Edunology - Saumya Aggarwal

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Recently Facebook beat Google in searches, and now Microsoft plays host to Facebook on the Azure Cloud. Isn't this interesting, well changing times even for search giant.
A new toolkit was released for Facebook. This toolkit enables Facebook apps to run in the Azure Cloud.

It can be easily downloaded on:

http://facebookazuretoolkit.codeplex.com/

The toll kit provides hook ups, but if you want to create a new application, you better get to this page and learn how to create an IFRAMES CANVAS application!

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ee695841.aspx

You can find the following in this toolkit:

Facebook Developers Toolkit
Ninject 2.0 for Dependency Injection
Asp.Net MVC 2
Windows Azure Software Development Kit (February 2010)
AutoMapper Link
Azure Toolkit - Simplified library for accessing Message Queues, Table Storage and Sql Server
Automated build scripts for one-click deployment from TFS 2010 to Azure

So get going guys.

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Innovation is the key in financial markets. We can see new innovated products, so called Highest NAV Guaranteed Plans . The only thing companies are trying to cash in here is huge marketing with as always confused investors. The belief looking at such schemes is that we will get highest returns, which is not the case here. Please read on.

In this article, I have tried to analyze the working of Highest NAV Guarantee ULIP’s work, and please appreciate that schemes are structured to allow fund managers to access your amount from 0 to 100%. The catch is that companies keep schemes with high lock in period.

The working of these schemes-

Strategies like Dynamic Hedging and CPPI (Constant proportion portfolio insurance) from derivatives world are being used. But, let me explain a simplified version of the process.

In the beginning, let’s assume a NAV of Rs 10, and the Asset allocation is 100% in equity and 0% in debt . Now suppose, the market moves up and NAV goes upto Rs 15 by the end of the first year, at this point, try to understand what Insurance company has to provide – they have to make sure, that they provide at least Rs 15 as the return after 6 yrs . Now in order to achieve this, all they have to do is keep X amount in debt instruments which will mature in next 6 years and provide Rs 15 at the end of 6 yrs, so assuming the debt return at 7%, they need to put around Rs 10 in Bonds , so that the maturity of the bond is Rs 15 at the end of 6 yrs .

=> 10 * (1.07)^6

=> 15.007

They can now invest the rest Rs 5 in Equity as Rs 10 is allocated to Debt . So, now they’ve made sure that whatever happens to the market, they get Rs 15 for sure at the end of 6 yrs. Now, there are two possibilities

Case 1 : Market Goes down : If market goes down, the NAV will go down correspondingly, but as per the strategy, the maturity value will be at least Rs 15.

Case 2 : Market Goes up again : If market goes up at this point and the NAV rises above 15, for example say to Rs. 18, now again they will pull out money from Equity and allocate such an amount to debt, that the maturity at the end of total 7 yrs would be Rs 18 and so on…

Note :
* These highest guaranteed schemes do not provide wide range of product categories, such as equity-oriented growth funds, balance funds and debt funds.
* Guarantee on highest NAV is available only if you survive the term.

At present, there are six schemes available in the market namely Birla Sun Life Platinum Plus-III, Bajaj Allianz Max Gain, SBI Life Smart Ulip, Tata AIG Apex Invest Assure, LIC Wealth Plus and Reliance Highest NAV Guarantee Plan.

The most instructive thing in this whole business of guaranteed highest NAV products is the contrast between the illusions spun by those peddling complex financial products and the reality of simple, straightforward investing. It just reinforces one's belief that financial products are being designed whose goal is nothing more than to create a marketing hype which can manipulate the psychology of the ordinary saver.

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Nokia has announced that it is acquiring mobile-browser and service-platform provider Novarra. The financial terms were not disclosed.
Based in Chicago Novarra has 100 employees, has already deployed its technology with leading mobile operators around the world. With this Nokia is trying to enhance user experience on its handsets. The Nokia will get client base of telecom gaints including vodafone,Qualcomm.

