Going abroad? use Fake-Tel......reduce roaming charges

When you use your mobile abroad and you'll be "roaming". This is when you connect to an overseas network and calls are routed via that network provider instead of your home network, at a vastly increased cost.

  A telephone company, telephone service provider or telecommunications operator, is a kind of communications service provider that provides telecommunications services such as telephony and data communications access. I would like to start a telephone services company named ‘Fake-Tel’.The main motive of this is to reduce roaming charges.

   Now let me talk about its strengths and weaknesses .The company would provide GSM network services across India. When I say across India, it would not leave any nook & corner of any Indian state. Even in remote places we would be having our towers with minimum of 3G capability. This is our real strength i.e. reachability. We would be setting up independent towers and we are not sharing it with any competitor. In doing this, we are not at all compromising the cost. We would be giving the service at competitive prices. We are also providing the value added services as any other network along with this; we are coming up with a plan of giving 250 MB browsing data free per month for our customers. This is a unique feature that we are introducing .We will also provide limited free Skype calls .This is how we are creating the demand 

    About the weaknesses, our pricing factor is decided based on TRAI guidelines. So if there is change in the minimum price, it would affect our pricing as well. So , we have a limited control over the price. Also, as we are providing free Skype calls, we need to pay them a certain amount of share from the income, which also affects the price.

While travelling, If you're only likely to make a few calls, or are sticking within the Europe, the easiest way is to sign up for a "don't ask, don't get" discounted roaming add-on from our  network. Many of the network providers offer add-ons which reduce the cost of roaming abroad.The competitor charge a nominal fee for this, But in 'Fake-Tel' , its completely free!!.

   We will be targeting the general public they are the major beneficiaries .We would also be targeting the youth and students by student specific promotional offers. We have special prices and offers for the corporates as well. So, the elasticity of demand varies from the target customers and the prices fixed for them.

      So over all the pricing factor for services and the target customers for the respective pricing affects the elasticity of demand in telecom services.

Better Education...for a better Living

     
        Education is a basic right of living , for any individual.There should not be any compromise in the quality of education being provided.But, I would like to make a rational assumption that Infrastructure provided in all government run schools in India is pathetic or not up to the mark. Some may be good, but I am making this assumption in general .To provide an example, in my city itself i.e. Udupi, the condition of many government unaided schools out here shows a clear sign of administrative negligence in providing good quality infrastructure for the students. Neither the district administration, nor the state education authorities are paying any concentration to the basic requirements of these primary schools. In the maximum number of primary schools, the teacher-student ratio is nearly 50:1 according to a statistic given in local newspaper. Whereas only single teacher is playing different roles in several schools. This is the case in whole of India.

        

  A government primary school near my house has no proper building for the students and the roofs are badly damaged and can fall on students. There is no proper seating arrangement. The students have to first make seating arrangements themselves, which is in form of blankets or mats. A teacher in that the school could not afford to make seating arrangements due to the insufficient aid. Many such schools have no furniture in classrooms and lack teaching staff, toilets, clean drinking water and playground. In several cases, the schools are confined to one room only. Hence the children are forced to study under trees or in the open even in the rainy season. I have seen this in reality. Students were holding umbrellas while the lesson is being taught, while it was raining. The condition of the government primary schools in the city and the quality of education being imparted there is going from bad to worse. This is the major reason why the parents avoid sending kids in these primary schools.

   What are the reasons or the causes for this? I say even though the state ministry of education had drawn up several plans and policies, but they are failing to achieve their targets and goals due to lack of attention to the education sector. The government is spending a large amount of budget in providing free education to the poor but what these kids are getting is of no use. The government is spending a huge amount of money on several campaigns and events. But it is ignoring the education sector which is the only way to strengthen the nation.

    So how can we address this issue? The government must concentrate on the education sector and take revolutionary steps to improve the infrastructure in schools. The primary education sector needs to be standardized according to modern education systems. If the primary education syllabus and system is standardized according to modern needs, it could help in the country's development .That is why most of the schools want to inculcate CBSE syllabus which is standard in India. We as responsible citizens should give our part towards this. This is how we can build modern India.

Linux ....an important travel kit with your laptop

          

  Linux is very handy when it comes to travelling. The GPS based tracking system incorporated in it makes it so easy to track anything ,anywhere.While travelling in Europe ,I wanted to make sure that I would not come across any unforeseen issues while using  Linux as an OS in my PC.In this post I want to discuss on advantages of using Linux and also as a traveller , what do you have in it?

   Lets start with what is Linux ? Linux is nothing but an operating system. It is the software on a computer that enables applications and the computer operator to access the devices on the computer to perform desired functions. The operating system (OS) takes instructions from an application to the computer's processor. The processor performs the instructed task, and then sends the results back to the application through the operating system. Unlike Windows, Linux is an open source operating system which would help the user as well as the developer to go into the OS kernel and perform various tasks. Ubuntu, Redhat, Debian, Fedora are the operating systems which are built on Linux.

