynamics. It
performed exceptionally well on the
twisted roads of Alibag. In fact the
roads were pathetic but not once
did the cabriolet feel out of place
as it handled every uneven terrain
with utmost maturity and poise.
The fact that it did not bottom out
even once during the entire road
trip left me flabbergasted! It was
the same story when cruising on
flat out highways. The car handled
well throughout and returned an
impressive fuel economy of 15kmpl
which was pretty impressive.
Although the A3 Cabriolet is one
of the most affordable convertibles
in Indian auto market, it is by no
means cheap since it is available

I NOV 2015 I 39

as a CBU imported for Indian

buyers. Some might agree that
for the price one can get an A6
Matrix, but then this car is not
meant to compete with everyday
cars. This is a car that one buys
out of sheer pleasure of driving
and engulfing in the serenity of
your scenic journey with a touch
of style! This is your weekend
break from the daily routine and
hence will be your weekend car
that you drive to a hill station.
Not practical on weekdays, but
immense value on holidays. Go
ahead; get that much needed
break you deserve

I NOV 2015 I 40

CARS SOON
TO HIT
THE
INDIAN
ROADS>>

Expected Launch: November, 2015

Expected Price: ` 75 - 85 L

Expected Launch: November, 2015

Expected Price: ` 1.80 Cr - 2.20 Cr

Expected Launch: November, 2015

Expected Price: ` 35 - 50 L

AUDI NEW Q7
The Audi Q7, undoubtedly, is one of the
most loved SUVs in India. Post the tremendous success of the first generation
model since its inception in 2006, Audi
now intends to replicate the same fate
with the second generation Q7. For the
European markets, the Audi Q7 will be
powered by three engine options - 2.0
liter TFSI 252PS petrol, 3.0 liter TFSI
333PS petrol and 3.0 liter TDI diesel in
two states of tune - 218PS and 272PS.
The new Q7 will also be available in a
hybrid variant for the first time, in which
the 3.0 liter TDI diesel will be mated to
a 94kW electric motor to give a combined power output of 373PS. Though
the Indian market is likely to receive the
diesel variants only, just like the current
Q7s. The new Q7 boasts of Audis new
design language which translates in a
much sharper silhouette with taut lines.
The new headlamps and tail lamps now
incorporate new LED DRLs reminiscent
of the other new Audi models.

NISSAN GT-R

FORD MUSTANG

Many luxury manufacturers are foraying

into the Indian car market as of late,
retailing a range of super cars. Nissan
will soon be once such car major as
well when it will introduce the GT-R in
2015. Powered by a 3.8-litre, twin-turbocharged, V6 engine, the Nissan GT-R
develops 570PS of max power and 463
Nm of peak torque. Power is sent to all
four wheels through a 6-speed dual
clutch transmission. The car can reach
100 km/hr from standstill in less than
three seconds and can go all the way
up to a top speed of 310 km/hr. When
launched in the country, the Nissan
GT-R will compete with the Audi R8,
Porsche 911 and the likes in the supercar space. It is expected to find a lot of
buyers considering the cult following
world-wide.

The Ford Mustang is an iconic name

that brings happy memories to sports
car fans. Just like the Porsche 911 the
Mustang is a sports car that has been
around for more than 50 years. The
new Mustang just like its predecessors
is an affordable sportscar and much
cheaper than its European rivals. The
Mustang range contains more efficient
V6s but it is not a Mustang if it does not
have a massive 5 litre 420 bhp V8. The
gorgeous looks with typical American
muscle car appeal will have many takers plus the Mustang name itself is well
known among enthusiasts in India. Powering this car is a new 310Bhp 2.3-litre
EcoBoost engine (turbo charged). All
of that in an affordable package - We
need this Ford!

I NOV
2015
I NOV
2015
I 41I 41

FERRARIS

TOUR
DE
FO
W

hen it came to page allotment for

this months issue, it was either
the Bentley Bentayga or the Ferrari
F12tdf which was going to grace
this space. The prancing horse won the duel in no
time and made it to the pages of this copy. Yes, the
Bentayga is a smart-looking ultra-luxury SUV for
a carmaker who we never expected to turn to the
business of making and selling off-roaders. And it
went on to be a much better-looking package than
the concept which was showcased a few years ago.
Having said all that, the F12tdf won the space,
because back here at Exhibit we tend to have a soft
spot for the car or the car on which it is based
the Ferrari F12berlinetta.

We arent sure as to how to call the base car. Is it

the F12 or the F12berlinetta or the F12 Berlinetta.
The internet has made a mess out of nomenclatures
with spaces where you dont need them and ab-

I NOV 2015 I 42

sence of spaces where they are needed. Officially,

its the odd-looking nomenclature - F12berlinetta.
Well stick to that as well.

So whats so special about it? It is among the

best-looking cars to have ever come out of the
Ferrari stables to begin with. It is magnificent to
look at. Then comes the numbers and specifications which will drive many of us insane with sheer
joy and awe. Powered by a massive 6.3 litre V12
engine that produces 730bhp of power, the Berlinetta is the most powerful road car Ferrari has ever
made, until the LaFerrari came along. A 7-speed
dual-clutch automated semi-automatic gearbox
with paddle shifters makes life easier and fun for
the driver who steps in for a thrill ride of his or her
life (come on we arent sexist). It can go from 0
to 100kph in 3.1 seconds and clock a top speed
of 365kph. No wonder it was voted Supercar of
the Year 2012 by Top Gear. Now thats the profile

of the base car on which our star of the moment is

based on. Quite an impressive score card. Isnt it?
So one day, the boffins at Ferrari met up in one of
their shiny and glossy conference rooms and decided Why dont we make the already awesome
Berlinetta more awesome? Well that wasnt the
topic. They just met up and talked about how to pay
homage to their historic success at Tour de France.
Not the bicycle race. There used to be an endurance motorsport race that Ferrari ruled in the 1955
250 GT Berlinetta and went on with the winning
streak till 1964. Its time for a Special Edition to
commemorate that achievement. And they called it
the F12tdf before dispersing for lunch.
We arent exactly fans of the lowercase tdf which
has been added to the tail section of the F12s
name. It stands for Tour de France. They could have
kept it uppercase. We are just too mean, arent we?
Nitpicking on a car for the sake of it.

If you love the Ferrari F12berlinetta, then prepare

for a multiple orgasm now. The Ferrari F12TDF is
just that good at everything!

ORCE
And it isnt a paint-and-stickers job with a fancy
price tag slapped on top. This one is more of a
proper, thorough level-up to a whole new plane.
It looks wilder than the standard car. A full-blown
aero-kit treatment with a carbon fiber "Aerobridge"
that redirects air to increase downforce is the one
which makes it stand out from the standard F12.
Then there are the front splitters, revised air dam,
rear diffuser, vents, racing canards on the sides, side
skirts it looks absolutely mental when all these join
forces. Adding to the drama are black stripes, vents
and gills which have been inserted into the right
places. Five-twin spoke alloys wrapped up with wide
tyres complete the show in style.
In the engine bay, things get really exciting. No,
there isnt space there for your mistress. But there
is one gem of an award-winning powerplant with
an increased power output residing in there. Ferrari
has managed to draw out a total of 769 horses

from the unit, which is a significant boost from the

730bhp output of the ordinary F12. (It doesnt
sound right, to call the standard F12 ordinary.)
Torque has been bumped up from 690NM to
705Nm as well.
Choosing to use carbon fiber on the doors and
aluminum on the floor has also made the car
lighter. Weight-loss is always good for super cars
and the F12tdf gains a lot in performance from the
tummy-tucking. The F12tdf blasts off to 100kph
from standstill in 2.9 seconds which is quicker
than the F12. There is no official word on the top
speed though we hear the number 340kph, which
is surprisingly slower than the standard F12. But
this bad boy did lap the Fiorano test track in 1 min
21 seconds. Thats 2 seconds faster than the donor
car and 1 second slower than the all-conquering
LaFerrari.

Sanjoy Alexander

Interiors see an absence of leather and an abundance of Alcantara. This is road legal track car and
Alcantara treatment is the easiest way to make the
occupants feel that differentiation. So you get a lot
of aluminum, carbon-fiber, high quality plastics and
the works. Leather? Well, you can have a dose of
it on the steering wheel and thats it. Nice touch
there, Ferrari. Literally. The end result is an interior
which successfully conveys the track-oriented image
that the F12tdf intends to sell to its buyers and that
too in perfect balance. Neither too spartan nor too
luxurious.
Would you like to have one? Run. Run as fast as
you can as there will only be 799 examples of these
to be made available. A standard F12 retails for
around $330,000 which means that the F12tdf is
going to cost a lot more than that.

I NOV
2015
I NOV
2015
I 43I 43

Forget driverless cars, this is the

ultimate solution on roads!
T

he growing concerns over traffic, rising pollution levels as well as

increasing health awareness amongst people has resulted in a growing demand
for personal mobility devices in India. Hence, Gocycle one of the coolest electric bike currently available on the market, is now coming to Indian customers,
as well.
Taking the electric mobility story of India forward, Bird Mobility, in association
with Karbon Kinetics, launched Gocycle, an automotive designed, lightweight
electric bicycle on 27th October 2015, Tuesday.
With the launch of Gocycle, Bird Mobility, which is a distributor for personal mobility devices, has got into the small electric vehicle segment as well. The other
devices which are present in Bird Mobility's portfolio include Bird Board, Ninebot
Series, Segway and Rocket skates. The price range of these products starts from
`49,999 for the Bird Board, and goes up to `599,900 for the Segway. Bird
Mobility, the company that sells Segway devices in India is now extending its
reach to become exclusive distributors of the Gocycle, Ninebot products, Bird
Board Drifter scooter, Actons M scooter, Rocket skate and Blink.
Gocycle is a lightweight electric bicycle which will be available throughout India
via a network of authorised resellers and dealers appointed by Bird Mobility. The
Gocycle is priced around `3.5 lakhs for the base model, and Bird Mobility will
provide full warranties and after sales services.
Gocycle comes with a front-hub motor which separates the powered drive from
the pedal drive. The electric motor powers the front wheel and pedals power
the rear. The bike also comes with a predictive electronic gear shift which is very

I NOV 2015 I 44

helpful while waiting for the green light. Its micro motor is said to have twice the
power-to-weight ration when compared to conventional e-bikes.
This e-bike has an automotive inspired adjustable driving position. Furthermore,
the Vgonomic-designed seat-post and frame geometry along with the height
and reach adjustable handlebars ensure a superior level of comfort. The front
hub motor and battery contained within the chassis balances the weight, thus
making it easy to handle.
It weighs only 16kg, is stowable and you can easily assemble and disassemble
it. Furthermore, being a true tech toy, it comes with a simple dash where you
can view the battery level, driving mode, speed and gear position.
The price range the range would depend on the effort put in paddling. The
harder the rider paddles, lower is the power consumption from the battery which
increases the range of the bicycle. The range could differ from 30 to 60 km,
depending on various factors like rider input, topography of the route. Gocycle
comes with a mobile app that can changed the settings of the cycle to make it
confirm to the EV regulations which are present in various countries.
Gocycle will take about 5.5 hours to charge once it is completely discharged.
Bird Mobility will import all the parts from UK and assemble the product here at
Bird Mobility's plant in Gurgaon. The company will provide the service support
through its network across India.
So, when are you saying goodbye to traffic and pollution issues in India and
going green with cycling?

I NOV 2015 I 45

how big is
walmart
By Pratik Ghone

he How Big Series has turned

out to be rather interesting for
me as a researcher. Most of
these companies have been measured
earlier but each year their measurements change and hence staying
updated is what we as techy are used
to. So far, we measured the enormity
of Apple, Google, Facebook, to some
extend even Microsoft and we saw

I NOV 2015 I 46

how colossal Samsung was! Recently,

a retail business head admitted to
reading these articles on a regular
basis. As a writer, the fact that someone really appreciates your research
is a huge admiration. But, that struck
me an idea to go beyond the world of
tech and checkout the market place
where we usually dwell for our daily
supplies Retail stores. We have seen

the mighty tech giants till date and

more will follow, but today prepare
to meet one of largest company on
planet earth today Walmart.
Youve heard of it, right? Well, for
people who only know the name,
Walmart is a multinational retail store
that has more than 2.3million employees which when put in perspective

is almost as much as the population

of Goa including the tourist that visit
each day. Yup, you guessed it right,
imagine an entire city that works for
a company. Thats not all; residential
rents in US are based on the proximity
of a Walmart store. Lets take a look
at how did it all start, some of the
most interesting facts and just how
freaking big is Walmart!

SAM WALTON

how was walmart born?

Walmart is the brain child of one man
Sam Walton. Born in 1918, Sam was a
small town boy who grew up on a farm in
Oklahoma. Later on, during the great depression, Sams family moved to Missouri.
It was here, where he began to shine as a
teenager. During college he was noted to
be a very versatile player. He was one of
the rare people who knew all the janitors
by their first name. Later on, Sam carried
the same values of respecting everyone, no
matter what they looked like or who they
were, into Walmart.
He visualized each employee as a part
of a larger family and that growth of an
individual working at Walmart would truly
be growth of the society. He motivated the

team to become leaders in their community and not followers. In 1942, he

served in World War II as a Security
Supervisor and rose to the rank of
Captain.
After the war in 1945, at the age of
26, Sam ran a chain of variety stores
and was extremely successful. By
1962, he opened the first store under
the Walmart name in Arkansas. This
store strongly carried Sams belief in
small town values and strong sense
of community. It was not a smooth
sail. Fun Fact about the first day of the
store opening was when Sam piled
Watermelons outside the store and
had hired donkeys for kid rides. The

temperature that particular day was

too high, resulting in the watermelons cracking and eventually donkeys did what donkeys do, thereby
creating a mess that lead to people
questioning Walmarts credentials.
But, that day also showcased the
mindset of Sam and his team, who
handled the mess and improved
each passing day, a trait that was
new among customers.
The 1970s was the decade of
growth for walmart and by 1979,
they had reached their first billion
dollar year. Walmarts vision was
to provide the lowest retail prices
especially in rural areas. In 1980s

Walmart started to grow and

never looked back. They took over
several other discount stores and
franchisors. As an indication of its
size, by 1987 Walmart had built
the largest satellite communication
network in Unites States. Despite
his old age, Sam made his mission
to visit as amny Walmart stores
as he could. Sadly, Sam passed
in 1992 and towards the end of
the twentieth century Walmart had
completely lost that small town feel
and had drifted its focus to benefit
more effective business practices.
As a result they became the absolute giants we know of today.

I NOV
2015
I NOV
2015
I 47I 47

how big is walmart today?

Today Walmart is ridiculously large, much
bigger than Sam Walton could have ever imagined!
Here are some facts to put things into perspective:
Walmart bought
in $485.65 Billion as revenue
in the year 2014

In the year 2000,

Walmart was
sued a total of
4851 times or
about once every
two hours.

Walmart makes
more revenue than
Apple, Amazon,
Coca Cola, Target,
Macys and Walt
Disney combined!

At Walmart,
Americans spend
$36 Million every
hour, every day.

The average
family of four,
spends about
$4000 a year at
Walmart

Walmart makes
$21,000 as profits every minute.
Thats a profit
margin of 6% on
an average.

If Walmart was a
country, it would
be the 26th
largest economy
in the world

4 of the 10 richest
Americans are Walton
family members. They
are worth over $30
Billion each, according to Bloomberg
billionaires index.

Walmarts
revenue is $20
Billion more than
Austrias GDP
Walmart makes
a $180 Billion
more than Samsung in revenue

Walmarts parking size alone

take up the space
of Tampa, Florida

I NOV 2015 I 48

Every week, Walmart

experiences more
than 205 Million
customers at more
than 11,450 stores
in 28 countries
under 65 different
banners.

If you add up all the

store space of all
their stores, it would
stretch over 900
million square feet.
Thats 150% bigger
than Manhattan.

Walmart topped
Exxon Mobile in
the Fortune 500
for two consecutive years.

One in every
four dollars spent
on groceries in
America is in
Walmart

interesting facts about walmart

and its enormity:
If Walmart were an army, it would have the second largest military in the world,
behind China.
Carl Douglas "Doug" McMillon is the President and Chief Executive Officer
of Walmart Stores, Inc. His hourly salary more than any Walmart employees
annual salary.
Most sold item in Walmart are Bananas
China's exports to Walmart accounted for 11 percent of the growth of the total
U.S. trade deficit with China between 2001 and 2006.
90 percent of all Americans live within 15 miles of a Walmart.
The Walton family has given away about 2 percent of its net worth to charity
Bill Gates is giving away 48 percent of his net worth and Warren Buffet 78
percent of his net worth.
An additional Walmart Supercenter per 100,000 residents increases average
BMI (body mass index) by 0.25 units and the obesity rate by 2.4 percent.
The most frequent destination typed into GPS device Telenav is Walmart.
Roughly 4,700 (about 90 percent) of international stores operate under a
banner other than Walmart, including Walmex in Mexico, Asda in the UK, Seiyu
in Japan, and Best Price in India.

Walmart is by far The Worlds Largest Private Employer.

Walmart is making an effort to bring manufacturing back to the US with the
Buy America campaign.
Walmart is among the most charitable companies in the United States.
The Walmart stock held by the Walton heirs is worth enough to fill a large
backyard swimming pool with solid gold, Bloomberg News reported in September.
Walmart says it and the Walmart Foundation donated $1.3 billion in cash and
in-kind contributions around the world last year, which makes it one of the most
charitable companies in absolute terms. (But the Waltons have come under fire
for donating less than 0.1% of their net worth to the Walton Family Foundation,
and for exploiting various legal loopholes to avoid the estate tax.)
A blog exists just to track shootings at Walmart, which is one of the biggest U.S.
gun retailers. According to the author, there were 81 occurrences last year, and
54 in 2012.
Walmart hosted 14,000 employees and shareholders at its annual shareholder meeting last year. It always features performances by A-list celebrities. Past
guests include Tom Cruise, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Ben Stiller, Aerosmith
and Miley Cyrus.

Walmart averages a profit of $1.8 Million per hour

Walmart is the biggest U.S. grocer. Groceries account for 56% of its $279
billion in U.S. sales.

37 Million people shop at Walmart in United States, every day; thats more than
the population of Canada

Walmart says it drew almost 140 million shoppers a week to its U.S. stores last
year. Thats equivalent to about 44% of the American population.

The average Walmart Supercenter sells 140,000 items

Assuming Walmart stores operated 24 hours a day year-round, that would be

$54.3 million in revenue per hour, or 6.2 million 10-packs of Wal-Marts Fruit
of the Loom mens socks an hour.

The Walton family is worth $152 billion, about as much as Bill Gates, Warren
Buffett, and Michael Bloomberg combined.
Walmart receives 25 applications for every open job.

As of 2014, six of the Waltons held more wealth than the bottom 40% of
Americans.

Between 1962 (when Walmart opened) and 2002, the number of single-store
retailers, or mom-and-pop shops, declined 55% in the US.

Walmart says it drew over 140 million shoppers a week to its U.S. stores last
year. Thats equivalent to over 44% of the American population.

Walmart accounts for 25% of Cloroxs total sales.

Hopefully you might start to see the real size of Walmart. It

is much bigger than what most think it would be. Walmart
is about to start in India and we hope it changes the world
for us too. Measuring a giant is always a surprise and
what a surprise Walmart has turned out to be. One thing
that has been common in the entire series of How Big is
the determination and perseverance of a single soul that
made a sizable real difference in the world that we live
in, today. Taking over competition and leading it, is what
most other companies do and for newer companies, this
is a great example of how things can be done. You might
never know when the next giant is growing in our friendly
neighbourhood.

I NOV
2015
I NOV
2015
I 49I 49

Woohoo
(Qwikcilver)

he festives are onand we could no longer stop talking about

gifts and gifting ideas. Like most of us who are busy zeroing
on what gifts to buy for their loved ones, theres one startup
which has decided to share the gifting plans with us.
Qwikcilver a startup which started in 2009 and is today has entered B2C foray through their consumer facing brand WOOHOO.

TECH STARTUP OF THE MONTH

Qwikcilver - the startup story

I NOV 2015 I 50

Qwikcilver is a technology company

pioneering end-to-end gift card and
stored-value-card solutions for retail
customers which started in 2009.
With its flexible SaaS platform and in
house capabilities, Qwikcilver manages the entire gift card programme of
retailers including design, storage,
transactions pertaining to it.

Qwikcilver adds immense value

to the marketing campaign of the
retailers and hence, has tie-ups with
big names of the industries including
Arvind retail, Madura Garments,
Flipkart, Cleartrip, Amazon to name a
few. Recently, Qwikcilver entered B2C
foray through their consumer facing
brand Woohoo.

Founded by Kumar Sudarsan and

Pratap T.P, Qwikcilver is well poised
to enable the customers derive the
maximum benefit out of the card
programs. Gift cards are a 3000
crore industry in India with Qwikcilver
having captured 90% of it.

Woohoo - one-of-its-kind innovation in retail

Qwikcilver has entered the B2C
segment through Woohoo and
driving consumer adoption with the
e-commerce platform Woohoo.in and
Woohoo App. Woohoo.in, a gift card
superstore is a one stop destination
for consumers for personal and
occasion based gifting and allows
them to choose from a wide array of
gift card brands and send and receive
gifts across more than 400 cities with
the choice of more than 150+ trusted
brands - be it offline or online.
Woohoo app is another innovation

by Qwikcilver wherein consumers can

use Woohoo as the single Mobile App
for gifting their loved ones, buying in
retail, having a meal in a restaurant
or buying a ticket online. Woohoo
gift card is an offering that allows the
consumer to access products and
services from all the leading retail
stores and e-commerce portals in
India. Woohoo gift cards are easily
available at a nearby retail store or
consumers can purchase it online.
You can either send a Woohoo E-gift
card through Woohoo.in or Woohoo

mobile app e-gift cards. One can

personalise the Woohoo mobile app
E-gift cards by selecting a design
theme or taking a selfie or selecting a
photograph from their phone gallery
and even adding an audio message
and a greeting message.
The E-gift cards are available at
Woohoo.in and the Woohoo mobile
app e-gift cards can be sent through
the Woohoo app. This is a truly novel
rendition launched for this festive
season by Woohoo brand.

The UNIQUENESS of Woohoo

Woohoo.in is unique for its Instant
delivery of Digital Gift Cards of leading brands in more than 250 towns &
cities. The brand has grown as a onestop destination for consumers for
personal and occasion based gifting,
and provides options to choose from
a wide array of gift card designs and
brands. The newly launched platform
is mobile responsive, and enables
consumers to transact from any mobile device, and gift on-the-go.
Through Woohoo.in, customers can
send and receive gifts across more
than 400 cities with the choice of
150+ trusted brands - be it offline
or online, while also enabling the
gift recipients to have the freedom to
choose their own product and brand
seamlessly. The platform gives consumers choices of gifting options not
only in terms of brands but also allow
them to choose from 20+categories
including travel, dining, apparel, jewellery, home needs and so on. One
can even gift experiences such as an
entertaining day at cinema, exquisite

fine dining, a relaxing spa or fun filled

travel escapades.
Woohoo.in has partnered with leading retail chains and brands including
Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Tata - Trent,
Titan, Madura garments, Croma,
Cafe Coffee Day, Pizza Hut, Makemytrip, Cleartrip, Thomas Cook, Flipkart,
Amazon, Myntra, PVR Cinemas and
many more. Woohoo.in is looking at
adding 1000+ new brands across
categories in the next one year.
Woohoo.in provides consumers quick
access to gift cards of reputable
brands, both plastic and e-cards.
The extensive personalization feature
allows consumers to customize their
gifts for various personal occasions
ranging from Birthdays, Anniversaries;
and festival occasions like Diwali,
Raksha Bandhan and many more,
making the whole process of selecting
and buying a gift much simpler. The
gift cards can be redeemed at the online and offline stores and also used
to shop at thousands of new places
using the Woohoo mobile app.

