Feel da game!

Sorry for a boring social article . Now let us watch a video about ultrasonic gaming. Whoa! Sounds great, right? Now it is the time to feel it!

Like it when your game controller vibrates? You’re part of the majority that ought to be impressed by all the goodness that haptic technology has to offer. Takayuki Iwamoto and his team at the University of Tokyo have developed a device that uses ultrasound waves to create invisible surfaces that you can feel, which means that eventually, you’ll be able to poke your enemies in the eye, and feel the squish against your finger.

Called the Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display, the device can only create fake surfaces in the vertical plane, and can’t go beyond a certain intensity, lest it bust your eardrums. Eventually, though, the researchers hope to create a device that will let you interact with objects as you would in reality–squash soft stuff, bonk against hard surfaces, that sort of thing.

Watch it @:
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=hSf2-jm0SsQ&eurl=

AIR-INDIA : “We make your life miserable”

I had a wonderful experience last weekend. One of my friends was supposed to board an Air-India from Bangkok to Hyderabad on sunday. Guess what, he had to board a flight, which never existed. Interesting, right? He was issued a ticket from Air-India for its own flight on Sunday, which actually doesnt operate on sundays. So my buddy whoz stuck up at Bangkok airport, tried to approach the Air-India counter, it was closed (kewl!). He tried to reach the Thailand Air-India helpline, it was out of order. Local airport authorities have politely asked him to do all the discussions with Air-India itself.

Now, this poor and helpless fella called me from a phone booth and asked me to talk to the customer support here in India.

Here, enter the dragon(s):

Round 1: Mumbai Air-India office – Support Team:
Two amazing guys (probably typical Biharis), just repeatedly gave me the info “Sir, the flight doesn’t operate on sunday”. I’ve tried to explain the situation in combinations of English and Hindi and successfully got the number of international helpline, Bangalore. I had to sweat a bucket to get it.

Round 2: Bangalore Intl Customer Support:
I took an energy drink after round 1 and called the support team. This time it was the turn of a Tamilian, who always uttered “No Problem” after every sentence he spoke. Thanks to my Tamil Speaking skills, i was able to make him understand the problem in Tamil, after failing to deliver the message in English (upto his skill level).

He had three messages for me:
Number 1: He doesnt have any info/knowledge to help me in the situation, except for his computer message “Flight doesnt operate on Sunday”
Number 2: His Boss is on Off and only 2 people were on the floor, the other was also a gem of his type!
Number 3: “No Problem” [Phew!]

After 20 minutes of struggle, i had to disconnect the call, as i was worried about my mental health.

Round 3: Hyderabad!
After approx 45 mins struggle, i worked on yellow pages, just dial and local airport authorities, i finally got the personal number of a duty officer who was surprised to see a ticket issued for a flight for a date on which it doesn’t operate!

He’d asked my dear friend to wait for a day until the counter at Bangkok airport is re-opened and then wait for their alternate arrangements!

Until yesterday, i was having a feeling that the domestic support executives (banking, telecom) were capable of creating deja-vu in our minds!

But believe me, Air-India is the leader! Only hard-working Indians can fight with the support. It is the best way to panic a foreigner who has no clue of the support team’s communication skills!

Buddies, wiseful suggestion : Never book an Air-India flight, if you do, then wait for miracles to happen!