Whatsapp Backup to iCloud is stuck on Apple iPhone at x% [SOLUTION]

Let me come straight to the point:-

THE PROBLEM:

1. You have started backup of Whatsapp chats on your iPhone (iOS11+ in my case). The way to start - Whatsapp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Back Up Now
This backup is taken on iCloud.

2. The backup starts with the cloud icon on the top left corner having a semicircular arrow (an inverted C with an arrow).

3. There is a progress shown at the bottom (XX MB of YY MB (Z%)).

4. You check on the progress after a few minutes and it's still stuck at the same Z% with the famous busy processing icon of iOS.

5. You try force closing the app, you try restarting - NOTHING WORKS!

And the situation is something like below: (Solution below)



THE SOLUTION:

The chat backups are usually taken on iCloud and requires adequate space depending on the amount of data you have to be backed up.

And the thing that was holding up the backup in my case - SPACE! Yes, I had very little space left on my iCloud and even though I ensure that I free up 220 MB required for my backup - I think it required just a little bit more.

So as general rules:

1. Think if you really want to backup your Whatsapp media on iCloud. Space on iCloud is a costly affair and you may just find it more economical to back it up on your disk. IGNORE this if you're a CRYPTO trader, you already have the money for the space :P

2. Ensure your iCloud account has adequate space, atleast double of the size of your Whatsapp chat history size. That is 500 MB space if your chat history is 250 MB. Additional free up helps! This was the cause for my backup to HALT abruptly. Check the main culprit - iCloud Drive and see if it has some unwanted files, documents or photos.

3. Revisit your backups periodically (Daily/Weekly/Monthly) and choose Auto Backup if you're just too darn lazy! :)

Well, that's my first TECH tips blog on common problems we face with our devices in life!
WATCH this SPACE for MORE! 

Relationship Dilemmas!!!

Disclaimer: Relationships refer to serious future oriented commitment of individuals (Section 377 respected) with a timeline of 6 months and above. Flings/affairs/timepass not considered :)

I happened to see this movie, "Break Ke Baad" a bollywood flick starring Imran Khan and Deepika Padukone and it makes me wonder, how complex relationships have become! Being ambitious and reaching for the sky is the order of the day and in the past was more of a manly affair! However, the women empowerment in the society of late have thrown open lots of instances which we didn't possibly fathom in the past.

Career and personal life is something each one of us juggles with. Priorities are always towards a career for most part of our lives as we are so programmed to think that getting a good education will destine you a fat salary and a good life. But most of us aren't masters of the trade and hence one of career or personal life take a back seat usually. And no prizes for guessing, which one actually does :)

Precisely where I come back to the movie (SPOILER ALERT!!), where two kids seem to be madly in love with each other but don't necessarily know what they want from life. While one is adventurous and wants to explore passions, the other feels relationship is the centre and everything else should fall by it. Conflict guaranteed!! As one partner feels the other is chocking and viceversa. This situation is so common in the society, two individuals coming together and falling apart due to such differences!

But is Break UP an answer? In most cases it usually becomes! A small research of mine shows that in nearly 3 out of 5 cases, the girl calls it quits! And when the tenure of the relationship is atleast 1 year, the next course becomes painful. And contrary to whats shown in bollywood movies, only a handful ( 2-3 out of 10) end up realizing and get hooked on to a marriage! Sorry state of affairs!

Solutions? Well,

Keeping the relationship in perspective for your career decisions?

Getting your partner on the same plane and discussing the consequences of options?

Compromises if required to keep relationship intact and yet realize career interests to some extent?

A little bit of maturity on career v/s relationship, better handling of shocks/situations (i got a job/admit abroad)?

Or, the tried and tested, get settled in your career and wait for your folks to get you hitched?

My view, well, relationships are built on foundations of trust and togetherness. It takes a moment to break and shatter them like glass! But a hell lot of time to recoup and rebind the bond! So...

"Think before you take a Break, coz Break Ke Baad sirf TV shows/movies wapas aate hain... maybe not Love!"

Some Brands... They become one of us!

As I return to one of my favorite topics, Branding & Marketing after a long time, here's something which has become a part of our lives unknowingly! I am sure most of you would relate to this.

