Windows 10 - Loop of Death

Have been facing Windows 10 issues. Several of them. Some we patched, Some we learnt to live with. But the latest beats them all. Our Compaq laptop got the automatic Windows 10 update. It was upgraded to 10 from Windows 7. After installing the update. It's gone into the loop of death. Now we can't go back to the previous build, or reset the computer. For these or any of the advanced options, it does lot of song and dance and then says, there was an error... go to advanced options (again)... and there you have the loop.
Windows 10 is all about dumping it on the users. Automatic upgrades, automatic updates, built in antivirus. For all the lost man hours, it is surprising that there is no traction with the user community online. Even companies with thousands of stations are taking it without a whimper.

More about this later ...

Forced page content by NDTV, Times of India , India Today etc

About the coordinated demand by media houses that we switch off ad blocker on our browsers. The message displayed on these sites (NDTV): 'Ads help us bring you free content, so please turn off your ad blocker in order to continue' (or similar such messages)

There are a few issues to be flagged here. First, Ads don't get 'us' free content. Ads get 'them' revenue. Not that they should not generate revenue. However in my opinion and am sure others too, there are ways of making money that are presentable and acceptable. We all contribute to that ecosystem and benefit from it. It is a fair transaction.

And then there are coercive and obtrusive ways of making money. These ads on news and media websites started from being discreet, to loud, to occupying center space... and time too. It now insists on occupying whole pages by launching new ones,  and keeping them on top.
In communication parlance it is now crass and indecent. There was a time when using upper case was seen as screaming. They have now taken over our viewership quality and experience. They have taken away the choice from our hands, and replaced it with whole pages bombarded with products and services ad that we do not need. 

Internet etiquette, demands that you give the choice to the client side. We may click on ads that are relevant for us. Given the reach and penetration of the internet, it gives them numbers. Numbers that they can use to design the revenue stream. Yes you do have to command rates that maximize profits.

Companies still flaunt their Ad-words (Google) PPC (pay per click) revenue stream. That model is not redundant yet. For media houses that naturally get heavy visitor traffic, this policy of making 'news' subservient to 'ads' defies journalistic ethics and common etiquette.  

I would love to know who designed this campaign. Their marketing team or the Editorial board on-board ! I have decided not to give in to their demands. Am finding ways of getting news content without being forced to view content that I do not wish to. 
Also to the editorial boards.. that flags so many issues of ethics.Issues of ethics dear to internet users too. But when it came to your own house, your value systems perhaps too a day off. .. Extremely disappointed.

TATA Zest and its Promo ?

The TATA Zest has been running its promos for a while now.
Zest is the first model on Indian roads that came with a Multi-Drive system.

Well ! the Mercedes 3 litre one had a sports mode. But that one just had longer gear throws in the automatic... to allow more revving. Multi-Drive has now become a common feature among newer models. Multiple Engine Maps sit on the ECU (on-board computer). An external toggle switch invokes the sofware mode to activate one or the other engine map, to alter the torque delivery. More about this later.

So the Zest came with the SPORTS MODE and the ECO MODE. The TV promos reached a crescendo around the time we had the IPL this year. It showed us an office going bloke using the SPORTS mode to reach office, on time... Rush hour traffic... Sports mode ?
What do you do with the sports mode in bumper to bumper traffic? Although, to their credit they did show empty Driveways and Promenades !!!!

In this same Ad, this same guy drives around in what looks like a ghat section or an out of town empty road on a weekend... and guess what?.... he uses the ECO mode.... for a sedate drive and save fuel.

That begs the question... why have a sports mode?.. and people who designed this Ad'... do they really drive a car?... I did communicate this to the company.

Now we have a fresh ad... post IPL. It shows Virat Kohli, Chris gayle, De-Viliers, and Shane Whatson... some of the most exciting cricketers now... people who would decemate any attack in this world... people who epitomize power and excitement in the sports arena.... Well ! the ad shows them eyeing the Zest from a distance in an empty sports field. Obviously they can't contain their excitement...they make a dash for it.. Virat takes the wheel...
and
and e n g a g e s the ECO mode and drives around sedately... saving fuel obviously..
stupid !

