Samvedanshilata: In Sanskrit means compassion. In more moving terms, it means the state when the pain of others is felt like one’s own.

Necessity is the mother of invention. What is implicit in this eternal saying, are the words- for oneself: ‘Necessity is the mother of invention for oneself’. I feel, that ‘Samvendanshilata is the mother of invention for others‘. The usage of the term is credited to Prof. Anil K. Gupta.

This post is an attempt to develop my samvedanshilata by documenting several motivating examples of others’ samvedanshilata.

To me, the Gordian knot of the successful iPhone/iTouch category was the AppStore – it was neither the form factor nor the touch based UI. So, while the iPad can leapfrog from the shoulders of AppStore, it must define a purpose of its own. That clincher to me is intimacy – iPad promises to provide the most intimate experience while using any standard computing service.

Let us now consider 4 different use scenarios in which an iPad like device may be used.

1. Business interaction – So how do a group of 10 people sit on a table and interact using digital information. Dashboards over internet, touchscreen tables and walls aside, the most common approach is to beam a set of slides while everyone watches them unfold. Of course, a good interaction would need revisions, and the common way would be to allow the presenter to do it right away or make notes. Those suggesting the changes are thereby distanced from the content. Now imagine this: everyone carries an iPad and runs a presentation software on it. While the presenter goes through the slides, each iPad updates (with cool laser pointer effects thrown in). Now when somoene wants to interject, he may grab control by allowing his iPad screen to be shared to all, and then suggest changes using edits or present something of his own. Well true, this way possible since the 1960′s, but what iPad brings to the table is intimacy – a sense of connection with the content. How intuitive it had be to review a set of bullet points annotating them with question marks, thumbs up and down while flipping through the slides.
2. Creative editing – Consider now our very own high Mumbaikar magazine editor. Her entire mental scape is occupied by the magazine cover she is editing. So what does planning a magazine cover require – it needs images, colours, texts, a neat piece of software and loads of creativity. Creativity is a wierd thing – to some it pours in the cubicle at office, to others it trickles in their potty room or while staring at the crowd during a bad lunch. As you can see it coming, the iPad makes a compelling case here. Its form factor is just right and with touch UI it almost feels like a magic wand experience – you push something there and it goes there, you pinch something here and it grows bigger. Again, what clinched it was the intutiveness that comes out of feeling content up close.
3. Now consider a PhD student like myself. (Ah! So, my Id is making a case to my SuperEgo) Once in a while, like last week for me, one tries to get a hang of what one is doing while time ticks on – a brainstorming on ideas that are and that hopefully will be. Without dragging this on as well, it is clear that there is great scope for a Microsoft One Note (though it sounds ungeeky, I personally feel that it has a huge potential) like application here. But again, the icing here is the UI of iPad – one may write down the most brilliant thing one has thought of, get disgusted with it and throw it to the corner, or make bubbles around ideas and group them… you get the idea.
4. Man, woman, (PhD student) and now child. I feel iPad has great potential in edutainment software. Imagine twinkly eyed kidos flying around the solar system or for the steely eyed ones watching their knights do the two and a half. We heard a lot about the OLPC. To me it dint work, for whatever reasons. The iPad is not as cheap or energy efficient, but still has the potential to be more effective, simply because it is, yes, more intimate

So lot of text to drive home a simple point. And so the take home is an iPad storm. No! There is potential alright, but the 1.0 device has its shortcomings. So, lets, very quickly,  visit each of our guest appearances and see what is missing. Communication or interaction, business or not, does need a camera – no brainer. Cant imagine why Apple left it out in the first place. Our editor is going to need to consult the web, for colour palettes, inputs from co-workers, while she does her editing – a show cause notice for multitasking. Well, the PhD student, I have a neat one lined up. He is no doubt going to have files – papers in PDFs, figures in something else, and tag these to the idea bubbles. This begs for a proper file system on the iPad. For without one, I hardly even see announced iWork apps making sense. Finally the kiddo would hope that iPad grows up before he does! No just kidding it would. So, for the kids of the world (really) I hope that Apple shaves off it halo and allows for Flash on the iPad. Lot of edutainment content is already available in Flash and for a reason – it is indeed a very convenient platform to develop and interact.

You rebuke – well this has been there for a while, this potential, with the advent of so many tablets and every other company is going to follow suit, then why the exclusivity to the iPad. Throw a gram of salt I say, Appleness does mean something – it not only means well thought out design from California, but also means peakfuls of developer interest and furthermore tons of media coverage. Everyone has an interest to get it right. Apple knows, Apple drafts.

