Exhibit Magazine 2022 Archives - Page 3 of 10

Anunay Sood – Influencer of the Month

Exhibit: What does travelling mean to you?

Anunay Sood: Travelling in my life does not hold a specific meaning as it is impossible for me to ever fit what it means to me in words. Rather I would say travelling is what defines a major element of my existence and gives me a way ahead in life. I owe all my confidence to each and every journey that I have ever taken as a traveller.

Ex: Can you describe your worst travelling experience?

AS: Though there’s no worst experience in travelling, every journey either gives us happy memories or teaches priceless lessons. However, one experience that I can never forget is this one time when we were travelling back from Spiti in 2017 in an endeavour car. It lost control and fell into a ditch in one of the remote areas. We were lucky enough to escape and save ourselves from the devastating state of the car, and the entire experience still gives us chills down the spine.

Ex: Since you have travelled to a lot of places, what is that one place in India you wish you had visited but didn’t get enough time for?

AS: As a traveller, I haven’t honestly explored a lot of planes, most of my trips are to the mountains and hilly regions. So this year, in March, I visited Jaipur with one of my friends and was left spellbound looking at the heritage and beauty of the place. We just had 2 days there, so I wish I had enough time to explore more in Jaipur.

Ex: What is your favourite memory of a place?

AS: My favourite memory is from our trip to Iceland, as that trip was very close to my heart for multiple reasons. I had saved for almost one year to take that trip, and the entire experience was surreal.

Ex: Since places are made up of people, what is the one place you visited that had the most interesting set of people?

AS: I met the most interesting set of people in Norway. The people in Norway were so humble and welcoming that, for once I forgot that I had come to a new place for the first time.

Ex: People travel in their free time usually; what do you do in your free time or, to put it across better, what are your hobbies?

AS: I honestly don’t get free time with all the travel, work commitments and content creation, but anytime I am able to find some time, I love to play the guitar and spend some amazing time with my nephew and niece as it is a delight to see them grow.

Ex: What gadgets do you use while making a vlog?

AS: I use my Sony α7S III camera, iPhone 13 Pro and a microphone plugged into my gear.

Ex: Give us some tech tips on making content?

AS: Always record in 60fps so that the visual control of altering the content in terms of speed and transition remains in your hands while editing.

Ex: What are the apps that help you while travelling?

AS: One amazing app is Star Walk, and it helps me spot stars every time we plan to stargaze on a trip. Other than that, Google Maps with offline downloaded maps is the best travel partner on any road trip. Lastly, I love “make my trip” to make all the travel bookings hassle-free.

Ex: What are the necessary gadgets that you keep with yourself while travelling?

AS: My drone, camera with all the lenses, battery backups, mobile gimbal and shot stick.

Quickies

Beaches or mountains? – Mountains

Train or Flight – Flight

Best travel destination? – Iceland

Next place you want to go? – Antarctica

Places with the best food? – I have travelled around the world, but trust me nothing is better than Indian street food.

Longest distance you have travelled in a go? – 17 hours drive to Srinagar – in one go.

Epson Ecotank L6490-A precise functional AIO printing tool

Epson Ecotank L6490, a mainstream all in one copying, printing, scanning, and fax with ADF solution from Epson is quite impressive. Let us take a look at what were the aspects that made us conclude on the first line.

Casually professional:

Design is conventional yet modern thanks to its compact footprint and functional yet professional look. There are multiple paper inlets and outlets. Semi-transparent CMYK colour levels also give clarity to the consumption of Espon’s Durabrit 008 ink. Refillable and easy to operate. The printer also gets a bright touch panel with capacitive touch for easy operations. Epson has loaded the Ecotank L6490 with wifi and wifi direct and Epson smart panel enables a host of print options directly via your smartphone. There’s also USB, LAN, fax and line-in connectivity for robust wired connections and easy clean options with detachable compartments.

All-in-one solution in a compact footprint:

With costs per print as low as 12paise (Black) and a little more for colours, the Epson Ecotank L6490 printer is efficient. If that wasn’t enough, 1-years warranty or 100,000 pages, whichever comes first, Epson has you covered for prints of usage. The Epson Ecotank L6490 print speeds are impressive at 17-ipm for black and 9.5-ipm for colour. These might get slower based on the details, print quality and print paper of use. Epson has an intelligent Auto-Duplex printing (up to A4 size) for automatic both side print on an A4 or lower size papers. Wi-Fi & Wi-Fi Direct enable remote connectivity and the app brings a host of other intuitive learning and features adding value to the Epson printer.

