Racing with Daniel Ricciardo

With first 6 rounds of Formula 1 2019 season behind us, it is Mercedes all the way and Lewis Hamilton producing one of his finest drives in the streets of Monaco. Canadian Grand prix is the next one in line for some exciting battles. It brings back so many fond memories from the past. So many of my favorites have come and conquered the Gilles Villeneuve circuit, establishing a legacy (Including some on the wall of champions).

One such race driver who impressed me is “The Honey Badger” of Formula 1, Daniel Ricciardo.  Daniel, From Australia has replaced another Australian in the Red Bull racing team, Mark Webber. In his first few seasons with Red bull he has shown a lot of promise but couldn’t break the jinx of winning a race. In Canadian Grand Prix, 2014 finally his stars have aligned. Having started in 6th position, With a combination of aggressive driving and brilliant overtaking moves, he went on to win his first race.

True to his nickname – The Honey Badger, Daniel is a handsome man known for his calm going nature off the track can get menacing in his yard – the racetrack, he can be as aggressive as one can get in a formula 1 car. He is capable of producing toughest of the overtaking maneuvers with precision and ease. He is projected by many experts to be a future formula 1 champion.

Renault are not the same team as they were in the past where they have won championships with Fernando Alonso. They do not have a car to compete with the likes of Mercedes or Ferrari. For Daniel to realize his dream of winning a formula 1 world championship, which is more than capable of achieving, he needs a car that can match his abilities on the racing track. Only time will tell if he gets an opportunity move to a more competent team that can give him a championship winning car. Hopefully the top teams take notice of his talent and pick him up before it gets too late for him. It would’ve been amazing to see him win a championship in a Red bull but unfortunately it was not to be.

By producing one of the finest qualifying laps in Canada this year and giving Renault their best qualifying result in 9 years he has good chance to score some good points on race day. In hopes of many more exciting battles on the track and a championship winning season in next few years, I wish him the very best for Canadian Grand Prix and the rest of the 2019 season.

MONTREAL, QC – JUNE 08: Racewinner Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Infiniti Red Bull Racing lifts the trophy following his victory during the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 8, 2014 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Daniel Ricciardo

If Google wants a winner in their hands..!!

As a fan of Google and user of Apple phone, I sat down to think about the reasons as to why I am an Apple user, and what would it take for me to go back to Pixel phones (Android).

Quality Control of the Apps in Android:
There is a reason as to why the number of apps in iOS are way too less in comparison to Android. The scrutiny that iOS does with respect to the quality of an app is far superior than that on the iOS. Better scrutiny brings in even better quality to an app, hence for a certain app, the crash rate is very low in iOS compared to Android. So for Android to be successful, the quality control process has to become tighter thereby reducing the crashing of the apps and in general have a fluid performance.

Improved Software Integration with Hardware:
Now that Google builds their own phones (not like the Nexus series), Google has to bump up their game in terms of software integration with the hardware which in my opinion pixel phones have been lacking so far. Instead of treating software and hardware as a separate aspect of a product, Google should come up with software features more specific to hardware which brings a fluidity between apps and hardware. App continuity is something that Google can easily streamline now that chrome is so far ahead as a web browser in comparison to the competition.

Future Proof, Hardware and Software:
One of the primary complaint with Pixel 3 handset is 4GB RAM. In 2019, for a common Android user, he would need at least 3GB of RAM to get through his day to day activities. With 4GB RAM, medium to heavy users ran into memory issues which one cannot expect in a Pixel device. I understand they wanted to undercut Apple in terms of price but the option they chose to cut to make the undercut work is not correct.

Also, A normal Pixel user who spends $900 on his phone would expect to get android updates at least for 3 years (though Google warrants for only 2 years), considering Oneplus is still giving out android updates to Oneplus 3 users and Apple sending out iOS 12 updates to iPhone 5S. Google, for 2019, a 64GB base variant would be a terrible idea, no matter if you give free storage for two years, users would have to opt for one of your plans and pay a price after the free period.

Standout Features:
In 2019, everyone agrees that Google has the best camera in a smartphone. But the competition is now catching up with Huawei closing the gap in. Google can no longer just rely on its cameras as the main selling point. It has to come out with standout features that can compel an average user towards Pixel devices which is not happening currently. Google, being the innovative company that it is, should focus on actual consumer problems and come out with innovative solutions, not on gimmicks.

