Skype to phone calls in UAE works without VPN starting Jan 2015!

Skype to Skype calls were allowed from UAE to other countries or within UAE by the two duopoly operators, Etisalat and du, whereas Skype to phone calls were not allowed, until recently.

Skype to Phone

In UAE, Skype users had to pay for a VPN service to make calls from their Skype to phones on top of the subscription charge or the Skype credit. Recent reports indicate that this restriction is no longer applicable and Skype users are indeed able to call Indian phone numbers with their subscription as of Jan 2015, which is good news for Skype users.

Update: Google voice users can already make Hangout to phone calls without the need for a VPN through Gmail, provided they have bought calling credit from Google.

Hacking Clumsy Ninja

Clumsy Ninja is an awesome game available on iPad/IOS/Android platforms. I really liked the game and started to spend 10minutes daily to gather coins and XP within the game. As the game always pushes the user to buy more coins or gems which could be used to skip levels, I wanted a way to get more coins/XP in-game.

Current avatar of my clumsy ninja

The hack is so simple, that I am frustrated that I didn't think of it earlier. Here goes.

Step 1:Exit the game
Step 2: Turn off wifi
Step 3: Set the device time in the future, maybe 1 day more.
Step 4: Enjoy coins, and all timers are reset as well.

This same strategy will be applicable in all games playable offline, as it is the limitation of the computing device/technology itself.

UAE Job search strategies for Indians

Immigrants from all over the world come to UAE looking for jobs. UAE has a large potential for jobs. From what I had observed, I am listing down some of the strategies specifically for Indians to get a Job in UAE, especially in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

1. Online Job portal

There is only one reputed Job portal in UAE that is used by employers as well as candidates.

UAE Jobs - http://uae.dubizzle.com/jobs/

Dubai Jobs - http://dubai.dubizzle.com/jobs/

Abu Dhabi Jobs - http://abudhabi.dubizzle.com/jobs/

Sharjah Jobs - http://sharjah.dubizzle.com/jobs/

While applying through Dubizzle, most employers prefer to call only if the candidate is in UAE or has working experience in UAE. One good idea is to get a UAE local number and use it on the Resume/CV.

Dubizzle is a highly visited place and keep visiting the site often to improve your chances of getting a job. 

2. Direct approach to companies

This is a famous strategy being followed by most people from countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nepal and so on. The candidate can apply and get a visit visa and come to UAE. Once in UAE, visit all possible employers directly and deposit your CV.

I have even seen people distributing CVs at bus shelters.

Indians can either visit UAE with a tourist visa or a visit visa. 

A tourist visa can be taken by anyone with a return flight ticket, without the need for a sponsor in UAE, whereas a visit visa requires a sponsor from UAE.

A return flight ticket to UAE in Indigo costs around Rs.17000.

A 30 day tourist visa is available from Dubai for Rs.5000. More details in below link:

http://www.dubaivisa.net/india/duration30days.html

Staying in UAE is a costly affair. But one can find sharing accomodation easily. Check out Dubizzle's "Rooms for Rent" section under "Property for Rent" top menu.

3. References in UAE

Best jobs in government and private sector are mostly available through references. Build up your LinkedIn profile. Search your friends and family network for anyone already working in UAE and seek reference from them.

Comment below for any questions or advise regarding working or getting a job in UAE.

IRCTC's latest error message : 403 - Forbidden: Access is denied. Sub Code 107

IRCTC has managed to give yet another error message to annoy its users.

IRCTC- 403 - Forbidden: Access is denied. Sub Code 107 

IRCTC, India's monopoly train ticketing provider is already infamous for providing aberrant service to its users. They have even tampered the ClearTrip train booking service to require a IRCTC login. Now, they hae their website go completely down and are providing a forbidden error message.