Marketers' biggest objective is to register their brands in the minds of the customers. And I say register it to such a level that it remains on the top of mind (TOM) to an extent that when the customer enters a store, she's strongly influenced to choose the TOM brand. Millions of dollars are spent on this, commercials are repeated on TV/Radio, celebrities are used, events are done and so on.

Needless to say, there have been hits and misses here as well. And some of the brands have reached a level where they command recall of the entire category rather than the product itself. Talk about some iconic brands, just to highlight say Parle Agro's Frooti (mango pulp brand). Do you think, with the urge of drinking mango pulp we just walk up to a shop and say, "Frooti pls!" rather than maybe "Which Mango pulp drink do you have? " Yeah, ofcourse its a clutter today with Maaza, Slice, Real, Tropicana, MAA and what not! But, I presume Frooti shall always remain as a TOM mango pulp brand for most Indians today! And what's more a Frooti Ad of today shows, When it comes to a mango, Frooti is the name!

Frooti is just one of a list of many. I'm sure you will agree with me if I add these names as well to the list...

Maagi for Noodles?

Surf for Washing Detergent?

Thumsup for a Cola?

Cadburys for a choclate or maybe today for a meetha (sweetmeat)?

{Is blog start karne se pehle meetha nahi khaya, i hope the readers like it :D}

Crocin for a Paracetamol?

Vicks for a Cold Suppressant?

BUT! a brand name becoming a generic category name may also spell doom for a marketeer. An instance can be TTK's brand Fryums. Yes, my friends, Fryums is just not a generic name for any ready to eat fried snacks! It has become one. But TTK is no way in the picture! Sad isnt it?

The generic name of Fryums in the TOM of customers was exploited by retailers to push similar unbranded snacks which offered better margins. In the end, Fryums was reduced to a commodity with no differentiation and brand protection. Several attempts of rebranding to Fryums Yummies also failed and finally when liberalization happened, competition (like LAYS) killed the brand.

But the world hardly remembers the brand martyrs. Customers just move on! Ambassador was an iconic brand but customers have moved on to the likes of Honda, Hyundai, Maruti and Toyota. Kelvinator died but the Samsungs and LGs rule HER (customers') mind today!

Convenience matters, value does! Rest is just a footnote. A generic brand name offers a level of communication between the reseller and the customer that some of them still prefer to use them. And a majority of customers change brands with a hell lot of resistance. Invariably brands become household names! Marketers need to accept this, and ultimately as some great has said, "Change or Die!" Brands are no different!

Cheers!!!

Diwali!! Then and Now!

As we are in the middle of another Diwali (for international readers: Festival of Lights & Crackers), I am simply amazed by the way celebrations have changed! This festival which is by far the most popular (for everybody: people, companies, marketers, traders) certainly has seen a huge makeover, from its grand noisy image to a subtle, gracious, quieter one. Here's a (largely influenced by a Marathi Mom:) perspective of how the 3 days of Diwali have morphed:

Colorful cities! :)

Kids enjoying!

Action Replayy! :) The 1980-90s! When Simplicity ruled! When we cared less for Nature? :)

Well, those were the days when we as kids, most of us thought about nothing else other than CRACKERS!! With the pursuit of lighting the first cracker on the first day (Naraka Chaturdashi) asap, (a competition in the neigbhourhood was common, Kaun Banega "PehlaCrackerburster") kids used to line up to finish their oil bath (a ritual) and get on the street whereas the elderly preferred to guide(read reprimand/instruct) them! A pooja was customary, the beneficiary GODs being one or more of these: Ram, Lakshmi, Vishnu and more. (Essentially its the win of good over EVIL). The ladies in the house then had the men and kids seated and an aarti followed along with feeding them with loads of sweets! (mostly homemade, especially the Kajjaya/Kajjya :)

As kids spent rest of the day and night bursting crackers and continuously getting reprimanded (from parents, passersby, people on cars/bikes), the elderly had a time socializing as it was a grand family get-together. And the next three days were more or less similar to the first, with kids emptying one cracker pack after another, the ladies making/getting more sweets and a lot of socializing with exchange of gifts! Ofcourse, not to mention, the diyas/candles all over the home surroundings to make it a wonderful sight in the night! (easily lasted 15 days before and after the festival!)

NOW, 2010? With all the sophistication! With all the scare of harming Mother Nature!

A quiet Diwali??

