Nexus 7 Tablet 32GB:The best Android tablet gets even better

                     

The good: The Nexus 7’s razor-sharp full-HD screen, silky smooth performance, long battery life, meager weight, and affordable price make it the best tablet value on the market.

The bad: The back is missing the soft grippy texture of the original, screen colors lack accuracy, and there's no microSD support. Android 4.3 has few useful interface improvements.

The bottom line: Thanks to its stellar performance and affordable price, the Nexus 7 is the Android tablet to get.

Pound for pound, the Nexus 7 is the best small tablet you can buy. It houses a ridiculously sharp, bright screen, its gaming performance is second only to the fourth-generation iPad, and as a Google-branded tablet it will always see the latest version of Android before any other tablet brand.

Also, at $230 (for 16GB), it's still an affordable tablet with one of the highest values in the market, despite a $30 price hike over the previous generation. The $270 32GB Wi-Fi model and $350 4G LTE version are even better values, especially compared with similar configurations of the iPad Mini.

Yes, it's not as cheap as some of the top small tablets from 2012, its screen isn't as big as the iPad Mini's, and Android 4.3 lacks a few useful UI features Samsung plugged into its Galaxy Tab 3. However, those are only nitpicks considering the Nexus 7's sharp-as-nails screen and blazingly fast performance. Despite its imperfections, it's the first small tablet I'd recommend and is the current best tablet value around.

Design
At 0.64 pound, the Nexus 7 is the lightest tablet yet, and with a 4.5-inch width when held in portrait orientation, it's probably the easiest to fit in one hand. It's an extremely simple design, black in color, and it honestly lacks much in the way of panache. It's a harsher tablet compared with the original, and I miss the 2012 Nexus 7's soft, much more inviting feel.

The smooth matte finish of the tablet's back isn't as comfortable or as grippy as the soft leathery back of the 2012 Nexus 7. Also, the new tablet's corners aren't as pleasantly rounded and the Micro-USB port on the bottom edge sticks out just enough to be distracting when held in landscape mode

This hopefully gives you an idea of the texture difference between                                       the old and new Nexus 7.

Along the right edge are an easy-to-find power/sleep button and volume rocker, and there's a headphone jack on the top edge. A front-facing camera sits on the top bezel toward the right corner, and the rear camera rests behind on the backside, nestled deep in the left corner. Also on the back are two sets of speaker grilles, one near the top and another on the bottom, next to the Micro-USB port.

Software features
The Nexus 7 ships with the very latest version of Android (4.3), and to be quite honest, the OS isn't much different from the previous incarnation (4.2.2). At least not obviously so. For a detailed look at the updated OS' features, check out our Android 4.3 review.

The notable new features are Multi-User Restricted Profiles, OpenGL ES 3.0 support, and Bluetooth Smart. User profiles were introduced with Android 4.2, and the latest version allows you to add a kid-friendly profile that the primary profile controls. The restricted profile will only have access to apps deemed acceptable and will have no access to the Play store. It's an ideal solution for families wanting to share a single tablet; however, Google leaves the decision of implementing it up to the developer.

OpenGL ES 3.0 improves polygonal graphics performance and allows the tablet to better handles effects like lens flares, shadows, and other shader effects. With Bluetooth Smart, the Nexus 7 can connect to a newer generation of Bluetooth devices as well as transmit metadata like song titles.

I'm a huge fan of close-up pics of tablet buttons. Actually, I'm not, but I liked this particular pic so much, I married it. That's also not true.

The tablet supports SlimPort, which allows you to use the Micro-USB port as an HDMI port via a $30 adapter, but there is no physical HDMI port on the Nexus 7.

NFC support returns, and we also get wireless charging, which according to Google will allow any Qi-compatible charger to fill the Nexus 7's battery. And that does indeed appear to be the case, as the Nokia Lumia DT-900 wireless charger worked without issue; however, the actual charging speed was painfully slow compared to a wired charge.

Performance
First things first, the Nexus 7's screen is incredibly sharp and text is particularly fine and easy to read. You may not fully appreciate its high pixel density immediately, but when looking at it next to almost any other tablet screen, the Nexus 7 clearly comes out on top. It's also one of the brightest tablet displays I've ever seen. Colors are more accurate and fuller compared with the 2012 Nexus 7 and the contrast ratio is noticeably higher. Viewing angles are wide and images appear to have a fuller, more corporeal integrity.

