Android vs iPhone - A fair, unbiased comparison of iPhone and Android

Many comparisons have been made between iPhone and Android phones, most of them biased towards one or the other. I have tried to bring out an unbiased comparison and truly enough not going to take any side and say either iPhone beats Android or Android beats iPhone. The purpose of this post is just to bring out a brief fair comparison which can be based to make a decision depending on what feature you want the most in your smart phone.

Android	iPhone	Advantage
Battery: Removable and Replaceable Battery replacements easily available in the market and if you are always on the move, you might as well have an additional charged up battery which can help your phone stay alive without waiting to charge	No replacement battery. In fact you cannot even see the battery in this cased smart phone. Any battery issue, you’ll have to send it to Apple and hope that Steve sends it back to you in one piece	Android
Apps: This seems to be the major hit among all smart phone users. Android has about 70,000 apps currently	iPhone boasts over 230,000 apps and is growing..	iPhone
Jailbreak: Many Android OS comes with an option to Jailbreak it from its service provider – which is a bliss to foreigners in US. The can take the phone to their home country and switch to a different SP without the hassles of jail breaking on their own	iPhone does not have this feature when you buy it. Jail breaking needs to be done at our own risk and I have heard of many cases where the OS simply didn’t wake up after jailbreak. So its pretty scary business	Android
Notifications: System wide notification (non-modal) and other application notifications (like a new mail / new tweet /  new SMS) in cascade windows which can be pulled down to see details.	Push notifications and Individual notifications on updates	Android
Internal Memory: Limited internal memory. This is a big headache because apart from photos and media content, the default memory is the already limited internal memory. Lots of apps in the internal memory will eventually make your phone less ‘smart’	Good internal memory and you have choice of different internal memory sizes	iPhone
External Memory: Yes. External SD card can be inserted to store photos, media, etc. But from what I have gathered, there has been many reports of corrupted SD card and loss of data / photo / media	No external expandable memory. But no complaints here because the internal memory by itself is huge and good enough. I have not had a single occasion of data / photo loss.	iPhone
Dictionary: Google Voice integration and user editable dictionary. Which means more flexibility and ease of use	Artificial Intelligence type dictionary. iPhone learns as you type. So if you have the habit of typing a wrong spelling often, iPhone will learn that word and it is ‘almost’ reset of dictionary to make iPhone forget it. My common mistake is ‘habe’ instead of have and it kills to see that iPhone accepts that!	Android
Mail App: Separate Apps for Gmail and other mail. Other mail app is definitely given the second-class treatment. There is limited options with mail editing and other regular stuff with the client mail application. No complaints with respect to Gmail app	Single e-mail app and I must say an efficient one.	iPhone
Aesthetics: Visually crippled non-Google apps. The icons seem to be poorly drawn / designed. Its looking unprofessional in many cases (3rd party apps)	Every single application – the $99 app or the free one developed by a small co, all of them looks aesthetically rich and has appealing icons and appearance . For some one like me that first appearance plays 90% role in deciding if I want that app or not	iPhone
File Transfer / Sync: Android has the ‘plug and transfer’ feature by which you can transfer files between Android phone and your laptop just as if it were an external storage device	iTunes sync model – just like iPods. This means having a separate sync folder in your laptop and transferring media content to that folder before starting up the sync.	Android
Hardware Design / Buttons: If you have an android mobile and have been using it for sometime, you probably have experienced this. The menu and back buttons doesn’t always do the same thing. Their functionalities vary for different apps. Also there is that useless trackball  which does mostly nothing as of now	One button – clear function. Menu and back always mean what they imply :)	iPhone
Text Editing: Inconsistent text editing options again varying based on the app	Text editing operations (cut,copy and paste) act the same irrespective of the app. I agree Apple has a lot of scope for improvement here.. but still	iPhone
Charger: Micro USB charger which is something that is readily available in the market. Any Micro USB wire will do :)	Apple charger – though it is available in the market in abundance, I hate to be dependent only on Stevie for charging the phone	Android
OS Upgrade: Non-upgradable OS	iPhone can support at least one major OS Update before Apple launches a non-compatible or higher configuration OS.	iPhone

Apart from these, there are some common features that work good in both iPhone and Android. They are:
1. Auto suggestion by Google for search – complete as you type option
2. Back ground Apps and Multitasking
3. Google Calendar sync -

For iPhone, configure Google Exchange server in mail
For Androids, login to your Google account to sync

4. Bookmarking Sync -

iPhone  - Safari bookmark sync option over MobileMe
Android – Google chrome bookmark sync

These are the facts that I have gathered. Do you think I have missed mentioning any feature of importance or I’m wrong anywhere or if any of the feature has now been made available in iPhone or android. Please drop me a note in comments. I’ll be happy to learn and correct mistakes if any.

