HP Connected Music: A Revolution?

Yesterday, I spent a few hours at Indiblogger's meetup in Gurgaon which was about introducing HP's Connected Music service to us bloggers. The event was held at a seemingly new Hilton property, the Hilton Garden Inn who were also excited to host their first bloggers' meet in their hotel.

One of my primary motivations for going all the way to that corner of Gurgaon was to see what the HP representatives had to say about the Connected Music service and to ask a couple of questions. Yes, as always, I had already done my research and had a few observations so I thought its time I heard their side of the story because they are launching a music service in a country where, after years of waiting, iTunes recently launched its music and movies store, that's how difficult it is to negotiate with so many record labels to bring them under one umbrella.

First Impressions

Since this was called 'Connected' Music, I was also curious about how this is different or better than the rig I currently have. As some of my friends know, I am a gadget hoarder, so I happen to own more than one mp3 player, two of them being iPods and then there is my Android phone and Android tablet. Because I am too lazy to look for a better music management software, I am still using iTunes for the job and it has over 5k songs at last count. Now what I have done is, uploaded most of these songs to the Google Music server from where the entire library can be streamed to my 'connected' Android device through the 'Play Music' app. Starting for the venue, my primary question for the HP representatives was going to be related to this. How is HP Connected Music different from this? But as it turns out, halfway through their presentation, I realised that this is very different from what I had in mind.

Windows 8 Launches: A Big Step for Microsoft

Considering the fact that 'Windows' is a platform that often draws extreme reactions from technology fanatics, I was wondering how all of us would react when I got an invitation from Kunzum Travel Cafe to attend the Delhi launch event of Microsoft's Windows 8.

Now, I don't belong to either of the factions, I don't hate Windows and I don't love it to bits either. I know it has it's flaws and sometimes I wish I could move to another platform but I know I won't, primarily because, (i) everyone around me is using it so there are no issues of incompatibility, and; (ii) all my favourite games are on Windows.

ICT4D Movement or Industry?

Indian ICT4D sector is developing but has it matured? The sector calls it the 'ICT4D Movement' which makes us all the foot soldiers of the movement. But aren't foot soldiers supposed to work together? To collaborate and take the movement forward? But what I see in India is that the foot soldiers are fighting amongst each other for a bigger share of the pie. I agree that the organisations do need to be sustainable for the obvious reasons, but what do you do when it is at the cost of the movement?

Do we think about the movement itself when we are busy with the petty rivalries among the many organisations that happen to be working on similar issues, within the same geographical area?

Oh, and then there are those who are purely in this sector for development (of their own bank balance). I know some people who think that e-Governance is a space where they can try and earn kickbacks by introducing a technology vendor to a government agency that is scouting for a company that can bring in technology in their operations and if the vendor get the deal, the organisation will get a share.

Now, I guess this is all normal and it happens everywhere and I am just over-reacting to all this but sorry, I do not accept this as the way I would want this sector to function.