Yelläks /ˈyæl•eks/

My friend paid cash into my bank account maintained at the State Bank of India (SBI) IISc branch from an SBI branch that is not even 500m away. For that transaction I paid Rs.25 inter city charges. As far as I know, Mathikere is still in Bangalore. I complained to the IISc branch, but the lady at the desk told me that this is the new fee structure that came into affect on September 1^st.

So paying in cash that generates revenue for the bank is now also charged to create even more revenue for the same bank. That makes transferring money between branches of different banks across the continent is much cheaper (current cost Rs. 5, NEFT) than at the branch of the same bank just around the corner. Many people in various platforms and forums started to complain about this new fee structure giving all details about their transactions. What happens, if I pay let’s say Rs.1 into a more or less randomly selected bank account (e.g. one of the poor chaps in the forum). Will they also deduct Rs.25? For me it cost only Rs.1 which I have plenty of (just yesterday a neighbor gave me Rs.575 in coins which he collected over the year). But how many Rs.24 has the receiver? Does anybody have the bank account number of the SBI CEO?

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So, my laptop broke and I was searching for a new one. I was interested in a Dell laptop and had a few questions especially regarding international warranty and the possibility to return the license of the preinstalled Windows 7. Since it is legally not very sound to sell something and after the completion of the purchase, you are informed about your rights and privileges, the Windows end user agreement contains the following paragraph even in bold:

By using the software, you accept these terms. If you do not accept them, do not use the software. Instead, contact the manufacturer or installer to determine their return policy for a refund or credit.

Wikipedia: Windows Refund

I asked the Dell chat experts about their return policy and an international warranty for the Vostro business line. The Dell Expert was aware of that particular paragraph of the license and the quote that was sent to me later, mentioned only a preinstalled Ubuntu 10.10. Also the international warranty was discussed and concluded that I have to transfer the tag that comes with the machine, to the new country before I am leaving the current country.

After that I contacted the Dell chat again, but this time it was the sales department for the main stream XPS line. And here is the protocol of that chat:

Session Started with Agent
Alex: warranty of xps 15z -> international? cost of laptop without preinstalled software
Agent: Welcome to Dell India Chat! My name is XXX and I will be your Dell.com Chat Expert. I can be reached at xxx@Dell.com or via phone at 1-800-425-xxxx Ext-yyyy How can I help you today?
Alex: Hey, I just have 2 small questions: 1) the warranty that comes with the xps 15z does it cover repairs world wide? meaning if i go to e.g. germany and something happens, will i be able to call the german support and get it repaired?
Agent: it is by default with 3 year complete cover
[This was nicely copied from the web page stating "3-year XPS Premier Service with 3-year CompleteCover" and did not answer the question at all.]
Alex: yes, but it says nowhere, if it is covered world wide
Agent: where you will get international warranty
Alex: at dell for instance?
Agent: but once you go to some other country , you will have to customer care to transfer the tag number
Alex: k, that is not a problem, is it?
Alex: is it possible to transfer the tag of the xps 15z to dell in germany?
Agent: you will have to contact customer care for this query
Alex: k, another/last question: how much will the price be reduced, if the xps does not come with any pre installed software. according to the license agreements, which i have to reject, the manufacturer has a policy in place to return the license. however a lot of work could be avoided, if the laptop does come with anything installed
Agent: please contact 1800-425-4026 / 080-2506-8026
[So he does not know. Customer care most probably will answer questions only after I became a customer.]
Agent: it will come bydefault with operating system , window 7
Alex: so the license says abnd i am citing from it: “by using the software, you accept these terms. if you do not accept them, do not use the software. instead, contact the manufacturer or installer to determine its return policy.” so that i am doing and asking for the return policy so that i know, if i get any difficulties, AFTER i spend almost Rs.70000
Agent: sir the os you will get along with the machine is the original version , even you will get the drivers for the same , and there is no option to buy the system without the os
Alex: that is fine. so i have the right to send it back as the license of windows 7 says. so i want to know, if you are aware of the return policy that dell MUST have in place (again according to the license cited above) and what is the procedure for that. if you never heasrd anything like that, then dell is clearly violating the license and i wont buy it form you
Alex: see, i want to know these things before i spend so much money. so that in the end, i have all the trouble
Agent: if any damage happens or if anything wrong happens you can make complaint against it , but there is no cahnce for such situation
[What is he telling here? I am slowly loosing my patience.]
Agent: all we give is the license version
Alex: k, it seems you are not getting it. i am not asking for a pirated version. ever heard about other operating systems apart from windows? i am citing from the license that comes with your genuine windows. clearly according to the license which is a legal statement, it is the responsibility of dell to have a return policy for that particular software in place. and i thought i am talking to an EXPERT who knows what you are selling. you are wasting my time. thanks for making it so clear that i will not buy from dell and i better invest in some other company. if you do not even know what you are selling, i do not even want to know, how the customer care people are AFTER i spend my money.
Session Ended

So in the end I did not buy from Dell.