The launch of Woohoo Gifting App, is

Indias First truly integrated Mobile to
Mobile Gifting App which aggregates
multiple gifting & spending options for
consumers to transact at retail outlets&
portals of more than 100+ brands.
Woohoo app provides a unique
platform to consumers to drive Instant
Gifting in a truly innovative manner.
Most importantly, consumers can
engage with Woohoo as the single App
for their Gifting needs, be it for retail
shopping, having a dining experience
in a restaurant, watching movies,
travelling to exotic locations,, or a
luxurious indulgence.
Woohoo has partnered with trusted
and leading brands enabling access to
10,000+ stores and portals' including
India's leading retail chains, entertainment platforms, travel partners
and leading currency providers. Some
of the partners include leading retail
chains and brands like Shoppers Stop,
Lifestyle, Tata - Trent, Titan, Fastrack,
Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Levi, Cleartrip,
Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra among many
others.

The Founders and the team

Kumar Sudarshan, Founder and CEO, Qwikcilver

Kumar has about 22 years of IT- industry experience spanning
various aspects of technology, project, product, general
management and customer- relationship managemen. Kumar
holds a Masters Degree in Mathematics and a Bachelors
Degree in Computer Science from Birla Institute of Technology
& Science from Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS),
Pilani, India.
Pratap TP- Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer
Pratap has over 22 years of experience in Strategic Marketing,
Product Launch Initiatives, Media Campaign management and
Public Relations. He has a passion for new media propositions
and innovative ways of reaching out to consumers. Pratap has a
Bachelor degree in Electronics& Electrical Engineering from BITS
Pilani and an MBA from IIM Calcutta

: The world is all about online shopping today and with Woohoo, you seem to have hit the right cord.
What is the present market trend of gift cards in India?
PR: Qwikcilver has addressed the USD 30 billion Annual Gifting Industry in India
with its Gift Card Technology product Suite. Digital Gift cards are the fastest
growing mode of Gifting with Qwikcilver having captured 90% of it. The Indian gift
card industry size of USD 1 billion annualised is slated to grow faster than the retail
growth over the next 4 years. Qwikcilver being the market leader aims at grabbing
bigger piece of the Indian gifting market.

: Who are the target customers of Woohoo? What is the typical purchasing pattern of the group?
PR: The Woohoo brand has a universal appeal across demographic and psychographic segments. The core TG for communication would be the early adoptersMale& female in the SEC A1/A2/B 18-35 age group in the Top 10 cities of India.

: Where can we buy a Woohoo card? Is it only app based or does it have a retail presence too?
PR: The Woohoo Gifting proposition is available to consumers across multiple
form factors and access points. The Woohoo Mobile App, Woohoo.in Gift Card
Superstore, Woohoo Gift Card Kiosks across retail stores like leading Electronics
Chains, Libraries. Supermarkets, residential complexes, college festivals and online
marketplaces.
The launch of Woohoo Gifting App, is Indias First truly integrated Mobile to Mobile Gifting App which aggregates multiple gifting & spending options for consumers to transact at retail outlets& portals of more than 100+ brands. One can also
buy Woohoo gift cards in a store nearby through our Woohoo Retail Kiosks. This
distinctive feature not only allows brands to engage with their customers outside
their own retail store but also gives the customer, the convenience to buy any gift
cards from a store near them.

: Woohoo gift card can be used in what all sections? How is it different from other gift cards?
PR: Woohoo.in, a Gift Card Superstore is unique for its Instant delivery of Digital
Gift Cards of leading brands in more than 250 towns & cities. The newly launched
platform is mobile responsive, and enables consumers to transact from any mobile
device, and gift on-the-go. Through Woohoo.in, customers can send and receive
gifts across more than 400 cities with the choice of 150+ trusted brands - be
it offline or online, while also enabling the gift recipients to have the freedom to
choose their own product and brand seamlessly. The platform gives consumers
choices of gifting options not only in terms of brands but also allow them to choose
from 20+categories including travel, dining, apparel, jewellery, home needs and
so on. One can even gift experiences such as an entertaining day at cinema,
exquisite fine dining, a relaxing spa or fun filled travel escapades. Woohoo.in has
partnered with leading retail chains and brands including Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle,
Tata - Trent, Titan, Madura garments, Croma, Cafe Coffee Day, Pizza Hut, Makemytrip, Cleartrip, Thomas Cook, Flipkart, Amazon, Myntra, PVR Cinemas and many
more. Woohoo.in is looking at adding 1000+ new brands across categories in the
next one year.

: Woohoo app is compatible on what platforms? Can we access it via PCs too?
PR: Woohoo is available for desktop and mobile access. The Google Playstore
does drive significant adoption for the Android users. However, the traction is also
clocked among desktop users for the Woohoo proposition.

: How do you visualize the future of Woohoo? What changes do you notice in todays customers since
Woohoo started off?
PR: Consumers have adopted the Woohoo product proposition for addressing
an important need gap in their gifting needs. Additionally, the emotional connect

Shankar Balan-President-Core Business

Shankar is a seasoned professional with over 23 years of
experience across leading brands in the Hospitality and Retail
business. He has come on board as a key stake-holder with
Qwikcilver to drive strategic alliances,merchant/brand partner
acquisitions and help us build and cement business relationships
in the customer facing, consumer-led business space
Mahesh Bhalla-President-Corporate Sales & Distribution
An alumnus of Institute of Management Technology (Ghaziabad), Bhalla was earlier executive director and general manager
at Dell Indias consumer & SMB division. Previously, he was
assistant general manager at Samsung Electronics. Earlier,
Bhalla worked as sales and marketing manager at the Arvind
Mills
Sanjay Tambwekar-Chief Technology Officer
An IIT Bombay alumnus Tambwekar has previously worked with
multiple MNCs including giants like NetApp (Director of Networked engineering), Sasken Communications (Director of Engineering) and VeriFone to name some. His experience includes
dealing with systems software, storage and telecommunication
among others spread across multiple functions of engineering,
management, sales and marketing.

of the Woohoo brand with its Aaj Kisko Happy Karein theme has struck a
relevant chord with consumers. This has reinforced the Woohoo brand on the
Gifting positioning plank with users.
The brand would reinforce and extend its presence in the Gifting domain
with novel solutions that address the gifting theme innovatively. This would
provide audiences across demographic and psychographic segments with the
required solutions to address their gifting needs for multiple occasions.

: While our generation fully trusts online shopping and gift cards, there are still people who are
yet to trust the same. What message do you want to convey them to convince?
PR: The uniqueness of the Indian consumer needs to be appreciated by
brands. Indian consumers would not make changes for the sake of change.
Brands need to be seen as relevant to their needs than seen as a fad.
Gifting is a significant domain in the Indian mileau, across social & economic
strata. Brands that strike this chord with the consumer would make the cut.
Woohoo does make its proposition appeal to the unique occasions and
address the societal desire of consumers to be seen as spreading joy & happiness. The brand makes it relevant by being available and accessible where
the user wants it across more than 400+ towns & cities of India.
I NOV 2015 I 51

WHY STARTUPS FAIL?

Abhi Kanel

ave an idea to start up a new business? Consider giving it a serious time for contemplation. Only 10% of start-ups are able to find a way out to
success from the remaining 90%. The 1:9 ratio is neither a joke nor a rumor, but a grave fact. So, if you are somehow hardwired and hardbound
to startup a new business, the chances are you would probably fail? Would you like to know why? Now, before you answer that, ask yourself an
honest question - Are you searching for an idea or searching for a solution of a problem? If you are searching for an idea, stop kidding with yourself right
away - or else it will lead and doom you to a road to nowhere. If you are looking for a solution to a market issue - I would probably say that you are on
the right track. But, this ride to finding success with a startup is almost as impossible as finding fish in a dead sea.

I NOV 2015 I 52

olks...stop searching for a business idea and

instead search for a problem fix! The startup failure
post mortem have now become so ordinary, general
and common - of course due to 9 out of every 10
startups failing, that its practically become a Silicon
Valley clich. Hence, with all the experience of shutting down of new businesses, it is quite customary
for startup company founders and owners to jot
down the insights for rest of the community to avoid
making the same blunders - that eventually rob the
businesses out of its existence.

Can you imagine running a business without proper

funds and cash flow? I am sure not. Money is the
most important factor to take into account while
considering commencing a startup business. Cash
is the king after all. It is the main fuel that helps
run the establishment. Lack in funds mean lack in
infrastructures, resources, man-power, logistics and
equipments. And, sadly we need all of it in one
place to effectively run the business procedure without which the startup firms or companies are
going to face nothing but major losses.

The idyllic stereotypes of startups might look truly

thrilling, amusing and full of stardom from the outside as they build new markets, deconstruct the old
ones, gather ridiculous amount of investments from
venture capitalists, design the best office interiors,
and put up crazy launch parties, but the ruthless
and harsher reality is all hidden from the light of the
day. The more extravagant these parties and offices
look, the more money gets tossed away - completely lowering down the chances of meeting success
- in addition to that, violating the trust of venture
capitalists and investors.

Why do we fail, in general? Because we fail at

accomplishing some task. And, why do we fail in
particlular? Because of lack of a proper plan and
research needed to perform tasks. And, why do
we not plan or research? Probably, due to lack of
interest or awareness or competitiveness and, or
lack of passion - there could be more reasons than
that. One thing is clear from the above though, that
there are certain factors that are required to be kept
into serious consideration, or else, the startup would
be damn difficult to maintain and run - and it would
eventually fail.

Idolizing such successful startups and getting way

too much under its impression and influence might
be one among many reasons why it deludes and
keeps away several startup owners from the inevitable truth of what factors and reality bites come into
play while trying to start up a new business. Think it
through for a while, and you might notice that the
root psychological cause behind it (as every thought
comes from the cognitive) is an astounding amount
of impatience, intolerance and ignorance that these
success-fanatic startup owners have, which leads
them on an endless journey of trial and error before
they either find a foothold to stand a bit recognized
and respected or fall face flat on the ground.
Lack in understanding market needs, cash and
investment draught, lack of an expert team of
members, overestimation of competition, poor
product quality and lack on marketing research-development, are one of the most important factors
to take into account while establishing and running
new businesses. Costing is one more issue besides
loosing focus and disharmony with investors.
Overlooking these checklists might disrupt the entire
process of the business - bringing the newbie firms
and companies back to square one. As a curious
bystander and, or startup owners you must be really
anxious to know about how these blunders are
made by these new startups.

F
A
I
L
U
R
E
s

Well, I will be mentioning several reasons in regards

to this inevitable fiasco that several startups might
have not been able to escape from, however, I
would be focusing and shedding more light on the
crucial reasons of failure - due to which an insane
number of startups are failing to even survive in the
market space, let alone win the race.

I NOV 2015 I 53

1. Not finding the solution for the problem. Not understanding the market need
Find a way out to feed those who are hungry
Many startup business owners misread the market as they overestimate its size and scale as well as delay
market entry due to lack of understanding market needs, hence, failing to find a solution for a problem.
In 42% of the cases, this is the key reason behind their grieving failure. One Patient wrote, I realized, essentially, that we had no customers because no one was really interested in the model we were pitching.
Doctors want more patients, not an efficient office.
This same concept was widely applied by Treehouse Logic in their post-mortem, writing, Startups fail
when they are not solving a market problem. We were not solving a large enough problem that we could
universally serve with a scalable solution. We had great technology, great data on shopping behavior,
great reputation as a though leader, great expertise, great advisors, etc, but what we didnt have was
technology or business model that solved a pain point in a scalable way.
Releasing products too early also results in negative impression of the brand on the users mind, and
in case if the product is not good, makes owners loose the opportunity in the market. One must know
where and when to place such products. One of the Calxeda employee mentioned that, In [Calxedas]
case, we moved faster than our customers could move. We moved with tech that wasnt really ready for
them ie, with 32-bit when they wanted 64-bit. We moved when the operating-system environment was
still being fleshed out - [Ubuntu Linux maker] Canonical is all right, but where is Red Hat? We were too
early.

2. Lack Of Cash and Investment

If you dont have enough fuel in your car, you cannot run the entire course
Most of the owners who start a business dont pre-plan the funding required to establish infrastructures like plants and equipments, and cash required to carry day to day activities and operations. A
car analogy might help explain this point. Imagine saying to a rally racer: We have a new sports
car for you to test, it is only lacking functioning brakes, besides that, it is all good to go. Most of
the unsuccessful business owners have no business plan at hand and hence they cannot foresee the
capital requirements that come in the future. And, that is why it is one of the key reasons for startup
failures. Having lesser capital to commence business is not enough. Startups lacking cash flow and
reserve due to over expenditure makes up for a whopping 29%. In fact what eventually killed Flud
was that the company wasnt able to raise this additional funding. Despite multiple approaches and
incarnations in pursuit of the ever elusive product-market fit (and monetization), Flud eventually ran
out of money and a runway. This issue has given rise to a series of financial crunches to startup
founders.

3. Lack Of Passionate and Experienced Team

Everyone matters in a team, and so does expertise

I NOV 2015 I 54

Success of a startup or any company or firm depends on the diversity in expertise among the team
members. Team effort is very much considered as
a crucial factor responsible for the successful and
timely completion of office tasks. It is a must to have
passionate people in the managing team plus people who have credible skillful expertise to solve specific tasks. Failure post-mortems often lamented that
I wish we had a CTO from the start, or wished that
the startup had a founder that loved the business
aspect of things. Standout Jobs also wrote in their
post-mortem saying, The founding team couldnt
build an MVP on its own. That was a mistake. If the
8 founding team cant put out product on its own
(or with a small amount of external

help from freelancers) they shouldnt be founding

a startup. We could have brought on additional
co-founders, who would have been compensated
primarily with equity versus cash, but we didnt.
There have been cases where the founding teams
have wished to have more checks and balances.
As Nouncers founder wrote, This brings me back
to the underlying problem I didnt have a partner
to balance me out and provide sanity checks for
business and technology decisions made.Lack of
passionate and experienced team accounted for 9%
as a key reason behind startup failures.
NewsTilt, in their postmortem, stated: I think its fair
to say we didnt really care about journalism. We
started by building a commenting product which

came from my desire for the perfect commenting

system for my blog. This turned into designing the
best damn commenting system ever, which led to
figuring out an ideal customer: newspapers. While
there, we figured they were never going to buy, and
we figured out a product that people were dying to
use if it existed. 5 But we didnt really care about
journalism, and werent even avid news readers. If
the first thing we did every day was go to news.bbc.
co.uk, we should have been making this product.
But even when we had NewsTilt, it wasnt my go-to
place to be entertained, that was still Hacker News
and Reddit. And how could we build a product
that we were only interested in from a business
perspective.

5. User Un-Friendly Product

Once a friend always a friend

What is a user friendly product? The one that satisfies the needs and wants of the consumers. User
experience is the most important factor to consider in the entire process of making the product. Startups often fail to create a product that has been put a lot of thought to. Startups should without any fail
perform RnD and survey as well as accept consumer feedback to gain more clarity on the likes and
dislikes of the customers. User-friendly products have always had an upper hand in the market and
have really helped create better brand awareness and likeliness.
GameLayers mentioned on their product UI stating, Ultimately I believe PMOG lacked too much
core game compulsion to drive enthusiastic mass adoption. The concept of leave a trail of playful
web annotations was too abstruse for the bulk of folks to take up. Looking back I believe we needed
to clear the decks, swallow our pride, and make something that was easier to have fun with, within the
first few moments of interaction.

I NOV 2015 I 55

6. Weak Marketing
Know your place in the market
Startups that did not seek interest in promoting the product and did not convert them into leads, amounted up to 14%. Marketing research is not every companies strong suit, however, marketing is really
important to place your product and your brand identity out in the market. Promotion, advertisement and
social media marketing are a must checklist. Without marketing, the product and company will fail itself.
The startup owners should definitely not neglect that. Startups or companies with strong marketing has
always been proved to be more beneficial.
Overto also wrote, Thin line between life and death of internet service is a number of users. For the
initial period of time the numbers were growing systematically. Then we hit the ceiling of what we could
achieve effortlessly. It was a time to do some marketing. Unfortunately no one of us was skilled in that
area. Even worse, no one had enough time to fill the gap.

7. Negligence Regarding Customer Feedback

Customer is always the king
The most stupid thing one could do is not give importance to consumer feedback. Whatever business
we do is focused at the end for the consumption by users. It is a buyers market these days, and one
cannot ignore the likes and dislikes of the consumers. RnD and Survey should be consistently carried
out so as to have a better idea about the merits of the products and services. The end receiver here is
the consumer, hence, the feedback is a very valuable data. It would play an important role in gathering better information regarding the consumer demand.

I NOV 2015 I 56

AN EXPOSED post-mortem:
WHY STARTUPS FAIL?
Shreya Bhattacharya

Startup companies seem to have all the fun.

They create new markets, disrupt old ones,
get ridiculous amounts of money from venture
capital firms, throw wild launch parties, have the
best-looking offices the list goes on. But is it
really that easy to reach startup stardom, or do
these idyllic stereotypes hide a harsher truth?
Digest thiswhen you are starting a new
business, the last thing you want to think about
is failure. But there is this harsh reality behind
all the fun and stardom because 90% of all
startups fail. Sounds horrible, doesnt it? Let
that sink in. It counts for just 1% of total startup
funding, as 82% of startups are self-funded and
24% of entrepreneurs rely on friends and family
to keep their business dreams afloat. As for wild
parties and lavish offices, the more extravagant
they are, the more money is being thrown away,
reducing the chance of success and abusing the
trust of investors.
There are reasons exactly why and how startups fail. Let us classify the reasons under seven categories each consisting of a specific emotional or intellectual
limitation:

1 Arrogance (85%)
Successful entrepreneurs are always overconfident and thats a good thing. Without overconfidence,
nobody would ever buck the odds to start their own business.Overconfidence turns into arrogance,
though, when youre so sure of the wonderfulness of your ideas that you dont bother to take the
pulse of the market. Arrogance causes startups to fail through:
No Market Need: 47%
Product Mis-Timed: 13%
Need or Lack of Business Model: 17%
Not Using Network/Advisors: 8%

How to fix it: Temper your overconfidence with the humility to accept criticism
without becoming defensive.

2 Short-sightedness (55%)
Startups cant afford paralysis by analysis and it is simple good sense to realize that cant anticipate
everything in an undertaking that inherently involves the unknown.That being said, theres truth in the
corny old quote failing to plan is planning to fail. Short-sightedness causes startups to fail through:
Running Out of Cash: 29%
Pricing/Cost Issues: 18%
No Financing/Investor Interest: 8%

How to fix it: If you tend to be a big picture person, partner with somebody
whos detail-oriented.

I NOV 2015 I 57

3 Hubris (47%)

4 Egotism (36%)

All too many entrepreneurs believe that if you build a better mousetrap the
world will beat a path to your door. Thats classic engineering hubris that
results in treating sales and marketing as if they were of secondary importance.
Sadly, though, the history of business is full of excellent products have failed
due to weak marketing or poorly-planned sales efforts. Hubris causes startups
to fail through:

Startups require talented, experienced and energized employees who have

specialized knowledge. However, building a business is always a team effort
and all it takes is one prima-donna for a team to fall flat on its collective face.
Egotism causes startups to fail through:

Getting Outcompeted: 19%

Poor Marketing: 14%
Ignoring Customers: 14%

How to fix it: Pay as much attention to hiring marketers and

salespeople as you do to hiring your engineers.

Not the Right Team: 23%

Disharmony on Team/Investors: 13%

How to fix it: Read the newly-published book Team Genius,

which contains team-building rules based upon actual
scientific research.

5 Sloppiness (34%)
When big companies do a slipshod job, they can float on their brand reputation or throw money
at the problem.Entrepreneurs must be meticulous and make certain that nothing falls through the
cracks. Remember: genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains. Sloppiness causes startups to fail
through:
Poor Product: 17%
Bad Location: 9%
Legal Challenges: 8%

How to fix it: If you tend to be a big picture person, partner with somebody
whos detail-oriented.

6 Imbalance (30%)

7 Inflexibility (17%)

Thousands of articles and books have been published about the lack of work/
life balance creates stress and leads to bad decisions. And yet many startups try
to operate in round-the-clock crunch mode. Imbalance causes startups to fail
through:

The most important advantage that a startup has over an established firm is
freedom to be nimble.However, theres a natural human tendency to continue
to pursue a course of action after its been proven unworkable. Inflexibility
causes startups to fail through:

Loss of Focus: 13%

Lack of Passion: 9%
Burning Out: 8%

Pivot gone bad: 10%

Failure to Pivot: 7%

How to fix it: Exercise or meditate every day, turn your phone
off when you go to bed, eat right, etc. You know the drill; now
just go ahead and do it.
I NOV 2015 I 58

How to fix it: Plan from the start that youll need, at some
point, to radically change direction. Welcome rather than
resist the inevitable change when it comes.

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I NOV 2015 I 59

THE HISTORY OF

SMARTPHONES
Shreya Bhattacharya

nce upon a time, there was Android! Waitwho am I kidding? We are talking about Nexus devices here. It once started off as a
test device for developers, and has now fully grown into a line up with choices.

And while most of us know our Android history pretty well, many of us jumped on to Android pretty late. For some lucky owners, their
first Android smartphone may have actually been a Nexus device designed by Google.
But there was a lot that came before it. The Nexus story did not start side-by-side Android, but came about thanks to certain problems.

SKIN-DEEP
So where did the Nexus come from? Well,
the Nexus story begins a lot later by the end
of 2009. By that time manufacturers had already begun producing Android devices that
ran Android 1.6 Donut and these were mostly
devices with no aim with hardware that was
chosen keeping just the native apps in mind.

Not sure about Androids future, manufacturers back then (and some still today) felt that
Android in its stock guise was ugly and would
not appeal to customers even though it had
plenty of functionality skin-deep.
Developers had been using the phone to
build apps and all was good, but Android

was ugly. This is more so in comparison to

the iPhone that was leagues ahead. This is
why manufacturers moved to their skinning.
Samsung pulled TouchWiz from its older
smartphones while HTC grabbed Sense from
its Windows Mobile devices.

APP DEVELOPMENT
But developers needed to have
a test device, to test out some
of the apps they were working
on. More importantly, Google
needed to show manufacturers
a reference device so that they
knew which hardware works well
with all of the third-party apps.
Again back then, things were not

in favour of Android because

Steve Jobs had just unveiled
Apples iPhone 3GS, the third
generation of the iPhone and
everyone was in rat race to get
their apps on to the App Store,
which was selling pretty well
against Nokias Symbian-powered smartphones and the

BlackBerry lot. So Android app

developers really needed a reference phone to build apps on,
and the Android Dev Phone 1
phone was anything but that due
to its lacklustre hardware.
And the customisations on Samsungs and HTCs went pretty wild
they made Android devices lag,

THE NEXUS JOURNEY BEGINS

And so one fine day Google unveiled the
Nexus One. The device went big on specs,
but moved past the geeky look of the Android
Dev Phone 1. It was the basic barebones
version of Android 2.1 Eclair running inside
so it was smooth, because it did not have
the customisations of the HTC Desire, which
was clearly the best Android offering on sale.
More importantly, HTC had worked on it, so
its uni-body design looked premium in com-

I NOV 2015 I 60

parison to Apples now plastic iPhone 3GS.

