Editorial

Euro 12, the Presidential polls, the Paes-Bhupathi controversy and the most recent God particle... The past month has made a lot of news - controversies, battles, discoveries and celebrations. Pulse72+ promises to get you the latest on all current affairs in our blog http://pulse72plus.com/blog/

Dare to think beyond engineering? Confused whether to take the plunge into management? Peace! The man behind 'Mind train' - Mr. Rajagopal talks to us about entrepreneurship, MBA, his coaching organization and why the tender coconut seller is a 'pucca' businessman.

Following your heart is never an easy task. And when passion drives you to move onto a new life 9000 miles away,Sandeep Narayanan tells about the road not taken 'LA to Chennai'.

The textbooks will tell you that he invented the AC motor. What's not there in the books is - 17 of his ideas were used by Marconi, he was the brains behind radar, X-ray, transistor and that he was cheated by Thomas Alva Edison! Nicolas Tesla is our man - 'The prince of electrical engineering'. Read more about the underrated genius - a pioneer who could have even cut short the First World War. And you thought Edison was everything!

Ever wondered how and why Social-networking bubbled up so fast? Have the fb, orkut, g+, twitter etc... really connected us? Read all that and more, btw a student who claims to have taken the best out of existing SNS and has created a... Let us not spoil your surprise.

Read on!

Enjoy July with this edition of Pulse72+ - Xpress your way.

CONTENTS

The Genius Displaced in time

LA to Chennai- The road not taken

Science of Flirting

The Top 5 Paranormal mysteries on Earth... or they?

Meet the SURFACE

Clash of the TITANS!
Brain Style!

Status Update
Questions from a social animal

THE BUSINESS GURU

Featured Short Films

#1 Backdoor

#2 NH 45

The TOP-5 Paranormal Mysteries on Earth... or are they?

Adyasha Dash

These were but a glimpse of the unexplained on Earth. As long as the curiosity of human mind remains unquenched, mysteries shall exist. What explanation we choose to believe, however, lies entirely with us.

The Prince of Electrical Engineering

-Vivekanandan

The lifestyle of people has been constantly changing and technology is no doubt one of the main reasons behind this. At one point of time, when someone spoke of the idea of light from a glass casing, he was considered insane. Only magicians held the sole right and acceptance of the society to perform such feats. But, there were always a few who chose to traverse un-travelled paths and accidentally or by sheer genius stumble upon some mind-blowing discoveries or marvels of science. No, this is not about Thomas Alva Edison. OH, and by the way, Edison did not invent the electric bulb. He simply developed on the idea of 22 other men who had taken the same road some time before Edison. Mr.Edison patented the electric bulb and he knew damn well how to sell the bulb with his name stamped over it. He was someone who is the equivalent of a current day CEO.

So, now why the hell are you doing this smear campaign against one of the greatest inventors in science, the undisputed Prince of electrical engineering??

Well, with all due respect to Edison who was no doubt a no non-sense person with a very sharp inventor's instinct, there was indeed another unsung prince who deserved that throne. Without him even Edison could not have reached the height he had scaled. Perhaps, had this person acted in movies, taking advantage of his tall 6 foot frame and good looks, he might been more popular.

Instead, Nikola Tesla chose to toil in the labs, make wonderful discoveries, forget to patent or record them and let others use his ideas and get famous. Now possibly I can't write that Tesla was so cool that he let Marconi convert 17 of his ideas into patents and sent the first Trans-Atlantic message that ultimately won the Nobel Prize for physics... Or can I ? Tesla merely remarked that Marconi was a nice guy.

Well, you are talking as if people simply take his patents, add some more sugar, spice and everything nice and win Nobel prizes... The transistor is the basic electronic component with which Intel has been able to make the micro-sized processors without which all computers and laptops and phones would be mere toys, expensive gifts suitable for girl friends especially if they come in pink. It was you-know-who's patents with which the transistor was invented and the inventors got the Nobel prizes yet again. When reporters tried their best to contact Tesla, they found out with great disappointment that he was not alive to give any comments.

