The good idea about android (and google) about 6 years ago was that one could get a phone that was not controlled by a single company (although samsung, LG, and htc control most). I had the option of installing apps from a market which relied heavily on user engagement. My first android phone was a samsung galaxy S under contract with Att. Att, known for its screw your customer policy, filled my phone with bloatware I never used. Att navigator and some other wifi service app which could never be deleted. On top of that they charged me something like 20$ for about 300mb of data. The month my contract expired with Att I promptly made the switch to Tmobile.
Tmobile is not perfect, but they satisfy most of my needs and are cost effective compared to Att or Verizon. The biggest factor in favor of Tmobile is their customer service, they don't run you around connecting you to 100 departments before actually getting someone who can fix my problem. Simple tasks like changing data plans, activating international roaming to getting a new sim was about 5 minutes in and out with T-mobile. The icing on the cake was I could get my own phone and use it the way I want to, not tied to any contracts.
As fate had it I lost my off contract phone in 2013. I promptly bought a nexus 4, owing to faster updates, better support and being bloatware free. My biggest needs were (and still are) calling, texting, listening to music and watching videos. I started doing mail on my phone and also switched to skype and managing my calendar on my phone (much better than doing it on my laptop).
Fast forward to 2015, android has evolved; but it has evolved in to a dinosaur. I don't understand the need to make a separate inbox application when I am comfortable using my gmail application. Ok screw it, I will bow down to your autocracy google. I install the Inbox app and then you don't support enterprise gmail access. Gallery changed to photos, This is just one example, there is also play music, play movies, play newstand, play books, play games just the shitty bloatware I wanted to get away from. I have now come to the conclusion that in order to support the various hardware android has made compromises. They screw up the youtube application, disallow background playing through terms of service for API use.
Their new design interface is confusing. When a tech savvy person who knows how to root, jailbreak, work in terminal mode, build his own network and server finds it confusing you have definitely thrown the fish out with the water. Simple elements like call history is buried layers deep, it takes about 6 to 10 taps to get to call history and details. I personally liked the interface of gchat, it wasn't glitzy but very functional. Gchat was replaced by hangouts where I can't find out who is online (it now shows when a person was last seen). This was already present in whatsapp, and the interface in whatsapp is much cleaner so its unclear why hangouts exists. Google and Android were at the forefront of innovation and functionality, but apple somehow roped them into playing the glitz and integration game. Google also made the mistake of competing with facebook with google+. Plus has some nice features like circles but the interface is so cluttered and the many dropdowns just don't make sense to me. Google has started to play the catch up game, they are catching up to apple, facebook, twitter and spotify. They have acquired songza and I can't wait for the google+ or play music integration to kick in.
Someone at google shut down the experimental labs section to focus on providing better products. I frankly haven't seen those benefits kicking in. Google might have taken the conglomerate route and started catering to improving their advertising revenue. Analytics has improved and so has google app engine but other areas are not competitive at the highest level anymore. Google seems to repeating history going the old Bell labs route, I can see a reorganization and split along advertising, search, content and analytics.
07 July, 2015
16 January, 2014
Right to keep and bear arms - Right to not bear arms
Gun Control in the US is a widely debated subject. It is also a point to note that many individuals want to keep arms and ammunition in their household. A few of them are farmers trying to hunt foxes, recreational hunters shooting deer and moose. This is fine and dandy, but when a 12 year old gets hold of a gun and shoots in a public setting there are deep moral issues raised. I am quite sure no one says that an violent act of shooting innocent school children/teachers is justified. It is also not justified when an assailant robs a store and shoots someone.
It is staggering to see gun deaths in 2013 totaling to 11,419. A visualization is available at http://guns.periscopic.com/?year=2013. The toll seems to be a question of availability and preparedness. The availability of shotguns is being curtailed with background checks, the NY SAFE act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NY_SAFE_Act seems to be a step in the right direction. Although these measures are good, their implementation and actual education of the public is even more important.
A few measures include storing guns in cabinets, a steel gun cabinet costs $150 on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Stack-On-GCB-8RTA-Security-Assemble-Storage/dp/B004EYTD4W/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_2. This should be mandatory for all gun owners to avoid theft and misuse of the arms. Storing of arms and ammunition should be made separate. I cannot think of a situation needing a loaded ready to fire weapon (this is not james bond). A law against misuse of guns should be applied to the gun owner as well as the assailant (the NY SAFE act has some provisions in this direction).