Behold the beauty of the Nexus 7's razor-sharp screen.

A serious pusher of polygons
Next to the fourth-generation iPad, the Nexus 7 is the fastest tablet I've seen at running polygonal games. Real Racing 3 and N.O.V.A. 3 looked particularly impressive with smooth frame rates and sharp graphics with minimal aliasing on edges; however, like on many other Android tablets, Real Racing 3 loses its rearview mirror feature on the Nexus 7.

The best-performing small tablet for gaming. 'Nuff said. Well, I actually do say more in the paragraph below.

Riptide GP2 is an incredibly impressive game with lots of customizable graphical effects options and even with its effects tuned to maximum, the Nexus 7 delivered smooth gameplay at more than 30 frames per second that many times looked to approach and hit a full 60fps. This easily and consistently bested the Nexus 10 in its presentation.

Oh, tablet cameras. Will you ever provide any real value?
The Nexus 7 continues the tablet trend of placing mediocre shooters on their bodies. Both the 1.2-megapixel front camera and 5-megapixel back camera make faces look greenish and sickly in pics, and while each picks up a bit more fine detail than most tablet cameras, shadows look dithered and blurry.

The dual speakers are above average quality for a tablet, but don't get as loud or sound as full as the 2012 Kindle Fire HD's, which are still the best tablet speakers in the market. They're not bad by any means, but they will do nothing to change your perspective on tablet speakers. I used 'The Avengers' from the Play store to test the surrounds sound. The effect is convincing, but to be honest, prefer using earbuds when watching movies and TV shows on tablets.

Yet, there are still alternatives
As good as the Nexus 7 is, it may not be for everyone as different users have varied tablet needs.

The original Nexus is now available for as low as $150.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

The 2012 version of the Nexus 7 is still a great tablet supported by the latest version of Android and starts now at $150 (at Walmart). The Nook HD is $130 (though it's being phased out), and the 2012 Kindle Fire HD, which features better speakers despite Google touting the Nexus 7's surround sound setup, is the best choice for Amazon Prime users and still starts at $30 less.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 has a more comfortable design, it's screen handles colors more accurately and vibrantly, it includes storage expansion, and some of its UI interface conveniences surpass even what Google's been able to implement so far. However, the Tab 3 will cost you $70 more at starting prices. The new Nexus 7 trumps the iPad Mini's screen in every way aside from size and has faster gaming performance, but the Mini still has access to many more apps and most major game releases debut on iOS first, although simultaneous releases are becoming more common.

Conclusion
The Nexus 7 (2013) easily supplants the original model as the small tablet of choice. It may not be quite as comfortable to hold, but its heavily increased performance, razor-sharp screen, additional features, and all that Android 4.3 brings in tow more than make up for a harder, less grippy back.

At $230, it's more expensive than the top 7-inch tablets from 2012, but it's also much better-performing. In addition, it's cheaper than both the 8-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 and the iPad Mini and yes, performs better than either, despite the former's better handling of onscreen colors.

While it doesn't obliterate the competition, the Nexus 7 has enough improvements to earn the small-tablet crown and is the next best choice to the full-size iPad.

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Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, dies aged 95

Nelson Mandela's death was announced on South African TV by current president Jacob Zuma. Photograph: Getty Images

Nelson Mandela, the towering figure of Africa's struggle for freedom and a hero to millions around the world, has died at the age of 95.

South Africa's first black president died in the company of his family at home in Johannesburg after years of declining health that had caused him to withdraw from public life.

The news was announced to the country by the current president, Jacob Zuma, who in a sombre televised address said Mandela had "departed" around 8.50pm local time and was at peace.

"This is the moment of our deepest sorrow," Zuma said. "Our nation has lost its greatest son … What made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human. We saw in him what we seek in ourselves.

"Fellow South Africans, Nelson Mandela brought us together and it is together that we will bid him farewell."

Zuma announced that Mandela would receive a state funeral and ordered that flags fly at half-mast.

Early on Friday morning Archbishop Desmond Tutu led a memorial service in Capetown where he called for South Africa to become as a nation what Mandela had been as a man.

Mandela's two youngest daughters were at the premiere of the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom in London last night. They received the news of their father's death during the screening in Leicester Square and immediately left the cinema.

Barack Obama led tributes from world leaders, referring to Mandela by his clan name – Madiba. The US president said: "Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa – and moved all of us.

