Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse: Review

The movie is another origin story and pretty much same with multiple spidermans and some gorgeous art style. The plot, the acting and everything else is just extremely childish and clichéd.

What we see here is the typical American representations how they imagine exactly every teenager is- irresponsible, clumsy, overly-sentimental and immature.

And truly, such stereotyping looks good only in movies for very small children. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it is just targeted towards young teens and I should not judge it so harshly but I cannot help myself when I am presented with an unfunny, unoriginal and predictive rendition of a beloved superhero.

Spiderman’s multiverse aka Spiderverse is full of zany and layered characters but we only touch on the topic and do not extract anything meaningful from it at all.

I somewhat enjoyed the movie because it was good to look at but I could not stop cringing about everything else in the movie. It all just was one of the absolute worst of marvel. But lately, we’ve been seeing that more and more. Marvel created tropes themselves which they are following now, making more and more of their superhero movies seem stale and repetitive with the same old ‘marvel formula’.

The movie tries hard to be humourous and sometimes actually edgy but fails at every attempt unless you’re a very young person with no knowledge of anything or a very dumb adult.

Miles Morales could have been much more if he wasn’t caught in the web of the restrictive spiderman lore. Honestly, he’s a disappointing character like every other in this movie.

The movie revolves around the same theme for quite a long time and does not offer any sort of release in any scene. Sure, if you’re in for mindless fun and could not find the tickets to the new Rohit Shetty film, then Into The Spiderverse may be the most amazing movie you’ve seen the whole year. Otherwise, it’s a waste of time and effort and money.

All in all, Into the Spiderverse, is indeed a waste watch if you’ve seen the trailer. The movie offers nothing at all. It’s just like you’re watching an extended trailer. And that too one trailer again and again. I really to feel positive about this but sadly, I cannot. I want to believe that Into The Spiderverse was an amazing movie with never seen before gimmicks, deep plot and interesting characters but unfortunately, it’s none of those. Like really, maybe more thought was put in by DC in making Batman Ninja and we all know how utterly awful that movie was.

In case of Into The Spiderverse, we don’t see a good plot anywhere whatsoever. It’s all the same and they admit to it. The movie is not full of fresh comedy or breath-taking action. Funnily, the excess of swings and fights make it much duller. And rest of the scenes are rather avoidable. They are not required for you to put the story together if you have the faintest idea what in the world a spiderman is.

So, as opposed to most other rave reviews out there, I would not recommend hurrying to watch this movie. This is just another animated spiderman movie with an attempt towards something new but failing miserably at it. Although, admittedly, the visuals are quite enthralling at times and may still be tolerable due to the gorgeous animation. But if you care about anything else, you might not like it.

Book Review- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Here we are! Reviewing another classic and a mystery of utter master-class beyond all doubt.

‘And Then There Were None’ is a renowned work of mystery fiction and quite possibly the archetype for so many suspense horror media that followed since it was first published with the similar idea of an isolated island and strangers dying one by one.

But the magic of the original hasn’t yet faded away and likely won’t ever. The story is still platinum grade fiction and edge of the seat thriller with each chapter being as much of a reveal as it is a precursor to the impending mystery.

I won’t delve too much into the plot as it is already quite well-known at this time. But to give a framework, it is about ten strangers, each of whom is guilty of a terrible murder and is invited by some mysterious figure to an isolated island or one reason or the other. No person is actually aware of who their host actually is and neither did they know any of the others in the group. It is later found out that what ties them together is that each one of them was involved in a murder in some capacity, if not, directly causing it. They all were guilty but their crimes were such that they could not be punished under the provisions of law and hence a madman had now taken it upon himself to render justice.

One by one, each of the crimes unfold in quite a masterful manner. The group grows suspicious more and more as people reduce. They argue, they fight but cannot prevent the inevitable. And some great theatrical tricks add to the drama and tension like the disappearing china figures and the nursery rhyme in each of their rooms which somewhat dictates how each of them will die.

