21st Century Meet Cute

I've been single for a while now.
But I'm not exactly ready to mingle either.

Atleast not in the 21st century way - on an App.

by Gemma Correll

I read about Tinder the other day.
It's a Dating App for everyone.
The ones who use iOS and even the others [Android users].

So how does it work?
Well, you login with your Facebook ID [I don't trust this login procedure] and it takes all your info [friends, likes, groups etc] and finds you a match.
This match could even be a friend of a friend on Facebook.
And it finds people within a certain radius from you [I think].

You can choose the age group you'd like.
And then have fun liking and rejecting people.
It's almost like a game.

And then you can chat with whoever you like on the App itself.
It seems to have really worked well in Europe and people have claimed to have met their soulmates through Tinder.

Seeing if this could be true, a friend of mine downloaded the App just out of curiosity.
Observation: All the guys are so eager to connect on Whatsapp / meet.
Reaction: What's the hurry?

Well, we figured that guys are looking at this App as nothing more than an easy way to hookup.
As for everything else there's Shaadi.com

Paper ♥ Moleskine

Remember Paper by Fiftythree?

The iPad App for drawing.

It was just brilliant for it's simplicity.

And I'm sure you've heard of Moleskine.

The beauteous notebooks from notebook heaven.

Well, they have an App too.

And now imagine marrying the two.

Ok so you don't need to imagine it really because they made a beautiful baby and called it Book.

Now you can print the art that you create on Paper on Italian-made, premium matte paper and turn it into 15 page Japanese style Accordion fold books.
You can choose a custom cover or go with the classic Moleskine hardcover and even have the name of your book printed on the spine.

How great is that?

Each book costs $40. If you think that's cheap and have more money to spend check out Pencil.

Keep Calm and Happy Anniversary

This is for my avocado obsessed sister and brother-in-law.

Keep Calm poster created on Photoshop by me.

Here's a fruit and vegetable chart that helps you understand in which months you can find them.

Luckily, love blossoms in every season.

Happy Anniversary.


I created the poster on Photoshop. But for those who aren't familiar with photoshop, here's an App with which you can make your own Keep Calm Posters.

Things everyone ought to know

via

to:

Cycle

Play an instrument

Sew

Play a sport. Or atleast find someone to nag you to do it

Remember the good old days

Learn from failure

Travel like Barbie

And most importantly learn to CODE


I wrote some of these things on my TeuxDeux list. They have a section called Someday. Just perfect!

Stardust

I've always had this crazy obsession with stars.

I'm not sure what it is about them that fascinates me.

Maybe it's that they're so far away.

And are just so beautiful.

Like jewelry for the night sky.

Living in Bombay, you don't get to see starry starry nights.
You can count the number of stars you see every night.

Unfortunately the twinkle doesn't get past the cloud of pollution.

Which is why I'm always excited to head out of town just to get a glimpse of a starry sky.

A couple of days ago, I got such a chance and decided it was time to finally try to capture it with my DLSR camera.
Because if I shot the night sky with my phone camera or a point and shoot, I would've got a beautiful black photo.

I tried every setting I knew and went through about half an hour of taking some pretty bad photos.

But that changed once I took some help from a friend and Google and got the correct instructions for photographing the night sky.

So here's what you do.

Set it on M [for Manual]

Keep the Shutter open for as long as possible. Mine was set for 30 seconds.

And the ISO should be high. I set it to 6400.

And voila!

Photo by me.

I did get a couple of grainy photos in the beginning (because of the high ISO) and for some reason I wasn't able to adjust the aperture (f). Clearly I still have a long way to go!

But I had so much fun just learning through the whole process.

I didn't have a tripod so I set it on tables or chairs or then tables and chairs.

Till I got tired of doing the whole balancing act and finally just set it flat on the ground with the lens pointing towards the sky.

Sometimes the simplest things work best.

I clicked pictures till my battery finally ran out at 2am.

And had it not run out, I could have been up till sunrise.

I don't know what it is about stars that fascinates me so much.

They're just so beautiful.

Like a freshly baked cake dusted with powdered sugar.

Or maybe it's the amazing fact that we're all made of the same stuff.

We are Stardust.

Photo by me.

I love to look at the stars. Look how they shine for me.

Because when you stare long enough everything twinkles.

But how did the Universe get it's spots?

How did we come into existence?

