I have been hearing a lot about phishing lately. From an attacker’s point of view, it is quite a concept, and I reckon a very successful one. You can have the best antivirus software, but you cannot be protected from phishing. Only common sense can protect you. And as phisher’s get more sophisticated, it is hard to tell the legitimate from the fake. Of course, there are some common thumb rules to follow, but before all, you, as internet user, has to be aware of what is phishing.

I remember the first time I got a suspicious link. It was not in my inbox, but as an offline in Yahoo messenger. The offline asked me to click on a link and read Yahoo’s updated TOS. I clicked on the link rather unsuspectingly, but was taken to a page that looked a lot like Yahoo’s login page, but not quite authentic. I could make out in an instant that this was some kind of a joke. So as a simple test, I purposely gave a wrong password while logging in. Just out of curiosity. Two interesting things happened. Firstly, as expected, the page did not give me a ‘wrong password’ message. Of course, how would it know, when it isn’t a real Yahoo page? So I beat the phishers. Secondly, after signing in, I was taken to Yahoo’s own TOS page. Now that was a nice touch of authenticity. An unsuspecting user wouldn’t have a clue that s/he has just been tricked! I am sure the phishers obtained a lot of Yahoo logins and passwords this way.

Basically, common sense saved me in this situation. I was suspicious and I tested the system out by trying something out of the ordinary - purposely entering a wrong password. I think this is something which any of you can do, when logging in to a suspicious looking page. Another thing you can do is change your DNS servers to that of OpenDNS. I am not sure how effective they are in stopping phishing attacks, but there’s no harm in using their service. Thirdly, email services these days have become smarter at detecting phished links. So always be attentive and don’t click on every link that comes into your mailbox. And whenever in doubt, don’t forget my little trick

…when Canon and Nikon announce their new camera models. And boy, do the discussions on forums get heated or what. Checkout this and this out. Bottom line is that Nikon has not just caught up, but zoomed far ahead of Canon in the DSLR segment. The D300 has amazing specs compared to the 40D no doubt. And it does come at a price - $500 more to be precise. But Nikon’s still got the D200, which it intends to continue. So basically Nikon’s got a killer lineup - starting from the D40x - D40 - D80 - D200- D300- D3H. On the other hand, Canon’s line up has gaps, because I don’t think the 30D is worth purchasing after the 40D has come out. So you only have 400D - 40D - Mark 1D III - Mark 1Ds III. For someone like me whose two years into serious photography, the 400D, and the Mark 1D series are out of question, so I have only the 40D as choice. Whereas, if I were a Nikon shooter who has been shooting with a D70 for the past 2 years, I have the D200, D300 (after inheriting some rich uncle’s property of course) or even the D80 to consider. (For argument’s sake, we are assuming the 40D and D300 will deliver good IQ).

When the Rebel XTi came out and disappointed me, I was asking Canon for a camera with a clear bright viewfinder (like in the D80). The 30D was not an option then but with the new 40D, reasons to upgrade are very compelling. The Rebel XT had been a great way to get into serious photography but I have outgrown it. The dim viewfinder is the sole reason for that. But am I complaining? No, I appreciate Canon for their new cameras and I totally respect Nikon for doing their homework and getting their engineering and marketing bang-on. But the way many of us see it, the customer’s got nothing to lose.

All this aside, IMO, what is really going to hit Canon hard, are issues like the poor auto focus on the EOS-1D Mark III, roof hitting pricing of the EOS-1Ds Mark III, lack of a 5D upgrade (which, if they have done their homework, can be positioned as a strong competitor for the D300), and lack of new consumer grade lenses. And to be hard on Canon, let us look at the highlights of the 40D and see if there is anything ground breaking about them:

• 10.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor - Nope, they already had in the 400D.
• 6.5 fps continuous shooting, max. burst 75 JPEGs - Not an engineering marvel. With the marketing department’s permission, they could have put more.
• New AF system with 9 cross-type sensors - Hmm…somewhat good, but how did the Nikon engineers do better? So this is not the best yet.
• DIGIC III processor - Again, nothing new.
• 3.0” LCD with Live View mode - The logical next step. What made them think Nikon wouldn’t do the same? If you know your competition, then you will not just give the same feature, but make it better! Thats what Nikon did by offering 922,000 pixels on the LCD. I know it comes at a premium, but hey, you need to be competitive!
• EOS Integrated Cleaning System - Again, taken from the 400D and a very logical next step.
• Clear and bright viewfinder - Nothing great here.
• Customisable Picture Style processing parameters - This is a software upgrade and very so-so.