And the mystery goes on till the very last page of the novel. One keeps on guessing but ends being as confused as the inhabitants of the island. At the end it is extremely satisfying to finally uncover the true culprit and how they managed to do it all. Even the Scotland Yard is baffled!

The best thing about the novel is how it takes the simple premise to its conclusion so eloquently. The idea is original and fantastic but the story is never caught up too much in it. Despite having ten different main characters, the story perfectly manages to let the reader get adequately familiarised with them along the progression of the mystery.

It does start with too many names to remember and too many things to keep track off but soon you’ll find yourself invariably stuck inside the whole plot with as much palpable tension as of each of our diverse characters.

To sum it up, the novel is an exciting read. If you’re a person who wants to derive amusement out of the literary medium, look no further. This is a delight guaranteed!

So anyone looking for a short break from the mundane everyday life and wants to experience what true thrill is and what a book is capable of through the mystery genre, then Agatha Christie is your saviour.

Book Review- Kafka On The Shore (2002) by Haruki Murakami

Kafka on the Shore (2002), is a fascinating read with a weird story, atypical characters and bizarre situations. When you’ve actually read it, you feel complete even though many story arcs have been left hanging mid-air. That is probably the best thing about Kafka On The Shore. The story builds on its fantastical happenings and mysticism without having to rely on the reader to be able to understand it fully. And as readers, we are also able to delve deep into this surreal dream without necessarily trying to de-tangle this whole mish-mash of suspense in the narrative.

The Story

The plot majorly revolves around the quests of multiple characters, mainly circling back to the inevitably entwined lives of Mr. Nakata, a very old but not-so-bright guy who can talk to cats; and Kafka Tamura, the 15 year old kid who wants to run away from his home and his father. Both of them do things they’ve never done before, meeting the right people and ending up just where they need to be. Rather evidently, as they both suspect, there is some higher power or fate at play here. They give in to the capricious inklings of fate and reside to play their part without anyone trying to comprehend things much. Hence the reader is left just as clueless and is expected to reside in the happenings of fate as well without questioning anything or asking for an explanation.

The plot is filled with colourful and almost unbelievable characters like Miss Saeki, Oshima, Sakura, and Hoshino. Each of which ends up being a favourite without any ill feelings towards anyone. But in a story like Kafka, belief and the reliance on facts seems somewhat illogical. The story is about losing yourself and your sense of being in a dream, in a song, in a painting with meaning beyond what words can explain. So it’s best not to question anything at all and just enjoy this peculiarly sentimental odyssey of confused yet committed characters.

The characters

Miss Saeki- If composure and elegance had a face, they’ll probably look like Miss Saeki. She is painted in such a manner that you cannot associate certain characteristics with her like impulsiveness, loudness, rudeness; even if you wanted to. She exudes class, mesmerising everyone who ever lays eyes on her. No matter how old is she in a particular scene, 15/19 or over 50. She is almost ageless in her splendour.

Mr. Nakata- He is gifted in ways more than he can count probably. Even though Nakata considers himself to be very stupid, he does have a special ability to talk to cats. He is devoid of any complex emotions and cannot read/write due to an accident in his childhood. He is on a quest he is unaware of. Yet he does what is required of him when the situation calls for it and just mysteriously knows when what has to happen.

Kafka Tamura- The wannabe toughest 15 year old in the world. Kafka is somebody who is independent and only ever finds solace in reading. He does not speak much, he is careful and keeps on encountering good people who care about him. You could say that in a twisted sense of the word, he is quite lucky but the unknown keeps on tormenting him throughout, until he accepts and embraces his true self.

Oshima- A fan favourite character who is densely packed with knowledge and virtues but never once seems to be ostentatious. He does his job with pride and deals with all the patrons rather humbly unless somebody particularly picks at his ideals. He helps Kafka and forms a strong bond with him throughout the story and acts as the guide to lead Kafka from the darkness of obscurity to lights of the known world, to his roots. 