I am a person who will probably never own a firearm. I feel the right to bear arms in the US makes me vulnerable to being shot. I would argue there is a need to put into law "a right to NOT bear arms" or "be protected against armed assailants" which entails people not bearing arms to be protected. This means knowing the folks with gums in the community. This means when they are on vacation (without their guns), they store the guns in a safe place. Another small addition would be to design educations programs and videos mandatory to a gun owner. A drivers license involves untoward scenarios and planning for action, a similar test needs to be conducted for ownership of weapons.
Safety is a big issue and passing the buck will do no good.
It is staggering to see gun deaths in 2013 totaling to 11,419. A visualization is available at http://guns.periscopic.com/?year=2013. The toll seems to be a question of availability and preparedness. The availability of shotguns is being curtailed with background checks, the NY SAFE act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NY_SAFE_Act seems to be a step in the right direction. Although these measures are good, their implementation and actual education of the public is even more important.
A few measures include storing guns in cabinets, a steel gun cabinet costs $150 on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Stack-On-GCB-8RTA-Security-Assemble-Storage/dp/B004EYTD4W/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_2. This should be mandatory for all gun owners to avoid theft and misuse of the arms. Storing of arms and ammunition should be made separate. I cannot think of a situation needing a loaded ready to fire weapon (this is not james bond). A law against misuse of guns should be applied to the gun owner as well as the assailant (the NY SAFE act has some provisions in this direction).
I am a person who will probably never own a firearm. I feel the right to bear arms in the US makes me vulnerable to being shot. I would argue there is a need to put into law "a right to NOT bear arms" or "be protected against armed assailants" which entails people not bearing arms to be protected. This means knowing the folks with gums in the community. This means when they are on vacation (without their guns), they store the guns in a safe place. Another small addition would be to design educations programs and videos mandatory to a gun owner. A drivers license involves untoward scenarios and planning for action, a similar test needs to be conducted for ownership of weapons.
Safety is a big issue and passing the buck will do no good.
11 January, 2014
Terminating should be an option
I think it is in human nature to plan and control, I want to know what happens next. It maybe the Bayesian brain, learning to adapt to errors in expectation. Adapting to a changing world and changing your viewpoint is therefore harder than living in an personally ideal world (of course, the ideal world is very personal).
How do I adjust to these errors in expectation and judgement? I think the answer lies in understanding that all models are wrong and not every variable and parameter can be accounted for. Sometimes your model is correct but the data doesn't fit, other times the data fits but the model is irrational and nonsensical. Understanding these subtle differences and variations will help with adapting the Bayesian brain and optimizing the search.
While this sounds rosy and rational there are curve balls you need to watch out for. Sometimes the data is non-linear to such an extent that there is no fit. There maybe hidden variables unaccounted for or it is the single outlier that throws any rational model off its trajectory. In such cases, terminating the search should be an option. If you cannot optimize, accept defeat and blame the data. This is what any good algorithm would do. Its never the algorithm its always the data!!
21 October, 2013
On ventures, new beginnings, failures and struggles
As I begin something new, venture into unknown territories, there is a sense of purpose and great motivation. This motivation is a drive to learn the process, understand the details and eventually say something worthwhile. The process has kept me busy the last couple years.
As I have waded through waters, shallow and deep, an understanding about "the process" has emerged. There are struggles when you start out and its not easy. There are a few gifted people who can make it seem easy but they have put in the effort too (and made mistakes).
The process always starts out with great excitement and you understand the precursory details. The initial focus is on getting the first idea (or project or product) out. Sometimes in haste, I have missed on deep thought and analysis of various facets, possible impediments and pitfalls in the process. The planning stage is critical for it lays the foundation and the precedent for future work. It is worthwhile to take some time, relax and get to a drawing board. Initially, it is very hard to keep track of all the facets and how they connect, this however changes with practice. As I see repeated patterns, I have been getting quicker at processing it and analyzing the pitfalls.
The execution stage is equally important, planning is for nothing if I botch up the execution. The major impediments to execution are: lack of skills, time and money. These three are somehow interrelated and only the right optimization will yield in good results. During execution time, uncertainty on any of three parameters cause a lot of stress. It is important never to be overwhelmed. The best idea is to take it one step at a time, baby steps as I remember it. It is better to take the time, learn the skill or find more money to get the execution right. Of course this does not mean "get it perfect", although I have obsessed on perfection it is unwise and an unending saga. The project should be good enough and the focus should be on the details. Taking the small extra step to add in details makes your end product stand out. The most important principle to rely on during execution is KISS (keep it simple, stupid).