Epson smart panel app has easy wireless connectivity when both the printer and your phone share the same Wi-Fi connection. The app has a smooth and innovative UI with almost all the options on the physical touch panel and more. Document scanner for example allows a phone camera to capture documents, enhance them as per the user’s liking and print them like a normal document. There are tonnes of tutorials too and community links to learn more.

Verdict:

Powered by Epson Heat-Free Technology, the printer performs consistently with minimum downtime and not more than a few seconds lag on long printing sessions. We tried printing many documents, photos and random colourful pictures shot on phones and professional cameras. The colours, quality, contrast and tones were almost spot on. The only limitation this printer brings is the size, it’s compact and can only print up to Letter Max sizes. If you do not need anything more than this size, the Epson Ecotank L6490 is a precise, functional tool that enables, scans, copies, loads of in-app functions and quality yet efficient print solutions for homes, schools and offices alike.

Rating – 4/5

Good – Compact size, efficient, detailed prints and copies

Bad – Limited by the compact size

Ugly – Competition

Specifications:

Print, Scan, Copy, Fax with ADF

Cost per print 12paise (Black)

Print speeds – 17 ipm for black and 9.5 ipm for colour

Auto-Duplex printing (up to A4 size)

Wi-Fi & Wi-Fi Direct

Epson Heat-Free Technology

TVS Apache RR310 BTO ! Build it before you buy it

Introducing TVS Built To Order (BTO)

Unique for everyone. Unprecedented for the industry.

TVS Built To Order is a first-of-its-kind customization platform and a much-needed revolution in the performance motorcycling segment. This translates into the whole process of interacting with the platform as well.

With TVS BTO, your vision for your motorcycle is brought to life with world-class engineering and state-of-the-art technologies. Every aspect of your machine is now in your control, right from the performance to your preferred aesthetic that truly represents you. The power to be unique on your own terms is now in your own hands.

The company’s BTO platform lets the customers customize their bikes as per their needs and requirements after which their unit is built directly in the factory. This time around, TVS has introduced a new, industry-first, factory built-to-order (BTO) system, where customers can specify their RR 310 as per their needs and requirements via the TVS ARIVE app or the online configurator. The BTO also allows the customers to track the journey of their bikes in real-time and finally get it delivered from their nearest TVS dealership.

The official TVS ARIVE app and web configurator can be used to select the preferred variant, package option, make a booking, and even complete the payment – all in just a few clicks. Following this, an authorized dealer from a preferred showroom will complete the delivery process.

In the highly exciting wait for their machine, one can also track and preview the machine in the ARIVE app. The bike can be visualised both in AR and a 3D model, giving one access to the even most minute details of the machine.

Be unique on your own terms.

TVS offers two customization kits with the Apache RR 310 – Dynamic and Race kits. The dynamic kit consists of a fully adjustable front fork set-up, full adjustable rear monoshock and an anti-rust brass-coated drive chain. The front fork gets 20-step compression damping and 20-step rebound damping and 15 mm of preload adjustment.

Similarly, the rear monoshock gets 20-step rebound damping and 10-step preload adjustment. Similarly, the race kit includes a new handlebar which is lowered by 8 degrees and tucked inwards by 5 degrees. It offers a more aggressive and committed riding posture. The footpegs too have been raised by 30 mm and offer increased clearance of up to 4.5 degrees. They are knurled as well, offering better grip for the riders.

Dynamic Kit

Crafted for those who race off the beaten track, Dynamic kit offers superior performance on every terrain with adjustable front suspension and rear monoshock and brass coated drive chain. Let your performance speak for itself and make a statement with the special race edition graphics.

Fully Adjustable KYB Front Suspension

Race into the unexplored, with a fully adjustable KYB suspension with 20 sets of damping and 15mm of preload in the front forks, which can be adjusted by the rider for firmness or flexibility depending upon the terrain and riding style.

Fully adjustable KYB rear suspension

The enhanced KYB suspension allows for adjustment of the rear monoshock. The adjustable rear suspension features 20 sets of damping and 10 steps of preload adjustment, to adjust the level of stiffness for a race experience.

