Fashionably True

Fashion-breed @FTV: When it comes to fashion, we talk about elegant, stylish and chic fashion shows by the renowned (and sometimes budding) designers. You get to see super skinny models displaying latest labels of designer outfits (wearable and mostly unwearable) and the shows are organised across fashion capitals like Milan, Paris, London, New York, LA, Miami and in our very own Indian subcontinent. Similarly, no one is unaware of other Indian events like “Lakme Fashion Week” and the making of “Kingfisher Calendar” (is that still on after the Hawai-Jahaz thrashing...well not getting into that). But what has been amazingly new and innovative in its new avatar is that the renowned fashion designers from India as well as across the globe have turned to crowd-sourcing (don’t get confused, information about it is given below). Crowdsourcing: This platform of online medium termed as “fashion crowdsourcing” helps any individual who feels has potential & talent in them to participate in the competition of being associated with fashion designers. Interestingly these crowdsourcing platforms are also integrated with social networking platforms like Facebook & Twitter, where participants’ friends (enemies, strangers, celebrities too) can vote for them. Based on the highest votes and reviews by the designers, the lucky one gets the chance of creating various designer collections in collaboration with the renowned fashion designers. Not only this, he/she after the participation will be closely associated with these models (whom they have watched in TVs or got their glimpse in any fashion show) and would be globetrotting to participate in various shows being organised in the fashion capitals ( it is a great opportunity for those talented designers out there). Beyond designer clothes, various big labels in designer accessories, jewellery, art etc are using crowdsourcing platform. It is fashionably true that digital opportunity is immense and brings with it immense hope to Fashion Designers as well.

Time to Archive

Ghajini Side-Effects: Just imagine!!! You wake up one morning on a lazy Sunday, after having your heavy brunch, you switch on your tab to log in to your personal mail account. Email - sanjeevsinghania@gmail.com (this is a work of fiction; names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental), Password – 9999988888, gosh you cannot recollect your password. Yes, you may not have given up in the beginning and you must have tried your luck with various permutations & combinations. However, sadly, it was an unfortunate day; you actually could not remember your password. You must be guessing, that I will be narrating you about Aamir Khan in Ghajini, about his amnesia and how he used to pen down all his necessary info over his body with a black marker (am not promoting it either) but I don’t wish to. This may not be a bad dream but it could actually happen to any one of us in reality. Nevertheless, we all know, where there is a will, there is a way. You can be relaxed (even if the dream comes true) and can take an easy breath, cause even if you have the Ghajini symptoms, your mails & important files will be safe and intact to be accessed anytime, while you are on the move.

Do or Die – Back-it-up: Do you ever realize that our personal emails have such importance in our life? (am sure you do, as your clients always poke you with those presentations and heavy mails) and to keep it secure and accessible all you need to do is to download the software “Mailstore Home 5” from mailstore.com and; it’s free of cost for home users. Once you download and configure it, all your data and important files become safe & secured in your personal hard disc drive forever. Its simple to install the software and it will do its job of making a copy of your entire mailbox, with the same files and folders in your hard disc. You can also use a USB drive to make a portable copy for your travel usage. With such a simple and easy to use tool, you can back up all your mails from various access points in a central archive. Having done this, you will never have the fear of losing emails again (even if you forget your password and you are not able to retrieve it) and can search all of your emails extremely fast. You can also reply or forward your archived emails by opening them with a single mouse click in your standard email program. There are couple of mail archive software available in the market & these works with almost all mail servers and if you feel the need, you can keep a backup of your office mails as well. Hence, keep synchronizing your back up at regular intervals, whenever your mailbox is upgrading or alternatively, you can keep the software running on your PC. So feel free to party hard on weekends as you can afford to have a hangover, giving your memory a little break.

Bollywood Unlimited

1982 – Reel Bollywood:
While I had grown up as a kid, I was an ardent fan of Big B (off course I am still a big fan of him) but the scenario then was somewhat different. We were only delighted to see his performance on the silver screen and if we wished to see the same performance repeatedly, we had to book multiple tickets (then there was no option of Bookmyshow or Ticketplease to book tickets online and sometimes we had to pay double the amount). Post that, the era of VCP & VCR (Video Cassette Player & Video Cassette Recorder) emerged where TV used to be the so-called silver screen at home or in clubs. We also had the luxury of reading about our favourite stars in the dailies or magazines. Beyond this, the star connectivity was almost negligible.