Hey, wait a minute...Is this the same Tesla who my physics text book credits with the electric motor?

Yes, of course. Nikola Tesla has to his credit the entire AC technology. Almost every industry owes a share of its profit to Tesla for his invention of the induction motor. And by the way that is just one of his many inventions. Wireless communication and remote control would have been sci-fi topics alone if not for Tesla.

Tesla even took the concept of no wires to an all new height when a sudden flash of brilliance made him realise people were wasting metal by making transmission lines. He provided a simpler alternative. Transmit electricity wireless.

That's no big deal Mr.Tesla-fan, I have thought of better ideas on my boring first date... Anyone can build castles in air.

Tesla built a tower near New York that can provide wireless electricity. But the person who financed the tower suddenly found out that he can make no money out that tower as there was no way to regulate electricity. Tesla wanted to provide free electricity to all. Money was not his concern. He wanted his ideas to improve our society. He did not want to be rich. No wonder he had no girl friends. Had he had one, perhaps he might not been the greatest geek who roamed our planet.

With an impressive list of inventions and ideas that have been pioneers in modern research leading to super inventions, Tesla is often ignored for his best, but rather remembered for those electrifying lightning zaps and the infamous death ray. His inventions were no doubt revolutionary, if not legendary. But he lived at a time when inventions were rated based upon their money making value and his inventions and discoveries that were a generation ahead were often ignored. The greedy society simply forced him to stay indoors, confined to his lab. It was no surprise that he died poor, with an imaginary pigeon for a friend. For a person who bettered a Tony Stark (aka in real life) in scientific brilliance and Sherlock Holmes in analytic prowess and someone who could envision complete devices in his mind and construct them, he was a genius displaced in time. Perhaps had he been born a century later, no doubt we would have had the chance to see Iron man.

JULY 10th being Tesla's birthday anniversary it's time everyone knew the genius whom the world needs but not the one it deserves.

COGITATING ON THE WHY'S 

Around 200 major active social networking websites throng this world and yet there are a lot that are mushrooming. Why exactly this social kolaveri? How is it changing the world, if it is?

Once the internet era set in and the concept of establishing one's identity online came into picture, it begun as a 'cool' or fashion statement to have a detailed profile online. No doubt the initiators, Myspace or Facebook struck gold when they touched upon the 'need' for a person to project himself among others.

With time an explosion of network and profiles took place. It has facilitated easier connectivity, networking and a tool of instant communication. But to what extent, one ponders. A research by Danah Boyd (in her book 'Why Youth (heart) Social Network sites', an excellent book that I recommend) reveals that although a virtual database of human populace is online, in actual practice there are a large number of divides. Regionalistic divides predominate but in every region too there are linguistic, cultural, racial, age and caste wise divides.

For example Skyrock, a social networking website is popular in France that is non-english based. Cyworld has large audience in China while Myspace's user base is confined majorly with USA.

OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

Countries with highest interest in MySpace:

1. United States
2. Puerto Rico
3. Australia
4. United Kingdom
5. Malaysia

And India and Brazil predominate Orkut:

Countries with highest interest in Orkut:

1. Brazil
2. Paraguay
3. India
4. Pakistan
5. Portugal

Now take a look at the next graphic :

What do these illustrate? It has been found that albeit networking is present, it is largely individualistic and people form closed groups and interaction is restricted among the peers in that group. As to the networking process, they serve as entertainment, a means of passing time, insight into the world, news and rave reviews and critic on subjects of common interest. These sites become a platform where one can express himself, albeit in a mediated from.

As Boyd explains: 'While teens will typically add friends and acquaintances as Friends, they will also add people because it would be socially awkward to say no to them, because they make the individual look cool, or simply because it would be interesting to read their bulletin posts.' This is an interesting observation as it indicates that these connections are not much about socializing which is much more profound in real life but rather on image projection.

