Destination Infinity's Blog, page 61

April 14, 2015

#Song of the Week: Unakkena Venum Sollu (Yennai Arindhaal)

I love the way Director Gowtham Menon brings the best out of Music Director Harris Jeyaraj in his movies. This song, Unakkena venum sollu from Yennai Arindhaal is another classy song sung by Benny Dayal and Mahathi. This slow and melodious song will easily capture your hearts. The lovely picturization is another great plus! Don’t miss

I also like Mazhai vara poghuthe… from the same movie – a slightly peppier number and equally good.

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Published on April 14, 2015 03:38

SHAMITHAB Hindi Movie Review

Many people might have missed this, but Akshara Hassan is the real star of this movie – SHAMITHAB. What a performance – you should see the way she handles both the domineering male leads ~ Amithab & Dhanush! This movie, even if it’s not great or entertaining, it is differently innovative – see it if you like off-beat movies

SHAMITHAB is about a dumb man wanting to become a Hero in Bollywood, and ending up becoming one (in a highly unrealistic storyline). They use some scientific technology lingo to place mic/speaker into Dhanush’s body which, when paired with another person with mic/speaker in a nearby range, enables everyone to listen to what the Hero is saying, who is only lip-syncing to the words spoken by the nearby person. As the other person speaks, the hero is able to listen to it and lipsync to it by the time it comes out of his mouth.

Amithab is that second person who gives his voice to Dhanush. He talks from a nearby range, and Dhanush lipsyncs to his words. The first movie is made and the movie becomes a super hit. Then differences start sprouting between the two lead characters as they have independent opinions about what story might suit them next. They try to double cross each other, while Akshara, who brought the duo together as an assitant director, and wants to make her first movie with them, tries to get them understand the ‘ABCs’ of life. Literally.

Let’s admit that Dhanush, although his performance is good, is a misfit for this role. I mean, him, with his easily identifiable South Indian looks, becoming a Bollywood superstar, that too without having any filmy background, is too good to believe. And Amithab’s voice, being so authoritative, doesn’t really suit him. Somehow they managed it!

Amithab’s performance is stellar, as usual. The real surprise, at least for me, is the knock-out acting of Akshara Hassan. What a performance! She just breaks all the conventional norms required for a Bollywood heroine and delivers a superb (and mind you – realistic) performance. At times, I was in awe with her on-screen personality, and the no-nonsense philosophy. Sample this – when Dhanush comes to kiss her, she says – “In this industry, actors suck up to the director, not the reverse. If you expect me to run behind you leaving all my career ambition (to become a director), go KISS YOUR ASS man.” And she makes us believe what she says!

One issue I had with was the the lack of major conflict. There was so much power in Amithab’s hands with which he could have literally controlled the young superstar’s life. But no. Although, realistically, they show the egos of stars to be the biggest conflict, and that is easy to believe. When it is difficult to convince one star on a script, how do we convince two people? Valid point. Mentioned in the movie too!

Initially I didn’t like the climax, but it grew on me and made me realize what a different feel it gives to the movie, instead of the usual everything-ends-well-go-back-happily sorts. Illayaraja’s music is situationally good and the music/songs create a great effect throughout the movie, but as singles, the songs don’t create much of an impact.

Altogether, though not an entertainer, SHAMITHAB is a classy off-beat movie that you can see for the innovative thinking of the scriptwriters. Do see if you like different movies, you won’t be disappointed

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Published on April 14, 2015 03:37

Asus ZenFone 2: Why This Phone is Different

We have one ZenFone in our house already, the ZenFone 5, and people here are crazy about it! What could be a better upgrade to the ZenFone 5, than the Asus New ZenFone 2 about to be launched all over India? You should consider buying phones from Asus over all those expensive mobiles available in the market because they offer great functionality and experience at the right price.

In this post, I’ll tell you why the Asus ZenFone 2 is better and much different than other phones on the market.