Song : Maula Mera Maula - Anwar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvAPcNPXVDQ

Lyrics
Singer(s): Roop Kumar Rathod

Maula mere, maula mere maula mere, maula mere - 4
aankhein teri - 2, kitni haseen
ki inkaa aashiq, mein ban gayaa hoon
mujhako basaa le, iname tu
(ishq hai
maula mere, maula mere maula mere, maula mere - 2) - 3

ki inakaa aashiq, mein ban gayaa hoon
mujhako basaa le, iname tu

mujhase yeh har ghadi, meraa dil kahe
tum hi ho usaki aarzoo
mujhase yeh har ghadi, mere lab kahe
teri hi ho sab guftagoo
baatein teri itni haseen, main yaad inko jab kartaa hoon
phoolon si aaye, khushaboo

rakh loon chhupaa ke main kahin tujhako
saayaa bhi teraa naa main doon
rakh loon banaa ke kahin ghar, main tujhe
saath tere, main hi rahoon
julfen teri, itni ghani
dekh ke inako, yeh sochataa hoon
saaye me, inake main jiyoon
(ishq hai
maula mere, maula mere maula mere, maula mere - 2) - 3

(meraa dil yahi bolaa, meraa dil yahi bolaa,
yaara raaj yeh usane hai mujh par kholaa
ki hai ishq mohabbat, jiske dil mein
usko pasand karta hai maulaa) - 3

Ramadan Buffet at Klang Executive Club..

Last Wednesday, i went to Klang with a few friend  where we were welcomed with a Ramadhan Buffet at Klang Executive Club!









They have lotsa food around for you to choose from and i actually had like 3 rounds myself with too much temptations around!




The stalls set up by the poolside was my favorite where i had quite a lot of grilled lamb & ‘Ikan Bakar’!! Couldn’t bother much about the happening around as i was too hungry that time where i spent 2 hours earlier thinking how awesome it is to attend a Ramadhan Buffet session xD!






Too bad the soup wasn’t heated up. If not it’ll be great! Love the ‘Kuih Muih’ prepared there as well!



If you are interested, here’s the pricing for the Ramadhan Buffet that is running this Ramadhan month!
RM42 (for KEC club members)
RM48 (non-members)
RM20+ (kids & senior citizens)
Klang Executive Club is located opposite Jusco Bukit Raja, you could find the venue on Google Maps as well.
To book, call 03-33446810

Review : BlackBerry Bold 9900

RIM broke away from its standard QWERTY designs by releasing the BlackBerry Torch, the company’s first attempt at integrating a touchscreen with a keyboard. Although it may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, the Canadian firm saw firsthand how successful the touchscreen/QWERTY combination could be and has now introduced its first touch and type device, the BlackBerry Bold 9900.

The new touchscreen feature may ruffle some feathers among ‘Berry traditionalists, but RIM is keen to remedy this by blinding the doubters with its most impressive Bold specs to date. But can change be a good thing?

Design

RIM has been shouting about the BlackBerry Bold 9900’s new looks and with good reason! It has taken a step away from the safe all-black exterior and got itself some striking stainless steel sides, not dissimilar to those found on the iPhone 4. It makes the Bold 9900 look a lot sharper and the high-gloss glass-weave battery cover gives  the otherwise plain back panel a bit of edge. The QWERTY itself was a pleasure to use with the keys light to the touch and nicely spaced out to make typing a breeze.

As you would expect from a Bold device, the 9900 has a solid, premium feel and although it’s slightly bigger than its predecessor (probably to accommodate its larger screen), it’s the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone yet at 10.5mm thick.

As we already mentioned, the Bold 9900 has a bigger display at 2.8-inches which was a sensible move by RIM in order to make the touchscreen more usable. The handset is kitted out with Liquid Graphics software, powered along by the latest version of BlackBerry software OS 7, and the  quality of the resulting visuals is superb thanks to its fantastic 287 dpi resolution. BlackBerry promise the touchscreen delivers a “fast, smooth performance for highly responsive touch-based navigation” and they certainly don’t disappoint as the screen was extremely responsive. This was particularly impressive when it came to browsing as the images displayed were crystal clear. Being at the smaller end of the touchscreen scale, using the display effectively does require a good aim, however  the Bold 9900 still comes with a trusty optical trackpad to offer an alternative way of navigating around the phone.

