Two week Japan itinerary

Week 1: Tokyo & Surroundings

Day 1: Arrival & Harajuku ExplorationArrive in Tokyo (Narita or Haneda Airport), checked into Toshi Centre Hotel

Afternoon: Visit Meiji Jingu Shrine, walk through Takeshita Street (Marion Crepes, check out the Pig Café), and explore Shinjuku Gyoen Garden

Evening: View sunset from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, see the 3D Cat billboard













Day 2: Akihabara

Explore Akihabara (Yodobashi Camera, Radio Kaikan) and


Ginza for shopping such as Onitsuka Tigers

Dinner: Izakaya with Yakitori









Day 3: Oppama Day Trip

Travel to Nissan Oppama Plant (arrive by 12:30 PM, 90-min tour, needs Japanese interpreter)

Return via Kamakura (optional) If time permits visit Enoshima island

Evening: Shibuya Crossing, see the Godzilla Head, dinner at Udon Tamatina for some lovely Udon








Day 4: Odaiba & TeamLab Planets

Morning: Miraikan Museum, Gundam Statue, DiverCity Mall has a large Uniqlo and many other outlets

Evening: TeamLab Planets booking followed by Coffee at Football Café just across






Day 5: Lake Kawaguchiko

Morning bus from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko

Activities: Cable Car + Lake Cruise, try the matcha ice cream, of course click pictures with Mt Fuji

Meals: Lawson for snacks, dinner at Doutor Café in Tokyo JR









Day 6: Asakusa & Ueno

Visit Senso-ji Temple, Hanzomon Gate

Explore Ueno Park, Tokyo Skytree, Sumida River Walk, Nezu Shrine













Day 7: Odawara

Breakfast at Unplan Kagurazaka, visit St. Mary’s Cathedral

Travel to Odawara by Shinkansen










Visit Odawara Castle, plenty of local cuisine options near the Castle and station

Stay at Tipy Inn Odawara




Week 2: Central & Western Japan

Day 8: Nagoya & Suzuka

Visit Toyota Commemorative Museum at Nagoya (day trip if you want to go back to Tokyo)

Travel to Suzuka

Stay at Castle Inn Suzuka







Day 9: Suzuka Circuit

Visit Suzuka Circuit day trip. Try the Challenge car race on the F1 circuit.

Pizzeria in the circuit is recommended












Travel to Osaka

Stay at Wind Bell Baika

Day 10: Osaka Highlights

Visit Osaka Castle, Kuromon Market

Osaka castle Park is massive, nice for just walking around or sitting on the grass. good use of couple of hours. If you climb up the castle—views from the top are nice. There are few food stalls and random performers too.








Explore Dotonbori, Glico Sign, canal walk

Optional: Luup cycling at Osaka
Must visit the Shinsaibashi Shopping Street

Meals: Niku Gekojou is a must have, Pablo's dessert, Okonomiyaki, Zetteria for their Shrimp Burger

Day 11: Universal Studios Japan
You can spend a full day at USJ Osaka

Meals: 3 Broomsticks (Fish & Chips, Mac n Cheese), dinner at Nishikujo Station with plenty of options

Day 12: Return to Tokyo

Take the Shinkansen back to Tokyo (For the Mt. Fuji view sit on the left side)
You dont need a reserved seat in the off peak season

Explore Gransta Tokyo, Shibuya Hachiko Statue, ABC Mart, Don Quijote for shopping

Dinner: Udon place (repeat favorite)

Day 13: Harajuku & Omotesando

Lunch: Gyukatsu (highly recommended), walk through Omotesando Hills and visit the high end shopping stores.







Dinner: Den-en Chinese near Nishi-nippori (not recommended)


Day 14: Departure from NRT

Visit Museum of Aeronautical Sciences near Narita (NRT) airport. Watch the planes landing and also lots of fun stuff to spend 2-3 hours here.

Use the Klook discount when buying tickets. 






Lunch: McDonald’s + Ts Tantan at Narita Airport

Stay at Narita Gateway Hotel if you need to be overnight. They have free shuttles to the airport and AEON Mall

Depart from Tokyo NRT airport

Infinix GT 20 Pro - Budget Gaming Phone?

 

Gamers, strap yourselves in! Calling all mobile warriors and esports enthusiasts, the Infinix GT 20 Pro has just entered the arena. This recently launched (May 2024) smartphone throws down the gauntlet to the mid-range gaming phone market, boasting features that promise to elevate your gameplay to the next level. But does it deliver a knockout punch, or is it more of a contender's jab? Dive into our deep dive to find out if the Infinix GT 20 Pro packs the power and performance to make you a gaming champion.

Its Dimensity 8200 Ultimate and up to 24GB of extended RAM are ready to take on any task thrown against it. Its FHD+ 144hz AMOLED screen with a dedicated display chip for gaming, along with dual speakers by JBL and has DTS, what more do you need. It also has an RGB mini-led strip at the back with four customizable options.

