Our Planet Earth !

Planet Earth is some common relation which binds every human being in some unique way.

I came across two lovely videos which talk about what have done to the Planet Earth and What can we do to improve the situation. These documentries really make us think that whatever(in terms of fossil fuels) we take for granted will not remain forever and how wahtever small technology we use in our lives can have adverse effect on the Planet Earth. Also makes us to think upon that what are we apssing to coming generation.

Below are the two extraordinary videos I have come across till date which explains the human intervention in such a fabulous ways.

Are we changing the Planet ?

(The global warming documentary "Are We Changing Planet Earth?" was released on May 24, 2006 on the BBC and The Discovery Channel as the first of a 2 part series, the other entitled "Can We Save Planet Earth?" The documentary is presented by acclaimed filmmaker David Attenborough as he discusses the science and implications of climate change.
)


Can we save the Planet Earth.

("Can We Save Planet Earth?" was released on June 1, 2006 on the BBC )

Global Freezing !


The above documentry helps us to understand what we can do in our small ways to help and preserve the Planet.
I hope clear message in the videos to everybody will help us in some way to reduce the global warming.

Glimpse of Sweden

Was in Sweden last week regarding some work. Got some glimpse of the lifestyle there. I along with my 3 colleagues went there and took out some time in the evening after work. So mostly got a very few time. Thanks to Peter who took honest efforts to show us the place around. We went to a place called Gothernberg in the west southern part of sweden. It took us around 12-13 hours to reach there from Japan.
If I draw a vertical line in the center of India, then both Sweden and Japan are equidistant from that line. Want to write more but will get back to this article when time permits.

Following are the snaps.

An island called ShikineJima

Will post the details of this place afterwards.
Till now enjoy the snaps.


The place is so lovely that I have dedicated a blog ot this place where you can find more snaps and videos too. Click here.

DVD Rental Vending Machines turning up in Japan

You must have heard about itunes, Amazon, Netflix, CinemaNow, Movie Link who are battling for the online Movie rental space in the customer`s heart.
At the time when in the US the war is about who will be the biggest online Movie Rental retailer, at the same time in Japan known for its technlogy touching people`s life is gearign up to introduce more and more in DVD Rental Vending Machines in the premises of the main railway stations in across the Tokyo.


THE NAME:
"JiRenKi" as they call it in Japan is the short form of "Jidou Rental Ki" (Automatic Rental Machine), is places just before the exits of the Railway Station. Tokyo is know for its one of the world`s well planned Railway System has already placed such machines in the major stations and growing like anything.This service is introduced from a company called "Astala Vista".

The touch Panel on the machine.




THE OPERATION:

It offers the user with a rental DVD in simple 3 steps.
1. Choose the DVD from a touch panel system.
2. Swap your credit card.
3. Get the DVD just as you get a bottle of Coke from a Vending Machine.

and returing it back is also done in the same order...
1. Touch "Return"..
2. Insert the DVD
3. Press Ok...and you are done.

THE PRICING:
The pricing is also pretty straight foward.

For 24 hours rental
1. New Release : 350 Yens ($ 3.05 approx.)
2. Standard : 250 Yens ($ 2.18 approx.)
3. General : 150 Yens ($ 1.31 approx.)

For 12 hours rental
1. New Release : 150 Yens ($ 1.31 approx.)
2. Standard : 100 Yens ($ 0.87 approx.)
3. General : 100 Yens ($ 0.87 approx.)

As you can make out from pricing its really very aggressive pricing so that its really affordable to people here. This pricing really makes us ponder on Steve Jobs thought process that "people want fix prices". But when I see the above price from customer point of view the pricing really seems to be practical enough, more for new movie and a bit less for a older one.This makes both the customers and Movie banners happy.

The solution may suit well in the Japanese society since the life style moves around the internal railway system network. Will the war like US will start here not is not sure yet, but the introduction of one such service can stir up the competition here too. This also makes us think about what is the best delivery model for a DVD Rental ? is it Manual like this or is it online delivery model or old school DVD rental shops or all together...or something else....well it will be intresting to watch out...

Google adds "Presentation" in its arsenal against Microsoft

Google finally added "Presentation" against "PowerPoint" of Microsoft to complete its suite of Online Office in Google Docs and Spreadsheets. May be the name can change in near future.


I guess this tool can come really handy to all the presenters around the world since nobody it is such a thing that you want to share with someone else and hence on need to carry it to the place of presentation (of course, provided the place has Internet connection). With the addition of Presentation functionality, Google is now ready with weapons against MS`s Word, Spreadsheets and Powerpoint. Now these three application are ready for normal usage , but Google has to toil hard to make it professionally useful to make it look appealing to business world.

I tested with it by creating a slide as follows.


The competition between Google and Microsoft will be interesting to see from now onwards.

Apple Store in Ginza (Japan) ! The new iPods` response.

Was in Apple Store here in Ginza to check out the latest offerings by Apple.It seemed to me , Japan welcomes the
introduction of new iPods with open hands but are waiting for iPod Touch which whose delivery dates are supposed to be this moth end or early october.

Lot of people gathered around the "fatty video nano" and seem to be delighted and amused to see/touch such a small piece of music player from Apple. I guess there no guided tour available for iPod Touch in Japanese hence the smarty employees of Apple Store with Green Shirts(with adv of iLife`08) on them were explaining the customers what was launched in the "Beat Goes On" Event by Steve Jobs. Lot of Apple Store Employees were advertising by taking nano and Classic in their hands.People didn`t seem to be intrested in the iPod classic, even though the lauch of heavy duty 160GB.I didn`t notice the buzz around new red shuffle too. People were saying "Sugoi" (great) and "Chichchai ne"(small) around the fatty along with "Kirei"(beautiful) while seeing the video playing on the 3rd generation nano.

Was just thinking about that will iPhone can also be successful in Japan, I guess it will be taken with quite a lot reluctancy because of one major reason. People here are so much used to writing mails using the phones specially designed for Japanese language that it might be difficult to replicate that thing in iPhone since Apple. Apple will have to do something of the keyboard before launching the iPhone here. E-Mail/SMS is the life line here. Since people follow "Mobile Manners" here in Japan inside a trains, the use of mailing/SMsing becomes more in the trains. All mobile phones have a setting called "Manner Mode" which put the mobile phone on silent vibration mode. People are not suppose to talk on mobile phone inside a train near a priority seats for elederly and handicapped people . But I am sure the genius of Apple can overcome such problems. But this is something which cannot be ignored here in Japan.

The above ginza Apple Store is the same store whose opening resulted in the greatest queue in Tokyo.
See it to believe it

We are the world - The classic song (with lyrics) !

This post will be a kind of retro pick, "We Are the World" is a 1985 song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and sung by popular musicians named as USA for Africa. This song was intended to raise funds to help famine-relief efforts going on in Ethiopia, which experienced unusual drought in 1984/1985. There were in all 35 singers who sung this song together for a cause !

Sit back and enjoy the song with lyrics.So don`t miss the words and message. Really "We are the world, We are the children !"
The message of the song is
"We are the world, we are the children,
We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving"
i.e Undiscrimination, Unity and charity !