Hoshino- The only regular human being in the entire narrative, it seems. Sporting a ponytail, chunichi dragons cap and aloha shirt; Hoshino is the camaraderie of Mr. Nakata, who comes to put absolute faith in his quest and actions. He doesn’t always understand what is happening around him or why is it happening but never shies away from a daunting task and stays by Mr. Nakata’s side, till the very end.

The novel is filled with many more utterly interesting characters like Sakura, Johnny Walker, Colonel Sanders, The boy named Crow, Mimi the cat, etc. Each of them stands for the unique quirk they lend to the story aside from being the central figures in the fair play of destiny. They play their roles well in being the mediums assisting the protagonists getting closer to their end and sheltering them or providing information when required. They are like guides or auxiliary companions who may not have a set position in the arena but it will fall apart without them.

Themes

Kafka on the Shore is all about individual experiences of each of the characters. It is not an adventure story. It isn’t exactly about the suspense or explanations about why things happened the way they did. Kafka at the end of it all, is about self-acceptance and moving ahead in life no matter how things in your past remain. It tries to reason with the ideologies that your past may not always be perfect, it may always pull you back into it, but you must strive forward and live out your natural life in the real world. There will be pieces of you torn away and kept locked in the past forever but that just makes you a new you who is more mature than the older one, capable of better things. Metaphors aside, the actual personification of this act is Mr. Nakata who loses half his shadow, his ability to read and write, his intelligence but gains the exclusive ability to talk to cats. Miss Saeki spends an entire lifetime mourning the death of her lover but still welcomes death rejoicing her time which she did get to spend with her lover. Kafka Tamura is plagued by the terrible oedipal curse put on him by his father but learns that this isn’t all that defines him and hence shouldn’t let this singular thing dictate his whole life.

Various thematic devices are touched upon throughout the novel. Music playing a catalyst in situations to complement the transition of characters from their earlier mundane selves to a deeper understanding and awe of the world around them. Art plays a major role in numerous forms. Classic films, paintings, home décor and the set-up of the dreams are all described to be aesthetically reminiscent of other-worldliness.

A particularly lovely scene when Mr. Nakata is looking a missing cat

The story spans ages but also reaches a point where time is of little consequence. And at such a point when even the most fundamental truths of human existence hold little to no significance, expecting the story to address materialistic concerns which held meaning earlier, seems a bit far-fetched. Kafka On the Shore is about finding meaning when there is none. It is about living; about dreaming and living in those dreams. They aren’t always pleasant. They aren’t always complete. But they are the toil of your pneuma, rising from the inmost fibres of your soul. They embody your desires, your fears and your aspirations. And with a tinge of magic, you see the reality Kafka experiences.

Reverberations

Kafka on the shore is shaped like a normal curve experiencing its highest point during the middle. If you are somebody excessively pragmatic who looks for a well-defined structure with a beginning and an end, if you are somebody who looks for logic and reason behind every action, then probably the book would leave you feeling betrayed and wanting for more as it doesn’t ever tie any lose ends. But if you’re somebody who believes in the power of imagination, and that all things might happen for a reason but aren’t always sensible; then you’ll enjoy the novel in its entirety for what it is. A surreal, dream-like fantasy to the brim, and the overflow marked by elements of reality which highlight the irrational in contrast with the believable. There are speaking cats, noiseless flutes, and immortal sentries to have us keep our sense of wonder intact, along with more mature themes of solitude, loss, and existentialism. Although what sets Kafka on The Shore apart from the rest, is the book’s innate ability to curb curiosity at every brink of discovery and yet coming up with newer surprises so as the pace is almost never lagging. And as for the more visceral parts of the novel, it’s as Sada said, “If you can’t get it across in words then it’s better not to try.”

The author purposefully left out commenting on certain events in the novel to preserve the first-hand experience feeling for people who haven't read it yet a.k.a 'no spoilers'. 

