Hi !
Have been quiet for some time. It was the holiday season, and work after return was hectic.
Spent an interesting 3 days in Singapore last week. We were there on work. A leading investment brokerage had arranged for us to meet a number of investment fund managers and analysts. About eight hours of meetings each day. That took us to a number of offices in Singapore's central business district. None of my earlier visits to the city exposed me to so many of its offices. In spite of Singapore's bad name for being mechanical and too perfect, office buildings show great architectural creativity. Each one is different and aesthetically designed. Open spaces and green patches are everywhere. I specially liked a building which has tropical rain forest creepers all over one huge wall in the spacious lobby. A writeup describes the types of creepers. The corner rooms and conference rooms in these buildings make the best of the bay view. And the imposing Marina Sands Hotel and Casino with the huge ship like structure spanning the rooftops of its three towers is visible from many angles.
I found some time to visit the Singapore Art Museum for an hour. While its collection is small and can in no way be compared to those with those in the large cities of the world, it did have an interesting collection of video art. This was an initiation for me into the area. Video art, for those who dont know, is a concept where the video artist shoots a clip and viewers watch the projection of it. Several small rooms in the museum are done up where large screen projections are running continously. They run for several minutes. The experience is rather like watching a short film but with a high level of artistic feel, often surreal. The music is to accentuate the senses, rather than to express explicitly. I especially remember one which was shot in a coral reef in Vietnam, where several men are shown pulling rickshaws under water. The struggle of the men and the swirling seas around them make up the artistic statement. Another one showed how the concrete urban landscape with its man made structures and graffiti is a silent spectator to the daily lives of those who dwell in and around them. Video art was a good experience. Plan to catch more of it.
Watched a mushy movie on the flight back: Letters to Juliet. Highly recommended for those who remain an incorrigible romantic like me!
Bye and hope to be back soon !
Cheers !
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sixth Sense
Hi !
My daughter introduced me to Sixth Sense Technology. Chap called Pranav Mistry from MIT Lab is the inventor of the concept and the device. (Check out the Pranav Mistry video on TED).
The technology tries to bridge the digital world with the physical world, as Mistry says. Imagine a pendant worn by you, consisting of a camera and a projector, connected to a computing device in your pocket. You wear coloured markers on your fingers. When you point your fingers at a spot or make a photo frame with your fingers or draw a symbol with your fingers, the camera on your pendant identifies the actions by reading the movements of the markers on your fingers, with respect to the background. The images are relayed to the computing device in your pocket.
So you could draw a symbol recognized by the computer as phone and the computer would bring up the dialing pad of a phone, which the projector can project. Where ? Anywhere, lke on a wall, or on the palm of your hand. You then use a finger with a marker to dial the number on your palm ! Or you could place a coffee cup on a map and the device could tell you about the nearest cafes. You could point at your boarding pass, and the device could tell you if your flight is delayed. You could point at a picture or a news item in the newspaper and the projector can show you a video of the same (much like Potter movies) ! Wow !
Pranav has built the prototype for $ 350. It is not commercialized yet.
Mistry says this will help people be more human and will avoid the need for carrying various devices, like a phone or a camera. I'm not sure about that, but it got me thinking about the enless possibilitis of such a device.
Consider these. You see a person at a gathering and you point your markered finger at her discreetly. Your device reports back : "Preeti Misra, 36, divorced, management consultant, loves lounge music and adventure sports. Send message ?" Or say you are planning a holiday. So you point at various spots on a map and see videos of the places, assess hotels, see your friends comments, etc. At a bookshop, you point at a book and get its reviews.
In business, you could perhaps get quick briefs on people that you are negotiating with, or point at a piece of property or facility and know its ownership. Merged with a credit database, this can also bring up vital information on credit worthiness. I could bring up the keypad of a computer and a screen on my bare desk or on the back of an airplane seat and do my mails or a spreadsheet.
I am a wee bit worried about privacy though (hence the Preeti Misra example !) While Mark Zuckerberg feels that people should have no problem in sharing their identity with the world unless they are hiding something, I am not so sure !
Nonetheless, an exciting concept. The video is worth a view.
Cheers!
My daughter introduced me to Sixth Sense Technology. Chap called Pranav Mistry from MIT Lab is the inventor of the concept and the device. (Check out the Pranav Mistry video on TED).
The technology tries to bridge the digital world with the physical world, as Mistry says. Imagine a pendant worn by you, consisting of a camera and a projector, connected to a computing device in your pocket. You wear coloured markers on your fingers. When you point your fingers at a spot or make a photo frame with your fingers or draw a symbol with your fingers, the camera on your pendant identifies the actions by reading the movements of the markers on your fingers, with respect to the background. The images are relayed to the computing device in your pocket.