Brass coated Drive chain

With the factory fitted brass coated drive chain, you will always find an excuse to push the limits on the racetrack. The anti-rust brass coated chain delivers superior performance output from this race machine.

Race Kit

Crafted for those who aspire to clip every apex, and burn rubber on every straight, the race package features an aggressive racing stance and ergonomics. The tuck down racing handlebar, raised footrest and race footpegs make your track weapon an unforgettable force.

Racing ergonomics – Handlebar

The race ergonomics turn your race machine into a formidable force on the track. The lower set handlebars at 117.1 degrees enable a highly aggressive and committed stance, facilitating tighter corners and faster straight-line speeds. This also delivers a superior grip on the racetrack.

Race Designed footpegs

The knurling on the footpegs provides for superior grip and great stability while attacking corners.

Raised footrest assembly

The raised footrest assembly provides the rider with an aggressive and committed posture, making room for a higher lean angle to achieve higher speeds while cornering.

New Race Replica Graphics

Racing is inherent to every TVS Apache RR310 that leaves the assembly line. The glorious heritage of TVS Racing since 1982 is now etched on your race machine. The eminent TVS Racing wreath graphic imparts an exclusive identity and the TVS Racing OMC inspired livery makes your track weapon stand out. The Race Replica edition enlightens the racer within you, making for memorable podium finishes.

Personalized Race Number

The number on the machine is more than just a figure!! It is an identity that is owned by you and defines you. With the option of getting your favourite number on the visor, you can carve your own legacy through your track weapon.

OnePlus Nord Buds – Your Budget BUDdy

OnePlus has always been a rulebreaking brand that dares to take a risk. Over the last few years, the brand has launched many high-end products at affordable prices and indirectly forced other brands to lower their costs. The brand recently launched OnePlus Nord Buds alongside the Nord CE 2 Lite and the OnePlus 10R in India but are they worth it?

OnePlus has attended all the classes on how to lure customers with the attractive packaging, and with the Nord Buds, they’ve done a great job. The Nord Buds box has a cute little packaging of blue and black colour combination. Inside the box, it contains a charging case along with earbuds, brand sticker, charging cable, 4 ear tips, and a red cable welcome card.

Design & Comfort

The shape of the OnePlus Nord Buds is quite traditional and ordinary, but you can’t expect something extraordinary from a ₹2,799 earbuds. The earbuds and the case look premium at first but they are made up of cheap plastic. The buds feature connect button in the back and an indicator light in the front. The buds we received for the review were white (marble) in colour.

The boxy ergonomic case of the earbuds is prone to scratches, while the earbuds are inclined to store a little dirt in between the hubs. The outer circular layer doubles as the touch surface for controls. The buds are not the ones you carry along easily due to their shape. The buds weigh under 5 grams a piece but don’t offer the best comfort, especially during long use.

Sound Quality

The water and dust resistant earbuds don’t disappoint you when it comes to sound quality but if you’re an audiophile or into the business of music for a long time then you might not like the output. The buds are packed with 12.4mm titanium drivers, and looking at the price, they deliver a pretty decent sound. The sound of the earbuds will leak out, once you cross the 80% of the volume level.

I thoroughly enjoyed the earbuds, especially while watching the content, as the earbuds have 12.4mm Titanium audio drivers and Dolby Atmos support for deeper bass and clearer sound. The earbuds have 4 microphones for filtering out the noise while taking calls, but they only deliver an okayish calling experience. The earbuds have many software issues which the brand has to resolve in the future.

Battery

The earbuds are advertised to have about 7-hours of battery life and another 30-hours with the case, and we couldn’t agree more. The cable offers ultra-fast charging resulting in 5-hours of listening time in 10 minutes of charge. The OnePlus Nord Buds last for at least 5-hours when charged to the core and play the role of your buddy while you’re on the go.

Verdict

The OnePlus Nord Buds have various rivals at the price point, but the Nord Buds stand apart as they’re a dealbreaker for people looking for TWS earbuds under 3000. I loved them while listening to the songs and watching content as I’m more into low volume decks, but if you desire the best audio experience, please invest a few more thousand and get something extraordinary.

