UPDATE YOUR SONY ERCISSON PHONE MANUALLY WITH THE HELP OF THIS BLOG

Sony Ericsson W8 owners have long waited for the official Android 2.3.3 update to roll out for their devices. Preponed from Q4 to Q3 and then pushed back again to Q4, the prayers have now been answered and Android 2.3.3 can now be seen running on many Sony Ericsson W8 around the world. 

However, I am sure that there are a lot of people who are still using the outdated OS version 1.6 and haven’t updated their phone to Android 2.3.3 yet. 
This is a tutorial for those people who want to update their Sony Ericsson W8 to the latest update from the company. 
If you follow the instructions clearly then, by the end of the tutorial, you would have your phone running on Latest Android Version. 

Step 1. 

Download and install Sony Ericsson PC Companion and Sony Ericsson Update service inidually from http://www.sonymobile.com/gb/support/ Don't forget to select the type of your phone ( Sony Ericsson W8 ). Images below is use for example only, later appearance will not be much different. 




Step 2. 

Make sure that you backup all the data on your phone like messages, contacts, market applications etc before you proceed with the update. 

Its not necessary to backup the photos and songs as they are stored on the memory card and would not be lost in the process. But to be on the safer side it is recommended that you keep a copy of them on your computer. 

Step 3. 

After you are done with the backup, run update service on your system. Make sure that your system is connected to the internet before you run the update service. 

This step is ided into a checklist which needs to be considered before you begin. 

a. Check that you have the USB cable for the phone. 

b. Make sure that the phone battery is charged to at least 50%. 

c. Make sure that your phone is not connected to the system. 

The screen should look like the one below. 

Check the license agreement statement and click Start to begin. 
Step 4. 

Now, amongst the list of other Sony Ericsson phone, select Sony Ericsson W8 and click Next. 
Step 5. 

Follow the instructions as they appear on the screen. For your convenience, find the instructions written below as well. 

a. Turn off the phone and wait at least 30 seconds. 

b. Connect the micro- USB cable to the USB port on the system. 

c. Press and hold the Back key on the phone while connecting the USB cable into the phone. 

d. Continue holding the Back key until a message saying, “Release the Back key” appears on the screen. 

Step 6. 

Let the update service check your phone and search for the latest update. 
I already updated my phone to 2.3.3 before creating this tutorial, hence, the message I got was that my phone already has the latest software. But, if you are on Android 1.6, you would see the message that a new software update is available for your phone. 

Click on Update\Install to proceed with the same. 
The update service would now start downloading the software which is approximately 161 MB in size. The download may take several minutes depending on the speed of the internet connection. 
Step 7. 

After the software file has been downloaded, the service would begin installing the new operating system on your phone. During this time, make sure that the phone remains connected to the system. It may take several minutes to complete, so please be patient. 
Step 8. 

After the software has been installed, a message saying, your phone has been updated successfully, would appear on the screen. Click on Exit to close the update service. 
Now, you can disconnect the USB cable and switch on the phone. 
Step 9. 

The phone might take a long time to boot up after fresh installation of the operating system. So, give it some time and set up the phone once it starts. 

The phone would also seem to be a bit slow and laggy in the beginning. This is because the hardware needs to get accustomed to the new operating system. Play around for a couple of hours with the new update and you would find that the phone has resumed its fluidity. 
This is the method that I used to update my phone and it worked flawlessly for me. If you run into any problems, do let us know and we would help you out. 
Alternatively, you can try updating your phone with PC Companion, the video for which can be found on Sony Ericsson’s Support website.

REAL INDIAN HERO

                                                                       

                       DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam born 15 October 1931 usually referred to as A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, is an Indian scientist and administrator who served as the 11th President of India.

Kalam was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and completed his studies in aerospace engineering at Madras Institute of Technology (MIT – Chennai). He joined Aeronautical Development Establishment of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India and is known for his contributions to the aeronautical and missile technology of India.

