Today is Google's 14th Birthday

It has been a great and brilliant 14 years since the search engine giant Google has emerged and dominated the online search industry. Ever since its arrival it has overtaken it competitors and has become the ultimate place on the internet where people search for something. Google is the most visited website on the internet and its search relevancy, accuracy and moreover its simplicity has won the heart of all. I was reminded about Google's 14 Birthday, when I opened their home page to search something and was really amazed how fast time has passed away and still Google remains the undisputed King of search engines.

Google has come a long way since its evolution and is now blessed with a wide range of products which are highly useful to common people. Most of the products are designed by Google itself and some were acquired by Google in its 14 years journey. Google is working hard on its products regularly, especially its search engine which it tries to provide the most relevant search results to user queries. More and more features are added to its search results which help users to get more accurate results for their search queries.

Hope that Google continues its effort in making online search easier and more relevant in the future. Again a Hearty Happy Birthday to Google!!

DC Books Opens their Shop at Infopark, Kochi

DC Books, which is one of the most reputed book retail company in Kerala has opened its first shop at Infopark, Kochi. The inauguration of the shop was done last week and their first shop has started operating in the ground floor of Athulya  building’s administrative block. DC books seems to be serious about this bold steps as they have piled books ranging from  a wide category and most of these books are of high quality.

I also visited the book store and was quite impressed by the arrangements inside. Even though DC books are having a small space at Infopark, they have made the limited space look wonderful by their unique way of arranging the books. The books are arranged based on their respective category and this makes it much easier for the customers to select their favorite books from different topics. The interior decoration of the shop is also amazing as they have designed the interior of the shop which really matches their logo and color. The unique interior designs makes your stay inside the showroom really wonderful.

As of now the average number of people visiting this book store seems to be limited, but every day the number of visitors is increasing which is a good sign for them. The peak time is during the lunch time which falls between 10.30 PM and 2.30 PM, when we can see almost a rush inside the book stall. DC book store in Infopark also offers various payment options, which makes it easier for the customers to buy their favorite books.

Here are some snaps that I have taken during my visit to the DC Book Store in Infopark. These images would give a better idea about the newly opened book store of DC Books in Infopark, Kochi and hope everyone enjoys them.

The Faastest Indian Contest by Puma Held at Athulya Building, Infopark

Puma conducted a campaign named the Faastest India contest at Athulya Building in Infopark few weeks back and it was mainly intended to spot the fastest man or women as per their speedometer. Even though I didn't participate in the event, there were a lot of people who were competing for becoming the fastest Indian. The event also provided a much needed relief for all the work exhausted staff in various companies at the Athulya complex in Infopark


The major brands are consistantly coming up with such promotional activities at the Infopark campus in the recent months and it is really good to see big names coming here and conducting events to boost their products and branding. The big companies are also conducting such events at other part of Kochi city which suits their target audience.

Here are some snaps to share with you which was taken from the recently conducted Faastest Indian contest held at Athulya Building, Infopark, Kochi.

The Bad Facts of Syrian Uprisal

It has been almost a year since the Syrian uprisal has started and the whole of the world looks at Assad as a blood monster killing people for no reason. But the fact is that a lot of foul games are going on in the name of the Syrian revolution and the media is trying their best to picturise the Syrian regime as a group of devils who kills civilians. But the real fact is much different and there are many other reason why Assad is still fighting on and on.

Most people have not taken the time to make  a deep and thorough research on the current conflict in Syria.  A total violation of Syria's sovereignty as a nation is going on right now by the presence of large groups of Jihadists from Libya and Qatar operating to remove Assad.   Saudi Arabia and Qatar are 2 nations who are most advocating military action to remove Assad and the fact is that both these nations are totally hypocritical in saying they want democratic reform in Syria.  The irony is that the so called democracy do not exist in these two countries and still they want to implement democracy in Syria.

Saudi and Qatar only need to install a Sunni Muslim regime in Syria and this can be done only by removing Assad's Alawite regime.  More than this Saudi's arch Shiite enemy, Iran, would be weakened by the removal of Assad.  Both these things are not at all a real and worthy justification to remove a regime.  It is not at all acceptable to remove a leader for the sake of having a leader from a different religion or cast.

Hillary Clinton is acting like a silly women when she says that she like to see democratic reform in Syria.  By removing Assad, she can easily remove the leadership of Iran much easier. So whoever is interfering in the issue inside Syria, none of them have the real intention of bringing peace in Syria. Rather they have some advantages if they succeed in removing Assad and even if Assad is removed, peace would never embrace Syria.

The oppositions are indeed a group of terrorist and racists who are supported by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The government of Syria are trying their best to remove these terrorists who are carrying weapon and killing the government army and civilians. The casualty statistics of Syrian uprisal are totally incorrect and is made to make the situation feel more worse than it is. 