Power and Operating System

RIM has upped the processing power significantly on the BlackBerry Bold 9900 as it sports a 1.2GHz processor. While it would be nice to see a dual-core smartphone from RIM at some point, the Bold 9900 was more than adequate when it came to processing performance and we didn’t  experience any lag when using it, something which should satisfy even the most impatient user. This is partly thanks to it having the newest BlackBerry operating system on board, BlackBerry OS 7.

Superficially, OS7 is very similar to OS6 except for the menu icons, which have been given a funky makeover to bring them up to date. As well as providing a faster user experience, OS 7 also brings a few enhanced features to the table including a voice-activated universal search and BlackBerry Balance, which separates the user’s work and personal content on the handset, meaning you can check in with the office when you like without spoiling your fun.

Internet: Another thing BlackBerry OS 7 promises is an improved browsing experience and it certainly delivered the goods. Due to the small display, you’ll need to zoom into web pages in order to read text, but the pinch to zoom function was very responsive and pages rendered in an instant. The browser doesn’t have Flash support though so you’ll have to get your video fix via the dedicated YouTube app. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 also has 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, as you’d expect from a device of its standing.

Camera: The Bold 9900 packs a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash. The picture quality was impressive with images crisp and colours vivid. We finally get HD video recording at 720p too.

Other tech specs:

• Music player – Supports MP3, eAAC+ and WMA files
• Video player – Supports MP4, WMV, H.263 and H.264 files
• NFC support
• 8GB internal memory
• 768MB RAM
• MicroSD card slot that supports cards up to 32GB
• GPS with BlackBerry Maps
• Bluetooth
• MicroUSB port
• Full version of Docs to Go

Liked

• Fast Processor
• High-Resolution Display
• OS 7

Didn't Like

• Small Touchscreen

Any downsides?

We had very few gripes with the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and it ran like a dream. We’re still not 100% convinced on the whole touch and type thing though, as a 2.8-inch touchscreen might prove a struggle to use for those lacking slender digits. While the optical trackpad can get users over that hurdle, it sort of defeats the point of the touchscreen.

Conclusion

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is arguably the best Bold handset to date. It oozes quality and this is evident in its premium build and easy to use QWERTY keyboard. However, thanks to a killer combination of a 1.2GHz processor and BlackBerry OS 7, RIM has really stepped things up a notch with this handset and has somehow managed to better what was already a top-notch device. Whether you’re looking to get your first BlackBerry or to upgrade your current one, the Bold 9900 won’t disappoint

Review : Nokia E6

Nokia’s E-series range may be aimed the enterprise side of the smartphone market but the Finnish firm has proved not everything that sports a QWERTY keyboard is strictly business.

The Nokia E6 is the successor to the Nokia E5 and as you would expect from a smartphone sequel, things only get better with a new operating system and a touchscreen heading up the improved spec list. Sure, Symbian might not be everyone’s operating system of choice but does the E6 have enough plus points to lure corporate users away from the likes of BlackBerry?

Design

Nokia proves that it certainly hasn’t lost touch when it comes to hardware as the Nokia E6 is an extremely well built piece of kit. Its solid casing is made predominantly of metal and feels like it will easily last the test of time, however, whilst it might be sturdier than flimsier materials, the metal backing highlighted scratch marks, which for us,  ruined the overall look slightly. Yes, the choice of materials may make the E6 feel heavier than its 133 gram weight, but its slim 10.5mm thick and 115.5mm wide chassis means that the device can easily slip into a pocket.

The E6 comes with a nicely spaced out full QWERTY keyboard with responsive keys that make typing quick and hassle-free. Joining the QWERTY up front is a 2.46-inch TFT LCD Gorilla Glass capacitive touchscreen which has a 640 x 480 pixel resolution and an impressive 326ppi. The images produced were crisp and colourful and the screen was responsive to the touch, however, its small size does make navigation a little on the fiddly side. The E6 is also kitted out with four shortcut keys and a D-Pad which can be used to get around the various menus if you require a bit more accuracy.

Power and Operating System

The Nokia E6 runs Symbian Anna which is a modified version of the Symbian^3 operating system and has support for touch input, a real bonus on a handset with such a small display. Whilst icons are easy enough to select, the customisable homescreens look terribly cramped. That said, the homescreen widgets are really useful and offer everything from live emails and news feeds, to Facebook and Twitter updates. As for Symbian itself, it isn’t quite as straight forward as iOS and Android but even if you’re not familiar with the user interface, it doesn’t take too long to get to grips with it.

