Cerebral Shangrila

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Apple steals the thunder - iPhone Ad

Question : What do you remember about the 1984 Superbowl ?
Answer : The now legendary " 1984" commercial (Ad) introducing the Mac.


Apple did it again at the Oscars yesterday. Apple debuted the commercial (Ad) for its iPhone yesterday during the Academy (Oscar) awards and they did it in filmi s(h)tyle.

Amazing Ad. Have a look at it here. Simple yet so powerful.

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Monday, February 26, 2007

And the Oscar goes to......

Thank god , they finally did it. The Academy atoned for its past blunders by bestowing the best director award on Martin Scorsese. It was a matter of "when" than "If" for Scorsese.

How about this list as a director : Taxi Driver,Raging Bull,The Color of Money,Goodfellas,Casino,Gangs of New York,The Aviator,The Departed . oh, boy !


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Sunday, February 25, 2007

Rainbow Quiz - Identify the personality - Week 29

Here is the next weekly "Rainbow" quiz , where I would be giving 7 clues (Hence the name Rainbow) about a personality. Try to discover the person in the least number of clues . You can either leave the answer as a comment / email me . Feedback/ suggestions welcome. Googling is not preferred but then its just for fun and so go ahead if you need to.

I didn't like X's voice & singing initially but have now developed a deep admiration for him.Sheer genius !

clue # 1 : X's real name is Shivaputra Siddramayya Komkali and he was born in Dharwad (Karnataka, India).

clue # 2 : As a child, he was stricken with tuberculosis, and left with only one functioning lung. This greatly affected his singing and explains his unique voice / style of singing.

clue # 3 :
When he was only 12 years old, he held a large select audience of Pandits and musicologists who were spellbound with his spectacular performance at an All India Music Conference.

clue # 4 : He assumed the name of "X" which translates to Child prodigy (first name)+ god of music in Hindu mythology (Last name).


clue # 5 : One of the most inventive singers in recent years, he is remembered for his great legacy of innovation, questioning tradition without rejecting it wholesale, resulting in music in touch with the roots of Indian culture.

clue # 6 : "X" may not have reached the same heights of popularity as contemporaries like Bhimsen Joshi, Mallikarjun Mansur ,but "X" always enjoyed the love and support of dedicated and connoisseur enthusiasts.

clue # 7 : His last public concert took place in Bombay on November 22 1991, at the Nehru Centre. "X" passed away in January 1992.

who is X?

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Friday, February 23, 2007

iPhone Demo

I know this is a bit late. Was reading about the iPhone in TIME magazine and couldn't help offering my 2 cents.

No product has generated so much of buzz and interest as iPhone. iPod + Phone + Tablet PC + Apple's design prowess + Mac OS + world-class touch screen = iPhone.

Here is a cool preview of the product from Apple's website. Steve, I salute you!

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Sick Notes

Got this from Digg. This one is super funny. Here is a list of "funny" sick notes (aka "Leave letter" ) written by parents.

LOL !

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

What can IT Industry do for India ? - Amartya Sen

If JFK asked " Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country", then Amartya Sen delivers some sagely advise on " What can IT industry do for India?" ( Courtesy : Outlook India).

The Nobel Laureate delivered the Keynote Address at the NASSCOM 2007 India Leadership Forum in Mumbai on February 7. where he spoke on the case for the IT industry to " do even more, indeed in some ways, much more" than what can be seen as its traditional domain.

Its a long read but a fairly interesting one.

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Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Irregular blogging

I know my blogging has been very irregular to say the least. Heavy workload combined with a bit of travel has constrained the quantity ( and the quality) of my blog posts.

I was away in Australia last week (on work) and at Malaysia ( Chinese new year holiday) this week. Hope to remain regular from now on.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Rainbow Quiz - Identify the personality - Week 28

Here is the next weekly "Rainbow" quiz , where I would be giving 7 clues (Hence the name Rainbow) about a personality. Try to discover the person in the least number of clues . You can either leave the answer as a comment / email me . Feedback/ suggestions welcome. Googling is not preferred but then its just for fun and so go ahead if you need to.

"X" is a versatile genius who lost his life in the most unfortunate circumstance.

clue # 1 : Born to a wealthy family in Paris, "X" inherited a large fortune when his mother died. He attended College in France studying chemistry, botany, astronomy, and mathematics.

clue # 2 : His devotion and passion for chemistry was largely influenced by Étienne Condillac, a prominent French scholar of the 18th century. He was an elected member of the French Academy of Sciences, France's most elite scientific society, at the young age of 25 for an essay on street lighting and in recognition for his earlier research in chemistry.

clue # 3 : Among his many achievements, he stated the first version of the Law of conservation of mass, co-discovered, recognized and named oxygen as well as hydrogen, disproved the phlogiston theory, introduced the Metric system, invented the first periodic table including 33 elements, and helped to reform chemical nomenclature.

clue # 4 :"X" was also an investor and administrator of the "Ferme Générale," a private tax collection company; chairman of the board of the Discount Bank (later the Banque de France); and a powerful member of a number of other aristocratic administrative councils ( Which later led to his downfall).

clue # 5 : "X" was one of the 28 French tax collectors and a powerful figure in the unpopular Ferme Générale. "X" was branded as a traitor after the French revolution. He was tried, convicted, and executed on the same day in Paris, at the young age of 51.An appeal to spare his life was cut short by the judge who stated: "The Republic has no need of geniuses"

clue # 6 : His importance for science was expressed by the mathematician Joseph Louis Lagrange who lamented the beheading by saying: "It took them only an instant to cut off that head, but France may not produce another like it in a century."

clue # 7 : One and a half years following his death, "X" was exonerated by the French government. When his private belongings were delivered to his widow, a brief note was included reading "To the widow of "X", who was falsely convicted."