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Due to my annoying mouse and power cord untangling adventures I experienced every day when I shifted my laptop from my room to lab and vice versa, I bought a wireless mouse designed by Microsoft. By running over the pages of the Terms and Conditions that came with the mouse out of pure boredom, I tripped over this paragraph explaining, under what circumstances the warranty voids:

If a supernatural power decides to destroy my tiny wireless mouse, Microsoft ensured that they do not have to pay for it. It might be hard for a customer to prove that if the mouse breaks, it was not caused by God. A supernatural power should take care of Microsoft and put some brains into the legal department of that company. In any case: Congrats! Nice move, Tinysoft. Let’s hope, my mouse will remain insignificant enough.

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Recently I bought rechargeable batteries and a charger from a China based company called Soshine and the items work as expected and to my satisfaction. However it is interesting to see, how much difficulties the English language causes to the Chinese. Sometimes the English is so weird that it is simply hilarious, or so bad that it does not make sense at all.

On the packaging of the rechargeable batteries it says: “Guarantee: We guarantee that we will repair or replace, at out option. [period here] Any device damaged by these Soshine Ni-Mh rechargeable batteries.” Ok, assuming that the period is only a mistake, this sentence even makes sense. The paragraph continues: “Guarantee void if batteries are charged by user or device.” This is also perfectly fine, so why this post?

These batteries are not low-discharging batteries, which keep the charge for several weeks or months. As you can see in the photo, the batteries were able to provide a voltage of 1.083V under no load from a nominal 1.2V after arrival. So literally the batteries were exhausted. The Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) informs the reader that the batteries “are generally pre-charged at about 30% of the rated capacity” and “have a self-discharge rate of about 30% a month”. So to use the batteries almost everybody has to charge them first which in turn will void the guaranty. Assuming that the management of Soshine knows the facts mentioned on their own web page and packaging, the question is: Why did they put the sentence on the package at all? I have never seen anybody breaking a device by putting empty batteries into it.

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Actually I wanted to participate at the BSA Cyclothon held in Bangalore by the last week of January 2011. So happy I started to fill out the registration form. But then I got stuck in surprise by reading this section:

The question is: What does a company called “Sport18″, which is a “division of Network18 Media and Investments Limited” (recited from the Terms and Conditions) which has been founded as “SGA Finance and Management Services Private Limited” in 1956 (see this PDF), doing with that data? It does not seem they have a lot to do with sports.

The answer is hidden in the Terms and Conditions:

1. First: “In consideration of the Participant’s use of the Event’s Website, the Participant agrees to: (i) provide true, accurate, current and complete information about the Participant contained in any registration form (such information being the ‘Registration Data’)”
2. And here it comes: “The Organizer reserves the right to use any photographs (including those of participants), motion pictures, recordings, or any other media records (remark: that also includes the registration data) of the Event, for any legitimate purpose including commercial advertising and distribution to the Sponsors.”

And the best thing: For the processing of your data for marketing purposes (“Hey, this guy does not have an insurance, so let’s call him/her!” or “Hey, this guy has an insurance, but let’s call him/her anyway, maybe we can change the policy!”), for that service you pay a registration fee of only Rs. 300. Although and to be truthfully, some of that money might be diverted into the actual race event.

However for absolutely no charge, I can cycle in the BBC races and sometimes a contribution of some money into the vitamin M box is considered to be nice.

Enjoy the ride! I have better things to do!

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To pursue the PhD program in India, a foreign national needs a Research Visa. Usually the visa application form and the passport is sent along with the necessary documents to the Indian embassy in Frankfurt which is responsible for the area I lived in. However two (or so) years back, the service of receiving the forms and sending them back together with consultation has been outsourced to an agency called Indo German Consultancy Services Ltd (IGCS). So I started to apply for the Research Visa through the IGCS and then the odyssey started. Concluding from my experiences with the IGCS seems that not many have the idea to do their PhD in India. Here is a history of events:

August/September 2007:
Started to gather information about Research Visa. Although mentioning the whole background to IGCS and stressing out, that I want to to PhD in India, the IGCS in Frankfurt claimed that a Research Visa either does not exist or that it is the same as the Student Visa.

