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e-books
Pop
jewellery Bling it on
PACESETTER CHEENA Kaul
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e-books For a generation that thrives on instant gratifications, it is a trend that was waiting to arrive. What started as a niche fad is fast becoming a global phenomenon. With one of the world’s largest book distributors Barnes & Noble launching its electronic books domain, the era of the virtual books is upon us. This is not the first — and certainly not the last company — to retail virtual books that can be downloaded on a computer. The field is already crowded with internet retail giants like Amazon, Google, Mininova and others vying for the rapidly expanding pie. Barnes & Noble is retailing an e-reader called the Nook which connects wirelessly to download books from its online e-book store. According to a computer geek, the digital reader “marries innovative technology with sleek minimalist design.” Besides books, Nook also offers virtual copies of magazines and newspapers from around the world. Interestingly, it is the only e-reading device that comes with a built-in glow light to facilitate reading in low light conditions. Nook is directly competing with Amazon’s reading device called Kindle, Sony’s Reader and Samsung’s E6. There are several other digital readers flooding the market that include names like Icarus, Kobo, Pocketbook, Hanovan and many more.
Print to digital format
Amazon and Barnes & Noble have digitised more than a million titles each that can be loaded in the digital device. Leading companies are also offering electronic-ink screens to give readers the feel of a real book. Google is going beyond the digital reader. It has scanned millions of books and will market these through its own search engine itself and pay a royalty to the publishers. The search engine’s software will enable people to read books on any device, including laptops and mobile phones. It makes business sense for Google as it can retail e-books directly. So far, readers would browse available digital book titles on Google and then switch to Amazon or Barnes & Noble or any other online book retailer’s website for the purchase. However, the real advantage of digital books is going to go to writers who cannot find a publisher for their work. The new digital technology has the potential of eliminating the publisher and empower new and independent authors, who no longer have to find a publishing house.
Digital book publishing
Interestingly, the digital book publishing budgets are so small that almost anyone with a little money can take a creative risk and write a book. Experts predict that in the years to come, the technology will shift power from publishers to writers, who no longer need their permission or approval. With digital devices becoming commonplace, the era of the e-books has truly arrived. American writer Ralph Lonbregla says, “The most compelling reason is that a book in digital form will be available to readers immediately, and that it need not ever go out of print — because it was never in print in the first place!” So, are electronic reading devices the beginning of the end of the printed book? Not really, say industry experts. Soon every book will be offered both in print and digital format. Digital readers are revolutionising the way people read books. These combine the flexibility of the virtual world and the comfort of carrying books in your pocket.
NOOK SIMPLE TOUCH WITH GLOWLIGHT Pandigital which has made its name in photo-frames and scanners has now made a foray in the e-Reader segment. The Pandigital Novel is an attractive device and has a 7-inch full colour multipurpose LCD touchscreen display with 800×600 pixel resolution which clearly scores over other e-Readers. It has Wi-Fi, an Android 2.1 powered operating system and 2GB on-board memory with an integrated card reader that accepts up to 32GB memory cards as well as a mini-USB port and headphone jack. Best of all it has access to Barnes & Noble’s store for e-Books, magazines and newspapers. However, there are some glitches in this otherwise excellent e-Reader. It sometimes has patchy touchscreen responsiveness and sluggish browsing. If you can bear with that this is a great platform for reading e-Books which has all multimedia functions including HD video playback.
SAMSUNG E6 Somewhat like the mobiles of an earlier era the Samsung E6 e-Reader is a slider that features a 6-inch e-ink display with a resolution of 600X800 pixels. Though it can be compared to any standard device its strong features are its Internet connectivity with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 that makes downloading of books and newspapers very easy as also sharing of content with other devices. It has a text-to-speech feature which enables a book to be listened to when one is not in the mood of reading and there is a pair of built-in speakers with a headphone jack for the purpose. Its 2GB internal memory can store up to 1,500 books - or 24,000 pages of handwritten memos. There is also provision to add an extra 16GB of memory. It comes with an electromagnetic resonance (EMR) stylus pen which facilitates writing on the e-Book screen making it a very efficient e-reader.