Who is X?

Friday, February 16, 2007

Rediff Message board

Am I the only one or do you find that amusing too ? The Rediff message board ( the one that is found below every article) has been becoming more interesting the article itself. Every message post invariably turns into a " Pro-India vs Anti-India ( in various connotations)" debate with often fierce words.I am glad about the option to express one's opinion but the level of debate is often vindictive and sometimes plain stupid.

Argumentative Indian ? Not sure if Amartya Sen would have been proud after reading the Msg board.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Rainbow Quiz - Identify the personality - Week 27

Here is the next weekly "Rainbow" quiz , where I would be giving 7 clues (Hence the name Rainbow) about a personality. Try to discover the person in the least number of clues . You can either leave the answer as a comment / email me . Feedback/ suggestions welcome. Googling is not preferred but then its just for fun and so go ahead if you need to.

X's rags to riches story is a classic case of " David vs Goliath" . X is an inspiration to millions of aspiring entrepreneurs.

clue # 1 : "X" came from a humble farmer family in Gujarat and was a chemistry graduate by education.

clue # 2 : He worked as a Lab Assistant in the Geology and Mining Department of the Government of Gujarat. At the young age of 25, "X" started a small-scale enterprise.

clue # 3 : "X" offered a quality product, using indigenous technology, at a third of the prevailing price, without compromising on the product. His company name (and the flagship brand name) is a short form of his daughter's name.

clue # 4 : At that time, the domestic market (in that product segment) was limited only to premium segment and was dominated by MNCs. "X" revolutionized the segment by starting door-to-door selling of his product.

clue # 5 : In a short span of time, he created an entirely new market segment in the domestic market. It gave the bigger established brands a run for their money and soon occupied the top market share. To add to all this, his product was made of an innovative formulation, which global giants were later on compelled to emulate, it was phosphate free and hence environment friendly.

clue # 6 : In the 90's, he became a leading educationist too. "X" started the "Y" (name of the brand) Institute of Technology in Ahmedabad, which grew into a leading engineering college in Gujarat. An Institute of Management followed.

clue # 7 : Today, "X" has become something of a cult figure in the Gujarati community, next only to Dhirubhai Ambani, as a sort of benchmark for every aspiring entrepreneur to aim at.

Who is X and also identify Y ?

10 most common passwords

Via Digg, here is a list of 10 most common passwords that users use.

P.S : "123" is the most common one even more than the word "password" itself.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Interesting Blog - Conundrum of Sonata

If you love Quizzing, Trivia and tamil film music, you might want to check out this Interesting blog - Conundrum of Sonata. It has daily audio quizzes on film songs . The readers are asked to guess a song based on the prelude/interlude of the song.

Quite addictive site.

P.S : On a side note, my sister runs this blog.

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Saturday, February 03, 2007

Rainbow Quiz - Identify the personality - Week 26

Here is the next weekly "Rainbow" quiz , where I would be giving 7 clues (Hence the name Rainbow) about a personality. Try to discover the person in the least number of clues . You can either leave the answer as a comment / email me . Feedback/ suggestions welcome. Googling is not preferred but then its just for fun and so go ahead if you need to.


I distinctly remember the incident.I was travelling from Mumbai to Pune in my Manager's car with him (I used to work in Bombay then) , when he played this CD. It was a live recording of X's concert at London. I had heard only his short albums till then, but listening to this full fledged concert opened the floodgates. What a mesmerizing voice, depth and range ! I was hypnotized and his music still continues to inspire me.

clue # 1 : "X" was born in Pakistan just after the Independence.His father was a distinguished musicologist, vocalist and instrumentalist.Initially, his father did not want "X" to follow him into the music business. He had his heart set on "X" choosing a much more respectable career path and becoming a doctor.

clue # 2 : However, "X" showed such an aptitude for, and interest in music that his father finally relented and started to train him within the classical framework of Khayal. His first public performance was at his father's funeral ceremony.

clue # 3 : "X"'s incredible voice and his complete mastery of the genre made him a superstar in the Islamic world, especially in Pakistan and India. He sang in Urdu and his native Punjabi, as well as Persian.

clue # 4 : "X" also reached out to the Western audiences with a couple of fusion records produced by Canadian guitarist Michael Brook.

clue # 5 : Shortly before his death, "X" also composed music for a Bollywood movie in which he also appeared.

clue # 6 : According to the Guinness Book of World Records, "X" holds the world record for the largest recorded output by a Qawwali artist—a total of 125 albums.

clue # 7: "X" died of a sudden cardiac arrest at a relatively young age of 48 leaving his fans shocked worldwide.

Who is X?

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Friday, February 02, 2007

Photo of the week - Sunset at Wat Arun, Bangkok



Wat Arun is the pride of Bangkok. This Wat is named after the hindu god of Dawn, Arun ( Aruna , charioteer of Lord Surya). The missile shaped 82m tall Prang is a wonderful sight to watch.I took this photograph during the sunset.

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Thursday, February 01, 2007

India - M&A spree and pop patriotism

IHT has an interesting article on the Global M&A spree by the Indian firms ( The recent one being the Corus takeover by the Tata Group) and the pop patriotism that it has spawned in India. It cautions that this zeal might make the Indian cos overpay for the acquisitions. There is nothing wrong with the soaring global ambitions of the Indian firms, but I hope that euphoria doesn't make them forget the business fundamentals that govern M&A's. This article is a good read.

P.S : The article also takes a dig at TOI's pop patriotism and the ET front page spread that replaced the Times Square billboard with Indian brand names.