The fact that one can search anyone, control their 'virtual self' and market themselves to an unknown audience (the world) is often attributed as the reason why so many throng social networking websites. Publicity does not have a limit and one can within a few clicks inform a person millions of miles away about his concert etc... It has grown to such an extent that from the days when advertisement meant pushing your agenda to others, these adverts now ask people to follow them or like them on facebook or twitter or in other words referred as inbound marketing.

All factors have lead to a mass of digital information and identities where an invisible personal space if given to the user. It enables peer group participation and more importantly social identity management. Data hiding, tracking, misinterpretation, false identities, moral policing, social security are also a part of the bandwagon of networking that has irrevocably changed the lifestyle and connectivity of everyone and one has to learn to navigate this and selectively filter and choose to project between what is right and what is cool.

Debates and criticisms apart several sites continue to be formed. One reason might be that the new sites offer different platforms of connectivity. For example the site might aim to bring together people of same tastes rather than region or school etc... This aims for socializing on a different scale.

One such entrepreneurial activity close home is by a student: Gokul Nath Sridhar, a 19 year old Civil engineer from BITS Pilani who made news recently. He and his team have pulled off Inu (www.theinu.com) : a social discovery website as they call it.

With emerging discussions on the nature of social networking websites and what role they serve we chat up with him regarding his initiative.

So what prompted you to initiate this?

Back in March 2011 when I was browsing Facebook, I realized that in the umpteen social networking websites present, my network was actually limited and the friends in the "friends list" were just namesake while I had a lot in common with so many people who shared similar interests as mine. This made me conceptualize this idea of building a platform that can really connect people based on interests.

When did you begin this work and how was the support?

The idea came about around March 2011 and extended upto November 2011 after which we began to setup our team. The initial response was pretty good but it was initially confined to our college and soon it spread throughout.

Regarding the initial investment and skills involved?

Right now it is completely self-financed and started by us but with time the marketing will be via angel investors. As to the skills, in our high school we had learnt basics of computer science, coding, HTML etc... then I learnt the required skill set. I also have some juniors who are good at java, html and coding. I provide the algorithm and they code it and together we are currently managing it.

About INU...

We have taken the best out of existing networking sites, hash tag type posting of twitter, search type of linked in and GUI of facebook and combine it with interests as the main priority for any user. Apart from like and dislike buttons, we have love, hate and neutral buttons that adds to the convenience in posting comments and reviewing it.

With internet security a burning issue, how do you plan to cope up with it?

Currently we are using codeigniter php format that is quite secure and will also be going for SSL encryption in the near future for added security.

How do you plan to sustain this initiative?

Once this gathers momentum we will spread out throughout and take in people from different places. One plan is to select few computer science students of every college who are allocated different work and they take up one part of the responsibility kind of a regional admin. Similarly we are also on the lookout for people who can code. This way we will have a strong team and hope to expand and grow better by the day.

The brain is definitely the most complex 

The brain is definitely the most complex organ of a human being. But with a slew of superhero films hitting the theatres this year, what does a comparison of our favourite heroes (brain power wise) have to say? Spiderman Peter Parker was a geek well before he was bitten by the radioactive spider that gave him spider-powers. Knowing how spidey has always been one to deliver the quick one-liner, even in the face of the most excruciating situations it is safe to assume that his keen intellect and quick-wit have only been amplified by the spider-bite. Also - he invented a billion dollar adhesive that shoots out of his wrists. That definitely adds some points on the brainpower-o-meter. Now if only Empire State University could provide its student records... Superman Superman (or Clark Kent) came crashing into earth as a kid from Krypton. His psychic powers suggest that he has super-genius level intelligence and an eidetic memory. But a point that has to be noted is even average Kryptonians have genius level intelligence being able to read by the age of one   and  learning   Calculus

