Aperture Closed. Now What?

The inevitable finally happened. Apple's in-house pro photography software, Aperture, is being phased out and will be replaced by their new Photos app come Fall 2014. As a photog enthusiast who has relied on Apple's solution for image editing and cataloguing on my Mac, this news obviously made me a little sad. Although as I mentioned I wasn't completely surprised since there had been no significant updates to the software in a while now.

Logically the next step for me would be to explore other software solutions (ones that won't be phased out anytime soon!) and begin expiring my photos to said alternative. Folks tuned into the image editing realm would know that the direct competitor to Apple's Aperture is S/W behemoth Adobe's Lightroom. So i've been spending the better part of this Saturday morning exploring the various pricing options on this puppy.

Now ever since Adobe introduced their Subscription based service, i.e. Adobe Creative Cloud (CC for short), stand-alone software licences are becoming a thing of the past. In a way it's not entirely a bad deal considering that the subscription gives you a lot more compared to the stand-alone software licence.

However at the end of the day you are going to pay much more for the software in the long run. In Singapore the stand alone software cost is 193 SGD whereas the monthly subscription to Creative Cloud is 13 SGD. Although the latter appears cheaper at first glance, you begin to realise that the stand-alone price is a not time deal which you can consider recovered within a year and a half when compared to the cost of the CC subscription (which requires a yearly commitment or a one time annual fee)

Making matters a tad more monopolistic is the fact that a few key features are not available when the software is bought with a stand-alone licence. The biggest one (at least for me) integration of the desktop software with it's iPad/iPhone counterpart. This was one of the main reasons I was initially attracted to Lightroom (way back in March) as an alternative to Aperture.

So here's my dilemma. Should I spend the big bucks now and get the stand-alone licence for Lightroom or should I bow to Adobe's "Creative" push and go the subscription route. Looking at the current limelight that Adobe has been giving their Creative Cloud solution, I wouldn't be surprised when eventually the stand-alone licence purchase model may cease to exist altogether.  So really I believe it's only a matter of time that my decision would be made for me!

Haiti Needs You

On Tuesday, January 12th 2010, the Caribbean island of Haiti was ravaged by a 7.0 earthquake. The natural calamity has claimed numerous lives and injured countless others. Additionally scores of government structures, hospitals, schools and homes have been devastated.

The nation of Haiti is an impoverished one and as such in dire need of global aid for rehabilitation programs. Charity organizations across the globe have started several programs to facilitate aid to the tragic stricken country. These noble causes require our participation to help make the effort a success.

For most of us the most valuable resource we can donate is money. Your contribution need not be equivalent to a huge lottery amount. Remember small drops form a mighty ocean.

There are several ways and many legitimate organizations that can accept your generous contribution. A few of the most prominent organizations have been listed below -

Google's Disaster Relief Program
Red Cross
World Vision International
UNICEF
Yele Haiti
Friends Of WFP


So let's come forward and help our fellow humans in Haiti.

PlayTOONS

Playboy, Hugh Hefner's brainchild, was in the news a few weeks ago. And if you've been reading my posts, you'd know exactly why!

The Lifestyle magazine made headlines on 9th Ocotober, 2009, when they announced that Marge Simpson, the matriarch from the famous animated sitcom, "The Simpsons" would be on their November cover. For those who are unfamiliar with the publication (because they were too busy living in the 19th century!), Playboy has been a favorite among men (and even some women) for it's 'tasteful' photography and it's infamous centerfolds.

This new direction by the magazine certainly changed the ball-game and this blogger began seeing things in a completely different light. For starters I started thinking of other potential female doodles, anime, cartoons (basically anything that was drawn!) who could be future Playboy centerfolds.

Here's a list (in increasing order of preference) of some toons that I think would make for some cool covers and centerfolds!

 Leela
The one-eyed mutant from Futurama (also from the creator of The Simpsons!) sure packs a mean punch on the show. But when it comes to being a seductive diva, this future gal is a one wicked cat!








Smurfette
The blue-skinned blonde female smurf is perhaps the most sought after in Smurfville. Wonder what would happen if she did the full-monty. What say Papa Smurf?


 



Olive Oyl
The 'voluptuous' love-interest of our very Popeye has been the object of contention between the sailor man and his rival, Bluto. Imagine what would happen if they got to really see their gal!


