Father's Day Special

I'm a tech nerd and like to switch phones every year.

My dad is the total opposite. He still carries his iPhone 6 and is quite vocal about its performance, even though it hangs a lot.

This father's day, I decided to gift him a new phone. I logged on to Amazon and placed an order.

 

Luckily, the package arrived this morning. When my dad saw it, he was furious with me for spending money, like all fathers are.

 

But when he opened the package, he saw a small gift card with a message on it.

 

For the past 27 years, a small token of thank you. Happy Father's Day.

 

I could see his angry face slowly turning into an emotional one.

 

Now, let’s answer the question- why I did it?

 

He is the kind of guy who barely spends any money on himself. He ignores his needs and tries to save every penny for his family.

 

So, I decided to be his sponsor. Just kidding

 

Moral of this post- look after your parents’ needs, because they won't.

A Note On Mental Illness

Since childhood, we are taught to exercise daily and enjoy a healthy diet. 

We do this to improve our physical fitness, which helps us to fight off diseases (if we meet them face to face). 

But what about mental health? Why don't we address mental issues?

On a personal note, I have 2 active depression cases in the family.

And still,

My parents haven't had a serious discussion on depression with me or my sibling. 

By now, we all have heard about Mr.Sushant Singh Rajput. 

It's sad to hear about a successful chap taking his own life due to depression. 

May he rest in peace

Instead of expressing our sympathies, it's time to take the fight with depression. 

I would request all of you to take an extra step to help people surrounding us battling depression. 

Go talk to them, listen to their problems and help out in every way possible. 

And don't forget to take care of yourself. 

Remember- humans are designed to work together. That's where our strength lies. 

iPhone SE 2020- Apple’s Knockout Punch To Budget Android Phones

It’s quite rare when Apple comes out with a product that rattles the cages of consumer technology. The company first did it in 2016 and now, they have done it again. In April 2020, Apple launched the new iPhone SE. It is the successor to 2016’s iPhone SE that took the market by storm. The latest device promises to carry its torch by providing amazing performance for a fraction of the price (when compared to $1000 phones). Let’s find out more details about the product.

Design

2020 calls for a modern design and Apple didn’t fail to disappoint us. Wait, not so easy. iPhone SE  is a glass sandwiched body that comes in at 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches. It is a sleek device that won’t pop out of your pocket. It carries a smaller footprint like iPhone 8, which makes one-hand navigation a delight. However, huge and chunky bezels are visible from a foot away, which are not so appealing when compared with other $399 smartphones. Thankfully, the iconic touch id sensor is back, which also acts as a home button.

Display

It rocks a 4.7 inch LCD display with 1334 x 750 pixels. It can shine at 625 nits and comes with true tone and haptic touch. Yes, the figures are not so exciting on paper, but it gets the job done. You will get a decent experience while viewing content, but Pubg/Call Of Duty players will have a hard time to locate their targets because of the smaller screen. Perhaps, their money is better spent on a larger AMOLED display.

Camera

iPhone SE is equipped with a 12-megapixel shooter in the back and 7-megapixel shooter in the front. It is the same configuration that is found on iPhone 8, but it comes with a twist. The A13 Bionic processor leads to better image processing, which allows iPhone SE to click good pictures. They are clean, vibrant and colour-accurate, all that you would expect from an iPhone. 

Apart from it, you can make full use of portrait mode and 4K video recording at 60 frames per second whenever the need be.

Processor

This is perhaps the most talked-about feature of iPhone SE. Apple has armed the device with A13 bionic processor, which is found on the iPhone 11 series. According to the company, it is the fastest chip available in a smartphone to date. So, iPhone SE will allow you to edit a video or play a graphic intensive game without breaking a sweat.

Battery

With 1821mAh in the bank, iPhone SE is not designed for power users. If you are someone who likes to game or watch loads of content, you will have to charge this device more than once in a day. Luckily, iPhone SE supports 18W fast charging, which will give you 50% battery within 30 minutes of charge. However, you have to buy a fast charger separately, which is a bummer.

Audio

A small phone like iPhone SE is not expected to deliver a great audio experience. Wait, let’s correct this statement. To our surprise, this device managed to fill the entire living room with enough bass and hip-hop beats that forced us to jump on the dance floor. If you rock the old iPhone SE, you will definitely feel a huge difference in the audio quality.