"His journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings – and countries – can change for the better. His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives."

David Cameron said: "A great light has gone out in the world" and described Mandela as "a hero of our time".

FW de Klerk – the South African president who freed Mandela, shared the Nobel peace prize with him and paved the way for him to become South Africa's first post-apartheid head of state – said the news was deeply saddening for South Africa and the world.

"He lived reconciliation. He was a great unifier," De Klerk said.

Throughout Thursday night and into Friday morning people gathered in the streets of South Africa to celebrate Mandela's life.

In Soweto people gathered to sing and dance near the house where he once lived. They formed a circle in the middle of Vilakazi Street and sang songs from the anti-apartheid struggle. Some people were draped in South African flags and the green, yellow and black colours of Mandela's party, the African National Congress.

"We have not seen Mandela in the place where he is, in the place where he is kept," they sang, a lyric anti-apartheid protesters had sung during Mandela's long incarceration.

Several hundred people took part in lively commemorations outside Mandela's final home in the Houghton neighbourhood of Johannesburg. A man blew on a vuvuzela horn and people made impromptu shrines with national flags, candles, flowers and photographs.

Mandela was taken to hospital in June with a recurring lung infection and slipped into a critical condition, but returned home in September where his bedroom was converted into an intensive care unit.

His death sends South Africa deep into mourning and self-reflection, nearly 20 years after he led the country from racial apartheid to inclusive democracy.

But his passing will also be keenly felt by people around the world who revered Mandela as one of history's last great statesmen, and a moral paragon comparable with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

It was a transcendent act of forgiveness after spending 27 years in prison, 18 of them on Robben Island, that will assure his place in history. With South Africa facing possible civil war, Mandela sought reconciliation with the white minority to build a new democracy.

He led the African National Congress to victory in the country's first multiracial election in 1994. Unlike other African liberation leaders who cling to power, such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, he then voluntarily stepped down after one term.

South Africans hold a candle outside the house of former South African president Nelson Mandela following his death in Johannesburg. Photograph: Alexander Joe

Mandela was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1993.

At his inauguration a year later, the new president said: "Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another … the sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement. Let freedom reign. God bless Africa!"

Born Rolihlahla Dalibhunga in a small village in the Eastern Cape on 18 July 1918, Mandela was given his English name, Nelson, by a teacher at his school.

He joined the ANC in 1943 and became a co-founder of its youth league. In 1952, he started South Africa's first black law firm with his partner, Oliver Tambo.

Mandela was a charming, charismatic figure with a passion for boxing and an eye for women. He once said: "I can't help it if the ladies take note of me. I am not going to protest."

He married his first wife, Evelyn Mase, in 1944. They were divorced in 1957 after having three children. In 1958, he married Winnie Madikizela, who later campaigned to free her husband from jail and became a key figure in the struggle.

When the ANC was banned in 1960, Mandela went underground. After the Sharpeville massacre, in which 69 black protesters were shot dead by police, he took the difficult decision to launch an armed struggle. He was arrested and eventually charged with sabotage and attempting to overthrow the government.

Conducting his own defence in the Rivonia trial in 1964, he said: "I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

"It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

He escaped the death penalty but was sentenced to life in prison, a huge blow to the ANC that had to regroup to continue the struggle. But unrest grew in townships and international pressure on the apartheid regime slowly tightened.

Finally, in 1990, FW de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC and Mandela was released from prison amid scenes of jubilation witnessed around the world.

In 1992, Mandela divorced Winnie after she was convicted on charges of kidnapping and accessory to assault.

His presidency rode a wave of tremendous global goodwill but was not without its difficulties. After leaving frontline politics in 1999, he admitted he should have moved sooner against the spread of HIV/Aids in South Africa.

His son died from an Aids-related illness. On his 80th birthday, Mandela married Graça Machel, the widow of the former president of Mozambique. It was his third marriage. In total, he had six children, of whom three daughters survive: Pumla Makaziwe (Maki), Zenani and Zindziswa (Zindzi). He has 17 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who headed the truth and reconciliation committee after the fall of apartheid, said: "He transcended race and class in his personal actions, through his warmth and through his willingness to listen and to emphasise with others. And he restored others' faith in Africa and Africans."

Mandela was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 and retired from public life to be with his family and enjoy some "quiet reflection". But he remained a beloved and venerated figure, with countless buildings, streets and squares named after him. His every move was scrutinised and his health was a constant source of media speculation.

