VU Android TV in India

I have been thinking

• Android TV device
• Apple TV
• Chromecast
• and a few other things that I can't remember right now

Last week, I read that Flipkart was taking pre-orders for a VU Android TV.

I have no idea what it would get me into.

But, hey it is Diwali, and why not have a blast.

So pop I go online to pick it up.

I just hope I am on the right side of Android

Lego Toy for a 5 Year old Boy

My daughter got her first Lego set after her 8th Birthday. Lego friends it was. Without a doubt. More about it in a later post.

Diwali is the time to gift. And if the gifts are for children, it becomes really interesting.

I recently met Arnav. And I asked him, "What is your age?"

He said nonchalantly, "Four and a Half Years".

Since then, I have been thinking which Lego Set would get him onto the path of constructive building that in turn would also hone his fine motor skills.

With just an hour of search, I was able to find Lego Creator Sunset Speeder.
Lego Creator Sunset Speeder, Multi Color

It may look kiddish, but it could get even the adults hooked - fast and furious.

Finding the replacement battery for the ASUS X53S Laptop

When the OEM battery on the ASUS X53S Laptop showed extreme signs of death, it was time to call the ASUS guys.

Ready to Die !

Will I ever find a 5200mAh battery again?

I don't think that the ASUS name is incidental. On one end are their products that are no doubt cutting-edge, but on the other end of the spectrum is their apathetic customer orientation.

A quick call to their Gurgaon center and pat came the suggestion to go for an original replacement battery that would cost close to ₹ 6,000.0 . I was OK.

When I asked for the next steps, I was told:-

• Asus will raise an invoice.
• You please make a bank transfer.
• The battery will be shipped.

I thought I was sorted.

It has been more than four months and I am yet to receive an invoice.

It is time, large companies like ASUS, also started reporting "lost sales" in their quarterly results. It should be good fun.

While picking up the Dell Inspiron N5010 replacement battery from Amazon, I decided to double the leap of faith and also pick up the A32-K53 replacement battery for the ASUS X53S Laptop.

If you are reading this on a mobile, Click Here to Buy on the Flipkart Mobile App.


Will it be a double whammy? Fingers crossed.

Dell Inspiron N5010 Replacement Laptop Battery from Amazon.in

So, I had been looking to find a replacement battery for the Dell Inspiron N5010. As I type this post out, it gives me an exact back-up of 3 minutes and falling. Here is what it looks like. Almost brand new.

Almost impossible to find Battery of the Same Specification

Following from my earlier post on the Dell Inspiron N5010 Replacement Laptop Battery, it is clear that buying a replacement battery is at best a shot in the dark. A step towards the unknown. There are many reasons.

• Dell covers you only for 90 days and it not exactly clear what they cover you for.
• A whole host of online resellers with warranties extending from Zero to 12 months, just confuses you.

The Solution - Leap of Faith. And that is what I am about to take.

You too can. Join me on Amazon / Flipkart

If you are on a mobile, Click Here to buy on the Flipkart Mobile App

Audacious Axe Unilever Lax

It was 8 PM in the evening. It was just like another day.

My eight year old daughter had just switched on the TV to watch Baal Veer on SAB TV.

She has been seeing Baal Veer for over four months now. She happened to come to know about Baal Veer through her friends. (More on that kind of referral in some other post)

She is usually all by herself while watching Baal Veer. On this particular occasion, I for some reason, sat down along with her and began reading from the Nexus.

Occasionally, I would look at the TV distracted by the sound-byte music. Then comes the ad break.

The daughter continues watching.

Knorr soups OK.

Some biscuit OK.

Axe Deodorant, Excuse Me !!!

And what rubbish, the same Axe AD is repeated in every Baal Veer ad break

I was really upset.

I knew there was a way to complain. I asked my NITIE batchmates on the whatsapp NITIE IM6 group. And there was the answer.

IBF (Indian Broadcasting Foundation)

On the IBF website, displayed prominently is the link to Lodge a Complaint to the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC). Thankfully, it did not come down to BCCI. The complaint can be lodged both, online and offline. In the case of offline, you have to download the form (Hindi / English), fill it and mail it to IBF.

I filled in an online complaint. The only issue I faced was in managing the complaint within 1000 characters. And since there was no character count tool on the website, it was a painful user experience. Eventually, I did manage to submit the complaint.

The IBF Online complaint submission was Easy

Now to see how they redress the complaint.

IBF or ASCI

On choosing the category of complaint as "Ads Related", the following message is displayed.

ASCI or IBF ?

So, it seems that the correct forum to complain about the AD is Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).

I decided to submit the complaint to ASCI, as well.

The online complaint form did not generate a Tracking Number as should have been the case. So I decided to call them on 1800-22-2724 to find out. I was advised to email my complaint to contact@ascionline.org and I did.

Here is the copy of my complaint for the reader's reference.

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Baal Veer is a children's program played on SAB TV every weekday at 8 PM. Owing to its popularity, even my 8 year old girl watches and enjoys it. Such is the magnetism of Baal Veer that she promptly finishes her tasks so as not to miss out on even a second of the program. And I need not explain how difficult it is to get kids to do their things on time.

So, during Baal Veer, she is glued to the TV more than 100%. As the only child in the house, she is usually all by herself while watching the program. As parents, we do not disturb her during the program. We are sure that what she is watching is OK for children.

Until, a few day ago. The Axe deodorant Advertisement was being broadcasted on all the ad breaks of Baal Veer. As a parent, I was shocked. Even my girl was visibly uncomfortable.

This is unacceptable. What kind of standards are these?

As an upset parent, I demand an explanation from the broadcaster, the advertiser and the media agency, the basis for this action. An apology is not enough.

And of course, the Advertisement should be taken off immediately.
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Will all this work out? Let us find out.

Finding Osmo

My daughter is 8. It is really heartening to see how she is learning and growing.

Yesterday, she came around to use the word Talisman. I was excited.

Always on the lookout to support her continuous learning, I randomly came across OSMO. Intrigued and interested, I am keen to check it out. Here is a quick video about Osmo.


If you are a parent I would appreciate your views and feedback about Osmo.

My first impression - OUTSTANDING. Awesome stuff Team Osmo.

Dell Inspiron N5010 Replacement Laptop Battery - Where to Buy?

The Dell Inspiron N5010 is now four years old.

It still runs (unsuccessfully) on the original battery. The battery is also four years old, but dead many times over. It is more like a really bad UPS.

On couple of occasions, I have attempted reviving it using the freezer method. It has not worked for me. Logically, it should have. But, it didn't. Do give it a shot, though.

It was time to buy a replacement, given the erratic Gurgaon power supply.

It was but natural to check out the big Dadas of e-commerce in India.

• Flipkart
• Ebay
• Amazon

 And all of them disappointed. Not in terms of price (can't complain on price), but in terms of TERMS.

Flipkart

Please refer this Link. These were the issues that dissuaded me from going ahead with it.

• 90 Day Warranty is not good enough
• Not all the User reviews were comforting

Ebay

The price was attractive, but not the seller. These were the issues that dissuaded me from going ahead with it.

• Seller categorically stated that the battery was NOT ORIGINAL. Whoa!
• See point above.

 

Amazon

Did not make it to Amazon. By that time, I was clear that I had to buy it directly from Dell.

Let's see how that works out !