ShatterFix Review

Shattering Trepidation

If you've had a mishap with your phone, maybe even reached out to your mobile manufacturer's official support channel only to realize that the quote was frightfully high, scoured the web for a service that fixes phones (at a reasonable rate) in India, then landed on ShatterFix and wanted a data point that aids in your decision-making process, then, fear not - you've come to the right place!

Burning a Hole

Though many manufacturers claim their phones are IP67 - which they may well be - my first experience with having such a phone be exposed to a little bit of water turned out to be an expensive disaster. After approaching the manufacturer, I was told that "fixing" the phone would cost more or less as much as procuring a new one. So rather than get the old one "fixed", I just went ahead and bought a new phone thinking naively that I had put to bed all my mobile woes.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Fast forward a year later, the phone started acting up. Of course, this ominously occurred just weeks after the warranty period expired. Issues on the screen made the mobile irksome to use. I approached the helpful folks at the support channel for my mobile - but quickly realized that I didn't want to pursue this line because it would, once again, likely burn a hole through my pocket.

Great Expectations

So, then, like the Dickens novel with the same title as above, I too - much like Pip - began my online quest to find a service that would fix my phone without dealing me a financial blow. Actually, not like Pip - but you get the idea. Among others, I chanced upon ShatterFix. The reviews on online seemed plentiful and positive. Like with any service these days, there were some outliers, though. I figured I'd lose nothing by diving in head first and experiencing for myself their service first hand - especially since they offered doorstep pickup and drop services across a lot of the country. 

Fixing the Shatter

From the moment I reached out to the ShatterFix team, I genuinely felt that I was in good hands: After I shared the details of my issue, I was told that my screen would need to be replaced - and that this would occur in a few days' time. The quote they provided sounded very reasonable (in comparison to what the manufacturer typically offered anyway.) Also, the customer service rep, shared a coupon over the phone that got me a 10% discount over the price that was advertised online. So do call and talk to them rather than just place an order online. I was also eager to gauge how the doorstep pickup and drop-off service by FedEx functioned.

Here are some points to bear in mind before you send your phone for repair:

1. You have to make sure that the phone you send is accessible to the ShatterFix technicians - so change and share the passcode online - via the website - or - better yet - perform a full backup on the cloud followed by a factory reset (with no passcode).
2. Ensure you pack the phone well prior to shipping. I would caution against using the box the phone came in - unless you don't mind losing it - as the package the phone is returned in is by ShatterFix. So, while shipping it in, choose a generic small carton box and add foam and / or bubble wrap so it's not damaged during transit.

After you send it in, it's possible to track the progress of the phone online as it moves through the following stages: Booked, Confirmed, Pickup Scheduled, Under Repair, Dispatched and Delivered. It's clearly a well-oiled unit. Emails were promptly replied to, calls were answered immediately - and any questions or concerns I had were addressed to my satisfaction. That being said, they seem to prefer interacting over the phone than by email - which probably makes sense. Even though there was a slight delay in the timeline, I was kept abreast. I believe they realize the importance of a phone in this day and age and take every effort to return it fully working. Of course, the shipping services by FedEx were smooth.

Repair Without Boundaries

The heading above is ShatterFix's motto - and it aptly describes what they set out to do. It's been several months since my phone was returned to me and it's still working like a charm. Hats off to a team that provides this service across large portions of the subcontinent giving hassled customers a solution to continue using their phones without breaking the bank!

Garmin Heart Rate Monitor Not Working After Battery Change

 Heart Break - Not Heart Rate

So this has happened to me a few times now: Each time you attempt to replace a Garmin heart rate monitor battery (assuming it's dead), you do it painstakingly and yet it does not work. Flummoxed, you try another, fresh, battery, and yet nothing happens! Dang it! But don't lose heart: The chest strap is likely not as dead as a Dodo and may work. Well, most times anyway.

The Battle of the Battered Battery

When your Garmin heart rate monitor (HRM) stops working - and it will - typically a couple years (depending on your usage), do not rush into changing the battery. 

