The Airtel 3G Conundrum

I tried Airtel 3G and I have to say this is one ISP I can do without. Mid-January I decide to to go for their 1 GB - 28 day plan. I don't know why they don't make it for a standard monthly payment but I won't bother emailing them because of their ineffective and indifferent customer service which I'll get to later. 

I started testing speeds with SpeedTest.net. The speeds at first were decent with 2+ Mbps but the upload speeds raised eyebrows at only 200 kbps - an issue that still persists. For 3 days I get similar speeds and an occasional loss of connectivity. It was still relatively more reliable than the existing 2G plans they offer. It worked with YouTube videos and app downloads but I couldn't help feeling that the connection was being denied or capped for bigger data downloads. Three days later, the speeds disappear and I'm left with a rather unusable connection that refuses to send/receive data. That the connection is established is clearly shown by a "3G" sign on the iPhone 5. I initially thought this was a problem with the device but varying speeds over the week ruled this out. I figured this would be an ISP problem.

I'm no stranger to capped speeds. I can recall having to call Airtel and have them send a technician to look into why I was getting only 512 kbps when I paid for a 2 Mbps fixed line connection. The technician made a phone call to the "node" and did a confirmatory test on SpeedTest.net (this is why I quote SpeedTest.net results) and lo! The speed was restored. 

This happened thrice in one year.

Back to Airtel 3G.
I had not altered any setting on my phone but the speeds dropped to sub-40 kbps speeds and 50+ kbps upload speeds. The download and upload speeds were mismatched. The lowest point came with a ping of 1770 ms which made the connection unusable.

I emailed and talked to Airtel customer support but their responses were perfunctory. Even with prodding their responses were along the lines of "there are no problems with the backend server". Of course, traffic shaping and speed capping are deliberate functions, not problems for Airtel. If it's a policy to give suspiciously 2G-like speeds on a 3G plan, then that's not a problem for Airtel. After numerous complaints and a lot of shouting, I got a call (despite explicitly telling them not to call me) that the problem had been "resolved". What was resolved? I'll paraphrase. "No idea", they say ("Get Idea", I say [:P]). A resolution was provided for problem they said never existed.

I told them it was too late for I had already deactivated 3G.


In fact, I don't bother with their 2G services either. I use Wi-Fi. Yes it's limited but hey, it works.

Note: Speed is only part of the story. Reliability is important. A connection which only works in bursts of speed is not reliable especially for downloads, streaming, and transactions. Also, when checking a connection, don't just load a site, go deeper within the site - at least three links deep. Even if you can, you'll still need to check if you're able to access an app store and download an app from there.

Food for thought: Why does Airtel insist on voice correspondence instead of email correspondence?

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Review

Very few quality action games have much depth. The sheer length of Deus Ex: Human Revolution provides you your money's worth. It pleases old players of the original Deus Ex as well as new players who haven't played Deus Ex. The cyberpunk atmosphere of the original and this prequel form a cohesive link.

The cover system is the major gameplay difference between two games - and you will need it. A controller is a better option for this game but the keyboard-mouse combo works better for hacking. Although the game offers the player the choice of playing style, stealth using non-lethal means is the only way to go if you want the protagonist, Adam Jensen, to be decently augmented. However, this style makes more exciting augmentations such as the Typhoon (an all-round blast that kills enemies close to you) and aim improvement enhancements useless if you wish to always remain stealthy. The game does not offer a "New Game+" option to start off with enhancements you received in your previous playthrough.

The persuasion system in this non-linear game is welcome and appreciated for drawing the player into making choices. If you listen carefully to what each character says you will be able to get through parts of the main quest with just people skills.

Unfortunately, there are several issues with this otherwise solid game. The graphics aren't impressive and the facial and gesture animations are repetitive and off the mark.The ragdoll physics of dragging bodies remind one of Hitman 2. AI could certainly use improvement. Glitches such as wall clipping and being seen even when behind cover are annoying but do not break the main quest.

DXHR is a must-play game for its story telling and nostalgic value it offers. It shares a similar story format with the original game but the story is unique. The gameplay, story and music form a cohesive whole that provides a satisfying experience and leaves a lasting impression.

iPhone 5: The No-Nonsense Phone

Note: Screen protector is affixed.