As I have waded through waters, shallow and deep, an understanding about "the process" has emerged. There are struggles when you start out and its not easy. There are a few gifted people who can make it seem easy but they have put in the effort too (and made mistakes).
The process always starts out with great excitement and you understand the precursory details. The initial focus is on getting the first idea (or project or product) out. Sometimes in haste, I have missed on deep thought and analysis of various facets, possible impediments and pitfalls in the process. The planning stage is critical for it lays the foundation and the precedent for future work. It is worthwhile to take some time, relax and get to a drawing board. Initially, it is very hard to keep track of all the facets and how they connect, this however changes with practice. As I see repeated patterns, I have been getting quicker at processing it and analyzing the pitfalls.
The execution stage is equally important, planning is for nothing if I botch up the execution. The major impediments to execution are: lack of skills, time and money. These three are somehow interrelated and only the right optimization will yield in good results. During execution time, uncertainty on any of three parameters cause a lot of stress. It is important never to be overwhelmed. The best idea is to take it one step at a time, baby steps as I remember it. It is better to take the time, learn the skill or find more money to get the execution right. Of course this does not mean "get it perfect", although I have obsessed on perfection it is unwise and an unending saga. The project should be good enough and the focus should be on the details. Taking the small extra step to add in details makes your end product stand out. The most important principle to rely on during execution is KISS (keep it simple, stupid).
17 September, 2013
The memory versus experience riddle
There is this famous TED talk by daniel kahneman on experiences and memory - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgRlrBl-7Yg. The "experiencing self" as he calls it, makes me think of a machine which stores a likely state of the present situation. It stores the context (the state of present situation) and then the "remembering self" comes into effect and passes this context through a "filter" to "decide" if it would be worth retrieving it in the future.
This analogy sounds simple to reason, but are there only two selves? Quite funnily, I think the answer would be a unanimous NO. Well then why does the reasoning here, of the two selves, seem sound? The reason could be because of the way the question was presented, "had it ruined the experience of the event or the memory of it?" The question no doubt is very interesting, do we have a probabilistic matching scheme where we generate predictions, for a finite state, and decide to make error corrections based on the feedback. The prediction of spending money on a concert, is to have a pleasant experience. This matching is violated if we have an unpleasant experience. Does this change if we did not have to pay for the concert? Does this change if the concert was inexpensive? Does it change if the artist dies right after the concert?
In such a probability matching mechanism it would be highly pertinent to store this feedback when it was completely valid and more pertinent when it was negative. (you know to make better predictions) The higher the deviations from the prediction the higher the probability the event should be stored. Of course, we run into capacity constraints, processing bottlenecks and plain random chance. These factors make the process inefficient and reduce the feedback effects for the matching. This said I think it's pertinent to investigate what events bypass one system completely (of the two identified) and go into the next. Can we remember without experience and can we experience without remembering? Can we improve the experience without improving the memory? Can we improve the memory without improving the experience? Can we reduce the experience and still improve the memory?
The bigger question becomes what other projective selfs are evident in such weird defects? Is there a action self, which tries to predict action in unlikely scenarios (say you were hit by a tornado or an earthquake). What information is used in this situation? Do we create false experiences to rely on? Do we freeze in a processing bottleneck?
What other processing selfs can we think of: save your soul self, don't be stupid self, oh no she didn't self!!
This analogy sounds simple to reason, but are there only two selves? Quite funnily, I think the answer would be a unanimous NO. Well then why does the reasoning here, of the two selves, seem sound? The reason could be because of the way the question was presented, "had it ruined the experience of the event or the memory of it?" The question no doubt is very interesting, do we have a probabilistic matching scheme where we generate predictions, for a finite state, and decide to make error corrections based on the feedback. The prediction of spending money on a concert, is to have a pleasant experience. This matching is violated if we have an unpleasant experience. Does this change if we did not have to pay for the concert? Does this change if the concert was inexpensive? Does it change if the artist dies right after the concert?