First make sure that the battery is actually dead. Really. Don't rush into changing it thinking its dead. Go to 

Settings --> Sensors & Accessories 

and then look for your heart rate monitor. Mine happens to be aptly called "Garmin Run". Now get into the menu and check to see if the "Status" is indeed "Connected". Then scroll down to the "About" menu and all the way at the bottom, you should see, among other details of the HRM, whether or not the battery is good or not. Since mine was fine, I saw the following text

Battery: OK

If you see a similar message, there's a good chance that your battery still has juice in it - and that the issue is with the HRM. In this case, do the environment a favor, and don't toss it into the trash. Otherwise, it's time to replace the battery with a new one. My HRM uses a CR2032 coin battery.

HRM CPR

 If you think your HRM is dead even after a battery change, then these are the definitive steps to resuscitate it. If you look for 

garmin hrm not working after battery change

on Google, you will likely land on this page

https://www.koelnerwasser.de/?p=325

and the suggestion given there is really brilliant! It actually works! All credit goes to the author for this awesome hack. I tried this for my Garmin HRM Run that I thought had died years ago (and for which I had bought a replacement) and voila - it fired up and paired like a champ. (However, it died one day later - and I could not get it working again. But even so, this fix may work for you.) Note that you will need a screwdriver with a rather small head and the appropriate battery to perform this operation on a completely dry HRM. These are the exact steps I took:

Step #1

Place your HRM on a table. Mine looks like so

Step #2

Remove the soft cover by gently lifting it up from the bottom. It should come off rather easily. When it's removed, this is how the HRM should appear

Step #3

Now unscrew the 4 screws and place them carefully nearby so that you know where each screw should go back after you're done

Step #4

Gently remove the old battery. You may need to flip the HRM, make a cup with one hand and gently tap from the back it to get it out. Make sure, however, not to lose the O-ring (in red) in the process

Step #5

Place the new battery exactly the opposite way - so the positive ("+") side should be facing down and the negative ("-" side should be facing up. Like so

Step #6

Assemble the HRM back up so that it looks like it did in Step #2. Now listen to this song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK-vZ8i8J74

Step #7

After 3:01, remove the cover as well as the battery. The HRM should look like it did in Step #4. Before proceeding, listen to this song that expresses energetically some really powerful and feelings (that are often not openly discussed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0lWAcYlXHE

Step #8

After 3:16, place the battery like in Step #3

Go ahead and put the HRM back together so that it eventually looks like it did before disassembly

Step #9

Strap the HRM around your chest. Then navigate to 

Settings --> Sensors & Accessories 

and then look for your heart rate monitor. Get into the menu and check to see if the "Status" is indeed "Connected". It should most likely be after performing these steps.

Corrosion Collusion

If these steps don't work then take some solace in the following words: For those of us who sweat quite heavily, moisture eventually makes its way into the casing and starts - frying - or in this case, rather, soaking the electronics. This leads to the corrosion of several components rendering the HRM pretty unusable. Again, the battery might still be OK - but the electronics are probably shot.

Airing is Caring

What I've seen work in my case is to make sure the HRM is first wiped down after every use - and then left out to dry - perhaps using a fan - so that the moisture doesn't penetrate. Only after several hours of the HRM being completely aired, do I put it back into my closet.

Hopefully these tips help you get a longer life out of your HRM - and preserve the hair on your head that you'd otherwise have pulled out due to the frustration of having to swap out a new HRM every couple years!

Panasonic Ultimate Wet Grinder MK-SW 200 (White) 240-Watts with Timer Review

The Grind of Finding a Grinder

So after being in the market for an idli (a South Indian steamed rice cake) grinder and eyeing an old one that was laying around - more specifically the older model of the Elgi Ultra Grind series - which had reliably served us well for over a decade - it came to a shootout between the Elgi Ultra Perfect+ and the Panasonic Ultimate Wet Grinder MK-SW 200.

Panasonic v Elgi

Rather than delve into why we did not choose the Elgi, let us focus instead on the reasons we selected the Panasonic.

1. Japan v South Korea (Not!)
    Without a doubt, Panasonic is the bigger name - and being avid fans of technology from Japan - even if the fluffy idli isn't exactly part of the staple diet there - we were confident that they would deliver a great product against a rival whose name when spoken out loud (try it!) is eerily similar to a two-letter South Korean brand. This verily a face-off much like the two rival countries.
   
   
2. The Price is Right
   No, we're not alluding to the show with the same name. However, the Panasonic was being sold at a better rate than the competition. Add Point #1 to the mix (or grind, in this case) and the decision to buy continues to tilt in favor the Japanese grinder.
   