(the book was once a part of a strange thing which happened to the author, ironically enough, at a library)

Conflicting Objectives- As seen in 'The Bridge on River Kwai'

"Be happy in your work" -General Yamashita

A statement made by Colonel Saito while explaining the British war prisoners how should they must go about their slave duties of building the urgent and quite significant Bridge on the eponymous River Kwai-  a movie which seamlessly merges the elements of war with a flummoxing tale of human morality.

Directed by David Lean, the film shapes up from a prison camp where the allied soldiers from World War II are kept prisoners by the Japanese army. Led by the ruthless Colonel Saito, he is charged to make a bridge on river Kwai with a stiff deadline using the prison captives as slave labour which mostly comprises of British soldiers under the command of charismatic Colonel Nicholson. Every man in his company obeys his order despite knowing the harsh consequences. And General Saito is vexed beyond comprehension due to it. By the end the Colonel Nicholson becomes so obsessed with making the bridge that he forgets who he is and what is his purpose and so does his men.

At the same time, when british captive soldiers are tirelessly helping the Japanese build a bridge at the best of the tier ability because they think it gives their life purpose, the forces at home are hatching a plan of their own to destroy the bridge.

Now we come to our problem of two parties- The british soldiers and the captive british soldiers, with essentially the same purpose and motive but under different circumstances are somehow forced to work against each other.

Now this conflict is depicted in the movie in two different scenarios.

• ·         Firstly, when the prisoners knew where their true objective lies and that is in impeding the Japanese. So initially they worked in disorganized parties which were somehow against each other and the work wouldn't have ever gotten completed but in this case, that's a good thing.
• 
  
• ·         Secondly, when the Colonel realized that in order to keep morale and discipline maintained in the company, he must make sure that his soldiers do the duty assigned to them diligently. Now from a manager's point of view, that is the right decision but keeping in mind the long term objective, this might hurt them as they are afterall not on Japan's side. Prisoners infact! Yet they start doing the task of building the bridge assigned to them to the best of their ability and actually end up helping the enemy.

Now at the same time, the allies know that the Japanese are building a bridge to complete the pathway so are naturally inclined to destroy that bridge. A bridge, they do not know, made by their own soldiers.

At the end Colonel Nicholson gets so much attached to the bridge that he is ready to fight british troops sent to blast away the now complete bridge.

What happens next is quite interesting but I'm gonna leave that part out because it may not be so relevant to this article and also to encourage the readers to watch the movie instead.

But we must focus and understand on a crucial point here- Was Colonel Nicholson right in doing the task at hand, the best he could, with no judgement how it will affect the long term interests of the party he represents (UK) or should he have done the task halfheartedly?

This raises a striking dilemma. Some of us are in the habit of just doing each and every task assigned to us in the best possible manner without once giving any thought to the consequences. Because most of us think what role do we have in the implications and should just stick to what we do best, for what our superiors rely on us for. Nicholson was following objective set by Saito which was his duty as he was a war prisoner. But making a bridge better than anyone was his own initiative. He even took his sick and wounded to work again.

I totally understand the sentiment behind either doing something right or not doing it at all. But in such extreme and unfortunate cases, such as one depicted in the movie, one must question his actions often.

Another extreme example would be Adolf Eichmann, one of the major Nazi organizers of the holocaust. At his trial, he claimed he was just following orders and making plans to kill as many Jews as he could because that's what his job required and he tried to make sure how it can be done best.

The eventual destruction of the bridge by his own country's soldiers was not only an eye opener for him but a crucial tactic for the audience to understand afterall how wrong the whole dedicated construction was in its entirety.

Thus, when given a task which requires your brain and skills, which also makes you feel worth your while on this earth, should still be approached with caution and due consideration to the implications. Hence, before committing your heart, make sure it's in the right place.

 (Colonel realizing the grave error in his steadfastness)

Bojack Horseman: Season 5- Review/Reflections

Bojack Horseman, Season 5 was probably the most evenly distributed season of the show ever. Things happened in a more grounded way than ever. The only blown out of proportions storyline was of Todd and his sex robot. But then, that is why we keep Todd to do over-the-top subplots for the show which somehow evolve or rather snowball into major events for the rest of the characters. 