Clearly, it was Googles best shot at mobile
and while some loved it there where many
who found it ugly and unpolished.
Shortly thereafter, Google then tied up with
Samsung for the Nexus S and then once
again with Samsung with the Galaxy Nexus.
Things were looking up with Google almost
coming shoulder to shoulder with offerings
like Samsungs Galaxy S2.

and began to ruin the Android

experience.
Google had to think quick and
while not too many were excited
about the Android Dev Phone 1
with its geeky trackball, Google
had to show the world that its
investment (Android) was worthwhile and worth developing for.

NEXUS IN INDIA
Outside the US, things were a bit different. In India, Android smartphones with
skinned UIs sold better, so the Nexus S
made it partially, until Samsung pulled it
off the shelves. Samsungs Galaxy Nexus was again a no show but still sold unofficially since it was a smoother option
compared to its the lag-laden Android
counterparts. And this went on, until LG
was chosen as the next manufacturer for
Googles Nexus smartphone line up.

AN LG-MADE NEXUS
Now that Google had given HTC and Samsung a chance (and things didnt work out quite well) it was now LGs turn and out came the Nexus 4, which sported
a delicate shimmery glass back in a design that was inspired more from LG than from Google. It was expensive, but by then, it was still the fastest thanks to its barebones approach to Android.

THE SOFTWARE UPDATE PROBLEM

By this time customers began to realise that owning a Google
designed smartphone, was not only good in terms of performance but also software updates. Manufacturers had begun to
fall back with Googles yearly software releases that were clearly
there to stay ahead of Apples iOS. Manufacturers took their
own sweet time and even at the end of it all there were plenty of
bugs when the customised Android firmwares were delivered.

But by then Google had won the war with BlackBerry and Windows Mobile left in the dust and its only competitor being Apple.
The company needed a phone that outperformed the iPhone 5
but wanted to keep costs low, which is why they ended up with a
low-cost LG G2 or the Nexus 5 in 2013.

THE NEXUS 5 AND THE FUTURE OF THE NEXUS PROGRAMME

The plasticy Nexus 5 delivered on all
fronts, it was a great performer with
decent battery life, came with Android
KitKat and quickly began running out
of stock even when it arrived on the
Play Store in India.It had a polished
UI that was powered by a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
processor. Thereafter - to make things

sweeter - came Android 5.0 Lollipop

that still runs well on the Nexus 5.
The Nexus 5 was and still is the phone
to reach out for today, because of
Googles mistake with the phablet-sized Nexus 6.
While production has ended, many
still did not mind paying up for a Nexus 5 until the news of the new Nexus

5 successor the Nexus 5X began to

surface.
And that brings us to today. It was
just a few days back that both the
successor to the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6
were announced. In no time, both the
phones have gained much popular-

ity and have been compared to the

mighty iPhone 6s and OnePlus X.
Google now has immense faith in the
Nexus programme compared to the
past and this shows with the launch of
not one, but two Nexus devices along
with the newly christened Android 6.0
Marshmallow. Goodbye Project Silver!

Today we are at a time frame where Android runs buttery smooth and the hardware required to run it does not need to be a flagship
smartphone. Android is smoother than it ever was and while the bugs and the vulnerabilities have not stopped showing up, it is a
polished OS in its stock form, but this is again all thanks to the Nexus line up.
What started out as a test device meant to cater to the developers may soon turn out to be the future of the Android experience.

All eager eyes on

Nexus 6

Nexus 5

S
U
X

Nexus 4

Galaxy Nexus

O
I
T

Nexus S

Nexus One

OF

NE

E
H
T

U
L
O
V
E

I NOV
2015
I NOV
2015
I 61I 61

MY ACCESSORY BASKET
Its time to improvise your
accessory wardrobe specially
when you have a festive season around the corner. Check
out whats hot this season.

SAUVAGE
BY
DIOR

RAYBAN
WOODEN
SUN
GLASSES

The Ray-Ban Autumn-Winter

2015/2016 collection includes
enticing new versions of
Ray-Ban Aviator styles, which
appear in a variety of color
and material combinations. Its
undoubtedly a revisiting of the
brands origins, with variations
on some of the most distinctive,
unique sunglasses ever created.touch of maple with brown
rubber and lenses.

ESQUIVEL
ELKHART
BOOTS

Right now, all I want to do

is gaze at that forest green
leather and think about how
great it would look sitting
underneath a pair of dark
indigo jeans, possibly for
trekking through the forest
or somewhere on the way to
a bonfire. Time to add some
outdoor adventure on to
your bucket list.

I NOV 2015 I 62

PHEASANT
CUFFLINKS

Each hand enameled tile cufflink

features a pair of handsome pheasants, set against an off white brick
background.These cufflinks are made
from brass with a silver finish, which
wont tarnish, and a solid T bar fastening. They come in a presentation
box making them an ideal Christmas
present.

Dior brings us another

brilliant fragrance
this fall, appropriately
named Sauvage (complete with Johnny Depp
as its ambassador,
no less). Top notes of
bergamot, middle notes
of frankincense, and
base notes of lavender
make it a provocative
mixture that will take
you all day.

HOLIDAY
BAGS BY
ROOTS

For all those who

want to make a bold statement
and who appreciate well-made
goods, this is your stuff. Made
with high-quality materials,
these pieces are definitely flying
off the (digital) shelves.

I NOV 2015 I 63

LOGITECH UE BOOM

GOOD SOUND AND CATHY DESIGN

Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

70

90 100

Price ` 19,900/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Make Some Noise: UE BOOM is the 360-degree speaker that drops bold,
Life-Resistant: Colorful acoustic skin with plasma coating, Stain resistant,
Live Wirelessly: Switch songs,Rechargeable battery has 15 hours
of playback Two UE BOOMs

IMPRESSIONS:
Designed in a cylindrical fashion and fitted with 360 degree speaker, UE Boom comes out
as more with the age and time. It no doubts looks gorgeous. It sounds really good and runs
for 15 hours on a battery charge, which is quite impressive given that its not a tiny speaker.

Good:
Durable Wireless Speaker
Switches songs via wireless connectivity
360 degree provides audio output equally
Design looks quite updated and fresh

Bad:
Bass could have been better
Does not look that premium

VERDICT
UE Boom has quite the innovative charm in its curvy 360 design and its audio quality,
its seems a bit pricey compared to other line of products. Its durable capacity for a
design that unique gives it an upper hand, however, little more Bass could have been
better.

SKULL CANDY AIR RAID

POWERFUL AND GOOD LOOKING PORTABLE SOUND SYSTEM
Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

75 100

Price ` 15,000/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Mobile/Tablet Speaker, 3.5 by 7.3 by 2.5 inches
10 W (Satellite), 25 W (Subwoofer), 35-20000 Hz, Wireless

IMPRESSIONS:
Air Raid is one of the most desirably good looking portable speakers out there in the market. It
is sturdy and robust in its material design form factor, and resonates amazing sound quality from
its two frontal audio outlets.

Good:
Rugged and robust design
Amazing sound quality
Conveniently Lighter to hold and carr
Bass is better than expected on a portable device
Reasonable Pricing
LED indicator

I NOV 2015 I 64

Bad:
Deep Bass response is not that impressive
Not really slim in design

VERDICT
Skullcandy Air Raid brings in a very high quality audio device fitting in a sporty and trendy
designed chassis - all of that for a reasonable pricing compared to most of the other portable
audio devices out there in the market.

FITBIT SURGE

NOTABLE HEALTH AND FITNESS CHECKER

Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

75 100

Price ` 17,500/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Best-in-class battery life, Built-in GPS, multisport functionality,
Automatic continuous heart-rate, Eight-sensor technology

IMPRESSIONS:
Fitbit Surge makes it super easy to keep track of all the fitness activities all on the wrist. It genuinely
adds in new additional features but lacks a bit on the design aspect adding a tad bit more price.

Good:
It gets GPS and heart rate monitoring
Sleep-tracking problem is also resolved
Food database is very simple and easy to operate

Bad:
Its design seems to go well with gym rather than the office look
Bit costly and pricey even the one with GPS
It comes with a bulky body and strap

VERDICT
The Surge gets a better food and sleep tracking, in addition also adds up GPS and
heart rate monitoring. However, its slightly bulky design and higher pricing does pinch
a bit.

CANON EOS 5DS

EXTREMELY CAPABLE AND POWERFUL

Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

60

85 100

Price ` 2,52,995/-

SPECIFICATIONS
50.6 Megapixel Full Frame CMOS Sensor,Dual DIGIC 6 image processors
61-point wide area AF including 41 cross-type AF sensors,EOS iTR, AI Servo AF III, AF Configuration tool Zone,Spot and AF Point Expansion focusing modes,ISO 100-6400 with expansion
to 12800,50 Magnesium alloy body,3.2 (81.1mm) Clear View II LCD monitor,HDR shooting
in-camera, Short 59ms shutter lag, 24MP Full-frame CMOS sensor (with AA filter)

IMPRESSIONS:
Coming from best of the brands, Canon EOS 5DS shows the level of detailing that we have
seldom see in the DSLRs. Its unmatched picture quality and sensor quality is par excellence.

Good:
Depth of field is overwhelmingly good
Pictures captured are superbly crisp and have a lot of detailing to it
Unmatched low noise images
Comes with larger and better displays

Bad:
It comes out as a costly product

VERDICT
Canon EOS 5DS is the ultimate product for photographers as it has pulled up all the
essential features and functionality that might suffice for a high-end professional camera,
which can shoot videos as good as the still images. Although, the price seems high, the
camera is worth the purchase.

I NOV 2015 I 65

, drop, strength, dirt, temperature & humidity tested - US Military Standard

JABRA SPORTS PULSE

WIRELESS AND FLAWLESS PIECE OF EARPHONES

Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

70

90 100

Price ` 11,860/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Dolby sound enhancement
Biometric built-in heart rate monitor
Bluetooth and NFC connectivity
In-line controls for easily managing music and calls

IMPRESSIONS:
Jabras new, better and improved ear-phone Jabra Sports Pulse is one of a kind. It looks
aesthetically appealing, fits in ergonomically well, got more features and sounds pretty
good.

Good:
It is a wireless Bluetooth earphone
The fit is secure and comfortable fit
Comes resistant to water, shock, and dust.
Gets a built-in heart-rate monitor.

Bad:
A price seems to be bit costlier
Its battery life only supports 4.5 hours of play.

VERDICT
Jabra Sport Pulse is a really good working wireless sports headphone as it provides
better fit and has plethora of features like heart rate monitor. The sound quality on
this piece is really admirable.

WACOM BAMBOO STYLUS FINELINE 2

BETTER CONTROL FOR THE TOUCHSCREEN
Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

70 100

Price ` 10,491/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Compatibility: iPad 3 and 4, iPad Air 1 and 2, iPad Mini 1, 2 and 3
Connects with apps Bamboo Paper, Notes Plus, My Script Smart Note, Note shelf, Good Notes
Benefit from Wacom Cloud and WILL universal ink.
Contents: Stylus, quick start guide, and USB charging cable

IMPRESSIONS:
Wacoms new Bamboo Fine line 2 smart stylus offers precision in drawing, writing and jotting
down of ideas in the form of pictorials. Its pressure-sensitivity and fine tip does just the right
amount of work to bring fluidity in performance on the screen.

Good:
Smoother and Fluid in Performance
Feels comfortable to hold
Compatibility with iPad, iPad Air and iPad Mini

Bad:
Pressure response is not that excellent
Costly compared to its competitor products

VERDICT
Bamboo Fineline 2 would quench ones thirst for using the stylus on the touchscreen, but the
price is kind of high, compared to other products. However, the device and apps compatibility it offers is pretty appreciable.

I NOV 2015 I 66

MARTIAN NOTIFIER

AMAZINGLY ELEGANT AND SMART

Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

80 100

Price ` 10,800/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Compatible with Android smartphones and tablets with OS 2.3.3 or later
Compatible with Apple iPhone 4S 5 5C and 5S plus later versions of iPad and iPod Touch.
1.5 graphic OLED Display with 96 x 16 pixels of resolutionRechargeable Lithium-ion polymer
battery
Keeps up-to-date providing notification via digital dispplay screen

IMPRESSIONS:
Designed with elegance and smartness, Martian Notifier is one of a kind smartwatch that intelligently notifies you of all the necessary social media posts, emails and fitness stats and more - right
on the screen.

Good:
Design looks aesthetically appealing and feels premium
Brings a classic analog style
Smartwatch can be charged with the USB cable.
Customize vibration patterns alerts you of incoming feeds
Get social media posts, fitness stats news, e-mails

Bad:
The watch is not fully water-resistant, but splash proof.
Requires a proprietary cable to charge Bluetooth radio and other mobile electronics.

VERDICT
Martian Notifier is the thing to go for if you want to have all the phone and social media
alerts on your wrist without over exceeding your budget.

LOGITECH K480

REASONABLE, CLICKER AND SMART KEYBOARD

Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

60

80 100

Price ` 2,200/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Compatible with : PC: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10
Mac: Mac OS X or later
Chrome OSTM
Runs on iPad or iPhone: iOS 5 or later
AndroidTM tablet or smartphone: Android 3.2 or later.

IMPRESSIONS:
Logitech brings a simple and sensible keyboard that connects to more than 3 devices via bluetooth, and after pairing with devices runs pretty swiftly. It comes with white and black colour
variant, which both have its unique look and feel.

Good:
Clicker buttons that provide for impressive typing
Compatible with more devices
Easy and simple connectivity
Switch between three paired devices within seconds

Bad:
Lacks USB Ports for connectivity
Lacks premium material built
Lacks a permanent tablet holder

VERDICT
Logitech K480 provides for a very convenient and easy typing clicker Bluetooth keyboard
for a price that really fits the budget. It is one of the most easy to use keyboard I have
come across in a price value that is more than affordable.

I NOV 2015 I 67

VU 65ICONIUM 4K UHD SMART 3D LED TV

LUXURY WITH VISUALS AT ITS BEST
Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

80 100

Price ` 1,35,000/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Ultra High definition Panel,3840 x 2160 Resolution
178 (H) X 178(V) viewing angle,1:1 Pixel Mapping
HDMI ports x 3nos, 4X Graphics Engine

IMPRESSIONS:
VU Iconium Series brings you its LED technology in a 65 4K UHD 3D TV. It is a luxury TV
as it fits in all the features you would want in a sleek TV.

Good:
Beautiful and lavish design
Huge and Massive Display Screen
Extremely high display quality
Immersive audio quality

Bad:
Lack of 4K Content

VERDICT
This 4K UHD 3D LED TV set is luxurious and premium, fitted with all the latest technologies, but with all its cost of purchase the most affordable product one could go
for. The design is elegant and beautiful, and the size built - for all the massive visual
experience.

SEAGATE SEVEN
SUPERMAN OF ALL HARDRIVES
Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

85 100

Price ` 8,800/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Worlds thinnest 500GB portable hard drive, Sleek and strong steel enclosure
Fast transfers with USB 3.0
Automatic backup software for computers and mobile devices

IMPRESSIONS:
Seagate Seven is the slimmest and the worlds thinnest 500 GB portable hard drive. Its sturdy
chassis is made out of tuff steel material. Its sleek nature carries its beautiful body, but from inside
it is really performance proved as it provides super fast USB file transfer, and further provides back
up of files for both PCs and mobiles devices.
Good:
Slimmest Hard Drive
Faster File Transfer
Lavish 500 GB storage
Pretty light in weight and easy to carry and hold

Bad:
It is pricey
Has only 500 GB space

VERDICT
The Seagate provides a different from others and also proves what Seagate can do with the
storage devices. It is bit pricey but the hard drives super slick and strong steel body, faster file
transfer and its capacity to hold 500 GB space is not less than amusing.

I NOV 2015 I 68

HTC 526G+

REASONABLE BUT REALLY EFFICIENT

Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

70 100

Price ` 8,900/-

SPECIFICATIONS
4.7 960x540,
Mediatek MT6592 Octa-Core,
8 GB ROM, 1 GB RAM,
8 MP Rear and 2MP Front Camera,
2000 mAh battery

IMPRESSIONS:
HTC Taiwanese makers brings the HTC 526G+ for the budget segment. It runs hassle free and
performs well while playing games and running apps. Its has got decent camera on the rear,
which captures beautiful images, especially in broad day light.

Good:
Provides hassle free usage
Runs smoothly and swiftly
Decent Camera quality, good for daily usage
Looks and design aspects are good

Bad:
Smaller display size
Average Battery Life
Panel has a fingerprint magnet and attracts smudges quite easily

VERDICT
HTC comes with this gorgeous mid-ranger, which keeps the capacity of satisfying the
users with their every day-to-day usage. It even performs smoothly and runs the whole
if used sensibly. Given the price it comes with it, this device suffices all your daily phone
related needs and requirements.

SONY XPERIA C4

A WELL THOUGHT REASONABLE SMARTPHONE

Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

60

75 100

Price ` 23,000/-

SPECIFICATIONS
5.5 inches, 1080p
13 MP rear camera, 1080p, 5 MP front camera, 720p
1.7 GHz Octa-core
2 GB RAM

IMPRESSIONS:
Sony comes with its new phone Xperia C4 carrying a 5.5 inch display with 1080p resolution,
13 MP rear and 5 MP front camera, 1.7 GHz Octa-core Processor. It is overall well thought
prduct given the price it comes with.

Good:
Bigger display
Beautiful Display quality
Good Camera quality
Above average performance
Hassle free surfing and browsing
Scratch Resistant

Bad:
Lack of longer battery
Lack of water and dust resistance

VERDICT
C4 is a really good phone to go for - it comes with reasonable pricing yet offers incredible
features and functionality. The phone looks premium as all the Xperia series does. Performance is also aces up alongside good camera on both front and rear.

I NOV 2015 I 69

HP SPECTRE XT360

INSPIRED DESIGN AND BEAUTIFUL BODY

Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

80 100

Price ` 1,29,000/-

SPECIFICATIONS
13.3 inches, 1920 x 1080, Windows (8), Core i5,
4 GB RAM, SSD (128 GB),
Up to 12.5 hours Battery

IMPRESSIONS:
HP comes with admirable design and features with the Spectre x360. It performs better version than its predecessor. The design and built feels quite premium and classy. Furthermore,
it also fits in a 256GB SSD, which is more than appreciated.

Good:
Incredible display quality
Solid Aluminum body
Smooth 360-degree hinges
Very long battery life.

Bad:
Heavier than a MacBook Air
Higher-end screen options limits
battery life.
Leaves keyboard exposed in tablet
mode

VERDICT
HP Spectre x360 comes with a flexible high-end Windows laptop design with a battery
that runs all day long. The price is high, but the product is actually really good for
use. Performance is lag free and gaming is not an issue at all. Its touchscreen display
provides all the functionality of a tablet. Overall, a multi-purpose laptop that serves
office work, gaming and tablet usage.

DELL ALIENWARE 13 LAPTOP

GAMING BEAST FOR ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE
Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

80 100

Price ` 1,43,000/-

SPECIFICATIONS
17 inches, 1920 x 1080Windows (7), Core i7
8 GB RAMNvidia GeForce GTX 980M GPU
1 TB (total) SSD

IMPRESSIONS:
Alienware 13 is one of the best gaming laptops out there in the market. It is built and design
for hardcore power pact gaming. It is bigger, faster and better than its previous line of gaming
products as well as gives tough competition to other gaming devices in the market.

Good:
Hi-tech design and Sturdy Design
Highly configurable
Gorgeous Display
Incredibly fast and powerful

Bad:
Pretty heavy in weight
Expensive Pricing
Lacks 16:9 display

VERDICT
Alienwares new version comes with some design tweaks. This beast offers the best laptop
gaming hardware in the market, although, there are few tuff competitors in the market now.
Alienware laptops do not come cheap, so unless you are a heavy duty gamer, think twice
before you opt for it.

I NOV 2015 I 70

I NOV 2015 I 71

ASUS ZENFONE 2

BEAUTIFUL DESIGN WITH BETTER PERFORMANCE

Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

75 100

Price ` 22,999/-

SPECIFICATIONS
5.5 1080p,Intel Atom Z3580 Quad-Core,
64/128 GB, 4 GB RAM,
13 MP Rear and 5 MP Front Camera,
3000 mAh battery

IMPRESSIONS:
Asus Zenfone 2 gets a well formed smartphone with premium design cues fitting in all the
necessary features. In addition, the performance is smoother and swifter.

Good:
It delivers a very smooth
performance. It has an
impressive low-light camera.
UI is great and feature-rich.
Its 5.5-inch display screen is
bright and sharp.

Bad:
It has a bulky feel and an
unintuitive button layout. It comes with
a non-swappable battery life.
The price is high in regards to its
above-average capabilities.

VERDICT
It is too expensive for its above-average capabilities, but if the price agrees with you,
the smooth performance and splendid low-light camera wont disappoint.

AUDIO TECHNICA ATH-M70X HEADPHONES

CLASSY DESIGN AND PREMIUM SOUND QUALITY
Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

80 100

Price ` 15,000 /-

SPECIFICATIONS
45 mm large-aperture drivers,
5 to 40,000 Hz, Closed-back dynamic,
280 gms

IMPRESSIONS:
Audio Technica is known to produce some of the best sounding monitor range. They totally
dominated the audiophile market with the M50x and it was well seen with some amazing sales
figure. This time though, they have stepped the game with the M70x. We tested these extensively
and heres our take
Good:
Beautiful design and premium looking headphone
Offers excellent build quality and produces balanced sound with
really good bass.
It is very lighter and more comforting as it fits in more cushiony
earcups, and provides detachable-cord.

Bad:
Lack of integrated microphone phone calling.
Less suitable for mobile use due to bulky body.

VERDICT
It comes with improved sound quality than the previous line of headphones and brings in
more bass alongside the comfort of the extra soft cushioned cups, and all of that in just Rs.
15,000. The design gets aces in my book - looks premium and classy.

I NOV 2015 I 72

SKULLCANDY - CRUSHER

WELL FORMED, STURDY AND MULTIPURPOSE

Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

75 100

Price ` 5,800/-

SPECIFICATIONS
40mm Dynamic Drivers,
Over the Ear Design,
Single-sided cable,
Noise Isolation

IMPRESSIONS:
Crusher from Skullcandy is the kind of headphone which can be used both for professional office
as well as gaming purposes. It looks decent with curvy design form factor, and further has got soft
cushion cups to comfort your eyes.

Good:
Looks sturdy and comfortable
Serves gaming and work purpose
Good Noise cancelation
Decent design and look
Sound quality is good

Bad:
Audio Quality Could be better
Ear cups are not super comforting
Tad Bit Costly

VERDICT
Skullcandy Crusher offer good sound quality and decent bass, alongside the average
comfort of the cushioned cups. It looks good besides and fashionable, but does not
compete with the big league headphones in regards to professional level audio quality.
For the price it comes with, it is still a good rip off of your money, although there are
plenty of other fishes in the pond.

