All posts by Udit Malhotra

Udit Malhotra is fond of Technology, Music, Event Management and Social Media. He has studied in-depth about Mobile & Desktop Platforms and Software Applications thereof. A keen Learner, he draws inspiration from his work experience from a few small businesses and leading global organizations including DELL where he has worked directly at the front-end with Consumers of Technology Products. He enjoys sharing his knowledge by helping other Users. You can also find him on Google+ ! +Udit Malhotra

Epson, Printers, Tips and Tricks

Tips for Trouble-free Printing with EPSON Color Printers and All-in-Ones

June 19, 2012 Udit Malhotra Leave a comment

Image Credit: Epson

HP Inkjet Printers use Print Heads which are built inside the Color and Black Cartridges of the Printer. Upon replacement of an Ink Cartridge, its Print Head changes automatically. However, the replacement of ink cartridges in an HP Printer is generally an expensive affair. The cost of replacement of Original HP cartridges can exceed the cost of a new Inkjet Printer itself.

In contrast, Epson and Canon Inkjet Printers use Print Heads which are fixed inside the Printers. The Ink Cartridge of an Epson/ Canon Inkjet Printer does not have a Print Head inside it. Since the Print Head is fixed inside the Printer itself, its removal and cleaning is not possible by end-users.

For trouble-free printing from Epson Color Inkjet Printers and All-in-Ones, I suggest the following:

To prevent clogging/ blockage of Print Head Nozzles on EPSON Inkjet Printers and All-in-Ones, always confirm that when the Printer/All-in-One is not-in-use or is powered ‘Off’ its Print Head Unit (the black box which holds the Color & Black Cartridges) is in its ‘Home Position’ on the extreme right side of the unit. In the Home Position the Nozzles are capped and prevent drying of Ink in and around the Nozzles. This is similar to a Fountain Pen’s Nib being covered with the Pen’s Cap.

To prevent clogging/ blockage of the Print Head on EPSON Inkjet Printers and All-in-Ones, take Prints regularly; at least twice a Week. Printing regularly helps in the free flow of Ink and does not let the Inks dry/ thicken within the Print Head and on the Nozzles. This is specially important for Users of Compatible Ink Cartridges.

Users of Epson Inkjet Printers and All-in-Ones can SAVE on day-to-day TEXT Printing Costs by using Compatible Ink Cartridges, instead of Originals/Refills. Compatible Ink Cartridges are easily available for most models of Epson Inkjet Printers and All-in-Ones. Available at ~15% of the cost of Original Ink Cartridges, the Compatible Ink Cartridges offer TEXT Prints in equivalent Quality & Quantity. The Compatible Ink Cartridges are not recommended for printing High Quality Photographs, as the Print Quality will be Inferior, Photos will Fade Sooner & shall have a lesser Storage Life.

If you need to take prints at brief intervals in a day, Do Not Power On/Off the Printer repeatedly. Each time the Power is turned “On”, the Printer performs a mini Head Cleaning cycle, thereby consuming a droplet of Ink of every Color. If you Power “On” your Printer many times a day, you are unnecessarily wasting Ink. Epson Printers consume a very small amount of Power in Standby Mode. To conserve Ink it is advisable to leave the Printer in standby use, if you plan to print at brief intervals in a day.

For trouble-free replacement of Ink Cartridges, always replace Ink Cartridges one-by-one and not together. For even distribution of Ink inside the Cartridge, shake the Cartridge being replaced in its shrink wrapped packaging (before opening the packaging). Remove the “Plastic Tab” on the back of Ink Cartridge. Check the Color of Ink being replaced i.e. Black, Magenta, Cyan or Blue. Tear only the removable part of the Sticker on the Top of the Ink Cartridge. Do Not Remove the Top Sticker completely as it will damage the Ink Cartridge. Th Sticker on the Top of the Ink Cartridge covers the air-flow channels of the Ink Cartridge and helps in even flow of air inside the cartridge. However, if you will not tear the removable part of the Top Sticker of the Ink Cartridge, the Ink Cartridge will not print properly. Do Not Remove the Sticker on the bottom of the Ink Cartridge, otherwise Ink will spill. The sticker on the bottom of the Ink Cartridge will get punctured by the Nozzle upon insertion of the Ink Cartridge.

