Author: Nirav Thakker

Nivea Men – Body Deodorizer

Posted on by Nirav Thakker
I’m using my investigative skills to uncover the mystery of #SniffSniff at BlogAdda. The fourth parcel arrived today at my house. After making me run around half the city like a detective, the mystery has finally revealed itself. It is a new deo. A scintillating new deodorizer from Nivea. This was launched by Arjun Rampal recently in Mumbai and has become an instant hit. Finally a respite to the odor that all us men sport no matter how we travel; bus, train car with the AC in full blast mode or a bike. The new deo comes in a new and advanced avatar that makes sure that the body odors that we suffer from are bid a good bye to.
While the debate of gas wala cans and no gas deodorants continues to rage like a forest fire which shows no signs of dying down; the new deo from Nivea comes in the gasless avatar making sure it lasts many sprays and does not harm the environment either. The deo features a non alcoholic base making it absolutely safe for the skin and does not cause irritations in case of sensitive skin. I tried it on myself and it sure seemed to have appealed to my audience, my daughters.
The deo comes in two cool masculine variants – Ice Cool and Energy. Use it to #BanBodyOdour right away.

3 Mysterious parcels and Odors. What is the connection after all?

Posted on by Nirav Thakker

I recently received 3 mysterious parcels that spoke of nothing but smells. Some good, some offensive; mostly offensive. the first was a card. It showcased a picture of a man on both the sides with a poem in it.

Clothes Clips are for the clothes line, not your nose, as for body odor, tweet/blog about how you control it using #SniffSniff in your prose!

If I were to talk about it, I have actually been through these problems myself. Back when I was in college I used to end up on the other side of the fence often just because of the body odor. It was so bad that when my washed clothes would be ironed, instead of the smell of the detergent or even the perfumes that I doused myself with, they would smell of my sweat. This was followed by several suggestions by several people. One asked me to apply kattha (One applied to Paan) in my underarms. Another asked me to soak Beetle Leaves over night in warm water and drink that water the first thing in the morning. The third was even more outrageous. It asked me to drink my own first, early morning urine. Finally a visit to an Ayruvedic Doctor helped me get relieved of the problem. One week of treatment and some churans later, I was cured, albeit temporarily. I was asked to repeat this treatment every year else I would be back to square one. It’s another story that I did not go back for it. Once was more than enough.

The second parcel was even more interesting. A pouch of coffee beans. Amazing smell if I must say. Nothing more with it. If I have to draw parallels, I have always smelt coffee beans when I have tried perfumes on testing papers. It has left me wondering what is really going on.

The third parcel was even more interesting. It was a mask. This was getting on my nerves now really, While on one side, the parcels stumped me, on the other, it made me feel like Detective Byomkesh Bakshy who had to investigate and uncover the secret behind these mysterious parcels at any cost. I’m using my investigative skills to uncover the mystery of #SniffSniff at BlogAdda. Let us now wait and watch what this ends up with. While I am sure it has to do something with the olfactory senses, I am really excited now.

Top 5 famous Restaurants in Delhi

Posted on by Nirav Thakker
New Delhi is the capital of India and it surely deserves to be occupied with best of the restaurants and hotels. Delhi is no short of most alluring and spectacular bistros where you can dine in with your family. For all those that are moving to Delhi for a vacation, here are some of the recommendations of best restaurants where you can find most scrumptious food with perfect ambience, take a look below:
1. Ricos: For anyone who possesses a special thing for great ambience and likes to relish Italian, American or Mexican cuisine, Ricos is just the right place for you to visit. You don’t have to worry for the affordability, given the modish ambience and multiple cuisine offerings as you will find Ricos quite reasonable and pocket friendly. This place is beautifully decked with photogenic décor, making you fall in love with its pleasurable environment. It is among the most occupied bistros in Delhi.
2. Café Delhi Heights: Café Delhi Heights is not exactly situated in Delhi; it is actually a part of Gurgaon. People who like to spend some time with their loved ones in peace and at the same time relishing their taste buds with most amazing food come here at this bistro. It is actually a luxury restaurant given the price of the food here. Here you can find most amazing Continental, American, Thai, Italian food etc. You can preserve this one for special occasions if you are a routine diner.
3. Khan Chacha: People from north love to relish Mughlai and ever so spicy North Indian food. Delhi is a city of people with mixed races and thus it is essential to house all kind of cuisines. You can visit Khan Chacha for most authentic and delightful Mughlai meals. It is an affordable place to visit where you can find good quality food for two in just Rs 650. It is situated in Khan Market at Delhi and serving luscious Mughlai taste to many individuals residing there.
4. Nazeer Foods: Nazeer Foods is another treat for lovers of Mughlai cuisine. This place is also renowned for serving best North Indian food in Delhi. You don’t have to carry huge amount along-with while planning a visit at Nazeer Foods. It is also named under the category of most affordable places to visit at Delhi for best food. Other than North Indian and Mughlai, you can also find best of Chinese food here at the bistro. It is the finest place for all the Punjabi families living in Delhi.
5. Zu Tisch: New Delhi is no short of most delectable cuisines and one of the biggest examples is Zu Tisch. This bistro is one of a kind where you can find rarely found German and European cuisine. There are not much restaurants in Delhi that serves German and European food so it makes this bistro different from others. It is situated at Greater Kailash and rated among the expensive bistros in Delhi.

