Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Let's Roll! (updated)

I must be in heaven... I see Blue, and he's glorious.

Full credit goes to Ain't It Cool News for these pics... but for those of you who aren't geeky enough to check that website on a regular basis (or just have jobs) meet:

Optimus



and Megatron















One shall stand, one shall fall. I can't believe this is finally happening... Giant. Robots. Blowing. S**t. Up.

In theatres. This July.

***UPDATE***

I could not, not post this new still. Double dipping again on the Robots In Disguise goodness, but what can I say: it was my childhood. Pictured here: Optimus about to open a can of whup-a$$ on a Decepticon.

Credits: AICN.


Sunday, March 25, 2007

Think Better

So I was on Google Reader earlier this morning checking the RSS feed for the NYT's Most Emailed Articles. There, down at #10 on the list was an article titled "What’s Online: Apple Cult Becoming a Religion", by Leander Kahney. As the author of Wired's "The Cult of Mac" blog, Mr. Kahney may not be the most objective arbiter of the computing scene--nor perhaps (as a Mac fan) the most apt person to make the distinction between a cult or a legit religion--but it seems like EVERYBODY is drinking the Apple Kool-Aid these days.

And you know what? They're right. Apple is experiencing a well-deserved resurgence. Because, right now, Macs *are* better than PCs. And OS X *is* better than Windows. And it's not even close.

Call me a heretic: because I am. I've always been all about PCs. I used to hate Macs with a passion. Back in the day, when I worked the computer help desk at my college, I was always confounded as to why somebody would own a Mac, yet alone use one. Although the networking options were nice, the staid monochromatic/2-D look of OS 9 was archaic, troubleshooting a nightmare (paper clips anybody?), and compatibility a huge pain. A few years later, we were subjected to the "Think Different" and "Switch" marketing campaigns which ranged respectively from being overly fanciful, to making me want to stink a pencil in my eye... for lack of being able to hurt the actual tools giving those idiotic testimonials. Even today's "Hello I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" ads can come across as a *little* condescending. As effective as the ads are, that PC guy is endearing as a loveable dweeb whereas the hipster Mac guy almost always comes across as a jackhole. No disrespect to either of the actors, but if push comes to shove, we all know who's back we'd have in a bar fight.

But ever since the introduction of OS X (the "WOW" started six years ago on the Mac. Watch this video, if you don't believe me), the ubiquitous adoption of wireless, and the shift of workflows away from the desk to--dare I say it--the internets, the momentum of the OS wars has changed. The shift is palpable--much like in Rocky IV when, around round 13 or so, the entire Russian nation actually starts rooting for Rocky and against Drago.

Macs offer by far the most reliable and rewarding personal computing experience there is. Why? Because having a stable OS matters. Because being able to boot up from suspend mode in 2 seconds, and connect to the first available wireless network without any user input, matters. Because being able to open a PDF file natively, in a fraction of the 25-30 seconds it takes Adobe Acrobat to launch on the average PC, matters. Because being able to create a PDF natively matters (business users, are you listening??). Because not having to worry about viruses and spyware matters. Because being able to share a printer or hard drive across a network with ease matters. And finally, because even though it is grammatically incorrect to start a sentence with the word "because" without an ensuing clause, design matters.

The d-word. I know... it's totally played out but I would be remiss if I didn't bring it up here. To borrow from O.D.B, design and Apple go back like babies and pacifiers. It's not that Macs necessarily look better. Sony and HP have come out with some gorgeous looking hardware of late, but Apple has long cemented its reputation as a company that allies form with function. The iPod may not be the most feature-laden portable music player out there, but it does what it says it will do, all exceptionally well. As for the iPhone--well I can't claim to have seen it--but it's something straight out of Minority Report!

And I hate to admit this: but when you think about it, for the price, you can't beat all that immediate out-of-the-box functionality you get with an Apple. Built-in video conferencing with the iSight, and media center like capabilities through Front Row now all come standard. Again, notice I said functionality as opposed to features. Sure, you could probably build something with similar or better specs yourself for cheaper, if you knew what you were doing. Or you could install third-party apps and hardware and hope to get the same results on your Dell, if you knew what you were doing... but the operating words here are: if you knew what you were doing.