Why is the entire Universe dark? Even when it has so many stars to light it up.

How big is the universe?

Are we at the centre of it? And does everything revolve around us?

I look up at the sky and see all the constellations - Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Orion and Cassiopiea (those are the only ones I know).

And when you look at Ursa Major (Big Bear), you see a formation of stars that looks like a big question mark.

It is no wonder then that looking up at the sky leaves us full of questions.

So if you're looking for answers, keep looking at the sky.

Because as they say, 

it's all written in the stars.

Watch all the videos. It's worth you're time. They're pretty amazing!

Here's something for everyone!
Some jewelry, more jewelry and clothing for those who are so obsessed with constellations, they like to wear it.
And an iPhone & iPad App for stargazing enthusiasts.

And an iPad App for children that helps them learn about the Universe. It's always good to start early.

Three Black Spots

Today is a super exciting day for me.
I woke up and I wanted to give myself a big hug.

Three Black Spots is now available in the Kindle store.
And I am the lucky one who got to design the book cover.
Yay!
And I also did all the illustrations in the book.
Double Yay!

Cover design + illustration by me.

This has been my favourite job till date and I just had to share it on my blog.

This book is for everyone - those who like to read and those who prefer to wait for the movie.

I clearly fall into the second category but reading this book was actually fun.
Even without the popcorn.

It's light and is very easy to get through with it's many short chapters that tell you fun stories about a dog named Yoda.

Yes, Yoda the wise Jedi Master from Star Wars.

Clearly there's a thing or two to be learnt from him.

He has travelled all over the world, enjoyed many wine tastings and has dealt with regular human problems like bad haircuts.

Something we all can relate to.

He enjoyed all the good things in life and makes you want to do the same with yours.

Three Black Spots - Our Adventures with Yoda by Mina & Mohan Krishnan is now available on Amazon.

You can buy the Kindle ebook here.
You know you want to.

You can read it on your Kindle.
And if you don't own a Kindle, don't worry, just get the Kindle App available on iPad, iPod touch and iPhone. And it's available on Android too! You can read it on pretty much any device. See below

Go to link

Let me know what you think.

Good feedback is always welcome.


[Advice from Thumper's dad for you]
[Advice for me just incase you don't listen to Thumper's dad]

Enjoy!

May the Force be with you.

Live by the Sun. Love by the Moon.

It's Valentine's Day.

Do we make a big deal of it?

Or act as if we don't care?

Cynics would say it's just another special day created by Hallmark to make you feel like you should be celebrating something. 

Well, I think everyday is a day to be celebrated.

Life is good.

Love is great.

It's the stuff sweet dreams are made of.

Photos and Typo by me.

It's human to be a searcher.

And we are all looking for that special someone or something in our lives.

But, it's not always easy to solve the puzzle of the human heart and figure out what that actually is.

So,

If you are in love, say it!
In more ways than one.
Celebrate!

Not just today, but everyday.

Life's too short.

If you have a maimed heart,

all you need are a few sutures.

Or maybe some Kintsukuroi.

There is nothing that can't be fixed.

And if you're better off on your own,

close that chapter of your life that you once called love and move on.

Here's some help from Barney Stinson.

Now I'm going to stop being Ms. Preachy Preacherson because I have a beautiful evening ahead of me. With an old black & white romantic movie on a terrace with what I'm hoping will be great food and some stargazing.

Have a great day!

Word of the day

I just downloaded a new App on my phone through another App.
Am I an App junkie?
Because I feel like the Lindsay Lohan of Apps.

So, the first App I was talking about is AppGratis.
My friend told me about it and it's pretty amazing.
They give you a deal a day - a paid app that you can download for free but just for that day.
So I downloaded App No.2 which is CultiWords.
This teaches you new words.
And I'm obsessed with learning new words and their pronunciations.
It's almost like a hobby.
I think it's time Merriam Webster got upgraded to my Bookmarks Bar.

via

But it's not even like I use these words in conversation.
It's just to activate a few more cells in my brain.
They say we use only 10% of our brain. And Einstein used about 20% maybe?
So I'm aiming for about 15%.
Or maybe that's all rubbish and it's just that some lobe of his brain was wider.

Like every morning I woke up and opened my Cultiwords App.
Today's word was harbinger.
Now harbinger is not a 'big word' and I already knew of it but it was fun to relearn it.
But everytime I think of it, I think of how it could be someones first name.
Which ofcourse would be followed by a last name like Singh.
What do you think?