by the time they were 10. So even though Supes is a genius here, no one really knows what his intelligence would be without the yellow-sun induced super powers. Iron Man Tony Stark, a child prodigy went to the MIT at the age of 15 to study Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Trapped by the bad guys wanting him to design WMD's, Stark was marooned on an enemy base with a few grams of fatal shrapnel about to penetrate his heart. It was in this condition that he developed: A fully working miniature arc reactor (capable of powering up a small town) AND a rudimentary Iron Man suit. Capable of flight. With blasters. Period. Batman Bruce Wayne was left orphaned at the hands of a petty criminal. This incident changed him completely and essentially triggered his transformation into the dark knight. He traversed the world to gain wisdom and mastered the martial arts within a year of training. If that wasn't enough he has an eidetic memory and perfect recall. With great computational powers he is a strong contender for the most brainy hero trophy.

organ of a human being

And the winner is...

The clear winner of the whole
lot- Batman- has been
recognised    as    'THE' best
detective and crime-solver.      Superman     even     once
remarked    about    how
Batman could take down a    whole army of Super heroes on his own if he ever needed to. His eidetic memory trumps even Supes' as he can recall anything from his memory. He also is the only superhero living three lives (having created an alter-ego "Matches Malone" to control Gotham city's underworld). Batman is also known to have created gadgets out of practically nothing - when a freak accident had him transported back in time - he created a more powerful version of the bat suit to return back to his time.

Now all that awaits is if Christopher Nolan will give me free tickets to "The Dark Knight rises"...

The Business Guru

The road leading to Lucky colony is deserted and dusty complete with a few potholes, courtesy the hasty construction work. A lone banyan tree is the only shade available. The days are without doubt, scorching hot. One fine day the people living in the street awaken to a pleasant surprise. There is a tender coconut shop by the tree shade. There was an unmet need - a source of refreshment was needed desperately, and the tender coconut seller simply exploited this opportunity and solved the unmet need. This is the basics of business explains Mr Rajagopal, the man behind Mind Train, an organization to coach young and budding entrepreneurs in sales, new business aspiration and growth cycle & business consolidation.

We meet up with him for a few questions: What is MBA ? A definition from your experience would be great. In simple words, MBA is management and organisation of any venture, profit and non profit.

1. What was the reason behind you taking up business studies?

From a very young age, my objective was to run a business and learn business. I hail from a business family. I worked part time along with my father and brother initially, that motivated me to learn business as a subject and obtain a formal degree.

2. In India, we have coaching centres for almost everything. From cricket to IITJEE, from cooking to even maybe wearing a tie, there are coaching centres. The latest addition to this long list is your coaching for entrepreneurs. What is the reason behind this idea?

To answer this question, I guess we need a flash back. After completing my MBA in Netherland, I joined Hoechst, a German chemical company. I worked as a customer service executive there. Then I moved to Dubai where I reprised my role, selling products to customers for almost 13 years. It was here that I learned that many traders had very little trading culture. Then an idea struck me -perhaps you can call it my magic moment. My idea was simple - If they grow, I'll also grow. I helped them globalise their ventures, especially the small and medium traders. As they grow, they'll indirectly help me grow as well. Now the question is - How to make them grow ? Take for example, a small time trader making paints. I'll help them brand the product to sell it in a better way. That was the flash back. I came to India in 2004. I decided to help anyone who was setting up a business here as well.

Vivekanandan

I simply directed them in the right path as a guiding light to help them grow. Now it has taken the shape of a coaching centre.

3. In the website Mind train, you have said experience is a crucial ingredient in business, gained only with age. How effective will your experience be in this entrepreneur coaching ?

Take for example a school teacher with 10 or 20 years of experience. Yes, there are books to give you thousands of model questions and sufficient content for the answers. But only the teacher will know the commonly asked questions in public exams. Only the teacher will know what is expected from a student for the answers, thanks to his or her experience. This is what produces a difference in the marks obtained by equally talented students, despite the syllabus and text books being the same. Likewise, a business coach shares his experience with youngsters to reduce risks taken by them. The fundamentals of business are the same. I just help them to learn to take the right turns and decisions. Perhaps you can consider Mind train to be a Taxi and me as the driver. Only an experienced driver knows the

 

route to the final destination, the one with least road blocks and potholes. I take youngsters in the right direction, all the while kindling his or her passion in business.