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was elected president of India in 2002, defeating Lakshmi Sahgal, and was supported by both National Democratic Alliance(NDA) and BJP, then major political party of India. After serving office as a president till 2007 he is now a visiting professor at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and Indian 

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
Abdul Kalam at the 12th Wharton India Economic Forum, 2008
President of India
In office 26 July 2002 – 24 July 2007
Personal details
Born	15 October 1931 (age 80) Rameswaram, British India(present day Tamil Nadu, India)
Political party	Independent
Alma mater	St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli Madras Institute of Technology
Profession	Professor, Author, scientist Aerospace engineer
Religion	Islam
Website	abdulkalam.com

Institute of Management, Indore; Chancellor of Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram, a professor of Aerospace Engineering at Anna University (Chennai), JSS University (Mysore), and an adjunct/visiting faculty at many other academic and research institutions across India and is involved in philanthropic work.

Many critics, however, regard him as lacking in scientific credentials, an administrator rather than a scientist, who has mostly carried forward the works initiated by Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai. He has also been accused of exaggerating his achievements and claiming credit, in both India's nuclear and missile programmes, for work done by others.

Career as scientist

This was my first stage, in which I learnt leadership from three great teachers—Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, Prof. Satish Dhawan and Dr. Brahm Prakash. This was the time of learning and acquisition of knowledge for me.

“

”

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

After graduating from Madras Institute of Technology (MIT – Chennai) in 1960, Kalam joined Aeronautical Development Establishment of Defense Research and Development Organization as a chief scientist. There, Kalam started his career by designing a small helicopter for the Indian Army, but remained unconvinced with the choice of his job.Kalam was also part of the INCOSPAR committee working underVikram Sarabhai. In 1969, Kalam was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) where he was the project director of India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully deployed the Rohini satellite in near earth orbit in July 1980. Joining ISRO was one of Kalam's biggest achievements in life and he is said to have found himself when he started to work on the SLVproject. Kalam first started work on an expandable rocket project independently at DRDO in 1965. In 1969, Kalam received the government's approval and expanded the program to include more engineers.

Kalam addresses engineering students at IIT Guwahati

In 1963–64, he visited Nasa's Langley Research Center in Poquoson, Virginia, Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland and Wallops Flight Facility situated at Eastern Shore of Virginia. From the 1970s and 1990s, Kalam made an effort to develop the Polar SLV and SLV-III project which proved to be a success. In 1974, Kalam was shifted to the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), a subsidiary of DRDO.

Kalam was invited by Raja Ramanna to witness the country's first nuclear test, Smiling Buddha as the representative of TBRL, even though he had not participated in developing or even taken part in the test site preparations or weapon designing. In the 1970s, a landmark was passed when ISRO first launched into space the locally built Rohini-1, using the SLV rocket. In the 1970s, Kalam also directed Project Devil and Project Valiant – which sought to develop ballistic missiles from the technology of Kalam's successful SLV programme. Despite the disapproval of Union Cabinet, PremierIndira Gandhi allotted secret funds for these aerospace projects through her discretionary powers under Kalam's directorship. Kalam played an integral role convincing the Union Cabinet to conceal the true nature of these classified aerospace projects. His research and educational leadership brought him great laurels and prestige in 1980s, which prompted the government to initiate an advanced missile program under his directorship. As Chief Executive of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (I.G.M.D.P), he played a major part in developing many missiles in India including Agni and Prithvi, although the projects have been criticised for mismanagement and cost and time overruns. He was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of Defence Research and Development Organisation from July 1992 to December 1999. The Pokhran-II nuclear tests were conducted during this period where he played an intensive political and technological role. Kalam served as the Chief Project Coordinator, along with R. Chidambaram during the testing phase. Photos and snapshots of him taken by the media elevated Kalam as the country's top nuclear scientist although Kalam was not directly involved with the nuclear program at the time.