For all you sneezies

It's winter.
It's cold outside.
It's cold inside.
My feet are frozen.
It's only Bombay so noone takes me seriously.

I've managed to escape it while being wrapped up like an eskimo.
And everyone's sneezing. Eeks.
And sneezing = germs.

I am a certified germaphobe.
And I'm not afraid to wear that badge with pride.

You'll never catch me leaning in an elevator.
Resting my elbows on a dirty table.
I wrap myself in tissue before touching anything in a public restroom.
I will never touch an insect.
Or walk around with shoes in my house.
Or sit on the bed without washing my feet.

Half my family thinks I'm crazy.
And the other half is just like me.

Germs. Bacteria. Mold. Eeks for all.
Scientists say that if it weren't for bacteria the world wouldn't exist. Whatever!
Eeks again.
And yet I still love my blue cheese - the blue being mold.
Yum!?

[On a sidenote:
I always say I could never marry a man who smokes.
But as they say - Never say never.
Or could one man who smokes be the exception to the rule?
Could he be the mold on the blue cheese?]

Getting back to the point - besides Blue Cheese and the occasional smoker, I hate germs.
(Does that sentence even make sense?)

They make you sick.
They make you sneeze.
That's not fun.
And people are continuously saying God Bless You.
Do you know why?
Because legend has it that your heart stops beating everytime you sneeze.
So saying those 3 magical words will ensure that your heart continues beating and you keep living.

Excuse Me by Karen Katz

So incase you want to ensure continuous beating of your heart, here's a tip to help you get through this weather without sneezing.
Hold your finger on your philtrum* and press down.
My friend taught me this.
I don't know if he made it up but it seems to work for me.

May your days be sneezeless and bright!
And may all your Christmases be white.

Gesundheit!

* The vertical groove in the centre between the nose and upper lip.
The word originates from the Greek term meaning 'love potion'.
Ancient Romans found it erotic.
In Jewish mythology it is believed that an angel strikes a newborn on the upperlip before birth to erase all that he knew as a soul, thus creating the philtrum.
And in science, the philtrum is what joins the 2 sides of the face that grow independently in the womb.

Some who wander are actually lost

I've always thought of myself to be great at remembering directions and not needing a map. Ever.

And then the day I updated my iPhone software, I needed to find my way around a never before explored area and felt completely lost.

And when I opened my Maps, it looked rather blank.

I kept waiting for it to load and then I realized it had fully loaded already. 

The new maps were as blank as my face gets when I don't find a joke funny.

Apple had goofed up. There I said it.

But I only admitted it now when they finally rectified this larger than life blunder.

You can download the Google Maps App from the App Store now.

It's amazing!

Be a Man and never ask for directions again.

Thank you Google.

App Love

If you didn't love the iPhone enough already, here's one more reason to love it.

My friend, Mallika introduced me to one of the greatest inventions of all time - The Ultrasonic Repeller App.

This App uses ultrasound to keep mosquitoes and whole bunch of other stuff away.

With my 'Oh so positive' blood type, I can never fall into the category of Once bitten twice shy.

Unfortunately for me it's always been Once bitten always bitten.

But, that's about to change now that I'm armed with my Ultrasonic Repeller.

So, from now on as long as my phone is charged, I will be walking with an air of confidence when surrounded by insects, rodents, dogs and even people!

Ok, so I'm not so sure about the people part but it sounds good enough anyway.

And it's free!

Teux Deux

I have always loved making to-do lists.

I can almost call it a hobby.

I love writing lists so much that I not only make them for myself but for my family too.

I don't know how much they love it.

I think not very much.

So I put sweet little notes at the bottom of the list that end with 'Love, Neha' and a :)

If you walk around my house you will see to-do lists floating around everywhere.

> on the fridge.

> in my diary.

> on little pieces of paper.

> my hand.

> and in the reminder section on my phone.

I'd create a sort of mess while organising.

Till I came across this website called TeuxDeux and it was just the most perfect to-do list I had ever seen.

I downloaded the iPhone App for only $2.99 and now my teuxdeux list from my computer syncs with the one on my phone.

It's so amazing that I almost feel like it's been created just for me.

But even with the awesomeness of it, my work to-do lists are still on post-its for some reason.
For everything else there's TeuxDeux.

Click here to view the happenings of my busy week.