One of the biggest let downs on the E6 had to be the 680MHz processor; the performance was noticeably sluggish when compared to similarly positioned smartphones. It baffles as to why Nokia felt 680MHz would be sufficient, especially when you consider that most mid-range smartphones now come with a 1GHz CPU. Whilst using the handset wasn’t too painful a process, we were greeted with the spinning load icon more often than we’d have liked. The handset also struggled when loading web pages with lots of content and maps.

Being an E-series device, the E6 comes with business-orientated extras including Microsoft Office synchronisation, a document creator and editor plus Microsoft Communicator Mobile, so you can stay in contact with colleagues when you’re away from your desk, albeit in a stilted, torpid fashion.

Internet: The Nokia E6 comes with both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity and although Symbian Anna promises a faster web browsing experience, it was hard to tell with the low spec processor in tow. Web browsing isn’t really the E6’s strongest point due to its small display which makes it hard to view pages in one go, so be prepared to do a lot of scrolling and zooming. As previously mentioned, the E6 sometimes struggled to load content-heavy pages quickly and scrolling was a bit jerky as a result. With Flash Lite support on board though, at least the pages looked decent enough when they eventually loaded.

Camera: The Nokia E6 comes with an 8 megapixel camera with a dual LED flash and HD video recording at 720p. It’s great to see a business phone offer a proficient snapper and the pictures produced came out looking sharp. Unfortunately though, the camera has a fixed focus lens which is a slightly odd choice for a snapper with a high megapixel count but again, the E6’s business users might not be all that fussed about having fancy imaging capabilities. There’s also a front-facing VGA camera on board too.

Other tech specs:

• Music player – Supports MP3, WMA, WAV, RA and eAAC+ files
• Media player – Supports MP4, H.263, H.264 and RV files
• 8GB internal memory
• 256MB RAM
• 1GB ROM
• MicroSD card slot that supports cards up to 32GB
• MicroUSB port
• A-GPS
• Access to the Ovi Store
• Free lifetime turn-by-turn voice navigation with Ovi Maps
• 7 hours 30 minutes talk time (3G)

 Liked

• Strong Build
• Live Homescreen Widgets
• Well-Specced Camera

  Didn't Like

• Slow Processor
• Small Touchscreen

Rating

Any downsides?

We’ve almost become accustomed to the fact that touch and type handsets will have small displays, however, you’d have expected a more powerful processor to be included to counter the concessions made in terms of screen space. Whilst it’s true that speed isn’t everything, when it came to slightly more complex tasks, the E6 crumbled under the pressure which may cause problems if you need to do something in a hurry.

Conclusion

The Nokia E6 has certainly been built to last a lengthy contract and alongside its study yet stylish design are some definite improvements on the E5. Symbian Anna does a fine job, even though the homescreens appeared cramped, and despite the sluggish processor, the E6 still manages to do everything that’s asked of it. You just might be waiting some time to do it.

For those who want a taste of the touchscreen without having to sacrifice a great keyboard, the Nokia E6 will do the trick.

Recipe : Chettinad Pepper Chicken

Generally my chicken dishes don’t turn out to taste very good but that has never kept me from trying new recipes. Yesterday I tried a different variation in chicken cooking and to my pleasant surprise came out very well. So I wanted to share the recipe. This time around, I was able to take a picture of my dish.



Ingredients:

Chicken: 1.5 lbs (get wings or drumsticks) Cleaned and cut into pieces
Whole garam masala (Cinnamon sticks: 5 inches, cloves: 4, Cardamom:2)
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Fennel seeds: 2 tsp
Onion (big): 1 finely chopped
Tomatoes: 2  finely chopped
Ginger Garlic paste: 3 tbsp (freshly ground paste gives the best taste)
Green chillies: 3 finely chopped
Ginger: 2 tsp (finely diced)
Curry leaves: 1 bunch
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder: 2 tsp
Coriander Powder: 3 tsp
Cumin Powder: 1 tsp
Black Pepper corns: 3 tsp (coarsely crushed)
Salt to taste
Oil: 3 tbsp