So, I was wondering about tourism in India, as I said – in particular about guided tours. Our guide, for the bike tour, David, was simply outstanding – painting in richest of colours the history and glory of London to all of us bikers. The guided tour in the Museum too added a new dimension making it a fuller experience. I wondered if India had such guides, to accentuate its bountiful glory, diversity and richness. A quick search informed me that USD 100 billion was generated from tourism in India and the industry is expected to grow at almost 10% per year. That is huge!

Something however feels different about the general approach to tourism in India, than what I have witnessed in the west. Irrespective of how incredible India may be, it is plagued by highly inefficient governance which has a direct bearing on the way many of the public heritage spots are preserved and ‘marketed’. Secondly, and being conscious of the presupposition I am hazarding, I believe that India as a nation is either busy looking ahead into the rosy future or hungry looking at their empty bowls. Somehow the emphasis in education and society attributed to national heritage and subsequent pride is muted. These are of course, averaged out notions I hold.

As is the case with most such issues, any attempt at revitalizing things would have to be decentralized – a by-the-peope for-the-people solution. And secondly, there needs to be intrinsic passion amongst those involved. Fortunately, the specific issue in hand seems to have fitting responses to these issues. So here it is – I am dreaming of an online community of tourists who travel across India and share there experiences in the form of free open source audio guides for future tourists. Standing on its primary strength of volunteer spirit it would be a live churning information portal. Some of the phrases in the above two sentences deserve emphasis:

1. Online community – Undoubtedly the biggest gift of the internet has been to weave us all, who have access, into a network. It is clear that harnessing this network is essential for any endeavor that involves many and varied people, as in our case.
2. Free open source – There is just so much to earn by sharing, being heard and discovering, that one hopes that financial reward would hardly be a major point.
3. Volunteer spirit - As opposed to the subject and object picture there is in charity and related social work, I dream of there not being any such hierarchy in providing the audio guides. The experience is just as thrilling and fun for the volunteer. Infact, it is probably in volunteering that the real objective of the idea is – to make a traveller out of all and give one the input and mindset to appreciate what they see.
4. Information portal - I was a keen follower of the National Knowledge Commission and observed how they laid emphasis on the setting of portals for water, biodiversity, education and so on.  Information is to be crucially important in the years to come. To draw upon the created passion amongst travellers as a source for information to me seems quite fitting.

One then wonders, how this would be any different from Wikipedia or its closer-to-the-point cousin Wikitravels. However, one finds solace in the fact that an audio experience right there where you are and given with the right tempo far outweighs the technical disadvantages of having to carry information in other forms.  With the convergence of different technologies, such as GPS, maps, audio and video, into pocket sized devices the potential is interestingly high. Further, in taking in a guided tour there is a distinctive personal connection between the author of the guide and the traveller – something unparalleled even in travel forums or clubs.

This thought goes a long way in reinforcing my notion that travel is an apt way to get closer to the history, culture and people of a place and also to nature.

The last two weekends for Force India have shown a dizzyingly steep assent. P1, podium finish in Belgium and now P2/7 and fastest lap. It is clear that its a trend and not a one-off fluke.

So while I am delirious with the result in Monza, I feel that this is probably one of the, if not the, greatest exhibition of ‘India’ on the international sporting scene. It is true that neither of the drivers are Indian and most of the crew is international. But backed by an Indian ‘principal’, Vijaya Mallya (who has been gracious enough to name the team ‘Force India’, rather than any play of his numerous brands) gives an Indian F1 fan like me, a throatful of pride. It is a hell of a competitive sport this and one that needs bagfuls of money. To have apparently the smallest budget of all teams and to show the potential that they have in the last two race weekends is a great achievement. Continued success is bound to open up more commercial and technical opportunities in India too.

I really really do hope that they finish the season on a high, and secure some decent funding for next season. And then we would jolly well have some racing to watch with some cheering to do!

Symbolism is an immensely rich aspect of Hindu mythology. Every generation has added its colour to this splendid evolution of tales, idols and symbols. I found the above superb photograph that tells us about the symbolism in the iconography of Ganesha. (Do take the time to read the annotations on the picture, as the post does not discuss them). Though it misses on several points, my thought was particularly arrested by the fact that such simple ways of depiction are not widely adopted. Books may be written and intellectual tea-parties held over such aspects amongst the elite, or elaborate ritualistic ceremonies may be carried out by the purest of Bhramins. But the real beauty is in being in able to spread simple yet meaningful little gems from Indian mythology to people, and what better medium than the Internet. I hate sounding like an unsatisfied slouch, and do agree that there is already a lot of stuff available on the topic of Indian mythoology on the web. But most seem accessible to only those who approach it with an intrinsic ‘eagerness’. One is appeased by attempts such as movies on Ganesha and Hanuman. But one also is cautioned by the trivialization of Gods to superheros. Well that is a story of its own.

