Manikarthik.com

Just like that !

On windows

1. Adobe Photoshop – For all the image trimming for blogging.
2. Firefox Browser – Browsing without firefox ? Difficult.
3. Windows Live Writer – The one place blogging hub. Miss it on mac.
4. Winamp – For music.
5. Tweetdeck – For tweeting.
6. Notepad – For quick notes.
7. Skype – For calls.

On Mac

1. Ecto – instead of Windows live writer.
2. Firefox – browsing.
3. Adium – Chat.
4. Skype – For calls.
5. Taco HTML Editor – For coding.
6. iWork – For all the snazzy presentations.
7. Open Office – For all the boring documentation.
8. Flickr Uploader – For uploading photos from the desktop.

Web Apps

1. Google docs – For sharing files and office documentation.
2. Google calendar – For scheduling events.
3. Google reader – For subscribing to sites.

The Obvious ones

1. Gmail
2. Quick Notes
3. iTunes

End of list.

Amazing animation video of the Olympics mascots. Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying and Nini

Wondering how and what characters would we make, had the Olympics been held in India?

Looks like my list of addictions is growing.

“Cheeselings” is a very good snack from Parle, salty namkeens dipped in Cheese. Yummy.

Try it with Pepsi, good combination

Scary it is! Despite the lingering question on who could be behind it, I’m worried about the message it gives. Bangalore, the IT hub of India that contributes to more than 50% of it’s GDP, is being targeted by someone who does not like it. And the most scariest fact is that it’s a soft target – ironic!

It’s disappointing when you realize that the message was written on the wall long before, soon after the Hyderabad attacks, but the officials are of the opinion that they’ll do something about it once something happens – or so does it seem.

Anyhow, the recent serial blasts of Bangalore have triggered a clear signal to the public – that it’s not a safe place anymore. But hey, when was it one?

I have to admit it. Not sure if it’s the taste or the brand. Pepsi is cool to me.

You know we guys tend to develop a sort of likeness to one particular brand even before trying it or knowing what it is. We also tend to dislike some brands similarly.
I had a problem with Coke. I didn’t like the ads. It was always red and tinges of red. It always had a “loudness” to it. And I didn’t like the ads at all. They weren’t cool compared to pepsis. I wouldn’t prefer something like that to take home from the store shelf.

You know the coca-colas font is more suited for a washing-soap brand according to my opinion. It was flowery, long tailed, curvy and more feminine kind of. But it also threw a “wanna be” macho image through the ads. I felt like, this guys is thinking in his mind “Damn! Somebody 30 years ago fixed a stupid font to me, and I can’t get rid of it now.”
It’s like a chinese trying to be an Indian. It’s totally contradictory and everything just juts out. All the while, the ads and fillers always “tried” to be cool. Nah, Coke not for me.

Pepsi, on the other hand, although belittled too often for it’s “sweet” image, was cool and hep to me. I love the blues-white-red combination. It is a perfect mix and balance of everything. It was always youth, new, fresh, improving..ah, just like how I want it to be. Probably it’s because Pepsi has taken more avatars than Coke (Remember Vanilla Coke where Vivek Oberoi played Elvis?) that were successful. As I said earlier, Coke was always “trying” but never succeeded.

Look at the brand ambassadors with Pepsi and Coke.

Pepsi – Shahrukh, John, Amithabh Bachhan, Sachin Coke – Aamir, Hrithik, Aishwarya ?

Well, there may be others but I can’t think of any now. Poor recall value !

And, do you know what I liked most about Pepsi? When Coke went through trouble times, alleged of exploiting natural resources, Pepsi did not use it for their advantage.

My thoughts may be skewed but, Pepsi – I love you.

Tags: pepsi, coke, beverages, consumers, india, retail