Optoma GT1080HDR DLP Projector – An Ambiguously Pleasing 4K/HDR DLP Projector

Don’t we all love large displays, why else would we want to watch movies on those large crisp projections in a movie theatre? LCD, and OLED displays as good as they may be and as large as they get, might not be the optimal solution when it comes to viewing content on a large canvas especially while saving some bucks. Do you know how much a 55-inch television with 4K HDR 120Hz refresh rate costs in India? You might want to google search and see for yourself! This is exactly why movie theatres use projectors rather than large AMOLED displays. Today, we have an alternative to something as large as a 300-inch crisp 4k HDR 120Hz display, powered by something so small, that we could carry it around. Meet the Optoma GT1080HDR DLP Projector.

Simply Optoma:

Design is simple yet lightweight and installation on a table or ceiling is easy. The front-facing projector is about a foot wide with 12.4-inches, 4.5-inches tall and 9.5-inches in length. The remote has all the necessary buttons and every button is illuminated. There’s also a lens cover that covers the short throw lens neat and complete.

More value than money:

Being DLP this projector is virtually maintenance-free, has better picture quality, wider colour range and greater contrast while also being capable of displaying up to 3800 Lumens of vibrant bright projection. Do not go by its name of GT1080HDR as the projector is able to project up to 4K HDR at 120Hz refresh rate. Optoma has packed the GT1080HDR DLP Projector with multiple I/O when it comes to connectivity. HDMI 2.0, HDMI 1.4a, VGA in and out, USB power in and out, audio in and out, RS 232 port, AC power and Kensington lock.

Projector distance can be adjusted from as low as 1.3 feet to 11.3 feet. Being a short-throw projector the Optoma GT1080HDR DLP Projector can produce a crisp 4K 120inch display from a mere 4 feet. The remote is illuminated, a clever trick especially for a projector. Active and passive 3D is offered with the right content and glasses at a rapid refresh rate of 144Hz, mighty impressive for a product that costs less than a 55inch 4k television with similar specs. The contrast is 50000:1 and thanks to DLP, the projector lamp is easily replaceable by a claimed viewing time of 10 years as per normal usage of 4 hours per day. If all of this wasn’t enough, Optoma has loaded a 10-watt speaker inside the projector to have an audio and video experience right out of the box.

We played a couple of games at a 4K HDR high refresh rate and the projector pleasantly surprised us. Colours and contrast are amazing in games and games look more immersive with naturally punchy colours. The speaker too performs decently for a built-in speaker and no complaints here. The built-in fan is relatively silent and never audible. Next, we tried a couple of movies, youtube songs and the audio-video experience left us mesmerised. Optoma colour reproduction is one of the best when it comes to projections. Colour tones are natural throughout ECO and ECO+ modes. HDR performance was at par with expensive projectors and overall, the Optoma GT1080HDR DLP projector seems to have more value than money for what it provides.

Verdict:

If you are looking for a capable 4K display and own a new-gen console like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, definitely consider auditioning the Optoma GT1080HDR DLP Projector. With the right panel, proper sources and innate capabilities like impressive colour tones, passive 3D, and keystone correction with +/- 40 degrees, this Optoma projector is definitely a great value addition to your display arsenal.

Rating – 4.5/5

Good – Short-throw projection, display customisation

Bad – Manual keystone correction, old UI

Ugly – Bright mode distorts colours

Projection – Upto 300inch 4K Signal / HDR Compatible

Shorter installation distance with short throw lens design

Bright 1080p projector – 3,800 ANSI Lumens

High contrast outcome – 50,000:1

Easy connectivity – HDMI, VGA, R232, 10W speaker

Low ownership costs – up to 15,000 hours of lamp life (Eco+ Mode)

26dB Quiet Operation

Asus Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition (Review)

Asus has a tradition of creating innovative products, and the company recently launched a new special-edition laptop – Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition to celebrate the silver anniversary of the Asus P6300, the first Asus laptop to be sent to the Mir space station. The P6300 laptop spent about 600 days in orbit and made its way back to earth in mint condition. Let’s see what the new Asus device holds within.

Design & Build Quality

The special-edition laptop has unique space-themed packaging, and though it has an almost identical shape and looks like Asus P6300, it stands apart due to the notable changes in the design. The 14X OLED Space Edition has a tiny 3.5-inch monochrome OLED ZenVision display mounted on the lid which shows battery status, animated space graphics and allows you to add/edit a customised message of your choice like WhatsApp about.

