Google Goggles and Glasses are different!

Very recently Google announced two interesting products, both of which caught my eye and are real interesting things they could’ve come up with. One being Google Goggles and the other is Project Glass, the two are often confused with each other. Hence the blog post to those who get confused very easily, please don't mess with this!

Google Glasses or Project Glass, is a research and Development undergoing to develop a Head mounted Display which works like a smart phone. Yes you heard it right, the movie head gears got real and useful! They would look like normal spectacles available with a hands-free which will connect via the internet and recognize languages. It’s like you will be wearing your phones soon, connected to the world at all times. The concept is yet to be implemented and put into action. And if what has been promised is given, it’ll be a giant step in the tech world.

Google Goggles is a kind of a recognition app which enables you to “search” by image. Google had this facility for computer browsers earlier and was a total hit. You simply could drag you image in the search box and similar images would be available at the go. Correspondingly, the search result could be found. An excellent way to search. For the mobile version of the same, Google Goggles was introduced. It is an app that is available for free on android as well as iOS running devices. Using this app, you can scan text and get it translated in your own language, a boon I must say to people who travel a lot. It also recognizes landmarks, from which you can always know where a picture was taken. I tried my photograph from Matheran and it worked.  We can also scan for books and contact numbers, Google Goggles will give you the complete info about the book and the person/place. They have also included artwork recognition. Patented artworks when scanned, you get to know the artist and the story behind the painting. Next time you go to Le Louvre, you wouldn’t need a guide for sure! And last but not the last, is its ability to recognize labels and logos. From wines to cosmetics, you can always know what is the quality of the brand you’re about to buy. So what are you waiting for? Download the app and go finish your Logo Quiz! :P

Jo hota hain ache ke liye

This goes back to the times when Mughals ruled the holy land of India. Akbar was withering in pain when Birbal arrived at the scene. "What happened, Your Majesty?" he asked. Akbar informed him that an unfortunate accident diced his finger off. The other Ministers, unlike Birbal were still praising the king for his greatness and buttering him while Birbal said "Jo hota hai ache ke liye hota hai" (whatever happens, happens for the good.) Offended by these nowhere consoling words of Birbal, Akbar fired him in no time. This time Birbal thought "Jo hota hai ache ke liye hota hai. I can take a break from work for a few days and take my lovely wife on a vacation" and he set-off.
In the meanwhile Akbar appointed another Minister to take Birbal's place. As usual, Akbar went deer-hunting with his clad one fine morning. Akbar and his new found minister chased a beautiful black buck and before they could hunt him down, the deer sped away. Looking back, they realized they were separated from their army of soldiers and the two were now on themselves to find a way back home. They were trying to figure out the correct path when they were caught by a local tribe. On seeing the King, they got happy. They could sacrifice the King's body and please their deity God. Just when they were about to shred the King into pieces, they noticed his cut finger. Now a tampered body cannot be put for sacrifice. So they promptly released the king and caught the Minister instead. The Minister was killed as the sacrifice King hurried back to the palace.
On arriving his palace safely, he realized that Birbal was right in every sense. He summoned him and appointed him back.

What does this little story say? Be it the little issues here and there or a huge cluster of problems hovering around your head, always remember "Jo hota hain ache liye hota hai". You may not realize it then but later when things settle down, you'll know why it was good for you. And then you might perhaps feel thankful to God that because the problem arose, you learnt to fight it, endure it and emerge out as a winner. If that situation has not arrived yet, wait, it's not the end then. :)

By the way, if you thought the above Birbal story was over, one question still remained unanswered, "How was the dismissal beneficial to Birbal in any way?" To which Birbal promptly replied with a smile, "If I were not fired, I would have been in the Minister's place and got killed today." Impressed, Akbar rewarded him handsomely.

Take a moment to remember your toughest time and another moment to figure out why it was good. I'm absolutely sure, you'll realize "Jo hota hai, ache ke liye hota hai."

