Macro hate for Microsoft

Macro hate for Microsoft: It all has amplified a bit more lately, given all the competition out there. Since the beginning of PCs, Microsoft was there and was probably the only option out there. And people hated it, for the bugs and all the crashes, not to mention the viruses and infections.Decades later when Microsoft has changed so much, millions still hate the company. Why? They are not sure,well, maybe because Microsoft is not Google.

The Browser You Loved to Hate A small campaign by Microsoft to tell people that Internet Explorer is more than just a browser to download browsers. Yes, Microsoft was desperate to tell the world that their browser has evolved. Here are a few facts about one should know before they actually hate Internet Explorer. What most people talk about on the internet is Internet Explorer 6, the horrible version that came with Windows XP. Most people use pirated Windows XP and they never moved up to IE7 or IE8, which were obviously better browsers. Versions after IE9 were dramatically better in performance. Currently,IE11 will load pages faster than Firefox or Chrome, and also start up faster. Do the research. If you are still on Windows XP, then sorry, you do not get to enjoy the fast internet.

Also, Internet Explorer is not a standalone browser, it is a Windows feature; a part of Windows, and components and programs that you install on your PC will use Internet Explorer for rendering a lot of content. So, every time you use your PC, you are using IE without knowing.

IE does not have so many plugins like Firefox or Chrome, because it is not an open source software. It is a part of Windows, whose code is confidential, unlike Firefox or Chrome. Open source code makes it easier to make plugins.

Windows 8, the other Windows Vista

Not really. Have you tried Windows 8? Those who don’t like it can’t adopt to the changing scenario. Windows 8 was Microsoft’s move to support devices that use touch. Could you use Windows 7 or Windows XP on an 8 inch touch screen? But you can with Windows 8. Yes, Microsoft has ignored desktop users much. People talk about Windows 8, but not Windows 8.1 and the major updates that follow. Windows updates bring more features whereas previously, you only got bug fixes. It is more secure than ever without the need of an extra security software. Yes, you don’t need anything more than Windows Defender if you have some common sense and you know what you are doing on the web. Windows 8 was obviously made to make things faster and easier, but have the same Windows 7 flavour, and have support for more devices. Obviously, we have some people who are digitally challenged and therefore, cannot move over to a new system. In turn, they blame the updated system for “changing things”.

A Shifting Company Image

Even in the last few months, Microsoft has changed a lot. A new privacy policy makes dealing more transparent and puts the users first. Windows Phone 8.1 has gained a lot of attraction and can beat Android if people are not that ignorant. Not only it has better performance, it also has all the major apps you will ever need. Right now, what is getting in the way is ignorance. People are opinionated and not informed.Currently, Microsoft is working on a lot of big things for Windows users which will only be of value only if users can move over their unjustified hate.

Beauty secrets revealed

Beauty secrets revealed: We have all seen glamorous people and wished to be like them some day. While much of the glamour is genetically influenced or assiduously practiced by artists from the films, media and sporting industry,there is also a fair amount of make-up that goes to make the average Joe the most eligible bachelor in town!

Yes, the well-kept secret of all celebrities is not their bank accounts,it is their make-up artists! If you don’t believe that, just ring the doorbell of Justin Bieber, Madonna,Sly Stallone or any other celebrity for that matter in the dead of night.You might not want to believe that the person who answered the door bell is your favourite idol.

Smart City lists some great tips from celebrity makeup attists:

1. Soft Eyeliners: Keep those eyeliners soft for a smoky pop-out look that is so in this season!

2. Avoid 24 hour AC: Avoid being in front of an AC the entire day and get a humidifier to get glowing skin like the divas of Hollywood or Bollywood.

3. Confidence: Never wear or try anything that you are not 100% confident of pulling out on the red carpet. Just remember that not everyone has the perfect body and not all those who have perfect bodies or accessories have confidence! Be comfortable in your skin and what you wear.

4. Hair Wash: Don’t shampoo your hair every day A word of caution that this might not work best if you are prone to heavy sweating in your head or if you do strenuous activities that induce sweating!

5. Moisturize: Drive away the dryness of your skin, lips with moisturizers.They are healthy for the skin and give a pleasant tone and look.

6. Hair Style: Consult a good stylist to get the right hair cut for you. Remember the hair cut should be as per the shape of the head. For a round head, it might be good to not cover the cheekbones.

7. Dress code: More skin show doesn’t always mean glamorous.In fact, dressing in traditional dresses might be sexier and comfortable.Always check the occasion, audience and culture before you dress. It might not be good to expose too much in a country where this is frowned upon.

8. Beauty sleep: There is a reason why this is called so. A person who does not sleep at least 6-7 hours a day is not likely to show their best appearance the next day. Sleep well and you are likely to make a positive impact.

9. Diet: Avoid excess of caffeine, alcohol,carbonated drinks, starchy food items, desserts to keep yourself in the best shape.There is no dress that can cover up the ill-kept body and even an ordinary dress will look great on a Greek God’s body!

10.Travel: Travel extensively to pick up the best of all cultures and cities. You never know the tips that you might pick up abroad that could serve you well in your career and personal life!

Petrol bunks

Beware of fraudulent practices at petrol bunks: One of my best friends was out of petrol when he was paying a customary visit to his farmhouse in his village.He had taken his SUV to his village, where he had grown up and done his schooling. His intention of doing so was to merely show his folk back home that he was prosperous and was doing very well. However, he did not bargain on being cheated by a petrol pump attendant when he went to fill fuel. He was a simple man with simple needs and was very loyal to all his possessions.He rarely changed anything in his life, whether it was his college girlfriend,his first car, his laptop or for that matter his smart phone.