   
3. The Final Countdown
   The designers of the Panasonic idli grinder probably weren't inspired by Europe's one-hit, chart-buster, The Final Countdown but they decided to include a retro, analog timer which is admittedly not as cool as the digital one offered by its rival. However, it's fully functional. Of course, a timer gives you the convenience to start the grinding process and saves you the hassle of keeping an eye to turn it off.
   
   
4. She's Got the Look
   As Roxette says "She's got the look!". Definitely! The Panasonic grinder is clearly easier on the eyes. Elgi seems to have stuck to a tried and tested formula - which is great - however it does give the appliance a more dated look. The Panasonic brings a fresh look to the table (literally) with a pleasing combination of white and silver.
   
   
5. One-Hit Wonder
   The Panasonic performs only one operation - which is to grind the batter - and it does this well. We were not in the market for a dough kneader nor a coconut scraper - which is what the multifunctional Elgi is supposedly able to do.
   
   
6. Safety Comes First
   Well, it's actually the sixth point in the list - but oh well, you know what we mean! The Panasonic grinder has a safety mechanism that really clinched the deal: The appliance will not operate without the lid in place. This prevents the curious, traditional hand (and fingers) from "feeling" the dough while the stones are busy grinding away avoiding the potential loss of precious digits. Also, as an added benefit, it ensures that there are no insects or other wall-climbing reptiles that can inadvertently be part of your idli-grinding and afterward, tasting experience.
   
   
7. WaterTube
   This may have been the name of a video hosting site for H2O but is in fact a means to add water into the batter without having to open the lid. So cool!
   
   
8. Deal "Breaker"
   There's a reset breaker nestled at the bottom of the grinder that allows you to reset the grinder in case a surge of power causes the breaker to trip. This is a thoughtful addition - especially with the frequent fluctuations in power.
   
   
9. Final Weigh-In
   Note that this matter is not to be taken lightly: The grinder is actually pretty heavy to lug around. It weighs in at a hefty 13.6 kg (but is 100 g lighter than the competition). However, it is decently sized and fits onto a kitchen counter or shelf (provided it can take the weight).

We hope that the above points have helped you hone in on the right grinder. Happy Idli-ing! 

Polar V800 India

The Trophy Heart Rate Monitor

Perhaps you're a serious multi-sport athlete or just a fitness enthusiast who loves technology: In either case after carefully reading all the reviews online many time you've finally decided to splurge on the Polar V800 - that fanciest of heart rate monitors - so that you too can train like a champion.

Well, I know I did. After owning a trusty RS800 for nearly a decade, I thought it was time to move up the ladder and get myself a V800 - and so I did.

While I don't regret my decision to do so, I'd like to share my experience with the V800.

A Steamy Affair - Part 1

I bought the V800 in September 2014 and was ecstatic when it finally arrived in India. It's truly a really neat piece of hardware with some cool software. Since the V800 tracks a  range of physical activities (including sleep) I tend to have it on 24 x 7. 

Well, all was going dandy until one fine day, a few months down the road, I noticed humidity inside the watch (under the glass dial, as it were). I thought it was temporary and dismissed it. 

Humidity under the glass dial on the Polar V800

However, when it stubbornly refused to go away after about a day, I got worried and contacted Polar Support (via chat). I was told that since I'm in India, this'd be dealt with by Polar India. Cool beans. So I contacted the folks there and was told to send in my watch to get it fixed.

Long story short, I sent in the V800, they got rid of the humidity and sent it back. Bravo! I was ecstatic that I had my precious V800 back.

A Steamy Affair - Part 2

Now, after about a month, I noticed the exact same thing! Moisture was getting underneath the dial of the V800! I was horrified. I called Polar India again and was told that they were aware of the problem but couldn't really help me unless Polar Global sent me a replacement under warranty. Since the V800 was bought in the US, I decided to contact Polar USA and after a few e-mail exchanges, thanks to them, was put in touch with Polar Global. They acknowledged the issue and offered to send me a replacement unit. Great support! 

Community Love

Meanwhile, I'd started a thread on the Polar forums here to see if this problem was affecting other Polar V800 users as well or if this was a one-off issue.

What do you know? It has! Turns out that humidity gets in through the exposed connector under the watch strap.

The exposed connector can allow moisture to get under the dial

And so the solution is to have a small cap cover the connector so that moisture doesn't get wicked in.

