UC Browser for fast and the impatient!

Cricket is a religion in India and there is no doubt now that it is “the” most followed or practiced sport in the country. The passion, the obsession, the craze, the enthusiasm with which people are engrossed in this sport is unmatchable. Earlier parents used to comment “kya khel roti dega?” and prohibit their children to practice a sport but cricket has changed the entire scene & belief. It not only is a sport but now it is a major source of income for billions of people.

Cricket is not the national sport but one would certainly get surprised if they look at its patrons and their craze. The game has elevated to this level from the day India won its first world cup in 1983. The Gavaskars, The Kapils, The Amarnaths of the game have inspired the nation and now cricket is much more than a sport. It was that part of the era when televisions started telecasting the cricket matches. It was the only sport by large which was getting featured and the success was far reaching. People started following the sport, the sportsmen, the statistics, their personal life and everything.

For me I am an avid cricketer and I track the sport very keenly. I want the information on my fingertips and easily accessible. Many a times there are tons of commitments which may compel you to skip seeing a live match but that’s the last thing I want to do. So what’s the solution?

UC Browser is the name! Now I don’t need to compromise on my obsession i.e. cricket and I can watch it anytime, based on my convenience. I do not need to skip office on a match day with some lied sickness reasons. I can watch it in office on my mobile and keep a tab on the scores. UB Browser even makes you a star. Let me tell you how. I am a candid photographer and I cover a lot of marriages. I was covering one such marriage outside the city during an India match and my only resort for the match updates was the UCBrowser - UC Cricket. I was able to get the scores with jet speed and I became a single point of contact in the entire marriage hall for the live match scores. Everybody were around me watching the match and it was that sweet moment of temporary stardom. Similarly sometimes I take a walk in the park or beach and watch the match in the open air. This attracts few cricket enthusiasts around and a quick opportunity to make friends.

As far as features are concerned, UC browser is packed with tons of features, this browser works with lightning speed and it is highly dependable. This browser is ultra-smooth with a great ease in terms of navigation. Typically people who love desktop browsers will not be disappointed for sure. If you want to explore it further, why wait? Download it immediately from the stores and have fun!

Watch the UC Browser's interesting ad here: 

Kellogg’s Chocos ke saath ‘Khuljaye Bachpan'

An African proverb says, “Honor a child and it will honor you”.

We all live in a modern world, and the world around is really fast. Time is far most the scarcest resource in our life. We end up spending all the time in making money and in the scheme of things, family takes a backstage. The relationship between a parent and child is a very special and crucial one in life. Like it is said, you work with the clay when it is wet, similarly a child’s mind and personality gets molded in the way you want. Children are totally dependent on us i.e. parents for existence and hence it’s a completely 168 hours/week job. There are certain attributes that they develop from genetics however the most important things in life comes into them only through experience. And it is this experience that I want to talk about which directly comes from us or the society in total. I will take an example of a very close friend of mine and how he is shaped up with the help of his parents in such modern times. This concept is called as buddy parenting and it is not only new, but the need of the hour.

First things first! The most important thing that you can gift your child is your TIME. Nothing can replace it whatsoever. My friend is a single child and has working parents. Despite their busy schedules, they ensured that he gets ample amount of time with them. Here we need to be very clear that we are not talking about the quantity of time but the quality of the time with the child.

Second is the ability of being a friend. It is not only important but now it has become a mandate for a parent to become the first best friend of their kid. My friend’s parents were superb here and they were the people who would hear it first from him. Be it about an issue in school or be it his new crush! In this process of being a friend, a parent learns so many things in life. Let’s take the technological aspect which is very easy and aptly fits today’s scenario. Most of the parents learn invariably the mobile phone operations from their children who are in the age bracket of 8-15 years.  My dad is a carom champ and he taught me the nuances of the game during my childhood. This learning journey in the form of a pal strengthens the bond and brings a lot of comfortability to the relationship. The Raj (ShahRukh Khan) – Pops (Anupam Kher) relationship in Dilwale Dulhaniye Le Jaayenge not only looks good but it fills the gap exactly.

