Wordcamp Mumbai #WCMumbai 2014

Annkur Wordcamp Mumbai

After missing the first Wordcamp India (Delhi) in 2009, last year I got an opportunity to attend the my first Wordcamp at Pune. I got introduced to a whole new set of like minded junta (yet the ones who would blow me away with their talent, creativity & lightheartedness). I also travelled to Baroda to participate at Wordcamp earlier this year and when WC finally arrived to hometown Mumbai, I couldn’t wait to see how the participants mix here would be.

From what I saw, this was one of the only events in Mumbai with more developers than non techies (success or failure?). Wordcamp by its nature attracts a lot of community folks from across the country and that is something I really love. People traveling from Kolkata, Lucknow, all parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra for an event = wow. The Mumbai organizers surely did great by keeping the ticket pricing at Rs 300 (or pay whatever you like over 300) – cheers to Gounder, Kane and the team!  Read More

a hint – picture embedded in my eyes!

Traveling alone to the US and exploring things wasn’t exactly my POA for this trip but then that’s how it happened. Tired of exploring NYC  and to take back atleast something more to tell friends about USA (except for the Atlantic City Casinos) … I started out for Niagara Falls. While I am informed that the US end isn’t the best place to see the falls from, it didn’t matter to begin with. I went in with the feeling thats its ‘just another water fall’ and came back with a heavenly experience.

So what was it like? I didn’t carry a camera with me on this trip and even if I did … any of my photographs would have been anything but injustice to the beauty of nature. You got to see it and feel it in person.

Some of the best pictures I ever clicked are in my eyes! And to such life stopping moments I add the second one in July. Way too human to describe the first one, even the Niagara Falls is yet to sink in as a reality for me. This day in life I have seen a rainbow that reappears every second with mist flying in the air and with that a heavenly experience of clouds forming right in front of my eyes (yes seriously!).

BarCamp Mumbai 6 – An experience

I am starting to like the idea of ruining my weekends running around volunteering for unconferences. hey did i tell ya that this will be one of those #random #incomplete posts. The fact remains that I declined the invitation to be an unorganizer and @vivekk forced (tricked) me into it. Btw: this pic below is after #bcm6 and was taken by @mahafreed. I kinda like this pic and so decided to write this post, so that I can put it on my blog … sssh! Barcamps are these weird meets, unlike the name – there is no alcohol here and that suits me well, well maybe.

So I started writing this post while listening to this, and I am originally supposed to put this on facebook, but i am too lazy to switch tabs and do that. (Update: this is this). Now as I write, I see that my sweet little sis is complaining that I havn’t posted anything psyco (did I spell that correctly?) (cares who.. jaane do), like this since a long time. (Update: This this is this, or perhaps something else) Yes I am now a little sleepy aswell. So what happened at Barcamp? Well I stole this T-Shirt from @sengupta, took 2 under tree sessions along with @priyankawriting and @vivekk (or rather stuck my foot in their undertree sessions),

btw the food was yummy. Imagine what would have happened if I would have okayed that food from the SPJIMR MESS 😛 (@vivekk saved you’all the horror). I also hijacked 2 sessions  or rather hijacked one for 2 mins with permission, helped @farrhad hijack one and stuck my foot / or ws it my tongue? in @monikkinom’s super cool session. OOPS this was about me at barcamp, so what happened at barcamp6 actually? Well when you are on my page, you better look for me and what i did, not bcm6  – shame on you. OK silly. Whtever!

bcm6

The Debate: Blog Came Pune 2 Video

Here is a small video from my talk at BCP2 in June earlier this year. This one is really special. It was the first time I took a session at any unconference / seminar and what better audience than my fellow bloggers to interact with. Though I was really nervous it was a proud moment for me. Thank you all for the support.

If you cant see the video click here

More BCP2 videos soon

James Cameron takes the phrase “willing suspension of disbelief” to a whole new level with his latest ‘Avatar’

A guest post by Urmimala Rajkhowa (@urmiraj14)

Love it or hate it, after watching a James Cameron movie, there is always an extreme reaction. In this case, ‘Avatar’ got me really enthusiastic about it, and this was only after watching a short preview in a special screening yesterday in Mumbai, India. You can imagine my reaction after I watch the complete movie!

avatar-annkur

It took more than 12 years for James Cameron to bring this visual buffet to the movie screen for the benefit of us mere mortals. Granted, you might have heard of  the plot before, but what makes this movie more enjoyable is everything else surrounding the story. And of course, the 3D effects made the live-action scenes just flat-out fun to watch. I don’t know – and don’t pretend to know – the technology that goes behind 3D movie-making, but watching the scenes in 3D definitely made a lot of difference. Some of the differences were more subtle, while others were of the 3D kind but at a higher-than-expected standard.

Some of the scenes definitely felt like I was watching a slickly-designed game being played out. (Yes, I may be considered a noob since I wasn’t aware that Mr. JC recently previewed the 3D Avatar video game.) Throughout the screening, and at the end of the movie, Read More

#BlogCampPune 2 – Late Reaction

Attending Blog Camp Pune 2 at SICSR (Symbiosis) was a great adventure. We (myself, ankesh, tarun, thakkar) left right after the monthly #Aptw tweetup in Mumbai (thats around midnight). At past 3AM we were hunting for some humans on empty Pune streets to ask for directions towards ThakkarJr‘s house. Not sure what time we reached there but we enjoyed Pani Puri’s that were waiting for us and theplas that my mom packed with me.

Read More

Busy June…

June 2009 is probably one of the most busiest months this year (yet). HeadStart, StartupSaturday, Nischay keeps me busy with events and on the other hand tones of smartphone releases makes things at OnlyGizmos Network hectic.

An upcoming Blog Camp in Pune is something I am really looking forward to. Its IMO the biggest meet of Bloggers in West India. Scheduled for 27th June. Also coming up on 26th is the Aperitweat in Mumbai.

So all in all I want to say though I am composing a few posts on mobile, I doubt if there would be many from me this month. Guest Posts most welcome (almost anything goes on my blog)…  🙂

Btw: hope to see you at HeadStart this saturday (june 10th) – Buy the tickets here! A peek-a-boo at the conference hall below

Read More

Startup Saturdays / HeadStart – What? Why? How?

Many of you would have been receiving mail from me inviting you to something called ‘Startup Saturdays’. Over the past few years I have been associated with a variety of events – from DJ nites (when I was in college) to NGO activities (Nischay). Over the past few months I have come across this amazing group called HeadStart.

So what is HeadStart? What exactly is StartupSaturday? Why is annkur here? How is it relevant to you/me? – I would take this opportunity to answer all these for you today!

Read More

Nischay #April 2009

After a long break Nischay team came together last saturday (4th April) to organize a entertainment program @ Mother Teresa Home for the Aged at Santacruz W.

The event was a success and hopefully Nischay would organise a few more in the coming days. Complete updates on the Nischay Orkut Community 🙂 (Special thanks to Mr & Mrs Sheth for guiding us for this event i.e. @kunalsheth’s parents).

Also something I wanted to post since long: Nischay coverage in One India One People Magazine.

opti2 opti

Click image to enlarge

Startup Saturday on Valentines Day

Feb 09 edition of Startup Saturday saw a full house @ FMB1 SP Jain. Brajeshwar demoed his startup Ocricket and Kashyap shared the vision and story behind InkFruit!

We also had a very interesting session by Eklavya of C2W who generously gave out T-Shirts and Caps while speaking about the power of UGC – User Generated Content.

As for the Valentines Day – Netra was gifted with a homepage 🙂 yeah!!

netra