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add fennel seeds and let them splutter. Add finely chopped onions and sauté till they become golden brown. Make sure they turn golden brown only then they will become into a silky gravy upon cooking.
2. Add turmeric powder and Ginger Garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes off. Then add 1 tsp of diced ginger, curry leaves and chopped green chillies.
3. Add tomatoes and sauté on medium flame until they are thoroughly mashed and oil oozes out of the gravy. Cook for another minute or two, then add the chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Mix well and cook till the raw smell disappears.
4. Add chicken pieces. DO NOT add water. Chicken will ooze out water and the chicken has to cook in that. Cover and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes stirring occasionally so that the bottom doesn’t burn.
5. Check if chicken is cooked well, else add 1/4 cup of boiling water and cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Add enough boiling water to make the gravy to desired consistency and allow to boil for about 3 minutes.
6. Add the rest of diced ginger and crushed pepper corns and cook for about 1 minute. Switch the flame off and cover and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
This dish goes well with all Indian Rotis and Rice.

Do try the recipe and tell me how it came out!

Deiva Thirumagal Review

A Tamil film deserving a standing ovation after a very long time in all its production departments. Let me start with acting.
Actor Vikram is slowly getting rid of the nick name “Next Kamal” and soon people will be searching for the next Vikram. It is an entirely different genre for him. Definitely this movie will do well at box-office for him after Anniyan.

Everyone will feel the impact of the character Krishna which Vikram has portrayed, several hours after leaving the theatre. Vikram has delivered a better performance than Sean Penn in “I am Sam” right from his costume to acting. Vikram’s role of Krishna remains pivotal.

And the role of Nila played by baby Sara deserves much applause and is important next to Krishna character in the movie. The scenes involving Vikram and baby Sara, the one in the first half and the other in the climax are heart throbbing. Especially the one in the climax moves me with tears.

Next to be discussed are the roles played by Anushka, Santhanam and Nasser. I feel that next to Simran, Anushkha Shetty has the ability to fit into glamorous roles as well as the roles played by her in DT. She can render performances to the required level without over acting (which some heroines in the past next to Simran used to deliver in the name of acting). Hereafter we can expect such responsible roles too from Anushkha.

Santhanam plays the role of assistant to Anushkha. The role that Santhanam has to do is that he needs to pick subjects like this in between the flicks with his usual comedies in order to prolong his film career. Everything which he does in this movie is a part of his character. At some places he scolds Vikram which made me sympathize for the character Krishna. But that is also a part of his character

Nasser with his experience does the role with ease. But in some scenes, I felt that instead of Nasser, Prakash Raj could have played this role to provide performances to the required level. M.S.Bhaskar, Y Gee Mahendran, Amala Paul, Sachin Khedekar and Karthik Kumar who don’t have much scope in this movie have done their brief roles well.

Next person who is on cards to be lauded is G.V.Prakash  for his excellent BGM and songs. The theme “Life is Beautiful” used at apt places makes us feel more poetic. To be more specific, the climax court scene. Film by film, GVP is earning reputation not only for him but also for his uncle maestro A.R.Rahman.  

Cinematography by Nirav Shah provides us a visual treat. A sample for this is the song “Vizhigazhil”. Both GVP and Nirav Shah have equally supported by Na. Muthu Kumar’s lyrics.  

And finally it is about the captain, director Vijay who has to be lauded a lot for a clean, decent family entertainer. With this movie Vijay joins the club of decent film makers in which Radha Mohan is the only member so far. Vijay has proved once again that he is capable of delivering decent movies appealing to both family audiences and youngsters. Emotion starts right from the situation the baby calls the character Krishna “appa”. From then onwards, no negative comments in the theatre. In spite of Anushkha and Santhanam being part of this movie, there is no glamour or no double meaning dialogues. Director has helped them bring out their acting skills. It is a complete image change for them. Vijay has conquered the minds of people with a heart touching movie in the period of Madurai based films and mass films. A kind request to Vijay is to do movies in different genre without losing his identity as a decent film maker
  

Google+, Facebook, Friend Groups, Social Strata, Integral x power x dx!

Interestingly we live in a world where people share stuff over the open internet and then worry about the privacy implications of their actions. With the spurt in the number of social networking sites available on the web, people are getting increasingly nervous about who gets to view their “I am feeling sleepy” posts or the pictures of their Chihuahuas. We had MySpace (Remember? The first big player in the social space. What a sad story), Orkut, Facebook and now the new kid on the block Google+.

I am barely four days old on the Google+ network and here are my first “privacy” impressions. 

