They invent, we innovate

There’s a difference between developing innovative technology and using existing technology innovatively, claims a tech fan.

BC: Where were you last night?

AD: Out partying with my cousin Arun...

BC: You seem to have started the New Year celebrations rather early this year.

AD: Well, the binges began a long time ago. We weren't sure if the world was coming to an end and hence decided not to take chances.

BC: So who's going to take charge of technology's safe passage into 2013 if you're going to be partying endlessly?

AD: Oh, don't worry about it. Now that your generation has crossed over and has begun using mobiles, handicams and iPods, it is an indication that technology's safe and sound.

BC: I don't believe you said that!

AD: Of course, a few are yet to come to terms with how things work. I have an old aunt who chides her maid for giving her missed calls because she thinks even missed calls to her mobile are charged.

BC: I’m speechless…

AD: Millions of Indians are, and yet manage to keep communication going without saying a word…

BC: Sign language? SMS?

AD: No, through missed calls. You can call it a silent revolution, but India is probably the only country where a missed call could have so many interpretations – from ‘reached safe’ to ‘call back’ or ‘buy something on your way back’…

BC: Free but effective, huh?

AD: When it comes to using existing technology innovatively, we seem to have a knack of finding newer ways of doing things.

BC: My neighbours used missed calls to communicate specific messages - one ring to keep the tea ready, two rings to open the door and so on.

AD: I recall my college friends who had hired an apartment and used to program their TV to act as an alarm clock.

BC: How did they do that?

AD: By setting the timer on for a specific time in the morning. The TV would switch on by itself and would blast in full volume, waking up everyone in the house.

BC: It reminds me of the washing machines in Punjab and Chandigarh that are used to make lassi!

AD: It’s hard to say which deserves more plaudits, the lassi or the machine…

BC: What about the knife sharpener that uses a cycle wheel? Who would have thought pedalling a cycle would result in sharpening a knife?

AD: Looks like India's progress is truly being made on wheels...

BC: Talking of wheels, rural India has created its own transport based on the world's oldest set of wheels...

AD: What’s so novel about a bullock cart?

BC: Add an engine from a water pump, a plank of wood and a set of tyres to it - and you have a multi utility vehicle for a large family. It's called a Maruta, derived from the name Maruti.

AD: One thing seems to be common to all these innovations - they are earthy and come from necessity.

BC: That's also proof that you don't need a lab, a Ph. D. degree and millions of dollars of funding to innovate. All you need is a different perspective and a drive to reach your goal.

AD: Ah, the sermon begins...

BC: No, that’s the reason why India never feared the end of the world.

AD: Really?

BC: Absolutely! We were always confident that even if the earth came to a standstill, we'd find a way to crank-start the planet and keep it moving. 

Adding dimensions to sound

A tech fan revels in new audio technology that will even make the superstar go, “How is it?”

AD: Hi, so how did you celebrate yesterday?

BC: If you’re referring to the 12-12-12 date…

AD: No, Chennai had a lot to cheer about yesterday. It became the first Indian city to play host to the Dolby Atmos technology, the latest in cinema sound…

BC: Who would have thought that there would be something superior to surround sound?

AD: Imagine sitting in a theatre with 128 audio tracks filling the theatre, with voices and music coming at you from 64 speakers located at various positions...  And the audio you hear is based on the position of the images on screen…

BC: So the sound moves along with the visual…

AD: yes, an object’s location on screen is mapped by the technology – and the sound pertaining to that specific location is played. It’s known as object oriented sound.

BC: How does this play out in a theatre?

AD: There will be two rows of speakers above the audience as well, in addition to the other speakers that are strategically placed in the theatre. These help sound travel across the theatre hall to give a 360 degree feel and make the audio a lot more realistic…

BC: I can imagine the entire horror movie factory licking its lips in anticipation of scaring the audiences more than ever. But what about theatres that have invested in 5.1 and 7.1 surround?

AD: Atmos can help create audio tracks to suit various formats…

BC: Sound has travelled a long way, literally and figuratively. Not too long ago, I recall theatres advertising stereophonic sound, when speakers were played in full blast for impact - and shattered our ear drums...