   Now, what do I already know about Linux? Most of the people are familiar with windowed operating system or what they say is desktop computing. Here we have menus, dialog boxes, status bars, task bars, notification bars, pop ups etc. Linux gives a new meaning for all of these. In Linux, there a lot of choices for which windowing system and desktop environment can be used, something that Linux allow users to decide. This cannot be done on Windows or even on a Mac system. It’s left to the user on how a pop up or dialog should appear, at what point it should appear and how it should be designed. In engineering 4th semester, we have been thought of how to design these stuffs in the subject Linux Environment.

         So why have I taken this topic for discussion? The answer is Linux can be used as an alternative to various other operating systems because of its ease of use. Linux is user friendly .Here are few examples that support my claim that it is user friendly: You don’t have to boot the OS on your desktop or laptop. Just boot from the CD and you can drag any file from the hard drive, even if the computer won't boot or you've forgotten your password. Linux can even help if you accidentally formatted your entire drive. So, the installation overhead is removed.

        The most widely used mobile OS Android is built on the Linux kernel. This is virus free. As the kernel or the core of the operating system is open to the users, anybody who hack the system OS can be caught, and removed with a simple command Shift-Alt-Delete. You can make your browsing experience simple and realistic using Linux operating system. These are a few examples, which I know, that can make users switch to Linux environment.

   For travel enthusiasts , there are appl like Earth3D which is an effective mapping and navigation tool.The map data is fetched from the server on the net and will display the satellite image ,in 3D, of any city you wish.So you can have a virtual travel environment.There is also an app called GPSDrive ,which gives you directions while you are riding the car.It is as accurate as Google's navigation app.

   Even if you're a Windows (or Mac) user, knowing how to use Linux is a valuable skill, and it can run a bunch of awesome things in your home even if it isn't your main desktop OS.I have already installed Fedora in my desktop and experimenting on it. Hope it doesn’t let me down and meets my expectations.

Travelling through IPL matches....Need for cheerleaders

As we all know, the Indian Premier League is a Twenty20 cricket tournament where different franchise teams compete for the title. Watching  IPL matches and following the teams is an entirely new experience.Its like a travel redefined.I have travelled to Bangalore & Chennai to watch these matches.I would like to tell about the cheer leaders in IPL in this post rather than sharing my experience in travelling.

    The tournament started in 2008 and takes place every year usually in the months of April–June. There are 8 teams in the tournament comprising of both Indian and foreign players. The current champions are Kolkata Knight Riders, who won the 2014 season by beating the Kings XI Punjab.

    IPL is a place where both sports and entertainment meet each other. It is not just cricket. The IPL's mixture of glamour, big money and cricket played at a faster pace has no parallel in Indian sport. The cheerleaders are the essential part of the entertainment and glamour face of the IPL. They provide on field glamour, they add to the spectacle and they entertain viewers, whether at the ground or on television.

      What if cheerleaders are removed? What are its consequences? Let us understand that cheerleaders are a way by which entertainment value is added to the game. It is in no way a means by which people would want to offend its viewers. So definitely, with the removal of cheerleaders the entertainment factor will be removed from the game. To support this, take the example of the test matches, which are being played for 5 days, without the cheerleaders. The game becomes so dry .Only first and the last days of the game are expected to deliver result. This is why the viewership of test matches is declining at rapid pace.

     It’s just surprising to see that there are people who would actually suggest that the cheerleaders distract the players from playing their game. We’re talking about international level players who have been trained for years and usually play in front of thousands of people as live audience with many millions watching at home. So, are we saying they get distracted with 2-3 cheerleaders? This doesn’t make any sense to me. On contrary, keeping a cheerleader for the team would build up the team’s morale, as she dances and cheers for the team every time you score a boundary.

      It’s time we stopped worrying about every little thing such as this that comes our way. Let’s look at the bright side of having IPL cheerleaders and not worry too much on its problems. We’ve shown that we are a country that’s moving forward and is not hesitant to try out new things as our beloved Prime Minister Mr.Modi is trying out new things every now and then. Let us be responsible citizen and take every new thing in a positive way.

Food in Paris

As I was in Paris , I wanted to eat the very best Paris had to offer. And that’s exactly what I did!And so came the idea to do this “Top 5 List”, so that if you ever have the amazing opportunity to visit Paris, this can serve as your good guide.if you eat everything on this list, you are going to be very, VERY happy with your trip! I know I was. In no particular order, here’s my top 5 which I tasted:

1. CARAMELS: If you have to pick only one place to do your caramel shopping, I would definitely choose Jacques Genin which is right in front of the Effiel Tower.



2. BORDIER BUTTER:Bordier butter is amazingly super smooth and super rich in flavor. You will literally eat loaves and loaves of bread just to eat more of this butter.




3. BAGUETTE, PAIN AU CHOCOLATE, AND PASTRIES:So while you are in Paris, take advantage of the superior breads and baked goods.