A small cap covers the exposed connector preventing moisture from getting in

The Heart Break Monitor

I received the replacement V800 yesterday. I haven't had the guts yet to expose it to any water but I did want to take it out for a run. So, I strapped on the H7 Bluetooth heart rate sensor but it just wouldn't get paired. New batteries, different chest straps. Still no luck. My previous V800 had no issues with pairing.

For now, I've gone ahead and bought a new H7 Bluetooth heart rate sensor. I'll update this review once it arrives to see whether the issue is with the heart rate sensor or the replacement V800.

In either case, my experience with the V800 has been far from ideal. I was really hoping it would help me achieve my fitness goals as a top of the line heart rate monitor - but for now, all it's really done is been more of a heart break monitor.

Double Trouble

So, both the H7s recently came back from the service center and here's the report.

For the older one, turns out the contact inside the battery compartment had gotten spoiled. Not sure how or why. In other words, when the battery compartment's opened with a twist and the help of a coin, the battery generally pop outs - right? Well, it wasn't doing that - and it wasn't doing that because the contact inside was spoiled. The service center fixed that and sent it back. Now it's working fine.

For the newer one, the battery it came with was defective. Perhaps it was sitting on the shelves too long? I'd noticed that it was imported in April, 2015 - and was probably manufactured a while before that. However, this provided for quite a sucky customer experience for someone buying a new heart rate sensor.

So, I'm still hanging in there. I finally got the nerves to take the Polar V800 into the shower and so far *touch wood* all seems to be well.

TP-LINK TL-WR740N as a Repeater? No Thank You!

Routing to the Right Router

So, I was in the market to buy a wallet-friendly router and after searching for this on Flipkart, it became evidently clear that the TP-LINK TL-WR740N would do nicely. The ratings for the router are high along with a bunch of rave reviews. See here. At under ₹900 (~$15 USD), it's a real steal. So I went ahead and bought it.

Reaping the Rewards of Repeating

I was extremely satisfied with the TP-LINK TL-WR740Nas a router. Set up using the web interface was a breeze and I was up and going in just a couple minutes. Exactly what I wanted.

However, the range on the router is not the greatest and it didn't cover all the area it needed to. So, I got onto Flipkart and started looking for a wireless repeater to boost the signal. I did come across the Netgear WN3000RP Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender but after paying ₹900 for the TP-LINK TL-WR740N, the Netgear price tag looked a bit steep at ₹2,750 (~$46 USD). 

So, I wondered if the TP-LINK TL-WR740N could be used a a repeater and found this reply on StackExchange. Though the first answer clearly states that this is not possible, the others seem to imply otherwise. Believing them, I went ahead and bought another TP-LINK TL-WR740N - after making sure that it was DD-WRT compatible - again based on the reviews from Flipkart.

"Brick"bats Not Bouquets

I was super excited when the second router reached my doorstep. I was going to be able to create a nice WiFi zone at a budget price. But what followed next was a nightmare.

First, I followed the instructions in the video here. They seemed straightforward enough. What I didn't notice in my excitement is that the video has more thumbs down than it does thumbs up. Anyway, the setup went well and everything seemed dandy - the second router was working nicely as a repeater.

However, after some time, it failed. The WiFi network was visible but there was no internet connectivity. I tried extending the lease time and this worked well temporarily. I scoured the web looking for a more permanent solution, but without luck. Then, it occurred to me to explore the DD-WRT route.

I routinely tinker with the OS on my phone. So, I was not daunted with the prospect of loading the router with custom firmware. I was able to successfully flash the router using the video here. It was clear and there was a way to revert back to the stock firmware too in case things didn't go well.

Long story short, even after flashing the router with DD-WRT, the repeater failed to work well. After jumping through some more hoops, I was able to get the router back to stock. And then I started looking for other solutions. There are tons of these threads and every now and then there appears to be a promise that the device can function as a repeater, so it egged me on. 

Finally, I ended up with Gargoyle another custom firmware that seemed to have magically transformed the TP-LINK TL-WR740N into a repeater. I flashed it and tried it but in vain. I was quite exhausted with all of this and chose the wrong file while updating firmware. That ended up bricking my router.

The worst had just happened for real...