For a Printer not connected to the Printer, always replace Ink Cartridges using the Instructions in the Set-Up Guide of the Printer. For a Printer connected to your Computer, follow the step-by-step animated Ink Cartridge Replacement Procedure in the Maintenance Tab of the Printer’s Properties. Ignore the Cartridge Compatibility Warning, when using Compatible Ink Cartridges. The Ink Cartridge ‘Charges’ the Ink into the Printer before it is ready-to-use. Charging of Ink involves filling of Ink inside the small Ink Tank of the Printer and a brief Head Cleaning Cycle.

Maintenance Tab of Printing Preferences

The Ink Charging Process takes 2-3 minutes for every cartridge replaced. The Printer first moves the Ink Cartridge to its Home Position and then charges the Ink from the new Cartridge. When the charging of Ink is happening you will hear a whirring sound. The Indicator flashes on the Printer. When charging is complete, the Indicator stops flashing.

Happy Printing!

Social Media

Pepsi T20 Football Grand Finale

June 17, 2012 Udit Malhotra Leave a comment

A day that most football fanatics were desperately waiting for, the Pepsi T20 Football grand finale was finally here. 17th June 2012 was one day that created history both for Delhi and football. A game that was different within its format, the fun involved came out to be the biggest event that India had witnessed as of yet. World’s finest football player Drogba showed his presence by being a part of the grand event.

The day was fun filled with loads of energy and charisma spreading out through out the venue. From the long queues to celebrity buzz to cricket fever and non-stop entertainment are just a few words that I can express. The show kicked off with loads exciting stuff and was hosted by the magnificent and super talented VJ Nikhil Chinapa. The format of the game consisted of eight participating teams throughout the country, battling to win the title in the first of its kind cage football championship.

The venue was one of the key motivator for people to be a part of the event, an indoor stadium that gave people comfort while watching. The crowd enjoyed things that were more than the game with interactive characters Mr. Bhukkad, Bak Baki Betty, Delhi Boy and Daring Diana. Bhukkad was big foodie we kept on blabbering about food, he even tried to take away my sandwich but I luckily escaped his trap. Celebrities both from Bollywood and the Indian Cricket Team that included Ranbir Kapoor, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Baichung Bhutia and Harbhajan Singh. All these sparkling entities made the people on the stands go crazy and wild.

Music was felt at its best with Sivamani and his crew giving a mind-wobbling act that kept the pace high. Fresh ‘Desi’ tunes kept the crowd dancing on their feet.

Drogba was the key highlight, his speech literally made the crowd shout and cheer for him like anything. I saw people waving off their tees and jerseys to express their love for the guy who is simply best at the sport of football. Also, Drogba captured moments from the entire stadium as a token love that he could carry on his way from India.

The online fun was in place with people tweeting second-by-second happenings on Twitter. It was twist when we got to hear stuff from Pepsi India’s Twitter handle on when Drogba landed with fun contests and whacky tag lines for Drogba and Dhoni as team. I also loved their hashtag (#pepsifootyfinale), the name itself invoked me to continue tweeting as much as I could.

The game ended with two finalists out of the total teams and our very own SGC Delhi winning the match. Delhi crowd was simply uncontrollable to express the joy, the entire buzz poured in with blast at one go. To roll it all up an all celebrity match kept the momentum high before everything came to an end.

Delhi witnessed a big day full of chirpiness, excitement and thrill that had finally come to end. Pepsi has yet again changed the game in style.

HomeShop 18

IndiaTimes and HomeShop18 heading to be leaders in Online Book Retail

May 30, 2012 Udit Malhotra Leave a comment

To match HomeShop18’s lowest Book Prices, IndiaTimes Shopping, the online retail portal of the Times of India Group, is now offering Books at an Additional Discount of 30%.

With HomeShop18 and IndiaTimes offering Books at real low prices, the best time to buy Books seems to be now.

Buyers of Books from expensive online book retailers like Flipkart will regret their purchases and shall be happy to move on to HomeShop18 and IndiaTimes Shopping.

Both HomeShop18 and IndiaTimes Shopping are offering Books across all categories at much lower prices, with excellent packaging and prompt delivery as compared to the online retailer Flipkart. Read more about Flipkart’s higher prices of books in my post: Homeshop18 beating Flipkart at its own game

The Discount Offer from IndiaTimes is aptly titled “Sabse Sasta Book Challenge”. The details of the Discount Offer can be obtained from this link.

On check-out, use Coupon Code BOOKS to avail the Additional Discount on Books. The Discount is valid on purchases above Rs.237/-. The offer is valid from 30 May 2012 to 1 June 2012.