4.CHEESE FROM LAURENT DUBOIS:The cheese shop we visited was superb. They had us try some different varieties to get a sense of what kinds of cheeses we liked, then they started making some recommendations based upon our needs/wants.




5.MACARONS:

Sometimes spelled macaroon in America, the French macaron is said to have been invented by Laduree in the early 20th Century.





Go...try these, if you are in Paris.

A Sunday in Paris

Continuing my tour of Paris, I would like to tell how I spent my Sunday in Paris. Our tour group was resided in a 5 star apart-hotel “Reside Home” in outskirts of Paris. We woke up at 6, after the daily routine and breakfast we went on a city tour of Paris at around 8 am.
The first thing that we saw was the legendary Eiffel Tower. It’s a wonder of the world. By the time we reached there we were greeted by large crowds waiting for the chance to get in.

   We had privilege tickets bought by our tour manager, so we didn't have to stand in the queue .We were directly let in.We reached the 3rd stage of the tower by changing 2 elevators .One is an inclined elevator other is a straight one. The view is majestic form the top .All the royal palaces, the seal river, majestic buildings of Paris can be viewed in miniature sized from there.

I met few German kids there who were on an educational excursion with their teacher. One of my friends asked them what do they know about India. They said – Tajmahal , cows, camels, poor people ,hungry people. That’s it.We didn’t go to ask them further. As we came down , we were approached by the blacks, Africans may be, selling Eiffel souvenirs, key chains ,scarfs and so. It was hard to bargain with them. The only thing they said which I remember is -The deal is No Good for you, No Good for me!! .

We boarded our bus from there to take a city tour. Paris is a perfect Sunday spot. Everything is open . Tons of shops and cafes to browse in and eat. An amazing place to spend a Sunday afternoon. We had lunch in an Indian restaurant named “Welcome India”. The food was ok. Not so great .We were served typical North Indian food – roti, channa, Dal fry, jeera rice, salads, half boiled chicken curry and a sweet.

We then had to go to the Seal river bank were a cruise was waiting for us for a ride. We had a closer look at all the ancient buildings, museums, palaces ,parks, gardens .All of them depicted the royal life of Paris .It showed us how rich they are. We sailed through all the 32 bridges built across the seal river. There was dancing, singing in the cruise .An overhead head phone would tell us the history of the building or the place which we pass by.

It was 7 pm by the time we reached back. We again saw the illuminated Eifel fully lit up in White and yellow lights. It was a delight to watch. Treat to the eyes . For every 5 minutes , they used to switch on the flickering lights .We had dinner at the same restaurant were we had lunch and came back to our hotel.
It was the greatest Sunday I would have spent in my life time. Never will I forget it in my life.

Welcome to Paris

The whole purpose of starting this blog is to share my travel experience.I feel travelling is my blood.I visit new people, get to know new culture, new environment etc. Recently, I had a tour of Europe with my family . A local travel agency , Apna Holidays , had organized the tour .We had 5 countries in the tour , which was scheduled for around 15 days.The tour started with France. The city I would like to start with is the city of romance that is Paris.I would like to tell about our experience , first day in the city.

To tell about Paris, it is a capital city of France. A city of light, art, love, inspiration, romance and a world of fashion. It can be seen as the most interesting city of Europe and probably even as one of the most amazing city’s worldwide.A city that every one must visit and experience its beauty in their life time.

Paris is beautiful in every season, It has got continental climate. A warm and sunny summer,moderate winter and has no extreme temperature.

There are fabulous things to see in every corner of Paris. Glittering Eiffel Tower,Napoleon's Tomb, the Orsay Museum, the Louvre art Museum, zoo in the Jardin des Plantes, Seine River Cruises, churches and cathedrals attracts tourists towards it.

One of the tallest landmark of Paris is Eiffel Tower, it was built in 1889 for the world's fair. Its gives us a great pleasure to see glittering Eiffel Tower during night.

We landed in Paris flying via Srilanka in Srilankan airlines .It was around 12 pm .Almost 11 hrs. of journey !! Fully tried and exhausted due to jet-lag. First thing which we need was food and rest. Our coach was waiting outside the airport .We boarded our luggages and then we were taken to a hotel named 'Reside Home' which was located outside the city.

On the way ,I clicked pictures on my Canon .Here are the few shots.

It was a very cloudy afternoon, and a weekend also.So there was less traffic. We reached the hotel , had our food and took rest for about 5 hours. 

We woke up fresh in the evening.It was drizzling slightly.We had planned to see the illuminated Eiffel  tower in the night.At around 7pm ,we had dinner in an Indian restaurant.After that we went for the illuminated tour of the city.

Eiffel tower was glittering like gold. It glitters for 5 mins for every hour.

A very exciting day it was !My camera battery was almost drained off taking so many pictures.It was a very nice welcome given by the city.The day came to an end , and we rested back in our hotel.