Welcome everyone, to the show which strangely combines visceral existential crisis with ubiquitous animal puns and tongue in cheek humour. Been 5 years now, and our despicable protagonist’s undergone some major emotional changes and turbulences now. But one thing does not change, his misery, self-loathing and insecurity. At this point it would be an injustice to call the show about Bojack, instead we’ve delved so deep into the psyche and stories of other characters as well that Bojack is just a piece which keeps it all together now. A piece which is as significant as the others, not more not less. 

Season 5 is different than season 4 which threw many elements at once onto the viewer. Season 5 seems a bit more mellowed down and tamed. It does have its fair share of heartbreaks and irreverent moments but things seem to tie up very well at the end of it all. 

The season starts with Bojack having creative differences with the showrunner of his latest TV outing- Philbert. Now the showrunner/writer, Flip (Rami Malek), is the typical secluded and distraught creative type, sometimes suffering from major blocks, who wants to create a perplexing and daring gritty cop drama which is highly unlike what Bojack is used to with 'Horsin’ Around'. Bojack’s latest lady is Gina (Stephanie Beatriz), a hardened nihilist who doesn’t want to do anything with feelings. 

The home and the misery of Philbert mimic Bojacks's own. 

According to me, the show now is more daring than before quite like Philbert. Everything now seems to be a reflection of his new show and Philbert's life in Bojack’s eyes now. This time as well we had a few episodes which defied the traditional narrative style and chose to do something new. Like the depiction of Bojack’s mother’s demise was quite heartfelt despite just being wholly covered by a monologue. By the time we reach the end episodes, we have everyone at their toes and about to lose something they’ve once lost before but the impact still feels as much. Especially Bojack now seems to be diving into mental sickness category from emotional turmoil. 

Bojack's still conflicted about his feelings towards his mother even when she is dead. For the major part, he still hates her but he desperately wants that to change if his mom's left even a single cherishable memory which he longs to find.  

Other than the show and character build-up, I’d really like to talk about the delineation of addiction and insecurities in the series. How nothing ever ends and there is always that day after the perfect day. Non-linearity is hence used very brilliantly in the show both as a great plot deliverer and a metaphor for the ‘moments’ which happen in life, which may be high or low but often perceived as a path which an individual follows: start->troubles->overcoming them->happiness at last; and how we expect to have a happy ending when there is always a tomorrow after that perfect happy ending which may not be so perfect. Diane and Mr. Peanubutter are both fighting away their own shortcomings and never seem to escape their pasts. Diane cannot get over herself or her broken marriage and becomes increasingly impulsive and bitter. She feels a lack of connection and belongingness everywhere and decides to find her roots through visiting Vietnam which ends in disaster like all her life decisions. Now she’s got nothing in life to live for and her ideals may sometimes be the only thing for which she stands up making it rather inconvenient for everybody else. Her righteousness now seems only like a bandage which she puts on to mend her shattering and purposeless existence. Mr. Peanutbutter is still the most cheerful and lovable character but he now starts wondering if there’s any pattern between his actions and his failed attempts at monogamy. He starts questioning how immature he’s been all his life and soon as the women realise this, they become less interesting to him and in general, moving on to a better more suited life for themselves but Mr. P keeps on falling into the same pattern. Next we move to the now seemingly okay on the surface but totally fickle and restless on the inside- Bojack Horseman. He tried limiting his alcohol consumption, but could not. Minor illnesses give him an excuse to get painkiller pills and indulge in his vice whether knowingly or unknowingly. No wonder it also has physical consequences as he suffers a major accident through a relapse.  

For workplace disputes, when mediation fails, you are forced to go an 'arbitration' 

Due to Bojack’s addiction and dependence on substance abuse, Bojack has reached a stage where he even experiences hallucinations and does not shy from maligning anyone or commiting illegal actions to procure his fix. He doesn’t care about the people in his life when it comes to getting his fix which is shown through his little regard for Hollyhock when she dumps his pills.

