Uniquely Universal

Univercell launched a unique mobile store experience last year. It meant to go out of the way to woo customers to the store via dedicated consumer focussed services, and not just mobile and accessory sales. Today I had the opportunity to visit the Univercell Sync at Indiranagar as part of the Indiblogger contest. The marketing manager for Univercell passionately walked us bloggers through the store explaining the uniqueness of the whole experience.

With the sync experience, it is a simplification of the multitude of choices in the mobile world. Many bloggers and tech enthusiasts probably know the different Mobile OS systems and the ecosystems surrounding them. So explaining choices and helping with buying decisions for a mobile is much easier to such an audience. That is not the case for those who are not tech savvy or who are mostly in the late 40s and the elderly.

Just like how internet has been a revolution, the mobile revolution has already taken the world by storm. And so much of technology at one's fingertips can be overwhelming for those without the knowledge. Univercell Sync offers the perfect platform to make the transition from a feature phone to a mobile phone easier, comfortable and secure for those seeking for a switch.  This audience will not know whether brand is more important, or the processor speed. Or is it the mobile ecosystem? Or do they prefer a longer battery life? Or a budget friendly device? The choices are so vast, it is a niche mobile market Univercell is aiming to tap into.

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My Mi

I can't be far away from the next gadget, can I ? For all the waves that Xiaomi has been creating across the globe one can't resist the temptation of wanting to own a gadget from Mi. When Xiaomi was still unknown to India in May, I set about researching for my next new gadget to tamper with. My Sony Xperia live with walkman was getting outdated software and hardware wise. But tweaking and rooting it had made it exceptionally functional and snappy.

So I went about another budget friendly gadget, for my wife. My Huawei Ideos is still going strong on the Dronix ROM. But we need to move forward with latest in technology - is the reason I gave for getting permission for my new gadget. Armed with a new 3G data plan which made sense with a CUG connection, it was but a formality that I would purchase a new gadget. I stumbled upon Xiaomi through cnet.com and the review it carried for Redmi was impressive. Although Redmi is the original Mediatek version with 4GB ROM.

The updated hardware at the same price is the Redmi 1S. Powered by a quad core snapdragon processor and 8GB ROM it was a good step up from the original Redmi. Since it wasn't yet available in India, I started hunting for Chinese sites from where I could reliably order. spemall.com turned out to be the perfect one for me, though price wise it is a little expensive. I  bought it for around 170$ from spemall, almost 3 months back, which is now being launched in India for just 7000! So I paid a premium for the gadget. But I don't regret it much.

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Coastal Course near Chidambaram

A tonsuring tour for my 30 month old daughter. Initially we had planned to do it in Tirupathi, but logistics and the fact that our daughter is growing up hastened the next possible place. Vacation plans always hinged around Hampi for the August 15th weekend. However, the tonsuring plan coupled with unfamiliar territory around Hampi meant we were looking for alternatives. Vaitheeswaran Koil was the immediate choice for the tonsuring. But what would a trip be without an element of fun mixed with a pilgrimage in camouflage.

Vaitheeswaran koil was ideal in many respects. Close enough to Chidambaram to explore the seashore beside it. Also providing visit to the famous Chidambaram temple, Sirgazhi temple among others. The distance from Bangalore is around 400 kms which can be done in one go. But with a toddler beside, things can get tricky, especially when driving during daytime. Fortunately we had strategic halting places in Salem and Mecheri. While my maternal aunt stays at Salem, my in laws are in Mecheri, which is also part of Salem.

The plan was to visit Chidambaram on day 1, Pichavaram and Tharangambadi on day 2 and Vaitheeswaran Koil on day 3. We stayed on 12th night at Salem, packed food for onward journey to Chidambaram and checked into Nataraja Residency. The visit to the Natarja temple in Chidambaram on the same evening was peaceful. The next day we were off to Pichavaram, which was always the highlight in my mind to be covered during the trip.

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Bharat Ratna - A wasted Ratna?

The highest civilian award in India has become a free for all - almost. And looking at the current candidate list for the award, it looks like an exercise of politics in retrospect than in genuine deservedness. No sooner had BJP started suggesting names of Subhas Chandra Bose and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the almost non-existent Congress party at the Centre demanded the award for Kanshi Ram.

With all due respect and admiration to all the potential candidates, it is truly embarrassing that there is a political slugfest to give th ris distinguished honour. Admittedly Bose was an exception leader whose contributions to Indian independence were probably never given its due. But to give an award inetrospect after more than 60 years, is a little puzzling.

As for Atal Bihari Vajpayee, it almost seems BJP wants its due from awarding it for a BJP leader. He may truly deserve it (and I am just expressing personal opinions here), but the BJP and Congress should introspect and think if they are being fair to the award itself. Maybe there is true merit in Vajpayee or even Kanshi Ram for the award. But it is the process and the credentials that need to be awarded. Not the political backing.

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