AD: Then came 5.1 surround, with five main channels and a low frequency channel…

BC: 7.1 surround came after that, right? So all the movies and the theatres they’re releasing in will adopt this technology?

AD: To start with, around 50 theatres across the country will be equipped with the Atmos technology. As for movies, only a few have tried it out, Disney-Pixar’s ‘Brave’ being the first to do so. Incidentally, the Life of Pi had also used this technology, but…

BC: …since Atmos has just come to India, we ended up seeing it our regular Dolby Digital surround.

AD: Right! Dolby and Pixar are becoming a winning combination when it comes to technology.  It was Pixar’s Toy Story 3 that saw the introduction of the Dolby Surround 7.1 system. A couple of years later…

BC: …Atmos was featured for the first time in Pixar’s Brave.

AD: But 2013 holds much promise, with Warner Bros bringing out the next edition of the Star Trek series using this audio format.

BC: 5.1 and 7.1 are now available for home entertainment too. What about Atmos?

AD: Right now, it’s restricted to theatres, but let’s hope…

BC: You said Chennai’s got a lot to cheer about. What else…

AD: Well, you must have seen the Tamil movie Sivaji, around 4-5 years ago. It’s back in 3D and incorporates the Atmos technology – the first Indian film to do so.

BC: I can understand remastering the film in 3D, but how did they change the audio to the Atmos format?

AD: Chennai’s not only got India’s first theatre that supports Atmos, but also the country’s first studio with the knowhow for handling the technology.

BC: It is said that a technological revolution is always announced from the rooftops. In this case, with all those speakers in the ceiling, they’re literally doing it. 

Thanks for the cyber week

Once every year, technology magically transforms a week into a cyber week, claims a tech fan.

BC: Hi, did you finally buy that camera you were looking for?

AD: Yes, I had messaged my friend Mukund in the US - he got me a fabulous Nikon camera on Black Friday.

BC: Huh?

AD: It’s the day after Thanksgiving Day, when the festive shopping spree begins…

BC: So what’s black about it?

AD: A few years ago, the shopping crowds and the traffic on that day gave the American authorities and the police such a tough time that they began referring to it as Black Friday…

BC: Sounds like the various sale events we have here for New Year and Diwali…

AD: The big difference is that a lot of action has shifted to the net – the online version is called Cyber Black Friday.

BC: Technology... and Thanksgiving!

AD: Absolutely. Millions thank technology for the websites and apps that indicate the best deals and the nearest outlets where they are available…

BC: I heard that most malls and outlets have begun opening shutters on Thanksgiving night…

AD: Yup, that’s why Thanksgiving Day is also known as Cyber Thursday.

BC: With people deciding to binge on deals instead, several turkeys must have felt relieved… Guess a Cyber Thursday would help beat the rush of a Cyber Black Friday…

AD: Absolutely, Friday gets pretty manic - many websites and apps crash because of the online traffic. That would explain why most avid shoppers decide to shop on Cyber Thursday. However, for those who are more interested in their Thanksgiving dinner, Small Business Saturdays are always there…

BC: What’s that – a day for small businesses to sell their products?

AD: That’s right. While this is mostly a local event, technology - as always - lends a shoulder to promote the event through social media. Small businesses are offered web pages and online advertising opportunities free of cost to reach out to potential customers, and to offer discounts and coupons…

BC: So what comes after – Cyber Sunday?

AD: Well, Cyber Sunday exists, but it’s a pay-per-view freestyle wrestling event. Instead of chasing deals, you’ll be watching hulks chase each other inside a ring. The idea is to relax and wait for Cyber Monday, which has become one of the most happening online shopping events of the year…

BC: Don’t people have to go to work after the long weekend?

AD: They do, and quite a few of them have tried to shop online from their workplace... There have been cases of employees being fired for shopping while at work.

BC: Imagine looking for deals over the weekend and looking for a job on Monday!

AD: You bet! And as a follow up to Cyber Monday, Australian companies have added another day to the online shopping spree, called…

BC: Cyber Tuesday. Look at the brighter side of it – at least, you don’t have to get fired from work on a Monday.