On the outside, it has a Morse code along with arc lines that state “Ad Astra Per Aspera”, which means “Through the hardships to the stars”. The aluminium built 14-inch Asus laptop is 15.9mm thick and weighs 1.4 kg. Once you open the lid, the Space Edition laptop looks the same as the regular Zenbook except for the space theme graphics near the sides of the trackpad and copper hue painted spacebar.

Display

The Zenbook Space Edition laptop is designed for young professionals, tech-savvy trendsetters, storytellers, space and science enthusiasts. The Zenbook 14X laptop has one of the most excellent displays, and Asus has taken care of your binge-watching with a 2.8K resolution, 100-per cent DCI-P3 colours, and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The laptop has a punchy OLED touchscreen display with a 90-Hz screen refresh rate.

The Zenbook 14X laptop has a 92% screen-to-body ratio, HDR support, a 720p HD camera, and a 10-bit OLED panel that displays sharp images even during sunlight, helping you while working outdoors. The display of the laptop comes with Pantone validation for colour accuracy and has perfect viewing angles. The Zenbook 14X is best for content creators, gamers, movie lovers and designers who need accurate colours while working.

Keyboard, Trackpad, Ports & Battery

The Zenbook 14X Space Edition laptop has perfect keyboard ergonomics as it comes with an ErgoLift hinge design which is best suited for the people who type on a regular basis. The keyboard layout is slightly raised to offer a perfect palm rest to the users, and it also provides 1.4mm key travel, which is one of the longest in this class of laptops. The trackpad comes with a NumberPad 2.0 integrated for a better multitasking experience.

Along with the spacebar key, it has a power key with a copper hue colour painted on it which comes with an integrated fingerprint sensor. In terms of connectivity, the Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition offers two Thunderbolt 4.0 ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, a USB 3.2 Type-A port, a 3.5mm audio jack and microSD card support. The laptop is powered by a 63WHrs battery with 100W Type-C fast charging support.

Performance

Our review unit was powered by a top-notch 12th Gen Intel® Core(TM) i9-12900H processor, which helps you balance power and battery life perfectly. It has Intel(R) Iris(R) Xe Graphics, 32 GB of LPDDR5-4800 memory, NVMe SAMSUNG MZVL21T0HCLR-00B00 disk, and a very fast 1 TB gen4 SSD. The laptop has a hybrid design with 6 Performance and 8 Efficiency Cores, as well as 20 combined threads.

The Zenbook 14X laptop is made for creative professionals, offering a decent gaming experience. However, when you play high-end games for long hours, try to transfer multiple heavy files simultaneously, and when the battery meter hits below 30% of charging, the laptop starts lagging and turns into a heater. Overall, performance-wise it is a good machine, and I hope Asus will improve the software in future updates.

Verdict

I fell in love with this special-edition laptop at first sight, but it has flaws like every other love story. When it comes to special-edition laptops, companies usually don’t invest much time in them, but Asus has worked hard on this special edition, and one can easily notice it. The price of the laptop starts at ₹1,14,990, and the review unit we received was priced at ₹1,69,990. If you’re a creative professional and into cool gadgets, go for it.

LG TONE Free A meridian-tuned unique TWS

We are not new to the world of TWS with ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) but there comes a product every now and then, adding some value to become special. The USP (unique selling point) of the LG TONE Free has to be LG’s borrowed tech from its purifiers to cleanse these TWS inside their case with UV-nano technology. Yes, these earbuds promise bacteria cleansing LG’s UV nano, a patented sanitising technology which destroys bacteria on the earbud head when they are placed inside the case. In a world where sanitizing our hands is normal, why should TWS be any exception?

LG also sells and equips these with medical-grade hypoallergenic ear gels, another healthy name for silicon that cleans via UV rays. The technology is neatly packed in a clean round case with an essential multi-colour LED notification light, a switch to toggle an amazing feature and a USB Type-C charging port at the rear. The case and earbuds are fairly lightweight and easy to carry around as your ear companions.

LG TONE Free app

LG has a TONE Free app both on Playstore and Appstore for Androids and Apple devices. Usually, these additional apps bring out additional features of the earbuds, but in LG’s case, this app is more or less mandatory if you truly wish to listen to Meridian tuned audio and improve the earbud’s audio quality overall. The app neatly showcases the battery percentage on each earbud and also allows you to tune the earbuds based on two custom settings.