Mandela continued to make occasional appearances at ANC events and attended the inauguration of the current president, Jacob Zuma. His 91st birthday was marked by the first annual "Mandela Day" in his honour.

He was last seen in public at the final of the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg, a tournament he had helped bring to South Africa for the first time. Early in 2011, he was taken to hospital in a health scare but he recovered and was visited by Michelle Obama and her daughters a few months later.

In January 2012, he was notably missing from the ANC's centenary celebrations due to his frail condition. With other giants of the movement such as Tambo and Walter Sisulu having gone before Mandela, the defining chapter of Africa's oldest liberation movement is now closed.

In Tough Times, Abandon Your Employees

 

Henry Blodget's excellent piece on short-term greed got me thinking about a very basic question: do companies owe their employees loyalty when the economy gets tough?

For some time, I've been appalled that major companies are simultaneously laying off employees and reporting record profits. The picture differs depending on where you live and work, but that's a fairly common trend.

Contrast, for example, CNNMoney's report at the beginning of this year, Hey Wall Street, Get Ready for More Layoffs with John Cassidy's July 16 story, which starts like this:

What do these large dollar numbers have in common: $6.5 billion, $5.5 billion, $4.2 billion, and $1.9 billion? They represent the latest quarterly net profits made by too-big-to-fail banks—in order, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs.

Now imagine that your company has been growing quickly, and that the culture of the company is to expect employees to step up when challenges and opportunities emerge. If there is an important pitch coming up, you are expected to stay late or work over the weekend. If there is an important order to fill, you are expected to work until the order gets filled.

You work hard. You step up. You are a hard-working and loyal employee. You recruit your friends to come work at your company; you put your personal reputation on the line.

Then the economy hits a rough patch. The company lets you go; two months later, they announce record profits.

Is that the right way to do business?

I understand that companies are not charities, and that they can't exist forever paying out more in wages than they earn in revenues.

But it strikes me as horribly short-sighted for a company to simultaneously report record profits and fire loyal employees. But some will argue that companies are here to make money for their investors, and that such moves are entirely warranted.

That's why I'm calling on companies that employ this strategy to make it obvious. I suggest they band together under the banner, "Profits before People". In fact, to make this easier, I've created a few simple ads they could run to attract more investors.

I'm not trying to be cute or clever. If this is an intelligent and proper strategy, why shouldn't companies formally declare that they follow it?

Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs Are Playing #Minecraft Today

I see the future of our youth and they are playing Minecraft.

If you are not familiar with the online building game Minecraft, you either live in a hole or do not have kids. Minecraft was originally created by Swedish programmer Markus "Notch" Persson and was released to the public in 2009. As of July 30, 2013, Minecraft has sold over 11 million copies for the PC and over 20 million copies including all platforms.

For the uninitiated, Minecraft defines itself as "a game about breaking and placing blocks." It's an adventure game where you can build worlds and structures by yourself, or with a group of friends. Although the game looks very simple (hence the low-resolution blocks), it is actually quite complex.

I've had the pleasure of watching my kids and their friends play (and play) Minecraft on desktops, laptops, Xbox 360, iPods and more. While some parents see their kids playing a harmless video game, I see the future. Minecraft is doing more to shape the future of your children and their skills since LEGO bricks were developed in 1949.

Future Media Entrepreneurs Are Playing Minecraft

Both my sons have been pleading for online video production software and equipment so they can produce their own videos on Minecraft. They are learning how to create videos targeting a very distinct audience, rather than just stuff they like.

Honestly, some of the best and most entertaining videos are coming out of the Minecraft community. This BeetleJuice Minecraft roller coaster is simply amazing (built one piece at a time and now over 3 million views).

And this is not all fun and games. Media business models are flourishing via YouTube. A Minecraft YouTuber called SkydoesMinecraft (as an example) has 5 million YouTube subscribers and generates a million views to a video on a slow day. These future (I should say current) media entrepreneurs are learning the formula for successful media business models: amazing niche content delivered on a consistent basis leveraging a subscription component.

Future Developers Are Playing Minecraft

Minecraft is an open-source software game, which means that "minecrafters" can take Minecraft code and create their own versions of the game, or use special add-ons, known as "mods". To create mods, you have to have some knowledge of java code. But that's not all, if you really want to get into creating mods (and there are millions of mods), you begin to learnabout 3D modeling, APIs, integrated development environment and protocol analysis.How's that for a degree in software engineering?