5.5″ Full HD (1080p) Display with 403ppi pixel density for clear and enjoyable viewing experience.
72% Screen to Body ratio that enables a 5.5″ Phone to almost fit into a 5″ Case. More screen size in a smaller dimension phone!
Brushed metal finish and concentric circle detailing to give a luxurious look in a thin form factor.
2.3 GHz 64-bit Intel Atom Quad-Core Processor for no compromise performance for heavy apps, games, multi-tasking, graphical applications, etc.
Have you seen a Smart Phone with 4 GB RAM before? Probably not. Because this is one of the first Smartphones that comes with a whooping 4 GB RAM for incredible performance boost.
Dedicated PowerVR-G6430 Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) for a better gaming and graphical experience.
13 MP Rear Camera with f/2.0 aperture lens and 5 MP Front Camera to capture high resolution photos with zero shutter lag.
An effective low light mode to capture photos in low light and night without flash, much better than most cameras out there.
Real tone flash to capture warm skin tones and accurate color.
60ms touch response ensures faster response on the screen when you touch the phone. Anti-fingerprint coating minimizes smudges and fingerprint marks on the screen for better display clarity.
Customized Zen User Interface (UI) that makes accomplishing tasks faster and easier. Asus generally gives faster updates based on user feedback to improve the User Interface experience.
The 2.4 GHz 4 GB ZenFone 2 model is equipped with the Asus-exclusive 18W BoostMaster Technology adapter that charges 60% of the battery capacity in just 39 minutes. Quick charging for busy professionals!
Dual SIM, Dual Active technology to switch seamlessly between two Active SIM numbers.
The Latest Android 5.0 Lollipop Mobile OS. Asus generally provides updates to newer versions of the OS over time.
16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB eMMC Flash Internal storage/memory capacity to store lots of data and apps.
5 GB Lifetime free Asus web-storage to store your photos, music, and videos online and access them from anywhere.
802.11ac WiFi adapter for faster wireless connectivity.
Bluetooth 4.0, USB, NFC for quick data transfer.
3G & 4G (LTE) for ultra-fast Internet connectivity.
Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for the best touch sensitivity and tough exterior.
Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Gyroscope, E-Compass, GPS, G-Sensor.
3000 mAh Li-Polymer Battery for Long Battery Life.
Available in 5 different colors: Red, Black, Gold, Gray, White.
Ultra thin edge (just 3.9 mm thick!).

Have a look at the New Asus ZenFone 2 Webpage for yourself to see all these features in action!

I guess they are launching it on 23rd April, 2015 at New Delhi. #CantWait4ZenFone2

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Published on April 14, 2015 03:27

April 6, 2015

Boats of Besant Nagar (Photo Walk)

The Boats of Besant Nagar:

So I went to a photo-walk to Besant Nagar/Elliots beach, organized by Humans of Madras. Since we were not allowed to visit the broken bridge (which was our original destination) by the cops due to time restrictions, I hereby present to you some photos I took of boats belonging to a small fisherman colony, nearby.

We saw a Turtle Hatchery set-up near the Besant Nagar beach in order to save the turtle eggs until they hatch. Here it is:

While we were there, luckily, the volunteers were releasing a batch of the turtles into the sea. Here are the cutiepie turtle kids

If you want to know more about the Olive Ridley Turtle conservation project and Turtle Walk, read this wonderful post: Turtle Walk by Sandhya (Maradhi Manni).

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Published on April 06, 2015 10:38

Free Novella on Google Play Books: The Archers Revenge

I guess you remember by maiden crime fiction novella – The Archers Revenge. I have made it free for now on the Google Play Books Store for Android. If you are into reading novels on your tablet or phone or computer, you might want to download it from Google Play Store while it is still free – you can always read it later when you get time. The Google Play Books Android app supports TTS (Text to Speech). So you can even listen to the book from your android mobile. Try it, if you haven’t – I use it all the time

Here’s the Playstore Link for the eBook (blurb and download): The Archers Revenge – Google Play Books.