Don’t get me wrong. I think all these new features are great and was initially very euphoric about them. My only point is that Canon should have seen it coming - the D300 I mean. For their own good. Canon already had great high ISO IQ, but now Nikon has the same and they are even. And it works good for Nikon cos everyone’s now talking, “Nikon engineers have really worked hard on the drawback of high ISO noise and achieved something.” Likewise, if Canon had worked on their drawback, like poor ergonomics and come up with a totally revamped design for the 40D, it would have been something. Or for that matter putting a Flash commander mode into the body. Sure, they listened to their customers and gave many new features in the 40D, but did they watch the competition? No, they didn’t. And they are going to pay for that. (Of course, I am being very, very critical here).

But lets look at things little more realistically. Is there anything on the new D300, which is not on the 40D, that would suddenly make us all better photographers ? I don’t think so. As a working pro, I may have advantages of higher buffer capacity, faster auto focus etc. But I doubt if I would be complaining or comparing cameras if I were a working pro. The ones who complain and compare are the ones for whom the camera has become just another premium commodity - like an expensive car. These people get angry with companies when they don’t deliver as per their expectations or if the competition gets ahead, and they live under the false notion of ‘faster is better’. I know this is just an opinion and I have no concrete proof to substantiate it, but from my own experience, I can tell that all those bells and whistles in the new cameras will be used more to show off than to take better pictures in the hands of these people who whine on the forums. And it is no surprise that Canon has the majority of whiners. After all, if I were rich and wanted the best, I would go for a Canon cos they are the biggest name in the photography industry. Only a person who is more interested in photography as a creative experience would weigh the pros and cons and choose a camera based on his/her needs. And the Nikon hits a sweet spot here. It is strongly engineering oriented, focuses on the photographer (and photography) and makes slicker, classier promos. (See this).

So to Canon -

• Listen to your audience better. Get that Direct Print Button off your cameras!
• Listen to your competition.
• Work on your drawbacks. Focus on the photographer.
• Give us more lenses (like a 100mm IS Macro).

And now lets all get back to shooting photographs

One website, which I love as a concept, is MouthShut.com. I don’t really visit the site often, but I think the idea of giving consumers a place to voice out their opinion is great. We live in a totally consumerist society, with kids of today growing up in Malls (if you don’t believe that, you should visit MG road on a weekend), so it is great to have a place to have our say.

Today while googling for reviews on Citibank’s Shopper’s Stop credit card, I stumbled upon Mouthshut.

A little history - I visited Shopper’s Stop near Banerghatta road a couple of weeks ago. A sales guy approached me and told me about the store’s First Citizen card and its benefits. At first I wasn’t interested, but after a while I was sold. As far as I remember, at no time during the conversation with the representative did he tell me that what they are really offering is a Citibank Credit card with a Shopper’s Stop logo. I filled in some forms, but forgot about the whole thing once I left the store.

I started receiving calls from Citibank after a few days for their mandatory background checks. In such situations, I let the agents do their job and don’t really shout at the them or anything. In fact, it didn’t occur to me that these phone calls are for this card and I didn’t even make a mental connection between Citibank and Shopper’s Stop (you get comfortably numb when these agents call you time and again).

Finally yesterday I got my card. It was no Shopper’s Stop First Citizen Silver (or Gold?) card. It is a full fledged Citibank credit card co-branded with Shopper’s Stop. Although I did feel irritated about the whole thing, I gave the benefit of doubt to Shopper’s Stop because I don’t really recall the conversation I had with the sales guy at their store. But I am sure that if I was told clearly that they are going to give me a credit-card, I would have refused the offer. And it turns out, as told on Mouthshut.com, that someone else has had a similar experience with Shopper’s Stop. So actually I was right and Shopper’s Stop does hide facts. Calling up the number listed on their welcome kit to find out details about annual fees didn’t help, because the number didn’t work.

Anyways, out of curiosity, I began checking reviews on other credit cards on Mouthshut.com. Interestingly, none of them have a decent rating. All of these credit cards seem to have a consistent (bad) rating of 2 stars (out of 5). Reading some of the user reviews, I was shocked at the kind of bad experiences some people have had. I have been using an HDFC card for the past 3 years and I have never had a bad experience with them (touch wood). I have had outstandings worth several ten thousands, but I have always made it a point to pay my minimum fee. I have been responsible from my side, and the bank has been from theirs. I have called customer service many times and have always had my problem solved. But on Mouthshut.com, I read bad reviews of HDFC bank, and from people who, like me, have been paying their dues.

