The Blu-ray

Japan is the first country where consumers can experience the next generation home theatre movie. Blu-ray disc players, available since early 2006, are available for purchase today in Tokyo. A select number of movies are available on Blu-ray Disc, or BD, format, and many more are scheduled for release. The marvel of BD technology lies in its higher data capacity. DVDs hold 15 GB of data; The smallest Blu-ray disc holds 25 GB, with the largest capable of storing a unprecedented 200 GB of information. More capacity allows content providers, such as Hollywood studios, to release movies in higher quality formats. In fact, the High Definition (HD) video picture quality on a BD is superior to the DVDs, best experienced on a modern digital television or flatscreen computer monitor. While DVDs will continue to be available and supported by electronics manufaturers, Blu-ray is on the cusp of becoming the dominant format for digital video, subsuming DVDs. Even though the disc will hold more data, blank discs and movies released on BDs should cost the same as DVDs. BD discs are easily identifiable by the "Blu-ray Disc" logo with a B followed by a crescent. Let's look at the technology that makes a Blu-ray.

Blu-Ray Disc Technology

BD discs are read with a blue-violet laser instead of the red laser used in CDs and DVDs. The blue-violet laser has a shorter wavelength, which enables the reading and writing of data. The figure below from howstuffworks.com illustrates the compactness of the pits in the BD. More of BD pits, smaller in size than the DVD pits, can be placed on a CD sized disc, enabling a higher disc capacity. howstuffworks.com has a more information on BD technology.


Adoption and Availability

As a media format for digital content, BD players are making their ways into home theatres, video game consoles, and computer systems. Dell has committed to adopting the Blu-Ray in desktop PCs and laptops. Sony, the first company to invest in Blu-Ray technology back in 1993 by researching and developing the blue-violet laser, is manufacturing the next Playstation, PS3, with BD players. Most recently, Sony has also publicized a pioneering BD player, shown in the left-hand photo, that is available for pre-order on Amazon.com to customers in the United States. Other well known consumer product companies like Apple, along with hundreds of others, have joined the Blu-Ray association. The momentum behind the format is further fueled by public commitments by movie studios to release movies in the BD format. There are competing formats for "next generation" video, but the competition is considered over now as most electronic companies are planning products that use BDs. Gizmodo has an article that supports this opinion.

Customer Experience

The BD customer experience will be different than the DVD experience in ways beyond video quality. All BD players will support Java applications. This will enable a movie to run software that goes beyond the menu screen shown when a movie is inserted. For example, a java application can connect over the internet to a server and provide access to content not available on the BD, such as subtitles in a language.

BDs are region encoded like DVDs and there are four BD regions that are different than the six DVD regions:

1. North America, South America, and East Asia (excluding China)
2. Europe (including Turkey), and Africa
3. China, Russia and others
4. No Assigned Region (NULL region)

Anti-Piracy Measures

BD players will enable a customer to copy movies to systems that support the new "Mandatory Managed Copy" (MMC) system. It is not possible to play a BD and record the output on another typical device like a VCR, instead, the video output of BD can only be received by electronic devices that adhere to regulations aimed at stemming piracy. As long as your recording device supports the copy protection mechanism required by the BD standard, you will be able to legally make copies of your BD. Piracy is a serious threat to businesses the produce digital content, and Blu-Ray enables a copyright owner to protect content with MMC, making BDs favorable over DVDs, which have no copy management or support for encryptions. The MMC approach has precedent: Apple allows customers to purchase music on its iTunes store in the Apple Audio Content (AAC) format. An iTunes customer can place their purchased songs on her iPod or other devices supporting AAC, but can not copy a song to any machine or device of her choice. iTunes has sold over 1 billion songs, proving that customers will buy media that is protected by anti-piracy systems. The MMC copy management scheme, if widely adopted, will provide the flexibility a consumer needs to make copies under fair use laws, and stymie the illegal copying practices that are now rampant in China and India. Additional copy protection lies in a novel, dynamic encryption system.

