If you've been as bamboozled by Ajantha Mendis' carrom ball as the Indian batsmen have been, then you ought to unravel the method behind this "mystery" ball by reading how the Australian bowlers John Iverson and John Gleeson used to bowl in a similar fashion many decades ago. (0)
If you're in Mumbai and are worried about the taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers fleecing you by charging you based on wrong/fictional tariff cards, then you can carry the official/authorized tariff cards for taxis and auto-rickshaws. Of course, that doesn't stop you from being fleeced due to tampered meters and/or round-about routes. ;-) (2)
Micro-blogging trumps traditional media once again. Twitter blog reports how the tweets about the Los Angeles earthquake started at least 9 minutes before it was reported by AP. Back home, I tweeted about the mild 4.2 pointer temblor that shook Maharashtra last night about 20 minutes before the news channels started their "Breaking News" tickers about the quake. (0)
Apple iPhone 3G to hit Indian shores in August
Techtree.com reports that Vodafone is likely to launch the Apple iPhone 3G in India within a month’s time from now i.e. in mid-to-late August 2008. [ed: 18th August is the date that's been doing the rounds right now]
Of course, it is also widely known that Bharti Airtel will also sell the iPhone 3G in India. However there are reports that Vodafone will get a 15-day headstart on Airtel because Apple has a global agreement with Vodafone for the iPhone 3G.
The Techtree.com report says that Vodafone will only launch the 8GB version to begin with. I am none-too-happy with this approach, but I reckon it might just be to level the playing field for Bharti Airtel since they would be starting second in the race to sell the ubiquitous iPhone 3G in India. Moreover, Vodafone’s website says that the iPhone 3G would be available only on their 2G network. That being the case, I would advise the new iPhone 3G users in India to not join the frenzy for purchasing apps from the App Store since I reckon most of the apps would be optimized for use with 3G networks.
Most importantly, reports vary wildly on the likely price of the iPhone 3G. Don’t go by conversion of the US price of $199 into equivalent Rupees. That price-tag is for the iPhone 3G handset taken with an AT&T contract which is the real killer. So the handset-only cost would be much higher than $199. Moreover, high import duties in India will also add to the price. So I am expecting the 8GB version to debut at a price in the Rs.12000 - Rs.16000 range, if not more.
But hey, who cares about all these things, right?! It’s the coolest portable internet device-cum-phone and I can’t wait to lay my hands on one… umm, once again! ;-)
By the way, I am sure everybody knows that both Vodafone and Bharti Airtel have been pre-registering customers for the iPhone 3G. Have you pre-registered yet?!
Update [07 Aug 2008] News reports in Indian mainstream and web media state that the iPhone 3G launch date in India will be 22nd August 2008. The reports also mention that both Bharti Airtel and Vodafone are expected to launch the iPhone on the same day as against the earlier reports which gave Vodafone a 15-day headstart on account of its worldwide tie-up with Apple. Moreover “analysts” seem to think that the iPhone 3G may cost around Rs. 20,000 in India. Let’s wait and watch.
July 25, 2008 No Comments
Half done is well begun
No one had believed MSRDC when they claimed that the flyover on the Western Express Highway near the Mumbai domestic airport junction would be partially opened for traffic on the 15th of July. But true to their word, the north-bound part of the flyover was duly inaugurated on 15th as planned.
I know for a fact that people heaved sighs of relief knowing that the days of crawling, bumper-to-bumper traffic in that area were at an end. One FM radio station in Mumbai had even run a contest in the last few days asking people if they believed the flyover would indeed be inaugurated as planned on the 15th. I had also experienced those terrible traffic snarls while commuting back from work.
For now, the three lanes that have been opened for traffic have been divided into two single lanes for traffic to flow in either direction. With this arrangement, the traffic situation has improved tremendously. I know that because I tried out the flyover in both directions during my commute to and from office today. The surface finishing on the flyover is tacky and the haste to meet the 15th July deadline shows in the rough edges. But for once MSRDC delivered on their promise (even though the promise was given after repeatedly failing to meet earlier deadlines) and one can only hope that the flyover will begin full service on 31st December 2008, which incidentally is the second half of MSRDC’s promise regarding the domestic airport junction flyover.
July 16, 2008 2 Comments