The ANC controls allow high or low levels of noise cancellation along with two transparency modes and the option to turn off ANC when not required. There’s also a neat animated manual available at all levels with general information on the software and the ability to auto-install OTA (over the air) updates for the app and earbuds. The app also allows to edit three levels of tap settings on either earbud, allowing customisations as per user choices. Last and the most important settings are ready equalisations by Meridian. There are seven preset equalizers to choose from including, immersive, natural, bass-boost, treble-boost, 3D sound stage, etc. Why are these important you ask?

Audio quality – Treble happy!

LG TONE Free earbuds are tuned by Meridian and without their equalizers, they sound treble-heavy. Bass is tight and never boomy but lacks the punch required in most hip-hop numbers. Bass-boost setting on the app aids the bass but compromises on the other frequencies. The trebles on these earbuds are rich and shine in every track while the vocals are audible despite different equalized settings. For audiophiles, there are quite a few frequencies to equalize in two custom settings. None of which matched the finesse of Meridian-tuned presets.

Out of all the presets, immersive and natural were the most balanced presets that suit almost all genres of music. ANC is average and nothing extraordinary like most other TWS in a similar price range. The sound stage is head biased but not too small, nor too widespread. What really shines on these earbuds are the treble in each track. It’s bright and prominent, a unique take on clarity but compromises on the lower frequencies to sound thumping on certain tracks. LG claims 6 hours battery life with ANC turned on and 21 hours of total playback with the charge case. Battery life depends on the volume and we managed 4+ hours each time.

One unique cable inside the box, apart from USB Type-C to Type-A cable, is a Type-C to 3.5mm headphone jack. There is a toggle on the case, which allows the case to connect as a medium to turn any analogue 3.5mm headphone port into wireless connectivity via the case. The real champ of this package is thereby the case of the LG TONE Free. It not only cleanses the earbuds, but also adds battery life and added functionality to turn any analogue source into seamless wireless connections.

Verdict

LG TONE Free is a feature rich pair of earbuds with richer trebles and a versatile compact round case. This is a good pair of earbuds for someone not keen on bass, listens to a lot of string instruments, vocals and chimes. The quality of the TWS is decent and same could be said about the audio quality. At similar prices, there are better sounding earbuds but none as versatile.

Good – UV nano, ANC, Treble

Bad – Low frequency response

Ugly – App dependency for better sound

Marketing Minds – Manu Kumar – Head Of Marketing & Corporate Communication at Hero Electric Vehicles

Exhibit: If not marketing, what role do you imagine yourself doing?

Manu Kumar: I would be part of Human Resources (HR) as I enjoy engaging with people and feel that HR is one of the most critical functions of the organisation.

Ex: Half of advertising is a waste. Do you agree with this dictum?

MK: I agree with this as there is a lot of wastage while doing advertising. A lot of times, marketers go overboard in spending money on advertising and promotions. With “Programmatic Advertising” in Digital, many feel this issue has been solved. However, that is not true, and massive amounts spent are wasted. Pre and post-analysis, a very structured tracking mechanism, and optimising media periodically can help get the best bang for the buck.

Ex: Which Marketing or Business related book/show you would recommend, and why?

MK: While there are many interesting books on marketing, I recommend Seth Godin’s “This is Marketing- You can’t be seen until you learn to see” This book discusses marketing. Seth encourages marketers to stop and think about what they’re doing. The book goes deeper into a thoughtful approach to marketing. There isn’t one single message that comes out of this book. Instead, it challenges you to think more carefully about the people/customers you want to reach and how to reach them to let them know what you have to offer.

Ex: What medium has brought your organisation the best results across the marketing mix?

MK: Though we use Integrated Marketing for all our campaigns, I believe that we have used Public Relations very well for information dissemination and as a marketing tool. It has paid us dividends in making us no. 1 in Share of Voice for the last financial year in the EV category. Reaching out deep at the regional level and using regional languages has ensured that we have built our brand presence across the nation and contributed to building the EV category.

Ex: Your thoughts on the current trend of Influencer Marketing?

MK: I am not a big fan of influencer marketing, for a simple reason, the number of followers can not be taken as that the person is influential for a particular category. People are using their social media to promote products across categories, which does not make sense. However, if used well and brands work with genuine experts in their categories, I believe that it is a powerful medium to explore.

Ex: What’s that one campaign that you’re proud of? Any interesting BTS thoughts you would want to share?