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Published on April 06, 2015 10:34

#Song of the Week: Kaara Aata Kaara (O Kadhal Kanmani)

‘Kaara Aata Kaara’ is the song from the latest (yet to be released) Mani Rathnam’s movie: O Kadhal Kanmani. The music for this movie has been composed by A. R. Rehman. I fell in love with the song once I saw the trailer (who will not?). The song doesn’t live up to the expectations set in the trailer as it is too slow at times and doesn’t maintain the rhythm in the first half, but it catches up in the second half and leaves us happy. I am sure I’ll start liking even the first half more if I listen to it more (no time!!).

If you want to listen only to the catchy part of this song, see the movie trailer embedded below. Isn’t this THE BEST TRAILER made in the recent times? I hope the movie lives up to the expectations set by the trailer. I am yet to listen to the other songs in this movie because I am still stuck with this trailer song. Will try to catch up with all songs by next week

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Published on April 06, 2015 10:33

Is ‘Sorry’ A Big Lie?

If you hear someone tell you ‘Sorry’, and they’re in tears, you have every reason to suspect dishonesty.

One thing I have noticed with people is: they do something only if they think that is the best thing to do, irrespective of whether it is good or bad – for them or others. Unless many years have passed by or they face enormous negative consequences of their actions, people generally don’t regret their actions.

In fact, they take a lot of efforts to hide their intentions or even actions, although they know from inside they are guilty. They will simply refuse to admit that they have been wrong, and will try to justify their actions using some crazy logic which seems plausible only to them – the logic, I mean.

In this context, if someone tells ‘sorry’ a few hours or few days after their actions, I don’t see a good reason to believe them. They are probably telling ‘sorry’ because they have something to gain out of you, or they need your support in some way. Sheer hypocrisy.

Only in some movies, mega serials and books we find that the villain is sometimes sorry for his/her actions and ‘changes for good’ during the climax or even before that. In reality, admitting guilt takes many many years. Sometimes a whole lifetime!

Of course, people who say ‘sorry’ when they do something accidentally do mean it at times. But for everyone else who claim to have ‘changed’ or ‘realized their mistake’, and are telling an emotionally loaded ‘sorry’, it may be a good cue to suspect another big lie is going to follow from their mouths.

This is only my opinion, and I may be wrong. I hope I am wrong and my faith in the word is reinforced.

Destination Infinity

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Published on April 06, 2015 10:30

Best 4″ Android Phone Below Rs. 4000: Spice Stellar 440

Guys and Gals, if you are looking for the best Android phone below 4k INR, with Android KitKat, the Spice Stellar 440 might just be what you want! This is an awesome phone as the manufacturer provides a lot of value at a low price. I’ve been using it for the last two months and I can’t be happier! If you want to buy a phone below Rs. 4000, just go for this one, and buy a separate 8 GB Micro SD Card along with it. You won’t regret!!

Important Specs of Spice Stellar 440:

1 GHz Dual Core Processor
512 MB RAM, 4 GB ROM (Built-in memory) expandable up to 32 GB (Micro SD slot)
Android KitKat 4.4
4″ Screen; 800 x 480 pixels (WVGA)
WiFi + Bluetooth + GPS + 3G
Dual SIM. 3G available only in one SIM slot at a given point of time; but it is switchable between the two SIMs slots (via software)
Loud speaker, 3.5mm jack for headphones
Radio, Analog TV (2 DD Channels)
3.2 MP Rear Cam; 1.2 MP Front Cam
Micro USB for connecting to laptop (3G Modem or File transfer)
1400 mAh Li-Ion battery

Frankly, I don’t use any fancy features in my phone. I bought this phone only for making and attending those occasional calls and to use it as a 3G modem for Internet access in my laptop. That’s why I didn’t want to spend more than 4k INR. But once I bought this phone, I am using it to listen to songs, radio, eBooks (FBReader, Google Play Books), Web Articles (Pocket), etc.