A major portion of the season focuses on how well the character Philbert and the show Philbert mirrors Bojack’s own life. It happens with many actor’s, they start noticing similarities between themselves and the character they are playing and end up bringing the persona back to their homes with them. The lines of reality start blurring and even his sense of time reaches a loss. He doesn’t remember who or where he is anymore. At one point in the show, Bojack loses his mind so much that he nearly kills a co-star.

Unwanted pregnancy and adoption were also major themes this season

This is the most difficult part of being a junkie perhaps- coming to terms with your actions after you sober up. And our protagonist’s not good at it. He tries to slander his own image in order to derive some sort of relief from what he’s done. And the season wraps up with him finally accepting he needs to seek professional help and heads to a rehabilitation centre. 


The verdict
The season succeeds on many levels and fails on many. Does that mean it’s bad? Does anything described as having qualities other than positives is bad? Aren’t there atleast two facets to everything which makes it a whole and they're irrelevant without each other? This is what the existence of Bojack is in a nutshell- insatiable and forever in doubt. As for the show, if you’re a fan of the series, you’ll love the new season without having one particular favourite episode which did something utterly awesome. Instead you’d be treated with multiple episodes of multiple storylines and entangled narratives and dissatisfying yet heart-wrenching moments. If you are somebody who’s still haven’t decided whether to give Bojack a shot or not, now is the time. This is not an uplifting comedy or 'feel better' watch though. This is satire with dark undertones and mature subjects handed through seemingly funny punchlines while mocking the unforgiving world we live in and trying to find solace through meaningless acts. 

Apple Slowing Down The Older iPhones - My Thoughts!

On December 20th 2017, Apple announced that they deliberately slow older iPhones. Just as
expected, the public was aghast. The users always suspected that their old phones weren’t as
snappy as they used to be when they bought them but for a multi-billion corporation to
outright admit that people’s anxiety was very well founded was something nobody expected.
They confessed that it isn’t just collective speculation but they did actually send out updates
which forced their phones to run slower than when the device was newly bought.

Apple’s explanation is that they only do it because of battery issues in older phones. Obviously, they deny what the public is so inclined to believe that they do it so that people may lose interest in the older models and buy new ones. But Apple claims that it will never do any such thing to harm the consumers’ interests. They have clarified that the issue is due to the limited capacity and eventual deterioration of the Lithium Ion batteries. They said as the batteries grow older, they lose the ability to hold charge and cannot handle peak phone performance and might shut down midway. So as to prevent that from happening, they release updates which identify the phones with obsolete batteries and slow their performance. But until recently, the public was unaware of this and even now we don’t have any control over it. Before this, John Poole, developer at Geekbench, carried out a study of large data sets and concluded that over time the phones’ performance do lag and this could be related to battery or other components.

Personally, I feel the manufacturer should do all they can to avoid widespread glitches or faults capable of potentially breaking down the functions of a device. A little confusion about slow devices rather than an uproar about dying batteries is preferable if it can be achieved through certain means. But that in no way gives the producer the right to hide this fact from the consumers. I would have preferred people to have been informed earlier so that Apple could better explain and defend their position.

Now, Apple has issued an apology to the consumers in an official statement. They have assured people to lower the rate of a new battery from 79$ to 29$. They also say that the feature of updates which impede the performance won’t work if the battery is new and it is only restricted to iPhones; it does not affect iPads or Mac. On December 28th, they announced to release software which would help users better understand the quality and performance of their device’s components.

Whatever they do now, this move has certainly impacted the company’s credibility and goodwill with people fuming all over, some even filing lawsuits. I wouldn’t recommend such extreme actions but Apple surely needs be more transparent about their practices especially when they so directly affect their product and hence the consumer experience.

           -Anurag Singh

“The author always told people that companies send updates to slow down their devices so that they buy new products. People called him a conspiracy theorist.”