AD: The real bright spot to the day is actually a concept known as Giving Tuesday – after all your splurging, you could get on to a social media site on Tuesday and donate to charity...

BC: A nice way to atone for one’s greed. Why do I get the feeling that you’ve missed out on something…?

AD: There’s a Cyber Wednesday too, thanks to companies that want to stretch the shopping bonanza for the entire week…

BC: Reminds me of the life of Solomon Grundy – the only difference is that by the end of the week, you would want to bury your credit card instead. 

Technology to the rescue

There are times when technology kicks up a storm – and times when it helps handle one, claims a young techie.

BC: Hi, it’s sad to see the trees missing in your neighbourhood…

AD: Blame it on Nilam - she took quite a few with her.

BC: But her big sister seems to have created a lot more havoc in the US…

AD: Sandy? Some of my friends in New York and New Jersey had a tough time. There was no power for a week – and you know how almost everything there runs on electricity…

BC: With half the country shutting down, wonder how the media went to work…

AD: It was technology that saved the day. Smartphones captured images and videos, social networking sites became message boards, blogs ran articles while Twitter messages gave regular updates… In short, the local residents turned journalists and offered updates by the minute.

BC: But how does one verify that the news they give is authentic?

AD: You’re right. At times, rumours and fake news did the rounds. For instance, someone had posted that the New York Stock Exchange was flooded. This was picked up by many and re-tweeted so many times that even major news agencies believed it...

BC: I remember residents becoming journalists for a local tabloid in my neighbourhood… So, such collaborative efforts existed even before technology arrived.

AD: It’s not just about local tabloids – even TIME magazine decided to capture Sandy through mobile cameras and uploaded the images on Instagram…

BC: I think one of those images made it to the cover of the magazine, right?

AD: Right! And with social media coming in, the role of technology in disaster relief has become more prominent. Take every natural disaster that has struck us in the past few years, like the earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand last year, or the floods in Thailand…

BC: Good to know that people use Facebook for better things than wishing their spouse a happy anniversary…

AD: No kidding! Reports have it that Instagram had as many as 10 images with the hashtag #sandy being uploaded every second.

BC: For once, the general public wouldn’t have minded being bombarded with updates and messages…

AD: Well, even the authorities were on social media to reach out to people when they realised that newspapers and television would never get there. From passing on important warnings to announcing relief measures, social networking sites became the favourite media vehicle for many.

BC: I’ve been reading about the death toll and the widespread damage caused – seems like a nightmare…

AD: Reports mention losses amounting to over $ 20 billion. Sandy had become such a hot topic on Twitter that it was popularly dubbed Frankenstorm, in other words a ‘Frankenstein of a storm’. Unfortunately, it turned out to be true…

BC: Guess it just goes on to show that when faced with nature’s fury, even technology has to stand and watch helplessly.

AD: But technology did help many who were trapped in their houses or in flood-ravaged areas. There were several SOS messages that were constantly forwarded, shared or re-tweeted by many. This helped as these tweets found their way to various rescue forces and government departments that despatched teams to help those who were stuck.

BC: Back home, Nilam has done its bit to mess up the city... There was so much garbage piled up everywhere.

AD: And before all that garbage could be moved out, the streets have exploded with more trash…

BC: Another cyclone?

AD: No, I was referring to Diwali – the streets are strewn with leftovers of crackers, cartons, plastic covers and paper. 

Shall we tag the President?

‘The US Presidential elections have found a new weapon – social media,’ claims a young enthusiast.

BC: Hey, did you watch the Presidential debates on TV?

AD: That’s 60s stuff… You should have caught the action online - it was incredible.

BC: Really?

AD: Reports have it that the first debate was the most tweeted political event in the history of Twitter, with over 10 million tweets.

BC: I’m surprised at the importance being given to social media…

AD: With almost 60% of the voters in the US active on social networking sites, neither party wants to miss out on them...

BC: So, who’s leading?