Improved Overall Build Quality:
While the overall build quality has improved over the last few years for Google, they are still playing catch up with the likes of Apple and Samsung in terms of overall build quality. They need to employ market leaders to deliver hardware parts and even more so, better integrators of the hardware. When a user spends his hard earned cash, those small little touches which make a phone feel premium become ever so important.

Competitive Marketing Strategy:
An area of expertise any company should possess to keep the sales going on is marketing. Apple, Samsung and Huawei have found a customer base who find their products appealing and in my opinion, marketing played a huge role in this regard. For example, LG who has decent products failed to capture market share primarily because of a failed marketing strategy. So for Google to be successful, it’s not just having a quality product, but marketing has to be spot on to target the customer base they want to capture.

Before its too late, Google has to get its act right as the world of technology rapidly evolves at lightning speed. They cannot always rely on catching up with the competition and I am very sure if there is any company who can do that, its definitely Google. With users demanding more technology within a limited price range, to compel a user to go and buy a Pixel phone would be a challenge I do not want to see Google lose. I can happily go to Google as my daily driver once the act gets right for Google.

My Ideal specifications for Pixel 4:
Snapdragon 855 processor
8/12GB RAM
128/512GB storage
4100 mAh battery with fast charging.
Wireless Charging
6 Inch and 6.4 Inch models with 90HZ refresh rate
Front facing dual stereo speakers
Improved Video recording capability, both on camera and mic.

Image Courtesy: Twitter/PhoneDesigner

My Journey as super fan of Rohit Sharma.

As a cricket fan since childhood, I was always on the wait for a tournament to start and I hated the period in between where India did not have matches. Whenever a tournament was about to begin, I clearly remember looking at players who were selected in the team. I loved Sachin. Everyone loved Sachin. He is the God of cricket, especially for people in India.

India’s tour of Australia in 2007 has changed my favorite cricketer and I didn’t see that coming. I thought, for the rest of my life I would be a fan of Sachin, and I was terrified by the fact that he might retire in a few years time and I may never get a chance to see him play again. Everyone has to retire at some point in life, even the legends. As I grew up, he grew up in age too inching closer to retirement which I didn’t realize that until 2007. However, In 2007 India’s tour of Australia, a young Sensation was selected to the Indian team. The world took notice of a young 20-year-old from Mumbai – Rohit Sharma. He did not score big runs, he scored crucial runs – with ease, class and flamboyance. I loved his style of batting, even so more than Sachin’s.

The following years, for Rohit were a mixture of brilliance and failures. For me, highs and disappointments. I would watch cricket until Rohit bats, would turn off the TV once Rohit gets out. I would appreciate the finesse in his stroke-play and at the same time, would crumble at the way he used to get out. Social media made fun of Rohit, I was made fun of for being his fan. I still backed him with all my heart to be successful and continued to watch Indian cricket just for him. IPL had a huge impact on his career, but that story is for another day.

In all fairness Rohit used his limited opportunities, but never really scored big. We, Indians have a habit of judging a player, good or great, based on statistics and Rohit was nowhere close to being called, let’s say a good player. Ahead of him, Many others made a career post-Sachin retirement. Social media critiqued him for years. Not that anyone disliked him, but many felt, he was overrated and others who deserved longer run, were stripped of opportunities purely in the name of Rohit’s talent.

Fast forward few years, In 2013, I clearly remember sitting in a room in Doha with few of my office colleagues, friends who are also cricket fans like me (and few billion Indians). Australia have come to India to play an ODI series. I was the sole Rohit Sharma fan among the group of 14 people. Stroke-making like never seen before, what followed was sheer class, elegance and power hitting combined, Rohit scored his first (of his three at the time of writing this article) double century in ODIs. Before him, Sachin and Sehwag have reached the milestone from India, but nothing gave me more happiness in the world that day than seeing him score his first double century. All my friends (and doubters/haters of Rohit) who made a mockery of his batting, just stood up and applauded greatness. They were so happy and so was I. More so because they saw Rohit through my eyes from then on. No one ever made fun of me for being Rohit’s fan ever after.

Over time, Rohit matured into an ODI great for India, one of the best ODI openers of all time. Only time will tell where he will end up in his career, either as just a great or a legend. Today I call him an ODI success, a great motivator and above all, a humble human who values teamwork. The lesson I have learned from him over the years – Never back down from a challenge, especially in adverse times. Fight your fears and back yourself with hard work and humbleness, the only way is onward and upwards.

I Wish, Rohit Sharma and Team India all the very best for the upcoming cricket world cup 2019.