 


 
Betty Boop
Ah, a vintage toon finally. For all those who enjoy experienced and mature women, you can't go wrong with this lovely lass from the 1930s






Jessica Rabbit
And finally we have a true contender for the next centerfold, the absolutely stunning, dazzlingly beautiful and incredibly sultry wife of Roger Rabbit from the movie Who Framed Roger Rabit? With her on the cover, who needs anything else!







So if you see any of these toon divas on an issue of Playboy, you know who to thank!

PS: Do tell me which other famous toon you'd like to see make the pages of Playboy by leaving a comment to this post.

A Day That Will Live In Infamy

Dateline: October 9th 2009; Location The US of A: One day, three events, each as different as can be from the other, yet equally bizarre and newsworthy.

The day began with the anticipated NASA mission to bombard the surface of the moon with the LCROSS spacecraft. The impact was to happen at around 1700 hrs IST and pretty much was on schedule.
The mission objective was to uncover the presence of any water-ice. Why you ask? Well the presence of water in any form could prove useful to sustain life on the earth's natural satellite, thereby allowing colonization. Sounds very philmy, yet could be considered a major breakthrough if accomplished and who knows, you grand-children might just be able to send you to the moon literally!


The second bit of news, which started making it's way through the Internet (courtesy Twitter!) was the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2009, to the nine-month President Of The United States, Barack Obama for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." The diplomat that he is, President Obama was quick to mention that the award was less about recognition and more about a call to action. Yeah Right! This decision has obviously met with vast criticism by many. In fact if you do a search for "Obama Nobel Peace Prize" on Google, you get a search prompt for jokes on the topic and some of these are pretty hilarious!


But the most hilarious piece of news that surfaced yesterday (of which I learnt only this morning!) was that Marge Simpson, the blue haired mother of "The Simpsons" fame will be posing for the November Issue of Playboy! Although it will be a non-nude centerfold spread, the fact is that a cartoon will be featured on the cover of Playboy! I can just imagine the fans going ga-ga over the prospect of viewing their favorite cartoon mom, do the Full Monty! More on this particular piece of news later, because this definitely deserves a separate post!




So there you have it, three very different stories from the Land Of Opportunity!

Blame It On Rio!

Even as the citizens of Rio celebrate the IOC's decision to host the 2016 Olympics in their city, closer home, in Delhi, the powers that be are struggling to meet the deadlines for the 2010 Common Wealth Games. With a day less than a whole year (that's 364 days in case you were wondering!), many of the planned projects are way behind schedule. 


The tensions are apparent as government officials are touring the project sites personally to get the true status at the ground level. Interruptions are present at all levels of preparations. Work on the new stadia, increasing the city's hotel accommodations, connecting the various venues, housing proper medical infrastructure are some of the prime concerns which are yet to be finalized or in some cases even established. 


The work underway in the national capital will result in a more urbanized and infrastructure sound metropolis. With 47 fly-overs, additional AC buses, new routes for the metro and mush more, Delhi is all set for a major make-over for the mega sporting event, which will sustain long after the games end. But the flowery image is far from reality and is haunted by many constraints ranging from financial to the political.


The last major international event of any note that the city hosted were the Asiad Games in 1982. Clearly the large void in between has been a cause for the "Kumbhakarana" approach for this event. It's time the officials and authorities got their act straight and started crossing some milestones instead of indulging in bureaucratic debates and blame games.


The clock is ticking and the world is watching. So, here's hoping that the people that matter do what matters most!

The Statue of Poverty!

The world has been reeling under severe economic depression for the past few months. Our nation has also felt the gloom and experienced several financial setbacks. To make matters worse, the delayed monsoon has further complicated the plight of our agrarian economy. The state of Maharsahtra, the worst hit due to the irregular monsoons, apart from many other issues is also insanely cash strapped. So what is the solution for the drought hit Maratha-land? According to the state's ingenious government, a Rs. 350 crore (3.5 billion).

The statue, an election promise by the congress-NCP alliance, way back in 2004, will be green-lit pretty soon as the state has already sanctioned the funding for the same and only awaits a nod from the environmental lobby. The reason for undertaking this project? A tribute to the greatest Maratha, who shaped the destiny of this state. Having studied about this Maratha legend in school, I am well aware of his valor, brilliance and sacrifice. There is no doubt that his contribution commands greater respect than many others and so rightly deserves some form of momument dedicated in his memory. However, a gigantic statue in the middle of the sea is not what I would deem appropriate.