Why have the SPORTS mode ? and call it ZEST too !!!
Did TATA get the packaging totally wrong ?... in a market that has made some space for cross-overs ... S-cross, Aventura, I-20 also has a version and a few more...
And what about the Ad agency.... shouldn't they be immediately sacked !

Link to the ad below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbJzs__KJz4

The Volkswagon Ameo launch and a few things !

A few things about cars.. of features and promos around here in India.
First.. Volkswagon launched Ameo, the sedan... Following is the first two lines of promo on the inernet:



'The result of German engineering with an Indian heart is here! Say Namaste to the Volkswagen Ameo. With automatic rain sensing wipers. So that unpredictable showers never catch you by surprise'.

Catching you by surprise? Really ! If a rain catches you by surprise.. you are in no condition to drive mate ! That reminds me, Donald Norman (from the 'Design of Everyday Things' fame) somewhere said, Rain Sensing Wipers are one of the stupidest things ever invented by mankind. (not his words exactly... but something to that effect).

Gets you thinking... automatic wipers, voice command switches, steering mounted this and that... all things that make human body more and more immobile. Anybody who does long distance (or long duration) driving should know, that is a recipe for discomfort, fatigue and disaster. Seats too.. Bucket seats !, side support.. am sure side head support to keep your head straight soon.... and ample LEG Room... just see what THAT has done to seat depths. Look at the 'Brezza' back seat. it's just a small bench.. and other models too.

Do designers still remember what is Comfort and Fatigue. We essentially sit on two point loads. See seat pressure maps... see the human skeletal structure.. look up Ischial Tuberosities. We would shift our bums every now and then, if we had to sit for more than 30 mins in one posture. And driver seat consoles are becoming a place for static loading increasingly.... Comfort OR Safety.. or is it comfort really ?

Windows 10 - and Built in Antivirus ?

We upgraded to  Windows 10. Well! we had to... first XP support stopped, then it crashed. Apparently we can't rebuild an XP machine. The system won't pull the updates and support files.. or rather the system won't provide it.
Few Windows 7 we had got automatically upgraded to 10. All our XP Licences became junk. They won't provide upgrades. We HAD to buy new license for Windows 10.

The Pros first:
Windows 10 is faster to start and shut. Generally the machine runs faster.. and lotsa bells and whistles. Apparently a Smart phone like interface and Apps and App store.

Cons ?.. yes we got conned:
A few days and we had the Windows menu disappear. The App store did not work. We had to install an after market menu that is windows compatible. But it looked like Win 98. The calculator stopped working. The Sound disappears from time to time. Networking is sporadic and mostly does not work with XP machines. Most remedies available online do not work. Well ! one can uninstall the sound driver and also 'MUST' check in the 'Delete' driver check box. Then restart windows, the driver self installs and sound may come back. But may disappear again. The Photo Viewer does not work. Microsoft Edge does not work. Some applications may have the Top menu become invisible (white text on white background). All in all an unstable platform. Seems its some way off from being market ready.

Also had some very interesting conversation with Microsoft officials. Of the solutions offered were ' DOWNGRADE TO WINDOWS 7'! and 'DON'T USE THE PRODUCT THEN.. IF YOU ARE SO UNHAPPY'!

But the Mother of all features...
And am really surprised that it has not been flagged by users or competitors so far. 'IT HAS GOT BUILT IN ANTIVIRUS' ...Windows 10 has built in antivirus !  part of the online chat session with support staff (caus we have a group license) was how our Antivirus .. oh! sorry, 'third party' Antivirus may not be compatible.
Wish to draw attention to people or generations that are not tuned in to the Browser controversy with Netscape and the whole 'JAVA' saga... when IE was shipped along with Windows for FREE.. that killed the Platform Free movement.
Is it now the turn of Antivirus. Antivirus shipped with Windows... free free free... Oh! and you may have some compatibility issues with other antivirus and am thinkin... just thinkin... compatibility issues with other applications too ? ... ' its the anti virus sir' Adobe, Corel, Google, Autodesk, Solidworks, PTC, etc etc.. and the ones yet to come up ... will it really be easier to run only Microsoft applications ?
Oh! and we found that our Antivirus was not the culprit.

Satya Vachan !!! Truth be told !!