Third is encouraging the special skills in child. I understand and endorse that education is important but skills which are beyond the classrooms are equally important. My friends dad is from the army and involves my friend all the physical training he undergoes like swimming, running, badminton or soccer. My wife is a professional Carnatic vocalist and she involves my daughter in her vocal classes to kindle that interest in her right at a very nascent age. 30 – 40 years ago a career in sport was considered to be stupid idea and parents used to say “khel khana nahi dega” but look at today! Khel khana hi nahi balki aaj bahut kuch deta hai! Every child has a special skill and jt may be in any form. It is the responsibility of the individual parent to foster it and help its growth. Can you imagine what would have happened if Sachin’s parents were not supportive, if Saina’s parents were conventional.

All in all, net-on-net, the modern child and its needs are completely different. Hence it is important that we communicate with them right from breakfast table to bed. This may be difficult, but it is vital. As it is said, today the gadgets have distanced the individuals but here we need to strike a balance and see how we can use the gadgets to bring the family together. Everyday tell them you love them. Everyday give them a hug. Reward them for their efforts. At the end of the day, for the world you are just one person but for one person you are the world!

Happy parenting!

Visit this link: https://www.facebook.com/mychocos

Here's the video:

Mera Wala My Airtel App

Today mobiles or tablets have become indispensable objects and I would not be exaggerating if I say that mobile devices are now a key part of everybody’s life. There are thousands of mobile handset manufacturers but very few quality network providers and in that space, Airtel who call themselves the "smartphone network" has been the customer’s most preferred choice. 

In the modern day scenario, we are all on the move and mobile internet is used more widely than the traditional online methods. The need of the hour is information on the fingertips and mobile apps plays a very vital role here. For any business, irrespective of being large or small, it is important to have a mobile app for its growth in customer base and business operations. Be it financial institutions or entertainment hubs or travel and holiday providers or restaurants or hotels, everybody have their own private mobile app and through this modern day solution, it not only increases the visibility of the business, but also boosts the turnover in a significant way. In the same lines of mobile applications, the telecom giant Airtel have their own mobility solutions and it is one of the best intuitive apps that I have ever used. Here are the top features of their My Airtel App that I think give them the edge over others:

1) Airtel Surprises: It’s a brilliant marketing win-win idea by Airtel. With every recharge through My Airtel App, the customers get discount coupons from a host of vendors like Café Coffee day, Flipkart, Amazon.in, VLCC, Myntra, ebay.in and PVR Cinemas etc. With a strategic association with India’s largest coupon and marketing platform “mydala”, Airtel Surprises is a fantastic initiative not only for the telecom vendor but also for its customers. Adding to the fun, they have this “shake and win” feature where one has to shake his/her mobile to get the offers. That’s marketing at its best!

2) “I want to”: This is my personal favorite. This feature in My Airtel App helps you pay the bill, recharge your packs, buy games, look at your balance, verify your data consumed, the recharge history, all at click of a button. One just needs to create a shortcut to the home screen and then with one tap, it’s ready for use. Highly customizable, this is incredibly useful for people who want to get things done quick and fast.

3) Service Request: Gone are the days of customer care numbers, and emails and this feature comes as a fresh air! Through the My Airtel App you can lodge or file a complaint just and also can check the status of your request/complaint at your disposal. This is think is a great customer engagement model facilitated via #MyAirtelApp

4) Safe and secured payments: As I said earlier, we are all on the go and we would prefer everything right at our fingertips. Paying bills, making purchases, sending money everything online sounds great and can be made through My Airtel App. It has given us the facility to store our credit card details and the feature is completely secured by PCIDSS certification. The checkout is ultrafast and it is highly intuitive.

The Airtel mobile app, My Airtel App not only has been a tremendous marketing tool by making the customers aware of the new launches, new features but also it creates a new engagement platform. Here I think Airtel has a perfect score in the area of mobile app and has done great preparation to grow in future.

Dil nahi Dimaag: The mantra of Ek Nayi League!