The Taste of Yauatcha

Posted on by Nirav Thakker

The awesome Yauatcha restaurant has come up with a new Toy Menu that is equally awesome with loads of new Cantonese Food

Specially designed for pronto lunches, preset for you to enhance the value of your time and for those who value the time with family and friends.

Price :VEGETARIAN SELECT ₹888 PLUS TAXES PER GUEST

MEAT SELECT ₹988 PLUS TAXES PER GUEST

Days: Monday – Friday

Time : 12 noon – 4:00 pm
Venue : Level 5, 1 MG Road Mall, MG Road, 1MG Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560008.


YAUATCHA
Yauatcha is a Michelin-starred dim sum teahouse from London and is present across India; Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Kolkata. Aimed to be an affordable luxury brand, Yauatcha is a Modern Cantonese restaurant and believes in upholding their standards and quality to ensure the guests have a wonderful experience.


California Pizza Kitchen – New Range of Pizzas @ 249

Posted on by Nirav Thakker

CPK recently launched 7 new pizzas from the previous food festivals that they had held. These are the ones that the patrons at CPK have loved and liked so much. Comprising of 3 Veg and 4 Non Veg options, the pizzas are presently on offer at just Rs. 249 each until the end of May, 2015.
We tried the new Veg Pizzas (we are Vegetarians only) and here is our take.

  • Spicy Cilantro Pizza : Mouthwatering pizza topped with lots of Cilantro
  • Kasundi Paneer Pizza : A fast moving Thin Crust Pizza with lots of Paneer
  • Capriciossa : Thin Crust Pizza topped with lots of Paneer, Olives and Basil.

This was followed up with mouthwatering desserts. Sadly, by the time we got to it, I was so full that I barely managed to do it any justice. To top it, it really looked so beautiful that I had no heart to break it! 🙁

  • Tiramisu
  • Red Velvet Cake and more


 

Fresh Treats at California Pizza KitchenCalifornia Pizza Kitchen has won legions of food experts for its innovative, fresh, great tasting pizzas & unparalleled experience. CPK has always been serving innovative recipes brought to life with fresh, high quality ingredients and it now brings an exciting introductory offer presenting brand new pizzas just at Rs. 249++Give the mundane meals a break & indulge in all the new scrumptious 9″ pizzas to spice up your weekdays. Choose from a variety of fresh & novel hearth-baked pizzas throughout theday Monday throughFriday at an amazingly economical price.
Enjoy the Apollo Pizza wrapped with the goodness of Marinara sauce, relish the sumptuousness of Kasundi Paneer Pizza with the Kasundi flavoured paneer or grilled garlic chicken, try the lip smacking Rustica, indulge in the zesty Deli Style Bistro, meat lovers can dig into Tijuana Chicken Pizza, experience the authentic flavours of Capriciossa and surrender your senses to the captivating Spicy Cilantro Pizza.Witness innovation meeting perfection as you try the fresh & novel additions to the list of pizzas. Rush to California Pizza Kitchen at Whitefield, Indiranagar, or Koramangala, 16th March onward every week from Monday to Friday to avail this exclusiveoffer valid for a limited period only.



Speed up and Get Stylish with Philips!