Philosophically, I think there is another ingredient that underpins Apple's resurgence. Simplicity. Why, after 6 years of development, Windows Vista ships in 5 differently priced versions, all with a separate set of features is beyond me. And it should be beyond you. It's confusing as hell. What is this, Medicare Part D?? There is such a thing as too many choices being a bad thing. If you have time, check out the work of Swarthmore Professor Barry Schwartz. If you have 20 minutes, watch this video from one of his talks at TED, it's truly edifying.

With OS X, you get all the bells and whistles in one SKU, probably because the accounting people at Apple were able to calculate a weighted average price whereas their counterparts at Microsoft weren't. Okay fine, that's probably not the reason. Still, you gotta admit, why it is that Vista ships in so many different configurations? For certain, Apple may not give you full latitude in spec'ing out your machine. They're often accused of a little too much hand-holding, and forcing certain parameters/features down your throat in their products. But that sure beats you f***ing up your Windows registry all by your own little "look-at-me-I-have-so-many-options" self.

Now this is not to say everything is hunky dory on a Mac. If you are in the market for a new computer and are thinking about an Apple, like the millions who have fallen under Steve Job's reality distortion field (this blogger included), you should know that Macs, at least in their current incarnation, do suffer from some curious lapses.

  • The lack of keyboard shortcuts when using Microsoft Office for example is HUGE. In fact, it's maddening. There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to access all menu items by simply pressing a combination of the Alt key + the highlighted letter corresponding to the item I wish to use... like on any Windows PC. I spent my first years in consulting mastering Excel's keyboard shortcuts to a point where it became an intangible competitive advantage. I became The One. Seriously, I could take any investment banker out with my Excel skillz. King Kong ain't got s**t on me! This lapse is a HUGE impediment to power users. Sure, there are documented ways to map your own shortcuts, and you can even set up Parallels to run the Windows version of Office on your Mac... but I would take the time and money to do that why?
  • While on the subject of MS Office, you will be pleased to know that file compatibility with Windows is no longer an issue. What is, on the other hand, is that the current version of Office available for OS X is not Universal. That is to say it was coded for the PowerPC chips, before Apple switched to Intel. This causes Office to run quite slowly, because it does so through a built-in emulator running in the background called Rosetta. There's a quick fix to this problem. Load up on RAM. Don't settle for the 512 Mb, upgrade to at least a 1 Gb. 2Gb if you can afford it. The long-term fix for this will be Office 2008, which will be universal... and glorious.
  • Safari, Mac OS's own web browser, is useless... if you use the new Yahoo! Mail Beta version... or if you use the web-version of Outlook that many corporations now roll out. For some odd reason, the technologies underlying those web applications are not supported by Safari. The answer: Mozilla Firefox.
Many of these nuisances/inconveniences can be classified as business related... which is why I *did* say at the beginning of this post (*cough* copout *cough*) that Macs provide the most rewarding and reliable personal computing experience. It may be a while before you see businesses adopting Macs, and by that time we may all be using Linux. But you can't ignore the trend. More and more, people around me are using them at their workplace without any major issues.

Hey, they got Macs at CTU too. If they're good enough for Jack or Chloe, they're good enough for me.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

R.I.P Captain America

It's all over the news. America's first and foremost emblem of justice is on his way out, maybe gone for good.

No, I'm not talking about Attorney General Gonzales. Although you probably should be worrying about him... as early as yesterday he still had George Bush's "full support". You know what that means. It was nice knowing you, Al. Arrivederci...

Folks, I'm talking about Captain America. The ignoble rumours are true: Captain America aka Steve Rogers is no more. As a casual comic book fan (my wife will immediately dispute this self-characterisation), I was shocked when I first heard rumors that Marvel would kill off one of its signature characters. I was in denial. I had to wait to see it for myself.

Having now caught a glimpse of the fateful Captain America # 25 issue, I gotta say... HE DEAD.

How did this cold and calculated event transpire, you ask? Well, after the cataclysmic events of the Civil War story arc, a disillusioned Cap ummasked himself and surrendered to the authorities. While appearing for his arraignment at a Federal Courthouse, he was shot in the neck by a sniper. Not only that--but once down, he was shot three more times in the chest! Point blank!!! It doesn't get much more definitive than that. You really went and did it, Marvel.

We'll all miss you Cap. We really will... until you are miraculously resurrected 9 months from now.

What do you think Marvel? We all suckers?? You already "killed" Spider-Man once last year, and then brought him back to life the following month. You're just as bad as DC. I remember falling for Superman's *death* in 1993. And I gotta say they nearly induced a mental breakdown in me when they broke Batman's back during Knightfall. They got me good. Really. My mouth was open, and all that.