In the last few weeks if we had been watching the IPL, none of us would have missed these ads on #EkNayiLeague.

If you have, here are the ones for the quick view:

Featuring one of the Gods of cricket, the captain of the world champion Indian team, Kapil paaji is creating a huge amount of suspense all around. Ek Nayi league – Kya hai yeh? is the buzzing question!

Although new to the Twitter platform, the personal handles of Kapil sir himself @therealkapildev and the leagues exclusive handle #eknayileague is brimming with posts from variety of audiences. The wild guesses includes singing competition, dance competition, talk shows etc and like many others, even I am scratching my head figuring out what this can be all about. I did a web search with #eknayileague as the key word but unfortunately there isn't much available on the internet as well. In each of his ads he says Dil Se Khela toh Hit Wicket and Dil Se Khela toh aapki Googly meaning if you play with all your heart, you are setting up for failure. Wow! That’s a little weird but a very important hint which needs to be taken into consideration.

I am pretty much sure that this is going to be a television series and more of a reality show however the theme is where the speculation is all about. After rounds of permutation combinations, considering a few points and hints, here are my guesses:

Guess #1: He being a sportsperson himself, in some videos he has spoken about Yuvraj, Sania and MS Dhoni. Here are the videos to view:

So, can this be a sport show with small games or sport to be played which is more about the brawn than heart? Getting together people from all walks of life and getting them compete in some physical sport for some prize money.

Guess #2: In one of the videos he also talks about Comedy nights with Kapil star Kapil Sharma aka Bittu and how he bowls googlies (read as questions!) at people coming to the show. Here's the video:

So can this be a talk show with some real questions to some of the stars from various fields? A chat show where it's about answering based on brains than heart!

Guess #3: By saying Dil Se Khela toh Hit Wicket and Dil Se Khela toh aapki Googly he is actually asking people to use the brain more than the heart. Hence can this be a quiz show like the Kaun Banega Crorepati however something specialized in sports involving prize money.

Guess #4: He is asking everybody to follow him on Twitter and hence could this be an online saga?

We need to make a very important note that our honorable PM has congratulated Kapil Dev for this effort and wished him the best of luck. Hence I think this going to be for a good cause and it is going to bring the society together. As a person, Kapil sir is a social brand in himself and it definitely will have contribution back to the society. Whatever be it, I am looking forward for the truth unfolding and the event’s gala release.

Keep following the website http://www.eknayileague.com/ and the twitter handles @therealkapildev and #eknayileague for more updates!

Heal the world, make it a better place!

Today we live in an environment where people do anything for economic benefits. They kill animals, cull trees, pollute the surroundings with a “who cares” attitude. In such a scenario our environment is changing, almost every day. Hence it is imperative that we understand the problems that our planet is facing and the magnitude of the consequences.

Currently the pressing issues that we are facing are:

Global Warming: Climate changes influenced by man because of the production of greenhouse gases like carbon monoxide, methane etc. Rising temperatures, melting of the polar ice caps, flash floods are some of the consequences which are going to change the entire geography of the human race.

Pollution: Polluting the air, water, soil is very easy but to bring it back to usual, it takes years. Today’s high car emissions polluting the air, oil spills polluting the ocean waters, toxins releases by various big industries are one of the major contributors to environment pollution.

Overpopulation: Every natural resource in this world is limited and the splurge in the world’s population is pushing it to unsustainable thresholds.

Deforestation: Erasing the green cover and making it available for residential or commercial purposes for the human habitats is on the rise. Forests regulate temperature, rainfalls and by cleaning the trees up, we are putting our future in the greatest of dangers.

Above are some of the major environmental issues that we are facing but besides that we have many more like Resources scarcity, weakening of the Ozone layer, Genetic Engineering, Rise in the urban spread, water pollution etc.