Some interesting points:

1. Most people choose to write a review only when they have a bad experience. I guess it is human to vent out your frustration when you are pissed. With this in mind, I wonder if you can really get a fair review about a product (from websites such as Mouthshut.com). If I were to go by the reviews I read about HDFC cards, I would have to think that it is a really bad product. But my own experience tells me otherwise.
2. People like to use superlatives like ‘worst’, ‘never’, ‘best’. I personally wouldn’t write in such a manner. I would prefer to take a more balanced approach and leave it to the reader to judge. Of course, I am not expecting the same from everyone, but I wonder if the use of such words drives home the point. I mean, would I really spend time reading a review written in all caps and full of superlatives? No, I would pass on to the next review.
3. Almost always, all fingers point towards customer service. Again, I think this is normal. When you are steaming and waiting to butcher someone, you don’t want to be placed on hold or be spoken to with a fake accent. Nevertheless, the truth is that raising your voice doesn’t help when you are on the phone with customer support. It might work in a real shop where the shopkeeper is worried about his reputation in front of other customers, but I wouldn’t want to shout at an agent.
4. If you cannot handle something like a credit card, don’t ever sign-up for one. I think this is the simplest truth about credit cards. I suspect that most people who have had bad experiences with credit cards don’t know how to use one. They probably got one because of the over enthusiastic credit card agents who call at the wrong time. Many a times, the same mentality that makes you consume everything that comes you way, causes you to think that it is your birthright to abuse anyone who doesn’t treat you as king. I refuse to believe that customer is king. In today’s world, the customer is a pawn living in a vacuum of materialistism.

I make it a point to stick to one or two vendors in all walks of life and transact with them on a consistent basis. This is not because I am brand conscious, but because life becomes simpler that way. So if you ask me, HDFC, Spicejet, Indigo Airlines, Hutch, Fotocircle etc are all good people to deal with. But I also know that I cannot expect everyone to agree. Thats life

I always hated taking a passport size photo taken. Never in my life have I had a good photograph of myself. Every time I’ve had to submit a passport size photo, I have dreaded it. Cos I have looked like a chimp in all my passport size photos.

Now, what is the use of having expensive photography equipment if I cannot solve this simple problem? For one, photography equipment was not sufficient. What I also needed was a colour printer. And yesterday I got access to the colour printer at office. It’s a major Xerox MFD that does everything except tele-transportation. So with access to the colour printer, I had no excuse to stop me from taking my own photo.

First, I went and bought some high quality glossy paper. Then at home, I set my tripod, remote control, flash and clicked snaps of myself. I used the off-white wall of my room as a background, and struck numerous poses. It wasn’t easy, because I had no control over the focusing and composition. Everything was trial and error.

After some 50 retakes (hey, I am on digital, so no problemo!), I finally got something which looked somewhat like a nice photo. I always knew I wasn’t photogenic, but yesterday it was cast in stone. I then took the image into Photoshop and tweaked it a bit. Finally I duplicated the photos into an array, to fit an A4 size paper and converted to PDF. I printed the photo at office, and voila! After 26 years, I had a satisfactory passport size photo of myself!

The Gorillapod landed in my hands yesterday. Simple but effective concept. Haven’t found time to test it, but should work as advertised. I have come across many satisfied customers. Right now the Gorillapod is with Rajith in Ooty. Having used it in the field, he should have some real world experiences to share once he’s back. Meanwhile, here are some pics:

Also purchased the Opteka Battery Grip for my Rebel XT. Was initially wary for buying a third party product because of quality issues that I had heard of, but then I bit the bullet. The grip, no doubt, enhances the handling of the Rebel XT. But how well the electronics function, I have to wait and watch. For one, I noticed my batteries draining out much faster with the battery grip attached. Whether this is because of keeping the battery grip switch in ON position, I don’t know. Only further usage will tell if the Opteka is really as good as the original Canon BG-E3.

Update: I also purchased the Manfrotto 484RC2 Ballhead and rapid-connect system. The Gorillapod and the R84 were made for each other See pic:

I switched jobs on August 1, 2007. Its been a tight two days since then, and I suppose its going to be a tight two months from now. Lots to learn, lots to prove. There is this little voice in my head which is crying out, “what about your hobbies? What about your life?” But I guess I should be able to pull it through. Problem is that for almost three years now I haven’t really worked on any tight deadlines or challenging projects. I always knew this is bad in a way, cos it builds complacency (but then, I finally found time to build my website). Now it is time to kick the past behind and forge ahead.

And the good news is - My travel time is now reduced to a max of half an hour per day. Thats such a relief to me. So basically I have to restructure my life around these new challenges and new routines. Change is in the air! (I know I am repeating myself)