IBALL HD6

SPORTY LOOKING DESIGN WITH ERGONOMIC FIT

Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

60

70 100

Price ` 6,900/-

SPECIFICATIONS
6 display 720p, 1.3GHz Quad Core,
8 GB ROM, 1 GB RAM,
8 MP Rear and 5 MP Front Camera,
3000 mAh battery

IMPRESSIONS:
iBall HD6 fits in more features and functions than the pricing suggests. Bigger display, decent
performance, good battery life and many minute features.

Good:
Bigger display screen makes movie watching better
It runs apps and games without much hassle
Photos Captured is kind of decent
Comes with a good battery life

Bad:
iBall HD6 is way too large and way too thick.
Design of the phone is not that appealing

VERDICT
iBall HD6 comes with a reasonable pricing, still fitting in lot of features and functionality.
The phones features are more than what you get with that kind of pricing.

I NOV 2015 I 73

MOTOROLAS BUDGET KING

MOTO GS 3RD AVATAR IS BETTER THAN EVER

Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
0

20

60

90 100

Price ` 12,999/-

SPECIFICATIONS
5 720p IPS Display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 Quad-Core,
16 GB ROM, 2 GB RAM, 13 MP Rear and 5 MP Front Camera,
2470 mAh battery

IMPRESSIONS:
Moto G is possibly Motorolas most popular phone of this decade. It established Motorolas
name in the budget category and stock android experience allowed users a smooth UI
which was a different approach as against the other popular manufacturers. But with value
for money phones appearing almost each day in the market, the Moto G had to evolve.
Lets find out how that evolution has turned out.

Good:
The only phone that comes with IPx7 certification allowing it to sport true
water resistance tag
Amazing design and ergonomics make it grippy to hold
Near stock android makes it feel like a nexus phone
Moto Assist and gestures allow for quick operations
Smooth performance and improved camera makes it a good package
Stellar battery life allows for more than 5 hours SOT

Bad:
Hardware package still needs an improvement as the competition provides
much better value at the same price bracket.

VERDICT
Moto G 3rd Gen is by far the best Moto G iteration till date. We love it for its design
and features. Only if it had a mid range processing package and 1080p display, this
phone would be almost perfect.

A PREMIUM HYBRID WINDOWS LAPTOP

HP SPECTRE X360 GIVES APPLE A RUN FOR ITS MONEY
Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
0

20

60

80 100

Price ` 1,29,999/-

SPECIFICATIONS
13.3 inches touch screen, 1920 x 1080, Windows (8), Core i7, 8
GB RAM, SSD (128 GB), Up to 12.5 hours Battery

IMPRESSIONS:
Its the time for convertibles, especially when the newest iteration of windows supports it to the
optimum level. Yet again some go hybrid and HP has gone a tad bit premium with their newest
Spectre X360. When something demands a hefty price tag, the question arises - is it worth it?

Good:
Bad:
Superb Built quality with aluminum casing and metal all around
Large trackpad is mostly inaccurate when trying to maneuver a right click for menus and
with unique design that allows for tablet functionality when folded all options
the way back thereby earning the 360 tag.
The backlit keyboard allows for only one setting which is makes the keys almost invisible in
Impressive hardware translates into an amazing performer both as certain light conditions.
a laptop and a touch screen unit
The package is impressive but turns warm enough to make it uncomfortable for a long
Various modes allow for flexible usage with great touch screen
usage hours on lap.
capabilities.
VERDICT
Bright display and stereo speakers translate into an amazing
HP Spectre x360 is a beautiful machine that does what it is supposed to. But, at that price tag,
multimedia package
it is not meant for everyone. It still lacks a dedicated graphics unit and the refinement that one
Impressive battery life allows for long usage hours
would expect at this price range. That said, if you are a windows guy and want something that
your Apple friends would want to envy, then the Spectre x360 does that job pretty well.
I NOV 2015 I 74

SOMETHING TO LOOK OUT FOR!

DELL XPS 13 REDEFINES LAPTOP DESIGN FOR THE GOOD

Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
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Price ` 83,000/-

SPECIFICATIONS
13 inches matte 1080p Display, 128GB SSD, i3 5010U, 4GB
RAM and Up to 10 hours Battery

IMPRESSIONS:
Dell XPS 13 and the 15 with their infinity display create a new design language that we feel must
be followed by every manufacturer out there. Dell offers a large number of upgrades, including
the 4K touchscreen panel, Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M GPU with 2GB of GDDR5 memory, and
up to 32GB of RAM. There are also a number of hard drive configurations available.

Good:
Bad:
Matter Bright almost bezel less display is amazing to look at and makes
Camera is placed below the screen and makes it awkward for video chatting
the machine extremely compact
Numerous ports make connectivity hassle free and increases possibilities
Backlit keyboard has good feedback while typing and houses
VERDICT
a matte textured finish all around
Dell has designed a notebook that can compete with the 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro with Retina,
Performance is superb even under stress and delivers great
in terms of looks, performance and price. With a redesigned chassis, better specs and a lower
battery life
starting price, the new XPS 13 could dominate.

ULTRABOOKS JUST GOT BENCHMARKED

ASUS ZENBOOK UX305F IS A WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO UX302
Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
0

20

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Price ` 52,200/-

SPECIFICATIONS
13.3 inches, 1980x1080p Display, Windows (8.1), Intel Core M,
4GB RAM, 128 GB SSD, Up to 10 hours Battery Life

IMPRESSIONS:
Asus pulled a rabbit out of their hat last year with the UX302 which was also the winner of our
Laptop of the year category for Exhibit Tech Awards 2014. That said, the UX305 available
in various variants like the F that we have here, is the successor to the almighty UX302. We
tested it and to be frank, we are amazed to see the possibilities that an Ultrabook can achieve.

Good:
Ultra light weight design crafted in aluminum is available in various
color options and allows for excellent ease of use
Newest hardware is more than capable of handling daily tasks and
some heavy software if need arises
The matte display is amazingly crisp, bright and offers great viewing
angles as compared to the competition. We had the 1080p panel but
there is a variant that also features 3200x1800 screen resolution.
Does not heat even under stress considering the immensely thin profile
Great battery life makes it an apt ultrabook for travelers and power
users

Bad:
No Backlit keyboard makes it feel a bit mediocre especially considering the price that it
demands
Speakers suffer from less volume levels & you will need a headphone almost every time

VERDICT
Asuss Zenbook UX305 is what an ultrabook should be. Its amazingly thin, light weight
and performs decently well too. One thing we know by now When it comes to making
ultrabooks, Asus is possibly the pro. Although the UX305 lacks a few things that are
necessary to make it perfect like the low sounding speakers and the backlit keyboard, the
laptop makes for it in the other departments. This is a machine that we would recommend
to just about everyone.
I NOV 2015 I 75

HEAR THE TRUE SOUND

BOSE SOUNDTRUE ULTRA EARPHONES ARE SIMPLE AND IMPRESSIVE

Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
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Price ` 11,138/-

SPECIFICATIONS
StayHear Ear tips, wired with quality Bose sound, Built-in mic and
volume + play controls

IMPRESSIONS:
Bose is known for delivering the best acoustics when it comes to their sound signature. That
said, their SoundTrue Ultra Earphones carry the timeless design that we are accustomed to
when it comes to Bose Earphones and although the world has moved on to wireless, Bose is
still believes in simplistic approach that delivers quality sound each time.

Good:
Simple and hassle free connectivity with inline mic and volume controls
for ease of use
Versatile and universal compatibility with almost all smartphones
Natural sound reproduction with balanced sound and good sound stage
Classy carrying case that is sturdy as well

Bad:
Cables tangle easily and also do not seem durable enough
Ear buds are not the best fitting

VERDICT
Bose delivers what it promises. These earphones are simple and have amazing sound
quality for acoustic lovers. But, Bose seems to be hell bent on the design which in
our opinion needs an update. Hope Bose is listening and improvises on the same.

XIAOMIS PREMIUM SOUND

MI HEADPHONES TRY GOING AUDIOPHILE

Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
0

20

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90 100

Price ` 5,999/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Semi-Open, Surround Sound, 20 Hz - 10 kHz, Beryllium Alloy,
1.4 m detachable cable with Mic and volume control

IMPRESSIONS:
Xiaomi has already taken over the world by storm when they entered the smartphone race. Now,
when they decided to make a headphone, everyone was keen on how exactly would they sound.
But must we say, Xiaomi knows what it does and how it has to be done. This time though, they did
go a bit premium and we are glad to see, it shows.
Good:
Excellent Built Quality all thanks to the beryllium alloy construction
Several extensions and pads make it immensely versatile to suit
various types of users
Built in Microphone also allows for cellphone usage and
still can maintain good volume levels

Bad:
Semi-Open design leaks some sound
At the price point, it competes with much capable products and falls in a niche bracket
Sound quality is good but it tends to curve towards the bass head a lot

VERDICT

Xiaomis Mi Headphone is a good looking and well built headphone which also provides good
sound quality with emphasis on bass. Bass heads will love these. These are well worth it as you
get On Ear and Over the Ear pads allowing users to customize their listening experiences. Try it
for sure.

I NOV 2015 I 76

I NOV 2015 I 77

GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES

HARMAN KARDON ESQUIRE MINI IS WORTH EVERY PENNY
Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
0

20

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90 100

Price ` 15,999/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Bluetooth technology, Easily connects to any iOS device, Rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts
up to 8 hours, Dual microphone and built-in echo/noise cancellation technology, Includes Micro
USB cable, leather strap

IMPRESSIONS:
When you take a look at a speaker that is almost the size of a smartphone, you might not
expect much. But, Harman Kardon loves to surprise us and like hell we were. This small
speaker packs in quite a lot of punch and feels superbly premium. Heres why it won the best
wireless speaker award this year.

Good:
Amazingly premium built quality with leather finish and sturdy built makes
it desirable for both sexes
Clear loud highs, mesmerizing mids and impactful low produce mindboggling sound clarity and volume
Easy of pairing and the possibility of connectivity options make it versatile
for all types of usage
Small form factor with superb light weight makes it easy to carry on any
occasion

Great battery life will have you enjoying music without the need of charging
and if required, it uses a normal micro USB charging port allowing users to
easily charge anywhere.

VERDICT
We were mighty impressed with the Esquire Mini. It feels luxurious, has the looks, has
the sound clarity, has amazing battery life and somehow with all these factors, it easily
manages to justify its premium tag. Buy it without a second thought.

AN UPGRADABLE WIRELESS SPEAKER SETUP

LG MUSIC FLOW H7 MAKES EVERYTHING SOUND LARGE
Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
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20

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75 100

Price ` 52,990/-

SPECIFICATIONS
13.3 inches touch screen, 1920 x 1080, Windows (8), Core i7, 8
GB RAM, SSD (128 GB), Up to 12.5 hours Battery

IMPRESSIONS:
Unbox it and the first thing this speaker will remind you of, is a jukebox. Its just as large and
sounds like a large speaker setup. Carrying this is not an easy ordeal. But for what its worth, it
does offer quite a lot yet somehow it falls short when it comes to justifying the price tag.

Good:
Sounds like a large speaker setup. Enough to host a single room
party
Plethora of connectivity options available with intra room
connectivity with other Music flow Speakers

Bad:
Sound Clarity goes for a toss when you crank up the volume
The connectivity app is clunky and set up for multi room audio is not an easy ordeal
Weighs a lot to be called a wireless speaker setup
At the that price point it enters audiophile category where there are several better
contenders

VERDICT
LG Music Flow H7 is a complete package and may play a part when internet of things is a reality.
It is a great setup for someone who wants loud speaker setup without the hassles of wires, but
when we look at the price tag, it falls short to deliver value as a speaker setup.
I NOV 2015 I 78

A FITNESS TRACKER FOR EVERY RUNNER

GARMIN FORERUNNER 225 CATERS THE RUNNER IN YOU
Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
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Price ` 22,000/-

SPECIFICATIONS
13 inches matte 1080p Display, 128GB SSD, i3 5010U, 4GB of
RAM and Up to 10 hours Battery

IMPRESSIONS:
One look at the Garmin Forerunner and you would stare at it for at least a minute. It looks gorgeous and is something that every jogger and runner will love to own. Garmin is all set to help
people get fitter and their accessories are mighty impressive when it comes to doing the same.

Good:
At just 54gms and impressive built quality with red and black colors, the
Impressive battery life lasts over 10 hours thereby making it an apt accessory for
Forerunner looks ready to race
amateurs and professionals alike
Mios OHR is quite accurate when compared to most other fitness
trackers in the market today
Garmins web based and smart phone apps allow you to
VERDICT
keep a track on your running sessions making this a complete
The Forerunner 225 is an amazing product for joggers and professional runners. It offers a lot of
options and tracks your path, heart rate and allows you to do much more than what you would
package unbeatable by most other fitness bands
expect. Keeping things real, it also looks impressive making it a complete package which is a must
buy if you want to get healthy in style.

THE KING OF STILL PHOTOGRAPHY

NIKON D750 IS A MIGHTY SHARP SHOOTER
Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
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20

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90 100

Price ` 1.12 Lacs

SPECIFICATIONS
13.3 inches, 1980x1080p Display, Windows (8.1), Intel Core M,
4GB RAM, 128 GB SSD, Up to 10 hours Battery Life

IMPRESSIONS:
The fight between Canon and Nikon is very impressive. While one takes breathtaking videos,
the other dominates as a still camera. Hence, possibly the Nikon D750 was crowned as the
Camera of the year for its breathtaking still image quality.

Good:
The D750 has almost the same feature set of the much premium
100-12,800 - ISO Sensitivity and 2 SD cards slot make it ready for any occasion
D810
VERDICT
The 24 MP sensor with 51-points AF points allows for great still image
quality
The D750 with its great features and impressive still image quality makes for a great
package as a DSLR. Although cheaper than the D810, the D750 carrys most of its attri 91,000 pixel RGB sensor is the same as D810s metering system
butes and even betters them to quite some extent. This is a great camera for professionals
Tilting 3.2with 1.2m dots allows creative shots with ease
and enthusiasts.
With built in Wi-Fi and better battery life, it somehow outperforms the
D810 in features

I NOV 2015 I 79

GOPRO JUST OUTDID THEMSELVES

GOPRO HERO4 SESSION REDEFINES THE ACTION CAMERA GAME

Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
0

20

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95 100

Price ` 33,782/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Smallest, lightest GoPro yet, Durable and waterproof to 33 (10m), no
housing needed, easy one-button control, up to 1440p30, 1080p60
and 720p100 video, 8MP photos with 10 fps Burst

IMPRESSIONS:
GoPro Hero4 Session is what an action camera should be. Its small, easy to use, comes
with its own set of protection and is easier to mount that ever before.

Good:
Hero4 Session is smaller, lighter and waterproof without any housing
Its smaller form factor and shape makes it flexible to change orientation
Faster than most other action cameras when it comes to start/Stop
Recording
New Mic allows for better wind noise reduction
Smaller yet provides similar battery life its larger siblings

Bad:
Battery is non removable and will need a charge to get back in action
This is nitpicking but changing settings requires a phone or a GoPro Remote

VERDICT
The GoPro Hero4 Session is an action camera that redefines the action camera
game. It does not require a housing for going under water and the new form factor
allows for endless possibilities. GoPro has truly outdone their possibilities with the
Session and made us keen to see what next is in line.

e P-OLED Display with Gorilla Glass 3 and Full Metal Body with Screw-Less Back Cover

A STYLISH AND SUMPTUOUS ANDROID WEAR SMARTWATCH

THE LG WATCH URBANE CARTERS THE STYLE ORIENTED CROWD
Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
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90 100

Price ` 24,000/-

SPECIFICATIONS
1.3 Full Circle P-OLED Display with Gorilla Glass 3 and Full Metal Body with Screw-Less
Back Cover, Fitness Integration with Built-In Continuous Heart Rate Monitor and syncs with
sensors and applications for real time health and fitness data

IMPRESSIONS:
When LG Watch Urbane was announced it made the crowd curious to get their hands on a
Smartwatch that looked like a traditional watch when worn on the wrist. What surprised everyone
was its humongous price tag, but months later it has turned affordable to the sense where it becomes a must buy as compared to the other Android Wear Smartwatches in the market.
Good:
The leather and circular steel built makes it stylish for just about
every occasion and dressing style
It looks more stylish than the utilitarian watches available in the
market
Performs like a charm and the built in LG apps offer a lot of utility

I NOV 2015 I 80

Good battery life and the POLED Display offer day and night usage with ease
LG Watch Urbane is IP67 dust and water resistant (up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes)

VERDICT
LGs Watch urbane with the reduced price tag has become one of the best android wear
smartwatches in the tech world. It was our choice for the best Smartwatch of the Year 2015
and it has the capabilities to go head on with next gen watches too. Go for it and flaunt it
in style.

A PORTABLE GAMING HDD

WD MY PASSPORT X CATERS XBOX ONE AND PC GAMERS

Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
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Price ` 8500 (2TB)

SPECIFICATIONS
Gaming ready, Xbox One or PC gaming compatible, performance-tweaked, USB 3.0 compatibility

IMPRESSIONS:
WD My Passport X looks like a freshly designed Passport series HDD, but that design signifies
that it is not just a portable HDD meant for PCs. It is unique as it also allows Xbox One Users to
expand their gaming library.

Good:
Can hold up to 50 Gaming Titles and expand Xbox One capabilities at
half its cost
Plug and Play capabilities allows users to share their gaming library with
friends easily
Can be used as a normal portable HDD too, making it versatile for
most gamers
Encourages Digital Storage and is a worthy upgrade compared to the
limited storage on Xbox One

VERDICT
WD My Passport X is a god sent savior for Xbox One owners. It allows users to expand
their gaming library to almost 4 times that of their console and with most gamers being
normal human beings, it also serves great as a portable HDD. Only if this worked with
the PlayStation Eh We are asking too much of it! If you own an Xbox Get this for
sure.

A PC IN YOUR POCKET

PANACHE AIR PC IS A 5 INCH WINDOWS MACHINE

Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
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Price ` 8,390/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Intel Quadcore Processor, 2GB DDR3, 32GB, Inbuilt WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Inbuilt Bluetooth 4.0, USB & Micro USB Slot, Micro SD Card Slot for Storage up to 128GB, HDMI
Port to directly connect to Display, Pre-Installed Microsoft Windows 8.1

IMPRESSIONS:
How low can you go? You remember that song? Well, that is what comes to my mind as I
hold the Panache Air PC A fully fledged Windows 8.1 PC that is just a an inch larger than a
conventional Pendrive.

Good:
Bad:
Form factor allows for easy carrying and great usability with just about Struggles a bit while multitasking or trying heavy apps - but that is not what it is meant
any television or monitor out there.
to do
Windows allows you to not only do basic things but also push comVERDICT
plex tasks thereby making it more than just a smart USB Stick.
Productivity has never been so easy to carry. Intel started the trend and Panache has just
made it a tad bit beautiful as compared to their stick. If you are a Windows user who
Performs like a Notebook and also gives plethora of connectivity
travels a lot and likes travelling light with the power to function when needed, this is the
options allowing accessories to be paired easily.
smallest Windows machine that one can own. Get it and brag about carrying your Windows Machine in your pocket.

I NOV 2015 I 81

BEST E-BOOK READER FOR READING ENTHUSIASTS

KINDLE VOYAGE IS POSSIBLY THE BEST E-BOOK READER BUT COMES AT A PRICE
Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
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20

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Price ` 16,490/-

SPECIFICATIONS
6 High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Adaptive Built-in Light, PagePress Sensors, Wi-Fi and 3G

IMPRESSIONS:
We loved Kindles Paperwhite but the Voyage just beats them all when it comes to E-Book
readers. With some amazing connectivity options, best E-Book reader display and added
features make it a no brainer choice for E-Book lovers.

Good:
High Pixel Density allows for great reading experience. It also gets decently bright and is easy to read even under direct sunlight.
The page turning capacitive buttons along with smooth touch allow for a
very pleasant reading experience.
Thin and light form factor makes it easy to carry as compared to most of
the E-Book readers in the market

Wi-Fi with 3G and good memory management makes it easier to carry your library
or just build one while on the go
Battery life still remains impressive despite the higher pixel density

VERDICT
Although the Kindle Voyage is pricey as a standalone E-Book reader, there is no
doubt that it is the best. It has a great display with amazing features and thereby gets
a huge thumbs up from our side. Get this if you love reading and want to upgrade
from paper to something that gets closest to that experience.

A TELEVISION WITH THE BEST DISPLAY TECH TILL DATE

LG OLED TV TOTALLY CHANGES THE DIMENSIONS OF DISPLAY PERCEPTION
Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
0

20

60

90 100

Price ` 2.99 lacs

SPECIFICATIONS
13.3 inches touch screen, 1920 x 1080, Windows (8), Core i7, 8
GB RAM, SSD (128 GB), Up to 12.5 hours Battery

IMPRESSIONS:
When you think of an OLED display, the first thing that comes to your mind is Deep Black levels.
In a world where there are few phones that house this display, when LG launched the first OLED
television, everyone was awestruck and expectations built up. One look at this display and you
will know why exactly this television won the Best Television Award this Year.
Good:
OLED Display technology makes the pictures amazingly vibrant
and produces some of the deepest black levels ever seen on such a
large display
OLED also consumes less energy thereby making this one of the
best television for frequent viewers
The curve feels natural and the 0.25 inch thickness is striking to
look at. The design also makes it a desirable piece in your lifestyle
rooms.
Amazing display is accompanied with superb sounding speakers
thereby eliminating the need for external speaker setup.

I NOV 2015 I 82

Amazingly feature rich and a capable RF remote allows for excellent operations as compared to normal televisions. This also makes it a lot future proof, especially considdering the
Indian crowd that is reluctant to quick changes.

VERDICT
The LG OLED TV is possibly the best looking display that we have ever seen. With real world
futuristic features, great display and capable speakers, this is one setup that is a worthy upgrade to your aging LCD setup. It does cost a premium as this tech is fairly new but one look
at it and you will feel that it is well worth it.

WANT SPACE? NOTHING BEATS THIS

TRANSCEND 8TB STOREJET IS WHAT YOU REQUIRE WITH THE CURRENT WORLD REQUIREMENTS
Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
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20

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85 100

Price ` 25,000/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Gaming ready, Xbox One or PC gaming compatible, performance-tweaked, USB 3.0 compatibility

IMPRESSIONS:
Everyone is upgrading their storage space thanks to smartphones being capable of shooting
RAW images and 4K content. But, such content doesnt just require space, it also needs speed.
Transcend 8TB Storejet promises to do that in a much easier to live with package.

Good:
The Transcend StoreJet allows for transfer speeds of up to 200 MBps
Thanks to SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording), the StoreJet is also
able to boost its capacity by layering data tracks intimately on top of one
another
It features a a One Touch auto-backup button to instantly backup user
data, made possible by the complimentary Transcend Elite data management software
The StoreJet also boasts AES-256 file and folder encryption and also
offers 3 Years Warranty

VERDICT
The Transcend StoreJet 8TB is one hell of a storage package. It offers good speed as
compared to other 8TB drives which are rare in India. We love the fact that Transcend
has entered the revolution and offers an opportunity to professionals who wish to carry
humongous amount of data. Enthusiasts who need space Nothing beats this baby!