Having said these, it is quite vital that we bring in some changes to our daily life and also push the Government to bring in policies for safeguarding the future. Here are a few easy things can we adopt to contribute to environments betterment:

• Stop littering and use the garbage bin
• Always carry your own bag for a grocery shopping and avoid usage of plastic
• Take public transport once a week for travel
• Join a car pooling group
• Take a walk or ride bicycle for distances less than 2-3 kms
• Use the stairs more often than the elevator/escalator
• Turn off the taps while shaving or brushing teeth. Use the mug
• Think twice before you hit the “PRINT” button and if at all, use the “print on both sides” options
• Unplug the electronic devices and make sure you switch off all them completely if the appliances are not in use
• Drive at 40-50 kms/hr.
• Always use a timer while using air-conditioners
• Use energy efficient lightings
• Buy more of e-books than hard copies
• Avoid charging your phone while sleeping.
• Before buying new clothes, make you sure donate your old stuff

The above are just few of simple things which we can do immediately and it is not rocket science.

Yes, it is true that we cannot clean the ocean water, we cannot fill in the holes in ozone layer, we can’t create forests forests in a day or two but raising awareness in our neighborhoods, by teaching our kids & families the rules of cleanliness, joining hands with a hew NGOs like Green Yatra, we can make the world a much better place to live in. At the end of the day when are a part of the problem, we need to be a part of the solution as well.

Think positive, Do positive and Be positive!

What is optimism? As per the Oxford Dictionary - optimism is hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something. Let's take an example. We are in the last leg of the cricket World Cup 2015 and the entire nation is optimistic that we are going to retain the cup.The nation was positive that the Mr. Narendra Modi would bring in a much wanted change and hence he is our Prime Minister now. The recession hit America was positive that it would jump back to normality over a period of time. Optimism actually can mean different things to different people but for me it's mostly making the best of the bad outcomes in life or looking at the brighter side of life as a whole. So let me take an example of a real life scenario and see how optimism changed my life.

Smoking kills, everybody knows but how many believe in it?  And for people who believe in that truth, why do they do it at the first place? Why are they still indulging in that habit?  Why don’t people quit it forever? Why aren't they able to do it? Ever thought about it?

I have been a smoker myself and I used to puff up quite a few of them. I am an early entrant in this area which was during my teens and have been consistent if not a chain smoker. Hence I am doing “walk-the-talk” and not giving a sermon here!

Normally teens start smoking because they feel it is “cool”. Well even I thought smoking is fun, kind of psychological pleasure. It is quite natural that you do not realize the consequences of this habit at that age and hence care a damn about what people say. I used to smoke a couple of packs when I was in junior college and that gave me a hunk feel. Slowly it followed me at home as well. Whenever I was alone at house, the amount of sticks increased in arithmetic progression and if it was a night out with friends, the numbers followed the geometric progression pattern. My clothes used to stink of nicotine and my shirt or jean pockets had leftovers of tobacco. Finally it had to happen! My parents back home came to know about this habit of mine and they give me piece of their mind. Although it was a tough few sessions to handle but I did not care much because I earned my own pocket money through tuition and so the “give-a-damn” attitude continued. I graduated from college, joined work and the routine came along harder. This time I had more money at my disposal and hence I started buying costlier brands of the cigarettes with an increment in the quantity as well. I did not realize the toll that my body is taking because all these deeds. Did I try to quit in the middle? Yes, I did but was never successful. But then came a time when I had to put my foot down and say this is it!  

I am a complete sportsperson and an active cricketer. I understand that sports and smokes have such negative relationship but I never could actually sense it. In a game of cricket, earlier I could bowl 6 overs on the trot but later the number came down gradually. Thirty minutes under the sun and I would feel tired. One chase to save a boundary and the tongue sticks out! Two laps in the swimming pool and I would gasp for breath. Cigarette is regarded as a stress buster but now this was giving me stress in return. I was ashamed of my fitness level and I immediately knew the root cause. I decided to quit smoking immediately!