At a time when agriculture is taking a severe beating due to seasonal and geo-political reasons, this project seems frivolous. The previous year, the nation was shocked to learn about the suicides of hundreds of debt-ridden farmers from our state. Perhaps the funding allotted to this "prestigious" project could find its way into the houses of the families of these sons of the soil. The money could be used to pay-off the financial institutions and give the other agri-men a fresh start.

There is a parallel argument being made by proponents of the statue that the cost of the statue is a fraction of the cost which was borne for the recent MSRDC mega-project, the Bandra-Wroli Sea-Link. Although they hold some merit in their line of thought, comparing the sea-link to the statue is akin to comparing apples and oranges! the sea-link, albeit without the high toll, is a great addition to the heavily clogged asphalt arteries of the metropolis.

One could argue that the proposed 371 ft. monument (the statue of Liberty in New York towers at a mere 305 ft.!) could serve as a major tourist destination and rake in some serious phoren and desi moolah. Hmmm...somehow, I don't see a tourist from Denver, Colorado (or for that matter from Vikhroli, Mumbai) travelling all the way to Mumbai, struggling through the city's ill- maintained roads, making his way through a crowded Virar local, walking amidst piles of open garbage, dealing with incourteous authorities to come and take a fleeting glance at a statue.

Now I'm no economist, but as an employed bloke, I know simple household budgeting and money management 101 clearly states that when you are broke, you don't squander on lavish purchases. Considering the cost that would be borne for a monument of this magnitude and the alternate outlets for the money, the state government should seriously rethink their "patriotic" decision.

The Big Bad Wolf

The children's story of the Three Little Pigs is a staple among elementary schools in most parts of the world. Who among us is unaware of the might of the huff and puff of the big bad wolf? The story taught us that hard work can overcome any obstacle, no matter how hairy!

The pigs' fable has taken on a whole new meaning in the last few days. I am of course referring to the "dreaded" pandemic "The Swine Flu". Ever since the first outbreak in the United States some months ago, the H1N1 Influenza Virus (HIV!!!) has brought much grief to governments and people across the globe. India and her billion strong population is no exception to this phenomenon. With double digit confirmed cases of infection, that keep spiralling upward, and an alarming fatality count, the Swine Flu has been officially declared as an epidemic in the nation.

But apart from the immediate effects of the disease, there are quite a few after and side-effects that should be considered at this point.

An interesting turn of events that has taken place is the government's decision to take-over the reins from the private medical establishments with a view to expedite the "healing" process. Now don't get me wrong, but government hospitals aren't exactly havens for patients and are most definitely not the best kept or well-maintained hospitals in this country. To hand-over power to them during such an epidemic is questionable at the least. Spurious medicines, unhygienic environments and a apathetic staff are just some of the many highlights of government-run medical establishments.

Although fatal, the virus can be contained and cured if detected at the opportune moment. Which means that the prospects aren't as gloomy as many rumor mongers would have you believe. In fact, statistically you'd have a better chance of being involved in a automobile accident than being diagnosed with the Swine Flu! But paranoia always dwarfs logic and reason. The daily news reports and over the top media attention has made citizens run to their local (and in some cases international) chemists and stock up on Tamiflu, paracetemol-based medicines and the notorious face mask. The result? Chronic Supply and Panic Demand leading to a severe shortage.We might think this doesn't seem too bad, but when you consider the fact that deserving patients are being deprived of the needed supplies, we realize the perils of this panic state.

Then there are those who discover the inner "Entrepreneur" at such trying times. Middle-men are buying off face-masks in bulk from chemists and medical suppliers at the standard rates and then selling the masks at absurdly high prices in the retail market. Their argument, why not make a fast buck when the opportunity presents itself?

The virus is fast becoming a threat to the safety of the nation. Due precautions, timely diagnosis and a calm demeanour are our best weapons against the big Bad Wolf of a Disease. But what about the other small bad wolves that are roaming freely and probably will do so long after the pandemic is contained...?

The Big Layoff!

A few weeks ago, when Satyam found a new owner in Tech Mahindra, this blogger had mentioned that despite all the brouhaha, testing times were certain for the fateful employees of the Hyderabad based beleaguered software firm. With this latest piece of official news that fear has been confirmed!

The new management has identified 10,000 Satyam employees, deemed 'surplus', who will be in the line of fire in the weeks to come as "Right-Sizing" is the order of the day.
It seems the defamed founder, B Ramalinga Raju hired employees with the intention of driving up the revenue and profits. Obviously that will no longer help the scandal hit firm, so the Tech Mahindra executives have decided to start trimming the excess fat.