Note: There are different GSM versions of the iPhone 5 but they differ only in LTE band support. 
Contrary to what reports are saying, there are no scratches on the retail unit and there is no backlight bleeding. As with any expensive touch-enabled phone I would recommend putting a screen protector and a case to protect the body.
Update: Google Maps is available for iPhone. 

Side view of iPhone 5

The iPhone 5 arrives at a time when there is no clear best phone in the market. It does not win the best affordable phone award, but it certainly is the only premium phone in a small size; the only one with a 4" screen size and the slimmest of them all. The design is refined and understated and, dare I say, masculine unlike the androgynous designs of its predecessors. 

The iPhone does what flagship smartphones do but with finesse. This is evident in the details. Seamless syncing with iTunes, fast browsing speeds, accurate colour reproduction, camera autofocus and auto-exposure, scratch-resistant camera lens, good battery that yield's about a day's usage and charges fast in two hours or less, video stabilization, easy camera shooting and other details are present.

The iPhone 5 provides great display resolution and true colour reproduction

The tightly integrated Apple ecosystem of iDevices, enhancements, iTunes, and the App Store is a major draw. Yes, similar programs are offered on the Android platform but the user must be wary of permissions sought by individual apps before installing. Apple's vetting of apps makes choosing apps safer. Mobile apps roll outs are done on iOS before other mobile operating systems so the library of the Apple Apps Store is larger than other app stores. 

It's not a perfect phone. It would have been helpful if Apple could facilitate contacts migration and backup right out of the box. There is no smart dial and you cannot delete or insert digits in the beginning or middle of a number while dialing. These are minor niggles that do not spoil the experience and ease of use.

The internet is what makes a smartphone a smartphone. Without it, most of the features of such a phone are useless. At the basic level, smart choices show through. The iPhone is the only premium phone that fits comfortably in a jeans pocket. It's telephony is good with noticeable noise cancellation and the excellent signal reception. The battery is adequate for a day's usage and the battery charges in less than two hours. The user interface is speedy and intuitive and naturally complements the physical device.

The iPhone 5 exudes style and sophistication in both form and function. It is a product of deliberate choices in making the best iPhone yet. It doesn't try to overwhelm you with a smorgasbord of features and a slab-size screen. It makes an impression with distinctive simplicity.

How to Uninstall MyWinlocker

If you have an Acer computer, it usually comes with pre-installed software including third-party programs such as MyWinlocker by EgisTec. MyWinlocker is basically a file encryption program. If you don't want this software on your computer then you can uninstall it. However, the installer may encounter an error and the program will not be uninstalled. In that case follow these steps:

1. Ensure no services of MyWinlocker start at login. You can use CCleaner - it's free and it lets you disable/enable startup programs, services, and context menu items (go to Tools\Startup and click on the corresponding tabs).
   You should see entries such as "mwlDaemon", "EgisUpdate", and other similarly named ones. If you are not sure about an entry, check its description and file location. Assuming MyWinlocker is the only EgisTec software you have, you can disable related entries.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Ensure no processes and services of Egistec are running by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
4. Go to www.egistec.com and click "Learn more" about MyWinlocker. Click the "Program Update" link.
   Or try this link: http://www.egistec.com/oid0x0100cid0Alidenpid196609sid02/mwl-update.aspx
5. Under "MyWinlocker latest version and tools." you can try:
• Downloading an running the smaller tools and then running the uninstaller.
  OR
• If the above step doesn't work, download the larger update file, install it and restart your computer your computer when prompted to.
  In this case, go to Task Manager and shut down processes and services of EgisTec and run the uninstaller of the latest installed MyWinlocker program (You will see two MyWinlocker entries).
  After restarting both entries should disappear and only a log file should be left in the MyWinlocker folder. You can delete the remaining folders, startup entries, and run a registry cleaner to remove traces of the program.

Disclaimer: Follow these instructions at your own risk. I will not be held responsible for any damage caused to your computer and data.

HTC Wildfire S 2012 Review: Frustrating Mediocrity

I already reviewed this phone here. Let's see what has changed a year later.