In the year 1998, with cardiologist Dr.SomaRaju, Kalam developed a low cost Coronary stent. It was named as "Kalam-Raju Stent" honouring them In 2012, the duo, designed a rugged tablet PC for health care in rural areas. It is named as "Kalam-Raju Tablet".

Criticisms and controversies

The controversy that surrounds Kalam's role as a nuclear scientist, is the lack of reliable and factual reporting of the yield of Pokhran-II tests. The director of the site test, K. Santhanam, publicly admitted that the thermonuclear bomb was a "fizzle" test, criticising Kalam for issuing the wrong report. However, Kalam dismissed the claims, and R. Chidambaram, a key associated withPokhran-II, had also described these claims as incorrect. In spite of his leading role in the development of Indian nuclear programme, Kalam has received criticism from many of his peers who claimed that Kalam had "no authority" over nuclear science. Homi Sethna, a chemical engineer criticised Kalam claiming that Kalam had no background in publishing articles in nuclear science, even in nuclear physics. Sethna maintained that Kalam received his doctorate in aerospace engineering which is a completely different discipline from nuclear engineering, and what various universities awarded him for his achievements had nothing to do with nuclear physics. Sethna, in his last interview, maintained that in the 1950s, Kalam had failed advanced physics courses during his college life, and quoted "What does he know (about [nuclear] physics)....?", on national television. Homi Sethna also accused Kalam of using his presidency to gain a national stature of nuclear scientist. Others felt that Kalam had never worked in any of the Indian nuclear power plants and had no role in developing the nuclear weapon which was completed underRaja Ramanna. Kalam worked as an aerospace engineer in a SLV project in the 1970s and from the 1980s onwards as a project director before he was shifted to Defence Research and Development Organisation, Sethna concluded. The prestigious Indian Institute of Science Bangalore rejected Kalam's application as they felt that he lacked scientific credentials.

In 2008, Indian media questioned his claims about his personal contributions to missile inventions while working in a classified missile programme. Kalam had taken credit of inventing theAgni, Prithvi, and Aakash missile system. All of these were developed, researched and designed by other scientists whereas Kalam was involved in getting the funds and other logistic tasks.As a director of DRDO, a lot of credit had gone to Kalam. R. N. Agarwal, former director, Advanced System Laboratory and former Program Director of Agni missile was considered to be the real architect behind the successful design of Agni Missile. In his own biography, Kalam credited the development of "Agni" to Dr Ram Narayan Agarwal, an alumnus of MIT. For the Prithvi missile project, he named Col VJ Sundaram as the brain behind this project and for the Trishul missile, he gave credit to Cmdr SR Mohan. In 2006, senior media correspondent Praful Bidwai, in the The Daily Star, wrote that two aerospace projects, Project Valiant and Project Devil, which were authorised by former Premier Indira Gandhi under the directorship of Abdul Kalam, resulted in "total failure". In the 1980s, these projects were ultimately cancelled by the government under pressure by the Indian Army.

Kalam was also criticised by civil groups over his stand on the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant, where he supported setting up of the nuclear power plant and never spoke with the local people.

Frisking by American security authorities

Abdul Kalam was frisked at JFK Airport in New York, while boarding a plane on 29 September 2011 as a part of "private screening" as he does not come under the category of dignitaries exempt from security screening procedures under stringent American guidelines. However, he was frisked again after boarding the Air India aircraft with US security officials came and asked for his jacket and shoes, claiming that these items were not checked according to prescribed procedure during the "private screening". The incident was not reported until 13 November that year. India threatened retaliatory action as there was a "general sense of outrage" around the country. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs protested over this incident, and a statement by the ministry said that the US Government had written a letter to Kalam, expressing its deep regret for the inconvenience.

Kalam was previously frisked by the ground staff of the Continental Airlines at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi in July 2009 and was treated like an ordinary passenger, despite the fact that he is on the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security's list of people exempted from security screening in India.