BD systems will accept and play discs with encryption techniques that can vary per disc; thus, hackers who break the encryption system on one disc will not be able to decrypt data on other discs with different encryption systems and read content in an unauthorized manner. Even different discs of the same movie or software may have different encryption mechanisms. The "dynamic" nature of BD data protection unique among the digital content protection systems that are being widely adopted, and should help content providers stay on equal footing with hackers and criminals who break encryption mechanisms in hopes of "freeing" the content from copy protection.

Don't want encryption? Home enthusists wishing to make burn their own BDs on their computer will have the option of protecting their data with encryption or foregoing content management. Movie studios, however, greatly benefit from reduced piracy and are strong advocates of content protection.

DVDs Alongside BDs

Don't worry about your current DVD collection becoming obsolete as BD gains in popularity. BD players will also play today's DVDs and you won't have to purchase your favorite movies. While the content industry blossoms during period of new technology adoption, where consumers purchase re-releases of their media collections as they did when CDs appeared after audio cassettes, a consumers investment in the DVD format is safe. In fact, TDK has developed a BD/DVD disc that works in both DVDs and BDs. If chosen by a content provider, the disc would contain two copies of the content on one disc by placing the BD data on a different layer than DVD data.

Safe Investment

So don't be afraid of a computer with a Blu-Ray player or a PlayStation 3. BDs, while revolutionary for their copy protection and high capacity, are purchased, collected, and used just like the familiar DVD. If you are motivated by the latest and greatest technology you can buy BD players outside the US today. We will all hear more about BDs as Blu-Ray products become available. Blu-Ray movies will start appearing at stores along side DVDs. Computers will come equiped with Blu-Ray drives, which can both read and write data, just like DVD burners. Even if you find the missing "e" in the name aggravating, consider buying a BD drive in your next computer or home theatre - It's a safe investment. DVDs will not become obsolete, but a transition to BDs, which store more data and secure digital content, will occur over the next decade.

Gold's Upcoming Glitter

Jewelry plays distinguished role in Indian culture. More than just a preferable way to display social status, Indian people purchase jewelry out of tradition and as well as in consideration of a long term financial investment. There are special days that many Hindu Indian's shop for jewelry, in line with a common theme in Indian life where specific days, or "auspicious times," are kept on calendar for specific activities. On April 30th, the annual Hindu religious holiday "Akshaya Tritiya" will arrive. Akshaya, which means "that which never diminishes," is celebrated as the birthday of an incarnation of Vishnu. On this auspicious day, it is a tradition to purchase gold jewelry. While it is also considered a favorable day to begin new hobby or establish a new business, the spirit of buying gold jewelry on this day is pronounced more than any other activity commonly associated with Akshaya Tritaya.

What type of gold? Any! In India there are three common types of gold, each described by a color: Yellow, White, and Rose. Yellow gold is the most prevalent type. Known for it's malleability, it is an metal that is alloyed with both silver and copper. Yellow gold does not have the luster that is becoming more popular with consumers. Instead, White gold is catching on with many and is considered more western and stylish among youth. White gold has a very large percentage of silver mixed in, resulting in a highly reflective look. Its popularity among younger folks is best reflected by the in magazines of ways to incorporate the look. The least popular type, rose gold, contains both silver and copper. Whether to purchase rose, white, or yellow is now downplayed because of the rising popularity of white while yellow remains the traditional choice. Jewelry stores will always emphasize that construction techniques and design heavily influence the long term value of the piece and equally important purchasing parameters. Of late, the influx of western design is creating a new generation of novel pieces.

On the auspicious day, consumers just want to buy and price is not a consideration that inhibits purchase. The attitude is invigorated by the fever around gold as an investment. The metal's value continues to appreciate and market analysts are bullish on the price. Sites on the internet, such as goldprice.in, track current market prices in rupees. The current value is 29,000 Rs. per ounce. Many even forgo purchasing jewelry and directly invest in gold bars or gold coins.

After purchasing gold, there are few important rules to follow "to be good to your gold." Keep gold jewelry in boxes lined with a soft fabric; satin or suede are great choices. Polish the gold with the right solvent, especially if the piece is worn often. Stay away from household cleaners and harsh chemicals which can damage the piece. Never wear the jewelry to bed, in the shower, or during hard manual labor to avoid stretching or breaking.