For those of you, who also want camera performance its 108MP rear camera along with a 32MP front camera will seal the deal. It also has 4K@60FPS(rear) and 2K@30FPS(front) video recording.

It has a 6.7" screen with a stable frame-rate engine. Running XOS 14 for GT, which is based on android 14. It also has a 5000 mAH battery which fast charges with a 45 watt charger for a day's performance.

Samsung Galaxy F55 vs M55 vs A55: Battle of the Mid-Rangers

In the crowded world of mid-range smartphones, Samsung has thrown a curveball with not one, not two, but three contenders for your wallet: the Galaxy F55, M55, and A55. All boasting 5G connectivity and sleek designs, they promise a powerful punch at an attractive price. But with seemingly similar specs, which one reigns supreme? We're diving deep into each phone, dissecting their performance, camera prowess, battery life, and more, to help you navigate the A-F-M confusion and pick the perfect Samsung companion for your needs.

Performance

With all of them boasting octa-core CPU's and 12GB of RAM, it invariably comes down to their CPU speeds, with the F55 and M55 having 2.4 Ghz while the A55 has 2.75 Ghz though all of them use a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. They also have 256GB of storage which is expandible to 1 TB by microSD

Display

The Galaxy F55 and M55 Super AMOLED Plus displays with FHD+ resolution and 6.67in screen size with the A55 having Super AMOLED with FHD+ and a 6.62in screen size. All three have 120hz refresh rate with 16M colour depth.

Camera

All three feature a trio-camera setup with F55 and M55 having 50.0 MP primary, 8.0 MP ultrawide sensor and a 2.0 MP macro sensor. The A55 has a 50.0 MP primary, 12.0 MP ultrawide sensor and a 5.0 MP macro sensor. All three have 10x zoom and UHD 4K video at 30fps with slow motion at 240fps in HD with F1.8 , F2.2 , F2.4

Weight and Battery

F55 and M55 both have a weight of 180g while the A55 has 213g of weight with all featuring 5000 mAH of battery.

Software

All three phones run on One UI 6.1, with the A55 having 4 years of major updates and 5 years of security updates

Sensors

• Accelerometer
• Fingerprint Sensor
• Gyro Sensor
• Geomagnetic Sensor
• Light Sensor
• Proximity Sensor(M55,F55)
• NFC
• Wifi-Direct
• Hall sensor(A55)
• Virtual proximity sensing(A55)

https://amzn.to/4bTVJqe

Living the Green Dream

Introduction: Meet George Kuzhivelil, a true inspiration for anyone seeking a sustainable lifestyle. For over a decade, he's been transforming his Kerala home into a green haven, proving that eco-friendly living is not just possible, but incredibly rewarding.

Solar Power Champion: In 2012, Dad's journey began with two solar panels. Fast forward to today, his rooftop boasts a 12-panel farm, silently capturing the sun's energy and lighting the way towards clean power.

Beyond Panels: Sustainability doesn't stop with electricity. Dad further reduced his environmental footprint by installing a solar water heater in 2016, ensuring a warm welcome while minimizing carbon emissions.

Rainwater Harvest: Monsoon showers aren't wasted in Dad's home. Four strategically placed rainwater harvesting tanks collect the bounty, providing abundant water for plants, gardens, and even car washes throughout the year.

Waste to Energy: Embracing sustainable waste management, Dad installed a biogas fuel system. This ingenious system not only recycles waste but also generates clean cooking fuel, reducing reliance on traditional, often polluting sources.

Giving Back to the Grid: In 2021, Dad reached a remarkable milestone – becoming a net contributor to the KSEB electricity grid. His solar panels now produce more than his home consumes, making him not just self-sufficient but also an active contributor to the community's clean energy future.

A Visionary Path: Importantly, Dad embraced these sustainable practices long before they became trendy. He's a true pioneer, demonstrating that living green is not just about following the latest fads, but about a genuine commitment to the planet and a vision for a brighter future.

Conclusion: Dad's story is an inspiring testament to the power of individual action. His dedication to sustainability showcases the positive impact we can all have on our environment, one step at a time. So, let's take a page from Dad's green playbook and start our own journeys towards a more sustainable future!

CASE Connected vehicles

The car of the future is connected, autonomous, shared, electric – and it’s already here. For example, by 2030, more than 95 percent of passenger miles will be served by autonomous cars. With sensors now built into every imaginable aspect of a vehicle, from fully voice-operated features and driver attention monitoring to biometric security for reducing theft, the possibilities for the customer experience are endless. Car manufacturers have started thinking beyond traditional car features like design and engine type to consider cutting-edge digital capabilities like personalized subscription services where user can opt in or out of a range of on-demand features from a centralized marketplace.

Because of this, customers have changed the way they purchase cars – it’s not just about aesthetics or performance anymore. There is a shift in customer preferences to include features like personalized digital entertainment and data-powered productivity. Connected cars of the future will also offer facial recognition systems that change in-car settings for the driver, in-car gesture control and voice recognition for advanced security, and in-car shopping with geo-based prompts.