Price

With a starting price of $399, iPhone SE will go head to head with Pixel 3a and other budget-friendly phones. In India, the device will cost Rs.42,500 for 64 GB variant.

Other Add-ons

iPhone SE comes loaded with wireless charging, Bluetooth 5, IP67 water resistance, WiFi 6 support, NFC, three colour options (black/red/white) and Gigabit-LTE, which will allow the device to regain its position of ‘Budget King’.

In the end...

iPhone SE was never meant to be the ‘Star’ of the smartphone industry. Superb camera, massive battery and the bezel-less display are not its cup of tea. If you are someone who wants to buy a small phone with the latest internals at a wallet-friendly price, iPhone SE will bring a smile on your face.

AirPods 2- Everyone wants it, but everyone doesn’t need it

In 2016, Apple retired the famous ‘headphone jack’ and replaced its memory with AirPods- a device that instantly connects with your iPhone with the help of Bluetooth. The idea behind it was to step in the era of wireless earbuds, which can kick away the pain of tangled earphones. For a while, Apple faced the heat of the standard earphone lovers who were just not ready for the change. But soon as the dust settled, AirPods became the fashion statement. Even though they were pricy and had a sluggish design, almost every pocket was a home for it. After witnessing such a response, Apple decided to make some tweaks and launched AirPods 2 in 2019.

If AirPods and AirPods 2 were in the same room, 90% of the people won’t be able to recognize the elder brother. Why so? Well, there are no significant changes to the design of AirPods 2, but we do seem to witness a few interior changes. Let’s take a look at it.

AirPods Design

Coming in at 0.7 x 0.7 x 1.6 inch and 0.14 ounce, there are no visible changes to the design of AirPods 2. It is the same plastic long stem in glossy white colour. Here, Apple has followed a simple ideology- what isn’t broken shouldn’t be fixed. But yes, Apple did bring a new wireless charging case, which is a little heavy than the standard AirPods 2. To differentiate the two, you can find a small led light in the front of the wireless charging case.

AirPods Pairing

With Apple’s new H1 chip, AirPods 2 can connect with your iPhone in 3.2 seconds, surpassing its younger brother’s pairing connection (5.1 seconds). And that’s not its only superpower. Now, AirPods 2 have longer talk time, greater battery life and faster switching between Apple devices (2.8 seconds vs 4.3 seconds).

AirPods Love for Siri

In winters, it is pain for your hands to leave the shelter of your pockets and reach your iPhone to launch Siri. That’s about to change with AirPods 2. With the help of hands-free Siri, you can launch Apple’s digital assistant without touching your iPhone. That’s neat and comfortable.

AirPods Sound

Let’s just accept a simple fact- sound quality is not AirPods strong suit. Don’t get me wrong. AirPods 2 delivers a decent sound, but there are way better options out there that deliver a great mixture of bass and lows which AirPods 2 can’t seem to master. In short, music junkies will be disappointed with this product.

AirPods Bluetooth 5.0

AirPods 2 comes with Bluetooth 5.0 technology which increases the range to 50 feet. In layman terms, you can leave your phone in one room and roam around the house (within 50 feet of distance) with a solid connection of AirPods 2.

AirPods Battery

Thanks to H1 chip, the AirPods roughly provide 4 hours 50 minutes of playback on a single charge. That means four episodes of Grey’s Anatomy (40 minutes each) and a 45 minutes call with your friend will still leave some charge in the Airpods. And to top it up, the case itself offers 24 hours of additional charge. That’s too much generosity from Apple.

AirPods Call Quality

Apple has done wonders with the call quality of AirPods 2. With dual mics and H1 chip, the receiver can clearly hear your voice in a busy environment. For example, the call from the metro ride was so clear that my friend was able to detect a baby crying who was sitting 5 seats away from him. That’s weird but brilliant.

To sum it up...

Apple products are not known to offer great battery life and value for money. Sadly, AirPods 2 are not so different. But people buy Apple products for their superior performance and high level of comfort. AirPods 2 come at a starting price of $159 and can go up to $199 for the wireless charging case. They are not cheap from any angle but with the twin package of comfort and brilliant features, AirPods 2 is here to stay in the market for a long time.

Why do employers need an enhanced healthcare benefits plan and how can they achieve it?