A stark difference! Diwali maybe is more of a holiday than a festival (??) Kids with all the gyaan about the ill effects of crackers, prefer to stay away from blasting their way to glory. Lesser noise! Nuclear families facilitating more of a community get together rather than a family one!

Well some questions...

Is the intensity of celebration still the same?

Aren't V denying the kids the fun that's totally worth it? (just for 3 days :)

Are V still celebrating the prosperity that we have in our lives and spreading it among others as well?

I hope its a YES! :) Ofcourse with crackers, some responsibility rather than nothing!

As I leave, a thought...

"Lets end this festival (symbolizing Win of Good over Evil) with some win over atleast one EVIL within us!"

I've found mine, have you?

The Walk Back!

Chennai is the city and glad I stay close to office. The walking back home takes 20 minutes! 8-9 PM IST is the usual time, although it can be 11-12 PM IST. Music plus a glance at the activities on the bustling Anna Salai (read longest stretch of road in Chennai) and the happening Pondy Bazaar (a market place) road make my time well spent. I am also doing my bit to keep myself fit (assuming walking is the simplest way to avoid those extra kilos in my tummy).

Well, you all must be wondering, "AAAhhh, wat a boring topic to write about...", not actually true thou. The sights I've seen in this stretch from the past quarter of my stay here are simply amazing to say the least. Lemme introduce to you some of the self-christened hotspots in this stretch. :)

The Lover's corner!
Residing on the Anna Salai Road, yes, u guessed it right! Abandoned office buildings and parking lots... Cant ask for more

Territory of the smallest bitch I've ever seen!
Its minature, yet is raising pups! Unbelievable?? Believe it! Once again Anna Salai Road.

Inebriated Ruins!
Deserted, ruins of a building on the Salai, dark and unmanned! Spooky too, certainly a place for the high and dry alcoholics.

Bootaayi Mancha (read homeless bed, a stealer for uppi fans)
Its freaking amazing that the same pavements we walk on become the beds of those innumerable homeless. Its crazy, yet true some of them are educated and keep accounts (read a pocket diary)!

The Biriyani/Thalapkattu stretch!
Now coming to T Nagar road, Roadside biriyani at its best! Atleast by the look of satisfaction on the faces of the innumerable ppl I see eating everyday. (sparing myself frm the trials ofcourse) And the tinkling of the small plate which the server uses to prepare a portion of rice against huge vessel is truly a sight! Catching attention of passers-by and drawing them for a bite. Well, currently I see 7 such shops, 2 road side carts, 3 mid sized restaurants and 2 big ones! This is surely some Biriyani stretch! Hyderabad are u listening??

The Upcountry Shopping Complexes!
Now come to the Pondy Bazaar street, from Globus to Chella Mall to Big Bazaar to Raymonds! U name a showroom, its all here. No wonder its called a Bazaar... But Pondy?? Shall come back once I find this out!

The STARS!
Well who can forget them! The posh places every Chennaite wants to go... The Residency, GRT Grand, 10D!! Certainly cant ask for more, especially when u need a break from your work! :)

Last but not the Least, The Government Vendors!
Fortunately or unfortunately, the GoTN has control over every drop of spirit! Only government licensed shops, ppl! And its a mad rush trust me, considering the scarcity of such shops!! But u knw wat, I bump into 4 such during the Great Walk Back of mine! Lucky?? :)

Starting today friends, I bring you the most exciting moments that make me wanna skip all those pestering auto drivers and walk back! Watch this space for some exciting stories like:

A drunkard's fall, couresty 2 year old daughter!
The ups and downs of a Bottom of the Pyramid couple!
The missing pup!
The "I wont Sell" Government vendor!

More to come... Happy Reading :)

FREE!! FREE!! FREE!!

Well, obvious from the title, its consumerism!! Something in India which is more powerful than the resident of the Rashtrapathi Bhavan!! Be it the just concluded Diwali Bonanza sales across everything from soaps to chocolates to washing machines to sedans or the daily bumpers which my fellow prepaid consumers avail, Customer is truly the King in India!! So ppl, in tune with my love for marketing, presenting a perspective...

I recently happen to enter a Reliance Fresh outlet and trust me it was nothing less than a year end sale! 2 of 3 items I picked in each product category had some offer or the other!

