Sharper than ever

Hello Moto....For all those, who have seen the new Motorola RAZR2 (or do they call it V8/9?), this phrase is identifiable. I am not a Moto enthusiast (for that matter neither am I of Nokia or Sony Ericcson, humein kisine brand ambassador/fiat/maruti banaya hi nahi..), but the Razr series has fascinated me (and my bro) since its launch. Even the earliest version was ultra-slim (Aur log kehte hain-Seshadri hi patla hain..) and the most distinctive phone in its class. There was a time, when just holding a Razr in one's hands used to feel heavenly (nearly so..). It used to evoke a sense of status,style,attitude all packed in one. (I never believe any commodity decides your quality - being the owner of Nokia 3315- but the Razr made me think otherwise). It was not the perfect phone (given that it used to have just a 1.3 meg camera), but then, surely no one could beat its design. Following it, were other Motos like the Krzrs and Slvrs which were again, the sleekest in their classs. I was (and I am, even now) almost convinced that Motorola is the only company that can pack so much of hardware in such a slim phone. Though Nokia followed recently with the N75, it appears to me like a me-too phone, the sole purpose being, showing off its design capabilities (Nokia says 'Art meets intelligence'..should I say - 'Nokia meets Motorola'?). Though Sony Ericsson's W880i is even thinner (9.4mm), a Razr is a Razr, afterall.

But now, here comes the newest member of the series- Razr2. Sleeker.Smarter.Stronger. That's what Moto calls it.Not a BIG change since the previous Razrs. But few features distinguish it like the thickness(thinness?) of 11.9mm, 2 meg camera, large external display with keys, and many such. The best part that I have noticed in Razr2 is the disappearance of the bulge at the bottom of the Razr, which used to be present in earlier Razrs (and was not so aligned with the phone's sleek looks). This makes the phone completely flat and gives it a more stylish look.

Just days back, Motorola has launched an TV commercial (part of its global 'The Eye for Sharp' campaign) for the Razr2 (in India, that is), and to say that it's superb would be an understatement. It shows a guy and a gal fighting each other (tearing their clothes, too), using their Razrs like swords. The best part is when in the end of the ad, the guy throws the Razr and it sticks to the wall like a knife. Brilliant idea, superlative execution. It puts forth the idea of a 'sharp' Razr without even saying it. (The outdoor ads carry forward this idea, too). I am yet to find out the agency, do tell me who it is, if you know.

PS: As you have noticed, this post purely speaks of Razr2's design and is not a complete review (that's why all's positive about it). Catch the review by ZDNet here.

Har title kuch kehta hain

The title is not to publicise any paint company's tagline, but just a better way to say 'I couldn't find a title for this one'. This post is, by the way, going to be much different than the ones that you have read till now; you will shortly know why. All those (This seems like addressing everyone in a theatre screening Aap ka surroor in the 4th week) waiting for a long time for a post, here it is !!

Nothing much was running through my mind the past few days (months:(..), except for random thoughts about posts like Social obligation of CEOs, The great Indian education rejig, and bahut kuch aur (Of course, main-aur-meri-tanhai wale poems). But then, I couldnt write them long enough for a post to happen. As far as 'happenings' are concerned, one BIG thing that happened was my annual appraisal. Firstly, ladies and gentlemen, Seshadri is now a 'confirmed' employee of TCS (not such a big thing, it's just a formality of completing one year(it took a few days more due to some 'unavoidable' reasons). But, more of a news is me getting a 'more than satisfactory' rating (for those who are unaware, these are the annual marksheets for modern-day employees). I am not revealing the exact rating, because - I am NOT supposed to!! (tumhe toh pata hi hain, I never break the rules :)...As far as my thoughts on this event are concerned, I feel it is one of the first big achievements in my life, and has made me feel ecstatic. (On my way to the rose garden..?). All thanks also to my leads, (ML and PL), whom I have started holding in high esteem just like an MBA holds Merill Lynch or a Maharashtrian holds Pu La. But there here comes the kahaani mein twist. I am still to get an 'official' notification of my revised salary (aakhir paapi pet ka sawaal hain) due to -again- 'unavoidable' reasons. So, now I am in a similar situation like the small investors in the Indian market, who know for sure that 15,500 is good enough for Sensex, but don't know about what will happen to their money in the next few days.

And yes, the 'Mumbai' rains are here!!! Again, the same old train-kahaan-tak-ja-raha-hain fears, cold shivers after a drenched day, jammed cellphone networks, cancelled weekend plans, everything is back in true Mumbaiya ishtyle.
Of course, besides all this, CAT forms are out. So the D-day (or the C-day?) for me is nearing - 106 days, 9 hours, 35 minutes, to be precise. I don't want to come back this Sunday from my mock test saying the same thing -'Agli baar zyaada prep karke aaonga and will surely get a better percentile'.

And, before I forget, the difference you see in the tone of this post is simply because it has been inspired by my brother's new blog post, (which in turn, is inspired probably from here).So all you folks wanting some time pash shtuff from a smart guy, idhar jaiye. (Psst..partha - I am done, now my payment is due :) )