communication

A Cup of Coffee on The Wall !!!

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what a strange way to express one’s concern about the needy one !! True one & worth knowing.

Cup of Coffee on the Wall

I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighboring town of Venice, the city of lights and water. As we enjoyed our coffee, a man entered and sat on an empty table beside us. He called the waiter and placed his order saying, ‘Two cups of coffee, one of them there on the wall.’

We heard this order with rather interest and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two. As soon as he left, the waiter pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying ‘A Cup of Coffee’.

While we were still there, two other men entered and ordered three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. They had two cups of coffee but paid for three and left. This time also, the waiter did the same; he pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying, ‘A Cup of Coffee’.

It seemed that this gesture was a norm at this place. However, it was something unique and perplexing for us. Since we had nothing to do with the matter, we finished our coffee, paid the bill and left.

After a few days, we again had a chance to go to this coffee shop. While we were enjoying our coffee, a man entered. The way this man was dressed did not match the standard nor the atmosphere of this coffee shop. Poverty was evident from the looks on his face. As he seated himself, he looked at the wall and said, one cup of coffee from the wall. The waiter served coffee to this man with the customary respect and dignity. The man had his coffee and left without paying.

We were amazed to watch all this when the waiter took off a piece of paper from the wall and threw it in the dust bin. Now it was no surprise for us – the matter was very clear.
The great respect for the needy shown by the inhabitants of this town welled up our eyes with tears.

Coffee is not a need of our society neither a necessity of life for us. The point to note is that when we take pleasure in any blessing, maybe we also need to think about those people who appreciate that specific blessing as much as we do but they cannot afford to have it.

Note the character of this waiter, who is playing a consistent and generous role to get the communication going between the affording and the needy with a smile on his face.

Ponder upon this man in need….he enters the coffee shop without having to lower his self-esteem…he has no need to ask for a free cup of coffee…without asking or knowing about the one who is giving this cup of coffee to him…he only looked at the wall, placed an order for himself, enjoyed his coffee and left.

When we analyze this story, along with the other characters,we need to remember the role played by the wall that reflects the generosity and care of the dwellers of this town.

source:::::unknown….input from a friend of mine …interesting read and a point to ponder ….

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Message For The Day….Practice the Good Things Learnt …

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One may know the 700 verses of the Bhagavad Gita by heart, but trust Me, the time that was spent in learning by rote and reciting it, is all a waste, if one does not resolutely act upon even a single verse. It is not the resolution that matters; it is resoluteness. Resolution is just a string of words. In fact, that learning might even be a handicap as that skill can affect the head and make one swell with pride. The price of sugarcane is fixed according to the sugar content in it. You evaluate oranges in proportion to the juice they contain, is it not? So too, one is worthy of honour in proportion to the knowledge of the Self acquired. This knowledge alone can confer steadiness, strength and real happiness.

SWAMI SATYA SAI….in one of HIS divine discourses….

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Gadgets Likely to Be Launched in 2013 !!!!!

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2013 is going to be one of the most exciting and competitive year, as giant companies like  Amazon, Google and Apple will launch new products that targets individual consumers.  Here is a list of some most awaited gadgets of the year compiled by Business Insider.

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 Apple TV

 
We used to hear about Apple’s revolutionary TV during Steve Jobs era. After months of speculation, CEO Tim Cook said in an interview with NBC’S Brian Williams that the company has an area of interest on the segment of television market. According to the reports, Apple is searching for flat-screen panels within the 46 to 55 inch range, while on the other hand Wall Street Journal reports that suppliers of electronic consumer goods have commenced testing the top-secret-product. A couple of features like Siri integration, iCloud support, and iDevice compatibility are being publicized.

 Toshiba 84-inch “Quad Full” HDTV

We have already seen the High Quality 4K TVs from SONY and LG, now Toshiba will be joining this field with its 84-inch “Quad Full HD” 4K TV Set. The device is powered by the manufacturer’s CEVE Engine and provides a gigantic 3840*2160 resolution. Pricing and details of this device is not available till now.