But let's call a cat a cat.... that's French, for "let's call a spade a spade", by the way. [I gotta say, the 'spade' thing does sound more manly. Lesson learned. Moving on...]

Let's tell it like it is. We all know this was a craven attempt to cash in on one of your hottest properties. Shame on you MVL (NYSE). What other sordid tricks will you pull out of your hat? It's as if you all of a sudden brought back Spider-Man's black costume in the comics for no explicable reason other than it just so happens he will be donning it in this summer's Spider-Man 3. Or even more pathetic, if you suddenly started highlighting Iron Man more and more across all of your books, giving him an unprecedented and absurd amount of prominence and responsibility in the Marvel-verse just because an Iron Man movie is in development.*

But I'm on to you. We all are. You'll bring Cap back to us just in time for his own movie. To quote el Presidente:




*Robert Downey Jr, as Tony Stark? RDJ? Really??? That's pretty dead on, man :)

I wonder if Stan Lee will teach marketing at my business school.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

The Namesake and why Boston got robbed

So we trudged through the snow last night to go watch Mira Nair's The Namesake (and no, it's not pronounced the na-mé-sa-ké nor does it have anything to do with Japan). I liked it. I wouldn't say I loved it because I loved the book, and the book would just get jealous... but, overall, I'm happy that such a beautiful story has been translated to the silver screen and brought to a mass audience.

Things I loved:

  1. The portrayal of the parents by Irrfan Khan and Tabu. I don't know what it was, but they both completely inhabited their characters. They made the movie feel close to home just as much as the book did. I almost cried at one point of the book (okay fine, I did cry -happy??). Predictably, the equivalent scene on film had the same effect. I sniveled like a child. This is huge, people. The last time I cried at the movies was during Armageddon. When Bruce Willis stays back on the asteroid to trigger the detonator to the explosives that save the entire human race.

    Yeah right
    , like you didn't choke up during that scene either... poser.

  2. Summers in India... this was captured to perfection. Yes. They. Really. Were. That. Boring. My brother and I would count the days to our flight back. My brother once made me cry when I was 8 because, the day before our flight, he told me my family was flying back home, but agreed at the last minute to leave me behind with my grandparents. All I could think of at the time was I wasn't going to have McDonald's for a whole year. I cried my eyes out. Don't get me wrong. I love India, and I LOVE my family. But this was before The World Is Flat. No internet, no cable, no cell phones, no hot water between the hours of noon and six pm, no "showers", no "toilet paper", and no Coke. AND it was too damn hot to go outside and play.

  3. Kal Penn. Kumar. Call me biased, but as an Indian male, I love it when an indo makes the big time (outside of India of course). Whether it's a billionaire steel tycoon who lays the smack down on chauvinistic regulators, or a hard-working restaurateur who has his portrait immortalized in the middle of Boston's hippest restaurant slash lounge, I have to say I love it when a person gets his due. Kal Penn is every ABCD's hero, and this movie is yet another example of his rising star. Honestly, perfomance-wise, I would say he was upstaged by his fellow veterans on the cast. But not to worry, he'll more than make up for it once Harold & Kumar 2 hits the screens. 08, you bastard, you couldn't come any sooner.
Things I hated:
  1. Okay everyone. Here we are: rant time. The Namesake is supposed to take place for the most part in Massachusetts. That's right, Massachusetts, I had to say it. It had to be said. Why is it that filmmakers always feel the need to transplant stories to New York City to give them mass appeal? Sure New York is sexy, but you know what? It really sucks too. Bad things happen to good people, just like anywhere else. Plus, this only felt like, what, the 500th naive-immigrant-coming-of-age-story set in New York City ever been made???

    Once upon a time in America
    ... been there, done that. The Godfather II... been there done that. In America... been there, done that. King Kong... been there, done that.

    What's wrong with keeping the story in Cambridge? Not authentic enough? Central Square, Cambridge, gets just as much snow and sketchy people roaming around your shopping cart as Scarsdale, New York, or wherever the hell they filmed those first scenes of the movie. Our apartments are a lot shittier too. As for the actual story, the father got his big teaching break at MIT. Don't tell me that's not good enough for a movie. Boston was robbed! Period.

  2. The film premiered in New York, and LA but not in Boston. WTF. Anyway, you know where I'm going with this... Let's go Red Sox!

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Great Expectations



He will become the greatest blogger/MBA student the world has ever known...

It won't be easy.