Ans: While there have been many good campaigns, one recent campaign for HERO ELECTRIC that stood out was “The No.1 E2W company in India”. It was a multi-media campaign across critical cities. We followed the integrated approach with Print/Outdoors/Digital, where PR helped get the message across that Hero Electric is India’s No.1 E2W company. The campaign targeted our key stakeholders, which helped us get visibility. In a limited burst of 60 odd days, it gave us the Share of Voice, and it hit the right audience without us going overboard with our Advertising budget.

Ex: Your secret to coming up with the best of ideas?

Ans: It’s very important to interact with your consumers regularly. When they are buying your product, the insights that you gain from these interactions are precious and help come up with better and more effective ideas.

Ex: Your mantra for optimism?

Ans: My mantra is that you need to be “clear on the outcome, while being flexible with the approach” this has helped me throughout my career, especially during the pandemic in the last 2 years. With life and things being so uncertain, you need to be clear about what is important for you, whether in your job or personal life. However, it would help if you were flexible, keeping in mind the circumstances around you, since you may not be able to approach things the way you used to in the past.

Ex: One app that makes your life easy?

Ans: Google Drive

Ex: What is the best advice you’ve received to date?

Ans: “Learn to say NO” may not win you popularity contests but helps you be more effective and better utilise your time and energies.

Motorola Edge 30, Edging The Balance Just Right!

Motorola has been on a launching spree ever since it promised to deliver a new smartphone every month last year. This time around, it is the Motorola Edge 30, and Motorola claims this to be the slimmest and lightest 5G smartphone in India. We tested the brand claims and the phone only to witness surprised by our findings.

Display – POLED goodness

Motorola has retained the FHD+ pOLED panel from its predecessor, the Edge 20, with one of the fastest refresh rates at 144Hz on Edge 30. This display is bright, has punchy colours and has an extended edge to edge design, making the bezels as narrow as physically possible in 2022. The display also gets 10-bit HDR10 capabilities and content support for the same. There’s a fast in-display fingerprint sensor, and a hole punch camera makes this look amazing, especially at the starting price of 27999.

Is it the slimmest and lightest 5G phone as per Motorola claims?

Motorola has taken inspiration from the new generation of iPhones, which is visible in the design. Buttons are on the RHS ends, and despite the lack of a headphone jack, this time around, the phone features a Dolby Atmos algorithm on dual stereo speakers. Acrylic back and sides and a pOLED panel make the Edge 30 feel lighter than its visual appeal. At 155gms, this is one of the most lightweight phones available in India.

Specs – Balanced performer

Snapdragon 778+ 5G SOC is one of the most balanced SOCs made by Snapdragon. It easily handles the Android 12 based UI; scrolling is super smooth and fast and supports 13 5G bands, with none available to test. Overall, the WiFi 6E capable SOC with the latest Bluetooth 5.2 and support for multiple bands with carrier aggregation make this a good phone for a connected lifestyle. We played a couple of games, and the processor handled them all at the highest graphic settings with smooth gameplay at 360Hz touch sampling. Also, the standby time on Snapdragon 778, including this plus variant phone, is one of the best in Android smartphones.

Cameras – A decent pair of shooters

Motorola has included a 50MP OIS primary with 50MP ultra-wide sensor and a 2MP depth sensor for aiding camera algorithms. The shots from this phone are decent, and the best part is the colour consistency between cameras. Low light photography, too, has improved many folds compared to its predecessor, the Edge 20. The ultrawide sensor doubles as the macro shooter. The front 32MP camera is above average. All the sensors support 4K video recording, making it future proof and great for content creation.

Battery – Lasts long, really long.

Edge 30 comes with a 4020mAh battery coupled with a 33W fast charger inside the box. The best part is that Snapdragon 778+ is a very balanced SOC and thereby provides good performance and pairs it with good efficiency. This phone can last a heavy usage day with ease, thanks to the efficient SOC onboard.

Motorola features

Speakers are decently loud at this price range, and they sound richer than the competition. Moto Gametime allows for overclocking the processor when you play games and some optimised software settings to aid gaming on this phone. Motorola secures your data on the phone with Thinkshield technology, a gift from its parent company Lenovo. Motorola also equips the Edge 30 with ready for functionality, allowing straightforward phone content sharing with TV, computers and other devices. The whole package is available in two RAM trims and two colours of your choice. There’s quite a bit of functionality provided by Motorola for the price alongside the usual moto gestures.