 

Unbricking and a Realization 

 

All my excitement had faded away and I was already exhausted but the fact that I'd just bricked my new router gave me the energy to try to unbrick it. I got the right cables as described here and though I gave it my best shot, it was just not working. I was spending more time and more energy and getting nowhere - except perhaps to Frustrationland. Admittedly, this would be a good project if I were a student looking for something interesting to do but all I wanted was the (damn) repeater to work and be on my way.

A Universal Solution

 So, after thinking about this, I looked for a solution on Flipkart and, not surprisingly, I stumbled once again on the strong reviews and ratings for the Netgear WN3000RP Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender. Surprise, surprise, this time the price didn't faze me and I bought it. And It worked like a charm. It was so easy to set up. See here. And it's been working wonderfully well for several months now. The signal never drops and it covers a really wide area.

Conclusion

So, in summary this is what I learned the real hard and painful way: 

The TP-LINK TL-WR740N is a great router. The TP-LINK TL-WR740N is not a repeater. Do not expect it to magically turn into one. 

If you're in the market to look for a solution that creates a decently large WiFi zone, get the TP-LINK TL-WR740N and use it as a router and buy the WN3000RP Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender as a repeater. Please save yourself the hassle, money and time. This is a simple and elegant solution that works very well.

Women's Wednesday: Stick Tennis Daily Challenge Result for April 30, 2014

Do You Stick Tennis?

 

Been wondering how many people from across the world play the Stick Tennis Daily Challenge. I'm guessing that this is a large number. It would be nice to share tips and tricks with people who take a few minutes out of their daily routines to partake in this challenge from across the world. What's it like to be 1st in Brazil? What did you do to beat your opponent today? If you lost, what could you've done better?

So, for the day, if you send me 

1. A screenshot with your ranking   
2. Any tips or tricks that you'd like to share
3. A nick name

I'll be sure to add these to the blog so that people playing the Stick Tennis Daily Challenge from all over can benefit. 

 

Vika Vs. Momma Smash

 

Summary

Today's Women's Wednesday and the challenge pits Victoria Azarenka against Serena Williams. As Azarenka, I was able to beat Williams 6-0 quite easily - losing only 3 points in the process - 2 of which were unforced errors. Here's a screenshot of the match summary

AI2 Match Summary for Women's Wednesday on April 30, 2014

 As of today, I'm ranked 407th in India - and just shy of some bronze hardware. Often times, the ranking changes (for the better) the day after.

AI2 Ranking for Women's Wednesday on April 30, 2014

AI2's Tips and Tricks for the Day

I found Azerenka to markedly stronger than Williams. I used the tips and tricks mentioned in my other post on Stick Tennis, but specifically

1. Serving wide seemed to evoke weaker returns from Williams.
2. Playing drop shots forced Williams to the net - especially during the longer rallies. Then, it was straightforward to win the point by playing it cross-court.
3. Receiving Williams' serves is really key. You have to be super alert because if she barrels one down the "T", then it comes in really hot - and it's so hard to receive. Her wider serves are easier to take.
4. Hitting a cross court winner on Williams' second-serves. She seems to double-fault a lot (have a look at the match summary) - and so her second serve's weak. Time your shot for an easy winner.

 So, there you have it! What do you have to share with us?

Shipping to India from Amazon.com

Leap of Faith

 

In my previous blog post I wrote about the issues I faced when ordering for a pair of shoes on Amazon.com (not Amazon.in). However, I wanted to follow up and share my experience on the entire process - especially since there doesn't seem to be too much information online on whether the system's functional. Does shipping from the US to India using Amazon.com actually work?

Positively Positive

Yes, it does! In brief, barring the initial hiccup with the phone number, the entire process was amazing.

For starters, apart from shipping, Amazon charged me a fixed price to deal with what they labeled "Import Fees Deposit". This is the amount paid to clear customs and to deal with other handling charges. I really like this since it does away with paying the courier chappy (read: middle person) those charges - which is what I'd done previously while importing an item from the US. 

Rupee for the Yuppie

 

Another area Amazon earns a brownie point is in the checkout process: They gave me option to pay the entire amount in rupees or in US dollars. This made it really convenient since I could look at the amount and decide whether I wanted to go ahead or not; all this without the hassle of having to convert the amount in dollars, get a ballpark figure (depending on the exchange rate of the day) and hope that's what I'd be charged. Fantastic!