Indians will do more than just purchase the gold and place them in a safe container, out of sight forever. During important celebrations, especially weddings, Indians bust out the bling bling. The bride, if forced into heavy accessorizing by loved ones, will rival Ft. Knox's collection. The picture on the left, taken from a merchant's website, best depicts the "Indian ideal" of a bride's jewelry complement. Other events such as government sponsored dinners or private poojas are acceptable times to wear gold pieces. While younger types are buying gold, the wear gold in inconspicuous and subtle manners.

To learn more about gold, visit The World Gold Council's website. This organization, which controls gold production and consumption, provides a tremendous amount of information on gold and its use in several facets of life, including electronics and nanotechnology.

The extensive uses of gold in daily life products underscore the metals important. At prestigious athletic events, first prize is awarded with a piece of gold. While many currencies are on the gold standard, its use beyond financial markets makes the metal noteworthy and special among the hundreds of elements in the periodic table. Its importance and prevalence, when pondered, is overwhelming. Even more so on April 30th, when Indians frenzy to buy in on that very auspicious day.

Sane Karnazes

In 2005, Dean Karnazes visited my employer to speak about his recently published book Ultra Marathon Man, Confessions of an All-Night Runner. In addition to handing out copies of book and offering autographs, he answered questions and spoke about some of his athletic experiences. Dean has accomplished what few humans have: run ultra long distances. It is easy to appreciate the book because it was written by a man I have met and who lives a life that many Americans do: he's a family man with a job. Anecdotes from superstars or Olympic athletes are harder to grasp because they come from people regarded as hero's and stars by many. Because of this differentiation, the book comes across and more honest and more accessible than, say, snippets from Dennis Rodman's Bad as I want to Be. A recommended quick read for those who enjoy athletic stories.

Many people run 26.2 mile marathons each year, in fact an estimated 500,000 people do in the United States alone. For most participants who are non-professional athletes, the event is a life time achievement. For Dean, a 26.2 mile run "is just for warm up." [1] Dean distances are in the 50 and 100 mile range. Race events like the Badwater, a 135 mile run through death valley unheard of by most, are considered challenging and put forth the level of hardship that Dean seeks out. His book details stories about his race experiences. Long distances are not the only impressive characteristic of ultramarathons. For example, he endured a race through the South Pole in subzero temperatures. Why? Because he was drawn to athletic challenge. A successful salesperson for a typical corporate company, climbing the leader wasn't enough to keep life exciting. Loving athletics as a child, endurance races had a natural appeal. Throughout the book, he emphasizes the feeling of accomplishment brought on by each event he slogged through.

His race experiences have details that most would find gruesome. Descriptions of running through foot damage, cramps, and other sorts of pain can make a softie cringe. Do not be detered, though, as depictions of pain are balanced by very amusing and occasional stories about his desperation for a pizza or burger after a training run. Along with the physical effects of the body, Dean writes about the psychological endurance required to participate. In fact, against the backdrop of ultra-pain, a theme presented to readers is the greater need for mental fortitude and the role it plays in driving an athlete.

After the Q&A session at the office, Dean led a six mile run around Seattle, starting at office, taking us up to the lake and looping back. The run offered an opportunity to ask more questions. My questions were about health, as I have spoken to physicians who are opposed to the sport of running. Running causes a tremendous amount of strain on the knees, legs, and hips, and the medical advise aims to prevent long term health problems in the body. Given that Dean is alive, well, and still young, the book does not offer any insight in the longer term effects of his athletic endeavors. Running coaches emphasis the importance of quality shoes that fit well and varying the running terrain. Avoid running on concrete, if possible, as grass and ground are softer and lower impact on the legs.

As a former cross country runner, the tidbits were extreme examples of experiences I had during races or training. The amplifications of familiar aches and pains, completely realistic and truthful, made the book exciting and relevant to me. I will spare others from platitudes about inspiration; the books value to me lies in its informative discussion about unimaginable athletic challenges. On the back of his book, there are a few questions that Dean has been asked by others. One of them, "Are you insane?", humored me and I took the opportunity to ask him this very question. His response is best captured by the inscription next to his autograph, "I think I'm sane; you be the judge. :) "

Scientifically Examining Emotions

Kathy Sierra has written an informative blog entry on Positive & Negative Emotions. It discusses the physiological nature of happy and unhappy people, as well as debunks myths regarding anger and its relationship to happiness. With many references to books and articles, it's a great starting point for a reader to explore a very scientific topic.