Mythologies, why not?

Mythology. Like seriously? How can I even try to discuss such a debatable topic in one blog! But I'll stick to what I aim to convey, why I believe we should believe in mythologies that have retold since ages!

I strongly believe there is a real life scenario behind the mythological stories that have evolved. It is just that our natural human tendencies have exaggerated them to another level.
Or it might have been that they were little pieces of experiences which were later compiled into one in the form of a narrative story.
It was us, who painted a picture of how they might have looked, we perhaps got so inspired that we started praying them. Meanwhile did not realise that they were men of ordinary powers but wise thoughts followed by the correct deeds and we literally idolized them to statues!?

For all my "scientifically advanced" readers, we laugh at Ravan capturing Sita in a Pushapaka Vimaan. But in reality we did manage to materialize the concept of aeroplanes. So what is different? Why look at it as if it is so Barbarian? Similarly the Brahmastra, it sounds like an impossible weapon to the modern thinkers. But what is nuclear weapon then? Both are described as weapons of infinite power, that can destroy every evidence that world ever existed in a matter of seconds.

Wars happen in real life too, then the Mahabharata was no exception. In fact it might have so happened that the war literally destroyed the human race then and later the civilization started from scratch again. Now you'd say I'm spinning a yarn. But then in my defense, it's like the Ice Age story. You never know if it's true! *smacking lips

Let's look at them this way: Why don't we treat our epics as an excellent portrayal of the daily life problems we might face and a guidance, a path to follow when life may not be sweet. They are the solutions of the greatest hurdles that hinder one's way to success and differentiate between the right and the wrong.

Our mythologies have also been an incredible source of inspiration to one and all. "Jeet hamesha sach ki", the truth always triumphs is the core message underlying, and keep the little flame of hope alive even in the darkest storms.

I love reading the Panchatantra and take lessons from the little stories they say. Similarly, the mythologies may be treated as a story giving morals to the world. So that history does not repeat itself.

I may not really be a firm believer in God, and nowhere be close to worshiping idols, but deep down, I know I believe mythologies are true accounts and they were recorded for our benefit. Lets make the most out of their values instead of just fighting over religious issues or claiming God!

Dreaming about dreams

We often talk about the existence of a parallel universe in the fourth dimension where we occupy the same time but two different spaces. Dreams, however teleport us to a different world altogether literally without getting bothered about space and time.

This world where we are the Masters of our own destiny in the rightest sense because things shape up the way we want them to. We meet people who left us and build imaginary conversations which might be difficult to materialize in the real world. We face our fears and we either come up with possible reactions to particular situations or get scared and try our level best to avoid such encounters. Sad dreams tend to make us proactive while the inspirational ones buckle up our enthusiasm for the day that follows. Some dreams are just so random - a small incident we did not pay attention to during the day sets our brains racing.

Dreams have fascinated me since I was a kid. I am an avid dreamer. But there are several things about dreams that intrigue me..

------Surprise-----

Here I am in my imaginary world where the stage is set, the story has built up, graphics are mind blowing and the movie begins. I am in my room with my siblings in the middle of a dispute and I am red with anger. Suddenly the phone rings. I decide to spit my anger away and reach towards the phone to see who it is. But just before I read the flash, my sister is calling out my name and continuously poking me in an irritating fashion. Turns out that I slightly open one eye and barely see her anxiously handing over my phone to me as it rang. Surprising!
The story in the dream and all okay but why, why did my sister, the same ringtone of my phone, it ringing at the same time occur in real?

-----Surprise Surprise-----

In fact many times as I ponder over something when in solitude, I realize I have been in a similar situation with the same people before. That's when it dawns upon me, I had dreamt of this same exact thing the other night!
Can I predict my future in my dream? Do they indicate me what's coming?