Earth Quake Tremors in Infopark, Kochi on 11th April 2012

Earthquake tremors were experienced at Infopark campus in Kochi yesterday and majority of the employees working in various Infopark companies rushed outside once they got the earth quake alert from the authorities.  Our office at Athulya building Infopark also experienced earthquake tremors and the monitor of my Dell OPTIPLEX 380 was shaking considerably during the quake.

Initially I didn't recognize this as an earth quake tremor and when I told my friends regarding this, they said that it might be due to some movements created by the guy sitting next to me. But again we felt the tremor and the computer monitor was shaking again when send doubts of an earthquake into our minds. Then we saw the bottle of the purified water in our office which was shaking infront of our eyes. The water inside the bottle developed ripples and the bottle was also shaking along with it.

I went outside my office and enquired the security guard regarding this and he said that he didn't feel anything such like that and I returned to my work place. After hardly 5 minutes, we saw the guard rushing to our office and asking all of us to go downstairs as he got alerts of earthquake tremor from Infopark authorities. Hearing this we rushed downwards and when we reached the basement we saw a huge number of employees rushing down from their respective offices.

After spending half an hour at the basement, we all got back to our offices and started surfing the internet and it was then we realised about the huge earthquake that had hit Indonesia. Mobiles started ringing and the near and dear ones were enquiring about the earthquake and we felt really hard to convince that everything is fine at the Infopark Campus in Kochi, Kerala.

The Wash Room At Athulya Administrative Block is in Real Mess

Athulya Building is one of the latest buildings at Infopark Kochi and a lot of top companies have acquired space and started their operations over there. The Administrative block of Athulya Building is the place where the Infopark Administrative office operates from and this is on the second floor. On the second floor itself there are few companies operating and most of them are small companies who are in their initial stage.

To say honestly, this floor on the administrative block and that too very near to Infopark administrative office is something like a government building where nothing is in the correct order. I am also working on this floor for the past few months and I have really got a bad impression about Infopark and its administration after seeing the bad state of this floor on Athulya building.

One of the major concern that I would like to project here is the condition of the gent's wash room which is really pathetic. Even though daily cleaning and similar stuffs are going on, there is a long way to go before it can meet the standard of even a low class IT infrastructure. Ever since we have start working here, the facilities at the wash room is really pathetic. We have been requesting directly at the administrative office for a long time to provide a hand wash solution at the wash room so that we can wash our hands properly after having our food.

I personally have requested it for around 5 times and every time the concerned person has promised me to provide it the very next day, but it has been months without promises being fulfilled. It seems that the Infopark authorities have gone bankrupt and do not have enough money to get a hand wash for the staffs working in their building. It becomes really hectic having lunch and not able to properly wash hand with hand wash. A Kimberly Clark soap dispenser machine has been installed long time before, but they have never managed to get it filled. It is just there like a showpiece object and they not even bother to fill it even after so many requests.

Secondly all their hand washing taps are electronic and work with the help of sensors. Few days back we saw that one tap was plucked and was lying there on the platform. Of the 4 taps only 3 were working properly of which one more has been damaged. It has been almost 5 days and no measures from the authorities so far. Actually all these things reflect the bad face of Infopark authorities and also leaves a bad mark to the companies working here when such things are viewed by clients coming from other places. Hope that the Infopark authorities show enough responsibilities and take care in fixing such basic things rather than wasting their money around unwanted things.

HDFC Bank Starts Operating Smoothly at Infopark, Kochi

HDFC Bank has started its operation at Infopark, Kochi by opening its new branch at Athulya building. The bank is located at the administrative block of Athulya buildings and it has been one month since it has started its operations. The bank has started functioning smoothly and a lot of customers have found it too beneficial.

Earlier one had to travel to Kakkanad which is around 4 kilometers, in order to contact a HDFC branch and it was too difficult for the infopark employees. For those who do not have their own conveyance, the task was really difficult as they had to spend more for auto fares or had to wait too long for public transport systems. But the arrival of new HDFC branch at Infopark campus is really a blessing for all those who are associated with the bank is one way or other.

Another benefit of the HDFC branch at Infopark is that it is less crowded and we can get our things done in less time. The staffs are more professionals and fast which makes the dealings and transactions more smooth. Since my office is very near to this branch, I don't have to take too much time from the office to get my things done through this HDFC branch. As we see in other HDFC bank, I have not experienced any kind of canvassing for their mutual funds, housing loans, car loans, personal loans from their side. But we can see leaflets of all their products and services pasted all over, which I consider is the best way rather than excessively canvassing customers. There is also an ATM just in front of the bank which makes things more easier.

The Pathetic State of Infopark Campus, Kochi

Infopark is Kerala's most prestigious IT park and this over hyped IT park in Kochi is home to some of the top companies in India.  New constructions and maintenances can be seen every day in Infopark and once you enter the Infopark campus, you get a feeling of a heavy construction site. This is the same situation since I have started working in Infopark since 3 years and every day you can see some or other kind of maintenance work going on at the same location again and again.

