Year: 2011

  • Brands & Niche Networks

    For a while now, I have believed that one of the inevitable consequences of the sprawling social networks we see around today, would be niche networks. This is not something we don't see around already – in fact, most of the networks or users address it in their own ways – groups/pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, lists and cliques on Twitter.

    But I see niche networks as an evolutionary phase because currently, the popular networks seem to have been designed for mass, with features evolving when there was a demand – from the users or clients for more segregation. Users, because, sometimes even for the infovores, (apparently the term was the title of a book by Tyler Cowen – HT @uglybutbearable) the deluge of information without efficient filters meant that they were losing out on information they'd have liked to have, and businesses, because without more customisation options, social would just be another media/distribution platform. But social and mass seem to go intuitively together, so the usual way is to aggregate and then segregate.

    (Bonus: Great read on filtering by JP Rangaswami on his blog)

    However, there are many manifestations of niche networks that I can already see emerging. Ashton Kutcher, whom I'd consider a personality brand, has built his own custom Twitter app with the help of Ubermedia

    . A new service called MyCube, still in private beta, is offering users the ability to monetise their information. (via) Raptr, a social networking service for gamers is customising users' news streams extremely well using the information it has on its users. (via)

    The only commonality here is that all these seem to be moving away from a mass design to one that's meant for smaller/more specific user sets. Of course, the existing large networks can always figure a way for users themselves to be filters and recommend appropriate things to their own network, (eg. Facebook's new feature) but that's a rewiring.

    But I believe that the rise of the niche networks provides an excellent opportunity for brands to get into the thick of things and 'own' the domains they operate in. Nike+ has always been a favourite. I also think Toyota's approach to social networking, built with help from Salesforce is a good first step. The challenge, as always, will be to find ways of how a user need can be satisfied with a new offering that is synced enough with his familiar territory (existing networks) for his experience to be as frictionless as possible. If brands can do that well, they will have built something that's not utterly dependent on the vagaries of current and emerging media platforms.

    until next time, admoniche 🙂

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  • Creature Comforts

    By sheer coincidence, the only two Stephen King books I’ve read are “Under the Dome” and Needful Things. They’re separated by a decade and a half (publication) and so, I was surprised to see a massive similarity in the themes – strange things happening in a town and then the focus shifts to human transactions, motivations and the good/evil within us. In the earlier book, it was a new shop and its proprietor  that played havoc, in the later one, it’s an indestructible dome.

    When I discussed this with a few friends, I was told that this was not surprising and there were more books with that broad theme, and many authors repeated their themes regularly. These authors and their books are bestsellers too, which means a lot of people like this arrangement?

    I have vaguely sensed this in music too – from MLTR to Bon Jovi to Bryan Adams to (even sometimes) Rahman, there seems to be a basic tune which is rendered differently at different times and released as a new track, and it sells. Which does make me wonder if even in these so-called hobbies, many of us have become creatures of habit, just like most other spheres of life – including food, people and so on. Comforts are easy that way, keeps the mind away from thinking. Of course, it could be subjective, and you could be on autopilot on some things, and not on others.

    Meanwhile, all this is not to say that others, who are always pushing themselves out of the zone, can get all judgmental about it, but I do wonder whether its a conscious decision to stick to a comfort zone, an inability to break out of it, or not even realising you’re in one. Etymologically, ‘comfort’ means ‘make someone stronger’, but by building that fort around the self, do we become stronger or weaker in the face of life?

    until next time, comfort knocks

  • We.E

    We.E was launched by a group of college students keen on applying their engineering education in solving problems faced in rural areas. In conversation with co-founder, Mohammed Bilal….

    [scribd id=56623403 key=key-1qecuobsh99ds1ki4o1t mode=list]

  • Kukkare

    This review was first published in Bangalore Mirror. Since there was mush room for improvement, here is a revised version.

    Shimoga is now quite known, even to non Kannadigas, thanks to the chief minister who currently serves Karnataka. Now, if you’ve been curious about the kind of food that is served in Malnad, of which Shimoga is a part, Kukkare is the place to consider. From coastal and Malnad delicacies to Chinese and Tandoor, Kukkare has attempted the multi cuisine route to please all, but the Malnad food is what you should drop in here for.

    Kukkare is above Pizza Hut, near the IBP petrol  pump on the way from Sony World Signal, Koramangala to National Games Village. Here’s a map to get you there. Parking can be done in one of the many side lanes nearby.

    One flight of stairs takes you to the restaurant. The ambiance is a mix of contemporary design and traditional art. An entire wall is dedicated to Waqrli paintings, while the other side overlooks the bustling 80ft road. The seating is comfortable, but the colours alternate between sober and bright. So long as you don’t question the connection between the Judas Priest you’re listening to and the Malnad delicacies you’re having, you should be just fine. And of course, there’s the obligatory LCD television tuned into the day’s IPL match.

    ‘Kukkare’ means mushroom in Malnad, and the idea is to provide a range of cuisines under one umbrella. The menu begins with the restaurant’s unique proposition – Malnad and coastal delicacies, but soon moves into the tried and tested multi cuisine genre. So, soon after you encounter the Kane Fry, you will also meet Chilly Chicken, Tandoori Prawn and Caramel Custard too. The advantage of this is that you have plenty of options in case you want to mix and match a new cuisine with comfort food. A couple of masala drinks also add some spice. You can take a look at the complete menu on Zomato.

    The Kukkare Special Dum Ki Murg proved to be an excellent starter, stuffed with spices and dry fruits, and complemented by a chutney that reminded us of ghee roasts. But given its quantity, it would work better for a large group. The more common Mutton Kheema Cutlets were quite good too. The only disappointment among the starters was the Anjal Tawa fry.

    In the main course, the name meant that the Mutton Bengaluru was a dish we had to try, and it didn’t disappoint with its almond based gravy. But the Naati Koli Saaru, which promised a lot on paper, with its coconut milk based gravy and homemade spices didn’t really deliver. There was a garlic flavour that dominated the Molake Kaalina Saaru and worked against it.

    All the rice based items delivered — the Shavige (vermicelli) and Akki roti were good though they were upstaged by the Kaai Kadubu (rice and coconut dumpling) and the Neeru Dosa. The Masala Butter Milk was quite good, if you like spice and the Masala Soft Drink is worth a try, considering it is more flavourful than the regular Masala Cola. The dessert section was probably the biggest downer. There weren’t any unique options and the Pineapple Soufflé and Kheer fell way short of the mark.

    The costs are a tad above average, but considering the unique cuisine, it is worth it. The service was quite prompt and stuck to the 20-minutes-to-serve rule mentioned in the menu. Mohit, part of the management team, insists on feedback if he’s around. Drop in at Kukkare if you want to check out the interesting Malnad cuisine.

    Kukkare, #478, N.A. Chambers II, 80 Ft Road, 6th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore -560095. Ph: 41102032  www.kukkare.com

  • Weekly Top 5

    This week's roundup covers Apple's record label deals, the OS X malware, the Foxconn factory explosion and patents from Freescale; Groupon's deals with Loopt and possibly Foursquare, Foursquare and INQ, HTC's foray into location based coupons; Amazon's Kindle records, Lady Gaga promo, data loss and Oracle; Facebook's photo taggi

    ng payment, use of Microsoft's PhotoDNA, 'Subscribe via RSS' feature for pages, recommendation updates; Google's Social Search roll out, Google Advisor, Google Transit in Delhi and Ahmedabad, 'People Like You' in Places, WebP image protocol, and 3 billion views/day on YouTube's 6th birthday.

    [scribd id=56428808 key=key-1nw2t5bgii7quwazj5qt mode=list]

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