Let me end this short post on a lighter note. Buddhism actually drew quite heavily from Hinduism in its early days. Ganesha was amongst the most popular deities adapted to  Buddhism. And it is believed, that the form of the Laughing Buddha with a prominent belly and unique posture is inspired by the iconography of Ganesha. While the figure above tells us that the pronounced paunch of Ganesha depicts the ability to digest good and bad, it also is widely a symbol for prosperity, particularly material prosperity. Little wonder then that stroking the stomach of the Laughing Buddha is known to bring luck. How fitting, indeed!

Today’s (August 22, 2009) edition of ToI features an article titled “Trust is everything, nurture it” with Anil Dirubhai Ambani as the credited author.

The article opens with almost an invocation to the late Dirubhai Ambani and talks of how trust was the guiding principle in christening the company ‘Reliance’. In the article Anil is said to have written “my father’s proudest legacy to all of us, our most precious inheritance” is trust. But it was the very same father, who distrusted Anil and left behind his less precious inheritance, Reliance, to his elder son Mukesh, before his death.

Keeping in mind the nature of the column, a few mythological references have been sprinkled to taste. However, with a rapid change of focus, the column starts to talk of Matrudevo bhava (Mother is God) and reminds one of the futility of hoarding “power, ego of material riches” when one “breaks a word spoken solemnly in her presence”. The filmy dialogue, Mere pas ma hain, packaged for a spiritual column, one may suppose.

To me, it is more than a coincidence that Anil is, at the moment, on a media campaign against his elder brother’s gas price hike. And it is a no-brainer to look for specific references to the spat in the column above. So in effect, the aggressive advertisement campaign which Anil launched, with overtly moralistic questions, has extended its reach to the Speaking Tree. I am all for suave businessmen, who run marathons, court with film stars and are willing to spend millions to enlighten the public about issues of concern. But then there is a line: to encroach into a spiritual column with hypocritical statement at every turn, to me speaks of a weak ethical spine.

It is very saddening, indeed, that ToI has allowed for such a column to be published. While I do not hold ToI highly for its morality and choice of content, this to me is a new low. A column which had excerpts from Osho and Shri Shri Ravishankar in the past few days should be a scene of a personal tussle? Does it even matter to ToI that the sensibilities of the regular readers of the column may be hurt?

I do not know what a just resolution to the row between the Ambani brothers is. But one thing that I do know is  that hatred is on display all over – even on the speaking trees, thanks to agents like ToI. For many may be the benefits of nurturing trust, hatred if nurtured, and displayed, can only bring harm, to all.

1. Styling – No surprises in seeing the standard Serif fonts all over. Styling is very 2.0 with large fonts, well spread out content, clean lines and tabbed links. The use of a limited colour pallete appears in tune with the intended low-profile design drive, but is not brilliant. Interestingly, the layout is not as cluttered as typically news websites are. Most news websites have 4 columns of news to allow a reader to take in as much as possible with the very first glance. The restrained approach on offer, seems very acceptable. The content is also very ‘flat’ with no bulging gradients or unwarranted CSS-stunts as in the websites of news channels such as NDTV.

2. Lead story – Probably the most interesting aspect is that a disproportionately large image accompanies the lead story adding to a tabloid-like-feel. But I must say that the choice of images so far has been good, with an apparently conscious decision to have well cropped closeups with reasonably narrow colour ranges. The remaining content is pushed down vertically branching into additional columns. To me, this is a more suitable approach by a paper like The Hindu, since its intended focus is Indian national news. A similar approach on say NYTimes or BBC, just wouldn’t work.

3. Choice of content – As already mentioned, the content is very restrained, nothing flashy – with a minimal of images. A look at the Times of India website provides a glaring contrast. The absence of any sort of advertisement or flash content, whatsoever, is also immensely welcome.

4. Content delivery – It so appears to me that the mechanism of delivery of news has also improved, with updates happening at real time (I suppose). Also, the use of aggregators and classifiers to provide related news items is a big plus. This definitely speaks of a fully updated content storage and delivery mechanism.

The Hindu has remained most unchanged after the tabloid storm, and has guarded well, its position as a newpaper with a serious undertone to the printed ink. While, The Hindu was the first newspaper to go online in India, way back in 1995, its website hadn’t been contemporary for a long time now. So, in a sense, the revamp was long due. But many kudos to those behind the design overhaul for keeping it in line with established images while upgrading the technology underneath, to contemporary levels.