Targeting mostly middle and junior level employees, Tech M hopes to provide soft options in the guise of sabbaticals and inter-company recruitment via job fairs.Already variable pay has been cut across the organization since April and further pay-cuts would not be surprising.
To make matters worse, Satyam has already witnessed exits from many prominent clients and is in deep crisis as many more are to follow suit. Bottomlines have already become a major concern and further lay-offs seem not just imminent but inevitable.

With 10K employees about to hit the recruitment scene, this exodus is bound to have ripple effects extending across the industry.

IPL 2.0

The second season of the Indian Premier League came to a grand end on Sunday 24th May 2009 with the Deccan Chargers emerging as the champions. The Chargers, who finished in the bottom half last season, rebounded this time with a stunning performance and waged a final battle against another underdog team, The Bangalore Royal Challengers, to win the coveted title for this season.
The final match took place in the capital city, Johanessburg, of the hosting nation, South Africa.

The Delhi Dare Devils and Chennai Super Kings held their respective grounds till the semis while last year's champions, Rajasthan Royals didn't even make it to that stage!

Apart from the adrenaline packed exhibition of new-age cricketing, the tournament is a testament to the financial acumen of the BCCI. The IPL is a money making juggernaut that just doesn't quit. Even with a shift in the venue from India to South Africa due to the lack of security provisions in light of the General Elections, the money from the sponsors just kept pouring in! One can easily gauge the significance of this sporting spectacle from the fact that a major telecommunications service provider scheduled the unveiling of their new mascot to coincide with it!

The six week long cricketing extravaganza has been a grand success in terms of revenue generation and viewership. With everyone including the BCCI, the team owners, the sponsors and the broadcasting partners laughing all the way to the bank, the IPL success story is sure to feature in Management Case Studies sooner or later!

The Indian Elections '09

They must've done something right in the last five years, because they're back with a bang. Yes the Indian Election Results are out and the UPA has been re-elected into government!

The winning alliance secured 256 seats in the LS polls. Their challengers, the NDA came a distanct second with 164 seats. The UPA secured leads in most of the larger states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, strenghtening their hold over newer constituencies.

However the Congress alone,with 200 seats, is a formidable presence in the Lok Sabha. This dominance translates into the much needed freedom to take decisions without the interferene and demands of their allies within the UPA. In fact the degree of their dominance suggests that this time around the pesky allies would have no option but to fall in line. For the people this would hopefully mean a leaner and more efficient governement.

Interestingly, statistics show that the voter turn out this time around has been abyssmally low. This could suggest that the re-election of the UPA is a sign of apathy and the unwillingness of the people of this nation to vote for a change. One can only hope that the new, or rather old governemnt makes good of it's second innings and brings about some much required changes.

Re-electing an administration, that has been successful in it's previous term, is always a good thing. But the measure of success is rather subjective and may be percieved differently by different people. That's what they call democracy! So it remains to be seen whether the re-election fo the UPA is in fact an indicator of its past performance and future potential or simply choosing the lesser of two evils!

Anyhow, the histrionics, pomp and chaos of the elections are over and finally the tamasha has come to an end...or has it?

Oracle Buys Sun - Another one bites the dust!