If you agree with fellow LinkedIn influencer Shane Snow that everyone needs to know code, Minecraft may be a great start for our children (and perhaps adults as well) learning to code and develop software.

Our Children Are Learning the Value of Niches

What's the key to a winning media business model? Serving a small, defined niche with epic content. The smaller the niche, the better.

What's the key to a successful tech product? Solving a very specific consumer need or problem.

Minecraft's biggest success may be because Minecraft is not just one game, but a million games in one covering different topics and interests all going on at the same time. For example, every night my two boys (ages 10 and 11) watch an episode of Dr. Who (yes, the British programming celebrating its 50th year). We have Dr. Who books, action figures and even a sonic screwdriver. But the best part...the kids have been spending hours inside a Minecraft server dedicated to Dr. Who. There's a number of Minecraft servers dedicated to thousands of different interest area and niches. Talk about the long tail...

Minecraft 101

So the next time you see a group of boys and girls gathering at their computers to play Minecraft, you might actually be witnessing the best childrens' educational program in the world.

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The Future of Wearable Technology: Smaller, Cheaper, Faster, and Truly Personal Computing

For the past few years, industry pundits have been predicting the death of the personal computer. I look at it a bit differently—the personal computer is not dying, but is becoming even more personal. It is now something you’re going to wear—in your clothing, jewelry, shoes, glasses, watches, and even on your skin.

The burgeoning field of wearable technology is hitting the mainstream, illustrated by a new ad campaign from Samsung that employs Dick Tracy, Captain Kirk, and a lineup of other comic and science fiction characters to introduce the new Galaxy Gear smartwatch. In a recent blog, my colleague Joseph Bradley described the wide range of “wearables” that are now available—and sure to be a hot topic at the Internet of Things World Forum in Barcelona next week.

I recently wrote about how wearable technology is helping drive the Internet of Everything (IoE)—and changing the way we live—by connecting people in new and different ways. Today, I’d like to go a little deeper, and explore some of the ways that today’s wearable technology might evolve.

One of the principles of this evolution is that technology is getting smaller, faster, cheaper, and more powerful every day. In fact, in terms of physical size, computing technology is becoming 100 times smaller each decade. The computing power of the ENIAC computer that filled a whole room back in 1956 now fits inside the tiny chip of a “musical greeting card” that you can buy for $4 at your local store. The smartphone in your pocket is many times more powerful than the PCs of just a decade ago. And now, all the capabilities of your smartphone are being condensed into smartwatches, which can make phone calls, connect to the Internet, take pictures, and do just about anything else your phone or tablet can do.

But even this miniaturization of technology is dwarfed by the power that is available when you connect to the cloud. One really exciting example is SIGMO—a language translator that you can clip to your shirt, or wear on your wrist. It costs about $50, and when connected to the cloud can provide real-time voice translation of 25 languages. Sigmo blew past its fund-raising goal of $15,000 on the crowd-funding site Indiegogo.com to almost a quarter-million dollars, illustrating the demand for these types of gadgets.

Figure 1. Sigmo voice translator provides real-time cloud-based translation services for 25 languages, and learns as you use it.

For most people today, “wearable technology” brings to mind personal monitoring devices such as Fitbit or Nike+FuelBand that record heart rate, blood pressure, intensity of exercise, and even sleep patterns. This concept is evolving to be even more personal, and not just for the benefit of the wearer. Expectant mothers will wear electronic “tattoos”—smart sensing stickers that can monitor fetal heart rate and brain waves, detect early signs of labor, and even notify the doctor directly when it’s time to go to the hospital.

Figure 2. Smart electronic “tattoos” will enable continual fetal monitoring. Today, the data must be uploaded by going near a reader, but in the future the data will be uploaded to the cloud in real time, from anywhere.

The concept of wearables isn’t new. For millennia, people have been adorning themselves with tattoos, piercings, and jewelry that communicate something about who they are, what they do, and where they are from. Today’s wearables just sense and communicate much, much more. Further along on the wearable continuum will be “embeddables,” which may be sensors placed under the skin or swallowed. Today, the Proteus smart pill can send a text to a doctor or relative from inside the body to confirm that medication has been taken. In the future, such ingestible devices will be able to send a picture from inside the GI tract to aid diagnoses and reduce the need for surgery and other invasive procedures.