PLAY WITH VFM TELEVISION SERIES

VU PLAY SERIES OFFERS A LOT OF VALUE FOR ITS PRICE TAG

Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
0

20

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90 100

Price ` 25,000/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Intel Quadcore Processor, 2GB DDR3, 32GB, Inbuilt WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Inbuilt Bluetooth 4.0, USB & Micro USB Slot, Micro SD Card Slot for Storage up to 128GB, HDMI
Port to directly connect to Display, Pre-Installed Microsoft Windows 8.1

IMPRESSIONS:
VU entered the television market and totally shook it with amazing value for money products.
The VU Play series adds to their DNA and brings immense value for what its worth.

Good:
We tested the 32 Inch television and really loved the amount of value The TVs have also been manufactured using moisture and dust-resistant components,
that it provided.
along a promise of solid industrial manufacturing for quality.
The Vu Play range features VGA and HDMI connectivity, headphone
The Play series comes with an inbuilt digital media player, which supports various audio,
and auxiliary connectivity for audio, wireless mobile-phone screen
video, and image formats allowing USB playback with ease. It also supports larger HDDs.
sharing with Miracast, as well as MHL and DLNA for additional connectivity options
VERDICT
The TVs are Internet-enabled and have access to various Internet-based
We loved the VU Play Series for its immense value. Good Audio and Visual experience
services, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Web browsing.
alongwith current world technologies to go wireless makes this a sweet deal which you
Advanced Super Dimension Switch, achromatic technology, a full
should definitely indulge in. No wonder, they won the award for Value television series
colour optimiser and Digital Noise Reduction enhance the audio visual
of the year.
experience.
I NOV 2015 I 83

POSSIBLY THE BEST BLUETOOTH EARPHONES

JAYBIRD X2 ARE WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO THE BLUEBUD X
Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
0

20

60

95 100

Price ` 15,999/-

SPECIFICATIONS
In-Ear Style 6 mm drivers, 16 Ohm, 20-20000Hz, Bluetooth
2.1+, Built in Mic and 8 Hours Battery life

IMPRESSIONS:
The Jaybirds Bluebuds X were critically acclaimed to be the best Bluetooth earphones in the
market and when they received an update this year, there were several expectations from
them. In short They stand true to just about everything one would expect from the best
Bluetooth earphones.

Good:
Excellent fit and comply ear tips provide superb comfort and agility for Bad:
athletes
No right or left marking on the ear tips confuses new users
Amazing sound quality with crisp highs and deep lows provide
Pricing is a bit on the premium side
Adjustable cable and good built quality with a easy to open carry case
make it complete package
VERDICT
Amazing battery life makes it easy to live with and great for daily
Jaybirds X2 are an amazing set of earphones and quite possibly can be considered the
usage for several instances
best Bluetooth earphones in the market today. Yes, its a bit pricy, but they are well worth
every penny.

PREMIUM LEATHER CLAD SOUND

HARMAN KARDON SOHO BLUETOOTH ARE LUXURIOUSLY MELODIOUS

Reviewed By: Pratik Ghone
0

20

60

85 100

Price ` 14,990/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Dark Leather Premium design, Bluetooth, 20 Hz~20 kHz, 9
Hours Music Playback

IMPRESSIONS:
First look at the headphones and they scream luxury. The leather clad headphones with premium
built and great finish will appeal to just about every individual on planet earth. Harman Kardon
is known to provide quality sound with a quality built and this time theyve bettered themselves.

Good:
Premium Built Quality makes a lasting impression and looks
beautiful over just about every outfit
Gesture controls make it innovative and easy to use as compared to conventional headphones
Good sound quality and sound stage with clear highs and
impactful bass response

I NOV 2015 I 84

Decent battery life with easy recharge option and folding mechanism allows
easy carry

VERDICT
Harman kardon knows what they are doing and that is clearly visible with the Soho Bluetooth
headphones. They feel premium, sound amazingly well and also provide some great
innovative controls. If you live style and music, this is a must buy.

ACER ASPIRE V NITRO

ACER ASPIRE V NITRO
Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

50

85 100

Price ` 92,000/-

SPECIFICATIONS
15.6 inches, 1920 x 1080p Display,
Windows (8), Intel Core i7,
8GB DDR3 RAM,
NVIDIA GTX-860M 4GB,
Up to 6 Hours battery life

IMPRESSIONS:
Acers new Aspire V Nitro really stands out with its incredibly gorgeous display quality and resolution. On top of that, it also fits in astoundingly good and loud volume, which makes watching
movies and listening to the built-in speaker very complementing.

Good:
Gorgeous Display Quality
High-end Quad-core Processor
Large display size
Light and Thinner
Amazing audio quality and volume
Decent Bass on the speakers
Looks appealing and premium

Bad:
Big in terms of size
Back panel gets easily bruised
Lack of touchscreen

VERDICT
Acer has really done a great job with this laptop - its got the performance capacity,
amazing display quality, and loads of quality audio and volume. To top that, its really
got the looks.

SENNHEISER OCX 686G SPORTS

SPORTY LOOKING DESIGN WITH ERGONOMIC FIT
Reviewed By: Abhi Kanel
0

20

60

75 100

Price ` 7,990/-

SPECIFICATIONS
Cable has in-line smart remote
Mic compatible with smartphones and portable players
In-ear canal design, Ergonomic ear clips
Anti-bacterial ear adapters,Oval-shaped, para-aramid reinforced
cables

IMPRESSIONS:
OCX 686G is a sporty looking in-ear headphone that comes with ergonomic fitting and a cool
design form factor. It sounds really good and hold on to the exterior of your ears very easily.

Good:
Feels lighter and comfortable
Ergonomic Design and fit for comfortable music listening
Design looks very sporty and appealing
Amazing sound quality
Water Resistant

Bad:
Deep Bass could be better
Bit pricey

VERDICT
This earphone is most suitable for people who regularly go out for extracurricular activities and sports. Its ergonomic fitting, amazing sound quality and sporty look makes
it a good choice to go for, also adding its water resistant quality, which makes it more
durable.

I NOV 2015 I 85

PRO
EVOLUTION
soccer 2016

THE KING IS BACK

Reviewed By: Omar
0

20

60

90 100

Platforms & Price ` 999 for PC

` 2,499 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
` 2,999 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
Publisher Konami
Reviewed on PlayStation 4

I NOV 2015 I 86

FIRST IMPRESSION
PES v FIFA is the gaming version of Android v iOS. PES enjoyed its glory days back in the day when PlayStation 2 was
the most advanced gaming console. Somehow, Konamis
football franchise could not create its magic on PlayStation
3, and with English Premier Leagues worldwide popularity,
FIFA zoomed way ahead in this race. With PES 2015, the
franchise managed to claw its way back, and looks like this
year, Konami and PES have finally nailed it. PES won the
Best Sports Game at Gamescom second year in a row and
we know the reason why.

REVIEW
Arkham Knight begins a year after the events of Batman:
We were all impressed with PES last year, and this time
around Konami had to just put the finishing touches. Pro
Evolution Soccer franchise was celebrating its 20th anniversary this time around and their anniversary edition couldnt
have been better. From the minute you start playing your first
game, there is a sense of playing the closest thing to the real
game. Whoever loves fast passing and quick interchanges
will feel at home with PES 2016. The lovely feeling of playing
PES 5 or 6 returns here. It feels smooth and fluid and that
feeling is constant.
Unless you really lunge into a leg-breaking challenge, referees will allow play to continue. And that is the beauty of PES
2016. Everything that happens on a real field is simulated in
the game. The collision system is a welcome change. If Real
Madrid and PSG play in a Champions League game, you
wont expect Luka Modrito outmuscle Zlatan Ibrahimovi,
and that is what happens in the game. A midfielder like Yaya
Toure can bulldoze his way past people, while someone like
David Silva will have to glide past them. Everything feels so
real, so lifelike. You always see different animations of stumbling or slipping players, which all look convincing. All the
credit here goes to Konamis proprietary FOX Engine. Having made its debut last year with PES 2015 and Metal Gear
Solid V: Ground Zeroes, this engine was a powerful platform
to build PES 2016 and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom
Pain. The engine also affects the different conditions that you

choose for a match. On rainy days, the grass looks beautiful and you can actually see soaked player kits. PES 2016
also brings an option to celebrate each goal differently. Every
player has 4 celebrations which can be executed with press
of a button. The developers have also done a decent job with
the crowd at stadiums.
AI is also much improved in PES 2016. When a player has
possession, his teammates will make well-timed runs to create space. Similarly, if you fail to switch players while defending, the AI reads opposition moves well to prevent glaring
holes in the defense. When you play against AI at Superstar
level, they will rip you apart with clever runs and dazzling
footwork. Also, the AI will put in those last-ditch tackles to
avoid conceding. All in all, the AI highly contributes to this
beautiful game.
As usual, English Premier League licensing is absent in PES
2016. But that is never a problem as PES community always
comes up with patches for real kits and teams. However, PES
2016 does have licenses for most other popular leagues and
teams. They also have acquired rights for UEFA Champions
League and Euro 2016. Playing online in PES 2016 is a
smooth experience. You really test your mettle here against
good players across the globe. MyClub has also seen some
impactful additions. If you are patient enough, your players
level will increase slowly but surely. MyClub feels as though
its been truly innovated upon. Konami knew this mode needed work to compete with FIFAs Ultimate Team, and have
delivered in a big, big way.
While, PES 2016 is one of the best football simulation games
out there, it also has a few shortcomings. Most important
is the player roster. New signings are not embedded in PES
2016 and we had to wait till end of October for a patch.
Also, most of the popular stadiums are missing, most notably, Real Madrids Santiago Bernabu. Again, we will have
to depend on the PES community to come up with innovative
patches. Lastly, the commentary is definitely disappointing. In
spite of getting Peter Drury on board, the chemistry between
him and Jim Beglin goes haywire. However, these deficiencies do not take away much from a beautiful experience that
PES 2016 is.

VERDICT
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 is the best football game out there. Konamis development
team has got a lot of things right like on-pitch physics which is very important in a simulation game. Also, the intelligent AI makes things easy and difficult at the same time.
Though it is not perfect in every way, PES 2016 makes every minute spent in front of the
television enjoyable. If you are not a fan of the beautiful game, then PES 2016 will take
you on that path.

I NOV
2015
I NOV
2015
I 87I 87

HYBRID
COMPUTERS

- The real game has just begun..

Shreya Bhattacharya

nce upon a time, there was a desktop. Then

came the handy laptop that widely replaced
the desktop in no time. Next was tablet, which
somewhat served the purpose of a PC, though
couldnt replace laptop. And thenhybrid computers were born a crossbreed of laptop and
tablet.
Widely categorizing, there are various kinds of
hybrid computers.Some hybrids have a dedicated detachable keyboard, in some other cases
sold separately. Hybrid tablets have a standard
tablet base with a detachable keyboard that
resembles a laptop keyboard. They are usually sold together as parts of the same product,
unlike slates, whose keyboards are an optional
accessory. Other variations are laplets and convertibles. Laplet is a portmanteau of the words
laptop and tablet; it is a cross of these device
types. Convertible tablets have a slate tablet
top-half with a keyboard bottom-half. They
more closely resemble laptops, usually considered more as laptops than tablets, and are
heavier and larger than slates.
The timeline of hybrid computers dates back
to 2009 when the first products were officially launched. Among them was the Archos 5, a
pocket-sized model with a 5-inch touchscreen,
that was first released with a proprietary operating system and later (in 2009) released with
Android 1.4. Many more products followed in
2010. Several manufacturers waited for Android
Honeycomb, specifically adapted for use with
tablets, which debuted in February 2011.

TABLETS THAT EVOLVED AS

HYBRIDS
Tablets are the new darling of consumer technology.
The burst of fanfare generated by the iPads initial release never faded, nor have sales.Dramatic success
has encouraged definitive proclamations from industry
prophets. The PC is dead long live the tablet! Recent
sales figures seem to back up the arguments but a
challenger approaches. Hybrids, a category so small
that its sales are not individually tracked, is the real heir
to the PCs throne.
Hybrids are a step towards a vision of future computing that replaces the PC with a dockable device that
connects to a wide variety of peripherals. Future consumers will forgo a wide range of partially redundant
devices in favor of a master computer that can do almost everything.
Most enthusiasts dreaming of this future peg the smartphone as the heir to the PCs throne. This theory is
interesting, yet unrealistic. How can a powerful processor and sufficient battery be crammed into such a
small space? How can a user fully enjoy a device with
such a small screen? There are no easy answers to
these questions which may be why Samsungs Galaxy
Note II has had become popular despite jokes about
the junk in its trunk. And that is not the only one in the
joke-book!
The future of computing will be a story of convergence,
not divergence. Multiple devices will fuse into a single master computer. This will not be tablets or smartphones, which are incapable of replacing modern PCs
hybrids will rise to take on this new role. The tablet
will remain, but it will be pushed into low-cost markets
or sold as an add-on to a computing ecosystem built
around the hybrid. Viva la hybrid!

I NOV 2015 I 88

BUT THE TREND?

Everyone is talking about hybrid and many have already been scoring at
the stores. However, the trend didnt start until the mighty three tech-biggies
stepped in to the market of hybrid computers. And thats exactly what we are
trying to prove in the following pages.
There was Asus Transformer Book, there was Dell Convertible Ultrabook, there
was Acer Aspire Switch and there was HP convertibles to name a fewbut
the revolution has begun the day Microsoft Surface Book, Google Pixel C and

Apple MacBook Pro came to the stage. And the real game has started since
then. The evolution of hybrid laptops has just begun thanks to these mighty
threesome.
The current scenario showcases that the comparison is going strong and
tough between these, although the Pixel C cant stand the other two! Lets
peek at a quick comparison between the much talked about Apple MacBook
Pro, Microsoft Surface Book and the Google Pixel C.

Apple MAcBook pro 15-inch

GooGle pixel c

Microsoft surfAce Book

Display: 15.4-inch screen with 2,880 x

1,800 display resolution (220 PPI, Pixels
Per Inch)

Display: 10.2-inch screen with 2,560 x

1,800 display resolution and 308 PPI

Display: 13.5-inch screen and a display

resolution of 3,000 x 2,000

Processor: Octa-Core nVidiaTegra X1 chip

Processor: Intel Skylake i7 or also known

and referred to as Intel i7 6th gen

Processor: Intel Quad-Core i7 processor

clocked at 2.5GHz with Turbo Boost up to
3.7GHz (Can be configured to 2.8GHz of
the same processor with Turbo Boost that
can reach up to 4.0GHz.)

GPU: nVidia Maxwell graphics card

GPU: nVidia GeForce GPU with 1GB
dedicated VRAM

RAM: 3GB
Memory: 64GB built-in storage

GPU: Intel Iris Pro Graphics with AMD

Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB DDR5 dedicated VRAM
RAM: 16GB

RAM: 8GB that can be upgraded to a

maximum of 16GB
Memory: Choice of 128GB SSD, 256GB,
512GB or even 1TB SSD

Memory: 512GB PCIe-based flash storage

that can be configured to 1TB

Microsoft
surface Book

Apple MacBook
Pro 15-inch

Google Pixel C

QUICK CONCLUSION:
In terms of specs, Pixel C doesnt really stand to the comparison of the other two, but it is certainly one of the trend-setter
hybrid computers. With the advent of these convertibles, we
are sure the next tech-trend is all about hybrid computers
and it would be faster and wider than ever.

I NOV
2015
I NOV
2015
I 89I 89

e in
v
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d
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pa

hu

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would definitely say

that it was more of
a trek than a trip. Must have lost a couple of kilos
for sure. haha. But on a serious note, it was definitely worth
every bit. Spain has always been that one place, I have looked forward
to mainly because of its amazing food, (Tapas-cant forget mentioning that), the
beautiful Rico wine and most of all, the picturesque beauty that cannot be compared. Five
cities, eight days and here I am with a billion memories all set to pen them down. Special thanks
to Spain Tourism for this truly amazing experience.

Day 1- The Travel

Bye! Bye! Mumbai. All of us gathered at the

airport patiently anticipating whats going to take
place next. As we checked in for our flight at 5am with
heavy eyes, we introduced ourselves to each other. You
definitely dont want to guess what happens when majority of the
travel writers who are females meet up for a FAM.Flying via Turkish
Airlines has been the best experience ever.The cheese platter on flight
was incredible. Having a break journey at Istanbul was all we needed. As we
walked up to the Turkish Airlines Lounge, the sight was so pleasing. The whole
lounge so beautifully decorated with antique chandeliers and has altogether
different themes in each and every section. The food was mouth watering and
the Turkish coffee (which I was craving for) stole the show. Taking a 2pm flight
from Istanbul to Madrid, obviously via Turkish Airlines again and experiencing
authentic Turkish food on flight was a superb experience. What more can one
ask for? At the Madrid, Barajas airport, we took a mini bus to the Ayre Gran
Coln Hotel. One of the most luxurious properties in the city and why not, after
all its owned by the Palladium group of hotels.Ok, so now the trip had started
and we reached our first dinner place Le Platea. Heaven of a place! Its like a
small food mall with different types of cuisines on every floor and a stage where
one could have live performances. Caught up on a sexy ariel act there.

Day 2- Madrid- Segovia

So the day has started and we are all ready to explore this wonderful city
of Madrid. Meeting the other representatives of Spain tourism at the Mayor
plaza, we begin discovering this beautiful city. A walk in the streets, a beautiful
square where all bull fights and other festivities take place. A market place
which looks like a small fairytale house in the middle of a busy street and
the lovely Palacio Real. Our guide was really an enthusiast. Loved the way
he explained each and everything in detail. Quickly returning to the hotel we
packed our bags and left for the AVE station for our next destination Segovia.
The Renfe AVE bullet trains are the best thing that could happen to Spain. The
connectivity is superb and you can commute to cities within Spain minutes.
Segovia is declared a World heritage site by UNESCO. The city is over 2000
years old and is located only 87kms from Madrid. The city is beautiful due to
his architectonic configuration. Checking into the San Antonio el Real, we had
an authentic lunch at the Restaurant Claustro there(loved the tuna). Segovia
is known for its traditional roasts, legumes and amazing table wines. After a
good lunch and a quick siesta, we went around to see what each and every
traveller comes down to Segovia for- The Aqueduct.You cannot miss this one.
The first time you see it, the picture of this ravishing stone on stone beauty
remains etched in your mind forever. A magnificent work done by the Romans.
We also visited the Mint where currency printed using hydrolic technology. A
Superb bus ride (paranomic tour) ended the day.

L-

RA
UE CATHED
THE MOSQ
A
B
O
CORD

FLAMENCO DANCE MUSEUM

-SEVILLE

I NOV 2015 I 90

MADRID

METROPOL

PARASOL -

AQUEDUCT-

SEVILLE

PLAZA DE ESPANA

SEGOVIA

- SEVILLE

ALCAZAR-SEGOVIA

THE CATHEDRAL OF VALENCIA

Day 3- Segovia- Valencia

The day began early since we just had half of the day in this small and pretty
city. Putting on my sports shoes, we set off for a walking tour of the entire city.
Another beautiful spot was The Alcazar. Built during the 11th century over the
remains of a Roman fortress, the Alcazar stands amist the valleys formed by
Eresma and Clamores rivers. A clear fairytale castle, which we read in those
Ladybug books. Walking out from there was the stunning Cathedral. I can say
its Gothic architecture at its best. Its known as the Dame of Cathedrals. The
pictures could speak more. Shopping Tip: Please do buy Olive oil from the
local market here. Asuper awesome lunch at the El FognSefardand then a
quick transfer to the AVE station to our next stop Valencia.We also an entry
into Renfe Lounge which was totally an icing on the cake. The business class
of these Renfe bullet trains is mind blowing. Highly comfortable and super
luxurious. Moving on,Valencia is one of the most beautiful places in Spain. My
personal favorite on the whole trip. Its is the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona. Checked in at the NH Collection hotel. A Lovely luxurious
property. I loved room, the view and just all of it. A super amazing Asian dinner
at the Ma Khin caf. Beautifully decorated tables and all thats dreamy and
pretty. The chicken croquettes are a must have here.

Day 4- Valencia- Cordoba

Valencia is like the most happening cities of Spain. As we walked down the
street in the morning, we saw people all set for the marathon. Loud music
covered the streets people we dancing and walking around to the tunes. Real
fun to do a good dance on the street with the crowd roaring and so happening.
Valencia has got the beach so the climate is very much like Mumbai. Spain is
full of Graffitti and Valencia is no exception. Not a wall thats not covered with
spray paint and they are super awesome ones. The best place I visited here was
the Cathedral because I got a glimpse of the most sacred Holy Grail of Jesus
Christ. Felt so good. Also, we did experience a festivity outside the cathedral
premises, where a bunch of men dress up like pirates with their shooting guns
were bursting crackers. Something I had never experienced before. We then
headed to the city of Arts and Sciences. A good walk through the entire place.
The place is very futuristic and made in a way that you might just need one
full day to see it completely. This was then followed by Lunch at the beachside
restaurant Sorolla at Las Arenas. All I could speak about now was paella! Paella! I dont want to compare it to biryani because they are pretty same still way
different. Off to the AVE station once again to our next destination Cordoba.
I had heard a lot about the city having a lot of Islamic influence. Was eager
to see the Roman-Islamic mix. Thanks to the Renfe bullet trains, the journey
seemed nothing.The day ended with checking in at the Las Casas de la Judera
hotel and a warm dinner at the La Fragua tavern.I have never really had such
amazing Salmorejo ever. Got the recipe. haha

Day 6- Seville

MADRID
CERVE

ZAS C

Day 5- Cordoba- Seville

ALIFA-

CORD

OBA

Making our way to the Mosque Cathedral which is another World heritage site
was next on our cards. The Mosque cathedral of Cordoba is the largest Islamic
monument in the world. Its basically a cathedral built inside a mosque. (at
least there is peace in some corner of the world). The evolution of Caliphates art can be clearly seen in the mosque however in the cathedral inside
one can see Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque influences. Very peaceful and
serene experience. In the drizzle, we walked towards the Alley of Flowers. So,
its a narrow, winding street with its iron wrought iron grillies and balconies
decked up with flowers. We just experienced a beautiful view of the tower from
this street. Just there, was The Patio. Its a traditional Cordoban house with
whitewashed stone pillars on three sides. Just managed to buy a few souvenirs
because I dint want to leave a chance to enjoy the Spanish rains.Haha. Spain
is definitely an alcoholic treat because next we went to have a look at a micro
beer brewery Cervezas Califaand it was loaded with beery flavors, I had never
heard of. Finally, I figured the darkest beer on themenu would be listed last.
Thats how I ended up with the Sultana, a chocolate-and-coffee-infused one.
Then, it was time for some munching so we ended up at the La Almudaina
restaurant. Phew!!! Packed up bags stood ready and we were once again on
our way to the AVE station to our next destination Seville. Thanks to the speed
trains, we reached our place at 5pm. Checked into the suite of NH Collection
hotel. We even explored the hotel a little in the beginning but I couldnt stop
myself from visiting the Supercor which was just behind the hotel. Shopping and
girls, I tell you! After taking a short break, we proceeded with a long 30 min
walk to the Plaza de Espana. Now, this is one of the most beautiful squares in
Seville. Currently its used for a lot of activities like running, exercising, dancing
etc. Its more of fitness square now. Finally, a silent dinner at La Raza.