He believed that old is gold and that one should not discard old possessions for new ones.Therefore, as was customary, he went to fill his car fuel at his favourite petrol pump in his village. When the petrol attendant was filling the fuel, he did not fill the tank to its brim.This gentleman did not pay much attention as he trusted the petrol pump and its staff since he had been visiting it for ages.Therefore, he believed that it would not cheat him. But little did he know that this would happen. He discovered the fraud when on his return journey to his home in the city he fell short of a few liters of petrol. When he discovered it, he vowed that on his next visit to his village, he would get even with the petrol pump attendant.

The question is how and why petrol pumps cheat customers. Do petrol pumps cheat? Do they adulterate the fuel with other lubricants in order to increase their quantity? Do they short sell?.The answer to the first two questions is an emphatic “no”. However, the answer to the third and last question will be “maybe”. Petrol station dealers are as good or as bad as any group of professionals.They are just a more maligned lot than most professionals. Therefore, they resort to such gimmicks at times. As there are rotten eggs in any basket of eggs, there are a few cheats in the petrol pump dealers group.That does not mean that all petrol pump dealers are cheats.

The next question is how do we become aware of it? We can do this by taking certain precautions when choosing a petrol pump to buy petrol from. It is always better to patronize company owned or company operated petrol pumps that are staffed by the oil company officials themselves. Another way to avoid frauds would be to patronize petrol stations that are visited by three wheelers. One can also patronize stations which have the newest pumps like the multi-product dispensers installed to serve customers.These are believed to be tamper proof and therefore safe.Many high selling petrol pumps are normally equipped with MPDs as old mechanical pumps can easily be manipulated to sell short.

Freedom of Speech

                        Freedom of Speech: Democracy and freedom of expression Being able to choose one’s own leader is something that the Democratic form of government offers to all the citizens. India, the world’s largest unbroken democracy,is easily the biggest example of democracy that the world has seen. A democratic government is also considered fair- people choose their own leader- be it directly or through a representative.The freedom to do so gives them a fair amount of control over the laws and policies which would govern them.

Development, democracy and the media

Development is often considered to go hand in hand with democracy. Choosing your own leader is something that is extremely important, and one that should be exercised with responsibility.But how do the people actually come to know about their leaders? How is a person supposed to know of the present government’s functioning, or what the real side to the rumors going around actually is?This is where the media comes in.

The media is often considered as the biggest tool and weapon that the people have. Be it local, national or international media- the role played by it in communicating and broadcasting each and every important aspect of what is going on in the world around you is one that is incomparable.

Media the nations and It’s people

Each and every nation in the world has seen tragedies, scams, rise and fall.It is only through media that citizens get to know the current scenario prevailing in their country. Take, for instance,the murder of model Jessica Lal. Manu Sharma, the son of a wealthy as well as influential Congress-MP was the accused in the case. Despite of several eyewitnesses, he along with several others were acquitted in February, 2006.

With all hope seeming lost, it was the intense media as well as public pressure that gave the family of Jessica Lal swift justice.The Delhi High court due to the very same pressure conducted all proceedings relating to the case within 25 days, and Manu Sharma was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.This is just one of the several cases where justice was delayed, and not fully denied thanks to the media and the part it played in order to bring the truth to the public.The public is easily the most powerful part in any nation, and it is only through the influence and information conveyed by the media can they be effective and informed.

Media and responsibilities

The media is an extremely powerful tool, and is definitely essential to make a democracy function the way it is meant to. However, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have any responsibilities.The media needs to function in a totally unbiased way, because every common citizen truly looks up to and trusts the media for all kinds of information.

Business, Bribery and the Evil

What bribery really is?

Bribery- it is a word we are all familiar with. We’ve seen movies, read articles, seen people get fired over cases related to bribery- but do we really understand what it is, and the effects that it has over a particular trade or job that the person taking a bribe is holding? For us people living in India, bribery has become a menace- something that every ‘corrupt’ official indulges in. However, do we ever go down at the root cause of it? Take the simple case of traffic rules,for instance.The general attitude of most people regarding them remains the same: It’d be better than paying (read: bribing) the constable on duty than paying a traffic ticket and going through all the associated hassles.The same people are the ones who later on complain about corruption and bribery. Hypocritical, isn’t it?

Businesses, and how bribery affects them

Let’s face it- bribery exists in all forms of businesses. And its major nature is not the presence of greed or dishonesty in the person accepting it, but it lies within the person giving the bribe. Most people bribe others in order to get their work done easily, or to gain benefits from illegitimate yet quicker sources.

However, bribery affects each and every kind of business worse than we have ever estimated or guessed. The World Bank estimated that close to 0.5% of the GDP is lost primarily due to corruption. The connections that corruption, bribery and businesses hold is far rather than anyone can estimate.Bribery and corruption, when entered into businesses, helps organize crime to grow along with these businesses.

A large variety of governmental functions take place through private organizations too- construction, defense and so on. Obviously, anything affecting any of these businesses would affect the functioning of the government, and in turn, the nation as a whole.Thus, bribery not only undermines the working of the law, but it also affects the trust that people hold in the various kinds of public institutions and hampers the economic development of the world as a whole.

What can a common citizen do to control and prevent bribery?

Often, people forget this very small yet strong point about themselves that they are the common public, the most powerful organization any country can have. And it is the people who have the power to increase, decrease as well as stop corruption and bribery.

Think of this for an instant- who bribes? Us! If the person giving it refuses to do so, then whom would the ‘dishonest individual’ ask it from. Once the officials, individuals and everyone else realizes that there is no one to offer or give bribes, then they’ll become better workers and be more honest in their dealings.

Bribery is not some incurable menace.We the people have the power to change it all, and it is high time that the citizens stop complaining, took action and brought bribery and its associated menace to an end.