Even information read from the homepage Ministry of Human Resources and Development and from the Indian embassy in Japan to IGCS people in Frankfurt and Cologne saying that there exists a Research Visa, was answered with one of the well known replies above. Due to that (I mean the IGCS people are supposed to be the professionals regarding visa questions, aren’t they?) I applied for a Student Visa in November 2007.

Then I had a long fight with IGCS and the Academic Deputy Registrar, Mr. S., about Research and Student Visa for the next 2 months. Mr. S. insisted on the Research Visa, whereas the IGCS had obviously difficulties to believe what Mr. S. said, and even more difficulties to check out the existence of the Research Visa by themselves.

27.12./28.12.08:
Mr. T from the IGCS was suddenly aware of a Research Visa after 4 months of quarreling.

January 2008:
I won the scholarship for PhD students of the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst – DAAD). They also will take care of the prospective scholars and sent the application form for the Research Visa. They collected all applications from all scholars and sent it in one single packet to the Indian embassy in Berlin. The Indian embassy in Berlin forwarded the application for visa approval to Delhi. However in the meantime there was a circular from the MHRD (Ministry of Human Resources and Development) that “the power for issuing the visa has been fully delegated to the Indian missions abroad”.

On January 5^th, I moved to the Indian Institute of Science so that I do not loose any more time and started my career as a Project Assistant for which the Student Visa was sufficient.

September 2008:
The duration in which the Research Visa is issued, was said to be between 4 and 8 months. In September the 9^th month started, so I started to check out the current status of the Research Visa application.

October 2008:
It took a month of research to figure out, what has happened to my visa application. I believe it had been thrown away due to the circular letter and due to the following reasons:
Nobody I called up in Delhi was able to tell me anything about the visa as if it does not exist. Mr. P. the section officer of the MHRD responsible for Research Visa never heard anything about my application.

So I reapplied once again, but this time I made sure that the circumstance are set and that the Indian embassy and the IGCS are aware of this application. I sent the complete application set to the IGCS in Hamburg (because they answered the phone [I called all IGCS offices and embassies randomly] and only IGCS Hamburg was very professional and gathered information FIRST, before telling some invented facts such as “Research Visa? Doesn’t exist.”). However they insisted that I gave an address of correspondence in Germany. So I gave the one of my brother who stays in North Rhine-Westphalia. The IGCS figured out that the Indian embassy in Hamburg is not responsible since my brother lives in the wrong state, and therefore forwarded the application form to Frankfurt.

With the people in Hamburg it has also been clarified that for application submission I do not need to be in Germany itself. For collecting the visa, it is compulsory.

November 2008:
A reply by Dr. S. from the IGCS in Frankfurt about the progress of the visa application said, that I have to be in Germany for the paper submission. That is a contradiction to the statement above. A reply to that asking for clarification was without any response till now. More important: Also asking for a status update about the progress was without any reply at all so far.

December 2008:
I lost the DAAD scholarship, because it is in cooperation with the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) in Delhi. Since I did not get the visa for more than 1 year, they canceled my application. So thanks to the IGCS and their inability to verify information, I lost a scholarship of EUR1052 a month for three years. I also would like to mention that for every application the IGCS collected nicely EUR13.50 for their “consultation”.

January 2009:
I got my visa without the “help” of the IGCS, but the scholarship is gone.

August 2009:
I sent another mail to the IGCS and received feedback almost immediately. If it is an automated reply or not, we will see. Mr. S. J. replied that he will look into that matter, but it might require some time.

November 2009:
So far no more word from Mr. S. J. A kindly reminder was also left without a reply.

As you can see, I made a very bad experience with IGCS and I know some others who have the same difficulties. Unfortunately there is not much of an alternative, if you need a visa for visiting India. I recommend to show no patience towards them and to camp in front of their door, if necessary, to get things settled. Do not listen to any information IGCS provides but get the information by yourself through the Internet or friends. Due to some legal reasons I had to blank out the names I had contact with.

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Around 2 weeks ago a representative of Airtel called (I do not know, how they got my number), telling me that they have special broadband packet offers. Since I have already broadband and I am happy with it, I am always interested in offers which either gives me the same product for lesser money or a better packet for the same money. However showing interest in the first place was a big mistake. The representative forwarded my phone number to the “expert” regarding broadband packets and she called the same day in the afternoon. Obediently she read all the packets and their content to me until I stopped her.