-----Surprise Surprise Surprise----

And there these instances when after a sound sleep I wake up to tell mother how hilarious a dream I saw was - what I was wearing, what was I doing and so on. But then there are an equal number of times I wake up with a start, think of the dream for a fraction of the second in my conscious mind. Th every next moment, someone just hit the Shift + Delete button. Oh my God! I can't remember a thing about what it was!
Do you remember your dreams?

See? Dreams have left me unanswered to so many questions. They are mesmerizing things that occur to us and I love living them. Although not much is clear about it now, someday I'd actually like to know the science behind this unique phenomenon.

Being non-photogenic

What makes me evny, err no it’s the wrong question. What makes me jealous? Bwahaha, got it right now!

Yeah, so what is it? Photogenic people! I often wonder when God made faces, he made some cute pretty one’s, some cranky one’s, some that you can’t help staring at and some that you feel punching right through across. Yet. Why at the first place despite so many variations, did he have to create another set – the photogenic and the non-photogenic?

Honestly, I wouldn't even think of it as a discrimination against the ones who aren't if I were not to be one!

So while the rest of the world is busy going click click, I wait back to check if the nose does not look very puffy, if the eyes don’t scare the shit out of a baby, the smile isn’t too broad or the forehead doesn’t look wide. Eh, enough! I don’t wanna take a picture of myself, I better stay away from the shutter bugs!

Phew as a result, my album scopes are limited; if I visit new places I scan my pictures throughout and then selectively upload one or two maybe. When people ask for a spontaneous snap, I’ll try to refrain by making an excuse or just say, “Ah my photos aren’t that good.” If I manage to skip away with that well I am lucky apparently else I am in a Sympathy dilemma. By which I mean, the person will be like, “Oh cumm’on, you are not that bad. Blah blah blah..” after which a snap is guaranteed.

(If you’re still reading this, you are not so photogenic just like me or you are of those who like mocking me)

The end result needless to say feeling bad about not being able to give a good picture, something which is absolutely not in my hand!

So what do we do? We settle down with some very few memorable photos in which we look good and preserve them forever. Our Profile Pictures change seldom and all our tagged photos are creepy. Perhaps looking at the brighter side, we are the ones who show off less, and eventually get least bothered by how we look not only in the photographs but in real life! Less to worry about and more time and energy on having a gala time rather.  :D

Cheers!

Meanwhile, you might want to take a look at this hilarious video describing our situation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VmC8amHU9Xo

Letting Go

Often I wonder, when something unexpected happens, out of the routine, it is not highly appreciated by us. Just like Joker said in The Dark Knight, “Nobody panics when things go according to plan. Even if the plan is horrifying!” No matter how adverse effects the plan might have on our lives, we want it to be followed. He was right indeed.

Maybe it is because of the habit, the fact that we are accustomed to a certain set of routines which makes our future predictable and life appears to be without any hurdles. Or maybe it is because of a sense of attachment we hold towards the past and it is difficult to let it go.

Sometimes I feel it is the inevitable human nature which has resistance to change. Although they say changes are must and blah blah, we know it is not easy to accept. Let’s look at Sheldon, he doesn't sit anywhere but his spot, he doesn’t eat anything out of his routine, he has fixed days for fixed work and is just so “akdu” as we say in hindi. Perhaps there exists a little Sheldon in each one of us who is hard to be understood and difficult to kill.

What I personally feel is clinging on to things is a sure sign of weakness on the emotional front. Set things free in your life, if they are meant to be yours, they’ll fly and come back to you again.

Of course life isn’t very grateful to us to let things happen as our whims and fancies demand. But we can atleast let the handcuffs break open and cross all the barriers of fear, embrace freedom, look forward to surprises, accept things they are, strive to make them better maybe and try our best to stay happy in what has been bestowed upon us.

2012 may not have been a very good year for my life personally, but I want to resolve to let things go, consider them as a bad dream. I wanna welcome 2013 with open arms and look forward to whats in store for me. Just like Celine Dion says, “A new day has come!”

Happy New Year Folks! :D