Verdict – A good mid-range smartphone.

Motorola Edge 30 is one of India’s lightest, if not the slimmest 5G smartphone. Overall ad-free UI, capable low-light cameras, lightweight construction, and pOLED goodness powered by one of Snapdragon’s best SOC make the Motorola Edge 30 a good recommendation for anyone who wants the best of all worlds in the Android smartphone universe.

Good – Lightweight and balanced performance

Bad – Does not feel the slimmest

Ugly – Limited internal storage options

Top 7 pieces of advice for first time Crypto Investors

Back then, investing money in the stock market was everyone’s dream, but people were unsure about the outcomes and kept themselves away from investing in stocks. They say movies have always been a mirror reflecting the actual image of our society, and people started believing it when they watched Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

However, it wasn’t enough for a large population of our country and to conquer that, Hansal Mehta came up with a web series called “Scam 1992”, which showcased the story of Indian stockbroker Harshad Mehta. The series not only changed the life of an actor Pratik Gandhi who starred as Harshad Mehta but also changed the perception of people about the stock market.

Today, we’re walking on the same lines, but the place of investment has changed, at least for some. In the last few years, we have moved from traditional investments to mutual funds, SIPs and the stock market, but not many of us are taking risks to invest in a real player, the cryptocurrency, which is taking the world by storm and creating new benchmarks every day.

Even though the finance department of India said, “cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum would never become legal tender across India”, we have about 20-million people who have invested in cryptocurrencies. Then, who’s stopping you? The fear of where to invest or the complex process of investing in crypto? Whatever it is, we’re going to take care of it, especially if you’re a first-time crypto investor.

Top 7 pieces of advice for first time Crypto Investors

Stay alert and listen to the inner voice

The cryptocurrency was invented in 2008 by a person or maybe a group of people with the pseudo name Satoshi Nakamoto. Over the last decade, it has become the first investment choice for many people, but many media personalities and financial advisors have said it’s an over-hyped sector due to its volatile nature. Well, I would say – start small and invest a little, but don’t dare to ignore the hype.

Do a little homework before investing your hard-earned money

Scammers are everywhere, and with the help of advanced technologies, they’ll easily fool you, especially in the field of crypto investments, as it runs on digital platforms. Also, cryptocurrencies are not regulated and backed by any government authority, making it impossible to recover your investments in case of any fraudulent activities. Hence, play safe and do the homework first.

Look for a trusted and genuine trading platform

One should always do a background check of the place where they’re about to invest their money, and the same rule applies when you’re looking for a genuine trading platform for cryptocurrency exchanges. When looking for a trusted trading platform in India as a first-time crypto investor, one should always go with platforms such as Coin DCX, CoinSwitch Kuber, or WazirX.

The importance of KYC and documentation in crypto

KYC is a need of the hour, be it in bank accounts, cryptocurrencies, or any platform where you’re worried about theft, scam, and frauds. The KYC process saves you from fraudulent activities by taking and verifying your details, such as identity proof, address proof, PAN card, and driver’s licence. KYC offers improved customer transparency and trust, keeping you away from scams and frauds.

Don’t expect miracles and go in for a long term investment

Cryptocurrencies are here to stay, but they keep fluctuating day by day due to their volatile nature. Hence, being a first-time investor, don’t expect miracles and go in only for a long-term investment. The more you’ll wait and adhere with your patience, the more benefits you could have in the future. Thus, invest in crypto as soon as possible and wait for the right time to come.

Don’t listen to the social media and follow the 5-per cent rule

Be wise, and don’t fall for the social media trap where most influencers urge you to invest a massive amount of money in cryptocurrencies. Well, one should not invest more than 3 to 5-percent of their monthly or annual income in the crypto market, at least when you’re a newbie in the crypto world, as most of the coins have dropped by 60-70 per cent overnight in the past.

Invest in multiple cryptocurrencies instead of one

While investing in platforms like the stock market or cryptocurrencies, one should never invest a considerable percentage of their money in one share or coin. Being a newbie in the world of cryptocurrency, one should always prefer to invest in multiple cryptocurrencies as it’s more beneficial than investing in one sole type of crypto. The moral of the story – if you lose in one, you might gain in another.