AD: While there are reports favouring both sides, Obama is generally considered more active online. He has over 21 million Twitter followers and over 31 million fans on his Facebook page. These numbers dwarf those of his Republican counterpart…

BC: Guess he had a headstart, having been President for a term already…

AD: That’s right. Social media is also being used as an analytical tool to gather data, like the response of the public to the campaigns…

BC: So what’s been the response like?

AD: Sometimes, it soars like Big Bird…

BC: What’s that - the eagle?

AD: No, Big Bird is a character from a popular series, Sesame Street. In one of the debates, Romney had mentioned that he liked the character – and soon, there were several videos, photos, spoofs and comments, all of which went viral…

BC: So now, Romney has both the donkey and Big Bird to watch out for!

AD: He also has the internet to monitor, because more Democrats have been contributing online - through websites and smartphones - to see their party win, compared to Republicans...

BC: Perhaps Republicans are more comfortable with old-fashioned methods of donations…

AD: What’s equally concerning for Romney are jibes that are creating havoc online - like Romnesia, a term coined by Obama about his opponent backtracking on his original policies…

BC: I’m sure the social networks must be lapping it all up…

AD: Absolutely! Likewise, Romney’s ‘binders full of women’ comment, which was originally intended to explain his search for qualified women to be part of his team, ended up being parodied on Twitter and Facebook.

BC: Poor man, so technology does have him in a bind…

AD: The other big problem is when your opponent has more followers – they simply take over your hashtag and ‘out-tweet’ you. Apparently, the Democrats have stolen the Republicans’ thunder at least a couple of times on Twitter.

BC: But the number of fans or followers in an online forum may not be an indication of the number of votes that a candidate might get…

AD: Absolutely. Besides, if popularity on Twitter can decide who’s going to be President, then the United States could well get its first woman President.

BC: Really? Who?

AD: Lady Gaga. She has over 30 million followers, which is 10 million more than Barack Obama.

BC: Well, the voters will truly face the music if that happens…

AD: It’s a bit like the opinion polls before an election... The final result could simply make a mockery of the predictions – we’ve seen it happen many times in India.

BC: However, whoever wins the US elections is going to feel like Superman as he occupies the world’s most powerful chair…

AD: But even Superman has acknowledged that social media is more powerful than he is.

BC: What do you mean?

AD: Well, news has it that Clark Kent has quit his job as a reporter for the Daily Planet and has taken up a job as a blogger in a social network…

Stop kidding with technology…

Using technology to find baby names is fine, but using technology terms as names is not, claims an old-timer.

AD: Hi, those people who just left - clients of yours?

BC: No, my neighbours… They are looking for a name for their baby – one that’s well-recognized and is easily pronounceable…

AD: How about Facebook?

BC: Are you're suggesting that they use Facebook to find a name for their baby?

AD: No, they could just name their baby Facebook.

BC: You're kidding...

AD: Well, a proud father in Egypt named his daughter Facebook... in honour of the revolution that took place there.

BC: What will they think of next? The Like button?

AD: Sorry, that's taken too. A baby in Israel has been named ‘Like’, because its parents were inspired by Facebook’s ‘Like’ button.

BC: Why is it that when Egypt and Facebook come together, there’s always a revolution brewing? I get the feeling that today’s generation is getting too casual when it comes to naming kids...  

AD: I don’t know about getting casual, but one can get rich by choosing the right name. A couple in Kansas won $5000 by naming their baby IUMA, or Internet Underground Music Archive, an online music site.

BC: Sounds complicated… Why can't they just use simple names like Jack, John or Richard?

AD: Even those are inspired by technology... Jack Kilby co-invented the microchip, John Sculley was the CEO of Apple from ’83 to ’93, and Richard Stallman is the American programmer who started the GNU Project...

BC: This is getting ridiculous... At this rate, there won't be a name untouched by technology.

AD: That's perhaps why you need to crowdsource it...

BC: What's that?

AD: It’s like outsourcing, but to a large number of people. For instance, you could go online and ask your friends and colleagues to come up with name options...

BC: Sometimes, I wonder if the parents are too busy to come up with a name themselves…

AD: If you are the CEO of Yahoo!, then you would have many things on your mind, I guess, besides your baby's name...