We started the day at The Royal Alcazar, which is one of the most important
Sevilles history. It is a group of palaces built throughout Sevilles different
historical periods. The Moorish architecture is worth a watch. It is the oldest
royal palace still used in Europe. Next to it, is the Cathedral. It is the biggest
Gothic building in the world, and the third biggest temple in Christendom,
after Saint Peter in Rome and Saint Paul in London. Beautiful paintings and not
seen before art decorates the Cathedral. Lovely stories revolve around all the
artwork.Walking out from there we reached our lunch place, Gourmet El Corte
Ingles.Commendable Tapas, must say! The city is all brand conscious with the
presence of ultimate brands like ZARA, Valentino, HnM etc. From there we
walked to the beautiful Santa Cruz (definitely not like the one after Khar road).
It is the oldest Jewish Quarter. Next, was the Metropol Parasol.The view of
the city is breath taking from the top. Then came the most favorite part of the
trip- The Flamenco Dance. Shaking a quick leg with our Flamenco instructor,
Victorat Museum of Flamenco Dancing was a delightful experience. We tried
our best to get it right as we were totally motivated us by Victors Perfecto. We
were mesmerized by the performance we saw next. 1 one hour of watching
sheer excellence. I couldnt take my eyes off them. The band and the dancers
were flawless and up to the beat. Dinner and conversations ended the day at
the restaurant El Rinconcillo.

Day 7- Seville- Madrid

Checking out from the from the hotel, on our way back to Madrid, via the
Renfe high speed trains, watching the view through the window and sipping on
a hot cup of coffee, I really wished I could spend more time in this country. The
last day was pretty light.We visited the YOUnique in Only YOU Hotel & Lounge
(its compact and cute) which also a Palladium hotel property and also an under construction site of the hotel near Atocha AVE station in Madrid.After that,
we visited the Turkish airlines head office in Madrid where their officials gave
us a deep insight of the airline and its current reach post which we took off the
Madrid city tour bus and explored the city quickly. A quiet Spanish dinner at the
Restaurant La Capilla de la Bolsa made our last dinner very special.

Day 8- The Return

We had an awesome trip back home. Thanks to Turkish Airlines for its wonderful onflight facilities,Renfe, for its super fast connectivity within all the cities
which actually made our travel much lighter and Spain Tourism for making this
a memorable one. Spain never felt so good. Adios.
.

I NOV 2015 I 91

Flying with Turkish Airlines...

Basically, Iflied with Turkish Airlines for the first time and trust me guys,the
experience was phenomenal. The warmth, comfort and the food are just
too good to be compared. Its luxury is altogether to another level. From the
smooth take off to my first step in Madrid, it was all so well arranged and
things were put together so well, that thejourney of 11.5 hours dint feel much
of a headache. (though we did have a break journey at Istanbul). The crew
on all our 4 flights was friendly and caring. I can say this because I called for
orange juice 4 times. And she never really denied once. Haha. The hospitality
and services offered by Turkish air mesmerize you into the essence of Turkey.
Totally in awe.

The Turkish Airlines lounge at

Istanbul
The Turkish lounge is an exquisite property of Turkish Airlines at the Istanbul
Airport. So, business class passengers (like us) get to relax and chill for a
while before jumping on to our connecting flight. The place has got amazing
interiors and each section is designed with a unique theme catering to Turkish
Air. Its a 2 floor wide spread lounge having ample of space for passengers
to have a quick bite and enjoy the wifi connectivity. There is a separate
section for reading with an enormous range of books, a small box golf
course, a mini movie theatre and some more amazing activities. The food is
extravagant. Its like a feast. The architecture and design will definitely leave
an impression on you and will surely force you to visit Turkey again. And yes,
please do not forget to have the authentic Turkish coffee at the lounge. Its
surely never had before stuff.

Thank you Turkish Airlines for this truly amazing

experience. You guys rock!

I NOV 2015 I 92

INTERNET.ORG
The controversial long term roadmap

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WHAT IS
INTERNET.ORG?
Internet.org is a partnership between social networking services company, Facebook and six companies
- namely Samsung, Ericsson, MediaTek, Opera
Software, Nokia and Qualcomm- that plans to
bring affordable access to selected Internet services
to less developed countries by increasing efficiency,
and facilitating the development of new business
models around the provision of Internet access.
Internet.org was launched on August 20, 2013. At
the time of launch, Facebooks founder and CEO
Mark Zuckerberg released a ten-page whitepaper
he had written elaborating on the vision. In the
paper, he wrote that Internet.org was a further step
in the direction of Facebooks past initiatives, such
as Facebook Zero, to improve Internet access for
people around the world.
The first Internet.org summit was held on 9 October
2014 in New Delhi, India. The primary objective of
this summit was to bring together experts, officials
and industry leaders to focus on ways to deliver
more Internet services for people in languages other
than English. Zuckerberg also met Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to talk about how Facebook and the Indian government can collaborate
on Internet.edu.
I NOV 2015 I 94

INITIAL RECEPTION AND HOW MARK

RESPONDED
Internet.org has been criticized hard for violating net neutrality and favoring Facebooks own
services over its rivals. However, Mark Zuckerberg
says Internet.org and net neutrality can and must
coexist, despite a backlash against his organization, which aims to bring free internet access to
the developing world. But then, it cant, at least
not from where users sit thats what the analysts
believe.
Right after the launch of the initiative in India,
several Indian publishers decided to remove their

services from the Internet.org app, claiming the app

violates the basic tenets of net neutrality. The app
offers users in developing countries access to a select group of services, like Facebook, news sites, and
health information, without paying data charges.
Thats possible because, in the countries where Internet.org operates, the group has negotiated these
terms with local carriers. The Indian publishers took
issue with this setup, often referred to as zero-rating, arguing that giving away some services puts
those services that arent available on the app at a
disadvantage.

Zuckerberg initially tried to defend the best possible

ways arguing that net neutrality ensures network
operators dont discriminate by limiting access to
services you want to use, a policy he saidhe fully
supported. And yet, Zuckerberg glossed over the
fact that Internet.org is providing its own kind of
preferential treatment.Technically, Internet.org is an
open platform any website or app can join, but as
Zuckerberg notes, it would be impossible to give the
entire Internet away for free.
That means most services necessarily must be left
out if Internet.org is to be financially viable for
carriers. This would create a system of fundamentally unequal access for the companies trying to reach
these users and for users themselves.
For the companies, it meant the power to decide
which Internet users they were able to reach was
out of their hands. Instead, its up to Internet.org,
local governments, and carriers to decide which
services are vital enough to secure a space within
the Internet.org app. And for users, it means having

access to only a sliver of what is supposed to be the

worldwide web. As weve said before, this creates
an Internet for poor people.

people even limited free access to the internet

outweigh the concern about playing favorites, when
the alternative is no access at all.

It can also create the expectation that access to the

Internet always will be free, a mindset that can be
difficult to overcome.
So the question Zuckerberg ought to be answering
is not whether the Internet.org model runs counter
to the core tenets of net neutrality. That answer
seems obvious. Instead, the question is whether the
same rules should apply in places where people
dont have access to the Internet at all, let alone
equal access. In other words, is it okay to suspend
some of the net neutrality absolutism the tech
community has rallied behind in the US if it serves a
greater good in the worlds poorest countries?
Zuckerberg didnt admit it outright, and of course,
he probably never could, considering how the tech
world at large feels about net neutrality. But his post
made it clear that he believed the positives of giving

MARKS ACTION POST NET

NEUTRALITY ROAR
After all the net neutrality chaos, Mark decided to
expand internet.org. He said he is no enemy of net
neutrality, and to prove it, he made a few changes
to Internet.org, a Facebook-led effort to bring internet services to the developing world.
The declaration came just weeks after several Indian
publishers accused Internet.org of running afoul of
net neutrality, because the organization was working
with mobile carriers to determine which websites
qualify to be included on the central Internet.org
app, which is available for free across the devel-

oping world. The publishers argued that by giving

away free access to some websites and not all of
them, Internet.org was creating an unequal internet.
The Facebook founder announced that from
now on, any developer can offer an app through
Internet.orgas long as it meets certain guidelines.
At the time, Zuckerberg defended Internet.orgs
approach. Now, however, it seems that the criticism
may have struck a chord, inspiring him to tear down
the walls that surround Internet.org.

AND FINALLY
Now, developers can join Internet.org if they can adhere to certain guidelines.
In addition to agreeing to some technical requirements, they must prove that
their app inspires users to explore the internet beyond the basic free services,
an obvious attempt to convert free users into paying users down the line. Developers must also create a simplified version of their app or service, so it will
work in places with limited connectivity.
As Chris Daniels, Facebooks VP said, this open structure had always been
a part of Internet.orgs long-term roadmap. The debate in India certainly
accelerated the plans. The backlash also gave the team perspective as to what
peoples biggest issues with the platform were.
When we listened to the people spearheading the net neutrality debate, the
primary things we heard were around consumer choice and making sure that
any developer can join, Daniels said. Today we have addressed those.

I NOV 2015 I 95

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NE

iP

phoneography or more popularly known as Mobile phone photography thats what we are gonna talk about in these
pages. Let me clarify at the beginning that this is not really a genre of photography, as we normally cover in our Shutterbug section. But it is probably the most popular mode of photography todays generation is adopting partly because of
the ease of their use and mainly because there are so many good camera phones available today in the market.
Lets talk about mobile phone photography how it evolved, how things are changing, few tips and our picks of few best
camera phones available in the stores today.

THE RISE OF MOBILE PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY

From candid snapshots to sleek ad campaigns and everywhere in between, mobile phone photography has advanced rapidly in a few short
years. What could be the possible reasons for the same?
Here are few probable reasons.

CANDID AVAILABILITY, LIBERTY FOR POST-EDITING AND CHEAPER

Your phone camera is your best camera, because its always with you. When people say
this about mobile photography, or iphoneography as its also called, theyre usually
talking about snapping those unexpected moments: a man in a banana suit on his
way to work or a celebrity involved in a punch-up or maybe just a beautiful sunset.
Certainly, mobile photographers are much more prolific than average amateur
big camera enthusiasts. They have their photographic brains switched on all the
time, looking for possibilities. And the ubiquity of these cameras, combined with
their unobtrusiveness, have made them particularly effective at capturing candid
moments in public spaces.
But, for many, the initial snap is just the start. Its the raw material for a new
creative process. Most mobile phone cameras take very dull photos. But
it doesnt matter, because there are hundreds of apps to help you turn
them into something amazing. And thats whats really at the heart of it.
Costing pennies, mobile photography apps give you the creative power
of Photoshop, and more besides, without being tied to your desk. This
makes mobile photography incredibly liberating for the creative photographic spirit. Suddenly, every free moment is an opportunity to both take and craft images. These apps have accelerated
the creative process, as well as allowing you, quite simply, to be more creative, more of the time, for less money.

INSTANT GRATIFICATION
The ability to show your images to the world on platforms such as Instagram has made mobile photography an incredibly vibrant genre. A few years ago, you might have taken the worlds greatest photo, but it would be destined to
sit unseen on my hard drive and that wouldnt have given you much of an incentive to take more. Of course, you
could upload my big camera photos to photo-sharing websites such as Flickr, but that would mean shuffling back
to the desk, connecting cables. Sharing via mobile phone is hassle-free. Your latest creation can be exhibited to
the world immediately and people can give feedback straight away.
People love getting comments about their photos and take great inspiration from the images of others. It is a
little wonder, with such a vibrant web of personal exchanges, that the genre has been booming, resulting in
millions of people taking great photos every day, and experimenting (or appsperimenting) with their images
in highly creative ways.
The importance of apps for mobile photography means the genre is characterised by, and criticised for,
highly processed images that can bear little connection to reality. But big camera photographers distort
reality, too. Before they shoot, they choose shutter speed, aperture and ISO to achieve their desired
effect. Many photographers tweak their images in Photoshop. So where does this idea of objective
photographic reality come from? We see reality all the time through our eyes, so its nice to take a
break from it.
I NOV 2015 I 96

TIPS TO CLICK LIKE A PRO WIH YOUR SMARTPHONE

Camera phones have some inherent strengths and weaknesses, and by emphasizing the good and downplaying the bad, you can take silence naysayers before
they can get to the enter key. Here are some things to keep in mind when firing up the photo app on your iPhone, Droid, Lumia or whatever.

GET CLOSE
Many cell phone cameras, especially the iPhone, really start to shine when you bring them in close to your subject. The small sensor provides a relatively wide depth
of field so you can get entire objects in focus where cameras with bigger sensors and longer lenses would have trouble.When getting close, you can also usually
have more control over the lighting of your subject. Are bright patches in the background of your composition throwing off the cameras meter and making your
subject dark? Get closer and block it out altogether. Small detail shots can be quite effective if done right.

CROP, DONT ZOOM

Many smartphone cameras offer a digital zoom function, but youre almost always best served by pretending it doesnt exist. Even in the liveview preview, youll be able to see how noticeably your images
degrade the second you start to zoom. The camera is simply extrapolating whats already there and
basically guessing what the image looks like. It gets ugly fast.When youre cropping, however, youre
actually just sampling pixel info that was actually recorded. Many smartphones have 8-megapixels of
resolution and sometimes more. That means you can crop substantially and still have plenty of resolution left for display on the web. And the lack of gross upscaling artefacts will help mask the fact that it
was taken with a phone.

DONT ADD FAKE BLUR

EDIT, DONT FILTER

If you want your images to be unique, the last thing you should do
is paint them with the same filters that literally millions of other people are using. I suggest getting a full-on image editing app like the
excellent SnapSeed, Photoshop Express, or iPhoto. Theyll let you
make reasonable adjustments, like contrast, sharpness, and color
temperature. Stuff youd actually do with images from your big
camera. Its also not crazy to dump your images into Lightroom or
another piece of editing software if you dont feel the need to share
them right away. OK, its a little crazy, but people do it.

Depth of field will always be one of the biggest challenges for a smartphone camera. Wide
angle lenses and tiny sensors make any substantial background blur difficult to achieve. But
faking it almost always makes things worse.First, blur added with an editing app is usually
applied uniformly across most of the frame. Thats not the way a lens works, so it looks
unnatural.Second, its hard to be precise when selecting the object you want in focus so you
can end up with harsh transitions from sharp to blurry. Its distracting and a dead giveaway
that youve been messing with the image.If you want the viewer to focus on one specific thing,
make it the central object in the frame. Try to keep your backgrounds as simple as possible,
even if it means asking your subjects to turn around or move a few steps back. Its worth it.

CHOOSE A BETTER CAMERA APP

This one applies more to iPhones users than Android and Lumia users.But in any case, the goal is
more control. There are a couple of standard choices in this category and any of them will treat you
better than the stock camera app. Whatever you pick, its worth it to spend a little time really getting
used to it. It seems silly to take out your phone and practice taking pictures, but youll be glad you did
it if you manage to catch a great shot while others are still flipping through pages of apps or trying to
turn off their stupid flash.

DITCH THE FLASH

The problem with many smartphone flashes is that they dont actually, well, flash.
Theyre glorified LED flashlights, thrust into a duty theyre not fully prepared for.
They are bright, but the color temperature can be gross and they miss one of the
primary duties of a strobe: freezing the action in the frame. The actual flash
duration is much too long, so you end up with an image thats both blurry and
terribly-lit. Not to mention how close it is to the lens, which makes those horrible
demon eyes almost a given.

KEEP YOUR LENSES CLEAN

Your pocket is not a clean place, and the grime that lives within loves to glom
onto your smartphone camera lens. The results are hazy, dark images that wont
look good no matter how many retro filters you slap on them.The lenses are
now remarkably tough, so giving them a quick wipe with a soft cloth cant hurt.
Once in a while, its worth the effort to break out the lens cleaning solution and
really get the grime off of it.

WATCH THE LENS FLARE

Adding lens flare is another trend in mobile photography right now thats getting more overdone by
the minute. But, this one can actually work for you if you do it the natural way. The tiny lenses are
often more prone to wacky light effects than their full-sized counterparts, so you can really play it up
if you want to. A silhouette with a bright, flaring background can actually look very stylish.

FORGET NOT THE RULES OF PHOTOGRAPHY

This is by far the most important suggestion of all. The rules for taking a good picture dont change when you switch between cameras. Just because the camera can
also make calls, doesnt mean you should ignore everything you know about balanced composition and expressive lighting. If you need to keep the rule of thirds or
golden ratio layover on your screen at all times to help remind you, certainly turn it on.

I NOV 2015 I 97

BEST CAMERA PHONES Our Picks

LG G4
If a camera is what you are looking for in a smartphone, then you dont need to look beyond the LG G4. The laser assisted auto-focus is
blazing fast and the phone takes really good images with good color reproduction.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

If low light photography is something you fancy, then this is your weapon of choice. Clicking pictures on Galaxy Note 5 is quick, snappy
and quality is flawless. With a wider f1.9 aperture lens the images this smartphone camera produces are gorgeous.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

The Galaxy S6 Edge has the same camera as the Note 5. Low light photography and the ability to instantly edit your photos with the preloaded software will make you clicks an instant hit on Instagram!!

iPhone 6 Plus
The iPhone 6 Plus offers an 8MP camera with optical image stabilization which is a first from Apple. So along with the great camera algorithm, you get sharper and better focused images. While 8MP might not sound much in comparison to the current crop of premium Android smartphones that offer up to 20MP sensors, the quality and speed from the 8MP shooter in the iPhone 6 Plus is way above the rest.

Sony Xperia Z3 Plus

The Sony Xperia Z3 Plus comes with the same camera as its predecessor, which means its just as good. There are algorithmic changes
too, which make it a tad better than the Z3 from last year.

ZTE Nubia Z9
In the sub-20K price brand, there is one phone that beats all others in the camera department ZTE Nubia Z9 Mini. Its 16MP
rear camera is very well comparable to the Galaxy S6, which should tell you everything you need to know about it.

Huawei Nexus 6P
At the launch event, Google had compared the images clicked with Nexus 6P to that of the iPhone and claimed better
quality. Well, no comments directly on that, but what we see in the smartphone so far, we feel the camera is certainly
one stellate feature of the device.

Huawei Honor 6 Plus

Huawei Honor 6 Plus has accomplished that which many Android smartphones have failed to do. It has
beaten the iPhones camera. That said, the phone costs half of what the iPhone or other flagships cost,
making it the best value in terms of camera quality in smartphones today.

Lenovo Vibe Shot

A smartphone on the front and a point and shoot lookalike on the back, this smartphone is the
ultimate choice for the budding photographers. The tricolor flash coupled with lots of manual controls
makes this a great snapper.

iPhone 6
The difference between the iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6 is that the former has optical image
stabilisation. So, if you are not shooting a lot of images in low light, then go for it.

I OCT 2015 I 98

10

Vol.10.Issue.12.May.15

TECHNOLOGY|AUTO|GIZMOS|PEOPLE|WATCHES|LIFESTYLE
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I NOV 2015 I 100

PERTISE

H OW T O

CHOOSE THE PERFECT BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE?

Champagne wishes can really come true if you have the right tips on buying the bubble bottle. Theres one just right for every
taste, price range and celebration. So, read on and prepare to raise a glass as we cover colors, levels of sweetness and types
of Champagnes.

Ros Champagne

COLORS:
Color doesnt just affect how
Champagne looks in a glass but
also how it tastes.

Blanc de Blanc
Boat shoes, sneakers, loafers or slip-ons are
the best shoes you can wear casually. They are
comfortable, stylish, and can be worn with any
outfit. So, invest in these shoes wisely, you will
need them often than not.

Blanc de Noirs

Athletic shoes should be worn at the gym or to

an outdoor activity so that you are at ease and
stay comfortable throughout the day. These
shoes can occasionally be worn with denims but
strictly not with formals. Canvas shoes should be
worn with most of your casual day outings and
could also be paired with chinos. You can always experiment with different styles of sneakers
being trendy and stylish.

Boots are a must-have in your

wardrobe, as they look very manly
and edgy. Invest in a very solid pair of
boots or high-ankle shoes. These will
add a lot of variety to your wardrobe
and give you many options while
deciding for an outfit.

SWEETNESS:
Sugar is usually added to sparkling wine
during production but the amount varies
considerably. Fortunately, the label tells you
how dry or sweet the champagne is.

Brut (dry)

Its moderately dry and best for drinking

with meals.

Extra-dry (extra-sec)

Its slightly less dry than brut and you would

have a glass on its own or before a meal.

Demi-sec

TYPES:
Look for these words on the label to search out inexpensive to moderately priced options.

NV

Non-vintage means the grapes used to make the wine

are from multiple years. Non-vintage sparkling wines
are much more widely available and cheaper than
vintage versions.

Prosecco

Made in Italy, this budget-friendly bubbly tends to be

fruity with a hint of sweetness.

Cava

A dry, earthy, and economical sparkling wine, Cava is

primarily produced in Catalunya, Spain.

Prestige cuve, (ttes de cuvee)

Champagne made from what the vintner considers to

be their best grapes from the best years. These wines
often have ornate filigreed labels and cost hundreds of
dollars.

Its sweet and best for drinking with desert.

I NOV
2015
I NOV
2015
I 101I 101

H OW T O

GET THE PERFECT BICEPS?

Your biceps tend to be a highly noticed muscle group by others. So, if you have nicely developed arms, people are going to know
youre on top of your workout game. Follow these 5 exercises religiously and get the perfect envious biceps.

THE BARBELL
CURL
This curl allows you to overload
those biceps with a heavy weight.
Most trainees are slightly stronger
when lifting a barbell versus a
set of dumbbells. So, this is a
great one for maximum strength
development. When doing the
exercise, the primary thing to focus
on is that youre not cutting the
movement pattern short and that
youre not allowing momentum to
be caused.

INCLINE
DUMBBELL CURL
The second exercise to add is incline dumbbell
curls. This exercise is one of the best to help
prevent that momentum issue from happening. As I just mentioned, it essentially restricts
the movement of the back. When doing this
exercise, you will feel maximum tension on the
biceps. So dont be surprised if the weight is
slightly lower. As long as youre pushing yourself hard, using the lower weight but maintaining proper form it will give good results.

STANDING BICEPS
CABLE CURL
If youre looking to target the deep-tissue muscle fibers, cable curls are a good bet.
Since the pattern of movement is less stable with this movement, you will call all the
stabilization muscles surrounding the biceps into play as you execute the exercise. You
can use a variety of different attachments to perform the cable curls including a rope,
a straight bar or rotating cable handles that allow you to workout using one arm at a
time.
I NOV 2015 I 102

REVERSE GRIP BEND OVER ROWS

After youve included regular straight rows within
the program, you may also want to consider adding
reverse-grip rows as well. These are going to place
a slightly greater stress on the biceps muscles as
opposed to straight rows. So they will be a better
exercise for those strictly targeting the biceps.

CONCENTRATION CURL
Finally, the last of the exercises to consider blasting your
biceps into growth are concentration curls. When done
while sitting, these will limit the degree momentum play in
the execution of the exercise and place all the emphasis
right on the biceps muscle. There will be no helper muscles
called into play when doing concentration curls (when done
properly), so this is a good one to add in at the very end
of your workout when youre really looking to finish off the
biceps and fully exhaust them.
It wouldnt be recommended to include all of these
exercises in each and every workout you do, but by
interchanging them from workout to workout you
will keep the stimulus high while never allowing
your muscles to get too adapted.

PERTISE

H OW T O

STRIKE A DENIM DEAL?

Jeans arent for T-shirts anymore. You can wear them with anything and for any occasion. All you need to know are some
basic rules.