So you could draw a symbol recognized by the computer as phone and the computer would bring up the dialing pad of a phone, which the projector can project. Where ? Anywhere, lke on a wall, or on the palm of your hand. You then use a finger with a marker to dial the number on your palm ! Or you could place a coffee cup on a map and the device could tell you about the nearest cafes. You could point at your boarding pass, and the device could tell you if your flight is delayed. You could point at a picture or a news item in the newspaper and the projector can show you a video of the same (much like Potter movies) ! Wow !
Pranav has built the prototype for $ 350. It is not commercialized yet.
Mistry says this will help people be more human and will avoid the need for carrying various devices, like a phone or a camera. I'm not sure about that, but it got me thinking about the enless possibilitis of such a device.
Consider these. You see a person at a gathering and you point your markered finger at her discreetly. Your device reports back : "Preeti Misra, 36, divorced, management consultant, loves lounge music and adventure sports. Send message ?" Or say you are planning a holiday. So you point at various spots on a map and see videos of the places, assess hotels, see your friends comments, etc. At a bookshop, you point at a book and get its reviews.
In business, you could perhaps get quick briefs on people that you are negotiating with, or point at a piece of property or facility and know its ownership. Merged with a credit database, this can also bring up vital information on credit worthiness. I could bring up the keypad of a computer and a screen on my bare desk or on the back of an airplane seat and do my mails or a spreadsheet.
I am a wee bit worried about privacy though (hence the Preeti Misra example !) While Mark Zuckerberg feels that people should have no problem in sharing their identity with the world unless they are hiding something, I am not so sure !
Nonetheless, an exciting concept. The video is worth a view.
Cheers!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
The Vibrant Week
Hi !
It has been a glorious week in Gujarat. The Vibrant Summit as you know was a grand event. Tremendous positive sentiment and MOU numbers with lots of zeros. It was followed by a beautiful long weekend, being Uttarayan, the annual kite flying time. The sky was full of kites, the air was crisp and cool and the sunshine bright. Lantern formations on kites sparkled in the night skies and the occasional firework embelished the spirit. What a week !
One starts wondering what all this will mean in the near future. The optimism, the interest from investors, the supportive Government and the local energy for growth. For national and multinational companies which will invest here, a supportive administration is a strong factor. Obtaining land, permissions and infrastructure support will be easier. The power situation is stronger in Gujarat than in several other states. There are also plans for setting up new power plants. The road network is good and getting better. Ports are being developed.
To set up an eficient plant however, you need skilled manpower. The lower skilled human resources will possibly come from Gujarat and neighbouring states. Skilled manpower will have to be brought in from other states while local forces are developed. The higher you go on the skill ladder, lower is the availability in Gujarat. This will only change over time as several large businesses bring in skilled resources from elswhere who settle in the state and eventually form a talent pool. There are a large number of people from the state who live and work in Mumbai and other cities, who would be the prime candidates to flock back to the state if they find strong career prospects and a god lifestyle in Gujarat.
It is comfortable to live in Gujarat. You can find a comfortable house at a reasonable price. The infrastructure is good and it does not take hours to get from one place to the other. The city however is still growing up and has to learn a few things, driving being one of them. The traffic police has to learn to manage traffic and enforce rules. There should be more and better schools, colleges and other developmental institutions. Which is again linked to the availaibility of appropriate resources.
As an investor, corporate or personal, it may be a good thing to put some bets on Gujarat. Positive sentiment works wonders in business and investment. If your starting base is low and the pattern of the growth curve is fairly predictable, the only real unknown is the degree of the gradient. A patient investor, one would think, will surely reap his benefits by investing smartly in Gujarat.
Cheers !
It has been a glorious week in Gujarat. The Vibrant Summit as you know was a grand event. Tremendous positive sentiment and MOU numbers with lots of zeros. It was followed by a beautiful long weekend, being Uttarayan, the annual kite flying time. The sky was full of kites, the air was crisp and cool and the sunshine bright. Lantern formations on kites sparkled in the night skies and the occasional firework embelished the spirit. What a week !
One starts wondering what all this will mean in the near future. The optimism, the interest from investors, the supportive Government and the local energy for growth. For national and multinational companies which will invest here, a supportive administration is a strong factor. Obtaining land, permissions and infrastructure support will be easier. The power situation is stronger in Gujarat than in several other states. There are also plans for setting up new power plants. The road network is good and getting better. Ports are being developed.