The Link for the Books Section on the IndiaTimes portal is: http://shopping.indiatimes.com/control/keywordsearch?SEARCH_STRING=books

HomeShop18 is also offering an Additional Discount of 20% on their already lowest prices for Books in the market. On check-out, use Gift Voucher Code GC84KPBU413E to avail the Additional Discount on Books. The Discount is valid on purchases of Rs.500/- or higher. For further details about the Discount Offer from HomeShop18, please read my post: Save up to 20 percent extra on your purchases from Homeshop18

Please note that HomeShop18’s prices for Books, even without any Discount Coupons are already the lowest on the market.

To get the Best Value for your Money, before making your purchase, compare the prices of Books on the websites Homeshop18, IndiaTimes Shopping, Flipkart and on the price comparison website, Junglee.

Flipkart

Its Official Now… LetsBuy.com bites the dust

May 30, 2012 Udit Malhotra Leave a comment

With many online retailers shutting shop between 2010-2012, the casualties of online retail businesses have started appearing in the public domain.

Recently, the online electronics retailer, Letsbuy.com has shut shop and sold its business to another online retailer, Flipkart. Flipkart had announced about the acquisition of Letsbuy.com earlier this year.

I believe no one shall miss the absence of Letsbuy.com due to its limited variety, high product pricing and poor customer service.

LetsBuy customers should hope that the products that they ordered shall get delivered promptly and the ones which they have already received do not need any customer service from the erstwhile LetsBuy.com or its current owner, Flipkart.

Upon visiting the website of Letsbuy.com, the following closure and merger message is displayed:

(Click on Image for Enlarged View)

12 years ago, in India, online retail and other businesses were projected by the techie community, as the next killer idea, the next big thing and were pitched as replacements to old and conventional brick-and-mortar businesses. These gave genuine reasons of concern to many businesses of all sizes.

However, many factors such as :

the lack of availability of high speed internet access,
the lack of availability of easy-to-setup and affordable e-commerce platforms,
the lack of availability of reasonably priced and secure payment gateways,
the lack of good supply chain management systems and
the lack of skilled workforce with domain expertise in areas such as purchases, warehousing, logistics, operations, accounting, taxation, sales, customer service, etc.

coupled with:

the reluctance of the prospective consumers to buy products online, without seeing, touching, feeling and trying them before purchase,
unreasonably high prices of certain products (by certain Sellers with the disbelief that consumers are fools),
nominal usage of Debit Cards, Credit Cards and NetBanking facilities by the Indian consumers,
lack of effective Cash-on-Delivery systems,
very high return rates on Cash-on-Delivery transactions and
customers concerns about post purchase services, etc.

did not let those killer ideas and elevator pitches to translate into successful businesses.

A few survivors from that time are the erstwhile Bazee.com (now Ebay India), Rediff.com and IndiaTimes Shopping.

Just like any other conventional business, to become successful, an ‘online retail business’ has to be sustainable as well as profitable. An online retail business must be built with high standards of excellence and with a goal of building long term customer relationships.

Unfortunately, instead of building long term and lasting relationships with their customers, most online retail businesses these days, try to acquire more customers in a short span of time, by focusing only upon short term transaction based associations.

A customer may not like his neighborhood Retail Store, its products, its prices, the professional conduct and customer service. However, due to the limited number of choices available with him in his neighborhood, he may be constrained to buy from the same retail store.

This is not the case while making online purchases. In just a few clicks, the customer can effortlessly shift from one online retailer to another. The originally disappointing brick-and-mortar retailer is at the risk of losing a customer and other prospective buyers around his center of influence for life, in just a few minutes

These days, a new online retailer is appearing on the horizon every day. For most products and categories, the number of online retailers is increasing every day. Any decline in customer service and other commitments by an online retailer can result in the loss of a valuable customer and other prospective buyers around his center of influence for life, in just a few minutes.

Many online retailers have received large amounts of Capital from Domestic as well as Foreign Private Equity Investors. Many of these online retailers have adopted business strategies, which are neither sustainable nor profitable. With transaction based associations, dwindling consumer loyalties, they are at high risk of ending up like LetsBuy.com.

Let’s hope Flipkart does not flip its own kart with its new acquisition and its current non-customer friendly policies and strategies.

You may also like: Homeshop18 beating Flipkart at its own game