iPhone 4 key features:

• Specially Engineered ultra-durable and scratch-resistant glass instead of plastic
• Retina Display with 4 times more pixels compared to 3GS
• New Apple A4 processor and extended battery life
• Three axis Gyroscope supporting 3D rotation gestures
• 5 MP camera with LED flashlight
• Front camera to support Video calls over WiFi using FaceTime
• 2 Mic noise cancellation

In addition Apple announced general availability of iOS 4 which will be available to iPhone 3GS, 3G and iPod touch with not all features supported everywhere. Key features are:

• Multitasking for developer made applications
• Full compliance to HTML 5
• Unified mailbox and mail threads organization
• iBook
• Folders
• Zoom for camera
• External keyboard support through Bluetooth
• Home screen

It is clear that Apple feels the heat from amazingly fast-selling Google’s Android, a wonderful open source mobile platform. There are several Android based phones are out in the market with phones like EVO making its presence felt strongly with superior hardware. Last month android phone sales crossed iPhone. Android phone hardware is yet to catch up with Apple, especially smoothness in multi-touch, but I think it’s a matter of some months or maybe a year. On software side, Android is already superior to iOS in many ways. Plus, with HTML 5 adoption Google is most strongly positioned company to deliver applications over web to both these phone platforms.

But does a death sentence really a punishment for Kasab? Will it deter other terrorists from foreign lands from entering into our lands and launch similar attacks? He came here to die. Getting caught alive was something against the plan. It was punishment for him and his family that he is alive so far.

Of course, today Government is spending crores of rupees to keep him alive. The tax-payers’ money will be saved once he is hanged. Also, there is risk that someone may attempt his rescue through dirty means like hijacking. On that background, it is an economically and politically preferred solution to hang him. I agree.

But one thing going wrong here is that media is picturing this whole drama as war between Republic of India vs Ajmal Amir Kasab. He has been put to center of attraction of this whole 26/11 attack. Punishing him with death sentence has been portrayed as India’s victory in this war. But that war we have already lost.

Kasab is only pawn in this game. The masterminds of this attack, the leadership of LeT and ISI are still far from our reach. While centering public focus on Kasab through media, Government has successfully masked its inability of clutching necks of terrorists across borders. Soon people will forget who real culprits were while enjoying hanging of the mere soldier, of course until next attack!!

(Mumbai Center, 06-April-2010, 1400 HRS)

Verdict: Converted

Status: Not Joining

Essay:

Timing: 20 minutes
Topic: Concentrating only on IT and ITES will not help reduce income inequalitites in India.
Word limit: 200 words, 1 page (2 sides) provided for essay, 1 page provided for rough work.

Group Discussion:

No group discussion.

Personal Interview:

Number of panelists: 2
Average Duration: 15-20 minutes
Some of questions asked:

1. What is cloud computing?
2. Discussion on Microsoft’s position in this sector vs Google Apps.
3. Discussion on competition from Google Chrome OS and Netbooks and future of PC.
4. Discussion on Subscription based business models, iTunes etc.
5. What is Flash memory?
6. Tell us something which is not in profile sheet.
7. Tell about all 5 books written by Dan Brown in short.
8. Detailed discussion on essay around 5-6 minutes.
9. According to you what is biggest problem India is facing today. My answer was corruption.
10. Detailed discussion on corruption, various examples. Around 5 min.
11. Discussion on some of significant incidents faced during work.

(Mumbai Center, 22-March-2010, 0900 HRS)

Verdict: Converted

Status: Not Joining

Essay:

Timing: 15 minutes
Topic: Reasonable men adapt themselves to the system. Unreasonable men don’t accept and try to adapt system to themselves. That’s why progress depends upon unreasonable men.
Word limit: No word limit specified, 2 pages (4 sides) provided.

Group Discussion:

Number of participants: 8
Number of panelists: 3
Topic: Case based topic. A paragraph was provided based on organizational skills of a person and what determines great organizational assets.
GD Remarks: Very peaceful. Everyone got to speak.