Research indicates that the automotive industry is a leading adopter of smart factories and use of digital technologies such as IoT connectivity, intelligent automation, and cloud-based data analysis and management. However, to take advantage and truly commercialize on the possibilities of the connected vehicle, automotive leaders need to ensure they have a strong technological foundation and that they are:

• Adopting next-gen capabilities that will drive innovation. This includes 5G, cloud, and AI. In fact, up to 15 percent of all new vehicles sold in 2030 could be fully autonomous using next-gen capabilities.
• Conforming to safety and security demands. Given the sensors and the data-driven nature of connected vehicles, they may be more prone to hacking. But turning control completely over to software could lead to new hacking vulnerabilities and other liability issues that companies cannot ignore. To overcome this, automotive companies have to allow drivers to intervene in emergencies.
• Choosing the right operating systems, hypervisor options, embedded software design, and hardware compatibility. These parameters are critical factors to consider given the increasing share of electrified vehicles as a percentage of new vehicle sales. For electrified vehicles, it’s important to have the right OS and embedded software and software.
• Enabling rapid prototyping, development, and testing/verification. There’s no denying that the future of the automotive industryis tied closely to additive manufacturing. Continued innovations in the 3D printing industry – including new materials, printers, and techniques – will continue to change the way companies design and create. To remain competitive, or simply stay relevant, organizations need to adopt smarter and faster ways to prototype and develop.
• Enhancing the capabilities behind design and production. A connected vehicle requires multiple end-to-end capabilities. The industry is in a critical period of disruption, and those who build in the software capabilities in the same way they think about hardware will be able to win mindshare and market share over the long term.
• Think beyond the vehicle. For connected cars, the ecosystem is not just within the vehicle. Because of this, automotive manufacturers need to work with fleet suppliers and service providers to deliver sustainable, connected value across the ecosystem. For example, automobile manufacturers need to work with city planners for better sustainability options such as placement of electric vehicle charging stations based on data.

What's the value of an Industry Cloud

In this video I explain the purpose and value of an Industry cloud. What are the key elements and how can this be useful to your Industry

Here is a short video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXJyYOHXjqw in which I explain this Capgemini #technovision2023 trend and read the full report on https://www.capgemini.com/insights/research-library/technovision-2023/ 

Java String Program - Part 1

 Program 1

Write a program in Java to accept a string in lower case and change the first letter of every word to upper case. Display the new string.

Sample input: we are in cyber world

Sample output: We Are In Cyber World

import java.util.Scanner;

class P1{

    

    public static void change(){

        Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);

        System.out.println("Enter a sentence");

        

        String s = sc.nextLine();

        String newstr = "";

        

        s = s.toLowerCase();

        s = s.trim();

        s = " " + s;

        

        for(int i=0; i<s.length(); i++){

            char ch = s.charAt(i);

            if(ch == ' '){

                newstr = newstr + ch;

                newstr = newstr + Character.toUpperCase(s.charAt(i+1));

                i++;

            }

            else {

                newstr = newstr + ch;

            }

        }

        

        System.out.println("new string = " + newstr);

    }

}

Program 2

Write a program to accept a string. Convert the string into upper case letters. Count and output the number of double letter sequences that exist in the string

sample Input: SHE WAS FEEDING THE LITTLE RABBIT WITH AN APPLE

Sample Output:4

import java.util.Scanner;

class P2{

    

    public static void countDouble(){

        Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);

        System.out.println("Enter a sentence");

        String s = sc.nextLine();

        

        int count = 0;

        

        s = s.toUpperCase();

        

        for(int i =0; i<s.length()-1 ; i++){

            char ch = s.charAt(i);

            char ch1 = s.charAt(i+1);

            if(ch == ch1){

                count++;

            }

        }

        

        System.out.println("count of double letter seq = " + count);

    }}

        

Program 3

Special words are those words which start and end with the same letter.

Example: EXISTENCE, COMIC, WINDOW

Palindrome words are those words which read the same from left to right and vice-versa.

Example: MALYALAM, MADAM, LEVEL, ROTATOR, CIVIC

All palindromes are special words but all special words are not palindromes.

Write a program to accept a word. Check and display whether the word is a palindrome or only a special word or none of them.

import java.util.Scanner;

class P3{

    

    public static void check(){

        Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);

        System.out.println("Enter a word");

        String w = sc.next();

        

        boolean isSpecial = false;

        boolean isPalin = false;

        

        // decide if the word is a special word

        

        char fc = w.charAt(0);

        char lc = w.charAt(w.length()-1);

        

        if (fc == lc)

            isSpecial = true;

            

        String rev = "";

        for(int i = w.length()-1; i >= 0; i--){

            rev += w.charAt(i);

        }

        

        if(w.equals(rev))

            isPalin = true;

        

        if( isSpecial && isPalin )

            System.out.println(w + " is special and palindrome ");

        else if(isSpecial)

            System.out.println(w + " is special");

        else if(isPalin)

            System.out.println(w + " is palindrome ");

        else

            System.out.println(w + " is neither special nor palindrome ");

        }}   

Video explanations for these programs