2012 – Real Bollywood:
This era brought the real tinsel town from underneath and placed it on our platter; the digital connectivity age. Google tells you all you want to know about your favourite and your not-so-favourite stars. Where they are right now and doing what, Twitter updates you with everything, be it about their mood, what shoot location they are currently in, when they are taking the flight and which city restaurant they are visiting (and lots more, which I cannot put in this small space). Don’t miss the Facebook and the Youtube, where you will be able to find the fan pages to their latest videos (sometimes even the spoofs) and so many of us have been viewing them again and again without even counting how many times. Yes, the Stars love to connect with their fans / followers closely through this virtual world and why not, even they get to promote their latest ventures with the followers, who would eventually brew it as the next blog buster.

2042 – Really Bollywood:
The future will be the Real interaction with the Reel Stars digitally as well as three dimensionally. Gone will be those days where reporters would give away those personal interviews online or anecdotes about their coming project. You yourself can be the latest reporter and could do a one-to-one interaction with your favourite stars. Well it is not my only prediction; the stars predict and anticipate the same. Networking and socialising are the two transitional avenue that will reach to its peak in this era (hopefully the world survives the 2012 prediction). Well all I have to say is long live networking and long live Bollywood Unlimited.

Coffee Connection

Cooking Digitally:
Have you ever counted what tasks your mobile office (as in your laptop) plays in your life? Am sure you did. But this time if you count, you will get an added task that it can perform for you. So let’s start counting. 1 Communication, 2 Surfing, 3 Presentations, 4 Networking, 5 Revenue Reports, 6 Cooking….errrrr (it’s not an error; you have read it absolutely right). Yes now your laptop or a desktop can serve you a hot cup of coffee, when you boggle your head while making those hard-core presentations either in your office or at home while burning the midnight oil (you really don’t have to nag either to your office boy or to your partner to get one). So, your small little cooking needs can be taken care by the USB Oven.

USB Oven:
USB mini gas stove brings to you the wonder of cooking with laptop power. All you have to do is plug the stove into the side of your gadget, put your cup on the heated LED plate (designed in a way that gives you the feel of a burner) and the warmer will keep the drink at the optimum temperature. You can also prefer the hotness of your beverage as the adjustable thermostat lets you set the required temperatures from 40-70 degrees. The pocket pinch is not much (just a sum of approx. INR 1000) and to get those steamy flavours at the middle of the night you should get it right away.

Smart Homes or Smart Phones

Smart Life:
Everyone has heard of smart phones or is using one, but smart homes would make your life much easier than what you have today. How about not making a grocery list at the beginning of the month, since all the groceries will be ready on your platter? Well, all that one has to do is to pick up the groceries from the store or call for a home delivery. Just Imagine, while you are driving back home, you can access your kitchen & the microwave oven to keep your food ready to eat while you reach home and come to the dinner table just after taking a relaxing shower (I know it’s already making you think about it). If that is so, my friend this is not all, you can also keep almost everything in your home just on your fingertips; only at the control of a mobile device. SMART!

The future of the new homes built across metros will be using “Smart home technology”. For our understanding; this technology controls & helps to make all electronic devices in and around our home to act "smart" or more automated. Almost all major appliances that will be part of your home will take advantage of this technology through home networks and the internet. A smart home has to be one that is well networked, also has appliances/gadgets which will allow the smart home owner to do less or no work and it also has many more features, which provides you with more time for yourself.

Tic Toc Tic:
Various real estate companies in India have already started coming up with projects having the “Smart home technology”. Now you don’t have to worry about the relative whom you don’t want to entertain during the weekend, as you will be able to see the visitor at your door, even if you are miles away ( hmmmm...this brings smile on your face, I know as you don’t want intruders to take away your peace on weekends). Hence the weekend time would mean more time for yourself and your loved ones. And whenever they are visiting your house in future, you can also surprise them by changing the theme of your house as per your mood. Unbelievable but it’s true!

You can relax from your worries on home front while at work, because even if your old parents are staying at home alone, they can call for the ambulance with the press of a button and during the emergency you will be alerted simultaneously. Nonetheless, you can also keep a watch on your kid, who spends a lot of time playing in the nearby park. Your kitchen will equally be safe, as your smart home will be able to detect any kind of gas leakage or can raise alarm if any kind of fire breaks out. Not only this, your smart home will be safer than any ordinary home, as the security devices are so tight that you will be instantly alerted, if any suspicious activity from any unknown person is seen in the vicinity of your home.

It is observed and checked. No fad information for my folks and friends. Make your life simple but smart, because we have one life and we have to live it up!!