Posted on by Nirav Thakker
Speed up and Get Stylish with Philips!
o    Vanity will finally pay off with #PhilipsSpeedStyle
o    Flaunt your stylish best this Valentine’s
o    Winners get the chance to meet Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor
           
Philips India, the leading lifestyle brand for male and female grooming gadgets, brings to you this Valentine’s Day an opportunity to show your styling prowess and get rewarded for it! Beginning 5th February, participate in #PhilipsSpeedStyle and get to meet Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt! Philips India invites you to style yourself, smartly and speedily, using the Philips styling products, post your picture and voila! – get a chance to meet your celebrity Valentines. With Philips styling gadgets for men and women flaunt new styles and deliver a new style statement, everyday! 
Philips SpeedStyle stations will also be set at the following colleges-
·         Bangalore
o   Jain College – JP Nagar – 9th February’15
o   Jain College – KR Market – 10th February’15
o   Garden City College – 12th February’15
To participate in #PhilipsSpeedStyle, visit the Philips Men (https://www.facebook.com/PhilipsMen.in) or Philips Beauty India (https://www.facebook.com/PhilipsBeautyIN)Facebook page and logon to the SpeedStyle tab click on the participate button and select a Philips Styling product for use. The SpeedStyle app will first click a pre-styling photo. The participant will then have to use a styler/trimmer/straightener and style themselves as fast as possible. Once done, the participants will be required to click a post styling picture and upload on the SpeedStyling tab. The interval between both these uploads will be automatically recorded and the participant’s pre and post styling photos will be posted to their Facebook Timelinewith the #PhilipsSpeedStyle.
Ms. Anurita Chopra, Marketing Director – Personal Care, Philips Consumer Lifestyle India says, “Youngsters love latesttechnology; new styles and can’t wait to try them out! Therefore we bring grooming gadgets suited for their lifestyle and personalities, delivering quick styling with effective results. Through #PhilipsSpeedStyle we are giving youngsters an opportunity to celebrate Valentine’s season with all the things they love- styling, speed, social media, selfies and gadgets that make new looks possible! Philips is providing the freedom and gadgets to style; all you have to do is bring your speed and show the world how stylish you can be using the Philips SpeedStyle app!”
Check out these cool videos on YouTube that are bound to pique your interest!  
              
One can also participate in #PhilipsSpeedStyle by visiting Philips SpeedStyle stations at
·         Infinity Mall, Malad, Mumbai (7th and 8th Feb)
·         Great India Place, Noida (14th and 15th Feb)
Philips SpeedStyle stations will also be set from 5th to 20th February at the following colleges-
·         Delhi
o   KMC – 9th February’15
o   SRCC – 10th February’15
o   Ramjas College – 11th February’15
o   Khalsa – 12th February’15
o   Hindu – 16th February’15
·         Mumbai
o   MMK College – 9th February’15
o   Thadomal – 10th February’15
o   Atharva College – 16th February’15
o   Thakur College  18th February’15
The most stylish and speedy of the lot will get to meet the young and vibrant brand ambassadors of Philips! Grand Prize winners i.e. one female and one male will meet Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor respectively. Everyday lucky winners will be picked – one female and one male who will win Philips goodies and vouchers for fun dates. The participation for the campaign closes on 20th February’15.
Philips recognises the changing needs of the modern, evolved consumer and understands the need and emphasis on carrying new looks and changing styles more often than ever. Philips steps in as your style partner and allows you to quickly and easily style yourself at home using products like Philips KeraShine Straightener, Philips KeraShineAirStraightener for women and ProSkin Advanced and Laser Guided trimmers for men.
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2014 sales of EUR 21.4 billion and employs approximately 105,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Bon 6 – The unboxing – #BonTheOriginal

Posted on by Nirav Thakker
Over the past few days, I have been telling you that I have received a box that claims to be Bon 6. Given the instructions, I was supposed to unbox it today. I just did that. Check out for yourself what I found.

Let me repeat once again the Specs of Bon 6:

  1. BON6 has super surround sound!!!
  2. BON6 runs on Chocolaty 2.0 OS.
  3. BON6 has Auto Charge.
Bon6, the latest iteration of the Britannia Bourbon is now crispier and crunchier resulting in a super surround sound when you take a bite of it. Its chocolaty heart, aka Chocolaty OS is so yummy that it transports you to a magical land so very unknown! A sparkling exterior with lots of sugar sprinkled on it, it is so very tasty that I could not compare it to anything eatable next! Chocolate is known to be not just a great “pick me up” but also a great aphrodisiac! So literally, auto charge! the next time you plan some fun, make sure you pick something right!!! 😉

Unknown parcel received at home; Claims to be Bon6

Posted on by Nirav Thakker
I have been working out of Trivandrum for almost a month now. It was strange when today somebody called me up enquiring for the directions to my home. He said it was a parcel that had been sent for me! After receiving it, I received a call from my wife that it is a box and tends to appear like a phone. While I tend to review quite a few devices, I assumed it was just that! But then, I had not received any review requests in the past few weeks and even when any of them came, I politely turned them down. This was however a bolt from the blue.
Take a look at the packaging. It makes me wonder what it is and if I should open it at all.