I love the front dual-speakers available in this phone. I generally use my external Kinivo speakers for listening to music, but with this phone I am listening using the built-in speakers directly – Convenient! (No, I don’t prefer headphones). I am also able to listen to the radio via the speakers after I connect the headphones (for antenna purpose) and select ‘Speaker’ from the options. Unlike my old phone, the radio receptivity and speaker output is good in this one

The 3G modem speed (for Internet) is good when connected via USB (Tethering). I also connect my tablet via WiFi tethering and the Internet speed over 3G is still good. Yet to test bluetooth, but that’s not required much for me. The Analog TV reception is a joke – only two DD Channels are picked up and both are extremely grainy. But it’s handy to have that feature – to boast with friends, etc.

The 4 GB Internal memory is less. Hence, I suggest you to buy an 8 GB Micro SD card along with this one. The phone automatically stores all the apps in the SD card, hence you’ll have some space for installing more apps. Move your music collection to Internal memory, if you run out of space in the SD card, or just buy a bigger card.

I use the phone as a modem, to send/receive calls, and to listen to various forms of media. I don’t use it for Games or I don’t use Maps. Hence, I am not able to say how well they work on this model. But I guess the phone should be OK for light usage, not for heavy usage (remember it has only 512 MB RAM). Another advantage is the Megapixel front camera: Useful for both selfies and video chat. The rear 3.2 MP camera is not good for photography.

Altogether the Spice Stellar 440 is an excellent Android phone under Rs. 4000 in India. A first time Android user or a light user of the phone (like me) will be happy. But if you want to use heavy apps, go for something better.

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Published on April 06, 2015 10:25

My Windows 8.1 Laptop: Toshiba C50-A-E0110

So I bought a new Toshiba 15.6″ Laptop with 2 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, Intel Dual Core processor, Windows 8.1 OS, DVD Drive, and 6-Cell Battery at around Rs. 20,000 INR. Isn’t that cool? But wait, not everything is rosy.

Main Specs of Toshiba C50-A-E0110 Laptop:

Windows 8.1 Pre-loaded
Intel Celeron Dual-Core Processor (2.13 GHz)
2 GB DDR RAM (Expandable up to 8 GB)
500 GB; 5400 RPM Hard drive
15.6″ Screen; 1366 x 768 resolution
Built-in DVD Drive
Built-in Speakers, Camera, Mic
802.11n WiFi
1 x USB 3.0 port; 2 x USB 2.0 port; 1 x HDMI port; 1 x Ethernet port; 1 x Audio out port
1-year Warranty
Price: Around 20k INR approx. (this keeps varying)

Overall Review: Excellent Value for Money. Branded laptop with decent specs and pre-loaded Windows 8.1 at 20,000 Rupees is AMAZING. But, Windows 8.1 OS lags quite a bit, especially if you overtax it with multiple applications or even multiple windows. This laptop is an excellent option for working with Linux Mint/Ubuntu OS as primary OS and having Windows 8.1 as secondary OS (Dual-boot).

Actually, I thought I’ll install Linux Mint immediately after buying, but I forced myself to use Windows 8.1 OS for a month. I am writing this review after this initial one month trial period. Now I am not sure if I should continue with Windows 8.1 OS or install Linux Mint alongside and make that my primary OS!

The Windows 8.1 OS is not that bad. If you work on simple applications and minimum open windows on the browser, it is fine. But at times the computer can’t handle too many messages in my Thunderbird email client or too many chrome tabs/windows. It hangs and I have to open task manager to close the program or just wait for the app to become more responsive (it does, after sometime).