Today, the world is consumed by the word ‘Competition’ & the market has become a ticking bomb. Correct timing & a right plan of action is what companies need to win the battle. In order to master these two factors, companies require an army of brilliant employees to support their cause. It’s not easy but companies are willing to shell out a handsome sum of money to hire the best from the crowd. Sadly, that’s not enough. Employees today demand a healthy lifestyle which requires a lot more than a six-figure salary. Benefits such as health insurance have become a highlight of their list of demands. And why wouldn’t be?

Healthcare costs in the US are at an all-time high. As per a survey done in 2017, the average healthcare cost of a person per year is $10,739 & it is expected to rise by 3.9% by 2020. Thinking about the future, employees tend to work for companies that offer the best package (good salary + healthcare benefits). But there is one major problem. Not many companies offer a healthcare plan to their employees. In the employers’ defence, a healthcare plan puts pressure on the company’s finances which in turn adds to their losses. No sound employer would like that, isn’t it? Luckily, the government has come to the rescue of the employees.

Why employers can’t go against the Affordable Care Act?

On March 23rd, 2010 Mr. Barak Obama ushered the Affordable Care Act into the limelight which directed companies (having more than 50 full-time employees) to offer enhanced healthcare benefits plan to 95% their employees. If any company dared to go against it, a hefty fine of $3750 (per employee per year) will be added to its list of expenses. This was a revolutionary move which adds another challenge in the book of the employer-employee relationship. But there is a twist in it. Though this act is a huge win for the employees, it is not a total nightmare for the employers. Fortunately, there is a list of requirements that both parties have to fulfil according to which a healthcare plan can become a topic for discussion. It’s smart & convenient for both parties.

How can an employer provide an enhanced healthcare benefits plan & be happy about it?

After Affordable Care Act hovering over their head and a constant demand for healthcare plan by the employees, employers have no option but to offer an enhanced healthcare benefits plan & act happy about it. But how can they do that? Luckily, there is an easy way out for the employers.

1.     Choose a reasonable healthcare provider- It is pretty clear that companies have to take a look at its budget while offering healthcare benefits to their employees. There is no denying that but no one said that it is mandatory for an employer to choose the most expensive provider in the market. If you have the budget for it then be my guest. If not, choose a healthcare provider that won’t hurt your wallet and will cover all essential benefits that will make an employee happy.

2.     A doctor’s clinic has the potential as well- Today, many companies have steered their wagon towards the doctor’s clinic. It’s cheap and clinically effective.

3.     Let the employee do the talking- Every employee follows a unique healthcare routine & will require a different set of healthcare benefits according to his/her requirement. If both parties want to stay on the same page, employers should allow their employees to personalize their own healthcare policy. It will add a unique touch to their relationship.

Health is wealth and everyone is quite serious about it. If a healthcare plan helps a company to attract and hire the best employees, then it is worth a shot. They will see the benefit (productive hours) in the long run for sure.

Why Android Go Actually Makes Sense But Android Go Phones Does Not!

On 17th May 2017, Google launched its new trump card- Android Go. It is basically a flimsy Android version which is specially developed for low-budget devices. The idea behind the development of the budget segment began with Android One. Android Go is just an advanced version of it. So, why did Google thought about this idea? Well, there is an explanation behind it.

For years, Google has estimated that a large number of Android users will come from India. In order to capture the Indian market, they invested their resources and found out that numerous
Indians prefer budget devices. So, to fulfil their dream, Google came out with an idea of Android Go. Honestly, it’s a great move.

Before we jump ahead, let’s understand the difference between Android Go and normal Android version. Honestly, there is not much difference between the two. Android Go runs on a similar foundation as the normal Android version. However, it has a few performance and stability tweaks which make it compatible with the low-powered hardware.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room- is Android Go really worth it? Let’s find out. Android Go is designed to run on those devices which have 0-1 GB of Ram. So, to make the game interesting, Google has launched a few lightweight apps to fulfil their idea. Such apps are Google Go, YouTube Go, Gmail Go etc. To make a strong case against Android Go version, we will discuss a few facts on Google Go and YouTube Go.

1. Google Go- It is quite similar to the standard Google app. Google Go allows the user to perform most of the functions such as find recommendations, get weather updates etc. at a very small install size (12 MB). Google Assistant Go has a similar story as well. As it is tweaked to run on low-powered devices, Assistant Go lacks a few features such as setting reminders and controlling smart gadgets, but it makes up the loss by allowing the user to send messages, ask questions etc.