In such a probability matching mechanism it would be highly pertinent to store this feedback when it was completely valid and more pertinent when it was negative. (you know to make better predictions) The higher the deviations from the prediction the higher the probability the event should be stored. Of course, we run into capacity constraints, processing bottlenecks and plain random chance. These factors make the process inefficient and reduce the feedback effects for the matching. This said I think it's pertinent to investigate what events bypass one system completely (of the two identified) and go into the next. Can we remember without experience and can we experience without remembering? Can we improve the experience without improving the memory? Can we improve the memory without improving the experience? Can we reduce the experience and still improve the memory?
The bigger question becomes what other projective selfs are evident in such weird defects? Is there a action self, which tries to predict action in unlikely scenarios (say you were hit by a tornado or an earthquake). What information is used in this situation? Do we create false experiences to rely on? Do we freeze in a processing bottleneck?
What other processing selfs can we think of: save your soul self, don't be stupid self, oh no she didn't self!!
08 June, 2013
On Travel and company
It is quintessential to travel once a while, preferably without laptops, cellphones, tablets, phablets, kindles, stopwatches and gps. Leaving all these behind and exploring the world with amenable folks is a treasure. On this note, I am hoping to make such travels more possible and frequent; at least once a year. Given the hectic schedules of work and study, the pressures of social life and keeping up with the vapid news how much vacation time is the right vacation time.
The right time seems to be between a week and 3 weeks: anything more or less than this seems dull and effortful. Then there is also the problem of finding things to do on vacations, I have faced problems where I am on a vacation but the rest of the world is working. This makes scheduling and setting up events painful. The second prospect of vacationing is to find the right company to vacation with. Exploring the Jungles of India, the sights of new york, the california beaches or the italian culture each comes with certain requirements and constraints. The right people who can satisfy these requirements and constraints add pleasure to the vacation and make it memorable.
My most recent visit to India has alerted me to possible situations where difficulties arise: inclement weather, medical emergencies and bad planning top the list. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip thanks to the efforts of my close friends and family, but a little planning could have gone a long way.
The right time seems to be between a week and 3 weeks: anything more or less than this seems dull and effortful. Then there is also the problem of finding things to do on vacations, I have faced problems where I am on a vacation but the rest of the world is working. This makes scheduling and setting up events painful. The second prospect of vacationing is to find the right company to vacation with. Exploring the Jungles of India, the sights of new york, the california beaches or the italian culture each comes with certain requirements and constraints. The right people who can satisfy these requirements and constraints add pleasure to the vacation and make it memorable.
My most recent visit to India has alerted me to possible situations where difficulties arise: inclement weather, medical emergencies and bad planning top the list. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip thanks to the efforts of my close friends and family, but a little planning could have gone a long way.
07 April, 2013
The pleasures of sentient beings
This weekend, from among the many past, has been warm. In fact it has warranted yours truly to venture out in shorts and a sports jacket. Despite the fading schoolboy charm I love the shorts. It is a means of expressing your freedom and showing off the hairy beast within. The pleasures of a warm weekend are innumerable.
The ability to bike with minimal drag, speed up at will, practice manoeuvres of acrobatic abilities (read reverse pedaling and ledge dangling). It also means its time for ice creams without worrying about sore throats or colds. This also means the ability to run without layers of warmth. The cherry on top are the colorful folks lazing around parks and ambling outside cafes. This treasured change in aerodynamic superiority, visual perception and enhanced social adventures bring cheer and mirth.
The extended daylight gives you the innumerable hangouts that were once out of reach (maybe basketball at 7, bike to the lakes). This whole plethora of opportunities are only curtailed by the vast expanse of pending work and procrastination. This being said, I am off to finish running my experiment and biking home (time to get productive y'all)
In the words of my good friend Mr Pickles - "Spring is in the Air!!"
The ability to bike with minimal drag, speed up at will, practice manoeuvres of acrobatic abilities (read reverse pedaling and ledge dangling). It also means its time for ice creams without worrying about sore throats or colds. This also means the ability to run without layers of warmth. The cherry on top are the colorful folks lazing around parks and ambling outside cafes. This treasured change in aerodynamic superiority, visual perception and enhanced social adventures bring cheer and mirth.
The extended daylight gives you the innumerable hangouts that were once out of reach (maybe basketball at 7, bike to the lakes). This whole plethora of opportunities are only curtailed by the vast expanse of pending work and procrastination. This being said, I am off to finish running my experiment and biking home (time to get productive y'all)
In the words of my good friend Mr Pickles - "Spring is in the Air!!"
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