Its truly a big bonus for Indians abroad, seeking to follow Indian news.

1. Tolerance of scholarly output: Its such a natural human phenomenon: bodies of thought are formed barb-wired with intellectual orientations and take different structural shapes: political parties or even religious factions. And people who dared cross the ideological horizon and unsettle waters, met with stiff resistance. So what then is appalling about the recent expulsion of Mr. Jaswant Singh? Lots of things. The time, the issue, the way it was dealt and the reasoning behind it. To me it is a case of bigotry that is more pretentious than innate, more naive than strategic, and comes at a time when clearly the focus for a party, with national aspirations, needs a massive redirection. My political affiliations apart, I look at Singh’s work as a scholarly output of half a decade of study by a well-learned man, and deserves atleast a read. How many of those who are responsible for the expulsion would ever read the book, let alone give it intellectual dressing down. Well at this moment, I feel sad for being a bag of complaint. But the angle which set me to mention this point is that: the ideological spinal cord of BJP: the saffron of Hinduism, probably is one of the few religions in the world which has been most open to multiplicity in thought, in action, in belief. In fact, some believe, that Hinduism is probably not a religion, but a collection of innumerable rich works towards reaching the brahmn state. It is saddening to note that a national party standing upright on the weight of Hinduism lacks some of its very essential strengths.

2. The two legs of democracy – This episode is unarguably another collection to the self-afflictions of the BJP. One wonders that the magnitude of a miracle that would be needed to resurrect it from here maybe beyond realistic considerations. The BJP-led opposition in the previous Lok Sabha term was probably the worst opposition ever – staging walkouts, following silence dharanas. The whole idea of democracy is of constructive well debated decision-making – moreso in a country as diverse and large as India, where every MP chosen stands for the possibly different aspirations of a large group of people. With a weak opposition, democracy seems crippled. The last seven odd years, marking back to the India Shining campaign, have marked a steep fall for the BJP at the center: and this to me is very disconcerting, indeed.

I was primarily drawn to the movie on the Tarantino factor. I avoided reading absolutely anything about the movie, except for a large prominent post in a French tabloid here in Lausanne: pleasantly comforting myself on my poor French. Yeah I did know that it was a war movie and had its share of violence.

Ok here goes: Its just one hour after the screen went dark, and well things have not completely sunk in. My verdict: The movie is good, but not great: words for neither of which I have benchmarks yet, this being my first real movie review.

I am going to make it simple on me and write down points I liked and those that I dint. Of course, I would like to change this brazen signature style of a rookie, as I gain more experience doign this stuff.

Things I liked:

Gripping scenes. Really. Some moments just spilled tension. Starting off with the scene in the farmhouse marking the entry of our Nazi detective. Or the two critical scenes at restaurants – German officers meeting up with Soshana and the shootout during the rendezvous.

The violence: It is sort of grotesque, but the depiction of violence was very realistic. The ‘Bear Jew’ acts or Aldo’s artistry, for instance. It caught me, saying awwwh. Right when one thought the camera is going to pan over to someone saner, it just dint!

Glitzy style: The fonts, the colours, the music and the little popping captions once in a while, all added to the familiar, yet still very likable, Tarantino style glitz. And the better bit: it was done to the right quantum.

What I dint like

Out of proportion: The novice movie critic that I am, I am not going to be able to point a finger and say, this is what went wrong. But then something did. Whether it was the too strong a southern accent on Pitt, or the lack of proper development of some characters, or the seemingly bemusing end offered to the clever Nazi detective, or even some bloated scenes like the briefing of an English officer, or something entirely different, I would not know.

Episodes: While the movie trotted along the familiar episodic style, this time they dint really stack up. There seemed a disconnect. Of course, one was led along a thread of causality, but it somehow dint escalate the tension.

Overall, the movie is bang for buck – worth spending some money and laughing to the witty tension-wrenched banter between torturers or for just eagerly awaiting the final fictitious resolution of the fates of people with real history. Tarantino still makes the cut. But I guess, it doesnt stand up there with Pulp Fiction, or maybe even a Kill Bill. The movie that comes closest probably is Reservoir Dogs, and fits a category that as an Indian I would merrily label ‘masala movies’.

PS.

Ok. So it turned out to be a worse review than I expected! It would take time, and few movies to get onto a decent mileage, I presume.

I will see if the movie sinks in and tastes different in the inside to merit another review. I am currently betting against that, though.