The Aramex Effect

Next, I'm delighted to report that the item arrived earlier than expected and in mint condition. The package wasn't even slightly damaged and the shoes were well-packed. The item arrived by Aramex - which is a logistics company based out of Jordan (that I didn't know about until a few weeks ago). Even though I chose "AmazonGlobal Standard Shipping" and didn't expect any kind of tracking, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that this wasn't true. Indeed I was able to track the package as it made its journey halfway across the globe, online. Aramex also has a notification option that shoots you an e-mail once the package has been delivered - which is really neat. 

Hip Hip Hoor"A"

So two cheers to Amazon and Aramex for making this a super shopping experience! Even after adding the shipping charges, the shoes I imported worked out cheaper than similar shoes I'd have gotten at the local store here in India. So, all in all, this has been a great experience and realization. Buying items from the US doesn't look like a mysterious and scary proposition anymore.

Important Message: Entered Phone Number Has Insufficient Characters

Amazing Amazon

 

Always been a big fan of Amazon. They have such a wide range of products and shopping online truly has never been easier. Also, they are a pioneer in the field and online stores like Flipkart that have struck it big have followed the Amazon model to their advantage - even beating them at their own game here. Indeed, Amazon doesn't have a very large presence in India - but then again, they have a wide range of goods to offer globally.

 No Indian Jenny on 867-5309

So, I was in the market for a pair of new running shoes since the ones I have need to be switched out. I've been very satisfied with the Saucony Guides and when I recently noticed that Amazon ships to India as part of their AmazonGlobal Saver promo, I was excited. I went ahead and ordered a pair of Saucony Guide 7s. When I was asked to input a shipping address during the checkout process, I filled in the details - including providing a valid phone number (+91 followed by 10 digits). However, after clicking on the "ship to this address" button, I received the following notification.

Annoying message that shows up when an item's shipping to India even if the number's valid

The interesting part is that no matter what I did, the message stayed. Adding digits, removing digits. Just nothing . Zilch. Nada. So, clearly this is frustrating since it prevents the person from shipping items to India. Well, almost...

Turns out that I had another address in India that I could ship to as well (and that had been saved earlier) - and selecting that caused no issues despite having the same phone number. How curious! Indeed even editing that address without changing the phone number displayed the same message.

Solutions

 

Customer's Queen (or King)

 

I was able to get the address I wanted to ship to by contacting Amazon customer service. 

I first reached out to them on Twitter and told them about this issue. I got the following link sent to me as a reply

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/contact-us?

On clicking it and after signing in, in the

1 What can we help you with?

field, I clicked on

Something else

Then in

2 Tell us more about your issue

I chose

Account settings --> Update shipping addresses

 Finally, in

3 How would you like to contact us?

I clicked on the 

Start Chatting 

button.

The person at the other end was helpful and they could input both the shipping address and telephone number just like I wanted them.

Wait - It's Eight!

 

Thanks very much to Faheem Mitha for sharing this solution: Another way around this conundrum is to input "91" followed by an 8-digit number. Like so

91XXXXXXXX

No dashes or plus sign at the beginning. I can second that this does the trick.

Unfortunately, land line numbers in India are not standardized so, not everyone has an 8-digit number they can input in this field. Some are shorter - and some are longer. Indeed mobile numbers across India are 10 digits. So, it stands to reason that Amazon update this page to allow for some more flexibility - perhaps after carefully looking at the different phone formats used in India.

What's Up, Amazon? Help!

So, what's going on, Amazon? Is this a silly bug that's been overlooked or is there more to this peculiarity? In either case and explanation would be super helpful. Thank you.

The LS2 FF396 CT2 Helmet Review

(Not) Breaking My Head Over a Helmet

 

So, I was in the market for a good motorcycle helmet - especially since I didn't want to ride my new bike without one. The exponential increase in crashes here in India warranted a full-face helmet - no two ways about that.

If this was possible, I wanted a helmet that had a higher rating than what the Indian Standards Institute ISI gives. After watching the excellent video on buying helmets by the folks at  RevZilla.com, I decided to look through the standards more carefully and spent some time going through this one as well by Louis and Siggy.

My quick takeaway from these videos was that

ISI < DOT < SNELL < ECE 22.05

where the "<" sign translates to "is less safer than".

Crossing (off) the DOT(s)

After researching some online on what's available here, I had my eyes set on the SOL SF-1 Acme TC12. It looked like it was available somewhat locally, priced decently, DOT certified and looked smart. Anyway, long story short, I tried on the helmet and wasn't happy with the fit. The helmet was sold out in the size I wanted to try and the distributor couldn't keep their word on when this would be available. Tough luck.