On TeuxDeux 

You can write out your lists.

Strike them out once completed.

Or delete them.

And when you don't finish a task, it automatically moves on to the next day.

So easy peasy.

And the best part - There's also a section called Someday.

Someday is what I like to call the 'Procrastinator's Section'.

For all those things we want to do but havent fixed a day for it yet.

And it's got 5 columns. Good enough for me!

I'd recommend it for anyone who likes making lists and also for anyone who doesn't.

Because crossing things off a list is sometimes as satisfying as eating a bar of chocolate.

Add to Flipboard

Being an Apple products addict, I find it my duty to discover every new App and promote it so that others can join in the fun.

My new obsession is Flipboard.

If you are an iPad or iPhone user, and are not already using it, do yourself a favour and get it NOW.

You can read about various subjects  - News. Art. Design. Style. Travel. Technology. Anything at all.

And Flipboard randomly selects articles from around the world on your chosen topic and gives you a whole lot to read everyday.

You can even search for your favourite websites and add them onto your Flipboard.

If you wish to add my blog to your flipboard, here's how you can do it.

> Go to your Flipboard Account.

> Click on More

> In the Search bar type the URL of my RSS feed which is

feed://nehakamath.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

This is when my blog should appear below.

Simply click on it and then add it by clicking the + button.

Voila!

Siri-ously?

Everyone's searching for answers.

And some find them with the help of:

Tarot card readers.

Face readers.

Past-life storytellers.

Ouija boards.

Zoltar.

Magic 8 balls.

Or even Palm reading iPhone apps if you are my sister. Only for $0.99.

This morning I decided to spend an hour finding some answers with the help of my dear friend Siri.

Test question

Me: What time is it?

Siri: It's 8.35 a.m.

Me (in my mind): Wow, she's so smart. let's ask her some more vital questions.

I decided to keep it short and ask only 10.

1. Will the world come to an end in 2012?

2. If I write with a pen on my palm, does the ink go into my bloodstream and make me blue blooded (Royalty)?

3. Can I not touch my toes because my legs are so long?

4. Why do birds freak me out?

5. Was I meant to be a vegetarian?

6. Was Eminem ever the Real Slim Shady?

7. Why do straight Indian men hold hands?

8. If I kill an ant will his friends attack me in my sleep?
9. If I stand over a Subway grate in a white halter dress will I look like Marilyn Monroe?

10. Am I more likely to become President or win an Oscar?

I'm not done yet.

11. Is the universe someone's snow globe?

And what did I get?

No match found.

Playing Time to pretend.

Please activate FaceTime.

And it made many calls to people I really didn't want to speak to.

Maybe I'll have better luck with a Chinese Proverb in a Fortune Cookie.

According to me, the answers to most questions can be found in Chinese Proverbs.
Or any proverb said with a Chinese accent.

by Rafa Jenn.

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.

Go figure!

Back to the future

Fill your heart with the creative power

to accept the past,

decorate the present

and transform the future.

- Osho.

When we were young, my sister and I went to Art class every Saturday where we tried to paint within the lines after which we were rewarded with a box of Jalebi by my grandmother.

Frankly I never really needed an incentive to go to art class.

I grew up at a time when we only got Camlin colours in a small set and then when Staedtler made water colour pencils, that was the bomb!

I still have my set even today. And nothing could beat it.

Till yesterday when I was on Flipboard and came across this new iPad App called Paper by Fiftythree.

You can download it for free.

And then keep adding tools for $1.99 each.

I spent a total of $7.96 and got a pencil, marker, a paintbrush and felt pen.
Now all I need is a stylus.

You can write in your journals, draw in your sketchbooks and it all fits into your iPad.

Gone are the days of using notebooks, sharpening pencils, filling ink into your Hero fountain pens which would end up leaking and make you feel (and look) somewhat blue.

And no more wishing I had carried my watercolours so I could stop and paint the beautiful tree in front of me.

I know it's something that will keep us happy this hot summer... besides mangoes.

So here it is...

From the time when we were really young, my father taught my sister and me to embrace technology and I would love to give a nice big hug to the technology of the 21st Century right about now.

I'll post some pictures of my sketches when I have something more to show than dancing girls and Mickey Mouse.

And then maybe you can reward me with a box of hot Jalebi.

Switch on your imagination and enjoy the ride.

All photos from iTunes.