It is really a shameful sight when people from other places come to Infopark and the current state of Kochi Infopark is a real mess. Most of the buildings are good for the first 1-2 years and after that when these buildings enter the maintenance phase, things become worse. Most of the basic facilities are much below par with other IT parks in India. For example, in the Athulya Cafeteria block, there is a gent's toilet and washroom on the top floor. A lot of request has been send verbally to the office authorities to place a small bottle of liquid soap for hand washing purposes. It has been 3 months since the first request has been send by me and they have never dared to place a hand wash bottle in the washroom till now.

The same applies to all other things and most of the officials are having typical government employee attitude and no one cares to do the needful at the right time. The environment in the campus is too much polluted with dust and people having allergy easily fell victim to these dust coverings. The parking areas are also very much unorganized and the same applies to the security system. I have seen a large number of unauthorized vehicles such as trucks and tippers passing through the Infopark road without sufficient documents or pass.

Another major scene that struck my mind was when I visited my previous company at the Vismaya building in Infopark. I parked my bike in the parking area and when I looked around sensing a foul smell, I was shocked to see a huge collection of garbage accumulated in the parking area and that too just by the side of the so called Vismaya building. I thought it was a temporary set up but when I visited the same place after 1 week, everything remained the same and the foul smell of the waste garbage increased even more. I am wondering when our Government will take note of it and take necessary steps (Am sure that the Government officials would not do anything against it as long as they get something from somewhere:)). Anyhow here are some snaps of the waste dumping near Vismaya building that caught my attention few weeks back. Hope you all enjoy it.

Mock Fire Drill at Athulya Building, Infopark, Kochi, Kerala

Infopark authorities along with Kerala Fire Force had conducted a mock fire drill at Athulya Building, Infopark at Kochi on the 13th of March 2012. The mock drill started at sharp 3:30 PM and was there for around an hour. The mock drill provided ample awareness on the basic ways to fight fire and the various techniques that are implemented by the fire force.

The alarm started beeping at 3:30 PM at Athulya buildings and all the staffs assembled at the main parking ground infront of the building. Within minutes a make shift tend was set to fire and fire force and police vehicles ran to the spot providing a real time experience. In the end, there was also a small but informative speech conducted by one of the senior Kerala Fire force official. Here are some videos and snaps of the mock fire drill that was conducted at Athulya Buildings in Infopark Kochi.

A Busy Day at Panchayat and Village Office

I had a lot of plans to do today (Saturday), but nothing worked out as I had to spend my whole day at Panchayat and Village office near my place. I had to pay my house tax at the panchayat office, but fortunately the ownership of the property was not changed at the Panchayat office and as a result I could not deposit the tax. I was asked to bring a "Possession Certificate" from the Village office and I had to rush towards the village office which was around 2 kms away.

I was shocked to see the sight at the village office as a lot of people were there for various purposes. After filling an application form for possession certificate, it went through the hands of few people and at last I got the possession certificate of the land I owned. Time had really run out by this time and I rushed back to the Panchayat office.

Once I reached the Panchayat office, I again had to fill an application to change the ownership of the house and collect house tax in my name. I filled the application and along with that I had to attach the original of the "Possession Certificate" that I got from the village office. I also attached the copies of title deed, the tax receipt paid at the village office and a previous copy of the panchayat tax that was paid my ex owner. After the submission of the application, I was asked to wait for 5 days after which the ownership would be changed to my name so that I can pay the tax at Panchayat in my name.

In the morning, my plan was to finish the Panchayat stuff by noon and then come back work on some online stuffs such as my blogs and other similar things. But as it take too much time, I was really tired by the time I reached home and am looking for this night to do some online works.

Anyway, I somehow learned the things behind submitting house tax in Panchayat office in Kerala, and also learned about possession certificates and other things. Overall the day was not such a waste in terms of the knowledge acquired.

Ladies are Always Careless While Crossing The Roads

I cannot stop myself from saying that the ladies are always careless while crossing the roads, especially in India. I have been riding vehicles for some time in Kerala, and there have been a lot of instances when I have come across hit and misses on the road. The main point is that most of these times, the ladies were at the receiving end. This is mainly due to the lack of careful road crossing and majority of the ladies in Kerala do not dare to have a good watch on the road before crossing.

This attitude of the ladies are one of the main reasons for road accidents and even after so much awareness programs over various media, they are still not willing to rectify their mistakes. While crossing the roads most of the ladies do not look at either sides of the road and start crossing over it. Once they make things difficult for the road riders, they simple walk away without even looking back at the vehicle that has faced difficulty due to their careless road crossing. They simply get away and it is the driver of the vehicle that feel the wrath from the public.

If the ladies try to learn and rectify their mistakes, a lot of accidents can be avoided. They just takes things for granted and if they start crossing the roads in a careful manner, then we no more need to fear of accidents coming our way.