4. Give a youngster a newspaper. The first page he turns to will be the last, where he finds the sports news. Then he may return to the earlier pages to glance through the headlines. The business page is often ignored. Does an entrepreneur need to have his arsenal filled with all the info about shares and markets to succeed in the business?

Business knowledge is important, but not absolutely necessary. Business is not about shares and policies. An entrepreneur should know what is happening around him and keep himself updated about the current business policies in the country. To be successful in business you need to meet an unmet need. An entrepreneur needs to have this thought in mind and work passionately towards realising it.

5. The most common question in almost every student's mind - Should I do MBA straightaway after a bachelor's degree or work for a while and then take the plunge. What is your opinion on it ?

MBA is but a tool. Only if we know what machine we are working with will the tool be of any aid. So a youngster needs to know what he is working with, have 2 or 3 years of experience. He or she must know how decisions are made and learn the tactics. In MBA you'll do a lot of case studies. You're case studies will be a lot better only with experience, else they are all just stories.

6. Which is the most important ingredient for a start-up :
a)the IDEA b) advertising and publicity c)the team d)LUCK

- None of the above. My answer is - PASSION.

7. Hypothetical question : Sherlock Holmes is a man with gifted analytic skills. Take him away from the world of crime and put him in the realm of business. How would he fare ?

In business, analysis leads to paralysis. You can't make decisions based on analysis. You need to follow your gut feeling and what you have learnt from experience. Auditors do the analysis part.

 

8. A few words to our readers...

Please keep your priorities and aim clear. Never lose your passion in what you do. Things will automatically fall in place.

Science of Flirting

Ladies and gentlemen, Girls and Boys: even in namesake intros, guys follow girls. It's been customary and cliched that it's always Ladies First when it comes to entering a wagon or while it is to have the first and the very last word in an argument. For these etiquettes to be duly followed you need a lady by your side. This article is not a guide to pick up girls; guys must understand that they are not meat. They have a wonderful heart and a beautiful mind which is the pathway to getting close to them. They have thoughts and opinions too and need to be treated as equals in the society. Its only male instinct to being infatuated by a pretty girl, but it's a whole different phenomenon of quoting them as objects. Now all I say is that guys... be yourself and be honest, because you cannot keep up the act forever. A typical situation, group of guys hanging out at the bar, a pretty lady comes along and takes a seat two tables from theirs. All of them

ogle and discuss her beauty in "guy" terms and stick with their beer until the lady gets bored of the place and leaves. Once gone, the group stud proclaims that he could have totally gotten her number. End result: ineffectual. This is just some random scenario and can be related to most other situations where the guys have a mafia meeting among them rather than actually approach a girl. And when a guy actually does approach a girl, he either freaks her out or strikes a conversation. All this is considering the fact that we live in a country and a state where girls tend to be overly protected and are considered to be shy and quiet. Lol! Western influence has made the concept of dating kind of common in our country for which we are thankful to the eastern version of Aphrodite. So here goes nothing: 1. Reverse Psychology I want to start with reverse psych because it would make the most sense among  many  other  things