I said: “Listen, currently I have a broadband connection that has 2Mbps, 2.5GB traffic per month for free and it costs me around Rs.500. Do you have anything in this category?”
Expert: “Yes, 2Mbps, some limited amount of traffic (I forgot) and the price is Rs.899″.
I: “Eeeehm, you tell me, why I shall pay more for almost the same thing.”
Expert: “So, you are not interested? Maybe you are interested in this packet: Starter for only Rs.399″
I: “So what is the speed? 256kpbs?”
Expert: “Correct.”
I: “???????, so why shall I change? For less than double the monthly amount I get a connection that has 8 times the speed and much more free traffic.”
Expert: “So, you are not interested?”
I: “Not at all.”
Expert: “Ok, sir. Have a nice day.”
I: “You too, bye.”

This is a summary of the whole conversation. Although I made myself clear that no Airtel packet suits me, Airtel seems to be so desperate to get customers. Within 2 weeks they keep calling and calling almost 3 times a day. Whenever I see a telephone number like 0804210XXXX or 0804110XXXX on my display, I immediately know that Airtel is calling. I started to answer a call like this:

Cell phone rings.
I: “Good afternoon, dear Airtel call center. You want to sell me broadband packets, right?”
That causes some surprises at the other end.
I: “See, you already called something like 15 times and I am still not interested. Please delete my records from your databases. Could you do me this favor?”
Expert (very sorry): “Ok, sir. Sorry, sir.”

But the learn effect equals zero. So I tried this:
“The person you are trying to speak to is, currently not available. Please leave a message after the beep.”
Then I take my high pitch sports whistle and blow into the mike. After that, I simply cut the call.

However, even that seems not to work. So I listened to a fax machine recently and I copy the sound:
I: “Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeppp Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Sssshhhhhhhhhhh, beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep”
Expert: “Hello? Hello?”
I: “Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeppppp”
Cut

Let’s see, when they learn it. If I get some time, I am going to talk to their supervisor. But as long as I have my fun, I do not see a reason for it. Let me know, if you got an idea what else to try.

[Update 23/04/2010]
Finally the calls stopped for a few days now. The trick was to deny that they talk to the right person. I mean anybody could have given a cell phone number to the promoting boy:

Airtel: “Hello sir. I am calling for Airtel, do I speak to Mr. Alex?”
I: “Alex? Who is that?”
Airtel: “Is this not the number of Mr. Alex?”
I: “Sorry, I do not know anybody by that name. My name is Achmed.”
Airtel: “So, you did not put your contact details into the register stating that you are interested in Broadband connections?”
I: “Listen, I have no clue, what you are talking about. I think, you have the wrong number.”
Airtel: “Ok, sorry for the disturbance.”

>Click<

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A Bullman laptop comes with lots of advantages: high resolution and especially anti-glare screen (that means, you cannot see yourself and the room behind you, when the screen is darker), excellent keyboard and superb support in Linux apart from the very friendly costumer support.

I bought a Bullman laptop around 2.5 years ago and I never had any trouble. It worked right from the start. However recently my graphics adapter started to fail (GT8600M) and I suspect the famous hardware bug that finally shows up. Unfortunately my warranty is over for around 6 months and I shifted to India. However I got in touch with the support of Bullman. A new graphics adapter is available and there is not problem to ship it to a German address so that I can replace it by myself. In that case my brother would forward the adapter further to India.

And this service would have cost me only EUR242 including shipping within Germany! Honestly, who is going to pay that price? EUR242 for a graphics adapter as a spare part for a laptop that is more than 2.5 years old? For your information, when I bought the laptop, I paid around EUR1200 including shipping and bag in total. For that money I can get a completely new machine. I do not know, who is making the prices there, but this is way to much. So currently I am trying to get a graphics card on eBay, but I doubt that it will work. I guess Bullman has locked the BIOS so that this option will not be available. In fact I tried another GT8600M (MXM II interface, same memory, but newer board revision) with the same configuration in my laptop, but nothing came up. Not even the light for the LCD. It seems I have to throw this machine into the garbage and buy a new one. But this time, it will be from a company that offers service worldwide and a long warranty. Actually Bullman offers to provide warranty for a longer period for extra money. I should have done that. If you are interested in a Bullman laptop, then take that offer. Otherwise you might spend too much money, if you need a spare part one fine day. In my opinion, the price politics is a very big minus point for that company despite the many advantages on the other side. But how will I benefit or use these advantages, if it broke down and I have to invest more than 20% of the original buying price for spare parts?

Anyone interested in the remainings of the laptop? Everything apart from graphical output works without a problem. I can SSH into the laptop and start simulations and compilations. But the graphical output on the LCD is not readable.

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