2. Youtube Go- It is a light version of the standard YouTube app. Despite being designed for low-powered devices, it allows its users to watch the videos, download them and share with others without an internet connection.

These lightweight apps offer a variety of features and save a lot of storage on your smartphone. Also, the play store on your low-powered device will highlight a list of Android Go apps which can easily run on your device.

Android Go devices are finally here-

Google announced two Android Go devices (Nokia 1 and Alcatel 1X) in Mobile World
Congress. Both these devices have 1 or 2 GB Ram with 8 or 16 internal storage. With these devices, Google is addressing the idea of enjoying a smartphone experience under $100.

Honestly, it’s not worth it. Why so? The hardware of these devices is not that exciting. After a point of time, the hardware starts to age and the device starts to hang a lot. In such a situation, even $100 is a waste of money. Today, people buy smartphones for entertainment purposes and
Android Go devices can’t fulfil this criterion. So, it’s better to save some money and buy a good
smartphone.

Google has set a great example of Android Go apps. At a small install size, you can enjoy numerous features. As far as Android Go devices are concerned, a lot needs to be done in that department. It doesn’t justify the tag of $100.

WWDC 2019- The Tomorrowland of Tech Fans

WWDC or Worldwide Developer Conference is around the corner and tech nerds like me just can’t keep it together. Like every year, Apple is ready to display its masterclass to tackle and enhance the performance of its devices. Before we row ahead, let’s recall a few details about WWDC.

It is organized by Apple and is the largest tech conference on the entire planet. Each year, all tech nerds wait to be a part of this conference. Why? We all know that Apple is the largest company which manufactures high-end tech products. Every year, they come out with new and advanced products which blow the minds of the tech lovers (especially Apple fans). Apart from the amazing products, they unveil and discuss their upcoming software updates, new apps, and OS X versions.

If you think about it, there is a logic behind conducting WWDC. Apple wants the entire tech community to know about its recent products and software updates. Honestly, this is a hell of a way to promote its products and services. Apple is known for its incredible marketing techniques, so it’s not much of a surprise that it opted to start this conference.

The history of WWDC

The first-ever WWDC was organized by Apple in 1983. Even at that time, it has a huge hit. But Steve Jobs changed the angle of WWDC when he decided to launch Apple’s new products in 2002. In WWDC 2002, apart from the new apps and software updates, Apple disclosed its products such as Mac Pro, Power Mac G5 and iPhone. After that, Apple became the king of the tech market.

Since 2002, people were very excited about WWDC. And why won’t they be? In a 4 days conference, they get to witness the beauty of Apple software updates and products which changes the meaning of the word ‘technology’. To get a detailed idea about WWDC, let’s discuss the 3 key highlights of WWDC 2016 and 2017.

In WWDC 2016, Apple concentrated only on the software part. Firstly, people can now use Apple Pay from the web. Secondly, new features were added to Apple watch. Lastly, IOS was updated with new features (mainly to improve the 3D touch). In WWDC 2017, Apple unveiled its new software and products. Firstly, Apple introduced its new home pod. Secondly, IPad Pro (10.5 inches) was launched and lastly, IOS 11 was unveiled. To be honest, Apple always hits a home run in WWDC.

Why are people enthusiastic about WWDC 2019?

WWDC 2019 will take place between 3rd June-7th June. Even though it is far away, there is a huge buzz about this year’s WWDC in the market. The entire tech community has high expectations from Apple. Mainly people are eager to hear more about IOS 13, watch OS 6, macOS 10.15 and tvOS 13. As excepted, Apple will unveil these updates to enhance the stability and security of its devices. As far as the hardware is concerned, Apple may unveil additional details about Mac Pro. Its launch date is not yet confirmed and there is a huge debate about the same in the tech community. Hopefully, Apple may address this debate in WWDC 2019.

Apart from this, there is another rumour about WWDC 2019. Apple may unveil the new MacBook Pro at this conference. Got you excited, isn’t it? Well, there is no official news on the same. Maybe Apple may surprise us with a new MacBook Pro or it is just a rumour. We all will have to wait until 3rd June 2019 to find out the truth.

So, clear your schedule between 3rd-7th June to catch the latest updates of WWDC 2019.