A pack of Parle Masst Chips with 50% extra!
A Colgate toothpaste and brush combo saves you 40 bucks!
2 Dabur Real juice packs and you land a cool 10% discount!
A pack of paper naphkins with 10% discount!
Buy a 2 ltr pack of Mirinda, get a Nimbooz tetra pack Free!
The list is endless!

Point to be noted here is that these are purely manufacturer discounts and offers. These offers are further backed up by the retailer discounts. You have a AB Retail More. giving you a discount on a particular purchase of deodorant or a Reliance Fresh on a purchase of your favorite cookies or maybe a Spencers on your chocolates! Choices endless, confusion limitless!

Remember those gud ol days when supermarkets were not in, and used to buy all those groceries from the local kirana. The first thing, a middle class consumer like me would ask, "Gimme my product, preferably with an offer" and the gud ol shopkeeper wud say, "Nothing much son"

Not today! An Indian consumer picks up a Colgate, a Pepsodent and a Meshwak to check the most attractive offer!! So much for brand loyalty. I may step out of a store if therez no SET WET MACHO or a Park Avenue after shave or maybe even a Cinthol soap, but will my average Indian consumer do the same???

The bottomline is, As long as your getting undifferentiable quality, y care for a brand?
Price is the real differentiator and buying is getting more impulsive than ever! That explains logic behind my last three toothpaste purchases, Colgate Salt to Pepsodent to Close up!
Dare to disagree???

5 things U just CAN’T live without in IIT Roorkee

All you social networking freaks could have by now guessed the provenance of the title; obvious in an age of Facebook and Orkut!! (read an age where we visit these sites more than our own kin!) An obsession is what I can say, the prime reason for a settled, comfortable kin of the Dravidian race; more so Hardcore Bangalorean, to land in an IIT.An IIT with the richest legacy!! (Yes, its our very own 169 year old temple of knowledge!)

So, the obsession for IIT got me here.. Now What?? Two years of post graduate study ahead amidst new people, “hostile” living conditions (read our ever so “convenient” hostels), different set of academicians and society alike; yes, I know its a page of your story too here. Being an Adam, I present the perspectives of the gender from Mars, so to say…(No prizes for guessing the book) The perspective on what are those 5 things, you just can’t live without here on IIT Roorkee Campus!

People

Be it those seemingly “taxing” yet adorable professors, or your classmates some you love to be with and some you don’t, those hundreds of “incidental” (show their importance at the right time, don’t they…) support staff, those hundreds you interact beyond class rooms in clubs, Nescafe outlet , Thomso/Cogni (read fests of IITR), YES; PEOPLE are just too good out here!!! Give yourselves a pat, Thomsonians (IIT Roorkee junta); attribute it to the clean air or Ganga water, you are too sweet!!!

Nescafe Outlet

What would this near 400 acre campus be without a cool hang out!!! You’re late CCD (recently comeup outside the campus), coz we have our own “Nesci” (as we call it)!! Birthday party, chill out spot, date (agree?), get together, “meeting”; be it anything, you need not worry about the place!!! A truly unforgettable spot on campus, trust me!

Student’s Club/Sporting Infra

If you’re at IITR and haven’t played a game yet, its still not late; coz if you’re not in, you are missing out something really BIG!!! A magnanimous cricket stadium, synthetic basket ball and tennis courts, Olympic size swimming pool, world class indoor facilities (billiards, pool, foosball, carom, chess) and sooo on; therez no end to the list....

Laptops/Lan Movies

Laptops being near ubiquitous, a tribute to internet, LAN and the drives which truly make up for all the entertainment we’re missing out here. Be it the recent Blockbuster movie, or the recent show of Roadies/HIMYM/Splitsvilla or those vintage IMDB Top 250 movies or those classic shows of 70s/80s/90s; you just name it and you’ll get it on the IITR LAN! A tribute also goes to all you philanthropic geeks on campus who ensure everyone out here has fun!!!

Partner

This onez your loved one! Whoever it may be… Whatever it may be… It’s a book for a nerd, movies for

some else, a companion for some and yes, you must be curious to know what it is for me… birds!!!

(Weird? C’mon guys, I needn’t say more)

This might make you guys who've known IITR go all nostalgic trust me, as its making me; but this is what any soul out here can think of in retrospection. I may have missed out on some; but let me leave you with this…

“The order/priority of these 5 things is what can certainly make/break your life here... Life @ IITR”