 Amazon Smartphone

The boomy and continuous success of Amazon’s e-reader and tablet divisions opened the path for this retail online giant to come in the cell phone market. Rumors came from the Taiwan Economic News that Amazon gave a deal to Foxconn to manufacture its first ever Smartphone. According to the same report, the device will run on the Android platform and will carry a consumer-friendly price tag. The report also says a second generation Kindle Fire HD tablet is also in the production pipeline.

Apple Bluetooth Watch

Big companies like Microsoft and Sony had unsuccessful attempts at the smart watch market. It’s Apple’s turn now. iPod Nano was the smallest ever device with a screen designed by Apple, and it has a 1.55-inch display and 24-hour battery life. This device doesn’t have video playback, but it became a widely known gadgetwhen third-party companies discovered it could double as a wrist watch. That was when Apple decided to enter into this area. According to reports, we may see an iWatch this year.

Google Touch Chromebooks

First set of notebooks from Google were not well received. After the arrival of Samsung Chromebook, which enchanted the users, it appears like the company is ready to launch its own line of 13-inch touch based machines which will hit the markets in early half of 2013. According to the Commercial Times, around 20 million units are already being put into production process.

 

 Google Glass

The amazing product of Google, Google Glass, a “wearable computing system” got Best Invention of 2012 Awards and people became cognizant of its embellished and increased real world capabilities. Google Glass Project is a program by Google’s R & D team to develop an augmented reality head-mounted display (HMD). This product would display info like Smartphone hands-free and could interact with the Internet via natural language voice commands. Google’s Android is used in the glasses as Operating System. This gadget includes features like video chatting, accessible maps, internet viewing, photo capture and sharing.

 

source:::::siliconindianet.

Message For The Day….Silence to Control Our Senses…

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The silence you maintain in temples and devotional congregation must be carried over to wherever you go. It must be taken as an exercise in the control of the senses. Senses always are exterior oriented. The tongue should not talk evil. The eyes should not look out for evil. The ears should not seek evil. The presence of God in every being makes everyone holy. Thinking low of others amounts to thinking low of God. You must always cultivate the feeling that God is the Father and everyone around you are brothers and sisters. This brotherhood is more real and binding than the blood brotherhood, for here the paternal property for which you struggle can be shared without the share of the other being diminished in any way. Poornasya Poornamaadaaya Poomamevaavasishyate – When the Full is subtracted from the Full, what is left is still Full!
– Divine Discourse….Swami Satya Sai…

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1st Glass Ticket….Britain to Perth !!!!

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1st glass ticket: Brit lad’s message in a bottle bobs to Australia

Cade Scott

Thrilled … Cade Scott
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SCHOOLBOY Cade Scott threw a message in a bottle in the North Sea and got a reply 17 months later — from AUSTRALIA.

 

Cade, then eight, wrote the message on a Dr Who postcard in August 2011, before dad Terry sealed it in a wine bottle.

 

 

Cade's message

Postcard … Cade’s message

 

 

 

They then hurled it into the waves at Roker, Tyne and Wear, but heard no more until an envelope arrived this week, bearing a postmark from Perth, Western Australia.

 

Cade’s mum Andrea, 44, opened it and saw a reply from Aussie Matthew Ellam, who found the bottle on December 25. Matthew, 25, had returned Cade’s card and written on his own: “Hi Cade, thanks for your postcard. I found it whilst celebrating Christmas on the beach in Perth.”

 

Aussie Matthew's reply

Surprise … Aussie Matthew’s reply

 

 

Cade’s card’s journey is thought to be the longest by a message in a bottle.

 

The lad, now ten and from Sunderland, said: “I’m really pleased I got a reply. I didn’t know how far away Australia was.”

 

 

Bottle's journey

source:::::: THE SUN…UK

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Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4750187/1st-glass-ticket-Brit-lads-message-in-a-bottle-bobs-to-Australia.html#ixzz2ILCixfcJ

Quotes with A Smile !!!!!