Ms. Sierra's blog focuses on helping designers build products for people.

Intercontinental Students

Graduates from India's education system are succeeding all around the world. Indian universities such as the Indian Institute of Technologies (IIT), have brand power derived from the accomplishments of their graduates. Many alum consider gaining admission into IIT university such as IIT Bombay a lifetime achievement. The IIT degree is considered more valuable than a graduate degree from any other university pursued after graduation; a masters would simply be an "add on" to their prestigious bachelors degree.

Admissions into Indian four year undergraduate programs is markedly different than the American university system process. Essays are not required; placement is determined by score on the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), which covers physics, chemistry, and mathematics. A students ranking gives them choice in which IIT to attend. Recent attention, however, has been given to the backlash around the quota system which influences the placement of students. Students from low income families, or other backward castes (OBCs), are eligible for seats at IIT that high JEE scores from wealthy backgrounds are not. Currently 23% of the seats are reserved, and the recent proposes to reserve another 27%, taking the overall percentage to 50%, has younger students protesting and left them sour.

The reservation policy with a higher percentage of seats set aside is under review by the Indian government. Predictions of increased enrollment into US and EU "varsities" are abound if the legislation passes. Students, in response, have feelings of "abandonment" and not being wanted, are and now evaluating their options. The options abroad, most notably, are improving. American universities, in particular the Ivy Leagues, are steadily increasing the percentage of students from abroad. Yale Daily News recently published an article highlighting the increase in foreign citizens enrolled in the class of 2010 - 10%, up from 9% the previous year. The article emphasizes Yale's efforts to recruit students from different countries.

Ohio State has a large international student body with students matriculating from countries around the world. As a state institution, OSU offers residents of Ohio different prices than residents of other states. Out of state students, enrolled in the same classes as in state students, pay double the tuition. Out of country students, though, have the highest tuition costs, paying up to four times the price that an in state student pays. The difference in cost between in state and out of state is rooted in the matching funds provided by the State of Ohio government for each ohio resident enrolled. Out of country students are simply being fleeced; however, while the higher tuition made OSU accessible to only the richest international students, the applicant pool to OSU was very competitive.

Thus, while high caliber Indian students may find the quota system impinging on their educational opportunities at home, universities around the world are simultaneously recruiting these great students. Indian Univeristy teachers are even expressing "frustration" over the aggressive marketing tactics that US universities are using, most notably the emphasis on financial aid opportunities. Likewise, American students are being encouraged to study aboard, though the advise is limited to "semester" or "year abroad" programs in other countries. As an American, I have also been encouraged to consider business programs outside the United States, such as the IIMs, India Institute of Business, are European universities. Indian graduate programs are staying competitive and modern by recruiting faculty from around the world and exposing students to "global" business. The results of the univerities efforts are reflected in graduates salaries. Students who graduated in 2006 from ISB were offered up to 1 crore rupees ($250,000) by multinationals with placements abroad after completing their MBA. While the majority of students are getting local placements, the "class toppers" are offered positions and compensation on par with any other university system. If the trend continous, country will become a minor attribute defining the educational experience and shape career opportunities to a smaller degree.

Rajkumar - 1929 - 2006

On Wednesday morning, Rajkumar, a Karnatak film icon, passed away due to natural causes. Here in Bangalore, the capital of Karantaka,
city officials have closed down government buildings and instructed schools to close for three days. The closures are not out of mourning, rather, Banglorians have taken to civil unrest and property destruction in response the the death of the film legend. Co-workers explained that "frustration" and "anger" over the loss of a hero motivated the unruly activity. On the streets, buses are cars are up in flames, shards of glass remain from windows broken by stones. A few motorcycle gangs, in a more acceptable display of love, paraded around the city with Karnataka state flags in their hands. Before his official state funeral, many Bangalorians are making an effort to see his remains and offer a prayer. His films were most enjoyed by the people in the state of Karnataka; People in other parts of the country are less aware of his legacy and riots are occuring solely in Bangalore.