To set up an eficient plant however, you need skilled manpower. The lower skilled human resources will possibly come from Gujarat and neighbouring states. Skilled manpower will have to be brought in from other states while local forces are developed. The higher you go on the skill ladder, lower is the availability in Gujarat. This will only change over time as several large businesses bring in skilled resources from elswhere who settle in the state and eventually form a talent pool. There are a large number of people from the state who live and work in Mumbai and other cities, who would be the prime candidates to flock back to the state if they find strong career prospects and a god lifestyle in Gujarat.
It is comfortable to live in Gujarat. You can find a comfortable house at a reasonable price. The infrastructure is good and it does not take hours to get from one place to the other. The city however is still growing up and has to learn a few things, driving being one of them. The traffic police has to learn to manage traffic and enforce rules. There should be more and better schools, colleges and other developmental institutions. Which is again linked to the availaibility of appropriate resources.
As an investor, corporate or personal, it may be a good thing to put some bets on Gujarat. Positive sentiment works wonders in business and investment. If your starting base is low and the pattern of the growth curve is fairly predictable, the only real unknown is the degree of the gradient. A patient investor, one would think, will surely reap his benefits by investing smartly in Gujarat.
Cheers !
Friday, November 26, 2010
Like my sluggish backhand
I am learning tennis. Have been for the past few months. I can hit a reasonable forehand shot now, but my backhand is another matter. I try to take position, take the backswing as directed and hit - the ball soars away from the court as my coach and me look up in wonder. But its not always like that. I get it right at times. Elbow straight, racket back, contact with that perfect "tang" and a beautiful follow through - ball drops on the opposite court, as desired. Trouble is, we (my coach and I) never know when I will repeat that shot.
When I look at the management of affairs by the Chief Executive of the country, ie the PM, I am often reminded of my sluggish backhand. The country squirmed and looked on in horror in the months before the Commonwealth Games, when report after report showed what a state of non readiness the preparartions were in. The PM finaly declared that the persons responsible will not be spared. Surely, the PM would have his own mechanism for detecing the slippage much before it was out in the mdeia? One would expect that there would have been a given date by which all stadia and facilitis would be ready. There would be a planfor Indian athletes to practice in those stadia, to get a home advantage as also to try out and test the facilities. I was told a year ago that the PMO was monitoring this project closely. How was it then possible for it to slip, and why were actions not taken six months back against those who were mismanaging it?
The Supreme Court has raised some qustions with the PMO on the telecom matter currently under consideration by the court. The PM had appranetly put a classic "please discuss" note on a file some months back, which then went into the bureaucratic loop and did not surface till fished out. Not unfamiliar, but surely, any manager know that asking for a discussion is not enough - one has to follow that up. Can I get away with non performance on the ground that my deputies did not revert on some explanations that I had asked for?
There is of course a desirable side of the PM. A learned, clean and erudite person, he commands respect in the forum of world leaders. President Obama recently said that he considers the Indian PM a wise and experienced leader and people listen in international summits, when he speaks. I know that Obama said a lot of things to appease Indians, but I am inclinded to think that he meant this one, as he has said it before.
The fact that the PM is clean and that he is experienced and learned, matters. Lets think why it is important to have a clean PM. Poverty remains the biggest issue in India. While internal studies show that 27.5% of the population lives below the poverty line, a recent study from Oxford University claims that 55% of Indians live below the poverty line. Our per capita income of $ 3.3 k is way below that of China at $ 7.7 k. Lack of education and health care are identified to be the most significant causes for poverty. India spends significant sums of money on education and healthcare, though their proportions to Gross National Product are below desirable levels. The amounts that are expended however, do not reach the target in many cases. Ther are reports of siphoning off Government funds meant for education and healthcare. So I believe that corruption is a large barrier to our growth, as it is a barrier in the way of funds and efforts reaching the masses in the target areas.
Recent studis show that while the country's GDP is growing well, corruption is also bounding up and there is no control whatsoever in this area.
My thought therefore is that we do need a better Chief Executive to run the country, and we also need someone like Dr Singh to provide direction, prmiarily because he is clean and is wise. It would be appropriate to have a Chief Operating Officer in the PMO to manage significant initiatives much like a project is managed in the corporate world. This person will have high energy, will have authority and will work under the supervision and guidance of the PM.
We need radical changes in the management of the country, and this would be an effective way for implementing the same.
When I look at the management of affairs by the Chief Executive of the country, ie the PM, I am often reminded of my sluggish backhand. The country squirmed and looked on in horror in the months before the Commonwealth Games, when report after report showed what a state of non readiness the preparartions were in. The PM finaly declared that the persons responsible will not be spared. Surely, the PM would have his own mechanism for detecing the slippage much before it was out in the mdeia? One would expect that there would have been a given date by which all stadia and facilitis would be ready. There would be a planfor Indian athletes to practice in those stadia, to get a home advantage as also to try out and test the facilities. I was told a year ago that the PMO was monitoring this project closely. How was it then possible for it to slip, and why were actions not taken six months back against those who were mismanaging it?