RULE IN JACKETS
READ THE
FINE PRINT
A denim shirt is a reliable ally
when you are not the top man
but you are no small grunt either. Your style at work cant set
the norm but theres no reason
why it should blend in with the
rest. Combine a traditional suit
with a printed denim shirt. Keep
accessories to the minimum.
No fancy belt or shoes. Leather
lace-ups are good enough to
beat the Monday blues but if
you have to catch up with your
friends at a local watering hole
post work, get into a pair of
sneakers.

When the whole office is trying to

pull off casual Fridays with their
favorite jeans and tees of various
lengths and fits, throw in a surprise
Yorker by pairing the combo with
a suit jacket. Just push back the
sleeves of the jacket to add to that
nonchalance. Rolled up or pushed
back sleeves mostly serve to dress
down something that otherwise
would be too formal or dressy for
the occasion. A pair of canvas
shoes will further take your boyish
charm up a few notches.

GET SOME COLOR

THERAPY
A weekend team building initiative with colleagues
is the right time to pull out your colored denims.
You have to be picky about the fit with colored
denims It draws more attention to fit because the
color becomes the statement piece in the outfit.
Dont break the style rule. Color on the bottom
means neutral on top. A multi-colored sneaker
could ruin your look. Try something more neutral
yet sophisticated like lace-up boots and oxfords.

LOOK WAISTWARD
A denim vest should be a good option. Its
versatile and exudes an effortless air of rugged masculinity apt for the outdoors. Team
it up with a printed cotton shirt that will not
only keep you comfortable but also provide
an interesting contrast to the ruggedness of
the jacket. Keep your shoes strictly casual
with this look. Either loafers or canvas lace
ups. Finish off the head-to-toe denim look
with a classic steel strap watch for added
sophistication.

SET THE FORMAL

TONE
In a formal setting, the aim is to create a chic
look, which plays on solid colors with little or no
texture. A light colored denim with a slim fit formal
shirt and a tie is ideal for a regular day at work.
Pulling off the right denim for work has more to
do with the fitting and fall than it is to do with the
finish. Wear a denim jacket and a slim tie to add
more character. To add a little depth and drama,
wear a dark denim jacket and you are ready to
call the shots.
I NOV 2015 I 103

H OW T O

YOURSELF FOR A ONE NIGHT STAND?

Taking a girl from hello to sex within a couple of hours really confirms your confidence in the game. The truth is, one-night stands
benefit those involved because it basically gives two people the opportunity to fulfill their primal urges without any drama or strings
attached.

THE APPROACH
Considering that you want to sleep
with this girl in a couple of hours,
your first impression must be pristine. So, leave those cheesy lines
and lame jokes for another time.
Approach her with confidence
and start making conversation.
Its important to exude confidence, which will quickly get you
in charge of the situation. Once
in charge, make sure you do
everything in your power to make
her feel good.

I NOV 2015 I 104

HER SIGNS
When going for the one-night stand, its
absolutely paramount to read her body
language. The problem here is that she
wont tell you what she thinks about you.
Considering that most women love the
extra attention youre giving them, you can
basically love a whole night trying to spit
game at someone who has zero intentions
of ending up with you at the end of the
night. So, if shes close to you and her
body is open towards you, its good. If she
seems reserved, closed off and is leaning
away from you, thats a bad sign.

TAKING IT TO THE
NEXT LEVEL
Okay, if things are looking good, its time to start
making some serious moves. Move closer to her,
start touching her and eventually lean in for a kiss.
Dont go all the way; make her work for that little
extra lean. Grind on the dance floor, start some
heavy make out sessions and basically do whatever you need to get her juices flowing.

WHEN YOU KNOW FOR SURE

You should ask to go to a quite place like
a lounge or a place where just the two of
you can grab a bite to eat. It brings you
one step closer to going home with her,
while providing that little comfort zone
making sure to not rush it and turn her
off.

THE GRAND FINALE

Start things the moment you enter
through the door. This is what you came
for. So theres no point in wasting time.
No need to talk about useless stuff, just
tell her how sexy she is and how much
shes turning you on.

THE EXIT
You can play this in a number of ways, but ideally,
you should just tell her that you had a great time
and bust out. Youve got no more obligations, and
if more sex is to come from it, I dont think youre
going to hate it.

I NOV 2015 I 105

THE MAzE RUNNER

THE SCORCH TRIAL

Why do I love Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian movies?

jay Bhargav
I NOV 2015 I 106

s much as I like watching a movie with a lot of Human-clashing-Human scenarios, I prefer them when their paradigm is all about the protagonists
facing extraordinary situations. Situations he has never imagined, situations he
thrives to survive as he loses the count in his clan and situations that have an
intense capability to harm his loved ones.
When the First Maze Runner movie was released, I went to a nearby theatre
and sat through it considering it to be a wonderful attempt to showcase conflict
of interest in the protagonist. He can either choose to be safe between those
closed walls with the other gladers, avoiding all the monsters hiding in the dark
or he could man-up and find the reason to his existence in these circumstances.
In the end he does manage to uncover a few secrets as to all that misery he has
lived through was simply an experiment organized by WCKD, or Wicked as
the characters in the movie call it.

The movie showcases different parties trying to build formidable conditions for
human survival, while the common man stranded in the scorch is left to turn
undead. My idea of a perfect Zombie movie is somewhere close to 28 Days Later. I like them ferocious, rage struck and bloody insane. And thats what brings
around the thrill in The Scorch Trials, the undead are evil and reckless and they
just want to eat.
The Movie is based on the book series The Maze Runner by James Dashner.
Directed by Wes Ball and Screenplay by T. S. Nowlin. The highlight of the movie
are the incredible action sequences and great acting by the cast. Although, even
towards the end, the movie is ambiguous on its plot and where the characters
are directed to. Usually every movie in a series build up the story for the next
one, but with the maze runner, the first two instalments have managed to keep
the audience in the dark, rendering the plot unpredictable.

I NOV 2015 I 107

SCIENCE
FICTION
NOVELS
THAT WILL
GIVE YOU
CHILLS

Science Fiction is home to one of the most

compelling novels, short fictions, adapted
and inspired films, and video games. The
fascination for scientific and technological
endeavors would never subside as the want for
better gadgets, space travel, electro-magnetic
powers, transformable machines, aliens, time
travel, immortality, teleportation, etc is insatiable in relation to its relentlessly increasing
fascination, want and demand. Science Fiction
comprises of all the necessary elements - facts
and figures, concepts and ideas - and puts
in together all things science and technology.
Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Minority
Report, etc are some of the cult shows that has
given hype to this mega-madness and craze
for things sci-fi. Spock, Yoda, Chewbacca,
Captain Kirk, and many more figures have
become the most appreciated part of this
world. Science Fiction comes under one of the
most popular genre writings and therefore has
been Hollywoods personal favourite - with so
many adaptations that one could only count
of - and the list does not even end.
As we have entered the era of absolute sci-fi,
our constant want for more is the only thing
static in contrast to the fast paced changing
and ever-developing world of science and
tech. Science Fiction is every Techies regular
consumption material - whether be via the
medium of TV, Movies, Novels, Audiobook
Podcasts, Comics, or more. Separating from
this fascinating world is impossible to begin
with, in the first place. I have picked a couple
of science fiction novels that has over the
period of years grown more popularity and
recognition - filling the dreamers with imaginations more fascinating than the other.

Microserfs: by Douglas Coupland

Douglas Coupland has chronicled and documented the internet boom days in his novel
Microserfs, narrating the 90s adventure
stories of six code-crunching computer whizzes - known as Microserfs who shifted from
the protected environs of Redmond to the
uncertain and absurd shores of startup life
of the Silicon Valley. It is indeed a journey
into absolute uncertainty and absurdity of life
in the other side of the world - with dreams
to find a place to finally land on a surface
and settle against all the obstacles that one
could face.

They work sixteen hours a day coding and

eating flat foods as they scan the company e-mail to understand whether the great
Bill Gates is going to flame one of them.
Eventually, Microserfs move along together
on a different path and mark on a different
journey - living together in a mutually shared
digital flop-house as they strive to cultivate a
fully functioning and complete life and find
love in a stranger valley.

The First $20 Million is always the hardest: by Po Bronson

Po Bronsons novel is a very insightful
piece of writing, which offers unrelentingly funny insiders look where
he barefacedly opens up about the so
called American dream and lays out
in straight and bold words - its manipulative and twisted ways of working. In
his novel The First $20 Million Is
Always the Hardest, he mentions the absurdities and
uncertainties of the free
flowing venture capitalist world of the 1990s.

I NOV 2015 I 108

Its filled with the anxious attempts of a

programmer to tries to lead a startup
entrepreneur. This particular programmers networked PC which faces a severe need of funding back in that time
is essentially a Chromebookbefore
Google even existed. This book will
show the hardship of life in Silicon
Valley - with all its inevitable truths and
ways of life - its struggles, battles and
wars against building a well-rounded
life - all the hurdles one could not think
of.

The Minority report:

by Philip K. Dick

Minority Report starring Tom Cruise, directed

by Steven Spielberg is adapted from the 1956
science fiction story The Minority Report by
Philip K. Dick. The Minority Report brings big
ideas, comprising a majority report which foretells all the criminal activities by simply analyzing the thoughts of precogs, or mutants with
highly future predictive abilities. The Minority
Report is one of the most well known science
fiction stories - and is read by millions by now.
Its growing popularity helped its movie adaption soon and got star casted by none other
than the Tom Cruise himself. The movie was
a bit hit too and has got several acclaims and
appreciations.

It has mentioned a system that can effortlessly peek into the future of ones past life
activities, and have them arrested - eventually punishing them before they could even
commit the crime. This, however, continues
until the protagonist Precrime Commissioner himself is accused - he then runs as a
convicted murderer to prove his innocence.
It is one of the finest work under science fiction that I have come across and has been
recommended to me by other more than
thrice during my college days. I would like
to list this book my personal favourite under
the science fiction genre of books.

ready Player one:

by Ernest Cline

Although frequently reliving the past, Read

Player One opens up in the year 2044,
where the only time the character Wade
Watts feels alive is when he is put into the
virtual utopia known as the OASIS. He
then dedicates his life to studying the hidden puzzles within this worlds digital confines. Wade soon gets the first clue and
finds himself where he finds other players
willing to kill him to take this ultimate prize.
Now, he must escape his death and survive...and so the race is on. It is one of
the most intriguing books I have come
across, and will sure give you all the chills
and kicks you ever needed - static Goosebumps to be precise. Every single chapter
is as intriguing and full of questions and
conflicts as the other, and with every chapter, it slowly peaks up to an epic climax
serving as one as of the most adventurous
and trilling story one could come across.

I NOV 2015 I 109

TALKS ON TECHNOLOGY

5 RECOMMENDED TED

TED Talks is a globally held conference, which brings people driven with
more curiosity, zeal, and inspiration
to story telling their insights. Founded
in 1984, it is a global set of conferences run once a year prior to the year
of 2014, with most of its prime events
held mainly in Vancouver, Canada every year. When TED conference was
started, it had one major focus and
emphasis and that was on technology
and design, however, it has since then
covered many grounds including talks
on several diverse topics of scientific
and cultural interest.
I first stumbled upon TED Talks on
2013, couple of weeks before my summer vacation. I was thoroughly blown
away with the insights I got to hear regarding Technology and what it could
do for us - how we understand and use
it and more. After that, its never been
a single day that I dont YouTube TED
Talks. TED Talks will make you aware of
all the wonderful things people to doing to make a shape the future of our
generation as well as the future of new
generation to come.
Prior to this, I had never come across
anything as interesting, inspiring and
compelling as this. And, it did kind of

Have you heard of 3D Printers? If

yes, then you will surely have a jaw
dropping moment reading about a
3D printed jumbo-jet. Sounds unreal right? I had a similar feeling having heard that first. On TED Talks,
Bastian Schaefer, an Aircraft engineer reveals his incredibly genius
design plans for the jet planes of
the near future. They are aiming for
sustainability: social, environmental
and economic values in order to
provide the futuristic jumbo jet of
a greener and leaner mechanism,
being collaborated with Airbus.

changed the way I perceived my Summer

Vacation - and I can claim, it was way
more productive compared to all of my
earlier summer vacations. Something
had real got to me and had slowly started changing me from the core. I believe
insights do matter a lot if taken with curiosity, patience and honest pleasure of
understanding things.
Among other countries, Europe, Asia and
North America also have conducted TED
Talks in their native locales. Now, TED
Talks covers a wide variety of diverse topics within the research and practice of science and culture, but only through the art
of storytelling. TED Talks guest speakers
are offered couple of minutes to a quarter
of an hour in order to convey and deliver

their ideas, concepts and insights to

the audience eager to consume every
single one of your insights with zeal
and delight. Few of the notable speakers from previous years are none other
than Bill Gates, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Bill Clinton,
Richard Dawkins, Al Gore, Gordon
Brown, Richard Stallman, Bono, Jane
Goodall, Mike Rowe, and various
other notable and worthy Nobel Prize
winners.
People are doing amazing things and
its time I have hand-chosen few TED
Talks that deal with incredible technologies, which will completely sweep
you off your feet and baffle you with
fond astonishment.

A 3D-printed jumbo jet? by Bastian Schaefer

A 40-year plan for energy

by Amory Lovins
Physicist Amory Lovins, in his TED Talks explains with minute details that,
Integrating all four energy sectors with new innovations are the key
to shifting our reliance on oil. He explains how energy can be made
really cheaper and reasonable to afford. He further believes that the
sector costs to the US economy could be reduced by $50 trillion if we
can eliminate our addiction to oil and coal by 2050 and use one-third
less natural gas while switching to efficient use and renewable supply.

2
I NOV 2015 I 110

David Lang, in his TED Talks tells

how his device which costs 1,000
times cheaper than the ROVs used
by James Cameron in Titanic. He
has taught a robot how to become
his own oceanographer. ROVs have
been around for decades - scientists use them to explore the oceans,
oil and gas companies use them for
exploration and construction. He
has managed to raise money for
his DIY project on Kickstarter. And,
with all fingers crossed, he hopes to
create a global community dedicated to all ocean explorers, with an
ambition to one day run hundreds
and thousands of those devices in
the seas.

My Underwater RobotDAVID LANG

Energy from floating algae pods by Jonathan Trent

Drones have become really popular

things these days and has caught the
fancy mostly of people who are quite
taken by gadgets. You will quite often
stumble upon it on YouTube. Drones are
seen adopted by businesses and companies to make the likes of deliveries and
surveillance more convenient and easier.
Logistics expert, Andreas Raptopolous
believes that drones can be of vital help
to those who do not have the facility of an
all-season-road to access, and drones
could be a helpful medium of delivering
medicines and food to the unprivileged.
Andreas, in his TED Talks says that more
than a billion people are living in such
areas where accessing the nearby facility
such as medical facilities, hospitals and
food centres are a big issue.

I discovered that whats really required for

sustainability is integration more than innovation, says Trent on his TED Talks, and enlightens us about this in more details. Scientist
Jonathan Trent is at present developing and
creating this completely a new form of home
grown bio-fuel by simply farming micro-algae
in floating offshore pods that eat waste water
coming out of sewage from cities. He further
explains, Biofuels production is integrated with alternative energy is integrated with
aquaculture.

No Roads? Theres A Drone For Thatby Andreas Raptopolous

Interesting conferences are held around for years and in many locations around the globe, but TED Talks with its way of conducting events
bringing in experts from all walks of life has really struck accord and made a difference for us all.

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2015
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Influence of Science and Tech in Popular Culture

Pop culture or Popular culture is the sum total of all facts,
ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images, and other phenomena
that are within the mainstream of a given culture - the Western
culture of the early to mid 20th century in particular, and the
emerging global mainstream of the late 20th and early 21st
century. The collection of these ideas and concepts have massively influenced the day to day lives of our society - be through
the form of movies, music TV, sports, news, politics, fashion,
technology or slang.

Scientific and Technological advancement has a huge impact on our culture

and this has spawn the popular cultural of science fiction. From the law defining TV series Star Wars to the adventurous Star Wars, cult of Frankenstein to
I Robot, Men In Black To Zombies - everything has been sparked from the
growing awareness and curiosity of astounding scientific possibilities. Luigi
Galvani, in 1771, noticed the legs of a dead frog twitching when applied with
electricity while experimenting - and this is how the mythical attitude towards
electricity began. And, then we witnessed Mary Shelley creating her novel
Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus on similar grounds.

Popular cyberpunk literary examples comprise

Rudy Ruckers The 36 Ware Tetralogy with
Software (1982), William Gibsons Sprawl Trilogy with Neuromancer (1984), ); Bruce Sterlings
Schismatrix (1985), Count Zero (1986) and
Mona Lisa Overdrive (1988); Wetware (1988),
Freeware (1997) and Realware (2000), Neal
Stephensons The Diamond Age (1996) etc.
Other popular films under the genre are: Blade
Runner (1982), Tron (1982), Videodrome
(1983), RoboCop (1987), Hackers (1995),
Johnny Mnemonic (1995), Judge Dredd (1995),
The Fifth Element (1997), The Matrix (1999),
Equilibrium (2002), Repo Men (2010), and the
list just does not end.
The impact and influence of Science and Technology has been seen on the films on an almost
consistent level. I am mentioning few movies
and TV series below that have made a massive
influence on the minds of our generation especially the ones who have had a keen interest on
anything science and tech. These movies and TV
series are a must watch and are now considered
cult movies:

Nanotechnology has also been introduced and presented in numerous

movies, series, cartoons and comics since becoming a pop culture
item. For example: Star Trek, The Simpsons, Star Wars, 41 Futurama,
Terminator 2: Judgment Day and many more bringing stark reference
to this technology but which allude to the same ideas and ethical/moral
dilemmas. The cyberspace is a widely popular part of our vocabulary,
which basically came into the picture describing the global network of
interrelated IT infrastructures, telecommunication networks and computer
processing systems. It has revolutionized pop culture and science fiction
and now symbolized everything IT, computers, and the internet.
William Gibson used this idea for the first time ever in his short science
fiction story, Burning Chrome in 1982. Even the word cyberspace has
revolutionized popular culture and popular science fiction, ushering in the
power and the omnipresence of the information age. Virtual reality (VR)
also came into existence and was understood to technologically provide
the scientific stairway to an electronic escape. This idea further influenced
innumerable amount of books, movies and even cartoons like Johnny
Quest bringing ethical and philosophical debates in regards to morals
and human identity.

I NOV 2015 I 112

STAR TREK
Star Trek is one of the most culturally influential TV
shows of all time. It has the most influential science
fiction TV show of all time. Star Treks original series
aired on the NBC network from 1966 to 1969,
eventually making four shows in 1980s plus ten
movies. The popularity and mad fan following it
received resulted in uncountable number of toys,
books, and several other products smartly marketed
by Paramount, which owns the Star Trek franchise.
Captain Kirk and Spock, and their intergalactic
space travel to far off planets discovering extra
terrestrials - fighting and escaping with space
ships rising from one end of the space to the other
end- all of it became the fantasy all the fans craved
to live and be a part of. The shows success was
astoundingly overwhelming and massive.

MATRIX
The Matrix was released in 1999, directed by Andy
and Larry Wachowski, it is considered to be a cinematic fusion of philosophical, literary, and spiritual
allusiveness . Matrix has certainly made its name
in the film history. At first, the movies catches up
with your fancy with its kung-fu and gravity defying
action moves - and of course the virtual reality. The
action style in the movies itself is unique and has
caught huge attention globally. However, this movie
has more to it than meets the eye. Besides all of
all awesome action sequence and introduction to
virtual reality, it has a deep rooted philosophical
message. This movie has a cult following all across
the globe.

STAR WARS
George Lucas multi-film Star Wars saga had embedded itself with a significant impact and influence
on modern popular culture. Darth Vader is one
of the most iconic villain and a cult figure in the
science fiction world, and has been gathering hundreds thousands and literally millions of fans from
all across the globe. Have you heard of the phrases
such as evil empire and May the Force be with
you. These dialogues have become part of the
popular lexicon. Star Wars film was first launched in
the year of 1977, and was watched worldwide by a
wide spectrum of people. The Sounds, visuals, and
music - all have become an indispensable part of
the tapestry of American society. This helped pushed
the science fiction boom of the late 1970s and early
1980s making science fiction films a blockbuster
genre. Movies such as Spaceballs has parodied Star
Wars Films.

I NOV 2015 I 113

fter the huge response we received for Exhibit Tech Awards 2014 at
CeBIT Bangalore, we geared up again to be the moon among the
stars with the 2nd Edition of the Awards. The Tech Awards 2015 was all
about crowning the best in tech and this was done with the help of an amazing
jury set. We brought them together so they can discuss and come to common
grounds to felicitate the winners.
Apart from the Jury members, our online audience played a major role in
helping us shortlist the winner from every category. They voted and posted the
same so fellow techies can push forward their suggestions as well, resulting in
an award night that concluded with the most suitable contenders wining.
Post the event, we received enough credits and appreciations to put a dent
in the universe. Success is the best motivation and whosoever said it was
absolutely right.For all you readers and followers who havent received the
complete coverage, here is a hint of how it went with Cyrus hosting and people
winning

THE SHOW STARTS

Everyone was eagerly waiting for the awards night to start, but suddenly all
the lights went haywire. Cyrus was getting ready for his appearance when he
noticed this incident. He immediately enquired, What the hell just happened?
Tech Support responded that they required 5 minutes to boot their systems and
another 5 minutes to boot their applications. Everyone was taken aback by their
response as it meant at least 10 minutes of waiting. This is when, Pratik Ghone,
Automobiles and Tech Editor at Exhibit Technologies Pvt. Ltd. handled the situation by taking charge of the stage and introducing the all New Kingston SSD.
He explained Cyrus and everyone in the crowd, that by upgrading the shows
system to a Kingston SSD, it would boot up in less than 10 seconds and also
run their apps 10 times faster. He pulled out the SSD from his pocket and also
demonstrated its durability by dropping it in on stage. Thanks to Kingston SSD,
the show commenced in seconds and everyone witnessed the launch of the all
New Kingston SSD.
Enough of starters, lets move on to the main course now. No, I mean the
eventwe dont have dinner arrangements today due to cost cutting decision!
Teeheehee, just kidding. Thanks to one man, we get a chance to hog.

I NOV 2015 I 114

Lets meet the man behind this grand event tonight Mr. Ramesh Somani,
Founder & Managing Director, Exhibit Group and the owner of Exhibit magazine, thetechy.com and thewheelz.com, thestartupz.com,did I miss something?
Because the list was a long one and my memory isnt that good!
Mr. Ramesh Somani comes on stage.
Ramesh: Thanks Cyrus and welcome everyone. Its absolutely wonderful to see
how a year passed on and we are already into the 2nd year of Tech Awards
night from Bangalore to Mumbai, and it is much better here to do it on your
home ground I am happy that we initiated this award ceremony a year back
and continue to crown the best ones in tech-world.
Quickly, I am here to say that all of you techie people are the bests in your own
ways. But then, we award the best of the bests to the deserving ones. The
nominations are based on two factors - the products which were launched between Oct 2014-Oct 2015 and the products should be still available officially
in Indian stores.
Once, we receive the nominations, we put the tough job of voting to the
tech-minded public of the country. Then we have a jury meet based on the vote
counts, and hence the final winners are concluded. A long process but well
deserved and clean and safe! And Last words, we dont sell our awards.

