Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Technological Advancement - Do we really need to keep pace?

Mobile Phones - HSDPA, 3.5G, etc. (If the 1st acronym makes no sense to you, dont fret, you can always search it on Google to your right!)
Computers - Microsoft Vista, Pentium 4, Broadband speeds up to 1GB/s, etc.

Do we really need any further technological advancements? In view of what capabilites we have currently, how many of you actually make video calls or surf the net on your mobile phone? How many of you (non-pirated downloaders, that is) actually need 1GB/s of broadband speed to surf and check your emails?

I seriously dont think 99% of us will ever need a 3.5G phone or even the next 4G phone for that matter. It is the advertisers who make us think we need it! They have changed our perspectives from what is "good to have" to "if dont have, will die!" They do this so that manufacturers are able to sell us things that other companies do not have through product differentiation

I guess its time for us to return to basics... To stop and smell the flowers (this does sound a bit gayish, doesn't it?) and just watch the world go by as we sip our lattes... To slow down, so that we dont have to keep running... We shouldnt let the pace of life direct us; we should be directing the pace of our lives.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Detailed Product Comparison from BestBuy

When you have a thousand and one products to choose from, how do you make the right choice (or any choice for that matter)? Wouldn't you like it if someone did a detailed analysis of the products and told you simply which you should buy or should not buy? Well, the folks at Best Buys have done exactly that, and here is their list of product reviews:- Best Buys Comparison Reviews

At the above page, I immediately zoomed in on the following comparison - Norton vs. McAfee
This is really the age old question since the dawn of the Internet (and of course, the birth of computer viruses) - Which is the better Computer security software?

I am rather impressed with the detailed comparison. And even though the description is detailed, the comparison is presented in a clear manner and broken down into 4 categories - Features, Performance, Support and Choice. Apparently, Best Buys also did a test run on both products and compared their scanning efficiencies. That's thorough reasearch for you!

Not only that, there's also a clear winner! You know how most comparisons almost always end with a politically correct conclusion, something in the likes of "actually both products are good, it all depends on what you want"? Well, this is not so with Best Buys. I shall not reveal who the winner is here, go check it out for y'self!

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Orlando

Have you been to Orlando? I have never been there - I have never even been to any states of the US for that matter.



Well, here are some interesting facts about Orlando:

1) According to Carlson Wagonlit Travel's 2006 Travel Trends Survey, Orlando is the 2nd most popular domestic travel destination in the country (with Las Vegas being 1st).

2) Out of the estimated 50 million tourists who visit Orlando each year, over 2 million are international visitors, with the majority of foreign tourists coming from the UK.

3) There are now 20,000 to 25,000 rental properties in Central Florida, mostly located near the theme parks.

4) The official nickname of the city of Orlando is “The City Beautiful,” although it is also known as “O-Town.”

5) Ever wonder why there are so many Olive Gardens and Red Lobsters in town? Orlando is the corporate headquarters of Darden Restaurants, which also runs the Bahama Breeze, Smokey Bones, and Seasons 52 restaurants.

6) Even though few people outside of Florida knew where Orlando was before Walt Disney World opened in 1971, the city of Orlando had been around for more than a century before that; It was incorporated in 1875.

7) Orlando is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, although the vast citrus groves for which the county was named no longer exist.

8) Before there was Disney, there was also a considerable amount of cattle ranching in Central Florida; you can still see cattle grazing along certain stretches of the 417 GreeneWay Expressway.

9) Although many of Orlando’s citizens (especially the most famous ones) are originally from somewhere else, there are a few celebrities who were born and raised in Orlando, including Wayne Brady and Delta Burke.

10) Beat generation icon Jack Kerouac lived in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando during the time his novel On the Road was published in 1957.

So if all that has enticed you to pay "O-Town" a visit, why not hop on over to Orlando Escape to select a Hotel for your travel arrangements.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

David Beckham's Motorola Ad

Have you guys seen the latest Motorola Ad featuring David
Beckham?

Here's "behind-the-scenes" for those who have not seen it:





For those who have seen it, I think you will agree with me that its
absolute rubbish because:

(1) Why is DB dribbling a soccer ball while dressed like he\'s going
clubbing?
(2) When the ball was supposedly sliced in half, shouldn\'t it have
exploded in his face? (Due to the sudden release of compressed air)
(3) The 2 halves fell intact to the ground... Where\'s the deflation?
Obviously the laws of Physics do not apply to this particular soccer
ball.

Other than the above, I guess this commercial appeals solely to fans of
Becks. Clearly, I ain't one of them huh?

Which brings me to my next topic - How much should we pay for a brand name?

My answer is - Why should we be paying anything at all??

When we buy a product like a mobile phone, under a brand like Motorola, I do not understand how come we have to pay a premium for the brand name? Shouldn't we, like Mr. Beckham here, be paid instead for advertising the phone, whenever we take the phone out of our pockets to answer calls or SMS? (Moreover, we are using the phone under the natural laws of physics, thus making the whole process look "real" and "believable"...) Futhermore... shouldnt Motorola be paying me for talking about its brand on my blogsite?? (I own a Motorola V3 btw...)

Hello Moto... You listening?