Usability

The Wildfire S power button and rocker volume buttons keys do not register presses unless firmly and precisely pressed - irritating when you want to quickly silence the phone during a call.
Typing is also difficult on the phone. You cannot type fast in either orientation. You need both precise finger contact and patience to make sure the phone registers each press. This is not a phone for frequent messaging.

Battery Life

Real world usage with the Carat app keeping tabs shows that without 3G the phone lasts for 10 hours, so frequent charging is required and the charging is slow, very slow. Which brings us to the included charger. The charger's output is only 200 mA. The phone takes approximately three hours with it sleeping. Using the phone during that time makes charging even slower.

Service Network

If your battery can't hold charge, good luck getting a spare. HTC India service and support is almost nonexistent. Yes, the call centres are there, but they never give written replies and they call you saying they don't have knowledge of battery pricing. Some phones at launch had software issues with buggy dialers and visits to the service centre meant a week without your phone and then getting it back unchanged. The website also lacks support articles on the phone.

Software Updates

The last update was in July and no change log is given for it. That's not required though because it changes nothing: no OS update, no dialer bug fixes, no wake delay fix, no Sense update, no inbuilt app updates, and no promised root access update. The lack of ICS is the most glaring. The reason given is that the Wildfire S does not meet the specifications for the OS. This is contradicted by the identical specs of the ICS-ready HTC One V.

App compatibility and performance is another issue. Flipboard, Chrome, and Adobe Flash are incompatible with the Wildfire S. Gaming can be skipped on this device.

The First Job

Many a time a graduate fresh out of college will make the mistake of selecting and working a job based on the salary offered. This is by itself not an issue but the reliance on the salary offered as the sole criteria is. So new job seekers remedy this by putting the profile of the profession as the first priority in searching for the right job, but that leads to a debate as to which is more important: profile or salary. Logically speaking, the two should match each other as the pay can be used to gauge the worth of the profile (or the employee). But, there is another criterion not usually apparent to first timers.

A commonly overlooked aspect of a newcomer's search for the beginning of a work life is the work culture. You are going to spend a significant number of hours of your life working. So, it makes good sense to take into account the aspects of work beyond the pay and the responsibilities. People and work policies form a major part of the work experience. These work conditions must be evaluated before committing to a profession.

Usually, this complex factor of the work experience is only discovered well into the first job. Sometimes the consequences of overlooking this causes dissatisfaction that finally leads to attrition. As human beings, we need to understand our own motivations and productivity choices we make because they can and will have social underpinnings. Simply doing work mechanically under the guise of professionalism is not feasible. Individual and group expectations need to be met and satisfied. Satisfaction cannot be met by the remuneration received and job description alone. In fact, true satisfaction comes from the individual satisfaction from achievement, a sense of purpose, and enjoyment at work.

The first experience with a job aims for the growth possible with the job. It is not unusual that the individual's expectations cannot be met in the first job. The first-time worker will experience the interaction with and reaction of the entities in the work environment. If the worker is working in a company, the company itself is an entity that the worker must deal with. Some companies may not have the employees best interests at hand and may stagnate an employee's career with false commitments.

A company may eschew the employees wants in favor of subverting his or her goals to serve the company's own needs. It, or they -- the people higher up -- may attempt to shift the employee's focus from his or her long-term goals to that of short term goals. Another method would be to offer the employee a chance to pursue what is ostensibly his or her goal that is not recognized as formal responsibility that proves to serve no change for the betterment of the employee. These are efforts that could effectively stave off a worker's ambitions.

Negotiations by the entity, in this case, the company, in order to retain the employee, may degenerate into arguments to convince the employee to stay by giving him or her airs and grace. At this point the solution is simple for both parties as the subtleties of company professionalism have been cast off by inadvertently casting off the the employee's desire to stay on. The company may employ attacks on the person herself, calling her motivations and even her character into question, e.g., implying (or stating) that she is confused. A company may throw a red herring to cast doubts on the avenues beyond the company.

No doubt the company is doing itself a great disservice but not all companies need be like the one mentioned. In fact, many realize the importance of their employees and do their best to invest in them. In any organization, an organization's workers are its greatest asset. A satisfied, productive employee does his or her part in a productive organization that successfully imbibes the human aspect of a corporation. And this is where the job seeker will head next.