Moving on fast, lets see who all walk away with the
crowns, and who all get prepared to try their luck next
year.

LET US MEET
THE JURY MEMBERS
FOR THIS YEAR

BRIAN BADE,
CEO, RELIANCE DIGITAL
Thanks to this man, we have all the latest gadgets in the
stores right on time!

AQEEL ALI,
DJ
The heartthrob of many girls, and ladies since their
college days!

SIDDHANT SHARMA ,
EDITOR FOR TECHNOLOGY,
THE QUINT
He is so techy that he might host a Tech
Awards night next year by himself.

MAHESH MURTHY,
FOUNDER, PINSTORM
Sir, I too try to be unreasonable, but not many take me
seriously as they do in your case!

RAMESH SOMANI, CEO &

FOUNDER
EXHIBIT GROUP
The man behind it all.

DABBOO RATNANI,
FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER
The man who makes the stars shine brighter in his calendar
every year.
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And so began

THE EXHIBIT TECH

AWARDS 2015

The first award was for

PORTABLE STORAGE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

Here we start off with the nominations.Its going to be a huge list ahead and hence please excuse if I have to check the
tele-prompter every now and then. Afterall my brain isnt a very good portable storage device!!

AND THE WINNER WAS...

LITTLE BIG DISK THUNDERBOLT 2

FEATURES
Fastest Portable Storage
2 TB Capacity Storage
Interface Transfer Rate 20 Gb/s
Up to 1375 MB/s speeds for 4K video
editing
Dual Thunderbolt 2 ports for daisy
chaining
Whisper-quiet dual cooling

THE OTHER NOMINEES WERE....

Transcend 8TB
StoreJet 35T3

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Seagate Seven

WD My Passport
Wireless

Kingston Type C
USB Drive

LAPTOP OF THE YEAR

If you just decided to own the (Lacie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2), I am sure you are a movie buff and your laptop is getting sluggish with overloaded data!! But are you sure this has only to do with a storage device and your laptop is working properly? No I
am not discouraging youbut who knowsmight be you need a new laptop as well.
Let me give you some options for few good LAPTOP OF THE YEAR

AND THE WINNER WAS...

DELL XPS 13

FEATURES
13 inches, 3200 x 1800px,
QHD+ touchscreen
256GB SSD, 8GB of RAM
Up to 14 hours Battery

The Other Nominees Were....

HP Spectre xt360

Macbook Pro 13

Dell Alienware 17 Laptop

Asus Zenbook UX305

Aspire V Nitro -ACER

Lenovo Y70

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POWERED BY

CONSUMER ELECTRONIC BRAND OF THE YEAR

The Best Electronic Retail Chain in India share their expertise on the following two categories. The first one is for a brand that has reached the epitome of
popularity among the consumers throughout the year. The Second one is for the Brand that empowers its products to give their customers the best in-store
experience.

LG

BEST IN-STORE EXPERIENCE BRAND OF THE YEAR

SONY

I NOV 2015 I 118

EARPHONE OF THE YEAR

Moving to our next category. You have a phone, you have this. You have a laptop, you have this. You have a music player, you have to have this.
Plug it and play fool on roads. And keep people guessing over your sanity. Any guesses? Yes, Im talking about earphones!

AND THE WINNER WAS...

JAYBIRD BLUEBUDS X2

FEATURES
Good sound quality and sound
stage with clear highs and
impactful bass response
Decent battery life with easy
option and folding mechanism
allows easy carry

The Other Nominees Were....

OCX 686G
Sports - Sennheiser

Bose - SoundTrue Ultra

in-ear headphones

RHA T20i

Jbl wave earphones

( gesture control)

Brainwavz Jive

Skullcandy - Method
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HEADPHONE OF THE YEAR

Next is the headphone category, and I have always tried a lot to make out a difference between an earphone and a headphone. AndI conclude that the
latter has a girlie hairband thingy. Errrany more difference, if anyI donno. If anyone among you knows it better, meet me backstage and explain please,
so that I may use that gyan the next year!!

AND THE WINNER WAS...

SKULLCANDY CRUSHER

FEATURES
40mm Dynamic Drivers
Over the Ear Design
Single-sided cable
Noise Isolation

The Other Nominees Were....

RS Wireless
175 - Sennheiser

RAPOO S-100 Bluetooth

Headset

Xiaomi Mi Hi Fi Headphones
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Sound Blaster
JAM - Creative

Audio Technica ATH-M70x

Jbl everest headphones

Harman Kardon soho bt

WIRELESS SPEAKER OF THE YEAR

For the next category, I want to specially thank to the one who first came up with such a brilliant idea. Wireless headphones is an innovation to vow
for, as I believe wires are naughtier than the naughtiest kids and all their sole intention is to piss you off by tangling the most impossible way. Lets
check out the WIRELESS SPEAKER OF THE YEAR

AND THE WINNER WAS...

HARMON KARDON ESqUIRE MINI

FEATURES
Bluetooth technology
Easily connects to any iOS device
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts up to 8
hours
Dual microphone and built-in echo/noise
cancellation technology
Includes Micro USB cable,
Leather strap

The Other Nominees Were....

Sony SRS-X55

Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker

UE Boom - Logitech

Sound Blaster Roar - Creative

LG Music Flow H7 speaker (NP8740)

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CAMERA OF THE YEAR

Its time now for a reality checkhow many of you agree that if a girl is getting over 300 likes on her Facebook profile picture, chances are their boyfriends
own a good cameraand it has not much to do with their looks? Well, capturing memories is a gone thingcameras today are popular today for bringing
likes and comments on Facebook and Instagram. Let me check which camera gets the credit for the same this year.

AND THE WINNER WAS...

NIKON D750

FEATURES
24MP Full-frame CMOS sensor
(with AA Filter)
Flip up/down 3.2 inches 1,229
k-dot RGBW LCD Screen
6.5 fps continuous shooting
Improved 51-point Multi-CAM
35000FX II AF System
1080/60p video recording
Built-in Wi-Fi

The Other Nominees Were....

Sony Alpha 7 M II

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Panasonic Lumix GH4

Canon EOS 5DS

CONSUMER TECH OF THE YEAR

This category, I dont exactly know how to describe it as. May be because these are what people kept on buying throughout the year. Or maybe,
something which became reviewers first choice. Or maybe, the gadgets which became the most popular. Whatever it is, I personally feel the jury
couldnt classify this category under any other category and hence named it as the CONSUMER TECH OF THE YEAR.

AND THE WINNER WAS...

LOGITECH K480

FEATURES
Multi-device Keyboard
Unique computer keyboard that also works
with your Bluetooth tablet and smartphone
Shortcut keys for Windows and Mac
Switch easily between devices

The Other Nominees Were....

WD My Passport X

Canon - MAXIFY MB5370

BeoPlay A2

BenQ 1070+ Projector

Panache - Air PC

Kindle Paperwhite 3rd Generation/ Voyage

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10

VALUE TV OF THE YEAR

Ours is a country where its legal to fight over a rupee with the rickshaw driver.And you thought we wouldnt think twice, or thriceor the nth number of times
while buying a gadget. Huhman, we would spend bucks only if its worth the value. And when it comes to gadgets like television which most of the people
like me dont even think of replacing in a decade or twothe term value gets its own special value. Time to check out some of the VALUE TV OF THE YEAR.

AND THE WINNER WAS...

VU PLAY SERIES

FEATURES
32 inches LED TV
Achromatic Panel
1366 x 768 Resolution
6 + 6 Watt Audio
178(H) X 178(V) viewing angle

The Other Nominees Were....

Intex LED TV 3210 FHD

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Mitashi MiDE032v11/32v10

Videocon DDB TV series

11

PREMIUM TV OF THE YEAR

Oh my good lordtell me what do you do with a television? Watch sports or movies, and yes daily soaps. What do you do with a premium television? Watch
sports or movies and the same boring daily soaps? Whats difference does it make with the word premium? Huhyou decide as I announce the nominees for
PREMIUM TV OF THE YEAR

AND THE WINNER WAS...

LG 4K OLED TV TV (LG 65EC970T)

FEATURES
Screen Size: 65 inches: 164 cm
Resolution: 4K 3840 x2160
Contrast Ratio: Infinite Contrast
BackLight Module: OLED

The Other Nominees Were....

Samsung 65HU9000

Sony KD-65X9004A

Iconoium Series - VU 65
Iconium 4K UHD SMART 3D LED

BeoVision Avant 85

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12

SMARTWATCH OF THE YEAR

Gone are the days when wearing a cool jacket and classy shoes would make you stand outta crowd. Things have changed ever since Apple Inc. popped up
with something called smartwatch, another of their trendsetting ideas. Today you don a smartwatch to stand out in the crowd. While a hoard of smartwatches
tend to hit the headlines every other day, we have picked few best SMARTWATCHES OF THE YEAR, and here are those

AND THE WINNER WAS...

LG WATCH URBANE

FEATURES
1.3 Full Circle P-OLED Display
Gorilla Glass 3 and Full Metal Body
Compatible with most devices with
an Android 4.3 or later
Fitness Integration with Built-In Continuous
Heart Rate Monitor
Barometric Pressure, Gyroscopic
Movements, Accelerometer,
Geomagnetic Sensor, PPG Heart
Rate Monitor
Music Streaming

The Other Nominees Were....

Garmin Vivoactive

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Martian Notifier

Casio GBA 400

13

WEARABLE TECH OF THE YEAR

Waitdidnt we just talk about the smartwatch thing? How is it different from this category? Likewatch you wear here and smart wearables anywhere in the body???? Anyway, up to you guys to follow, my job is to announce.

AND THE WINNER WAS...

FITBIT SURGE

FEATURES
Best-in-class battery life
Built-in GPS, multisport functionality,
Automatic continuous heart-rate
Eight-sensor technology

The Other Nominees Were....

Jabra Pulse

Fore Runner 225 - Garmin DrivePro Body 10 - Transcend

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14

MOST INNOVATIVE TECH OF THE YEAR

The next category makes me giggle. Because for a novice like me, every other gadget seem to be startling me every other day, every gadget is an innovative
innovation to me. Still, you guys might have noticed some extraordinary innovation in these.

AND THE WINNER WAS...

HERO4 GO PRO SESSION

FEATURES
Smallest, lightest GoPro yet
Durable and waterproof to 33
(10m)
No housing needed
Easy one-button control
Up to 1440p30
1080p60 and 720p100 video
8MP photos with 10 fps Burst

The Other Nominees Were....

Dolby Atmos for D-LINK DIR-890L, WIRELESS

Smartphones
AC3200 TRI BAND GIGABIT
CLOUD ROUTER

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BeoSound Moment

Touch P5 - TP Link

Wacom Bamboo
Stylus Fineline 2

15

THE TECHY CAR OF THE YEAR

Cars, really? Didnt I say this year its bigger and better? Exhibit has started off thewheelz.com, their website solely dedicated to automobiles and
with more gyan on wheels, they ought to honour the best on wheels.

AND THE WINNER WAS...

BMW i8

FEATURES
Top Speed : 250 kmph
Acceleration (0-100 kmph)
4.4 Seconds
Smart Access Card Entry
Brake Assist
Crash Sensor
Anti-Theft Alarm
Child Safety Locks
Front Impact Beams

The Other Nominees Were....

Audi A6 Matrix

Volvo XC 90

Mercedes S 63 AMG

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16

THE LUXURY GADGET OF THE YEAR

Hey Ramesh, can I get a test drive after the event please? This is so tempting man! This is pure luxury!
(Talking about sheer luxury, lets now jump a step above. And talk about moolah! You have the money, you spend on these requirement and usability is
much later a decision.

AND THE WINNER WAS...

LG ULTRA HD 4K TV (98UB980T)

FEATURES
Pre-Installed Features
Crystal Clear Picture
Dynamic Sound
Wall Mountable

The Other Nominees Were....

BeoVision Avant 85

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BeoSound Moment

Signature Touch - vertu

MSI GT80 Titan

17

THE ENTRY LEVEL SMARTPHONE OF THE YEAR

But the takers for these luxury gadgets are very limited, reasons need not to be explained. Instead, people here are more inclined to buy something
which is more value for less money. There are few unlucky teens too who have just got into higher schooling and whose parents havent yet allowed
them a phone yet!! All they get is a peanut pocket money. Waitdo they exist in reality in todays world? Lets cut it short, here are phones for the
less privileged.

AND THE WINNER WAS...

YU YUNIqUE

FEATURES
4.7 720p
Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 Quad-Core
8 GB ROM, 1 GB RAM,
8 MP Rear and 2MP Front Camera
2000 mAh battery

The Other Nominees Were....

Huawei Honor 4c

iBall HD6

Micromax Canvas Xpress 2

HTC 526 g +

Karbonn Titanium Mach 5

Pocket Surfer 2G4

Microsoft Lumia 430

Intex - Aqua 3G Pro

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18

THE VALUE SMARTPHONE OF THE YEAR

There is something which everyone here would agree with me onman, we spend bucks only if its worth the value. And it is most prominent in the case of
smartphones which everyone among us owns for sure may be sometimes two or more.

AND THE WINNER WAS...

MOTO G 3RD GEN

FEATURES
5 720p
Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
Quad-Core
16 GB ROM, 2 GB RAM
13 MP Rear and 5 MP Front
Camera
2470 mAh battery

The Other Nominees Were....

Xiaomi Mi4i

HTC Desire 820G+

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Lenovo k3 Note

LG Spirit

Asus Zenfone 2

Panansonic - Eluga Z

Gionee F 103

Sony Xperia M4 Aqual Dual

19

THE FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONE OF THE YEAR

And then there are few phones that just hog the limelight with the mere presence and enigma. And the rest of their clans just keep on following.

AND THE WINNER WAS...

SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 EDGE

FEATURES
5.1 2K SAMOLED
Exynos 7420 Octa-Core
32/64/128 GB, 3 GB RAM
16 MP Rear and 5 MP Front Camera
2600 mAh Battery

The Other Nominees Were....

Galaxy Note 5

HTC One E9+

LG G4

Sony Xperia M5 Dual

One PLus 2

Gionee Elife S7

iPhone 6 Plus

Sony C4
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By the way, dont you feel that I have started speaking like a pro in tech, thanks to this award night for the consecutive two years. This has enlightened me
and made me feel like a techie from within. (Seems proud of himself). Okay, so we are done with the gadgets. Almost all the gadgets got some award or the
other we hope you all are happy and not many lose heart post the event. Time to reward some of the greatest tech-minds the best people behind making
this tech-world so hyped.

20

THE TECH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

RAHUL SHARMA
THE CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF MICROMAX

The young talent has an impressive profile and this award only adds to it further. Congratulations Rahul.

What? We are done? Just when I was picking up the pace and was getting enlightened with technology, you make me unplug. Not fair Rameshwe had to have more categories.
Not many of you think sobecause people at the back seems hungry, arent they? Lets wind up fast.
Thats all for tonight. Congratulations to the winnersbetter luck next year for those who couldnt
make it this time. You may cheer yourself up with the food and drinks. Thanks everyone for attending and giving me a chance to speak something I love to do since before birth! Have funclick
selfiesand post on social networks.
Ohwait, thanks Ramesh, and thanks Reliance Digital. Please do call me as the host , for the next
year too

Thank you Sponsors without you its not possible...

I NOV 2015 I 134

ED
P
M
A
&
REV
D
E
H
S
E
REFR W !
E
ALL N

heTechy is your ultimate source for ALL THINGS TECH a place where Tech meets your
taste. We review exciting gadgets from phones to cameras to tablets and dont spare
interesting accessories at all. From low end, mid ranger, flagship to luxury gadgets, we
cover everything that has technology embedded as a default obvious. We dont just
cover gadgets, but wade mouth open deep into technologies of our humble past, fast paced
present and curious future and also go way beyond into the world of science fiction.

Therefore, gear up guys as we bring forward for you every single

buzz that revolves around the fascinating world of Technology.

I NOV 2015 I 135

SATELLITE INTERNET
GETS A FACE LIFT

Internet access has come a long way ever since its advent. And
the most recent one is the satellite internet access. Its the internet access provided through communications satellites. Modern
satellite Internet service is typically provided to users through
geostationary satellites that can offer high data speeds, with
newer satellites using Ka band to achieve downstream data
speeds up to 50 Mbps.

WHEN AND WHERE?

The history of the first successful
satellite internet dates almost two
decades back.Following the launch
of the first satellite, Sputnik 1, by
the Soviet Union in October, 1957,
the US successfully launched the
Explorer 1 satellite in 1958. The
first commercial communications
satellite was Telstar 1, built by Bell
Labs and launched in July, 1962.
The idea of a Geosynchronous

satellite one that could orbit the

Earth above the equator and remain
fixed by following the Earths rotation
was first proposed by Herman
Potocnik in 1928 and popularised by
the science fiction author Arthur C.
Clarke in a paper in Wireless World in
1945. The first satellite to successfully reach geostationary orbit was
Syncom3, built by Hughes Aircraft for
NASA and launched Aug. 19, 1963.
Succeeding generations of commu-

nications satellites featuring larger

capacities and improved performance
characteristics were adopted for
use in television delivery, military
applications and telecommunications
purposes. Following the invention of
the Internet and the World Wide Web,
geostationary satellites attracted interest as a potential means of providing
Internet access.A significant enabler
of satellite-delivered Internet has been
the opening up of the Ka band for

satellites. In December, 1993, Hughes

Aircraft Cfiled with the Federal Communications Commission for a license
to launch the first Ka-band satellite,
Spaceway. In 1995, the FCC issued a
call for more Ka-band satellite applications, attracting applications from
15 companies. Among those were
EchoStar, Lockheed Martin, GE-Americom, Motorola and KaStar Satellite,
which later became WildBlue.

THE RACE FOR INTERNET SERvICE FROM SPACE IS ON, AGAIN

After a series of failed satellite Internet projects
over the past two decades, fresh investment
is coming into the sector, and at least three
high-profile projects are moving forward. Lets
follow their plans
OneWeb, a London-based consortium backed
by tycoon Richard Branson, announced in
June it had raised $500 million from investors
including Airbus, Qualcomm and Intelsat to
advance its plan for satellite broadband to
underserved parts of the world.

I NOV 2015 I 136

Also this year, US-based space exploration firm

SpaceX secured a $1 billion (roughly Rs. 6,529
crores) investment that could help founder
Elon Musks plan to build a satellite Internet
network, with backing from Google and the
financial firm Fidelity. US-based LeoSat, backed
by Europes Thales Alenia Space, is also
working on a satellite broadband project aimed
at business. And Samsung outlined plans in a
research report this year to make affordable
Internet services available to everyone in the
world via low-cost micro-satellites.

The projects seek to launch hundreds of

low-orbit satellites to beam the Internet from
space. The initial costs could be high, but
would avoid the expense of building groundbased systems for wired or wireless broadband.
If the plan sounds familiar, weve seen this
before.

ONEWEB

MUSk vS BRANSON: SPACEX vS LEOSAT

An equally ambitious plan is being developed by Musk and SpaceX, which could
launch as many as 4,000 satellites.Musk
said on Twitter that he sees advanced
micro-satellites operating in large formations that would provide unfettered
(Internet access) certainly and at very low
cost.

Teledesic, a 1990s project backed by Microsofts Bill Gates and

Saudi royal family investors, died before it went into service, as did
another venture called SkyBridge, whose assets were eventually
acquired by OneWeb.
Greg Wyler, chief executive of OneWeb, said much has changed
since Teledesic abandoned its Internet in the sky plan more than
a decade ago: the cost of satellite technology has come down,
and most people now realize that connectivity is needed to spur
economic development.
OneWeb plans to begin launching its 648 low-orbit satellites in
2017, and begin connecting customers by 2019.The company has
contractual arrangements to operate in more than 50 markets
and is looking at a broad global footprint.
More than half the world is not connected. In some developed
markets like the United States, individuals who live in remote areas
could subscribe to Internet broadband. In developing countries, it
may be schools, health care centers and other government entities.
Our technology fundamentally reduces the cost of connectivity,
Greg Wyler says.

Details of the SpaceX plan are still

sketchy, but the company has filed plans
with the US Federal Communications
Commission to begin testing. Eventually,
FCC approval could allow the SpaceX
project to offer broadband services
globally.
LeoSats plan calls for between 78 and
108 satellites for a broadband network
aimed at high-volume business customers
such as major corporations, governments,
maritime operators and the oil and gas
industry.While LeoSat, a startup created

in 2013, is aiming at only a few thousand

customers, it can also serve as a backbone for other operators, which would
mean millions could use its connections.
We want to become fiber from the sky
from anywhere to anywhere, said chief
executive Mark Rigolle.Its not a product
that is available in todays market.
The company was created by former oil
and gas industry executives who understood the need for better connections in
remote parts of the world.These low-earth
orbit systems require more satellites but
can cover areas not served by the higher-orbit systems, with better connectivity
because of faster transmission speeds.
LeoSat will be able to transmit around the
globe from satellite to satellite without
ever touching the ground, create a system which is effectively faster than fiber
and more secure.

NATURAL ADvANTAGES
Scott Pace, director of
the Space Policy Institute
at George Washington
University, said now may
be an opportune time to
launch a space broadband
service because of advances
in technology and growing

needs for connectivity.Space

has a lot of natural advantages over terrestrial systems.
Space systems provide a way
to cover massive amounts of
territory very quickly, and the
new satellites are increasingly
sophisticated.

Because growing numbers

of people around the world
rely on wireless broadband,
demand is more intense than
in the 1990s and satellite systems have a chance of meeting that demand and being
a player. Still, its not clear if

satellite systems can compete

effectively with ground-based
systems. And any new entrant
will still have to compete for
airwave spectrum and deal
with regulators in various
countries. With a number of
satellite firms competing, it

is not clear if all will survive.

Its a question of who can get
there quick enough and surmount the regulatory hurdles.
There is no surety that there
is room for multiple systems,
there might be room for one,
maybe two.

I NOV 2015 I 137

Million

UniTS

m oto r o l a , 2 00 3 s
c 2 00 s o l d

60

UniTS

I NOV 2015 I 138

Million

UniTS

Million

n o k i a 2650 s o l d

Million

nokia 3100 sold

UniTS

samsung galaxy
s iii sold

apple iphone 3gs sold

Million

n o k i a 6230
sold

Million

UniTS

UniTS

UniTS

apple iphone 4s
sold

Million

UniTS

75

n o k i a 6010 s o l d

UniTS

Million

UniTS

samsung galaxy
s ii sold

Million

n o k i a 5230 s o l d

Million

Million

Million

UniTS

n o k i a 1 208 s o l d

nokia 600 sold

UniTS

Million

n o k i a 1200 s o l d

Million

UniTS

Million

135

n o k i a 2600 s o l d

130
160
60
50
150 100
40
40
150
35
50
35
n o k i a 3210 s o l d

UniTS

250

UniTS

UniTS

n o k i a 11 1 0 s o l d

60

Million

UniTS

130

m oto r o l a s ta r ta c s o l d

Million

65

UniTS

n o k i a 5130 s o l d

Million

Million

136

UniTS

n o k i a 3310 s o l d

m oto r o l a r a Z r v 3 s o l d

UniTS

Phone Makers have sold millions and millions of units of phones to the users over
so many period of years. However, lets
find out who sold the maximum number of
units in the descending order. Given below
are 20 most sold phones in the world.

Million

20

MOST SOLD PHONES IN

THE WORLD IN UNITS

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