Future India: 2020

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam delivering speech

In his book India 2020, Kalam strongly advocates an action plan to develop India into a knowledge superpower and a developed nation by the year 2020. He regards his work on India's nuclear weapons program as a way to assert India's place as a future superpower.

It has been reported that there is a considerable demand in South Korea for translated versions of books authored by him

Kalam continues to take an active interest in other developments in the field of science and technology. He has proposed a research program for developing bio-implants. He is a supporter of Open Source over proprietary solutions and believes that the use of free software on a large scale will bring the benefits of information technology to more people.

Beyond the MBA Hype

                                    Beyond the MBA Hype

It is a truth universally acknowledged that an engineering graduate in possession of a software job must be in search of a ‘good MBA’.

In a free-wheeling interview, Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball and author of ‘Beyond the MBA Hype’ shares his journey. And offers unbiased advice to those who are thinking of walking down that path.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I’m a computer engineer from VESIT (Mumbai) and after that I joind Citicorp. Worked in India and abroad on multiple assignments and then decided to move beyond pure technical work. So I joined PricewaterhouseCoopers in their management consulting division.

Why MBA?
In my consulting role, though the client, geography and technology changed with every project, essentially it was more of the same. That’s when I started researching options, and an international MBA seemed like a good way to change careers.

Did you focus only on top schools abroad?
My professional work involved a substantial amount of global travel. So I figured it would be logical to continue the international exposure by getting into a top bschool abroad where the class profile would be very diverse and international.

What was your GMAT score?
I’m not good at standardized tests. For someone from a tech/engineering/male background [considered to be the toughest applicant pool when it comes to global MBA applications] my GMAT score was quite low (below 700). So I knew that the rest of my application strategy had to be really strong.

How did you shortlist and decide where to apply?
This was the most confusing part. In India, the CAT score plays a significant role in getting interview calls from bschools. For international MBA programs, GMAT is important. But there are other aspects that are equally, if not more important.

Many of these are quite subjective, like the concept of ‘Fit’. It’s like a compatibility test where you need to convince the school that you are both made for each other. Plus there are factors such as post-MBA plans, professional background, number of years of work experience.

Considering all these, I felt I would not ‘fit’ into a 2-year program. A 1-year program in the UK would provide the RoI (Return on Investment) I was looking for.

Why Cambridge Judge and how was the experience?
My medium-to-long term plans were to get back to India. So I wanted a brand that was strong enough to get me a job abroad as well as in India. The University of Cambridge has been around for over 8 centuries and it’s a very well respected brand in India as well.

I was also drawn by the personality of the MBA program. Compared to the veterans in the MBA industry, this program is relatively young. It’s more collaborative than many others, and there’s a strong focus on experiential learning. Though you still have to be on your toes and compete with other extremely talented folks for grades, internships and jobs.

I got the opportunity to interact with entrepreneurs, I-bankers, scientists, management consultants, Olympic level sportsmen, iconic business leaders and Nobel prize winners. It was a fantastic experience.

How did you fund your education and how did you manage the EMI repayments?
I was lucky to have got 2 scholarships at Cambridge. That took care of a considerable chunk of the financing. Plus the bschool had a tie-up with a UK bank to provide education loans for accepted candidates.

Did you work in the UK or come back immediately?
After completing my MBA, I had a few options to stay back in the UK – with my former employer (but in a more business-focused role), with a strategy consulting firm (where I did my internship) and with a startup (that my team helped during the program). This was before the recession, so the job market was a little better. I had planned to work there for a few years, repay the GBP loan and then get back to India.

But due to a twist in the tale, I ended up accepting a job that brought me back to India immediately after graduation.

I was in India for a short vacation when I came across a team that was setting up a new office in India and they were looking for folks for their corporate finance work. The German Managing Director who interviewed me made the role sound interesting, so I decided to make a complete career change and start my post-MBA career directly in India. I worked in the area of Mergers & Acquisitions for 5 years after my MBA.