BC: Really?

AD: Marissa Mayer apparently had a nine-day maternity leave and got back to work, so you really can't blame her for leaving the naming to her employees and friends...

BC: I'll never understand this... Naming your kid can be such a memorable experience...

AD: It can be quite rewarding too... A couple in the US have named their new-born Dovahkiin, after a character in a computer game.

BC: And their reward?

AD: Free games for life! Of course, the prerequisite was that the baby should have been born on 11/11/11.

BC: I don't know what to say…

AD: How about coming up with a name that you can pass on to your neighbours?

BC: How about iPhone apps?

AD: Are you suggesting that they name their baby iPhone apps?

BC: Don’t be silly, they could use an app to come up with a name... There are so many of these apps around to help young parents find a name for their baby...

AD: I’m amazed by these parents who go through such pains to find the perfect name, but when it comes to their choice of colours for the kid...

BC: Right, baby girls have to be in pink and boys in blue...

AD: And then they grow up and swap colours, so when you mention pink to boys and blue to girls, it's music to their ears...

BC: Really?

AD: Well, as long as it's a singer named Pink and a boy band named Blue.

Technology? It’s child’s play!

Can you trust technology when it’s in the hands of whiz kids and weirdos, wonders an old-timer.

AD: Hi, where were you?

BC: There was a technology exhibition in the neighbourhood school…

AD: You – in a tech exhibition? Hopefully, the school has taken a photo of the moment and will display it in its hall of fame…

BC: I went there because my grandnephew was participating. But it was quite interesting - they even had a separate section on robotics…

AD: I bet it must have taken you right back to your childhood, to Johnny Socko and his Flying Robot…

BC: Don’t be ridiculous, I was working when that series was aired. If you’re trying to make fun of the technology back then, don’t forget that we had movies featuring man on the moon a long time before he got there.

AD: Ok, enough of your glory days. Did you learn a thing or two about technology, at least from the kids?

BC: Stop being so condescending towards them… You’ll be surprised at the number of things that were invented by kids…

AD: Besides a million reasons for not doing their homework, you mean...

BC: Guess you’re speaking from experience. Kids have several key inventions to their credit, from crayon holders and magnetic wallpaper, to toy trucks and trampolines…

AD: Those could have been sheer accidents…

BC: How does that change things? Even adults have invented so many things quite unintentionally…

AD: You mean like trying to invent a TV, but coming up with a radio instead because the video wasn’t working?

BC: I don’t know about the television, but the microwave was invented by accident when the Raytheon Corporation was experimenting with a magnetron…

AD: And what did they do to celebrate? Roast popcorn in it?

BC: They actually did, but not to celebrate. They wanted to see if it would work. And speaking of corn, cornflakes was another ingenious invention that came about by accident...

AD: Great, so what you’re saying is that one half of our inventions were by kids and the other half, by sheer accident. If that’s the case, what exactly have our famous inventors been doing, besides encashing their royalty cheques?

BC: They were perhaps busy creating and evolving the technology that you speak so highly of.

AD: Look, technology is about working smart – it’s not about bumbling your way through, as if you’re part of a Pink Panther movie.

BC: But technology is also about thinking smart – can you imagine making millions by selling virtual electronic pets that had to be looked after and fed? These pet simulated living animals in every way, from making sounds to having untrained potty habits...

AD: Sounds crazy!

BC: Yes, but they were a big hit in the 90s and could be carried around or reared at home.

AD: C’mon, this is making a mockery of technology.

BC: But technology does have a long way to go - until then, it’s pretty much a joke.

AD: I don’t get it – when exactly will you agree that technology is a lifesaver in today’s day and age?

BC: The day my car doesn’t break down when I’m rushing somewhere, or when my computer doesn’t crash and delete all my data just after I’ve painstakingly finished a project or…

AD: But that’s inevitable – haven’t you heard of Murphy’s Law?

BC: Well, until Mr. Murphy can be challenged, technology will remain a mute spectator while things continue to go wrong. And if you’re into Bollywood, you would understand why it’s called Barfi’s law.