I am afraid to even get into the Apps mode, and hence I am working from the Desktop mode only. Some apps like MS Paint have hanged twice already, but most other apps I have worked with (mostly 2D graphical applications like Inkscape, Scribus, Art Text, etc.) work fine. I don’t think this computer can even handle 3D graphics, big games, or heavy video editing tools. At least not in Windows 8.1. If you want to use such applications I suggest you to go with Intel i3 and 4 GB RAM (at minimum).

I am really tempted to go back to Linux. My old Toshiba laptop worked very well on Linux even after 5 years with just 512 MB of RAM! That’s why I decided to buy a Toshiba laptop again. I am sure Linux Mint will ROCK on this system. But since I need to use some Windows only applications, I am hesitating and hope to get used to handling Windows on this system. Let’s see.

The hardware configuration of this laptop (for this price range) is too good. There are 3 USB ports (I am using all three). DVD Drive is a must. I don’t use HDMI Port, but it’s there. VGA port is useful (to connect and work with a larger monitor). 500 GB hard drive is more than sufficient for me. The 6-Cell battery works non-stop for 5-6 hours: I am yet to exhaust it!

You’ll need to buy a mouse though. The mouse pad is not very smooth. The speakers are average – I use external speakers or headphones. The monitor is quite large and wide at 15.6″. The keyboard, surprisingly, has a separate number pad and that’s handy to input numbers quickly. I just wish the delete and backspace keys were larger and kept in a more prominent location (like extreme top right). It’s somewhat bulky and heavy, but for the size and many components it offers, that’s a trade off I ought to live with. It’s still lighter than my old 13.3″ Toshiba laptop!

Altogether, this laptop is OK to use with Windows 8.1 if you mostly use ‘light’ apps and you have patience. But it is an excellent option to work with Linux Mint/Ubuntu primarily and use Windows 8.1 OS occasionally. For this price, I highly recommend this laptop.

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Published on April 06, 2015 10:18

March 31, 2015

Medical Clowning: Laughter is Medicine!

I once asked a Doctor on what she thought about the following quote -

“The art of medicine consists of keeping the patient amused while nature heals the disease.” – Voltaire.

Pat came the reply: “At least in the Indian context, this should be true.”

Jokes apart, did you know that Laughter,

Stimulates the immune system.
Aids in reducing pain, helps in longer/faster pain relief.
Reduces stress and the ailments that might arise due to it.
Increases heart rate immediately, but reduces it eventually leading to better respiratory movement and relaxation.
Increases the chances of women trying to get pregnant through IVF.
Reduces the chances of heart disease.
Controls blood sugar levels for diabetics patients.
And much more . . . Source: 1, 2.

These are a small list of the therapeutic benefits offered by laughter; inter-personal and psychological benefits are much more. No wonder people prefer humorous people, situations, stories, movies, etc. Stand up comedians are in demand nowadays, and there are laughter clubs where people go to deliberately laugh their hearts out.

We love laughing not only because it makes us happy, but also because there are many health/medical benefits!!

During a recent seminar, I met Fif Fernandes and Hamish of MeDi Clown Academy, who are advocating laughter therapy through medical clowning for patients, and also for nurses, doctors and everyone else as laughter helps us stay healthy and work better. Laughter as a therapy is particularly beneficial to children in hospitals.

One can even become a ‘Clown Doctor’ whose chief work is to make patients (children or adults) laugh their heart out. Performance skills like clowning, storytelling, magic, puppetry, etc. may be employed to create humor. Now that’s what I call a job

We ought to admit that hospitals are one of the gloomiest places we’d visit, probably after cemeteries, and hence they might as well do with some humor/laughter – not only for uplifting the mood of the patients, but also for the medical/therapeutic benefits.

MeDi Clown Academy based out of The Integrated Township – Auroville wants to promote medical/therapeutic clowning in India. For details refer to the MeDi Clown Academy website.

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctors book.” – Irish proverb.

Are you laughing enough? If not, you’ll have to remember to laugh more & often!

Destination Infinity

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Published on March 31, 2015 07:06

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