Future of Facial Recognition

Facial recognition is the system of biometrics which uses the characteristic features of the face of a person to distinctly identify them or various purposes. Over the years, facial recognition has become a widely used variant of various security systems and other applications.

Started as a science fiction element in many spy movies and envisioned by technology pioneers in the 60’s, this little piece of tech is very much a reality these days. Not Just real but its application is very commonplace. Government uses facial recognition from surveillance devices to identify potential threats to society or missing persons. Not just limited to large institutions but its usage is made available to every smartphone user. All of us have it on our phones. We use it for motion games, camera apps, unlocking our device etc.

There was a time when facial recognition wasn’t considered a safe measure in order to lock our devices but advancements in the field have enabled us to strengthen this technique. Everybody wanted to just be able to look at their device and unlock it. With total security and nobody else able to access your device but you. But the problem was face of individuals is not steady. Its dynamic data and changes in real time with our expressions and age etc. The software needs to be able to discern that. And it came to life when Apple introduced the FaceID feature on the IphoneX. According to Apple, its 100% reliable and secure. It can identify the user anytime, anyplace. All you need to do is glance at your device. Unless you got a twin, you have nothing to worry about.

So, now with this level of security tech in the hands of regular public, what does the future hold? Next would be installing this tech in more convenient paraphernalia where it can be used for even more effective applications. Most practical use right now is the glasses. We’ve had the google glass for years now and even the snapglasses for some time. They both may be able to employ fully efficient use of facial recognition but it’s a step in the right direction.

Recently, the Chinese police declared the use of facial recognition glasses for its force to scan and track citizens in during busy times and crowded places. Along with law enforcement, regular citizens of the world may soon find access to devices such as these which can tell them the random stranger they saw on the street this morning was their facebook friend for 3 years. It can help us keep a track of all people we met during a certain time period and upload images in real time while people undergo changes in life and in our memory. Just for applications of camera and video recording, it will very enabling. Imagine just looking at your family or group of friends, blinking and clicking 10 photos and a video without even moving your hands which are then directly sending to your cloud storage which can only be accessed by your face. Imagine sitting in front of your workstation devices and they unlock themselves. The usage of drones to use facial recognition for deliveries to certain people; using data analytics in real time to tell if the person in front of you is lying. The applications can be endless. But for now perfecting this tech and making it available for everyone is a task. Once that happens effectively, they’re no telling what human imagination can do.

(Who knows the US president’s secret service and other covert government agencies are already using a more sophisticated version of the tech already.)

Cool Telegram Messenger App Tricks

Telegram is our favourite non-profit cloud-based messenger app. Not because of how slick and sufficient it is but because it’s a class apart. Telegram allows users to not only text and use other basic facilities available in other messenger apps but packs some serious distinctive and definitive features. But some of these features are not very easily noticeable to the average consumer. So, we personally tested the app however way we can and discovered some really cool things which we can exclusively do with it. Here, check out the list yourself:-

     

      1.)    Edit already sent messages- Other than deleting already sent and even read messages, telegram allows you to edit those messages as well. Just tap on a text bubble and you should see this option.           

      2.)    Self-Destruct texts in Secret chat- You can start a secret encrypted chat and put a destruction timer on your texts and after that the messages will disappear. Just click on the three dot icon in any secret chat and set the timer. Also you cannot screenshot secret chats.

  

      3.)    Hold and preview chats- This is a pretty known feature of the app but still useful. Just tap and hold any chat window to see its preview and see messages without reading them. Even photos and videos will be visible. (note:- feature only in Telegram X*)

      4.)    Night mode- In Telegram X*- night mode is available simply in the swipe right menu but the same effect can be achieved in the regular telegram app by enabling the dark theme.

                            

           

5.)    Channel- Instead of broadcast messages, here we can create channels which can be public or private. You control who can send messages in both channels. Additional benefit of a public channel is that it can be joined by anyone with a link and can be found on the main search bar. So your channel is much like your youtube or twitter for telegram users. You can share admin privileges, remove/ban members and also pin messages to stay on top forever.