When did you start the website MBA Crystal Ball? Why do it?
When I was applying to bschools, I considered myself to be a dark horse. Most stats weren’t working in my favour (age, test scores, professional background). So I had put in extra efforts to ensure that my application was water-tight – right from thinking about the rationale for an MBA, the post-MBA career plans, explaining what made my profile unique while competing in the tough applicant pool.

After graduating, I started helping others who needed a helping hand in doing exactly what I had done for myself. I did it for free (it was more a passion than a business idea for me) and they started getting into the top schools.

The right mentoring can make a lot of difference when the competition is global and intense. Though Indian applicants are strong at cracking standardized tests, our education system doesn’t prepare us to tackle abstract and introspective questions that are part of the MBA application process.

The concept of MBA admissions consulting is relatively new in India and I felt maybe this was something where I can make a small difference.

How and when did you quit your job to focus on it full time?
Outside India, the premium admissions consulting model is well-established and attracts high-caliber talent (top MBA grads who’ve also done well in the business world). In India, it is mostly taken up as a part-time activity. That’s how I started off as well.

I created a product (it’s called the MBA Mock Application Process or in short - MBA MAP). It simulates an application process for the top-100 schools and provides chances of getting into each. That got an encouraging response (cost: Rs 9000/ $ 250). It might be the only Indian product in the admissions consulting field to have been ‘exported’ to other countries. I realized that the only way I could do justice to it would be if I focused on it on a full-time basis. So I quit my M&A job about a year back to manage MBA Crystal Ball.

Does the site make money for you yet? What’s the kind of traffic you get?
I don’t use the site to make money. In fact, there was no website for a pretty long time. Most folks reached out to us (and our services) due to word-of-mouth publicity. When folks started asking for my website URL, rather than giving creative answers each time, I guessed an easier option would be to create a simple website. So I got a domain (http://www.mbacrystalball.com/) registered and launched the site.

We get several thousand hits from candidates who are seriously considering a career transformation or just curious about evaluating career growth options. So we use the site more as a platform to share broader ideas. On our blog you’ll find content that sometimes has absolutely nothing to do with the services we provide. We recently published about non-MBA careers, like social service, teaching jobs. You’ll also find a guest post by a Gladrags model on careers in the glamour business.

When did the idea of a book come?
I wrote ‘Beyond The MBA Hype’ in 2006 after I had completed my MBA. When I was applying to bschools, most of the articles I read in newspapers and websites were about how an MBA will have a magical effect on the candidate’s career, financial status and life. And I really wondered how much of that was true and how much was hype.

After having gone through the experience I thought somebody needed to also share aspects that never got talked about – the education, building new skills, internships, the career hunt from an Indian candidate’s perspective (most books on this topic are written by international authors).

The book was not created to promote MBA Crystal Ball (it didn’t exist, at the time). In fact, those who’ve read ‘Beyond The MBA Hype’ tell me I shouldn’t have got it published as it is detrimental to my business interests. Instead of pushing more prospective aspirants to apply blindly to the top schools (and fill our coffers), the book recommends exactly the opposite.

The basic message is to step back and evaluate simpler, easier and less risky options to reach their goals.

How easy (or difficult) was it, to get published?
‘Beyond The MBA Hype’ has taken over 5 years to get published. I initially tried to get it published in the US, thinking that’s where the MBA market is. Publishers and literary agents who liked the concept turned it down saying a first time author without a saleable name would be a tough sell.

So I changed focus to India, not knowing if there would be any takers, as the international MBA market is extremely small and niche.

Fortunately, I found a good literary agent who sold it to HarperCollins. For new authors struggling to get published and going through a similar roller coaster ride, I share tips on my personal site: (http://www.sameerkamat.com/)

Who is your core target audience? 
- Professionals with 2-10 years work experience, who are thinking of ways to take their career to the next level.
- Recent graduates who’ve not been lucky with the Indian MBA entrance exams (CAT, plus all the variations) and are thinking of applying to international MBA programs.
- Anybody who’s stagnated (frustrated) in their current job and thinking that an overseas MBA might be an easy way out.