I can even imagine the day when wearables evolve into replaceables. Today, we use cornea transplants to repair damaged eyes. In the future, we may be able to insert artificial eyes with zoom capabilities, infrared sensors, and night vision. The prosthetics we use for limb replacement will become even more powerful and flexible than the original “organic” limbs.

All of these possibilities will be enabled by the Internet of Everything, providing rich and valuable connections among people, process, data, and things. And these examples are just the beginning. As technology continues to become smaller, cheaper, and more powerful, and as the number of connected things in the world grows to 50 billion in the next decade, the true possibilities may go far beyond what we can imagine today.

How do you see wearable technology evolving? Join the conversation by commenting below.

This Radical iPhone 6 Concept Completely Reimagines The World's Favorite Smartphone

Apple is set to release its next version of the iPhone, the iPhone 5S this fall. We don't expect to see drastic changes to the physical look of the phone.

But next year, Apple could very well release a redesigned "iPhone 6." If it wanted to.

Graphic designer and artist Johnny Plaid has envisioned a drastic update for the iPhone 6 which takes advantage of an edge-to-edge display, multi-touch sensors in the bottom of the device that get rid of the home button, and a brand new charger that integrates MagSafe technology.

While it's highly unlikely that this is what the iPhone 6 will look like it's still fun to dream.

We know that the next iPhone Apple releases will be the 5S and the rumored iPhone 5C. Graphic designer an artist Johnny Plaid has imagined what the iPhone 6 could look like. Here it is:

  

6 Ways to Put the Good (Bad and Ugly) in Goodbye

The post last week seemed to hit a chord. So many of you gave passionate comments that I thought I should highlight a few of the stories—the good, the bad and the ugly.

Let’s start with the good. It seems that when a work goodbye is positive it impacts everyone—not only the employee, but their family and certainly the co-workers they leave behind.

From Gary Warner: A Sendoff That Brought a Veteran Newspaper Reporter to Tears

“Two months ago I was handed the dreaded ‘voluntary redundancy’ letter at the newspaper I had been employed for 11 years. The decision was made by the ‘bean counters’ but it could not have been handled better by management.

"Three senior managers flew to attend a farewell party in my honor and made it clear how sorry they were to see me go. After another touching speech by the general manager, I was ushered out of the building in a unique way. Previously I had reminisced with a colleague how it was once traditional in the newspaper business for a departing employee to be ‘rattled out’ by colleagues shaking tins of metal type. Type technology had vanished decades ago, but my final exit was made to the sound of colleagues shaking tins containing any small items they could find. A completely unexpected gesture, and one that brought an unbidden tear to the eyes of this 60-year-old journalist who was suddenly reassured that he was valued.

"I can look back on that memorable event with pleasure. Well done the management of Geraldton Newspapers and the parent company West Australian Newspapers. You showed how it really can—and should—be done.”

From Ken Fisher: Flashing Lights, and Much More, For a Retiring Police Officer

“A friend of mine retired from the local police department that held a walk of honor on his final day on the job. Past and present co-workers, family, and friends were invited to this emotional event. All guests lined the driveway that leads from the police department to the public street entrance.

"When all guests were in place a garage door opened and the retiree was let out of the garage with an honor guard carrying the American and Wisconsin flags. The honor guard continued through the line of guests and positioned themselves at the street entrance where a squad car with lights flashing blocked the street entrance. The retiree took his time to make his way through the line where he received words of congratulations, well wishes and support!

"The event came to an end as the retiring police officer stood with his family and signed off on the car two-way radio for the last time. The chief of police presented the retiree with a special plaque in recognition of his years of service. What a wonderful event!”

From Randy McKnight: The Goodbye That Created a Lifetime of Loyalty

“Left my former company and was treated like royalty the final two weeks, even though we worked hard to close out my projects. I have subsequently been a valued customer of theirs for almost two decades.”

Aren’t those just terrific? Okay, I warned you, now for the bad and the ugly:

From José Zulmar Lopes: The Indignity of Being Fired Over Voicemail

“Once I was fired via voicemail without any warning or reason given; and then they told all the employees that I quit. The worst thing you can do as a boss is fire an employee using any electronic method—no emails, IMs, voice mails, or phone calls. Even a letter is inappropriate. When you fire an employee give them the courtesy you would extend to any human being. They deserve a face-to-face meeting; nothing else works. The fired employee will remember and your other employees have even longer memories.”