Not wanting to wait indefinitely, I decided to try a couple shops without a particular model in mind. After moving up the chain of helmets, I soon stumbled across the LS2 FF396 CT2. It caught my eye immediately because of the blackish gray carbon fiber. I used the multi-point helmet fitting video guide that the folks at Reline Motorsports put up and was delighted that it sat well on my head. When I looked at the back of the helmet I noticed that it had a ECE 22.05 certification. Truly I couldn't have asked for more! Here I was getting helmet that had a higher safety rating than the one I had set my sights out to get initially. I bought the helmet and a couple of cotton skull caps (so that the inside of the helmet of the helmet wouldn't get all sweaty).

Back shot of the LS2 FF396 CT2. Note the ECE 22.05 certification.

 

Heading Out

I thought that I'd wait for at least 3 months before writing a review on my experience with the LS2 so that my opinions were well-formed. Now that this time has quickly gone by, here's my review.

For starters, the LS2 FF396 CT2 manual is full of typos. Here are just a couple from the second page.

Page #2 of the helmet manual. Note the the glaring typos (boxed in red). Shoddy proofing work by LS2 - especially since the helmet's such a beauty.

When I was done going through it, I started wondering if I was sold a fake helmet. However, luckily, the build and quality of the helmet allayed my fears.

Let's face it: The LS2 FF396 CT2's a smart helmet. There's badging with the words "LS2" on the sides, back and front. The texture of the carbon fiber's beautiful. Indeed, When I carry it around, people are naturally curious about the bike I ride. However, they seem chagrined they realize that I putter around on a small scooter instead of a mean machine with a gazillion horses. Rather than describe the helmet's aesthetics, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Side shot of the LS2 FF396 CT2. Note the top vent in the open position. The small slide-lever on the side of the visor enables it to be locked.

The helmet's very light. My daily commute on way takes no longer than 15 minutes. But even if I have to make this trip a few times, my neck doesn't feel fatigued.

It is well-ventilated. The helment has four vents - one at the front, the other at the back and two on top. This really helps with airing the helmet. The vents can be easily closed in wet weather (and don't leak).

The the LS2 FF396 CT2 also comes with built-in sunglasses that can be flipped down by the touch of small lever. These are a huge boon in (mostly sunny) subcontinent conditions. The quality of the shades are very good and save me the hassle of having to put on any extra eye wear.

Front shot of the LS2 FF396 CT2. Note the built-in sunglasses and the open front vent.

The ECE 22.05 standard includes tests for the visor as well - and the visor on the LS2 does feel sturdy. Over the course of these few months I've had all kinds of small objects hit it and that's formed a few scratches but the visibility's still excellent. If this is required, the visor can be locked down (so it doesn't flip up on impact).

The helmet comes with an accessory to cover the front part of the face that can be easily removed.

The inside fabric / cushioning of the helmet (right over the head) is removable for washing. This is held  held together in place by two strategically placed buttons and both the removal and insertion are a breeze. This is again a big plus for a country like India where it's easy to sweat.

Bottom shot of the LS2 FF396 CT2. Note the buttons in red at the back of the helmet that enable the easy removal of the fabric / lining inside. Also note the classic D-ring chin strap.

The classic D-ring chin strap's very comfortable and is easy to put on and off.

Price on Your Head

"So, what did you pay for it?", I hear you ask. This helmet set me back ₹10,000 (~$170 USD) but this how I reasoned things out:

The average life of the helmet's 5 years. Say I use it 300 days a year; that's 15,000 days in 5 years. This works out to around ₹0.70 / day to have the best protection that's available for my head. A price I'm gladly willing to pay.

So, in summary, I think the LS2 FF396 CT2's an excellent helmet and I'm very happy with my decision. It's done a fantastic job these past few months and I have no complaints.

I do hope that you find this review helpful as you decide on your next helmet. Safe riding!

Stick 'Em Up! Stick Tennis Stroke Play and Strategy

Love It

 

I fell in love with Stick Tennis since I started playing it on my mobile device back in early 2012. I think the motto the folks at Stick Sports have is true

Easy to play yet hard to master!

In this post, I'd like to share what I learned on the stroke play and strategy front. 