Akhilesh Iyer

that we might discuss. It's always the things that you can't have that you want badly. If a girl sees a Ralph Lauren or a Gucci purse, she craves for it as it is limited and not many have it. Though many don't agree to this, it's a mind-fact that if I ask you not to imagine a carrot, the first thing that comes to your mind is a carrot. This works in real world relationships too, if the girl says No when you ask her out, you crave more to go out with her. But, there is fine line between reverse psychology and rejection. So know which side of the line you are in. So you ask, "What am I really supposed to do then?" remember, I am just explaining the science; it's you to decide what is right and wrong. 2. Eye Contact It's been told that the eyes are the portal to a person's mind. That it can tell you if you are lying or falling in love with that someone. Well, it's true. Pupils dilate when you look into someone attractive, eye   lashes   flutter   more   than

necessary when you lie, you tend to look away when you have to remember something, and inadvertent eye contact with someone you have been staring at makes your pulse rise. Looking into a person's eyes and talking is universal sign of interest. It's an unconscious display to the song "can't take my eyes off you". Looking away not only shows you are nervous, thinking, but looking at someone else when you are with someone new shows you lack interest in them. Take the science as you might, but it's better to notice the eyes when you talk. 3. Confidence Confidence is a trait that is attained with experience. Ha-ha... am kidding; no one is ever a hundred percent certain about making an impression. My first impressions have always been bad. To make a good first impression, it takes a little bit of act. It's not deceiving a person, because that act gives you courage to talk. And it also helps you    be    clear    in    expressing

your mind. You don't want to ask "Can I have your number? I want you to be my girlfriend" trust me, there are people whom I know of who have actually uttered this to a random stranger. You would rather want to express that in a less creepy and humiliating manner. Use confidence to your rescue but know the line between arrogance and the same. 4. Mystery Mystery is a sister psych trait to reverse psychology. You lend some mystery in the air and you get them wanting to know you more. It's simple, when someone remains silent about their work; you get the evil James bond feeling of wanting to know what nuclear mission he/she is planning at night. Use it well my friend. 5. Be yourself Any pretty girl would have been hit on before by loads of genius' of our kind. I don't think blondes are dumb because when I talked to one, she gave me this advice, "Be yourself". God, don't I hope I could convey tone in writing. Well,

though being yourself for the most part is important, opening up to someone should wait. If you like someone, remember its lust. Get to know them and if you still like them, say what you have to. Remember once you are in a relation, there is no more: Winning arguments Money in the wallet Peaceful nights Your Opinion Talking about Games or Football Being able to ignore a sms And so on... But if you are actually making through this phase, you don't have to know any of the above because then, you WONT be FLIRTING anymore.

Backdoor - Shortfilm

Backdoor is a science fiction short film that delves about a new technology that proposes to revolutionalize science and time forever, and the men associated with developing it, before they come to realize what the other end of the spectrum has in hold for them. A test to authenticate an invention, turns into a quest for reality and torn between it is a man. The film unravels like a mystery box slowly into an uncertain conclusion that's left to your discretion

Sandeep Narayan is a disciple of well acclaimed musician Sri Sanjay Subramanyan. Although born and raised in Los Angeles, he spends most of his time pursuing a career in music based out of Chennai. He has won several awards and accolades and is an A grade artist of All India Radio, Chennai. Sandeep regularly performs all over India and has toured many nations such as UK, US, Germany, Canada, Singapore and Sri Lanka performing   with   artists   across

several western and eastern genres. Here's what he told us, about his life at Chennai and his musical career. You were living in Los Angeles when you decided to shift base to Chennai to pursue your music career. That's something not many people do. How tough was the decision and what was the journey like?? I was already learning Carnatic music from my mother Smt. Shubha Narayan. When I was 11 years old, I was asked to sing a house concert and that was when we thought of taking Carnatic music on a more serious level, rather than just a pastime. In my seventh grade, I came and stayed here for 1 year and learnt under Calcutta Sri K.S. Krishnamurthy (Sanjay Sir's guru). Then I kept going back and forth for some time until my undergraduate studies got over. At 21, when I wanted to shift, I had some really close  friends  and  a  life  there,