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INTERESTING QUOTES …..Keep smiling!!!!!

Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Give him religion
and he’ll starve to death while praying for a fish.
~ Timothy Jones

*****

When the white missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we
had the land.
They said ‘Let us pray.’
We closed our eyes.
When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.
~ Desmond Tutu

*****

America is the only country where a significant proportion of the
population believes that professional wrestling is real but the moon
landing was faked.
~ David Letterman

*****

After the game, the King and the pawn go into the same box.
~ Italian proverb

*****

Men are like linoleum floors. Lay ’em right and you can walk all over
them for fifty years.
~ Betsy Salkind

*****

The only reason they say ‘Women and children first’ is to test the
strength of the lifeboats.
~ Jean Kerr

*****

When a man opens a car door for his wife, it’s either a new car or a new wife.
~ Prince Philip

*****

A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kickboxing.
~ Emo Philips.

*****

Wood burns faster when you have to cut and chop it yourself.
~ Harrison Ford

*****

The best cure for sea sickness, is to sit under a tree.
~ Spike Milligan

*****

Kill one man and you’re a murderer, kill a million and you’re a conqueror.
~ Jean Rostand.

*****

Having more money doesn’t make you happier.
I have 50 million dollars but I’m just as happy as when I had 48 million.
~ Arnold Schwarzenegger.

*****

We are here on earth to do good unto others…….. What the others are
here for, I have no idea.
~ WH Auden

*****

Home cooking. Where many a man thinks his wife is.
~ Jimmy Durante

*****

As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind – every
part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder.
~ John Glenn

*****

If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet,
what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat?
~ Steven Wright

*****

The first piece of luggage on the carousel never belongs to anyone.
~ George Roberts

source:::::input from a friend of mine…
Natarajan

Crazy Comments of Some CEOs ….Hasty Too !!!!

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Bill Gates says Apple CEO Position a No-Win

Quote: “What I can’t figure out is why he (Steve Jobs) is even trying (to be the CEO of Apple)? He knows he can’t win.”
Date: June 1998

Bill Gates said the above quote when Steve Jobs returned to Apple in mid-90s. And there was a good reason too, at that time Microsoft’s stock was valued at $29 with while Apple’s barely peaked at $7.25. However nearly 14 years later, Apple’s become the most profitable company in the world.

Acer CEO Makes Fool Of Himself Over Apple Remarks

Quote: “Apple is like a mutant virus, escaping from the traditional structure of the PC industry, but the industry will still eventually build up immunity, thus further blocking this trend, and we believe the size of the non-Apple camp will exceed Apple’s, because this is how the industry normally evolves.”
Date: 9/9/2010

The Acer founder said the above quote to put the most happening products under dull light. Before this infamous quote is credited for claiming all American PC brands would be dead within 20 years.

Michael Dell Thinks Differently About Apple

Quote: “What would I do? I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.”
Date: October 1997

When Dell’s CEO and founder was asked what would he do if he is in charge of Apple Inc he said above quoted lines. Apple’s investors, till this day are very thankful that the Apple board never took heed to Dell’s words.

Bill Gates Small Memory Gaffe

Quote:” No one will need more than 637 kb of memory for a personal computer. 640K ought to be enough for anybody.”
Date: 1981

The quote in today’s scenario excites laugh just for how lame Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, was about predicting the memory limit. However Gates denies that he ever said anything like this but it was supposedly quoted quoted at a computer trade show in support of the IBM PC’s 640KB RAM limit, which he’d been heavily promoting that year.

Google Assumes We Want it to Direct Our Lives

Quote: “I actually think most people don’t want Google to answer their questions, they want Google to tell them what they should be doing next.”
Date: 8/14/2010

During a sitdown with the Wall Street Journal, Google’s Schmidt touched on several subjects from the company’s net neutrality stance to the Android platform. However things turned weird after he shared his vision of Google’s future and how users would rely on the search engine to tell them “what they should be doing next.” His quotes certainly did not go well with netizens.