KOBO TOUCH A very smart e-Reader, Kobo Touch is thin, light and has a good e-Ink screen. It comes in an assortment of new designer colours with a textured back. Weighing a light 185 grams it has a 6-inch high contrast e-Ink display and a freescale 508 processor. It has a storage space of 2GB and can store up to 30,000 e-Books with a 32 GB SD Memory Card it also has the ability to change fonts. For the content you have to have a Kobo account to sync the device. The good news is that its library of titles is as big as that of Kindle. Sockets are provided to transfer files and charge the battery and a microSD slot to expand the 2GB internal memory. The Kobo Touch has a dedicated fan following with many preferring it over other popular e-Readers.
ICARUS GO E-READER Price $129
(Rs 6,450)
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Pop
jewellery If it was a special occasion, then the chain reaching below the chest was replaced by a neck-hugging equally traditional gold necklace with jhumkas.
Today one can wear personalised jewellery, and if one is creative enough, one can make an accessory with whatever material is available — flowers, shells, beads, feathers, silken thread, coloured stones, leather pieces, fabric, clay pieces, paintings — just about anything and everything under the sky can be used to suit the mood of the day and the occasion without any one frowning with disapproval. There is no need to use precious metal to string these items. One can string them in nylon wires, silken thread, wool, jute thread, copper or steel wire or anything else that is handy at home. As Jacqueline Kapur, managing director of Ayesha Accessories from Puducherry says, “Jewellery should be something that expresses one’s personal feelings of that moment. It can be a petite neckpiece with may be just a little heart on it and it could also be a big pendant in bright neon colours. I don’t think this is age-bound as personal expression isn’t linked to any particular age group. Ayesha (my partner), my mom and me love to experiment with our accessories.” Accessory in the present-day world is a fun, imaginative item — a pop accessory. It needn’t be serious at all. Even if it is made of rich elements, it still can be fun but at the same time graceful to suit the event. “There is absolutely no occasion on which accessories cannot be worn. We make sure we a have a range of products that can be perfect for all occasions, whether it’s the wedding season, Diwali, New Year’s or just a party mood. Also the range is very accessible — from Rs 200 a piece to Rs10,000,” maintain Mumbai-based Sohel and Sonali Lalvani, director and designer of ToniQ accessories. That is the advantage of these fun or smart pieces of jewellery. From high school children to collegians to office-goers to socialites, all can afford these pieces. And many of these items at any given time can be detached, rearranged and made into a new creation. A beautiful pendant if worn twined under a scarf, can give a young and hep look where as if it is worn as a centre-piece with pearl, coral or some other semi-precious or gemstones, it can double up as formal wear. Manisha Mehta, business head, Bracialeto, a range of international jewellery with products of charms and Murano glass beads, says, “We give our customers the freedom to chose any beads from more than 1500 differently designed Murano beads we have in our collection. We also have around 250 varieties of charms — shoe, chappals, cross, horse heads etc. If they want to, then they can select a piece of only beads or they can intersperse it with charms. We string them in sterling silver wire with a patent locking system. And believe it or not, the age group range of customers who love to buy such fun pieces is from 20 to 45 years.” The trend is to offer youthful lifestyle accessories that offer affordable fashion options. More than the material used, emphasis is on the design and the price. Also change and newness is the mantra of these accessories. So every week there is something new in the market. Designers and makers of this pop jewellery try their best to keep up with the international trends. As today’s youth wants to follow global trends, so do the manufacturers of this jewellery. As Kapur says, “We try to keep up with the international trends but the problem is that trends change very fast in these items of funky jewellery. The latest trend is the use of feathers of every hue. We try to design for Indian girls with an international look. A lot of people design with recycling in mind and I personally own a necklace from South Africa which is made out of old rubber chappals!” Several international brands too, like FCUK, Lanvin, Chan Luu, Yves Saint Laurent, Erickson Beamon and several jewellery designers and brands are designing fun or fashion jewellery for women young at heart who want to make a statement while retaining their femininity. And as this is a trend which has caught the fancy of our women also, these brands are retailing at their outlets even in India. The only problem is they are slightly heavy on our purse. But then, we have several Indian designers and outlets to compete in design and prices with international brands. So why not enjoy jewellery instead of hoarding it.