Anyways, it is said that curiosity killed the wild cat! Similarly, my curiosity got better of me and I opened the parcel. It says it runs on Bon6.

Specs:
1.     BON6 has super surround sound!!! Woah! I would love to watch movies with surround sound!
2.     BON6 runs on Chocolaty 2.0 OS. I have never heard of it. I wonder which version of Android it runs!
3.     BON6 has Auto Charge – Does this mean no more begging anybody for chargers???
All these features sound too good to be true, however, the instructions inside the parcel asked me not to open the box until two more days! I just cannot wait for the unboxing of the mystery box, but then, just 2 days to go! I have asked my wife to keep it away, hidden in safety!

Other than this, all that I got was this -> http://www.bontheoriginal.com

Press release: Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad to Commission India’s First Hi-Speed Rural Broadband Network in Kerala

Posted on by Nirav Thakker
  
Department of Telecommunications
Ministry of Communications & IT, Government of India

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad to Commission India’s First Hi-Speed Rural Broadband Network in Kerala 

Bangaluru, 10th Jan 2015:
Hon’ble Minister for Communications & IT Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad will be commissioning India’s First Hi-Speed Rural Broadband Network in Idukki District, Kerala under the Digital India Programme at a function to be held in Thiruvananthapuram at 12th January, 2015 at 5.30 p.m. 

Hon’ble Chief Minister of Kerala Shri Oommen Chandy will be the Guest of Honour at the function which will be held in the august presence of Shri P.K. Kunhalikutty, Hon’ble Minister for Industries & IT, Govt. of Kerala, Shri M.K. Muneer, Hon’ble Minister for Panachayats & Social Welfare, Govt. of Kerala, Shri P.J. Joseph, Hon’ble Minister, Irrigation, Govt. of Kerala, Shri V.S. Achuthanandan, Hon’ble Leader of Opposition, Kerala, Shri V. Muraleedharan, State President BJP, Kerala and Shri Joice George, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Idukki. 

The event marks a key milestone in ushering in a new era of Digital India. NOFN is the largest rural connectivity project of its kind in the world. It seeks to link each of the 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats of India through Broadband optical fibre network. On its completion, NOFN is expected to facilitate Broadband connectivity to over 600 million rural citizens of the country. 

NOFN, which is being funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), Department of Telecom, Ministry of Communications & IT, Govt. of India is envisaged as a non-discriminatory telecom infrastructure, which will bridge the gap in rural telecom access. 

NOFN will enable each of the 2.5 Lakh GPs to have 100 Mbps of bandwidth, thereby facilitating the delivery of various e-Services and applications including e-health, e-education, e-governance and e-commerce in the future. 

In the first phase NOFN shall be extended to cover 50,000 GPs, with the balance 2,00,000 GPs expected to be covered in a phased manner by 2016. The project is being implemented by three central PSUs (CPSUs) namely BSNL, PGCIL and Railtel in the phase first. 

A key feature of the project is that the GPON equipment used in the project has been indigenously designed and developed by C-DOT and manufactured domestically. The project will be centrally managed by BBNL through a high capacity Network Management System being developed by C-DOT. 

With the commissioning of Idukki, the district, which is relatively inaccessible and has a large tribal and rural population, will become the first district in the country to have all its GPs connected through NOFN. It is expected that the establishment of NOFN would open up new avenues for access service providers like mobile operators, cable TV Operators etc. to launch next generation services, and spur creation of local employment opportunities encompassing e-commerce, IT outsourcing etc. as well as services such as e-banking, e-health and e-education for inclusive growth. This will also enable delivery of various services such as local planning, management, monitoring and payments under Government schemes at panchayat level. 

Digital India is a flagship programme of the Central Government which aims to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. The provision of broadband connectivity to every citizen is one of the key objectives of Digital India, and the commissioning of the NOFN network at Idukki is expected to mark a significant step towards realization of this ambitious vision.