Mark Twain said – “Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times!” He was 100% right. Kicking the habit was easy but sustaining that was very tough! The most important attribute because of which I was able to sustain this life changing move was “positivity”. I started disbelieving the fact that smoking is an addiction. No, it is not and I really feel it is not how much ever scientifically proven it is. I added positivity by analyzing the amount of savings that I can generate just by doing away with this habit. I always had an excuse to smoke but now I started thinking of reasons why I shouldn't with only one question. Which was more important – sport or smoke and the answer was easy to pick. By putting more efforts on conditioning my body and mind through a lot of physical activities, I stayed positive about the end result. Like the great Dalai Lama says - "Choose to be optimistic. It feels better", I was quite optimistic that it is tough but not impossible and finally here I am, after being quit smoking completely for close to 5 years now.

I have come a long way on this habit and if I really put my head around it, I recognize that there’s nothing great about this. Although I completely agree that it is the most difficult habit to resign but I can truly tell you that it’s a package of pleasure worth kicking! Think all positive effects of quitting smoking, Do positive things to quit smoking and be positive that you can quit smoking! Quitter wins, sometimes!

Optimism is everywhere and with that you can achieve literally anything in life. Stay strong and never give up - that is my story on optimism!

Chai pe nahi, breakfast pe bulana hai!

Mayer Hawthorne said – “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I definitely have a hearty breakfast before I do anything.” And we as Indians literally beg to differ to that concept and usually we are the first to skip breakfast citing n number of reasons. Children getting late to school compromise on breakfast, working parents due to want of time grabs something and rushes to office and most importantly for the housewives & moms breakfast is generally a cup of tea with a couple of biscuits that too way past the breakfast timings! Have we not experienced this very often in each of our households?

All these we have indulged in very conventional type of food when it comes to breakfast like idly, dosa, pongal, vada, upma when it comes to the southern part of the country. These are little heavy on our stomach, requires a lot of ingredients and eats up a humongous of time before it comes to the table. But the question is can we bring in a change in the system of breakfast to make it more interesting, more delicious, more nutritious, more compelling and absolutely uncompromisable?

Dhan te dan!! The answer is yes! Here comes the welcome change in the form of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.

Kellogg’s Corn Flakes has redefined the very concept of breakfast. We all have heard about a three course or four course meals but have you heard about a three or four course breakfast, at least in India? Never! But Gupta ji’s home has all the recipes ready to meet such demand of a breakfast spread. The most important point here is the time consumption. With Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, nobody can give an excuse of “no time”. Out of the lavish 116 spread, each dish doesn't take more than 15 minutes of time and hence throw that excuse of “no time” goes out of the window. Not only that, one has a recipe or an exclusive dish to match every occasion and to celebrate it. At the Gupta ji’s household from celebrating Sunita mousi’s home visit cancellation to impressing the kid’s first crush; from getting back the authority on remote to preparing tiffin for a competition in school to a “Sanskaar” session at home – Kellogg’s Corn Flakes has a perfect breakfast recipe for everything. Isn't that exciting?

Secondly this gives way to the old school of thoughts where one invites another over lunch or dinner. Now with this versatility on the breakfast spread and lesser time consumption in the areas of preparation, who would even have one percent of apprehension? So #KelloggsWaleGuptaji, like many others, I am waiting for the breakfast invite and to be a part of the Kellogg’s Corn Flakes family.

Here’s my wish list for the nashta:

Welcome drink: 

• Kellogg's® Oats Peppy Papaya Drink

 Starter

• Kellogg's® Oats Veggie Nutri Cutlets
• Cheese Curd Dip
• Grilled Cornflake Polenta Sticks
• Basil Curd Dip

Soup & Salad

• Cornflakes Mushroom Soup
• Crunchy Fruit Salad

Main

• Apple Cornflakes Pancakes
• Mayo Cornflakes Sandwich
• Cornflake Dahi Upma
• Cornflakes Anjeer Porridge
• Kellogg's® Oats Tamrind Rice

Dessert

• Cornflake Walnut Chocolate Muffin
• Cornflake Coconut Ladoos
• Cornflakes Kewra Badam Kheer
• Black Forest Shake

  

To naashte mein kab bula rahen hain #KelloggsWaleGuptaji?