which I had to sacrifice. But I had great friends and family here as well, which made it easier to adapt. We have heard that you were one big fan of your guru Sri Sanjay Subramanyan... It all started when KSK mama (Calcutta Sri K.S. Krishnamurthy) gave me a double cassette recording of Sanjay sir. From then on, I got hooked. Every time I came here I used to attend all of his concerts, sit in the front rows and request for the same songs every time. He used to recognize and smile at me every time. It would have been difficult to follow your heart and take up music as the sole professions. What direct role did your guru play in the decision? Every time I came here, He and his wife used to try to persuade me to cancel my return ticket and stay here. He told me that I may not be singing concerts immediately, but if I persevered and worked  hard,  things  would

soon fall in place. He was listening to me every 6 months, so he had an idea of how I was singing. He used to say "It's not about coming with a fixed deadline, just come and do it and believe it will happen, no matter how long it takes." And that's what I have done. What would you advice youngsters like you who would like to take up music or any other art form as a profession? It's difficult for someone to completely sacrifice studies for this sake. In fact I would tell them to do studies and music in parallel until a stage when they feel that it's definitely possible to take up music full-time. Each person is different. Each one has to make a decision for himself/ herself. One thing I would tell them is - If you really want to succeed in this field just keep practicing and working hard. Doesn't matter where you are from or who your guru is. All gurus have knowledge to impart, & one can come up with hard

work. Do you attend concerts by other youngsters? If so, how would you rate them? Yes, I am one of the few who goes to all random concerts, probably because I have nothing else to do. (Laughs) A lot of young artistes have the maturity and confidence to sing on a big stage. I would request other youngsters to go and support young artistes. By doing so you can also get a gauge of where you really stand. Coming to a very general question, Carnatic music has never had a mass following. It's limited to the south Indian community or more specifically the Tam Brahms. Do you see a specific reason behind it? Most of the time, it is we Tam Brahms who pick up Carnatic music. It's because we have grown up with it. Either our parents or grandparents have learnt Carnatic music or have appreciated it and attended concerts. But it's slowly spreading out now. I know this boy who is half Parsi - half Irani  whose  parents  had  no  idea  of

Carnatic music. But they like Indian culture and wanted to put their son in something extracurricular. So they chose Carnatic music. Now, he has developed a keen interest in our music and is even performing concerts. Coming back to my question, do you think it's because of technicalities which people aren't able to appreciate? Is this unique to Carnatic music? I was talking to a music director here who said he couldn't appreciate Carnatic music because it was melody based. He couldn't understand some technical aspects because he wasn't used to it. I find myself feeling the same way with western classical. I can listen to one or two songs. After that everything sounds the same. I can appreciate it at an aesthetic level but may not be able to listen to it every day. Recently you toured the US, Canada and Germany. You must have enjoyed them a lot. Tell us about it. And how was the audience feedback? It was a 20 concert tour. The ones in

US and Canada attracted mainly the Indian community. But the 5 concerts in Germany were totally different. Majority were the local German community, I spotted hardly four Indians. One thing about their audience is that, they are so disciplined. Complete silence. No text messaging or mobile games. Even in the mic-less concerts, we were audible in the last row. Talking about the feedback - it was very positive. Though they weren't able to appreciate the technicalities, they liked the ensemble as a whole. Rasikas complain that too much commercialism has crept in the

Carnatic music field. To the extent that some younger artistes are asked for donations for singing in sabhas. Have you experienced this? Yes. The problem does exist. Sometimes the date, place and even accompaniments are fixed, and then they subtly ask for donations. I have had to forgo many such concerts. It is a mindset issue. Organizers believe that families from abroad are well off and can afford to shell out extra bucks in the name of sponsorship/donation. When I was younger, I used to get upset about it and tell my guru about it.

He used to tell me that it was only a few concerts I was missing and that I would get to sing in many others. Once you grow up and are established, people are going to have your concerts because they want to hear you sing. Nothing else matters. Concerts have shrunk in time. It is no more than 1.5 or 2 hours now. Do you think it is because life has fast paced and people aren't willing to listen just to music for 3-4 hours continuously? In today's lifestyle people are busy. They have other pastimes like movies, TV and sports. In the earlier generations, music used to be more prominent. It was maybe 75% music and a small percentage of other activities. In fact, students today probably don't practice as many hours in a day as the greats of the yesteryear. Everything has changed - artistes, the audience, and of course the concert duration. Lastly, websites like Sangeethapriya have been uploading content for free. What's your take on music piracy?