Personal Interview:

Number of panelists: 3
Average Duration: 15-20 minutes
Some of questions asked:

1. Introduce yourself.
2. Some question on synthesizer/piano. (I had mentioned in my hobbies)
3. Do you follow politics? Yes. I read newspaper daily.
4. Tell something  about some recent issue. Told about Nuclear liability bill and opposition from Left/BJP. Discussion in detail.
5. What about Union Carbide Bhopal tragedy? Told.
6. Tell about outcome of Bofors case? Told.
7. Discussion on corruption and politics, name politicians with clean image, name politicians punished under any case, etc. Told
8. Asked about Sukhram from Himachal. Don’t know.
9. Bhakti movement in Maharashtra? Told some names.
10. Panipat wars? Told about third one between Marathas and Abdali.
11. Compare between 3 Idiots and Five point someone? Which one is better? Was Chetan Bhagat right with his accusation? Detailed discussion.
12. Some question on graphs – Increasing with increasing rate, increasing with decreasing rate, relation to Indian population growth and some shift point. Answered partially.
13. Do you know about Notion Ink? Answered in detail about Adam, compared with iPad, key features, Indian company.
14. What operating system Adam uses? Answered Andriod. Question on Microsoft’s future against open source platform, discussion on iPhone and Windows Mobile 7 series.
15. What if you are put up on some island without any computer with you? Answered I can’t survive. Discussion on Robinson Crusoe.

Other remarks:

• Did not verify any certificates for extra-curricular mentioned in Personal Data Form.
• Did not ask any question on Personal Data Form during Interview.
• Did not ask for Certificate file during Interview.

(Mumbai Center, 01-April-2010, 0930 HRS)

Verdict: Converted

Status: JOINING

Essay:

Timing: 15 minutes
Topic: In socialist country like India, salaries of private sector executives should be regulated.
Word limit: 300 words, 1 ruled page (2 sides)  provided

Group Discussion:

Number of participants: 9
Number of panelists: 2
Topic: Same as essay.
Time Duration: 13.5 minutes

Personal Interview:

Number of panelists: 3
Average Duration: 15-20 minutes
Some of questions asked:

1. Introduce yourself.
2. What do you know about ISKON?
3. What do you know about Bill and Melinda Gates foundation? Why was Melinda in India recently, what was the project?
4. Why is Microsoft Best company in India to work with? Why it is best brand as Employer?
5. What are business ethics in Microsoft?
6. Some question on some point mentioned in the GD.
7. What are current tax slabs?
8. What is direct tax code?
9. Who is current Governer of Maharashtra?
10. Who was Chief Minister of Maharashtra before current one? What is he doing now?
11. Discussion on MNS and Marathi Manus and its pros and cons.
12. Discussion on Ganeshotsava.
13. What is team? Some discussion.
14. What are leadership qualities?
15. Some question on Motivation theories.

(Mumbai Center, 28-March-2010, 1000 HRS slot)

Interview type: Group Interview (2 rounds)

Verdict: Converted

Status: NOT JOINING

Round 1 : (7 candidates – 3 IM, 2 Operations, 1 Marketing, 1 Finance; 3 panelists)

Round 1 of Group interview was elimination round. Major focus of discussion was ‘Why do you want to do MBA?’. Apart from that there were certain questions on hobbies, passions etc. It took around 1 Hr 10 minutes. Panel really grilled everyone with many questions. You need to have proper clarity on your career goals and no nonsense on social service and entrepreneurship as panel would recognize you are telling lies after probing.

3 out of 7 were selected for second round – 1 IM (me), 1 Finance and 1 Operations

After round 1 we had a psychometric test comprised of 30 questions – 10 in each of 3 groups. Questions were objective but we were supposed to provide justification for any 2 out of 10 questions in each group that’s total 6. This was used by panel in round 2 to test candidates on certain parameters.

Round 2 : (7 candidates – 2 IM, 2 Finance, 2 Marketing, 1 Operations; 2 panelists)

Round 2 revolved around the psychometric sheet only. Everyone was asked questions about choices filled in the sheet and were asked justifications. Major focus on discussion was related to our values, thought process and attitude. It took around an hour.

After round 2, we were provided feedback sheet, on which we had to provide detailed feedback on psychometric evaluation. Process ended.

No questions on academics, work related or general awareness. Overall I found this process very unique compared to any other interviews that I have ever attended. It was a good experience.

Internet Explorer 9 test drive is available at

http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/Default.html

Internet Explorer 9 Platform Preview

Some of key features are:

• HTML 5

IE 9 will support HTML 5 including SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics). Even though IE is last major browser to support it. HTML 5 will help reducing dependence on proprietary technologies like Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight for graphics and multimedia rendering. It will also increase the graphics performance as SVG rendering is handled by GPU and not CPU of your device.

Some of impressive samples available in preview are SVG-oids and Falling balls.