Database giant Oracle announced Monday that it will buy Sun Microsystems for $9.50 per share—roughly $7.4 billion. The two companies reached an agreement after an unsuccessful bid by IBM fell short at $9.40 per share.Oracle will use a combination of cash and borrowed money to pay for the purchase, which will cost Oracle $5.6 billion after taking into account Sun's debt and cash holdings.
Oracle predicted the merger will increase its annual operating income by $1.5 billion and add at least 15 cents per share to net income in its first year.
Oracle is a software and services company, best known for advanced database management software used by many of the world's largest enterprises. Sun produces both hardware and software. It produces Solaris, a popular version of the Unix operating system. Sun is also the creator of Java, a software language and development system that runs on hundreds of millions of devices, ranging from mainframe computers to cellphones. Sun makes server computers that use its own Sparc processor chips, but also makes machines that run processors from Intel Corp. In addition, Sun makes data storage gear, competing against HP and EMC Corp. of Hopkinton.Purchasing Sun confirms this shift by enlarging Oracle’s middleware business. More importantly, the deal means Oracle now goes up against IBM and HP in selling servers.
The Sun Solaris operating system is the leading platform for the Oracle database. With the acquisition of Sun, Oracle can optimize the Oracle database for some of the unique, high-end features of Solaris. With it's latest conquest, Oracle plans to offer a broad range of products, including servers and storage, with all the integrated pieces: hardware operating system, database, middleware and applications.
As became apparent with the acquisition of PeopleSoft in January 2005, Oracle has made acquisitions an important component of its growth strategy.Apart from the high-profile acquisitions which include BEA Systems, PeopleSoft, Hyperion and iflex, the behemoth has also swallowed whole numeorus other IT enterprises and has been expanding it's tentacles across the IT spectrum.
Oracle last major purchase was BEA Systems, which strengthened the former's foothold in middleware technologies. The BEA purchase meant Oracle was now selling middleware, or software that acts as a bridge between different applications. This put the company in competition against other middleware companies such as IBM.
The deal also has a significant financial implications. Already shares of Oracle stock closed down 24 cents at $18.82 after the news, while Sun Microsystems stock rose $2.46 to $9.15, both on the Nasdaq stock exchange. However the biggest and most obvious question is the extent of "Rightsizing". Industry analysts estimate that Oracle’s cost savings from Sun operations suggest job cuts of up to 10,000 workers from Sun’s payroll of more than 30,000.
Oracle's appetite for acquisitions may seem insatiable, but one has to marvel at the sheer size of this IT stalwart. What began as a databse company, today stands tall as a paragon of end to end solutions provider. As a matter of fact, that is the ultimate goal of this gargantuan beast, to provide an highly integrated and equally secure solution to all its customers.

But with this latest buy, has Oracle bitten off more than it can chew?

Satyam has a new Daddy!

After months of speculation and debate, the Mahindra & Mahindra Infotech arm, Tech Mahindra has won the bid for the scandal hit Satyam with its valuation of Rs. 58 per share. Tech Mahindra's offer beat industry favorite L&T's Rs. 49 per share and Wilbur Ross's Rs. 20.
The current price of the shares (at the time of this blog post) wastrading at Rs. 48.85.
L&T, which was the front-runner for the Satyam acquisition said that their maximum bid for the tainted software giant would have been Rs. 55 in any event. One of the factors for the price cap was the fact that L&T had purchased additional stake at a higher price.
For the 47000 odd staffers at Satyam, not all is hunky-dory as Tech Mahindra has been subtly mentioning the 'F' word. Pink slips could be a possibility considering the investment made by the latter for the acquisition and no opposition is expected from the Government on this front.
Although Tech M has won the bid, they are well aware that the real battle has just begun. Right from synergising the business practices to settling the pedning lawsuits, Tech M has a long and arduous journey ahead.
Will the most talked about acquisition of the year be also the most successful one? Time will tell!

The Death of Democracy

The Samajwadi Party (SP), headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav released its manifesto over the weekend. Nothing unusual as this is the election season and all potential candidates are making promises to the ‘aam’ janta to secure their vote. But the provisions, rather promises in the SP’s manifesto make for a shocking read. SP wants to curb and in some instances remove the usage of computers. They also want to abolish English – Medium Schools. Their argument, these actions would create a level playing field for all and generate jobs.
I can’t really speak for the whole country but I am sure that the urban population is probably outraged or at least gravely concerned.
Take a look at the statistics of the English language alone:
· Over 700 million people, speak English, as a foreign language
· More than half of the world's technical and scientific periodicals are in English
· English is the medium for 80% of the information stored in the world's computers
Speaking fluent English is one of the major competitive edges that India possesses over China, in the service industry. Moreover a well educated workforce makes India an attractive prospect for foreign business investments.
As far as the use of computers are concerned, perhaps the people at SP should be given a tour of the may InfoTech campuses across the country! The Information Technology (IT) industry in India is one of the fastest growing industries with valuable brand equity in the global markets. The IT industry in India comprises of software industry and information technology enabled services (ITES), which also includes business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. India is considered as a pioneer in software development and a favorite destination for IT-enabled services. The IT sector is perhaps one of the major components of our nation’s revenue machinery. Even outside the IT sector computers have enabled to streamline many business processes. The biggest example of course is the government’s own Indian Railways. Banning the use of computers wherever manual work is possible is nothing short of placing the country back into the Stone Age!
The party has also proclaimed an end to mechanized farming and high corporate salaries. I might be able to make peace with the latter, but the same argument stands for mechanized farming as it does for the use of computers. Considering that India is still an agrarian economy, the use of technology would greatly aid the nation’s agricultural productivity and output.
It seems that the party has taken its party symbol (a bicycle) a little too literally and is now intending to bring us all to the good old days of the pre-independence era!