Steve Jobs Believed Reading Was Dead

Quote: “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore. The whole conception is flawed at the top because people don’t read anymore.”
Date: 1/15/2008

This quote was Jobs jab at Amazon’s Kindle, that since Americans don’t read, the product is destined to ruin. Such words from one of the greatest tech visionary may creep you and creem you still more that Amazon’s kindle was in the bestseller list for 2011, selling an est. 383,000 physical copies in its first week.

Ethernet Inventor Predicts Internet Collapse

Quote: “Almost all of the many predictions now being made about 1996 hinge on the Internet’s continuing exponential growth. But I predict the Internet will soon go spectacularly supernova and in 1996 catastrophically collapse.”
Date: 1995

Robert Metcalfe, founder of 3Com and inventor of Ethernet, made one of the most insane predictions ever made. He even guaranteed to literally eat his own words if his predictions fail. Living up to his promise, Metcalfe took his keynote speech during the International World Wide Web Conference in 1999, put a printed copy of his declaration into a blender, combined it with liquid, and drank it in front of the entire crowd. Of course the crowd was in fits of laughter.

source:::: silicon india net
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Ancient Migration..Genes Link Australia With India…..

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Australia experienced a wave of migration from India about 4,000 years ago, a genetic study suggests.

It was thought the continent had been largely isolated after the first humans arrived about 40,000 years ago until the Europeans moved in in the 1800s.

But DNA from Aboriginal Australians revealed there had been some movement from India during this period.

The researchers believe the Indian migrants may have introduced the dingo to Australia.

In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they say that the fossil record suggests the wild dogs arrived in Australia at around the same time.

They also suggest that Indians may have brought stone tools called microliths to their new home.

Ancient origins

“For a long time, it has been commonly assumed that following the initial colonization, Australia was largely isolated as there wasn’t much evidence of further contact with the outside world,” explained Prof Mark Stoneking, from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.

Dingoes first appeared in Australia at about the same time as the Indians
“It is one of the first dispersals of modern humans – and it did seem a bit of a conundrum that people who got there this early would have been so isolated.”

To study the early origins of Australia’s population, the team compared genetic material from Aboriginal Australians with DNA from people in New Guinea, South East Asia and India.

By looking at specific locations, called genetic markers, within the DNA sequences, the researchers were able to track the genes to see who was most closely related to whom.

They found an ancient genetic association between New Guineans and Australians, which dates to about 35,000 to 45,000 years ago. At that time, Australia and New Guinea were a single land mass, called Sahul, and this tallies with the period when the first humans arrived.

But the researchers also found a substantial amount of gene flow between India and Australia.

Prof Stoneking said: “We have a pretty clear signal from looking at a large number of genetic markers from all across the genome that there was contact between India and Australia somewhere around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago.”

He said the genetic data could not establish the route the Indians would have taken to reach the continent, but it was evidence that Australia was not as cut off as had been assumed.

“Our results show that there were indeed people that made a genetic contribution to Australians from India,” Prof Stoneking explained.

The researchers also looked at fossils and other archaeological discoveries that date to this period.

They said changes in tool technology and new animals could possibly be attributed to the new migrants.

Prof Stoneking said: “We don’t have direct evidence of any connection, but it strongly suggestive that microliths, dingo and the movement of people were all connected.”

source:::::BBC NEWS NET..
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Apple iPhone Shine Fading???

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Weaker than expected demand for the Apple iPhone? The Wall Street Journal says Apple’s orders for iPhone 5 screens for the January-March quarter have dropped to around half of what the company planned previously. Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reports two Apple LCD panel suppliers in Asia reduced production. Apple shares dropped this morning in pre-market and overseas trading.
Samsung Electronics says global sales of its Galaxy S smartphone series blew past the competition, reaching more than 100 million units since the first model was launched less than three years ago. The South Korean firm announced today that it sold more than 25 million Galaxy S, 40 million Galaxy S II and 41 million Galaxy S III smartphones in the last three years. Samsung rolled out the first Galaxy S model at the end of May 2010, scrambling to catch up with Apple. Despite a late entry, Samsung became the biggest smartphone maker.

source:::::ABC NEWS

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Your Bank in Your Pocket !!!!