Google+ gets it mostly accurate when it comes to grouping your contact lists as per the social status they enjoy from your perspective. So it is now possible to post something on your Google+ profile that is visible to your first cousins and not to your workplace colleagues. In other words you can divide (with overlaps) your contacts into social circles. For instance, I have a social circle called “International Multi-cultural Acquaintances”. I understand this feature is available in Facebook as well by means of a well hidden option called “Lists”. However the big difference between Facebook Lists and Google+ Circles is that you have to click on the name of the list in Facebook and then start typing the message while in Google+ you type the message first and then select who gets to see it. I guess it is a matter of personal preference. I find Google’s way of managing this whole messy affair better than Facebook’s. 

Also managing the social circles in Google+ is relatively easy thanks to a very intuitive user interface. Managing Facebook lists on the other hand is akin to solving an Integro-differential equation!

Having said that, I completely agree with the notion that “Social Grouping” is still a difficult concept to comprehend. Neither service is easy to understand as far as grouping the contacts is concerned. I have been reading a lot of articles on this issue since times immemorial and have listened to various user interface experts opining that whoever gets to nail this challenge will rule the world.

Here’s where I differ. Maybe it is true that if you ever find an easy way to manage the various perspective strata that your contacts belong to, you will be a hero. But wait a second! Have you tried doing this in real life? Is it really that easy in real life to manage? 

Let us take a hypothetical scenario. You have a job. You have a family. You have your fair share of friends, acquaintances, enemies and stalkers. Now that you have bought a new apartment, you want to share this news with everyone. How do you plan to do it? 

Option 1: Call each one of your friends/family individually and tell him or her about it. It takes a while but you are sure of who gets to know it. (They can whisper it to their neighbour. You have absolutely no control over it.) 

Social Web Corollary: Post private messages to your friends and family individually. These posts are visible only to the recipient in question. (They can post it again on their space. You have no control.) 

Option 2: Call for a get together. Invite your friends and family. Or wait for an occasion where everyone is present. Now get onto the podium and shout at the top of your lungs. All your friends and family members get the update instantly. (They can now go back and over a couple of beers share it with total strangers as far as you are concerned. Again, no control!) 

Social Web Corollary: You get the idea. If not, stop reading this post and go back to the rock you’ve been living under! 

Option 3: Go to the nearest election campaign meeting. Shove aside the speaker. Grab the mike and announce your update. Everyone knows instantly. Ensure CNN is covering the event live!

Social Web Corollary: Post a public note for the entire world to see. 

Now, let us take a look at the first option. Whom to tell? How do you get the list? You have to prepare it – Most likely you will do it mentally and know instantly who should be getting the update. But it is still mostly a one on one information exchange at a time. It gets viral and everyone in your family gets the update. In this process quite a few people that you couldn’t care less about will also get to know about your new house. You can’t do anything about it. No privacy “setting” can actually prevent information leakage.

In the second option you have to grapple with the challenge of deciding who should be invited to the party! In the corollary, who should be invited to your social circle!

The truth is, most of these “issues” that are getting highlighted these days thanks to the mushrooming social networking sites are nothing new. You and I have been “solving” these issues day in and day out since our fifth grade. We just need to lean back, relax and use the same judgment criteria to group our online contact list. It is not an easy exercise. It has never been easy to understand which perspective strata our friends and acquaintances group into. It is incredibly difficult. In real life as well as on the internet. 

So where’s the coffee? It is time to wake up and smell it.

The actual feature review of Google+ at a later point in time. 

Don' Sit - We don't need Android at Home!!

Contagious stuff !

Not just colds and swine flu, but...

1. Yawning
This is MOST contagious. Amazing how one yawns and immediately, the next person too does. I have asked some folks including doctors why this is so, but no real answers seem available. Even whilst talking on the phone, if I yawn, the person at the other end miles and miles away, also yawns!

2. Crying
Guess this is for the 'weepier' souls, but usually, if someone cries -- really heartfelt and reasonable tears, I automatically feel MY water tap opening up. Very embarrassing and really, not of any help or use. But, there it is.

3. Snapping
Snap at someone and see them snap back. Usually. Except for the highly calm folks (know very few myself and these are people who merely clam up as opposed to handling it maturely...which is WHAT I don't know!).

4. Smiles

Whether they are contagious or not, they ought to be returned and therefore termed contagious. Else...how rude!

5. Giggles

Giggles are not really contagious. In fact, I do know that they can really bug some people. You, know, the non-gigglers who in fact, can unknowingly cause more giggling. When I as a giggler come across an extremely straight face whilst in the middle of a big giggle session, things just get more giggle-worthy! Anyway, I can feel at least a smile coming on if I chance upon gigglers (unless of course, they are giggling at ME. Then, 'Hmph' to them).