     

      6.)    Choose if member will be notified or not when you send texts in channels- Just click on the bell icon while in a channel.

      7.)    Terminate illegal sessions- One of the main features of this app is that it allows a single user to run multiple copies of the app while being signed into just one ID. This means you can use two or more devices, install telegram and log into both as yourself simultaneously and your data will be in sync. To terminate other sessions from certain devices, go to settings->Privacy and security->active sessions

 

                                                                 

8.)   Customisable notifications- Open a chat window, click on the username then click on notifications and choose customise. Through this you can set personalised notifications for any individual contact.

       

      9.)    Secure voice call- While on a voice call, confirm the emojis visible to you and the other person. If they match, it’s a 100% secure call.

10.)    Use inline bots- There are multiple inline bots built into the app. Just while chatting with anyone use ‘@’ before a bot name and search and send the output. Example- type “@imdb Monsters Inc,” and you can send an IMDb search of the movie. A list of bots-

• @gif – GIF search
• @vid – Video search
• @pic – Yandex image search
• @bing – Bing image search
• @wiki – Wikipedia search
• @imdb – IMDB search
• @bold – Make bold, italic or fixed sys text
• @youtube - Connect your account for personalized results
• @music - Search and send classical music
• @foursquare – Find and send venue addresses
• @sticker – Find and send stickers based on emoji

11.)    Chat with inline bots- In some cases, when you first use a bot, you’ll see settings on top of the search. Click on it and you’ll see the option ‘chat with this bot’. A new chat with the bot will be initiated where you can use commands like ‘/start/ to know all things the bot can do.

            

12.)    Record audio video without holding the key- As standard procedure, you can record audio/video by long pressing the mic whilst in chats. But you can swipe up to start recording permanently without having to keep your finger on it.

 

                                     

13.)    Play music in background- The app has a built-in music player with all the basic functions. Just play some music used in a chat and music will continue to play even if you exit the app.

14.)    Access the inbuilt media player- To access the in-built music player, tap on the song’s name visible over the chats.

15.)    Manually clear cache of data in channels- The app does not save media in the phone’s gallery unless specifically asked to. You can long press a chat and choose to clear the temp memory and recover data space.

16.)    Swipe Gestures- Just left swipe over any text for replying to it. (right swipe over it for forwarding also available only on Telegram X).

17.)    Portable video window*- When a video is sent in a window, you can play it and choose to continue using the app while the video is being played. Just click on the ‘pop out’ icon in the player. It contracts to a small box where it keeps on playing and the box is portable on the screen. (Feature only available in Telegram X)

                                   

18.)    Self Destructing accounts- You can set your account to permanently self-destruct after a certain period of inactivity. It is very useful if you lose your device or uninstall the app and forget to log out or delete the account. With this, your profile will safely be erased on its own. Just go to settings-> privacy and security-> click on ‘if you’re away for’ under ‘Account self-destructs’.

19.)    Proxy Browsing- You can use a proxy server to conceal your web activity and access restricted sites while browsing in the app and even proxy secure your calls. Just go to settings->Data and Storage-> click ‘proxy settings’ under ‘proxy’

     

                     

20.)    Convert to Supergroup- Supergroups are different from regular groups as new members can see full chat history, deleted texts disappear for all, texts can be pinned and a public link for joining can be made available. Just open options of any group->click on 3-dot settings icon->click on ‘Convert to Supergroup’

Surprise trick- Text two people simultaneously!

This requires you to have two telegram apps in a single device. For this you can download Telegram and another client Telegram X. Sign into both as yourself. Use the multi window feature of android to open them both at once and side by side. This way you can open two different chats in both the apps and talk with them both simultaneously. (switch on screen rotation and try landscape mode for more fun!)

*Note:- Telegram X is another telegram client app which is very similar to the original one but with a slightly sleeker user interface and many more options. Both work in sync if you’ve installed them both.