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SaiKumar Jayanty in THE HINDU ….

The older generation would recall the monthly visit to the local bank branch, standing in a queue to draw cash and stopping by the manager’s office for a quick chat, perhaps even a cup of coffee. In those unhurried days, banking was almost a part of social life. A customer’s relationship with the local bank had all the elements of friendship — proximity, trust, intimacy and personal rapport. Today, with the explosion in the number of customers and the rapid pace of life, banking products and services are so commoditised that it doesn’t matter where one banks. Besides, customers are smarter and more aware to make decisions without the guidance of bank managers.

Yet, despite achieving near utility status and changing beyond recognition, customers still aspire for those traditional values of the local bank — trust, relationship and personalised service.

In the coming future, my bet is that the mobile phone will be the world’s local bank. That’s because, when it comes to convenience, establishing a cordial, personalised relationship with customers, and understanding the context of a transaction, mobile banking is hard to beat.

CONVENIENCE

Let’s start with convenience. Earlier, convenience meant proximity, a branch that was just a short walk away. However, for modern day customers, convenience means nothing less than ubiquitous banking, available at all times, everywhere. With subscriptions touching six billion, or 86 per cent worldwide penetration (over 70 per cent in India), no device is as pervasive as the mobile phone. Consequently, no channel is as ubiquitous as mobile banking. What’s more, thanks to technologies such as Mobile Remote Deposit Capture and mobile video conferencing, this channel can provide the intimacy of branch banking services.

While traditional local banking was limited to pure banking, the mobile phone can add services such as payment and commerce. Nearly three decades after credit cards revolutionised payments and shopping behaviour, signalling the end of cash and cheques, the mobile phone is poised to do the same, except that this time around, plastic is at the receiving end. Mobile payments and commerce will scale $1 trillion globally in three years, according to an Ovum study.

CORDIALITY

The days of warm hospitality may be behind us, yet, banking can reclaim lost intimacy in other ways. As an instrument that enriches lifestyles and not just banking transactions, the mobile phone is privy to more customer insight than any other banking channel. This window got bigger when Internet-enabled smartphones provided connectivity to social networks. Now, the mobile phone not only provides insights about an individual, but also the social groups the customer belongs to.

Through this information, banks can cultivate a deeply personal understanding of their customers and invest that knowledge to create extremely personalised and relevant products, services and offerings. With the help of analytics, banks can distil information gathered by the mobile channel to not only create offerings targeted to individual needs, but also go a step further to predict future demands and fulfil them proactively. Personalisation is to mobile local banking what cordiality was to its traditional form.

In the days of traditional banking, banks knew little besides what their customers told them. The arrival of solutions such as core banking and CRM (customer relationship management) systems provide bank staff a 360-degree view of customers, including the history of their transactions with the bank, which would serve as a context for the current interaction. What’s more, features such as location tracking or social networking mean that banks are never separated from their customers.

Provided privacy issues are adequately addressed, such a situation is beneficial to banks as well as the customers.

Today, mobile banking is on the innovation agenda of every bank. Banks value the mobile phone for many reasons: it is cost-effective, it helps generate revenue, it has unparalleled reach, and is a rich source of consumer insight. So it is natural that banks look at the cellphone not just as a mainstream channel, but the mainstream channel of the future. But this is like missing the forest for the trees. The mobile phone is not only capable of becoming the most important banking channel, it has every chance of morphing into the local bank of the future.

(The author is lead product manager, Infosys Finacle)

Keywords: Banking, Mobile technology, Internet banking, Neighbourhood branch