Buddha necklace
Material: Semi-precious stones Price
Rs 9,152
Maiden pink cuff
Price
Rs 2,600
Set of seven bangles, metal and wood
Material: Metal and wood Price Rs 449
Set of six turquoise bangles
Material: Metal Price Rs 399
Snowcap rockcress hairband
Material: Metal and cloth
Price
Rs 2,200
Material: Metal
Price Rs 199
Bracelet with charms
Material: Metal and coloured stone
Campanula bell necklace
Material: Wood, wire and metal
Price Rs 5500
Leather necklace with a pendant with metal charms
Material: Leather and metal
Scarf necklace
Material: Semi-precious stones Price
Rs 10,712
Blue stone necklace
Material: Metal and stones
Price Rs 6,760
Dragonfly pendant
Material: Metal and coloured diamante
Price Rs 499
The jewellery has been designed by the following:
Rohita, Ayesha, Radhika Chanana, Archana Gulia, Shweta Ajmani and Sannam Chopra.
All products are available at lifestyle stores across the country, besides several boutiques
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Bling it on Auction price $4,23,000
(Rs 2.12 crore)
VILLA FOR THE POOCH
Price Starting at $6,000
(Rs 3 lakh)
Price $595
(Rs 29,750) ONE FOR THE ROAD
Price: $1.4 million per bottle of vodka
(Rs 7 crore)
GOLDEN APPLE
Price $4,599
(Rs 2.3 lakh)
EYE COOLERS
Price $40,84,967
(Rs 20.43 crore)
MASTERPIECE RE-LAUNCHED
Price $2,15,000
(Rs 1.075 crore)
MONEY MAKES THE BEAR
Price $1,250
(Rs 62,500)
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PACESETTER CHEENA Kaul The website opens with the image of a small child and drawing sheets with doodles on them. A grey background and a small car at the right hand corner is an explanation enough that it is child’s play. Created in 2011, www.littlesketchers.com is Cheena Kaul’s brainchild. At 37, when most women her age are forcing their kids into math classes and understanding how the body functions, Cheena is busy giving children a platform to go wild with doodling. www.littlesketchers.com is how she does it and paints it with an overwhelming thought of love. Creative Director of a software firm, Intelligaia Technologies Pvt Ltd, with husband Rajiv Kaul, this passout from Government College of Art, Chandigarh, has sought inspiration from her favourite book How To Think Like Leonardo. She is a rare example who has woven her expertise in the field of art and as a software developer and has experience as a mother to create something that’s attracting children, and their mothers. It was the routine of watching her two-and-a-half year old son draw, which led to the germination of thought. Today, the website is a favourite of all mothers who wish to showcase their little one’s creative talent. “It’s not only meant to share art works or basic doodles of children but also any stories the mothers wish to share,” Cheena says. The concept is based on the fact that one tends to learn better visually. For her, art is not just for the sake of art but also retaining information for the child. Cheena shares, “An adult can retain 29 per cent more information through drawings and doodling. Also, 1/3 rd of the population is that of visual learners.” Cheena has come up with a line of journals and sketchbooks called Curiosita. The attempt has led parents to document their child’s creativity and preserve it forever. The overwhelming response has brought excited mothers from all over the world together on the same platform. “The free online studios give the opportunity to create an online scrapbook for the child and it tends to encourage children to express more,” says Cheena. Basic education tends to begin at home and more on the dining table. Looking at this aspect, Cheena has come up with the concept of educational placemats. Made in vernacular languages, write on and wipe off, the mats are also open to customisation. Explaining how art today is looked as therapy as well, Cheena elaborates, “Several medical practitioners are using art to figure out what the child is undergoing on the basis of how he may draw a person.” According to Cheena, too much priority is given to mainstream education. Never without a sketch pen in her purse, she can never prevent a child from expressing with colours. “There are so many hyper active children who tend to calm down in a colourful environment,” she says. Currently, at the age of six, Tejjas, her son is on his way to express himself where ever he wants and however he wants, after all, colours are a part of his genetic inheritance.
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