"Delivering an optimized Internet experience on our devices is core to our mission," said Nokia Executive Vice President Niklas Savander. "Novarra's Internet services technology delivered on the world's most widely used mobile platform, Nokia's Series 40, will help us achieve this."

The actuals as I analyse

Nokia is expected to integrate this new service with its offering in later part of this year. The goal is to help the handset maker connect the next billion consumers to the Internet, primarily on mobile devices based on Nokia's Series 40 platform.

"By driving innovation in all segments of our portfolio, we are building one of the largest consumer audiences for web services and content," Savander said.

Series 40 is running on low-end and mid-tier mobile devices around the globe. It is widely used platfrom and Nokia currently integrates a web browser with communication applications. Nokia offers email client with POP3 and IMAP4 alongwith multimedia, personal information management (PIM) applications.


"If you look at Nokia's results, most of the mobile phones are S40, while mobile computers are" based more on the S60, noted Gartner Research Director Carolina Milanesi. The Novarra deal, she said, "will allow Nokia to have a more competitive offering in the low end, where consumers value better Internet browsing as well."

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Guys today i went to U.P., it was a one day program with family. Thats right and it also means that I had to do a lot of driving. Coming to the point, I really liked the people of U.P. They are really generous and greet visitors with lot of charm. But the ride inside U.P. from Delhi (my homecity) was not smooth.

The roads are too loosy maintained. Have a look at one snap!

There are bumps in the roads, and when you know you have to drive another 100kms with avegare speed of 25 miles per hour, you would say alongwith me what a shit!!!!
But as it was family program, I decided to go with it. Apart from those driving hassels, I really enjoyed my trip specially those mid dhabas and eateries. I still can feel the taste of those shikanjis and samosas....

Do comment on your observation of similar issues.

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I was traversing through new community website on cloud computing.

 
www.allyourclouds.com

This community is really attracting some good technical people around and serving very niche segment of this upcoming technology which is poised to take over the world!

Just post the question and someone in the community will answer it for you. Be it Azure, Google app, rackspace, go-gird. A one stop solution to all your questions.

You don't need new id to create on this community. It follows openid, just go and learn-share cloud computing.

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I am sure about technical capabilities of Google but was really considering some barriers with Google Wave and Google Buzz:




Innovation is the word associated with Google, the same it has tried with Wave and Buzz. But as I analyze there is not much fizz and buzz in either.

Google Buzz seems to cash on Gmail users or rather going beyond to enrich the user experience.

Missing clear value proposition: Wave with open APIs is definitely a plus but it seems to be solving only specific expert system problems. The value proposition is unclear in Google Wave case.


Google Buzz has reduced setup time, friend invitation but is not able to deliver same user experience as provided by social networking sites like Facebook.

Also now the major point, Google Wave experience is clunky, when you develop a new tool how about actually leveraging a mobile platform rather than simple porting it.

Google recognized this and Google Buzz is going to be mobile-enabled from day one that leverages location-awareness amongst other things. I hope that the mobile experience is not same as the web experience and actually makes people want to use it on the phone.

You could argue that why Google Buzz is going to be different since Google did have a chocolate box variety tools before Google Buzz - Latitude, Profile, Gmail, Wave and so on. I believe that it is all about the right experience that matches the consumers' needs in their preferred environment and not a piece of technology that solves a standalone problem. If done right Google Buzz does have potential to give Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Gowalla run for money.

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With Delhi Daredevils match going on in Delhi v Mumbai Indians, I could not have asked for more. Though I wished to see the match live at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium but neveramind, my stupidbox at home is fair enough for today. Now that Mumbai has posted a huge total, I think it would be good contest with Delhi's strong batting lineup. Nothing thrills more that seeing Viru bat in world cricket. Going off to watch the match, signing off for now!

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Today I felt like blogging again leaving all past blog enteries. I wish to continue this passion forever. Kindly help me in suggesting topics to blog.