From Susan Brady: An Employee's Nightmare -- Getting Canned 4,000 Miles From Home

“I was in Sweden on business. We had just successfully done a deal and were going to a celebration dinner. One of my colleagues was delayed on a conference call, so we were waiting for him in the lobby of our hotel. He came down looking green and told us he'd been fired—4,000 miles from home! It was part of a general downsizing for the company (the kind where everyone was escorted out of the building by a security guard). Several of us intervened and the firing was rescinded, but what a nightmare for this colleague and his family. He helped complete the deal then resigned a few months later. Up to that point, I had paid lip service to ‘you are only as good as your last deal,’ but after that day, I knew it was true.”

Hopefully we’ve all seen departures that were handled well, but perhaps some that were bad or ugly like these last two. I spoke with a friend recently who had just retired from his company after decades of service. He was disgusted and said, “Once I announced my retirement they couldn’t get me out fast enough. There’s no leaving there with honor.” Do you think he’s spreading the word? You bet.

Remember, goodbyes say a lot about us as leaders.

Keep the stories coming. They are inspiring.

URBANIZATION

                                 

 “Urbanization can be defined as the…”

I suppose that is not a proper way to start an interesting article. When a person of today’s society hears this 12-letter word, does it strike a bell?? The answer might be a big NO in most cases, and occasionally a yes too. If we think back a couple of years or in our school days, we would still remember this word in our history or economics text books. When Gandhi ji tried to bring urbanization to rural villages or when the Indian economy was urbanized which resulted in several TATAs and Birla’s? The word fitted its context. But if we spend a little more time spending thinking if it is a boon or a bane, we will be rather confused.

These days, urbanization means eating out in KFC’s and Amb’s, shopping in high end malls, using luxurious smart phones and so on. But I seriously don’t think that Gandhi wanted the rural peasants to eat out in restaurants or own a smart phone so that they too can be urbanized.

Now its time for you to answer the million dollar question,’ what is Urbanization?’ This time, it demands a formal explanation. Urbanization can be defined as the transformation of life of people who live in extremely devastated state to lead a happy life.

We may find this meaning when we look up in a dictionary. But in real life, this is not practical. Practically speaking, urbanization is referred as the never ending greed of humans. The most recurring problems are the increasing range of basic necessities.

 Let me make it more clearly by giving you the basic necessities of different people in different social statuses.

1. An indebted farmer – At least a couple of meals per day for the whole family.

The farmers debts are paid by the government and it gave him some money for a steady life and it made him a normal farmer.

2. Normal Farmer – Full meal and even snack refreshments between every hour of work in the field.

He gets a small profit and opens up an average income farm product shop making him a shop owner.

3. Shop owner – Television set, a mobile and air conditioner in at least a single room in his house.

He makes rather bigger profit which compels him to take few bank loans and opens up a new farm mill company. He aims to become a business tycoon in the country. Hallucinates the number of BMW’s he can own. Now he has become a business man.

4. Businessman – Latest model vehicles, a Smartphone for the whole family including his 12 year old son, at least a 42’ LED TV set, and all other luxuries he can ever dream of.

That was when lady luck struck hard on his face. Business collapsed!! Gone are those BMW’s, LED’s, smart phones, and all those goodies. And here he is, back where he started. The same old indebted farmer.

I hope you understood what I meant by increasing range of necessities.

Urbanization has sometimes given a blow in the face and sometimes it had been a boon too. It has some adverse clutches on our society.

New variety racing bikes, corner – to – corner café shops, girlfriend – boyfriend dramas and chicks exposing themselves in low necks and low waists were not common sights in a street in the early 90’s.

So, as the clock ticks, as time rolls by, in the long road of life, you either become part of the road or part of the steamroller.

I suppose that is what urbanization has done to us. If we think twice, we can still get to know that our good old pakodas and samosas are no match for pizzas and burgers. Same as in the case of desi ammas to high flying moms and so goes the list of disastrous variations that has occurred in a hell lot of twisted turn of events.

Thus, as we wake up from this illusion or a dream that took us to pinnacle, there still remains our life to live. And none of the experiences while inside the castle of glasses may help you survive in the outer world. At this situation, I’d like to quote the exact words of the good lord that “The road to success is filled with stones and thorns” and not AC restrooms and home theatres.

So please don’t become an urbanization freak.

        ADIOS READERS..!!!

-ARJUN SANTOSH