How has the book been received?
Considering the initial apprehensions, it’s done exceedingly well. The first print got sold out in under 3 months, the second print-run is out.

Given the weak economic situation globally, would you advise people to look at an MBA abroad?
The message in the book is more relevant today than it was when I wrote it. The global economic situation should force MBA applicants to really get their game-plan sorted out.

Having said that, an investment in quality education is the best one can make as you are investing in yourself. So there’s more incentive to see yourself being successful. A well-designed MBA plan with risk scenarios clearly identified and mitigated is the best way to approach it.

For MBA applicants, I’d say do your homework, choose your schools well, put a best-case and worst-case career plan in place and go for it only when you are really confident.

Do you recommend 2 year or 1 year programs?
Both have their pros and cons. The profile and the career aspirations of the candidate should influence the choice. Where you want to work will also play a big role in choosing the school. Managing transnational placements is becoming tougher. Consider the average class profile for each school you are applying to, see if/how you’d fit in.

Is it possible to get a job in the US or Europe for a fresh, non-citizen MBA?
Possible? Yes. Easy? No.

The recruiter has to have a strong reason to go the extra distance and sponsor the international candidate’s work-permit. For complete career changers, it’s become more difficult.

The good part is that a ‘fresh’ MBA in an international MBA program comes in with an average of 4-5 years work-ex. So pre-MBA experience and skills can be leveraged while job hunting.

If instead, you return to India does the global alumni network help in finding a job?
They can, but in a soft economy there are limitations to what they can do. So I’d say, don’t depend only on the alumni network. Reach out to anyone and everyone who can help.

What’s the typical profile of people who get into top 20 bschools internationally?
For 2 year US-format programs: Average age: 26-27, Average work-experience: 4-5 years, Nationality: 60-70% American, rest international, Gender Mix: 70% Male, Communication skills: Excellent, Body mass index: Varies

Any application tips for those who aim for such schools?
Start early. Find out how the application process works. Don’t over-focus on the GMAT. Spend time thinking about post-MBA goals. Research schools that will help you get there. Know what the school will and more importantly, will NOT do for you.

Is it worth attending a 2nd or 3rd rung bschool abroad or should one drop the idea altogether?
Bschool rankings have their own yardstick to judge schools. A candidate’s yardstick may be very different. So, whether a school is rung 2 or 3 is a very subjective viewpoint. There are many excellent schools in India that might not figure on the top rankings. I went to a local ( ‘unhyped’) engineering college that doesn’t feature in any domestic or global rankings. But it gave me a good education and I did pretty well for myself career wise.

Extending that logic, I’d say don’t shortlist or discard Bschools purely on the basis of rankings or location. In the book, I use the term ‘good’ Bschools, without really defining it in absolute terms. Go to schools that are ‘good’ from your perspective.

For instance, Harvard is a great school. But is it great for everyone? For me it wasn’t even on the radar, as my secret desire was to quit the corporate world before I was 40 and start something entrepreneurial of my own (mission accomplished!). The theoretical idea of pumping close to a crore into an MBA program would make my heart miss a few beats.

Any advice for those in ‘decent’ jobs eg today but who still have the itch for MBA? Should they hold on to their jobs or invest 2 years in an MBA (India or abroad).
A top MBA is designed to take those in ‘decent’ and ‘good’ jobs and get them ‘better’ jobs. So for the high-potential ones who’ve weighed the pros and cons, it can be a great tool. But I’d recommend not looking at the MBA as an end in itself. Think about what it’ll help you achieve.

Going back to your analogy, my recommendation would be to evaluate the reason for the itch, and think if going abroad to buy a Rs 50 lakh itch relief powder is the only solution. Or would a warm neem-water bath at home cure it…