During a regular meeting at the office, a manager interrupted us and advised that the premise was being immediately evacuated and employees are instructed to go home. The reason, that a film star had passed away, was jarring. In the name of safety, employees were shuttled home in taxis in anticipation of traffic jams and public violence. The office had learned of the death before it had been publicly announced and covered by television news stations. Everyone cooperated and planned accordingly to travel home and prepare for one or more days of mandatory work from home. Some opted to travel to other cities where the company has offices, namely, Chennai and Hyderabhad. The seriousness of the event became apparent when images of burning buses and masses fighting police officers overtook normal television programming. Before then, the disruption from an actors death was not visible, making the event difficult to digest. Many Bangalorians recieved SMS messages on their mobile phone from the government warning of street violence. The officiality of city's response reinforced the greatness of the event.

Rajkumar, like many film actors in India, was a legend and hero to the people. His filmography is long, with over hundreds of titles, with many of his earlier movies the source of iconic images and culturally significant themes. Known for his simplistic behavior and willingness to live among others, Karnatak's adore him for his accomplishments in film. Very little of the press coverage goes beyond his life style or filmic career. As an American, where my country's hero's are generally of political significance, the large emotional response to the death a entertainer is very distinguished and unfamiliar. Here in Bangalore, the emotion invoked by his death best compares to the world's response to Princess Diana's car fatality. On the streets, pictures of the actor at a younger age are adorned with flowers, candles, and offerings of small fruits. The government clearly recognizes his stature, best exemplified by the government organized funeral. In the United States, the death of a president, most recently Ronald Regan, is also state organized. Yet I am unaware of any occurances of the US government organizing the burial of a regular citizen because he or she is regarded as a hero by the public.

The violence has subsided as of Thursday evening and employees are welcome back to the office. Governments and school remain closed. Merchants and restaurants will stay closed on Friday due in observance of Good Friday, an important Christian holiday.

Review of Snapshots From Hell

Here is a review I posted on Amazon.com about Peter Robinson's Snapshots from Hell.

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A Poet's View

Peter Robinson's Stanford GSB stories describe his first year experience as a graduate business student. His personal accounts, “snapshots” if you will, about why he went to business school and the challenges a non-businessman type faces are well written, enjoyable, and educational. The book refers to students who are not from business-geek backgrounds, people with literary or artisit tilts, as "poets." Inspired by a 1L, a novel on a student's first year at law school, Snapshots from Hell is a quick read and covers both his personal and professional experiences at Stanford. The emphasis on mathematics, a field Peter did not study in college or use in his professional work, made his educational experience challenging and "hellish." His speechwriter turned businessman view is easy to see, though many of the observations about what professors and employers expect of students feel outdated and stuck in the 80's. The personal stories regarding his experience and interaction with others, however, are compelling enough to interest and entertain a reader.

Farecast

There are several large online travel booking sites that offer airline reservation services. Expedia, originally created by Microsoft and later spun off, broke new ground by allowing a customer to purchase a flight from several airlines with ease. Orbitz, launched by a consortium of airline companies, offers similar site features and very often has the best prices. Along with Travelocity and Cheap tickets, these sites forged the online booking space even when airlines were not operating websites that allowed passengers to purchase tickets online. The early sights suffered heavily from scaling challenges as the underlying system that enabled airlines to publish their fares, built by industry giant Sabre, had to grow to internet scale.

Online travel booking sites have since then innovated by offering more services such as car and hotel and improving the online experience by providing customer centric features. They compete largely on price instead of site features. Direct airline websites, such as Delta leverage their direct to consumer advantage by offering better prices and incentives such as reward points. How does Farecast, a new startup based in the Seattle area, innovate in the online booking space? Farecast provides airfare predictions for routes between cities. In addition to offering predictions, it provides current fares, fare history and recommendations on the best time to by a fare.

Farecast recently launched a private beta, by invitation only, which gave me an opporunity to preview the service. It's a modern website, with dynamic web pages, animated graphs, and step by step page loading. Fair price variations day over day are very sensitive to economics factors such as fuel prices. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Editors Note: I must comply with restrictions on public discussion of the product and have removed specific information at the polite request of Farecast.

