Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Things To Do Every Day For Success

"You get up at what time?"

I hear that a lot, along with "You are so lucky." So, I'm going to help out here and let you in on the secrets of my success. Well, not all of them--but enough to show you the foundation I build on every day.

1. Wake up early. For the next week, get up a half an hour earlier that you normally do--and get going. If you get a few more things done, then get up even earlier the next week. Early in the morning is a great time to get work done because most of your associates have not started emailing, tweeting, IMing, or posting yet.

2. Read the headlines and watch the news. Not only should you know what is going on in the world, you will also be the first to recognize opportunities (if you followed #1) for you and your business--long before the competition has even had their first cup of coffee.

3. Send something to one person who can hire you or buy your product--something you promised to follow-up with, a quick email with a link to something relevant or a "Hey, just checking in to see how thing are going" email.

4. Touch base with an old friend or associate you haven't talked to in ages. Ask how they are, what are they working on and ask or suggest how you might help. You'll make their day.

5. Write a handwritten note to someone. Seriously. It is a lost art and makes quite an impression. There is always someone you can send a thank you note to--or you aren't doing things correctly.

A simple yet highly effective list. Try all five every weekday for a month. Then, tell me I'm right.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Proud to be an Indian

The Indian government has finally managed to bring out the much hyped $35 tablet. The tablet which was named Sakshat, has been renamed to Aakash (which means sky in Hindi). The government has managed to keep up its promise of pricing the tablet as less as possible.
For over an year, the $35 tablet has seen a lot of flip-flops in terms of its manufacturing cost, manufacturer and the design. Many Tech bloggers around the world had even questioned the authenticity of this tablet, questioning the logic of pricing a tablet with a camera, USB ports etc for less than $50.

Aakash Tablet – Specifications

But now, the $35 tablet is a reality. It runs on Android 2.2 Froyo and comes with a 7 inch resistive touch screen with 256MB RAM, 2GB memory card and two USB ports.

7″ resistive touch screen (at 800×480 pixel resolution)
366 Mhz Connexant processor
256MB RAM
2GB internal Flash memory
2 USB Ports
Weighs 350gm
2100mAH battery
WiFi
3.5mm audio jack

The software of Aakash tablet is powered by Android 2.2 and it will come with some pre-loaded apps like Office Suite, media player, Nimbuzz etc. However, Aakash will not have access to the Android Marketplace which is quite a letdown for many. The tablet will come with Ubisoft browser which is supposed to accelerate the web pages considerably.
Below is a cheat-sheet circulated by the manufacturer comparing various tablets available in India (via @rajatagr)

Aakash tablet – Price & Availability

Aakash has been manufactured by UK based company, DataWind in collaboration with IIT Rajasthan. The tablet has been manufactured completely in India (no Chinese relations). The Indian government is buying 100,000 tablets from DataWind for Rs 2,250 (approx $45) per unit and will make it available to post-secondary students across India. The Government considers this to be a field-trial and hopes to deliver 10 million tablets at a target price of Rs 1,750 ($35) per unit, which has also been agreed upon by the manufacturer.

UbiSlate – Commercial version of Aakash

DataWind has also announced the commercial version of Aakash tablet to be sold in India soon which would have no duty waivers or subsidy as in Government’s version and will come with added features like an in-built cellular modem and SIM to access internet.
DataWind Ubislate will be available from November for Rs 2999 (approx $60). Interested users will be able to buy Ubsilate online or in retail stores then. DataWind hopes to improve the tablet and says that the next version of UbiSlate will have a 600Mhz dual-core processor.

Things to Do Before Buying an HDTV

So, you're thinking about jumping into the vivid world of high definition, huh? Well, get ready for visual bliss. The difference between high definition and standard definition is night and day. Not since Peter Goldmark introduced color television in 1946 has there been such a significant shift in technology. Sure, remote controls, big screen TVs and satellite broadcasting have hit the scene, but the quality of the picture has remained fairly constant.
When HDTVs first hit the market, they were limited to actually receiving an HD signal. That took a bit longer to arrive and the result was a soft HDTV market for the first few years. In fact, most early owners didn't really reap the benefits of high definition. Around 2004, when Texas Instruments' Digital Light Processing (DLP) made its debut, HDTVs became much more affordable. With more HDTVs in consumers' homes, programmers caught on and offered more programming. Since then, HDTVs have become the standard.
Now it's your turn. If you're reading this, chances are you're doing your research. That's the best approach. You shouldn't have to spend more money than you absolutely need to. This article aims to provide you with the tools for making the best decisions before shelling out your hard-earned cash for your HDTV. Dropping $1,000 or more on a television is probably out of many people's comfort zones. The following five tips should give you a pretty good idea of what to look for and what you need to do before you purchase and bring your HDTV home.

5 NASA Inventions You Won't Believe

The exploration of space is no easy task due to the sheer vastness of it. In this collection, you can see images of mankind's attempts to explore the final frontier.

Modern space exploration started with the launching of the Sputnik satellite in October of 1957. The Space Age had begun. Check out an image of the first American astronauts on the next page.

Buzz Aldrin poses for a picture next to the American flag on the surface of the moon. The Americans achieved their monumental goal on July 20, 1969. Next, you can see images of man's lasting impression on the moon.

Since its beginnings in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has had to invent everything it needed to make space missions possible, from protective suits for astronauts to the mirrors and software used on the Hubble telescope. But NASA was smart enough to know it couldn't do everything alone -- these are, after all, rocket scientists. It has partnered with businesses and scientists around the country to create some of the most amazing inventions the planet has ever seen, and not just Tang, the powdered orange drink famously used by astronauts on Gemini missions in the 1960s.
Take a look at these five amazing inventions, which were all developed by NASA for use in space but have found some amazing Earth-bound applications.

Jupiter's Great Red Spot, which extends from the equator to the southern polar latitudes, as seen by the space probe Voyager 2 in 1979. Check out an image of one of Jupiter's moons on the next page.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Steve Jobs Has Died

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Steve Jobs, co-founder, chairman of the board, former CEO of Apple and industry icon for decades, has died.

Apple released this statement:

We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.
Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.
His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.

The front page of Apple.com displayed a picture of the late Steve Jobs, and the second page contained atribute to the industry leader:

Steve Jobs
1955-2011
Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who’ve been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve lost a dear friend and inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.
If you would like to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences, please emailrememberingsteve@apple.com.

In August, when Steve Jobs stepped down from his position as CEO of Apple, he wrote the following in hisresignation letter:

“I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
“I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook released the following statement:

“Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.
We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply emailrememberingsteve@apple.com.
No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.”

Bill Gates, former CEO of Microsoft, was quoted by The New York Times as saying that he was “truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’s death.” He added: “The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.”

Steven P. Jobs is survived by his wife Laurene, their three children, and one child from a previous relationship.