The Supreme Court has raised some qustions with the PMO on the telecom matter currently under consideration by the court. The PM had appranetly put a classic "please discuss" note on a file some months back, which then went into the bureaucratic loop and did not surface till fished out. Not unfamiliar, but surely, any manager know that asking for a discussion is not enough - one has to follow that up. Can I get away with non performance on the ground that my deputies did not revert on some explanations that I had asked for?
There is of course a desirable side of the PM. A learned, clean and erudite person, he commands respect in the forum of world leaders. President Obama recently said that he considers the Indian PM a wise and experienced leader and people listen in international summits, when he speaks. I know that Obama said a lot of things to appease Indians, but I am inclinded to think that he meant this one, as he has said it before.
The fact that the PM is clean and that he is experienced and learned, matters. Lets think why it is important to have a clean PM. Poverty remains the biggest issue in India. While internal studies show that 27.5% of the population lives below the poverty line, a recent study from Oxford University claims that 55% of Indians live below the poverty line. Our per capita income of $ 3.3 k is way below that of China at $ 7.7 k. Lack of education and health care are identified to be the most significant causes for poverty. India spends significant sums of money on education and healthcare, though their proportions to Gross National Product are below desirable levels. The amounts that are expended however, do not reach the target in many cases. Ther are reports of siphoning off Government funds meant for education and healthcare. So I believe that corruption is a large barrier to our growth, as it is a barrier in the way of funds and efforts reaching the masses in the target areas.
Recent studis show that while the country's GDP is growing well, corruption is also bounding up and there is no control whatsoever in this area.
My thought therefore is that we do need a better Chief Executive to run the country, and we also need someone like Dr Singh to provide direction, prmiarily because he is clean and is wise. It would be appropriate to have a Chief Operating Officer in the PMO to manage significant initiatives much like a project is managed in the corporate world. This person will have high energy, will have authority and will work under the supervision and guidance of the PM.
We need radical changes in the management of the country, and this would be an effective way for implementing the same.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Check out some paintings
Hi !
What better way to begin one's blog, than to talk about some paintings, currently on sale. Just looked through Saffronart's winter catalogue. http://images.saffronart.com/Auctions/2010/winterauc/ECatalogue/sa-wnt-ecatlg.html
There's a beautiful piece by N S Bendre as the first entry. MF Hussain's Untitled (No 3) face is a bold piece - in red and blue - strong and troubled expression on the face. Would I like to keep it in the house ? The question is hypothetical, as it is too expensive, but not really ! FM Souza's Trial of Christ is an excellent form - the power of simple strokes to depict expression and depth. His untitled piece (No 84) is "in your face" and sensuous.
Jogen Chowdhury's Untitled (No 36) is one of his more charming depictions of life and the human. A lot of his other work are a reflection of fear and violence and animal instincts of present day life. (Ganges Art gallery is selling some of his work now I understand).
Sudarshan Shetty's "To say it as it was" (No 55) is a beautiful piece. The object in focus in total harmony with the background in a blended pattern of colours (and yes, easier on the wallet compared to MFH and Bendre).
Check out Arunkumar's Nandi in Orange, the last entry. Great form in and interesting colour !
More later
What better way to begin one's blog, than to talk about some paintings, currently on sale. Just looked through Saffronart's winter catalogue. http://images.saffronart.com/Auctions/2010/winterauc/ECatalogue/sa-wnt-ecatlg.html
There's a beautiful piece by N S Bendre as the first entry. MF Hussain's Untitled (No 3) face is a bold piece - in red and blue - strong and troubled expression on the face. Would I like to keep it in the house ? The question is hypothetical, as it is too expensive, but not really ! FM Souza's Trial of Christ is an excellent form - the power of simple strokes to depict expression and depth. His untitled piece (No 84) is "in your face" and sensuous.
Jogen Chowdhury's Untitled (No 36) is one of his more charming depictions of life and the human. A lot of his other work are a reflection of fear and violence and animal instincts of present day life. (Ganges Art gallery is selling some of his work now I understand).
Sudarshan Shetty's "To say it as it was" (No 55) is a beautiful piece. The object in focus in total harmony with the background in a blended pattern of colours (and yes, easier on the wallet compared to MFH and Bendre).
Check out Arunkumar's Nandi in Orange, the last entry. Great form in and interesting colour !
More later
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