• Increased Speed

IE 9 comes with multi-fold improvement in Javascript processing over previous versions of IE. It still lags Opera and Google Chrome in terms of SunSpider test. On Acid3, the preview scores 55/100 which is well over IE 8’s miserable 20 against Safari’s perfect score and Firefox standing at 94.

• Increased compliance

It has taken further steps in compliance towards W3C’s HTML and CSS standards which is helpful to developers while designing websites running on multiple browsers.

Apple iPad showing YouTube videos

What’s a third screen? It’s something which is neither a laptop nor a mobile. It is bigger than a smartphone and much lighter and portable than a laptop. It has 9.7” screen (which is comparable to smaller netbooks available today) and it weighs only 650 grams (against netbooks weighing in KGs) and it supports 10 hours of battery (wow ). It supports WiFi and 3G data networks, a camera, multi-touch screen.  And what can it run? Anything that iPhone does. Today there are around 150,000 iPhone applications available on iTunes that it can run in addition to some 1500 specifically created for iPad. That means everything. We have hundreds of social networking, games, office and productivity applications available today. All will run seamlessly on iPad. In addition to it, Apple has launched iBook Apps which will facilitate e-book reading which will be again sold via iTunes.

Who can use it? Anyone, who needs a laptop for non-developer purpose; students, journalists, salesmen, executives all can use it. A laptop even though a netbook, is still a laptop. It is bulky, have a pathetic LCD screen, needs a keyboard and runs lower or startup versions of Windows OS. We can even see tomorrow if schoolchildren start taking their iPad instead of notebooks and textbooks to school. It is definitely a netbook killer.

With iTunes, iPad is also a potential portable DVD player and Digital photo frame killer. It can play 10 hours of high quality Video which you can buy/rent from iTunes store. Why need to buy DVDs and carry bulky players while you are travelling anymore?

Apple now has 3 massive revenue generating devices – iPod, iPhone and now iPad. And then it has its behemoth application and content delivery infrastructure through iTunes supporting all three devices. This machinery is generating almost 40 Billion Dollars of revenue annually!! Apple has immediately announced iPhone OS 4 availability in June 2010 which will run on its existing iPhone 3GS devices. It will include iBook application. That’s the power of this iPod-iPhone-iPad platform in terms of extending business from one to other. It is complete different business model than Microsoft’s traditional software licensing model.

iPad has opened a new chapter in computer industry. Whether or not iPad will be ubiquitous, its clone devices would surely. We already have an Indian company named Notion Ink launching its similar product in CES 2010 called Adam, which is powered by Android. Overall, we can definitely see more and more players jumping into this market, which will definitely drive innovation upwards and prices downwards.

Notion Ink's Adam

As per Constitution of India, reservation in Education and Government jobs cannot be provided on basis of Religion, but only on basis of caste (Thanks to Ambedkar). So unfair, since there are no castes in Muslims and Christians, reservations became monopoly of Hindus. Of course, constitution can be amended. As today Muslim leaders (self-proclaimed) have re-iterated their demand for 10% reservation rejecting Congress’s proposal of 3% reservation within OBC quota. Some committee called Sachar reached to conclusion some time ago that with exception of certain creamy layer, Muslim community is as backward as Hindu SC and ST and more backward than Hindu OBCs. Very interesting!! I did not know there are parameters to measure how backward you are.

We have become perhaps the only nation in the world where people fight to be called backward!

- N R Narayana Murthy

Today reservations are providing backdoor entry into India’s most premier institutes – IITs, IIMs and into the most coveted government jobs like IAS and IPS and now in Parliament and Assemblies. Also, some are dreaming of having reservations in private sector. Naturally, it has resulted in cut-throat competition between various communities (I would say all communities whose name does not contain Brahmin) to prove themselves as more backward than someone else and try to get classified as some caste (as backward as possible). I remember many satyagrahas and dharanas have happened in Maharashtra by so many prominent communities to get listed under OBCs. Now, they are joined by Muslim leaders, thanks to provocation by some of our most eminent politicians. If reservation can be given on caste, gender, economic status then why not on religion?

What we need to remember is no society who has shut doors to merit can prosper. That is applicable to communities under reservations as well. It is very clear from statistics that certain minor percentage of families from these communities have taken benefit of reservation again and again over generations and this has ensured vast majority remains backward (with what parameters, I don’t know), which keeps on justifying the overall backward status of the caste. What should be seen is how this reservation can be reduced over period of time. But that’s not the case. Today we have 50% barrier for all reservations put together. A constitutional amendment is sufficient to change that.