In a way, it's good that there is so much of Carnatic content on the net. It helps our music spread as an art form. As an upcoming artist I want my music to reach out to more and more people and the internet helps in it. However, I do not openly support piracy in any form, and it does undercut the income of many artists. It is a double edged sword and there are arguments for both sides. Favorite Carnatic singers: Sri Sanjay Subramanyan, Tanjore S.Kalyanaraman, T.N.Seshagopalan Favorite non-Carnatic singers: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shankar Mahadevan, Shafqat Amanat Ali Favorite sport: Basketball (LA Lakers fan) One song you sing very often: Ramanai Bhajital (Raga Mand) Superstition on stage: Wearing a particular bracelet

NH45- Shortfilm

NH 45 - is a Tamil short film based on events that take place in National Highway 45 .The film revolves around two youngsters who are caught in midst of gangsters .The film has a bit of twists and turns.The film falls under neo-noire genre

Windows 8: Getting Started

So far you have been used to a more PC oriented Windows. It's time for a change. Yes! Windows 8, the next generation OS from Microsoft is optimized for touch- screens. You will be either amazed by or completely disappointed with this drastic change. Announcing the Release Candidate last month in Computex 2012, Microsoft demonstrated how Windows 8 works on Tablets and PCs.

Interface & Functionality:

Start Screen: There's no more a start button. If you have used Windows Phone 7 before, then you will be familiar with the tile based start screen with a full screen view of apps; The Metro UI, they call it. You are no longer required to open every app to know the basic information. For instance, you will know the weather on the start screen without even opening the app. The same applies for the unread emails. Windows updates them real time! This isn't completely new, as one can use Windows Gadgets in older OS to obtain the same functionality.

Touch Interface: Windows 8 optimized for touch-screens? So what about Keyboard and Mouse? Well, they still can be used as the usual input devices. There might be a problem with only touch screen based devices- the old windows applications might not be optimized for touch screens and therefore you are forced to use the keyboard and mouse for its working!

Multitasking: Windows 8 brings a new multitasking feature where you can snap in and resize the app in the side of the screen, thereby accessing multiple screens at the same time, a feature that is available only in a Jail broken iPad

through Quasar Cydia Tweak!!

Apps: Windows 8 apps are basically programmed using HTML5 and JavaScript, the languages that are used for Web Apps. But of course, the transition between the old Windows 7 apps and new Web based apps is quite smooth and both work concurrently without any sort of trouble.

Hardware Requirements: Windows 8 definitely works on all PCs and Laptops that are currently running on Windows 7. You don't need to buy a new PC now. Microsoft has learnt its lessons from its previous failures. However a full upgrade is not possible in case you are using Vista or XP.

Built-in Integrations: Microsoft has integrated Skype with Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10 is the web browser that is built in.

Release Date & Pricing: Microsoft has not made clear about the release date of Windows 8 to consumers. Analysts feel that it would be released around October after the Developer Conference of Microsoft. There is no word on the price tag yet.

Microsoft Surface Tablet:
The Surprise Package

Microsoft has been long developing a tablet PC, which it revealed to the public last month. Christened 'Surface', it comes in two variants; The Surface is intended to compete with the Apple iPad, and is capable of using touch optimized apps; The Surface Pro is a full-fledged Windows Tablet PC that can perform any task that is currently possible on Windows PCs. Surface uses Windows 8 as its Operating System. Microsoft hasn't revealed much about these devices. No pricing, no release date and no big hardware specs given. But with the release of Windows 8 slated approximately around October, Surface Tablets might be a big reason for corporate buyers to splurge.