Beach Him

I started off practicing at The Casual Sets Tennis club and honed my skills until I'd won 6 - 0 against all my opponents. Using the Prac-o-meter helped me out tremendously because timing is key in this game. Though beating Martina Shankitova, Horan Ivanitchisac, Moanica Shrieker, Musthav Curtains was relatively straightforward, I had bit of trouble with Chris Cross-Court and a tough time with Willy Beacher. As I got better, though, I was able to achieve my goal - and the opponents in the Daily Challenge using the strategies detailed later on. 

 

Ace Hardware

I play the game with the standard-issue racket - and not with any of the ones available at the Pro Store. Though I started in 2012, it took me a year of playing before I began to see the fruit of my labor. 

As of today I've won the following gold trophies in the Daily Challenge

Figure 1: Gold trophy won on March 24, 2013

Figure 2: Gold trophy won on June 16, 2013

Notice that both of these were earned by playing as Willy Beacher  - the toughest member of The Casual Sets against Horan Ivanitchisac - arguably the easiest opponent. Also, though I have 16 bronze cups in my trophy cabinet, I have no silver ones.

Figure 3: Trophy Cabinet as of November, 2013

 Anyway, so without further fanfare, let's cut right to the chase of sharing stroke play and strategy tips.

Master Strokes

Since most of the tennis players featured on StickTennis are right-handed, the strokes that worked for me will be for these types of players. These can be adapted for left-handed players as required. The following sections detail each of the tips I found useful on the stroke play front.

 

Serve's Up 

 

Serving wide is useful because it can make the ball unplayable for your opponent and earn you a point without too much effort. To do this, when the player is to the right side of the court, first throw the ball in the air by tapping the left thumb. Then when you think the ball is at its apex, with the left thumb, select a point that's left on the screen but somewhere around the service quadrant and tap again to effect the serve. Sometimes you can even swipe the left thumb after tossing the ball up. If this sequence is done well, this can result in an ace. 

"T"-Time

Another trick is to serve an ace down the "T". In my experience, this works best when a player is on the left side of the court. Like before, tap the left thumb to throw the ball in the air. Then, when you think it's up there, with the left thumb select the a point beyond the baseline but slightly to the left of the axis of the center service line to power one down the "T".

No Mirror Image

I haven't had much luck serving wide when a player is on the left side of the court. Also, I've rarely served an ace down the "T" when a player is on the right side of the court. Of course, I've tried using the right thumb (instead of the left one) but with no real success. Perhaps you'll have better luck.

Hot Cross Shots

Playing cross-court shots work well on both sides, though. To hit a cross-court shot that's coming to the player's backhand, swipe the right thumb across the screen - from left to right. Similarly, to play a cross-court shot that's on the forehand, swipe the left thumb from right to left.

 

Drop it Low

One of the most effective shots I've found against tougher players is the drop shot. This is achieved by dragging the thumb downward as you hit the ball. If you also swipe the thumb down and in a given direction then the drop shot is executed in this direction. 

Strat-o-sphere

In this section I'd like to share some thoughts on strategy. Sometimes having just the right shots don't work - especially if you don't hit them well - or if your player is visibly weaker than the opponent (which happens every once in a while on the Daily Challenge).

Location Specification

 

It's important to place the ball smartly. Sometimes, seeing where the opponent is and trying to place the ball as far away from them as possible is helpful. To this end, it really doesn't matter which shot you play. Just tap the position (on the screen) you'd like the ball to go in and if your timing is golden, then the ball will head this way.

Golden Drop

 

As mentioned previously, I tend to use the drop shot a lot. It's so effective because it often draws the opponent to the net giving you the opportunity to muscle the shot down for a winner.

This is also useful tactic to employ if a rally looks like it's going on forever. It helps break the monotony by changing things up - especially since some opponents are strong on the baseline.

Soft Serve

Though the first serve often comes steaming in. This is not the case for the second serve. It comes in at a greatly reduced speed. This is the perfect opportunity to return it back strong - and wide so that your opponent hasn't the time to react. 

Volley Ball

 

Every now and then the opportunity to be at the net presents itself. When this is the case, it's important to realize that you have to react quicker than if you were on the baseline and make sure the return angle for shots at the net are wide from the opponent as possible. 

Video Saved the Tennis Star

Here's a video that sums up all that was mentioned in the previous two sections. Hopefully, the points are illustrated more clearly when they're displayed visually.