Farecast's forecast algorithm's are proprietary and not disclosed. A patent is pending on their systems.

Overall, a great new site. When I head back to the US I'll be in a better position to use it. A former collegue from Amazon.com works at the company and has been slogging for months along with his starup cohorts to get the site ready for use by the general public. It's exciting to see a friend's work come to fruition.

Introduction to Startups

There are many signs of economic boom here in Bangalore. On a daily basis, employees are joining from failed startups or leaving to join new created companies.

I recently met the founder and CEO of ugenie.com, a startup in the process of developing an e-commerce application for consumers. There were several take aways from our discussions that reinforced the conventional wisdom about Bangalore as a silicon valley. Namely, that Bangalore is the place to create development centres and Indian entrepreneurs are not at all locked out from the US market. The founder, a former coworker at Amazon.com, with a degree from MIT and a network connected to VCs, is having an easy time acquiring appointments and opportunities to pitch the idea to investors both in the US and here in India.

Keeping up with startups is simplified by a few key information sites. techcrunch provides links and information about new companies, many of which are still at the idea stage and have few employees. Wired magazine is very hip and in addition to writing about startups espouses very visionary commentary about how a companies idea can change the world. Fastcompany, has a similar approach, though is more targeted at entrepreneurs.

Acquiring a job at these companies only possible through a working a personal network. As I met more MBA types and dive deeper into startup culture, the opportunities created by networking become more interesting and astonishing. 30 MIT MBA students recently came to Bangalore on a school trek through India. After mentioning interests in digital media, offers to introduce me to CEOs or recruiters of young startups were abound.

Goa

The state of Goa is on the west coast of the India. Famous for it's beaches and hedonistic attitudes, Goa is a vacation destination for many Indians and Europeans. The photo above is a sunset view from one of public hangouts in the middle of the state.

Many vacationers spend their days relaxing at the many bars and full service beach front properties. The Goa experience is unique; it is encouraged to spend hours enjoying the endless culinary and beverage opportunities.

Not much water sports activity, though. On rare occasion, a jet ski or boat may pass through a spectators view. Tourists can enjoy the ocean by swimming, if they dare brave the chilly waters. Don't venture to far away from the beach; India does not provide life guards. Swim at your own risk!

At night, the roads become dotted with nightclubs and other social venues. Bollywood tunes are found on occasion, just as American hits from the 70's and 80's. While Indians like to dance, it's rare that hip hip music gets airtime by Indian DJ's. If it's dance-worthy and outside the US, expect rave like music or European techno. To the surprise of many music lovers from Seattle, lounge music and downtempo is non-existent among the clubs. It just hasn't caught on among the younger crowd.

The best time to visit Goa is January - March when the temperature is moderate and the air is not too sticky. True beach lovers visit year round, but expect crowds during the popular months. New Year's on the beach is a classic youth vacation. Navigating the streets takes hours, the clubs fly in special DJ's, and the hotels are booked.

Getting to Goa is easy during non-peek periods. Flights into the local airport are frequent available, but book a few weeks in advance. If flights are booked, consider the trains or buses.

Drucker

As I prepare myself for business school, I have shifted my reading focus away from programming languages and technology news towards business and entreprenuerialism. Admittedly, the business and management readings are dry and less sparky than a blog the language 16-24 year olds have adopted in SMS (ovr, dn, w/e == over, done, whatever).

Businessweek published an autobiography of Peter Drucker (1909-2005), a writer best known for his works on management. Drucker espouses ideas about capitalism, effectivly managing large organizations, relationships between government and corporations, and freedom. For example, he promotes the use of open communication and vision to connect senior managers with junior ones as a way to "free" workes from the grips of management. It's not cynical, rather, more of a guide to responsible management. He does not aim to slander the notion of a corporation. Other rules such as a CEO should not be paid more than 20 times the lowest paid employee are meant to keep management in check.

His ideas on management are considered timeless. Most teresly summarized, here are some his more famous propositions:

• Always say "we" instead of "I." Leaders are relevant because of the group they lead.


• Hiring and Retaining employees are central tasks to management.


• Emphasize opportunities. Do not focus on problems.


• Eliminate insularity. It's human nature to close ourselves to the outside world. Take responsibility for keeping others informed.